It's Time to Be Brave

As we enter a new month, I've been going through some changes that I personally consider positive and a turn in the right direction. Some of those changes have been documented in my posts this past month. But here's what I've done in the past few weeks:

• After 11 years, I officially stepped down as the webmaster of Immanuel First Lutheran Church in West Covina, California. Sue Beckenham, the choir director and a technology teacher at Providence High School in Burbank, California, is the new webmaster, and only the second one in the church's history. I strongly believe she will faitfully carry the torch for the congregation online as I now fully commit myself to my new church home, Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. Severing my final tie to my old church is not easy, but I am now free and clear to be all in for the Calvary Chapel family.
• Originally started as a stress and creative release from a very high-pressure temporary agency job, I have been on a roll creating a steady series of fan art, comics and stories based on The Smurfs, the familiar little blue creatures of television and film. As I have been sharing them online and in person with family, friends and co-workers, I've been getting nothing but positive feedback. A few have even said the fan art is better than the recent film The Smurfs 2, which they had to walk out on with their kids in tow because the humor was unacceptably crude and raunchy. Better yet, I now have a small online following on social media that looks forward to every new Smurf toon I upload.
• I have reorganized the website, splitting the cartoons from my portfolio and giving it a new category called Cartoons and Fan Art. In addition to the aforementioned Smurfs fan art, there is also fan art for the Christian animated series Jot the Dot and for my original cartoons Ricki Lee & Tony, Alpha Girl and Javier the Sloth.

(Yes, a sloth. I animated a sloth. Sloths move very slowly, but then again nothing moves that much in a Newport Muse cartoon. So it was a perfect match.)

And finally, I am looking at going back to college for a master's degree in creative writing, possibly applying to Chapman University (my alma mater) or the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I have no idea how I would fund a two to three-year education should I be accepted, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

2013 so far has been a year of risks and changes in my life. After the very emotional and agonizing decision to change churches after 12 years with one congregation, things have just been changing for me in ways I could not imagine. Just one month after switching to Calvary Chapel, I flew out with a mission relief team to Philadelphia, then drove on to New Jersey to help victims affected by Hurricane Sandy. I also tried my hand in the men's choir, got connected with various ministries on the Costa Mesa campus, began developing a web app for Bible study and reading called Maranappta, and just taking leaps of faith.

It's time to be brave. I'm tired of being scared of the unknown. It seems that starting with the switch to Calvary Chapel, a wave of confidence has been slowly unleashed in my life. Just like Princess Merida of the Disney/Pixar film Brave and her little fellow Scotsman Gutsy Smurf, it's time to finally play for my own hand rather than for someone else's wishes.

It's time to be brave.

Voyager 1 and Our Infinite, Intimate God

This week NASA announced that Voyager 1, the space probe that was launched back in 1977 to explore and study Jupiter, Saturn and the outer planets of our solar system, had officially left the solar system and was now the first man-made object to enter interstellar space. The still-working spacecraft has sent back evidence that it has left the heliosphere, the vast magnetic boundary that separates the sun, the planets (including official non-planet Pluto), and solar wind from the rest of the galaxy.

According to its official odometer at the NASA website, Voyager 1 is now 11.6 billion miles and counting from Earth. To let you know how old its onboard technology is compared to today, the data it records is measured in kilobytes rather than terabytes. Up to 69.63 kilobytes (just a little over the maximum RAM of a vintage Commodore 64) can be saved on its digital tape recorder, an 8-track tape actually, and its computer can make about 8,000 decisions a second, compared with over 10 billion per second with the iPhone you may be reading this on. Its transmitter has a power of 23 watts, the data sent back to Earth takes 17 hours for it to be received by NASA... and just like its contemporary the Atari 2600, it's still working just like it did 35 years ago. It's scheduled to shut down around 2025, when the nuclear fuel cells powering the craft will finally run out.

Our sun is just one of billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy, and beyond that there are billions and billions more galaxies in the universe. I think of the opening words from the theme song of the old PBS children's series Big Blue Marble: "The earth's a big blue marble as it floats about in space" or something like that. Compared to the rest of the universe, this Big Blue Marble we sit upon isn't even a grain of sand. It can make one feel insignificant. And as I look at how it all seems so beautifully designed, the first word that comes to mind is "intelligent". I simply cannot comprehend how it all could have come about from a Big Bang billions of years ago and supposedly evolving by chance into all that is today. There must be, there has to be, an intelligence behind it all. I see that intelligence as God.

Our God is intelligent and infinite, beyond what our finite, puny human minds can ever comprehend in a million lifetimes. And yet this same God is also intimate. He cares for each and every one of us. He loves each of us. He loves us so much that he became one of us, something less than a quark in comparison to all of the universe, to save us from ourselves and to be in loving fellowship with Him. He walked among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Why such an infinite God would condescend and stoop so darned low to reach out to us is something even I cannot understand. But I accept it and am grateful for it.

God is probably getting a good chuckle out of NASA going gaga about Voyager 1 leaving the solar system, as if we could do one better than Him in the heavens He created. But more importantly, He lives in and has relationship with every person who has put his or her faith in Him through the finished work of Jesus.

Pardon the pun, but that's out of this world.

Mahalo Smurfy Loa, Miss Lou

This is the first of two posts I'm uploading today. First, something that was of a shock to me when I first learned of it a few weeks ago. Lucille "Lou" Bliss, the veteran cartoon voice actress who created the voice of Smurfette for the long-running Hanna-Barbera TV series The Smurfs back in the 80's, passed away last Christmas at the young age of 96 from natural causes. She was active in animation right up to the end of her life, last working on the Nickelodeon cult favorite Invader Zim as one of Zim's alien professors. Of all the characters she voiced in her career, Smurfette was Lou's personal favorite because they both shared the same feisty personality and after so many decades of bit parts here and there, it was the permanent role she finally landed and one that she was rightfully proud of.

I guess with all the flash, glam, fuss and feathers that now dominate today's world of big-budget TV cartoons with big-name celebrities that just walk in, record their parts, take their millions and walk away, the passing of Miss Lou, who was a trouper with a career spanning 70 years, wasn't considered newsworthy, and certainly not as exciting as pop star Katy Perry, who has since picked up the torch as Smurfette's new official voice. Too bad.

With the flurry of Smurf fan art I created lately, here's my tribute to the woman who not only voiced the most beloved Smurf of all, but also the outrageous stepsister Anastasia in Walt Disney's Cinderella, the original Crusader Rabbit, and numerous Hanna-Barbera characters over the decades. In it Smurfette is asleep dreaming that she's an angel, flying with a dove who likes what he sees--a reference to her catchphrase "Like what you see?" On Smurfette's bedstand is a picture of Lucille Bliss with a daisy laid before it in loving tribute. So it may not actually be herself that our little blue friend is dreaming of.

(And if you look very carefully at my signature, there is a biblical reference to the One who gives us comfort and hope in times of grief and loss.)

As they would say in Hawaii, "Mahalo Smurfy Loa", or thank you very smurfy much, Miss Lou.

Fan Art: More of Those Little Blue Guys (and Gals)

Okay, so it's now official: based on the box office returns of the past few weeks, "The Smurfs 2" is a big blue disaster. For a film that cost well over $105 million to make with all the special effects and CGI animation, nobody saw it, and those who did were shocked at the prevalence of blue humor (pardon the pun) and sexual innuendo. I think because the first film did so well, the producers thought they could do more of the same and get away with it, but they really smurfed the shark (er, jumped) with this one. These little blue guys were nothing like the 80's Hanna-Barbera TV series that reruns on cable TV to this day, and audiences smurfed out on the disconnect.

But since I grew up on the TV series and the Smurfs were the first characters I seriously tried to copy and draw, ultimately developing my own original style, it was that cheerful, family-friendly memory that went into the below Smurf fan art I drew up the past few weeks.

Here is a part of "The Smurf Ohana (family)": From left to right, we have Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Baby, Brainy, Vexy, Husky, Sloppy and his beloved pet fly Fly, Snappy, Grandpa, Sassette, Nanny, her pet Smoogle, Clumsy, Grouchy and Painter. It's a mix of the classic Smurf characters with their newer relatives from the films. Vexy's hair was changed to brown based on other Smurf fan art I got a real kick out of.

Here again is Vexy Smurf, post-Naughtie and with change in hair color, explaining her hot temper and adventurous spirit.

And finally, little Baby Smurf ratting out Jokey, whom Vexy wants to have a little talk with after opening one of his trademark "surprises". (Personally, instead of Christina Ricci voicing Vexy, I think Gwen Stefani would be a better choice. Just looking at her CGI style from the movie automatically has me thinking of Gwen!)

This past month has been a very stressful one for me personally, as I have continued to look for work, finally landing some temporary jobs, and dealing with a lot of venting and anger from customers. Rediscovering my childhood friends has been a great creative and emotional release. I've never had this much creative energy in several years, and the ideas just keep on coming. Developing Maranappta may have been the impetus for that creativity, and now drawing these family-friendly Smurf toons has just about broken the dam holding everything back.

So until Studio Peyo of Brussels, Belgium (which owns the Smurfs) sends me a cease-and-desist letter, which they probably won't do because Smurf fan art is all over the web and is actually good publicity for them, I'll keep smurfing away, and giving credit where proper credit is due. Enjoy.

Phone Apps, a Disco Dancing Smurfette and Release

This past week, in addition to continuing to build Maranappta, I've dusted off my traditional animation skills by creating an original short clip called "So You Think You Can Smurf", which stars Smurfette from the Smurfs shyly tiptoeing onto the dance floor and finally succumbing to "Boogie Fever" by The Sylvers. It was inspired by a visit on Monday to the McDonald's at Main and MacArthur in Irvine, CA next to John Wayne Airport, where "Smurfs 2" Happy Meals are being promoted and clips from "Despicable Me 2" were playing on the in-house TV channel. "Boogie Fever" is a running gag in the original minions movie, and I had a goofy idea to mash up the two, developing and promoting my animation skills in the process.

Smurfette was an easy choice because she's not only the first female Smurf, but also the most popular one of all based on merchandising and overall fan appeal. This isn't the saucy seductress as reimagined by Katy Perry in the recent movies but the original innocent, girly and spunky Smurfette from the original Hanna-Barbera TV series as established by her original voice actor Lucille Bliss, which became the defining role of her decades-long career and her all-time personal favorite.

It's been an interesting past few weeks. As I wrote in my last post, I got a temp job at a real estate software company in part because I've been a lot more open about my technical skills in web development, coding and creating apps. I've been getting a lot of smiles at church and with my friends about the above Smurf video with the new movie on everyone's mind. And at church the pastors have been teaching us to stop making excuses to God for not obeying His call on our lives to serve Him with the gifts He's given us, and to learn to release (let go) of controlling everyone and everything, entrusting it all to His loving hands. Very timely messages if you ask me.

Animators are often actors through their pencils or software as they bring their characters to life, infusing their personalities into their creations. Smurfette's dance moves in the above clip are my own choreography, acting out each step when I'm sure nobody else is looking (or doesn't care), draw the movements onto paper and translate them into the computer. So yeah, that's basically me in her poses. But don't get any pupule (crazy) ideas about me, even though I live in hopelessly weird California.

I Got a New Job, Possibly Made Indirectly Possible by Maranappta :)

It is interesting how the Lord brings things together for good in spite of our craziest ideas. In the past month I've been aggressively developing Maranappta, setting up a web app for testing and including it in my status updates to all the staffing agencies I'm registered with. My original idea was to utilize my web design skills in new ways to show that I'm not just sitting on my gluteus maximus while unemployed. Well, I haven't yet landed a web or graphic design job, but on Friday I started a new temp-to-hire job at Yardi Systems, a real estate software company in Santa Ana near John Wayne Airport. It's an IT/data entry position that could become a permanent position after three months if it's a good match. It seems that the technical skills I've been practicing are just what the software company was looking for.

Meanwhile, Maranappta continues to get good feedback and I'm now well on my way to developing a dedicated Android version. I may upload a web version to this blog and ask Android phone and tablet users to give it a try. I would like to also develop an iPhone version, but what Apple charges just for the privilege of submitting to their app store is out of my budget for now--and there's no guarantee that Apple will accept my apps anyway. From what I've been told, Google is far more forgiving in accepting apps for sale than Apple. By necessity, the current web app for iPhone may be the only version for iPhones that will be out there for now.

It's an interesting way that God is providing for me, in a roundabout way, but I'm praising and thanking Him all the way.

Maranappta Update: Adding Podcasts and Bible Study Series

I'm at the Chapman University Student Union where I took a nap this afternoon after church. After waking up, I fired up my laptop, logged into the free campuswide wi-fi and started working on more features to Maranappta. By Monday morning, Podcasts will join the menu of features, with iTunes links to various Bible teachers and radio programs. Your cell phone must have iTunes and/or QuickTime in order to hear the podcasts. I am also building a sample list of Bible Studies by various Calvary Chapel pastors, with a link to the entire lineup at CalvaryChapel.com.

As a deliberate shameless promo, teaser and bribe to get you to try it out, I will include podcasts from nationally syndicated pastors such as Chuck Smith, Brian Brodersen, Don Stewart and Waxer Tipton, as well as the weekday talk show "Pastors Perspective".

Update July 29, 2013: I haven't uploaded the new features just yet. I've been busy making phone calls and searching for full-time work. After talking with a friend at church, I have decided to drop Hank Hanegraaff and "The Bible Answer Man" from the final podcast lineup because while Hank is an excellent apologist and biblical scholar, his combativeness in recent years in attacking Christians holding a different eschatological view than himself--an issue Hank claims is a non-essential but in practice acts like it is--makes him divisive and a big turnoff.

Maranappta Update: Subject and Verse List is Growing

At the advice of a small group leader at church last night, I am expanding the Subject and Verse section of Maranappta with a few more subjects. I just added Bible verses related to Love, joining those dealing with Devil/Demons on Monday. Another subject, Comfort/Hope, is in the works, and another specifically for Evangelism based on a collection of verses known as "The Romans Road" will follow.

Newport Muse Now Linked to Newport Muse Live

I was planning on doing this later this week, but the chronic server problems at my now ex-web hosting service prompted me to add a direct link to the Newport Muse website immediately as I moved all the content to a new service as an emergency measure. Just click on the Website tab at the top of the page and you'll be sent to the site. Everything's still there; it just has a new URL.

As for my ex-web hosting service, I think Mr. Spock said it best at the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country:

If I were human, I believe my response would be "Go to hell". That is, if I were human.

Live long and prosper.

Here We Go Again... My Website's Down

I was about to upload more content at this moment to my web app Maranappta, but the hosting servers at Zymic are down again for the second time this month. It's a free web hosting service, and the quality of its server hosting has always been good, until this month. I don't know if it's because their servers are crashing from data overloads, but this isn't good. I created a backup site with a different address just in case something like this happened again, so it looks like I'll have to fire it up.

I may also finally get a registered domain name for the site. More on that later. In the meantime, keep posted to this blog for more details.

Maranappta Update: They Like It, They Really Like It!

Forgive me for that Sally Field-at-the-Oscars moment. If you don't get the joke, here's the reference:

Miss Field's sincere and often-parodied acceptance speech, which is actually a reference to a quote from "Norma Rae" (her first Oscar win), is often called "The First Like", long before the birth of social media. :)

Okay, now for why the Sally Field moment. A few friends at church have tried out Maranappta on their iPhones and Androids, and they really like it--the layout, its native-app feel, the links to online Bible search engines, and especially the live streaming of Calvary Chapel radio stations from across the United States. Many of them bookmarked it on the spot and are looking forward to how the final product comes out.

And finally, I think Miss Field looks really cute in her acceptance speech. But she's Gidget, The Flying Nun and Forrest Gump's Mom all wrapped up in one, so of course we really like her.

Maranappta Update: More Content and Easy Navigation

I just uploaded more stuff to my app-in-progress Maranappta. The Bible verses for the Faith category under Subject and Verse have been added, and more arrow buttons at the top of the screen flip you through the main sections much faster and easier.

Also, a few more people at my Tuesday night study at church tried it out on their iPhones and liked it. Two bookmarked it and one said he was going to spread the word with their friends. I'm very encouraged that Maranappta is a valuable and needed app in the church, even though it's barely my first app and still under construction.

Check out the latest additions by going to the Maranappta tab and clicking on the web app link.

Now Beta Testing My First Mobile App

Okay, here's my first official post on Newport Muse Live. First, I need to explain why it's called Newport Muse Live and not just Newport Muse. The Newport Muse subdomain was already taken by a Blogger squatter who is a money-hungry nincompoop and a silly moo. I didn't want to give up the name, so I added Live to the name, and it's a lot more appropriate given the live nature of blogging.

Why's it called Newport Muse anyway, you ask? Well, click the About tab and see for yourself.

I am now beta testing (or just plain testing) my first mobile app, Maranappta, on my personal website as of last week. Three of my friends at church have tested it on their cell phones in my presence and it works, as long as you have Flash Player downloaded and enabled on your device for the live streaming links. If you want to try out Maranappta, click on the tab of the same name to learn more about it.

Test posting for new Blogger site

Of all the posts on my new blog, this is the first. Aloha. :)