tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60134734216291819122024-02-19T07:34:09.467-08:00G.eek!webcomic...art...musings...etc.
Beware the Red Radish ©️ Gillian FindlayGillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-66731331154090973152012-04-30T20:43:00.002-07:002012-04-30T20:43:57.109-07:00...And then came this:<br />
<a href="http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/" target="_blank">http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/</a><br />
<br />
The sun shines again.<br />
Heh.<br />Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-16671332373306246852012-04-30T00:54:00.001-07:002012-04-30T18:36:29.781-07:00MelancholiaA couple of weeks ago I watched Melancholia. It was beautiful and quiet and sort of terrifying. It's still in the back of my mind.
I'm depressed. And it feels like that front yard of Justine's in the movie: expansive, but with the potential for something to happen there. A party. A game of badminton. A picnic. But it's empty, and it's been empty for a long time. It keeps raining.
<br />
<br />
I usually think of it more as the island of me. I'm comfortable here, but I'm alone. Justine's front yard has more hopeful possibilities than the island of me, if you ignore the giant planet heading toward it.
You see, recently I was sort of invited to swim off the island. I did. At first it was nice to be away from the isolation, but then...let's just say I got a cramp and reached out for help that didn't quite come. I guess I grabbed on too tightly and created a struggle. I made it back to my island, but I'm cold and uncomfortable now and nothing's right.
<br />
<br />
Before, it was just the way it always was on the island. But now I've reminded myself of what I had forgotten: how it could be...should be different. But....
I know some things I should do to move away from here, but I'm stuck in a few ways.
Maybe if I transform my island into an estate's front lawn, I'll fool myself into seeing all the potential my island didn't have.
Or maybe a giant planet will float up and make my queries all moot.Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-59975050201438987242012-01-21T18:48:00.000-08:002012-01-21T19:25:22.477-08:00Technology:<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It makes imaginary things seem real and real things seem imaginary.</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I'm really not sure I like this at all. It makes me feel a little off-balance. </span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It is what it is, but is it a good thing?</span>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-65072898713474309692011-09-15T19:49:00.000-07:002012-01-21T19:29:58.154-08:00Slippery Time: Redux<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #20124d;">Wow. My pear clock is disabled. and they've changed stuff around at Blogger. Are my settings the same? Guess I'll find out.</span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Someday, I do expect Radish to return. You know how life just changes, and you get busy doing different things than you used to do? Well, that's kind of what happened. I'm still here. Spot's still here</span>.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: black;">Myrna is not. :(</span></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Stuff continues on. Yes, it does.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Be back later, whenever that is.</span>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-18953432325673244512010-09-07T20:56:00.001-07:002010-09-07T21:11:40.134-07:00Slippery timeSo Radish has (temporarily) disappeared again. Why?<br /><br />Well. First I was on vacation and just plain neglected him. Which is kind of inexcusable, because I enjoy Radish and should set aside time to spend with him while I am not busy.<br /><br />And then I had to go back to work. I had to move schools and so spent more than a week moving and unpacking my stuff and puzzling over how to approach my year. Then school actually started and now I'm on a bit of a learning curve as I re-acclimate myself to being an elementary-school teacher again.<br /><br />And also my little cat got really, really sick. As sick as she was last year, but in a different way and much more devastatingly drawn out. We haven't figured out if she can pull out of this yet or not. Yesterday I would have said definitely not. Today I think it's <em>possible</em> she could be mostly fine. We'll see what tomorrow brings.<br /><br />Time is a slippery thing. And Radish suffers because of it...as well as my knitting projects, my quilting project, my sewing projects, my garden.........<br /><br />Radish will be back. Eventually.Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-50242278203033663222010-07-22T08:25:00.001-07:002010-07-22T08:28:23.467-07:00Breaking News<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NH9VRErITm8SlkMBns-wk2I-4sjk-8xbR88VV3XPQkWRwKDWDl-uhfsQYnIRUz1jIl1CFYSFHf7D0Y-wSbjx9Orx7kwHV4bMm9-KMAH1TgaFYIOiLwGoheU9t9gfD762tjYPPr2v_0I/s1600/125wentboom.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496752336153261698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NH9VRErITm8SlkMBns-wk2I-4sjk-8xbR88VV3XPQkWRwKDWDl-uhfsQYnIRUz1jIl1CFYSFHf7D0Y-wSbjx9Orx7kwHV4bMm9-KMAH1TgaFYIOiLwGoheU9t9gfD762tjYPPr2v_0I/s400/125wentboom.jpg" /></a><br />The citizens of Insalataville experience another odd incident. Hmm. What do you suppose will come of this?Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-62074350317822068032010-07-16T23:29:00.000-07:002010-07-16T23:39:43.236-07:00Wahoo!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0ToC7rwXy79xQ4PYzIV0BqFy8xbUhb8_PSvoNfI0lOIr77XaSfAK0L4g3ozhyphenhyphenZEsgKh8jDCNu51rrWlSsjK83ljuna3Evekjbts1txPH-pMZQrkKOEFtNbTeyEvZD2PuaSh90fJAliA/s1600/124Transearth.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 141px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494760103365221634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0ToC7rwXy79xQ4PYzIV0BqFy8xbUhb8_PSvoNfI0lOIr77XaSfAK0L4g3ozhyphenhyphenZEsgKh8jDCNu51rrWlSsjK83ljuna3Evekjbts1txPH-pMZQrkKOEFtNbTeyEvZD2PuaSh90fJAliA/s400/124Transearth.jpg" /></a>Motion. It looks different in my head than graphic-ized. What do you think?Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-68139766420639312392010-07-11T20:00:00.000-07:002010-07-11T20:03:32.353-07:00The Expected<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj692PQ71dDk9fnzl4VjQeHcGvs-KE2lwAYquUN_ekK4Sqel5nO5iMyCueSANeH7l1I6jBfKAl3w3cbmdZX2GvZcWLU8_wuGeDirfkvz2jXmPeh2ELr6JeyrEodOb5f2xfLu9BuTtYeueY/s1600/123SorryKiwi.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492849729867681778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj692PQ71dDk9fnzl4VjQeHcGvs-KE2lwAYquUN_ekK4Sqel5nO5iMyCueSANeH7l1I6jBfKAl3w3cbmdZX2GvZcWLU8_wuGeDirfkvz2jXmPeh2ELr6JeyrEodOb5f2xfLu9BuTtYeueY/s400/123SorryKiwi.jpg" /></a> Given how my spring went, you should have seen this particular act coming. Did you predict it?<br /><br />I read on the interwebs that 112 is the emergency number in Australia. I don't know if that's true, but at least it gives the location some...flavor.Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-23055708702468138872010-07-04T17:43:00.000-07:002010-07-04T17:53:34.895-07:00The Dr. Salustiana Solution<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyka0it77IoUfNymP_SvJaTguMiwKt6wppNzXeK6tF9Mr-uU71sOvruRn3ZylQHW4M5TW01uGqrLISaRrK9REHyYSvPmAyn1igo6AMCCbciEL3bWb-unFrRlmeEOei_qkxHuWP6W6-oE/s1600/122DrSalustiana.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490218670136865954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkyka0it77IoUfNymP_SvJaTguMiwKt6wppNzXeK6tF9Mr-uU71sOvruRn3ZylQHW4M5TW01uGqrLISaRrK9REHyYSvPmAyn1igo6AMCCbciEL3bWb-unFrRlmeEOei_qkxHuWP6W6-oE/s400/122DrSalustiana.jpg" /></a>According to Wikipedia, salustianas are a variety of orange grown in Australia. I don't think they are unique to Australia, but I needed another orange name, preferably one that could be found where Radish is. And what a great coincidence that evil Dr. Valencia has an evil orange cousin right where Radish could find him!<br /><div></div><br /><div>This is my first <span style="color:#990000;">Beware theRed Radish</span> colored with my upgraded paint shop program, so I haven't quite got the settings fully adjusted. Unfortunately, the Viner font that I usually use to title the comic is not available. I tried to find one that looked similarly menacing, but could not. This font, however, is appropriately called "Orange."</div>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-49734604895043432892010-07-03T15:32:00.000-07:002010-07-03T15:56:45.368-07:00SumsumsummertimeI am getting ready to take a roadtrip. Finally the sun will start shining here in my corner of the Northwest, and I am leaving for the toasty, humid midwest. Sigh. <br /><br />In preparation for being away from the comforts of home, I got a new laptop and am currently attempting to sync my files with my old desktop. This has been a headache. Newer operating systems snub their noses at older ones. I really want to get my pictures and itunes transferred. I upgraded my paintshop program and I'm curious to see how coloring <span style="color:#cc0000;">Radish</span> works using it. And with the way things have been going lately, I'm anticipating a steeper learning curve than I would prefer.<br /><br />FYI, I have a couple of <span style="color:#990000;">Radish</span>es that are currently uncolored. So stayed tuned. There is an incident coming up that I think is not entirely unexpected.<br /><br />I also upgraded my car stereo (it was a tape deck/radio, and I own no tapes) for the trip. I have a book on cd to listen to (Craig Ferguson's <em>American on Purpose</em>), Italian to practice, and my iPod library to sing with. The stereo required three trips to the stereo store. They used a wrong antenna part which completely disabled any AM reception. I will be on the road for the World Cup finals, and it would be gutting if I couldn't listen. Still. Two trips too many.<br /><br />I'm excited for the roadtrip, but the lead-up has been rife with little hurdles. The car stereo. Italy losing in the group stage of the World Cup. I accidentally erased my iPod. I broke one of my walking shoes, and for some reason Nordstrom couldn't get ahold of me to give it back. I had a negative experience with an Amazon seller <em>(!)</em> trying to get a copy of Craig Ferguson's book (sorry Amazon, Borders came through for me on this one). And the biggest one has been the whole computer transfer thing. But once I am on the open road, all those little irritations should melt away.<br /><br />I hope.Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-60567508181058863442010-06-16T18:38:00.000-07:002010-06-16T18:56:11.682-07:00Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxKxOfU2K-hZNonjrzaPqMNRJrzjN7FAPdBYHiIsnjUrCMo-zBGiHtC_jzQMzA8Ged9S3KF5EUi__SzxgeSofkUbegQoJi4Nih7uQRwCFjK5l9Dhlq6ToTB9cl-F8UTnqRRXS0KHVbIU/s1600/121Kiwi.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483554272725202690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxKxOfU2K-hZNonjrzaPqMNRJrzjN7FAPdBYHiIsnjUrCMo-zBGiHtC_jzQMzA8Ged9S3KF5EUi__SzxgeSofkUbegQoJi4Nih7uQRwCFjK5l9Dhlq6ToTB9cl-F8UTnqRRXS0KHVbIU/s400/121Kiwi.jpg" /></a> Will Kiwi survive his meeting with Radish unscathed? Or will Radish whack him with the spade?Hmmm. If you were Radish, what would you do?<br /><br /><div></div><div>Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, my school year has ended. It was a...hard one. My district is in the throes of "disruptive change." They keep telling us "disruptive change" is good. Three middle schools' worth of teachers have been displaced. I'm one of them. So the bright spot is that I still have a job, the cloudy part is that I don't know where yet. I will certainly miss the people I have worked with for the past 7 years. Our staff was a genuinely nice one, overall, with some truly amazing people. It's a shame to have this family dissolved. I hope I land someplace with people like the ones I worked with and with the camaraderie....and I hope that's not too much to hope for.</div>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-77533011038418051062010-06-12T01:57:00.000-07:002010-06-12T02:02:14.328-07:00"Menace me!"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e5uP5o4gv4cs3u73gO5DrFZ_fEAInBmEd_O_ehqxlhVLTMGcvIA8WhtOpMrHqMExXKWhUX95m91WDjz1UY0GpxAj9lD0ig7o6ijxnWBBkIpVvOjXVH8peY2YZ3T6Z7nV0A7JYsIuYr0/s1600/120Festival2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481809490756481266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e5uP5o4gv4cs3u73gO5DrFZ_fEAInBmEd_O_ehqxlhVLTMGcvIA8WhtOpMrHqMExXKWhUX95m91WDjz1UY0GpxAj9lD0ig7o6ijxnWBBkIpVvOjXVH8peY2YZ3T6Z7nV0A7JYsIuYr0/s400/120Festival2.jpg" /></a> Poor Broccoli, always being menaced. I wonder what Radish is up to in Australia?Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-35905198301938023302010-06-02T21:40:00.000-07:002010-06-02T21:43:55.610-07:00Summerfest in Insalataville!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvjxCi5VFpKjZPEFVD9LesR5RnNtkIDRY7q9NjRAnACtbk2YnlUGos5a1ia-B6OLpSKSH_n2pd9rmHdgAdxCjPBXLCmIU2UdhqvucRHi7gGTx8pNv1kQa-3KxfTg7Rb3NZN3GTp7Z0vI/s1600/119Festival.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476857293060235954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvjxCi5VFpKjZPEFVD9LesR5RnNtkIDRY7q9NjRAnACtbk2YnlUGos5a1ia-B6OLpSKSH_n2pd9rmHdgAdxCjPBXLCmIU2UdhqvucRHi7gGTx8pNv1kQa-3KxfTg7Rb3NZN3GTp7Z0vI/s400/119Festival.jpg" /></a> It's a time to welcome the coming season with joy and relaxation. And yet, what we have here is an all-too-familiar scene from Insalataville. Garlic wouldn't be brazen enough to whack anyone with her cleaver at Summerfest, would she? Well duh, yes she would. But will she?Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-23361557601740033822010-05-29T15:55:00.000-07:002010-05-29T16:07:18.978-07:00Apparently it's summer somewhere<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOofOwKxdrgkDi-wXJWkY_pXTntV1r2xA7_Gbc-xRZiuG6D3OD_lO_7lnr-9mhsNZPVVSX4CGKXHkEles21DRIJBTFbxA7w6B81O_fPnqGQCMUHaSsOPgemnB0vVsuy-600mW28HSTsC4/s1600/118cmon.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476831509630715138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOofOwKxdrgkDi-wXJWkY_pXTntV1r2xA7_Gbc-xRZiuG6D3OD_lO_7lnr-9mhsNZPVVSX4CGKXHkEles21DRIJBTFbxA7w6B81O_fPnqGQCMUHaSsOPgemnB0vVsuy-600mW28HSTsC4/s400/118cmon.jpg" /></a> ...because it isn't even really spring where I live, which is odd. And much to the dismay of my neighbors, I'm sure, I have neglected my lawn. Well, besides the weather being unusually wet and chilly, it <em>has</em> been a pretty stressful last few months, so...there.<br /><br />Anyhoo, it's good to see Broccoli out and about, but is he ever really safe? Maybe he should be wearing his fork-proof vest. But wait, isn't Radish in Australia? Maybe he can relax for a bit after all.Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-39553783760655120552010-05-23T14:34:00.000-07:002010-05-23T14:38:59.648-07:00Good Guess!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3O7RpR6QKMReRLK7HOMug6jxjva0sA3MW8wpRjJnBsIkhd-adWGNCkUAX9C2ik4ltw8MDYxMI0YQmo828TI6hPgK_nc-OUNFBl8XNO8E84k8ZxNs_ldUfXmtlRH-vzL53q9FwSkzYIXg/s1600/117basement.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474583008626464498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3O7RpR6QKMReRLK7HOMug6jxjva0sA3MW8wpRjJnBsIkhd-adWGNCkUAX9C2ik4ltw8MDYxMI0YQmo828TI6hPgK_nc-OUNFBl8XNO8E84k8ZxNs_ldUfXmtlRH-vzL53q9FwSkzYIXg/s400/117basement.jpg" /></a> I think Garlic realizes there was more going on here besides Radish just losing track of time while working on the escape tunnel. I wonder if the SWAT grapes are even still posted outside the lair?Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-8920413106307803962010-05-20T23:57:00.000-07:002010-05-21T00:01:01.375-07:00Time Flies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPuIWF40nT3DatzHvWJSoLWhxmWay3yH10iZKNLI3dlOzzkyATcgKoZMN_zTgR8vSgE1As-tkses_lApImSmiJuAp811sjwQmJn_3LlRqGXH5NNeucbplK31JVfG9hOr7h_JoYkqoelM/s1600/116Australia.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 136px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473614593764263474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPuIWF40nT3DatzHvWJSoLWhxmWay3yH10iZKNLI3dlOzzkyATcgKoZMN_zTgR8vSgE1As-tkses_lApImSmiJuAp811sjwQmJn_3LlRqGXH5NNeucbplK31JVfG9hOr7h_JoYkqoelM/s400/116Australia.jpg" /></a>OMG. All that stuff I had taught myself in the art of coloring Red Radish has jettisoned from my knowledge bank. I have a lot of relearning to do.Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-27176098251218440032010-05-14T23:51:00.000-07:002010-05-14T23:58:03.068-07:00Thanks, Future Comic Book Writer.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooByHxi1RByRYG95ssa5Uj2OvwlokanZ5sEHXX-uzsYbWUGFW8pCU9ml7iG7skEx7A5nAUIbB0ssXEVI7MQWd_9c9iYCSKldlnkca3rKU1MiGz0haxwavpkosFIbyAiSqt80ZNirfvwU/s1600/Alien+Man+by+AR.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471386567200608338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgooByHxi1RByRYG95ssa5Uj2OvwlokanZ5sEHXX-uzsYbWUGFW8pCU9ml7iG7skEx7A5nAUIbB0ssXEVI7MQWd_9c9iYCSKldlnkca3rKU1MiGz0haxwavpkosFIbyAiSqt80ZNirfvwU/s320/Alien+Man+by+AR.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Today, Friday of a <em>really</em> long week, a student brought me a comic book he had made. Pretty cool. Here's a sample:</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I'm sure I'll see <em>The Adventures of Alien Man</em> on the shelves at Atomic Comics a few years from now.</div>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-57711503475931979022010-02-09T23:35:00.000-08:002010-02-09T23:38:23.371-08:00When?When, oh when, did "they" stop making notebook paper a uniform size? And why? Bad enough that pencils have "lead" that breaks every 3 mm or are wrapped in pencil-sharpener-killing plastic. Sigh.Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-83248183485776350842010-02-06T15:29:00.000-08:002010-02-06T15:41:46.483-08:00And Now...An Education Rant!Poor neglected blog. Radish misses you, and I miss Radish. He must be most of the way to Australia by now. But that is not why I stopped by.<br /><br />It is election time and my school district is asking voters to pass a levy and a bond. This of course <em>always </em>produces letters to the editor of our local paper who feel that schools don't need money and teachers are overpaid. And I am <em>always</em> annoyed by idiots who think that teachers can show up to a barren classroom and pull a perfect education out of their ass.<br /><br />So I wrote a rebuttal to this week's letter from somone who complained that we're always asking for money and have too many vacations and that police officers are also underpaid and never ask for anything more <span style="font-size:78%;">(then why are they calling me all the time asking for donations?)</span> and that we don't need more money especially for technological gadgets, we need only be more <strong><span style="color:#993399;">passionate</span></strong> about what we do.<br /><br />I was limited to 250 words. I had way more to say than this. And I left out the part where the school where I work had to rent port-a-potties when our plumbing backed up.<br /><br />Wouldn’t it be great if passionate teachers were all it took to create and maintain effective schools? There is much more to a school than passionate teachers. There is art, music, foreign language and, yes, technology, which are all offered as electives: the first programs to be cut when the belt gets tightened. There are textbooks which need to be updated or at least replaced when they are falling apart. There is class size which when larger allows for less individualized attention to our students. There is maintenance to our schools, which provides for a safe and healthy environment for our children—ceiling tiles that stay on the ceiling, plumbing that doesn’t shut down half the restrooms. And, yes, there are technological gadgets, such as updated working computers, which in this era are more and more necessary. I know that where I teach, I will not have an electronic whiteboard anytime soon, but the maintenance we do get will be important for our students’ wellbeing. Being able to send my students to an elective that will develop their talents and interests in a more well-rounded manner will be important. Being able to provide our students with textbooks that aren’t tattered, and time that isn’t splintered among 35 other children will be important. There is so much more to a school than teachers. Passion for our students’ education cannot provide everything that is important to your child.<br /><br />Sigh. I need a vacation. ;)Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-6849567149258945152009-12-22T15:31:00.000-08:002009-12-22T19:54:24.598-08:00Would Tim really do that?Events.<br /><br />DC is currently in the middle of the <span style="color:#000000;">Blackest Night</span> event arc. And recently in this arc was a three-issue "Batman" sideline (I put Batman in quotes because, as you may know, Bruce is "dead" and Dick is currently in the Batsuit). In this sideline, Dick and Tim take time out to fight off their zombified, long-dead, black-lantern infected parents. And then we presume they go back to their regularly scheduled storylines...as noted by Tim in <span style="color:#ff0000;">Red Robin</span> #6, where during a fight with a fake-clawed Wolverine wannabe in Budapest he acknowledges "...after what I just went through in Gotham, [how this is going] is relative."<br /><br />And therein is my quibble:<br /><br />In Tim's current storyline as <span style="color:#ff0000;">Red Robin</span>, he is all over the place* searching for clues that tell him Bruce is alive. And in the course of this search, he's managed to get into a few scrapes--League of Assassins here, Council of Spiders there. And in the course of his travels, Lucius ("What was he thinking?") Fox sends his daughter to look for Tim, recent adoptee of Bruce's, who he thinks just ran away given the other tumultuous events going on in the wake of Bruce's demise.<br /><br />Lucius' daughter, Tam, finds Tim and immediately gets caught in the middle of his scrapes. He takes her to "The Cradle," de facto headquarters of the League of Assassins, where he thinks she'll be safe until he gets out of his current situation....<br /><br /><em>And then he takes a break and goes back to Gotham to handle the re-animated dead parent thing. Leaving Tam in the middle of...Iraq? Budapest? in a cave, with known killers (and previously unknown even scarier killers). He left her behind. While he went back to Gotham.</em> He even <em><strong>says</strong></em> that: "I left her there when I went back to Gotham to deal with the Black Lantern insanity."<br /><br />Would Tim Drake really do that?<br /><br />Events. Oh how they convolute the DC Universe.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*All. Over. The. Place. As in: I, the reader, have no idea where the story is taking place at any given time even though there are little bylines telling me. Tim's story jumps around so much it is beginning to make my head spin. It added interest at first, but now I am weary.</span>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-76894804889009041792009-10-11T21:56:00.000-07:002009-10-11T22:05:15.474-07:00Love this. Love. Love.<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7QFWBFIEuig&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7QFWBFIEuig&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-55300814507712033592009-09-28T17:42:00.000-07:002009-09-28T17:48:19.035-07:00Oh Fer Cryin' Out LoudSo now I can occasionally upload pictures, but not scan. I am almost more lost without scanning than without the uploading. I can end-around the glitch, but I don't get the quality I want if I do. GIANT EXASPERATED SIGH.<br /><br />So. To leave on a lightly sunnier note, my tiny kitty, Myrna is feeling a little better and has backed off from scratching at death's door. Yay! Plus she's perkier.<br /><br />And also? 6th graders suck. (Obviously with the exception of my niece).Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-62748393245332261102009-09-10T17:27:00.000-07:002009-09-10T17:39:47.638-07:00Computer WhoasMy computer currently <strong>refuses</strong> to upload pictures of any kind. And since Radish is uploaded from my Paint Shop album, he is currently unable to make an appearance. He apologizes for these computer woes that are not even his fault.<br /><br />I have other things I would like to post about, but I am a bit overwhelmed with my new school year. My 5 6th-grade Language Arts (English) classes are packed to maximum, which is quite different than my smaller Reading classes were. It's going to be December before I can remember half of my new students' names. Fortunately I have many multiples, namewise, which ups my chances of getting it right. Who knew 'Jeremiah' was going to be so popular in 1997?<br /><br />Apologies. I miss Radish, too. And Illustration Friday! And having free time that isn't sucked up by the urge to nap!Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-71968828687867648842009-08-17T00:26:00.001-07:002009-08-17T00:40:18.971-07:00Fav Things: The Cats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn0cHXLsg2W1duKZpCLdch_AtupAQ7DegSfpcwNQP9HVN7dqRbWP8wDCuTyxCoG25C2ZtpgpgY_ExGObB7M_iOhq1B28ZtFXsblFd64ZtEszkkS1YwrOjGyeatXlUDHuMYIyhoV-GyEA/s1600-h/08spotstretch.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370831342390201586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn0cHXLsg2W1duKZpCLdch_AtupAQ7DegSfpcwNQP9HVN7dqRbWP8wDCuTyxCoG25C2ZtpgpgY_ExGObB7M_iOhq1B28ZtFXsblFd64ZtEszkkS1YwrOjGyeatXlUDHuMYIyhoV-GyEA/s320/08spotstretch.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsqAKUtvvxExSU5Tt8kv98GHP1B7ppXWvyb9KUYZrliNU9WGyA9emjPy0BzjoZZIyBm1Lwiwpbphoh7pmps4_2Xo1rvzpRL52PGGX35JwJJLhbgCC4jihOUkkKvX4qf1SHMF75wSZ6RI/s1600-h/08myrnaup.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 282px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370831154038430962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsqAKUtvvxExSU5Tt8kv98GHP1B7ppXWvyb9KUYZrliNU9WGyA9emjPy0BzjoZZIyBm1Lwiwpbphoh7pmps4_2Xo1rvzpRL52PGGX35JwJJLhbgCC4jihOUkkKvX4qf1SHMF75wSZ6RI/s320/08myrnaup.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWum7tgmjY2KwMN6R-gZ84RSP2tvJ_LTBhN_3dgTfsPditzMBqRhhqTldEhg7eMQbKEnMbqEHsYZ3ISafQZHcP_7QvAt_uxtZc4wazO_NmsCQWEwiVgEl7zoVGEI77SYTnvYIfS_w5qI/s1600-h/08myrnastretch.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370831038318262226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWum7tgmjY2KwMN6R-gZ84RSP2tvJ_LTBhN_3dgTfsPditzMBqRhhqTldEhg7eMQbKEnMbqEHsYZ3ISafQZHcP_7QvAt_uxtZc4wazO_NmsCQWEwiVgEl7zoVGEI77SYTnvYIfS_w5qI/s320/08myrnastretch.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>While I was travelling this summer, the kitties went to stay with Mom and Dad. This has actually turned out very well, as they are much better behaved there than they are at home (unless there is something my parents aren't telling me). And even though I have ended up coming and going just as often while my brother's family is here, having the cats out there has been better for them, continuity-wise. Except....</div><div>Myrna has been under the weather for some time, and last week, she took an odd turn and just about did her own liver in, so she's been travelling back and forth with me getting round-the-clock attention. Poor Spot isn't very happy with this (he tries to be mad, but the need to snuggle always wins out). I just wanted to say that the cats are among my favorite things, no matter what (and many of you know exactly <em><span style="color:#333300;">how much</span></em> that <span style="color:#333300;"><em>what</em></span> entails). </div><div>Spot loves to have his picture taken, and will usually produce some adorable pose or smiley face. Myrna, being black and squirmy, is almost impossible to photograph, but once in a while she'll acquiesce. <a href="http://g-eek.blogspot.com/2008/02/conundrum-of-feline-sort.html">Here is a favorite picture of both Spot and Myrna.</a> </div></div>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013473421629181912.post-77394817105629427802009-08-12T00:57:00.000-07:002009-08-12T01:10:01.443-07:00Favorite Things, part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOtq7vlJlYsJmBqYjsEDjojOtCd2pA-ZckwpOOEXkLoaNnj74RGG34jTZlFbUsCI5MlwfbzF-b6Fw84UBX4XAQz7zJgpbuzVDcTpVqqgejQKU0YaNJiknYUpW7_bz1WoegpqTRTDaQVg/s1600-h/Manoirview.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368984326796503314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOtq7vlJlYsJmBqYjsEDjojOtCd2pA-ZckwpOOEXkLoaNnj74RGG34jTZlFbUsCI5MlwfbzF-b6Fw84UBX4XAQz7zJgpbuzVDcTpVqqgejQKU0YaNJiknYUpW7_bz1WoegpqTRTDaQVg/s320/Manoirview.jpg" /></a><br /><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368984166322777682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAvRMr5lIzKukV4EBmU19JnofH8xUZc50llSiCF238RwnBOh4ya09sA9WWTeua7zyqFXbUgekCIW2vK8IFtXJEW0sez9S5zvpppLrlbYETvKZhGFhoQntMnbko1v03uZ-xLaa7AcU3vY/s320/ChateauAmboise.jpg" /><br /><br /><div><div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Castles</strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#333333;">Chateau d'Amboise, France</span></div><div><span style="color:#333333;"></span></div><div></div><br /><div>We don't have stuff like this in the US, so getting to spend several days hanging out next to a chateau is pretty darn cool. I wonder what Chateau d'Amboise looked like before much of it was dismantled while Napoleon had it.</div></div></div></div>Gillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939665490795403191noreply@blogger.com0