Um. Alright.

I am very aware of the fact that I personally can be very whiny and very melodramatic, especially in this particular blog.

I don't have any intention of changing that because of
1. It's a blog
2. the audience that actually read this are three of my friends who don't care
3. it's a nice change of pace since I become loud and stupid in public (opposed to just being stupid).
and finally 4. gives me the ability to go back to old posts and ask "What was I thinking?", then promptly become embarrassed.

Recently though, the last few days- there have been a few personal and family issues (that are well out of my ability to affect) that are just enraging and depressing. I have no desire to talk about them, so I'm going to focus on the positives of the last few days.

The portfolio review was really cool.
Got a lot of positive feedback and constructive criticism. The format is each person gets their own table to display their work and then a professional comes to your table and takes about 20 minutes to critique one's work. The last person to give me a review came up and I'm serious that this was pretty much the entire conversation (took place in less then 4 minutes).
"Foundation is good, put these storyboards in an animatic, check out these websites, here's my card." Then the reviewer left.
The whirlwind critique left me dumbfounded and I just stood there with the card in hand.
I told my professor and fellow students about what had transpired. My professor said that was a good sign for forward progress and that I should get an animatic together so I'll have something more substantial to show. From my classmates, it seems the reviewer was known as quite brutal and had crushed the spirits of several people we knew and brought another to tears. These reviews were not short in any way and it seems the reviewer's curtness with me is actually a really good sign.
This event has become an intense motivator to show what I'm capable of, just in a bit of a different manner then which I was expecting.

Got the 'I am 8-Bit' art book and it is (as Justin would phrase it) f-ing rad.

Bought the Hordes hardcover on Sunday. Seems I'm leaning towards playing the Legion of Everblight. Er... Rather, buy the miniatures and then say I'll get to them eventually.

Two ridiculously good animations (make sure sound is on):
Fairy Berry is a French 3D animation that's stylized and full of personality.

Badgered is a short animation by Sharon Colman (was nominated for an Oscar for best short animation).