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While enthusiastically racing up the stairs at work today, I went a little too quickly around the turn and felt my left knee scream in agony. This is the same knee that completely gave out on me a few years ago and required months of physical therapy to recover from. It didn't completely go out this time, but it hurts badly, especially if I put weight on it then shift to either side. Not that I'm doing that intentionally, mind. I pulled out my cane and may end up walking with it tomorrow.

It's both frightening and annoying to know that you can't rely on your knee to support you.

Just yesterday morning, as I was driving to work, I noticed that the price of Gasoline at my two "barometer" stations that I pass on the way to work was $1.66 a gallon. Going home, the same stations both had it up to $1.76 a gallon. I was a little surprised, as this was the second ten-cent-in-one-day increase I've noticed in the last month.

So, what's the price of gas (in gallons if possible) where you are? Oh, yeah, please mention where you are, too. I'm in Seattle

Comments (5)

About the same. In the last few weeks it has varied between $1.60 and $1.70 (regular). Ohio.

farsider | Email | 02.21.03 - 9:01 am

In Bowling Green, KY. right now the lowest price I've seen is $1.44.

But Bowling Green is always lower, for some reason, than the towns surrounding it. In the town where I live, for example, it's $1.56. For regular, of course.

David J | Email | Homepage | 02.21.03 - 2:36 pm

Here in Central Illinois, it's $1.66 for a gallon of Regular. Earlier in the week it was at $1.56, but it's remained the current price for three days now. . .

Bill Sherman | Email | Homepage | 02.21.03 - 5:06 pm

$1.45 for 87-grade in Springfield, Missouri.

Jason | Homepage | 02.21.03 - 5:39 pm

When I filled up last week, it was $1.77 at Costco. Elsewhere, it's ranging from $1.87 at the generic down the street to $2.01 a few miles up the Peninsula in Palo Alto. Located in the SF Bay Area, day in and day out location of probably the highest gas prices in the country in a major metro area (OK, Manhattan proper might beat us, but pretty much nowhere else).

Tom Galloway | Email | 02.21.03 - 9:44 pm

Truth #4: Ug. This one almost drew me in, but then there was a scene of a character reading a Captain America comic. There was an attempt at an explanation, but it made utterly no sense. I really wanted this to be a good mini-series.

JSA: The Unholy Three #1: I should have re-read the original Elseworld mini before jumping into this, but I didn't and I actually somewhat enjoyed this issue anyway. This is a pretty gruesome one, with a couple of twists to make it more interesting.

Power Company #13: This is one of the best books out there right now, and Busiek keeps cranking it up. I wonder if he slow recovery from mercury poisoning is reflected in the long time it's taken for this book to really pick up? I was initially confused, recalling the cliff-hanger from last issue, but it quickly made lots of sense. And this is the first time in a long time I've actually felt like the villian was a threat to more than just the team fighting him. I'm interested in seeing how this one turns out.

Crossovers #2: The genre's are starting to mix. Very slowly, but definitely. On some levels I'm surprised by what isn't happening. For the most part, though, this is a fun book. I wonder what's up with the dog?

Next week's books: Usagi Yojimbo, Gotham Adventures, Supergirl, Green Arrow, JLA, JLA/Spectre: Soul War, Titans, Amazing Spider-Man, Ruse, and Previews.

Birds of Prey #52: As much as I like Oracle and Black Canary, this book just isn't doing it for me anymore. I'm going to have to check to see if there's a creative team change coming, but if there isn't, this one is gone.

Hawkman #12: It wasn't a bad issue, but it reminded me why we dropped it. For all that happens, nothing seems to happen.

Smallville: Fever: There were a few moments in this one when I flinched and thought, no way out of this!. But in the end, most everything made sense. A few minor quibbles, but ones I can forgive from a comic book soap opera. Definitely lots of the soap opera elements in this one.

By the way. You must, must visit the Smallville Ledger and look at the Classifieds. Last week they was a lost and found ad for a guy named Scott looking for a pair of ruby-quartz glasses needed for a "medical condition". I won't tell you what's fun this week, but there are lots of in-jokes every week. It's clear that the staff in charge of updating the site are having a good time with it.

Still to review: Power Company #13, Truth #4, Crossovers #2, and JSA: The Unholy Three #1.

Get some random advice from Mr Spock, and then visit Neilalien's blog as thanks for the link.

You might have already noticed the little addition to my sidebar. It's at the bottom, a link to a few Aquaman items on Amazon.com. I've been an associate of Amazon, supposedly earning money, for a few years now. I've gotten very little for it. Originally I was going to build this great shop with all my favorite books in it, with neat little reviews for each one. Didn't happen. So I'm taking advantage of the fact that I still have an associate membership as a neat excuse to put up some pictures of Aquaman products! Yeah, I don't need an excuse, but you never know, someone might actually buy something through the link, and I might earn enough money to buy a book or CD or something in a couple of years.

While I've got your attention, I'll point out a few other good items at Amazon for you: Amy Unbounded: Belondweg Blossoming by Rachel Hartman (all-ages), The Interman by Jeff Parker (Action/Adventure), Schoolhouse Rock! Complete DVD (a great bit of my childhood!), Justice League - Justice on Trial DVD (this features the Aquaman episode), and Queen Ann in Oz by Karyl Carlson and my hubby-Eric Gjovaag.

Figures.com has some great Toy Fair 2003 coverage up already. The biggest news for me is this new Aquaman action figure based on the new Veitch look.

Of almost as much interest to me, though, is the new LEGO space line, including a Mars rover and space shuttle. I have always wanted a LEGO space shuttle, but none of them so far have impressed me. The one I see there does.

Neil Gaiman has a link to the Trailer for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - but be warned, hubby-Eric says this one would make Alan Moore roll over in his grave (when I pointed out that Moore isn't dead, he said this might have killed him).

On a more serious note, Neil also links to this article written by Isioma Daniel, who describes how she unintentionally lit off riots in Nigeria with a short, breezy article that was taken entirely the wrong way.

Non comic book fans can just stop reading now...

There are a number of people already criticizing Aquaman for flaws that they are projecting on future issues. For instance, I see a lot of people complaining that Aquaman's magic hand is going to be used to solve all his problems... well, he's had it only two issues so far, and every use of it so far has been "establishing" in terms of storytelling. We haven't yet seen its limitations because the author is just finishing telling us what it is capable of in the first place.

There are also people complaining about him establishing a secret identity on land. So cliché. Well, it would be, except he hasn't yet lied to anyone about his identity, thus he hasn't got a secret ID.

There are people complaining about the Atlanteans turning against Aquaman. "We've seen it all before!" they whine. Well, yeah, the Atlanteans have never needed an excuse to mistreat one of their own, and, yes, Aquaman has been booted before. But this is the first time we've seen just about everyone out to get him with genuine hate. It's also the first time that the people of Atlantis have actually been capable of taking Aquaman on. And it's a very different look at the people of Atlantis, who just came out of fifteen years of slavery in the past. The Atlanteans have always been a xenophobic mob, now they are an insane xenophobic mob with magical ability.

Then there's the complaint that Veitch has taken Aquaman too far from his roots. Huh? Veitch has done more in three issues to bring Aquaman back to his origins that the last five writers combined. The lighthouse alone brings back a large part of the romanticism of the Silver Age Aquaman that's been missing for years. Don't get me wrong, I like the last few years of Aquaman (mostly) but saying the Veitch is taking Aquaman away from his roots is incorrect.

Perhaps the most valid complaint is that Aquaman is now no longer his own man, as he's taken on this quest from the Lady of the Lake. Some guys have gone so far as to say that she's emasculated Aquaman, that he's relying too much on her. HELLO! He's only been dealing with her for two and a half issues! The only time he's really begged for her help is when a man was dying, something that not even Superman could have done a thing about. We don't yet know what Aquaman will do with this power, but it's pretty clear to me that Arthur thinks of his agreement with the Lady as a partnership, not a forced bond. If it's something else, won't it be an interesting story to see how Aquaman deals with it?

How is it that I can only see the fantastic storytelling possibilities that have been set-up by Rick Veitch when so many people are already complaining that it's just more of the same?

US Senator Robert Byrd on the actual State of the Union. Link via Mark Evanier.

And, can I just say, that plastic wrap and duct tape are more than useless against any biological or chemical attacks? As was pointed out by my boss' husband, "You breathe stale air for three days, then go out and die from it anyway!" It's as bad as "duck and cover" to protect you from a nuclear bomb.

And yet, here we are, racing to a war that no one in their right mind wants, led by leaders who seem to have forgotten the Constitution of the United States. I'm not amused. I'm not pleased. I think a terrible evil is being perpetuated in the name of freedom by people who should know better. And I feel utterly helpless to stop it, even though I am part of this so-called "we the people" who should have a say in it.

It's all stupidity. A tale told by idiots, signifying nothing. We are, and always will be, our own worst enemy. God bless America, and protect us from our leaders.