Face Bigelow #86 - Christmas Apology

Face Bigelow #85 - Market Analysis

This market is a mess and I basically got out of it back in early October after earlier sell offs in mid-September. Glad I'm out, but I can't believe all the rhetoric going around telling people to keep their money in this game. Maybe it's just me, but hasn't anyone looked at the times when the market has tanked badly, it usually takes about 2 or 3 years to hit bottom? At least that's what I see. Until it turns into a long term market again, I'm staying out.

Transcript:
Title: Market Analysis
Big: The stock market is a great long term investment even when it's going down...
Big: You have to look at it from a historical perspective and not day to day.
Big: Look at this stock's low price. You can't sell it now. How much lower do you think it can go?
Victor: Try Zero! Then Buffet walks away with the preferred stock and reissues the regular stock...

Face Bigelow #84 - Blame Game

Transcript.
Big: It's all Clinton's fault.
Big: He changed the lending rules which lead to this entire mess.
Victor: Didn't you hold the presidency and a majority part for six years after Clinton?
Big: That wasn't enough to change those failed policies. He ruined everything. Now just look at the mess he created. What are we going to do? The world is going to end!
Big: Quick. Throw all the money overboard before we sink...
Victor: First things first. Let's stop with the policies of fear. Second, put the money bags away.

Face Bigelow #83 - Bureau Of Bailout Needs A Bailout...

This is completely insane. Paulson Backs off asset plan; crisis deals at risk. I agree with trying to put the train back on the tracks, but standing in front of it while it's still moving might not be the best idea after all. Did we all get sold an $800 Billion bottle of snake oil? Do we want to buy some more?

Transcript:
Big: We gave all the bailout money to the banks.
Big: None of it is going to relieve mortgage debt like we said it would.
Big: The banks are now hording the cash or using it to buy their competitors.
Victor: Your plan was to fix a greed problem by giving the greedy people more money?
Big: We need another bailout plan to bailout the first bailout plan.
Victor: Maybe we should stop and do an audit. Let's start with your account...

Face Bigelow #82 - Asleep At The Wheel

This comic is entirely unfair. It does express my own frustration with the last 8 years, but it is still unfair. I know W has worked hard, it just doesn't seem like he's at all connected with the American people. We are in the middle of a huge melt down in the economy and I don't think he's spoken about it publicly more than once. It just seems like he's asleep at the wheel. It took forever to realize that Rumsfeld was the problem with Iraq and now Afghanistan is going down hill and it's just stay the course even if the course is headed for an iceberg. Very disappointing. I'll be the first one to support a sitting president no matter who it is and even though I wrote letters against going to war in Iraq I still supported the decision when it happened. When everyone was saying we should pull out I was in support of staying. It is our responsiblity to leave Iraq in a responsible manner. We've caused enough suffering and we don't need to make it worse. Enough rambling, this is a good expression of my frustation.

Transcript:
Big: Zzzzzzz...
Victor: George... George.... Time to wake up...
Big: Huh?... Huh?... Who's there?...
Victor: Barack is at the door. It's time to wake up. Your second term is almost over...
Big: Oh. Okay. What happened?
Victor: Not much. Karl and Dick have been running the place.
Big: That's good. How'd we do?
Victor: Karl pulled a Skilling and abandoned ship just before the biggest crash. Otherwise we've got the worst unemployment since your father left office. You'll probably have that great legacy you wanted...

Face Bigelow #81 - Mideast Peace Deal

This idea came from a Reuters article saying it didn't look like there would be a mideast peace deal this year. I'm surprised that anyone would be surprised? What an odd article.

Transcript:
Big: I'm so disappointed that we are not going to see a peace deal this year in the middle east...
Victor: Were you working on a peace deal?
Big: Not really, but I was still hoping to see my legacy include a peace agreement.
Victor: Don't you have to be engaged and working on a deal for one to happen?
Big: What a great idea. I wish I would have thought of that earlier...
Victor: !!??!!

Face Bigelow #80 - Bonus Check

This bailout money looks like it is well spent.... If you are on the hook to receive bonuses from the bailed out companies.

Bailed out banks ordered to reveal executive compensation.

I thought Wall street teaches us not to throw good money after bad, so why is it that the market is rallying when the government is the one throwing the money? Do we think that these investments can't go bad now that the feds (the regulators) are part of the institution? I'm really confused. To me it just looks like the federal government has now tied itself to the boat anchor these executives threw overboard.

Transcript.
Title: Bureau of Bailout
Big: Hey Victor. Here is your bonus check...
Victor: Bonus? I thought we almost went bankrupt last quarter?
Big: This is your bonus for getting that bailout money from the Bureau Of Bailout.
Big: Now we just have to figure out how to survive this quarter after we spent the money on bonuses. Will you ask BOB for our next installment? It could mean another bonus!

Face Bigelow #79 - Friendly reminder

Since it's was widely proven (in 2007) that Barrack Obama is not a muslim I find it hard to believe the number of e-mails I'm still getting that claim that he is. I think both candidates will do a good job and don't think it is in any of our interests to spread inflammatory lies. Don't believe everything you see on the Internet and help yourself avoid looking like a hate monger by using google and snopes.com to look up stuff that seems too unbelievable to be true.

Transcript
Title: Presidential Candidate
Big: Victor. Since you are running for president, I looked into your list of friends.
Big: It shows here that you have a friend who is a Muslim...? Could this be true...?
Big: Why yes. I've been good friends with a few Muslims for many years. My faith does not preclude friendships outside of my faith.
Big: We think that means YOU are a Muslim and unfit to run the country. Muslim! Muslim! Someone arrest him!!! He must be a traitor!!!

Face Bigelow #78 - R Word

It's time for some truth and a lot less of the avoiding blame game.
http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/10/16/afx4225690.html

Transcript.
Title: Mr Treasury
Big: Housing numbers are bad. Really bad.
Big: The economy is at a point of "correction".
Victor: Doesn't negative growth mean "recession"?
Big: The current administration doesn't allow me to use that word so we are just seeing a "correction" for a few quarters.
Victor: Must be some new form of transparency in government...

Face Bigelow #77 - Bad Debt

I understand making sure regular banks have capital and insuring deposits, but when we bail out investment banks and Wall Street companies that have serious financial problems is that really wise? Even if it hurts us all isn't it better to teach these firms and all their analysts who said everything was AAA a lesson? What message are we sending when we give them 75 billion one week, they throw a big party and ask for another 30 billion a few weeks later? Are we just covering an interest payment and making the problem even worse? What a mess.

Transcript
Big: Victor, you are my closest friend. We are almost like family.
Big: I've maxed out all 75 of my credit cards and have gone underwater on the seven homes I own.
Big: Would you be willing to take over all of that bad debt so I can get back to the spending spree?
Victor: Sorry Big. I keep my finances balanced. You'll have to talk to the Bureau of Bailout. They'll take it over. They are already doing that with Wall Street.

Face Bigelow #76 - AIG vacation

Inspired by real world events where AIG is caught spending tax payer money on an extravagant retreat. That's what I typically do when I'm on the brink of bankruptcy, plan a five star vacation...

Transcript
Big: Hey Victor. They bail out check is here.
Big: We are headed to California to spend some quality time deciding how to spend all the money.
Big: We can just wait out the crisis in style! No worries.
Big: Open bar, $600 rooms, everyone gets a massage... Crisis? What Crisis?
Victor: With the $85 billion from the government you could do this all winter. Great prep for your jail term...

Face Bigelow #75 - Haliburton 2.0

Transcript:
Title: War On Terror 2.0
Donald: We are on the trail of the WMDs (Wreckingballs of Massive Debt). The trail has brought us to the doorstep of Haliburton.
Donald: I suggest we bring in heavy artillery and storm the building. Mr. President, do you concur?
Big: I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we stepped back and talked with them first.
Big: In fact, here is a ten billion dollar contract so Haliburton can investigate this problem for us. Please go back to pinning this problem on Osama.

There is a typo in the cartoon and it's a pain to fix so I'm going to leave it. Sorry not that many people read this anyway.

Face Bigelow #74 - War On Terror 2.0

The more I hear, the stranger it gets.... Or is it just me?

Transcript:
Big: My fellow Americans. I've hired my good friend Donald to seek out and destroy these economic terrorists that have caused this financial crisis.
Big: He will also find the WMDs (Wreckingballs of Massive Debt) and destroy them. Donald, please give the American people an update on the situation.
Donald: We understand the Osama Bin Laden was originally working at a training camp in Countrywide where he trained many cells of economic terrorists.
Donald: We have not yet located the WMDs, but we feel confident that they will turn up soon. As for Bin Laden, he has since crossed the border into Pakieystan and we will find him soon...

Yes, the spelling was on purpose to show odd pronunciation the people in this administration use. It would be a sad day, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Donald chosen for this type of job. He already got to oversee a trillion dollars in waste, why not give him another 800 billion...?

Face Bigelow #73 - Bureau Of Bailout 2.0

I was pondering what it would take to get this flawed bill through the government and the results of my thoughts were not very positive. At least that's what I think our law makers will do. Any way you look at it the results are not going to lead to a positive outcome, it's just that some outcomes are less negative than others. What a mess.

Transcript:
Title: Bureau Of Bailout 2.0
Big: The Bailout Bill failed because no one wanted to spend that much money.
Big: We are going to try again to create a Bailout Bill that everyone can agree to.
Victor: What are you going to change?
Big: The only thing we can change... We are going to make it even larger so everyone can get their own pet projects attached to it.
Big: It's now the $720 billion bailout plan.
Victor: I should have seen that coming...


Transcript

Face Bigelow #72 - War On Financial Terror

All these scare tactics are getting very tiresome...

Transcript:
Title: War On Terror 2.0
Big: My fellow Americans. We will solve this financial crisis as soon as Congress agrees to my terms.
Big: We will go to war against terrorists in our financial institutions. We will be victorious.
Big: With the $700 billion and only with the $700 billion we will find and protect all Americans from these Wreckingballs of Massive Debt.
Big: These WMDs will be found and will be dismantled as soon as Congress agrees with this War on Financial Terror on Wall Street...
Victor: Uh Oh. I'm sensing a sequel...

Face Bigelow #71 - Bureau Of Bailout - House Free

I know there are probably a lot of people who were taken advantage of during the mortgage boom, but there were also many people who took great advantage of the situation and are still doing so. This comic is targeted at the later. The ones who worked in collusion with Wall street to swindle us all.

Transcript
Title: Bureau Of Bailout
Scam Artist: Wow, this is great! I bought this place with no money down.
Scam Artist: I defaulted on the mortgage so I didn't have to pay anything for a year until they finally kicked me out.
Scam Artist: And now that BOB stepped in to save me I can afford to buy a second house on pure speculation! BOB even offered to pay off my credit card bills!
Big: Here's your check
Scam Artist: Gucci here I come!

Face Bigelow #70 - Bureau Of Bailout - Kalifornya

During this financial crisis California finally passed a $103 Billion California State Budget. It dawned on me that the amount they are requesting to bail out these financial firms is almost six times the budget of the worlds sixth largest economy! It's like trying to think of the distance from hear to the nearest neighbor galaxy. You just can't fathom the amount. This just can't be right...?

Transcript:
Title: Bureau Of Bailout
Big: Okay, Okay. The crisis was a big ruse to get my house in the Hamptons and make sure my Goldman shares didn't disappear.
Big: But now I have this extra $600 billion to deal with. What to do? What to do?
Big: Wow, look at that! California just signed a $103 billion dollar budget and they are having all sorts of financial problems...
Big: Victor! Get Schwartzie on the phone. I want to see if he'll sell Kalifornya for $600 billion?
Victor: Or maybe we'll just call it a bailout..?

Face Bigelow #69 - Bureau Of Bailout - Credit Card Debt

Transcript:
Title: Bureau Of Bailout
Debtor: This Gucci purse didn't last as long as I thought it would and now I have $35,000 in credit card debt.
Big: But the purse still looks new.
Debtor: It is, but it went out of style after two weeks.
Big: Oh, now I see. That does sound like fraud. Here is a $35,000 bailout check.
Debtor: Great. One more thing. Can you make it out for $35,404? I need a new iPhone and a Latte...
Big: My pleasure

Face Bigelow #68 - Bureau Of Bailout - Big Check

This is aimed at both Dick Fuld and Henry Paulson. I don't know much about Fuld, but I have liked Paulson so I don't really think he's bad I just don't like the whole bailout and I do think he has a big conflict of interest having probably lost a ton of equity in the dropping shares of Goldman.

Transcript:
Title: Bureau Of Bailout
Big: Next! Oh hey, my good friend Richard. How can I help you?
Richard: I lost the $700 million I made selling bad mortgage debt.
Big: You came to the right place and used the right buzz words. Mortgage and Debt. After buying a house in the hamptons and bailing out my own Goldman shares I have some money left over for you.
Big: Here's a check for $700 Million. Stop back again if you run into more trouble...
Richard: Wow, that was easy! I guess I can get that new yacht after all...

Face Bigelow #67 - BOB - Bureau Of Bailout

Uh oh, I can feel a landslide of comics coming down the pipe. Looks like the dam built up after the vacation has burst...

Transcript.
Title: Bureau Of Bailout
Big: Now that I have the $700 billion bailout fund, I think The Bureau of Bailout needs a new office.
Big: Hey kid. How much for the office building?
Kid: Well, I have an ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) on it for $1.2 million that is set to adjust next month.
Big: Perfect. I can bail you out and get the office at the same time.
Kid: I'll take it and throw in a free lemonade for only $6.00.
Big: BOB is open for business, who's first?

Face Bigelow #66 - Bureau Of Bailout

Two days in a row, very impressive progress after a long hiatus.

Transcript:
Title: Bureau of Bailout
Big: Help! The economy is going to end if we don't get a $700 billion bailout started.
Victor: What are you going to do with the money?
Big: Solve the mortgage crisis!!??
Victor: Yes, but how?
Big: With $700 billion we can solve anything. We just have to get this Bureau Of Bailout created as soon as possible. Before it's too late!
Victor: Yes, I'm sure that house in the Hamptons will solve a lot of your problems, but what about the rest of America?

Face Bigelow #65 - Mortgage Solution

Wow, it has been a long time since I've done one of these. That must have been a good vacation because I wasn't inspired by any of this sort of news for such a long time. The other day a friend asked me about it and I said I just hadn't had any inspiration lately. His response, "What!!!???, Are you kidding, in this environment...". After I thought about it a little I this one came to mind. I'm not sure I really have the time to start this back up again, but I'll try to do one once in a while for the rest of the year. Maybe try to get to 100...?

Transcript:
Big: Hey Victor, I've figured out a way to solve the mortgage crisis.
Victor: Great, what is it?
Big: We create a new Bureau of Bailout. It will only cost $700 billion to setup.
Victor: ??!!??
Big: Anyone who gets swindled. (caugh) by my friends (caugh) will automatically get their money back.
Victor: Except of course the American tax payer..?

Face Bigelow #64 - American Dream

I'll be on vacation next week, not that anyone will probably notice...

Transcript:
Big: Ahhhh. Living the American Dream. Sitting on a beach sipping cocktails. Doing nothing productive for the rest of my life. This really is what the American Dream is all about...
Victor: Not my America, but it is a nice vacation.

Face Bigelow #63 - Food For Fuel

This is another one I found on my desk that I wrote up a few weeks ago but never drew. I think I finally got the "combine Big head" right and don't have any more of these to draw. I'm liking the digital tablet and after three of these it is starting to look a little better and is quicker to draw than the old way, back of the daily calendar (non-sequitur this year), digital camera and a lot of massaging to get the drawings right and text redone.

Even though I wrote this a few weeks ago I chose to go with it because of a few blogs blaming (Lake Minnetonka Liberty, Now At The Podium) environmentalists on this food/ethanol crisis and I don't think any environmentalist ever thought this was a good idea. The only people who thought this was a good idea were a few policy makers in Washington who gave it a green spin and the farm lobby. Not the family farmer, the Monsanto type farmers.

Face Bigelow #62 - Economics Of Ethanol

I actually did this one weeks ago when I started hearing that the costs of wheat and corn were doubling. I didn't do the drawing, just the text which I do on the front of the calendar pages, then turn them over and draw them. This one I drew directly to digital using the Wacom Tablet. I think I can do better with the drawing, but I do try to get these done quick as I've got a ton going on. I also think it is more about the commentary than the drawings anyway, but I welcome your comments on the topic.

Transcript:
Big: Hey Victor, check this out.
Big: The government is paying me an incentive to make 100 gallons of ethanol with 110 gallons of oil.
Big: The nice thing is that the price of wheat and corn have skyrocketed.
Victor: To bad we can no longer afford to eat.

Face Bigelow #61 - Food Shortages

Welcome to my first completely digital piece. I used a Wacom Tablet and Paint Shop Pro to produce this first ever, all digital Face Bigelow. Just trying to find ways to speed the process. I have also been using this same tablet on my Art projects and have done two recent drawings.

This food shortage news really worries me and I do believe the fluctuations in the market are caused mostly be the governments ethanol programs. I'm not a big fan and have covered this before in #21.

Some other blogs comment on this as well. The Absurd Report. Earthside. Raising Kaine.

Transcript:
Voice (Big) from familiar white building: Hey Victor. What is all this stuff I'm hearing about food shortages?
Victor: Well, food prices have gone up drastically and the poor can no longer afford to eat.
Big: What in the world could have caused this to happen?
Victor: Someone diverted a large percentage of the food supply to produce fuel so the rich could drive less expensively.

Face Bigelow #60 - Big Blogger

I'm probably going to annoy a lot of people, but at the same time they get a link back to their blogs which increases their authority. Sense of humor people, sense of humor.

This comes from my last few days of trying to show other bloggers that my news related webcomics are related to their own news postings and thereby increase traffic. Hey, everyone wants to be heard... I've done some searches for topics similar to my last few webcomics, then added comments to those other blogs. In the process I've come across a lot of blogs that are simply cut and pasting of articles and video and don't seem to have any added value. It's nice that they extract out the news that interests them, but I think they can add a little value and type three works or grunt like a caveman or something. Not to also insult cave men...

Here are a half dozen blogs like the ones in my webcomic:
Blue Collar Republican
Fergie's Tech Blog
All Points Blog
Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check
eHome Upgrade
Conglomerate
Swimming Free Style
Fun With My Ira

I purposefully chose ones with low authority (and miscounted to keep you guessing) on technorati so this should help your ratings and maybe give a little reason to add some value. At least Peter O'Kelly added a single word and Conglomerate actually had an entire sentence and a half.

Transcript:
Big: I'm a blogger.
Big: I create an entry by simply copying articles into my blog.
Big: I don't even add a comment. It makes my blogging so easy I barely have to lift a finger.
Big: In fact, I don't even have to think!
Victor: My thoughts exactly.

Face Bigelow #59 - The God Particle

Just having some more fun with the news. This one on The God Particle which will (hopefully) soon to be discovered just seems like a bad name to me. Even the physicists, Peter Higgs, who theorized its existence doesn't like the term. His term for it is Higgs Boson which seems a little more scientific to me. Chalk one up for bad marketing.

Transcript:
Big: Hey Victor! I just found God!
Victor: Finally. Isn't it amazing how much He really loves us?
Big: I'm not sure. He's in this test tube.
Victor: Test tube?
Big: You know. The God Particle.
Victor: Well, let him out I have some questions for him!
Victor: Or start rubbing it and maybe he'll grant us three wishes.

Face Bigelow #58 - Free Credit Cards

This sort of thing just baffles my mind.
News Inspired: GAO Millions wasted on gov't credit cards.

I've now posted three days in a row, there is a lot to be confused at in this world...

Transcript:
Big: Hey Victor, check out this government credit card I just received. I can buy all kinds of cool stuff!!!
Victor: Don't you have to pay for the things you buy?
Big: No. Everyone does it.
Victor: Aren't you afraid you'll get caught or that this is just wrong?
Big: No! The guy at the top just spent over $500 billion. No one will ever notice a few trips to Vegas.
Victor: Something like this could only start at the top...

Face Bigelow #57 - Face Time On Iraq

News inspired: Patraeus testimony on Iraq. Two days in a row, something must be wrong with me. I also changed the font back to Comic Sans against the wishes of the comic artist community at Half Pixel. They say it is overused and too amateurish, but I am an amateur and my drawing stinks so why not use a bad font too?

I really like Patraeus. When they were playing this live on NPR this morning I was listening to the questioning and wondering if these congressmen could ever get anything done. The questions were so long a drawn out I was ready for a nap by the time they asked a question that had already been answered. Things like this require satire.

Transcript:
Big: General Petraeus, I'm a congressman in Washington and I have the microphone, so I'm going to talk and maybe come up with a question...
Big: I like to talk really really slooow so I can make less decisions each day since most of them are bad decisions and run on sentences tend to slow the process even more...
Big: I would of course like to thank the men and women of the military, but let me get back to myself and maybe a question...
Big: Since I think I voted on this isue many many years ago, please tell me how it's going...
Petraeus: I answered that in my opening statement, but let me waste my time and repeat...

I don't know how Patraeus does it. He said he's been on duty away from home for four and a half years since this started. An extra two hours of senseless questions during this testimony would have to be the straw that breaks the camel's back!

Face Bigelow #56 - Cease Fire

News inspired by two events: The cease fire, The rocket fire.

Transcript:
Title: Islamist insurgent (I used this because it seemed to fit both al-sadr and hammas)
Big: We declare cease fire.
Rocket: Whoosh... Kaboom!
Victor: Was that a rocket?
Big: Why yes. Fired at infidel invaders.
Victor: Let me guess, it's a shaky cease fire, especially when the rocket lands...?

Face Bigelow #55 - ms. secretary

I found this Turkey, Rice news inspired strip on my desk last week. I guess I missed the boat as this is now old news and irrelevant, but don't think I'm not desperate enough to keep up with the blog that I won't resort to posting the irrelevant? You should have noticed that I am parodied in #50. Obviously I'm not all that gifted as an oracle since this event just sort of passed through the news and Turkey continues to attack the PKK in Iraq and no one seems to notice. So much for WWIII. Shows how little I really know and how irrelevant this comic really is! Obviously I think Rice is one of the main architects of the invasion and did it back climbing on one of my favorite leaders, Powell who resigned probably because of the decisions that were made, so I feel inclined to fit her in the comic even if it is irrelevant.

Transcript
Title: Secretary Of State
Media: Ms. Secretary. Turkey is launching attacks on Iraq and threatening WWIII. What is the status?
Big: Obviously this is a concern to the administration and we hope this is a short term incursion.
Media: Concern about WWIII or the term of the incursion?
Big: The term of the incursion. We don't want them to disrupt our record long occupation of Iraq. We're trying to get Guinness to verify our record.

Face Bigelow #54 - great orator

Font change. Comments appreciated. I think I liked the font better in the samples I took it from. Disappointed there is no lower case in it, but I could use some feedback.

News inspired by Clinton saying Obama is a great orator, but not a great leader.

Transcript:
Big: We don't want to choose a president based on oratory skill.
Big: We need a great business or military leader with proven experience.
Victor: Are you saying they will not make any mistakes because of their experience?
Big: Umm. No, but why does that matter?
Victor: At least if a good orator makes a bad decision it still sounds good.
Unknown voice from a familiar white building: Ya All. We're goin' ta war against terrorists in Irak to get rid of some evil dooers.

I mean no disrespect to the southern accent. That is not my intention. Just the wording alone is enough to drive me nuts, but the accent in the comic above is used more as a vocal identifier.

Face Bigelow #53 - vp speak 2.0

Transcript:
Big: Do mean to say that you don't think this was a successful endeavor?
Victor: No!
Big: What about the $500 billion that has been spent so far?
Victor: !!??!!
Victor: You mean the $500 billion that is causing growing inflation, the dollar to collapse and leading to economic uncertainty?
Big: A large portion of that went into my friend's pockets. I would call that a successful endeavor!

Discussion.
I almost didn't post this because it is just too far out of my normal thought mode. I don't believe this war was started to line pockets, but I find it hard to believe there is still some justification in calling it successful. Trust has been lost over the past three administrations and it's time to start admitting mistakes and moving on to fix them, not playing double speak and calling a complete failure a success. If we can't trust our leaders the system will not work.

Face Bigelow #52 - vp speak

Another news inspired comic.

Transcript:
Big: Millions of people have been displaced.
Big: Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed.
Big: Over 100,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded and nearly 4000 killed.
Big: Violence continues, but I'm calling this a "successful endeavor".
Victor: What planet do you live on?

This is totally unfair on my part and I know the vp has his hands tied and trying to keep up morale on the ground. But since I have been in such disagreement with this administration I think it would be good to express my views so people don't think I'm just some ranting weirdo. I have disagreed with this war since the beginning. I wrote letters to my congress women and the president stating that going to war in Iraq would be a mistake and distract from the real mission in Afghanistan. Now my views have completely shifted and I don't think we should leave Iraq. We have caused so much distress to the people of the region that I don't think it we can leave any time soon without making it much much worse for these people.

I would like nothing more than to see all our soldiers out of Iraq, but not at the expense of a people who we have caused much suffering. When the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, millions of people were slaughtered throughout the region. Iraq has this same potential and pulling out quickly would be a huge mistake and an immoral decision. We disbanded their entire security infrastructure, then fortified ourselves into large bases and allowed the citizens to fend for themselves. The recent tactics which have put us back on the streets is the real change that has lessened the violence, more soldiers on the streets, not just more soldiers.

So, what would I like the vp to say? "This has been a long road and a road that does lead our troops out of Iraq. We have a duty to support the Iraqi people and help them bring peace and security to their streets. The only winner can be the Iraqi people when they have a stable government and peaceful streets." At some point you need to move beyond defending a bad decision and move on to fixing the problems caused by that decision. Years have been spent defending the decision and only the past 8 months have shown any acknowledgment of changes required to move forward. The sound bites taken from this speech seem to be a complete reversal of recent progress.

So, those are my are my views in a nutshell.

Vote For Dustrotter!

I know this is a webcomic, but I wanted to ask you to vote for Kurt. He's a good friend and does this great Hawaii video travel blog called Dustrotter. Part Survivorman, part Huell Howser really fun to watch. I'm sure at least one of the three people who visit here in the next month will be willing to give five stars. Unless it's the president, some famous baseball player or one of the other 50 people I've insulted badly over the past year. Maybe I just doomed his chances of getting his own travel show by even asking..?

Five stars or don't bother!
http://yourtrip.travelchannel.com/clip.aspx?key=51E080EE36804163

Face Bigelow #51 - Islamaphobia

Did you miss me? No one even left one comment even though I said I wouldn't post anymore until I got one. Well, one week was all I could do without seeing this news blurb. I'll probably get myself on some sort of hit list with this one, but I guess that's the cost of freedom.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080314/wl_nm/islamic_summit_dc_5

Transcript:
Big: I'm an Islamic cleric and want to combat Islamophobia.
Big: We believe western Christians see us wrongly as extremists.
Big: We propose a summit with western Christian leaders.
Big: Will you join us?
Victor: Will you leave the suicide bombers at home?

Face Bigelow #50 - Armchair Decision Maker

#50 - Never thought I would make it this far. I think I'm going to retire as this has not generated any real interest. If you like it and want me to continue, leave a comment on this (last) entry. If I get 10 comments, or I have a prolific streak I'll post at least 10 more. I'll even count a single word comment that said something like "Blechk!".

Transcript:
Big: I'm a comic artist. Many of my best comics are political.
Big: I think I know everything and I can make fun of anyone.
Victor: What would you do differently in their shoes.
Big: I'm only an armchair decision maker. I would never resort to making real decisions.
Victor: So, lots of whining with some drawings thrown in for good measure.

Face Bigelow #49 -Home Run Juice

Transcript:
Title: Mr. Baseball
Big: Hey Boss. How may home runs did he hit last night?
Victor: Umm... Three, why?
Big: Wow, that's two more than me. You better give me a double dose of that home run juice.
Victor: But we're already giving you 10,000 times the normal dose!!!
Big: Yeah, but I'm going to be a mega star.

Face Bigelow #48 - Mr. (steroids in) Baseball

Transcript:

Title: Mr. Baseball
Big: I've used steroids my entire career, but don't tell anyone okay?
Victor: Isn't that cheating?
Big: Cheating? Well, no, since everyone does it.
Victor: What about illegal?
Big: Only if I get caught
Victor: What about being a role model for kids?
Big: Role model! I get a 'Giant' paycheck, what better role model is there?

Face Bigelow #47 - Olympic Doping

By far one of my favorites in the recent past.

A day late on this one, sorry to no one since the traffic to this site is basically zero. I'm probably going to go back to posting once a week since I'm having trouble keeping up with it.

Also, a new change this week with a real font instead of hand lettering. I just cannot justify the time in hand lettering any longer. Hope it doesn't detract too much?

Transcript:
Big: Hey Victor. Did you see that Marion Jones admitted to doping in the olympics?
Victor: Yes. Very sad isn't it?
Big: Sad! They should lock her up and throw away the key!
Victor: Maybe we should celebrate her honesty for finally doing the right thing?
Big: Are you crazy! Lock her up! We don't want baseball players getting any ideas!

Face Bigelow #46 - Secret! Secret! Secret!

Transcript:
Victor: Tell us again why we went into Iraq?
Big: That's Secret.
Victor: What about the torture of prisoners by the CIA?
Big: That's Secret Too.
Victor: What about the Katrina debacle?
Big: Secret!
Victor: What did you have for dinner last night?
Big: Secret! Secret! Secret!

Face Bigelow #45 - To Impeach Or Not To Impeach

Transcript:
Victor: Hey Big. Would you impeach a president for lying to go to war or exposing a national secret to silence a critic?
Big: No.
Victor: What about torturing people then lying to a judge that the torture was taped, then destroying the tape?
Big: No.
Victor: What would you impeach a president for?
Big: Sex! Then lying to a judge about it. But mostly just the sex.
Victor: !!?

Face Bigelow #44 - Not Negative Campaign

Transcript:
Title: Presidential Campaign
Big: I don't believe in running a negative campaign.
Big: I just tell it like it is. The truth is most important.
Big: Like the fact that my opponent is a spinless idiot who doesn't know where Iraq is on the map.
Big: I'm smarter than him, I use Google to find Iraq.

Face Bigelow #43 - Iowa Nice

Transcript:
Big: Okay Team. We are in Iowa Now.
Big: That means we have to be "Iowa Nice".
Big: Meaning, Don't say anything bad about our opponent when we are in the same room.
Big: For everywhere else, I want to hear all your meanest ideas.

Face Bigelow #41 - Fancy Commuter

Face Bigelow #41 - Microwho?

I know I usually only post on Monday and Thursday and the Monday one is tied to the theme of #40, but this one just had too much context in today's Microsoft/Yahoo! announcement. I'm trying to figure out a better way to get my news commentary panes online in a more timely manner while still not killing myself. I still have a really good Marion Jones one that is out in the late 40's and we all know that news happened a few months ago! A learning process, but you really are going to like the Marion Jones and Baseball steroids ones that are coming.

Face Bigelow #40 - Fancy Car

Sorry in advance for those who like fancy cars. It's just not my thing and driving in Orange County, Ca sometimes baffles me. Have you ever been in the Crystal Cove area on Saturday mornings? If you are insulted by this comic you would probably enjoy it.
---Transcript---
Big: Hey Victor! Check out my new car.
Victor: Wow. That's nice, what kind is it?
Big: It's a b-class X426. I had to special order it from Italy.
Victor: Nice. It must be fast and expensive?
Big: Very expensive. More than most people pay for a house.
Big: But you don't actually drive this car.
Big: It is just to stand near in public places so people can see how important you are.