Unlucky Pirate

BIRTH OF A COMIC STRIP

   I've been thinking about doing an original comic strip ever since I started doing this TGIF newsletter but I was always pressed for time. The last strip I made was way back in High School --- a comic book depicting my classmates and teachers as super heroes. What started as an experiment turned into a labor of love. My classmates would pass the book around. and I would come up with a new page a day and staple it on to the other earlier pages. One day the book never returned to me. Subsequently, since I still remembered the panels in my head, I made a second version of the book. But Parazo, a kid from another class borrowed the book which he pretended he didn't have. That was frustrating and depressing. Those two selfish acts ruined the dream for me. I never made another comic book after that.
   A few weeks ago, I accompanied my wife to a company retreat and I decided to work on a cominc strip while I waited for her in the hotel room. The pieces --- the plot, the characters, the theme --- were floating in my head for years so it was just a matter of gathering them all together.
    Today I present the first issue of that comic strip which I call END TIMES. I'm sure it will evolve in journalistic and visual style but for now, it is what it is. You, as a subscriber, will be among the first to view this artistic attempt. I hope I find the time to churn up something new each Friday.
   If it wasn't for those 2 thieves who stole my works of art, I probably would have made many more cartoon strips. Good or bad, that bump in the road was a game changer in my life. At least today I'm making an attempt to return those lost years.
   What about YOUR bump in the road? Have you revisited it? Follow me. Let's overcome it together.

Wisdom from Mike of New York

Accidental Pirate
Contributed by Charlie of New York

	A pirate walked into a bar, and the bartender said, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened? You look terrible."
"What do you mean?" said the pirate, "I feel fine."
"What about the wooden leg? You didn't have that before." "Well," said the pirate, "We were in a battle, and I got hit with a cannon ball, but I'm fine now."
	The bartender replied, "Well, OK, but what about that hook? What happened to your hand?" The pirate explained, "We were in another battle. I boarded a ship and got into a sword fight. My hand was cut off. I got fitted with a hook but I'm fine, really."
	"What about that eye patch?" "Oh," said the pirate, "One day we were at sea, and a flock of birds flew over. I looked up, and one of them pooped in my eye."
"You're kidding," said the bartender. "You couldn't lose an eye just from bird poop?!?!?!"

"It was my first day with the hook."

Click on the comic strip to view an enlargement of END TIMES.

Videos of the week:

Crazy. Funny. Creative. These guys are a riot!

Carmen (the opera) in Masada, Israel
Contributed by Mike of Ne York

Like opera? How about opera in a historically significant desert? Masada was an infamous final stronghold of the revolting Jews against the Romans in 73 A.D. where the Jews eventually committed mass suicide rather than be captured by the Romans. It's a bit long --- 22 minutes.

Asia's Got Talent: 2015 Winner -- El Gamma
Contributed by Janette of Hong Kong and Art of Pasadena, CA

To combine entertainment and a message --- that's true genius. These Filipinos deserve to win.

Car lovers should watch this. When I went to visit an old friend in Michigan last year, we toured the Ford museum and I saw the early Ford models driven around the tour grounds. Beautiful machines. You've come a long way baby!

Someone borrowed my car last weekend. The next morning I got a text that he had scratched the car while parking beside a pillar. Where was this app when I needed it?

This is s pretty long video but I was rivetted by it. I forgot how generals play the game of war using every invention and deception at their disposal. I also forgot how many "pawns" lost their lives in this deadly exercise. Oh, the cruelty of war. And to think that the lessons have yet to be learned by many to this day.

These two lovebirds understand that it's only makeup but still, this exercise turns into an emotional reality check. Quite moving. TGIF people! See you next week!