A suggestion for Netflix.

This post was a forgotten draft from 10/05/2010. 

As some of you might gather from the image above, I'm a massive movie nerd.  For those of you that don't recognize the pic, that is the number of movies(and a few television shows) I've rated on Netflix.  I would also like to note, there is a bunch of things they still don't have even listed, such as the cartoon Bionic Six.
 
When I was young I had horrible insomnia and would just stay up all night, every night, and just watch movies.  Sometimes watching whatever crazy movies were on late night television.  Occasionally biking up to the rental stores or theaters with a note from the parents saying they don't really give a crap what I see(allowing me entrance to, or rental privileges to obtain, "R" rated movies) to see anything that caught my eye.  Which a few times ended up horribly on a few rentals.  Luckily the really terrible "Adult" movies were in a back room.
I believe I personally wore out Mr. Movies' copy of Bloodsport.  Big Trouble in Little China was seemingly Fox's "Movie of the Week" every other week on Saturdays and I always watched it.  Same goes with Predator, which seemed like the alternating week's "Movie of the Week."  I've seen it like a bazillion times, and loved it each time. 

Then Netflilx came along and I was like, "Why didn't this come along years ago!?"  Rental movies mailed to damn near my doorstep?!  Amazing!  Brilliant! 
I only have to walk across the street to obtain a movie!?! 
Anyway, sure mailing movies directly to you is quite swift(usually I get one 2 days after most recent has been shipped back), but the downside is that occasionally my movie tastes change during the shipping time, leaving me with a film that I don't really feel like watching.  It happens.  With enough frequency to warrant this complaint.  Maybe I had a bad day and want a Comedy instead of a SciFi adventure or Drama that came in the mail.  Tastes can change instantly, I just sent back a movie watched last night.  It was one I haven't felt like watching for 2 months.  That's no good.  Too much time with a single movie I might want to watch some other day. 

Then they came out with the streaming movies.  Ingenious.  I think they should make ALL movies streaming.  It would be good for them, because I would pay MORE MONEY per month for the unlimited access to ANY MOVIE I want to watch at any time. 
Think of all the money they would save on shipping!?!?!?  Increasing monthly payments, AND cutting out shipping.  Win-win for them. 
Sure the big movie studios would lose a little.  But I would pay enough extra to make sure they could still produce films I would watch.  A considerable amount of more money for a larger convenience.
Eventually I think all movies will be streamable anyway.  Or downloadable for those that wish to get any special features(commentaries, deleted scenes, any bonus stuff).  Personally, movies I really enjoy, I'd pay extra for.  Not just to get the extra junk on the movies, but to support the film makers.
Netflix could even break the payments for it down into categories.  Maybe some people only want old movies and that would be cheapest to buy.  For an account with access to newer releases?  It would cost a bit more.  An account with all the newest movies, and in HD?  That would be the most expensive.  It doesn't have to be for everyone.  Possibly a tailorable, tiered system.  I don't know. 

Maybe even stream to my phone. That would be ULTRA convenient
A couple of my buddies already have the capability to watch Netflix streaming on their phone, but I still do not. Hopefully soon I may attain this wonderful phone application.

OK Netflix, I can do without the phone app, but make everything you have streamable for those that would like it.  If the price is decent, people will pay. 

Only a single Christmas card finished this year.

Well, I am sad to say I only finished a single card this year.  Although there are like 30 sketched out and half finished ones for next year.
So enjoy:

Josh News Updates

Hello any readers seeing this.
Quick updates:
1.  Here's a fun pic I took at the local Panera bread.  It's a mini snowman with food for a face.  First snowday here in Minnesota was a big one. 

2.  I've been working a ton at the hospital, and haven't had a whole lot of extra time.  

3.  What extra time there has been, I've been using to work on a novella/novel project for Nanowrimo.(http://www.nanowrimo.org/)  But even that is getting behind.  As of now I have just over 18000 words.  May not make the monthly word count of 50,000.  Oh well.

3.5.  While this may come off as terrible for the Nano project, I've also been working on the scripts or the next big Slugwheel comic project with Nick over at http://www.slugwheel.com/.  It's been a while, but we are working on a bunch of mini comics as filler for the site in the meantime.

4.  In between all this fun stuff I have been preparing for this year's Christmas/Holiday cards.  There is a single one in particular that I am super excited about.  I began working on it last year and couldn't get some of it to look right with it's perspective and textures. But if I can get it to work, it will be completely amazing.  That said, the digital will be less amazing than the planned printed card, which involves sliding panels and a fold out section.  Oh man!  SOOOOOO excited!!!

5.  I would like to thank whoever is still reading this blog.  I haven't been posting nearly as much as I should be.  So, dear readers,
     Thank you.

A Long Night (How I Know Winter Is Near...)

Last night was a long night.  A.  Very.  Long.  Night.
What little sleep came to me is due to a noctunal visitor.  Mr. Cricket is the harbinger of sleeplessness in my house.  He was out there all night chirping his little heart away through a bullhorn directly through my window.  Every year his arrival announces the begining of fall...  and the war with crickets. 
With winter swiftly approaching, I need to find some way of battling these noisy bastards.

This single evil visitor must have been a scout.  It always begins with one.  Soon they'll be taking over the entire house.  Last year one of my roomies had Tasha the Husky, aka Secret Agent Doogie Schnauzer, the Cricket-Slayer.  Well, at least the cricket eater.  The new roomie has a large chocolate lab, but he just looks longingly at them and cries a little.  Not a very good gaurd/attack dog.  He isn't going to be much of a help.
More updates to come.
Here is the culprit.  If you happen to see this particular cricket, eliminate with extreme prejudice.

I love this tree.

Just a quick post to let people know I'm not actually dead.  Yet.
Oh, and I love this tree.  If I ever move, it's coming with.

And on a completely unrelated note, here's 2 more pictures.  One is a staircase by my friend's apartment, the other is a strange empty lot by his appartment.  Just thought they were interesting.

Altered Esthetics/Lutefisk Sushi D

Hey everybody, sorry again that posting has been...  rare.  I still have a ton of stuff on deck, but i lost a bunch of blogger drafts due to unknown blogger system failures.  As in, they disappeared, AGAIN. 

Anyway, tonight I'll be attending/showing a comic I made with http://www.nicholasstraight.blogspot.com/ at the Altered Esthetics/Lutefisk Sushi show. 
http://cartoonistconspiracy.com/sushi/index.html
http://www.alteredesthetics.com/

Here's the first interior page-
It can also be found at our comic specific blog- http://www.slugwheel.com/

A note here: The sketch Nick is handing me is from one of the comics we started before this, and then will work on now that this one is done.  There is also some script from that project as an Easter egg on the next page.  A little teaser of what's to come.

Best Birthday Gift I've Given Someone: A God Complex

It was recently one of my friend's birthday and I was struggling with what to give her for a gift.  After much deliberation I decided to put some old skills to the test, and make something so amazing, all future birthdays would seem paltry in comparision.  What could be that awesome?  Then it dawned on me...

What I was thinking was, what better way to make someone feel good about being old than giving them the ability to play god and make(or destroy) things!?!  After years of research compressed into just a few weeks, I took my knowledge of genetic manipulation and some prehistoric DNA projects I had lying around the laboratory (desk drawer) and made it into a creator pill.  Something that has the capacity to grow an entire living creature by dropping it in some water.   

These were not nearly as good as the ones from when I was a child.  I recall being able to drop a single one of these into a glass of water and, if you were lucky, 30 seconds later the foam beast that sprouted from the glass wouldn't be large enough to devour you.  Unlucky people got things like an Argentinosaurus, which would grow large enough in that 30 seconds to destroy their house, some vehicles, and their neighbor's shed, or a very disoriented Velociraptor trying to devour their intestinal tract.  A few incidents caused us to rethink these wonderful magic-pet-maker-pills.  

I mean, insurance doesn't cover extinct 100+ ton Sauropods crushing your house in an attempt to nibble at the leaves of tall trees.  Doctors don't believe you when you say, "A Compsognathus bit me."  Nor did my 5th grade teacher buy it when I announced a Triceratops ate my Baking Soda Volcano. 

With that thought, these new pills are created with safety in mind.  There is a governer gene placed on their growth.  A maximum height of 3 inches.  The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex isn't nearly as threatening when it's only 2 inches tall.  It's actually kind of cute.  In fact, I'm waiting on a patents/copyrights for "Teacup Tyrannosaurs", along with "Itty Bitty Brachiosaur", and a set called "Tiny Terrarium of Terror", which includes small Plesiosaurs, Icthyosaurs, and a handful of Parasaurolophuses.  

In the end, I essentially wrote her a prescription for a God Complex with a full bottle of either potential Cretaceous Era disaster or Jurrasic Era joy.  One that she may get refilled at leisure.  Hopefully nobody dies this time.

So, I've just started watching Finge

I started watching Fringe recently, and discovered the fact that Walter Bishop may be a future version of myself. Very disconcerting to know. Just kidding, although he deserves his own "Alternate Realty" show or something. Walter 24-7 in Alpha Earth 8's prime time television spot!!!

Anyway, I made a small screencapture comic based on what I believe the Watcher/Observer guy is really all about. By like episode 6 or so he seems to be the ultimate creeper, and following Olivia Dunham around all over the place. For some reason this is all I can think of...

Update as to what I've been up to

My best friend(http://www.nicholasstraight.blogspot.com/) and I have made a comic!  It's for the Lutefisk Sushi Volume D show in August.  http://cartoonistconspiracy.com/sushi/index.html   I've also started a site for the comic book works we have made and will make in the future.
http://www.slugwheel.com/

I believe a CONGRATULATIONS is in order...

(November11-2009, 3:20pm) An ultrasound of my food baby.  This is the first announcement I have made, spread the word!  The anticipation is sooooo great right now, it's damn exciting!

***

(November 11-2009, 3:27pm)  It's a 1lb. 3oz. beautiful baby BURRITO!!!  I shall call him Barbacoa Barsody.  Ah, the sweet memories I will have of this momentous occasion...  The birth of my firstborn child.  He definitely has my cilantro lime rice.  Although he has his mother's foil wrapping for sure!

***

 
(November 11-2009, 3:31pm)  TRAGEDY!!!  Unfortunate circumstances have ruined my family to be.  Insatiable hunger has overcome my paternal instincts.  This is a loss that will cause me great sorrow for the next couple of food-coma induced hours.  (*the sound of intense sobbing*) (Not from the child perishing, but from a horrible overfilled stomach pain)

***

(Note that this is a post that I forgot about.  It originally supposed to be a 3 parter.  One that I started in 2008 with the first draft.  I was going to have it be 3 separate posts spaced apart to match an actual pregnancy, but that might be forgotten by readers, or not make sense to people stumbling by the post.  Well, time moved on and each newer draft got much shorter, and I forgot about it over and over.  Then I re-found the original draft and went to get the Ultrasound done in Nov. 09.  And once again I got busy and forgot about it.  So here is the super condensed version, in one post as 3 parts.)