New year, new thread, same name! Here is last year's thread:http://theduckwebcomics.com/forum/topic/176757/?page=46

I'm beginning to think that I'll have to emigrate to have a career. Canada is just so small. There are a lot of museum jobs in the states, and I have a good knowledge of American history. That would also keep me relatively close to home. But all Canadians are inherently afraid of the US. (What about all the guns and racists and right wingers? What if I get sick?)

I've been looking into the UK and as it turns out I would be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa, which sounds like it would be relatively easy to get compared to an American work Visa. I'm probably less qualified for a job in a British museum than an American museum, but there's probably something over there that I would be a decent match for.

Hippievan, I'm always sorta taken aback when I hear non-U.S. folks say they fear coming to the U.S. I mean, I read the stats and headlines, but in my life I've never experienced any of it. Never experienced gun violence. Never seen it. Have always been adequately cared for when sick or injured. But then I suppose I've lived in places where it just doesn't happen that much (of which there are a LOT - the U.S. is huge). And I've always been privileged enough to have the necessary insurance to cover any medical needs…
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There are places I hesitate to go, certain neighborhoods, etc., but there are many more I have no fear at all! I do feel like medical insurance is getting too expensive and covers less, but… well, all things considered, I still just feel like I live in the greatest country on earth!! Maybe I'm being a homer, but I wasn't born into a rich family (rather poor actually), and the oppurtunities to better myself (education, jobs…) were available, and I took advantage of them, and however you measure success, I think I achieved it! Hard work was involved, and there's been lots of low points (but largely self-inflicted, by choosing poorly in a couple relationships), but at this point, most who see a picture of my life would say it's a good one. Can we really ask for more than to have that chance…?
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Are there things wrong in the U.S…? Of course! Very wrong! Maybe I'm too sheltered from the many, many people that really don't have the doors opened like I did. There's way too much unfairness… But I also know there's multitudes that are in my shoes, or better ones! Maybe me being white gave me some advantages, but I see so many non-whites, and non-Christians holding down careers from shop owners to surgeons, meaning they had the chance laid before them! Again, what more can be asked?
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We have problems, and if they aren't addressed, then one wonders what the future holds. But doesn't every generation feel that way? Bottom line is I wouldn't let a fear of getting shot or dying from pneumonia prevent me from coming here!
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Happy New Year, America! (yeah, we U.S. citizens are a little uppity for calling ourselves Americans - it's what we do!)

HippieVan wrote:
I'm beginning to think that I'll have to emigrate to have a career. Canada is just so small. There are a lot of museum jobs in the states, and I have a good knowledge of American history. That would also keep me relatively close to home. But all Canadians are inherently afraid of the US. (What about all the guns and racists and right wingers? What if I get sick?)

I've been looking into the UK and as it turns out I would be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa, which sounds like it would be relatively easy to get compared to an American work Visa. I'm probably less qualified for a job in a British museum than an American museum, but there's probably something over there that I would be a decent match for.

You really don't want tp come here, it's awful. Heh! The grass is greener and all that. I've looked at moving to canada from time to time… it looks nice. The US… the ccariest thing for mew is that there are people who see trump asa serious presidential candidate rather than a massive joke. Oh and the gun thing and the delusions that go with it.

In my experience, if you get sick, you


A. Will die.
B. Will plummet into poverty and die later.
C. Will spent the next five years on the phone with various agencies, faxing, maining, emailing, and refaxing things, and drowning in red tape to get financial assistance to cover your bills.



The government just ran a background check on me (because I work for a federal agency) and discovered some outstanding debt that a radiology group apparently sent to a collection agency a year ago after telling me my bills were entirely covered and never giving me notice otherwise. :P Go figure. That's the last time I go to the ER with chest pains.


I like living in America just fine. But the education and healthcare here is the laughingstock of the civilized world. If I was born elsewhere, I'd probably like living there. I have friends in many countries, and everyone has things they like and don't like. (My sis is hilarious. She spends half her time complaining about everything she hates in Australia and the other half trying to convince her friends/family that it's the best place and they need to move there.)

Pretty much what Kim said, is my experience here. If you want to move to the UK because you like the UK, and you want to live in the UK, then cool go ahead. But don't move there just because you've been scared off by horror stories about the US.

I mostly grew up in what might be considered “the hood,” though I've also lived in the rural midwest and suburbia. By and large, if you're not involved in gangs or drugs, your likelihood of being a victim of gun violence is very low. But if you are, the odds are very, very high. The general population numbers are way skewed due to demographics and certain aspects of the criminal counterculture here specifically. It's not a dangerous place to live for most normal people. Even growing up in a supposedly not-so-safe neighborhood, I never really felt unsafe, except when I went out of my way looking for trouble.

usedbooks wrote:
…The government just ran a background check on me (because I work for a federal agency) and discovered some outstanding debt that a radiology group apparently sent to a collection agency a year ago after telling me my bills were entirely covered and never giving me notice otherwise. :P Go figure. That's the last time I go to the ER with chest pains…

I once went to the doctor and, even though my insurance was supposed to cover it, I received a bill the next week for $1,400. It turned out to be a mix-up; they just forgot to bill my insurance and it was quickly corrected. Our health care system is far from perfect here, but it's not that bad either, if you're insured… which you will be.

HippieVan wrote:
I'm beginning to think that I'll have to emigrate to have a career. Canada is just so small. There are a lot of museum jobs in the states, and I have a good knowledge of American history. That would also keep me relatively close to home. But all Canadians are inherently afraid of the US. (What about all the guns and racists and right wingers? What if I get sick?)
I've been looking into the UK and as it turns out I would be eligible for a UK Ancestry Visa, which sounds like it would be relatively easy to get compared to an American work Visa. I'm probably less qualified for a job in a British museum than an American museum, but there's probably something over there that I would be a decent match for.

Yes, yes, come back - the ancestral voices are calling! This land is your land.

The United States is a mixed bag of everything. My professors in college were left-wing, former Black Panther, democratic socialist liberals. I work in a town of very conservative military types with “freedom fries” American ideals. I was born in a very small midwestern town that has changed very little since the 1950s and spent a majority of my life in large, culturally diverse urban cities.

I have lived in extremely safe neighborhoods and lived in less-safe areas. I learned how to shoot a gun at a shooting range when I was twelve years old, but attended my first peace rally when I was sixteen. As an Asian American female, I have experienced less racism stateside than abroad because my education and the way I dress and carry myself are respected.

The reason people get sick is because they are overusing antibiotics and need to place a greater emphasis on probiotics and exposure.

Love it, or hate it, the United States is a country where people can say exactly what they think about this place without the fear of getting executed by the government. Don't like the way food is prepared or want a drink made a different way? Change it. Everything here is customizable.

Well, you could always come to Guam. This is where America's day begins after all. The only downsides are the typhoons that pop up on occasion. Quite a few Navy commanders have decided to retire here since it's so laid back compared to the mainland U.S. :)

El Cid wrote:
I once went to the doctor and, even though my insurance was supposed to cover it, I received a bill the next week for $1,400. It turned out to be a mix-up; they just forgot to bill my insurance and it was quickly corrected. Our health care system is far from perfect here, but it's not that bad either, if you're insured… which you will be.

That's true. I forgot you'd be here on a work visa and not in school, so you'd be insured. In which case, it's all good. ;) When I have a job, I am very happy and have no problems making ends meet despite my debt. Also, there are generally services to help with medical bills for the underinsured (but they are a pain in the ass).

I was mostly being tongue-in-cheek, guys! I hope I didn't offend any Americans. ^_^ It's less an actual fear (although the healthcare concern is legit - I have to deal with insurance when I go to the dentist and I always find it a giant nightmare) and more that Canadians tend to define themselves primarily as not-Americans. I'm not sure that I would ever feel quite at home because I was raised on that weird form of nationalism. And yeah, people carrying guns around would make me feel very weird.

KimLuster wrote:
all things considered, I still just feel like I live in the greatest country on earth!!

I wonder, also, how it would feel to move to the states as someone who doesn't really have any intention of becoming an ‘American’ in this sense. For me it would be a logical move and not something I did because I feel that the US is the greatest place on earth.

Genejoke wrote:
You really don't want tp come here, it's awful. Heh! The grass is greener and all that. I've looked at moving to canada from time to time it looks nice.

It's not so much a “grass is greener” thing as it is a “Canada has a tiny, spread-out population with a short history and a small number of urban centres and so is not a great place for a heritage career” thing. I also haven't studied Canadian history at all, so that limits my options further.

I love Canada - or bits of it, at least. The East and the West of the country are both very nice.

ironscarf wrote:
Yes, yes, come back - the ancestral voices are calling! This land is your land.

Haha! Glad I'd be welcomed. I still have family in a couple different places in England, actually, so that would make the transition easier depending on where I ended up.

I have lotsa good stuff, I live in a nice area, I have the perfect job for fitting in with all the other things I do (could be earning more though), we have a pretty good health system here - insurance is streamlined and easy to manae and I have private cover as well as basic public cover that everyone has, and gun violence is almost unheard of.
But I still wouldn't mind dropping it all to come to the US to live for a while. :)

I like the US, there's a lot more oportinity there for diversity - of career, ideas, culture, everything! Sometimes the mix is a little troubled and it's definitely more hetrogenous than homogenous, the risks are greater too- it's a society without the safteynets that most other countries take for granted…
And that's part of the problem. I'd have to be sorted out in some way before I made a move of any kind. There'd have to be a job and accomodation waiting, at the very least. Not an easy thing.

I wish you luck looking further afield Hippie!

HippieVan wrote:
It's not so much a “grass is greener” thing as it is a “Canada has a tiny, spread-out population with a short history and a small number of urban centres and so is not a great place for a heritage career” thing. I also haven't studied Canadian history at all, so that limits my options further.

Canadian history is as long as US history. The first permanent European colonies were founded at around the same time. Champlain founded Quebec within a year of the foundation of Jamestown. American history looks so much richer because the US has been such a dynamic powerhouse of development. The US has interesting history brecause it likes to fight bloody wars for stuff and cheat on all its agreements while tauting American exceptionalism. Nevre heard of Canadian exceptionalism except screaming “We aren't the US!”

But you know Canada is the only country in the world to conlcusively defeat American invasion in two wars.

When Jamestown did its quadricentennial they also had bits contrasting and comparing the experience to Quebec and Santa Fe. All three were founded within a couple of years of each other and marked the first permanent European settlement in those areas of North America.

Got a new ship in Star Trek Online. The ship that Captain Picard performed his famous “Picard Maneuver” in. However… it looks like a deep dish pizza with four nacelles attached…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUFblinogI0

Externally that is an ugly, ugly ship.
But inside it's nice and spacious. Comfy! I like your captain too, reminds me of the only good looking character from those crappy Starwars prequel things.

Yep. Very ugly ship. But the device on it is what I wanted. Can be equipped to any ship you own in the Federation. Warps you a short distance forward and prevents enemies from targetting you.

And sadly, the Klingons seem to be the best looking characters in the game (Lonos is a Federation Klingon captain)…

Looking at career prospects, and it's pretty much either move to either Vancouver or Toronto (neither of which I can come even close to affording), or move to the US (where I'd probably have to fight tooth and nail to get any insurance company to not only accept me, but pay for my life-saving medications and procedures). Or I can just go freelance for a few years and try to scrape together enough work every month to pay the bills.

I saw the Force Awakens. That was really good and meaty. You can see the influence of Kasdan in how relationships are featured. And I had guessed all the spoilers months ago. Unlike the prequels this Republic fall makes sense as a new generation wants to harken back to the only glory they knew (the Empire) as opposed to some mythology of the Jedi which just never seemed real.

For my exercising my goal currently is just to get a bit more muscle definition and bigger arms and shoulders. Hopefully!
But not too much of either though. Slim guys with lots of muscle tone look effing weird. That sinewy Bruce Lee look is gross to me. And people who bulk up their arms too much can look like they're got a medical condition- peremently swollen biceps are so disgusting, and arms that are too bulky look disproportionatly shortened and stumpy.

It's a funny thing to consider but it's easy to overdo stuff.

I have lots of exercising goals this year. I need to shed much weight and gear towards a more lean frame. It's easy for me to bulk out and become overly muscled, I don't have much of a neck at the best of times.

On a bigger frame muscle looks good though.

Ugh…. thanks to this gout pain I'm experiencing I had a fall accident… and broke the LCD screen of my PSP3000. At first I thought I'd have to hunt for a new one. But now I have a lucky break… the LCD screen for the thing is pretty cheap and easy to replace. Now if only the same could be said for my tablet…

I'm also thinking of making a game like this…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrQEMBN8DNU&feature=youtu.be&t=2m53s

Only it will be a top down “escape” game with one horrifying ending…

What about a sexy ending? Ever think of that? Inevitable sexy ending. No escaping it. That'd be SO popular!
Lesuresuite Lonneheart.

Man it's quieter than a Serbian monestary after the Ottoman invasion!
Today was a good day!
- it was nice and mild, not too hot.
- I got a new cowboy style sun hat.
- presents arrived from my sister: a cat couloring book and a picture frame with a pic of a lion in it… Because of my mane?
- the delivery people dropped off my shopping and EVERY item was there! No substitutions, none missing. Woot! So now I finally have decent food again after waiting so long to shop after Xmas and I didn't even have to leave the house.
Life is good. :D

Oz, you are getting your groceries delivered to your house now?

How much does the cost compare versus buying it directly from the market?

It would be convenient to have that service right now. It has been raining nonstop since Tuesday because SoCal is in the middle of an El Niño. There is thunder and lightning and I have to do extra fumbling when getting in and out of my car. It is nice to be prepared with a large umbrella and a pair of rain boots. I did not stop by the market after tutoring because it was raining and I did not think it was worth getting my clothes and hair wet. I do enjoy a nice rainstorm, though.

I'd LOVE some rain. Today will be hot and my fave mouse has stopped working properly, dammit! It's a Logitech MX Revolution or something, I've had it for years. SUCH a good mouse. I love it way better than any other I've used, better than the touchpad on my laptop and even my Wacon Cintiq Stylus for most things- but that's mainly because I use the mouse in my left hand while I use the stylus in my right.

OK, groceries- It costs about $11 to $9 for delivery depending on how much I've paid and if there was a special price or something. I only get deliveries when I have a lot of shopping to do it one go and it's too heavy to carry on the train. You get some special prices online so you can save a little bit of money, but not that much since the delivery fee eats it all up. Special prices in the shop are usually better.

But I seem to have discovered a new trick to make sure online shopping is a bit better:
I accidently booked the delivery a day later than I intended, and that seems to have given them enough time to actually get my order RIGHT, give me nice vegies and delivery early for once.
Usually I get the stuff delivered the next day and they have to substitute what they dont have, give you crappy vegies and fruit etc.

Better talk to Mother Nature about the rain. Seems she decided to raise it up a few lattitudes. I'm gettting a LOT of rain out here… O_O

As of the 6th, I've been a Drunk Duck member and webcomic author for 12 years!!! I completely forgot until Nick reminded me yesterday so I spent the entire day making my annual thank-you poster. Thank goodness for icy hot, I slathered it all over my arm, but my thumb inverted into the shape of my tablet pen! (I'm out of cotton balls so I couldn't bandange one to it like I usually do when I don't wanna give into pain like a TOTAL WIMP!)
Oh… maybe I should link that if anyone is curious… Here ya go
What's funny is I only remembered because my wedding anniversary is the day before, and i FORGOT THAT TOO, because I've just been nonstop working for weeks. ಥ﹏ಥ (by choice though work is never over!!)

I just saw that on Favebook Amelius!
Happy anniversary! Lovely pic if the gang in their super formal duds. I was wondering how long and how much work it would've taken to make that!

Great poster. Love those cast pictures artists do for special occasions.

Books. With coming in at 0600 these days watching TV or movies has become harder. So I've gone back to reading. I reread a pile of books I had forgotten I had and have started going to the library again. The first group of books caused a $3 fine because I forgot to renew them in my hectic schedule. I read a recent work on Lorenzo the Magnificent and Savaronla in early Renaissance Florence and another on England's King John written for the anniversary of Magna Carta. It supports the story from the cool movie Ironclad.
Now I am reading another book on the Norman Conquest.

Thanks both!! :D
It took me pretty much from 10:30 am to 11:40 pm before I just had to declare it finished with enough to post BEFORE the day was up! I miraculously even took a break to eat! (Usually I forget) but only because the gorilla-grip I keep on my pen when I have to draw faster forced me to take that break for a bit. It freckin hurts!
When i had advance warning (as in, wasn't so out of the loop pulling self-inflicted 16 hour work streaks that I remember what days are!) last year I pretty much included everyone on the poster. I was tempted to include the dead-dead ones too! Maybe one day…
I also had one I was drawing on posterboard but my cat destroyed it because the desk is in front of the window, and because it's an art desk it has that incline. He likes to slide down it. I can't leave art on it, so right now there's just laundry on it, but that'll end up on the floor too eventually thanks to this cat. There's just a pile of avalanched art supplies I need to pick up in front of it when I can be bothered to do more than comic work all day every day! (I'm procrastinating right now because my arm still hurts)