The Prude vs. Filthbook

My childhood was rocky. I'm not really ashamed to admit it because I was taught several lessons and avoided potential pain by watching others make those mistakes. I got to see the true effects of alcoholism, drug addiction, loveless relationships, abuse in it's various verbal and physical forms, etc. Yeah, I know...cry me a river.

Anyway, what has it made me? A prude. Yup, and happy to be one. Why? 'Cause I'm alive and I know I have never caused anyone true pain.

Now, when I say prude, I mean I don't do drugs, drink excessively, smoke, cheat, etc. That doesn't mean I have a stick up my butt.

Imagine my surprise when I downloaded the Facebook application "FilthBook". I saw it on a friend's page and assumed all was harmless. Sure, why not? The idea is to answer a series of questions to rate your "perversion and deviance" against your friends. So I think: "Fun!" and "How bad can it really be?". Famous last words really. Here are some sample questions:

• Used cocaine?
• Taken an opiate in any form?
• Taken LSD, peyote, or psilocybin more than twice?
• Had sex while under the influence of Ecstasy/X?
• Drank your own urine?
• Drank human blood?
• Tasted someone else's nasal mucous?
• Willingly defecated on yourself?

Should I go on? Didn't think so. To be fair, there are hundreds of questions and I pulled a few of the more offensive ones. I wasn't about to start listing them all.

Regardless of your answers above, my point is that "demons of your past" are not things to score and be proud of. My brother recently died of drug overdose and I honestly feel that a certain % of peer pressure accounted for his addiction. Sure, let's roll in online peer pressure through Facebook too. After that, let's set up an application for online sex through Facebook. Maybe posting a penis on someone's wall means you've screwed them. Then you can up your Filthbook rating! Awesome.

Why do we need applications like this? Get a job, get a life and clean yourself up.

My brother Jimmy
Died Nov 9, 2007 at 25 yrs old
Addictions: heroin, crack, pain medications, alcohol, people

In the Spirit of the Holidays

I have never been a holiday guy.

The reality of my holiday experiences have most often consisted of bickering, disappointment, unfulfilled expectations, commercialism, and strange rituals that have more to do with long gone pagan religions than what we are told to associate with them. See the Gaffigan video below to see how I REALLY feel.

I like the THEORY of the holidays – the nostalgia, the family emphasis, catching up with your friends, yummy food and who doesn’t love getting and giving presents? Heck, I even like the first few days of hearing those familiar jingles on the radio and in the stores.

Giving and caring are not acts that are limited to this time of year – we decided to commit ourselves (my company and my family) to becoming more involved with the things that are important to us.

We already have a couple of charities that we have a personal attachment to and make our contributions to those chosen entities, but we also have an unbridled love for animals.

Katie (my wife and business partner) and I have become involved with a wonderful organization called Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre in Fort Langley, BC. We discovered it purely by accident and the fact that it is less than 15 minutes from our home is amazing.

From their website:

“Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre is a leading non-profit Canadian facility that breeds endangered species in family groups for re-introduction back into their natural habitat in Canada and around the world.

Today, we host over 50 species of the world's most rare and endangered wildlife. Our commitment is to operate world-class breeding and re-introduction programs. We work with wildlife and zoo conservation organizations and governments locally and around the world.”

Our conversations with Gordon, the founder and their Carnivore Manager, Renee was fascinating; I won’t try to explain all that they do here, but encourage you to visit there website to learn more: http://www.mtnviewconservation.org/

As a company, High Concept is committed to aiding in their marketing and media efforts and personally we are volunteering our time to help at their facility.

I do not chronicle this to brag or impress, but rather to emphasize that there is little that is glorious about many of the tasks that need to be done around a facility like this (have you ever tried shovelling up after a rhino?); but it feels right to do some good in your life for creatures that can’t ask for help.

So, as the new year approaches and you are looking to make these rich holiday feelings last, I encourage you to dip into your passions and find the thing that you can do to make your world a better place. You will be fulfilled, you will meet like-minded friends and the feelings will last all year long.

Jim Gaffigan on christmas and Easter

Jim really gets where I am coming from when I am trying to deal with the holidays...

A Christmas Carol

A life-long bibliophile, I have one book in particular that I plan to keep forever - a well-worn copy of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. It is particularly fitting at this time, since this year is the 100th anniversary of the Christmas season when this book was originally given to my great-grandmother, Annie MacLeod.

It is a small book, bound in red leather and chased with gold, surprisingly elegant, even though it is clearly a book intended for a student (and, I assume, made to a price point). Considering its age, (printed in 1901), it is in quite good shape, and will certainly outlast me.

In addition to any sentimental value the book has for me, A Christmas Carol is also one of my favourite stories, and I often re-read it at this time of year - one of the few Christmas traditions I observe. It is a short tale, easily read in a single evening, and contains a great many good things - ghosts, heroism, despair, joy, sorrow, hope, and the immortal friendship of Marley.

" Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms.

His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him."

Yes, I will order! Okay, but how?

I present you with a challenge.

Imagine yourself on Yahoo's Canada music site. You've subscribed to the free membership for years now, but you might be ready to move onto something more meaningful. Something involving money. So you log onto their site, click the radio section that you always visit, and click on the "LAUNCHcast plus" link that brings you to this page:

Go ahead and click on the picture for a larger version. Please tell me where I subscribe. The only applicable link posted takes me to Rogers' website. So you'd think maybe clicking on the logo or one of the words would bring me there. Nope.

My point is that when you are developing web pages for your company, make it AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO BUY YOUR PRODUCT. As a customer, I should get sick of seeing "order now" buttons...not having to start a purchasing quest.

All Work and No Play Makes Dan a Dull Boy

As a boy, with a dream of becoming an internationally published writer and artist I would get caught up in my daydreams, draw into the wee morning hours, talk craft with my creative friends and even skip some school to finish my next masterpiece.

My, how time changes things…

I look at those “comic masterpieces” with my 40+ years and they ain’t all that; I have partially completed scripts, penciled concept art, partially inked pages and no completed signature work to represent all the dreams.

What happened? Why don’t I get more done? How come my comic book opus consists of a bunch of unfinished designs, plots and characters?

At some point in the process of pursuing your dreams you need to remember it is more about the journey than the destination, otherwise the ART Piece becomes artWORK. Especially, when it isn't your full-time gig.

I am sure this happens to all kinds of people – doctors, priests, professional athletes and artists – their passion fuels them to become the best they can be and to make every effort to make a living doing what they love.

The problem, at least for me, was that I ended up realizing that to do what I wanted I needed to use the tools that “real” artists use, follow the technical processes that “real” artists rely on to develop professional results. Especially, because the best work I was ever going to produce without those things would be below average.

As a kid, I could write, pencil, ink and letter a couple of dozen pages in a single weekend. It was fun – but it was crap. Now, the process that I have developed for myself slowly saps away my passion as I work and re-work my stuff until it is done – and in the end it never seems to get completely finished.

I begin by writing a multi-issue story plot, read and revise the plot, write the first draft of the script with dialog, read and revise a second draft, design the layout for the pages, design the characters, rough out images, seek out references, layout perspectives, determine lighting and spot the blacks, pencil pages, letter the pages, ink the pages and so on… and we’re not even getting into the process of getting it ready for print or the web.

So, I fit this stuff in because I love it (supposedly), but it beats me down when it takes weeks (months? years?) to see any finished pages, to see any results for all this stuff which turns out to be hard work.

So why do it at all then?

Because as human beings we all have our passions, we all have our stories to tell and when I get to the end of this journey, I want to have chronicled a couple of chapters that can live on after I am gone.

Now that I got that off my chest, I guess I better get to work.

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

The one with the waggley tail. You know, the dog that will be at the pound in 4 months.

It's that time again! Pet store owners begin cramping and tagging their puppies, at the same time ignoring anything but the almighty dollar. People come in droves, giggle, smile and tap on the glass. Some ignorant parents will think that little baby Todd or Melinda would love nothing more than to walk down the stairway on Christmas morning, rubbing their eyes and yawning wide, to find a small wiggly puppy ringing in their holiday cheer. Oh, puleese. So, where does the dog's happiness and future fit in? Do you even care? If not, shut off your computer, walk into your coat closet, and close the door. Don't come back out, the world doesn't need any more of you.

Am I saying that Christmas is a bad time for animal acquisitions? No - but it has to be done appropriately. Adding another life into your household is a family decision. If you are not willing to care for the animal 100%, then don't move forward with adoption. It is unreasonable to expect your child to carry the burden of another living being. In fact, in some grotesque way you're sort of forcing a teenage pregnancy on them...of sorts anyway. The point is, why set your child up for failure? Why torture an innocent animal in the process? Why be such a wanker?

And furthermore, DON'T BUY FROM PET SHOPS! Holy crap, people! Have you been completely ignoring the world for the last decade? Only we can stop the mad cycle. I completely understand not wanting to adopt a shelter animal for fear of buried behavioural issues (I used to work at a shelter and speak first-hand). Sometimes you want a puppy so you can raise that dog from square one and avoid inheriting other people's trauma. Adopt from a respectable breeder (check references and status before adopting). Breeders will screen you more carefully than you screen them. If they don't, DO NOT ADOPT FROM THEM. They could be a puppy mill...and that's worse than anywhere you can go. And good breeders will always take the dogs back if your situation doesn't work out. They are looking out for the dog's health and happiness, not yours.

Oh, and need I remind everyone to neuter/spay at 6 months? Also attend obedience courses every year WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY PRESENT. They are affordable (I spend around $75-$100) and help everyone be more educated, focused and involved in that animal's happiness.

Adopt with a clear head. Adopt within your space requirements. Adopt for your family, not one specific member.

And please adopt from a shelter or rescue organization if you can. It takes patience, discipline and a lot of work, but the payoff is so amazingly large.

The 2 secrets to creating anything

During my time working in the comic book industry I had many people, particularly students, approach me discussing their desire to be published.

I was fortunate enough to be published as a writer, an artist, and a production artist more than 75 times for 11 publishers. I learned a lot of lessons during that time, many of them the hard way and most of them painful.

It became difficult to talk about it to those youthful creators with desire and passion in their hearts. They were no more interested in the politics, the games, and the betrayal than I was when I was in their position. When it comes to bringing life to your imagination, whether for comics, books, movies, music or anything; it is all-consuming and you are willing to do most anything to make it happen.

So what does it take to be a successful creator?

With experience and hindsight, I have learned to answer that question with two references:

Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and Tim Burton’s Ed Wood

These two films (and more accurately, the book, in the case of The Fountainhead) represent the duality required to be a successful and fulfilled creator regardless of your craft.

The Fountainhead shows the importance of being committed to the integrity of your design without compromise – to realize that people will want to put their fingerprints on your work and try to use it to speak with their voice – even if the whole world disagrees, if you believe in the creation that you have built with your ideas, reason and efforts you need to hold fast to your ideals.

Ed Wood has a different message – that as a creator, regardless of the talent, the budget or the obstacles you must have an unbridled love and passion for the work AND the process to create – you must be true to who you are and serious about getting the work done even if the content of the work isn’t as serious.

The right mix of these two philosophies makes for a creator who will be true to their work, themselves, enjoy the journey and get the work done.

Or perhaps be a schizophrenic. You decide.

Check out links from both films below.

The Fountainhead - Howard Roark Speech (Ayn Rand)

The courtroom speech by Gary Cooper as Howard Roark.

Tim Burton - Ed Wood

I'm a junkie and I need a fix!

Hello, my name is Jeff, and I am an addict.

A motorcycle addict. And I'm going through withdrawal. And I don't mean metaphorically.

Riding is as much a mental activity as a physical one. Your perception is altered, the experience releases a flood of powerful brain chemicals, endorphins and the like, you become accustomed to them, and now suddenly they're gone. Bummer!

When I'm riding, and in the zone, I'm flying. By flying, I don't mean fast, or speeding, (though that can be a factor), but flying in the sense of freedom from earthly constraints. I bank, I
dive, and I zoom - fists in the wind like Superman. The bike disappears, and I am gliding over the surface of the Earth, and everything is right there. I can reach down with my left foot, and it skids along the surface of the pavement like a rock on ice. I pass a field and I can smell the horses, I pass a stream and the air is suddenly cooler. I can dawdle along, barely above a walk, and count the pickets in a fence, and then with a thought and a slight twist of the wrist, the fence is a blur and the horizon tilts, and I am gone, man!

I wear a full face helmet, for more than just physical protection - if the world could see the stupid grin on my face as I bomb around, I'd probably get locked up in a looney bin (they still call them that, right?).


In a car, you are separate from the world, cocooned and muffled. Everything happens out there. You yak on your phone, eat your cheeseburger, and (too often), fall asleep. We bikers call them cages. We pity you (except when you're trying to kill us).

It's now the beginning of winter, and the bike has been prepped for storage, with fresh oil and fluids, fuel stabilizer added, battery removed and sitting on the shelf (like a heart waiting for transplant). Turned in my license plate, cancelled my insurance. Left my freedom on the counter.

I will fill the winter months with inadequate attempts to recreate the riding experience. I will read and re-read my motorcycle mags, I will surf all the bike sites I can find, I will watch American Thunder and Superbikes. I will tinker and tweak and adjust her valves, though she is cold and inert.

We'll wait for the sun. And then we fly.

Oblivion!

Yeah, I know this is an older game (well new to all you PS3 suckers...ha ha). But I feel the need to express my unwavering love for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

I've had the game for over a year and it's still entertaining me to this day. I have put in countless hours with 1 character WITHOUT REPEATING ANY QUESTS! Here is an official game description from http://www.elderscrolls.com/:

"Oblivion is a single-player game that takes place in Tamriel's capital province, Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty, the previous emperor having been killed by an unknown assassin. With no true Emperor, the gates to Oblivion (the equivalent of hell in the world of Tamriel) open, and demons begin to invade Cyrodiil and attack its people and towns. It's up to you to find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel."

Buy this game. But before you do, sit your loved ones down and explain that you'll be taking a "personal vacation" for awhile. Prepare them for the time-sucker Oblivion really is. Not because it drags on and on, but because it is a new and amazing experience every moment you are playing. You begin to care, feel and live in this fantasy world...maybe sometimes neglecting personal hygiene in the real one.

Oh, and if you work for Bethesda - I am accepting bribes. I prefer a PC format, but can work with an XBOX 360 copy.