Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Glory

.SUNDAY...FUCKING AWESOME I GUESS I MEAN WHO KNOWS

theodolite — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 05:35:47 -0800

Is there a technical weather-related definition of the word "glorious"? I usually check the weather on this National Weather Service site, which presents exactly as much information as I want in attractive all-caps ASCII. At the moment of this post, the weather for Friday is described as "SUNNY AND GLORIOUS" and Saturday as "SUNNY AND CONTINUED GLORIOUS." The repeated mention of "glorious" is encouraging but also a little less, uh, sober than usual. Does "glorious" actually have a technical definition? It doesn't seem like it's referring to the "glory" phenomenon, which is more like a cool optical illusion than a general weather condition.

On a second note, what exactly is that page? The ASCII and fixed line lengths make me think it's originally some kind of teletype holdover, but I'd love to know more.

Help me get my comics/graphic-storytelling career started.

circular — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:46:29 -0800

Help me figure out if my dream comics career is worth pursuing. No wait, that's too easy to answer. I own a successful web design business. It's neat and it pays the bills.

To be honest though, I would like to wake up one day and realize that I am Georges Remi. However, mental blocks and fears of all sorts stand in my way.

My past with comics:

My Dad used to offer me money to look at my sketchbook. He used to tell me I should make $MILLIONS like Charles Schultz and give half to him (ha ha).

However much pressure that became, I also really want it to happen. I love comics. I almost pursued a career in Illustration but decided on a CS degree instead, because it seemed to pay better. :-( I do regret that now. I eventually transferred out of CS and into Media Arts, which was slightly more comfy but still completely avoidant of Illustration/Comics as a career.

Some comics background:

1. I've always drawn caricatures. Heck, always drawn everything.
2. Was comic artist for school newspaper.
3. Have drawn comics in letters I've written to people.
4. Started a web comic that got very good feedback considering it provided maybe 10 minutes of entertainment. I stopped working on it because I built it up to be this huge thing in my head. "Let's make two lines, one for signatures, the other for handshakes"...gah, embarrassing.
Semi-related 5. I have done paying illustration work.

My future with comics:

1. I work best by myself. I wanna be a solo comics artist/storyteller.
2. I would like to have one of these. I already own a model airplane.

I have a slight "you will fail" complex when it comes to comics. I'm either usually afraid I'll be TOO successful (lol) or afraid I'll wake up tomorrow and not have made any progress toward this goal...again. I find myself analyzing successful comics artists and telling myself why I lack some critical attribute that they have.

My Happy, Positive Thoughts:
Technically, I think my work has potential. I can draw. I can compose a picture.

I'm good at telling stories.

I'm good at buying how-to-make-comics books. :-/

I suck at planned, long-form anything. I suck at planning a plot out. By the time I've got it planned out, it feels like one big dumb cliche that even I wouldn't want to read, and all of my energy is gone.

But, if I just see the scenes in my head, somehow things come together. I seem to excel at just winging it. Starting somewhere and ending up who-knows-where. Is this...ok? Are there people who have told (well...sold) stories this way?

Also, where do comics artists hang out who don't want to be James Kochalka but don't idolize Stan Lee either? I mean, websites/forums?

Also #2, when I want to get in shape, I go out and hire a coach. I am really good with coaches, I think because I really care about making people think I'm capable. Is there some equivalent to a coach in comics-land?

I already have a good business consultant for my web design biz, and one day he was saying, "one of my clients let it slip that she has a secret dream career that has nothing to do with her business. I told her we could make it happen, and she started to cry." At this point I blurted out "I HAVE A DREAM OF BEING A COMICS ARTIST!!!" and he changed the subject.

Are my prospects that bad?

Do I need to hire ANOTHER consultant?

Thanks for your help, especially I've-been-there or I-am-there-already sorts of helps.

Best poems about the glory of battle?

clockworkjoe — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:18:06 -0800

What are the best poems about glory in battle and valor in warfare? Most of the poetry I've read is modern, so when it comes to war, it's pretty much about the horrors of war. I'd like to see some examples of poems extolling mighty warriors, the thrill of battle and so forth.

Glorious War

WolfDaddy — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 22:44:21 -0800

I hate movies about/with war, or more precisely, battles that depict how horrible and bloodsoaked and gory wars are. Hate hate hate them. Watch them. Hate them.
So, having watched the extended cut of Return of the King for about the infinityinth time today, I still find myself with goosebumps and tears streaming down my face over the incredibly bittersweet glory depicted during the battle on Pelennor Fields.

Are there any other movies that depict war as glorrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeuhhhhssssssssss (/John Colicos) that I should see?