Ball point pen on the morning newsprint The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Eric Roberts, Anthony Michael Hall and Heath Ledger, in his final performance, opens at midnight tonight. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint Hard to say if I captured a likeness of Stephen Payne. There wasn't an article in my paper this morning, but the story out of the Sunday Times of London was too compelling to pass up so I sketched this from a tiny you tube video. Payne, a lobbyist and a major fund raiser for the Bush campaigns of 2000 and 2004, is caught on tape selling presidential access to someone posing as a representative of the former president of Kyrgyzstan, now in excile in Moscow, in exchange for a few hundred thousand dollar contribution to the Bush library. Watch the video here. He's so relaxed with his leg crossed and his hand folded...no big deal. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint I grew up a Yankee fan, as was my dad before me, so it seems like I knew Bobby Murcer. He signed with the yanks in 1964, was called up in 65 to play shortstop, served in the military from 67-68, became a regular in 69 as an outfielder, was a five time All Star, had the second highest batting average in 1971 batting .331. a gold glove winner and fifth in MVP voting in 72. He was traded away to SF for Bobby Bonds and also played for the Cubs, but he returned to the yanks and played in the 1980 and 81 post seasons. He was the only player to play alongside Mickey Mantle and Don Mattingly. Upon retirment, he became a broadcaster in 83. He spent one year as Yankee assistant GM, but returned to the broadcast booth until he lost his battle with cancer this weekend. Somewhere in my attic I have a ball he signed for my son. He was a genuinely nice guy and ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint Any resemblance that this doodle has to Don Rickles was totally unintentional. But it seems that lately, McCain, like Rickles has to rip his friends to succeed, so maybe I allowed that to subliminally enter into my morning ritual...who knows...Anyway...The latest hockey puck that McCains has to denounce, his top economic adviser, former Texas Senator Phil Gramm. Gramm said the economy would be doing fine if it weren''t for our nation of whiners talking it down. I'll try to smile the next time I pull up to the pump. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint I have to catch a train this morning for a photo shoot in NY, so today's sketch is another quickie. Yesterday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stoked anti Israeli sentiments and flexed his muscles by firing 9 test missiles, including one capable of striking Israel and US allies in the region... Iran may be testing missiles, but they're also testing the will of American's to follow an unpopular president should the US decide to do anything about it. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint Fords stock price was already in trouble when Allan Mulally became CEO on Sept, 5th 2006. At $8.39 a share, the company was worth less than a third of what it was six years earlier. Last month car sales in America (led by Honda and Toyota) topped Fords F Series Trucks for the first time since 1992 with sales down by 31% for the month of May. Mulally said last week that the consumer shift to smaller vehicles is going to be permanent. With China's growing economy stretching the world's oil supply, the middle east instability, and US prohibited from tapping our own oil reserves. Couldn't they see this coming? Yesterday's F close, $4.90 a share. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint G. Richard (Rick) Wagoner Jr. has been the CEO of General Motors since May 1, 2003 when GM stock price was 35.50 per share. This year GM isn't performing very well, Saturn sales -19%, Buick sales -21%, Saab sales -29%, SUV sales -37%. ...at yesterdays close $10.24. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint The team of rescuers, who saved the 15 hostages being held for six years in the jungles of Columbia, tricked the FARC marxist guerrillas into thinking they were helping to move the hostages. Some even posed as television journalists and filmed the dramatic moments when the hostages boarded the helicopter and were told they were free. See it here. Pretty amazing stuff. ...
Read More