Cartoonist/Former Race Car Driver Names Best Mechanic In Los Angeles

I can remember the first "muscle car" I ever had. It was a Ford Torino with a 390 cubic inch engine. It had headers, was an 8 cylinder, and gas was around seventy eight cents per gallon.

Every Sunday afternoon I would head outside my hometown of Hattiesburg, Ms and race that Torino down the quarter-mile track at Hub City Raceway. I'll never forget their radio ads with the announcer yelling "Sunday, Sunday, Sundayyyyyyyyyyyy!", with each Sunday getting louder and louder.

One of the major topics of conversation was "Who was the best mechanic in town". Since that time, I sold or wrecked and/or rebuilt about seven other race cars, probably my fastest being white Pontiac Tras-Am with a 454 cubic inch engine in it. It was the second year they came out and Pontiac only made them in that color. A Sunday didn't go by that I did not take home a trophy.

Many years have passed since my days of youth, yet I still seek out the best mechanic. I now live in Los Angeles, and I stumbled across him, merely by accident. Not only was he the best but the most honest.

My clutch went out in my newly bought used Saturn that was perfect in every other way (sans the clutch). I had even driven it across the country with no problems.

Then came the breakdown.

It was towed to a man of whom I'd never heard, named Vladimir Morsach, a Russian Immigrant who had learned American, Japanese, and European cars long before he arrived to our shores, and learned them well. He knew exactly what the problem was and quoted me $200 cheaper than the mechanic on the other side of town, in Woodland Hills where the car stood for several hours.

Vlad called the next day and the car was ready.

I went to pick it up. I still had my out of state checks as I'd just moved from Arkansas, and since there had been some unauthorized charges on my Mastercard, I had canceled it and could not use it. He had to take my word that the check was good. He did.

The minute I drove it out of Vlad's lot, I could tell that the clutch was fixed and tight, and in fact, had never been that good, even when I bought it and drove it off the car lot.

So ironically, the best mechanic, at least my choice, in America, is not even a native-born American nor did he see a lot of American cars in his early-learning stage. But don't let that fool you. He fixed it as professionally and courteously as anyone with which you could hope to deal.

In addition, he said, if there was anything else wrong with the car, he would let me know before fixing it. I thought "Uh oh...what is coming next", based on my experience with so many mechanics with which I'd worked in the past. He called me again to let me know it was only the clutch. Now that is honesty, and certainly worth driving a few miles (or in my case having it towed, to get it fixed better, cheaper, and from a very nice person, Vladimir Morsach). Welcome to America, Vlad! We are very glad you are here!

I would later find out through a mutual friend more about Vlad. Now I'm not surprised at all of his unique talents. He is a mechanical engineer, went to the one of the best University's in Russia and had many years of experience working with cars, both European and American. Vlad feels in good terms with languages, he believes he can't learn English and states that he'd better do what he knows best and it is repairing cars, remodeling, etc. (however, we had no problems at all with communications and I speak no Russian) For him, it is NOT just about cars, it is about his passion, but mostly: his honesty and integrity. He guarantees his work for one year and if your car is NOT working properly and has same problem he will repair it for free.

Note: Vlad's shop is at 18440 Vanowen Ave, Reseda, Ca in the Valley. His phone is 818-719-8610. He's great to talk to also. Sounds like I'm gushing, I know, but have never had such a positive experience with an auto mechanic.

Aside from living in his car like every other Los Angeles citizen, Rick London is the founder of the Internet's top offbeat cartoon, Londons Times Cartoons http://www.londonstimes.us. He also owns several gift stores that feature his thousands of cartoons on tshirts, mouse pads, clocks aprons, and all sorts of items at http://www.LTSuperstore.com and http://www.ricklondonwear.com

Lawyers Have To Laugh Too

As a cartoonist, I find myself in the precarious position of writing about law. Though I do take the law seriously, I find humor in it as well. And I believe I have carte blanche to do so.

I come from a family of attorneys. One of my direct maternal ancestors was Supreme Court Judge Benjamin Cardozo. That name might not mean much to many, but it does within the legal community. His word, still, a century or so later, remains the final word on Constitutional Law.

I have dated attorneys. Some are very astute, and some not so good. I have watched them in the courtroom. Sometimes it is dramatic, sometimes a bit drab. But I continue to have an affinity for the law, given that it is in my blood, I guess. Of course my mother insisted upon either law or medical school for me, so like the good rebellious baby-boomer of the 60's, I became a cartoonist. At least I could make people laugh purposely. People laugh at lawyers, and often the attorney in question does not appreciate it. But how can we help it? I know, I know. They are just doing their job, and we laugh at them, until we need them. Then they are our confidants.

To be fair, most lawyers of whom I have met and/or associated, truly take their jobs and cases seriously. Sure, like everyone else in business, money is a motivator, but not always the primary motivator. Many, yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus, (or clause in this case), many have a very altruistic side, and take the law and their clients very seriously and want to help.

As the old joke goes, "It is the 98% of dishonest lawyers who give the other 2% a bad name". It's a great joke, but really far from reality. Many lawyers are just doing their job, just like you and me.

Sometimes hiring a lawyer can be expensive, and several Internet-savvy lawyers have launched websites in which the common layman can read, study, and learn about law and legal forms, and actually pay and download template forms from the sites at a fraction of the cost of hiring a law firm.
Some of these sites include Findlaw.com, Legalzoom.com, and the up-and-coming Lawkipedia.org, which has not yet been launched but is in the plans for this year. It will probably be the most exciting and different of all the other legal websites, just from what I understand regarding the planning.

Still, the saying goes, "The person who represents himself legally has hired a fool for a lawyer. And that is true. Especially regarding courtrooms and criminal law.

But many business conflicts do not have to turn into courtroom law. Mediation has become very popular and there are ways to work out such conflicts, often, and bring the parties even closer, once they realize they have similar goals, simply different ideas as to how to reach those goals. That is okay. It is often done by more professional persons, who is not out to "trash" a partner or remove him/her from the scene. I have seen it work many times.

Because law is of interest to me, I make sure to do a great many law related cartoons, and produce funny lawyer gifts. Even though many of them poke fun at lawyers, I find the majority have a great sense of humor, and more often than not, when the orders come in for our gifts and collectibles featuring lawyer cartoons, the names have a "comma and Esquire" at the end, in other words, our biggest customers who love to make fun of themselves, are, indeed attorneys.

Londons Times Cartoon Pet Related Gifts Benefit Animal Causes

Funny Dog & Cat Cartoon Products Benefit Animal Causes
by Rick London

People are the dichotomy of dichotomies. Admittedly, I am no exception to the rule. We are very different and very alike in so many ways. I can't think of anthing can bring us closer together than a cute puppy or kitty. They seem to have a special spirit in which we all share the same care.

I have been an animal owner since I was a kid. I am now half a century old. My feelings about pets have not changed. Like young children, they teach me about unconditional love, something that is often lost in the hustle and bustle world in which we live. They know instinctively how to ground me.

I am a cartoonist, I have dedicated a great deal of my work to the animal kingdom; particularly dogs and cats. Though there are many topics with which I deal, from science to relationships, my dog, cat, and other animal ones are the ones of which I love the most. It seems our followers feel the same way, at least the majority of them.

I manufacture products such as cartoon t shirts, mouse pads, aprons, hoodies, tote bags, and other casual wear featuring cartoons. Again, my favorite are dog and cat cartoon products.

I put aside a percentage of all sales from those products to benefit various animal causes. At first, I thought it would be a good incentive for other animal lovers to purchase my products so I could help animals at shelters and others in trouble. Though that is happening, I am also receiving orders for pet-related cartoon products from people who have never even owned an animal.

A lot of our clients just find our items to be unique gifts with funny cartoons on them. But I've received emails from a number of clients who simply express that they want to help a good cause. If this does not renew one's faith in the human race, I am not sure what will. Animals have nothing to give back (materially) but unconditional love, one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable experience one can ever feel.

If you've never, I hope one day you will experience the uncondional love of a pet, I suggest to visit your regional animal shelter today. We all have done things in our lives of which we are not proud, possibly regret. I assure you this will not be one of them. It will change your life in such a positive way, words cannot come close to expressing the feeling of adopting a dog or cat that is on its way to be put down.

About the Author:
Cartoonist and animal lover has found a way to embed passion into his cartoon work using his love of animals with a new line of funny dog and cat cartoon clothing at his many of his webstores including:

www.LTsuperstore.com
www.ricklondonwear.com
www.ricklondoncollection.com
www.athonginmyheart.com
www.mirthgirthbirth.com
www.justfunnyhoodies.com
www.justfunnyaprons.com
www.justfunnymugs.com
www.justfunnygreetingcards.com
www.justfunnymousepads.com

London also founded the Internet's top offbeat cartoon, Londons Times Cartoons which has lured nearly 9 million visitors since Jan. 2005. www.londonstimes.us

Dogs Proven To Help Relieve Depression

Though it is not something of which I am particularly proud, I struggled with major depression since age thirteen. It may be even further back than that, that is my first memory of "feeling different". I am now fifty three.

Of course I did not even know it was depression, and even if I had discovered it was, it would have been hidden, as, in the polite society of rural Mississippi, at the time, one did not see a therapist or psychiatrist and remain in society. He or she was hidden in the closet. Today things have changed and there are many modern- day state-of-the-art recovery programs and mental health clinics in the region. Alas, mum is still the word. I now live in southern California, where, at social functions, therapy and recovery are often a common them at social functions and events.

It was not until late in life, when I discovered a stray dog named "Thor" that I learned about alternative therapy. I had often heard that owning an animal can relieve depression and even lower blood pressure, but the dramatic changes were yet to be seen for the first few months of owning Thor. I noticed I wanted to get out more and walk him, as he loved that activity. This in itself lifted my depression. A long walk can, in fact, increase endorphins in the system.

Thor introduced me to people. People will open up to a cute dog faster than they will a human, hence they open up to the human as well. Thor loved people. I had owned dogs in the past, but Thor was my first rescue dog. The jury is out whether he rescued me or I rescued him. I did not adopt him from a shelter, but surely would have had I found him at one. He showed up in the rural Mississippi woods with a pack of two other dogs. He was the sickest of them, obviously abused and/or hit by a vehicle as he limped, and was a matted ball of fur. A vet friend took him home and put him on drips, shaved him, and gave him to me.

I researched and put him on the b.a.r.f diet. (bones and raw food). I put him on the same herbal tinctures I was taking. He never had another vet bill for a decade and lived to be nearly twenty two. He had ten very happy years as did I; mostly depression-free. Both of us were quite depressed when we found each other. He passed away nearly a month ago today. I continue to grieve over Thor but feel soon I will be ready for another rescue dog. I will visit the shelter. It is not completely selfless; I understand fully now the meaning of "they do much more for us than we do for them). A rescued dog remembers. He/she gives unconditional love and we get that gift to pass on to other people. I can't begin to tell you the difference in the way I am treated now by other people, and, the way I treat them. I do my best to do what Thor taught me; that is, love them unconditionally. He saw me as one of God's creatures; to him I was a god, and now I see all living creatures as part of God's creation. I never was that religious and am not now. But how can I not be spiritual. Thor helped cure my incurable depression.

Rick London is an e-entrepreneur and cartoonist. Many of his cartoon products are dog-related and a percentage of each sale goes to benefit various animal causes. He is also the founder of the Internet's top cartoon site, Londons Times Comics.

Rick London is a cartoonist and lover of animals, particularly dogs and cats. He founded the Internet's top cartoon Londons Times Cartoons and a number of E-stores featuring his dog cartoons. A percentage of sales benefit animal causes. Some direct pages of dog-related products can be found at http://www.cafepress.com/9500/4383555 at his Rick London Collection store. Another at RickLondonwear http://www.printfection.com/londonstimestees/DOGS-CARTOON-GIFTS-and-TEES/_s_81517 and his main cartoon site, Londons Times Cartoons http://www.londonstimes.us lures over 4000 vistors per day.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_London

Londons Times Cartoons Updates

Hi All,

Just wanted to say, once again, thanks, for making London Times Cartoons what it is today. We could never have imagined when we started it ten years ago that we would be receiving millions of visitors per year. We greatly appreciate your feedback, let us know what is on your mind, what kind of topics you'd like to see etc.

Many of you may also know, I have left Hot Springs, Ar and moved to Los Angeles, my old home of 14 years ago. The weather is sunny and beautiful, as usual, and I am enjoying getting outside and taking advantage of that.

Please be sure to visit our cartoon gift shops and see all the cartoon gifts such as t-shirts, mouse pads, aprons, hoodies, key chains, coffee mugs, and so much more. I've listed some of our store addresses at the bottom of this note.

Thanks again for all your support and hope you continue to enjoy our free cartoon website, Londons Times Cartoons.

Sincerely,

Rick London
Londons Times Cartoons
www.londonstimes.us

Stores:

www.ricklondoncollection.com
www.ricklondonwear.com
www.athonginmyheart.com
www.justfunnyhoodies.com
www.justfunnyaprons.com
www.ltsuperstore.com