Keys 2 My 40 Acres & a Mule

From author Jess Mowry

My sixth book (fifth novel) Babylon Boyz, is somewhat of an enigma, and some might call it a regression into the "guns, gangs, drugs and violence" of my earlier (and apparently more "popular") work. This "regression" was neither intentional nor a sell-out, but rather the result of a good story idea that was what it was.

Babylon Boyz is about Dante, a 13-year-old boy, and his two homies, 14-year-old Pook and 13-year-old Wyatt, who stumble upon a pack full of pure cocaine abandoned in a major drug-deal gone bad, and must decide whether to use the money it could bring them to get out of the ghetto (Pook wants to go to medical school and become a doctor, and Dante, born to a crack-addicted mother, needs a heart operation) even though selling it will only bring more pain and suffering to their Brothers and Sisters.

Unlike Six Out Seven, Babylon Boyz does have a "real" gay character, who was based upon the friend of one of my sons. Babylon Boyz was published in the U.S. as a hardcover "young-adult" book by Simon & Schuster in 1997, and seems to have done fairly well-- it is currently being reprinted in trade-paper format.

But, once again, I came up against the fact that the white, mainstream publishing industry is not about to publish "just stories" black books, or books in which black characters-- especially young black males-- do not behave as they are (apparently) expected to.

Despite the fact that Babylon Boyz is doing well, Simon & Schuster rejected my next manuscript, titled Skeleton Key (a book that is still looking for a publisher) on the grounds that it would "feed stereotypes" (of black kids).

Fortunately or finally, Skeleton Key is scheduled for publication in January 2007. The image above is not the book cover. I will post the actual cover and more information when it becomes available. For now, here is a description of the book and excerpts from various chapters. These are only parts of chapters, and not all chapters have been excerpted.

Skeleton Key may be ordered now (pre-publication) from Amazon, other book-sellers, or directly from Windstorm Creative - Young Adult Books. Advance orders are one of the best ways you can support authors.

These excerpts may be regarded as uncorrected galleys.If you are interested in reviewing this book when review copies become available, please contact Windstorm Creative - Main Page.

Ya Dig?



















Honoring the 20th anniversary of Spike Lee's 40 Acres & a Mule production company, Marc EckoWhat's Really Good Magazine is selling the collection for a limited time (through 23 October 2006) from their online Pop-up shop. T-shirts start at $55. Here's to 20 more years of Spike
recently lent his sartorial flavor to a new line of sportswear that debuted this week. Inspired by memorable cinematic moments from Spike Lee's films, the collection of varsity jackets, rugby jerseys, graphic t-shirts, french terry hoodies and light jackets share the same in-your-face humor and bold looks that make a Spike Lee Joint. Details like an embroidered skull emblem and a mule patch on the Wake Up Rugby and the shout-outs to Lee's legacy on the Sho' Nuff fleece (pictured, middle), are well-made tributes to the films of a seminal American filmmaker.

The hands of Love and Hate is the tale of good and evil each one continuously fighting each other for the title . In this great piece we see the classic fists of Radio Raheem the most memorable character of "Do the right thing".

Movie Influence: Do the Right Thing circa 1989

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Pardon my French
Quand les poules auront des dents is an insane and funny animation about what can happening when a chicken with teeth gets crazy in a small farm planet, by Julien Borde, Matthieu Cordenier and Henri Danjou. There is something in this animation that makes me remind of Le Petit Prince, probably the image of a very small planet, and, of course, it makes me remind of Chicken Run too. (via NicoSite)

In the year 2014 the New York times has gone offline

The Fourth Estate's fortunes have waned

What happened to the news?

and what is EPIC

Click here

Whats Next? Watch Your Head

Boondocks is dead, (at least the strip) long live the king
Boondocks absence may provide other black cartoonist the opportunity to see their strips serialized

Watch your Head

WYH scheduled released Jan 2007

The strip chronicles the lives of six teenagers as they awkwardly negotiate the unfamiliar terrain of adulthood. They come from different backgrounds and cultures, bringing their unique perspectives to the campus of Oliver Otis University, the purported Mecca for black intellectuals.

The strip follows their development as they begin the process of growth and venture on their individual paths. They face their inexperience, insecurity and idiosyncrasies and gain enlightment
Check out his site here

Life's Little Victorie

Keith Knight's strip Life's Little Victories are tiny little daily occurances that make one quietly say "YES!!" What began as a one-shot strip has bloomed into a regular reader favorite.
Knight is part of a new generation of talented young African-American artists raised on hip-hop; artists who infuse their work with urgency, edge, humor, satire, politics and race.

Learn more about Keith here

JustUs

Speaking of edgy and the closes to Boondocks and my favorite is Justus comic - a concious comic for the unconcious world featuring Katrina Comics to read more click here

House Broken

A lot of rap stars go broke. A lot of rap stars own pitbulls. Housebroken tells the story of a pitbull rap star who went broke. Now living in suburbia with the family of his attorney, DJ Dog, A.K.A. Doggie Soprano A.K.A. The Notorious D.O.G. struggles to adjust to his new lifestyle

To see the animated House Broken short click here

SAY WHAT?!


In the tradition of coming of age tales like COOLEY HIGH and irreverant urban comedies like BARBERSHOP and FRIDAY comes the hilarious misadventures of Mort and the gang as they leap into one of life's greatest challenges… life after high school!

Fresh out of high school Mort has the passion of becoming a journalist. While most of his friend's have already decided on their path in life, Mort remains unsure. Although his passion is journalism, he can't imagine being under the thumb of a big corporation.

COMING SOON From GETTOSAKE

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For those of you who are into Soduko I present Jigsaw Soduko click here

Boondocked

Boondocks Not Coming Back in Foreseeable Future

NEW YORK Because Aaron McGruder has made no statement about whether he'll resume or end "The Boondocks" comic strip, Universal Press Syndicate announced today that newspapers should not count on it coming back in the foreseeable future. click here

What is a creative environment?
A creative environment is one where people feel comfortable in expressing their ideas and where constructive support is given in the development and analysis of those ideas.

You are in a creative environment when

• Your ideas are listened to and investigated before being judged.
• You feel appreciated when you suggest new ideas.
• You can suggest solutions to other groups without feeling like you are intruding.
• Your manager spends time with you and explains the reasons and politics behind projects.
• You are given the freedom to do your work in your own way.
• You are not observed or judged all the time.
• You do not have to pass all of your messages through your manager.
• Experimental methods are encouraged.
• You feel comfortable talking with anyone in your organization (top managers included).
• You feel comfortable talking to your subordinates without having to order them about.
• There is someone that will listen to your ideas.
• The generation of good ideas is rewarded, verbally or otherwise.
• You are treated with respect and as someone who can contribute to the organization.
• You are appreciated for what you do.
• You are appreciated for who you are.

Source brainstorming.co.uk

Doug Braithwaite













The comic artist from London talks about all things comics including his start in the UK, his work with Alex Ross and Jim Krueger on Universe X, Paradise X, and their newest best-selling series, Justice. click here

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Minature Earth

Click here

You Named Him What?

Today's parents seem to believe they can alter their child's destiny by picking the perfect—preferably idiosyncratic—name. (Destiny, incidentally, was the ninth most popular name for girls in New York City last year.) The current crop of preschoolers includes a few Uniques, with uncommonly named playmates like Kyston, Payton and Sawyer. From Dakota to Heaven, Integrity to Serenity, more babies are being named after places and states of mind.Increasingly, children are also named for prized possessions. In 2000, birth certificates revealed that there were 298 Armanis, 269 Chanels, 49 Canons, 6 Timberlands, 5 Jaguars and 353 girls named Lexus in the U.S. The trend is not surprising: In an era in which children are viewed as accessories, such names telegraph our desire for creative, social or material success. It would be ironic if young Jaguar or Lexus grew up to drive a Honda Accord. read the entire
Psychology Today article

If you find that remembering the name you gave your child tough

The process of memorising information can be split into four distinct stages. These are:

1. The registering of information by the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch and/or taste.
2. The interpretation by the brain of the impulses that are generated by the five senses. This is what is termed understanding.
3. The temporary storage of the information in the so-called short-term memory.
4. Finally, the transfer of the information from the short-term, to the long-term memory. This is where a (theoretically) permanent record of the memory is stored.

Click here for why we forget

For Memory Improvement Tools click here

The Wire
Episode 40
"Home Room"

Captured the classroom environment in many of our countries more challenged schools”Some will say that the episode was extreme; others will say that it came up short but all will agree that it captured the essence of a schools system crying for help.

The Wire is without a doubt the most riveting series on television, and begs for a discussion on what is this country’s commitment to education.

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Make Your Own Movie click here

Legends (Leo & Diane Dillon)

Leo grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Diane grew up in southern California. They met at Parsons School of Design and spent four years competing with each other. That's why they decided to join forces. They began freelancing soon after graduation. For several years they also taught Materials and Techniques at the School of Visual Arts.

The Dillons have won awards, which has helped build their confidence over the years. "It's great to know people appreciate what we do but we don't work for awards. They are the result of doing our best." They have been illustrating for over forty years and have completed over forty books as well as many book jackets and posters.

Illustrating is a fascinating career. When a new manuscript comes in, we read it then discuss what the essence of the story is and how we can illustrate it in a unique way. There are many ways to interpret a story. We toss ideas back and forth for days, even weeks. When the right idea comes along, we both get excited. Then we start with sketches.

Illustrating is a mysterious process. The ideas that float around in our heads seem clear until we translate them into image on paper. Then we realize how amorphous they really are. At that point we find we are both agreeing on the idea but the images in our heads are not the same. When one of us starts a piece of art and gives it to the other, we're often surprised. We have learned to flow with whatever develops. That's part of the process.

Sometimes we think we know exactly what we want but when the picture takes form it might lead us in a new direction. Being flexible and taking advantage of accidents and surprises is important.

Our next step is to work out the drawing. A slight change in a line can alter an expression dramatically and we may do several drawings or change one, erasing and re-drawing until we get what we want. It's magical watching the image take form. Often young people believe they should do a perfect drawing the first time, but that rarely happens.

The drawing is then transferred to the paper or board on which we will do the finished art. Then we start the color. One color might dictate what the color next to it should be. Throughout the process, we discover new ideas and possibilities, and decisions must then be made. The process is sometimes scary but also exciting.

The most anxious time comes halfway through when the piece is not looking good yet. We have to keep working through that bad period with faith that we have control and will work until we're satisfied. At the end, when everything is painted in and the anxiety is over, the fun starts with refining the details and painting in highlights.

Every job is different with its own challenges. We go through the same stages of anxiety, the unknown, surprise, and discovery. It's never boring.

Some jobs require much more research than others so we're learning things too. For our latest book, Rap a Tap Tap, Here's Bojangles—Think of That!, we researched what New York City streets looked like in the 1930s and 1940s, and collected photos of dancers during that time. At the Shomberg Library, we saw murals by Aaron Douglas, a painter of the same period. We admired his work and were inspired by the murals' overlapping shapes and colors. His work triggered ideas of how we wanted to illustrate Rap a Tap Tap, and while our final work is different than Douglas' murals, he was the inspiration.

We are inspired by many things: sculptures, paintings, architecture, and design. Most of our traveling is through books, discovering the beauty people have created over the centuries and around the world. We're blessed to be doing something that brings us so much pleasure and can enrich others as well.

For a list of their complete works Click Here

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My Special Easter Egg
Go on be creative click here

Crime Really Doesn't Pay

During the crack cocaine boom of the 1990s, the image of the millionaire crack dealer implanted itself on the public consciousness. But anyone who spent time around the Crips or Bloods or any other crack-selling gang might have noticed something odd: A great many crack dealers still lived at home with their moms. Why was that?

Sudhir Venkatesh, a University of Chicago graduate student at the time, discovered the answer.

As it turned out, the gang worked a lot like most American businesses, though perhaps none more so than McDonald's. If you were to hold a McDonald's organizational chart and the crack gang's organizational chart side by side, you could hardly tell the difference.

So the top 120 men on the pyramid were paid very well. But the pyramid they sat atop was gigantic. Using J. T.'s franchise as a yardstick — three officers and roughly 50 foot soldiers — there were about 5,300 other men working for those 120 bosses. Then there were the 20,000 unpaid rank-and-file members, many of whom wanted nothing more than a chance to become a foot soldier. And how well did that dream job pay? About $3.30 an hour.


Steven D. Levitt author of "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, talks about Sudhir's finding at TED click here to see him

The Wire
No television show ever captured the dispair of the drug life better than the 4th Season of the wire, you literally forget that what's before your eyes is fiction
The new fourth season has already prompted resounding critical praise. The New York Times said the show "is the closest that moving pictures have come so far to the depth and nuance of the novel." Daily Variety observed, "When television history is written, little else will rival The Wire," hailing the show for its "extraordinary depth and ambition." Entertainment Weekly called the series "a staggering achievement," while the Washington Post described it as "electrifying and disturbing...a gripping saga," and the New York Post termed it "the single finest piece of work ever produced for American TV."

Unfortunaley Levett and the Wire are able to accuratley capture the problem but offer no solutions, That the book and HBO series I really want to see

What is Keon Reading?

Provide a Creative Enviornment
I came across this clip on You Tube although it' simply a clip of a African American youth reading for 30 seconds it poses many questions

1. What is he reading?
2. What is the subject matter? (no pictures)
3. Who wrote it?
4. Why is it so captivating to him? (check out the noise level, the other activities, and the fact that he is being videotaped)

5. what has his parents done to raise a young man with this type of focus ?
6. Could the teacher share what she has done to stimulate her students in this manner?
7.What school, district, state is this, that obviously got something right?
Fascinating

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Puki the Swarm

Flash first-person shooter. Sure, they look cute, but the first time one of the little blighters comes at you with fangs bared you'll lose all inhibitions of blowing their heads off.

Think & Grow Rich

I'm amazed that this book is not mandatory reading in school
Think & Grow Rich is a classic motivational book. Written by Napoleon Hill and inspired by Andrew Carnegie, it was published in 1937 at the end of the Great Depression. In 1960, Hill published an abridged version of the book, which for years was the only one generally available. In 2004, Ross Cornwell published Think and Grow Rich!: The Original Version, Restored and Revised, which restored the book to its original form, with slight revisions, and added the first comprehensive endnotes, index, and appendix the book had ever contained.

The text of Think and Grow Rich! is founded on Hill's earlier work, The Law of Success, the result of more than twenty years of research based on Hill's close association with a large number of individuals who managed to achieve great wealth during the course of their lifetimes.

At Carnegie's bidding, Hill studied the characteristics of these great achievers and developed fifteen "laws" intended to be applied by anybody to achieve success. Think and Grow Rich! itself condenses these laws further and provides the reader with 13 principles in the form of a philosophy of personal achievement.

In 1992 Dennis Kimbro tailored Think & Grow Rich toward African Americans
Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice is based on the principles of wealth that Napoleon Hill formulated in his phenomenal bestseller Think and Grow Rich. When Hill died, he left behind a manuscript aimed at the specific problems of black Americans, and the Napoleon Hill Foundation chose author and entrepreneur Dennis Kimbro to complete it. Kimbro combines Napoleon Hill’s law of success with his own vast knowledge of business, contemporary affairs, and the vibrant culture of Black America.

You may recognize some of the names dennis kimbro interviewed for Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice. These names included Spike Lee, Jesse Jackson, oprah Winfrey, Wally "Famous" Amos and Dr. Selma Burke. Whether you are an African American or not, this is still an interesting version of the great book to read.

Either book will work as a tool for changing behavior

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What could be more fun
than playing 20 Questions
Click Here

Surviving Racism on Cooks Island

Racism in America remains a touchy subject, while its true that each person, group, race, and country must bear responisiblity for their own actions to say that there are no outside influences is to live in a world of fantasy. Check out the cartoon below where the aritst/author makes a point and then the cartoon beneath it where the artist/author truly believes it










































In the end only dialogue followed by action has and will continue to change view and perceptions in this country but first there has to be a discussion

Survivor

Gary Levin, USA TODAY wrote this of the series

This season of Survivor is unlike any other. That's because the tribes in the Cook Islands have been divided by race. Bad idea or social experiment? See what all the fuss is about Thursdays on CBS at 8 ET/PT.

Many believe that Survivor Cook Island where the teams are divided by race is a step in the wrong direction, actually it's leading to dialogue and they get their chance at CBS's Tell Us What You Think Chat Room click here

Playing with Stereotypes

Photographer Eric Myer allows you and your students to play with stereotypes
click here

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Elevator Moods
Hard to describe, check it out and let me know what you think



















Check out Elevator moods here

Legends (WALTER DEAN MYERS)

Walter Dean Myers is a writer of children's and young adult literature. Walter Dean Myers was born in West Virginia in 1937 but spent most of his childhood and young adult life in Harlem. He was raised by foster parents and remembers a happy but tumultuous life while going through his own teen years. Suffering with a speech impediment, he cultivated a habit of writing poetry and short stories and acquired an early love of reading.
Myers has won every award there is to win, click here to continue his bio his bibliography is the response to the question "What books can I buy for a black child?"

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Where Does the Day Go? Illus.by Leo Carty. New York: Parents Magazine Press, 1969.
The Dragon Takes a Wife. Illus. by Ann Grifalconi. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1972.
The Dancers. Illus. by Anne Rockwell. New York: Parents Magazine Press, 1972.
Fly, Jimmy, Fly! Illus. by Moneta Barnett. New York: Putnam, 1974.
The World of Work: A Guide to Choosing a Career. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1975.
Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff. New York: Viking, 1975.
Social Welfare. New York: F. Watts, 1976.
Brainstorm. Illus. with photographs by Chuck Freedman. New York: F. Watts, 1977.
Mojo and the Russians. New York: Viking, 1977.
Victory for Jamie. New York: Scholastic, 1977.
It Ain't All for Nothin'. New York: Viking, 1978.
The Young Landlords. New York: Viking, 1979.
The Black Pearl and the Ghost; or, One Mystery after Another. Illus. by Robert Quackenbush. New York: Viking, 1980.
The Golden Serpent. Illus. by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen. New York: Viking 1980.
Hoops. New York: Delacorte, 1981.
The Legend of Tarik. New York: Viking, 1981.
Won't Know Till I Get There. New York: Viking, 1982.
The Nicholas Factor. New York: Viking, 1983.
Tales of a Dead King. New York: Morrow, 1983.
Mr. Monkey and the Gotcha Bird. Illus. by Leslie Morrill. New York: Delacorte, 1984.
Motown and Didi: A Love Story. New York: Viking, 1984.
The Outside Shot. New York: Delacorte, 1984.
Sweet Illusions. Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1986.
Crystal. New York: Viking 1987.
Scorpions. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.
Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid. New York: Delacorte, 1988.
Fallen Angels. New York: Scholastic, 1988.
The Mouse Rap. New York: HarperCollins, 1990.
Now is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom. New York: HarperCollins, 1991.
Somewhere in the Darkness. New York: Scholastic, 1992.
Mop, Moondance, and the Nagasaki Knights. New York: Delacorte, 1992.
The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary. New York: Scholastic, 1993.
Young Martin's Promise. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993.
A Place Called Heartbreak: A Story of Vietnam. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993.
Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.
The Glory Field. New York: Scholastic, 1994.
Darnell Rock Reporting. New York: Delacorte Press, 1994.
The Story of the Three Kingdoms. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.
Shadow of the Red Moon. New York: Scholastic, 1995.
Glorious Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.
The Dragon Takes a Wife. New York; Scholastic, 1995.
Smiffy Blue: Ace Crime Detective: The Case of the Missing Ruby and Other Stories. New York: Scholastic, 1996.
One More River to Cross: An African American Photograph Album. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1996.
How Mr. Monkey Saw the Whole World. New York: Doubleday, 1996.

Monster. Illustrations by Christopher Myers. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999.
145th Street: Short Stories.New York : Delacorte Press, 2000.

Bad Boy: A Memoir. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali. New York : Scholastic Press, 2001.
The Beast. New York: Scholastic, 2003.
Antarctica: Journeys to the South Pole. New York: Scholastic Press, 2004.

Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices. Holiday House, 2004.

Shooter. New York: Harper Collins/Amistad, 2004.
Autobiography of My Dead Brother. New York: HarperTempest/Amistad, 2005.

Comments on his latest novel: Autobiography of My Dead Brother
One assumes that Myers—black, male, striding through America’s cauldron—could create nothing less than Autobiography at this point in our history, when child violence introduces such lasting devastation. Myers speaks to that through this moving account of two black youngsters, one an aspiring artist and writer, the other merely ‘aspiring’. Close as brothers through childhood, they are separated finally only through choices, changes, and violence. Touching and impactful, Autobiography cannot fail to intrigue, and hopefully influence youngsters with its poignant statement of two roads taken.

If you play B-Ball, you want to be like Mike
If you write, you want to be like Dean

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Don't get caught click image to play

Give them the World

At a time when the world is getting smaller, borders are ceasing to exist and the problems of countries half a wrold away is featured in our media hourly, shouldn't geography play a larger role in out childrens education because it will later
World Heritage Tour

World Heritage Tour is bar none the most beautiful website dedicated to exotic locals on the internet. The images are astounding and their 360 degree panoramic viewing is breathtaking , the most harden teen will be amazed that its not on myspace

Wikimapia of the World

WikiMapia is an online map resource that combines Google Maps with a wiki system, allowing users to add information (in the form of a note) to any location on the globe. Created by Alexandre Koriakine and Evgeniy Saveliev, the project was launched on May 24, 2006 and is aiming towards "describing the whole planet Earth".

WikiMapia is unrelated to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation, but the website states that it was "inspired by Wikipedia". Unlike some other wiki-systems, WikiMapia has no registered users and no administrative hierarchy. All users edit anonymously and there is currently no mechanism for monitoring or disciplining problematic users. Give it a shot

This also become an opportune time to discuss the worlds future

And joining those who wish to preserve the Earth

6 Ways you save the Earth

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Could you describe her please. click here Back by popular demand

The Way she bounces click here

Every Motion Generates Sound
click here

But lets face it, they like Gore

“Napkin Sketches 101” written by Don Moyer in last months’ 360 e-zine, registered as our most popular article to date (as noted by number of pdf downloads). Moyer writes, “the leading edge of every wave of innovation is flecked with little drawings scrawled on cocktail napkins, envelope backs, scratch paper and whiteboards. Napkin sketches can help you see what you think about a topic and make it easier to communicate your ideas to others.“

His piece is interesting, well written and extremely practical. So much in fact, this 90-second article will re-cap some of Don’s napkin sketch tips.

1. Realize ugly is beautiful.
– Crude, ugly and wobbly are okay. If the idea captured is valid, you’ll have time later to make it beautiful.

2. Master the basics.
– If you can draw a half-dozen simple shapes you’re ready to take on almost any topic.

3. Use labels.
– Include lots of labels and notes so things will make sense to you when reviewed at a later date.

4. Keep it simple.
– In general, leave out any detail that will not be missed.

5. Be consistent.
– Avoid variations that don’t mean anything.

6. Break some rules.
– Don’t worry about keeping things in the “right” scale.

7. Let your arrows speak.
– Pointing arrows are the verbs in a napkin sketch.

8. Use the right tools.
– Use whatever surface is available – paper, whiteboard, small note-paper etc.

9. Don’t keep the napkin on your lap.
– Don’t hide your sketches in a file folder. Make them visible and share them with teammates.

Find the article here

8 Irresistible Principles of Fun

8 is by Michael Stanier whose mission is to infect a billion people with the possibility virus. Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of "Box of Crayons" and created this brief movie as part of this plan. Just watching it brightened my day.

Watch "The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun" and then sign up for Michael's newsletter on the last screen.

But lets face it, they like Gore

Ross Campbell discusses his hopefully-upcoming release of his zombie graphic graphic novel The Abandoned. Described by the cartoonist as a "zombie story that's not about killing zombies", it features the type of lushly characterized (and drawn) individuals that Campbell has become known for, as their lives go head on against a zombie plague. click here for the interview

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Keep your nose clean

Remember your icky days of childhood when everything was "ewwww, gross " click here for that feeling again

Irritate Will

I know its rude, but its also fun Click here

The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.

I was visiting Gapingvoid.com a really cool site

and came across this blog

So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever.

Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:

1. Ignore everybody.

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

5. You are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.

18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don�t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

To read the entire article click here

Ordinary Creative

Q: What is creativity?

A: The process starts with a person - an artist, musician, inventor or even someone who's trying to figure out a better way of doing a task at work or at home. That person must think about the problem or their project in a novel way and then come up with a solution. The creative process can go by in a flash or it can take years. But the end result, Andreasen says, is the production of something new and useful, such as the automobile, or beautiful, such as a painting by Vincent van Gogh.

click here to read more

Creative Solutions

HIV/Aids comic book for the deaf in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG,- Using illustrations of South African Sign Language instead of speech bubbles, a new comic book is reaching out to the deaf community with messages about HIV and AIDS, sexual violence and sexual rights.

The 14-page 'Are Your Rights Respected?' follows a group of friends attending deaf school as they learn about their sexuality, how to protect themselves from HIV, their rights to health and education, and how to deal with sexual abuse

click here for entire article

Lets Play

Hand written Clock
Are you a crafts person sick of technology getting in the way of progress? Then here is the time piece for you
click here

The Lorenz Butterfly

The Lorenz butterfly is significant becasue it illustrates the concept of "sensitive dependence upon initial conditions." What am I talking about?

Click here

My how times have changed

Self-defence with a Walking-stick:

The Different Methods of Defending Oneself with a Walking-Stick or Umbrella when Attacked under Unequal Conditions (PartI)

From Pearson’s Magazine, 11 (January 1901), 35-44.

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