News Posts and Other Lukey Ramblings:

Tremble, evil-doers! I am return-ed!

Or, you know... don't. That's okay too.

Regardless, if you are seeing this, then yonder MTS has finished upgrading my account and I am once more allowed to modify my site.

I have sincere hopes that those 'service improvements' of theirs will actually be worth the extra cash they are charging me per month. Le grumble.

I would complain more bitterly about being locked out of my site for a couple weeks... but eh, I haven't had much to say anyway. I am about done with the Flash MX 2004 book I've been studying, and will soon apply those lessons learned to the oft-mentioned but rarely seen Flash game of mine. As the kids say these days, wo0t.

I have also recently acquired Final Fantasy XII, which has its cruel hooks into me. It is different, but thus far the changes seem quite agreeable. One thing about growing older... one realizes that life is too short for random encounters. Far, far too short.

The Dragonspine campaign of mine will be completed this Saturday! Possibly! Exciting!

Other then that (and having spent the entirety of my day yesterday either at work or baking Pedishka for the United Way Bake Sale for work), there isn't much to say.

Though, I suppose I could be convinced to post the recipe for such fare, due to popular request.

Mmm! Ethnic Manitoban Ukranian Culinary Goodness! Horray and huzzah for the wonderful delishisness of Multiculturalism!

Anyway, off I go! Onwards... to adventure!

- Paladinian

Hark! How goeth? We fine gentlemen and gentleladies residing within esteemed Winnipeg havest doth receiveth yonder flurries upon the present turn of the day.

In other terminology, we got some snow today. Well, rain that turned to pretty much snow, I guess... it looked like snow, but really more had the texture of frozen ice pellets. I know this sensory distinction by virtue of, well, not getting the memo that such weather was to begin today, and proceeded to bike to work as normal.

I feel sorely disapointed in my Squirrely allies who generally keep me informed on such schemes. Perhaps I have fallen out of favour with them. Hmm. That would be a dire predicament indeed...

A cause of some concern to be certain, but one I hope I am mistaken about. Them squirrels be truly fearsome warriors indeed, as I am sure you are all very well aware.

If you weren't in fact so possessed of that particular enlightenment... well... perhaps continued ignorance might just be best in this circumstance.

Anyway, I've got a bit of an update here... not really new stuff, but newly posted, at least. I have finally run the scanner over some more of the pencil stuff I've done through the years, and posted some of the choicier cuts. Which isn't saying much, really, but they are... historical... at the very least. I hope they entertain, at any rate.

You may find them here!

And lo, as quick as I arrived, I am off!

- Paladinian

Greetings from Burlington, Ontario!

Well, okay, not so much from Burlington, but recently returned from Burlington, at least.

Hopefully this status proves acceptable to all involved. If not... well... why are you reading my gosh darned blog in the first place?

Anyway, the trip was good. Downsides: No touristy sight-seeing. In particular, I learned that Play! was on in Toronto last Saturday. Executive Summary: Symphony Orchestra. Video Game Music. A combination like unto the adding of the chocolate to the peanut butter, me thinks.

I was sorely tempted to stay another couple days to catch it, if tickets were available... but decided that such itinerary changes might have been rather indulgent. Besides, I didn't exactly pack proper Symphony attire, so thusly my return. (Heck, it is debatable whether I even actually own Symphony suitable attire in the first place.)

But otherwise the trip went pretty well. Course was interesting. My Engineering job class received some XP, that's for sure. Don't know that I'll use it directly in the short term... but the associated Ladder Logic & PLC stuff will come in quite useful, me thinks.

Such information is no doubt not terribly interesting to you, kind reader. So I shall move on.

It is funny the difference a day or two can make when it comes to attitude. I expected, during my return to Winnipeg here, that this update would contain me largely babbling on topics of Extroversion / Introversion dichotomy as experienced through Restaurant excursions lasting six consecutive days, with the same generally out-going people.

Yes, that's what I expected to ramble on about. But my relative non-profeciency in the social arts doesn't seem as much of a topic I feel inclined to muse over at the moment.

Thus the difference a couple days make. I had a great Storytelling session yesterday... the players really seemed to get into it, which was both a relief and a 'huzzah!' moment of gratification.

Today, I had a refreshingly productive day. Fiddled with Freehand, was satisfied with the results. Did some cycling. Picked up groceries. Wrote this page posting. Relaxed some. Nice, complete day.

Yes, yes, I know... I AM SUCH A WILD AND CRAZY GUY!!!, aren't I?

Anyway, to cut a long, dull story short, I'm feelin' alright.

I believe the following week shall find me resuming work on the ol' Flash Programming... maybe get that oft-mentioned, long-neglected shooter out and playable. Or maybe if that is too jumbled a mess, start a new, dead-simple one. I shall have to sleep on it.

Well, that's about that, I suppose! Not much content for you folks here, but hey, if I keep only posting when I've got stuff done, well, this isn't much of a blog then, is it?

May the week find you hale and hearty! Or, at least, not hailed upon, and with your pulminary system resting securely within your chest cavity!

- Paladinian

Yarrr.... I be tellin' you hello, you scurvy land-lubbing dogs!

Avast, thar be little else to tell ye' save for a hearty, rum-spiced bellow for all ta' hear, that it be ye International Talk Like A Pirate Day!!!

Ye yell it all together now!

Yarrrr!!!

Aye! That be all, ye scallywags! Be off with ye!

- Dread Captain Paladinian

(Not to be confused with the Last Saskatchewan Pirate)

Well, hello there fine peoples of the cosmos! Welcome back to this humble den of stuffishness!

It has taken me far longer then I intended... which, unfortunately, has become something of a habit as of late... but I've finally finished my latest piece o' graphics. If so interested, you might perhaps cast your gaze over Yonder!

With this picture finally posted, I now progress onto the next task or three. Hopefully they shall prove not so time-intensive. No... that isn't the right term. The stuff I've been working on, this past picture included, isn't so much time-intensive... it mostly just takes me a long time to do it. The difference between the two comes down to a matter of... efficiency, I suppose. Specifically, the lack thereof.

While I could launch into a rambling here focused on my thoughts on what it means to be 'efficient' when it comes to creative tasks, the whim to do so is not particularly strong so me thinks I'll just let that slide for now.

Congratulations! You all dodged a bullet there! Cheering may now commence! No, its alright, I know, I know, go right ahead. I won't hold it against you.

Moving on!

I've got another thingamabob lined up that I'll be working on shortly... hopefully with greater, yes, efficiency then normal.

On that note... dear mercy... has it been near a month since my last post? Again? What the frick happened to my time? Did you take it? (Luke looks at you suspiciously.) I wonder... is my abode infested with tiny invisible Time-Mites latched onto my personal chronology, draining it of all its sweet, sweet day juices? No?

Well... um... can we all pretend Yes?

Anyway! I get to work! I'm off! Adios! Make yourself at home! Talk to you all later!

- Paladinian

P.S. I am pretty sure that rapscalians tried to steal my bike this past weekend. THEY FAILED.

Mwahahaahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

I shall describe to you a scene. My apartment. It is Sunday evening. I am innocently skipping along towards the kitchen, where my intention is to avail myself of a tasty, tasty beverage.

My excursion was proceeding uneventfully until the dread moment when I turn the corner around my sofa and take a step into what I imagine some might call my apartment's 'landing'. My steps come to an abrupt halt, as I find a...

BIG-ASS SPIDER, RIGHT IN MY FACE!!!

Well, okay, not really *in*, or on, my face. But dangling. A couple inches from my eye. Flailing about wildly as it climbs up an invisible thread leading from the ceiling and a suddenly ominious gap found in the gyprock around some metal cylindrical type thing whose function I have never had adequately explained to me.

Understandably, I was a little startled by this unexpected breach of my personal space.

The scene changes to find our brave protagonist strategically retreating from the contested area. A short path is taken, circling back around the sofa, and the combat theatre is shifted to include the kitchen. A short search for effective spider-murdering armaments takes place.

Paper towels are evaluated and dismissed. This is a BIG spider. My hands aren't small, but I didn't trust their ability to sufficiently encase a spider of such magnitude within a crushing paper-towel grip of doom. Images of the spider escaping, running up and down my arm, and doing various dark and frightening spidery deeds weighed heavily upon my thoughts.

So I instead hefted a sturdy box of Dishwasher detergent in one hand, and the paper towels in the other. Yes, a good squishing surface. But a little bulky. Agility might be compromised... perhaps enough for the spider to fling itself at my now unshielded face.

This would simply not do, either.

I then see that a nice, large, mighty looking frying pan was sitting conveniently within a nearby dish rack. I grinned. Yes, this should do the trick, I thought.

I then look once more to the dread spider, and find that it has made good progress, due to its no doubt unholy speed. It now stands, up-side down but seemingly comfortably despite its flagrant mockery of gravity, on the aforementioned metal cylinder. The beast stares at the man. The man stares at the beast. An unspoken challenge is given, and accepted.

The devilish speed of my foe had ensured that I was denied access to the mighty over-hand smashing arc that I had originally wished to employ. A decision is made to instead focus on finesse rather then overwhelming force. A good, Fencing-style thrust with the pan should lead me to victory. But, while tall, I determine that a minor bit of acrobatics would likely still be required. A short hop would ensure that I could deliver the blow from a better distance away, thus ensuring I wouldn't be directly underneath the abyssal beast when the blow was struck.

So, my path set, I grasp the frying pan righteously. I hop, and my skillful blow is set into motion.

I realize, too late, that this maneouver was being performed from within the kitchen's doorway. Picture if you will, the Paladinian lightly hopping up. Picture, then, his head making contact with the door frame. Picture him landing upright, his gaze turned low, his brow furrowed. Hear him vocalize a single, powerfully poetic statement: Ow.

After a moment spent cursing my foolishness, I cast my gaze upward to track my foe, expecting to find it mocking me, or perhaps in the middle of a vicious leaping counter-attack. And I see that it is no longer present upon the field of battle. Presumably, it had taken the opportunity to scurry back in to the dark depths of its eldritch ceiling lair during my momentary distraction.

Spider: 1... Luke: 0

You have won this round, spider. I hope, for both our sakes, that there shall not be another.

- Paladinian

P.S: The new scanner is fun. Plus, it lets me do stuff like this:

SHOW ME A BUNNY!!!

That is all.

(Scene opens with the friendly neighbourhood Paladinian puttering away at his laptop, laying down in an increasingly uncomfortable part-horizontal, part-vertical sort of way on his otherwise fantastic couch. The TV flickers behind the display of his laptop, with visions of Anime playing across its surface.)

(Luke looks up from his work, looking into the camera as if he were seeing the viewer directly. He appears momentarily startled.) Oh! Hello! I didn't hear you come in!

(Luke quickly tidies up some of the messiness of his surroundings.) Please! Make yourselves at home! Can I get you a tasty beverage?

(Muttering is heard off-screen, presumably coming from the direction of the camera. Luke replies to the unheard query.) Oh, no, I wasn't doing anything important. Well, okay, no, I was working on some stuff for other people... for gifts and what not. Didn't get as much done as I wanted. Did a commision for a friend. Turned out alright. Got another couple I'm trying to figure out for other folks. Didn't occur to me until now that I should have done one for my Brother's B'Day. I shall perhaps rectify that now.

(Through the magic of the Internet, Luke holds up a picture for perusal.)

(Luke shrugs.) Yes, that took me all of 10 minutes. Fear my 'leet graphical skills.

(He continues.) Anyway, nothing much else I can show on that front. Progress continues on a picture I can show, but it be not quite ready yet. For what its worth, I do have a Rambling, if curious. I won't hold it against you if not.

(The laptop begins beeping ominously.) Uh, I should probably take a look at that. Uh... call me if you need anything...

- Paladinian

Well, howdy partner! Mighty kind o' ya' to drop on by the ol' homestead!

Cowboy talk... nowhere near as fun as speaking Pirate (YARRRRR!!!) or Canuckian (How's it goin', eh?), or even Butchered - Anachronistic - Lukey - Pseudo-English (Greateth jocularityithness!), but it has its moments.

Why do I bring this up? Why, because of the Winnipeg Fringe Festival Yes, it is Fringe season, and this year it has got the whole 'western' theme... a passable flavour, I suppose, if not something that really fills with kooky bouncy energy. Or, at least, additional crazyness. (Or, as some may prefer, KRAZYNESS. But I shall attempt to refrain myself from such outlandishness for the next few moments in time.)

Anyway, rambling cessation is imminent. To take its place:

Anyway and anyhows, I shall perhaps have more reviews for you later, upon further Fringing! Whether you care... debatable! Whether these present ones provide any benefit whatsoever to those whom still Fringe... questionable! Whether I'll find these of interest later on when time has sanded the edges of the memories of these shows from my mind like some great cerebral sand-blaster... quite forseeable! So there we be!

- Paladinian

Well, hello there folks! It is always nice to have you over for these little visits of ours!

Or, if this is your first time here... Welcome! Welcome to you! And to you, I say... Welcome!

Anyway! Back to things!

Guess what? I've got a new picture up for your perusal. It took me quite some time to do. You may find it here, under the Freehand & Vector Based Art section! I hope you like it! I also particularly dearly, dearly hope you pass along any opinions you have therein! Remember, I can be reached at Paladinian@gmail.com, so feel free to drop me a note. :-)

Anyway, enough blathering. Onto other topics. I'm recently back from a grand adventure to fair Montreal! And, some people may be glad to hear, I made it back in one piece! (If you are a person who might find this denouement disapointing... sorry?)

Long story short: Montreal = Very nice city! The highways are crazy to one acustomed to driving in flat ol' Manitoba, but the drivers seemed super-nice! The smell of cigarette smoke was all-pervasive! I spent a day and a half around the Old Dock in downtown Montreal, and still didn't see everything!

I very much enjoyed it! It's funny... I took French Immersion throughout all of my pre-University schooling, and all it really means in a practical sense is that I could read the street signs. Talking to people? Didn't go so well. Reading restaurant menus? Helped a bit. Maybe. Now don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge the time spent learning la Francais. I mostly feel bad for those poor Montrealers who had to listen to me stumble my way through butchered Prairie French. They were all, on the plus side, quite polite and accomodating in English. Horay!

And that, dear readers, is about that for this given moment! Now to figure out what I shall work on next... shall I finally finish the Flash game I was working on previously? Shall I start the Webcomic Novel I have promised myself that I must at some point attempt? I don't know! Perhaps I shall simply do some more experimentation in the crazy ways of the graphic arts for a while... I've been trying out an evaluation copy of the ubiqutous Adobe Photoshop, and perhaps I would be greatly served by continuing my graphical adventures in that particular theatre.

If anyone has any suggestions, or heck, any requests, I'm all ears! Metaphorically, of course! I shudder to think of the alternative!

- Paladinian

Okay, my efforts to post regularly are obviously not going flawlessly. But, for the moment at least, I am back!

And I come bearing STUFF! Okay, update wise, I've both: A) Got some new Pictures available for perusal, and B) I've reorganized the whole Artwork section to be, well... organized! Head on over there, if such is your wish!

And, by popular demand, I shall provide perhaps the greatest reward EVER to those of you who honour me with your attention here. A Recipe! Of my Mom's!

Yes, now you TOO can make the easy-as-all-hell Roast Potatos that is taking Winnipeg's Social Circle by storm!***

Anyway, moving along, things over here in the Luke-o-Sphere go well. Finished up the last bit of the Graphic Design course I've been taking through Distance Education... in fact, some of the work done therein can be found in the FreeHand Artwork section! It feels good to have some small amount of time once more freed up by that task complete!

Much of my time is still spent Dungeon Mastering the DragonSpine Campaign with the ol' gang... it is great fun, but requires a great expenditure of time! And no one has broken my campaign yet! Always a good sign! I hope, as we get further into it, that I can post some of the Content I created for this story... but not yet, lest plot be spoiled for my players!

Anyway, I hope people reading these words find themselves well! Until the next time, fare thee fantabulously!

- Paladinian

***Legal Disclaimer: Any references to the state of Winnipeg's Social Circle are purely fictional. Any resemblence to actual Winnipeg events, persons, or places is purely coincidental even if they actually happened and Luke is just being silly about the whole thing.

Well, greetings folks! Looking at the calendar entry for this posting, and seeing my last one was getting pretty close to a month previous... well, kind readers, I must confess some disapointment therein.

The problem with trying to juggle a dozen different obligations? One finds that for all one's frantic flailing, nothing much happens except the making of a mess.

In my defense, though, I was in Kamloops last week. It is hard to really provide much in the way of 'content' when one is either working, sleeping, or enroute to one of these aforementioned activities.

On the major plus side, though, the trip did allow me the fantastic opportunity to meander over to Vancouver on my way back and visit the outstanding relatives therein.

That part of the trip rocked. Quoeth the Lukey: It was fan-freakin'-tabulous. ^_^

Anyway, enough rambling. At least for now. After all, I have no illusions that it is a behaviour I have any chance in overcoming. Particularly since I find that even now, in this post-rambling-ceasation state, I happen to still be doing it.

Bad Luke!

So on we go, then, with as little further delay as possible. Updates. I've got two for you fine folks... one of some interest, perhaps, and one that is really just a minor addition.

The hopefully interesting update can be found over at the Artwork section. If you like 3-D pictures... and if you are one of those types who don't, I shake my head sadly in your general direction... anyway, if you like stereoscopic pictures, you might find the one I tried to make of some interest.

The other update is rather straightforward... I've added some humble (and when I say humble, I am really not exagerating here, folks) portraits / play tokens for the DragonSpine Campaign.

And that basically covers it! More stuff coming soon, I hope, assuming actually Dungeon Mastering the DragonSpine Campaign doesn't suck all available time down a black hole of Roleplaying oblivion!

- Paladinian

Heya, hiya, how's it goin'? Your friendly neighbourhood Paladinian here with... gasp... another update!

And what do we have on the menu today for you fine folks? Well, our Chef has a servicable side of Writting for you this evening... if you want to just flip your menu over to Stories... yes, there we go. You'll find our special of the day is a bit of Lukey Rambling... not so much filling, and frankly I don't recommend it. But I wasn't really expecting a tip anyway, so why don't you give it a shot? Shall I put you down for some Rambling On Thought then? Of course, of course, I'll give you a couple minutes to go over the menu a bit. I'll go get you your drinks.

(Note: Feel free to envision your computer now serving you a tasty, tasty beverage. I personally choose to imagine mine is serving me a nice frosty glass of 90% ice, 10%, I dunno, iced tea, I suppose. Mmm... frosty glass of mostly ice... you are indeed the drink of Kings.)

(Additional note: Visualization and imagination is a fine thing, but if you are now actually holding a mug to your DVD drive... well, I hate to break it to you, but if any liquid is coming out of that you probably don't want to be drinking it.)

(Tertiary note: Um... I think that's everything! But aren't notes fun? ^_^

- Paladinian

Busy! Busy busy busy! Were it not for the fact that I'm not actually late for anything, I'd feel like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. I've just got far, far too much I want to do and far, far too little time to do it. And as I am not terribly crazy (just mostly crazy, in a hopefully WACKY fashion) I at least know not to set deadlines for myself. Yet.

So busy? Yes. Late? Thankfully not.

And you might ask yourself... why is Luke so busy? And you might ask yourself... what is Luke working on that is taking up so much of his time ? And you might tell yourself... well... how did I get here?

(In that, I'd remind you that you are likely here in the most literal sense because you learned of my site... probably because I told you about it, but hey, maybe you found it some other way, in which case, well, neat!... and in the other, grander, metaphysical sense you probably got here because simply because you did not NOT get here. What can I say... am I a font of wisdom or what?)

Anyway, sillyness aside (editors note: NEVER!!!) I've been working on a bunch of stuff... some of which I now have ready for your purusal!

First off, I've broken up the Stories page into sections. Now, this alone doesn't do much, at least not until you cast your gaze over to the new page linked therein! Yes, you can now enjoy my posted D&D campaign setting, The Dragonspine!

I am ALSO getting REALLY far in the Flash Game I'm working on! Seriously! I expect to post the Alpha version of it soon for you to play around with. I was really tempted to post the alpha version of the alpha version, but then sanity hit (if one could call what exists in my head 'sanity') and I decided, no, if there isn't any game there, why post it, particularly when game-ishness is forthcoming shortly?

So you'll have to wait for that a wee bit. Sorry! But soon! Soon, I say!

- Paladinian

Heya peoples!

Still busy busy busy here at the Pala-Plex (read: my apartment), but I have now managed to make this site officially W3C compliant. How does this affect you? Um... not so much. I, on the other hand, can now have some confidence that search engines can now run their spidery little legs all throught this site without barrier.

Put that way, the whole spider process does sound a little creepy. I'm just glad they didn't call it 'wasp' or something, because then I'd be hiding under my desk right this very moment.

Anyway... updates! You just might find a new picture or two, ready for your personal viewing, in the Artwork section!

I've also done the first of what might be called a 'game' in Flash, but as it was done as a gift I'm uncertain whether posting it for the world at large would somehow diminish the 'giftyness' portion of it. I shall have to think on this some.

And in that... yes, by holding out on you, gentle readers, I suppose that I am now officially a tease. For this, you have my most sincere and humble apologies. Do not let the fact that I could have simply removed the sentence above that serves to inform you about this hidden nugget of secretness... and did not... no, do not let this fact disuade you from the complete and total authenticity of the apology. ^_^

At any rate, I hope to have something else for you to tinker around with shortly... patience, dear fellows! Patience!

- Paladinian