Caught in the wake

Hey everyone! I'm hoping to have the energy to update this weekend; I'll mention it via Twitter (@bradtastic) and Says Brad Facebook if I do. Despite being my personal blog, (for reasons unbeknownst to me) I'm compelled to be more formal and diligent with these updates. My personal fb is much more casual and inelegant — and as such, updated regularly.

I've also been working on my pinning skills, curating my Pinterest board and Instagram with interesting things (My Instagram is mostly Oakland views). Also, trying to figure out what to do with my Says Brad Tumblr — I don't use it as much as posting from iOS isn't that convenient, and frankly, I'm not sure what to do with it. Mostly, it's spillover for art and links, YouTube videos that I think are neat and reposts from some amazing illustrators and photographers.

Details

I've been very concerned about US politics and current events — gun control, IRS & Obamacare, Stolen Valor, GMOs, George Zimmerman trial, Edward Snowden & the NSA, spying and the Espionage Act, our Constitution and Amendments under attack, foreign relations and military spending. Liberals may disagree with my political views (economically conservative Republican/Libertarian hybrid), but their concerns should be the same as mine — are our freedoms being stripped away under the guise of security and protecting the lower and middle-class?

I try to stay informed and objective by taking in news from various sources, from MSNBC, NYTimes and Huffington Post, Washington Post to New York Post, Human Events and FOX. Somewhere inbetween lies the truth. It isn't so simple with always-online, push notification 24/7 news plus Twitter feeds and Facebook memes. I don't think that many people adequately (if at all) fact check the memes they share and retweet.

It might seem strange that I, with my blog and public posts with name attached, would be so concerned about NSA (Prism + who-knows-what-else) surveillance and monitoring. Many likely see the reports and claims as paranoia, Infowars, conspiracy theories (like with former Navy SEAL UDT Governor Jesse Ventura), but the NSA has the capability and the motivations. What we post publicly is a choice — selected content — but whatever else we view or read, for the most part, should remain private. Out of context, many things can seem incriminating and dangerous.

I'm trying to sort my opinions on all of these matters so I can share my thoughts in a (somewhat) orderly fashion. Though disagreeable, dissenting views are important — the fabric and foundation of our nation, of our first amendment — through controversy and debate, we become better and stronger.

Hostility and ignorance fosters mistrust and segregation — each side thinks the other inferior. But is there truly only one right way to live? Only one right way to think? Should we lose the freedom to choose differently?

Clouded and consumed by these ideas and questions, it seems far to easy to slip into depression and get crushed by the magnitude of our problems. Like Millenium math problems, there's no simple solution. Perhaps there is one unified equation of everything — unfortunately, it might take forever to figure it.

Posted with Blogsy

The track of time

I hate the sound of ticking clocks; as if they seek to remind me that time slips by so fast, that our moments on Earth are but a cosmic blip, sparkle and fade.

The tick tock of analogue clocks has vexed me since early childhood. I began to actually hate it after my second brother died, it was as if the sound was a constant, unending reminder of impending death.

Life seemed so short, and death was as cold as it was omnipotent and inescapable. I wanted to go faster. Faster than what's ever been possible. As life is measured in heartbeats, I wanted to redshift and run away from the constraints of Earth time.

Eventually...

I learned to appreciate slowing down.

I met someone special, and an instant, saw a lifetime with her unravel in that single moment.

I met an interesting older man at the Montblanc store — we would talk about life, embodied in fine hand-craftsmanship.

Inside lucid dreams, I built entire cities that I've spent ten lifetimes exploring and enjoying.

However — I still find near intolerable, that agitating noise of a ticking clock.

Posted with Blogsy

NSA Needs No Warrants

Rep. Jerrold Nadler has blown the lid off of something big.

Not that I didn't already know this was happening, but now there's confirmation. Naive Americans, oh-so-trusting of big government, believed that there's nothing to worry about — we're just being paranoid. Understand this:

The NSA can listen to your calls, read your email or text messages in secret, without a warrant, and that data is being stored on servers.

Also, President Obama could be fucking your liberty. Do you remember that movie Enemy of the State starring Will Smith? Unfortunately, this isn't a movie.

Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell indicated during a House Intelligence hearing in 2007 that the NSA's surveillance process involves "billions" of bulk communications being intercepted, analyzed, and incorporated into a database.

They can be accessed by an analyst who's part of the NSA's "workforce of thousands of people" who are "trained" annually in minimization procedures, he said. (McConnell, who had previously worked as the director of the NSA, is now vice chairman at Booz Allen Hamilton, Snowden's former employer.)

If it were "a U.S. person inside the United States, now that would stimulate the system to get a warrant," McConnell told the committee. "And that is how the process would work. Now, if you have foreign intelligence data, you publish it [inside the federal government]. Because it has foreign intelligence value."

McConnell said during a separate congressional appearance around the same time that he believed the president had the constitutional authority, no matter what the law actually says, to order domestic spying without warrants.

Read the full details at CNET. Be upset. Share it with friends and family. No matter what the law actually says?! It's not that surprising. However, it is horrendous and people should be pissed.

The technology exists, why wouldn't they use it? Why wouldn't someone abuse it?

People are fallible; is it unreasonable to assume that some analyst with an axe to grind would use his power illegally? Maybe about as unreasonable as the IRS selectively targeting Conservative groups (based, in part, on keywords in the organizations' names) for audits and denying these groups tax exempt status, bankrupting law-abiding, taxpaying citizens and costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Happy Father's Day.

Posted with Blogsy

School Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut

I'm sure you know about this already. On Friday, Adam Lanza, 20, gunned down his mother, twenty children ages six and seven, the school Principal and teachers. CNN reports 26 victims, others say 27.

It's almost unbelievable. I don't even no where to begin, or why. It's hard to process for me; I was physically sick after hearing the news and reading a bit about it, part of the inescapable media bombardment we live with today. AP news alerts on our always-on, always-connected smart phones and tablets…

I lost two brothers when I was younger yet cannot imagine what these families are dealing with. I can only hope that people will be supportive in whatever way they need. I also acknowledge that tragedies happen nationwide and worldwide each day — that never stops. People are killed, assaulted, raped. The country grieved for the loss of these kids and yet, crime didn't stop. Thefts took place. People killed on the road. Children kidnapped.

I need to unplug and reflect. While some use yesterday's tragedy as a platform for gun control and our system's failure to deal with mental illness, others unleash their own agendas while most just try to continue living as normally as possible. What is the right thing to do in this situation?

I've tried to distract myself, read, play games, do the things I'd normally do. I'm going to try to focus the emotions toward constructive things, though it feels wrong. I want to write about nothing in particular and use line art to bring some order to chaotic thoughts and confusion. I want to sleep and dream of a happier world.

Childhood is that time of magic and innocence that we lose so quickly. A time of fairy tales and clearly defined good and evil; where brave heroes and heroines are victorious and happily ever after is a reasonable expectation.

It's gone.

Posted with Blogsy

Design is a Serious Lifestyle

"BC" logo conceptual designs, #madewithpaper

Putting letters and symbols inside of shapes and playing with balance and positive versus negative space. Reminds me of "cake cutting" from NUMB3RS. Says Brad

As an artist, designing for yourself is often one of the hardest things to do.

When I started designing professionally eight years ago, I would meet all kinds of professional artists who didn't have their own business cards and websites. Sometimes, I'd get the qualifying statements excuses, "oh, this card is temporary," (or old), "my site is under construction." Fast-forward: things are about the same, except I'm not out much due to disability and chronic pain.

Sometimes I talk to artists online — at least now it's easy to setup an online gallery, free blog, flickr account, etc. — but the situation is still similar. As a solo freelance designer, you can't hire someone else to design your own stuff, and if you want to pay the bills each month, you have to keep working.

Disability and chronic pain changed everything for me, every aspect of my existence. I'm doing things and dealing with things that I never imagined in my pre-teen years. However, I still like a lot of the same things.

I've tried to create a little something for myself over the years, eventually settling on something that I liked, only to create something better the next day, week, or month. As an artist and as with all things, learning and improving — progress — should be constant. Consistent. So it's only natural that I'd continue to get better.

Design is a mission

Design should evolve and progress with society and culture. Being a designer is a commitment — the process itself is its own art form. Design is a way of thinking and a way of being. Design must grow, and sometimes through growth, change, but the commitment remains in the roots. Great design requires a commitment to perpetual excellence.

But logos? Logos should be constant… at least for longer. Like a name, a logo is an essential symbol of identity, but it should be more. It should convey values and ideals, traditions and origins. It should impress upon and instill its audience with a thought or feeling. Good logos deliver messages. So how does a designer design a logo? Design is always changing, designers are always improving, but a logo should stay the same. A paradox? No. Difficult, though.

The big blessing, The New iPad

Using Paper, I created a few "BC" logo concepts — something I could use, like a monogram maybe. Throughout the day, I tweaked and refines these sketches; some were erased, others duplicated. Some of them work, others not so much. During this process, I thought about how I was doing what I was doing… and how special it is for me.

Several years ago, Apple released the iPad and surprisingly, changed my life. Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to get The New iPad; just a minor update/refresh of the iPad 2 for some, this device changed my life again, and continues to with new apps and app updates.

Equally surprising is the app Paper by FiftyThree, my thoughts paralleling the first-generation iPad. (I loved The Next Generation from the beginning) When I first saw (both of) these, I thought more style than substance, and I probably won't use this. In both cases, I'm very happy to be so-entirely incorrect.

I couldn't envision the benefits. Both seemed too similar to stuff I already had, stuff I was satisfied with. Both have blown me away, both I've mentioned before.

I mention it now because both the iPad (especially the new one with the Retina Display) and Paper (with my super styluses, oStylus DOT and Cosmonaut) are my main creative tools. Despite my condition, I can quickly draw and write, even laying down. With Dictation on the New iPad, I capture thoughts without holding the device!

The stuff I've drawn here probably wouldn't exist without these things. Hopefully, both will continue to improve, as design should! (Paper could really use more color options, zoom, and Jot Touch/Jaja support!)

The bigger, better

The relationships that I've developed because of the iPad are perhaps even more extraordinary. I'm friends with people I'd never have met otherwise; people across the country, some from other continents, others out of our solar system on outpost space stations and starships.

Some of the app developers have inspired me to keep trying, keep improving. iOS developers and accessory makers (those I've interacted with) are all really nice people, easy to communicate with and quick to respond. They appreciate and often encourage feedback, constantly improving, as designers should!

In particular, I want to mention Lance Barton. His company makes blogging happen on the iPad. Blogsy is fantastic as-is, and is always improving… (there's a pattern to things I appreciate and admire)

Lance has been really courteous and generous with his time. We email, and although he isn't a big writer, he always responds. Hopefully we'll video chat; FaceTime or something. He's from California but llives in South Korea; I think that's pretty cool. Aside from being my friend, I think it's great that he cares a lot about Blogsy user experience and answers everyone's questions. I had an relatively minor issue publishing here using Blogsy; he invested a lot of time troubleshooting, and had his team figure out how to fix it.

I also want to mention Andrew Goss. He's a manufacturing jeweler in Canada and is fantastically generous and kind. He designed and made the amazing oStylus, and then improved it with the DOT, and then improved the DOT! He's also a grandfather. He designed the oStylus because he wanted a great stylus to use with his iPad. That's pretty cool.

Sometimes, the process is more remarkable than the outcome.

Design lead me the iPad and these people just as graphic design is the basis of the images above. Sometimes, the journey is more important than the destination. Perhaps design isn't just a way of life or result. Perhaps it's in the core, the components, the elements, the trials, the errors, the paths — both what is done and how it's done. Maybe sometimes God is in the details.

A final thought on portfolios for professional artists out there.

I've found that sometimes, a comprehensive portfolio can work against you and your client or prospect. This happens when a potential client sees work done for someone else, and is then set on something similar. Instead of presenting previous projects and too many options, if I thought someone might offer repeat business, I'd create a few free design concepts. The advantage is that it's customized specifically for that potential client, the disadvantage is that it could mean doing work for no money — and the risk that that s/he/they might take that idea and give it to someone else. (There are a few ways to mitigate this risk, however.)

Brad Chin uses Blogsy

Memorial Day on my Facebook, State of our Union

Browsing through the endless feed, something insane looking grabs my attention:

Chris Hayes: I'm 'Uncomfortable' Calling Fallen Military 'Heroes'

By Mark Finkelstein Effete: affected, overrefined, and ineffectual; see "Chris Hayes." OK, I appended the name of the MSNBC host to the dictionary definition. But if ever you wanted to see the human embodiment of the adjective in action, have a look at the video from his MSNBC show this morning of the too-refined-by-half Hayes explaining why he is "uncomfortable" in calling America's fallen military members "heroes."

Here's a link to the Newsbusters post. (There's a lot of interesting, quick articles at newsbusters.org — if you're interested in something other than TV's typical liberal rhetoric.)

Crazy, I tell you. Immediately after reading/watching the post, I noticed a friend recently "liked" a Clibe sketch (image). It seemed particularly poignant, as if I was somehow telling myself to forget about changing the liberal mindset.

I typically don't do artsy catch-phrases, quotes and truisms; not because they seem like an artistic cop-out (they kind of are), not because they're usually bad and boring (this is the case, as these memes are usually started by talentless trolls), but because to do them well takes much more time than it's worth. Unfortunately, Clibe isn't good for much else.

Not every liberal is insane — unrealistic idealists, maybe — and there are certainly crazy conservatives… getting sidetracked.

Memorial Day: honoring the fallen, our heroes, is NOT a message or statement about war. It's about respect for those brave enough to defend us all, and remembrance for those whom made the ultimate sacrifice. Our way of life is constantly being threatened; our armed forces oppose enemies abroad, and far too often, Americans treat them like dirt — like a nuisance.

Our way of life is being threatened from within

High taxes, new regulations, inflation, overspending, Obama, ObamaCare, $5 TRILLION dollars increase in debt, rising unemployment (and numerous people employed, but still not making enough money to escape poverty), the loss of the American dream and American industry, self-created necessity on foreign oil and rising gas prices, Occupy (instead of occupation, often by choice and what Hannity calls the entitlement mentality)…

…big government, American socialists and Marxists, Washington corruption (once Presidential hopeful John Edwards, anyone?), products made in China, complacency, arrogance, racism, widening poverty gap, class warfare (constantly ignited by liberal media and Obama: the rich are screwing the poor, paying 'less' in taxes — yeah, sure, Romney's 15% is somehow less money than the average person's 35%)…

…millions more on food stamps due to this Presidential administration, the Obama machine and supporters taking the fallback position, "blame Bush," instead of actually fixing the problem (remember, Obama promised "hope" and "change" — his words — along with cutting the deficit and unemployment in half), dismal public education, ridiculously overpriced colleges, student loans that can't be paid off…

…failing criminal justice system (prosecuting and jailing simple drug offenses is a waste of time and money, and it isn't stopping people from getting high if they want to), prejudicial courts (judges, attorneys, prosecutors, laws), prison overpopulation, increased gang activity, failed "war on crime" and "war on drugs," wasted money on "prevention" programs, cultural glorification of vigilantism…

…drug addiction, alcoholism, extreme obesity, underage drinking and drug use, early puberty, meat glue and pink slime, fast food diets, high divorce rates, mixed messages (on violence, sex, drugs, beauty), meth.

How can we trust?

People have lost faith; but because humans need faith, it's misplaced frequently — in bad science, technology, government, large corporations... an interesting point: so many people complain about large chain stores that pay minimum wage, import products from Asia, kill off small brick and mortar businesses — and yet, people still shop at Walmart… because of low prices.

Politicians can't seem to just tell the truth without embellishment, make realistic promises and curb spending. Even if taxes were increased dramatically and raised more money, our government would just find some new initiative to pour it into and increase debt.

Crazy

Obama won't release his college transcripts, admitted to drinking and using cocaine in high school, worked at a law firm but did who knows what there (he didn't try cases, that's for sure), lied about a relationship in his book, and promised numerous things in 2008 and didn't deliver—

We're supposed to trust him? People are actually going to vote for him?!

Barack Obama is the first sitting President in over 30 years to lose more than 40% of the vote in three primaries. Maybe that's the "change" I can put "hope" into.

Helping people

My shoulder is throbbing and aching, my body is twitching, but the following is important to me.

I'm too tired and hurting too much to be eloquent and concise, so I hope this makes sense. (I want to write more about dealing with disability instead of taking time to edit this later)

I don't know where I'd be or how bad things would get if I didn't have tons of help and support from family, friends and even strangers. Tiny acts of kindness (that I used to overlook) now seem incredibly significant and even life-changing to me. I don't get out of the apartment much anymore, but I know that many people are even more isolated. I sincerely want to help and connect those people, and hopefully pay it forward, offering some kind of tip, tool, or encouragement that makes life better for someone else.

A lot of my knowledge comes from what I've read.

This "project" is work-in-progress, ever-changing, evolving... and massive — not something to be accomplished alone. If you'd like to help, please do; let me know — you don't have to help directly — maybe you have your own disability blog or know of one, can refer someone or link something beneficial. The Internet offers amazing accessibility but is also filled with scams and misinformation that create fear, uncertainty and stereotypes. The web is part of our legacy, and good people shouldn't stay silent and idle.

Closing comments: some stuff I use to share and stay (somewhat) sane.

Some of my iOS favorites: Noteshelf, ThinkBook, iA Writer, Evernote, SketchBook Pro, Infinite SketchPad and Wunderlist. It'll probably take awhile, but when I'm able, I'll setup a page to list my favorite iOS & Mac apps (with reviews/notes) — particularly apps that I think can help disabled people. I'll try to link tutorials as well.

I use Tumblr and Clibe, Instagram and now, MUJI Notebook. I like Hipstamatic as well, and iPhone photography with the olloclip (available online or at Best Buy). Let me know if you want an invite to my Clibe notebook.

Something brewing.

# for the moment, it isn’t coffee.

However, it is morning. Another morning, another day, soon-to-be another weekend and another week — time does feel like it’s moving faster now. Some science channel show I’d seen mentioned that time seems to speed up as we get older, and for me, that’s certainly the case. In grade school, weeks seemed long, the school year lasted forever, and although summer seemed a bit short, I was involved in plenty of activities and got a lot of playing done, too.

It’s easier to lose sight of things now. I’ve always made an effort to plan things out — though the best laid plans often go astray — but now, my days just don’t last long enough. In addition, I used to have this Mercedes-Benz-*esque* attitude: the best, or nothing… though that was not their slogan at that time. Now it’s often about just GTD… getting things done. Good. Complete. But not necessarily perfect, rather, nearest as one can get.

## moving forward

### I’ve been giving less thought to this blog and blogs of mine in general; the concepts, the effort, the actual work involved, the purpose… thusly, I haven’t concluded anything. But I have thoughts.

1. I want to write more about living with a disability and getting by. Life in America is changing, and for the disabled, everything is harder — more complex. Work, relationships, fun, you name it. Don’t say “parking,” thinking that you’re clever, either. ([handicappedfraud](http://handicappedfraud.org) <— more thoughts on that, soon.)

1. I’d like to share more artwork, even if it’s just doodles. For posterity, even.

1. I’d like to fix my websites; I’d like to make them look prettier. Obviously, I can’t make it appeal to everyone, but right now, it’s a little messy.

1. I want to get Bradtastic back up and running something. It’s been down for too long. I have things that I could share there, and it could be valuable for people… including me.

1. I want to read and write more fiction. I’m not exposed to enough of it anymore. Sure, I’ve read some sappy teen vampire books and some Orson Scott Card, but I want to expand out. No Harry Potter, though — not then, not now. Please don’t try to tell me it’s great stuff; she’s a billionaire now, okay, I get it.

## レヂセタゴ ready, settago!

Yes, I will still play video games and mess around with iOS software. It’s fun, and practical; video games are indeed art, and it’s an industry bigger than music and movies — the iOS platform is only getting better, the apps are inexpensive and sometimes free, and can help organize, get things done, and importantly, reduce stress and increase happiness. Being disabled, fun is often rare, in only slightly greater supply than that elusive contentment and mythical “true happiness.”

However, I am now more selective about the games I play. I’m interested in story-based games, and will choose them over graphics and sometimes even gameplay. I rarely watch movies anymore — most of them, pure crap — so it’s a sort of trade-off… passive for interactive.

I have a fantastic set of stories stirring ‘round my mind, invading my dreams and bursting out every orifice. Sorry, gross visual. It’s just… I’ve never been this eager to share a piece of myself, and it’s fictional.

I do think that isolation is the mother of inspiration. Pure creativity — perhaps that’s more genetic. Combine it all, what do you get? Stuff like Teletubbies. Joyous day!

Update on 2011-08-13 16:20 by Bradtastic

Going to make an attempt at fixing the markdown dilemma. I don’t understand what the @SquarespaceHelp account is for — all they ever do is write back, “submit a ticket.” 

Anyway… submit a ticket I have. We shall see. 

Atypical Saturday Morning During Grand Slam Tennis

My "normal Saturday morning" would probably seem strange to many people, but today, right now, my morning seems strange to me.

First, I'm eating "Haw Flakes," a "product of China." This by itself is odd; I normally don't have any "haw," and certainly not in the morning. (insert a "haw haw" when appropriate.) One of my uncles (whom I haven't seen in decades) bought them for me; he gave them to my mom, and she gave them to me — from him. I'm thrilled.

By the way, if you feel like giving me a treat, and my Amazon wish list is too subtle (or expensive), you can buy me Haw Flakes! According to the Internet invented by Al Gore, Haw Flakes are ridiculously inexpensive (ten rolls per pack, fifty cents per pack) and are a medicine that's good at curing basically everything. I think you can find them in Chinatown — just a guess.

Second, I'm blogging from my iPhone 4 in my bathroom, bedroom, hallway, elevator and garage... while jogging backwards doing a handstand.

Well, not "literally," but after developing iPad keyboard muscle memory, typing on the tiny swype-less iPhone 'board feels like ninja gymnastics, thumb edition. Normally, I'd be writing this on my precious, my iPad 2, but it's charging at the moment because I'd spent a few hours playing Epic War TD HD while watching Wimbledon coverage on ESPN2 HD.

Last night, I'd wrote up a rant/proposal concerning drunk driving — "impaired driving," rather — and the laws/consequences regarding DUI/DWIs. I very proudly shared it with Stephanie while flexing my oratory prowess.

Totally flopped. "Not visceral enough," was the clear conclusion... "well written," but lacking that punch-in-the-gut, face-kick, "secret ancient-two-finger-ballslap" quality. I'd intended to post it today, but it needs rewriting.

Instead of creating flop-draft: number two, I started a dozen "Words With Friends" and Facebook Scrabble games. I'll try writing seriously later; at the moment, Wimbledon coverage is on, and I was watching Nadal, Del Potro, Fish and now Federer. I also want to play some more inFamous — that's a damned fun game — I'm referring to the first one, downloaded for free as part of Sony's "Welcome Back" aka "Sorry we got haxx0red and your privacy got totally screwed" program.

A second wind.

You probably know that I live in Oakland. Nearby, a fight just broke out — strange — no gunfire. But you know what's been really weird? The weather. Andy Murray, Scot Tennis player, said on Twitter that everyone is a "weather expert" during Wimbledon. I say, "yea, opposed to the 'real' experts, right?"

So some people will be gloomy because of the fog; me, I'm ecstatic, I hope it stays cold. So I enjoy the occasional smoke, big deal, apparently, so does most of America — 240 million people.

I was thinking about posting this entry without an image; that would be atypical, right? But also boring. Squarespace likes to keep things unpredictable; I'm writing this in their app on my iPhone, and I'm thinking that there's a 50/50 chance that I'll lose all of this text, and a 100% chance this won't post properly! Awesome!

(By the way, there's a link on my sidebar — in the form of a "Powered by Squarespace" image — that you can use to sign for your very own Squarespace blog. True 'tastic-ness.)

Squarespace says these issues will be fixed soon, but they said that one year ago as well. Maybe they mean "soon" like Obama does, when referring to getting our troops home. I've also read that a new UI is in the works. That actually looks cool.

Seriously, Squarespace isn't bad. Their customer support is quick, and I've had far more trouble with LiveJournal, WordPress and TypePad.

Back to the future aka 'now,' in a little bit.

As Bradtastic posts go, this one is truly odd. Earlier this week I watched the new "Through the Wormhole" with Morgan Freeman, and it was all about time, and if time really exists. According to the show, there are two main schools of thought, and a musician: time is an illusion, time is the only real thing, and nine spatial dimensions of string theory with two-dimensional time. Several things truly worthy of note: one mad genius talked about marijuana, and why it makes everything seem to take more time, and the other thing... well, I don't remember. That program was on a long time ago, and it felt like, nine hours long.

Kidding.

Normally, I'd now say to myself (and anyone still left listening) "all jokes aside..." presently, however, that wouldn't make any sense. I'd have to quit writing.

Perhaps that's for the best. Enjoy a weird weekend every once in a while. Enjoy life; this shit's short... I feel old already.

Some new art

A little bit about how my mind works. Yes, I suppose I'm slightly odd. I hbe some eccentricities and strange habits.

I remember telling a friend of mine several years ago before she came over about a few of my interests; I needed her to be aware of what I'd been studying a lot of at that time, because my Comcast DVR was filled with crime specials, Dateline on ID, Investigation Discovery forensics shows, and interviews with sexual sadist serial killers (such as Dennis Rader). Had she decided to turn on the TV and peruse the recordings without any warning; well, I'd probably have to chase her to the elevator after she bolted — and I highly doubt that that would've gone well.

I've heard countless times: "don't talk about religion or politics."

I don't buy that nor bother with it. So, according to that advice, I'm only supposed to talk about inconsequential things... unimportant things?

"Yes, let us not discuss matters of a serious nature. What would be the point of your college education, if you were to actually use and benefit from it? Just plain silliness. Let us now discuss the finer points of Jersey Shore."

If you believe that, maybe you shouldn't read my blog. Especially if you get emotional about politics in particular. It won't get easier for you when I accuse your "side" of using mustard gas — and then blaming "us" when the wind changes and it blows back on your own people.

What in life should we take seriously, and how many young people are there meandering, directionless?

I was discussing "happiness" with a friend earlier, because it bothered me how we treat emotions in America. People aren't allowed to be sad anymore. Because there's a pill for that. Or a drug for it.

Get high, get drunk, forget about your worries. Isolation stimulates creativity; but I suppose young people need none of that, as they have YouTube and Hulu.

I'm going to post a new piece of art soon. I've been working on something... revealing. You may like it — I'm still looking at writing about "Locked Up Abroad" again, and the messed up laws, double-standards, hypocrisy and corruption in the Philippines.

Surely, a changing world.

Recent events have put human technology and progress into context for me once again, as our planet has shown us all once again how much power we really have. It's been a trying time, a scary few weeks for some, and slightly comical, as well.

Japan gets hit by the strongest earthquake on record and tsunamis cause chaos—as Apple begins selling it's much anticipated iPad 2. Of course, this natural disaster is only the most recent; Haiti was hit, the US as well, we have soldiers half-way 'round the world, and there's some "unrest" (massive understatement) in Eqypt and Libya.

Oh, and NYTimes says blogs aren't as popular anymore. Go figure; microblogging has taken over—because ideas just shouldn't need more than 140 characters to get across. And then there's Tumblr.

News is generally depressing, the web is generally funny (or incorrect), and blogs? I wish I could share good news more often. The fact is, life is as hard as ever, the economy is still screwed up, 2012 approaches (* scared face) and the past few days have been sunny, hot and miserable. I really should've blogged last week; we had rain, and I loved it.

Living with a disability doesn't make sense to me, yet. I'm still not acclimated; I want to go do things, I want to experience things and move about in ways I just can't anymore, and the psychological toll is often as steep as the physical one. Every medication has a nasty side-effect, every controlled substance is a pain in the ass to get.

But it isn't all bad.

Things take more time and progress is slower, but I've learned a lot more with time to casually observe things instead of zipping by everyone and everything almost always. Perhaps that's what youth is supposed to be for; but we find out, some sooner than others, that invincibility is pure fantasy. Everything has its price; for every action, there's—well, the picture should be clear, even if I didn't include one with this post.

Surely, things are changing. Lucid dreams are a regular thing now, and in them, I get to explore beyond boundaries and constraints—I can literally float upward and push myself through the ceiling if I feel like it. Mastery of waking reality mightn't be so simple, but I don't know that yet—I'm still learning... and the world is still changing.

The world is falling apart.

How long can we fight entropy? I think about things that have meaning, and people, and wonder. Wondrous things, all around all of us—yet how often do we notice this? How many skylines are appreciated, how much art goes unseen? What are these words worth, and to whom?

I think, "what music am I missing?" [out on] and I listen. I feel something and I share it. I close my eyes and dream vividly. In art, worlds are created to supplement life and replace what crumbles.

I'm building some more.

Apart

Friends leave, people change, life goes on… until it stops. Some of us search for meaning, others ignore it.

With everything going on Earth, the complexities of society and social networking, politics, economy, war, religion, technology… I look to the vastness of the universe and our blue planet seems so insignificant. “interesting” and “worthwhile” are subjective — are they irrelevant? I suppose that’s also a matter of perspective. A friend of mine left on a red-eye flight across the country; she’ll be away for months, we’ll physically be apart, but I’m not sure how much will change for me. Our technology connects us and separates us; we can communicate effectively across continents, and just as effectively, we can use our computers to ignore our neighbors and stay in — instead of going out to meet friends. When deep space travel becomes a reality, what then? Will we have solved any of the problems that society considers important — will it matter? When I look at the frailty of life, it pleases me that greater things exist.

My way of dealing.

Entertainment and work…

Chronic pain has an effect like Chinese Water Torture.

I’ve been looking for a full website sponsor — that search still continues as smaller donations and contributions trickle in (of course, it’s all appreciated!) — meanwhile, life goes on. Sometimes “real life” responsibilities get in the way of artistic and intellectual pursuits; I would like to be able to write more, sketch more and blog more, but bills have to get paid somehow, and I have responsibilities to my family.

Still, I suppose everyone needs an outlet of some kind.

About four years ago, I purchased XBOX 360. The system hadn’t been out long; it was hard to find, and several reports of the “red ring of death” had tainted the system’s reputation. Still, I took the plunge, getting the most basic edition imaginable. I’m glad that I did.

XBOX LIVE is an absolute treat. Although the initial shock of the Gold Membership fee made me initially hesitant, even skeptical — as if I were paying for online “adult entertainment” (what does “Gold Membership” sound like to you?) — I wanted online play. Bare, the service was worth it.

Now, it’s even better.

With Netflix Watch Instantly and Party viewing, wireless controllers with chatboard attachments and integrated Windows Live chat, the 360 is a social entertainment hub. To add to that, Microsoft is integrating Facebook and Twitter. Social networking and gaming are being made even more accessible.

I have the Elite system now, with an Ace Combat 6 faceplate and 120gb hard drive. When I’m not working, resting, eating, writing or drawing… I can be found playing some LIVE ARCADE game, or recently, Borderlands, DJ Hero, Forza Motorsport 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (COD6).

Gaming together would be fun. During a nice jam session or first-person shoot-em-up (FPS, or “RPS,” role-playing shooter — Borderlands), pain has less of a hold on me. Got 360 LIVE GOLD? You can help… we can play!

Gamertag: Rainfault

Changes at Superfloo.us — I’ve added an Ink section.

The first post should appear later today. I’ve already started it, but I’m having some technical issues with my current tablet and netbook. Both are slowing me down. I’ve added a few pick-me-ups here, at Thinkgeek. Some of my friends and contacts have some cool things going; I’ll share more on that later, and try to review several of their projects.

Maybe I can even convince them to give some free products and/or goodies away as presents to lucky readers!

Until then… I have some work to do and things to straighten out. It’s way too hot here in Oakland; my southern-view collects sunlight from rise to set, and the temperature in my unit becomes unbearable without AC — due in-part to screens and computers. I try to rest during the heat (and light) of the day. I’m more awake from twilight to sunrise.

Bradtastic — Art, Design and Ink.

I want to expand this website, beyond this blog…

I’ve mentioned at Facebook and my Twitter (@bradtastic) that I’m trying to inkblog again, like I did at my first decent inkblog, bradchin.com. My progress was halted — incidentally after winning an Ink Blot Award — because my Tablet PC, bloated with viruses and junkware, stopped connecting to the Internet… and then stopped functioning altogether.

Work and recovery stood in the way of progress — but I never stopped writing. I never stopped dreaming about books and blogging — changing the world by changing one mind — contributing to the ever-growing collective…

With ink, I wanted to share what Montblanc calls the art of writing; with computers and typesetting so available, handwriting has become a dying art. People neglect it — it’s not being taught in schools, and it’s as if it’s just not that important. True — no one is openly graded on it, graphology is a pseudo-science, but I believe in its importance — the importance of the image of writing.

I look at classic documents of incalculable value — The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and Bill of Rights — I look at the penmanship displayed on these documents and think, “would these documents hold so much value if they were chicken-scratched?”

Of course, these documents will always be important — crappy handwriting wouldn’t change that — but I think that if they weren’t written so beautifully, with a combination of perfect word and perfect handwriting, we’d look today at reprints… rewritten or typed.

The blessing of the computer is a bane to handwriting.

The abundance and availability of free fonts and the ease of stealing fonts makes almost every computer user an amateur typesetter. Software such as Microsoft Word allows an untrained, unskilled user to create beautifully organized and set documents — legible documents.

It’s time to take a stand!

In defiance of this trend, I’d decided to share my art, illustrations, design and writing. I try to keep my personality vibrant and loud, but paradoxically, I prefer to keep much of my “art” private — including my handwriting styles — but shortly after I started inkblogging, I received positive feedback, genuine comments and interest.

I was contacted by other inkbloggers, enthusiastic and energetic. Their comments were positive, their words —
encouraging. I felt that I could represent the format in a strong way, drawing fresh eyes and attention to Tablet PCs and WACOM Penabled technologies. 

A new beginning.

Tablet PCs have generally been thought of as the business tools for doctors, contractors, engineers and the military… but this is changing. For consumers, “the pen” has been a nuisance; with Palm devices and PDAs, it’s just another piece to misplace or break. The iPhone has bridged the gap in a beautiful way; integrating multi-touch technology with incredible usability and consumer-friendliness.

New devices are looming. Apple might release a Tablet-type computer next year. Many netbook manufacturers are adding touch-screen technology to their lineups.

Handwriting, to make a comeback?

Devices like the Livescribe Pulse Pen make evident the convenience and occasional necessity of writing by hand. To “jot” something down — a phone number, address, take-out order — it’s much easier (and quicker) writing with a pen… especially compared to thumb-typing on a handheld or worse — stylus keyboard input.

The tech-world is changing, and I’m part of it. Perhaps I can inspire more people to enhance their lives. I’ve already done so with tools like HighriseHQ, BackpackIT and products like Moleskine notebooks and websites like jetpens.com.

Hopefully I can continue changing the game and setting trends. For more information on the  Bradtastic Approved© — check out bradloves.us/links or contact me or one of my associates. You can also just leave a comment or message at my guestbook.

Please let me know if you can help with inkblogging — you can also help by simply spreading the word, “Superfloo.us!”

First One Back

Sometimes an onset creativity, inspiration, and passion doesn’t coincide with “free time.”

And sometimes, there’s illness involved, too… on top of all the normal — more common, rather — incidents and accidents… like automobile breakdowns, bad news about a family member or a friend.

Truthfully, for most people, free time is a myth — and a paradox. Most people claim to “want it,” few people actually have it… and many consider it a badge of honor to “never have any.” Time, the way we commonly measure and refer to it, remains relatively constant for us — the same 24 hours that everyone else has.

But what do we choose to do with it?

Life is a series of choices — sacrifices, really. “Which one of these two things sucks less? That one? Okay, I’ll take it.”

That might be too optimistic of me, actually.

But how many times have you heard — or even said — “I don’t have time for (insert something),” when you meant (and felt) that you just didn’t want to make time for… whatever it is (was)?

Time spent, ne’er to return…

Either way, the past is the past. We can learn from it, change or adapt, but can’t change the past. My *first entry back* was going to be about Tuesday, September 11, 2001. However, after writing a chunk of it, the post didn’t feel right. It was too serious, too important, to screw up.

The “art” of writing is important to me; it’s always on my mind, and when I hear something news or noteworthy I think, “What could I write about this?” Then, usually, I do — I write, by hand, in a journal. I have many now, completed end-to-end. The *finished* (is art ever really “finished?”) journals sit on a high shelf, thanks to Stephanie. She embarked on one helluva crazy effort — trying to bring a semblance of order to my chaos.

Blogging… it’s different, right?

When I’m thinking about blogging (now), I think about what I want to say — what I want to share. I don’t want to share everything that I write, but if I blog about something, well, it’s out there. But that’s not the only difference.

Many of the rules outlined in “The Elements of Style” just don’t apply to blogging — they shouldn’t. It’s definitely audience-specific — tailored, I mean — but I figure, most of the people reading this blog in-particular know me (or know of me) directly somehow…

… so, most of you know that I can write, pretty-darned well, if I mean to. But being a reader myself, when things are “well written,” it often feels a bit like work — taking it in… processing the information. And if the writer is poetic, then there are metaphors, potentially leading to ambiguity.

My intentions… maybe.

I enjoy being a student of human nature — all aspects of it, the good and the bad. There are so many fascinating things in this world alone (and galaxies beyond that!) — I don’t have time for a mere-fraction of it, none of us can take in everything. We have to pick and choose what’s important… what’s important enough.

I studied psychology briefly, before honing in on key areas: deception, manipulation, criminology, attraction… NLP and mentalism are delightful. Hypnosis is a complexity to me, mysterious in ways, still… but I haven’t had the same kind of research time that age has afforded to many of the half-century old Professors who claim to have some kind of a grasp on their chosen field.

Maybe I’ll get there someday… maybe I’ll waste some time. Maybe I’ll waste some of yours.

But… I’d bet we’d enjoy the heck out of it!

Do us all one thing, though: tell the people you care about how much they mean to you. I’d bet that they’d appreciate it.

BTW: I’m going to Reno* soon… and I gamble. You do, too… apparently.

You might also go to Reno, occasionally, and if you’re going soon — good luck!

10% Power, Water: off.

I’m writing this on my MacBook Pro… with almost no battery left. For the time-being, the building’s water is shut-off. I’m not really sure why — just dealing with it.

Vampire + sunlight = uncomfortable dying feeling.

I’m still trying to recover from Wednesday. I’m glad that I took my car in, but it was physically taxing. I’m not used to that much heat and walking.

Currently, effort and energy is going into several writing projects and some work stuff. There’s no reason to go into tons of detail at the moment, however, I’d like to at least say the following: it’s going to be a lot of fun and involve a fair amount of previously-untapped creativity.

The water should be back on soon.