The Bean Harvest

Another Review

2006-03-24T03:46:00.000-05:00

I lapsed again, but hey, you tend to do that when you become an uncle for the first time! Anyway, today's review is Gun Fu: Showgirls are Forever #1

http://www.thecomicsreview.com/temper.php?id=66

Batman meets the Shadow!

2006-03-18T03:30:00.000-05:00

If I were ever to write Batman, I would like to do it in the same style as my favorite era of Batman comics, the mid to late 70's. In these books, Batman was a detective above everything else, and he knew how to crack a smile. Sure, he's a grim avenger f the night, but he isn't as nutty as the criminals he hunts, which is how it seems to me nowadays.

My very favorite Batman comic of all time is Batman #253, published in November 1973. If it couldn't be evidenced by the cover, that "master of other people's minds", The Shadow makes his first (to my knowledge) DC Comics appearance. In the appropriately titled Who Knows What Evil--?, we find Batman taking down a gang of counterfeiters, where he is saved from being shot by a marksman so excellent that he shot the gun out of the thug's hand without injuring the guy! Anyway, Batman pursues the lone remaining criminal but loses him in a blind alley, where he hears an eerily familiar bone chilling laugh. Writing these goons off as small fry, Batman leaves them for the police and returns to the batcave to analyze the stolen money in the hopes of capturing the mastermind. With the assistance of Alfred, Batman discovers a possible lead in Arizona. Meanwhile the goon that eluded Batman earlier apparently didn't escape the mysterious marksman from before, as the police find him tied to a lamppost in a hypnotic daze mumbling "Tumbleweed Crossing" over and over.

Arriving as Bruce Wayne he checks in to the only hotel in town, inquiring about any other newcomers to Bammy Stone, the local hotel owner. Bammy mentions a scientist taking water samples which strikes him as odd, being that the water isn't fit to drink anyway. Before Bruce can comment, a bunch of hooligans in dune buggies tear through the main drag to terrorize the small town. Ducking into an alley, he switches to Batman and tackles on of the punks off his buggy. After a short Batman-style confrontation, he learns that the punks are really a bunch of non-conformists who were paid to roll into town every Tuesday. Batman reveals to them they were paid with funny money, so they beat feet out of there. Batman hears the same chilling laugh from behind the hotel. He starts to wonder if it could really be 'him', but discounts it as his own wishful thinking, and decided to investigate as Bruce Wayne. He has dinner with one Lamont Cranston, who as anyone familiar with the character knows, is one of The Shadow's many disguises. Their conversation alludes to the fact the the water Cranston is there to investigate could be used in the production of ink. Bruce excuses himself and rents a jeep, which he proceeds to drive out to the mountains as Batman to check out this 'water supply'. He is ambushed by snipers and is only able to over come them due to the timely interference of a certain autogyro. After he takes out the gunmen, Batman hears the laugh yet again and continues to wonder if it truly could be 'him'. He shrugs it off and continues to his destination, where he finds the main counterfeiters, easily takes out the two thugs who pull guns on him, but is taken aback by his own overconfidence, and the printer who splashes Batman in the eyes with ink. While Batman is blinded, the printer tries to escape a plane stashed away, but is confronted by the Shadow himself, who proceeds to mete out justice with his twin .45 calibur automatic pistols, destroying the propeller and causing the plane to flip and crash into flames. Now recovered, and with the Shadow nowhere to be seen, he interrogates the printer, who gives a chillingly accurate description of the Shadow! Batman decides to prove it once and for all, but first he has to track now the true mastermind of the counterfeiting ring, and as he returns to the hotel, we learns he suspects Cranston, as he's the only stranger in town. He busts into Cranston's room, but instead finds the true fiend behind it all, Bammy, the hotel keeper who was going through Cranston's notes, to see how much he learned of the operation. Bammy pulls a gun on Batman, but the room's light is shot out by a certain marksman, so Batman quickly knocks Bammy out, and dives out the window in the hopes of catching the elusive stranger. He doesn't find him, but does find a note written by Cranston asking Batman to meet him the next night.

What follows is probably my favorite Batman page ever, where the Shadow explains it was he who has been helping Batman on this case, to determined if Batman deserved the reputation he has. The Shadow says "I am happy to say that you have fulfilled my greatest expectations!" Batman is sincerely flattered, revealing that the Shadow was one of his greatest inspirations. This was explored in the Batman Animates Series episode Beware the Grey Ghost where they couldn't use the Shadow's name or likeness. Finally, Batman asks the Shadow if he'll come out of retirement to help the world. Enigmatically the reply is "That... only The Shadow knows!"

Even though this issue was before my time, and to be honest, the whole caper wouldn't have been as exciting without the mysteriousness of the Shadow, it still remains my favorite Batman tale to this day, and I doubt it'll ever be topped.

Another Review? Why yes!

2006-03-17T14:21:00.000-05:00

http://www.thecomicsreview.com/temper.php?id=59

Tomorrow, a non review-post, I promise.

Back in the swing of things

2006-03-16T15:08:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I guess I took a bit of a break, but I'm committed again, and to start it off I did a new review, and that is located here: http://www.thecomicsreview.com/temper.php?id=56 . I plan on posting daily again, so you know, if you actually read this thing, stay tuned.

40 lashes with a wet noodle!

2006-02-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

I've been a terrible slacker. Well, I could justify things, but I don't feel like talking about real life so instead, lets indulge in some escapeism!

Have you ever dreamed you could fly? Of the dreams I have remembered, I can fly in a lot of them. I am a bit wary of heights in real life, but in my dreams, I can loop the loop with the best of them, flying alongside airplanes, to spook onlookers, soaring with the birds... It's incredibly liberating, and if anyone invents an anti-gravity belt or a rocket pack, I will likely invest my entire life savings to have one.

In the movies, I have always envied The Rocketeer because I felt it really gets across that feeling of unadulterated freedom you'd have by being able to take to the skies. To be honest though, if rocket packs were real I don't think I'd like them as much, cause I wouldn't be flying under my own power. Having an engine on my back isn't what I'd call freedom, but the idea is all that matters.

Well, I broke my resolution, eh?

2006-02-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes I did. I told myself I would write once every day, and over the long weekend, due to the combined factors of helping family move, staying over there with no internet access, and getting my car fixed, I haven't for a while.

I'm not really going to make any excuses, I don't even know if I'm going to write more to 'make up' for it. I suppose I'll just try to write a bit each day, and continue like I didn't lapse for 3 days. This really even shouldn't count as a writing, but it's wordy and that works.

Also, as always I am running low on time.

The Frantics Reunion Special!

2006-02-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

It rocks to have good friends. As mentioned in previous posts, my favorite comedy troupe happens to be The Frantics, and last month, on Canada's Comedy Channel, they got to air a reunion special, but living in the U.S., my chances for ever seeing it were pretty slim. Thanks to some reciprocal generosity, a friend of mine who lives in Canada taped it for me, and I received it yesterday. It was the shortest hour long special ever, and of course I want more. Since that wont happen until they release their next cd, the least I can do is highlight some of my favorite bits.

One bit that was funny just because of how absurd the concept was, Jason Mahooch, Master of Disguise. In this sketch, the guy 'disguised himself as various objects, but it was just him. The funniest was when he was being carried around because he disguised himself as an MP3 player, and when he was the reflection for a beautiful woman.

The sketch I probably laughed out the loud the most on was this sketch in which 'Roy' was a motivational speaker guy, and his main means of motivation was a boot to the head. Boot to the Head is a frantics specialty and I was thrilled to see it on tv.

Yet another great bit, was one I had already heard on the Official Bootleg CD, Dutch Cowboys. It was pretty funny to see the guys in cowboy outfits with larger pants and clogs. I don't know why they omitted an old lyric, 'our wooden shoes, have wooden spurs on them'. I thought it was a funny line, and they don't really need to re-state 'we're the cowboys from the Netherlands'.

The biggest treat for me, and also the most bittersweet, was the return of Mr. Canoehead, Canada's favorite aluminum-headed crime fighter! Unfortunately, he was only shown in flashback, and it was implied everyone on the prison transport he was on drowned, although they realize he does have a canoe welded to his head, so he may have survived. The ended the sketch and the show with a cryptic 'The End?" I sure hope not, I need more frantics in my life.

Review, Review, who's got the review?

2006-02-16T15:49:00.000-05:00

Planetary Brigade #1
http://www.thecomicsreview.com/temper.php?id=27

I'm denser than a supernova

2006-02-15T15:42:00.000-05:00

Here I am enjoyed my weekly comic haul, and I look at the clock, and I have to go to work in 15 minutes and I haven't written today! I don't really have anything prepared, and I also really don't have time to make something up on the spot, so here I am rambling on, like and incoherent hyena with after a 3-day binge on nothing but Pixy Stix.

Well, maybe not that bad, but you get the point. Well let's see... If you laid every grain of sand on earth end to end, you'd probably be working for the government. It is said 1 out of every three marriages end in divorce. This seems bad, until you realize the other two end in death. Hard shelled turtles from the Galapagos Islands can live to be over 100 years old, but chocolate turtles from Malley's, are best before February 27th.

Ok, done rambling for now, hasta la pasta de la costa.

How many times am I typing this?

2006-02-14T15:21:00.000-05:00

So, the scientific community now believes there are an infinite number of parallel universes, something science fiction writers have been exploring for at least 40 years or more. It never ceases to amaze me how much that was previous science fiction becomes science fact.

It also makes me wonder though. If there are truly infinite universes, that means there are also an infinite number of earths, and since that number is infinite the possibilities of what goes on those earths are also infinite. Does that mean that I have alternate versions of myself typing variations of this same article as I speak? It's possible, but it's also possible that an infinite number of those earths have alternate histories where I never existed, or am already a successful writer, or even possibly off the wall things like the world's top ping-pong player or even a mad dictator. That's the thing, if you truly try to comprehend what 'infinity' is, you really realize how massive it all is, and how small we all really are.

Another thing to think of is if there are truly an infinite number of universes how many of them are trying to contact other universes? In DC Comics, the alternate universes exist in a single space and are only separate due to their being on a different vibratory plane, and if you could somehow attune your body to an alternate universe's frequency, you'd appear there. I believe that's pretty scientifically accurate, since Gardner Fox, the writer who introduced this concept was a total science nut. I remember reading 'Flash Facts' when I was younger, I'd get a neat adventure with The Flash, and also a short science lesson. Good stuff.

Anyway, this entry isn't really writing oriented, just a musing, but it was still interesting for me to talk about. Until tomorrow, don't vibrate away, I still need readers!

My 50th blog post and.....

2006-02-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

It's a review day. Hope you weren't expecting something spectacular.

http://www.thecomicsreview.com/temper.php?id=26

A thought that hit me could be a good story.

2006-02-12T22:08:00.000-05:00

I was thinking that it'd could be a cool sci-fi spy type of epic if in the future there was a way to watch a person's photographic memory for use in trials and the like, and how that'd change the justice system. If that technology existed, it'd make a lot of sense that it could be foiled as well. If false memories could be used, that'd make it that much more difficult for the truth to be uncovered, and many people would be framed for crimes they didn't commit.

Apply that to the trial for the person accused of assassinating the President. It'd make for a great JFK-esque conspiracy, and that's when I would bring in an attorney who himself has a photographic memory, and through a series of clever courtroom maneuvers discovers that the memories can be falsified just by visualizing what you want to viewer to see, it takes a great deal of effort and it can be done.

Anyway, that's a very bare bones idea. Sorry. Hopefully I'll have something better tomorrow.

What If...

2006-02-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

So, imagine that in 1947, we were visited by flying discs because 'they' noticed our atomic bomb tests/detonations and decided we were a potential threat, or maybe even a possible ally. Would the Truman administration let them live? Would they even have a choice, would we ally, or savage rape their technology and try to adapt it for ourselves?

If it was the latter, how would alien technology affect out development as a species? Would we become stagnant, or would it inspire us to achieve more, knowing that the possibility to achieve more is out there? If we did shoot them down, would reinforcements arrive? Each new question spawns two more, but it's interesting to sit and think about things like this.

Allow me to rant for a minute..

2006-02-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

Why is it that when I'm socializing, or whatnot, and I don't want to imbibe alcohol, that I always have to justify why? I mean, do I need a reason not to drink other than, 'I don't want to'? I mean, people aren't like that with other things. People don't wonder ask you, "You don't eat nachos? Were you addicted and now have to avoid them?" Sometimes, just because I get annoyed I say things like, I can't drink because I had a bad experience, that way they can feel vindicated, but I don't actually have to say anything with substance, the listener can fill in the blank.

I am not the most social guy to begin with, and whenever I am out with friends of friends (ie. people I don't know) I have to go through this every single time I go out, and it's so annoying, and alienates me so much, that it's really no wonder that I keep to myself a lot. Of course the ideal solution would be just to join in and drink, right? Well, I like to think of myself as a man of integrity, so that's not really an option, because we come back to the fact that I simply don't want to drink! A long time ago, my 5th grade teacher told me, that she just brings a bottle of ginger ale and pretends, but that doesn't really fit in with my world view, because I wont even pretend to drink. I suppose that makes me a big, dull stick-in the-mud, but if you think that, I don't want to talk to you anyway, so think what you want.

So rant over, thanks for indulging me.

2006-02-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

Oscar Meyer meats
bologna or boloney?
mystery abounds

Zombies among us?
animated corpses rot
get my machete.

lava lamps glow bright
groovy psychedelic time
I'm not a hippie.

writer's block annoys
it gives you all haiku days
and saves me some time

Space Caravan

2006-02-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is a story idea I had recently, but since this is comic day Wednesday I may miss a few details int eh mad dash to post today, I'll amend or post more later.

The basic idea is, the year is 2075, and the earth has been completely devastated due to man's own folly, wars/pollution/what have you. The planet is pretty uninhabitable, so the plan is made to launch large caravans of ships. Since space travel isn't very advanced for these earthlings, they are put into hibernation and aren't awakened until they leave the galaxy, because no Milky Way planet can support human life without massive terraforming, which they also don't have to tech to do. There will be the usual space stuff of encountering alien races, and the like, but the earthlings main drive is to find a new home, and the possibilities for alliances are endless. When you're homeless, you may be inclined to make deals with the devil to get what you want, you know?

Ok, I have more, but time is short, so there you go for now.

Can't explain it..

2006-02-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

As mentioned previously, I have some weird, weird dreams. It's probably a good thing I rarely remember them, because I think I would freak out on a regular basis.

Last night for instance, I had an odd dream where I was trying to download a video, in bed, and someone calling themselves my dad kept passing by the bed to see if I was really sleeping. This is odd, because hey, it'd be really hard to download something on my computer from my bed, and also weird because I don't have a father.

It was a rare night where I remembered two dreams! The second one involved me and a friend being imprisoned at a school, so we decided we needed to escape. We bided our time until the school assembly. The bleachers were kind of vertical like balconies, and my friend (who doesn't resemble anyone I know in real life) are seated at the top. In the middle of the arena was an Olympic sized swimming pool. We get the bright idea to dive from the top of these balcony-like bleacher into the pool, and from there make a break for the doors (everyone was at the assembly). I jumped first, but landed into a crowd of girls lower down the bleachers instead, they took it like nothing was going on, so I jumped again, landed in the pool, almost broke my head, made a break for the door, and left the school with the janitor telling me to not stop for anything. Weird stuff, I'm sure.

Another Review Day? You're kidding!

2006-02-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

Nope, I'm not.
Captain America #14

The return of Review Day

2006-02-05T21:46:00.000-05:00

Legion of Super-Heroes volume 5 #14

The Quest for the Holy DS

2006-02-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

It was a dark and stormy day, as my mother and I ventured from her residence to procure a Nintendo DS Mario Kart bundle and Animal Crossing DS for my bedridden sister. The journey was long and arduous, but in the end, we prevailed.

We set out for he sprawling Target store, to no avail, they did not have either the glorious red DS nor the carttridge we wanted. No matter, I said. Right across the street is the mecca, GameStop. Surely they will have what we desire. Alas, no they too, were plundered of all of their cartridges and the fabled red DS was a limited edition, no longe being sold.

"Fie on the GameStop, mother!" I proclaimed as we exited. "Never in my life have I known a GameStop clerk to know what he was talking about!" "Across yonder intersection, I spot the desolate K-Mart. They are known to have stock after it is officially discontinued."

The first taste of success! In the barren aisles of K-Mart I spotted a gleaming red box of wonder! "This is it! We must procure it here, we will not find it again!" Mother agreed, and we bought the crimson box of racing Nintendo goodness. Sadly, Animal Crossing was again sold out.

We were at our wits end, we phoned my dear sister and told her the bittersweet news. Notably disappointed mother and I redoubled our efforts, even though it meant we had to venture crosstown to the bustling bounty of Best Buy. Astoundingly, they too, were sold out.

A plan then formed in my grey matter. "Mother, I know of a place in yon strip mall that deals in used games, although the shop is always crowded beyond capacity, I sense we may have luck there." I was ready, but my mother knew she would not survive the waves of patrons, so I ventured alone armed with my wits and a single fifty dollar bill. I braved the teeming masses, and found the game section, on display was a lone, unopened, and thankfully brand new copy of Animal Crossing DS. I asked the shopkeep to open the glass prison the games are stored in, and took it to the register. Calloo, Callay! Our quest was finished, and we celebrated my clogging our arteries with a bounty from the local Taco Bell, returned home, and a fun time was had by all!

This is me, ranting about something, I don't know much about.

2006-02-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I saw advertisements for a few different piece of software that supposedly 'help' a writer along with 3,000 or so pre-determined conflicts. I was mildly interested at first, because I don't consider Notepad a word processor, and was looking into getting one. If I read this right though, these programs augment your own writing, with their 'bag o' tricks'. This might me okay for some people, but I think it's a bit lame. I mean honestly, if I wrote a script or a novel with these programs, I don't think I could legitimately call it my own work.

I guess I am a little old-fashioned, even though I am a bit of a technophile/gadget guy, but honestly, where does talent end and the program take over? If someone knows better, let me know, because I am just basing an opinion off of a half page ad. It's one thing for a program to correct your writing by say, fixing grammar or format, but adding it's own insight is more than a bit disconcerting.

In comics, why doesn't dead mean dead?

2006-02-02T15:16:00.000-05:00

I won't call it a trend, because it's been going on forever, like when Bat-Man thought Hugo Strange was dead more than once in the 30's up until the multiple resurrections of Phoenix (get it? Ugh.) today. In comics, death doesn't really mean squat.

I suppose it can be attributed to the nature of company owned comics where you will never have the same writer/artist team forever, but all too often it's just done for shock value. A beloved character is killed to spike sales, and then inevitably comes back to appease fans. Wiser folks than me have said "don't give readers what they think they want".

I don't know why it bugs me, because if it's a good story, it shouldn't matter. In those cases, I suppose it doesn't. I really enjoyed the last multi-issue story arc in Captain America which focused on the return of Cap's sidekick, Bucky, who hasn't been around since the 40's. If rampant resurrection didn't happen as much, the reader base probably wouldn't be as apathetic when a character does die. DC Comics seems to be addressing this, by having certain of their mystical characters reveal that the door between life and death has been wedged open since Superman came back, and has now been closed. Time will tell if dead really means dead though.

Haiku = time saver

2006-02-01T14:51:00.000-05:00

I have no time again today, so old standby of haiku

Sunkist, orange soda
naturally flavored pop
with sugar added

We all have cell phones

talk like I am important

tumors can't hurt me

Shazam!, the boy cried,

lightning has struck his visage

Captain Marvel rules

DVDs abound

replaced all VHS tapes

until next format

Speed Stick glides on smooth

takes away the stinkiness

B.O. smells quite bad

I can't help being a time-travel fan.

2006-01-31T15:02:00.000-05:00

So I got another story idea. As evidenced by the title, it has to do with time travel. Anyway, I guess it boils down to 'Time Traveling Detectives". It'd only be a short story, cause hey, I found a nifty Twilight Zone style ending for it. Anyway, in the future, a couple of detectives get an idea in their heads that, in their time, it's just too easy to solve cases (they are more than a bit arrogant). They steal an experimental time machine, because they figure, they can return it seconds after they steal it, and no one will be the wiser.

They then travel to various points in the past, attempting to solve mysteries that have confounded society throughout the ages. As they travel, they attempt to discover who Jack the Ripper really was, if there truly was a conspiracy to murder JFK, whether or not aliens truly landed in Roswell, NM in 1947, that sort of thing. They do all this stuff, and are pretty smug about it, so smug in fact, that instead of taking this information back to their own time, they publish the results of their work in each respective time period.

Unfortunately for them, this wreaks total havoc on the timestream, because they altered societal evolution in detrimental ways, and on their trip back home, they are encountered by 'The Voice' who tells them their hubris has pretty much doomed creation, and there is only one way it can be righted, so the story ends with someone from their future picking up a newspaper with the headline "Detectives Murdered At History Museum By Person Or Persons Unknown". That's the gist of it, and I can flesh it out easily, but pretty neat, eh?

Comics are full of variety!

2006-01-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

I like comic books. For a long time, I wouldn't admit to that, because of the stigma that 'comics are for kids'. Honestly though, these days more adults read comic books than kids, due to the fact that they aren't as accessible outside of comic shops, and parents don't take their children to comic stores like they do the supermarket. This is a whole 'nother rant though.

Comic books are not all super heroes, I will admit they still dominate the market, but there are tons and tons of genres. One of my favorite books, originally published in Belgium is XIII. It's a very intriguing espionage action type of book, no powers to be had, but it's like reading a James Bond movie, but with much more depth.

I also very much enjoy Gun-Fu, the continuing adventures of Hong Kong cop Cheng Bo-Sen, set in the 30's. Bo-Sen always seems to get embroiled in plots involving Nazis, and he takes it in stride, chugging out one-liners and speaking in hip hop (though no one seems to notice).

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Japanese comics or manga, the variety of these book are endless. You want to read comics about cooking, or being a lawyer, or basketball? Manga has that and more. A lot of people don't count manga as real comics for some reason, but hey, it's sequential art that tells a story, so it's a comic!

So anyway, that's my mini-rant about comics, and I would have better illustrated why I like them, but as always, I am pressed for time.

Yet another review day.

2006-01-29T20:01:00.000-05:00

Link is in the title.

Review Day today

2006-01-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

Fish out of Water..

2006-01-27T14:55:00.000-05:00

In the comics world, to a lot of people, Aquaman is a joke. He can swim really well and talk to fish, which isn't too useful against someone like Lex Luthor unless he's trying to take over an oil platform or something. Aquaman is always played straight in spite of this, except in parodies, of course.

My idea for a story takes the Aquaman/Sub-Mariner concept and sort of reverses it, Both of those characters live in the seas, but what if a mother gave birth to a son with gills instead of lungs, but was too attached to let him just live in the bathtub or the local Sea World? You could see how, let's call him Dobie Krebs, grew up, in high school, he was always picked on, because he perpetually had to wear a fishbowl on his head, despite the fact that he was the star of the school's swim team. You could have a montage of scenes like that, and then when he came of age, he'd set up shop in Phoenix, just for irony's sake, as the most useless superhero ever, the Fish out of Water.

Pretty silly, eh? Well it's supposed to be. If you take something like that seriously, you need to have your head examined.

Utopia or Dystopia?

2006-01-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

When I was in school, a lot of reading assignments were books that dealt with the concept of a utopia, or more accurately, a dystopia. I got to thinking the other day, why are there books that feature dystopia as opposed to utopia? Well, the obvious answer is that utopias kind of make for boring reading if everything is picture perfect, but although I am generally an optimist, I have to believe it's really because the way society is now, it just isn't realistic to have a utopia.

There are a lot of people these days and in the past that have utopian ideas, and I think that's great, honestly. Unfortunately, there are those who are opposed to a society where people are truly free and in harmony, this is quite sad, and I don't understand it myself, but that's the way it is.

Maybe it's because as a species, we're still pretty unevolved and some of us would prefer a state of constant stagnation, rather than the uncertainty of positive change. That in itself could make for an interesting story idea, but I don't think I'm up to the Orwellian standards to do such a thing, and honestly, I am too naive to do it, or even want to do it. Anyway, those are my thoughts do with them what you will.

Today's a review day.

2006-01-25T23:29:00.000-05:00

All Star Batman & Robin #3

All Star Superman #2 Review

2006-01-24T02:52:00.000-05:00

Another simultanous post, after this if I do a review for my writing of the day I will just hyperlink it.

I am not one of those who will buy everything that has Grant Morrison's name on it, but I have to say that so far, All Star Superman has me hooked. If Morrison can do anything, it's tell silver-ageish stories with a modern flair. As the issue opens, Superman is taking Lois on a tour of his Fortress of Solitude, while she is unbelieving in the fact that Clark Kent is Superman, years of trying to prove that same thing kind of makes Superman the boy who cried wolf when he does reveal his ID, and it's a nice way of turning that tried and true silver age plot device on it's ear. Superman himself is an interesting character in this incarnation, something some naysayers has been lacking in the core Super-titles. While he seems aloof, he's really just trying to show Lois a good time, and simultaneously and very subtly trying to ease the impact of the bombshell he has to drop on her, culminating in a nifty last page surprise that I won't reveal here.

The big draw of this issue, for me at least, was the wonders contained within Superman's fortress. I've always liked issues like that, and I probably always will, I suppose I am just a sucker for fantastical displays.

What can I say about the art? Well, I am certainly not a Frank Quietly fan, and at first I thought his style was a bit too 'earthy' for Superman, but I'd by lying if I said that his take hasn't grown on me. There are a few pages, the last page in particular that captures Superman's boyishly charming and innocent side, that just made me smile. And although I am not a fan of digital inking, Jamie Grant does a serviceable job here, though I will probably always think digital inking doesn't really help to define a drawing. The colors are also not my cup of tea, I think they are a bit too muted/light, but that is just my personal preference.

All in all, if you like old-school Superman, or want to read a story with silver-age sensibilities without the somewhat archaic writing style, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you.

Oversleeping isn't what it's cracked up to be.

2006-01-23T15:09:00.000-05:00

In a world where at least 8 hours of sleep is required, can a man function properly after getting 5 one night and 11 the next? Will he act normally or will he fall on his face during the day, making people laugh their heads off? We'll find out as I attempt to go to work in 45 minutes, after I hastily write up a fake movie trailer regarding my messed up sleeping habits.

Woo, I'm a reviewer.

2006-01-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

This is verbatim of a review I did at www.thecomicsreview.com Yes, I do reviews there now, so that counts as my writing for today, in the future, I will just link it.

Thank goodness for small favors. As a whole, "The Other" has left me rather underwhelmed. Thanks to Peter David, though we get a breath of fresh air this issue. Sure, it deals with new powers and the aftermath of last month's strange occurrences, but it also delivers a fun and entertaining ride.

The way the various big brains of the Marvel Universe want to poke and prod poor Peter nicely conflicts with Peter's own need to be with his family, and culminates in a nice exchange between the think tank and Aunt May. Another great moment is a classic web-swinging sequence intermingled with an introspective talk between husband and wife, that makes me feel like David can truly handle writing the relationship between MJ and Peter in a way that doesn't make one or the other out to be a jerk. Another strength Peter David brings that has been sorely lacking in the main spider-titles is supporting characters! I have to say it was a pleasant surprise to see Flash Thompson again, and his upcoming vocation promises to be interesting.

Mike Wieringo's art fits this book perfectly. It can be fun and dynamic when it needs to be, as well as creepy when applicable. The colors also nicely fit the various moods throughout the book, and by the time I hit the last page, I was definitely wanting more.

In closing, although I really haven't enjoyed the other, I really enjoy Peter David writing this books, and now that the rotating creative team hullabaloo is over, he's on F'n Spider-Man (a term of endearment, honestly) for the long haul, and so am I.

Overall Rating: (8/10)
Writing Rating: (8/10)
Artistic Rating: (7.5/10)

Gee, Gratuitous Gobs of G's

2006-01-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

Don't ask.

Gus Gorman gipes greatly, giving great grief.
Green Grocer Gary gives good gravy-grams.
Guy grows greenish groves. Got grapes? Gimmie!
Glenda glams great groovy gams, Graham.
Gene gloms greasy gangly gangsters gumming gates.

And that's enough, that takes alot out of a guy.

What Dreams May Come...

2006-01-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

I don't remember my dreams often, but when I do, it's almost always something pretty strange. The night before last I had a dream where I was working in an incredibly high-tech bank, and for some reason I was there after hours, and then there was a group of criminals who were able to break in and steal a lot of cash. I was dreaming a heist movie, apparently. I like heist movies, but the dream took a weird turn after the robbery because since I was in the bank at the time, I was framed for the crime. So instead of examining available evidence and trying to prove my innocence rationally (honestly it would have been simple, a high tech bank surely has surveillance cameras?), I ran for it. So now I guess my dream went from being a heist movie to an episode of The Fugitive.

I know there was more to it, but the nature of dreams you know, if you don't write it down, you're likely to forget it. Still, it was pretty odd. I wish there was a way to record dreams, that would be the single most incredible invention of the age. You could experience the weirdness of your subconscious again and again. At least the above dream wasn't as weird as the time I was Jackie Chan's chauffeur, that was just freakishly odd.

A Primer on Earth-Prime Superboy!

2006-01-19T14:55:00.000-05:00

This post possibly includes spoilers for Infinite Crisis, so if you're a comic reader who cares about that sort of thing, you may not want to read this... yet.

So, if you've been reading DC's epic Infinite Crisis, you know by now that the mastermind behind it all is Alexander Luthor, and his (for want of a better term) lackey, Superboy of Earth-Prime. In this little article I am going to talk about said Superboy and try to come to terms with the way the story is going. It's great, mind you, I am really enjoying it and everything, but I am having a hard time coming to terms with how they changed Superboy so much. (see figure 1A/1B)

Back in the mid 1980's, DC Comics had what were called 'multiple earths'. It was a nice story device that let them have different 'playgrounds' for different types of characters. On one of these Earths, Earth-Prime, Superheroes like Superman, Batman and the like were fictional characters that appeared in comic books just like our own earth! In the universe that contained Earth-Prime, there was also a Krypton-Prime, and it was just as doomed as any other version of Krypton. Jor-El, sent his only son to Earth, like in so many other realities, except for the fact that baby Kal-El was sent by way of a matter transporter and not a rocket. Kal-El was found in the woods, by (who else) the Kents. These Kents were not farmers though, they were Jerry Kent, who owns a computer business, and his (as far as I know) unnamed mother, who was in a successful law firm. Make a note of that, because I'll get back to it later. Clark Kent grows up, and he's no different from the other boys he grows up with, and in fact, is incredibly average. One day, he goes to a beach costume party dressed up as Superboy, to play off of his being named after a comic book character! In a set of circumstances that could only happen in a comic book, a comet passes by as the Superman revenge squad sends Earth-1 (the 'main' Earth) Superman to Earth-Prime, this somehow activates Earth-Prime Superboy's powers (he is Kryptonian, after all), the two Superman meet and have an adventure together.

Shortly thereafter, the still relatively inexperienced Superboy is thrust into the Crisis on Infinite Earths. I wont go into details regarding that, as time is short and others have done it much better than I could. In the aftermath of the Crisis, The 'good' Alexander Luthor of Earth-3 (everyone good is evil, everyone evil is good) takes himself, Superman and Lois Lane of Earth-2 (the 'originals') and Earth-Prime Superboy to a pocket dimension where they are to have their reward for services rendered in the saving of the universe.

Cut to 20 years later and Infinite Crisis, the "sequel" to the original Crisis finds the now singular earth in dire staits, and Earth-2 Superman (who is watching from his 'paradise') thinks that if the merged earth were based off of Earth-2 and not Earth-1 like it was, things would have been better, so he sets off to make things right. Meanwhile, it's revealed that a lot of the things that have been going haywire lately are directly because of Alex Luthor and Earth-Prime Superboy.

This was a shock to me, maybe not Luthor so much, because hey, he's a Luthor. Superboy is another matter entirely. I was thinking to myself, where can he have gone wrong, and then, Infinite Crisis #4 hit the stands, and I was aghast at what happened, but I realized the why and how of Superboy's behavior. I am not a psychoanalyst or anything, but it seems plausible to me that Superboy went kind of nutty for a few reasons. First of all, he was not raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent, two kindly farmers who in every other reality taught Superman what was important in life and to never use his powers for personal gain. This Superboy on the other hand was raised by two parents who had the type of jobs that would keep them busy most of the time, not to mention the fact that they had no idea their son was from the planet Krypton, and therefore couldn't teach him how he should use them in the aid of humanity. Secondly, he has next to no experience in being a hero. He met Superman in his first adventure, and learned the ropes, but he was still incredibly green, and someone who has the power to move planets, but not the experience to use it properly is a powderkeg just waiting to explode. Lastly, and probably most importantly, he has been cooped up with Luthor for 20 years (probably not that long in comic book time), and has likely been led astray by him (Luthors are notoriously manipulative). Since he pretty much now amounts to Alex's soldier-boy, where he doesn't really do his own thinking, I can see how this has come to be. I don't necessarily like it, but I can see how it happened. I can only hope that before the series is over he can somehow redeem himself, but considering his armor plated, zombie-like visage in figure 1-B, I doubt it.

Wednesday = Comics

2006-01-18T15:08:00.000-05:00

So, this is just a quick post. I need to figure out a diffrent way/time to post on Wednesday, because I spend too much time socializing at the local comic shop. There isn't any inhernetly wrong with that, it's just hard to keep a 'write a little a day' promise when most of my free time on said day is spent out. Oh well. I promise something better for tomorrow.

A quick idea

2006-01-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

This is (as The Frantics would say) an "idea that comes to you in the middle of the night, so you get up and write it down, but can't make heads or tails of it in the morning".

What would happen if a young man with his head perpetually in the clouds, someone who can't really separate fantasy and reality, was suddenly given the ability to alter reality at will? Would he be a hero or a menace? Why was he given this ability, and who gave it to him in the first place? Can anyone so potentially dangerous be allowed to run free? What will the government do when they get wind of it? Can they do anything at all? Will the boy even realize what's happened to him? Will he care?

So, um, since it was a quick thought it wasn't really fleshed out, but there it is. Open to suggestion and all that.

Haiku part 2

2006-01-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

I am being lazy today, enjoying the day off, here are haikus of what is occupying my time currently

It's Trauma Center!

pretend to be a surgeon

real blood makes me wretch

Feel the Magic rocks

win the girl by acting weird

Should just talk to her

Go, go Rocketeer

fight off those pesky Nazis

flying would be nice.

iPods are not cheap

I fix mine by hitting it

I am like The Fonz

Fly me to the Moon

Sinatra sings it quite well

Crooners shine so bright

Chicken McNuggets...

Not really chicken are they?

Oh well, I'm hungry.

Interesting...

2006-01-15T20:44:00.000-05:00

OK, as a writing exercise today I thought I would try and transcribe a radio sketch into script format, it shouldn't be too difficult (except I don't really have any experience scriptwriting)

SETTING: Outside a modest house, we see a man walking up to the front door.

(knocking)

(more knocking.. interrupted by)

MR INTERESTING(excitedly): Hello There! I see you are knocking on that door there.

MAN: Yes, I am.

MR. INTERESTING: I see your... knuckles are coming into... contact with the door, and creating resonant waves which set up sympathetic compressions and rarifactions, which we hear as knocking.

MAN(somewhat bewildered):Yes, I- I suppose we do. (demonstrates by knocking)

MR. INTERESTING: Kind of innnnteresting, wouldn't you say?

MAN: Yes, yes it is... Well! looks like no one's home so...

MR. INTERESTING: Yes! It looks like no one's home, but the innnteresting thing is that there is, in fact, someone home and I am him! Isn't that interesting? Excuse me, pardon me for not introducing myself. My name is Mr. Interesting. You must be here about the room to let. May I assume that you are responding to my advertisement in the paper?

MAN: Well, no... It was the-

MR. INTERESTING: It was the ad in the laundromat?

MAN: No, it was the-

MR. INTERESTING: The note in the bus depot?

MAN: No, it was the one stuck under the table in the College of Surgeons cafeteria.

MR. INTERESTING: Ah! That was the... innnteresting one!

MAN: Well, I'm interested in a nice, clean room.

MR. INTERESTING: Then please, come in, come in!

MAN: Oh! Only the top half of your door opens.

MR. INTERESTING: Yes. (pauses) Interesting, isn't it? You see, the bottom half of the door is bricked shut, to prevent burglars from kicking it in with their feet!

MAN: What about the top half?

MR. I: They get right in! How's that for interesting? Now come along. Oh, watch your step, you see, the Vikings did not believe in floors, so we have a vine swing across this pit, which I have filled with old telephone booths!

MAN: Wow, that's uh...

MR I: Innteresting.

MAN: Yes.. yes it is.

MR I: Now, grab this vine and-

MAN: Wuh Wuh Whoa!

MR I: across to the other side.

MAN: Boy is that ever-

MR I: Interesting?

MAN: Do you have to say interesting after everything?

MR I(matter of factly): No.

MAN(relieved): Oh, good.

MR I:And yet I do! Isn't that interesting? Now, step with me into this airstream, and we'll be (wind noises) liiifted up to the second floor. Mind the life-size leatherette dinosaur. Ho-ho Interesting, wouldn't you say? I would, I'm Mr. Interesting.

MAN: But, now now, come on Mr. Interesting isn't your real name is it?

MR I: Oh, no no no no

Man(agreeable):No.

MR I: Of course not. My real name is, I mean, as long as you're interested, my real name is Mr. Incredible.

MAN: Well, that's hard to believe.

MR I: In fact, it's incredible... but not very interesting. Now, this is what we call.. your room.

(sounds of rodents squeaking)

MAN: Oh! Uh, it's full of rats!

MR. I: I know! We call it your room but it's really the rodent room! Isn't that interesting! In fact, your room is this broom closet.

MAN: Oh, now I don't want a--

(door opens, sounds of birds chirping)

MAN: Wow, it's paradise.

MR I: Yes. You see that waterfall is surrounded by bonsai trees, and rice paper walls! Wouldn't you call that interesting?

MAN: No! I'd call that beautiful!

MR I: Not interesting?

MAN: Oh it's, no no it's gorgeous.

MR I: Well, you see your bed, has elephant tusk bedposts.. attached to real elephants! Interesting, no?

MAN: Noooo, exotic.

MR I(determined): Well, how about this bathroom? (opens door) With a microwave toilet, and a horizontal shower! What else could anyone call that besides interesting?

MAN: Bizarre.

MR I: Not interesting?

MAN: Nuh-uh. Not interesting.

MR I(dejected): Oh.

MAN: See, I just don't see the point of saying interesting all the time. (loudly) Not everything is interesting!

(roaring)

MAN: Whoa!

MR I: Not even my real lion-skin bathmats?

MAN(exclaiming): No! That's dangerous!

MR I: You refuse to say... interesting?

MAN: I do.

MR I(excitedly):Isn't that interesting!

MAN: No, no, no It's just normal. It's normal. Now how much do you want for this room here?

MR I: What if I said you could stay here for free?

MAN: ...Interesting.

MR I: Interesting! Interesting.

Save Spider-Girl!

2006-01-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

Ok, Spider-Girl, for the uninitiated is the ongoing story of May 'Mayday' Parker, the daughter of Spider-Man. In many people's opinions (mine included), it is one of the better comic books on the market today. Not only does it feature patented "Hoo-Hah" action, but it is also full of drama, pathos and fun. It even tackles social issues like battered women. Marvel Comics has decided to end the series with issue #100, but this isn't the first time the series has been in jeopardy, and the fans have saved it time and again, and it's time to do so again!

All of the pertinent information you need to save the book are located at the website linked on the banner below, please do all you can, I know I will.

Oh noes! Friday the 13th!

2006-01-13T15:11:00.000-05:00

I am kind of surprised that superstitions are still as prominent in this day and age. I would have thought that the majority of people's common sense would have evolved as science tells us more about how our world works, but maybe people still let themselves believe in superstitions because it's fun to do so.

I don't really get any kind of thrill about being scared, but I can still let superstition entertain me. Ok, it's Friday the 13th, now I just need to find a black cat to cross my path while I spill salt walking under a ladder. If I am ok, then maybe people will not give superstition as much thought, and if I end up with a ton of bricks falling on my head or something else equally dire, then I guess after I get out of hospital, I'll eat some crow.

Yes, this was a complete waste of time, and not really writing per se but, I am again strapped for time, and it was the first thing that popped in my head.

Robert Kirkman thinks I suck.

2006-01-12T14:44:00.000-05:00

SO last week, Robert Kirkman (who I mentioned was my favorite comic writer currently) wrote in his column Buy My Books that he doesn't like to be asked how to break into the comics business, because the sad truth is that 90% of all aspiring writers suck on ice. At first that really ticked me off, and my gut reaction was, "What a jackass." but now, I think a bit differently. If Kirkman is convinced that the majority of people suck, well, I bet he's probably right. I can't let it discourage me though, even though I may suck at writing now, I won't forever.

I am a bit rusty, not having written regularly since high school, but I know that I am good at it. I also am aware that it's incredibly hard work, but I am ready for it. I have been mulling over what to do with my life for a long time, and though some dreams have come and gone, I have always been imaginative and I have always enjoyed writing, and am willing to give it my all, because it's something I want more than anything.

Anyway, that mini-rant is over. Looking at various forums, other people had the same gut reaction as I did, but I hope that others realize that it was really meant as a kick in the pants, rather than a slight at his entire readership. After all, he wants you to Buy His Books.

Not enough hours in the day..

2006-01-11T14:34:00.000-05:00

I have severly limited time today because I work soon, and it was Comic Day, o I am just going to muse on something...

Why is it that ever since Mr. Spock sported one, that all evil twins have to have a goatee? If I were an evil mastermind, I would be clean shaven just to throw people off my trail.

A Sci-Fi Idea

2006-01-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

A lot of times, when I try to go to sleep, ideas start bouncing around in my head, I should write them down right then, but I was too lazy to get out of bed, so here's what I recall.

One of my favorite sub-genres of science fiction is time travel. One thing I noticed about it though, is if the time travelers somehow change the past, they are the only ones aware of it, and the rest of the world goes on like nothing happened. So wouldn' it be interesting, if there was a cadre of unscrupulous people who continuously used a time machine to change things to their liking, and by chance, possibly to balance the cosmic scales, a lone mental patient starts to develop a form of Multiple Personality Disorder, but his MPD is actually time displaced versions of himself coming to the surface, they remember how the world was, and not how it is, and they know they're the only ones who can fix it?

It could easily be an ongoing series where the protagonist goes on a merry chase against the group of time travelers, using knowledge from various alternate versions of himself to be better prepared to combat these depraved souls who are threatening to destroy the fabric of reality just because they wanted to live in luxury.

Anyway, I don't know if there was more... I really need to get a notebook or something.

A quickie

2006-01-09T14:56:00.000-05:00

I oveslept today, so I don't really have an idea in mind, so I am going to do limericks today (yeah, yeah)

There once was a guy name Beau,
Who didn't know which way to go.
He wandered the streets, to find him some eats
But he hit the curb and stubbed his toe!

In a world where there's violence and hate
One man can alter society's fate
with explosions so high, they bring a tear to your eye
Movies today really grate.

Yeah I should do more, but I really don't have time, so hasta la pasta!

Another weekly off the top of my head tale...

2006-01-08T18:07:00.000-05:00

In a world full of amazing abilities, the man who relies on nothing but his own wit comes out on top....

On the far off planet of Gilpne, there lived a race of super-beings, they lived in a society much like our own, but rather more advanced thanks to the myriad of powers possessed by it's inhabitants. Instead of countries, each land mass was ruled by one of the 5 'houses' that had been in charge longer than anyone could remember. On the largest of these continents, Northor by name, the House of Zam ruled, and their subjects were happy, that is, all of the subjects were happy save young Locke. Locke was the Prince of Zam, and he was unhappy because he had reached puberty last summer, but did not gain any special ability. King and Queen Zam enlisted the help of all of Northor's top scientists, but unfortunately they could not find the reason for this occurrence. Their findings did conclude that Locke would never receive his 'gift' and therefore was branded 'ordinary'.

Although King Kev and Queen Mert loved their son very much, the ancient laws that helped each house govern their people explicitly stated that if anyone was deemed 'ordinary' they were to be killed on the spot to avoid 'the cataclysm'. The sage King could not bring himself to do such a grisly deed, especially to his own son, but knowing that faith in the monarchy would be of shaky ground if he did not, devised a plan. He would fake his son's death in public view, while the Queen would spirit away the young man to the farthest reaches of the kingdom, under the pretense that she couldn't bear to see her son killed. With this plan in action Prince Locke was cast off to journey alone, in a harsh and unforgiving world.

Locke was alone for the first time in his life, luckily for him, he was brought up to be independent and was taught by the best teachers Northor had to offer. Wrapped in flowing robes, Prince Locke ventured into the village of Non, where news from the capital seldom reached. Still, not wanting to arouse suspicions as to why the Prince was wandering the streets of a peasant village, Locke disguised himself by shaving his head at a nearby stream, and continued into the center of the town to hopefully find work as a means of sustenance. His search was cut short when he heard a cry for help at a fish merchant across the way. Behind the counter of the fish market was a burly mountain of a man, with a large curling mustache, an open crimson vest and puffy white pants, on his face was a scowl that made Locke shiver. The merchant's eyes started glowing a bright magenta, glaring at a young lady, no older than 14 with a look of abject terror on her face. Locke not knowing the situation, but being the nobleman that he is, decided to intervene

"Hold, sir. May I try to quash this conflict without violence?", asked Locke
"Mind your own business, you mangy whelp!" exclaimed the merchant.
"Forgive my rudeness sir. Pleaded the Prince, but whatever the trouble, I am sure that it doesn't warrant your frying this young woman."
"Hold your tongue before you make things worse!", whispered the woman.

The merchant was practically fuming now and jumped from behind the counter, eyes glowing and wielding a serrated sword. Acting quickly, Prince Locke grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and threw in into the merchants eyes and grabbed the woman's hand

"Run for your life!" shouted Prince Locke
"Are you insane?", queried the girl, Now he'll be even madder at the both of us and won't stop until he see us both as a pile of ash!"
"Not to worry, once his eyesight recovers we'll be long gone, and when he sees what I left him, his rage should subside." the prince said, smugly
"What could you possibly *pant* have left to calm him down that much!?" commented the girl
"Just a little token to remember me by." Locke replied cryptically

Back at the merchant's counter The peddler of fish saw a small pouch of gold, all that the prince had with him on his journey, and a small piece of parchment with the crest of the house of Zam saying simply, "keep the change."

"Interesting, if what my cousin Jarko in the capital told me is true, the prince is dead, but if I just got left this, I think I just came up with the means to leave this impoverished town for good." the merchant laughed to himself.

And that's where I'll end things for now, If you want to read the continuing adventures of Prince Locke, let me know!

The book that made me a DC fan for life.

2006-01-07T20:48:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, I of course knew the 'big' superheroes.. You know, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and the Hulk, thanks to their (at the time, anyway) permeation of popular culture, heck my mom used to buy me Superman peanut butter! Anyway, the heroes who weren't top of the heap weren't as familiar to me, apart from who I saw on Super Friends, tho they didn't really you much about who they were, but one day in the late 80's my mother purchased for me a book that'd change my reading habits and open my eyes to the world's greatest superheroes, and it was only 4.95!

It wasn't fancy by any means, just newsprint and a cover, but what was contained within the cover was nothing short of amazing! Inside I learned all about Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter (who I previously had never heard of) , the Justice League of America, insights on Superman and Batman, but most important to me was the exploits of Barry Allen, otherwise known as The Flash.

The flash is really police scientist Barry Allen, who one day working in his lab, was struck by lightning, dousing himself in various unnamed chemicals, a bit woozy, he leaves for home, and unable to hail a taxicab he gives chase finding he can outrun the automobile. The story goes on to show off Flash's Rogues Gallery, one of the better ones in comicdom, and at the end of the tale, it shows Barry not only giving his life to save the multiverse during the Crisis, but actually traveling through time, to become the very lightning bolt that gave him his powers. At the time, I didn't understand that Barry was gone (hey, I was ten), so I went on assuming that Barry was and always had been the Flash. Of course when the TV Show started the next year, I was ecstatic, I did sort of wonder why this Barry wasn't blond with a buzzcut, but I also didn't care that much, I was in heaven. Imagine my surprise when I received the Flash action figure with the fact file saying that the Flash was Wally West and could only run 745 m.p.h. I thought that surely someone was mistaken, and it wasn't until I was deep into collecting comics that I realized who Wally was.

Anyway, that one little book told me everything I ever wanted to know about my favorite super-heroes and it started out on my journey as a life-long DC fan. I've never really been into the Avengers or the X-Men, but man, the JLA rocks.

Something that intrigues me is that a similar situation brought many current comics pros into their lifelong love of comics as well, it even has the same title, but this is the original Secret Origins book, published in 1961. I picked up DC's replica edition in 1998, and while I must say origins have always been relatively the same, I just don't enjoy this book as much, I don't know if it's because it was written with a relatively different style, or if I was and am too enamored with my own entry into the comic world outside of mass media coverage, but the fact that it brought people like John Byrne into the fray is enough for me. Hopefully my continued diligence writing here will one day let me name be said in the same breath as the greats (I really, really doubt it), but even if it doesn't I feel like I have a shared experience with them nonetheless.

Frantic Times!

2006-01-06T14:06:00.000-05:00

I really didn't prepare anything to write today, so I am just going to ramble on about one of my favorite comedy groups ever, The Frantics!

The Frantics are a Canadian foursome who've been doing comedy pretty much all of their professional lives. I wont get into their history here, because they themselves do a much better job of it on their website www.thefrantics.com and I really just want to talk about how I came to know of them.

Like many Americans, I first heard the Frantics on the Dr. Demento show with the comedy bit entitled Tai Kwan Leep/Boot to the Head. It the story of Ed Gruberman who gets booted in the head when he thinks he knows more than his martial arts teacher. I very much enjoyed it, and a few years later, I learned more about the foursome, thanks to the magic of the internet, and *ahem* bootleg copies of Frantic Times the radio show that aired on the CBC in the 80's.

On the radio show, I truly learned how talented Dan Redican, Rick Green, Peter Wildman, and Paul Chato truly were. Not only did they come up with fresh material every time, they also were talented in coming up with funny music. I was introduced to characters like Mr. Interesting, Bill from Bala, Mrs. Sarnicky, and of course, Canada's #1 aluminum headed crimefighter, Mr. Canoehead!

I had to have more, but unfortunately shortly after Frantic Times ended, the quartet parted ways, and I had to content myself with re-listening to what I had. It's funny how things work out sometimes, though. About a year ago, listening to the Dr. Demento show, I learned that the Frantics were back! They even had a new CD! I was so happy I rushed over to the Frantics' site, bought the Official Bootleg CD, along with their previously released albums, not re-released. They are even planning a box set of the Frantic Times episodes, so I can clear my conscience a bit, regarding bootlegs. If you are a comedy fan, and want to hear a group of people who are far ahead of the game, be sure to take a listen to the Frantics! (they have samples on the site, for the uninitiated)

If I had contacts in Hollywood...

2006-01-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

I am a big fan of Old Time Radio shows, and there are a few that I like more than any others, and If I knew how, I would certainly pitch them to the right people...

First off, I would make The Whistler a weekly series with a rotating cast, aside from the host, the whistler himself. He knows many things, for he walks by night, yes he knows the strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. In the radio show, every week you'd be told the story of someone who was somehow involved with the wrong side of the law. You see, that was the show's catch, "Even when you know who is guilty, you receive a startling surprise at the final curtain!" Often, the villain would meet a grisly and ironic fate, befitting his crime. It isn't a necessarily grisly show, but I would still probably pitch it to a cable channel first, because they have less restrictions.

The other radio show I would adapt for today's audiences is The Shadow. The only problem with this is that the rights to use the Shadow and related characters is owned by The Conde Nast Publications, who publish magazines like GQ and Vogue (by the by, I really wish they'd do something with the rights). Anyway, the only thing I would keep from the radio show is the Shadow's ability to make himself invisible, because if done subtly, that trick can be pulled off nowadays without looking cheesy. I would set up the show much like the format of Angel, where the Shadow is the leader, but he has a network of agents to help him out, like in the old pulp magazines. In those pulps, the Shadow is a much darker, eerie figure, somewhat aloof, but always on top of things, because as the saying goes: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"

Ok, that probably could have used a bit more panache, but time is a factor, till tomorrow, folks!

Ryhme Time

2006-01-04T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is pretty silly, but I thought i'd try to concoct a writing exercise where i try to rhyme as often as possible.

If the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain, how does that affect Jane? What does she gain? Is she in pain if the rain makes a stain on her dress, does she fein or is it her bane? I bet she raises cane on the plain, she couldn't so that in Maine, she'd have to take a plane, so instead she stays mainly on the plain in Spain, to her disdain.

Yeah, pretty stupid eh? I needed to come up with a quicky tho, since Animal Crossing owns me right now.

Haiku!

2006-01-03T15:37:00.000-05:00

I don't have much time to write anything today, so instead of an article here are a few haiku's right off the top of my bean.

Infinite Crisis

way too many tie-in books

DC wants my cash

The Other, In Spidey

makes me want to toss my lunch

I miss Steve Ditko

Animal Crossing

is a vacuum on free time

the days are too short

Thin Man movies rock

Nick and Nora like sleuthing

Asta likes it too

Twilight Zone sci-fi

So many awesome stories

Time Enough At Last

To be a pirate

Plundering the seven seas

I just got scurvy

Ok, that's all for now.

Are there any original ideas out there?

2006-01-02T18:55:00.000-05:00

It's been said in the past that there aren't any new ideas in the world of entertainment, movies specifically, and that is why everything today seems derivative of something else. I'm not sure if I buy into that, because in my mind, ideas and stories come from a wellspring of the writer's experiences, and because western culture has become somewhat homogenized, the general populous' has a somewhat similar lifestyle (I know that's not really true, but I'm speaking in broad strokes here).

On the other hand, even if there are not any new ideas, there are plenty of spins on old ideas, and it's up to the writer to make them seem fresh. Take the comic book Invincible for example. It's sort of a mixture of the familiar mythos of Superman and Spider-Man. Omni-Man, Invincible's father was sent from another planet to live on earth, like Superman. Invincible, by contrast, is a teenager who gets super powers and has to deal with the problems of day to day life, as well as fighting bad guys, like Spider-Man. On the surface that may seem pretty derivative, and it somewhat is, but what Robert Kirkman, the writer, does is to twist that on it's side and reveal that Omni-Man is in reality an advance scout for an invasion force and really isn't there to protect the populace. Kirkman has taken an idea that could be thought of as pretty tired, and make it feel fresh and new, and most importantly, interesting enough to keep me coming back each month for another installment. Not to go off on a tangent, but if there are any comic writers in the field today that I would aspire to be like, it'd be Robert Kirkman.

So yeah, all the ideas may have been pulled from the well already, but I don't believe it, and I am going to come up with something no one's ever tried before, and as soon as I do, you'll hear about it.

The Shadow of Justice

2006-01-01T16:56:00.000-05:00

You'll have to forgive me with this post, I'm going to concoct a short story off the cuff, and as such it may not be as coherent as I would like, but if I am going to keep my resolution to write every day, I'm going to have to contribute something, eh? Ok let's get on with it.

No one can know what I know. Their eyes are averted by the desire to think everything in 'the system' is well and good, but I know better. I know that even with the best of intentions, the law isn't a fair and equitable system If it was, I wouldn't be writing this journal. Let me tell you a tale...

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a hero. As a child, I idolized characters like Joe Friday and Perry Mason, and I decided early on that I wanted to be a policeman, As I grew into young adulthood I forced myself to learn everything I could about processes of law, while simultaneously throwing myself into an exercise regimen that some would say rivaled that of Olympic hopefuls. Finally, I reached manhood and at the earliest opportunity, I enrolled at the police academy, and graduated with flying colors, but all was not sunshine and roses...

Shortly after I received my first beat, I was called to the office of the Police commissioner himself! At first, I was thrilled to be bestowed such an honor so soon after my graduation, but soon enough, I learned that things are not always what they seem. Commissioner Eastwood wanted to see me so he could formally ask me what was going through my head when I gunned down two of my fellow academy hopefuls during my training, and how I thought I was going to get away with it! I was dumbfounded to say the least, and protested my case, but the 'evidence' was not in my favor. Apparently my fingerprints were all over the crime scene and the murder weapon, and it was pretty evident that barring a miracle, there was no way for me to prove my innocence.

My entire world crashed on that day, all I wanted to be in life seemed to be a wasted effort. According to the law (and an amazingly fast trial) I was summarily kicked off the force, sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and to top it all off, I was disowned by my family. Utterly downtrodden by the entire affair, I didn't even try to fight it, disillusioned as I was. On my way to the federal prison, a strange thing happened. The transport vehicle was hit by lightning, causing it to careen off a cliff, shockingly cracking the framework enough for me to eke my way out, woozy as I was from the crash (cliched, I know, but truth is stranger than fiction). I saw this as a second chance at life, but how would I live my life? How could I? As if in answer, the first thing I saw after crawling from the wreckage was the scorched visage of Lady Justice, on the side of the transport vehicle. It was there and then that my life was given new purpose. The law is dictated by man, and is therefore fallible, but justice is absolute! If I couldn't be a part of the laws of men, I could dedicate myself as a force for justice. The world at large must never know about me though, as in the public's eye I would be thought of as best, dead, or at worst a convicted criminal at large. So from that day on, I'd stick to the shadows... I would be a shadow myself... The Shadow of Justice!

That's it for now, if anyone reads this and wants to see more, I would definitely write more, I know this blog is only seen by a few people regularly, but feedback is incredibly important to people who try to entertain, If I don't know what is liked and what is disliked, how can I improve myself?

Free Will versus Destiny, and why they aren't mutually exclusive.

2005-11-15T04:05:00.000-05:00

When I was in high school, in my English class, one of the underlying lessons I learned that 'It's not the destination that matters, it's how you get there.' This really resonates with me, even to this day, and that's the main reason why I don't agree with some people that say that destiny doesn't exist because we have free will. Contained herein is my argument as to why they aren't mutually exclusive, and some examples of why I think so, thanks to my favorite medium, comic books.

The way I see it, There is such a thing as destiny, but the choices we make using our free will determine whether our destiny is fufilled. For instance, I of course do not know what my personal destiny is, but I decided not to go to college because I wanted to find my own way in the world without having to pick from a list of careers that I would probably end up not liking anyway (lack of money and scholarships were also a factor, but I digress). This single choice has altered the way my life has been lived for the past 8 years, and while I have a craptastic job, that will never take me anywhere, it's also a stepping stone to where I ultimately want to be, which is a writer. It will take a lot of hard work, time, and determination, but because of the choices I've made, I am more certain than ever that I can accomplish my goals.

This concept is further explored in an early issue of Marvel's What If series, issue #7 to be exact, entitled What If Someone Else Besides Spider-Man Was Bitten by the Radioactive Spider? It's a showcase of three alternate realities where, go figure, someone else receives the spider-powers that Peter Parker got in 'our' universe. The issue is written by Don Glut, who is mainly known for his work on such shows as Shazam! and Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, and penciled by Rick Hoberg, who I know mainly from his work on Scott Shaw!'s Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew.

In our first vignette, at the famous science demonstration where the infamous spider was irradiated, instead of being alone, Peter's high school nemesis, Flash Thompson decides to show up 'for kicks', and ends up being the one who is bitten, he shrugs it off, but Peter, ever the scientist wonders if the radiation changed the spider's chemistry at all. Flash's origin tale proceed much as the original until he decides to test his newfound powers on Crusher Hogan, the wrestler, who he accidentally kills be breaking his neck. Flash escapes the crowds and police using his powers, and decides that he can redeems himself by being the type of hero that doesn't have to show his face and dubs himself Captain Spider! Flash actually performs admirably as a hero until he clashes with The Vulture. Since Flash hasn't the scientific knowledge to create the web shooters or the magnetic inducer to negate Vulchy's power which Peter devised in our reality, he decides to dive into the fray headlong, and falls to his death in an aerial battle, landing unceremoniously into a pile of garbage.

In our second slice of reality, Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson is at the science demonstration with his secretary Betty Brant as a favor to the scientist running the experiment. Peter, infatuated by Betty pushes his way through the crowd to see her, and the young lady is the one who gets bitten. Peter, who obviously feels bad about the situation takes Betty out for coffee as his way of saying 'sorry about that'. During their caffeine oriented conversation, Betty gets on the subject of her boss, who as any Spidey reader can tell you is rather a blowhard, and in her frustration, Betty smashes their booth's table in two! Peter, smart guy that he is, suspects the radioactive spider transferred it's abilities to the lovely Ms. Brant, so he asks if she doesn't mind if he tests his theory. He is of course, correct, he convinces Betty that she can use her powers to be a 'long underwear character' and they can make a fortune with him taking photos. Peter fashions the famous web shooters for her and before you know it, the criminals of New York have something new to fear: The Spectacular Spider-Girl!

It isn't all fun and games tho, because after a lengthy photo session, a criminal runs by Peter and Spider-Girl, and because of their earlier session, Betty is out of web fluid and cannot stop the thief, you can probably guess what happens, the thug later ends up murdering Ben Parker, and in a rage Betty finds him holed up in the warehouse, and she captures him, learning she could have stopped him earlier if she had only used the slightest effort. Distraught, she ditches the webs in a nearby alley and never looks back.

In our third and final trip to an alternate reality, we find John Jameson, Jonah's son at the demonstration stopped by to say hello to the professor, who used to work in the space program with John. By now, I am sure you can guess that John is the one who gets bitten, and he discovers his newfound power, but Jonah sees an opportunity to be even prouder of his son than when he was an aastronaut, and convinces him to don a costume and become a superhero, obviously this is a vastly different Jonah than the one who know who barely tolerates the hero population, anyway we are now treat to "Spider-Jameson, the Super Astronaut". Three guesses as to who named him, and the first two don't count. Backed by his father's paper, and a specially designed jetpack, Jameson because a hero in the public's eye. Unfortunately as evidenced in our other stories, tragedy lies underneath triumph, when Jonah convinces John to save a failing space capsule he originally was scheduled to be on, John flies to the craft and decided to use the exhaust from his jet pack to guide the capsule to earth, but wouldn't you know it, he runs out of fuel. Ever the hero, he maneuvers himself so he takes enough of the crash impact to save the astronaut inside but at the cost of his own life. Jonah is noticeably distraught since this never would have happened if he hadn't pushed John so hard (but hey, then the astronaut would have died, thought choices abound) so he has a bronze statue built of his son as a tribute, and also to inspire 'average joes' like Peter Parker.

So what does all of this have to do with destiny and free will? Well, I haven't related the end of the story where an identical scene occurs on all three worlds, Peter has apparently out of curiosity saved the dead radioactive spider and concocts a serum, giving him the powers of a spider, without even having to get bitten. As the Watcher says, "It was destiny's plan for Peter Parker to become the amazing Spider-Man!" While this is a nice thought, because of the experiences each version of Peter Parker had, I suspect that their superheroic careers will be quite different. For instance, in the John Jameson reality, Peter will have learned the 'Great Power/Great Responsibility' lesson a bit diffrently, and will probably not be as angst-filled since he will probably be content with being the best hero he can be. On the other hand, in the Flash Thompson reality, Peter may have learned that with his great power, he is more likely to hurt people who aren't as strong as he, and it may put him at a slight disadvantage when he fights enemies that are in no way weak. In the Betty Brant reality, Peter has still lost his Uncle Ben, but he won't blame himself for it his whole life, so he is likely to be much more well-adjusted to his life, but he still has the potential for great angst between he and Betty if she were ever to find out Peter was the one behind the mask of Spider-Man. Do you see my point? Same destiny, but three very diffrent Spider-Men. It's fascinating if you put alot of thought into it, and this is yet another reason why I love comics, even when it's really not the deepest read in the world, it can inspire others to have great thoughts!

A few story ideas...

2005-10-25T03:09:00.000-04:00

My job is for the most part, mindless. So I get a lot of time to think, and during they day I come up with ideas that I think would make good stories, but I almost never write them now, so from now on, when I get home from work, I am going to write those ideas now, so they are concrete and easier to build on. So my inaugural idea post, here are a few, that have kind of mutated a bit, because I never wrote them down.

The story that has been percolating in my head for the longest time is the story of a regular guy, in a regular job, who isn't at all important, but has a good heart, and enjoys his life, humdrum though it may be. That all changes one day when a package is dropped off at his door, it's a simple amulet paired with an equally simple note 'wear me.' Our guy reluctantly tries it on, and finds himself whisked away to a dark room lit by torches in the middle of a mystical-type circle. Our hero automatically assumes he's in the middle of some sort of evil ritual. Luckily, or maybe not, he instead learns that he was summoned by an old hermit/wizard who tells him that he is destined to lead a band of similarly destined people, to defeat what the wizard calls 'The Great Evil".

Taken aback, our man decides that this gentleman is clearly off his rocker, even if he cannot explain how it is he came to be there without accepting what to him, is impossible. He flees this dank basement and finds himself in a peasant village, being the object of much scrutiny due to his outlandish (to them) clothing and behavior. Not wanting to cause trouble, and simultaneously trying to figure out what to do, he wanders outside of the village to think. Before he knows what happens, he is accosted by four oversized ooze-covered goblins. Frightened beyond belief, he tries to flee, but he soon finds himself surrounded, when all of a sudden he panics, clutches the ground and closes his eyes. Moments later, after nothing seems to happen, he precariously looks up and sees to his amazement that he has somehow commanded the earth around him to encase the goblins in an earthen prison.

If this were a comic this is where I would end the first issue, but as I write I find the ideas completely flowing out of my head, so I will summarize a bit now, as the second issues starts, the wizard would arrive on the scene and explains how our hero was able to do that, and he finally accepts his fate and starts a long journey to recruit others who are possessed of the ability to 'harness one of the four elemental forces of our world'

Another story that has long been in the recesses of my mind has less of the story fleshed out, but at least it has a title: Leon Vicenti : Renaissance Man. In this tale, we follow the story of Leon Vincent, who while researching his family genealogy, finds that he is the direct descendant of Leonardo da Vinci, and subsequently learns from his great grandfather on his deathbed about an unknown text penned by da Vinci passed down secretly through the generations. No one has discovered what it's purpose is, but great granddad suspects that Leon's inquisitive nature will lead him to unlock the secrets his ancestor left behind. That is pretty much all I have for that one at present, but when I decide what is in the book, and what happens when a clandestine groups learns of it's existence, the opportunities for high adventure and endless.

Yet another story that I recently thought of during a recent bout of insomnia is based on a saying of noted psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, who said "all men are great in their dreams." Jake is a low level lab assistant at the State University's sleep research department, he stumbles upon some notes discussing what dreams mean and how they can affect the waking world. Soon afterward Jake starts having incredibly vivid dreams that star himself in completely different situations than normal, but they seem oddly familiar to him. He dreams of himself as a famous sports star, and Nobel Prize winning physicist, and most disturbing, a straighjacketed mental patient raving about a group called Apnea. In his daily life in the real world, Jake discovers that he retains knowledge from the dreams, knowledge he should not be able to know, such as when it's best to give up the 3-pointer in favor of the high percentage shot, or how to create a machine so close to perpetual motion that it's indistinguishable from actual perpetual motion, and of course, most disturbing of all, vivid images of being experimented on by the secret group Apnea, and slowly being driven out of his mind. Suffice to say, this is very disconcerting to our hero, but not as much as when he learns that in the waking world, there is a research group in the field of dreams called Apnea! That's about all I have for that one, but that's another one I can easily expand on.

This last one I just came up with today, so it wont have much in the way of fleshing out, especially since I am not into horror, but the premise is this: The newest controversy in the world is that of scientists using necrotic tissue (that of the recently deceased) in the research and development in the field of curing the myriad of diseases we don't have cures for. The story opens when one group of scientists ill-advisedly restart the brain of a cadaver who died from reason unknown, the cadaver cannot remember it's former life, and the scientist never get the chance to tell him because he goes beserk and bites them all, yes friends yet another zombie story. I don't know why there are so big lately, but hey I'm enthralled myself. Of course like I said, I am not really well versed in horror, but it's an idea nonetheless.

Thanks for putting up with reading all this if you have. And if you happened to like reading someone the strange crap that spews forth from my brain, you're in luck since I'll be doing this fairly regularly.

Micro Heroes and Me!

2005-10-23T02:17:00.000-04:00

Ok, well I tend to enjoy pixel art. I am not that great at it, and I am sure I couldn't turn it into something great like the guy that does Diesel Sweeties, but I decided to try and make my own for a message board I intend to start posting to regularly.

I happen to like a genre of show called tokkatsu. That's the type of show where a character or group of character can henshin (transform) into a different form and have incredible martial arts/weapon skills to fight off the monster of the week. Ultraman, and what most readers of this would call Power Ranger shows. In Japan, although these shows are intended for children, the situations and storylines are much more involved and not 'dumbed down'.

My favorite of these tokkatsu is a show called Chou Sei Shin JustiRisers. It is part of an annual series made by Toho, who are probably mot famous for creating Godzilla. They are pretty much in direct competition with Toei's sentai series (what Saban uses to make ugh Power Rangers). The main character is Date Shouta, who with the power of his In Loader can henshin into JustiRiser Glen. So since this my favorite of these type shows, here he is in his 16 colored GIF glory.

Hope you don't mind me indulging myself, but at the very least, you have expanded your vocabulary a bit.

Does Whatever a Spider Can...

2005-10-18T02:27:00.000-04:00

I decided to whip up an essay talking about one of my favorite heroes, and what he means to be, as evidenced by the title, it is of course, Spider-Man. I remember liking 'Spidey' pre-kindergarten, and the first comics I remember reading were from around that time. Luckily at just that time, the title Marvel Tales had just started reprinting sequentially from Amazing Fantasy #15, and in those pages I learned a lesson that has stayed with me to this day, and has subsequently shaped my life: "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility".

Peter Parker's incredible sense of responsibility speaks to me, and as such, I interpret that as admitting my mistakes, and trying to be honest, and generally doing the right thing. You see, Spider-Man's solid moral code makes him a real hero, not his powers. Case in point, in one of the early Amazing Spider-Man stories, he is trapped under an incredible amount of rubble, and the room he is in is flooding rapidly, and it truly looks like the end for our hero, but then his thoughts turn to his beloved Aunt May, who will die if he doesn't deliver a life-saving serum. He realizes if he gives up, it'll be his fault since it's his own radioactive blood transfusion that put her in this state. He grits his teeth and finds the inner strength to lift the astounding weight, not for himself, not to catch Doc Ock, but to save Aunt May's life. If that's not heroic, I don't know what is.

One of my other favorite aspects of Spider-Man that I really enjoy (and some people wish I would not have picked up this attribute), is that in costume, he's a total wise-acre. As he flips around fighting the likes of Doc Ock, the Vulture, the Rhino and others, he also has a non stop motor mouth full of sarcastic quips and snarkiness designed to keep his enemies off guard. Unfortunately, in my opinion this is the one aspect that the movies have kind of left by the wayside. Sure, there are a few one liners, but nothing like the comics I grew up with.

Anyway, this has really been a bunch of babbling instead of the coherent piece, but I hope that you were able to share some of my enthusiasm. Till next time, folks.

Densha Otoko (Trainman)

2005-10-16T20:46:00.000-04:00

Densha Otoko is a Japanese drama that just wrapped up over there, and thanks to the effort of the people at #TV-Nihon, we non Japanese speakers can enjoy it as well. Densha is the ongoing story of an anime/video game otaku (Japanese derogatory word for geek) who saves a nice young lady from being accosted by a drunkard on a train, and then chronicles his trials and tribulations to "get the girl".

The most interesting aspect of the program (aside from it being based in reality) is that Densha relies on support of the many people who follow his exploits on a message board. The constant praise and encouragement he receives from these people allow him to overcome his shyness, and really open up. It's difficult to convey without seeing the show, but the enthusiasm is contagious, and once you get past the initial cultural trappings (we're not really THAT different), you end up rooting for the Densha Otoko as well. You honestly feel like you are part of the show, and you are inspired to overcome your own shortcomings and strive to do your best. It isn't hyperbole when I say that watching this show is probably the single most motivating factor in getting me to try my best to write and hone my writing skills in the hope of being an author, whether it be in novels, television, or comic books.

If you have a spare couple of hours, go to the above link and try out the series, I can pretty much guarantee you wont be disappointed.

2005-10-16T19:19:00.000-04:00

So this is my first blog post. I don't have much to say right this second because I just wanted to get this set up, but I'll just right now mention what I hope this will be. First, it'll be a springboard for various story ideas that pop into my head from time to time, because invariably if i don't write them down they become distorted and they lose the initial, i don't know... 'coolness' of what i originally intended it to be. I'll also talk about things that intrest me, or various things that happened to me that impress me enough to think it's worthwhile to share. The one thing I will not post about is the intimate details of my life, I don't lead an exciting life in the first place, i am certain you wouldn't want to hear about it anyway, and I just don't think it's a good idea. So there you have it. I'll probably post again later today once i have the time to think about it.