This one makes it 695. It made me stop and wonder -- what if I had been a webcomic artist instead of a writer? I might well have 695 comic strips to my name. That would've been totally, absolutely rocking.
I mean, not that this blog isn't rocking. . . just not as awesome as awesomely drawn webcomics might be. But I guess I was never a draw-er (I just now realized that draw-er and drawer are spelled exactly the same way. Now I'll never be sure if I'm making drawings or holding clothes).
In good news, however, Daniel says that if I continue with my extra-curricular drawing exercises (bell peppers of the wrinkled and shrunken variety), I could well develop my own economy of mark-making. Which would be super, super exciting. Yes, I need to learn to render, and rendering aids all kinds of other artistic understanding, but my own economy of mark-making? That would be super, super awesome. It's all I've ever wanted. It would mean having the vocabulary to describe whatever I see it in an aesthetically pleasing way that also addresses my visual obsessions and individual perception of the world.
In the difficult news -- well, it's difficult to find time for extra-curricular drawings. But I'll keep at it, and it will be good and rewarding.
Also -- happy birthday, Dad!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
oh, ursula k. leguin, you may have just won me over
"I am going to be rather hard-nosed and say that if you have to find devices to coax yourself to stay focused on writing, perhaps you should not be writing what you're writing. And if this lack of motivation is a constant problem, perhaps writing is not your forte. I mean, what is the problem? If writing bores you, that is pretty fatal. If that is not the case, but you find that it is hard going and it just doesn't flow, well, what did you expect? It is work; art is work." -- Ursula K. LeGuin
See, it's funny, because I guess publishers didn't like her first five novels because they were "remote." Which is kind of what I don't like about her later work, too. So she never got over the problem. . . she just found a niche market.
In any case, I think that quote is pretty awesome. Way to give it to us straight, Ursula. Don't baby us when you don't have to.
Maybe I should give this quote to my professor. Man him up a little.
See, it's funny, because I guess publishers didn't like her first five novels because they were "remote." Which is kind of what I don't like about her later work, too. So she never got over the problem. . . she just found a niche market.
In any case, I think that quote is pretty awesome. Way to give it to us straight, Ursula. Don't baby us when you don't have to.
Maybe I should give this quote to my professor. Man him up a little.
Friday, October 17, 2008
in which i apologize for not posting in two weeks
But what can I say? Life is busy, and I know you don't want to hear me rant about homework every day.
Does anyone know where I could find out at what point a minority political party becomes, legally, a majority political party? I've heard once one of its candidates gets 5% of the national vote the party is considered a majority party. Which, as far as I can tell, means that it would take part in debates and possibly receive more funding, but not much other than that. It would be decidedly interesting to know for sure, but anything I read on the internet is a little bit suspect.
Also, the onion tart is really quite a success. Make sure to carmelize the onions before you put them in the tart -- I didn't do that quite enough. It was still delicious, but I think it could be even better. Also, it's really more of an onion quiche than an onion tart, per se.
Also, I think I'm learning more about cooking! Because the other day I made up a soup that tasted pretty darn good. It was:
1 bullion cube
1 potato
2 leeks
2 handfuls of green beans
2 bay leaves
sprinkle of thyme
some onion
1 clove of garlic
and enough water to cover all of that. Not a bad way to use up some leftovers. I mean, now I have leftover soup. . . but it's decidedly more appetizing than all those things were individually. And that's the point, right?
OK -- I've got to go to work for a couple of hours before I can call it officially the weekend. But I'm excited. Today's Friday and I'm not even exhausted (might have to do with the fact that instead of studying for my midterm today I slept for 10 hours).
Does anyone know where I could find out at what point a minority political party becomes, legally, a majority political party? I've heard once one of its candidates gets 5% of the national vote the party is considered a majority party. Which, as far as I can tell, means that it would take part in debates and possibly receive more funding, but not much other than that. It would be decidedly interesting to know for sure, but anything I read on the internet is a little bit suspect.
Also, the onion tart is really quite a success. Make sure to carmelize the onions before you put them in the tart -- I didn't do that quite enough. It was still delicious, but I think it could be even better. Also, it's really more of an onion quiche than an onion tart, per se.
Also, I think I'm learning more about cooking! Because the other day I made up a soup that tasted pretty darn good. It was:
1 bullion cube
1 potato
2 leeks
2 handfuls of green beans
2 bay leaves
sprinkle of thyme
some onion
1 clove of garlic
and enough water to cover all of that. Not a bad way to use up some leftovers. I mean, now I have leftover soup. . . but it's decidedly more appetizing than all those things were individually. And that's the point, right?
OK -- I've got to go to work for a couple of hours before I can call it officially the weekend. But I'm excited. Today's Friday and I'm not even exhausted (might have to do with the fact that instead of studying for my midterm today I slept for 10 hours).
Sunday, October 05, 2008
is cooking a healthy response to stress?
Because right now, I'm kind of stressed -- and off the top of my head, there are at least four things that I'd rather cook. I don't want to write my papers. I don't want to read. I want to make cookies, an onion tart (which I think must be as good as french onion soup, but in solid form), butternut squash and carmelized onion gallette, acorn squash with chile-lime vinagrette, and beef, leek and barley soup. And, you know, that's just for a start.
My favorite things lately are squash and soup. So imagine how fun it was to make a squash soup from the More with Less cookbook (go look it up, it really is great tasting). Does anyone have any tips on how to peel a squash though? I kind of didn't, and just threw chunks of squash in there, and then dug the meat out of the rind and threw the rinds away while I ate it.
My least favorite thing ever right now is papers. And homework. And being enrolled in school period. Yep, I've got senioritis so bad it's overcoming my fear of unemployment and when graduation comes I'll bust out of here so fast and so happily I might cause a vacuum in my dorm which will then implode on itself.
Oh, and my other favorite thing is milkweed pods. So cool.
Also, it's fall! Yay! I like it! Oh, and my fall break is this week. So totally awesome I'm happy to have an extra two days off. Even though yes, they will probably involve homework, it will be OK.
My favorite things lately are squash and soup. So imagine how fun it was to make a squash soup from the More with Less cookbook (go look it up, it really is great tasting). Does anyone have any tips on how to peel a squash though? I kind of didn't, and just threw chunks of squash in there, and then dug the meat out of the rind and threw the rinds away while I ate it.
My least favorite thing ever right now is papers. And homework. And being enrolled in school period. Yep, I've got senioritis so bad it's overcoming my fear of unemployment and when graduation comes I'll bust out of here so fast and so happily I might cause a vacuum in my dorm which will then implode on itself.
Oh, and my other favorite thing is milkweed pods. So cool.
Also, it's fall! Yay! I like it! Oh, and my fall break is this week. So totally awesome I'm happy to have an extra two days off. Even though yes, they will probably involve homework, it will be OK.
Friday, October 03, 2008
isn't it annoying how a new browser will constantly ask to remember your passwords?
Other than that, I'm totally lovin' this mac. Oh, baby. Oh, also, I don't have the adobe suite for it yet, but I will shortly. My favorite feature is how it starts up and shuts down in seconds. None of this "I can't check my e-mail in the morning because I only have fifteen minutes and that's as long as it takes to start up."
My project for the weekend is transferring all my files from my old computer to my new computer, with the aid of two USB drives (yes, it's OK to laugh. But I don't know any other way.)
Our dinner tonight was weird but delicious, so I thought I'd pass it on:
Squash and lamb
Take some squash (ours was kind of like an acorn squash but not quite). Cut it in half. Put it in some water in a baking pan and cook it for about an hour on 350.
In the meantime, fry up about a pound of lamb (ignore the fact that you always intended it to be used for kefta -- grilled, middle eastern meatballs with a yogurt dipping sauce). Add 1/3 cup of chopped onion and 1 clove garlic, salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of ground cayenne pepper. And some parsley. We had parsley on hand.
When everything's done, put the lamb in the squash and eat it! Mmmm. . . savory and sweet at the same time. And with a kick because of the cayenne pepper.
It makes enough lamb for three of me, and squash for two of me (I made the qualification "me" instead of "a person" because I know Aaron eats like twice what I eat. So it really depends).
My new ambition in life -- have I told you this before? -- become a food writer! At least if I can't be a professor/in addition to being a professor. So yes. Write about delicious, delicious food. The problem? I'm always so vague if I'm not following a real recipe: "a bit of this" and "some of that" and "about this long" and "I didn't know how to do this, so I did this instead, and it sort of worked." Gotta work on that.
My project for the weekend is transferring all my files from my old computer to my new computer, with the aid of two USB drives (yes, it's OK to laugh. But I don't know any other way.)
Our dinner tonight was weird but delicious, so I thought I'd pass it on:
Squash and lamb
Take some squash (ours was kind of like an acorn squash but not quite). Cut it in half. Put it in some water in a baking pan and cook it for about an hour on 350.
In the meantime, fry up about a pound of lamb (ignore the fact that you always intended it to be used for kefta -- grilled, middle eastern meatballs with a yogurt dipping sauce). Add 1/3 cup of chopped onion and 1 clove garlic, salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of ground cayenne pepper. And some parsley. We had parsley on hand.
When everything's done, put the lamb in the squash and eat it! Mmmm. . . savory and sweet at the same time. And with a kick because of the cayenne pepper.
It makes enough lamb for three of me, and squash for two of me (I made the qualification "me" instead of "a person" because I know Aaron eats like twice what I eat. So it really depends).
My new ambition in life -- have I told you this before? -- become a food writer! At least if I can't be a professor/in addition to being a professor. So yes. Write about delicious, delicious food. The problem? I'm always so vague if I'm not following a real recipe: "a bit of this" and "some of that" and "about this long" and "I didn't know how to do this, so I did this instead, and it sort of worked." Gotta work on that.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
in which i forget what i was going to say, but talk anyway
There was a truly excellent collect the week in church (collect = opening communal prayer, if you're not familiar with an Episcopalian service):
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
See, it's funny because -- well, because my anxiety level could kill a camel. I'm learning and working on it, but it will take me the rest of my life to learn to take work with equanimity.
I also have a great poem for you, by Mary Oliver. I don't like the title much, but the rest of it is great. It reminds me to suck it up and pay attention to the wider world. . . .
The Poet with His Face in his Hands
You want to cry aloud for your
mistakes. But to tell the truth the world
doesn't need any more of that sound.
So if you're going to do it and can't
stop yourself, if your pretty mouth can't
hold it in, at least go by yourself across
the forty fields and the forty dark inclines
of rocks and water to the place where
the falls are flinging out their white sheets
like crazy, and there is a cave behind all that
jubilation and water-fun and you can
stand there, under it, and roar all you
want and nothing will be disturbed; you can
drip with despair all afternoon and still,
on a green branch, its wings just lightly touched
by the passing foil of the water, the thrush,
puffing out its spotted breast, will sing
of the perfect, stone-hard beauty of everything.
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
See, it's funny because -- well, because my anxiety level could kill a camel. I'm learning and working on it, but it will take me the rest of my life to learn to take work with equanimity.
I also have a great poem for you, by Mary Oliver. I don't like the title much, but the rest of it is great. It reminds me to suck it up and pay attention to the wider world. . . .
The Poet with His Face in his Hands
You want to cry aloud for your
mistakes. But to tell the truth the world
doesn't need any more of that sound.
So if you're going to do it and can't
stop yourself, if your pretty mouth can't
hold it in, at least go by yourself across
the forty fields and the forty dark inclines
of rocks and water to the place where
the falls are flinging out their white sheets
like crazy, and there is a cave behind all that
jubilation and water-fun and you can
stand there, under it, and roar all you
want and nothing will be disturbed; you can
drip with despair all afternoon and still,
on a green branch, its wings just lightly touched
by the passing foil of the water, the thrush,
puffing out its spotted breast, will sing
of the perfect, stone-hard beauty of everything.
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