This post has nothing to do with the following film.

I’ve been trying to spend more time outside lately, engaging in activities that get me out of the house. I already go biking every weekend, weather permitting, but I don’t think that’s enough. To be completely honest, I feel useless and lazy when I stay indoors, and that’s highly irritating to me.

Fear not, I’m not ditching my indoor hobbies, like my enjoyment of books, films, and video games (I’m currently addicted to Dragon Quest IX). Time spent outside just feels better, if that makes any sense. I can do indoor stuff whenever I want; I hate wasting days with great weather.

Here’s some of the ideas I’ve come up with. Some of these ideas do involve an up-front investment, and lack of funds is often a hobby killer, but it’s still worth recording these for later reference.

• Fishing. I haven’t fished since I was about ten or eleven years old. My grandfather would take my brother and I to a large pond located near his house, and he taught us basic skills in order to catch perch and other small fish. Those skills have faded into nothingness over the past two decades, but I figure I could at least to try to recapture them. It’s fishing, not rocket science, so I’m sure I could at least become competent at spincasting and catch-and-release. Oh, and I’d definitely opt for lure fishing rather than bait fishing. For all of my love of horror movies and death metal, I still find live bait repulsive.

• Boating. Big problem with this one: I do not own a boat. Nor would I have a place to store a boat, even if I did. Oh, and I get seasick. The closest I’ll come is buying one of those inflatable raft-boats for use on lakes. I’ll look like a total dork rowing around in an air-filled dinghy, but far worse things have happened to me.
• Biking. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, biking is a standard weekend activity for me, as long as it doesn’t rain. (When it does rain, I fly into a rage, and just end up going to the gym, which isn’t nearly as fun. I already hit the gym three times a week, and while that’s healthy, it’s still an indoor activity. Plus, quite frankly…it’s boring as shit. The barbecue joint next door doesn’t help, either.) I know the technical term for biking might be “cycling,” but I think that’s more reserved for racing bicycles and folks who do all of their riding on smoothly paved roads. Since I ride on roads as well as trails, I own a hybrid bicycle as it’s simply more adaptive to different types of terrain, not to mention more comfortable. Anyway, I’m thinking of biking more during the week; it’s just difficult to work around my gym schedule at times.
• Hiking. I’ve been a fan of this leisure activity since I was a kid. Wandering and exploring the woods is always great; I just have to be cautious, as I’m severely allergic to poison ivy. For spring or fall hikes, this isn’t much of an issue, as I’ll be wearing long pants. In the summer, it’s a considerable danger. I can also mix hiking with geocaching, if I’m so inclined. I’ve already planted one cache and found a few others, but I need to get in gear and do more. The one thing that’s holding me back right now? I seriously need a new pair of hiking boots.
• Camping. My girlfriend and I were supposed to go camping this summer, but we got a bit lazy, things fell through, and all of the state campgrounds’ good spots are taken. We’re going to be much more proactive next year. Camping’s a bit more fun in the spring or fall, anyways, as nothing beats sitting by a fire at night enjoying freshly cooked meats.

Halfway through the summer isn’t the best time to have such an epiphany when it comes to outdoor activities, but it’s better than nothing, and can certainly help set the standard for next year. That is, if my notoriously short attention span can even remember or remain interested in this shit by then!

(WARNING: This post is very image-intensive. Please be patient if the pictures take a while to load.)

Holy shit. I’ve owned this damned dot-com for ten years as of today. It’s come a long way from its beginnings as an online portfolio when I was job-hunting after college to its blog format today.

I purchased the liquidcross.com domain name and associated web hosting on July 23, 2000, and set it up as a place to display the artwork and other design materials I was working on in college. I was set to graduate the following semester, and I wanted something that I could easily send to prospective employers; nothing’s simpler than a web link, after all.

Over the following years, liquidcross.com went through a few visual changes, but eventually the online portfolio ceased to be relevant. In 2003, I revamped the site once more and turned it into a blog. Aside from being a method in which to teach myself Movable Type, I used it to write about all manner of stuff. In addition, I eventually created static pages that featured random articles I’d written about video games and my other hobbies, plus pages devoted to my various collections: games, models, books, et cetera.

I stopped blogging in early 2008 due to failing interest and readership, but about six months later, I was bitten by the writing bug once more. I installed WordPress and created a new blog, complete with a proper title: Text and Violence, a blog specifically designed to be an outlet for my grumblings with the world. I removed the static pages towards then end of 2009, as constantly updating them was getting tedious.

Hop into your DeLorean, kids, and check out some snapshots of the various designs that I’ve created for liquidcross.com over the years. To my great dismay, I cannot seem to locate the very first version of the site, so we’ll just have to begin with the first major revision in 2001:

Much to my chagrin, I don’t have a picture of every permutation, but that’s because I was stupid and didn’t snap them every time I created a new design. Also, as I said before, some of the very early files have sadly been lost. However, I do have a few unused designs, which have never seen the light of day…until now! Aren’t you lucky?

Other than my own personal stuff, liquidcross.com has also been home to a few subsites over the years; most notably Breakfast at Timpani’s, Iron Man 2020, and Crimson Plague.

Breakfast at Timpani’s (or B@T for short) was a superhero webcomic drawn by myself and written by my friend the Reverend, which ran from 2001-2004. It ended because real-world priorities took over, but such is life! Anyway, here’s a sample of what that site looked like:

The Iron Man 2020 site was just a shrine of sorts to a lesser-known character within the Iron Man mythos that I particularly enjoy. The site was removed in 2009.

Crimson Plague, however, had a much higher pedigree. The Crimson Plague comic book was the brainchild of legendary artist George Pérez. A science fiction horror story, Crimson Plague was notable for the fact that every single character in the book was based on a real person with the same name. Only George’s photorealistic drawing style could have made this possible. While the book had a modest web presence on the publisher’s site, I was fortunate enough to build the official Crimson Plague fansite with George’s blessing. In fact, it ended up being my senior project for my bachelor’s degree! George’s help was invaluable, and he provided me with all manner of images, scripts, and other media. Series star Dina Simmons was also incredibly helpful in promoting the site and providing content, as well! Since Crimson Plague sadly did not last, the fansite shared its fate.

Anyway, check out a screenshot:

I’ve considered reuploading the subsites for archival purposes, but some of them are so out of date and broken that it would be a colossal undertaking to make them work properly again, even just for nostalgic reasons. Still, it’s an idea…

So liquidcross.com really has a come a long way in a decade. As for what the future may hold? Honestly, I have no fucking idea. I had no clue this was what the site would evolve into when I started, so any premonitions I do have are likely to be completely wrong. As such, the only real way to find out what’s going to happen in the future is to just experience it in realtime. Here’s to many more years…

Behold, the most comfortable pair of shoes that I’ve ever worn:

Now, I’m mostly known for sporting Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star hi-tops, as I’ve been wearing that style for almost twenty years now. They fit my massive feet, they breathe easy, and they don’t break the bank. However, if I’m going to be on my feet for any reasonable length of time, I’m sure as hell not going to wear a sneaker with a flat sole. I need something with a bit more support, like a running or walking shoe.

I bought that pair of New Balance 300s in 2002. See, I had the brilliant idea that I should start jogging and running to get in shape, and I needed the proper footwear. Well, my poor joints put an end to the running attempt within a few weeks, but I wasn’t going to toss the shoes. Ever since, I’ve used them when spending days walking around New York City, attending metal shows, going to the gym, and so forth. Eight years later, the insoles are finally starting to wear out.

This presents a serious problem, because of course, New Balance doesn’t make that shoe anymore. Sure, they’ve got plenty of other products, but you know damned well that with my luck, nothing else they have will even come close to the comfort of the 300s. I’ll have to settle for “close enough,” which isn’t always a perfect solution when dealing with footwear. The last thing I need is to road test ‘em in New York City and wind up with a blister the size of my big toe. (Which is about the size of a baby’s fist, anyway.)

Regardless, once I replace them, I’m going to stick the old 300s in my car’s trunk, just in case I ever need a worn pair of sneakers to lounge around in. Seriously, the damned things can’t be beat, and it’s aggravating that they’re no longer produced.

Since I’ve been having a shortage of things to write about lately, how about I dredge up some more unpleasant memories? I know you folks love those! Actually, this post deals with a subject that I know is not exclusive to me. It’s something that every straight male has dealt with at one point or another during their lifetime: the bullshit excuses that women give us when turning us down for a date or relationship.

Before my female readers start twitching with anger, kill the motor for a second. I’m not trying to be sexist; don’t be ridiculous. This post is just a statement of facts based on my actual experience. I’m fortunate enough to have been in a stable relationship with my girlfriend for over five years now, but before that, my dating life was a joke. I made my share of mistakes, sure, but I got much worse than I gave. Whether it was attempts to avoid hurting my feelings, or just plain lying, the excuses and other doublespeak I received way back when ranged from feeble to insulting. In retrospect, they’re almost funny! I know I’m not alone in this experience, so that’s why I’m sharing these lovely responses with you.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at a few classics!

• “I just want to be friends.” This one tops the charts. Everyone’s been on the receiving end of this bad boy, and everyone also knows that it’s a filthy lie. There’s nothing wrong with actually just being friends instead of pursuing a relationship, but normally, that just evolves on its own. Using friendship as a blanket statement to put off a date or relationship is nothing short of insulting. If a relationship’s not going to work out, then explain specifically why instead of giving us this non-answer.
• “I’m not looking for a relationship right now.” See above. Sometimes, it’s honest; most of the time, it is not. It usually translates to “I’m not looking for a relationship right now with you, because I’m interested in someone else better looking/richer/more popular/et cetera.” If that’s the case…then just say so!
• “You remind me of my ex.” Ouch. It’s hard as hell to come back from this one, especially if you don’t know the ex in question. (If he even exists, mind you.) This is particularly annoying when you know a last-ditch excuse to make you go away. (Been there!)
• “You’re not my type.” While this comment may be misconstrued as simple honesty, you’ll notice that you’re almost never told what her type actually is. More often than not, this means that her type is anyone who’s not you.
• “I love you like a brother.” This one’s heard for often during a breakup than before a relationship even starts, but I figured I’d include it anyway due to its popularity. Aside from sounding rather creepy, it’s also bullshit nonsense. Every guy I know who’s gotten this line of shit never hears from the girl in question ever again. What kind of “sister” is that? Sounds like a pretty dysfunctional family to me.

The moral of the story is: just be honest. It’s better to suffer a bruised ego than be lied to. People can take it, and are more resilient than you (or even they) realize.

Now it’s time for you to chime in. What kind of nonsense have you been dealt instead of a straight answer? I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few, so let’s hear it. (Ladies, I’m sure guys have fed you steaming mounds of crap, too, so feel free to rant about them.)

This is a brief rant, but an important one:

My gym has a barbecue joint right next door.

Every time I walk out of my gym after an hour of working out, I’m greeted with a rush of barbecue flavor wafting over from the neighboring building. Cripes, I’m already extremely hungry from the exercise, and the scent of wonderful food makes things ten times worse.

Surprisingly enough, my gym is not full of big fat fucks, so it’s not like the place next door is contributing to a vicious cycle. It’s just annoying.