Happy New Year!

Water levels in Southern Nevada have fallen steadily for nearly a decade.

Water is one of the most politically charged issues in Nevada today, and it's certainly one of the most important.

President Obama signs repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' policy

The Sheep Counting Dream by Alex Raffi read by Debi Raffi

A message about my book.

A poem written by my grandfather for my 6th Birthday.

This is an amazing poem written by my grandfather in 1974. My dad just gave it to me so I wanted to post it to this site as a record and small example of his amazing talent. He died when I was very young. But still remember him sitting in his desk at night typing away on his typewriter. He was a writer, poet and composer of musicals and plays. Any semblance of artistic talent I have came from him. I tried my best to translate it into English. I'm open for suggestions and edits.

The trumpets sounded
And the drums rang
The future goals of the patriots
Are now dictated by the victors

An Independent village was born
Spearheaded by Artigas
Who with bravery in battle
Saved Uruguay

August 25 would shine
As never the sun shone
From the East flag
Which reflected the melting pot

August 25 was
when Alex saw the light
In a foreign Homeland
Bringing glory and joy
for his fathers and relatives
Away from the beloved homeland
That with cheers and songs
Celebrating his arrival

Six years already have past
The years of the little man
A rascal alive and growing
nesting in his pleasures

the echo of his accent come
On this glorious day
A sweet event celebrating
This beautiful boy

We have you close
Although you are far away
And in the original flight
Comes your reflection

Deepens the thinking mind
full of dreams
thirsty beats the heart of emotions.

Sending one thousand kisses
and six little tugs on the ear
while we wish for a beautiful
future of years.

Be Happy with your sister who
as a pair together has blessed
for ever the way of your destiny

Finally after 10 years..... I'm almost done.

How to draw with letters for kids.

I received a request for a video to show how to draw with letters. So here it is. This is meant for beginners. Hope you enjoy.

Working on a new painting

It's been about 5 years since I've made non-pixelated artwork. Nice to get back to basics. Got my hands on 2 large format canvas for 50% off. Nice reason to create new art...

My Panorama page done in 2001 for the Henderson Home Newspaper.

I did this for Tim O'Callaghan when I worked on the Good old Henderson Home News Newspaper. They let me write an entire Panorama section. Very generous of them and fun to do. I really miss the newspaper business sometimes.

The puppet master.

One of my illustrations was used in Green Peace magazine (Germany)

Click on http://www.greenpeace-magazin.de/index.php?id=6215 to view the page. Let me know what it's about. I don't speak German.

Great moment in History

BP doing what it takes.

Are you ready for the pain?

The fourth grade was no treat for me. I was a skinny kid then (hard to believe looking at me now), debilitatingly shy (again, hard to believe) and a constant daydreamer (which placed me on the low end of average when it came to academics). Compounded by the fact that I was new to Good Shepherds Catholic School in Beverly Hills, Calif., and of course you’d end up with an awkward kid like me, right? As a result, I spent a great deal of my early scholastic career avoiding being picked on. (That's me to the left.)

The only classmate who had a more difficult time than I did was a boy named Steven, who had the misfortune of being nearsighted, a straight-A student and overweight. He just happened to draw more negative attention than I did. Even at an early age, I quickly learned that my best defense against the school bullies was to stay within range of Steven. Who’d want to pick on me when they had Steven nearby to pick on instead?

It was at the tender age of 9, while staying in range of Steven, that an event – one that would teach me a lesson I would never forget – occurred at recess. The school bully, Calvin Coolidge, decided he’d gather a group of boys, including Steven and me, to play a game of circle. It was a pretty simple game. Everyone stood in a circle and, at the whistle, all tried to push one another out. The last one left (usually Calvin) was the winner and dubbed the “boss” of the playground.

I was usually one of the first kids to hit the asphalt outside the circle, and this day was no different. Steven, on the other hand, found a nice position in the center where he stood, immobile and terrified with his arms crossed hoping nobody would notice him. The game progressed quickly. Many scrapes and bruises later, everyone found themselves looking in from the outside of the circle. Everyone, that is, except Steven and the meanest, toughest, most freakishly over-developed boy in the school, Calvin.

In kid terms, Calvin was out for blood. He circled Steven, looking him up and down as he panted, sweat dripping off his face.

“You’re next fatty,” Calvin repeatedly said. “Are you ready for the pain?” Steven steadied himself. “Here it comes,” shouted Calvin. Calvin charged at Steven, bounced off of him and hit the ground as if he were made of rubber. Steven didn’t budge – not even an inch.

This is when something strange began to happen. We all realized that Calvin may have met his match. He continued to try to push Steven out of the circle, but, still, Steven would not budge. My classmates began chanting: “Steven! Steven! Steven!” It was then Steven opened his eyes for the first time since the beginning of the game. As he looked out over the crowd – a sea of kids and a nun – that had gathered to watch and cheer him on, the look of fear quickly switched to that of confusion before slowly shifting to one of confidence. Steven crouched, placing one hand to the ground, faced Calvin, charged and knocked him out of the circle with force. He was victorious.

Steven was the hero of the day, the “circle king,” the center of attention, and stood taller than I’d ever seen him. Actually, we both stood a little taller that day. And although Steven eventually went back to being the “fat kid” others would pick on, he no longer cowered. He faced his tormenters, perhaps not with the dramatic flair he displayed that afternoon in the circle, but enough to where his days at school became much more bearable. I still hung out with Steven at the playground, not because I feared Calvin, but because I respected Steven.

You never know where inspiration will come from. And you never really know what is possible until you muster up the courage to face challenges or people who torment you. Now, whenever I’m faced with a situation that may feel impossible or intimidating, I face those fears and think of Steven and Calvin. I knock the problem out of that circle because that circle is mine.

Joe Barton has mixed priorities.

BP or not to BP.

I want my life back!

It's been a while since I've done a cartoon. Sometimes life gets in the way. I'm sure this pelican can relate to unexpected shifts in your existence. I plan on doing many more cartoons on the spill. I need to get it out of my system. Please feel free to share any of them as much as you like. Let's hope that this disaster is our turning point as a society.

My spooky brush with a zombie in Charleston.

People are saying they can also see a woman in a white dress visiting a grave.

My weird photo taken during our trip to Charleston

I took this photo during a Ghost tour my wife and 6 year old daughter took in Charleston, South Carolina. Pretty creepy. It's been describe to me as a Pareidolia. I think it's pretty cool. This image has not been altered at all. I took it with my Blackberry. That should explain the poor quality. I enhanced the last image to show a clearer image. Let me know what you think?

42

In the hilarious book titled, "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," authored by Douglas Adams, there is a moment when a famous question is posed: “What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything?” After inputting the question into a super computer, the answer that was provided was “42.” The computer, noticing the confusion its answer caused the people, explained further to say that the true problem is that nobody really understands the question. Hence, the reason they also did not understand the answer.



I think I’ve found the right question. I’ve listed the process I went through to find the correct question to the meaning of life below.

1) Are you happy?
2) Do you laugh daily?
3) Are you loved by someone?
4) Do you love someone?
5) Are you challenged daily?
6) Are you proud of your work?
7) Are you proud of your choices?
8) Can you trust the people around you?
9) Can you solve problems?
10) Are you contributing to the life of others?
11) Are you a good person?
12) Are you doing your best?
13) Are you teaching?
14) Are you learning?
15) Are you part of the solution?
16) Do you have empathy?
17) Do you try to make a difference?
18) Do you make time for yourself?
19) Do you hold the door open for others? (Symbolically and literally.)
20) Do you try to experience other cultures?
21) Do you try to surprise yourself?
22) Do you wonder why things are the way they are?
23) Do you work to live, instead of live to work?
24) Do you do things that are hard?
25) Do you tell people what you like about them?
26) Do you allow yourself to have your mind changed?
27) Are you able to manage your ego constructively?
28) Are you brave enough to try to understand the pain of others?
29) Have you ever helped a stranger?
30) Have you ever attempted to create art?
31) Have you ever shed tears of pride and joy?
32) Do you appreciate what you have, no matter how little?
33) Have you ever expressed your true self to anyone?
34) Have you ever stood up for someone who needed help?
35) Have you ever forgiven an enemy?
36) Have you ever given help anonymously?
37) Do you ever make time to notice something beautiful?
38) Do you try to improve the lives of those around you?
39) Do you listen?
40) Do you see?
41) Do you lead by example?
42) Do you share what you’ve learned?

Finally, I think that the real question to the answer of life, the universe and everything is this.

How many of these questions can you answer “yes” to? If your answer is “42” then you’ve figured out the answer already.

My version of Jockey full of Bourbon by Tom Waits

Jockey Full of Bourbon | Musicians Available

My Petco Metaphor

This is how I feel most days...

An illustration I did in 2001 for the Henderson Home News.

What if Congress designed Rocking Chairs.

What will you create?

What will you create? | Music Upload

Lyrics

Music.
HOOOHAAAHAAHAA!
What will you create?
Hee Hee Haa Haa Hooo Hoo Hee Hee!
AAAHHHHHHHH!
What will you create?
AHHHH!
WAAAAHHHH
What will you creat?
HEY! HAHAHAHA!
AAHHHH!
What will you create?
OH NO!
HUH?
AYEEEE!
AAAAHHHHHH!
WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYEEEEEE!

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata | Music Upload

This is a song I put together tonight just for fun. It's about an actual dream I had.

LYRICS

It was 4:12 A.M. and my wife just woke me up.
It seems I had a bad dream.
It was kind of a weird dream.
So I was in an apartment complex with my wife.
She’s cooking something on the stove,
I can’t remember what it was but it smelled really good.
Chicken Piccata, I think, I love the Chicken Piccata
So we’re sittin there and we’re talking, having a good time,
laughing, talking about our daughter.
Then there’s this loud thud.
And the wall behind her crumbles.
And we start to free fall.
There is rubble everywhere.
As we start falling down, down, down, down,
deeper and farther.
And I reach out to her and I can’t seem to reach her.
But I catch the look on her face
and see’s thinking the same thing I’m thinking
I guess this is it.
I guess we’re done.
It’s just a matter of time now I guess.
There’s kind of a calm sense of panic.
Oh well.
I mean it was real.
It felt real.
I was overcome with this feeling of sadness.
You know you really start to appreciate it.
When you start to realize that
This is it.
You know it’s kind of cliché.
But you really gotta saver all the moments,
you know, as they say.
Cause you never know when the ground is going to
fall out from under you.
I’m glad to say that I didn’t feel like it was all a waste of time.
I was just, I was just sad that it was all over.
And I do remember.
And I do remember.
Thinking out loud.
To myself as I fell.
Kicking in the are as I was reaching for my wife.
I called out.
No.
No.
And that’s why my wife woke me up.
Cause I was screaming, No, No, No, in bed.
So I guess you gotta figure what is the moral of this, this dream.
and I think that it’s.
Always take the time to appreciate a good dish of Chicken Piccata.
Cause, it could be your last.

Catholic Priest Sex Abuses Crimes Ignored by Church.

Fun with photoshop

The Never Ending Expansion of Life and Cheese.

4:12 A.M.: A few minutes ago my wife woke me up from a dream. It made an impact on me so I decided to write about it.

In the dream Debi, my wife, and I were staying or living in a large high-rise apartment complex. Similar to the one both my aunts live in currently in Montevideo Uruguay. Except I know we are here in Henderson, Nevada because Deb is telling me about some hilarious discussion Elli, my daughter, and her were having on her way to school. Both of us are in the kitchen and Debi is preparing something to eat. We are chatting while some kind of news show is playing in the background on the TV. It’s some kind of interview with a scientist.

I’m sorry about the vagueness but please remember it’s a dream so the details are pretty foggy with the exception of the last few seconds.

The man on television was discussing the theory of “Multiverse”. To my surprise Debi was actually acting interested. I am a major nerd when it comes to scientific curiosities. I love learning as much as I can about the nature of the universe. I love trying to wrap my mind around Einstein’s theory of time and space. It’s one of my many small pleasures in life. Debi on the other hand always gives me a big eye roll whenever I try to share some of these odd ideas with her. It’s always been a funny exchange. She’ll reluctantly let me rant about whatever I just learned, and I take full advantage of the time I’m wasting for her. This time though, she was acting fascinated by the idea. Really curious. This was the perfect time to explain the fascinating idea of the ever expanding block of Swiss cheese that is the “Multiverse” theory. I start going into it with her and it’s really exciting cause she is listening this time with no eye rolls or heavy sighs. I mention how in this way of looking at the universe. We are not alone. We are just one of an endless number of constantly expanding universes that resemble the bubbles you find in Swiss cheese. How each universe is expanding exponentially along with the space between them. I explained how we could never reach the end of our universe in any meaningful way because it’s expanding so quickly. Thus explaining how, to the people inside the bubble, the universe seems endless. We go into how the particles that make up the universe have a specific quantity. So it’s logical to think that the arrangements of these particles will likely repeat themselves because of the ever expanding nature of the multiverse theory--in the same way you would have to repeat your wardrobe eventually because there are only a certain number of combinations you could make with them. This then leads to the possibility of similar galaxies to ours down to even the clothes on our backs etc... These ideas always fascinate me and make me appreciate the complexity and beauty of life. How lucky we are to participate. How exciting it is to have a child who is discovering all the cool stuff you already know. How meaningful it is to be able to share these moments with someone who loves you enough to put up with your silly obsessions. I can smell the coffee Deb is making and I can see her preparing to interject with a question when suddenly there is a loud thud.... The wall behind her gives way along with the floor. Both of us are in a sudden free fall. I can see debris falling all around us and I’m clutching for her as she’s screaming. I have the presence of mind to realize that this is the end of everything for us. It was all coming to an end... I have ran out of time. I had this odd rational sense of panic. My thoughts went to Elli. Is she okay? Is this happening to her? I’ll never see her face again. I have to picture her in my mind before I die. I want her face to be the last image in my mind. I can feel myself kicking in the emptiness as I fall. And I call out... NO!!! ....NO!!!

It’s at that moment that Debi wakes me up. The nightmare portion of my dream was so sudden that my heart rate didn’t even go up. All I could think of is how full and alive you can feel in one instant and have it all taken away the next. I don’t know what caused the collapse of the building in my dream. It doesn’t matter. It’s the idea that the time we spend here is finite. The sudden desperation and realization that it’s coming to an end is what hit me most as I laid there in my bed unable to sleep again. This desperation is a reality to so many people in our world. It’s as constant and endless as the Multiverse theory suggests. The smallness you feel when you consider the epic nature of the universe is palpable. But the fear of losing that seemingly insignificant life is just as epic to each of us. In the reality of my situation within my dream I felt a very real and deep sense of regret, not for the way I had lived my life--it was regret for the suddenness of how it can be taken from me. I love to be surprised. I think that’s why I love reading about new discoveries in science. It reminds me that life is amazing. Everything, in fact, is amazing. If more people realized that there might be cause for less regret. I think I’m going to eat some Swiss cheese for lunch today and kiss my daughter for the 4 millionth time.

You can learn about Multiverse theory by clicking ---- here.

Health? Care?

Missing something?

We must make time to love "every" moment.

We must make time to love "every" moment. Even flowers grow out of dark moments. Proving that every moment is vital. Good or bad, big or small, they affect the whole of your life. Life is a succession of moments and to live through each of them, is in itself a success.

I'M BALD!!!! St. Baldrick's March 6th 2010 fundraiser.

Five examples of things we avoid during a creative brainstorm session.

Imagine Marketing is an idea factory. And like any factory, the key to success is efficiency. Although the creative process can seemingly take a considerable amount of time to go through, rushing it could eradicate the quality of an idea we develop for a client.

However, just like any service provider in their line of work, we develop and implement standards that help to streamline the creative process. There are simple issues our team regularly avoids during the process, all of which can stifle creativity.

Here are five examples of things we avoid during a creative brainstorm session:

The inner critic: It will always be your greatest enemy. It comes from the fear of being judged or of being perceived as talentless or ignorant. This is a difficult hurtle to overcome, but it is the most important one because your best work will always be left at the bottom of a pile of self doubt.

Piling on messaging: This happens often, especially with people who don’t understand the creative process. Ideas and creativity are mysterious and have the ability to do anything, so people try to cram as much as possible into one idea. There is a limit to the weight an idea can bare. A cluttered, complex idea may feel gratifying to the creator, but it will only be an obnoxious mess to the observer. The message must always be precise and to the point. It is important to realize that although there is no limit to the process one goes through to come up with an idea, there is a limit to effective creativity in the end product.

Lack of knowledge: Writers always say “write what you know.” If you have been hired to create something for a client, you really need to understand everything about them that is relevant to the goal. After a while of going through the process, you should be able to trust your instinct enough to ask the right questions, thereby giving them the creative results they need.

Following rules: The rules in the creative process can be complicated. There needs to be an objective as well as a limit to the development of ideas. If a person offers an idea nobody likes, they should be given a chance to explain why the idea can be effective. It is unwise to kill ideas immediately. Great ideas have often come from concepts that were initially disregarded but fought for. That being said, if the idea is still not effective to the majority after it’s explained, you must move on.

Being too creative: There is a tendency to get excited about an idea and take it way too far. Exploring concepts is dandy, but there is a fine line between creative exploration and wasting time. Always remember the objective and realistic implementation of an idea. Stay on time and within budget otherwise it’s a pointless endeavor.

Global Warming

Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words

Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") and is said to have called it his best work.
 
I gave it a shot:


“He believes every lie he tells.”

“Her last words were “I’m bored”

“My son held her hand, regardless.”

“The hypocrite controlled everyone he knew.”

“The cigarette ashes gently arced downward.”

“She could fix anything with string.”

“His grandmothers hair smelled like diesel.”

“She would never walk slow enough.”

“The photograph I lost revealed everything.”

“Her voice once made him happy.”

$10 goes a long way...

I'M GETTING MY HEAD SHAVED FOR CHARITY!!!

I will be participating in the St. Baldricks's fundraiser this Saturday. Imagine is trying to raise money and ANY contribution you could give would be greatly appreciated. The fundraiser raises awareness and money for children with cancer. It will be a ...fun event with live music as some of you might already know I love everything Irish. Hope to see you there and again thanks for taking the time to consider a donation or even participating. Spread The Word!

More information below.

Even $10 goes a long way... http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/participantid/365256
Got to the site to donate and enjoy a pint with good friends...

Go raibh maith agaibh!

(Thank you)

A.

Speed drawing of POTUS Obama.

Read the story here

How to draw a Dragon.

I think all artists, that are able, should do this. It's a great way to take the mystery out of something we take for granted. I always have people looking over my shoulder so fascinated at the process of creating artwork. I've argued this point with many people. I think everyone, EVERYONE has the ability to be creative. I think creativity in all it's incarnations egsists in all of us. I see them as a hall of doors. Some people have closed doors and others have them wide open. Others keep those doors locked but always have the keys hidden somewhere. The ability to create art is not God given to just a few. It's Man nurtured by all who choose to. It's something to be worked for. Something you labor after. Practicing the craft over and over again is what makes you good at it. Anyone who would like to be able to draw a Dragon could do so. Not the same day but after spending the time drawing over and again. When I say art I mean all forms of art. Writing, acting, singing, painting, architecture... Now I do believe some people are born with some of these doors already open. But that the doors exist in all of us. It's just a matter of going for it.

Cartoon inspired by State of the Union.

 

Partisanship is nowhere to be found in Washington so these cartoons are both reflecting a lack of partisanship.

Have A Nice Day. a short film by Alex Raffi

Permanent marker.

Messing with Final Cut Pro.

Elli sings the blues

Photo of Pat Robertson.

Conan vs. Jay

Fruit of the Looming Terrorist Threat.

Calvin Trillin was onto something when he predicted the underwear bomber in 2006 on the Daily Show with John Stewart.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Moment of Zen - Calvin Trillin's Prediction
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Zinc by Zoe Keating

 
http://www.in-c-remixed.com/ In early 2007 the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble recorded Steve Reich's masterpiece Music for 18 Musicians. What followed for this young ensemble was nothing short of a dream--a critically acclaimed at-dawn performance at the Bang On a Can Marathon, a feature article in the New York Times, a segment on NPR's Weekend Edition, glowing CD reviews in over thirty publications, reaching #1 on the iTunes and Amazon classical charts, and spending eleven weeks on the Billboard charts. Perhaps WNYC's John Schaefer summarized it best when he called the recording "The story of the year in classical music."