Christmas thoughts.

Deep thoughts? Nah. I think I'd rather read a book.

To think ... to imagine ... Such things we wonder? Such things and we spend our lives searching for the answers in our science and our philosophies? In our religions and our day time talk shows? So much time spent searching and yet still we don't understand. Still we don't know. Or do we? Are the answer(s) we seek right before us but we are merely too blind to see them? Do we pass over truths because we find the answers too obvious?

Think about life, existence, reality and such. After all, what is real and what is imagined? Can anything truly be real without first being imagined? Our perceptions dictate to us what is real but just how limited are our perceptions? We see in such a small spectrum, we hear less than a dog or cat. If nothing more, this tells us that there is more to reality than what we see and hear. But how much more? Without perception is there life? And could it be said that perception IS life? Perception is belief and if belief could be said to be faith, could not faith be the basis of what constitutes life and therefore reality?

With faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains ... Does this mean that our faith allows us to alter our perceptions and therefore reality itself? If only our faith were strong enough. Even the size of a mustard seed?

Light and belief. Perception and energy. Imagination, realization and self-realization ... What IS life? We know that life is more than what we physically experience but what does this mean? For that matter, what is the soul? The energy of self? That part which holds the consciousness of the individual? Is this life? Is this the soul? That part of us that lives beyond the body and travels beyond this world? Is it our consiousness that lives on and through our greater perceptions comes a greater world both real and not real. Not real because it is not of the physical and real because we perceive it to be so.

Like a never-ending dream of life but more real than real, more true than this world and more solid than our physical existence ?

Such thoughts and mental and spiritual wanderings ...

... oooor read a book?

And fruit cake ain't so bad. Take in small amounts. At least, I imagine it to be. Does this make it so? Or is it only real to me?

Time to go away and think a bit ...

Did I say Merry Christmas yet? No? Well then, Merry Christmas.

You've GOT to be kidding me.

Sadly, it has come to my attention that a resent post of mine has caused a bit of a stir. Furthermore it has come to my attention (also sadly) that I am the only one who finds my particular brand of humor funny. Apparently there are people out there who actually take what I say seriously. Probably the same people who believe everything they see on TV or read on the internet. Be selective peoples! As a result of this new information I will, henceforth, refrain from being funny in and way, shape or form. If I should ever feel the irrepressible need to ever again make an attempt at any form of humor whatsoever I will be sure to include a disclaimer beforehand, a complete explanation, footnotes and all relevant reference materials.

... or not ...

I guess I'd just better get used to being sent pity-mail, advice on how to be happier and/or sell more work and become rich, famous and get all the babes I can handle. (Which would be 1/2 I think.) So far I need to draw more boobies to gain my fortune, and to buy a better deodorant. I'm assuming that this is so I am not so repugnant to editors. NOTE: I doubt this will help me when it comes to editors. Now boobies might do the trick there, but that wasn't suggested to me. At least not yet.

ART UPDATES_
ALTERED EGO: I am currently gathering the 'corrected' and more-better 'toons and will be sending those back out to the printers in the next few days. God willing. Obviously, since I can't git my act together, the books still aren't available to purchase.

MORGAN STONE: KNIGHT-WOLF TPB: All the pre-press prep work continues. It would be going faster I'm sure if I didn't keep ripping MS:KW pages off the light table and slapping AE pages back down ... but watchagonna' do?

There are a few other very cool pans in the fire that I can't talk about. I can't talk about them because that is an unprofessional way of doing business and because it will all probably fall through and I'd only embarrass myself ever thinking they might not.

I STILL haven't tried out the new scanner, although I have used the printer-part of it. Nice. Lookit my t-shirt. I'm lookin' sweeet.

My Christmas shopping is done and I'm ready to EAT!

Giddiyup cowboy! I'm outta' here!

But seriously.

I finally watched "Transformers" last night and it was excellent! I'm a bit too old to have been a fan of the Transformers when it was a cartoon on after school. Or a ton of cartoons on after school. I'd heard they were doing a film and wondered how they'd pull it off and then promptly forgot all about it. When it came out to the theaters and got good reviews, I thought ... "Nice." When everyone started telling me how good it was I thought ... "Nice. I'll have to see it someday." Well, last night I did and I was pleased. Too many people, artists, films, comics, books etc. take themselves far, far too seriously. The original Star Trek, the Original Star Wars were fantastic because they remembered to have a good time while telling their stories. Sadly, both Star Trek and Star Wars seemed to forget to have fun on their quest to create powerful, serious, respected "art". Well, that's just stupid. One does not exclude the other. The Droids were hilarious in the original Star Wars. So was Han Solo and Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon. Being fun does not mean that something is silly or stupid ... It means it's fun! When did that become a bad thing I wonder?

NOTE: To the new creators of the upcoming Star Trek, Superman and Batman films ... Have some friggin' FUN! And stop taking yourself so flippin' serious all the time. If you have fun, I just might as well.

Pretend you're listening.

It's late Sunday night and I'm sitting at work (because you're not doing your job and helping me get rich) while everyone else is home, warm, relaxing. (Except those people living in cardboard boxes and under bridges, but who thinks about those people freezing to death anyway, right? So anyway, back to me...) I'm sitting here and I'm cold, I've got a bit of a headache on the right side of my head which I suspect being some sort of neurological disorder. I'm not sure, but if I did have neurological disorder, I'd probably know it dontcha' think? All of which doesn't make my head feel any better. At least if I were to fall over dead someone besides me would feel sorry for me. But probably not. That's just more of my dreaming. Like people buying my work, or telling others to buy my work. Heck! It's only Christmas time and I didn't want a Christmas anyway so don't you go and feel all bad or anything.

I'm planning on posting this puppy on all three of my blogs. (I think I've only got three.) I'd only need one if you'd do your job and all come to the Five Star site but, as we've already made clear, you're not doing your job, which causes me to have to work harder. On a Sunday night and with a headache no less. I hope you're happy while you're all home and warm and relaxing while I'm at work (just in case you forgot). Since I'm posting this blog all over the freakin' place in the mad hope that someone, somewhere, will read this, I'm gonna' call this my "'Round the World Blog". Thing. Blog-thing. It's just too bad that I don't have anything really much to say. I was gonna' be brilliant but I'm not in the mood to think brilliant thoughts right now so I'm just rambling.

Speaking of rambling ... I didn't mention it because I forgot (not that you'd have been listening anyway) but my corrupted scans for the trade were salvageable which is really, really good. But it's still taking forever and three days to get the book ready for the printers.

Speaking of which ... I got the proof copies of ALTERED EGO back from the printers and they look great! This is one fine printer let me tell you. Great job. Fantastic job. Now, I just want a few things changed. Just a few. Jeeze! My New Year's resolution (if I believed in New Year's resolutions) is to let this freakin' stuff go so that I can move on with my life. If I had one. A life that is.

The new computer is cool and I haven't broken it yet so that's extra neat.

I'm reading a few good new book series right now; The "Repairman Jack" series and the "Charlie 'Bird' Parker" series. Both neat. Not as uber-cool as my stuff but then what is, right?

O. I also stumbled upon a fantastic web series, TV kinda' thing. It's called "Clark and Michael" and it is the best freakin' thing I've seen since the Superfriends when I was ten and that's saying something 'cause ain't nothin' as good as what you saw on Saturday mornings when you were ten. Except this. I want the freakin' thing on a DVD so that I can take it home (I've no Internet access at home) and loop it and watch it over and over. The show is so cool. It's like I know these guys. Truthfully, I am these guys. SWEEEET! As an indy/struggling/unsuccessful artist type person guy, I can identify with being an ever-hopeful general screw-up.

It seems that I've run out of interest before I really got to the brilliant stuff. As I knew I would. So ... go out and read "Repairman Jack" and "Charlie 'Bird' Parker" and watch "Clark and Michael". Turn off the TV 'cause ain't nothing good on there - it's all on-line!

That's it. You can all leave now. Go back to your relaxing and being warm and all while I continue to be at work.

Have a nice night.

Updates for 12/07

ITEM: The continuing story of the scanner.
Well, I've got a new computer to go with the new scanner, so now the scanner works. Which is cool. Of course I've no idea where anything is on the new computer, but whatever.

ITEM: ALTERED EGO UPDATE!
As I write the books are being priority shipped from the printer. Which means that I'll soon have a link where you can purchase the book. Just in time for Christmas. Yours and mine.

ITEM: MORGAN STONE:KNIGHT-WOLF TPB UPDATE!
Yes. I am still working on it. Just doing the final look-though before it goes off. Fingers crossed.

ITEM: Zuda is still Zuda.
I've no idea what's going on over there and have given up trying. Good for them. Whatever.

ITEM: Other stuff that's not very interesting but I write about anyway.
My vehicle is broken down. A leaky gas tank. As if gas weren't expensive enough, I start spilling it on the street. Looks like it'll take about $400 to fix it. Right before Christmas too. I wonder what bank I'll have to knock over?

ITEM: SEND ME STUFF
There are a lot of really cool sites out there. Or so I assume. Send me links. Pretty please.

Morgan Stone: Knight-Wolf TPB update.

I was hoping to get the MS:KW trade sent off to the printer's by the end of next week but was just informed that several dozen of my new, pretty scans are corrupted and need to be re-done. At the moment I am trying to decide between re-scanning them and just hanging myself. I make a decision one way of another within the next few days.