this week on #thepete #podcast: is it wrong that I am tired?

This week on #thepetepodcast: I am tired! Listen to find out what I am tired of and why! Hint: it has to do with #politics, #government, #culture, #society and everything else that is wrong with the world! Weee!!

Here is a direct download of the 10 minute mp3 of this week's #thepete #podcast, or you can subscribe to #thepete #podcast! ;)

Got iTunes? Sure, we're all forced to! Subscribe to #thepete #podcast on iTunes!

You can also listen to this podcast on Audioboom!  In fact, you'll get to listen one day earlier than iTunes and RSS subscribers!

Let me know what you think of this podcast! Leave a comment here or on Twitter or where ever you found my podcast. THANKS!

Like what I do online? Support me on Patreon or by buying my long-form comic, INKSTREME BALLPOINT ADVENTURES!  Or, hey, just buy me a cup of coffee!  Seriously--every bit helps!!  Thanks!

You can always find more episodes of #thepete #podcast at podcast.thepete.com!

This week on #thepete #podcast: #humanity, #stupidity, #douchebaggery

#thepetepodcast this week is all about my personal #fears and #concerns regarding #idiots and #assholes in positions of #power.

Here is a direct download of the 10 minute mp3 of this week's #thepete #podcast, or you can subscribe to #thepete #podcast! ;)

Got iTunes? Sure, we're all forced to! Subscribe to #thepete #podcast on iTunes!

You can also listen to this podcast on Audioboom!  In fact, you'll get to listen one day earlier than iTunes and RSS subscribers!

Let me know what you think of this podcast! Leave a comment here or on Twitter or where ever you found my podcast. THANKS!

Like what I do online? Support me on Patreon or by buying my long-form comic, INKSTREME BALLPOINT ADVENTURES!  Or, hey, just buy me a cup of coffee!  Seriously--every bit helps!!  Thanks!

You can always find more episodes of #thepete #podcast at podcast.thepete.com!

Here comes #thepete #podcast for January 26, 2016! We're alone TOGETHER! Speak up!

In this episode of #thepetepodcast, #thepete announces #BallpointAdventures on #Tapastic! PLUS: You're not alone in feeling alone! Find out why you should speak up about it!  Just give this episode a listen!  THANKS!

I recorded this podcast yesterday but only posted it today, so it's technically for yesterday.  Ahhhh, just subscribe, dang it!

Here's a direct download of the mp3, or you can subscribe to this hear podcast! ;)

Some dangerous sentiments from #Japanese #PM #ShinzoAbe today regarding Japan and WWII

Some dangerous sentiments from #Japanese #PM #ShinzoAbe today. He's basically saying Japan should no longer feel bad for atrocities it committed in #WWII.

Why is this dangerous?  Well, have a look at the specific words Abe said first in a cutting from the above screenshotted AP article from today:

Abe noted that more than 80 percent of the country's population was born after the war, and echoed growing though not universal sentiment in Japan that the country has apologized enough. 

"We must not let our children, grandchildren and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologize," he said.

He's just given America permission to stop taking responsibility for dropping the bomb on them--something many Americans have never felt the need to apologize for. Hell, the US still apologizes for slavery. That ended 100+ years ago.

Humans should never lose sympathy for other humans, regardless of who caused the pain and suffering.

I'm a progressive white male--should I still feel bad for the sexism, racism and cultural oppression of my relatives and fellow white males just because I do my best to avoid being sexist and racist?  Of course.  Because even though I'm not related to slave owners (that I know of), I still need to acknowledge that the damage they did still exists in this world.  The cultural memories of slavery and racism from the time slavery was still legal are still with us.  Obviously, sexism still exists too.

Likewise, the damage Japan did to mainland Asian countries still exists in mainland Asian cultures.  You can't walk away from that or point to any past apologies and say "that's enough" any more than America can walk away from dropping the atom bombs on Japan.  After all, Japan still lives with that scar on their psyche despite 80 percent of Japan's populace being born after WWII.  They're still making GODZILLA movies, aren't they?

Ignoring past war atrocities, ignoring the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ignoring slavery, ignoring two wars fought by America in the Middle East for, pretty much, no reason, ignoring war crimes of any generation, whether they were committed last century or this, is the same thing is letting them continue.

All of us must take responsibility for the sins of our fathers, even if we aren't directly responsible.  We all need to work together to make this world a better place and ignoring the damage caused by those who came before us is to willfully allow that damage to continue.

It's so ironic that Abe is giving this speech now, just days after the first nuclear reactor in Japan was turned back on after Fukushima and about a week after the anniversary of the US dropping the bombs on Japan.  It seems like Abe-san is having some problems recognizing irony.

For the record, I am a huge fan of Japan.  I've studied the language off and on for years, love anime, Japanese movies and TV shows, and am generally in love with most things from the land of the rising sun.  So, I don't like to criticize anything about Japan.  However, sometimes every culture needs a reminder of its own flaws.

America sure does... >_<

Ballpoint Adventures for April 11, 2006: Maybe Barbie is Really Progressive After All?

As a white guy I've gotten messed with by non-whites over the years--less so these days but when I was a kid and even in college, people assumed I was easily frightened by "the other". In some cases I was, because I was stupid, but over time, I came to be afraid of very little. Again, it's really about the neighborhood or context of the person that determines how afraid of or cautious around a person I am. These days, a guy in a business suit raises a bigger red flag to me.

Ballpoint Adventures for April 10, 2006: Barbie experiences real fear.

Lots of folks *think* they're progressive.

Ballpoint Adventures for April 9, 2006: Barbie Asks Bulah Why White Folks are so Afraid of Her.

It's a mystery to me why people let skin color determine their fear-level. For me it's more about what kind of neighborhood you're in. Any ethnicity can be scary in the right neighborhood--black, latino, and yes, even white folks can turn to violence and crime if they're desperate enough.

Ballpoint Adventures for April 8, 2006: Billy and Barbie talk about "the other"

In 2006 the idea of a president with an African name was pretty unbelievable even to progressives. How far we've come... seriously. I'm not even being sarcastic!

Ballpoint Adventures for April 7, 2006: Billy and Barbie find something else to fear!

I wrote this back when Obama was first being talked about as a possible future presidential candidate. I loved how subtextual politicians and reporters became with their racism. This is what I was trying to capture with this storyline.

Ballpoint Adventures for April 6, 2006: Billy and Barbie are too smart to be afraid

Like terrorists with no resources, aliens that are millions of years away just aren't much of a threat.

Ballpoint Adventures for April 5, 2006: Billy and Barbie discover the catch with space travel

Some aliens are patient, I guess!

Ballpoint Adventures for April 4, 2006: Billy looks a gift Xbox in the mouth.

This is what I'd do to an Xbox if an alien gave one to me.

Ballpoint Adventures for March 31, 2006: Barbie gets her wish!

I still don't know how to spell "ax". Is it "ax" or "axe"? **Please don't mistake this alien for the alien in the current storyline in new Ballpoint Adventures comics--check the date to keep your plotlines straight! Thanks and sorry for any confusion**

Ballpoint Adventures for July 11, 2012: Mr. Alien describes what America will be like under Alien rule

Not sure what I can add to this one! I guess it's my fantasy to see aliens arrive and give us my idea of utopia. :) We sure won't get there on our own!

Ballpoint Adventures for March 30, 2006: Billy knows what kind of alien tech he'd want!

I think average American's imagination is pretty stunted and it wouldn't surprise me if a cool game system would be the best the average American could come up if asked what they'd like to see aliens give us.

Ballpoint Adventures for July 10, 2012: Billy wonders one thing about Mr. Alien...

I think either women or aliens should definitely take over this planet. Either group can't do much worse than the Earth's current "leaders".

Ballpoint Adventures for July 9, 2012: Mr. Alien explains just how he'll threaten America

You rarely hear about Saddam switching to the Euro, but it happened--right in the middle of the mess with the Bush/Gore "election." Yeah, that's why we didn't notice. Oops.

Ballpoint Adventures for March 28, 2006: Barbie asks a very important question... about aliens

This reminds me, I did do aliens before. Last Monday I started a new storyline with an alien forgetting about the next few strips. Ah well... at least Billy is (and I am, too) done with preaching about how we're too afraid of a teeny tiny threat in the form of Al Qeada.

Ballpoint Adventures for July 6, 2012: Billy realizes the good Mr. Alien can do!

I swear this is what's going to happen--aliens are going to suddenly be discovered and the Republicans will spin the story so that they're our new enemies.

Ballpoint Adventures for March 27, 2006: Billy finally concedes to Barbie... sort of...

When I was growing up during the Cold War, it was as black and white a world as it is now--where there was good and evil and we were the good guys and blahblahblah. The difference is that back then, we were bravely standing up against the communist threat. We wore our freedoms on our chests like medals of honor. I, for one, was ready to die for my freedom if I had to (still am). Flash forward a few decades and we're all a bunch of scared kids afraid of the boogie man. What happened to us?