Archive of updates

10-28

New freewares

In case you haven't noticed, I've been adding new freeware every now and then when I find something cool, so stop on by Frisky's Freeware and see what's new.

FinderPop is back!!

Mac-users, rejoice! The little Gem FinderPop has been ported to Mac OS X, and it works great, just like you remember! The sweet customizable menu, the FinderPop Items Folder, the extra menu in the used space in the menubar, it's ALL BACK, it WORKS, and it's STILL FREE (though you can still buy Turly a pint, and I recommend that you do)!

So, stop reading this and go download FinderPop!

9-22

Visit the forums

9-22-2005

It's way too hot for September: today we have a forecast high of 94 degrees. It could be worse, of course, but I'm looking forward to those brief one or two weeks of mid 70s weather Nebraska usually gets when the season changes from roasting hell in the summer to bitter cold wasteland in the winter. And hey! Did you notice we updated again in just a day or so? Yep, being able to jump online and add a line or two right online is sure nice. Frisky found a few new games for you: Queen Firefly and Critical Mass. We also found Gizmo, and Internet telephony program like Skype, but designed to look like iChat. Go try them out, and if you like them, or have suggestions of your own, come join us in the Freeware Forum.

9-19

9-19-2005

I just discovered a great little text-editing program called Smultron that can work with Cyberduck (a free FTP client) to edit web pages right online via FTP! What does this mean? Mainly, it's going to be much easier for me to update the Frisky Freeware section, because as soon as I find some cool free program while browsing the web, I can edit it right online and update it live! I had been hoping NVU would be able to do this on a Mac, but it's still too buggy to do it right.

8-29

Hey, it's my birthday! I'm 27 years old today, and feeling younger than ever, really. I had a great time visiting with my brothers over the weekend pigging out on pizza and watching The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the original BBC miniseries that's actually much funnier than the newer movie.

If you're new to Cornstalker.com, this site's purpose is mainly to show off my portfolio, list some cool free software for the Macintosh, and showcase some other of my creative works, including some fiction I wrote in college and some of my cartoons.

The most popular section, however, is the forums, which currently host some friendly web comics from Comic Genesis.

12-25

Merry Christmas, everybody!

It's Christmas time, and Frisky has just unwrapped a very cool present for you that you won't find anywhere else on the web! It's called CalendarClock, and it replaces Apple's menubar clock with a very handy menubar and calendar clock! Why won't you find this anywhere else? Because the program got snatched up by someone else and became $20 shareware (boo hiss boo!) and then the new developer removed every free version of the program from the web! This program was so popular that other developers created clone programs in an effort to replace it. Fortunately, we still have the original, free program here for you to download and enjoy!

CalendarClock 1.0

12-24

I haven't updated this site as much as I would like. Somehow, drawing a daily webcomic has eaten up most of the time I used to spend updating Cornstalker.com, so I hope you all are enjoying Cortland, at the very least! I also keep tabs on the user forums every day, so if you find cool Freeware you'd like me to add or want to yell at me, head on over there and join!

And speaking of freeware, Frisky's found a bunch of great free software just in time for Christmas! One is a pretty cool program called ABIWord. It's an open source Word Processor with tons of features and it's compatible with Microsoft Word! It's still in its beta stages, but it still works very well and it's definitely worth a look. Also be sure to grab the free anti-virus program, clamXav, a side-scrolling shooter game called Icarus, and NVU, a sweet WYSIWYG HTML editor.

What else is new, you ask? Well, here's something kind of interesting. Below is a picture of our family taken Christmas of 2003. I'm the blimp in the middle.

Notice anything different, like say, the mysterious abscence of about 85 pounds? (OK, so I have an apple on my head, too. It's a Cortland apple, by the way, and I took this picture to post on the Keenspace forums.) But anyway, I lost a whole lot of weight this year and it was so friggin' easy that I'm almost embarassed to mention it. I still have more to lose, but after spending most of my life overweight it's pretty cool to be heading in the right direction.

11-2

Hi, everybody. If you visit our site very often, you know that I don't usually get overtly political all that often, but for one day, I thought I'd vent a bit and let me vote be heard! I hope you don't mind. I'd personally like to piss off Bin Laden and give Bush four more years, but if Kerry wins, I hope he gives that turbaned menace just as much hell Bush would have.

Now get out there and VOTE!

10-9

9-11

I'll try not to get too preachy here, but the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America and freedom itself deserve a few words here. It seems today there are two groups of people: those who wish 9-11 never happened, and those who have already forgotten that it did happen. The events didn't affect people here in Nebraska quite like they did in New York, Washington DC, or Pennsylvania, but we remember as everyone else does the graphic horrors of that day: the planes colliding, the fireballs erupting, the bodies falling from the towers, the panic that started stirring as the Pentagon was struck, the heroism of those who rushed inside while everyone else was rushing out, the brave souls who said "let's roll" and kicked terrorist ass so that fourth plane wouldn't strike the white house: we will always remember.

And one other thing to remember: for those who think America can go back to the days of September 10, idly sitting behind its borders and hoping that if we ignore terrorists, if we refuse to lift a finger to stop them, that somehow they will spare us their reign of terror and carnage, think again. Russia has learned the hard way. Next time, it could be your kids in school who get held hostage with no food or water, tortured, mutilated, burned, and then shot in the back as they flee to your arms.

Please God, let us never forget.

8-29

Happy birthday to me. Booyeah! 26 years old, guys and still updating this dang website every chance I can get.

I haven't updated this site as much as I wish I could. It's funny how a daily comic can suck up free time like that! I am looking into some solutions to make it easier to keep this site updated with fresh content.

In the meantime, Frisky has a bunch of new freeware. Go get it!

7-22

My parents have come to visit, so you can be sure to see lots of stupid pictures over the next several days, including the one up at the top, where my dad managed to track down the house Grant Wood used as the backdrop for his famous American Gothic painting.

If it looks like I've been skimping on updates, then you aren't reading Cortland, my web comic! I've been busy keeping it up to date, drawing up a new cartoon five times every week! Head on over to Keenspace and check it out! I also have some new cartoons here, including a collection of Fan Art I've done for other strips.

I've also been a bit busy with some new freelance projects, and I'll have links to those in my portfolio as soon as they're finished.

7-4

6-15

6-5

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, former president Ronald Reagan has passed on. I personally remember very little about his administration personally, but in the years afterwards as I became politically aware of thing, I've developed a great deal of awe for the man. I won't say much more--you'll probably have your fill of all the Reagan anyone could ever ask for just by turning on the TV.

In other news, I've accepted a part-time position with Land and Sky doing some marketing and graphic design for them. We'll see how that plays out. In the meantime, I have Tuesdays and Thursdays free for freelance work! Check out my portfolio if you're interested.

My new cartoons keep rolling in as well, but you can only see them over at Keenspace, so hop over there and take a look! We have new freeware here, though, including some cool games like Big Bang Chess and a Quinn networkable Tetris game. Go get 'em!

What else? Oh yeah! I scanned a bunch of my doodles, and you can check them out in my sketchbook. They're kind of neat. I also put up some old pictures of Terry Cortland to show how he's changed over the years. That was kind of neat, too.

5-30

Happy memorial day, everyone! I know it's nice to have a three-day weekend, but please take at least a few moments to be thankful for all the soldiers who gave their lives so we could be free, yesterday and today.

Oh yes, I've also added a "secret page" to the web site. You see, my dad wanted to see some of my new Cortland cartoons, but I had problems e-mailing them to him, so I uploaded them to this site instead. So, if you can find the secret link to the secret page, you can see them, too! I'll give you just one hint: MOUNTAIN DEW!

Have fun!

5-20

Hey everybody! The job hunt is making real progress and I'll have loads to share with everybody soon. In the meantime, Frisky has uncovered a bunch of great freeware, including an awesome program called RadioRecorder. It lets you save streaming MP3s to your computer and even has a timer you can use to set it to record like a VCR! Try it out! I've also uncovered some new file-sharing programs that I've added to the Technology section, though none of them compare to Limewire, which is the only free peer-to-peer program I've found that actually works.

Oh yes, don't forget that we have a new Cortland comic strip available at Keenspace every weekday, so go check it out before you go to work in the morning!

5-9

How's everybody doing? I got a little bored, so I thought it was time for an update. I added some new freeware, including a neat program called (if you can believe it) iEatBrains, which will help put the right name tags on your MP3 files.

Cortland has also been very busy, and I'm keeping well ahead of schedule with a new cartoon each weekday for you all to enjoy! Just hop over to cortland.keenspace.com and bookmark it, so you can enjoy a new strip every morning with your coffee!

4-26

Hi, everybody! The job hunt is starting to look up as some new freelance projects are starting to roll in and I found some part-time work to keep me busy. I am still actively looking around, though, and keeping my options open in the meantime, so if you like what you see in my portfolio, let me know while I'm still "on the market!"

Oh yes, we've also uncovered some more freeware for you all, including Microsoft Expression, a rather strange drawing program that looks like it does everything Illustrator can. It's a "beta" right now, but still free and functional, so give it a try! Other free goodies include a free backup program and a bible-reading program.

4-13

I've been keeping pretty busy with my job hunt, but there's not much to report just yet. Openings come and go, and so do the interviews, but I've not found just the right fit yet. I am taking on some freelance work, and if you'd like me to do something for you, like a cool caricature of your family or staff at work, take a look at my portfolio!

I have added a really big new feature to our web site: FORUMS! That's right, Cornstalker.com now has its own bulletin board where you can post messages and feedback to me and anyone else who signs on.

I also signed up for a Keenspace account and got one last week. Right now it's showing reruns of my Cortland cartoons, but I'm busy working on some new cartoons and hope soon to have a new one appearing online every day. We'll see what happens.

Oh yeah, before I forget, some really bad news came up last week. My dad has been having some problems with an enlarged prostate and last week his biopsy came back malignant. That's right: my dad has cancer. Right now the doctors are mulling over treatment options and are running some more tests to see how far the cancer has spread. In the meantime folks, please pray for him!

4-3

My job hunt is continuing to move forward, but that hasn't stopped me from cranking out a few new Cortland cartoons! You can check those out on the cartoons page. I'm looking into getting an account for Cortland at Keenspace.com, not so much for the space but for the sweet AutoKeen server software that would make it so much easier to add bunches of cartoons at a time and watch them automatically put themselves online.

In the meantime, I've still scouring the area for graphic design jobs, so keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

3-19

My job hunt has been chugging and long and making very good progress. Several different options are coming to fruition at the moment, and I'll let you all know what develops.

In the meantime, I've taken a few minutes to tidy up the Cartoons page. Now that I'm with Lunarpages, I have a whole lot more disk space and bandwdith, so I can afford to have a lot more cartoons online! Thus, I've decided to upload every single Cortland cartoon I've drawn for ATPM.com, including old strips from 2002! I also put up the old Beanie and Weenie strips where they meet Gorf & Slugo and also Teknot the evil computer. Hop on over and check them out.

3-5

Well, my first week of job hunting is over now, and it's gone pretty well so far. I've landed three interviews so far, and there are still plenty of possibilities I haven't heard back from yet. I've also been busy updating my portfolio, adding some cool new stuff I've done. Everybody please take a look and let me know what you all think!

Unfortunately, this has also been an extremely expensive week. I just finished my tax returns, and Uncle Sam wants me to cough up $815 by April 15. That's right, $815 because I had the nerve to claim "1" on my W4s instead of "0." OUCH. Even more irritating is my brother's Chrysler—which was in the shop just a week or two ago—has its "check engine" light on again. He's been unemployed for a month now, so his budget has been a little tight, especially since he just had to spend $680 to get it fixed. Hopefully, we can twist some arms and get the mechanic to set things right.

By the way, if anybody needs me to do freelance design work, please let me know! My brother and I could really use the extra income right about now.

3-1

If you're reading this, then that means you've connected to my new home at Lunarpages.com! Yes, I've moved over from Dollarhost. The folks at DH were great and their price was reasonable, but I needed some more space, more bandwidth (how's 40GB a month for you?) and some extra little features. (Did somebody say, FORUMS?)

The job hunt is dragging on so far. I sent two resumes to folks who put ads for graphic designers in the Omaha-World Herald, and I applied to the Lincoln Journal Star, where they apparently need a graphic designer. Next, I might start making the dreaded "cold calls" to agencies, where I get to push one for this, push two for that, and leave voice-mail messages that will never be returned. *shudder*

On the bright side, this is the most frequent my web site has ever been updated.

2-29

Happy leap year day, everybody! The job search begins in earnest tomorrow. I've been gathering all my contacts and information together and soon I'll be pounding on doors looking for work. Hopefully, someone out there will be so taken with my portfolio and resume that I'll get a job in no time.

If any of you guys want to show your support, please send me an E-mail! Right now, what I need most is encouragement. There's nothing like an abrupt laying-off to dampen your spirits and hinder your self-confidence. Keep praying!

2-27

Bad news, folks. I just got laid off today. That's right, the ax, the gate, the old heave-ho. Let go. Sacked. Those and more euphemisms for losing your job. So as sparse as updates have been lately, they're about to get sparser, at least until I find a job out there. Hopefully it won't be long before I find it. Pray for me folks, and wish me luck.

2-5

Well, another blizzard has hit Lincoln, the third in two weeks now, and the city is shut down once again. I guess that leaves some time for a quick update for my muchpneglected web site!

Well, first, we have some new cartoons for you over on the Cartoons page. I hope to start doing some more in the future now that the craziness of the holidays is finally cooling down. I also sent Frisky out to dig up some more freeware, which include enhancements for Apple's newly updated Safari web browser, so check out all that in the Freeware section!

I've also been wasting a lot of time reading a web comic called It's Walky, which is very entertaining. I was drawn to it at first because I love the simplistic way cartoonist Dave Willis draws his characters' eyes. If you want to check this strip out , read it from the beginning and completely skip the cast pages, which contain plenty of spoilers.

1-24

Hello again, everyone! It's time for another quick update. Frisky's uncovered a bunch of new free software, so hop over to Frisky Freeware and check it out! Since I got Mac OS X Panther for Christmas, all the new software posted in the freeware section will be OSX-native. There's still plenty of "Classic" freeware in the archive, but it looks like all the new stuff is being made just for OSX.

I also put some new, wacky pictures of my family up in the scrapbook. Yeah, that's the Johnson clan up there. What a goofy bunch. Maybe they'll star in their own comic strip one of these days. Hmmm...

1-1

Well, a new year has begun, with some cool stuff underway that I might mention here pretty soon. Sorry, no new Cortland cartoons just yet. I've been too busy doing other stuff like visiting my folks in North Carolina, and I have a couple pictures over on he scrapbook page to prove it. My dad's been doing some kite pictures, too, so I put those up on the kite page.

Oh yeah, Frisky's uncovered some new Freeware programs out there, and he put them up on the Frisky Freeware page for you all to download and enjoy. Check them out!

Everybody enjoy 2004, and try not to let all the political pomposity get on your nerves.

2003

12-10

Hey, it's my mom's birthday now, so everyone who knows her wish her a happy birthday. Oh yeah, don't let her find out I used this picture either.

12-8

It's my dad's birthday again! Today he's 55, so everyone who has his e-mail address go and congratulate him. That's my dad up there back when he was in his thirties. Kudos to anyone who can recognize the background I crudely stitched in.

12-3

This week has been a bit crazy, to say the least. I had a good time in Cedar Rapids visiting family there, and then came back to Lincoln to receive a few big shocks. Tyler Payzant, son of my boss, Bill Payzant, was killed over the weekend in a train accident that's still under investigation.

Anyway, I have a few new Cortland cartoons inked out, but right now only two of them are colored, so go check them out!

My search for the perfect MP3 player is moving on! I got my refund for the StarCombo and now I'm looking at a Kanguru Micro MP3 player, which seems to have most of the features I want. It's Mac-compatible and it's made by a pretty decent company, but it doesn't have the ability to record sound like many other MP3 flash drives do. One other odd tidbit is that it doesn't use a single AAA like similar players. Instead, it uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery that is charged via the USB hub. According to the Kanguru sales department, it takes about 3 hours to charge. The battery costs about $10 to replace and is sold only by Kanguru. I'm still looking at other MP3 options, but this seems like the best deal so far.

Do you of you know of a good, Mac-compatible MP3 flash drive? Let me know!

11-27

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope you all are enjoying your turkey. No, sorry, I don't have anything new other than the picture I slapped together and stuck up at the top. I have some cartoons waiting on the sidelines, but I'm holding them until next month.

Enjoy the turkey, and be thankful for all the blessings you and your loved ones can enjoy this holiday season.

11-1

Sorry for the lack of updates, folks. I've been coming up with cartoons and everything, but I didn't think it'd be fair to the folks at ATPM to run them here before they had a chance. Anyway, here they are: seven fresh Cortland Cartoons you all to enjoy.

By the way, does anyone out there recognize the item on the left? It's a StarCombo MP3 Player/Pen Drive/Voice Recorder I bought on eBay. Since I couldn't find any good reviews for these types on gizmos anywhere on the web, I decided to write my own. I put it in a new portion of the site for "reviews" in the technology section.

10-10

The days are getting a bit cooler, but it's not snowing yet, so that's great. I've been doing more cartoons and might put some up later, once I give ATPM first dibs.

This week, my brother introduced me to Alltheweb.com, a pretty cool search engine which was able to uncover--of all things--MP3 songs you can grab from regular old web sites. These weren't lame demo MP3s either (well some of them were, but these weren't) these were commercial MP3s that you actually want! Hop on over and give it a shot.

I'm also in the process of updating my portfolio. I added a new page with a mailer I did last year with my co-worker's cute little nephew. I also touched up the navigation bar a little so it's easier to use and looks cooler too. Go on over and check it out!

9-26

Ah, the summer is upon and autumn is upon us at last. These are the few beautiful days where the leaves turn to fireworks, and the weather is neither roasting nor freezing. In Nebraska, you can actually go outside without getting drenched in sweat or freezing to death! Enjoy this weather while you can, because it'll turn arctic before you know it!

Cortland's last three enigmatic strips are back online for you all to ignore. I also have a few new Beanie and Weenie strips online as well, so enjoy!

9-17

OK, the newest Cortland cartoons are OFFLINE! You can't say I didn't warn you guys. You can see them again later on ATPM.com like everyone else. To tide you over, I scribbled up another Beanie & Weenie cartoon, as well as a brand-spanking new Aliens Next Door cartoon! How cool is that? Hope you like 'em!

I have a couple more Beanie and Weenie cartoons in the works, so check back soon to check them out!

9-11

Who could forget that horrific Tuesday morning two short years ago? Just remember how we came together as a nation to do what needed to be done, and try to keep some of that patriotic spirit alive. Go wave a flag or something!

I've done a few new Cortland strips for you all that finally bring a terrifying conclusion to this mess with the Consultant! If you want to see them, check them out right now because I may just take them offline before the end of the day. I also have a fresh new Beanie & Weenie strip, so go check it out!

8-29

Well, you can't say I didn't warn you! As of today, I've passed the quarter-century mark. It feels like such a momentous occasion, like I should be giving myself a silver tea set or something. Maybe I'll just take myself out to Chuck-e-Cheese. Everybody wish me a Happy Birthday!

My cartoon buddies have been busy this week churning out five new Beanie and Weenie cartoons for you all to enjoy! Check them out, and let me know if you like them!

8-22

My birthday is coming up soon, so I'll soon be a quarter of a century old. Yikes, I'm really getting up there, huh? That's downright frightening.

Well, my pen and I have been busy lately, so I have three new Cortland strips for you all to enjoy. Not only that, but I've also drawn up SIX new black and white Beanie and Weenie comic strips! That's right, two of my oldest cartoon buddies are actually starring in some actual cartoons! This month marks eight years of existence for Beanie and Weenie, so I guess it's about time! I also have some extra doodles in my sketchbook, just in case you were wondering.

8-5

By the time most of you folks read this, my parents will already be in North Carolina, moving into their new home. That's right, my dad starts teaching at Campbell University on August 14, and he and my mom will be living farther away from me than they ever have in my entire life.

I've been feeling a bit down about my folks moving away, so my cartoon buddies haven't been doing much. I did happen to create some desktop pictures based on the cast of my Cortland comic strip, so now you can put a scene with Terry, Angela, Chad, or Todd on your computer's desktop. Why anyone would want to do that is beyond me, but there you are.

I've also been doodling non-stop, and I decided--on a whim--to put my most recent doodles of Beanie and Weenie online. Check them out if you're really bored.

7-19

Big news, everybody: my dad just snagged a teaching job at Campbell University in North Carolina, and he starts on August 14. That means everything is up in the air now as he's getting ready to find a house, move across the country, and sell off the old one. How crazy is that? Everybody congratulate him!

What else has been happening? Oh yeah, last week, Wayne had its annual chicken show, and I, with nothing better to do on a roasting Saturday afternoon, decided to wander on down with my dad's cheap digital camera and shoot a bunch of pictures no one in his right mind would want to look at. They're on the scrapbook page.

I also cooked up another Cortland cartoon. I decided to thicken the plot a little bit since I'm getting bored with the current storyline. Enjoy!

7-4

Wow, it's been 227 amazing years since that old Declaration of Independence was signed. Let's hear it for the good old US of A. Enjoy your three-day weekend.

As usual, we have another Cortland cartoon for you all to enjoy. In this episode, I poke some fun at Apple's pandering to commercial fads. I've you've been to the movies recently, you might enjoy this one. Stop by the cartoons section and check it out.

Oh yes, I added a new page to my portfolio with some new software icons I did recently for Higher Concept, a software company in the UK. If you need someone to do that sort of stuff, give me a holler!

I also updated our scrapbook for the first time in a year. I've uploaded some of the sketches I've doodled into my tiny Visor using a free program called GrayPaint. What can I say, I was bored!

6-22

Hey! Happy birthday to my bro, Nathan! He's 23 come this Sunday, and now that he's all done with college he's desperately looking for work just about anywhere. He's got a bachelor's degree in math with a minor in physics. If you know of a company out there that needs a brainy guy like him, give me a buzz and I'll get him in touch with you.

Oh yeah, we also have a fresh new Cortland cartoon for you all to enjoy. Now Terry is getting hauled into the Consultant's office. Who knows what's going to come next?

6-6

The lazy days of summer are well underway, but that hasn't kept me from cranking out a two new Cortland cartoons! I saw The Matrix Reloaded with my dad in Wayne over Memorial Day weekend, and it inspired me to give Terry a long black trenchcoat and whip up a few Matrix-themed graphics. If you're wondering where the Memorial Day cartoon of Beanie and Weenie went, I moved it to a new page where I'm keeping all those special cartoons I create for specific holidays. I also fixed a bad link on one my page of QTVR panoramas so now you can see a the view from the river next to the Chicago Sun-Times building in Chicago, IL.

On another note, my friends Mike Duweling and Rebekah Sjogren are getting married today in Omaha, so congratulations, you crazy kids!

5-22

It's Memorial Day weekend, a time to take a break with the family and enjoy a three-day weekend while spending an hour or two remember those who died to help keep us free.

Cortland has done two more cartoons for y'all: the Consultant replaces all the page layout software with an outdated copy of Printmeister Pro, and Terry tries desperately to explain to the Boss why buying high-end software is more important than saving a few bucks. I also updated the cast of characters with new entries for the Consultant and his master, I.T.

5-9

The Mac War continues with yet another Cortland cartoon. This week, the dreaded Consultant unviels the PCs Cortland and company will be forced to use. I might come up with another cartoon for next week, especially if people out there actually write me a few e-mail messages to prove to me that they read it!

I also put my sketchbook back on the cartoons page with a few new sketches for those of you who like that sort of thing. I know you're out there.

What else is happening this weekend? Well, my brother from Nathan is graduating from college with a BS in math of all things. All he needs now is a job. You'd think more companies out there would need people who can do math and stuff. It's also mother's day, so give your mom a hug. She spent nine months carrying you around inside her womb--she deserves it.

5-1

It's a new month, and that means some new Cortland cartoons. This month, we introduce the Consultant, the loathsome servant of the dark overlord, I.T. These two strips are the beginning of a longer storyline that I'll continue over the next few months, and you can look forward to a new cartoon every other week or so.

I also decided to do some new guides on how to draw Beanie and Weenie. I did four separate lessons for the two kids, one with just their heads and another with their whole bodies. You can see, step-by-step, how I put these two together before inking them in and coloring them in Photoshop. Head on over the Cartoons page and check them out!

Frisky has some new freewares, too, including a new version of iTunes from Apple designed to work with their new online music venture, and a new peer-to-peer file swapping program called TwoGet that I haven't figured out yet.

4-18

Sorry, but I don't have much new stuff to share with you all this time, except to say Happy Easter! I did create two Cortland cartoons this week, but I'm holding off until May 1 to upload them. After that, I'm going to release a new Cortland cartoon every week or so rather than a bunch every month.

A few weeks ago, a story I wrote for WillyCon, the annual WSC science-fiction convention, won second place and I'm debating whether to post it on this site. I submitted a story last year that also took second place, and I've been debating whether to put that up either. The creative writing in the journal section hasn't generated much interest, however, but I'll put them both online if you folks ask me to. What do you say?

4-1

Whoa, it's been a whole month since I've updated this site. I must either be pretty busy at work, or pretty lazy at home. Probably both.

Anyway, I managed to crank out a few more Cortland cartoons, including one starring former VP Al Gore, who's now a member of Apple's Board of Directors. Considering he invented the Internet, the decision makes sense. Head over to the Cartoons section to check the new 'toons out.

In other news, I just signed a deal to have Cortland syndicated with King Features, so you'll soon be able to read my strip every day in over a hundred newspapers nationwide, including the Washington Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Los Angeles Tribune. That's pretty cool. My dad has also gotten offers to start teaching at Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and a few other schools, so he may end up moving very far away pretty soon.

Check the date.

3-3

Hey! Today's date is three threes in a row! How often does that happen? Hmmm. It must be the first time in a century! Happy Three Threes day!

It's been almost a month since our last update and plenty of stuff has happened. First, the goods: three new Cortland cartoons for March, and two new Bible study cartoons for Ephesians. Unfortunately, I won't be doing too many more of these cartoons since the bible study I've been attending has gone a bit nuts and broken up. Now we're going through a book called The Pilgrim Church, and it doesn't inspire too many cartoons.

On a sadder note, my dad, Ed Johnson, didn't get tenure at WSC, which means he has to look for work teaching elsewhere. At first he was told he could keep teaching through Spring 2004, but now we've learned that WSC has decided to save a few bucks by giving 12 faculty members the ax, and my dad is one of them. That means as of the end of this semester, he's out of a job. Since northeast Nebraska has job opportunities little better than remote fringes of Antarctica, he's currently looking at a few teaching opportunities in places far, far away from Wayne. Everyone please pray he finds the right job.

To add insult to injury, some guy from WSC called me to ask if I'd like to make a donation. I declined without using any foul language. It wasn't easy.

2-6

A new month is upon us, and that means we have a couple new Cortland Cartoons for you all to check out. If you haven't already seen then on ATPM, go check them out on the cartoons page.

Everybody be sure to say a prayer for my dad, Dr. Ed Johnson of Wayne State College. His department decided not to give him tenure because he allegedly was "less than excellent." He'll keep on teaching through Spring 2004, but for now he's going to have to look for a new position.

In the meantime, I'm also working on a short story for WillyCon, WSC's annual science fiction convention. I'll share it with you all here soon.

1-24

After an annoying drought and a rather brown Christmas, Nebraska is once again covered in snow. It's a bit like the picture above, except for the mountains and pine trees. Being snowed in gave me extra time to doodle up a few new cartoons for the Aliens Next Door. The weird creatures featured in these cartoons are based on series of "Frog & Turtle" cartoons my brother Nathan has been working on since elementary school. He's come up with several BOOKS full of hilarious cartoons, and I wanted to create a vehicle for translating those cartoons to a web comic. Most of you folks won't understand these two new cartoons (mostly because I drew them with Nathan as the sole audience in mind), but that's OK because now I've laid the foundation for future cartoons that make more sense. I also create a quick page for the cast of characters in this series, in case you're curious about any of them.

I did make two new Cortland cartoons as well, but you'll have to wait until February to see them!

1-11

Another eventful Macworld has unleashed a flurry of new products for Mac-users with a little leftover Christmas money to splurge, as well as some freebies for those of you lucky enough to own a copy of Jaguar. Poor cash-strapped folks like me, though, can only watch the events unfold and doodle little cartoons about them. Speaking of which, I have two "special edition" Cortland cartoons starring Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Go check it out on the Cartoons page!

I also whipped up a new cartoon for Galatians 6, and now we've finished off the whole book!

1-5

It's five days into the new year and nothing catastrophic has happened yet. I took off the splash page because it's probably increasing load times for everybody. If you want to see the Christmas Cartoon or the New Year's Cartoon, here they are. The only other update right now is a new version of MacDICT, that sweet little online dictionary program. Go get it!

1-1

All right! A new year, a new beginning, a fresh start for a crusty and dreary old life. Too bad it's just the same old crap around here!

We have three new Cortland cartoons for you all to enjoy, so skip over to the cartoons page and check them out! Do any of you guys actually read these things? I never get any feedback, so if you enjoy them, please let me know so I have a reason to keep doing them!

We have an update for SNES9x and RockNES, so if you like playing Nintendo games on your Mac, go get 'em! By the way, you can download lots of great Super NES games over at CherryROMs.com, and vimm.net has a nice selection, too (including many NES games).

2002

12-23

Christmas is almost here again--time to travel over the hills and through the snow to be with friends and family in a toasty house watching home movies, sharing memories, and making new ones.

I had a little extra time at work during my lunch break to slap together some icons featuring several cartoon characters on our web site, including Cortland, Beanie, Weenie, Gorf, Sluggo, and more! I even made a set for you guys using Windows, so download them below and try them out.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

12-7

Christmas is in the air once again, the air is getting nippy, and credit cards are starting to get overheated. We hope you all enjoy the magic of the holiday season without going too far into debt.

I managed to doodle up five new Cortland cartoons this month, plus ONE BONUS CARTOON that you can't even see on ATPM. Why not? Because I didn't feel like it was all that great so I didn't submit it, but you can check it out and decide for yourself. I also have a new Bible study cartoon for Galatians chapter 3. Go check them out!

I added a new page to my portfolio for some ad banners I created for Spam Sieve and Drop DMG. Let me know if you see these things out there on the web!

Today is also the anniversary of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, but you already knew that, I'm sure.

11-28

Thanksgiving is upon us at last, and you know what that means: spending time with family and binging on stuffed turkey and all the trimmings! Well, that's what I plan on doing, anyway.

We have a few new freeware games to share with you all thanks to udevgame 2002, a contest for freeware game developers sponsored by idevgames.com. Some of the contestants notified me of their entries, and they're really pretty nice (especially because they're free!) I put a few of them on the Frisky Freeware page. Check them out!

The two or three of you out there who actually look at my Cortland cartoons (you know who you are) may have noticed that I haven't put any new ones up in a while. I'm drawing new ones all the time, but I've decided not to post any of them until the next issue of ATPM comes out. That means once December rolls around I'll throw six cartoons up there all at once for your viewing pleasure. How 'bout that? I also made a new Bible study cartoon for Galatians 2, and I'll probably draw another one for Galatians 3 next week.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

11-15

My pen and I have been busy doodling up some more cartoons! The first batch is a series of five comics called the "Aliens Next Door," a strip starring some cartoons my brother, Nathan, and I created many years ago. I've also started doing Bible study cartoons again now that we're back in the New Testament and have a new cartoon for Galatians chapter 1.

We haven't been reviewing as much freeware as we used to, but we did uncover some cool free games called Raptor and The Belt, so be sure to check those out. If you know of any other cool free programs out there, let us know so we can post them!

11-5

I've got some other stuff in the works for our site (mostly cartoons, of course) but I just wanted to take the time to remind all you folks who care about politics to get out there and vote! Remember that this is the one day out of every two years that you can affect the careers of those pinheads in the beltway don't give a whoop in hades whether you live or die! If you're informed on the issues and care about the fate of this country, get out there and make your voice heard!

On the other hand, if you're an idiot who can't figure out which way is up, please stay home.

11-1

It's a new season, the clocks have been turned back again, and I felt the urge to give our old site another slight make-over. Hopefully these colors won't clash with the bright orange autumn leaves like those purples, browns, and blues did.

Besides the new colors, I also have a few new Cortland cartoons for you all to enjoy. I'm still in the experimental stage with my cartoons, so you've probably noticed all sorts of different formats. Hopefully I'll settle down soon and have more time to concentrate on the stuff inside the panels rather than the placement of the panels themselves!

10-25

Fall has come around again in full swing and the leaves are changing colors. Here in Nebraska we're going through a rather annoying winter storm, so I've used the time inside to update the site a little bit. I have two new Cortland cartoons for you all to enjoy up in the cartoons section, along with an updated Cast of Characters that includes the folks who have popped their heads into my series of Cortland cartoons.

10-14

I've been keeping pretty busy at work recently, so I don't have much new stuff to share with you folks except for a new Cortland cartoon and a few new sketches in my sketchbook. My cartoon characters have been itching to do some more fun stuff, though, so stay "tooned" for some new stuff coming up later!

9-22

The days are getting shorter and the weather is turning nice and cool. Here in Nebraska is seems like it's either freezing or roasting, so this weather is just about perfect!

I have a new Cortland cartoon for you all to enjoy, so go see it on the cartoons page! On the freeware front, Frisky also uncovered a pretty nice flight simulator game called WarBirds. If you can't handle the 150+ megabyte download you can also order a CD for $10.

9-11

It's been one long year since that horrific September morning, but our nation is still standing strong. Let's hear it for America!

Some interesting events have transpired in the last few weeks. Michael Tsai, a shareware author, commissioned me to create icons for his some of his software programs. They were fun to put together, and I have them posted as a new page in my portfolio.

My cartoon friends have also been busy. I have two new Cortland cartoons for you all to enjoy, and you can see them at ATPM.com or on the Cartoons page. I also added a few new sketches to my sketchbook, which you can also see on the Cartoons page.

8-29

That's right! I've been kicking around on this old planet for two dozen years now, and I already feel like an old geezer.

I just doodled up another Cortland Cartoon for ATPM's September issue, and you can check it out in the Cartoons section. I've also been doing quite a bit of doodling during my breaks at work. I've taken the best little sketches I came up with and compiled them all in a special sketchbook for you all to enjoy!

8-18

My job as Capitol Graphics has kept me busy lately, and after spending eight hours a day working on a Macintosh, I don’t feel much like doing more of the same at home to update our web site. I have been doing some fun creative work, though, and I have some designs I did for a dog biscuit company on the front page of my portfolio. You can expect me to add more of my graphic design stuff in the future!

My work at Capitol Graphics has been going smoothly so far, and I've been able to roll the frustrations I’ve experienced into a series of cute Dilbert-like comic strips. I have the first of these available on the Cartoons page for you to enjoy!

In the freeware section we have a new version of SNES9X. It had been given a minor, but significant, update: it can now use GamePads with Mac OS X! We tried it out and it works pretty well--you have to click each of the buttons on the mock keyboard and then press the corresponding button on your game pad to set them up.

7-26

I've been keeping busy with my new job at Capitol Graphics, but I've tried not to neglect my cartoon buddies. We have another Cortland comic strip for ATPM for the month of August. I'm thinking of turning this into a weekly strip with a recurring cast of characters.

A new addition to the freeware family is a program called Chatline, a client/server/tracker suite that is nearly identical to Hotline except it's built with RealBasic and is supposed to be just for chatting, even though it also offers file-transfer and news groups.

7-5

That's right, I didn't do an update for July 4 until July 5. Why? Because I spent most of July 4 with my family celebrating the birth of the greatest nation in the world, as you probably did. We have a couple new freewares for you to enjoy, and a new site we discovered called MacUpdate that has a lot of software VersionTracker doesn't.

Happy Birthday, America!

6-27

John Elliott, an old friend of ours from Alabama, is now an anchor on MSNBC! We didn't know this until last week when dad was flipping through the channels and suddenly saw him on TV! Life sure is weird. Naturally, we have a couple pictures to share with you over in the old scrapbook.

I still don't have cable here in Lincoln, but I've found a new free source of entertainment: audio books from the local library! It sounds corny, I know but when you don't have TV, it's great to listen to commercial-free entertainment like Dave Barry's hilarious "Big Trouble," which is supposed to be coming out in theaters as a movie sometime soon.

As usual, we also have a handful of new freewares for you to download and enjoy.

6-22

Happy Birthday, Nathan! Actually, tomorrow's your birthday (22 years old!) but since I'll be back in Wayne celebrating with you guys, I figured I'd update the site today!

I've been pretty busy working at Capitol Graphics and living it up in Lincoln, but I've found time to crank out another cartoon for ATPM.com. It's the same setup with my two cartoons kids sitting in front of a computer screen. I'll have to try something different next time!

I don't have cable TV and I don't plan to get it. I've found a great source of free entertainment online at oneplace.com. They host a variety of Christian programs including dramatic audio versions of the Left Behind book series and a show called Adventures in Odyssey that's actually meant for children but also appeals to adults.

6-16

Sorry, there's not much new to post on the web site other than a few new pieces of freeware. After my first week at work, I spent the weekend with my family and spending quality time with my dad on Saturday. I hope the rest of you with great dads out there spent some quality time with them!

6-9

I'm all finished moving into my new apartment in Lincoln, and tomorrow I start working at Capitol Graphics. Until everything settles down, updates to our site may be scarce, but since my Internet access is all set up now, I'll still be able to keep it up to date.

6-3

The sun's setting on one chapter of my life and rising on another one. I just accepted an offer to work at Capitol Graphics in Lincoln as graphic designer, and I'm busy now getting things ready for the move. Everybody wish me luck and say a prayer for me as I start on this new and exciting portion of my life.

Here's some more good news for you SNES RPG fans: DeJap has just completed their translation of Bahamut Lagoon, a unique game that's like a mixture of Ogre Battle and Final Fantasy. The patches for the game are available now at their web site.

Here's some bad news: my Handspring Visor's screen spontenously cracked today, rendering it nearly useless. The warranty doesn't cover the damage (what would it cover, I wonder? Who knows?) and it costs $100 to replace the screen, the price of a brand new Visor Deluxe. It's a ripoff, I know, but I wanted to give you all a heads up if you were considering buying a Handspring PDA. My brother was going to ask for one for his birthday, but now he's changed his mind.

5-27

Happy Memorial Day! Take this time to be thankful for those who sacrificed their lives so we might be free.

I have a new cartoon to share with all of you, dedicated to the insanely stupid move by the music industry to start creating flawed CDs that won't play in the new iMac without seriously screwing up its firmware. Check it out!

I'm still busy with my job search, so updates are going to be few and far between. In the meantime, you can still see my online portfolio and resume.

5-7

I'm continuing to look for job opportunities for graphic designers in Nebraska, so I've updated my online portfolio so now it actually matches my real physical portfolio piece-for-piece! Stop on by and take a look at it. I have a couple new pieces in there for you to see.

5-4

I've been at Wayne State College for the past four years studying art and graphic design, and my educational conquest is finally complete! It's been quite an experience up here in northeast Nebraska, but now it's time for me to move on and find out what comes next. In the meantime, I'm busy trying to start a career in graphic design here in Nebraska, so if you're a potential employer, be sure to check out my online resume and portfolio!

By the way, the character at the top is Willy the Wildcat, the mascot for Wayne State College.

5-2

Graduation is almost here, and I'm busy looking for work in the graphic design field. In the meantime, I'm busy finishing up my finals.

I've still been busy with my cartoons, even though they won't be published in the Wayne Stater anymore. Over the weekend, I had time to doodle up a new cartoon for About this Particular Macintosh, a venerable Mac e-Zine. You can see it on ATPM.com or here on the Cartoons page. I hope you like it!

4-23

This week we ran the last issue of the Wayne Stater for the semester, and it included my very last cartoon. It was a sad moment in a way, but I'll be graduating soon and I have to move on. Who knows what will happen next? Some day you might see Beanie and Weenie in your local newspaper! Until then, I'll still sending out my resumes and cover letters hoping to a snag a job offer.

Here's some cool stuff: Frisky's Freeware is expanding to include Palm OS software! I've owned a Handspring Visor since August and I've thoroughly some of the cool, free goodies out there you can get for your palm-sized computer. The list is small at the moment, but you can expect it to grow quickly. Download and enjoy!

Frisky also has some cool Mac freeware as well, including Silverkeeper--a free backup program from LaCie--and GameScripter--a program with a unique scripting language that lets you create your own games!

4-17

Another week, another cartoon! This week's strip is about Dustin Diamond (who played Screech from Saved by the Bell), who visited Wayne State last week.

During his stand-up act, Dustin asked the students where they went to party in Wayne. Several students called out "The Max," a bar and grill on Main Street. Fans of Saved by the Bell will remember that he burger joint where all the characters regularly met was called "The Max," so Dustin naturally assumed the students were joking. The students insisted that the establishment really was called The Max, so Dustin visited the place after he was finished at Wayne State College. It was a rather amusing scenario that deserved to be turned into a cartoon, so I drew one to commemorate the event.

I have been writing articles for our college newspaper, the Wayne Stater, this semester, and I just put five of them over on the Journal page, complete with pictures I shot to go with them. For some reason, the Stater didn't run my latest article, so I figured it would probably get more readers on my web site anyway!

4-12

Does the guy up there look familiar? No, not that fish-lipped idiot on the right, I mean Dustin Diamond on the left! That's right, the guy who played Screech on Saved by the Bell stopped by Wayne State College on Wednesday to do some stand-up comedy for an extremely crowded "lower gag." He also stayed around to sign autographs and meet with students later on, and I got plenty of pictures of event to share with you! You can take a look at them along with my running commentary in our scrapbook!

4-9

How y'all doin? We have two new cartoons for you all to enjoy this week: one I did over Easter weekend, and the other I did yesterday, so be sure to drop by the cartoons page and check them out!

I also added a new page to my portfolio with some cute cartoons I made for my illustration class. Our assignment was to create an illustration with a clear function, so I made twelve cartoons for twelve months of the year and turned them into a Calendar. Take a look!

4-4

I have less than one month left here at Wayne State College after nearly four long years. Can you believe it? I'm still poking around for jobs out there and I'm continuing to distribute my portfolio and my resume to potential employers.

There's another cartoon waiting for you on the Cartoons page, and I fixed the problems a users reported with the Freeware section. Apparently, GoLive shuffled a bunch of Frisky's links around, but it looks like they're fixed for now.

We also updated the popular Technology section and moved LimeWire to the top of the heap of Napster-like programs. The latest version of LimeWire seems to work reasonably well in finding and downloading the files you want, so all you music pirates can rejoice!

3-27

I'm continuing to tinker with the overall look and feel of the website, and I'm adding a new color scheme to some pages. It's still in the testing phase at the moment, so if you have any comments, let me know!

I also have a new cartoon for the Stater for you all to enjoy. I also updated the profiles for my cast of cartoon characters with pop-up information windows, so stop by the cartoon page and take a look.

As far as freeware goes, we found an interesting one called NetHack. It's a text-based roleplaying game that has been in development since the 1980s. This thing is wildly popular among UNIX types, and I gave it a try the other day. Despite the crazy exterior with letters and symbols to represent screen elements, it's actually quite an enjoyable game once you learn the basic commands. Try it out!

3-18

That's right, it's Jonathan's birthday! He's the youngest member of the Johnson Family, in case you were wondering. Today, he's nineteen years old.

We have some other good stuff for you, too, including a fresh new short story! It's a longer piece of short fiction called The Secret Gallery. It's my personal take on the state of the art world. Read it and let me know you what you think!

I also added a few new stuff to my portfolio, including some new cartoon images of some folks here at Wayne State College.

3-6

It's Spring Break, and the living is easy, although I'm still busy hunting for job openings for graphic designers in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. If any of you have need for a graphic designer with extensive experience in pre-press, web design, illustration, copywriting, and every major graphics program for the Macintosh, please contact me!

I also updated my online portfolio--something I'm doing almost constantly--so be sure to take a look and see some of my newest pieces! On the cartoons page, I've also added a few new cartoon profiles for you to check out.

A whole lot of traffic coming to our site is heading to the Technology section because it features some free MP3-swapping programs that work like Napster used to, so to make these visitors happier, I added a few new programs to the list.

2-28

Cornstalker.com is now dressed up with the new look I created in my web development class. The color scheme is easier on the eyes, and the link bar on every page is thinner and more streamlined than the bulky deal we had before. I hope you all like the new look!

I also have a new tab for my online portfolio. I'll be graduating from Wayne State College soon with a B.S. in Graphic Design, so lining up a future career is very important right now. Also be sure to check out my updated resume.

We also have some other new goodies for you. First is a new cartoon for this week's Wayne Stater. Second is another short story I did for my Fiction class. My instructor told me that this one was her favorite, so be sure to read it!

2-18

I just got back from Meet the Pros in Omaha, and I handed out my business card to many different pros, so if you're one of those pros visiting our site, welcome!

I'm taking a Web Development course at Wayne State and I'm working on a new interface for our site. I've come up with a basic layout that you can check out here. It sports a slimmer "link bar" and a warmer color scheme that seems to work better. Let me know how you like it!

I also drew another weekly cartoon for the Stater about the wacky weather here in Nebraska. I also have another short story about the dangers of wearing clean clothes around spaghetti sauce. Enjoy!

2-4

I drew another weekly cartoon in the Wayne Stater, and this one has been stirring up some commotion here on campus. Head over to the Cartoons page to check it out. I also wrote another short story for my fiction class, and you can read it on the journal page. I'm also working on some digital photographic "portraits" of Fine Arts faculty members for my Illustration class, and you can see them on the Scrapbook page.

1-21

There's a new show on MSNBC tonight at 9 CST called Alan Keyes is Making Sense, and I think everyone should watch it. You probably know him because he ran for president, but he's hardly an ordinary politician. I've had the opportunity to see him in person three times, and in addition to being a riveting speaker, he's a genuinely nice guy. At every appearance he's made, he stays around to talk with the audience after he's done speaking, signing books, shaking hands, and answering questions. He also presents serious political issues in a format that holds your attention, so it should be an enjoyable show to watch. Check it out tonight at 9 CST on MSNBC.

1-18

A rather dark day in Wayne's history, a sick crime took place in the floral shop pictured above, and the details are on the Drudge Report. Unfortunately, it'll probably be the only time our little town will make such big headlines.

On a lighter note, I did another comic strip for the Wayne Stater, and you can see it on the cartoons page.

1-14

The new school year is well underway, and we have some stuff to share with you already. First, I wrote a short story for my Fiction class called "A Meeting at the Council of Chaos." My instructor seemed to like it a lot, so I decided to put it up in the Journal section for you all to read.

Second, I just finished my first cartoon for the Wayne Stater, and it's up on the Cartoon page.

Third and finally, Frisky has a slew of new freeware for you all to enjoy, so download and enjoy!

1-1

Welcome to another year, everyone! After the trials of 2001, let's all hope we've become stronger and better people through it all. Spend the day with your family and make some resolutions to be a good and kind to your fellow man.

To ring in the new year, I uploaded a gift I gave to my brother, Nathan. I created four posters based on different cartoon characters he came up with throughout his life and colored them with Photoshop. Drop by the cartoon section to check them out!

By the way, Nathan's Powerbook G3 finally fizzled out, so he got a shiny new PC for Christmas. Some guys at the Custom Computer Company in Norfolk built it from scratch and it seems to work quite well. If anyone is interested in some used Powerbook G3 parts, such as a Zip Drive module, a floppy disk module, a CD-ROM module, or a battery, let me know.

2001

12-26

Merry Christmas, and God Bless us everyone! If you're feeling depressed now that Christmas is over, take heart: we have some treats for you!

First up, we have a couple new Christmas Cartoons starring Beanie and Weenie and a few other people. You can see them and more on the Cartoons page. Second, there are a dozen new pictures in the Scrapbook section. I took them all for my photography class last fall, and some of them are pretty interesting, so be sure to stop by and take a look at them!

Third, Frisky has uncovered some great DVD software for you! It seems Lukifer is back in business with new software, including Yade, a DVD extractor that makes it easy to lift video, audio, and especially screenshots from DVD movies! It presents the DVD contents in a hierarchical format and lets you browse through the scenes with previews to show you what you're looking at. This program also includes full source code, which ensures the project will stay alive as long as developers are interested.

12-18

The fall term is over, and Christmas is approaching fast. I finally had time to give our site an update after a very, very busy term, and we have some good stuff for you.

First off, be sure to check the Cartoons page for some new Bible Study cartoons and Comic Strips I did for the Wayne Stater. We also have a bunch of Family Christmas pictures to share with you over in the Scrapbook, including plenty of outtakes.

Another note: the Harry Potter MUSH is online and open to everyone, but few people seem to sticking around. If you're interested, fire up your telnet program of choice and come on in!

We have more stuff coming before the spring term kicks in, so be sure to stop by again soon!

12-10

Finals week is well underway, but I couldn't let it start without posting a special note to my mom and dad: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Once finals are over, I'll have a chance to add a bunch more new stuff to the site. Until then, I hope a free copy of Action Menus can tide you over! That's right, Action Menus, the $30 control panel that lets you create custom menus, is now available for free! The only catch is you have to give them a valid e-mail address so they can send you a serial number. This is one deal you can't miss!

I also discovered that you can take screenshots in Mac OS X 10.1 without using that awful "Grab" program. Just use the commands you know so well: Apple-Shift-3, Apple-Shift-4, and the like. Everything works except using the caps lock to capture windows.

11-22

Hey, it's Thanksgiving! Go eat a turkey with your family or something. The Johnson Family just did and we're all so sleepy that no one can muster any energy to update our web site (aside from these few sentences).

10-26

The school year has been progressing steadily, and the whole Johnson Family has been keeping busy, busy, busy! In addition to my classes and work in the Mac Lab, I've been drawing some cartoons for the local Bible Study and a few local newspapers. I have them online for you to see over on the Cartoons page.

Frisky also has a handful of new Freeware for you all. Unfortunately Software Perspectives, the one-man operation that created the Relax ambient sound software, has shut down. This unfortunate since it worked rather well, was freeware, and worked on Mac OS X. If anyone wants a copy of the last version (3.0.5), let me know!

9-27

To all the friends and relatives we visited in Madison, Wisconsin: We had a great time seeing all of you again for David's wedding, and we hope to see you all again soon! As you remember, Matt took plenty of pictures, and we have a handful of the best ones on the scrapbook page for you to check out!

To everyone else: no other special updates just yet. This one's just for the family.

9-17

Tim Pilcher and Bryce Johnson from Premiere Radio have produced a timely remake of Lee Greenwood’s classic patriotic song, "God Bless the USA" (made famous for its chorus of "I'm proud to be an American." You can download this song for free at Premiere Radio's web site or listen to it with Windows Media Player. Everyone who has been touched by the terrorist attacks last week will be stirred by this song. Download it while you can!

9-16

It's amazing how Americans are coming together now after the attacks in New York and Washington D.C. Everywhere you go, you see flags and patriotic messages in homes and store windows. Naturally, the Johnson Family wanted to fly an American flag, but we don't happen to own one and all the stores are sold out.

To help solve this problem for others who want to show their support, we have some American flags you can download and print out on your computer! We have vertical and horizontal flag images in EPS and PDF formats. You will need the free Acrobat Reader to open and print the PDF format. Print out a copy and show your patriotic support until those flags are back in stock!

9-11

The uncomphrensible horror of what occured in New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania has stunned our nation stand and changed the way we view the world. The time for licking our wounds will soon come to an end, let us stand together as one nation and speak with one voice: avenge their deaths. Do it swiftly, and with such force that none will be left standing to cause such devastation ever again.

8-29

Happy Birthday to me! That's right! Today I, Matt Johnson, am twenty-three years old! How about that?

I'm pleased to say the Harry Potter MUSH is back online! It's still under construction, but everyone who is interested is invited to stop by and enroll in our Online Hogwarts! Just point your telnet client to riftsmux.dhs.org:1212.

As usual, Frisky has another slew of Freeware for you. This includes the long-anticipated update to MacMAME! If you're looking for good arcade games to play with MacMAME, be sure to stop by this site.

Peanut Butter also has a selection of three Napster alternatives you can use to download your favorite MP3 music. Now that Napster is using debilitating filters, music lovers are really going to need these!

6-31

My latest article has been published on OSOpinion.com and Yahoo Daily News! This time, I focused on Adobe and why the software company seems currently uninterested in making Photoshop work on Mac OS X. The article has been edited somewhat, so I also have an unedited version of the article on the Journal page.

By the way, I'm still looking for employment opportunities as a graphic artist so I will have an income when I graduate. If you are an prospective employer, please check out my updated online portfolio!

Beanie and Weenie have also cranked out another cartoon for you to enjoy, this one about stupid things you can do in church (but probably shouldn't).

Frisky has some hot new freeware, including a program that will be free for a limited time only! This program is called Relax, and it generates ambient "white noise" like the seashore, a forest stream, a summer thunderstorm, or even downtown traffic. Download this one while you can!

6-15

It's that time of year again, when thousands of people from all over the United States "flock" to Wayne to attend our annual Chicken Show, held every July for 21 years now. Matt was there, of course, to capture the events with his digital camera. Stop by the scrapbook page to check out some of the highlights from the show!

Matt is busy hunting down job opportunities at the moment, so he has updated his online portfolio. We encourage interested employers to take a look!

Frisky has some new freeware as well, including a program called Future Paint, a simple paint program that is similar to Photoshop.

6-12

Matt's article about Appearance Themes was published on Yahoo Daily News yesterday, and now it has made it onto MacNN.com! Dozens of MacNN readers have already weighed on the article—you can read it online here, here, or here!

6-10

I have been a bit busy this last week working on a school employment project. I am surveying the largest employers in the surrounding areas and asking about their graphic design needs, which will hopefully uncover some kind of job opportunity when I graduate.

I just submitted another article to OSOpinion that you can read over on the Journal Page. This one is about Appearance Themes and why Apple seems so hell-bent against them. You can also find an extra panorama picture on the Scrapbook page.

We also have a new Beanie and Weenie cartoon for you to enjoy. This one is the conclusion to their encounter with Teknot, the evil computer.

Frisky has also uncovered some killer freeware for those of you who are looking for a music-swapping service like Napster. There's a new program called Aimster that uses America On-Line's Instant Messenger and its file-sharing service to share files just like Napster. We tried it out, and it works great, just like Napster used to! Give it a try before the RIAA kills it.

6-4

Happy Birthday, America, and boy do we have some good stuff for you!

We have some teriffic QuickTime VR panorama scenes for you all to enjoy! They are from our trip to Chicago, and each panorama is actually 12 different photographs that have been stitched together seamlessly using Apple's QuickTime VR Studio. We hope you like them!

I just submitted another article to OSOpinion.com, so you should see it online fairly soon. You can read it now on the Journal page. My previous article about an Apple PDA was published on Yahoo! Daily News for some reason. Nobody told me, but the hits on our site increased tenfold thanks to the link at the bottom, which was a nice surprise!

If all that weren't enough, Beanie and Weenie have come up with yet another cartoon! This is the first part of their two-part series where they encounter the evil computer, Teknot!

6-2

My article on Apple's Newton will go live this afternoon on OSOpinion.com! It is already uploaded on this page, but you can also read the original unedited version on our site.

6-30

We just got back from a trip to Chicago, and we have some great pictures to show you in the scrapbook section. This is just the first batch of pictures--the others are being turned into a Kodak CD so we can show you the panorama shots we took by the river!

Both of Matt's previous articles were published on OSopinion.com while we were away. Matt just submitted another one about Apple's Newton PDA. You can expect it to be published soon, but you can read it on our web site right now in the Journal section, along with Matt's last two articles about HyperCard and Apple's Buried Treasures.

Frisky has a few new Freeware titles as usual, including the ever-elusive MacDict 2, and a free digital video suite from Strata. Frisky has also reorganized the Mac OS X section with recognizable categories to make it easier to find what you want.

6-20

That cartoon at the top is a caricature I drew as a going-away present for the staff at Spectra Grafx Studios, where I have been working for the past few weeks for my internship. I've learned a lot about web design while I was there, and I wanted to show my appreciate to everyone I worked with. They all seemed to like it.

You'll also want to watch OSOpinion.com for another one of my articles! I have been doing some research on some of Apple's abandoned technologies--like HyperCard, Newton, eWorld, and others--and I am preparing a series of articles about them. I put the first of these articles on the Journal page. It gives a broad overview of the technologies I will write about later on.

As for freeware, Frisky found a few new goodies, including a free disk cataloging utility that will come in very handy if you use a lot of removeable disks.

6-8

Great news: I wrote another article for OSOpinion.com, and got some kind remarks from the Editor in Chief. You can see the article online here, or check out the unedited version on our own site here.

Beanie and Weenie have been busier than ever, and they have a new cartoon for you all! This isn't just some dinky three-panel strip, either. This is a twenty-one frame story! The cartoon itself came about completely spontaneously last week when I started drawing and discovered he couldn't stop. It's not too bad for a first edition. Hop on over to the cartoons page and check it out.

As usual, Frisky has a fresh batch of yummy freeware for you. This week includes a long-anticipated version of BBEdit Lite, the powerful text-editor that I use all the time in web design.

5-28

Happy memorial day, everyone! Take some time today to remember those patriots who gave their lives so we could be free.

Here's a treat for you all: learn how to draw Beanie and Weenie on the Cartoons page! I drew a picture of each of them and scanned the picture I drew every few steps, so you can see the simple process I used to put them together. I also forgot to mention our page of Christoons: cartoons I drew for the Wayne State Bible Study club. They're pretty funny, and definitely worth a peek.

The short story I wrote in high school is now posted in its entirety on the Journal page; I had a lot of fun writing it, so read it when you get the chance. I've been itching to do some more creative writing, so look for more works to be posted in the future.

As usual, Frisky has a delicious, nutritious sampling of free software. This week's selection includes SoundHack, a popular sound editing program for Mac OS 9 and X that I've never used, but lots of people seem to love.

5-18

Our site has been retouched with a slick new look and feel! I've been learning all kinds of useful web design gimmicks during my internship at Spectra Grafx, and I'm using what I've learned to make this site look better. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to add much content, but we haven't been getting very many hits recently, so I don't think that will matter much. Expect some cool stuff in the future though; I'm itching to write another article for OSopinion, and I'm compiling what I'm learning at Spectra Grafx into a new Technology Tutorial. If you're curious I'm currently building a new site for safefromabuse.com. My supervisor, Brian Theisen, designed it in Photoshop, and it's my job to cut up all the pieces, reassemble them in HTML, and drop in the content. So far it looks pretty good.

We have two more chapters for my Untitled (just for now) novelette in the Journal section, as well as a handful of new freewares, including an update for SNES9X and OSXVNC. Now you can play Super Nintendo games remotely with Mac OS X! Or not.

5-11

Yeah, Jonathan graduates from High school tomorrow. Isn't that something? He probably won't ever see his picture on this site, but if he does, his response will probably be something along the lines of "I'm going to kill you." Frisky has some new free software for both the classic Mac OS and Mac OS X, including a cute game called Tux Racer, where you're that insipid Linux penguin sliding round collecting fish. Also check out MacSolitaire, the first free solitaire program for the Macintosh. It has loads of great features. We also have the fourth chapter of that novelette in the Journal section, if any of you are reading that.

4-24

Matt's taking a watercolor class at Wayne State this year, and he has a bunch of his paintings on display in the scrapbook section. He has also included the photographs each picture is taken from, which makes for amusing comparisons. The Harry Potter MUSH is back up and running, and it's currently under heavy construction. If you have experience with MUSH code, stop on by and lend a hand with the building! Matt has also been cranking out more vectorized cartoons; a handful are on display your viewing pleasure in the cartoons section.

4-6

Matt's been sketching Beanie and Weenie all over the place, including in Adobe Illustrator. Stop by the Cartoons section to see how he's touched up the cartoons he's drawn in class when he's supposed to be taking notes. Frisky has a new section of freeware dedicated to software for Mac OS X! Stop on by and download "carbonized" versions of our favorite goodies, including Pandocalendar and Address Pad!

3-21

It's our grand opening! Dencity. Prohosting. Red Rival. They were all great while they lasted. They were free, they offered FTP access and plenty of space, and gave the Johnson Family nice spots to live on the web. Unfortunately, none of them lasted. Now we have a more stable home. We found a web hosting provider with reasonable rates, and we snatched up a domain name that we all seemed to like. We hope our new spot on the web will serve us well for years to come, and we hope you enjoy it too. For all you new-comers, the following is a quick overview of what we have to offer.

• Frisky Freeware: free, no-strings-attached Macintosh software dished up by a cute little guinea pig.
• Journal: sample a view pieces of creative writing, including Ed's guide to Kite Aerial Photography.
• Cartoons: Meet Beanie and Weenie, our favorite cartoon kids, and check our some of Matt's recent cartoons.
• Scrapbook: We're always snapping pictures! Stop by and feast your eyes on some of our latest photographs.
• Technology: Get the most out of your Macintosh! This section offers some software reviews, tech opinion articles, and how-to guides on using popular software programs.
• About this site: Learn about why this site exists, and take a look at Matt's portfolio and resume.

3-20

Great news! An article Matt wrote about Apple's forth coming Mac OS X has been accepted and posted by OSopinion.com! It came as a huge surprise to Matt, because he received no e-mail response from OSopinion whatsoever. The article itself has been edited slightly for reasons Matt can't fathom, but you can read the original, unedited version on the Technology page.

3-19

No ad banners, FTP access, no strings attached. These were the primary reasons the Johnson Family chose Red Rival as its web hosting service. These reasons are now gone; advertisements are now popping up behind every page, and FTP now costs $12 a year. The Johnson Family has decided to move one last time to a new web hosting service, and this time we're getting a domain name.

Stay tuned.

3-4

Spring break has arrived at Wayne State College, and Matt took home a new toy from the Mac Lab: a Wacom Graphire Stylus. Matt's been busy sketching Beanie and Weenie cartoons directly into his computer and then touching them up with Illustrator. It's a neat little gadget. Hop over to the Cartoon Gallery to see some examples of what it can do.

Great news on the Freeware Front: ViaHTTP, formerly $5 shareware is now free! This great little program lets you resume interrupted downloads, and it works great. Matt used it on Saturday when his computer froze just when he was almost done downloading the Harry Potter Movie Trailer. ViaHTTP picked up right where IE5 left off without a hitch!

We also added the next chapter in Matt's novelette on the Journal Page.

2-21

A new president, a new millennium, a new look for our web site! Aside from the altered color scheme and slick link bar at the top, we've started using a small link "tray" at the side as a quick guide to the best parts of our web site.

The Johnson Family Journal has also been updated for the first time in a while. It now has the first chapter of a story Matt wrote back in high school. It's an interesting read; we'll put up more chapters each time we update the web site.

2-9

That's right! Beanie and Weenie have been hard at work this week, and they have three new cartoons for you all to enjoy! If that's not enough for you, they also have some new sketches in the Cartoon Gallery for you, as well as some new pictures in the cartoon profiles.

Frisky has a few new freewares for you, including PGP 7.0.3; a major upgrade that adds a bunch of great new features. Download and enjoy!

2-1

Nebraska was just hit with a massive blizzard, closing down schools and leaving Matt with plenty of time to draw cartoons. Thanks to the bad weather, Beanie and Weenie have two new comic strips you all to enjoy! Head on over to the Cartoon Page to check them out!

Since classes were cancelled, Matt also had a chance to take pictures of all the snowy scenery. Stop by the Scrapbook Page to check out some of the best ones.

1-16

The school year is back in session, and the Johnson Family is busy trying to keep running on the hamster wheel of life. Nevertheless, Frisky has a fresh batch of freeware for you all, including one noteworthy example from Apple: iTunes. This little program is the best MP3 player on the market, and it has all the features you could want with a price that can't be beat: free. Be sure to check out Frisky's page for even more treats, including LimeWire, the first Gnutella client for the Mac that actually works!

1-1-1

Welcome to the third millennium at last! That's right, because there is no year zero on our calendar system, the "new" millennium didn't start until 2001. The Johnson Family is too busy celebrating to do much more for our site than put up a few cheesy graphics and add some freeware to Frisky's list.

Speaking of which, we have a dandy new freeware program for you: Intellipack 3, with four great Intellivision games from the 1980s: B17 Bomber, Minotaur, Beauty & the Beast, and Shark! Shark! Ed Johnson was up until 2 AM back in 1982 playing B17 Bomber, so you know it has to be good! The shark game was also lots of fun.

By the way, Ed Johnson sent a nasty letter to Apple computer, and enclosed a copy of Matt's Crisis at Crapple cartoon. Yes, we were thoroughly disgusted with the Apple Store, but Ed was able to find the gift Matt wanted was in stock at ecost.com thanks for some help from MySimon, and it cost even less than at the Apple Store.

2000

12-29

Merry Christmas, everyone! We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. The Johnson Family was busy celebrating, and we have plent