Working the land

It's hard work, but it's honest work. Tilling the land, bringing forth life, harvesting and sharing in the bounty that is God's Green Earth.

Also, here's a picture of weed from the 70's that someone thought was awesome enough to photograph:

Seeds and stems. Wouldn't fly with today's sophisticated pot smoker.

Joyce

Joyce.




Funny album covers is a particularly target rich subject, so I shan't overdwell on the matter, but I love this one specifically for the perfect distallation of a late 70's/early 80's fashion. The perm. Especially the perm. The big glasses, big earrings, terrible clothes and colors, and just utter lack of taste. It's marvelous. What the hell were people thinking?

OBOT

I've become a single issue voter these days: Stop Republicans. The man best in position to do that is Barack Obama, so I support him 100%. As should any good person. And so I don't ever feel the need to debate this policy or that, or whatever revelation that comes out, in fact, I don't question BHO in the least regard while I still hold him sincere and good. Is he, sincere and good? Yes, unequivocally. Disagree with his policies if you must, be at least respect him as sincere and out for the common good.

Is that hypocritical of me? I accuse Republican followers of the same mindless following of their political leaders. But, their leaders are actual evil and are actively doing harm to our country. So, there's a difference! You see?

The first one is OUTRAGEOUS! Literally, it was a "news" story on Fox and Allies. The second picture of course, buried deep in some obscure archive. Who cares?!

The Republican mind at work today, so beware. Even fair seeming or even nice Republicans must support this evil, if they are Republicans.

But let us not end in negativity! Choom Gang, bring it home.

Barry Obama, All American Golden Child. Suck it, Wingnuts.

In an other world

Once upon a time there was a strange place named Rhodesia, and they had a fabulous army.

Which was used of course to suppress the majority black population from thoughts of self rule. Brutally, as such things go, even with such slick 70's fashions and hairstyles.

Also too:

Apparently, babies with guns/grenades/etc is a thing on the Internet. Don't look it up unless you want to be further appalled by humanity.

iClothes

So, I guess this was a thing?

Ah, the 1980's. In retrospect, not that far removed from the late 60's/early 70's, thus, the weird fashions. Hippie sensibility fused with Mall culture.

Who the hell would wear computer clothes in the 80's? No one, I assume, except these models and a few fat proto-nerds. I'd rock a "Wang" T-Shirt, though, I suppose.

Be pretty Hipster to wear some of these Apple clothes today, walking into an Apple store, rocking the Genius Bar.

Eat my okra

Sanford and Son is a really fun show - if you haven't seen it in a while, or ever, go find it. So much 70's.

Speaking of fashion disasters - white socks with black shoes is a recognized no-no. But you see what this gent thinks of that!

In the Shadow of Nam

Vietnam put a real dent in the American War Machine, and this, coupled with Civil Rights, was the crisis of the 60's/70's, which translated into the snap back of the Wingnuts, with St. Ronnie leading the charge.

Starting with the LIBERATION of Grenada, bringing FREEDOM to this important nation. Baby war steps, really. Vietnam took the piss out of US, then throw in the OPEC embargo and the Iranian hostage situation, and America was ready for some Olde Tyme Isolationism. But St. Ronnie made sure that didn't happen with an unprecedented peace time military build up. Leading to

The LIBERATION of Panama, bringing FREEDOM to this important nation. A bigger engagement than Grenada, and a near flawless victory. Big boy steps! So, why the hell not?

The LIBERATION of Kuwait, bringing FREEDOM to this important nation. America got the neighborhood all together and everyone took care of that mean old So Damn Insane (Saddam Hussein). Another near flawless victory, and this one on a yet much bigger scale still. Looks like Vietnam Syndrome is cured! But still, like a teenager, tentative forays into the adult world

Serbia Bosnia Kosovo Yugoslavia and all that - Jeebers! What a confusing assortment of insignificant nations LIBERATED by the USA, as usual. LIBERATOR of the world, don't you know. W will prove it to you, for you see, we're cured of Vietnam Syndrome! War on!

Iraq 2 was not near as fun as Iraq 1, for most. A few had a grand old time, however. The Generals and the Money Men. Here's David Patraeus, stuck in a metaphorical sand trap, in no way signifying W.'s war.

Oh yeah Afghanistan too, I almost forget. Did we all not? I mean, everyone was for this war, but then Iraq happened and everyone was all about that and we all forgot about poor old Afghanistan. And it's true - poor, old, Afghanistan, once an actual nation, now ground to dust. And since Obama, of course, all our soldiers have turned gay

Thanks, Obama. And we're pulling out, again. EGADS! Come end of 2013 America will not be engaged in any wars! What ever shall we do?!

Have a great Summer!

Choom Gang, represent.

Also, is that a beer bottle in the center of the bottom photo? Also too - I love "Yearbook" font.

Also, as well: This is the worst day of the year. DST ends. Sunset for me today was at 4:30 PM. Ug. And there's still daylight to lose till we rebound. Summer, how I miss you.

Dinnertimin'

From the "Holier than Thou" file: I have not eaten at a McDonald's in approximately 16 years. Vegetarian, you see. However, I have gone into McDonald's to use the bathroom on trips, and I can vouch for the "don't have to get dressed up" claim. Functioning, hoseable mumus seems sufficient these days. At a minimum.

But look at these folk's style! That's not dressing up? That's a casual look? Damn, I miss the 70's, when even dressing down was stylish.

Super Fun Happy Time!

Yay!

Also:

Don't do what little Donny does.

Finnish Fashion

Some Finnish hipster kids. From a Finnish fashion blog, here. Enjoy!

To belabor the rant, let me make some superficial judgments: These kids have their own mobile phones, they play video games a good portion of the day, they chat, they text, they watch a lot of tv. What are the odds they're whiny brats? Or will grow up to be selfish jerks? Since their Finnish, perhaps less than were these lads American, but the odds lean that way. In my opinion!

How can these kid's lifestyles compare to the lives of the kids in the post below? Not much. And so you see - OBJECTIVELY - how the kids these days (since 1945 or so) are taking this world to Heck in a Hand Basket, and all the Old Coots are right: These young whipper snappers are ruining everything!

Don't get me wrong - I grew up in front of the tv and had one of the first Atari home game systems - Pong ruled, dawg. I'm fully immersed in the generations undergoing this transformative shift. I'm just a hypocritical fossil and like to Lament shit. But I'm up front about it.  My generation sucks, as does my Fathers, and I'm sure the generations to come will suck just as much. We all suck!

Other fictional ships of my youth

My first fictional love. I had all kinds of wild daydreams about sailing off into deep space, visiting strange planet after bizarre anomaly. When my last Grandmother - Gen - died, my Aunt (her Daughter) sent me a bunch of stuff from my youth she had collected. One piece was an 8 by 11 drawing of the Enterprise in battle, fighting off the Klingons. It was rather elaborate, and remarkable, for it was signed, Redshirt, Age 4. I've been a Trekkie a long time, though I have given up practicing, the last 3-5 years of Trek so terrible I just couldn't stand it anymore. Sigh! I wasn't the biggest fan of the latest movie, though it was alright, and leagues better than the atrocious Trek of the years before.

I remember drawing space battle after space battle throughout my youth, featuring not just the Enterprise, but other ships. The Yamato:

An awesome show. At least as I remember it. Though I now question why anyone would have a spaceship look like a navy Destroyer.

From the truly excellent "Space:1999". Which, LOL! Yeah, right, in 1999 we were still talking about Slick Willie's Willy. And to be honest, I don't think we really partied like it was 1999 either. We failed you, Prince!
Also?

Next time you watch the original, and best, Star Wars, note the discrepancy between Luke and Leia's behavior. Leia watched her homeworld get incinerated, everyone upon it dying. Luke watched a guy he met a few days earlier disappear. And yet the entire second half of SW is spent focusing on Luke's loss and how he deals with it - and not the loss of Owen and Beru, either, his adoptive parents for his entire life. Just the old hermit dude. Whereas Leia's loss is not mentioned again.

I blame the Force.  For this too:

We only got to see one Ewok die in ROTJ, and here's his action figure. Realistically, a shitload of Ewoks should have bit it that glorious day. But the movie would have you believe it was cuddly teddy bears defeating the finest legion of the Emperor's Guard, with but one loss. Lucas! I posit he'd already lost his "vision" by ROTJ. For any complaint you would level against the second trilogy, and there are many (though I enjoy it overall), look back to ROTJ and see if the same complaint doesn't stand. I bet it does.

Thus, the lesson: Success breeds complacency. Therefore, never be successful.

Space Dream (1975)

Another amazing shot by an amazing astronomical photographer Henry Legault, taken from the Earth. Consider the tracking issues in getting this clear of a shot - the first detailed pic of the ISS from Earth. But that's not my point.

Which is? The ISS is something of a farce, and perhaps only good for the international collaboration it fosters, some basic science, and some technological advances. But other than that, it really doesn't do much other than maintain a human presence in space. But for why? There's no other point, other than to do it. Which I can dig, mind you, but it can't last. The money is too much, the payoff not enough, and the climate here on Earth turning against big costly science projects, without profit. It's all about profits, remember?

Thus I predict the ISS lasts only 10 more years, max - maybe only 5 - before it crashes into the ocean, little gained other than some footnotes in history.

And without some big leap forward, that will be it. The end of humanity in space (unless China saves the day). It's depressing! Since I was raised in the fervor that was Apollo and a widespread belief we'd all be living on the Moon by the year 2000 and all the Solar System would be ours for exploration and colonization. Because isn't that the point of our entire species, of Life itself: To Spread? And surely, from a genetic standpoint, THE most important thing we could ever do is to establish a permanent human colony in space. One that is self sufficient and can grow and develop.

And so I give you a glimpse of a forgotten dream, back when Space itself was to be our Oyster: 1975, from a NASA study of space colonies capable of housing at least 10,000 people.

Two versions of the design, each spinning around enough to create gravity in the central structure and the environments on them.

Groovy and awesome, right? It's 1975! Everything's groovy and awesome. I love the architecture in all these drawings. What's even cooler, the mechanics behind this concept is pretty basic, if obviously massive. But even that can be solved: The idea is you capture an asteroid and tow it to the L4 or L5 Lagrange points, as shown here:

L4 and L5 are basically stable, in that an object there will not move much unless impacted by something else. And so there you have your big iron asteroid and around it you build a space factory - big project, but doable. And from this factory you fashion as much metal as you want to meld into massive space ships. Eventually, you've got colony space ships that can last as long as they are lucky enough to last - which could be a long time. Keep building them and soon enough you are practically guaranteeing humanity will survive no matter what happens.

Debate the merits of that, for they are rich. But I'd hazard we could begin building these ships right now if  - IF - all of humanity stopped spending money on armies and navies and missiles and bombs and so on, and instead spent that money getting this project going - a project that would benefit everyone on Earth and in fact every human that has ever lived or ever will live. Doesn't get much bigger and more important than that, does it?

Yeah, right.

The Same Sun

Back when America dreamed big. Conquer the sky and the stars was all - once that proved irrelevant, you'll note, the funds towards Space dried right up. Politics at play, alas - everyone hates politics, and yet, it goes on. Odd!

The shuttle is on the left, the ISS on the right. The big yellow thing in the background is the Sun, our star and protector of Life. That star - that concentration of fusion bound by gravity - pours forth all the Power we'll ever need, whether it's rays on the solar panels of the ISS or the orange sunset from the mountains on planet Earth, the sun is all we need and all we'll ever get. So enjoy.

Favorite Button

I like buttons. I'm sure you do too - they do so much. Can you imagine a world without buttons? Dreadful!

"Random" is my favorite button - as in on the oldest of the CD players where "Random" was introduced, along with the multi disc changer, and suddenly a new world of music was born.

I like the "Back" button too. But also high on the list is the BIG RED BUTTON. You know shit's goin' down when you hit the BRB.  Like an attack by a power-gloved smug 80's cool kid:

Many kids could not handle the massive electrical charges. You needed to be super cool to don the glove. Speaking of historical toys:

Made in America baby! My Uncle had one of these back in the day, and he had a kitten named Bobby Kenevel that loved to chase it, smashing headfirst into the hallway wall over and over and over. The kitten didn't last long. Daredevils seldom do.

Except maybe in Robot Donut Land, where everything, always, turns out awesome.