I got a haircut a couple days ago [Liam]

I recognize both these guys as me, but not necessarily at the same time.
(Incidentally, I should have left my hair long I think)

I honestly don't think I'm that special or anything, but here's a brief history of Hapa Camo in the news:
The infamous MIT-based blackjack team that took Las Vegas casinos for millions (see: the non-latifa Bringing Down the House) was composed largely of players of mixed asian-white-other descent, because of their ability to play different roles and backstories with their appearances.

A number of years ago a hapa went bad and made it on the FBI national top-10 list... The infamous flamboyantly gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan was most famous for shooting Versace outside his LA home. They called him a "chameleon" in the news, and in the ensuing manhunt, citizens of ALL 50 states in the union called in tips that they had personally seen him.

I've been thinking and talking a lot lately about the idea of "ethnic ambiguity" and how disguise-friendly it is as a trait. While my particular version is the "hapa camo" effect, there are countless other versions of this trait, from a variety of different origins.
(and I am totally joking about david carradine he sucks)

Cliff Curtis is nuts yall... he's the new Lou Diamond Phillips.

abrupt topic switch
I need someone to stump me in 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.
I'm begging you. I was at work late the other day, and I just sat there in gmail typing out a transcript of different actor solutions, and documenting the massive potential for abuse that "Ocean's 12" presents to the Kevin Bacon game.
[CLICK HERE] if you are really bored. My most recent defeat or near-stumping was Gael Garcia Bernal, though that's b/c he doesn't have any American movies (there is however a solution via a movie /w/ William Hurt thru "The Big Chill" to Kevin Kline who's in "A Fish Called Wanda" with Jamie Lee Curtis then to Kevin Bacon by way of Bill Paxton in "True Lies"... ok shutting up now).
For that matter, I'll take any two actors who could reasonably have 6 degrees between them... no "Charlie Chaplin" cheap shots. Shoot me something in the comments. Please, I beg of you! I need a fix...
(At this point I would like to thank Lester, Bob and Christina for introducing me to this horribly addictive mental exercise on the drive back from Vegas).

Oh I almost forgot, I will provide an awesome color-printed prize to participants who can provide me with a good actual- or near-stumping.

You Can Do It. Nicorette Can Help. [matthew]

You ever get that craving where you want a stick of gum for no other purpose but to satisfy an oral fixation? Your breath is okay, you're not looking for flavor... you just want to chew?

Well a couple months ago, I had such a craving so I headed to my neighborhood Ralph's to score me some Juicy Fruit. But lo and behold, no gum in the whole damn store. Needing to satisfy my fix, I started begging the bag boy. The girl at the registered empathized, but told me that the only thing they had was Nicorette.

So I took it. Good enough for me. I just wanted something chewy. When she rang it up, it turned out to be more expensive than I would have liked, but I forked over the cash... I mean I was a captive audience.

I unwrapped my first piece. It looked like gum. Smelled like gum. No difference. I popped it in my mouth. It even TASTED like gum. And damned if it didn't satisfy my fix. And it made me look cool too.

Pimping my 1990 Toyota Camry, I pulled up next to a car full of chic adolescent miscreants who dismissed me at first. Then, one in the backseat who had his window rolled down announced to the others, "Dude. That guy's not chewing gum; he's got Nicorette!" I waited til the light changed before I turned and gave them a badass "wassup" nod. Yeah. Chewing Nicorette made me cool.

It was so damn expensive though. It got to the point where I was chewing a pack a day. I'd frequently take breaks at work, and let's admit it. I was a chain chewer. I couldn't help it though. Work was getting stressful, and I'd get these cravings more and more often. It got to a point where I needed something stronger. This gum was great, but I wanted nicotine in a more direct form.

So for budgetary and addictive reasons, I switched to cigarettes. They were considerably cheaper and my jaw became a lot less tired. The stimulation was better too. I mean, really, that shit went straight to my brain. Fuck the gum.

Then one morning, I woke up and realized I was a smoker. And what a wonderful relief it was. Time after time in high school and college, I tried to start smoking, and every time I'd make a damn fool of myself. I'd start coughing or I would smell like ass afterward or I would just forget to smoke again soon enough after so that I could develop a dependency. But now I'd done it! I was finally addicted! And it was all because of that gum.

Thank you Nicorette for easing my transition into a life of smoking. It really was 3 easy steps.

The Adventures of LBo #1 (until i get a better title) [Liam]

As promised, first of my new strips I'm trying to do...
I'm still a little rusty on the whole execution part, and the art is pretty lazy (but in freakin COLOR lazy). Basically this one is just on the idea that I just think differently from the people who design the videogames i play and the tv shows i watch-- in this case i find myself at the stunning conclusion of an episode of one of my favorite oldschool tv series. Not everyone seems to get it, but anyway i'm gonna shut up now (next time I'll have a flossy title banner for these).

surprise it's july [Liam]

A NEW FKN POST. BOUT TIME.
Thanks for still bothering to check this page, I'm getting a second wind after kind of a long inactive period (one that coincides exactly with my new job and its 9 hour days).

ok, so here's the plan:
I'm just going to start talking, and when i'm done i'll hit post. I need to friggin update already, and i'll be damned if i leave another entry on the draft pile.

-I just bought the new Deathcab for Cutie cd. I think that Deathcab sounds like John Cusack looks. Pensive, jilted but ever-romantic, aesthetically pleasing without effort (jen pointed out the whole thing to me of how cusack plays a very similar role in like every movie, even grosse point blank)

-My new job is definitely getting better. Rather, I'm getting better at it. I've started making stuff to print while at work, because owning stuff you made in big print form is awesome-- here's a couple examples:




(this one is actually a poster design for someone)

-I've decided for the moment to give my hair another stay of execution, but I remain in limbo regarding whether to go short or long. Here's what it looks like right now:


Also, I bought some new kicks. They look like this:



-I'm working on a script for a comic book one-shot, which hopefully will top anything I've done so far in terms of production values and understandable sequential storytelling. I've also started on a new strip, something like my old one but with color and more swear words. And in electronic form, of course. Don't worry about my recent writer's block, I've already got the first 4 or 5 strips mostly figured out-- early themes will include milpitas dim-sum, a cameo on macgyver, low-tech identity theft and hapa world domination.

-Hawaii was cool, but my plans to try and tackle my Hawaii expedition in a concise blog entry have failed at least twice now without ever making it to the "publish post" button. Suffice it to say I think that northern california is a really great place who will make someone very happy someday, but i think i might need to meet new places in the future. That doesn't mean I'm leaving in the near future by any stretch, but... well, if there's one thing i learned from my travels with my parents, it's that there are a lot of interesting places on this planet that would rock my face off if I didn't only know them in the context of a stressed out family expedition (I like Hawaii a lot, and of all the states in the union it's the one where I have the most family ties, but I am not necessarily talking about Hawaii here).

-I am REALLY fucking tired. Yet, I am sleeping less than any point in my life I can think of, with the exception of my freshman year of college. I can't shake the idea that having a job is a contract to give up a sizeable percent of our years on this earth in order to take part in the pleasant trappings of civilization (which in turn restricts our enjoyment of the remainder of time through its image of how we should live). I have never been a "carpe diem / seize the moment" type of guy, but I imagine myself being dead someday and looking back on this situation of trading one's finite days of existence for lawn chairs and new carpet, and finding it rather regrettable. None of this is new information in the least, but I think I've been doing a bit too many 20-hour days as a result. It's very clingy and un-zen, i know... but i can't really help it yet.
*The silver lining, if we can call it that...* (wink @ diocese folk) is that i have rediscovered the necessity of finding a job that truly makes me happy. This printing gig is a step in the right direction, certainly, but i'm pretty sure i need to get somewhere in storytelling / entertainment media before i can start sleeping decent nights again. If i have any luck on that front you'll be the first to know, naturally.

-Is anyone else noticing these bulleted entries getting longer? I am. Also, I seem to be getting angst all over the place. I've got enough text down to make a decent post, so here's the plan; i'm going to freestyle us a picture, then I'm going to hit post and go to bed. It's 1:56 right now, maybe I will finish by 2 am.

(2:24. and i have NO IDEA what it means. just doodling.)