The brilliant art of Marc Johns

Marc Johns simple art is funny, witty, and brilliant!

See more at marcjohns.com.

New York City photos – 2005

Some of my favorite shots from a trip to New York City – October, 2005

Picasso draws with light

I’ve always been a huge fan of Pablo Picasso. These photos were shot by LIFE photographer Gjon Mili in 1949.

Via LIFE

Green Christmas

For the record, I want everyone to know that no trees were harmed this past year as my family and I celebrated Christmas. Let me repeat NO TREES WERE HARMED.

That’s right.
We went green last year!

In previous years we would venture out to choose the perfect tree. It went something like this. No, that one’s too lopsided. Mmm, too wide at the bottom. Too scrawny … it looks like a Charlie Brown tree. Ahh, perfect. Let’s hurry up and get it before someone else does! Then we drag it to the front, pay for it and throw it on top of the SUV and head home.

Last year we picked up a GE pre-lit tree. It takes five minutes to pull out of the box and assemble. The best part are the lights. You just plug it in.

I could say the main reason we went green was to save several trees over the next few years. That’s true. The truth is that it’s fast and easy. No more needles all over the floor. No more sap all over my arms or scratches when stringing the lights. No more shelling out 100 bucks per tree every year for a real tree.

In the end, we did save trees, money, and time. More importantly, we had a great Christmas because our family was together. The tree was merely there – a bit player in our memories.

Get more energy

Brilliant ad campaign from Stir. The campaign is for Agnesian Center for Sleep Disorders.

How do we refer to the last decade?

It has always been a bit awkward anytime someone would refer to the previous decade (2000-2009). When referring to past decades, it was much easier. You had the roaring 20s and the turbulent 30s. We had the birth of rock and roll in the 50s. The 50s gave us Elvis while the 60s gave us the British invasion with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. The 70s had disco and punk and the 80s gave us new wave. In the 90s we had grunge. So what exactly do we call the years between 2000 – 2009?

According to Wikipedia, it’s called the 2000s. However, that seems more likely to reference the century than the decade. What about the Ohs (00s)? Back at the turn of the previous century, they referred to the 1900s as the aughts. (ought-1, ought-2)

So how should we refer to the previous decade? And which word sums up the decade?

Funny New Years quotes

With yet another new year upon us, I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the wisdom people have shared over the years.

Mark Twain
New Year’s is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions.

Jay Leno
Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year’s resolution.

New Year’s Eve, where auld acquaintance be forgot. Unless, of course, those tests come back positive.

Charles Lamb
New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday.

Oprah Winfrey
Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.

Bill Vaughn
Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

William Thomas
It wouldn’t be New Year’s if I didn’t have regrets.

Oscar Wilde
Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.

John Selden
Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it’s twice as onerous a duty.