Die Cold. Die hot.

I'm in New Hampshire and I can't remember it being so cold. Ever (it's -15c or 4.5 f ). Anyway, my brother-in-law, Ted, who is from Texas, brings up the theory that would you die quicker being dropped in the middle of a forest in New Hampshire, naked on an extremely cold day (like we were having that day), then you would if you were dropped in the middle of the Texas desert, naked, on it's hottest day. This, being the reason why people prefer to live in warmer climes then colder ones. Well, I don't disagree that hypothermia wouldn't get you within a few hours in option 1, but at least it would be quick. As for option 2, I admittedly hate hot weather, so being dropped in the middle of a desert would be a slow, painful demise, no water and horrendous heat exposure , not to mention the possibility of spontaneous combustion (which could be fairly quick, come to think of it.).
My final word on all this, however, is that it all adds up to which you prefer, if you like a more seasonal climate, you'll choose option one; if you like hotter weather, you would go for option two.
Happy New Year, Ted.






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I want to spend my Christmas with..

...a Dalek. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuBJ5H9m3Sc&sns=em

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
(Big Thanks to my friend, Carla, for passing this along to me.)


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5 Things We Can All Learn From The Doctor.

With David Tennant's tenure as the tenth Doctor ending very soon, I am putting forward 5 lessons I have learned from his reign.These are not in any partcular order:
1. Water is patient. It always wins.
2. When cornered by a Sontaran, always go for the vent in the back of the neck. A tennis ball will do the trick very well.
3. A Dalek is not a robot.
4. If someone (or something) says you need to to be upgraded, run! Just run!
5. When in doubt, invoke the Shadow Proclamation.

A 19th-Century Mathematician Finally Proves Himself : NPR

A 19th-Century Mathematician Finally Proves Himself : NPR

Interesting article/radio segment about Lord Babbage's Difference Engine. If it came to pass, instead of being scrapped by the British Government, Victorian England could have had itself an Information Age. Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron, recognized the genius of Babbage's work and helped put his ideas down in writing.
Worth taking 5 minutes out to listen to. Great photos as well.

I know. I lied.

I know I promised to write something every 2 weeks, but here's a great link to make up for my lethargicness ( Is that actually a word?). Enjoy!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Great-Artist-Warm-Up-Exercise/

Steampunk self-portrait and apologie

Here is my portrait of my Steampunk alias
Ms. Euphrasia Griffin, adventuress.

Why not get your own Steampunk persona?
Go to:
http://brassgoggles.co.uk/blog/steampunk-resources/steampunk-name-generator

Many thanks to Countess Nettie Lushington for sharing.

Now for the apologie. I know I've been lax writing this blog as life sometimes gets in the way (as we all know.). For my gentle readers who have been checking in, I will post you something of wit and value once a week. Failing that, my penance will be to wear a hair shirt until I get something written for you. Thank you.

Julie, Julia and Julian.

Now here's a concept. I cook my way through Julia Child's cookbook and attempt to feed what I cook to my son, who is an especially picky eater and won't eat anything that is not shaped like a pizza, a hotdog or a grilled cheese sandwich. Then I write a blog about it.

( Ok. I admit, he likes salad, pasta and snowpeas, too. Grudgingly.)

Textin' & Drivin'

I always thought it was a myth that the number one cause of car accidents was drivers texting, until I actually witnessed it the other day. We pulled up beside this car at a light, and lo and behold, the guy in the car next to us is texting away with a real goofy look on his mug. He then proceeded to make a real bone headed driving move when the light changed.

Look, if the 'office joke' is so good that you need to put your 2 cents in, at least pull over, so you don't kill someone.

Fed up with the Toronto Garbage Strike?

When in the "dumps", make art!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPTjzdXYNug

Memorial.

Everything that can be said, has been said, so I will say no more.

Computer vs. Paper

So, for the 2nd day in a row the Servers go down and I get sent home. It is not even ¹pm. My animation pals kid me that would never happen with paper.

I say it's Micheal Jackson's ghost in the machine for disrespectin' him in my previous blog.

Paper-1. Computer- 0.

(Sorry, MJ.)

You finally did it, MJ!

You got you name breathed into the same sentence as Elvis ( and not his daughter) and a full night of coverage on CNN.

Pity that the music hadn't mattered for the last 20 years.

R.I.P. Hopefully things go better for you on the other side.

One More Reason I Like Etobicoke

Hark! Is that not the sound of garbage trucks I hear? Darn right it is! Just one of the things the GTA amalgamation couldn't take away or change. So, while the garbage strike lingers on in Toronto, Etobicoke gets theirs picked up and hauled away.

Suggestion Toronto: Instead of dumping garbage in greenspaces and beaches ( where you and the kids may enjoy), why not dump it at Cityhall, Queens Park or the CUPE head offices instead. You can be sure as **** that that will change all of their tunes.

Run, ants, run!

What is my preferred method of dealing with an ant infestation? Why it's using the vacuum cleaner, of course! RRRRRRR!!! Run, you little buggers, run for your lives! RRRRRRR!!!!!!

Shouty Girl Pt.2

Oh, when will it stop!

" Shouty girl" and her stoner boyfriend are at it again! If they weren't so pathetic ( and loud), I might actually find their whole drama downright entertaining. Right now, it's just distracting me from reading my novel.

Who on earth said the suburbs were quiet?

"Shouty Girl"

There is nothing more entertaining than watching " Shouty Girl" and her stoner boyfriend yell at each other on a quiet Sunday afternoon. It is truly bad teen drama at it's finest.

Vic-tor-ia

Ahhh...Victoria Day! A day that celebrates a Queen who is long since dead; who coined the term "We are not amused" and who created The Torchwood Institute.

Anything for a holiday, eh?

Untitled

I like the way the eyes turned out. Kind of authentic.

Weed control

The other day a couple guys came by offering " weed control and lawn care" and would I be interested in a free assessment of my lawn. "Go ahead, knock yourselves out", I tell them.

Now, this never happened in my old 'hood, where my lawn was like 90% weeds. The lawn at my new place actually looks quite good and I'm certainly not feeling that it needs a $300 care package.

So, they give me their expert advice, which I'm only partially listening to, as I am trying to keep my eyeballs on my son who thinks he's Evil Knievel these days on his bike. They hand me a sheet of paper and I tell them that I will pass it along to my husband, who's domain is the lawn.

Just then I look across the road to my neighbours, the " diplomats". Their lawn is full of weeds and makes ours look like a golf course.
"Why don't you guys go there?", I suggest. "It looks like their grass can use more help then mine."
"Thanks for the tip", they reply and off they go, to offer their lawncare services.

Knit at your own Purl.

I finally finished the vest I had been knitting for the last year. The one that I called "my Waterloo" (see earlier blog entry regarding this.).

I had thought of burning the pattern in a bonfire, lest someone else find it and think it a grand idea to try and knit it up, only to suffer much pain and heartache doing so.

Instead I posted the following reminder, in case I decide to be clever and try it again.

I will wear this vest everyday for the rest of my natural life.

Wooden you know it?

Upon walking in on a conversation, that was going on in the office kitchen, about Star Wars: Clonewars (the animated series), I had remarked, having recently seen The Phantom Menace, and how 'wooden' the acting was (I realize I'm probably hit a nerve or 3 saying this.). It bugged me beyond distraction, frankly. "That's because George Lucas only gives his actors the script one page at a time", I was told.

Now that's something I didn't know. So much for method acting.

Not all coffee machines are alike...

Ok. One thing I do remember is coffee making etiquette. That is if you take the last cup, you make a fresh pot for the next 8 people as there is nothing more rude then someone leaving the pot empty or nearly empty. Right?

So, I start making a fresh pot and having thought I had switched off the coffee machine in question, I pour in the water. Well, as it happens, the water starts percolating through the machine while I'm getting the filter, coffee grounds etc. ready, all over the counter and on to the floor. Thrusting the coffee pot into the machine to stave the flow, I am now punching all the buttons to try and stop the darned thing. Eventually, it does stop, but now I have a coffee pot with 8 cups of hot water instead of delicious coffee.

From that moment on, I decide to get my coffee from the Starbucks around the corner.

Piles 'n piles of cookies!

Last week, at least 6 dozen (I kid- you-not) cookies were baked and left for the studio's crew. Do you know how long ( or how short) it took for all those cookies to be eaten?

Exacty one day.

Animator's are really cookie monsters in disguise.

Scene it, done it, got the t- shirt

I finally finished my first scene of FX animation today.

Yup, all 7¹ hand drawn frames of it (2 levels).

7¹hand drawn frames of...wait for it...

...contact shadows.

(Funny looks all round.)

Trust me, if they weren't there you would definitly notice, as everyone would look like they're floating instead of standing on solid ground.

Contact shadows, the unsung heroes of all 2d animation.

Throwing Rocks

I was walking with my friend D. at lunch today, who commented that the Liberty Village had "so many animation studios, that you could throw a rock and easily hit someone you know."

I actually ran into someone I hadn't seen in 10 years- twice! ( no, I wasn't throwing rocks, if you must know.)

Wheeeeee!

Overheard at lunch yesterday:

One of the animators was sketching at Paramount's Wonderland theme park and was asked by an interested soul if he was an "artist". "No, I'm a ride. Hop on!"

I love this place.

The Guilt Angel.

Who is the " Guilt Angel"? Well, according to sister Jenn, she comes down from the heavens once you become a Mother and magically bestowes the sacred powers of guilt upon you forever more.

These powers of guilt will never fail you. You just look at your intended victim's (i.e. spouse/children) and they will feel your powers immediately.

Admittedly, some have stronger powers then others.

Never say neverland.

OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!

I start my first animation job in 8 years. Tomorrow.

My Pete keeps telling me it's like riding a bike...that it will all come back and such...

Never the less...I am still a little freaked...

WTH? Where'd these mouse ears come from?

Watch me remember at 3 a.m.

I was having lunch and a chat with my mom; I wanted to tell her something, but got so distracted within the conversation that I forgot what it was.

3 hours later and I still can't remember.

God, how I hate that!