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#219 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

October 15, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, politics | 5 comments

That’s either me losing it in the last panel, or the creation of an awesome new superhero/villain called ‘Broccoli Head’. Either way, the conversation was rife with hand gestures and big sighs of frustration and ended with at least one person (me) going to bed angry.

The thing is, I get some of it, I mean I don’t agree with any of it, but I at least understand some of it – Adam explained the concept in regards to schools and health care and all sorts of things that made sense (and that I already understood), but I just couldn’t grasp the concept of smaller/no government working when it came to things like getting a road built (or repaired). He explained it to me at least half a dozen times, and was incredibly patient, but I think part of the problem on the “roads issue” is that Adam doesn’t believe in it either – so neither of us really GETS how it would actually work…because we don’t think it will.

Anyway, it was an incredibly frustrating night and it will be a LONG time before I try to have a conversation like that again.

McSweeney’s Does It Again…

October 15, 2008 in entertainment, mcsweeney's, short fiction, writing | Permalink

Just when I thought there was no possible way to look at the economic crisis and laugh my ass off, I stumbled across this brilliant piece on McSweeney’s Internet Tendency by Jon Methven called “The Economic Crisis Hits The Markson Family Monopoly Board“. Go there and read it now.

While there you may want to check out this other fantastic gem by Colin Nissan “Diary Of A Woman Trapped Inside A Man’s Body Trapped Inside A Beaver’s Body” – hilarious.

Interestingly enough I must be a pretty big fan of Methven’s because I recognized the name and realized I’ve linked to his stories on McSweeney’s before…he’s got a style and sense of humor I just can’t get enough of.

Anis Mojgani – Artist of the Week

October 14, 2008 in blogging | Permalink

Who better to kick off my Artist of the Week feature than my good friend and amazing artist ANIS MOJGANI. Anis’ book Over The Anvil We Stretch is finally being released (I feel like I’ve been waiting for centuries) this week.

October 15th is the official launch date and you can find it here, as well as on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and strangely – Target. I have not yet had the opportunity to peruse the book (where’s my advance copy for reviewing Anis!?) but based on Anis’ poetry (slam and otherwise) which I’ve talked about here often before, and his drawing skills, which many have not been exposed to but which are, I assure you, awesome, I’m sure the book will be as amazing as I’ve been dreaming it will be.

So pick up a copy of Over The Anvil We Stretch now, and while you’re getting the book buy a few of his cd’s etc. If I was disciplined enough to make myself listen to his cd (Live: Seattle 2005) everytime I felt my creative energy ebb away I would never lose it – because Anis and his work are inspiring like few other things are.

If you want to learn more about Anis you can also check out his surprisingly epic Wikipedia page.

As an awesome sidenote – I found, weeks after Anis crashed on our couch while in New York, little black and white drawings that he worked on for his book, both on my computer and under my couch. It was like finding little treasure left by a miniature Santa Claus that I could actually believe in…and no Anis, you cannot have them back…

Artist of the Week

October 14, 2008 in artist of the week | Permalink

I’m starting a feature (today!) called Artist of the Week. And it will just be a short feature about incredible artists that are inspiring me lately – or just doing amazing things in general.

I’m going to use the term artist somewhat broadly to include anyone from musicians to architects, but I suspect the bulk of the artists featured here will be of the more traditional (pen to paper) kind.

So stay tuned for our first Artist of the Week – a young man I’ve talked about frequently before who has a new book coming out this week and who is quite frankly the perfect kickoff for this project, because he is absolutely the most renaissance artist I know in these modern days of ours. A slam poet, a writer, an artist, and a musician. I don’t know that there’s anything he can’t do. And in this case I’m particularly lucky to also be able to call him friend…

#218 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics…NSFW?

October 14, 2008 in anna paquin, anna paquin boobs!, boobs, cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment | 3 comments

Yes, thank YOU Anna Paquin. I had my biggest blog day ever thanks to you!

And by the way, I’d like to add, perhaps unnecessarily, that I commend Anna for showing her boobs. I’m not into the gratuitous nudity for no purpose but I actually find avoiding nudity for no purpose equally as annoying. These (boobs and other various body parts) are not precious perfect commodities to be sold to the highest bidders (Halle Berry, I’m speaking directly to you), they are just part of the human body, and if there’s a scene where it’s awkward and bizarre to hide them – you know – that scene where lovers suddenly cover up after the sex when it’s time to get a glass of water? – sure that’s how we all behave – personally, it completely takes me out of a scene when they throw in that awkward “cover up” moment because such and such actress doesn’t want to “give away the goods”.

Now, unfortunately we do see a disproportionate amount of lady parts to man parts and that should change…but that’s a whole other conversation, this is just to say not only “thank you” to Anna, but also, “You go girl. Your decision, as far as this viewer is concerned, was well-considered and appropriate for the show that you are currently on.”

Also, as a side note – you looked gorgeous.

#217 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

October 13, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, entertainment | 6 comments

I love this one…maybe because it required very little drawing 🙂

I’m having severe writer’s block…actually that’s not true…that makes me sound like I’m trying. I’m actually having severe ‘not even trying’. I’m just down about the economy, worried about my job (and therefore my money), and it has become incredibly hard to concentrate. I’m in that horrible whining pattern of wishing and hoping – dreaming about sitting down to write all week – and then given two full days to do so – I roll about on the couch whining about how hard it is and what a failure I am. I think I wrote about a thousand words all weekend…AND I didn’t do any cartoons…here’s what I did do, by percentage:

2% getting drunk on my new favorite vodka drink Saturday night

8% being drunk or slightly hungover

2% watching Sex And The City (it wasn’t near as bad as I feared)

18% sleeping

10% napping

2% actually writing

10% surfing the internet and reading blogs and other mostly pointless crap

2% cleaning the apartment

8% reading (Men Without Women by Ernest Hemingway – excellent!)

8% watching legitimate TV (i.e. things I recorded or was interested in)

5% watching pointless TV (i.e. things I should never bother watching – but watch out of frustration/avoidance)

2% eating (Hmmm – eating and writing – equal percentages – coincidence? I think not!)

2% catching up on things I should have done during the week – emails, bills, etc.

21% rolling around on the couch whining and feeling sorry for myself.

Phase II Rejection Update

October 13, 2008 in rejection, short fiction, short fiction rejections, short fiction submissions, writing | Permalink

OY! A non-encouraging rejection from a major house, the second rejection I’ve gotten from them. I think I’m just shooting a little too high maybe. Maybe I’m not established enough, maybe I’m not talented enough, maybe my style is not refined enough, maybe the things I write about are not epic enough…but I think I’m not going to submit to this major magazine again until I have some more credits to my name. I suppose you can’t just come running out of the gate aiming for the gold medal or the pulitzer or whatever…well maybe some people can, but not me.

I’m usually pretty good at letting these roll off me, but this one came at an inconvenient time…a time when my defenses were low…and so it seemed to hurt a little bit extra.

I’ve got one more piece out there in this rejection phase…and am still sitting on half a dozen, four of which are almost ready and two of which are not even close but are showing potential…

It’s funny, this magazine that just rejected me, in their most recent issue they had the most amazing short fiction piece I’ve probably ever read – really powerful – the kind of piece that makes you wish you’d written it, and short of that, the kind of piece that makes you wish you had the money to option things, and also the kind of piece that makes you wonder why you think you can compete. But they also had in the same issue a piece that I found to be totally pedestrian. Totally not better than what I have submitted to them in the past (certainly not this time around) so it’s frustrating. I suspect it will always be frustrating…successful or not…though I’d prefer to go with successful…

Updated Stats: 0 for 4 in Phase II with one submission still out there being considered and about six still prepping for submission (soon?).

#216 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

October 10, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics | 4 comments

My emotions lately seem to be boiled down to a few basics: pissed, annoyed, tired, or worried. Good times! The day above was definitely pissed – and so again I was left with the feeling of having no control over my own sex appeal.

I realized this past week one of the things that bothers me so much about this whole “getting hit on” conundrum…First, it makes you uncomfortable – even the nicest least aggressive of compliments is quite frankly weird and uncomfortable, and immediately makes you feel like a sex object rarther than a person. This is not a good way to feel. Secondly, when you get hit on consistently at odd times (times you personally think you do not look your best – or worse – do not feel your best – like when you are sick, or angry, or skipped washing your hair) then it further takes the control away from you.

Not only are you being subjected to someone’s comments and opinions about you (positive or otherwise) but you also have to face the fact that you obviously aren’t even in control of whatever it is they are finding appealing about you…because you think you look terrible…and that day that you dressed up and were feeling really good? Nobody said anything to you THAT day. It’s very frustrating.

I hope everyone is heading into a great weekend. I’m planning a lot of writing, but I’ll be honest I feel REALLY tired right now…so we’ll see what actually happens.

#215 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

October 9, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics | Permalink

To be continued…

The funny thing is, I never would have turned around for whistling (who is arrogant enough to assume whistling is for them!?) except I was walking over by our sister company, which has many people that know me and don’t see me very often and so I figured it was one of them trying to get my attention. But no…of course not. Stay tuned…

#214 ~ Rabid Lamb Comics

October 8, 2008 in cartoons, comic of the day, comics, politics | 4 comments

I didn’t really throw them all out – it’s just symbolic. I did throw out a couple that I never want to see again and that I didn’t feel were worthy of donation. I put a few in the back of my closet and held a few for donation at a later date. Thank the gods – I hated my summer shirts this past year. Some years I find good stuff and I can muddle through, and other years (this one) it’s just unbearable from the very first day. Yuck.

Did you guys watch the debate last night? I thought Obama did great. Of course we’ve established I’m pretty biased at this point. The thing that really shocks me about all of this is how much I have ended up hating McCain. McCain was actually an interesting guy to me eight+ years ago, but now, he’s just so full of lies that I can’t even look at him. He seems like a petty, smug, arrogant ignorant jerk most of the time, and that “smile” he’s got going on? The one that is supposed to look like he’s a “really nice guy” makes me just cringe. He looks like he’s gritting his teeth through the smile and thinking “I’m going to kill every single one of you for making me do this” the whole time.

Obama looked relaxed and confident and well, just presidential quite frankly. He also did a better job of answering the actual questions (I mean neither of them get A+’s in that) but Obama certainly did a better job than McCain – I don’t think I heard more than one actual plan from McCain – does he have any plans or is he just hoping to rest on his previous (not so great by the way) voting record if he gets elected? Cause I’m pretty sure that won’t work.

Also – was anyone else totally thrown by McCain referring to Obama as “that one”. I’m sure it was just a slip up (he IS super old) but that had serious racist undertones if you ask me. He has a name and a title – it’s SENATOR Barak Obama.

The CNN polls last night about the debate, heavily favored Obama, which is awesome, but now I come in today to read all the hate and bile on the internet (mostly from moron commenters) and I feel bad about everything again…I just have to learn to stop reading the comments. Not mine of course…but those anonymous racist haters out there that try to spread their poison anywhere they can on various blogs politcal and otherwise – the terrible bile I was seeing today was on a freaking E! entertainment post about the debate – I guess I can rest easy that someone who is getting their political news from E! is probably not smart enough get to the voting booth anyway…

Also, I’m sure everyone knows this already, but if you have any doubt about any of the facts that are getting thrown around go to www.factcheck.org to check out the ACTUAL facts. It’s a non-partisan site and you’ll find just as many Obama and Obama camp errors as McCain and McCain camp errors. To my mind the Obama errors, though they obviously exist, are generally more innocent and less slimy – but it’s a great site regardless of who you’re voting for, it really helps clear up some of the lies and misinformation.