So the backup hard drive has been recovered, error checked, defragged a 2nd time, wiped clean, and a new, fresh backup is running right now. Only problem being that it takes forever to do this for the first time. So, no computer intensive work tonight. Listening to the radio and sketching is a nice way to kill the time though.

I do doubt that anything I sketch today will make it online for a long while. I’ve got the most godawful pile of finished lineart ready to be colored to slog though that I’m trying to impose a moratorium on new scans until I at least get some of the better finished pieces ready for display. (I’m no longer satisfied posting the b/w work, when the finished colored pieces are so much more satisfying. That’s my opinion mind, but hey - this is my world here.)

And speaking of art, I’ve stumbled on two new artists:
Pockybox, discovered quite by accident when someone else posted his idea of a real world rendering of some folks from south park, and ColdBlueInk, who is proof enough that there are still some decent art students out there. (and they should really be encouraged more!)

A few days ago, I started to get some wacky errors from my external backup HD - I/O errors, file read errors, and visible but inaccessible files. Drat, I think to myself, time to buy a new backup drive. It seems, though, that a defrag and two swipes with windows default recovery utility took care of the problem (mostly). It’s still an older piece of equipment, and i will need to buy a new one eventually, but not today. Which is nice.

And speaking of nice, the lovely people at my insurance company actually sent me a check for the unused portion of my now canceled policy. Which, y’know, is the *correct* thing to do, but I try not to expect too much from the world most days.

Don’t know if I’m done with this one or not.

Grumpy man with cat - and now I am smiling.

Instead of a muted background and heavy lines, today it’s all colors, all the time. I’ve possibly strayed over towards garish, but it’s fun.

One of the ways I know I’m really getting my artistic groove on? I’ll randomly stop work to dance around the house for a few minutes, then pick back up where I left off. (I used to do this all the time when I was a kid - don’t know how my grandparents put up with the banging on the ceiling.)

This story is about something called Radical Honesty

Letting your id out to play now and then is good. Letting your id take over your mouth 24-7? Not so good.

So the average guy (and none too few of the womenfolk) thinks about sex every x number of seconds/minutes. I really do NOT want to have to hear about it from every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane and Jill.)

And that sums it up - I don’t actually *care* about the random id musings of the majority of folks I have to deal with. (There is a short list of exceptions, and you know who you are.) So why in g-d’s name would I want to subject myself to even more unwanted knowledge about people I’d rather not deal with anyway?

I’ll save my “unfettered honesty” for blog postings. Where others can avoid it if they wish, and where I can avoid theirs (mood depending).

It wasn’t quite hotter than hell today, but the humidity made up for it. Maybe that’s the reason for all the purple and blue shading.

A very large cat - Wow. A cat bigger than Jack. Lots bigger.

Morning Glory spring at Yellowstone - Proof that whenever we find something beautiful, we will also find a way to fuck it up.

The Steampunk Workshop - I (think) I’ve already blogged the modded keyboard shown here, but that was only the beginning. Oh for the time and space to make such pretty things.

Vanessa Mae - phantom of the opera (links directly to the .mp3 file). Better than the original. And now I’ve got a new artist to collect.

The Nightingale and the Rose - A Fairy Tale by Oscar Wilde - You want a sad and depressing fairy tale? Hoo boy, have I got one for you. But it’s a true one too.

Do you make your own paneer? - A simple looking cheese recipie. I’m gonna try it this weekend.

Jeff Grant - Seascape photos. Beautiful.