Accelerated New Year Resolution

I wanna lose weight and find a better job.
I also need to be nicer to the people I care about and careful around holier than thou people, cuz they have a way of messing with you.

Bittersweet Christmas

Had a nice day out with my sis and her husband and son. It was a rare day off for me. Well, what a downer. I returned home tonight to find one of my girls (a cat) dead. I cannot figure out what happened to her. Possible asphixiation, as she was slightly cyanotic. Maybe got into something poisonous, which has me running through the house, methodically searching out pathogens. Is the food contaminated? I dunno. Wouldn't the rest of the Hoard be dead or dying, as well?
It's so sad and frustrating. She was barely 3 years old and the most beautiful cat I've ever had. Thus her name, Belle.
Frankly, I've found myself developing that weird detachment that vets and animal workers have. I rarely get very teared up anymore over this kind of thing. I never thought I'd ever be that way and it's the one reason why I never pursued animal medicine. I guess it took me experiencing so much suffering and death so personally for me to finally build that shell up. I'm sorry to have it, but at the same time, it's doubtless keeping me sane. There's been too much death and disappointment the last few years to bear and I guess if detachment helps, I'll have to deal with it too.

After that, I sat down to try to reply to a couple of emails and what do I find? An obituary for one of my favorite people ever. Eartha Kitt. No fair. Too much for one day. And way too much for Christmas.
If you don't know who she was, and outside of her playing Catwoman, I won't waste time trying to tell you. She was a real legend and you'd do yourself a favor by looking her up. What a sad loss and a sad day in general.
I hope this is it for the year. I'm ready to be done with this one.

Merry Christmas!

GRINCH!!
Had to do it.
I'll be spending the day with family and some friends. Makes me luckier than some.
I hope everyone has a good one and a Happy New Year, too.

Happy December!

Just a quick post to say Merry Christmas and all that.


Having no MONEY will be a pain this year, but my family has agreed to not go crazy with the buying, so it's all good.

Merry Christmas and all the other stuff to one and all!

Wow. We enter a new age...

Thank whomever --deity of your choice--for it. We have a new president. Barack Obama was not my first choice, or even my second one, but I'll take him. Honestly, I cannot understand anyone who wanted another term that in any way extended, or mirrored, this last fella. He was a disgrace to the office in ways that just cannot be measured. How do you begin to guess the true effect, the gravity, of the lies and neglect this president has perpetrated on the country and the world? How much have we suffered in reputation with the rest of the world? And yeah. That does matter. Only the supremely arrogant fail to understand that we are just one power, one country, in a big world. And a failing world power, at that.

Compare this war and the crimes it brings with it to a case of adultery. Go ahead. I dare you. Even Nixon didn't tear this place up the way W has.
An obvious action would be impeachment, but The Dems, still timid and shy of taking full charge, have no stomach for it and I think Obama has put such a positive spell on DC that it would be counterproductive to bum the country out. No matter how utterly appropriate an impeachment of Bush would be. If lying to go to war and lying to stay at war and lying to protect yourself and your friends from the shame and embarrassment of admitting a mistake-- a mistake that was hardly an honest one and that has cost thousands their lives--if that's not cause for impeachment, I honestly don't know what is.

But, we'll move on. And we'd better hurry to catch up to the rest of the world as there's been plenty going on and lots to do. We have problems to help solve and business to attend to that has effectively been put on hold for EIGHT YEARS. Eight. I cannot believe the time we have wasted. It has been excruciating to stand here and witness. Being told for 8 years that we aren't patriots, don't love our country, that we're godless and diseased for the beliefs we have.

Don't worry, Repubs, as much as my animal nature would relish dishing out the same to you, there's just no point to it and it seems we have finally got a leader capable of working with you and willing to include you. Genuinely able to unite. What a challenge that will be, as the tear-down commenced even as Obama reached out in his acceptance speech. It's easy to get angry over the comments I've heard and the "journalism" campaigning to smear democratic ideals after the campaign was lost, seeking to disrupt and destroy a person who has asked for, and won, the right to do the most thankless job in the country.

But then I just smile. I'm smiling in disbelief and delight as I have to remind myself that no matter the future, the nightmare is effectively over. The country's nightmare was never the economic crisis or even the war. It has been the climate of intolerance and acceptance of mediocrity we have been held hostage by for the last eight years. It has been the suppression of freedom of thought and action vital to a healthy democracy that has been our downfall. I don't care what happens now, putting that behind us has restored my faith in the future and the greatness of this country.

We finally dug ourselves free of self-imposed imperialism and chose democracy again.
Welcome back, USA.

Just checking in

My Internets are sporadic these days. Just thought I'd check in to say..
Hello.
And to assure you that I'm nowhere close to realizing my little dream, but I'm still nowhere near to giving up on it.
This is a recurring theme/problem for me and I hope it resolves itself in a more productive way than usual.

On the cat side, I have found a pretty kewl enclosure possibility. I just need those $$ to start flowing this way. Check this out:
http://www.cats-on-line.com/catcagecustomergallery.htm

Kinda like connexx for cats. I guess the key is designing for space, but in such a way as to reduce the number of panels needed to save $. I wish I was a handier person so's to build this stuff myself. My poor dad would be ashamed of me. He tried to train me as his helper, but without him, I don't have the nerve to start up such an undertaking. I sure as heck don't have the time anymore. Paying extra for not having to build it from scratch is probably better.

Maybe I'll find a pile of money somewhere...someday.

Frankly, there's a lot going on in life that should be more important for me, but this situation is the one I find most concerning. I want these guys happy and safe, but I need my house to myself again. Getting them outside is about the only way I can go.

Hanging on to the house is another thing. Foreclosure looms for thousands of us and I'm right in that line. I don't see how anyone can afford to live anymore. I'm in a job that should pay enough to live on. Heck, for the time I spend there, I should be comfortable. Instead, I agreed to a job on salary and didn't understand the scope of it. I spend around 12-15 hours a day at the place. And with no overtime, that makes me a minimum wage earner again. Stupid. I was stupid. And now I'm trapped there as leaving is not an option. I need the little bit of income I have to keep my home.

Doom and gloom abounds, People. So, I decided to finally view that "Last Lecture" on YouTube ...and found out the guy died yesterday. *sigh* Wonderful start to that. So, I watched, expecting some great insights and profound observations. Frankly, I didn't get any. Don't get me wrong, the guy was inspirational in a way. Sometimes funny and always positive, even in the face of his impending doom. It's just that he offered the same advice I've heard from a bunch of people. Common sense, really. No real new or profound thoughts. I imagine his situation made it all seem bigger to him and his immediate friends and family so I guess my lack of attachment to him personally is the reason for my lack of enlightenment. It's worth a look, though. It is his last message to his kids and you sure can't be so jaded as to not be touched in some way by that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo Reserve about an hour of your time for it.

So, I have nothing else to say today. I'll pop in sometime later hopefully with better news.

Some R/P/S Q&A

Over at Dimestore, great comments and suggestions are trickling in....

Spyros from far away Greece writes:
Q: "So this is a multi-agency/studio working through a website, which acts like a portal?"


A: Hm. I don't think so, if I get your meaning, Spyros. There will be a central structure as we will be actually working together on all projects, assigning work as needed, where appropriate. I see the members as being partners in the one company.

I have yet to actually clarify this thought. Thanks, Spyros!

Really, the site is to give the agency a professional, united front and a place to actually sell from.. I don't think individuals will be played up at all, so the client won't get the schizo feel I've seen in other attempts to just get a bunch of people together and "be a studio."

As an agency, we'll be a one-stop for a (hopefully) limitless range of style, technique and services. And can provide it all in tiers of affordability. All things to all people.

Each member will have a hand in chasing down work, even creating the need for our work, in some cases. Maybe they'll have themselves in mind as being the artist for that job, or maybe they'll be thinking "oh, Doc would be perfect for that!" That'll come as we develop our membership and become more aware of our abilities.

That's where it will become a challenge. Can an artist let go of themself enough to be part of a group that creates together? Once we see the benefits of a group situation, providing things we couldn't get alone, I think it will work. I'm counting on it.

More Q&A to come, Folks!
G

R/P/S continued...Post 2

Thanks for the comments on my last little Rock Paper Scissors post. For want of another name, I'm calling this project-in-progress R/P/S...

Ed, you are such a source of encouragement. I really appreciate you.

Hah! Dan, you are so not a fourth flavor artist. Wow, I really need to redo that flavor thing. There's so many more flavors I forgot.

Anyway, I'm looking into a small business program at UNF here and hope to get in on it. First, I have to get on this long list of people who want help, then I gotta hope I'm selected as worthy of help, etc, etc...

This is a weird idea. And seems destined for failure. For now, I am forgoing the laborious process of structure and practicality of the business side of this venture. I cannot get it going yet in that department, but I won't let this stop me from exploring the actual mission of this project. Read the rest as if we have a structure and order in place. We have members and a viable work system in place. In other words, Use Your Imagination!

We are a business. This project will exist to benefit its members and spread some art to dark corners, but we have to have something to sell. And we have to have people to buy it.

Thing is, will it really be lucrative and is that really the point? We need income, but we need benefits, at least I do...and we need a way to ensure retirement isn't as penniless as it will likely be. Not really to imply anyone will retire anymore.

But can it make money? Money enough for its members to use it as a source of real income?

I think it can. If other normal boring ad agencies can make money and have the overhead of a company office space, and allll that implies, surely we can make some money while we are scattered across the country, tucked away in our own little homes.

My first foray into this idea included having a little storefront to get walk-in clients. People who were curious about what an artist could do for them. Not just make the pretty pictures, but if they could provide a real tangible service to people and business. Also, a storefront to actually sell art. And products using art. Show what we could do. I noticed down the way a number of small galleries had opened and closed rather rapidly. Selling only a little and paying rent for the space got them nowhere. They relied on their poor artist/members to pay the rent. That's the problem with those artist-run co-ops. They can't/don't know how to get money from anywhere, charge dues to the artist to be in the co-op, and when the co-op makes no money, the artists have to bow out. Feeding off of themselves was not the way to go. Obviously there was a lack of interest in art and even a well-intentioned and well-run space was not going to be a money-maker unless there was a real element of necessity. And outreach. You have to make people aware of you and show them why they need and want you. If we can provide a necessary service, we may just survive. Not having an overhead should only make that easier. I won't discount the idea of having such a place eventually, but for now...it's the Interwebs for us!

I propose a really tight website. One that is so well-designed and so sleek-looking we can't be seen as anything but fun, professional, dependable and affordable. It has to be filled with wonderful images and very easily navigated. It has to scream creativity and approachability. I want buying our services to be as easy as buying a leopard-print tubetop off of Wal-Mart.com...without the guilt of furthering slave wages and conditions of millions just to look like a hooker, of course.

Here's the thing. Content. Who will be involved? Who will design it, build it and populate it with images? Where will they come from?

Our members, natch. But will this be vampiring as the above co-op did? Maybe for now. Maybe we gotta just to get the thing going. But maybe not. Maybe we can build this thing with some outside $$. Put together an attractive selling package and sell the crap out of ad space. Approach internet businesses that will actually have a stake in what we do. Other artists, supply companies, the kinds of business we personally visit and rely on to make our stuff. Who do our prospective clients need to see on the site? They need to see things that make them more confident in us and things they will actually click on to make advertising worthwhile...porn comes to mind, but it's a temptation I'll try to resist for now.

But advertising space is ugly and frankly annoying. Can we make ads that are not ads? I don't see why not. Seems like that could be our first real project. Make our advertisers look like partners and friends and be more likely to get clicked on than a dancing hoochiemama or a lady surprised she's been filmed looking at her computer.

Project the First: Find Partners (and make them want to advertise because it will really be fun and good for them).

Am I getting too far ahead of myself? Oh, yeah, but until we have the real company, I need something to keep me going and encouraged enough to want to create this idea out of thin air.

Comments and Suggestions Appreciated. Post 3 will be here before you know it. Happy Fourth to all!
G

So long, Bigot.

And I do hope that the age of hate and fear you helped to nurture dies with you.

Moving On--Rock/Paper/Scissors

Time to revitalize an old idea of mine.
I have been looking for the perfect job for years. You know, the one where you just open up the want-ad section and see this:

Looking for artists of all kinds. Use your talents. Get paid to create! Great pay and benefits. Great work environment. Great people. Great clients. No computer skills necessary. Bring your pet to work. Free candy. Start immediately.

Bwah-hahahahahaha. I know, right?

So. A few years ago, I says to myself, Self, why not create that job for yourself and others? In fact, why not just start by talking to friends who do art and form some kind of company-a company comprised of partners...
One where all the work is shared, the profits shared and most importantly, the benefits are shared. As a group, we could buy group health insurance, something mostly out of reach to freelancers and otherwise badly underpaid peoples such as ourselves. Also, wouldn't some form of savings plan and retirement benefit be nice?

The first group of artists I reached out to for input were less than impressed. They immediately assumed they would be doing all the work while the lesser artists, such as me, I guess, would just be leeching off of them. Having quashed such a threat to their own freelancing, they dropped all interest immediately.

Pretty ego-filled and presumptious. But valuable input, nonetheless. That was an attitude that was to be expected and needed addressing for the future... Artists come in 2 flavors, mostly. One flavor is hugely talented and knows it. Usually they are prolific. Another is not so sure and not so prolific. Oh, there's a third-- mediocre, and knows it, and does little work -wait! A fourth flavor! Mediocre and doesn't know it and does tons of work. Whew. The common denominator here is talent. The difference lies in self worth. Ego rules the field. Big ego views all as inferior,(often afraid of being found out as just being mediocre) and assumes they will be doing allll the work. Little ego is always putting their work down and generally screwing up by not believing in themselves enough. OK. How to traverse this ego mine field and have equal work and pay?

Hell, I dunno. Don't ask me. I'll be working on that as I go.

Now, the next group I reached out to simply were not in a position to help advance the cause. When you're below the poverty line, all you can do with yourself is work to live. No real time to plan or do anything but work. Thing is, this is the group I'm fighting for. I'm in this group. It's hard to manage your time when you're too tired to do anything once you're home. So. No advance that time.

The other night, I ventured the idea out again. A group of friends I've never met get together and BS on the Dimestore site. I just had a whim and threw it out there. This time-interest! So, now I have to rethink the whole thing and get a coherent plan together. At least an outline of goals and a plan to do this as a real viable business. I've had great input so far from the guys, so I'm encouraged that I may have finally found the right group to get this going.

Meanwhile, I had toyed with the idea of calling this collective artist community/business Rock, Paper, Scissors, then found this "collective" with the same name. Oh, well. But check out their site and ideas! Very cool!
http://rpscollective.com/new.php

So, now it's time to act. Look for further details here. I'll be using this blog as a platform for ideas and development. Gotta use it for something.

1995-2008

Rest in Peace, Pico...

Wishing you endless bowls of food, painless ears, and someone worthy of those purrs.

Holy cow. It's March!

Happy Second Birthday, Possum Blog!

OK. Anyway...I have been otherwise engaged over at Dimestore Productions this past year. As I said before, I can't see the point of a blog and really just wanted a place to show my work, so I now direct you to:
http://www.comicspace.com/possumpiratepress/
to see my stuff for Windy City and even a bit of old freelance work. I'll be updating the galleries there soon with LOTS of new stuff. The above image is a preview of the cover to Windy City's Mysterious Visions Anthology appearance. No issue # or date on that yet.
Please do contact me over at ComicSpace or at possumpiratepress AT Yahoo. You know the drill.


Well, since I'm here, I'll do a cat report. I have even more and need donations and adoptions, People! I'll be your best friend! Even if you just want to foster some cats or kittens, that would be great.

Poor old Pico is on his last legs. He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last year and I can't afford the therapy he needs, so my big man is all skin and bones now. Don't know how much longer he'll be around. He's trying to rest his head on my mouse arm right now and is pretty perturbed I keep moving it to type.

I'm going to try to get an outdoor enclosure built here soon for everyone. That will be super for me as it'll way reduce my litter cleanings and save a TON of money. First I gotta concentrate on saving my house from foreclosure, though. ;) It wouldn't do to have all these guys homeless, would it?

I seriously need some donations here, even if it's just a bag of Publix dry food or old towels, or paper towels. Everything will be used for the care of these fellas. If you are a capable hand at building, I'll especially need a hand in making this enclosure. If you're not handy, 5 or 10 bucks will go a long way to helping buy materials for this project.

I plan to file for non-profit staus asap, but need the $ to do that, even. That will help in receiving donations that I can ensure will be tax-deductible for you guys and will help me get in a program for low cost food at Science Diet. Nobody wants to help take these guys in, so I'm on my own.

Spay and Neuter, People!