tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20109757313929451302024-02-07T10:49:17.656-05:00Bryesquebryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-54285199723050346142013-02-01T12:18:00.001-05:002013-02-04T09:37:27.308-05:00Brysketch: DonatelloWell! I haven't done this in a while. My increasingly-limited free time mostly goes to drawing new comics, but lately I feel the urge to draw other things as well. So today it's Donatello, who might just be my favourite Ninja Turtle now!? (Because which Ninja Turtle you relate to is <a href="http://www.cracked.com/video_18260_which-ninja-turtle-are-you-lifes-most-important-question.html">an important life question</a>, after all.)<br>
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First up, here's the basic inked version:<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YJItMNlKkqo-QkTyU4Jye9SrJcETbmqlvrjXffeGAUMRr-h47kD0kaIdw_5d_YjFsBd9qeFZb4O8k-MrzemOZUGmqX7CgCtuiHe492GoInEX50xXH_7YvCxyFWrkpDfJa59WjXsSJ2Pl/s1600/donatello-bkotyk-inks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YJItMNlKkqo-QkTyU4Jye9SrJcETbmqlvrjXffeGAUMRr-h47kD0kaIdw_5d_YjFsBd9qeFZb4O8k-MrzemOZUGmqX7CgCtuiHe492GoInEX50xXH_7YvCxyFWrkpDfJa59WjXsSJ2Pl/s1600/donatello-bkotyk-inks.png" /></a></div><br>
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And here's the quickly-coloured version:<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41T-R2EHefbSgraegowNClJmoszUy0WEt6IstwrHGVPxziiuNDCU2w08JswZHVJafBrziLwcHELRd5S0o9bTgnn1V9hRtXYAS1oMz2cF9yDAcAb4cJzyjvhHMwfpuahRrxS2zczeR0e1H/s1600/donatello-bkotyk-quickcolour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41T-R2EHefbSgraegowNClJmoszUy0WEt6IstwrHGVPxziiuNDCU2w08JswZHVJafBrziLwcHELRd5S0o9bTgnn1V9hRtXYAS1oMz2cF9yDAcAb4cJzyjvhHMwfpuahRrxS2zczeR0e1H/s1600/donatello-bkotyk-quickcolour.png" /></a></div><br>
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...like, <i>fill tool</i> quick. (Colouring is something I need to practice.)<br>
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I'm mostly happy with it! Not quite as good as it could have been, but far from the worst thing I've drawn. Time permitting, I may do the other three TMNT in the same style.<br>bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-70423118588443087602013-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:002013-01-06T10:49:08.241-05:002012 PicksI liked some things in 2012. And here they are!<br />
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<u style="font-weight: normal;">Song:</u> <b>Comeback Kid - Sleigh Bells</b></h3>
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If 2011 was the year life gave me a bit of a kick in the teeth, then continued on as I got optimistic and began to climb my way out of the hole I was in, then 2012 is the year I emerged from it entirely. Hard work paid off, real happiness stopped eluding me, and I felt more complete and comfortable in my own skin than ever before - but with a deep understanding that the work's never done and that I can't ever rest on my laurels. So the title/chorus alone have some resonance with me, but the song itself is something that keeps sucking me in - that aggressive beat and sweet vocals are a killer mix, it's super catchy, and has a message that really hits home. As far as capturing how I felt for most of 2012 - optimistic and persistent, but with a sharpened edge - this makes a hell of a soundtrack.<br />
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<u>Also:</u> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/alexandra-victoria-2/frank-ocean-bad-religion">Bad Religion - Frank Ocean</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e9NSMY8QiQ">Closer - Tegan and Sara</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iErNRBTPbEc">Love Interruption - Jack White (featuring Ruby Amanfu)</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3IUeFlJpE0">Let's Fall in Love - Mother Mother</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK-a_fX3_AE">King and Lionheart - Of Monsters and Men</a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Comic:</u> </span><b>"Prophet"</b> <span style="font-weight: normal;">- <span style="font-size: small;">Brandon Graham/<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Simon Roy/Farel Dalrymple/Giannis Milonogiannis</span></span></span></span></h3>
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Rob Liefeld has a certain... unfavorable reputation, let's say, amongst some comic readers, perfectly representing to many the style-over-substance excesses of the dark '90s that the 2000s tried so hard to live down. "Prophet" was one of the books in his Extreme Studios stable to be given a ground-up reimagining from up-and-coming visionaries, and perhaps its success hints at Liefeld's true calling - setting up the pins for others to knock down.<br />
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"Prophet" is an intense, unforgiving, and hugely imaginative sci-fi epic that drops the reader in the middle of a violent, truly alien universe and expects them to keep up. The series is low on emotion - its future is a particularly brutal one - but it's damned enthralling to read, and the skills on display here could be game-changing. Full-force weirdness in the best possible way, and sure to be looked back on as a modern classic.<br />
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<u>Also:</u> Saga - Bryan K Vaughan/Fiona Staples, The Massive - Brian Wood/Kristian Donaldson/Garry Brown, Hawkeye - Matt Fraction/David Aja/Javier Pulido, Mind MGMT - Matt Kindt, Angel & Faith - Christos Gage/Rebekah Isaacs/Chris Samnee<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Show:</u> </span>Sherlock <span style="font-weight: normal;">(BBC)</span></h3>
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<i>Note: I left Doctor Who off this list because I love Doctor Who on a level beyond that of other television and probably can't compare it fairly to anything else. So yeah.</i><br />
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The world is getting a <i>lot</i> of Sherlock Holmes these days, but this series stands head and shoulders above the rest by actually being every bit as sharp and clever as the great detective himself. The second season picks up directly after the first season's cliffhanger ending, and the ride, though short (each season consists of three movie-length episodes) delivers some of the most thrilling, challenging and rewarding television being made today. But what really locks this choice down was that amazing, intense, heartbreaking finale, and that one last mystery that's going to simmer in my brain until we're lucky enough to get more.<br />
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(Though I'm pretty sure I've solved it... but if I can count on any show to surprise and impress me, it's this one.)<br />
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<u>Also:</u> Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Community, Girls, Parks and Recreation<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Movie:</u></span> <b>ParaNorman</b></h3>
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Okay, full disclosure - I didn't get out to see many movies this year. There are a <i>ton</i> I've been wanting to see, but a really full schedule kept me delaying seeing them until most were out of theatres. So keep that in mind.<br />
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But I loved ParaNorman. Which isn't surprising, because this is a movie pretty much made for me specifically - I'm a sucker for stories about "outsider" kids, paranormal plots (especially ones with a sharp sense of humour) and stop-motion animation. And the animation here is absolutely <i>stunning.</i> But what impressed me the most was the story and its themes, with a script that wasn't afraid to go to some dark, surprisingly thoughtful and mature places without for a second treating its intended audience -- y'know, kids -- like they can't handle it.<br />
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(And hey, zombies!)<br />
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<u>Also:</u> The Cabin in the Woods, The Dark Knight Rises, Wreck-It Ralph, The Avengers<br />
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<u>Dying to See:</u> Argo, Life of Pi, Django Unchained, Skyfall, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Looper, Moonrise Kingdom, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Frankenweenie, Safety Not Guaranteed<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Game:</u></span> <b>Batman: Arkham City (Game of the Year Edition)</b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5vQN9htc20oK3DXaW4d0jOckRJFGeAgRoTCmZ3HaB_OsATOpf6Syqh5cPGwX6Yia0SmN9vzj78AB9yKHp7aJ68nxIkh2nKgKWCJh0UuAmVxBI67IL0AUKswDCmq5zbpbAXmC77XBYl3W/s1600/Batman-Arkham-City-Batman-And-Catwoman-1280x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5vQN9htc20oK3DXaW4d0jOckRJFGeAgRoTCmZ3HaB_OsATOpf6Syqh5cPGwX6Yia0SmN9vzj78AB9yKHp7aJ68nxIkh2nKgKWCJh0UuAmVxBI67IL0AUKswDCmq5zbpbAXmC77XBYl3W/s400/Batman-Arkham-City-Batman-And-Catwoman-1280x1024.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not only is Batman: Arkham City the best game I played in 2012, I think it's the <i>only</i> game I played in 2012. And even then, I've only played a a little of it so far. And it's also a rerelease of a game that came out in 2011, so it doesn't even really count for a "best of 2012" list anyway.<br /><br />...so uh, never mind. (It's good, though!)<br /><br /><br />So, how about you? Anything from 2012 that you particularly loved?</span></span><br />
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bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-42620465471416127972012-12-19T12:30:00.000-05:002012-12-19T16:22:06.409-05:00MeasureHello, Internet. What are you up to? What's amazing and fun and exciting and basically making you feel alive and optimistic and ready for a bright shiny new year!?<br />
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It's pretty easy to measure your life in calendar years, especially if your birthday rolls close to the end or beginning of one (which is the case with me). And 2012 has been a very good year for me. Probably the best yet. I've kept working hard, have been lucky enough to get a <a href="http://thegiantnews.blogspot.ca/2012/10/local-comic-reaches-150th.html">little</a> <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/voyagenorth/2012/10/22/the-big-150/">attention</a> <a href="http://www.thewalleye.ca/december-2012/">for it</a>, and generally lead a charmed little life with a good circle of friends and family, an amazing girlfriend, an amazing dog, and with some awesome things on the horizon to plan for and look forward to. (Gotta take a minute to appreciate that.)<br />
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I've been basically <a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person/">reading this</a> over and over for the past few days. Cracked is a pretty great site overall, and a big part of what makes it great is that every-so-often article they'll publish that really jolts you awake and hits home in a personal way (<a href="http://www.cracked.com/members/John+Cheese/">John Cheese's columns</a> are amazing for this), and for me, this was one of them. I read through this, realizing I've come a long way, realizing I've got a long way to go, as always, because that's life and you can't ever stop moving forward and growing and getting better or else what's the point, right!? (ahem.)<br />
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It makes some damn good arguments. I've had pride in myself for being "nice" in the past, even though it means very little to be "nice" if you're not doing something good/worthwhile or bettering yourself and others in some way, and even "nice" people can be selfish, thoughtless jerks deep down underneath that outward layer of "nice". (I will stop saying "nice" soon, I promise.)<br />
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I've learned a lot of things the hard way. It's the best way to learn anything. I've tried to put myself out there and received nothing in return. I've been judged, mistreated and disrespected by people I've cared about after trying to do well by them. I've been on the other side of that as well, though (which I'm not proud of) and I understand the mindset - where it's all about what other people can do <i>for you,</i> and rarely (or never) what you can do for them. And you can get away with that for a long time by being "nice", but I believe/hope that eventually people will see through that and simple self-respect won't allow them to tolerate it anymore.<br />
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(And the great part of that is, if you're doing it right, self-respect forces you to demand more of <i>yourself</i> first and foremost - not just others.)<br />
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So yeah. On the cusp of the new year, this is where I stand. I'm better than I was. I want to be better than I am. And I'm super, amazingly thankful for all the help, support and friendship I have, all the understanding, that makes that whole journey so much easier.<br />
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I'm ready for you, 2013.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-9096630373741072822012-11-07T15:32:00.000-05:002013-01-16T12:50:44.715-05:00Sanity Prevails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So. President Barack Obama, for a second term. Gotta say, I'm relieved.</div>
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I don't claim that he's perfect, but he's been a good president. There are several things I wish he'd have done differently in his first term, but in fairness, he's accomplished a lot more than many want to give him credit for, and in the big picture he's kicked off a lot of positive change. Also, thankfully, this victory ensures that certain conservatives can't so easily marginalize him the way they did Jimmy Carter. (And my gods, do they want to!)<br />
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But here we are. He's got a damn lot of hard work ahead of him, and I sure don't envy him in that, but this is the best result I could have hoped for.</div>
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And while I'm happy Obama won (and I very much am), my four favourite things about last night's results are:</div>
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1) The crazies were slapped down. Specifically: misogynistic, anti-equality voices in the Republican party, Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, lost definitively in their races. And that sends a serious message: if the GOP wants to survive, they're going to need to adapt, and soon. The hard-right, socially-conservative base wasn't enough to win the presidency, and it proved a massive liability with the female, youth and minority voters that came out to re-elect Obama. This was a huge victory for the diverse electorate of today. To win, you can't just appeal to the straight, white, male voters. Not anymore. That's huge. That's fantastic.<br />
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2) It's also a victory for facts and reality - two very simple things that have been under attack of late. Conservatives lambasted <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/">New York Times statistician Nate Silver</a> for his projections forecasting a solid Obama victory... and his projections turned out to be right. Many conservative pundits predicted a Romney "landslide"... and instead Obama won by a comfortable margin. Romney himself was so confident he would win, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, that he didn't bother preparing a concession speech... and he lost. Bill Maher often talks about a "conservative bubble" among those who get their information purely from biased sources (Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, etc.) and construct their own narrative that ignores the realities around them. Stone-cold reality and facts just burst that bubble.<br />
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3) The super-rich Republican elites, who poured an <i>absolute ton</i> of their money into Romney's campaign, lost hard. For their massive investments, they get nothing. I admit, I'm partly happy about this out of sheer pettiness, but also because it says that, when the people are aware, involved, and use their right to vote, the fat cats <i>can't</i> simply buy the presidency.<br />
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4) Mitt Romney will not be the president (at least not any time soon). Say what you will about Obama, but nothing changes the fact that Romney is a chronic, proven liar, out of touch with the people, and entirely unfit for the office of the President of the United States. Bullet: dodged.<br />
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We're not living in a perfect world, and an Obama victory in itself doesn't fix the many (<i>many</i>) problems facing the United States. Not by a long shot. Change takes time, and a lot of it. But in my own opinion, the American people decided to keep moving in the right direction.<br />
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In short, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/video/watch/AudioMobile/Q/ID=2301593543">what Jian Ghomeshi said</a>.<br />
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bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-51937543050311501942012-10-31T14:39:00.002-04:002012-10-31T17:12:18.148-04:00This is Halloween. (Again.)Halloween has come again, my friends. Only a handful of hours left, so you grab hold and enjoy them while you can. (I take Halloween very seriously, it's a whole thing.)<br />
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Had a good time again this year! Which is The Plan, it's always The Plan, but you have to appreciate it when it goes off without a hitch.<br />
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My costume this year.<br />
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...which was actually part of a couples' costume with my Special Lady.<br />
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For those not in The Know, we went as recently-departed Doctor Who companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams, as pictured here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kJHCQzXXut8hoXvTplslh80gPcauuOp8Mh6vQyic_h8SwuU-BNSMUyRIyWmgBoZx6Vx7vG3B1NghflyyGc09LsOJyHqEagSGmdJn2YWBGqx6X6ux4nS_wpTwLd5HJMRqG9GIxxOiMTe0/s1600/halloweening04-amyrory.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kJHCQzXXut8hoXvTplslh80gPcauuOp8Mh6vQyic_h8SwuU-BNSMUyRIyWmgBoZx6Vx7vG3B1NghflyyGc09LsOJyHqEagSGmdJn2YWBGqx6X6ux4nS_wpTwLd5HJMRqG9GIxxOiMTe0/s400/halloweening04-amyrory.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Basically, whoever got the reference totally loved it, and they still worked as separate costumes for those who didn't. Not a bad plan.<br />
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<i>(Though I did have some drunk bros yelling "SPARTA" at me, I managed to stop myself from correcting them.)</i><br />
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Even Logan had a costume!<br />
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...which stayed on him for about 64 seconds before it was clear he <b>wasn't having it</b>, but at least we got a picture. My little devil.<br />
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Got up this morning intending to get all Romaned up for work, but that extra 15 minutes of sleep was entirely too tempting, so I managed to slap together a simpler costume: Business Casual Luigi.<br />
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It went over <b>pretty well.</b><br />
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And that's basically a wrap on one more installment of The Best Holiday Ever, You Guys, Seriously. I bought too much candy for tonight, so I'm gonna be generous. The theme for the night is "Contributing to the Child Obesity Epidemic".<br />
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Have a damn good Halloween, my friends.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-35935159940362681162012-10-18T16:56:00.004-04:002012-10-18T16:56:58.184-04:00It's Almost Here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8haV8-Ns9WPPQoOnSry0XmMaCXQD9bvaSg7LDM6cYV2d3w_XBoCAGKjBtTaD5qYS3bcBE_dFmDBd_FjbKOEPZ6IVtratQa-Q4awopMNd_O3FN4BFKiBtHlPALixFsOAYeH4G3M9XH4k-o/s1600/almosthere1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8haV8-Ns9WPPQoOnSry0XmMaCXQD9bvaSg7LDM6cYV2d3w_XBoCAGKjBtTaD5qYS3bcBE_dFmDBd_FjbKOEPZ6IVtratQa-Q4awopMNd_O3FN4BFKiBtHlPALixFsOAYeH4G3M9XH4k-o/s400/almosthere1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br />It's almost here.</div>
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It's almost here!<br /><br />I mean, okay, I say it every year. But seriously... Halloween is <b>the best.</b></div>
bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-22569443987630846052012-09-25T08:00:00.000-04:002012-10-22T14:40:00.395-04:00Where I've Been, Where I'm GoingI think it's important to reminisce every now and then. Not too often. The past is gone and that's a good thing, ultimately. But just a quick look back, a peek at the view below you, to see where you stood then and where you stand now.
It's weird to think of myself even two years ago. I'm not that person anymore, not in the ways that count. I'm not "finished" yet, not by any means, but there are some things about living that I understand now in a way I never used to. There are things I said and did that make me shudder with embarrassment (just as I'm sure I'll wince when I read this after I hit 30).<br />
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If I didn't have <b>Very Serious Opinions</b> on the topic of time travel, I'd almost wish I could go back to tell my younger self a few things. Like that adulthood isn't something to be feared or fought. Getting older doesn't mean you have to give up the things you love, and it doesn't mean you have to slow down and get boring - you just have to accept new responsibilities (to yourself and others), learn to be self-reliant (and reliable!) and hold yourself to an ever-higher standard. It's harder, but the rewards are worth it. You learn how to manage <i>real</i> freedom and responsibility, and the essential balance between them.<br />
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You get to make choices. Real, big, awesome choices. And each one comes with consequences, with sacrifices, pleasures, freedoms and responsibilities. On some level I always recognized this, but actually feeling it all, the positive along with the negative, is something else. Everything you do has an impact, small or large, on the people and the community around you. Your pleasure may come at the price of another's pain, or your fortune directly from another's expense. And part of being an adult - probably the most important part - is honestly accepting responsibility for the results of your choices. Sometimes that means you have to look at yourself in an ugly light and make some hard decisions about who you are and who you want to be. Sometimes that means having to choose doing what you feel is right over being "nice" or being liked. That decision is yours, and so are the consequences - and you have to own them.<br />
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Everyone learns these things at a different rate - some are born into privilege, in a bubble. Others are born into struggle and responsibility from a young age and need to grow quickly just as a matter of survival. I was always pretty fortunate - we weren't rich, but I grew up living in a comfortable zone that a lot of other people don't get. And I'm <i>much further</i> from rich now, but I still automatically benefit every day from a lot of things based solely on what I am: my colour, my gender, my orientation. And in the past (and I'm going back way further than a few years now) it was easy to just live in that bubble and feel like my own little struggles and feelings were big and real and important, but I can't do that anymore. You have to step out of it - even if you can never understand first-hand other peoples' struggles and experiences, you at least have to do your best to try, to be conscious of reality beyond your own perceptions.<br />
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Ultimately everyone has to learn this stuff and there are no excuses not to. Right?<br />
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<br />
I used to have a hard time with change. My biggest, most crippling fear was always rejection. I avoided a lot of risks because of that fear, and as a result often let my life get stagnant. The mere thought of losing people - even "just" acquaintances - was a dull ache I couldn't chase away. I would react to change with deep mourning - even if I kept it hidden inside. I couldn't let go. Like an emotional hoarder. In my mind, people and things in my life had to stay there, purely for my own selfish needs, even if there was nothing left to keep. When people didn't "get" me it felt like a slight, or a personal failing. All of it, eating away at me always.<br />
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But now, mostly, I think, I hope, I seem to get and accept that no one thing or person or <i>whatever</i> is made for everyone. People may not enjoy or like who I am or what I do for valid personal reasons that I have no control over, and that's fine. It has no effect on me. It's out of my hands and not worth my energy worrying about. (And at times I may worry about it anyway, but I try to push it aside.)<br />
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I've even effectively let people fall out of my life on several occasions. I've abandoned interests, hobbies, mindsets, outright. Not with any malice - it's either because I've realized I have no real connection with them anymore, or because they've had a negative impact on my emotional state and/or sense of well-being that I could no longer accept or justify. And there's nothing wrong with that, at all. Sometimes you outgrow people, things or situations. Or you both grow in separate directions - however you look at it. (Though there are a lot of people I just plain haven't kept in touch with well, which is a different thing entirely.)<br />
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And that gnawing feeling? That doesn't really get to me anymore. Because sometimes what comes next, and who you'll be next, is so much better.<br />
<br />bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-7392028171542986182012-09-17T14:00:00.000-04:002012-09-17T14:05:00.366-04:00SummerSo it's been... a whole season since I last updated here. I am clearly a terrible blogger, but I've been fairly busy and haven't felt a need to update lately (regular comic updates and constantly spewing nonsense on Twitter have me pretty tapped out, Internet-wise).
Summer managed to blast by even quicker than usual, but it was a pretty good one overall. And just for the hell of it, here are 25,000 words' worth of pictures that pretty well sum it up.<br>
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So hey, how was your summer? Did you accomplish all you wanted to? Mine kind of felt like a never-ending list that I couldn't quite get to the bottom of, but ultimately I'm pretty happy with it. At one point or another I got to see most of my friends who now live afar, I got out of town a few times, I enjoyed the sun, spent too much money on a bunch of awesome stuff, and managed to get a lot done personally, on the comic and at work. All said, it was a good one.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-20380585112803769492012-06-29T14:23:00.003-04:002012-06-29T16:56:58.318-04:00Maya<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you know me, you probably know Maya. She was my dog. My little sister. She joined my family when I was 13, a very impulsive decision on our part. We happened upon a new litter of puppies while having a day out at the lake and fell in love with her instantly - she introduced herself by attacking my dad's shoelaces, and that was it. She was not for sale. I am not ashamed to say I pleaded dramatically, and with very little dignity, until I convinced the breeders to change their minds. From that moment on, it was the four of us.<br />
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She brought more love into our lives than I can really describe. She was sweet, loving, bossy, and feisty. She always lit up the room. She was perfect. We loved her totally. She made us better people, and a stronger family.<br />
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About two months ago, I discovered a small growth underneath Maya's chin. Soon after, she went in to the vet for tests. Eventually they confirmed that Maya had developed Lymphoma. There was nothing they could do. She was prescribed some medicine to help stop the pain and to give her a little more time.
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Early yesterday morning, it stopped working.<br />
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Just before 3:00 yesterday afternoon, Maya was euthanized. We said our goodbyes, held her, kissed her, and helped comfort her as much as we could. Feisty as ever, she put up a little fight when her catheter was adjusted. But after that, she lied down for the last time, each of us holding her, and went peacefully.<br />
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We haven't stopped crying for long since. I'm trying to hold it together and I'm mostly failing. It's damn hard - I knew it would be, but it's somehow even harder than I could have foreseen. But I keep reminding myself that the only reason it hurts so much is because she made us so happy for so long.<br />
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She lived 15 years. They were good ones. She had some health issues earlier in her life, and she bounced back from all of them. She took care of us, and we took care of her. The last thing we did was take care of her.<br />
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I'll love her and miss her forever. She made my life better, and I can never thank her enough for that.<br>
<br>bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-38113402269289514422012-05-15T19:38:00.001-04:002012-05-15T19:38:52.293-04:00Video: An Invocation for BeginningsRandomly ran across a video today that's been bouncing around the Internet for a month or so. I'm late to the party, but whatever - it's pretty great. A lot of important truths here.<br />
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<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RYlCVwxoL_g" width="560"></iframe></center><br />
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Damn well said, I think.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-69932652844863139992012-05-14T14:58:00.002-04:002012-05-15T16:02:58.389-04:00Photos: Logan at the ParkFor the sake of a quick update, here are some recent photos of my best buddy Logan at his favourite place: the park down the street. It's getting downright summery out there, and the nicer it gets, the more often he asks to go for walks - which usually means the two of us running around the park like maniacs for a while.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brykotyk/6991139402/" title="Logan - Park Life by bryesque, on Flickr"><img alt="Logan - Park Life" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/6991139402_d58e9437bd_z.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brykotyk/7197846756/" title="Logan - Rolling in the Green by bryesque, on Flickr"><img alt="Logan - Rolling in the Green" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7197846756_38af026f10_z.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brykotyk/7197848778/" title="Best Dudes Forever by bryesque, on Flickr"><img alt="Best Dudes Forever" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7197848778_dcf28908a5_z.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
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More updates as soon as I have time! Life's good, though. Hope all is well with you too, Internet Friends!bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-49296327234710331872012-03-28T08:11:00.001-04:002012-03-28T20:06:38.174-04:00Sushi (Avocado/Cucumber Rolls)It's been a while since I've done one of these. Like last time, I've been holding onto the pictures for weeks now, but I've been busy with other things and couldn't justify sitting down long enough to write up the post to go with them. I find myself with a little extra time this morning, so here we go.
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Earlier this month, my girlfriend and I had a little date night in, and decided to try our hands and making sushi. One of our first dates was going out for sushi (which she'd never had before), and that triggered a bit of an addiction, so making our own seemed like a great idea. Nothing particularly challenging -- I made cucumber/avocado rolls and I believe she made ones with salmon. But it was also something I'd never tried before, and didn't know what to expect.
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First up, we cooked the rice. Simple enough. After it was done, we added rice vinegar and put it in the fridge for a while to cool down.<br />
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As the rice cooled, I got to work cutting my vegetables into roll-able strips and preparing the Nori sheets.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IgO1EcYK3YhjF7kwpLoLhF-iQVMA6-4mQ_r2_YWkHz8SpPoJ1eHZyGDC_CBEwqXyCaSAtq0Xup5Xg24dcgBrejhQ52CZUNhCYMjIhJvcE17m-XBmSpg5EAhwb6S2Nhtg0YiSpAiY02v6/s1600/sushi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IgO1EcYK3YhjF7kwpLoLhF-iQVMA6-4mQ_r2_YWkHz8SpPoJ1eHZyGDC_CBEwqXyCaSAtq0Xup5Xg24dcgBrejhQ52CZUNhCYMjIhJvcE17m-XBmSpg5EAhwb6S2Nhtg0YiSpAiY02v6/s400/sushi3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once the rice was ready, I spread it evenly...ish across the Nori, then made a line of cucumber and avocado near the end. This one didn't turn out as well as future attempts - I was being a bit too cautious, I think?
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I neglected to add sesame seeds to this batch, but y'know, that's a good idea too.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaboIJ2NXt4dBUA7qUsXwk0R7LOtbxWg6sNKQBnEzNzDUhg9oiYp04bKtsri2TWx5ncfYJtStKTjGohN-QE-SdVDun3zooTDZUQ05602Baekm5qWmzmBGMLxERKCq_RhKHkNxNWtWbJ2kI/s1600/sushi4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaboIJ2NXt4dBUA7qUsXwk0R7LOtbxWg6sNKQBnEzNzDUhg9oiYp04bKtsri2TWx5ncfYJtStKTjGohN-QE-SdVDun3zooTDZUQ05602Baekm5qWmzmBGMLxERKCq_RhKHkNxNWtWbJ2kI/s400/sushi4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up, I carefully rolled from the edge with the vegetables, "sealing" the end with the rice. Then I just had to chop them up into smaller pieces and they were ready to eat.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iOpPkZ8hvTxQ_OkSwKNerTfHRrX53TmNvDSFv2qUSDOdC6maGTwjhSMLb2W9hUnXLPfHe1LE_JzrAz_uqJPQgAvNelLfH_ZuTd06LZ3mRJMpn08wKtqxNz76wbIq00nDeBwPqdTdalYd/s1600/sushi5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iOpPkZ8hvTxQ_OkSwKNerTfHRrX53TmNvDSFv2qUSDOdC6maGTwjhSMLb2W9hUnXLPfHe1LE_JzrAz_uqJPQgAvNelLfH_ZuTd06LZ3mRJMpn08wKtqxNz76wbIq00nDeBwPqdTdalYd/s400/sushi5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And that's that! Easy and delicious.<br />
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We've been doing this pretty regularly since, and have gotten a bit better at it. Keep in mind these rolls are about as easy as it gets, but for a first attempt I think I did pretty well here. If you like sushi, these are pretty simple to do, so there's no reason not to try.<br />
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(Next time perhaps I'll try making rolls with the rice on the outside!?)bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-77389161885527747722012-03-02T11:07:00.000-05:002012-03-02T11:08:26.058-05:00Tumbl OnJust a quick note today:<br>
<br>
Because I feel the need to join every social networking site in existence for some reason, I've signed on with Tumblr recently. It's in no way replacing this blog - I'll mainly be using it to post new and old comics and sketches, as well as follow and share stuff from the comics/art community there.<br>
<br>
So if you tumbl, tumbl on over to <a href="http://bryesque.tumblr.com/">http://bryesque.tumblr.com</a>!bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-88199168834927320512012-02-15T22:42:00.004-05:002012-02-15T22:45:04.763-05:00Brysketch: LoganAnnnd just a quick one before bed, this time of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brykotyk/6884189619/in/photostream">my best buddy in the universe, Logan</a>:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6kceFKyj2BFsQsfV_Ioq0YyswjCZ4Du7JCdesmJDV4AotGuYH3SSVxictPYcb-8LbMdwekRGMZxFCd00ZkfsT7udBeKeH1cJ8KSqqntbw-QktSz1pek9Ne2DKPKzwMqLKmI59DyeaHta/s1600/logan-sketch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6kceFKyj2BFsQsfV_Ioq0YyswjCZ4Du7JCdesmJDV4AotGuYH3SSVxictPYcb-8LbMdwekRGMZxFCd00ZkfsT7udBeKeH1cJ8KSqqntbw-QktSz1pek9Ne2DKPKzwMqLKmI59DyeaHta/s1600/logan-sketch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709573826296713922" /></a><br /><br />(Okay, <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> quick one, but whatever, just for fun!)bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-24707991533863593232012-02-14T08:00:00.003-05:002012-02-14T08:45:15.393-05:00Brysketch: Meryl SilverburghMy friend Neil (who makes a webcomic called <a href="http://www.therubynation.com/" target="_blank">Ruby Nation</a>) suggested yesterday that I draw a Metal Gear Solid character, and I got it immediately in my head to draw Meryl Silverburgh:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiZxzIwal2mJDJ7PnlLOoBn09YpKxXbK4vRr49V2qKw17J2mjJ2aRODZlB2tBcucARGCJXwO1Atk6ISRdaU0OQQCN_nU6Qeyy0Q6G5eEhi5O6SEU0RtYJUr27KUfk4yML9fVYxPG_UEcD/s1600/meryl-inks.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 600px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiZxzIwal2mJDJ7PnlLOoBn09YpKxXbK4vRr49V2qKw17J2mjJ2aRODZlB2tBcucARGCJXwO1Atk6ISRdaU0OQQCN_nU6Qeyy0Q6G5eEhi5O6SEU0RtYJUr27KUfk4yML9fVYxPG_UEcD/s1600/meryl-inks.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708836811466354066" /></a><br />I tried something a bit different this time. Instead of inking directly overtop of photo-blue pencils like I usually do, I drew with a regular mechanical pencil, scanned that, coloured it cyan and lightened the lines up, then printed that out and inked overtop the printed version. The problem was I didn't have any high-quality paper that fit my printer, so I tried it on basic printer paper... which didn't really take the inks as well, making the job a bit sloppier than I intended. Fortunately I can just print the cyan pencils out on better paper and try again, but for now, here's what I've got!<br /><br />If time permits, I might have something else on the weekend. (I almost forgot I have a comic to finish for Thursday!)bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-85140437179578873042012-02-12T15:34:00.004-05:002012-02-12T15:36:46.751-05:00Brysketch: LinkAnd because I <span style="font-style:italic;">seriously can't stop</span>, here's a quick Link head sketch to go with the Zelda from earlier:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9uNUJSXnFawHv155J5evR9hLhcg6j6vXZ8luGZgZ-r5e2PFNj2yb7RB5hVkSGZyDKbT46ff57tyXrApqmjH2NItrEND7fR8-GpBZMsImhlnzMXL89sgsssnfVydz1n_ImVpgPYrQOx1h/s1600/link-bkotyk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9uNUJSXnFawHv155J5evR9hLhcg6j6vXZ8luGZgZ-r5e2PFNj2yb7RB5hVkSGZyDKbT46ff57tyXrApqmjH2NItrEND7fR8-GpBZMsImhlnzMXL89sgsssnfVydz1n_ImVpgPYrQOx1h/s1600/link-bkotyk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708350526076410050" /></a><br /><br />That's... probably enough for one day.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-52661418745706141512012-02-12T11:36:00.003-05:002012-02-12T12:46:14.753-05:00Brysketch: ZeldaSince I <span style="font-style:italic;">can't stop drawing</span>, here's another quick one - a head sketch of Zelda, as she appears in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gsVfvksT-KF7u-s8C83kYUcTG0wXZhJPICvwURWxSDzXD5puXFUiIzY_dcI3l-lZcvepG-LyS-v6cypltnVfsI9jXLF6n25awblVVikH3qOwe0OzIfo9oEikCqE6Ok6zGmuyiAjcQcQy/s1600/zelda-bkotyk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gsVfvksT-KF7u-s8C83kYUcTG0wXZhJPICvwURWxSDzXD5puXFUiIzY_dcI3l-lZcvepG-LyS-v6cypltnVfsI9jXLF6n25awblVVikH3qOwe0OzIfo9oEikCqE6Ok6zGmuyiAjcQcQy/s1600/zelda-bkotyk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708284497577710146" /></a><br /><br />I don't play video games as much as I used to. In fact, before I got Skyward Sword for Xmas, the last time I played anything seriously (beyond Wii Fit or a few rounds of Street Fighter) was about a full year prior. And even then, I'm only maybe 1/3 through the game as of now - I only play when I'm in the mood and have nothing else pressing to take care of, so it's not super often.<br /><br />But damn. DAMN.<br /><br />It's really incredible. I'm loving it as much as I did Ocarina of Time back in '98 (when I was... holy shit, 14!?), and that game was practically a religious experience for me. The Zelda series has always been a huge favourite of mine (and it's maybe worth noting that this is coming from a dude with a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFnGm0SYxG3sX4maIUPvQQWkzbMpte_mtUfGyH8UPT45937303ncTK-yQgP9-pDrQrIu1UGRm2zuC54Tj8atf4-l9830f3SOmLREWsIZ8UnHmDBhc2uDj0NOHQXBNwBgaYJUgwa4fynyv/s1600/triforce-tattoo.jpg">Triforce symbol tattooed on his arm</a>) but this has to be one of its best games yet. So basically I'm saying you should play it immediately.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-43990884191477028482012-02-12T09:00:00.005-05:002012-02-12T10:59:21.612-05:00Brysketch: Power GirlJust a quick sketch today - I finished Monday's comic early yesterday and felt like doing a little something extra, but something different - a character I've never drawn before. Since the character's been redesigned recently, I went with DC's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Girl">Power Girl</a> (created by Gerry Conway, Ric Estrada and Wally Wood).<br /><br />The funny thing is, I don't think I own a single comic with Power Girl in it. I haven't ever really followed the character that closely, despite being familiar with her... I just noticed the redesign online the other day and it got me thinking about the character for some reason.<br /><br />Power Girl's probably most well-known for her "classic" costume. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gAnSLazUPy4rF3Rzx2fe_o52qAnQ9dQtD0ighegaZRVC6sIg5dwNDq8Fo8XrmqWLED17jjQvhwF3gzAwc4wxE8pXX3Rjpa-igoJZmd8M6QjzGiE8OmdOSpxYiSiNBu_wcDuaNQTRXCEG/s1600/powergirl-adamhughes.jpg" target="_blank">You... can probably see why</a>. It's a pretty shameless look, and some artists (<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoj2aEZkk-xYov9kO5kx6ULbnC74RqHWA2uHSypqgSHd_A9rZgwAg7y-C9nZGpIUk2V4nC_XIAifGeczu-x0dRlg6x86J1kZRenOfDtlB0U81JyI0z0K21UQrFU63p9pF9n1SuxvCmspWd/s1600/powergirl-amandaconner.jpg" target="_blank">most successfully Amanda Conner</a>) have embraced the cheesecake aspect in a fun, self-aware kind of way. Which is totally fine - that certainly has its place. But putting impractical, "sexy" costumes on female superheroes is incredibly widespread and overdone all-around, and it raises a lot of arguments about <a href="http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/09/22/starfire-catwoman-sex-superheroine/" target="_blank">sexist attitudes toward women in comics</a> that are pretty uncomfortable to say the least. I'm generally pro-practical when it comes to costume design for male <span style="font-style:italic;">or</span> female characters, and feel that costumes are generally far more appealing -- and even sexier -- without tits or ass hanging out, or looking like they'd fall off or apart under any form of pressure.<br /><br />But I'm not a huge fan of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOFyJNAcJW1B8p4RPOMdeszkgyrcaK69w4p2en9M1J84dMfhh0qsbQmZDvrmG66zPAhed_qcPMptwvnFjyikz6nuaz5KHmu8RoXcKHxo3tYkSdKLtCN00GlK_xQW8VcuMrX8n1Y6aifJG/s1600/new52-powergirl.jpg" target="_blank">the new costume</a>, either. It's... okay, but doesn't really grab me. It does away with the "cleavage window" but adds overly-busy gloves and boots with a lot of unnecessary lines (<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzXDOYo9ga1ZGUhUsu36giARgePA-9azUzMxDNKqW2pe-lml4IlP0fH8p6TEkL8JbitOqSg1ojrXd_o2uzzZmiZGFTemAh4X6y6JNlON6gu94mMIGQSfnj14A2Auzd_HPcYckF4XosmI-/s1600/new52-lines.jpg" target="_blank">a common "New 52" design choice</a>), while, <a href="http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/02/10/power-girl-boob-window-gets-closed-in-a-new-costume/" target="_blank">as Comics Alliance pointed out the other day, looking a <span style="font-weight:bold;">lot</span> like the Image Comics character Supreme</a>. And worst of all, the new Power Girl looks a bit... slight. The best part about her classic look was that she was a visually powerful woman. Unlike many/most superheroine designs, she didn't look anorexic or impossibly-proportioned; she was strong, healthy and curvy - often with a bodybuilder physique. That's a big part of what made her look so iconic, and now that's been lost.<br /><br />I <span style="font-style:italic;">do</span> like the covered chest/legs and exposed arms in the new look, though, so I took those aspects and worked them into the core of the classic design, and this is what I got. <br /><br />Now, I did this really quickly while I was fairly sick, so it's... not great. I feel like the proportions are a bit off, but I didn't want to redraw it, so to hell with it, here it is anyway:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD1azRE_jN_lNhu4hSlamjg-dQRhLz4fM7TYtIzAg0W_qKlIKIF3wZ9W-_TkdhubrOW8vuE64BfQ8vU8ZBgegWCZSGL48sUcObbj69uqqE0lSdgrEeFmvCSTzY5aER8cECZGt4P9nHrLG/s1600/powergirl-bkotyk.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 600px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD1azRE_jN_lNhu4hSlamjg-dQRhLz4fM7TYtIzAg0W_qKlIKIF3wZ9W-_TkdhubrOW8vuE64BfQ8vU8ZBgegWCZSGL48sUcObbj69uqqE0lSdgrEeFmvCSTzY5aER8cECZGt4P9nHrLG/s1600/powergirl-bkotyk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708122407041108626" /></a><br /><br />I know I'm not the first to draw something along these lines, and I'm sure it's been done <span style="font-style:italic;">much better</span> elsewhere. But I think it's a solid tweak to the classic design that takes away a lot of the cheesecake factor while still remaining recognizable.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-9646710113844412222012-02-11T20:01:00.003-05:002012-02-11T20:18:38.689-05:00Everything in its Right PlaceI've got about 700 unfinished blog posts saved in the queue and no time to finish them. By the time I get around to it, they'll either be irrelevant or I'll have lost interest. That's okay. I'll update eventually.<br /><br />For now, it's life, work, comic. I'm damn close to hitting #100, which is sort of exciting!<br /><br />This is how the process looks right now:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brykotyk/6859616407/" title="I Have a System. by bryesque, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6859616407_bbcf22b1d7_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="I Have a System."></a></center><br />I have a system. Honest.<br /><br />More... <span style="font-style:italic;">soon?</span>bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-39878095182713984502012-01-11T08:45:00.015-05:002012-01-11T09:47:10.787-05:002012It's here! It's here.<br /><br />(Rather, it's been here for a week and a half and I've been too busy/distracted to update...)<br /><br />I don't buy into any of these 2012 "end of days" theories because I'm not superstitious and require a little evidence to believe pretty much anything. But my next birthday will fall on 12/12/12, so if the world <i>does</i> end (it won't) and it turns out I'm the Double Antichrist or something... well, sorry about that.<br /><br />For 2012, I'm predicting a year like any other, except I hope that people smarten up and try to destroy our society and planet a little less than usual. (And also that Community gets renewed for a fourth season.)<br /><br />My resolution for this year is to stay the course. More specifically, keep working on the comic, step up my game and invest in my future, and basically be as awesome as possible. Also, I plan to continue working on myself, particularly becoming better at dealing with stress and frustration (I'm much better than I was a few years ago, and hope to keep moving in that direction) and just make a point to live in the moment a bit more and enjoy life as much as possible.<br /><br />As for <a href="http://bryesque.blogspot.com/2011/01/resolute.html">last year's resolutions</a>? I think I did all right. Aside from a few hiccups and a little hiatus, I kept the <a href="http://www.welcometohereafter.com/">Hereafter</a> updates coming on a decent schedule for the most part. I mostly kept a positive attitude during some trying times, which in retrospect was a pretty damn good test of my mindset. I feel like a much more well-rounded person now than I was a year ago, more connected and self-assured, more motivated and productive. I'm not all the way there yet, but I've made some strides, I think. I just have to keep moving in that direction.<br /><br />My good friend Mel posted <a href="http://smilesfrommel.blogspot.com/2012/01/for-moment.html">her theme for 2012</a> the other day, so once again I'm stealing her idea. This is mine:<br /><br /><center><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Olr5Bk7jm3I" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><br />Have a great year, everybody! I'll try to update again before 2013.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-36284064802900138732011-12-20T12:45:00.012-05:002011-12-24T22:01:52.380-05:00The War on ChristmasI've got a confession to make. Brace yourself, Internet...<br /><br />I say "happy holidays".<br /><br />I know that this is a grave offense to some. Every year, certain segments of the population get all worked up over some never-ending "War on Christmas" that threatens... I dunno, <span style="font-style:italic;">something,</span> I guess? Apparently so much as neglecting to say "Merry Christmas" at every given opportunity is the equivalent of firing cruise missiles into the heart of Jesusland.<br /><br />I admit I'm biased. Oh, you'd better <span style="font-style:italic;">believe</span> I'm biased. But it doesn't come from a place of disrespect. I'm the ripe old age of <span style="font-style:italic;">28</span> now, don't you know, complete with a few little traces maturity and wisdom and everything! I may have issues with the more extreme versions of Christianity, but "to each their own" is my philosophy these days; stirring up trouble is for hot-headed kids. But while having strong beliefs is fine and good, if you can't respect others for their own at the same time, that strikes me as more than a bit hypocritical.<br /><br />And that's what it comes down to for me - just simple equality and fairness. I've got nothing against Christmas, I celebrate it in a secular, non-religious kind of way. And I'm cool with anyone's individual personal beliefs, so long as they remember the <i>personal</i> part. But the thing is, people in our society believe more than one thing, and celebrate more than one holiday, and the need to have one singled out above all others doesn't ring true to me in any kind of free, open culture. I just can't accept the mindset that not specifically mentioning Christ is somehow discriminatory, either. Nearly 80% of people in Canada and the United States identify as Christian, so yeah, I find it a <span style="font-style:italic;">bit</span> hard to buy into the idea that they're somehow victimized over this. The argument has been made that "you can't say Christmas anymore". Which is funny, since I've heard it every day for weeks.<br /><br />(And for the record, I don't get upset when I hear "Merry Christmas". It's not my religion, but it's just intended as well-wishing, so I just respond with a cheery "you too". And usually the opposite is true when I say "happy holidays" - not <span style="font-style:italic;">always,</span> but usually.)<br /><br />"Happy holidays" is all-inclusive. That's the beauty of it - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winter_festivals">whatever holiday you celebrate</a>, it's covered. That's the ideal to me - it shouldn't matter if yours is the most popular or the most mainstream or whatever, just live and let live and wish everyone the best. Shouldn't be that hard.<br /><br />Besides which, what we now call Christmas originated as a Roman Pagan holiday celebrating the god Saturn, so y'know, let's not get <span style="font-style:italic;">too</span> defensive about "the reason for the season".<br /><br /><br />I'm essentially finished gift shopping for the year - just waiting on a few late packages to arrive. I only buy for my parents, my girlfriend and my dog. I like to keep it fairly small and simple, but it's easy to get a bit carried away, I guess. Gift-giving is pretty fun, far more enjoyable than gift-receiving to be honest. It can basically be a challenge to see how well you "get" someone you care about - though I'd argue that anyone who really cares for you in return should be appreciative regardless. I had fun with it this year. Sometimes nerve-wracking, but the reactions will be super rewarding. <br /><br /><br />I've received some really cool stuff from my girlfriend and my parents already - some birthday gifts, some early holiday ones:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdA2cJrQ98za2MSmDAC_GzDdEXS646-UyX3oQ8T9TGmZsrlEwsFk_5oeizfsZaqf2-J01JKz4K3DZwuNdG0s5Zdm2hypg5FtIrhHB668dtsnf62C-0FxjKRqDuTqYnRhzK-h7LQnrjKxq/s1600/gift-who.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdA2cJrQ98za2MSmDAC_GzDdEXS646-UyX3oQ8T9TGmZsrlEwsFk_5oeizfsZaqf2-J01JKz4K3DZwuNdG0s5Zdm2hypg5FtIrhHB668dtsnf62C-0FxjKRqDuTqYnRhzK-h7LQnrjKxq/s400/gift-who.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688229994578563058" /></a>My girlfriend gave me the gifts of mutual nerd obsession, a Doctor Who t-shirt (she got herself a matching one) and my own Sonic Screwdriver.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESODe5y0Z4eQ5dFn5bVI8oKZz-0I9Dj31puDp8z7HpS8o8KkSjH3O-a94S2mgig5zB_39xn5ptG0wBMSKLMRHPTUtDLNpZAkpi6vCbiERj_oRru5w67C0B8h_yjdR1Vt6Tq9TaQ7W3AIF/s1600/gift-light.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESODe5y0Z4eQ5dFn5bVI8oKZz-0I9Dj31puDp8z7HpS8o8KkSjH3O-a94S2mgig5zB_39xn5ptG0wBMSKLMRHPTUtDLNpZAkpi6vCbiERj_oRru5w67C0B8h_yjdR1Vt6Tq9TaQ7W3AIF/s400/gift-light.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688229991236677730" /></a>My mom got me this super cool hanging lamp for my studio. It's made up of a bunch of plastic pieces that lock together into this "ball", and the green glow it makes is phenomenal. Really completes my working space.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_sHOA17YkyKjObGvIiCOsu7TlgPV_9HtGUVKLpBllQCTnZ9yyGNd-cNRVweg7WyQutKJ_55NGC6lD9U7I6LCgeRJNiu6JpKY0gz8qqtKB7igMuS7l9H4fHBlOLFt8f7MaXHTfK-vrNyL/s1600/gift-bostonornament.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_sHOA17YkyKjObGvIiCOsu7TlgPV_9HtGUVKLpBllQCTnZ9yyGNd-cNRVweg7WyQutKJ_55NGC6lD9U7I6LCgeRJNiu6JpKY0gz8qqtKB7igMuS7l9H4fHBlOLFt8f7MaXHTfK-vrNyL/s400/gift-bostonornament.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688229995496799538" /></a>About a month ago, my mom surprised me with this Boston Terrier tree ornament. Because she's well aware that Logan rules this house.<br /><br />That's it for now, gang. If I don't update this beforehand, have a happy holiday, whichever one you celebrate!bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-86597666199229173902011-12-13T09:29:00.004-05:002011-12-20T14:08:13.650-05:00Then and NowChristmas 1986 (I think):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkG53-2pb5DmUDo6EGWUW0le6qfZ0vvxo3uEFQpIgv2VkpW6zgKL-e7uorSIWdyybKd7gRGL9tqYO-BjPnsYBoxR4bMJ4O_cGJJS4aD7nCIKkq-QhBOgFPUm2odRcaMMQE7sVYIezaQMl/s1600/xmas1986.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkG53-2pb5DmUDo6EGWUW0le6qfZ0vvxo3uEFQpIgv2VkpW6zgKL-e7uorSIWdyybKd7gRGL9tqYO-BjPnsYBoxR4bMJ4O_cGJJS4aD7nCIKkq-QhBOgFPUm2odRcaMMQE7sVYIezaQMl/s400/xmas1986.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685366887032373602" border="0" /></a><br />Christmas 2011:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtLDh5JyX-FVMfaDVBUK7qclFh0eGs2x20pO9s1qF4ytbkAJ64LzWk607TyU2CXyj7xWvqGGNEoYHwK4WzovvJBTNRxb6sl4uceRwek5uY0Lvs-DxUH9c_U0ELuvGktF23H_DXyu0hn_E/s1600/xmas2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtLDh5JyX-FVMfaDVBUK7qclFh0eGs2x20pO9s1qF4ytbkAJ64LzWk607TyU2CXyj7xWvqGGNEoYHwK4WzovvJBTNRxb6sl4uceRwek5uY0Lvs-DxUH9c_U0ELuvGktF23H_DXyu0hn_E/s400/xmas2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685366888248015346" border="0" /></a><br />(Hair and height aside, I don't know if I've changed all that much.)bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-9678137608680502332011-12-01T07:30:00.010-05:002011-12-01T10:44:16.074-05:00The DifferenceThe big difference between me at the beginning of the year and me now at the end is that my dreams aren't haunting me anymore, they're reassuring me. I wake up so often now, feeling like my brain just gave me a hug and told me, "You're doing all right! Stay the course, good buddy!" (My brain is goofy, but I like it.)<br /><br />Change seems to be a regular topic with me. Or at least it feels like it's been my basic theme this year. There's been a lot of it, and it's been really positive, overall. It's important to take these regular moments to appreciate that, and my immediate response is always to share that in some way, to talk about it - or write about it, in this case.<br /><br />Today I posted <a href="http://www.welcometohereafter.com/2011/12/01/the-passion/">the 81st "Welcome to Hereafter" comic</a>, and this week the site's been active for a full year. I started drawing the comic sporadically in January 2009, posting them to my now-long-dead LiveJournal. I had no schedule. I had no discipline. Things went on this way for well over a year, and this meant I had very little to show for that time.<br /><br />Toward the end of 2010, I was staring down the barrel of 27 ("<span style="font-style:italic;">officially</span> in my late 20s," I'd say to myself) and decided I had to get serious about things before that imaginary switch clicked over. I understand now that the difference between 26 and 27 is meaningless, but buying into this mindset, seeing periods of life as a series of "levels", was actually pretty helpful at the time. I got to work. I set a schedule, I made a website, and I brought the comic back to life. Back then, I felt the need to have something, some outlet, some product to show for my time and energy. Something tangible. A year later, I don't see it quite the same way.<br /><br />I took a hiatus from the comic earlier in the year when I was dealing with a lot of changes in my life and just couldn't feel the drive to work on it regularly. That drive came back, but it came back different - less about a feeling of need, now more out of simple enjoyment. I like doing it, and I'll keep doing it as long as that enjoyment lasts. I'm learning from it in a lot of ways. Getting comments and compliments from readers -- total strangers to me beforehand -- is a more recent development. And how amazing is that? Even one person who enjoys something I've done and feels the urge to tell me about it... That's huge. That means an absolute ton to me. So cool.<br /><br /><br />Not much else I feel like writing about right now, so here are yet more pictures of my best buddy and loyal ally, Logan:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_Hwqq9hDCVlrKZxFpYYGHAyo1IuH9koaZJUN7ipmDfe62tQv2FLGENa91NohkoMn-2XwcU6QkCl7C50WwTKyyvGt6tmizoN-GdGIPgJGK0_AxhXXAg1x5zY6Zc3Snv-2K5EnU9jSz3Sv/s1600/logan-winter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_Hwqq9hDCVlrKZxFpYYGHAyo1IuH9koaZJUN7ipmDfe62tQv2FLGENa91NohkoMn-2XwcU6QkCl7C50WwTKyyvGt6tmizoN-GdGIPgJGK0_AxhXXAg1x5zY6Zc3Snv-2K5EnU9jSz3Sv/s400/logan-winter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680476152622181602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHNo9cj5M-J15IHLf4gN2vJn29GgU9a8J88MonjOXRcLvNzowSKYFzBuQPG8H3lPgLKvS5IC2qtyKNrfFuEUT4Zkyu-qTHs0O9U2dNH483jmlcoiAry0iKYfAkBbAmnObUtXXyHq2JmRD/s1600/logan-sunbeam.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHNo9cj5M-J15IHLf4gN2vJn29GgU9a8J88MonjOXRcLvNzowSKYFzBuQPG8H3lPgLKvS5IC2qtyKNrfFuEUT4Zkyu-qTHs0O9U2dNH483jmlcoiAry0iKYfAkBbAmnObUtXXyHq2JmRD/s400/logan-sunbeam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680476146434973874" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiiOh3MzlfOAndg1SkSxOX2LQZMgKSPRSkn1BEWNyuY5kCqXiothfXPreaiciCfw4MrXrJZ23XhXW2VYEhT3u3RWAPOFqGM6Yu9LeGf5hMTbpov8JjuGwQoAkB4Z2141O6j1DpVY4q_UY/s1600/logan-studio.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiiOh3MzlfOAndg1SkSxOX2LQZMgKSPRSkn1BEWNyuY5kCqXiothfXPreaiciCfw4MrXrJZ23XhXW2VYEhT3u3RWAPOFqGM6Yu9LeGf5hMTbpov8JjuGwQoAkB4Z2141O6j1DpVY4q_UY/s400/logan-studio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680476139022935234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDF6TY6W878IIlqe3s27mA3tB4nEUAv4RyVEKlZHGPZEt1YptZa4rG53JpZHrPijyi5OLBH4Wox_-7dE5QW1ODq_Tzhx3beJua4Gxtu7nkV6-_PHpTCwG_Oih__V7HDvsxXIs7KaxunJvK/s1600/logan-bed.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDF6TY6W878IIlqe3s27mA3tB4nEUAv4RyVEKlZHGPZEt1YptZa4rG53JpZHrPijyi5OLBH4Wox_-7dE5QW1ODq_Tzhx3beJua4Gxtu7nkV6-_PHpTCwG_Oih__V7HDvsxXIs7KaxunJvK/s400/logan-bed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680476135693960370" border="0" /></a><br />You can't tell me that last picture isn't the cutest thing you've ever seen. You <b>just can't.</b><br /><br /><br />And hey, wrapping this up with a really great song my friend Mike introduced me to a while back, but I kept forgetting the name of - "When I'm Small" by Phantogram:<br /><br /><center><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/28tZ-S1LFok" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></center>bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-66014825462243536952011-11-28T19:00:00.009-05:002011-11-28T22:59:30.019-05:00Mushroom/Potato Frittata + Mushroom MeltI've been sitting on this update for over a week now. I had the pictures ready, but I've had a lot going on lately, and sitting down to finish up the post itself never got to the top of my priority list until... well, right now.<br /><br />So yeah, here we go! This is another cooking update, sort of a followup to the <a href="http://bryesque.blogspot.com/2011/11/spicy-business.html">curry and rice post</a> from a few weeks back. This time my Special Lady and I made a potato/shiitake mushroom frittata with portobello/broccoli melts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWdV6wTIufH3IqdfF32RvdZ5LhR78-S0_cJNKccUkcBAFLTwg4Q_uEXN76HVR8zCYdV9qoPa5kGObLkQvpMbPJXYj21yLnBwqM4ta9qInWMEAZZ9C4sGZn_Gg6c4nr_-9JuOQM1hfzPHX/s1600/frittata1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWdV6wTIufH3IqdfF32RvdZ5LhR78-S0_cJNKccUkcBAFLTwg4Q_uEXN76HVR8zCYdV9qoPa5kGObLkQvpMbPJXYj21yLnBwqM4ta9qInWMEAZZ9C4sGZn_Gg6c4nr_-9JuOQM1hfzPHX/s400/frittata1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473517047855506" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHni5dYjNX7UqvYUf7l33TJMxRBw01u9T5b0diIgNYFsJjlf2-a9n8HYp-36Bg-vjyEQDvIxIy-h2f5Ysk7VY0VZzpN9ChQYFgCNeOhIi9Un8Woa9Ey3AdVu4EaJWV6w5sSCF54i6OHj/s1600/frittata2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByHni5dYjNX7UqvYUf7l33TJMxRBw01u9T5b0diIgNYFsJjlf2-a9n8HYp-36Bg-vjyEQDvIxIy-h2f5Ysk7VY0VZzpN9ChQYFgCNeOhIi9Un8Woa9Ey3AdVu4EaJWV6w5sSCF54i6OHj/s400/frittata2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473517903511042" /></a><br />Started off with chopping. Lots of chopping. Turns out I'm not half bad at it, crippling fear of cutting up my hands notwithstanding. (Though that happens enough accidentally already.)<br /><br />All said, I chopped up five or six potatoes, several shiitake mushrooms, as well as spinach, parsley and basil for later.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotzso5Gn4fZIePEtTmPquDj1jLXEYSkiUthpkvoOCzFMF7tPe0_7vFi619nUxu6I_XpSlynOap1G7wiZ7HC059LXI_aUogEY9H8qIfFkcG7K01k46A1dQX_EMbJk33dNFs6VG41jYEw6X/s1600/frittata3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotzso5Gn4fZIePEtTmPquDj1jLXEYSkiUthpkvoOCzFMF7tPe0_7vFi619nUxu6I_XpSlynOap1G7wiZ7HC059LXI_aUogEY9H8qIfFkcG7K01k46A1dQX_EMbJk33dNFs6VG41jYEw6X/s400/frittata3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473515900687618" /></a><br />We toss that in a big frying pan with some oil and garlic.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZBTiPP1fljGFsXvnE6OiCmoLuIKWc8kn2sxaZB-9oSIEyJim4azkvzCd3RnfHyzXt763sx24kL7d3gXukktzTazwpPLh4bLjLi3fJnJ9OSV-_cLnIW0fPVwtlANK5rjHmjj2UQYLfFZV/s1600/frittata4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZBTiPP1fljGFsXvnE6OiCmoLuIKWc8kn2sxaZB-9oSIEyJim4azkvzCd3RnfHyzXt763sx24kL7d3gXukktzTazwpPLh4bLjLi3fJnJ9OSV-_cLnIW0fPVwtlANK5rjHmjj2UQYLfFZV/s400/frittata4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473523940858946" /></a><br />Next up was my least-favourite part of the process - whipping up egg whites into a froth. This took longer by hand than I expected. Would have been nice to have an electric mixer, but you know what they say about the result being more satisfying when you do it the hard way...?<br /><br />That's right, it's a load of nonsense. Give me an electric mixer any day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezcdddakPh3V7_QzGxPt_k-OuW9hwPbYyKKYOWS_O7_iSrn7dkaH7a2ez3zpGzB6N9TGnOb3BWilk2ezch9d1mi0J13_92ja7SlkS8k9JNemnU-3R2xNG5BwsJp-rYCZiBcbLhvyeMQN4/s1600/frittata5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezcdddakPh3V7_QzGxPt_k-OuW9hwPbYyKKYOWS_O7_iSrn7dkaH7a2ez3zpGzB6N9TGnOb3BWilk2ezch9d1mi0J13_92ja7SlkS8k9JNemnU-3R2xNG5BwsJp-rYCZiBcbLhvyeMQN4/s400/frittata5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473525550087522" /></a><br />Meanwhile, she mixed up two full eggs with whole wheat flour, milk, baking power, sea salt and pepper.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCBwQ-sDiqaBpzs_nI3zsi9sx3he3xbh8TtimmsHvgj21ldAVFQTxgD36pqHbb8gBwwYmw9QXlQJncs1MUWDDp0LKpYjOxLOeC_5mboEYj8S_kcOEkIA6dVqbQ-f_3cm_R709ZJUVOEaa/s1600/frittata6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCBwQ-sDiqaBpzs_nI3zsi9sx3he3xbh8TtimmsHvgj21ldAVFQTxgD36pqHbb8gBwwYmw9QXlQJncs1MUWDDp0LKpYjOxLOeC_5mboEYj8S_kcOEkIA6dVqbQ-f_3cm_R709ZJUVOEaa/s400/frittata6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473719867979586" /></a><br />When we were both finished each mixture, we added some spinach, parsley and basil, then I folded the egg whites into the whole eggs.<br /><br />(And right now I'll admit that I had to Google-research how to fold properly beforehand, but somehow I... pulled it off!?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg1RvxQsdzI0N32LU7BBkNdWj8xhpJzZrpyNBEodQoep-eeCHGuqmR0zfstI3o_hHqHX9BY4atng_4YiRy5jxXyTZkrEJHYp3EAXW2shzqb42JXhjmIp0krg7I79j4423jbpKiZcFUQFr/s1600/frittata7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCg1RvxQsdzI0N32LU7BBkNdWj8xhpJzZrpyNBEodQoep-eeCHGuqmR0zfstI3o_hHqHX9BY4atng_4YiRy5jxXyTZkrEJHYp3EAXW2shzqb42JXhjmIp0krg7I79j4423jbpKiZcFUQFr/s400/frittata7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473045426217074" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.oxygenmag.com/Nutrition/Articles/Mushroom-Potato-Frittata.aspx">The recipe</a> called for a oven-proof skillet. But... I don't have one, so we used a casserole dish instead. (This caused a small hiccup later on.) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAh0jRt2gObPiLZ82EYpVPfS_c3XPIBFPkPr8njrbpVDmKHyt6OCpzHiOTIzR3R1zm53cQENwDYiAaL8ejsB3VSdlxyHrLzMoqFj_iHV7qSRddaIl8aWn7ArzWwMMH012o1rcrwo36Q_M/s1600/frittata8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAh0jRt2gObPiLZ82EYpVPfS_c3XPIBFPkPr8njrbpVDmKHyt6OCpzHiOTIzR3R1zm53cQENwDYiAaL8ejsB3VSdlxyHrLzMoqFj_iHV7qSRddaIl8aWn7ArzWwMMH012o1rcrwo36Q_M/s400/frittata8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473050139600098" /></a><br />We evenly poured the egg mixture overtop of the potato/mushroom combo, and then covered it and let it bake in the oven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xuja2x_Kgmfrn3sJ82zBhssvcsUSByj41MTJbNPcAE6_hC6RdJdVJCLv5DyRdohPrw2Pp_pMJYorGFhWZ6pqa7kr5LRiJpi8WyXjlOw0c7WbqXDkqAqGeQKfeNJJdHu3hqw8QwufuN9g/s1600/melt1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xuja2x_Kgmfrn3sJ82zBhssvcsUSByj41MTJbNPcAE6_hC6RdJdVJCLv5DyRdohPrw2Pp_pMJYorGFhWZ6pqa7kr5LRiJpi8WyXjlOw0c7WbqXDkqAqGeQKfeNJJdHu3hqw8QwufuN9g/s400/melt1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473052644617666" /></a><br />While the frittata was baking, we started making the mushroom melts. More chopping, this time broccoli, and afterward slicing portobello mushrooms into strips.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHt9wAtMlUBKAv2cD5ZZG3ZHlqL9mjNX6FoS0BuqLIRlIycCmwX_4Qq6ZObuRapBmIi6H23wMiKyObaFocM1TTyqm1co-wq_zKU7pos6ZjCzLpQvmjJKSyjYZEGQISBXvC3lX6t4CA_UV/s1600/melt2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHt9wAtMlUBKAv2cD5ZZG3ZHlqL9mjNX6FoS0BuqLIRlIycCmwX_4Qq6ZObuRapBmIi6H23wMiKyObaFocM1TTyqm1co-wq_zKU7pos6ZjCzLpQvmjJKSyjYZEGQISBXvC3lX6t4CA_UV/s400/melt2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473053726153954" /></a><br />We fried them for a while with oil and pesto.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbHw6kvuECf7DpnwCPwXIjwVzgmHPv87a4TxR_gHTRyE7BfiSOvF83N1uUa8DJhrNk_Jc-irpPX1w3I78dlOvZc_YZSKJscn-5NRgxUutWNVwCP6KLJII882S0w2zbXbE3bR7tDG5YYtp/s1600/melt3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbHw6kvuECf7DpnwCPwXIjwVzgmHPv87a4TxR_gHTRyE7BfiSOvF83N1uUa8DJhrNk_Jc-irpPX1w3I78dlOvZc_YZSKJscn-5NRgxUutWNVwCP6KLJII882S0w2zbXbE3bR7tDG5YYtp/s400/melt3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473062462069298" /></a><br />Once the portobello and broccoli were done, we put together the sandwiches with mozzarella and put them in the oven.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86NMUuUXUdMHNx6xzh94h5F5q0L04yA0roTwb0MxLGga49jkfexReWmYdub3fwmnGgpGfK82a6jCg-BUh9dLV39ll0a-POnJU8cM0jpkeKlEVVHO4Zj9FuSgRmXppUDCq2YeYccNbI67J/s1600/done.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86NMUuUXUdMHNx6xzh94h5F5q0L04yA0roTwb0MxLGga49jkfexReWmYdub3fwmnGgpGfK82a6jCg-BUh9dLV39ll0a-POnJU8cM0jpkeKlEVVHO4Zj9FuSgRmXppUDCq2YeYccNbI67J/s400/done.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676473333347525170" /></a><br />Once we thought we were done, we took both out of the oven served them all up. However, this is where that little hiccup came up.<br /><br />If you're at all familiar with frittatas (which apparently I was not), you'll instantly see what's wrong with them in the above picture. Frittatas are supposed to hold together, but ours didn't. I think this is because the recipe we were following called for an ovenproof skillet, and we used a larger casserole dish, so the baking time didn't get the job done. Thankfully, letting it bake a while longer solved this issue for us, but it was a decent learning experience.<br /><br />Final verdict? <span style="font-weight:bold;">Freaking delicious.</span><br /><br />Hopefully there'll be another installment before too long.bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010975731392945130.post-49602775584609094352011-11-15T16:00:00.024-05:002011-11-15T22:11:03.018-05:00The Touch of Death<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_zUKeYpe4wv4WCgGxMbhvwxqxEcd6DknveZVPpU0_Z2lwHicrTh_mAD0xCmowBKmk2QOx2ctriIgSWZ0nPbwgUXCgzo72KDxprulrFmmkQOrCx8kxd4kHseioiyTGMeuNRq1GdK0Tc5_/s1600/community_papers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_zUKeYpe4wv4WCgGxMbhvwxqxEcd6DknveZVPpU0_Z2lwHicrTh_mAD0xCmowBKmk2QOx2ctriIgSWZ0nPbwgUXCgzo72KDxprulrFmmkQOrCx8kxd4kHseioiyTGMeuNRq1GdK0Tc5_/s400/community_papers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675273487245604610" /></a><br />Woe! Utter woe! Cult favourite series (and best damn comedy on television) <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/today-in-news-from-the-darkest-timeline-nbc-pulls,65145/">Community has been pulled from NBC's mid-season schedule</a>, starting in January. Officially it's not cancelled, and NBC has stated that all 22 episodes this season will be completed and air. But it's not exactly reassuring.<br /><br />It's not like my life revolves around what's on TV. I've got too much going on. I do have a small list of shows I watch regularly, but even then it's hard to keep up with them all the time. Community, though, I almost always watch live, because I'm too damn excited for each episode not to. And that's the thing - the show may not be getting huge ratings, but the fanbase is extremely passionate and devoted. The writing is some of the sharpest, funniest stuff out there right now and the cast is phenomenal across the board. In that way it makes me flash back to Arrested Development, another brilliant show that struggled in the ratings and failed to find a large audience for reasons I just can't understand.<br /><br />I'm used to having my finger a bit removed from the pulse of the general public. It's not something I seek out, but it seems to happen pretty regularly; I like what I like, and what I like isn't always a massive hit. This isn't always the case -- I mean, it's not like Spider-Man, Back to the Future and the White Stripes are in any way obscure -- but I've fallen head over heels for a lot of series teetering on the brink of cancellation, and it almost feels sometimes like my love for something is essentially giving it the touch of death.<br /><br />(Okay, I'm being dramatic. But it's a pattern!)<br /><br />What's popular, on the other hand, I can't always (or even often) get into at all. Not that I haven't tried. I've watched about a dozen episodes of The Big Bang Theory, for example, which is a pretty massive hit. I don't think I've laughed once at it. I even get most of the geeky references, but its format just feels too safe and played-out and the characters all feel to me like the same "nerd" stereotypes that have been overused -- and used badly at that -- for the past 25 years or so. It doesn't feel fresh, it doesn't take risks, and that means it bores me.<br /><br />But it's popular. Very popular. A <span style="font-style:italic;">lot</span> of people love it. I may not dig it, but it's hard for me to claim it doesn't have value. A lot of people love American Idol and Two and a Half Men and the Twilight movies and the Black Eyed Peas and comics written by Jeph Loeb, too. Me, I <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> don't. And time was I might be inclined to judge those things and their audiences, but for whatever tongue-in-cheek jokes I may make about them, that's a time I've moved past. Those things are popular, they have large audiences of people who value them, and that's just fine. Ones' personal tastes and opinions aren't facts, and that's something I learn more every day.<br /><br />So where am I going with this? I don't know, honestly. Maybe I'm feeling like I've got a family member in the hospital and I'm making peace with the idea that they might not pull through. (Okay, being dramatic again...) But until the prognosis comes in, I'm gonna keep watching my favourite show and I'm gonna hope that it comes back soon and strong, and if I'm lucky, even gets picked up for another year. I'm gonna keep telling people how great it is and hope that they start following it too. And if it does wind up being cancelled, I'm going to appreciate the years of entertainment the show, its cast and crew gave me, and feel good knowing that, like Arrested Development before it, it'll be fondly remembered and respected for a long time to come.<br /><br /><br />That said, now I'll end this on a video proving that the show was made <span style="font-weight:bold;">just for me:</span><br /><br /><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-SFTYh9i-o4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>bryesquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10377542343941288555noreply@blogger.com2