I've been away from my blog for a while.  It's not because I think that things in the USA have gotten better after Obama was elected. 

The webcartoon just wasn't going anywhere, and I'm clueless how to create an audience.  I miss doing the cartoons and would like to start up again, but I need to feel some lovin' to make me get over to the drawing board. 

I hope you enjoy this video, and please go to http://www.LivinginLethargy.com and subscribe.  It's free.  If you are looking for a unique gift for someone - check out http://www.DrawnFromExperience.com .   I do caricature work and what you receive is a 14"x17" watercolor/ink drawing that is suitable for framing.  All I need is a story and some photo reference.

Thanks!

We're Being Robbed!

Seven Wonders

China Imports Cars

NASA in Denial

Sniffing Colombian Cocaine

“Shoot’em Up!”

How does a gun make anyone feel safer? Please – I dare anyone out there to explain it to me. What is it in the make up of the United States that we have to have guns? Better yet – why do we think guns solve the problems here and in the world? Of course, we use much bigger guns in other parts of the world. Yeah – yeah – I know all about the second amendment. You have to provide a better reason than that one.

The shootings at Virginia Tech University were a tragic incident. An incident – an occurrence - an episode. It will probably never happen there again. These occurrences happen all over and not very frequent considering the gun craziness of most of the United States of America.

If being armed makes a person feel protected, we should arm everyone because who knows when you might be involved in a shoot out. Personally I have never been in a shoot out. Heck – I’ve never seen a handgun, except on the hip of the police, which makes me feel safe enough. I live in a high crime area of my city too, so it’s not because I’m a satellite dish suburbanite.

Texas Governor, Rick Perry, thinks that students should carry guns on campus. “It makes sense for Texans to be able to protect themselves from deranged individuals.”

I’ve been to Texas – he’s right! The place is full of deranged nuts. My only concern is for the lower grades – the innocent children. It seems most of school shootings happen in grade school or high school situations. Some congress person in Wisconsin a few months ago came up with a brilliant idea – arm the teachers! Yeah – and I bet teachers could get a kid’s attention a lot easier with a gun. Think of what it could do for the educational system. Heck – no need for parent/teacher conferences anymore. You are in my classroom now and what I say is the law around here.

“Where’s your homework, punk?”
“Don’t give me that old story about your dog!” Click!

I know the University of Utah allows students to carry handguns, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a gun battle on their campus. Though I don’t think they are a good testing ground. I’d assume the lack of shoot ups there is because of the highly religious morals of the students. Mormons are a heck’uva lot less violent nowadays than in the past.

So the best that I can come up with is that unless everyone is armed in the USA we can never reach the level of security that we all want.

- Jake Drew

Come JOIN US at http://www.LivinginLethargy.com

Put Your Stock in Gravel

Albanian Love Child

Kurt Vonnegut Tribute

Environment versus Economy

“Bizarro World”

When I was a boy reading “Superman” comics I ran into an alternative universe, Bizarro World”. Quite a few times in my adult life I have felt that I’ve entered that alternative world. I’m having those feelings now.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel have been wearing themselves out by trying to get the message out about global climate change, and that message is being received by the United States as the crazy uncle that you were told to ignore as a kid. We have until 2020 to reduce carbon emissions by eighty percent. That’s less than fifteen years!

By 2050 around a billion people will face food and fresh water shortages. Sea levels will rise, and major populations around the world will be relocated inland. New Orleans was a testing ground for things to come. Anyone who thinks that the government’s reaction to Katrina was about incompetence should realize that they realized that there was no point in salvaging or rebuilding the city. It’s just going to be worse next time and then the next time. So why invest in rebuilding what could be considered the United States version of Atlantis.

The president has finally or kind’a admitted that global climate change might, well, maybe, be caused by humans. What a giant step for the oil man! Now, of course, he’s all for regulations and trying to counter attack the emissions issue, but only as long as it doesn’t have an effect on the economy.

Well I don’t see how it can’t have an effect on the economy. It might be a good move for the economy by developing new technologies as new markets that will replace the old. Though I don’t think things are moving fast enough to create this new economy. We aren’t going to make it because consumerism is so embedded into everyone’s brain.

This leads me back to Bizarro World. We are going to have to start thinking in terms of the Bizarro World where everything is the opposite. Used is good, new is bad. There was a movement during the Great Depression and into World War II where people were involved in saving scrap or recycling clothes and other items, bartering with others, neighborhood gardens, and on and on. We can learn a lot from that generation and time. The attitude has to adjust that old things are coveted, and buying new is wasteful or only okay when necessary.

People are going to have to change:
“I don’t have an air conditioner.”

“Wow! That’s impressive.” They responded.

“I figure it helps prevent black outs and allows people that need the air conditioning to use it.”

Or:
“I’ve been biking to the grocery store. I have to make two trips, but it’s good exercise!”

“Me too. I used to drive my car to the fitness center, but I realized that it lacked some
common sense on my part.”

See what I mean? Write me with a scenario of your own.

Oh yeah and anything plastic should be shunned! Jake Drew

Come join US at http://www.livinginlethargy.com/

Chimps and weapons

Understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ

FBI fear factor

Why does George Polar bears?

Halliburton move to Dubai

Republican Ethics

Heck, Fight’em Over Here!

I’m a big fan of westerns, and it seems that this administration is too. They talk in cowboy lingo and their idol, Ronnie Reagan, starred in a number of them before becoming president. I’ll admit I’m not a Reagan fan – I like Randolph Scott better as a western star. The United States government should screen a few western movies to help with that “War on Terror”.

Now I admit I have trouble with what “the terror” is or who the terrorists are that are trying to get us and what they want to get us for. Plus Khalid Sheikh Mohammed confessed to one heck’uva a wagon train of terrorism recently. Considering all the things he confessed to being involved with I’d take the plural out of terrorists.

The “fight’em over there” concept escapes me too. We can’t really pin down who the terrorists are. The United States might know who a few of these terrorists are and has the names of organizations that are a threat to us, but we don’t know where they are. If we are sending out our troops to wipe out terrorists, I think it might be better to wait for them to come here.

Now I might seem politically incorrect in this next part, but I’m only referencing what I’ve seen in Hollywood westerns. If a fort was under attack by “the Indians”, “the cowboys” never ever throw open the gates and run out to the enemy. They waited for the fort to be attacked and fought off the enemy from high up on the inside of the fort’s walls.

I know Hollywood and reality are two separate things, but what about the wall we want to build along the Mexican border? This is really no different than a movie set. The fence doesn’t solve the problem – it only creates an image. So wouldn’t it make more sense economically to bring the troops home and post them all over the country? You could have troops on city buses, walking the streets, the borders, using electronic surveillance. Heck – I’d love to see one of those big old army tanks coming down my street.

Considering there is no thought to when this “war on terror” will end or where the terrorists are or who they are. It just makes sense financially and for the well being of the military to bring them home and let them patrol the streets. If we have 130,000 troops in Iraq, that would be 2,600 troops stationed in each one of the fifty states. While the military is in our cities they could take care of the gang members or any illegal activities too. There’s enough of this type of terrorism to make the country look like Tombstone or Dodge City of the late 1800s.

Shoot a letter to your congress people and let them know how you feel.

- Jake Drew
Come VIST US at http://www.LivinginLethargy.com

The Invisible Man!

I’ve come to realize that I am invisible. I am the Invisible Man! I started fading about twenty years ago.

I’ve always liked walking around or going for walks. I like saying “Hi” to people and making eye contact as they passed. It might seem silly, but I think it’s a way to create a connection between one another. I had no idea who these people were, whether they were married, political, wealthy or poor, or even owned a car. I just felt that we were connecting with a smile and hello. It was just a nod to show that we’re in this together.

I noticed through the years people became less aware of their surroundings by the number of walkmans, CD players, cell phones, and Ipods stuck to people’s ears. I’ve never used any of these things because it takes away from my experience in nature or with other people. I like to hear the noises that surround me. The birds, the sound of squirrels scratching up a tree as you approach – even the car sounds whether it’s the engine or the tires splashing through a puddle.

Now it’s gotten to the point where I can’t get a reaction from anyone out there. No one looks up anymore as we pass each other. Okay, maybe once in a while I’m still visible, but not much anymore. Seldom do I get eye contact from anyone I pass.

Grocery stores are the worst. I can be coming down an aisle and never be noticed by the person blocking the aisle. This isn’t coming up from behind a person - this is approaching someone from the opposite direction. When I stand in a line more and more people seem to step in front of me. The worst is crossing the street at a street light. The little neon bulbs light up with “walk” – and I do and a car turns right into me. In the last week this has happened three times! I can only assume that I have become invisible. It’s hard for me to believe that so many people have lost their sense of the reality around them.

The one thing I still have is a voice. I can tell people to get out of the way or just to say, ‘Hi”. I can still be heard at local meetings. Of course I don’t have the silkiness or gentlemanly manner found in the vocal tones of Claude Rains.

Let me know if you can hear me – Jake Drew.

Come Visit US at http://www.livinginlethargy.com/