Straylee's Bailiwick

2010-01-31T21:41:00.002-06:00

Phase 1: I finished the first of three art pieces. The next two will be mounted to the left and right of this piece to make a band all across the wall.

2010-01-17T18:54:00.002-06:00

I've been working on my Man-Cave.

It has been fun...kinda like a Lego-TinkerToy project

I still need to create a piece of art to cover the

components when they aren't being used.

More Deep Thoughts

2009-12-09T16:35:00.004-06:00

Socks are mysterious. Sure they can disappear in dryers, but perhaps their best trick is how they can transform themselves. Have you ever put a sock on and find your big toe is sticking out of a hole? So you take the sock off and put it on the other foot only to have the other big toe stick out. Somehow the sock moves the hole from one side of your right foot to the other side of your left foot!
And while on the subject of feet....Why is it when your shoelace comes undone, when you retie it, it suddenly makes your other shoelace loose?

Snow Globe

2009-11-24T18:37:00.002-06:00

My mind is like a Snow Globe. When I move from one task to another, it is like having my mind shaken, and I have to wait for all the flakes to settle before I can concentrate.

My discomfort scale

2009-11-06T11:37:00.004-06:00

I have discovered a truth that is making it easier for me to diet. I made an imaginary discomfort scale: "10 = I feel great" and "1 = I've just been punched in the stomach."
I noticed that after I have over-eaten, I feel miserable; perhaps a '4' on the discomfort scale. And when I am dieting and think I am hungry, I would also give that a '4' on the discomfort scale. For example, at 7:30 pm everyday my discomfort level is a '4' whether I'm eating or dieting. It makes my decision to diet easier because for the 23 hours of each day I'm not eating I will feel better overall.

How Lazy are We?

2009-10-26T11:40:00.002-05:00

Apple's new mouse allows you to scroll and select without having to click a mouse. It's about time! So many times during the day I just have to take a rest from all that clicking with my old labor intensive mouse.

Pet Peeve of the Week

2009-09-28T12:24:00.002-05:00

Okay people, let's get a little cooperation from Visa, Mastercard, and Discover Card at the check out line. I'm talking about the devices we all use to swipe our cards. How about everyone put the ENTER key in the lower right so we don't have to read all the options first. I started over on many transactions by hitting the 'CLEAR' button. Afterall the terminals are so hard to read, I'd have better luck reading a ten year old etch-a-sketch. Next, let's make the questions all the same after we hit 'ENTER,' so that we don't have to read the entire sentence to find out if it is asking us if the amount is okay which is 'YES' or asking if we want cash back which is 'NO.' Like, they ran a whole campaign to show using a card was faster than cash. How about making the terminals all the same so we don't have to scan the terminal and play twenty questions?

2009-09-16T12:49:00.001-05:00

Turntables: Better than Roundabouts

2009-09-15T20:12:00.008-05:00

Kansas City's Union Station decided to combine the utility of Round Abouts and honor KC's jazz history at the same time by installing a turntable in front of the Grand ol' Station. The record plays "Going to Kansas City" from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm daily, and until 11:00 pm on weekends and holidays. Workers occasionally have been called out when the record gets stuck, however placing a manhole cover on top of the stylus seems to work.

Our Troops are in the wrong country

2009-09-14T09:55:00.003-05:00

Americans killed by the Taliban: 297
Americans killed by Americans: 13,227

Cartoon Demo and Book Signing

2009-09-07T21:41:00.004-05:00

I will be at The Best of Kansas City Store at Crown Center Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 4 for a cartoon demonstration/book signing. I have published over 1500 cartoons over the last 30 years with cartoons appearing in several newspapers and national magazines such as the Kansas City Star Magazine, Soap Opera Digest and Highlights for Children. My newest book, The Best of Straylee’s Bailiwick, contains over 150 of my favorite family-oriented cartoons. I will have two easels set up and I will encourage aspiring cartoonists of all skills and ages to draw along with me. Samples of my cartoons, as well as online book sales, are available at www.jimstrahle.com. The Best of Straylee’s Bailiwick book retails for $9.95
I hope to see you there!
Jim Strahle

Dreaming is really Voyaging?

2009-09-07T21:36:00.002-05:00

Most physicists believe we live in a mulitverse rather than a universe. Some speculate parallel universes may be separated from ours by as little as the width of an atom. Of course because these other universes reside in other dimensions, all of our known laws of physics are moot.
Is it possible when we sleep our brains can cross-over into one of those parallel universes? Perhaps what goes on in our dreams is the reality of a universe where time is easily be warped, as well as all laws governing gravity and our senses. It is then easy to explain how we can fly, how we can move from one locale to another, why we have relationships there, that don’t exist here.
One other important point, what a person believes, can influence the content of their dreams. For instance, if someone is told that whenever they dream about water, it really means they are dreaming about sex., from that moment the person may dream about water and interpret it as dreaming about sex.
That said, once I believed my dreams may be voyages into a parallel universe, my dreams became much more detailed. For instance, I may have a false memory within the dream. An example: while in a dream, I went to a second ticket window, because I ‘remembered’ the first window didn’t work, even though I was in a place I’ve never been before. How does a brain create an entire scene it has never seen before?
It doesn’t take much of a leap to then wonder, could our dreams be the reality and our day-to-day life a dream?

There ought to be a law department

2009-09-02T10:49:00.003-05:00

My co-worker collects odd names. Her friend, who is a nurse, recently told her about a mother in the maternity ward who had carefully written out her new baby's name "La-a.” Being a good nurse, she cheerfully greeted the new mom, “So how is La-ah” doing today?” But the mother corrected her. “No. No, it is pronounced Ladasha!”

Life in the Slow Lane

2009-08-20T13:35:00.001-05:00

You know how when you are getting ready to make a lane change only to find out there’s a car in your blind spot so you swerve quickly back into your lane? Then you don’t want to look like you were stupid enough to make a lane change without looking, so you drive past the point you were wanting to turn, so it looks like you were just lane drifting.

The Best Job

2009-08-14T08:53:00.006-05:00

The homeless folks in Santa Barbara have figured out a great money maker. On the beach, alongside the pier, they lay out a blanket in the sand, make a sign, put out a dish. At the end of the day they drop back by to pick up their cash. No need to stand at a corner all day holding a sign.

Relish the Moment

2009-08-13T13:31:00.003-05:00

Many years ago I was driving my station wagon through the winding Flint Hills of Kansas. The two kids had been fighting most the way. The wife and I were pretty stressed. From the opposite direction a guy driving a shiny new Corvette whizzed by. How I wished I was the guy in the 'Vette.
And then I had an epiphany.
I wondered if the guy in the Corvette could have passed by me and thought, "Gee, I wish I had a wife, two kids and a station wagon."
How many times do we wish our circumstances were different? Yet let a few years pass by and we are able to look back and realize, those were the good times.
Recently I was with my new wife and my two perfect daughters. In a less than enthusiast voice, the youngest says to the oldest, "Well I guess I'll be spending the weekend with the parents."
The oldest replies, "Krista, you may not realize it now, but someday in the future, you'll look back at that and remember it as one of the happiest times of your life."
I added, "Yep, Krista, you might not know it, but you are just living the dream." It got a good laugh, but it did remind me to relish every moment.

Bank Shots - one of 3 cartoon strips

2009-07-29T21:33:00.002-05:00

2009-07-26T21:10:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite Photos. Krista and I made this for

her mom's Mother's Day present. All three people are Krista.

Kansas City Graffitti

2009-07-23T17:37:00.003-05:00

2009-07-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

Deep Thoughts

2009-07-17T09:00:00.010-05:00

I decided to list my Strahleisms. I have only have five, so apparently on average, I only have one deep thought every 10 years or so.

Living the Dream; Great. Pursuing the Dream; Better.

Babies are like windchimes. The sounds they make are irritating to everyone but the owner.

Relationships:
If you think you are in a good relationship, you probably are.
If you think you are in a bad relationship, you soon will be.

When walking down the street, one looks around.
When walking on a beach, one looks within.

It is not always easy to get along, but it is a lot easier than not getting along.

Red Light Cameras

2009-07-05T21:29:00.003-05:00

Mayor who?

2009-07-05T21:28:00.002-05:00

Who's the Pervert?

2009-07-05T21:19:00.000-05:00

Smartest Guys in the Room

2009-07-05T21:18:00.001-05:00

Old men and new Sports Cars

2009-07-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

In my thirties, I use to drive an MGB. The two seater sports car was a lot of fun. However one thing that was kinda hurtful was the times I'd be sitting at a stoplight and I'd notice a car slowly creeping along side. I'd look over just in time to see the look of anticipation on a young girl's face turn to disappointment when she saw it was just some old fart. So I sold it.
Now I'm sixty and I bought another little sports car. The Pontiac Solstice has got to be one of the best looking cars ever built. Now when I'm sitting at a stop light and someone looks at me they just say, "There's another one of those middle-age crazy dudes." and I think to myself, "Middle-Age? Okay, I can live with that."