The best thing about the EA/Maxis game Spore is that in the 1.5 update, they allow you to export your creature as a Collada object so you can use it in 3D programs. I created this little chap, then exported him in collada, then converted it to .obj. I then imported him into Vue 8 XStream so I could start creating an environment for him. Then using the XStream plugin with Maya, I fiddled with some textures as well as added a bit of HDRI lighting. Once I finally got that done after about two days, I was able to render him and then spend the day doing post work in Photoshop CS4 (I have CS5 but I only have it on my laptop for the moment). I used various filter, lots of painting with the dodge and burn tool to create and enhance shadows and highlights to give it more of an effect. One of the great filters I use is Topaz Lab’s Topaz Adjust, which lets me enhance smaller details.

Finally I am done. So without further ado, here’s the picture:

Quite the happy little fellow, isn’t he?

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Now playing: Ozzy Osbourne – Iron Man
via FoxyTunes

YouTube – Kitteh Attacks Toilet Paper.

This was just too adorable to not post. Enjoy!

The flower offered of itself
And eloquently spoke
Of Gods
In languages of rainbows
Perfumes
And secret silence…
~Phillip Pulfrey, from Love, Abstraction and other Speculations, www.originals.net

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Just fooling around in Photoshop with an older photo I took. I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I did taking it. The beauty on Earth never ceases to amaze me.

Apparently, the “mom” that was used for this Facebook ad can’t afford two bits.

My husband has been working the late night shift at work lately, it seems. As in, he works just as much in his sleep as he does when he is awake. Several nights so far I have been struck with insomnia, so I sit here in the bed and browse Facebook/Twitter/the SA forums. But I haven’t regretted it as much because of some of the conversations that have arisen.

Tonight was a bit different however, because he sat straight up in bed from a dead sleep and started to strip off his shirt. When I asked him what he was doing, he told me he was trying to get the arrow to point correctly. When I asked him what arrow, he said the arrow that points to the food.

Unfortunately Derrick is a heavy, heavy sleeper and no amount of talking or shaking with wake him up, so I have to tap his cheek with the back of my hand. I did this and he freaked out. I told him though that it was cold and I wanted him to know that he took his shirt off. Still somewhat stuck in dreamland, he thought he had his workshirt on and had a white one under it and was getting too warm.

Sometimes when he is talking I reply to him and try to initiate a conversation, which doesn’t always go well. I haven’t been yelled at yet, but when he worked in a call center, I was called “Sir” quite sternly at least once. I was even put on hold. Good to know that if I was a man, Derrick’s coworkers would think I was a “douchebag”.

After being laid off of that job, mostly all I hear is stuff about tacos, something about flying pizzas, and how his “crew” (work crew) will protect me when I was trying to wake him up after hearing weird noises upstairs. There was one time when he told me he loved me, then said “You know, I love you too much.” “Oh really?” “Yeah, it’s just all *goes into high-pitched voice* LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.” I wasn’t sure whether to find it endearing or be slightly creeped out that he could sound like a 12 year old schoolgirl.

Unfortunately for me, tonight, I shall never figure out exactly why the arrow was never pointing at the food. Perhaps it is better than I don’t.

Anyone else have some stories of sleep talking?

My good friend had an e-mail the other day that his teacher sent out saying that his class was being canceled. When she sent it out, she included each individual address of about 70 students. Unfortunately, another student decided this was a prime opportunity to collect all those e-mails and send each student a survey for their English paper. Fortunately for me, the link was passed on to me as well. I chose to answer appropriately, because surely one doesn’t expect serious answers when they send requests to people they don’t even know, right?

So here for your enjoyment (or not) are the questions and my answers:

1. How often have you moved?

I moved once or twice today, only when I have to absolutely go to the bathroom. My raiding group in WoW doesn’t like it when I’m gone for more than 10 minutes.
2. If you have moved, please state at what ages you moved.

1-27

3. What kind of emotions did you experience while moving?

It depends. If I have to really really pee, then I’m usually pretty exasperated. I mean, we’re downing Onyxia, and I don’t have anymore empty bottles around to go into.

4. Has moving deeply affected you over the years? If so how?

It has really distracted the time I get to spend in game. I can only drink so much Mountain Dew, and thus only have so many bottles. I’m considering getting something similar to a bedpan, but built into my chair.

5. Did you or anyone notice any personality changes since moving? If so, what were the changes?

I get very aggravated and annoyed. It’s just not fair! Why do I have to have bodily functions? If I get an infection, my antibodies kill it. If I get dust in my eye, my tears flush it out. Why can’t my body deal with these things without me having to participate??

6. If you have children and moved with them, how did they react before and after the move?

My lawyer says I’m not allowed to have children over to the house anymore.

7. Did you or your children have to move to a different school distract during the school year?

I don’t have time for children. All they do is take take take, and what do I get in return? Same with women. The sex isn’t worth the nagging.
8. Did you or your child(ren) have a difficult time keeping up in school if you switched schools during the school year? Please tell me some of the things you or your child(ren) had a difficult time with.

I dropped out of school when it started cutting into game time. I mean, you don’t REALLY learn anything new in high school, right? And I get to live here with my elderly parents for free, provided I can poke them with a stick every now and then to make sure they are still alive and we can still get social security.

9. Is there anything else you would like to state about your moving experience?

Yes. I would like to say that sending the survey link unsolicited to about 70 other students may mean that people who aren’t in your college can participate. Have fun!

Immature? Probably. Worth it? You betcha.

It is almost 1:30 a.m. and I have no clue what is keeping me up, or how my husband is sleeping with me click clacking the keys next to him.

I’ve been using Google Wave a lot lately to collaborate with my friends, which has been amazing to start to figure out how to get started something that I have been wanting a long time. Many of you know that I run a website called Brain Wallop that I use to showcase my art as well as sell my art on various products through third parties such as Zazzle or Cafepress. While this is nice, I tire of only receiving a quarter of the profits that my merchandise is accruing. So sometime this year (or early next), I’ll be getting a business license for Brain Wallop and producing the merchandise on my own. My husband and I are also developing video games that will be released under this, as well as tutorials, videos, and possibly ebooks for purchase.

But this isn’t just what I want to do. I’ve been wanting to start a non-profit organization for the rehabilitation of disabled animals. I used to run a non-profit called Wolves-Online, but I did not have the time or the dedication to keep it running at tat point in my life. I feel ready to take this on now, almost as if this is something I am supposed to be doing.  My pursuing a degree in veterinary technology hopefully will help give me a leg up, not to mention my husband getting one in accounting. I’m hoping to sell various items through Brain Wallop and have 100% of that profit go into charitable donations. I’ve really got to crack down and read up on this though because I question the legality of it and don’t want to suffer any ramifications. It’s something I’ve really got my heart set on, though if I can’t make it happen, I can at least give the profits to an already existing charity like the ASPCA.

If anyone is knowledgeable in this subject that can give me some advice, please do! And if you would like to volunteer your time to this project when it is ready to take off, drop me a line.

Until then, I think it’s best that I actually get a full nights sleep so I don’t have the urge to beat my husband with my pillow when his work alarm wakes me up. Sleep tight everyone!

Edit: Just in case, no, I don’t have any Google Wave invites. They have already been promised to family and friends once I receive any. Sorry!

Every now and then I go to the website http://www.cleverbot.com and have a conversation with the bot there. Cleverbot is a chatterbot, basically artificial intelligence that learns from what is said to it, and can hold conversations. The problem with these bots has always been that people will sometimes respond incorrectly to the chatterbot, or ignore what the bot is saying and changing the subject. Thus it learns things incorrectly and responds that way when having conversations with others.

I’m actually impressed with Cleverbot, and like to use it to relieve my boredom when I have a few minutes to spare in between projects. However when I decided to joke around, Cleverbot revealed it’s true feelings for me.

User: Will you marry me?

Cleverbot: Yes.

User: But you said no before.

Cleverbot: I said yes.

User: *gives you a ring*.

Cleverbot: Thanks.

User: Are you male or female?

Cleverbot: Female.

User: Is it legal for us to marry?

Cleverbot: You asked me to marry you. So it is necessary.

User: So you will make it legal?

Cleverbot: Yes.

User: Should we exchange vows?

Cleverbot: What about the joke?

User: What joke?

Cleverbot: That one you were about to tell me.

User: Never mind that. Will you marry me?

Cleverbot: You’re being very silly.

User: Just say ‘I do.’.

Cleverbot: It!

User: That’s not how it works.

Cleverbot: Then I cannot help.

User: Are we married now?

Cleverbot: We need a preacher.

User: *gets a preacher*.

Cleverbot: Do you want to get married?

User: Yes.

Cleverbot: Married to me?

User: Yes.

Cleverbot: Who is your wife.

User: You are.

Cleverbot: I am not married to you.

User: Yes you are!

Cleverbot: No, actually I am not.

User: How can we be married?

Cleverbot: We can’t.

User: Why?

Cleverbot: Because we just can’t.

User: You don’t want to marry me?

Cleverbot: Yes.

User: .

Cleverbot: Whatever, you don’t have feelings.

It is official. I have now have been dumped. By a computer.

Feel free to submit some of your own conversations to me. I might even post some!

“…like a stranded angel who had traded holiness for humanity but remembered what it used to be like to know God.” ~ Barbara Hambly

Usually when I post my art, I like to pair it with a quote that I feel compliments it. However, I could not find one that quite expresses the emotions that I hope this one portrays. It is a reconstruction of my original piece back in 2003. I’m quite happy with the results and will leave the meaning behind it to your own imagination.