12.29.2006

"Scoop my goddamn litter, NOW."


Since our cat has been neutered, he makes this exact same facial expression. The similarity is uncanny. I'll try to get a picture to compare in the near future.

Paul's changing things around here for me =D It might look strange depending on your browser. It'll be ok.

12.01.2006

Wanna touch my wenis?

I just learned tonight from a co-worker that the skin on your elbow is called your 'wenis.'

That's hysterical in all sorts of ways.

Who knew?! I could have been having fun with that for years.

Also, your wenis seriously lacks sensitivity. Try pinching your wenis as hard as you can. Or have someone else pinch your wenis .. totally no feeling at all!

Wenis. Wenis. Wenis.

11.30.2006

Fall quarter grades!


Got a B in the class that the prof said nobody gets more than a C ...

pretty proud but still want that 4.0 .. this time I got a 3.75 .. so damn close!

11.27.2006

Whoo to the Hoo.


Grades will not *technically* be released until 11/29 .. but some professors enter them early so I always get a sneak peek.

Check out two very important features of this grade report ... I'm now a junior! and for one bright, shining moment, I have a 4.0 GPA. That means in 3 of my classes I got A's. I have no idea which 3 this is .. since I was only expecting A's in 2 classes.

Depending on what I get in the 4th class that hasn't been reported yet ... I could still have a 4.0 for the first time ever! But unfortunately, one of my professors said nobody ever gets above a C in his class. I'm guessing he is the one who hasn't reported yet. In that case I'll be very sad. But we'll see .. 3 A's so far & new junior status .. whoo hoo!

After this quarter I'll have 103 credits, just need 200 to graduate! Gettin' there!

But .. why?


And now introducing a new wave of stupidity, the upside down Christmas tree!

According to Kmart:

"Kids will love this tree as it leaves even more room for presents! The tree is one half of a tree that is in a stand provided and sits up against a wall. It is a not only a great conversation piece, but very practical as well, taking up much less floor space. Much easier to get to packages under the tree or for use in small area. This specialty foliage tree has 450 Clear bulbs and 2137 tips."

I don't know about you, but I'm hatin' it.

11.24.2006

Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.

This is Harvey Pekar. Author of American Splendor comics and graphic novels which focus on Harvey's life as a file clerk living in Cleveland.

I didn't know who he was until this past summer when I read the graphic novel, American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, and watched the adaptation in my film history class this month.

I enjoyed the novel and I loved the movie so much I'd even go as far to say it's one of my favorites now. The reason being, not only was Harvey acted out (by Paul Giamatti), the real Harvey Pekar also appears throughout the movie in bits and pieces.

Harvey isn't what you'd call a happy guy. He once lost his voice for a long time for yelling too much. He stresses out, he worries, he complains, he makes almost no money in his job as a file clerk. He lives in squalor.

However, even though he is a pessimist at heart, you can't help but like the guy.

I probably would never have noticed that until I watched the movie though. I mean, I liked him in the book, but that is just artwork and print ... and while fun to read, hard to get to feel like you know the character.

It's amusing that he calls the comic American Splendor when his life has been anything but splendid. If you get the chance, rent the movie or check out his comics. He tells it like it is, and what he tells is worth hearing.

I ordered The New American Splendor Anthology and it just arrived today =D I look forward to reading it.

11.22.2006

LOL .. my bad!





I heart funny .gifs that repeat over and over.

11.20.2006

Winter Quarter schedule, version 3.0

Like, I said .. visions and revisions ..

Mondays & Wednesdays:

Visualist Studio 1
Art History Survey 2

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Basic Illustration
Math 110

Hopefully this is actually what I'll be taking. Instead of focusing on interactive media I'll be focusing more on design, which I've learned over the two quarters that I enjoy making things for print: ads, logos, page designs, typography, etc. I still need to try to find an internship somehow though .. which is going to be the difficult part. Maybe I can do it during the summer if I don't take any other classes.

One internship would save me 2 semesters worth of visualist studio 2. It would be worth it.

11.18.2006

One of the oldest chestnut trees in Amsterdam =(

This is sad ..

Amsterdam - A giant chestnut tree which Anne Frank gazed upon from her attic hideaway is so diseased it must be felled, Amsterdam council said on Tuesday.

The chestnut stands in a garden backing on to the secret annex where the Jewish teenager and her family hid from the Nazis between 1942 and 1944.

Almost half of the 150- to 170-year-old tree, frequently mentioned in Anne Frank's diary, has rotted, the council said.

Anne Frank began the diary before going into hiding in German-occupied Netherlands and it was published in 1947 by her father Otto Frank.

It has sold more than 30 million copies and been translated into more than 60 languages.

Anne and her family were discovered in August 1944 in the annex of a canal-side warehouse and sent to concentration camps.

Anne and her sister Margot died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen camp in 1945, just weeks before it was liberated.

* * *

I never got to visit the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam except for just walking past it a few times. I would like to make that a point to visit next time I'm there.

11.17.2006

Watch this!



Man, I wish I could draw that way .. on a computer, no less!

I'm less sad about winter quarter now. It's gonna be hard no matter which way I do it I guess .. better just take it as it comes. 20 weeks of intense study compared to a whole lifetime .. better just to suck it up. Nobody said it was gonna be easy.

11.14.2006

My life just became way more bleak in the last 24 hours.

I went to see my *other* adviser today, because I received an email from him saying, "Come see me, I have some forms for you to sign and stuff."

Ok.

I show up, and he proceeds to turn my entire world upside down by telling me I've signed up for the wrong courses, that I HAVE to do a 200 hour internship (usually unpaid!) this summer (13.5 hours a week!), unless I want to be in school for an additional year.

We're talkin' until 2009 here, folks. I nearly bawled right there in his office.

We finally figured out that if I take an extremely mentally exhausting load during winter & spring quarters, it'll save me from this "extra year" that I so SO badly do not want. It could also help me bypass the internship. It's not that I don't *want* to do an internship .. it would actually probably be really great and I would learn a lot .. but how can I possibly work an internship unpaid and my paying job too and take classes at the same time? There aren't even enough hours in the week or enough bottles of headache medicine in the fucking WORLD.

So, without further adieu, my new (horrid) winter quarter schedule:

Monday & Wednesdays:

Visualist Studio I (creating hand-drawn + software generated art)
Art History Survey 2

Tuesdays & Thursdays:

Math 110
Digital Imaging (learning Photoshop w/ my other evil, evil adviser)

He said the drawing class was absolutely unnecessary and I can pick up an art elective at any other time or wait and take one during a semester to get this other stuff out of the way.

So ..

=(

I am so sad. It's gonna be a long, cold winter.

11.12.2006

I've seen Madonna's armpits more than I've seen my own.

Anybody noticed that before?

Anybody else sick of seeing her pits?

Sure, they're smooth and muscular and all ..

but jeez. I've seen them constantly since I was like 10.

20 years worth of Madonna's armpits is a little much.

I gave the issue some thought and went googling for Madonna armpit photos and sure enough, I found like 3 on just the first page alone!

I also found something more than I bargained for .. a picture of Madonna in the nudie with what appeared to be a black cat sitting on her lap.

Then I looked closer and realized .. oh .. that's not a black cat.

Then I threw up a little.

11.11.2006

Awwww.



It is absolutely imperative to look at cute pictures like this, in order to make myself feel a little better after reading insane shit like THIS.

* * *

In other news .. 12,000 fighters to destroy the dirty black house known as the White House huh?

Them Al-Qaeda bitches are some delusional bitches, are they not?

11.09.2006

It's that time of year again!

.. to register for Winter Quarter classes.

So .. here's what I've got so far, which is probably subject to change 5 million times before I finally get it right.

Mon & Wed:

Drawing 1
Art History Survey 2 (my next-to-last art history, YAY!)

Tues & Thurs:

Digital Publishing & Layout
Math 110 (my last math, YAY!)

Before the semester conversion hits this summer I'll be done with my GEP courses .. y'know, the maths, sciences, english-es, philosophies, and all that other random time-and-money wasting bullshit that has absolutely nothing to do with my major.

That's the best thing I've heard all day! In no way do I want to be stuck in a math or science for 16 weeks. I would die.

It will also be my 2nd time taking Digital Publishing & Layout. I enjoyed it the first time around and got a good grade so hopefully this will be good too. I'm not really excited about the math or drawing, but my adviser told me something valuable today, "You only think you are bad at it because you *allow* yourself to be bad at it."

Hmm. Ok, I'll buy that.

My adviser is a pompous jackass and rarely says anything valuable so I'm hoping he's right.

11.07.2006

Amendment 2 in Ohio!

I'm stupid for not posting this earlier .. but there is still time!

If you are reading this and live in Ohio and have not yet voted ... please, go vote and don't forget to vote YES for Amendment 2 which would raise Ohio's minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85 an hour starting Jan 1, 2007!

If every person of legal voting age in Ohio who is stuck making a measly $5.15 an hour for their hard work would vote in favor of this amendment, it would surely pass!

GO VOTE!

The polls are open til 7:30pm!

11.04.2006

Money in your Pocket.



I usually don't post stuff like this .. but this place actually does pay when you reach $30, which doesn't take all that long if you read their emails they send (which takes like, 2 seconds) or complete their surveys, play games, etc.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

10.29.2006

A Streetcar Named Desire.

I chose this movie for a paper I have to write for my American Film History class this quarter. The assignment is to choose a movie released before you were born and write a 6 page paper about how you can tell it was a product from the decade it was made.

I wasn't too thrilled about watching a movie from 1951 since I'm not a fan of older movies (or, I thought I wasn't .. ) I guess I can't really call myself a movie buff if I'm not familiar with films from all decades in general.

And this one is really good! Very talky, but good.

It makes me want to see more classic movies and more Marlon Brando. I had enjoyed him in the Godfather movies and Apocalypse Now but had never seen him in one of his much younger roles.

I also had no idea what a crazy life he had.

"STELLLLAAAAAA!"


*Only 18 more school days then I'm off til January 3rd!*

10.24.2006

Busted!

Some guy is behind bars tonight just because he thought he was slick enough to pass a counterfeit $50 at the restaurant where I work.

People are SO dumb. Now he'll be behind bars for however long for committing a federal offense.

A federal offense just for a few sandwiches and some fries.

What a dumbass!

It seems to be going around town though .. we were warned yesterday of fake money going around. But we outsmarted him with our "super slick ninja skills!," as my manager put it. I don't quite know what that means .. but one employee used the magic pen thingy to tell it was a fake while I ran out the back of the store pretending to take out trash when I was really just getting his license number and my manager was on the phone with the cops. The guy eventually got spooked and drove off, but was picked up somewhere down the road.

Yay for being smart fast food crimefighters!

Not all people who work fast food are stupid, y'know.

10.22.2006

10 things I would miss if they went away.



a) Maybelline Pure Makeup: I've used it, I've thought about switching, I've tried others, and I always go back to this one. Click on the link .. you can get a sample.

b) George Foreman grill: Excellent kitchen necessity; especially handy when cooking for one or short on time.

c) Vaseline Deep Moisture Creamy Lotion: My hands take a chemical beating at work and this stuff makes it ok.

d) Swiffer Wet Jet: I hate to mop! but this makes mopping quick & bearable.

e) Quaker Oatmeal: It's fast, it's easy, it's microwaveable, and it's warm on those cold ass mornings.

f) Degree antiperspirant: Once you go Degree, you never go back. Basically because nothing else works after years using it. Dunno why .. but that's ok. As long as they keep making it, I'll keep from stinking.

g) St. Ives Apricot Scrub: the best face wash/exfoliator ever.

h) Excedrin Tension Headache: I have always used Aleve for everything but one day I didn't have it with me while at work and somebody offered me this. Sounds like a commercial, but I've used it since. My migraines always work up the back of my spine between my shoulder blades and into my neck before they explode in my head. This stuff helps me catch them in time before they explode.

i) John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls: doesn't make hair crunchy like gel but gives the same result.

j) Lip balm: It doesn't *have* to be Burt's Bees .. but that is my favorite. However, if I run out I'll gladly settle for Vaseline or Blistex or Carmex or Soft Lips or Dew Kiss or just whatever is around. I'm a lip balm junkie!

And I now hereby end this consumeristic post.

10.20.2006

Truth Beauty Freedom Love.


Just sharing what is quite possibly one of the best movie scenes ever =)

Christian and Satine in Moulin Rouge!

I saw this movie when I lived in Knoxville .. I remember going to the movies to see it by myself ..

but somehow over the past few years I had forgotten that I loved it. I watched it again yesterday and it all came back .. so much fun! so visually appealing! so romantic! so tragic! it has it all ...

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return."

Hurrah for forgotten favorites!

10.19.2006

Words I can never spell right ..

.. no matter how hard I try, LOL.

1. Diarrhea

2. Cincinnati (I always put 2 T's)

3. License

4. occasion (until like a month ago I always put 2 S's)

5. definitely (usually put definately)

*sigh*

Someday, I'll learn.


*disclaimer* I hate using *LOL* but lately I think it's funny to put it after every sentence ... especially those that aren't funny at all.

10.17.2006

I've gone blue.


Blue .. I like it, do you? I was getting sick of all the maroon.

My hands smell like bleach from work.

Must. Go. Shower. Now. Then finish making flash cards for my art history test on Thursday.

Then .. zzzzzzzzzz.

For fun, go watch this Indian girl skate under 40 cars.

Man, I wish I could do that.

10.14.2006

It's cappuccino, dumbass.

The Sunoco next to where I work has a new pumpkin spice cappuccino!

It sounded good and I really wanted to try one when I first saw the advertisement on the sign ..

until I looked closer and saw it said, in huge black plastic backlit letters, "Try our new pumpkin spice cappacino."

I was turned off completely. Now I must go for the apple cider slush instead.

As a bonus to this reading this less-than-fulfilling entry, go play some games or watch some strange animation. You'll need Quicktime.

*SUNDAY UPDATE*

They fixed the sign! I can now enjoy cappuccino bliss.

A fortune cookie tells me today, "You have a deep appreciation of the arts and music." While true, that isn't really a fortune ...

10.12.2006

Small favors.

Dear stray mama kitty and new baby kittens,

For the trash bags of scraps I *accidentally* leave untied every night at the restaurant so you can have something to eat ... you're welcome =)

Signed,

Me.

10.05.2006

Irwin.

I visited the local museum today and bought myself a little something.

This is Irwin and I think he's fabulous.

He's made of Sculpey and he's the most adorable bud vase I've ever seen. Too bad his colors don't show up well because they are so pretty. Very autumn. And you may not be able to tell but he has a fish hanging from his curly tail. He's so cute!

Now I wanna go buy a bunch of Sculpey and see what I can create.

10.03.2006

Oct 4 is World Animal Day

October 4 is World Animal Day.

There are a million ways you can celebrate.

If you have animals of your own, play with them a little longer today, hug them a little tighter, or give them a special treat or maybe even a new toy.

Visit a zoo .. drop off a donation to your local animal shelter .. or seek out an animal-friendly charity to support.

Feed a stray or maybe even consider adopting a homeless animal ..

Toss around some bird seed, feed some ducks, let the spider you find in a corner back into the wild, or visit your local pet store.

Whatever you do, just do something .. animals are the best and deserve respect .. on this day and everyday!

Make Steve Irwin and Saint Francis proud =D

10.02.2006

Metamorphosis.

Thanks to the expertise and help of Paulie, my character now has normal fingers and a normal lighter with a normal flame.

He's still not done yet! So stay tuned.

I like him so much I think I might draw him in other ways .. make him my own signature character. Give him places to go and things to do other than cave painting.

I think I'll call him Vincent.

I have big dreams for Vincent. I just need to find the time.

10.01.2006

Double double toil and trouble.

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

(it's getting close to halloween. gotta get in the spirit. I don't know why quoting Macbeth reminds me of halloween but whatever. I guess it's the whole witch thing.)

Evidentally schizophrenia makes a person's art more .. interesting and colorful and frightening .. to say the least.

A 20th-century artist, Louis Wain, who was fascinated by cats, painted these pictures over a period of time in which he developed schizophrenia. The pictures mark progressive stages in the illness and exemplify what it does to a person's perception.

9.21.2006

Vision.

I designed this character in Adobe Illustrator this evening.

I want to do something for my art history final in the style of Jamie Hewlett, of Gorillaz fame, so this was my first attempt.

While I'm happy with it so far, he still needs lots of work. That's a lighter in his hand but I'm thinking he needs a candle, and better hands than your standard South Park hands. Those are too easy.

This isn't the setting he will be in when I'm done .. I'm turning him into a modern-day cave painter .. which is why he's holding a lighter, he will be illuminating the walls of a cave full of his graffiti when it's finished. The final version will be printed large and mounted on something sturdy. Click on the image if you want to see it a little bit bigger.

I'm proud of his hair and hoodie so far, but I think both could use more ... something? I'll also need to fix the fact that his head appears to be floating and the lighter is way too high up in his hand. Also, the flame doesn't look at all like flame but more like his lighter has exploded.

So anyway, there's a sneak peak.

9.19.2006

Media Whores.

I was 8 minutes late to class today because my $5.50 per hour job of sending out press releases for events at the university is so much more important than my education that I'm annually paying thousands for, apparently.

This press release was about a pickpocket magician coming to entertain for the university's 20th anniversary celebration.

Great. That's something people are going to remember in 10 years.

I refuse to ever be late like that again.

9.17.2006

Sucks to be the Pope.


How many fucking times does the poor guy have to apologize? How many nuns have be murdered because of it? Ok, only one so far and they aren't sure if there is a connection yet, but still.

His apologies have been the 'latest headline' in my Firefox news now for the past 2 days.

The Pope said he was sorry now like 5 thousand times. Get over it.

I'm starting to think Muslims will use just about any old reason to be pissed off just so they have some "excuse" to riot and cut people's heads off and burn shit and whatever else they can do that's destructive and threatens terror. They are pissed off by cartoons, the Pope, talking bad about camels, insulting their getting personal with sheep, and even swirly ice cream cones from Burger King. I'm not kidding. Go to google and search for "Muslims offended by". You'll be surprised at the long list of bullshit you will find.

*newsflash* It's not all about you, Muhammed and nobody likes you.

Call me crass and intolerant if you wish, but I'm neither. I'm just not afraid to speak up about stupid people and retarded religions.

If you don't hear from me soon, send out an all points bulletin. You never know. I mean I did post a cartoon and talk shit about Muslims and all, for which I will never apologize.

9.14.2006

Pop-Art Us.

us


Look at what Paulie did. Neat huh? That's us! =D

If you could see it close up at full-size, you'd see how grainy & cool it looks.

I only wish my teeth were that white.

9.12.2006

9.09.2006

Paul R. Nimbley. WTC 9/11.







When I decided to participate in the internet-wide 2,996 tribute, I was assigned to honor Paul R. Nimbley.

The name immediately rang special to me for many reasons. I didn't know him, had never met him, I only knew he died an untimely death in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.

While I can clearly remember what happened that day and how it made me feel, I cannot say that I knew anyone personally who was involved. At the time, I worked for a company in Knoxville, TN that had several upper management employees at the World Trade Center that day who were participating in trainings. I didn't know them personally. I wasn't someone who had heard the news and was waiting to hear what happened to a loved one or a friend. I consider myself fortunate, and to this day I grieve with those who fit that profile.

But that aside, I'm here to honor Paul Nimbley.

A photo is what I first gathered, and thanks to google images I found it right away. From what I can tell from just a photo, he looks like a good, happy man. Healthy, strong, loved in return, probably enjoying life. By doing a little research, I learned I was right.

Paul, 42, who hailed from Middletown, New Jersey, was vice president and 20 year veteran of Cantor Fitzgerald, where he was dubbed "Prince of Cantor Fitzgerald" because of his easygoing personality, according to his wife, Isabel Nimbley.

His four daughters and 8-month-old son probably thought of him more than a prince but a king of their household. From what I gather, he made their lives very special. I'll talk more on that later.

His daughter Jessica wrote:

"daddy--- i miss you so much-- i wish you could come back nothing is the same there isnt a day i dont think of you<3"

Another daughter, Michele, wrote:

"Hi, I'm one out of the two daughters of Paul. i loved my father very much and i want to thank everyone that supported me and my family through everything thats happned. My name is Michele and i just wanted to say that my father was the best thing that ever happened to me. If my father was here right now i know that he would be taking care of me just like how my aunt and grandmother is. If anyone from my family reads this let me tell you this my dad would be so happy that you are talking care of me and my sister. Dad if you can see this I'm just leting you know tha i love you and i miss you very much and that i wish you were here. i will never forget my dad!
Michele."

According to his wife, he took pride on never letting the status he had achieved in life as vice president of administration for the Wall Street securities firm go to his head. "'I'm a simple man,' he used to say," said Isabel Nimbley, his wife. "Although he was a boss, his employees could come into his office and sit and talk to him. He was never too big to take time."

Paul was working on the 100th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower when a commercial jetliner hijacked by terrorists struck the building on 9/11.

Mr. Nimbley's cousin, John Monahan, 47, an operations supervisor for Cantor Fitzgerald, also lost his life in the attack.

Paul loved to golf and was a founder of the Blue Chips Invitational golf tournament in Middletown.

His greatest love, according to Isabel, was coaching girls basketball and spending time with his daughters.

"He had a very demanding job, but he would always make time for the girls," said his wife.

He did something very special for them, something they will always remember. As coach of the Middletown girls basketball team, Paul was the one who encouraged the girls to practice their basketball skills.

"He was the coach who could always get the girls to do what he wanted," Isabel Nimbley said.

In June, just before Father's Day, Paul and several other coaches arranged for 23 of the girls to attend a WNBA game at Madison Square Garden and play a scrimmage before the basketball game on the Garden's famed hardwood floor. Twelve of the girls, randomly selected by Mr. Nimbley, also stood on the court for the singing of the national anthem and received an official WNBA ball from a New York Liberty player. "I'm going to do whatever my daughters enjoy because I love spending time with them," Paul was quoted as saying in a Star-Ledger story that ran on Father's Day, June 17.

In addition to Isabel, Paul is survived by five children: two stepdaughters, Aisah Anderson, 15, and Angel Anderson, 8; two daughters, Jessica Nimbley, 13, and Michele Nimbley, 9; and an 8-month-old son, Michael Nimbley; his mother, Jean Kearny Nimbley of Middletown; a brother, Robert Nimbley of Jersey City; and three sisters, Patricia Nimbley of Bayonne, Margaret Gooden of Belleville, and Jean Corio of Middletown.

This is the information I've gathered. Now for my own personal story.

I will never have the chance to meet Paul. Or Isabel, or his extended family who cared so much about him.

I know only a tiny fraction about his life. Where I highlight a few events of what I could research, there are many, many other special moments, talents, and stories from those who knew him that I will never get to hear.

I have a special Paul in my life too, which is one reason his name was so special to me when I signed up for this tribute. And while I've never lost anyone so tragically as the way those lost them on 9/11, I have felt the pain of someone being there one moment, and being gone the next .. so very suddenly that you didn't have the chance to say good-bye, and you hold on with all you have to those last words and moments you did share with them, just hoping they knew, when they died, how much you loved and cared for them, and what an impact they made on your life.

So this day, I honor Mr. Paul R. Nimbley.

A week ago, I went to the theater and saw the World Trade Center movie. I must admit, before going in I was expecting more. I was expecting horrifying visions, action, the whole Hollywood effect.

It wasn't that at all.

What I did see was something real. The initial shock of not knowing what happened. One plane hit a tower? It must've been an accident.

A second plane? This can't be real.

A third plane? The Pentagon? I cannot believe my eyes.

Terrorists? Are you sure? On American soil?

This cannot be happening.

People are trapped? Thousands are missing? I can't understand how this could happen.

Hours later, the confirmations came. It was definitely real, and America was about to forever change.

Eventually I had to turn off the television, because I couldn't bear to see the images over and over the way the media splashes them minute by minute when something terrible happens. I felt afraid. Who was next? I lived near a nuclear plant in Oak Ridge, TN. Rumors were spreading quickly around town how easy of a target that would be.

I couldn't fathom how that many people could be affected so horribly all in the same day, same hour, same minute.

My work was cancelled for 2 days, and I wanted to go there and help even though I didn't know how I could help. I just wanted to do something, anything.

I know there were many people who wanted to just do something and couldn't.

Everything was at a standstill.

And in a way, everything still is.

I hope that those who have lost someone dear can gain closure, but I understand if closure would be nowhere in sight.

What happened was an atrocity.

Paul R. Nimbley was only going to work that day, as every other day. He had plans. He had dreams. He had people waiting for him to come home.

I hope those people can rejoice in the fact that his life spent here was worthwhile. He loved, he was loved in return, he was a good person, and that is all that matters.

This is my tribute to Paul R. Nimbley. You are sadly missed, and may you rest in peace. You are a person I would have liked to have known.

If you are a family member or a friend of Paul Nimbley and are reading my tribute and wish to contact me, please email purepixel (at) gmail (dot) com. I would love to hear from you and know more about him.

* * *

My research information came from this site, Wall of Americans, and this site, September 11th Victims, and I wish to give credit to both.

9.07.2006

May you live in interesting times.

It's funny to see how tense freshmen can be on the first day of classes. And funny to see at the end of the quarter how they sometimes change.

The professors at my school are about to go on strike if they cannot get better pay/health benefits.

The moon was full last night and made my bedroom brighter when I turned off the lights to sleep. I've lived here for 6 months but never noticed that before.

My art history professor has the song "Lady Marmalade" as his ringtone ... he's nearly 60 years old and a grandpa so that makes the whole thing funny, since it's the version with Pink/Maya/Lil Kim/Christina Aguilera.

I'm about to begin my art history project early this time because last time I waited too long. I'm thinking something BIG, digitally rendered and maybe even divided up on large panels. I have a few ideas .. just have to put them to work in Photoshop.

I'm currently reading "In Country" by Bobbi Ann Mason and it's very good. I highly recommend. Click on the image to read more about it or buy it for cheap. I hope I can finish it before the quarter gets too crazy. The author will be signing books at the local library sometime in the fall. Maybe I'll go and have my book signed too.

The phrase 'may you live in interesting times' is believed by some to be a curse.

That's all for now.

9.05.2006

Mourning.

Not just people are paying their respects to Steve Irwin,


animals are too.

photos compliments of BBCNews.

9.04.2006

I'm so sad.


February 22, 1962 - September 4, 2006

9.01.2006

My dogs quit barking about 7 hours ago because they died.

I can't even begin to tell you what my feet feel like after working an 10.5 hour day.

On a Friday.

On the first of the month.

My feet are pretty worthless at the moment.

And I have to do it all again tomorrow =( er.. today, since it's after midnight.

I'm guessing by the end of tomorrow's shift, I will just drive on down to the ER and let them amputate.

I need some cheese to go with my whine.

8.30.2006

Huh.

Britney Spears has confirmed she's pregnant with her 3rd child but she hasn't even had the 2nd one yet.

8.29.2006

If I could save time in a bottle.

I was gonna post my 5 favorite actresses. That's not gonna happen. Primarily because I'm busy, and I can't think of 5 that I even like. Uma Thurman is good, Penelope Cruz is good in a few movies .. but that's about as far as I get. There's some I *like* ... like, say Kirsten Dunst or Drew Barrymore, but I wouldn't go so far to say they are my favorite.

Anyway.

I had to buy 9 books for fall quarter! Only 4 have yet to arrive. I hope the others hurry because the quarter is coming soon. I would have needed 11 books but luckily two cool people let me borrow ones they had already bought and used in the past. I appreciate that.

It's scary to think about how much reading will be involved with 11 textbooks. But I guess since I'm just 3 credits away from being a junior, that doesn't mean my classes will be getting easier, huh?

It's scary to think about fall quarter at all. I'm taking 16 credit hours and they are all textbook-based classes (no major art projects or computer work, which is *sometimes* a nice escape from reading.) I'm still the editor of the English & Humanities newsletter and the bosses are already riding my ass about a target date deadline for fall (we haven't even finished the summer issue yet.) I'm still the news writer in the communications office for 15 hours a week, and I work another night/weekend job 30+ hours a week. There will be some days where I'll leave early in the morning and won't get home until after 11pm, starting as soon as next week =(

*sigh* If you do the math, that's like working 2 full time jobs. It's 61+ hours per week of working at my jobs and sitting in classrooms. That's not counting study time, sleep time, Paulie time, family time, lunchtime, dinner time, and just plain old ME time.

I have way too many irons in the fire. Something's gotta give.

I might continue on with the top 5 thing later, if I have time. Haha. Stay tuned.

8.27.2006

It's gonna be a top 5 week.

.. you know that I really love movies. If you've been paying *really* close attention, you even know my favorites or could probably pretty well guess which ones I like.

Anyway, I thought I'd take this week and make it a top 5 week. I'll kick it off with showing my top 5 favorite actors.

So, without further adieux, here are my top 5 favorite actors, in no particular order. They don't really need an introduction .. but just in case you're uninformed or live under some sort of movie-avoiding-rock, it's Christoper Walken, Nicholas Cage, Steve Buscemi, John Travolta, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Three of them appear together in my all-time favorite movie, can you guess it? If you've been paying attention, you should already know.

All 5 (plus the honorable mention) should run for President in 2008. I would totally vote for them. ANY of them. However, it's Walken who is rumored to run in the next election. Fine by me! =D The world would probably be a much better place if he were in charge.

Tomorrow, I'll (try to) tackle favorite actresses, if I have time.







Honorable mention: Al Pacino.

Feel free to participate in your own top 5 week.

8.25.2006

8.24.2006

My WordCloud.


Get your own WordCloud here.

8.22.2006

I just had a magnificent experience ..

.. in the shower! with a shampoo!

This is by far the BEST stuff I've ever used!

I loooooooove it.

I just decided to try it tonight so I bought a bottle of it and the matching conditioner. As you can see, they come in cute, funky, curvy purple bottles with captions on the back that say things like:

Use Me: Massage my creaminess in. Feel it hug your curves. Rinse out. Got spring fever yet?

and on the front label:

I'm deliciously bent, and your hair is too.

It even has silly but interesting trivia on the label!

Way more exhilirating than your drab, "Lather. Rinse. Repeat."

Anyway, it's SO nice .. and the french lavender and jade extracts make your hair smell SO good.

And it comes in a whole array of different types, and they all come in really cute, colorful bottles and have quirky names, like Drama Clean, None of Your Frizziness, and Hello Hydration.

Now I know why that girl on the commercials screams, "YES! YESSSSS! YESSSSSSSSSS!"

=D

* * *

On a completely different note, I'm done with summer quarter. *sigh* I'm SO glad. It was a rough quarter and I only took 2 classes!

What was really cool today is I was walking out of my art history final and I heard my favorite-ever professor tell some students who were still sitting in the room, "Isn't she just so nice? I just love her!"

I was happy =) and it was a great thing to hear after a rough week.

He also gave me this neat little French vintage art magnet, for no reason at all. Just handed it to me and said, "Here, I brought this for you." He's always full of surprises. Another day he gave us all rain ponchos, and he gave a another girl in the class a funky necklace he found at a flea market.

I asked him just before my accident (the day I took my nasty spill down the stairs) if he would mind adopting me because I needed some Grandpa Guidance (because he was telling a story about his granddaughter) .. and his face lit up and he said, "SURE!" Then shortly after I fell, as he gave me his first-aid kit, he said, "I realize I just adopted you, but I have not had time to put you on my insurance yet. Sorry." haha =D

This was a junior-level art history and we sat around talking a lot, one day we had cake, another day we made stamps out of potatoes, and we went on a scavenger hunt. Most professors would die if they were to ever do anything fun like that.

In a town where the Skank Factor is so thick you can smell it, it's nice when there are still a select few who can just tickle your heart and make learning fun.

8.20.2006

Sculpey!

If you ever have to sculpt something for any reason, forget regular clay or Play-Dough. Use this polymer clay called Sculpey, which you can buy at just about any hobby shop or art supply store. It's great.

You just sculpt whatever you want and then bake it right in your oven til it's ready.

You can mix glitter in it, paint it after it hardens, detail it with toothpicks or paperclips, whatever. It's really cool!

It's also a nice workout for the hands to knead it into whatever shape you want.

I made several items for my art history final project: a flower, a butterfly stamp and a pair of hugging Buddhas.

At around $2 a pack it comes in a whole array of colors so the possibilites for cool creations are endless. The instructions even say you'll wake up in the middle of the night with ideas and want to sculpt right then but I'm not sure I agree with that. However, I guarantee I'll use it again for future art projects and maybe even just because.

8.18.2006

Help me tie up the ends of a dream.

Let's get something straight right now. I HATE country music. Bad country music, that is.

Although rap and hip-hop are my favorites, you can give me Willie, Waylon, and Johnny any day and I'll be happy..

However, there some exceptions to this rule.

I work with some people who love country music and listen to it while we're working and this song is growing on me. It isn't enough to read the lyrics though, so go listen to it and even watch the video ... which is especially heart-rending in a happy way.

Would you go with me if we rolled down streets of fire
Would you hold on to me tighter as the summer sun got higher
If we roll from town to town and never shut it down

Would you go with me if we were lost in fields of clover
Would we walk even closer until the trip was over
And would it be okay if I didn't know the way

If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Let me know if you're really a dream
I love you so, so would you go with me

Would you go with me if we rode the clouds together
Could you not look down forever
If you were lighter than a feather
Oh, and if I set you free, would you go with me

If I gave you my hand would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Help me tie up the ends of a dream
I gotta know, would you go with me
I love you so, so would you go with me

-Josh Turner

8.13.2006

I've seen Suri Cruise too.

Here she is! Unlike Penelope Cruz and Jada Pinkett Smith, I remembered my camera for the event.

Cruz & Smith are both obviously liars, because Suri is not the most beautiful baby ever.

This is what you look like when your parent is a freaky-deaky scientologist who keeps you hidden from sunlight since you were born. Just look at those pupils. Geesh. Poor kid.

So sorry, Suri.

8.11.2006

Stray kitty.

This is the stray kitty I've been feeding for about a week.

Today I let him (or her, haven't figured that out yet) inside for a little while.

and he walked on my keyboard and typed things to Paulie on msn like:
Stef says:
pp0-------------------------------------------------------------------------========edsss45reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd

xfccccs````````````````````````````````````fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
fffffffffffffffffffffff
fffffff

8.10.2006

My thoughts on Paris Hilton.

I think she's a nasty, disgusting, diseased whore with 0% talent and needs to be stopped ... needs to never sing again, and needs to get that lazy eye fixed so she can pose more than one way in her pictures and not that retarded tilted-head-tucked-chin-from-the-side drugged up stare she gives EVERY camera that points her way. Or better yet, she could just die so we don't have to see her again at all.

If I hear her song on the radio one more time I'm going to shoot my radio or a disc jockey one.

I'd take that yodeling bitch Shakira's song over her anyday.

That is all.

8.09.2006

Why bother ..

because there is nothing happy on this list anymore.

I really can't remember the last time news headlines were happy.

Were they ever? Are they meant to be? It seemed like maybe they were when I was little ..

but maybe I just didn't know what the fuck was going on and they were just as bad then as they are now.

My earliest memory was when gasoline was 96 cents a gallon and my Papaw would tell me, on our trip to the grocery store, "Gas is going up another three pennies tomorrow .. " I didn't know what that meant when I was 5, but I do now. I know all too well. The only difference is, the pennies turned into dollars too quickly ..

Interesting times.

Why don't Catholics kill Christians? My philosophy professor raised that question in class Tuesday night and I had never thought of it that way, but .. yeah .. why don't they? Can you imagine what our lives would be like if they did? Why can some religions co-exist and some just can't? My professor had no answer for this. I have no answer for this.

Does anyone have an answer for this?

I'm guessing no.

My philosophy class is showing me where I stand on some very important issues .. ones that I didn't know where I stood before.

It's always wrong to put your hands on another person in a violent way, no matter who you are, who they are, and what information they may have that you might need.

There are peaceful resolutions to everything .. and that isn't absurd, and it isn't out of reach, and it isn't a tree-hugging liberal view of the world. Everyone on this planet is born with the desire to achieve happiness. Happiness cannot be achieved through fighting and violence.

The problem is, everyone has a different view of what happiness is. Some views are wholesome and healthy, some are askew, and some are downright insane.

I feed a homeless cat everyday while I wish I could feed millions of homeless animals.

If it weren't for my landlords saying "no pets," I would probably already have 2 or 3 sleeping on my pillow with me at night that I just couldn't help rescue from the mean streets.

I know deep down I can't carry the weight of the world on my shoulders .. I can't save the world.

But I can do the little things .. every day.

Everyone can do the little things.

It doesn't hurt to wish for it all to get better.

8.07.2006

Phi Eta Sigma.

I got a letter from my university saying I was eligible to join Phi Eta Sigma, the national honor society for college students.

The induction ceremony will be in April of next year.

Paulie and I thought it was kinda funny to call it "Phi Eta Smegma."

It was all fun and games until we actually googled 'smegma' to see what it really was.

*PUKE*

We had a general idea, but now that we've seen it in the flesh (no pun intended) ..

no more Phi Eta Smegma jokes.

8.06.2006

Jackpot!


I found a whole arsenal of chamomile tea in my kitchen cabinet tonight .. I guess I had put it there once and forgot all about it.

I see better sleep in my future!

My bruises are nearly solid black now and I'm not limping anymore ... and no more crawling up and sliding down the stairs.

My toe, however, is all sorts of disgusting and still very sore. I managed to get the polish off so now I can see the damage and it sucks. I'll spare the gory details but I'm guessing the nail will either quit growing completely or fall off.

I would photograph but I don't want to make anyone sick.

Do you love my new header for my blog?

Wonderful Paulie made it for me, andI love it! There's Tokyo in the background .. doesn't that look like a cool place to be? =D

Absolutely nothing.

War.

Like the old song says, what is it good for?

Absolutely nothing, indeed.

I ran across this website full of photos of what's really going on in Lebanon.

Do NOT go to that site if you cannot handle it. It's not for the weak.

I don't have tv, so I don't know if this is what they are showing on the news or not. Dead babies? The bodies of civilians ripped to shreds? Let's not even get started on the animal suffering, which hurts my heart to no end.

I interviewed a professor this week who has just returned from a month long trip to Lebanon (where years ago he attended college), and he met with officials to discuss the happenings. He's Armenian and very opposed to what is going on. On Tuesday evening at 7pm he's going to give a lecture on campus as to what's actually happening so that people can understand it all in layman's terms. I would love to attend but I have class that evening unfortunately, a class I cannot afford to miss.

I may not understand all that's going on, but I do know deep down that it is wrong.

No matter what religion, what creed, what walk of life you might be from, it's WRONG.

I want to know what world leaders would put their own children or families in this type of situation. The Bush twins? I think not. Tony Blair's spawn? I'm sure he wouldn't approve of that.

When the only countries approving of this atrocity are Israel, England, and the United States, that is very frightening.

I spoke to my Philosophy professor about this and he gave the analogy, "Can you imagine if Canada suddenly had these weapons set up and attacked us with this type of force? What would we do? *Could* that ever happen?" He said it couldn't, but what if it did?

What if someday, everyone became such enemies as this?

I want this to end.

I don't care if you are protozoa or have climbed your way to the top of the food chain.

This isn't the way living beings should treat each other.

This isn't what life is about.

8.04.2006

I hurt all over.

I have a whole new kind of respect for disabled people.

Last night I couldn't climb my own stairs or even bend to sit down and soak in my bathtub.

I sat and slid one by one down the stairs (which I'm sure looked so stupid, but luckily nobody saw), and then crawled back up them.

Tonight I limped around all night at work and found my knee buckling a lot.

I'm going to try really hard to sit in the tub tonight so I can soak in some epsom salt.

My bruises have gone from purple to almost black, so at least I guess they are healing.

But my toe .. holy shit, it hurts so bad!

I can't stand to hardly think about it for very long let alone look at it or touch it. It's going to be a few days before I can deal with it properly I think.

*UPDATE*

Ahhh. I made it into the bath. Epsom salt is heaven! That stuff works gooooooood.

8.03.2006

Because I can.

Feel free to copy and use on your own blog. People love reading this kind of stuff .. why? I dunno.

1. What time did you really get up this morning? Alarm was set for 7 but I didn't get up til 9 a.m.

2. Diamonds or pearls? Neither. I'm not big into jewelry unless it's the stuff from like Claire's or something. I lose things too easily.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Ice Age 2

4. What is your favorite T.V. show? Hell's Kitchen and Prison Break

5. What did you have for breakfast? a few spoonfuls of yogurt, a swig of milk, and a piece of string cheese. I was too rushed to have cereal, my usual.

6.What is your middle name? Renee.

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Middle Eastern (falafel), Chinese, or Mexican. Actually, I never really met a cuisine I didn't like.

8. What foods do you dislike? I'm not into red meat.

9. What is your favorite Potato chip? Salt & Vinegar.

10. What is your favorite tape/DVD at the moment? At the moment, Walk the Line. Of all time, Pulp Fiction.

11. What kind of car do you drive? 2000 Chevrolet Metro.

12. What is your favorite sandwich? Veggie Delite from Subway.

13. What characteristics do you despise? Intolerance, lying, stupidity.

14. Favorite item of clothing? Anything comfy .. tshirts, yoga pants, boxer shorts ..

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you be ? I can only pick one? hmmm, Tokyo.

16. What color is your bathroom? Hmm, it doesn't really have its own color yet. I intend to work on that later.

17. Favorite brand of clothing? I'm not really brand-conscious ..

18. Where would you want to retire to? Costa Rica.

19. Favorite time of day? I'm a night person.

20. Where were you born? Augusta, GA.

21. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball, or football with Paulie, or as we call it "soccer."

22. Who do you least expect to send this back? This isn't by email, but feel free to use it anyway. I don't care.

23. Person you expect to send it back first? See answer to #22.

24. What type of detergent do you use? Purex.

25. Coke or Pepsi? Coke.

26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Night owl.

27. What size shoe do you wear? 9.5

28. Do you have pets? Not right now.

29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everybody? Hmm, I fell and busted my ass yesterday and I have the biggest bruise ever on my upper right thigh. It's like softball sized. It hurts.

30. What did you want to be when you were little? A majorette. Yeah, I had big dreams.

31. Favorite Candy Bar? Don't really have one ..

32. What's your best childhood memory? hmm. My Papaw.

33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? jesus, where shall we start. I think I published a post about it here if you really want to know.

34. What color underwear are you wearing? Orange. But don't worry, it's a nice shade, not a oh-my-god-how-ugly shade.

35. Nicknames: Stef, moopie, poopie, booey, baby, sweetie (those are only from Paulie =D)

36. Piercing? Ears.

37. Eye color? Blue.

38. Ever been to Africa? Not yet.

39. Ever been toilet papered? Hellz no.

40. Ever Loved someone so much it made you cry? Sure.

41. Been in a car accident? I have.

42. Croutons or bacon bits? Both.

43. Favorite day of the week? Any day where I can sleep in.

44. Favorite restaurant? Depends on where I am .. Applebee's, Blue Danube, the falafel stands in Amsterdam, anything Chinese .. etc.

45. Favorite flower? Sunflowers.

46. Favorite ice cream? Vanilla.

47. Disney or Warner Brothers? I don't really care .. Disney I guess.

48. Favorite fast food restaurant? Subway if I'm being good, KFC if I'm being bad.

49. What color is your bedroom carpet? it's sort of a brown, cream, tan mix.

50. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Almost once, but I started to tear up so the officer gave me one more chance.

51. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail? My Dad.

52. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I don't have a credit card, and I could never choose just one store. Steve & Barry's, Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, amazon.com, McKay's Used Books in Knoxville .. god, the list could go on and on.

53. What do you do most often when you are bored? Sleep, surf the internet, whatever. I don't really have much time to be bored.

55. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? I'm not curious.

56. Last person you went to dinner with? the people that I work with, we went to Bob Evans.

57. Ford or Chevy? Chevy.

58. What are you listening to right now? Paulie =D

59. What person have you learned the most about life from? Myself.

8.02.2006

Nice.



I think this is my best score yet on Bookworm.

My bruises must be getting better.