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Now That He's Screwed Us For the 58th Time...

Welcome to Hope n' Change 2.0!

In the face of a collapsing economy, rampant unemployment, and global instability, Barack Hussein Obama took office in 2008 promising Hope and Change. The "Hope" thing didn't really work out, but we got plenty of "Change" as everything got worse. And now, the jug-eared jackass has a second term.

That's why at Hope n' Change Cartoons, we're creating conservative smartaleckry to provide a little laughter in these strange times. Cartoons will probably be posted Monday and Wednesday, and definitely on Friday. Additionally, cartoons and graphics will be posted randomly on our Facebook page and Friday we'll add the week's postings right here to kick around in one of the greatest comments sections on the Web.Note: please feel free to repost our cartoons on your favorite blogs!

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Friday, November 16, 2012

In his first press conference in eight months, Barack Obama declared his intention to be an even better president in the future and announced his second term plans ("I'll do to job creators what Israel does to Hamas leaders"), which makes this an appropriate time for Hope n' Change Cartoons to announce our second term plans.

In a nutshell, it will be "Change...but still Hope."

The battle against Obama and for America must continue, and Hope n' Change isn't leaving the fight. But we do have to adjust to the "new normal," which is that Barry isn't going anywhere for the next four years other than the golf course and the occasional taxpayer-funded vacation.

This being the case, I need to start allocating more time to earning a living (something I've put on hold for the past few years) and burying gold in mayonnaise jars in hard to find places surrounded by tripwires and rabid squirrels. (Okay, I don't actually have any gold, but some of the squirrels in my yard look pretty dangerous.)

So here's the plan: as of today, Hope n' Change Cartoons will be published only on Friday - but that doesn't mean that Barry's indiscretions and screw-ups will get a free pass the rest of the week. Far from it!

Rather, whenever an idea hits me for a cartoon, graphic, or particularly snotty remark, I'll post it immediately on Facebook (which you can see at http://www.Facebook.com/HopeNChangeCartoons whether you're a Facebook member or not), and then I'll repost all of that material (and probably something fresh) for a "week in review" here every Friday, where we can continue to kick things around in the comments section.

This will free me to work not only on my personal and (hopefully) profitable ventures, but also give me additional time to think of interesting wrenches to throw into the gears of the Liberal machinery. I'm not sure what form those wrenches may take yet, but I'm convinced that it's important to create new, non-electoral forms of exercising power (in entirely legal ways) with which to beat the Lefties over the head. And I approach this challenge not only with enthusiasm, but a certain evil glee. "Bwah-ha-ha" is definitely going to be a bigger part of my vocabulary.

Finally, because I lack the eloquence (and frankly, telegenic good looks) of Bill Whittle, I ask you to take a few minutes to watch this video in which Mr. Whittle perfectly expresses not only our disappointment and anger with the election results, but our individual responsibility to keep fighting as others before us have fought in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

So I'll see you on Facebook whenever the mood hits, or see you right here next Friday.

Now get out there, hold your head high, and annoy a liberal! -Stilton Jarlsberg

88 comments:

Lets hope we are not defending an Alamo but even if we are I have a duty to stay. What ever trouble I have sleeping at night it won't be from ignoring this duty. I salute you Stilton and wish you the best of it luck in all your endeavors. Better than luck I pray God be with you in your ventures. I am grateful that we will still have your genius and wisdom to look, forward to if only occasionally.

@REM1875- Bill Whittle says much the same thing in that video I linked to: at this point, we must continue to fight if only to keep faith with those who have fought and sacrificed previously. Moreover, if we give up, then we lose the right to keep bitching (at that point, all we're doing is whining). That's not a right I'm willing to give up.

@Coon Tasty- I can't say yet whether there will be LESS Hope n' Change, I'm just saying that it will be less scheduled than before. Some days, because of my publishing schedule here, I'd spend hours and hours combing the news for a story which would lend itself well to the HnC treatment because I had to get something created. Those are the hours I'm hoping to reclaim and turn into revenue again.

@Stilton,Well, if you insist on doing such an outmoded and eccentric thing like trying to EARN a living, go for it.

I've decided to apply for housing assistance, food stamps, heating assistance, free phones, unemployment, and any other freebie I can get. I hope everyone does this to get the whole "fiscal cliff" thing over with sooner, then maybe Canada will take over and we'll have a less socialist government.

Seriously, you deserve a break from trying to post three times a week, but I'm really glad you're not completely hanging it up. I'm confident this bunch of cats can keep the conversation going the rest of the week, although we will end up completely off the subject of the Friday posting.

Now, I'm going to go out this weekend and buy a couple cases of Twinkies and HoHo's while I still can. Hats off to BO for making such a great business environment for companies like Hostess.

@Stilton: My best wishes for your endeavors and not to totally become John Galt. As mentioned and promised (???) I have cobbled together a web site to promote conversation and the exchange of ideas, won't be as humorous as yours, but maybe we can get some conversations going about how to make a change for the 2014 elections. Site: Grumpy Curmudgeon.

@Colby- Years ago, I found work drying up in my business (freelance writing) and only after living off my savings for 9 months or so decided to file for unemployment - for which, being self-employed, I'd always paid double the taxes.

But I was told that my payments would be based on my last two quarters of earnings, and since I hadn't earned anything - I wasn't worth anything. No cash for you!

In other words, the goverment - which had a clear record of the tens of thousands I'd given them for unemployment insurance - was punishing me for not taking assistance until I really needed it.

And by the way, buying buttloads of Twinkies might be a brilliant investment strategy right now in case no one buys the business - the remaining and dwindling supply will only skyrocket in value. It's gold with a creamy filling!

@SeaDog52- Please repost a link to your new site (the current one isn't working). By the way, if the police were told to be on the lookout for a grumpy curmudgeon, they'd pick me out of a crowd in a heartbeat.

@John Vecchio- I appreciate the thoughts, but you don't have to miss me, you just have to know when and where to look for me! Facebook (randomly), right here (Fridays), and Johnny Optimism (MWF).

And in truth, you're all getting more Hope n' Change than would otherwise have been the case: if Romney had won, it was my plan to only keep the cartoon going through his inauguration and then lock up and turn off the lights after a hard four years work.

So today's change to this website isn't a retreat - it's planting my flag and declaring that I intend to stand and fight.

@Sarah Rolph- I really hope this works out in a satisfactory way for everyone. It's a tough call in tough times, but together we can still continue to mock the jug-eared jackass in the Whitehouse and redouble our efforts to turn up the heat on the Left.

This morning I have nothing much to offer, so I will let Winston Churchill speak in my place...

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

As each day dawns I find less and less to cheer me through another day of service. I feel betrayed by my countrymen, the alleged leaders of my nation, and the dream that once was America. This has not, mind you, diminised in the least my fighting spirit and desire to see our Great Republic restored. I fully understand your need to place personal survival first and applaud your descission to remain steadfast to "We the People" following your blog. I remain, your faithful companion down this road fraught with peril.

"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

Geez, it's only been 10 days since the election and the bad news just continues to cascade down on us.

Seriously, Stilton, eating is overrated.

No, really seriously, I have a faint idea of how much time, effort, and talent it takes to produce something like Hope 'n Change. While you'll be missed on Mondays and Wednesdays, at least we all have something to look forward to on Fridays (besides, of course, the fact that it is Friday).

@Anonymous- Johnny Optimism is still rolling (so to speak) every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. With the political scene being what it is, it's all the more important for us to adopt Johnny's attitude of positive thinking, no matter how painful things get.

@Necron99- Goosebumps, sir! I have goosebumps!

@Pete D- Exactly right. With Johnny, I can just go visit his strange little world and take notes. Nothing is topical - anything funny is fair game. And spending time with Johnny actually makes me happy, which usually isn't the case when I'm dealing with the news.

But similarly, the new schedule here at Hope n' Change frees me up to do quick "one offs" like this one which wouldn't merit a fullblown editorial here, but I can put on Facebook. These are the sorts of things I'll collect for each Friday, so none us should go into withdrawal and we'll have plenty of talking points.

@It's No Gouda- Good idea! A lot of my client base supported the sonofagun, so I'm sure they'll pay the surcharge happily.

I will miss you on Mondays and Wednesdays. Sometimes your blog was what got me through the week. Now I guess I'll have to think of Hope N Change as a reward for making it through the week.I have to admit, I am looking forward to getting to know the cummergudgeon better, so I guess all is not lost.

@CenTexTim- Thanks for understanding. It takes a lot of time, and not just at the computer keyboard. Plus, some of the creative endeavors I want to get back to actually do odd things like make me happy and energize me (and occasionally earn money). So I'm definitely not surrendering - I'm just marshalling my strength so I can be a bigger pain in the butt to the Left for another four years!

When stocking up on Hostess products, don't forget the Choc-O-Diles! A chocolate-covered Twinkie sounds a bit excessive, but God help me, I LOVE 'em!

The worst part of the Hostess debacle is it will put not only the unionized workers out of work (well, they have done it to themselves if you ask me) but also the bakery thrift shop I go to will close. So it's not just the bakers, but all the thrift shop stores will go down the drain, too. Thanks, union "workers" for doing your part to kill LOTS of businesses! And it was SOOOOOOOO important to re-elect Barack Hussein, right?

@graylady- It's tough on my end, too, I assure you. But start making a habit of visiting JohnnyOptimism.com on Monday and Wednesday just to get a bitesized bit of my usual off-center humor, and then Friday we can all get caught up together!

@JustaJeepGuy- I loved it when we had a Hostess discount store nearby (though my waistline definitely doesn't need any chocolate-covered twinkies, no matter how marked down they are).

And pardon me if I don't cry a river for the union bakers who wouldn't accept an 8% annual decrease in wages: I've lost about 10% of my retirement funds in the ten days since Obama's reelction - and expect it to continue going downhill.

I keep looking for the upside. The main one I see is the "fiscal cliff", which we would have hit no matter who won the election. Yes, it's going to be painful. But the upside is that for the most part, it's going to be at least as painful for the hopeychangy people who honestly think things will get better under Obamanomics. College kids will continue to return to their parent's basements. Careers will be stalled for at least a decade. People in every sector will continue to lose their jobs, and those who manage to keep their will continue to be consumed by inflation. Perhaps that is what its going to take for the lesson to sink in.

On the other hand, as long as the Econ family remains healthy, I only have 13 more insurance payments to make until I can change from my "high deductible" plan, to my "really high deductible" plan under ObamaCare. That would be the one where I just go ahead and drop my insurance and pay the fine, which is a small fraction of what my insurance costs now. And if we get sick, we can just buy insurance then. It will be like a $10,000 raise; something that hasn't happened in the better part of a decade now. I'm happy to let others pay for Sandra Fluke's birth control and abortions.

@Stilton - I'm grateful and relieved that you're continuing this blog. I'll continue to check this site daily, just as I have in the past, because your followers will, I'm sure, continue to offer their insights (to which you will add yours, I presume) so that I expect your Friday post to continue to have fresh contributions right through to the next Friday post!

Just here - thanks for everything you've done SJ - the five, then the three, & now the one w/ surprise guests every now & again. I know you'll find an income - hope it's doing what you love to do.As for the rest of you - what a treat this has been. By the way, I had heard today, on Rush' Show, that "We The People" have a petition to Pres. O to take over the Hostess Company & then give it to the unions to run - much as they did with GM, etc. But the "We The People" group is none other than the White House - so it is the WH asking people to sign a petition imploring the WH to buy Hostess. And the country yawns. After the Bill Whittle video, I've become empowered to stay the course - if only for my love of country, for my father's service to this country in WWII as a signalman 1st Class (semaphore), to all who served before my time, & finally to all who serve & will continue to serve this great country.The storms, the struggle for those of us from NJ to get tough & make the much-needed recovery, & this election had taken a toll on my emotional state. I can say now, though, that although the return to "normal" will be long & hard, it is something I can actually imagine one day. So - hope does spring eternal!

@Irene Peduto,If ever you are down around Trenton, give me a shout. Stop by Wildflowers Bar on the Pennington Circle on Route 31 and ask Kelly or Shannon to call "Kuz" .I'm a fair to middlin' chef and when not depressed over the state of the Union, a failry funny guy.....no, really my Mom told me so!!Any friend of Stilt's is a friend o' mine.

Thanks for the comments from those who have visited Grumpy Curmudgeon, like I said, it's not to replace Hope-n-Change, but to dig a little deeper, flesh out some ideas, and generally kick around some liberal butt, at least verbally.

Re: Hostess, brings to mind years ago when NW Airlines had a maintenance unit that did airframe refurbs on their airliners. They did it so efficiently that other airlines contracted work to them. The mechanic's union decided it wanted an approx 200% raise, from $22+/hr to $42+/hr. The company said it couldn't meet that and still undercut the cost of the other airlines doing it in-house, so the union went on strike. The company shut down the facility and contracted the work to the other airlines that they had been doing work for. Fox News interviewed a number of mechanics that were now working a Walmart, Sams, Krogers, etc., that were blaming the company because they didn't have a job anymore. Another prime example of union leadership stupidity. PS: Before being promoted to management, I was a union steward, so I know both sides of the equation, and do I have stories about both sides.

Things do change, as life always does...I thought you were independently wealthy or something the amount of time I know goes into creative endeavors! I sure can't afford to crank out toons and peruse as you have. Good luck with your new path and thanks for all the efforts that are reflected with gratitude in the comments today!

@John the Econ- I haven't found any upsides yet, and believe me - I'm looking! Although if anyone has had trouble losing weight because of a Twinkie addiction, life just got better.

I have no frickin' idea where I'm at with Obamacare as far as it affects me personally. My private healthcare policy just got raised to over $20k a year (for a policy that sucks, for me, my wife and daughter). Part of the increase? Paying for the "free" services mandated by Obamacare for new customers but not OLD customers. So I get the bill and none of the service. And will I get governmental help paying my premiums (trust me, I could qualify)? Nope! Because Texas isn't setting up an "exchange," so I can't buy low-cost insurance, nor get credits toward paying. So basically, I'm hosed and not happy about it. Although if some of my money is going to keep little Sandra Flukes from being released on the world, I'm cool with that.

@Chuck- I'll probably be experimenting with the format. It might be possible for me to do the "random postings" HERE as well as Facebook - I just couldn't guarantee that I'd always make timely responses to comments if I did at all. But would folks find that preferable? I dunno - and opinions are welcome!

@WMD- I'd like to think that's the case, but as General Petraeus reminds us, guys aren't always picking their bedmates based on personality. Or logic.

@Irene Peduto- Very well said! And I hope the government does buy Hostess- I've always wondered what a $5,000 electric wind-powered Twinkie would look like...

More seriously, Whittle's right that we need to fight even harder now - even if in different ways than we've fought in the past. Not because we're guaranteed to win, but because we can at least guarantee that we never surrendered nor abandoned our posts.

@Queso Grande- I think we just chose the site of the First Annual Hope n' Change Social Club Celebration. First round of drinks is on me!

@SeaDog52- Labor unions had their time and place, but for the most part it's not here and not now. And I hope the Twinkie debacle may help wake some people up.

@PRY- I've never been independently wealthy, but have flirted with being independently solvent fairly successfully. My house is paid for, my 20 year old car is paid for, and I'm a cheapskate my nature - so bills have been controllable. But last year, I actually paid more in federal taxes (including social security and self-employment taxes) than my total net income. Sound impossible? It's not: it simply means I spent more on the costs of my business than I earned (reducing that net income), but still had to pay all of the self-employment taxes on the unreduced gross income. And that's just stupid.

Anyway, I'm not really striking out on a "new path" here: I'm simply working on my time management skills, creating more room for the personal (and happy/money making) ventures, while still fighting the good fight in the company of all your good folks!

ObamaCare will finish off the insurance industry faster than anyone realizes, especially when healthy people like you and I bail. (Private industry doesn't have a chance when their primary competition gets to literally print money) Obama gets a short-term win because we'll be paying the tax instead of buying private insurance, which he really doesn't want us doing anyway. When it all collapses, the Democrats will finally get their ultimate achievement, "single payer". The GOP will happily sign off on it.

Of course, once the government is totally in charge of our health care, we're all screwed; they'll literally have us by our balls.

The upside? I get to retire in my 50s, just like they do in Greece. To make up for what we used to pay for insurance, income taxes will be raised to make up the difference. Except, they can't possibly tax "the poor" with those kind of numbers. So income taxes will get even more progressive. And it won't make any sense to work any more than for poverty wages.

I'll now get my (albeit mediocre) medical care for "free", will work just enough to keep the lights on, all the while the youngsters who have nothing get the bill for it all.

@John the Econ- See, that's sort of a funny definition of an upside. Although at this point, I could get a small chuckle out of having any of medical expenses paid by the young Obama voters who think they just cast a ballot in favor of free stuff for themselves. Wake up and smell the Starbucks, you weenie little libtards!

@Irene Peduto- I can tell you this in an sincerity: there's no group of people on Earth that I'd rather get together with than the ones who meet here.

TGIF will now have an even greater meaning! Best of luck on all future endeavors. May God bless you and all of us as we strive to get through the next four years and beyond. May be never forget the country we once had, and may we work to get it back!

This will free me to work not only on my personal and (hopefully) profitable ventures,

I was kind of perplexed as to what kind of "profitable ventures" are possible under an Obama presidency. Then this item made me aware of the possibilities: scamming gullible Democrats for a $40 fee for a forgivable loan to pay overdue cell phone, electric bills, etc.

The company, My Bill Assist, offers people up to $1,500 in loans for rent, car payments, and utility and cellphone bills. Applicants have to pay only an application fee of $20 and a membership fee of $20 for the bill assistance program and wait for the check to show up. Some applicants were told they wouldn't even have to pay back the loan, which was to come from the federal government.

Word of the free money spread quickly in Milwaukee over the past three weeks, and applicants flocked to the company's location at 2821 N. 4th St. for appointments. Sharon Austin, a disabled and retired Milwaukee resident, was one of them.

"The word-of-mouth just spread it everywhere. I heard a lady say, 'Go get the $1,500! It's free money!' " said Austin, who later contacted the Journal Sentinel.

"At first we were told it was from President Obama, who had put up some funds for people who are having trouble with their bills..."

I see a vast market for this kind of thing (i.e, 47% of the population).

I just read an article from...somewhere...about Hostess and its troubles. All right, it isn't solely the unions' fault. Still, they've long since gone outside their proper functions. So have the management people. Paying someone $1.5 million per year when the company's floundering? Not wise! And these people are supposed to be professionals?

I'm glad you built this community, Stilton, where we can get together and blow off steam when things seem so out of control. I will miss your posts on Monday and Wednesday, but will have even more reason to look forward to Fridays!

@Cookie- I truthfully thought about "TGIF" before deciding that Friday is the easiest day for everyone to remember to head over here! And thank you for the well-expressed thoughts.

@alan markus- Wow, I hadn't event thought of victimizing the dolts on the Left. Now all I need to do is figure out how to do it in a legal-ish way...

@JustaJeepGuy- I'm sure that at Hostess there were plenty of problems to go around, but I'm still surprised that people wouldn't take a wage cut in this jobless economy.

@Necron99- I think I need to find a nice graphic version of "If you're going through Hell, keep going" to hang on my office wall. And I'm not kidding.

@David B Finlayson- Awesome? Wow, imagine how great I could be if I were cold sober! (grin)

@SusieBee- This is a great community, and the insights and experience of "the regulars" make this a much more robust site than I could ever do on my own. And of course, the friendship is the best part of all.

@John the Econ- You're quite right that "crime" is now more a matter of semantics and technicalities than actual moral wrongdoing - otherwise the entirety of Washington DC would be a federal prison by now.

I remember posting this months ago...but its proven very true, and thats sad... from a Prague newspaper...

The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their President.

@PRY- Yes yes yes yes yes. That's me agreeing with the editorial, by the way, and not the sound of General Petraeus's slut/mistress/spy at work.

@Red- Facebook is sort of a necessary evil (to me) in trying to spread material around the web. You can look at my timeline (with cartoons and such) WITHOUT logging on to Facebook or even being a member. That being said, this blog is - and will continue to be - home base.

@Queso Grande- "Galaxy Quest" is a movie that shouldn't be good, but really is. I think it may be time for me to watch it again...

Yeh, I really hated to see Petraeusget into hot water as he did after how faithfully he served his country...could happen to anyone though. I'm sure it was not a planned thing (on his part anyway), and I feel for his wife and family.

@Necron99- Although it seems mathematically impossible, I believe that way more than 50% of voters are below average.

@PRY- Well, it couldn't actually happen to anyone; just someone who didn't take a vow seriously enough. That's a problem in a husband AND a CIA chief.

@Anonymous- Cartoons "suitable for the whole family?" Would you like it if I had Barack Obama running around the neighborhood causing mischief (with a little dotted line showing where he's been) like in "Family Circus?"

I do try to keep a civil tongue in my mouth, but there's just something about anti-Americanism, the destruction of our economy, and dead ambassadors being used as political fodder that riles me up a bit.

Still, you've shared your honest opinion and for that I thank you and the horse you rode in on.

@Anonymous. Are you serious? Do you not know the meaning of satire? Did Swift actually advocate eating children when he wrote, "A Modest Proposal?" Satire is complex, layered, sometimes subtle, and often provocative. It is designed to get people to THINK. For the last four years we have endured the most devisive president in my 60 plus years of life. He is bankrupting this country and our children's moral, cultural, and fiscal future. As this country seems headed down the toilet we can only hope that Stilton uses whatever means necessary with his cartoons to wake people up. If you're offended by potty talk and can't summon the will to think about what's being said, just go away. If you were foolish enough to let children visit this site, then you're stupid. This isn't Sesame Street. People who post here are serious adults, talking about serious issues. And we are capable of respectful disagreement.

@Chuck. Thank you. But damn, I hate to misspell. (And I'm not sure how that's spelled.) When talking about Obama I should have spelled it "divisive". I was on a rant, and maybe meant "devious." Similar meanings?

@Earl- Thanks for the robust defense! I'm still a bit rocked on my heels that Anonymous thinks a blog about serious current events should be "family friendly." Those current events include the murder of four Americans in Libya (and the sodomizing of our ambassador's corpse), sexual dalliances, an out-of-control Justice Department responsible for rampant voter fraud and hundreds of "fast and furious" deaths in Mexico. The president's declaration to the world (echoed by our Secretary of State) that Freedom of Speech does not extend to speaking ill of Mohammed, the rapid and seemingly unavoidable approach of a "fiscal cliff" which will cripple the future of every child in America, and the likelihood that Barack Hussein Obama's rejection of Israel as an ally and gifting of Egypt and Libya to the Muslim Brotherhood will soon touch off a war with almost unimaginable possible consequences.

These aren't stories for children: these are stories about the betrayal of our children - and about the people who would like to limit the damage if possible.

However, just to show I'm a good sport, let me remind Anonymous that my other cartoon, Johnny Optimism, is absolutely family friendly and free of potty language. It's about children and dogs and love.

@Chuck- Yeah!

@Earl- Ha! You said "damn!" Now Anonymous has got someone else to be mad at!

Anonymous sounds like one of those wimps that believe "Its The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is 'to mean' for kids to watch today...

I guess next they'll want to re-in vision "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" into "The Community Organizer Who Over Taxed Us for Christmas So He Could Give Our Money To His Supporters For Ramadan & Kwanza".

Won't that just warm the cockles of your pea pickin' little heart, Anonymous?

This the closing paragraphs from Glenn Fairman, of American Thinker, after he comments on becoming an antique in this culture...many of us will relate to his view...

This journey into personal antiquity has taught me that the values and beliefs I hold more dearly than gold are not of themselves dusty and timeworn -- ready for the ashcan of history. In fact, I never cease to be amazed at all manner of people, young and old, who I would have never suspected hold firm and cherish these Old Ways and have not bent their knee to Baal.

As we begin anew another four years of Presidential exile beside the dark rivers of Babylon, let us not cease our yearning for the beautiful cause that we hold so deeply within our hearts. The Founders' glory still waxes within our imaginations, and before long (and even now), we shall have shaken off the dust and sackcloth of recrimination only to draw the sharpened saber once again.

Our ways are old, but they are true. Better to fight and acquit ourselves with courage, even in defeat, than acquiesce those blood-bought principles and pass into the horizon, like a drifting constellation in the night sky.

I lost a childhood friend today. An individual I grew up with and have know for over 30 years. I hadn't spoke with him since October and when I gave him a call today he answered the phone drunk. Not to judge, but I inquired why he would already be plastered at 11:00 on a Sunday morning. His response sickened me to the core; he said that he and his friends in Jacksonville, Florida had pretty much been partying in celebration ever since 0 got re-elected.

Keep in mind, this is a guy who lives with his mother and has been cronicly unemployed since the 90's mainly because he doesn't want to work. He thinks 0-care will be the answer to his prayers and gain him some kind of trumped up disability check.

I asked him how he could do that after the last 4 years of The Prince of Fools reign? After Fast & Furious? After Behngazi? After the squandered bail outs & nonexistent jobs? what happened to the kid I knew that used to call Ronald Reagan his hero?

His response was, "Well, I grew up!"

This is roughly what I said before hanging up and deleting his number from my phone;

"Envy the country that has heroes."

I say, "Pity the country that needs them. What are you celebrating? Four more years down the path that leads to America becoming a third world joke of a nation, the dream of our founding fathers all but dead? And you libtards call this progress? Oh, yeah. With that kind of 'progress' at the dimocraps rate, we might just be getting somewhere in about 320 years. Is that what you want? You want a little accommodation and unearned money from these animals you voted for? No Sir. These beasts live on manipulation & control. They feed on extinguishing liberty. There's no middle ground...not for them, not for us. And sure as hell not for the people who died defending American principles for the past 236 years. But you libtards go ahead. Have your little... soiree. Personally, you disgust me."

@PRY- Those are fine words (and I agree with them), but I can't help but feel the weight of the phrase "even in defeat." How do we win the battle to help those who don't want our help, and hate us for trying to deliver them to freedom - with all of its responsibilities and risks.

We're trying to feed brussel sprouts to petulant, spoiled children; we will be spat upon for our successes.

@Necron99- Well, damn (sorry Anonymous! I meant fiddle-dee-dee!). Sorry to hear about you losing a friend, and sorrier still to hear about him losing his mind and his love of country. Now in fairness, I should admit that my Blood Alcohol level has also been elevated since election day, but it's sure not from celebrating.

By the way, barnacles don't "grow up" - and your friend sounds like he's now a barnacle. He's attached himself to an unmoving spot where sustenance will float his way. And he'll grow larger, but never more mature, more responsible, more ambitious, or more capable of being anything other than a barnacle. And I'm sorry you had to see that.

I, too, know people who simply suck from the government teat and count themselves ahead of the game by doing so (and let me be clear - I'm talking only about people who do not have legitimate needs for help). And yes, they disgust me.

So true. As I have considered the post-modern mindset of the 'Milleniums' as the younger set is referred to,(but it also applies to folks older than them), I realize they have been reared not as you or I have, but they might as well be from another planet as far as how they think!

I hate to even think it, much less say it, but the only thing I can think of that turns a civilization around is total breakdown so the only way to look is up, because you are totally at the bottom with nowhere else to look. Then and only then will some people, not all, consider a different way of thinking about things. It has happened before. Ever since the election, things have seemed a bit unreal, because we all felt strongly that SURELY it was over!

@Necron99, you should have told that former friend that he DIDN'T grow up. Had he done so, he wouldn't still live with his mother--unless he was supporting her, not the other way around.

Personally, I don't see any point in trying to fight within the system any more. Let it crash and MAKE Barack Hussein take the blame. After the crash, the Demo_Rat takers will come to the makers and beg for help. Help should NOT be given! It's tough love time! Who is John Galt?

@JustaJeepGuy, It would have been a waste of breath for me to tell this guy he isn't a grown up. He's always been dependent on his mother to pick him up when he falls down. I don't know if he'll ever learn to walk (much less think) on his own. I had big hopes for him years ago when he joined the service, but of course that didn't work out. They had the nerve to expect him to actually go into combat after putting him through school, so he got out on a medical. Then he was going to be an actor/model, but Gieco already had enough metrosexual cave men so he switched gears and became a wedding photographer. Problem with that is you need some skill with a camera to profit from that career. And then there was selling insurance, which is hard when you have no people skills (and look like the Gieco cave man) and the failed attempt at being an IT guy when you can't even follow a simple Windows tutorial.

@PRY- I'm afraid that these days, I think that nothing short of economic (or other) disaster might wake up enough people to return to our core principles. But it would have to be big and have to happen fast: currently the frogs are in the pot, but the temperature is being turned up so gradually that they don't mind being cooked.

@Traci- I need the boost, too! Thank you for the nice thoughts!

@Necron99- Ouch. Some people aren't cut out for entrepreneurism, and I'm sure they embrace a government which lets them simply suckle.

Success (as opposed to sucking excess) is always going to be a balance between talent and hard work. It's a shame that so many never bother to develop the first, and have no desire to do the second.

@JustaJeepGuy,I think the crash is inevitable, but BO taking blame? BO is just like Necron99's ex-friend; everything bad is always somebody else's fault. If something good happens, he beats his chest, but look at how the alleged president is squirming his way out of the Benghazi thing.

What's happening right now in Gaza and Isreal is going to make Benghazi look like an elementary school playground fight. Will Crap Weasel escape blame there? Sadly, I think he will. He might even be successful in making Israel out to be the bad guys here, and that, folks, scares the shit out of me.

@justajeepguyALL of O's strategies or non- strategies scare me. I really awaken from sleep with his words playing out in my mind. My progeny will suffer so unless the USA makes a radical change. #SJ the frogs - all of us actually - have been in thus slowly warming pot. Hopeless is not a good state to be.

@CenTexTim and @Earl - I'm with you, kind of, but I know we can adapt. Withdrawal is tough, but I think we will make it as long as the conversation continues and Dr. Jarlsberg comments as he is able.

We are all painfully aware of the shortcomings of this administration, but it is what it is. One of two things happens in 4 years. We get a new President or we have Øbama for life (his not ours). We don’t have to worry about getting out a vote against him this time ... and I think that almost bothers me the most!

A friend sent me cartoons which she thought were from Canada. They were all Hope n Change. She praised the artist for his honestly sans pc & for his astuteness. I told her it was Stilton' s & that he's AWESOME. Just sayin' SJ. Mondays are full of all of the stuff hidden on Fri. PM. Love the exchanges but Monday is still Mon & chock full of newsy stuff.

@Colby- Totally agreed on Benghazi and Israel. Our ally is getting pounded with rockets, and the strongest thing B. Hussein can come up with is that our country "supports the right of Israel to defend itself." Wow? Really?! How magnanimous of you MIS-ter president.

@Irene Peduto- No question that ALL of us are frogs in the same pot, but there's so many in there with us that those of us who see the danger still can't escape.

@CenTexTim- I'm going through withdrawal too. For now I'm going to try to stay with the new schedule, but nothing's written in stone.

@Earl- You're right about the "news dumps" on Friday afternoons. So I don't know (sigh). I'll mention that my new schedule isn't based on just politics or finances - there are some health issues in my immediate family that are distracting too (so as not to worry folks, it involves epilepsy and getting the meds right to treat it - prognosis is excellent). And of course, Obamacare and the health insurance industries make all of that a PITA to deal with. (Acronyms are okay, right Anonymous?)

@Chuck- We'll figure out the rhythms of HnC 2.0 together, and I'm still here.

And frankly, I'm not that interested in how people vote next time around (assuming there is a next time around, which I currently don't). Different action is now called for, probably in the way the financial power of 50 million pissed-off people is exercised.

I've been thinking I'd like to see a really major, well-funded well-organized website with a theme like "Don't Buy And Tell Them Why" where we could easily see which companies are Democratic donors so we can take away our business. I'd additionally like to see such businesses targeted for VERY LARGE protests on a VERY REGULAR basis.

I'm still hoping/waiting for a great idea to hit for direct action. I think it's time.

Irene, TWICE I've gotten H&C collections (possibly the same ones) claiming Was published in a Brit paper. Replied that the sender should send back 'up the chain' that he's HERE, actually, and QUITE funny, and could use the fan base. Now, THAT being said - Stilt, have you THOUGHT of MSM publication? Foreign, if not domestic? Just sayin... (and yeah, been MIA all weekend due to internet issues, hopefully now all resolved again...)

@Chris Muir- Thank you, sir! In case any readers don't recognize Chris's name, he does the great "Day by Day" cartoon strip that should be on everyone's reading list. Moreover, he somehow manages to create his cartoons without using clipart. Imagine my envy!

@Pete(Detroit)- I've never seriously considered MSM syndication because I don't think there's much of a market for my kind of humor, and I'm unwilling to rein in my opinions. Maybe I should sniff around a little, though. (For what it's worth, I'm in regular contact with some conservative editorial cartoonists who actually ARE syndicated - and I know that the market is hard for anyone who isn't smooching Obama's hiney.)

Actually, I think it's a tribute to our host that his work is going global! Perhaps a syndication deal is in your future Dr. Jarlsberg!

@Stilton,I agree that it is time to be more pro-active, and love your idea of an online database of "offenders." I'll nominate GE to be at the top of the list. I also would like to see something like this for the businesses that do things right, such as Chick-Fil-A, so we can give them extra support if possible.

I would like to wish everybody at H&C a wonderful Thanksgiving, and try to NOT think of BO and the mess he's gotten us into for a day or two. If you are a believer, please remember that God did not get us into this, but he can sure get us out if we trust Him. Keep the faith and keep "fighting the good fight" as Paul would say.

Unrelated topic: Have heard several pundits dis Israel's amazingly effective "Iron Dome" as a "failure" because it's only 80% effective.

Putting aside the startling and amazing performance of the Iron Dome missile defense system, wouldn't it be really nice if liberals would demand the cancellation of all other programs that were less than 80% effective"?

@John the Econ,What a concept! If we shut down the parts of government that are less than 80% effective, DC would be a ghost town. I'm betting a huge chunk of it would be toast, even if we lowered the bar to, say, 20%.

Of course, I'm saying "we" like "we" have any say whatsoever in what happens in DC.

Readers- Spoiler alert: there will be a new cartoon posted tomorrow. I was starting to twitch. This doesn't mean I'm changing the new publication schedule: it means I don't know exactly what I'm doing...

Pete, Irene, Necron99, Earl and others- Thanks for the encouragement (even if it's sort of like buying an alcoholic another drink). Since we're all "just folks" here, I'll say that I'm confused and conflicted about what to do. I've got to put quality time into other projects and responsibilities, but I may also bust a gusset if I can't vent. And we all know how painful gusset-busting can be.

Stilt, thanks for being here for us, but, you have to take care of your family 1st Although, I sometimes feel like here at HnC we’re a big family & I definitely have more opinions in common with THIS family than with a fair number of my own, sigh.

For years I’ve been thinking about a 3rd party. I know, it screws up the GOP, but, haven’t they been screwing us, too? Just not as hard as the dems. (Uh oh, no bad words, but Anonymous may not like this) I think a real “Conservative” party is what is needed, something like the Tea Party. Just throwing it out there.

Take care & Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We really do have so much to be thankful for.

HnC is like a drug, just gotta have it, but it’s so good that once a week (with comments in between) works for me.

@necron99, two things:I have also just gone thru what you did vis-a-vis a friend. It's hard.And I am in AWE of your usage of Swift. Gah!! We have so degraded the intellect of the population that when such a referrence is made, I experience a frisson of ecstasy!!Many have said I am weird.@ChrisMuir, It was great to see you back!! Sadly, both you and Senor Jarlsberg are "Websensed" out of reach, I only get to check in at home.....2 dogs, one li'l gal and a wife keeps me busy. Really happy to see you back. @Irene Perduto, it appears that our host's desire to remain anonymous may preclude his appearance at de pizza and de beers, but any Central Jersey folk who wanna do something, chime in and I will set it up. It would be great to get together before Christmas.@StiltonJarlsberg, content is king. Have you considered creating a nom de guerre and writing drek for shekels? Seems a ton of outlets for that nowadays......Go with Che Markowitz or maybe Syx Seazons. Tell everyone it's pronounced "shayZAHNZ".And laugh all the way to the bank.......

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