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Here's the picture Tom drew of Joe and I:

This sketch is, of course, based on the Wonder Twins. For those not familiar with the Wonder Twins, they were a lame addition to the Super Friends cartoon waaaaaay back in the day. They'd smack their fists together and say, "Wonder Twin powers... ACTIVATE!" and then one of them would say "Form of...a leopard!" and the other one would say "Form of...rain!" and then they'd change into a leopard and rain, respectively. One was always an animal and one was always some form of water. I think the boy (Zan) was the water person and the girl (Zayna) was the animal person. Sure, the writers got creative and let Zan turn into things like an "ice Maserati" or a "steam bowtie," but it was still lame. Zayna at least got to change into any animal she wanted, fantastical or not. Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal? She could so do that if she wanted.

Anyway, I thought the sketch was fun. I like seeing cartoon versions of myself for some reason. Some day maybe I'll post all the cartoon variants of myself I've collected. That might be fun.

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If you're coming here from Theater Hopper, I've got two things to say to you:

• Welcome.
• I'm sorry this is only a blog and not some fancy webcomic.

Joe and I collaborated on another guest strip for Tom and it's up today. Like I did last time, I thought I'd run through it for you here.

• In the first panel, Tom and Jared are out walking Truman. On the telephone pole you see two "Missing" posters. The fellows pictured are Mouse and Boulder, two characters Tom talked about introducing but decided against. It's this time's inside joke, just like the Horsefight: 2049 poster from last time.
• The Babel Fish is from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a fantastic five-book trilogy of humorous sci-fi books. There's a movie version of the first book in the series being released this Friday. The Babel Fish resides in a person's ear and translates any language it hears into something the person with the Babel Fish in his ear can understand. That's not the official explanation, but it is the upshot of what it does.
• I personally loved the idea that McDonald's would hand out Babel Fish in their Happy Meals - and working ones, no less!
• Second panel - as mentioned, the Babel Fish resides in a person's ear. Poor Jared. He's always getting beat up or having fish shoved in his ears.
• Third panel - I've always imagined Truman as smarter than anyone else in the strip (except maybe Cami), so it made sense to me that he would try to talk to Jared as soon as he knew Jared could understand him.
• Fourth panel - it actually took me a while to decide what awful movie to have Truman reveal that Tom secretly loved. Elektra is one of the worst most recently released on DVD.
• I love the idea that a pet's idea of revenge is to barf in his owner's sock drawer.

Tom drew a sketch of Joe and I collaborating on the strip, and I'd like to post it here, but I need to ask his permission first. You can see it now by voting for Theater Hopper over at buzzComix. Don't worry, you won't get signed up for anything by clicking on that link.

I appreciate Joe not only working with me again but suggesting it in the first place. He's already writing and drawing several strips of his own, so he certainly doesn't need me, but I love working with him. He gets exactly what I'm after and makes it better than I imagined in the first place. Thanks, Joe!

Next up: guest strips for every webcomic you've ever heard of and a week-long story arc at Theater Hopper.

...maybe not.

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I saw The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy tonight. Here is my official review:

I liked it, but did not love it. 1 comments

I've been looking for some sort of "branding" to apply to posts that I do every so often, like these "bunch of random thought" posts and the "It's Been Said" posts. I like "It's Been Said," but I'm not thoroughly happy with "Creek of Consciousness." I'm hoping to hit on something soon.

Some time last week I discovered a great thing: dark chocolate M&Ms. I finished the bag off pretty quickly. Yesterday I found something that surpassed it: dark chocolate PEANUT M&Ms. I've already made a good dent in the bag and expect it to be gone by Thursday. It's like I told my cow-orker: "Dark chocolate has antioxidants that scientists feel help fight cancer. Nuts are good for lowering the risk of cardiac arrest and other things. Anyone who ISN'T eating dark chocolate peanut M&Ms is doing themselves a disservice, healthwise."

I got to drive a Pontiac Vibe finally. A friend of mine let me take her mom's car out for a spin. I think it might have been a mistake. I've long had a car crush on Vibes, and driving one was the final straw. It will be my next car if I can help it. I'm weary of driving a minivan. Though I like the comfort, space, and hauling capacity, they're just too big for me anymore. I'm done with them. The Vibe sits a little higher off the ground than a normal car and has some hauling space and I really enjoyed driving one. The only problem is that even used ones are expensive. I really don't have room for more debt right now.

On Friday Matt bought me a glow-in-the-dark foam skull from a bookstore that was going out of business downtown. It spent the weekend on the dash of my van, but is now in my office at work. I've named him "Guildenstern." On a related note, the office plant I have in my office has undergone a name change. He was "Robert," even though I'm not a Led Zeppelin fan, but he is now "Rosenplantz." Rosenplantz and Guildenstern are doing fine, despite what you might have heard to the contrary.

I was invited to an advance screening of Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith on May 5, but it is during the day and I cannot get off work because we have special testing being done that week. I cannot tell you how bummed I am about that. I am really looking forward to this movie. The Phantom Menace had all sorts of problems, but Attack of the Clones was pretty good overall (barring the unfortunate "romantic" "dialogue" - George! Hire a writer! I'm begging you!), and I have high hopes for this one. I'll have to see about going to a midnight showing of it.

If plans go as ... planned, I should be seeing an advance screening of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy tonight, though! This one's been a long time coming. I bought the BBC television show version on DVD a few months back and recently re-watched them. The story stayed true to the books, but the effects weren't so special and were a bit distracting in parts. I'm looking forward to a big-screen version that has the money for what look to be great special effects. I guess we'll see how they do with the story aspect of things... I'm already planning to like it, even though I don't like how they've done Zaphod Beeblebrox's two heads. I'm not sure I'll be the most impartial critic, but I'll let you know what I thought of it.

I wrote another guest strip for Theater Hopper that Joerules drew and inked. It will be dropping tomorrow, so be sure to check it out. You might recall the last one we did, but if you don't, I also wrote a blog entry about it.

You might have noticed I haven't done any reviews for DEN lately. It seems like any game I've requested to work on hasn't come in, and any game that has come in that I've wanted has been snatched up by another reviewer. I asked my boss over there if there were other ways I ould be helping out, and it turns out that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. On Friday I received a package that included a Nokia NGage and more games than I can play in a month. Whereas I hadn't played a game in a couple of months, I now have more than I know what to do with. Since the NGage is also a cell phone, I have decided to use it as my main phone for a while, even though it doesn't have a camera built into it like my current phone. I figure this is the best way to get the hang of it, and it should also give me some opportunities to play some games for review when I have a few minutes here and there. Getting all of my contacts over to it was as simple as switching my SIM card over, but as difficult as having to sort through multiple entries with the same name if I had more than one number for that person. It's a hassle, but it's fine.

Some of you have noticed I'm not on MSN Messenger as much these days. I'm sorry, but it doesn't mean I don't like you. Feel free to email me to keep in touch.

I haven't worked out with Maya in about two months now. I knew I wouldn't keep up with it, even though it was doing me some good. Grack. I always do this. I'm no good at following things through.

Current movie count for the year: 85. Most recently watched: A Bug's Life. Before that: Kung Fu Hustle.

My hot chocolate count has slowed dramatically. No one's more upset about it then me. I might have to go get one at lunch today...

Next improv gig is May 11 for the local Junior Women's Club annual meeting.

I got an early birthday present in the mail yesterday! My friend Angie who lives in Florida sent me the way-cool SEGA shirt you see in the current webcam! Yay, Angie! Thank you! She's a sweet kid who I've seen grow up on the THorum over the last year, and I'm glad to have her as a friend. Some day I hope to meet her, even if it's not until she comes to Purdue for college. :) She also sent me some coupons to use at the Adventure Landing where she works, but I don't know if I'll be able to get to Florida before they expire.

I'm sure there are plenty of other things I could ramble on about, but this seems like a sizeable entry already. I'll try to keep in touch a little better. Come back tomorrow for a discussion on the guest comic. Thanks for stopping by!


UPDATE: I went to Barnes & Noble for a hot chocolate at lunch...and their machine is broken! And it has been for over a week! And I didn't know! That just shows how long it's been since I got one... 3 comments

Tonight I went out to eat with Kat, Kat's parents, and Matt. It was at a Thai place, which was weird for me. If you know me at all, you know that I am not what you would call "daring." But I have also learned that I can find something to eat just about anywhere I go. This is a change in policy for me, as I used to not even go to "weird" places. I realize now that that was rather jerky of me, and I apologize to all affected by that ever.

I ended up getting "BBQ Beef," but it wasn' BBQ like I think of BBQ. It had kind of a nutty taste to it, and it was on a bed of cabbage. I didn't eat the cabbage, of course, but I ate a good deal of the beef.

It should be noted, too, that the restaurant had a peculiar smell to it. By "peculiar" I am, in this instance, referring to "very similar to hamster bedding. Used hamster bedding." No one else agreed with me, but it should be noted that one of the other members had a stuffed-up nose and the other has a very bad sense of smell in general.

Matt was the last to arrive, and when he did, Kat & I anxiously awaited his first topic of conversation. You see, after the escapades of the other night, Kat had done some searching online and come up with a fanTAStic magnetic ribbon. It says: "Support magnetic ribbons." Sometime late yesterday evening she drove by Matt's house and stuck it to his car. He didn't see it until tonight.

I think he was "bemused," but Kat and I got no end of enjoyment out of it. Best. Joke. Ever.

Oh! And you know that part of the ribbon that pops out of the middle and looks a little like a piece of pizza? This one advertised "Every ribbon comes with a free alien head!" Sure enough, the little triangular piece was designed to look like the standard "grey" made famous by every alien movie you've ever seen. Sweet.

Thai food, magnetic ribbons, and alien heads. A good night. 6 comments

I bought new tennis shoes this weekend, even though I don't play tennis. You might know them as "sneakers." I don't sneak much. I probably sneak more than I play tennis, though. It would probably be more descriptive to just call them "Nikes."

I had to buy new shoes because I didn't know my foot size when I bought my last pair, apparently. I'm prone to having troubles with my toes (particularly my big toes), but I've been noticing lately that it's worse when I wore my Nikes.

First thing I did at the first shoe store I went into was measure my foot on one of those weird metal foot-measuring things. The salesman slides that curved metal part so it fits around the curve at the ball of your foot and it feels like your foot just got slapped in manacles and is going to be put in solitary for a year. I've always been creeped out by that.

The measuring manacle said my foot was a half-size bigger than the shoes I was wearing. That sounded about right, though there's something depressing about having big feet. My dad always used to talk about "boats" or "skis" when I'd come home from getting new shoes, but I'd never been diagnosed with size 12.5 feet before. Add to that the fact that very few stores carry half-sizes so I have to look for size 13 shoes and it becomes a real downer.

I started my search. It should be noted at this point that my friend Kat was along, mostly because I am what we like to call "fashion challenged." Her job was to help me strike some sort of balance between what I liked and what would actually look okay for me to wear. Right away I was informed that a "too white" shoe was not going to make the cut. I was also not interested in anything too flashy. My only demands were that they be Nikes and that they specifically be "Nike Air." I found years ago that Nike Airs were better for my back - that Air cushion seems to be the main reason.

Do you know how hard it is to find Nike Airs that aren't too white or too flashy? Turns out, it's about five-stores-hard.

At the first store, we ran into a salesman that Kat knew. He was all about selling me some shoes, talking about "hooking me up" and letting me spin the "savings wheel" for an extra discount. He seemed a bit too interested in seeing that I bought shoes from that store, and it was a little disconcerting.

Second store: found a possible shoe, but they didn't have it in my size.
Third store: nothing.
Fourth store: nothing, though Kat got a pair of flip-flops best described as "adorable." Also "cute."

At the fifth store, I finally stumbled on something: a mostly-white shoe with black detailing. Did they have my size? No, they did not. However, they did have the same shoe with blue detailing in my size. Fine. I tried them on, they seemed okay, I bought them.

I can remember that, when I was younger, I liked getting new shoes. When I put them on, I felt like I could run faster, jump farther, and be lighter on my feet than with my old ones. I loved how new they looked, and it was always a sad time when they first got dirty. Now, though, I dread change. I get used to the feel of my shoes, even if they're not the best fit for me. I could put that same pair of shoes on every day for years just for the familiar uncomfortability they offer. I want to hang on to the look, the feel, the familiarity, and even the memories of where those shoes have been. Putting on new shoes feels like I'm abandoning the old ones, especially since the old ones aren't worn out yet. I didn't think I'd be ready for new shoes for a long time.

But... I outgrew the old ones. I wasn't expecting that to happen. I figured I was all done growing. The shoes fit when I bought them, and I expected to wear them for a long time. My decision to get new ones came as a surprise to me, but I guess sometimes pain beats desire.

In the meantime, I've got these new shoes. They look bigger than I should be able to wear, but my feet fit in them without mashing my big toes. They're clean and spiffy, and I'm already worried about the first time I'll get them marked up. I've taken to them pretty quickly, and I'm surprised by how comfortable I am with them already.

I wonder where these shoes will take me... 6 comments

Yesterday at work, I received a "goodie bag" in my mailbox. I was hoping for free samples of candy and gadgets, but was disappointed to only find anti-tobacco propoganda. There were pamphlets, pens, and one of those magnetic ribbons that people are so fond of putting on their cars these days. You've seen them - yellow for "support the troops," pink for "breast cancer awareness," red for...well, who can keep up with them, really? There are too many. Name a cause, there's a ribbon color for it.

Well, add green to the color list. The green magnetic ribbon in my goodie bag has "Tobacco Awareness" printed on it. Does this strike anyone else as odd? I'm aware of tobacco. I'm aware that people smoke. I'm even aware that tobacco, when grown, is green. But slapping "Tobacco Awareness" on a green magnetic ribbon seems...goofy. A little like someone wearing a Rice Chex T-shirt in my mind. "I'm aware of tobacco!" it says. "But not of how tacky it is to put magnetic ribbons on my vehicle!" it also says.

Last night after practice, my two best IRL friends Kat and Matt and I went out for a bite to eat, then caravaned back to Matt's house. Before we pulled out, though, I was struck with an idea, so I slapped the Tobacco Awareness ribbon on the car Kat was driving. Matt and I got a huge kick out of seeing it on there and joked about how it was going to have to make the rounds between our three cars from now on.

It was an idea relished in its infancy as we imagined the other two unsuspectingly showing up somewhere with the ribbon attached to their vehicle.

The idea was quickly abandoned, though, when we pulled up to Matt's house.

"That's the guy who was having that really loud party the other night!" he said, pointing at a cranky looking dude rummaging around in his pickup truck.

"We should totally put the ribbon on his truck," I said, totally aware of my anti-prank stance, but feeling this particular brand of street justice was warranted.

Matt had been opening the door, but quickly shut it to help stifle the giggles with which he was suddenly struck. Kat by this time was outside the car and wondering why weren't getting out.

As soon as Truck Dude was done rummaging around in his truck and wen back inside, Matt opened his door, dashed around to the back of Kat's car, grabbed the ribbon, slapped it on Truck Dude's truck, and hurried back around to join us where we stood, too amazed to laugh.

We had just started to realize the silliness and simultaneous wonderfulness of the stunt when Truck Dude came back out. We busied ourselves saying goodbyes and chit-chatting, trying to look unguilty, knowing for sure that Truck Dude was going to wander around to the back of his truck, see the ribbon, and kill us all. What actually happened was that he got in his truck and pulled out, leaving us laughing and maybe whooping a little bit. Take that, Truck Dude!

I'm struck with a few thoughts after the fact. One, I'm kind of sorry to see the magnetic ribbon go. It was fun just waiting to happen. Two, I'm glad the magnetic ribbon gave its life for a good cause. Three, with the amount of laughter and possible whooping we were doing at 11 o'clock at night in Matt's parking lot, it's possible that he could be on the receiving end of a similar prank in the future for similar reasons. Four, I wish I could see the look on Truck Dude's face when he sees the magnetic ribbon and says, "Man, I'm already aware of tobacco." 10 comments

I have a real problem with recognizing people. More specifically, I have a real problem attaching a name to a face. I was just getting used to the teachers at my old schools when I moved to this one and had to start all over again.

It's the worst when I kind of recognize them and they act like they know me.

"Hi, Mark!" they say.
"Hey!" I reply. "How are you?"

It seems to me they can see right through my lack of remembering, but most folks don't say anything. Maybe they're polite, maybe they don't care.

The first month, month and a half I had license to say, "I'm sorry, but remind me who you are." Nobody had a problem with it and they mostly said, "It's no problem - you've got 70+ names and faces to learn." Now, though, if I were to say that to someone (especially someone I have seen several times), it would be embarrassing and probably a bit offensive.

I discovered a couple of tricks, though. When asked to come fix so-and-so's computer, I ask what room number they're in. I have a list that tells me what teacher is in what room, so I can work backwards from there. Also, and this is the best one, outside the main office, there is a yearbook page-like poster showing all the teachers with their names. If I get an email from a teacher I can't bring up a mental picture for, I just stop by the picture board before going to their room. See, you can't always assume that the person in front of the class is the teacher. We've got so many student teachers hopping around that they're in front of the class a lot of the time. Add in subs and I'd be lost quicker than ... well, me in downtown Chicago.

If people wore the same clothes every day (but different clothes than their neighbor), that'd help, too. I'd have a bigger picture to attach mentally to the name. This is actually a problem for me in movies and TV shows. If a character changes their clothes or hairstyle, I might not recognize them when they show back up. If it's someone really famous it's not a problem, of course, but your more minor players get lost in the shuffle all the time.

The other way I get to recognizing people quicker is if they have constant problems. I learned three or four names within a week of being at my new school.

Other mental connections don't work as well as I might want them to. That guy who looks a little like Tom Poston? I'll most likely call him "Tom" sometime and then have to try to explain my way out of it. I'm afraid to make up little nicknames like that for people in general because I'm afraid it'll be found out somewhere down the road.

Of course, my problem extends far out of my workplace. Someone I haven't seen in years? If they don't look pretty much exactly the same, I'm done for. This might also be the best time for me to make this plea:

Ladies, please stop dyeing your hair. I'm begging you. Yes, it looks very nice. Great, even. Wonderful. It might even look better than your last color, but I get confused easily. One of my dear friends has given me the nickname "bear of little brain" (after Winnie the Pooh) and I have earned the nickname a thousand times over. So, please, for me: stop it.

I feel guilty about all of this, of course. It's my fault if I don't recognize a person I've seen once before. I should take the time to invest something in the conversation so that the face is locked in my memory. It says I'm not valuing them if I don't do it. At least, that's what I think. But, I don't think that about someone else who doesn't remember me. Guilt is a one-way street, my friends, and there's no turn on red.

(That last part made no sense at all.)

I think that's part of the reason I like e-communication so well. I see the name on the IM or the email and I instantly remember the person...even if the person is someone I concocted a visual for. Most folks I communicate with online have some sort of recognizable avatar or I've seen a picture of them. For some reason, that sticks with me better than actually having met the person. Weird.

I think the best way to be remembered is to be memorable. I'm not suggesting you continue doing that magic trick where you pull a dollar bill out of someone's nose, though (you know who you are). I'm thinking you should aim for some sort of positive impression.

I hope I'm memorable in a positive way. More, though, I wish I could remember other people. 5 comments

Apparently when my brother says "badgerbadgerbadger" to my nephew Daniel (2.5 years old), he responds with "Mushroom!"

Somehow this is my fault.

I think it's fantastic.

EDIT: This old webcam seems appropriate:

7 comments

With my love for Indiana's policy of not observing Daylight Savings Time widely available for all to read, I think it's funny that the one weekend I choose to come to Wisconsin happens to be the weekend that the clocks get set ahead on hour.

Also, when I return to Wisconsin, I'm struck with the fact that although I am a Wisconsinite by birth, I think I've transmogrified into a Midwesterner. The change is subtle, and I'm not sure how to explain it to non-Midwesterners or non-Wisconsinites, but there's a little bit of a change. Midwesterners wouldn't mind living in any of the Midwest states (Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, or Wisconsin. Some folks might include Illionois in that mix, but that's the one bit of Wisconsinism I've retained, I guess.) People up here have an accent I was never aware of before. Indiana folk no longer do. People are warmer at colder temperatures up here, too, and that's something I've certainly lost.

It's good to see the old stomping grounds and some familiar faces, but it'll be good to get back to Indiana, where all my clocks are set correctly already. 4 comments