Blog From the Breakroom

So a few weeks turned into 56...  I can't believe it's been that long.   I thank all of you that haven't just deleted me outright and for those new people who keep adding on.

I wanted to say hello after all this time to my readers and hope that if you've gone through the old comics you've found something to laugh at.  I certainly meant everything to be funny. lol  Still, some said they were a start, no matter how weak it was.  I wanted to feel like I was accomplishing a great deal.  Instead what I accomplished was burning myself out.

Last year, when i quit doing the comic, we had just been dealing with the after-effects of having the car wrecked.  That was a problem in the extreme.  And above all I let a lot of that get heaped onto what I was already feeling.  What I was feeling was that my grandfather just died.  My wife's grandmother just died the month before that, which is why I started the comic in the first place.  More on that momentarily.  It seemed like the more we got ahead, the worse something would come and wreck us.  Truth of the matter is that instead of just fueling it to a bigger and more creative endeavor, I let it become the thing that took me out of the one creative thing I was doing.  Yeah, some of you might look at this and wonder how much creativity there really is to it.  I looked for a quick fix and to stamp my name out there.  Despite trying to make friends in the webcomics field, most people just nodded politely in public and ignored me online.  I actually have to thank Brad Guigar for not being one of those that actually shunned me.   Like I said, I allowed a bunch of little crap kill me from wanting to do this, and for no good reason. 

Now, back onto the inspiration.  When I was 12 I knew exactly what I wanted to be.  I'd draw something, and my grandpa told me to go and try something out of my comics.  I had them there, may as well try and draw something worth it from those.  I fully agreed and while my art was shaky as all hell, I started.  I loved it, so much so that I never let a pencil out of my hand for years.  Alex Ross further inspired me to keep drawing and become something.  I wanted to draw comic books and I would've given anything to be able to do it.  Well, eventually I didn't see the whole comic thing happening.  I don't know why, but I just couldn't get the full gumption to do a 20 to 40 page book of art and write a story too.  Seemed like I was doing a lot and despite friends wanting to help, their lives got in the way as much as mine did.  It was at that time I discovered my next inspiration in a man by the name of Scott Kurtz.  Webcomics!  That was it!  I knew it was and this guy, much like Alex Ross before him, was gonna lead my charge.  I read every strip of PVP at least 4 times.  It still is a great strip, though I do miss Tales by Tavernlight.  Ding is fun, but it ain't the same.  Although, I wouldn't mind seeing Binwin run into Moe.

Anyway, it was my grandpa that really set that road up for me, and my friends further fueled the want to do a webcomic about the adventures of the crew I hung out with.  The problem is that there's a lot of real stories that I haven't told as to not offend some of the cast members, because some of the stuff wasn't funny nor particulary a great memory to have.  However, part of me has wanted to go back and tell it the right way with my crude pencils to illustrate the adventure.  Not a tale of 100% accuracy, because one person's perspective isn't the full truth.  It's only his perception.  So let me retract that by saying it's 100% accurate by my viewpoint.  However it's only a fraction right by the whole story of everyone who was there.  In any case, it's a story that I figured people would get a kick out of and identify with so I wanted to do it.  Talked about it for years.  It wasn't until my grandpa was dying that I realized how much I needed to do it, because in all the years I had talked about it, I never did anything about it.  That was painful by far. And with my wife's grandmother having passed on, I felt it only right that I should try and do something that would make my wife as happy as I was.  All her grandma wanted from me and her was happiness and success.  In hers, my grandfathers, my mothers, my friends, my wifes, and my honor I decided to give it a go. 

For a year put down a comic and for that one year I felt great about the fact that I had really accomplished a goal of some sort.  However, as I started to see some of the reviews, the things that kept creeping up, and going back over the material I just didn't find it funny anymore.  Truthfully, there was a bit of disappointment that I hadn't told the story right and that you might've found it funnier if I had.  But these are thoughts I have yet to fully go through.  So the question is that when I finally come back to it, is anyone going to be there to read it?  Is anyone gonna care?  Most importantly, am I gonna care?  That's always a question.

This year I've got some really hard thinking to do and some questions I'm going to have to ask some friends of mine.  I really want to tell the identifiable tale.  The one that everyone understands and the message that they're not alone.  It's funny, but it's also dark, and sometimes sad.  It's definitely finite as far as the college stuff goes.  However, the story on my end still continues.

Other projects, I'm currently outlining a story for Novermber's NANOWRIMO.  National Novel Writing Month in case you were curious.  I did this last year to feel some creativity coursing through my veins.  I posted it as a fan fiction: Black Adam: Adam, Out of Egypt.  I'm thinking of reposting it here.  Forgive the grammar.  Of course if you've read this far then you'll survive through it hopefully.  It's set in a fan fiction universe of the DCU that I've cobbled together.  I started it with a fan fiction I was doing called Action Fan Fic.  Something I didn't finish either.  Still, in the same vain as that, I'm writing a Justice League story.  Wish me luck.

In any case, thank you all for sticking with me on this.  I hope to hear from you all.  Thank you for your time.

Jeremy "Big Dog" Scott

I guess you've seen this morning's post....

Last night I decided by some divine providence that I needed to hand draw SFTB and put it out there for the world to see.  As you can probably tell it wasn't the prettiest of my creations, but I had to give it the attempt.  What this tells me is that I've got to keep trying at it, that is when I have all my supplies back. lol  It seems as if to mock me just a little I ran out of ink for my inking pen which is why I was having problems with some of the outlining quality...yeah, that's the only reason (cough cough out of practice cough cough) so when I went to do fills I needed to find another pen in which to do it with.  

The project was rushed, it was impulsive, it looks it in alot of ways, and I couldn't be prouder to actually have it up.   I'm expanding my horizons on the comic scene.  It's not enough anymore to just put one out there, I want to explore different things with it and find some uncomfort in my work.  If there is that element then it'll make me a better creator.  That's why ultimately this is one of my proudest moments.  SFTB reached 300 only last week and I just want to shake up the status quo.  Make it the comic I always intended it to be and not the comic that it has become.  I hope all of you will be onboard with that and show some support.  Thanks for being there for me this long!

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

Hey people!

It's been awhile since I actually used SFTB for a blogging.  Normally I use sftb.livejournal.com for such matters, and I will repost this there for fans that aren't on MySpace. (There are a few of those). 

Now the reason I've decided to put up a third post for the night is because I've added on a new friend called Colleges & Universities. It's taken residence on the top friends list (sorry Kat, this is kinda important.  I think you understand. lol  Yeah, like we're the best of friend here!)

Friday I took the day off to rest and relax, when I started going through the page. I realized that I had several comic shops/artist/writers/fansites and even a few comic fans, but supporting and being supported by all these people were only half of what this comic is about.   Ultimately, this is a comic about college .   Yeah, I know I just gave the 'duh' statement of the week.  I just wanted to point out though that despite some of the storylines I've told, I'm actually quite fond of my college days.  It was so important to me because it's where I made so many friends, learned things I was dying to, and ultimately gave me enough fun experiences to come up with a 5 times a week comic.

Now that C&U is on the page I strongly urge those that are coming of college age to check it out and follow whatever link possible to a college or university near you.  Sure it's not always fun, it can be a life changing experience.  I encourage all of those that are deciding if they want to go or not to do so.  I don't know that you'd thank me, but IMHO it's all worthwhile.  I think you'd agree.

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

So it's been forever since the last time I posted anything.  Well over a month now!

I can only say that my paying job keeps me busy, while I only have time to do my career stuff on the side.  So something usually got cut and it was the blog that suffered.  But I live still!  And now it's time to talk about recent events in the comic...

To the fan community what I say is no surprise; Dave Stevens, the creator of the Rocketeer passed away. 

 

Last night my wife and watched last seasons finale and the this seasons openers to Gene Simmons Family Jewels.  Yeah, I hate reality TV! But it's Gene!

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's been so long, and I promise I'll update more.  I just wanted to say thanks for the one year milestone for all those that stuck with me.  I'm still working on bigger and better and hope that you'll stick with us through that!

Best wishes for your dreams to come true,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

And so another has joined our already brimming full crew...

What can I say about the fact that I've pretty much been absent from posting recently?

There is a rule in which we fans should learn when meeting with our heroes or stars.

So there's Joe making a movie, and there he is standing in the background so patiently.

The camera's weren't rolling, but there was Fanman be questioned by Chip as to why he's not participating. Readers of this blog will have had their answer by now so we won't have to worry about that. However, in those moments when no one's looking or just out of earshot Fanman will surprise us with something unexpected. That's just how he is. Has been since I've known him, and generally looks to the sky with a coy look on his face that says I didn't do anything, and I'll probably do it again.

But still, in the background is an actor that I put into shot the last time I had Joe making a movie. The actor in question is Wilford Brimley. Now you might ask why the hell I'd put Wilford Brimley in the comic, well wait a damn minute and I'll tell you!

It started a few years back when Fanman and I were talking about movies. We went through a ton which we loved and others which we hated. He and I have a great deal in common and a great deal that we've just agreed to disagree. The subject got onto Ron Howard and he said that Ron was pretty hit and miss with him. Cocoon got brought up and he managed to get out that he hated the film and that Wilford Brimley was a big part of that. He then went on to say that Brimley seemed to be in everything he watched no matter what it was. He turned on the TV and there he's be wandering around. I was laughing my ass off. I figured it was so funny in fact that I would slip him in somewhere when Joe ever did a film. Somewhere Wilford Brimley would pop up.

Right after I posted the comic with Wilford I got response saying that the people they always see popping up ranged from Brian Dennehy, Samuel L. Jackson, and Pee-Wee Herman. So I did a comic involving them coming down on Wilford for getting his appearance and mention when they got nothing. Not some of my finest work there. But I think it was mildly amusing. Especially since it came down to "those motherf*(#in' oats, in that motherf*(#in' bowl." Some days it's hard to write a joke...

Anyway, gotta run. Wilford is demanding a bigger dressing room.

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

I can hear it, "When are they going to get to the convention?"

The answer is surprisingly very quickly. As of today's comic I've shown that Mike's deep into the comic phase where he's blowing money left and right to figure out where a story's going. Little does he realize that conventions actually cost, and cost alot.

Do you know what happens at a convention? Let's take the average fanboy to the con, shall we?

1. Our intrepid fan finds what little gas money he can wrangle to go. Yeah, that money's pretty much coming out of his comic fund. That sucks, it was going towards that TPB (Trade Paperback for those who don't know) on stuff you can't really get your hands on anymore. And let's face it, have you seen the price of gas recently? You are SCREWED pal, no friendly way to put that.

2. While you're getting gas you want munchies and a drink. There goes that next issue of a comic you hate, but pick up anyway because you rather bitch than to put it down and have nothing to talk about with your other fanboy friends.

3. When you get to the con you realize you've showed up fashionably early because you want to be there when it first opens. This way you can get to see the stars that they've invited. You can finally get that autograph you've wanted from Dave Prowse or Peter Mayhew. But when the doors open you find you need to pay money for the stamp that says you can get in. That varies and for some fans that means paying the $20 to get a speed pass to see these icons quicker than everyone else that got general admission.

4. Here comes the autographs. I've seen them as low as 10, but that was for some actor whose is so obscure that maybe 5 people will visit him just because they have the extra and feel sorry. You can tell at a convention that holds hundreds or thousands, this isn't a common feeling shared by many. However you find the ones that you want, and guess what they're more like 20 or 30 bucks. And if they're really big and popular in today's movies they're charging more! Yeah, I've seen 'em charge upwards of 50 to 75, and I know that there's others that charge more.

5. After blowing God knows how much from you already dry cash flow, then comes the dealers rooms. Comics, toys, t-shirts, swords (yeah, they're there), props, patches, pins, did I mention comics? Many by this stage have already blown their inheritance, but there are those that still have that extra $100 that was supposed to go to something else. Was it rent? Was it food? Who the hell cares! (Although, a burrito does sound good! I'll save a few bucks, for after the Con. Taco Bell is right down the road!) So you go through the room picking up that graphic novel you were going to put off because of the gas. Now you got it for 5 bucks cheaper! That means more money's going to go for other things. By the time you get out of there you've blown most if not all of the hundred. Guaranteed your burrito isn't going to happen. And you better hope with all of your heart and soul that you've saved enough money to get gas or at least thought ahead to get enough to last the trip and back!

Yes, these are the lessons that will soon plague our intrepid new fanboy, Mike. Luckily most fanboys when learning of a Con will have saved up for it well in advance. Some however don't and they know how to balance what money they can scrape up between food, gas, and swag. The lessons above are for the new generation that have no idea what the hell they're getting into.

As to Mike, I did a bit of something for a "Boredom Leads to Fandom" bit. Except I don't think this truly fits into that. More like "A Gag Lead To This"!



Don't kill me Mike!

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

It was difficult to think up what Mike would want to dress up as.

In the long run I wanted to go with something outside the realm of Star Trek or Star Wars as I've got Joe dressed up as a Jedi, Big Dog and Bubba dressed up in Starfleet attire, and Chip dressed up like a Borg. Sure it's a bit Star Trek heavy, but it's been something influencing me recently so I'm going with that. So yesterday I kept thinking to myself what would be good for this. And I kept going over and over in my head that the thing I wanted to do. So I decided to look the 2 feet to my left and asked him what he thought.

The overall comic idea was something I did way back when during college. If I still had the scans and such I'd show them to you, but basically I had a character created for class that I called Low Pockets. It was sort of a cheap and cheesy thing I did to get a grade, though I enjoyed the hell out of it. Basically I had 4 panels and a big 5th panel intro taking the character through several different Halloween costume changes before deciding his original look was better suited to him. So when thinking of doing this for Mike, I had a better reason and knew he wasn't just gonna go as Mike to this Con.

When I asked Mike I already knew he was gonna look like Vader for one panel and that he wouldn't accept it because it hid all his "charm". But I didn't know what the end result was going to lead to. He suggested the Smurf thing because he thought it would be hilarious to see him dressed up as one saying that once he saw himself in the mirror and understood what it was he was supposed to be he'd want to kill me for it. Knowing full well I'd be the one to slip it into his costume choices. So with that he said, you know I'd like to go as Hellboy. Knowing Mike, I knew this would be the perfect choice for him. He's definitely that kinda guy.

The real Mike is a whiz with make-up. He's come dressed up for Halloween in various attire and generally scared the absolute hell out of everybody. With his gracious permission I've been allowed to show you what he looked like 1 Halloween a few years back. He claims this to not be one of his better attempts, looks damn good to me. Hopefully you'll agree.



Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

So here I was thinking there isn't much to say today.

I still feel that way to a degree, but I figure I'd just say that the convention portion of The Real Fanboys is coming. In spirit of that, the guys are going to dress up in costumes with one exception. Fanman's going to remain behind the scenes of the movie. Now you're going to ask me why, right?

It all starts by saying this, the man hates cameras. That's it in a nutshell. Any reason you could have for it is nullified by that. He hates being in front of them with a passion. However, it's to be noted for a good cause he'll get in front of one. But only for a good reason. And I've rarely seen the reason come forward.

I know what you're going to say, "It's a comic! The real guy isn't gonna care!" While I do have some degree of control over the comic Fanman, the real one still sits there in the back of my mind prodding me, saying it's against his nature. The Fanboy News stuff aside as a joke (because he does send out the emails telling his friends what goes on in the fandom world) I can't just shove him in front of the camera like that, costume or not. Maybe one of these days if I get a reason why he might, then I'll do it. I know, it's weird. It doesn't matter because it's convention time! The others will be touting their stuff with glory!

Anyway, I thought for a SFTB Bonus (I think I'll just keep them going under the title Boredom Leads To Fandom) I'm including a pic of Mike I did awhile back with the same Borg outfit that Chip is wearing today. It was fun doing this as a gag. It actually hangs in Mike's cubical (heh...cube). A comic creator couldn't be happier than that. Well, except when making big bucks for his creation. Aside from that, I couldn't be happier. LOL

Catch ya in the Borgroom!

Jeremy "Big Dog"

If you're a fanperson (I can't believe I went there) then you're well aware of the dangers of comic buying.

When a fanboy or fangirl first get initiated into the genre at first it's only a few comics that interest them. Let's take myself for example. I'd collected a few random issues of things, but I started really reading just shortly after the Death of Superman. I grabbed the trade of it, then collected the Funeral storyline, and then the Reign of the Supermen line that followed that. However the first major multi-title crossover came along. With that I ended up reading Zero Hour and the subsequent things that tied into it. Anyone that was there for that (I'd be surprised to see who right now, except you Fanman...I know you were there) will know how many books really came out in that line. It was a freakin' nightmare of the pocketbook.

From those comics I started noticing things that I wanted to read just as much of. Green Lantern, Justice League (which had 2 titles at that point, just coming down from 4 I think), Green Arrow, Steel, Superboy, the list goes on and on. That's not to mention all the sideline stuff that I was interested in reading. I had a fascination with Wonder Woman because the red head in the costume didn't look right. At the time I would've died to meet the person that could've fit the model of her, but as WW she didn't seem right. Soon my 10 to 20 dollar comic obsession became more like 100 dollars a week. And that's not including toy lines, hardcover books, posters, statues. It gets to be an addiction of the grandest design. And you know what the sad fact was? I started picking them up on a whim because I wanted to learn how to draw and used them as my guide. Thanks to the X-Crossover "X-cutioners Song" I knew there were stories to be had in comics. But the truth fo the matter was I largely just regarded the art styles as something emulate. I started reading more and more of the stuff and round a deep rooted love for the characters and their personal relationships. All that had changed in the rich history that the DC heroes had grown up in.

So today Mike tries to get the girl and she slams him down with "you have no idea what it's like to be one of us." I like to think that the comic she's manhandling without any sort of care is Pokemon or something else I don't like. We're going to assume it's a manga of some sort or so as not to offend anyone let's say a Rob Liefeld comic! (Hey, I know I might not be a fan of anime/manga, but I've yet to meet a Liefeld fan. Sorry if you are, you'd be the first I've known!) In any case Mike decides that in order to know this girl (and probably any others) he needs to shell out a few bucks to support the comic arts. Stay tuned to see how that goes!

Gotta run, Rob Liefeld wants to hurt me with bad drawings of Capt. America!

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

There are three types of fangirl in this world.

There are the ones that don't look like they belong in a comic shop, those that very much do, and others that try and emulate their favorite comic (generally Manga) by dressing like their favorite characters.

The first type have a certain geekiness look to 'em. That look that says, "Yeah, you like comics." Not that this makes them unattractive. It's just they've downplayed their style to that of your average fanboy which means wearing a hero's emblem emblazoned on their chest or other clothing. When talking heroes and storylines with them they tend to be more like Fanman and myself in that they know what the hell they're saying and will battle you like a damn dragon protecting it's stash. You think you're beating your head into a wall like with any fan, and walk away like you've wasted hours of time for nothing. It isn't until you see them in the shop looking over your recommendations that you realize it might've been for something. These types of fangirl are generally pals to the fanboy when you can get the two to talk. Otherwise it can be a bit volatile when crossing paths.

The second type looks nothing like that and you just stare curious as to why they're in a comic shop. The average fanboy will feel nervous around them and avoid being anywhere near them for the reason that they don't want to sweat all over their newly found paper treasures. In these cases the girls themselves are often aware of the look and (if actual fans) will respect the boundaries and leave the fanboys alone or it could be because the fanboy creeps her out for some reason. These girls are a mystery. I've seen a couple, and not sure how it is that they got into comics in the first place. I never got close enough to ask any of 'em. It's amazing some of the titles they'll wander around, some of the more adult themed books. That is SFMR (Suggest For Mature Readers), meaning that they use language and situations that you won't find Superman in or using. Then again, they'll still pick up that copy of Iron Man sitting on the shelf and discussing with those of their pack the complexities of the character and what they don't like. What can I say? These type aren't very common, but they're out there.

Now let's talk about the third type. This is the type I actually went with, the manga/anime looking fangirl. Let's start this by saying I don't like anime. I've tried, more than once, hell more than 5 times. The costumes never did much for me nor did the animation itself, to say nothing about what I think of the stories. However, when real girls dress up in those outfits it was easy to see where there might be a certain appeal. It still doesn't make me want to watch anime. However, when I was so very single and had no prospects for marriage; God bless 'em one and all for watching and dressing like that. Not that it makes me want to talk to these girls. For the most part they only talk about their passion of anime and how I should be watching it too. Only then could I understand where they were coming from. Yadda, frickin' yadda. The reason I know this is because I made the mistake of actually striking up a conversation with one. Dude...never again. I'm all for follow your passion and I know that I've done alot of the same thing. Matter of fact I'm writing this while wearing my Superman Tee. But to some extremes, the fan mentality gets to be too much. (Sorry to all those that have had to endure it when I got that way. lol)

The reason that I went with this type of fangirl is because to an outsider this might look a bit tempting. As he tries to wind his way around this girl, he will learn that she's got a certain key code in which to actually get into her little circle of trust. In upcoming comics let's see how Mike deals with it.

Gotta go, fangirl coming my way. My hands are sweaty... DAMN! I might damage my comics!

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

Ever since I heard about the movie "Fanboys" oh so long ago I always wanted to do a comic based on it.

It's taken me awhile to think up how I wanted to work this. The answer was in front of my face the entire time in the form of Joe. Our intrepid camera man, director and writer. Hell, he'll probably star in this one too. As will other missing Breakroom cast. As of right now though, we're focused on the 3.

Now that you've read last night's comic let me explain exactly why Mike was chosen as the "non-fan" of the group. Bubba would've worked just as well in some respects. He's not the fanboy that most of the others were, however he did have some fan qualities when it comes to sports memorabilia or even blades (if it sounds a bit dramatic there, it's because he like knives, swords, etc.) In the long run though, this movie was meant to be the stereotypical fanboy film. The one where the fans go nuts over stuff that most people could give a damn about. In this case I thought of Mike.

Now don't get me wrong, Mike doesn't strike me as the typical fanboy, although he is. When you look at him you see a guy that might beat you up and steal your lunch money. When you talk to him you find out that he's actually got this fan quality to him that you just couldn't tell. The adage to never judge a book by it's cover comes to mind. I guess you can't judge a fan by the fact he looks like he might mug you. Come to think of it, when I first met Fanman I wanted to mug him for his KC Superman S-Shield shirt.

Now the setup here is just to get Mike through the whole experience. Lure him in with fangirls and see if he stays for the comics. This of course will lead into other places in the fanworld. How it will end up I don't know yet, but stick around and see. Now I've got to go, there's a few comics sitting on my desk begging to be read.

Catch ya in the Breakroom!

Jeremy "Big Dog"

So I haven't posted anything in a little while. The reason is because I've been working on a project near and dear to me. I've been determined that it was going to get done no matter what, SO my blogging suffered something awful. Tomorrow I promise there will be a blog based on the comic. But without further adieu, here's the finished Enterprise project I've been working on. Hope you like it!

Today Mike made apple sauce out of a computer.

What can I say about MAC's that I didn't yesterday? I've never been fond of them. When I was in school I'd see if I could find an empty MAC lab. The reason was because I wanted to listen to music while I worked. So I'd sneak in, sit down and start getting to work on the multiple programs in which it took to do our projects. Illustrator, Photoshop, and Quark Xpress. (Ah, Quark. How well I knew thee back then.) But the problem was that with all those programs fighting for supremacy of the memory which was allocated as equally as I could to each program (heh... yeah, right!) I had to use a completely different system to actually listen to music. It was a pain in the ass to repeatedly try and find a CD that I didn't want to skip parts over and still be able to concentrate on what I was doing. Sure, it's a personal flaw, but you know what? I would've appreciated it more if I didn't have to scoot between to computers to do what 1 good PC would've allowed me to do.

MAC users usually laugh at PC users, albeit that I know it's true the other way too. Here's the deal though, I've always been happy with the fact that I can upgrade my PC. I was never into having to upgrade my entire computer if the MAC wasn't latest in Apple's innovations. I've heard that this has changed in the last 5 or 6 years, but I've still not heard anything good about them. Well, not necessarily true either, mostly I've heard all the good stuff from MACphiles, no PC user has run up to me with news that they're glad to have switched over. I've been told these are "industry standard", but I just can't seem to get away from my PC. I find them so easy to use and I don't have allocate because it knows how to do it itself.

So I bring Mike in (one of these days I'm going to have to remember to put the ear ring in the correct ear, sorry Mike!) and he shows us what he too thinks of the MAC. This man has been a graphic artist for the better part of 20 years, probably more. He's worked on both types of machine and has given them fair assessments as to what he likes and doesn't like about them. But today I found myself after posting the comic wondering if I'd made a mistake and he truly did like the MAC after all. I sometimes think about these things a bit too late. Well, I turned to Mike and I asked him:

"What do you think of MACs?"

He turned to me with this look of questioning, probably because I've asked him before and just forgot. He mulls the question over a second and then turns to me and says:

"No sir, I don't like it."

What can I say to that? 100% bullseye! Mike read the comic, laughed, and understood why I asked. Big Dog created, Mike approved!

Well, I guess it's time to go back and listen to my IPOD (the shame of it all!)

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"

We were in a school that proclaimed itself High-Tech!

It was pasted all over brochures and assurances from administration that we were the best equipped school because we dealt with the technical vs. just book smarts. I remember my counselor telling me before signing the "Yes, I'm wishing to attend" slot telling me what sort of treat I was in for. How all the software was the latest, how the upgraded hardware was constantly flowing in so like the computer I was working on wouldn't be there for very long before it was upgraded to something that should in all rights run Skynet or something. I cry bullshit!

I walked into the building where 90% of all my courses were being held, looked for these marvels of technological advancement only to find that it held antiquated PC's. There were people in there the first day of classes already working towards trying to get 3D presentations done. They were all seniors trying to get ready for graduation. So as the data was crunching as best it could (and this became more often than anyone there would've liked to admit) there would be little notes saying busy. Many was the time when we'd hear the wails of students as they found out that 24 hours of rendering images came to naught as the drive crashed leaving them without a project. Oh the horrors and screams! I swear there were some people that almost delighted in it.

Now when we weren't downstairs playing with the aged PC's upstairs was another rotted fruit that caused us to whine like children given spinach. These MAC's were above and beyond the slowest invention ever created. We were allocating memory to programs just to get them to run, plus when we went to save to the Zip Drive (Anyone feel old yet with that one?) it would take as much as 15 minutes. That's just to save 1 file providing it wasn't too big in size. Half the time were were asking for Primatene to fix the problem. There were wheezing noises coming from these machines. And the students yelling to hurry up because we had other things we had to get done.

After a year there they finally broke down and bought better MACs (If one could say such without a note of sarcasm or grinning) but sadly left their PC's alone. It wasn't until 2 years after I'd left that the PCs were given their DELL upgrades, and that was because of better funding. I suppose I should've examined those systems a little closer when I went to do the tour. Oh well, I guess that'll teach me for the next time I'm in school.

The computer I'm working on now is getting a bit out of breath. Guess it's time to get the inhaler out.

Catch ya in the Breakroom,

Jeremy "Big Dog"