My work this summer so far has revolved around WordPress… which is awesome. It seems like this time around I’m actually going to make something usable for the Communications Department in the way of a Content Management System, and two serious possibilities being explored right now are Drupal and WordPress. Erik, the main web guy here, is figuring out what he can and can’t do with Drupal; I’m figuring out what I can and can’t do with WordPress. It’s very fun because I love working with WordPress and I don’t feel like a complete idiot because I know a lot about the software. And I’m still learning stuff as I go! Woot.

Ultimately, my task will be to turn this mess into a CMS that will allow non-tech savvy Communications folks to push content themselves.

So yeah. That’ll keep me busy for a while, at least.

In the meantime, I’m looking for time to devote to writing, drawing, and my own web business. I’m pretty pooped at the end of a day so it’s a bit tricky. I’m going to try to get back to a 2xweek Night Switch schedule, starting this Friday. I also want to get the ball rolling on HC again… hopefully I can finish up book one before the year’s over.

I’ll try to keep the site updated somehow!

Oh, and in the meantime, you guys can check out the changes on michaelpruess.com. It’s been improved a bit, I think.

“Looks like the Angel Stone is actually inside the Hall,” Marin commented. The girl and the dachshund had already crossed Shattuck—the heart of downtown—and were rapidly closing in on the City Hall. The warm evening breeze was a painful reminder of the state of the environment. In the entirety of the text of the Establishment, there was not a single mention of environmental concerns or regulating pollution.

“Perfect.” The dog’s tone betrayed the fact that it clearly did not think it perfect.

As she approached, Marin could hear a crowd chattering, jeering, chanting. It was the classic mob of Berkeley radicals, waving signs that proclaimed the need for revolution.

“Pathetic hypocrites,” seethed Marin as she read a couple of the signs. “Give them a permit to protest and they act like the last four years didn’t happen. Take the permit away and they obey your every word.”

“Their hatred isn’t strong enough,” observed the dachshund.

“Nothing of theirs is strong enough,” said Marin, stepping into the crowds. It seemed as though there was some hearing with the Department of Homeland Security, and the turnout was as high as it was because people in Berkeley didn’t want those surveillance cameras popping up in their safe haven. “Why don’t these people realize that they’re not going to change anything unless they change? The country’s rotten. For all we know, the world’s rotten. How many countries are we in? We don’t even know. How many trillions of dollars did our wars lap out of the pet-food bowl that is a useless Fed, just today? It’s evening so the figure must be in the hundreds. Unless we start with ourselves and fix our lives and fight to help others we’re going to keep being trash!”

Marin realized that she couldn’t hear herself over the chorus of graying sign-bearers. They were echoing her thoughts in far more concise terms, so she fell silent.

“So are you going to go inside and get the Angel Stone or what?” asked the dog after a couple minutes of Marin standing dumbly in the middle of the crowd. Marin frowned slightly, then gazed uneasily at the City Hall’s ornate double doors. An extremely uncomfortable-looking cop stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance.

“I’ve never been inside,” she admitted. “It’s a little… scary.”

“You’re scared now?! Good God, girl, do you want to accelerate your revenge or not?”

“You’re right, Dax.” Marin shook her head a few times and then began pushing through the crowd up the steps to the building. “Let’s get this over with. The DHS is the DHS and Berkeley is Berkeley. It’s an interesting experience but it’s the Angel Stone I need, right?”

“Yeah,” answered the dachshund. “It’s the Angel Stone you need.”

Nothing particularly new about this image; I just felt like drawing. This character already made an appearance on my DeviantArt account, and I liked him, so I decided to draw him again. Enjoy!

But eh.

Here’s where I’m at:

I’m waiting to hear back from people I contacted regarding craigslist postings; I’m looking for a place to live in Berkeley. I’m sort of shopping for computers. I’m thinking about the need to renew my domain names. I recently more or less finished one big job for a client, and am going in on Monday to present it and stuff. I begin my full-time job on Wednesday.

Hey, guys.

You’re all staying abreast of the community, right? Tell me what’s airing, what I should watch, etc.

See, there’s going to be these online classes that I’ve signed up for that will be starting June 2nd. I’m not exactly sure how well I’ll do it, considering as how I’ve never taken an online class before and there will be no teacher/mentor/book in front of me to help, but it should be an interesting experience.

I also need to email one of the teachers at the college I’ll be taking classes at this upcoming school year. Apparently, I need to email him and ask him for permission to get out of what sounds to be a very basic computer class so that I can actually be in his programming class (Visual Basic). I’ve yet to decide completely on what it is I need to say to him, though I’m confident that I should meet all the requirements of the course already.

No word on a job as of yet. I haven’t exactly been looking around, but I know that needs to change pretty soon. We’ve almost got enough saved up for our new computer, and then it’s just a matter of transferring files over (most of which I already have backed up).

I haven’t done any writing on Drawing My Heart but I’m fairly certain no one else has either. This may or may not be a good thing. Oh, and I haven’t written any Utterance either. I need to get on that.

My sister is moving to Hawaii before too long, and my parents will be moving sometime next year (leaving me without a place to live). I’m pretty much clueless as to what I’m going to be doing once that happens, and am scared pretty shitless sometimes. Still, I’m hoping to be keeping a positive outlook on things from now on, at least the important things, and maybe things won’t be as bad as they seem.

“Feeling well-rested?” asked the dog.

“Yeah,” replied Marin, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. “Time to find my sixth Angel Stone.”

“You sure have weird priorities, girl. What about food once in a while?”

“After I find the thing.”

Without even getting out of bed, Marin closed her eyes and began feeling around for stone. From the darkness in my heart, a violent awakening… She felt an immense pressure in her head and then a beacon appeared in the darkness a mile away. “Found it!” she cried, her eyes snapping open.

“Alright, princess. Are you going to get dressed before leaving to find it, or are you going in pajamas?”

“Of course I’m going to get dressed, Dax,” replied Marin, lifting an eyebrow. “I’m not in that big a rush.” She hopped out of bed, gathered clothes from her dresser, and headed for the shower. The dachshund patiently waited for her to reemerge ten minutes later, outfitted in a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt proclaiming her love for Pokemon.

“Dork,” he snorted.

“Well, I’m ready to set out,” said Marin, running one hand through her still-damp hair before pocketing her keys and stepping out of the room. The dog followed her out of the apartment and into the dim light of Berkeley’s evening.

Marin set out at a brisk pace, the dog trotting calmly behind her. She weaved her way through the conspicuously empty streets south of UC Berkeley, making her way northwest, headed for that beacon.

“Oddly quiet,” observed the dachshund.

“Maybe all the town’s at some City Council event or something.”

“Oddly interested.”

“It’s Berkeley,” sighed Marin. “One of the reasons I came here, actually. Berkeley has some rep as being one of the few towns that hasn’t completely given in to boredom and sameness. Of course, it’s still pretty boring…”

“But here’s your interesting, girl!” said the dachshund with fake optimism. “After we find the Angel Stone, how about we check out City Hall?”

“Thanks, but I might actually take you up on that, Dax.”

“I think food might be a better idea…”

“Nah, I’ll check out City Hall. We’re headed in that direction anyway.” Marin smiled and picked up the pace.