pixelfish

www.pixelfish.portfoliobox.me/ - This is my new work portfolio. It's primarily for my UI work for video games, but there's still an illustration section.

I know many of my Canadian friends have done their part over the years whenever disaster has struck in the US. I was there during 9-11 and saw firsthand how generous Canadians can be when their southern neighbour has needed their help. So I'm asking you now to take a few minutes to see if there's something you can give to the people of Southern Alberta, who have just been hit with what is possibly the most devastating flood of their lifetime. Over 100K people have been displaced and many homes have been lost. The flooding has struck at small towns (Canmore, High River, Medicine Hat) and large cities (Calgary's neighbourhoods and downtown were flooded.)

Also, this is kind of personal to me, as this is my Canadian hometown. It's like if San Francisco suffered an earthquake or when the Boston marathon got bombed. This is a place I've lived, a place which made me the person I am today. And it's the place where many of my friends (Joel, Kim, Crystal, Adam, Chad, Mike, Kyle, Mel, Meredith, Ian, Ielle, Jonnay, Shell, Travis, Dieter, Ronya, Lorelei (okay, Lethbridge counts), and many others (sorry if I missed you) people who have been good to me live or have lived. It's a good place, and they deserve your help. Thank you.

secure.redcross.ca/registrant/…

Tonight I had an epic adventure. I went to the Target downtown looking for the camera I want, which they had for 150 less than Amazon, but only for today. They were out. They told me the Target in Colma had one and the Target in Serramonte had two. So I went to Colma. No luck. Walked to Serramonte, found out that when Target says it has one at a store (UPC in system), they mean the display model which they will not sell you. (Would have been nice to know this two Targets ago.) Ran (and I mean, literally, RAN, as in on my feet) all over suburbia.

Suburbia is scary btw. The sidewalks run out for no reason. They don't warn you, they just stop. On a dark road, with no shoulder, a four foot tall hedge to your right, and no indication of sidewalk to connect to on the far side. I ran for a quarter of a mile, looking over my shoulder, ready to jump into a hedge should any car come barrelling down my lane. (You may ask how I got there, and I got there by taxi. But I was not being got back thither since my phone stopped working.)

After hauling ass all over Colma and Daly City ON FOOT IN THE DARK IN THE POURING RAIN, I made the discovery that the Best Buy in San Francisco, a mere hop and a skip from the 16th Street Bart station had the same camera for the same sale price. And yes, only for today. I skibbled like mad for the BART, got downtown, and lo, the Best Buy had closed. But John was able to order the camera over the interwebs AND have it for me to pick up in the store tomorrow.

I should feel a little silly for having hauled ass for nothing...but actually I ended up feeling mighty, as I faced the elements and ran through the storm. I mean, I got three miles in, flirted with danger, and made it back to the city safely. And whee for the exercise. I didn't feel winded or broken. Plus the storm made it easy to run around without overheating. This always warm super power has to be good for something.

So my husband was asking me what I want for Xmas and I said I would like a camera of my own (so I don't have to steal his all the time). If we were to get a dSLR, what should we get and why?

I'd been to the California Academy of Sciences SO MUCH recently that I might possibly have been ignoring other museums.  Went to the Conservatory of Flowers today instead of the science museum. Yesterday I went to the MOMA with some of the Pharyngula Horde and exercised my pareidolia. We saw an exhibit of Jay Defeo, some Jasper Johns, and various other works.

I have some thoughts about pareidolia, art, religious impulses...but I think I need some more time to get them out.

The Conservatory of Flowers was something I'd wanted to revisit for a while. They have a lot of orchids, I know, and since my Paphiopedilum lowii had disappeared (read: withered/died/been removed) from the orchid wall at the rainforest dome, I thought I would see what the Conservatory had. They DO NOT have my p. lowii, but they had lots of other alien-looking lovelies that I hope to sketch and paint later. I shall go back during Turkey Weekend, I think.