the examined life

The request is so urgent my boss needs it by the end of the work week. Which, y'know, is 5 PM on a Friday. So I have four hours to do it.

It's a forwarded request. Somebody contacted a member of the donation team asking for help, "I need a map from the Vietnam War to use for a presentation." It's somebody she's trying to coax into giving a five figure donation to the museum.

The request was asked to the donation team member, who then emailed my boss, who then emailed and called me urgently.

This map required:

North and South Vietnam in it

All four areas that South Vietnam was divided into for military purposes ('Corps') clearly delineated

Four cities, all of them horrifically misspelled, and only identifiable because I know what battle the requester is asking about (it’s in III Corps on the border with Cambodia) (the requester danced around the battle but I’m knowledgeable enough to identify it)

Has Laos and Cambodia in it

Has the Ho Chi Minh Trail in it

So. I was mad about the 'you have literally four hours to find a map with a lot of requirements.'

I was then mad at myself about finding a copyright free map from Texas Tech University within half an hour, proving her right for asking me to do it.

Then, after I found a map that perfectly met the requirements, I was equally amazed, baffled, and horrified when I read further into the forwarded email chain.

The donation team team member they were speaking to used AI to generate a map.

The above put half of North Vietnam in South Vietnam, made the Ho Chi Minh Trail a country, made 60% of Cambodia part of South Vietnam, put the DMZ extremely high up in North Vietnam, completely disconnected the southern tip of Vietnam, misplaced all of the Corps zones, etc etc

At the very last second the donation team member had a moment of divine clarity, remembering there's three historians on payroll to ask for this kind of thing from. So she contacted my boss while saying, "I had fun with this, but I decided I should check for accuracy before I send it to the donor! I need a fact check by the end of the day, then I send it"

My boss, while not the most knowledgeable on the Vietnam War, does know her geography. She took one look, and knew it was so off she called me to tell me how urgent it is that I look at the email and respond

A boy with nothing. A war he doesn’t understand. A world burning under a red sun. Darik has spent his life surviving–first in the slums beneath a glass city, then in the shadow of a regime that cages, controls, and erases. When he escapes, he finds something he’s never had before: warmth, food, and people who choose him. But peace doesn’t last. Across Hookyo Sh’Ugon, tensions are rising. The Solar Communalists tighten their grip. The mysterious Lleronese deploy advanced cybernetic soldiers. And far above it all, secrets hidden in orbit threaten to ignite a conflict that could tear the planet apart. Darik is no soldier. He’s no hero. Yet as war creeps closer, he’s forced to choose–run and survive, or stand and protect the fragile life he’s found. Because in a world of shifting loyalties, hidden technology, and ruthless power, even a slum boy can change the fate of everything.

I have copied it here in its entirety, to give full context to the cover, which is this:

I made these brushes for CSP a while back, and I've used them a LOT, but I've decided to share the files on my ko-fi. :-)

A while back, I worked at a comic book store five days a week, so I had access to a lot of old Marvel and DC comics. I made these brushes from scanning the comics directly. My brush set has all 64 colors which were possible to print on newspaper at the time.

The names of the brushes are the same names that a colorist would use if they worked for Marvel or DC back in the day. For example, R is 100% red, Y2 is 25% yellow, Y3 B is 50% yellow and 100% blue.

For a long time I told myself I wouldn't share them because I thought I could find more work as a colorist if I had my own tools. Well, I still haven't found much work as a colorist, and I thought it would be nicer to share with other artists.

As many of my followers know, i had a severe hip dislocation in April.* This requires surgery to repair, and recovery will have me on bedrest for several weeka or even months. I have a consultation on June 25th, which means surgery may happen in July.

I'm raising money to acquire the laptop and lap desk i have on my Throne list here. This laptop will provide me with the means to write my book, and access to entertainment in general. There are other things on the list that will help keep me occupied as well. You may choose to purchase the listed items on my behalf, with the option of remaining anonymous.

In order to acquire necessary funds, i'm opening commissions. I will work on these until i can't. What i don't complete prior to surgery will have to wait until until after i recover. If you buy a commission, this is something you need to understand. If i have surgery this summer, i may not be back in the sewing room until this winter. You could be waiting for several months for your commission.

Now, that being said, let's get to the good stuff!

Pay What You Want - starts at $57 USD, what you receive won't be seen until it arrives. What you pay will influence what i choose to make, so beware this is a bit of a gamble.

Mug Rug - starts at $62 USD, 6x8 to 12x12 inches. Foundation paper piecing is an option. These are large enough for a mug and snack.

Single serving dining set - starts at $98 USD, and includes one placemat and matchint coaster. Foundation paper piecing is an option.

Set of four coasters - starts at $112 USD, with the option of adding more coasters to the set. Foundation paper piecing is also an option.

Table runner - starts at $246 USD, with the option of using insulated batting for this to serve as a long hot pad. Foundation paper piecing is also available.

Four piece placemat set - starts at $246 USD, with the options of adding a set of coasters and a table runner for a full collection. Foundation paper piecing is available as well.

Mini quilt - starts at $281 USD, and foundation paper piecing is an option.

Pine tree wallhanging - $292 USD, and can serve as an alternative for a yuletide tree. I have one, in pink, blue, and purple, and my ornaments are pins and buttons.

Potted plants wallhanging - $464 USD, and made using mostly scraps.

Just the quilt top - starts at $481 USD, with options for larger sizes. You will receive the finished top and will have to either do the quilting yourself or hire someone to do it for you. If you wish for me to use foundation paper piecing, pay twice the amount and mention you want me to use FPP and the size range. If there is a pattern you would like me to use, feel free to ask but I promise nothing.