Much Too Much!

I'm drowning here. At least, it sure seems that way, in all the creative energy that has exploded lately. I think its time we play "What does Peter do with his leisure time?"

Let's start with this though: I hate my job. Just for the record, should you know of a job opening which involves a more satisfying and creative output than my current one, please let me know. I'm desperate.

Because I hate my job, I spend my free time in pursuits I like to refer to as "projects." I have a lot of projects, and I'm not kidding here. Too many that I'm trying to accomplish right now. And currently I think I'm sinking. I know this isn't perhaps interesting to you viewers out there (if there are any), but it is on my mind and I'm freaking out. Here's a small list, with pictures!

NaNoWriMo - quite possibly the lead weight around my ankle. I've been wanting to write a book for years now, and have the plotline mapped and everything. Its a guilty pleasure, a fantasy novel that I've constructed out of anger to the conventional fantasy running around, though mostly its birth came from some cool ideas I've worked through for far too long. It needs to be on paper. I thought this would be a good way to start it, and instead it is reminding me that perfection is unattainable when one is supposed to write 50,000 words in a month.



Costuming - I enjoy costuming. Check my facebook, myspace, or cosplay for the pictures of things I've done. Currently I'm working on:

- Judge Gabranth: a character with imposing armor from Final Fantasy XII, I couldn't help but want to make him. Some of my homies joined the fray to create some of the other characters (and collect the whole set!), but as of yet, none of us have finished. Mine is a seriously complicated fusing of sintra, leather, liquid plastics and mold-making. It'll be great. Someday.

Here's what I'm going for:



Here's where I'm at. Actually I'm farther than this, but this is the most informative picture.



- Black Mage: I got lucky enough to have an awesome costuming class in which we build chain mail, screenprint, and all sorts of random stuff. In a failed attempt to finish a halloween costume a week before, I decided a black mage from an old school game would be easy, and started making the wizard hat in class. The robes and all that have yet to come, but currently the hat is on its way and looking fantastic.



- Jacket: Screenprinting took off with me. Its really fun and has all sorts of potentials. So I dreamt up jacket and decided to make it. I drafted the pattern, created all the designs to be screenprinted onto it, and with my brother's help at his screen printing facilities, am making an awesome jacket. Here's the progress thus far:



Also:
-Designing costumes for Short Experimental Film (to be shot next semester)
-Create the latex mask from the negative I've already cast of the Valtiel face I sculpted. Don't ask.

-Finishing the Riddler Jacket
-Adding matching boot covers to the gauntlets and photographing the Ringwraith outfit


Screenplay: Its called Phoenix, it's on it's third draft, and it's a dark film my mother would never go see. I guess being raised on a steady diet of Disney and Anne of Green Gables does that to you.

Short Horror Film: Not totally updated, but we're near completion. You can at least get the back info on this from the SHit Blog, in my links.



Her Majesty's Secret Raisin Service: My roomie Amanda and I dabble in the exciting world of music. Surprisingly, it takes us longer to write songs than they show on television shows about music artists. In TV world a multi-platinum song can be whipped out in fifteen minutes, start to release party finish. Turns out in real life, its a lot harder. While our music tends to have a surreal element to it, and play with all sorts of ridiculous styles and transitions, we're getting better and you can expect that if not for Christmas, sometime in the next year you'll get a copy. And you'll love it. That is, if you want one. And you probably don't.

Murder Mysteries: I've fallen off the band wagon. I have three different ones, with three different formats I've been kicking around and want to pull out the stops with production on one for my birthday this coming year. Its a good year for murder, I think. The others were a success but I want to keep improving!



Oh and lest you think I've forgotten the documentary of the previous games, I haven't. Its in various stages of completion on my computer. The editing is a bit tough and there's far too much footage of the interviews I did to wade through. Alas... such is the price.

This is a partial list - the top of my list, list, and unfortunately not exhaustive. Its just that I have so much I want to be doing. Instead of writing this blog, for example. So if I'm slow at updating it, I apologize. Maybe I'll have more time when I quit my job and spend the next 2-3 months doing nothing but skiing and playing video games. Sounds like an ideal set up to me.

Is it just me, or are Republicans kinda gay?

I'm starting to believe that this crazy right-wing agenda is all an act to throw off suspicions that the entire party is made up of self-loathing homosexuals with unusual and disturbing tastes for prostitutes, public anonymous sexual exploits and the illegally young. A group that is unsympathetic with pretty much anyone.

Let's be honest, I might be gay but that doesn't make me a pervert. The unintelligent and uninformed associate homosexuality with pedophilia and regard it as a dark, slippery slope to bestiality. Of course, this is the argument from the moral right. Perhaps these notions are submitted because the people making them are they themselves harboring said sexual deviance. It only makes sense that if your secret desires are horrific in nature, then perhaps you should make scapegoats of the normal, well adjusted homosexuals who want to be treated like actual human beings.

So maybe the prejudice is a based in a fear of discovery for sick appetites. But what about the ones who are just... gay. Self-hating gay, but just gay? For starters, there's the problem of money. Consider religious leaders, even the ones not molesting young boys. Oft times, religion = money, and if you're making all sorts of cash at the expense of worshippers who desperately need something to cling to, its best not to reveal yourself as the very type you're preaching hellfire and damnation against.

But let's not forget politics, money's Bonnie to its Clyde. Apparently money paired with power breeds a complete lack of self respect, self decency, and perhaps a soul. How much does your own self worth as a human being cost? I'm speaking about all the closeted and outed homosexuals alike who are willing to play the wrong side of the political game, working to damn their own equality for their own personal gain. The likes of George W. Bush's campaigners who helped craft his values-oriented, anti-gay spin during his campaign run, for example. Or even more aptly, McCain's Chief of Staff, Marc Buse. Mr. Buse was "outed" today by a former boyfriend, more of whom have come forward after this initial confession. The funny thing is that Marc Buse is already out to his friends, his family, even to his presidential hopeful and anti-gay advocate John McCain. In fact they've worked together for the past 20 years. What a friend indeed.

Ah the irony! Helping a man into office who emphatically rejects any attempts to equalize your status in this country! Fantastic! When Ms. Palin finds out, there might be a emergency De-gayification at her church, which I believe involves rousing activities like hunting moose. I can't help but wonder what the crazy right think about this...

Maybe, just maybe, there's a problem with all the bullshit this current, out-of-control republican party incarnation is feeding people. They talk a big extremist fight, and time and time again show their true colors as something else entirely. But then, what shade of hypocrisy does it take to shake people and wake them up to the lies they're being sold? Alas, the curse of being this kind of supporter is that many can't see the light amidst all the divine enlightenment. These days, the republican party mantra has become "Go Zealot or Go Home (to your terrorist hideout with Osama)!"

Anyway, I got a bit tangential for a moment there. In all, I just wanted to thank some of (certainly not all, there's too many and many more to come) the individuals who helped me write this blog:

Troy King, Attorney General of Alabama
Mark Foley, U.S. Representative
Ted Haggard, Leader of the National Association of Evangelicals
Larry Craig, U.S. Senator and Senate Liason for Mitt Romney’s Presidential Campaign
Bob Allen, Member of the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Chairman of John McCain’s Presidential Campaign
Glen Murphey Jr., National Chairman of the Young Republicans

And let's not forget

Mark Buse, John McCain's Chief of Staff in the Senate

Thanks to all who are undoing their own civil liberties and destroying this country for the rest of us as well.

An observation.

I saw a homeless man yesterday, pushing his shopping cart down the desperate road of life.

I really liked his coat. I wonder where I can get one.

Why title this slag?

It takes me far too long to update my blog. Its just that there are always better things to be doing, like watching Project Runway, or Torchwood. Or perhaps screenprinting ugly table linens. Or working. Yes, there's always working... blech.

It is an unfortunate thing that we must toil, doing that which we do not enjoy to support ourselves and give us the option of doing those things we do take pleasure in.

Someday, i'd like to have those realms co-exist. Or co-mingle. Or coagulate.

Anyway, i'm rambling, about nothing in particular, but just thought I'd briefly write, to remind myself that I still have a blog. And that the times I write are also the times I need to reflect on how much I have to do and how unmotivated I truly am. That's the joy of my existence. How about yours?

This entry made no sense, and I don't really care.

Thunderstruck with Clarity

Conclusion I have arrived at:

People are stupid.

On Fame and Egoism

Okay. I know Frank Miller has (potentially had) talent. He wrote Dark Knight Returns, for God's sake. Quite a fantastic read. And Sin City is actually pretty good.

But it seems like these days Frank's gotten a lot of money, and a lot of power. And children, we all know where that leads. It leads to an artist who really thinks he IS something. And suddenly the story isn't the important part; Frank Miller is. 300, for example, is stylish with little substance and flat characters. Indeed, Frank Miller's move from graphic novel creator to full fledged director comes with some... trepidation. Because it isn't Will Eisner's "The Spirit" anymore. He's written his name right over Eisner's. But then Frank also claims that Eisner would be making these same decisions for the movie. Really? Really?Turns out, I just don't think I love Miller has much as Miller loves Miller.

So collect yours today: The Limited Edition Frank Miller's New Improved "The Spirit"

Now with:
Sin City Visuals!!
Lots and lots of Skanky Whores!!
Lousy Ropework!
Porn!
Lack of Source Material Homage!
Samuel L. Jackson!!
And of course, Academy Award Winning Acting! Sort of.

Maybe I'll have to eat my words. We'll see. But in the meantime, enjoy this gem.

Politics & Anger in Brevity

Okay, I know, I know, I haven't blogged in centuries. This is going to be a bit of a hodgepodge of ideas that are plaguing me, so bear with me. Oh, and enjoy.

So I'm a liberal. Not like you didn't know this, if you know me. But liberal or not, some things are just intolerable. I watched "No End in Sight" a few nights ago, a documentary about the Iraq war. It is very well done, lays out the facts and essentially reminds me that George W. Bush is one of the worst people we could have possibly put in office.

The sheer arrogance of his administration going into this astounds me. Despite all the information, experience and resources that weren't just available but were throwing themselves at Bush, he and his advisors did everything in their power ignore them and make consecutively poor decisions. Really, you ought to watch it; it blew my mind at how incapable our government is.

Naturally, I'm not a fan to begin with, but it is revolting how our President has blatantly (because subtly and grammar aren't exactly his forte) lied, manipulated, and cheated the american people, all for his own ends, whatever they might be. And I'm not just referring to Iraq, which has been a disaster from the get go and accomplished nothing but alienating the international community, destroying our economy, and pointlessly throwing away soldier's lives. I'm infuriated at every action he has taken in the last 8 years - from violating UN sanctions, wire tapping/spying on our own people, allowing torture, lying, supporting unconstitutional legislation, and general incompetence. It reminds me of those bumper stickers that read "If you're not angry, you're not paying attention."

The more I learn about this presidency's actions, the more irate I become. What is more horrific to me though, is that it seems like the large portion of Americans are indifferent to his misuse of power and exploitation of them. Like it doesn't affect you. The sad thing is it does, and anyone who doesn't realize their rights are being infringed upon and marginalized deserves what you get. You're a complete idiot if you're being duped by a president who isn't fit to run a retail outlet, let alone a country. There's no justification for his actions. I've been told that circumstances require some of the things he's done in light of 9-11. There's a quote by Benjamin Franklin which hits dead on, I think.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

In our modern politco world it seems like we've regressed. Visionaries such as Franklin are now few and far between, and at present not running or involved in our government. Who can blame them? We've subsidized our governing powers to corporate greed and religious zealots with big checkbooks.

Considering the election, I don't know how Obama will fair if elected, though its a sure bet better than Bush. And McCain... well that's like electing Bush for a third term. The last thing we need is a 70 year old Republican in the White House.

I look back on these last 8 years, and am grateful the end is in site. The current administration needs to go. Isn't it funny how the Christian Right (including the likes of oh-so-reputable-and-self-loathing Rev. Ted Haggard) threw so much weight behind this man? Well I've got news for them:

If Pres. Bush is God's choice for leading "His" nation, then God is one fucked up son-of-a-bitch that I have no desire to meet. I'll take hell, thank you very much.