HelintheWorld?

Return to Taipei

2009-01-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

Hello, I'm jetlagged.

e_e

What else can explain a sudden spurt in hot blogging action at 6:00 in the morning?!?!

I just came home from a two week vacation in Taipei, where I totally spent some SOOPER DOOPER HIGH LEVEL quality time with the family. Got to spend almost every moment with mom:

A cab rider mistook my mom for my older sister. Now I'm using anti aging cream.

And reunited with Dad and my 90 year old Grandma:

That's right. My grandma is 90 YEARS OLD. Ain't she the cutest?

While staying home with mom, I discovered that as much as things change, some things do indeed (sigh) stay the same. Case in point, the boxes are STILL piled up in our house:

Posting this photo is guaranteed to get me murdered by my mother.

But oh! there is a bright glimmer of hope light shining through this clutter. Took Mom to Muji and Daiso and she was very receptive to their idea of home organization and simplified design. YES!!! So much so she took a catalog...also, she offloaded a closet full of clothes from the 80s into my trunk. I imagine if I can bring back stuff from Taipei each time I visit, I myself can get this apartment cleared in like...ten years.

No On 8

2008-11-17T23:53:00.000-08:00

Attended the national No on 8 rally this Saturday.

Let's hope we can look back at these photos one day and be amazed that gay marriage was ever illegal.

Republicans Don't Know Community Organizers Organize Communities

2008-09-06T03:44:00.000-07:00

I got sick to my stomach watching the RNC when Palin, Pataki and Giuliani resorted to calling Obama a -gasp!- community organizer.

Obama's right- he's definitely been called worse. And I'm not too worried for him because his work as a community organizer is laudable and this attack has already backfired on the Republicans.

But what I am upset about is the fact that this shows us WOWWOWOWWOW- the Republicans are superbly out of touch with reality. To denigrate and devalue the work of a community organizer infuriates the hell out of me.

Mr. Giuliani-to answer your sneering questions, "What IS a community organizer?" I'll have to turn to the summer of 2000- when I spent a summer working with NJPIRG community organizers to keep chemical plants from polluting several NJ rivers.

The organizers were in their 20s and 30s , just graduated from top schools (Columbia, Upenn, UCLA) who forfeited a stable lifestyle and comfortable income by traveling to colleges around the country. Their jobs were to recruit and organize young people to travel around the state and have them educate residents on major issues impacting lives of its residents and collecting donations to support major causes.

These people were being paid practically minimum wage to walk 5 hours a day in the summer to knock on stranger's doors. All other hours of their day was devoted to recruiting people to join their specific cause, educating trainees on issues, writing and collecting petitions...etc... Sometimes we'd get the door slammed in our faces- but thankfully more often that not we would convince a person to donate money to the lawyers representing families suing large corporations for polluting and causing cancer spikes in their hometown.

And at the end of the day I'd go home to my family's house while the organizers would either sleep on couches or roll sleeping bags on the floors of friend's houses or in the office headquarters. To save money- they would prefer to choose this option rather than spend money on a rent they couldn't afford based on their meager salaries. Especially if the longest time they spent at each campus was three months before packing up and moving onto the next state.

Question answered, Mr. Giuliani? Remember these people now? Especially from after 9/11?

It's easy to understand why I am angry that a potential Vice President and the other puppet politicians who should know better-would mock such people. Seriously- imagine how the Special Needs community organizations are feeling now after hearing that speech juxtaposed with folksy cutaways to young baby Trig being passed around by the rest of her brood?

But Palin's zeal in delivering those scripted words without any ability to comprehend their meaning makes me fearful as well.

This fear comes from the fact that the most important lesson I took from working for a community organization was empathy.

Like everyone- I KNOW people are poor, losing jobs, sick and need help- but it was an entirely different thing to meet and speak with those people in person. I met a woman who was taking care of her partner who was dying from AIDS and didn't know how to balance that with keeping her job. Someone moved from their old town after their only son died of cancer around the time a new chemical plant was built next to the park he played at every day. A man screamed at me to get off his lawn until he saw I was campaigning to preserve the health of his local river- and then he revealed he was in danger of losing his home because he was a commercial fisherman severely affected by dwindling hauls due to saltwater pollution.

It wouldn't be a stretch to conclude that these types of encounters- experienced by a community organizer every day - would have some lasting effect on my psyche.

The people Palin chose to make fun of devote their everyday lives to helping people who are entirely unlike them with no clear monetary rewards or recognition-a concept that she apparently has difficulty grasping.

Now add this to the fact that she didn't even have the intellectual curiosity to leave our country (not even Canada for chrissakes?!?!) until she had to 18 months ago as Governor makes me seriously question her ability to relate to other Americans- who, um, aren't her.

Sigh...if she met me- she'd probably assume I was Inuit or some other Alaska Native...heck-she'd probably just call me an Eskimo to my face.

e_e .....

Dork Fantasy Fulfilled!

2008-07-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the experience of being in my first Comic Con panel evaaaarrr.

My awesome bosses included me in our panel for the new PBS cartoon "As the Wrench Turns" based on the NPR Car Talk radio show.- (Production Department...REPRESENT!)

I got to wax philosophic about the nuances of Producing and show the Car Talk audience that people in their 20s and weren't dudes were also a part of making the show.

Much like this character:

Note: by wax philosophic I actually mean mumble incoherently, ramble, leave my body whilst babbling like a brook...etc..

The panel was a great success I felt. Unfortunately you can't tell from the photos but we filled our room, and people laughed at the clips of our show, we got some great questions from the crowd and no tomatoes were thrown by diehard SUV drivers in the audience. RAD!

Enough talk-here are some pictures!

Putting on my gameface..." 'Sup?!"

Pre-panel banter with Larry Locke and our esteemed director, Tom Sito.

Waiting to start blah blahing on the panel.
That's Disney Legend Floyd Norman and Tom Minton, the BRAIN to my right.
Time to get serious. Howard Grossman our Exec Producer introduces the team. Bill Kroyer, our Exec. Producer of Animation, Tom Sito our director, and Stephen Silver our lead Character Designer extraordinaire to my left.

The best souvenir from Comic Con-my panel card!

With a friendly reminder not to swear and pollute young minds.

2008-06-18T03:18:00.000-07:00

While trolling the blogosphere for distraction from work I came across this crazed out site:

The Face of the Future: Transform yourself! Change the age, sex or ethinicity of a photo, or have fun with art and animal transforms.

WHAAAAAAA-????

I decided to try out the site and see what sort of Bizarro Helens I could conjure forth. Here were the results:

ORIGINAL ME

This is the photo of myself I submitted for transformation.

GUY ME

Geezh, I thought I'd look more different as a dude. Instead I look the same. (note to self: not good for ego) Anyway, I think I sorta look like George Takei more...and actually, yes, my Dad. If the masculinizer went at least 10% more I'd look exactly like him as a teenager here. Right now, this looks more like me over 40, losing my eggs and contemplating Replacement Female Hormone Therapy. Yeeesh!

CHILDHOOD ME
Sorta looked like me when I was ten. I need to photoshop a bowl cut on me first to really tell. But yea, it's pretty much me as a kid but with a better tan and make up job. Maybe I should've named this JonBenet Me?

OLD ME

Whoah!!!!!!!!!!!
Hellooooooo Mortality!

ASIAN-ER ME

UMMMM....so the Asian-ifier apparently makes you look more cross eyed, trout lippy and flattens your nose? WTF?!?!?!?! (note: if you are Asian and you try to transform using the Asian Filter, they will take you to your original photo. Therefore to transform your photo through your own race filter, you have to reupload the picture and specify that you are a different race in the beginning. To get this result I went all Banana and told the computer I was white so I could see what would happen if I got even more Asian. Reeeeeal interesting.)

WHITE ME

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!

Ok..I'm creeped out. I don't even look human anymore in this version.

This could be rather Serial Killer Me...or Eyelid Surgery Gone Wrong Me...the big changes here are they whitened my skin, gave me a fuller face and wacked out my eyes. But I don't think the eyes made me look more white...it just made me look more creepy. Which goes to show...don't eff with the eyes lest you start looking all freakshow. This kinda reminds me of the Uncanny Valley. BORG ME?!

BLACK ME
Black Me has a wider nose and fuller lips...but they kept my eyes pretty much the same. These results look less creepy than White Me because my lids and eyeshape remain all natural. You can still sorta find me in this composite. Truly eyes are the window to your soul and all that.

Unlike White Me, I don't look like a Madame Tussaude figure here- but I don't look exclusively Black...I think I look Blasian!

WEST ASIAN ME
The site lists this as the West Asian transformation, but I think this should actually be called the Ambiguous Race/ Mixed Everything Me.

Here's a little slideshow/animation as my bizarro selves morph into each other. It's interesting to see in the animation what features grow and stretch as the same face changes age, sex and ethnicity. (recommendation: set play speed to 1 or 2 seconds)

My Comic Shizz in Hyphen Magazine!

2008-06-07T18:29:00.001-07:00

Awesome news! I have the privilege of being the featured comic artist in the most current issue of Hyphen Magazine! #14, the "Spaces Issue" can be picked up at these book stores.
Besides my comic (check the last page yo!) the mag also has some great articles worthy of readership. From the Hyphen Magazine site, here is a list of what else is featured:

John Cho talks about starring in "Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay" and what it's like to take on the iconic role of Sulu in the "Star Trek" prequel movie.

Speaking of "Star Trek," we'll go where no magazine has gone before and scrutinize the white-dominated utopian future envisioned by the show and movies.

Byler, the filmmaker behind "Charlotte Sometimes" and "Tre," discusses art, activism and his support for Barack Obama.

Hyphen lays down the odds on who will be the first Asian American to run for president.
We'll look at the burgeoning Asian Pacific Islander prison population, what binds API inmates together and the writings of ex-prisoner Eddy Zheng.

An actor, a museum curator, a balloonist, an Elvis collector and an ocean swimmer tell us how they use their space.

We'll look at the legacy and rebirth of Seattle's Wing Luke Museum and the International Hotel in San Francisco.
We profile "Jonah Hex" creator Tony DeZuniga, leader of the “Filipino Invasion” of American comics

As a sneak preview, here's some panels I worked on for the comic. To read up and see photos of the actual events that inspired me, please check out my blog entry from Hiding in Asia.

CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL-L.A. CHINATOWN

2008-04-14T04:04:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES CHINATOWN

2008-04-14T03:25:00.001-07:00

Interesting graffiti in Chinatown- next time I go
back I'll try to find out the history of this building.

2nd Floor Office Building- Looking Out into Central Plaza

Looking Out into Central Plaza From Behind Decorative Bars

Family Inc. Meets the Press

2008-03-13T01:48:00.001-07:00

Love from Indiewire:
http://www.indiewire.com/ots/2008/03/festivals_going.html

Love from Cinequest's Discover Newsletter:

Love from 世界日報 World Journal:
Love from Sing Tao:

Goodbye Cinequest...Goodbye Emily

2008-03-13T01:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I drove back to San Jose to attend the festival's closing ceremonies with Emily.

The ceremonies were held in the GORGEOUS California Theater:

During the ceremony, Emily and I had the privilege of gracing the stage when all of the Cinequest directors were brought out. Do you see us????

Special thanks to Cinequesting for this photo.

Here was our reverse view from the stage:

O_O......WOW!

Immediately after the screening of the closing film, Take, Emily and I had to say goodbye to Cinequest so I could put her back on a plane to Hong Kong.

Emily goes back to her normal life as a CEO-in training
in one of Hong Kong's most notorious toy companies.

Goodbye Cinequest,....Goodbye Emily. I miss you both!

Our Film FAMILY INC's Sneak Preview at Cinequest!

2008-03-04T02:15:00.000-08:00

Emily Ting approached me about making a film this time last year...lo and behold one year later not only did we shoot it...we held our first official sneak preview of the film today at the 18th Annual Cinequest Film Festival!!!!

Proud parents..er..co-directors, Emily and I- 10 minutes before the premiere.

This is our trailer:

Everything about this festival has been amazing so far. Can I gush? SERIOUSLY. LET ME GUSH about why I am wallowing in a haze of awesome glob pie now...

-the warm Cinequest staff that made us feel like rockstars

-Derek and Darnesha, our volunteer PR assistants who pimped us out and got our film into the blogosphere.

Get these SJSU kids jobs after they graduate! They're good!

-going to see Dear Zachary . Oh my goodness. Wow. Go see it.

-Seeing a theater PACKED full of people who placed their $10, time and trust on an unknown film and two unknown directors....wow!!!!! THAT was one of the top five highs of my life! (natural highs, people, natural highs!)

You guys are great! Thanks for coming!

-This was the first time I ever saw a film I made get projected in front of a public audience...I'll never get a first experience again, so that was pretty eventful.

-Hosting a Q&A session with an audience of intelligent and supportive people.

Seriously, I am more motivated to make films than ever now. Thank you Cinequest.

Our film will be showing two more times in San Jose.

3/5/08- 6:45pm
3/7/08- 11:30 am

Camera 12 Downtown
201 S. Second St.
San Jose, CA

Click here to purchase tickets.

Emily and I celebrate with our friends Tariq, Davy, Wan Yi and Emily's new hubby Josh.

Will blog more...this show aint'over yet!

ps- thank you to everyone who sent me good vibes. It worked!!!!!!!!

BRITNEY LIVES ON MY STREET

2008-02-14T00:50:00.000-08:00

It's true.

I was reading the following news blurb about recent events in Ms. Spears' life. I bolded, redded, italicized and underlined the phrase that made my eyeballs socket-burst from my head:

Spears' Hospital Escort Prompts New "Britney Law"

Britney Spears is to have a law in Los Angeles named after her
- because it was her $24,000 police escort to hospital last month
which prompted councilmen to propose the amendment. The troubled
pop star was taken from her Coldwater Canyon home to UCLA
Medical Center on January 31 in an ambulance with a motorcade

GAAAAAAAAAH! No wonder my favorite haunts have been name-checked on Perezhilton recently. I mean, I knew I worked 5 minutes from where she shaved her head. Then there was the day she stopped for food at the Sharky's next door to my office....she immediately went to the Little Brown Church 2 minutes from my apartment after she lost custody of her kids, and then shopped at my local DSW that same weekend as well as having sex with Adnan naked in the Betsy Johnson at the mall I go to...as well as reuniting with her mom at my local Long's Pharmacy...but STILL I didn't know gurl and I lived ON THE SAME STREET. SERIOUSLY...$24,000?! I'm paying taxes so my crazy neighbor, who happens to be a mega famous pop icon, can be protected from the paparazzi she's partying with?!

My life in Los Angeles has taken a new and bizarre twist...

WOMEN FOR OBAMA RALLY-PT.1

2008-02-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

On Superbowl Sunday I went down to UCLA with my friends Annika and Summra to attend a Women for Obama rally.

Waiting in line we took a look at the Obama crowd, which was diverse among races if not necessarily by class...and yes, young. This being Westwood and the existing lure of seeing Oprah, I would say the attendees looked like your average Oprah audience. Yet despite the fact that it was Superbowl Sunday and it was a event focused for women, I saw a surprising number of men forsaking football (for now). Yet the most inspiring demographic to see were all the young children who were brought to the event by their mothers. Some of the children may not have been able to understand who Obama was, but their large presence at the rally indicated that their parents felt the rally would be a historic moment their children should not miss.

On our way to the rally, my friends and I used the words “historic moment” so much to describe the opportunity to see Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Oprah and Michelle Obama that it became tongue in cheek. But once we actually took our seats and saw the swell of people stream into Pauley Pavilion, the phrase lost its edge completely. We began to settle into the dawning realization that indeed we were part of a historic moment.

The feeling that you are actually present during a pivotal moment of American history can only be described as unsettling in a very, very good way. Euphoria and elation give away to giddiness and what transpires is some MAY-JUH camwhoring!

Behold our mini-rainbow contingent for Obama:

Black.

Brown.

Yellow.

Before Caroline Kennedy emerged, a group of outstanding women such as Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass and Sen. Majority Leader Gloria Romero spoke on behalf of Barack. Romero whipped up the crowd by yelling that today, WE were the “true Patriots and Giants”. HEEEELLLL YEEEEEEAH!

But the person who got the crowd standing in ovation was this 93 year old granny:

Hard to believe now, but back in World War II Susan was a PROUD AND BADASS member of the U.S. Navy. She spoke of being so old she remembered choosing to sit with African Americans in the back of the bus. That story resonates with me because I recollect my grandfather, who would have been her age this year, telling me the same thing. As a graduate student at Indiana University he avoided using public restrooms altogether because he couldn’t understand which bathroom was for him. (insert) is right, America has definitely come a long way and Obama epitomizes that change.

Before I go any further about the rally I am going to interject with one profound reason I would choose Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton, whose success is also an important harbinger for change. Ladies and gentlemen, that reason is:

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would both be capable leaders for our nation, but she doesn’t inspire people, cities and countries as much as Obama. Our next president is going to need the support and goodwill of as many countries as possible to get out of this Iraq mess, and in Barack Obama I see someone who has the potential to be a better uniter. A person that can inspire the whole world to see America in a more positive light.

(getting down from soapbox now…blog to be continued)

WOMEN FOR OBAMA!

2008-02-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

On Superbowl Sunday I ventured down to UCLA with my friend and roommate to attend a Barack Obama rally hosted by Caroline Kennedy, Oprah and Michelle Obama (aka- Jackie O'2.0!)

I'll blog more later, but for now here are photos from the event.

My Photo on Schmap!

2008-01-14T22:42:00.000-08:00

I'm so psyched to say that Schmap has chosen my photo to represent the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles!

Click here for a link to the page.

I love it when Web 2.0 collides in yummy ways. Schmap, which is best described as if Google Maps and Lonely Planet mated, is a free online digital travel guide that uses photos found on Flickr (used with the photog's permission) to illustrate tourist spots. It's a handy dandy tool which I've used before, and I encourage you guys to check it out for your own turfs.

I took this photo during Giant Robot's Biennale Art Show at the museum. The painting is done by the talented artist Souther Salazar. I have a deep fondness of taking pictures of people looking at paintings, especially kids.

Here are more pictures I took of from the show:

My Puppy is Old Now

2007-12-28T01:37:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia the average life expectancy for my dog is 10-12 years.

Winnie is 12 years old.

Eeep.

Do they make Centrum Silver for dogs?

:-(

Happy Holidays! xoxo-Helen

2007-12-21T02:55:00.000-08:00

I've temporarily removed this card because of the jarring music. Looking to fix it.

luv,
Helen :)

Adventures in 1988!

2007-12-14T01:08:00.001-08:00

My Dad was cool enough to remind me that I was a kid once. He took this from his personal archives and emailed it to me the other day.

I really appreciate this photo because it looks like I'm up to no good in it.

Conversely, Jennifer looks like a PERFECT ANGEL. Yeah..looks....

Aaaaah childhood. Bowlcuts and temper tantrums. How I miss ya!

In One Day...

2007-11-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm stunned by how much knowledge I can pick up in such a short span of time. And then, how quickly I can forget it.

As an experiment, I decided to log how much random info I just happened to pick up in one day.
From 9 am to 6pm I learn:

-There used to be giant 8-foot long SEA SCORPIONS that roamed our Earth.The only small consolation I have concerning these creatures is that they didn't use stingers to subdue their prey. Instead, they used their VICIOUS claws and FEROCIOUS jaws to munch on their prehistoric chum.

Glass half full though: Can we tweak this perception and think of these things as Ancient Lobsters though?

(source: Major headline on MSN.com .)

- The guy who invented lobotomies had psychological issues himself.

Why do I find this not surprising?
Listening to Jack El-Hai discuss his new book , The Lobotomist, a biography about Dr. Walter Freeman, I am left a bit depressed about how brilliant but self-righteous the manwas.
(source: Maximumfun.org podcast, "Sound of Young America")

-My dad informs me my grandfather had a wife before grandma!!!!!

Grandpa was forced into an arranged marriage at 17!
Grandma was the JEZEBEL who lured him away from his first wife!
I have a 66 year old aunt in Beijing!
Her daughter is an American citizen living in New York!
(note to self: if dating Chinese, request DNA sample prior to make out session.)
(source: Email from Dad.)

-I make a note to read Dark at the Roots by Sarah Thyre.

I am bored by people who use painful childhoods as an excuse to drink heavily, have promiscuous sex with strangers, cry and whine a lot.
But someone who can extract humor and tell a good story about it...I'm their fan for life. It's all about making lemonaaaade, people!

(source: Maximumfun.org podcast, "Sound of Young America")

-Self-Loathing Asians don't understand irony.
This Youtube video of a deluded Asian chick on Tyra makes me ANGRYYYYYY.
(thanks to Danny for infecting me with rage.)

Ugh- changing your eyelids to look less Asian is such an Asian thing to do.
What a dumbass move. Being American is all about diversity and individuality, folks. I know it's the cool thing to conform and look just like your friends in Asia, but aren't we kinda over that by now in the States? Sheesh, getting double eyelid surgery is like only wearing Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Dior. By compensating so hard on the outside, you know there isn't as much of an effort going on INSIDE.
(source: outraged Danny over IM and Youtube .)

A Co-Dependant Relationship

2007-11-19T17:28:00.001-08:00

Meet Mr. Caffeine.

I can't imagine my life without him.

ViddYou!

2007-10-27T01:41:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with ViddYou.com.

Danny showed it to me today, and I admit, he's right. It's bundles of fun.

In this clip, we try to figure out who is lamer. As a bonus, there is a brief and rare mention about my dating life. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. (Note: This confirms AGAIN that someone on 30Rock is mining the adventures of my personal life and using it for yucks and laughter. Helen=Liz Lemon, people!!!!)

Enjoy.

Helintheworld #1

2007-10-19T02:05:00.000-07:00

Guess where in LA I am. Answer is in my comments section.

I ABSO-FRICKIN' Miss My Dog

2007-10-14T02:23:00.000-07:00

Miss Potato Head Noggin' and Tater Tot Feet

Today I was cleaning out my car and found a giant poofy clump of Winnie's hair in the backseat, and maaaaaaan I got positively misty eyed. Normally I would have thrown it out, but out of sentiment I kept it in the car. Seriously, that is how much I miss my dog. I mean, I even thought about framing her hair and hanging it by my bed, or setting the fur to bronze, but that probably would have been kind of ridiculous...right?

Oh Winnie. Right now you're probably sleeping on the oriental rug in our foyer back home. (The SAME super expensive oriental rug Jennifer and I weren't even allowed to step on, until you peed and crapped all over it ) Or maybe you're wondering why I never came home when I left that April morning? You looked so cheerful, so confident that I'd be back to give you more rides in my car.

Ok, one more look at my dog before I end this uncharacteristically emotional blog post:

The Argos to my Odysseuss.

The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it For Life

2007-09-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Los Angeles, I've been having a rollicking good time. In fact, too good of a time. In the midst of reuniting, dining, drinking, partying, festival hopping, bookstore browsing, video game playing, dancing, moving and working, I've also been NEGLECTING my creativity...aka, figuring out if art is what I want to do with my life.

That's why a book like The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life: A Practical Guide has been a godsend. I already feel like I have a keener understanding towards who I am and what I want from this life. It's brought sorely needed focus. Twyla Tharp is one of America's greatest choreographers, but everything in this book is applicable to every creative field. I've already recommended this book to an actress and an advertising designer.

Inside the book, she also includes a test that helps you understand your "Creative DNA". It's a way of finding out what kind of artistic personality you are, and if that is representative in your work and what you do. I highly recommend you take this quiz as well. Here's an excerpt:

"If you understand the strands of your creative DNA, you begin to see the "story" you are trying to tell; why you do the things you do (both positive and self destructive); where you are strong and where you are weak (which prevents a lot of false starts), and how you see the world and function in it.

Take the following questionnaire. If even one answers tells you something new about yourself, you're one step closer to understanding your creative DNA. There are no right and wrong answers here. The exercise is intended for your eyes only, which means no cheating, no answers to impress other people. It's supposed to be an honest self appraisal of what matters to you. Anything less is distortion. I include it here and urge you to answer quickly,instinctively. Don't dawdle. "

1. What is the first creative moment you remember?

2. Was anyone there to witness or appreciate it?

3. What is the best idea you've ever had?

4. What made it great in your mind?

5. What is the dumbest idea?

6. What made it stupid?

7. Can you connect the dots that led you to this (great) idea?

8. What is your creative ambition?

9. What are the obstacles to this ambition?

10.What are the vital steps to achieving this ambition?

11. How do you begin your day?

12. What are your habits? What patterns do you repeat?

13. Describe your first successful creative act.

14. Describe your second successful creative act.

15. Compare them.

16. What are your attitudes towards money, power, praise, rivals, work, play?

17. Which artists do you admire most?

18. Why are they your role models?

19.What do you and your role models have in common?

20. Does anyone in your life regularly inspire you?

21. Who is your muse?

22. Define muse..

23. When confronted with a superior intelligence or talent, how do you respond?

24. When faced with stupidity, hostility, intransigence, laziness, or indifference in others, how do you respond?

25. When faced with impending success or the threat of failure, how do you respond?

26. When you work, do you usually love the process or the result?

27. At what moments do you feel your reach exceeds your grasp?

28. What is your ideal creative activity?

29. What is your greatest fear?

30. What is the likelihood of either of the answers to the previous two questions happening?

31. Which of your answers would you most like to change?

32. What is your idea of mastery?

33. What is your greatest dream?

So I Hit a Car...

2007-09-17T22:33:00.002-07:00

I won't bore you with the details of the accident, but the bottom line is no one got hurt, the other car was undamaged, and the dude I hit was nice about the whole thing.

BUT IT'S STILL A MAJOR PAIN IN THE ASS. And as with all my ass pain-this comes with some very valuable life lessons for Helen Jen.

So here we go....

What I Learned From My Car Accident
by Helen Jen, Age 27

1. Don't brag about what a good driver you are.
In the weeks before the accident I probably said the words, "No I swear, I'm a GOOD driver, " ten or fifty times. I dunno. I lost count. Anyway, the bottom line is I was a smug little betch and "car"-ma caught up with me. So remember to stay humble about your driving skills and KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT if you even think you're "alright". In fact, go the opposite route and tell everyone WHAT A BAD driver you are. Asides from deterring future accidents, this will also prove helpful whenever your group of friends is trying to decide who the designated driver will be. But seriously, I think I became more and more careless with my driving as my overconfidence steadily grew and grew. So keep your ego in check on the road at all times, lest you start to believe your own shite.

2. Get Car Insurance. I drove uninsured for about a month. When I told my Aunt Jean I'd "get around to it" because "nothing's gonna happen" she TOTALLY ripped my eardrums out over the phone. So I got my act together, and got my insurance on Sept. 4th. I got in my car accident on Sept. 12th.

Unfortunately my car insurance didn't cover collision damage but IF:
-I'd been hurt.
-I'd injured another person.
-Damaged the other person's vehicle.
-Damaged property.
-Hit a litigious asshole.

I would have been SCREWED...financially AND legally. So yea, get the damn insurance already. I got mine as low as $43 a month. Here's a link to get you started.

3. Become a AAA Member.
Even before this accident, I'd already used my AAA membership three times to unlock a vehicle, get a tow truck when my car's spark plug wire came loose, and find a nearby garage (again spark plug). And it was all FREE! FREEEE! And again, who doesn't love free maps?

4. Don't go to the dealership right away.
When I towed my car to the dealership for my spark plug problem, my tow guy looked disgusted, shook his head and started moaning about what a bunch of thieves and scam artists those guys were. He made me feel positively ASHAMED for going to a dealership.

THIS time, I asked my tow truck company for a referral to a nearby collision center. They asked me if my insurance covered collision damage (it didn't) and they took me to a center that specialized in wholesale, overstocked auto parts. The mechanic went through every part that needed replacing with me, and we were able to slash the price down to almost 50% what it would have cost me at a dealership. Of course, you also have to be careful since some tow truck companies have deals/scams with auto shops, but I felt okay with my AAA tower. If you have the benefit of time, you can also do some preliminary research among friends/internet for a good auto body shop. Through Yelp, I was also able to find a bunch of great reviews for automotive shops/mechanics.

On that note....

5. Do your preliminary research.
Luckily, I didn't need one...but it's a good idea to have a personal injury lawyer that you can call or reach right away. Better to go to them rather than have them come to you. So ask around among friends and family and have that number ready in your wallet/car. Also, according to this article, most traffic accidents happen statistically 3 miles from your home (LIKE MINE!!!!), so it is good to have the number for a neighborhood auto body shop you know and trust handy.

6. Get to Know Your Fellow Car Accident Victim and then SHUT UP!
After the accident, I immediately ran to the guy I hit and asked:

"Are YOU okay?" (yes)
"Is YOUR car okay?"(yes)
"I'm insured. Are you?" (yes)

Oh yea, in between all that there was a lot of me blubbering as well:
"I'MSOSORRYI'M SOSORRY-OHMYGAAAAAWD-I'MSOSORRY!"

Which, in retrospect is NOT the wisest thing to do in such a sue-happy society.
So K.I.S.S.-keep it simple stupid:

"Are you okay? Is your car okay? I have insurance, do you?"

Follow that with exchanging your names, contact, license number, make and model of your vehicles.

7. File a Claim
After the accident, I knew my insurance didn't cover my damages, but I still filed a claim with my company. Yea, I was nervous my rate would rise (it didn't) but this is what the lady from 21st Century told me.

"You should best file that claim, cuz even if the guy you hit SAYS he's fine now...doesn't mean he's going to stay fine tomorrow. People go home, they talk to their friends, their family...next thing you know they develop whiplash overnight. You want it on record immediately that he said he's fine."

And on that note, while the memory is still fresh, write down every detail of the accident you remember on paper so you have a prepared statement ready.

8. If your mechanic offers you a ride, don't accept.
This is a shout out for the ladies especially. After an accident, you MIGHT just be a little shaken up. Your judgment might not be clear. You're a bit vulnerable. You might also be temporarily retarded. Your new friend, Mr. Mechanic But Otherwise a Complete Stranger says, "Hey, let me give you a ride back home."

DON'T SAY YES.

I totally did. He offered me a ride to work and I was like, "Sure, dude. "
My middle aged Russian mechanic seemed cool at first, until he started saying that he "could go for a beer right now" with me, and again "we should TOTALLY go out for beers TOGETHER", nevermind it was 10 AM at the time. But I have heard worse stories, where a friend of a friend had a mechanic drop her off at her home, and suggest that she could lower the cost of her repair job in return for certain favors. Vom.

9. Ask WHY?!
I've heard that bad things happen, and that you should just accept it and move on. Well, I think that's a complete load of crap. Frankly, I'm under the impression that things, especially BAD AND ANNOYING things, happen to us for a certain reason. Hitting the car was completely random. The road wasn't slick. We were barely moving in traffic. It was sunny and bright. I was distracted in my car by a DENTIST OFFICE for chrissakes. In my mind, the only justification for this event is to examine how my life has benefited from my misfortune.

It's been about a week now since the accident and I've learned:

-For some reason, asking for help is really hard for me. I hate the idea of inconveniencing others, nor do I like to appear vulnerable or weak. Hmmm...this can be a good or a bad thing.
And why am I like this? Interesting.

-I could have been more responsible with my money. I'm paying for the repairs out of my pocket, so I've completely re-hauled my budget, made some sacrifices and am staying in more. This is not a hard thing. I could have done this before the accident, but I didn't. It took this accident to give me a REASON to improve my fiscal habits. Hopefully, these habits will stick after I've saved up the money I lost.

-How to take public transporation in LA. The car is a gas guzzlin' pollutin' accidentin' crutch.
If I was able to conquer the Taipei Bus system, there is no reason I can't figure out how to commute to work for $2.50. Through the TripMaster page, I've found a brave new way to navigate the arteries fo LA. Again, this accident is giving me a reason to be less lazy.

-To keep everything in the right perspective. As I was being towed away from our apartment, my roommate happened to be pulling out of the driveway. She saw my smashed car, but was too panicked to stop because she was on her way to see a very, very sick friend in the hospital. While her friend's health was failing and his family and friends prayed for him, she still had the consideration and heart to call me from the hospital and ask if I was alright.

Me? Don't worry about me. It's only my car.

I Heart Photobooths...

2007-09-05T00:17:00.001-07:00

...and the friends who jump in with me!
You girls are the best.
LA would not be this good without either of you here with me.

:)

Celebrity Encounter Art Lesson 1

2007-08-30T00:27:00.001-07:00

I'm noticing that as I encounter these birds of paradise a.k.a. CELEBRITIES in Los Angeles, that I am waaaaaay to cool to whip out my camera and get all pappo or razzy on their asses.

I usually affect that "You don't impress me but that guy standing BEHIND you has me utterly captivated." demeanor while furtively making mental notes about EVERY detail of their appearance.

Or in the case of Mr. Mike Tyson, I just didn't want the guy to beat my ass. Plus I value my ears. They're cute, tiny, and perfectly proportional to my head.

But seeing Mr. Tyson at my local Pinkberry's was too much of a hoot to NOT share with you all. So without further adieu, I am going to introduce you to my FIRST EVER Celebrity Encounter Art Lesson.

Lesson 1: See and Draw Mike Tyson!

Step 1: If Mike Tyson was a Shape He'd Be A....

The first thing I noticed about Mike was that he looked like a block.

So everyone grab your pencils and draw a basic square...or rectangle like me. He was kinda puffy too...so don't be so rigid with the lines or sharp with your edges.

Step 2: Mike Tyson's Turtley Proportions

Because Mike Tyson has almost zero neck, feel free to draw his head in the body. Like turtle!
Define his waistline in the middle.

Step 3: Mike Tyson's Sassy Figure Comes Together

His years of tough training have blessed Mr. Tyson with arms and legs that could mortally wound a tiny 115 pound girl who is subtly trying to take a photo of him with a camphone.

Step 4: Mike Tyson in TECHNICOLOR!

Mike was in an almost all white outfit. To be frank I was too busy staring at his face tatoo to notice what color his shoes were. Let's just say they were blue. And because Mike is a proud black man, let's not make him pink or yellow shall we?

Step 5: Plug in the Details That Make Mike...simply....MIKE.

Here we put in the finishing touches. Bringing Mike to life is all through the details. (FACE TATOO) and inserting the things that make Mike...simply Mike (FACE TATOO).

So there you have it. Not only do you know what it's like to SEE a living legend, but now you know who to draw him. All without the threat of getting a camera smashed into your face.

BEST CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER EVER!

2007-08-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Since moving here to LA I've laid eyes upon Gene Simmons from KISS, Allison Janney, Tim Biskup, Gary Baseman...and most recently Mike Tyson (at Pinkberry of all places).

But even Mike Tyson and his face tattoo PALE in comparison to meeting Tom Minton, the story editor for the show I'm working on. Tom is a respected animation writer/producer in Hollywood who has worked on Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures and Mighty Mouse.

Oh-

....and he happens to be THE BRAIN.

When I found out that Tom Minton was the INSPIRATION and BASIS of one of the BEST CARTOON CHARACTERS IN ANIMATED TV HISTORY EVER my geek-ometer went into hyper-drive meltdown mode. From Wikipedia:

The inspiration for Pinky and the Brain are based on the unique personalities of two of producer Tom Reugger's Tiny Toon Adventures colleagues, Eddie Fitzgerald and Tom Minton, respectively...Ruegger thought of the premise of Pinky and the Brain when he wondered what would happen if Minton and Fitzgerald tried to take over the world.

And yes, in case you were wondering, Tom Minton IS a genius.

ps- that's my friend and road trip partner Erin Finnegan with Tom. She's famous too! Check out her kickass podcast Ninja Consultant .

Sharing a Good Thing

2007-08-14T01:09:00.001-07:00

This past week I had the chance to hang out with several of my old friends and coworkers from Taipei.

This was TMC, YC and Yellow's first time ever in America and they were soooooo excited... To see other people this excited/geeked/passionate/hyper about something really got me on a high. And that vibe carried on through the rest of the week all throughout the time I spent with them. So yea..I was basically high (on life! on life!) all week. Thanks guys!

En route we stopped to take a look at the Pacific Ocean...from a different perspective.

Then we took some "action shots". Here were the best ones.:

TMC-or Tsai Meng Chiao.
YC or Yien-Chen Liao.

Yellow (which I think was one of the more awesome names I came across in Asia) or Xiao Huang.
And of course...me. Being a camwhore. As always.

COMICCON 2007

2007-07-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Why I Dig LA

2007-07-26T19:29:00.001-07:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Whenever someone asks me if I like LA, I automatically answer, "yea."

Then comes the next question.

"WHY?"

I'm always a little put on the spot when asked.

"DUH..I just DO?"

Sure, I can wax poetic and drone on and on about why I like LA. (cut to glazed distant look in friend's eye) But sometimes words fail to grasp the whole meaning. I think the closest way I've come to fully articulating my happiness with Los Angeles has been through all the photos I've taken since I moved here.

Sometimes, all the reasons I need are the things which make me go, "OOOOOOOOH!"

Me Post-Potter

2007-07-20T17:20:00.001-07:00

by Tom Sito

My boss drew this after I told him I was planning on going to a Harry Potter Book Release party tonight.

"You're going to look like an Edward Gorey character...staggering into the office late, clutching your copy of the book, hair stringy, grey bags under your eyes..."

UPDATE: Oh my god. I just read the actual description of the party I'm going to.
I don't know if I can handle this level of fan-geek-dom.

Staying Happy in La-La Land

2007-07-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

1. Say what you mean.
2. Do what you say.
3. Always assume the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
4. Don't talk shop in your free time.
5. Don't do something you would be ashamed of.

I think one of the biggest concerns about moving to Los Angeles is that once you work in Hollywood, you're in danger of "letting the business change you", "turning bad" and worst of all "going Hollywood". I admit, sure I see some of this happening but it isn't true for everybody here. I've met some wonderfully sincere and successful people, and I choose to focus on them rather than the latter.

Here's some of the good advice I've picked up from the bits and pieces of conversations I've had. Everyone sees a newbie in Hollywood and feels it's their duty to preserve their innocence.
LOL!

Staying true to oneself is always important, especially here.

Simpson Technicolor Confection Treats

2007-07-12T02:34:00.001-07:00

Beautiful or Disgusting? Disgustingly Beautiful? Beautifully Disgusting? I think I'm about to go into a seizure.

I see....a sucker for savvy marketing.

Now All That's Left Are Those Pink Donuts.....

2007-07-09T14:22:00.001-07:00

Tracy! I got us 3 six packs!!!!!! Rest easy girl....

2007-07-08T03:46:00.001-07:00

This Is My New Religion...

2007-06-30T03:36:00.000-07:00

...which is scouting for all the Jesus Dinosaur pictures I can find on the net! I credit this Boing Boing post for lighting that initial flame.

Dogs Playing Poker and Sad Clowns are sooooo the bad art of yesterday. Thanks to those crazy Creationists, I've found a veritable treasure trove of this stuff already. Here's a sample:

Oh man! Look at that scale! If that really is a Brontosaurus Jesus Christ is side-saddling, that'd make him as tall as an office building!

Here's one with a more realistic scale. Yes, indeed if Jesus had ridden a dinosaur, a velociraptor would have been the perfect size.

That's some wild conjecture right there. Abso-frickin-lutely insane. This person OBVIOUSLY took some liberties with those coloring hints and made Jesus white. Who says the Flesh of Christ can't be more chocolate? Frankly...I'm a believer of Black Jesus.

On that note...who says Jesus was even human?

Wurd. Now that's what I'm talking about.

Cross Country Road Trip

2007-06-07T13:24:00.001-07:00

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.
In April, I moved to Los Angeles,CA from New Jersey by cramming all my possessions into my trusty '98 Saturn SL1 4-Door Sedan.

To keep me alive, my friend Erin Finnegan came along for the ride.
She was an awesome navigator, driver, bodyguard, therapist, deejay and friend throughout the whole experience. I would have never made it (alive and sane) without her!

Our journey took us:

Day 1: NJ to Ohio

Day 2: Ohio to Kansas City, MO

Day 3: Missouri to Colorado

Day 4: Rest in Colorado

Day 5: Colorado to Nevada

Day 6: Nevada to Los Angeles, CA!

Here are the photos from our journey...

Divination Through Music

2007-03-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ever notice how when you're going through a certain time of life...all the new music that pops up or that you hear for the first time begins to act like some weird soundtrack?

How else to explain my random encounters with these songs in the past couple of days?

Leaving Song- Vince Martin
Chicago- Sufjan Stevens
No Cars Go- Arcade Fire
Vertebrae- by Christine Fellows