Category: editorial

A big technology dump…and props to Wendy Davis

As I write this, fear not for my mood. I am “jamming” the Toy Dolls, and thus in quite a reasonably good state of mind.

Tonight my now 7-year old MacBook took a big dump. I turned it on, it began to book up, put the background image, but would not build my desktop. I tried several times, and each time a big, stinking, slimy, dump.

Thank “BOB” I back up my machine regularly. As I sit her listening to “Ernie Had A Hernia”, my poor old electronic friend attempts to reload from the last backup. Since it is, in fact, rebuilding, it seems the parts are all working. Doubtless the Pinks sabotaged my software. No matter. I am bigger than them.

It has not been a wonderful month for technology in my sphere of influence. In the 100 degree Texas summer heat, my car’s AC dumped on me last week.  Our “new” vacuum cleaner took a dump on me last night, refusing to create a vacuum though the motors all seem to be running. After practically taking the whole damned thing apart  I have failed to diagnose the problem. So it is mentally filed in the mind-cabinet under the category “Currently Fucked Up.”

I suppose while I’m writing I should mention the powerful and brave performance of Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, who stood in front of the Texas Senate for over 12 hours the other night to filibuster an anti-abortion bill that would have reduced not only access to abortion for Texas women, but also associated medical services. Our cowardly and stupid Lt. Governor actually tried to falsify the time stamp of the final vote, after a gallery full of citizens stood up for their rights and shouted the GOP pinks down.

Our neanderthal Governor has already called another special legislative session, and will spend close to $1 million on it, in order to force the bill through. I suspect it will pass this time, but not without a lot of debate.

Thanks and mad props to Senator Davis, however, for at least trying to keep evolution moving in the right direction. It is a hard fight, and she has guts.

 

 

Too Much Freedom

The news has been full of crazy stuff lately. The Boston bombings. The fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. The three weirdos who held those women captive for years in Cleveland. The psychos at the NRA convention in Houston afraid of their own shadows.

All of these things and more made me think of this quote:

“Not enough samurai in the world today. Just a bunch of assholes running wild with much too much freedom.”

Henry Rollins, in his book Solipsist

Giving a Damn

Since my dad died a few years ago, and then my mother-in-law a few months later, the list of stuff I actually care about has grown very short. Death puts things in perspective. This is a good thing. A weird gift.

That is all.

 

 

DC Comics – ohhhhh the confusion

A few months ago I began reading a few comics, after years of really not paying a lot of attention.

What got me interested again is the new title Thor: God of Thunder, written by Jason Aaron with fantastic art by Esad Ribic. I saw a few pages online and it made me curious to see it. Great stuff. One reason I’d avoided comics is that the titles have become very confusing. You have to buy LOTS of comics to keep up, and they are expensive. Thor: God of Thunder is more or less standalone, and really does a great job of getting at what makes the character tic.

Which brings me to DC Comics, and their “New 52” – yet another attempt to reinvent the DC Universe and characters and make them interesting to contemporary readers. I’ve checked out some of the books, and with one exception (Constantine) I don’t find them interesting or compelling.

I could go on and on with reasoning, but comics are a visual medium, so let me just present you with two images of Superman, THE iconic superhero. On top, Superman from the Kingdom Come series, and below Superman from the New 52.

superman
Superman, from the Kingdom Come series.

Do I really have to say it?

The Kingdom Come Superman looks like Superman. He looks tough. He looks powerful. He is iconic.

On the other hand, “new” “superman” below looks, well, not like Superman. Seriously – does anyone actually buy this bullshit? This is what Superman would look like if a fashion designer created the character. What’s with the hair? And armor? His costume is supposed to be some kind of Kryptonian battle suit. Uhhh…did they forget that he is invulnerable?

New Superman
Superman from the New 52.

Every time I see this shit it just makes me want to hurl.

DC has done the same thing to each and every one of their classic characters. What an abortion.  Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, even Batman.

The great comics series don’t really “reinvent” their characters. Rather, they rediscover what makes the characters great. Kingdom Come did this. It rediscovered the greatness of the original Justice League characters. Rather than trying to turn the DC Universe into the Marvel Universe, KC celebrated the awesomeness of the DC characters, and contrasted them with the “new” sort of superheroes.

Thor: God of Thunder does the same thing. Jason Aaron got it right. He took a Marvel Universe character and got back to the basics — to the fundamental concepts that have made the character popular for decades. Kingdom Come got it right too.

Hopefully soon it will be revealed that the whole New 52 was simply one of Jimmy Olsen’s nightmares, and he’ll wake, and the whole thing will be over.