November 27, 2003
The Orange Curtain
Mary suggested that I mention something that I didn't yesterday. When Mary Belle was explaining her situation to the police officer she wasn't getting much of response from him until she mentioned that the strange man in the parking lot happened to be black.
What's more, when I was speaking to the desk officer the first time I called the police. I didn't mention that the suspicious man was black either. My head doesn't work that way. It never has. I've never categorized people by their skin color but more by the content of their character. I seem to remember hearing that somewhere when I was very young? I guess it just stuck.
I don't know for a fact that the police acted any differently because of this. I have noticed that Orange County has a lot of white people as residents, but also lots of Asian and Hispanic people too. My presumption is that the Laguna Niguel police don't like strange men in elementary school parking lots no matter what their skin color is. I know I don't.
At any rate I hope everyone is having a rocking Thanksgiving.
November 26, 2003
Man in Parking lot cont'd...
After my email this morning I received a reply; a lieutenant from the Laguna Niguel Police (and then a phone call). Turns out they are very concerned and handed printouts of the sketch I did to the patrol deputies. Apparently they want to have a “meaningful dialogue” with this person.
The lieutenant also informed me that it is illegal to hang out in the school parking lot. I’m feeling a lot better. Once again I love Orange County.
Son of Chatsworth/Man in Parking lot
Mary and I took another trip to Chatsworth yesterday. Chatsworth is probably my least favorite of all the Chats. It’s also the home of the LTU counterpart of Mary’s school. It’s not that I mind the school so much. It’s the drive. I have two herniated disks in my neck and the vibration of the car just aggravates the injury to no end.
Upon returning home we realized that the refrigerator had gone out. The odd thing is that we didn’t freak out. We just dealt with it. In Vegas that would have been cause for a sailor’s streak of swearing and lamenting our horrible fate of choosing Vegas as a place to live. In fact since moving back to California the world has seemed a much better place to me. Despite wildfires and grocery store picket lines.
The other thing that we learned was that when Mary Belle went to the drugstore she ran into a strange man standing in the parking lot of the elementary school that girls attend. The man was parked at the far end of the lot. Standing by his car with the trunk open. A man in his late 20’s to early 30’s.
He kept trying to get her to come to him. He started asking her where she was going, how old she was, where did she live, where did she work and several times did she like to “party”? She felt threatened. Strange men standing by cars with their trunks open asking untoward questions have that effect on her I presume.
She described him to me and I did a composite sketch of him.
I went to the school this morning and spoke to principal about it. The school was not very pleased to hear that there was a strange man soliciting women in their parking lot. They suggested I call the Laguna Niguel police, tell them what happened and show them my sketch.
I called them. The officer that answered the phone was about to call the S.W.A.T team out until I told him that Mary Belle was nineteen. Apparently if you are over eighteen men can say whatever they want to you. That the man had not broken any laws and that he was probably just looking for a date.
I asked him if offering teenagers drugs is okay as long as the teen is over eighteen? He informed me that should the officer see it happening the answer is no. Then added, that the guy was probably somebody at the school’s brother or something.
I don’t believe that and either does Mary Belle. So I emailed the Chief of Police Service Liaison and told her the story. My main concern is that a strange thirty-something year old man hanging around the elementary school parking seems at the very least suspicious to me. If not just downright criminal.
Oddly enough Mary Belle ran into a police officer at the restaurant near where she works. She told him the story and he also agreed that it was suspicious and said that he was going to tell whomever he tells about something like that to keep an extra eye on the school.
Despite all of that I’m really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. I’m eternally grateful for all I’ve been given in this life and just seem to really be feeling that lately. I hope it’s the same for everybody.
November 24, 2003
Another Poem by Carolyn
We take the weak and the strong in one glance, thoughts pure until odd actions stain the carpet of heart.
Only people prepared for understanding of this horrific universe that brings memories to short distances of light can capture the mind of characters unreal to the normal soul.
We can see everything through this negative understanding of everything surrounding our actions, pure.
No one will every truly understand your actions and thoughts of characters among this natural surrounding, revisiting the powerful souls that make it up.
Until we fully understand our likeness of thoughtful pure actions affecting every brave soul that stains this strong carpet of power, we are until forever here to learn this.
Poem by Carloyn Tanner
Age 10
November 23, 2003
November 20, 2003
Michael Jackson Mug Shot
It takes forever to get to the King of Pop's mug shot on Smoking Gun. So just click on the picture if you want to see it. Hopefully he'll soon be the featured player in San Quentin's pass the new bitch happy hour.
I also realized that he's the same height as me but I weigh 50 lbs more than him. I could totally kick his ass five ways to Sunday.
In case you were wondering... he's guilty as hell.
Mary's Dream
Mary and I have been enjoying a renewed sense of love the past few weeks. We haven't had one our arguments about nothing in at least four weeks. Marriage is built upon sharing, trust, and continuously falling love with one another I believe. Or maybe I'm just lucky that way.
We tend to get up early, like between 5:30 and 6:00 usually. It gives us a few minutes to ourselves in the morning before homework, breakfast, or any number of our child related tasks. I generally wake up and think Oh God, it's her! I'm so glad it's her and not ______ (any of my exes). It's not so bad I gotta tell ya.
This morning we woke up and she said,
"I had a dream about Michael Jackson."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it was weird. I dreamt that he has been slowly exchanging his DNA with his pet Monkey. For years now."
"Huh?" I say.
"Yeah, he's been doing it for years so he can split when the law comes down on him for the sexual molestation" She says. "That’s why he looks so freaky and screams and grabs his crotch all the time, he's part Monkey."
"J'mon?" I ask, as my head tilts to the left like a confused dog.
"We should do that as a cartoon." She says.
"Yeah, why not?" I mumble, wishing we were still asleep.
Who knows, this could be early morning waking from REM nonsense or maybe she is psychic?
Can one take the tater out of the tot?
This is why Jason is a genius. It would have never occurred to me to confess something like that. Sadly, I already knew the recipe...
November 19, 2003
Bruce Lee and The King
I'm doing the website for my church. I went over to the Pastor's house today to go over design specs with him. I learned an amazing fact. The pastor of my church once sparred with Bruce Lee. I don't know about you but I was majorly impressed.
Not only that but he used to party with Elvis. Can you say that about your Pastor? I love Orange County!
November 16, 2003
More on: Glamourcon
I went to Glamourcon for about an hour on Saturday with Mary. Honestly I felt like it was 60 minutes I'll never get back. (Definitely 40 bucks I could have spent on something better. It was a pretty miserable time. I suppose I was expecting something "larger and grander". I thought there would be more art, more biff, bam, and pow! After seeing how small the room holding Glamourcon was I refused to shell out another $10 for the Asian Expo next door.
I'm not sure what I thought it would be -but it was very disturbing to see all these women looking so hard and full of inner turmoil. It was kind of like visiting the old prostitute's home and seeing the effects that ravages of time and spending ones entire life worrying about aging and outer beauty has. Sad really. I ended up feeling really bad for these women and I'm rethinking my stance on Pinups, Playmates, and erotica in general.
On the upside:
I did get meet Gina and get see her originals. Very nice up close. Both Gina and her art.
I got caught up to issue 4 of Dark Tarot of Lee's comic. I'm pretty sure Lee had no idea who I was but he was nice anyway.
I was surprised that they were charging the artist's for table space (like $350). I've never had to pay for space at a con (I've always been a guest) and I'm completely sure that I wouldn't start at Glamourcon.
I saw Hefner sitting at a table and wondered why there wasn't a bigger line -turns there was a line on the other side of the lobby that was an hour and half wait. One mystery solved.
Mary and I went outside for a smoke and saw the Hefster heading towards his limo. At which point about 20 overweight aging hipsters ran towards him and started shooting digi photos like some kind of geek squad paparazzi. We were terribly afraid they were going to knock him down and break his hip or something.
My wife learned that all those jokes about Playmates being airbrushed and enhanced were not jokes but absolutely true. Guys kept asking her which issue of Playboy she was in? Which she thought was really funny.
So after an hour we'd seen pretty much everything and it would have taken a half hour if it hadn't been so crowded. We went up to LA to have dinner in Malibu with a friend of ours. She had just returned from a month Bali and had taken some cooking lessons in Balinese cuisine. Amazing food! Plus she made pie!
Honestly that was the highlight of the day. I wish we had just spent the day in the "Bu" rather than wasting time at Glamourcon.
November 15, 2003
Glamourcon
Mary and I are off to Glamourcon
today. I think this picture says it all...
November 14, 2003
The Dangers of Marrying a Comic Geek...
Mary's new job is incredibly stressful. Basically she works long hours and is in the process of rectifying too many problem(s) with her school. It's one of those corporate transition periods. The old guard are set in their ways and the new guard has no qualms about firing them for it. So in an effort to be romantic I painted her a picture for her office.
She liked it...what? She digs geeks. It's all good.
November 13, 2003
X-Box Dream Giveaway
Genrally speaking I get a ton of SPAM everyday. Also ever since I installed Panther a week or so ago, my junk mail filter has considered every piece of mail I get as junk. I'm not sure if that is any reflection on the folks emailing me or the beginnings of Skynet's AI takeover...?
This morning I get a piece of mail that actually says in the subject line: You've won a Microsoft X-Box (This is not spam). Naturally I'm curious because- hey! a free X-Box!
So I go to this page to check it out. This falls under the heading: I trust people on the internet because _________.
At any rate once you enter the "prize code verification number" and fill in the form you get to this section.
Now I'm all about telling people the PIN number on my debit card. I mean it's my money so why would anybody but ME feel like taking it? So if you feel "okay" about that too I think everybody should SEND me their debit cards numbers and PIN's. I certainly won't use them to buy an X-Box.
(This is not SPAM)
(This is not SPAM)
(This is not SPAM)
(This is not SPAM)
(This is not SPAM!)
November 11, 2003
Move your art
I was filling out an application today and I couldn't for the life of me remember the name of the second animation studio I worked for in Minnesota. Turns out that it was Reelworks.
They've really beefed up their site up since I last visited. They have a few clips that I remember working on. Weird little trip down memory lane I guess.
November 07, 2003
More on: Mallrats
I'm not sure anybody knows this but I write a monthly column on the web site Pinup Heaven. The column is about my "so called career" in that I've worn several hats in my artistic career. This month the column is about how I ended up working as an art director on Mallrats.
Be warned: It's interspersed with pictures of my pinup art because -well because it's a Pin up Art Web Site at the end of the day.
Here’s a little taste:
After an extremely long day of driving all over Eden Prairie and its adjoining suburbs I returned to the shop for one more pick up. My brother-in-law was going to take it because it was at the Eden Prairie Mall. As usual I had no idea where it was or how to get there. So far that day my dad had pulled me aside several times to ask if I was stoned or just stupid?
“Neither actually, just a little dyslexia with direction in unfamiliar territory, but thanks for the vote of confidence Dad. Jeez”.
Luckily my dad has always supported my odd assortment of eccentricities and decided that if he drew me a map and acted out the left and right turns in some kind of “dad mime” I could (probably) find it. Now firmly convinced that I could handle this assignment I was given the last delivery of the day.
November 05, 2003
Credit Supreme
I've been seriously considering doing an animated version of Supreme online just to do something interesting to me. Doing a liitle research (or putting Alan Moore + Supreme in my google search window) I came up with this site. Citadel Supreme; it's part of Wes's informative comic site. The highlight being that I actually get credit for the issue I did..
Neil Gaiman revisited...
"but -- but you promised that if we did what you asked, you'd spare the Earth, and, and we brought you the girl. Dammit, you promised!" nods thoughtfully and says "I lied," as he reaches out to press the red button marked Press Here To Blow Up Planet.
You know I knew a few years ago that Neil Gaiman had his own web log but I've recently been visiting again. Great stuff.
November 04, 2003
More On: Halloween Pics
Apparently in his illness Mark posted his Halloween pictures.
Laguna Beach is a rockin' place to Trick or Treat by the way. It's like a non-stop party as soon as the sun goes down. I guess when there are only white folks around they go out and party in the streets. <--- This is a (not so) vague reference to how amazingly non-integrated parts of the OC are.
Update. The census from 2000 as opposed to the 1990 one listed above.
November 01, 2003
Halloween 5
Mary and I's 5th Halloween together.
There are more pictures from last night but Mark has forbade me to post him in his costume with the understanding that at the end of the day he has complete total control over the pooze...
(and the little green wig he's sporting over on the pill
isn't the costume he was wearing....)