Today’s cartoon includes the recent book by Barry FitzGerald and Dustin Pari of Ghost Hunters International TV show, The Complete Approach. It’s a comprehensive guide to the paranormal and how to investigate it. I’ve read it and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the subject, including those who have been investigating for a long time. You can nab this jewel here: http://www.completeapproachbook.com/

Also, I’d like to alert the media that Shannon Sylvia, paranormal investigator, TAPS member and Ghost Hunters International personality has agreed to Guest Draw again. This one was in honor of her birthday back in December… Which, the rate I go, I never get my cards out on time, so here it is! Look for it tomorrow! Coming soon is Britt Griffith, Brandy Green and a host of others.

Provocative Cartooning… Freedom of Sketch

On Twitter, I hooked up with Liza Donnelly, New Yorker cartoonist. She posted a link to an article she had written about the freedom of cartooning “speech” (sketch? <my term…). I am providing that link here:

http://dscriber.com/home/980-a-few-thoughts-on-provocative-cartoons-from-a-cartoonist.html

She discusses the issue of Kirk Westergarrd, the Danish cartoonist who created quite a stir with a series of cartoons about Mohammad that offended the heck out of the Muslim community. (That’s easy to do, I’ve gotten myself into some hot water – innocently, I might add. Fortunately, I lived to tell the tale and my Muslim friends stood by me snickering…) The question is, should we cartoonists continue to tackle such dicey issues?

My opinion is “who wants sanitized cartoons?!” Personally, I prefer to be respectful with my pen. That is why I communicate with someone over a “Guest Draw” to get their approval. I prefer to honor those I write about. That doesn’t mean I won’t set fire to a hot issue… My responsibility as a cartoonist is to point things out and hopefully get folks to see the irony or humor in it.

Liza puts it well,

“My feeling is there is a better middle ground: a way to bring to light issues such as extremist wrongs, anti-immigration sentiments, and censorship, without being in-your-face about it. Cartoons can impart difficult messages, and should. That’s the beauty of cartoons — their graphic strength can communicate uncomfortable ideas to different cultures in a breath.”

Random Thoughts, Things… thoughts are things!

Wine Review!

I haven’t done a wine review in quite some time. Since I just discovered a wonderful inexpensive wine find, I’ll share. My goal when I wine shop is to find something palatable for a good price… and hopefully a really cool and amusing label. Yes, I often shop for a label for it often adds a bit of conversation to a gathering on top of a fine vino experience. This next wine was unexpected and exceptional (and has an attractive label, though a non-funny one).

CUVÉE de PEÑA 2006
red wine: 48% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 22% Syrah
Vin de Pays des Pyrenées Orientales

This lovely wine hails from the Cooperative winery in Cases de Pene, a small village in Southern France and is actually under $10! It is a blend of some wonderful grapes. Blends are underestimated. Often they are far richer and more interesting than a single grape wine.

This particular experience sends you to the villa in So-France looking out over acres of gnarly vines from a balcony where you share the smokey tannins with platter of well aged assorted cheeses from the region. The sensation of blackberries crosses your palate… Does it form from the bushes that are berry laden on the edges of the vineyard? Or is it the essence implanted by very juxtaposition of vines and berries in the growing of the grapes themselves?

Take those thoughts with you when you try this one.

 I was going to insert more random thoughts, but they are so random one might consider me appropriate for loony bin containment.

So, this is it for now!

Eat Cookies, Hunt Ghosts, all with a good wine!

Tj

To add insult to injurious lack of sleep, my ghost hunt for this evening was cancelled due to sucky weather. The Law of Attraction has been sending me lots of thunderstorms. I’ve got to lose interest in electricity apparently…

Speaking of electrical events, not only did my freshly charged phone die out… Poor Barry Fitzgerald had one heck of a time staying connected to us on the blogtalk last night. He was with his fellow GHIers in the furthermost reaches of the universe investigating ice. Actually, it was a secret location in some remote area of the world that has yet to put up enough “Franken-Trees” to distribute cell phone signals efficiently. (I will discuss the concept of “Franken-Trees” at the end of this since it’s such an important topic – to me anyway.)

Barry called and recalled several times with the patience of a seasoned paranormal investigator. He managed to get a few EVPs off of us and we of him. You can review the discussion here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ghsthunter346

Yesterday the website was launched for the book, The Complete Approach, by Barry Fitzgerald and Dustin Pari. This is a ground breaking book that attempts to unify the metaphysical with the physical in terms of investigation technique. It takes into consideration the sensitive as well as the scientific. It’s an important book for those wishing to understand the paranormal.

I will order mine today.

Also, as you can see, today Brian Harnois is the Guest Draw. I want to wish Brian and his wife well as they bring their new daughter into the world this coming week. Blessings to you and your growing family, B!

AND, I want to announce that Barry and Dustin will also be Guest Draws in the coming weeks. And, I’ve been in contact with Shannon Sylvia who ALSO has agreed to do a Guest Draw. Pretty soon, I won’t have any more “fake” characters on ERU. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! How could I leave out the wonders of Arno, Merv, Erna, Vera, Vlad, etc?!

So, to get your copy of The Complete Approach” please go to http://www.completeapproachbook.com.

Enjoy, Eat Cookies, Hunt Ghosts… I’m gonna take a nap.

Tj

OH YEAH! The concept of the Franken-Tree… Perhaps I’ve discussed this before, but it’s too funny not to have at it again. There has been a move, prompted by annoyed neighbors, to make cell towers more appealing. One of these is to make it look like a tree with the idea that it’s supposed to “blend” with the local landscape. While they do a pretty good job with the disquise, those botanical sorts, or those who pay attention to how trees ACTUALLY look can spot ‘em a mile away.

There is an obvious one on the Taconic Parkway in NY that can be viewed as you head South to New York City. It’s an amusing attempt to apply fir branches at varying intervals on a pole. Like Frankenstein’s monster, it is missing the “life” and “treeness” of it’s authentic counterparts.

I nearly got fooled with one in Southern Vermont that can be seen cruising on Route 91 North heading into Brattleboro. Eyeballing a rolling hill, I noticed one VERY tall tree… abnormally taller than the rest. On closer observation it was a Franken-Tree… though a really good one! New England cell tower people understand what fir trees in the region are supposed to look like. This was a fine representation of a white pine… although a really BIG one. I have to commend them on this specimen, not sparing the expense with mere sporadic branches. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m actually missing more Franken-Trees in the landscape. I guess that’s a good thing?