Four: Selection of "Ars" 1

"Ars" is Latin for art. Deal with it.

I've got a few fun summer projects I'll write about as I have time. One of them is an art sketch of the friends I've made in my church youth group.

Currently, I'm just working on trace sketches – trace the outline and then fill in the details by eye. Gonna probably do one or two more – I've gathered stock photos from the wonderful intrusive world of the internet – and then get to work.

Here's the first trace sketch I made, in case you didn't see it. xD
http://latisansklay.deviantart.com/art/Siempre-Ad-Meliorum-Practice-1-373411836

And the stock photos I used to trace:
(bottom of the page) http://mysteriesleftundone.blogspot.com/2013/05/three-first-world-problems.html
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3728090276677&set=t.100001850952409&type=1&theater
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aaMvDUL9XSo/UONUeRXxi8I/AAAAAAAAAA8/WaF7IfdzLaI/s720-no/Picture+007.jpg

:P

I was also working on another picture for a friend today. Got about 30 minutes into it and then tried to save a work in progress (WIP) shot of it for posterity's sake. You know, "Save As..." and save as a new image. When I returned to the original, all of my changes were gone. I don't even know why – I had been saving the thing since the beginning. In fact, I'm a bit hyperactive in my "ctr + s" save hotkey.

This is what it was when I started. http://imgur.com/QWXEPXq
Thirty minutes in, I had almost completely redrawn the center character, primarily because it is inaccurate to the original person being depicted. And I lost it all.
It was a good Wolver Coat I had drawn, too... we'll see if I can do it again. Later. >.<

And lastly, one more WIP. http://imgur.com/Ic6Vv6i
I kind of drew this out of boredom when I was starting off. The idea of sky islands is immensely intriguing to me, and I'll have to talk to my sister about getting them into our fiction some how at some point.
But yeah... I have no idea where that's going right now, but we'll see. Maybe it'll just be an illustration for our fiction.

That's about it for now. More on my junior year and summer projects and all these kinds of things, coming as soon as I have time. xD

Three: First World Problems

By definition, a running "joke" in which people complain about lacking something in their cushy, spoiled lives.

For example,
"I want to change the TV station, but the remote is way over there!!" :c
"I have too many chips for my dip, but if I open another dip, I'll have too much dip for my chips." :c
"I can't see what we have in the refrigerator because all the food is blocking the light." :c

I'd like to go on record and say that my younger brother might be the most dedicated First World Problems generator, and he doesn't even know it.
"If I don't have my bed covers, I'll freeze to death!" :c
"Why do we have to drive so far to get to the beach?" :c

Then again, I'm kind of the same way I suppose. I guess we all are in some ways.
"Wait, you're telling me I have to go all the way downstairs to bring that pencil back up here?" :c
"Why do I have to waste 10 minutes sitting in the car to get from here to school?" :c
"I'm bored." :c

Philippians 2:14-15: "Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world."
Lessons learned.

Also, speaking of a specific "first world problem", I have this thing about getting dressed up. Looks like I'll be in a suit and tie twice in the next week. What a pain.
And yet.
And yet, there is something extremely pleasurable about walking around all dressed up. I guess my problem isn't with the getup itself, but with the thought of it before hand and the act of putting everything on. Once you've gotten your tie and your hair right and all those final bits, it's all good.
Very good in fact.

My experience will probably be tainted by the fact that I'm making professional-grade presentations on both occasions (Wednesday and Saturday), but we'll see how that goes.

Public speaking. Phft. That's something I'll write about. Eventually.

Two: Quote Dump 1

A: "You could answer almost anything with 'not since the accident.'"
B: "Actually you can't."
A: "Not since the accident."

I see London, I see France. Wow. They're both 486 miles away from each other. That's a long way. I have great eyesight.

When the cannibal showed up late to dinner, they gave him the cold shoulder.

I'm not like other girls. Mostly because I'm a guy.

Aristotle: "What does it mean to be a good person?"
Descartes: "What does it mean to be?"
Nietzche: "What does it mean?"
Bertrand Russell: "What does 'it' mean?"
C. S. Lewis: "What does it?"
Near deaf person: "What?"

Justin Timberlake should put out a cereal.
Justin Timberflakes.

Justin Timberlake opens up a bakery.
Justin Timberbake.

Hey look, it's Justin Timberlake at the barbecue! He's making
Justin Timbersteaks.

Justin Timberlake lipsyncs.
Justin Timberfake.

On Justin Timberlake's birthday, he gets a
Justin Timbercake.

If you write "-2 -2 x ="with your finger on a table, you will make the sound similar to the "Chim Chimney" song from Mary Poppins.

Questionably Racist: Asians are some of the safest people in the world.
Casual Skeptic: There are Asian gangs too and stuff.
Questionably Racist: And they're called study groups.
Casual Skeptic: omg

That awkward moment when everyone else understands it but you.
But you still act like you did.
Because you'll just Google it later.

My friend made an interesting point about the game Skyrim. The only beverages are alcoholic. Maybe there is no magic, or dragons, or anything. Maybe everyone is just drunk off their butt.

A: OMG SO APPARENTLY TAKING AN ARROW TO THE KNEE WAS AN OLD NORDIC SLANG FOR GETTING MARRIED. I THOUGHT THAT ALL THOSE GUYS IN SKYRIM HAD LITERALLY BEEN SHOT IN THEIR KNEES WITH ARROWS, BUT I GUESS NOT.
B: And at that moment, the foundation of that entire meme came crumbling down.
C: ...THAT EXPLAINS WHY MEN GO DOWN ON ONE KNEE WHEN THEY PROPOSE.
A: OMG

I think I'll procrastinate tomorrow.

One: The Way it Is

Casual conversation in text. How hard could it possibly be?
From someone who's been blogging since they were 7 via a white eMac which weighed as much as I did, harder than you might think.

Introductions come in the form of why I'm here and what you can expect and not expect.

Why I'm Here

Simply, trends. When your sister, an aspiring writer, picks up a blog, you don't give it much thought. When your best friend picks up a blog, then you know you're lagging behind.

And yet, you also have a Facebook, a podcast, and a personal journal. Between the quotes and public and private thoughts, what could possibly be left to write about in the backstreets of Google's blogspot? The answer: I don't really know. 

I suppose I'm more comfortable here than in any other place, since I've been doing it the longest. Perhaps this is a forth category – not the occasional quip or picture, nor the public face of energy, nor the personal secrets. Rather, this is a public journal – the theme of so many other blogs – where I can put things I'd like to remember and yet don't mind sharing.

Granted, I talk about myself a good bit anyways, often to my shame. Of all the things someone could talk about, it's always best when it's me. At least, that's what my mind likes to tell me. 

Which begs the question, what then will I be writing about, besides me?

What to Expect

Ok, so I'll be writing about me. Thus the "public journal". That's just the way it is.

Outside of that though, I imagine I'll probably include:

• Updates on the story my sister and I are writing.
• Sketches (via DeviantArt) and any art I do.
• Music (via Bandcamp <--coming soon!).
• Quips from conversations I overhear or take part in.

And what's not here (at least I hope) is long exposition on everything that comes to mind. 

As much as I'd like to think I'm not very cliche, I kind of am... :<

That fluffy, deep-throated tone of talk that's so easy to drop into when writing... I'd love to avoid it but don't think I can. We'll see.

Besides, who can I expect to follow around my every move anyways? No, this is more of a minorly cathartic outlet for public thoughts. Nothing more.

I don't expect anyone to pay too much attention. Don't feel bad. It's just the way it is.

~Josh K.