Another strip from the 2011 Daily teaching comic calendar I have.Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Penguins Are So Funny!
Vincentennial
As a kid, I didn't know very much about Vincent Price. I thought he had an amazing voice, but about the only things I knew him for were Saturday morning cartoons such as THE 13 GHOSTS OF SCOOBY DOO and as the narrator in that scary Michael Jackson video. It wasn't until years later that I learned how talented an actor Price really was. May 27th was Price's birthday and this year he would have been 100 years-old.Price was a native of St. Louis and in honor of one of their hometown boys who did well, St. Louis held a two week celebration of Vincent Price called Vincentennial. There were all sorts of film showings, there was a special play being performed about Price, there were lectures, and there interviews and presentations by famous people. During the first weekend I went to one of the Vincentennial events. It was held at the Hi-Pointe theatre in St. Louis. It was a special showing of the movie THE TOMB OF LIGEIA previewed by an interview with Roger Corman (I was sitting about 15 feet away from Corman before the interview began). Last week I had a chance to see a special Vincent Price exhibit at The Sheldon. It's not very large, but is really interesting. The exhibit will be there until August and is free, so if you're in St. Louis, I highly recommend it.
I also attended a presentation by Victoria Price, Vincent's daughter, that was held at the Missouri History Museum. It was extremely interesting (and also free!). I learned a lot about Price that I never knew about before and has made me interested in exploring more of the man's work. Happy Birthday, Vincent Price!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Book Bite: SUPERMAN: THE BLACK RING, VOL. 1
Following the events of the “War of the Supermen” and “Blackest Night” storylines, SUPERMAN: THE BLACK RING VOL. 1 finds Lex Luthor back in control and at the top of the world. After helping saved the world as a bearer of an orange ring of avarice, Lex has been pardoned of his past crimes and is back in charge of Lex Corp. Not only that, but Luthor’s greatest foe, Superman, has left Metropolis on another self-imposed exile. Luthor should be at the top of his game, but his experiences during the “Blackest Night” saga have changed him and left him hungering to possess a power ring of his own. Luthor believes it’s the only way he can gain the power to make himself the ruler of humanity. Seeking the source of the power that gave the black power rings their energy, Luthor begins an intergalactic quest. The initial stages of his journey take him all across the globe and allow him to display his keen intellect, but he end of Volume 1 ends on a cliffhanger of sorts as Luthor comes face to face with an old friend now turned foe. Luthor is the most overused of all of Superman’s villains. However, in the right hands (such as those of Paul Cornell), he’s a fascinating character. Pete Wood’s illustrations are vivid and vibrant and add some layers to Cornell’s story. A must read for anyone who likes or admires Lex Luthor.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
President Obama Is Anti-Israel
I don't like writing about political events because many people choose not to approach political discussions logically, they let their emotions take control, and things turn into an explosive shouting match. However, sometimes "when in the course of human events it becomes necessary" to make a stand and say something.
Today President Obama delivered a speech where he said, "The borders of Israel and Palenstine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states." In other words, the President of the United States told Israel, "Hey, thanks for being our friend and ally for over half a century. Now, bend over because I want to screw you."
Excuse me? Who died and made you world dictator, Mr. President? Israel has been one of only a handful of consistent allies that the United States has had in the past fifty years. Their help in anti-terrorism measures and intelligence has been invaluable. Now the President of the United States is telling them that they have to give up part of their country?! WTF!
I have never liked President Obama. He became one of the two senators from my home state of Illinois by having some of his cronies publicly release sealed court documents from the private divorce case of his opponent less than six months before the Senatorial election. These were documents from a private case. These were documents that not one, but several judges had ruled should remain sealed. Yet, somehow these private and sealed documents were released and made public. Prior to this, Obama was losing in the polls by nearly 80%. Once those documents were made public and it was learned that the Republican candidate had an affair, things changed. Most people in Illinois didn't know who Obama was, but the Republican party was tainted by the sexual scandal and they voted for him because he wasn't involved in a sex scandal. Once those sealed documents became public, I knew Obama wasn't who he was pretending to be. Ever since then, I've seen him as a modern Willie Stark. Nothing he has done since then has changed that opinion.
I've tried to be respectful of President Obama even when he's showed no respect for the Office he holds. I pray for him. However, today's statements have really put me on edge. Our President might be anti-Israel and perhaps anti-Semitic, but many of the people in the United States are not.
Today President Obama delivered a speech where he said, "The borders of Israel and Palenstine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states." In other words, the President of the United States told Israel, "Hey, thanks for being our friend and ally for over half a century. Now, bend over because I want to screw you."
Excuse me? Who died and made you world dictator, Mr. President? Israel has been one of only a handful of consistent allies that the United States has had in the past fifty years. Their help in anti-terrorism measures and intelligence has been invaluable. Now the President of the United States is telling them that they have to give up part of their country?! WTF!
I have never liked President Obama. He became one of the two senators from my home state of Illinois by having some of his cronies publicly release sealed court documents from the private divorce case of his opponent less than six months before the Senatorial election. These were documents from a private case. These were documents that not one, but several judges had ruled should remain sealed. Yet, somehow these private and sealed documents were released and made public. Prior to this, Obama was losing in the polls by nearly 80%. Once those documents were made public and it was learned that the Republican candidate had an affair, things changed. Most people in Illinois didn't know who Obama was, but the Republican party was tainted by the sexual scandal and they voted for him because he wasn't involved in a sex scandal. Once those sealed documents became public, I knew Obama wasn't who he was pretending to be. Ever since then, I've seen him as a modern Willie Stark. Nothing he has done since then has changed that opinion.
I've tried to be respectful of President Obama even when he's showed no respect for the Office he holds. I pray for him. However, today's statements have really put me on edge. Our President might be anti-Israel and perhaps anti-Semitic, but many of the people in the United States are not.
I hear you, Israel, and I support you.
Charlie Brown and His Losing Baseball Team
This "Peanuts" strip first appeared on April 15, 1961. I'm portraying Charlie Brown again this summer (July 9th at Litchfield, IL) and this strip appeared about a month ago in a daily calendar I have. It's one of the few times I've seen Snoopy cry so despondently. Unfortunately, this is the state of Charlie's soul most of the time.
Charlie Brown Gets a Haircut
It's even worse when your Dad's your barber. I love "Pop Culture Shock Therapy".
Monday, May 09, 2011
Is the Tide Turning?
Maybe it's because of the warmer weather, but I feel that the tide is about to turn in my life. I can feel the soggy doldrums of Winter melting away and instead of Spring, life is skipping straight to Summer (which is fine by me). The past few years have been difficult ones for me. In a span of less than seven months I lost my Dad and my job and now for over a year I've been unemployed.
Don't let anyone tell you differently. Unemployment sucks. The first couple of weeks were alright, but by week three I was more than ready to be back at work except there was no work to be found. I've done some temp work, was an emergency worker for one day in a department store, and have done some subbing, but that's it. My little savings are depleted and despite my constant and continual search, I haven't found a regular job. You'd think that companies would be fighting over me: I'm young, I've got two college degrees, I'm easy-going, and I've got a wealth of experience and knowledge.
For the past couple months, I've had people tell me: "I've been praying for you and know that God's going to release a floodgate of blessings into your life soon." Well, I'm ready for those blessings, now, God. It's been a really dry season, so I'd settle for just a nice shower, but if the floodgates of blessing pour forth, I'll take that, too.
I don't always remember, but I have a decent idea of how blessed I already am just by living in the United States. The opportunities we have are nearly limitless. Yet, it seems that the opportunities I seek have eluded my grasp. Perhaps now is the time I can finally grab hold and claim what, in this life, I have sought and longed for so long.
I had a job interview last week. It was the first one I've had in a little while. It went well. It wasn't my best interview, but it wasn't terrible and I feel like I left a good image upon the supervisor. We talked for nearly an hour. I've also recently started taking tap lessons (I paid for them last August when I still had a little reserve). It's something I've always wanted to do and something I felt might help me a little in my future entertainment pursuits. My instructor told me, "I'm really impressed," and that I was a natural. These were just small things, but they did and still lift my spirit. As tough as things have gotten, I've never completely abandoned hope. I'm glad I didn't because I feel that at the minimum I'm going to see a glimpse of hope fulfilled.
Don't let anyone tell you differently. Unemployment sucks. The first couple of weeks were alright, but by week three I was more than ready to be back at work except there was no work to be found. I've done some temp work, was an emergency worker for one day in a department store, and have done some subbing, but that's it. My little savings are depleted and despite my constant and continual search, I haven't found a regular job. You'd think that companies would be fighting over me: I'm young, I've got two college degrees, I'm easy-going, and I've got a wealth of experience and knowledge.
For the past couple months, I've had people tell me: "I've been praying for you and know that God's going to release a floodgate of blessings into your life soon." Well, I'm ready for those blessings, now, God. It's been a really dry season, so I'd settle for just a nice shower, but if the floodgates of blessing pour forth, I'll take that, too.
I don't always remember, but I have a decent idea of how blessed I already am just by living in the United States. The opportunities we have are nearly limitless. Yet, it seems that the opportunities I seek have eluded my grasp. Perhaps now is the time I can finally grab hold and claim what, in this life, I have sought and longed for so long.
I had a job interview last week. It was the first one I've had in a little while. It went well. It wasn't my best interview, but it wasn't terrible and I feel like I left a good image upon the supervisor. We talked for nearly an hour. I've also recently started taking tap lessons (I paid for them last August when I still had a little reserve). It's something I've always wanted to do and something I felt might help me a little in my future entertainment pursuits. My instructor told me, "I'm really impressed," and that I was a natural. These were just small things, but they did and still lift my spirit. As tough as things have gotten, I've never completely abandoned hope. I'm glad I didn't because I feel that at the minimum I'm going to see a glimpse of hope fulfilled.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
A Response to Rob Bell
Rob Bell is a pastor. He founded a church in Michigan called Mars Hill Bible Church. He became a celebrity in Christian culture with a series of teaching videos he produced called the "NOOMA" series and writing a book entitled Velvet Elvis. I've only seen a few of the NOOMA videos. They are well produced teaching tools that are engaging, informative, and sometimes challenging (unfortunately many people haven't seen any of these videos because they are overpriced-$10 for a 10-14 minute video is kind of steep and there are 24 videos in the whole set). I was first introduced to Bell at a Bible study where we watched one of the NOOMA videos. Later, a friend I worked with at camp recommended I read Velvet Elvis and I did. The book had some interesting points, but it wasn't as powerful as I thought it would be. Anyway, Bell's star has continued to rise in the ghetto of Christian culture, but that's all changed in the past couple of months with the release of Bell's latest book, Love Wins. In this book, Bell admits that he's a universalist (there is no Hell and everyone goes to Heaven) and, therefore, a heretic. Bell reaches a massive audience and Love Wins is causing lots and lots and lots of controversy. Below is a video that I recently came across (thanks to Justin Taylor) that is a great response to Bell's recent claims that illustrates the fallacy in his new claims. It's intelligent, engaging, and hilarious. Enjoy.
Robbed Hell - C.A.S.T. Pearls Presents from Canon Wired on Vimeo.
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