I don’t know how the economy is affecting everyone else in the country, but it seems to be hitting hard in Los Angeles. I know dozens of people who have lost their jobs this year. Erika was added to that list today after a few more Tokyopop lay-offs. It seems likely my department will dissolve in a few months as well. The good news is I have ample warning. 2009 is going to be an interesting year.
After over a decade of “watching them,” a dentist finally recommended I have my two impacted lower wisdom teeth yanked. We awoke early and Erika drove me to an oral surgeon in La Cañada where I was sat in an odd chair contraption. Heart monitor doohickies were stuck to my furry chest, another monitoring device strapped to my finger, a heart pressure cuff wrapped around my bicep, and a crafty shower cap placed on my head (I certainly wouldn’t want my hair to be a mess while my teeth are being bloodily cut and ripped from my mouth—fashion first). My inner elbow was pricked, a small air respirator slide over my face, and I was gone. It was dark and I was nowhere, completely unconscious. In what could have been a second or a century, I came to in the recovery room next to Erika. My recollections for the next few minutes are a haze. The memories before that don’t exist. I am told I was in good spirits and jocular, apparently cracking jokes with the nurse. I have no memory of the photo below.
Now those pesky teeth are gone, I’m 700 bucks poorer, and my face has sensation again. I hope the recovery continues like it has so far. I’ve heard horror stories.
Halloween 2008 saw the appearance of Italian Spiderman and Catwoman (AKA Mexican Catwoman).
Experience more heart-palpitating Spider Excitement, pussycats!
The collective population surprised me last night. A black man can become president of the U.S. even when a large ill-informed portion of the populace paint him as a terrorist and spread unfounded fear and blatant lies. I hope that means people care more about leadership than race now. Last night made me proud of America. Last night made the world proud of America. Maybe we can stop being the playground bullies now.
Yet, the allegedly progressive part of the nation let me down. Proposition 8 passed, effectively rescinding the rights of gay people throughout California. Just over half of voting Californians decided not that gay marriage should continue to be illegal, but that it should once again become illegal. They voted to take away a group’s rights. Pore over that for a moment. A right wasn’t denied, it was taken away.
I was hoping last night would be two steps forward.
I guess I can settle for one.
Well, it’s only on TOKYOPOP.com, but I can now say that I have co-directed and co-starred in two Sega videogame commercials (even if it is internet only). Check it out on the website while they are still running. You may need to refresh a few times. Look for one of the images below and wait a few seconds for it to play.
If you have not yet heard of Italian Spiderman, your life means nothing.
Stop what you are doing and go experience it now.
Here is another music video I worked on at work.
It’s funny how long it takes for some of this work to get online, I finished this early in the year.
From National Geographic:
Newly evolved “superworms” that feast on toxic waste could help cleanse polluted industrial land, a new study says.
Read More about Heavy Metal-Eating “Superworms” Unearthed in U.K.
About a week ago, we put together a short pitch for a web show at work. It features artwork of giant robots from one of our books mixed with keyed footage of few of us acting like ridiculous jack-asses. It is pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, I can’t post it, but that won’t stop me from showing off a few stills. Steven (my supervisor) had a fantastic idea. He had me nab one of the images we used for the video and use it to create a shirt featuring one of our coworkers who played the villain as his birthday was approaching and we knew he would love it. One of his scenes from the short features him saying “activate super crush.” Today, Steven called him to a conference room where seven of us sat waiting to presumably castigate him. Instead, we revealed that we were each wearing a shirt featuring him and gave him one of his own. He was so excited he ran around the office showing everyone and taking pictures of all of us. At this moment, he is probably sending links to all of his family and friends in Japan.
I never got around to posting more photos and blabber about the Rafting trip in June. I intend to remedy that right now.
I have been on a fair number of Extreme Things activities/trips (probably approaching 20 or so) and they have always been fun and very rewarding (even Strawberry Peak which beat me like a bitch), but the Kern Rafting Trip is likely the most fun I have had yet. I don’t know if the astral bodies happened to align perfectly that weekend or if that combination of calendar numbers ignited my joy chakra; but I was constantly in high spirits, bursting with energy, and having a great time all weekend.
Our camp site was directly in the blazing Sun—that weekend was relentless, but the awe-inspiring white-water river nearby more than compensated. We lounged around on immense rocks, explored, foolishly swam through rapids, and tubed. The next day brought the main event, 3-4 trips down separate areas of the River Kern. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time. It whet my appetite for rafting. I certainly plan on returning next year, although I want to up the stakes—class 5. I’d love to try out white-water kayaking as well.
The weekend saw the birth of a running gag that may never die—Team Sausage—the best damn rafting team the Kern has ever seen. There were numerous high points to the weekend, but nothing can top the look on Karl’s face after being launched from our raft into a roaring rapid. That’s when my smile was the widest.
