ciao, bella!!!

Toward the end of last year, I deleted my Kickstarter account.

It had been years since I'd spent any time on that site, so I ditched it.

Today, I opened a new account on Kickstarter... to help JinHi.

She has written an autobiographical play about her life with cancer, and the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, has accepted it at that prestigious event.

Wow.

She has an entourage who will travel with her: stage manager, producers, light tech, sound tech, prop master, director, wardrobe mistress, and all the others who help bring this creation to life on stage.

This won't be the first time I've helped to send a production across the Atlantic Ocean, but that time was well over a decade ago.

Here's the difference: I know JinHi Soucy Rand.

I've supported fundraisers for her benefit before.

The first time was for the very first 24-Hour Play Festival here in Savannah, a fundraiser promoted by her one-and-only brother, Chris Soucy.

I treated that as a birthday gift to myself, as it was in May (of 2011).

The next time was also promoted by her brother and was that same summer, as a way to bring new folks to the fledgling Muse Arts Warehouse performance space that JinHi created for this seaport and its artist community.

The third time was in 2015 and was also to raise funds for that space, with artists contributing their creations as repayment for the lives JinHi had enriched.

The fourth time was two years later, with her brother putting on a one-man show titled "Fears My Sister Taught Me". 

Now, it's all about JinHi.

The kickstarter campaign, started by Erin Muller, has a big ask of $15,000.

Erin created a special funding opportunity just for me: Pen Pals Plus.

That's because I wanted to get a postcard from Scotland, but also wanted a ticket to the premiere of the show here in Savannah next month.

Like magic, Erin made that opportunity happen!

So far, I am the first to make that choice.

Sure, a postcard for $77 sounds a bit steep... but it's for my bday68... and it's doing the traveling for me, to benefit my friend.

That's worth every penny. 

atomic size matters to me!

Truly, I had meant to write last summer.
I truly did.
But I would get a few pages into the book and realize that I wasn't following her train of thought. I was rolling off the track like oranges off a messy stack.
Perhaps it was because I was on vacation.
But no, I don't think that was it.
Perhaps it was because I was busy with weddings in South Carolina and Tennessee.
Then again, I doubt that would have deterred me for this long.
No.
The true reason is this: I allowed the words to get in the way.
But I finally saw through the smokescreen that language can impose.
After all, re-purposing of language is not a new concept. Every field of study, every career, every line of work in the world has its own set of jargon.
But once I recognized that the Old French were correct in their assessment of jargon as "chatter", I embraced the new words Veronica was using. After all, the words themselves were not new, simply the way in which the words were used.
"Bigga bada boom," as Leeloo would say.
In other words, I caught the gist of what Veronica Berns was saying.
What a success!
That's all she was trying to accomplish with the book!
I encourage you to get your own copy of "Chemical Pressure and Its Applications to the Tsai-Type Quasicrystal, or... Atomic Size Matters" here.
Surely that title is no more daunting than "The Effect of Molecular and Morphological Structure on the Tensile Properties of the Linear Polyethylenes".
That was the handle I gave to my doctoral thesis, en route to my Doctorate of Philosophy in Analytical Chemistry.
"Molecular Shape and Size Matter" would have been more friendly.
But our actual titles had to have the jargon added for the sake of our peers, to make us sound smarter, to make us sound like we belong in that particular club or career or trade or ivory tower.
Clearly, she and I are both real people, living in a real world, and trying to communicate our passions to all and not just to a select few.
Good for her!
Even so, here are some words of advice for future readers of the book.
"Chemical Pressure" refers to the strain caused by atoms being too close together or too far apart for optimal (i.e., "low") bonding energy.
(Try to remember that nature loves low energy states, just like we do.)
When the atoms are too close together, the chemical pressure is positive and causes a spring-like effect to force the atoms away from each other. In other words, positive chemical pressure blows the atoms apart.
When the atoms are too far apart, the chemical pressure is negative and causes a vacuum-like effect to bring the atoms closer. That means that negative chemical pressure sucks the atoms together.
There.
Now you're ready to read, and enjoy, her entertaining comic approach to chemistry!
(smile!)

discovering catarium with oskar and klaus!

Hooray!
At long last,
I have read the latest adventure
of Oskar and Klaus!

Trust me,
I'm going to be careful
not to give away
any key plot points.
But I do want
to make sure you notice
the C.A.T. on the hill,
just like in Hollywood!
Very cool!

And here,
the little plant
that went to space
to remind them
of home
is busting loose and
growing like a weed...
or should that be
growing like an Audrey II?
(smile!)

The newspaper is
so very full of
actual news!
It even has a
reference to their
good friend,
Bigfoot!
But what I really
like is that new
element on the desk.
I wonder where that
goes on the
Periodic Table?

My many thanks to you adorable felines!
I look forward to reading this book again.
It truly holds a special place in my heart, particularly so as I am teaching chemistry to a blind student this summer semester.
New adventures, of the teaching kind!

(You can enjoy the books, too, by the way. Just follow this link if you are like Klaus and use this one if you are more like Oskar.
Then again, you may prefer to hear the first book, instead!)

oskar and klaus bring me books!

Oskar and Klaus have done it!
The books have arrived!
Yes, they may be a few months late, but good things are definitely worth the wait!
Whaddaya know... still rhyming, Joe!
I've only had time to tear open the package to verify the contents. I had to make sure the kittehs knew the books were safely here, ya know.
Now, if I can only carve out the time to truly read them.
Between teaching school full time this semester, film festivals, and taking care of the bfe's sole remaining old lady, my slate has no bare spots left.
Maybe I'll be able to read about the cats' adventure in Cataria during spring break... maybe!

shredly to the max!

Almost four years have passed since I helped fund this project on kickstarter. Ashley Rankin had a great idea for women's sports clothing, combining fashion sense with utter comfort and support. I believed in her, as did 127 other supporters.
At the time, her line was restricted to biking and hiking shorts, as seen above. A colorful bunch, for sure! All were made from thin chamois for total comfort. The bonus was the non-chafing design.
She also had jersey shirts in several designs, all flattering. Those were all in black, but with piping and pleating to emphasize femininity.
Fast forward to today.
In my email was an announcement from the folks at SHREDly about their latest products. Not only are the jerseys offered in several colors, but she has such a variety of bottoms that she offers this handy shorts guide!
Of course she still has the original mountain bike shorts, but that is now offered with a longer length, too. For those who don't want the thigh vents and the adjustable waist, the multi-sports shorts have you covered! Prefer to just lounge around in style and comfort? Choose the leggings instead!
There are even YOGACHAMS for underneath it all!
Black Friday blues?
Go see a movie instead!
Then shop Small Business Saturday and take 20% off at SHREDly. Just use the discount code SBS2015 and you'll be all set!
Maybe, one of these days, we'll have a store closer than Ocala, Florida. Until then, cyber it up, y'all!

Thanks, Ashley, for the kind words on the site!
Our intro into the market was through Kickstarter where we crowd sourced to raise a large portion of the capital necessary for our very first production run. It was a frickin’ rad experience and everyone that supported us can pat themselves on the back knowing that they helped get SHREDLY out there. Click here to view our funded project and see where we very first began! We still can't thank all of our supporters enough and remain eternally grateful for all that believed in and supported SHREDLY!

oskar and klaus paper pets!

Calling all kids,
big and small!
Here's Oskar the cat,
here to save us all!
Have no worries
about him being blind,
a more worthy hero
you'll never find!
He's always up
for an adventure
with never a care,
life is meant
to be lived,
if only you dare!

His good buddy Klaus
is a more normal cat.
I guess being sighted
has made him like that.
Still, wherever
Oskar leads him,
he's sure to go,
and if the path is dim,
he'll be sure to go slow.
Left to his own,
Klaus would sleep
on the couch
all day -
without a peep -
he's such a slouch!



For your very own pets,
go to valhallacats.com.
Go on, now...
you know you want some!

As for me, I got mine!
I'm now on alert for the books
and I'll keep you posted
so you'll know when to take a look!

hellyfish swims to my house!

It's been a long trek around the world, but "Hellyfish" has at long last returned to its spawning grounds.
That would be Tybee Island, Georgia.
Bwah ha ha!!!
I've been awaiting its arrival for better'n three years.
But the time has come to dive in and see what lies beneath the waves..
as soon as I can catch my breath from these first few weeks of the new semester...
just how far away is the shore, anyway?
(smile)
I'll just keep dog paddling and treading water...
but soon, I tell you!
Soon!

kitties to the moon!

When Mick Szydlowski and Travis Bossard contacted me about another book in the works, I was thrilled! Another book about Oskar and Klaus? Bring it on!
Even so, I was not yet ready to commit. Money has been tight and I was still reeling from the hit-and-run driver's demolition of my car and my psyche.
That was almost exactly a month ago.
Jump ahead to today.
Five and a half hours ago, they sent a reminder message. The campaign was coming to a close. If I wanted in on this new project, I needed to make a move.
Alrighty then!
I read the message only thirty minutes ago.
I am now part of the 625-member Mission Control Crew taking this kickstarter project into reality and beyond! How out of this world!
Yes, those two curious kitties, Oskar and Klaus, will be astrocats this time around! "The Mission To Cataria" promises to be a rollicking good time and I am so pleased to have helped them reach one of the stretch goals. Hooray!
Best of all?
I'll have my own copy of the first book, "The Search for Bigfoot". As you may recall, I had given that book to the bfe for his birthday last year.
As a MACH 3 backer of the book, I'm also going to receive a copy of the new book, another Oskar & Klaus Adventure Society Patch, the downloadable PDF of the foldable Oskar & Klaus: Astrocats paper dolls, and the downloadable Oskar & Klaus Wallpapers for digital devices.
How cool is that? But I'm not done yet!
As a special bonus for attainment of the stretch goal, I also get the downloadable PDF Oskar & Klaus "Space Camp" Activity Book!
Wow!
Pardon me while I retrieve those paper dolls...
...I need something to entertain me while I wait for the books!

atomic size matters to quasicrystals!

Well, well, well! The book almost made it for my birthday! Indeed, if I consider it an extended weekend, then it's right on time!
When I had backed this kickstarter project in February, I had been very impressed with Veronica Berns' intent. She was so excited about the research work she was doing for her doctoral thesis that she wanted folks who knew and loved her to have some understanding of it. She decided to construct a comic book to decrease the fear factor that many folks have at the word "chemistry".
I don't have the time to read it right now. I am about to embark on a trip to Alabama, north Georgia, and North Carolina. I know I will be quite busy with family every day.
However, after that, I'll be off to south Florida for two weeks. That will be a solo journey and I'll try to read the book during that part of my summer vacation.
So... stay tuned!

astrological androids in my house!

My reward has arrived!
So very beautiful it is, too,
not just in appearance,
but also in satisfaction
of the tactile sense of touch!
Such a fancy upgrade to the cover!
What a superb job Cody Vrosh did illustrating "The Android's Astrological Companion"!
I want to read the stories now, but I must wait.
The school semester is winding to a close
and I have mountains of papers to grade.
Patience, my dear, patience.
The summer will soon arrive,
with time a-plenty for
many things postponed to be done.
Perhaps by a pool somewhere...

Cody also included his book,
"The Zodiac of Teeth"!
With a bespectacled,
goateed unicorn on the cover
of this minibook,
it looks to be great fun!
Thanks to the kickstarter project
reaching - and exceeding -
three stretch goals,
this bonus was added.
Way to go, y'all!
Again, sadly, I must wait
until I have time
to fully enjoy it.
Soon!

pardon my swoon - GHT Girl has arrived!!!

Is it Christmas? My birthday? Some other special occasion?
You betcha!!!
It's "G H T G Day" at my house!
i thank You, God!

No more
traveling to other towns
for the movie!

No more
paper copy
of the "Cast & Crew" pin!

She arrived early, too! I was not expecting her until this summer, honestly. Stuart had sent a message about the distribution date being April 14th, so I figured that meant just a few months longer. I was still hoping for her to arrive before my birthday at the end of May, but if a tad later, that would be fine.
How lovely it is to be wrong!

kickstarter wall in the ocean

As you know, I have several pieces of art which I have been granted as rewards for being a kickstarter backer.
They had been scattered about in my house or tucked away safely, waiting for me to decide what to do with them.
Well, last year, when I was catching up on recording the projects in this blog, I decided to dedicate one wall in my Ocean Room to my "fliss" rewards.
That probably followed from my thinking of myself as Fliss of Kickstarter.
After all, if I was going to have the moniker as part of my LinkedIn identity, then I needed to give that persona some acknowledgement in my house. Right?
I thought it only appropriate.
So, my Ocean Room now contains my Kickstarter Wall, an homage to the talent and creativity of the many artists I have supported for these past three years.
For some, the artwork is a piece created directly for the kickstarter project, as the basis of the project or as a reward.
For others, the brag bit will be a simple thing.

A bumper sticker.
A bookmark.
A patch.
A postcard.
A sticker.
A logo.
Another postcard.
Another logo.
A thank-you card.
Another postcard.
A bee, just for me.
A coaster.
A thank-you note.
A thank-you photo with butterfly.
A gawsy postcard.
A cast-autographed thank-you note.
A postcard from a legend.
An invitation to a bus stop.

This is a work in progress, obviously.
To be continued is my intention.

jelli and the gnawzler: creatures on the wall!

Swimming in the ocean of the Kickstarter Wall
Jelli Oculari floats among the Okinawan fronds
while the Orange Gnawzler creeps and crawls
through the flowery undergrowth.

My thanks, once more, to the two women behind this project!

atomic size matters

I needed to do something positive today.
Earlier, I found out about the deaths of two women in my social circles. I wasn't as close to them as I might one day have been, as our friendships are still fairly new.
Nonetheless, their deaths have left a dark place in my psyche.
How better to remedy the loss than by helping with the creation of something new?
As a chemist, this kickstarter project truly speaks to me. Veronica Berns, a recent doctoral graduate in chemistry, has inked a comic book to help explain solid state chemistry to her family and friends.
Pretty nifty, right?
What is solid state chemistry?
You know, the stacking of atoms to create micro-scale versions of old-fashioned vacuum tubes and transistors to help your computers, laptops, and even phones be "smart" for you, while still being physically small and lightweight. A scant 35 years ago, I was an electronics maintenance technician for the US Navy's "modern" computers, machines which were the size of refrigerators and required their own sterile, cool, environments - and had a fraction of the operating memory of today's electronic toys.
That's less than two generations ago! Amazing!
But I digress, as I am known to do...
(smile)
My $29 is not really needed by her campaign. Her science project has struck a chord and has garnered more than double the amount she had set as her goal.
Amazing! Does my heart good to know there are more than five hundred nerds like me who want a copy of her book. I wonder how many of the backers are also teachers like me?
I'll look forward to its shipment in May - just in time for my birthday!
Nice!

hellyfish approaching shore!

"I'll wait.... I want it ALL!!!
Wishing y'all continued success!"

That's the message I left for Pat Longstreth and Rob Maclean, the makers of the award-winning, terror-of-the-ocean, short film, "Hellyfish". The kickstarter project stalled for a while, as the creators had moved and life had intruded, as it will.
Then a flurry of action ensued!
The film was accepted into several festivals and proceeded to win awards like crazy!
That led to distribution deals and subsequent delays in fulfilling rewards to their backers.
Like me.

But on the 11th of this month, the newest updates were quite hopeful!
"Awards and Festival Roundup
With the fall film festival circuit officially over and a new year beginning, this seems like a good time to reflect on the adventure of our film so far. “Hellyfish” has been an official selection at 25 film festivals spanning the globe including America, Canada, France, England, Belgium and Australia. Unfortunately we could not make it to every one of them, but the ones we did attend included sold out screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and world-class hospitality. It was everything we hoped it would be and we met amazing filmmakers along the way.
Every festival was truly a magical experience, but my favorite was the Crystal Palace Film Festival near London. The “Sci-Fi and Horror Night” was a week after Halloween and patrons were asked to arrive in costume. So, dressed as swashbuckling pirates, my cousin and I took shelter from the driving rain at St. John’s Cathedral. Festival director Neill Roy, dressed as Beetlejuice, offered us a glass of champagne. The church was awe inspiring and the acoustics were out of this world. “Hellyfish” played to an enthusiastic audience and I had a Q&A with Neill afterward. Also I was able meet up with our main animator, Pryce Duncalf, who lives near London. We have been working together for two years, but this was the first time we met in person!
And we won a few awards:

Best Comedy Short
Buffalo Dreams Film Festival 2014
Buffalo, NY

Best Short Film
Scare-a-Con 2014
Verona, NY

Best Local Film (Golden Shovel)
Buried Alive Film Festival
Atlanta, GA

The festival circuit was a big success by our standards and we’re excited to see the online presence continue to grow. The entire 12 minute film was posted on Youtube just before Halloween and the response has been encouraging and entertaining. We’ve enjoyed fun comments, emails, reviews and we especially love this video from Tony of the Dead.
HUGE thanks again to everyone who helped pull this film together and make it a success!"

Then, a little later that day, came Update 17:
"You may be wondering about your DVD with special features. Unfortunately the festivals have pushed back production by a few months. I can't give you an exact date, but they are coming and they're gonna be really awesome! In the meantime you can watch the film on Youtube..."

The video is also posted on their website. So, if you're curious about the effect of radiation from an unexploded WWII nuclear bomb, buried in the waters off Tybee Beach, on the invertebrate sea life, go ahead and take a look at the movie.
I've done so several times.
Can't wait to get it in my hot little hands!!!

new horizon artwork on my wall!

There he is, lolling on my kickstarter wall, gazing at the window!
Looks right at home, doesn't he?
Yes, this art print from Jeremy Lawson, the man behind "Horizon Anthology: Volume One", features a young man who could have stepped right out of its pages.
A young man in search of adventure!
I like that!

Over here?
This young woman is just fine
on her own,
thank you very much.
I like to think that Morgan Beem
was continuing the tale of
Snow White's daughter,
now grown and able to slay wolves for herself.
Notice that nice fur coat
against that pinked alabaster skin!
I'm still looking for the right frame,
but she'll be up on the wall one day soon.
I promise!

up to the horizon and beyond!

Finally!
Not to mean "finally this has arrived" - oh, no. Jeremy Lawson did a fabulous job of getting rewards out to his kickstarter backers. I think I received my copy of the "Horizon Anthology: Volume One" in October, or possibly early November.
No, I remember now. It was definitely before the end of October.
All I can say for sure is this: I've read the book several times and truly love many of the fifteen tales! I've even made little notes so I can talk about the stories!
I just haven't carved out the niche in my schedule to sit here, in the laptop's glow, and share those notes.
No time like the present! Classes begin on Monday and that would only cause more delay.
Why did I support this project?
Because of my affinity for "The Incredibles", as I mentioned before.
Because I want to know "the rest of the story", as Paul Harvey would have said.
Because this is the only form of "what if" I like to play.
(smile)
So, let's take a gander, shall we?
But do we do so in order of appearance, or type, or author's last name?
Hmmm... reverse alphabetical it is!
David Stoll's "Ember" presents a king mired in settling petty squabbles instead of slaying dragons as he once did. Sigh. Enter two clueless hunters, add a switcheroo, and stir mightily! Great fun!
"Options" takes a different tack. Sarah Stern poses the question: What would you do if your evil lord died and you were free to follow your dream? Would "open a bakery" be your first choice??? Well, as it turns out, you might want be well advised to consider that, as it allows you to use pastry to win over your former enemies. Very nice! Lots of bright colors, too.
"Happily Ever After" is explored directly by Nicky Soh. A little boy is playing with his toys, acting out his favorite bedtime story about the Warrior and the Evil Witch Queen. Enter mom and dad... and blur the line between myth and reality! Cool! The simple lines and bright colors enhance its feel as a child's fairy tale. Nice work!
"Sun and Moon" has to be one of the sweetest love stories in the book. Between a prince and princess? No, my dear, between a boy and his grandma. Ally Shwed has crafted a gentle tale of keeping hope alive in a devastated future world. Beautifully done!
Laura Neubert's "Cast In Stone" merges Greek mythology with the world of modern thespians for something a bit different. Very nice retelling of Medusa's origin, too! This was also one of the few tales which didn't feature princes or princesses or royalty of any kind - quite original!
For this next one, may I suggest a soundtrack? Go ahead and tune up Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water". Seriously. I'll wait.
You need that for the driving action behind Moses Nestor's futuristic tale of humans and aliens. "Fire On The Horizon" is inked with deep flame reds and cool ocean blues and speaks a story of love. I really liked it!
In an odd way, it brought to mind Rinko Endo's story, "The Same Moon". I guess that makes it a "speculative relationship", too.
(smile)
Ian McGinty's "TRIBE." left me cold, despite the snugglies worn by his futuristic clan.
(smile)
Set in a world made barren by a dying sun, I'm sure that's the reaction he intended. Check and mate, sir!
Should I stay or should I go? That's the question of all three of Jeremy Lawson's characters in "Adrift". (Here's the song from The Clash for your wanderin' toes.) Is it nobler to forsake the familiar to roam the Earth or to stay and fight for what is local? So asks the fry cook aloud, the hired hand of himself, and the returning hero by his actions. Nice bit of philosophy there!
Hahaha! "The Adventures of Wilt and Zeed: Dragon Slayers" had a nice comedic twist at the end! Bryant LaMare is obviously riffing on Bill and Ted, which is cool by me - I love those guys! This finds the two adventurers as a human and an alien, on an alien planet, fighting to save the WORLD!!! It really is quite funny and has some interesting details in the backgrounds. (I like the shadows on the walls.)
Jen Hickman provides us a prince, not living too happily. Sure, he's married the fair maiden of his dreams and defeated the evil conjuror and his minions... but, now what? The thrill is gone, as B.B. King would attest. "Mind The Gap", y'all, between what you think you want and what you actually need, or the bad guy gets the last laugh!
Adam Del Re has a nice sense of humor, too. Take one knight, deep in a castle after slaying the dragon, now on "The Way Out". Or he would be if he could remember the path - poor guy! A neon EXIT sign sure would have helped!
(I can so relate to his predicament! Without my Garmin Nuvi, I am easily lost.)
"No More Villains" was the only collaborative piece in the anthology, crafted between Angael Davis (author and drawer) and Patricia Daguisan (colors). Here, we have a man in the midst of an identity crisis, confused about which type of person he is. His kids, on the other hand, aren't confused at all and set him straight! Lovely story, rich purples and soft crimsons in the palette, and a protagonist with a great family!
A similar theme runs through "Mr. Victory in the Age of Suburbia": a man with an identity crisis, though his is softened by age. Athena Currier's former hero has a close resemblance to Prince Valiant, down to the pageboy hairdo, but now he's an older family man. Still, he ponders the questions of life as he fetches milk from the local grocer... a very nice tale about appreciating becoming older. Even the color scheme speaks of a fading sunset with its soft yellows, muted salmons, and dusky grays.
Or maybe that's just how I relate to it, now that I'm in that middle-aged stage of life.
(smile)
Jorge Corona's tale, as the last in this book, takes us one step closer to the endgame of man's existence. "A Lifelong Battle" follows an aged warrior king as he refuses to go gentle into that good night, even after many years with a quiet reign. Nicely done tale of death with dignity.
Tales of aging men are plentiful, but what about those aging princesses? Who speaks of them? Morgan Beem does, in the very first story in this anthology. Snow White, "Fairest of Them All", has wed the prince, become queen, and birthed a beautiful daughter. And so the trouble begins. As her daughter blossoms, her own flower is fading, as is her self esteem. What to do?
Well, you'll have to read that story for yourself, won't you?
I'm so glad to have been part of this grand adventure!

hopeful musings on speculative relationships

When I received the hardcopy of the book, I also received this print.
I immediately hung it on my kickstarter wall.
Mike Manomivibul's oh-so-romantic image strikes a chord deep within my being, the need of a living creature to connect with another.
(swoon)
I wish I could say my reaction to his story, "Made 2 Be 2gether", was as strong. Sadly, I found the imagery to be confusing, even though the page layouts clearly speak of his poetic heart. I fear the loss of understanding is certainly mine.
I do pledge to continue to strive to understand this tale of two robots, separated by man's greed and war. His is the only one that I cannot quite "get." Perhaps you could read it and let me know your take on it?
Here's the link to the store. Trust me, the pittance asked for this anthology, with art inked by six different artists, will be money well spent.
Not yet convinced? Let's see if I can convince your head that this is deserving of your heart and your wallet.
Tyrell Cannon and Scott Kroll are the men behind the concept. Each have two contributions which serve to bookend the tales in this kickstarter-funded anthology. Cannon's "Burning Heart" would have been right at home in the mid 1900's with the science fiction romances of that period. He presents a husband and wife scientific team, trying to save a dying planet... and their dying relationship. Very nicely done!
His other tale, a sweet one at the end of the book, has two astronauts who used to pass each other in "Corridor-C", secretly attracted but silent. Suddenly, circumstances shift and they discover each other. But is their discovery too late?
Kroll's two pieces are very different from each other, with only one containing humans. "This Thing Called Love" features an automaton which feigns ignorance while acting as a matchmaker for two human coworkers. Nice grokspanner, there!
(smile!)
"4 Out Of 5" is a distinctly different tale, not only from Kroll's other piece, but from every other tale in the book. It poses the query of what to do when you have only four of the five genders needed for gratification. Interesting, right? The starfish-like pentopuses are distinguishable by their upper markings, so pay attention... or purchase the "Making Love" zine for the key. (You can even read this tale on his tumblr site.)
The last of the male writers, Daniel Warren Johnson, is another "Calvin And Hobbes" fan, like Tyrell Cannon... and me! Not that Watterson's work has anything in common with Johnson's tale, "The Purest Form". No, look more to the futuristic Marines of Space-Mullet to find out what drives this warrior to success on the battlefield.
Of the two entries by female artists, I have already waxed rhapsodic about the beautiful tale of love by Rinko Endo. "The Same Moon" remains my favorite in this anthology, with its fabulous ink work and wistful tone. (She's an art therapist, by the way, so she has experience at opening herself up, through drawing, and encourages others to also do so.)
Isabella Rotman is a talented young woman, too, using her art as self-therapy. Brava! "The Dream Program" considers the case of a machine which falls in love with one of the humans in its charge. Beautifully inked, floral and lush... with a nice twist in the tale itself.
So, you see, there is an excellent variety of stories here, just as love has many sides to consider, whether one is human, alien, or machine. I highly recommend the book.
Highly.
I am so proud of these writers! Bravo to all!

christmas tree ornament for me!

Oh, yeeeaaaahhh.
I have something that Chuck Norris has.
No, not crazy mad martial arts skills. Those are strictly his.
However, like him, I now own one of Dan Hunter's carved Christmas tree ornaments, complete with gold star at the top.
How sweet is that?!
Moreover, the package arrived yesterday afternoon during the Family Gathering at my house! I immediately opened the envelope to share my kickstarter rewards with all, commenting about Chuck Norris as I did so.
My stepsister said "Chuck Norris? Really? That's funny! This morning, when I turned on the television, his show, "Walker, Texas Ranger", was on and we sat right there and watched it!"
Nice coincidence, n'est-ce pas?
I think my stepdad had to smile at that, too.

I'm quite pleased with the gift package and the stocking ornaments, too. They'll be gracing my Christmas tree for future holiday seasons!
But, do you know what really pleases me about this kickstarter project?
To satisfy the number of rewards which had to be carved and painted, Dan enlisted the aid of his girlfriend. They were able to enjoy each others company, over an extended period of time, while doing something to benefit others.
How very fortunate they are!
My gratitude to both of you!
Here's to your health and hearts!

pandamonium artwork!

She's here!!!
Robin, the dieselpunk pirate panda, is here!!!
In a plain white envelope, she traveled to my home.
I had thought there might be a Christmas card enclosed.
Even better!
Thank you so much, Patrick! I have so enjoyed being a backer of your kickstarter project.
I am so looking forward to the book's arrival!