Roy Moore Should Be No More

 

This one's obviously more serious than the others I've drawn. Darker, too.

When Destruction Means Nothing

VERSE 1

You won a debate while sipping caramel coffee

Chugged the whole thing without even coughing

You could have won with duct tape on your mouth

Whether you were in Seattle or in the Deep South

Everyone says you destroyed your opponent

But you’ve forgotten one little minor component

Nobody changed their minds after it was all over

Couldn’t be more pissed off if traffic was slower

CHORUS

Destruction means nothing at all

Still breathing, they didn’t fall

When destruction means nothing

The world just keeps on sucking

VERSE 2

You say the best solution is to meet in the middle

Every time some murderer receives an acquittal

Every time a loved one drops dead from Corona

Every time that ICE deports a Jose or a Paloma

The middle of what? A bloody battleground?

An internet brouhaha with dug up Tweets found?

Can’t shake someone’s hand if they’re holding a gun

Especially if they must insist that their side really won

CHORUS

Destruction means nothing at all

Still breathing, they didn’t fall

When destruction means nothing

The world just keeps on sucking

BRIDGE

People only change if they want to do it

At some point you have to say, “Screw it!”

Some people are just stuck in their ways

Especially if their rhetoric heftily pays

VERSE 3

Murdered by words? They’re still sucking oxygen

It could be because they’re seeing a psychologist

Don’t be so open-minded that your brain falls out

Don’t choke on your tongue when it’s time to shout

CHORUS

Destruction means nothing at all

Still breathing, they didn’t fall

When destruction means nothing

The world just keeps on sucking

FINAL LINE

Destruction doesn’t mean jack shit, little man

"Stuck Rubber Baby" by Howard Cruse

BOOK TITLE: Stuck Rubber Baby

AUTHOR: Howard Cruse

YEAR: 1995

GENRE: Graphic Novel

SUBGENRE: LGBT Fiction

GRADE: Extra Credit

Closeted gay man Toland Polk is caught in the crossfire of the civil rights era in America’s bible belt. Minorities are being killed, buildings are being bombed, the police use excessive force, and the politicians are content to just let it all happen. Being himself is something Toland struggles with throughout this graphic novel, considering the violent consequences of his sexual preference. When he starts making friends with the black and gay communities, he eventually has to let his guard down and give into his individuality. That includes trying to have a painless breakup with his folk singer girlfriend Ginger.

What’s important to me about this graphic novel is how much it echoes today’s American society despite this piece of fiction taking place in the 1960’s. Racism and homophobia never went away. In fact, with Donald Trump as president and his bigoted rhetoric emboldening his supporters into doing heinous things to minorities, the hatefulness is alive and well. It always has been. Stuck Rubber Baby is a call for the world to come together and love each other despite the violent opposition. Hate begets more hate, but love conquers everything. It’s the acts of love Toland experiences from the true friends he has that eventually bring him out of the closet.

Another thing the reader will notice is the pacing of this book. Yes, graphic novels and comic books are usually easy to blow through in about five minutes or less, but that’s not the case with Stuck Rubber Baby. In fact, the pacing encourages the reader to slow down and really think about what’s being said. There’s quite a bit of important content to mull over whether it’s the acts of violence against minorities or the love and fellowship between those who need it the most. When someone dies in this book, you have no choice but to give a damn about it.

Speaking of people to give a damn about, this graphic novel is filled to the brim with characters the reader can root for. Of course, Toland Polk is the odds on favorite as we cheer for him to find the love and acceptance he deserves in the midst of all of this destruction. Ginger is a songstress that can bring out the butterflies in everyone’s tummies and the tears in their eyes. Sammy is as wild and free-spirited as they come, which is what makes seeing him angry and depressed a vicarious experience times ten. Harland Pepper is an endless well of wisdom when he encourages his fellow protesters to use peaceful tactics rather than incite more violence. There are plenty more characters that will tear your heartstrings out, even more so when some of them get beaten and murdered. The murders are frequent, but it’s not a case of darkness-induced apathy. Not in the least.

Stuck Rubber Baby is a wakeup call to the whole world when it comes to peace, love, and unity. Without those three things, history will repeat itself over and over again like it normally does. This graphic novel is sure to drag its readers kicking and screaming over to the left wing. If you’re already there, then you have even more power to change the world for the better. An extra credit grade goes to this beautifully written story with more powerful moments than I care to count.

"So Long" by Saliva

It seems as though every time I write a blog entry about one of my favorite songs, there are several recurring themes: regret, loss of friendship, trauma, loneliness, depression, anger, madness, god knows what else. It would appear this entry about “So Long” by Saliva is more of the same. I listened to this song a lot in college because it was there to comfort me when I was lonely. Nobody to come visit me in my dorm, no family to be around, no animals to take care of, just me and the soothing vocals of Josey Scott, who’s normally known for being a badass redneck on the microphone. He and Saliva write this one song together and the waterworks are almost there once again.

You’ve been reading my blog for a long time and I appreciate that. But I sense you’re getting tired of the constant themes of sadness and anger. It feels monotonous. If it ever does feel that way to you, it’s because my life is monotonous. I wake up, put my time in on the computer, go shopping, and go back to bed. Rinse, lather, repeat. Rinse, lather, repeat. Nothing changes. I could make some changes myself if I wanted to. I could stop being afraid of the consequences of stress. I could take driving lessons and not be dependent on others. I could get a part time job doing something I actually enjoy. While there are forces in place that keep me from changing my life, most if it is because I’m afraid of being stressed out to where I can’t take it anymore.

“Pushing forward in reverse, it gets better then it gets worse, I’m tied for last place when you taught me to be first.” You know what that phrase means to me and my monotonous life? It means I have all of these creative skills and yet I don’t use them in a way that moves my life forward. Yeah, I can self-publish all the e-books I want. I can write as many blog entries as I want. I can draw all the cartoonish pictures I want. If nobody notices, I’m merely kidding myself when it comes to the American Dream coming true. My career is at a crossroads right now. I have both the fear of being noticed and not being noticed. One of these roads leads to boredom. The other could lead to humiliation and vilification.

“So long. When will I see you again? It’s been so long I don’t know where to begin.” That’s the question I pose to all of you right now. When will I see you again? What do I have to do to see you again? What could I possibly do for you that will grab your attention and never let go? Do you want to be showered in compliments? I can be sweet if you want me to. In fact, being sweet has gotten me to great heights in my life. The fact still remains it’s not enough to be a good person. Then again, if being a villain is what it takes to move my life forward, then I don’t want that either.

If you’re looking for a song to be there for you when you’re down, try “So Long” by Saliva. It won’t judge you. It may hurt for a little while, but then again, you’re already fucked up in the head anyways. You’ve probably gone insane from doing the same thing every day and expecting different results. That’s okay, I have too. Then again, I don’t know what about my game needs to change for things to happen. Should I be more open with the people I meet? Should I talk to people and hope at least one of those people has the keys to the kingdom? If I ever get those keys, what door do I have to unlock? If this ever feels like your own thought process, go to iTunes and get this song.

　

***MOVIE QUOTE OF THE DAY***

“If I’m curt with you, it’s because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast, and you guys had better act fast if you want to get yourselves out of this. So pretty please with sugar on top, clean the fucking car.”

-Winston Wolf from “Pulp Fiction”-

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

I spent my freshman year of high school in a little town called Chehalis, a hotbed of racism, bullying, and pretty much every other kind of ignorant behavior imaginable. This town desperately needed “To Kill a Mockingbird” as part of its English curriculum. Atticus Finch must defend a black prisoner named Tom Robinson wrongfully accused of raping a little girl. If he’s wrongfully accused, then he should be easy to get off the hook. Right? In Maycomb, Alabama, it’s not that simple. Racial prejudice and other forms of bigotry run rampant throughout the town, making it impossible for people to see that Tom Robinson is clearly innocent. Caught in the middle of this racial tension is the main character of the story Scout Finch and her older brother Jem. These two children actually have to grow up in this environment and learn the hard way of the dangers of racial injustice. With so much character development in this story coming from the two children, it’s no shock at all that this book won a Pulitzer Prize and that it’s required reading for pretty much every high school in the country. You know what is a shock? Certain groups of people were actually trying to get “To Kill a Mockingbird” pulled from library shelves because it uses the word “nigger” multiple times. Really? You’re going to censor a book for being realistic about the environment the characters live in? Maycomb, Alabama was not a pretty place to live in, especially if you were, (deep breath), black! You think the villains in this story are going to get away with calling Tom Robinson a “doo-doo head”? How about a “jerky-puss”? Or a “turtle nose”? G-rated insults simply don’t cut it in a world where innocence is shattered like glass. Because as it turns out, losing your innocence is something that everybody goes through in the real world whether they want to or not. Some people have an easier time with shedding it than others. It’s sad and unfortunate, but it is true. You think that if Tom Robinson was being called a “doo-doo head” that this book would have won a Pulitzer Prize? Bullshit! It wouldn’t even make it passed the printing press! Maybe there’s another reason why censorship addicts want this book pulled from libraries. Maybe it’s because they use the word “nigger” more often than the characters in this book! Just saying…

　

***POLITICAL QUOTE OF THE DAY***

“The only way the republicans would approve of abortion is if the father was black.”

-Bill Maher-