Back in business

It has occured to me that my posts are getting boring. Really boring. Why is this?

My first thought scared me: have they always been boring? I went back to read some old posts. November of last year, to be precise. I read about relationships, stress for exams, cultural analysis, and lots and lots of love.

Hmmm... Well, at least they weren't always boring.

Of late, I've been blogging about silly little creations of mine. Or even not blogging at all. Again, I'm posting from my phone, typing all this out on my tiny keypad. I've got so much to say about different projects, aspirations, anecdotes, etc. I just don't have a strong enough thumb. Like I promised, come Wednesday night, you'll hear from me. And I'll try and make it worth your while.

There almost hasn't been a day without visitors here. Even when I don't post for a week, you still check up on me.

Thursday I should have the next exercise in the ultra-mundane ready for you all. That's right, another chapter in the non-saga that is... Well, you can see the little, pinkish button near the top of the page. I'd put the full name here, but it'd be annoying inserting a link from this tiny screen. And without the link, I'd just be short-changing myself.

You know what? I feel ready to get the ball rolling again.

Let's get this show on the road!

Yours, despite the sore thumbs,

TheSovietChairman

MIA

Not the pretty girl's name, either.

People have asked why I haven't been at parties. Well, the answer is... I have. I just haven't been at your parties.

As I'm blogging from my phone, from my bed, back on the peninsula, I'll keep it short.

Much love, see you soon,

TheSovietChairman

P.S. I'll tell you all about it Wednesday night. It's been ripping fun indeed.

Too much fun!

Well, in the time between trying to sleep, finding my headache too excruciating to bear, and finally managing to hopefully get some shut-eye...

... I did these!

Pretty, huh?

This first one is an attempt to inspire a friend. I really want him to design a logo for us! I have big plans! See how easy it is?















The second is a design inspired by his blog. Yay!











*hugs*

TheSovietChairman

P.S. A thought occurs... I'm trying to create something appealing with minimal colours and shapes... This appears to be much the same as my pixel art... Same vein, yes?

P.P.S. Another thought occurs... I forgot the hole in the middle of the cog's shadow. Poop.

Edit:

That's better!

Dreams

Well, I've been having a most disturbing recurring dream... I'm playing Art Style: ROTOHEX, happily twisting the hexagons; skillfully manipulating the tiny triangles to form hexagons of a single colour, when suddenly... nothing happens. I've completed a hexagon, but instead of disappearing, it just stays there. I start to panic.

I try another one. It stays put as well. Usually I try three or four until the screen fills and I wake up.













I wish my dreams were more along the lines of Bit.Trip Beat. Such colourful, bouncy fun!














That is, if they can't be about my beautiful girl every night.

That's right. Try and hold down your lunches, people.

Lots of love for this ongoing exam period. Try not to catch piggy flu, y'all.

TheSovietChairman

Havoc terminated

Well, mostly...

I'm sorry to all those who have been stressing with me about this set of exams. It seems I'll make it through mostly unscathed. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support and all praises to God for seeing me through this tough assessment period.

TheSovietChairman

P.S. Seriously, people. I'm just gonna go crazy these holidays. I'll be studying next sem's subjects, I'll be working on a special little project, I'll be spending time with my family and that beautiful girl in the regional hospital. It's gonna be awesome.

P.P.S. Look out for more crap that I'm overly proud of coming your way (i.e. more so-called "artworks")!

Mindwrecked

Each time I reach a bit higher, it seems I have to remove one of the pieces from under me.

I've moved forward emotionally, psychologically, at the expense of testing the boundaries.
I've developed in my relationships, at the expense of pulling away some of their foundations.
I'm moved forward academically, vocationally, facing unknown, but potentially frightening costs.

Or maybe that's not it at all...

Maybe it's just a perverse way in which my efforts are paying off.

Important decisions are confronting me, but somehow I sense the presence of a new clarity.
I've made myself heard, completely unambiguous, so now my relationships can grow healthily.
I've experimented and weighed up what causes me to feel less than what I should, and now I see the futility.

As the old Sunday School song goes:

The wise man built his house upon the rock - So build your life on the Lord!

I know I've said this before, but it's worth repeating: If you don't want to see what happens next or if you're too frightened, then don't. But if you think you might miss something worthwhile, then see what happens. Let's blow something up. Let's take the tiny pieces and rebuild it better than it was before. Let's put in the effort and not let things get us down because there's too much at once.

I'm not going to get more than I can handle.

But, maybe... just maybe, if I can't handle what I've got...

...then...

...I haven't got what I should have.

Don't worry about me. Remind me that it's not just up to me alone. I've got help.

Now, let's see if I can take my own advice.

Have a good exam period, all you Uni students across Australia. My prayers go out to you all.

And please. Please, please, please. Please respect yourself. If something is holding you back, let it go. It might be hard. But try and see how it will be worth the effort.

TheSovietChairman

P.S. I'm trying to be subtle, for reasons of privacy. You know who you are. I care about you. Seriously. You know that. All your friends are trying to help. No more "Oh, well..."

P.P.S. If you think the last message in bold might be for you, it isn't. You would know.

From person to pixel to person

Last night at the smashing supper hosted by my beloved, I was struck with a thought. Here's how it happened...

The choir ladies were all discussing an amusing segment on a music quiz show this week that revealed how funny it was when things in English had been translated into Japanese, then directly translated back into English. Now, earlier I had taken a sprite (the one from my last post) and created an image out of an interpretation of the pixels (also shown in my last post). That was a lot of fun. Now I'd worked things the other way often enough. I like taking things from the real world and creating cute pixel versions. The thought started to bubble and brew...

...What if I were to complete the cycle? Using the translating an already translated piece of work... I could create a new interpretation! An interpretation of an interpretation!










The result isn't nearly as nice as the original. She's still the most beautiful girl on the planet.

Ah, well. It's kinda cute.

And to put everyones' minds at ease, it took a mere 18 minutes out of my lunch break. I'm still studying hard.

TheSovietChairman

P.S. On further examination, I believe I intended those two skin coloured pixels (below the black one, on the right side - her left - of her face) to be an ear... Oops! Mistranslations add to the concept, I think.

EDIT:











All right! Just leave it alone, already!

Frightening

I was so scared this morning. I thought about everything that could go wrong. I've never had so much to lose because I've never had so much.

I set my alarm for 6:00am to start work. I woke at 5:15am and couldn't lie still. I went downstairs to where my laptop was and I made something.

I adore the characters from Mother 3, so I thought I'd draw some of them. I started with this little guy.





He's not so little in the game. He's a monster, in fact. He is indeed, for those in the know, the Ultimate Chimera. He was created by Dr. Andonuts for the Pigmask Army. He's mostly made of teeth and he has a little button on his back that can turn him on and off. That little birdy rides around on him as well.

Anyway, I thought I'd take the little pixel sprite there and using just that, make my own Ultimate Chimera.

The result is below. It's quite nice.
















After having some breakfast and some prayer time, I felt much better.

Pray for my study efforts as I approach exam time.

I'm a little scared,

TheSovietChairman

Ah, well... There you have it

I could have posted about the fantastic music festival I've been to. I could have posted about the fun-filled treks across town I've made. I could have posted about exciting visits to new restaurants.

Instead I post about facial hair and study.

Today, after getting not quite enough done, I decided to reward myself. I had some tasty lunch, then helped myself to a nice hot shower. Then I had a brain wave! Last night, my beautiful girl was recently reminiscing about a time when the length and style of my facial hair was more appealing. I thought to myself, while standing in front of the mirror that I would restyle my beard like it had once been!

I set about with all manner of electrical devices to see if I could recreate that style... Less on the moustache... Less around the front... medium length around the sides... Yes! Yes! Yes!

It was working!

I made the final adjustments then cracked a big grin! Then I witnessed my face breaking in front of me. It was (is) ruined!

Ah, well... We move on...

And grow back our beards...

TheSovietChairman