When I was in middle school a new "cartoon" came on called Starblazers". It was so unique to me ...and awesome. I didn't know it was a remixed, and cut down, anime from Japan. Much like Battle of the Planets. It was awesome. :) So was the 2nd series.
I just logged on to YouTube and found a link to a new "live" version of it dubbed into English. Holy shit it brought back memories and feelings. :)
Good times. Good times.
I recently decided to prune my friend list on Facebook and dumped a couple of "friends" I worked with. As with Rogan, I think covid broke them. They became far right conspiracy theorists. I would usually just scroll past their stupider posts. The final straw was basically a rage bait post about the Trudeau Government sending aid to Ukraine.
After Donald tried to humiliate Zelensky in the oval office, Trudeau pledged more support to Ukraine. Part of that support was $5 Billion taken from Soviet, oops I mean Russian funds that were seized. One of my friends seized on that $5 BN figure and mixed with with their hatred for anything Trudeau says or does, and made a post about how Trudeau was giving Ukraine $5 BN of OUR money. As usual I just scrolled past it.
Then I saw another friend, a more rational one, who questioned the source of the money. She was told to do her research and was subjected to the usual attacks that the crazies do. So, she did look it up, found out the real source of the $5 BN and posted that. She was then subjected to more attacks, even personal ones, by the Batshit Brigade. Her friend then unfriended her, blocked her, and removed her posts. That was it for me.
I don't care if we have different views. I am not a Trudeau fan myself. God knows he has done enough things to make people dislike him. The Batshit Brigade however isn't just ignorant of facts. They are willfully ignorant. As long as it supports their narrative they don't care if they distort things or tell out right lies. God forbid you point it out to them. You are then "the enemy". They sound like Donald.
Those living in fantasy lands do not like it when you prove their reality is wrong. It seems simple to just say "I think covid broke them" but it feels like that is what happened. As with the decline of Joe Rogan since covid hit, I have seen it with these "friends". Before covid they might have had a slight conspiratorial bend but they were mainly living in reality. During and after covid they started drinking the anti-vaxxer kool aid and then dove deep into the batshit.
In the end, I don't need their negativity or stupidity in my life. There comes a time when you can't just scroll past the BS. If you want to ignore reality go for it. Just know that it moves you from being a person expressing their views to a liar, willfully spreading lies. You have joined the Batshit Brigade. I actually feel sorry for my former friends. It is a sad way to live as their bitterness and anger at ... perceived slights? real slights? conspiracy theory of the day? ... moves them to live outside of reality.
I have to start off by saying I was a huge Joe Rogan fan. Through his podcast I was introduced to a lot of people I would never have heard of, as well as movies, music, and books. He would have people on from all spectrums and would CALL THEM out when they spouted nonsense. The way he would fact check himself and if wrong admit it and apologize impressed me. However, that has gone the way of the Dodo since covid.
I think covid broke Rogan. You could see it happening when he had to defend himself from attacks from the media. I automatically think of the story CNN did on him and wrongly stated he was taking horse medicine. The video they used of him looked altered, whether it was or not you can see ta definite difference in the colour of the video Rogan did and the one CNN showed. The video CNN showed was darker, and made Rogan look ill. I believe that it was these battles that started Rogan's decline into becoming a right wing propagandist. It was a sad decline to watch.
I used to watch Rogan's podcasts weekly, looking forward to a lot of the guests he brought in. The way he would call out the BS, while still encouraging discussion. He would fact check things at the moment and use that. Now, well just look at the Trump interview. How many lies did Trump spout and all Rogan did was coddle The Donald's ball sack and agree with him. Sadly, that is the way Rogan does his podcast now.
I would love to see the Rogan of old return but I am not going to hold my breath. I miss the old Rogan and what he brought to the world,
While I expected the new Trump administration to be a shit show I didn't expect it to show it's ass this quick. In a month and a bit he has managed to betray their neighbour and long time ally, Canada. That doesn't even get into what he has said and done to piss off Mexico, Europe, and Panama.
I could rehash what has been said and done but it has been reported and done in depth already. I am looking at the Canadian aspect of it.
I am proud to say Canada is fighting back. The people of Canada have never been as united as they are now. Even Quebecois have said they are proud Canadians. We are prepared to take some pain. We are behind our Government. Hell, I am even impressed with Trudeau. He still has to go but damn Crisis Trudeau reminds me of his father. Elbows Up!
It is time to start untangling ourselves from the US economically and militarily. With a fascist like Donald in power we can't trust the US government.
Donald has violated the Free Trade agreement that HE made with Canada and Mexico. So let's make it official and say that his violations have just nullified it. His tariffs violate the WTO rules as well. Now he is spouting off about wanting to redo the borders. The US cannot be trusted while Donald is in charge, and Vance wouldn't be any better.
Fuck Donald and Fuck the Americans who voted for him and pay lip service to him. 77 Million plus of Americans voted for this piece of shit. 49.8% of all those who voted. When I hear people say "I didn't vote for him!" as a means of distancing themselves from the insanity he has created I have 1 question. Did you vote? The 2024 Presidential Election had a lower turn out than the 2020 election. If all those who said they didn't vote for Donald, don't blame me, actually voted, Kamala would have won. So, someone other than Donald is a liar and deserves to be called on it. But I digress.
Then you have the Republican Party itself. They have sold their souls to a fascist piece of shit and his extremists. While Donald and Elon trample on the US Constitution the Republican Party is either fondling Donald's dick to keep him happy or have their head in the ground and their ass in the air and ignoring what is going on around them.
I am proud of how Canada and Canadians are responding.
A video that showed up in my recommended feed of YouTube perked my interest. The title of it was so blatantly false that I had to watch it and see what the vloggers .... oops podcasters ... were trying to sell.
The title is "Is Justin Trudeau A Coward For Fleeing Canada During Freedom Convoy Protests." Now I know the yanks like to conflate what is going on in Canada with the "Freedom Truckers" and spin it whatever way.
I listen to the video and it starts off with the podcaster, Patrick Bet-David reading. He stated that "the PM and his family were moved from their home to an undisclosed location somewhere in the city (Ottawa) due to security concerns ... " As far as I know Ottawa is still part of Canada, in fact it is the Capitol, unless there has been a huge change that Canadians were not told about. So, how does the VERY first statement made go along with the title that they gave the podcast/video? Well, it wasn't the podcaster that gave this clip its title. It was a YouTube channel called Valuetainment that took a clip from the podcast and shared it.
I understand that people like to sensationalize things, especially on social media, so they get more views/hits. The first thing I wondered after reading the title was is this a deliberate falsehood or just the result of ignorance? (The true definition of ignorance, a lack of knowledge or information.) Well, in the first 15 seconds of the video Mr Bet-David makes it quite clear that they he has the proper information, the PM was moved to undisclosed location in Ottawa, and the reason that was given. Which means the title is an intentional falsehood to sensationalize the clip and it was done by the YouTube created by Patrick Bet-David.
I was reading to give Mr. Bet-David the benefit of the doubt that someone took his clip and gave it that false title. However, I did look at the informationin the About section for Valuetainment. It is a YouTube channel set up by ... rum roll please ... Patrick Bet-David. So, it seems that is was a deliberately dishonest title just to get hits.
