David Baldinger - Cartoonist & Photographer

Locutus of Borg (copyright unknown) Yesterday, I had surgery to replace the battery to my spinal cord stimulator . Today, I'm sore as hell and can't bend at all. At least the bandages aren't as miserable as last year. I just had the thing put in exactly a year ago today. The original battery was expected to last a couple of years but it didn't. So now I have an externally rechargeable system. It's a strange concept to me. I charge a charger belt by plugging it in. After it is charged, I unplug it and then wear it around my waist making contact over the site of the implanted battery. Somehow, the thing recharges the battery through the flesh without any physical contact. It seems every year I become more and more a Borg ! I'm not supposed to be sitting in front of a computer today but I can stand so much boredom.

I finished uploading my color pencil/watercolor drawings from my sketchbook to my DeviantArt gallery . Now I can concentrate on doing new drawings

I spent the evening scanning some of my larger drawings. I haven't got them up on my web site yet but they are available on my DeviantArt site .

This was in response to the sadness I felt after looking at mr. moor's photos on Flickr of his recently passed friend, Ratje .

Brush and ink drawings 11 X 14 inches 27.9 X 35.6 cm Two brush and ink drawings from my sketchbook.

This video is relatively old but still fascinating in some twisted way. "Rubber Johnny documents a 16-year-old, inbred mutant's solitary existence, locked in a pitch-black basement by his ashamed parents. They all are TV-addict rednecks who occasionally feed Johnny and yell at him for making noise. Johnny's only company in the basement is his little horrified Chihuahua dog. His dog's I.Q. far outstrips Johnny's, who is a completely insane, bi-polar imbecile. Capable of morphing his body, he spends his life trying to amuse himself and his dog" Music by Aphex Twin

مرحبا يا رفاق (Thanks, Ahmad) 你好我的朋友! Hello mijn vrienden! Bonjour mes amis! Hallo meine Freunde! Γειάσου οι φίλοι μου! Ciao i miei amici! こんにちは私の友人! Olá os meus amigos! Привет мои друзья! ¡Hola mis amigos! 여보세요 나의 친구! Dzień dobry wszystkim ludziom! (thanks Nika & Ben ) I've been noticing a lot of traffic visiting this blog from all parts of the globe. I hope you all have found something interesting here. I really would like to know more about my visitors so please sign my guestbook. If any of these greetings are incorrect please let me know. I used IM Translator so the reults could be suspect. I will add any language provided to me. Just don't try and trick me into posting something naughty or not what I intend others to see. :)

My Drawing In The IranCartoon Exhibition My Drawing On Display At The IranCartoon Exhibition It has been a strange couple of weeks. The whole controversy over Irancartoon's Holocaust cartoon exhibition has thrust little 'ol me into some weird spotlight. I'm not sure why. The interest seems to come from the puzzlement over an American entering an Iranian competition. I must have been the only American entrant that was easy to locate. Why would I enter such a contest? I was more interested in their question of "what is the limit to free speech in the West?" For me, it was simply a way of making contact with cartoonists in Iran. I do this with other countries as well. There are many fantastic artists and cartoonists working in Iran. I have found most of the cartoonists friendly and accepting--something I can't say for a lot of the "professional" cartoonists in America. They are mostly a clique of pat-on-each-others backs kind of people. Every year they...

Hightower Lowdown | POSTER: Are you safe yet? Here's a great summary of Bush abuses for those who think everything is just peachy under the "war president." "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -George W., August 2004 * Number of Americans killed in Bush's Iraq war as of August 2006: 2577 * What Bush press flack Tony Snow said the day the total number of American dead reached 2,500: "It's a number" * Number of Americans killed since Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" on May 1, 2003: 2,438 * Number of Americans wounded (a vague term that includes such horrors as brain damage, limb blasted off, eyes blown out, psyche shattered, etc.) in Bush's war: Official count: 18,777 Independent count: up to 48,000 * Estimated number of Iraqi civilians (men, women, and children) killed in Bush's war since Saddam Hussein wa...

I discovered this today from another member of the Flag-Waver Peanut Gallery: "Boy, your daddy wasted his his money screwin' your momma." "David Baldinger, an alleged cartoonist, has an interesting take on the freedoms here in the United States. Of course, the United States Secret Police has teken him into custody. Oh, wait a minute...you mean he's not in jail for criticising the government? He isn't being harassed by the government?" The saddest part is that these people really believe what they say. He also makes the same mistake all these goons make in a more recent post " Skeerd by a wittle dog? " He states in the post, "This is so f*cking stupid. Jail a man for scaring a killer? You gotta be kidding me! Why is the military there? To coddle these f*ckers?" Ah, Mr. Passionate Conservative--at no point were any of the prisoners identified as "killers" or "terrorists." I don't want to burst the bubble that is ...

I just completed one live interview and one recorded for the BBC World Service "World Today" radio program. They were interested in my involvement with the Iranian Holocaust Cartoon exhibition . I was initially a bit nervous about being interviewed since a reporter for the Murdoch rag, The NY Post tried to ambush me with accusations of being an anti-Semite and nearly a traitor to America for associating with Iranians. Luckily, I was given an opportunity to answer the anti-Semitic accusations without being attacked. I have tremendous respect for the BBC. The US news media is a laughable travesty compared to their professionalism. I really appreciate the interest given my participation in the contest. Personally, I don't find the Holocaust a subject for humor or satire. I do, however, take exception to those who equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. I was more interested in the free speech issue the Iranians were raising. If cartoons of Mohammad are just consider...

Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers is the story of what happens to everyday Americans when corporations go to war. Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Outfoxed and Uncovered) takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq for Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so.

This is my most recent cartoon done as an entry in the Irancartoon "Military Occupation" exhibition. Some clued me into the following poem. It seems so appropriate. Ozymandias I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read, Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed, And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away. -Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792-1822

I'm going to try this again. I would like to know what you all think during your visit to my blog as well as what brought you here and where you are from. Of course, don't bother spamming me or writing ignorant, insulting comments since I will send those straight to Blog Hell. I do, however, respect different opinions so feel free to express those differences. I believe in free speech completely. Be civil and everything will be cool.

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle ... all » East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This pivotal documentary exposes how the foreign policy interests of American political elites--oil, and a need to have a secure military base in the region, among others--work in combination with Israeli public relations strategies to exercise a powerful influence over how news from the region is reported. Through the voices of scholars, media critics, peace activists, religious figures, and Middle East experts, Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land carefully analyzes and explains how--through the use of language, framing and context--the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza remains hidden in the news media, and Israeli colonization of the occupied terrorities appears to be a defens...

What Barry Says by Simon Robson & Barry McNamara. This is a wonderfully concise animation exploring the modern American Neo-Con mindset. A must see, in my opinion. Great job guys! Animation: Simon Robson Additional Modelling: Andrew Morgan Narrator: Barry McNamara Audio: Jodie Jenkins - www.mustache.co.uk Post Production: Jim Birchenough - www.swarmfilms.com Direction & Production: www.knife-party.net

A Rabid Right-Wing Comic Strip " Day By Day " by Chris Muir Those clever Wing-Nut bloggers have saved America once again. They apparently have outted a notorious commie journalist working for Reuters in Cuba. I have seen these attacks on Reuters before. I suspect this must be some effort to cast doubt on the news provided by a "furrin" news service. You just can't trust anything not coming from der Idiot-Führer's Homeland News Bureau & Comedy Department. Somehow from deep in a dank bunker in Idaho, some America-Firster discovered that Marc Frank, Reuters Cuba correspondent, used to write for the Communist Party USA's People's Daily World (now The People's Weekly World ) back in the 1980's. Since Marc has written a couple of books and not made a secret of his past affiliation with the CPUSA , I'm not sure why this revelation warrants such chickenhawk frenzy but there it is none the less. Always vigilant, I guess, protecting the shores...

Does this really surprise anyone coming from one more Republican sleaze monger? Sen. George Allen has a funny way of communicating with the only non-white at an all Republican event. S.R. Sidarth, a senior at the University of Virginia, had been trailing Allen with a video camera to document his travels and speeches for the Webb campaign. During a campaign speech Friday in Breaks, Virginia, near the Kentucky border, Allen singled out Sidarth and called him a word that sounded like "Macaca." "Lets give a welcome to Macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia," said Allen, who then began talking about the "war on terror." In an interview, Sidarth said he suspects Allen singled him out because he was the only non-white face in the audience, which he estimated included about 100 Republican supporters. He could have at least asked him his name since he’s been around his campaign. And yes, what does he mean by Macaca? If spelled M-a-c-a...

From the contact form on my website: Name = mike URL = youtube.com Visit = No, I wouldn't visit again Hear About = Link from another site Comments = the us government gives money to Israel because they are in a region where every single country wants to bomb them off the map. If we didn't aid them and help protect them, the Jews would once again be killed by the millions. and you, you anti semite, wouldnt do a damn thing to stop that would you subject = Survey Results REMOTE_HOST: 71.156.75.90 I should have known the fool is from Texas: Host Name adsl-71-156-75-90.dsl.irvnca.sbcglobal.net IP Address 71.156.75.90 Country United States Region Texas City Plano ISP Pppox Pool - Rback31.irvnca Once again, here is an example of the idiocy that equates anyone who doesn't like approve of Zionist or Israeli government actions being called an anti-Semite. He has also bought into what is known as the "Holocaust Industry." I do not subscribe to the id...

The president gives a press conference By David North 16 August 2006 Email the author In his book Bush at War , Bob Woodward of the Washington Post reports being told by the president, “I’m the commander—see, I don’t need to explain—I do not need to explain why I say things. That’s the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don’t feel I owe anybody an explanation.” In fact, the president’s audiences may be excused for wondering whether Bush himself really knows why he says most of what comes out of his mouth. There is little evidence of any connection between conscious mental activity and the physical process by which the president produces words. Even when nothing more is required of Bush than that he read from a prepared text, the assignment seems to tax Bush’s intellectual capabilities to their maximum. The president’s Monday press conference was a fairly typical performance. He read the opening state...

These are examples of the excellent art by Belgian artist, Benjamin Heine. I can't praise him highly enough. I am in awe of his technique and ideas. Beautiful work, I must say. Take a look at his blog and great website. http://benjaminheine.blogspot.com/ http://www.benheine.com/

From About Lebanon Double standards: sad but true Food for thought: Why is it OK for the USA to send bombs to Israel and first aid to Lebanon, at the same time???!!??? Hello!!!!!!!!!!! It is with your bombs that Lebanese civilians are being hurt, and now we are supposed to treat them with your first aid supplies??? The rules of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS when it comes to the Israeli-Arab conflict: Rule # 1 : In the Middle East, it is always the Arabs that attack first, and it’s always Israel who defends itself. This is called “retaliation”. Rule # 2: The Arabs, whether Palestinians or Lebanese, are not allowed to kill Israelis. This is called “terrorism”/ Rule # 3: Israel has the right to kill Arab civilians, this is called “self-defense”, or these days “collateral damage”. Rule # 4: When Israel kills too many civilians. The Western world calls for restraint. This is called the “reaction of the international community”. Rule # 5: Palestinians and Lebanese do not have the right to captur...

Carlos Latuff Artist's Comments Actually the Israeli army has failed to: -Return the two captured soldiers. -Destroy Hezbollah. -Invade Lebanon reaching Litani River -Stop the rocket attack Yet, the Israeli army has succeeded in: -Killing 1000 civilians. -Displacing 1000,000 civilians. -Destroying all bridges in Lebanon -Polluting the Lebanese Sea. etc. (Source: Cold Desert - [link] )

Many thanks to my friend Carlos Latuff who helped inspire this cartoon. He pushed me in directions I probably would never have gone. Carlos, you are a true inspiration with your passion and artistry. The drawing isn't perfect since I am horrible at drawing machines. I think it turned out alright though.

Borat is one of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen 's characters. He and Cohen's other characters are disliked by some who have little sense of humor or of satire. Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.

Only Borat can get dumbass Americans to show their true colors. This is great stuff. No doubt members of the Republican Party and NRA!

Warning! The full size image is very graphic and intended to wake up the complacent or those who think war is a video game.

Don Quichotte Stop The War Gallery Cartoonists from around the world (including myself) are contributing to this effort

TALES OF IRAQ WAR by Latuff (ALWAYS UPDATED!!!): Hey, U.S. citizens, check out how your taxes are being used! Apparently, often scanning of Carlos Latuff's "Tales Of The Iraq War" online comix looking for dangerous drawings is how the Department Of Justice/FBI is protecting us from those pesky terrorists. I'm sure they believe there are hidden messages to communicate with terrorist cells buried in the art. God help us! Carlos, I hope you know that all Americans aren't blithering idiots.

U.S. Lags World in Grasp of Genetics and Acceptance of Evolution - Yahoo! News This is a surprise how? "A comparison of peoples' views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower. Among the factors contributing to America's low score are poor understanding of biology, especially genetics, the politicization of science and the literal interpretation of the Bible by a small but vocal group of American Christians, the researchers say. “American Protestantism is more fundamentalist than anybody except perhaps the Islamic fundamentalist, which is why Turkey and we are so close,” said study co-author Jon Miller of Michigan State University."

Illustration by Mr. Fish Truthdig - Reports - So You Say You Want a Revolución? An interesting and seemingly balanced view of Cuba today.

Joe Lieberman discovered that being a Bush lap dog wasn't all that advantageous. Showing his true colors after his Connecticut Primary defeat, Joe plans on running as an Independent in the Fall against his Democratic Party and proving once and for all that he views his career as more important than defeating Bush's Right-Wing Congressional fan club. Funny that Joe will label himself "Independent." Will he continue smooching GW's butt if he wins?

Half of U.S. Still Believes Iraq Had WMD I suspect that this is the same "half" that consists of the morons who voted for Bush in 2004. How can we expect the public to be well informed and rational when the dim wit occupying the White House can't eat with his mouth closed?

Some sections of Beirut have been spared the Israeli onslaught but those having Hizbullah compounds are devastated. Is Hizbullah a terrorist organization or resistance fighters? I guess that is up to individual opinion. It seems strange to me that acts of terrorism attributed to them are denied. Since when do terrorists deny their acts? The point is to be known. Human Rights Watch: Israel Guilty of War Crimes

Some fine examples of how mainstream newspaper cartoonists handle a particular subject in such individual ways...NOT! The recent cartoons about the Israeli-Lebanon conflict also show a complete lack of originality of ideas and opinions. I can't fault the technical skills of these cartoonists. The artistry is fantastic. What good is the artistry if the cartoons have no real impact? My skills need to be much better but at least I make some attempt at not repeating someone else's ideas.

English Version Here Su devoción por la palabra. Su poder de seducción. Va a buscar los problemas donde estén. Los ímpetus de la inspiración son propios de su estilo. Los libros reflejan muy bien la amplitud de sus gustos. Dejó de fumar para tener la autoridad moral para combatir el tabaquismo. Le gusta preparar las recetas de cocina con una especie de fervor científico. Se mantiene en excelentes condiciones físicas con varias horas de gimnasia diaria y de natación frecuente. Paciencia invencible. Disciplina férrea. La fuerza de la imaginación lo arrastra a los imprevistos. Tan importante como aprender a trabajar es aprender a descansar. Fatigado de conversar, descansa conversando. Escribe bien y le gusta hacerlo. El mayor estímulo de su vida es la emoción al riesgo. La tribuna de improvisador parece ser su medio ecológico perfecto. Empieza siempre con voz casi inaudible, con un rumbo incierto, pero aprovecha cualquier destello para ir ganando terreno, palmo a palmo, hasta que da una e...

Source: Brecha (Uruguay, July 28, 2006) NO URL was provided on the list from which this came. A CubaNews translation. Edited by Walter Lippmann. His fondness for words. His power of seduction. He hunts for a problem wherever it is. The impelling force of inspiration is befits his style. The breadth of his tastes is very well reflected in his books. He gave up his cigars so as to have the moral authority to fight smoking. He likes to prepare recipes with a sort of scientific fervor. He keeps in excellent shape through several hours of daily exercise and frequent swimming. Invincible patience. Strict discipline. He's drawn toward the unexpected by the force of his imagination. Learning to work is as important as learning to rest. Fatigued by talking, he rests by talking. He writes well and likes to do it. His greatest motivation in life is the emotion of risk. The rostrum of an improviser seems to be his perfect ecological element. When he starts speaking, his voice is always ha...

UPDATE AUG 7, 2006 As I expected, the PWW didn't run the cartoon. Showing Israeli insignia on the aircraft is too truthful. There was some question by my editors about who the central character was supposed to be. I thought it was obvious due to my play on the Jesus quote "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." It was also questioned about the "generic" use of the Star Of David on the jets. Sorry, but that is the correct insignia. Is that my fault? I will not hide the truth for anyone. I am not taking sides here. If Hizbollah had aircraft, I would have included them as well. While I believe that the Israeli assault on Lebanon is disgusting, I also am not a supporter of Hizbollah. Terrorism and attacks on innocent civilians are unacceptable by anyone.