Cyclic Synchronicity

2007-05-01T09:21:00.000-05:00

I'M ON LOW AUTHORITY.

Explanation:

The Low Authority Group [D-List Bloggers]
(3-9 blogs linking in the last 6 months)
The average blog age (the number of days that the blog has been in existence) is about 228 days, which shows a real commitment to blogging. However, bloggers of this type average only 12 posts per month, meaning that their posting habits are generally dedicated but infrequent.

(Via Comics212, who's a B-lister.)

2007-04-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

WHEN FICTION TURNS CORNY.

I get it. But there's no reason this mineralogist should be cracking this joke.

LONDON (Reuters) - Kryptonite, which robbed Superman of his powers, is no longer the stuff of comic books and films.

A mineral found by geologists in Serbia shares virtually the same chemical composition as the fictional kryptonite from outer space, used by the superhero's nemesis Lex Luther to weaken him in the film "Superman Returns."

"We will have to be careful with it -- we wouldn't want to deprive Earth of its most famous superhero!," said Dr Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at London's Natural History Museum.

It would be one thing if it shared the same characteristics, but:

But instead of the large green crystals in Superman comics, the real thing is a white, powdery substance which contains no fluorine and is non-radioactive.

2007-04-15T18:08:00.000-05:00

A HOPPING BRUNCH.

I brunched (if that's not a verb, it should be) at The Wicked Hop today. I ordered the Fat Boy:

Three eggs with cheddar and Jack Cheeses, sauteed onions, mushrooms, red & green peppers, fresh tomatoes and avocado. Served with a side of sun dried tomatoes and sour cream.

It was very delicious (but I had sans mushrooms). I do think it would have been better had I a bit more avocado, but it was OK with the amount they gave me. However, it was the service that was poor. I didn't get a refill on my coffee (which cost $2.25). Plus our waitress didn't ask how our meal was in the middle of our meal.

The food was good, but the service was lackluster.

2007-04-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

LUNCHING & BRUNCHING.

Last week I went to Cafe Hollander on Milwaukee's East Side and came away pretty impressed. Although I wasn't entirely satisfied with the service -- I waited too long for dessert -- I was impressed with the food.

I had the Cafe Club:

Roast turkey, apple wood smoked bacon, red onion, green apples, white cheddar and sweet chili sauce served on toasted country French bread with roasted garlic aioli

It was delicious and would easily order it again. The ingredients blended well and the fries that accompanied the sandwich were delicious, too.

2007-04-05T10:15:00.000-05:00

END OF THE LINE.

The Luna Brothers' comic, "Girls," is set to finish soon, as The Comics Review reports. I've seen it before, but never thought about purchasing it. Now maybe I'll wait for the trade.

2007-03-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

EATING THROUGH THE WINDY CITY.

I was in Chicago last week, and I stopped by a few places for some grub.

The first place was Cavanaugh's for lunch (see the outside of the building). There, I had the Roast Turkey Club with fries and a soda. I also learned that Chicago isn't very forgiving on their price points for soda. Mine was $2.25 for a standard size, maybe 20 fluid ounces, and my waiter didn't give me a refill. It was a delicious meal, however, as the club was packed with turkey and the fries weren't overburdening, which is generally the case at restaurants nowadays.

For supper, I went to Fornetto & Mel's Kitchen. It's a nicely remodeled place inside the Best Western on Michigan Avenue. Yes, I stayed at that hotel. My girlfriend and I dined heavily, ordering a salad from the salad bar, some vegetable potstickers and two "individually sized" servings of Margherita Pizza. I put that in quotes because they bill them as individual pizzas, but when you get them, they're easily 10 inches in diameter. They have a great price for them, but it's just a bit misleading in terms of how much you think you'll eat.

The next day, we dined at Yolk, which was right next to our hotel. The place had a great upbeat contemporary feel. The colors really added to that. My fare for that morning:

SANTA FE FRITATTA
Bacon, avocado, and three cheeses scrambled with green peppers, green onions, and grilled red diced potatoes. Topped with sour cream and salsa.

It was delicious and something I wouldn't normally try. And I had the wheat toast with it. One of the great things about the place was that they don't butter the toast. Instead, they give you whipped butter at your table and you can control how much you put on.

For lunch, after wandering around the loop for the better part of the day, we dined at the House of Blues. It certainly had an eclectic air about it. The service wasn't too great. We received some cornbread that we thought was free. But the surprise was ours when we got the bill and found it cost about $5. The food, however, was pretty good. It consisted of a ceasar salad and Mac and Cheese.

It was a delicious way to eat around Chicago, and my stomach is happier for it.

2007-03-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

I'LL DRINK TO THAT.

Anytime Leinenkugel's introduces a new beer, I get excited.

2007-03-19T16:16:00.000-05:00

NEW DISCOVERIES.

At the comic book store last week, I was browsing through the manga to find a couple of new titles to latch onto. I used the Tokyopop discount offer to get a sampling of their offerings, mostly American-made manga, but I did order "Dragon Head." I can't stop reading good things other bloggers have to say about that title.

But I did find a couple that garnered more than an eyeful from me. Those were Mushishi (Del Ray) and Shaman Warrior (Dark Horse; more here, here and here).

They both look like interesting titles that I'll try in the near future. Right now the titles I read with any regularity are "Initial D," "Banana Fish," "Crying Freeman," "Phoenix," "Buddha," and, yes, "Naruto."

UPDATE: PopCultureShock has a review of "Shaman Warrior."

2007-03-15T09:50:00.000-05:00

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: I was at home watching that movie last night ("For Your Consideration") and the film was about to begin. As the opening credits rolled by, there was one that really intrigued me.

It was the credit for Warner Independent Pictures, the company that had put out the film. Now, that wasn't really interesting, until the label "A Time Warner Company" appeared underneath its logo.

On the company's site, it describes itself:

As part of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Warner Independent Pictures will fill a niche in what is otherwise a fully integrated, broad-based global entertainment company. Warner Independent Pictures will provide and outlet where artists can express their vision, where ideas and controversies can be aired, where new talent can grow, where new styles and techniques can develop, where the conventional wisdom of tomorrow can first take shape.

It's interesting. But there's something that just doesn't sit right with me to put "Independent" in the name of the company when it is obviously anything but.

2007-03-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

STANDING PAT: The Green Bay Packers haven't really made any splash in the free agency period, serving as a contrast to last year when they went out and signed defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and safety Marquand Manuel.

With running backs going in free agency (including Ahman Green to Houston), the Packers have looked on while other teams sorted it out. The team only has Vernand Morency left.

(Morency; courtesy of Green Bay Packers)

The team's biggest need right now is RB. Who's out there:

Corey Dillon
Chris Brown
Correll Buckhalter

The team, if it doesn't land one in free agency, should really seek to get one in the draft. Already, speculation is out that they will nab either Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma or Marshawn Lynch of California.

2007-03-10T09:57:00.000-06:00

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: Over at Comics Worth Reading, I've missed a discussion this week centering on Free Comic Book Day. There's a couple of posts over there worth reading.

2007-03-02T13:16:00.000-06:00

FREE MANGA:

It's a deal no matter which way you look at it, and TangognaT is the one providing the materials.

2006-06-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE: The next big thing from IDW?

2006-06-11T10:34:00.000-05:00

DANGLING MODIFIER ALERT!

As for whether Swarts was running the receivership and not his less-expensive son, Swarts said that Mahan had set the same fee for both of them.

It's in this good LA Times series on justice in Las Vegas.

2006-06-10T12:31:00.000-05:00

BOB BURDEN is doing a new Gumby comic? Interesting. (Earlier preview here.)

2006-06-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

THERE'S SOME NICE COMICS coming out soon:

Can't Get No
Devil May Cry
The Surrogates

2006-06-03T11:54:00.000-05:00

IT'S TIME TO ALERT that "home in on" is not the same as "hone in on."

The latter, of course, is correct.

2006-05-12T19:47:00.000-05:00

I REFUSE BLOG.

When will writers learn that people "refuse to comment" and not "refuse comment"? Mediaweek needs that lesson.

Also, it looks weird when "7th Heaven" starts out the story without quote marks. Weird.

2006-04-24T08:45:00.000-05:00

TALKING HEADS AS SOURCES.

OK, I can understand Rep. Jane Harman as a source, but why John Kerry? Simply because he got his mug on the Sunday talk circuit? Yeesh.

2006-01-29T10:24:00.000-06:00

FALSE RANGES.

Nicole Stockdale reprints comments from John McIntyre on false ranges.

What is the continuum on which one can place the Dalai Lama and M. Scott Peck, Lou Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's disease, Black Sabbath and Franz Ferdinand? The construction the writers could have used more precisely is that these authors, diseases, performers, topics, whatever are as diverse as.

2006-01-20T08:37:00.000-06:00

WATCH THOSE ACRONYMS.

Don't call the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 the FISA Act, because it's not the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Act.

2006-01-18T12:48:00.000-06:00

NFL PICKS, CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Pittsburgh at Denver
Carolina at Seattle

2006-01-18T12:45:00.000-06:00

NFL PICK RESULTS, DIVISIONAL WEEKEND.

Week 19: 1-3, 25%

Week 18: 2-2, 50%
Week 17: 8-8, 50%
Week 16: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 15: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 14: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 13: 14-2, 87.5%
Week 12: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 137-99, 58.05%

2006-01-18T12:35:00.000-06:00

ADDED TO MY WISH LIST:

Astro
The Tourist
I Luv Halloween
East Coast Rising

2006-01-12T15:48:00.001-06:00

NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS.

Washington at Seattle
New England at Denver
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis
Carolina at Chicago

2006-01-11T21:43:00.000-06:00

BRIAN WOOD TALKS more Demo.

2006-01-11T21:42:00.000-06:00

STATE OF THE COMICS UNION.

IDW and AdHouse.

2006-01-10T11:14:00.000-06:00

GRAY HORSES: a preview of Hope Larson comic from Oni Press.

2006-01-09T10:01:00.000-06:00

NFL PICK RESULTS, WILD CARD WEEKEND.

2-2, 50%

2006-01-05T09:41:00.000-06:00

WILD CARD WEEKEND NFL PICKS.

Washington at Tampa Bay
Jacksonville at New England
Carolina at N.Y. Giants
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

2006-01-05T09:28:00.000-06:00

WEEK 17 NFL RESULTS.

Week 17: 8-8, 50%
Week 16: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 15: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 14: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 13: 14-2, 87.5%
Week 12: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 134-94, 58.77%

2006-01-04T11:10:00.000-06:00

WHY EDITING FOR THE INTERNET MATTERS.

The Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Green Bay Packers round out the top five picks. Mike Sherman was another coaching casualty for the Packers on Monday. (Emphasis mine.)

How many other coaches did the Packers fire on Monday?

(Whole story here.)

2006-01-02T14:36:00.000-06:00

MORE COMIC BOOKNESS.

The Push Man and Other Stories, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Planetes, Vol. 3, by Makoto Yukimura
Finder: King of the Cats and Finder: Dream Sequence, both by Carla Speed McNeil
No. 5, part 2, by Taiyo Matsuinoto

2005-12-30T15:45:00.000-06:00

HOSTY V. CARTER UPDATE!

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan asked the U.S. Supreme Court to refuse to hear a college newspaper censorship case that has prompted concern by free press advocates.
In her brief in opposition to the petition for high court review requested by student journalists at Governors State University, Madigan argued that the case present neither the context nor the issues deserving of Supreme Court consideration.

2005-12-30T14:52:00.000-06:00

WEEK 17 NFL PICKS.

Denver at San Diego
N.Y. Giants at Oakland
Arizona at Indianapolis
Baltimore at Cleveland
Buffalo at N.Y. Jets
Carolina at Atlanta
Cincinnati at Kansas City
Detroit at Pittsburgh
Miami at New England
New Orleans at Tampa Bay
Seattle at Green Bay
Houston at San Francisco
Tennessee at Jacksonville
Chicago at Minnesota
Washington at Philadelphia
St. Louis at Dallas

2005-12-30T14:36:00.000-06:00

COMIC BOOK STORE BOOTY.

Planetes, Vol. 4, part 2
The Couriers 2: Dirtbike Manifesto
Night Fisher
Pure Trance
Transformers #0 (IDW)
Sixgun Samurai #1
Fell #2, 3

2005-12-28T10:51:00.000-06:00

FROM THE INBOX.

The Grimoire #4
Sebastien Caisse, story; Djief, art
Speakeasy Comics
32 pages
$2.99

I read this a couple of weeks ago and I'm just blogging about it now. The art was OK, a bit cartoonish but simple and conceptually good. However, I think it looks like a lot of other art out there and wasn't sure it brought anything different from Djief. Otherwise, the book was forgettable and, indeed, I did so.

Grade: D

2005-12-28T10:47:00.000-06:00

FROM THE INBOX.

DMZ #1 and #2
Brian Wood, story; Riccardo Burchielli, art
Vertigo
$2.95

DMZ is the story of a war-torn New York and how those who are trapped in the middle try to make a life out of it. As always, Brian Wood's story is excellent and I do think the choice of Burchielli for the art was appropriate. As a wait-for-the-trade person, I will say I bought each individual issue of Demo and will probably do the same for DMZ. I thought the second issue was just a bit weaker than the first, but overall the series should be interesting.

Grade: A-

2005-12-28T10:08:00.000-06:00

WEEK 16 NFL PICK RESULTS.

Week 16: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 15: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 14: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 13: 14-2, 87.5%
Week 12: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 126-86, 59.43%

2005-12-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

CHRIS BUTCHER BRINGS NEWS of a Belle & Sebastian-themed comics anthology.

2005-12-27T08:56:00.000-06:00

NO, IT'S NOT.

Last night, I was watching "NFL Live" on ESPN. The hosts were talking about the last Monday Night Football game on ABC. They mentioned that on the first MNF game, the Jets lost 31-21 and that last night, during the last game, the Jets lost 31-21.

And, the host said, isn't that ironic?

2005-12-24T13:07:00.000-06:00

SETH FISHER RULES.

I think I found new wallpaper.

2005-12-24T13:04:00.000-06:00

CHRISTMAS COMICS WISH LIST.

2020 Visions
Buddha
Capote in Kansas
The Couriers 02: Dirtbike Manifesto
The Couriers 03: The Ballad of Johnny Funwrecker
Finder: King of the Cats, Vol. 3
Finder: Talisman, Vol. 4
Finder: Dream Sequence, Vol. 5
Finder: Mystery Date, Vol. 6
Finder: The Rescuers, Vol. 7
The Fountain
Full Moon Fever
Hello
Moped Army
Night Fisher
Planetes Vol. 3
Planetes Vol. 4, part 2
Pure Trance
Pyongyang
Salamander Dream
SPX Anthology

2005-12-23T09:55:00.000-06:00

WEEK 16 NFL PICKS.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay
Buffalo at Cincinnati
Dallas at Carolina
Detroit at New Orleans
Jacksonville at Houston
N.Y. Giants at Washington
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
San Diego at Kansas City
San Francisco at St. Louis
Tennessee at Miami
Philadelphia at Arizona
Indianapolis at Seattle
Oakland at Denver
Chicago at Green Bay
Minnesota at Baltimore
New England at N.Y. Jets

2005-12-21T19:49:00.000-06:00

COMIC BOOK HAUL TODAY:

Finder: Sin-Eater, Vol. 2
Smoke
Channel Zero: Jennie One
DMZ #2
Local #2
Atomika #1
Night Light Comics mini comic

2005-12-21T10:43:00.000-06:00

WEEK 15 NFL PICK RESULTS.

Week 15: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 14: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 13: 14-2, 87.5%
Week 12: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 115-81, 58.67%

2005-12-20T16:43:00.000-06:00

ELK'S RUN FOR FREE: issue one and issue three.

(Via Johanna.)

2005-12-19T20:34:00.000-06:00

READ ABOUT BRIAN WOOD'S DEMO proposal here.

2005-12-19T20:33:00.000-06:00

DMZ #2 REVIEW at The Fourth Rail.

2005-12-17T14:37:00.000-06:00

MORE ON SPEAKEASY COMICS.

(Via NeilAlien.)

2005-12-17T14:04:00.000-06:00

BIO BOY CREATOR SAL CIPRIANO INTERVIEW over at The Comics Review.

2005-12-17T14:02:00.000-06:00

NEWSARAMA INTERVIEW WITH DARREN ARONOFSKY about his graphic novel, The Fountain.

2005-12-17T11:50:00.000-06:00

WEEK 15 NFL PICKS.

Tampa Bay at New England
Kansas City at N.Y. Giants
Denver at Buffalo
Arizona at Houston
Carolina at New Orleans
N.Y. Jets at Miami
Philadelphia at St. Louis
Pittsburgh at Minnesota
San Diego at Indianapolis
Seattle at Tennessee
San Francisco at Jacksonville
Cincinnati at Detroit
Cleveland at Oakland
Dallas at Washington
Atlanta at Chicago
Green Bay at Baltimore

2005-12-17T11:44:00.000-06:00

WEEK 14 NFL PICK RESULTS.

Week 14: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 13: 14-2, 87.5%
Week 12: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 104-76, 57.78%

2005-12-15T20:12:00.000-06:00

ADDED TO MY TO READ LIST:

"Slam Dunks and No-Brainers: Language in Your Life, the Media, Business, Politics, and, Like, Whatever."

2005-12-15T20:02:00.000-06:00

COPY EDITORS FIGHT BACK.

2005-12-15T14:17:00.000-06:00

2005-12-15T14:09:00.001-06:00

THE BIGGEST NEWSPAPER ERRORS this year.

(Via Romenesko.)

2005-12-15T14:09:00.000-06:00

RYAN MCLELLAND OF NEWSARAMA'S Your Indy Weekly features Lackluster World #3 (I previously reviewed issue #1) and Raised By Squirrels.

(Yeah, they're both old reviews, but I just found them this week.)

2005-12-08T18:38:00.000-06:00

RYAN DUNLAVEY has a full preview of Action Philosophers #1 available on his site.

2005-12-08T18:36:00.000-06:00

THE ROLE OF A COMIC BOOK READER.

That's the discussion that's been going on around the comics blogosphere. James Meeley got it started by discussing how fans act as the "face" of comics.

We represent, to them (non-comics readers), the type of people who read comics. When they see displays of personal insults slung at creators and other fans, over something as insignificant as a work of fiction, it lessens us all. It hurts the industry. It makes it look undesirable and a haven for the intellectually and emotionally stunted. And who'd rationally want to be a part of that? Can you blame potential new readers for not wanting to be a part of comics, knowing that's the behavior they'll deal with if they want to talk about the work?

Ed Cunard disagrees (last item in the post):

You see, readers don't have to be a part of comics--it's entirely possible to like something without being wholly invested in it.

Chris takes more of a middle road:

While I think James is right that fans are, more often than not, the public face of the medium (as opposed to the characters or, as in other creative media, the creators), I doubt that most outside of this culture think of the sniping, snarking message board troller as the archetypical fan. If I had to guess, I'd say that most think of a comic book guy as, well, Comic Book Guy, from The Simpsons, a physically disheveled, socially crippled collector of ephemera.

John Jakala sums up another very good argument:

The part that I disagree with is the notion that there's some obligation to adhere to some set of standards on how one can express one's opinions. If Chris (or James) had stated that such behavior is an ideal that everyone should attempt to strive for, I would probably agree, but I don't see how the positing of such an ideal creates an obligation on anyone to uphold it. As I see it, an obligation has two essential features: (1) one takes on an obligation by assuming some role that carries with it certain clearly defined expectations; and (2) if those expectations are not met, there is generally some form of censure that can be leveled against the individual failing to fulfill his duties.

Ultimately, if a fan wants to act as a face for the comic book industry, that person can do so. However, that person shouldn't feel obligated to do so. And, certainly, the non-comic book reading public probably won't be deterred from having the opinion that the average comic book reader is someone in the Comic Book Guy mold.

As for myself, I don't particularly see any reason to act as a face for the comic book industry toward people who obviously already have preconceived notions of who a comic book fan is -- I don't feel like fighting an uphill battle. There's certainly enough people out there -- and, perhaps, it's mostly those of a younger age -- who have a more open mind about comics and who don't need to be argued out of an already-existing view of who a comic book fan is. But if I sense people are willing to expand their minds more in terms of who a comic book fan is, I wouldn't hesitate to act as a face for comic books -- I just don't see it as an obligation.

UPDATE: Apparently drew has some thoughts on this as well.

2005-12-08T07:52:00.000-06:00

WEEK 14 NFL PICKS.

Chicago at Pittsburgh
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Houston at Tennessee
Indianapolis at Jacksonville
New England at Buffalo
Oakland at N.Y. Jets
St. Louis at Minnesota
Tampa Bay at Carolina
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia
San Francisco at Seattle
Washington at Arizona
Baltimore at Denver
Kansas City at Dallas
Miami at San Diego
Detroit at Green Bay
New Orleans at Atlanta

2005-12-08T07:49:00.000-06:00

WEEK 13 NFL PICK RESULTS.

Week 13: 14-2, 87.5%
Week 12: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 93-71, 56.71%

2005-12-07T20:30:00.000-06:00

STOPPED AT THE COMIC BOOK STORE TODAY:

Demo
Kane: The Untouchable Rico Costas and other Short Stories
Lullaby: Wisdom Seeker
Local #1
Fell #1

2005-12-07T08:55:00.000-06:00

IS STUDENT GOVERNMENT AT FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY censoring the press?

2005-12-07T08:31:00.000-06:00

DAMIAN WILLCOX'S STUFF IS AWESOME: take a look at it. He has a webcomic, Skully, that starts here.

2005-12-04T17:20:00.000-06:00

I JUST NOTICED MY PICKS FOR THIS WEEK, and I went 10-0 in the early games:

Atlanta at Carolina
Buffalo at Miami
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Dallas at N.Y. Giants
Green Bay at Chicago
Houston at Baltimore
Jacksonville at Cleveland
Minnesota at Detroit
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
Tennessee at Indianapolis

2005-12-04T16:52:00.000-06:00

LIBERALITY FOR ALL is something I'll check out when it comes out.

For now, there's this Newsarama feature on it.

(Via The Low Road.)

2005-12-04T16:48:00.000-06:00

IT'S BEEN HARD TO FIND THE TIME lately to read about comics and even less time to blog about them.

That's why I'm just getting to this item from Johanna about Alias Comics. She links to a post in an All the Rage column (about one-third down). There's been a lot of talk going on about the company and I feel like I've missed a lot of it. So I won't leave my comments, because I don't think I know the whole story yet.

2005-12-02T18:07:00.000-06:00

WEEK 13 NFL PICKS.

Atlanta at Carolina
Buffalo at Miami
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Dallas at N.Y. Giants
Green Bay at Chicago
Houston at Baltimore
Jacksonville at Cleveland
Minnesota at Detroit
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
Tennessee at Indianapolis
Arizona at San Francisco
Washington at St. Louis
Denver at Kansas City
N.Y. Jets at New England
Oakland at San Diego
Seattle at Philadelphia

2005-11-30T09:03:00.000-06:00

WEEK 12 NFL PICK'EM RESULTS.

Week 12: 11-5, 68.8%
Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 79-69, 53.4%

2005-11-28T08:31:00.000-06:00

SETTLE DOWN, BADGER HERALD!

It has two Facebook-related columns in the span of eight days.

2005-11-27T10:02:00.000-06:00

FROM THE INBOX: a comic review.

Gravy Boy Ashcan Edition
Brian Shearer, art; Marty Blevins, story
Jack Rabbit Stewdios
16 pages
Free

The premise is cool: A being named Herald, who hates kids, gives kids superpowers, and he gives the main character the ability to manipulate gravity (the "it" was covered when he granted the powers). The art is OK, nothing particularly special, but it is clean, uses simple lines and makes it easy on the reader's eyes. The story is fun, original, but not exciting.

The creators also have a webcomic, Fanboy Almanac, which is very funny.

Grade: B-

2005-11-27T09:51:00.000-06:00

FROM THE INBOX: a comic review.

Hero@Large #1
Erick Hogan, story; Jeremy Treece, art
Speakeasy Comics
32 pages
$2.99

I really liked this book. Treece's art is kind of boxy and almost seemingly rudimentary, but there's a certain uniqueness about it that appeals to me. The story was pretty good, at times funny, especially with the rain sequence about half-way through the book. This is definitely a book I would check out in a trade if one were to come out. Also, I really dug Alpha Major's costume.

Grade: B+

2005-11-27T09:22:00.000-06:00

CURRENTLY READING: "The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas P.M. Barnett

Just finished this book, and it was pretty good; a bit too much at times, seemingly going off on rambling tangents before getting back to showing how that anecdote coincided with the book. Overall, pretty good.

2005-11-23T11:13:00.000-06:00

WEEK 12 NFL PICKS.

Atlanta at Detroit
Denver at Dallas
Baltimore at Cincinnati
Carolina at Buffalo
Chicago at Tampa Bay
Cleveland at Minnesota
New England at Kansas City
San Diego at Washington
San Francisco at Tennessee
St. Louis at Houston
Jacksonville at Arizona
Miami at Oakland
Green Bay at Philadelphia
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
New Orleans at N.Y. Jets
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis

2005-11-23T10:57:00.000-06:00

WEEK 11 NFL PICK'EM RESULTS.

Week 11: 9-7, 56.25%
Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 68-64, 51.51%

2005-11-16T08:37:00.000-06:00

WEEK 11 NFL PICKS.

Arizona at St. Louis
Carolina at Chicago
Detroit at Dallas
Jacksonville at Tennessee
Miami at Cleveland
New Orleans at New England
Oakland at Washington
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
Tampa Bay at Atlanta
Seattle at San Francisco
Buffalo at San Diego
Indianapolis at Cincinnati
N.Y. Jets at Denver
Kansas City at Houston
Minnesota at Green Bay

2005-11-16T08:34:00.000-06:00

WEEK 10 NFL PICK'EM RESULTS.

Week 10: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 59-57, 50.86%

2005-11-15T09:46:00.000-06:00

JOHANNA DRAPER CARLSON has a review of Finder at Comics Worth Reading.

She has a review for all seven volumes plus a review of the series overall.

2005-11-14T08:52:00.000-06:00

WHEN CHEATING GOES ACADEMIC:

A University of Pennsylvania professor claims that a colleague stole ideas from him and didn't attribute them to him in the colleague's new book.

More than a dozen professors at schools including Princeton and Harvard universities have come to the defense of Edin and Kefalas, calling the charge of conceptual plagiarism "absurd."

In response, Anderson compiled a list of 22 similarities between the books - both examine motherhood and marriage in the inner city - and posted the comparison on the Penn Almanac, a university Web site.

Last Tuesday, a letter signed by 110 scholars who support Anderson appeared on the Almanac.

The next steps are uncertain. Neither side has filed an official complaint at Penn, which would trigger a more formal inquiry by the university.

The dispute could have ended last summer, when Anderson and Edin met to discuss their books, eventually reaching a confidential agreement.

But in August, the issue became the talk of the American Sociological Association conference, held in Philadelphia. Afterward, disturbed by what he saw as official silence, Penn professor emeritus Harold Bershady sent an e-mail to the department faculty, making the charge of "conceptual plagiarism."

When his e-mail was leaked to The Daily Pennsylvanian - the student newspaper that first reported the controversy - the furor ignited publicly.

Just goes to show how important it would be to detail attempts at cheating on a university level.

2005-11-14T08:50:00.000-06:00

AWESOME HEADLINE:

Somebody set us up, the bomb

From the Calvin College Chimes.

2005-11-11T18:46:00.000-06:00

FROM THE INBOX: a comic review.

110% #1
Kevin Bush, story; Matt Avery, art
Grey Cloud Comics
24 pages
$2

This amateur comic is just that: amateurish. But there is a lot of room for improvement. The story is muddled at a couple of points and I probably would have been better served reading it again, but I wasn't drawn into it enough to do so. That said, the cover is really great. I like it, and the green background adds to it. The art is nice, although not what I typically am into. It can be a bit rough and sometimes it feels like there's some stray lines here and there, but overall it's nice.

Grade: C-

2005-11-10T19:38:00.000-06:00

NINJAS NEEDED: a review.

Shaolin Cowboy #2
Geofrey Darrow, art and story
Burlyman Entertainment
27 pages
$3.50

The art: just wow. I could look at it all day long. The detail is amazing; does Darrow adhere to a strict schedule? I don't follow the shipments too closely, so I don't know. And the crab character is amazing. (Yes, I've used amazing twice now, but so what.) The story is entertaining too, although I do wish that I had picked up the first issue instead of the second; you just always feel out of the loop doing so. Anything over $3 for price makes me look twice, but Darrow's work is worth every penny.

Grade: A

2005-11-10T19:29:00.000-06:00

OFF ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD: a review.

OZ: The Manga #1
David Hutchison, adaptation and art
Antarctic Press
32 pages
$2.99

This book is all about the art. Hutchison's manga style is subtle at times, outright at others. The visual storytelling is magnificent; that's one thing I like about manga: the style of panels and how they interact on the page. In terms of story, there's not much that's original. It's a bit more condensed than the movie -- as one would expect -- and doesn't stray off the original path too much. But sometimes it's better to find a new path than to follow ones that have been paved.

Grade: B+

2005-11-10T19:16:00.000-06:00

A LACKLUSTER REVIEW.

Lackluster World #1
Eric Adams, story and art
Gen: Eric Publishing
24 pages
$3.95

The art in this book is spectacular; I'm a big fan of big, bold clean lines in comics, and Eric Adams has that aesthetic appeal. The story was good, however, there was one point at which I didn't understand right away that the narration had jumped characters. That was a little bit muddy and threw me off for a page or two. It's 24 pages, a good length for an independent book, and the price is a bit steep, but the pages are sleek and it's worth the price.

Grade: B+

2005-11-10T16:42:00.000-06:00

COMIC BOOK BOOTY.

Collected today and last week:

The Surrogates #1 of 5 (Top Shelf)
DMZ #1, by Brian Wood (Vertigo)
Aeon Flux #1 of 4 (Dark Horse)
The Grimoire #4 (Speakeasy)
Lullaby #1 (Alias)
Hero @ Large #1 (Speakeasy)
The Couriers, by Brian Wood (AiT/PlanetLar)
Finder Vol. 1: Sin-Eater (Lightspeed Press)

2005-11-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

I'M WAY BEHIND IN MY BLOGGING and there's probably a ton of stuff I've missed out on because of my busy schedule. Oh, well.

At least I caught Shawn Hoke's post on The Secret Friend Society. Had I missed that, my life would truy be devoid.

2005-11-09T08:22:00.000-06:00

KEVIN HAS A NICE RUNDOWN of his own version of Previews.

I must say, Truth Serum looks rocking.

2005-11-09T08:09:00.000-06:00

WEEK 10 NFL PICKS.

Arizona at Detroit
Baltimore at Jacksonville
Houston at Indianapolis
Kansas City at Buffalo
Minnesota at N.Y. Giants
New England at Miami
San Francisco at Chicago
Denver at Oakland
N.Y. Jets at Carolina
Green Bay at Atlanta
St. Louis at Seattle
Washington at Tampa Bay
Cleveland at Pittsburgh
Dallas at Philadelphia

2005-11-08T09:40:00.000-06:00

WEEK 9 NFL PICK'EM RESULTS.

Week 9: Forgot again.
Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 53-49, 51.96%

2005-11-08T08:44:00.000-06:00

A GOOD ESPN HEADLINE:

Super Indy-cator?

About the Indianapolis Colts' win against the New England Patriots last night.

2005-11-07T08:43:00.000-06:00

SPEAKING OF COLLEGE NEWSPAPER STORIES WITH FACEBOOK REFERENCES:

Facebook to Facebook
Poll shows few conservatives
A modest proposal
Coming out at college
Off the web and onto the streets...at least
Life and Style
The New Facebook Frenzy

2005-11-07T08:37:00.000-06:00

A COLUMN BY THE WINTHROP UNIVERSITY (S.C.) JOHNSONIAN is marred in controversy, a local TV station reports. The column is about a comparison of today's racial climate with that of the one blacks faced before the Civil Rights movement.

Read the column here. Two snippets:

Hurricane Katrina brought back to the public attention the ongoing issue of race relations in America. The tragedy quickly shifted from concern for the people affected by the hurricane to the judgment that the federal government did not like black people. Obviously, the federal government has a vendetta against the blacks and chose not to respond to them quickly, right?

I guess we're assuming that the many people of various ethnic backgrounds in the Bush administration don't care about black people, either.

Today in the daily student announcements I saw the "Black Fact of the Week." I did not have a problem with this in itself. Surely it is important for us to understand the contributions of black people in our lives. However, this is just one piece of an ever-complicating problem on campus.

In case you don't know, there are quite a few groups on Facebook devoted to black people. Two in particular caught my attention: "Winthrop Does Not Like Black People" and "I Should've Went to a Blacker College."

(An alert to the ever-increasing trend on campus newspapers to use networking sites like Facebook to bolster an argument, but I digress.)

In fact, I think there has been a surge in specialized programs for people of various ethnic backgrounds. For example, I've been looking into summer research programs in psychology. I've noticed that most of the programs are limited to students of ill-represented groups (i.e., ethnic minorities). I am only half black and I don't want to use that as my way to get into a program.

Ultimately, I think we need to achieve more equality. To be truly equitable, for example, we should offer programs that are specifically for whites. Yes, I just said that. I'm sure a lot of people just slammed the paper down and spouted a few expletives. But don't you see the logic here? It can't be a problem in one instance and not in another. Kids, that's called a double standard.

This happens far too often, though. Some blacks are happy with the programs that benefit them. Once a similar program starts that is geared toward whites, all of a sudden the program becomes racist. Like a person I know once said, if an Association of Ivorites was established on campus, people would be up in arms.

2005-11-03T07:51:00.000-06:00

ON HEADLINES AND ESPN.

Sports headlines are the ones that tick me off more than any other kind of headlines because it seems as though the writers forgo the notion about the headline having anything to do with the text.

A perfect example is on ESPN.com this morning:

Phil-in' it

with the text:

Sorry Phil, you can't coach what Kobe did Wednesday night. Bryant's jumper with 0.6 seconds in OT beat Denver.

Well, if Phil's coaching didn't inspire Kobe to shot the game-winning shot -- indeed, if it was pure talent and not coached -- then Kobe didn't "Phil it." Sure, Kobe was feeling "it," that magical zone, but it wasn't because of Phil, it was in spite of him. The headline, then, just doesn't make sense.

2005-11-02T07:56:00.000-06:00

THE SUPREME COURT HAS REQUESTED a response from the lawyers of a Governors State administrator, a move that shows the court is interested in the case, some say.

2005-11-01T09:33:00.000-06:00

ALAN MOORE SAYS he won't see the Watchmen movie.

2005-11-01T09:26:00.000-06:00

WEEK 8 NFL PICK'EM RESULTS.

Week 8: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 7: 6-8, 42.86%
Week 6: 9-5, 64.29%
Week 5: 7-7, 50%
Week 4: 8-6, 57.14%
Week 3: Whoops, forgot.
Week 2: 7-9, 43.75%
Week 1: 7-9, 43.75%

Year to date: 53-49, 51.96%

2005-10-26T08:47:00.000-05:00

WEEK 8 NFL PICKS.

Arizona at Dallas
Chicago at Detroit
Cleveland at Houston
Green Bay at Cincinnati
Jacksonville at St. Louis
Minnesota at Carolina
Oakland at Tennessee
Washington at N.Y. Giants
Kansas City at San Diego
Miami at New Orleans
Philadelphia at Denver
Tampa Bay at San Francisco
Buffalo at New England
Baltimore at Pittsburgh

2005-10-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

READERSHIP DOWN at Keene State College, the Equinox, the campus paper, reported.