Senior Night

It was the first time, in a very long time, that we walked along together happy.

About seven years ago, my ex-wife and I decided to call it quits, separated, and then divorced. Amicable, I guess. It had to be. We weren't happy. It showed.

But we weren't happy. We, my ex, our child and I, were happy. He was the only thing that kept the family intact. And it pained me so much when that glue lost it's adhesiveness. 

We began to work on shared time. We hungered to do as much as we could with our child.

She remarried and is happy. In a way, the new guy was the adhesive she long for to continue that experience she shared with her child. I don't blame her. 

My route took a different turn. I dated. And dated. And dated some more. I have fell head over heals a few times. I had my heart broken. I broke many hearts too. I lived my life.

At times I feel guilt. I could have saved all that money and wasted time and spent it with my kid. I could have been there. Why did I have such a grudge? Why did I feel jealousy towards my ex and her new life? 

It's envy. It's guilt. It's a desire to rewind history and live it right, if it were ever possible.

But this life. We learn from it. We forget and move to the next. 

And I think that's where I am at at this point in life. 

My kid is graduating this May. She has had a rough time -- growing pains -- with adolescence. Sophomore year she got into drugs. She experimented with a whole lot of them. She failed most of her classes. Then COVID hit. She fell further behind. 

Last January, she came out as being a transgender girl. This was a surprise to both her mom and I but we have grown to accept it and support her. 

She went through an awakening. She stopped doing drugs. And as THC has gradually been released from her body, she is more focused and willing to accomplish her school work. 

As we walked together before a crowd onto the football field, I felt our smiles bigger than ever. We were happy. 

At that moment, I felt at peace. We raised our kid together through the great times, the tough ones, the heartache, and happy ones. We've come along way as a family, but we did it for one person and that's for our kid.

Otakufest 2021 - Cosplay Music Video

 

FD Sedano https://youtu.be/YPaNsON5p2o

Ty Pennington

If you are my age, you probably remember the ABC reality series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. You know. The one where that guy yells "Move that bus!" before revealing a renovated home. That guy is Ty Pennington. He led an eight person design team to renovate family's homes and the show ran for 10 years.

Born on October 19, 1964, Ty started his career as a model for J. Crew, Diet Coke, and Levi's, to name a few. He later became a set designer. 

In 2000, Ty joined TLC's Trading Spaces as the show's  original carpenters. He then picked up a role in an independent film, The Adventures of Ociee Nash, before being selected for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show ran from 2003 to 2013.

During that time, I remember shopping at Sears with my family and seeing the Ty Pennington Style line all over the store. You couldn't escape it. I think we bought a few bedding and home decor that had his name on it. 

Ty was everywhere. Even in kid's shows. He played Ty Ty the Tool Guy on Wow Wow Wubbzy and appeared in Phineas and Ferb. 

Source: Wikipedia

Otakon 2021 Cosplay Music Video

 

Flannel Ninja https://youtu.be/bijJaaPx2lE 

James Tissot

Art Appreciation

Jacques Joseph Tissot, aka James Tissot, was a successful French painter and illustrator, best recognized as a genre pinter of fashionably dressed women and biblical events.

Born on October 15, 1836 in Nantes, France, Tissot was influenced by his merchant father, designer mother, and his hometown. 

He traveled to Paris to pursue an education in art, enrolling at Ecole des Beaux-Arts to study under Hippolyte Flandrin and Louis Lamothe. He became acquainted with other artists such as James McNeill Whistler, Edgar Degas, and Edouard Manet. 

In 1859, Tissot exhibited in the Paris Salon, where he showed five paintings of scenes from the Middle Ages, many depicting scenes from the tragic play Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. 

After Paris Salon, his work was exhibited at the London gallery of Ernest Gambart, an art publisher and dealer that dominated the London art world.

Tissot moved to London, after serving during the War of 1870. His popularity quickly developed as he became known for painting elegantly dressed women in fashion. His paintings were sought after by wealthy British industrialists. 

Later in life, he began making paintings depicting Biblical events. And while many French artists were moving towards Impressionism, he moved towards realism in watercolors. 

Jesus retrouvé dans le temple 

La Frileuse (1876)

La Japonaise au bain (1864)

Sources: Wikipedia, Williamweston.co.uk

Jessica Drake

Updated: July 3, 2022

You probably recognize Jessica Drake as one of the women who alleged former President Donald Trump made unwanted sexual advances. 

Or if you are like me, you recognize the name from adult films.

Texas native Jessica Drake was born on October 14, 1974. She worked as an exotic dancer in El Paso while attending college. 

In 1999, Jessica entered the adult film industry acting in her first film, Modern Love. She then did North Pole #9 which featured her on the box cover. 

A few years later, she received her first AVN Award winning "Best Tease Performance" for her role in Shayla's Web.

In 2004, she gained headlines with her comments during an HIV outbreak in the porn industry, "working without condoms in the industry is less dangerous than going home with someone who you just met randomly in a bar." 

I remember her comments and the way I interpreted it was that she was implying it's more riskier to hookup with a random person and not wear a condom than it is to perform in a sex scene with someone who is not so random.

Not only is Jessica Drake an actress, but she is also a director, writer, producer, sex educator, and a online business owner. She is also a philanthropist. 

In 2016, represented by feminist civil rights Gloria Allred, Jessica Drake became the 11th woman to accuse Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. It was seventeen days before the 2016 presidential election. She explained that she met Trump at the Wicked Pictures booth during the American Century Celebrity Gold Tournament in Lake Tahoe in 2006. Trump denied knowledge of Jessica. 

Jessica Drake isn't shy to share her opinions. In 2017, she criticized August Ames' tweet regarding concerns of crossover performers in porn. Unfortunately, Drake's tweet started a movement that eventually led to Ames' suicide.

Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb, LAWeekly

Mariotto Albertinelli

Art Appreciation

Born on October 13, 1474, Mariotto di Bindo di Biagio Albertinelli was an Italian Renaissance painter known for his chiaroscuro, and intimate compositions. His work shows influence of Leonardo da Vinci.

Albertinelli was a pupil of Italian painter Cosimo Rosselli, who was known for painting large frescos. While learning under Rosselli, Albertinelli met and formed a partnership with Baccio della Porta (later known as Fra Bartolomeo). 

It is said Albertinelli lived as a libertine, in his younger years, and experienced financial problems.  

Birth of Christ (1503)

Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome and Zenobius (1508)

Creation and Fall of Man (1490s)

Source: Wikipedia, Britannica