This is a nice, relaxing post for me instead of my usual going on and on and on about something. Just some music I discovered during the week...or, more accurately, right now. I didn't listen a lot this week to anything besides unreleased Backstreet Boys. Actually, some of those were on albums I have, but most I'd never even heard of.
Where did I see this before? Must have been Fuse, because the M in MTV has meant "mindless" for so long.
Suggested videos is such a great thing. I never would have found this otherwise.
I was sure I heard this on an old Cougar Town recently, because they always have good music. TuneFind says it was on the first season of Castle, which I certainly watched but don't remember. Now I'm thinking it was just a great random play on Pandora.
I kept hearing snippets of this song everywhere, but I never listened to the whole thing. I like Sara Bareilles, so I don't know why. Love the video. "I think he took the wrong pill."
It took me a few seconds to realize what other breed this Fringe shirt was crossed with. I knew "I want to Observe" sounded familiar... Oh, yeah, The X-Files! I've seen the poster dozens of times, but not any time recently. Perfect not just because they're both great sci-fi, but also that I remember people were complaining in the beginning that Fringe was just a rip-off of that far better show that did everything first. They were so wrong. Sadly, Fringe didn't last as long, but I feel great with how it ended and that it actually got a series finale instead of being dropped after the end of a season like so many other shows.
I wish I could add this to my collection, but my wallet and closet won't stand for it right now. I am definitely bookmarking the artist's Red Bubble page for later. Hopefully, it will be around until a better time for me. But you can get it today for $10. Shipping starts at $2.98.
I started this blog a few years ago because I was going cuckoo bananas having no outlet for my constant thoughts about particularly resonant movies and series. There are those rare gems that interrupt my sleep and days later are still playing scenes over in my head. Normally I can ignore them and live a normal life without having to share with the world, but there are times when they are impossible to escape and demand to be written about.
The Wolverine is one such movie, and it won't leave me alone until I say something. Let me start with my personal revelation that Hugh Jackman is a wonderful actor, and I apologize to his fans (of which I am now one) for not realizing sooner. I always liked him, but I was never *in* like with him. Hugh was (is) gorgeous, but that doesn't automatically mean soulful and talented. Though he's been in the public eye for more than a decade now, I have not seen much of him. To keep the family peace on movie days, a side-splitting comedy, or just about anything, will almost always win over a critics' darling drama. We tend to want family time to be fun not depressing, so we try to avoid the weep fests as much as possible. Unfortunately, this means that performances showcasing amazing actors may pass me by for many years. If I'm lucky then the people I have overlooked will be in unforgettable blockbusters that show me what I was missing, like Robert Downey, Jr. with Iron Man. Because of Jackman's performance here, I have another actor for my as yet unfinished Wall of Favorites. He delivers the rare performance that makes a superhero believable rather than laughable.
In his best portrayal of Wolverine, Hugh shows a man with fierce heart and humanity, traits which seem to apply to the actor himself (see Children's hospital donation, Laughing Man, Live Below the Line). Logan is hiding from the world, emotionally raw, nursing old wounds that he can never escape. He's haunted by dreams of lost love, Jean, and memories of his past as a POW in Nagasaki, where he selflessly saved an officer named Yashida from the atomic bomb. Logan could have let his captor die to spare himself the agony of the flames attempting to finish what time had failed to do, but then he wouldn't be much of a hero...and there would be no movie, so it's kind of important. That moment of sacrifice is the impetus for this adventure. After a run in with a group of merciless hunters that reminds us of the menace in his eyes and the fire in his chest, Logan is dragged to Japan by striking (in more ways than one) clairvoyant Yukio to pay respects to his old friend, a frail husk of what he was all those decades ago. Once there, he meets Yashida's troubled granddaughter, Mariko, her stern father, Shingen, and her one-time boyfriend and bodyguard, Harada. Of course there has to be more to it than a simple goodbye. Logan is unexpectedly offered a way to be free of his burden, and he begins a journey that will reveal whether he has true resolve to end his life or if there is a reason to fight for it.
An insightful story, swift and brutal fights contrasted with the beauty of Japan, a well-paced script, characters with murky allegiances and motives, an exciting and amusing aerial bullet train sequence, a lot of emotion, and a well executed misdirection that fooled me into thinking I was wrong about a key moment all add up to a wonderful time that is now one of my treasured few. I also admired the decision to utilize subtitles instead of having everyone conveniently speak English even when the Japanese characters are talking amongst themselves. Insanely pumped abs and arms didn't hurt either. Jackman was seriously built in this movie. He had a routine that included lifting hundreds of pounds of weights and taking in 6,000 calories a day. That's dedication. Though the results are amazing, I wish he didn't feel he had to literally give his heart to his work. I'd much rather he be happy, not concerned about how his work was harming his health. I hope he starts avoiding roles that require such extremes.
Yet Hugh just did it all again for X-Men: Days of Future Past. I can't imagine. I hope there's a lot of Logan for all he put into it and that I can be legitimately excited for a multi-mutant spectacular again. The Wolverine made me realize what they were missing and why I haven't gone back to this series in so long: character depth, focus, facility with a scene, honest performances, and the joy of creation. Hopefully, Future Past will continue the trend of the last eight years; it would be silly to go back to the typical corny style of pre-Batman Begins, which went far in making up for the wrongs inflicted upon the world by those Movies Who Will Not Be Named. The Dark Knight and Iron Man then proved that it was no fluke, that great superhero movies were something that could be achieved regularly. They were beautifully-made, camp-free examples of how to translate from page to screen, filled with personality and realism, and these same qualities pump through The Wolverine's massive veins. As with The Avengers, I went in without reading reviews, having no expectations whatsoever, and was completely surprised that this entry felt so grounded. I need more of that.
The Wolverine may take a dark tone, as some have complained, but that's not to its detriment. Though I usually prefer my superhero movies riddled with the number of jokes rivaling the punches and pathos, I also like when the darkness is pretty much all a character can see at the start, only gradually letting the light seep in. For me it depends on the character, their personal demons, and the story being told. I want my Wolverine brooding, a lost soul in search of meaning, at least for a little while. Not being versed in the comics (some day), I now know at least his film version far better. I very much appreciated another solo chapter with my favorite mutant, without the over-the-top powers of others fighting alongside him. The lone hero Marvel-produced movies have been great, particularly the hilarious, fun, and affecting Iron Man and Iron Man 3. Teaming them up in The Avengers was incredibly entertaining, the heroes bickering like a dysfunctional family.
Sadly, the opposite is true for Fox-controlled X-Men, at least for me. The original was very well done and, from what I remember, had a more urgent, gritty feel (read: not rewritten into stark oblivion) than the sequels. It captured my imagination better than the cartoon that aired in my early teens, where I learned of the dangerous hero with the adamantium claws, my first "iron" man and the most interesting of the X-Men. X2 was good, but I didn't care for it like the first and so have hardly thought of it in years. By the time The Last Stand came around, I had fallen out of love with the series. Reviews dissolved my enthusiasm and I skipped it, seeing it in pieces over the years. Except for the jaw-dropping powers Jean had as Phoenix and the wrenching moment Logan fights through disintegration to reach her, it was largely forgettable. X-Men Origins: Wolverine gave me a taste of what I really wanted: a smaller, more personal story. To be fair, I've heard Fassbender and McAvoy were superb in First Class, and it's been on my wish list for a while, but none of the previous entries impressed me the way The Wolverine just did.
I read some complaints (and always wonder why I do), as there always are, about the movie not matching the original comics to the letter, but I just don't care. I am not that into comics as a result of a childhood devoid of money and comic book stores. Even if I had been, I know I'd have little to worry about. My measure of a fantastic movie is the huge smile I leave the theater with, the desire to see it again immediately, and a magnification of that aching wish I've always had to want to be in the business, putting imagination out there to entertain the world. Movies should be respectful of their origins but not shackled to them, stifling creativity. To expect unwavering adherence to the comic ideal is less realistic than a world full of telepaths or pyrokinetics. Go ahead and change the history. Go ahead and add events that were never written about. As long as the adaptation captures the spirit and voice of its source material, holds onto the heart of the character, and turns out well then it doesn't need to be exactly the same. And by chance that I have read every book, poured over every wiki, I appreciate not knowing what's coming next. I appreciate getting to know another side or a reinvention that may be better. I love the familiar, but I also like to try something new.
Not eveything is praise, though. I adored the movie, but it wasn't technically perfect. The final confrontation seemed a bit of a let down after all the action previously. I'm not exactly sure what it was. Maybe because the waves of enemies throughout posed more of a threat when Logan was not quite up to the task. Don't get me wrong here. The revelation worked really well, but the action wasn't up to the standard that had already been set. The glaring flaw, though, was Viper, one of numerous baddies. While she was threatening and creepy, her acting kept distracting me. The best villains have to be somewhat likeable even in their madness, with a glimmer of lost humanity or a reason for being, but Viper was just a standard one-dimensional sociopath. She could have been interesting. Instead she was just another obstacle without a back story.
Still, those two details were not enough to be disappointing, and I love this movie completely. I will definitely be buying it and would highly recommend seeing it in the theater. I would love to go again before it tips into The Void - the excruciating wait between a movie's exit from theaters and release to the public in stores - but I know I won't have time. I missed so many movies this summer. Everyone's always too busy now, and when we're not busy we're exhausted. No Monsters University, no Despicable Me 2, no Pacific Rim, no This is the End. I think I'm also probably going to miss Elysium, from the director of the bleak and powerful District 9. At least I went to Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, and The Wolverine. And The World's End will cap the summer. Wild zombies or killer cults or blue-blooded robots will not keep me away.
If you are now thinking about giving The Wolverine a shot, check Fandango or MovieTickets.com to see if a theater near you is still playing it. Sorry I didn't finish this post earlier. I kept getting sidetracked and editing is the Bane of my existence.
Alright, now I should get back to drawing knives. Maybe inspiration will come from Wolvie's claws.
If you didn't see the Wolverine/X-Men Comic-Con panel, here is a little video treat. "From this man's head, heart, and hand came my career."
The following three songs are from the Japanese Tour Edition of Never Gone, which came out after I gave up on holding out for one with extra tracks. I just found another version of Never Gone, and it seems to have a bonus video disc with another song I've never heard, "Last Night You Saved My Life." But I can't be sure about it, because it's only available from the marketplace.
And finally, "Drowning," which I already mentioned in the first part. There is a another video for this song called The Wet Version.
Of course, there are also unreleased songs out there. I haven't heard many of them, because (a) no one told me and (b) I'm just too lazy. I have already taken way too much time on this. Good thing I don't have work today. Luckily for us, another fan was awesome enough to make a YouTube playlist.
Luckily, I was able to find the Japanese Tour Edition of Unbreakable, which has six(!) extra tracks. Amazon tells me I bought Unbreakable: Tour Edition, but that one only lists the regular tracks. I never knew if they accidentally sent me the wrong one. That happened to me once before when I thought I was buying a regular version and found bonus tracks on my Rammstein CD, which turned out to be a Japanese edition. If you don't want to take a chance, Unbreakable lists the tracks but is much more expensive. You can check the marketplace for cheaper options.
I had to break these posts up by album, because the original was too long. I don't know about you, but I don't like when sites are bogged down with video that makes mobile devices crash. This one is really short. Just two tracks from This is Us: 2010 Asian Tour Edition (Incl. Bonus Tracks + Bonus DVD).
I've been wanting to write this post for years. It just finally got to me today. I apologize (but not so much) for the amount of boy band drooling I am about to do.
I really, really hate exclusives. I think I mentioned that just recently. I also am not so fond of deluxe or special or extra or tour editions with bonus tracks that aren't released at the same time so that you have to buy them again or lose out. It's really irksome when you go to a concert and hear something you've never heard before, yet everyone around you is singing it. What?! That happened to me when Drowning was on The Hits--Chapter One. I naively assumed that I didn't need to buy an album of songs I already owned. I was mistaken.
I'm not saying every song is a winner, but new material is always welcome. I would definitely pay for these songs, but bonus tracks are hardly ever available for individual purchase. And sometimes a single album will have different tracks for different versions! It seems I will forever have to listen to them on YouTube. There are only a few that can be purchased as MP3 out of all of these. Two of them I got with a tour edition, so I will be buying the third right after I post this.
These three songs are from the latest album, In a World Like This, but they're not all on the regular edition. One is an iTunes exclusive while the other two are on the Deluxe Edition, which only shows in Amazon if you search a specific way. I know I tried it multiple times before I settled on the deluxe bundle (not to be confused with the deluxe edition), which includes the regular edition, hand-written lyric sheets, and a poster. Though, I could have saved myself time, money, and hassle since the expensive bundle pre-order has not been restocked after a month. I also just found Backstreet Boys - In A World Like This CD (Deluxe Edition) at CD Universe and at Target. Though, I am not a Target affiliate, I have to tell you that it's only $9.99 there with both exclusive extra tracks, "In Your Arms" and "Take Care."
"Hot, Hot, Hot" is an iTunes album only exclusive. If you want this song and have already purchased elsewhere, you have to download the entire album all over again from iTunes. Or you can listen here.
Response from GroundCtrl Support 8/21/13: "We apologize for the delay in getting your package sent to you. Unfortunately, one or more items included in this order has not yet arrived at our shipping facility. Due to the nature of the product, it is difficult to provide a precise estimate for when we will be receiving the merchandise in question. However, we do anticipate that this item will be arriving in the coming weeks." Perfectly reasonable explanation, but it's been another four weeks. I would like updates for something that cost me six times as much as my cousin. She always gets her BSB CDs at Target.
Sent to GroundCtrl Support 9/20/13: I don't know what "Ready" in the system means. It certainly doesn't seem to mean that they're ready to ship, because I've been waiting for 50 days now for the lyric sheet(s) and poster. It was already a purchase that wasn't quite justified since, including shipping, it was more than $40 more than other versions and there was no information on the size of the poster or if it was one or multiple lyrics sheets. So far I have paid $67 for a standard CD that is missing the two songs from the deluxe album and one song from the Target version (none of them available anywhere but YouTube without purchasing the album two more times), which I learned about too late because they didn't show up in any searches.
Okay, so it seems this blog has become almost exclusively about cloth to cover your torso. That's what happens when work, posts too long and unwieldy to edit quickly, and a ridiculous amount of great shirts collide. Today's awesome sauce is Shaun vs Zombies, a mix of Shaun of the Dead and Plants vs Zombies. Combining one of my favorite movies with a quirky, cute, and highly addictive game is a great idea.
Also available is Zoinks...They're Zombies! I guess it's undead day at Ript. You get $1 off if you buy both. Shirts are $10 each and shipping starts at $2.98. As always, sale is today only. While you're there, be sure to click the Hit the Ript Jackpot link to get $1, $2, or $3 off or a free shirt. And coming up tomorrow is Breaking Bad shirt Team Super Science. Wow, it is hard not to say "shirt" a hundred times in a few sentences while talking about shirts. I'll try to do better next time.
Why?! Why do I EVER read YouTube comments? Oops. Well, now I have another rant to let loose on readers.
There are those who have great voices, those who can write, those who have talent with an instrument, and those lucky few who can do everything. So because someone can sing but they're not a born lyricist, they should not be liked? That's a sad way to think. What Backstreet Boys fans gravitated toward first were great harmonies, and it didn't hurt that they were adorable. They also weren't five random strangers cobbled together, which is what everyone thinks about every boy band. They already clicked and the opportunity to audition came along later. Since then they ditched their scheming manager, have all learned instruments, and collaborated on songs. Plus four have had solo albums, where they had more lyrical input. Now that they are no longer kids, they have control, so accusing them of being nothing but manufactured is quite silly.
However the music gets here really is not as important as the fans connecting with it, and we sure have...for 20 years! I have no doubt Brian, Nick, Howie, AJ, and Kevin will be around for a lot longer, but that in no way should threaten anyone else's musical choices. So, trolls, get over yourselves, realize that people have different opinions, different things that appeal to them because of their experiences, and go listen to your own music. I promise, I won't follow you around and arrogantly bitch about your favorites. Hey, I might even love your favorites, because I am not bound to one group, one sound, one mood.
If you would like to see why I love BSB or you need to add to your collection, please click the Amazon slideshow below. Just so you know, tour editions always have extra songs. I am now five songs short (International Luv, On Without You, In Your Arms, Take Care, and Hot, Hot, Hot) because the last two special editions were not available before I made my purchase. Somehow I couldn't find the deluxe In a World Like This before I bought it from GroundCtrl. That's okay, though, since I am also getting a poster and lyric sheet with it. Sadly, the MP3 are not available on iTunes or Amazon. Guess I'll have to save them to my YouTube playlist. Oh, well, one day I will gather up the money to re-purchase the albums I already own and get those last few songs.
I didn't expect to write about this, but some things just get under my skin.
Today I saw someone on Twitter chide a celebrity for a single swear. It was a retweet, which they could have set up to be blocked after the assault on their delicate sensibilities. Instead they unfollowed and had to mention the offender before they they did, I guess thinking to warn her followers of the person who was no longer worthy of her. This of course invited comments from the celebrity's less sensitive followers. Though it's her choice and not acceptable to harass her, most of what I saw was disbelief that someone could be so decisively unforgiving, no second chances. I don't get it either and never will. Of course, I understand when there is excessive, unnecessary swearing. But some seem to lump everyone who lets the expletives fly once in a while into the unpleasant, abrasive, immature complainer category, and pretend that they are above everyone because they don't use certain words. Seriously, Google those adjectives and see what they think of you. I'm not going to link to or even mention the site, because I don't want that morally superior bull in here. Sorry, I grew up with swearing. I have brothers who don't go a day without saying something cringe-inducing or laugh-out-loud hilarious, which usually uses naughty language, but they know how to act in public and treat people right.
Life is not just puppies and rainbows, and language reflects that. Swears are a form of expression when nothing else will do (granted, it's the first form for some). Imagine being in a firefight and you were on your last bullet. Would you keep it clean and say "Nuts. We're not getting out of this alive. Oh, shootskididdles"? No! That's not remotely what would come out of the "purest" person's mouth. If you fall down the stairs or fall off your bike, you will not be hollering, "TIDDLYWINKS!!!" How unrealistic would movies and television and books and music be if none of those things ever had a swear to emphasize how dire a situation was or to add comedy? Just about everything I love, the unfollower would hate. I can see one day a beloved musician unexpectedly cussing in a song, and she can't ever listen to her favorite songs again knowing what horrible person created them. I am writing right now about The Wolverine, which had some unexpected swears. They made me grin, not swiftly exit the theater in revulsion, demanding my money be refunded for such an insult to my ears.
Would this person stop seeing family because they used a dirty word? I can't imagine the droves of people in her everyday life that she's pissed off or made feel like shit for her puritanical view. Quite sad. I hope none of this is true, that she just doesn't want to see it in her Twitter feed, that this grown woman doesn't subsist on an entertainment diet of Sesame Street, Green Eggs and Ham, and Veggie Tales, and that she loves her family the way they are.
One cannot always find the right word. Get off your high horse. Sometimes you just have to give in and say "Fuck!"
If bad language doesn't make you run for the hills and you would like to support this site, please click on something in this handy little Amazon slideshow. Nothing comprehensive, but there are a few random shows and albums in there that I love because they came to mind.
What is this? The week of Firefly? Actually, I think that's every week. You don't really go too long without seeing a great one. I bought Leaf on the Wind yesterday, so I can't possibly get another so soon. Then that would mean I have more Firefly and Serenity shirts than Fringe, Supernatural or Doctor Who shirts even though I adore all of them. And there are so many shows and movies that aren't represented in my wardrobe, like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and Voltron. Just not fair to be throwing all this greatness at me at once. If you haven't gone broke yet, you can get one or both of these today for $11 each plus shipping starting at $3 from TeeFury.
There should be a National Wash Day. No, not celebrating doing laundry, but celebrating the guy who made us smile in bad situations...and then broke our hearts.
Why do all the best shirts have to be bunched up like this, within a couple of weeks? A while ago I said I would buy this shirt if it was ever printed. I knew it was coming up today. I should have expected this expense. Ugh, I have to. I have two other Firefly/Serenity shirts, but this is so pretty. If you agree, you can get yours at RiptApparel for the next 12 hours. Shirts are $12 and shipping starts at $2.98. One day I will get one in hoodie form, but those are $38!
Ddon't forget to click the "Hit the Ript Jackpot" link. You can get $1, $2, or $3 off your order, or you might win a free shirt. I got the $1. Not much, but every little bit helps.
Damn these t-shirt people for always reminding me I'm missing an essential movie or TV show from my tee collection. I love, love, love How to Train Your Dragon. There are a few moments that always give me goosebumps and bring a tear. I need my own living Toothless. He is the most adorable thing and combines the ridiculousness of a kitten and puppy in the body of a sleek, sweet-faced dragon.
Fury of the Night is available for the next 12 hours. $12 per shirt. Shipping starts at $2.98.
There's just something about the Van Gogh shirts lately. Starry Night's Watch, Starry Flight, and Fiery Night (still available) have all been fantastic. I really wanted Starry Flight, but I missed the email. Really, I wanted them all and Heisen Van Gogh is no exception. Sad that I don't have a Breaking Bad shirt yet. But since the show is ending in seven more episodes, I think I'll wait to see if the end is satisfying. I wouldn't want to buy a shirt I'm all excited for and then be disappointed and never wear it again after a few weeks. I wish this one came out after the finale...or years ago.
Why no love for Game of Chemistry? It's good, but the other one is gorgeous. Also, unfortunately, I'm a whole season behind on Game of Thrones. It requires having time to watch and subscribing to HBO again, and we just never got to it this year. Don't worry. I'll get to GoT again. Peter Dinklage is an incredible actor, so there's no way I could stop watching. Just had to take a little break.
It took just a month, maybe a little less to get sick of these sites. As I was reading a few days after signing up, they're really a detriment to designers. I can see the need for a small company to have an inexpensive logo, but for every "project" to really be a contest that hundreds of people can enter and possibly waste dozens of hours each on is just not a good model for me and anyone who values their time. I don't claim to be a designer. I'm just a beginner who has spent quite a bit of time with vector programs drawing weapons (Shiny Dangerous Things) yet still has a lot to learn. But I've always loved logos and lettering, and have often sketched these things in the past, vowing to one day do something with them. I never went to school for this. College is too expensive. I was an average student with a ridiculous amount of interests and no true focus and an inability to work and go to school at the same time, because about 90 percent of homework bored me to sleep. There are no scholarships for someone like that, so community college is where I ended up and where I stayed. I majored in "computer and information systems" eventually. I learned a little about a lot, but I have nothing to show for it.
Fast forward a decade and I'm still in the same boat. Or, more accurately, still on the same couch cushion. Oh, wait, we got a new couch. Never mind. Anyway, one of my first loves was art, so I was hoping that what design skills I possessed would be enough for contests with itty bitty prizes, but there are so many talented and down on their luck designers that it's just not worth the enormous effort. Too many people and too few projects to go around. Most people I've seen have won just a few projects out of dozens upon dozens of contests, and they have skills. It's quite discouraging and definitely an indication that these sites are only good for the contest holder. Often there is a very short time to research all about the business, product, and industry and then to start designing or coming up with fitting names. Contest holders often add notes to their brief based on what logos they've seen from designers or they suddenly realize that they don't like the words you're using. I understand that, but they can do it as often as they want until we are exhausted, fed up, and tapped out. There should be a limit.
Most logo galleries I've seen are open for everyone to see, so derivatives of original entries can win because they spruced up another designer's work, which is just copyright infringement. I've seen it happen a number of times, and I've only been doing this for a month. Contests can be extended apparently a number of times. There was one from February that was still open last week with over 1,000 entries! If they still aren't happy then they will never be. And so many contests aren't guaranteed, meaning they can just walk away after hundreds of designers spent hundreds of hours for zero dollars. We would all make more running a lemonade stand on a quiet street in the middle of winter. These sites should be more of a marketplace for affordable work, where companies get a good deal, where designers aren't thought of as beggars, and where newbies can show their best work and have a chance of getting a sale. As it is, 99Designs has a marketplace for unused work, but you have to have won a contest. Why would that be a requirement? Maybe to keep low quality work out, but things can be quite subjective, and designers who have never won may have never won not because their work is bad, but just because it didn't match the company vision.
Speaking about not matching the company vision, here's one that was rejected without even getting rated. I loved the winning entry, but this wasn't too shabby either.
The naming projects, though, are fun. I've been coming up with company and product names for 15 years. I write them down for later and buy a domain once in a while. I already have dozens upon dozens of new, unused names that either weren't chosen or I didn't enter. I'll keep those for possible future use in my domain side project. The good thing is all naming projects are private galleries. Annoyingly, though, a project that I know had at least five hours to go, and which I had a good name for after doing a bunch of research, was awarded early. Also, I was spending time on a logo yesterday that still had 20 days to go and the project just disappeared...or so I thought. Now I have just teo hours to finish it. Not going to happen. So beware of sudden project closings and drastic deadline changes.
Good luck on your own journey. Don't get addicted to those crowd sourcing spec work contest sites. Try places like Stock Logos,
Brand Crowd (a contest site with a marketplace for unused logos),
iStockPhoto, and
Microlancer to sell unused logos. For other vector art, try Vector Stock, Graphic River, and Shutterstock. As with anythng, please do your own due diligence. I have not signed up with any of these other sites. And if you get sucked into contests, expect to come away only with some experience and a lot of frustration. You may be desperate, like me, but crowdSpring, 99Designs, and others will just make you more so. You'll have sleepless nights trying to make the deadline on your fifth idea after your first four were rejected without reason and your "reputation" has suddenly plummeted into the red.
If you find yourself designing a lot of letters along with your logos that don't get used, you might be interested in type design. I have been for a long time, and I'm finally leaning something about it from Just My Type: A Book About Fonts, Briem.net, and I Love Typography. Complete fonts can be licensed to foundries like Linotype and MyFonts.com.
As for me, what I'm going to do is not delete my accounts...yet. I'll use projects as exercises and only enter those that would be worth the time. This eliminates the stress of extraordinarily tight deadlines and of being judged harshly without even a fair critique of the work. Wow. I haven't felt so free in a long time. So happy I wised up early. Now I can really get to work...or take a nap. Either way is good for me.
"God, I want you so badly." Oh, wait, that's Dave Matthews singing "Crush," not anything to do with Supernatural. Should have "Carry on Wayward Son" in my head instead. Well, I guess I do have a crush on the show, the characters, the actors, and the Impala. This show gets too many great shirts. It's so hard not to buy them all. This beautifully dark shirt has me wondering again how it will all end. I assume very bittersweet. Until then, "let's go drive 'til morning comes." Actually, that's what I'm seeing as the final shot right now: Sam and Dean driving into the sunrise. Okay, I'll stop this now before I tear up.
Get yours in the next nine hours, after which it'll be gone for good.
Until the series ends, I'll always be behind adding to this playlist. I had to stop for quite a while, so there's a big gap. Still, there are 170 songs to enjoy.
This is the essence of The Blacklist. Probably my favorite is Disturbed's cover of "Sound of Silence." The scene it played over was one of the most devastating ever in the series.
This is a nice, relaxing post for me instead of my usual going on and on and on about something. Just some music I discovered during the week...or, more accurately, right now. I didn't listen a lot this week to anything besides unreleased Backstreet Boys. Actually, some of those were on albums I have, but most I'd never even heard of.
I started this blog a few years ago because I was going cuckoo bananas having no outlet for my constant thoughts about particularly resonant movies and series. There are those rare gems that interrupt my sleep and days later are still playing scenes over in my head. Normally I can ignore them and live a normal life without having to share with the world, but there are times when they are impossible to escape and demand to be written about.
, which came out after I gave up on holding out for one with extra tracks. I just found another version of 
, and it seems to have a bonus video disc with another song I've never heard, "Last Night You Saved My Life." But I can't be sure about it, because it's only available from the marketplace.
, but that one only lists the regular tracks. I never knew if they accidentally sent me the wrong one. That happened to me once before when I thought I was buying a regular version and found bonus tracks on my Rammstein CD, which turned out to be a Japanese edition. If you don't want to take a chance, 
lists the tracks but is much more expensive. You can check the marketplace for cheaper options.
is an MP3! As is 
.
.
was on 
. I naively assumed that I didn't need to buy an album of songs I already owned. I was mistaken.
, but they're not all on the regular edition. One is an iTunes exclusive while the other two are on the 
, which only shows in Amazon if you search a specific way. I know I tried it multiple times before I settled on the 
at CD Universe and at 
, that I plan on buying.
, 
