It has been one week since George Carlin’s passing at age 71.
My memory of George Carlin extends back to the early 80’s when I saw him on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He did this one joke on driving:
Q: “At a traffic light, if red means stop and green means go, what does yellow mean?”
A: “Come on, you can make it!”
That was tame compared to his usual fare. But it showed me at an early age that observing human behavior and joking about it can be funny as hell.
The news of his death has been interesting to say the least.
Two of the better write ups I came across were in Time Magazine: “How George Carlin Changed Comedy” and The New York Times: “George Carlin, Comic Who Chafed at Society and Its Constraints, Dies at 71″.
I feel fortunate to have seen him live just as he was turning extremely cynical and some might argue very angry. He reminded me a lot of Friedrich Nietzsche. Many confuse their bitterness as something negative. Humans find it hard to accept truths about themselves, no matter how ugly it can be.
pen: pilot P-500 extra fine and colored pencils: prismacolor
It’s been just over two weeks since the 65,000-ton cargo ship Cosco Busan struck the Bay Bridge and spilled 60,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean.
At least 2,700 birds have been found dead from direct contact with the oil. Talk of lawsuits have been discussed. This mess could cost local taxpayers more than $200 million. The local fisherman have decided to postpone the start of crab season till the first week of December.
Just recently, it was reported that “nearly 100,000 pounds of live Dungeness crab apparently caught by Oregon fishermen near the Farallones are headed to Bay Area seafood wholesalers for distribution to consumers - a major blow to local commercial fishermen.” (SFgate.com - Nov. 21, 2007)
I love crab. But I cannot help thinking that any wildlife in the area will be affected by this ecological disaster in one way or another. Are these crabs edible? Who knows. I know I won’t be eating any.
The thing that really upsets me are that globs of black goo still floating around my favorite San Francisco spot, Baker Beach. I sketched the illustration above from a perspective usually seen from Baker Beach towards the Golden Gate. (The oil dripping crab boat may been seen in the near future.) When I lived out there, I would hear fog horns and see cargo ships in the distance. Little did I know one of those monstrosities would cause such damage.
I have grown tired of Air America Radio over the years (with the exception of Bill Press) because some shows have evolved into pontificating as badly as Rush, O’Reilly and Coulter. Extreme noise from both the left and right causes me major headaches. The only thing I’m searching for is some semblance of truth in the current madness.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse with the mainstream news comes some brief sanity:
George Carlin interviewed by Keith Olbermann:
Although Keith’s “Special Comments” are filled with hard ranting, overall I love the way he presents the news. Knowing there is at least one journalist (let alone ex-ESPN sportscaster) who has the courage to stand up to the lies being fed the American people, gives me the slightest bit of hope that there exists some sanity on the mainstream news.
NOTE: About my lack of drawings lately… not only are the political news items occupying my consciousness, so to are the housing bubble headlines. Not to be too much of a doom and gloomer, but things are getting awfully nasty. I’m just trying to hold down the fort and make sure we survive this recession and dare I mention a soon to be depression.
digital - adobe illustrator
I designed this logo for our American Heart Association Heartwalk team this year.
Since feeling the effects of kidney disease first hand, I’ve been on a mission to help promote positive, healthy living. I’ve quit smoking, cut out soda, decreased my Filipino fatty food intake, and have been exercising more often than before… although removing the spare tire around my waist has proven to be really, really hard.
graphite pencil - derwent graphic - 6b, 4b, 2b Feeling Bearish
Following Wall Street today can be as stressful as following the news coming out of Washington DC. With the talk of a “housing bubble” bursting at the seams, the thought of a correction to an inflated market sounds enticing. To a hesitant bear living in the Bay Area California, I have witnessed the exponential rise of fake equity the last five years. I feel a bit of resolve having been sitting on the sidelines watching this slow moving train wreck just now starting to unfold.
I also feel sorry for those families who got duped and swindled into signing those creative loans. I hope they find some kind of resolve. As for the speculators and flippers, shame on them for trying to make a quick buck. The greedy are going to get their comeuppance, just you wait and see.
I have been a George Carlin fan for some time now (see my earlier POST on Carlin and Pixar). And if you really know me, you know I can be somewhat opinionated about the state of current events (ie. see my ab·er·rant section)
Recently, I came across a video that pretty much sums up a problem we have here in America, in my opinion. I’ve been noticing it grow for years. And honestly, it really makes me upset. Many say you should never discuss politics and religion at work or at social gatherings. I believe that kind of mentality is the cause of apathy and the unwillingness to critically analyze what is truly going on.
If you are at all “intellectually curious” and have 3 minutes of your time to spare, please enjoy the following video. WARNING: Explicit Lyrics and some political opinions contained in the link. (If you are happy with the status quo, think everything is peachy and just wish we can get more news about Lindsay, Paris, Brit, Beck and Nicole, please move on. There is nothing here that will interest you, that is, until you wake up from your slumber.)
usps official r2d2 mailbox - 4th and townsend caltrain station, san francisco
r2d2 model - ilm lobby, presidio, san francisco
r2d2 in san francisco
I’ve been cleaning up my macbook pro hard drive and have come across a large amount of photos to archive. These two are just the beginning of more photos to come.
digital - corel painter and adobe photoshop Topic: Suit - illustrationfriday.com
Running late for his job interview, Mr. Slowski took the expressway through underground utility pipes. While saving his suit from water, a fellow commuter decided to hitch a ride.
pen: pilot P-500 and markers: prismacolors cool greys Epic Battle concept - original post: March 2006
Almost two months of crazy work deadlines and recouping by traveling to the East Coast to visit family and friends, is to me, time well spent.
After attending my college roommate’s wedding in Jersey, chowing down on cheese steaks in South Philly with a grade school buddy, and tending to some family health issues in Virginia, my sketchbook is now tapping me on the shoulder.
My pencils haven’t seen much action lately, although the wheels in my head have been constantly spinning with ideas. Now to bring them to fruition.
As a Virginia Tech alumnus (1997), I offer my condolences to those that are most affected by this tragedy; current students, family and friends of the injured and deceased. As the flurry of media swarms on this story (I have been contacted personally by local Bay Area California media) I truly hope there will be a resolve towards peace and understanding in this world. This violence needs to stop.
traditional - gouache on canvas - 8″ x 8″ - value study There is nothing like a little John Coltrane to celebrate 34 years on this earth.
The recordings of the mid 50’s to early 60’s are my favorite. It’s funny how a simple ballad can transport me to another world, hypnotizing me to a state of utter bliss.
While most of my peers love the modern music coming from their satellite transmitters and cell phones, I feel like a relic who would rather dust off a classic LP and absorb the crackling of the needle into vinyl grooves.
My birthday playlist:
In A Sentimental Mood / Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
My Little Brown Book / Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
The Feeling Of Jazz / Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Blues To Bechet / Coltrane Plays The Blues
Nancy (With The Laughing Face) / The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane
Mr. Syms / Coltrane Plays The Blues
My Favorite Things / My Favorite Things
Everytime We Say Goodbye / My Favorite Things
Blue in Green / Kind of Blue
My One And Only Love / The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane
When I Fall In Love / Steamin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet
Blue Train / Blue Train
I’m Old Fashioned / Blue Train
Soul Eyes / The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane
Lush Life / The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane
Dear Lord / The Gentle Side Of John Coltrane
Take Five / Cool: Dave Brubeck
Flamenco Sketches / Kind of Blue
I encourage you to come along with me and dive into these recordings. You will not regret it.
this is about right… feelin’ somewhat twisted (March 2006)
About writing and expressing thoughts After some feeble attempts to write personal thoughts on this blog, I have realized from the beginning that I am not a writer.
There are so many authors of blogs who can artfully place words together containing wonderful structure, grammar and most of all, logical sense. This is not one of them. I stopped trying to pontificate my thoughts through the written form and focus more on expressing in a way I have always done since I was a kid: attempting to draw.
As with life, so many unexpected tragedies fall upon all of us. This is one of those times.
So my goal to post drawings at least once a week has stopped… until the latest speed bump is cautiously passed over.
Once the very faint light in the distance becomes clearer and in focus, I am hoping the artwork will once again flow.
I will be taking a quick flight to Virginia to check up on things… maybe this trek will relieve my anxiety.
Over a three week period (spread out from Oct ‘06 thru Jan ‘07) I would sketch this section of the Caltrain Station at San Carlos a little bit at a time. Even if I arrived at the station just as my train was pulling up, I would still take a mental snapshot of what I saw and put several lines down as I settled into my seat.
This was more of a mental exercise than anything else.
The other night, I had this dream of a masked man with an epee. Today, I continued the dream during my morning break at work…then sketched him while taking the train home.
About Me
My name is Robert Casumbal. I like to draw and animate. I was born in Virginia. I now live in the Bay Area, California. On the East Coast, I am known as Bobby Casumbal.
