Category: Conspirators

Dear gentle reader: this blog has been operating continuously since I was a teenager. The writing below is at least a decade old. In that time every molecule of my body has been replaced, along with many foolish ideas and flighty beliefs. I want to keep some of those things public out of an honesty and humility I owe the world. I trust you to carry that context with you.

May 17, 2004 /

Ken, Maria and I rolled down to l’Centre on Saturday to coo over Lisa’s senior show, which was all very massive color-gradient glass pieces, and awesome. I can’t really describe them to you–she has a couple pics up, but seeing them in three dimensions and with more light was much better.

The next day, Maria and I argued over whether or not I am indie–something for which I vaguely hope, but never considered myself cool enough to achieve. She pointed out that in addition to my mild but distinguished collection of obscure t-shirts, I do know two glassblowers, and that’s some solid cred there. I should have known that in the indie world, friends are primarily status symbols and tools to an end. (And for the record, Maria used to date a rock star, so I’m pretty much never going to be indier than she is.)

Stop Putting Shit in the Coffee

May 9, 2004 /

It’s a grand and venerable tradition, the exclamation of “That Would Be a Great Name for a Band.” It dates back nearly to middle school, when I was getting really into Dave Barry, learning–along with the rest of my generation–to listen for the perfect combination of nonsense with which to someday label our cathartic college noise.

But, as I’ve got four very good band names and don’t anticipate the need for any more, I have to concede that Stephen’s friend Nivolas has an excellent point. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to move on… to ridiculous names for horses.

Maria is responsible for basically all of this

May 3, 2004 /

I got four Hellboys, two Supermans, a tombstone, a whoopee cushion and Graeter’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake. I had a gonzo adventure with my friends and we drove off a cliff. I ate two orders of the best ribs in the universe. I won eighteen zillion games of Crimson Skies.

I have to invent a final project from thin air tonight and turn it in tomorrow, but I had a very good birthday.

April 25, 2004 /

Das Lisenstein came over yesterday to be Warioed and Starfoxed and watch a bunch of Captain Power episodes that she left in Rodes 2. Captain Power made a pretty strong impression on me at age 6, largely because I was fascinated by the fact that you could use the (expensive) toys to shoot at the screen, and the screen would shoot back.

I never had the toys, of course, and in fact didn’t watch many of the episodes; I’m not sure I would have liked it that much, since some of what we watched would probably have been a little over my 6-year-old head. The episodes dealt with themes of brainwashing, dead children and torture, among other things, and apparently this is part of the reason it was only on for one year.

Also, I got a sneaking suspicion after one character (“Tank”) mentioned offhand that he was a product of genetic engineering from Babylon 5 (and yet was also, somehow, “from the streets”). And as it turns out, J. Michael Straczynski wrote several episodes. Checking his IMDB entry reveals that he also wrote a bunch for the He-Man, She-Ra, Wheeled Warriors and Ghostbusters cartoons.

It’s like the entire trend in toy-driven 80s cartoons can be traced back to one guy! Not to mention half of what probably makes up my subconscious value system. For instance, the deep belief that Brian Hynek sucked, because he had the Captain Power toys, and I didn’t.

It’s getting to be less “luck” and more “frightening skill”

April 13, 2004 /

Maria won Illuminati again. Sean and I (we were playing teams) were one card away from victory, playing as the Bermuda Triangle and with the Orbital Mind Control Lasers already in our grasp, and we rolled an 11 and she won. I hate the stupid Discordians.

It was still pretty much the best power structure, and the fastest, I’ve ever built. We probably committed the classic error of looking too dangerous early on. Also, Maria wants me to tell you that her brother Michael was her partner, but we all know it was her heathen luck that carried the day.

April 7, 2004 /

Barry Smith has proposed May Day as 24-Hour Webcomic Day, and I really want to participate. I have a physical need to draw comics again, and I can’t seem to make the opportunities happen, so maybe this will help. I could finally wrap up the neverending “Fire” arc in Xorph and maybe even start the next one. Also, it’s the weekend before my birthday, which means I get to punish myself for being old, and Maria’s going to be cramming for exams anyway–it’s nice to have company (Solitary Confinement notwithstanding).

What I’d really like is to do it with a couple of other comics people, but I don’t see that happening, since my comics people friends are scattered far and wee. I wonder if AIM supports multiple-voice chat. Or if you can do a comics jam on a train.

(For the record, no, I couldn’t do the real 24 Hour Comics Day even if there were a host store in Louisville; apparently all my finals are on April 26th.)

April 1, 2004 /

Lately, with the absence of Captain Rodchester, Tuesday Night Basketball has transitioned to a kind of Weekly Illuminati Night, Where Maria Always Wins. That’s right. Maria has won every single one of our (three) games, including the first one, when she’d never laid hands on it before. I hate Maria.

Expect a spate of posts about Illuminati now, in the fashion of many geeks when just getting into Illuminati. Also, I’ll probably complain about the Society of Assassins, whom I apparently draw 75% of the time, and whom I am growing to hate. Assassins suck. Give me the Bermuda Triangle.

Secret Conspiracy Update: If you google for “steve jackson” illuminati, this ISP in Austin comes up as like the second result, despite the fact that they in no way mention either a) “steve jackson” or b) Illuminati. Dun dun DUNNN!

Okay, I’m not sure what that proves.