D a t a L o g

Lost Memories

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:35:07 GMT

Last week I made a doll-sized syringe by chopping up and then re-assembling a larger one from work! So of course, I had to photograph it, and the perfect opportunity came along in the form of the DoA "Memory" photography prompt.

Of course, being the narrative-based thinker that I am, I can't do anything without story. So there's text involved.

Call this a hypothetical, in their world. As you may or may not know, Darryl's memory structures are a bit fried, thanks to some rather invasive and repetitive memory wiping and artificial reprogramming in his past. Talon, as the CEO of a massive multinational pharmaceuticals company, has access to many experimental drugs, and the people who develop them. Maybe some day, Talon will be able to bring all that influence and money to bear on one of the largest, but often most invisible, problems in their lives.

Tekla & Jackson

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:10:51 GMT

Finally got my camera working again (mostly). And Tekla's head came back from the faceup artist today, so I hauled the pair of them to work and took a few quick shots. These are the only two that came even close to turning out decent.

Stll Panicking :: Shooting Is Great Stress Relief :: AR15 Virginity Lost

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:58:53 GMT

Still panicking about the test. Have been talking to my dad and (via him) some CBP and ICE agents, and it may be possible to decline the physical test and remain on the list to be scheduled for one at a later date, which would allay all my "oh God, I'm going to die" response, since it would put me back on the fitness program schedule I was expecting. Will know more on that come Monday.

In the mean time, I've been hitting the treadmill, crosstrainer, and bicycle machine (my ass is bruised from that one) like mad, and trying (thus far unsuccessfully) to do perfect form push ups. Today I got together with some of the guys from work and we went out to Smitty's farm to do some shooting, using pumpkins as targets. It was a blast, and despite the bruised shoulder (12 gauge shotgun slugs kick like a son of a bitch, and 00 buck is a bit rough, too), it was totally what I needed to blow off some steam. Push ups this week will suck, but they already sucked so no change there, really.

And I'm no longer an assault-rifle virgin. Here's a video of me shooting an AR15 for the first time ever (right click on the link and "Save As," it's about 5.7 MB, and I apologize for the shitty resolution and all that - cellphone cameras are not made for video). It was a lot of fun, and I slaughtered a pumpkin with it. (It's Aaron's gun, by the way, and Ted is the one yelling that I'm poaching on his pumpkin.)

Cue Panic

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:40:30 GMT

I got a call from ICE today, to schedule me for my medical exam and physical fitness test. I have to take the test on November 13.

I was not expecting, based on the timeline ICE presented in their hiring packet, to take the exam until late November or early December, at the soonest. I am not ready for the step endurance test. I've been practicing, jogging and running stairs and such, but a 16-inch step is really high, especially since I'm only just under 5' 4" tall. A 16-inch step is up to my knees. DX (As a side note, the guys I work with who tested for CBP had to do a 12-inch step, and they're all at least 6 inches taller than me, several of them more than a foot taller. Not. Fair.)

I am going to have to work like CRAZY to try to get caught up by the 13th. I'll probably fail anyway, and they don't allow re-testing. If I fail, I have to start over again at the beginning of the process, waiting until the next vacancy announcement.

I guess this is a good sign, in a way - it must mean they really want to hire me. But if I fail the physical fitness test, that becomes a moot point.

I'm going to go panic some more, now.

EDIT: Looks like NaNo is probably out the window for this year. I need to focus on one thing right now.

Candid

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:02:50 GMT

Here's a "candid" shot of Tekla (Jessica Pierrot) and Jackson (twigling's Ylisande). Jackson needs proper eyes, but at least she has a faceup in this. Tekla's head is off for a faceup now, so I've got a body with no head standing in my doll cabinet.

To NaNo, or Not To NaNo?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:17:30 GMT

Sorry I haven't been on LJ lately - finally got my ICE paperwork finished and submitted, so hopefully my life will be returning to semi-normal. I'll be able to go back to reading (and posting, commenting, etc) now.

I'm trying to decide if I want to do NaNoWriMo this year. I also need to get in better shape, in preparation for my impending-but-not-yet-scheduled physical fitness test for ICE. But I don't have the killer work + final quarter of school mix I had last year, and it really should be possible for me to manage it. I'm trying to get myself motivated.

I don't really feel up to tackling anything new, though, so I'd probably just continue with the Satyr!Crack, setting my current wordcount, whatever it is, as "zero" and going from there. It would be good to get myself back into writing. I've been pretty unmotivated the past...ten months or so. ^_^;;

Doll People Should Appreciate This

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:57:26 GMT

Because if we can't make fun of ourselves, we're being too serious.

http://www.cslacker.com/images/funny/cartoons_drawings/dream_boyfriend/

I laughed so hard I think I pulled something.

IEA Notice

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:38:28 GMT

Oh good lordy.

I got my Tentative Offer (TO) notice for the Immigration Enforcement Agent (IEA) position today in the mail. I now have a half-inch thick packet that I need to photocopy (blank) for my records, fill out, photocopy (completed) twice more for my records, and then I have to send (the completed original) back in by October 25th. Then I get to sit around some more, waiting for DHS to contact me again to schedule my urinalysis (tox screen), physical fitness test, medical exam, and interview(s). Then the background investigation happens. Then more waiting, then FLETC. Assuming I pass everything and they like me for the spot, of course.

I'd be based out of the Seattle field office, which means I'd probably be working in southern Washington or Oregon.

Meanwhile, I get to spend that "sitting around" time working out like mad so that I can pass the 5-minute, 16-inch, 96-steps-per-minute step test and the push-up test (it's not the number of push-ups that's a killer...it's the fact that they have to be FUCKING PERFECT push-ups). At least I know I can pass the kneel-stand test without any difficulty, so I don't really need to train for that.

....

I think I'm going to go do some crunches. Like...50 of them.

Sleep Deprived

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:42:23 GMT

Awake now for 26 hours and counting, no rest periods. Have been working for 18.5 of those 26 hours. Don't get off work for another 7 hours yet, and then home and to bed for 6-7 hours, then back to work for another 16.5 hour shift.

Why do I do this to myself? D=

Oh, yeah. I have dolls and shit to finance. =D

Introducing Abigail Fletcher

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:48:44 GMT

She's a clothes horse. I already knew that, but it's still bewildering. I've never changed a doll's clothing this much in such a short period of time. @_@ These are shots of only four of the six outfits I changed her into over the past two hours.

This dress was made for Tonner's 22" American Model. It fits her perfectly.

This one is by Apple Avenue.

And this is the default LE Hazy outfit from Elfdoll.

Here's the under-dress from the Tonner outfit, which is maybe just a tad bit long in the shoulder straps, but otherwise looks like it was tailor-made just for her.

Abigail

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:01:35 GMT

The Elfdoll "Kio Carolei" Ruru sculpt was supposedly sold out in fall of 2008. I am so, so thankful that I was able to find a dealer that still had her in stock, and I am so, SO glad that they offered layaway. I can't believe I didn't notice her when she was initially released.

Abigail is here. This is the first time, in all of my years of doll collecting (and I may be young-ish, but I've certainly been around the hobby for a while), that I've had a doll come out of the box and be a perfect fit for their intended character. I mean, really a perfect fit. No body switching needed, no huge modifications, no new faceups. Hell, I even like the EYES she came with. I just pulled her out, pierced her ears, put her clothes on, slapped her wig and necklace and earrings on, stuck her purse on her shoulder, buckled her shoes, and BAM. Abigail. I might darken her lips up just a tad, since she's supposed to favor very red lipstick...but really, I don't think she needs it. At least not yet. We'll see if this weird made-for-this-role feeling wears off.

Darryl's being strangely silent. I think he's a bit thunderstruck, poor fellow. ~~Or possibly a bit PTSD-ish.~~ And Talon's being...well, he's being Blake, which should say it all (at least to some of you).

Abigail's already re-arranging the seating in the doll cabinets. She sure is a force of nature, sometimes. It's a shame she and Tekla never met - I think they would have had a lot to talk about.

Pictures to come. Right now I need to go to bed, as I have to be up for work in less than 6 hours and I haven't slept yet.

EID Jessica

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:55:24 GMT

If I ever had any hesitation about whether or not Jessica would work for Tekla, this shoot has erased my worries. Especially this photo.

I'm so fucking excited about this doll. XD

Dead Laptop

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:18:53 GMT

My trusty (much abused) Toshiba A135 Satellite died today. It's been threatening to do it for about nine months or so now, but the symptoms have gotten particularly bad over the past week or so, and today it finally called it quits. So I'm limited to my Asus EeePC for the time being, which doesn't suck TOO bad, but does suck quite a bit, as I can't do any photo editing or video editing or gaming or anything on here. Basically, I can browse the web and write, and that's about it.

I suspect I may be able to fix the problem with my Toshiba, actually - I kinda thought it was probably the video cable going out, based on the laptop's behavior, and when it went totally dead-screened today I pulled it apart and that seems to be correct - but I'm not sure if it's worth the time, money, and effort. It's a fairly old model (2006), and it might just be time to get a new one. That's like $500-900 that I don't really have laying around to spend right now, but I could probably manage it in a month or so.

On the plus side, if I'm right and it really is just a video cable issue, I can snag a VGA cable at work (assuming I don't have one in my "random computer shit" drawer) and hook it up to my TV and treat it like a desktop. ^___^ This would be a good temporary fix until I address the bigger issue.

Sigh. It has been a good few years, but I'm thinking that "new laptop" will probably win out (after all, Diablo III will be coming out relatively soon, and I want to make sure my system doesn't have any trouble handling it).

EDIT: Swiped a VGA cable and tested my theory. I'm correct - it is the video cable that's the source of the problem. The good news is that this means I've got a ghetto TV+Laptop=Desktop setup in the middle of my living room. The bad news is that I'm not sure if it is a seating issue (on the LCD end of things - the motherboard end is seated very well) or if the cable itself is bad. Based on its behavior, I think it's just a seating issue. I'm going to bed now, but I think I'll take the screen apart tomorrow and see if I can re-seat the cable on the LCD end. If that doesn't fix it, I'll buy a new cable on eBay (only like $15 or so) and try a full replacement.

Miss Marcheline

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:08:31 GMT

Here are a couple quick shots of Miss Marcheline, Aiko's new Elf Elly "Banji" girl. Sorry about the terribly grainy photos - I'm at work, and only have Microsoft Paint to resize them. Paint is L-A-M-E.

Tinies!!

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:54:58 GMT

Dear lord, someone help me. @_@ I've been bitten by this weird tinies bug. I've been planning to get a tiny to be a doll for Aiko for some time, and recently settled on a Banji. In the process of looking, though, I came across several other tiny dolls that I really like. So now I've got a Banji here (her name, Aiko informs me, is Miss Marcheline - I didn't have the guts to argue with her). I've got a Limhwa ToYou on the way, or will shortly, anyhow (Rowen Aurelia Winterthorne). I've got a Fairyland Multihead with no body (am speculatively looking at the Roxydoll one) sitting on the shelf, and I'm kicking around the notion of a Pukipuki (which has gotten stronger since DaisyDayes started making her FUCKING AWESOME faun legs, but is still being staved off for now by the fact that I don't care for any of the Pukipuki heads currently available, and I don't like the look of the Multihead on the Pukipuki body). I've also been just barely holding off on buying a Planetdoll Mini Riz in tan skin for the past three weeks or so.

HOLY SHIT. The damned things are addictive.

I love that I can carry them around in my pocket. I've been bringing Miss Marcheline to work with me in a hard-shell hinged spectacles case. It looks like I've got her in a coffin, unfortunately, but it keeps her safe while I'm restraining people.

Conversations in Security

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:42:45 GMT

Oh, the wonderful things overheard in the Security Office at the hospital. ^_^;;

------------------------------------

ME: "You do like the shiny silver ones, don't you?"

TED: "They're fucking pretty! You pull your awesome gun out, and BLAM! The last thing they see is something beautiful blowing their fucking head off!"

------------------------------------

TED: "If I only had that staff!"

ME: "Then you could rip people's faces off?"

TED: "No, I don't have a rip people's faces off spec - well, I kind of do, but it only works with certain classes."

------------------------------------

TED: "Lesbians! First they steal our women, then they steal our soda!"

(Note that Ted has no problem at all with homosexuality - but one of our lesbian coworkers had just stolen his soda. Ted has a...special relationship with his soda. ~~Which is ironic, because "his" soda comes from my locker.~~)

CI Exam

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:26:14 GMT

Passed my CI exam. Don't yet know what my score was on this one, since they don't send that information until later (via snail-mail), but yesterday I got the eMail notice that said, "Congratulations! You Passed! Now send us more paperwork by X date."

Only ten days between taking the test and getting the notification, when it's supposed to take four-to-six weeks. That's a good sign, right? It's faster than my last exam results, for the IEA test, which was also supposed to take four-to-six weeks. I got the IEA results in about sixteen days or so, and I ended up with a 98/100 on that one, which is way better than the 70/100 they require for a passing score. Hopefully my CI score is also in the mid-to-upper 90's.

Website Revamp

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 06:27:00 GMT

I'm in the process of overhauling my entire website. It's going to be divided into three different sections. Here's the front page of one of those sections - it's inert right now, nothing is active, but this will eventually be functional.

I'll readily admit that I'm very old fashioned in my coding. All handwritten HTML and I even use frames (not iframes, but actual frames). CSS is beyond me. But I usually manage what I'm trying for, even if my methods are outdated. ^_^

Creature of the Wood

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:12:21 GMT

The Soom MD Amber I ordered ages ago arrived today, so Davlin finally has his tail and his proper hooves. I might need to do a little bit of work on the hooves, but they fit well. He's now basically complete. He still needs his clawed hands, but otherwise he's good - antlers, Saint head, Heliot body, Sard hocks, and Amber hooves and tail. Hybrid, we have one. XD

In celebration, I took him down to the park that's a five-minute walk from my apartment and shot some photos. Lyrics (slightly edited) taken from "Creature of the Wood" and "Creature in the Wood," both sung by Heather Alexander (the latter is a parody of the former, with a female narrative voice rather than a male one).

I am a creature of the wood
Forsaken in my solitude
My song is pleasure and is pain
My song can drive a man insane
So come with me, my pipes I'll play
And we will dance 'til break of day

I've been alive since time began
Not beast, not god, and yet not man
I am the music and the dance
I am the piper who enchants
So loose all ties to mortal kind
My pipes shall play within thy mind

Come unto me, my handsome lad
I see thee bathing there unclad
Those roots that drift against thy thighs
May be a lone man’s hands and eyes
We'll feast on fruit fresh from the vine
And I shall sample the fruits of thine

Sweet love I'll make for thee alone
And show thee sights before unknown
I'll be thy master and thy friend
For I am the gold at rainbow's end
I am the Beast within all men
I am the rhyme past mortal ken

I played my pipes before man's dawn
Seen maidens ripe turn pale and wan
Taught men the art of song and dance
Yet had to part from mortal clans
I must return to silent dance
No fire burns where nature dwells

So take thy rest within the shade
And as the evening hours fade
I'll take thee deeper in the glade
My cloven hooves through heather wade
I'll teach thee things man has forbade
Our souls entwined and unafraid
I shall be thy lover

WUNPO

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:56:55 GMT

Anyone who reads my LJ is doubtless familiar with Wren and Jian Yuan, but I'm also (slowly) putting together the core group of their coworkers in the World United Nation Police Organization (WUNPO). Here's a drawing I did of the other characters that will eventually have bodies as part of WUNPO.

I'd like to reiterate that I am not an artist. Please forgive.

Rupali: A Communications Officer for the Special Intervention Unit (SIU) based out of WUNPO headquarters, Rupali Emily Davies works with several different teams in Wren & Jian Yuan's squad, and she's most often assigned to run comms for agents in the unit on special assignments. She will be a Souldoll tan "Queena."

Tekla: Tekla Else Ahlström is WUNPO's Director, Wren and Jian Yuan's ultimate commander, and often gives them their orders directly. She will be an Iplehouse EID "Jessica Pierrot."

Jackson: Jackson Ward is an SIU field agent with WUNPO, in Wren and Jian Yuan's squad, and often goes on assignment with them. She will be a Twigling "Ylisande."

Hunter: Hunter Richard Jamieson is an SIU field agent with WUNPO, in Wren and Jian Yuan's squad. Before joining WUNPO, he was a sharp-shooter with the New York Police Department (NYPD) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit. In SIU, he frequently serves as a sniper and often goes on assignment with Wren and Jian Yuan. His future head mold is still up for debate, but he'll probably be on an Infiniti Doll SID boy body.

Laith: Doctor Laith al-Mehri ibn Mahdi is the head of the infirmary at WUNPO headquarters, and is specifically responsible for maintaining the health of the SIU agents based out of WUNPO headquarters, which includes Wren, Jian Yuan, Hunter, and Jackson. He is a Spirit Doll tan "Echium."

Rude Awakening (Stop-Motion)

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:05:18 GMT

I've taken another crack at some stop-motion animation using one of the dolls. Been meaning to do so for a while now, but just haven't had the free time. It takes forever, and I'm still getting the hang of it (plus, my frame rate isn't quite as high as it should be), but I'm pleased with the results. This is only 7 seconds long, and that's including the fade! Still, I only had one toppling-doll incident, and everyone survived (though I had to lock the cat out of my bedroom, because she was far too interested in the whole process).

Er, let's just say Jian is ~~high as a kite~~ ~~drugged out of his mind~~ under the influence of pain medications due to some undefined injury, and that's why Wren doesn't wake him up when she's doing all that moving around. ^_^;; (The truth is, I didn't feel up to trying to do all this sequential posing with two dolls at once yet. So he gets to stay under the blankets there, looking asleep, and all you see is the back of his head.)

GitS: Innocence

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:33:06 GMT

I'd forgotten how much I love this movie (and the first Ghost in the Shell, too). I'm not a big fan of the original manga by Shirow Masamune, and the Stand Alone Complex series just leaves me disgusted, but I truly love Mamoru Oshii's interpretations of the story and characters. His interest in Hans Bellmer's work becomes really apparent in this opening sequence, for anyone who is familiar with Bellmer's doll photography.

I really need to buy copies of both films, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Buffy Summers PWNS Edward Cullen

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:55:59 GMT

Gakked shamelessly from zoi_no_miko. I'm just spreading the pro-feminist love.

Fridge & The Yes or No Meme

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:36:58 GMT

So my refrigerator is broken. Not making anything cold. Freezer not freezing. This has been going on for two days. Complex maintenance came in yesterday and replaced the thermostat, but that hasn't helped, so tomorrow morning they're just going to replace the entire fridge. Yay for new fridge! It sucks that half of the food in my freezer will probably be spoiled, though. I didn't have much, but the shrimp shaomai will have to be thrown out or eaten within the next 12 hours, no question, and those were tasty.

Also, I gakked this meme from sedens.

Yes or No Meme
1. You can ONLY answer yes or no.

2. You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages or comments to you and asks. Believe me, the temptation to explain some of these will be overwhelming. Nothing is exactly as it seems.

Been arrested? — Yes
Kissed someone you didn't like? — Yes
Slept in until 5 PM? — Yes
Fallen asleep at work/school? — Yes
Held a snake? — Yes
Ran a red light? — Yes
Been suspended from school? — No
Experienced love at first sight? — No
Totaled your car in an accident? — Yes
Been fired from a job? — No
Fired somebody? — Yes
Sung karaoke? — Yes
Pointed a gun at someone? — No
Did something you told yourself you wouldn't? — Yes
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? — Yes
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? — Yes
Kissed in the rain? — Yes
Had a close brush with death (your own)? — Yes
Saw someone die? — Yes
Played Spin-the-Bottle? — No
Smoked a cigar? — No
Sat on a rooftop? — Yes
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? — Yes
Broken a bone? — Yes
Skipped school? — Yes
Eaten a bug? — Yes
Sleepwalked? — Yes
Walked on a moonlit beach? — Yes
Ridden a motorcycle? — Yes
Dumped someone? — Yes
Forgotten your anniversary? — No
Lied to avoid a ticket? — No
Ridden in a helicopter? — No
Shaved your head? — No
Blacked out from drinking? — No
Played a prank on someone? — Yes
Hit a home run? — No
Felt like killing someone? — No
Cross-dressed? — Yes
Been falling-down drunk? — No
Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? — Yes
Eaten snake? — No
Marched/Protested? — Yes
Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? — Yes
Puked on an amusement ride? — No
Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? — Yes
Been in a band? — Yes
Knitted? — Yes
Been on TV? — No
Shot a gun? — Yes
Skinny-dipped? — Yes
Given someone stitches? — No
Eaten a whole habanero pepper? — No
Ridden a surfboard? — No
Drunk straight from a liquor bottle? — No
Had surgery? — Yes
Streaked? — No
Been taken by ambulance to a hospital? — No
Tripped on mushrooms? — No
Passed out when NOT drinking? — Yes
Peed on a bush? — Yes
Donated Blood? — Yes
Grabbed electric fence? — Yes
Eaten alligator meat? — No
Eaten cheesecake? — Yes
Eaten your kids' Halloween sweets? — No
Killed an animal when not hunting? — No
Peed your pants in public? — No
Snuck into a movie - No
Still love someone you shouldn't? — No
Think about the future? — Yes
Been in handcuffs? — Yes
Sleep on a certain side of the bed? — Yes

Lt. Colonel Victor Fehrenbach: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:49:06 GMT

As a citizen of this country, and as someone who has had many family members serve in the military and who has been recently considering joining the Air Force myself, I am horrified by the fact that this archaic, bigoted, and blatantly discriminatory policy is still in existence. The knowledge that it is being used to unjustly punish someone like Lt. Colonel Fehrenbach, a man who has risked his life many times over in the service and protection of this great nation, a man who has committed no offense warranting such a punishment, and a man who has proven time and again his loyalty to the United States of America, her people, and her values, sickens me to the core. How can our nation's military fight in wars across the globe, claiming to defend freedom, when that same military imposes such a ridiculous restriction on its devoted soldiers?

http://www.sldn.org/page/s/fehrenbach

Go there. Read it. If you're not sure, do some research on him and on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Sign the petition. Change starts with one person.