DRAWING on OBSERVATIONS

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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!

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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I grew up a Yankee fan, as was my dad before me, so it seems like I knew Bobby Murcer. He signed with the yanks in 1964, was called up in 65 to play shortstop, served in the military from 67-68, became a regular in 69 as an outfielder, was a five time All Star, had the second highest batting average in 1971 batting .331. a gold glove winner and fifth in MVP voting in 72. He was traded away to SF for Bobby Bonds and also played for the Cubs, … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Any resemblance that this doodle has to Don Rickles was totally unintentional. But it seems that lately, McCain, like Rickles has to rip his friends to succeed, so maybe I allowed that to subliminally enter into my morning ritual…who knows…Anyway…The latest hockey puck that McCains has to denounce, his top economic adviser, former Texas Senator Phil Gramm. Gramm said the economy would be doing fine if it weren”t for our nation of whiners talking it down. I’ll try to smile the next time I pull up to the … Continue Reading

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint 

I have to catch a train this morning for a photo shoot in NY, so today’s sketch is another quickie.

Yesterday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stoked anti Israeli sentiments and flexed his muscles by firing 9 test missiles, including one capable of striking Israel and US allies in the region… Iran may be testing missiles, but  they’re also testing the will of American’s to follow an unpopular president should the US decide to do anything about it.

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Fords stock price was already in trouble when Allan Mulally became CEO on Sept, 5th 2006. At $8.39 a share, the company was worth less than a third of what it was six years earlier.  Last month car sales in America (led by Honda and Toyota) topped Fords F Series Trucks for the first time since 1992 with sales down by 31% for the month of May. Mulally said last week that the consumer shift to smaller vehicles is going to be permanent. With China’s growing economy stretching the world’s … Continue Reading

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G. Richard (Rick) Wagoner Jr. has been the CEO of General Motors since May 1, 2003 when GM stock price was 35.50 per share. This year GM isn’t performing very well, Saturn sales -19%, Buick sales -21%, Saab sales -29%, SUV sales -37%. …at yesterdays close $10.24.

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The team of rescuers, who saved the 15 hostages being held for six years in the jungles of Columbia, tricked the FARC marxist guerrillas into thinking they were helping to move the hostages. Some even posed as television journalists and filmed the dramatic moments when the hostages boarded the helicopter and were told they were free. See it here. Pretty amazing stuff.

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Happy 4th of July!

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

This mornings doodle may set the record for the quickest I’ve done on this blog. I’m headed out the door to the Illustration Conference in NY today.

This year of the un-republican has seen the nomination of a republican candidate that party insiders love to hate. McCain may distance himself further from republicans and an unpopular administration by choosing a running mate from another party. Joe Lieberman, conservative Democrat turned Independent, is looking like McCain’s shadow.

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Youth, Beauty, and Conservative…Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin is on McCain’s short list. But the last time I checked, Alaska wasn’t in the South, and as much as I hate to admit…it always comes down to the South.

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Young, Ethnic, Southern, Conservative, McCain might choose Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Personally, I think McCain might do better running to the center and courting the independents, but it could make for an interesting campaign.

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This week lets take a look at John McCain. Today, McCain on waste. He claims never to have asked for an earmark and wants to do away with them. I’m on board with that. Lets bring the pork above board. The US Dollar has tanked in recent years, in large part due to out of control spending and budget deficits by a republican administration. (BTW, Crude oil is traded in US Dollars) Can he successfully distance himself from that?

Tomorrow, running mates…I take requests.

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I have an early photo shoot in the city today, so talk amongst yourselves…here’s a topic:

Yesterday the Supreme Court struck down a 32 year DC law that banned handguns and required that rifles and shotguns kept in private homes be unloaded and either disassembled or protected by a trigger lock. Will other states with tough gun control laws have their laws declared unconstitutional?

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New Jersey State Trooper and Army Reservist Dwayne Kelley died Tuesday in a bombing at a local government office in Baghdad. Dwayne grew up in Willingboro, is the father of two, spoke fluent Arabic and lived in South Orange for the past fifteen years. The tragic loss marks the 101st Jerseyan to have sacrificed their lives in Iraq. Dwayne was 48.

Today I did a second sketch in a newsprint pad free of any text.

Ball point pen on clear newsprint paper