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LehvakLah

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Blog Entries posted by LehvakLah

  1. LehvakLah

    Blurry

    By LehvakLah,

    My glasses are broken in half. I've had them for a really long time and if I can't fix them, I will die a little inside. Tape isn't working. They're plastic so I need the best plastic adhesives you know of, and some reassurance. They're my glasses.
     

  2. LehvakLah

    Of Montreal

    By LehvakLah,

    New York will always be my one true love, but I'm allowed to see other cities, right? In that case Montreal is my secret lover and one day we'll run away together to a wonderful world of legal street graffiti and two Crêperies on every block. Montreal is a magical dream whirl that can't be summed up by anything less than a series of fragmented exclamations: colors! wall art! crêpes! maple syrup! Canada! Canada! friendly bilingual citizens! jazz festivals! art festivals! botanical gardens! Canadian serviceberries! history! mystery! sooo much chocolate! sunsets! rainbows! butterflies! huge carps! two-dollar coins! unclearly marked one-way streets! seedy stores and family restaurants side by side! happening nightlife! men who walk around with cats on their shoulders! good shoes necessary!
     
    Of course that means I'm going to have to reteach myself three years of French forgotten. But I guess it'll be worthwhile to work at an restaurant where I get to wear a red chef's hat and ladle melted chocolate onto every dish we have to offer.
     

  3. LehvakLah

    Europa Europa

    By LehvakLah,

    I'm in Europe right now. Rome to be exact, soon to be followed by Venice, Paris, and Barcelona, and a day in Dublin. I won't be getting back until August 4th, by which time I'm certain my PMship will be expired. So this will probably be my last blog post if/until it's renewed. Here's some art just in case.
     
    Italy is hot. Super hot. Medditeranian hot. Any second my hair is going to burst into flames. I'm travelling with my friend and two of her friends, and so far so good. We've seen most of the Roman essentials - the Colliseum, the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel (it's incredible, I snuck some very sneaky photos of the ceiling, shhh), and tons of pizzarias. Surprisingly, Italian pizza doesn't taste that much holier than a slice of New York pizza. We're staying at a hostel, where people snore and throw up at equally high volumes. It's kinda hot in there too. I can't remember when I've gotten sleep and when I haven't.
     
    We're heading to Venice on Friday. Any reccomendations on lesser-known sites to see while in any of the aforementioned cities? I'll appreciate any suggestions.
     
    Alright, catch you on the flip side.
     

  4. LehvakLah

    More Art

    By LehvakLah,

    Fo' Janus. Cuz he looooves Soybeans.
     
    Janus, update your blog already. What kind of blog master doesn't update his blog in five months? Seriously.
     

  5. LehvakLah

    Art Safari

    By LehvakLah,

    Let's go on an adventure!
     
    [click]
     

     
    Famingos are probably my favorite bird. Pink is a fantastic and happy color and there is no shame in loving it.
    This girl was supposed to be a flamingo but she looks like a canary crossbred with a stork, or one of them Chocobos.
     

     
    Facebook has a new graffiti application, which is kinda like a really bare-bones oekaki thing. I still broke my hand using it all day. This giraffe lives on Pekel's wall now.
    Do you know why giraffes have purple tongues? It's cuz they eat all that ice cream!
     

     
    This is my old Pokemon Silver team. Poor defunct game batteries caused their untimely and unfortunate demise.
     

     
    This fish represents me during finals.
     
     
    See, I still draw.
     

  6. LehvakLah

    Today Was June

    By LehvakLah,

    and the only things hotter than the almost-tangible humidity were the leather seats of my mom's minivan. I got burned touching the steering wheel. Wearing an dark gray shirt today was ALL kinds of dumb.
    BUT I got new shoes. They're Neopolitan colored (like the ice cream) and I did indeed pay less, Payless. Now I don't have to buy a new pair for another two years.
     
    Anyway, you know what I really look forward to? Strong Bad Email #173. Why? Look no further than SBEmail "montage". I've secretly waited for the past 2 or so years to see if they'd remember and actually follow through. Next email we'll find out! And if you know what I'm talking about, then highfive baby, we're a couple of silly geeks.
     

  7. LehvakLah
    Okay, there is a certain topic in the Artwork General forum in which the topic creator decided to promote his artwork with the subtitle stating that the artwork was awesome. This caused everyone and their grandmother to jump down his throat about it.
     
    Now I really hate to make a soapbox. I'm not a good speaker by any great shakes, and I really don't want to mistakenly accuse or offend anyone. And I know the Artwork forum is no more perfect now than it was when I joined. And yet out of all the topics I've seen in my lurkdom, this one just rubbed me wrong more than anything I've encountered here before. Instead of being constructive and friendly, it seemed as though the very first sentence of a majority of the posts was a lecture about how the subtitle was percieved as arrogant and thus, according to several posters, this was not real art. Essentially, the nay-sayers were treating this member with the same arrogance they claimed was turning them off to the drawing itself.
     
    No matter what you consider "art", people are allowed to like their own artwork, whether it's done in MSPaint, pencil, or with a stick in the dirt. And equally, a person's age, level of skill, or media are all ABSOLUTELY VALID reasons for not living up to your personal expectations. One person's stick figure is another person's Michelangelo (to rearrange a phrase).
     
    I'm seeing this bad trend going through the forum. Kindness and helpfulness no longer seem to mean as much to Constructive Criticism as "telling it honestly, even if it's blunt and unfriendly". Now I may be wrong, since I haven't given the forum my full attention in a very long time and thus have viewed very, very few topics in the past year or so. But to me it seems that older and more experienced artists are resentful of younger newcomers who are not familiar with the ropes. These new members post number ratings and sometimes aren't always familiar with the concept of giving a well-rounded review. And yet they will go through the same process of learning that we went through when we were newbies. We all looked up to the artists that were at the top of the game back in the day. A lot of us shaped our own "careers" off those of our heros. And when one of the people that inspired you posts in your topic, giving you advice with kindness and respect... you know how that feels. It's like reaching a new level. And it makes you want to pass it on. In the same manner, these newbies will be inspired by us. They'll learn how to conduct and better themselves from the way we behave. Someday they'll be grown and refined and setting examples for the next generations of artists. So if we're treating them as if they don't know anything, that they don't deserve our respect over utterly miniscule things such as what they think of their own creation, then this awful behavior will carry on a long way down the road, and that is NOTHING to be proud of.
     
    We're all here to improve, and do unto others is the best policy. Less rivalry, more community, okay?
     

  8. LehvakLah

    Plane Crash

    By LehvakLah,

    You've probably heard by now, but there was a plane crash here in New York City. To add to an already rainy gray and gloomy day (and probably due to it), a small airplane crashed into a residential building up on 72nd street, about 11 streets and a couple of blocks up from where I was unknowingly taking a field trip to the Society of Illustrators gallery. I didn't even know about it until my friend called me from NJ asking if I was alright. I couldn't hear her very well because of all the sirens blaring around me, but I was able to catch the words "plane" "crash" and "the city", which in the same sentence is enough to make anyone worry. While this was fortunately not connected to and nowhere near the scale of 9/11, but while it's no precursor to a larger threat, the plane was manned by Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor, both who tragically perished. I'm no fan of baseball but this is still pretty intense. These things can happen to anyone and you never, ever expect them... the city will be buzzing for days to come. My condolences to the families and fans of the deceased... let's all hope the future looks brighter for everyone.
     
    In other news, the Society of Illustrators gallery was amazing. Some of my favorite cartoonists had original inks of their work up on the walls and taking in all the variations of all these styles and stories and line weights and techniques it's like... ohh.... I love cartooning like I can't even put into words.
     

  9. LehvakLah
    Now I confess that I have not read a Series of Unfortunate Events. I haven't seen the movie in it's entirety. I didn't even finish the one book I did begin, that being the Carniverous Carnival. Not out of lack of interest or anything, but lack of time. My 12-year-old sister is nuts about the book though, and about a week an a half ago I was passing by Barnes and Noble in Union Square and there was a big sign that prompted me to call her, which in turn caused her to shriek ecstatically into the phone for about thirty whole seconds. Yes, on the Friday of October 13th, when the thirteenth and final book of a Series of Unfortunate Events was to be released, Lemony Snicket would be signing books at that very Barnes and Noble.
     
    I'm sorry, that was really hammy. I kind of felt that it called for a little drama, since I'm fond of those big book release/signing gatherings (stemming from the early days of Harry Potter). Lucky for me I have Fridays off, and due to my sister being unable to come into the city by herself (let alone skip school), I promised her I'd get her an autographed copy of the last book. What could be a better 13th birthday gift? See, I can be a good sister, sometimes.
     
    I woke up at 7:30, way too early for my school-addled self, and with maybe less than 5 hours of sleep under my eyelids. It was freezing but when I arrived at about 8, the line was surprisingly short. At least short compared to how many people showed up in total. They were doing a color-coded wristband system, and I recieved the red wristbands which allowed access to the seating area as well as first group to get books signed. So my early-birdedness was not in vain!
     
    By the time the actual event rolled around at 4, I had managed to secure a 3rd row aisle seat. There was a half-hour performance by the Gothic Archies, featuring Lemony Snicket on percussions. Unfortunately, the elusive author had given us the slip, so some guy named Daniel Handler and the uekele player had to perform without him. But it was not at all a loss. Guess what Mr. Handler played that granted me a whole new level of respect and admiration for him.
     
    The ACCORDION.
     
    So they performed a few songs and got some volunteers up to help out with sound effects during a reading from the last book. This man was amazing in ways I can't even comprehend. When he demonstrated to one of the young volunteers how to properly hold and utilize the sand-tambourene, his instructions were to hold it "as if you were strangling a baby". He chided them for putting themselves in mortal peril by climbing up on the stage, and had they taken the safe way by the stairs it would've put them at far less of a risk. His wit was droll and gloomy, yet sharp, and when he launched into an accordion solo rendition of "Scream and Run Away", (complete with an explanation of 'vamping': playing the same thing over and over again which drives people crazy; and the book's illustrator drawing a picture of Count Olaf in tune with the music), the audience - kids and parents and smelly old adults alike - went absolutely bananas. Oh, does that man know how to command an audience!
     
    My lucky seating granted me a quick wait in line to receive a page embossment and an autograph. I was surprised by how friendly and personal he was face to face. I didn't stay long enough to see everyone after me, but he made brief chat with every person in his dry witty way. When I told him the book was to be a gift for my sister's 13th birthday, he signed it "Hope you live to see 14". I told him what an honor it was to hear him play accordion and we shook hands. For someone who had barely read his books, I felt on the verge of having a fan moment and jumping around ecstacally, but I'm glad I saved myself the embarassment. The illustrator, who was also signing, drew a little birthday cake, which I thought was a very thoughtful touch. We shook hands as well, I thanked them both, and walked safely down the stairs (NOT stepping off the stage!) with a feeling of a once-in-a-lifetime mission accomplished.
     
    That series is on my list of books to read before I meet my most grim and miserable end.
     

  11. LehvakLah

    Wisdom

    By LehvakLah,

    Whenever I feel down, I remember the wise words a green frog and his friends once sang to me after his dream of directing a major motion picture came crashing down before his very eyes.

    Life is like a movie
    Write your own ending
    Keep believing
    Keep pretending
    We've done what we just set out to do
    Thanks to the lovers
    The dreamers
    And YOUUUUUUUU
     

     

  14. LehvakLah

    Barakki

    By LehvakLah,

    For a blog on a BIONICLE fansite, my Bionicle-related entries have been slim. This one might be the precursor to more to come. Why? I'll tell you why.
     
    I honestly haven't been this excited for sets since I got into Bionicle three years ago. Not since the box sets of 2003 have I wanted new ones so much. Granted, at that time my collection was beginning and thus very slim, so I had been wanting A LOT of sets, but a lot of them are just sitting around on my shelves now. The ones with the least mileage are the 2004 guys, and the one Visorak I own is squished in one of my drawers at home. Avak and his stiff rubber head just didn't do it for me, and if it hadn't been for my roommate I hadn't even considered owning Toa Hahli. I stopped caring about the sets and most of the storyline when the Inika came out (they'll always be Matoran to me. I can't think of them any other way). Instead I focused on trying to collect and play with the 2001-2003 sets. My heart just hasn't left Mata Nui. But the Barakki... I don't know what it was. It could've been the obvious-and-yet-so-orginal designs based off sea life, or the descriptions that GregF provided for us. But as soon as I set eyes on these underwater warlords, they had totally captured my interest all over again.
     
    The Barakki are refreshingly new, fulfilling a lot of what Bionicle fans have been asking for. Six totally unique sets, as un-clonelike as we've seen in any canister set since the 2001 Toa. A return of bright colors and new colorschemes, new pieces and old pieces reused (liftarm in Ehlek, Rahkshi feet in Carapar, anyone?). Sure they don't in any way look like they have Kanohi, but they just look so cool otherwise that that can be forgiven. Those sharp little barbs and teeth are proper touches, and what I'm especially drawn to is how they've been designed resemble the animal each represents, but they're still stylized enough to look BIONICLE (Carapar bulked with armor and Mantax broadshouldered like a manta ray's hood, while Takadox and Ehlek are skinny and slick.)
     
    They're not perfect either but I'm not in the mood to complain right now. I am putting Takadox on my Hannuka wishlist though. Glow-in-the-dark sealed the deal.
     

     
    Mandibles! Gawsh.
     

  15. LehvakLah

    Thweet

    By LehvakLah,

    This year's haul:
     
    -As requested, one manual orange juicer of less than stellar quality. Not quite the lever-puller I had in mind, but it squeezes oranges (dully), so I'm at least thankful.
     
    -A lovely new t-shirt.
     
    -Five phonecalls, three of them sang.
     
    -Two books; a graphic novel by a New Yorker Cartoonist called Cancer Vixen, and a very rare unedited prereleased copy of Scott McCloud's Making Comics.
     
    -Five exquisite cupcakes, four manhandled so horribly that they'd fused into a solid lump of sugar so thick it's toxic. The other cupcake was a "red velvet" flavor which, after being eaten, made my gums look like they'd been flossed with barbed wire.
     
    -Banana pudding so godly that I will not tell ANYONE ELSE where in New York you can find it because it's such a tastebud rave.
     
    -$75 Barnes and Noble gift card for me to indulge in my newfound love of Jeff Smith's Bone. (All three of the aforementioned gifts were courteousy of my best friend who I'm just pleased as punch that she chose to go to college in NYC as well. Better get started on her birthday gifts now...)
     
    -Two mint chocolate chip dipped pretzel sticks wrapped in green and brown ribbon, made by a women owned-and-operated confectionary.
     
    -Hand soap, hand sanitizer, and Toa Hahli, which under most other circumstances I wouldn't have even bothered to buy. ERICA YOU'RE THE BEST ROOMMATE EVER!
     
    -A small Warhammer figurine of a guy on a horse with a banner, which I still have to finish painting purple. Thanks, Pekel.
     
    -A beautiful hand drawn comic by my sister. It was something like a prophetic tapestry in the way it depicted the party that was about to take place, and that my two best friends would surprise me unbeknownst to me but knownst to everyone else who had interpreted the tapestry's cryptic heirobabble.
     
    -Despite the rift that's come between them, my two friends sucked it up for my birthday, and that meant the world to me. With any luck they'll work things out now that they've had the time to get along during the party.
     
    -Surprise party with the best homemade spread and cucumbers ever!
     
    And lots and lots of great birthday wishes which, as per tradition and genetics, I'm late in acknowledging. So thanks for all the great birthday wishes from everyone. It was a great birthday.
     

  17. LehvakLah
    Wanna hear about my awesome coincidence of the day? Okay so I was walking the several blocks between my evening class to the subway and I passed by the other kind of Subway (the sandwhich emporium) which has a musical speaker mounted above the doorway. I've never noticed it there before, or that it played music at night, but tonight it was playing "99 Luftballons" by Nena (original German). I was like woah, that's one of my favorite songs! Then I get on the subway, and as I move to one of the seats that lets me ride backwards, I see a girl holding a red balloon. Out of all the cars on all the subways in all of NYC, and she's right there. Cool, right?
     
    The best part is that I was wearing this shirt.
     
    In other news, it's October, and I have two weeks left to say I'm 18 and that I'll be 20 next year. A terrifying thought. The problem with living in the city is that the trees don't seem to explode into color at this time of year. They mostly just go from green to dead brown and fall off. I haven't been to Central Park yet to see how things are there, but I'm going to be severely disappointed if I don't get to stare out at an ocean of reds, yellows and oranges again this year. Or miss out on the crispness of the air, and what with all the nasty cigarette odors within every square foot of this city, I really can't afford to.
     
    But hey, balloons!
     

     

  19. LehvakLah

    Mask

    By LehvakLah,

    I will draw you many nice pictures if you give me money for them, which will then be used to buy this work of art that I saw at the Renn Faire last week:
     

     
    I will also be your best friend FOREVER.
     

  20. LehvakLah
    It's my sister's Bat Mitzvah and she survived the most important grueling part! She was a little choppy at the Hebrew but she didn't screw up her speech and didn't wave to too many people in front of the whole congregation and now it's over and it's time to par-tay!
     
    However, I haven't written a speech and because I collapsed on the couch when we got home from the services, I have about thirty minutes to throw one together. It's really horribly pathetic that I can't think of anything to write about other than all the dumb, pestering things she's said or done. It's not required but I figure after almost 13 years of being related, I kind of owe her.
     
    okaygottarunbye!
     

  23. LehvakLah
    He always seemed so... invincible. The man handled nature's deadliest creatures and not even the risk of losing a limb, or his life, stopped him; he always bounced back with a "crikey!" and a smile. I can’t believe he’s gone. People have slandered him in the past (some still are now), but I truly think the world would be a better place if there were more Steve Irwins to go around - not just in profession, but in persona as well. He was such a dedicated environmentalist, and he was passionate and energetic about what he did, but he also respected nature and animals and helped other people to understand and respect them as well.
     
    Rest in peace, Steve Irwin.
     

     
  24. LehvakLah

    Tasty

    By LehvakLah,

    For one dollar and ten sweet minutes of taste-bud tangoing, it's so worth the repetitive jingle and the noxious truck fumes and crossing the searing street barefoot.
     
    (FYI, the joke on the stick is "What's the most important thing you need to go skateboarding?"
     
    (The answer is: a skateboard. DUH!)
     

  25. LehvakLah

    All Moved In

    By LehvakLah,

    Coming to you live from my brand new Brooklyn dorm, singing TMBG songs with my brand new roommate (who's about fifty times better than my roommates from last year), eating peanut butter Ritz Bitz sandwiches and pounding the keys on my once-was-brand-new laptop. We have one lamp (brought from home) and one minifridge and two windows with an excellent view. I walked into the bathroom and exclaimed in shock"this is a college dorm bathroom?" because it's more like a bathroom and less like a water closet. It's kinda cold from the AC but it's very nice and spacious and there's so much room on the walls to put things. The ceiling is so high! And the best part is that there's a poooolll...
     
    And classes don't start until Tuesday.
     
    And look what else I got!
     
    (And I'll put up photos of my poster soon. Honest.)
     

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