Drunk #18

Another installment in the Drunk Series.

And also, post #415. Unf unf unf unf unf!

2D3

Getting a little bit better with the Bamboo Capture as time progresses. I made sure that I did fair bit of reading before purchasing it.  It’s a good policy to have when purchasing electronics. I read that the secret to mastering the drawing tablet is lots and lots of practice.

The thing with this device is that it uses an absolute coordinate system. It’s vastly different than the mouse in that the mouse uses a relative positioning system, where lifting the mouse off the table’s surface allows you to reposition the cursor. With the Bamboo tablet, clicking on the center of the tablet will place the cursor at the center of your screen.

Many people claim to have problems with the nibs wearing out too fast. Mine still has yet to show any signs of excessive wear. I’ve done a little bit of preventative maintenance by attaching a layer of gift-wrapping paper on the surface of the tablet.  (Note: You don’t have to use gift-wrapping paper specifically. It’s just what I hand on-hand at the time. I’ll probably replace it with cellophane next week). This accomplishes two things:

1. It makes the drawing surface smoother, and thus greatly reduces the friction incurred on the nib while drawing.

2. It protects the tablet itself from the nib scraping up against it.

I’m liking the Bamboo Capture so far. It’s a very capable drawing tablet and I don’t regret purchasing it. I’m starting to sound like a Wacom Bamboo salesman by promoting it, but who cares. If it’s a good product then it deserves lots of praise.

Just in case anybody needs to know, you can use your mouse along with your drawing tablet. There are no I/O conflicts what-so-ever by using these two devices in tandem. (As far as I know at least)

Half Baked

…Way too much fun.

Supporters claim that because alcohol is much more dangerous than pot, that pot should be decriminalized.

It’s like a fresh lesbian convert saying she fails at being a woman, so she converted.  It’s like chucking a grenade at a mosquito net at point blank range. It’s like painting a ghillie suit bright fuschia.

It’s as if the downsides to alcoholism weren’t bad enough, people have to double down and decriminalize weed.

Idiots. Idiots everywhere.

The Bamboo Capture

The Review

Just got one of these puppies and man, it has made life so much easier.  Many illustrators will agree with me that drawing with a mouse is absolutely frustrating.  For months I’ve been dreaming of getting one of these just to see what it was like.  Scanning takes too much time, and coloring is a pain.  This eliminates all the hassle, and it makes drawing as easy as 1,2,3.  Suffice it to say, I’m very pleased with my purchase.  A lot of people recommended getting the bigger and more expensive Bamboo Create, and to tell you a true story, as I was picking this one up,  a box containing the Bamboo Create leaped out at me, (as if by some supernatural force, it was telling me to buy it).   I thought, yeah, I could do that, but it’s a better idea to familiarize myself first with drawing tablets before buying a huge expensive one.

The bamboo capture comes with 4 programmable buttons and 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. The stylus pen that comes with it has 2 programmable buttons. (makes it a lot easier to erase things on-screen as opposed to using the more expensive stylus pens with the erasers built in)

The stylus pen comes with 3 extra nibs.

The cord is a microUSB to USB cord. It’s 3 feet long.  Kinda short. I use a cord extender for convenience.  The Capture is Wi-Fi ready, but it’s a separate purchase from the Wacom Website. (Wi-fi module)

Software

Photoshop Elements and Autodesk Sketchbook Express are included.

Bamboo

Here are the 3 different kinds of Bamboo tablets.  All 3 of them were released just very recently. I believe it was November of 2011 when Wacom started selling these.

Bamboo Connect $65-$75.     Active area: 5.8 in x 3.6 in.   Multi-touch: N/A.  Pressure sensitivity: 1024.  Programmable buttons:N/A.

Bamboo Capture $90-$99.   Active area:  5.8 in x 3.6 in. Multi-touch: yes. Pressure sensitivity: 1024. Programmable buttons: yes.

Bamboo Create  $190-$200. Active area: 8.5 in x 5.4 in. Multi-touch: yes. Pressure sensitivity: 1024. Programmable buttons: yes.    Stylus pen w/ Eraser: Yes

Test Run

A couple of quick sketches I did on the Capture.

So much fun. I’m still trying to get used to using a drawing tablet, hence all the gnarly lines. It’s like having to learn how to draw all over again. It’s worth it.

CNN Doesn’t Bother to Hide the Fact They’re Concealing the Truth Anymore

Ha haaah! Just in time for Christmas!

The biggest disappointment anyone could ever experience is losing respect for someone, or something that never used to display disreputable behavior. Case in point, when news giants such as Fox or MSNBC peddle their very special brands of political misdirection, they make it overtly clear that they’re there to convert you. CNN however passes their product off as “fair and balanced.”

“The Worldwide Leader in News.”

“CNN=Politics.”

Very recently they aired a video of an interview they did with Ron Paul where they sort-of implied that Ron Paul cut an interview short and walked off on Gloria Borger.  You know how CNN does it: they press the issue until they get the interviewees to say what the producers ordered the reporters to get, otherwise they don’t cut to the next segment.

Here’s the edited video

You can see Borger visibly strain to keep a straight face as Wolf Blitzer forces her lie on air.

Here’s the real video. Unedited.

In the uncut video, Ron Paul answered Borger’s questions twice. He even referred to past interviews where he answered those same questions. The interview ended before Ron Paul took off his mic, then Borger insisted that he answer the questions again as if she was briefly overcome with localized amnesia.  Then CNN edited and aired the video, cutting approximately 30 seconds out to make it look like Ron Paul walked off the interview.

It’s one of the biggest reasons news enthusiasts around the world should stop watching CNN. They’re not there to deliver to you the news, rather they’re there to sell you airtime. I stopped watching ever since they botched up their coverage on Occupy Wallstreet, the G20 summit, and Libya.  Not to mention all the other careless omissions they’ve done on AIPAC, Eric Cantor, Chris Christie and Cisco.

Like on topics which they know people will already have their minds set on, yet they’ll pose the question as if the topic is still fresh and edgy.  Topics such as Michelle Bachmann vs her chances of winning the Republican race. People from both camps will undoubtedly be adamant on their viewpoints, but if it gets people riled up, and CNN benefits from it through increased viewership, it’s ethically CNN.

Stay sober this year folks and have a Merry Christmas!

Saint’s Row: The Third

It’s like Digital Empire writing a blog post on the Digital Empire blog. You know it’s gonna be fun.

I was a bit skeptical at first thinking that it would be based on the same premise and game mechanics as Grand Theft Auto 4, but after previewing the game through several videos, I’m firmly convinced that Saint’s Row: The Third is awesome.

I found a great series of videos to show just what I’m talking about.

Where GTA4 excels in gritty realism, SR3 excels unfettered visceral mischief.

What Am I Looking at CNN?

Has anyone ever said to you that Washington D.C. was in Seattle?

That’s not Cannes, France!  That’s more like Gijon, Spain!

Also:

Always trying to look cool in front of the 25-30 demographic…

C’mon CNN, these kinds of mistakes are completely avoidable.     I’m thinking: chest salute!

GTA5 Trailer is UP! DC Universe Online is Now Free to Play

Looks f’in great.

DCUO is now free to play.  The game is available for both the PC and the PS3.  PS3 players can get it at the PlayStation store, and PC users can download the game at the DC Universe Online website.

Somebody Slipped Cocaine into Rick Perry’s Make-up

Or, this is what happens when you work 12 hour shifts at a  meth lab lumber mill.

It’s obvious somebody drugged him. I wonder how his campaign team will handle this.

Editor’s note: It’s shows like Maddow’s that make me appreciate the deadpan and often droll broadcasting style at CNN.

Halloween Costumes!

Halloween is always fun. It brings out the creativity in people. A gallery of cool costumes.