Saturday, September 11, 2004

No sketches today. No reviews. No commentary. Just some links. Remember.

• Project Rebirth
  
• 9.11 moments
  
• Days of Infamy
  
• Scholars of Islam & the Tragedy of Sept. 11th
  
• Screenshot Archive of Online News sites covering Sep 11
  
• Smithsonian Sep 11th: Bearing Witness to History
  
• The Sonic Memorial Project
  
• Writers Respond to 9/11 and its Aftermath
  
• 9/11 Living Memorial
  
• Librarians' Index to the Internet 9/11 Collection
  
• 9-11 Commission Final Report
  

by Tegan at 8:28 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Friday, September 10, 2004

Jessica skewers another snob reviewer. What is it about some of these reviewers that they can't take a work on its own terms?

The British Library is posting 93 high-resolution digitised copies of 21 of Shakespeare's plays online, so scholars can see how the text of the plays changes across editions.

A picture of a distant planet. "Astronomers working in Chile think they may have taken the first direct image of a planet circling another star."

Speaking of stars, you can see a star chart for your location at Heavens Above. You don't even have to register. Via MetaFilter.

Daleks invade Blackpool. There's a picture of a Dalek attacking a person with the caption: "Another persistant autograph hunter gets the Dalek treatment"

Evil recipe for fried Oreos, complete with pictures. But it's funny too, so even if you have no intention of making them, go read it. Fun fun fun. Via MetaFilter.

Cryptome is a website that, like The Memory Hole, provides documents that the government doesn't want people to see. I'm not sure of the pure legality of the docs on Cryptome, but one in particular has been painful to watch: The Calendar of US Military Dead in Iraq.

And to finish off, a statue from the Winchester Mystery House:

Please note: There will be no Saturday sketch tomorrow.

by Tegan at 4:42 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Outsiders #15: Robots and Clone-things and bad guys, oh my. The art stood out as different in this issue, although I can't quite put my finger on what bothered/impressed me about it. I'm still not into the whole concept of the book, although it's nice to see the group working as a team and caring about a fallen teammate. Mildly recommended.

Fallen Angel #15: Well now. This is a nice turn of events. There's enough happening in this book that at any given time you are either completely confused or completely immersed in the story. This is a good start to a new arc, and the cliff-hanger is... quite the fun one. Looking forward to seeing what surprises this book throws at us next.

JLA #105: Wonder Woman is afraid of her own death, and J'onn in an insensitive clod. Oh yeah, and Superman is a stalker. I'm really hating this arc.

Still to review: Captain America, Green Arrow, Bloodhound, Go Girl, Aquaman, JSA, and Powers. NOTE: I will not be posting any reviews tomorrow.

by Tegan at 1:46 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

• Weight = X-2
  
• Change From Last Week = -1
  
• Met Exercise Goal? No.
  Goal was fifteen minutes a day (walk/bike/swim) at least six days.
  
• Current Exercise Goal = fifteen minutes a day (walk/bike/swim) at least six days.
  
• Kept food diary? Yes.

A late in the week cold has prevented me from keeping up with my exercises, but I still feel fairly good despite that. I am getting healthier, even if the weight refuses to go away. I'm getting more done every day, I fel more cheerful in general, and (except for the cold) I've felt much healthier lately.

And thanks to everyone for the comments on last week's post. You helped.

by Tegan at 8:34 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Larry Young continues his articles on bloggers. First part here, and the archive of this week's part here.

The Library of Congress weighs in on how to preserve collections. Might be useful for some folks who frequent this page.

Talk Like A Pirate Day is coming up. September 19th. Beware.

By the rings of Saturn!. Yup, another ring has been found, this time by UK scientists.

Being in the path of hurricanes is getting to Shawn. I hope Ivan either misses Florida, or dies down before it hits.

Slashdot has some links to reports of the original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. I'm disappointed, as are most fans my age. I want the real movies, the ones we saw in the theaters as kids, not the altered versions. Or, at the very least, I want the option to watch the movie I watched as a kid, even if it's a flip-side disc. I hope Lucas someday comes to his senses.

The Electoral College vote predictor is now tracking Senate races. They also have news about California's lawsuit against Diebold, the makers of the faulty voting machines.

Voices from Iraq: six women speak to the BBC.

And to finish off, a picture from the dunes of Asilomar:

by Tegan at 8:36 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

For these reviews I thank Steve Lieber of Mercury Studios for starting the meme, and the King County Library System for its excellent collection of books and ease with which they can be checked out. And lastly, I also thank TangognaT for compiling the list of elevens into one big list for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

Rose: I considered buying this series as it came out because I liked the look of the art. I'm glad I didn't. I wouldn't have understood it, and it would have given me an incorrect perception of Bone that might have delayed me reading it even more. While I'm glad I read this, I'm very glad I read the regular Bone first.

Bone Volume Seven: Ghost Circles: And here I thought the story was over. Lots more to go, I see. I'm still curious to see how the Bones fit into the whole story. I kind of wonder if Thorn is staying sane, since she keeps getting slightly evil looks on her face as things happen to her. It was also nice to see Bartleby again. I wish I could get my hands on the complete Bone. I don't think the library has the last volume of the series...

Bone Volume Eight: Treasure Hunters: While the series is winding down, the story is winding down in excitement a bit too. This is definitely a set-up issue, with most of the events being lead-ins to something else. That makes it all the more stressful for me, as the library doesn't have the last volume! I'm either going to have to wait until the library gets it, or try to scrape up enough money to buy it myself. Considering our financial situation (bad headed toward worse) it looks like I'm going to have to wait. I added it to my Amazon wishlist just in case somebody feels generous, though, and I'll donate it to the library after I read it if someone buys it for me.

by Tegan at 11:38 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

John Campea ponders an Aquaman movie, and comes to much the same conclusion as I did.

J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog aren't giving up Abadazad without a fight. Via Kevin, Newsarama reports that the pair have filed papers in the US Bankruptcy Court Middle District of Florida, claiming that CrossGen has defaulted on the contract DeMatteis had with them, and asks that the court give the rights to DeMatteis so he can get the book published again. All I can say is: YES!!! FREE ABADAZAD!!!!

In case you didn't notice (and I don't blame you if you missed it) I finally did my Flipping Through Previews post for the Sep/Nov issue. As usual, too much to buy, no money to buy it with.

Genesis go boom. The parachute failed to deploy, so the helicopters never even had a chance to try and pluck it out of the air.

Boing Boing reports that Ken Jenning's Jeopardy Streak Has Ended. However, it's a rumor... so take it with a grain of salt.

Slate reports on one of the problems of VoIP phone service. This is actually the same problem that has me hesitating to go to a totally cellular service on our phones, even though we could save tons of money.

Slide Rules on exhibit. The store I work at still sells them. If you want a slide rule, drop me a line and I'll tell you how much we sell them for.

There is a magic roundabout. I can hardly handle the one in Monroe that I sometimes have to drive through, this one looks nicely confusing.

And to finish, here's a picture from Nancy's Garden.

by Tegan at 7:37 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

So... I've been trying to post my "Flipping Through Previews" post since yesterday evening, but blogger isn't cooperating. This is a fill-in to see if posting something today can force yesterday's post to show.

by Tegan at 10:14 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Yes, it's that time again... time for "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". I'm going to start with the bulk of the book, and then come back and cover the "big four" at the end. Please remember, I'm listing what looks interesting. My actual purchase list is going to be much smaller. The numbers after each title are usually the page number in Previews Magazine, so you can follow along at home.

Let's start with the covers. I don't know why, but the look of the guy on the "American Flagg!" side really does nothing for me. His pose, his leer, something about him gives me an automatic "ug" reaction. Being a superhero fan, the other cover, with the Justice League, does a lot more for me. Pity that the words obscure the look of the characters a bit. To make it short, neither cover does a lot for me, but the JLA cover is much more interesting.

Moving on, let's hit the Splash Page (8-9). I'm slightly intrigued by The Incredibles. The Avengers bit explains a litle bit of the strangeness happening at Marvel, but doesn't even begin to get me up to date on the sudden relaunches of Marvel books. The Simpsons Comics description makes me want to get it. I see that there are going to be Justice League paperweights... like I need any more junk... I hope they don't do an Aquaman one. I couldn't afford it if they did.

The checklist this month is a Holiday/Gift Ideas list.

Skipping the "Premier Comics" and going to the main comic book listings, let's start with the Featured Items (192-195). About Comics has a Schulz's collection of non-Peanuts material. It appears to be about baseball. Hmmm. The already mentioned Simpsons Comics #100 is also listed. I also see the first issue of the Hardy Boys comic. I'm very intersted in getting the Nancy Drew books, but the Hardy Boys weren't something I read much of when I was a kid.

About Comics is presenting It's Only A Game (197), a collection of Charles M Schulz's other syndicated comic. Definitely something to take a second look at.

Absence of Ink has a book called Bluesman #1 (198) that really makes me want to take a look. It's part one of three, and the story sounds different enough to check out. If money weren't tight, this one would be a definite book to try.

Across the Pond Comics has an anthology called ATP Presents #1 (202). While I've had mixed luck with anthologies, it's often a good thing for a studio that you aren't sure about. If the price point was a little lower, it would work as a good sampler.

Adhouse Books has a book up this month called One Step After Another One Shot (203) by an artist named Fermin Solis who won the 22nd Comic of Barcelona prize. Something to look out for.

Just in time to catch us while we are completely broke, the third collection of Girl Genius (217) is solicited by Airship Entertainment. Gonna have to get it. I think I'll also take my copy of the first collection to the next convention I go to and get Phil to sign it.

AIT/Planet Lar finishes off the highly regarded and critically acclaimed series with Demo #12 (217). This one promises to have a bonus story in the back... yeah, like it needs anything else to be one of the best books on the shelf.

A strange book by Aholattafun Ltd is coming out called Plaque X #1 (218). I'm not sure what to think of it... but it sure sounds wonderfully odd. Maybe if I had an art sample or two I'd take a risk on it.

Amaze Ink/Slave Labor has a book Bombaby (221) that looks really cool. Again, if I knew a little more about it and had some samples of the art, I would be tempted to give that a try. They've also got a book called Next Exit #1 (222) that looks fun. If there are samples on the website, I don't see them.

Here's an interesting concept, if not the most compelling one. Atlas (224) from Angel Gate Press is a book about a god who wants to become a superhero. But that's not the best part. No, the fun part is that this is a sixteen page board book for children. Hmmm.

If you missed Ant as it came out, Arcana Studio is giving you a chance to read the whole thing in Ant: Days Like These (232), a collected edition of all four issues.

Archangel Studios continues the saga in Tales of the Red Star #1 (232). I have only read one of the Red Star stories, and I enjoyed it, but the publishing history is so confusing I'm not sure where I would go to start if I seriously wanted to get into it. Anyone know of any good Red Star websites (even fan pages) that tell the whole history of the book?

Atomeka Press (236) recently sent me some review copies that I intend to get into and read this week, so it's only fair that I mention them here. Their offerings this month are A1 Sketchbook and Hero Squared X-Tra Sized Special #1. Full page ad on 237.

A company called Azteca Productions has a book listed called El Gato Negro Legacy #1 (244) which would be the "Black Cat" legacy. Looks like a Zorro/Batman type book, and if there were some samples it would possibly tempt me.

Beckett Comics continues to put out The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #5 (248) and it continues to be at a price point that people can afford to try it out at. I'll stick with it a bit longer, yeah.

I'm tempted to get Simpsons Comics #100 (248) because the theme is comics... but the price is definitely off-putting. But then, it has Sergio making a guest appearance... hmmm. This one requires some thought.

Burlyman Entertainment shows up with Shaolin Cowboy #1 (252) which caught my eye, I know not why. I swear I've heard of this before. What, exactly, am I associating this with? Anyone know?

Just to absolutely murder our pocketbooks, Checker Book Publishing is putting out Star Trek: Key Collection Vol 3 (256). Ouch ouch ouch. These stories fit the "so bad it's good" genre of early comics, and I really want to know if the later stories improve any.

Colonia Press is putting out Colonia #11 (258), which will complete the latest three-issue storyarc. I'm looking forward to this one.

I kind of miss thumping into the CrossGen listings somewhere around this point in the book. Now that all the books have been officially cancelled I find myself wondering if we will ever get to see more Abadazad, and if so what form it will take. It's a shame.

Digital Webbing (284) doesn't have anything that interests me this month. When they do a "Bad Elements" collection I'll be first in line to get it, though.

What may be the absolute, without a doubt, best superhero comic book on the market today is up to issue #9. You MUST buy PS238 #9 from Dork Storm Press if you like superheroes. Definitely worth it. Consistently 4 1/2 starfish rated. Go for it.

I don't know what they publish, but the name "Drunk Duck Comics" (286) amuses me so I thought I'd mention them. Looks like a webcomic that's gone hardcopy.

Speaking of fun names, Epoch (299) has a book called Monkey and the Moon Patrol #1. Not enough info there for me to check it out, but definitely an eye-catching name.

Funnypages Press, the nuts behind Opposite Forces, have a book listed called Boyrobo #1 (303). There's a quicktime trailer on the website that has lots of art samples in it. Looks cute.

I Box Publishing is putting out Thieves & Kings Volume 5: The Winter Book (311). I'm still collecting individual issues.

NBM Publishing appear to be the mad geniuses behind the move of the Hardy Boys to comic book form, and they are offering Hardy Boys #1 (324) this month under their new division "Papercutz". I was never much into the Hardy Boys, but I'm somewhat tempted by this... The full page ad on page 325 says Nancy Drew will be out in February 2005, I'll probably wait for that instead.

Now Comics has an intriguing looking book called Mirrorwalker (326) listed. A mix of cartoon and "special effects photography". Could be something new. Preview pages are available at the website.

Renaissance Press resolicits Amelia Rules: Super-Heroes #4 (330), which means we should be getting some more Amelia soon?

Don't miss Daisy Kutter #4 (361) from Viper Comics.

Moving out of the main comic book section and into magazines...

Another issue of Comic Book Digest (376) from Lamp Post Publications is solicited, still at $1.95 for 80 pages of 8-page previews. It claims the previews are from publishers like Image, Dreamwave, DBPro, and Arcana. And this issue claims to have a full length comic story by Mike S Miller. Hmmm. Probably gonna get it.

The movie isn't even out yet, but there's a $40 Art of the Incredibles book (390). Um. The movie isn't out, is it?

On page 394 we see All Things Alice. Eric has All Things Oz, and it's an excellent reference book, so I'm guessing that this one is probably pretty good too.

Another Doctor Who novel and another Faction Paradox book (395). Someday I might actually start reading the Doctor Who novels again.

The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures (399) looks like something I wouldn't want, but something that a number of people I know might find enjoyable. I'm also amused by Hello Kitty Everywhere on the same page because, ya know, "I have no mouth and must scream". Heh. How to be a Superhero is written by "Doctor Metropolis". Huh. Wonder if that's a penname. And Kung Fu For Girls looks like something I would have enjoyed as a teen.

Hey, another JLA T-shirt (431) with Aquaman on it! Unfortunately, the image is so much better suited to a collector's plate... which I already have. I think I'll probably pass on that one.

Cheap LEGO knock-off toys featuring DC Characters on pages 448-449. Luckily, I don't see an Aquaman set so I can pass on them, although the mini starfighter with Martian Manhunter is certainly cool.

Oh, hey... if I had a little more spare scratch, I would definitely get the Super Friends Fold and Mail Stationary (496). Hey, it's got Aquaman on it! I wouldn't bother with the Wonder Woman Lava Lamp on the next page.

There's a tessellating Homer Simpson jigsaw puzzle on page 503. Now that's scary.

The DVDs of the Doctor Who: Lost In Time collections are solicited this month (545). These discs have episodes from stories that were mostly lost. Most Americans have never seen these episodes because Doctor Who is generally sold to foreign markets in stories, and none of these are a complete story. I'm sure Eric and I will get these eventually.

Jumping back to the beginning of the book, it's time for me to cover the "big four" Premier Publishers. As usual, I'll finish with DC Comics, since they are the publisher I tend to buy the most books from.

Let's start with Marvel Comics (176) this time. If I understand this right, and I'm not sure I do, Avengers, Captain America, and Iron Man are all restarting. I'm not sure which books David (my buddy who gets a handful of Marvels through me) will want. It's a confusing morass... For my part, I'll be getting Amazing Spider-Man #73/514 and Powers #6 for sure. I'm also tempted by Spider-Man: India #1.

Moving back to Image Comics, I'm definitely looking forward to Noble Causes #5 (148), which guest-stars Invincible. I'll have to think about Firebirds (139), another book by Jay Faerber, but he's not led us wrong yet, so I would call it likely. Rising Stars #23 (163) will be on the list. I'm just glad it's almost done finally. I highly recommend the Common Grounds Trade Paperback (169) to anyone who missed the books. I'm really tempted to get it myself despite having got all the books.

Jumping back even further, it's Dark Horse. Conan #10 (16) makes the cut. Hubby-Eric wants to get The Incredibles #1 (17), and I'm tempted too. It depends on the rest of the order. Hubby also wants Jingle Belle #1 (20). I wouldn't mind it myself, but we'll have to see. Usagi Yojimbo #80 (23) gets on the list. I'll also probably get Samurai Executioner Vol 3 (33).

And on to the finish... the big one... DC Comics.

In the Batman section (55-60): Detective Comics is up to issue 800. Wow. I don't plan on getting it, but wow. I will be getting Birds of Prey #76, although with how little I've been enjoying the book lately I'm not entirely sure if I know why I'm still getting it.

In the Superman section (61-65): Superman: Secret Identity is being collected. I recommend this one to the fans out there. It's a good 'un. If you like Busiek and Immonen at all, get it. I'll also be getting Smallville #11 from the Superman section.

In the DCU section (66-83): JLA: Classified #1 has Aquaman on the cover. That's not really enough of a reason for me to get it, but it will have to do. I really like this version of Aquaman, too. He looks good.

I'm hoping to get a chance to read Adam Strange #3, and of course Aquaman #24 will be in my box in multiples. I'm also likely to get Fallen Angel #17.

And here I run into my first big problem. I don't want to buy Firestorm #7. I'm just not interested in it. But it's crossing over with Bloodhound #5, which is a book I have been mostly enjoying. So what do I do? If I buy Bloodhound but it's unreadable without reading Firestorm, I'm out $3 and I'll be angry. I'm not willing to buy Firestorm. So do I take the risk and buy Bloodhound anyway, or do I just drop the book for this month and hope that next month isn't incomprehensible? Do I just drop the book entirely? I'll admit I'm inclined to do the last option. After all, why should I support a book that forces me to buy a book I'm not interested in to get a whole story?

Moving on from moral dilemmas, Green Lantern: Rebirth #2 makes the cut. Definitely a hubby-Eric book. We'll also get Green Arrow #44, Identity Crisis #6, and
H-E-R-0 #22. There's no doubt that JLA #108, JSA: Strange Adventures #4, and JSA #67 also make the cut. I would love to get the Justice League of America Archives vol 9, but we can't really afford it this month. Luckily, the Archive program seems to be a pretty safe deal, so we'll get it later. We'll also get Outsiders #18 and Plastic Man #12. I would like to get The Question #1, but I'm not sure it will make the cut. With this book, maybe I'll wait for reviews and/or the trade.

Moving on to the "Johnny DC" section (84): We'll be getting The Batman Strikes! #3 and Justice League Unlimited #3.

And that is it. Whew.

So that's it for this month's "Things in Previews That Look Interesting But I Can't Afford To Get (with a list of things I am getting just for contrast)". Comments? Questions? Did I miss any really cool books that you know about and would like to point out? Do you disagree with something I wrote, and want to correct me? There's the comments, right below. Post something. And, yes, I accept review copies. I'm willing to give almost anything a try.

by Tegan at 6:32 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Newsarama has the covers to Identity Crisis.

Little Toy Robot posts some Dragon*Con highlights for us to enjoy. Ya think he liked Warren Ellis?

Here are the ten most hated men in Rock according to Riverfront Times. I'm not sure what the criteria was, but it seems odd to me. Via MetaFilter.

Happy second Blogiversary to Elayne, my blogmother. My second should be coming up in a couple of months, then...

Jessica Crispin suggests that reviewers shouldn't apologize when they like genre books or comics. Also note the next entry in which Crispin announces Hugo winners.

The Space Shuttle survived the hurricane. Speaking of hurricanes, Ivan appears to be headed on a more Southerly course, perhaps sparing Florida from another storm.

Really cool reading program pushed by Dolly Parton. Children are sent a book a month with only one requirement: that their parents read to them. Via South Knox Bubba.

The Genesis probe is almost home, and it's bringing the sun with it. A number of stunt pilot are ready in helicopters to try and snag the probe as it floats down on a parachute to prevent it from hitting the ground and damaging the delicate wafers inside the probe. Watch the news tomorrow to see if they succeed.

There's an excellent new site up for people who want to support the troops and educate themselves about the current state of the military. Operation Truth is run by veterans and staffed by a few active duty soldiers. In addition to first-hand accounts of Iraq, there are historical backgrounds on the current conflicts and information on how to support Soldiers’ Charities. As far as I can tell, the site is completely non-partisan and only focused on helping people to understand the military. Via Kos (who is partisan, so you've been warned).

And to lift your spirits a little, or at the least to try and lift mine, here's a picture from Nancy's Garden:

by Tegan at 10:48 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Monday, September 06, 2004

Scott tells us the lovely history of Superman: For the Animals. I think I have at least three copies of this kicking around.

Stuart Hughes is rightfully appalled that there is going to be no American coverage of the Paralympics at all. None.

Hit & Run has an interesting look at some junk science. Go read about it there, I'm off to drink a cola.

Earthquakes and typhoons in Japan. You thought Florida had it bad.

Two of the "Million Dollar Math Problems" are reportedly close to being solved. And if one of them is solved, internet encryption could be made useless.

Neat Metafilter post on Edison recordings, including audio and film from the earliest days of recording. Very cool, and downloadable, too.

Many thanks to Kevin Melrose, who sent along this link to a news article on Dorothy, the new Oz comic I reviewed some time ago.

On Boing Boing there's a nice little "discussion" about heavy-duty vandal-proof mailboxes. In the first note, Mark Frauenfelder tells of his problems with his mailbox being damaged, and noted some of the neighborhood solutions. In a follow-up note, Boing Boing readers sent in suggestions, pictures, and links to some serious mailboxes.

When Eric and I moved into this house, the mailbox was on a wooden post that supported both our mailbox and the neighbor across the street's box. We were unaware that the bottom of the post was nearly rotted through until a school bus turning around in the neighbor's driveway backed into it and knocked it over. The Postal Service refused to deliver our mail until we got it fixed, so we put in a standard metal pole box. The bus driver ran it over again, then fixed it so poorly that touching it made it nearly fall down, greatly aggravating the poor postal workers who had to try to put mail into the thing. Eventually we got so sick of it that Eric and his dad got a big wood post for it and put it on that, then I put reflectors all over the post so people backing up would have a slightly better chance of seeing it. It hasn't been hit again, as far as I can tell, but our neighbor's box has seen better days. In addition, we found the neighbor's mailbox blown up one morning. Turns out her father had been a policeman, and some idiots still come by every once in awhile and blow up the box or leave threatening notes in it, even though her father has been dead for years.

by Tegan at 8:25 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Ok, enough is enough. Apparently I've got a Republican troll who is just determined to harass me. Fine. You've convinced me absolutely. Bush Republicans are so far out there this year that expressing my opinion on politics just isn't worth the effort. Bush Republicans are so into harassing people who disagree with them, that there is no longer any reason to post anything political on this blog.

Here's the story for those who haven't been able to follow thanks to my prompt deletion of abusive comments. I posted a note a few days ago about how I finally got Eric to allow me to put up a Kerry yard sign, after reading about the police abuse in New York during the Republican Convention (reports that have now been confirmed by MANY other sources, do a nice Google search on them and you'll be as horrified as I was). This Republican attack on constitutional freedoms was the last straw.

I got a couple of comments, then a person who apparently was determined to remain anonymous posted a scathing attack on Kerry. I answered the note point by point, then the person posted another scathing attack, this one with a personal insult thrown in. I deleted the note and banned the poster.

A few hours later a person from a different IP but using the exact same phrasing as the first poster posted five comments, each to a different blog entry, that also included a personal insult and a scathing attack on senator Kerry. I deleted them all then posted a comment in the original thread: "I will continue to delete any political comments that have a personal attack in them. I will also continue to delete, and will ban the poster, of any political comments posted on a non-political blog post."

Shortly thereafter the comment thread was bombarded with hate posts. After getting bored with reading about what a horrible person I am, I started deleting anything posted to that thread. I fear I may have deleted a couple of legit comments along with the nasty ones, but I was past caring. A person can only take so much abuse before they get too tired to deal with it. If you posted a legit, non-attack comment to that thread, I apologize. I was a wee bit stressed.

I eventually figured out how to remove the comment thread entirely and did so. It was a hack of a fix, and I don't like it, but I was tired of dealing with anonymous abuse, much of it apparently from the same idiot. You would think that after I banned him the first time he'd take the hint and go find someone else to harass.

Now the same person is posting yet MORE comments, off-topic, to harass me. I'm not sure why this person feels the need to get me to hate him even more, but apparently he's not satisfied with being told to go away. He's also making it sound like I'm deleting some kind of legitimate debate, and pretending to be a different person who "heard" that this was a place where people get banned. Yeah, like people are talking about my blog in a political context. Get real. A civilized person can debate without resorting to personal attacks and lies. This Bush Republican cannot.

He also implied that I'm "forcing" people to listen to my opinions. This is a blog. A PERSONAL weblog. In order to read it, you have to COME TO MY PAGE. This is one reason I like blogs so much. Because the posts are never forced on you. They aren't on a message board where you can't avoid them. They aren't in your e-mail inbox. They are on a website that you have to actively seek out in order to read. The idea that I'm "forcing" my opinion on anybody is ridiculous. If you don't like reading my opinion, DON'T READ MY BLOG. Duh.

Now, on to my opinion:

I've stated many times in the past that I think Bush is the worst president the United States has ever had. I have also stated that I think anyone who votes for Bush this year, knowing what he's done to destroy the United States, is either completely misinformed or so rich they don't have to care. A vote for Bush is a vote against freedom.

Bush had his opportunites. He had the entire freaking world on his side when he went into Afghanistan. All he had to do was finish the job and take out Bin Laden. Instead, he deserted our troops in Afghanistan by putting our resources into a completely unrelated invasion. He resorted to false evidence to build a case against a country that wasn't involved in the terrorist attacks AT ALL, then invaded that country with the entire world against him. And he might have pulled it out if he'd at least done a good job there, but he couldn't even do that much! There was no forward planning whatsoever, and the whole thing has become a horrible shambles. For every good thing happening in Iraq, there are twenty bad things... and the death toll continues to rise. Instead of strengthening the United States, he's made our military dangerously weak by bogging us down in a country we never should have entered in the first place. He sent our troops off to fight imaginary threats to our country when the real threats still loom large, from Bin Laden to Korea.

That alone is enough reason to get rid of him, but he has messed up on every other front as well! He's done absolutely nothing right since getting into office. He's weakened the economy, done his best to destroy public schools, taken away constutitional freedoms in the name of security, sat around in photo ops while the country was being attacked, and taken more vacations than any other sitting president has ever taken in the history of this country. It's simply amazing that anyone can believe he's worth re-electing.

I've also stated more than once that I'm not a big Kerry fan. I do, however, believe that his record is light-years better than Bush's on everything from national defense to economics, and anyone who takes the time to actually look at his record, instead of listening to Rush, will see the truth. The Bush Republican smear machine doesn't actually look at his real voting record, apparently. They just look at bits of bills and ignore any evidence that doesn't support their claims.

I've actually grown to appreciate Kerry's record more thanks to the Republican smear machine. I thought he had a pretty crappy record until the Swift Boat Liars came along and made it clear that Republicans have no respect for the truth this year. If not for their lies, I wouldn't have taken the time to check Kerry's record for myself... something I STRONGLY urge anyone who thinks they know his record because they have listened to the media to do. Don't rely on the media this year. As for me, anything I say will just be taken as Leftist propaganda, and perhaps fairly so. Don't trust someone else to do your work for you. Do it yourself.

I don't have the energy or time to get into a lengthy political debate, especially not this year when it turns nasty so quickly. All it took was one reply from me before the personal attacks started to come out. I'm tired of deleting notes from abusive Republicans. The election isn't for eight weeks, but I'm done with it. If you plan on voting for Bush, don't tell me. It'll make me think much much less of you (if you say "I'm voting for Bush" to me, I'll hear "I'm a complete moron who hates America"). And in the meantime, I have no intention of posting anything directly related to the presidential election itself from this point on.

That's right. Nothing related to Bush or Kerry or any other political party. I reserve the right to continue to complain about voting machines, as I think they are a very serious problem. I also reserve the right to report with relief when I send in my absentee ballot (though I will not be repeating at that point who I am voting for). I reserve the right to complain about the so-called "Patriot Act" and the so-called "No Child Left Behind", but if I do I'll stick with the actual effects of the acts and not the political jokers behind them. I also reserve the right to report news from Iraq that I find interesting, both good and bad. I will attempt to avoid putting such news in a political context, though. I will delete any comments that are political from here on out. You'll note that this entry does not have comments. That's intentional. I don't want to hear from you.

See, I've made up my mind, and my Bush Republican Troll has further convinced me. Nothing anyone can say will change my mind on this matter. I know who I am voting for, and I know why. There is no longer any point to any debate. I suppose I should thank the troll for solidifying my resolve. So thank you, mister troll... and if you don't like my opinion, stop reading my blog. So simple, and yet apparently so hard for trolls to master.

Now, if you want debate, here are some good places to visit: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Eschaton, Blah3.com, This Modern World, Talking Points Memo, OxBlog, The Volokh Conspiracy, BuzzMachine, Instapundit, Pacific Views, and Crooked Timber. From those blogs you can find other blogs that are actually political blogs, not a comic book blogger that occasionally mentioned politics because her country has become so utterly polarized. Going to a comic book blog for political debate is like going to an ice cream shop to find diet food. It's possible, but you aren't going to get the best stuff.

by Tegan at 2:24 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Birds of Prey #73: Please let this storyline be over with. And please get a better artist for the bits with Oracle. The jumping back and forth between artists was very distracting in this issue. And the storyline is still very weak. I'm beginning to think about dropping this book again.

Swamp Thing #7: My enthusiasm for this book is considerably dampened by knowing that there will be only two Pfeifer issues. The artwork is also way too cartoony for this character and detracts a bit from the tale. I love the concept of a cryptozoologist finding Swamp Thing, but I'm not entirely sure the whole idea of cryptozoology works in the DCU... although maybe it would just be taken more seriously in a universe where aliens are a known truth. I definitely have mixed feelings on this one. Mildly recommended.

Avengers #86/501: You know it's not a good sign when you read the summary of the last issue on the first page and think "Oh, so that's what was supposed to happen in that issue... why didn't they show that?" This one pulls together a bit better. You actually have an idea of what is going on in it. I'm not sure if the cliffhanger is supposed to be impressive or something more, but I'm feeling unmoved by it. Neutral.

Coming Thursday (if the shipping doesn't screw up again): Bloodhound, Fallen Angel, Green Arrow, JLA, JSA, and Colonia.

by Tegan at 9:49 AM Seattle time - Permalink   

Sunday, September 05, 2004

So Virginia Hey is going to be at Anglicon this year, and I've never seen Farscape before. In fact, I have no clue what it's about, except that Henson is involved in making the aliens. So I got myself a copy and I'm watching the first season...

Farscape [1-01]: Premiere: So far, so good. The plotline makes me think of Blake's 7 meets Lost in Space with a Klingon added just for good measure. And while the show plays it straight, there is clearly a lot of humor and a sense of space opera silliness here. Not a bad start. I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Farscape [1-02]: I, E.T.: This is a good exercise show, because I really want to see what happens next. I can't say that this is an incredibly imaginative show. There are so many standard science fiction elements that at times I find it predictable, but the characters make up for it. The entire concept of the show allows for enough variation on themes to keep it interesting. This episode was a standard "alien lands on planet on the verge of accepting the possibility of alien life" show, and it is nicely done. Particularly with respects to John, the main character, who is still adjusting to the fact that there are aliens as well. As I said, this is a very good exercise show.

Farscape [1-03]: Exodus from Genesis: Spot the science fiction cliche! This episode features aliens that live in space but need warmth to breed, so they get on board Moya, the living ship, and turn up the heat. While lots of the elements in this episode were standard, the way they all fit together was not. Although I wouldn't call the ending a twist, it was good.

Farscape [1-04]: Throne for a Loss: Rygel is remarkably annoying. The science fiction cliche in this one is "society hooked on addictive drugs", but it works because the story focuses on both sides and the result isn't nice and Star Trekky. Nicely done.

Just a quick summing of what I know about the cast so far...

• John Crichton - Human, lost in space, main character, played by Ben Browder
  
• Zhaan - The blue gal, priestess, played by Virginia Hey
  
• D'Argo - The Klingon wannabe, has an awesome "sword", played by Anthony Simcoe
  
• Rygel - Deposed Dominar, the little grey muppet, voiced by Jonathan Hardy
  
• Aeryn - A peacekeeper on the run, looks human but isn't, played by Claudia Black
  
• Moya - The ship, a living creature called a Leviathan
  
• Pilot - The crew's interface with Moya, he's permanently connected to the ship, voiced by Lani Tupu

by Tegan at 9:41 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

Justice League Unlimited: Fearful Symmetry: Getting back to that Superman story in which he was the enemy... nice bit of continuity without too much need for remembering what happened in that tale. And finally we get a story without the major leaguers in the way. I'm particularly pleased to see the Question, a character I know very little about. Nothing special, but a good change of pace from the other stories featuring mostly the original members.

Justice League Unlimited #1: There is one MAJOR continuity problem in this story, which is completely obvious to anyone who watched last season's finale of the show. Hawkgirl is persona non grata at the moment, so why did she show up in the story? Despite that major error, this was a strong story that pushes the concept of the Justice League nicely. Good to see more of Zatanna and Captain Atom, and hey, has the Flash shown up on the TV show this season yet at all? Looking forward to seeing more of this.

Marvel Age Fantastic Four #6: Something about the artwork in this book doesn't impress me at all. I know they are going for an "all-ages" look, but it just looks wrong to me. I like Namor (gee, big surprise) and it's nice to see a bit of him here. Ok, so he's still a villain here, but then Aquaman has been made into a villian as the years progress, too. It seems that the further along they go, the closer together the two get. But I digress... this was a cute little story which I seem to recall having read or seen before. A nice one for kids to read.

Still to review: Birds of Prey, Swamp Thing, and Avengers.

by Tegan at 1:17 PM Seattle time - Permalink   

My heart goes out to everyone in the path of hurricane Frances. Good luck, and stay safe.

Olympic Posters. See how the Olympic games were promoted throughout the ages. Via MetaFilter.

How to write stuffed nose in Chinese. The fun of this one is in the comments below. Fascinating stuff. Also via MetaFilter.

You may owe your life to Stanislav Petrov. Raise a glass to the great unsung hero of the Cold War.

Another flower from Nancy's Garden.

by Tegan at 11:00 AM Seattle time - Permalink