Look at all those balloons on the floor. Kinda' reminds me of a Trump victory party.
WE DIDN'T SEE MANY MOVIES growing up in the 70s/80s, as with both parents working, it was hard to find the time. Mother put in a good 50+ hours a week as a bakery manager, and Father tended to work six-seven days a week as a Regional Manager for a soft drink company. I wasn't quite old enough to be left home alone at the time, so when weekends came, Father used to take my sister and myself to "the plant," the nickname he'd given to the old brick warehouse which housed a fleet of eight 7up trucks - and hundreds of skids of product. Back then, soft drinks came in both cans & glass bottles, and Denny, the warehouse manager, used to stack the skids on top of each other with a forklift. Inevitably, the bottles got damaged, and the plant's concrete floor was littered with dirt, broken glass, sharp shards of wood from the plywood skids, and sticky pools of spilled soft drink syrup. It was actually kind of fun. On weekends, Father would spend hours in his office doing paperwork, and my sister & I would bring our skateboards to occupy the time until he was finished - completely unsupervised. Chuckling - how we played was dangerous. We'd roll through the warehouse at *unsettling* speeds, weaving in & out of the building's labyrinth of chambers, past parked parked delivery trucks, propane-powered forklifts, busted wooden skids leaning on the walls, detritus from the aging building itself, Jenga-like towers of 7up, Dr. Pepper, & the many varieties of fruit-flavored "Crush" ... AND the most dangerous of all: the rusty remains of a 1950s-era soft drink bottling machine, the soda-pop equivalent of Stephen King's The Mangler. Even though Denny always swept the floor after loading trucks, there was still broken glass everywhere. On more than one occasion, my sister & I would hit a shard of something on the floor, which immediately sent us sailing. My worst injury was accidentally stepping on a busted root beer bottle; the jagged glass went right through the sole of my shoe and my foot made a "squishy" sound because it was filled with blood. Good times in the 1970s, particularly in the days before OSHA.
Chuckling - they look like they're goose-stepping. But going back to movies, not all our weekends were spent at the 7up plant. Father occasionally took my sister & myself to do something *fun*, like riding hot air balloons when White Oaks Mall opened, shopping for holidays, and, occasionally, to a movie. I remember how excited we were when he agreed to let us see "Footloose" in the theater. Before Dirty Dancing, Footloose was the biggest dance film of the era, and it featured a deliciously-young Kevin Bacon - WOOF - struttin' round the dance floor like Tony Manero. Everyone knows the plot of course: A cute young city dude brings dancing/rock music to a repressive conservative town, seducing the Pastor's daughter in the process. It's a nice, little metaphor for not being afraid of change, and doing what you love in life - when others disapprove. But even deeper than that, Footloose tells the story of a stagnant, closed-society that's afraid of new ideas, and is increasingly unaware of the change that's happened around it. There's a metaphor in *that*, too: the Liberals in the United States are so preoccupied with with their left-wing agenda, they've failed to notice how menacing the world has become outside our nation's boundaries. Add Biden's open southern border to the mix (and the 1000s of "gotaways" that cross every day), and our nation is in peril. Just like Ren McCormack's Bowmont Township, we're living in a bubble that's about to *pop*. We're at the point where even Liberals seem to acknowledge that an attack on our homeland is inevitable, yet we're still going about our lives as though nothing has changed for the past thirty years - and that's a precarious place to be, especially for a Superpower.
At first glance, I thought Kim was holding Putin's hand. THE BIG RED CARPET was rolled out across the Pyongyang tarmac when Vladimir Putin touched down in North Korea earlier this week. The gravity of this unsettling story seemed to go unreported on most media outlets, and to my knowledge, Fox News was the only network that covered the event with an *ominous tone*. I'm quite familiar with life in the DPRK, and I wrote many pieces on the country that are available within my Blog Archive. North Korea first caught my attention several years ago after reading "Camp 14" - the life of a DPRK man who was born into the prison system; three generations of his family had been sentenced to a lifetime of forced labor by Kim's authorities, with no chance of parole (can you imagine?). In the book, Blaine Harden describes his existence inside North Korea's most infamous "Reeducation Camp." There are 1000s of NK people presently interned in encampments like this, from toddlers to grandparents, families that are forced to live in conditions as bad as the Nazi's concentration barracks. There is no hope. There is no escape. Prisoners are literally worked to death. (The only thing missing are ovens.) In Harden's book, most inmates don't even know *why* they've been imprisoned to begin with, as the infraction that caused their punishment might have been as simple as not showing the proper respect to a Kim statue - or watching a South Korean soap opera, on a flash drive smuggled in from Seoul. Kim Jong Un is a literal dictator, in one of the most dangerous places in the world. Here's how I described the DPRK a decade ago, in my 3/19/2015 blog:
It's no secret that North Korea is a big interest of mine. Honestly, if I had the status to be vocal with a cause, the DPRK would be my public interest crusade. We all know the story...we've read the books, we've seen the interviews, and we've seen the testimony given to the United Nations ' investigation on human rights violations. North Korea's status is grim; the country has committed abuses far beyond those done by the Germans back in the 40s.
But North Korea is the ultimate tinderbox. It's isolated, a stain in the world with a free-flow of information, and it's people have been trained to worship the Kims in the same way that Catholics are conditioned to accept the word of God - with shame as the punishment, for anyone who thinks otherwise. In the Hermit Kingdom, the Kims are publicly revered as Gods - and the state, like Orwell's 1984, is considered more important than happiness, marriage, family - or love.
It's no secret that North Korea is a big interest of mine. Honestly, if I had the status to be vocal with a cause, the DPRK would be my public interest crusade. We all know the story...we've read the books, we've seen the interviews, and we've seen the testimony given to the United Nations ' investigation on human rights violations. North Korea's status is grim; the country has committed abuses far beyond those done by the Germans back in the 40s.
But North Korea is the ultimate tinderbox. It's isolated, a stain in the world with a free-flow of information, and it's people have been trained to worship the Kims in the same way that Catholics are conditioned to accept the word of God - with shame as the punishment, for anyone who thinks otherwise. In the Hermit Kingdom, the Kims are publicly revered as Gods - and the state, like Orwell's 1984, is considered more important than happiness, marriage, family - or love.
"Entangling Alliances" triggered WWI. THIS is the country that just signed a very-public defense agreement with Moscow, and I can't help but think of the "entangling alliances" that triggered WWI. I often write about forgetting the lessons of history, and how Liberal Democrats have clearly forgotten their own. While Russia teams up with North Korea, Hezbollah/Hamas have united to destroy Israel. Now, add to that, China's made no secret it intends to annex Taiwan - and to stop the influence of western culture in the Far East. Next, throw the open border onto the chess board (and the fact that Putin openly discusses using nuclear weapons), and it's like watching an EBS warning about an approaching storm on a global scale. Here we have two genuine "Dictators" displaying their disdain of the US on worldwide television, yet Democrats have doubled-down on destructive social policies that don't even acknowledge the current state of the globe. Pick your *cliche*: it's like a frog slowly boiling in water ... a thunderstorm rumbling in the distance ... lemmings going over a cliff ... it's all the same. The oceans can't protect us from a preemptive strike anymore as both Russia & the DPRK are skilled at cyber warfare (to say nothing of China's/Iran's capabilities). And if the United States is invaded, it will undoubtedly start with malware within our utility, financial, & communications systems, in tandem with boots on the ground in both the homeland and our allies. I've discussed this scenario in previous posts, and if you're new to this blog, I encourage you to read them - the last ten in particular. Trump's reelection will be a turning point in history, not just in America, but on the current world stage. I'm curious to see if Biden even covers this topic during next week's debate -
I have confidence that Donald will.
I have confidence that Donald will.
To quote the 80s: "I want my ME-TV!" I WAS GETTING READY FOR TOUCHE last Saturday night, with Svengoolie in the background, on TV. I've watched the show for decades, and it's at the point where I love it as much as Mystery Science Theater in the 90s. I haven't drawn a cartoon for a few years, but I was planning on doing one for Sven - that is, sadly, until Mad Magazine beat me to it in 2018. (My style is very similar to Mad; click on "Dave's Cartoons" on the toolbar.) I've followed Svengoolie since the 80s, and I love the fact that such a campy show still has an audience today. Like Doocy on Fox & Friends, it's clear that Rich Koz is approaching retirement, so the station has introduced a new set of co-hosts to ease the transition. When he does retire, I hope that Koz still stays involved in the show somehow - including the occasional appearances, both onset and local Comic-Con & in-person events. I was making my own appearance at the bar last weekend; I've been so broke, I haven't gone out in over a month. It was "Gear Night" at the club, so I put on as much leather as the temperature would allow. I'd cobbled together enough money to buy a couple drinks, so I sat in John's section and said hi to a few friends. The place was busy for Saturday night, and after making the rounds in the front bar, I found a nice corner in the Clubroom, where I watched the spectacle and checked on my Recon messages. Here's one I got from an acquaintance; we'd been discussing politics earlier in the day:
"And as for trump. That man is a raging lunatic. To speak about killing his opponents and using a guillotine to behead those who are against him. That speaks of a tyrant and dictator. Now do we have an issue with immigrants.But let's face it if it wasn't for the immigrants workers our country would be screwed because no one wants to do the shit jobs they do. Slaughter houses would be empty, fields would not be getting tended to, and more. So they are needed. NOW, the one thing I belief should be changed is our government should not be giving them all this money and programs to live when our own people are going homeless and hungry."
"Where I live. I see Mexicans pulling 2 or 3 shopping carts full of food. Wearing designer clothes and driving super expensive cars. To me that isn't fair to our own citizens. Fine you want to come to our country here is a basic survivor program and now the rest is up to you. If you become dependent on our country then you can be deported back to your country. We should not have to support them."
"And as for trump. That man is a raging lunatic. To speak about killing his opponents and using a guillotine to behead those who are against him. That speaks of a tyrant and dictator. Now do we have an issue with immigrants.But let's face it if it wasn't for the immigrants workers our country would be screwed because no one wants to do the shit jobs they do. Slaughter houses would be empty, fields would not be getting tended to, and more. So they are needed. NOW, the one thing I belief should be changed is our government should not be giving them all this money and programs to live when our own people are going homeless and hungry."
"Where I live. I see Mexicans pulling 2 or 3 shopping carts full of food. Wearing designer clothes and driving super expensive cars. To me that isn't fair to our own citizens. Fine you want to come to our country here is a basic survivor program and now the rest is up to you. If you become dependent on our country then you can be deported back to your country. We should not have to support them."
A New Day. I didn't bother to answer. There was really no point. This is the type of attitude that defines the Liberal Chicago LGTBQ Community. The fact this person believes Trump will use a guillotine on his opponents is ludicrous. If he believes that nonsense, it's no wonder he buys into the daily deluge of Democrat talking points, like a Fox News montage of different Liberals saying the exact same thing. And this is just a microcosm of what I hear every day, here in the Chicago area. The Democrat-diehards are having Niles-from-Frasier-conniption fits over the thought of Donald's potential second term, and they're genuinely frightened that Trump will take their rights away. But there's also a deeper undertone at play. It's not really Trump they're afraid of, they're frightened of *change* as a whole. It's the kind of change that all of us have when our lives get altered suddenly - and in a big way. Quite frankly, this country needs an Intervention. We have too many "addicts" who are addicted to bad policy. Even for a Liberal, it's getting harder to ignore the growing national news stories about unrest overseas. Neither Russia or North Korea give a damn about special-interest groups; their leaders could care less about offending anyone when they show off their militaries in clear defiance of UN sanctions, and the West's desire for a safe space. And it's *space* that is REAL new "wild frontier," as China & Russia have caught up to the US quickly - especially since Obama cancelled the shuttle program, with nothing set to replace it. Sure, Elon Musk has picked up the slack, but so have many other countries - our adversaries, in particular. I'm reminded Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey - where the peace of the heavens above is paired against the gangs of A Clockwork Orange, acting out on the planet below. This is a turning point within human history, and unless we get our act together on Earth, we'll never survive the exploration of space. It's as simple as that.
"Hey, guys - check it out. The Reptilians are back! And this time, I'm live-streaming on Facebook." I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED what astronauts/cosmonauts *really* see, when they look out the ISS windows. I've read all the stories, the little details that "slip" as the NASA rocketeers get older (and they stop caring about their government NDA's). The internet is filled with conspiratory theories of course, but I believe that's on purpose: the "crazy" theories are side-by-side with the real ones, causing one to dismiss them all. But we've evolved enough as a species to know it's preposterous to think that we're the only ones in the Universe. All one has to do is LOOK UP at all the stars, and then take a moment to reflect at how genuinely small we are. On a cosmic scale, when you consider our species' *season*, we're like High School graduates who've just thrown up our tasseled hats - and now hug each other in celebration of our accomplishment. We've all had a fun summer break, lots of bikinis, beer, and boobs, and now it's time to start acting like adults - and planning for our futures.
Like most High School graduates, we have many options. We can pursue our educations, we can follow our passions. We can join the military. We can open a business. We can take a "break year," and go off on a trip hiking Europe. OR, we can settle for the best job we can get - and join the hourly workforce. We've reached the point in history where humanity must decide what we're going to do with our lives, as the choices we make now will define what kind of race we become. We can be innovators or consumers. We can be leaders or followers. We can plan our own destinies, or allow Liberal Democrats to control us, like Kim increasingly does to Seoul ...
(Remember that T'pau song from the 80s?:) 🎶..."Somehow, I lost my way...Looking to see something in your eyes...🎶...But love will never compromise...🎶...Now, this is the politics of life, so"...🎶
MOST importantly, we can have the bright future that Donald Trump has given us once already, or we can succumb to the bondage of Liberal policies, and allow the Russias, Chinas, Irans, Gazas, & North Koreas of the world to tell us how to live ... and whether or not we reach our own potentials. 💫
🎶..."Give a little bit of Heart and Soul"...🎶
Whatever we decide, it all comes down to our vote on November 5th. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
- Sir Dave
Like most High School graduates, we have many options. We can pursue our educations, we can follow our passions. We can join the military. We can open a business. We can take a "break year," and go off on a trip hiking Europe. OR, we can settle for the best job we can get - and join the hourly workforce. We've reached the point in history where humanity must decide what we're going to do with our lives, as the choices we make now will define what kind of race we become. We can be innovators or consumers. We can be leaders or followers. We can plan our own destinies, or allow Liberal Democrats to control us, like Kim increasingly does to Seoul ...
(Remember that T'pau song from the 80s?:) 🎶..."Somehow, I lost my way...Looking to see something in your eyes...🎶...But love will never compromise...🎶...Now, this is the politics of life, so"...🎶
MOST importantly, we can have the bright future that Donald Trump has given us once already, or we can succumb to the bondage of Liberal policies, and allow the Russias, Chinas, Irans, Gazas, & North Koreas of the world to tell us how to live ... and whether or not we reach our own potentials. 💫
🎶..."Give a little bit of Heart and Soul"...🎶
Whatever we decide, it all comes down to our vote on November 5th. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
- Sir Dave
