toddcarruth.com

“Be life long or short, its completeness depends on what it was lived for.” -David Starr Jordan

I just found out this morning that I guy I know, died on Sunday.  The weird thing is, that I didn’t know him personally but only through his art and his blog but it still hit me surprisingly hard. I felt like I had gotten to know artist Mike Wieringo fairly well just because he updated his blog often and always included a quick (and amazing) sketch with almost every entry. He would mention his bad back and talk about bills to pay and repairs that were needed around his house.  Just regular average joe problems that you could identify with. Apparently, he died of a heart attack but the fact that he was only 44 and a vegetarian just makes the whole ordeal seem that much more difficult to understand. My condolences to family and closer friends of Mike.

The internet allows us to get more personal with people we admire but without having to really get personal by interacting with them in real life. Some say that’s bad but I have no problem with it. In fact, there are people I admire on local TV and Radio here in Dallas that I will actively keep my distance from, simply because I don’t want my illusion of who they are, to be shattered or just simply changed by real interaction. I know that sounds negative and after reading it again, I’m not sure how I feel.  Now in that same vein, I do try to keep that idea in mind when I meet people for the first time who are fans of “Good Day”.  Not that I do it every time, but I hope to leave a good impression on the minds of people who want to meet the goofy man who dances during traffic reports.

So, I made it back from Vegas,my wallet a little lighter and my skin a little tanner. That is me considering I got burned on the last day because I stayed out too long at the pool. Who knew that an hour in 103 degrees could do that? Anyway, my large forehead is peeling like a week old onion. I feel like Goldmember. (Wasn’t he the one who kept peeling skin off his face?) Oh, and I lost about $30 in Blackjack which doesn’t sound too bad until you consider that I was playing the blackjack machine that takes quarters!

I should have some pics up tomorrow. The Wynn was great, a gorgeous view of the “Strip” from the room and the Beatles LOVE Cirque Du Soleil show was fantastic. Totally worth the money.

Dude, I am so excited. Wait, did I just dude you? Sorry about that. You know with all the stuff going on this week and all the excitement and emotions with the chopper going down and the final Harry Potter book (kidding…maybe), I just need to get away and relax and not think about anything except doubling down on black. Or red. Jeez, I don’t know. I may have my gambling terms mixed up. I am not a big gambler but I can play some really bad Texas Hold’Em. Seriously, I just plan on floating in the pool most of the day and drinking mojitos and playing black jack and the one-armed bandits. And maybe workout a little bit. Anyway, check out the poll on the right side and let me know how much you normally gamble on your Vegas trips and if I win anything, I promise I will buy everybody a T-Shirt.

Hey Folks, I am just counting down the days before I lose all my money in LAS VEGAS!

Hey that’s me on the right! Trying to avoid those guys who hand out little pieces of porn. What’s up with that anyway? If you have never been to Vegas and you are a guy, at some point during your travel up and down the strip, someone will try to hand you a small card that has a picture of a scantily-clad girl advertising either a legitimate show or maybe even a personal visit. It gets weird especially when you are walking with your wife. Or girlfriend. Or both. By the way, click here if you want to see where I am staying.

Anyway, here’s today’s quote that I should have posted yesterday:

“Worry is a misuse of the imagination.”

- Dan Zadra/Business Exec

I like that one. I know people who worry so much that they have a hard time getting to sleep at night. Of course, I get accused of having such selective memory that I tend to forget about things that might make me worry.

Alrighty then, here is your NY Picture for this week:

Campbell’s Soup Cans -1962 by Andy Warhol on display at the MOMA

Andy Warhol (August 6, 1928 — February 22, 1987) was an American artist who became a central figure in the movement known as pop art. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol became famous worldwide for his work as a painter; an avant-garde filmmaker, a record producer, an author and a public figure known for his presence in wildly diverse social circles that included bohemian street people, distinguished intellectuals, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy aristocrats.

A controversial figure during his lifetime (his work was often derided by critics as a hoax or “put-on”), Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books and documentary films since his death in 1987. He is generally acknowledged as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.

I did a little bit of photo manipulation on this pic. Notice the black and white on the surroundings which brings out the intense red of the cans. FUN FACT: Did you know that the actual Tomato soup flavor from Campbell’s debuted in 1897? It’s true! Look it up if you don’t believe me.