I apologize for being away so long.  Lots of distractions, interruptions and frustrations.

Anyway, besides being attacked by a swarm of yellow jackets and stung multiple times, I've been a bit too busy for comfort.  That's because a lot of what I've been doing hasn't been very productive.

Still, doesn't do any good to complain, so I keep plugging away.

1) Hollywood completely baffles me.  I read my online copy of Variety every day and the studios keep funding remakes, retools of Boomer TV shows, and inane projects that just make me shake my head.  Little wonder the ticket sales (except for a very few exceptions) suck.  People are sick of the same old thing and during these tough economic times, they're not going to part with their hard-earned money on crap.  Yet I sit here with over 20 stories which would make new and entertaining movies, but can't get anybody to pay me the time of day.  And believe me, I've tried!

2) Speaking of the economy, I get to shake my head again.  Congress is the biggest joke of my lifetime and I've seen some pretty unbelievable things.  Politics aside, what a bunch of losers.  This isn't just an issue of cutting spending, reducing the deficit, or reigning in spending.  All of this bullshit comes from a bunch of overpaid morons who emit waste products every time they open their mouths.  The disparity between the rich and poor aside ( an I'm not making light of the situation), I have ZERO respect for Congress, regardless of party and wonder how much worse it will get.

3) However, I do get a thrill every Monday evening, Friday evening and Saturday, while watching my son compete with his epee in fencing.  He's really quite skilled and while having a ton of fun, Ian is improving dramatically.  He won a gold medal over the summer and always makes it into the Direct Elimination rounds, but it's more than the competition, because he has made a score of new friends and he REALLY loves the sport.  So cool.

4) Finally, there's the writing gig I do every day.  With everything else going on, it's sometimes very difficult to stay focused on my true calling.  While I admit I write a pretty solid novel and they too are improving with each project completed, so far the books aren't paying the bills.  The stress of not contributing to the bottom line really gets to me at times.  Sure, I look for employment, but there's this little voice that keeps telling me to go back to the keyboard.  I battle this every single day.

One last item.  I have created a pretty impressive Internet footprint for Thaddeus Osbert and Derek Hart.  The following does seem to being growing rapidly and I have seen an increase in book sales and overall feedback.  Nothing viral yet, but I keep striving to spark it.  I want my fans to participate more, to help this train along, but hey, they've got their distractions, interruptions, and frustrations too!