Drawings :: by Da Mikey

Just looked through Mike's art folder for this school year.

Hmmm...I'm seeing a theme here.

As you may have gathered by now...

he really likes cars, trucks...vehicles, in general.

Crawler...or is this a Baja?

Sure--RVs

A little monster action

Slight departure, but yeah, boats too.

Bird's eye view of a very dusty race

Speaking of "bird's eye view"...can't forget the flying vehicles.

Above all though, he is really *rEaLlY* REALLY into suspension and articulation.

He even draws Da Vinci-esque diagrams of shock systems he dreams up in his head.


So, is "slightly obsessed" too strong a descriptive phrase for Da Mikey?

White House Increases Accessibility to Press with New Stock Answer Vending Machines

Washington, D.C.--In response to complaints by the national media that the White House's day-to-day interaction with the press has become almost nonexistent, that President Obama hasn't held a news conference for 10 months and speaks to the press far less often than George W. Bush did, that the New York Times is favored while reporters who write critical articles are frozen out, and that fewer agency officials speak to the press, administration press secretary Robert Gibbs announced that several new vending machines will be placed around the White House grounds to increase access by the media.

"We're going to stock these machine with our most common stock answers," said Gibbs, "and those answers will appear in plain view." He also reiterated that "This is the most transparent administration in history."

Associated article: Politico

White House Increases Accessibility to Press with New Stock Answer Vending Machines

Washington, D.C.--In response to complaints by the national media that the White House's day-to-day interaction with the press has become almost nonexistent, that President Obama hasn't held a news conference for 10 months and speaks to the press far less often than George W. Bush did, that the New York Times is favored while reporters who write critical articles are frozen out, and that fewer agency officials speak to the press, administration press secretary Robert Gibbs announced that several new vending machines will be placed around the White House grounds to increase access by the media.

"We're going to stock these machine with our most common stock answers," said Gibbs, "and those answers will appear in plain view." He also reiterated that "This is the most transparent administration in history."

Associated article: Politico

South Park Creators Concerned New Comedy Central Humor Review Board Will Limit Their Creativity

New York, New York--The Comedy Central network recently aired an episode of the irreverent "South Park" cartoon -- a series that has relentlessly mocked all aspects of American society -- that depicted a Muslim prophet in a bear costume. That reportedly offended some radical Muslims who suggested the cartoon's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone would be killed for blasphemy.

In response to those threats, Comedy Central instituted an internal review procedure that Parker and Stone say may limit their creative expression.

"They have two terrorists hovering over us with bloody hacksaws," said Parker. "It's a bit heavy-handed."

A Comedy Central spokesperson defended the new review process, saying "Why should this network outsource a censorship policy when we're fully capable of operating it in-house?"

Associated article: Ross Douthat

South Park Creators Concerned New Comedy Central Humor Review Board Will Limit Their Creativity

New York, New York--The Comedy Central network recently aired an episode of the irreverent "South Park" cartoon -- a series that has relentlessly mocked all aspects of American society -- that depicted a Muslim prophet in a bear costume. That reportedly offended some radical Muslims who suggested the cartoon's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone would be killed for blasphemy.

In response to those threats, Comedy Central instituted an internal review procedure that Parker and Stone say may limit their creative expression.

"They have two terrorists hovering over us with bloody hacksaws," said Parker. "It's a bit heavy-handed."

A Comedy Central spokesperson defended the new review process, saying "Why should this network outsource a censorship policy when we're fully capable of operating it in-house?"

Associated article: Ross Douthat

Obama Administration Supports Construction of Giant White Picket Fence Along Middle American Border

Washington, D.C.--After producing a campaign video in which he called on "young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women" to help elect Democrats in the coming election, while pointedly avoiding reaching out to other Americans, and after making clear he has no intention of taking the steps necessary toward securing the U.S. border against illegal immigration -- leaving that task instead to the states -- the Obama Administration announced its support for construction of a giant white picket fence to stretch the entire length of the Middle American border.

Obama Administration Supports Construction of Giant White Picket Fence Along Middle American Border

Washington, D.C.--After producing a campaign video in which he called on "young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women" to help elect Democrats in the coming election, while pointedly avoiding reaching out to other Americans, and after making clear he has no intention of taking the steps necessary toward securing the U.S. border against illegal immigration -- leaving that task instead to the states -- the Obama Administration announced its support for construction of a giant white picket fence to stretch the entire length of the Middle American border.

Illegal Aliens Protest Arizona Immigration Reform Law by Boycotting Home Depot Parking Lots

Associated article: Associated Press

Illegal Aliens Protest Arizona Immigration Reform Law by Boycotting Home Depot Parking Lots

Associated article: Associated Press

Illegal Alien Sex Slave Traffickers Decry "Mean-Spirited" Arizona Immigration Reform Law

Phoenix, Arizona--Operators of widespread human sex slave and drug kidnapping operations involving illegal aliens smuggled across the border held a press conference in the kidnapping capital of the U.S. to decry "mean-spirited" Arizona immigration reforms that allow state police, upon legally stopping someone for legitimate reasons -- such as speeding -- to ask for proof of legal immigration status if "reasonable suspicion" exists that the person is unlawfully present in the country -- such as when the car is overloaded with hidden passengers and the driver was evading police in a known smuggling corridor.

"This draconian new Arizona law will require human sex slave operators and drug trade kidnappers statewide to fix every broken taillight on their vans and to strictly obey speed limits, upon penalty of having to show a driver's license or other proof of legal presence with kept papers, as has been federal law since the 1940's," said one angry serial criminal. "Who do they think we are to have to produce a driver's license? How dare they treat us like U.S. citizens who have to do the same thing to get on an airplane or to check into a hotel!"

Associated articles: Washington Examiner 1; Washington Examiner 2; National Review; Washington Examiner 3; New York Times

Illegal Alien Sex Slave Traffickers Decry "Mean-Spirited" Arizona Immigration Reform Law

Phoenix, Arizona--Operators of widespread human sex slave and drug kidnapping operations involving illegal aliens smuggled across the border held a press conference in the kidnapping capital of the U.S. to decry "mean-spirited" Arizona immigration reforms that allow state police, upon legally stopping someone for legitimate reasons -- such as speeding -- to ask for proof of legal immigration status if "reasonable suspicion" exists that the person is unlawfully present in the country -- such as when the car is overloaded with hidden passengers and the driver was evading police in a known smuggling corridor.

"This draconian new Arizona law will require human sex slave operators and drug trade kidnappers statewide to fix every broken taillight on their vans and to strictly obey speed limits, upon penalty of having to show a driver's license or other proof of legal presence with kept papers, as has been federal law since the 1940's," said one angry serial criminal. "Who do they think we are to have to produce a driver's license? How dare they treat us like U.S. citizens who have to do the same thing to get on an airplane or to check into a hotel!"

Associated articles: Washington Examiner 1; Washington Examiner 2; National Review; Washington Examiner 3; New York Times

White House Releases Photos of What They Think Osama bin Laden May Look Like Today

Associated video: Reason TV; associated article: Pajamas Media

White House Releases Photos of What They Think Osama bin Laden May Look Like Today

Associated video: Reason TV; associated article: Pajamas Media

Free-range kids

Last weekend, we drove out to our friends' place in the country to see their 3-day-old chicks.

Their big hens have currently livened things up a bit by laying their eggs somewhere hidden on the property. So, they'll have to stay in their enclosed yard until they stop playing their silly hen house games!

We've been getting some of our eggs from these free-range chickens.

They're such nice feathery cluckers and love to be held.

This one lays such pretty brown eggs. See her earlobes? That tells you what color eggs she lays. Red earlobes = brown eggs.

Even though the feather coloring of a hen has nothing to do with her egg color, this one lays brown speckled eggs.

They've got two roosters who occasionally duke it out to see who's in charge.

This beautiful, white, silky guy keeps the hen house lively and the yard noisy with his cock-a-doodly-doos. He's currently in charge.


The neighbor horses were quite friendly.

This is what you get when they like you (*smooch*).

As long as we were filling our day with nature, we ended up down at the river to do a little fishing and swimming.








Actually, before the kids got in the water, we noticed a snake in the river.

Yeah, ewww!


This guy (clutching his toddler) sauntered over to take a look and noticed that the snake was injured but certainly not dead...so he "ensured" it was dead and tossed it down the river.

Then we thought, "Why let a perfectly good science experiment go to waste?" So we brought the snake back to our friends' house...and let the kids dissect it.

We even kept the skin it just finished shedding. (It's now on our nature shelf.)

After the snake's robust nervous system calmed down (when it stopped twitching around every time we moved it), our friends' boys did the honor of dissection.

You just can't know the joys of nature unless you see a snake heart and liver, you know? (We identified it as a non-venomous blotched water snake...although it immediately looked WAY too much like a rattlesnake to me.)

Mikey holds up the trachea and esophagus.

Our friends are also hunters, and Jimmer was fascinated by how they clean and reload their bullet shells.

He spent a good chunk of time there helping clean them out.

We ended the day with grilled burgers, a campfire, and S'mores.

It was a wonderful spring day with our nature-loving children getting to roam the land and waters, frolic out-of-doors with other kids, unite with animals and critters, eat wild onions, and just be...free-range kids.

What Do YOU Think? (click image to enlarge)

Associated article: Times of London

What Do YOU Think? (click image to enlarge)

Associated article: Times of London

Neanderthal Wins Lawsuit Against Gay Group

San Francisco, California--After federal courts began requiring Christian groups to allow gay members to join their organizations, a Neanderthal won a landmark legal ruling after he sued to join a gay pride organization.

A spokesman for the Neanderthal Rights Association hailed the decision, saying "If gays and lesbians can force themselves into religious organizations that are defined by their opposition to homosexual conduct, then we Neanderthals should be able to become members of a gay pride organization that disagrees with our lifestyle -- even if our lifestyle involves grunting loudly whenever we want, not bathing, and defecating wherever we please."

The president of the National Gay Pride League issued a press release condemning the decision, which stated "This Neanderthal doesn't believe in our sense of fashion, he disagrees with our objections to clubbing, and his propensity to eat raw meat while squatting is going to be very disruptive to our gay pride meetings."

Associated articles: Christian Legal Society; Seattle Times; George Will

Neanderthal Wins Lawsuit Against Gay Group

San Francisco, California--After federal courts began requiring Christian groups to allow gay members to join their organizations, a Neanderthal won a landmark legal ruling after he sued to join a gay pride organization.

A spokesman for the Neanderthal Rights Association hailed the decision, saying "If gays and lesbians can force themselves into religious organizations that are defined by their opposition to homosexual conduct, then we Neanderthals should be able to become members of a gay pride organization that disagrees with our lifestyle -- even if our lifestyle involves grunting loudly whenever we want, not bathing, and defecating wherever we please."

The president of the National Gay Pride League issued a press release condemning the decision, which stated "This Neanderthal doesn't believe in our sense of fashion, he disagrees with our objections to clubbing, and his propensity to eat raw meat while squatting is going to be very disruptive to our gay pride meetings."

Associated articles: Christian Legal Society; Seattle Times; George Will