Poetry Sunday

 

We can make the time for the things that are important. Especially nowadays, when there's so much shouting at each other, it's nice to just take a minute to chat.

A Time to Talk 

by Robert Frost 

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaning walk,

I don’t stand still and look around

On all the hills I haven’t hoed,

And shout from where I am, 'What is it?’

No, not as there is a time to talk.

I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,

Blade-end up and five feet tall,

And plod: I go up to the stone wall

For a friendly visit.

Have a good day and enjoy your Easter Sunday weekend. Pull up a wall and stay a while ... I've got more thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday

It's about time for this month to finally be over ...

Six people were killed on Tuesday morning when a major highway bridge in Baltimore was struck by a container ship departing the harbor; a record $26 million was raised at a Democratic fundraiser featuring former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton; financier Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the failed crypto exchange FTX, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for defrauding customers and investors of his now-bankrupt firm; Brian Pritchard, first vice chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, who pushed false claims that the 2020 election was “stolen,” was found to have voted illegally nine times; and in (where else?) Florida, two 10-year-old boys - one the son of a deputy sheriff - were arrested after one of them sold a gun to the other for $300 ... at their elementary school.

Because Twitter (now "X") has turned into a depressing, steaming cesspool of angry right-wing balderdash and anti-Biden innuendo, I have finally decided to delete my account. In honor of this momentous decision, this week's cartoons look at the larger issue of social media ...

Social media addiction begins early ..  

Where else do you get affordable health care information? ...

It doesn't take quite as long nowadays ...

Yes, please look at the right screen ...

I tend to be suspicious of profile pictures in general ...

But sometimes they can be accurate ...

He thought he'd found the loophole ...

She'll show HIM! ...

Jury decisions in the age of social media ...

Uh, oh ...

And that's it for the last Cartoon Saturday for this month. It seems only logical that you may be reading this blog via a link from my Facebook page.

Have a good day and a great weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Great Moments in Editing and Signage

Welcome to the last collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage for March, 2024 ... 

I'm sure that Mr Putin has legions of intelligence analysts trying to figure out how that shield is supposed to work ... 

What, the mohel didn't announce the schedule in advance? ...

I'm not sure this would be the best come-on nowadays ...

Well, those are photos that would turn heads, I guess ...

I'm not in that much of a hurry to buy a restaurant ...

I'm just leaving this one right here ...

I discovered that I had a group of turkey-related editorial/signage gems backed up, so I thought I'd clean out the stock this week.

Just how old are those drumstinks, anyhow? ...

Must be some of that genetically altered meat everyone's been worried about ...

I don't know if I'm turned off more by the idea of turkey testicles or that the bag doesn't contain them ...

I've never heard a turkey gobble melodiously before ...

And that's it for our last collection of editorial and signage gems for this month - I hope you enjoyed them. Don't forget that I'm always on the lookout for new ones, so if you see a new one, snap a photo and send it to ol' Bilbo for future use ... I'll give you finders credit when I use it!

Have a good day and come back tomorrow for a desperately-needed Cartoon Saturday. More thoughts then. 

Bilbo

Musical Sunday

It's been a while since we've heard from the geniuses at The Parody Project, and so it's time for another visit. This time, they hit it out of the park with a take-off on the classic Kingston Trio song "Tom Dooley" ... 

What do you think are the chances? 

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts coming. 

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday

As my Dad would have said, if this year were a fish, I'd throw it back. 

Self-described multi-billionaire Der Furor is unable to find an insurance company willing to underwrite a bond to cover the $464 million judgement against him in his New York civil fraud case, but has reengineered the Republican National Committee to siphon off funds to help pay his legal bills at the expense of the larger party; billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is giving $640 million to 361 non-profit organizations, more than double her previously planned donations for the year; dueling decisions from the Supreme Court and the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals have led to confusion over which laws governing illegal arrivals apply in Texas; a terror attack on a theater in Moscow, allegedly by ISIS terrorists, has killed more than 90 people; and in France, athletes at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games have been assured of enough condoms to allow each athlete two for each day of the event, helping them rise to the occasion.

I've been a little under the weather this week with the Allergies from Hell, so I didn't feel like curating a set of cartoons on a particular theme. Here are a few that just spoke to me this week for one reason or another ... 

Well, the GOP is halfway there ...

In today's lawyer-glutted America, that's how it works ...

This one appeared back on Super Tuesday, but it applies for most Tuesdays in this year ...

An oldie but goodie from the legendary Don Martin at MAD Magazine ...

If he were a physicist, he should have know better ...

Saying the quiet part out loud ...

It seems to be working properly ...

If anyone can beat an audit, it's this guy ...

I've used this cartoon before, but it gets more accurate with each passing week ...

This is how it will look when my children and grandchildren sit down for the Great Announcement ...

Have a good day and a great weekend. Beware of lawyers and of politicians who claim to say "what people are thinking" ... those particular people aren't thinking anything good.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for March, 2024

March grinds on as we grimly prepare ourselves for the ever-increasing levels of election year buffoonery. Endless pleas for money from office-seekers compete for our attention with angry, dystopian imagery pushed by a party that has no defensible platform on which to run. Much of the shrill shouting comes from the spokesmen (and spokeswomen) handsomely paid to debase themselves in the service of the Velveeta Voldemort, and that is why I have selected as

The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for March, 2024

Steven Cheung

Mr Cheung is a professional political advisor for Republican office-seekers, beginning with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and continuing to his present job as a spokesman and advisor for Der Furor's 2024 presidential campaign. In between, he served as a "director of communications for public affairs" at the Unlimited Fighting Championship (UFC) in Las Vegas ... a position which certainly must have appealed to the angrily violent style of Der Furor. 

Mr Cheung is noted for his take-no-prisoners responses to criticisms of Der Furor, a style which can be compared to that of famously bombastic North Korean regime spokeswoman Ri Chun-hee.  He has employed a matchless level of dignified gravitas to denounce unwelcome criticisms as "pure bullshit and fake news," and to state that GOP presidential wannabe Nikki Haley is “... going to drop down to kiss [Der Furor's] ass when she quits, like she always does.” In another memorable statement, Mr Cheung denounced those who took issue with Der Furor's description of his political enemies as "vermin," saying that, "those who try to make that ridiculous assertion are clearly snowflakes grasping for anything because they are suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome and their entire existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House."

Mr Cheung also took to the media to loudly object to the $454 million judgement against Der Furor in his New York civil fraud trial, claiming that, “A bond of this size would be an abuse of the law, contradict bedrock principals of our Republic, and fundamentally undermine the rule of law in New York” - a somewhat long-winded way to express outrage that Der Furor had finally been called to account for his actions.

William Jennings Bryan or Daniel Webster he ain't.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, today we present the tinfoil and toilet paper crown to GOP mouthpiece Steven Cheung, the bile-spewing spokesman for someone who speaks poorly - and embarrassingly - enough on his own.

Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Unseen University Disciplines

A while back, my nephew Ed sent me a marvelously funny meme titled "Unseen University Disciplines" ... a compilation of fields of academic study which are supposedly "in," replacing some of the no-longer-current Hogwarts classes. It occurs to me that many of these are important areas of study to help understand the bonzo crazy times we are now living through. Here are a few examples I culled from the list ...

Indefinite Studies. I think this one applies well to students who delay graduation because they know they'll never find a job that will repay their student loans.

Inadvisably Applied Magic. This one probably falls under the Economics faculty, and refers to the mystic belief in the power of magical things like "trickle-down economics."

Cruel and Unusual Geography. Detailed study and analysis of Russian territorial demands on its independent neighbors.

Illiberal Studies. Given that ultraconservative Republicans have joined with people like Hungarian leader Victor Orban to embrace "illiberal democracy" (aka "dictatorship"), this will probably be a popular extension course for MAGAts seeking to overturn democratic ideals and embrace government by "Christian" theocracy. 

Wooly Thinking. A general introduction to and survey of Republican economic and political theories.

There were also two courses I wouldn't have minded taking myself ...

Morbid Bibliomancy. It could help with the downsizing of my enormous personal library.

Extreme Horticulture. This sounds like a fun, high-energy approach to gardening. Now that spring is almost here, I think I'll sign up.

It's good that I'm retired and have lots of time to sign up for esoteric classes. Maybe I can get Mike or John to join me.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Poetry Sunday

We live in strange and frightening times. A resurgent Russia, trying to seize back an independent Ukraine, threatens nuclear war. Der Furor noisily paints a picture of a "bloodbath for the country" if he loses the election, and a national hellscape utterly at odds with reality, but fervently believed by his cult. Storms become worse and sea levels rise as the climate responds to our centuries of abuse. Yes, it's a tough time. How do we cope? Today's poem by Kim Stafford has some suggestions ...

Citizen of Dark Times

by Kim Stafford

Agenda in a time of fear: Be not afraid.

When things go wrong, do right.

Set out by the half-light of the seeker.

For the well-lit problem begins to heal.

Learn tropism toward the difficult.

We have not arrived to explain, but to sing.

Young idealism ripens into an ethical life.

Prune back regret to let faith grow.

When you hit rock bottom, dig farther down.

Grief is the seed of singing, shame the seed of song.

Keep seeing what you are not saying.

Plunder your reticence.

Songbird guards a twig, its only weapon a song.

If your only weapon is a song, be sure you sing it loud enough to resonate with those who refuse to sing. 

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday

Please, just make it stop ... 

Russians are voting for president, with Vladimir Putin the only actual candidate - the sort of election favored by contemporary Republicans; Fulton County Georgia Judge Scott McAfee ruled on Friday that District Attorney Fani Willis can stay on and prosecute the Georgia 2020 election interference racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and 14 of his co-defendants, but only if she removes the special prosecutor with whom she engaged in a romantic relationship in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety (that prosecutor has resigned); the Army's West Point military academy changed its mission statement (but not it's motto, which remains "Duty, Honor, Country") to reflect the values it seeks to inculcate in future officers - which caused Congressional Republicans' heads to explode and charge the academy with the unforgivable sin of "wokeness;" the House of Representatives has passed and sent to the Senate a bill making offer of the popular social media app TikTok illegal in the United States unless its owner sells it within six months, ensuring it is no longer under the potential control of a "foreign adversary" (China); and in Thailand (not, oddly enough, Florida), a would-be alpha male is recovering after emergency room doctors successfully cut eleven penis rings from his swollen member. 

There are a lot of cartoons out there that take off on the lyrics to popular songs. This week, we'll take a look at a few of them ... 

Don't worry, he'll survive ...

Inspiration comes from many places ...

If you need something to sing at breakfast ...

Yep, some classics just can't be improved on ...

Most of us don't have to worry about our choice of washing machines, but classical musicians sometimes do ...

He needs somebody ...

It's a long setup for a joke, but I'll take it ...

It's a matter of opinion ...

It's important to pick the right song to sing to your beloved ...

Mr Zevon seems to have trouble with his alibi ...

And that's it for this week's cartoon Saturday sing-along - I hope you enjoyed it. Have a good day and a great weekend, and come back tomorrow for Poetry Sunday ... more thoughts then.

Bilbo

Great Moments in Editing and Signage

It's the ides of March, and time for us to take another stab (sorry) at Great Moments in Editing and Signage ... 

The 2024 official drink of the undecided voter ...

As endorsed by Alabama Senator Katie Britt in her bizarre State of the Union rebuttal last week ...

The high-caliber standard for modern American manhood ...

I'm no expert, but I think it's a bit late for that ...

Just what ... or who ... are we exhuming, here? ...

Has there ever been a better room number assigned for an office? ...

If I were going to pay $49 for an eerie antique wall sconce, I'd want it full evil ...

If this is the #1 school district in the state, I wonder which one is #2 ...

If I were going to name my "Christian center," I think I'd pick a less ... uh ... suggestive name ...

If this is the sermon topic at the Third Presbyterian Church, I wonder what the topics are at the First and Second ...

And, as the late, great Walter Cronkite would have said, that's the way it is for today's collection of great moments. I hope it brought a smile ... if not a grimace ... to your face.

Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. More thoughts then.

Bilbo