Mark Millar sums it up.

I was watching an interview on iFanboy with Scottish comics writer Mark Millar (who's written all sorts of things, like Ultimates and Civil War and stuff, and has, I can say with a staunch record of heterosexuality, the cutest accent ever). His latest project is called War Heroes and it's set in Iraq and it involves super-powered parties on both sides of the conflict. He's been getting a lot of flak for writing about and commenting on American politics while not being an American (which is dumb, because as Tanja points out, if that were the case, only Germans could write about Nazi Germany). Millar's response was basically that an outsider can often get a better view due to the lack of personal involvement. He summed it up with a line that I'm stealing for use whenever I can:

"You don't have to be a horse to be a vet."

Classic.

" ATL for Mean Machines... but I'd rather be gardening. (a message I sent to the floor when I began my ATLing today)

I'm serious. Now that it's starting to warm up, most of my garden is doing well. The jasmine has woken from its dormant state, and the succulents are doing well, but my herbs seem to have carked it over the winter. Well, except for my rosemary, which is growing like a weed. I need to re-pot my bottle-brush and peace lily, but I need to find the time to get new pots from Marrickville and a new bag of potting soil. Of course, the size of these packages discriminates against those of us that don't have cars. It's not fail. And while we're talking, I'm between notches on my belt. If I wear the looser notch, my pants nearly fall off. If I go tighter, it's uncomfortable to sit down. But I digress. If you have any questions, I'm sitting at Damo's desk.

 

Lucas Brown |Team Senior - 42
Salmat - using the force in one to one communication

Bunnies!

Enjoy the many and stalwart rules of this King of Drinking Games. Read through to the end if you have the patience. The rules, of course, are to confuse the hell out of n00bs, or "freshers" meaning more hilarity and drunkenness.

Recapping and mentioning t-shirts. A lot. (reposted from The Lucas Letters)

"Dear Family;

Well, Bill Bailey was very funny and extremely entertaining as always. Plus I got to learn that when it comes to music, the augmented fourth chord (or diminished fifth chord, depending on your worldview) in considered not fit to be played in a church or in hymns. It was classified as a dissonance, because the sound was supposed to awaken bad thoughts. All this means for us today is that it's used in every haunted-house movie because it's very sound provokes uncertainty. Cool. The show wasn't all about historical musical nerdery. There were jokes too. I bought a tour t-shirt, which was the first shirt of that sort that I've ever bought at a show.

Oh! Also at the show I had a wonderful moment. As you all know, I print t-shirts for people. Most of the time it's for people I know or work with. So imagine my surprise when, while waiting in line at the Bill Bailey show, I spot someone wearing one of the 10 shirts I made for a band called Xquabed a year or so ago. I even saw the little Ampersand on the sleeve. I wanted to go over and talk to the guy, but common sense (and Tanja) told me not to embarrass him. Oh well. It was still a thrill.

Speaking of shirts, I've just had a monster order put in by various work-people. I ordered 20 blanks online, and I'll need to print them as soon as they get here. One guy originally said he wanted 2 shirts. He then got on the phone to his brother and ordered shirts for his brother, his brother's wife, his brother's son, ending up with 8 shirts total. I felt like telling him "You know, guy, you can place more than one order. I'm not dying next week."

Poor Tanja's been feeling a bit sick lately, but my super-immune-system has been keeping me safe.

All for now!

-Lucas"

Well, there goes my night.

Genius.

Star Trek's "The Trouble With Tribbles" told in LolCat form.

Inevitable, really.

Sun, then Rain. (reposted from The Lucas Letters)

"Dear All and Sundry,

The weather the last few days has been crazy. First, on Friday it was suddenly hot from 2:30 pm to when the sun went down, and then yesterday it was 32 degrees for the first time since the January before last. Then today? Hail and thunderstorms. It's all going down, man!

This week has been work, work, work. Since I'm working 11:30-8 every day, it's like I get just enough time to get up, go to the gym, go to work, work, then come home, eat dinner, and it's then like 45 minutes before time-for-go-to-bed again. Another assignment due on Thursday (which I haven't started yet), and I'm printing a bunch of t-shirts for someone at work (which I did yesterday morning, looking every bit the mad artist, with paint on my fingers and for some reason my cheek). Yesterday afternoon Tanja and I picked out interesting paper for the various invitations we're making and sending out (which is odd, because the people we're inviting already know when things are happening).

Had cake and coffee for breakfast this morning, which was pleasant. Oh, and we're going to see Bill Bailey at the State Theatre this Tuesday. Should be very good :).

All for now,

-Lucas"

Day 2, Mountain Time

So this morning was Father’s Day, and upon giving Tanja’s father a bottle of imported French Calvados (apple brandy) that I suggested and picked out, it dawned on me: I think I like giving people well-chosen presents more than I like getting well-chosen presents.

Does that make me some sort of pinko-commie?

Thinking back, though, I’ve always like giving presents, even when I didn’t have much money. At university, I got little things for my various friends (despite being taken aside by one of them, and being told I didn’t have to “buy their love.” Which was totally not the point). I knew that most of them were equally as not-well-off as was, and a little something would brighten their day.

So yeah. When people say “Don’t make a big thing out of my birthday”, it just gets me planning. I’ve even, marvel of marvels after some very rocky starts, gotten halfway decent at choosing things for Tanja.

I know some psychiatrist would be able to pick this apart, saying that I equate possessions to love, but that’s totally not it. I like the look on people’s faces when they open/receive something that is suited for them and that they didn’t expect.

Man. I am a pinko-commie.

Day 1: Mountain time

(if this entry seems mundane, it's mostly because its an exercise in learning to type on my new eeePC!!! and it's slightly tiny keyboard)
So yeah. I'm currently up at Tanja's parents' place in the mountains. After having people over Friday night and going to bed so late, I was completely wiped this morning. I got up and packed and got to the train on time, only to find out the was track-work between Central station and the mountains. Cue to two hours later. Two hours, mind, of sitting over the transmission hump of the bus, so that whenever it stopped, my seat would shake like a good martini. I had a massive headache by the time I got to Penrith. I took some tablets and slept for an hour. Feeling better now. I brought along the fourth Scott Pilgrim book, but I loved it so much that I read it too fast and now it's done and I have a lack of book. Tanja offered me her new Vogue to read, but I have my pride. I shall not fall to the fashion magazine!

Busy Doin' Nothing (reposted from The Lucas Letters)

"Ok, so the title is a bit of a misnomer. I've been doing a lot this week, but it's the kind of "a lot" where if ayone sops yu at any one time, you can't really explain why you're looking so harried.

Part of it is due to a course the work has sent us on to make us better at our job. It's one day every four weeks, which is not bad, but there are homework assignments (presentations and formal reports). I was working on one of those for a few nights this week, which was due today. The head trainer did make me feel better, though. He took me aside and straight-out asked me why I wasn't a Team Leader yet as I was "thinking rings around" everyone else in the class and that some people at work were "intimidated by how smart I am". Made me blush.

After "school" today, I got myself a Guzman y Gomez spicy chicken guerrera burrito. I also bought part of Tanja's birthday present.
I'd write more, but it's 11:04pm (and Blogger seemed to swallow my first attempt at writing this). Toodles.

-Lucas"