Random thing you love right now that doesn't deserve its own thread

Absolutely loving every moment of The Goes Wrong Show on Amazon Prime. I didn't get to see The Play That Goes Wrong on Broadway when it came stateside, but my God is the show hilarious.

Spent a couple hours today making plans.

My wife has had the same salary the last 4 years here in Greece. We survived the crisis, and her company survived and has done well. With our third kid the last three years, expenses have gone up and up and we were getting more and more in debt. She finally talked to the owner of the company (she is the managing director of the Greek version of the company). He did not like hearing how stressed she's been about finances, and wants her to be able to focus on just the company so...

He gave her a bonus that came in January 31st, that paid off all of our debt, and all of the big stuff we'd have to pay the next few months.

He's giving her a 40%+ raise.

Holy crap, right?

So this weekend we looked at couches to replace our very old, very worn out couches. We looked at 4k TVs to replace our 11 year old tv. We didn't have to look at Xbox One X's, but that's a given with the TV. The kids and the two of us went over all of the ways we could change our living room/family room and where such a big ass tv could actually go. I posted here in the HDTV thread and the home theater thread to get advice about whether we're getting the right stuff. And in the xbox thread to see how to turn our two xboxes into a family account so my kids and I can play co-op between the old xbox and the new.

But more than that, more than everything is getting out of survival mode. Getting out of "what can we pay off this month, and what can wait til next month?" mode, and "what do the kids absolutely need, and what do we need that we can put off..." mode.

When April/Greek Orthodox Easter hits, in Greece you get an extra half-month of salary as an automatic bonus. When we hit that....xboxes for everybody! heh.

Roo, you are one of the most fortunate people I know. Treasure it, and your family.

Roo wrote:

When April/Greek Orthodox Easter hits, in Greece you get an extra half-month of salary as an automatic bonus. When we hit that....xboxes for everybody! heh.

YOU GET AN XBOX1X!! YOU GET AN XBOX1X!! YOU GET AN XBOX1X!!

If you don’t mind Roo, I’ll wait until the SX comes out and you can just get me one of those.

-

I’ve been obsessed with this song over the last week or so. Mostly because of the lyrics. But then I feel guilty for not wanting to be more social.

** there’s like 1 or 2 f-bombs **

Roo that is amazing. I think a lot of us really need to hear about good things happening for people right now, I know I do. Totally turned around my mood.

Congrats Roo that is a great feeling. Seems like a good company to work for!

So happy for you, Roo. It's like winning the lottery, only more wholesome and less life-ruining.

Roo wrote:

He gave her a bonus that came in January 31st, that paid off all of our debt, and all of the big stuff we'd have to pay the next few months.

He's giving her a 40%+ raise.

Holy crap, right?

Holy crap indeed! That's outstanding news! Huge congratulations to your whole family. I hope you guys really enjoy a well-deserved splurge on replacing old and worn-out stuff. A few nice dinners and a family trip might be in order too! Haha!

Afterwards, consider taking that extra money and start saving and investing it like your life depends on it. Sounds like your wife's company is awesome and hopefully that's a long-term relationship. But I would suggest that you work hard to never let you or your family get in the position where losing that job would put you in a bad financial spot. I say this because I either know or have read about physician friends who come into a very fat paycheck after years of scrimping during training, and their lifestyle rapidly expands into that paycheck. We're talking people making $250,000+ every year who are living paycheck to paycheck.

I don't mean to imply that you don't already have a good financial plan, but more wanted to cheer you on into hopefully turning that into invincible financial security!

Again, congratulations!

So, for one of the board games I backed on Kickstarter (Charmed and Dangerous), i actually won a social media competition along with a couple of other people, with the reward being a unique character card with me on it, to be sent out with my copy of the game.

They just got back to me yesterday with the pencil drawing (after offering me a few different poses to choose from) and its is A-MAZING! I love it so much and it's not even the final version.

I'll not post it here just yet - i want to wait for the final version, and I also don't want to publicly post it before they do their winners "reveal" post on kickstarter (also i'd prefer to get a link to the illustrator to attribute properly first as well) but I'll stick it up as soon as I can. It's so cool!

This interview with Elijah Wood.

I've interacted with you often enough on Twitter to know you're a regular social media user.

Oh, yeah.

So then you must be familiar with Daddy Culture.

(long pause) ...Not really.

I don't believe that.

Do you...are we talking about, like, someone who's looking for someone else to take care of them? Like a Sugar Daddy?

Yes, it could be that. Anyone can be a Daddy.

I don't -

People said Venom was Daddy.

Okay.

A lot of people said Venom was Daddy, in fact.

Sure.

So, was there ever any concern on your part that titling your film Come to Daddy might therefore be considered an intrusion, or co-opting of, Daddy Culture?

I don't think that was ever a concern.

Wrong thread

So, Pyxistix, now you know how I felt when you did that game portrait of me a few months back - Amazing, isn't it? And thank you again.

What on earth is Daddy Culture? Or is this a fabrication for purpose of the interview?

I love the response from Elijah Wood. It's fitting for those who live and breathe the online realm, a culture if you will, whom forget that not everyone spends as much time, nor as much effort there. I have one such individual whom I interact with frequently, in meatspace, and the nonsense they come off with, from the matrix, coupled with their befuddlement at needing to explain, provides a mixture of amusement and concern.

This reminds me, somewhat, of the outrage of those online entities whom are outraged that their outrage is neither shared, nor in many cases known, or understood, which means you must be playing games, as the world revolves around them (in so far as their matrix persona - "I'm way cooler on the internet" - allows).

RnRClown wrote:

What on earth is Daddy Culture? Or is this a fabrication for purpose of the interview?

It's a thing made up for the interview. I mean, this is also an interview where the author pitches Elijah Wood on a dessert shop called Froyo Baggins that sells froyo in giant ziploc bags.

Alien Love Gardener wrote:
RnRClown wrote:

What on earth is Daddy Culture? Or is this a fabrication for purpose of the interview?

It's a thing made up for the interview. I mean, this is also an interview where the author pitches Elijah Wood on a dessert shop called Froyo Baggins that sells froyo in giant ziploc bags.

It is most definitely not made up. Google it at your own peril.

Alien Love Gardener wrote:

It's a thing made up for the interview.

Jonman wrote:

It is most definitely not made up. Google it at your own peril.

I love this.

Alien Love Gardener wrote:
RnRClown wrote:

What on earth is Daddy Culture? Or is this a fabrication for purpose of the interview?

It's a thing made up for the interview.

Oh, honey...

Robear wrote:

So, Pyxistix, now you know how I felt when you did that game portrait of me a few months back - Amazing, isn't it? And thank you again.

I’d love to see that! Would you mind posting it?

RawkGWJ wrote:
Robear wrote:

So, Pyxistix, now you know how I felt when you did that game portrait of me a few months back - Amazing, isn't it? And thank you again.

I’d love to see that! Would you mind posting it?

I can now! I was holding off until they did their announcement on their FB page...

We are so excited to introduce the first of our Legends cards. These special cards will showcase unique and powerful people that do not come from myth or fairy tale.

This card features the first winner in our "Facets of a Princess" challenge held during our Kickstarter. The winners of this challenge were able to select their class and receive a custom, and fully playable, Princess Card featuring their likeness. Each piece is hand rendered by amazing artist Christian St. Pierre!

Please join me in welcoming Princess Saga Mackenzie, the Stiletto Shadowblade, to the Charmed and Dangerous family!

IMAGE(https://smackfolio.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/charmed-and-dangerous-rogue-assassin-pencil1.jpg)

The full colour version is still to come.

The only bad thing is that it makes my scribbling look like the workings of a rank amateur

it is also a reminder that i really need to figure out how to render cloth better... *thinkyface*

pyxistyx wrote:

it is also a reminder that i really need to figure out how to render cloth better... *thinkyface*

Hmmm... The clothing looks convincing to me. We’re always our own worst critics, but sometimes that’s a good way to improve.

I love the detail on the outfit and gear, particularly the stitching on the leather. Of course, the face is nice, too.

However, there aren't nearly enough pouches. [/liefeld]

BadKen wrote:

However, there aren't nearly enough pouches. [/liefeld]

For years I've been saying that whenever Cable appears in a movie, his outfit should have a different arrangement of pouches in every shot. To do otherwise betrays Liefeld's vision.

RawkGWJ wrote:
pyxistyx wrote:

it is also a reminder that i really need to figure out how to render cloth better... *thinkyface*

Hmmm... The clothing looks convincing to me. We’re always our own worst critics, but sometimes that’s a good way to improve.

on this drawing? The cloth looks amazing, 'cause it's not MY drawing , it's by Christian St. Pierre!

MY cloth is much simpler and less realistic. Mostly because i draw a lot smaller and get bored really easily :p

...i do draw a lot of pouches and potion bottles on belts tho'

Lol I thought it was one of yours. My apologies.

Use reference for cloth. Even if you are naturally amazing at drawing cloth, it will at least save time since it is easier to mimic something than to create it in your head and then make it believable.

That was the core idea in that "Concept Art is Dead" video I shared. It is all about using photo reference and tools like Google Earth, Poser or Daz to take short cuts. But short cuts aren't for cutting corners. They are worthwhile because you can't outdo mother nature so why try when the results will take longer and be worse. And there is still room for creativity. You have the eye to put a palm tree and mosquito in the frozen tundra or a flying fish that swims in the sand.

BadKen wrote:

However, there aren't nearly enough pouches. [/liefeld]

At least the feet are out of frame

Serena Williams close-up in slow motion playing tennis.

MaxShrek wrote:

Serena Williams close-up in slow motion playing tennis.

Yes, she truly does have an impressive and flawless technique, doesn’t she?! Truly an amazing, badass, wonderful woman!!

That’s what you meant... right?