Motorcycles

Everyone over 30 years of age should buy a motorcycle. In today's frightened era of global warming and environmental danger, the emissions of gas (and might I mention the price) are some common worries. The motorcycle is the key vehicle in reducing gas emissions, achieving awesome gas mileage, which in turn will allow you to get more gas for your buck. The reason I say for everyone over 30, is because at that point of age, they seem to be less reckless, as my brother for example and other people I know over 30. They have matured, and are not concerned about the 'need for speed', and the roads will ultimately be safer because of that, if this is true. Those are some simple reasons, plus the thrill of riding. One final note: If there is an atomic bomb or natural disaster, the motorcycle is by far the easiest way out of traffic congestion. Just drive through the median or between the stopped cars! The motorcyclists will be the lone survivors, trapped away in the hills of West Virginia where they will be safe, to repopulate the Earth.

The Far Side

I recently came across my 10 year anniversary The Far Side comic anthology. This is by far the best comic strip to have ever graced syndicated newspaper comics. Gary Larson's humor is always fresh, always produces a giggle, smirk, or a whole-hearted laugh, and best yet, has stood the test of time! Larson probably stopped ahead of his game, and to use the term 'better to quit while you are ahead', but if he wasn't fresh out of ideas, the strip would still dominate the comic sections. Jim Davis's Garfield and that ultimately lame strip The Family Circus really should have taken Larsons route and retired many years ago. The only reason I can ponder for them to continue making their routine, trite, and overused jokes is to simply pay the bills, or they have no other hobby. Garfield I admit used to be entertaining when I was a child, but looking back even on old issues from the 1980's, there really isn't much decent humor in the story lines. Garfield is fat, he likes lasagna. His owner is a lonely nerd who can't find a decent woman. It has been tormenting deja vu, for the past 30 years. The Family Circus I've decided is only funny if you are a middle-aged/retirement age white middle class Christian. The only funny thing about this group of people is if Gary Larson decided to make satire of them. It is probably best explained as the un-funny version of Bill Cosby's Kids Say the Darnedest Things.
The Far Side uses quirky, demented, original, and satirical humor to portray all different genres, including zoology, family, religion, social issues, work, and anything you can really think of! The best thing is each single panel cartoon is a snapshot of a larger story, which allows the reader to fill in the blanks as to why a particular story came about. For example (see duck cartoon attached). This cartoon is a snapshot in time of a larger story. A talking duck, a nemesis scientist, a capsized boat. These are all humorous to me. Asking myself "why" this story came to be makes me ponder and dream and really involve myself into the cartoon.
As opposed to say this Family Circus cartoon attached. Lame. That's all I have to say. It might be funny if I had tried that myself as a child, but only funny that Bill Keane was able to make a comic that pinpointed an event in my life. If someone can tell me what exactly is funny or thought provoking in Bill Keane's work, please let me know. The Family Circus really needs to die for it's sins against the comic world. As for you, The Far Side, I will always have you shrouded in rose pedals and scented candles.

a musical project

One of my new found hobbies is to film and/or record covers with my friend of our favorite songs on the violin and guitar. I lay down the rhythm parts, of usually acoustic songs without a lot of fancy stuff like guitar solos, while my friend who is on the violin substitutes the vocals for that instrument. We have submitted some of our tribute cover videos (only 3 so far) to Youtube to great fan review. So far we have done 'The Past Recedes' by John Frusciante (of Chili Pepper fame) and 'X-Mas Curtain' by My Morning Jacket. Our most latest endeavor has been a tribute to one of our favorite Neil Young songs and album, the title-track 'Harvest Moon'. I'm most proud of this one, with the sound quality and lack of obvious mistakes, and for the great atmosphere it creates with the violin emulating the vocals. This song always makes me want to sit on a back porch in twilight summer with a bottle of wine.
One day I will get back into the creative end of the musical spectrum that I left behind, but at this point in time, I'd rather play odes to my favorite musicians who have inspired me over the years.

Check it out in the link below!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tVF5FUSKtRI

If flashing....

A pop-up style advertisement states 'If flashing you are chosen for a free dvd player!'. Of course the average mind will read by this and assume that the flashing colors behind the text of this advertisement are the 'flashing' that will allude to your free DVD. To anyone who reads the English language as it literally should will show their skin and flash the computer monitor in order to win a free DVD player. So, unbuckle your belt, drop your slacks, or take off any other article of clothing revealing yourself, and stand proud in front of your computer monitor, you have won a free DVD player!