DRM

I was going to write about DRM, but this
 guy says  it better. This fellow does as well.

Cereal Toys

It made a friend laugh when I said cereal was a big part of my life, but it's true.

As a kid, not only did I love the cereal, but the packaging with a cartoon character on the front and the beautifully animated commercials. They even sponsored all the Saturday Morning Cartoons. The only thing that made it better was the prize that came free in each box. What seemed like plastic junk to my parents were endless entertainment to my brother and me.

I was surprised to learn that most of the cereal toys I loved were made by one manufacturer, R & L Company, in Melbourne Australia.

You can read more online here, and there is a fantastic book on the subject here.

2 Stupid Dogs

I don't know why 2 Stupid Dogs has yet to be

released on DVD, but here is an online petition for it.

David Lance Goines

In 1983, while in Oklahoma, I bought a post card with a drawing of a red head with the letters Chez-Panisse at the bottom. The image was very pleasing, so I brought it with me when I was assigned aboard ship, and taped it on the bulkhead by my rack.

Two years later in San Diego I found a poster for a hand made clothing store that I couldn't stop looking at. I loved the design and the colors, and after leaving the gallery, went back in and bought it. The problem at the time was trying to figure out how to store it while living onboard, but I went out of my way for this one.

Later in 1987 a friend lent me a graphics magazine thinking I would be interested in one of the articles. I was, but not for the one she intended.

The piece I liked was about an artist who printed his own work, and showed each step from conception to the finished poster. I found the work pleasing the minute I saw it, but the signature block at the bottom of the poster looked very familiar. Not realizing it, both the post card and the poster I bought years ago were created by the same person.

So of course I had to make an effort to meet this guy, and in 1991 I did. He was quite nice, and very interesting. His work can be seen here, and an interview can be read here.

Mister X

Without a doubt, 1984 has been my favorite year (so far).
I saw the world, met my wife, compact discs came out,
and so did a really great comic book called Mister X.

Not only did the cover catch my eye, but the stories were
written and drawn by the Hernandez Brothers, along with
strong graphic design throughout the entire series.

But as much as I loved it, some people around referred to it as "the
biggest disappointment in comics." It seems there was a lot of production work these people saw before the book was actually published, and didn't feel it lived up to what was shown earlier. Most of it was created by Paul Rivoche, and thanks to the internet you can see it here.

The plan was to use a different set of cartoonists for every six issues
then another story line would be introduced. Unfortunately, the
Hernandez Brothers never got paid and left after four fantastic issues,
which was disappointing. The series went on, and the creator
Dean Motter did another great series along the same line called
Terminal City and it's follow up Terminal City: Aerial Graffiti 
with artist Michael Lark, which is worth reading as well.
•

Digital Media

Years ago a friend got an iPod, ripped all of his songs to mp3,

then wanted to get rid of his large collection of compact discs he had amassed over the years, because they were just taking up space.

I understand what he means, but not having the actual cover
with the images and liner notes just isn't the same. I hear people
talk about book reading devices like the Kindle, and how they have
piles of books they don't need any longer. The same has been said
about keeping photographs and movies on their computer.

The idea of keeping such a spartan home would be nice when
you are cleaning, or if you move a lot, but I like to hold these
things in my hands. Besides, old books smell nice.

Information Age

In the book Jurassic Park Michael Crichton wrote "...We live in a world
of frightful givens. It is given that you will behave like this, given that
you will care about that. No one thinks about the givens. Isn't it
amazing? In the information society, nobody thinks. We expected
to banish paper, but we actually banished thought."

That line seemed to sum up everything we
were experiencing in the early nineties.

The Visitor

 

My regular blog is on livejournal...

Reasons For Existence

Geedunk

For some reason, the Navy calls any kind of
snack Geedunk, I don't know why. Even so, it seemed
like a good idea give a candy bar the same name.

Talking Rings

In The Time Machine, H. G. Wells describes shiny discs that
spoke while they spun around. There was a movie version in
1960 that showed shiny bracelets being twirled sideways on a
table top. When compact discs came out in the eighties, I wondered
if this was closer to what the writer described so long ago.

Filipino Martial Arts

This school has been training students since 1993. Arnis Karate

KOOP

Radio station proposal from the eighties.

Never got used.

Max Liddle Toys

An idea for a comic book has been in my head for a number

of years, but has never moved past the planning stage. It

seemed like it would be fun to add elements like made up

stores and products. Max Liddle was a name my daughter

gave to one of her stuffed animals, so I used it as well.

Translation

When I was in college I met a guy from Taiwan. I don't know how
he spelled his name, but it was pronounced Hi Ho. Since then I've
wondered how my name would translate into Cantonese or Mandarin,
and if the people around would be amused if they heard it.

A few years ago there was a woman at an International Folk
Festival painting people's names in Chinese. She didn't laugh
when she wrote it, but maybe she was just being polite.

Birthday Card

A friend of mine likes Star Trek, and is always pulling
practical jokes, so here is a birthday card I gave him.