Sunday, July 31, 2011

Cowboy Dreams


I went to the Michigan gay rodeo last weekend with my friend Steve. He's really into the whole cowboy thing. There were a lot of really nice and down to earth people there and it inspired me to make this series of people from the gay rodeo. More to come on this so stay tuned.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Layne Staley


The recent tragic death of Amy Winehouse has made me think of some of the other celebrities who have died in recent years from drug overdoses or addictions. Celebrities like Kurt Cobain, River Phoenix, Shannon Hoon, Brittany Murphy, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger and others. One of the most tragic of these in my opinion was Layne Staley, lead singer of the 90s grunge rock band Alice in Chains. After hearing the news about Winehouse, I revisited what happened to Staley. According to the SeattleWeekly, on April 20th 2002 Staley’s body was found in his apartment with a needle still in his arm. His body weighed only 86 pounds when it was discovered and unbelievably his body had been in his apartment for two weeks before anyone even noticed. He was 34 years old. This is one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever heard. In more recent news it is now being reported that Winehouse may have died from alcohol withdrawal after desperately trying to abstain cold turkey.  After Ms. Winehouse’s death I’ve heard so many people say such horrible, judgmental things about her, including going so far as to call her a loser. Seriously, Winehouse won FIVE Grammy Awards. To anyone calling her a loser I have to ask where’s your Grammy? I dedicate this blog post to Ms. Winehouse, Staley and all the others who achieved such tremendous success but lost their lives tragically at the hands of addiction. To anyone who is facing addiction please get help it could save your life.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Happy Birthday Jeff


This is my friend Jeff. I made this illustration and filled it with many of the funny things Jeff always says and the inside jokes we have. He is my best friend in the whole world and it's his birthday tomorrow. Jeff has a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from The College of William and Mary. He's like a human Google you can ask him anything and he will know it. He sounds serious but he is really a fun person. We have movie nights and laugh and he's done so many wonderful things for me I don't know how I could ever repay his generosity. Whenever I'm stressed out Jeff always makes me feel better.  Most importantly Jeff is my touchstone. Enjoy your day Jeff.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Elizabeth Warren


Elizabeth Warren was passed up as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Instead the President nominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray. This is really sad news considering Warren spearheaded the CFPB. This news is largely in part due to republican opposition of Warren including many republican senators that said they would block the appointment of Warren for the CFPB. As usual Warren has been demonized by right wing media because she would have been effective as the head of the CFPB. Warren has graciously endorsed Cordray. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau officially started on Thursday July 21st.


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Rupert Murdoch's Empire in Crisis


People that know me or read my blog know of my complete and utter disgust at Rupert Murdoch and his propaganda extravaganza known as Fox News Channel but I have equal disdain for his entire media empire. That’s why it came as a delight for me to hear of the News of the World scandal and to see Murdoch under fire. My only hope is that this scandal will eventually spread to the U.S. and his entire empire will eventually be brought down. It was pretty hilarious watching clips from Fox News Channel and seeing  how they tried to spin the scandal. It definitely has to be seen to be believed. However, the pièce de résistance was when activist and comedian, Jonnie Marbles hit Murdoch in the face with a pie as he was testifying before a British Parliament committee about the scandal. Paybacks are a bitch. In other related news, Sean Hoare the hacking whistle blower was recently found dead in London.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Gender Roles


I made this for a great article about gender roles that break stereotypes. The article, written by Jayme Frazier can be read here.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Ahmed Wali Karzai


A sad day as President Hamid Karzai's brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai was assassinated. So far there is no known motive. However, details are emerging about how the assassin got close to Karzai. The story doesn't seem to be getting much media attention here but then again it doesn't involve Anthony Weiner's penis or the words Casey Anthony.