I’ll post what I’m up to soon but it’s gonna be an exciting summer round these parts! Stop by the Daily Fact Message Board to talk with folks about the this and that. Or talk movies on the Mov-ay Message Board! Here!

The Memory of Fountain (L’uomo d’acqua e la sua Fontana) from earth design works on Vimeo.

Here’s another fish toon I did up for National Geographic. Tis all about fish traps!

Good vibes to y’all!

I’m no economist. I don’t even know how to do math. Nor do I understand most aspects of most things that involve practical intelligence. But something is weird when it comes to the history of the pricing of electronics and maybe somebody can explain it to me.

Okay here’s the thing. In 1982, a can of soda was what… 50 cents?  In 1962 it was what? Ten cents? Now it’s a dollar or whatever. Back in the 80′s you could get a Toyota for like like $8000. Now it’s double. Back in the 50′s a Six pack of beer in 1950 was what? $1.50? Now it’s $10 (depending on whatever). Everything has gone up, right?

Plane tickets. Haircuts. Houses. Milk. Furniture. Cup of coffee. Sunglasses. Car rentals. Movie tickets. Everything like doubles every 20 years or so, right?

But look at these random ads for electronics from back in the day..

I don’t get it. The pricing seems all seem frozen in time. Cost of a real estate way up. Cost of food way up. Cost of milk whatever. Vacations. But why do electronics all hover in the same price range for decades like nothings going on…

I get that maybe they can make stuff cheaper now and that must factor — but the pricing value itself also seems frozen. Like, when someone spent $1000 on a Radio Shack computer back then did it feel like that much more than $1000 does now? I feel like $100 on a Walkman didn’t feel like $200 or $300. It think it felt close to what $100 feels like now? Or am I wrong? Did $300 for a game system then feels that much different than $300 does for a game system now?

It seems like the economics is based in some other weirdly world where not only does the pricing stay the same but weirdly the actual dollar amount impact feels then same.

I really don’t understand the point of what this post is about. Nor what I’m talking about really. I’m not old enough to know  anyway what felt like what. Just seems like these things should have been crazy expensive back then but weirdly weren’t. Did a VCR costing $500 feel like $1000 then? Or $1500? It felt like the same $500, right?

Am I missing my point? I just think it seems like a something something. Please clarify…

ok bye!

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X
Part XI
Part XII
Part XIII
Ending!

If you’re not from Jersey, Jersey jokes are sometimes funny and seemingly victimless or deserved. But I found out if you’re a kid — Jersey jokes on TV and in movies sort of totally suck.

Especially when you and don’t fall into the fringe category of “Jersey Shore” or “Housewife” Jersey or dbag jersey.

I remember years ago watching Matagascar with my nephews and a Jersey joke went by.

This one:

Marty the Zebra: I’ll be over here! On the FUN side of the island, havin’ a good ol’ time. A great ol’ time! A GREAT ol’ time. A yabba-dabba-doo ol’ time! WILMA!

Alex the Lion: That’s not the fun side. THIS is the fun side! Whoo! I love this side; this side’s the best! That side STINKS! You’re on the JERSEY side of this cesspool!

My nephew, maybe 5 years old at the time, gave me a confused look. (why they say Jersey, uncey tah?) I knew it was the first Jersey joke he ever heard. He didn’t get it. I realized that it would soon become clear that his Jerseynish would be an issue in one way or another.

Like, imagine you’re just a normal kid growing up in normal suburban neighborhood in NJ? Just because of where you live, you get tagged image of being mobbed up or cheesy or dumbdumb? Just for sport? Like one day, you’re innocently watching South Park and they portray Jersey people as horrible monsters — then destroy your NJ for fun? It raises inner fears…

This has admittedly made him sensitive to how people perceive his state and the assumptions made about the people that live there. He’s already consciously trying to avoid any tinges of Jersey accent — to avoid association with a Snooki or a Moltisanti.

I’m not sure the point I’m trying to make here. I get that Jersey earns it’s stripes in places. And every state has their own version of state stereotype (hey, maybe states should all have a State Stereotype… like State Flower?). Mississippi has their stereotype. Oregan too. Texas of course. Marylanders have their thing. The “Californians” are mocked on SNL. Dopes constantly talking about traffic (is that funny? i’m still not sure…) . But Jersey gets it the worst by far. Full blast from all sides. Open season. Year round.

I’m not sure what Jersey can do to fix this image problem– but I do wonder if a name change to the entire State would actually shake it off.

Like what if Jersey announced that it’s new name was…. Vermont.

Imagine Jersey announcing, “We’re not Jersey anymore. We’re Vermont now.”

And Vermont would be like, “Whoa whoa… We’re Vermont! You can’t be Vermont too!”

And Jersey would poke Vermont in the shoulder and be like, “Yeah? Whatchoo gonna do about it? Ajaxville.”

Vermont would be like, “Ajaxville?? What’s that?”

Jersey would be like, “That’s your name now, A-V…”

Vermont would be like, “We don’t wanna be Ajaxville!”

Jersey would be like, “No? Okay then enjoy living in Pusslandia, Pusslandy-ite..”

Vermont would then be like, “Wait wait okay okay! We’ll take Ajaxville! Jeez!”

Something like that? I don’t know. Maybe Jersey should use some of the famous jersey muscle to muscle a new State name away from another State.

In the meantime, if you’re a TV or movie writer… Leave Jersey alone! Jersey Shore is over! Time to move on! It’s had enough! Imagine if the worst of your home state became state representatives!

There are nice parts of Jersey! (yes, other parts too… but what state doesn’t have gross parts) The pic below is Jersey… Yeah! So suck it… umm…. Delaware?

ok bye!