Cartoon Saturday

Happy Independence Day! It's just too bad we don't have national leadership equal to the occasion of our 250th birthday.

The United States and much of Europe continues to wilt under a historic heat wave; a 67-year-old Olympic canoeist was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool - the "felony destruction of property" charge carries a potential 10-year jail sentence; rock star Taylor Swift and her fiancé Travis Kelce celebrated their royal wedding at New York's Madison Square Garden; the Catholic Church is embroiled in controversy as Pope Leo XIV excommunicated members of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X; and in Denver, Colorado, a pilot who was bitten by a swarm of bats that entered his hotel room during the night has spent over $100,000 for rabies treatments, but says the hotel is offering a "paltry sum" damage settlement, claiming that "these types of things happen at no one’s fault."

This week, in "honor" of the debasement of our system of justice - particularly the Supreme Court - we offer a Cartoon Saturday look at our courts ... 

The question we never thought we'd have to ask ...

Now, there's a personal lawyer who's setting himself up for a new job as Attorney General ...

It must be nice to have that kind of money ... and connections ...

The Supreme Court's law library seems to have a few books missing ...

I think that there are three associate SCOTUS justices who wish they could deliver their dissents from the bench in sign language ...

Quite an earthquake coming, especially when this is added to the shockwaves of the Founders turning over in their own graves ...

And the shore is stronger than a lot of people may think ...

The thumb on the scales of justice is at least as green as the water of the Poor reflecting Pool ...

Today's SCOTUS believes in the doctrine of sorry decisis ...

The people who are listening are not occupying positions in Der Furor's regime ...

So far, many of the lower courts are standing up for the rule of law that is being shredded by a deeply conservative and politically compromised Supreme Court. I hope they can continue to hold the line of justice long enough to matter.

Have a good day and a great holiday weekend. More thoughts tomorrow, when Poetry Sunday looks at the celebration of our national birthday. See you then.

Bilbo

Great Moments in Editing and Signage

New month, new great moments! Let's get right to it ...

I hope this isn't a new fare option when you call an Uber ...

I'm not sure I would enjoy that fall ...

I wonder how long it takes to train an alligator to clean a restroom ...

What do you suppose the bag limit for pedestrians is ...

I'm not sure this was as clever a business name as Granny Joe thought ...

In today's America, if knowledge is powder, a lot of people wouldn't even be able to blow their nose ...

Somehow I doubt this is sending the right message to the attendees ...

I wonder how long it takes to learn to play the porta potty ...

Why buy it, then? ...

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of dealing with that tempshit, but in a different direction on the old thermometer ...

That's it for this week ... don't forget to send Great Moments you find to ol' Bilbo for future use!

Have a good day and come back tomorrow for a Cartoon Saturday look at justice in America - you know you need it.

More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Thursday Trees

It's time once again to branch out from our usual railing about Der Furor's proud, unabashed corruption and take a walk in our digital forest. We need an occasional reminder that there really is still peace and beauty in the world ...

#1 - 

#2 - What a great place for a picnic!

#3 - This is my favorite for the week ...

#4 - 

#5 - Speaking of getting down to the root of the issue ...

#6 - What a nice place for a walk in the cool shade, eh ...

#7 - If you're in need of a nice climbing tree ...

#8 - This looks like a good candidate for a haunted tree come Halloween ...

#9 - A tree at sunset in Radolfzell, Germany ...

#10 - For today's last tree picture, here's a winter scene to help you get over the miserable heat wave now baking much of the nation ...

Have a good day and take a few minutes to appreciate the glory of trees, before they're turned into lumber for profit. And come back tomorrow for July's first collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage - more thoughts then.

Bilbo

Notes on "Seven Brutal Realities of Government"

I ran across this interesting, if cynical, meme the other day - 

I think there are a few good points there, but I think also that there is a bit more to be said about each point:

 

1. Power Attracts Power-Hungry People: Politics draws those who crave control, not those who crave service.

Bilbo's Take: I think this is true at the national, but not necessarily at the state and local level. Most people I've known who are local, city, and state level officials have a genuine interest in their communities and actively believe their positions carry an obligation to serve. Likewise members of the House of Representatives, at least until they ascend to positions of power ... after that, you get the Mike Johnsons.

2. Promises Cost Nothing, Delivery Costs Everything: During elections, they promise the world. In office, excuses are free.

Bilbo's Take: It's always been this way, depending upon the level of government. At the state governor and below levels, it's much easier for the voters to see the immediate, day-to-day evidence of your ability to deliver on your promises. At the national level, promises are cheap and the excuses and scapegoats for failure plentiful. I personally think that service as an elected state governor is one of the best training grounds for a presidential candidate ... it doesn't guarantee national-level competence, but it's a start.

3. You're Not The Customer, You're The Product: Your attention, your data, and your vote are what they trade on.

Bilbo's Take: No argument, here. There's a lot of money to be made by selling you digitally to the highest bidder.

4. Bureaucracy Protects Itself, Not You: Systems are designed to preserve their own existence, not to solve your problems.

Bilbo's Take: This is true, as far as it goes. The vast responsibilities of modern government require a huge administrative structure. Depending on your political leanings, this can be the dreaded "administrative state" staffed by "faceless bureaucrats," or it can be the noble "Civil Service" staffed by "civil servants." Regardless of how you view it, bureaucracy takes on a life of its own, and even the very smallest and most obscure office has its own constituency that will fight to protect its little slice of the bureaucratic pie while carrying out the responsibilities for which it was created.

5. Corruption Isn't Always Illegal: Favors, influence, and insider deals often do more damage than crimes.

Bilbo's Take: Don Vito Corleone said in "The Godfather," "A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns." If you want to loot the treasury and use the government to enrich yourself and your cronies, it's easier, safer, and more profitable to bankroll the election of senators and representatives who will pass the laws you want, and judges who will decide issues in your favor. Nowadays, the Supreme Court is your best friend, having completely gutted all limits on campaign financing that might have limited the ability of the ultra-wealthy and corporations to buy the government they want.

6. They Divide You To Control You: The easier you are to divide, the easier you are to distract and manipulate.

Bilbo's Take: The division between Republican and Democrat is bad enough, but the relentless efforts by Der Furor and his hard-core MAGA followers to paint Democrats as "communists," "socialists," "radical left lunatics," "America-hating scum," and other insults du jour are the ultimate in despicable mislabeling, distraction, and manipulation. If all that energy was channeled into useful legislative action instead of childish distraction, we'd be a lot better off.

7. The Truth Threatens Power: Questioning the narrative is the fastest way to be labeled, ignored, or silenced.

Bilbo's Take: This is as true now as ever it was. The easiest way to demonstrate it is the vehemence with which Der Furor and his acolytes rage against even the most gentle pushback against their preferred talking points, much less fact-checkers armed with actual hard evidence. 

Well, that's my two cents about the seven-point meme on the brutal realities of government. I'd be interested in your takes - leave a comment.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Ass Clown Special Award

We are halfway through 2026, and I have presented 17 Ass Clown Awards so far this year, three of which have been out-of-cycle Special Awards presented for ass clownery so worthy of recognition that it couldn't wait for the next regular award. Today, we present the fourth.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, we present this

Ass Clown Special Award

(with Poop of Distinction)

to

Secretary of Defense (Not War)

Pete Hegseth

Mr. Hegseth, almost certainly the least-qualified* and most bellicose Defense Secretary in history, has already won this award six times** (two of them shared*** and one a shared Special Award****). Since those previous awards, he has:

1. Eliminated the requirement for active-duty military personnel to get annual vaccinations against flu, claiming that it was "a matter of religious freedom and medical autonomy" and an “absurd, overreaching” mandate that had served to “weaken our warfighting capabilities.” The immediate, wholly-predictable result was an outbreak of influenza among Air Force trainees at Lackland Air Force Base that sickened more than 200 persons. As a result, the requirement for flu vaccinations for military trainees has been reinstated.

2. Directed military chaplains to no longer wear their officer ranks, claiming that it is incompatible with their role as "moral anchors of the fighting force" who have seen their roles compromised by “political correctness and secular humanism,” that changed and watered down roles “until they were viewed by many as nothing more than therapists.” He also doesn't consider them true "warfighters^†," although chaplains have earned 9 Medals of Honor, as well as (since World War I) 26 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1 Navy Cross, 45 Silver Stars, and 719 Bronze Stars for Valor^††, not to mention many thousands of Purple Hearts.

And,

3. Forced out the widely-respected commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, General Chris Donahue, the latest of more than two dozen largely black or female generals and admirals to be pushed out of their jobs or denied promotion as part of Mr Hegseth's perception of the malign influence of DEI on military promotions and assignments.

I will not belabor the point of Mr Hegseth's manifest unfitness for his position by reiterating the material already covered in his previous awards. Suffice it to say that the three latest examples are clearly worthy of the recognition implicit in a Special Award.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, we present an Ass Clown Special Award with Poop of Distinction to Secretary of Defense (Not War) Pete Hegseth, who substitutes personal prejudices, rage, and bellicosity for the leadership and care for the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and guardians we deserve to expect from one in his position. 

Have a good day. As with all things in Der Furor's regime, demand more, but expect less.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* The job of Secretary of Defense (Not War) requires a level of military experience at multiple levels of command, extensive experience in managing large organizations, and the ability to understand and work within economic and diplomatic structures that require the ability to understand and, when necessary, accommodate the political and diplomatic needs of America's allies. Given that I retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel after 23 years of service, including command and staff experience and management of intelligence programs with various allies, I'm probably at least as qualified to be SecDef (NW) as Mr. Hegseth (who left the Army as a major) ... and I don't consider myself qualified at all. 

** April 2025 Right-Cheek; March 2026 Left-Cheek; April 2026 Right-Cheek; May 2026 Right-Cheek.

*** September 2025 Special Award; March 2026 Right-Cheek, 

**** September 2025 Special Award. 

^† The term "warfighter" has crept into broad usage since the early 1980's, largely replacing the traditional terms "soldier," "sailor," and "airman' in official and non-official communications. It is intended to separate those who engage in actual combat from those who perform other duties. I personally think it's a stupid distinction, but what do I know?

^†† The exact number of awards for valor presented to chaplains since the Revolutionary War is uncertain, but likely numbers in the thousands.

Monday Mountains

The reaction to last week's premiere of Monday Mountains was pretty positive, so let's try it again. There's nothing like some gorgeous mountain scenery to lift the spirits ...

#1 - 

#2 - 

#3 - The Bernese Oberland, Switzerland ...

#4 - The Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan ...

#5 - Pike's Peak and the Garden of the Gods ...

#6 - Rawson Lake, Canada ...

#7 - In the Italian Dolomites ...

#8 - Tatra Mountains, Poland ...

#9 - The Grand Tetons, Wyoming ...

#10 - Zermatt, Switzerland ...

I hope this week's mountain fix helped lift your spirits to start another week ... I know it helped me.

Have a good day and as good a week as circumstances permit. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Musical Sunday

I know I've featured this classic song by Grace Jones before on Musical Sunday, but it never gets old ... especially given the quality of statesmanship and competence coming out of this administration. I regret the salty language, but it's no worse than what you can hear from official government spokespersons nowadays ...

And here are the lyrics, if you want to sing along ...

And if I wander down the wrong road,

It's alright baby, just let me go,

If I get tired of all those assholes,

It's alright cause I want them to know.

I'm sick and tired of all this bullshit,

Rough shit, same shit,

Hey Jesus come on down and save us, save us, rave on.

And on the road I ride through Richmond

Rich man, You know the business I'm in

And feeling sorry, makes me feel mad,

Someday, uh baby, I play to win.

I'm sick and tired of all this bullshit,

Rough shit, same shit,

Can't Jesus come on down and save us, save us, rave on.

I'm sick and tired of all this bullshit,

Same shit, wrong shit

Hey Jesus come on down and save us, save us, rave on.

And if I wander down the wrong road,

It's alright honey, just let me go,

If I get tired of all those assholes,

It's alright cause I want them to know.

I'm sick and tired of all this bullshit,

Rough shit, same shit,

Hey Jesus come on down and save us, save us, rave on.

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. Rave on - or, even better, vote the bums out ... as long as you're still allowed to vote.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday

Why don't we just replace Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and JD Vance with Mr Miyagi to negotiate with Iran? After all, "War on ... War off" appears to be the preferred negotiating strategy of this administration. 

In Venezuela, rescue workers sought to find thousands of people missing after back-to-back earthquakes devastated parts of the country; the Supreme Court, along ideological lines, upheld regime efforts to deport hundreds of thousands of Haitian and other refugees legally in the United States under Temporary Protected Status; in World Cup competition, Türkiye defeated the United States with a dramatic last-moment goal; dozens of people are dead in the ongoing heat wave, which scientists claim would have been "virtually impossible" without the effects of climate change, that is baking much of Europe; and Ukrainian forces have developed their latest weapon for striking targets deep inside Russia - guided missiles launched from the high-altitude balloons that are already being used against Russian targets.

This week, Cartoon Saturday takes a look at Artificial Intelligence, which is enjoying strong support from those who pride themselves on their Natural Stupidity. And from those who are making a killing from building vast data centers.

Better follow those dreams fast ...

I managed to tell bedtime stories to my children without Chat GPT ...

Yes beware of geeks bearing gifts ...

The revolution is slowly building ...

Uh, oh ...

Goldilocks and the three AIs ...

Unless it figures out how to use you first ...

Someday we'll realize where it all started ...

Is this a manifestation of a smart home or a cunning home? ...

I think that train has already sailed ...

And that's our salute to AI for the last Cartoon Saturday of June ... I hope you enjoyed it without having to resort to AI searches to explain the cartoons.

Have a good day and a great weekend. More thoughts tomorrow, when Musical Sunday returns with Grace Jones's anthem for the moment. See you then.

Bilbo