He Can Only Make Worse Happen

First some blog bidness: last week was INSANE! 

4 out of 5 posts over a two day period were political themed entries about Trump fuckery. 

You don't deserve that. Even though statistically you're likely to be a Russian bot.  

I don't deserve that.

So today's poltical themed entry about Trump fuckery is ONE post on ONE day.  Yeah, it might go on a bit (there is SO MUCH fuckery!) but it will be contained into ONE singular sensation of a blog post.

So let's get busy! 

By starting with the G7 economic summit for 2026.  Here's a photo of the gathered world leaders standing together to convince us they are one big happy family.

What was remarkable to me was this next photo taken after the gang broke out of formation to talk among themselves.

Except for one person.

Poor Li'l Donnie, unloved and friendless.  Nobody wants to talk to this motherfucker, do they? 

Well, years of insulting and berating allies will have the effect of making those allies not want to talk to an ignorant, fear mongering sociopath. 

Also, there is the smell.  Donald Trump does kind of look like he just filled his Depends. 

Main thing, did der Führer have a good time?  Trump said, “It’s been a very successful trip.  A lot of things have happened that have been very good.”

Then Trump also thought the boos he got at the 3rd Nicks/Spurs NBA Finals game were cheers so who can tell with this guy?

If Trump's assessment of his G7 experience seems vague and noncommital, that's pretty much Trump's "strategy".

He wanted to brag about how the United States kicked Iran's ass and how we got everything he wanted out of the deal to end the war he started. Without actually explaining the deal.  

He was vague on the details but insistent to cast the deal as Iran's surrender to America's awesome overwhelming might.

Once deets on the deal started coming out, it looked like a surrender all right. Just not Iran's. 

The Strait of Hormuz will eventually be opened by Iran which concedes that yes, it is Iran who has control over the Strait of Hormuz, a condition that did NOT exist before Trump started his war.

Which as of Saturday morning, Iran had closed the Strait again.

Among the line items of this "deal" (formally known as a "memorandum of understanding" or MOU) is $300 billion (yep, that is with a "B") to help Iran rebuild the shit we blew up.  

Ostensibly this fund will be contributed to by the United States AND our gulf state allies. But since our gulf state allies did NOT blow up Iran's shit and did in fact have their shit blown up by Iran, one has to wonder how much the American takepayers will be on the hook for damage caused by Trump's li'l excursion into Iran.   

While Trump was giving our erstwhile enemy a real sweetheart deal, he was pissing off an ally and potential friend.

During an interview Trump claimed that Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him during the G7 summit and that he conceded to the photo op because he felt sorry for her.

Wow! He showed restraint because the usual narrative of the "someone begged him for something and he gave in because he's a nice guy" lie that he loves to tell frequently includes the detail of "with tears in their eyes".   

SInce Italy's premier is a woman, maybe he just assumed we would know she had tears in her eyes. 

While we in America have grown bored with this overused "someone begged him for something" tall tale, Giorgia Meloni was NOT putting up with his bullshit and had this to say on the matter:

 

“Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned....   But there’s one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not beg.”

It should be noted that Giorgia Meloni is far from being any kind of progressive liberal.  As a member of Italy's right wing political party, she is a conservative whose policies would fall in line with Trump's.  

Meloni was the lone European head of state to attend his 2025 inauguration.

Why would she need to ask for a photo with Li'l Donnie? She already had one from October of last year.  

"Why are his hands so crusty?"
"Is this woman here to take my lunch order?"

Italy is taking this shit seriously.   Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump’s claims “serious and offensive” toward Meloni and all of Italy.

Why would Trump insult an ally with such an egregious and unneccessary lie? Because he's gotten away with it for so long. 

He's claimed repeatedly that various politicians have begged for his endorsement (and often with tears in their eyes) which he granted magnaminously out of the goodness of his heart.

Typically  der Führer goes with the "someone begged" lie when someone he supported doesn't capitulate to his whims. In the case of Premier Giorgia Meloni, she was on Team Trump until she failed to roll over when Trump asked... No, I'm going to say "begged"--- NATO leaders to help with his war with Iran. 

A war HE started with NO input from or consultation with those same leaders.  

Meloni made it clear (as did other NATO leaders) that Italy did not start the war and was not part of the war and would not join that effort.

Of course Trump would not miss a chance to diminish and demean her. And the fact that the leader of Italy is a woman, well, that's just gravy.  (Hmmmm! Gravy....)  

There's never been a woman Trump wasn't eager to diminish and demean.

And he's still at it.

Instead of leaving bad enough alone, Trump of course doubled down on this lie on his decaying moth eaten Truth Social that Meloni (who's name he misspelled) asked him over and over and over again for a photo op and he only relented because he felt sorry for her as she is not doing well in Italy.  

Here's what Meloni said in her pushback in response to Trump's pushback: "As for my popularity, being your friend has certainly not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours."  

I really do not know what Meloni's poll numbers look like in Italy and neither does Donald Trump.  The accusation of governmental leaders sucking at their job is SOP for anyone who dares to challenge Grump Trump.  

Meanwhile (and I swear I am going to wrap this up), there is the matter of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

As I posted last week,  Trump's big plan to make the pool "American Flag Blue" ... oh, how can I put this?

Has not met the high expectations set out in Donald Trump's fever deam delusions.

Or...

Is royally fucked up!

Or maybe he's redefining the color blue as a pea soup or puke green?  

As I wrote before, the reflecting pool which was built in 1922 has been a pain in the ass to maintain since 1922.  

It is a shallow body of water in a hot and humid climate. Algae was always going to be a problem and has always been a problem as much as Li'l Donnie wants to petulantly blame Obama and Biden.  

Painting the pool dark blue only exacerbates the problem. 

Darker colors absorbs heat which makes the shallow water of the reflecting pool even hotter which exponentially increases the growth of algae.   

Trump awarded a supporter named Eddie Wood with a no bid contract that cost the American taxpayers nearly $14 billion. Trump insisted the contractor had done good work for him on swimming pools at his resorts.

• It's a reflecting pool, not a swimming pool.
• A review of Eddie Wood's businesses finds NO reference to working on pools, swimming, reflecting or limpid.
• Which may explain why the work that was done is breaking apart.

Sheets of blue paint are bubbling up to the surface of the emerald hued murk. 

The answer to this disaster is.... sabatoge! 

A MAGA supporter posted online that clearly his lord and savior did a GOOD job fixing the pool and the only explanation for the algae infestation is sabatoge by liberals who wanna make der Führer look bad.

Li'l Donnie likes that idea and ran with it on his decaying rat infested Truth Social that his good work on the pool is being undone by his enemies and even claims law enforcement will be looking into this.   

The National Parks Service is addressing the algae problem with:

1) manual labor.  Workers in hip waders and nets are scooping up large clumps of algae blooms. 

2) chemicals.  Bottles of hyrogen peroxide are being dumped into the pool.

3) lies. Posting pics on line taken at certain angles, the department declared the pool was crystal clear as the good lord Trump intended. Even though people can still go right up to the pool or see shots taken from above the pool and inequivicably see the pool is as green as fuck. And filled with floating pieces of blue paint.

You know, the thing is algae in the Reflecting Pool has always been a thing and we quite frankly wouldn't have cared. For over a century, the government has taken care of it and we moved on with our lives.

But with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence approaching and Donald Trump's own obsessive need to make everything about himself and his own delusional belief in his supposed abilities as an alleged builder, Li'l Donnie turned a minor but manageable irritation into a bigger problem.  And a national embarrassment.

The debacle of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pools epitomizes everything that is wrong with this motherfucking moron: the corruption, the narcissism, the delusions, the stupidity, the incompetence.   

Trump once said "Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen."  But Trump embodies the exact opposite of his badly mangled syntax.

He can only make worse happen.

Don't forget why his idiot moron followers voted for his sorry ass in 2024.  Because shit cost too much.

Don't forget inflation is now at 4.2% which is higher than what it was when Trump was sworn in on January 2025.

And don't forget he said THIS! 

OK, that's a lot of typing and I'm tired.  

Are we done?

Oh dear God, no we're not.  What can I say? Hell has no limits.

But your patience and mine does. 

Let's call it a day!

We're back tomorrow for the Tuesday TV Touchbase.

I like television. It makes life simple somehow.  When I'm watching TV, it's as if nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen.

Or something. 

'Bye, y'all! 

Star Trekking: Star Trek - The Original Series - Season One - Part Two

 

Welcome back to Star Trekking, my regular blog berth for my Star Trek fandom.  

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, this is my 2nd week of looking back at the first season of the original series.

I'm not posting about every episode, just the ones that interest me in particular.

We're going to start with the first episode of 1967 and the second half of season 1, "The Galileo Seven".

Spock leads a survey mission aboard the shuttlecraft Galileo which goes horribly awry as the crew of seven gets whittled down to six then five.  

Spock runs up against the limits of logic as he struggles to figure out how to keep the remaining five alive and get back to the Enterprise.  

We also get that Star Trek staple, a high status official who tries to pull rank on the captain. In this case, it's Galactic High Commissioner Ferris.

Not "Federation" or "Starfleet".  Star Trek writers still haven't nailed down the show's nomenclature.  

FERRIS: I remind you, Captain, I'm entirely opposed to this delay. Your mission is to get those emergency medical supplies to Makus Three in time for their transfer to the New Paris colonies.

KIRK: No problem, Commissioner. Besides, it's three days to Makus. And the rendezvous doesn't take place for five.

FERRIS: I don't like to take chances. The plague is out of control on New Paris. 

Man, being a colonist is really a hard life in the world of Star Trek. On the original series and on TNG, there was always some colony somewhere with a god awful medical crisis and the Enterprise is on a time crunch to get supplies there less everyone dies.

Most of the time on Trek, these high minded officials were jerks who weren't as all that as they though of themselves. In this case, though, Ferris ain't wrong.

The crisis on the Galileo is resolved when Spock does a decidedly not Spock like thing and makes an impulsive decision that will save everybody or kill everybody.

Spoiler: it saves everybody. 

The episode ends with an original series routine of a post mortem of the plot where we have a wee bit o' fun with Spock.

KIRK: There's really something I don't understand about all of this. Maybe you can explain it to me. Logically, of course. When you jettisoned the fuel and ignited it, you knew there was virtually no chance of it being seen, yet you did it anyhow. That would seem to me to be an act of desperation.

SPOCK: Quite correct, Captain.

KIRK: Now we all know, and I'm sure the doctor will agree with me, that desperation is a highly emotional state of mind. How does your well-known logic explain that?

SPOCK: Quite simply, Captain. I examined the problem from all angles, and it was plainly hopeless. Logic informed me that under the circumstances, the only possible action would have to be one of desperation. Logical decision, logically arrived at.

KIRK: I see. You mean you reasoned that it was time for an emotional outburst.

SPOCK: Well, I wouldn't put it in exactly those terms, Captain, but those are essentially the facts.

KIRK: You're not going to admit that for the first time in your life, you committed a purely human emotional act?

SPOCK: No, sir.

KIRK: Mister Spock, you're a stubborn man.

SPOCK: Yes, sir.

And we all laughed and laughed. 

One week later, NBC aired "The Squire of Gothos".

This introduces that classic Star Trek staple, the antagonist of nearly unlimited god-like power that cannot be out fought or overpowered.  What will win the day is intelligence, wit and wisdom.

What really sells this episode is William Campbell as General Trelane (Retired), the erstwhile Squire who can control matter and minds as if by magic.  

Campbell will return in season 2 as Star Trek's first "gay" Klingon, Koloth, in "The Trouble With Tribbles".

Hey, was Trelane part of the Q Continuum?

Peter David wrote a TNG novel that connected the Q to Trelane.

A Q/Trelane connection was made in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3rd season episode "Wedding Bell Blues".

Star Trek was on something of a roll as the very next week in January 1967 was the episode "Arena".   

The episode repeats the premise of "Balance of Terror" with an alien threat, the Gorn, striking Earth colonies with overwhelming force and the Enterprise in pursuit.  

The crux of the story involves an intervention by the all powerful Metrons to settle this conflict with a one on one battle, between Captain Kirk and the Gorn captain.  The two combatants are consigned to a harsh and barren planet.  

Yeah, the Gorn is slow and lumbering and perhaps a bit silly looking in that hard plastic lizard head.

When I was a kid, the Gorn scared me. He kinda still does.

C'mon! Don't laugh at me like that.  THAT is scary! 

The Gorn may be slow but he's stronger and more resilient than humans so Kirk needs to outsmart him.  Kirk MacGyver's a weapon, a makeshift bazooka, from surrounding mineral deposits. 

Mythbusters tried to replicate Kirk's weapon and... it didn't work. Well, Captain Kirk had better writers.

The battle between Kirk and the Gorn is supposed to be to the death per the Metron's rules but once he defeats the Gorn, Kirk refuses to kill him.  

As I wrote last week, "A lot of people like to cast Captain James Kirk as a swaggering action hero who fought his way out of trouble. But more often than not, Kirk was thoughtful and inquisitive, more explorer than conqueror."

Yeah, "Arena" does have Kirk fighting his way out of trouble but in the end, he is guided by wisdom, compassion and even empathy.  This episode has Kirk representing humanity at it's most primal and at it's best.  

The Metron takes on a human form to discuss what was just witnessed between Kirkand the Gorn.

The Metron is a twink, I think?

METRON: By sparing your helpless enemy who surely would have destroyed you, you demonstrated the advanced trait of mercy, something we hardly expected. We feel there may be hope for your kind. Therefore, you will not be destroyed. It would not be civilised.

KIRK: What happened to the Gorn?

METRON: I sent him back to his ship. If you like, I shall destroy him for you.

KIRK: No. That won't be necessary. We can talk. Maybe reach an agreement.

Or a memorandum of understanding, maybe?

Anyway, there's been some consternation among Trekkers about retconning the Gorn as the big bad in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. And how to explain how Kirk's Enterprise crew are unfamiliar with them.  

In the ST:SNW 3rd season episode "Terrarium", the Metron show up to provide a deux ex machina solution by providing a literal retcon of everyone's memories of the Gorn.  

Well, that's a solution.  Not saying it's a good solution.  

The best solution was for ST:SNW not to have used the Gorn in the first place.   

Here is a clip where William Shatner fights the Gorn... again.

This post has gone on a bit and I'm pushing my luck but I'm a gonna sneek in a 4th episde and bring today's post in for a landing with "Space Seed".  

I'm including this episode among my selection for it's noteriety as the impetus for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn.  

I understand the appeal of this episode to the fandom but it's not one of my personal favorites.  

The Enterprise comes across a derilict ship named the Botany Bay. It's from the late 20th century, from the time of the Eugenics Wars.  

So we get some historical background on Star Trek mythology.  And in the 1960's, something to look forward to

KIRK: Oh, I'll need somebody familiar with the late 20th-Century Earth. Here's a chance for that historian to do something for a change. What's her name? McIvers?

SPOCK: Lieutenant McGivers.

Consider Lt. Marla McGivers, a 20th century Earth historian on a deep space mission on the USS Enterprise. Why? 

Because the plot needs her to be?

The crew have revived Khan Noonien Singh, played by RIcardo Montabahn.  After years, centuries in suspended animation, Khan immediately adopts a superior attitude towards Kirk and his crew. He may be from the 20th century but he is quickly assessing life in the 23rd century including it's advanced technology and the men and women of this time.

Especially the women. 

Poor Marla is not well served by this story, an alleged professional person and Starfleet officer who goes weak and wobbly in the knees at the sight of a genetically enhanced 20th century slab of a mucular masculine manly man-man.

Follow this encounter between Marla and Khan in his quarters.

MARLA:  I don't know if you're going to like living in our time.

KHAN: Then I'll have to remold it to my liking.

(Embraces her)

MARLA: Please don't.

(Pushes her away.)

KHAN: Go. Or stay. But do it because it is what you wish to do. Well?

MARLA: I'll stay a little longer.

KHAN: How many minutes do you graciously offer?

MARLA: I only meant

KHAN: This grows tiresome. You must now ask to stay.

MARLA: I'd like to stay. Please.

(He takes her hand, then forces her down onto her knees.)

KHAN: Open your heart. Will you open your heart?

MARLA: Yes.

KHAN: I intend to take this ship. Do you agree?

MARLA: Oh, please don't ask me

KHAN: I need your help.

MARLA: You won't harm anyone?

KHAN: Now you question me?

MARLA: No.

KHAN: Will you assist me?

MARLA: Oh, please, Khan, don't ask me

KHAN: Leave me then. Go, I say.

MARLA: No. I promise. I'll do anything you ask.

Well, that didn't take long for Lt. Marla McGivers, professional person and Starfleet officer, to submit to a BDSM relationship with this guy she just met.

I would like to say that Marla is an outlier in the Star Trek world but over the course of it's 3 seasons on the air, women were frequently objectified and diminished.  

There was a 3rd season episode ("The Lights Of Zetar") where the men keep referring to the guest female character as "the girl". 

Anyway, back to this episode, the Enterprise crew helpfully carry a variety of idiot balls while Khan and his crew (along with Marla) take over the ship.

When it looks like Khan is about to kill Kirk, Marla has a change of heart and helps Kirk take back the ship.

The episoode ends with a tribunal to decide the fate of Khan and his followers as well as Lt. Marla McGivers.

KIRK: Mister Spock, our heading takes us near the Ceti Alpha star system.

SPOCK: Quite correct, Captain. Planet number five there is habitable, although a bit savage, somewhat inhospitable.

KIRK: But no more than Australia's Botany Bay colony was at the beginning. Those men went on to tame a continent, Mister Khan. Can you tame a world?

KHAN: Have you ever read Milton, Captain?

KIRK: Yes. I understand. Lieutenant Marla McGivers. Given a choice of court martial or accompanying them there.

KHAN: (gazing into her eyes) It will be difficult. A struggle at first even to stay alive, to find food.

(Take the hint, girlfriend! He's trying to tell you that if you go with him, you're gonna die.)  

MARLA: I'll go with him, sir.

(As we will find out in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, yep, she died.)  

KHAN: A superior woman. I will take her. 

("I will take her"?  Geez, this guy! C'mon, Marla, take the goddam hint!)  

KHAN: And I've gotten something else I wanted. A world to win, an empire to build.

KIRK: This hearing is closed.

(Khan and McGivers are escorted out.)

SCOTT: It's a shame for a good Scotsman to admit it, but I'm not up on Milton.

KIRK: The statement Lucifer made when he fell into the pit. 'It is better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.'

All in all, "Space Seed" is a memorable episode but not necesarily for good reasons.

Lt. Marla McGivers deserved better.  

So that is that for this week.

Next week I will finish out my look back at season one of Star Trek. 

Movie Time: Road to Perdition

Since tomorrow is Father's Day, today's movie post is about a father and son adventure.

In this case, adventure means a spree of bank robberies across the Great Depression mid-west as part of a mission of bloody vengeance.

It's... Movie Time! 

Released on July 12, 2002 it's Road to Perdition, a crime drama directed by Sam Mendes and written by David Self, based on the first volume of the DC Comics graphic novel series of the same name by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner. 

The movie stars Tom Hanks who is backed up by some serious heavy hitter acting talent:

• Jude Law
• Jennifer Jason Leigh
• Stanley Tucci
• Daniel Craig
• and in his final live-action theatrical film role, Paul Newman.

The place: Rock lsland, Illinois.  

The year: 1931  

Meet Michael Sullivan Sr., a brutal and effective enforcer for Irish Mob boss John Rooney.  Rooney adopted Sullivan when he was an orphaned young boy and loves him more than he does his own biological son, the brash and irresponsible Connor.

12 year old Mike Jr, curious about what his dad does for a living, sneaks into the back of Sullivan's car. Rooney has sent Sullivan and Connor to deal with Finn McGovern, an associate who has been causing Rooney some trouble.

Sullivan figures to rough McGovern up a bit and set him straight on not fucking things up for the mob boss.

Hair trigger Connor elects a more permanent solution and shoots McGovern. Sullivan mows down all the witnesses in self defense.

Mike Jr sees the whole thing.  Finding out, Sullivan swears his son to secrecy.

Connor, anxious and afraid for his role in killing McGovern, plots to remove the only person who knows what he did. 

Rooney sends Sullivan to collect a debt from Tony Calvino. Connor has set up Calvino by sending him a letter: "Kill Sullivan and all debts are paid".

Sullivan is faster than Calvino and kills the man and his bodyguard.  

Fearing the worst, Sullivan rushes home to find his wife Ann and their younger son Pete have been murdered by Connor.  Only Mike Jr. escaped being killed due to arriving home late from school.   

Sullivan and Mike Jr flee Rock Island and head to Chicago to meet mobster Frank Nitti. Sullivan offers to work for the Chicago Outfit in exchange for permission to kill Connor. 

Nitti rejects his offer and advises Sullivan against seeking revenge. 

Rooney, knowing what Connor did and what Sullivan is going to do, reluctantly allows freelance killer Harlen Maguire to be sent out to kill Sullivan. 

Just barely staying ahead of the persistent Maguire, Sullivan and son take up bank robbing, specifically the banks holding money for the Chicago Outfit.  Sullivan has taught his 12 year old son how to drive so he can be the getaway driver. 

What follows for the rest of the movie is a downward spiral of violence as Sullivan relentlessly draws the noose around Connor tighter and tighter even as Maguire stays on Sullivan's trail.  

SPOILER: this will not end well for anyone in this movie.

BUT WAIT! Micheal Sullivan Sr. is played by Tom Hanks. Surely he's gonna be OK, right?

Assume nothing.

SPOILER: this will not end well for anyone in this movie.

SPOILER on a SPOILER: the kid will be OK.  Mike Jr. will survive.

Speaking of the kid....

Michael Sullivan Jr. is played by Tyler Hoechlin.

Yep, that Tyler Hoechlin who will grow up to play Superman on CW shows like Supergirl and Superman & Lois.

So the nicest guy in Hollywood, Tom Hanks, is a mob enforcer? The same Tom Hanks who will one day play the gentile and kind Fred Rogers? That guy?

Yeah but it works. Hanks' Micheal Sullivan Sr takes no joy at killing people, only the grim satisfaction that people who needed killing have been killed. It's his job. 

Even when the stakes become personal, Sullivan pursues is quest for vengeance with methotical precision of someone at work. Someone has hurt him. He will hurt them back.  A simple equation.

Road to Perdition certainly looks good, stylishly directed by Sam Mendes and gorgeous cinematography by Conrad L. Hall who would go on to win a posthumous Oscar for his work on this film.   

Road to Perdition is evocative of film noir classics in it's look, it's story and a slate of solid performances from a very strong cast. Jude Law is very creepy as the relentless Maguire. Daniel Craig's Connor is a jangle of nerves and tics.  And you can feel the weight of the world in Paul Newman's performance as Rooney, forced to choose his immoral son by blood over the more solid son by choice, Sullivan. 

And Tom Hanks portray's Sullivan with a grim determination to continue and complete his quest but the pain of his loss never far from the surface. And his love for his son and his desire to ultimately save Mike Jr. from his path, this way of life.    

Road to Perdition is a very strong and emotionally compelling film. It will make you sad.  A life of crime is not pretty or easy and ultimately, it does not pay.

But Mike Jr's narration at the end does provide hope for the future.  The son will not remember Michael Sullivan Sr. as a killer, as a gangster.

He will remember Michael Sullivan Sr. as his father. 

Your Friday Video Link: Cover Story with the Cranberries and the Dum Dum Girls

This week's edition of Your Friday Video Link features a couple of songs that are in heavy rotation on my song list.

How have I gone 27 years without knowing this kick ass performance existed?

From a show in Paris in 1999, the Cranberries cover Fleetwood Mac's "You Can Go Your Own Way".

It's sadder than sad that Dolores O'Riordan is no longer with us.

Next up is the Dum Dum Girls who have my attentiion when I'm not listening to Metric.

"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" was originally performed by Smiths, written by their guitarist Johnny Marr and lead vocalist Morrissey.

But the version I discovered first and still like the best is by the Dum Dum Girls.

They did not shoot a video for this song so here's a lyric video.

There are some really weird lyrics in this song about how nice it would be to be killed by a truck or a bus, as long as you're with the one you love.

And that is that for this week's Your Friday Video Link.

Tomorrow, we're back with Movie Time. With Tom Hanks back in theaters as Woody in Toy Story 5, it seems like a good time to look back at a forgotten Tom Hanks classic where he plays a 1930's gangster.

And we're back on Sunday with more Star Trek stuff.

Until next time, remember to be good to one another.

Comic Book Retro Spotlight: Brave & The Bold#124

When I first began doing these blog posts looking back at comics I bought 50 years ago, I was only doing them every other month so I missed some stuff I bought back when I was a  kid and would've liked to write about.

So I'm going to go back more than 50 years to post about certain books I overlooked in previous posts.

Starting with Brave & The Bold#124 from October 1975, "Small War of the Super Rifles" by writer Bob Haney, artist Jim Aparo and editor Murray Boltinioff.  

The issue co-stars Batman and Sgt. Rock.... along with writer Bob Haney, artist Jim Aparo and editor Murray Boltinoff. 

Say what now? 

Brave & The Bold#124 is one really weird comic. 

And it starts right on the cover.

A hooded gunman threatens Jim Aparo to draw Batman and Sgt. Rock getting killed?

What's that all about?

Let's find out. 

When trying to track down a group of terrorists call The Thousand, Batman finds that they are using a new kind of high power automatic rifle. 

The Batman's investigation of The Thousand crosses paths with Sgt. Rock who is also on their trail.  Seems the terrorists got their hads on the M-76, a top secret super rifle developed by the U.S. military.

Some background: Sgt. Rock was the premier star of DC's war comics. Along with the Unknown Soldier, the Haunted Tank, the Losers and others, Sgt. Rock and his combat happy joes of Easy Company fought Nazis in World War II.

Rock and Easy Company were part of G.I. Robot's back story the DC animated series, Creature Commandos. 

Just as Marvel's Nick Fury went from WWII Nazi bashing to modern day Commie crushing super spy, DC tried to transform Sgt. Rock into a modern day spy guy.  

While Batman and Sgt. Rock ponder their next move, let's check in with another of this issue's guest stars...

Artist Jim Aparo?  

Jim Aparo manages to escape from the terrorists.  He checks in with writer Bob Haney and editor Murray Boltinoff who feed him the script.  

Jim Aparo hides out in a friend's lighthouse to continue drawing the story to keep Batman & Rock on the trail of the Thousand and out of danger.   

The Thousand are hot on Jim Aparo's trail.  And now Bob and Murray are in danger.  

Who knew making comics books was such dangerous work?

Meanwhile Batman and Sgt. Rock continue their quest to stop the Thousand and recover the stolen super rifles, unaware of the omniscient pencil of fate that guides them on their way.

And RESULT! Batman and Rock defeat the terrorists.

And save Jim Aparo's life who in turn assures them of their victory as he finishes drawing their story.

OK, did any of THAT make sense?

So are Batman and Sgt. Rock merely pawns to the machinations of Bob Hanety, Jim Aparo and Murray Boltinoff?

What about the Thousand? How are they able to act independly of these artistic creators?  

Are Bob, Jim and Murray...  gods?

Am I thinking about this too much?

When Cary Bates and Elliott S! Maggin encountered the Justice League and the Justice Society, there were some fundemental rules involving a multiverse of differernt Earths to make sense of things.  

There are NO such answers to be found in whatever Bob Haney was writing in Brave & The Bold#124.  Which was par for the course of Haney who never let a silly little thing like logic get in the way of an idea.  

The plot machination of Bob, Jim and Murray actively guiding our heroes is such utter nonsense.  But it does elevate a somewhat pedestrian tale of Batman & <insert guest star> fighting a <insert criminal organization>.

Which is why Brave & The Bold#124 is a weird but fondly recalled comic book memory.

Self caricature of Jim Aparo

Next week, Comic Book Retro 50 journeys back to June 1976.

What comic books did a young Dave-El purchase that month? 

Quietly Invaded By Rabbit

I've noticed a lot of headlines online using the word "quietly".

• CBS quietly cancels 4 shows.
• Trump administration quietly outlaws widows and orphans.
• Gen Z quietly moves 1.5 inches to the left on the sofa.

Ostensibly, the use of the word "quietly" is intended to be shorthand that a person or entity did something without any public statement or announcement.  

But it does seem to me that the word "quietly" seems a bit overused.  

I've seen articles with the word "quietly" in the title and the post tells me nothing I didn't already know.  

This can be attributed to AI generated bullshit.

Because "quietly" has sometimes been paired with verbs like "launched", "changed", or "updated" in thousands of corporate press releases, Large Language Models (LLMs) assume the word needs to be included.  

The frequent use of the word "quietly" is often considered a hallmark of AI-generated content or generic internet "slop". 

At least, that's what Google's AI Overview has to say about it.

AI is confessing to it's own sins.

Anyway, the title for today' post is "Quietly Invaded By Rabbit".

This is NOT an AI generated post.

There is indeed a rabbit.

The rabbit has indeed invaded our front lawn.  

And the rabbit makes NO noise so it is indeed invading us quietly..    

The remarkable thing about this rabbit is how close I can get without it running away.  

These photos are not me zooming in from the front porch several feet away.

These photos are with me standing right by the rabbit. Close enough where most rabbits will normally skitter away. 

This rabbit just sits there.

It stares at me.

It does not fear me.

It's sitting there.... MENACINGLY! 

I see it in the rabbit's eyes.

It is I who should fear the rabbit.

I quietly go back inside.