Even here in the South Pacific, there seems to be no escaping from Donald Trump. He’s here, he’s there, he’s in every courtroom, Donald Trump, Donald Trump!
Over the years, I’ve developed two vices that I’m ashamed to admit. I enjoy watching Panda Fail videos; basically, pandas failing at being pandas, but also watching billionaires complain. I can’t get enough of both of them. This awful transition brings us to Donald Trump’s recent trial.
It’s difficult to believe that the star of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, the founder of Trump University, and the winner of the 2024 Trump International Golf Club Most Improved Player award, was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to make hush money payments to a porn star, in an effort to make it appear as legitimate business expenses.
I was as shocked as you were. I mean, someone at the centre of over 4,000 legal cases, involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, personal defamation lawsuits, tax disputes, real estate lawsuits, and many more, couldn’t possibly be involved with lawlessness. The whole concept is very sad.
However, a jury of 12 of Trump’s peers, found him guilty of 34 felony counts, with sentencing to happen on 11th July 2024.
Former U.S President Donald Trump listens as defence lawyer Todd Blanche presents closing arguments during Trump’s criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City. 28th May 2024 in this courtroom sketch. Credit: Jane Rosenburg/Reuters.
I’m not here to discuss in detail the trial because I’m not a legal expert. I have enough trouble remembering what I said to my children last night, let alone explaining a court case. No, what I’m here to comment on is the reaction to Trump’s conviction, mainly through entertainment.
As I’m getting older, I’m finding that I prefer to experience satirical news a lot more than I did before, thanks to Trump. So because of this, may I present the best reactions to Trump’s conviction, whether it’s monologues or songs. Oh, I forgot, the last video isn’t a response to his conviction, but it ties it in quite nicely.
I love listening to billionaires complaining that life is unfair, and watching Trump’s reaction to his conviction has been hilarious. Like I said before, I do feel ashamed about this.
What’s been the best reaction or response to Trump’s conviction? As always, please let me know. I’m feeling better again, so I’m ready to be infected with a child’s new illness. Good times.
Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the T20 World Cricket Cup, and I’ll see you next week because the Tour of the Solar System is painfully marching forward again. Awesome.
When it comes to making terrible ideas, this blog has had some crackers over the last few years. However, the concept of talking about the historical references from a song that came out in 1989; after multiple people have already done it, ranks quite high on that list.
My previous entries in this terrible endeavour include:
Beetroot Awareness Aotearoa seem to have a bee in the bonnet about this, because their press release about my We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1950 blog is downright mean.
“This human skid mark has done another We Didn’t Start the Fire, now there’s four of them! One was too many. We wonder what idiotic new idea, he’ll think of next. Listing how many people have puked on his $5 shoes, maybe? How about listing the number of times the All Blacks have won the World Cup? No, we have it; he will name the colours of the rainbow because nobody has done that before! This moron should be kept away from spoons because he’ll cut himself. What a joke.”
Is it my imagination, or do you think a Springboks supporter may have helped in drafting this release?
Haters are going to hate, I suppose. And with that, let’s check out the We Didn’t Start the Fire’s historic references for 1951.
Credit: Pinterest
1951
Rosenbergs:
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were a married couple, who were both born in Manhattan, New York. Being married or born in Manhattan does not automatically qualify you for this list, though. At this time, the Cold War had been established, and the Rosenbergs were part of that drama.
In 1950, Julius and Ethel were arrested and convicted in 1951 for espionage. They were spying for the Soviet Union by providing top-secret information about American technology, especially nuclear secrets. In 1953, both Julius and Ethel were executed by electrocution, at Sing Sing Prison.
The Rosenbergs are also infamous for being the first American civilians executed for espionage. Even though they’re not a 2024 equivalent for the Rosenbergs, I feel Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen would be the closest.
Credit: AP Images
H-bomb:
This is an odd one to discuss because it isn’t about a person, place, or event, but rather an object; a very destructive object. No, I’m not talking about Hellboy’s right hand, but rather the H-bomb.
This weapon has been given various monikers over the last 70 years, such as H-bomb, thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon, or the most well-known, the hydrogen bomb.
In 1951, during the Cold War, the United States focused on developing the next generation of nuclear weapons. The goal was to combine atomic fission and nuclear fusion to create a more powerful nuclear explosion that could release more energy than a primary nuclear weapon. The first hydrogen bomb test took place in the Marshall Islands in 1952.
As a result, the design of the hydrogen bomb has had a lasting impact, with most of the world’s nuclear warheads being based on its design.
National Nuclear Security Administration/Nevada Site Office Photo Librar. The first hydrogen bomb tested by the United States vaporized the islet of Elugelab in the Marshall Islands in the North Pacific on Nov. 1, 1952.
Sugar Ray:
Born Walker Smith Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson was a professional boxer, who fought across the Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Light heavyweight divisions, becoming world champion six times (1 x welterweight and 5 x middleweight).
Robinson is in the song for his fight against Jake LaMotta, for the World Middleweight title in 1951. This was the sixth time the two men had fought, and the fight has been named the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” over Robinson’s combinations that beat the world champion, LaMotta to a bloody pulp.
In modern times, this is quite awkward. It could go either two ways; the first could be rematches between the same two boxers like Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam vs. Daisuke Naito, or Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez.
As for the second way, it could be because a particular boxer went on to become an icon and legend in their weight division. For that answer, the choice is yours.
Panmunjom:
Do you remember how I mentioned that I’ll be discussing the Korean War again, from last’s month 1950 blog? Well, here we are. Panmunjom is a former village that’s near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), along the North Korean and South Korean border. The Joint Security Area (JSA) is also referred to as Panmunjom, and vice versa.
Panmunjom makes this list because, during the Korean War in 1951, North Korean and Chinese officials first met United Nations forces at Panmunjom for truce talks.
In 2005, I was lucky enough to visit Panmunjom, and I made a badly written blog about it. The legacy of Panmunjom is that it still provides a point of contact and meetings for the leaders of North Korea, South Korea, and others.
North Korean and U.S. militaries attempt to iron out an armistice at Panmunjom in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, October 1951. (National Archives photograph)
Brando:
Brando refers to the Godfather himself, Marlon Brando, the great actor and activist. Brando starred in the 1951 film, A Streetcar Named Desire, as the lead male role, Stanley Kowalski. In certain circles, people say that Brando’s performance of Stanley was the best of his long career, which resulted in him being nominated for Best Actor at the 1952 Oscars.
The problem was that Brando didn’t win the award, instead, it went to Humphrey Bogart’s role as Charlie Allnut in The African Queen. This snub, as it’s been referred to, has been recorded as one of the biggest in the history of the Academy Awards.
A modern equivalent for a person being snubbed for acting at the Oscars can be somewhat subjective. However, in the spirit of the blog, maybe Margot Robbie (Barbie), Glenn Close (The Wife), Jim Carrey (The Truman Show), Amy Adams (Arrival), or Pam Grier (Jackie Brown).
Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
The King and I:
We’re back with another Rodgers and Hammerstein production, in the form of The King and I. The musical was based on Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel, Anna and the King of Siam, and also inspired the 1956 film.
The King and I first opened on Broadway in 1951, and it was a commercial and critical success, playing 1,246 performances. It also won five Tony Awards in 1952, including Best Musical. From there, the musical has been revived over the years, with the latest in 2015 (Broadway) and 2018 (West End). It remains a beloved story around the world.
Original poster for The King and I. Credit: St. James Theatre
The Catcher in the Rye:
For the first time in We Didn’t Start the Fire, a book has been mentioned. As you would expect, The Catcher in the Rye, was released in 1951, and it was written by J. D. Salinger. If you haven’t heard of the novel, then you may have heard of its protagonist, the teenager Holden Caulfield.
The novel makes the list because of the various themes it contains, like belonging, connection, sex, identity, loss, depression, innocence, and a whole lot of angst; which were unexplored topics for teenagers in early 1950s literature. The character of Holden Caulfield has become a symbol of rebellion and, you guessed it, teenage angst. Like I said before, this book has a whole lot of angst.
TheCatcher in the Rye has sold more than 65 million copies, and remains a solid-selling book, even in 2024. This controversial novel has also been banned several times in various places around the world in the 20th century, which is sadly becoming a growing trend in the 21st century.
An unwanted caveat for the novel is that in 1980, a 25-year-old Mark David Chapman, shot and killed John Lennon, outside his apartment in New York. Chapman had developed an obsession with The Catcher in the Rye; among other things, and especially with Holden Caulfield, and tried to emulate his misadventures.
First-edition cover of The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by author J. D. Salinger. Credit: Wikipedia.
So for 1951, we covered two spies, the hydrogen bomb, a boxer, a Korean village, an actor, a musical, and a novel. A useless piece of information is that 1951 holds a special connection to me, because it’s the year my father was born.
Next month, I’ll look at 1952, and if I feel motivated enough, 1953 as well, but I don’t like the odds of that. I think it’s 34-1. Did I mention that I suddenly like the number 34?
Anyway, that’s it for another week. If you’re enjoying my We Didn’t Start the Fire project, or maybe you think I’m wasting my time, please let me know.
Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the T20 World Cricket Cup, and I’ll see you next week, where I’m going to be petty and mean. You’ll love it.
Being a parent means that if a child in your house starts coughing and sneezing, the odds of you starting to cough and sneeze are the equivalent of The Thing winning a fight against the Yancy St Gang; it’s always going to happen.
The doctor said I have a mild dose of man flu, if a mild dose of the virus even exists. Suffice it to say, this is a strange rant today, folks, so I’m sorry about that.
In the time allotted today, I want to talk to you about the 4th July 2024. My subscribers in the United States might think I’m discussing their Independence Day, which celebrates their Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom. This declaration was ratified on 4th July 1776, and it became well-known around the world, even in little old New Zealand.
But, it’s the 4th July 2024 that I want to discuss, although the United Kingdom is still involved. On 22nd May 2024, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak announced that the next UK General Election would be held on 4th July 2024, which is about six weeks away.
Some keen followers of Some Geek Told Me, may have noticed that some of the news or information that I write about, involves the UK. The obvious reason is no, I’m not an agent of SPECTRE, so I’m not trying to take down the country. I think they are doing that all by themselves.
The truth is that I lived in the United Kingdom for three years, so I have a soft place in my cold heart for the British people. Which brings me back to Rishi Sunak. Now, before I go on, let’s establish something:
I’m not going to discuss the motivations for Sunak and the Conservative Party for bringing forth this general election early.
I’m not going to talk about how after 14 years in power, the Tories have brought the NHS and the country to its knees.
I’m certainly not going to mention the greatest political version of self-harm, which is the apocalypse known as Brexit.
I’m not going to mention the recent UK local government elections, where the Tories were the victims of a humiliating defeat, on par with the Battle of Isandlwana or Newcastle losing 8-0 to the A-League Men All-Stars.
And I promise you, I am not going to discuss the Tories’ opening policies on the campaign trail, by bringing back national service for 18-year-olds.
I would never bring up or mention any of these things, I’m not that type of person.
CREDIT: James Veysey/Shutterstock
However, what I am going to discuss is Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the general election, because it was like a broken-down AI had written a movie script, where chimpanzees were the actors. No, that’s wrong of me, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have dragged chimpanzees into this, because chimpanzees would have done a better job.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, oh, you’re in for a treat. Picture this, the Prime Minister of the sixth largest economy in the world, and the second largest economy in Europe, walked outside his residence at 10 Downing Street, and discussed the general election. It sounds like a standard boring press briefing, am I right?
Now hold that image, because we have to add some beautiful details. The first point is that Sunak was talking at a single wooden podium. No other person is there supporting him, by standing next to or behind him. It’s just the Prime Minister, standing outside his house, at a podium. That’s it.
The second point was that it was raining. Seriously, it was raining. Sunak was standing at the podium talking while wearing a very nice suit and getting drenched. To make it clear, Sunak wasn’t wearing a coat or jacket; he was wearing a suit.
This also means nobody is standing next to Sunak, holding an umbrella to protect him. Sunak is one of, if not the wealthiest Prime Minister the United Kingdom has ever had. With the combined wealth of his wife, Sunak is estimated to be worth about £651 million, which I now understand, means he’s richer than King Charles III.
But despite being worth about £651 million, Rishi Sunak could not afford an umbrella or a jacket. I didn’t realise that British inflation was that bad, that even multi-millionaires couldn’t afford those items. Damn, and here I thought the inflation in New Zealand was dire.
To make this scene even more bizarre and farcical, only about three years ago, the UK government had spent around £2.6m refurbishing 9 Downing Street as a media centre, to equal White House briefings.
The implications of this mean, that even though the Tories had a £2.6m refurbished media centre next door; where it’s spacious, warm, and dry, they still held the general election announcement outside 10 Downing Street. In the rain. It’s like nobody had the original idea, that maybe, just maybe, someone should check the weather forecast, because a general election announcement is sort of a big deal, and you don’t want to stuff it up.
And to bring the Westminister Amateur Acting Guild production to a close, let’s talk about the background music. As Sunak was talking about the Tories’ small victories and discussing the general election; and please remember, he’s getting soaked by the rain, some background music was being played. And it didn’t stop.
The song “Things Can Only Get Better” was released by the band, D:Ream in 1993. It gained attention when it was used by the Labour Party in their successful general election campaign in 1997. The song was being played by Steve Bray, a political activist.
Apparently, within 24 hours of the general election announcement, the song entered the top 10 on the iTunes Charts. Being the great supporter of Tory policies that he is, physicist Brian Cox would have loved that.
For someone living on the other side of the planet, this was amazing and comical to witness. For the British public, this was an unmitigated disaster, showcasing the level of Tory efficiency.
A British Prime Minister standing alone, outside his house in the rain, without any protection, asking the public to vote for his party; because they know what they’re doing and the public should trust them. And all to the soundtrack of a rival political party’s successful ex-campaign song.
It would be a hilarious movie scene if it wasn’t so tragically real.
My father has said some pearls of wisdom over the years, but currently, no other statement can top this when talking about a group of disorganised people:
They couldn’t organise a piss-up at a brewery.
I can’t help but think, that the Tories are one of the greatest living examples of this. Though to be fair, the Coalition of Chaos is not that far behind them.
Here’s the video from the BBC.
And with that positive and uplifting note, I need to go to bed. Thank you for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me, because this project helps me to navigate this crazy world.
Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, go and slam a revolving door, and I’ll see you next week for the return of We Didn’t Start the Fire! Can’t wait.
I’m a sports fan, but even I find it difficult to follow every sport. I mean, it’s impossible. Well, maybe not for Chuck Norris, but for mere mortals like us, it is. Because of this obvious fact, I’m not an expert on North American sports, so a lot of NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL information can easily slip by me.
It could be that some team has a new manager, another team has won 13 games in a row, another team has a new stadium, or a player has a new $200 million contract, and I wouldn’t know. My interests in these sports annually peak around the Superbowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the NBA finals, then they die down.
I do know enough, however, to understand that the New York Mets and New York Jets are terrible. At least, according to late-night hosts.
As a New Zealander, I’m just pleased I can roughly match the name of an American team to its sport. If it’s not rugby union, rugby league, cricket or football, I shamefully filter things out. However, despite all of this, I had never heard of Harrison Butker, until last week.
I was on my lunch break, resting my weary feet and enjoying my Vegemite sandwiches when I read an article about Harrison Butker. This led me to discover that I didn’t know who he was, but I knew about the Kansas City Chiefs because they won Super Bowl LVIII. That news even reached New Zealand.
I’m getting off-topic as usual, but after reading the short article regarding Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College; which I thought was a prank, I discovered videos about him from various news sources.
It was about that time when I realised that this news story was about a real event, it wasn’t a prank. After discovering the real existence of this speech, I made the decision not to mention it to my wife. The reason was I knew it would piss her off, so I wanted to avoid mentioning it to her. The joke was on me, though.
When I got home from work, my wife asked if I had heard about some guy in America who gave a speech. With a deep and regretful sigh, I said I had. I’m not going to repeat what my wife said, but she used a lot of adjectives about Butker’s speech.
In his speech, Butker seemed to throw a lot of shade at various things, including, men, women, Joe Biden, COVID lockdowns, IVF, abortion, LGBTQ+ and others, which have brought praise and criticism across the United States, but also around the world.
Am I going to add my opinion on this topic?
No, I’m not.
Why not? Everybody has an opinion, what’s yours?
My answer is in two parts. Firstly, any person who reads, follows, and subscribes to my daily/weekly posts, will already realise my views and opinions on these topics. If not, please read three years’ worth of nonsense.
Secondly, why would I want to add my voice to the thousands of comments about the speech, when other people have already done so, with far more articulated and wittier results?
So, sit back, relax and enjoy social media and its amazing responses to Butker’s speech. I’ve removed people’s names on the posts because I hope that’s the correct thing to do.
From X
From Mastodon
From Facebook
Free speech is a double-edged sword; no one can physically stop you from speaking your mind and giving your opinion. However, it doesn’t mean you are free from consequences or repercussions, because of your words.
I’m a not smart man, but I’m wondering how long those consequences and repercussions will catch up to Harrison Butker. Maybe it won’t, I mean, we do live in reality and things don’t always go the way we want or need them to go.
Anyway, thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me.
Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, go and divide by zero, and I’ll see you next week.
I hope everybody enjoyed Star Wars Day and Free Comic Book Day over the weekend! We did and we also enjoyed something else too. The main person to blame about anything concerning New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website just celebrated his 10th wedding anniversary. And for those of you not keeping up, that’s me, by the way.
I’ll be honest with you about something. Celebrating 10 years of married life wasn’t something I ever thought I was capable of doing, let alone getting married in the first place! Seriously.
So what is it like being married for 10 years? Is it good, bad or somewhere in between? Before I begin, I’m talking about this from a male’s perspective, but some of these observations can easily be transferred to females as well.
You listen to the same stories your spouse tells new people and pretend you’ve never heard them before. And vice versa.
You can’t remember what you gave to your spouse for their birthday and anniversary, for the last four years.
Your spouse has an instant recall of a conversation you had with them five years ago, but you can’t remember what you had for dinner last night.
You can trust your spouse to order takeaways on your behalf and get the order 95% correct.
Your house is littered with half-finished projects that you or your spouse have started and then abandoned for different reasons.
Your spouse knows your sleeping habits better than you.
Because you’re a one-income family, you save money by having your spouse give you and your children the same haircut.
You and your spouse have an unofficial rule of swapping the “good parent, bad parent” routine around when dealing with your children.
When you or your spouse mention an ex’s name that has not been discussed before, the mood in the room changes.
Any form of competition between you and your spouse must be handled with respect and fairly. No Monopoly!
Your spouse seems to know where everything is in the house, except their belongings.
You and your spouse have different chores that you do around your home, so when your spouse does one of yours, your brain wants to shut down because it can’t compute what’s just happened.
When you’ve made your signature dinner meal, and your spouse politely mentions that it’s the 18th time that month, that you have made that exact meal.
The amazing music you played at your wedding, is now mall/supermarket background music.
You both have different ways to fold the washing; which you argue over, but you never want to fold the washing alone.
If someone other than your spouse flirts with you, you don’t even register it.
Gaslighting your spouse is either extremely funny, brave or dangerous.
Looking back at photos of your wedding, makes you rage because you and your spouse look so refreshed and young.
You still make rookie mistakes with your children, after your spouse has pointed it out.
You and your spouse can be each other’s translators in new social situations.
If you or your spouse have taken the wedding ring off for whatever reason, you’re reminded in a semi-friendly way to put it back on.
Occasionally my wife reads these posts, so I need to tread carefully. So in case she does read this, I think being married for 10 years is wonderful!
Have you been married for 10 years or more? Have I missed any observations? As always, please let me know.
That’s another post for another week. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, go Phoenix FC, and I’ll see you next week because the Tour of the Solar System is crawling back again!
This is where I’m attempting to talk about the historical references in the song and try to relate them to our contemporary society. I know this sounds like a terrible idea, but apparently, the group known as Beetroot Awareness Aotearoa sort of agrees. After publishing my blog post concerning 1948-1949, this New Zealand-based group released their own harsh review:
“Does this idiot know that the song came out in 1989, and since then, numerous people have already talked about the historical references? Can he not think of anything original or does he just steal other people’s ideas? What a buffoon!”
And with that positive and uplifting feedback, let’s check out the We Didn’t Start the Fire’s historic references for 1950.
Image from the We Didn’t Start the Fire music video
1950
Joseph McCarthy:
We briefly discussed Joseph McCarthy last time with 1949’s Walter Winchell, but we’ll expand it like a dog taking over your bed. McCarthy was a US senator for Wisconsin, who had a few issues that he liked to talk about. Early on in the Cold War, and during his Lincoln Day speech, McCarthy launched an anti-communist crusade.
He promoted the concept that Soviet Union and communist spies and sympathizers had infiltrated American society, through the federal and local governments, as well as in academic and entertainment circles. This led to the persecution and political repression of many people, based on being un-American and their opinions. It was during this period that the terms “The Second Red Scare” and “McCarthyism” were born.
For a modern equivalent to McCarthy, just think of everybody’s favourite twice impeached, four times criminally indicted, ex-US President, Donald Trump.
Credit: Biography.com
Richard Nixon:
Richard Nixon makes the list because in 1950, the future President of the United States of America was first elected to represent California, in the US Senate. If you’re a student of history, you’ll realise this will not be the last time Nixon makes the list. He will return.
For a modern version, I’m a bit stumped over this. I can’t compare Richard Nixon of 1950 to Richard Nixon of 1972, because they are two people with different life experiences. However, when comparing Nixon of 1950 to modern times, it would be any young politician moving up the ladder, to become a long-term politician. I’m sure every country has some. I’m looking at you Winston Peters, I’m looking at you.
Studebaker was an automobile manufacturer, which was based in the United States. For about 50 years, Studebaker was one of the leaders in the car industry and had built up a great reputation for their vehicles.
That changed around 1950 when Studebaker started having some major financial problems. In 1954, they merged with Packard, another automobile company to ease their financial difficulties. It didn’t work the way they thought it would, so in 1967, Studebaker ceased production and the company shut down.
Some modern equivalents would be Oldsmobile and Pontiac, or even some non-automobile companies like Kenner and Toys “R” Us.
Studebaker’s “Lazy S” logo, designed by Raymond Loewy, was used from the 1950s until 1966/1950 Studebaker Champion. Credit: Андрей Перцев/Classic Auto Mall.
Television:
Is there a greater icon for the 20th century other than television? I think not. Television or TV had been developed, improved and marketed for years before 1950, but it was slowly becoming an important household product. In the context of US history, TV was becoming an attractive way to transmit information to the public.
Data on sales of TV sets in the United States for 1950 varies. An estimated 9%-20% of households in the United States had at least one television set, but by the end of the decade, that figure had grown to nearly 90%. The age of television was upon us, and it changed the way people from around the world, consumed news and entertainment forever.
In the 21st century, the easiest and best example of a different communication network would be the Internet. You can watch your favourite team play live while riding on the train, watch your favourite TV show on your lunch break, or stream the latest news via your phone or laptop. Outrageous.
This is the first time that I need to discuss two references together, because in 1950, North and South Korea dominated the news around the planet. At the time, North and South Korea were two separate countries, having been divided at the 38th parallel north, by the Soviet Union and the United States, after the end of the Second World War.
On 25th June 1950, the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. Given that the Cold War was the political climate at the time, this conflict slowly became a proxy war for democracy vs communism.
On one side, there was the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the People’s Republic of China (China), along with the unofficial support of the Soviet Union; against the Republic of Korea (South Korea), along with the United Nation Forces, which consisted of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Netherlands, Canada, France, New Zealand, Philippines, Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ethiopia and Colombia; with many more countries supplying support through different means.
This conflict became known as the Korean War and was fought for three years, with the war ending in a stalemate in 1953, with the Korean Armistice Agreement. The war claimed an estimated 2.8 million military and civilian deaths. Much like the Chinese Civil War, the geo-political repercussions of the Korean War are still being felt in 2024.
Sadly, the Korean War will make another entry in the song.
Credit: Map Porn
Marilyn Monroe:
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, Marilyn Monroe was a model and actress who became an international sex symbol, during the late 1940s-early 1960s. In 1950, Monroe landed some breakthrough roles in films and actually starred in five different films in that year. (A Ticket to Tomahawk, The Asphalt Jungle, All About Eve, The Fireball, and Right Cross). From there, Monroe’s career took off and she soon became a household name.
It’s hard to determine which contemporary model/actress would be like Marilyn Monroe of 1950, so I’ll let you decide on that one. Sorry.
Marilyn Monroe in All About Eve (1950). Credit: 20th Century-Fox
So for 1950, we have covered two US Senators, a failed automobile company, the explosion of television sales, the Korean War, and a model/actress. Like I said last time, this project is going to take some time, so I’ll try and cover 1951-1952 next time. Cool.
That’s it for another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, call for a ceasefire in Palestine, and I’ll see you next week because I’m going to be discussing a milestone. It could be interesting.
For those of you who have read about our entertainment differences, you know how brave my wife would have to be to try out a new TV show; especially if she knows next to nothing about it. Having said that, my wife is like any other person because she has books, music, and movies that she enjoys, along with some TV shows.
The opposite is also true because just like other people, there are books, music and movies that she dislikes, as well as TV shows. And this darling little cupcake of displeasure is what we will be discussing today.
My wife will watch a new TV show for several reasons. It could be because the show has been recommended to her by myself, friends, or the internet community. Another is that it’s connected or linked to something that she is familiar with; like an adaption of something she already likes, or similar to an already existing TV show.
The reasons for her to start watching a TV show are small, and yet, they can actually be measured against the TV shows she doesn’t like. This is because she has quit them, and once that’s done, they don’t get to come back. Ever.
To be fair to her, she never sets out to dislike a TV show. She always has the intention of liking and following the show, through season after season. But yet, and just like relationships, not all of them can last.
When I start watching a new TV show, there would need to be some major problems with it, for me to quit watching. Whether this is a positive or negative trait, I’m not smart enough or cool enough to answer that foreboding question.
With my wife on the other hand, the reason to stop watching a TV show doesn’t have to be complicated, because she has a lot of reasons to quit watching a TV show. Some are very fair, honest and reasonable, while others make me ask, “You can’t be serious?!”
Having discussed this blog post with her, I’ve created a list of 12 TV shows that my wife started watching, but quit for multiple reasons; though some are quite similar. A TV show doesn’t have to do much to lose my wife’s interest, so I had better take close and personal attention to this.
Anyway, let’s see what these poor TV shows did, for my wife to leave them. I’ve also added the episode that made her quit. Enjoy!
The Tick (Remake): Episode 3
When Arthur was being interrogated by the police, it gave her the “ick”, which to her is second-hand embarrassment. She hates watching people embarrass themselves.
The Tudors: Episode 1
She just thought it was really boring, and she said, “Life is too short for this.”
Ghosts (American remake): Episode 4
She saw clips of the British show on YouTube, and she thought it seemed funny. She couldn’t find it on any streaming service, so she tried the American version instead. She said, “It just wasn’t funny and I was super disappointed.”
Supergirl: Episode 4
She really wanted to like Supergirl, but I’ll let my wife explain this one: “Calista Flockhart was too distracting for me. I can only see her as Ally McBeal.“
I Hate Suzie: Episode 1
She loves Billie Piper, but she couldn’t stand the second-hand embarrassment. Please see the Tick.
The Office (American remake): Episode 2
She thought the show wasn’t funny and kind of boring. Similar to The Tudors, she mentioned that, “Life is too short to wait around for it to get good.”
The Tourist: Episode 3
This is a weird one, even for her. Since we live in New Zealand, we receive a lot of Australian TV shows. However, she believed that actors having Australian accents in a drama situation like The Tourist was just wrong; very, very wrong.
Supernatural: Episode2
She really wanted to like it, because she thought the memes were funny. After watching two episodes, she just wasn’t interested anymore.
Invincible: Episode 3
I’m a fan of Invincible, having read and collected the comics, so I thought she might have liked it. She didn’t, because whenever J. K. Simmons was talking as Nolan Grayson, aka Omni-Man, she could only hear J. K. Simmons’ Tenzin from The Legend of Korra.
Battlestar Galactica (Remake): First episode of the Mini-series
I had seen the remake before, and I had loved it. I missed the final season, so I talked my wife into watching the entire series with me. She lasted until Number Six killed a baby, by snapping their neck in the first episode. Once that was done, she was out of the show. She said that she wasn’t prepared to watch a TV show, that murdered babies.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Episode 2
My wife watched it with me because we are both fans of Middle-earth. Like many other people, she thought the dialogue sounded like a school play, so she just couldn’t get into it.
House of the Dragon: Episode 3
Even though she was a fan of Game of Thrones, and we watched that show together, she wasn’t too interested in House of the Dragon. This was because she knew what was going to happen to the main characters. She used the “Life is too short” quote again for this show.
Do you agree with any of my wife’s TV-watching decisions? As always, please let me know.
This list will be updated, but in the meantime, I’ll have to make a list of movies that my wife has quit; and I promise you there are many.
That’s it for another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, call for a ceasefire in Palestine, and I’ll see you next week, for the return of the Tour of the Solar System!
There have been numerous terrible ideas throughout the history of our planet, and unfortunately, many of them have originated from this account. Despite this, we will carry on the tradition and introduce the latest addition to the family of bad ideas, which is Some Geek Told Me.
Last month, I ranted on about my love for We Didn’t Start the Fire, by Billy Joel. In that hot mess of literary foolishness, I explained that I was going to cover all of the historical references in the song; or at least try to, but also relate them to contemporary time. I’ll do this by producing one blog per month. Maybe.
The aim is to cover the 119 references from 1948-1989, so how long will this take me? You tell me and we’ll both know. The lyrics will be in bold and italics because we’re really fancy on this account!
Right, I’m not here to shag spiders, so without too much fanfare, let’s crack on and do this!
Credit: CBS
1948
Harry Truman:
Harry S. Truman was the Vice-President of the United States of America from January-April 1945, then became President after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Truman is a divisive figure in US and world history, much like Elon Musk or George W. Bush.
On one hand, he helped steer the United States through to the end of the Second World War; authorised the Berlin Airlift; recognised the State of Israel; won re-election in 1948; and promoted civil rights. On the other hand, Truman deployed troops into the Korean War and authorised the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In saying that, George W. Bush would be the modern version of Truman.
Born Doris Mary Kappelhoff, Doris Day was a major entertainment star in the United States. She was already a successful singer before she turned to acting. Over the years, she became a huge attraction to the television and movie industry.
Billy Joel mentioned her in the song, became her first feature film, Romance on the High Seas, was released in 1948. If you’re still unsure about her impact on pop culture, just think of Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, or Rihanna.
In 1949, the Chinese Civil War came to a close after causing the deaths of millions of people. Mao Zedong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, succeeded in defeating the government led by Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang. As a result, the People’s Republic of China was established.
The Kuomintang, also known as Nationalists, fled mainland China to Taiwan, where they settled and took control. The geo-politics of 2024 concerning China and Taiwan, have their origins in the end of the Chinese Civil War.
The Chinese Civil War, 1949. (Source: diverse-travel.com)
Johnnie Ray:
Johnnie Ray, a singer, songwriter, and pianist, was born in Oregon, USA. He was widely recognised as the Father of Rock and Roll due to his significant contributions to the genre. During the late 1940s and 1950s, he was one of the most famous singers in the world.
His music and dance moves reinvented the method singers could perform, and paved the way for others to follow him; notably Elvis Presley. When Ray signed to Okeh Records, music was going to be changed forever. For contemporary equivalents, the best people I can think of would be Michael Jackson and Madonna.
Credit: Johnnieray.com
South Pacific:
Not only is it the name of my location, but South Pacific was a Broadway musical, that opened in 1949. The musical was based on the World War Two book, Tales of the South Pacific, and the musical also inspired the 1958 film.
South Pacific is famous; at least to me, for mainly two reasons. The Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein production became one of the best musicals of all time since it was extremely financially and critically successful.
The other reason was that the musical was progressive for its time, as it tackled racism and prejudice. This was important because the United States was still in its segregation phase. If South Pacific opened in 2024, and not in 1949, you can bet your Black Lives Matter flag, that the musical would be labelled as woke. Very, very woke.
Original poster of South Pacific. Credit: Majestic Theatre
Walter Winchell:
We’re going back to another US icon in the form of Walter Winchell. Winchell was primarily a radio news commentator and newspaper columnist, through the 1930’s-1950’s. His notoriety is that he had outspoken views on a variety of subjects, which included attacking the Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan; as well as denouncing communism.
This led Winchell to join the “McCarthyism” movement, in spreading misinformation about the Second Red Scare, supporting the idea that communists had infiltrated the US Government; in addition to destroying people’s careers and reputations.
If you’re having trouble understanding what I’m talking about with Winchell, just picture Alex Jones from InfoWars and you’re there.
Credit: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc
Joe DiMaggio:
Born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Joe DiMaggio was a famous US baseball player. He held multiple batting records and mainly played for the New York Yankees, during the 1940s-1950s. In the world of team sports, DiMaggio would have been Michael Jordan or Lionel Messi. DiMaggio was a star and hero to millions of people.
In 1949, DiMaggio signed a contract with the Yankees worth $100,000. This was a record-breaking contract for a professional sportsman at the time and helped to usher in a new wave of extremely well-paid players.
Credit: Associated Press archives
And with that, we have covered 1948-1949, in the form of a US President, a singer/actor, a civil war, another singer, a musical, a gossip columnist, and a baseball player.
My We Didn’t Start the Fire project is going to take some time, but we’ll get there. Eventually.
Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, eat a raw lemon, and I’ll see you next week, because we’re going to check in with my wife and her television shows. It’s going to be riveting.
I had a completely different blog lined up for this week, but after the media announcement on Friday, I changed my mind and wrote this instead. Akira Toriyama, the legendary manga creator, died on 1st March from an acute subdural hematoma, aged 68 years old.
Toriyama had created and worked on many different projects and video games over the years, like Dr. Slump, the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. However, his most famous creation was Dragon Ball, which showcased his talents to Japan and the world.
So what’s the point of this blog?
I’m crying about the death of a man I had never met.
Akira Toriyama. Credit: Dragon Ball Wiki
It won’t come as a shock, but I’m a fan of Dragon Ball because I’m a fan of Toriyama’s work. His art was outrageous, explosive, and detailed, whether it was manga or anime. It was unreal. I mentioned this before, but I loved the way he drew ears, for some strange reason. You could see a character and judging by their ears, you could tell whether they belonged to Toriyama or not.
As for his vehicles, they were so well designed, that you could see yourself driving one of them, whether they travelled by air, land, or sea. They were so good!
The plots were just as fantastic. People will talk about his art, but Toriyama was an amazing storyteller. His characters went on huge quests, and fought powerful foes, but also went through massive personal growth, so his characters were always evolving.
I’m sad about his passing for many reasons. Even not personally, Toriyama introduced me to manga, anime, and other parts of Japanese culture. For a geek living in New Zealand, his characters and art were extraordinary. My love of manga and anime can be traced back to him.
It’s been astonishing to see the outpouring of tributes to Toriyama from fans around the world. He was beloved by so many people. It made me think of all of the hundreds of artists, writers, singers, actors, directors, scientists, athletes, and anybody else, whose work has indirectly shaped our lives. They’re in the background of our subconscious.
It’s not until one of them dies, that you reflect and realise how influential they were to you and your life. That’s how I feel about Toriyama. His influence on pop culture has changed the world; the word Saiyan, is now part of the world’s lexicon, regardless of language or culture.
I read how many different manga and anime creators have come out and cited Toriyama as their source of inspiration. I find this amazing because even Toriyama was inspired to pursue a career in illustration. I find the creation and history of entertainment, similar to the history of science, where all creators are standing on the shoulders of giants. And make no mistake, Toriyama was a giant.
Imagine if Toriyama was never inspired to draw and create? It’s in the realms of possibility that maybe someone down the road would have drawn characters with energy beams, have awesome names for attack styles, teleportation, explosive fights, cities being destroyed, and badass vehicles.
But where would we be without Toriyama and powering/levelling-up sequences? Think about it. We would be lost in the abyss. For me, the powering/levelling-up sequences in Dragon Ball represented the brilliance and glorious scope of Toriyama’s skills.
I don’t know what Toriyama’s legacy will be for the world, but I feel it will be eternal. As for me, the biggest praise I can give Toriyama is that when UMC1 and UMC2 are ready, I’ll be showing them Dragon Ball. I can’t wait to sit down with them both, and let them experience the crazy and beautiful nature of Toriyama’s work; along with practising their own Kamehameha waves.
Like I said before, I can never thank Toriyama enough for his work, so all I can do is let the next generation live it and breathe it. Right, I need to control my crying, so that’s it for this week. What’s your favourite art drawn by Akira Toriyama? Please let me know.
Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog; watch a banned movie; go read some manga, and I’ll see you next week because we’re going to check in on the Coalition of Chaos.
I love history, so please remember that I’m a geek. I remember my family owned an extremely outdated encyclopedia set that I would read through; mainly for the history sections, though I’ve never read Grays Sports Almanac: Complete Sports Statistics 1950-2000.
I love trying to understand why certain historical events have happened, when they happened, who was involved, what actually happened, how they are connected to the present, and of course, whether the Doctor was involved or not.
I’ve just stopped and read what I’ve written, and I couldn’t have sounded more of a geek, than if I had actually tried. Anyway, this is why I have developed a useless ability to remember the dates of historical events. This ability doesn’t help me socially or professionally, but it does keep me at home and prevents me from trading comic books in dark alleys.
The point of this ramble is that my love of history led me to love We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel. If I ever produce a soundtrack to my life, We Didn’t Start the Fire will be on it.
If you have no idea about the song or have never heard it, then sit down, relax, and prepare yourself.
We Didn’t Start the Fire was released in the much more innocent time of 1989, when Bill Cosby was the king of sitcoms, Donald Trump was still married to Ivana, Harvey Weinstein had started as an executive producer, Vladimir Putin was still in the KGB, and Kim Jong Un was five years old.
The song reached number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100 in 1989 and has become part of pop culture with various themes. Over the years, critics of the song have trashed it, along with Billy Joel himself, coming out and stating his dislike for it.
So what is the song about? Well, I’m not intelligent enough to break the song down into its musical components, but what I am going to do is gush over the lyrics.
To me, it’s like rap, because the words are rapid-fire, and they are about events and people from the 20th century, circa 1948-1989. The historical references have influenced the United States, but also the world, both positively and negatively, which makes them extremely important; well, at least to me.
As for the chorus, several people could give you different explanations for the meaning behind the lyrics, but for what it’s worth, I’m probably wrong. However, I’ll let you know what it means to me.
We didn’t start the fire It was always burning, since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire No, we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it
The fire could represent multiple things like violence, hatred, war, bigotry, racism, sexism, and capitalism. It could be all of them or none of them; though the point is that the fire has existed and been burning since we descended from the trees and spread out across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The world of 2024 didn’t start the fire, nor did the world of 1989. Events and people have compounded and added to national and international problems over the centuries; and in the case of the song, decades. This means the next generation has to fight and solve the issues created by previous generations; even though they have been trying to stop the spread of the fire. At least to me, it does.
We didn’t start the fire It was always burning, since the world’s been turning We didn’t start the fire But when we are gone It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on
After every single person who is alive at this moment in time has died, the world will still continue to turn, and the fire will still be burning, awaiting the next generation of people to meet it. In 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, or 250 years, the fire will continue to burn, just as it always has.
Some of the best messages; again, at least to me, in the song are these:
If we don’t understand the past, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.
You are not personally guilty, along with your generation, for the condition of the world, whether its politically, socially, physically, etc.
What you can be guilty of, is what you are going to do about the condition of the world.
And the coolest message in the song is this:
People have the capacity for tremendous evil, just as they have the capacity for amazing good. As a species, we will never stop the fire from burning, we just can’t. But what we can do is fight the spread of the fire, through our own actions, along with our children and grandchildren, by teaching them to care. If we can restrict and limit the spread of the fire, the damage will be least destructive for us, and for future generations. I feel we can do this through information, knowledge and education; you know, that old chestnut.
In a small way, and in the greatest example of my hubris, the vanity project that is Some Geek Told Me, is an ode to We Didn’t Start the Fire. One of the factors for Some Geek Told Me’s creation, was feeling I wasn’t doing enough to fight the spread of the fire.
We Didn’t Start the Fire is one of my favourite songs, so I decided to try and back up my big mouth and actually do something. I know it’s hubris, I really do, and I know Billy Joel would deem this quite sad, but I’m ok with that.
Having said all of this, I’m starting a new project within Some Geek Told Me. I realise many other people have already done this, but I’m going to take a crack at it. Just like the Tour of the Solar System, I’m going to have a monthly blog post about We Didn’t Start the Fire, looking at the historical references.
I’m going to talk about them in groups, like 1955-1957, or 1958-1961, rather than in decades or simply as years. There are 118 historical references in the song, so this poorly constructed idea will take some time. You have been warned. The music video is quite outstanding as well. Again, to my geeky arse, it is.
Well, that’s it for another week. Thank you once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, paint a rainbow, and I’ll see you next week.
SOME GEEK TOLD ME 
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