Jewelboxing

Now here's an excellent resource for anybody interested in putting together an awesome dvd or cd package, portfolio or gift! Not badly priced either!

Check jewelboxing for more!

mau.

A Hike in the Wilderness

StoneyPointPark006
Originally uploaded by mau2112.

Kim and I went to Stoney Point Park yesterday for a nice 2 hour hike.

Check the pics!

mau

Well lookie lookie

Now those are some sweet sweet shoes if you ask me :P

I love kimmie :)

Oh yeah, I got the flickr badge working, there are some nice pics from the Gilmour concert there. Check them out!

mau.

Oh the Joy!!!

That my friends, is David Gilmour. I had lost all hope of ever seeing him (or Pink Floyd really...) perform live. By far, this was probably the best concert I have ever been to. I think it even surpased seeing RUSH live for the first time. It was THAT good. He sounds just like he did 30 years (+) ago. Amazing comand of the stage, he brought the house down more than once... For me, Wish You Were Here did it. For my friend Yves (he went with me) it was Comfortably Numb.

Even though he did not play as many songs from PF as I wish he had, it was still a treat. Just as it was to see Richard Wright "tickle the ivories" . Even Crosby and Nash (yes...I know) came on stage.

What an amazing night. I am still geeking about it!

I will start a flicker account and I will upload more pics fromm the concert.

mau.

Books

Monique definitely has a click for recomending books I will like. I finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being a couple days ago. It's an unbelivably good read. Although I am not sure if I truly grasped the whole of the book in one go (probably not...) I was quiet moved by the ease and control Milan Kundera shows throughout the novel.

Here's a couple bits that caught my eye and made me drift for a while... It is when I read these that I find myself truly lost in a book. Just too good:

"...It is wrong, then, to chide a novel for being fascinated by mysterious coincidences, but it is right to chide man for beign blind to such coincidences in his daily life. For he thereby deprieves his life of a dimension of beauty..."

"...I have said before that metaphors are dangerous. Love begins with a metaphor. Which is to say, love begins at the point when a woman enters her first word into our poetic memory..."

After finishing the book, I decided to go for a change of pace. So I read The Tale of Despereaux, a really nice children's book by kate DiCamillo. The change of pace really made me appreciate the simple, yet fun approach of Despereaux. A nice little book. No more than a day or two to finish it.

Right now I am trying to decide what to read next. I have a couple books on the shelf... I should make up my mind tonight....

mau.

The Importance of Being Well Rounded

In the last couple days, I have come to realize that I've gotten a bit burned out from using all my spare time to read books about animation, or about Maya or Mel... Having said this, I should say that I am definitely not burned out about animation. It's just that... well... it's a bit too much.

A couple of days ago I woke up to a really pleasant surprise. 2 very close friends (they both live in other countries) were online and the 3 of us chatted for a good couple hours. Mainly catching up, wondering how our lives were going. The point of this is that, besides greatly enjoying our conversations, they really opened my eyes to a lot of things. Each in their own unique way, since one is an illustrator and the other one is a photographer. And both thumpin good I shall add!!

I started my post grad with them and I got exposed to a lot of new and fascinating things while I enjoyed their company. Mainly the wonders of illustration, the true depthness of fine art and the incredible subtleties of being able to discuss a book thouroughly. All of these with nothing more than maybe a good glass of wine or a strong cup of coffee. Many, many wonderful memories from those few months we shared.

That conversation got me thinking. "...I haven't read a good book in a while..., ...I haven't found a new graphic novel in a while..., ...I haven't painted in a while..." So of course, something clicked. I need a brake. I need to really take advantage of my scarce free time. So for the last couple days I have been reading, catching up on some movies. I still have to pick up the brushes and pencils. But I have time.. So it's all good.

The real importance of all this is that, not only do I do it because it brings me personal satisfaction, but because I truly think that all these different disciplines of art bring new perspectives to my work and to my way of seeing things. These are the tools that really round you up. They really make you a better artist. The exposure, the thought process, the variety.

It feels great to pick up all these wonderful books. I shall list some I have read & some I want to read. But right now, I'm off to the movies :P!

mau.

Nifty Trick

[EDIT]
03-23-06
I discovered i typo in the code (fixed!)

Here's a nice trick for maya users. A bit of code to create a tear-off channel box. Compliments of JamesTHP from JAHD. I just modified it a bit.

You can turn it into a shelf button:

select -cl;
window;
formLayout form;
channelBox myChannelBox;
formLayout -e
-af myChannelBox "top" 0
-af myChannelBox "left" 0
-af myChannelBox "right" 0
-af myChannelBox "bottom" 0
form;
showWindow;

Very handy for saving some screen space!

mau.

Pandora

Finally found the time to add the Pandora link on the blog. Check them out! You are guaranteed to find at least a new band you'll love!!

Pandora

mau.

Traveling

I love to travel. As a matter of fact, I travel every time I have the chance to. Although I have been limited with the options in the last couple years, the near future looks exciting with some oportunities shaping up quiet nicely!

So far, this year the idea is to make it to Boston for Siggraph. Then back to Savannah (after almost 5 years...) to visit a really good friend of mine who just moved back there. Then there's 2007's plans to go to Japan and to Australia (Perth and probably Sydney).

This year is shaping up nicely. There should be plenty of pictures coming up! And hopefully more than a post every 2 months :P!

mau.

More Happy Feet Goodness!

This is some seriously cute stuff!!

mau.

Happy Feet

This is amazing. I saw the trailer before The Goblet of Fire started. Which I must say, kicked some serious booty! I enjoyed it a lot!

mau.

The One and Only!

Joaquin Sabina's new album is out!!

Alaba'o seas maese!!

mau.

Let's not Forget

That 4 years ago, we woke up to panic and terror. That over 3 thousand INNOCENT people died for no reason. Let's not forget that our government has a huge responsability. They should never fail to protect again.

Think about all those things. Face them and ponder them.

We should never forget that many 9-11's happen all over the world... over and over and over...


BASTA.

mau.

The Big Day

Kim and I have decided we want to spend the rest of our lives together. We are getting married on the 29th of October. I am a very very happy man.

Vacation

Well well, i tried.. i reeeeally tried to not get online while on vacation...pffffft... i should`ve known better :P!

So far, since I left L.A on the 26th of July, I`ve been to Galveston to visit a good friend of mine from Lima, then I flew to Peru on the 29th, then to Buenos Aires on the 31st. And now I`m back in Lima. I`m home and it feels goooooood.

Buenos Aires, as usual, was excellent. Lots of amazing food, incredibly cheap shops and unfreaking believable red wine. I will list some good brands in the future... Also, the nightlife is quiet intense, specially right now since it`s wintertime. During the summer, most people fly or ride away to the coast to tan in Mar del Plata, or to Punta del Este. So August and July are good months to see Argentina`s capital in it`s full splendor. Even the weather was great (which is rare at this time) Overall, it was an insanely great trip.

Right now in Lima things are good. Mom is cooking and it`s still as good as ever. If not better. I brought back a bit of work to keep me busy while everybody is at work and I still have some people to call. So there should be plenty to do until the 16th.

Then it`s back to Galveston, then back to La La Land.

Life is really good right now.

yeah.

m.

Props to Brad Clark!

And to the entire team that worked on the INSPIRED 3D Advanced Rigging and Deformations book! It's quiet insightful and very very clear. I have been bothering Brad constantly with my questions and for support files. He has been nothing but gracious and helpful.

Keep it up guys!!

This is what i'm talking about!
m.

No siggy

Yep... no Siggraph for me this year.

I will be home after almost 2 years of not visiting my friends and family. Anywhoooo, I'm looking foward to Siggy '06 and hopefully meeting some of you guys there!

If everybody needs anything from Peru let me know before the 26th of July !

M.

Time for a plug!

I give you: THE ANIMATION PODCAST!

It's now in my links.

Great stuff Clay ! Keep it coming!

woot!!

some additions

Got a little time so i added some links.

i'll add more later. I have to finish my finals first!

m.

Keith Lango's VTS

Today I finally got my hands on Keith Lango's VTS service. very cool indeed and worth every penny! I am really looking foward to more episodes!

Great job Keith!

Mauricio.