In 2011, What I'm thankful for...TOP 3!!!

As Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, I have been contemplating and I have come up with a Top 3 things I am thankful for in 2011.

I kid you not, these are the things that I am thankful for...

ready?

Are you sure?

Are you really really ready?

really really really sure?




ok, I'll stop pulling your leg.  Here we go...NUMERO UNO!

I am thankful that Zombie Apocalypse has not yet happened and there aren't any zombies on my lawn. I've watched Walking Dead... and I know for a fact that I would definitely not have survived that, or I would be one of the first to become the brain-eating undead.  I am going to start planting sunflowers just in case of a ZA, I just hope a military genius is among the bunch I plant.....

NUMERO DOS!!

I am grateful that I don't actually live near sparkly vampires with bland personalities and their Mary-Sue girlfriends.  The thought alone makes me nauseous.  I am a true Anti-Twihard so sparkly vamps are fun to make fun of but only from afar.

NUMBER THREE!!!

I am grateful for YouTube, because I get to watch performances by awesomely talented people...FOR FREE!!!  Great entertainment for free?!? That's golden food for your soul, right there.

From left to right: the Fun Amy and Nick of Karmin, really really funny and talented David So, lovely Sam Tsui, and the multi-talented Nick Pitera

Disclaimer: there are a LOT more Awesome YouTubers that I like....just, I got lazy trying to draw all of them. I especially like the artists Kurt Hugo Schneider produces videos with.  So everyone clickey clickey those links and be blown away~!

And now it's time for Christmas~a season of good will and hope!!!

Faustian Deal for Tombow

A classmate told me about Tombow Dual Brush Pens, 

"These are awesome and they have all the colors of the rainbow."

And they ARE AWESOME.

I would, just to let y'all know.  I would totally make a Faustian deal or a Crossroad deal for unlimited supply of Tombow Dual Brush Pens.

Remember Matthew Shepard

Rising above all in the name of love

--Scarecrow, Melissa Etheridge

Remember Matthew Shepard.

The injustice done to Matthew Shepard should never be forgotten, in my opinion.

I was greatly saddened and angered when I first researched who "Matthew Shepard" was on the Internet.  Some of the images I encountered were so negative and infuriating -- picket signs that included such words, "God Hates Fags" and "Matt in Hell."

Why?

WHY?!

Wasn't it bad enough he was beaten to death out of hate?  Why are there people further beating Matthew Shepard with hate, even after his death? 

Nonetheless, there was a friend of Matthew Shepard, Romaine Patterson,  who fought this hate without a lick of violence.

Angel Action -- a peaceful counter-protest against haters's protest.

THAT, Ladies and Gentlemen, is completely and utterly AWESOME.

I am not an activist.  I am more of a no-substance chatter box than a doer with objectives.

I am not a great writer.  I do not spew out heartfelt poems or meaningful essays. 

I am less than a half-decent musician. I cannot write soul-wrenching lyrics or sing with moving emotions.

I am not even a competent artist.  But, I wanted to put out a positive image. 

Yuuuuuuupe, this is me trying to fight hate. 

For those of you who do not know who Matthew Shepard was, I leave you with a balladeer's Poster Child music video:

On a lighter note, Happy belated National Coming Out Day.

Lalala, Imma so Bubbly......Wait, what?

A few months ago, I was told by a tutee that I was easy to approach and talk to because I'm "bubbly."  I was genuinely shocked because when...

...and I generally only wear "earthly" colors - black, dark green, and brown.  

The brightest color I wear is Navy Blue.

But then when I asked a friend, she said I was indeed BUBBLY. 

Oh, the horror.

Clearly, my brain is not understanding the actual meaning of "bubbly."

Patience with Patients

True Story.  I was just having one of those days.

Seriously, I totally KOed some air particles and probably scorched some communicable germies.  Them air particles had nothing on Medieval Dragon Rie.

Hats off to the DEM folks.

*Blogger is being an @$$hole, clickey here for bigger and better (questionable) version of comic.  When I become a internet genius, I'll fix this but for now we're gonna just improvise.

Remedy to ER Withdrawal

The past year I had the pleasure of volunteering at an ER on Saturdays.  I LOVED it there. I loved the blood, the gore, the excitement, the chaos....

...no, I am NOT the petri dish offspring of Hannibal Lecter nor am I a product of an lab experiment that used Vampire DNA.

........I think. 

Ever since I quit ER volunteering two weeks ago, I have been.... 

...wallowing and crying meself a river.  

And thus, went into ER withdrawal.

I remedied this by...

...watching lots of violent British shows and committing coffee blasphemy -- drinking tea.

*Disclaimer:  I actually do not have a corner of my room as a shrine dedicated to the ER. I actually didn't shed a tear either. I'm not that pathetic.

Disney + Samurai Movies = Crazy @$$ Chic in My Head

I finally watched Tangled a few weeks ago.  It was FANTASTIC and it killed me with its cuteness.

...I wonder if Rapunzel's hair can "heal" the idiot/crazy part of my brain? 

Yes, I do own a magic carpet...........in my head.

Soon after watching Tangled,  my brain had a brilliant idea to watch a violent and crazy samurai movie, 13 Assassins.  Then it decided to toss images sent from the optics nerves into a blender and create this drink of crazy:

Samurai Rapunzel and Her Crazy Killer Hair

This is what I learned in college:  Don't mix Downers with Uppers.

This is what college didn't teach me:  Don't mix Disney with Crazies.

Figure Drawing HW and Neuroscience

As like a self introduction, my figure drawing teacher asked us to fill out a questionnaire and draw something.  I don't know what came over me but I decided to draw a self-portrait.  

Yupe, this is as realistic as  it's going to get...for now. 

Let's hope in three months time some improvements will be seen or any hope would be shot to hell.

On the other hand, my dad and I collaborated in drawing an happy smile.  

THIS is what neurosurgeons don't want you to know.  Our brains are actually GINORMOUS MITOCHONDRIA!!!  Thus, our brains are actually not that complicated, just feed it water and oxygen.

Curious Summer Clouds and a Smidgen of Japanese

I generally dislike summer.  I dislike the heat and the sluggishness that comes with.  

However, I do enjoy the adventures the clouds provide.

Yesterday, on my way home I encountered...

A flying DRAGON CLOUD about to take off!!!

Then a few seconds later...

A roaming DINOSAUR CLOUD!!!

Cheers to condensed liquid droplets.

Coffee and Drawing

My name is Rie and I am a coffeeholic.

No seriously, I kid you not.  I have serious withdrawal symptoms that may rival a drug addict's when I go without coffee.  This is why my sketchbook is drenched with coffee stains and my drawings are speckled with coffee spots.