Gah! I miss having a comic to update! So many empty hours at work where I could be doing stuff. But then I only have a few minutes between vehicles. Ever try working on a script five minutes at a time?
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Comic Talk and General Discussion *
2015 Rant/Share/General Discussion thread
@Hippievan: I may not be the best motivational speaker in the block… many of us go through periods of anxiety, depression, etc… but most of us have come through… it may take a word from someone we love, a verse in the Bible, an article from Hawkins, who knows… I mean, if you believe in a creator who made you the unique being that you are, there it is… if you believe that you are the product of millios of years of evolution that resulted in the unique being that you are, there it is…
I hope I had answers, but I don't… most of what happens depends on her now… I wish the best for you and all your loved ones… Sometimes the best we can do is being there…
tupapayon wrote:My little sister is a born atheist unfortunately, so it can't be the easier route! I'll have to find her some hopeful-sounding secular philosophy. I think some of it is just teenage angst which she'll probably work through like everyone does. And you're right that at this age it's pretty much up to her. It's just tough watching her struggle, especially when I have some experience that could maybe help her. For whatever reason, though, even as a kid she's always been the type of person who had to experience something for herself.
@Hippievan: I may not be the best motivational speaker in the block… many of us go through periods of anxiety, depression, etc… but most of us have come through… it may take a word from someone we love, a verse in the Bible, an article from Hawkins, who knows… I mean, if you believe in a creator who made you the unique being that you are, there it is… if you believe that you are the product of millios of years of evolution that resulted in the unique being that you are, there it is…
I hope I had answers, but I don't… most of what happens depends on her now… I wish the best for you and all your loved ones… Sometimes the best we can do is being there…
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I was woken up this morning by the pain of an incredible headache. Usually when I wake up with a headache it's the type that won't really go away no matter what I do. But I took a T-1 and it totally disappeared! Little miracle of the week. Also a slightly ironic headache, because I was planning on using a migraine as an excuse for not having an attended something last night.
HippieVan wrote:
My little sister is a born atheist unfortunately, so it can't be the easier route! I'll have to find her some hopeful-sounding secular philosophy.Taoism works. I believe Tupapayon meant Dawkins as in Richard Dawkins. Better secularist inspriation can be found in Christopher Hitchens and Paul Kurtz. My sister had me read I'm Okay You're Okay and Born to Win back in the day two early cognitive behaviorial therapy books. I recommend using The Depression Workbook.
And then there's always sex. Get good old Dr. Ruth Westheimer or the former surgeon general Jocelyn Elders talking about the theraputic value of an active sex life at all ages. That is a joke.and that segues into a more socially acceptable way to work through depression and angst: comedy. Find something funny that takes your mind off of stuff and just enjoy it. Embrace that the only thing you need to take seriously is the fact that NOTHING is to be taken seriously. Life is funny, people are funny and once you're in on the joke it's not as bad as all that. At times it's often worse, but just laugh about it and have a day.
bravo1102 wrote:You know, I was gonna voiunteer to help some people like that, untill you said it was a joke… But, if anybody think I can help in that way, we could probably arranged something… in the comedy department, you pervs…
Get good old Dr. Ruth Westheimer or the former surgeon general Jocelyn Elders talking about the theraputic value of an active sex life at all ages. That is a joke.and that segues into a more socially acceptable way to work through depression and angst: comedy.
Insert some long discourse on sexuality here. How in order to somehow be "appropriate " sex really can't be suggested as a treatment of depression as that is somehow "perverted" and so on. Our current culture just has too many screwy hangups and is skewed through some Victorian Romantic mirror that makes sexual expression into some kind of crime and curse.
ozoneocean wrote:
Say if you're white, go to a school with a good reputation, get lots of qualifications, have wealthy parents, you're erudite, dress well, you're male… etc etc, all those things are massive kicks in your favour and point toward you being a lot “luckier” than people without them because the probabiliy of better outcomes for you is greater. :)
Ozoneocean touched on an interesting topic on the last page of this thread that I would like to comment on in more detail. In a workplace scenario where a diverse group of individuals are brought together to complete a task, I have observed a pattern time and time again that the de facto leader of a group has these qualities: male, attractiveness, above average height (over 6' tall), caucasian/white, brown hair, sense of humor, charismatic, nice smile, confidence, and decision making abilities. Chalk it up to good luck that some people arrive at the top easier than others, but one of the underlying reasons some individuals end up being more popular than others is due to their likeableness. It is amazing how superficial traits all factor into being successful in a career path.
HippieVan wrote:
I'm really worried about my little sister lately.
It sounds like your sister is entering the first of many crises that start during the mid-teens. Dealing with difficult emotions is like jumping a series of hurdles on a race track. It is important to deal with each crisis head on as it appears because it lessens the blow of future conflicts. High school was a difficult time. The workload is heavy, the teachers are demanding with homework, there is pressure to get into a good college, and there is a desire to juggle a social life on top of all the rest. Breakdowns happen. Heck, I remember a time I remember sitting in the middle of a pile of all my textbooks thrown all around me crying from all the stress.
However, one thing to remember is this: if she gets through the stage of apathy and continues working toward her future goals, she will end up in a college surrounded by like-minded peers. Dealing with all that "brain garbage" is apart of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. It is better that she goes through it earlier rather than later.
Also, the Earth is a tiny speck in the Universe and our lives are microscopic in the grand scheme of things.
MAJOR LIFE HURDLES FROM MID-TEENS THROUGH THE LATE 20s
Fifteen-Dating begins. Questioning the Big Picture (What's the point?). Decisions made at this age impact the next three years.
Eighteen-Legally an adult. Senioritis. Pressure to get into a good college.
Nineteen-First year in college. First year living away from home.
Twenty-one-Paying rent. Juggling school and work.
Twenty-two-Last year of college. Questioning: What's next? Lots of doubt.
Twenty-three-Pressure to be financially independent from parents. Withdrawal from structured school schedule. First real world job.
Twenty-five-Quarter life crisis. Time to start getting "shit" together.
Twenty-nine-Subconsciously comparing social/career/romantic life to friends. Wondering if all decisions made were the right ones. Reevaluating long-term life goals and making corrections where needed. Time to restructure life for the Thirties.
I am going to be thirty in less than one month and the cards I have been dealt are finally starting to settle into place and I am finally making strides in my long-term goals. If the teen years were tough, then the shit-storm of the twenties will be an even more tumultuous time. Problems never really go away, but they do get easier to handle with more experience. Honestly, I am over "The Twenties" and I am really looking forward to being thirty because I am more equipt to deal with issues.
On a very unrelated topic-
My top three fashion and style icons are: Jennifer Connelly, Dita Von Teese, and Bettie Page. I plan to revamp my entire wardrobe and put together classic outfits that will look timeless. I have already started wearing high-heeled shoes when I go out. I have a feeling that the thirties are going to be a wickedly fun time.
kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
Ozoneocean touched on an interesting topic on the last page of this thread that I would like to comment on in more detail. In a workplace scenario where a diverse group of individuals are brought together to complete a task…
Yes.
The point is: there's no "luck" involved- i.e. the idea that it's all random chance and anyone else without those traits has an equal chance of gaining the same oportunities is false.
I aplogise for getting all "comic fury", but they're artifacts of privilage in our society that give hidden advantages to some and skews their perspective and their commentarty: they imagine that since they mirraculously got a leadership role or a good job without any overt connections or special help that it must be just as easy for everyone, never realising the hidden inherrant advangtages in place that favour them above everyoone else.
Which causes them to be against programs that give extra help to women, minorities etc etc, because they have no understanding of why that help could be needed.
It also encourages people without those traits to think of themselves as losers or people that just don't try enough… so it's pretty damaging all round.
Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway, blah, blah, blah: most of the things we ascribe to random chance (luck) aren't random at all.
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Hippie, with your sister… persepective is a problem.
When you detach yourself from the problems facing you and you think of stuff in the larger scale of time and space then nothing maters.
But it's a completely arificial perspective and completely false.
Scale is irrelevant. The only perspective that matters is the human one you're born into. Your world is built upon interaction with others and doing the best you can within the matrix of society. If you shut yourself off from that then you miss out, disastrously.
Detachment is a useful coping mechanisism, but very harmful if maintained.
People often think I'm a very calm, cool, chill person when they meet me, but the truth is that most of the time I'm detached and find a hard time relating to the situation.
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Kawaii, those are excelent fashion choices!
My operations manager meets kawaii's description except for the hair and smile. He is a very light Hispanic so his hair is black. And his smile is the same one an elementary schooler makes when he gets in trouble. (The kind of trouble that usually frogs) I really want to punch him in the face sometimes. The funny thing is that there is only one man among the 9 managers under him.
-edit- And, somehow, my husband meet the discription just fine, but he hasn't been able to land a job yet. (Then again he trying to enter into a female dominated profession.)
randomness and luck…Napoleon hit it when he said we make our own luck. He also said he'd rather have a "lucky " general than a skilled one. And of course he's right.
Charisma and natural leadership abilities know no ethnic boundaries. Our perception does reflect a trend that is slowly reversing. I see very few Anglos during the day and outside of specialized trades working on the apprentice system few are regular workers as opposed to supervisors. And most of those supervisors are tall Anglos. But a notable few are not. Just the same a certain tall white guy I know is often turned to as the de facto leader but has never actually ended up in a leadership role. Let others lead, I'll just tell them hat to do because they naturally look tome for advice. Personally I think it's more of a function of language now than of white skin and height. If you can speak intelligently somehow people seem to think you know what you're doing. A woman with excellent verbal skills will often find herself catapulted to the top if she doesn't get distracted by the woman's traditional role of mother. Kids or career.
But where do I put all the Italians? They're dark skinned and black haired like the Hispanics but are often in charge. Do they count as having white priviledge? What about all the previous European groups that faced horrible discrimination during American history? "Didn't learn the language, not assimilating, close the borders, not welcome, English only" except to an 18th Century Pennslyvanian that describes a German to 19th Century New Yorker that's Italian or Irish… Know the history well enough and you see it's just another cycle.
I was describing the overall pattern in white european dominated countries. You're talking about things on a smaller scale, specific to a certain area and professions. I would assume the same pattern applies but in a different way:
As people get a foothold in a profession in an area they can provide connections that favour family members and friends, so on a small scale "privilage" can seem to favour other ethnic groups. That doesn't mean things are also changing for the rest of society obviously.
In Napolean's case, "lucky" generals were just people who could intuatively understand the probabilities better. Take the famous general Lasalle as a prime example-
The famous hussar general, dashing and courageous, taking extreme chances and comming out ahead spectacularly! …Till he took a chance one too many times and it killed him.
Probability was a huge part of warfare then. Long range weapons were innacurate, so even massed fire wasn't as much a danger as it seemed. A brave and bold horseman could charge massed ranks of muskets or even artillary at just the right moment and pull of an amazing victory totally unscathed. That sort of thing worked great for Lasalle, dashing around and leading from the front, till he started to think about his mortality and imagined that his luck had run out …shortly before he was shot through the head.
Beleiving in luck gets people killed. Understanding probability is what won him battles.
Find something funny that takes your mind off of stuff and just enjoy it. Embrace that the only thing you need to take seriously is the fact that NOTHING is to be taken seriously. Life is funny, people are funny and once you're in on the joke it's not as bad as all that. At times it's often worse, but just laugh about it and have a day.
Bravo is right. Comedy IS the best antidepressant. That is the one reason I stay up later than I should on week nights to watch Conan O'Brien. If I hear a joke that makes me legitimately laugh out loud, then I instantly feel better.
Oh, also, green smoothies, getting a healthy dose of sunlight, and long hugs are excellent mood enhancers.
ozoneocean wrote:Probability has always and will always be a big part of warfare. There was also timing and knowing the ebb and flow of battle so well that a general could always be where he needed to be when he needed to be there. Look at Wellington. His timing and sense of the battle were flawless. He was always where he needed to be. The American Civil War has numerous examples of generals who were just not aorund when their presense would have made all the difference in the world. One famous example is Jackson during the Seven Days.
In Napolean's case, "lucky" generals were just people who could intuatively understand the probabilities better. Take the famous general Lasalle as a prime example-
The famous hussar general, dashing and courageous, taking extreme chances and comming out ahead spectacularly! …Till he took a chance one too many times and it killed him.
Probability was a huge part of warfare then.
Murat had a lot of the same talents as LaSalle and both had the rare gift for timing cavalry/artillery attacks to be able to break infantry squares. There is the What-if of Murat at Waterloo bringing up the guns to break the British squares and winning the battle. However people who put that forward don't realize that the Dutch/Belgian cavalry was on hand counter-charging Ney's attacks to make sure the guns weren't brought up. A hole in the historical accounts in English only recently filled.
Too many times LaSalle was only one step away from being "Kill cavalry" Kilpatrick of the US Cavalry in the American Civil War. Stuart styled himself after LaSalle and could pull off many of the same tricks and a pile of new ones LaSalle could never have dreamed of. But a hard-headed realist of an opponent will destroy a flashy cavalryman. Fortunately LaSalle never had to meet a Sheridan or a Forrest. It's said by many modern historians that horse cavalry showed it greatest potential in the US Civil War. Eyes and raiders who were everywhere and nowhere giving the army it's information and keeping the opposition off balance.
So… depression and anxiety… yeah they are fun. I'm still walking a tightrope between the two. Therapy and medication have helped a little but still have a long way to go as I've become pretty agoraphobic. I'd probably be doing better if not for that.
My creative energies have been away from comics for a bit but it felt good doing some comic king today. Felt very good.
Last night I had the odd dream that Gene joke and I were roommates with our shared anxiety and depression driving each other crazy and sane at the same time. Somewhat like the Odd Couple with him being the neat one cleaning up my messes and putting away my figures and manuscriptsso I couldn't get any comics done.
I really need some vintage travel brochures to use as reference material for my comic, but they're proving impossible to find. There are a lot hanging of images on the internet, but they're almost all of the front cover only. I want to see the inside layout, fonts, etc. I went around to a bunch of antique stores and used books stores, but apparently people in my city were never big travelers because I haven't found a one.
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I downloaded the free trial of Lazy Nezumi and it's awesome. It smoothes out my lines enough that I can slow down a little and be more precise than usual, but it doesn't move things around too much like inking in Illustrator does.
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I pulled out a perfume today that I haven't worn since last winter, and I had forgotten how much I like it. It reminds me of a sexy woodsy gingerbread cookie (although it doesn't really have any ginger/spice notes). And then my dad said I smelled like an old Avon perfume. "In a good way!" he said, when I glared at him. -_-
HippieVan wrote:What era? A 1950's one will look different from a 1930's one. Old travel brochures were laid out very similarly to magazine pages of the same period, especially pictorials like Life and Look. My wife used to have a pile but I made her throw them out just like we sold all my vintage magazines. Often the insides were black and white with only the covers being color. Any photos would be retouched with most of the illustration being line drawings in the cute 1940's line style. Serif fonts predominated.
I really need some vintage travel brochures to use as reference material for my comic, but they're proving impossible to find.
I downloaded the free trial of Lazy Nezumi and it's awesome.Nezumi is Japanese for rat. An ex-girlfriend's nickname was Nezumi because her inspiration was Templeton the Rat from Charlotte's Web. And she was lazy.
bravo1102 wrote:I thiiiink I'm looking for the 1930s-style brochures, although I'd have to do a bit of research to be sure. The ones I'm thinking of have this distinctive look with blocky colours (usually quite bright), minimal/no black outlines, illustrations rather than photos.
What era? A 1950's one will look different from a 1930's one. Old travel brochures were laid out very similarly to magazine pages of the same period, especially pictorials like Life and Look. My wife used to have a pile but I made her throw them out just like we sold all my vintage magazines. Often the insides were black and white with only the covers being color. Any photos would be retouched with most of the illustration being line drawings in the cute 1940's line style. Serif fonts predominated.
Bravo has good advice about the look of them.
Hippie- maybe try lookig on E-bay?
Also, for searches on the net try and limit it down to travel brouchers for specific places, that might work better.
Like this:
http://travelbrochuregraphics.com/blog/2013/08/05/booklet-for-compagnie-de-navigation-paquet-au-maroc-circuits-dhiver-et-de-printemps/
Yep, THIS is the site you want: http://travelbrochuregraphics.com/blog/
1930's travel brouchers in full. Just click "click for more images" bellow the cover pics to see what's inside.
Like Bravo described them.
I'm having a good day! I just got a letter in the mail saying that I got the highest mark in a class I took over the summer, inviting me to a reception and awarding me a book prize. I'll probably feel like a bit of an imposter at the reception because the class was in a faculty that I know very little about and it was a super easy "X in popular culture" course, but I'm pretty pleased. I've also been thinking about doing some TAing/marking this year but for whatever reason was feeling too awkward to ask the department admin about it. And then today I got an email from a prof asking if I'd be interested in marking for his first-year class. I'm glowing from all the positive reinforcement.
I am very excited for you, Hippie!! All that positive feedback and Academic recognition from your professor is such a boost of confidence. Everything that you have mentioned is excellent news.
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As of this week, I am now a private tutor for the sweetest, most attentive student. Watch out world, I now have a pupil! I am having a great time helping with reading homework, math skills, and large projects each day after school. It feels good to start earning money again. I plan to continue living frugally and add to my savings account. To celebrate my first pay day, I bought a new cream-coloured fitted sheet for my bed.
I have been enjoying the most delicious fruits and vegetables. I eat one avocado each day, grilled eggplant with french green beans, kabocha squash tempura, and I satisfy my sweet tooth with kiwi fruits for dessert. My current drink of choice is blended wild blueberry water with added chia seeds.
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