Beto Versus Ted!

The Democrats have a problem.Donald J.Trump is president of the United States and his party, the Republicans, control congress. Democrats want to control congress and they want to have a president. The control of both is controlled by elections; an election for congress and other offices, including governorships, takes place in November. Thus the long time war between Republican party and Democratic party control continues.

Each party wants to control congress by having more elected members than the other party. The democratic party is expected to win control the house of representatives but probably not the senate,which they want also want. The biggest senate contest is Beto O’Rourke versus Ted Cruz. 

Beto is  the U.S. Representative for Texas's 16th congressional district since 2013 but he wants Ted’s position as a senator for Texas. Many see Beto as a political rockstar and he has raised record amounts of money for his campaign.

Here you can explore Beto’s policies and decide for yourself. 

Beto played punk rock in a band —- and Ted is, well, Ted.

The democrats want to fireTed Cruz.

Willy Nelson supports Beto!

Beto is trailing Canadian born Ted Cruz in polls and is expected to lose but tonight they will debate on CNN. Here are some suggestions on what to watch for during this debate.

Will this debate change the polls or is Beto destined to lose? 

Ted Cruz has a supporter too!

Many democrats are convinced that Beto O’Rourke is a political superstar and has what it takes to run for president against Trump in 2020. 

Very interesting. Only time will tell.

Trump Meets Putin!

Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly

On Monday 16, 2018, president Trump meets with president Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation.It appears obvious that Putin led a cyber attack against the USA that assisted in the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced Friday that twelve Russian intelligence officials were indicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into 2016 election hacking  ahead of the 2016 election. 

Oddly enough, Putin is one of the few world leaders that Trump has refused to condemn. In fact Trump praises Putin.

It leads some to ask “what if Trump has been a Russian asset since 1987?” Amazing. if true.Read and decide for yourself.

Is this the end of NATO?

This weekend Trump met with world leaders at a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium. It was a meeting dominated by Trump’s bluster and insults and included Trump saying that “Germany is totally controlled by Russia”. 

It ended with Trump fabricating success.

Unusual baby Trump  balloon and unusual protestors

Next Trump went to England where he was lampooned by balloon and protested with great vigor. 

Trump was interviewed by The Sun, a British newspaper, and in the interview he registers his displeasure with how PM Teresa May is conducting Brexit, among other issues. The next day Trump lied to May about the interview, which was recorded, calling it fake news.

Trump's choice for PM Boris Johnson

Trump is insulting to  ally nations and praises those nations the US is, at best, antagonistic  toward. We can not say for sure what will happen when Donnie meets Vlad but expect Trump to continue praising Putin. President Trump is certainly very predicable.

Don't forget about the pee pee tape

Merry Christmas 2017

Will president Trump fire Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections? The Miami Herald says maybe. 

Will the investigation result in arrests? NBC says yes. Will Russiagate continue to be a problem for Trump? Only the future holds the truth.

Meltdown!

I'm melting!

President Donald J.Trump has a problem-he is melting down. He is melting down about the investigation into Russiagate, which is the investigation that asks the question–did Russia interfere with the election of 2016 to help Trump get elected? Trump has insisted since even before his administration began there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia, but the New York Times revealed there was a connection via Donald Trump Junior. 

Is this as bad as it gets?

In July 2016 he had met with a Russian attorney that promised damaging information about the Hillary Clinton campaign. His admission of this meeting was a real bombshell, there was actually some possible proof of collusion. 

Donnie Junior in happier days

DJT Jr attempted defusing the issue by posting the content of the emails on twitter. This prompted the New York Post, a newspaper known to be friendly towards Trump, to call Donald Trump Junior an idiot. Gentlemen’s Quarterly also called DJT Jr an idiot “of Towering Proportions”. 

Oops!

Before the revelations about the meeting, many voters thought the investigation onto Russian involvement with the election of 2016 was only a distraction but now, who knows?  As a result of these revelations about the meeting Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., and Paul Manafort head to the Senate for questioning. Kushner has already testified, then DJT Jr and Manafort are scheduled for July 26, 2017. 

Another thing Trump is melting down about is Attorney General Jefferson Sessions, who had properly recused himself from involvement with the Russiagate investigation. Trump mentioned Sessions from the White House Rose Garden, recently. Trump said "I'm very disappointed with the attorney general, but we will see what happens. Time will tell. Time will tell.” Many sources claim Trump is considering firing Jeff Sessions. This hatred of Sessions is even more puzzling considering Jeff Sessions took a major risk by becoming the first United States senator to endorse Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in February 2016. 

Republican South Carolina representative Trey Gowdy, recently offered some friendly advice to the Trump administration. He said it’s time for members of Trump's campaign to come clean about any meetings they had with Russian figures during the campaign to avoid the steady “drip, drip, drip” of information being made public about this investigation.

Certainly others have helpful advice for the Trump administration and perhaps we will hear from them in the future. For now, the future is possibly a very dark place for America. Certainly some people are deriving amusement from Russiagate but most people are not. Here at the Strangest Adventures we  are not sure what to think or what will happen next. To quote Donald J. Trump “Time will tell.” 

Fake!

Last time at the Strangest Adventures we discussed Trump’s fake Time Magazine cover. Time Magazine has requested that Trump cease displaying these fictional covers. 

Here we offer a rebooted version of that cover that offers some  refinements; perhaps no less fake though.  

-Superior Cover Art-This version has the “visionary stare”.

-Correct red outline with white stripe

-More realistic cover text

-almost correct UPC Code, this code is from a cover of Time.

Marvel’s Earth 65    Merry  Marvel Marching Mutant!

With the current state of “mainstream” Marvel comics right now (Captain America has been revealed be a life long double agent for HYDRA, for instance ) we at the Strangest Adventures will prefer to briefly examine  the alternative  universe of Marvel’s Earth 65. In this universe Gwen Stacy, a cast member of Spider-man. is bitten by the radioactive spider and becomes Spider-Woman. The character debuted in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 as part of the 2014–15 Spider-Verse comic book storyline. 

The only other major superhero written about on Earth 65 is their version of Captain America. There is one villain there worth noting; their version of MODAK is clearly based on a mutated Donald Trump. Why have they done this? Where is this going?

DC Bombshells!

The universe of DC Bombshells has a very unusual history-it began as a series of retro styled figurines of famous super-heroines depicted pin up style. Only later, after the figurines became popular did DC Bombshells become a  comic book series! In DC Bombshells #37 Harvey Dent is clearly based on Donald Trump. He promises to “Make Gotham Golden Once More”. MAGA? 

In most versions of reality Dent becomes becomes horribly disfigured  which leads him to becoming Two-Face. Where is this story headed? Does Trump become Two-Face?

Trump Versus Time Lincoln! 

Antarctic Press Launches New Comic From David Hutchinson, Trump Vs Time Lincoln, for July12 2017 In Shops: Jul 12, 2017! The Great Emancipator, Time Lincoln, faces an all-new threat to existence--from within his homeland!  Just when he thought it was safe to go back in time, he discovers part of reality has been replaced by Alternate Reality, where what was once fact is now a matter of alternate choice. 

Hecho en Mexico-Donald Trump appears someplace real! 

Donald Trump is in the papers! Actually, in Mexico, Trump IS the paper. Mexican businessman and Corporate lawyer Antonio Battaglia is introducing "Trump" brand toilet paper, marketed under the slogans "Softness without borders" and "This is the wall that, yes, we will pay for." 

 More of the story here. These marvelous wiping papers will only be available in Mexico. At the Strangest Adventures we look forward to be products and comics Trump will inspire in the future and wonder what will he inspire in the future?

Fame!

Fame is proof that people are gullible – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What does President Donald J. Trump want? Fame! Has he received sufficient fame yet? He is arguably one of the most famous people on Earth now. At The Strangest Adventures we suggest that he is famous beyond Earth too.

Trump has conducted his quest for fame from this gaudy building since 1983.

Trump has been famous for decades. While he was famous for being a real estate mogul in the 1980’s he gained notoriety in New York City on May 1, 1989 by paying $85,000 to take out full page advertisements  in all four of the city's major newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty. Trump said he wanted the ''criminals of every age'' who were accused of beating and raping a jogger in Central Park 12 days earlier ''to be afraid.''The ads said, in part, "Mayor Koch has stated that hate and rancor should be removed from our hearts. I do not think so.”  Five juvenile males—four black and one Hispanic  were convicted of the crime but were later exonerated by DNA evidence. The story is here.

R.Crump was not very subtle about his feelings for Trump.

However those ads certainly seemed to  convince famous cartoonist R. Crumb that Trump was certainly a hateful man.

You can read the whole story of Trump getting his comeupannce here or buy Hup #1-#4 here.

Incredibly, in 2016 in true trumpian style, Trump continued to insist they were guilty, despite their complete exoneration in 2002! That man never apologizes for anything!

Trudeau: ‘If Trump wins, I’ll miss civilization as we know it.’

Even before then, on September 14, 1987, cartoonist Garry Trudeau ran the first Doonesbury comic strip that mentioned Donald Trump after Trump had floated a political trial balloon, hinting that he would run for president. Trump comic strips were later compiled and now can be purchased here.

Panel slightly altered for humorous effect.

Even earlier in 1975 in Spidey Super Stories #8, Spider-Man fought a very strange enemy, The Wall. Was this a foreshadowing of the wall that Donald Trump would promise in 2016? We doubt it, no one in 1975 could have predicted that he would promise a wall on the Southern border of the United States in 2016! However, in the 21st Century Trump would often be depicted as a villain.

 In just one example, he is villainous in Savage Dragon #226. More about Trump’s appearances in comic books and other media next time at The Strangest Adventures!

Sean Spicer The Bush Man!

Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer!

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was recently seen hiding in the bushes to avoid the press after President Trump fired FBI director James Comey! He claims he was hiding AMONG the bushes!

Another day, another Strange Adventure!

Unplugged!

One of television's most opinionated voices, Bill O’Reilly, was just fired from Fox News, a cable news network, amid sexual harassment  accusations.  Bill and Fox News have, to date,  paid $13 million in  settlements to five women since 2004. Of course, loosing over 30 sponsors of The O’Reilly Factor could be why Bill was fired. The support of Donald Trump doesn’t help. The Atlantic claims the success of Donald Trump is why O’Reilly is now unemployed. . But more sexual allegations are expected soon.

The Strangest Adventures views all this with amusement.  Bill O’Reilly has consistently misled viewers over the years by providing misinformation. It will be interesting to see if Fox changes any after this chaos-we say no. In any case, adios Bill O’Reilly, you will not be missed. There are other younger people at Fox News to misinform the American public now!

Resist!

Since the election of Donald J. Trump as president of the United States many Americans have taken to protesting his policies in different ways. What policies have they protested against so far and what will they protest against in the future? The answers may not be easy during these Strange Adventures but let’s examine just a few protests which focus on delivering a message to President Trump in Washington DC!

January 12, 2017: The Women’s March on Washington

Many Women, actually, many human beings,  believed that Mr. Trump expressed misogynistic viewpoints during his campaign for president and were concerned this could influence Trump’s actions as president.  This resulted in a massive March in Washington DC! Certainly the Trump administration is hostile to many issues that women, indeed, many people, care about deeply. The designer of the Obama hope poster, Shepard Fairey, even helped promote the event by printing full page advertisements of the posters he created for the occasion, to be used as impromptu  protest posters! The Women’s March on Washington had up to one million protestors; there was much networking and political organizing and many consider it a success!

March 9-13, 2017: Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

Many people, especially The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, are trying to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)  in North Dakota, which has a chance of destroying local waterways. They are also concerned that some wildlife and some sacred sites could be damaged by the DAPL. Bill Moyers provides more information. The protesting has taken on an  urgent air after President Donald Trump signed an executive order reviving plans for the DAPL. The Episcopal Church and the Unitarian Universalists are just two of the groups that support the struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, and there are other groups, including many veterans! We wish them success against possibly over whelming odds. Trump seems as though he would not understand or even listen to the protests!

April 22, 2017: March for Science

The March for Science is on Earth Day this year! Scientists will march to preserve funding for, and to increase interest and belief in, science! Many scientists believe the Trump administration is anti-science and anti-funding science. Many Trump appointees and even Donald Trump himself seem dubious about established scientific theories. Scientists and anyone that cares about science and ecology are being treated like enemies by Trump.But NOVA asks, is this crossing a line for scientists? We always wish success for science!

September 16, 2017-Juggalo March

Yes, fans of the musical group, Insane Clown Posse, known as Jugglealos, vowed they would march on Washington D.C. to protest the FBI declaring them to be a criminal gang! The fans follow their favorite band around the country, similar to how Deadheads used to follow the Grateful Dead around the country, though the music is much different and their culture is very unique and complicated.They also have a contentious relationship with Donald Trump! If they march it could be the Strangest Adventure Washington DC has ever seen!

There are of course, other issues  that many Americans disagree with Trump about. 

More protests and events in the Washington DC area in 2017 via The Peace Center. All protestors are welcome to Washington DC. Perhaps that is the only way some people think they are being heard now.

1984 and Alternative Facts !

Kellyanne Conway , Trump’s former campaign manager was recently interviewed by Chuck Todd of Meet The Press where she tells Todd about “alternative facts”!  The ascendency  of Donald J. Trump to the presidency and  comments from the white house staff like Conway’s have increased sales  of George Orwell’s book 1984 on Amazon by up to 9,500%!

An edition of 1984 published in 1984!

1984 depicted a dystopian world of constant government control and constant government surveliance.  The most famous quotation from 1984 is  “War is peace. Freedom is slavery.  Ignorance is strength.” The citizens of 1984 were constantly lied to by their totalitarian  government: many people are seeing parallels between that fictional government that restricted access to information and the USA of 2017

Another interesting aspect of 1984 was that their government invented a new way to communicate, Newspeak; Their government was trying to control speech and eliminate needless words with Newspeak! Submitted for your approval is the first edition of Trumpspeak. 

First edition of Trumpspeak with deluxe embossed Vinyl cover!

Trump certainly does not want input from scientists and the media. Trump does not even want the National Park Service to report accurate inauguration attendance figures. Trump even wants to “shut down” part of the internet! Esquire.com said, “The most bizarre lie of Donald Trump’s presidency so far is his claim of widespread voter fraud in an election he won.” In 2017 Trump’s administration has ordered a media blackout of people who work at the United States Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. Plus Trump has a very contentious relationship with the press. Is President Trump trying to block access to information like the government of 1984?  George Orwell said “Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” The Trump administration is George Orwell’s warning  about political language made manifest! 

Even Amalgam hero, Black Power, found 1984 dangerous, at best!

Trump has had a troubled first few weeks as president; here at the Strangest Adventures we are uncertain whether to laugh or cry. Now a recent poll conducted by Media-ite indicates 88 percent of Americans believe that there is room for improvement. We agree with that eighty eight percent!

Saga of The Swamp Things!

Out of the myriad  promises Donald Trump made during his campaign for president, one that bears further examination is his promise to “drain the swamp”. Trump was merely copying what President Ronald Reagan vowed to do in 1980. Reagan said he would "drain the swamp" of bureaucracy in Washington. No surprise there, he also got his famous "Make America Great Again"  from Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign!. 

As for draining the swamp Trump has announced plans to do that but mostly will just limit his staff and members of congress from becoming lobbyists by proposing tougher rules and he plans on trying to get a constitutional amendment passed that would set term limits on congressmen. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-fourths of the States. Either way that’s tepid reform but let’d see where this goes. First let’s look at a few of his proposed cabinet members. Is he “draining the swamp” or filling the White House with Swamp Things?

Steve Bannon!

Steve Bannon will be Donald Trump’s Chief “Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor.” This former editor of Breitbart.com and related sites, has been accused of courting white supremacists, who now call themselves the alt right, through Breitbart, which they have found to be a safe haven for their beliefs. How could we know this? "We're the platform for the alt-right," Bannon said, when he was interviewed at the RNC. Is Bannon a white supremacist? Despite his stint at Breitbart.com there seems to be a dearth of evidence to prove he is, yet he seems deeply disturbing. It’s like one episode of The Simpson’s showed painted on a helicopter, “Fox News, Not Racist, But #1 With Racists”. Is Bannon guilty or is this guilt by association? Is he a Swamp Thing? Or not?

The Southern Poverty Law Center is so incensed at the idea of Bannon being in the White House that they even have a petition against him being in the White House. Another opponent of Bannon is the National Jewish Democratic Council.

“Enough is enough,” the NJDC said in a statement. “We had planned to withhold judgment on the president-elect, giving him time to make his administration appointments, but his choice of Steve Bannon as chief strategist and senior adviser is wrong...His racism and anti-Semitism have no place in the White House, and he must step down.”

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the Third!

Jeff Sessions is Trump’s choice for Attorney General. Sessions failed to get appointed as Ronald Reagan’s nominee for the U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Alabama in 1986 but why did he fail? Allegations of racism. It was during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Thomas Figures, an assistant US Attorney who worked under Sessions in Mobile, testified. Figures spoke of Sessions joking that he thought the KKK was  "OK until I found out they smoked pot."  Figures, who was African-American and passed away last year, also told committee members that Sessions had called him "boy" on several occasions and once cautioned him to "be careful what you say to white folks" after Figures had spoken harshly to a secretary who was white.

Another federal prosecutor, J. Gerald Hebert, testified that Sessions had called the ACLU and NAACP "un-American" and "communist-inspired." According to Hebert, Sessions said the two groups "forced civil rights down the throats of people.”

Now 31 years later Sessions meets with that same committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee. Politifact has something to say about Jeff! Bottom line, Sessions says he’s no racist, he is against waterboarding, and a muslim ban and would recuse himself from an investigation of Hillary Clinton if Trump decides to persecute her. All good answers yet he seems an uncomfortable fit for the job. Is Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the Third

 a Swamp Thing or not?

Betsy DeVos!

Betsy DeVos is an Amway heiress and school choice advocate who had state leadership positions in the Republican Party and was a mega-donor to Trump’s presidential campaign and is Trump’s choice for US Secretary of Education. The job requires knowledge of education and Betsy admits she has no education background or degree. The New York Times feels she is too ignorant of the subject matter to do the job.  She also admits a complete lack of familiarity with the US Public School system. The Washington Post posits two negative outcomes. Let's see if she is approved. Is she another Swamp Thing? Or no?

Rudolph W. Giuliani!

Rudy Giuliani was, at one point last year, told he was in the running for Secretary of State! Rudy has been claimed to be a good friend of Donald Trump but it seems that Trump might have been just toying with him. Rudy Giuliani  was offered an ill-defined cybersecurity post instead; Trump rewarded a loyal sycophant with a lesser, created position. Everyone knows of Rudy’s ghoulish attachment to 9-11. For more information consult your local search engine. Knowledge is power!  Jim Kenney,  mayor of Philadelphia called Giuliani! “Nosferatu” on twitter in  2016 and the name has stuck! Is Giuliani! a Swamp Thing? Or no?

Reince Priebus!             

Reince Priebus  was chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2011 until Trump, as president, became the assumed head of the Republican Party. Reince Priebus is a rock solid, establishment Republican. Here at The Strangest Adventures, we do not find Reince Priebus troubling; the presence of such an established, knowledgable figure within the Trump Administration is a comforting thought. Maybe he can convince the new president to quit using twitter! Reince is certainly no Swamp Thing! Hopefully he will guide Trump through the difficulties of the White House!

There are many others, the Russia loving Rex Tillerson comes to mind but the question remains-is President Trump draining the swamp or filling the White House with Swamp Things? It is a Saga we all must wait on…to be continued!