Thank you, @TomFulp.

I couldn't get in here for, what...about two weeks now. Had to make a second account just to get help since the support dept didn't respond to my e-mail. Now I have two accounts here, but if I read the rules correctly then having duplicate accounts is not kosher. So if our founder tells me to, I will deactivate the backup (@ShadeReloaded).

If he does not direct me to shut it down, then the question arises: what to do with the other account?

For that, all I've thought of is keeping any NSFW/adult stuff I make in that account, & reserving this one for other pieces...that is, for art I actually like to make. Frankly I find NSFW stuff boring at best, & crass & disgusting at worst. But if you want views then you gotta give the public what it likes. C'est la vie. All this is, of course, null & void if I must pull the plug on the other account.

So what's new with y'all?

I do hope it goes better than 2023, though I can't complain too much since the markets did better than expected overall. Enjoy the fast-n-messy hand lettering.

The infection is going away gradually. Muhammad on a tricycle, it's about fucking time. Early in November I caught a cold; then I ended 2023 with a bacterial infection in my sinuses. That wasn't the first one I've had, either. Cultivating microbes is truly my most unrecognized talent...now if only someone would pay me for it. If bacteria & viruses were profitable, my investment portfolio would be at least 20% larger than it is.

Here's some tips from the voice of experience: If you're sick, rest as much as you can. Drink tea...any kind will do. Shavings of ginger root in the water you boil to make the tea with helps reduce congestion & other symptoms. Squeeze the juice from a lemon slice or two into the cup, then throw the slice(s) in. Citrus has vitamin C in it & is good for you generally. Also, make sure you get protein in your diet. You don't need a ton of meat or to eat enough to freak out a cardiologist, just a few ounces every other day will work. And for the FSM's sake drink plenty of water--dehydration is bad enough when you're well; when you're under the weather it will mess you up. Do these things & you'll recover more quickly. You might even save yourself a trip to your GP's office.

Anyway, now that I have a bit more energy I'm working again...here & there. The sketch below was quick, with a flat nib made from a bamboo chopstick.

...still need more sleep.

In even better news in my world, there's this:

The title is self-explanatory.

All creative activity is on hold until I feel better.

Am making use of what ginger root I have left...that should help.

If you learned about it from news reports from Oct. 7th onward, you should know that this conflict did not start then. The current battle is part of a longer war. Just when the war began depends on who you ask...

Pro-Pal antizionists (& antisemites who use antizionism as a cover) claim it began in 1948 when those nasty European settler-colonialist Jews expelled the Palestinians. Most pro-Israel folk & history geeks like myself, will tell you the modern phase of the conflict began in the 1880's when Zionist movements emerged in response to persecution of Europe's Jews, particularly in France & Russia. (Some of us will also inform you that the 1948 War of Independence & the events that led to it are way more complex than "evil white bastards killed & kicked out innocent Arabs", but that's a whole 'nuther discussion)

In a wider sense, though, even the late 19th century is not a sufficient starting point. Israel, & the Levantine region, are in an unusually unfortunate location: between Europe, Africa & (Western) Asia. Several trade routes went through it; it is also not far from the Fertile Crescent--the birthplace of almost every non-Chinese empire prior to that of Rome. Because of that, well...

If you want a more historically conscious perspective, start with this:

This Land Is Mine

It doesn't give you a complete answer, but it is a good start.

I started the 9th cane build a while ago. A lonnnggg while ago. I got so much done on it then put it aside because, as we all know, life is fuckin' distracting at times. Doing other art stuff doesn't help my concentration, either... No wonder I was diagnosed with a "short attention span" when I was a kid.

Only by the merciful FSM no pharmaceutical firm had invented Ritalin before I was born. Who knows how I would've turned out if I'd been forced to take it while my brain was still growing.

Anyway, I finally got back to it last week. A few snapshots of the tip:

You can't see it here but I already put the endcap on. If the weather holds at least one day this week, I'll get more of it done. Aside from shaping the handle a bit, all that's left is a lot of sanding & then the finish.

So I'm making art again... Not every day. I try to put in some time at least twice a week, more often if my schedule & body permits it.

Uploaded something a few days ago if you haven't seen it:

Brush lettering is inherently crude but with some digital editing--& if I do it right--the result is something worthy of posting. I'll have to do a few more of those...

Lettering by hand is old-school AF. But that's me...in this modern high-tech era, I'm not a dinosaur. I am a trilobite.

Still need to do a few boat illos, & of course some eye candy. The latter is the only kinda stuff that draws attention these days.

The statement in the 2nd pic is also mine, not just the lettering.

If scam sites like A.r.twisher are gonna steal our stuff off NG & use it as bait for lure suckers in, I'm not sure if I want to keep posting my work here... Truth be told, now I'm wondering what the point is of posting it anywhere online. This is the Internet we have now, folks.

One thing I know for certain: there is no way in Elon Musk's GI tract that I will post any finished work (or even my better sketches) without watermarks, & any other digital proofs of origin I can add. They can't stop theft, true. But unless an alert thief takes the time to erase them all, they will remain as evidence of his/its misdeed the instant the image is posted elsewhere. Am sticking by this decision for the foreseeable future.

In other news, I caught a bad infection last week...still not sure what it was. Coulda been a cold or it coulda been a strain of Covid, who knows. I don't feel 100% right now but am somewhat better than I was eight days ago....still shitty, though.

...I didn't know a Frenchman could be that funny.