Oh my god. Laser hair removal is so MUCH pain!

Actually, it's like someone holding a rubber band against your skin, stretching it all the way back, and snapping it--over and over again. So, survivable, but I had to really grit my teeth and whimper through the whole thing. (Fine, maybe I'm a bit of a baby.)

But at least it's over pretty fast. And afterwards, it just feels like you shaved with a razor that was a little too dull, so mostly like razorburn.

And it's essential, since hormones won't really reduce the amount of facial hair I've got going on.

Still though.

Fucking ow.

So, I live in the Rainbow State, which is frustratingly still fighting to legalize same sex marriage. Religious opposition is incredibly heavy here and while they don't have the actual numbers, they mobilize very quickly through their churches. What that means is that at the outset of a lot of debate, they have a very loud and disproportionately large presence, creating the illusion of a large percentage of the state opposing same sex marriage.

The Huffington Post actually have a good summary of the kind of bullshit the anti-gay-marriage people have been spouting. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/hawaii-same-sex-marriage-confusing_n_4235706.html?utm_hp_ref=hawaii&ir=Hawaii

A local news station is running an online poll, and it looks like the religious groups are flooding it again. What's worrisome is that while they don't actually represent all of the state, lawmakers and policy makers will be looking at this result to gauge public opinion.

I'm not pressuring any particular kind of vote (I'm really not) but if you can spare two seconds, please click on the link and answer the one questions provided.

http://bit.ly/1guIAVZ

TL:DR - Click the above link to help influence the status of Same Sex marriage in Hawaii.




(Also, spread the link around if you get a chance. ^_^)

Or, "Clean Up on Aisle 19"

Shuckle isn't the strongest pokemon. Rather, he's one of the weakest pokemon in terms of attack, special attack, and speed. He does have one of the highest swatchs of defense, though, and a clever player can turn that into something truly terrifying withe a few choice moves. I am not one of those players.

I like Shuckle because it's a neat concept--an amorphous, goo-like pokemon living inside a hoolowed-out, spherical rock. Maybe it's my love of science and the pokedex entries that equate the pokemon to slime molds, one of the biologically-intriguing compromises between animal-and-plant. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of bug types--always have been.

Regardless, I like the look of Shuckle, and decided, on a whim, to track one down. A quick google search informed me that I could fid one by rock smashing on the eastern portion of the map, in a legendary-housing cave. And hey--I could collect some heart scales while I was at it.

2 hours and 20 heart scales later, no shuckle. Just endless hordes of Gravellers, Durants, and other annoyances.

I decided that I needed a break, and decided to head to head to the Safari Zone, to see if any friends unlocked the secrets of this little, moldy bastard. Another half hour passed with no luck.

I was growing frustrated, as my unshowered body and diet coke remains evidenced. So I took a break--I would approach this at a later time.

It's now the later time. I've scoured Route 18 and the Terminus cave. I have smashed so many rocks, I'm concerned that I am somehow contributing to the Graveller popuation. Is that how they reproduce? You smash a boulder, then all the little pebbles become geodudes, then they evolve and return to haunt me for my sedimentary misdeeds?

Double-checked my research, scoured the internet once more, decided to visit the seaside, because maybe some fresh, ocean air would do me good, and maybe Shuckle can be found in THOSE rocks. Maybe the good people at Serebii.net, in their infinite wisdom, just didn't think to check those rocks.

Dammit, he's not at the beach.

I'm back in Terminus cave, starring at the empty stage that once housed the mighty sprite of Zygarde. Why should a legendary be easier to capture than a slimy rock? Is Shuckle actually rarer than a legendary?

Hours pass. I am now breeding a mighty army of Eevees. I shall pass them on through Wondertrade in the hopes that distributing Eevees will earn me enough trading karma that Our Lord and Savior Arceus will see fit to make my next encounter one wiht a Shuckle. Blessed be our Lord.

Flabebes. Flabebes. Are you FUCKING. kidding. me? Everyone one of you assholes flooding wondertrade with your trash pokemon need to be anally violated by a Cacnea. All of you leeching motherfuckers need to sit on AZ's doom cannon and just take a world-ravaging destruction pulse right up your rectums.

Breeding Eevees. I'll take them to the Global Trade Station. An Eevee for a Shuckle should be a good trade by anyone's standards. Unless Shuckle really IS a legendary and I hadn't know about it. Wouldn't that be funny? Heh heh. Ha. AHAHAHAHAHA.

Shuckle. Shuckle isn't on the list. Why isn't he on the list? I have Eevees for you. Countless Eevees for all of you. I just want a Shuckle. But I . . . I can't ask for him unless he's on the drop down. Oh god, why isn't he on the drop down? It's like going to Walmart to buy toilet paper, but not being able to say "toilet paper." Don't you understand? I can't shit until I get the toilet paper, and I can't buy the toilet paper unless I can ask for it. Goddamn it, Pokemon, I will shit ALL over your discount $5 DVD bin if I can't get a Shuckle soon. All. Over. It.

=>

Friend Code: 0791-2278-7323

I just wanted to call your attention to this FANTASTIC frogapus portrait:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11858760/

Done by the amazing  Badjoojoo

I'm so happy with the picture and so happy I commissioned it! I highly recommend that you get yourself a commission from  Badjoojoo


****

Side note: Still adding friends on Pokemon: 0791-2278-7323

Hey all! Looking to add some friends in Pokemon! (I'm so lonely!)

Feel free to add me (here's hoping that it won't let people see my real name.)

Friend Code:
0791-2278-7323

Finally wrapped up that CoC Comic.

I'm kind of glad to see it go. As much fun as it was to try out drawing new things, it was draining. I appreciate all the new watchers who decided to see what all the fuss is about, and I assure you that there's more to come.

Yes, you hear right. In a week or so I'm going to start up a new CoC Comic, with a new character (and hopefully keep a more consistent theme this time.)

Keep an eye on my journals. There are two ideas for storylines, and once I flesh them out, I'm going to turn it over to you guys to decide which one comes first.

The first comic, in all its staggering glory:

Page 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11037695/
Page 2: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11047119/
Page 3: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11065313/
Page 4: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11091080/
Vote 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11094516/
Page 5: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11134292/
Page 6: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11219517/
Page 7: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11298784/
Page 8: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11536374/
Page 9: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11806252/
END: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11806324/

Want to be mad at DC comics? Nono, it's not because they ruined continuity for your favorite character. Or because they cast whoever as whatever.

How about their refusal to show a same-sex marriage in a comic?

Or maybe their current contest to showcase who can best draw a popular female character killing herself?

http://jezebel.com/dc-comics-contes.....cid-1265537616

Okay, this cold is the last straw. Once this virus is out of my system I'm heading down the gym to start working out and working out hard.

It's time to see if all this iron and protein have fixed my messed up system, because frankly, I'm sick and tired of waiting for my body.

If you're late to the game, basically, I hopped on hormones, found out that I had biochemistry problems, started working on them, but couldn't seem to lose weight at the same time.

On top of that, my doctor thinks I might have an eating disorder that's sabotaging my attempts to lose weight.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Swear to god, I don't want to go BACK into therapy. That's just more of a delay on everything.

If the cold is cleared up tomorrow morning, I'm going to the gym and working out. Here's hoping all this meat-eating is paying off.

I demand a refund on Labor Day. I was sick all day and thus could get none of the work planned for it done.

Aside from the last picture in my commission pile, which is a good thing.

If I can get a handle on all the work I have piled up, I might open some slots soon. Stay tuned!

Grading papers right now. Then I'll get to some drawing.

There's still one $15 slot left! Note me if you want it!~

So, there have been so many people that want to grab commission slots, and I'm so broke, that I thought I would open up 3 commission slots again, this time at $15 each.

If you want a slot, just comment in this journal. We're doing it first-come first-serve for single-character shots. Here's hoping that the new price tag doesn't scare too many people off.

Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11286048/

$15 Commission slots:
1.)  Raelbny
2.)  Echoen Double-dick herm elephant
3.)

Hey all! I'm back with some free time (and a dire need for some cash.) Who's up for a $10 Commission?

Just like before, it's a shaded picture of a character for $10, go ahead and post a reply up here. First come first served.

1.)  readasaur http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11362236/
2.)  fluffdance http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11392620/
3.)  playswithfire http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11366683/

So that was an incredibly productive burst of artistic activity! I did something like 6 pictures in the course of 8 hours. Over the course of maybe 2-3 days.

I haven't been able to focus like that in a LONG time! I can only credit my current dietary change and the increased iron and protein I've been getting. In fact, I suspect the weird funk I was in at the end of last week may have been my brain rewiring a few flawed connections.

I need to shift gears a bit and get some stuff done for work, but look for some commission slots to open over the weekend. Let's hear it for a properly-functioning brain!

Set 1 of Commissions
1.)  Fenoxo http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11282330/
2.)  Echoen http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11286770/
3.)  Joducus http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11286048/

Set 2 of Commissions
1.)  Pet http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11291464/
2.)  Echoen http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11294897/
3.)  mattprower08 http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11295834/

Woah, I'm an idiot!

On the last CoC Comic #6, I mistakenly listed my paypal address as a gmail address. The correct email address is ikamiart@hotmail.com.

If you'd dropped a donation to the gmail account (which is NOT mine) and it's still pending, YOU SHOULD CANCEL IT RIGHT AWAY.

Current $10 Commissions!

1.)  Pet http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11291464/
2.)  Echoen http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11294897/
3.)  mattprower08 muffin-fattening

Wow! Those went fast! I really buckled down to get these done. If you want to check them out, here are the finished products:

1.)  Fenoxo http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11282330/
2.)  Echoen http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11286770/
3.)  Joducus http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11286048/

I'm actually kind of amazed at the amount of focus I was able use on this commissions. It almost makes me confident enough to immediately do another set of three commissions.

In fact, I think I will!

3 More Slots open for $10 single-character commissions!

1.)  Pet http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11291464/
2.)  Echoen mousetaur
3.)  mattprower08 muffin-fattening

Hi all! So the CoC Comic is a dead end in terms of making money. I've got like 2 more pages to do on it (as a bonus to the people who did donate) but beyond that, the project is pretty much dead.

In happier news, though, I'm gonna open up 3 slots for sketch commissions. If you'd like a shaded picture of a character for $10, go ahead and post a reply up here. First come first served. (And no, you can't take all three for some TF sequence. I'm looking at you,  Echoen)

Example of what you're getting: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10816892/

Open Slots:
1.)  Fenoxo http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11282330/
2.)  Echoen http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11286770/
3.)  Joducus http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11286048/

So I did some number crunching for the CoC Comics to see if I could viably use it as a source of income.

The end results are . . .

17,216 . . . The Total Views of all the pages
493 . . . The total number of favs for all the pages
184 . . . The total number of comments for all the pages
36 . . . The total number of hours spent drawing the pages
$29.50 . . . The total number of donations for all the pages

Given that I am voluntarily giving half to  Fenoxo since it's his IP, that's . . . $0.41 per hour made on this comic. -.- Yyyyyyup, this is not a viable business model.

---

The ongoing(?) comic
Page 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11037695/
Page 2: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11047119/
Page 3: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11065313/
Page 4: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11091080/
Vote 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11094516/
Page 5: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11134292/
Page 6: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11219517/

A little frustrated with my body.

It's resisting losing weight. I've been at 188-ish for the longest time. I'll lose a couple of pounds, then my injured knee starts to hurt, then my weight hops back up. I'm not gaining weight, it's just not going anywhere.

I want to just eat less and exercise more to get my weight down so I can get back on the hormones.

But every time I dip my caloric intake too much, my body starts to harvest from the repairs on my slowly-healing knee. Which, in turn makes it harder to exercise.

It's like my body is trying to keep me in this state of fat stasis. =(

You may have seen the Corruption of Champions Comic I've been doodling as of late.

Page 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11037695/
Page 2: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11047119/
Page 3: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11065313/

Well it's picked up enough attention that I thought I'd see what would happen if I asked for donations to keep it going.

Would anyone be interested in dropping a couple of bucks towards keeping this comic going?

Half of what you donate would go to  Fenoxo because this comic wouldn't exist without the game, and the other half would go to (currently strapped-for-cash) me!
Note me if you'd like to donate and I'll message you back my paypal!

Thanks in advance! =3

I don't want to alarm anyone, but as I start to lose weight, I think I'm seeing some boobs left behind, like islands uncovered as the tide rolls out. =)

You know that feeling when someone just right holds you? Holds you because they love you and you love them and sometimes it's actually just that simple?

It's this incredible rush. Beacause you aren't just happy that they're holding you. You're truly Happy, with a capital H, for the first time in your life.

And it's incredibly wonderful--because you've had these pure crystalline moments of joy before, where everything was right and you could just let go of your doubts and be in that moment, just for a heartbeat. But you didn't know that a moment like that could hang there, suspending time with joy that goes on forever.

And its incredibly scary, because you realize, at the same time, that you've opened up a new level of feeling, and that you don't know what you'd do if this moment ended. You are higher than ever before, and at the same time you're aware of how much farther you can fall now. You don't want to think about what would happen if you weren't allowed to touch this moment ever again.

And it's a feeling that's terrifying and ecstatic and illuminating all at once. It's joy and heartbreak and fulfillment all together.

It's been my go-to reference for love, and I think it's a pretty good one.

"And oh
Oh
Oh
She loves me." --Alan Moore, Saga of the Swamp Thing

**EDIT**
I should clarify and mention that this isn't in relation to anything recent. I was just up late, sipping memories.

There's a little spider dangling from a shelf on my desk. I'm hoping it builds a full web.

Because OTHER BUGS ARE NOT WELCOME IN MY HOME. O__O

So I totally have a celebrity crush. Tonight I caught myself looking at at a photo of her, wanting to kiss her, then I was hit with the reality of how MUCH that would never happen. The impact was astounding and took me several minutes to recover.

So a while back, I'd commissioned a writer to write up an idea submission I had for Corruption of Champions. Long story short, the commission fell through.

Both Fen and another writer volunteered to pick it up, and they're amazingly awesome for it. Seriously, they're awesome. The problem is that I'm just not comfortable with anyone working on it for free, and so I asked them not to. Besides, at this point, I'm a bit bitter about the whole thing and don't think I'd enjoy it much anymore.

And the end result is that I'm down $100, and now have only negative associations with the original project idea. Which is a shame, because I love monkey girls.

Oh well. =(

Still getting a handle on this diet adjustment thing.

I'm supposed to be eating 130 grams of protein a day, with a corresponding 65 grams of carbs--2:1 ratio.

The trouble is that I'm having problems keeping my calories up to an acceptable, non-starving level.

Last night, I was 1,000 calories short. This morning, i woke up 5 pounds lighter.

That can't be good! =O