Time is running out for me.
Will my old Asus computer "Die?"

Hello fellow FA artists, writers, crafters fursuiters photographers and other "Tech Savvy" people.

The Windows 11 October 14th deadline is rapidly approaching and I have many concerns. Quite a lot of "Me" is contained in the memory and circuitry of my old 2014 vintage Asus gaming desktop, and from what I understand is that after the date passes, Microsoft won't support things like important program updates and security notices. I'm also "Bummed" because Paint 3D, a rendering program I've enjoyed working with will no longer be supported. I was kind of hoping that Windows 11 would have a "Built in" rendering program like Paint 3D but looking online I was immediately directed to CorelDraw Standard that starts at $299.00... OWWWWWCH!! Of course, GIMP and Krita were suggested, but I have had little to no experience with either.

Now on the plus side, my brother's lady friend bought me a new, Windows 11 equipped Dell Inspiron 15.6" laptop that will help me through the transition. I'm kind of afraid to take the thing out of the box, but I know I'll have to do so sooner, if not later because I would really like to use it as a "Basis" for my "Art Machine Mk V." (Or was it "VI?" It's been so long, I've lost track.) I'm also considering adding a tablet to draw on and an external memory. "Winnie" also bought two 128 GB "Thumb Drives" for storing my art and images on, so if I can figure out how to work these things, look out World!

So, any suggestions, advice, and WARNINGS those of you out there will be willing to share will be duly appreciated. I have enjoyed sharing my art and ideas here on FA for these past eighteen years or more and I would like to carry on... Even through the next Microsoft OS upgrade.

"Peace."

*Tom Daniels' Pie Wagon model kit by Atlantis, of course.

Ahem!- Hello again fellow FA artists, writers, crafters, poets, dreamers Model Builders and all other highly creative people.

I've been having a bit of trouble controlling my affliction of the "Galloping Greedies" when it comes to the recent trend of "Nostalgic" custom car model kits from the 1960s and 1970s being rereleased by new model kit companies like Polar Lights, Atlantis, Round 2 and even Pegasus Hobbies. It's easy to believe one of the reasons these companies are doing so well is because they're producing items that appeal to the rapidly aging and retiring generations of "Baby Boomers" who enjoyed building these model kits in their teenage years. Cruising through Facebook alone I have come across several organizations where plastic model builders get together and show off their works. All I can say is that I have yet to find a site that offers the social interaction that my IPMS clubs used to have. It was rather fun to get together with others and show off our recent builds. I believe it was this form of friendly competition which inspired me to create some of my greatest 3-D works in the late 1980s to shortly after the year 2000.

Now being housebound, unable to drive and on a retiree's pension, Plastic model building is not quite the hobby I can support. I missed out on the recent re-releases of Macross model kits from the 1980s due to limited release, and this came back to "Bite" me when I saw the kit of George Barris' "Granny's Hot Rod" from The Beverly Hillbillies available once again. Unfortunately, due to the limited run, I couldn't get ahold of a copy as the kits sold out quickly, some to so called "Collectors" who'd buy the models in bulk, and stow them away to sell them online, or at model kit swap meets at a "Boosted" price.

So, Atlantis has re-released model kits from the 1970s, mostly of Tom Daniels designed show rods and modifieds from the 1970s and 80s. Recently his works have gone to "Public Domain," and his family has graciously allowed his "Intellectual Property" to be released to the public once more. I got really excited to see one of my favorite kits, the "Pie Wagon" available once again. I was able to buy a copy from a company that still does catalog sales, and after a brief wait, I finally got my copy. Now opening up the box I was hit with a sudden sense of nostalgia, and my mind raced back to a time when I was a mere 17 years old and I opened up that box for the first time. I knew so little about gluing and painting practices, that I'm certain I just ruined the kit using that Testor's plastic glue and painting details with a brush. I do remember really botching up the windshield and that groovy "Bottle Bottom" rear door with glue fingerprints, but still... I was proud of my accomplishments, and I looked at it as a step up to becoming a skilled plastic model builder.

I guess I've become too much of the "Engineer" over these past five decades. Looking at the instructions I started pondering on modifying the front end by adding working steering knuckles to the front wheels, perhaps making those lovely, chromed elliptical rear springs work by adding shocks, and of course building a set of actual shelves in the back to hold MORE model pies just for kicks. (At least the kit does include ONE complete pie to set on the "Shotgun" side Right seat. I could easily make a mold of that.) Every page in the instructions brought up new ideas on how to make the model better, this "second time" around. (Whups! Sorry Atlantis!)

"PLADGE..." I mean, "Peace."

Grrrrreetings fellow FA Artists, Writers, Crafters, Costumers, Fursuiters and other highly creative people.

I know everybody in this sub-genre has a second hobby of some sort. Besides creating art and writing stories which feature anthropomorphic animal characters. Some of my FA friends enjoy playing musical instruments, collecting books, caring for pets, surfing and even restoring old refrigerators. (Among other things.) My second hobby besides creating art and enjoying the "Social aspects" on this site is building plastic models. Now I must confess that I haven't slapped a kit together since shortly after I left the "Old Folks Home" in 2006, and the reason is because as I drifted from location to location, I never had a proper environment to work on such things. Also, the places where I lived were never mine, and I feared spilling paint or filling the room with toxic fumes would not set well with the landlords and other tenants.

Now things have changed a lot concerning model building in these past twenty years or more. With the advent of more environmentally friendly, acrylic paints, non-ozone layer disrupting airbrush propellants, and even some kits with their parts molded in different colors, the hobby has become a bit more health conscious, especially for those living in small apartments. I've even had read accounts from a friend who enjoys building science fiction related models, and the greatest complaint he has about his hobby is having someplace to show off the miniature starships in his collection. I have considered making my former upstairs bedroom into a "Hobby room," or perhaps reorganizing the workbench in the small garage for me to work on. The only problem with the latter is that the space gets so uncomfortably hot in the summer, and ventilation is poor.

I'm certain someone has said something like, "You can take the hobbyist out of his room, but you can never take the hobby out of the model builder." or something like that. Even though at one time I had a collection of well over 500 model kits that I intended to build, I ended up surrendering the majority of the kits to other model kit collectors for "Gas and grocery money." I have mused with some of my friends that I still have a line on my "Bucket List" to attend a model kit collectors show, "To visit my old collections." The only thing that's keeping me from crossing off that line is simple logistics. Since the auto accident in 2023 I have lost the nerve to drive, and the buses or trains don't quite go to Buena Park.

The house of my younger days still stands, and I often fantasize about visiting it just to see what the family who has resided there for these past twenty years or more have done with my old room. I often wonder if the paint stains, scratches on the floor and "Furniture Ghosts" of where the bed, bookshelves and my "Creative center" once stood are still there or have been removed during a major remodeling. I'll never know for certain truthfully, because I have reservations about how the current residents would react if a sixty-eight-year-old man showed up on their doorstep and asks, "Can I look inside your home at my old room?"

"Peace."

Hello fellow FA artists, writers, poets, dreamers, crafters, fursuiters and other highly creative people.

During the last FA "Blackout," I had to switch over to that "Deviant" site in order to keep track of some of my friends and artists here on FA. Now it's a whole different "Ball Game" over there at that site, as it has a lot more variety of subjects to look at, and quite a lot of technical art. Their algorithm also quickly pegged me as a "Furry," (Note, NOT a "Furry Artist.") So, my daily "New Art" feed is full of lovely images, and some by artists here on FA that show surprising skills in image manipulation using AI.

Yes. you read that right. AI. The majority of images I get in my DA feed are of AI origins, and extremely well crafted, although the "Robots" still have problems of adding legs or weird looking fingers to character's hands. They even have a program called "Dream Up" which can be used to create AI images that are generated by the users that enter their text descriptions of what they want to see and modify, using the millions of images in the system to choose from.

I have yet to use it though. I still feel dedicated to creating my art and images "The Old-Fashioned Way" even though it might be considered "Quaint" and "Antiquated" in this day and age. A fellow FA artist friend gave the "Dream Up" program a try, and he was frustrated with the first results as the program interpreted his personal character into a human and a rather unattractive one at that. Another friend on Facebook has become something of a "Wiz" using AI for the images he uses on his "Fantasy-Gumshoe Detective-Noir" stories he writes. I must say he's captured the look and feeling of those 1940s era "Potboilers" in creating cover art for his lengthy tomes. (I was particularly impressed with his attempt at creating a rather scary looking automobile that reflected the design and styling of the time. I was even inspired to try and think out building the car as a 1:24th scale model.)

Will I try it? I'm not really sure. As it stands now, I find the "Old Fashioned Way" of using my sketchpad, pencils and pens a bit quicker, but I still harbor the desire to create "Photographic" like images of my characters "Art," (The Artist.) "Muse," (His shape-shifting source of inspiration.) "Notion," (Muse's Daughter.) and "Legend," the shape-shifting son of Artist and Muse. I'd would just like to hang their portraits on the walls of my room to serve as "Inspiration," and also because they are the closest thing I have to "Family."

"Peace."

Hello fellow FA Artists, Writers, Crafters, Photographers, Poets, Dreamers, ANIMATORS and other highly creative people.

Maybe I'm easily amused, but on FB and YouTube there was a "Bootleg" animated short called "Timmy gets a boo boo" which was animated by some clever person who made the mistake of using the dialog from the original video, which is from a series featuring an adult acting out roles of a young boy going through the minor crises that most of us faced as we grew up. The animated version "Starred" an animated wolf type character who spoke his lines in a thespian manner, while his "Mother," A sad eyed sort of Fennec tended his injuries. What caught my attention was that the illicit clip featured animated funny animal characters, and I felt it was actually more humorous than the original video clip which the dialog was stolen from.

Silly me.

But I told you that story to tell you this one. Last month as my friend Jim, his wife Carol and I were driving down to Westminster for the Jedi meeting, we were in the diamond lane, and a small car pulled in front of us with a custom license plate reading SCDRAMA. Jim, a stage actor at heart and I started joshing about College Drama classes we took many years ago, and I cut loose with the dialog, "AAAAAARRRRGH! THE VERY HORNETS OF HADES HATH DESCENDED UPON ME!!!" We exchanged a couple more faked up Shakespearian quotes, mainly from Mad Magazine, and had a good laugh. Then suddenly, at the height of our "Performance," the brake lights of the "SC" car went on. I could even see the two occupants of the car looking back at us with expressions that hinted both Jim and I must have thoroughly lost our minds.

Shakespeare at 67 MPH on the Southbound 605!

But anyway, I felt the bootleg version was funnier with "Funny Animal" computer generated characters, but I understand why the clip was pulled. So, I'm sorry it was yanked from both FB and YouTube, but I understand that the dialog was directly cribbed from some other artist's original video. Unfortunately, plagiarism is quite a common practice these days. I just thought I'd share this story with you folks here on FA as I felt a little touch of humor might help brighten your day. I found this, done by the artists who produced the short I was referring to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOyj8Qrf4S8

(I dig how they added Mozart's "Requiem" in the background.)

"Exit... Stage Right!"

"Peace."

Hello again Fellow FA Artists, Writers, Crafters, Costumers, Photographers, Poets, Dreamers and all other highly creative people.

We here in the house up here on the hill had just barely recovered from the fires, rains and mudslides from the first two months of the year when yet another misfortunate situation crippled my creativity, my communications and of course my cartooning. Earlier in the month of March, a series of small earthquakes caused the embankment that held the power pole for "The Estate" to tilt, just enough to pull the wires right off the house. It looked pretty bleak just after it happened, and it seemed for a time that we would have to consider moving out of the house because without electricity, we could barely survive or live comfortably. Fortunately, Schirm contacted a contractor friend who helped fix the broken mast for the power lines, but OH! There was a bit of a delay getting the permits for the addition of a new power mast, and of course it took well over two weeks getting the repairs approved by the city's power department. For eighteen days Schirm, Noah and I had to "Rough it," but we were fortunate Schirm's house had a gas water heater, a gas range and a wood burning stove.

I learned some very important things in those eighteen days. I found that I'm a better cook using a gas flame because I can better judge the heat instead of "Guessing" as I have to when using the electric, "Conductive" stove. I also got to enjoy fixing meals for my friends, especially breakfasts. I learned I didn't need to run the heaters 24-7 as I could keep myself warm by dressing in layers. I also slept better adding extra covers to the bed. Most importantly of all, I learned that our neighbors were quite helpful and loaned us tools to cut the trees back for the passage of electrical lines, and of course they loaned us lanterns and keyboard lights so we could extend our activities after sundown. I was delighted to discover that there are things such as battery powered desk lamps and tracing tablets out there. Now all that's needed is getting some money ahead to afford these gadgets.

Also, I am grateful to my friend in New York City who kept the lines of communications updated with my afternoon chat friends. One thing I missed most of all were our almost daily exchanges of conversations, ideas, and links to interesting articles or our recent art discoveries along with our newest drawings and sketches. Still... It's nice to know that my friends still enjoy getting handwritten letters and postcards. My greatest regret? I had lots of inspirations and Ideas, but I just couldn't take advantage of the situation. I scribbled down a few things, but I guess I was just too dependent on the tracing tablet. There were even times where I was considering taping my artwork up on a frosted window in the bathroom. I found out that my hand control isn't as "Sharp" as it can be on a flat surface.

So, we got connected to the grid again on the 25th of March, and I hope it will be a long time before I'll need to work under battery powered lights again. I have been "Muzzing" on creating a battery powered tracing tablet using those LED strip lights that come in a roll like those seen on a small tape recorder. As I write this, the house is right under the flightpath of two F-15 Eagles and two F-22 Raptors going just a little under Super-Sonic. It's opening day at Dodgers Stadium! Spring has Sprung, and the new Baseball Season has started. Thank you all for your patience and kind words.

"Peace."

Hello fellow FA Artists, Writers, Photographers, Cosplayers, Sculptors, Fursuiters, Crafters and other highly creative people.

I'm sorry I haven't written anything in a while, but to tell you all the truth, I've really had little I wanted to write about. We survived the firestorms in our house up here in the hills. Yes, we had to evacuate, and we spent four hours waiting for the "All Clear" in the parking lot at the nearby Ralph's. The damage from the previous windstorms was widespread and dramatic, turning the local streets into slalom courses with fallen trees, and broken branches. Riding the bus along Woodbury Road in Altadena still has visible signs of the destruction wrought on that terrible night, and the disaster gave me a series of "PTSD" Nightmares that that still haunt me to this day. On the plus side, Signs are pointing to recovery, although we have been told it will be quite a while... Perhaps a decade or more until things will be back to the way things were, once again.

Then there were the rains. Schirm and Noah were able to get the tarps on the roof just in time, but unfortunately, the leak that creates a waterfall in the downstairs bathroom wasn't covered, and so I had to do my duty as "Bucket Monitor." A small leak has developed in the ceiling in my downstairs room. and I have concerns that the plaster will fall in sometime, right over my bookcase, mini fridge and my computer desk. Yes. This old house is showing its age, and we who live in it are also sagging and bent, barely able to perform our basic functions. I really shouldn't complain, because I'm still able to keep on the Dole of the State, and at least I've got medical aid. My health has been good, and if all goes well, I should be due for a new set of eyeglasses, soon.

My friend Bob helped me buy a new light tablet through Temu, and even though it's twice the size of the old one, it was non-magnetic. I solved that problem by getting a piece of sheet steel, cut to size to march the tablet and "Voila!" It works great. Now if I can only get motivated to finish a few, new art projects. I still enjoy chatting with my friends in the afternoons, and we often come up with wonderful ideas for our various projects. I've often been very surprised with the kind responses I get here on FA, especially when it inspires me to dig up old works and sketches to see if they could be finished and posted. I wholly didn't expect the "Coyote Ugly" single page comic featuring "Hawthorne" to be as popular, but I'm now very glad I colored it, and shared it with you all. Who knows? I might even search for my old sketches of "The Coyote Contraption," and continue Hawthorne's adventures.

In mentioning Coyotes, the wildfires could have driven some packs to join up, and the local community of Canis Latrans seems to have doubled in number and have become bolder in their ranging for food and territory. Recently, we have gotten "Serenaded" three times a day. Two coyotes, perhaps a mated pair have been hanging around "The Estate," and are possibly attracted by the water in the birdbath. I don't mind them, but there has been rising dislike among folks in the neighborhood, stating that pets have been attacked and killed, and there's video of small children being attacked. I'm afraid the state might have to resolve to a massive culling of the critters if no practical solution could be found. (I believe it's a citable offence to shoot coyotes in a residential area.)

Anyways... Sorry for the silence. I will try my best to stay in touch.

"Peace."

Dear Fellow FA Artists, Friends, Fans, Writers, Crafters and other highly creative people.

Last Monday night into Tuesday Morning the Pasadena area and surrounding communities were hit with cold arctic winds, some gusting up to 100 MPH. The Electricity in our area was knocked out in the morning, and there wasn't much else to do but listen to the news on my Transistor radio and pack up in case we had to evacuate the premises. It was during the early evening when I got word of the Palisades Fire and the destruction that was being wrought by the combination of drought dry vegetation and very high winds. Shortly after dusk, I stared to smell wood smoke, and I heard on the radio that a wildfire had broken out in the hills above Altadena, a community just to the North-East of Pasadena. We could see the fire line quite clearly from our house on the hill, and as a precaution, my friend Noah and I loaded our "Bug out bags" and selected "Treasures " into the truck just in case the fire would spread into our area. I decided to sleep in my shoes that night, and I'm glad I did.

I was awakened about 4:30 AM by Noah knocking on my door. He told me that the police were announcing that the neighborhood had to be evacuated and to report to a gathering point which we believed was the parking lot next to the local Ralph's. The most difficult procedure of our ordeal was getting my pet cat "Rey" into her kitty carrier. We waited about four hours at that location for the "All Clear" signal, until Schirm went on scouting a trip to determine if it was safe to return to his place. Once it was determined it was safe to leave Noah took off to put some of his "Treasures" into his storage locker, while I had Schirm drive me and Rey back to the house. Schirm had to drive a roundabout course through the higher end community, where damages by the high winds was evident with toppled trees and broken off limbs. I unloaded my stuff and put Rey still in her carrier into the living room and then went to fetch my computer tower. Rey was so excited to be back home that she burst out of the flimsy cardboard carrier through a weakened seam. I half expected her to run under my bed or the couch, but instead she started begging for breakfast as if nothing happened.

Well good for her! I spent the rest of the day making contacts with my family and friends through my Android phone, to let them know I was okay. By Wednesday evening, the winds had abated considerably, and since the electricity was still out, Noah and I decided to go out to "Too-ee's" in South Pasadena. This proved to be the perfect "Catharsis" for the two of us, because the good food and conversation lightened our moods greatly. Upon our return I was so relieved to see that the lights were on again and I looked forward to sleeping that night in comfort. I decided to go straight to bed instead of unpacking my bags, but I plan to leave the medi-kit and my clothing bags packed until I'm certain the Eaton Canyon fire is completely under control.

We're safe for now, but we're still not out of the woods yet. There are predictions that the winds will return in a few days, although not as strongly. Also, there are spot fires breaking out every few hours it seems. One arsonist has been caught, but there might be a few "Copycats" out there setting blazes to stretch out the protective services even further. Wish us luck that things will return to normal soon.

"Peace."

Hello all you good FA Friends, Artists, Writers, Composers, Crafters, Musicians, and All other highly creative people.

Christmas day I got up early and fixed "Chipped Creamed Beef on Toast" following my Dad's recipe which I and all three of my siblings like to prepare for Holiday mornings. Most of those who have served in the military refer to the stuff as "S. O. S." or commonly, "Sh** on a Shingle." The only thing that makes my family version different is that we add chopped up boiled eggs into the mix, which adds a bit more flavor and a touch more protein. (Besides. It helps induce a torpid state which helps parents catch up on their sleep after staying up all night preparing for the visit from Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny.)

So, I fixed breakfast for Schirm, Noah, Bob and myself, using sourdough toast instead of biscuits or English muffins. This was part of my "Gift" to my friends in being able to cook for them. I am happy to report that morning's session was most likely the happiest this old house has seen in quite a while. Schirm supplied two bottles of Martinelli's sparkling cider and about a gallon of Orange Juice. After we finished our breakfast, we enjoyed conversation and caught up on old news. Bob recalled my problems with the light tablet, and since he is a lot more "Internet Savvy" than I, he got on Temu, and ordered a new light tablet for me. It should be arriving here, sometime next week. (Cross fingers.)

Bob informed me that he's had pretty good luck with Temu, so we'll just have to see how things work out with this Japan based online order site. I have seen quite a few plastic model kits and tools that have caught my interest, including 1:30th scale cargo containers and 3-D printed miniature tools and oil drums. Bob even told me he uses the cargo container he has as a pen holder on his art desk. So, if this works out, that might be my next order.

Thank you all for your helpful advice. One of my FA friends that responded to my previous journal says he might try to fix the broken tablet. I'm half tempted to send it to him just to see if he could diagnose the problem and repair it. I owe him some artwork anyway, so this will certainly help keep the channels of communications open.

Happy New Year, and as always...

"Peace."

Thank all of you wonderful friends, Fellow artists, writers, technicians and other highly creative people who gave me helpful advice on how to fix my light tablet,

The problem not only involved the cat chewing the power cord in two, but there was an incident where I caught my foot in the cord as it lay across the floor and I gave it such a yank that the whole affair flew off the desk and hit the floor quite violently. The Tablet does not light up at all now, and I have yet to find out how to take it apart to figure out how to fix it.

Fortunately, I have found the exact, same product available on Amazon, and considering the situation, it might be less expensive to buy a replacement instead of trying to repair the older tablet. My brother gave me more than essential funds on my birthday to cover the costs, so I'm seriously considering on putting the money on a temporary credit card and using that to buy the replacement.

After the Holidays, of course. I have quite a few holiday packages to mail and greeting cards to send off to family and friends.

Also, this might be the biggest purchase I've made through the mailing service yet. That's another reason why I'll have to make do with my backup lightbox until the replacement arrives.

So, thank you all for your helpful and timely advice. Here's wishing each and every one of you the happiest of holiday seasons, and may the upcoming New Year bring you continued good health, exciting new opportunities and above all...

"Peace."

Hello all you tech-savvy and highly creative persons.

I have a AGPtEK light tablet and it has given me about ten years of good service and has "Outlived" two power cable replacements. Recently I found out my pet cat chewed through the wire on the recent power cable, so i bought a new, longer cable. Much to my dismay, the tablet wouldn't light up, and so I suspected the new cable might have been faulty. As I jiggled the cable around, the tablet started blinking. I believe it wasn't the cable that was at fault, but it was the socket. The plug wiggles around quite loosely in the receptacle, and currently I have to tape the cable to the tablet where it puts slight upward pressure on the socket. It works, but unfortunately, the lights wink out if I "Thump" the tablet as I'm erasing, or if I accidentally move the tablet or the cable.

It's pretty annoying.

I have considered using contact paste, you know? the stuff they put IC into sockets with, but I can't see any way to open the tablet up to replace the socket. I see online that a replacement can be bought online for a little over $50.00, but I believe why toss something away when it still works? Any suggestions on how to repair this valuable piece of artistic equipment would be greatly appreciated.

"Peace."

Hello again to all my Fellow FA Artists, writers, Friends, Fans and other highly creative people.

Just some random thoughts I felt you folks might find amusing.

After some discussion on designing chairs and seats for anthropoid creatures with long, sometimes fluffy tails, I've come to like the idea that an automobile seat should have a hole where the tail could poke through without compromising back support. Seats in cramped spaces like airliners should allow the person inside to either lay the tail to one side, with ample room for the tail to be curled up next to the seated person's legs. One thing I have considered concerning ejection seats for tailed folk, there should be a way to secure the tail to the seat to keep the extra limb from just flapping loose in the slipstream. Perhaps like in the older Mach One plus jet fighters, there could be a ring that is secured to the seat that makes sure no part of the pilot gets left behind.

Is there a way to recycle all those tree and vein like "Guides" that are snapped off of highly complicated 3-D printed items? I meeeean... The doctors have me on a sensor disk system to help monitor my blood glucose, and after each application I have to throw away four rather large items made of plastic. Remember... Any Styrene items thrown away could "Haunt" others after it's recycled into a plastic model kit.

I was depressed because I ran my monthly SSI allowance to darn near nothing this month. So, I had to miss attending the local, Mini Anime Con, and I couldn't go to the Pasadena City College Flea Market. While I was doing my laundry, I was walking back to the house, and a cold "Santa Ana" wind kicked up. I lamented to the gods in the style of Cool Hand Luke, "Love me, hate me, strike me down... Just show me that you care!" With my eyes fixed on the heavens, I stepped squarely onto a pile of coyote poop.

This means something.

"Peace."

Hello again Fellow FA Fans, Friends, Artists, Writers, Poets, Fursuiters, Dreamers and other highly creative people.

These past few journals I was trying to relate my impressions concerning AI created art, and between the artwork created by "Conventional" means. I was really surprised and impressed by the responses I got and the results ended up pointing strongly to "Just keep doing what you do best." Well... My major disappointment was that even after following the instructions on the AI site closely, either I messed up on the inputting of instructions, or I couldn't get the algorithm right. I also had major concerns about giving out too much personal information as I had suspicions these AI art sites are prime Phishing Holes for cyber scammers. I also felt a bit enraged when after getting a near perfect image of my character "Muse" on the DA "Dream Up" page, the site demanded payment.

"Well Foo!" I decided. "I could draw it much faster! -Or at least I could get the ideas down in a more concise manner."

Actually, what I really need is supportive information and instructions from someone I could trust. One of my friends here on FA told me a story about how he almost slammed a very expensive and high-end race car into the haybales on his first try behind the wheel, and I couldn't help but feel a similar sensation after the DA experience. Perhaps this rendering method requires much more skill and understanding of how these systems work, as compared to my "Old Fashioned" ways of creating my hand drawn images and other artistic endeavors.

Let's face it friends. It's like I'm trying to keep up with the pack on the opening lap of a modern stock car race in a 1977 era Chevy Nova with a non-modified six-banger.

Anyway. I appreciate all the advice of all who responded, and I do hope there might come a time when I'll be able to render up the beautiful, semi-realistic backgrounds, all the gorgeous colors and the wonderful textures that the AI seems to create so easily. With Windows 11 looming over the cyber-horizon, and my current "Art Machine" still limping along on Windows 10 and updates, I've been contemplating on getting a fresh, new PC or perhaps an Apple machine to start over again. A LOT of my more computer savvy friends here on FA and my musician brother use Apple products. Perhaps it's time for me to take the next step up.

"Peace."

-Which landed on the surge protector multi-plug box in a college dorm room with one outlet.

Sheesh!! Hello fellow FA Artists, Writers, dreamers and other highly creative people.

I want to tell all of you that responded to my queries about AI that I appreciate the multitudes of responses I received, and I found the information useful. There were quite a few FA Friends that listed free AI Art sites that ranged from "First rate" to "Don't waste your time," and there were just as many who suggested that I stick to my "Old Fashioned" means of creating my art. I even got a stern warning from my "Adopted Big Brother" who told me that he'd give me a painful noogie if he caught me creating my images totally in AI. I still need to wade through all those responses to figure out the pros and cons of using an AI rendering program for my art, which brings to mind the question.

Could I use AI as an aid to my drawings instead of creating entire AI generated images? Say that if I supply an original line drawing, I could use AI to render in the coloring and lighting? Does it work that way?

I was disappointed and somewhat intimidated by the "Dream up" option on DA, but so far it's the only one I've tried. I now have three more sites to investigate. This will take some time.

Another FA Fan-Friend who has been following my art for a long time paid me the highest compliment in saying that creating a nearly spot on image of his character from a "Blind" description, is something AI cannot do, I guess we living artists can put our hearts and souls into our images.

I'm kind of hung up on an art idea currently. Inspired by the comics of K.D. Nightstar, I've been encouraged to start working again on my stories featuring the Hyenoid people, the H'Roop and the S'hang." Ambassador Whilkes, a human, finds himself in the thick of a conflict between the two races, with a mission to stop an extended civil war. I'm still developing characters, but I tend to side with the golden furred H'roop. The grey furred S'hang have proven too often be the aggressors but I like the idea that they're all just "People."

Yeah... People who can grow to about the size of Kodiak Bears and can bite trough 3/4-inch steel bars. Nice!

"Peace."

Hello to all you fellow FA Artists, Writers, Crafters, Fursuiters, Poets, Dreamers and other highly creative people.

I am a bit sorry to report that I might be slipping over to "The DARK Side" because I have been exploring Deviant Art because I was considering switching over to that site after the last major attack and outage here on FA. Now don't get me wrong because I feel like I "Swallowed the anchor good" here on FA, and honestly, quite a lot of my friends and fellow artists are here. I also appreciate the way that members can exchange conversations through the comments and member notes.

I LIKE it here.

Anyway, on DA they already have my algorithm established, and they flood my "Recent Uploads" page with LOTS of AI generated art, and I must admit that I really like what I see. Of course, I realize some of these images have hidden "Trap doors" behind them, giving scammers, hackers and other "Ner do-wells" a gateway to my online accounts and activities. I really wish the Cyber World hadn't got so complicated and made it so easy for seemingly moral-less individuals to thrive and prosper by robbing the unsuspecting, blind.

So, I must confess that I would really like to create images of my personal characters with almost accurate lighting, semi-realistic settings, fur textures, coloring and proportions. I'd love to see how AI could handle the likes of "Muse" my golden eyed, shape shifting Vixen, and perhaps Millie Mink tending the boilers in the S.S. Athena with accurate looking piping and machinery.

I'd like to try this new "Tool," but I would like to know things like if there is a "Free" site where I can at least explore the rendering system without an exorbitant cost or charges that pile up. Also, I feel my creaky ol' "Art Machine can handle the program, but I have been considering getting a new PC with a lot of storage. That's one of the reasons I kept this Asus gaming system, because, after all, Modern Video Games are very Graphics Driven.

DA has a couple of "Pretty, Shiny, CANDY-LIKE buttons that say, "Here! Try AI!" I have concerns that I might get really good at this new rendering system and end up discarding those old-fashioned drafting and coloring tools I have been depended on for well over fifty years.

I learn something new, every day. I have to.

"Peace."

Good to see you all once again my FA friends and other highly creative people.

Things seem to be back to what classifies as "Normal," now that FA is back online. I am kind of concerned about the "All Our Base Are Belong To Us" tag line at the top of the page though. If I recall correctly, that was the message that popped up at the beginning of a badly translated video game called "Zero Wing." If it means that the admins now have FA back in control, this is a good thing. If it means that hackers are using the site to "Phish" for fresh data to exploit, well... That's a Bad thing.

Enough is enough. I'm glad the site is back up and running because during the times when my days seemed darkest, I had to realize how dependent I am on the site. Working on my art, making things ready for presentation, writing journals and answering comments takes up quite a bit of my time now. Besides... For me, it's a lot of fun. I had mentioned a long time ago that FA was "The closest thing I have to attending a furry con online." I believe when I wrote that, I was selected "GOH for ConFurEnce 14," back in 2003. Truthfully, I "Retired" from travelling to Furry conventions in 2010 after a series of incidents caused me to quit the "Biz" while things were still in my favor.

-And a series of moves, plus other "Unfortunate Incidents" forced me to cut my art production seriously.

So anyway, I'm glad things appear to be pretty much the same as when I left them. I have been using my wire mouse so much getting ready for my last NAF contrib, that it has become rather unpredictable in its performance. I need a new keyboard too. Do they still make old fashioned "Qwertyuiop" style, illuminated keyboards for an Asus gaming computer?

"Peace," and Thank You.

Hello again Fellow FA Artists, Writers, Photographers, Musicians, Crafters, Fursuiters and other highly creative persons.

The search engine on this site is completely overwhelmed and doesn't work anymore. I was trying to find a video game test by "Windsong," but with no results. The links I had to the videos on YouTube didn't work anymore and I was constantly linked to a recent TV show. This morning, I was trying to find the page of a rather charming artist from Germany who was popular for drawing comical foxes. Still no results. All I can say is "Future Shock" has finally hit this old Vulpimorph right in between his square rimmed, LCD readout spectacles!

I have a big deadline to fill by September first. It's for issue #45 of North American Fur, or "NAF" for short. James Birdsall, or "Tibo" will be closing up the fanzine and I want to make my last Contrib something memorable. NAF is most likely one of the last high-quality fanzines out there, and it might be that only here on FA is where you'll be able to see my recent artwork after NAF closes. Go visit the Jarlidium store, https://store.jarlidium.com/ and browse through the various publications offered.

I'm really looking forward to the Atlantis re-release of the Tom Daniels' designed show car model kit of "The Pie Wagon." Tom Daniels designed model cars were very popular in the 1970s and 80s and those kits were an integral part of my model building hobby-life. I'm hoping to get a "Second chance" at that model, but this time I really want to see how my current model building skills affect the final model. (I recall that during my teen years I did a real botched-up job building the model getting that terrible tubed glue all over those beautiful "Bottle bottom" rear windows!) I'm also hoping there will eventually be a re-release of the "Paddy Wagon," and maybe some clever aftermarket parts producer with a 3D printer will create the two comic cops figures to go with the model, just as Tom Daniels wanted for the original production.

Hear that Jimmy?

These past few months have been pretty rough on us "Greymuzzles." Maybe I'm optimistic in feeling that FA will continue as a "Furry" art site even after the untimely demise of "Dragoneer" who was the original founder of the site. We'll just have to wait and see how that goes. Also... A big "Thank you" to those currently administering the site. We all are "Everything" with you.

Keep making the art, doing your thing, and keeping it "Furry," all!

"Peace."

Hello again, fellow FA Artists, writers, illustrators, collectors, poets, dreamers and other highly creative persons.

Okay. I believe I goofed in the writing my previous Journal because it sounded so dour that quite a few of the folks reading it got the impression that I was very ill, or I was so deep in the darkest of a depression that I might have been considering harming myself. So first, let me apologize for the misunderstandings, and to those who were upset with my posting, I assure you I'm still in good health, and I hope to be around for a while.

July started off on a good note though. For the Fourth, I decided to join up with Noah and walk to the Arroyo to watch the fireworks being shot over the Rose Bowl as the dusk was settling in. I had trouble making it down the long, dark driveway, and by the time I got to the street, I was winded and drenched in sweat. I was so weak, that I suggested that Noah go ahead, and I'll wait for him to return. I decided though that this might turn out to be one of those "Once in a Lifetime" events, so slowly, steadily, I made my way to the arroyo, and soon met up with Noah, who had found him a great lookout spot from which to watch the event. I was glad I made it, for the show was spectacular, including a part of the presentation where it seemed the whole stadium was filled with fog. It seemed to me that the show's programmers had perfected the art of launching the rockets in special sequences to create spectacular sky bursts. A huge "Chrysanthemum" burst would suddenly be surrounded by a colorful ring, and there were plenty of my favorite "Crackler" style displays. I made it back up to the house with Noah bolstering my spirits through the long, dark walk up to the house. I felt great after that little adventure.

Later, that Sunday, I went with Noah to the Pasadena City College flea market, as I hadn't visited that venue in almost two years. Much to my delight, I saw many of the vendors that I enjoy seeing there, and almost every type of ware I was seeking seemed to be for sale, as long as I kept making my way from table to table. I found some precision tools that are perfect for miniature work, quite a few toys to fix up, and a couple of Hot Wheels toy cars from a vendor who enjoys "Talking my ears off" when it comes to anything automotive-wise. It really cheered me up to notice that walking through the entire flea market didn't wear me out, or cause me any distress, except for the "Pain in the wallet," especially when it came to the high cost of liquid refreshments at the event.

Last week, Mike Kazaleh, a friend of Schirm's and mine ended up in the hospital because of a massive infection in his midsection. Schirm called on me that morning to tell me the news and invited me to come along, and in an instant, I decided, "Why Not?" After getting dressed and ready, on a whim, I decided to give Mike one of the fancier toy cars I bought at the flea market. We got to the Hospital, and Tracy was there, helping care for her husband, but Schirm and I had to wait a bit until Mike was "Presentable." Once we entered the room, both Mike and Tracy made us welcome, and we chatted, catching up on old news and such. I was surprised and pleased at the way Mike's face lit up as he accepted the gift of the Hot Wheels toy car. Later, when Schirm, Tracy and I retreated to a quiet area while the nurses had to tend to Mike, Tracy told me that one of the reasons Mike enjoyed my company was because we'd talk about cars, Hot Wheels, and automotive design. I was so touched with that bit of news that I almost felt like crying. After all, it was Mike who showed me that it's possible to render mechanical subjects with ink and a brush.

"Oh yeah, Life goes on, even after the thrill of livin' is gone." (John Cougar Mellencamp. "Jack and Diane.")

Despite the heat, the bugs, choppin' brush in order to make the fire marshals happy, and running short of money, I'm still very much happy to be alive. Once again, I apologize for the misunderstandings from my previous journal.

"Peace."

Dear fellow FA Artists, writers, photographers, Musicians, Crafters, Poets, Dreamers, fursuiters and other highly creative people.

"If you're going to a place called Pittsburgh,
shining city by the Allegheny fair...
If you travel to the town of Pittsburgh,
You're gonna see some won'drous people there."
(Apologies to Scott Mckenzie.)

I had "One last trip to Anthrocon" on my "Bucket List," mainly because I desired to experience the excitement and thrills I used to feel when I'd attend a large furcon, but Alas! As the Hindu believe, "The greatest cause of suffering is desire." It's been nearly Fifteen years since I've been to Anthrocon, and as I have watched and read from afar, I feel that things have changed so much, that I might not recognize the convention as it is, moreover for what it was. Not to say that the overall theme of the Con has changed, but it's more because my favorite places outside the convention center are gone, or have changed, and sadly, a lot of the friends and associates I used to enjoy seeing at the affair are indisposed or have passed on. Don't get me wrong though. I have quite a few "Facebook Frends" I know who will be going there, and I would certainly enjoy meeting them. I'll have to get my "Smartphone" seriously updated just so I could keep track of them all.

"All across the Nations, a new and strange Genration,
Uh-Huuuh? People in Cosplay...? Ah! People in Cosplay!
So many trinkets and treasures! Artworks far beyond measure,
People acting in fursuits... Some are rather quite Hirsute!"

True, there are other things on my list that are easier to achieve than attending the biggest "Furry" con in North America. Heck. I like to fantasize about strolling amongst the dealer's tables and imagine who's going to take the place of the "Old Guard" I once paled around with. Of course, most unsettling of all would be discovering who might take my place and develop my precise "Techno-art" style. No... I wouldn't go there to sell, but I would be happy to do conbook art and original sketches. I'd also like to meet with the few of my friends I know who would be there, because after all... This would be a fitting place to say my last "Good-Byes."

"So if you're going to Anthrocon in Pittsburgh,
Be sure to wear a fluffy tail and fuzzy ears...
And if you see my friends in Pittsburgh,
Think of your old foxy friend, still caught up in the gears."

Give my best to those who remember me there.

"Love and Peace."

Hello to all my friends, fans, and all the wonderful, highly creative people here on FA.

I only see this new fad of AI art as a tool, or an aid to help with the creative process, and not an "End All" for creating artwork in its entirety. Yesterday though, I found out that Deviant Art is offering a new folder-page for AI art created solely through the new medium, and my curiosity is piqued about it. Of course, I plan to research the new DA page a bit further, once I get the opportunity to do so.

What I understand of it is that one can type in what they'd like to see into the program, and the AI searches the millions upon millions of examples of artwork, photograph, drawings, and other visual images for what it feels is close to the typed in request. It then "Doctors" up the images to closer fit the typed in request and presents it to the artist/user. I feel it's up to the user to use Photoshop, or some other image manipulation program to tighten up the image, especially in fixing odd perspectives and of course, those "Flubbed Up" fingers and hands.

I have yet to use AI to help my artistic process, and I'm really not interested in doing so. Still, I wonder if my current state of artistic depression might be brought on by the fact that my art will never be close to the "Perfection" I have seen other artists achieve, which effectively has created a new fan viewership all its own.

I can't help but be reminded of the model building revolution of the late 1980s where machines were created to build and paint diecast models by the hundreds, and some had fidelity and detail almost rivaling the winners seen at IPMS shows of those days. One didn't have to go through the trouble of building and painting a model kit, and some could even buy "Ready for the shelf" dioramas in a variety of subjects and scales, providing they had the cash to buy these high priced, so called, "Collectables."

Then, not too long ago, there was concerns that 3-D printing could take the charm and pleasures out of the model building hobby. until hobbyists accepted it as another tool to help with the model building and creative process. Personally, I LIKE the 3-D printing and rendering programs, especially in creating fantasy figures and machine components unavailable in the popular markets. Several of the friends I follow here on FA use Hero Forge effectively and believe me. If there was a 3-D printing firm that offered to create miniatures of my characters in 1:35th through to 1:12th scale at a reasonable price, by golly, I'd use their services!

When I first came into the fandom, Pagers were a big thing. They were quickly eclipsed by the flip phone, and in less than 30 years the Smartphone has become a "Standard" in the high-tech world. I have created art on a Tablet, and I found it good, but it has its limitations. I still can't get over the practice of using pencils, paper, pens and other "Traditional" means to create my images. But after all, I'm not in this for the money. My art is, and shall always remain my "Hobby," which I am happy to share with all of you following me here on FA.

"Peace."

Hello Fellow FA Artists, writers, designers, photographers, and mechanically minded folks out there in FA land,

I've been playing around with the concept of Mister Thaddius J. Foxx visiting a County Fair near Memphor, Ohigho, where he attracts the attentions of a small troupe of Pine Marten ladies who take a fancy to him, because in the carny lights and excitement, his bright orange coat somewhat resembles a Pine Marten. To make things more interesting, the five Pine Marten gals perform a stunt show called "The wall of Death" where at least four of the performers do "Fur raising" stunts on small motorcycles where they zip around a vertical track, missing each other by inches.

I've narrowed the idea down to two brands of motorcycles for the show, which would be severely stripped-down Indian Chiefs, (War Surplus US army messenger bikes.) and maybe perhaps a couple Harley Davidson S 125s. The problem is, I know very little about motorcycles, and I get the impression the act is one requiring skill, nerves of steel, and knowing the limits on Marten and machine on the vertical track.

So, if any of folks out there who are following me know anything about riding motorcycles and have any advice on which motorcycles would be best suited for acrobatics and stunts, (Hopefully from the 1950s era.) please let me know.

Oh... And no Bananas will be allowed near the track.

"Peace."

Mee-Rowrer Fellow FA Artists, writers, fursuiters, crafters, photographers, storytellers all, and other highly creative people.

My friend and sometime landlord Schirm has been considering getting a puppy, which would be fine by me, but I do wonder if I could handle it being more of a "Cat" person. It's been almost a human lifetime since I have raised a puppy, and decades since I've dealt with encounters of the Canine kind. Schirm wants to get a big dog, which could patrol the "estate" to keep unwanted people like Burglars out, and of course rough up the coyotes if they get out of line. I must confess that I really liked Schirm's Akitas because they were well behaved and friendly. I even "Spoiled" his all-white Akita and became a "Sugar Uncle" to him by bribing him with jerky treats and the occasional biscuit.

I knew that shortly after "Charlie," the second all black cat that was living here when I moved in died, I swore not to get another pet after at least a year or more, but we all know how long that lasted. Not more than three months after Charlie's passing, I got a panic email from a Jedi knights club member asking for a safe home for two young, "Housebound" cats that needed a new home quick. I decided to take them on, and my friend and fellow club member drove all the way from San Bernardino to Pasadena and the two cats, "Flynn" and "Rey" were welcomed into my home.

At least that's what I was hoping for. Flynn immediately sought refuge in the abandoned dining room, and later escaped out a broken window. Rey however, decided to stick around, but it took quite a lot of persuasion, (And kitty treats.) to convince her she was welcome and safe. Ever since, "Rey" has been teaching me what it means to be a cat, along with the advice from friends and fellow cat owners here on FA and of course on seemingly "Cat Crazy" Facebook. Videos and tutorials on YouTube have helped to a degree as well.

The best thing to remember is that your pet kitty is a predator, but hides this fact behind a friendly, fluffy mask of deception. These deceptive and adaptive felines have been persuading humans that it is not THEY who are the masters, but the cats are running things with velvet paws that hide retractable claws. I knew I had been designated the role of "Staff" when I first served Rey a plate of shredded car food, and she proceeded to make motions as if she was burying it in her sand box. No mistaking that message! I was fortunate to have a surplus of the gravies and stews that old Charlie preferred on hand, and as the days passed, I learned which flavors of food Rey preferred and how to mix "Just the right" ratio of gravy to solid food please "Her Majesty."

Shortly after the Holidays I twisted up my Left leg somehow, which "Crippled" me in a way that I needed a cane to get around the house, and merely walking from the house to the laundry room became an exhausting task, leaving me short of breath and feeling weak. Before this injury, Rey had me well trained to get up at sunrise and feed her, then I'd clean her litter box. I decided to add at least fifteen minutes play time after that task just to make things interesting for her. During these past couple weeks of wet and cold weather however, I have been tempted to sleep in, but Rey has learned to wake me either by doing a little tap dance across my sleeping body or purring loudly in my ear. I usually draw a compromise if Rey won't let me sleep in by making certain she's properly fed, her water dishes are full, and during playtime I'll wrap her up in her fuzzy, pink blanket to play "Peek-A-Boo."

With my daily duties done to Rey's satisfaction, I can latch the door to my room proper, and hopefully sleep in at least an hour or two extra. I have even learned to sleep through times when Rey gets "The Zoomies," and thunders up and down the hallway making a racket. She can make all the noise she wants as far as I care. It's just the times where a tremendous crash is followed by an unusually prolonged silence will cause me to start worrying. If the silence lasts longer than fifteen minutes, I guess it' time to get up and asses the damages.

"Peace."

Hello fellow FA Artists, Writers, Photographers, Fursuiters, Crafters and other highly creative people in FA Land.

The packages have all gone out and have arrived at their locations, the gifts have all been wrapped and given to their appointed persons. On Christmas Eve, my friend Schirm invited my friend Noah and I out for Pizza and we drove up to La Canada to enjoy our dinner at the Round Table restaurant. Afterwards, on a whim, we ended up driving to Christmas Tree Lane, in nearby Altadena. The attraction has been pretty in pretty much the same location from around 1920 and is something of a local treasure. This year it was still as spectacular, where for almost the length of a mile, the community up in the foothills have decorated their houses and the Deodar Cedar trees lining Santa Rosa Avenue with hundreds of thousands, maybe a million or more electric lights. The displays also included cheerful winter scenes featuring many cartoon characters, Deer, Penguins, Snowmen and even a Grinch or two. Most delightful of all was seeing a "Family" of illuminated snow-people made of spherical Chinese Paper lanterns, and an homage to this year's hit movie "Barbie" done up in various shade of pink lights. We returned to the house, all feeling the carb crash creeping up on us, and after checking my emails, I retired to my bed, and I don't even remember hitting the pillow.

Christmas day, I originally wanted to cook a Christmas feast, but we were "Blessed" with so many leftovers that I just reheated my slices of pizza and that set me up for my whole day's calorie intake. Much to my surprise, I spent more than eight hours on Christmas Day just answering emails and comments on Facebook. I even fell asleep before the keyboard and monitor several times. I was even chatting with my friend in New York City, and I fell sound asleep for at least a four-hour nap. The day sure brought me tidings of comfort and joy, that's for certain.

Now is the time to work on the thank you notes and prepare for the coming of the Ney Year and the Epiphany on the following January 6th. Pasadena is already preparing for the Annual Rose Parade, and the following Alabama Vs. Michigan football game. Yes... The cycle begins anew. I might be a bit late in wishing you all a "Merry Christmas," but I can still wish you folks a happy, healthful and safer New Year. Most of all, may we be blessed with peace very soon in the Near Future.

Grrreetings fellow FA Artists, writers, photographers, fusuiters, crafters and other highly creative people.

Well... With the demise of my favorite gaming store, which was kind of like the last "Hobby Shop" in Old Town Pasadena, (Yes, I know the Whistle Stop which pertains to model trains is still in business.) I have turned to assembling LEGO sets in order to keep my hands steady and work out my reflexes as my finer manipulation skills diminish. I recently found a new Lego series that appeals to me over the long discontinued "Legends of Chima" sets, and some of the Bionicle sets after a fashion. The recently released "Dreamzzz" series is still a bit of a mystery to me, but I get the impression that it's back story might be about a group of "Persons" who protect their others by slipping into the dream state and rescue their friends from Nightmares or other Oneirological hazards.

The first kit I bought was on impulse as the local grocery store had stocked up on toys in anticipation of the Christmas rush and had a stand-up display featuring the new series. A kit featuring a giant, light blue, roller skating Robotic Rabbit, but it cost over $30.00! (I couldn't get my wallet out fast enough!) Shortly after returning from that shopping trip, I started putting the pieces together and as the bricks clicked together, I started imagining how this "Roller Rabbit" could be built using actual electronics and power systems. I ended up with the assemblies finished, shelved and left to the ages to dutifully gather dust.

But a couple weeks later I saw the same kit at another location, but this time only $16.00! It was like close to half the price I paid for the one at the supermarket! The more "Boy" version featuring a Giant, White robot that could be built as a "Submarine" or gun toting version also caught my eyes, and I bought the two, hoping for a quiet afternoon to piece the kits together. As I built the robot, I would imagine in my head about how the various, modular forms would contain what machinery that would provide motive power, and articulation to the various limbs, especially to the hands. I imagined the chest section could be set up like the "Atlas" robot, plus the arms and legs I'd leave for the fellas at Boston Dynamics to figure out.

But I wonder... Fellow LEGO enthusiasts? Do you folks think of things like engines, hydraulics, controllers, fuel or battery storage, and/or actuators that might be inside the tiny forms you hold in your hands? Do others "Superdetail" their models by adding such details? Finally, is there a LEGO club or organization where one can buy, sell or trade extra parts? Those "Master Builders" mostly work from the "Outside In" and create amazing things. Am I the only one who thinks of these things from the "Outside-In?"

I have switched building that "Three foot tall, 1,000 piece Gundam Robot kit" to a "Grand Master Builder" kit of 1,500 part Lego kit on my Bucket list. It would most likely be less expensive than the Japanese model kit.

"Peace."

Ears down. Like Mister Foxy. Their faces wet. Their eyes tired.

Greetings again Fellow FA Artists, Writers, Musicians, Composers, Dreamers, Fursuiters and other highly creative people.

Late in October or early in November I visited the Gameology store in old town Pasadena, and the folks there seemed glad to see me, and called me by name. I picked up the paints and finishing supplies I needed, and set my eyes on another Bandai Gundam model kit, assuring myself that I'll pick it up the next time I visited the shop, after my Social Security deposit was in the bank. I would visit that shop every two weeks or so, sometimes three times a month. A week later, I was in for a surprise.

I visited the Gameology, now listed as "Games at my place" the next Friday, and as I approached the shop, I noticed the lights were out, and there seemed to be no signs of activity in the normally bustling shop. I thought that maybe there was a power outage or something, but when I yanked on the door, I found it securely locked. No notes on the door, No email notifications of the shop changing hours. It was a total mystery to me why the shop that had been such a busy place, just the week before was closed and dark.

A quick check on the Gamology website noted that the location had been closed but it didn't say "Permanently." Well, that explained some of the mystery, but what happened the following Friday was something of a rude shock. There might have been a chance that given the hundreds of thousands of items they had in stock, I was hoping for a "Store Closing" or a reduced-price sale, but when I looked inside the door that time, I saw the saddest sight I could have ever seen. The once nicely stocked shelves, the gaming tables the counters, the paint racks, even the posters on the walls were gone, and all that was left was a remarkably clean and polished, EMPTY wooden floor. My heart sank. It was kind of like finding out one of your friends had died, without any word of what had happened. Sadder still, the new tenants let no grass grow under their treads. On the walls of the shop signage was already in place giving a hint of what was going to be sold at the location.

"La-Z-Boy" recliners and "Orthopedic Mattresses On sale here!" the posters and signage boasted. "A @%&#- Furniture Store?" My mind shrieked. "Couldn't something a bit more Interesting at least have replaced my favorite store?" It wasn't the sudden closing of the store that surprised me so. It seems to me that there might have been more than met my eyes to the situation. It would have taken quite a lot of people to clear out that place so fast. I even suspected that there might have been some "Political Motivation" between the city and the building's owners going on.

On the plus side, I can still take the bus to the original Game Masters on the other side of town, and I'm certain I could figure out how to take the inter-city transit to get to the Burbank house of hobbies, but maybe... just maybe it's the Good Lord's way of telling me to save my money to get a car and take driving lessons.

I'm not quite ready for that... Or maybe I am.

"Peace.