Dateline, 2004. The place, Chicago, the windy city, the city of broad shoulders, the city so nice, they named it, once. This news story starts where every story stars for this intrepid reporter, on the street after a four day bender of beef jerky and swizzle sticks. I was walking down the street when suddenly a huge gust of wind, that could only be described as a "swoosh" knocked me off my feet. Of course I looked up to see what it was. Was it a bird? No. A plane? Not really. A flying nun? Maybe. No it was a flying man! Just then, a little girl standing next to me said: "it's Fearless Leader, fearless leader of the Flying Bat Monkeys!"

What the? Am I dreaming? Who the hell was this little girl talking about? Was she insane? Was she dropped on her head? And why was she still standing and I was on the ground kissing the dirt? Who is "Fearless Leader" and what is a flying bat monkey?

I remembered the rumors I've been hearing at the local pubs about a group of flying justice type friends battling the evils of our great city. Stories that never made the evening news, most likely due to some sort of governmental conspiracy. Stories of a group in mortal combat with a giant sock monkey that was reeking havoc on the north side, apparently sent by a mysterious man only known as "the Texan".

I resolved to get to the bottom of this, find out who these people where, and why I had never heard of them before. I went straight to the top, city hall, and asked our esteemed mayor what he knew about these flying bat monkeys. After a short and rather uncomfortable silence, his honor the mayor just screamed "security" and this reporter was thrown out of city hall. Now I was sure I was on to something, the city knows something it wants kept secret.

This intrepid reporter will not rest until he finds out more on this bizarre story, unless he gets tired and needs a nap.

I've been having a creative block of some sorts for the past few weeks. It couldn't come at a worse time seeing as though I have many creative endeavors on the horizon and little time to finish stuff.

It's time to crank out some of the new cards I've been talking about, but some of the other stuff might not be ready for the November shows. That will suck, because I really want to have the Christian Inaction Figures out for the Art Vs. Craft show and the DIY trunkshow. I just placed the order for the packaging today, meaning a thousand plastic bags to put wooden dolls, sorry, inaction figures, in. I really hope I can crank out some of these for some blatant self promotion.

So, I have work up at Gallery 219 in Barrington, as you my well know. The opening was a somewhat low key affair, meaning not many people were in attendance. I am not sure why, maybe many things, one being the location of the gallery right next to a construction site making parking a nightmare, I don't know. Anyway, it was fun and all, but I really think I need to find a space to put stuff up in Chicago.

I was told today that I need to write more. Of course that is what I have been trying to do, write, but it's not really working. I can't seem to get any ideas down, or at least not the whole idea. I started a story last week for some reason that I can not remember, but it's not all there. It sounds great in my head, or in the van when I'm driving, but when it comes to "paper" it doesn't seem to work.

I should just work on it some more and put it up on this. The story of The Flying Bat Monkeys.

Maybe before the end of the month, if I get some of the other crap done first.

I saw her looking at me. I think she was. I'm not sure if it was me. She seemed bothered, as if the event was going on far to long, lacking an end. She was sitting with her friend, a woman who was talking up everyone but her, she seemed less than trilled by this as she looked up every once in a while. I didn't want to look at her, every time I did she caught me, like a glance but uncomfortable. I would look but try to hide it, with unlucky results.

I feel crowded.

Sometimes I wish for total silence.

I never know if someone is looking at me or someone just behind me, this tends to happen often, or at least with a great deal of frequency.

My desire for silence doesn't lend its self to the places I go.

Loud, filled with people and smoke.

But I am cold.

So, the tempo of doom is on it's death march. It would seem that the thing I call a car is going to die at some point in the near future due to a gasket problem that isn't worth fixing, according to my mechanic. I am not sure what to make of this, is it a good thing, something that will make me get a vehicle of some worth? Something I don't have to worry about? I doubt it, I'll most likely just get something that gets me to work and back, until the time comes to get something real.

This comes at the worst time, with the Art vs. Craft show and DIY Trunkshow just around the corner, I need to focus on those things and not car junk. The only good thing that's happening would be the work van. My boss is letting me use it for the time being, so that's cool, I just can't really go anywhere far off and distant for awhile. No big.

So, the last post was all about a short film I found on atom films, but of course to be cool and all gangsta, I decided to use the The Snoop Dogg Shizzolator and therefore screwed up the link. I think I should just stick to what I do best, whatever that may be.

The short film, is a gangsta rap about the Star Wars trilogy. I thought it was hilarious so I decided to share with everyone .

Anyway, it's time to make cards and displays for the upcoming shows in November. I will be debuting some new cards that I hope everyone will like, some will be a change from what people are used to, just some nice cards that my grandfather designed. I will have a bunch of new cards that I've made over the last year or so, and I hope everyone will be able to find something they love and keep me in the fabulous lifestyle I've grown accustomed too.