“Happiness is getting my paycheck and finding a clearance sale on the same day.” © D. Barstow

For Illustration Friday, topic: Similar.

Isn’t there some kind of milk called Similac? Anyway, my interpretation was SAME, similar to similar. Done on the fly.

This isn’t that funny. It’s more of a true thing – people like it because it’s about them, and speaks to their character. I do know the irresistible pull of a big sale – a deep, deep slashed first pick sale, with things in my size and colors. I notice one of the women has a MAC bag. That is because MAC is my favorite makeup ever. They never have sales (that I know of), but they are reasonably priced, and have very high quality cosmetics. (I have seen their collections discounted in an outlet store, but we don’t have any of those near here.) This is the time of year when they have Special Collections, like little teeny tiny lipsticks in a metal box, or brushes, or the greatest eye shadow pencils. They might be sold out already. Sigh.

Their lipstick and eyeshadow lasts for a long time on your lips and eyes, and the packaging is so well designed! I could go on and on, but then I’d have to go get my own bag of bag of MAC.

Don’t you wish you had a top 8 on MySpace like Jones? He is the unsung (but not unhung, hopefully) standup comedian or maybe Phil Hendrie writer – no one knows for sure, he’s just Jones – that writes bulletins worth reading. Here are a couple recent ones.

Nov 26, 2008 10:21 AM
Subject:     Thanksgiving prayer

Family gathered together
Turkey on the table
Let us all try to get along
No more Cain and Abel

note: if you are going the vegan route, you can substitute tofurkey for turkey

————————————————

Peace, Love and Joy from the Jones extended family to yours!

Date:        Dec 5, 2008 10:36 AM
Subject:     Jones LIVE tomorrow evening in Downey
Body:     I will either be eating dinner at the Havana Cafe, corner of Old River School Road and Firestone Blvd.–or at Pina Pizza house, corner of 2nd Street and Paramount. I should arrive around 6:30 p.m.– depending on traffic and what time I decide to leave my house. I will have a few jokes ready upon arrival. One of the jokes I have never told before, and am a little nervous on how it will be received. I am hoping for big laughs, but would settle for a few small courtesy laughs…or even one person making eye contact.

See some of you there at one of those places.

“ANOTHER FREUDIAN SLIP: “I want to make wild, passionate, chocolate chip cookies with you.”

Well, the wine glasses are empty, and this may explain her behavior. But really, isn’t it fun to be the aggressor?! ;)

The subject for Illustration Friday this week is Balloon. So here you go, the speaking balloon all cartoonists know all too well. And a colorful cartoon that I just remembered I did last month for a little interview I did for Psychology Today. No, not as a patient, silly – though they may have missed the boat on that call – but as a creative person. (That’s what my most recent contract calls me: Creator. What happened to A**hat?)  Read more »

Picture of homemade pie.

You would think that with a title of (take deep breath) Trader Joe’s Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Praline Tart, how could they miss, right? Nice cheerful orange label with chocolate dots, attractive looking pie. But I won’t make you wait until the end of the review: thumbs down.

What is the difference between tart and pie? [Pause while I go over to Google.]  Okay, here:

A tart is made with a crust formed in a tart pan or a low, straight-walled pan with a removable bottom. A pie, similar to a tart, is baked in a pie pan that has sloping sides. Both a tart and a pie can have the crust prebaked and filled or baked with fruits, custards or chocolate.

Everything 2 agrees with that. Already, things are not quite right with this TJ dessert. This is definitely a pie, not a tart.

Anyway, it has a sweet crumbly crust. I love soft crusts! But it’s not real chocolate, and it doesn’t taste like chocolate, unless it’s the cheap drugstore kind. The filling has a slightly crunchy filling, of substance, but not chewy.

Read more »