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okay, I posted to http://istillam.sharedwing.net/ again
thank you to nathan_long and silme and everyone else who commented! I really appreciated it. :D :D :D

I could use some help from K-On! fans and telophase and other artistic types ... because I am TRYING to be good and actually do a rough and all that jazz. *lashes self* GAH

I need to improve my attention span to my own art!

I just used the word "weight" instead of the word "weighed."

Honestly, self.

Psst, I would really love comments, even if critiques aren't needed for these unfinished doodles, either here or there on istillam.sharedwing.net--the only thing more discouraging than my lack of recent drawing is the lack of anyone's commenting. I mean, unless it totally sucks even as a scribble, in which case not commenting is better. :p

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"Taiwan creates a Napa Valley of teas" ... well, weird headline, but anyway; Mercury News article about Taiwan's tea plantations and tea cafe culture, which extends to California as Ten Ren has shops here and in LA, etc. When I was in Taiwan people were talking about an anti-Starbucks backlash and a tea renaissance, so it's good to hear that it's continuing.

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Because I know some of you will be intrigued: HUNT FOR THE GIANT, LILY-SCENTED EARTHWORM.

Another, but totally different, Chronicle article: SF fog belt gives chefs challenges, or why summer cooking is totally different when it's foggy and 55 F at 8 PM. The good news is that everyone's still in the mood for a full meal, soup, drink, and a dessert! Fine by me. I love it. And as Thomas "French Laundry" Keller says, "I sometimes long to be in a hot climate, but that's what God invented Sonoma County for." (Actually, I never long to be in a hot climate, but I understand that some of y'all crazy people do.)

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Decently sized Japanese gothic & lolita fashion show photos from Paris, including Alice & the Pirates and others. It's rare that a fashion show photographer puts large-size photos on Flickr! Inspiring stuff for steampunks and others, plus stuff that just makes me go "Ick!"

Posted to http://istillam.sharedwing.net/ again, although technically it's not a new drawing. Most of you haven't seen it, though.

Hope to see this this weekend--would rather see it with in-laws, but probably it won't be in theaters in a couple week. Thoughtful hard sf doesn't mix well with US audiences. Thanks to hoshizora for bringing it to my attention.



Oh yeah, Kevin Spacey does the voice of the computer system and apparently the director is David Bowie's son.

Hey, Bank of America users: Their Add it Up program gives cash back for online shopping using your B of A credit or debit card, and unlike most such programs, it a) can stack with existing miles or other programs, and b) includes places I would actually shop, such as Newegg.com, Lane Bryant (!), and the Apple store. (It also includes Expedia and Travelocity and so on, though I almost always wind up using the actual websites for the hotel or airline instead. But it might be worth it. Or, $2 from JetBlue, haha.) Now if I can just remember to USE it...

Most places offer only about 4%, but a few have special offers, like Shoebuy.com (a Zappos knockoff with free shipping and returns) which is offering 17% back).

They're also supposed to be adding more places where you can shop on-site and get the cash back thing.

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Info for kyspaz and other Texans about the current State Board of Education vacancy and why it's relevant, via telophase: http://telophase.livejournal.com/1578429.html

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I tried to find something else and failed, sorry.

Pure Funky Service
Crazy Crazy Mysterious Restaurant
( You can see where this is going...straight to 'Bitter Sailor Cookies' )

Made my "Just being alive means you've made a clear profit" icon, but Photoshop doesn't want to make the border, so I'll fix it tomorrow.

Tonight has been one of those not-so-good, where's Tony-Stark-when-you-need-him nights. Ugh.

But at least I figured out how to get my test to go behind an icon element, not that you can tell in this icon...since I don't understand the grammar of this phrase well enough to know where to break it up, haha. I mean, other than after "life," I guess. :P

Between Alpha's enjoyment of life and her cafe not actually making any profit to speak of I thought she'd be a good subject.

Well, that's the first time I've had the delight of seeing folks playing cricket on the Fourth of July at the park. Had a root beer from the rarely-open refreshment stand and walked around and saw people flying kites, paddling around the lake, grilling kebabs and kalbi, and eating noodles and Red Vines. I really love my town, regardless of its uncool reputation.

(It was verging on too cold for a root beer float, but you know, I love that, too.)

Here's the art nouveau-influenced print I bought at Fanime. Love it.

Please tell me any of the other Thursday Next books are fun too...yes? LIke I wrote on Facebook, they're like that library-special-ops subgenre of manga/anime, which I obviously have a big soft spot for. Whee! (Yeah, I read The Eyre Affair in about a single setting last night. Probably everyone else who would enjoy it has already read it, like toratigris and kyspaz...)

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Wondering how disappointed my Japanese clients will be by US fireworks tonight, LOL. They tell me that their local fireworks show typically lasts at least an hour and a half. (or shows? Japan does 'em periodically during the summer.) Therefore, I anticipate major disappointment.

I don't know that I've ever been to a "typical" US barbecue or park-based party-type thing for the 4th. Maybe as a kid? I don't know how to grill...maybe someday.

by coming up with a tag for the pulmonary embolism debacle. Heehee.

Now I'm trying to think of an appropriate female (anime? manga? drama?) character to use in an icon with the motto "人生、生きちょるだけで丸儲け" ("Just being alive means you've made a clear profit" -- this terrific old grandma character in Wakaba used to say it, which is where I learned it, but apparently it was a female comedian prior to that who came up with it or made it famous.)

I definitely didn't have a near-death experience or anything, but I still think it's a good saying, and that I should dwell less on what makes my life imperfect.

Suggestions welcome! I am drawing a blank...

Well, shoot, Mollie Sugden died (seems so odd that Wendy Richard would have died first though). Mrs. Slocombe was such a great character. I have no idea what Sugden was like as a person, but you have to have quite a strong personality to be willing to make such fun of yourself in front of so many people.

Of all the celebrities who have randomly happened to pass away during the last arbitrary unit of time, I suppose she's the only one I have any particular attachment to. But I started watching "AYBS?" in my last year or so of college, so I didn't literally grow up with it the way tons of people have.

I forgot to say that although I wasn't able to reply to any of the get well and "OMG!" messages at the time (and it's a bit late now), assaultdoor read them to me over the phone, and I really really appreciated them! Thank you so much! <3

I'm still working on my detailed "what happened" post, but you should go read rachelmanija's short story, "River of Heaven," over at Strange Horizons.

It's especially recommended to people with soft spots for Japanese subways and wagashi, those beautiful little sweets made to go with matcha. But there are a ton of other people that I think will enjoy it, so basically: go read it!

Also, telophase has launched an art contest based on my AutoShoujo anime & manga title generator! So cool! Here are the AutoShoujo Contest rules.

I feel like I'm getting presents, heehee.

( In here. )

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

( In here. )

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

( In here. )

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

( In here. )

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Right, just more proof that I'm totally out of touch with my generation and 75% of the rest of the world, oh well.

(It's always sad when someone dies, but Michael Jackson means absolutely nothing to me. On the other hand, even though he is really popular with a lot of people from my generation, it occurs to me that technically I'm a little too young to have been really struck by him. The "Billie Jean" performance NPR's Linda Holmes just posted is from 1983. I was six.)

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This is new: City Tours on Google Maps. "Enter a city name above to discover tours in that city. " SF's had 3 different days and includes the Cartoon Art Museum <3 <3 <3. 60 minutes at the Asian Art Museum would be a crying shame, though. And 45 minutes in Japantown would be ridiculous--day 2's walking tour would probably kill you.

They have some international cities, but ...

We're sorry, we couldn't find a city matching your query "kyoto, japan". Try refining your search, e.g. "dublin, ireland" instead of "dublin".

Uh. #errormessagefail

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If you missed it on Facebook, have a lacy pink Gundam.

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I get to spend my Friday morning doing this: chest CT scan. Yep, I'm thrilled. I reckon if it's serious I'll post outside of the health filter (although f'locked).

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http://twitter.com/losmedanos/
...yup, it's where assaultdoor works. :)