Another Yawner And Laughter Is The Best Medicine

 August 13, 2023

   Another stunner this morning. Uno was just not all that impressed. If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all, is the look he gave, along with a yawn.

Sunrise Over Ratcliff Ridge, 5:46 AM

Make Me Laugh

   When our kids were small, I created a game we used to play on long car trips. The rules were simple: make me laugh. The trick was to tell a joke or make a face or a noise that would make dad laugh, but the key was I didn't give them the gratuitous laugh. I only laughed if they said or did something really funny. This worked on a couple levels. It allowed me to concentrate on driving and it kept them busy (and most importantly, they stopped fighting with each other). They were actually concentrating on trying to come up with something funny. My daughter was about five or six, and Tomas was only maybe three, so they took different paths to success. Deena could come up with word play, but young Tommy mostly went the funny noises route and to this day, he is the undisputed king of classic fart-related noises.

Mexican Movie Mirth

   Is it my imagination, or did the old school Mexican cinema have more mirth in their posters than Hollywood posters? And, by mirth, I mean characters actually guffawing right on the poster. I have long been a fan and this morning I isolated a few of them to paint. Here are a couple examples.

Daily Whip Out: "Mexican Cinema Mirth I"

This is from "Gitana Tenias Que Ser!" 1953, and that is Pedro Infante yucking it up. The title translates as "You Had to Be A Gypsy"

Daily Whip Out: "Mexican Cinema Mirth II"

   This is from "Gavilan Pollero" 1951, and there's Pedro Infante, at left, yucking it up some more.

   And, here's one straight off the poster without any interpretation from me.

"El Mariachi Desonocido" 1951

("The Unknown Mariachi")

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

   Agreed. And speaking of which, I am so thankful for all of you who make me laugh. Here's the reason.

"Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator. But among those whom I love, I can; all of them make me laugh."

—W. H. Auden