State of the Blog Address (2013)

What? I haven't updated this blog in months? FINE! I'll do a post.

...you're such a nag.



It seems that I must break out of the haze of my life and once again meet with you all for the annual state of the blog address.

I apologize for the prolonged absence. Things have a way of getting out of hand for me, and when they don't I seem to take up the slack and get in my own way.

Looking back on last year's address I can't help but notice that I accomplished 0 of my goals. Not a single one. I mean, I still have yet to finish the Book List for the year. Heck, I still have yet to finish the vastly smaller and easier Movie List.

The end of a year is always a busy time and the holidays always find a way to consume my time. When I wasn't working one of my three jobs, I was trying to deal with the holidays, and when I wasn't doing either of those things I was single-handedly producing a screening of The Iron Giant. And after that...well, after that I just didn't feel like posting anything.

But, regardless, I'm going to try to do better this year!

The key word there is: Try.


Here are some of my goals:

• I will finish up last year's book and movie lists, although I have quite a backlog to go through so I'm going to be doing much shorter and basic reviews without many quotes. Because otherwise it would just take forever.
• I plan on doing many more little things, instead of attempting large things which I inevitably fail to complete and then abandon in a rage. So I'm going to try to do little things that I can actually finish. As such the Facebook page will be the best place to go to for more consistent updates. However, I do plan to post the more polished pieces and finished collections onto the blog.
• I also plan on doing more poems, because poems are one of the few things that I can look back on and not despise utterly.
• I'm going to try to continue my Book List. Although I've been trying to create more and consume less, so it'll probably be a bit smaller than usual.

Other than those there are a ton of bigger things I have in mind, but we'll see how many of those turn out. I'm going to try to get myself back in the habit of making things and then hopefully I'll be able to start scaling up to bigger and better things.

So there you have it.

Let's make some stuff happen this year, people!

State of the Blog Address (2012)

Happy New Year, everyone.

As is customary for New Year's Day, it is time for my annual State of the Blog address.

2011 is over and it seems that I really didn't post very much at all. I mean only 24 posts? That only averages out to 2/month. In my defense in 2011 I moved twice, got a new job, and quit that new job when I later got a better new job. So now I've got 2 jobs and have to work every day of the week. Kinds of puts a hamper on posting. But really that's no excuse. I could have done more stuff if I had put my mind to it, but I preferred instead the relaxation and escapism of watching movies, reading books, and other such things.

Looking back at last year's SotB address, I didn't really end up completing any of the plans I had back then. I still would like to accomplish some of those things, but they just didn't pan out.

Even though I utterly failed at completing the goals I had last year, that won't stop me from having goals for this year. So what can you expect?

• First of all I will complete the postcards from last year's Postal Extravaganza. 2011 was just a bad year for drawing. A combination of art supplies packed away in boxes during the moves and a general state of mind that was not conducive to artwork. However, I'm feeling good about this year and if nothing else my guilt will spur me on to completing that project.
  
  
• I'm also going to try and finish up both my Stupid Poems 4 Everyone & Post-It Greetings projects. I'm about halfway done with both, so I might as well try to go the distance.
  
  
• I think I'm going to try to do some comics this year. What kind exactly I'm not sure, but something...definitely something.
  
  
• More posting in general. Sure that's rather vague, but I'm going to try to update a lot more frequently. My goal is going to be at the very least 1 a week.
  
  
• And, of course, another booklist. Even though they take a surprisingly large amount of time to format and write out, I've found I quite like having a record of the things I've read as it is quite easy for such things to slip your mind after a while. Speaking of which I was reading right up until the new year, so 2011's list still has one more part to it. I'll get that out to you as soon as I can. I've still got to transcribe some quotes, let alone actually write the post, so it might take a little while, but it is on its way.
  
  
• Also more Timecard Typography. Because, like the booklist, it's nice to have a record of them. And if I'm going to keep a record of them I might as well share it.
  

So there you have it.

Let's see how where the year takes us, shall we?

State of the Blog Address

      Happy New Year to you, dear reader. In case you don't know me, my name is Jesse. I write/draw/make all the stuff round these parts. Being a reader of this blog automatically makes you one of my favorite people. Way to be awesome.

      Anyways, another year has come and gone on this simple blog. At the beginning of 2010 I had a goal to make 100 posts that year. Clearly I was way off. However, since that year was pretty awful and since the posting has been improving in quality, I'm going to chalk it up as win regardless. Actually some of my favorite stuff yet was done that year. We had the conclusion of the Postal Extravaganza envelopes, the Holiday Haiku trilogy, The Breadfruit, Throawae, and a bunch of other stuff I quite enjoyed.

      In other news, Excuse the Quality now has a Facebook page. If you're on Facebook it provides a convenient way to get updated on new posts and other news. For instance, if you were a fan of the Facebook page you would have known there was a Facebook page for it way back in November 2010! If you're not on Facebook then I guess you'll just have to stick with the old fashioned way and just check in every once in awhile. If you have another way you'd like to be informed about updates I'm certainly open to ideas.

But what can you expect for 2011?

• A new header for the site (that's my current project actually).

• Another Postal Extravaganza (coming soon!).

• I plan to reread all the Harry Potter books so expect some posts regarding that undertaking.

• I'm going to try to update the Yakko's World song so it is up to date with the world's current lineup of countries.

• A new batch of Holiday Haikus. (did anyone notice that the titles of the last batch create their own haiku? Because they do.)

• A book list for 2011. One that will actually encompass the entire year this time. Maybe one that's simpler and doesn't take forever to do. Unless you liked its massiveness, in which case I'll just bite the bullet on that one.

• The usual smatterings of other “creative miscellany”. (I totally just stole that phrase from my cousin. Unlike me she gets paid for her assorted creative endeavors and is therefore...a Professional)

Well, that just about covers everything. I think I'll end this post with another edition of:

“Excuse the Quality”'s

Question Corner

(no one ever asks me questions so I'll once again supply my own)

1. I really like the comics. Why aren't there more of them?

       I'm glad you like the comics. I like them as well. However, comics are something I do when I'm happy. 2010 wasn't a very happy year and thus there were not many comics made in it.

2. Are you going to draw more comics?

       Yes. Probably. I'll try okay? That's the biggest promise I'm willing to make. I will try to draw more comics, because I loves you gals/guys.

3. If, in the future, you were to be arrested, what would the charge most likely be?

       Public urination.

4. How many readers do you have?

       More than enough to cause a disturbance, but not quite enough to stage a riot.

5. How are you doing today?

       I'm cruising the middle grounds of emotion today. I would certainly be doing better if I didn't have a hankering for some Schweppes' Raspberry Ginger Ale. I am beginning to doubt they even sell it anymore because I can't find it anywhere. If I ever do find some more I'm buying a shit ton of it because it is freaking delicious.

6. Do you know the whereabouts of Ms. Victoria Penot?

       Umm...I think that's enough with the questions for today.

7. Where were you last night between the hours of 11:00pm-3:00am?

       I said No more questions!

It's Question Time

The new year is here and what better time than now to answer some questions you might have about Excuse The Quality. So here it is:

"Excuse The Quality":
Question Corner

1. Why is the site called "Excuse the Quality"?

       You might think I was intelligent enough to know the meaning of the popular expression by the same name, but you would have thought wrong. When I came up with it I was thinking more along the lines of a sarcastic "Please excuse me for being so awesome", instead of "Please excuse my lack of quality". Clearly my thought process makes for the more interesting title, but what can ya do.

2. How many people read this thing?

       That's a good question. I have no clue. Less than 5?

3. Why do you take so long to update?

       I don't know. Why do you take so long to shut up?

       Actually it is because I can be both lazy and self deprecating. Both things tend to hinder the creative juices.

4. Why do you use a lame pre-made blog format?

       I am too lazy to want to take the time to make anything/learn how to make anything nicer. Plus if I had something nicer I'd probably feel the need to make my posts nicer. The pressure to do so would then make me fearful. And the fear would subsequently lead me to posting even less.

       At least that's the rationale I've been using.

5. Any New Year's resolutions?

       Get better at everything.