Good Intentions

BEHIND THE COMIC STRIP

   I didn't know it but I met one of my long time TGIF readers today at a business meeting. He didn't know who I was but when I presented my card, he said --- "Oh, it's you! I read your emails every Friday!" And we were instant friends.

   It's nice to know that thousands of people read my musings every Friday. Somehow we're part of this special world that only we understand. With the addition of this new comic strip called END TIMES I hope we can get even closer. The characters are based on a composite of real people. Zoe, the dog, is based on our Shi Tzu who was never potty trained and we would have "accidents" all the time. Grandma Jocelyn represents a few women who are silly, funny, opinionated and sometimes really sensitive and lonely. Mike represents both my grandfathers who died so young. I carry a notepad where I write down ideas from friends who feed me material. In fact, one elderly lady has agreed to be a resource person to the mindset of a senior. She sends me ideas of what I should cover. Today's adventure is a perfect example where I shifted gears to accomodate her suggestion. I welcome YOUR suggestions as well. I believe that we can learn from each other's anecdotes.

   Where will this comic strip go? I don't really know. I do have an idea of the ending ... but let's not jump there. The real fun is figuring out what happens before that.

   I hope that we will see ourselves in the story and in our subconscious (as we do in dreams) learn to make our problems smaller and teach ourselves to appreciate our blessings even more. When we do that I believe we will live a fuller and happier life. Well that's the plan. If it happens it happens. I know it's quite ambitious but with your suggestions I think we can get there.

Wisdom from Norm
the Arcadia Accountant, CA

Good Intentions
Contributed by Naomi of North Hollywood, CA

Check
An original joke by Dr. Al of Pasadena, CA

There once was a young man from Czechoslovakia who lived alone in a little apartment. He liked dating women, but he never got more than one date. Then he was back living alone. Most of the time he was a post-dated-Czec.

Related
An original joke by Dr. Al of Pasadena, CA

Click on the comic strip below to view an enlargement.

Videos of the week:

Where's the Ladder?
Contributed by Wally of Moreno Valley, CA

Funniest prank I ever saw with a ladder. No words needed here. It could have been a Charlie Chaplin segment but this is real life which makes it even funnier.

Dolphin Rescue
Contributed by Ernie of New York

A strange occurence of dolphins who find themselves stranded and dying on the beach. See what the humans decide to do.

Whale Rescue
Contributed by Charlie of New York

Another rescue by humans. This is a home video of boaters who discover a whale entangled in a fish net. Look at the reaction of the whale at the end.

Current Events IQ Test
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

Just because one turns 18 or is a citizen does not make one an informed voter. If you're a US citizen and do not pass this test, do the country a favor and abstain from voting in an election.

Want to impress your party guests? Get one of these contraptions.

How to Digitize (Transfer) VHS Tape
Contributed by Joel of Singapore

Excellent tip. If you're like me, I have a batch of VHS family movies that need to be transported to the 21st century. $80 for a special chord and the included software and you're set. There is also a machine that burns DVDs direct from tape but they're a little more expensive. Anyway, passing this on for those who have time. There are also shops like Costco that do it for $18 a tape.

7 Minute Miracle in Japan
Contributed by Charlie of New York

The Japanese are renowned for their work ethic. How long does it take to clean up a train? 7 Minutes. And they do this everyday. 20 cars per shift.

From his humble beginnings of a farming family in the Philippines, Dado Banatao, pushed himself beyond what people expected of him. A true inspiration. TGIF people!