For what it's worth

I've had some time to digest this week's... less than stellar election. And this is what I have to say to all my American friends and acquaintances who are besides themselves in shock right now.

I can't tell you what's going to happen in the next four years, I can't tell you it's going to be alright, and I can't tell you that nothing bad will happen.

I can tell you this though; you've lived through 9/11, the Afghanistan war, the Iraq war, hurricanes, gun violence, and all sorts of everyday madness and you are still here, working, eating, sleeping, providing, thinking, living and loving.

Life's not going to get a lot harder from now on. For all of us, American or not. But I honestly feel that if we stay hopeful, stay informed and stay vigilant, we'll all see 2020.

That's what I feel anyways, if it's worth anything.

Hal-Con 2016 report - the abridged version

PROS;
- Cosplayed as the Red Guy from Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. Surprisingly I wasn't the only Red Guy there.
- Fistbumped with Gates McFadden after she signed my Muppets Take Manhattan DVD.
- Shook hands with Phil LaMarr after he signed my Justice League Starcrossed DVD. In retrospect, it probaby would have been better to have had a DVD with Green Lantern on the cover, not the back or inside. He seems as happy for Samurai Jack's return as I am.
- Got a hug from Ajay Fry and an autographed picture of himself. And he signed one a picture of Morgan Hoffman because...um...Ajay?
- Jeremy "Boba Fett" Bulloch walked by me. (At least I think it was him.)
- I had the best unagi ever at this restaurant in Halifax called Fujiyama. Memorable restaurant. Highly recommended.
- Got to visit the Halifax Strange Adventures for the first time in 2016. I actually managed to visit the Dartmouth Strange Adventures for the first time ever earlier in the year.
- Got to go to DeSerres for the first time in ages.
- Caught the tail end of the Sailor Moon panel. Linda Ballantyne ended it by yelling "Moon Cosmic Power!" Toby Proctor pretended to throw a rose.
- Fat Apollo arrived to the con after a long flight to introduce the staff during the closing ceremonies.
- Someone in the TD bank building posted Mega Man and Mario sprites out of Post-It notes in one the floors' windows.
- YarrHooked gave me a free Kirby crochet keychain :3
- Bought some intriguing little items.
- Saw quite a number of old friends and acquantices, some for the first time in a long time. Even got a selfie with a few of them.
- Got a selfie with R2-D2. Yes you read that right.

CONS;
- Those little Digimon trading figures from Megahouse were sold out by the time I got there.
- Didn't have enough money to buy every little thing I wanted to take home with me. It was hard to walk away from the Disney Infinity Jessie and Buzz set and the vinyl Fone Bone toy. (I found Jessie and Buzz at Dollarama days later. For cheap.)
- Felt like crap for the full con but I managed not to get majorly ill, even after accidentally eating egg.

OTHER;
- Surprising, there were more Ravens than Harley Quinns.
- Unsurprisingly, there were lots of Sailor Scouts.
- And inflatable T-Rexes.
- And Yip-Yip Martians.:3
- Big Comfy Couch cosplays :)
- I actually recognized the Undertale cosplays.

 I haven't written a little con report since Hal-Con 2012. Huh. Time flies.

Thinking outloud

Most people know by now I am a graduate of the NSCC Digital Animation program. That graduation was in 2012. And I haven't done much with it since, unless you count signing up the Surfing Waffle in the Startoon Canadian cartoon character competition early in the year. I freely admit, I've never been good at animating. Something in the brain just doesn't click. But recently, I've been thinking some animation ideas. Nothing as elaborate as say, an animation pilot, but I think these ideas are worth looking into, if not for the value of experience, then maybe the value of laughs.

I just won't be starting them right away. I want to get my current projects completed and/or off the ground. I've always had a habit of doing too much at once. Heh.

November Update

2017 is almost upon us, but fortunately I have one more big adventure to look forward to before then, Hal-Con. This'll be my sixth year attending, and the first con I'll be attending this year.

2011 was amazing, 2012 was excellent, 2013...2014 was enjoyable, 2015 was exciting, and I am going into 2016's con with glee. But that's not what I'm yakking about this post.

As I go through my project ideas, trying to decipher which is the one I should be doing, I find myself sad that I have to put fun concepts like Average Fighter on the back burner. I can't exactly be posting projects on my Facebook page that I can't afford to make, right?

But I find myself mulling over older ideas, such as Watching DVDs, the simplistic YouTube review show I did for some time before the copyright strikes started. (Funny, because the only copyrighted material used in those videos was the cover to the respective DVD.) Should I simply repost the videos with new art? Is it the best use of my time to make title cards for four or five year old videos? Do I just reupload the old videos and see if the copyright sharks of YouTube will strike? (I apologize to actual sharks.)

One thing for certain, I still want to make better videos, especially after the South Sider interviews. I had never considered videomaking a career option beforehand. I think a silly little skit may be in order at some point.

How to make dried clay useable again

Throw it in a plastic lunch bag, add a little bit of water, and massage the clay gently.


It's a slow, slow, process but it works and is worth it and totally cheaper than buying new bags of clay every month.


Full disclosure, the clay I used is air-dry. I have not used the kind you bake to make harden.