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...

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.

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

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.

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...

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.

Tales of Savannah, Part III. "Have I got one for you!"

Continuing in the tradition of telling stories of my new home, I have a rather interesting tale of danger, mystery, intoxication and my new favorite bar.
We find our hero (that would be me) working slavishly away at his color theory project. He has been at it for at least two weeks working a minimum of three hours at a time. His brow is quite furrowed, as he looks at his work and suddenly feels the urge to vomit. Suddenly the phone rings! Who could it be? Kelsey, our hero's new friend. It seems Kelsey and a few others are heading out for some fun times and wants to know if the Edge wants to go. Looking at his watch and feeling utterly frustrated with mixing colors and painting, the Edge immediately responds, I will see you in a bit.
Arriving at Kelsey's apartment, the Edge is met by Kelsey, his cousin and her man-mate, and Adam, another graduate student at the fine instiution at SCAD. Aftering taking part in some pregaming with "The Family Guy", our party of companions heads out for the night.
Walking to a place known as River St. they stumble upon a place called Kevin Barry's. Seeing a shamrock on the door, the Edge immediately makes the decision to go in. The pub has several rooms and the party decides they will go upstairs. As if finding and Irish bar wasn't enough, the enter a room called The Heroes hall which is dedicated to police/fire/and the military. With a special emphasis on SPECIAL FORCES. The Edge was most please with his new surroundings. After order a few drinks, talking to a few locals, we find it is time to move on and go bar hoping. What follows next is of no consequence, just a bunch of shit hole bars.
At around 3 am, our party has disbanded leaving our hero with Kelsey and Adam in Kelsey's apartment. Feeling rather sober the Edge decides to call it a night and leaves for his car. As he approaches the Edgemobile, which is parked not more than 60 feet away from the apartment, immediately The Edge's Edge-sense goes off and he knows something foul is afoot. It is then that he notices the rather large smashed area of his windshield. Springing forth ready to dispense out justice upon his car's attacker, the Edge surmizes that the crooks being of the cowardly nature have fled the seen. Two tired and track them down, the Edge drives back to his HQ and goes to sleep.
The next moring we find the Edge cleaning out the broken glass from inside his car. While vaccuming the Edge's keen eyesight spots something that does not belong. Bending down her finds a little copper ball, leaning closer for further inspection the Edge believes he has found a bullet. Immediately he takes tweezers and bags the evidence. After cleaning up the glass he takes the "bullet" to the local authorities, waiting to use their crime lab.
Instead a rather friendly officer confirms that it is infact a bullet (the Edge has never shot a gun) and after inspecting the windshield, tells the Edge that the culprit must have shot straight up and that the bullet enterted the windshield on its way down breaking the glass and landing in the backseat. With a cocked eyebrow, the Edge concurs secrety suspecting that this officer is full of shit. Upon talking with the officer some more it is revealed that, "Everyone in Savannah has a gun. On New Years at midnight this place sounded like Bagdhad with everyone shooting into the sky." The Edge is not amused at this point. Not only does he have a broken windshield from a bullet, but he apparently is the only one unarmed in this lawless city! A line has been crossed and a decision has been made. The Edge must now work outside the bounds of the law to dispense justice. The Edge is going vigillante. The only comforting thought is that no one was in the Edgemobile during the point of impact. If someone was it would be very likely that either the Edge or a passenger would have been seriously maimed, if not killed. Stay tuned for our next episode.

Tales of Savannah Part II

It is about 8:50 pm and I am still at school. Just to give you an idea of what life is like here, there are no Friday classes at SCAD. You have three classes a quarter and they all meet from Monday to Thursday. Doesn't sound to bad right? Well my second week here is ending, and there hasn't been a day since school started that I have spent any less than 6 hours on campus. That includes the weekends! So here is Friday night, I should be getting my drink on and looking for honeys but instead I am here working on my color theory project. I have started this thing over twice. It is due Tuesday and overall I have easily worked over 20 hours on this fucking thing. I am no where near done. I could try and explain to you what I have to do...but I am gonna go out on a limb and say you wouldn't understand. So I am taking a little break to post on the bloggy blog. I am thinking that this is going to be the best way to keep in touch with me for now, or at least see what I am up too. I have been so damned busy I haven't had a chance to call anyone or do anything else. So consider this website a mass email to all you out there in the real world.
Savannah is increasingly an interesting place. First off, it smells here. I never thought I would say this but it smells worse than Statin Island (which I think I just spelled wrong). Shaolin smells like fucking sweet roses compare to this place. My new friend Kelsey has described the odor as really bad sourkraut. Not sure if that is acurate but it is really awful. It seems that for all of Georgia and South Carolina's beauty and preservation of nature they have a really shitty emissions rating (Thank you Emmy Lou). No doubt this odor is directly related. From what I gather, besides the equally nasty edition of low tide, there are several mills and industrial areas in Savannah down by the water. Two of which I blame are the paper mill and the coal power plant. When you add this obnoxious odors together on top of a recently discovered landfill plus low tide, you get something that is very acidic and can taste it in the back of your throat. It really makes me want to gag. However, it is better than coffee when it comes to waking you up in the morning.
Another funny thing I have noticed about Savannah is the crazy people. I already commented on the homeless folks and I am not sure the crazy people are a mutually exclusive group, but they are entertaining. I have seen and quickly walked by several older women who are talking to themselves. This in and of itself is not a big deal. What is a big deal is that they are actually screaming at themselves and someone who aparently they can see but no one else, or at least I, cannot. They (the crazy people) are very very upset by they actions of the invisible antagonizer. They are so upset that if you wanted to, you could easily spend a day sitting in one of Savannah's beautiful squares, and watch them for hours yell and cuss and shake their fist in the air. My personal favorite is when the crazy people stare down the invisible entity, and yell "Look at me! Do I look like I am foolin around!" The invisible person must certainly have a death wish, because if you were to look in the eyes of these very angry crazy people, you would certainly die of fright. Medusa has nothing on them.
Now I am not sure if all these people are crazy. Most of them sure, there was one lady that I passed who was screaming at her invisible "friend" and after about 45 minutes when I came back to the same spot, she was still tearing the invisible bastard a new transparent asshole. But I also thing talking to oneself is something that man older women in the black community do. I have seen and spoken to a few older black ladies, who didn't seem crazy but certainly did talk to themselves in a manner of thinking out loud, albeit really loud. So my study of this phenomena will continue. Look for a later post on the oddities of white southern married men.
That aside, my class are all very interesting however work intensive. I haven't really been able to set up my house because my furniture was delivered the night before school started. I don't usually get home till 10ish and usually I just say hi to my mom and then go to sleep. However, last night was the first night I slept in my bed and I have to say it was rather nice.
Oh, and just so all you people out there in TV don't think this is the tropical paradise of Eden (not that you would have meeting all the crazies and smelling the place) IT IS FUCKING COLD TODAY. In a way it reminds me of home, but people around here forget to shut the AC off. It is one of those wet colds too. Similar to Narragansett at night...it could be the middle of summer and if you go out on the beach at night and stick your feet in the dry sand, you are liable to get frost bite. It is that kinda cold. The kind that you underestimate and then it whoops your ass. Anyway I have turned the heat up in this room three or four times and the thermostat still reads 65. Not really cold, but when you combine the 36 degrees outside and the wetness (everything here is wet) you get really fucking cold. But I will stop my whining because this is the first rainy day I have had since I got here. Well I have to get back to my color theory project. Oddly enough since I started taking this class I have noticed colors a lot more. All you LSD fans out there should put the shit down and take one of these class...I can't take a shit now without comparing the hues and values of everything around me. Fucking education...

Put up or Shut up

Two things and this will be a short post. First off, this is my blog and I will write about whatever the hell I want to. I will name names, I will tell it like I see it, and I will lie through my teeth if I want to. If you don't like it, fuck you. This is my webspace. I don't generally take to lying but I am not about to put kid gloves on to spare your feelings. Sometimes I am pissed and rather than shooting a bunch of people I choose to write here. You don't like it, fuck you. I got my first amendment so long as Bush and his Neocon lapdogs do not erase the Constitution. I am sorry if I make you mad, but you have to be an educated reader. It is your responsibility to realize that one entry does not sum up everything about me or how I feel. I come in many shades of gray, you want black and white? Go fuck yourself. If you don't like what I write don't read it. No one gets to edit me or censor me. I promise that I will never indanger you or give out your address...but that is it. So in short, Fuck you this my blog and I will do whatever the fuck I want.

Secondly, all of you regardless of your political bent should check this site out. WWW.OPERATIONAC.COM After reading it, do it. If not....fuck you!

Tales of Savannah

It seems like it has been ages since I did a fresh post. My last post was actually composed in word while staying at a friend's house. I was there because I was waiting for the business end of my parent's vacation house to be completed. Until the bank gave the money to the lawyers involved, I would not be given the keys. So anyway, I am now in. Tons of shit has happened in the few short days I have been here. I have tons of emails I need to respond too. I keep promising to write soon, but I just got hot water in my house so things are moving a little slow. I just found out last night that all my stuff that I packed up and put on a moving truck won't be here for another two weeks. That means no clothes or furniture. I am slighly less than amused.
So here I am in Anderson Hall. I used to live at an Anderson Hall while I was at American U, now it seems my foundation studies courses will all be held at Anderson Hall, which coincidentally is the building furthest from everything and right smack in the ghetto. I walked here the other day and discovered a jewelry store that specializes in making gold teeth the same day. That is just one of the new things I am noticing about the south. Back in DC and Rhode Island, I never saw anyone with dental bling bling except for the occassionally hip hopper on MTV. Down here, everybody has gold teeth, or at least one tooth is gold. I think there is some correlation with status and the amount and quality of dental jewelry. I think tommorrow I will put an order in for me.
I haven't met too many people. I think it is plainly obvious to the undergraduate population that I am older than dirt. Which is fine, I have no interest in dealing with certain aspects of undergraduate life. However, there are some nice looking ladies down here. That being said they are all like 18 and that makes me a pedofile. Moving on...the most interesting person I met was on my first day here at school. Orientation was rather interesting at SCAD. It is divided into two sessions. The morning session from 8 am to 11 am is taking care of ID's, schedules, etc etc. I got there at 7:50 am. Found my way around as any bumbling idiot would do and with in about 45 minutes I was done with everything. That means at 8:45 am I was in the middle of Savannah, GA with no place to go and nothing to do. The afternoon session didn't start till 1 pm. This also happened to be on a Sunday. Which, unlike the North, everything, including the hooker's legs, are closed! Well my tired ass walked up and down the whole God Damned city. Finally I ended up at the school book store where I bought a magazine. I then continued to walk till I came to a rather nice square. Savannah is a city of squares, similar to DC being a city of circles. Take note you urban planners, circles and squares fuck up traffic. Here I am sitting in this nice square, the name of which escapes me, passing time reading a magazine about comics (WHATELSE!?) and a homeless man walks up to me and introduces himself as Charlie.
Charlie it seems, had spent the day out in Hilton Head trying to find a job. A few things struck me as odd. I live between Savannah and Hilton head and it took me about 30 minutes to drive to the city at ludacris speed. How the fuck did Charlie, the homeless guy, with no car get from Savannah, GA to Hilton Head, SC? Driving would have taken 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic and one's destination. BUT THAT IS DRIVING! To get to SC to GA through Savannah you have to cross a rather large bridge that does not allow pedestrians and I can quarantee he didn't swim his ass across the Savannah River. Anyway, Charlie sits down next to me on the bench and explains that while he tried to get a job out there, he doesn't think he was successful. He tells me he "I am one of the homeless here in Savannah..." and proceeds to explain it has been a really long time since his last meal. I gave him all the change in my pocket and wished him well. Then off he went. What struck me most was "I am one of the homeless in Savannah." It was almost as if they were an exclusive club but more in the vain of "those are my bastard children." Never in any city that I have been to have I ever seen as many homeless. What disturbs me more is that I am unaware of any support services for them. I get the feeling the city tolerates them as a great lion tolerates fleas. Scratches them when they get in his way but for the most part ignores there existence. I think this will require more investigation on my part.
On a more positive note my classes are at the very least interesting. I have Drawing II, Color Theory, and Art History 101. So far I have solidified my place in Drawing II as the kid who has no fucking clue. My professor in Color Theory seems to be a little spark plug who spits out information like a wood chipper. Art History is the one class that I care the least about but so far has been the most structured. My Art History professor seems like a very nice woman but a deep academic. She was definitly picked last in gym class if you catch my meaning.
Everything just seems a blur in the short week or so that I have been here. I have experienced so much and yet I get the feeling it isn't even a drop in the bucket. I promise to start posting more but as it stands right now, I don't have a desk and furthermore only a few rooms in the house actually have lights. Really, it isn't as ghetto as it sounds but it ain't the Plaza either. There will be more to follow...James Bond will Return...
PS...whoever Pancho Vista is, Thanks

unplugged post redux

12/30

Here I am back in Hilton Head, SC. I am writing this in Word because I don’t have internet access. Actually, that is not true, I do have access but it is dial-up and rather than take the chances of losing my entry, I just assume write it here and upload it later.
I am watching Dragonfly with Kevin Costner. I remember when it was released, right around the same time as the Mothman Prophecies. From what I gather it is a movie about death and what happens next. I suppose, well rather I know I am far from qualified to speak of death and those that grieve. But to the grieving I can only imagine that death is viewed as an end. But I often wonder if it is a beginning. I am in no rush to find out to be sure and I certainly don’t possess the essence of faith that the devoutly religious have that affords them the comfort in believing in an afterlife. Certainly, I do hope there is something beyond the grave but I am neither a scholar nor a follower of theology. But it seems to me that death and whatever lies beyond is perhaps just a change. I once read somewhere that magic is just change and thinking back on the life I have lived and the changes that I have experienced, both subtle and drastic, than it would seem to me that death is similar. Obviously there is now way of proving this but if death is just a change of state than perhaps death is just the beginning of more changes. Who knows if there are more changes beyond the absence of a beating heart, a breathing lung? Only time will tell I guess.
Anyway, I am back in SC and there is something truly strange about this place. First off, after the sun goes down the place creeps me out royally. I am not afraid of the dark and God knows I have spent plenty of time in dark places but there is something eerie about this place. Walking outside there is a strange stillness and the only thing I can compare it to is the calculated stillness of a predator before it strikes its prey. This place is unlike anywhere I have ever been. I have traveled all over the world and nothing feels as foreign as the South. I know I have only been here a night but this place is so strange.
I am looking forward to going into Savannah in the next few days for school. That place also has strangeness to it. There is a kind of magic that seemingly keeps it protected and apart from the world around it. It is a beautiful city and I have a very strong feeling that going to school there will present many new adventures. My new home has a sort of melancholy loneliness about it. The fact that I am living in an empty house with no friends of family for miles certainly doesn’t help either. It is really a learning experience to completely uproot yourself and start somewhere completely new. Even though my car is packed full, the value of those possessions really becomes apparent when all you have is an empty house. More than ever I am learning that humans are truly social creatures. The people down here are characters all. The way they speak could alone occupy my attention for hours. This new start down here is promising to be very interesting. I only hope I have the strength to record it all.
Speaking of adventure, if you have to drive from Rhode Island to South Carolina I highly suggest you bring people with you. The drive is long, often times slow, and very lonely. There are many unique roadside attractions that I will surely write about in a later post. However, the one reason I wish I had someone to drive with is so that I could sleep. Being awake for 10 hours a lone in a car gives you a lot of time to think about things but never enough to time to bring those things to closure. If I have one weakness, it is being given time to think …

Why I love William Gibson

William Gibson is a writer of Science Fiction. He is cited as the person who coined the term "cyberspace" and often writes in what is consider the "cyberpunk" genre. His writing is very detailed but the magic of it is that his highly detailed writing is often prophetic. By that I mean he takes concepts and ideas and puts them down on paper as what they could be. The easiest example I can use is Gibson's use of technology in his writing. When the internet was just being born, Gibson was writing about it as if it had been in society for decades. It's as if the Ford Model T just came out and Gibson is already talking about Ferrari's, and describing them in great detail. One of the greatest aspects of his writing is that it is believable. The things he writes about with respect to technology are crafted with such a realism that they are not only believable but conceivable in the near future.
But the reason why I love William Gibson, is that everytime I read one of his books or his stories or even his blog, I consistently learn something new. His last book, Pattern Recognition, required me to have access to the web so that I could look up and understand some of the things he mentions as well as major plot points. I think that is the mark of a good writer. The ability to not only engage me with a story but to also make me learn something new and to have me do it willingly is really a special quality. I encourage anyone to pick up some of his books, especially Neuromancer.

42

I learned last night that 42 is the answer to everything. However, I am pretty sure that 42 has no chance of explaining how it is in a 48 hour period I seemed to contract tonsilitis. I woke up, actually that is wrong because I never fell asleep, with a 102 fever. A sore throat that could only be compared to swallowing razor blades and post-nasal drip that flows like Niagra Falls. Well, I don't know why but when I get sick I become the biggest wimp on the planet. Basically I just want to curl up and have someone wait on me. However, the realization is that I am 26 years old and the days of my mother taking care of me are long over. So what's a guy to do? Well as luck would have it my doctor was able to fit me in. I got some great drugs and just already notice a difference in my condition. I wonder though if I have to get my tonsils out in the future. I am glad though that I will be able to partake in Christmas festivities. If this clears up fast I will be pretty lucky because I have to drive down to Georgia in the next couple of days. Which I am not looking forward to at all.

Inker wannabe (cont..)

BatsSupes
Originally uploaded by maq911.

Here is the end result. The scan wasn't that good so there are some things that just don't show up. I can't figure out why the speach bubble in panel 5 got scanned. It was done in blue pencil! Anyway, I am fairly satisfied with the way it came out. Definitly a learning experience. Real inkers are lucky they get to work on the actual drawing, which means it is bigger and on bristol board which soaks up ink nicely. This was 8.5 x 11 and on lazer paper, which is slighly glossy. I got lucky the ink soaked up well but the tiny details were a real bitch to do.I think my favorite part was doing Batman in panel 3 (the big panel). I love the Dark Knight and it was really cool to work on Jim Lee's version. The only thing that was a realy bitch about it was his utility belt. It was so small on 8.5 x 11 that my nose was practically on the page so that I could mind the detail!
Overall this was a fun experience and it gave me all new respect for inkers, especially the great ones like Scott Williams. This is not an easy job to have...

Inker Wannabe

JimLeeBlue
Originally uploaded by maq911.

Sorry it has been so long since I have written but with the holidays rapidly approaching, my moving to Georgia, trying to fit everyone into my life and work I have been a bit busy. There is much to talk about since the last time I wrote but I wanted to talk about this picture first.
The picture I have posted is a scan of some orginal pencils done by Jim Lee. They appeared not too long ago in Superman #208. On his blog, Jim posted the original pencils and gave a link to a high res file that you can download and try your hand at inking his work. Up until now, those chores are usually left to the very talented inker-maestro, Scott Williams. So I said what the hell, let's see if I can do it and get some feedback from Jim and the rest of the DC/Wildstorm bunch. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
For you art people, I downloaded the file that was in grayscale and in photoshop turned the linework blue. For those of you who don't know, blue pencil does not photocopy. So rather than inking Jim's grayscale which would end up being a total mess when I scanned it, I inked the blue line work so that only my inks would show up. It wasn't hard to do this, especially because Jim gave directions on how to do it in photoshop. The hard part was when I went to Kinkos to print the bastard out. They were backed up with holiday printing so I was only able to use a lazer printer and print on lazer paper to 8.5 x 11. The actually drawing is 11 x 17. So when the picture gets shrunk down, the line work gets tighter and unless you have the muscle control of a Sloth, it is going to make it a very difficult task. Especially when you have as much detail and fine line work as you do in a Jim Lee drawing. Anyway it took me about three days to do. I work for maybe 2 hours a day on it. Not too bad for my first inking foray. However if I were to do it again, I would definilty work off a bigger piece of paper!

DAMN!

Check this shit out! Superman vs. Batman

I am so on my way to Kinkos...

Good weekend, Bad movies

A strange weekend. A good one yet filled with terrible film. Perhaps it was just my mood but man I think I saw four movies this weekend, and none of them I could get into. However, Catherine Zeta Jones was in two of them and I can always get into her...
Right so last week I got a call from work. They are swamped and needed to call in reinforcements. Of course I said yes because my ass is broke! Well on top of working in the day I have been working in the night. These damn customers keep calling me at the worst possible times and I have to really control myself to keep from telling them to "Fuck off!"
Anyway, Friday after work I went home and crashed for a few hours. I called up Kev and my buddy Steve. Steve is always up for a movie of senseless violence and special effects. So we went to see Blade Trinity. It is really saying something when the best movie you saw over the weekend was a movie about blowing up vampires. Obviously it wasn't as good as the first two Blades but it was still nice to see Jessica Biel kick ass and Ryan Renolds as "Hannibal King" was freaking hysterical. So of course leaving the movie, Kev and I arrive at my house and we start watching Terminator 3. It is so tongue in cheek that the two of us were laughing our asses off. Kev does a great impression of the Terminator.
Saturday I tried to finish my wrapping but my parents for whatever reason decided they were going to invade my room. It ended up being a several hour foray into how to print labels on the computer. Both of my parents antagonizing each other and barking at me to fix the computer. I was so annoyed that after a while I had to go sit in another room. In the long run I suppose that is better than flipping out at the two of them and then having them gang up on me. When you are an only child, parents always win if you lose your cool. So whatever, eventually I pass out and then wake up. I was supposed to hang out with Emily and so I gave her a ring. She nannies for this family up on the East Side of Providence. She was watching the kid Saturday, so we rented movies and ate pizza. Good times all around and it was better than going out and getting trashed. However, I picked two really bad movies. First off was the Cooler with Willaim H Macy and Alec Baldwin. I could have sworn I saw the previews for this film and they were funny. THIS MOVIE NOT FUNNY! It is really a dark, violent, yet slightly uplifting film. Emily doesn't like violent movies...which means this one really shit the bed. After taking a break to order pizza and play with Nathan (the baby), we popped in Terminal with Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta Jones. This movie was a much happier affair. However, after the novelty of watching how a man lives in an airport terminal for nine months wears off, this movie loses a lot of its fun. The best part of the movie is Gupta. That is all I can say.
On a more positive note, even though the movies were shit, Nathan is possibly one of the cutest babies I have ever seen. Not sure how old he is, but he is a smiley happy baby. He is really easy to take care of too. He didn't cry once, just smiled and drooled. He does make funny noises which crack me up. He really is just a cute little meatball. However he only falls asleep if you hold him. Emily had to hold him for hours.
On Sunday after waking up way too early, I went to breakfat with Paul and Brianne. Brianne is a few months pregnant, although she isn't showing too badly. It was good to see them both, and eat. Paul is a human garbage disposal. He had to eat 15 pounds of food. It is really amazing. Of course the stress of his job probably makes him hungry. Poor guy is at a top rated law firm, which will go nameless, and they treat him like shit. He works 14 hour days of getting bitched at by senior partners. I don't envy him even though he is making serious cash. However, I am sure in the long run he will be better off. If he can handle this place then he can work anywhere. Plus the experience he is getting will benefit him when he decides to move onto a firm that isn't so cutthroat. I really do wish him all the best. Brianne too! This is one of the few chances I get to be an uncle...
Sunday night I woke Kevin up at around 5 pm. He didn't get home till 6 am from a party he was working at. So we got dinner and then went to the movies to see Ocean's Twelve. Again, this was a disappointment. Not as good as the first movie, although it was still entertaining. I remember laughing out loud at the first one, not so much this one. Regardless it had Catherine Zeta Jones in it , who was quite good as an Interpol agent. She is so freaking hot it hurts. Anyway, the best part of this movie was the previews. There was a preview for Batman Begins which is coming out in the summer. I haven't been this excited for a movie since Episode I. However, I think this will at least be good. It has a great cast and director and just looks so badass. It really goes back to the dark version of Batman. It goes back to the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton days when the Bat franchise was still respectible. God damn Joel Schummacher!
But that is about it...I got a couple of new albums that I am giving a whirl to. I will write more about those later but for now I am tired and going to bed. Good night
E

PC vs URI cont...

Dadkenny
Originally uploaded by maq911.

This final picture is of my father and Kenny. My Dad is the guy in the back with no neck. He looks like kinda like a bulldog but he is really a nice guy. The guy in the foreground is Kenny. He is my father's right hand man at work and his golfing buddy. Kenny is a really good golfer but his technique is bizzarre. If you watch Tiger Woods you will notice he has a lot of hip motion. Kenny doesn't move from the waste down when he hits the ball...it is really bizzarre.
If you hadn't noticed I surprised them with the picture.

PC vs URI

EMCPC
Originally uploaded by maq911.

This was another picture I took at the game. It is a shitty picture because I took with a PDA that work gave me. If you can see on the far side of the court the blue banners, those are ads for my father's company. On the rare occassion that a Rhode Island sporting event makes it to TV, the banners get on and then his home office in Iowa gets really excited. It is pretty funny.
Anyway, the game takes place every year at the Providence Civic Center recently renamed the Dunkin Donuts Center, or as we say "The Dunk". Rhode Island literally has a Dunkin Donuts on every street corner. You will notice the size of the crowd. That is about as big a crowd as you will ever see in that stadium. The biggest crowd on recorod at the Dunk was for WWF Wrestling... GOD I love home!

Kevoatgame

Kevoatgame
Originally uploaded by maq911.

As promised here is a picture of my hetero-lifemate Kevin. This was taken at the PC vs. URI game this year. Kev wasn't being shy. He was protecting his identity. He has a lot of mob connections and so he tries to keep a low profile so that he can work behind the scenes. His own mother doesn't even have pictures of him. He is a man without a face!

The Death of Alcohol

I am giving up alcohol. My love affair with the fermented ambrosia was short-lived, but gave many a moments to remember. It all started on a St. Patrick Day in March 2002 at the Four P's on Connecticut Ave in the Van Ness area of Washington, DC. To this day it remains my favorite pub but when next we meet I will be dry. It was a chilly overcast day in DC as my roommates and I trudged from our new home in Rockville, MD back to the old college stomping grounds. The pub was different on this most holy of Irish-American days, no furniture and several make-shift stations of different beers. Arriving early at 10 am, our festivities began and I decided that I was going to get drunk for the first time. Huzzah Jay! Huzzah Nick! Huzzah Caz! Those three devils in humans clothing, encouraging my debauchery. So the Edge was born although not yet named and all these years and bottles later I have decided once again to go dry.
Why do you ask? Well there are many reasons, the superficial ones would include the price, the taste, etc etc. But to be perfectly honest I feel like shit the day after. I used to be able to drink and have no problems the next day. Even if I was drinking heavily. Now even if I have just a little bit, I feel all messed up the day after. I think it may have something to do with all the training I do. The booze goes through my system fast than it used to or something along those lines, but who the hell knows?! Plus if one is trying to lose weight (ie ME) then drinking really fucks your metabolism and brings it to a comatose standstill. One of my biggest pet peeves is the dehydration. I can't stand being dehydrated, and nothing will destroy moisture like alcohol.

Now I probably won't swear it off permanently. I am sure there will be the occasional party or wedding when I decide to share in the spirits of the moment. But on the whole I think I will swear it off. So it is then, that I lay to rest the bottle. I wish it a happy and peaceful slumber. No longer will I feel obligated to drink while at a bar, no longer will I futilely limit myself to "just one", no more will I wake up the next day feeling like a shriveled prune in the middle of a desert. Farewell to thee, my dear companion. Oh you go by so many names...Jack Daniels, John Jameson, Johnny Walker! You Wild Turkey! You old Granddad! You will truly be put on ice. My seven and seven will now be just a seven. How I mourn for the empty sifter, the highball glass, the rocks that will never fall. Cry not the popping cork, the grinding cry of the untwisting cap, your pleas fall on deaf ears and dry tongue. Though your barrels will continue to age and roll, your amber huge still shine, let not my fast break for you. I will miss your fiery kiss, your rumbling rage down my gullet. The tingling orgasms up my spine, that makes me shake and close my eyes. Good night to you, dear friend Al! Let your intoxicating tastes and aromas find you a new companion. For on this day our relationship has ended, our love has broke, you shall no longer taste my tongue!

Spiderman

Spiderman
Originally uploaded by maq911.

Man what a weekend! It all started on Thursday night with me and Kevo heading to the Wickedend Pub. This little hole in the wall gets really rowdy on Thursday and they have raffles with some pretty cool prizes. Best part is there is no cover. Make sure you meet Wendy!
Then Friday night, I went out with Emily. I had gone to middle school, with Emily and we recently just reconnected. Good times had by all! Even though it was freaking cold out and finding a decent bar was a bit of "hike".
Saturday rocked with the biggest sporting event in Rhode Island. The Providence College Friars vs. University of Rhode Island Rams basketball game. What a game! To be honest, URI played better overall but being a PC fan I still had to cheer for the boys in white. They started off really strong but got really sloppy towards the end. Luckily they tied it up and beat the Rams in overtime. Me, My Dad, Kenney (my dad's top dog at work) and Kevo had a blast. I have some pictures from the game that I took with my PDA, so as soon as I figure how to download them I will post them. Then Saturday night, Kev and I met Emily and company at The Shark Bar for surreal Cranston West High Reunion! Man am I glad I tranfered. It was a good time, although I don't recommend playing darts there. For some reason 3 out of the 5 darts I threw came flying back at me. I think the dartboard was possessed.
Overall great weekend, but man am I beat. I think I average 8 hours of sleep altogether this weekend and that with the alcohol has made me rather ill. It will be a while before I drink again...if ever!
Anyway for those of you who enjoy the artwork (although I have no idea why!?) here is a bone being thrown for you. This was another sketch I did, when I was still working. Based on a cover of Ultimate Spider-man by Brian Bendis and Mark Bagley. Check out Bagley's work if you can...his new stuff is drastically different from his old stuff...really impressive.
Edge

absent minded unemployee

The other day I mention something to a friend about having to scan some pictures to put up on my blog. Well, as it turns out my sketchbook (one of them) is now packing in a trunk in the back of a truck on its way to Bluffton, South Carolina. Inside it are any and all "finished" pieces that I would have posted up here. This is a testament to just how absent-minded I am.
I have been really noticing lately that in the time it takes me to walk from my bedroom to my kitchen that I have forgotten a whole bunch of things. I can't really tell you what they are because, well I have forgotten them. I find this rather disturbing and God help my brain if my body is hungry because then it just gets worse. Not only do I get absent-minded but I begin to go deaf. Really, people can ask me things and I will completely ignore them in the quest to find food. It is a very strange thing. Usually in the morning after I get back from my run or whatever, I will shower up and get dressed. By this time my Mother has, without fail, asked me to do 10 different things before I make my way to the breakfast table. I will be lucky if I remember my shirt, nevermind all the requests she made. This results in a sort of post workout workout. Usually it involves me running up and down stairs to various different levels of the house, carrying semi-heavy objects to their next location. It is a wonder I have any bodyfat at all. Mind you, it isn't that I don't listen but it is quite possible for me to go into a room with the intention of doing something and get distracted by something else that will lead me on random thoughts and I will completely forget what I was meant to do in the first place. A perfect example is walking into a book store. Christmas shopping in Barnes and Noble or Borders or wherever is truly a battle for me, because by the time I actually remember what I came in for I have already gone through all the magazines, comic books, sports, military history, science fiction and literature sections before realizing that 20 minutes ago I came in there to buy a present. There is also something about books stores that make me have to go to the bathroom. I am not sure what it is, and mind you it isn't a quick pee either. Perhaps it is the smell of pages or the warmth of bookjackets that suddenly makes my bowel work! Who knows!?
That is really all I have to say today. Had a horrible run this morning. After drinking the night before what can I expect but 2.2 miles in 22 minutes is absolutely atrocious! Need to get my ass in gear!

Tuesday

I meant to write yesterday but when I got online I started to talk with too many people and I just wasn't able to post. I think from now I won't sign onto IM until after I have done my posts! Anyway, it seems people have been enjoying the sketches so maybe I will put a few more up. It is funny how the more I look at them, the more I start to pick at them. This line should be tighter, this is out of proportion, etc etc. Ah well, I am never satisfied!
I went to the gym this morning as is my usual ritual. Today was abs/cardio. For those of you who don't know I am an aspiring triathlete and I am using the winter months to build a good base and slim down. I usually lift Monday, Wednesday, Friday and I run on those mornings. Then on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I bike. I only just recently changed my schedule a bit to include an abs workout on bike days instead of on lift days. This was done in an attempt to save myself some time! Well today I did an ab workout, that was kind of random, although it was still challenging. My lower abs and obliques are my biggest "problem areas". I pretty much hold all my weight there. So after finishing my abs I jumped on the bike to do my hill routine. I ride for about 35 minutes with varying degrees on intensity depending on the climb that I am doing. However, today I was only on the bike for 12 minutes before I said the hell with it. I don't know why but lately I have been really tired. I haven't been sleeping well and as a result I am getting up later and it is throwing off my whole schedule! So I am hoping this is the only day this week that will be the case. Basically, no more excuses! Alexis called me fat the other day so now I have a firecracker up my ass to lose my last 15 pounds! What I have been meaning to do though is take an "after" picture of me. I took a picture when I first moved home, when I had gained a shitload of weight. Now it has been a year and I would like to see the difference. Maybe I will even post them...
On a more positive note, I love itunes. Now I don't have a Mac (yet!) but I downloaded it for windows. Besides it being a really easy program to manage your music files, as well as a great player and all of that, the radio stations are great. I have been listening non-stop to Beatlesarama and all Beatles radio station listed under the classic rock heading. They play all sorts of music related to the Beatles. Unheard recordings, the usual hits, even modern music that has a certain Beatles feel. It is really quite sharp! I high recommend it.

FINDING NEVERLAND ****
Also, this past Sunday I saw the movie Finding Neverland with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. I am a bit of a movie person but I because the theaters are so expensive I am really choosey in what I see. I normally would have waited for this on DVD or something. I am glad I didn't! It was great. For those of you who don't know it is the story of James Michael Barry, the playwright who created Peter Pan. Now I am not sure how historically accurate the picture is but it was just awesome. Johnny Depp is really an amazing actor. His scotch accent was so effortless and believable. The movie was very funny at points but one of the great parts of it were the imagination sequences. Very surreal and very magical. I highly recommend going to see this, it was just a great film. It also reminds us of the importance of imagination and fantasy in life, something I often think the modern world forgets.

That's why they call him...

The Edge! Ok so I had written a long entry on why my nickname is the Edge. I figured I better do it before I get sued by any rockstars for impersonation. However, in the world of the web nothing is truly permanent even if you hit save and alas I lost the whole damn thing. So I guess I will have to make it short.
I am called the Edge because I tend to have a sharp tongue that gets sharper the more whiskey I drink. I was given the name by a group of my friends that I met through Kevin, my hetero-lifemate. At first it was all about me getting edgey the more I drank, then they just started calling me the Edge. Now it is catching on in popularity and even my parents are starting to call me Edge. The whole reason for this re-entry of my lost entry was because a posted something on Jim Lee's blog. While I do not think for a second anyone on there thinks I am the Edge from U2, I am just doing this to cover my ass. Now, if you want to check out the message that Jim replied in response and jokingly implied that I was the Edge of U2 fan, go here.
It is a real pisser when you wrote something of greater length and in a flash it is "kaput!" well, onto something new...

Flash

Flash
Originally uploaded by maq911.

A friend of mine from Xbox Live asked when I was going to post more of my artwork. The true be told I don't have a lot to show. However, this is one of many sketches I did when I was still working. It is based on sketch Michael Turner did of the Flash. If you haven't checked out any of Turner's work you are really missing out! His company, Aspen Studios, has started putting out their own line of comics, definitly take a look!
I know I also mentioned that I would review various things, well I have got two rocking Xbox games that I think I should plug.

HALO 2 *****
The long awaited sequel to one of the greatest games ever has finally been released. It has been about almost a month and Bungie really did a great job on it. The graphics are amazing the story line is much more involved and lends insight into why the Covenant attacked. The game play is still very smooth and easy to learn, throwing you into the action really fast. There are a few things I would have liked changed but they in no way effect the game. I think it would be cool if the Master Chief could carry more than two weapons. There are often times in the game when you have to choose between two items when it would be better if you could carry them both. The dual-wielding weapons are a great new feature and when you get into LIVE play you will soon realize carrying one weapon is not going to cut it. Halo 2 really takes advantage of life capabilities. Just looking at all the different game options you can do will insure maximum playability. I haven't beaten the game yet, but I know when I do I will start right back at the beginning and have a go at one of the harder settings.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 *****
If you are like me and like the tactical shooters you are going to love this new release from Ubisoft/Redstorm. The Ghost are back, except it is a new team in a new war zone. North Korea to be exact. It is very eerie how the game's plot could easily come out of todays headlines! Many new improvements have been made since Island Thunder. The most noticable is the over the shoulder third person view. I gotta be honest I love this view way more than first person. It allows you to see how well you are covered by objects and really gives you a better overall view of the action. Another great new feature is the ability to carry more gear. Rather than just a primary and secondary weapon the Ghosts are able to carry much more. That being said one of my biggest complaints is that I wish their was a higher degree of weapon customization. We are talking about an elite special forces group, I think it would be fitting for the game to allow you not only to big a weapon, but also the type of sight you want, silenced/unsilenced..etc etc. Perhaps even carry a sniper rifle as well as an assault rifle. But these are tiny issues that can be fought over when they put out a sequel in the coming months. Take note though, after playing Halo 2 and jumping into GR2 it really messes with your play tempo. GR2 is not a game you can just blow through. It is damn hard and takes as much brainpower as firepower.

Overall two great sequels out for the Holiday season. I highly suggest both although, GR2 is not really for kids. Either way, give them a try and if you have a minute, tell me what you think!
See you on live!
The Edge

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Not to piss on a holiday or anything but I notice that everything Thanksgiving seems to be the same for me or at least follows the same schedule. This year was a little different because my uncle (Dad's brother) and his daughters were not here. My family has gone through quite a reorganization the last few years that has left certain holidays with a smaller turnout. Not that I had a big family to begin with but we are definitly atom-sized compared to the "nuclear family".
Anyway it always goes down like this: around 1-2 pm everyone who is coming shows up. The empty hugs and kisses abound and the starting drinks get poured. Everyone files into the family room and bullshits. The bullshitting has in years past been more like cold war verbal sparing. A lot of posturing and very subtle attacks on members of the family. I usually try to avoid talking to anyone and just sit there with a stupid smile on my face. It is easier to get through this subterfuge of family life if you act like Rain Man and then slip away when no one is looking. Oh, did I mention Thanksgiving is always at my house! Which means, my escape is limited to literally hiding in the house. Back to the schedule.
After the opening bullshitting, at some point usual 2-3pm the food is ready and it seems like it takes and eternity to actually get it on the table. In years past we have had to have two tables, not because we are large numbers, but rather because we are large people in small rooms. If the meal is in one room, we say "Grace" which is fine until it keeps going and going. "let us not forget our dearly departed great great aunt edna on the O'Neill side of the family who used to collect stuffed squirrels and had a heavy hand with the bourbon..." You get my point. Then it is time to get food. Now if the entire family is there, meaning my uncle's family (Dad's side) and my aunt and uncle (Mom's sister) then it means the cold war goes hot and you have to fight for food. There is no order of passing things around the table, it is a very unorganized guerilla attack on the various dishes (which never change from year to year). Now I was brought up with table manners. Generally I don't use them unless circumstances insist it. You know, family dinners, out with girls, etc etc. Why I am possessed to use my manners at Thanksgiving is a mental handicap I do not understand, because what ends up happing is while two people are attacking the stuffing and three are hitting the turkey, I sit there and in a rather mousey voice ask "Can you please pass the peas?" To which my requests go unanswered until I finally get so frustrated I start barking at people and then everyone looks at me like I am the one with the problem.
Next on the itinerary comes the post dinner gossiping and debating on how our various lives could be better. What we all fail to realize is that they would be better if you just shut the hell up and actually do what you say. Eventually dessert and coffee make its way around and we get the usual I can't eat that it will make me fat or I am too full for that. BULLSHIT! You aren't gonna tell me that inside the stomach you can't make room! I saw how much food you put away to being with! If you were really concerned about your weight you would sit there and eat cellery. So instead of trying to make yourself not feel guilty about what a gluttonous fuck you are, shut up and eat the cheesecake!
After all is said and done, we have two groups of people. Those that seem to wonder off and pass out somewhere only to drool on themselves and those that keep drinking and fight over which football game to watch. Me, I generally disappear and go play xbox or whatever video game system I have at the time and do my best to blow everything up on screen.
Eventually people realize that there is no more food and no more beer and then run outta here like the place is on fire. "It's been fun but I gotta go..." Fill in the blank with excuse.
Once everyone leaves the house becomes so quiet. It is really amazing just how silent it is on Thanksgiving night. I don't think it is just my house that is like that either but it is truly surreal.
That is the yearly Thanksgiving schedule and you would think someone would have gotten sick of these yearly rituals. Come on! Let's change the beat! But no it is always the same anticlimatic mundane day that is has been since I was 5.
It it isn't abundantly clear, I hate Thanksgiving. I have hated it for as long as I can remember. I don't know why, maybe it is because I have a sense of people invading my house without my OK. Don't really know why? I am sure if I got to the bottom of it, it would be really childish. On top of it all my grandfather has been dead now since 2001. I was really close with him and I don't think I have ever let him go. Towards the end it was hard to talk, just because I was a 20 something punk and he was 83 year old Chief Petty Officer. But I loved him a lot and he was one of those people that you could just watch and he would do something so slight and it would either amaze me or crack me up! Maybe we didn't need to talk as much the older we got, maybe we knew what the other was thinking. I hated seeing him in the nursing home, my grandfather was meant to be on a ship or in a car travelling, seeing the world, and sharing stories with people over a pint. I think the only trip I ever took with him was when I was 7 or 8 and the entire family went to Disney World. I remember going to this one location in the park, not really sure where, but you could rent these mini speed boats. Of course, I was too small to be allowed on one by myself (happened to me all the time!) so Grampa got on it with me and as we pulled away and got about 100 yards out, he let me drive. I think he lost whatever hair he had left but he pretty much let me run that thing into the ground. Everything we did together was a lesson and I am ashamed to say I usually forgot most of them. However, and I can't say this is true for sure, but I am willing to bet that day in the boat he was probably teaching me the difference between "port" and "starboard" and all sorts of other nautical terms. He was a good man, the best kind of man, and I miss him.
Funny how this holiday makes me bitch but in the end I remember that I have something to be thankful for. Regardless of how you feel about the holiday and your family and whatever traditions you may hold...it just wouldn't be the same I guess. I know I am thankful for having the best grandfather the world has ever seen. Not even sure why I started to write this entry, definitly didn't think it would go the way it did. Sometimes I guess even the most cynical of us can surprise ourselves every now and again. I don't really know what else to write, I kind of hit a quiet place...so I think I am gonna take the cue...
Good night
The Edge

Zealot

Zealot
Originally uploaded by maq911.

Well as I told you guys before I now have the ability to post pictures. Some of those visual will actually be some of my drawings. For those of you unaware I am a huge comic fan and have often aspired to get work in the business (IN ANY CAPACITY!).
This is actually a piece I did a long time ago. I don't think I was even in high school yet, if I was I was a freshman. This like all my work was based on a drawing by another artist. This is actually based off a splash page (I think) that was in Wild CATS #1 by Jim Lee. I can't remember the year it came out, I want to say 1991 but I think that is too early. Anyway, as I said before he is a big inspiration of mine and I love this character. I call this my "Mona Lisa" because a lot of hard work and devotion went into doing this (I was very young at the time) and it is the only color piece I have ever done. It is also unfinished. The boomerang thing in the back is supposed to be red! Anyway, I love this drawing and I thought I would share. I hope to someday top this...
The Edge

Coming together...Girls, Apples, pictures

I think I am getting better at the whole blog thing. I am at least now remembering that I have to write in it even though I don't necessarily get to!
So, my blog is coming along nicely. Taking a hint from Jim Lee's blog, I am now able to put up pictures on mine using Flickr.com. Be on the look out for all sorts of visual goodies! You never know what may pop up!
Moving on, let me go over the title. Girls, Apples, and pictures...well I think I covered the picture part, let's move onto girls.
I was chatting with a certain someone online last night and I realized that I had a great story to tell and for whatever reasons never put it down. This lovely young lady reminded me of this and so without further interuption, let me introduce my new friend Kim.
About two weeks ago I headed up to Massachusetts with Kevin (my hetero- lifemate) for a mutal friend's wedding. This was in a very rural area os Massachusetts that I sometimes forget exists. It often bothers me that when people think of the North East, everything is developed...well not this place. The wedding was in Hudson, MA. Way out in God's Country, but none the less a very cute New England town. Kevin actually worked up there during his highschool years. He performed community service, as many of us Catholics are forced to do, at a home for "pregnant crack-whores." Those are Kev's words not mine, but just so you don't think he is a total ass, Kevin is very active in his church and often volunteers his time. Whether it be teaching CCD or spending his time at hospitals working with severely retarded children. God help him, I sure as hell couldn't do it. Anyway, here we are driving around Hudson and Kevin says he wants to show me something. So we drive by the facility (which is really just an old house) for the pregnant crackwhores and he takes me to this petting zoo/general store. "Why the hell are you taking me here?" ask's I. "Because it is a cool store and your dear sweet mother would love it if you ever decided to take her here, you ungreatful bastard," say's Kevin.
So in I go and I have to admit that they had all sorts of great looking food and stuff. I am always down for homemade, all natural, don't give a shit as long as it tastes good food. However, attached is your typical New England nick knack shop, complete with little wooden houses, stuffed animals that you can pose, antique looking dolls, etc etc. A whole bunch of crafts that are really only good for kindling. So we walk around for a bit, then head back outside. Now I am in no way a sheltered child. I have travelled all across Europe, been to some of the shittiest ghettos in RI and DC, have been to every state on the Eastern Seaboard and I am pretty well educated. That being said I have never seen a live chicken.
Kev and I are walking around the "petting zoo" and we come to chicken coup #1. Now I have never seen a live chicken but I was pretty sure they weren't as big as these fowl dinosaurs. Freaking huge! Their legs weren't the skinny little twigs I had always pictured but were thick, muscular talon. I am standing there in awe of these beasts that I have so regularly dined on for many of my 26 years. As I am looking, I call to Kev, with blatant disregard for the children standing around me "Hey check out the size of these fucking chickens!" Kevin wobbles on over (he really has a very distinct walk!). He looks at the birds..."Dude, those are Roosters"
I can truly count on my hand how many times I have felt that stupid and embaressed in my life. So as I nonchalantly try to step away from the coup, I see Kevin wandering down some stairs to the horses. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have ridden a horse. I have only done it once and I will be in no good mood if I ever have to do it again. It is truly an epic story of my monumental bad luck. Regardless, with endless curiosity I decided to follow my good friend down the steps to a mother and her kids petty a young horse no more than two feet from a sign that clearly says "Please do not pet horses, they bite." Perhaps she thought she had more than one it was ok if one of her kids got maimed, I don't know. Kevin, on the other hand, I know can read and so I would not feel bad if the horse removed one of his digits. It would at least cause me to laugh hysterically as I try to bandage the stump. Well anyway, the horse was good and received the attention quite well, unlike the majority of actors in Hollywood.
I did noticed however that this horse was stranded on one side of its pen dud to a monstrous puddle, of unknown depth, that stretched widely across the yard. On the far side were what I can only assume to be the horse's relatives, all huddled in a corner. Apparently the horse was really a black sheep. Yes my humor is that dry.
We eventually leave the farm and head to the church. There is where things start to get interesting. Kevin and I arrive and seem to be the only ones there. We are pretty sure we have the right church and after about 20 minutes people start showing up. This will be the second non-Catholic wedding I have attended out of the 20 I have gone to in the last two years. I always get very excited to see how other religions do it. I hope to make it to a Jewish and a Muslim wedding someday. So we walk into this very nice Methodist Church, it was made in the "tudor" style of architecture of which I am a fan. So we sit down and wait for the show to begin. Mind you, Kev and I have not seen a soul we recognize and I am starting to think we may be at the wrong wedding except the program is telling us otherwise. While sitting I notice a young lady sitting on the other side of the aisle a row or two up. A young asian woman short dark hair and a rather attractive face. In my usual declaration of hoplessness I say to myself "Just forget it, you are a wedding. You need to behave and you know she is probably her with someone."
With that the wedding begins, I was very excited to see all the members of the "Brotherhood" except Marc, who I don't believe was invited. It had been a while since we all got together and the reality of our meetings becoming more and more associated with things like weddings, childbirths and funerals rather than the usual hanging out on a Friday night started to make me feel a little bit too old.
The wedding was short and sweet and yet I still managed to fall asleep. For that I am sorry Joy and Jim, however, I did see you exchange vows and say "I do". After the nuptuals we were headed for the Holiday Inn in some other one-horse town in Massachusetts. Now, I was really impressed with this hotel. I did not have high expectations upon arriving but upon entering I was in awe. You see, the outside of the building at night makes the hotel look deceivingly small and the first thing that popped into my head was "where the hell is the reception going to be?" Walking in, I realize right away I was wrong. After passing the front desk there was a wall of class doors. On the otherside of which was a huge, gorgeous atrium that was really quite neat! The pool was hidden in there among real trees, two gazeboes, and several stone pathways that made you feel like you were at a tropical resort of sorts.
So eventually they let everyone into the atrium, I had snuck in earlier. It was the cocktail hour along with cheese and crackers. I hate to say I don't usually eat cheese cubes but they had these pepperjack cheese cubes that really made your hair stand up. DAMN GOOD! So as I am sitting along this wall bench thingy, I noticed the cute Asian girl was sitting at the far end. So, now I have had a drink at this point on an empty stomach. It doesn't take me too long to forget myself and start strategizing how I am gonna talk to this girl. So naturally, Kevin is double fisting drinks already and being the social butterfly is mingling with people that he will never see again but somehow he quickly gets to know. As me and the rest of the wallflowers are chatting and making jokes, Kevin comes up and starts chatting and makes some rather funny comment. The cute Asian girl hears him and starts laughing...THERE"S MY OPENING! GO GO GO...only she talks to me first, "Are you on the bride or grooms side?" That my fellow readers is how I met the lovely Kim.
Now right away we start chatting and she has a great smile. But just as the conversation gets going, they announce the guests to their tables. So instead of just taking off, I decide to find out what table she is at, walk her there, and tell her to save me a dance. A DANCE! WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY WAS I THINKING!? I don't dance, unless I am completely shitfaced. I wasn't planning on getting that way either. The last time I was completely shitfaced and dancing, I was with Kevin, and some girl went home with my underwear.
Regardless I sit down at my table, #3 to be exact. Just as I am sitting down, the DJ who was right behind me, or should I say her 500 watt speaker, belts out a hello that sends me jumping to the ceiling! After climbing down, I get in my seat and the good times begin to roll. It was great to see everyone and we were all having a blast. Then Lisa, Melisa and Nancy come over. They are also friends of ours but they were all bridesmaids. I was sitting with their respective dates and I happen to mention Kim. Lisa immediately tells me she is with one of the groomsmen and to forget. I couldn't help but hear the heartless joy in her voice as she was telling me the news. However, I never give up and I feel I am pretty shrewd judge of these things and the boyfriend alarm was not going off when I spoke with her. So I will just assume Lisa is full of shit, has no idea what she is talking about and wants to rain on my parade.
Well after dinner I wander over to the bar, flying solo as I am want to do. I have a tendency to get solitary around alcohol. I tend to seperate myself from my friends and then go on the hunt for new "friends". Anyway as I am strutting up to the bar trying my best to give off a James Bond vibe, I see Kim. We start chatting again and this girl is cool as shit. However, we weren't chatting long till we were interrupted again by something I can't recall.
The night moves on, a few more drinks, some good laughs and the dance floor is up in a rush. So I figured what the hell, I walk up to Kim and say "Do you want to dance?" She grabs my hand and leads me to the floor. Now I have to admit, she has the softest hands I think I have ever felt. Generally girls in my experience have soft skin, for which I am eternally greatful but these things were like satin pillows. It was quite nice. Anyway we are dancing and chatting and I am doing my best not to sound like a drunk moron. Again, another bump in the road. The song is shorter than I had anticipated and rather than stand there in the waltz position we go our seperate ways. The night begins to wind down and I have to make another move.
My good friend the DJ announces that this will be the last song. I ask her to play one more slow one and she says she has to close up shop. Seeing the disappointment in my face apparently gives her the brilliant idea to play a slow song as the night's closer. This is my chance, now or never to have some uninterruppted time with Kim. I mosey over, half cocked and say Kim, will you dance the last song with me. She says "This is that last song" I say "Nope, I requested one so I can get another dance with you." HE SHOOTS HE SCORES!
Dancing to the last song was great. We got to chat some more and sober up and I was able to see that great smile. Then when it was over, I asked what her plans were. I was not going to bed anytime soon and I was still in the mood to party and the hotel bar was till open. All my friends were going down there and I asked her to join. She told me she had to play poker with her friends but if she had time she would come down.
Well, we went out seperate ways for a bit, before I called her and asked her to come down to the bar. Now, having a drink with a girl isn't really big deal on the cosmic scale of things. You would have thought I was having sex on the bar with Catherine Zeta Jones, the way my friends reacted. I felt like I was being watched by the Inquirer!
Anyway, Kim came down and we started chatting. She told me her last name and somethign didn't click. She had a spanish last name but looked Asian....immediately I realized she was Filipino. How cool is that!? She is originally from the Phillipines but somehow ended up in New Jersey. Talk about a let down! Anyway, I was able to figure out she was Filipino, which impressed her and then I started to ask her about Tagolog, the native language. "It is a combination of Spanish and Polynesian languages right?" She said yes and then asked me how I knew so much about it. I told her about my experiences in the martial arts and how I made it a point to learn about each culture those arts came from. Without missing a beat she asks me dead serious "This isn't a fetish thing, is it?" I think I almost fell out of my seat I was laughing so hard. The blunt question caught me so off guard and was so far from the truth I couldn't do anything but laugh. When I calmed down I answered honestly "No, not at all" and then conversation went on. But nothing is ever safe, Kevin comes over to tell me everyone is retiring for the evening. No sooner does he leave, then Lisa appears. "Don't stay out too late, we are going to bed soon. So please be back soon." Talk about mordifying. Like she was my mother! If that didn't deserve a slap I don't know what does. I was even more annoyed to find out later that Lisa was making assumptions that I was trying to get some ass but then so bluntly stated "well you can't bring her back here and she is sharing a room with that guy." To which, I triumphantly announced "No quite jackass. She has her own room by herself. Shut up and go to sleep!" Try and piss in my wheaties and I will cut you down everytime!
The night ended with me getting Kim's number, and walking her back to her room. I then returned to mine, although I forgot the number. My saving grace was that Lisa's voice can penetrate walls and I was able to hear Kevin and her talking. The downside was to all this was I would have much rather snuggled up with Kim for obvious reasons than listen to Kevin and Lisa fart and snore. But alas, it wasn't meant to be.
However, in the long run it was a happy ending. I met a really cool girl, who I talk to from time to time. I had a great time at Joy and Jim's wedding after having a terrible week. I ate well, drank well and slept well. Can't ask for anything more...well except to see Kim again.
The Edge
PS...I almost forgot about the Apples. I ate an Apple yesterday. You might not think that is a big deal but it is the first piece of fruit I have eatten since elementary school. In my attempt to lose weight and get healthy I took the fruit plunge. It was entirely too long of a wait!

the funny thing about blogs....

So the problem I have with this whole blogging thing, besides keeping up with it, is that I have a tendency to read other peoples rather than write in mine. For example, my college roommate and good friend Jay Rob has a most excellent blog, http://black-coffee.blog-city.com/ , where he goes into everything from politics, religion, girls and sports. What is even better is that he also fills us clueless white boys in on a modern black man's perspective on things. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think what Jay writes is what every African American thinks, far from it, but it is great to get a different point of view!
Another great example of a blog that keeps me reading and not writing is Jim Lee's blog. For those of you who don't know, Jim Lee is possibly the greatest living comic book artist on the planet. He is also one of my art inspirations and heroes. The man can throw down lines...he just seemingly pulls them out of the ether and next thing you know you got a bad ass picture of Batman. Anyway Jim's blog has fellow contributors from Wildstorm studios. Richard Friend, Carlos D'anda, Ale Garza, the beautiful Sandra Hope, etc etc. If you are a fan of Wildstorm's work and you want to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the drawing board, this is a great place to check in.
So if you are wondering why I don't post more that is why! I can't stop reading other people's blogs. Maybe it is because I think they are more interesting than my own or because I am a voyeur, or maybe I just love information. Either way, there are some great sites out there and if you like to hear what people have to say but don't necessarily like to read the paper (my BA in Journalism did wonder's for me!) see if they have a blog or a website. It is great fun
A preview of what is to come...
1) A list of the top ten things I want to do before I leave Rhode Island!
2) An updated version of the blog, with pictures and links and much much more!
3) More great writings on my experience outside of my room and what that entails
4) Reviews of movies, comics, books, games, tv and more (Sequential Tart eat your heart out!)
5) general fun from the mind of me, the Edge

long time, sanded floor, new comics

I know I know, it has been a while since I have written. Why do I act like I actually have an audience? I guess because the alternative is harder to write for and is too much like talking to myself. Anyway there is a lot going on right now and I wish I had more time to put it all down. To make a long post shorter, a recap of my week started with packing everything I own into cardboard for the movers. That was hell. Then out of the blue my father asks me to sand the floor and refinish it. Certain parts came out good, others I am doing again tommorrow. Today was new comic book day and while I didn't think anything good was coming out I got some nice surprises at the comic shop. Which reminds me I forgot to read one of them and so ends this post...

Back at work

Hello True Believers!
No, I don't feel bad that I rip off Stan Lee's opening greetings. If you mind, you can easly leave me a comment to which I will most certainly reply "PISS OFF!"
I am back at work today after my week in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. I am both excited and apprehensive about returning to school and moving to a new location. But I just remind myself that a) I have done it before and b) I have been to far worse shitholes than Savannah, GA!
Anyway, this is my last week at work. As of Friday I will no longer be an employee of World Courier Ground. This goodbye is bittersweet. This is the longest job I have ever held, I have been here just over a year (like a year and a day). For that reason I am rather proud of myself. It is an unfortunate trait of mine that I tend to get restless rather quickly and when that happens, "SO LONG SUCKERS!" is pretty much my goodbye. This is probably why I have never had a relationship longer than a year, but that is another topic that I am very sure will be covered again and again in this small corner of the Web. Yes, right, this is my longest held position in the work place. Truly something to be proud of when I think of all the nonsense I had to put up with I first got hired. The back in forth between full time and part time, the pay cuts, the pulling of benefits, the hours, I could go on and on. I did however, learn quite a lot about the logistics industry. Unfortunately I also learned that the market is getting smaller and unless your one of the big boys, keeping your head above water is a truly uphill battle. Ok, yes that was way too many metaphors in one sentence. Yes, I have a degree in Journalism, no I don't use it that often and once again THIS IS MY BLOG SO PISS OFF!
I am at work writing this which some may think as unethical, I think of it more as keeping myself busy when no one else is here. That is one thing I learned quickly at this job. Just how much I like to work by myself and in a team. There is a certain ratio that I will need to keep in check for the rest of my working life that I seemed to have found here. I also successfully reinforced my strong distaste for micromanagers. Such people should truly be severely hurt.
Getting back on track, I will sort of miss this place. My daily lunches with Justin, my verbal sparring with Jerry and Mike, my complete disregard for authority when speaking with the President, my conversation with Bill the matience man...truly these things make my day that much more enjoyable. Yet I am not really sad to see this place go, or should I say see myself walk out the door. This is not a really happy place to work in. There has been a high turnover of people in my department of four and there seems to be a lot of closet animosity towards the higher ups. Whether that is justified or not is a debate that would surely fill more pages than the 9/11 Commission. But it does take's it toll. Perhaps it is my age that keeps me from getting so attached to what I do. From the first day I walked in I told myself to maintain a healthy since of detachment, do not get too invested in what goes on. When it becomes personal, work can take a destructive turn down the spiral. I have succesfully avoided this. Mind you, I have certainly done my fair share of complaining, as is any workers right when he is on the bottom of the totem pole. But I don't feel I had the voracity or the dislike in my complaints as some of my other co-workers. This is a rather troubling thing to witness for two reasons. 1) Is it a prediciton of my future in the working world that as I age I will become more bitter? 2) Is it a reflection of my apathy or even more so an indication of a higher level of apathy than what I realized I had?
Either way, I am glad to be moving. If for no other reason than the sheer adventure of it all. However, as excited as I am, I do hope my restlessness will one day fade away and leave me with a home, a love and a purpose. As for now, it seems to early to tell
Peace