Happy monday

I drew this and Angela inked it. I was just practicing drawing Georgie and Arthur. I made Georgie too small but you can just pretend that she is further back in the picture than Arthur.

I never heard back about the job last week so it looks like I'm still unemployed. Good thing I'm too poor to afford liquor.

Take a look at this. Now consider that around 2/3 of the US economy is consumer spending. Generation X and the Baby Boomers have cut their daily spending by around 40% in the last year. The millenials (also known as generation y) have 69% of their population making less than 50K a year yet their daily spending is just shy of the boomers who only have 43% of their population making less than 50K a year. That article is very interesting and it paints a very dismal picture about the chances of our economy recovering in any meaningful way in the near future.

Here's one that discusses the reports in mainstream media that the government has made money on the TARP program. More highly suggested reading.

Lastly, according to this post, 40% of the trading on the S&P 500 is accounted for by four stocks and it has been this way for a while now. This implies that the recent, and loudly touted, "recovery" is based on speculation not any actual fundamental improvement. Good times.

--Abe

Friday comic

And here's another comic for you.

I went to a job interview on tuesday and I was suppsoed to hear back about whether I got it or not today. I've spent all day pacing around the house, clutching my phone like my life depended on it and checking my email every few minutes.

And I still haven't heard. Which is leading me to think that I did not get the job and on monday I'll get one of those "while your resume is impressive we've decided that a different candidate is a better fit for this position." emails.

God I hate those.

On the bright side, Laura sent me a complete rough draft of our first graphic novel. It's AWESOME. So there's a bit of good news.

--Abe

When you need a bib

Man I had a weird day yesterday. We had a meeting, the doc team, to talk about another meeting we were going to have. No kidding. I was pretty tired, so I grabbed a diet coke (I am too picky to drink coffee at work). Lucas went to plug the laptop into the projector, but I had set my drink in a coil of the wire so we almost spilled it. Almost. Then he gets everything ready and I grab my coke to get a drink and drop it upside down in my lap and spilled half a can of coke in my lap. I totally looked like I wet my pants. I couldn't stop laughing about that for a good 5 minutes. I dabbed at myself with tissue, but it didn't really do anything, so I had to sit through the 3 hour meeting with coke in my lap. On the bright side, it was long enough that I didn't have to walk out of the meeting room looking like I peed my pants.

Then later, Lucas IMed me that he had something to give me. I had been working hard on editing an IT doc. I read the thing and nearly jumped out of my skin as Lucas started waving the thing over the wall of the cubicle. I turned to get it and say something and laugh, but when I concentrate like that, I typically forget to swallow my own saliva (as opposed to others'?) and totally drooled all over myself when he went to hand it to me. He laughed and said it wasn't that good. Debra had given him a hat and he took the cardboard piece inside it and decorated it to look like Geordi's visor. Which was pretty funny. But then I was so embarrassed from drooling on myself. Now it is up on my shelf next to the Borg bear I got at my first Secret Snowman at work.

The shawl is coming along nicely. I am on the 5th stripe of color. The stripe I am on now is some hand spun, hand dyed that I finished last night. I used black and green, but it just looks gray. I think I can do better next time using much less black and more green. I love dyeing wool. I want to go get some undyed yarn and try dyeing that. They sell lots of different kinds at the Weaving Works in the U District. Not my favorite store, but unfortunately, they have a good supply for spinners and dyers. That is where I have to go to get my dye and stuff. The more I dye, the more I want to dye from plants. There is a book I would like to get that is called "The Dyers Garden" but I would have to figure out a way to do all that "gardening" in our apartment. And I am a notorious brown thumb, so I would probably want to chat up my cousin Jenny who's fingers are all green.

I was watching Jeopardy while I was writing this and I had guesses for most and was wrong for almost all of those. I am so not getting on that show ever... I got "What is Iron Giant?" right...

Wednesday Comic!

Ok so we didn't make it back on friday or monday. And now its wednesday and there's a comic!

Enjoy.

--Abe

Stressful weekend

On Thursday I had to go home for the weekend because my brother was in a motorcycle accident - hit a deer. Don't worry. He will be fine. So I went up Thursday night to see my brother and make sure he was okay. We had to wait around a while for him to get back from the dentist. (His funniest injury-yes, I picked one-is the rug burn on his face from hitting the deer without a full face helmet on.) Took much longer than expected. But then I ended up deciding to stay through various turns of events. And then, after Abe had already left to go home to take care of the poops (that would be the dogs), I realized, I had no clothes, no make up, no deodorant, no tooth brush, nothing. Gross. So Friday my mommy took me shopping (though I had to buy my own things). I got some great new jeans for $15. I also got a nice black top and a nice blue sweater. I love the blue sweater. As my friend Rijl put it, "It really, uh, shows off your, uh, assets..." Mom and I also got to play two games of Boggle - I won both. Haha.

Anyways, we also got to drink lots of tea and I made dinner. Actually, I made a lot of food for Isaac. I think one meal for him is all my food for an entire day. For breakfast one day, he had about 5 lbs of peaches and yogurt. At least, that is what it felt like to me. I also made some wonderful acorn squash stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, zucchini, yellow squash, green pepper, crushed garlic, and tomato paste with jasmine rice. Yummy. The mixture was put in the squash halves and topped with some Monetary Jack cheese and broiled. My aunt Carol stayed for some too. It was a hit. I made about an extra 2-3 cups of the rice mixture, which is what Isaac ate.

Then Saturday night, I went to Rijl's work for a few hours and waited for her to get off. She works at Bayou on the Bay, which is quite yummy. While I waited, I had the BBQ wings, which were subtle and just a bit spicy. At one point, there was a hint of mint, but maybe I was tasting things. I also had a cherry Pepsi and a couple of brown ales. Yummy. While I waited, I finished Volume 1 of the Dark Horse Heroes Omnibus. I actually really liked it. It started off really weird, but then pulled together and I really want to read the next one. I also read a bit of The Subtle Knife and did some drawing.

When Rijl got off work, we had the mac n' cheese, flank steak and potatoes, and sweet potato fries with sauce. The mac n' cheese is really good if you like pepper, which I don't . But I liked, which you can tell because I ate half of it. The sweet potato fries were crazy. The sauce and those fries go really well together. Everything was really good, but the blackened medium-rare flank steak was amazing. So good. Oh man, I could start drooling right now. And it was cooked by their new chef, so good hire there. *Clap, clap, clap*

When we got back to Rijl's place, we painted our nails and watched Doubt. It was pretty good. Meryl Streep impresses me more every time I see her in a movie. The movie was weird though because it is like they totally half assed it. There were parts that were great and engrossing, but other parts still felt like a play and completely took me out of the story. Very weird.

Sunday, I finally got to go home. But first, Rijl and I went to see Julie and Julia, which I like the more I think about it. Oddly enough, with the same two lady actors as Doubt! Very cute story. Great actors. Makes me want to get Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but I am trying to lose weight, not gain it. But I could get it to make things when people come over...haha. Like people ever come over. I would use it for our holidays though. Actually, I think I will try to get it before thanksgiving so I can make a great dinner for Abe and I.


So now I am relaxing after work after my very long relaxing and very stressful weekend. Sunday night, we watched a bunch of Season 2 of Bones. Now I am working on a simple shawl. Phew. I am beat. I did a lot this weekend and it sure was an emotional roller coaster. Now I am watching How I Met Your Mother. What a great show.

Comicless wednesday

Have no fear! The comic drought will end on friday! Until then I give you: Mechano-Spider!

--Abe

Comic for monday

A little sketch of Georgie from last year. Georgie has always liked her booze although her lips were bigger back then and she wasn't as clearly a she.

--Abe

Angela just reminded me that Georgie's hands are also a lot different in the older drawings than in the new ones.

So, Angela is a pretty reserved person around just about everyone but me. My Angela and the Angela that you all know are pretty different people but occasionally, she slips. This happened a bit ago when we were looking at a house with her aunt.

The house was almost 100 years old and had not been well taken care of. When we walked in, we were greeted by walls covered with deeply sad graffiti. Things like "Alicia, 1995, best house ever". The house was so gross that we opened doors with our feet. None of us were brave enough to even walk down the stairs to the basement. When we went around to the back of the house to see the property, it was on 2.5 acres, we found this strange structure attached to the back of the house. There were these two fat black tubes poking directly out of the side of the building about 5 and a half feet above ground. The walls were this green semi-transparent stuff and, as we came around the side of it, we found an open door way. There was a big, covered hottub there surrounded by shrubs that had started to grow over the top. Angelas aunt said "I dare you to open it." and Angela let slip "I bet the whole family's rotting away in there." It was so funny.

Educational video

I'm listening to the speech embedded in this page. It's an an exploration of the causes and (potential) outcomes of the bursting of the credit bubble.

We'll have some comics later this week.

--Abe

A pretty interesting article

Over at zerohedge there's an interesting article looking at the state of the "consumer" in the surrent economic climate. Interestingly, the top 10% of the population consumes nearly as much as the middle 50% but the middle 50% has been doing most of that consuming with credit for the last 10 + years.

--Abe

no comic friday

Sorry, no comic at the moment. I might post one later today or this evening. Instead I want to post a few links to some explanations of why the recent "drop" in unemployment is not a cause for celebration like most of the media is making it out to be.

One

Two

Three

In a nutshell, the unemployment rate "dropped" because, first, people ran out of unemployment benefits, even the extended and extra extended benefits, and, second, people reported that they have given up the job search and hence are no longer counted as unemployed.

Frighteningly, there are about 1.5 million more people set to lose even the extra extended benefits by the end of the year. So, if the reporting of unemployment continues as it has, expect the media to report a falling unemployment rate, and the end of the recession!, while more and more people lose unemployment benefits and still have no jobs . . .

--Abe

This is the end, my only friend, the end.

And, so, we reach the end of our sad tale of the sentient lump on Arthurs back. The lump that Georgie loved. Trent.

I spent all day helping my mom move and I'm so tired I can barely pick my arms up. Sorry for the late comic. Hope you enjoy it.

--Abe

Fillings suck, Fluevogs rock

I got a filling today and my jaw hurts. Abe says it looks a little swollen. It took 1 hr and 45 min. I took a half day off afterwards, and I am really glad I did. I was pretty out of it for a while. And now it just hurts. And I am so tired. This was a bigger one than the others I have had. And they had to redo one that I had a few years ago. Blegh. I have such a headache.

I have read more of the Comics and Sequential Art book by Will Eisner. I am really enjoying it. I also started drawing out a rough rough sketch of a comic from the Office Cowboy story. The problem is, I think I need to leave in almost all of the narration to complete the analogy.

On the knitting front, I have just about finished the first of the 4th Rockin' Sock Club kit. This is definitely my least favorite sock so far, both on color and pattern. Ah well. A lot of the other people in the club love it. I am also working on what I hope will be a great little black and dark green cropped cardigan. And I have turned the heel and started the foot (still in the gusset) of the Viper Pilots socks (which I LOVE).

Next weekend I am going up to Bellingham to do a garage sale with my friend Rijl. So Abe and I have been running through our stuff trying to find what to get rid of. We already have two boxes. Some movies and video games and clothes. Even a stick of RAM. LOL. We are finding some neat stuff. Like some of my old books on drawing comics that Abe can refer to. And the 1965 Lord of the Rings paperback trilogy that belonged to my dad that my mom read when she was pregnant with me. (I was not born in 65...) And a giant sudoku book , whichi s great for when I am watching TV. I also found an old black angora sweater, that I just need to watch. I just need to hand wash it.

Last saturday was our anniversary, so we went downtown and had piroshkies. Yummy. Abe's was essentially a Russian corn dog! Man I would have been sick if that had been my lunch. Then we went to the comic shop in Pike Place, which has a ton of graphic novels, but we didn't actually get anything. I almost got the second volume of Fables, but I will wait. I even got to peak in the Fluevog place on the way to Pike Place. Boy oh boy, those shoes make me drool. They are/were having a huge sale.

Heres the conversation Abe and I had about the sale. I showed him the shoes I want.

(12:44:09 PM) Abe: hey lady
(12:44:12 PM) Angela (gmail): hey
(12:44:16 PM) Angela (gmail): i want these!
(12:44:17 PM) Angela (gmail): http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=fresh&p=3&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2585 (Friends|Sharon|Green)
(12:44:35 PM) Abe: those're pretty awesome
(12:44:49 PM) Angela (gmail): and these:
(12:44:50 PM) Angela (gmail): http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=fresh&p=6&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2579 (Minis|Dollface|Blue)
(12:45:01 PM) Abe: wow
(12:45:12 PM) Angela (gmail): OMG. And these:
(12:45:13 PM) Angela (gmail): http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=fresh&p=14&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2557 (Bellevues|Libby Smith|Olive & Gray)
(12:45:25 PM) Angela (gmail): (any of the colors on that one)
(12:45:28 PM) Abe: those are my least favorite so far
(12:45:40 PM) Abe: the black and red is cool though
(12:46:19 PM) Abe: http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=fresh&p=6&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2578 (Minis|Dollface|Red)
(12:46:23 PM) Abe: those are awesome as hell
(12:46:36 PM) Angela (gmail): http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=sale&pp=1&view=detail&p=8&colourID=2497 (Blind Faiths Hi|Sigourney|Black)
(12:46:48 PM) Angela (gmail): I love the blues ones you linked
(12:46:58 PM) Angela (gmail): 'http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=sale&pp=1&view=detail&p=10&colourID=2498 (Pin ups|Miss April|Black and White, or Turquoise, Gray & Black)
(12:47:01 PM) Angela (gmail): in blue or black
(12:47:19 PM) Abe: wow I can;t decide
(12:47:25 PM) Abe: I *think* the black
(12:48:00 PM) Angela (gmail): I freakin' love fluevogs!!
(12:48:14 PM) Angela (gmail): just not the orange on those last ones
(12:48:17 PM) Angela (gmail): I am not a hooker
(12:48:21 PM) Abe: HAHAHAHA
(12:48:24 PM) Angela (gmail): but if I were, I would probably get those
(12:48:49 PM) Abe: they're the same color as the cones construction guys use
(12:48:56 PM) Angela (gmail): yeah
(12:49:26 PM) Angela (gmail): some of their sale shoes are more than 60% off right now
(12:50:58 PM) Angela (gmail): sigh. some of them are so lovely
(12:51:08 PM) Abe: ok
(12:51:16 PM) Abe: yes they really are awesoem shoes
(12:52:56 PM) Angela (gmail): I just hope that they aren't trying to get rid of their stock on all those shoes
(12:53:00 PM) Angela (gmail): that they will keep making them
(12:53:26 PM) Abe: yeah
(12:53:29 PM) Abe: that would blow
(12:53:39 PM) Abe: those were some of the coolest of their shoes that you've ever showed me

Monday Comic

And the drama continues!

Also, I am exhausted from driving all over hell and back yesterday to look at houses.

--Abe

Friday Comic

Here's the second comic in the story. Georgie's a lush. Who knew?


--Abe

Health Care Stuff

I've been following the health care debate pretty closely the last few months. It's pretty disgusting all the way around but this video from MSNBC sums up the latest, most disgusting, turn of events well and with some much needed black humor.


--Abe

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Wednesday comic!

So we had a 5 or 6 comic backlog built up but then it got really hot and Angela couldn't draw more and now we are back to only having one comic in reserve.

This is a little story. It's maybe 4 or 5 comics long. Turns out that Georgie is more than a bit wall-eyed. I love the way that Angela draws Georgie. The inside lip line is the window to Georgies soul.

We went looking at houses last night. Saw a few cool ones up by Bellingham. And a few trashy ones as well. One of them was brand new. It was really nice inside although the floor plan felt like a studio apartment with a few extra room tacked on to it. The view out the front window was pure Deliverance though. As we got out of the car, one of the neighbors was yelling at the top of his lungs to his wife "Bring me a beer!"

Now, look at Georgies expression in the second panel and imagine that expression on my face when I say "It was awesome."

Oh, and then there's this. Which I cannot embed in the post no matter what I try.

--Abe

Hot = Sweat

And that much sweat = no more brain left. I was so hot, I forgot to post. Stupid weather.

I don't have much to day. I have knit one and a half shrugs. I am working on a black one right now and a week ago I finished knitting a green one. All based on Stefanie Japel's One Skein Shrug. I looked through my lace book and added some lace patterns to it. For the fun of it. I have made a couple plain ones already. I think that makes 5 shrugs I have made, though some have certainly come out better than others.

In the mean time, since it has not been hot, I have had a headache off and on for 5 or 6 days. Nearly debilitating. By the end of work on Friday I was nearly cross eyed with this headache. It is right in my eyebrows.

Anyways, it was so hot, I couldn't draw without ruining the paper with my sweaty sweaty hands. But I got started again last night. I am almost out of tracing paper, so we will probably go get more tomorrow. One comic is now taking one piece of computer paper and two pieces of tracing paper, but I think they will be better in the end. Comics like Eerie Cuties give me a complex (because they look so awesome), but then I go read Goats and all is okay in the world again.

I also finally finished The Golden Compass. I really enjoyed it. A nice simple book that doesn't take too much brain power to read (teen fiction) and has interesting characters and an interesting story. I had started the sequel, The Subtle Knife. I am not yet as interested in it as in the previous book, but I am waiting to see how it ties it all in. It is getting more interesting as I read. Then I will read the final book in the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass. Then I don't know. Probably the sequel to Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears.

Abe is reinstalling Ubuntu on my computer today. The only thing I don't like about having Linux on my computer is I have no idea how to troubleshoot or install anything. I can get around ok in Windows because I have used it for so long now (what with school and all my jobs using Windows--UW had Macs, but the software for most of my classes used Windows).

Finally, my mom thought Abe was so hilarious when he described my sarcasm that she sent it to her sister and Jim. (Lol. I made that site for a college project. In Word. Check out the source code on that bad boy, but have a big bucket nearby. I would remake it but I think a new website was going to be a gift from mom to Jim a while ago, so that might not even be his current site anymore.)

Twofer!!

I took a few pictures of the jerks this afternoon. Thought I'd share with you. First two are Ernie telling me he doesn't like having his picture taken.

The next two are Nisa being her usual self. She was just chillin' on the back of the couch for like 2 hours this afternoon.

--Abe

Happy monday

Here's one of Angelas drawings. "Jawless Wonder" she calls it.

I'm on a huge Will Eisner kick lately. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about comics and he's pretty much the master.


--Abe