Seeing as I'm really the only one reading this, I'll guess I'll answer myself.
Thanksgiving means lots of things, but mostly it should mean exactly what is says. Give thanks for what you have, not what you want.
Me?
I have a bunch to be thankful for.
-I'm alive.
-I have a wife and family that love me despite all my faults and problems.
-I work with some people who I do truly enjoy working with and I hope they enjoy working with me.
-Our boys. Just turned 1 and have brought some happiness into our lives.
-Our new place. Still a work in progress, but we enjoy it.
-My friends, who I really don't get to see as much of anymore. I miss them all and I hope that they miss me at times too.
Think that's about it for now. So go and enjoy the day. If you have to work, you have my sympathy. I've been there and it sucks. Hopefully your day will bring you something to be thankful for.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Not the biggest news here.
Hey there.
It's been the talk of the 'net lately. The fact that DC is shutting down its Wildstorm imprint and folding the books into the DCU proper. I have a small vested interest in this. I love ASTRO CITY and have been a huge fan of most of it's books. Hopefully, they will allow that one to go into the Vertigo side of things, since that is the creator owned side of DC. But other than that, it doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Jim Lee is a big gun in DC Entertainment now, so he has a right to do with his imprint (it is his after all) to do with what he wants. He did foster some great creators and some decent titles, so give the man his due. But to me this is not the biggest news to hit the 'net this week.
No, the biggest shock to me was the fact that Jim Martin, a man whose opinion on comics I respect in a big way, is taking a step back from both his blog (Comics and...) and from the comics in general. I read his post about why he is doing this and as usual, I get his reasoning behind it. Time, money and quality are issues that most adult comic readers have to deal with. Commitments to work, family and so on take precedence over sitting and reading about the latest exploits of Superman or Batman. I met Jim a few years ago when we started doing the Cosmic Comix Conversations together. He brought a reasoned mature and (at times) a cynical approach that was a balance to my fanboy, geeky, sometimes stupid take on books. I am sure that he will continue to read the "cape books" as he calls them, in one form or another. Still, I have looked forward to reading his reviews on the big books of the day. I will miss that. Much more than that, I miss the back and forth that we had on the show. I never told him this, but I looked forward to that. Maybe it wasn't apparent at the time, but I appreciated his viewpoint on the books. May not have liked it, but I appreciated it.
Good luck Jim. Hope to see you around the store sometime.
It's been the talk of the 'net lately. The fact that DC is shutting down its Wildstorm imprint and folding the books into the DCU proper. I have a small vested interest in this. I love ASTRO CITY and have been a huge fan of most of it's books. Hopefully, they will allow that one to go into the Vertigo side of things, since that is the creator owned side of DC. But other than that, it doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Jim Lee is a big gun in DC Entertainment now, so he has a right to do with his imprint (it is his after all) to do with what he wants. He did foster some great creators and some decent titles, so give the man his due. But to me this is not the biggest news to hit the 'net this week.
No, the biggest shock to me was the fact that Jim Martin, a man whose opinion on comics I respect in a big way, is taking a step back from both his blog (Comics and...) and from the comics in general. I read his post about why he is doing this and as usual, I get his reasoning behind it. Time, money and quality are issues that most adult comic readers have to deal with. Commitments to work, family and so on take precedence over sitting and reading about the latest exploits of Superman or Batman. I met Jim a few years ago when we started doing the Cosmic Comix Conversations together. He brought a reasoned mature and (at times) a cynical approach that was a balance to my fanboy, geeky, sometimes stupid take on books. I am sure that he will continue to read the "cape books" as he calls them, in one form or another. Still, I have looked forward to reading his reviews on the big books of the day. I will miss that. Much more than that, I miss the back and forth that we had on the show. I never told him this, but I looked forward to that. Maybe it wasn't apparent at the time, but I appreciated his viewpoint on the books. May not have liked it, but I appreciated it.
Good luck Jim. Hope to see you around the store sometime.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Man, It's been strange!
Hey there anyone.
Well, we've done it. We've finally moved. Got ourselves out into the country. It took a while, but things are slowly starting to settle down. I think I made the right decision to take a week off from work after the move to try and get things going here. The boys (our cats) took awhile to get used to things, like the utter darkness that comes at night around here. No streetlights to speak of, so when it gets dark it gets REALLY dark. Also, they've had to adjust to the floors being different. Not as much carpeting in the new place, and no central A/C. Good thing we moved at the end of the summer, don't know how we would have made out during that brutal stretch in July. I think it was 10 or more days over 90 with a heat index of 100. Anyway, it's a time of adjustment for everyone. Hopefully, if things go certain ways, we will be having friends and family over more to party and such.
I missed out on the Baltimore Comic-Con. Totally bummed out about it too. I was moving the Saturday of it and was too wiped on Sunday to go. The thing that really bummed me out was the fact that I was not able to help out my buddy Rusty, and his store. I have done it every year for about the past 5 or so years and I really look forward to doing the show. Meeting some creators, maybe getting an autograph or two, and seeing some of the cool things that you may not find other places. Oh well, hopefully there will be a next year for me to do something.
Well, that's about it for now. I know that these posts have been few and far between, but I will do my level best to try and get them up more frequently. Until next time, be good!
Well, we've done it. We've finally moved. Got ourselves out into the country. It took a while, but things are slowly starting to settle down. I think I made the right decision to take a week off from work after the move to try and get things going here. The boys (our cats) took awhile to get used to things, like the utter darkness that comes at night around here. No streetlights to speak of, so when it gets dark it gets REALLY dark. Also, they've had to adjust to the floors being different. Not as much carpeting in the new place, and no central A/C. Good thing we moved at the end of the summer, don't know how we would have made out during that brutal stretch in July. I think it was 10 or more days over 90 with a heat index of 100. Anyway, it's a time of adjustment for everyone. Hopefully, if things go certain ways, we will be having friends and family over more to party and such.
I missed out on the Baltimore Comic-Con. Totally bummed out about it too. I was moving the Saturday of it and was too wiped on Sunday to go. The thing that really bummed me out was the fact that I was not able to help out my buddy Rusty, and his store. I have done it every year for about the past 5 or so years and I really look forward to doing the show. Meeting some creators, maybe getting an autograph or two, and seeing some of the cool things that you may not find other places. Oh well, hopefully there will be a next year for me to do something.
Well, that's about it for now. I know that these posts have been few and far between, but I will do my level best to try and get them up more frequently. Until next time, be good!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
A bit late, but all things considered....
Better late than never.
Hey gang. Some random comic thoughts for you to ponder.
-BLACKEST NIGHT was terrific. Geoff Johns created a masterpiece that will go down in the annals of DC comics as one of the best mini-series ever. Was self contained, had a beginning, middle and end, some real surprises, and most of all, established Ivan Reis as an artist to watch in the coming years. His work on this was consistent from start to finish. This elevated him to George Perez-like territory.
-Marvel has ended an era that, myself as well as others (right Jim and Rusty?) went on far too long. It ended OK, withe the SIEGE mini being a period on the long plan of Bendis. I don't know if he had this whole thing thought out from the beginning, as Johns did over at DC, and I'm not sure if this whole HEROIC AGE thing will last.
- I think that I am suffering with something called "event fatigue". I just want to enjoy the books I have and not have them constantly interrupted with some sort of tie-in to something else. It is really frustrating to have good storytelling stopped dead in it's tracks by some sort of editorial mandate. Plot threads left dangling for months at a time with little or no resolution just to satisfy sales tends to make hardcore readers of those titles angry and feel like they are being taken advantage of by the companies. Why can't these guys just keep their hands off a book when it's going good? Do they feel they have to justify their existence by meddling? I mean, how many people rolled their eyes when they saw the solicit for that Spider-Man mini being written by Quesada? Considering he's responsible for the mess the books became, is this his way of atoning? Probably not. And I love how these guys can't leave something alone, either a character (Deadpool is this generation's Wolverine) or a line of books that they consolidate only to expand in a few months. Cancelling a title only to pick it back up with a new number is just lazy to me. It smacks of desperation and makes me wonder if the "creative" minds at the top are really creative at all. If you want to restart a book, fine. But for God's sakes, at least let it have been gone for a minimum of a year. I wish there was a governing body that could oversee these companies and say "no, that can't happen. You must abide by these rules." Yes, we can always vote with our wallets. In this economy, now more than ever we can do that. But still it seems to be happening. One shots that replace ongoings, "specials" instead of the more traditional "annuals" and so forth are clogging the racks these days.
OK, that's enough for now. Have more to get off my chest, such as Buffy and Batman, but that will come later.
Be good!
Hey gang. Some random comic thoughts for you to ponder.
-BLACKEST NIGHT was terrific. Geoff Johns created a masterpiece that will go down in the annals of DC comics as one of the best mini-series ever. Was self contained, had a beginning, middle and end, some real surprises, and most of all, established Ivan Reis as an artist to watch in the coming years. His work on this was consistent from start to finish. This elevated him to George Perez-like territory.
-Marvel has ended an era that, myself as well as others (right Jim and Rusty?) went on far too long. It ended OK, withe the SIEGE mini being a period on the long plan of Bendis. I don't know if he had this whole thing thought out from the beginning, as Johns did over at DC, and I'm not sure if this whole HEROIC AGE thing will last.
- I think that I am suffering with something called "event fatigue". I just want to enjoy the books I have and not have them constantly interrupted with some sort of tie-in to something else. It is really frustrating to have good storytelling stopped dead in it's tracks by some sort of editorial mandate. Plot threads left dangling for months at a time with little or no resolution just to satisfy sales tends to make hardcore readers of those titles angry and feel like they are being taken advantage of by the companies. Why can't these guys just keep their hands off a book when it's going good? Do they feel they have to justify their existence by meddling? I mean, how many people rolled their eyes when they saw the solicit for that Spider-Man mini being written by Quesada? Considering he's responsible for the mess the books became, is this his way of atoning? Probably not. And I love how these guys can't leave something alone, either a character (Deadpool is this generation's Wolverine) or a line of books that they consolidate only to expand in a few months. Cancelling a title only to pick it back up with a new number is just lazy to me. It smacks of desperation and makes me wonder if the "creative" minds at the top are really creative at all. If you want to restart a book, fine. But for God's sakes, at least let it have been gone for a minimum of a year. I wish there was a governing body that could oversee these companies and say "no, that can't happen. You must abide by these rules." Yes, we can always vote with our wallets. In this economy, now more than ever we can do that. But still it seems to be happening. One shots that replace ongoings, "specials" instead of the more traditional "annuals" and so forth are clogging the racks these days.
OK, that's enough for now. Have more to get off my chest, such as Buffy and Batman, but that will come later.
Be good!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
News and comments
Hey there all.
First off, I think that I owe you all an apology. After reading over some of the old posts, it appears that I've made the proclamation "I'm back" a bunch. So I promise not to do it again, no matter how long I'm gone.
When I left, the wife and I had just come through the ordeal of losing one of our beloved cats, Penelope. I still miss her and feel her presence from time to time. A month after that, we lost our oldest, Spice. She passed quietly in her sleep during the final big snowfall we had. I took the wife out in the early morning during the beautiful silence that happens during most snows and told her about it. She was upset, but we both felt at peace because we did not have to go through the dilemma of putting her down. There was the plus of the fact that she met the newest additions to our family.
Meet Burt & Benji.
These two boys are our new kids. Seeing as we can't have kids of our own (too long a story to go into), we tend to view our pets as our children. We don't do stupid things like putting clothes on them and other inanity, but still they are our kids. We got them a few months ago when they were about 2 months old. They have already chosen who belongs to who. Burt is a mommy's cat and loves her up for treats and such. Benji, the daredevil, is mine. He comes and loves me up when it's time to eat, sleeps with me when he's tired and loves my feet. No, wait. He REALLY loves my feet. He walks with me everywhere I go. He is usually waiting for me at the door when I come home from work. They are still newborns and have a ton of energy from time to time. That can be helpful, but when you're trying to sleep and they want to play, it's a pain in the butt. Still, we love them and are thankful to have them in our lives.
Well, I think that will do it for now. I have things to get off my chest about comics, but that will wait for the next post.
It won't be six months, I promise.
First off, I think that I owe you all an apology. After reading over some of the old posts, it appears that I've made the proclamation "I'm back" a bunch. So I promise not to do it again, no matter how long I'm gone.
When I left, the wife and I had just come through the ordeal of losing one of our beloved cats, Penelope. I still miss her and feel her presence from time to time. A month after that, we lost our oldest, Spice. She passed quietly in her sleep during the final big snowfall we had. I took the wife out in the early morning during the beautiful silence that happens during most snows and told her about it. She was upset, but we both felt at peace because we did not have to go through the dilemma of putting her down. There was the plus of the fact that she met the newest additions to our family.
Meet Burt & Benji.These two boys are our new kids. Seeing as we can't have kids of our own (too long a story to go into), we tend to view our pets as our children. We don't do stupid things like putting clothes on them and other inanity, but still they are our kids. We got them a few months ago when they were about 2 months old. They have already chosen who belongs to who. Burt is a mommy's cat and loves her up for treats and such. Benji, the daredevil, is mine. He comes and loves me up when it's time to eat, sleeps with me when he's tired and loves my feet. No, wait. He REALLY loves my feet. He walks with me everywhere I go. He is usually waiting for me at the door when I come home from work. They are still newborns and have a ton of energy from time to time. That can be helpful, but when you're trying to sleep and they want to play, it's a pain in the butt. Still, we love them and are thankful to have them in our lives.
Well, I think that will do it for now. I have things to get off my chest about comics, but that will wait for the next post.
It won't be six months, I promise.
Friday, June 4, 2010
After some consideration...
I've decided not to totally blow this blog up.
First off, hi there. It's been awhile since I've done this. To say that things have been hectic is a bit of an understatment. Suffice to say I have been preoccupied with other things rather than throwing my thoughts out into the internet for all to digest. I haven't even looked at this blog in about 2 months (judging by the comments, most of you haven't looked at this at all) so you can imagine my surprize when I saw that I haven't posted in almost half a year.
At first I thought of just flushing the whole thing. I mean, does anybody really give a damn about my opinion on anything? I get tired of hearing my voice from time to time so I know everyone else does. I have said that I am a font of useless information. So why does that need to be added to the already crowded chorus of idiots who patrol on blogs, Facebook, Myspace, etc.? I think I will use the space to try and do a few things. First, to flush the feelings and sometimes hopeless out of me so that I can give a more positive energy to my family and friends. Secondly, I do want to express my feelings about things I do care about, like sports and comics. The fact that it is not as insightful as my friends like Jim, Rusty, Matthew and Shawn should not deter me from my feelings and opinions.
So, in summation, I will be out here. Probably alone, but here nonetheless. I will post in a day or so about the losses and additions to my family. As well as some thoughts on comics.
Thanks for checking in and stopping by.
First off, hi there. It's been awhile since I've done this. To say that things have been hectic is a bit of an understatment. Suffice to say I have been preoccupied with other things rather than throwing my thoughts out into the internet for all to digest. I haven't even looked at this blog in about 2 months (judging by the comments, most of you haven't looked at this at all) so you can imagine my surprize when I saw that I haven't posted in almost half a year.
At first I thought of just flushing the whole thing. I mean, does anybody really give a damn about my opinion on anything? I get tired of hearing my voice from time to time so I know everyone else does. I have said that I am a font of useless information. So why does that need to be added to the already crowded chorus of idiots who patrol on blogs, Facebook, Myspace, etc.? I think I will use the space to try and do a few things. First, to flush the feelings and sometimes hopeless out of me so that I can give a more positive energy to my family and friends. Secondly, I do want to express my feelings about things I do care about, like sports and comics. The fact that it is not as insightful as my friends like Jim, Rusty, Matthew and Shawn should not deter me from my feelings and opinions.
So, in summation, I will be out here. Probably alone, but here nonetheless. I will post in a day or so about the losses and additions to my family. As well as some thoughts on comics.
Thanks for checking in and stopping by.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
New year...same results
Hey gang, hope you all had a decent holiday season.
For us, not so much. Well, the holidays themselves were OK. Had to work both Christmas and New Years Eve, so that blew. The center store manager, Kevin, was a great guy and let us come in early and leave at a respectable time so we could enjoy some of the holidays. Man, is he really on the crew's side as far as work, and that scares me. Guys who know what the job entails and really understand what is needed for us to do don't last very long at the store. I hope he stays for a while, but I'm not holding my breath.
As for the Ravens, it was an up and down season. I'm glad they made the playoffs and embarrassed the Patriots, considering no one gave them a chance. Especially that fat load Chris Berman of ESPN. Man, I hate that asshat! Dude must spend his down time giving Tom Brady a reach around whenever he calls him. But I digress. I was disappointed that they lost to the colts, AGAIN. Didn't even feel real competitive in the 2nd half. There were some big improvements to this team. Ray Rice and the offense made strides, but I think they need to find a balance for Flacco. Last year, they ran some great plays that had teams off balance. This year, not so much. Don't know why, maybe Cam Cameron was trying to establish a more traditional offense. However, the loss exposed the needs of this team. They MUST improve both the receiving and secondary corps, either through the draft or free agency.
On a final, sad note, we had to put our cat Penelope down the first week of the year. She had been sick for a while and we loved her too much to watch her suffer. The vets at Carrolltown Veterinary Hospital were and are truly magnificent. They took great care of her and us, giving us time and space to say goodbye. They were heartfelt in their sympathy for us, even sending a handmade sympathy card signed by the whole staff.
I have had many pets over the years. But there has only been 3 that have touched the soul of my core and made me a better person for their presence in my life. Henri, Beau, and now Penelope will always hold a deeply special place in my heart and I miss her in ways that I cannot explain properly.
R.I.P. Penelope. Your mom and dad miss you very much.Later, folks.
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