Good Morning, Romeo
So if you haven’t heard, I’m “stuck” in Romeo, Michigan for the time being. I only say that I’m stuck here, because I planned on being in Toronto, Monday morning, working on a 3D animated commercial. However, the border agent had a different idea of where I should be. So, with no change of clothing and no razor, I had to turn away from Windsor and head back into Detroit. A few days later and I’m now staying with my sister in downtown Romeo.
My sister lives in a house that is about 150 years old, surrounded by houses that are about the same age, if not older. Apparently she received 1,500 trick-or-treaters last year, as the street next to hers has a crazy setup for Halloween.
The last few mornings have been rough, as I developed a nasty case of asthma after staying at my mom’s place for that first night. Don’t get the wrong idea, my mom’s place is clean… it’s just that there’s something about those animals that panics my lungs. Luckily, I’m nearly back to 100% breathing capacity and the mornings are getting earlier. Last night I set my intention to greet the morning sun, and here I am at 5:30am, doing just that. Works better than an alarm clock, I tell ya.
Ok, now time for a walk. Maybe I’ll encounter another applicable message like the one below, which I discovered on yesterday’s stroll through the neighborhood. For now, this is where I be and I will make the most of it… though my branches are still reaching back to Toronto.
Superman vs Hulk
I just gotta respect the crazy amount of work that goes into these one-man projects. Some moments look great, others still need quite a bit of work, but considering the length of level of detail of these clips, I’m letting it slide. Plus, how else are you going to see this DC character battle the Marvel bad-ass? Michael Habjan has more of his work on Youtube.
They meet.
They fight.
…and fight some more.
Weekly Digest – 2012-05-14
- Jon Burgerman has some art in the back @magicpony on Queen. "Fun" is the magic word. #toronto http://t.co/8t05fwT1 #
Weekly Digest – 2012-05-07
- “@brainpicker To take your breath away – 5 fine art photographers capture animals like you've never seen them before http://t.co/hCdVVcDY” #
- Most "problems" are actually "symptoms". It's easier to practice prevention than it is to find a cure. #
- Toronto director's "Unstoppable" ad for the Paralypics. http://t.co/INOepvTF #
- Machanical waves sculptures by Reuben Margolin help me redefine "Technical Artist". #TED http://t.co/LITbBJCL #
- Pixar's been great about sharing tech. As proof, here's a complete list of their whitepapers.: [via Tyler Von Muehlen] http://t.co/8vivqvgx #
- Nostalgia via LEGO patent drawing circa 1958 http://t.co/jlO7XBX8 #
- Travel routes weaving our footprint on the globe. #map #infographic http://t.co/Wia5JmlH #
- Morning tribal psychedelic heartbeats providing tempo for portfolio building. #music http://t.co/kk9ry3Yq #
Weekly Digest – 2012-04-30
- The Kevin Smith of design. Loving Draplin's "Tall Tales From A Large Man" talk. Detroit Whah? [thx Zak Koski] http://t.co/TX14hwky #
- Monty Python's John Cleese on how to switch modes to become more focused or more creative. http://t.co/Uu8rZXC4 #
- Game developer employee manual describes a flat corporate structure w/ almost no management. Love U Valve. http://t.co/WQO8LwA0 #
Resume Rebuild
Realizing that this resume template that I’ve been using for over a decade now is a bit out of date, I’m rebuilding it from scratch using responsive design techniques.
Almost completed with the base content and design. Just started the creation of the icons.
The Passion Declaration – 10 Years Later
Inspired by this talk by Ken Robinson (thx Mo), I looked back to a forum post I made a few years back, where I made my public declaration to follow my passion. I’ve copied/pasted my original forum post at the end of this article, unedited (though corrected distracting spelling mistakes). I apologize to my father, for being harsh… but that’s how I felt, at the time. Although I think that my desire to win my father’s approval gave me quite a bit of fuel.
Around the time I created the following post, I drew this sketch, at my desk, while working at K-Mart headquarters. I was just doodling, passing time, not really realizing what I was doing till I was finished. In the image, I saw myself, adding all these technical robotic components to my body, trying to fit into the machine… including a more uncomfortable version of the classic Wedlock collar. I sketched a door in my chest, to access my heart, with “Close when done.” written on the inside panel. Trying to conform, but couldn’t, and the other machines didn’t even want me around.
Two years later, the sketch acted as the foundation for my first large 3D animation project. This indie project became my first 3D demo reel (2004), which landed me my first job at an animation studio in Vancouver.
8 years working in IT in Michigan, plus another 8 years working in film, TV and video games in Vancouver… and now what? That’s another story entirely, that’s in the middle of unfolding.
Ok… so here’s the post that I made 10 years ago. As it turns out, it was 10 years ago, this month (April 3rd, 2002 – to be exact)!!
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posted 04-03-2002 07:27 AM #1
New Job…. New Career…. New Life *first post*
I’ve seen quite a few threads like the one I’m about to create, but I never had the motivation to create my own, and share my thoughts and feeling about something that means so much to me. This will be a pretty long one, as it requires a little background, so bare with me.
Weekly Digest – 2012-04-23
- Wall Digital LED Clock #want – http://t.co/mLfEbyWN #
- Online archive of old maps, includes Detroit, Vancouver, Toronto, etc. [via Mo Bot] http://t.co/tp6zbsPC #
- $75 and I can own a mini version of Theo Jansen's wind powered beasts? How did this slip by? #video http://t.co/fBr9zcRX #
- Sidewalks, escilators, wind tunnels and computer simulations in this article on the psychology of foot traffic. http://t.co/4u8Hr3mT #
- Modular Machine Marble Madness by Theo Jansen. http://t.co/Mf6tnC77 #
- Data overload can be debilitating, but overcome with data visualization. [thx Dave Z.] http://t.co/I6Wn1Eyw #
You’ll Know When It’s Time To Break
Clearing up loose ends before May begins. April is a major transition period which hopefully ends soon. Standing at my computer all day has become a bit tiresome for my arm and shoulders, but luckily a visitor snuck in the window to remind me to take a break.
“Trouble” demonstrates how actions speak louder than words (and luckily I don’t appear to be allergic to this big guy).
Speaking of “words”, has anyone ever spoke to a porcupine? Do they really sound like this?
Zen Typing with OmmWriter
Had to type a fairly emotional yet technically accurate email today (not a regular occurrence, luckily), so I used an open source alternative to OmmWriter called FocusWriter. There’s also a closer clone called Catlooking Writer. The only feature that the open source alternatives are lacking is the chromotherapy option.
