The Comics

I just don't know how Jim Davis does it.His 'Garfield' strip is both always timeless and,yet,still always funny.It is a trick many strips fail to accomplish.This whole week of strips having Garfield watch Tv horror movies for Halloween just made me laugh during a very tuff week.Thank you,Jim Davis.That is why this'best of the week' strip is the comic of the week.

Horrible News

It's been over a week and I still can't believe it.Todd is dead.Todd[pictured on the left with me and my brother,Ted] died suddenly last Saturday while traveling in Cambodia.He was 26.


His father,my brother,Carl,and Carl's wife Tammie are beyond heartbroken,but still have to deal with the expensive ordeal of getting Todd back home.


I am posting to ask you for your prayers not only for my nephew,but for Carl,Tammie,Todd's brother,Matthew and his sister,Hassy as well.


May God be with them at this terrible time.I sure as hell going to miss him.

New Book:I Am America(And So Can You)

I openly admit that I am a closet book reader.I love a good book.Lately,though,I have been tired of the same old-same old,and have been dying to read a darn good comedy.At last I found one.'I Am America(And So Can You),by Stephen Colbert is just knock down,gosh darn-it funny.Not only that,it is well thought out.It aims to bring you maximum joy and reading pleasure.The inside covers are 3-D images of,of all things,Alfred E.Neuman(at least mine are);there are side notes and footnotes,great graphics and charts,stickers and award labels...there is even a bookmark ribbon.AND ALL THIS FOR ONLY $31.25 Canadian!

I would loan you my copy,but Stephen says for me to not to.I will,instead,insist that you buy your own copy.Why?Because you probably haven't laughed this much at the truth in a long time.

One Great Day

I had one of the best days ever.Tyler-in his final x-country race of the year-broke his P.R.(personal record);Nik and I jammed to Wilco on cd getting ready for the concert and the Indians won making for one happy Adam.

The best thing of all was taking my three young men to see Wilco in concert in Columbus.It was absolutely one of the very best concerts I have ever been to.Wilco played for over 2 1/2 hours,and just blew us away with fantastic live versions of all of their very best songs.I don't know,you probably have to be a big Wilco fan to have known all the songs:but we are...and they ruled.Gagzooks,man,what a great time.

My favorite songs were,'Trying To break Your Heart';'Jesus etc.' and 'Via Chicago',but there were soo many more.Wilco played two encores:each four songs long.

What a great,great Time!!!!

So what if I only got three hours sleep today.It was worth it!

The Comics

Along with other new comic strips such as 'Frog Applause' and 'Diesel Sweeties',I always get a kick out of 'The Meaning Of Lila'.Lila[by John Forgetta and L.A. Rose] is about the pretty,yet underachieving Lila,her sexually ambiguous best friend,Boyd,and their comic tease and hard working other friend,the blond haired Drew.They all three work at a place called,'Metro-Mart' in a town called Cleveland.This 'Meaning Of Lila' from last Friday,Octomber 12th,left me in giggles and worked for me on more then one level,that is why it is the comic of the week.

Cut & Paste

To quote Stan Laurel,"This is another fine mess you have gotten us into." Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez blames (the)"failure of the national political leadership" on the quagmire that is now the Iraqi War.Though he doesn't mention the Bush administration,the Congress,or the Pentagon by name...if it quacks like a duck....

In other news,a pyschic predicts mass murder on Halloween at Kent State.Gee,and to think I was going to tell you my story of The Witch's Grave.When I used to live near KSU,Halloween,downtown was always a blast-figuratively.Now...it maybe-literally!BOO!

Things look bleak for my Indians after last nights poor performance against The Red Sox...but being a true fan,I still believe.'Goooooo Tribe!'

Kudos for Al Gore:-)Though I don't actually perceive how preaching about global warming is a 'peace' issue,receiving the Nobel Peace Prize is an awesome and well deserves accomplishment.Does this mean that Bush will take it by proxy via the Supreme Court?Hmmm,maybe Bush should get the Un-Nobel War Prize.

I am reading,'Into The Wild',by Jon Krakauer.It is the story about a young man named Christopher McCandles and his wayward journeys,ultimately ending in his death.I am enjoying the book,but I am beginning to feel that it maybe one of those rare instants where the movie is actually better.The movie,directed by Sean Penn,is supposed to be awesome.

Aluminum poisoning

Some ancient civilizations slowly went mad from lead poisoning....now there seems to be another dangerous metal out there in our food,the utensils we cook them with and even in our water and antiperspirants:ALUMINUM.

According to this one of many websites [http://home.earthlink.net/~joannefstruve/_wsn/page3.html ],it seems to be a pretty deep well established source of all that ails us.Not only is it a proven Alzheimer's disease agent,but it strikes out at kids and young adults equally as well.Aluminum is thought to cause mental illnesses,emotional problems,physical defects,rage,violence,depression ADD...My God...what doesn't cause?!?It could even have been a cause of my anemia!

Yet,the sources of aluminum toxicity are nearly as endless in our society! It's in our water supplies,different salts,'cake mixes, frozen dough, pancake mixes, self-rising flours, processed cheese and cheese foods and beer (in aluminum cans). Just one slice of individually wrapped processed cheese can contain up to 50 mg of aluminum. It is thought that the cheeseburger may contain one of the highest aluminum contents of any food. Baked goods have approximately 5-15 mg per serving.' It's in our medicines and hygiene products-such as antiperspirants and douches. It's in our cookware:pots,pans,foils.

No wonder I am going mad.

All I'm saying is:BEWARE!It seems virtually impossible to avoid.

But I know I am going to try.

Beautiful Morning

Yesterday,
Tuesday,
October 9th,2007 was just a beautiful morning.
Here are some beautiful photos that speak louder
then
any of
my words.

Why The Yankees Lost...

Of course as an Indians fan I wanted to wait until after my 'Tribe' spanked 'The Yankees to reinterate my point...and it now maybe too late,thus making my point moot,but this post that I wrote last year still has valued truth in it....

[Dear,George Steinbrenner,yes,I am an Indians fan,and yes,I don't know why I care.

Yes,the title of this post was made just so it'd get Googled.But,as a fellow former N.E.Ohioian I feel you might want to listen to my opinion on how to fix your team]

I have been telling anyone who will listen(and nobody has been listening)that the Yankees will never return to World Series Champions again until A-Rod plays short.Call it bad Karma,or just plain bad baseball,but how can you expect to win championships playing,perhaps,the best shortstop of all time at third base?

Of course I blame Derek Jeter.He should be the one playing third.He is the captain of the team,for crying out loud.By not taking third,he is showing the whole rest of the team that it is OK to put yourself before the team.No wonder the Yankees can't win the big one.

Until Jeter takes one for the team and takes third-thereby showing his team mates that the team comes first-the New York Yankees will never become world champions again.Sure Jeter's stats show how much better he is then Alex,but that only further proves my point.You don't buy the worlds greatest shortstop only to have him play third base!

Derek Jeter,I ask you,are you Yankee enough or not?Both you and I know,that until A-Rod is the man at short,the Bronx Bombers are doomed!The question is,what are you going to do about it?

The Comics

The Funky Winkerbean 'Death of Lisa' arc reached it's apex this past Thursday,October,4th.Immediately,the next day,the strip continued the story line as a series of flashbacks-I believe-from nine years into the furture.This whole Funky Winkerbean story line has been just so touching and incredible,something I can't wait to read daily.This strip has been just as brave and daring as all those great newer comics strips fighting just for the chance,'the chance',to be published on the ever shrinking daily newspaper comics page.My hope is that strips like this will wake up newspaper publishers and editors,and make them realize that they need to expand their comic page and let more great comics in because it's good for business.That is why this is the comic of the week.