Sunday, December 11, 2005

I AM BACK ON!


Hello all! I am back in Rhode Island and I have to say it is good to be home. It is cold as a well digger's ass and I am loving every second of it. Not too much has changed since I have been gone but it is nice to be back in civilization and out of that shithole Savannah. God Bless the North!
Anyway I did something really cool yesterday. My mom got me and my dad tickets to something for Christmas. I had no idea what it was other than I was suppose to go to Boston. So Yesterday at a disgustingly early hour, my father and I drive up to Boston's Museum of Science. They are having this Star Wars exhibit there called Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. Essentially it talks about the different technologies in the Star Wars film and relates them back to what is going on today. For example there is a special feature (special in that you have to buy extra tickets for it) where you climb aboard a mock millennium Falcon, get in the cockpit and you tour the galaxy and learn about all the latest discoveries. In the exhibit itself there are demonstrations on different types of transportation technology, medical technology, robotics, and communication. All of it tying into Star Wars and the stuff you see in the movies and then relating it back to real world. The Robotics was especially interesting. Aside from that they had very impressive collection of Star Wars props and models from the movies. If you are into concept design for film or model building as I am this is really really a treat. Every major spaceship in the Star Wars galaxy was represented. These models were amazing, and they were actually used in the shooting of the film. I will definitely post up more of them for all to see.
I highly recommend going to check this out. It isn't a huge exhibit, it will take no more than an hour or two of your time but it was really interesting. Plus, like everything else at the BMS, it is interactive. So go, bring the kids, and have fun.
M
PS, They also have a pretty neat gift shop with lot of Star Wars related toys, games, puzzles, books. Nothing you can't find anywhere else but it was still fun to look at everything.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

King Idiot, lord of the fools

It is late and I am really tired but I cannot for the life of me fall asleep. I am having one of those moments where I wish I could take a few steps backward and handle something differently. You know, one of those foot in mouth moments?
I should have known today was going to end the way it did when I fell off a Segway today. No major injuries, just some road rash, a messed up hand and a large dose of embaressment. Yet on a positive note, falling off the Segway at 12.5 miles per hour was 1000 times more exciting than the parade I had to ride in out on Tybee Island. I think maybe there were 20 people in the parade, and maybe 25 who actually watched it. At least it wasn't freezing cold and I did discover a new type of redneck. I call them Sandy Rednecks or the southern term is Parrot Heads. This breed of human is just like a regular redneck but they prefer to live at and on beaches usually near very cheesy pastel colored resorts from the 1950's.
Anyway you ever have one of those moments when you do something that doesn't seem to be a big deal to you but it really offends someone? Even if you were joking around and you find out it annoys them on a level that you can't possibly fathom? Yeah, this is where I reign supreme. My kingdom of bad timing and offense. Population 1.
yeah I don't even know what to say or do at this point. This might turn into another one of those "great things" that could have been had Mark not been a MORON...I am starting to have quite the collection

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Been a while


KelseyPrint
Originally uploaded by maq911.
Well today is Thanksgiving and I am lying on my bed at 1 in the afternoon. Do you know why? BECAUSE I CAN! The Fall quarter has just ended at SCAD. I have taken all my exams and finished all my projects and I have nothing to do, for now...
This quarter was a real kick in the balls. The workload hasn't gotten worse but I did start a new job that actually requires me to work (go figure!) and I am realizing more and more that my commute takes a good chunk of time out of my day. My hardest class this quarter was photography. I do enjoy taking pictures but if you don't have a high-end digital camera, getting film developed, printed and then scanning negatives to edit and play with in photoshop is a long ass process. Plus you really have no idea how your pictures will turn out till they get developed, where if you do digital you get that instant gratification.
The picture posted is of my buddy Kelsey. My final project was to do interpretive portraits of people and this was part of that. I think it is a really funny picture but it also tells you a lot about Kelsey. First and foremost the kid has a rubber face that can make great expressions...along the same lines as Jim Carrey.
So, I am going to eat dinner at a friends house later in the day. Which means I have a lot of time to do laundry and stuff, which in my current state means I will probably just sit on my ass some more because I CAN!
Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving, feel free to drop a line. Oh, and if you post on my blog you damn well better sign your name...this anonymous crap sucks!
M.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Still kicking...


It has really been insanely long since I blogged. I have to say I honestly missed it. Sometimes hobbies can become chore-like, but this I actually missed. Anyway, I am in my fourth quarter at school and this is by far the hardest. Not because the work is too much but I have a new schedule, a new job, more debt and the realization that I don't have much talent.
The quarter started off with a bang. My parents came down as school was starting up and I ended up getting some new wheels. Yes that is right I am piloting a Mazda 3 5-door ass-hauler and I have to say I love it! It is so fun to drive! So yes I been rolling in something similar to the picture above. I would have taken a shot of my car but it needs to be washed. It is essentially the same thing just silver.
Right, moving on. Lots going on this quarter. I am starting to take more advanced classes which is cool but man do I suck. I have a storyboarding class for my sequential art program. It is a really cool class and my teacher is an awesome guy. I feel like I am learning more about good drawing now than I have ever done before. However, I can't draw worth shit. There is a girl in my class who is a film major, FILM, and she draws circles around me. I am just amazed at her artwork and she is only taking the class for fun. SO to say I feel a little deflated is well...very accurate. However my photography and art history classes are going relatively well. I dont' see myself making Dean's List quarter, but I am sure gonna try to kick it up a notch.
My new job involves me teaching people how to ride Segways. So essentially I ride one all day which is fun at first but after about 8 hours in the hot Savannah sun, nothing is fun except taking a shower and passing out. I actually have been so damn busy and behind on school work that my life is sort of a blur. I havent worked out in a week and I feel my stomach growing exponentially. There are people that I haven't spoken to in months that I have been meaning to write/call but when you get home at like 11 pm every night, all you want to do is sleep. That is if you have finished your homework. What really stinks is that I haven't really hung out with my friends at all this quarter. If I see them it is only briefly and the entire time I am thinking about doing homework or working on a project which means I am not giving them my full attention...which I HATE.
But all this complaining is just me expelling hot air. All this business and craziness will pass soon and I will be on a long winter break where I can get some things done and work on some personal projects. AS WELL AS SEE THE PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT! I have another post waiting in the wings about some things I have been experiencing lately but I want to post that as a seperate topic.
On another note...I found out tonight that my ex is engaged. I sort of new this in the back of my head...because everyone I know seems to be getting married. I am not sure why this bothers me...maybe because the guy she is marrying is the schmuck she started dating shortly after we broke up. Or because he is everything I HATE. When I say I hate, I mean as a fellow Alpha male he has characteristics that I hate other Alpha's having. But regardless...it shouldn't bother me but it does and I don't know why. It is like that little black spot in the back of your head or the dull ache in your ribcage. It is there and it doesn't really keep you from functioning but it annoys you and makes you think about it.
Here's to being single...

Thursday, October 06, 2005

looking back

As I mentioned in my comeback post a lot of things have been on my mind lately. The last few weeks I have been having dreams and random memmories about people I haven't seen or spoken to in ages. Not sure what sparked this and it doesn't really matter. I was thinking about all the people we meet in life and how they effect us. Some have a large effect on us and some leave little or no trace. But those relationships regardless shape our life to some extent and there is a part of me that mourns their passing. It is one thing to say, "Ok I am done here, I am moving on," but when those times and relationships just fade without notice it sort of leaves you hanging on.
In my case, it often seems to me that I wonder what happened to girls I've known. This probably doesn't come as a shock to you but I find myself wondering about the girls I was friends with and lost track of. Not really my old flames, but more like the one's that got away or those that I got really close with really fast and just as quickly they were gone from my life. I am often reminded of these people by dreams that I have.
It is sort of a perplexing thing, these people that pop in and out of my head the way they popped in and out of my life. Sometimes when I think of them I have to get in touch with them to see how they are. It becomes a nagging sensation to find out where they are and what they are doing. Other times, the memmories are painful and you can't help but stop everything you are doing and think about what happened.
I often wonder if I am the only one who does this. I think that I probably am not, because I highly doubt that I am the originator of anything. But no one ever seems to talk about it. It really is a bizzarre sensation to be sitting one day and suddenly, like being struck by lighting, you remember someone from the past. Regardless of what those memmories are like you just can't stop till you know what they are doing. I often lament that they fell out of my life to begin with when I think of how much they meant to me in the past. There are some you find and you pick up right where you left off. Others it is a little awkward, and sometimes the relationship changes. It can become romantic, antagonistic, or you become even better friends.
So what is my point? My point is that I have never realized until recently how many people pass through your life like a traffic stop. That isn't a bad thing and frankly unless you live on a mountain by yourself it can't be helped. What amazes me is the degree to which one person can have an effect on you and your life while countless others just pass on through without so much as a glimmer. What makes that one so special? Why not the others? Further still is the realization that they can effect your life and then disappear without a trace. I know some people might read this and feel I am writing about a past relationship with a past girlfriend or something but this entry is truly not about that. More over, I never wonder what is going on with my past girlfriends. Well that is not entirely true, but for the most part I am done with them, and they with me. I am more apt to wonder what happened to the girl who got away, or the girl who helped me get through statistics my freshman year in college, or the girl that I studied with in Oceanography that kept me from failing. For me, it is usually girls I think about, not sure why...maybe cause I have all the guys in my life that I need. Maybe not enough of them make a big enough impact. What happened to my friend that got pregnant? What about that girl I used to shoot hoops with at 1 am?
It is like a VH-1 where are they now that goes through my head. I often ask myself, "why the hell do I care?" but for some reason I do.
Maybe that is the secret to it all, is that I actually care. I care what is going on in their life, I care that they were my friends once but not now. I care that my life is not being enriched by their friendship. What I realize now though is that I care that I never got to tell them that I care. That our interaction feels like it ended before it began. That if I could let them know just for a second what that one moment in my life meant to me that I shared with them, then I could continue on and not look back.
Sometimes I get the chance to do it, sometimes I don't. This post has taken me days to finish. Not because it is great writing (are any of my posts great writing?) or that I have been to busy (which I have) but rather it took a while because I wasn't sure what I felt or why I felt for these memmories, nor what I should say about them. I still feel like I have more to say on the subject, but I am not sure what. This all started one morning (acutally the last time I had a good nights sleep) and haunted me for days afterwards. Do I feel better that I have written this down? Somewhat, even though I don't feel like I have compeleted this entry or truly understand what I myself am trying to say. But this will have to do for now, ain't life a kick in the pants sometimes...
Life...you stinker!

Friday, September 09, 2005

The escapades of summer vacation...


My summer vacation is rapidly coming to a close. Instead of three weeks off like I had at the beginning of the summer I am only getting two weeks and two days. Not that big a deal because by the end of three weeks I go a little stir crazy but this time I feel like it has gone by way too fast. I didn't really get a chance to do anything of things that I originally set out to do which is essentially draw my balls off. This coming quarter I start my first sequential art class. It is going to be a real "gutcheck" as to whether or not I will be able to hack the program. I sort of feel like I am going off to Marine boot camp after sitting on the couch eating McDonalds for the 20 years of my life. But a kick in the teeth never really killed anyone and I am planning on rising to the occassion.
So what did I do on my summer vacation? Last time I built an antenna out of pringles can that I can't really confirm if it works or not. This vacation started off with a bang. I was notified by my employer that my services were no longer needed. Now it wasn't as if I as making big bills working for them, but it was a somewhat steady income that I was relying on. Truth be told I knew it would happen eventually. Nothing last for long in the land of World Courier. After learning of my ending employment and finishing up classes my friends and I headed to Atlanta to see our friend, Adam's, house. We had a blast! We arrived on Sunday and immediately went to Six Flags. The timing could not have been better because the end of the summer saw little or no crowds which allowed us to pretty much walk onto any ride they had going. Actually the longest line we waited in was to gain admittance into the park!
After Six Flaggs we basically hung around Adam's house. Hurricane Katrina was moving in and so we would get hit with really nice weather and then it would rain for the rest of the day. Not a big deal, as we sat around drinking and playing Xbox. Eventually I will beat Adam at Halo, but for now I am content at kicking everyone else's ass. We did go to Stone Mountain. For those of you not in the know, Stone Mountain is the area just outside of Atlanta. The "mountain" as it is called is actually one giant piece of rock. It is supposedly the largest exposed piece of granite in the world. In other words I climbed up God's favorite pepple. Normally I am all about that type of stuff; climbing, hiking, etc etc, but I was not feeling it this day. However, once we got there I said to myself, I am going to climb this thing as fast as possible so that I dont' get caught in the rain and I can get it over with. In the end I was glad I did. You get a hell of a view of Atlanta from up there. I am still not sure if the Rock Mountain is actually a mountain, it felt a little too easy compared to some of the others I have climbed.
Anyway we basically sat around, drank, played Halo, swam the rest of the time we were at Adam's. All in all it was probably one of the best times I have had in a while.
Before I continue on my summer vacation story. I should note that my parents came down a few weeks earlier. It was good times seeing them and because I was so far along on my schoolwork I was able to actually spend time with them. That quality time resulted in me getting a brand new car! To say I was speechless and shocked is actually an understatement. I don't surprise easily and I am never speechless but this time was an exception. Anyway I got a brand new 2005 Mazda 3 SE 5-door. IT KICKS ASS! The trip to Atlanta was its maiden voyage and I must it handled exceptionally well.
Continuing on with summer vacation...
For the most part, upon my return from Atlanta, I spent my time looking for a new job. I hit the usual places, the book stores, the mall, etc etc. However, a few weeks back I happened upon this new company called Kinetic Tours of Savannah. They give tours of Historic Savannah while riding around on Segways! I happen to think that that is the coolest thing going. So I took a chance and knocked on the door and met the manager. She told me to fill out an application and give her my resume. Well the next day I returned and she called me shortly thereafter. I have an "interview" of sorts tommorrow. That doesn't mean I got a job or anything but it is a pretty damn good start and I think I would really like the job.
However, all this job hunting hasn't exactly left me with a lot of time to clean my studio and work on some projects that I have in my head. This really bums me out. I feel I should be doing more than just school work. So when winter break comes a long I am going to try and kick it into a highgear and get some extra stuff done and out of the way.
I did have one really interesting experience this break. I went shooting. Yes, shooting, you know with a gun. I have never shot a gun before and have wanted to learn how for a while. Once my car got shot up and my bag was stolen, I pretty much decided I had to. Well let me tell you, what an experience. I was driving down Hwy 170 heading towards Savannah and I noticed a new building that said "Indoor Shooting Range". I said what the hell and I stopped in. There was a very nice lady behind the counter who asked if she could help me. I told her I wanted to learn how to shoot and did they offer instruction. She said yes they did but she wanted the owner/instructor to come out and talk to me and let me know about pricing and stuff. Well out walks this skinny tall guy smoking a cigarette and missing some teeth. He looks me in the eye and says "What's your name, your age, and your intentions?" Two things struck me when he said that, one he didn't have a twang and two he said it blazing fast, which means he wasn't southern. I took this as a very good omen. I told him about myself and that I just wanted to learn to shoot. We talked about what I knew of guns, which is very very little and then he proceeded to tell me for 50 bucks I get an hour and a half of his time. So I waited for him to finish his lesson and then mine started. It was cool because it was just me and him. He is a pretty funny guy too. Originally from upstate New York, he moved down here a while ago. He is a big time "sportsman" and loves living down here. I told him I wasn't as keen on the South but it was pretty. I can't think of anything better though than a New Yorker teaching you how to shoot.
First off, he ran me through all the rules about safety. Normally I would be like screw this let's rock and roll but to be honest, guns scare the living shit out of me. He had me practice loading a dummy round into the gun and exercise the proper stance and saftey. After about 45 minutes of this it was time to hit the range and boy did I hit the range. Shooting is a lot more difficult than you think. Now I did ok, never missed the target. But I wasn't exactly accurate either. According to the instructor, Ed, I have elevation problems but my windage is good. That's great Ed...what the hell does that mean? If someone came up to me and told me I had elevation problems but my windage is good I probably would have thought they were talking about my johnson and telling my I had gas. But I took it on Ed's experience that wasn't what he was refering too. Either way, I got to keep my target and I will no doubt hang it in my studio. If I ever go again (which I plan on) I will definitly take the new target and compare. Either way I can now load and operate a Glock 9mm, a .38 special revolver and .45 ACP (aka Colt 1911). Hooyah, get some!
Other than that vacation was pretty quiet. I explored the Island a little bit with my neighbor Gary. Read a great comic by Alan Moore called V for Vendetta which is coming out in movie form soon and I got to watch a lot of great movies and anime that weren't on the big screen. I tend to spend a lot of money when I get bored and that usually goes to buying DVD's of movies that I never got see or ones that I found that look good. I picked up this one anime called Samurai Champloo and it is the best damn thing I have watched in a long damned time. It is very funny, lots of great action and the animation is top notch. I think it is playing on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim but if you get the chance buy the DVD's because you get all sorts of cool extras.
Anyway that is it for me, another Friday night sitting on my ass in front of the computer. I think I will try and draw something...

Sunday, August 28, 2005

A Word about Heroes...


Jim Lee's Beer
Originally uploaded by maq911.
I have been thinking about this a lot and being meaning to post but this is my first chance to do so.
I been thinking about who my heroes are, who influences me and who inspires me. Obviously my parents are a big influence. If they weren't it is either because I am an idiot or they weren't good parents, neither of which is the case.
But aside from them, the people that inspire and influence me are really few and far between. The people that impress me aren't the typical people in the spotlight. Some big name movie star could be in the same room as me and I wouldn't even blink but you put me in a room with Lance Armstrong or Jim Lee and I become a star struck fool.

I don't think it is any secret my love of Jim Lee's art. I have posted several times in this blog how much I admire his talent and appreciate the years of entertainment and fascination he has provided me. But there is more to it than that. There is more to being a "hero" or an "inspiration" than just being good at what you do. A great example is my other hero, Lance Armstrong. We all know that he is an amazing athlete and he has succeeded in doing what no one has up to this point, winning 7 consecutive victories in the Tour De France. But aside from his athletic prowess his legacy was insured by his off-bike activities. His creation of the Armstrong Foundation, his advocacy, and his kindness to fans, cancer patients and survivors will ultimately outshine his athletic records.
The same could be said of Jim Lee only on a smaller scale. As much as I am a fan of Jim Lee and Lance Armstrong I also see them as contemporaries of a sort. I would love to go ride and train along with Lance. To be coached by him and learn from him would be worth all the money in the world. At the same time I wish I could sit down with Jim Lee for at least an hour and just ask him everything about art and the comic business. That is sort of the reason why I went to the convention in Chicago. Partly because I wanted to get his autograph and say hello. The other reason was my hope that I would be able to run into him and have the opportunity to chat and get some inside information or just some tips regarding my artwork. To communicate with someone like that on a level other than being a fan would just be amazing. To be honest I am jealous of the people that work along side him. They get to pick his brain on a daily basis and learn from him which you just cannot put a price on.
Aside from being a great artist, Jim is considered one of the nicest guys in the business. There are untold number of stories by fans or young artists trying to break into the industry of his generosity and kindness. I think that is what sets him apart in many ways from a lot of the professionals out there. While in Chicago, my friend Griggs wanted to get a sketch by an artist named, Rob Liefeld. Liefeld was really big in the early 90's with his work on a book called X-Force for Marvel Comics. He literally became the next big thing in the industry and not without good reason. His style of art was unlike anything that had ever been out there. Then during the Image boom, Rob left Marvel and started his own books at Image Comics. After a while it was clear it had few original ideas, his art wasn't really progressing and he got a reputation, a bad one. Well Liefeld was at the convention and Griggs decided he was going to try and get a sketch from him. After standing in line for over an hour, Griggs finally got to approach Liefeld and as him for a sketch. Liefeld said no. It wasn't that he was too busy or wasn't doing sketches that day, he would only do a sketch for you if you bought his $50 book. Here is a guy who went from hero to zero, whose career is pretty much over and he is demanded $50 from someone who just stood in line for over in hour to get a quick sketch. You never here these types of stories about Jim Lee. He always manages to at least say hello and shake hands. True it is damn near impossible to get a sketch from him at big conventions, but that is primarily due to the number of people standing in line to see him and get his autograph. He goes out of his way to talk with fans and answer questions.
I have had two run ins with Jim over the years. The first was at my first big convention, Wizard World Philadelphia. I was entering the convention center and as I opened the door this short Asian man came running right for me. Shot through the door with the quick "Thank you!" and headed for the escalator. It took me all of 10 seconds to realize who it was after he ran by me. My other run in was more recently at Wizard World Chicago. It goes as follows...
It was Saturday, my last day at the convention. Griggs and I were pretty tired. I had been hanging out in artist alley watching Dustin Nguyen draw while asking him questions unendingly. I loved his work on Wildcats 3.0 and has since become a really big fan. I didn't know he was going to be there and when I found out I made it a point to try and talk to him. Well towards the end of the day on Saturday while I was sitting there talking to Dustin. He let me in on a little secret. There was a VIP after party for all the vendors and artist being held by the convention promoters, Wizard Magazine. He told me that he couldn't go and handed me his ticket. I sort of felt like Charlie pulling the Golden ticket out of the Wonka bar, except this was way cooler. Unfortunately the ticket only admitted two and I was with a group of four. Well another up and coming artist, Joe Dodd, was sitting next to Dustin and said he couldn't go either and gave me his ticket. I had successfully scored two VIP passes to an open bar party my last night in Chicago. Some days I am amaze myself.
The guys and I decided we would go home first, shower up and eat dinner and then go back for the after party. The entire time I was hoping that Jim would be there and I could sit down and talk with him away from all the other fans. The entire convention I wasn't able to get closer than my zoom lens would allow because he was mobbed. He and Frank Miller (of Sin City fame) were working on a project together and were both at the convention. On top of that the convention had a new policy of having to get tickets at a certain time to be allowed to stand in line to meet certain people. Jim was one those "certain people" and I was never able to get a damn ticket. I was pretty hopeful he was going be there.
We arrive at the party and give our passes. I am surprised they let us in because I think it was pretty obvious we were not vendors or artists. Anyway we get in there and get our free drinks. I ordered a Jack Daniels and got a Jim Beam that tasted like fermented dog piss. The guys and I grabbed a table and talked while I was monitoring who walked in and out of the room. No Jim.
As the party was ending we decided to go downstairs to the sports bar that was attached to the hotel. The place is packed. Nothing but fanboys and comic creators. Still no Jim. I pretty much gave up at that point. I ran into a few people I had met earlier that day, Had another drink, shot the shit and then the guys and I decided to go home. Just as we are trying to leave, the sea of geeks parts and in walks Jim. He isn't there 10 seconds and he gets swarmed, like Jesus in a leper colony. I really try not to be another fan when meeting these guys. I try to say something intelligent and insiteful to let them know their works i appreciated. Nine times out of ten I still sound like a dick, but hey I try. I was determined at this point to meet Jim, say hello and move on. I post on his blog often enough, he should hopefully recognize my name. Well the minutes go by, Jim buys a round of drinks for people. Fans ambush him left and right while he is talking to his friends and colleagues. I pretty much decide that in order to meet him I have to interrupt someone and come off like a rabid uber-geek.
I walk up to Jim and introduced myself. He has been drinking a little bit and it takes a second and low and behold a light goes off in his eyes, he knows who I am. This is most pleasing. He introduces me to a few people, name one guy that is running an online contest sponsored by Jim's blog. I talk to him briefly. Then go back to Jim. I say something like, "Before I leave you alone, will you be signing tommorrow..." but before I can get the words out, he looks at me. He has this smart-ass grin on his face and a beer in his hand. He gives me the beer and says "Here ya go, this my gift to you." At this point I am trying not to laugh hysterically or to tell him that I don't drink and actually HATE beer. But instead I shut up and smile and like a little boy who just made out with the homecoming queen say in a shaken voice "Thank you. Before I go, are you signing tommorrow?" Jim tells me yes but he doesn't know what time. At that point I say thanks again for the beer and walk back to my table...
At least I think I walked, but I don't remember my feet touching the ground. I do remember I was smiling and I kept saying to myself, "Jim Lee just gave me a beer!" I got back to my table and told my friends. At first, Griggs didn't believe me. Then he says "What did he buy everyone a beer?" Not to let him piss on my golden moment I reply most forcefully "NO! He gave this to me!" I don't think I stopped smiling for the next 48 hours.
I originally went to Chicago with the intent of getting his autograph on a few comics and introducing myself. Instead what I got was a pretty damn cool story to tell. That is a whole lot better and worth more than signing a book, at least to me it is. The picture up at the top is of me holding the beer that Jim gave me. I wasn't able to take it with me unfortunately but I got the picture to remind myself. This story is why he is my favorite artist. It isn't just about the pictures. It has just as much to do with the person as it does with the art or the sport or whatever. I think if more people realized that they would find themselves in better company and probably more successful.
Anyway, that is enough out of me. Like I said this has been on my mind a while and I wanted to get it out. I should be posting more soon and the blog should be changing it's appearance as well. Good night all
Mark
PS. Jim, thanks for the story

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Wizard World 2005! continued...continued...


Cobra Commander and Destro
Originally uploaded by maq911.
Another big part of conventions is people dressing up at their favorite characters. Everything from video games and comic characters to cartoon and anime characters. I thought these two were just outstanding. For those of you who aren't children of the 80's we have Destro and Cobra Commander from GI JOE fame or um...infamy depending on how you look at it..
YO JOE!

Wizard World 2005! continued...


Dustin Nguyen
Originally uploaded by maq911.
Another artist I got to meet was a real surprise! I was a huge fan of the book Wildcats 3.0. During the run of the book I was introduced to the art of Dustin Nguyen who is pictured here doing a sketch for a fan. I got a sketch from him picturing Grifter and Zealot. I LOVE this guy's art. After seeing him in Wildcats I really started following his career. Right now he is rocking on The Authority: Revolution. Check it out if you get a chance. OR you could go to his website at www.duss005.com.
Acutally I would be remiss if I didn't tell this tale. While at the convention I was walking around and I was pretty tired. I stumbled upon Dustin by accident and was really excited to get the chance to meet him. However, when I got to the DC booth he was just about to leave. Expressing my disappointment he told me about his table over in artist alley. So I walked with him over to his table and we started talking. Well next thing I know I have been chatting with him for an hour and he offers me a seat. I ended up hanging out with the rest of the convention which was REALLY COOL. It was great to talk to him and hear about the business from the other side. At the end of it all, Dustin gave me a VIP party pass that was for the creators only party held by the convention. IT WAS AWESOME! So thank you Dustin, you are the man...keep up the great art too

Wizard World 2005!


Ale Garza
Originally uploaded by maq911.
A lot of what comic conventions are about is getting ot meet your favorite creators and possibly get them to draw you something. My goal for the weekend was to meet Jim Lee and Frank Miller, who are currently working a on book together. Unfotunately I would have had better luck getting to meet President Bush.
However I did meet some cool peeps. Here is Ale Garza who works for Wildstorm and is just coming off a really hot run on Batgirl. He is doing a creator owned book that should be coming out over the next year. Anyway I got him to sketch me a Cassandra Cain, the "new" Batgirl! Check it out!

Wizard World 2005!


DC Booth
Originally uploaded by maq911.
Upon entering the Rosemont Convention Center just outside Chicago this is the first set up you see at the convention. Yes, the DC booth. My favorite company and of the big two (Marvel and DC) the most fan friendly.
Saw some really cool stuff at this booth. For those of you that are fans of "Robotech" there is a new movie coming out on DVD. An updated backstory or sorts. They showed a preview at the booth and I have to say I am really freaking excited! Robotech was so fascinating to me and a real inspiration to the imagination. Can't wait to see it when it comes out. I haven't been able to find the trailer online anywhere but when I do I will probably post the link up on here. For now...check out www.robotech.com

Hello Chicago!


Chicago
Originally uploaded by maq911.
I know it has been a while since I wrote but with the end of the quarter coming on fast spare time is few and far between.
So I went to Chicago a few weeks back to check out Wizard World 2005. It is a huge comic convention and my Griggs and I decided to attend this year.
I had never been to Chicago before and I have to say it is an amazing city. I sometimes forget living on the East Coast how much older everything is. Chicago is like a brand new city fresh out of the box. Incredibily beautiful and clean. Sure there are some bad parts but it isn't anywhere near the shit-hole that Savannah is. Just going down to the lake shore is worth the trip. It still wierds me out that Chicago is on a lake that is so big you can't see the other side. Growing up on the Atlantic Ocean you think the only thing nearly as big is another ocean. Seeing Lake Michigan really puts it into persepective just how big this planet is...

Friday, August 05, 2005

Words...

Self-Pity

I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.

D. H. Lawrence


Man, what a week. Things are picking up like a clepto in a dollar store. My plaster heads are all dry, which is good. Now I just have to figure out what to do to them. I been watching a lot of those motorcycle shows on the Discovery Channel. I think I want to paint one of the heads like they paint the bikes. We'll see how that works out.
Anyway, I have royally screwed up my thumb. I have a really nasty sprain from taking a huge hit in dodgeball. Tieing my shoes has become a real chore and just trying to get my wallet out of my back pocket is something of an exercise. I just hope it heals up quick so when the tournament comes I will be able to rock and roll.
Today was really wierd. I generally do not get a lot of phone calls but today my phone was blowing up from friends I hadn't spoken to in a while. It was actually great to hear from all of them but as usual I had limited time to chat. Such is the life of a SCAD student.
I have to say I really do like 3D design. One of the reasons for this is that while I am in class there is another Professor from school who is working on making his own stained glass windows. I am not sure why but I find this really fascinating and I tend to finish my work really fast so that I can watch the process. It is actually really a tedious process that requires a lot of attention to detail and trial an error. BUT IT IS SO COOL!
On another note, I think my blog is starting to get around. Which is cool because that means more people are reading and possibly commenting. However I am opening myself to less privacy and much more criticism. Naturally I am weary of this but I think it might be good in a way. If I ever actually use this blog to write something other than my daily thoughts and experiences, maybe people will read and I will get even better feed back. There is a really drunk guy outside my window right now and he was just being attended to by an ambulance. Now he is just stumbling away...ah life can be sooo entertaining.
My friends are watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer right now. I can't say I am big fan of the show but they are so it is interesting watching with them. The life of a fan-boy is a constant struggle.
Anyway, I am gonna run now. Have a good night

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

As I mentioned earlier I was working on a short movie for one of my classes. It is done! If you want to see it and you know you do check it out at my webpage. It is under the multimedia section. The site is a work in progress and will hopefully in the near future be the main source for all my artwork and writing. Don't worry though, the blog will continue here and I will have it linked at my homepage.
Edge
PS. Did you know Kangaroos cannot walk backwards? The is my Snapple fun fact for the day!

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Today!

Well, yesterday I was in an absolutely foul mood. So nasty was it that I did not post for fear of upsetting myself at a later date. Why so nasty? Well it started off with some rude emails that I had gotten from some friends of mine, then I had to give a speech yesterday that was an absolute disaster! I totally bombed it and the real shit of it is that I would not have had to give my speech if my classmates had bothered to show up. THEM BASTARDS! To top it all off we lost our dodgeball game to a far more inferior team even though I had a personal best with several catches and spike outs.
Anyway, today has been a much better day. My clay head is finished. It looks nothing like me, but it looks human and that is all that matters. I was able to make a mold of it today using this really nasty stuff called "mix-a-mold", think slimy jello that looks like whale fat. After making the mold I was then able to make 4 plaster casts of my head. Two full-heads and two faces. That took me a total of 7 hours. Class is only 2.5 hours long, you do the math and it equals out that I am a determined student with no social life. BUT IT IS DONE! HUZZAH!
So, what's next? Well...my trip is coming up in 48 hours. I have two papers to write, one is another freaking speech and the other is a critical analysis of a speech. I have to finish a movie (soon to be up on my website), polish off a website (the one previously mentioned), do a still-life and then my friends that is the end of my quarter. I am sure there are some final exams in there somewhere but with the exception of art history I have yet to have to study for anything here. This is a school of doers and thinkers not of memorizing reguritators. AND that my friends, rhymes (sort of) which makes me even cooler (kind of).
Next up, is the rents coming to visit which means I have to clean the house. Laundry to fold, Harry Potter to read, things to draw, women to...well you get the idea
See ya soon
The Edge

Sunday, July 31, 2005

Montgomery Hall, The Sixth Circle of Hell...

Ah, what a weekend! I did nothing but homework. I am trying to get ahead because next weekend I will be out of town and trying to do sculpture on an airplane is against FAA and TSA regulations.
I am in SCAD's world famous Montgomery Hall right now. The only building on campus that doesn't close at 5:30 during the summer. It is essentially the digital media/art building. Lots of animators and visual effects people, as well as film and game design. In a nutshell, it is a building full of single guys who stare at monitors for weeks at a time, never showering, barely eating, dreaming of Brittney Spears and not realizing there is a world outside of Cyberspace. I fit right in...
Anyway, I "finished" my clay head. However, it looks NOTHING like me and to be honest it barely looks human. Such is life, I only had a weekend to learn terra cotta, and create a self portrait with it. NO EASY FEAT! The last time I even worked with clay I think I was like 13. But anyway it is done and Tuesday I will start the plaster casting process that is the major part of the assignment. I was actually instructed to do at least three self portraits in my sketchbook. I have never actually looked in a mirror and drawn myself before. It is incredibly hard and when you have to stop and analyze the details of yourself two things happen: 1) You realize just how ugly you really are 2) How much you suck at drawing. So all in all this assignment has been a real kick in the balls as far as my frustration level is concerned.
If that wasn't enough, tommorrow I have to give a speech on the Tour De France and Lance Armstrong. As if I haven't milked that guy enough (i.e. my pointilism project) now I am doing an oral report on the man. Sooner or later I am going to have to start paying him royalties. Whatever, at least it is done, I just have to make up some note cards and I am good to go. Then when I finally get home, I have to make a movie for another one of my classes. This weekend is very ironic because I thought it would be one of those weekends where I would get to catch up on all my extra work and be in the green for my trip. As my luck would have it, I am just barely out of the red and I have a ton of shit to do before tommorrow rears its ugly head. Yes, I know I complain but the truth is I like my classes, especially my 3-D Design (read that as sculpture) class. I get to build stuff which I like to do and until I had to make something that was actually human and out of clay I was kicking ass. This too shall pass...
This weekend wasn't a total loss though. I got more of my cds onto my computer and thusly onto my iPod. Furthermmore I been hearing from my boy Caz in Berlin and the Gooch in working for the Sox in Beantown. Miss those guys, so it was great to hear from them. Only problem is I have little time to chat on the phone so I always have to cut the pleasantries short. I did manage to go out one night this week. I didn't drink because I had so much to do but my friends did and man where they smashed! Now when I get smashed I have a tendency to say off-color things...who am I kidding I do that sober. Regardless I never do anything stupid...for example. We went to Sorry Charlie's and there were all these custom choppers out front. My buddy Kelsey was highly shit faced and decides he is going to sit on one of these 150,000 dollar bikes. Well as Adam and I start yelling at him, the bikers that own the bikes come out of no where and all hell breaks lose. Adam gets Kelsey off the bike and they both begin to grovel in front of this rather large bald tattooed (probably a canabal) biker. Who responds with "Get him the fuck outta here" YES SIR QUICKER THAN YOU CAN BLINK! Yes, I may say stupid thing and embaress myself but I dont' get my friends in potential fights, unless it is over a girl but was only one time and I wasn't drunk...oh and it was MY girl.
So you can see it was kind of crazy this weekend. Stress levels were high and Savannah was full of hell. But all in all, it wasn't too bad. I think it was the longest amount of time I have actually spent in my house since the quarter began. I am usually at School from Early mornnig till late at night...
In other news..DAMN YOU ANONYMOUS POSTERS with your hints of how to get a date or members of the opposite sex willing to take on this hideous monstrosity. Have some balls and leave your name!
Ok well back to working on my speech...I am starting to feel the Sandman
M
PS. I can't wait for Mel Gibson's new movie "Revenge of the Christ."

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Warming up...

Another great thing about blogs is that when you have to write several papers in one weekend it is a great way to warm up your hands and brain for a several hour long typing session. Blogs are also a great way to procrastinate so my warm up will probably be quite long!
Anyway, my previous post about "the girl" I stumbled upon really seemed to spark a lot of interest. I think I got more random anonymous responses from that one post than I have from anything else I have written. Only one regular reader that I know of commented on the entry.
Well continuing the saga of the "girl behind the bar", I have some more news. The young lady that I found so stunning has actually been fired from her place on employment! I found this out the other day by my usual method of keeping my ears open and my mouth shut. This girl apparently got arrested one night and did not show up to work the next day. This really pissed off her co-workers as some of them had to come in earlier and then to top it all off she was a few hours late for her shift the next day. The boss told her not to bother coming in and fired her over the phone. I find this to be really amusing. First off, I said the girl was beautiful, and she is without a doubt pretty damn stunning. However, I never said she was smart or had a personality. After hereing she got thrown in the klink my opinion of her isn't really stellar. All beauty no brains my friends leads to nothing but misery.
I do however appreciate people's supportive comments. Telling me to make a move and go out on a limb and all of that. For the record I have done that 100 times over in other situations with different girls that grabbed my attention. Almost always they have boyfriends or want NOTHING to do with me. Now some might say I try too hard or that I am girl crazy and go after everything in a skirt. I don't think either one of these statements is true. What is true is that I am incredibly picky so when I stumble (I mean that literally) upon a girl that I like then I usually go for it. Sometimes it isn't worth the effort. The girl is a dud, has the personality of a dead sea slug, etc etc. Sometimes it is worth it but they are already involved or more commonly don't like yours truly. To say that I act the fool is as accurate the sun will rise in the morning. Such is life.
What I refuse to believe though is that non-action will bring results. The old adage that if you don't look for it will come to you. Well folks I am not exactly acting like Indiana Jones on some quest for the "Holy of Holies". But when I see an opportunity I think it is just stupid to not try and make something happen. But like many things in life there are many truths to my tales and one of them is while I would love to have a girlfriend again I am not really sure I have the time or money for one. School keeps me extrodinarily busy with work as well as preoccupied with brainstorming for new ideas.
What really annoys me though is the assumption on the part of the female species. It isn't like when I try and talk to you I am convertly asking you to get naked and hop in bed with me. The assumption that a guy isn't genuinely interested in getting to know you is a big mistake on their part. I understand girls need to be on their guard, but I am not exactly a physically or mentally (sadly) intimidating guy. Quite the opposite I would think, but regardless don't assume that just because I ask for your number or if I can take you out that I want anything more than a date! A chance to talk and get to know who you are and whether or not I WANT anything to do with YOU is basically all I am looking for. And if you are so lucky to make the first round cut and become a draft pick then consider yourself damn lucky and don't act like you had it coming! Anyway...as for the bartender girl, well she has a co-worker that I have had a little crush on for a while. Not that I have been any more successful there but she is a hell of a lot smarter. So it was all just a passing moment between me, my cheesesteak and the fugitive bar keep. I have other things I need to focus on, like making a clay head.
Keeps your eyes open for some sculpture to appear soon on the blog. I have a giant frog and a dragonfly to show. I am also currently working on a mini-bust of me which will have three variations. This latest project I am NOT looking forward to, only because my experience with clay has not been that great. However, I will accept this mission with an open mind and embrace the challenge wholeheartedly. Art is hell...

Sunday, July 17, 2005

motivation


selfportrait
Originally uploaded by maq911.
Man, there are just some days no matter how many deadlines I have bearing down on me I just don't have the motivation to do a damn thing associated with school.
I don't have anything due tommorrow but there are things I need to work on and I just don't have the fire in the gut to do so. There are some older projects that I want to retune and resubmit but I just can't seem to be bothered to finish them.
I often wonder how people who make their living doing art can get out of bed and stay motivated. I am sure it is just a weekend thing for me and tommorrow on my way to class I will have pumped myself up. But right now I just do not care for any sort of homework. It is really frustrating actually to be so unmotivated, and it actually scares me. The key to the art game or doing any sort of creative work for a living is discipline. The people that make are the ones that get up everyday and do there thing. People who get books published or get their art noticed are the ones that work hard at it. For me to succeed I need to go the distance and not just get up and go to work but work harder every day than I did the day before. The SEALS have a saying "The only easy day was yesterday,"
Enough of my bitching I will just suck it up and hope this lack of balls goes away.
The work that is posted is a self portrait I had to do for a class in 2-D Design. Basically you use different colors to describe the value and "map" of the face and then you add a "motif" to add more detail. It was fun...sort of

Monday, July 11, 2005

Something...

Seems like it has been ages since I posted. Life has been insanely busy, the summer quarter has started to pick up and I am excelling in two of my class and ripping my hair out in the other. Learning Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator is a real up hill battle. These programs are amazing design programs but it is like learning to write again for the first time. Only time will tell I suppose.
Now onto a different subject that is at least more interesting. There are some girls I find attractive and other that I don't. This is normal for all of us. Furthermore there are some girls that I find attractive that another guy might not and vice versa. Again this is normal. I truly believe that there are some members of the opposite sex for whatever unknown reason I will be incredibly attracted to while the same girl will be unattractive to one of my friends or another guy. I don't think this is exceptional by any means, I think it is very normal. We all have our likes and dislikes and those extend into the realm of physical and emotional attraction. But what is unique is this: I feel that there may be only two or three people in the entire world that you find so attractive that they can stop you in your tracks. The type of person who upon seeing makes your heart race and your breathing hard. Your stomach gets butterflies and the only thing you can do is stare open mouth like someone just hit you over the head with a club. This type of thing might only happen once or twice in your life. But it is an unmistakable experience. Certainly, in my case anyway, there are girls out there that I find incredibly attractive, there are the celebrities/models/pornstars that are outrageous hot and are the stuff of fantasy. There are the girls next door, and ones in your class. The super cute bubbly waitress/bartender. All of them you would date or like to get to know but there are only a few, one or two in a life time that just take your breath away.
I just recently experienced this. I think it may be only the second time in my life experiencing this and the first time I am not even sure was a real case. But this time was for sure. This girl was so amazingly beautiful I couldn't do anything but stare at her open-mouthed and communicate in nods in smiles. My heartbeat sped up and I felt ridiculously silly. If I had a mirror I can guarantee my face was bright red. The experience was not lost on me, I was definitely thrown for a loop. I am not really sure what to do about it.
You see, the problem with being "stricken" as I like to call it is that 9 out 10 times it just happens in passing. You are out and about and it hits you like a flash of lightening. You are so upended that taking action is out of the question and then before you realize it the moment is over and you never see that person again. So I am not sure if I will ever see this girl again, I would definitely like to. I don't know anything about her. To be honest the whole "stricken" experience could just disintergrate about talking to the person and finding out they are a complete moron. So for now I think will just stand in the background and admire. Keep and eye on my pulse and wonder if I will ever be "stricken" again or if this was the one true time in my life...

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

What I did on my summer vacation...


Cantenna
Originally uploaded by maq911.
You are probably wondering what in the hell the contraption pictured above is. It is an antenna I built out of a Pringles Potato Chip can and attach to my Apple Airport to increase my singal strenth.
Why did I do this? Well first off, desktop is far away from my Airport and my single was pretty spotty. There were a lot of time I was unable to get onto the net and that was truly frustrating. The other reason why I built this was because I thought it was cool and I had three weeks off from school with nothing to do. Yes I am a geek, deal with it...
Anyway the antenna is pretty easy to make, you just need to get a few parts from an electronics supply store (like Radio Shack, but better) and some copper wire. I got the plans from an issue of Mac Addict, and I plan on writing in to them to tell how my experiment went.
There are a few issues with doing the antenna with a Mac and the article didn't cover them. There are also different types of antennas you can build, but I don't know what the difference is. All these things stem from a realm of science called "Wave Theory" which sounds cool but I could not care less about it. You can look up all sorts of info on this "cantenna" on google. The hardest part was soldering the copper wire inside the can. I have never soldered before and I am not very good at it.
Anyway, the results of this experiment are that my wireless internet connection is much more consistent since I set this thing up than it was before. My signal is better but not perfect, I will continue to try to find news ways of increasing my range. All in all it was fun.
The Antenna is mounted on a lazer level that I found in Target that had a tri-pod. It looks cool when you turn the beam on and point it in the direct you want your signal to go...I like to pretend it is my own little spy satellite thingy...
Now that my vacation is over and I am back at school, I will hopfully have cooler projects to show but I am pretty proud of this one. It actually worked!

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

The Day from Hell...


facialhair
Originally uploaded by maq911.
So today I was going to hold my first Edgeworks opinion poll. The photo above we will call, Item A, is what you will be using to cast your votes. So here it is...Mark with facial hair or Mark without facial, let me know what you think? You can share your opinion by leaving a comment on the blog.
Which brings me to my other request, I love the fact that people read my blog and I love it even more when they comment. However, I would really really love it if you would sign your name to your post so I know who the hell you are. I know I allow anonymous blogs but that is more for those people who don't have a google account, so they can comment and not have to register.
On to the day from Hell...
I wake up today with the intention of exploring the low country with my buddy, Griggs. I slept late and felt like I probably shouldn't get out of bed, but I did and I went for a run. I am on a crusade to lose my gut. Anyway, I shower up, jump in the car and start doing my errands. I get down the end of my street and my car starts sputtering. I am hoping it is just one of those random fluke things. But as I get further down the road, my check engine light comes on, my rpms are all over the places and my car is starting to buck.
I try and find a place to take my car and everyone I go to is all filled up or they don't have loaners or whatever. I hate the remoteness of Bluffton, SC. Back home in RI, this would not be a problem.
I finally find a place to take, Thank you Mr. Goodyear. They hook it up to a machine, 15 minutes later they come back with a bunch of parts wrapped in a rag. The show the parts (which by the way I still have) Essentially it is a stripped spark plug with the top snapped off, and some electrical rubbery stuff that is all melted. Apparently the part of the spark plug that broke off has fallen into one of my engine cyclinders and has potentially cause serious damage as well as made certain parts of my engine's anatomy melt.
Mr. Goodyear then tells me this is above and beyond him and I will need to take my car to the dealership, which is about an hour away...and my car is not driveable. This is yet another episode of WTF, starring ME!
I then have to co-ordinate a towing from Mr. Goodyear to far-off dealship and then somehow get my ass home. Did I mention I was a good 10 miles from home. So I try and rent a car. The car place next door to Mr. Goodyear is ALL OUT OF CARS! At this point I have already grabbed my ankles and started to bite down...As an aside this is nothing new. I have often gone to specialty retailers, like car rental places, pizza places, etc etc and have been told on several occassions that they are out of the only thing they sell. Case in point, I have been to Pizza Hut several times in my life and have been told that they are all out of DOUGH! of that they can't make me a medium pizza, they only have larges! You see the pattern of abuse here...
So, I call another car rental place at a local airport, which by the way is the size of a pinto. They are about 10 miles from my location and I ask if they can drop the car off to me...OF COURSE NOT! They only deliver cars within a 5 mile radius...so I now have a car ready that is 10 miles away and no way to get there. My day is oh so sunny...
Luckily a local friend was home who was able to pick me up and take me to the airport to get the damned car...a freaking Monte Carlo!
All in all it was a shitty day, and a long day of waiting for bad news. So to top it all off, I of course put up two hideous pictures of mug to see what the rest of the world things of me with or without facial hair...
I am reminded of Radiohead "You do it to yourself, you do..."

Saturday, June 11, 2005

P.O'ed

I finally went out this weekend after being on vacation for a full two weeks. I didn't plan on going out but after getting to the restaurant where I ate dinner I just decided to stay there for a little while longer.
It was apparently karoke night there which I always find entertaining. I am sitting at the bar and there is a rather attractive girl on the otherside and I was checking her out. I thought (apparently I was wrong)that she was doing the same. What was I thinking!? Anyway I asked her if I could buy her a drink and talk...well I got her the drink but the talk just did not happen. Actually she didn't speak at all! It was totally one sided conversation. That really pisses me off and shame on me for buying this broad a drink. This type of crap has happened to me before and I should have learned my lesson but apparently I am a complete moron.
Why the hell do girls do that? "Sure by me a drink, I will be completely rude to you and then go on my way" I don't think I am a sketchy guy and I am way too nice to people, but what the hell!
My faith in the opposite sex has not been renewed at ALL! I am Jill's worn-out doormat...

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

New features...

I have installed a counter on my blog to see how many people do in fact visit this site. I hope my ego will be well rewarded...

Monday, June 06, 2005

Zatoichi "The Blind Swordsman"


Zatoichi Movie Poster. UK edition Posted by Hello

I saw the coolest movie last night and I am still in awe. The movie is called Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman. For those of you who don't know, Zatoichi is a Japanese legend about a blind samurai with incredible sword skills. Now I know what you're thinking, its a samurai movie with a lot of violence and not much story. OH HOW WRONG YOU ARE! This movie was great, it had action, drama, well developed characters, comedy, and dancing. Yeah that's right, dancing...actually tap dancing. Now tap dancing and samurais wouldn't be two things that I would necessarily blend but it was awesome. Think of tap dancing as in "Bring in the Noise, Bring in the Funk" and you have some idea of what it was like.
This movie was amazing. It is Japanese but I bought the DVD and you can choose to have the English dub. I prefer the dubbing only because I can't read subtitles fast enough and watch the scene at the same time. The fight scenes in this movie were awesome and they weren't like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon which I am really thankful for. All that high wire flying around is pretty stupid looking I think, this had none of that but was 10 times more amazing. It was also one of the funniest movies I have seen a while. Very clever wit and slapstick throughout the film. More movies need to be like this. It was alos like a movie comic book or more precisely a movie real-life samurai manga. The blood splatter was computer generated and you don't notice at first. It was just so damn cool.
YOU ALL NEED TO GO SEE IT!

Friday, June 03, 2005

Lance


Lance
Originally uploaded by maq911.
I have received comments and emails from some people wishing to see some of my work from school. I usually get the question "What the hell do you do there?". What is more remarkable is that yes I have readers, and yes some of them are people I have never met in person. They have no idea what I look like or even what my real personitly is and frankly, I like the anonymity.
Here is my final from color theory. This is an exercise in "pointilism". If you don't know what that is look it up, I don't feel like explaining things today.

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Did I tell you about the Gecko?


anole2
Originally uploaded by maq911.
So the other day I am sitting on the can as I am want to do from time to time. You know, mind my own business doing my business. Nothing really unusual about this. So I finish my "duty" and I move to the vanity to wash my hands. Out of the corner of my eye I see something move from behind the toilet to the side of the vanity. I look around the corner and there on the vanity is a little green lizard! Well is scared the bejesus out of me at first cause that was the last thing I was expecting. However, the next question was, "What the hell am I gonna do with this lizard?" I can't just stomp him like a bug because 1) I like lizards and 2) it would make a huge freaking mess of lizard guts all over the wall. So I go into the kitchen and get two plastic cups. Now the entire time I am thinking how fast this thing is and how the hell I am going to catch him with two plastic cups.
So I go into the bathroom and try and scoup the little guy up. As expected the little shit is fast as lighting, he also jumps. Not like little hops, I mean full on Air Jordan leaps tall buildings in a single bound kinda jumping. So whatever he jumped over my hand the first time so I had to reposition and adapt. I figured out that lizards don't "hear". I was able to tap on the wall behind it and he didn't react. So what I did was distract him with one cup in front of him by moving it around...like I was hypnotizing him and then while he was distracted scoop him up from behind. Well, it worked and I caught him. I then proceeded to run outside to a tree on my front lawn and let him go. Of course he didn't want to come out of the cup, but he did and ran off. Two things about this. One I felt pretty damn clever for being able to catch this thing, kind of like the Croc Hunter. Two, I was really happy that I didn't have to kill him. If it was a bug I probably would have taken him out and then cleaned up the mess, regardless of the size of the bug. But if felt good to solve the problem using non-violent means.
So ends my story.
PS this lizard was actually an anole I think rather than a gecko. Not that I know what he difference is

Saturday, May 28, 2005

VACATION! and babies?

Today was my first day of vacation. The quarter is over and I think I did pretty well, although not as well as my first quarter. This vacation though is much needed, I did nothing but sleep today and to cap it all off I had a kick ass dinner at a place called Montana's, where I think I will be spending some late night come the weekends.
I don't really have any great stories to tell or things to write down, although it seems that everyone I know is having kids. My best friend Paul and his wife Brianne had a little girl a few weeks ago, named Isabella. Then my good friends Jamie and Michelle just had a baby boy named Justin Michael. Don't worry readers, pictures of these kids will follow! Just as soon as I get parental permission.
So my plans for vacation are simple, I have a lot of work to photograph and scan and get them online for the world to see! Or maybe just to show some of my friends the crap I produce on a weekly basis...
Anyway that is all from my corner of the world. I tried to watch some NASCAR today, and that is one aspect of southern culture I just can't deal with. It is the DUMBEST thing I have ever seen. So without any more interuption, I am going to watch Cartoon Network till I pass out.
Here is a topic of discussion for all my devoted readers, "Why is every girl I have the slightest attraction to, has a significant other?"

Edge

Thursday, May 19, 2005

A long time ago...

I know it has only been out for 24 hours but if you haven't seen Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, you NEED to. It was great. It tied up all the loose ends and also add some new questions to the mix. It was fun and it was dark and it was awesome. Go see it, you won't regret it. Also, I love Yoda
mark

Monday, May 09, 2005

Tales of Savannah Part XXII: This shit ain't funny anymore

Savannah, GA was described in a local newspaper as being a beautiful woman with a dirty face. I agree with that statement whole heartedly but I would also go further and say that Savannah is a beautiful crack whore with a dirty face. She needs a lot of rehab.
In the past two weeks some serious shit has gone down both in my life and in SCAD community. Let me begin with the SCAD community. The student body received an email not too long ago relating that a young woman who is a Freshman at SCAD was abducted at gunpoint and raped around 1 pm about 100 ft from the entrance to one of the "secure" dormitories. She was forced to drive to South Carolina where she was then raped and was told that she was going to drive to Florida where she would be killed. After being violated the girl stopped at a traffic light and faked car difficulty then ran the light and crashed into on-coming traffic. After the crash she ran from the car and escaped with her life. Her attacker ran off and as of yet has not been aprehended.
Now I don't have the whole story, the school is very hush hush about this. Also, I don't know the victim and I am not about to look into her case. I think she would want privacy at this time and being that she is probably a minor she will not appear in any of the newspapers. But word on the street is she is back at school and for the most part, ok. The word also is that her attacked is a local serial rapist who has been doing this sort of thing for a while. Now I know a friend of this girl who said that she made a positive id to the police, but where it went from there I have no idea.
Folks this city is fucked up. Now I know shit like this happens in all sorts of cities but this brutal attack happen shortly after the mayor of Savannah held a town hall meeting about the violence and crime plaguing the city. Furthermore this attacker apparently has no fear because he did this crime in the middle of the fucking day, in a rather populated place, in front of a dorm that is surrounded by security shacks. This tells me the criminal element is not afraid of the law or the police which indicates that Savannah is clearly weak on crime and innocent people are paying for it. That cannot be tolerated. With every waking second I become more and more disgusted to the point where vigilantism doesn't seem like such a bad idea.
Let me tell you what else pisses me off. This girl should not have been attacked obviously but the fact it happened so close to a drom angers me. Everyday we are forced to show our ids to get into buildings, we are required to have passes on our cars, the security guards enforce these rules pretty strictly and I have a feeling things are even more strict in the dorms. Yet the reality is, the security force at SCAD is more like prison guards than they are protectors of the student body. The people they hire are a joke, I can't tell you the number of times I have caught the guard asleep at a buidling that is a high traffic area for students but also is in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. Not to mention, that I am pretty sure I could bust down the door of any SCAD facility and cause a serious problem and not have to worry about the security guards controlling me. These people for the most part are a joke. They are mostly women, which far be it from me to be a sexist pig, but most of the time they are doing their nails or talking on the cell phone and they sure as hell aren't going to restrain me, what about a gun toting crack head!?
Furthermore I have had a few experiences with the Savannah Metropolitain Police and I can't say I am very impressed.
Case in point this past Saturday night while at the movies my car window was smashed and I was robbed. My book bag was stolen. Now there was not much in it other than class notes but the bag itself was custom made for me. My CDS and sunglasses were in the car but they were untouched. I was parked outside my friend's house and his neighbors were all home. No one saw a thing. The police arrived about 10 minutes after I called them. Not a bad response time. The officer asks for my id and registration, then looks at my car. That was about it. He gave me a brochure with the report number so I could file my insurance claim (A WHOLE OTHER DISASTER!) and was on his way. He told me to bring my car in the next for CSI guys to try and get a print. Yeah they are gonna get a print off of 100 lbs of broken glass!
So once again I am cleaning up broken glass out of my car, and I made a window out of saran wrap and duct tape, which did nothing for the noise on the way home.
Now in the grand scheme of things what happened to me could have been a lot worse. My run in with the criminal element is in no way as serious as my fellow female classmate. But the anger and the feeling of violation is still pretty great. I can't help but feel angry and yet I have no one to be angry at. That is truly a frustrating feeling not to mention the reality of the situation making me realize that I can not just live freely in Savannah. No I have to be constantly on my guard, aware of my surroundings and who is around. I essentially have to treat every waking moment I am in that city as being in enemy territory and everyone there is out to get me. THAT SUCKS! I am frustrated and angry and completely disgusted with myself, with this city and with the son of bitch who broke into my car. But the worst thing of all is that there isn't jack shit I can do about it and that is a truly sickening feeling.

Friday, May 06, 2005

OH BABY!

Just wanted to write a quick entry giving my congrats to Paul and Brianne. Brianne gave birth to a 8 lb 5 ounce 20 inch long baby girl who may or may not be named Isabella. My love and support goes out to both of them and I can't wait to meet the kid!
Edge

Monday, April 04, 2005

Chickens and Heartattacks


camilla
Originally uploaded by maq911.
Ok, so I wake up today after being completely pissed off last night with my drawings. As soon as I get them back with a grade of F I will scan them in so you can see them. I wake up and my parents are gone. They are visiting for the next week or so. I think, no biggie, Dad always gets up early. Well about an hour or so later I get a call from my mom. Immediately I know something is up because she says "Hi Mark, it is Mom..." NO SHIT MOM, what is going on! It seems my father woke up with some chest pains early this morning and decided to get dressed and drive HIMSELF to the ER.
So after 5 hours of class and two hours of commute I get home and pick up my mom and go to the hospital. It doesn't look like he has had a heartattack but they are doing tests and hold him overnight.
This is where the story gets wierd. On the way home I stop to get dinner at Chick-Fil-a. I get home and I am eating my chicken strips with my sweet and sour sauce. For whatever reason I look down into the little cup of dipping sauce and the oil and grease have seperated in the sauce to form the exact portrait of a Muppet chicken, ala "Camilla". I starred transfixed at this image of a big eyed chicken and immediately knew that this is a sign of wierdness to come. I am going to get some ice cream now...I pray I see no cows

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Frustration

Let me tell you a little about frustration.
Frustration is staring at a 3 story birdhouse for 48 hours and not being able to draw it. Oh sure, I could draw the birdhouse, a fucking child could draw a birdhouse. No when I say I am not able to draw the birdhouse what I really mean is that I cannot sight and measure angles and lengths from across the room and draw straight lines without a ruler. What is this you say, sighting and measuring? lines without a ruler? Welcome to Draw 230-1 "Drawing for Design." This class is for designers, be they graphic or industrial, furniture, architects, etc etc etc. To be sure I love this class and find fascinating. It deals with geometry, planar analysis, ratios, proportions, and even touches on the sacred (but only those with the eyes to see shall). But the problem is this is an old school class. It based on old methods of drawing three dimensionally, drafting prior to computers, this is the type of shit Da Vinci did when designing his flying machine. Which by the way, for those of you who didn't now Da Vinci's "Helicopter" actually flies. The fucking thing actually fucking flies. Why then did we not have planes and shit earlier. Well poor old Leo wasn't able to find a power source strong enough to get the rotors spinning. Ain't that some shit...anyway back to me.
To truly discribe this class is not in my limited powers of communication. There is so much going on there and so many things to learn...imagine if you will walking into a classroom and beginning to study math for the first time. You get about 5 minutes into the lecture and you realize the infinite nature of what you are studying and the vast topics it covers. You wish your brain could just swallow it all in because you know that regardless of what you learn that the mere scope of what you are studying is like trying to know God on God's level. And you only have 10 weeks to do it in. That my friends is frustation.
There is something about geometry and art and that it entails that keeps me awake at night. I have started dreaming about shapes and lines, and sections, and angles and proofs. Do you know sounds can be expressed as a geometric shape...I wonder what polygon my scream of angst would form...
My fascination with these subjects is so great, that I actually find them on the same level of interest as the opposite sex. That my friends is a truly bold statement from me. For up until this point, nothing held my attention more than a fine set of legs...well maybe a fine set of legs and health set of breasts...or perhaps healthy breasts, nice legs, and a nicely shaped bottom...or even, oh well you get the point...
frustration

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Spring Quarter 2005

Well here it is, my second quarter at SCAD. Yesterday as the first day of school and it went really well. I like both of my professors so far, hopefully today I will be three for three. My Art History professor looks a lot like Hannibal Lector, except he doesn't have Anthony Hopkins' cool accent. He does however race motorcycles, which I find very interesting! My other class is all about drawing things in 3D, it is basically a draftsmanship class which looks to be da bomb. Unfortunately the workload is going to be high with all these classes.
Last quarter however, a momumental moment in the History of the Edge took place. For the first time ever in the history of my collegiate academic career I made the Dean's list with my 3.66 GPA. HOOYAH! I rocked last quarter and all the work certainly paid off.
Spring Break was good. I did pretty much nothing except read and watch some movies. Whitney and her man Frank came down for the Savannah, St. Patty's Day celebration. It was as cold as a well digger's ass. We were going to watch a little bit of the parade and then go party, but we decided to find a bar with heat and watch the parade on TV. For the most part it was pretty tame. The city closed over River St. where all the bars are. You get padded down, pay 5 dollars for a wrist band, and then you can go in and party. Thursday it was fun but by 4 in the afternoon I was beat and ready to go home for a nappy nap. Friday however was insane. All the people that were working on Thursday or that were out of town came in for the weekend and let me tell you it was packed. Luckily there were cops everywhere. In past years I guess Savannah had been having problems, well this year you would have thought we were under martial law. There was wall to wall cops and frankly I was glad that they were there. I don't like crowds or people for that matter but when you throw alcohol and guns into the mix, shit is bound to hit the fan. This year though it was well controlled. I saw a few fights but the cops would swarm like sharks attracted to the scent of blood and squash the evil-doers.
So all in all the break was relaxing and was a decent recharge for the up coming quarter. As an aside I am starting to train for a triathlon. They are pretty big down here so there should be plenty of races, which means I will be busting my ass between school and training to get ready for stuff. I worked out last night for the first time in two months and I can say for certain my performance was just awful. So here we go climbing the mountain again...lets hope I reach the top this time and not die in the valley of the fat asses.
I feel like I have more to say but as of right now my brain is at a loss. OH WAIT! I am reading a great book right now called "Masters of Chaos" which is a history of the Special Forces from WWII to now. The later stuff is all first hand accounts which is awesome. It is really an interesting book and it dispells the whole idea of "Rambo". Make no mistake though these guys are still ass-kickers! I highly recommend it and I haven't finished it yet. I also just bought for class a 100 dollar book called the History of Art for my Art History class. The thing weights about 25-30 lbs, but it seems pretty kick ass so far. I am trying to get some pictures up of my work from last quarter so that you can all check it out but I haven't had time to upload the pics yet. So stay tuned for our next exciting adventure...

Sunday, March 13, 2005

End of the Quarter

On Thursday I finished my first quarter at SCAD. Man am I glad it is over. They work you pretty hard here and it is very much unpredictible. I am hopefully looking at all A's or close there to. Now I am on break and pretty much all by myself. This is kind of a good thing cause I got tons of shit to do that I wasn't able to take care of over the last few months. There are bills to pay, things to clean, and areas to explore.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

My crib


IMG_0019
Originally uploaded by maq911.
It has been forever since I have posted. This is my last week of classes before I have my spring break. It is definitly crunch time and the pressure is on. I am about 40 plus hours into a pointilism project for my color theory class. That is one project for one class! Not too mention I have exams in all three of my classes, and a final project for my drawing 2 class. Needless to say I have been locking myself inside my house. Which as you can see, isn't so bad. However, the weather down here has just gotten gorgeous and sitting inside all day when I could take a ride and go exploring is a torture of another kind. Anyway hope all is well with you out there in cyberland. I will definitly be posting more, look for my pointilism project to make its way up here soon too!
Edge

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Memories of Childhood

One of the things that amazes me about life in general, or at least my life, is the way random things bring back memories like a crack in a damn brings the flood. I was channel surfing the other day and I happened upon a movie. It was Stephen King's Silver Bullet. Now I am not a big watched of horror movies, mostly because I think they are pretty stupid. But this one struck me. For whatever reason I decided to watch and their is a scene where two young boys are flying kites. One of those kites is a bright yellow with a smiley face on it and it was at that moment that I traveled back in time.
When I was a kid growing up, every Halloween friends of my family would have a party. This was one of those traditions that I actually liked as a kid and I looked forward to it every year. They stopped having the party when I got to be in junior high. Mostly because all the other kids were at least 5 years older than me and where growing out of it. Anyway, I really liked these parties because it was a chance for me to show off my costume. Every year I tried to out do my costume of the previous year. I thought this was great fun but it did cause my parents some headache because I was such a damned perfectionist that my costume had to be just right. I got the idea, and I think it was from watching those old black and white horror movies with Bella Lugosi, to be the "classic" horror characters. This one year I decided that I wanted to be a werewolf and that I was gonna look damned authentic. So I clued my Mom in and we set about putting together a costume. Ripped jeans and a tattered shirt worked well, but it was my face and fangs that were the real challenge. I have to say my Mother made one hell of a makeup artist and did a bang up job making me look like the Wolfman. I even had pointed ears!
So after trick or treating, it was time to go to the party. I couldn't wait to get there and show off. At this point in my life I was fascinated with monsters and mythology. Pretty heady stuff for a 10 year old. I was fascinated by werewolves especially and went out of my way to read as much on them as I could. Anyway I ecstatic to show off my costume. Arriving at the house it went as well as I had hoped. Everyone was in awe of my werewolf rendition. Now the owner of the house is a man by the name of Jack. He has a reputation of being quite the smartass and he provided me with endless entertainment growing up. I went into the basement of the house were most of the older kids hung out at the party and I discovered that I was the first person to arrive. Jack was down stairs watching a movie. He looked at me and I asked what he was watching. He told me that in the movie there was something that looked an awful lot like me running around in the woods. I thought that was funny and I just happened to glance at the TV. There was a cop reciting the "Hail Mary" and walking out of the woods carrying a bright yellow kite with a happy face on it, covered in blood. The image stuck in my head, not only because it scared the life out of me, but because it was such a powerful image to a 10 year old. After that night I always wondered what that movie was and what it was about. It bugged me for years that I never learned the name of the movie or what it was about.
Yet in that brief second of channel surfing, my childhood curiosity had been fulfilled. Not more than a second after seeing the two boys flying their kites did the next scene show a cop reciting the "Hail Mary" carrying a blood soaked, bright yellow kite with a happy face. A moment in my childhood had come full circle and was now complete. It only took close to 20 years to discover the movie's title or what it was all about. Just goes to show patience goes a long way and more so that life is a long and winding road of moments and memories that sometimes take years before you really understand them.

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Mounting Frustration

So today I met with a Professor from the Sequential Art department. For those of you who don't know what sequential art is, think comic books. I was planning on double majoring in graphic design and sequential art. Well after meeting with an advisor about this I have to say I am rather frustrated. In order to double major, I will have to take about 40 classes. Let's see, 40 classes divided up into four quarters at three classes a quarter is about... 4 academic years and one extra quarter. Whereas if I minored in sequential I would only have to take 30 classes. This sort of pisses me off...I am 26 years old, I would be thirty something by the time I finished school and I would still probably want to go back to get a masters. 3 BA's and an MA ain't so bad, but JESUS CHRIST I WILL BE HERE FOREVER! On top of that, people keep reminding me of the cost. Mind you, I am paying for this all through loans which I can defer for sometime. I don't know what to do. The dreamer side of me says double major. The practical side of me says to minor. The animal side of me just wants to break some furniture and then go get laid....TOO MANY VOICES TOO MANY VOICES!
Alas, any advice you have to offer would be wholly appreciated...

Monday, February 07, 2005

been a while

Man it feels like forever since I have been able to make an entry. I don't like to neglect the blog, especially now that it is developing a cult following! :)
The one thing I am regretting about this whole back to school thing is not being able to keep in touch as well as I would like. School is all consuming and while I do enjoy that, in some ways it is getting to be a bit much. Anywho, those of you who haven't heard from me, I am working on it. My next task is going to be getting my xbox live back online, not that I will get to play it much but still....
By the way you all have to check out Something for Rockets. They are this great "new" band that I sort of stumbled upon. Of course in a strange confluence of events that only happens to me there is a story behind this. I saw SFR on this MTV news thing. I was skeptical at first because it was MTV but then seeing the band won me over. Well, as usual I can't remember shit, especially names, so later that day I tried to find out more and I couldn't find anything because of course I couldn't remember their name. So I was talking to my friend Alexis who of course has her hand on the pop-culture pulse of America. She had made me an "art school" cd mix. She is always trying to get me to be more librel and arty and I love her for that even though I do try and resist. Anyway I tried telling her about this band and just couldn't remember their name. So weeks go by and I was talking to her again. She tells me I should check out this band she saw in concert last night. They are called Something For Rockets. Well at that point I was screaming at the computer screen. As you all know the only way you can talk to me is over IM because I never answer my phone. I hate phones. Anyway I go on to tell Alexis that SFR is the band I was trying to tell her about previously and she has NO recollection of this conversation. Needless to say my frustration was at an all time high. Anyway she says they were awesome and that I should get the album which is now on iTunes. The next morning I wake up and check my email...I get an email from Alexis forwarding me an email thank you from Rami Perlman one of SFR's members. ONLY ALEXIS! That is all I have to say, not only does she dig the band that I heard first, she is now "in" with them. Unbelievable!

Right so in continuing the tradition of this blog, that was my really lame story about a whole lot of nothing. Just buy the fucking album.

got this in an email...

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT,
DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

My Fellow Americans:
As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed. Since
congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in
Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American
forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now
to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries
which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short.
The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the
countries listed there.

The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the
world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing
copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those
nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved
during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the
Iraqi war.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world
Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money
toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that
note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt
you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the
earth. Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybe
China.

To Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Yo, boys. Work out a peace deal
now. Just note that Camp David is closed. Maybe all of you can go to
Russia for negotiations. They have some great palaces there. Big tables,
too. I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with
France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are
retiring from NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis. I have instructed the
Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles
located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites
where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care
about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands
of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious
Benzes, Beamers, and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops
in the world. I love New York.

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely
to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not
pissing us off for a change. Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and
his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will
have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess
where I am going to put em? Yep, border security. So start doing something
with your oil. Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA
treaty - starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens.
Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, "darn
tootin."

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the
world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the
planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate
homelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from
America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thanks guys. We owe
you and
we won't forget. To the nations on List 2, a final thought. Drop dead.

God bless America.
Thank you and good night.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English,
thank a soldier.