go_girlyfeed:

http://girlyyy.com/go/556

yaaaaaaaaay: I posted some upcoming shirt designs to the Livejournal community. Please forgive the mess at its main page. It'd look fine i your friends page, though (hint hint)

While I'm on the subject of Livejournals, you can add Girly to your Friends page. Did you know that?

Vote for Girly on TWC | Visit the forums!

Project Wonderful - Your ad here, right now, for as low as $0.50

kava, posting in damnportlanders:
hey. i just joined. i'm moving to portland in a few months. currently, i live in asheville, NC. i've been here about. it's ok, but my plan has been to eventually live in PDX. just curious... from an "insiders" POV, how's the economy? is it fairly easy to find a job? what's your opinion of the cost-of-living?

i've pretty much scoured scoured city-data and have a decent idea of what to expect just based on the stats and cold commentaries it provides. but what i'm really looking for is what portlanders have to say about their lives there.

this is a major move for me and i just want to get out of the southeast to a place that fits me better and seems more realistic. i'm originally from richmond, VA... a city that gets a lot of comparisons to portland. if you've ever visited RVA, then maybe you can tell me if there's any truth is that.

officialgaiman:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/05/what-you-cant-help-doing.html

Sorry about the font-mess of yesterday's post. I did it using Safari on a PC, and the result was hellish. Obviously these are not two things that work well together when playing with Blogger. And each attempt to clean it up on my part made it worse. (Thanks to the Web Goblin for fixing it.)

I did a second draft of the Waterstones "What's Your Story?" story (only a few words I wanted to change, but it meant handwriting the whole thing out again), and FedExed it off today.

My thanks to the Eagle Award voters -- I was thrilled that Absolute Sandman volume 2 won an Eagle Award for Best Reprint. (Last year it was Absolute Sandman volume 1. Next year the vote will probably be split between Absolute Sandman volumes 3 and 4, and something else entirely will win.)

(I was looking to see if there were covers for Absolute Sandmans 3 and 4 up yet at Amazon, and noticed that volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all on sale for $62.37 [and that they are going to weigh a grand total of 29 lb altogether] and the last two have 5% preorders discounts up as well. Which I mention mostly for those people who write to me and grumble about the Absolutes being $100 books.)

Not sure if the cover for Absolute 4 is a mock-up or the real thing. I suspect it's not the final, mostly because I'm pretty sure that face is from Sandman #1, and for Absolute 4 we'll be taking a cover portrait from somewhere in the last 20 issues.

...

Regarding the Julie Schwartz Memorial Talk at MIT on the 23rd of May: To reiterate from the other day -- over at http://cms.mit.edu/juliusschwartz/tickets.html we learn that Tickets to the event are $8.00 and will be available at the door, pending availability. There won't be any available on the door, because they have almost all sold out. The website has a list of places selling the tickets -- yesterday there were about 60 tickets still out there. So this is a sort of a last call -- you can try phoning the places at the website to see if they still have tickets...


...

An ebay auction with a story... I've been rereading some old Batman comics recently, although I don't think I'd want these. But the story that comes with them is wonderful...

I'm worried and upset about the earthquake in China. From Nancy Kress's blog I learned that at least some of the friends we made in Chengdu last summer are okay -- and so are the pandas.

...

Rice pudding re-prompt! Once you get home to proper milk, of course. "Your general guidelines for a batch of rice pudding please, Mr. Gaiman!"Thank you!! ^_^b

I'm working on it, honest. Decided to figure out the proportions I'd used by a) finding a very similar recipe on the web and starting from there and then b) fiddling with it.

Two night's ago's rice pudding (the web recipe) was much too salty and wrong. I fiddled with the proportions and last night's was a lot better but now too sweet. Tonight's rice pudding would have been perfect I have no doubt but I forgot to buy more milk, so I didn't actually make one.

Dear Neil,

The press down here in Brazil have enthusiastically announced you'll be here for the Paraty International Book Fair, first week in July. But since you're also scheduled to lecture at Clarion, I'd like to ask if this is true. Or maybe you have a doppelganger. Or maybe the organizers here had a dream. Or maybe you're taking a weekend of from Clarion down here in Rio (if so, it'll be winter here, and rainy, not the best time to come...) Best regards,Eric

That sounds right, yes. (I teach Clarion the 3rd week in July.)

Hello hello hello,

To quote one of your other fans, “I have a question for you about writing”. I find that my own writing will echo the style of which ever author I am currently reading. Any idea how I might get around constantly mimicking others?

You write more.

I don't think there's anything wrong with copying other people's styles -- it's a skill you'll need, after all. Many actors begin as mimics. You don't worry about it, and keep writing, and after a while you'll have written enough that you can't help sounding like yourself, whether you want to or not.

Style is what you get wrong, that makes what you do sound like you. Style is what you can't help doing. Style is what you're left with.

(I just googled "style is what you can't help doing" because it sounded half-familiar, and I wondered who said it originally, and discovered that it may actually have been me, as I found myself looking at an extract from a speech I gave to an audience of comics artists and writers in 1997 at ProCon in Oakland:

We are creators. When we begin, separately or together, there’s a blank piece of paper. When we are done, we are giving people dreams and magic and journeys into minds and lives that they have never lived. And we must not forget that.

I don’t want to sound like an inspirational speaker here. "Be you." "Be the best you that you can be." But this is really important. It’s something that we mostly lose track of when we starts, because when we start in comics we’re kids, and we have no idea who we are or what our voices are, as artists or as writers.

Young artists want to be Rob Leifeld, or Bernie Wrightson, or Frank Miller, just as young writers want to be Alan Moore, or Chris Claremont or, well, Frank Miller. You’ve seen their portfolios. You’ve read the scripts.

We all swipe when we start. We trace, we copy, we emulate. But the most important thing is to get to the place where you’re telling your own stories, painting your own pictures, doing the stuff that one-one else could have done, but you. Dave McKean, when he was much younger, as a recent art-school graduate, took his portfolio to New York, and showed it to the head of an advertising agency. The guy looked at one of Dave’s paintings—"That’s a really good Bob Peake," he said. "But why would you I want to hire you? If I have something I want done like that, I phone Bob Peake."

You may be able to draw kind of like Rob Leifeld, but the day may come, may have already come, when no-one wants a bargain basement Rob Leifeld clone any more. Learn to draw like you. And as a writer, or as a storyteller, try to tell the stories that only you can tell. Try to tell the stories that you cannot help but tell, the stories you would be telling yourself if you had no audience to listen. The ones that reveal a little too much about you to the world. It’s the point I think of writing as walking naked down the street: it has nothing to do with style, or with genre, it has to do with honesty. Honesty to yourself and to whatever you’re doing.

Don’t worry about trying to develop a style. Style is what you can’t help doing. If you write enough, you draw enough, you’ll have a style, whether you want it or not. Don’t worry about whether you’re "commercial". Tell your own stories, draw your own pictures. Let other people follow you.

If you believe in it, do it. If there’s a comic or a project you’ve always wanted to do, go out there and give it a try. If you fail, you’ll have given it a shot. If you succeed, then you succeeded with what you wanted to do.

And it's still true. (That speech is, along with another speech about tulips and comics, and an essay on how to do successful signings, available in Gods And Tulips, illustrated by Chester Brown, price $3 from the CBLDF commercial website.)(And for those of you after instant webby gratification, the whole Procon speech is up at the Magian Line archives at http://www.woxberg.net/gaiman/magian/3-2.html. But the CBLDF Neil Gaiman store one has a pretty Mike Kaluta cover of me being dead on it. And it's cheap...)

neurophyre, posting in damnportlanders:

http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/

I need a LearJet, a large assortment of poisoned swords, and a field guide to American sports bars.

glowing_fish, posting in damnportlanders:
So, here are two ideas that I am floating, since our get-togethers at the East Side are so full of love, harmony and enchanting discussion.

First, I think that in this beautiful weather we are having, we should have a get together outside. I was thinking sometime on a Friday/Saturday afternoon we could meet for picnic-like activities at, say, Hoyt Arboretum. There is a viewing spot there that isn't that much of a walk from the MAX station.

Second, if you haven't been to the City Liquidators, it is a very interesting place to go! Especially if you like cheap office supplies! And odd discontinued toys! Would anyone in this group want to go there for an hour or so? Hopefully we wouldn't be so much of annoying ironic hipsters that they would have to kick us out!

Let me know if anyone is interested.

someposifeed:

http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp05132008.shtml

---

If there are any problems with the comic or website, or if you have any questions, comments, or complaints you would like to address directly to Randy, please email him at choochoobear@gmail.com.

mellamoestrella, posting in damnportlanders:
So there's an organization that takes business clothes for women in need. It's a program for women who were recently on welfare and are now ready to enter the workforce. They're in need of business type of attire and can go to a clothes closet to get assistance. Any one know what company I'm talking about?

rio_keshi, posting in damnportlanders:
i was in downtown tanasbourn today, and i found this delightfully large moth!

   it is about the size of my thumb, a bit longer than an inch, and rather thick, greyish brown with very vivid black and brown stripes.

the prettiest part, is that when it opens its wings, the undersides are bright maroonish pink, with cerulean blue eyespots!  i love moths, and really want to keep it, seeing as its  missing two legs on one side, and is also missing an antenna, i wouldnt feel right just setting it on a plant and walking away :<!

    my biggest dilema:  WHAT DOES IT EAT?   smaller moths? flowers? fruit? sugar water? dirt?  i have all of these things, but  i dont know what it might eat... smaller moths eat anything from fruit to cloth to other bugs, but this one is bigger and ive never seen it before, any suggestions :>?!!!

thanks!

pennyarcaderss:

http://feeds.penny-arcade.com/~r/pa-mainsite/~3/289794615/

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2008/05/13/exciting-news/

Gabe : So we can finally announce that our game will be out on May 21st. IT will be released on Xbox Live as well as our own digital games store Greenhouse. If you do decide to download from Greenhouse you can grab one code that will give you access to the PC, Mac and Linux versions. I'm super excited to hear what you guys think. If you're looking forward to the game you should check out the new trailer over on the Xbox Live site. -Gabe out

england, posting in damnportlanders:
So I walked to the Portland Saturday Market and there were some "musician" bums making noise under the bridge.   In a very, of course, crowded area.   This is the picture i took:


I am snapping pictures here and there of the market and some of Portlands culture which includes many dirty drug addicted looking bum youths.  So after taking a picture of the group of bums, I hear the girl telling the guy to come up to me and i'm thinking "oh boy.."  So this guy with the hats and dreds comes up and says rudely "Hey, are you going to pay for that picture"  to which i respond "No."  He says "Well I think you should OK"  and I'm like "This is public property, I can take any pictures I want."   And he says "These are people ok, not just scenery ok".  Something very idiot sounding like that to which i say "That is a matter of opionion."  ANd then he grumbles some other nonsense about how he thinks i should delete it (very enlightening).

I was a bit annoyed at this confrontation.  Bums are usually nice, at least at first.  They usually ask for money nicely not as if you owe it to them, then they usually smile and say thanks when you refuse if they are somewhat business savvy and know perhaps tomorrow you'll be more so inclined.  But no, these ones were idiots, with the IQ of a 5 year old.  If he would have kept on I would have called the police.

Just wanted to share that story with you all and encourage photographers to keep taking any pictures they want on public property and not hand over property or succumb to assholes who think you have to pay them or threaten to call their lawyer.   I also just wanted to make sure this picture got on the internet :)

kajafoglio:

This last weekend brought us the Emerald City Comicon, which I was unable to attend. But Phil was there, and he took the Large-size Kid with him for one day. (The Fun-size Kid stayed home with me. She is unruly and not yet fit for human company.) Aaron and Cristi Williams came to Seattle for the con and stayed with us for the weekend, which was lovely. It's always fun to see your friends at a con, but it's also nice to have some time to talk in a more relaxed setting. As Aaron put it while we were sitting around the living room: "I keep thinking someone is going to interrupt us to ask how much something costs." Look at Aaron's comics here!

Cool stuff that came home from the con:

There's a new collection of Dave Kellet's  Sheldon out: A Blizzard of Lizards. Remember: Sheldon comics heal the sick! (Well, they certainly helped ME feel better.)

The Kid came home with a great Smash Bros. BRAWL poster by Bleedman. I recognized the art right away, because I really REALLY like his Grim Tales comic, and if the official PowerPuff Girls cartoons were anything like his PowerPuff Girls Doujinshi, I'd actually watch them. Yes, it's copyright violation city, and I'm well aware that if somebody did this with our stuff, it would be a huge headache, and yet... I'd love to have this stuff in a book. I am a conflicted monkey, and make no excuses. Heh.

There were lots of other nifty con things, but I'll have to write about them later. I have to go out tonight so I should wrap this up.

But of course, you're all dying to know what I got for Mother's Day, right? (What? You're not? I will tell you anyway!) I got a soft, cuddly Necronomicon. My kid is a Good Boy Who Is Kind To His Mother.

drunkengeebee, posting in damnportlanders:
I love that Novick will most likely be Oregon's newest hobbit-pirate boy-genius Senator. And he'll open your beer for you.

thinkgeek:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/a651/?cpg=wnrdf

thinkgeek:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/a69c/?cpg=wnrdf

thinkgeek:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/popculture/a6b2/?cpg=wnrdf

nimue_obscure, posting in damnportlanders:
I'm looking for a chiropractor. Ideally in inner NE (near Glisan and 28th) but i have a car and get pretty much anywhere for someone good, gentle, and who can deal with jaws (my jaw popped something awful yesterday and continues to hurt like crazy any time i try to open my mouth. Very inconvenient.)

My insurance sucks but pretty much everyone accepts it (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) so i'd rather find someone good and pay for it that someone cheap who can't help much.

Thanks!!!

yourdannybear, posting in damnportlanders:
video for today *throws steering wheel into window*

meowmeowpants, posting in damnportlanders:
Hello DPers, I'm looking to talk with someone around town that's successfully converted over to a bio-fuel mode of transportation. If that's you, please send me a message either through LJ or at paroxamore@gmail.com. Muchas gracias!

kajafoglio:

What we actually bought were two "Ben Ten" action figures. The receipt makes things sound so much more... interesting:




And a detail:

laura_seabrook, posting in second_lifers:

A friend of mine has just bought a Space Navigator 3D mouse. Apparently you can move it in three dimensions and do panning, rotating, and tilting. Might be the thing for moving about in a certain virtual world.

kakacombustion, posting in damnportlanders:
Where's the cheapest place to get a manicure that won't give me a fungus or cut off my finger?

pennyarcaderss:

http://feeds.penny-arcade.com/~r/pa-mainsite/~3/289666206/

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2008/05/13/patv/

Gabe : I'll be starting the Live stream in a few minutes. -Gabe out

xnlyindreams, posting in damnportlanders:

So, I'm in Women's Studies at PSU (as some of you may remember) and as part of the class I am required to help out with a Women's Studies Student Colloquium that is on campus this Friday.  I am part of the group responsible for finding food donations, and I have come to you esteemed Portland citizens to tell me if you have any hook ups (whether you own a restaurant or work for one, or other food establishment) for food donations for this event. Since it is about community, we'd love to have some local places donate, but we won't discriminate!

In order to make serving food legal, we need proof of insurance and a current restaurant license from wherever the donations come from. I can't guarantee that we'll accept your donation, since there are other people than me looking for donations as well and I don't yet entirely know all of what has or hasn't been confirmed. But reply if you have any suggestions!

Also, we were informed that about 100 people are expected to attend, so something to keep in mind. Since the Multicultural Center here at PSU will be providing boxed lunches for the participants and volunteers, what we're looking for are more snack-like foods.

Some ideas...

• coffee (though Stumptown might possibly be donating this, so we're not sure)
• other drinks, like sodas, juices
• pastries
• cookies
• (other snack-like foods)

and necessary non-food things like:

• cups
• napkins
• plates

That's about all I can think of... Thanks in advance!

krazyfelioness, posting in damnportlanders:
Any one been to City Chiropractic downtown? What is/was your experience with them? Any guru's you\d recommend downtown?



Some times its hard to find that "diamond in the rough". I'm aware that some have gimmicks, programs, or devices they try to 'sell' you on, others are okay or good, and once in a while you're lucky and get a great one. And, some make you worse. =( I guess that's true with lots of things.

I was lucky and found a "miracle-worker" but she moved to Hawaii last year. *sadness*
I'd love to hear about any personal experiences you've had with City Chiropractic, as they are very close, but proximity and neon signs are not the best factors to make this kind of decision. =D

jadis000, posting in damnportlanders:
long story short.

i have some dental gold. even some solid gold teeth.
i've decided i want to sell them. ive called some pawn shops and they all say they will only take them if there is no teeth attached. and well. a few still have teeth attached.

does anyone know of a place that even might take gold with teeth attached?

i really dont want to spend my tuesday evening with my dremel trying to carve these teeth out.

blogthings:

http://feeds.blogthings.com/~r/blogthings/NewestQuizzes/~3/289620904/

What Does Your Taste in Music Say About You? - What kind of music do you like... and what does it say about your personality?

blogthings:

http://feeds.blogthings.com/~r/blogthings/NewestQuizzes/~3/289620905/

What Element is Your Body? - Is your body watery and relaxed? Or fiery and passionate? Take this quiz to find out.

fmlcupid, posting in damnportlanders:
Conflux
A Dark Arts Festival
Mt. Tabor Legacy
4811 SE Hawthorne Ave
Portland, OR

The Temple of the Muse is producing the first two-day dark arts event here in Portland beginning on September 26th. The event will run from 12pm to 2:30am each night. The building includes main hall, lounge, and theater room. This event will include: vending, live music, DJs, Performance artists, workshops, a dark painting and sculpture show, and a gothic fashion show.

We are seeking artists for the dark painting, photography, and sculpture show. Also, if you are interested in hosting a workshop please send me your ideas as well. 

E-mail relevant pictures of your art to fmlcupid at gmail.com. 


Blessings,
Tawny
Temple of the Muse
Building Community through Music and Art 

x-posted everywhere

girl_next_dork, posting in damnportlanders:
Anyone take dance classes, past or present? I'm not looking for partnered, pole, or perfect dancing. Something jazzy and contemporary comes to mind. My background is a bit of ballet as a kid (which I didn't like), some fencing and DDR most recently (which is more my style). I'm browsing studios, found a few that look OK, but am also seeking out personal anecdotes if you've got 'em. Bonus points for classes geared toward people who don't usually like classes. Snark away, and thanks much. :)

reba112, posting in damnportlanders:
Hi everyone,

I'm going to be moving to Portland mid-June and was wondering if there were any specific apartment management companies people would recommend or avoid. Does anyone have experience with KBC management? I'm specifically looking for a studio or 1 bedroom most likely in NW or SW, somewhere where i can feasibly catch public transport to OHSU. Also i'm trying to secure something while still living out of state and while i do have a friend in the Portland area to help me, i imagine not all landlords/companies will be okay with renting without meeting me in person.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

plasticrapping, posting in damnportlanders:
What did the fisherman, say to the magician?

( I don't know?!?!? )

puncher, posting in damnportlanders:
Hey, does anybody have a personal recommendation for an ear doctor otolaryngologist? Of course I could (and did) Google it but it's hard to tell who is good based on their web sites.

I'm in SE Portland so as close as possible to that would be great.

Thanks!

natewillsheets, posting in damnportlanders:
Poll #1187218
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Of the three top candidates, whom would you rather have be president?

Which of the following issues are most important to you in selecting a president:

littlebluedog, posting in damnportlanders:
Hey Damn members of Facebook -

If you're on Facebook and you live in or around Portland, you might also be a member of the Portland, OR network. However, Facebook's "networks" page carries an alert that the networks feature will be discontinued soon, and that the "groups" feature will essentially be taking its place.

Opportunist that I am, I created a general interest "PORTLAND" group on FB. I don't plan on instituting any rules or whatever, and I imagine the stuff posted there will be a mishmash of the kind of thing that's now on the Portland, OR network page.

Anyhoo, just letting y'all know it's there.

yourdannybear, posting in damnportlanders:
FUCK GARBAGE TRUCKS

dieselsweet:

http://www.dieselsweeties.com/shirts/

I'm making myself this shirt because I am a huge dork. If you want in on the print run, you know what to do. It's a two-week only run!

dieselsweet:

http://www.dieselsweeties.com/archive/2013

dieselsweet:

http://www.dieselsweeties.com/print/?date=20080509

Your ad could be here, right now.

lovedayisland, posting in damnportlanders:
I didn't have any luck finding anyone in NOPO to fix my receiver. Anyone have a suggestion for stereo repair downtown?

Can anyone suggest a good laptop doctor downtown as well?

THANKS!

luminais, posting in damnportlanders:
someone please tell me it's still possible to get 8.5'x11' B/W copies for five cents. if eugene can do it so can we. any leads would be awesome. update! documart has five cent copies for their self-serve machines, and they got a bunch of locations. winnar.

also, square dancing is cool. trust me. i was skeptical, but it really is. people's coop has a big square dance every other wednesday at 7pm, and a bunch of friends and i are goin this week. they ask for a small donation, but moneyfree folks are welcome, too.