It’s been a full year tonight since I sat here at my open-air office by the waves at the end of Copacabana and wrote a blog while waiting for the year 2008 to end. Another calander year has gone by now and here I sit again, taking stock of all of this last year’s accomplishments, blessings, victories and changes, and giving thanks to the good spirits of Truth and Awareness, Honesty and Faith that have brought me and my loved ones through another Apocalyptic year safe, happy, healthy and well-provided for in body, mind and spirit.

I’ve spent the last week pretty much as usual, sitting here and at home happily doing what I love to do — writing and working on new books for an average of 12 hours a day. I need to give special thanks here to those of my friends, fans and supporters who have helped me out this year — especially my patrons, those who have generously put their money where their mouths are this year and supported me financially, thereby enabling me to continue my work, even in the midst of this present shit-sucking dumbed-down climate of mass mediocrity in the popular arts and the drier-than-ever-before media and mass communication channels on which our art sadly depends.

This year I’m not gonna name any names, since those of you who’ve been trudging this stinking battlefield with me for so long already know who you are. So this is just a hastily scrawled note from the far end of Copacabana to let you know that when the fireworks blast overhead at midnight, I will be standing in the warm summer waves saying a prayer of thanks and appreciation with all of you in mind, and wishing you tenfold all the prosperity, abundence, inspiration and love we all so surely deserve in the challenging year to come.

Salve Ogum!
Peace n Love.
JS