DRAWING on OBSERVATIONS

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Day One..umm, Two of the Republican National Convention…Democrat, uhh, Independent,..Republican?? Senator from Connecticut and one time vice presidential candidate for the Democratic party, supported John McCain for president.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

John McCain picks Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, but Hurricane Gustav rains on the GOP parade truncating the planned events and speeches for the first day of the Republican National Convention.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

For those who are worried about my sanity after the first two days of the convention, fear not. I eliminated the talking heads yesterday by watching the convention on C-Span… I enjoyed the unfiltered evening without screaming at the television, and I got a good night sleep… and oh yeah, our nation made history by nominating the first African-American as a Presidential Candidate.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

While Hillary put on a public display of unity last night, behind the scenes, her minions were still picking at the wound. Case in point, New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez; a staunch Clinton supporter during the primaries, Menendez was offered an olive branch by the Obama campaign but he declined the invitation to speak at the Convention….and I foolishly thought he was paid to represent me.

Last night the Democratic party kicked off its four day convention to nominate Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden to lead the party in this falls election and become the next president and vice president of our nation. The delegates were treated to a speech by Caroline Kennedy; a Ken Burns tribute film to the Lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy; a speech by the 76 year old senator, who recently suffered from a malignant brain tumor but made the journey to Denver to endorse Barack Obama; what I thought was a great speech by Michelle Obama; and capped off by Michelle and Barack’s adorable girls teleconferencing with their daddy from Kansas City….. but I couldn’t help notice that there was a subtext to the proceedings… especially if you were watching CNN….Get over it already!

Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The 2008 Democratic National Convention starts today. Obama has already proven that he and his campaign have great stage craft and there should be a big bounce from the four day show…. but then again, this is the democratic party… factor in the protesters, demonstrators and team Clinton, and all bets are off.

Piggybacking off of Stephen Gardner’s Sketch of the Day postings of multiple versions of the same drawing I’m posting these doodles this morning. These are done very quickly (about a minute or two) so I … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on my email update

It’s official, Obama selected Joe Biden as his running mate. I’ve stated here that Senator Biden wouldn’t be my first choice… Time will tell if Joe can be a disciplined candidate and stay on message.

I got my first notice on my Blackberry, via email, at 9:56 am. I signed up for the text message, but the texting didn’t work as advertised and the media had the story well before me.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

You here a lot about balancing the ticket, but maybe Obama would be wise to choose another youthful, ivy league educated candidate in Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint 

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones served the 11th district of Ohio since 1998. She was Ohio’s first Black congresswoman, the first black woman to serve on the powerful Ways and Mean Committee. She chaired the House Ethics Committee and was  a strong opponent of the War in Iraq. She suffered an aneurysm on Monday and passed away yesterday from complications of the brain hemorrhage . She was 58.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Biden’s undisciplined manner has made him a favorite among the media, who are always hungry for a quote, but I’ve always heard that the cardinal rule for picking a running mate is do no harm. Might a loose canon bring more harm than good?

Thoughts?

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Pakistani President Musharraf announced his resignation yesterday. His party having lost an election, his popularity plummeting after declaring a state of emergency to eliminate his enemies and the prospect of loosing long time allies Bush and Cheney left him with no political options but to step down.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Could McCain break with the religious right by choosing Tom Ridge?

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The president of Eastern Airlines Phil Bakes, announced yesterday that the airline has agreed to pay a $9.5 million fine for failing to comply with routine inspections of it’s fleet. After an investigation, the F.A.A. said it had found nearly 70 cases in which planes were operated in violation of Federal regulations, sometimes repeatedly. The fine is by far the largest ever imposed by the FAA. Bakes said that Eastern had agreed to the penalty because the prospects of litigation ”were clouding both Eastern’s outstanding safety record and Eastern’s substantial … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

When I think of Julia Child, it’s hard not to think of Dan Aykroyd’s hilarious impression of the french chef fumbling with a knife and bleeding all over the kitchen. But in reality Julia Child was not only a great chef, author, and television star; records released today reveal that Child served as a US spy for the Office of Strategic Services (the OSS). Created by Franklin Roosevelt during World War ll, the OSS was an earlier version of the CIA

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint,

Yesterday Michael Phelps won his eleventh gold medal, becoming the greatest Olympian of all time. At twenty three years old, Phelps has won more gold medals than Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz or any athlete in Olympic history, and barring injury he’s almost certain to win more.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint 

The curtain is iron, the stage is the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, the players are the invading Russian troops and their president, Dmitri Medvedev, but most believe that somewhere in the rafters, puppeteer Vladimir Putin is still pulling the strings.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Overcoming the humble start of being born in a tin shack in Tennessee, having his mom die and his dad run off when he was just a year old, being raised by his grandparents and picking cotton as a boy, Isaac Hayes would teach himself to play piano, organ and saxophone and go on to become a music icon. He won an Academy Award, Three Grammy Awards and became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died yesterday at age 65.

Also…While I was taking a long weekend at the beach with my family, my blog was highlighted by The Star Ledger staff reporter Kelly Heyboer. I have doodled over Kelly’s byline on a number of occasions and wanted to say thanks to Kelly and the entire staff of the Ledger for keeping New Jersey informed and providing me with daily inspiration and a fresh supply of newsprint.

Continue Reading

Ball poiunt pen on newsprint and paper napkin

Over the past few months I’ve been having a blast posting my daily doodles, these next few days however, will mark the first weekday without a new drawing. I’m headed to the beach for a long weekend, and even though I’ll do some drawing, I won’t have access to a scanner. Here is my version of the summer re-run…. a few of my favorite doodles over the past few months. Be back on Monday with an all new drawing!

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Michel Martin has been a journalist for twenty five years covering major events in print and then as a correspondent for ABC News. She brings all of that experiance to her NPR Radio show, Tell Me More.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The Fed basically has one tool in the shed. If inflation is detected, they could increase interest rates and slow the economy. If a slowing economy is detected, they could lower interest rates and spur the economy. Since business is reluctant to raise prices during a slowing economy, inflation and a recession  are almost always mutually exclusive. But our government has thrown another variable into the mix; a huge debt and a falling dollar. Even if world prices stay the same, the shrinking buying power of the US dollar … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The simplest solution is the best.

Sometimes I callenge myself to draw a likeness with the the greatest economy of strokes. If the strokes are in the right place, nothing more is needed.

In politics, nothing ever seems as simple as, we need oil, we have oil within our borders, lets get the oil.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Growing up, I had a Great Uncle Nick who would captivate us with the tales of how he and his family escaped from Russia as a boy; Alexander Solzhenitsyn wasn’t as fortunate. Having survived eight years in a Russian gulag, his Nobel Prize winning books chronicle the horrors of Stalin’s slave labor camps. Solzhenitsyn died yesterday. He was 89.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Some bloggers, armed with strong hit counts, have an over inflated view of their contribution to the public discourse and have developed an adversarial relationship with traditional media. I’m not in that camp. I’m a full time illustrator. I don’t have the time, nor the budget to track down a story. I have never filed a freedom of information request. I rely on traditional media to stay informed, not just as a blogger, but as a responsible citizen. Some may have noticed the Star-Ledger’s bylines peaking out … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Today I’m posting four unrelated doodles. scandal, hope, distractions and deficits…same old, same old.

CAN A DOODLER GET A RUNNING MATE!!!
SHAKE IT UP! SHAKE IT UP! . . WOO!

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Yesterday, US District Judge William Martini, sentenced former mayor of Newark Sharp James to a slap on the wrist, proving that in New Jersey, crime does pay. The corrupt pol was tried for illegally steering public land to his mistress and cronies and was convicted of fraud and conspiracy. Martini ordering Sharp to serve 27 months and pay $100,000 fine.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

I have a photo shoot in New York for a book cover illustration I’m working on, so today is another quicky.

Right or wrong, I think that tapping our domestic oil reserves is a good place for McCain to go drilling for votes, but his gas tax holiday for the summer months crusade is loosing it’s window of effectiveness. It’s almost August and congress will soon be headed home to their districts until after Labor Day. It’s beating a dead horse.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Rich (Goose) Gossage was inducted into Baseballs Hall of Fame yesterday. Goose was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1970. After five seasons with Chicago and a cup of coffee with the Pirates, the hard throwing reliever came to the Yankees in 1978. As a relief pitcher, he helped define the modern day closer, pitching the final out to clinch a Division, League or World Series title seven times. The Yankees, with the help of Goose, pioneered the set-up/closer configuration that every major league team has used since. He was … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Senator Obama’s political views may be 180 degrees from Ronald Reagan’s, but like the former president, Obama has studied the stage craft of a winner.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint 

I have two photo shoots in New York Today, so todays doodle was another quick one.

Yesterday Senator Obama visited with Shimon Peres and professed an unshakable commitment to  the security of Israel.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

I seem to be referencing Andrew Keen’s book alot lately, The Cult of the Amateur, How The Internet Is Killing Our Culture. As I’ve stated before, Mr Keen makes a lot of very interesting points about Web 2.0 and how bloggers are filling the web with unprofessional content. I have to concede, there is a lot to be said for having an editor. Take this story about a mayor of a New Jersey shore town and a blog he writes detailing his frustrations with out of town, undesirable renters. You would … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Janet’s top,.. Justin”s jaw,.. An the FCC fine.

Ho, Ho, Ho.
Janet’s top… Justin’s jaw… An the FCC fine.

Ripppp.

Name three things that were dropped.

A Federal Appeals Court through out the 550,000 fine imposed by the Federal Communications Commission against CBS for the infamous wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Before Obama left for Iraq, I was thinking it had the potential to produce another Michael Ducacus driving a tank moment, but Obama is proving to be adept at handling the world stage. Sensing that the contender-in-chief may soon be their commander-in-chief, Obama is being well recieved in Iraq.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

A while back, I wrote on this blog about an interesting book by Andrew Keen, The Cult of the Amateur, How The Internet Is Killing Our Culture. I agree with much of what Mr. Keen writes but ultimately disagree with his conclusions. Of course there are irresponsible, untalented and ill informed providers of content on the web, but if we intend to uphold our constitution and protect freedom of speech on the internet, we have to be savvy about separating the wheat from the chaff. As a blogger, my radar … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

New Jersey’s native son Raymond T. Odierno was confirmed by the US Senate last week by a 95-1 vote to rise in rank from a Three Star Lieutenant General to a Four Star General and Multi-National Force-Iraq Commander. Odierno has confidence in both McCain and Obama to carefully weigh his advice before withdrawing troops.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall and Heath Ledger, in his final performance, opens at midnight tonight.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Yesterday the two major candidates gave speeches on the war. Obama wants to move the emphasis back to Afghanistan. McCain thinks we $hould do both.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Hard to say if I captured a likeness of Stephen Payne. There wasn’t an article in my paper this morning, but the story out of the Sunday Times of London was too compelling to pass up so I sketched this from a tiny you tube video. Payne, a lobbyist and a major fund raiser for the Bush campaigns of 2000 and 2004, is caught on tape selling presidential access to someone posing as a representative of the former president of Kyrgyzstan, now in excile in Moscow, in exchange for … Continue Reading