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Fri, Jul. 18th, 2008, 04:39 pm
Yes, well, update. I did not get the job at the Clackamas County Law Library for which I had interviewed. According ot the interviewer (after), every applicant interviewed had a JD or an MLS. This was for a part time paraprofessional position. Rather depressing, but at least I got to the interview and second interview. In happier news, last quarter's art class went pretty well. I've photos of the two final projects up on my Flickr:  Alabaster.  Plaster & acrylic paint. Been doing a bit more miniatures wargaming; you can see pics of my (unpainted) armies in Flickr as well. Wed, Jun. 4th, 2008, 07:50 pm
Minor update:
Still alive. My rock is being uncooperative, but I'm putting paint on the plaster relief. Photos to follow sometime next week.
Pretty mundane life, really. Thu, May. 15th, 2008, 09:01 pm
Art class is teaching me two things: Ambition and patience. ( Also, photos )Wed, May. 14th, 2008, 12:19 pm
In the city of Cise on the river Abidi, four hundred years after the last emperor had quit his crown and a good century after the Hierophant had sunk into a hereditary mold, two wizards of the city found themselves locked in a tedious and vicious struggle for dominance. Wags in the Heirophant’s court laid bets on the outcome, and thugs and footpads found some employment in the two wizards’ stratagems and strokes against each other, but after twenty years had passed and neither magus had yet achieved dominance, the duel of Harfor Red-robed and Hasdrun Violet-eyed became a curious background note to the daily life of Cise. The cause of their feud was never publicly known. Given Harfor’s notable sensitivity of honor and Hasdrun’s proud forthrightness, there may have been many reasons for the two wizards to clash, openly and in secret. Their fellow magi had little reason to restrain them, so long as the conflict did not spill over into their own domains, and the Heirophant at the time, Simon II, was politically weak, and so found it to his advantage that two of the more powerful denizens of the city would seek to ruin each other.
Now, the arrangement of the city of Cise was thus: It lay about the river Abidi, in a hilly region of the country several leagues from the sea. Formerly a seat of empire, it had fallen into disgrace at the hands of savage barbarians, and it was only by the grace of the Gods that it now began to prosper once more. The Heirophant’s palace was placed at the center of the city, on a low hill overlooking the poor quarter, and glistened in the sun. Its walls were of alabaster and onyx crowned with a great marble dome. Dotted about the city were the seven towers of its magi, who counted their lineage from the great wonder-workers of the empire in its heyday and hung on amid faded glories. Each tower belonged to a single wizard, and each wizard possessed one tower. Chief of the magi of Cise was Gradner, who took no epithet and was seldom seen save when disaster threatened. Second to her were Harfor and Hasdrun, said to be brothers, who had dwelt in the city for nigh-on three centuries when their feud began. Following them were the lesser wizards Sabin the Hoar-handed, Edmerta the Pale, Young Taff, and Sly Verd. Each wizard did as he or she pleased, in large part because no others in the city stood against them.
The tower of Harfor stood in the southern part of Cise, three blocks of tenements east of the river and a barren bowshot from the crumbling city wall. It was surrounded by a triangular garden well kept by his servants and delineated by a low iron fence that drank sunlight, glowed in answer to the moon, and was said to curse any that touched it with impotence. Narrow cobbled streets separated the iron fence from the neighboring houses and shops to the west and east, and the south was a barren plot of soil where nothing had grown for years. The tower itself comprised three spires rising out of a low triangular keep; each spire twice as high as the next lowest. The keep and spires were shaped by magic long ago of some red-flecked gray stone; rumor said that Harfor’s predecessor had summoned demons to build it with stone from Hell. The tallest spire was where Harfor himself dwelled, and was reckoned the fifth highest of the towers of Cise. The middle spire contained his apprentices and favored servants, and the least spire his library and laboratory. To the keep were relegated all those functions that the illustrious wizard and his household required to remain functional: The kitchen and the larders, the maids’ quarters and the laundry, the storerooms and stables. Harfor drew most of his staff from the surrounding tenements, his apprentices from the aristocracy, and his guards from the luminous ether. Thu, May. 8th, 2008, 04:59 pm
Ah, copyright law. One of my favorite subjects, actually. There's a kerfuffle going through internet artist communities at the moment - though it might already be dying down, we'll see - about "orphan works" and it's an interesting example of how copyright law tends to confuse people (your humble blogger included). It's also an example of (IMO) an Internet Panic. An orphan work is a work that may be under copyright and thus use requires permission from the copyright holder BUT the copyright holder cannot be located or is unknown. The existence of orphan works is a serious problem for libraries and other archiving institutions, since archiving these works often involves work that is technically copying (such as making a digital copy of an out-of-print book from the early 20th century). If the organization can't find the copyright holders, they can't preserve the works. Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, explains and the American Library Association has [ Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] http://mag.awn.com/?&article_no>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.] Ah, copyright law. One of my favorite subjects, actually. There's a kerfuffle going through internet artist communities at the moment - though it might already be dying down, we'll see - about "orphan works" and it's an interesting example of how copyright law tends to confuse people (your humble blogger included). It's also an example of (IMO) an Internet Panic. An orphan work is a work that may be under copyright and thus use requires permission from the copyright holder BUT the copyright holder cannot be located or is unknown. The existence of orphan works is a serious problem for libraries and other archiving institutions, since archiving these works often involves work that is technically copying (such as making a digital copy of an out-of-print book from the early 20th century). If the organization can't find the copyright holders, they can't preserve the works. Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/docs/regstat031308.html">explains</a> and the American Library Association has <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/woissues/copyrightb/orphanworks/orphanworks.cfm>its page</a>. So. In early April of this year, <a href="http://mag.awn.com/?&article_no=3605">Mark Simon writes an article</a> about legislation that will solve the orphan works problem - AND TAKE AWAY YOUR COPYRIGHT TO ALL YOUR ART!!! ZOMG! It's a bit on the high-pitched side. This seems to set off the Internet Panic. I learned about the thing from <a href="http://www.conceptart.org">ConceptArt.org</a>, a neat message board for concept artists - browse the forums, lots of cool stuff there - which had an announcement on their front page today asking people to write to their representatives. (More anon). <a href="http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=121132">"Artists' Copyrights in jeopardy? Orphan Works Bill</a> started on April 14 in reaction to Simon's article. <a href="http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=609199">A similar thread</a> on CGTalk dates back to March 16, and <a href="http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?threadid=629108">another one</a> started yesterday. Some people take a second look at Simon's article and have some nagging questions. <a href="http://kynn.livejournal.com/">Kynn</a> posts her look at Simon's article <a href="http://kynn.livejournal.com/799971.html">here</a>. Meredith Patterson</a> posts <a href="http://maradydd.livejournal.com/374886.html">"Six Misconceptions About Orphaned Works"</a>, and that's just for starters. Oh, and that legislation? Apparently didn't exist. There was an attempt in 2006 to pass a bill (<a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-5439">House Resolution 5439</a> and the related <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-6052">H.R. 6052</a>) addressing the problem of orphan works, but it didn't pass. See point one in Patterson's post. Late April: <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h5889:">H.R.5889</a> and <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.02913:">S.2913</a> are introduced in the House and Senate, respectively. Internet opposition, already revved up, kicks in again. (See the ConceptArt.org and CGtalk threads linked above in their later pages.) Alex Curtis posts <a href="http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1537">a bit of analysis on the two bills</a>, and Meredith Patterson promises to do a comparison at some point in the future. (Sadly, the ALA's page on orphan works hasn't been updated since 2006 as of this post. Shame on them.) It's an interesting subject, and I'll be following it (probably not posting about it, though) as the bills wend their way through the legislative process. I'm on the fence about them; in general, I'm in favor of some solution to the orphan works problem, and the reaction of the artistic community seems more like shrieking monkey panic than a reasoned counter-argument - but I'm also waiting for more analysis from people better-equipped than I to tease out the ramifications of the bills. We'll see. Wed, Apr. 30th, 2008, 12:38 pm
Tasty sandwich!
You will need:
Foccaccia bread
Mayonnaise
Mustard (whole grain by preference)
Cheddar cheese, sliced
Pickles, also sliced
Cut the foccaccia in half through the middle. Slather both sides with mayo and mustard. Gently lay the cheese and pickles on one half of the bread so as to create a single layer of each. Place the second half of the bread on top of the cheese and pickles, thus creating a sandwich. Salivate.
Really simple, and really tasty. Goes well with, say, crackers and hummus. Mon, Apr. 28th, 2008, 08:49 am
According to a web test... I Am A: Lawful Good Elf (4th Level) Ability Scores:Strength-13 Dexterity-13 Constitution-11 Intelligence-15 Wisdom-14 Charisma-11 Alignment:Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment because it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest. Race:Elves are known for their poetry, song, and magical arts, but when danger threatens they show great skill with weapons and strategy. Elves can live to be over 700 years old and, by human standards, are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. Elves are slim and stand 4.5 to 5.5 feet tall. They have no facial or body hair, prefer comfortable clothes, and possess unearthly grace. Many others races find them hauntingly beautiful. Class:Monks are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make ideal spies and assassins. Though they don't cast spells, monks channel a subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats, such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment. Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as doing so violates their rigid oath. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round. Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)Huh. Last time I took one of these, I ended up with Neutral Good Half-elf Ranger, IIRC. I wonder if it's difference in methodology or just the difference between who I was then and who I am now. Sat, Apr. 26th, 2008, 11:06 pm
For a lazy Saturday, I managed to get a surprising amount of stuff done. Of course, it was all hobby stuff, but still... Assembled a couple of Space Marine squads, based & primed the goblins from the Mines of Moria boxed set, primed my RCW soldiers, and got a fair bit done on the campaign document for my next RPG campaign. Not too bad.
As an aside, I'm taking a break from World of Warcraft, so I'll have even more time for the important things in life, like painting toy soldiers and watching birds. Wed, Apr. 23rd, 2008, 02:17 pm
Art project: Wearable art
Latest project for my art class: Art you wear that transforms the wearer's shape. I think this qualifies. It was also a lot of work, and a bit spendier than I expected. There are a few more photos on my Flickr stream. Sat, Apr. 19th, 2008, 12:04 am
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Dawn and I just finished watching Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Good film... but after a while, Miyazaki's movies tend to run together. I do love his aircraft designs, though. Wed, Apr. 16th, 2008, 04:02 pm
Fun little toy
Wargamer Buzzword Generator, because you feel a deep need to impress people (like me) who push toy soldiers around on a table and argue about arcane and abstruse rules. Mon, Apr. 14th, 2008, 10:41 pm
Webcomic: Questionable Content
Questionable Content, by Jeph Jacques, is an indie music/ wacky hijinks/ twenty-somethings relationship comic. Originally it focused more on the indie music humor and the wacky hijinks, but the relationships became a tertiary focus early on in the comic and moved to the fore with the inexorable force usually associated with the tax man. The core cast is Marten, Faye, and Dora, and the romantic tension between the three provides much of the drama in the strip's first five hundred or so installments. (Props to Mr. Jacques for providing an up-to-date and illustrated cast page.) I can identify a bit too readily with Marten, and I suspect many other readers do as well. It updates fairly reliably Monday through Friday; it's been running since 2003 and as of today is on strip 1,120, so if you're going to start a trawl, block off a couple of hours.
Wed, Apr. 9th, 2008, 07:47 am
Discworld art: Angua
A nice bit of art for all the Discworld fans out there: Angua, by *rubendevela. (He's got some other Discworld stuff there, too.)
Tue, Apr. 8th, 2008, 11:56 am
Feelings upon beginning again
(Context: I started pursuing an art degree at the local community college, with the intent to transfer to a four-year school at some point.) It's strange being back in an undergraduate program after having achieved both a bachelor's and a master's degree. I'm a beginner, again, but I'm not used to it. I'm having to adjust my ways of thinking and ignore some of the instincts I picked up in graduate studies and late in my prior undergraduate work - especially since this program, art, is quite different from writing, history, or library science in some crucial ways. The biggest difference is in the physicality of it. I can't improvise my way through a sculpture the way I can through a paper; I have no practice at it, and the thing has to stand on its own - sometimes literally. I'm flexing muscles (not metaphorically) and learning to think in ways that I've never done before. Refreshing and intimidating. Also, it gives me something to blog about. No guarantees on regular updates, though.
Tue, Apr. 8th, 2008, 12:15 am
"News Cycle"
I built this for Basic Design 3d, the art class I'm taking at the moment. It's supposed to be a snake eating its own tail, but the actual result doesn't match the vision... The core is braided newspaper, surrounded by more newspaper. Also, the head is newspaper. Stuffed with newspaper. It's about three feet in diameter. The assignment was to make something by transforming a Sunday paper (or three dailies); this concept occurred to me immediately and I ran with it. If I had time to do a third draft (this is the second), I'd do the skin/scales with another braid, wrapped around the core, and then do the head with a tightly wadded framework skinned with torn and soaked (rag sculpture-style) newspaper fragments. I think it would be sturdier and, for the head at least, have more detail. Tue, Sep. 25th, 2007, 11:13 am
Photos from St. Marks Wildlife Refuge
I went down to the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge today for the first time in months. The butterflies - and love bugs - were out in full force, but not too many birds. Some of the ponds were very low. I did see a bald eagle, but he scarpered before I could get a photo of him, so you'll have to settle for a trio of gulls. More photos on my Flickr page. Mon, Sep. 24th, 2007, 02:19 am
Ew.
There's nothing like a roach crawling on your foot to keep you up for a few more hours of World of Warcraft. Ew. Mon, Sep. 17th, 2007, 06:49 pm
Of furniture
For the last few months, the arms on my den chair - standard office chair with rubber arms - have been deteriorating. I thought this was just life; the material does tend to come off in chunks.
But no. Today, I come into the den and find one of my cats chewing on the damn thing.
Hardwood. That's what I'm trying next. Or steel. Fri, Sep. 14th, 2007, 09:11 am
Career meme
(Swiped from ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) hackard) Career meme
- Go to http://www.careercruising.com/.
- Directions deleted 'cause the login was, in fact, someone's private one. Ooops.
Results:
- Interior Designer
- Technical Writer
- Industrial Designer
- Lobbyist
- Desktop Publisher
- Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator
- Animator
- Criminologist
- Fashion Designer
- Model Maker
- Costume Designer
- Anthropologist
- Activist
- Public Policy Analyst
- Graphic Designer
- Artist
- Communications Specialist
- Political Aide
- Print Journalist
- Critic
- Website Designer
- Writer
- Computer Animator
- Medical Illustrator
- Translator
- Market Research Analyst
- Set Designer
- Politician
- Corporate / Commercial Lawyer
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic
- Millwright
- Special Effects Technician
- Makeup Artist
- Film Processor
- Cabinetmaker
- Electronics Assembler
- Civil Litigator
- Office Machine Repairer
- Home Inspector
- Lawyer
... Lobbyist?!
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hungry
tired
