...or whatever it is you'll be celebrating this holiday season. This is my son's second Christmas, and whatever feelings I had towards the holiday before him have vanished. It's all about the children in your life, or your friends and family. No matter what you're presently going through we all know that someone is worse off in this world. This is my post to wish you and yours Happy Holidays! And my fondest wish is that you're with the person you love most in this world!
I realise I don't generally do anything remotely personal with this blog, but this picture stopped me. I was dumping my pix onto the computer when I saw this one. As my mother likes to say, "You couldn't deny that boy if you wanted to." Our lips are even the same when we watch Yo Gabba Gabba. Gods I love my son.
Yes, I have been slack lately. Just posting bits at random in daily posts, but hell, it's the bloody holidays. Besides, most of my web enablers have taken off early for the end of the year. Unless of course what you wanted were just Top 20 End of the Year bullshit. Can't swing a dead cat on the interwebs without hitting one of those right now. Anyways, here it is. I know, hurry up and get to the Interesting Bits....
Can He Be Stopped? Along with another entertainment related bitch this week about Frank Miller directing, news is confirming that Keanu Reeves is still attached to the Cowboy Bebop (aka Kauboi bibappu) movie. Thereby making it so if I wish to see my favourite anime series brought to live action I'll have to hate myself to do it. Just like with The Matrix, I'll wind up hating myself for paying money to watch Keanu Reeves.
If he truly wished to do something good can he please not ruin this and take 20 years of acting lessons before he attempts it? Pretty please?
Why the Hell Wasn't My School Like This?
The University of Chicago announced that it will be offering Co-Ed dorm rooms. They say it's not exclusively for romantically involved couples (read college kids sleeping together), but will be offered openly. How would you like that? Like playing the lotto. You sign up, maybe get a room mate to drool over for a school year or one who makes you want to claw your eyes out and scrub your memories with a brillo pad after you see your roomie naked the first time. Actually 50/50 odds ain't too shabby. Check out the full story at Huffington Post.
Battlestar Webisodes
If you haven't been keeping track, the 3rdBattlestar Galactica webisodeThe Face of the Enemy was released on Friday. Apparently they're releasing them on Fridays and Mondays now. These are heaps better then the You Will Know the Truth site on Sci-Fi releasing crappy little tidbits up until the January the 16th start date. Plus, they have enhanced versions with Jane Espenson of Buffy the Vampire Slayer writing fame doing commentary.
Want to See How Big of a Film Addict You Are?
The IMDb’s Top 250 movies of all time is up and over at Flim Addict they're made an easy way for you to check and see how big of a film geek you are. Apparently I've had way too much time on my hands this lifetime. I've seen 91.6% of them.
"Where's My Fucking Jet Pack?"
I'm quoting my favourite comic at the moment Doktor Sleepless by the master Warren Ellis. People ask questions like that in the comic not realising they're already living in the future. On that front, UCLA scientists have discovered a way to hack "a cellphone into a portable blood tester capable of detecting HIV, malaria and other illnesses" I mean truly, how cool is this? Check out the whole story over at Wired.com.
Dan Brown Fans Rejoice
Three almost invisible drawings have been discovered on the back of DaVinci's The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. Probably like most artists he didn't care for what he drew there or simply wished to sketch something out before he forgot about it, but the Illuminati may have been involved...cue suspenseful music. Check out the full story at The Times.
"Extra tip: To keep the rhythm going, try repeating a chant in your head that goes with the movement of your tongue like a Micmac Indian (hi-yi-yi-ya, hi-yi-yi-ya, hi-yi-yi-ya). Any inconsistent action may throw her off, killing the mood or at least setting you back a few minutes, which is bad for morale."
How much would an article like this have helped me earlier in life? I mean I had to go to the library at 12 and look up what a clitoris was and what the big deal was, and there sure as hell wasn't a how to guide. If you can get past the free use of rather salty language...you might learn something.
Let me leave you with a few quotes that keep going through my head in response to the Iraqi Prime Minister wanting to put that poor bastard reporter in jail for 7-8 years for chucking 2 shoes at Dubya. The first from Benjamin Franklin:
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Apparently they've beaten this poor man to where he's apologised to President Bush expressing his "remorse." Now, no, I don't wish for journalist to throw shoes at our commander in chief. It disrespects the office and the country, but no more then Dubya himself has done over the past 8 years. Perhaps it's better to quote Ice-T in this instance:
Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Fucking Say."
After being lucky...ummm...after seeing Frank Miller's adaptation of Will Eisner's The Spirit last week I just gotta say it. Frank, please stick to drawing and writing funny books. This movie more then any I've seen this year epitomised "Black Hole" to me. A Black Hole movie to me is one that sucks so hard that nothing can escape it. Not humour, not careers, hell, maybe not Lionsgate.
Mayhap Robert Rodriguez was being a really nice guy when Frank got a "co"-directing credit for Sin City. Maybe it was just part of Miller releasing the property to make the movie, but it was not a good thing. The Spirit basically looks exactly like Sin City crossed with the Batman television show of the 60's. I realise that Rodriguez himself didn't go to film school and sold plasma here in Austin to make El Mariachi, but some people can direct and some people can't. I don't think Rodriguez would try and draw 300 or The Dark Knight, and there's a reason Zack Synder didn't let him "direct" 300. Please don't take my word on this let's hear from people who do this for a living: Variety.
And now? Now what is eeking through the entertainment cracks? That it's almost a done deal that Frank Miller will direct Buck Rogers. To further strain credulity, Odd Lot Entertainment, these same people who put The Spirit in Mr. Miller's hands are the people negotiating for the rights!! TheHollywood Reporter says that Miller will be using, "a darker take, with many of Miller's signature visual elements and themes, such as corruption and redemption." Visions of Twiki having someone's head stuck on his hand for half the movie are dancing though my head. Really?
Frank ya have a lot of money. Any publisher in the world, not just funny book companies, will give you a blank cheque and let you do whatever the hell you want. You get away with writing the worst Batman lines in the almost 70 year history of the character in All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder...
Click to Embiggen
Please stop taking the attitude with properties that people have loved for decades and going with, "I am the Goddamn Frank Miller."
The person who some refer to as The First Lady of Star Trek has passed. She appeared in every incarnation of Star Trek up to Enterprise. From Number One in the pilot to Nurse Chapel in the original series. From Lwaxana Troi in both TNG & DS9 to the computer on all shows that had a computer voice. She wrangled part of her husband's ashes to go up on the space shuttle and be released and brought us Earth:Final Conflict & Andromeda. It's unsure whether she finished the VO's for the new movie, but I'm sure her voice will appear and the movie will probably be dedicated to her for "carrying the torch."
How big of a nerd are you if this fills you with holiday spirit and fond memories of your youth? Okay, maybe the question is, how jacked up was your childhood if this is one of the fond memories of your youth? And yes, Poison Ivy has always been my favourite Batman villian and Bruce Timm captured her to a T in Batman: The Animated Series.
The woman who basically sealed the fact that beautiful women to me had to have: child bearing hips, lovely breasts (over a B cup) & and a wicked smile, has died. Discovered at too early an age, I'll bet money that this woman did more to define my ideal of beauty then anyone else did (Freud be damned). I was a sucker for any woman who was petite, curvy & not afraid to express herself. The best obit I've found was written by the Guardian. Bettie Page is gone, and the world's a little less interesting because of it.
Nicked from Samuraifrog (Who's blog is one of the most well written, insightful & funny out there. Do yourself a favour and check it out!), won't be a humorous as his, but what the hell.....
1. Started my own blog I think this one is my 4th since 1990 when I first started haunting the nets (I was 16 at the time, what the hell do 16 year old's have to say of interest on a weekly basis?) I find that if you don't get a theme that works for you, you lose interest pretty fast. Mine's of course my Interesting Bits posts and you can find my most recent here.
2. Slept under the stars Who hasn't?
3. Played in a band My Jr. High band I played Alto sax, but I hated the teacher so purposefully screwed up to see if he would have an aneurysm in class. Since during the recitals I'd practise my ass off to show him I did have talent, but that I just hated him. I know, such a sweet boy.
4. Visited Hawaii The weirdest layover on my way to Australia. The airport's nice.
5. Watched a meteor shower One of my first memories was my mom getting my sister and I out of bed at 4AM when I was 4 to see all the "falling stars."
6. Given more than I can afford to charity Sometimes I reckon I qualify as a charity...
7. Been to Disneyland/world Nope. Was giving a choice to go to DW when I was 6 or go see my Grandfather (who had only had 6 months to live since 1969. This was 1980, but I was the only male heir at the time to carry on the family name and he treated me like a little prince.)
8. Climbed a mountain Sorta. We have Mt. Bonnell here in Austin, but as I've been told constantly by people in the East and Western US, "You only have sorta high hills in Texas, not mountains." Screw them it's called Mt.
9. Held a praying mantis Yup. Thought they were one of the coolest bugs around the house I grew up in (in Houston).
10. Sung a solo In the shower mostly, but I did sing Elvis Presley's Blue Christmas as a gift of everyone when I was 17 and had no money for presents.
11. Bungee jumped With my knees? Are you outta yer freakin' mind?!? I always had a picture that if I did after the first fall there would just be feet, ankles, shins & the lower bits of my knees hanging from the bungee cords & the rest of me would be splattered on the ground.
12. Visited Paris No, but I plan to once I have the cash and know a bit more French. I hear they're nicer to you if you just make the attempt to speak French, and generally your accent is so atrocious that they start speaking in English almost immediately thereafter.
13. Watched lightning at sea Yup. The Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Bay to be more precise.
14. Taught myself an art from scratch Never taken an art class because I could never stand to have people tell me what to draw. After I started to read comics I had to try penciling, which led to inking over my pencils, which led to watercolours & oils I've only attempted oils twice. I believe you really do need classes for those because they're terribly hard to work with.
15. Adopted a child Nope. Reproduced with my ex-wife 19 months ago, and he's all I need. Plus, it's the only thing we agree on, the marriage was never a mistake because we got Hadrian out of it.
16. Had food poisoning Several times in my life.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty With my arthritis and everything. How could I go and not, you know?
18. Grown my own vegetables One of my longest relationships, my ex grew them ,but I tended the garden and had to find an "earth friendly" bug killer.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France It doesn't tour that I know of, and as I answered above that I've never been to Paris. Unless you count Paris, TX and only a Texan or UFO Hunter would.
20. Slept on an overnight train Wasn't overnight, but I slept on it on a trip from North Carolina to Westchester, NY.
21. Had a pillow fight When I was just a wee tyke, but I used to try and decapitate my friends so they didn't want to too much. Funny that.
22. Hitchhiked My cars used to have a penchant for breaking down right outside of BFE (Bum F*ck Egypt).
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill I've played hooky far too often for my own good. Most of High School if memory serves.
24. Built a snow fort Lived in Texas most of my life and when it does snow a foot tall snowman is about the best you can do.
25. Held a lamb Yup. My parents (Meaning my Mom, of course) would take me to "Petting Zoos," or the ones where they have wild animals running about and you can feed them from the car. Okay, okay it was because I cried at every "proper" zoo except the reptile/bat habitats. I just felt so bad for those majestic Big Cats trapped in cages.
26. Gone skinny dipping Oh yes. When we moved from Houston, which had about 6 million people in it at the time, to a suburb of Austin that had about 4000 people. Lots of places to skinny dip in the dark. Plus, we had a river running right through town.
27. Run a Marathon Walked a 10K when I was little for charity...you know like $.10 a kilometer. Muscular Dystrophy, I think.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice Nope, only the continent I've been to is Australia.
29. Seen a total eclipse Lunar. I don't ever recall having a "total" eclipse in Texas.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset Both. Many a time. Once I hit puberty, puberty hit back hard by giving me a lifetime insomnia.
31. Hit a home run The hard way. An infield HR. The centre fielder didn't have the arm to make it to home, and completely forgot using a cutoff man because, trust me, I wasn't that fast.
32. Been on a cruise I don't like airplanes nor boats. Nothing I can't jump off of and run away from.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person Been to upstate NY, but not that far upstate.
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors Sorta, been at the ones of my father. His family lived there generations.
35. Seen an Amish community We went through Ohio and Pennsylvania on family trips all the time, and it was hard not to go to an Amish community. Even with my lovely father constantly bitching about the horse drawn carriages on two lane roads with no passing.
36. Taught myself a new language Enough to keep me out of jail in Mexico, Russia, France, Italy & Mainland China. Enough to have a meaningful conversation? Only in Mexico.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied Nope. Don't see it coming in the future either since I have no rich relatives and think that lotteries are a tax on stupid people.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person Yet again, MFer. Have YOU ever seen the Sydney Opera House?!?
39. Gone rock climbing Even with my body that breaks if the wind blows too hard, even my my knees that have had 9 surgeries total, even with the arthritis....I had to at least once. Even practised
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David Not in person, No. I hear that it's in Europe somewhere you rubbing my nose in shit, bastard...
41. Sung karaoke I was born with perfect pitch so hearing how far my voice is from that, it's too painful
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt Nope, but I did watch a documentary once that showed how it's possibly a ticking time-bomb and my explode taking half the state with it.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant Not the entire meal, but a teenager took his girlfriend to a place here in town, and while she was in the restroom the waiter came back saying his one and only bank card was declined. He was so upset that he was about to cry. I couldn't take it, I called his waiter and the boy over asking if he could pay half the bill, and he said he could. I paid for the rest on my CC and his tip. He wanted my address to pay me back, but I told him I needed the good karma. Plus, when his girlfriend arrived back, the dessert I'd ordered for them that they had turned down because he had to break down and tell her that he didn't think he had enough...they got the desert they both wanted, & she believed only that he was trying to surprise her (if she'd been looking closely she would have seen the utter shock on his face). He almost started crying again and made his excuses to go to the restroom. He stopped by our table and thanked me profusely. Meaning my girlfriend at the time heard part of the story (which I truly had no intention of telling her) and demanded to know the rest. I told since it was no big deal, but when I went to drop her off she invited me inside, and I truly believed in Instant Karma" after that night.
44. Visited Africa AUSTRALIA, you ass clown. What part do you not understand? Are you Sarah Bloody Palin and think that Africa is a country?!?
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight Hard to live 2 and a 1/2 hours from the Texas coast in Houston and not go and stay overnight. Plus, I was incredibly luck that my Aunt in North Carolina had a beach house in Hilton Head. A moonlight walk with a special someone is one of the most romantic things you can do.
46. Been transported in an ambulance With all my knee problems, yes.
47. Had my portrait painted Sorta.I Used to make $15 an hour to model for nude sketches/painting for classes at school.
48. Gone deep sea fishing I'm not that great of a fisherman to waste my money of the boat/actual fishermen rental to be taken out and catch nothing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person Funny enough, the Sistine Bloody Chapel doesn't go on tour either!!!
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris Did that go on tour and I missed it?
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling If you've been/lived in AU and not dove on The Great Barrier Reef you missed out on one of nature's most amazing living things
52. Kissed in the rain Yes.
53. Played in the mud As a kid....okay as an adult too, but for different reasons...
54. Gone to a drive-in theater Yeah, they used to have heaps of these in Houston when I was tiny.
55. Been in a movie Nope.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China NOOOOOOOOOO!
57. Started a business Yup. Had a Comic Book/Book Store for a while.
58. Taken a martial arts class Nope...body was in too bad of shape by the time I could afford it myself.
59. Visited Russia No, DAMMIT!
60. Served at a soup kitchen A few Thanksgiving's at school.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies No, I found out they weren't actually made from little girls and lost all interest.
62. Gone whale watching No.
63. Got flowers for no reason Nope.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma Yes, blood. I've have O neg that can be used for newborns and preemies because I didn't have some virus when I was little. So, the Blood Centre loves me and calls me every 6 weeks like clock work to tap a vein.
65. Gone sky diving Yet again, I didn't think my knees would survive the end bit.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp No.
67. Bounced a check Nope, but my ex from college was a master (mistress) at it, and we had a joint account.
68. Flown in a helicopter No.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy Some Star Wars stuff is still in storage....okay some Hot Wheels too ;)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial Yup. Got to go to DC when the Cherry blossoms were doing beautiful.
71. Eaten Caviar Yup...really salty and kinda slimy.
72. Pieced a quilt Nope.
73. Stood in Times Square Yes, for a bit.
74. Toured the Everglades No.
75. Been fired from a job Nope. Quit after 2 1/2 weeks, but never fired.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London NO, EUROPE, ASS CLOWN!!!
77. Broken a bone Quite a number of them.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle Drove one for years, and I may have sped a time or 10000.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person Nope.
80. Published a book Nope.
81. Visited the Vatican What is it with you and Europe, Dammit!?!
82. Bought a brand new car No, sir.
83. Walked in Jerusalem AUSTRALIA...Say it with me: ONLY CONTINENT other then N. America.
84. Had my picture in the newspaper Yeah, a few times for cute kid stuff.
85. Read the entire Bible Yup & the Torah & the Qu'ran
86. Visited the White House No.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating Does a fish count?
88. Had chickenpox When I was a baby.
89. Saved someone’s life Nope.
90. Sat on a jury No, got out of jury duty twice though.
91. Met someone famous Used to meet Movie, TV and Comic Book people at the Conventions I used to go to.
92. Joined a book club Briefly the Sci-Fi and Mystery clubs, but I bought all the books I needed to because they were a pain in my ass
93. Lost a loved one A few of them.
94. Had a baby Not "had" one, but I'm a Dad.
95. Seen the Alamo in person Hard to live an hour and a half away and not go on at least 1 school trip.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake No, Utah frightens me. Okay, not the state so much as the residents.
97. Been involved in a law suit I guess divorce counts....lawyers were involved and we were counter suing one another.
98. Owned a cell phone Only phone I have.
99. Been stung by a bee Yeah, but then my Gran did something cool and tore the cigarette she was smoking in half and spit on the unsmoked tobacco, then rubbed it on the sting & within seconds the pain was gone. It sucked all the venom out. Cool trick I've done it with someone too, course I let them spit on their own cig, but that's my Gran.
100. Ridden an elephant Yup. Those non-zoo trips. One was to Safari Texas were we rode on a hairy, smelly elephant.
Alrught, this was nicked from Topless Robot's site and I thank/curse him for alerting me to it, but as he said, "By nerd law, you must watch it at least once. It will leave you changed inside---and not in a good way."
Well, to celebrate the relaunch of his site and to celebrate the Feb. 24th 2009 release of his latest book, Road Trip of the Living Dead, funny, satirical writer Mark Henry is throwing a little contest.
"To celebrate the grand re-opening of this here website, we’re having a pimp-a-thon. Mark is willing to part with a signed copy of Happy Hour of the Damned and a shiny new ARC of Road Trip of the Living Dead with its very own cover flat. Here’s a lovely visual aid…
I’ll also throw in a mass market paperback of the winner’s choice for two runners-up! All you’ve got to do is spread the news about the contest and the website and comment below with a link to where you pimped Mark out and you’ll be entered to win! Entries are open worldwide and close Sunday, December 14th at 11:59 P.M. (just so we don’t have any “midnight” questions).
Good luck y’all!"
Pretty sweet, que no? Even if you don't win you should pre-order the new novel. Help a writer out, folks!
I've got three new reviews up at Bitten by Books, and they're all Jenna Black books. If you dig paranormal stuff you'll like these. All three of her Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books. The Devil Inside,
Howdy Boys & Girls. It's your Uncle Bingo. Didja miss me? Well, regardless I've found some pretty interesting links for you. Some you may have seen, and at least one or two I can guarantee that you haven't.
Let's get this show on the road, shall we?
In honor of the day that most retailers plan their 4th quarter earning projections around Black Friday! This site either has on it or has links to over 40 stores and their sales for Nov 28th. To those of you with money, Happy shopping!
"There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief."
Below is the promo for the second half of the fourth and final season of Battlestar: Galactica. I personally believe SciFi screwed up separating the first and second half. Battlestar has constantly lost people in the middle of their seasons, but has always managed to bring the whole thing back together and blow people away by the end. I'm sure that they will do it again this time. It just seemed an asinine move and may have cost viewers. You know, not me, but maybe some people. Decide for yourselves January 16, '09. Also, if you just feel the need to speculate your lil' asses off before then, stop by IO9. They've done a two part series on what's happened in season 4 and what may possibly happen. Check 'em out.
This little tidbit of your tax dollars at work I saw last week on Countdown:With Kieth Olbermann, unfortunately I forgot which day so no video for you, but thankfully Boing Boing was nice enough to do an article on it too. "If we add in the Citi bailout, the total cost now exceeds $4.6165 trillion dollars. People have a hard time conceptualizing very large numbers, so let’s give this some context. The current Credit Crisis bailout is now the largest outlay In American history. Crunching the inflation adjusted numbers, we find the bailout has cost more than all of these big budget government expenditures – combined" • Marshall Plan: Cost: $12.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $115.3 billion • Louisiana Purchase: Cost: $15 million, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $217 billion • Race to the Moon: Cost: $36.4 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $237 billion • S&L Crisis: Cost: $153 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $256 billion • Korean War: Cost: $54 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $454 billion • The New Deal: Cost: $32 billion (Est), Inflation Adjusted Cost: $500 billion (Est) • Invasion of Iraq: Cost: $551b, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $597 billion • Vietnam War: Cost: $111 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $698 billion • NASA: Cost: $416.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $851.2 billion
TOTAL: $3.92 trillion" COMBINED!!!!
MTV's Splash Page has a great article on Neil Gaiman stepping up to the plate to help defend this poor bastard in Iowa that local authorities are trying to throw in the pokey on obscenity charges based on his PRIVATE collection. The CBLGF is one of those really worthwhile organisations, but only if you think the First Amendment was a good idea. Give til it hurts, people!
CNN's American Morning reported this on Monday the 24th:"CNN’s Joe Johns and legal expert Sonny Hostin reported that President Bush may issue preemptive pardons for George Tenet, Alberto Gonzales, and Donald Rumsfeld." How I loathe this little bastard. Check out the video here at Raw Replay.
One of the two spiders recently flown up to the International Space Station have apparently taken it upon itself to go walkies. Oh yeah, and the experiment itself which had something to do with arachnid life-cycles has gone tits up as well. The spiders instead of making nice neat webs that the researchers expected have been doing MC Escher meets Kandinsky type webs. "more a tangled, disorganized-looking web than a Charlotte's Web kind of web." (via ABC News)
Trapped in a cubical all day? Maybe you're an artist who listens to more movies/TV than watches? Here's a site for you. Listentoamovie.com has 1452 movies to listen to and 284 television shows. Plus, it has a stealth button in case the boss comes by to where if you click the button it looks like a spreadsheet. My-Tee-Spiffy!
New artist that I've found named Su Blackwell. She does book cut sculptures that look absolutely amazing! Can't post one here, but please click the link...they truly are one of a kind.
Anyone out there who wishes to get me a Christmas/Solstice/Kawanzaa I've found the perfect gift for the person who was everything. Which isn't me obviously, but I'm sure I can figure out some trouble to get in with it:
Now, onto Grant Morrison's latest story arc that has left almost every fanboy/girl scratching their heads and saying, Huh? I'm referring of course to Batman: RIP. Oh yeah, *SPOILERS BABY*
To start off here's what Wikipedia says to sum up the storyline so far: At an unknown location, a group of international supervillains gather at the behest of the Black Glove, represented by Dr. Simon Hurt, the man responsible for the isolation chamber experiment that nearly ended Batman's career and for the creation of the three replacement Batmen. ...Meanwhile Commissioner Gordon tries to stop a Gotham newspaper from running a story on a dossier allegedly compiled by a detective hired by the parents of Martha Wayne, which contains many shocking allegations: testimony that Thomas Wayne was a drunk who addicted his wife to heroin, insinuations that Alfred Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne's true biological father, and photographs depicting an orgy involving Thomas and Martha Wayne, Alfred, and the stars of John Mayhew's noir film "The Black Glove" and the theory that Thomas Wayne may still be alive, the "murder" of the Waynes was in truth an elaborate hoax, arranged by Thomas Wayne in order to kill his unfaithful wife and fake his own death.
Got all that?
Well, here's what Topless Robot had this to say about the story: "So in #681, Batman meets the Black Glove and it's...Thomas Wayne. His daddy.
Or he says he is. I have little doubt this will be retconned in the next six months, year tops. But for now, Wayne has announced that he hired Joe Chill to kill his wife and little Bruce and fake his own death, but that Chill couldn't go through with killing a kid. Which make Papa Wayne evil, Joe Chill the guy who saved Bruce's life, and Bruce's reasons for being Batman totally null and void. Oh, and then Batman appears to die in a helicopter with his dad, although Batman is wandering around "Final Crisis" like six months later. No one knows what's going on there.
Many Bat-fans are, of course, freaking the fuck out. They hate that this negates Batman's whole reason for being, but of course that was exactly the point. I think it's a hell of a cool idea, and it certainly takes Batman in a place he's never been before."
That's one POV. Here's anotherfrom Rich over at Comic by Comic (and I really think I'm more on his wavelength on this): And Dr Hurt...well, he may be Thomas Wayne, he may be Mangrove Pierce...but more likely he's the evil that men do. Or, y'know, the Devil, and Bruce has the darkness in side himself. And the Black Glove always wins. As Batman's hand smashes through the window of the helicopter.And nothing, but NOTHING is fully resolved. Honestly, I think we may all be figments of Grant Morrison right now...
Especially the bit about it being Grant's world and we're all just figments of his imagination. If nothing else, it is worth the read because the repercussions of this are going to go through all of the Bat-Books (Wait. How many are there now with all the cancellations?) in the foreseeable future.
Speaking of funny books, Details Magazine had something semi-complimentry to say about the lot of us (I would've included the cover, but it's of that ass clown Tom Cruise, you know the Whole reason I'm giving Valkyrie a pass):
He lives in his parents’ basement and sometimes wears a cape—but the much-mocked comic-book geek possesses the ass studio execs must kiss to hit superhero-movie gold. Thanks to favorable early buzz, Iron Man and The Dark Knight banked more than $575 million and more than $990 million, respectively, making them the top-grossing films of 2008. It’s no coincidence the producers and casts of these smash hits made the same pit stop on the road to box-office dominance: the Comic-Con International festival in San Diego, where they schmoozed the nerdy throngs, sat on panels, debuted Joker-laden teaser trailers, and forced Robert Downey Jr. to smile and wave like a homecoming queen. There’s a reason that Zack Snyder, director of 300 and next year’s Watchmen, says each of these rabid conventiongoers is “worth 20 normal fans.”
The magazine is due on newsstands December 2.
BTW, I moved out of the basement at least two years ago!
I knew that Nosmokingintheskullcave's architect, Becca had a style that reminded me of someone. Paul Pope. Check her stuff out and tell me if I'm wrong. And if you're reading this Becca this is a total compliment from me.
And to round out this shitfully long version of Interesting Bits I give you:
"GhibliWorld reports that Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy will produce the English vocalization of Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, with a cast that includes Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, Fankie Jonas, Noah Cyrys and Cloris Leachman.
Gake no ue no Ponyo draws from his relationship with his son, Goro to tell the tale of a five year old boy's friendship with a gold fish who wants to become a human, employing a watercolor based look inspired by time that Miyazaki spent on a rental house by sea cliff.
Speculation is abound on when the movie will hit North American treaters. GhibliWorld says that test screenings are currently being held, the final version will screen in US theaters in 2009.
ICV2 notes that there is evident that Disney may release Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo on a Cliff By the Sea theatrically in North America in first quarter 2009. The article sites that Amazon.com is listing Viz Media’s The Art of Ponyo on a Cliff By the Sea for release on March 3rd, and AAA Anime has the release of the first volume of the Ponyo on a Cliff By the Sea Film Comic set for early April.
2005 when Miyazaki’s previous movie, Howl’s Moving Castle, debuted in theaters on June 10th, Viz Media released The Art of Howl’s Moving Castle on the 5th of July and The Howl’s Moving Castle Film Comic in August. In 2002 when Miyazaki’s Spirited Away premiered in theaters on September 20th, Viz Media released The Art of Spirited Away in October.
Pink Tentacle's coverage of Top 60 popular Japanese words/phrases of 2008 puts a Ponyo reference at the 20 spot. 20. “Ponyo, ponyo ponyo, the fish kid” (ponyo, ponyo ponyo, sakana no ko): This is a line from the theme song for anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.” Performed by Fujioka-Fujimaki (famous duo Takaaki Fujioka and Naoya Fujimaki) and eight-year-old Nozomi Ohashi, the song reached No.3 on the Oricon Weekly Charts in August.
Let me just say that if you don't like Hayao Miyazaki then you just don't like Anime. This man is rightfully referred to as the "Godfather of Anime." I LOVE that he let's no more than 10 % of CGI in his films. I am kinda worried that Pixar director John Lasseter isn't involved in this one of his English adaptation, but I'll be there regardless. Here's a list of Miyazaki-san's works:
This man is a living genius. Whoops. I promised a link you probably hadn't seen, huh? Okay, how about getting this for that special someone/gimp in your life?
Latex Vac-Bed bondage restraint
This Latex Vac-Bed is a bondage restraint that connects to a household vacuum cleaner. It immobilizes the individual between two layers of 14 gauge latex rubber by sucking out the air between the "sheets." It's $640. From JT's Stockroom: To use the Vac-Bed, place your bondage partner inside and check to see that they can breathe safely thru the breathing hole. (We recommend using a hollow gag so that there is no chance of the breathing hole slipping and restricting the flow of air.) Close the zipper that runs along the side of the Vac-Bed, and make sure that your bondage buddy is comfortable before attaching the vacuum cleaner to the connector at the bottom. The 1½” PVC connector will fit most household vacuum cleaners. (via Boing Boing)
Warner Brother's beginning its push for the Oscars. They took out an ad for what I consider the surest lock. Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor. The others in the category are: Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt, John Malkovich in Changeling, Ralph Fiennes in Duchess, John Malkovich and Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading and Robert Downey, Jr. in Tropic Thunder. I think their major disadvantage is that they're still breathing.
Will Smith and Stephen Spielburg after announcing last week that they plan to remake the brillant Korean film Oldboy say it will not be a remake of that, but of the graphic source manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Which...ummmm..if I'm not mistaken was the source material for Oldboy. Oh, and one more crucial difference is that their's will be called Old Boy. Wow. The differences are truly astounding....
Den of the Geek have updated their 84 Comic Books properties being made into movies with the addition of Deadpool. Apparently Ryan Reynolds is so bitichin in Wolverine: Origins as Wade Wilson, Merc of the week that they're already talking about a spinoff. Or would that be a spin-spinoff?
Also in really shitty film news, Lucas, Spielberg & Harrison Ford are talking about Indy V. Since people were stupid enough to go and see the heavy handed, too long & nonsensical Indy IV. Someone stop these people....please.
45 years of Doctor Who and BBC is releasing how the character was created and the rocky road it took to become the classic it is.
I just got news that I can start reviewing paranormal comics for BBB. Which pretty much opens up the entire Vertigo line from DC Comics. Woo Hoo!
That's it for now...Please go back to your regularly scheduled Feed Reader.
Want to find out what all the hubbub is about? Then please check out this site: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=2341 for a chance to win a FREE set of the Twilight series in hardbound!!!
This is the site I've been reviewing books for, and I love it. If fantasy or Horror is your thing then you should set your feed readers to http://bittenbybooks.com
Oh yeah, and my reviews are under Sun and Heir. I have two up now. One for Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton and Living With the Dead by Kelley Anderson.
Damn real life for intruding on my blogging! The good news is my first reviews for Bitten By Blood are now live. Please let me know what you think of them. They were my first two, but I promise I'm getting better.
Randy "The Natural" Couture takes on Brock Lesnar tomorrow night for the Heavyweight championship. Here's his thought on being nicknamed "Captain America".
First off, let me send a big Thank You to the lovely Becca for designing my new title picture. If you haven't seen her pages, give 'em a look. Well worth your time.
Neil Gaiman finally talks about his upcoming 2 issue run Batman @ Newsarama. Is it too much to hope that this holds a candle to Alan Moore's Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
Both Newsarama and IO9 have posted how Zombie movies are prevalent when Republicans are in office, but Vampire movies come out in force when the Dems are in charge.
I just thought this shirt kinda rocked. Chainsaw Bunny is available from Assault Shirts for $19.99.
If you dig animation then Amazon.com has a great deal going. The Disney/Pixar Ultimate edition has 14 discs for $109. The titles include : Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., Cars, and Ratatouille. Aside from Cars and Ratatouille, all the movies come in two-disc special editions.
If you don't have HBO or haven't been watching Trueblood, the recap for this weeks episode can be found here at IO9. And yes, it did have the prerequisit naked woman in it.
Also, out this Wednesday: JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: SUPERMAN #1 A FULL Alex Ross book. Now, I don't care if you haven't been following the way too long JSA's "One Nation Under Gog," storyline. It's a FULL book by Alex Ross!!! No one, and I mean NO ONE does Superman like Alex Ross.
Sorry I haven't been blogging as much. This week I started reviewing books for Bittenbybooks.com. I'll post here when any of my reviews go up. I just completed one on Kelley Armstrong's 9th book in the Women of the Otherworld series Living With the Dead that's not up yet. I do recommend it for fans of this genre. I'm in the midst of finishing up a review on Laurell K Hamilton's the 7th book in here Meredith Gentry series, Swallowing Darkness. Also, recommended.
That's all for now. On a final note, if you want to protest Prop Hate no matter where you live, please check out this site. Join the Impact.
This is my (hopefully) weekly post on things I found of interest while sifting through the minutia of the interwebs....
It appears that all wasn't sweetness and light between the McCain and Palin camps during their recent failed attempt at the nation's highest office. In today's LA Times article it appears what some news outlets are calling "Fashiongate," (gods the American media is witty, isn't it?) was one of the main sticking points. A RNC lawyer was told to go to Alaska and inventory the clothes still in her possession and then to retrieve them. These clothes, reportedly in excess of $150,000 shot Palin's image of a Good Ol' Girl Hockey Mom in the ass. "Fox News reported Wednesday that Palin's lack of knowledge on some topics also strained relations. Carl Cameron reported that campaign sources told him Palin had resisted coaching before her faltering Katie Couric interviews; did not understand that Africa was a continent rather than a country; and could not name the three nations that are part of the North American Free Trade Agreement -- the United States, Canada and Mexico." Not to mention she couldn't get the really tough question right. My personal favourite that she missed of 4 separate tries interspersed between several months, "What does a Vice President do, Gov Palin?" If this lady (I use this term in it's loosest sense) makes herself the senior senator from Alaska lots of people are going to be most unhappy. Not to mention John McCain.
Also in election news, Jon Stewart had Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on The Daily Show last night. To say it was uncomfortable is putting it mildly. Uncomfortable, but funny as hell.
Now, on to the lighter side of the webs. Via Den of the Geek the writer of the article handicaps the "Who Will Replace David Tennant on Dr. Who?" The contenders run the gambit from front runners David Morrissey (5/2 odds) & (my favourite) Paterson Joseph to long shots Wanted'sJames McAvoy & Hugh Grant . The article goes on to mention the pros and cons of these 4 and 9 others. Although Tennant told BBC Breakfast on the 3rd that he doesn't know what he's going to do: ‘I had a meeting with Steven (Moffat)and that was difficult because I love his writing,’ he went on to state that, ‘Now I know some of his ideas I was tempted to change my mind. Who knows what might happen in the future? The door isn't necessarily closed forever.’ So, this may all be academic.
Ready for Joss Whedon's new show Dollhouse? Fox announced today that it will be premiering Feb 13, 2009. It seems as though Fox already has it in for the show since it's putting it on it's lowest rated night as it did with Whedon's acclaimed show Firefly. The lead in will be Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles which wouldn't be terrible if this were last January, but Terminator's ratings have dropped off by a third this season. The trailer appeared today on Sci Fi.com's Sci-Fi Wire:
Finally, it appears. Kevin Smith's Batman 3 part miniseries Batman: Cacophony seems to be finally becoming a reality, or at least the first 6 pages are. Check 'em out at MySpace.
In shows I can't stop watching news:
"A fan site for Alexz Johnson has confirmed the Canadian pop singer and actress will play Saturn Girl in an upcoming episode of Smallville, written by Geoff Johns. The episode, titled “Legion,” also features Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad. The three come from a future where Clark is the greatest hero.“Legion” is scheduled to air on Nov. 27 on The CW.
Wrapping up, in comic book stores today, A Tribute to Michael Turner came out. An 80 page $8.99 comic with benefits going to The American Cancer Society and The Make-A-Wish Foundation. On June 27th Mike Turner died of complications from chondrosarcoma a bone cancer that attacks cartilage. He was only 37 years old. Mike had already had a surgery to remove a tumor in March of 2000. It cost him 4 lbs. of bone from his right hip. Before this, besides being a comic book artist, Mike was a competion level water skiier and 3rd level red sash martial arts instructor.
In 1995 Mike became co-creator on Top Cow Comic'sWitchblade. A few months earlier in 1995 I had started managing a comic book store and selling original comic art. One of the owners, Phillip, arranged for comics legend Bernie Wrightson to come in and do a signing on Saturday. Now, Phillip was in Dallas because there was a teeny tiny convention up there that he was selling art at. He was driving back to Austin to pick up Bernie after the signing and take him up to Dallas to sit at our table and sign there for the Sunday part of the convention. This left me in charge of the signing. I had never met Bernie, nor organised a signing before, nor taken care of a "Legend's" ego. Shockingly, the signing came off without a hitch. To reward me Phillip decided to take me to Dallas with Bernie for my first convention.
We arrived at the hotel and got up at 6 AM for the show (okay Bernie got up at 11). I was underwhelmed to say the least when we got there. The convention "hall" was half the size of my high school basketball gym. Bernie was the only artist in sight and there were more dealers than fans there. We suffered through most of the day hardly making enough money to pay for our hotel rooms when Phillip tells me to take a break. I had brought along my sketch book from the previous day so that Bernie could finish the sketch he started for me. Since he had tons of time he had finished it hours earlier, and since the rumour was that there were other artist there I decided to rome around with it. While going out to have a cigarrette I happened upon this young guy by the door. He was at a folding table saying hi and smiling at people as they came in. I didn't think anyone knew he was an artist because A) he was so young (24 at the time) and B) he was wearing a name tag that said, "Hi. My name is: Mike," and C)he was so friendly. I only noticed because he seemed out of place and I saw the pens and sketchbook.
I went out to have the cigarrette first, but stopped by his table when I came back in. I asked him what he had worked on since he was only 3 years older than me, and he told me that he was the penciller on Witchblade...had I seen it? Seen it? Seen it??? I pimped that book so hard when it had come out we had to reorder it 3 times. I was completely blown away by the art in it. Was there any chance he was doing sketches? He give me a huge smile and said, "yeah, I'm supposed to be, but you're the first guy to ask me in the 3 hours I've been here. "I was gonna try and charge people $20 per sketch, but I'm so glad to be doing one that yours is free." I told him that no, this was my first show, but I knew that this was how they made spare money. He wouldn't take it. We argued nicely for a few minutes before he said, "Let me do the sketch. If you like it, you can pay me." He opens my book and since I had just bought it the week before, Bernie's sketch is the first one. "When did you meet Bernie Wrightson??" "Yesterday when he did a signing at the store I manage. We drove up here together. He's at my table sketching and signing stuff." Mike flipped. He was so excited. He asked if I would introduce him. It was so funny because he was so serious about it. I told him that it wasn't a problem and we went over.
After the show was over and Mike had finished my sketch (he never did take my $20) we all went to dinner. Just my boss Phillip, Bernie Wrightson, Mike Turner and me. No matter how bad the convention was I'll never forget it, and I'll never forget meeting Mike Turner. He was such a down to earth genuine person. Reading the remembrances from his friends, apparently that held true his entire life.
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And my fondest wish is that you're with the person you love most in this world! 
To use the Vac-Bed, place your bondage partner inside and check to see that they can breathe safely thru the breathing hole. (We recommend using a hollow gag so that there is no chance of the breathing hole slipping and restricting the flow of air.) Close the zipper that runs along the side of the Vac-Bed, and make sure that your bondage buddy is comfortable before attaching the vacuum cleaner to the connector at the bottom. The 1½” PVC connector will fit most household vacuum cleaners. 
