8.23.2010

For No Apparent Reason

Sometimes your friends let you down. Five years ago, my business partner stole every dime of my savings and destroyed my business overnight.

Sometimes you friends disappoint you. Within a year, my closest friend played bedroom games with my ex-wife, so I washed my hands of both.



Sometimes your friends surprise you! I got this in the mail today, the brainchild of the Mighty Mighty Carlos and the Master Manipulator (every store needs one).

It's days like this which make me glad I still choose to trust people - I just needed to learn how to pick the right kind of people. This is really one of the coolest things anyone has done for me, because they got together to do it for no apparent reason.

For the whole story, check out the Master Manipulator (every store needs one)'s blog.

15 comments:

Master Manipulator (every store needs one) said...

Glad you like it Brent. It started out to makes some jokes because...well you know me.

Once I saw the pic it was so close and hit so many points I forgot about the jokes and just wanted everyone to see it.

I think Carlos nailed it. It looks great, and anyone who knows you should have no problem telling who it is.


hmmmmm...word verification is preckl. I wonder sometimes if it really knows me.

Grizzled Gorilla said...

First off, that is a great picture and hats off to Master Manipulator for the kind gesture.

Carlos said...

I am glad you like the drawing.

Chumbalaya said...

That's awesome.

Anonymous said...

Brent you can trust me, because I voted Brent that one time.

Anonymous said...

Brent you can trust me, because I voted Brent that one time.

Messanger of Death said...

I only know you from the internet and instantly recognised that picture as you. I also voted Brent that one time...

Messanger

Herr Fernseher said...

Props to Carlos for capturing the bloodlust that Brent so carefully hides for the sake of his Sportsmanship score!

The MM(ESNO) is bang-on, though--you have a relaxed fighting stance when you are immersed in the game.

Mister Disco said...

It's epic! It is funny I did recognize it as you from the second I saw it and I've only so much as seen your picture a few times.

Von said...

That's cute. :D I've occasionally been surprised with stuff like this (witness: the icon) and it's always quite touching.

TheKing Elessar said...

That's pretty awesome. :)

Jwolf said...

Brent,

Might as well trust people. Since you're going for Social Work, you'll always be too poor for anyone to steal from you anyway. ;)

Brent said...

JWolf: everybody keeps saying that!

Truth be told, I don't mind. I did the work 80+ hours per week thing in my 20's. That's the money that wandered off, so once I decided I was going to live anyway, it sorta liberated me.

Still and all, I imagine I'll do fine once school is done. I've got a new business to get off the ground, but even if it doesn't pan out a Social Worker is never unemployed!

Eric said...

Very cool pic. Hooray for good friends!

Carlos said...

No it isn't the social worker that is out of work and hungry, it's the artist who starves. But look at the pretty picture it is all worth it in the end.


Right?

(A new favorite!) Anon: I haven’t even bothered playing a game of 6th yet, cause I have read the rules, and actually understand how they interact with units. I know my armies no longer function how they should, and so I need to change them.

Strictly Average: 'cause 6-inches is all you get.

Stalking Jawaballs since 2009.

Jawaballs: "My butt just tightened up."

Brent, preferred 2-to-1 over Not Brent in a recent, scientific poll.

Brent: emptied the Kool Aid and DRINKING YOUR MILKSHAKE with an extra-long straw.

Unicorns don't exist.

Home of the Stormbuster, the Dyson Pattern Storm Raven.

I'm a comment whore and this whore is getting no play.

Not Brent hurts Brent's feelings.

I think, therefore I blog.

"You should stop writing for everyone else and worry about your crappy blog." - Anon.

Not Brent has been spotted lurking around with a green marker.

He's not like a bad guy from a cartoon, all devious but never quite evil, Not Brent is bad beans, man, bad beans.

Dethtron: "Again I feel obliged to remind you that trying to sound smart only works if you are."

MVB: "I am not one to join the unwashed masses of self-titled 40k experts out there distributing advice from their blogs about exactly how your list should be built..."

Shiner Bock on tap: that's how I choose hotels.

Strictly Average: The Home of Hugs and Gropings.

Don't feed the trolls!

MoD: "Welcome to Brent's head."

Competitive is Consistent.

Dethtron: "...you could use that extra time to figure out a way to get your panties unbunched and perform a sandectomy on your vagina."

Dethtron: “When calling someone an idiot, it's generally best to avoid making grammatical mistakes.”

Warboss Stalin: "You know, if it actually WAS funny, maybe I wouldn't mind."

Mike Brandt: "It's not a successful bachelor party if you don't misplace someone".

"The Master Manipulator (every store needs one): "...now, enough stroking."

Kirby: "I don't know about gropings. Seriously, Brent, keep it in the pants, please."

Loquacious: "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Hugs & Gropings or Stalks Jawaballs into Brent's little tribute."

Captain Kellen: "I rate this article a Brent on the Faith Hill to Nancy Pelosi scale!"

Drathmere: "Come for the balls, stay for the Brent? Kind of disturbing, man."

Go no further, lest thee see something thine eyes would fain look past!

Isabelle: "So, thank you for supporting your local and not so local unicorns. A noble gesture like that can show some scared kids out there that they don't have to hide from everyone and it's ok to be who they really are."

There is nothing more interesting than We The People... in all our beautiful, ugly glory!

On Internet Advice: You see, I have an almost religious belief that's it's a huge, colossal waste of time.

...I think I'll call it the Gun Shy Pattern Stormbuster, because after the Internet destroyed my first humble effort, I find I'm a bit worried about the reaction to this one.

Lauby: "Is it left over from that time you thought that you could just complete step one 12 times to meet the mandates of that court order?"

Not Brent: "I guess we'll have to read on and find out. Signed, Not Brent. Especially today."

Cynthia Davis: "I think the scrolling text is from Glen Beck's new book."

Grimaldi: "Spamming certain units creates interesting possibilities but also fatal weaknesses."

Purgatus: "Math can inform decisions. It cannot make decisions."

Thoughts? Comments? Hugs and gropings?

You'd be that much quicker to figure out what I mean when I refer to a Unicorn if I covered it in a rainbow flag.

SinSynn: (To Brent) "Curse you and your insidious influence on the internets..."

Dave G (N++): "You know you're an internet celebrity when your following is more akin to tabloids."

I prefer the term Internet Personality (or IP) myself, seeing as how I coined it.

Lauby: "Your attempt to humanize him as failed. I feel nothing but scorn for his beard - it's like a warcrime or something."

BBF: "I've always thought you are a good player but I finally figured out that you are a great player. It's hard to see sometimes because your personality is engaging, sincere and quite charming - to me that is kind of a rare combination."

'Clearly cheating?' I didn't misspeak: you jumped to conclusions. If you'd like to apologize I'll be happy to send you an autographed picture of my ass.

Ass.

I thought I was doing alright before I realized I was losing.

Age and treachery beats youth and vigor every time.

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