Monday, June 22, 2009
Some teasery pages of the next issue of Shuteye:
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
The weather has been so pleasant lately that I've been going out of my way most mornings to bike up Chicago's lakefront path. This morning I left myself enough time to stop at Albion beach. I locked my bike up and took my shoes off and walked about in the sand for a bit, and pretended that I was on vacation instead of heading into the office.
There's a free book of mormon in the sand there, by the by, if you were looking to pick up a free book of mormon for some reason.
There's a free book of mormon in the sand there, by the by, if you were looking to pick up a free book of mormon for some reason.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Here is a photo I took in a ladies room in a bar in Portland, Oregon.
We played Professor Layton on the flight home - it made the 4 hours go surprisingly quickly. Say, that reminds me of a puzzle I once heard...
We played Professor Layton on the flight home - it made the 4 hours go surprisingly quickly. Say, that reminds me of a puzzle I once heard...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Everything I know about Oregon I learned from Ken Kesey.
We're off to Portland tomorrow for Stumptown. If you're in the area you should come see us! I'm just hoping the trip goes well; I hear getting to Oregon can be a perilous journey, fraught with hardship and disease.
Spring is shaping up to be a giant ball of stress, actually. I have three weeks between Stumptown and TCAF, and then two days after TCAF we're flying straight to Arizona. Two weeks after returning from that trip I have my first flamenco recital. After which I should really be collapsing into a 3-day slumber, but, well, Man Man and Gogol Bordello are playing the very next night, just down the street, and how can I miss that?
I'll sleep when I get to June. Providing no one in my party dies of dysentery.
Spring is shaping up to be a giant ball of stress, actually. I have three weeks between Stumptown and TCAF, and then two days after TCAF we're flying straight to Arizona. Two weeks after returning from that trip I have my first flamenco recital. After which I should really be collapsing into a 3-day slumber, but, well, Man Man and Gogol Bordello are playing the very next night, just down the street, and how can I miss that?
I'll sleep when I get to June. Providing no one in my party dies of dysentery.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
here is a nice photo karl took of me playing my accordion.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Oh, I guess I should probably say something about this:
Anyone who enjoys seeing me embarrass myself in public by playing Irish songs on a giant accordion, you won't want to miss this.
Anyone who enjoys seeing me embarrass myself in public by playing Irish songs on a giant accordion, you won't want to miss this.
Friday, March 06, 2009
I've started a set on my flickr page for photos I take on bike trips. I'm going to be training for a century ride, and taking lots of long bike trips. The only photos there right now, though, are from biking to work this morning, the first morning in many moons in which it was possible to ride the lakefront path.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
So, we didn't get into MoCCA. Got an email this morning saying space sold out before they got to our application.
Immediately I let out a sigh of relief. I applied to MoCCA before I realized how crazy our spring is going to be. We're going to Stumptown in April, TCAF two weeks after that, and flying to Arizona seriously the day after we get back from TCAF. Adding an early June show to that would prolly make me a nervous wreck. So this is good news.
But here is the thing, cats and kittens, I sent the MoCCA application in the very selfsame day that they posted it on their site. I am suddenly thinking, suppose one year I manage not to overbook myself (I know, this is just so likely to happen), and end up wanting to do MoCCA? If sending the application in the DAY they post it isn't fast enough, how's a girl supposed to ever be a MoCCA exhibitor?
Immediately I let out a sigh of relief. I applied to MoCCA before I realized how crazy our spring is going to be. We're going to Stumptown in April, TCAF two weeks after that, and flying to Arizona seriously the day after we get back from TCAF. Adding an early June show to that would prolly make me a nervous wreck. So this is good news.
But here is the thing, cats and kittens, I sent the MoCCA application in the very selfsame day that they posted it on their site. I am suddenly thinking, suppose one year I manage not to overbook myself (I know, this is just so likely to happen), and end up wanting to do MoCCA? If sending the application in the DAY they post it isn't fast enough, how's a girl supposed to ever be a MoCCA exhibitor?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Happy Paczki Day!
News in the very very slow website updates: Cleaning up the links to your right there, adding some new artists to check out. Something must be done about those entirely useless archive links though, let me see what I can figure out. Also, I've been informed that my portfolio's javascript was built incorrectly - got a friend looking at that for me tonight. Once that's cleaned up, new portfolio images are coming!
In industry news, apparently Getty Images are bigger jerks than I suspected. I had been feeling a little guilty for using microstocks all the time, but no longer.
News in the very very slow website updates: Cleaning up the links to your right there, adding some new artists to check out. Something must be done about those entirely useless archive links though, let me see what I can figure out. Also, I've been informed that my portfolio's javascript was built incorrectly - got a friend looking at that for me tonight. Once that's cleaned up, new portfolio images are coming!
In industry news, apparently Getty Images are bigger jerks than I suspected. I had been feeling a little guilty for using microstocks all the time, but no longer.
Monday, February 23, 2009
I have been woefully neglectful of this poor website. Updated the navigation imagery this afternoon. Coming soon: many, many portfolio additions!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
tomorrow is my birthday! in celebration, here is the russian birthday song i learned in college, as sung by the inimitable krokodil gena:
because in russia, even birthday songs are kind of sad, and all about how much the weather sucks. i feel you, krokodil gena. windchill today in chicago is 2 degrees. :(
because in russia, even birthday songs are kind of sad, and all about how much the weather sucks. i feel you, krokodil gena. windchill today in chicago is 2 degrees. :(
Monday, January 05, 2009
the youngest of the becan clan got herself married this past weekend! clans descended upon san antonio to get drunk and celebrate. photos of everything - including a traditional czech grand march! - are here.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
we got a tree on saturday! it was actually a ridiculously perfect winter day. it was snowing, very gently and prettily, and niles and i walked down logan boulevard and looked at the houses and giant old trees in the snow, stopped at starbucks for a hot cider with caramel... got ourselves a white pine, walked home carrying it through the snow... we got it all decorated, went to kuma's for insanely tasty burgers, and spent the rest of the evening playing video games. just a perfectly happy and content day.
anyway. when i first left home and got my own place, my grandmother sent me a box of her christmas ornaments, so we have a lot of very old and strange ornaments on our tree. here are a handful of them:
this one is now named mcnulty, the "what the f*ck did i do??" elf:
this is a very doughy raggedy ann. made out of actual dough, and several decades old. i'm a little worried about the utter lack of decomposition:
this adorable plastic horsey:
doubles as a pencil sharpener for some reason:
and my personal favorite, the recently christened "gotta pee real bad" santa:
anyway. when i first left home and got my own place, my grandmother sent me a box of her christmas ornaments, so we have a lot of very old and strange ornaments on our tree. here are a handful of them:
this one is now named mcnulty, the "what the f*ck did i do??" elf:
this is a very doughy raggedy ann. made out of actual dough, and several decades old. i'm a little worried about the utter lack of decomposition:
this adorable plastic horsey:
doubles as a pencil sharpener for some reason:
and my personal favorite, the recently christened "gotta pee real bad" santa:
Friday, December 05, 2008
last night in flamenco class, the teacher was going over the dance and was all, omg you guys are doing this like you're in a prison colony, what the hell. you have to be flamenco dancers!! be big! be confident! be over the top!! and she made us do it three times until we were remotely confident-looking enough for her.
i realized in doing it three times, and having to be bigger and more brazen each time, that 1) this is what i love about flamenco but also 2) this is REALLY HARD. as modern american females we're conditioned to be somewhat passive and demure and not call attention to ourselves and certainly to not brag or boast. and every move in flamenco, if you do it right, is I AM SO GREAT, I AM SO GREAT, EVERYONE LOOK AT ME, I'M FABULOUS. it is surprisingly difficult to get past normal tendencies and act that big and brazen and confident.
what's interesting too is that it came from poor and marginalized andalusian gypsies, jews and moors, who had pretty much nothing in the form of money, prestige, or respect. so they started dancing like this. i have to think it helped, because when i leave that class i hold my head higher and probably even strut a little bit.
i realized in doing it three times, and having to be bigger and more brazen each time, that 1) this is what i love about flamenco but also 2) this is REALLY HARD. as modern american females we're conditioned to be somewhat passive and demure and not call attention to ourselves and certainly to not brag or boast. and every move in flamenco, if you do it right, is I AM SO GREAT, I AM SO GREAT, EVERYONE LOOK AT ME, I'M FABULOUS. it is surprisingly difficult to get past normal tendencies and act that big and brazen and confident.
what's interesting too is that it came from poor and marginalized andalusian gypsies, jews and moors, who had pretty much nothing in the form of money, prestige, or respect. so they started dancing like this. i have to think it helped, because when i leave that class i hold my head higher and probably even strut a little bit.
Monday, December 01, 2008
SUSHI PARTY JOIN US JOIN US SUSHI PARTY JOIN US JOIN US
Friday, November 21, 2008
to the douchenozzle that stole the lights off my bike, which was locked in my building's basement:
every weekday on my seven mile bike commute to and from work, i used those lights to increase my odds of NOT DYING on chicago's city streets. since i never see any other bikes down here, i'm guessing you're just walking around your apartment shining bright blinking lights on things. not that that's not a worthy endeavor, but i can't help wondering if maybe i didn't need those lights just a little bit more than you do.
since i'm pretty sure i'll never see those lights again, and since i had to buy new ones over lunch today anyway (to increase my odds of not dying on my way home tonight), i curse you with the dark magic of my eastern european forebears: may your internet connections always drop at the most inopportune times, may you never wait less than 30 minutes for any city bus (woe betide the innocent commuters who share your route and schedule), and may you always leave sexual partners vaguely but noticeably unsatisfied.
gros bisous,
sarah
every weekday on my seven mile bike commute to and from work, i used those lights to increase my odds of NOT DYING on chicago's city streets. since i never see any other bikes down here, i'm guessing you're just walking around your apartment shining bright blinking lights on things. not that that's not a worthy endeavor, but i can't help wondering if maybe i didn't need those lights just a little bit more than you do.
since i'm pretty sure i'll never see those lights again, and since i had to buy new ones over lunch today anyway (to increase my odds of not dying on my way home tonight), i curse you with the dark magic of my eastern european forebears: may your internet connections always drop at the most inopportune times, may you never wait less than 30 minutes for any city bus (woe betide the innocent commuters who share your route and schedule), and may you always leave sexual partners vaguely but noticeably unsatisfied.
gros bisous,
sarah
Monday, November 17, 2008
this magnificent vehicle is parked out front a catholic elementary school a few blocks from my place. :) hellsyeah.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The beta version of mythanx just launched!! Go check it out, it's chock full of illustrations by yours truly!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
in james kochalka's "quit your job", the main character's cat wins an essay contest. i don't remember the exact quote, but she talks about looking out the window of her house (she is an indoor kitty) and seeing the sky filled with stars, and it's so breathtaking that "then, my heart is big for such a little cat".
that's how i feel today. since words are going to be woefully inadequate, here's a link for you.
44 presidents
i've been so heartbroken about the direction this country's been taking for eight years, i'm almost not sure what to do with this new feeling.
my heart is big for such a little cat.
that's how i feel today. since words are going to be woefully inadequate, here's a link for you.
44 presidents
i've been so heartbroken about the direction this country's been taking for eight years, i'm almost not sure what to do with this new feeling.
my heart is big for such a little cat.
Monday, November 03, 2008
hey guys, guess what? I MADE SUSHI.
when i took my first bite i started laughing. niles was all, "what's so funny?" and i said, "OMG IT'S SUSHI" as if i was surprised that what i had been making all afternoon ended up being what i intended to make. as if sushi wasn't made by mere mortals, but wrought out of the ether by the gods themselves.
as it turns out you don't need gods or ether, just nori, a rolling mat, sushi rice, and tasty things to put inside. since this was an experiment i just used crab stick this time. now that i know i can do this i'm going to start using more interesting fillings.
it turned out great, really delicious, and i liked it so much that i made some more the next day with shrimp in them. the most interesting part of making sushi: when you mix the rice with the seasoned vinegar, it smells like industrial white vinegar, ewww. when you take out the nori it smells like dry fish flakes, ewww. but when the rice meets the nori?? suddenly the rice becomes sweet and flavorful, and the nori becomes delicate and mild. i'm sure there's an interesting chemical reaction that occurs but right now i think i'll choose to believe it's just magic. sushi magic!
when i took my first bite i started laughing. niles was all, "what's so funny?" and i said, "OMG IT'S SUSHI" as if i was surprised that what i had been making all afternoon ended up being what i intended to make. as if sushi wasn't made by mere mortals, but wrought out of the ether by the gods themselves.
as it turns out you don't need gods or ether, just nori, a rolling mat, sushi rice, and tasty things to put inside. since this was an experiment i just used crab stick this time. now that i know i can do this i'm going to start using more interesting fillings.
it turned out great, really delicious, and i liked it so much that i made some more the next day with shrimp in them. the most interesting part of making sushi: when you mix the rice with the seasoned vinegar, it smells like industrial white vinegar, ewww. when you take out the nori it smells like dry fish flakes, ewww. but when the rice meets the nori?? suddenly the rice becomes sweet and flavorful, and the nori becomes delicate and mild. i'm sure there's an interesting chemical reaction that occurs but right now i think i'll choose to believe it's just magic. sushi magic!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
so last night in flamenco class, (did I tell you i've been taking flamenco? no? well, i have.) the teacher was showing us the last steps of the choreography we're learning, and it's all stomp stomp stomp heel stomp... STOMP! STOMP! with the last two stomps coming forward, towards the audience.
and another student says, is it just our foot that goes forward, or our whole body? and the teacher's like, the whole body comes
forward, it's like this final confrontational oomph! at the end, like this: and she does the steps, and in time with the final two STOMP! STOMP!'s she shouts out "BITE! ME!"
and that is why i am taking flamenco lessons. the end.
and another student says, is it just our foot that goes forward, or our whole body? and the teacher's like, the whole body comes
forward, it's like this final confrontational oomph! at the end, like this: and she does the steps, and in time with the final two STOMP! STOMP!'s she shouts out "BITE! ME!"
and that is why i am taking flamenco lessons. the end.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
we just got back from a really and truly delightful trip to seattle!
photos are here.
here are some of the wonderful northwest beers i tasted on my trip:
Maritime Flagship Red Alt Ale
Maritime Nightwatch Dark Amber Ale
Elysian Dragonstooth Stout
Elysian Zephyrus Pilsner
Elysian Fields Pale Ale
Hale's Cream Ale
Hale's Cream Stout
Hale's Barley Wine
Iron Horse Quilter's Irish Death Stout
Mac and Jack's Blackjack Porter
i'm sure i missed a few. the quilter's irish death was probably the best one, although the maritime nightwatch gave it a serious run for the money. i like my beers like i like my french films - dark and complicated. :)
photos are here.
here are some of the wonderful northwest beers i tasted on my trip:
Maritime Flagship Red Alt Ale
Maritime Nightwatch Dark Amber Ale
Elysian Dragonstooth Stout
Elysian Zephyrus Pilsner
Elysian Fields Pale Ale
Hale's Cream Ale
Hale's Cream Stout
Hale's Barley Wine
Iron Horse Quilter's Irish Death Stout
Mac and Jack's Blackjack Porter
i'm sure i missed a few. the quilter's irish death was probably the best one, although the maritime nightwatch gave it a serious run for the money. i like my beers like i like my french films - dark and complicated. :)
Monday, September 29, 2008
i did a podcast on friday with the guys from Around Comics. skipped the debate to do it, but we spent the time talking about politics in comics. have a listen!
Monday, September 22, 2008
you guys want to see a magic trick?
here is what my living room closet looked like on friday night (my drawing table, this will be important later, was folded and gathering dust against the wall in the bedroom):
then, PRESTOCADABRACHANGO, POOF!
THIS is what the closet looks like now:
all credit goes to my good friend and local superhero Mild-Mannered Liz Wayne, whose superpowers include mindbogglingly amazing organizational skills. you know what else? she can do it for you too. you can email her and tell her when evil supervillains mess up your closets and she will swoop in and clean it up for you faster than a speeding bullet.
here is what my living room closet looked like on friday night (my drawing table, this will be important later, was folded and gathering dust against the wall in the bedroom):
then, PRESTOCADABRACHANGO, POOF!
THIS is what the closet looks like now:
all credit goes to my good friend and local superhero Mild-Mannered Liz Wayne, whose superpowers include mindbogglingly amazing organizational skills. you know what else? she can do it for you too. you can email her and tell her when evil supervillains mess up your closets and she will swoop in and clean it up for you faster than a speeding bullet.
Friday, September 19, 2008
i played my very first RPG last night: a very funny game called paranoia.
i came in to work today and gregg - who used to play dungeons and dragons - said, how was it?
i thought about it and said, "it was like when you're a little kid and playing make believe, and your little brother is all 'well i have LASERS and i am SHOOTING LASERS at you pew pew pew pew pew blammo!' and you're all 'well they don't even hit me because i have a SPECIAL AWESOME SHIELD that totally reflects your stupid lasers pew pew pew kapow."
and gregg said, "that might be the best description of d&d that i have ever heard."
i came in to work today and gregg - who used to play dungeons and dragons - said, how was it?
i thought about it and said, "it was like when you're a little kid and playing make believe, and your little brother is all 'well i have LASERS and i am SHOOTING LASERS at you pew pew pew pew pew blammo!' and you're all 'well they don't even hit me because i have a SPECIAL AWESOME SHIELD that totally reflects your stupid lasers pew pew pew kapow."
and gregg said, "that might be the best description of d&d that i have ever heard."
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
jakze: my computer is suddenly wicked slow
greggfathead: it's all the porn sites you run off of it
jakze: clearly
greggfathead: mine runs faster cause i run midget porn off mine
greggfathead: midget porn = smaller files
jakze: ah
jakze: oh weird. it's fast again.
jakze: i dragged a file from the trash to the desktop and it was being all blinky and that's what slowed everything down
jakze: and then it stopped being blinky and i threw it out again and now things are fine
jakze: i bet i'd make a great apple genius
greggfathead: you should write whitepapers
greggfathead: it's all the porn sites you run off of it
jakze: clearly
greggfathead: mine runs faster cause i run midget porn off mine
greggfathead: midget porn = smaller files
jakze: ah
jakze: oh weird. it's fast again.
jakze: i dragged a file from the trash to the desktop and it was being all blinky and that's what slowed everything down
jakze: and then it stopped being blinky and i threw it out again and now things are fine
jakze: i bet i'd make a great apple genius
greggfathead: you should write whitepapers
Monday, August 25, 2008
so daddy yankee endorsed john mccain, which means i now have "dame mas gasolina" running thru my head. AGAIN. DAMN YOU, DADDY YANKEE. that song should have been a hint, btw, and the next album will be called "dame mas offshore drilling."
in other wtf, dogs and cats, sleeping together kinda news, toby keith endorsed OBAMA and also said that's "coming from a democrat." this country is WEIRD.
in other wtf, dogs and cats, sleeping together kinda news, toby keith endorsed OBAMA and also said that's "coming from a democrat." this country is WEIRD.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Hey doods. I redesigned our studio's website. It's here. I'm getting the hang of this web design thing. I'm still much more comfortable doing print design, but web design presents its own fun set of interesting challenges.
Hm. I should update my design portfolio, shouldn't I? I haven't done that in AGES.
Hm. I should update my design portfolio, shouldn't I? I haven't done that in AGES.
