12/23/08
So Christmas is practically upon us. The late shoppers are coming out to grab those last minute gifts from half empty store shelves and I swear those Salvation Army Santas are ringing those bells louder with each passing day. I trust the majority of you have your shopping completed and hope you all get what you were hoping for this year.
But unfortunately, I realize that that isn't going to happen. Seems most people are feeling the crunch this year. An article written here where I live, talked about how many children didn't ask Santa for toys this year, but for money so "mommy and daddy can keep the house" or to pay the bills. Absolutely heart wrenching. And unfortunately, I find myself within that bracket of people.
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, and I wanted this year to be as special as I could possibly make it for my daughter. She's only 2 years old... so she doesn't really understand what's going on, but I still wanted to do my best. I had hoped to buy her more gifts, but bills and putting food on the table come first and since her father has decided to be more of a hindrance than anything else, I find myself providing for her alone. It's been a struggle these past few months, but things have been better for her and I than they have been her entire life. Anyways.. this blog isn't for you to pity me. There really is another point to it.
I wanted to buy Hailey this mini trampoline this year. It's supposed to be one of the top 10 toys for children with Autism. It has this neat bar for them to hold, special springs under the mat, real sturdy, etc. It was going to be her big gift this year but I simply couldn't afford it. Money is so tight, my CafePress check is late and it just isn't gonna happen. I really felt like Christmas was a bust. But then a friend said that he had a special gift for her for Christmas - a really big gift.
Apparently, said friend's father works with Toys for Tots each year and 6 toddler bikes were donated to a local church who declined them because they have more than 6 children to provide for and didn't want to show favoritism. So the guy had 6 toddler bikes and didn't know what to do with them. Then he remembered Hailey - which is a miracle in itself because I've never met this man nor has my daughter. In fact, I don't even know his son that well either. But he gave Hailey a Disney Princess toddler bike for Christmas.
It's pretty big and it's a Huffy bike for crying out loud. Very, very nice bike. I doubt Hailey can use it now. I'm not even sure if she can reach the pedals to be honest. haha But hopefully come summer time, she'll be big enough and more coordinated so that she can use it. Until then, well.. she'll just enjoy poking it and trying to lick it or something. lol
Anyways, I just wanted to share my story. I hope those of you who read this can appreciate it for what it's worth and have a Merry Christmas.
12/16/08
I have been on IMVU for the past year as a customer.. and nearly a year as a developer. In my time here, much has changed what with the introduction of peer review, panties being GA and AP in the same week, multiple changes and dismissals in the company staff and refunds here and there. But I have accepted the changes - even the ones I really don't like. I continue to roll with the punches because let's face it - that's the only way to make it around here and keep your sanity.
What gets me is the many people who feel so personally chafed any time IMVU changes something... because how dare they, a company, make choices based on what they feel is in the best interest of their pocket books. Being that IMVU isn't the only company through which I do business, I am accustomed to changes happening and again - sometimes ones that I really don't like. But if those changes bothered me enough to virtually yell, scream and cry... I'd either do my business elsewhere or I would start up my own business where no one could tell me how to run it.
It irks me a lot to see so many people act like anything done around here that they may not like is a huge, personal vendetta against them. I can just see the fire in these people's eyes as they stare at their computer and mumble "How DARE they change that. They are only doing it to piss ME off." Um... No! No, they really aren't! Here is you.. here is the world. Doesn't revolve around, okay? And as if that isn't enough, on a near daily basis I see these people complain in the forums and verbally suggest that IMVU is intentionally out to get them and only them. Please get over it. Hundreds of other users encounter issues with IMVU every day and ya know... the majority of them don't think that IMVU went out on a limb just to piss them off today.
Accidents happen on IMVU all the time. Human error is just that... error. I for one expect to come across many more and I can bet that IMVU won't make the error to ruin my day.
12/14/08
I've heard time and time again about how texturing hair isn't hard and "all you have to do is slap a texture on, upload and you're done". Well... maybe that's how YOU texture hair, but I know for a fact that well known hair texturers like Mystery/Mischief, BlissNoire, Artemismoon33 and I do NOT do this!
It takes a lot of time to texture hair correctly. Many of us have our hair textures created with different shine placements on them in order to choose the perfect one to place on our derivations. This means spending time, choosing which shine we feel looks best on each material slot. It takes work and it truly is an art.
Don't even get me started on the amount of time it takes to create preview images and catalog icons. Artemismoon33 offers over 25 shades that are usually done for every hair she does. That's a lot of texturing and a lot of time spent on creating images. At one point, I offered 15 shades and ya know.. it got to be not worth it very quickly for me. I didn't have the stamina nor the determination to keep up with so many colors. It took too long for me to get through it and my adhd simply couldn't handle it.
So please stop knocking on "hair devs". They really do work hard. It takes a lot of time to keep up with the latest hair trends - which literally change week by week. And not to mention, satisfying our customer base who depend on those developers to keep up with the trends in their favorite colors. So, give credit where it's due!
12/13/08
Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
and wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list
As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree
Well heaven surely knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
(there'd be)
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up christmas list
This is my grown up christmas list
12/11/08
For some reason, it always shocks people to know that I'm not using some "fancy" program like Photo Shop CS3 or CS4. I am proud to say that I use Paint Shop Pro 12.
Truth is.. I really hate Photo Shop. It's not in the least bit user friendly and the majority of the features that I find useful in PSP12, simply don't exist in PS. Here is a pretty extensive list of issues I have with Photo Shop...
- Cannot simply scroll my mouse forward to easily zoom in on my projects.
- Even if you do zoom in, Photo Shop renders the image in a horrid manner, leaving the project pixelated looking until you zoom back out.
- Inadequate blending options that simply don't look as good as PSP12.
- Pen tool functions poorly and has hardly any settings to change to.
- You can't simply click on a side project, select copy and expect to paste it into another project... not to mention to paste it as a new project. No.. you have to select the entire piece, then copy, then paste.
I tip my hat to those of you who use PhotoShop... and better yet, use it well. I find it tedious. It takes me literally twice as long to accomplish anything with it and it never looks anywhere near as good as the things I create using Paint Shop Pro.
