Crippen's Cartoon Blog - June 08

Friday 20th June 2008 - I’ve had several emails recently saying that some of you have been having problems accessing this blog through Internet Explorer. We’ve not been the only site that’s been effected though, as Internet Explorer generally has been hanging, freezing, failing to find web pages, failing to log on to email accounts, etc., amongst other problems. Interestingly, this problem only occurs if you’re also running Skype on your computer.

explorer cartoon

Crippen explorer cartoon

Well, it seems that it’s all to do with a little critter called Skype IE addon. This bit of code modifies every web page that you visit in order to highlight phone numbers, even if the web page contains no phone numbers at all! Most of the time these modifications are not visible so you don’t even realise it’s going on. This apparently has been what’s causing the problem. All of these Internet Explorer problems disappear if you disable this Skype IE Add on (in other words dump the little bugger!).

This is what you have to do: In Internet Explorer select Tools -> Manage Add Ons -> Enable or Disable Add ons. In Enabled Add ons, select ‘Skype Add on’ (NOT the other Skype file shown), highlight it and then select Disable. Re-boot Internet Explorer and it should have sorted things.

I’ve tried it and it works fine, although I’ve gotten to like the Firefox system that I changed to when Internet Explorer almost drove me to throwing the computer out of the window, so I think I’ll stay with that! (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ will get you to the free download if you’re interested).

Monday 16th June 2008 - According to the daily Torygraph Disabled people are selling their blue badges on e-bay for as much as 5,000 pounds. Apparently in London, the badges exempt motorists from the capital's congestion charge, a concession worth about £2,000 on its own, before parking is taken into account.

blue badge cartoon

Crippen blue badge cartoon

In another article they also claim that: ‘up to 700,000 motorists are fraudulently using disabled badges to obtain parking privileges all over Britain – this is according to evidence presented to the Government by disability organisations’.

They add that: ‘one third of Britain's 2 million disabled badges are being wrongly used, say the charities’. And that: ‘many non-disabled drivers "borrow" the badges from relatives, while others use computers and scanners to forge them.’

(It’s interesting to note that they never actually say which disability organisations or charities provide them with this information.)

Damn Disabled people. Not content with living in luxury on the state, they’re running scams that are netting thousands of pounds. We should be ashamed of ourselves!

Monday 9th June 2008 - The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has estimated that for every million pounds spent on the Pathways to work programme, which has now been rolled out across Great Britain, £1.5 million is returned through reduced benefits and increased tax contributions.

OK everyone, after me … Told you so! Told you so!!

Wednesday 4th June 2008 - And it’s good to see that the Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN) is still alive and kicking. It all went a bit quiet after Alan Holdsworth (Aka Johnny Crescendo) departed for the States a few years ago.

arrow cartoon

Crippen arrow cartoon

My sources tell me that about 25 Disability activists and their PA’s entered the foyer of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) building and demanded to meet James Purnell, the work and pensions secretary. This was in a protest against ‘the use of negative propaganda against disabled people to justify benefits cuts’ (surely not?!). They also handed in a letter to staff in which they accused politicians of ignoring disabled people’s poor prospects for employment and equality in the job market.

Apparently the only official statement to come out of this from the work and pensions department was (wait for it!): ‘This is not the way to arrange a meeting with the secretary of state. It is more usual for people to write to him’.

I can imagine the correspondence before the next action … ‘Dear Mr Purnell, we would like to meet you at our next unannounced action on …’ and his reply …’Oh what a shame. I’ll be out of the office on that day visiting anybody, somewhere else!’

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Fred said on 2007-10-29 04:49:
I thought the old bugger was dead. Hiding out in Spain eh?! Must be a tax issue! Can't wait for the reaction from the mouth and feet painting lot. He he

Artyfartyboy (Artyfartyboy[at]google.com) said on 2007-10-31 18:08:
Oh great. It look like Crippen is going to do an ongoing blog like his other one. Incidentally, I love the way I've been featured in his first cartoon!

Amber Rose (horsebonkers[at]yahoo.co.uk) said on 2007-11-06 10:57:
Like the pictures.

Artyfartyboy said on 2007-11-08 02:46:
Me again. Just an observation really. Why does Crippen seem to use a wheelchair user most of the time when he portrays a Disabled person? There are those of us with other impairments you know!:)

Mo Reece said on 2007-11-08 03:42:
Good to see your work on line and to read your blog. 'bout time your cartoons were easier to get too. Keep up the good work. Just don't mention the sun too much!!!!

Maggie Cameron said on 2007-11-08 05:21:
Crippen, I love you! you always make me laugh, just when I despair of anything really changing, hitting my head against a brickwall syndrome!I look at your cartoons and snigger away, keep it coming!

meg said on 2007-11-08 05:28:
great pics dave....love the blog.... didn't know you were a writer tooooooooooo! xx

marmiteboy (marmiteboy99[at]hotmail.co.uk) said on 2007-11-08 12:57:
Love the foot painter cartoon. it made me laugh out loud. I've just bought some mouth painter Christmas cards so I'll have to have a look to see if there are any impressions of lips and tounges on them.

Micky Ashton (micheleashton[at]yahoo.co.uk) said on 2007-11-08 13:33:
Oooh my baked potato is about to frazzle. Our disabled family would like a little feature = uniboob (me), rib-crackered-jellied arm-Al (and still riding towards Cuba for the Royal Marsden Campaign), sight and hearing impaired Schmutter, little missy three legs and of course cinder-potato. By the way we love your blog and it is winging its way round the Disability Officers in Further and Higher Education - huh, how many of them are disabled people we wonder? Jamboree contacts. By the other way, Amber Rose might not be who you think she is...... oh oh, a mystery threatens...

Mayo Marriott (mayo[at]ilanet.co.uk) said on 2007-11-09 03:57:
Dave, I think your cartoons are really fantastic!So good in fact, I will be using them on Sunday for a small disability equality training presentation! Obviously, if the presentation doesn't go well I will blame you completely! I think your blog is really great, especially your honesty and irreverence, keep it up! Yours Mayo

Genevieva (sopadecalabaza[at]hotmail.com) said on 2007-11-09 08:08:
Hey! He can ramble on as well as draw, can't he? Crippen International now too, eh? There must be some funny stuff about disability (in)equality en Espana as well. I know your home turf's Inglaterra when all's said and done, but how about a quick glimpse of what we Crips here endure while you're temporarily among us?! Keep up the good work, hombre!

Artyfartyboy (Artyfartyboy[at]google.com) said on 2007-11-10 05:28:
Never mind my name. Who in his right mind calls himself Crippen?! ;-p

EssPee (sarahplayforth[at]btinternet.com) said on 2007-11-10 07:14:
Have been struggling to find time to peruse all this great stuff and to enjoy the cartoons - love the outing one specially cos am doing loads of stuff around other equalities issues and you know I'm all for equality for all - but am also not tooo happy with existence of new EHRC as don't think DRC existed long enough to justify subsuming it yet. Do you remember FOVIDs? Can we have a little cartoon relevant to them? xxxxxxxx

Helen Lupton (daughter!) (hellupton[at]hotmail.co.uk) said on 2007-11-10 10:07:
wow my talented popsical.... lovin the blog... one question though... "where do you find the time to write so much!!!" hee hee love ya loads Hel xxxxxx

Artyfartyboy said on 2007-11-11 15:08:
Come on you old crip, where's my answer to the question about your fixation with wheelchair users. I suspect your short-term memory problem is kicking in again eh?! Oh to be young like me. Tee hee!!

richard downes (r.downes[at]yahoo.co.uk) said on 2007-11-12 02:15:
good to see disability humour from the perspective of day to day experience on the web The thing with the day to day stuff is it reveals inconsistencies with a strict social model approach and that reminds you that life is a lot more interesting than the fundamental approach people like me try to take

Atadgreasy (gary.woods[at]esda.org.uk) said on 2007-11-12 05:54:
Dave, your cartoons lift the spirits for the likes of me wading through this stuff everyday. And a bit of wit to throw a humorous perspective on some of the disconcerting levels of idiocy helps to make me realise it's not just me! Long may your irreverence continue. Regards, Gaz )

Fleur Baladine (fleurbaladine[at]hotmail.com) said on 2007-11-13 06:03:
Freudians refer to the unconscious; Jungians to the subconscious. We'll know what you mean either way. PS: A picture paints a thousand words(hint).

Kevin Rowan-Drewitt (kevinrowan2[at]hotmail.com) said on 2007-11-16 02:46:
Great Blog Dave - really enjoying the irreverence and great cartoons - keep up the good work!!! Hi to Jeni.

Artyfartyboy said on 2007-11-16 12:02:
Thanks Mr Crippen. I'll try and think up some cartoon ideas about hidden disabilities (or should I say impairments!)... don't hold your breath though! ;-)

Artyfartyboy (Artyfartyboy[at]google.com) said on 2007-11-18 07:19:
I'm shocked! Nipples in a Crippen cartoon (OK then a Sox cartoon but who's counting)I'm just gong to have to go and lie down and think pure thoughts for a while!!

Bol said on 2007-11-18 12:57:
Bloody hell - does this man ever stop!

Colin said on 2007-11-18 13:12:
Give a man an inch ... and well you know the rest. For those who need to know, I can vouch for the fact that this cartoonist is fully potty trained in fact we wouldn't want him an other way. - ED

SaVvmari (mail[at]savvmari.com) said on 2007-11-19 08:16:
As a fellow cartoonist I just want to say I love your work. All of my work is in black and white and hand drawn. I haven't found a software. It's okay I feel more connected to my work and my characters. Carlita http://savvmari.com

Artyfartyboy said on 2007-11-26 15:43:
Wow. Some work went into that chasm cartoon. Nice one Mr C!

Artyfartyboy (Artyfartyboy[at]google.com) said on 2007-12-02 23:43:
Go Crippen go! I love it man, just love it! We should rename this blog 'the crippen and artyfartyboy blog'(I'd want half of his earning though as well!);-)

Artyfartyboy (Artyfartyboy[at]google.com) said on 2007-12-07 12:11:
Loved the cartooning info in Nov. What chance of a proper cartooning course? (all part of my cunning plan to take over from Crippen when he topples!)

Artyfartyboy (Artyfartyboy[at]google.com) said on 2007-12-12 22:54:
What, no more deathless prose! Gulp ... OK, who's gonna start the whip-round?!

Jonesy said on 2007-12-20 11:12:
I think I prefer this format Mr Crip. The new cartoon at the top with a bit of writing and then the others underneath for the month. Like someone said earlier "a picture paints a thousand words" and your pictures sure do that!

Dolly Sen (dollysen70[at]hotmail.com) said on 2008-01-14 12:33:
thanks for the weekend, and what a lovely family it is indeed x

ArtyFartyBoy said on 2008-01-23 23:32:
Happy New Year Y´all! New Year - New Format. I like it!

Studley (Studley223[at]hotmail.com) said on 2008-02-02 19:05:
I'm torn! I loved the rambling script that Crippen used to put alongside of his cartoons before his computer did the nasty on him, but I also like this new, punchier style. I wonder if anyone from the Arts Council looks at these new ones though? Be interesting to hear their side of things.

arty farty boy said on 2008-02-14 11:27:
Arts Council comment - Oh yeh. Thought I saw a pig flying past the window! This guy has had a go at the Arts Council more than most and he's never mentioned that he's had any sort of response from them! What say you Mr C?

Crippen (daveluptontoons[at]aol.com) said on 2008-02-18 21:51:
Hi AFB, thought you'd disappeared! No, I rarely get a response from any of the big organisations I focus on. Over the past 15 years or so I've given the Leonard Cheshire mob more than enough grief. Likewise the Arts Council over recent times. Perhaps they don't tap into these sort of networks? I will just have to keep trying wont I!

EdsArt (edsart[at]skycom) said on 2008-03-11 13:04:
Great to see youre still inking away mate. I'm contemplating a return myself. Fancy a competition? Lol

Arty Farty Boy said on 2008-03-28 19:09:
Still here Im afraid! Just like to say that I think its great how this blog has developed. I still really look forward to reading it each month ... still, I dont get out much these days!

richard downes (r.downes[at]yahoo.co.uk) said on 2008-04-07 10:10:
good on francesca and good on you Dave for bringing it to our attention that not all disabled people fell in with this great celeb focussed event. me i'd pay good money to see Grieve Bluegrieve and Sir Mither Macdonald get burned by the olympic flame. rich

Nathan Doidge (nath[at]doidge12.fsnet.co.uk) said on 2008-04-07 18:29:
I'd just like to say good on Francesca! Any Facebook members wishing wishing to show their support for her decision can join the Francesca Martinez is quite bloody right group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10615123183

Tara Flood said on 2008-04-09 07:23:
I totally support Francesca for pulling out of the torch relay which I watched with delight on Sunday BBCNews 24 - the protest made me feel proud to live in the UK. However I wish she had also done it in protest against China's outrageous abuse of disabled people's human rights in China. For years Disabled people have been warehoused and killed by the Chinese regime and the world ignores it!

Victoria Wright said on 2008-04-09 13:21:
Great cartoon Dave, totally sums up how I feel about the Olympics and the ignorance of these athletes and others taking part in the torch relay. Konnie Huq, the former Blue Peter presenter, said 'I believe in the Olympic values, the Olympic ideals... it's just unfortunate that China has such a terrible track record when it comes to human rights and they are the host nation.' Yeah, really unfortunate that!

Mary Fish said on 2008-04-10 12:10:
Really love the cartoon and I feel really proud of Francesca.

Bol said on 2008-04-17 09:13:
Did you know another anagram of that famous journal is uradaing - sounds like being hit on the head with a large pot! Alternatively there's graduain - has a bit more of an academic bent to it.

Helen said on 2008-04-19 18:34:
Exceptional site; exceptional content. Keep it up.

Kit Wells NUJ (mail[at]arcadian-uk.com) said on 2008-05-05 15:42:
As a former editor who once foolishly encouraged this man by publishing his work, I feel it only right to say that, in those good old days, Lupton was vivacious, slim, funny and quite good looking. Now he's just funny! I recently visited him in his lair in Spain and discovered the great man lurking behind a cactus polishing his funny bone (or at last that what it looked like) Cheers, Dave

john and anne (johainswrt[at]aol.com) said on 2008-05-05 22:42:
pre op precaution,PLEASE,make sure the saw is sterile and sharp,,,,,,,,,,,,great talent dave

Andrew said on 2008-05-12 14:42:
How come Crippen's in Spain most of the time yet he gets the lowdown on disability events in the UK before any of us here?

Arty said on 2008-06-18 14:25:
Okay I tried looking on e-bay, but couldn't the badge, let alone the mobility impairment. What's going on Mr C? Are your sources as reliable as one would hope?

crippen said on 2008-06-27 10:28:
Hi Arty, seems like ebay have pulled the plug on the blue badge sales. We can still send the boys round to provide you with a mobility impairment though!


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May 2008

last updated: 2008-01-23 02:03:31

tags : political history disability arts visual arts satire comedy