Call Me Tom wrote:
Right now I'm watching paint dry.

Spolier it is boring!

As a model builder I do that daily. Even watching the transition from wet paint to flat finish gets dull after awhile.

(That's a pun. Flat finishes are called dull coats. One of the best selling clear flat finishes is Testors DullCoate, rimshot)

ozoneocean wrote:
Nice. Panthera is the best :D

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Our Indiegogo funding drive is NOW live:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/drunk-duck-webcomics-improvement-drive/x/4410947#/

Help fund us there.
We'll add more perks for doners as we think of them as as we get artists to agree to them like commissions, cameos in comics, custom wallpapers, sketch cards, original donated art and so on.

You can already get cool stuff like your own Quackcast interview, Ads in our Project Wonderful space, Mentions in the newsposts, your very OWN featured newspost just promoting you alone and much more.

I don't even need any perks, I am just happy to help! I contributed and would like to have done more but dat USD-CAD dollar -_-;;

ashtree house wrote:

I don't even need any perks, I am just happy to help! I contributed and would like to have done more but dat USD-CAD dollar -_-;;

Ugh I know what you mean. Every time I make a purchase in USD I have to avert my eyes to avoid the sad reality of the conversion rate.

1.00 USD = 1.46 CAD


California has been very nice to me.

Gas prices were at $2.499 a gallon when I went to the pump.

Minimum wage starts at $10.00/hour as of January 1, 2016.

==

This evening, I went to the library store and the elderly lady who was working there had a magazine open. I noticed it was two human figure outlines in several different compromising sexual positions. As soon as I saw it, she picked up the magazine and started concealing the pages. I do not know what is more awkward, the fact that I caught the granny reading adult material at the library or that the granny was reading it in the first place!

Thanks guys!
Wow, the Australian dollar is worth the same as the Canadian dollar! Hahaha!

There were to.es when we were worth more than the US, but conservative governments here tend to push the value if the dollar down so resource exports are more attractive to overseas buyers so the ultra rich mining barons can get richer.

Every bit helps!

Canadian dollars to US depresses you? Don't even look at the conversion to the Euro.

Then in comparison I am loaded with the almighty mwahahahahaha ha!

You guys really get cheated in the UK. Not only the VAT but a special of 2 for 15.99 is 2 for $ 15.99 in the USA as this stupid obnoxious American tourist discovered.

But I did make sure to support the local hobby shop in Worcester. Where an Airfix model costs 5.95 that costs $5.95 in the USA. I sense a pattern here.

Yeah that seems spot on. But it's good when I'm buying digitally from us stores.

The Hong Kong currency is strong against the Euro so at times it's cheaper to buy European goods from Asia. For a while the Canadian dollar was stronger than the US dollar with the Euro so I would get European kits through Canada. Now that's changed a little and I only need to get Asian kits from Asia. And sometimes I would ship them to builders in Europe who could not get them. But with increased postage it's not worth it anymore.

If you think that's bad, I remember seeing the exact same purses sold in Mainland China for 40 RMB (Approximately $6.50) at an outdoor market in Greece for 40€ (~$44.00).

bravo1102 wrote: Canadian dollars to US depresses you? Don't even look at the conversion to the Euro.

Yeah, but just about every online store that I shop at is located in the US, not Europe. Cross-border shopping trips are also a huge deal in Canada. Long weekends often used to mean a little road trip down to the states to take advantage of shopping, but not so much now with the exchange rate.

New Jersey has a lower sales tax than New York so we used to get cross border shoppers all the time. What I meant about US dollars to Euro was buying stuff made in Europe. From Belgian chocolate to Italian model kits the prices doubled when the dollar slipped against the Euro. One makers stuff was a bargain went to being an extravagantly overpriced overnight.

kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
If you think that's bad, I remember seeing the exact same purses sold in Mainland China for 40 RMB (Approximately $6.50) at an outdoor market in Greece for 40 (~$44.00).

Don't mean to just jump in, but that's not as crazy as it sounds. It's not uncommon for merchants in Mainland China to sell knock-offs and/or goods that fell off the back of a truck. Also if those purses were from China, then they took an airplane/ship ride to Greece.

I was in Hong Kong last month and was looking for this purse that was really popular. I found it in the markets for 80-200 HKD. In a store though? 3000 HKD.

The huge range in market prices depends on where I was looking. If I was looking at Ladies Market, a very popular tourist spot, then I am looking to pay at minimum 200 HKD. If I was looking at a lesser known local market, then I can find that little stand tucked in a corner selling it for 80 HKD. (Which I didn't get so I am full of regret. ;__; )

Apparently I'm an old woman because what I find depressing about the falling Canadian dollar is the price of vegetables. Broccoli used to be 0.99 cents a pound. Now at Loblaws it's selling for $3.99 a pound. And forget cauliflower. With the falling dollar and the California drought, we shall never talk about cauliflower for a long long time.
I buy my vegetables in Chinese supermarkets now where the prices are slightly lower.

I'm kinda wary when it comes to name brand stuff sold in Chinese stores. I find that a lot of them might be… I dunno… Clones???
And now I'm showing off the Klingon version of the Caitians, the Ferasans. A cat flying a Bird of Prey… that's… strange…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf5MwkXdfcQ

Black_Kitty wrote:
Apparently I'm an old woman because what I find depressing about the falling Canadian dollar is the price of vegetables. Broccoli used to be 0.99 cents a pound. Now at Loblaws it's selling for $3.99 a pound. And forget cauliflower. With the falling dollar and the California drought, we shall never talk about cauliflower for a long long time.
I buy my vegetables in Chinese supermarkets now where the prices are slightly lower.

You're totally not an old woman, I am also depressed about the price of broccoli! It's the best vegetable. And a house full of vegetarians and bunnies goes through a lot of veggies. :(

HippieVan wrote:

You're totally not an old woman, I am also depressed about the price of broccoli! It's the best vegetable. And a house full of vegetarians and bunnies goes through a lot of veggies. :(

I'm going for a vegetarian diet, and I'm finding that vegetables (and anything we consider “healthy”) is more expensive than junkfood.

Of course, I'm also NOT happy that every food I decide on (healthy or not) has a negative impact on my health. For instance, some people around me are utterly convinced that water has calories and fat, cabbages will give you very bad constipation, and mushrooms will aggravate my gout (all of which I'm sure are either not true or exaggerations).

I'm sure that one day Humanity will starve to death because of its irrational fear of anything edible…

It is my not-so-secret life mission to get my fiance to eat more green vegatables. The only green vegatable he's willing to eat is broccoli. I'm trying to find a way to branch out, perhaps into kale and spinach. I made kale chips a few times and he won't go for it. :( So until I find a cheaper substitute, I am stuck buying expensive broccoli.

Every food seem to have gone up in price. Grapes are terrible too. Salty duck eggs, which I used to get three for a dollar (and when I was a kid, four for a dollar), is now two for a dollar. I hear meat is going to go up in price too. The problem is that we can't just NOT eat and fast foods, while cheaper, are terribly unhealthy for you. It's partly why those in poverty are generally unhealthy. It is more expensive and time-consuming to eat healthy.

I just made chicken meatball pasta tonight and that was way more effort than buying a hamburger. Or sushi. Mmm…sushi.

(I snuck broccoli into his meatballs. I'm very committed to this.)

Black_Kitty wrote:
It is my not-so-secret life mission to get my fiance to eat more green vegatables. The only green vegatable he's willing to eat is broccoli. I'm trying to find a way to branch out, perhaps into kale and spinach. I made kale chips a few times and he won't go for it. :( So until I find a cheaper substitute, I am stuck buying expensive broccoli.

Would he eat quiche? It's pretty easy to throw a lot of vegetables in quiche without it tasting too vegetable-y.

HippieVan wrote:
Would he eat quiche? It's pretty easy to throw a lot of vegetables in quiche without it tasting too vegetable-y.

*rubs chin* He miiiight. I've never made quiche, but I can give it a shot this week. It'll be fun to try something new. :D Thanks~

So when websites talk about avoiding sweetbreads to prevent gout, I thought they were talking about stuff like donuts and actual sweetened breads. Nope. I find out that this “sweetbread” is actually an animal thymus or pancreas cooked in a dish. NOW it makes sense to avoid “sweetbread”. But why are they called that?!?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetbread

I thought up a newspost topic in my sleep, but then when I woke up it didn't make sense. :(

Do it anyway . Since when have newsposts had to make sense?

I eat reasonably unhealthy… but I exersise enough to stay in good shape.
My problem is that I don't eat enough. :)
I've greadually reduced my meat intake over the years, now I eat mainly fish and chicken as my chief meat sources.
It's not that I still really want the taste of meat, it's that I don't eat very much so I need something that provides me a big hit of energy and protien in one easy package or I just won't get it otherwise. Generally you have to eat a lot more vegies to get the same result… and they take more preperation. I'm slowly getting better at that though.

@Black Kitty
Woo woo! Congratulations on your engagement!

I love Hong Kong from Mong Kok to the Mid-Levels. I did feel that my bargaining ability was reduced there compared to Guangzhou because the main language was Cantonese and I only knew the “lower the price” phrases in Mandarin. The toy and stationary shops in China were sometimes located underground so I would walk through tunnels filled with plush toys and stickers. It was pretty cute.

I am a big fan of tokidoki by Lesportsac, so I can spot the real deal from the knock offs. That is how I knew Greece was selling the exact same bags as in China.


As far as fresh produce is concerned, the California drought has reduced the variety of produce sold, but I still like to buy most of my produce from the frozen section because it lasts longer. Broccoli in meatballs are the best. I once tried turkey meatballs with broccoli and they were the best.

@HippieVan
I have had that “paper writing while dreaming” experience and it is the worst when it is for a class and a paper is due the next day or in a few hours. I have written papers while drifting in and out of sleep, but that has a completely different outcome.

==

I had a “Treat Myself” mentality last night after work and ended up purchasing two new pairs of brand new high heeled pumps. One pair is nude colored with a two inch heel and the other is a grey felt material. When I wore both pairs in the store they looked and felt damn sexy that I knew I needed to have them. The grey pumps are around a three inch heel and the closest thing to eff me pumps that I have in my collection, but c'est la vie, this is thirty.

==

I just donated to the Drunk Duck indiegogo campaign and there is no better cause worth helping than my favorite little hangout spot on the Internet for the last nine years. I am also going to get amazing artwork from one of my favorite artists, so it is a Win/Win!!



Okay, now I am off to yoga.

bravo1102 wrote:
Do it anyway . Since when have newsposts had to make sense?

The topic as far as I can remember was something along the lines of “what constitutes a break?” Like, how long of a break are you allowed to take while you're working on something? What are you allowed to do during your break? It's both uninteresting and doesn't really make sense in the context of comics. I think I was dreaming about it because I had a marathon reading session yesterday evening, and was allowing myself brief breaks every few pages to look at handbags online.

kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
@HippieVan
I have had that “paper writing while dreaming” experience and it is the worst when it is for a class and a paper is due the next day or in a few hours. I have written papers while drifting in and out of sleep, but that has a completely different outcome.

I have also done the paper writing while falling asleep thing, with mixed results. I once turned in a paper that I had written like that the night before and it was full of typos (by my standards) but I still did super well on it. It kind of felt like I had cheated.

kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
I just donated to the Drunk Duck indiegogo campaign and there is no better cause worth helping than my favorite little hangout spot on the Internet for the last nine years. I am also going to get amazing artwork from one of my favorite artists, so it is a Win/Win!!

I got one of the DD Anthology books for myself! I hemmed and hawed a bit about whether I as an admin should take one of the limited perks when someone else could have it, but I really wanted one so…yeah. I didn't really deliberate for too long. And supporting a good cause! ^_^

Hippie- a Newspost about breaks is GENIUS!
Apply it to comics on hiiatus! What constitutes when a Comic is "late+, when it's in a break, and when it's on indefinite hiatus? Why do comics do that? Maybe it just takes ages to update like Pinky TS, maybe they just quit working on it and were too lazy to do it properly with a real ending or at the very least a note from the author.
It's also fine to take breaks, comic artists should feel guilty about it because guilt stops people going back and working again because they feel ashamed… Etc. There's so much to say about breaks in terms of comics!

Can also be beneficial!

Gonna ask you military minded people this question…

Is going from just graduating a military academy to the highest rank in a military organization a ridiculous thing?

Basically, in Star Trek Online you start out as a cadet freshly graduated from Starfleet Academy. You were apparently destined for “greatness” before your first mission because you get selected to be the first officer to the first ship captain you will serve under.

I'm not sure, but there's apparently a term for one's first voyage on a ship right after boot camp… Anyways, during this first mission your captain is kidnapped, orders you to take an action that will kill him (and give you and the crew a chance at survival), naming you as the ship's new captain. Later on a senior officer comes to your rescue, but leads you to another mission but gives you a field promotion to the Lieutenant rank to give you proper authority over your ship. The mission leads to an even more dangerous enemy and you're ordered to go to that enemy's target to warn the civilians there. Instead you end up saving as many of those civilians as you can. Upon finishing the mission the Starfleet commander grants you official command of your ship, citing that while ships can be easily replaced, good officers cannot be and he's taking a chance with you…

In the next 18 months you rise very fast through the ranks, and in the meantime saving the Federation from a Klingon plot, from the Tal Shiar's schemes, from a Dominion invasion, and an alien race from another alien race who happen to be slavers, liberate a planet controlled by pirates, strengthen ties with peoples who the Voyager met long ago, and finally saving the Romulans, Klingons, and the Federation from a huge catastrophe…

In any case, at least I know why all the major Federation officers talk down on the player character despite his rank being higher… But could this actually happen in the military?

@HippieVan
I went through a similar hemming and hawing, but the voice inside my head said, “Do it.” Plus, from a design perspective, the perk is worth way more than the donation price.

@ozoneocean
Is Pinky TS the prequel to Pinky TA that has been on hiatus since 1998? (LoL, sorry, I am being a smart arse.)

==

Alright, good citizens of Drunk Duck, I have a special announcement!

Today I received an invitation to an orientation for my third paying job next week. This confirms that after five months of test taking, applications, fingerprinting (twice), and a TB skin test, I can finally work in the school district.

I must admit, it feels amazing to be back on the paying grid and even better because I love my bosses, coworkers, and students at all my jobs.

I am in the middle of a six-day work week, which may become a seven day work week pretty soon.

Blast it all to bloody hell!

Is the Indiegogo campaign saying that Ironscarf is now offering his artwork to go toward fundraising??

That one is sure to be picked up like a hotcake.

Ooo all you skilled and talented artists on DD.