May 28, 2007
A Memorable Memorial Day
photo of Kat Caverly by Thomas Hudson Reeve
Outdoor BBQ on the streets of New York! It must be memorial Day weekend!
The area is filled with the Navy and the Marines. It is Fleet Week and it has been
nice to see them here instead of in Iraq. Afterall it is Memorial Day, and a time to
remember.
The picnics and parties are nice though and I really had a great piece of grilled
corn on the cob, which always gets caught in between my teeth, but who cares!
I think we all grew up expecting such parties, but they still seem unusual in
our neighborhood.
Today was a good day to celebrate!
Posted by photocartoonist at 8:19 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 16, 2007
Happy St. Paddy's Day
An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:14 PM
September 4, 2006
A Fond Farewell to the Grill
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Labor Day is generally regarded simply as a day of rest -- a fond farewell to the grill with one final and large barbecue with family and friends.
Its history of political ideals and workers rights may seem lost in such laziness. True, most Americans may not be able to articulate or recall the legacy of Labor Day. And we may even think it's name is ironic for 'a day off'. But we are Americans. We rest on our laurels secure in the fact that we are entitled to such a federal holiday. And you'd better believe that we'd raise hell if someone uttered that the holiday should cease!
In other countries parades and political rallies mark the day, but here in the US we prefer to sit down and relax rather than take a stand about something we already have. We mark the day, our rights, by celebrating with what does matter: family, friends, food and other fun pursuits.
It's our American holiday. We're entitled to it, and we're going to enjoy it our way.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:23 PM
July 28, 2006
Friday, July 28th, 2006 is System Administrator Appreciation Day!
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
This annual event is in its 7th year and honors those folks who keep servers and networks running smoothly. You may not see them, you may not even think of them -- at least until you have a problem! System Administrators work long hours, weekends, and are constantly on call. You have a problem, you call and wail for them to make everything all right. And they do. They're sort of like moms that way.
Also like moms, our System Administrators know us better than we know them. Sometimes they even know us better than we know ourselves -- or at least they know us at our worst and still put up with us. Like our moms, our System Administrators aren't shown much appreciation for all the work they do. (When's the last time you called your System Administrator just to ask how she is?)
So, on this one day, do more than recognize all your System Administrator does for you -- Thank him for all the things he does for you and your business. You may know know his birthday, but you can celebrate how he is always there for you.
Unsure of how to celebrate? Well, as with most celebrations, cake, ice cream and ballons are a great start. If your System Administrator isn't nearby, email ecards and gift certificates. For additional celebration and gift ideas, check out the official website.
Posted by photocartoonist at 3:08 PM
July 16, 2006
Sticky Business
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
July 15th, was Gummi Worm Day, as listed at the National Confectioners Association website. Just when you thought all holidays weren't commercial, we make such an announcement! However, we don't celebrate Gummi Worm Day for its crass consumerism -- no, there is ingenuity to admire here. (And who doesn't want a reason to eat Gummi Worms?!)
There likely wouldn't be a Gummi Worm Day if it weren't for Gummi Bears. The Gummi Bear, or Gummibärchen, is a German creation. Invented by Hans Riegel, a candy maker from Bonn, Germany, in 1922, the story goes that Riegel and his wife, Gertrud, noticed the popularity of a gelatin fruit candy that other candy companies were selling. Looking for a competitive edge to enter the market with their own fruity gelatin candy, they thought "What would children like?" And dancing bears was the answer.
So, HARIBO began to mold the fruit flavored gelatin into the form of a dancing bear. The original bears were taller and thinner than the little chubby bears of today (a 1950's update), and they became popular among the children of Bonn. So popular that only one year later the Riegels made a "risky" investment in a car so that Gertrud need no longer deliver the daily 200 pounds of dancing bear candy on her bicycle. The Riegels need not have worried, for the launch of Gummi Bears eventually lead to a family fortune. Such a fortune only occurred because the Riegels been correct that bear candy makes us happy!
Gummi Worms themselves were born of similar creativity. In 1981, another German candy company, Mederer Corporation, was looking for a new way to market gummy candies. Their idea was to create a candy that parents would find mildly shocking, but that kids would love. They hit upon the idea of Gummi Worms, and sold them under the Trolli name. These worms became quite popular, and even inspired other 'shocking' desserts.
In fact, the popularity of Gummi Worms, Bears and other animal shapes, lead to the 1985, Disney cartoon show, "The Adventures of the Gummi Bears." A first of its kind, "The Adventures of the Gummi Bears" was Disney's first foray into television animation and lasted 94 episodes (in 65 shows). At the time, very few cartoons had the production values the Gummi Bears did. The quality of production was so high, so unheard of, it even exceeded the quality of many Japanese animated TV shows being made at the time. Because of this, Gummi Bears is often credited by animators and animation historians as having jump started the television animation boom of the late 1980s (and continued through the 1990s).
While often listed as one of the worst shows, "The Adventures of the Gummi Bears" is also the 47th most desired unreleased show on Tvshowsondvd.com. Proof, that the Riegels were right: Children, and adults, do love Gummi Bears -- and worms, and sharks, and frogs, and even Gummi Ampelmännchen!
Strangely, while Gummi Bears and Gummi Worms are German confections, there is no German Gummi Holiday. Since there are no German holidays in July, I propose that Germans pick a day in the sticky heat of July, and celebrate Gummi Bear Day. Afterall, we do love our bears, and who doesn't want a reason to eat candy?
Posted by photocartoonist at 8:58 PM
July 7, 2006
Whose Holidays are They Anyways?
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Not a month goes by that I don't hear someone make a comment that holidays are the creations of greeting card companies and retailers who conspire to take our money. Often called Hallmark Holidays, many folks seem to think that holidays are founded in corporate greed.
How cynical.
Sure, many 'holidays' are not recognized by the US government as legal days off from work. In more official terms, days such as Mother's Day, Valentine's Day etc, are more like widely celebrated occasions. And true, some 'holidays' are not even widely celebrated, but celebrated by only a few -- or, to many of us, are only just dates noted on calendars (quite often made by the same folks who bring you greeting cards). But while these 'holidays' may seem to be a con to get you to commit additional crimes of consumerism in a world already full of sinful spending, is that what these days are really about?
Holidays were created by people. Not consumer-driven people who want to stick their hands in our pocketbooks, but people who want to make sure opportunities are not lost to us. Holidays were created by people, for people, so that we'd have reason to celebrate things we'd otherwise take for granted.
Some holidays celebrate people and relationships. Days like Granparents Day remind us to appreciate the folks who gave us cookies, taught us to fish, and those people who first took our side in a disagreement with our parents. It's not just about Grandma's own birthday, the celebration of her as a person, but a day to remember her for her role in our lives. Participation in Valentine's Day isn't an exercise in economic excess, but a chance to honor your partner. This day serves as a reminder for us not to overlook the one person we likely can't afford to lose.
Some holidays mark events. Without Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and National Women's History Month, would we stop our whining and complaining, and make the time to be thankful for what we do have? Would we stop our activist ways long enough to remember all those who fought for the freedoms we do have? Probably not.
Other holidays note things and events which seem trivial. But even strange holidays such as Chocolate Pudding Day, Ugly Truck Contest Day, and National Hugging Day offer us riches. By inviting others to celebrate with us, we all get a chance to share smiles, spend time with one another, slow down for a moment, and create memories. These charming and quirky little holidays offer big reminders: Enjoy your loved ones. It's not the silly holidays themselves, but the opportunity to connect and celebrate with others which matters.
Observe any of the seemingly silly holidays we often mention here, and you have an excuse to celebrate. Sweet treats, smiles, flowers, memories, balloons, cards, trinkets, hugging friends and family -- even ugly trucks -- what can be wrong with all that?
Posted by photocartoonist at 1:23 PM
July 4, 2006
Be Independent
By Kat Caverly
There are many shades of Liberty and I believe in Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of laughter!
Happy Fourth of July America!!
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:23 AM
July 3, 2006
Ugly Americans? Maybe we are just young!
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Americans are often considered loud, rude, rebellious people who think they can buy their way in or out of everything. So I thought on this anniversary of our nation's birth, we'd take a look at our history as young punks.
Nations are formed of real people, and like real people, our identities were formed in our youth. We Americans, like any young adventurous adult struggling to find ourselves in the world, left our family homes in England, looking for some form of independence. Like those who enter college, we lived away, yet were still tied to the Crown's apron strings.
Much like today's college students, we began to chafe at the expectations of our parents -- only instead of turning in good grades and being grateful for all our parents were doing for us, our role as dutiful child meant we had to pay taxes as well as behave. Soon we felt we were not only not being given enough credit, but we weren't being given any respect. Taxation without representation was the equivalent of paying our own bills yet still being told what to do. When we'd had enough, we did what any young person would do: We rebelled and made a stand for our independence.
Along with winning our independence, we decided to stick our noses up at anything we deemed part of the establishment we so rebelled against. We saw the highfalutin manners of "polite society" as not only very passé and Old World, but as contrary to the egalitarian New World we were creating.
We citizens of this 20-something year old nation were full of ideals and ready to act upon them daily. Affirmations, of sorts, we demonstrated our lofty aims for a class-free society in loud, coarse, and rough behavior and language. If we met someone with more genteel ways, we became downright rude. Upon meeting a rather well-to-do gentleman with polished manners, the course of action was logical: Give him the "I'm as good a man as you" attitude, complete with sneers at his polite airs.
But then something happened; the Industrial Revolution.
A time of tremendous social and economic change, this revolution created a consumer economy and a huge middle class that felt that they had 'arrived.' Not only at a higher level of income, but at a higher plane of existence. The farm and the tenement beliefs and social customs would simply not do for those of us who had made our way in the world.
Like the Nouveau Riche, this new middle class believed they could purchase appropriate manners to accompany their newly purchased homes, stylish clothing, and other gadgets. Commerce was happy to feed them.
From the 1850's on, the market was flooded with etiquette books, which gave us the rules of "polite society". Where we once mocked such airs, we now happily bought them, literally. In our silly quest to buy the proof of our status, we didn't consider that the rules we were buying were based on (if not taken directly from) the practices of the 18th Century aristocrats that we had rebelled against and their society that we had overthrown and made obsolete. We bought the books, but we also bought the ideals. For many of these books described 19th Century America as it was, but as we hoped it would be.
These manners gradually diffused throughout society, and by the 20th Century, these manners were in use by all Americans. By the time WWI had ended, there were no longer such Victorian notions of class and behavior, but a more watered down version of common courtesies for all. What was kept were the common sense rules such as "Don't chew with your mouth open" and "Don't interrupt people" -- the sort of things your mom still tells you.
What we can see from all of this, are our roots as loud, rude, rebellious people who can buy their way in or out of everything. Where some see character flaws, I see a nation of people who have gotten where they are today -- a free nation with the least amount of class restrictions and mammas who raise us with common courtesies.
As nations go, we are still rather young, and it remains to be seen how we will grow and mature. But there is certainly reason to celebrate being American. Ugly or not, we do have the greatest country in the world. Even if we do say so ourselves.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:58 AM
June 16, 2006
What To Get Dads On Father's Day
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Father's Day is very different from Mother's Day. Based on the persons involved, we have different events and worries.
For example, one of the favorite gifts to give mom is a day off, completely to herself, or at least a meal without the cooking and clean-up. But on the third Sunday in June, what man wants to be removed from his grill? None that I know of. And he likely wants the whole brood, if not neighborhood, over to see his masterful culinary skills. So instead of giving Dad a day off, you give him the day to prepare the meal and an audience to parade his cooking skills in front of. (Poor mom gets clean-up duty!)
Even the gifts are different on Father's Day. Buy mom a waffle maker or blender, and you are sort of saying 'make me more food.' Any gift is suspiciously seen as delivering your wishes, not hers. Even if you buy her a dishwasher, you're saying that she'll always be the one to load it.
Dads on the other hand, seem to want gifts which allow them to display their skills. Even if those gifts and skills scream 'Hey dad, do this for me!' Grills, tools, and car maintenance supplies, the general tools of the dad trade, are good gift options. Even the generic tie is seen as a way to show how you value Dad The Provider.
As a woman, buying gifts for the dads in my life has been difficult. I know and understand how to make moms feel like real people, but I struggled buying practical tool sets, barbecue tongs, white t-shirts and gold-toe socks. Those things just felt like something dad can buy himself... And then I remembered: dads don't like to shop.
Dad actually will enjoy putting the new shop vac to use -- right after he uses last year's barbecue set to make us all his famous burgers -- and he won't have to go to the store to get it either. It really is a gift to him. And my mother.
My purchase of the latest shop vac will be one less thing my mom will have to do... And after she cleans up the kitchen and patio from dad's cooking, she can use the break too.
Posted by photocartoonist at 1:57 AM
May 29, 2006
I Scream You Scream
Knock! Knock!
Who's there?
Ice cream soda!
Ice cream soda who?
ICE CREAM SO DA PEOPLE CAN HEAR ME...
Today is a special day in the history of ice cream.
On May 29, 1948 the first Ice Cream Freezer was patented. Before this
time, ice cream was hand cranked and enjoyed on the spot, putting a
literal crimp in hands as well as party style. Early home refrigerators
of the 1920's used ice blocks to cool and preserve, which naturally
didn't do much to keep ice cream frozen. With the freezer, ice cream
could be bought and stored for longer periods of time, paving the way for
longer shelf life -- if you can keep your hands off (and spoons out!).
One really cannot have a proper birthday celebration without ice cream
(even the Lactose Intolerant have their own versions of ice cream).
What's a piece of birthday cake without ice cream? Well, it's naked
cake -- cake in its own birthday suit!
Thanks to the ice cream freezer, folks can now stock up well in advance
of birthday parties and other celebrations (not to mention, stockpile
comfort food for less happy times). Mmmmmmm, Mmmmm, yummy! So it's
fitting that today, we celebrate a special date which makes our special
days so much more special.
So get some cake, a big scoop (or two) of ice cream, and join us in
singing "Happy Birthday, Ice Cream Freezer!"
Posted by photocartoonist at 1:35 PM
May 15, 2006
Purple for Peace
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
May 16 is Wear Purple For Peace Day: The First Intergalactic Holiday.
That last part is important, because this is one of the very few clues
we have to the origins of this holiday.
According to HolidayInsights.com, this holiday is about projecting
peace from this world outward, to aliens, so that they know we are
peaceful and will visit us. Currently, however, this holiday is being
used to promote peace globally.
Within the USA messages such as blue and red join to become purple for peace
project a mission of national unity and peace. Schools are using the
color and the message, if not the official holiday date itself, to preach
peace and non-violent coping skills to their students. Among such
lessons are the lives and work of Martin Luther King and Gandhi, tools
such as this Kid’s Creating Peace Pledge, and discussions on
bullying. Who can complain about this? Apparently, some folks not only
can, but do...
I've seen a number of bloggers upset that the promotion of peace and
"Wearing Purple For Peace" is a horrible thing to do. Specifically, they
point to the war in Iraq and state that those who support peace do not
support our troops. I don't see the correlation. How can anything be
more supportive of our troops than peace and bringing our boys and girls home?
One blogger wrote "peace is not an option right now. I
feel like this is 1) poorly thought out as I think it belittles the
sacrifices our troops are making -or- 2) a political move using children
that are way too young to understand matters of war and peace (and the
tangible relationship between the two)."
In the case of point number one, I fail to see how praying for peace
equates belittling the sacrifices of our troops and their families. If
they are 'fighting over there so we don't have to fight them here',
isn't that at least in part saying we want peace for the majority of our
citizens? Aren't they supposedly fighting for freedom, American values
along with The American Way? If so, isn't peace one of our values? At a
very base level, isn't the primary objective of going to war to win, end
the war, and have peace? Valuing peace not only supports the very
notions, the mission, of their war duty, their sacrifices, but also
values the very lives of each soldier. Peace is the most supportive
prayer I can imagine.
In point number two, the blogger makes two points. Point 2. A states that
children are "too young to understand matters of war and peace." This is
a large broad statement. In the context of "Wear Purple For Peace", what
is too complicated? Who isn't 'for peace' ideally? Certainly "Wear
Purple For Peace" and non-violent conflict resolution skills are notions
deemed appropriate for all ages. Why would we not want out children to
be trained to persue this priority? As for point 2. B, the "tangible
relationship" between war and peace, I'm not sure I'm old enough
to understand... Unless she means what I stated above, that the primary
objective of going to war is to win, end the war, and have peace, I'm at
complete loss for how the two are related -- at least in any positive
manner.
So again, I have to wonder, how do prayers for peace belittle our
troops? How can Wear Purple For Peace, as May 16th or as a display of
one's hopes, do anything other than value the lives of all involved? How
can peace be anything other than wonderful?
Personally, I'll be wearing purple -- both for peace for our nation, our
world, and a desire to meet friendly aliens. How about you?
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:09 PM
May 12, 2006
Gardening Angels
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
As a mother, I often feel like a gardener. I take the environment and
seeds I have been given, and I try to grow the best damn beings I can.
It's an awful lot of work -- dirty work too. As a parent, you've got to
be willing to roll up your sleeves, deal with manure and all manners of
sticky matters, and yes, spend a lot of time on your knees (praying that
you've done things right!). But like all gardeners, we know that
backbreaking effort is required prior to sitting back and enjoying the
oohs and ahhs of those who walk by.
Mothers and gardeners tend to their charges in similar ways.
Gardeners with roses know that when cold winds blow they need to
insulate their American Beauties with Styrofoam cones; when mom is cold,
she makes the kids put on sweaters.
Both gardeners and mothers spray to protect their lil sprouts from bad
bugs.
Gardeners remove unwanted plants which threaten to chokeout their prize
plants; moms weed out the bad seed 'friends' and other unsavory types.
Gardeners put up fences, scarecrows and if necessary, use wolf urine to
protect tender, vulnerable plants; parents set limits, use rules, and
monitor activities and phone calls to protect our children from those
predators who would feed off of our children if it weren't for our
watchful ways. (If it would work, I would succumb to spraying my own
mama-wolf-urine around to keep my own children from falling prey!)
Some of us even have late bloomers -- one bloom proudly displayed in a
season which would otherwise be dark is beautiful payment for such
diligence.
We mothers may not have the richest soil, the fanciest tools and
gadgets, or the space, money and support we dream of, but we still try
to raise the healthiest, showiest, sweetest smelling offspring around.
And, in the end, we hope our little sprouts have offspring of their own,
and they too grow strong and healthy under the watchful eyes of the
parents who tend to them.
Yes, moms are like gardeners. So we ought to know that every garden
sleeps, rejuvenating itself for the strong growth season ahead. It is
this sleep which allows for a fruitful harvest. But we as moms often
forget to take this rest period ourselves.
This Mother's Day, I hope each Mother out there takes the day for
herself to bask in the blooming faces of her children.
(This short rest is needed, for Monday will bring more weeding, tugging
and tending...)
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:25 PM
May 10, 2006
Zing, the Humdinger
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
This Mother's Day I am struck by the power of 'other mothers' that ought
to be honored. For example, Necessity is the Mother of Invention.
Invention is a from of creativity, the Mother of which is often
arrogantly seen as the creator himself. As a writer, I often feel that
I give birth to my projects -- and as any editor will tell you, writers
are often as good at receiving criticism about their written works as
mothers are about their children -- but it is rather vain to think that
there isn't some higher power which calls forth and delivers Creativity
itself. Long ago, we had a name for these creatures, these Mothers, if
you will -- we called them Muses.
The Muses are the nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, each of whom
presides over a different art or science. This Mother's Day, I'd like
to acknowledge one Muse who, in my opinion, isn't honored enough.
This Muse and I first met in grade school. My wonderful third grade
teacher read to the class every day after lunch. I loved this so much
that I never ever dared to fall asleep as many of my peers did,
but rather eagerly awaited this time of day. One month, she dedicated
her readings to us from a book of Greek mythology; this was my
introduction to The Muses in general. Being a young child, I tended to
take some things litterally, so when in one of the stories the teacher
read the word 'amusing', I heard and interpreted it as 'a Muse, Zing'.
From that day forward, I believed there was indeed a Muse named Zing.
Zing was the Muse of humor and all things funny. From the lowly
inspired 'pull my finger' to the best vaudeville Zinger (which further
cemented her name, of course!), Zing was the genius, the spark, the
impulse which brought it forth. While I was saddened and somewhat
embarrassed to learn of my mistake (Boy, had she pulled a real Zinger on
me!), I was delighted to know that there is indeed a humorous Muse,
Thalia Muse of Comedy.
Thalia is also one of The Three Graces. This is because she is a Goddesses
of Charm and Good Humor (trickery on grade school children aside), and
quite a fetching woman herself.
This Mother's Day, I'd like to salute Muse Thalia, or Zing as I still
call her. She certainly has devoted her time to me, blessing me with
the creativity and compulsion to not only write, but to live my life.
Like my real Mother, I don't know where I'd be without her. So, "Thank
You, Zing, and Happy Mother's Day!"
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:16 PM
April 16, 2006
Hope Springs Eternal In My Easter Bonnet
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Once upon an Easter time women proudly displayed their Easter Bonnets.
A tradition since the 18th century, Easter Bonnets may seem silly,
frilly and outdated to some, but call me a traditionalist when it comes
to Easter. The current holiday fad is little Easter trees. Apparently
in vogue, spindly bare trees are decorated chiefly with plastic eggs.
Some folks prefer the small, indoor decor Easter trees, with designer
painted wooden eggs etc. But not my neighbors... they prefer to string
their as-yet-unbudded-bare-branch-of-a-tree with cheap plastic eggs
which, by the way, continuously fall off the string and roll around the
block. I'd prefer the return of the bonnet.
If I sound anti-Easter, it's just not so. I'm a traditionalist. I
prefer traditional symbols of Easter, of Spring -- rabbits, chicks and
eggs. Symbols which represent the rebirth of earth. Near dead trees
with plastic eggs do not give me this sense of joy. I also enjoy seeing
bouncing baby bunnies and cute, cuddly chicks. (There's no monotony in
neoteny!) I even love to watch the Cadbury bunny 'buck' like a chicken
(who doesn't?)
Ahh, Spring's symbols of rabbits, chicks and eggs... Wait, which came
first, the chicken or the egg?
Why the egg, of course. Obviously it was much more amazing to see a new
life emerge from a seemingly dead object than to just see a young chick
walking about... though I'm sure many a man felt that way about chicks
in Easter Bonnets... too cute, and such a reminder of fertility!
And that's what this season is about, really. Rebirth. Like flowers
pushing their soft selves from earth that was once hard and frozen, we all
long to stretch and return to the world invigorated and renewed. So add
flowers to my list -- rabbits, chicks, eggs, and flowers.
These natural symbols make me feel that I too may Spring forth in
rebirth. And heaven knows that I'll need to, what with the egg
decorating, egg hiding, meal preparation, basket filling -- and now I'm
supposed to decorate another tree? Please, Christmas has dibs on the
tree! (But I could find time to buy a bonnet...)
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:03 AM
March 17, 2006
I'm not Irish but I still need a Kiss
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
After the big holiday season ends January 1, people have had enough of
the hustle and bustle -- and, it seems, of one another. We take to our
homes, avoiding contact with the outside world (people, events and
weather) as much as possible. Even on Valentine's Day many of us prefer
snuggling in private to fancy dinners out in public. Like bears
hibernating, we must stay in for awhile.
However, as the weeks turn to months, cabin fever sets in.
The weather may or may not be more mild, but we find ourselves so tired
of the same old walls, and bored with entertaining ourselves, that we
must put ourselves into circulation again. But it's now mid-March...
There are no big holidays with fancy meals, gifts to buy, or events with
formal attire to attend, yet we are as desperate as a teenage girl
for a social life!
What are we going to do?!
We're going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, of course! Even if we are
not Irish.
I myself can say that the only Irish thing about me is that I've made,
and eaten, under-cooked potatoes, but on March 17, I'm so in need of
human interaction, that I am willing to lie about my heritage, pass the
hazing rituals of green beer, and kiss complete strangers. How about you?
Posted by photocartoonist at 1:22 AM | Comments (1)
January 14, 2006
Happy New Year (the Julian Calendar)
Happy New Year! According to the Julian calendar today is January 1st, which is
January 14th on the Gregorian calendar, which is the most popular calendar
in use in 2006.
This got me thinking about the other calendars in use in 2006 -
the Islamic calendar (Hijir), the Hebrew calendar and the Yin-yang li,
the Chinese calendar. According to a recent estimate there are about
40 calendars in use today.
According to the US Navy "Julian dates (abbreviated JD) are simply a
continuous count of days and fractions since noon Universal Time on
January 1, 4713 BCE (on the Julian calendar). Almost 2.5 million days
have transpired since this date."
The changeover from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar
occurred in October of 1582, instituted by Pope Gregory XIII. An omission
of ten days of calendar dates was necessitated by the astronomical error built
up by the Julian calendar over its many centuries of use, due to its too-
frequent leap years.
This change to the use of the Gregorian calendar only occurred in
Roman Catholic countries, however. In England for example, the adoption of
this new calendar did not come until 1752.
The Julian calendar was introduced in the year -45 by Julius Caesar. This was
named the "year of confusion" because 90 days were inserted that year to bring
the months of the calendar back in place with respect to the seasons.
After the death of Julius Caesar, the Roman authorities misapplied the
leap-year rule, with the result that every third, rather than every fourth,
year was a leap year. It is believed that Emperor Augustus corrected the
situation by omitting leap years from the Julian years -8 through +4.
After this the Julian calendar finally began to function as planned.
Happy New Year
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:01 AM
January 13, 2006
The Holiday Season Continues
By KAT CAVERLY
The holidays seem to loom so large then in a blink they are yesterday's
news. Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, Orthodox Christmas and New Year;
the dead remains of last year's holidays still remind us and now I am
in mourning.
It is all gone too soon; the cheer, the spirit, the goodwill towards man.
Now we are back to business as usual.
The weather in New York is more like Spring than anything else and
thoughts of The Season now seem like a magical dream. Sure Valentines Day
is looming large but there is nothing like the rapid fire sequence of holiday
after holiday.
Now taking into consideration that there are a few different calendars we
could argue that it is still The Season. Orthodox New Year is tomorrow,
Jan. 14th this year and Chinese New Year is Jan. 29th, and the Jewish
New Year is at the end of September 2006.
So with the global village The Season starts in September and goes all
the way through February. Happy Holidays!
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:29 PM
January 2, 2006
There's a Reason Why New Year's Resolutions Never Last
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
On New Year's we are supposed to look back and reflect upon the the last
year and our entire personal history, and think about not only what
we've done, but what we haven't done as well. This after a few weeks of
over-eating, over-spending, and in general over-reaching our limits.
Being creatures of impulsivity, we look at our expanding waistlines, our
shrinking bank accounts, and the dark circles under our eyes, and we
decide that we need to put an end to such over-indulgence. We promise,
we resolve, to take better care of ourselves: We'll eat better, work
harder, and spend more wisely.
And then we celebrate our collective promises of clean-living with
another holiday blowout bash.
We awaken the next morning, hung-over on the previous evening's spirits
of gluttony and self-indulgence (if not alcohol spirits), and we begin to
plan our new regimens.
We bring out the food scales, the diet books and the meal planners,
purge our homes of all junk foods, and head for the grocery store to
restock with healthy foods. On the return home, we realize we are too
tired to cook anything, and binge quickly on fast food from the closest
drive-thru window. We comfort ourselves in the fact that we can really
begin tomorrow.
The next evening we make ourselves a broiled chicken breast, a healthy
salad (with only a teaspoon of salad dressing), and we sit at the table,
congratulating ourselves on sticking with the plan. Feeling full and a
bit smug, we decide to tackle those finances.
We get the checkbook, the bill folder, a pad of paper & a pencil, and we
try to create a budget. Somewhere between the heating bill and
yesterday's grocery receipt, we realize we cannot afford to eat healthy
organic vegetables, pay for a gym membership or a few exercise DVDs, and
a pair of yoga pants - unless we take on an additional part-time job.
And if we do that, we won't have any time to cook and will need to rely
on fast food again.
It's about this time that we grab our coats and head for the corner
convenience store where we'll buy an overpriced undersized container of
ice cream.
As we sit on the couch spooning ice cream from the carton into our
mouths we say to ourselves, "Ring out the old year, ring in the new year
- I just feel wrung out!"
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:11 AM
January 1, 2006
Happy New Year 2006
©Kat Caverly and Thomas Hudson Reeve
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:00 AM
December 25, 2005
Merry Christmanukwanzaamadan
portrait of Thomas Hudson Reeve by Kat Caverly
December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas
Blessed Hanukkah
Peaceful Kwanzaa
Happy New Year
Wouldn't it be best if we all celebrated all holidays all of the time?! All the silly talk about
the evils of saying "Happy Holidays" and that it dimishes the Christian holy day of Christmas,
well I for one say lets INCLUDE everyone and acknowledge each holiday and holy day.
Maybe a deeper understanding would help realize Peace on Earth.
Isn't THAT what Christmas is all about?
portrait of Kat Caverly by Thomas Hudson Reeve
December 25, 2005
Posted by photocartoonist at 6:39 PM
December 23, 2005
Holiday Symbols
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Most of us recognize the Dreidel Song: "Oh dreidel dreidel dreidel, I
made you out of clay..." Even if we are not Jewish, we recognize
the sweet song. But how many of us know what a dreidel is?
The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter inscribed
on each side. Each player receives a given number of coins or candy
pieces which they each place into the kupah or kitty. Then the
dreidel is spun. When the dreidel falls, it will fall on one of the 4
letters, each of which has an outcome of what happens to the kitty.
So what is the connection between the dreidel and Hanukkah?
The story of Hanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great, when
Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine. He allowed the people
under his control to continue observing their own religions but more
than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in
control of the region. He prohibited the practice of the Jewish religion
and oppressed the Jews severely. By 168 B.C.E. the Jews' holy Temple was
seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus.
The dreidel game was popular during this time, and it was used as a
shield for gathering to study the Torah. When Jews gathered to study,
they had the dreidel ready in case they heard soldiers approaching. If
the soldiers appeared, they would hide the holy scriptures and pretend
to play with the dreidel, and thus avoid execution.
After three years of fighting, despite having fewer men and weapons, the
Jews defeated the Greek army, and secured the Temple. In order to
rededicate the Temple, oil was needed for the menorah, which was
supposed to burn throughout the night - every night. There was very
little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks - just enough
oil to burn for one day. Yet the oil burned for eight days, precisely
the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil. Hanukkah is the eight
day festival which commemorates the miracle of the oil and therefore the
rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C.E.
And so the dreidel is a symbol of the revolution against assimilation
and the suppression of Jewish religion. As symbol of Hanukkah, its
Hebrew letters stand for the phrase, "A great miracle happened there".
It's a symbol of faith. And where there is faith, there is love.
DREIDEL SONG
I have a little Dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it's dry and ready
Then Dreidel I shall play.
/ Chorus:/
Oh Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel
I made it out of clay
Oh Dreidle, Dreidle, Dreidle
Then Dreidel I shall play.
It has a lovely body
With legs so short and thin
And when it gets all tired
It drops and then I win
~/Chorus/
My Dreidel's always playful
It loves to dance and spin
A happy game of dreidel
Come play, now let's begin!
~/Chorus/
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:16 PM
November 9, 2005
Give Everyone The Bird This Holiday
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Holiday traditions are not always as sweet and gentle as Norman Rockwell
paintings. While the collective US 'remembers' warm moments of sharing
enormous dinners with family as we discussed how grateful we are - there
are other more realistic holiday memories, other traditions...
Family members stressed out with all the 'things to do', kids annoying
them as they prepare the food, and other family members who just seem to
do all the celebrating while others work so hard.
While these traditions aren't as quaint & charming as those we see in
commercials or the warm and fuzzy moments we see on the covers of
magazines, Kat Caverly has made sure even these memories have been
captured. You'll see the overworked-under-appreciated mom 'give the
bird' to the not-so-helpful dad and the oh-so-annoying children. The
ungrateful-away-at-college girl may miss dinner, but in this ecard, she
gets 'the bird' too *wink*
I recall many (every?) Thanksgiving where my folks argued about the
amount of work that went into a meal when so many people didn't seem to
appreciate or care about what they all had to do. I'm pretty sure they
too thought they were delivering 'the bird' to everyone at the table
when they served that turkey...
And I too admit to a holiday to two where I didn't want to come home to
be with the family - I was too busy enjoying my 'freedom' and
independence. (Not to mention a meal without a drunk uncle.) I
eventually couldn't stand my grandmother's tearfilled 'Oh, OK...' and
came back for Thanksgiving dinner & all the trappings - complete with
drunken uncles.
But that's tradition! And that's when I knew I was home, having my real
Thanksgiving dinner.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:46 AM
October 31, 2005
Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween © Kat Caverly Enterprises
Spooky Dooky written and performed by Chris Leap ©Kat Caverly Enterprises
Trick or Treat! Boy did I love that when I was a kid! Kids don't go door to door here in New York in the apartment buildings like we did on the southside of Chicago in the 1960's. It was amazing! And now I miss being able to handout candy.
I do see some kids on the streets here. They hit on the businesses, the bodegas and the bars. Mostly they get money and mostly the fun of Halloween are the parties!! And the contests. Very cool!
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:32 AM
October 28, 2005
Halloween: Nothing to say Boo About
Halloween is now a holiday of major proportions. Adults now join
children in anticipation of & participation in the holiday. Combined,
this accounts for the expected 3.3 billion dollars in spending this year
in the US.
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
While it's not a gift-giving holiday, nor is it an apparel holiday as
far as official retail sales go, it has other categories which make it
the sixth-largest spending holiday in the US. Halloween is second only
to Christmas in decoration sales, but it's the sales of candy which make
up the largest part of Halloween profits. And of course there are big
sales in costumes & greeting cards.
What's this mean to you, dear blog reader?
It means you'd better send Halloween cards, because folks are now
expecting them. If you haven't sent Halloween cards yet, don't be
scared! It's not too late! You can still send Halloween ecards (and
save your money for extra bags of candy for yourself!)
Here are a few of my favorites:
For those of us who wish to express our affections along with our humor
this holiday, Love at First Fright is a super-natural choice:
Halloween: Love at First Fright
For those who may be a bit bitter about love & relationships, there's
this frightfully accurate joke:
However, for a general all-purpose Halloween greeting card, try :
A young birdie arrives at a huge mansion. The sweet little bird says,
in typical bird voice, "Tick or Tweet." The glowering mansion's male
occupant mocks the poor bird's speech - and tops it off by taking the
bird's goodie bag!
Just when you think this is one of the meanest greeting cards ever, you
discover that our young bird friend has the last laugh.
Posted by photocartoonist at 1:37 AM
October 9, 2005
Giving Thanks for a Successful Harvest
Unlike here in America where we celebrate the settling of the New World, in Canada the second Monday in October gives thanks for a successful harvest. There are many traditions in common; a roasted turkey, pumpkin pie. I wonder if they enjoy carmel coated apples in Canada?
Happy Thanksgiving
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:26 PM
August 7, 2005
Happy Birthday Kat
We at the Institute for Advanced Stupidities wanted to be the first
to wish Kat a happy birthday.
But alas, we were bested by a certain individual who, in a breathtaking
stroke bordering on sheer idiocy, sang “Happy Birthday” through the
mail slot in the door at No Evil Productions. Those present were stunned.
At first they were not sure how they could be hearing this voice. “It was
like some strange magic”, said one later, “Looking around, we couldn’t
see any natural explanation for the melodious tones of birthday cheer”.
There was no radio, television or speaker-phone to explain the voice.
No video conferencing or web cast was in progress, and yet the room
was filled with song.
In an epiphany of retro-techno-imbicility this person had recognized that
two established ideas – each by itself well understood for ages- could be
synthesized into a third new idea of great power, but remarkable simplicity.
The Mail and the Megaphone were one, and neither would ever be the same again.
We the Faculty and students (one and the same) at the Institute, and indeed,
our fellow fools everywhere would like to add our voices in full throated
concordance with that of this profoundly silly secret admirer.
by THOMAS HUDSON REEVE
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:33 AM | Comments (1)
July 4, 2005
Happy Fourth of July
For more Fourth of July greetings and animations visit eCardology.com! Happy Independnce Day!
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:42 AM
May 19, 2005
Happy Birthday from The Borscht Belt
As if getting older wasn't bad enough, here's a bad comic to make things even worse. If you didn't laugh, you'd only cry.
Posted by photocartoonist at 1:40 AM
March 31, 2005
Happy Foolish New Year
Up until around 1582 the world followed the Julian calendar, and New Year's day was celebrated on April 1st. The Gregorian calendar changed all that, moving New Year's Day to January 1st but word spread slowly. Some didn't know and others still refused to acknowledge the change. These people were called fools and the tradition of playing pranks was started, some say in France.
Interestingly the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria (March 25th), was celebrated the day after the vernal equinox (the first day of spring, the first day the day was longer than the night), which was around the end of the Celtic New Year's festival. Although now called the Roman festival of laughing, I have not been able to conclusively link Hilaria to the word hilarious. The Holi festival in India is also celebrated on March 25th, which is another Spring celebration.
Funny that April Fools Day should remain such a fun filled, pranked up celebration.
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:06 AM
March 27, 2005
The Passion of the Chocolate Easter Bunny
Based on a True Story
Besides the Easter Parade down Fifth Avenue in New York City (the photographer's parade) Easter has always meant a chocolacte Easter bunny to me. One of my earliest memories of passion was how I felt about this chocolate Easter bunny.
One year, when I was just 3 or 4 years old, I remember being totally enthralled over my Chocolate Easter bunny when my mother came up and asked for a bite. Vividly I still remember how I responded, "No you'll eat the head!"
Now you have to appreciate the fact that as I pondered the wonders of my sweet bunny I knew that the head was the LAST thing I would eat and I also knew that my mother has eaten the head before and I was convinced that she was capable of doing it again.
Well, you'll just have to watch my film to see what happened.
Posted by photocartoonist at 8:38 PM
March 18, 2005
I Dreamt I was St. Patrick in my Erin Go Bragh
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Ah the wearing of the green and the only day that I must have corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread. It was a beautiful day here in New York City filled with thoe wanna-be Irish trying to find any excuse to get drunk. Quite pathetic actually but fun to watch!
My nana was from Ireland; Limerick and I celebrated her memory today. I live in a very Irish section of Manhattan and I walked around and visited with my Irish neighbors. It was a grand day for a parade and a grand day to be Irish!
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:48 AM | Comments (1)
February 14, 2005
Happy Valentines Day
Love the One you're with
"News from the Frontline of Love" is my choice for this year's Valentine because it features the voices of Thomas Hudson Reeve as Toad Kopple and Kat Caverly as Yenta Budinsky; me and my husband.
Tom and I have been Valentines for 23 years now and I can honestly say that I love this man more today than ever before. "Frontline" was conceived by and directed by me and written by Tom. I am proud to say I am Yenta and I look forward to seeing more of this character.
My personal love poem, written for Tom, comes straight from my heart. Even a clown can be sentimental. Happy Valentines Day to everyone!
Posted by photocartoonist at 12:01 AM | Comments (1)
February 13, 2005
Make a Difference this Valentines Day
Who is this Saint Valentine and what does love have to do with it? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine, all of whom were martyred. According to one legend, Valentine sent the first "valentine" himself to his love from prison. It was signed "from your Valentine".
Some believe that the Romans has a mid-February custom, that stems from the believe that birds chose their mates on February 14th. Pastors would substitute the names of saints to suppress such practices and February 14th became known as St. Valentines Day, but the custom of celebrating the chosing of a mate, like most old customs, stuck.
St. Valentine was executed in Rome on February 14, about the year 270. The oldest known Valentine, in England, dates from around 1400. According to Catholic.org, St. Valentine is the patron saint of "affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people".
Hmmm, the patron saint of greetings??
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:18 PM
Do Do Be My Valentine
This is our funniest idea for Valentines 2005! I think that we were so filled with love this season that we just had to let loose.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:03 PM
February 11, 2005
My Funny Valentines
This is a great twist on a great Valentine song. Starring Señor Gusano, our lonely little cantina owner; he begs you to STAY!
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:56 PM
February 2, 2005
Pucker Up
and Get Ready for Valentines Day
What a great holiday; a holiday to celebrate love. A holiday where it has become a tradition to give chocolates and flowers; now THIS is a holiday! Boop boop be doop!
The studio is full of love and we even have more designs coming as the countdown begins but I think you will enjoy these:
My Funny Valentine! a great song!
Naked a great cartoon!
Frontline of Love funny satire
More to come...
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:32 AM | Comments (1)
January 6, 2005
Little Christmas
January 6th is traditionally referred to as Little Christmas by the Irish and is the last day of the Christmas holidays for children going to Catholic schools. It is commonly called the Epiphany. Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 6th or 7th.
This relates to the twelve days of Christmas which starts on December 25th and ends on January 6th. Some say the Magi also visited the baby jesus on the Epiphany; the day of his baptism.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:05 PM
December 23, 2004
Santa's Coming
and he's gonna kick your ass!
Sometimes even Santa has a bad year.
Posted by photocartoonist at 3:36 PM | Comments (1)
December 18, 2004
The Bah Humbuggers
Why do they want to ruin Christmas?
We all know one. Some of us are them. Why do the Bah Humbuggers say "No!" to Christmas?
I have heard all of the reasons and I have often stopped the spread of their vicious lies by explaining the true meaning of the holidays at this time of year to these poor misguided souls.
Winter has always been a difficult time for us human beings. And the wise sages and leaders of old knew that something has to be done to uplift the spirits of the people until Spring. So throughout the land, throught all times, holidays in all cultures were developed to help the people celebrate. These celebrations are necessary for the well-being of all people.
You don't have to buy presents (except for yourself) and you don't have to go to any church. And you don't have to celebrate in any particular way with any particular people. But you do have to CELEBRATE. I wear bells and listen to my collection of silly holiday songs. And of course I create silly holiday greeting cards year round. What do you do?
Posted by photocartoonist at 6:09 PM
December 12, 2004
Why Cats Hate Christmas
Well first of all few cats have the sense of humor to appreciate the delight some human's have in decorating EVERYTHING duirng the holidays. I for one have special things made for all of my cats. My Christmas present to them is taking them OFF!
Posted by photocartoonist at 7:48 PM | Comments (3)
December 11, 2004
It's the Most Wonderful Time
Seasoned Greetings for Tasty Celebrations
The lights, the music, the nummies; it truly is a wonderful life! All over the world there are festivals and holidays and high holy days. This is a time of rejoicing. It is a time we really need to celebrate, in our own way.
This time of year, more than any time of the year, means Greeting Cards to me. More paper greeting cards are sent between November and January than any other time of the year. And this is also true of all the wonderful eCards.
My workshop has been busy since August making virtual toys and creating some wonderful music to share with the e-Universe. This is truly a time to bring JOYS into people's lives!
So what does does this season mean to me? It means snow and snow globes; those wonderful toys that have been around since the Victorian era.
It means Christmas music, which I adore in all of its variations. One of my favorite songs is "Feliz Navidad" and I have featured it in my new series, set south of the border, at Cantina Gusano:
This song just makes me want to sing and dance, which is why I enjoy this season so much!
Back in November, after being inundated by all of the election advertising, I realized that we needed more than just a little Christmas to get thorugh all of that, so I started Santa Claus' campaign:
It was time that the truth be told. Now some people think that Santa claus just works for the big toy lobby. I think it is time to watch "Miracle on 34th Street", the original and remind ourselves of the true meaning of Christmas and why it is okay to combine it with one of the joys of our culture - SHOPPING!
When I was brainstorming Christmas animation ideas, I was inspired by Country Joe and the Fish, and I suggested that we do "Gimme an X...gimme an M...gimme an A...gimme an S" and I was told that there was a clown who performed at Woodstock in 1969, named Wavy Gravy, who looks very much like Santa Claus now! Well I just couldn't resist the inspiration:
I have so much more and will continue to post links to my holiday cartoons and my Christmas card to all of the fans of my sites who subscribed to my eZine over the last year. Happy Holidays to you all!
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:18 AM
December 7, 2004
A Little Christmas Magic
The Excitement of Christmas Morning
I remember going to bed before Midnight mass, around 9pm on Christmas Eve. In my family, we would open presents right after my parents got home from church, around 1am. It really felt like Santa had just come while I was sleeping!
The excitement made it very hard to sleep but not quite hard enough not to dream. I loved Christmas Eve as much as Christmas as a child. And I have made it a profession as an adult.
A Little Christmas Magic is the success of a team of talented artists, who all adore Christmas morning. From the virtual ornaments, to the 3D blue spruce, the Victorian parlor illustration and the dance of the Christmas tree angel, love fills this room. Shake the presents and click around the room for the sounds and delights of the holiday!
Posted by photocartoonist at 8:16 PM
November 11, 2004
It's Time to Give Everyone the Bird
Blood is Sicker than Water
Ah yes the family holiday season is almost upon us and all kidding aside, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. First of all I love turkey.
I love cooking the turkey. I love the smells. I love the feast. I adore the left-overs! This marks the beginning of the greatest holiday season of them all. and now that we are a global village, I start celebrating The Season with Canadian Thanksgiving in October.
Every culture has its harvest festival and special holidays during this time of the year. The Muslims have Ramadan adn are looking to the moon to tell them when Eid ul Fitr will start this year. It is expected on the 14th or 15th. But only the moon can tell for sure. In India they are getting ready to celebrate Diwali and Hanukkah (or is it Chanukkah?) starts on December 9th this year. That is only 4 weeks away!!
Then there are the 12 days of Christmas and two weeks of Kwanzaa. We have our New Year on January 1st. And Chinese New Year and Islamic New Year are both in January this coming year.
By Christmas I am pretty full of turkey and ready for ham. This is so exciting.
Posted by photocartoonist at 3:02 PM | Comments (1)
November 9, 2004
"This is Santa. And I approve this Message."
There's another Santa behind the tinsel.
Tis the season and we have every reason to be looking for strong leadership this month. You need look no further than Santa Claus. He is the man for this season.
Just when we need someone to believe in it is time to believe in Santa. He "KNOWS" and he has a list. He can keep us safe. He can make our wishes come true.
Vote for a Merry Christmas is the testimonial of one close to Santa, one who was there with him THAT night. Click HERE and hear the tale of the night that could have been our last Christmas.
There's still hope.
Posted by photocartoonist at 3:36 PM
October 31, 2004
The History of Hallow'een
I knew about the Celtic origins of Hallow'een but there is another ancient holiday that has lent many traditions to our modern Halloween celebration; Pamona. Following the Roman invasion of the Celts, the Roman festivals of Feralia and Pamona were incorporated into the Celtic celebration of Samhain.
Over the ages Christian influences tried to get rid of this festival, as well as all things pagan. Church zealots hunted down witches in the 1400's but the holiday was too popular to abolish and persisted to cross the ocean and land in America.
Here the Protestants who has abolished all things related the the rest of the Christian traditions focused on the Salem witch trials but in Virginia where there was a Catholic influence, it was the birthplace of Halloween in America.
Halloween's biggest boost was the large swell of Irish immigrants in the 1800's and in the early 1900's it became a children's holiday in the United States. And the tradition of pranks caused new problems.
Here are some fun facts:
Anoka, Minnesta calls itself the Halloween Capital of the World.
New York City hosted the 31st Annual Halloween Parade.
What's next? Catapulting pumpkins?
Posted by photocartoonist at 9:43 PM
October 30, 2004
Hallow Weenies
Give us something Good to Eat
The history of Halloween is fascinating, particularly its Christian connection. The origins of this holiday lie with the ancient Celtic tribes. According to AmericanCatholic.org, "For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead."
Pope Gregory IV, made November 1st the celebration of all the martyrs, which became known later as All Saints Day. The night before became known as "All Hallow's Even" or Holy Evening. Eventually the name was shortened to Hallow'een.
The Sacrificial Pumpkin
Again the history of this tradition can be traced back to the Celts. PumpkinCarving101.com states "On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles."
The Irish brought this tradition to the new world and found that the pumpkin was perfect for the jack-o-lantern. According to an old Irish legend a man named Stingy Jack who was too mean to get into heaven and had played too many tricks on the devil to go to hell. When he died, he had to walk the earth, carrying a lantern made out of a turnip with a burning coal inside. Stingy jack became known as "Jack of the Lantern," or "Jack-o'-lantern".
The Frankenstein Files
A new Halloween music CD for children has been released by Neeka records. It is reminiscient of those good old scary horror flicks; campy and catchy. Check it out!
Posted by photocartoonist at 7:17 PM
October 27, 2004
The Scariest Time of the Year
Ghouls and monsters...And I don't mean Halloween!
Halloween, The Days of the Dead, and Election Day; is it just a coincidence that these all come together? As the US election threatens boldly, it gets scarier and scarier. I imagine troops of trick-or-treaters all wearing Dick Cheney masks ringing my bell. Talk about terrorism!
Is it just me or has John Kerry already started wearing his Halloween mask? The man has definitely done something to his face and this does NOT instill confidence in this one voter. But alas vote I must and vote I shall...maybe if they gave candy out at the voting booths it would somehow all pay off.
Posted by photocartoonist at 8:32 AM
October 15, 2004
Sweets for the Sweetest
Does Sending Love Really Need a Reason?
Happy Sweetest Day!
Celebrated the third Saturday in October every year, Sweetest Day originated in Cleveland, Ohio in 1922. Another holiday originated in the Midwest! Herbert Birch Kingston wanted to bring some happiness into the lives of those who were forgotten. With the help of friends, he began to distribute candy and small gifts to orphans and shut-ins.
Sweetest Day has developed into a day to celebrate romantic love too and it still is a big holiday in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast in the United States.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:09 PM
October 14, 2004
National Bosses Day October 16th
This year Bosses Day falls on a Saturday, so it is celebrated today, Friday October 15. It was started in 1958 in Illinois. It seems like the US Midwest is the center of the greeting card universe. I'm from the Midwest and I'm ready to celebrate any and all holidays.
I think you will enjoy the little animations my studio produced in honor of the hard working bosses we want to celebrate with today.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:40 PM
October 10, 2004
We need a Little Christmas right this Very Minute
We need a little Christmas NOW
I was surprised to discover that my holiday site, Christmas Kookies was already seeing an increase in traffic over the past two weeks. I am deep into holiday production and worried as I found out today that I only have 75 days left until Christmas!
Year round I surround myself with Christmas ornaments and paper Christmas cards. It is my inspiration. It was Christmas cards that got me into greeting cards in the first place.
I'll never forget selling Christmas cards for my Catholic school and when I was 8 years old I was attacked by Diane Cassada, who sat on me on the church steps and took my Christmas cards. Diane, wherever you are, thank you! You made Christmas cards important to me!
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:47 PM
September 20, 2004
It's Time to Celebrate
Holidays. I love the rituals, the food, the colours! As the Internet brings the world closer together, it also brings us all closer to all of the festivals, holidays and holy days celebrated on this wonderful planet.
I found this fascinating article on the History of Greeting Cards which claims that the oldest known greeting card in existence is from the 1400's and is in the British Museum. It's a Valentine. The introduction of the postage stamp popularized the sending of paper cards in the mid 1800's. And a German immigrant, Louis Prang, is the father of the American Christmas card. He manufactured his first card in 1875.
Conspicuously missing from this history is the e-card. The e-greeting, created first by Blue Mountain Arts in 1996, has opened up a new world of possibility to greeting cards. And it has brought to my attention a whole new list of holidays when people send greeting cards.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:24 PM
September 18, 2004
Ganesh Chaturthi | September 18, 2004
Om Shree Ganeshaya
There is a world of celebration out there and today is the start of the festival in India celebrating the birthday of Lord Ganesh. There is a beautiful devotional song, called an arti, for this holiday and we recorded this especially for Ganesh Chaturthi on the sitar.
I am making a list of all of the holidays all over the world where people send greeting cards to celebrate their special festivals. My motto is, No Holiday Left Behind.
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:11 PM | Comments (2)
September 15, 2004
Shana Tova | Rosh Hashanah
Our Wish for a Sweet New Year
This is a beautiful time of the year for Jewish people; a new beginning. It is also solemn time of the year; a religious time. The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days of Awe. This is a time for introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur.
Among the customs of these holidays, is to seek reconciliation with people you may have wronged during the course of the year. Another custom is to dip apples in honey to symbolize the wish for a sweet New Year.
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:39 PM
September 13, 2004
The Making of the perfect Christmas Tree
It's Christmas at Kat Caverly Studios
The whole studio is a buzz with Christmas. We are making a list and doing things twice! Everyone is involved as we prepare to make the best Christmas e-greeting ever.
I decided to be the one to create the perfect Christmas Tree.
This animation will feature an illustration of a Victorian parlor on Christmas morning, with a traditional tree decorated with beautiful ornaments. These ornaments and the lights will actually be photographs and the special ornaments will feature the technology of Object VR (virtual reality), all built and coded using Macromedia Flash.
I decided to create the tree using a 3D program and after days of research, ended up using XFrog. To create the look of the branches and needles of my precious spruce, we travelled to Central Park and did a detail photograph of a blue spruce leaf, on location.
I used Photoshop CS to create the texture map and after days of testing, arrived at the solution for the look I wanted!
Because I am using both a full image in a 800x600 pixel animated e-card, and close-up inserts for the Object VR, I needed to render two different resolutions of the tree model. Once the background illustration is complete, I will use LightWave 8 to light the tree to match, if needed. Mostly I plan to make any adjustments using Photoshop CS.
There will be an animated angel who brings the room to life. Snow (of course) and roaring fire in a fireplace and we are producing arrangements of timeless Christmas music to complete our scene.
One of the things I love most about designing greetings cards and e-cards, is that I get to totally immerse myself in the holidays 3 times each year. I love Christmas so much, I have decorated my office with my ornament collection. I have over 100 ornaments and growing!
Posted by photocartoonist at 11:42 PM
August 7, 2004
They say it's My Birthday
Happy Birthday to ME!
To say that I love birthdays is to put it mildly; I adore birthdays. And the best thing about birthdays is that it is someones BIRTHDAY every day! So I have a great excuse to sacrifice a chocolate cake every day!
This year my favorite birthday song is Happy Happy by The Arrogant Worms.
And this year my favorite birthday card is Happy B Day
And german chocolate cake is still my favorite birthday cake! And I am definitely blowing out all of the candles this year because I got a bunch of birthday wishes.
I will report back on these pages later today on my favorite presents and my words of wisdom at this great age. "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...!"
PLEASE, send me your birthday greetings kat@photocartoonist.com
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:04 AM
August 1, 2004
August 1: Friendship Day
We have come a long way since the Congress of the United States declared only one day to celebrate friendship. We celebrate FRIENDSHIP every day now!
From Man's Best Friend to out bestest girlfriend we celebrate at work, at home. and at play.
Happy Friendship Day!
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:17 AM
July 25, 2004
Christmas in July
It's beginning to look a lot like we could use a little Christmas right this very moment! Personally, my ornament collection hangs above my head in my office year round. It inspires me; all that good will and Peace on Earth.
If red and green are your favorite colors too, check out Christmas Kookies.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:11 PM