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Bunny bread from Great Harvest

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Great Harvest makes big and little bunny breads the week before Easter. I picked one up Friday because it was so cute. It freaked out the local doll population.
Continue reading Bunny bread from Great Harvest

[Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the fifth time

[Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the fifth time published on No Comments on [Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the fifth time

A test of the forest against the deciduous background reveals that it needs more filler.
Continue reading [Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the fifth time

Helsinki Complaints Choir sings It’s Not Fair

Helsinki Complaints Choir sings It’s Not Fair published on No Comments on Helsinki Complaints Choir sings It’s Not Fair

The Helsinki Complaints Choir makes melodious art from the daily annoyances of white bourgeois capitalists. Brb, crackin’ my shit up.

Sarah: "That’s not fair!"

Jareth: "You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is?"

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1491326.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Question by May Swenson

Question by May Swenson published on No Comments on Question by May Swenson

Body my house
my horse my hound
what will I do when you are fallen

Where will I sleep
How will I ride
What will I hunt

Where can I go
without my mount
all eager and quick
How will I know
in thicket ahead
is danger or treasure
when Body my good
bright dog is dead

How will it be
to lie in the sky
without roof or door
and wind for an eye

With cloud for shift
how will I hide?

Swenson does the best poetry of the body. I love the enjambment in "Body my good / bright dog is dead." It’s like the speaker loves life so much that she actually breaks off in the middle of the thought before getting to "dead" because she’s so stuck on the goodness and brightness of being an embodied being. I also like the phrase "wind for an eye" because it implicitly continues the house metaphor by subtly recalling the etymology of "window," from Old Norse "vindauga," or "wind’s eye."

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1491020.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

I’m ignoring the title.

I’m ignoring the title. published on No Comments on I’m ignoring the title.

…which is A Christmas Tree, which I think somehow cheapens the whole thing by making it some trite, pallid God metaphor.

A Christmas Tree
by William Burford

Star,
if you are
A love compassionate,
You will walk with us this year.
We face a glacial distance, who are here
Huddld
At your feet.

I like the personification of the astronomical body, the begging of warmth across the chill of space, the abject genuflection of the insignificant people [who are so insignificant that they can’t buy another vowel for "Huddld"]. It’s a desperate and rather hopeless plea.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1490895.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

The one thing I like by D.H. Lawrence

The one thing I like by D.H. Lawrence published on No Comments on The one thing I like by D.H. Lawrence

The dude generally pisses me off with his fucking stupid misogyny and gender essentialism, not to mention racism, but I do love this poem:

Death Is Not Evil, Evil Is Mechanical

Only the human being, absolved from kissing and strife
goes on and on and on, without wandering
fixed upon the hub of the ego
going, yet never wandering, fixed, yet in motion,
the kind of hell that is real, grey and awful
sinless and stainless going round and round
the kind of hell grey Dante never saw
but of which he had a bit inside him.

Know thyself, and that thou art mortal.
But know thyself, denying that thou art mortal:
a thing of kisses and strife
a lit-up shaft of rain
a calling column of blood
a rose tree bronzey with thorns
a mixture of love and hate
a wind that blows back and forth
a creature of beautiful peace, like a river
and a creature of conflict, like a cataract:
know thyself, in denial of all these things —

And thou shalt begin to spin round on the hub of the obscene ego
a grey void thing that goes without wandering
a machine that in itself is nothing
a centre of the evil world.

Frankly, I ignore the fact that someone’s been reading too much Freud and return to this poem for the middle part: the quintessence of glorious, vacillating humanity. "A calling column of blood" — what a perfect evocation of our physicality and our longing for emotional connection.

D.H. Lawrence really hates machines… He especially has it out for electric wheelchairs [ref. Clifford Chatterley]. Fuck off, D.H. Lawrence!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1490624.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Apology by Richard Wilbur

Apology by Richard Wilbur published on No Comments on Apology by Richard Wilbur

A word sticks in the wind’s throat;
A wind-launch drifts in the wells of rye;
Sometimes, in broad silence,
The hanging apples distill their darkness.

You, in a green dress, calling, and with brown hair,
Who come by the field-path now, whose name I say
Softly, forgive me love if also I call you
Wind’s word, apple-heart, haven of grasses.

I love the language here, especially the "wind-launch," with its connotations of air caught in the depths of long grasses. And the apples, "distill[ing] their darkness" — what does that mean? I think of tangy fermentation, cider, fall, secrecy, something somber, witnessing and slightly menacing.

And that enjambment in the second stanze — "whose name I say / Softly " — wow! A word sticks in the speaker’s throat as a word sticks in the wind’s throat. It’s such a regretful poem, a melancholy evocation of thwarted feeling.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1490396.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

The Lady with the Pet Dog by Anton Chekhov

The Lady with the Pet Dog by Anton Chekhov published on No Comments on The Lady with the Pet Dog by Anton Chekhov

Translated from Russian by Avrahm Yarmolinsky.

My favorite paragraph is, incidentally, the last:

And it seemed as though, in a little while, the solution would be found, and then a new and glorious life would begin; and it was clear to both of them that the end was still far off, and that what was to be most complicated and difficult for them was only just beginning.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1490132.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

As much as I depend on NOAA’s weather.gov…

As much as I depend on NOAA’s weather.gov… published on No Comments on As much as I depend on NOAA’s weather.gov…

…for my local forecast, I seriously query their pride that Mark Trail, terminally dull protagonist of the long-running eponymous "comic" strip [since 1946 — shoot it already!], champions NOAA weather radio. As Mark Trail would say, "What th — ?" Pretty much any character has more charismatic cachet than Mark Trail.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1489896.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

I just ordered Not Your Mother’s Rules…

I just ordered Not Your Mother’s Rules… published on No Comments on I just ordered Not Your Mother’s Rules…

 Previously excoriated sight unseen here. I got it for throwing against the wall scientific purposes, I swear!

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Messing with miniatures

Messing with miniatures published on No Comments on Messing with miniatures

Lemax Collection makes several different sets of little decorative tabletop resin fantasy villages with [all white] people, vehicles, buildings, animals, plants, etc. They have a "Victorian" village [in quotes because it doesn’t look Victorian to me], a "coastal Massachusetts" village [ditto], a Halloween village, Santa’s village, etc., etc. Am I the only one who thinks it would be hilarious to cross-pollinate elements from one set [mostly the Halloween one] with others?

Think of the possibilities:

  • Grim Reaper stalking daredevil skiers [or the Girl Scout parade]
  • Skeleton mariachi band baking up Victorian carolers
  • Killer clown mobile home [no really!] lurking at the edge of Santaville
  • Santa’s Wonderland sign in front of a little cemetery

Then again, these ideas are coming from someone who thinks that vampire + 1989 + ice cream = cute, so your mileage may vary. :p

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1488765.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

[Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the third time

[Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the third time published on No Comments on [Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the third time

Okay, so technically Isabel’s not in these pictures. Let’s pretend she’s standing just out of frame. :p

Behold the understory! Yesterday I harvested some slender twigs from the nearby woods, then turned them into the understory for my forest set. I made bases for clusters of twigs using the same principles that I used when making them for my underbrush this weekend. This time, though, I did things differently.

First, I didn’t use polymer clay. I used Aves Apoxie Sculpt. It is a two-part sculpting medium that requires manual blending in 50/50 composition before use. It then has a working time of approximately two hours before it dries rock hard. When pliable, it may be tinted with acrylic paint. When dry, it may be sanded or carved.

I really like Apoxie Sculpt. I find it easy to use, with the caveat that hand-mixing just about three-fourths of a handful of it at a time is best. Otherwise I hurt my hands in an attempt to blend huge wodges at once!

Once blended, Apoxie Sculpt starts off slightly tacky, soft and very pliable, slowly stiffening and drying as time wears on. It responds readily to tools, cut it’s also easy enough to form with one’s fingers. [The instructions recommend wearing nitrile gloves and make it sound like the stuff is difficult to get off, but it’s really not. The second time I used it, I didn’t wear gloves, and I removed the sticky bits from my fingertips with soap and water.] Unlike polymer clay, it cures on its own, so no putting things in the oven, then juggling hot items as they come out.

Second, I didn’t glue the twigs into guide holes the way that I did with the underbrush. Instead I just stuck them in the Apoxie Sculpt bases and let the Apoxie Sculpt cure around them. As much as me and hot glue are BFFs, sometimes it’s nice not to have to use it.

Continue reading [Isabel] Forrest in the forest for the third time

The awesomeness of Magical Angel, part II

The awesomeness of Magical Angel, part II published on No Comments on The awesomeness of Magical Angel, part II

As I mentioned last October, the Chinese BJD company Magical Angel combines low prices with extremely responsive customer service, a rarity in the BJD world, where language barriers and time differences regularly contribute to sporadic, frustrating communication with doll makers. Though I have none of their dolls, I really like them because they seem ready to do all sorts of custom things that most companies either don’t do or charge exorbitant amounts for, like sculpting custom heads or making custom resin matches.

Anyway, I’m just making some notes for myself based on PMs that have been hanging around in my DOA inbox for a while.

  • For custom sculpting, MA accepts .obj files, and it is okay if the .obj files do not show eyewells, neck hole and headcap. One can specify head circumference, neck circumference and eye size. They would do a truly 1:6 scale head for Juniper [8mm eyes, 10cm head circumference and 4cm neck circumference] for $800.00.
  • For resin matching, MA will either match a photo [not recommended] or a body part, such as a headcap. For example, I’m thinking of getting an MA 60cm girl body with custom resin color for Yamarrah.  The custom color would add just $30.00 to the base price. As Yamarrah’s head is a semi-translucent resin, I may go for a semi-translucent body, which would also jack up the cost maybe $20.00. Still amazingly cheap, though…

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1488217.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Jareth gets handsy.

Jareth gets handsy. published on No Comments on Jareth gets handsy.

I have really disliked Jareth’s default hands. As much as I find the sculpts elegant, they have wrist balls separate from the actual hands, and the hands frequently popped out of joint from the wrists.

I therefore thought that some substitutes with integrated wrist balls were in order. I really wanted a set of exaggeratedly elongated, slender hands to go along with the stalklike shape of the Doll Chateau adult male body. The fantasy hands that Soom issues with some of its female Monthly Dolls appeal to me, as they often have extra-long fingers and nails, but they are hard to find, given their limited editions.

Anyway, I found a set of Soom Breccia’s Foxie [=fantasy] hands on the DOA marketplace and snapped ’em up. At first I wasn’t sure about the brownish pink blushing on the fingertips, but it goes with Mr. Demandypants’ style.

As a bonus, they’re posed in a perfect position to facilitate nefarious plotting!

I also remembered how to create my own speech bubbles and how to make them automatically white with a thick black outline and a drop shadow.

Continue reading Jareth gets handsy.

I guess I’m really hard on my shoes.

I guess I’m really hard on my shoes. published on No Comments on I guess I’m really hard on my shoes.

I got a pair of Keen sandals last summer, and they’re already going smooth on the soles, but I expect that, as I wear them about 3.25 seasons out of 4. I did not, however, expect the casing on one of the laces to wear out, leaving the narrow elastic exposed.

At first I thought, Goddamn, I’ll have to get another pair of shoes. I then realized that I really only needed to replace the lace, if I could just figure out how to do so.

Fortunately, the Internet has the answers! Either I could request a replacement set of laces from Keen, or I could follow the instructions and attempt it on my own. I have some BJD elastic that should be the correct diameter. I suppose that, if all else fails, I can just restring my shoe with doll elastic and tie it off, removing the adjustability.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1487720.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Nothing like working on a scientific journal…

Nothing like working on a scientific journal… published on No Comments on Nothing like working on a scientific journal…

…to get a person accustomed to a looooooooong view of scheduling. I just slated an article for publication in January, 2014! 

The award for the article I have scheduled furthest from its pub date, though, goes to one that I designated in October, 2012 for publication in October, 2013.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1487372.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Testing my comic panels with Jareth and Sardonix

Testing my comic panels with Jareth and Sardonix published on No Comments on Testing my comic panels with Jareth and Sardonix

Well, that was arduous. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I created custom panel layouts in Photoshop Elements and then figured out how to stick photos in the panels so that they wouldn’t overlap and/or block out other panels or photos.

I thoroughly frustrated myself in research about transparency, layer masks and clipping masks until I discovered that Elements has a Paste to Selection tool. I therefore just selected the interior of the desired panel with the Magic Wand tool, then copied my desired photo and Pasted to Selection.

After the photo is pasted, I can resize and reposition it, although this feature goes away as the panel and photo layers merge when I move to work on another panel. I’m sure there’s a way to Paste to Selection or its equivalent, while retaining the ability to resize and reposition the pasted photo, but this method suffices for now.

So here’s me experimenting with my new pages with the help of Jareth and Sardonix. I need to create custom shapes for speech bubbles with different orientations and also figure out how to make the bubbles default to white with black outlines and the text default to black, but, again, this suffices for now.Continue reading Testing my comic panels with Jareth and Sardonix

Yamarrah concept

Yamarrah concept published on No Comments on Yamarrah concept

From head to toe:

  • Faux fur wig with parallelograms of pink, red and black
  • Earrings made from Iwako creemee erasers
  • Oversize, off-the-shoulder, pink sweatshirt with a) red cuffs, collar and bottom trim, b) glittery creemee applique and c) added shoulder strap to make it seem like there’s a tank top underneath 
  • Black leggings
  • Black/red basketball shoes

She will also, of course, have actual non-clothing creemees to eat. 😀

I sure hope this split goes through! 😀

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1485856.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

For the first time in a long time…

For the first time in a long time… published on No Comments on For the first time in a long time…

…I have no dolls on order. I’m waiting for doll-related stuff [come on, magnetic trifold!], but not any dolls.

Feels weird. :p 

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1485391.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Speaking of dolls with tongues… :p

Speaking of dolls with tongues… :p published on No Comments on Speaking of dolls with tongues… :p

 Iplehouse’s EID special edition Doria The Addiction is sticking out hers, at least on the fantasy head. She and IOS Infernale should get together and play tonsil hockey.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1485241.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

THAT’S NOT WHAT HE SAID.

THAT’S NOT WHAT HE SAID. published on No Comments on THAT’S NOT WHAT HE SAID.

Gaystarnews is running an article based on an interview that Richard O’Brien recently did with the BBC in which he’s talking about gender identity. GSN’s title for the article is "Rocky Horror writer Richard O’Brien believes he is ‘30% female’ after taking hormones," which is NOT WHAT HE SAID.

This is what he said:

"It’s my belief that we are on a continuum between male and female. There are people who are hardwired male and there are people who are hardwired female, but most of us are on that continuum and I believe myself probably to be about 70% male, 30% female."

He was also talking about having been on estrogen for a decade, but he never made the causal connection between his hormones and his 70/30 split. Given what he says about his history, it’s possible that he experienced this 70/30 split well before taking estrogen and therefore started estrogen because of it. That makes for a much more complex, much less lurid headline, however, and GOD FORBID that news outlets reflect the complexities of reality.

O’Brien’s experiences with gender provide instructive background against which to interpret RHPS.


This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1484862.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

More Groovy Girls

More Groovy Girls published on No Comments on More Groovy Girls

My recently purchased Groovy Girls did not yield any outfits for Isabel. However, two of the Groovies told me that they wanted to join Verity and Kami, who are currently hanging out at my work. So here are the newest members of my small population, Karly on the left and Bindi on the right. Awwwww! The cars on Bindi’s pajama pants are adorable.
Continue reading More Groovy Girls

[Isabel] Forrest in the forest

[Isabel] Forrest in the forest published on No Comments on [Isabel] Forrest in the forest

I did a quick mockup of my spring/summer forest set. I used a moss table runner for the ground. The backdrop is North American Wildlife 2011 Forest Green cotton print by Elizabeth’s Studio [no really!]. The trees are my aforementioned sticks.

Continue reading [Isabel] Forrest in the forest

Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Barb Pitfido’s Lego layout

Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Barb Pitfido’s Lego layout published on 1 Comment on Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Barb Pitfido’s Lego layout

As far as I was concerned, the crowning jewel of the Vermont Rails Train show was, naturally, Barb Pitfido’s Lego layout. I enjoyed her work immensely when I first saw it at the Dollars for Scholars Train Show last year, and yesterday was no exception. We recognized each other on sight :p, and she pointed out to me the humorous details of her layout this time around.
Continue reading Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Barb Pitfido’s Lego layout

Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Lewis Buchspics’ layout, Janna’s ads and various tinplate

Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Lewis Buchspics’ layout, Janna’s ads and various tinplate published on No Comments on Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Lewis Buchspics’ layout, Janna’s ads and various tinplate

Lewis Buchspics set up the layout below at about 3 feet off the ground so that kids could easily view it. Since most layouts were at least 4, if not 5, feet off the ground, kids flocked to this one, attracted as well by the copious flashing lights, sound effects, fake smoke and motorized set pieces.

Continue reading Vermont Rails Train Show, 03/16/2013: Lewis Buchspics’ layout, Janna’s ads and various tinplate

Vermont Rails Train Show, Essex Jct.., VT, 03/16/2013: Adirondack RR and VGRS layouts

Vermont Rails Train Show, Essex Jct.., VT, 03/16/2013: Adirondack RR and VGRS layouts published on No Comments on Vermont Rails Train Show, Essex Jct.., VT, 03/16/2013: Adirondack RR and VGRS layouts

Janna and I went to the Vermont Rails Train Show at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds in Essex Junction, VT, yesterday. Woo hoo! We enjoyed ourselves immensely. I took 273 pictures in the hopes of getting at least 25% of them to develop acceptably.
Continue reading Vermont Rails Train Show, Essex Jct.., VT, 03/16/2013: Adirondack RR and VGRS layouts

Elizabear’s cheap, delicious vegetarian chili

Elizabear’s cheap, delicious vegetarian chili published on No Comments on Elizabear’s cheap, delicious vegetarian chili

Based on 2009’s invention, cold chili glop.

The following makes 4 to 5 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of beans [~14oz.] — black, red, pinto, etc. [black or pinto recommended]
  • 1 cup uncooked rice — brown, white, basmati, long-grain, etc. [brown or white recommended]
  • 1 jar of salsa [~16oz.] — any type [Green Mountain Salsa recommended]
  • 8-12oz. sour cream or plain yogurt [low- or full-fat recommended]
  • salt to taste

Optional:

  • shredded cheese [sharp cheddar recommended]
  • browned meat [which obviously makes it not vegetarian] [lean ground beef or turkey recommended]
  • hot sauce
  • tomato paste

NOTE: I have never included browned meat, tomato paste or hot sauce in my own experiments, so I just stuck them in the recipe at what seemed like the appropriate point. I claim no responsibility for any disgusting results you may incur by following my instructions.

Steps:

  • Start rice cooking. Put x cups of rice in at least 2x cups of water. 2.5x cups is even better, as you can always drain off the excess water later. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 
  • While rice is cooking, open beans. Rinse and drain to get rid of slime. Put them in a clean pot large enough for at least twice, if not thrice, that amount of beans.
  • Simmer rice for a while [40+ minutes], stirring regularly and sampling occasionally. Rice is done when it is soft, but not mushy, and has absorbed almost all the water. Usually these two events coincide, but not always.
  • Remove rice from pot when done and put in with beans. Mix thoroughly. Put hot water and soap in rice pot to soak so leftover rice doesn’t congeal.
  • Open salsa. Dump in with beans and rice. Mix thoroughly. Sample. Add salt if desired.
  • If adding meat, hot sauce or tomato paste, these ingredients should go in at this point.
  • If preparing for later consumption, add enough sour cream or yogurt  to make the chili gooey, but not sloppy. Mix; sample; salt.
  • Add shredded cheese if desired. Mix; sample.
  • If preparing for immediate consumption, heat rice, beans and salsa until they are all hot. Then add sour cream or yogurt, then shredded cheese.
  • Eat it.
  • Store leftovers in sealed plastic or glass container. Chili nukes really well, but can also be enjoyed cold. Good for at least 5 days, it actually improves flavor with age.



This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1483220.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

I BLAME THE DOLLS.

I BLAME THE DOLLS. published on No Comments on I BLAME THE DOLLS.

Hmmm, I appear to have acquired 7 Groovy Girls and their closet off of craigslist at $2.50 per item. The dolls do not come in the closet. They are definitely out of the closet.

I am purchasing them to see if their clothes fit my fat dolls. If they do, hooray, more meretricious clothes for Isabel and friends. If they don’t, they’ll hit Ebay, unless they tell me they’re too cute to go, which Groovy Girls have a way of doing. >_>

Washed-out pictures from seller below.   Continue reading I BLAME THE DOLLS.

This is a pretty awesome sofa.

This is a pretty awesome sofa. published on No Comments on This is a pretty awesome sofa.

The Groovy Girls Swank Sofa is spectacular. I would like a human-size version. 

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1482571.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

My new pants

My new pants published on No Comments on My new pants

I hit Lane Bryant’s clearance rack yesterday and got three pairs of pants to replace the ones that have been expiring left and right. Because I like the style, I am recording all their pertinent details in case I want to buy more in future.

One pair is pointe knit Classic Trousers, size 14/16 average, in grey. Needs hemming.

I also got Tailored Jeggings, size 16 average, in the exact same grey as the first pair. Does not need hemming.

Finally The Jeggings, size 16 average, in cranberry. Does not need hemming.

Total damage: $34.50.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1482021.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Ever notice…

Ever notice… published on No Comments on Ever notice…

…how no one chit-chats on TV shows? I was watching Grimm this morning [back from its winter hiatus and as gloriously stupid as ever!], and yet again I noticed how no one ever stammers, stutters, repeats themselves or says hello or goodbye. [Apparently meaningful stares take the place of these conversational markers.] Everyone says everything just once, in the most condensed, pithy, comprehensible way possible, and the listeners always comprehend perfectly and let their interlocutors go without saying goodbye.

I understand that TV represents a stylized view of human interactions, but we spend so much time saying hello, making small talk, repeating ourselves, going "uhhhhhhh…" and saying goodbye that TV’s persistent refusal to even acknowledge the actual form of most modern conversations just kills my suspension of disbelief. Instead of following the story, I’m too busy thinking about a) how actors are apparently paid by the world, so cheap studios limit their lines so they don’t have to pay them too much and b) how rude and socially inept all the characters would be if they acted like this in real life. Then I become irritated with the whole enterprise and start wanting to throw things at the screen.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1481877.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Miniature chair porn

Miniature chair porn published on No Comments on Miniature chair porn

Vitra, a company that designs furniture, issues 1:6 scale replicas of famous modern chairs — their Vitra Miniatures series. Meticulously crafted and true to scale, these pieces are truly beautiful. I happen to have a yellow Vitra Mini Panton chair, shown in the foreground below, only because Andrea gave it to me.

Continue reading Miniature chair porn

I think it’s adorable how much Isabel loves her dolls.

I think it’s adorable how much Isabel loves her dolls. published on No Comments on I think it’s adorable how much Isabel loves her dolls.

Here she is with her BJD, played by Jujube. Isabel is about 11 inches tall [28cm]. Since 2 inches = 1 foot in 1:6 scale, Isabel would be 5.5 feet [1.67m] in real life. Jujube is about 5.5 inches tall [14cm], which would make her 2.5 feet high in real life. That’s 76cm in real life, on the huge end for a BJD. 1:12 scale [Jujube] is like 1:2 scale for 1:6 scale [Isabel]. Therefore, even though Jujube is minuscule to me, anyone who sees her in Isabel’s arms will certainly remark on how huge she is! ^_^

I improved Jujube this evening by wiring her limbs with 22 gauge wire, repositioning her wig and removing her way-out-of-scale shoelaces.

Continue reading I think it’s adorable how much Isabel loves her dolls.

It has come to my attention…

It has come to my attention… published on No Comments on It has come to my attention…

…that Isabel needs some wig stands for her immense collection of wigs. In practice, this means that I I need 2 or 3. I can make these very easily out of fashion doll heads mounted on dowels in blocks of polymer clay or something. Knowing Isabel, she would repaint each of her heads and give it a name and a personality. ^_^

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1480650.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Still going away!

Still going away! published on No Comments on Still going away!

N’Yenya sold and paid for [$25.00].

Elfdoll Doona body, wig and outfit sold and paid for [$75.00].

BTVS DVDs still at $30.00, Labyrinth lot still at $32.50.

EDIT: As of 4:50 PM, two sets of Faery Legend wings + outfit + wig have sold [$55.00]. BTVS DVDs up to $31.00, Labyrinth lot still at $32.50.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1480075.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Stuff I got rid of today

Stuff I got rid of today published on No Comments on Stuff I got rid of today

Whether by recycling, trashing or donating, I got rid of the following today:

  • 1 plastic grocery bag miscellaneous linens
  • 1 1-inch binder of outdated financial information
  • 5 mix tapes in cases
  • 1 sleeping bag in stuff sack
  • 25 3.5-inch floppy disks in storage case
  • 1 box containing various expired cleaning supplies
  • 1 unopened box of tampons [HAH!] at least 3 years old
  • 1 heap scraps from ex-favorite shirt
  • 30 socks
  • 5 pairs of underwear
  • 2 anti-sweat undershorts to wear under shorts
  • 1 bathing suit
  • 2 clipon ties
  • 1 pair black satin gloves
  • 1 jock strap
  • 1 blouse
  • 3 T-shirts
  • 1 stack of my short stories that I already have digital files of
  • some old cards
  • 3 reams old financial records
  • 1 picture frame
  • 2 binders
  • 1 small hanging file with folders

Good riddance! I feel like I have so much space now, and I have never had lots of stuff to begin with!

Quick!! Buy more dolls!! :p

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1479863.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

A Message of Love: the mix tape

A Message of Love: the mix tape published on No Comments on A Message of Love: the mix tape

I’ve been holding onto it for all these years, when all I really want is the track listing and order, so here it is:

Side A

  1. These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs
  2. A Case of You by Joni Mitchell
  3. Naked Eye by Luscious Jackson
  4. Walk This World by Heather Nova
  5. Dolphin by Poe
  6. More by Tara MacLean
  7. Five String Serenade by Mazzy Star
  8. Chelsea Morning by Joni Mitchell
  9. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
  10. Airplane by the Indigo Girls
  11. Tennessee by Arrested Development

Side B

  1. I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan
  2. Deadman’s Hill by the Indigo Girls
  3. I Will Not Forget You by Sarah McLachlan
  4. Natural by Arrested Development
  5. Circle Dream by 10,000 Maniacs
  6. Walking Higher by Heather Nova
  7. Ghost by the Indigo Girls
  8. Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
  9. Truth and Bone by Heather Nova
  10. For You by Tara MacLean

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1479519.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Really nifty 1:6 scale things that just sit around

Really nifty 1:6 scale things that just sit around published on No Comments on Really nifty 1:6 scale things that just sit around

Back in my less discriminating days, I used to acquire stuff more easily that I thought looked great, but which I did not immediately have a use for. Now that I’m older, pickier and possessed of much less space, I have winnowed my collection of set pieces and accessories down to those that I can use in multiple situations. [Well, with the exception of my Shoezies shoe display rack — it’s so cool that I will write shoe stores into my photostories just so I can use it for its sole purpose!] Though I have drastically reduced my 1:6 scale stuff to the most practical and useful pieces, sometimes some stuff hangs around that I’m not sure what to do with.

Take this 1:6 scale cork scene, for example, with which Isabel is posing below. It’s a cluster of miniature, carved, wooden buildings in a glass case with black trim.
Continue reading Really nifty 1:6 scale things that just sit around

Desperately seeking irrelevance

Desperately seeking irrelevance published on No Comments on Desperately seeking irrelevance

I conclude that Slate keeps around certain commentators [Camille Paglia, Katie Roiphe, William Saletan] precisely because their uninformed, reactionary blatherings piss people off. That’s the only reason I can think of. I mean, surely no one takes these clueless blowhards seriously?

This week’s bloviation comes from William "Pointless and Sententious" Saletan’s column on The Trouble with Bondage. That’s bdsm, by the way, and the article discusses the reasons why bdsm will never go mainstream.

I thought the reason was that the majority of people weren’t interested in it. But no, silly me. Saletan’s article, as near as I can figure out, goes something like this:

blah blah blah lifestyle blah blah blah voluntary pursuit of pain wtf?! ewwwwwwwww blah blah breath play is dangerous blah blah anti-feminist sickos who like rape scenes blah some people take it to extremes blah blah I have no idea what I’m talking about, so I’m just going to call bdsm "consensual domestic violence" and cash my paycheck blah blah blah lifestyle choice.

As a human being with a functioning sense of decency, I find it repulsive that Saletan trivializes intimate partner abuse by using it as a metaphor for something it has nothing to do with. Way to go, you picayune, misogynist fuckhead. I’m glad to know that you’re more interested in making false equivalencies than dealing with actual deleterious symptoms of kyriarchy.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1478727.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Slowly going away

Slowly going away published on No Comments on Slowly going away

Well, the BTVS DVDs are currently at $17.01, while the Labyrinth memorabilia lot is at $20.00, so at least some of the stuff is selling.

EDIT: As of 1:30 PM, Labyrinth lot is up to $35.00!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1478583.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

All my sets and medium-size things, 03/06/2013: all in one place!

All my sets and medium-size things, 03/06/2013: all in one place! published on No Comments on All my sets and medium-size things, 03/06/2013: all in one place!

All my 1:6 scale dolls, sets, medium-size things and accessories are now in one place: my house! Here are all my sets and medium-size things. Blue upholstered chair, bed, car, white framed window and two-tube lamp are new since last inventory. Trees, weapons and tombstones have been around for a while, but were never documented till now. 

Thinking about getting rid of 12-pane window, antique phones, wooden scene in glass case, round starry chair and fish tank.

Continue reading All my sets and medium-size things, 03/06/2013: all in one place!

BJD with swappable tongues!!!

BJD with swappable tongues!!! published on No Comments on BJD with swappable tongues!!!

Let’s see…I’ve seen BJDs with swappable faceplates, ears, hands, feet, penises, legs, wings, torsos and eyelids, but I have never before seen a BJD with swappable tongues.

Behold Immortality of Soul’s Infernale, a very pointy, stylized dude with narrow eyes and an open mouth done convincingly. He has two optional magnetic tongues; one is just sticking out [:p], while the other is licking his top lip [:d]. I admire his adherence to the angular, squinty bishounen aesthetic, as well as the obvious joy with which he was sculpted.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1477906.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Comic software mini reviews and a whole lot of rage

Comic software mini reviews and a whole lot of rage published on No Comments on Comic software mini reviews and a whole lot of rage

All I want is a piece of comic creation software that has an intuitive, user-friendly UI, customizable, reuseable panel templates, decent documentation and/or tech support, word art and graphic insertions [like sound effects or hearts over someone’s head], thought bubbles with the appropriate stems [dots connecting to people’s heads, not stems like speech bubbles!] and a price that doesn’t break the bank! Is that so hard?  ??? ??? ???

Yes, apparently.

I am this close to giving up on specialized comic creation software and making my own templates and such in PhotoShop Elements or equivalent.

I used to do very basic layout in PhotoShop Elements by stacking panels in a long column, then adding speech balloons from Elements’ premade selections. I then tried a variety of comic layout programs. All of them have saved me some time by automating panel creation, balloon formatting, sound effect creation, etc., but none of them have been exactly to my liking.

Planetwide Games’ Comic Book Creator was simple, intuitive, cheap, customizable and possessed of the sound effects and thought bubbles I wanted. However, it offered limited resizing of imported photos and no customizable speech balloons. Thankfully, this program is out of print, so I don’t have to warn you to stay away from it.

I moved on to Comic Life by Plasq. More complex than Comic Book Creator, Comic Life was still cheap and somewhat customizable, with more sophisticated speech balloons and options for photo manipulation. Unfortunately, Comic Book Creator lacked adequate documentation, especially on creating reuseable templates. Plus Plasq didn’t give a shit about Windows users, so tech support was nonexistent.

Then I tried Manga Studio EX. A bloated Japanese import translated and licensed by Smith Micro, Manga Studio EX came with a huge manual, but that could not compensate for all the little details lost in translation. Manga Studio had the capability to make and save custom page/panel templates, and it could do sophisticated manipulation of imported photos. However, I couldn’t stand the cluttered, user-hostile UI and the fact that all the thought balloons had stems, not dots, connecting to the thinker’s head. While under $100.00, Manga Studio was also the most expensive of all the comic creation software I had used so far.

I’m currently testing Summitsoft’s Comic Creator. It’s cheap, simple, pretty intuitive, with word art and graphic insertions. But I cannot figure out how to create and reuse my own custom page templates or avoid the stupid startup screen. There’s also no tech support and ridiculously basic documentation.

In conclusion, I do not recommend Comic Book Creator, Manga Studio or Comic Creator. Of the four specialized programs I’ve tested, I hate Comic Life the least, but that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.

And this is why I’m almost certainly going back to PhotoShop Elements…because everything else STINKS!  :mad: >:( :scream: :scream: :scream:

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1477878.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Baby Faery Legends in the form of Soom’s latest Monthly Dolls

Baby Faery Legends in the form of Soom’s latest Monthly Dolls published on No Comments on Baby Faery Legends in the form of Soom’s latest Monthly Dolls

Soom’s latest theme for Monthly Dolls is Fairy Tales, so they just came out with some characters from Thumbelina, including Thumbelina and the Flower Fairy Prince, as well as the Toad and the Field Mouse.

Thumbelina and the Prince are Neo Angelregion Timps, which means that they are ~11cm tall. [Other measurements are here.] Like the mature 1:6 scale Faery Legends, Thumbelina and the Flower Fairy Prince come with faery wings and faery feets in translucent resin. They are pretty cute and also good for adding diversity of age to one’s Faery Legend troupe.

…Nope. All my fairies are adults.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1477472.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

The world needs fat mermaids.

The world needs fat mermaids. published on No Comments on The world needs fat mermaids.

Now that I’m an accomplished [hah hah] maker of 1:6 scale fat dolls from 1:3 scale toddler BJDs, I perk up whenever I see mermaid parts from Soom Wave and Soda Sea Elves on the DOA marketplace. As Teenie Gems, they are the 1:3 scale toddlers of the Soom Gem line. I could very easily splice a 5StarDoll tiny torso with the Soom Wave/Soda mer-parts and have a FAT MERMAID!!!!

I’m regretting that I passed on the Soom Faery Legend merdude Azur, so I might create my own 1:6 scale mermaid BJD to hang out with the other fairies.

EDIT: There’s also the option of buying a Planetdoll Mini Aqua and plopping on a truly 1:6 scale head, but I have a hard time getting over how the tail starts below the crotch. No, merfolk do not have human genitalia and excretory systems!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1477146.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Thanks for nothing, free sites.

Thanks for nothing, free sites. published on No Comments on Thanks for nothing, free sites.

Well, Front Porch Forum, Craigslist and Ebay Classifieds yielded no results for my BTVS DVDs, so they went to Ebay, where they already have bids. Sometimes living in a small state really annoys me.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1477038.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

How cute is this???: siren mini BJD of printed plastic

How cute is this???: siren mini BJD of printed plastic published on No Comments on How cute is this???: siren mini BJD of printed plastic

If I ever want to execute my mecha siren concept that I was going to use for Lura, I can always do it with this little therianthropic cutie by Silverbeam, an Etsy shop owner who uses a combination of digital sculpting and 3-D printing on demand to create 1:12 scale BJDs. She also offers several other therianthropic BJDs, but I am surprised that there are no merpeople, snake people or centaurs. There is, however, a design-your-own option from which you could easily get the therianthropic mini BJD of your choice.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1476727.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Fuck it.

Fuck it. published on No Comments on Fuck it.

I am this close to giving up on specialized comic creation software and making my own templates and such in PhotoShop Elements or equivalent. It seems impossible to find a piece of comic creation software that is user-friendly, robust, easily customizable, up-to-date and backed with actual tech support.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1475974.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

To all my stuff on Ebay and various marketplaces:

To all my stuff on Ebay and various marketplaces: published on No Comments on To all my stuff on Ebay and various marketplaces:

Sell, you little shits! Sell!

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1475796.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Finally figured out how to put Timonium’s clothes on.

Finally figured out how to put Timonium’s clothes on. published on No Comments on Finally figured out how to put Timonium’s clothes on.

Here he is, looking imperious and vigilant. The dude definitely needs some sort of stand with a strong pole and weighted base, as this light plastic one is barely propping him up.
Continue reading Finally figured out how to put Timonium’s clothes on.

Clea Bella Room With A View magnetic set walls

Clea Bella Room With A View magnetic set walls published on No Comments on Clea Bella Room With A View magnetic set walls

Basically the Room With A View series of products, made by Clea Bella, is a tabletop trifold display board with magnetic walls, just the right size for 1:4 or 1:6 scale sets. Of course, you can blow extra money on wallpaper and floor coverings, sold separately, or you can just stick up your own backdrops with magnets, which is what I plan on doing. I am therefore planning on acquiring the Basic Wall Unit, which is $86.65 with shipping included. This is actually cheaper than trying to find similar magnetic trifold boards in the wild and repurposing them.

I am so incredibly sick of foamcore with fabric stapled to it. It’s loathsome.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1474971.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Results of Operation Rainbow Barf!

Results of Operation Rainbow Barf! published on No Comments on Results of Operation Rainbow Barf!

I got my AG Minis Groovy Room today. Here is Jujube hanging out in her new house, which is as tastefully decorated from the available pieces as I could manage.

NB: I was wrong in my earlier speculation that AG Minis room boxes are smaller than 1:12 scale. They are 1:12 scale, so Jujube fits perfectly! ^_^   Continue reading Results of Operation Rainbow Barf!

Casual Jareth is casual.

Casual Jareth is casual. published on No Comments on Casual Jareth is casual.

He and Jujube are making good friends apparently!

Jareth got restrung with 3mm elastic this afternoon, which makes him much looser. The 4mm he came with had wayyyyy too much tension. It allowed him to stand, but it compromised the poseability in his arms. I’d rather have more poseable arms than legs. My dolls tend to slouch around in aesthetically pleasing ways anyway rather than stand.  Continue reading Casual Jareth is casual.

Fuck you cooling fan.

Fuck you cooling fan. published on No Comments on Fuck you cooling fan.

…the horse you rode in on and the little girl who fed the apple to the horse.

I should not have to replace you in a computer that I bought new on June 3 of last year.

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1474155.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Heyo, Timonium!

Heyo, Timonium! published on No Comments on Heyo, Timonium!

Timonium arrived a few days ago, but I could not show how cool he looks because my memory card reader died. >:( Now that I have a functioning one, have some pictures of Timonium as he currently looks, unpainted.

While Flower reminds me of a little Sabik and Mellifer seems Pre-Raphaelite to me, Timonium looks very classical to me in the Greco-Roman sense. I love his serious little face! He has 8mm DD-Anne imperfect glass eyes in silver glitter.
Continue reading Heyo, Timonium!

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