Plaidophile

You may notice the slightly-more prominent PayPal button in the corner of the index page. I have a reason for it... And it really pisses me off that I feel that I have to stoop to this level.

Basically, I have enough income (from my teaching/research assistanceship) to about break even on my expenses, and this income will be ending in just a few months whether I can find a job or not. I have as much credit card debt as savings.

I also have to finally make and follow through with a decision, within the next two days, on what to do about that speeding ticket from a month ago. Either I can pay the $100 which I don't really have available, or I can contest the ticket and go through more bureaucratic bullshit to end up paying anywhere from $50 to $200 depending on how the judgement works out (I think I have to pay court fees no matter what). And who knows what it'll do to my insurance rates. (I definitely need to follow through on this before Friday though. I don't have any time next week, and the week after next a warrant goes out and I could end up in jail for something so dumb.)

I'm already about $150 over on my travel allowance for SIGGRAPH just from the conference registration fees and the plane tickets. There's no way my transportation within San Diego will be covered, nor will much of my food. (Some meals will be provided by SIGGRAPH, and since I'll be staying with my cousin I'll at least have the option of buying food at the grocery store down the street from his house, so at least it won't be a minimum of $15 per meal like it was in San Antonio last year.) Attending SIGGRAPH is basically a last-ditch attempt at getting a job. It's a huge gamble for me, one with horrible odds at that.

I don't want people to think that I'm just asking for money. I hate people who do that, fucking Internet panhandlers who think they should get a handout for their own stupidity. I don't think I could accept money just given for nothing anyway.

If you're reading this, you probably know the various things I can do. So, anything you want me to do within my capability and emotional energy, I'll do, and I'll accept payment in return. Pay what you think it's worth. Give me a challenge... Make me draw a picture and ink and color it entirely on paper, with no digital manipulation. Have me write a song of a certain length and topic. Whatever.

If I don't feel capable of doing something, I'll say no. And of course, there's a time limit, since I leave on Monday and won't have any way of doing (or at least publishing; I'll have my art supplies with me) most of the things I do until I get back from SIGGRAPH (which will be August 4th at the earliest, as I'm going to spend a few days in San Diego then a few more in Albuquerque). I'll also only have minimal Internet access while I'm in Seattle (next week), though my access will be fairly consistent while I'm in San Diego and Albuquerque.

So, post requests here, or in email, or whatever. Let me know that someone appreciates the things I do...