Saturday 30 July 2011

Deep Blue Thinking



For CCGB#104 with the caption 'Good Thinking' which made me think of Chess and my brief obsession with the game which basically amounted to learning enough to be able to beat my dad at it.

This is based loosely on Gary Kasparov's famous rematch with IBM's supercomputer Deep Blue in 1997 which the computer won.  My discovery that computer's basically could beat most humans didn't lead me to believe they were intelligent just that the game of chess is ideally suited to computer algorithms where a machine can quickly work out all future permutations and select the best possible path.

The subject itself was done much better by the Telegraph's Matt 'Kasparov Beats Deep Blue In One Move' (google it and see).

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Potty Training

Potty Training a two year old is a bit like bomb disposal - you are always on edge and you never know when they'll go off.  This cartoon is based on the excellent film Hurt Locker but I couldn't get an appropriate pun to work which is always disappointing.

Saturday 23 July 2011

NASA's future


This cartoon is for the weekend compedition but it also reflects my view on where the American manned
space program is going since the retirement of the Space Shuttle this week. 

When I was in Florida I visited the Kennedy Space Centre and marvelled at the gigantic size of the Saturn V rocket as well as standing at the memorial to the two shuttle disasters I remember so vividly.  Yes manned space flight is costly and in an economic climate like ours it's easily to calculate how many mouths could be fed with that budget but if the world was that rational it wouldn't spend the astronomical amounts it does on weapons and defence budgets instead of hospital beds. 


Wednesday 20 July 2011

Joseph's Decorating Dilemma


I've just finished a spate of decorating jobs in the house during which I couldn't get the musical Joseph out of my head so this cartoon neatly brings the two together.

Sunday 17 July 2011

Jedi Apprentice Final



I knew Tom was going to win the UK Apprentice Final 2011 - maybe it was the Force.  However I'd like to see Lord Alan Sugar trying to recruit his Jedi Apprentice.

Saturday 16 July 2011

Twilight Saga


I don't like horror flicks so I was at a loose end as to what to enter for the 'Horror Film' themed comp and settled on this commentary on the Twilight series of books/films.  I've never seen it but the central premise that a vampire wants a steady, celibate relationship with a women instead of what vampires normally do (according to Dracula) just seems incredulous.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Punch and Judy Online


I planned this cartoon for the weekend compedition but thought it needed some explanation before posting on a forum.  Actually the CCGB forum is about the politest well mannered forum I've been on whereas online newspaper comments are the absolute worst for people abusing each other.

Saturday 9 July 2011

Canute-O

King Canute or Cnut (not King Kanute)
King Kanute also spelt Knut

Monday 4 July 2011

Declaration of Independence



It's the 4th of July so here is another Independence Day cartoon drawn between long overdue DIY tasks.  Again apologies to any Americans or students of American history if I have not quite represented events as they occurred (my reference is the TV series John Adams).

History is always taken out of context and interpreted by modern readers accordng to their culture and sensibilities.  Therefore it is often possible to read more into documents like the Declaration of Independence and the English and Scottish equivalents the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Arbroath than the authors intended.  They are all significant documents that put their authors and signatories in danger but only in hindsight can they be viewed as the birth certificates of their respective countries.

The forefathers of modern free, democratic citizens were not like us.  They were rich and powerful elites, nobles, barons, business men not all elected by the people they represented.  As societies became more complex families gave way to tribes with chieftains who formed nations with kings.  Then as kings realised their power was dependant on the rich nobles below them who owned land and resources parliaments and assemblies were formed where both parties struggled for supremacy.  Even when the parliaments gained the upper hand it took centuries before officials were elected by the whole population and not just those of a certain status, wealth, gender or colour.

These documents were a product of the politics of their times and the grievances of a few powerful men against their rulers King George III, King John or Edward I.  Some achieved their aims while other interest us as we look back at the history of nations to see when the first sparks of independence began.

Finally in case I have slighted Abigail Adams by dragging her into a cartoon about domestic DIY I should address the issue of the rights of women.  Robert Burns wrote a poem called The Rights Of Women which is apt here.  Here is the first verse:

While Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things,
The fate of empires and the fall of kings;
While quacks of state must each produce his plan,
And even children lisp the Rights of Man;
Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention,
The Rights of Woman merit some attention.

Saturday 2 July 2011

Darth Meditation

For the 100th CCGB caption compedition (and my 99th blog post) I offer a variation on a joke that I'm sure has been done before.

For those unfamiliar with the film reference here is the YouTube clip and here is the Wookiepedia entry.

Why does Darth Vader have to meditate at all.  Is it to cleanse himself of all the good thoughts and stresses of running an Imperial empire?

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