Luprand's scribblypad

Singing.

2009-12-01T05:51:51Z

Well ... Saturday and Sunday are the choir performances. Handel's "Messiah" oratorio.

I picked up a couple of solos. I'll try to get video of them, if I can.

It's been a while since I had a stretch of music where I could just belt all of my fury into the piece. ... I didn't realize quite how powerful I could get my voice, actually. The guy standing at the foot of the piano (or in other words, in the line of fire) looked kinda dazed. At least the masonry didn't dissolve or anything.

... so yeah. Stuff.

This just made me giggle.

2009-11-16T01:47:57Z

So I signed into Yahoo! Mail and glanced at the headlines. The choice for the main headline had me chuckling.

The headline: "In first visit to China, Obama walks a tightrope (AP)"

The accompanying photo: President Obama, visible only from the knees up, holding an umbrella.

If it helps you get the same mental image, listen to this in the background and read it again.

Uhm.

2009-11-12T06:17:30Z

... well. I was going to post about a dilemma I've been having.

But it's been a while since I last visited LJ, so I've been reading over the friends page.

I don't think I have any right to complain.

My sympathies to those who actually have it bad.

Polaris.

2009-10-09T01:30:51Z

So a cat decided to adopt my family.

It's very much not the other way around. Dad's quite allergic to a lot of different pet danders, and especially cats. But we occasionally get cats who either are kept as outdoor pets and wander through the neighborhood, or live in the barns in the fairgrounds, or whatever, and Dad's not averse to patting them on the head and leaving out a can of tuna now and then.

So there's a couple of new cats in town of late; one's definitely a pet belonging to one of the neighbors ... but there's one that, far as we can tell, isn't really owned. And he spends a lot of time wandering around outside the house, approaching family members and occasionally mewing at the windows or doors because he wants in.

He's a little black cat with a single white spot on his chest, so I've taken to calling him Polaris, after the North Star. Very approachable and all, although he has a tendency to wait just outside the door, and if you're not expecting a little blob of blackness right there, it's a bit scary.

So the other night, I wound up watching Polaris get into a dispute with the other new cat. It wasn't a fight per se; both cats stood their ground, with Polaris yowling loudly and the other cat yowling more quietly. Neither cat would attack; Polaris was young and inexperienced, but the other cat was old and slow. So there was a lot of careful posturing and loudness. I think I understand more about international politics now.

Oh, yeah, that blog thing.

2009-07-28T09:13:22Z

So a couple of months ago, gab encouraged me to revive my long-dead webcomic review blog. So it's up again. I still need to work on making the site look cooler and stuff, but for now you can find it here. My writing's a bit less self-deprecating on that one, since it's my job to take a look at other people instead. So check it out.

It begins.

2009-07-27T22:42:21Z

Packed and shipped my first parcel to Ohio today. Six years' worth of sketchbooks.

I think going back home is now irrevocable.

Quick note ...

2009-06-21T19:21:31Z

Just to wish those fathers and fathers-to-be out there a happy Falker Satherhood.

That is all.

Customer disservice.

2009-06-16T03:20:40Z

Or rather, disservice from a customer.

I've spent the last month or so working part-time at a tuxedo shop (way to put that degree to good use, Simon!). It's nothing massive or world-shattering, but it pays and the work is something I can keep up with.

But we don't just carry men's tuxes; we've got tuxes for children. And children, as we all know, are my kryptonite.

So around 5:30 or so, a woman comes in lugging a bassinet under one arm and towing a boy behind her with the other. She declares that she wants to have her older son fitted for a tux, for such-and-such a wedding. I find the order form, start filling things in. This was when I got the first sign that something would go wrong: any time the kid so much as started to peek over the desk, the mother would scold him and tug him back.

In other words, the kid hasn't had his nap today, he's probably spent all day running errands with Mommy and is growing increasingly fidgety. Mommy, of course, doesn't understand why her kid won't sit still and behave--after all, she's not tired, so why should he be? This means that every thirty seconds or so, she's snapping at him.

Seems like everything's going okay ... the pants fit, the shirt fits, the jacket fits, and after a good chunk of hemming and hawing, we find a vest that fits. And then comes ... the shoes. Turns out the kid has short, wide feet. So toddler-10s are too narrow for him, and she declares that toddler-11s are too long. I go digging through the bins of children's shoes (which, far as I can tell, haven't been properly sorted in ages) trying to find a pair of 10-1/2s so we can exhaust the possibilities. And as I'm coming back with the pair in hand ... I find her on the phone, talking to another tux shop.

I really hope I don't need to point out how rude that is.

Meanwhile, the baby in the bassinet keeps threatening to cry from boredom. At long last, she declares that she's going to look for another store with the right kind of shoes. I give her a polite nod and apology and move on to the people who are returning a half-dozen tuxes, most of them hung on the weakest hangers.

I've got a headache tonight.

Spammity spam, wonderful spam ...

2009-05-25T19:05:11Z

Looking through the poor, neglected Gmail account that I so rarely use, I noticed an odd subject line:

"Your powerful uprise will excite women."

It left me wondering ... are armed rebellions that hot in the sack? I mean, really? I was willing to write it off, but a few lines farther down ...

"Revolution for unsatisfied couples."

Man. Military juntas must make for amazing lovers.

Actually, Kate Beaton already has the answer. A sexy revolution.

Ah, well.

2009-04-07T20:16:06Z

So I got a response from Random House, to this effect:

"Y'know how you applied for that first-year associates program? Yeah, we decided not to do it this year after all."

... Salieri.

Hearing things.

2009-04-01T05:02:19Z

I think I might be going deaf in my right ear. Or possibly have some kind of infection.

Last couple of weeks I'll hear my pulse rather loudly in that ear once in a while. And today, tinnitus and mild pressure on the eardrum. I'll have to make an appointment with that new doctor, I guess.

Attendance is futile.

2009-03-29T06:40:14Z

So the campus medieval club gave a concert tonight.

It was a pleasant hour of music, dance, singing, and refreshments.

Three people came, outside of club members.

At least the music was good, even if there weren't too many ears for it to fall on.

Possible job?

2009-03-26T22:01:54Z

So I interviewed with Eleutian Technologies yesterday. If I get the job, it means a part-time job teaching English to Koreans via teleconferencing.

It also means doing it on Korean time, admittedly, and it would mean probably missing Anime Expo and a few other things that would be kinda nice to do. Including walking for graduation, depending on the shift they assign me, now that I think of it. Hmm.

Well, this could be, uh ... hm.

Givin' it the ol' out-of-college try.

2009-03-13T07:02:32Z

So on a certain someone's suggestion, I put in an application for Random House's entry-level associate program (like a paid internship where they shuffle you from department to department for a year and then maybe offer you a job if they have an opening and like you a little).

It'd mean moving to New York for at least a year if I actually got hired and stuff ... but I'd also have a job in the publishing industry. And be living pretty much by myself.

Ambivalence reigns.

A music video of my own. Sorta.

2009-03-04T02:38:14Z

So yeah, been on YouTube for a while, mostly just faving other people's videos and stuff. But I finally recorded one of my own.

Warning: it's loud. I'm still not sure how to record stuff on my camera, and I don't have anything that edits .mov files. Sorry all.

Music Meme. Yeah.

2009-03-01T23:01:16Z

Official Rules:
1. Put your iPod or other music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3.YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

NOTE: If something came up as "Track #" or had a title that was just a name and a number, I skipped it for the next one. This, unfortunately, happened rather often.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Together We Ride
Fire Emblem

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Treasure Hunter
Ragnarok Online

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Spurn Not the Nobly Born
Iolanthe

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
The Paradise Line
Mother

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Get on the Bus
Bound Together

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Yakety Sax
Boots Randolph

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Escape Route
Cave Story Remixes

WHAT IS 2+2?
Alone on the Dance Floor
Meph D. Lop

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Runaway Five Blues
Mother 1+2

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Ancients' Village
Final Fantasy III

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Music Box
Final Fantasy V Dear Friends

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Original Medley
Smash Bros. in Concert

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Never Die
Cave Story

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Soup to Nuts
Bound Together

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Till There Was You
The Music Man

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Raspberry Heaven
Oranges and Lemons (...)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Go Home, Girl!
Gaelic Storm

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Sora Mimi Keeki (The cake that tricks the ears)
Oranges and Lemons

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Earthbound Hotel Rhumba (I Want to Go Home)
The Pancake Chef

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Via Purifico (The Path of Repentance)
Final Fantasy X

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Because I Love You
Mother 2 OST

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Battle 2
Final Fantasy III OST

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Death on the Snowfield
OC Remix.org

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Humoresque of a Little Dog
Mother 1+2 (... what?)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Fairy Battle
Final Fantasy IX (... even more what?)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Ai no teemu (Love Theme)
Mother 3

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Unfounded Revenge
Smash Bros. Brawl

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Fate in Haze
Final Fantasy V Dear Friends

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
The Paradise Line
Mother

Wow. A lot of these were eerily appropriate. Like ... a heck of a lot.

Continued effort.

2009-02-26T06:33:48Z

So I put in an application with the City of Provo. Maybe that'll get me a nice secretary job or something. Here's hoping.

In the mean time ...

Your result for The Dog Reincarnation Test...

German Shepherd!

German Shepherds are lovers. People that are always looking out for others will likely be reincarnated as a German Shepherd.

German Shepherds have been one of the first choices for police and military dogs. It is one of the most dependable breeds of dogs as well. It has been one of the most popular breeds of dog for generations, according to the AKC. It is a loving family companion, highly intelligent, and very strong. This dog can be quite fearless and very protective of it's family. It is a large dog with short to medium length fur. This dog has a very majestic stance and loves to cuddle. They are quite the talkers and will sing or howl along with you. They are very inquistive and attentive dogs that never seem to forget. They are loyal, fearless, and totally devoted to their friends and loved ones.

Take The Dog Reincarnation Test at HelloQuizzy

The frustration of the job hunt

2009-02-10T06:57:26Z

This makes two jobs in a row that I've applied for, and then been told, "Hah, silly us! We're not hiring after all. Sucks to be you, fatboy."

... okay, so maybe not in so many words, but gosh darn is it ever frustrating.

Tweets for today

2009-02-06T12:03:25Z

Chirp.

Wark, kweh kweh!

BucCAW!

Tweedledeedledeet.

Cheepers cheepers.

Chirp.

Knight Games

2009-02-06T08:52:48Z

So I got "knighted" today.

Which is to say, I I got pulled into an honorary Order in the medieval club for being a kinda nice person when I wasn't looking. Mainly, though, it's because the order I got put into is one that the club wants to bring my roommate into as a squire ... and they need someone to squire him to. Right place, right time, I guess.

Speaking of which, BYUSA is putting on its Knight Games festival tomorrow night/tonight from 8 to 11 pm. Any of you in the Provo area should totally come, if you can. Tickets should be cheap, and there will be plays, music, dancing, food, and a fencing tourney to watch.

So totally come. And such.

Is it too much to ask ...

2009-01-25T03:44:43Z

... that when you post something derisive about someone else, that you not use bad grammar in the middle of mocking their intelligence? Is it really that hard?

Seriously, people, do not start your comments with "Your an idiot" or I will find you and slap you around with my third-grade English textbook.

After I find my third-grade English textbook.

A vague huzzah.

2009-01-04T22:24:59Z

So Grandma's book is now coded up to volume 2.

A bit of explanation ... Three years ago, I couldn't for the life of me find a job that would allow me both Sundays and Wednesdays off (Sundays for church, Wednesdays for counseling at whatever time it happened to be scheduled). After a couple months of fruitless searching, my parents decided to hire me to help around the house.

My main task would be to go through my grandmother's autobiography. She'd written four volumes before a series of strokes and geriatric dementia took their toll, and while there were copies enough for each of her children, the grandchildren sort of lost out. (The books together account for about 2,000 pages and weigh something like twenty pounds.) Mom's goal was to put the books on CD in one way or another; her first idea was to convert the whole thing to a PDF.

The PDF idea was scrapped when we received a PDF book-on-CD from another family historian ... it nearly killed the computer, it was so huge. Mom suggested we try setting the books up as Word documents, but there's always the people out there who don't have Word on their computers. (These people really exist.) So in the end ... we decided to put it into HTML. This way, each chapter would be its own page, with links to the previous and next pages and a central index/table of contents. This also meant that a lot of full-page illustrations and the like could be reduced to links to images in order to save type space. (Not to mention we could quietly remove all the articles from the National Enquirer that Gram had put into the book. It lets her own words come through a bit more.)

So I spent the summer of 2005 mostly in my room, putting together a system for page navigation, scanning every image I could, and then coding the actual text to flow decently well around the plethora of photographs and other images. Meanwhile, Mom spent her time copying the text of Volume 2 and some of Volume 3 into Word documents so I'd have an easier time copy-pasting them into the HTML pages. By August, I had most of Volume 1 completed, with a good chunk of Volumes 2 and 4 underway. (Volume 4 included every Christmas letter Gram had ever sent, so I spent some time scanning and retyping those.) And then it was time to head off to school with a massive project unfinished.

If you've read all this, then you deserve a special reward. Click the period for a photo of a man dressed like a cigarette. So over this break, I spent some more hours getting things coded and entered and whatnot ... and I was able to make a dummy disk of Volume 1 that could be put on CD and distributed among the family. And I was able to get Volume 2 all but finalized, and I'm working on scanning all of Grandpa's military documents right now.

Maybe I can take one of the dummy disks as an example of what I can do with enough encouragement. I feel vaguely proud.

Everything smells like wheat pudding.

2008-12-30T22:54:40Z

I'm back in Ohio for a week, once again working on my grandmother's autobiography. I'll have it in HTML form if it kills me ... for now, the big thing is just dealing with how many images I have to scan. If I could just teach Mom how to work the scanner and save things as JPEGs, the scanning probably would've been done a year and a half ago and I could spend the time coding. But oh, well.

So I sit and scan and type and occasionally visit other sites just to keep my brain unfocused. I get to feel like a real editor, nudging things into a more coherent order and setting the pages up to look as good as they can on rush order. So yeah ... go me, or whatnot.

There's a time

2008-12-14T23:50:05Z

There'll be a time when I'll worry and freak out about how my papers aren't done yet, how I can't find a job in Utah so I'll have to go back and live with my parents, and all that.

For now . . . the choir did an amazing job. I'm really proud of them. I'm grateful.

Better days.

2008-12-10T23:22:58Z

Things are good right now. I'm glad for that.

The Yule Ball went well. And I'm no longer sore from all the dancing.

My last story for my writing class was received very well.

The other stories have been fun to read.

And classes are, in general, going nicely.

Now I just need to find a local job, if I can.