Sunday, April 29, 2007

Surprise


I've been working on some materials for zombie skin for a small comic strip I've been looking at doing. This is my first attempt at creating "realistic" skin for those darn zombies. I think I'll entitle this piece "Surprise" ;-).

Maybe I should have called this blog "Pondering Of An Itinerate Graphics Hobbyist" instead. Lately it seems to be more about that subject than programming. I love programming but art presents a whole new set of challenges that I don't already know the answers to. It seems like when I get a programming job I already have it solved before I finish. I know exactly how I'm going to approach the problem and the only thing left is to code. With art it seems like I always begin a project going "How the heck am I going to do that."

It definitely makes it challenging. I'm sure that I will find some programming challenges in the near future that make me feel that way.

I leave you with the "before" picture that I think is perhaps a little more interesting.

Thursday, April 26, 2007


This is just a drawing I worked on for the past few days. Oooohhhhh, looks evil.

Monday, April 23, 2007

A New T-Shirt To Show How I Feel About VW


I just added this to my Cafepress store at http://www.cafepress.com/touchofgeek. It pretty much sums up my feelings about my VW Beetle.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

My VW Beetle Woes

I have a 2002 VW Beetle with 61000 miles. I took it into the shop 3000 miles ago saying there was transmission trouble. "Oh no sir. There is no trouble at all", was all I got in reply (the warranty ends at 60000 miles). Now I take it in and suddenly, "Yeah. The transmission needs to be replaced.". It's going to cost me $3800!!! My Ford Taurus is a piece of crap but at least I was able to buy a new transmission for it, installed, for $1900. I tried bringing up the fact that I took this POS to them 3K miles ago and they found nothing and that I'm only a few thousand over the warranty but got zero response. All I have to say is that I will never again own a Volkswagen and now I'm making it my mission to tell everyone I know, hit every automotive bulletin board, write letters to corporate and say what a piece of crap VW products are.
Not only has the transmission gone out but I have had it in the shop for the air conditioner twice, Anti-lock braking system, things popping off of the console that are not wear parts and turn signals that go out on a whim. If you want my advice do not get a Beetle. I am seeing all kinds of problems like this online. Please, if you value your wallet do not inflict yourself with this curse of a car.
I plan on getting the word out to everyone I can possibly reach (as an IT guy that means quite a few people) and tell them every aspect of my horrible experience with VW. The only thing that could mollify me at this point is if VW refunded me the cost of the transmission. They seem to forget that if we as customers tell ONE person not to buy a car from VW they are out more money than the transmission costs. I plan on reaching thousands through every means at my disposal.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Real Men

It's been a while. I just had to write this when an obvious thought came to me. I was seeing all kinds of men doing things that frankly shocked me. No one cares about my feelings on this (I realize) but I started formulating some of the things I have learned about being a man from people like my father. Sometimes I forget that everyone does not have a role model like I had. Thinking upon some of the things I've seen lately I realize just how lucky I was.
With no further ado, here is a list of items/rules that should define our lives as men (in no specific order):

1. Real men do housework
2. Real men don't leave their families
3. Real men have one wife and try to love them as they love themselves
4. Real men don't bully those weaker than them or let people stronger than them dictate their morals
5. Real men stand up for what they believe in
6. Real men cry
7. Real men take responsibility for their actions
8. Real men work for a living unless they cannot physically do so
9. Real men let those closest to them know they love them
10. Real men try not to look or touch
11. Real men pay their debts
12. Real men suck it up in the face of adversity (but have been known to complain on occasion)
13. Real men put their family ahead of themselves
14. Real men share their emotions with their spouse
15. Real men fail, then they they pick themselves up and try again.

That's all I have to say about that and yes, I'm still trying to live up to this list. Life is like that. If you stop trying to be better then you better be six feet under.