floundersgreatadventure

Friday night Adam West the original TV Batman passed away at the age of 88. After I had read a lot of the tributes to the man and his acting skills, I started to think about comic books and their characters. Before I start I should tell you I had a very large comic book collection which I sold at deep discount to help finance my move to Medellin. During my collecting days I read up on the history of comics and I remember one book in particular which I think was published in the fifties. I don’t remember the title but I do remember it was more of a sociology text book. It showed how the characters reflected the event of the times. They mostly took in WWII and its aftermath the beginning of the cold war, it also showed how comic book faced censorship at the time and managed to avoid governmental censorship by imposing what was a comic book code of conduct. I decided to look at one character in particular and see if this was still true, at least the part about them reflecting the time we live in. the character I decided to use was Batman and just so you know I was always a big fan for whatever reason I just didn’t dig Superman. Batman has come a long way since Adam West played the character on TV. In the comic books he has become a much more darker figure and books that were written for youngsters are now be written more for adults. This reflects society because our Children are forced to face reality more now than before. The cold war made kids think they would never see old age this was expressed during the hippie generation. So young children grew up faster and faster, now they were adults and started looking for escapes from the world that was out there, of course many found it in drugs, booze and music. Still others sought it in literature and movies Syfi became more and more popular while comics began to reflect the somber mood of this new generation. While one new company, Marvel decided to concentrate on science fiction and fantasy, the older company DC but all its eggs into one basket called Superman. Its other main character became truly a Dark Night. But he was also a hero to those adults who were tired of being beaten down all the time, now they had a character that would punish the ones that need to be punished without the interference of politicians. This was also the period where in literature a paperback hero called the Executioner written by Don Pendleton and in marvel comics The Punisher was born. These two character suffered great losses and then decide to be Judge, Jury and Executioner all in one. Even the Batman was caught up in this. I sit around down here wondering how the comic book and literature in general will portray the events of our time, if nothing else it should be both sad and hilarious. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Well I might have mentioned that I’ve been reading a book titled The Hand Maids Tale. I started reading when it was recommended to me as sort of an Orwell 1984, the discussion of a totalitarian state and how it came about, now at least I know why I’m reading it. How this is accomplished is similar in both books and what is happening in the world today. I’m sure you saw the headline out of England where the Prime Minister is saying they’re willing to change human laws to stop terrorism. They are able to change laws and restrict the flow of information by using the fear that terrorism causes. The fact that England is the first to publically state this is somewhat ironic since the book 1984 takes place in England. People should be aware that terror is defined by Webster as a state of intense fear. Webster also defines terrorism as the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. Terrorists don’t want to kill everybody they just want you so scared you’ll change your life and never feel completely safe again. How many of you that lived on the East Coast can say without a doubt that you changed nothing about the way you lived or thought after 9/11. The same would apply to people in Oklahoma after the bombing of the FBI building there. Which at the time was the largest and most destructive terrorist attack before 9/11and that was perpetuated by white Americans. When you lose that sense of security that allowed you walk without fear of the color of someone’s skin or the religious beliefs. You know become susceptible to voluntarily surrendering certain of your freedoms so that you may sleep better at night. I hope I’m wrong when I say that both of these stories have a chance to become fact. I’ll discuss this more in the coming weeks. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Well this has been a rough week for the world and the good old USA. There have been several terrorist attacks the last on yesterday in London, England. All this is making everyone very nervous and now they’re talking about controlling the Internet. If this would stop the terrorists I would be very happy, but it won’t. What will happen is censorship. In other words the people most affected by this would be the average user, whose ability to view information would now be controlled by politicians such a Putin and the Trumpster. Now there probably won’t be a lot of objections to this especially by those that support the afore mentioned idiots. Fear has a way of making people accept thing that seem in the beginning to make them safer but in the long run will actually make them more unsafe. Other people will support this simply by doing nothing. These are the people that don’t want to be bothered by politics because they don’t believe it affects them they just want to be left alone. They have their lives all planned out they don’t worry about health insurance or retirement. Now I have friends in both categories those that support the Trumpster and believe all the negative stuff is just fake news. These people flood Facebook and other social media with articles from alternate sources which are more fantastic then what they call fake news. My other group of friends just doesn’t want to listen to more bullshit and I have to admit a lot of what’s but out there is just that, the same old bullshit. And I have another group of friends that just take sides because their either Democrats who believe Republicans are the devil incarnate or Republicans that believe the same about the Democrats. I don’t live n the US so I have a unique perspective because I get to see news from a lot of other sources as well as talk to a lot of people other than US citizens. I worry about other things as well like what kind of world we are leaving for our children and grand children. Just because you have your life all set and don’t have a concern in the world or put more bluntly don’t give a FUCK, that doesn’t mean everything is going to be Ok for the next generation. I see so much of this in the way Governments go about their business and corporations count their profits. These people really don’t give a fuck about what’s going to happen to the world twenty years from now as long as they can keep the money flowing in. Now I don’t want you to think that I disrespect my friends with opinions other than mine. No sir, that’s what our country is all about differences and how we deal with them. My friends are my friends and they can think whatever they want and I will argue with them but I will always respect their opinion and remain their friend. Look I can keep writing this blog but its Sunday and I have a birthday party to get too so maybe we’ll continue this during the week and maybe we won’t. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

I don’t really think anybody I know expected me to keep quiet about this. The Trumpster just too the United States out of the Paris accord on climate change. He claims to have done this to save American jobs and improve the American economy and to this I say BULL SHIT. The Trumpster doesn’t believe in the global warming theory he thinks it’s all a Chinese hoax. His interior secretary issued a order today to immediately start more oil drilling in Alaska. Now for the first part the majority of people in the worlds as well 99% of the world’s leading scientists all believe in global warming , but because the Trumpster doesn’t believe it there all liars and wrong. Congratulations Trumpster you’ve now made the United States an embarrassment in the world community. We can all sit around and watch China leap ahead of as a world leader. Geez what an Ass Hole he is. On the second part if I’m not wrong there is sort of an oil glut right now which has driven prices down. Now if the Trumpster’s plan is for an increase in fossil fuels which will create a need for more oil, as well as pollute the atmosphere. Then maybe we should drill for more oil. But as the rest of the world begins to develop alternative fuels it could mean we could end up like Venezuela. They have the largest untapped oil reserves in the world and are going broke. And guess who they owe the most money to. Yup it China and we could be next. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to ruin everybody’s weekend but it’s difficult to keep quiet when the world around you is turning to shit. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Well you try not to talk about the Trumpster for a few days and the ass hole goes and opens his mouth and pisses off a few million people. Now he has Germany saying that they can’t rely on us so they may have to go it alone. Now look people I’ve said this about race relations and every other kind of relation we need each other. But the Trumpster believes that we don’t need anybody but rather they need us. If he wants to promote some sort of nationalistic program of isolationism he will drive this country into depression and there won’t be anybody around to help us. The Russians and Chinese would love that. Didn’t we defeat communism that way by letting it self-destruct. Look I’m not a genius I don’t have all the right answers all I am is an old guy that remembers what he has seen and what history has shown us. This is two pissed of people Fats and Flounder saying CIAO from Medellin Colombia.

Sorry I didn’t post yesterday but it was my wife Ruby’s birthday so I was a little busy. Now today America celebrates Memorial Day in honor of its veterans. This day has changed drastically since I was young, back then it was parades in every town to honor our veterans. Every kid would line the side walk to see the local National Guard unit march along with the living veterans, and every town had at least one vet. Now it seems it’s more about the start of the weekend with everybody heading out for a long weekend. Sometime today the Trumpster will go to Arlington National Cemetery to place a wraith at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor all who have died in defense of this country. Well first the Trumpster used all his money and influence to avoid the military, so I’m not sure he should be doing this. Of course the same could be said of other presidents too. Secondly the Second World War was the only one in which it was absolutely they only solution to a threat. The rest were for the rich to get richer. That includes the American Revolution, where the rich and educated elite sent those of lesser status off to fight to protect their interests. Viet Nam. Korean, First and Second Gulf wars didn’t have anything to do with protecting US citizens, if anything they served the oil and political power mongers in the country and actually made the world more unsafe. I could write for a week about how our interference in the Mid East screwed to pouch but I’ve alredy down posts on that. The American solider doesn’t know all the reasons he’s in some country that in some case’s he’s never even heard of. He joined, or in earlier times was drafted, took an oath to protect the country and do as he was told. Soldiers don’t have time to worry about the political reason for why their put in harm’s way they’re just to do what their told and as some cynics say die on command. The American solider is not a member of the elite, but his commander might be, he is for the most part a middle or lower class individual with at most a high school education. Most believe they’re doing something good and useful. They aren’t to blame for the war or the bad thing that happen because they believe in their country and it leaders, feeling that they would never deceive them. The point of all this is that the men and women who but on that uniform do so believing in our country, believing in the American Government that they would never send them into harm’s way unless it was to protect us. So on this day take a moment away from that BBQ and say thanks to a vet you probably know. If you don’t happen to be at the shore with the family stop by the nearest Veterans Hospital and say thanks to a vet that can’t get out of bed to go to the shore. This is Flounder and fats saying that 1960’s slogan MAKE LOVE NOT WAR and CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Guess what it Flounders Birthday today and he’s seventeen which makes him 84 in human years. I don’t think too many of you out there know his whole story so here goes. He was born in the parking lot of what was the home of the NJ Nets basketball team and the New Jersey Devils ice hockey team. When he was around 8 months old he was found by New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur and brought to the East Rutherford Animal shelter. Now here you must remember Flounder was what is referred to as a feral cat. That means he’s basically a wild animal but he was cute and was soon adopted. From what I know about that and his second adoption they did not go well as his wild instincts were in control. So in 2000 he ended up at the Mount Pleasant animal shelter on Rt10 in Hanover New Jersey. They don’t euthanize animals there. I was looking for a cat to replace my Cockatiel Danny who had been with me for 11 years and had died suddenly. I felt a cat was a good replacement because they’re very independent. Well I ended up leaving with two cats one was an all white one named Sabastian and of course my Tuxedo buddy Flounder. They couldn’t of been more different Flounder hiding in my closet Sabastian a real people cat. I didn’t try to force Flounder to be more domesticated I let him stay in the closet. I even moved a litter box in there for him and even fed him there. I was going to let him decide if he wanted to come out and be part of the family. It took almost two years before he abandoned the closet and would come out. You still couldn’t pick him up if you valued your skin. He had this unique way of bringing his rear legs up and raking his claws along your forearms. Now about then I met my soon to be wife Rubiela she wasn’t and still isn’t what you would call a real animal lover and as it turned out was having a allergic reaction to the boys. So it was decided one would have to go back to Mt Pleasant shelter. I chose Sabastian for a couple of reasons one he was the more friendly of the two and I knew he wouldn’t have to wait long to find a new home. The other reason was I had originally gone to adopt Flounder from his picture on the internet. Now after just short of 17 years together Flounder’s not afraid of people and loves to cuddle with me and watch TV. Flounder sleeps about twenty hours a day if you want him up just start cooking chicken and he will be at you side crying in an instant. I don’t know how much time he and I have together or who will outlive who but till then he remains my inspiration for writing this blog and my best friend. So let me end this post with a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY Flounder here’s hoping we have a few left in us. CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

It’s Mothers Day so we’ll stay away from all the political stuff and talk about Mothers. For those of us whose Mother is no longer physically with us days like this remind us of what they did for us to get us to this point. I’ve always said this I’m far from a perfect human being but whatever good there is to found in me I owe to my Mom. My body Flounder was an orphan I’ve never been able to find out what happened to her. On this day he keeps an eye on my wife I’m not sure why. My Mom has been gone for a long while, but when things are getting screwed up or I’ve accomplished something special I find myself first reaching for the phone then after I realize she’s not going to be there I feel an emptiness for a few seconds then I just smile and know she knows. I don’t know if others go through this or not if you do don’t worry your normal. Mothers always see you as a success even if you don’t feel that way. Mothers never let you see the worry when you take your first step or date your first girl or take the car for the first time. I think being a Mother must be the most stressful job in the world. I’m sitting here writing this and hoping I didn’t cause my mother that much worry and that she can see that I did learn those things she was trying to tell me. I wish my buddy Flounder had been able to experience his mother growing up. Well before I start crying and ramble on I’ll just say this is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

How about this a Wednesday special you can thank the Trumpster for this one. Last night it was announced that the Trumpster had fired the director of the FBI. That brought to three the number of people involved in the investigation of the Russian involvement in the last election who have been removed from their jobs. I’m beginning to see a pattern here and it’s probably not the one you think. The one I’m seeing is on in which we have a sitting President who doesn’t want to be in that seat. So what’s he to do resigning isn’t his style but if he makes it look like the world is against him and his Republican buddies get to hold on to their jobs maybe he can get rid of some people and get impeached. That way he doesn’t quit his supporters will still support him and he gets to tweet bad things about the Democrats and play golf all day. Wow what a friggin mess we’re in. How did this start? Well I’ll tell you. I blame it on the election of Obama. Why you say? Because, as the first Black President, he by his mere presence in the Oval Office, pissed off a lot of the country, especially Donald Trump (also known more commonly as the Trumpster). The Trumpster has an unhealthy hatred for Obama and the Clintons. I’m not sure of all the reasons but I would suggest because he believes he’s smarter than any Black man and he isn’t about to let a woman tell him what to do. Here’s hoping he does get impeached and soon then maybe just maybe we’ll be able to save what’s left of the good old USA. This is Flounder and Fats saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.

Well there were a lot of pissed off people this week blaming the republicans for screwing up Medicare and the rest of the health care. Well you should expect this because since this country was formed the government has been run by the Elite of the country as is the Military. Your taxes are decided by people that have more exemptions then dogs have fleas. Your health care is decided by people that have never paid for health insurance in their lives. Economic decisions are being made by a president that I’m willing to bet has never been in a grocery store let alone had to worry about how much milk costs; the problem is in every country. Down here in Colombia the president was educated in the United States his degree is in economics and is from Georgetown University as is many of the other politicians down here. We elect people to office so they can turn around and tell us what’s best for us. Oh they give lip service to our desires, just enough so we’ll vote for them. But as soon as they’re in office they say well that wouldn’t really be good for us because their friend won’t make enough money. When a President gets elected he immediately starts running for his second term. If he gets reelected he will say no to some of the stuff his friends want but now he’s looking out for himself when he leaves office. The job of politician, which as I said is an elitist occupation, is more about getting reelected than it is about helping the poor slobs that elected them. Now comes the real shocking part about the elitists. The top 20% of American families control 84% of the wealth. The bottom 40% combines for .3%. The Walton family, which owns Wal-Mart, has more wealth than 42% of American families combined. Now this should mean rioting in the streets, like in Venezuela. Well it would if American believed it, but fortunately for the political elite most Americans don’t believe it. I’ve been aware of the economic disparity that exists in this country for years and I’m no genius I just read a lot the information is out there you just have to read it. But it’s a little like Climate Change nobody wants to believe it so it’s a Liberal plot to get us to support socialism. Look there’s a lot to this story but the main points are the average American life is the hands of people who have no idea what an average American is. This is Flounder saying CIAO from Medellin, Colombia.