let's try this again! hope this works better than the last one.

Joaquin and Reese as June and Johnny

a drawing just for fun. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, in Walk the Line.

Harry Potter and the Gobbldegook of Fire

Went to see Harry Potter with a bunch of Viscom friends last night. Gotta say, didn't really like it much. My friends praised the movies and the book, but I just thought it was creepy, boring, and no one warned me about that spider thingy! I expected that some of the plotlines and characters would confuse me, because I've never read or seen Harry Potter, but I was really disappointed that I was able to predict the entire plot within the first ten minutes. So, no big surprises, and I really didn't care for any of the characters, so filling in the backstory didn't make any difference. It wasn't one of those fun, actionfilled movies where you just get to enjoy the experience, even though you know what's going to happen. There were far too many continuity errors and plotholes, but they weren't confusing, just annoying. It was creepy, weird, and disturbing in places. Most significantly, I was just plain old bored. Someone asked me if I at least enjoyed the special effects, but I didn't think they were particularly compelling, and I prefer some kind of interesting story to justify the effects. Just throwing in flashy flying sequences doesn't do much for me. So, to all you Potterheads out there...I'm just not interested in reading the books, or seeing any more movies, so don't tell me that I need to and then I'll really enjoy the series. Nope, seeing one dull movie is enough. Plus, I get a definite creepy feeling from the suggested animal abuse that goes on, and the implied threats to children, and that whole deal with the reporter...ewww! So, in the Turner tradition of Haiku review, (thanks Derek), I wrote my own;

Potter is dull fare
Even for novices like me
Not gonna read or see it
When I've got them all figured!

my tattoo

Finally! posted pix of my tattoo. And yes, it does cover my entire forearm. I love it! Should have done it years ago.

therealpaul

assignment A+!

mytattoo

my stinky life

Sometimes I think my life is a sitcom. It's too bizarre to be believed. A (mumble mumble)....year old woman going to school, and still feeling like an outcast. A moment occurred in Desktop Publishing class that brought me back to high school. Our instructor was explaining a very complicated (and probably unnecessary) mathematical formula, and I was totally zoning out. N looked at me, and said quite loudly, "Corky, did you get that?" And I replied, in the same snarky attitude I used with various high school dictators, "noooo..." He was not happy with me. When I approached him after class, I told him not to put me on the spot like that. I'm not a teenager, I don't need to be reminded to pay attention. If I'm not, that's my problem, isn't it? He does that a lot....asks "are you listening," or " were you paying attention to that?" I hate feeling like that. I'm nearly as old as the instructor, and he's talking to me like I'm a fool kid. I was embarrassed, and end up feeling awkward and stupid in front of my classmates. It was, as Derek would say, a George moment. Where's independent corky when I need her?

tattoos and school

i finally got my tattoo done! sadly, no pix yet. can't figure out the rackin-frackin camera yet! i'll conquer that little s.o.b. soon...
school is going okay. first week was tough...wanted to quit a couple of times. i've been feeling distressed and disconnected, partly due to a tough summer and also to not having a support system here. i miss my hubby, my friends, my church, and dwayne, too. it's like i have no idea what's happening at LH, now that i'm away, and there's so many changes going on. i have my toughest class this semester, Desktop Publishing. you'd think that one would be easy for me, wouldn't ya? no...not in a classroom. i wish the instructor would just go over a couple of things then give us an assignment, then i could get to work. but he talks a mile a minute, for the entire six hours of class, and to top it off, he does things like asking, "did you get that, corrina" in front of the whole class. so that really puts me on the spot, and embarrasses me. he's not very patient. it annoys me, too, that i'm supposed to be learning DTP from a guy who loudly proclaims how much he hates email, the internet, and dealing with clients who don't know anything about design. he didn't even know what a blog was! at least i have drawing class. what a joy! poul is such a great teacher, so easy to get along with, and being able to draw for six hours...a huge pleasure!
for those who care to know, it's now been nine months since i spoke to my mother-in-law. probably more than a year since i spoke to lorene. i don't hold out much hope that we'll ever talk again. i have a gut feeling that this is permanent. i regret that, wish things could have been different, but it's out of my hands now. i just wish they wouldn't shut out my kids and brian because they're angry with me. it bothers me that brian is so hurt by their withdrawal...it's not fair to him. but again, i have no control over that. just have to ride it out, see what happens.

quick sketch, a favorite

funkymonkey

DH obituary

sadness today

My friend and pastor, Dwayne Harms, died yesterday morning, after a brief and painful struggle with renal cancer. I've cried a lot, with Brian, and my kids, and there will be more tears shed over the next few days. I miss Dwayne a great deal...he and I shared the same sense of humour, and he encouraged me to continue in drama, something I've always loved.
Now I need to begin training, to follow through on the promise I made to Dwayne; I am going to run the Cancer 5K run next May, in honour of my friend's incredible bravery and dignity throughout his illness.
Dwayne has a great blog, please check it out
http://dhjourney.blogspot.coms

Movies

Just read an article about how Hollywood movies are declining...revenues are down 16 per cent from last year. Has it occurred to these bigtime Hollywood producers (hello, George and Steven, I'm talking to you!)that if they bothered to ask the movie-goers, they'd find out why? How about too-high ticket prices, bad movies, and crowded multiplexes? Most people I know would rather wait a few months and see a movie at Rainbow, where it's much cheaper, or wait just a bit longer and rent the DVD. So what you gotta wait six months before seeing that big blockbuster. It doesn't change the movie...I can wait a few months and enjoy a movie at home, and if it's a dud, I don't feel too bad about it. No movie that I've seen in the last five years has been worth lining up for, waiting hours, or paying 12 bucks. For example, I saw Batman Begins last night. I am a comic fan, but this was crap.... Too long in the exposition, (an hour to tell us about Bruce Wayne's early years and Ras Al-Ghoul was a waste), Christian Bale is uninteresting, and I noticed many of his mannerisms and voice inflections were almost exactly like Michael Keaton's from Tim Burton's Batman. The villains weren't interesting, either. Scarecrow was always one of my favourites, but this version was dull and the actor just seemed too naive and young to convincingly play Doctor Crane. And Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes...useless character. Plot too involved to sustain my interest, and the action was filmed in such a way that I got a headache from trying to follow it (I call it "buzzy" - the camera jerks and shakes, and the stuntmen are moving so rapidly it's like a bee buzzing around you, so you can't see it clearly).
I will go see Fantastic Four, but not at full price. I'm bound to be disappointed.

God and Cancer

There are some days when God really shakes my faith to the core, and I have to dig into the Bible and reassure myself that His word is still faithful. Today, I heard the news that our pastor, Dwayne, a very good friend, may have renal cancer, which is untreatable (at least by chemotherapy, as I understand it). I don't know that much about renal cancer, but I do know Dwayne...and I found myself questioning why God would strike this evangelist, a man who shares his love for God with great compassion for people, with something as devastating as this. He's a young man, a runner, and now he's facing a very difficult journey. This is a Job trial, I guess. God has a purpose in this, but it will take some time for us to see it. Dwayne will be writing a blog about his journey, and when I can, I will post it as a link for others to share. I am glad that Dwayne was the person who led Brian to the Lord; Dwayne is an awesome witness to God's greatness and power.
Dwayne, if you're reading this, I've decided that I want to train for the Cancer Run next July...I've seen so many people afflicted with this horrible disease, and I want to do what I can to find a cure. So, if you have any suggestions on the best way to train, let me know...I respect your knowledge and ability about running.

Old people and art galleries

Why is it that the most senior of our citizens tend to act stubbornly and rudely, and refuse to understand the rest of the world? I'm afraid of becoming old, because of some of the plus65 people I've met. I encounter these people in the gallery all the time, and they get furious with me and refuse to listen, because they don't understand the exhibits. Today, I was walking through the gallery and setting up for a tour group, when this white-haired old lady, with a shiny gold tooth and really bad breath, stomped toward me, scowling. She demanded to know where the "art" was. She was standing too close to me, and she didn't ask nicely. Conscious of our image as a public gallery, I patiently explained that the exhibit was called Marking Time, about Saskatchewan artists. What I wanted to say was, "Listen, you old bat, you're surrounded by art! Look at it!" She leaned in even closer, and I tried to back up (invading my personal space is not allowed, I don't care how long you've lived on this earth), and she loudly said, "no, I want to see the art. The real art! Where are the pictures?" I was a little confused about this, since she didn't seem to understand that she was in an art gallery, and there's different kinds of art. I told her that we had this photographer in Gallery 3, that artist in Gallery 1, and so on. She looked around and said, "I want to see lots of art, lots of pictures, not this stuff. Where is it?" I finally directed her to the only 4 paintings we have on display now, realizing that she was not going to listen to anything I said anyway, and I wanted her away from me. She shook her head, muttering as she walked away. It annoyed me that she couldn't see the other forms of art around her, and that she berated me for something I have no control over. I don't like everything I see in the gallery either, but I know that it's a matter of taste, it doesn't mean the art is invalid. I wish I had said that I couldn't help her, that I had a job to do and she could figure this out for herself. But my boss would be proud, anyway.

Congratulations are in order!

angrymonkey has done something that has never been done before, not by angrymonkey! (okay, enuff talking about myself in the third person...very irritating!)
I received my certificate from Medicine Hat College, officially welcoming me onto the College Honour Roll. I never dreamed, when I was in grade school and high school, that I could ever accomplish that. I always felt dumb, and my constant failures and low self-esteem prevented me from seeing that I could do it, and no one else was able to see what was really going on. But now, as a mature student, I know what I'm dealing with, I know what I need to do, and I worked very, very hard to get there! It gives me a goal for next year, as well...I'd really like to continue that success, and stay on the honour roll for the three+ years I'll be there.

Just some thots on the Michael Jackson trial (and I'd love to hear anyone's thots on this, as well): whether he is guilty of sexual abuse I'm not sure. I think the jury actually did the right thing, in acquitting him, despite my personal feelings about MJ. There just wasn't enough evidence to convict, and the justic system seems to be following "innocent until Proven guilty". You can't convict a person based on what you think he might have done. (That being said, I do think he's guilty of manipulating children for his own selfish need to identify with children, and avoid taking responsibily for himself). Anytime an adult, whether he is childlike in behavior or not, uses a child for selfish reasons, he or she is guilty of inappropriate behavior. It is wrong for an adult to welcome a child into their bed, to hang out almost exclusively with children, and to act like they themselves are children.

My life is a sitcom

What a lovely day at work. I tripped into the gallery, happy and feeling efficient. I noticed a group of high-schoolers with one of the other tour guides, and thought it was odd that they seemed to looking at me and giggling, when they should have been paying attention to the tour guide. I bent down to retrieve a basket of pencils, and heard a loud ripping sound...and suddenly realized that the small tear in the back of my pants was now a gaping hole, and my underwear was visible to the entire class of grade 10s visiting the Mendel. Very professional. I dashed home, changed into my jeans, and prayed that the kids were from out-of-town, and I'd never have to see them again.
I wonder if I should mention this on my evaluation report?

lifesize cartoon

Amazing Race!

My favourites, Uchenna and Joyce, won the Amazing Race. Boo to Rob and Amber...I'm glad they came in second. Uchenna and Joyce deserved to win, and I really like them! Too bad my favourite on Survivor (Stephanie) got booted off. Now I'm not sure who to cheer for (but definitely not Katie or Jenn!)

Random Stuff

Got my final marks for first year. Got on the honour roll...something I've never done before! 3 A's, 2 A+'s, and one B+, for second semester. My english final exam was 99/100! I'm happy with those results.
My sisters, mom, husband, dad, and my kids are really proud of me. And that is really important to me, to have my family all supporting me. Feels great.

Now that the studying is over, I'd like to list some general items about things that bug me.
1. Blog snoopers (if you've read my blog, let me know what you think- good, bad, or ugly)
2. People who say nasty things about children.
3. People who gossip
4. Smelly people
5. Paris Hilton
6. White sneakers
7. Macaroni and cheese
8. People who wear pajama pants in public.
9. People who say paradigm shift and literally, without knowing what they really mean
10."Basically, actually, yknow" all sprinkled liberally and uselessly throughout a conversation
11.The colour pink
12.Companies with stupid rules about how many earrings an employee is allowed in nose or ears...why do they assume that people with multiple piercings are not professional? (I'm more disgusted by the W**-M*** employee who chewed gum, open-mouthed, as she processed my purchases!)

There's probably way more, and I'll continue to list them as time goes on.
It's been swell, but the swelling's gone down, as Rebecca would say (true fans will know who that is!)

English test

English Genius
You scored 92% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 86% Expert!
You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!
Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!

For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

School's Out Forever!

Okay, not quite. Another three years to go...but I made it through my first year, and I think I did quite well. All A's, except for Design, which is a B+. Not happy about that. I stand a good chance of getting some scholarships for being honour roll...gee, I always wondered what that felt like, being on the honour roll. Never even got close before.
Now the studying begins. English Final and Art History next week. Then I'm home for the summer!

Mr and Mrs.Tooned (from Australia)

My A+ pic

Boy George

one of my best caricatures!

nomad monkey sketch

my apartment

drawing done in class

Raphael drawing

Daumier caricature

Tom Cruise caricature

Midterms are coming!

Soon, it will be midterms. I'm very nervous about Art History. Having to memorize 75 images, with dates, periods, artists, and mediums is proving quite difficult! Dean says that if you were to go to university, to study art, you'd have 200 images to learn, and if you're serious about going into a career in art history, then this is necessary. See, that's the thing, Dean...I don't plan on being an art historian, and I worked in an art gallery...learning dates was the curator's job, who is an art historian...never once did a child ask me on a tour, "exactly what date was this made?" They wanted to know what it meant, and why the artist painted or scuplted, not was it 1535 or 1635. And if someone did want to know the exact date...that's what the title cards are for! Read it!
Got a 90 on my first English essay. My instructor, Neil, said I write very well, and it was one of the best marks in the class. Now if only I could do as well in Design...I am not enjoying that class this semester. Yulin has us doing lots of geometric shapes with colour...I can do the colour, it's the geometry that's got me mixed up. Instructors keep saying, "in the real world,"...but in the real world, I'd do this on a computer, and I wouldn't have to measure anything. The client wants to know if it's reproducible, not are your brush strokes smooth, and is the work completely clean? I think that's funny...comic artists use shortcuts all the time, to correct mistakes so that something can go to press...they don't waste time doing all this piddling painting, and if something blops on the page...there's ways to correct it. I am wasting a lot of time doing tasks that I wouldn't be expected to do otherwise...never once at the gallery did anyone tell me that my work was sloppy, and I'd lose pay for using white-out! Silly. I just remember that the purpose of this is to learn more about technique, and to get those letters behind my name so I can get a better-paying job.

sketch of ash from army of darkness

My Birthday

Today is my birthday. Not bad, as far as birthdays go. I enjoyed a good message this morning at a church near my apartment, came home and received a phone call from my mom, and my sister Jo, which was very nice. I'm heading out the door to a friend's from school, who is having a dinner party with a bunch of friends, and a birthday cake for me. I wish I could be home with Brian and Derek and Lindsay, but this is a pretty good substitute. It'll be nice to hang with some good friends, and just relax, be myself, and enjoy the company.
Yesterday, I found my red sneakers! The metallic red ones that I bought five years ago, and are falling apart...and I've been desperate to find a replacement pair. And there they were, at the Salvation Army store, just waiting for me! I love my red sneakers!

Kallooo! Kallay!

The most wonderful birthday gift ever has been given to me. Brian asked Jesus to be his personal Savior last night. What I've been praying for, for so many years, has finally come true. Now, when I worship, I can worship together with my husband. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. And I am going to have a terrific birthday on Sunday!

I might actually be learning how to do this! 

The king of cool and the queen of comedy 

good weekend

I got a lot done this weekend. Including writing out my new year's resolutions, and checking my blog, and trying to resolve some problems there. Tomorrow is Critical Theory, Art History and English. All classes I love. I should get my Critical Theory essay on Clement Greenburg and Modernists in class, and I'm eager to see my mark!
Art History is going to be a huge note-taking process. But lucky for me, I don't have to buy a textbook. Everything I need to know is online! I was going to borrow Joscelyn's textbook to photocopy the images, but she wanted to charge $20 to do that. So I went searching on the Net instead, and I've found what I need. It'll be interesting to see how many people want to borrow my notes when they see that I've got all the images, and biographies, on a few pages that I can reference. Last semester, I put all the images on index cards, wrote out notes in point form, and then everyone photocopied it, after I'd done all the work. Not happening this semester. I got an A last semester, and I intend on doing the same this time. But I'm not joining any study groups. I'll study my own way.