Ok, so I have put this off long enough. As you may have noticed, my comic has officially ended. You may also have noticed the massive uproar in the online webcomic community over my retirement. No? Well, neither have I. I love making a webcomic. I love writing it, drawing it, and delivering it to loyal fans. The problem with me is that I lose interest over a certain amount of time. I have learned something about myself, and that is that I cannot work with a schedule. Forcing myself to create something funny at 2am just doesn't cut it. I suppose I am the type who chooses to create sporadically, rather than regularly.

So I decided that I should call it quits before I am disappointing anyone. I mean, I'm sure there aren't a lot of regular viewers of this comic that I don't know personally. So if you want something funny from me, then next time you see me, ask for a joke or something, I don't know.

The idea of a Podcast has been talked about a lot lately. I purchased a microphone for $9.99 at Staples, and would you believe that it didn't work? When I pay under $10 for something as complicated as an electronic microphone, I expect only the best! I am appalled. Ok, so I'm not shocked, and not really angry either. I will be exchanging it for yet another $10 one, and hopefully it will be functional. If all goes as planned, then "Radio Respond" will be hitting the online airwaves, so to speak, within the next few weeks. Be prepared for nerdiness of gigantic proportions. Once we get it set up, and the site is official, then I'll link it here. After that, hopefully it will be my new home to write my ramblings and thoughts. Who knows, there me even be a comic every now and then.

-Matty
p.s. "Radio Respond" or "Respond Radio"? Which is better?

Sorry guys, but there is going to be no comic today. Right now my brain is completely empty. I have several ideas for a comic, but I keep scrapping them. My brain is so empty at this point, I don't see the use in creating a comic from a mediocre script. I will definitely have one up on Monday, and hopefully it will be so funny it will make up for this. I apologize.

I decided I should at least give you guys a blog entry, so here goes. Biggest thing on my mind right now? The new album by Coheed & Cambria. If you haven't heard of this band, this would be a great CD to start with. I have anticipated this CD ever since I became hooked on their previous one. I have waited patiently for their latest arrival to drop, and I can honestly say the waiting was not in vain. There is something for everybody in this album. There are the soft, melodic tracks that weave light guitar playing with Claudio's gentle voice. There are the epic tracks with their insane guitar riffs and Claudio screaming as loud as possible. Then there are the experimental tracks, which any Coheed find will find surprisingly new and interesting. With the addition of a keyboardist on this CD, Coheed has managed to cross over into the realms of even more intricate prog-rock that is shockingly similar to mesmerizing work of Pink Floyd. I hate to compare anybody to Pink Floyd, because there is really no band that is worthy of such a comparison. Coheed might come close, and that is reason enough why you should buy this CD.

What else is there? Oh yeah, the Revolution controller has been talked about a lot over the past week. I suppose I'll chime in as well. When I first saw the design of the new controller, my initial reaction was anger and Disgust. Nintendo fans have had to deal with awful controller designs such as this for many years now, and this controller, erm, remote, might just be the next entry into the list. Then I saw the commercial, and my opinion began to change slightly. Apparently the controller has sensors in it that can gauge how far it is from the TV, what angle it is being held at, how fast it is swinging, etc. This opens up many new realms in gaming, and more specifically, mini-gaming. If this design ends up working as well as I think it might, it will be, well, a "Revolution" in gaming. IF anything, you have to respect Nintendo for trying to bring the world of video games into a whole new direction. It is this kind of innovation that makes them great. They look at the industry and think not how they can improve on it, but how they can completely change it. Sony and Microsoft are great at what they do, and that is entertainment. Nintendo is great at what they do, and that is video gaming.

-Matty

( Le Comique )

Ok, enough with the French. I'm sure I have butchered the language enough. I know some of my viewers are semi-fluent in the language, so I welcome all criticisms. The word used was mime, I believe it was suggested by Kato. I don't know what my intentions were in the last comic. I can assure you that they were somehow lost in the late-night process of creating said comic. I'm kinda disappointed in it, but hey, what can I do? I know! Move on to one I enjoy, like today's. It is this kind of non-topical random comic that makes working several hours in Adobe Illustrator totally worth it for me.

I would like to post about how much I've been loving my journeys into the world of Podcasting, but my excursions have been limited to the lands of GeeksOn alone, so I feel my opinion on the entire landscape is sort of moot. For a more comprehensive look at Podcasting, check out Jon's post about it. The top post should be about his latest mix, and the podcasting stuff is under that. But make sure not to overlook what he has created with his "twin spinning-steel-chakras". Hey, don't look at me, I didn't make that term up. If you're into the gayest music in the world, aka French House, check it out.

My mind is sort of devoid of interesting topics right now, so I'll just leave you with a picture and a video. Enjoy!

-Matty
p.s. I love French House, and I don't care who knows.

( Tremendous Two: Electric Boogaloo )

I had some really eloquent essay written out about how much I hate candy corn. Really, I swear, it was pretty sweet. But because my computer is from the Gayzor Mountains, my browser crapped out on me and I lost the whole thing. I'll sum it up. Basically, I don't know how candy corn is still being sold. I also don't understand people who claim to actually like this junk. It appears every year in bowls everywhere. On kitchen counters, coffee tables, it doesn't matter. When the temperature begins to cool, this confection is conjured from the darkest of nether worlds by the most evilest of spirits. How else could it be so powerfully alluring? Even I, who sit here and proclaim my mounting hatred for this "candy", will find myself eating it at some point this year. I may even enjoy two or three. But then it's sickly sweet poison will numb my mouth and burn my throat, and I will once again be left with the clearest of conclusions: candy corn sucks.

I am beginning to believe Mr. Louis Black when he says: "Candy Corn is the only candy in the history of America that's never been advertised. And there's a reason. All of the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1911."

For some reason, super heroes and villains have facial features. Don't ask me to explain how their topsy-turvy world operates. It is very late, and I am very tired. See you all in the comments section!

-Matty

p.s. What is your favorite candy to get on Halloween?

( Lines Are Open )

Whoops, sorry, I forgot to use a word this week. Actually, looking back on the comic, I can't see how I could fit any of them in. Oh well, maybe I'll incorporate one of them into the next comic.

I was going to link the video, but I'm assuming by now that you have all seen it. If not, just do a google search for "Kanye West George Bush". The best part of the video is the reaction of Mike Myers. I would only recommend watching it for that reason. Now, I wouldn't say that I necessarily disagree with the comments made by Mr. West, not entirely anyways. I certainly disagree with the forum, however. Instead of the phone lines at the telethon being flooded(might be a bad word to use) with donations, they were filled with people complaining about West's statements. It's unfortunate. Listen, I pay entertainers to do one thing, and that's entertain me. If you feel that passionate about something, that's fine, but please don't use your opinion to derail a telethon that is helping such an important cause. Stick to what you know best, and produce a song about it or something. Oh and Mr. West, as for your question regarding the amount you can donate, I believe the answer is 100%.

-Matty

p.s. Did you get that thing I sent you?

( Ninja Blanco )

Yeah, so I decided to cut the storyline short. I couldn't think of an ending that would be climactic and funny, so I went with a whole other concept. Some of you may be wondering who the alabaster-colored character who has trained in the martial arts is. This strip is one that I will be submitting to the website White Ninja Comics. Hopefully, they will enjoy it enough to post it in their guest strip section. If you have never heard of them. you should go check them out. It is totally random, often strange, but always hilarious. He updates every Tuesday and Saturday, always on time, unlike me ;)

Hopefully, if you are a regular reader, you will notice a drastic change in the artwork in this comic. For the backgrounds, I used real images and adjusted the colors, contrast, and such. It was suggested by a friend, and I hope you guys like it. It actually makes creating the comics easier for me, and I think it looks a hell of a lot better. Make sure to leave feedback on what you think of the comic itself, as well as the new look. I didn't use a word this week, I'm sorry. Suggest bunches of new words for Monday's comic. Oh yeah, and I got my car back. You can now celebrate.

-Matty

P.S. ( 7 Things )

( He's a tiny tiny man )

This comic continues the story from the past 2 comics. I figured, I attacked Scientology, why not one of its most annoying supporters? Sorry there is so much text here. I either have to start making my comics larger, or just write less. The last 3 frames are pretty full. There really wasn't anything interesting drawn in there, so I guess it doesn't matter. The word used was "disturbance".

I really can't begin to describe the shame and anger I've been feeling lately over what's going on down in LA. You saw all those great videos of the convoys moving in, full of food, water and medical supplies? It certainly makes for good publicity, but the truth is, it is still utter CHAOS there. They have literally imprisoned dozens of thousands of people inside that stadium. There are troops positioned that are blocking their exit. They are shooting people who try. They are trapped inside that stadium with little to no supplies, no clean water, no sanitary bathroom facilities. How the hell can this happen in this country?! Even the journalists are starting to rebel. Check out the videos here. There are people getting killed, raped, robbed, and it just goes on and on. Children without food, without water to bath in. The people there describe the stench of disease and death in the air. I don't know what it is going to take for our wonderful government to step into action and DO SOMETHING. Then Bush has the audacity to make an analogy of this tragedy, comparing it to Trent Lott's porch being rebuilt. Pardon my language but...

WHAT THE FUCK? DO SOMETHING! Watch the videos on that page, they pretty much say it all; "Let these people leave!"

-Matty

p.s. Here is an interesting tidbit. Want to know what the chief of FEMA, the organization responsible for botching any chance of rescuing these people, did for his last job before being fired? Well courtesy of the Boston Herald:

"Before joining the Bush administration in 2001, (Mike) Brown spent 11 years as the commissioner of judges and stewards for the International Arabian Horse Association, a breeders' and horse-show organization based in Colorado."

Someone please explain to me how a man who got fired from a job judging horses is now the chief of managing federal emergencies. Oh, wait:

"Soon after (being fired), Brown was invited to join the administration by his old Oklahoma college roommate Joseph Allbaugh, the previous head of FEMA until he quit in 2003 to work for the president's re-election campaign."

Ah, old college buddies, I understand. Welcome to the American government.

( Hitch a Ride )

I'm sort of starting on a small storyline here. If it ends up being stupid, I'll just scrap the idea. I don't want a story if the individual comics aren't going to be funny on their own. I think this one is. It continues the tragic tale of the two men from the gas station last week. Word used was "advanced", although you can only see half of it. Entire thing done in Illustrator. I still have to use Photoshop, but now it's only to convert the image to a .jpg

Should be getting my car back today, which makes me quite happy. I'll gladly trade a F350 for a Focus, especially with gas currently at $3.29 per gallon. I'm sure by the time you read this, it will have gone up.

So it turns out that the hurricane I mentioned last week actually turned into a big deal. I don't know if any of you have heard about it. All jokes aside, this is a very serious matter, even if the president feels it isn't enough to take him away from his vacation. New Orleans, and much of the surrounding areas, are devastated. It's complete chaos and anarchy, and frankly, just thinking about what those people are going through makes me sick. If you're donating money, make sure you know who it's going to, and how much of it is going to them. Sadly enough, there are people using this opportunity to scam those willing to give. If you're religious, then pray, pure and simple. I'm out.

-Matty

( Please insert arm & leg )

Someone suggested 'gas station' and it worked well, since I have had this idea rolling around in my head for a few weeks. I also managed to work 'hypochondriac' into the comic. Entire comic was done in Illustrator this time, which explains the new shape of the speech bubbles. I'm not making it a rule or anything, but I would suggest that everyone leave a name with their comment. I like to keep track of who is suggesting what. I know some of my readers are my personal friends and acquaintances, but a lot of you are random people that heard about this site in one way or another. If you don't feel comfortable about that, and prefer to live in anonymity, that's cool too.

I get really tired of the way our media sensationalizes pretty much ever story that they come across. I just saw a headline on the CNN website that says "Katrina May Be Our Tsunami". Ok, first off, they always exaggerate every natural weather phenomenon that hits us. First, they're comparing it to one of the worst natural disasters to date, one that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Next, it will be downgraded, but still dangerous. They'll have that poor sap out there in front of the camera, soaking wet, while palm trees wave and thrash in the wind behind him. To their disappointment, it will end up being a mediocre tropical storm. But that won't stop them, oh no. They'll scour neighborhoods for any possible tragedy, anything. It could be a missing dog, maybe a tree that hit a house. They'll find something horrible and attempt to turn it into ratings. Those whores. Don't pay too much attention to what they tell you.

Or, to quote Coheed: "Don't let them scare you..."

-Matty

p.s. comment!

( Feel it )

I am quite satisfied with the way this comic turned out. Not so much the content, which I will elaborate on later on the post, but the manner in which I produced it. I started the comic on Wednesday when I wrote the script and started basic drawing in Illustrator. I finished up minor details of drawing on Wednesday night as well. Then on Thursday, I imported it into Photoshop where I added all the text and speech bubbles. Just the fact that I started and finished the comic well before my deadline is surprising to me. I am usually so last minute when I work on a project. The word was suggested by Mark, and it was "Conundrum". The content, well, let's discuss that.

The comic, which I will say is a blatant exaggeration, is in reference to a story you have probably heard by now. Now, I'm not going to say that I necessarily disagree with the statements Robertson made. I agree with him on the fact that to assassinate an unruly dictator is much quicker and better overall for our country than to send an entire army in to attempt to take the man in. We all know how well that has worked out for us in Iraq. What I disagree on is the fact that Robertson is making these statements as a self-proclaimed teacher of God and leader of the American Christians. That is where he made his mistake. When you step up to the podium and proclaim the right to speak in the name of God, you are opening yourself up to massive, and well-deserved, scrutiny. It's not so much the comments themselves that bothered me, it's how Robertson and his PR cronies dealt with the animosity towards him. What did they do? They lied, plain and simple. Robertson quickly released a statement in which he never actually intended to mean "assassinate" when he said our troops should "take him out". However, if you look at the quote from his show, he clearly stated: "If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it."


Colossians 3:9-10: "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."

I understand that I am not the perfect Christian. There are times when I am hypocritical and untrue to what the word of God says. I am a man born into sin, and I work every day to break away from its sickening grip. However, if I were to step up and grab the reigns of Christian leadership, I would understand that my words and my actions have a profound influence not only on the Christians that follow me, but also on those that don't, and those who aren't even Christians. Christianity has acquired this image associated with the right-winged political agenda of America. I can understand how those on the outside would be skeptical about stepping into this religion. When you're looking at the faces of people like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Benny Hinn, skepticism is hard to avoid. I just hope and pray that people realize the only person who could every truly represent this beautiful faith is the man who started it all, Jesus Christ. Instead of turning on your TV, open up the bible and read what he has to say. There lie all the answers you will ever seek.

-Matty

p.s. I understand that in the Bible it clearly states I should not judge my fellow man, but leave that judgment to God Himself. Oh well, call me a hypocrite.

( Another Tuesday Comic )

There it is, finally, at last, once and for all. You guys have no idea how stressed out this comic made me. I was on the verge of taking some sort of large object and impaling my computer with it. Ok, the first error, about the internet being down, was out of my control. Then when I tried to upload the image earlier this morning, it wouldn't work. I got home about an hour ago, and began trying to remedy the situation. I was just about to break open my skull and pick through my brain for the solution to my problem, when I thought I would check what color mode the picture was in. There lied the answer I sought. Somehow, the image got switched to "CMYK" mode, which the internet browser cannot interpret. This is how they color most paper goods, apparently. For instance, look on the bottom of any juice box and you will see a box with 4 colors in it. That means it was colored using CMYK. Anyways, I changed the mode to the standard "RGB", and my battle with the comic was over.

So yeah, this comic is a result of me being stressed, tired, and empty-headed. I was in a serious writer's block, and the only word that came to my head wasn't really a word, but a name. "Moth" was how Marth Vader signed her name, and I thought it might make a cute and funny comic to show two moths interacting. I also threw in Jon's suggestion of "Miasma". I chose to use the definition meaning "surrounded/clothed in", instead of the "putrid, disease-ridden gas that rises from swamps" one. The English language can be both intriguing and down right scary. Anyone familiar with Partially Clips will think that I totally ripped him off this week. I guess you would be pretty accurate in saying that :)

So Jon has spoken to me about participating in a Podcast with himself, and his friend (also named Jon) who runs Boots and Pup. I was sort of reluctant at first, but have been coming around. It has always been a fantasy of mine, being on a radio show, and this is quite similar. What does everyone else think?

-Matty

( Incest is Best )

Well, the word was "Inbreeding". I thought all day about how the heck I was going to make this topic funny for all my fans, and ten minutes before starting the comic I came up with the idea. I think it's probably the best I could have done with the content.

So I'm in a state of deep depression right now. The new Zelda has been delayed until next year. I will really looking forward to this game occupying a lot of my time this coming Fall. Looks like we'll all be waiting a while for the next installment of this wonderful series. It's funny how remarkably similar most Zelda games are. They all seem to follow the same formula. You fight bosses almost exactly alike, you use the same weapons, and sometimes even similar musical instruments. At the same time, I would never think of this repetitive template in a bad way. They make it work, over and over again. Talking about Zelda makes me even more sad that the new one isn't due out this year. Oh well. Being a fairly new Zelda fan, there are still plenty of titles for me to dive into while I wait it out. I am currently playing Ocarina of Time whenever I find, well, the time. It is truly an enjoyable game, once you get used to using the LAME N64 controller. What is it with Nintendo and terrible controllers? Anyways...

I'm driving a huge truck now, which totally sucks with gas being so high. I mean, really, it is getting ridiculous. I drove by a cheap gas station today and there was a line longer than I had ever seen there. It's starting to get scary. Maybe we should follow through on this plan. hehe.

-Matty

p.s. I'm no longer going to accept just the first word suggestion, but the BEST one. So everyone should post a word, if they want, and I will pick which one I can make an amusing comic from. Thanks.

( Happy Belated Comic! )

The comic has finally arrived, a day late of course, but it is here none the less. I based the comic off of the illustrious Marth Vader's suggestion of "bad pick up lines" for a topic. I found time, at last, to sit down and brainstorm. I am quite satisfied with the humor in this one. Hope you enjoy Martha.

Speaking of funny comics, everyone here should swing by Rob and Elliot Comics. They are part of a collection of comic sites, named Boxcar Comics, which the previously mentioned Yirmumah also belongs to. Give them a look. I read through the entire archive today and was pleased with everything I saw. It's been a while since I consistently laughed that loudly from a web comic.

Speaking of plugging things, I would like to have a word with anyone who is still using Internet Explorer as their default browser. Anyone who has moved on to the wonderful world of tabbed browsing, you may skip to the next paragraph. So for you IE users, I have wonderful news. There is hope for a better internet browsing experience. There is a program called Firefox. I was originally going to explain all of the benefits that Firefox has to offer, but honestly, there are just too many. So I'll just let you know you have other options when browsing the web. IE does not have to be the only choice. With Firefox, everything is fully customizable. You can download extensions and themes to make the program work exactly like YOU want. My favorite extension is adblock, which allows you to right click any image on a page and block it permanently. This is great for those annoying flash ads. Basically, Firefox just makes browsing the web so much safer and easier. And the best part, it's 100% free! So what are you waiting for? Make the Move!

Can't wait until that check from Firefox comes in the mail:p

My car is still in the shop, and I have borrowed a family member's car for the time being. I am very pumped that Sin City comes out later today. Saw it twice in the theater, can't wait to watch it many many more times in the comfort of my room. Thank you all for waiting patiently for me to update, and don't forget to leave your comments. Most importantly, don't forget to suggest a word. Peace.

-Matty

( The inevitable 1337 )

Yeah, it was bound to happen, a comic that appeals to "t3h u83r 1337" out there. Ok, that's enough, I'm tired of typing in 1337. Honestly, how do you geeks do it? Sorry Mark, I know waffles were hardly the focal point of the comic. But hey, they were in there, so don't go complaining. There were a few obscure references in there, I hope you guys got them.

I have a site that I think everyone should check out. It is called Orisinal, and it is a directory of many wonderful games created by a man named Ferry Halim. Play them all. They are pretty much all fun, time consuming, and contain great music.

My car is still in the shop, and I'm driving around in a rental now. It will be interesting to see my car when it's all fixed up, I can't wait. I've had some bad news come my way regarding school, and I hope I will be still be attending in the Fall. I want nothing more than to be at school in a month. Any prayers from my readers on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for reading.

-Matty

p.s. A Prawn is a small crustacean, similar to a shrimp. For anyone confused on frame 5...

( Taste It! )

I have to give a big thanks to Halo Babies for posting my site on their front page. I can't believe I didn't include them in my comic list from Friday. Halo Babies is really where my journey into web comics began. It's simplicity and innocence, combined with the kind of humor only a Halo fan could think up, makes it superb. Be sure to check it out. Also, thanks go out to all the members of the HBN community who came here and commented. That is truly what makes Halo Babies great, the loyal fans it has gathered over the few years it has been up and running. You guys are all great.

Now for the personal stuff. My car is in the shop, getting the front end damage fixed. So I'm kinda trapped in my room for a few days. I got nervous earlier when my internet went down. I expected raining frogs or swarms of locusts to follow, but alas, it was simply a disconnected cord. Oh, the emotional ups and downs of a white suburban teenager in America. I am so damn spoiled. Enjoy the comic, based off of Jon's suggestion from Friday. It's also the first comic in the series to include shades of gray. It's very high-tech.

-Matty

p.s. don't forget to suggest a new word for me to base a comic off of

( New Comic )

Sorry Kate, it's the best I could do.

I really wanted to work the word violence more thoroughly into a comic, but this is what I came up with. Upon reviewing the archives of CtrlAltDel's website, one can find the past 28 comics are about some stupid robot running amok in the characters' house. With a tri-weekly comic, that means over 9 weeks were spent panning out a story that will probably never have a definitive ending, and will most definitely not become funny at any point. Now, I understand I live in a pretty big glass house here. My comic has an extremely, and I stress that word with all my might, small fan base, and is created using clip art. I probably shouldn't be judging anybody elses comic so harshly. But here it goes anyways:

Your comic BLOWS

There, I said it. Now go pick up a job that will keep you so busy that you must give up your passion for creating a web comic. Trust me, the world will thank you. Here are some comics that know what they're doing:

The overall favorite: Penny Arcade(Updated MWF)
The strangest: White Ninja(Updated Tues + Sat)
The hardest working: Yirmumah(Updated M-F!)
The just plain funny: Perry Bible Fellowship(Updated Sundays)
The best artwork: Apple Geeks(Updated occasionally)

p.s. This is some girl's favorite comic.

( New Comic )

I really enjoyed making a more lighthearted, random comic today. The new system I have decided to work off of is this: Whoever comments on my comic the first each time I update can suggest a word, just one, and I will attempt to make a funny comic out of that one word. My good friend Samus suggested the word "tremendous" to me today, and I based the latest comic off of it. Well, loosely based. I hope you all enjoy it.

I realize that as of yet, I have not thanked some of the great websites that make this comic possible. First and foremost, my gratitude goes to The Open Clipart Library for compiling a great collection of clipart and offering it to the public, free of charge. The vast majority of what you see in my comics comes from the "signs & symbols" portion of their collection. Seeing this collection inspired me to create this comic. I would also like to thank ImageShack for their wonderful site, which hosts my comics free of charge. If you ever want an image uploaded and hosted on the web, I suggest them. Of course I also would like to thank LiveJournal, and the great and varied members of its community. I feel a link here would be futile, seeing as how you are already here.

That's pretty much it. I've been keeping busy this week, and as you can see by the time of this post, staying up late so that I can have a fresh comic for you every Monday and Friday morning. I feel with my comic, as with bowel movements, that regularity is one of the most crucial aspects for success. I sometimes feel frustrated when I think of what a small audience I have. Although, if I make one person laugh, honestly, that makes it worth it for me. Still, I am urging anyone that enjoys this comic to please leave a comment on it, spread the word, and if you have LiveJournal, add me to your friends list. If you're first to comment, don't forget to suggest a word for Friday.

-Matty

( New Comic )

Yeah, that's me posting at 4am. I decided it would be better to have the comic ready now, then to have to complete it in the morning, and have it to you guys late.

The comic is in relation to a post made recently over at HBO (Halo.Bungie.Org). For those of you too lazy to click on the link, I'll explain what happened, and what my opinion on the matter is. Basically, there is a company who loved Halo so much, they decided to create replicas of "Mjolnir" armor that Master Chief sports. Now, these things are uncanny, completely realistic down to every detail (visually). It was interesting to see images of Master Chief hanging out at the mall, or appearing on field during a football game. Just walking around in these suits, these guys helped to create so much publicity for the game, as well as the company that funded its production, Microsoft.

"Nightmare Armor", the company that creates the suit, began selling them publicly a while ago. They run around 3,000, which is nothing the average Halo fan can afford. So it's not like these things were being mass produced and sold by the dozen, not by a LONG shot. All was going fine for a while, until Microsoft all of a sudden ordered a cease and desist on the company. Let me get this straight, you have this huge fan base, and huge income, from a game you funded and helped produce. Some guy loves the game SO much that he spends multiple hours building a monument to it. One would think Microsoft would be honored, but no. They would gladly give up a dedicated customer, simply because they feel they are somehow losing money in the situation, which they are not. It never ceases to amaze me how these companies can constantly spit in the face of the very people that keep them alive.

In the first 24 hours of Halo 2's release date, 2.4 million copies were sold world wide. That means they also have to had owned an Xbox at time of purchase. Considering the lowest current price of the console itself is $150, and the lowest costing version of Halo 2 was $50, then each person had to spend AT LEAST $200 a piece. That equals $480 billion. Now, I'm sure that it might be less, but remember, this doesn't include those that bought the deluxe edition of Halo 2, or the original Xbox at $300, so it could also be more.

$480 billion dollars in 24 hours. And you guys are worried about a $3,000 suit?

ridiculous

( The Ban )

Today's comic attempts to make an issue I feel very serious about look slightly funny. I hope it serves its purpose. In the state of Massachusetts, smoking is currently prohibited in all public restaurants and bars. Ok, first off, I might be able to understand it in restaurants. I know that I find the smell of cigarettes to be slightly nauseating when I am about to dive into a fresh meal. Take note, however, that this is only in those restaurants whose size is so small that it renders having two separate sections, one for smoking and one for non, completely obsolete. So I could understand that in order to create a general rule, the ban of smoking in restaurants makes sense. But in bars?! I mean c'mon, who is looking for a safe and healthy time when they enter into a place designed to get people completely intoxicated at a ridiculously inflamed price? I believe, as with many other issues, that the government needs to step back a little and let the people decide what they want. Let private business owners decide if they want to allow their customers to smoke, and let people decide whether or not they want to be exposed to said smoke. Maybe it's just the libertarian in me, but imagine a system in which the people decide what is right for themselves and the government helps carry that decision through. Now there's a word for that, and it's on the top of my tongue...nevermind.

Don't let my ramblings fool you, I love this country. I thank God every day for being born in a place where not only do I have the right to voice my opinion, I have the time and money to post those opinions on a website that is viewable practically the whole world over. Also, I am not really a smoker, so don't think my views are terribly biased. Well, maybe a little bit:)

Big thanks to Jon for the inspiration for today's comic.

So I've decided that in order to really interest anyone, I should be updating my comics at least twice a week. This should prove fairly simple to do, considering how easy it is for me to create my comics. It is really only the writing, coming up with ideas, that takes some time for me. The first comic, I'll admit, was somewhat lackluster. It was a simple attempt at working with the materials I had, and a script that I thought up on the spot. Today's comic is a much better display of what happens when I try to convey funniness in the form of an image and speech bubbles. I hope you all enjoy it.

( The Craze )

Now, here's the part where I elaborate on the subject of today's post, and include mundane activitites of my recent week, hoping you will all be captivated by the utter simplicity that is my life:

Hot Pockets can easily become a false idol. It's dangerous, because when you are living on about 4 or 5 bucks a day, they are perfectly ideal. I find myself surrounded by these frozen treats, trying to pick which delectable flavor I will dive into next. I think I am beginning to understand why so many people get fatter as they get older. The more bills I seem to acquire, the cheaper and crappier I eat. Hopefully, some day, I will be able to get back into my routine of eating a nice cheesy pizza accompanied by a tasty lager. Come to think of it, I never really ate that healthy.

Finished the new Harry Potter on Wednesday. At first, I thought that maybe this was to be my new favorite, but now I don't know. I think Azkaban is still #1 for me, but that might all change upon a re-reading. For an excellent review, ( Check out Kato's )