Well boys and girls, it's been a while.

And I'm afraid I've got some bad news.

You see, I've finally reached a point in my life where it's no longer feasible for me to maintain a website. At least not one with frequent updates and new content.

Age, it seems, has caught up with me. I find that I no longer harbor the same enthusiasm that I once did for web design and new media.

I'm told by my elders that this is a natural progression. That other interests will soon assert themselves. And in a way, I suppose, they already have.

I now find myself endlessly fascinated by language. Specifically those of the Latin persuasion. I'm neck deep in Spanish and I anticipate that I'll eventually work my way backwards into Latin itself.

And what about that graphic novel?

Well, to be honest, you really can blame this change on that very item. It was my desire to write and illustrate a fantastic novel that has driven me all these years to improve my artistic skills and my scholarly knowledge, but in so doing I've drummed up all sorts of new interests (history, politics, geography, philosophy) and I now find myself painfully aware of just how much I don't know and completely unsure as to how to proceed.

Does that mean that I've given up on the idea entirely?

Quite the opposite. In truth I feel an overwhelming need to cocoon myself creatively so that I might make the transformation from whatever-the-Hell it is that I am now into a novelist and scholar of merit.

In other words, I need to take some time and figure out exactly what it is I want to say. And I can't do that without confronting some essential concepts that I've done a pretty good job of avoiding up until now, like spirituality, ethics, morality... The list goes on.

You see, in order for anyone to accomplish any great work one must first know precisely who they are and, more importantly, why they are doing it in the first place.

I believe this is what authors refer to as one's idiom.

When I started making websites back in the 90s I was a fiery (and relatively uneducated) twenty-something who had something to prove. But 10 years and 2 college degrees later I find that I no longer have anything to prove to anyone.

That, in and of itself, is an incredibly liberating feeling.

The other zinger is the fact that all of those years in front of a computer have taken their toll on me physically. I simply can't sit in front of a computer or a drawing desk for 10 hours straight anymore.

Nowadays, in fact, I try to spend as little time as possible in computer chairs. (Yes, even my Aeron.)

I'm currently in the process of finding a work around. Perhaps a tablet PC that will allow me to work from the couch?

But even that won't be enough to undo the damage I've already done. According to my chiropractor the only sure fire cure is exercise and plenty of healthy natural sleep. Both of which are hard to come by when you're a computer animator.

So it's back to the Dojo for more Tai-Chi and off to the pool for more laps.

All of this, of course, translates into less time at the old computer.

And did I mention my 2 jobs?

Now that I'm teaching full time at the Art Institute as well as part time at Point Park University I don't have much time to write code or draw pictures.

This also means that the freelance job I'm currently in the middle of will most likely be my last for a very long time. Again, not because I don't love doing it but because I can't physically pull off having 3 different jobs anymore.

So here I am writing this last post... Hoping that when I eventually find the time to get back to this whole writer/artist/web designer thing that there'll still be a place for me.

But for now I think I'll focus on doing what I love. Teaching and (more importantly) really being a teacher.

So please don't think I punked out. I've pushed myself to a point somewhere beyond exhaustion, where I can hear the sturdy timbers in my brain actually creak...

So... In the near future this website will be folded into my new website pixelscholar.com.

Pixel Scholar will serve primarily as an online extension of the classes that I teach. There you will find some examples of my art work but the primary content will be video tutorials, hand outs, academic schedules, etc.

You know... Teacher stuff.

I may still write the occasional essay or opinion piece, or post a new drawing or 3D model but for the most part it'll be a pretty quiet place and will hold little interest for the casual viewer.

Of course the joke here is: “So in other words it'll be the same as your old site right?”

So there you have it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to practice my Spanish.

Gracias los amigos y buonas noches.

Lately I've been trying to draw dinosaurs.

I'm specifically interested in raptors...

You can decide for yourself how close I've managed to come with these first few doodles...

It's not as though I can go to a zoo and take photos after all...

I need to get a look at one of their skulls so I can see how the head connects to the vertebrae of the neck.

It occurs to me now that I've mostly been drawing mammals my entire life.

How dull!

It's high time I branched out.

More dinos to come.

The new version of the syllabus that lists the textbooks is available by clicking here or by going to the student info section.

The syllabus for JOUR103 is now available in the student section.

That's it.

The syllabi and schedule for my winter classes at AIP are now available in the student section.

The only thing that's missing are the competencies and pre-reqs on the GAD415 syllabus.

They're coming soon.

If any of you spot any errors or omissions please let me know.

See you all next week!

P.S. I also have new photos on Flickr.

Can't really call this sketch lost. I just did it. Enjoy regardless.

Between the PS3 launch/shoot-out and the Black Friday fist-fights I have two new reasons to be ashamed of my country.

PS3s are offensively expensive and have a laundry list of technological problems and short comings and (if reviewers are to be believed) only one game that's worth playing. And if you bought one of those things and you don't have an HDTV that's capable of displaying 1080i via HDMI, uh... What the Hell is the point?

Isn't that like buying a Ferrari and politely asking the dealer to remove the standard transmission and replace it with a nice little automatic?

Look... By the time you buy the HDMI cable, second controller and a game you've spent close to a thousand dollars right?

So pony up and drop a couple grand more on an HDTV.

Vizio makes an affordable flat-panel with a decent display. Or you could be a real man/woman and get the Sony. Because you're not really complete until you own the best right? Right? That's what it's all about isn't it?

So spend sheep! Spend!

And speaking of spending...

Is it really worth the savings to be crammed into a line full of credit card junkies at 5 AM outside of a Best Buy in Kansas?

Seriously. I'm asking. What's the attraction?

Sure you save a few hundred on a television or a toaster... But... So what?

All around us we can see examples of Americans paying extra for convenience. Anyone who's paid a dollar extra for a gallon of milk at a convenience store to save themselves the drive and the hassle of going to a big-box grocery store knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Think you're different? Do you own a car? How about a Tivo? Or an Ipod or a satellite radio? Ever eat at a restaurant?

Can't take the bus? Watch shows when they're on? Listen to music on the radio? Cook a meal?

See? You do pay for convenience. Just like me. (I love my Tivo and my Ipod has become a permanent part of my anatomy...)

So why do you all throw that concept away on Black Friday? You're not gaining anything in my estimation.

As far as I'm concerned that extra two hundred I'll ultimately pay for my new television is a convenience tax paid so that I don't have to get up at 3 AM and stand in line with a bunch of spend addicts who are just dying to trample me as they bolt for the plasma displays.

I know, we all like to save money. I do too. But some things are worth the extra money (like a college education and health insurance) and ultimately if a few hundred bucks price difference is going to deter you from making a purchase then you probably shouldn't be buying the item in the first place.

But what do I know? This is just my opinion.

Hope everybody had a happy Turkey day...