Christmas Part 2

Frochliche Weinachten!

Joyeux Noel!

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Kwanzaa!

Feliz Navidad!

Happy Festivus!

- written on a flip chart at a meeting on wednesday

As we approach the hallowed holiday that marks the second coming of the twin gay baby jesuses... oh wait, nevermind... that's not the Dec. 25th one.

OK, how about a little tale of Christmas Then and Now. It's tonnes of fun for the whole family! and it proves to be a good way to remember and consider the holiday season.

Then: So excited for gifts christmas morning that we're up at 6am

Now: Tied one on with my sisters xmas eve so lets shoot for 9:30 - 10am

Then: "Oh god, another book"

Now: "Hooray! another book!"

Then: Giving is better than receiving - a lie

Now: Giving is better than receiving - the truth

Then: Turkey Dinner - delicious

Now: Turkey Dinner - delicious

and finally...

Christmas Part 1

Christmas is coming

The goose is getting fat

Please put a loonie in the old man's hat

If you haven't got a loonie a cigarette will do

If you haven't got a cigarette then oh fuck you!

-traditional hymn

Hmmm... what to say about Christmas.

Well we got a tree from a u-cut tree farm which was fun. It is a good size and I got to use my chainsaw which is a rare pleasure. It's decorated and looks great in the living room (the tree).

I have only one Christmas album on vinyl, its some random jazz quartet doing all your favourites... I inherited it from my parents. It is the stand-by whenever the christmas mood strikes.

We are thinking about hosting a Christmas open house... maybe next week. Anybody interested? We could provide some treats and some egg nog and have that same record on repeat over and over again. I'll send out an invite.

So instead of providing some reflection on giving or giving thanks over the season in "Christmas Part 1" I am instead providing some words of advice for this holiday season...

Be on the lookout for mistletoe!

Insider scoop! Why Gordo finally resigned

“We can disagree on the laws that are passed, and we often do. But the foundation of our society is that once a law is passed that we agree to obey it. We do not get to obey the laws that we like and disobey the laws that we don't like”
-Gordon Campbell

When BC Premier Gordon Campbell announced his resignation on November 3rd it became apparent that he knew his time was up. To most of the general population of BC this seemed obvious, but alot more was going on than a simple realization of 'everyone hates me now so I better quit'.

Gordo is, and has been, a man with a plan. His political moves have been always been carefully calculated which has been both his success and his downfall. Gordo has known for quite a while that his popularity was at an all time low... but this is not the type of guy who wouldn't come up with some shifty strategy to bounce back.

Fortunately for Leon Paints readers, I am in a unique position to be able to provide you with a blow by blow account of the political events/strategies that took place up until yesterday.

In a nutshell:



"Huh?!" you say? "What is that supposed to mean?" Let me break it down for you.

1. Gordon introduces the HST. Bad for popularity/ratings but "so hot for the economy right now"
2. Gordon thinks: Maybe if I agree to have a referendum on the matter people will like me more.
3. Result: A referectum? People are still angry and distrustful
4. Gordon realizes: Time for the ace up my sleeve... Lets go talk to my good buddy Arnie down in LA.
5. Gordon says: "OK, Arnie, if/when California legalizes marijuana, you'll come up for a photo op if we do the same, right?"
6. Gordon thinks: Haha, they'll never see it coming. If we legalize pot in BC I'll become a hero!
7. On November 2nd the California legalization bill doesn't pass, any potential excuse/momentum to do the same in BC evaporates.
8. Gordon realizes its all over and resigns.


And that's what really happened.

Pumpkin Pull!

"The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds The coffin-bangers were about to arrive With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five" "

-The Monster Mash

Well the warm sun run we had at the beginning of October has finally given way to fall. This is kind of sad but we are due I figure. The autumn colours are in effect and when the sun peaks out from behind the clouds its quite beautiful in our fair city.

For whatever reason I haven't had much Leon Paints material ready for this month, but with Pumpkin Pull only a few days away lo and behold MS Paint and I started dating again.

Pumpkin Pull is Victoria's annual Halloween Ultimate (frisbee) tournament... teams from around the province and down south and up north come to Victoria to play ultimate for two days. They dress up, throw discs, throw up, and get down. It's a gay old time.

Each team chooses a theme to dress up in. Some themes from teams I've played on include:

• Luchadores - Mexican wrestlers. We even built a ring! I was 'El Gato Volador'
• Surgical Strike - dressed up as doctors in scrubs. the fireball stretcher was a favourite.
• Cabaret - Everyone's finest cabaret wear. I was beautiful.

Usually I've done a quick mock-up of my potential outfit... I can't find my gato volador pic, but here is my cabaret one:

Faithful Leon Paints followers can see that my skills are rapidly improving.

This year's team is French Disc. Berets, baguettes, fromage... if it's French it's fair game. We are even putting antifreeze in the wine.

Here's this year's costume mock-up... get inspired!

Stick it to the Man!

"Congrats to Georgda!"

-From all your friends

A second hand comment/observation about myself as a person was recently brought to my attention. Essentially, the comment concerned the duality of my nature as a human being.

I refer to my long lost university Arts One program days in suggesting that this duality aligns with themes of 'Reason vs Passion'. In more practical terms, one might describe it as thoughful analysis vs drunken stupour.

I am a libra which maybe explains (or justify?) these opposite behaviours. But I truly believe that these two opposites have a symbiotic relationship with each other.

The 'passion' helps me to let go of the stresses that arise from too much 'reason'. Conversely, the 'reason' reminds me to call for help instead of falling off a cliff when I've indulged in a little bit too much 'passion'.

Work and the rest of my life are kind of like that too. In alot of ways, work is about making money and putting a roof over your head etc... while the rest of life, for me anyways, is more about having fun, being active and experiencing different things.

But even at work there is the opportunity for both sides to make an appearance... and I think it's important that 'passion' gets to express itself in the workplace sometimes.

Here's one way I express the 'passion' side of myself at work...

Creative Thinking

"Be creative! Use your brains!"
-myself to Allthrillz and K Tuppswhen the boat was sinking (not the S.S. Value Village)

Being creative, in so much as being able to create music or art or write or whatever, is a wonderful ability.

Creative thinking is, in my mind, a little bit of a different skill set. Looking at a problem or situation and then creating a solution that wasn't readily apparent is a special trait that is usually beneficial.

It might be something like coming up with an 'out of the box' solution to a problem at work. Or maybe its being able to find that perfect but totally unexpected gift for someone. It can be as simple as opening the bottle of beer you found on that fence railing over there.

In this world, the countries, the cities, everywhere we live there are problems. Alot of these problems are complex... answers are not always easy to come by.

I have no political aspirations at this point in my life but I do have some ideas about things.

In Victoria there are lots of 'topics' to have ideas about. With this post I'm sharing my 'out of the box' all-in-one solution to several of Victoria most commonly discussed problems. I believe it qualifies as creative thinking.



(click to see full size)

Imagine the possibilities!

• Resolving the cities homelessness crisis
• Addressing the problems with rabbits at UVIC and deer in my yard.
• And the City of Victoria's favourite... more tourist dollars!

It's makes so much sense, I know.

A Brief Update

"You gotta get that dirt off your shoulder"
from Dirt Off Your Shoulder by Jay-Z

Well I am back to the realities of a desk jockey position after a week of working from home whilst nursing a dislocated shoulder.

The shoulder, while still sore, is getting better. I had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon on Monday who informed me I no longer needed to wear a sling. This is great news because I lost it Saturday night. With some physio and 6 weeks of controlled activity I just might be able to hold my left arm straight out. Amazing.

The good news for Leon Paints followers is that even though my left shoulder was injured and I am left handed I am a right handed mouse user so my 'paint' endeavours won't be compromised.
With that in mind, I offer up this quick status report.

That's so straight

Everybody makes mistakes
Everybody makes mistakes
Even me
Just be free
This is a place
Where in the end
It happens in
Our world within
-from Ultraviolence by New Order


The Duke and the Admiral went paddling last week.

On their expedition they talked about many things. One of the most fascinating discussions was around the history of the Gay World Order- GWO for short.

For those who aren't aware, most historians agree that the GWO began with the second coming of the baby jesus. What was amazing about the second coming was that it was two men that made the baby jesus (it was not an immaculate conception). And there were actually two baby jesuses, twins infact, and these two twins were both gay. And with the birth of the twin gay baby jesuses society's crutch of heterosexual reproduction was no longer needed.

It was an amazing start to the next phase of evolution. Homo erectus, homo sapien, and finally the homo sexual.

There were a lot of different changes and cultural phenomenon that came about during the development of the GWO. Enough to fill many, many blog postings. I could tell you about the straights that still live, scrounging for berries and fish in the woods, ruining the best hiking spots. I could talk about the four great gay houses, the families of the twin baby jesus direct descendants. Or I could discuss the complex moral argument around straight 'rehabilitation'.

Linguistically, one of the most rapid changes was the emergence of a new meaning for the word 'straight'. As the GWO took over, the term straight quickly came to signify all that was dirty, unnatural and ugly in the world. People everywhere started saying things like 'that's so straight' or 'that's so fucking straight' to describe things like cheap red wine and plaid.

To show you belong/identify with the GWO I encourage you to start referring to things that aren't cool as 'straight'. To give you a idea of what's straight now I've created the pic below.

Local Landmarks

Long ago life was clean

Sex was bad and obscene

And the rich were so mean

Stately homes for the lords

Croquet lawns, village greens

Victoria was my queen

- from the song "Victoria" by The Kinks

Known by some as the 'City of Gardens', Victoria British Columbia is a smallish city of about three hundred thousand or so.

By B.C. standards, Victoria has a fair amount of history. The Hudson's Bay Company, let by James Douglas, founded Victoria in 1843. Much of the city still has a colonial feel... partially because of the historic buildings, partially because we have several British Sweet shops and partially because 98% of the population is white.

Victoria has an abundance of ocean related events and culture. There is the naval base in esquimalt. There are lots of cruise ships with tourists that flock downtown over the summer. We have a Tall Ship festival, sailboat races and paddlers fighting with developers over plans for a mega yacht marina.

There's lots for visitors to do. Do you like insects? Perfect. There is a Butterfly Garden AND a Bug Zoo. Do you like observing wildlife? Perfect. There are one million bunny rabbits breeding and shitting up at uvic campus AND an abundance of fat ass seals to feed at fisherman's wharf.

How about walking? Well you can walk the beautiful inner harbour and explore plenty of historic alleys through the downtown core. I've even included a map of some of the more popular alley's below... enjoy!

LeVar Burton and Friends

Butterfly in the sky
I can go twice as high
Take a look
It's in a book
A Reading Rainbow

I can go anywhere
Friends to know
And ways to grow
A Reading Rainbow

I can be anything
Take a look
It's in a book
A Reading Rainbow
A Reading Rainbow
- Reading Rainbow Theme Song

There was some pretty cool television shows when I was a kid. In Canada we had alot of great shows, most running on CBC. I've linked to some clips of some classics... looking back now these dudes were pretty cool.

Fred Penner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4frIsSEp03E

Mr Dressup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4frIsSEp03E

Friendly Giant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBuFZ-jxC8s

America's public television programming was no slouch either. Alot of children's shows have learning themes, but two programs from the US focused specifically on two different learning areas.

One was the show Square One, which was all about.... Math. Yes, a show about Math that was both entertaining and informative. And at the end of every show came my favourite part... Mathnet. Detectives using math to solve crimes? So cool.

Square One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXp3AMgbG6k

Mathnet - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrLjLeGUjio

Last but not least is Reading Rainbow. A show starring LeVar Burton who's engaging personality captured the attention of children everywhere. As we all know, LeVar of course went on to co-star in Star Trek The Next Generation, but in Reading Rainbow he really made his mark... who else can get you this excited about a shower in the toilet?

Reading Rainbow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0M-X70-MvM

Last night my friends told me that LeVar is now working on a comic. Its called ConCERNed and deals with the Large Hadron Collider. The Large Hadron Collider is the worldest largest particle accelator located in Europe. Some people are worried this thing is going to create a black hole and the world will end up getting eaten by itself. Others swear this thing can change lead into gold. I have my own theories about what's actually going on so I made my own comic...



Bonus! RUN DMC droppin' science on Reading Rainbow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOBDEhxd_WU

Leaders

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

(Matthew 6.31-34 ESV)

It seems my earlier attempt to resolve social strife has not yet succeeded. Alas.

We live in a time of religious disillusionment. Church's are being replaced by yoga studios as a new generation turns to the east for enlightenment.

Many proclaim their spirtuality while eschewing religious faith. Such are the times we live in.

But we still need leaders. We still need heros. We value those within our communities who can teach us about life and teach us about ourselves. These people inspire us to rise above ourselves, to better ourselves.

There are leaders all around us. Some take on this responsibility while others lead as they live. This potrait is of one such leader who is doing his part.

Sébastien Tellier

"Sébastien Tellier is a modern day enigma. A hirsute lothario, conquering hearts with soulful music that brims with a seductive élan."

from the Biography section of his myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/sebastientellier

I'd by lying if I said I completely understood every word in the quote above but I'm pretty sure I get the sentiment. Sébastien Tellier is rad. I think this is probably because he is from France. All the coolest music comes from France.

His last album, titled 'Sexuality', has alot of really fresh songs... and most of the official remixes are killer. Plus the album cover has a small man on horseback overlooking a women's breasts which represent mountains of opportunity.

It's funky sexy crazy cool. Perfect for rollin' deep in the Parisienne and/or moving your hips too. You should check it out.

I did this MS Paint portrait of Sebastien Tellier and I sent it to a music blog as part of a contest. I won this cool pink vinyl single... (Thanks to http://www.sluttyfringe.com/)

Here is portrait that made me famous:

State of the World Address for June 2010

"The aardvark admitted its fault.
The aardvark admitted it was wrong.
The aardvark asked for an aardvark.The aardvark asked for a dagger.
The aardvark asked for health.
The aardvark asked for a ride.
The absinthe arrived by airmail.
The abortion went well.
The actor asked for an aardvark.
The actor asked for abstinance.
The actor asked for redemption.
The advertisement was effective.
The agile aardvark arrived by airmail.
The agile aarvark bathed with beauties."

- Predictive sentence technology sample for MacBook Wheel provided by the Onion News.
http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/

Since I have so much free time on my hands right now I thought I would provide peeps with a review of what's going on right now... a sort of state of affairs address via Leon Paint's if you will. If people enjoy it maybe it can become a recurring theme.





Bad

Victoria Weather: Real shitty right now. As my workmate said, seasonal affective disorder isn't supposed to affect us in June

BP Oil Spill: Boy, the water sure seems clean over here on the west coast right now.

Bees: Those poor bees and their damned colony collapse disorder.

Good

Phillips Growlers: 1.9 Litres of gold for 10 bucks. As Shannon said it's almost worth moving to Victoria for.

Mushroom growing: So hot right now.

Summer sports: Now if only this damn weather would co-operate.

Tips for the Corporate Ladder

"I have a stepladder. It's a very nice stepladder but it's sad that I never knew my real ladder."
- Craig Charles

All jobs/careers require some form of aptitudes or skill sets. Many of us went to school to satisfy some sort of technical or educational requirement. Others meet job requirements with firm handshakes and a good sense of humour.

I think at some point most people are driven to 'advance' their career whether for financial, personal, or other reasons. Presumably career advancement brings on not only more responsibility, but new challenges, new opportunities, and ultimately a bigger paycheque.

In the corporate world there are options for getting ahead. You could put in those 'extra hours' to show management you are a real go-getter. Or you could take additional training (MBA anyone?) to demonstrate your intelligence and business savvy. Maybe it's a simple as blowing the boss in his office.

All of these things take some time and effort though and there is no promised that those investments pay off.

After discussion with my colleagues I have identified one strategy that, with relatively little effort, is almost guaranteed to differentiate you from your fellow employees and fast track your way up the corporate ladder.


A British accent conveys a sense of culture, class and distinction with none of the stigmas associated with being a visual minority. People will assume you are educated, intelligent and that you offer great value and insight within the corporate setting.

Voice lessons (cheapest) or an extended stay in Britain (likely more expensive) should do the trick. Be prepared to have ready a few small lies to help deal with inquisitive co-workers but rest assured that very few people will have the nerve to question your authenticity.

In the right situation an Australian, Irish, or South African accent can also be effective. Unfortunately a New Zealand or Scottish accent is more or less useless.

Still Learning

"We have two ponies for this weekend"-Leon

Thanks for the well wishes and encouragement regarding my last posting. To my knowledge, the boat is still floating (to be confirmed this weekend) which bodes well for any future fishing adventures. I'm sure people will be lining up for me to take them fishing in the S.S. Value Village now, right?

It seems people really appreciated the use of MS Paint to help diagram the situation. Perhaps I too often use MS Paint to create pee and poo pictures. Instead, I should maybe make an effort to consider more frequently using it to describe and simplify scenarios or ideas.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The following series was done to convey some sports strategies... in this case, for our office's dodgeball team, the Green Balls of Fire.

The Tale of the S.S. Value Village

Oh, wildly cohering in a watery deep
We'll drop her down to the bottom
We'll drop her down like she's nothing
And the water is all
from 'Dory' by Grizzly Bear

Last week was an interesting one. Upon returning home from a wedding in Vancouver I was alerted to phone the women at the marina a.s.a.p. via a note in our mailbox. On calling her I was informed that my boat, the S.S. Value Village, had sunk. Egads.

I neglected to go and see the damage that night. The Nucks were playing and it was a sort of a farewell of sorts for Jared who was heading back to the East Coast. That night I did not sleep well. Visions of sinking, floating, and damaged boats filled my head. I definitely woke up worse for wear.

The next day was filled with phone calls and questions. Is it salvageable? What about the motor? What will it cost? I realized that without going to see the situation first hand it would be almost impossible to decide a plan of attack.

The marina woman had told me the boat was still tied to the dock, but that the boat was more or less submerged with the motor completely under the water. I tried to envision what it might look like, and did a quick sketch in MS Paint to discuss how it might be sitting in the water with my co-worked.



I was curious as to how the dock lines were holding and whether the outboard motor was affecting how it hung in the water. I was also unsure of how far below the depths the boat actually was.

That evening I picked up Tyler and headed down to survey the damage. As it turned out, option A was the correct one.



We talked with the live-in's at the marina and tried to get a sense of what comes next. After considering the quoted costs ($800 to $1000 to get it floating) we decided to make a go of it the next day and see if we couldn't ressurect the S.S. Value Village ourselves.

The next morning we managed to get the boat floating again with the aid of a wetsuit, 4 inner tubes, an air compressor and a 500 gallon per minute water pump.

After purchasing a new battery and cables Tyler "Magic Man" secured his place in the S.S. Value Village hall of fame by getting the motor started and running after 10 days of being submerged in the salt.

The following day we worked on electrical and patched her up. She now sits back in her spot in front of the Value Village with only a few minor repairs to be completed.

How did she sink you ask? Here is a diagram of the details:




It was quite the adventure/experience.

Office Space

Peter: So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.
Dr. Swanson: What about today? Is today the worst day of your life?
Peter: Yeah.
Dr. Swanson: Wow, that's messed up.
- 'Office Space'

Oh to work in an office. To sit in front of a computer all day. Working in an office. Doing the 9 - 5 (or 8:30 - 4:30) thing. In a suit. Or business casual. Or all dress code bets are off cause I work in IT. Working in an office.

There are good and bad things about working in an office. Safety wise, there's not much danger of falling off your ladder. Or stepping on a nail. Or getting your finger sawed off.


Instead, office work has different health hazards. Carpel tunnel syndrome has to be the craziest/saddest/most pathetic. Too much typing and then your hands become weak and frail and unusable. What a cruel joke. If you have a bad chair then back/neck/my entire frickin' body pain can become an issue. You can also make plenty of bad financial decisions sitting in front of a computer all day which can be bad for your overall well being.

In the office, there is a different level of decorum than other workplaces. It's not appropriate to talk openly about how loaded you got last night (or how hungover you are this morning). Most conversations are very measured. Maybe it's a strange illusion, but it seems that most office types I work with are alot more conservative/square/older? than myself... so I'm careful when I choose to let the cat out of the bag with regards to what I'm really all about.

For whatever reason, I find the topic of bathroom culture in the office interesting. In an outdoor environment there are a lot more options. In an office, it's either your floor or another. The office provided my first ever exposure to the term 'biobreak'. This finds its way into meeting agendas. It's a polite way of saying: "10 minutes to piss or shit if you have to".

One of the worst office experiences to have is walking into the office washroom and realizing a bombatron 3000 is being released when all you want to do is take a pee. Sometimes the culprit is just leaving as you enter the washroom, and you are left with the airborn remnants of their bodily biohazard. Nature does call, but for whatever reason it just seems like there is never enough bathrooms for the amount of people in the buildings. It's scary stuff, I know.

To capitalize on the office bathroom culture, I am putting forward our product idea, which was originally conceived by LJR. Enjoy. Click the pic to see in actual size.

Life Lessons

"I may get old but I'll never grow up."
-fridge magnet

As one's time spent on earth continues to lengthen so does one's life experience continue to grow. As I meander down the path of pseudo-adulthood, new responsibilities, trials and teachings are met along the way.

During this growing process, I have recognized a need in my self to 'have it all'... something which I think many of my generational cohorts share. This personal sense of entitlement drives within me an urge to procure every item or experience I feel I deserve to have.

Now I may not be a complete and utter cheapskate, but I am thrifty with my money.

The only feasible way for me to 'have it all' at this point is to carefully purchase things. Whether it's calculating the per ml cost of imported ales, finding the cheapest source for a record, getting deals on cable/internet or knowing what the current price of cheese is in every supermarket in Victoria, I try and use my ability to memorize prices and value almost every day. For the most part I think I do a pretty good job making my dollars go far.

Btw, check out this cool jam called "I Need a Dollar" by Aloe Blacc:
http://starkmagazine.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-need-dollar.html

There have been some mistakes along the way... but that's what life experience is all about. I know now its best not to try and save by buying two used tires when in reality all 4 are in bad need of an upgrade... I have learnt that an inferior product for a cheaper price can be more expensive in the log run.

Which at last brings me to this postings picture. My friends the Tuppers were over one evening to grill up some burgers and watch a game. We all learnt a valuable life lesson that evening...

4 Semi-Recent Party Invites

"How many days left until our Great task?
There are only 22
Will you be wearing a cat mask,
Or drinking out of a shoe?"
-Ashmo to 2008 House Crawlers

There are many different attributes that can contribute to the success of a party. The theme, date, location, occasion etc. can all influence the outcome of a social gathering.

Truth be told its fun to find an inspiration (or excuse) to have a party and our local party planning committee has been very successful in coming up with a diverse party ideas and plans.

The party invite is a key part of the party planning process which serves several important functions. It provides party time and location details to invitees and also helps the host to find out who will be able to attend. It also can be a vehicle for building interest and excitement in the party which can have a big payoff when the party time arrives.

I have included 4 semi-recent party invites (in chronological order) which all helped to get the party spirit going for what all proved to be great times. Special thanks to Smoka G and Ashmo for creating two of these fine party invites.

Backwoods Xmas Get-together 2007:



House Crawl 2008 Map (part of the invite):




Halloween vs. Christmas 2008:

Sea of Sequins 2009:

Intelligent Design

"never pick sides, never choose between two
but i just wanted you, i just wanted you
i think you're a contra
i think that you lie
don't call me contra
till you've tried"
-Vampire Weekend - 'I think you're a Contra'

The internet facilitates the spread of information and ideas faster than ever before. This rapid dissemination and digestion of information and ideas at times only seems to polarize people more than ever before.

It’s easy to list examples of topics that people are quick to take sides on. Whether its war in the Middle East, climate change, the economy, gun control, abortion, gay club nights, eating whale, or women's beach volleyball there are lots of people who have lots to say about this that and the other.

In an effort to do my part for the greater good I have done a lot of brainstorming about the troubles of the world and the issues that seem to isolate each one of us from our fellow brothers and sisters.

I have come up with an idea which on first glance might only seem to offer one solution for one issue. However I feel that when considered further this one idea offers a unique opportunity, a starting place as it were, to finally unite the right and the left, the religious and the non-believers, the discriminated and the privileged on an issue that in the end means so much to the fate of the planet.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

"There's a reason they call it work. You don't wake up everyone morning and get ready to go to fun. No, you wake up and you go to work." - Myself

I guess I'm not too big on complaining about work. Because it is work. Sometimes its good, sometimes its boring, and sometimes it sucks. But most of us have to deal with it. Despite what some might recommend so far I personally haven't had a job yet where I'm loving every minute of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiF8md-w-zw

Lately I've really hated work. So I made a status update about my 'Work Ocean' which inspired the work below. Thanks to Ginnie for spotting a couple of landmarks.

Happy friday everyone... i i i!

Excellence

"We're the best there ever was, the best there ever will be. No one can hang with our stuff. We get up in the morning and piss excellence." - Sanborn via Email

People here in Victoria take their Ultimate Frisbee real seriously. We even have our own Victoria ultimate players email list. Once a comedic sort posted sent this link out to the group:

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/09/23/110-frisbee-sports/

Alot of people were pissed off about that. And not in an excellent way. It was pretty funny.

Anyways, the above quote came from a captain of a team I played on who wrote a great pump up email about an upcoming tournament. Despite that fact that we actually sucked it was really motivating. So motivating that I created a MS Paint picture to help us visualize excellence.

And excellence is what this blog strives for.

...and now for something mildly different.

"I had a dream with you in it last night. We were drinking and telling lies. It was good." - Geordie via text

I suppose I consider myself to be a creative fellow... an 'ideas man' of sorts.

Over the past few years I have found the groundbreaking Windows graphics application MS Paint to be the most common vehicle for my creative inspirations. During that time I have enjoyed sharing my works with friends and cohorts who seem to enjoy them. I even printed a few images as christmas cards (there are several hundred for sale real cheap if you are interested).

I've realized I wanted to put all of these paintings in one accessible place, and with me being stuck at a computer all day the interweb is the most logical place. So today, March 16th 2010, I created this blog to share my MS Paintings with all who are interested. I cannot promise that they will all be funny or amazing or anything, but they will be from me.

For my 'exisiting' followers, there will be some repeats - I appreciate your patience. But I promise to endeavour to provide new works on a semi-irregular basis.