Not much needs to be added to this editorial cartoon on Charlie Sheen. Except I do wonder after he caused Two and a Half Men to end production because of his actions, will this also mean he loses his Hanes endorsement deal. I hope those are Hanes he is sporting in the picture above.
So it seems a few Belieber’s (Justin Bieber fans) are running amok because their demigod did not win the Best New Artist award at the Grammys (see here for the story and here for 10 of the vilest tweets against Esperanza I could ever read).
Now maybe there is a legitimate gripe that she shouldn’t have even been considered in the category. However, how long and at what level does an artist have to be on the scene to no longer be considered new. If new to the previous year, then Justin himself wouldn’t have been eligible since his first album hit in 2009. And there has been a precedent set anyway. Back in 1999, Lauryn Hill won after going solo but was already established as part of the Fugees (and Sister Act II).
This isn’t American Idol. It is not a popularity contest.
You aren’t in seeking reform in the Middle East. This decision doesn’t truly affect your life in any meaningful way.
Justin isn’t going to marry you. So please have some decorum.
And while you are disappointed with his loss as a fan, do you really need to threaten someone who had nothing to do with any of the decisions in the first place? Why don’t you take a lesson from your idol and be gracious in your loss?
I am not really sure what it is but I have noticed over the last several years that when sitting on the couch watching TV, I have been prone to putting a hand down the front of my pants. Not all the way mind you (or touching the package) but just enough that the palm is on the lower stomach and the fingers are in the waist band. I find it a very comfortable position. And this is completely separate than stratching. No scratching involved. My wife rags on me for it and thinks it is hilarious.
So is this some right of passage that all men go through as they age? Will I have the tendency to some day have an entire arm down my pants? Fess up gentlemen. Do you too find comfort in this position? Ladies…thoughts? I would ask if I am “nuts” but that might not be appropriate.
So I have been busy behind the scenes doing cartoons and contributing elsewhere so I thought I would give a roundup of my busy busy life.
First, the Webcomic Alliance, periodically puts out sketch challenges. A few weeks ago it was “Your favorite Marvel or DC Characters in the classic, “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil”.” Now of course I went off template and included some of my favorite cartoon characters that I thought would fill the role perfectly.
Then our friend Ahmnodt Heare put on his annual “Draw Ahmnodt Week” Challenge. Never mind that only two of us submitted entries. But here is my donation to the cause.
Finally Gav over at Boys Will Be Boys put on a cartoon caption contest. Not only is he yet another Aussie friend (I don’t know how you all find me) but he has good taste and I WON!! Here was my winning original signed and sent along with a nice message that I received in the mail yesterday.
I’ve had the distinct fortune over the last few days to hear some great lectures (and a few duds) on learning theory, behavioral science and how the brain works from people like Daniel Simons and Ann Herrmann-Nehdi. As someone who hungers for new learning, I am always interested in how people process information and how the instructor can either help or hinder that process.
What I find interesting though, is that we are so quick sometimes to throw out terms like “information overload” or “brain overload” when I tend to think most of the time it is actually “information confusion”. Experts agree that we can process information much faster than the average person can talk. So if the information is presented in a logical fashion, we are more apt to be engaged and remember it. Though not absolute, I can be bombarded with information and still retain the salient parts if I can follow the logic.
However, “information confusion” more-so than overload becomes the blocker. All new information that I could process is shut off because now I am fixated on figuring out something that may have been said five minutes earlier. I find this when speakers tend to say “um” every 10 seconds. I become fixated on counting the “um’s” that I no longer pay attention to the content.
I remember having a professor in college with a strong Ukrainian accent. He was not the type of professor who liked interruptions in his lectures for silly things like questions. One day, he spent 30 minutes lecturing on Ira. I couldn’t figure out who this Ira guy was or what he had to do with science. It was only as the bell was beginning to ring, that I finally understood he was saying “iron”. Had I known that in the beginning, the entire lecture might have made sense.
Anyone else have examples of when you become fixated on something someone else said or did and can’t seem to get past it to really pay attention to their point?
So it seems that there are some American comic fanboys upset that an American icon like Superman is being cast by British actor, Henry Cavill. Henry was incredible as Duke of Suffolk, Charles Brandon in the Showtime series (I believe being rerun on BBC), The Tudors. And according to my wife, he is good eye candy so he has that going for him too.
Most of you may not get the “Jersey” line but Henry is actually from the island of Jersey. Not New Jersey, but one of the Channel Islands, part of the Crown Dependencies of Britain. Now here is where it gets confusing for an American. I learned long ago the differences between England, the United Kingdom and Great Britain. For those of you who did not, our friend Duncan recently reposted this video explaining it all. (Take note Friggin Loon. When you steal content from the Mad Hatters, at least give them credit..haha).
(source)
Here’s the confusing part for me. Many Americans might call Henry an “English Actor” but he is not from England so he cannot be. Yet, even the UK paper, the Guardian, confuses us even more when they refer to him as such. As in this article saying “As long ago as 2005, the Twilight author, Stephanie Meyer, was talking up Cavill’s abilities: “I feel really passionately about him getting the role,” she said, but the part eventually went to another English actor, Robert Pattinson.
Now that we have determined he is a British actor and not an English one, should either really matter when you are playing an alien who lives in the United States and was co-created by a Canadian?? Then again, would anyone in the UK be upset if an American played James Bond with a decidedly English accent?
There is a new talk show host in town. Piers Morgan (U.S. readers might know him as a former judge on America’s Got Talent) has taken over Larry King’s spot on CNN. In his first week alone, he interviewed Oprah, George Clooney and Howard Stern. I’ve probably watched his show more than I did Larry’s in the last 3 years combined.
Yet with such high profile guests in the early weeks, what happens when he is only left with being able to interview “celebrities” the likes of the Kardashian sisters or similar? Would he have to break down and try to nab an interview with Madonna, Howie Mandell, or Heather Mills (all according to the NY Mag are on his banned list).
Side note: Piers was a hard one to caricature for me. After many attempts, what you see above I was finally happy with and my wife was able to identify without prompting. But now the more I look at it, I can’t stop seeing Eric Stoltz in Mask. Sorry Piers.
Update: Ok I was completely kidding when I said the Kardashian joke but I guess he indeed did interview them last week and it was not a ratings success.
Today’s guest cartoon comes from the one and only Nate Fakes of Break of Day Comic (please forgive him that he decided to post his comic on go comics which always tries to do pop ups) and of Nate’s Ramblings.
Now I asked Nate where he got the notion that Bearman had so much gray hair and his reply was that he blew up my avatar and my shading looked like it was actually gray hair. This looks like a normal weekend in my neighborhood though.
BTW, if you love Break of Day but don’t want to “subscribe” to comment, do what I do and follow Break of Day on Facebook and comment there.
Thanks Nate!
Undercover Boss is a series in the U.S. that showcases company executives disguising themselves as out of work average joes working different entry level jobs in their own company. It was originally a British series and now has expanded to Australia (source). It is not only a ratings success but also a PR success for any company lucky enough to be featured on it.
Well it seems that Cincinnati’s own Mayor Mark Mallory was asked to participate as the first mayor in the country featured on the show. Cincinnati needs some good PR so I think it was a great idea. Well it seems some city council members do not. Leslie Ghiz complained “…he’s not the boss..The manager’s the boss. He’s nobody’s boss.” (source). While it it true that our city is run by a city manager, the mayor is still seen as playing a prominent role in how people view the city and therefore it is not inappropriate for him to take on this task.
And Chris Bortz said “he might put forth a motion to sue the production company to make sure the show doesn’t air, saying Mallory was simply “advancing a personal agenda.” Seems they only wanted him involved more in the budget process so they have one more person to point the finger when things go wrong.
Oh and Mayor Mallory is fairly recognized in the city (see bio) so rumors were that they gave him different facial hair and dreadlocks, thus the picture.
Anyone watch UB? Do you think it would be good or bad for your city if your mayor appeared on the show?
Today’s guest cartoon submission is from Jande Rowe of e-Orbits Comix (home of Aedre’s Firefly). Jande’s line work is amazing on AF but what I enjoy just as much is her personal stories that tend to accompany each post.
Now my only complaint is that she assumes I have any weight to actually take off. I do, but the presumption of it bothers me. haha. Now on the other hand she obviously drew me with killer abs. So all is forgiven.
Make sure to check out Jande’s work and also follow her on twitter @eccentricorbits