My Brain Hurts...

Warren Ellis

2008-10-18T00:13:00.003-04:00

So it's been a shade over 3 months since I stepped away from this blog. I wasn't sure if I'd come back. I haven't exactly missed it. I've been hiking a lot, hitting the gym, and just trying to keep busy. Life isn't that much different for me. I mean, it's only been three months. It's not like I went to the moon or anything.

Why am I back? What's so important that I am ready to sit back down behind the keyboard and torture all the people who stumble upon this blog by accident with my disjointed thoughts and borderline unreadable sentence structure? Well, the title of this post should provide a hint. Go ahead, take a second to move your eyes a few inches higher and look. I'll wait.

Done? Good. Now, I still read a lot of comics. It's a sickness. I try to cut back, but then I feel understimulated. My brain craves the whole sensory experience of reading a comic. It's not just about the art and the story. It's also about the feel of the book in my hand and the anticipation that comes with the turn of every page. I also love the variety of stories that are out there. The best thing I ever did regarding comics was to branch out beyond superheroes.

I don't reread my individual issues too much. Occasionally, I reread a story arc once I've collected it all. It's just a pain to dig them out of my long boxes. What I do reread, and often, are my graphic novels and trade paperbacks. I bring one to work with me every day to read during my lunch break. As such, and considering that I love the diversity of the art from and also don't want to read the same ten stories over and over again, my collection is growing REALLY fast.

I don't tend to follow creators like a lot of fans seem to do. My reading habits are actually quite simple, almost insultingly so. I just look for a story that might be interesting. That's all. If I read a bad story... Oh well, that's life. I forget about it and move on to the good ones. There's enough in life to be angry or cynical about, without dragging my leisure activities into the mud. Enough of that though, it's time to get to the point.

Now, I have been aware of Warren Ellis for most of the time since I returned to the comic-reading population a few years ago. I have expressed my love of Nextwave:Agents of H.A.T.E. a number of times in the past. I'm even working on the coloring book variant of #5. (Still. That is yet another project that has been temporarily shelved.) I loved Thunderbolts and Crecy. I wasn't a fan of these books because of Ellis though. I just liked the stories. Then I read Planetary.

Planetary, for those who are still reading and don't know what I'm talking about, is a series of stories about a group of superpowered archeologists who investigate unusual occurances and individuals, many of which bear striking resemblances to stories and characters from popular fiction. Don't let my bland desciption throw you off. Planetary is as good as it gets. Every story stands on it's own, and yet contributes to a much larger one. I hate to use this comparison, even though I loved the show, but think of how The X-Files was structured and you'll understand.

I won't go into a whole synopsis of the book and its cast, but the imagination and scope on display just blew my mind. The John Cassaday art was dazzling, but it was Ellis' story that hooked me. I started reading more sci-fi comics, but my itch wasn't being scratched. It was Ellis. It had to be.

The next Ellis book I picked up was Ocean. This is a science fiction story that deals with the discovery of life on the moon Europa, which circles the planet Jupiter. The thought is that there is an ocean of liquid water underneath the icy crust of Europa, possibly heated by hydrothermal vents or by its proximity to Jupiter itself. In the story, which is set about 100 years in the future, a large number of coffins and a cache of weapons are discovered in this ocean and U.N. weapons inspector Nathan Kane is sent to investigate.

The story isn't as heady as Planetary, but it doesn't fail to astonish. Once more, without going into great detail, the ideas on display just slay me. The reason behind the caskets being there is so logical and well thought-out that you can't help but wonder if Ellis knows something we don't.

My only problem was the ending. It just ends. Just like that. Out of nowhere. Poof! It was like watching an episode of Star Trek:The Next Generation. You know what I mean. They spend the whole episode dealing with whatever threat has befallen them. Then, in the last ten minutes of the show, someone is like "Oh yeah. Let's send a tachyon pulse through the reflector dish." And that's it. They shake it off and head to Rigel 5. The end. It may sound like a criticism, but I don't see it that way. I wanted MORE story, at least another issue's worth. So I looked for more Ellis.

Next up was Ministry of Space. An alternate history story that ponders what would happen if Great Britain was the first country to make it into space, Ministry was another fantastic tale. I was seeing a pattern develop: Ellis+science fiction= gold. I do have to say though, this story has the same "problem" that Ocean had, namely a very abrupt ending. What's up with that? I needed to read more.

If there are any people still reading who know Ellis' work, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I should read Transmetropolitan. That's the book that I guess put him on the map. Well, I did read volume one a little more than a year ago. It didn't do much for me. It's an edgy book and I'm not always in the mood for edgy. I prefer the more deliberate Ellis stories to the frantic ones. Still, I'm sure I'll go back to it one day. In the meantime, I needed to find more books.

Since I wasn't really looking for superhero stuff, the books were getting harder to come by. I eventually got Black Summer. It's a superhero book, but not Marvel or DC. This was another edgy book, very dark and violent. It wasn't a bad story, but I was craving more science fiction and a deconstruction of superheroes wasn't cutting it. I will say that this story's ending wasn't as jarring. It felt right.

I started getting frustrated looking for more and turned to Amazon.com. I try not to do a lot of online shopping as it is just too convenient and easy to get carried away, but I needed more. I got two more gems: Global Frequency and Orbiter. I'll tale them in order.

Global Frequency is about a semi-secret civilian organization comprised of 1001 members, each of whom has a different specialty. They might be an athlete or a soldier or a scientist. Led by Miranda Zero, they take care of problems that government or the police either can't or won't deal with. This story is responsible for introducing me to the totally insane idea of kinetic harpoons. Check the link. Think about how crazy that sounds and then think that somewhere, someone is actually trying to make these fucking things. That's some serious mad scientist kind of shit.

That leaves us with Orbiter. Aaaaah, Orbiter. In this story, manned space flight ends when a space shuttle disappears without a trace. Ten years later it returns, covered in skin and with only one member of the crew remaining, alive and seemingly insane. A group of experts is assembled to piece together what happened and the story just gets deeper and deeper. This is my favorite of all of the Ellis books I read.

It hits all of the right notes. It's a space story with a solid, but not totally far-fetched scientific base. The characters all fit and there's a sense of wonder around the story. I got it just five days ago and have already read it three times over. The ending is a little sudden, but when the body of the story is this involving that almost seems like nitpicking.

I know Mr. Ellis has a number of ongoing books on the stands, mostly for Avatar. I'm trade waiting those. I'm also waiting for him to get moving with Newuniversal. It's been forever since the last issue!! I'm always looking for more and would love suggestions from anyone who is still reading this. So?

Is This The End?

2008-07-15T13:48:00.002-04:00

Wow.It's been a little shy of a month now since my last post.Honestly, I find that I have little ambition to write.Even when I have something to write about I opt not to.I don't have time anymore.When I do have some free time, I don't want to spend it at a computer.

I can't say that I won't post again, but it's not something I'm thinking about doing.So...goodbye for now.I'm going out with a sputter and a pop.

Great Animation

2008-06-20T23:48:00.003-04:00

I found this video somewhat by accident.I can't describe it.It's, well, it's creative.Creative in a good way.I would tell you to watch the whole thing.I think you'll find though that once you start watching, making it to the end won't be a problem.This kind of off-the-wall stuff is always cool.

Enjoy.(Video posts are fun because they're easy.Trust me though.This shit is cool.)

Nice Day

2008-06-11T23:17:00.003-04:00

One thing I like to do in my spare time is cook.I like to think that I'm pretty good at it, but the only other person who eats my cooking is my fiancee.So, I'm never really sure if I'm really doing a good job or just making things that we both happen to like.

Recently, a friend of mine at work planted in my head the idea to make lemon meringue pie.I decided to give it a go and made one.This time, I brought one of my slices to work to give the friend.She loved it and has actually been talking it up.I decided to make one for a bake sale today.Well, I really made two, but one was bought outright.

Long story short, I brought it in to rave reviews.

"Delicious.Not too sweet."

"You really have talent."

"...to die for."

It may be a bit shallow, and fuck it all if it is, but it really gave me great pleasure knowing people were digging it.I worked hard and made those suckers completely from scratch.The smiles felt nice.The "...to die for" comment made my day.

I really do like to cook, especialy baking, because food is something everybody can appreciate.Of all of the three billion things I attempt to do and of all of the one hundred hobbies that I attempt to maintain(all at the same time) and rarely master, cooking gives me the most personal satisfaction.I don't even get pissed at the mistakes I make because I know it's something I won't do again.Hell, a few weeks ago I lost about $8 in white chocolate because I didn't know not to add water to melted chocolate.(It "seizes", which means it develops the consistency of thick, cold cake frosting and it can't be rescued without fucking up the taste of it.)

Before the lemon meringue, I made marshmallows.Fucking homemade marshmallows!!I made a batch of dark chocolate mint, one of chocolate covered Oreo cookie, and one of lemon and white chocolate.I don't know which was more fun.That's what it's about.I put on some tunes and I get to work.If the recipe is complicated, all the better.If it takes three hours to make, no problem.

I even thought for a time that I would pay off my credit card bills and use the money saved to go to culinary school.Then I realized that I hate high pressure work environments and I would end up resenting a job I thought I would love to do.So I'm keeping it a hobby, only now I'll feel more comfortable sharing it.

A Few Thoughts on Fables Vol10:The Good Prince

2008-06-06T08:48:00.005-04:00

Fables is one of my favorite comics.I love the concept and the reinventions of the characters.I started reading it last year, starting with the first TPB.I only read it in trade paperback form, just because I think it works well in that format.This past Wednesday, the tenth trade was released.It's the story of Flycatcher, also known as Ambrose, and his adventure getting back to the Homelands to reclaim his kingdom and take on the Adversary.

In waiting for this volume to come out, I would glance at reviews.I saw a lot of mediocre ones.No one hated the story, but no one seemed to love it either.Too long, not up to past standards.After reading the whole thing last night I would have to say that those people are nuts.Though it is possible it is the "I just read it" factor at work, but this was one of my favorite arcs so far.It might even be my favorite of all.

I haven't done a list in a while.I think I'm going to rattle off what I liked about this story.

1)I know it's more in vogue to like the anti-hero or darker characters, but I am truly a sucker for the heroic, purely good characters.Ambrose defeats wave after wave of the Adversary's armies without spilling one drop of blood.He shows kindness, compassion, and respect to friends, as well as enemies, and his armies swell in number as a result.I found that inspiring.Even when Boy Blue shows up and offers a stockpile of modern weapons, Ambrose holds to his non-violent revolution and refuses them.

2)It was good to see Bluebeard again.He, along with Jack, provided a certain amount of inner tension to the Fable community that provided for some good stories.I was always totally shocked when he was killed off...and didn't come back.Maybe he was a distraction to where the creators wanted to take the story.I missed him.He shows his true, scheming colors again here.For a short time I though he was going to abandon his treacherous ways and stand beside Ambrose.Instead, he aligned himself with Shere Khan and got himself killed again.Cool death though.

3)I still think that Snow and Bigby's cubs are cute.I think the difference here is the number of them.One precocious kid could get annoying, but give him/her five(or six) more to play off of and the dynamic changes.It was good to see Ghost introduced to them.That character has been something of a sad one so far.Hopefully, with his brothers and sisters with him, that can change.

4)The ghost army is fucking awesome.That was the best sequence in the whole series.Mark Buckingham deserves a raise after that.

5) So was the scene with Grinder emerging from the waterfall.Absolutely a "holy shit" moment.

6)Fabletown is on the ball.The Adversary and his minions don't seem nearly so intimidating now.I'm not sure if this will hurt the story though as Fabletown doesn't seem quite the underdog anymore.The Adversary needs to strike a harsh blow to the Fables to build the threat back up.They haven't had a threatening moment since the wooden soldier invasion.

7)This book FINALLY places Jack Of Fables and some of the stories from 1001 Nights Of Snowfall in the timeline.I always wondered where they fit and how they would be worked in.I'm normally not a continuity fan.I don't find it works very well, at least not for the big two, simply because there are too many titles with too many stories to try to fit together.There are always gaps and inconsistencies for overzealous fanboys and fangirls to irritatingly pick at.For a singular title though, it works just fine.

Fables never disappoints me.This was their epic story and it totally changes the status quo.I can't wait for the next trade to see where they take this.

What Do You Get When You Mix Cats And Your Long Boxes?

2008-05-27T23:48:00.004-04:00

Here are the culprits:

They look so peaceful, don't they?How could those sweet napping kitties ever be anything other than perfect little angels?Well...we introduce cardboard into the equation.My cats love cardboard.

This damage was on both of the exposed long boxes.It only took a matter of months to get like this.

Do you see all of those little scraps of cardboard in the box without the cover?I'm still finding those things 3 months later.

They actually clawed their way all the way through the box.

To stop this from going on I had to duct tape the tops of my long boxes.

I did that to both of the exposed ones.For some reason the cats won't sit on the duct tape.To be honest, I don't really care why.All I know is that my boxes aren't being ripped to shreds anymore.

I Changed My Mind

2008-05-24T15:53:00.005-04:00

I was writing this long post about negativity on the internet and where I think it comes from when, after over an hour of typing, I realized that I wasn't into it anymore.So I deleted the whole thing rather than post a long, rambling essay that said nothing I haven't already said a dozen times before here.

There would probably be fewer pointless flame wars on the internet if people would just think before typing and read before posting as opposed to just running off at the mouth and sending it out for the whole world to read.

So I Tried To Read Manga

2008-05-23T08:47:00.004-04:00

I'm a comic book fan.I'm a good one.I don't nitpick.I read what I enjoy and I enjoy what I read.I have a voracious appetite for it and am always on the hunt for new things to dig into.This unending search has led me to discover some fantastic stuff, such as The Walking Dead. It has also led me to some not-so-great books.I hate to name names, but let's just say that War Of The Undead won't be getting too many recommendations from me.Meh.Whatever.

It is this willingness to try new, non-superhero books that led me to manga.I've always eyed manga, as it is always seemingly eating away the shelf space that "regular" graphic novels in the bookstores used to occupy.I never actually bought one though because the art is such a turnoff to me.I'll read the back cover and the premise of the story will seem really sweet, but then I see the squat, superdeformed characters on the front with their huge eyes and spiky hair and the book goes right back on the shelf.Even the mature ones look like kiddie books to me.

Anyway, one day I was at the bookstore looking for a new thing to read and I was realizing that there was nothing I wanted to read in the graphic novel section. So, once more, I ventured over to the next rack and started thumbing through the manga.I eventually settled on a Vampire Hunter D book.I had watched the anime and really enjoyed it so I figured that I could get into this.

It was my first experience reading manga in its proper form, that is to say in its right-to-left, back-to-front set-up.My first read-through was a disaster.It's surprisingly hard to read through a book backwards after 35 years of doing it the regular way.Lots to unlearn.I realized that any opinion formed during that reading would be misinformed, so I tried again.The second time through I had a much easier time and somewhat enjoyed the story.The art was minimally offensive to me, though it did become something of a jumbled mess of lines during the action scenes.I often had to check the action sequences four or five times to figure out exactly what happenned.As for the story itself...It was OK.I like vampires and the story didn't have too much down time.

It was good enough though for me to want to give manga another try.I started researching genres I enjoy and found titles to watch for.When I would go to the bookstores though, none of the titles I was looking for would be there.I have a slight aversion to ordering things online, because I don't want to wait for them.These two factors were going to make my manga search a bit more difficult than I had hoped for.

Eventually, I decided that I was going to do what I do with music and , to an extent, with comics:I was just going to take a chance on something that seemed like it MIGHT be interesting.I settled on a book called Wolf's Rain, which is based on a anime that I've never seen.It seemed cool.It had wolves disguising themselves as humans and the art wasn't too kiddyish.I bought both volumes so I could take in the whole story.

I opened volume one up, ready to love every page.It started well too.Wolves had been though to be extinct for nearly 200 years.As it turned out, there were still some left, and they had some sort of supernatural powers which had enabled them to assume a human guise.A group of four of these secret wolves formed together to look for "paradise", which was some sort of sanctuary for wolves.Then the story detoured into anime weirdville.

Between video games, cartoons, and toys I've consumed a lot of Japanese culture( understanding that a portion of this is an americanized version).That said, there are certain recurring elements that have always bothered me.Why are a majority of the protagonists teenagers?What's with the focus on magic crystals and other similar shit?Why does it seem like there always a meek, fragile woman, hiding great power or potential, who needs to be guarded?She always dies too(way to go with the protecting), but her death brings with it great hope and often even touches the villains heart.And who's that irritating 8-year old who always seems to be tagging along?

Getting off of my tangent and back to the book, anime cliches once more reared their ugly head and ruined a story with great potential.I would have loved the book if it was just about a pack of wolves, braving a hostile world that thinks them extinct and searching for a sanctuary where they can be with their own kind and at peace.Instead we're introduced to some "flower maiden" crap.She is, you guessed it, a damsel-in-distress with special powers.And...wait for it... she dies at the end!!!!UUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!Pointless bullshit.I mourn my lost $20.

I'm not totally giving up on manga, but I'm also not going to just buy any book off the shelf anymore.I want a mature title, with grown-up characters.It can be comedy, action, horror, whatever.I don't want to read a zombie book only to find out that the only way to stop the zombies is to get the ghost princess to the crystal castle.I don't want to read Naruto either.

Suggestions???

Catching Up

2008-05-05T09:19:00.003-04:00

Things have been pretty hectic recently.I'm at a point where it seems that I'm busy every day of the week.It hasn't left much time for my poor, neglected blog here.I though I'd shoot off a few random points to update people on what is going on.

1)It's been two weeks and I'm still going to the gym.This impresses me because I have to wake up at about 6:30 AM to get to the gym rather than sleep in.

I also have to sit in some morning commute traffic to go there.Traffic where I live is really crappy.All traffic heads east in the morning and west at night.It's insane to see one side of the highway backed up for a few miles and the other with only a handful of cars.If there's an accident then you are jolly well fucked.It's all a part of living this close to New York City.

2)I went to see Iron Man this weekend.It was probably one of my favorite superhero movies so far, and I'm not even that big a fan of Iron Man.I'm not going to sit here and review the movie, but if you're just looking for a good time and love action movies, then this is for you.Also stay around after the credits as there is a bonus scene that's fairly significant.

3)Brooke White was voted off American Idol last week.(I'm not completely embarrassed to admit I watch it.The singing may suck, but the premise is entertaining enough.Screw the haters.)She wasn't really a typical Idol contestant, as she was more singer-songwriter than powerhouse diva-wannabe.I think that ended up holding her back, as some of the theme weeks seemed to be designed for bigger voices.Speaking of which, those theme weeks really suck hard.Andrew Lloyd Webber week?My god, I've never wanted to jab the inside of ears out with a sharp, point stick more than I did that week.My musical soul still feels dirty after hearing Idol contestants sing showtunes.

Anyway, back on topic, the reason this even rates mention is because I have an ever-so-rare celebrity crush on Ms. White.I usually don't care because, well, what's the point?In this case though, she hit some of the right buttons.I'm a sucker for a woman with musical talent and ability.When you add in her pleasant personality, gorgeous blond hair and those eyes...I couldn't even fight it.I'd post a pciture, but that would require effort, which I don't feel like putting forth.

4)Looking at these topics so far, I'd have to say that my life is even more boring than I thought it was.Either that, or I'm just not as into this post as I though I would be.

5)I haven't been hiking in about a month.The only day I really have to go is Sunday and my Sundays have either been busy or it has rained.I really want to go back to Lusscroft Farm to try to find the plane wreck and go into more abandoned buildings.I'd also like to go to the PA side of the Delaware Water Gap this year.

6)Every time I sing up on an internet forum, I always post only about a dozen times before quitting.I get disgusted at the attitudes I see there.I get disgusted at the crappy attitudes I see.Do people have to stir up shit and cause trouble on EVERY SINGLE MESSAGE BOARD AND COMMENT SECTION ON THE WHOLE FRIGGIN INTERNET???I really don't think the internet is a good place to attempt to have a normal conversation.You can't hear the tone of people's voices or pick up on any visual clues to give you an idea as to a person's mood.All you can do is add an emoticon, which means nothing.My guess is that lack of practical information garbles signals a lot, and misunderstandings occur.People are also a lot braver in spouting off when they are behind a computer screen with an assumed name.Even if you use your real name, as I do, it doesn't matter.It's not like anyone is going to show up on my doorstep because I said that I didn't like their favorite band on a message board.

I call the bravery people feel while on the internet "internet muscles".I Googled it and no one had claimed it yet, so I am doing so right now.I created the term "internet muscles".My official definition is :Any display of bravado displayed on the internet by a person who wouldn't speak in such a way in a face-to-face conversation.It's my word now.E-mail me and I'll send you a billing address to send royalties.

7)That's it.This was a very long post that said very little.

So...Working Out

2008-04-28T10:46:00.003-04:00

Since I decided about a month ago that I was going to dedicate myself to getting in better shape to wrestle, I've been trying to decide what the best way to go about that is.Last week was my chance to get started.If you've never exercised a day in your life, getting motivated to begin is a motherfucker.

My first thought was to go running a few days a week.There are some reasonably private and flat trails a mile or so from my apartment, so last week I decided to run them.I was somewhat dismayed to learn that I can't run too far without running out of breath.According to my pedometer, which at $4.99 probably isn't the most accurate one I can own, my best distance without stopping was .44 miles.On average though, I can go about 1/4 mile before stopping.

My second goal was to join a gym so I can really work out.A friend at work told me about the local YMCA and it sounded good.This past Thursday I went and signed up for 6 months.I really can't afford it, but I knew if I didn't sign up right then and there that I would never go back and would probably not start working out.That would make half of the reason I am taking six months off to train totally pointless.

I went for the first time Sunday and was a bit intimidated.I've never worked out before and I really don't know what to do.It's not in my peronality to ask a stranger there either.I decided to play it safe and go to the cardio room to ride an exercycle.What else I found in there was as if it was meant to be.In the back of the cardio room were 12 "lifestation" workout stations, each one with very specific instructions on how to use it and also with each one woking a different muscle group. I have to admit, I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would.

So between yesterday and this morning, which was my second visit, I came up with a plan.First, I will warm up with 15 minutes on one of the cross-country skiing machines.(At least that's what I think it is.After that I will do the whole 12 station circuit, doing 2 sets at each station and going back and doing a third on some if the machine I want is being used.Finally, I will cool down by riding one mile on a cycle.This way, I get some cardio in and I am working out my whole body.

My goal is to go 4 days a week(early morning, before work) and maybe on Sunday if I don't go hiking.I can definetely feel it in my shoulders and chest.I'm trying to make this part of my routine.I know if I stop for any long amount of time or start making excuses to not go, then I will be wasting my money and time.I have a tendency to lose interest in things over time and flake off, as the increasing amount of time between posts on this blog proves.Once more, let's hope this isn't one of those times as this is something that is actually GOOD for me and not just a way to kill time.

I'm Really Lazy

2008-04-14T14:43:00.003-04:00

I noticed that it has been a while since I updated this blog(as if anyone cares).I've been pretty busy.There has been an interesting, new development in my life that has put me in a place I never expected to find myself in.I just can't talk about it here.Some things are better kept in secret.I do have some stuff to write about, but I'm going to wait a few more days.

Cooper's Mill Park Hike

2008-04-01T10:46:00.004-04:00

I actually went here about 3 weeks ago, but have been too busy to post the pictures yet.I found this place while driving around looking for someplace new to eat.The hike itself was nothing that intense, but there are a few things of note to check out.

At the entrance, there is a historic building with a water wheel.I believe it was used as a mill at one point.I was not able to get into the building, but the water wheel was kinda neat to see.

The path goes in two directions.One way starts with a tunnel that goes directly under route 206.

I wasn't overly fond of this end of the trail as it runs right alongside a lot of homes and it takes away from the "get away from it all" vibe that I enjoy when hiking.The only thing really worth mentioning on this side is right when you leave the tunnel.This was about as close as I could get to it.It's actually pretty big.

The other side of the trails were honestly nothing special.It was a nice afternoon stroll, but presented nothing in terms of a challege.I did find the ruins of an old bridge alongside the trail.

Eventually I came across a long cyclone fence with signs saying that there were mines behind it.That's more like it.I walked along the entire perimeter of the fence looking for a break to crawl through and finally found a section where some folks had built up a stone pile and pulled the fence down.

I was a little hesitant about climbing the fence as this area was clearly visible from the road and I did not feel like getting pinched for trespassing.( I don't recommend tresspassing.Don't do as I do.)The lure of the mines though was too much to resist.The mines were of the hole in the ground variety.Most just opened up into deep pits.

After seeing a few of these I was even more unsure.I was afraid that I'd step on what looked like a leaf pile, but would really be covering some 100 foot deep pit.I decided to leave, but not before I snapped another shot of the only mine I saw that looked like you could enter it.

I didn't go in because, once more, I was alone and would have been jolly well fucked if I fell in or something collapsed.I finished my hike, turned around, and went back to the parking lot.There were quite a few other trails, but I didn't go on them because it was too late in the day and they were 5+ miles one way.

Overall, it was an OK hike.The bulk of the trail really was too close to houses and the highway and I like my hikes to be a bit more secluded.It's an easy afternoon though and most of the trail also follows a river, which is always nice.

When It's Time To Change...

2008-03-31T10:29:00.008-04:00

Have you ever realized that the approach you've taken to life, though it has kept you safe and secure, has also held you back?That was the thought that was slowly entering into my head as I was driving into work one day last year.I was still a cable technician at the time and driving 35 miles, one way, to get to work at a job I hated so much that it took all of my inner strength not to break down in the parking lot when I got there.

So one day I was driving in and thinking "Why the hell am I doing a job that makes me so miserable?"I never even tried to hide it.I was mopey, melancholy, lethargic, and it was affecting my job performance in a negative way.I had ZERO enthusiasm and was in danger of using up all of my sick and personal time in the first 3 months of the year just so I could have "mental health days".Something had to change and I finally reached the point where I was so miserable that I had to act.I went to my HR rep, told her I wanted out of field service, and the rest is history.

The point is that I've always tended to let problems build up around me.I have always waited for opportunity to come to me and when it didn't, or when my problems got too big for me, I just dealt with it.It always seemed so dangerously uncertain to confront my issues head-on.I figured that since I was the only one hurting, it wasn't a big deal.I would rather suffer a million times over than cause someone else discomfort.My first shrink said that I was into "self-punishment."Looking back, it might have been the only accurate judgement he made in the 6 months or so that I saw him.

Last year, after I had started in my new position, I decided that I needed to approach my job differently.I had no plans of leaving and didn't want to revert back to my miserable, jaded self one year later.Simply put, I decided to just look for positives.I decided to smile and say hello to people instead of hiding myself and hoping that someone spoke to me.Lo and be-fucking-hold, it worked.Here I am one year later and I'm still not aggravated at the job.I'm friendly with a number of people there.I talk to people...on my own.I go out of my way to help and be useful.I'm still happy.It made me think that if a new approach can work at the job, maybe it can work in my personal life.So I started to work on that.

First, I resolved some long standing issues with my family.They are a little too personal to blog about, but they were holding me back and really preoccupying my thoughts.I vented to them in a way I've never even attempted before.It worked.I brought up all of the uncomfortable topics that everyone always danced around and avoided and made my positions crystal clear.My parents and I have come to a new understanding and time will tell if things hold up.At least for now, I have a clear conscience.

Another thing I did, and just this weekend, was to amend the dissatisfaction with my wrestling "career".I've blogged about it many a time in the past, but I'll repeat it here.I got involved in pro wrestling five years ago as a manager.I figured I was too small and skinny to actually get in the ring.When I got there, I realized that there were many guys who were my size, and some were a bit smaller.Still, I held on to my belief.Then I realized that I loved the wrestling part, and that standing on the outside as a manager was just depressing me.I felt I was missing out on what makes wrestling fun to be a part of.I cut down on my show schedule and, eventually, stopped going to practices.I was dreading going to shows and only stuck around out of loyalty.

One thought in my head was to stick around until my 100th match, and then quit.Last month was my 100th match.So I steeled myself and got ready to tell my promoter/trainer that I was leaving.I figured that I'd mention wanting to wrestle, but did not expect him to be too receptive to the idea.It wasn't an easy thing to do in spite of how unhappy I was.I was still involved in something I had loved my whole life, and couldn't believe that I was a part of.And I was going to walk away from it.

So I went to his office and laid all of my thoughts out.I wasn't a dick about it.I thanked him for the opportunities that I had been given.I told him what I wished for, but also relayed my concerns about my lack of size.Eventually he asked, "What do you want to do?"I told him that I wanted to take at least six months off to train, get in better shape, buy some new gear, and get my confidence up in the ring.Once I did all of that, I told him, I wanted to start wrestling.He said OK.

What that means is I just hit a big reset button on my wrestling life.I'm starting from scratch, but this time with 5 years of accumulated knowledge.I can come back as a good guy.(Please.Oh please.)I get a new gimmick and character.I get new gear.Maybe I'll come back under a mask.The sky is the limit for me now.

That's the question I have now:What kind of character should I be?I'd prefer to be a good guy(face).I'd prefer a more lighthearted gimmick, as I'm more at ease with being a little clownish over being serious or angry.The mask idea doesn't seem so bad to me.Even though I wasn't a big deal and will be gone for at least 6 months, people still might remember who I am.There aren't many guys out there with past-the-middle-of-the-back length red hair.(I'm not cutting or dying it either.I won't even entertain the thought.)It's all very exciting.

This also means I have to start exercising and trying to develop some muscles.I have never tried to get in shape before in my life.For me, having a metabolism that keeps me forever skinny has always been enough.I'm not completely sure that I can put on muscle.It should be interesting.I'll even have a diet to follow.That's another first.

I can't wait to see how it all works out.

Crap In A Hat

2008-03-27T01:14:00.003-04:00

I just found out that there is another blog called "My Brain Hurts".It's also on Blogger and has ben around longer than I have.Damn.I'll keep this name for now.Obviously, they either don't know about me or don't care.

I'll keep the name for now.If ever the day should come where they want it for themselves, they can have it.I'll change mine.No big deal.

I love that saying "crap in a hat".I think Chase Stein said it in Runaways , but I'd have to check.Sometimes I substitute "box" for "hat" or something equally inventive.

In other news, Brooke White is still there on American Idol. I should feel embarrassed to watch that show, but I don't.Fuck anybody who doesn't like it.Tens of millions of people watch it each week and I'm one of them.I can like one lame, totally mainstream, safe show and my world certainly isn't going to collapse.The music sucks, but the show is fun.

A Rare Political Post

2008-03-19T10:34:00.008-04:00

I would like to start off by saying that I am not a political person.I have never voted in an election and have never registered.My views on politics are shrouded in apathy and cynicism.I firmly believe that any changes in my life, for better or worse, have been guided by my hand and the actions of those around me rather than by some stuffed suit who happens to hold office.I believe this will hold true for the rest of my life.

The race for the White House this year has been pretty entertaining, but still very typical.No one, be they democrat or republican, has convinced me to take them seriously.I mean it. I just drift off when I hear them speak.All I hear is "Blahblahblahblahblahrhetoricblahblahblahblahblahsoundbiteblahblahblahblahblahempty,easier-said-than-donepromiseblahblahblahblahblahanothersoundbite"Wash.Rinse.Repeat.You don't inspire me.I don't believe you.You're going to fix our problems?Really?Just like that?I call bullshit.You're trying to win a popularity contest and the highest office in the country is the grand prize.If you were just honest, I would respect you.If you stopped making every election an ugly, mud-slinging contest of "us v them", I would respect you.If you actually answer questions, and answer them honestly even if it's not the answer I want to hear, I would respect you.But you don't do any of these things.You haven't earned the privilege of bringing me into the process.

That said, last night my fiance and I were in bed watching The Daily Show.They started off by discussing the new NY governor's admissions, which I expected.I live in New Jersey, so this story is all over the news here.It's pretty much the only story around here.Then they switched to Barrack Obama's speech about his former minister and racism.I had not heard of this development because local news here is too busy throwing the local scandal in our faces.

They played clips from the minister's speech first.They were inflammatory, but I've heard worse.Shit.I've read worse on message boards written by the same people who are probably going to blow a fuse over this.You probably have too.I didn't feel outrage over anything except having another random sound bite being thrust out there in an attempt to stir the pot.SENSATIONALISM!!!!!!!BE ANGRY!!!!!!CAN YOU BELIEVE HE SAID THAT???OMFG!!!!!!!!!!THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!SOMEONE HAS NO FAITH IN THE SYSTEM?!!!HERETIC!!!!!

They then played clips from Obama's speech.It seemed reasoned enough that I wanted to hear the whole thing.This morning I woke up, went right to the computer, and found the whole speech on YouTube. Here it is in its entirety.

A couple of paragraphs up, I spoke of what I hear when I hear a politician speak.This speech contains none of that.What I heard in this speech is a genuine attempt to reach out and start a dialogue over one of our society's most uncomfortable topics:race and racism.Mr. Obama isn't making his usual "I'm going to pull gold coins out of my ass and give them to every person who makes less than $100k a year" speech.It isn't a "This guy is a loon and I'm cutting him off from life completely so he can't hurt my political career"speech.This is a "He fucked up, but maybe he brought something up that we should really talk about" speech.

Hearing the whole thing, I realize that any sound bites taken greatly lessen the impact of Obama's message.I take that message to be that the country has problems and we should address them instead of covering them up with bandages and hoping that they go away on their own.This speech was intelligent, reasonable, emotional, conversational, and genuine in a way that this country is not really used to hearing out of its politicians.We were not spoken down to and the issue was not sugar-coated.

It seems to me as if he knows that this controversy could derail his campaign for good and that honest discourse could help.Of course that's just my view.I have little faith in the public to see past the "sexier" issue of the candidate's former preacher screaming "goddamn America".I have little faith in the public's ability to see the message delivered in this excellent speech and think that they will just see Obama not completely shunning his lifelong friend for some emotional, probably poorly-thought out comments.

Like I said, I'm not political in the least.I'm no pundit.I'm not trying to start a debate.I'm just some dipshit with a blog.Obama's speech wasn't typical political posturing and it wasn't a cowardly backpedal out of controversy.The man knows what could, and probably will, go down in the media and the public eye as a result of this and chose to take the issue head on.I think it was brave and noble.I urge anyone to listen to the whole speech.It's little more than 1/2 hour.Obama has at least shown me that he's worth keeping an eye on at least.

Why All Of The Hate??

2008-03-11T01:35:00.004-04:00

I just noticed that my last posting was another in an unintended series of posts that treats the comic fan community like someone who scorned me.I wondered" Why did I return to that topic?Why even bring it up?"I think it's because some of those people are scary as hell.Not all. Some I enjoy enough to even comb through their blog archives.But the ones that are really...mmm...I don't know...Don't want to sound too nasty here...hmmmmmmmmm...intense?Yeah.The "intense" ones just make me marvel at the sheer volume of emotion that one can possess over a comic book.

I'm sure a lot of the shouting is internet bravado, but it astonishing.The whole kerfluffle(Love that word.Kerfluffle.)over the Spider-man OMD/BND reboot was incredibly entertaining.My recurring fascination with this topic is my commentary on that "scene".

This is a group of people who will purposely buy books that they don't like and expect failure from, all with the attitude that their creators should modify the book to suit their specific whims.It's "You had better change these books or...we're going to keep buying them anyway and complain about them on the internet."I know most of them would say that they buy books they like, but you wouldn't know it from reading many of the blogs and message boards.And every time it crosses my mind, it just makes me want to say "Relax.You can be pissed.But all the time?It's OK to say you like something too.Maybe you'll turn some people on to something GOOD."

I always wonder if these "intense" fans who shout so loudly on the internet are that outspoken and passionate in person.I wonder if they are that obsessed and passionate about anything else in their lives, like hamburgers, or roller coasters, or the Beatles?How extreme does someone have to be to make their eyes roll?

That's enough complaining.I'm going to give the ball a push in the right direction and say that I've been loving the last few issues of Thor.They're introducing this "culture clash" element into the book between the Asgardians and their small town, Oklahoman neighbors.The last issue was actually pretty funny with a well placed poop joke that didn't even feel forced.This book has become one of my current favorites as far as monthly comics go.

That wasn't hard at all.

The Blog Experience So Far

2008-03-05T19:33:00.013-05:00

Last summer I had a revelation.Well, it wasn't so much a revelation as it was me discovering something that should have been blatantly obvious.I was a little more than a year into my return to reading comics and a month or two into a new job that allowed me internet access when I realized that there were people online that liked to talk about comics!!!OMFG!!!Why didn't I think of that before?

I started out on Marvel Comics' website forums.After about 100 posts and 10000 times rolling my eyes at overly-picky fanboy comments I grew tired of that.It was about the time that the second Fantastic Four movie came out and there were about 30 topics at any one time created with the sole purpose of bitching about how movie Galactus was not 616 Galactus.(Wank, wank, wank)

I then found Newsarama, which covers more of the industry and is a usually entertaining website that I still frequent during my down time.I never really got into the forums there.I created a screen name and posted about a dozen times, but the fans there seemed even more anal to me.I'm not a continuity nitpicker and I don't complain about out-of-character moments.(Unless it's something truly ridiculous, like Captain America smoking a big, fat joint.Even then I could accept it if the story was some sort of "What If?" thing.)So my involvement there was short-lived as well.

Through Newsarama I found When Fangirls Attack, which is a "linkblog" where they discuss comics from a feminist point of view.It's an interesting site in that you get to see topics discussed that don't typically come up in fannish conversations.Everyone seemed to be having so much fun there, even when they were fighting each other, that I got a case of blog envy.So, after one or two false starts, I started up this blog.

My initial intention was for this to be a big dumping ground for all of the stray thoughts and ideas that make their way through my head over the course of a day.Thanks to my focused reading of comic blogs though, it quickly became a place for me to talk about comics.I got linked at WFA a few times and that was pretty neat.My blog got some extra hits it would not have ordinarily received but I really didn't make much of a splash.

My attempts to get linked and involved there were doomed to failure though.I couldn't really get behind any of the "outrages", mostly because I'm not someone who looks to be offended.It's only comics.If I don't like something, I put it down and leave it to the people who want to read it.I did like to read about everyone else's outrage.

Eventually it got to the point where reading about how pissed everyone was was ruining my own enjoyment of the books.It was just such a downer.So I pretty much stopped writing about comics altogether and tried to focus on writing about little odds and ends.That sucked too and I got very apathetic about writing.

Recently, I started stepping up the amount of hiking I do and started taking more pictures.This has worked out the best so far.The focus is on the photots and the posts pretty much write themselves.The only problem is that I don't go as often as I would like to so my posts now are pretty spread out.I can live with that.It allows me to focus my free time more on things like my piano practicing, which has fallen into some admitted negligence.

So...what's the point of this long, rambling essay?What is the moral of this seemingly pointless story?

1)Comic book fans need to calm down.I get it.You're upset that your favorite comic isn't going in the exact direction that YOU PERSONALLY would like it to go.let go of your anger.Move on to a different comic.It's OK.You won't miss much.The way decompression works you could skip 6 months and only miss one storyline.

2)I suck at critical writing.I have no interest in looking for hidden context to further my own agenda, whatever that may be.Call me simple, but I just want to enjoy a story without worrying if the writer is subconciously insulting me.

3)This project, like the hundreds of others before it, is doomed to die of neglect.

4) The internet is a wonderful thing.Only here can a dozen people writing on their blogs magically multiply and become "everyone".Aaaahhh technology.

Guilty Pleasure

2008-02-28T09:55:00.003-05:00

One thing that people might not guess by looking at me is that I'm actually a fan of American Idol.My fiance kinda started watching it a few seasons ago(the one with Taylor Hicks) and I got pulled into it.It's entertaining to me in that it's fun to analyze the performances and try to figure out who's doing good and who's going to get booted.

I have yet to find anyone though who made me want to own their album.The show makes the "rockers" look bad(like they're doing karaoke.Rock music is meant to be played with a band.The house band doesn't count.) and I have zero interest in the solo singers.They're just not my thing.

I'm also not the type to fawn over a celebrity.Sure, there are a lot of talented and beautiful people out there in TV and movie-land, but I really don't see the point in putting any of them on a pedestal.They really have no impact on my life.

So, of course, all of this introduction has a point.I found myself more than a little shocked to find myself completely smitten with one of this season's contestants:Brooke White.

Beautiful eyes and smile.Great hair.Great personality(or so TV makes it seem.My inner cynic is still there.)I told my fiance about this and now she teases me by refering to her as my "girlfriend".

In spite of being the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, she has actually managed to impress me musically.I love that she has come out playing the piano and, during last night's show, the guitar(And both were played well.)She's been consistent and always seems to pick appropriate songs.She has a good voice and genuinely seems to love performing.

I'm not sure if she'll win because she's not that flashy and isn't the diva-ish talent that the show seems to love to push.But needless to say, after three seasons, I finally have a contestant I think is worthy of rooting for.We even voted for her a couple of times yesterday(She's also my fiance's early favorite.)

So...Go Brooke!!!You've converted at least two people.One way or another, we'll vote for you every week.Oh yeah, you were the only good performance last night.You were also the only one the judges all liked.

Lusscroft Farm Hike(Kinda) and Outlook Lodge

2008-02-21T00:04:00.012-05:00

Once more this weekend, I got out to hike with Darrell.This time we went out to Sussex and the Lusscroft Farm trails.This place is in the middle of fucking nowhere.This is the kind of place where alien abductions would happen.This is the kind of place that might have Bigfoot sightings.It was scenic, peaceful, and you had a great panoramic vista even at street level.So, naturally, I forgot to bring my camera.

The hike itself was pretty rough.There had been a snowstorm on Wednesday that left about 3 or 4 inches, but then it had warmed up a bit and rained and things mostly melted...everywhere but here.The whole trail was covered in snow and ice.We needed walking sticks to pull ourselves up the icy hills and we were surprisingly accident-free.

The highlight of the hike was within the first mile.That was the abandoned Outlook Lodge.Luckily, Darrell brought his camera and took some pictures.So, to give proper credit, any picture you see here is one taken by him and not me.

The outside of the Lodge had several stone carvings.You can see the biggest one in the picture above, but here it is closer up, with me standing next to it.

There was a fish carved into the chimney and there is a small bird on the right side of the above picture.That I was able to enlarge.

There was also a carving of a face on the side of the building.

The inside looked like...an abandoned building.

There were old mattresses everywhere.The stairs and floor were quite sturdy and you could walk around the whole place.

One surprise was finding some very fancy woodcarving downstairs.

There was a plaque at the peak of one roof giving a date and some initials.Thanks to the Lusscroft Farm website, I can guess that the J.T. is probably James Turner, who was a founder of the farm.

He did manage to take one or two other pictures besides the lodge.The first is a building we found about 1/2 mile from the lodge.We weren't completely sure what it was, but it was locked tight and the door had once said something about a spring.

The lock had obviously been beaten to shit by god knows how many people, but it was still holding.I thought that spoke very well of Masterlock.

The second picture was taken under a tree, where either some sap or some water colored by the tree had dripped down and frozen over some twigs, making a neat, accidental little sculpture.

I will most definetely be back here when everything melts.We could have covered a lot more ground if we didn't have to inch our way up every incline to avoid falling on our asses.There's also supposed to be a plane wreck up here, but we did not find it.It may have been buried in the snow.We also only hit about half of the trails.Next time...

Two Good Things

2008-02-12T00:10:00.000-05:00

I haven't been writing much, and when I have it has just been a reason to post pictures of my recent hiking trips.Truth is, life has pretty much just been going on without much added excitement.I mean getting engaged is exciting, but it doesn't exactly put a sparkling finish on the day-to-day grind.

Anyhow, I figured I'd just share a few things interested in recently.Not very exciting, I know.It really is just an excuse to write something.

1)Epica -This could almost be considered a guilty pleasure.Epica is a symphonic metal band, although they are sometimes lumped in with groups like Lacuna Coil and Evanesence.This is probably because they have a female singer and instruments other than guitar, bass, and drums.The band's music is generally a bit "grand".If choirs, strings and woodwinds aren't your thing then you might want to just skip this band.Simone Simons provides most of the vocals.I am in love with her voice.(She's also gorgeous, but that really has nothing to do with the music.)It lends an air of class that helps some of the band's more grandiose moments escape becoming overblown.

They also have a darker, more black metalish side.This half of the vocal duties is handled by guitarist Mark Jansen.Let me tell you something, when Epica decides to rock, they put their peers to shame.They may get lumped in with Lacuna Coil and similar groups, but L.C. only wish they could get so heavy.

My favorite song is "Cry For The Moon", from the first album, The Phantom Agony. I could listen to that song all day and never get tired of it.

2)Strangers In Paradise :I had always heard good things about this comic, but just never bothered to pick it up.A conversation with the owner of my LCS inspired me to pick up the first trade and I've been hooked ever since.I have gotten completely wrapped up in the lives of Francine, Katchoo, David, Tambi, Casey, Freddie Femur, and the rest.I don't think any comic has ever made me laugh out loud as much as this one has.My favorite scene so far is from the second trade, when Francine decides to make a "milkshake".The visit from Francine's mother isn't too shabby either.

I also can't remember feeling so personally involved in the antics of fiction characters.Starting at about the 7th trade, Francine and Katchoo start to have some major falling outs.I find that whenever this happens, I get really upset and am in a bad mood.And Terry Moore just seems to LOOOVVEEE to play with your emotions in this book.I've had to take five or ten minutes after reading the last few trades to just let the events sink in so I could adjust.

I have last finished the 13th trade.There are only 6 more to go.I don't want it to end.I know the actual series has ended by now, but I've managed to avoid any spoilers.I hope it has a happy ending.These characters go through too much hell to not give tham a break in the end.

It's getting late and I'm tired.I think two things is enough for tonight.Hopefully I'll post again sooner rather than later.

Busy Day Part III:100 Steps

2008-02-05T00:22:00.000-05:00

(This is it, I promise.)

As I was wandering around Pyramid Mountain as studying the trail map, I noticed that on the other side of the road from the parking lot was a trail marked "100 Steps" that also had stone ruins along it.I remember reading about the trail on some hiking website whose name escapes me right now.

The reason the trail is called "100 Steps" is because, after winding around a short trial alongside some warehouses, the first hill is ascended by means of a lot of stone steps.I wasn't counting, so I'm not sure if there's exactly 100.My official guess is that is seemed like a lot.

This isn't the whole staircase.It disappears up into the woods and around the bend.Climbing those stairs was just what I needed to completely tire me out after a long day of hiking.Still, I wanted to see those ruins.

At the top of the 100 steps the trail ran alongide some power lines.Soon enough I was at the sight of the first ruin, a stone house built into the side of a small hill.

This one was out in the open and quite easy to find.The second ruin was a couple hundred feet into the woods.

The second , as you can see, was slightly less intact.All that was left was the chimney and the foundation.Still, I wonder who lived out here on the mountain.The houses weren't very big, so I doubt they were rich.I guess that's something for me to research.

I took one last moment to take in the view, which was pretty nice.I could see a reservoir from there.

I left on a different trail because there was a limestone quarry there.Of course, I forgot to take a picture.That means I took my tired, sore ass about an extra mile or so to get back to my car and go home.The trail back was no much to look at, but I imagine it would be quite pretty once the leaves come back.

All in all, it was a busy, worthwhile day.I left a few places unexplored so a second trip is sure to be upcoming.I must've walked at least 6 or 7 miles over the course of 5 hours, including time driving from the falls to Pyramid Mountain.I need to rest.

Busy Day Part II:Pyramid Mountain

2008-02-04T23:33:00.000-05:00

(Note:I am splitting my day up into parts.It's easier this way.Trust me.)

After leaving Boonton Falls, I decided to head up to Pyramid Mountain.It is located in Montville, which is one town and five minutes away.I came up with the thought to go there because it was featured in the Weird NJ book.

The lot was quite full, but I expected that.There were plenty of trail maps available there.The trail started off pretty flat and running along some power lines.As soon as the trail hit the woods, I took off on the more difficult trail.It got steep quick as I was at the bottom of Pyramid Mountain.

Then it got harder.

Honestly, the tough part did go by pretty quick.On the trip up I stopped at Bear Rock, which is one of New Jersey's largest individual boulders.

It had to be at least 15 feet tall.It was pretty impressive, for a rock.The land was also very swampy.Bear Rock was actually on the edge of one of the bigger ones.It's name, appropriately enough, is Bear Swamp.

Finally, I made it to the top and the reason I came here in the first place:Tripod Rock.

Tripod Rock is considered to be a glacial erratic.For those not willing to follow the link, a glacial erratic is a rock that was deposited somewhere unusual by a ...wait for it...a glacier.This one, as you can see is being balanced by three small stones.The space underneath is high enough to crawl under.Not that I advocate crawling underneath it, but if 10000 years of weather and erosion haven't toppled it, I doubt any of us will either.

There were other erratics in the area as well, though these were much smaller.

It was tough to get a good view up there as there were many trees, but when I found a clearing it was pretty rewarding.

I came down the side of the mountain on the yellow trail, which I have to remember to use to go up next time I come here, as it was a lot of fun.The whole trip only took me about 1 1/2 hours.I had enough time to check out one more trail, which will be shown in part III of my ever-so-thrilling adventures.

Busy Day Part I:Boonton Falls

2008-02-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, I went over to Boonton and Montville to check out some of the sights.I had worked in those places probably about 150 times and never knew any of the things I found were even there.

My first stop was Boonton Falls, which is located behind Main St.There weren't many places to walk, but the scenery was nice.Waterfalls are always interesting to see.There are actually two here, but the first just goes over a dam.I'm not sure that counts.

Those aren't the real falls.This is the real falls.

If you stick to the small trail, you can't get too close to the falls.You have to cross the Rockaway River and follow the edge of it and you can get right up close to it.I took this pic from about 3 feet away.

There are a few other things to see.At the end of the trail there is a stone circle and some train tracks.The circle, after doing some research, was part of the railroad system.

I crossed the river at these tracks, which provide you with a nice enough view to make you forget that you are just 100 feet from a busy main street.

There wasn't much else to see.There were these four tunnels, none of which went deeper than 20 feet.

And finally, there was this huge rock, which you can climb to the top of with a little effort.

And that is Boonton Falls.It's not much of a hike, but would be a nice place to go for a picnic.The one thing I didn't take a picture of was some trash floating at the base of the falls.Booooo people.Shame on you for polluting this place with your crap.

It's Still Going On

2008-01-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

A little over a month ago, some She-Hulk fan site linked to me as a bit of a goof.Since then, the post they linked to has gotten about 3/4 of the total hits of any post here.Also, the number one search term people use to find me is "She Hulk Boobs".

I am the #1 Google entry for "She Hulk Boobs."

That is so funny.

Speaking of She-Hulk, I bought the first five issues of John Byrne's run from Midtown Comics.They aren't collected anywhere that I know of and I was interested because I had heard that the book was pretty funny.They were right.The book was funny and the fourth wall stuff was pretty clever.I think I was expecting a Deadpool-esque tactic of addressing the reader and talking about caption boxes.Instead, she not only spoke to the reader, but to Mr. Byrne as well.She also tore through individual pages and walked across ads as part of the story.

The other thing I liked was the idea to use D-list villains.I had never seen Dr. Bong before.My life is much richer now.

As for Peter David's new run?I'm OK with it.I think some ideas, such as having the Absorbing Man accidentally absorb the properties of Legoes, was funny as hell.I do miss the law firm though.The first two Dan Slott She-Hulk trades are all kinds of awesome.I'd easily put at least vol 1( Single Green Female ) in my top 10 favorites.

Ramapo State Forest/Van Slyke Castle Hike

2008-01-28T10:46:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, Darrell and I headed out to Ramapo State Forest in Ringwood,NJ for our hiking fix.For a cold, winter day the lot was actually packed.The trails themselves vary greatly in difficulty.The main trails, around Ramapo lake, are fairly flat and easy to navigate.The view at lakeside is great and I can see why it seems to be so popular.

As the trails start to head into the woods, the elvation rises, but the trails still manage to remain pretty low-impact.You are treated to some fantastic views.Here is two of Ramapo lake again, but from halfway up the mountain, and then from the top.

Our ultimate goal this time was to head up to the ruins of Van Slyke Castle (history and details are in the link.)We chose the least direct route to get there, and the trials then started to provide quite the workout.At the very top, you have to climb a low wall and the castle comes into view.

First of all, before we go into the castle, the view from up here is incredible.You can see the NYC skyline from here.I tried to take a picture, but it didn't come out well.(This is not that picture.) Also from here, you can see a tower off in the distance.

We made it there as well, but that picture is coming up later.

The inside of the castle is pretty much wrecked out.

Of course, we had to pose in there.

Those ledges we are standing on were not easy to climb onto, as the floors of this place have long since waved bye-bye.Speaking of which, we left Van Slyke castle and spied some pillars and one last view before we headed to our next target.

A little bit further along there is an old tower, which served as a water tower when the castle was still standing.

It's probably about 20-30 feet high and there is nothing inside of it anymore.With that, we headed out of the woods and onto a long, winding, uphill road to the other tower, which is actually on someone's property.It has also been sold out to various cell phone companies and such.It's a shame.It's a pretty nice building otherwise.

At this point, we had hiked about 7 or 8 miles and were pretty tired, so we headed back down and around the other side of the lake.To my surprise, there was a waterfall there.It went back pretty far, but wasn't that active.I imagine it flows a lot heavier after things melt.I still got a couple of nice pictures out of it though.

All in all, it was a very worthwhile hike.The castle ruins alone were worth the trip.This hiking thing is getting very infectious.I'm already anxious for the next trip.

Just Plain Sick

2008-01-22T18:42:00.000-05:00

I had a small panic attack on Friday morning.Don't worry, I am mostly fine now.It was just one of those things where little things added up.First, I have had ZERO time to myself over the past 3 or 4 months.Second, I've been getting hit with tiny pieces of stress-filled shrapnel for a while now.No one thing was enough to faze me much, if at all.Added up though, something had to give eventually.As it turns out, a recurring plumbing problem is what sent me over the edge.

I'm not sure if anyone reading this has ever had a panic attack, but it is fucking scary as all hell.I've had two, not counting this minor one.The first was during my first year of college.I came home for my birthday(It's in September, so I was only a few weeks into school.) and was in my room with my sister and some friends.We were laughing and having a good time when I just shut down.If I had to make a comparison, it would be like having all of your car's electric systems shutting down at once while driving.If that has ever happened to you, you know that your lights, radio, engine, gauges, etc all go off at once and you just coast until you stop.Then you hope like hell that the car starts up again.That's what happened to me.I remember people trying to talk to me, but that is about all I remember of when it was actually taking place.

The second time was afew years after I graduated, when I was working for a fence company in their woodshop.It was a job I wasn't too thrilled with to begin with.I was somewhat trapped there(for the time being)and had developed some nasty asthma from constantly breathing in the wood dust.On top of that, the people who worked there were mostly assholes.I was my normal, quiet self and apparently no one could handle that, so they took every opportunity to play practical jokes or just plain taunt me.Their reasoning:They liked to watch me get upset.I was the entertainment.

Anyway, it was a winter day and I was busy nailing together a section of fence.I was getting the usual taunts and catcalls from behind my back when someone whipped a snowball, HARD, that came about 6 inches from hitting me in the back of the head.I absolutely freaked out on everybody.I don't remember one word of what I said, but I know that no one was laughing at me this time.I stormed into my boss's office and told him I was leaving.I drove home in the midst of a 2 hour blackout.My memory of that day goes:yelled at my boss, and then I'm home on the couch.

After that, people at work treated me like I was made of glass.I didn't like that too much either, but at least the taunting stopped and never really got going again, at least not to the extent it was before.This second one was much scarier.I've never blacked out without massive amounts of alcohol in my system before.It felt like I was watching the whole event unfold from outside my own body.

ponsive.I even tried to suck it up and go to work.Everyone noticed right away that I wasn't right.The first words out of the mouth of the woman I worked with were "You look pale.You should go home."I tried to stay, but was just completely emotionally drained.after sitting at my computer for 1/2 hour straight staring at my shoes I realized that all I was doing by staying at work was hurting myself.I knew that every person who saw me so despondent would comment and that would just make me feel worse.So I went home and fell asleep watching a movie.The next day I was still somewhat shaky, but I made it to work and lasted the whole 10 hour day.

Since then I've been congested and just sick-feeling.I can't be sure that the two things are connected, but I'm pretty sure that they are.Today has been the worst day of all.I can't breathe out of my nose at all and have one hell of a headache.Those things are making me feel sluggish and apathetic.I hate feeling like this.

Normally, I have little faith in medicine.Most of it has little effect on me.Today though, I felt so crappy that I took 8 tablets of "Pain Aid", which is a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, salicylamide(whatever that is), and caffeine.It cleared up my nose and made me feel better for about an hour.Now, of course, I'm back to square one:stuffed up and aching.

Damn it all to hell, I hate having a cold.

The Holiday Party

2008-01-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I received my invitation for my job's annual holiday party.My first thought was, of course, that I wasn't going to go.Why would I?Things like that are designed to make me uncomfortable.I started talking to one of the other guys who works in the warehouse though and we kind of talked each other into going

Yesterday was the big day.I had been anticipating/dreading this all week.Sure, I'd get a free meal out of it.I would also, most likely, spend my whole time there paralyzed by my own hangups about being out socially.Which way would I go?

We arrived about 20 minutes into the cocktail hour.The first thing I noticed was that nearly everybody was dressed in formal attire.I was in jeans, sneakers, and a grey henlee.So right away I felt a wee bit out of place.I saw a few people I knew from when I worked in the other office, which I guess was cool.We then hooked up with the other people from the warehouse and, as I stood there, I realized the answer to the question in the previous paragraph.I was TOTALLY freaked out at the amount of people there.All I could do was stand there in silence and hope that dinner would come soon.My fiancee had a much easier time settling in, engaging in conversation with another worker's wife.

Eventually we did get to sit down to eat.The food, being served buffet-style, was quite good.I was still a bit uncomfortable though.I decided to do something out-of-character for me and actually had an alcoholic beverage, hoping it would loosen me up enough to enjoy myself.I went with a long island iced tea because, if I'm going to break my own personal prohibition, I'm going to go all the way.I finished one and grabbed another just before the open bar was over.The second one I nursed a bit more, as I wasn't sure of how strong my tolerance was.I did not want to be drunk, just a little buzzed at most.

I didn't get much of a buzz at all, which was pretty surprising considering it had been about 5 years since the last time alcohol entered my body.I also didn't loosen up much.I just sat there for the rest of the night until the DJ started up with that infernal "Electric Slide" crap.(The electric slide, the chicken dance, the macarena, and every other line dancing thing that might be done at a party/wedding is beyond my realm of tolerance.We are banning the electric slide from our wedding.She still wants the chicken dance, but I'm hoping I can wear her down with that one.)I was just coming back from the bathroom when I saw and heard it and decided that was enough.We said our goodbyes to our tablemates and bid a hasty retreat to avoid the associative embarrassment that comes with seeing people you know trying to choreograph a dance with each other.

To be fair, it wasn't so horrible.I was sitting with people I knew.The food was quite good and there was even a dessert bar that had chocolate cake and cheesecake.They also gave away a lot of prizes, of which I won zero.I know this story seems a little plain, but it was a pretty plain night.I find that I am undecided as to whether or not I'd go again next year.It left me feeling just kind of "meh".I guess I'll see how disillusioned I feel next time the invites come around.

Jockey Hollow(with just the slightest whiff of educational value)

2008-01-15T00:02:00.000-05:00

Around here, Sunday's weather was quite pleasant.So My friend Darrel and I decided to go hiking.We settled on Jockey Hollow Park in Morristown,NJ.It was pretty packed and we weren't sure if we would stay, but it was already 1:30PM and we wanted to get started.A quick stroll through the visitor's center(No vending machines?If people are about to go for long walks here, they should be able to buy a bottle of water.You can't carry a drinking fountain in your jacket.)and around an old farmhouse, and we were at the start of the trail.

Historic site or not, this IS New Jersey.SO of course you're greeted with...an outhouse.
Simply delightful.

Someone's been eating too much fiber.(cue rim shot)

Anyway...This is the first time that I've been here.The trails aren't all that difficult to navigate in that there isn't a whole lot of climbing to do.What challenge the trails had was in that it was laid out like an obstacle course.You had to cross bridges over swampy areas.

Even with these bridges, we still managed to stumble into some leaf-covered muck.

The whole area around the trail was surrounded by two small creeks.One was almost nearly drained, but it looked like it probably fills up during the summer.The other had quite a few fun ways to cross.You could bounce rock ro rock across.

Or you could find a log to walk across.

They also had various sets of stepping stones and bridges.

I took more pictures, but how many pictures of water and trees can I show?Needless to say, we strayed off the trials quite a bit and found some more substantial hiking.Sometimes you need to create your own adventure.The area is almost impossible to get lost in.The creeks are pretty big and criss cross the paths in many places.If you don't know where you are, you need only find water and follow it in any direction.

Of course this is also a historic site.Its's one of those "George Washington was here."-kind of places.This guy can tell you more about what's here.This is Plaquey, The Informational Plaque.

Thanks, Plaquey.There are Revolutionary War soldier's huts here.I have read that they are replicas though.Here they are from the outside.

And inside as well.Today, a house like this would be the ultimate in "cozy."

Each place looked like it held between 8 to 12 people in cramped, stacked bunk beds.Each building also had a fireplace.Bathrooms were either outside or where you lay down.It must have really sucked to be the guy on the bottom bunk.(Two potty jokes in one post.I should be ashamed.)

You could also get a sense of history from the LOADS of graffiti carved into the trees.

Look.Someone named Nony(?) was here.And Qana.Good ol' Qana.JD too.That JD cat sure does get around.

One treee also had an inscription in it, but it was too worn away to read.

Damned if I know what it says.If you can figure it out, I owe you a soda.Those of you who drink "pop" are shit out of luck.

And that's it.It was a good time overall.We covered nearly every trail in the 3 1/2 hours we were there and we certainly didn't rush to get through.I'll come back here again when the leaves and flowers start coming out.

The World's Most Disorienting Cat Picture

2008-01-14T23:52:00.000-05:00

It might not hit you right off the bat, but if you give it a few seconds you almost lose track of how her body contorted itself into that position.It works best if you focus on her eyes.She gets very abstract.I find it amusing to imagine her stuck to the wall in that position. Or the ceiling.

Awards?I Don't Need Any Stinkin' Awards!

2008-01-12T11:43:00.000-05:00

This weekend, the indy wrestling group I work for is having their annual awards/Hall Of Fame dinner.The dinner is in it's third year.This is also the third year that I plan on not attending.So now you're saying "Who cares?If you're not going why bring it up?"To that, I have two things to say:

1)It's my blog.I choose the topics.

2)This year is different.

I actually thought about going this year.I've been trying to be a little more social.I even decided to go to my job's holiday party next week after swearing to myself all year that I wouldn't go.I figure if I show my face at a social event it might cause less people to be afraid of me.Everywhere I've ever gone, there have been people who have been afraid to speak to me.From what I've gathered, it usually has something to do with the fact that I'm so quiet.People who have admitted this to me have told me that they thought that if they spoke to me that I'd ignore them or be angry with them.Sigh...I'm quiet.I'm shy.I'm awkward around new people, and even around people I know sometimes.I'm the last person anyone needs to be afraid of.If you ever meet me and want to talk to me, then just do it.I'll do the best I can to hold a conversation.If I fidget or get silent, it's because I'm drawing a blank regarding what to say next.That's all.I'm not trying to ditch you or express any dissatisfaction over having to talk to you.Quiet, shy, awkward.Remember those three things if you ever get to talk to me.But back to my topic...

So I was considering going to the awards dinner, even if I was leaning heavily towards not going.At least I considered it, right?That's more thought than I put into it before.Then I went to practice last week.The trainer/promoter told me that I was the top vote-getter for "manager of the year" as of that moment.That was what made my mind up for me.Truth be told, I don't want any awards.I got into wrestling for my own satisfaction.My reward has always been the fact that I got to participate and see how everything is put together.Chasing awards is petty and vain, or at least for me it is.

If I really do win this, I would have had to get up and make an acceptance speech in front of everybody in attendance(as opposed to making it in the bathroom to noone but myself and a mirror).I plan on forfeiting the award if I win it.A forfeit speech probably would not go over too well, you know?"Thanks, but no thanks.I think this award is silly and unneccessary."It would be honest but a little harsh.And I won't play along and pretend to be happy.That would be out-and-out lying.

Of course the possibility exists that the voting changed things over the course of the week and I won't win.That would make this whole post completely worthless.I'd rather that happen.Let someone who appreciates it win the award.I can live with having a self-important moment over nothing here.

Help For Those Looking For Info On Fire Pro Wrestling

2008-01-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

I noticed that a lot of people come to my site looking for information about Fire Pro Wrestling.'m guessing that's because I did a post on the game a month or so back.My blog will not help you at all.I am not going to be posting templates, FAQs or any other guides.Sorry.That's more work than I'm willing to put in.

For the best info, please go to The Fire Pro Wrestling Club .They have all of the info on all of the games, even the older ones.If you are new to the game, I recommend reading some of the FAQs and guides first.The members get pretty snippy having to answer questions that are clearly explained elsewhere on the site.They also have large downloadable edit packs.You need some extra hardware to make the transfer from your computer to your PS2 though.If you don't want to take the time to make all of the extra guys then these are a life saver.You can also go to gamefaqs.com for the same info.

If you are a wrestling fan and can deal with the 2D graphics, then you need to play Fire Pro Wrestling.It is the most customizable and realistic wrestling game on the market.The customization options here put the WWE games to shame.I've slowly been creating customs for the indy fed I work for.Without tweaking the AI, it typically takes me about 1/2 hour to make a custom.With tweaking the AI, it could take days, depending on how exact I'm trying to be.The good thing is that even without the customs, the game has over 300 wrestlers and martial artists to choose from.

I also spend a lot of time on Match Maker mode, where you get to put together a dream card and get evaluated based on crowd response.(Hint:No one likes a countout and 8-man elimination tag matches almost always get good rankings.)

And Now This Crap Too...

2008-01-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

So, let's see...my morning kind of sucked.(See previous post)As upset as that post may have made me seem, it is nothing I won't get over.Now that funky mood I was in has thrown me into one of my "I'm here but my mind is way the fuck over there",fidgety, no attention span-having kind of moods.

I can't sit still.I can't focus on one coherent thought for more than a few seconds at a time.I've used this comparison before, but it's like turning your TV's volume to full and flipping channels for a few hours straight.Picture that with the TV's audio being in your head and the screen inches from your unblinking eyes so you can see nothing else.Add to that a layer of financial worry and another layer of guilt over allowing my cat to get mites and fleas as well as her being very sick.And I still have 3 more hours of work to go.When I get like this, I need a "project" to steady myself.The type of project I need does not exist at work.All I can do here is pace, bounce around at my desk, and hope for things to pick up soon.

I need a project that puts my hands and mind to work.My Nextwave#5 coloring project would be awesome right about now.Artistic endeavors always work best at these times.Hence, I will blog.Lucky you...

I do have the mp3 player I got for Xmas.I've been bringing that to work every day.At least I can focus on some good tunes.Music always makes me feel better.Unless it's something Chris Cornell wrote.Don't get me wrong,I love Chris Cornell.He is one of my top 5 favorite singers, but godfuckingdamnit some of his songs depress me.

Let's see what's playing.Slayer?Nah.Mercyful Fate?Not in the mood.GNR?No.Celtic Frost?Jeez...Gotta keep flipping....Aaaahha!Ministry's "Warp City".Perfect.Good stuff.

Gotta work now.

Poor, Sick Kitty/ Poor, Empty Wallet

2008-01-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Last night, my fiance noticed that our youngest cat(the one that is in my blogger avatar), who is only 8 months old, was acting strangely and was sluggish.We were concerned, but decided to wait the night to see if she was just tired and cranky.

This morning, she was the same so I took her to the vet.She had a temperature of 104.7.That made me feel bad.Then they said she had ear mites, which made me feel even worse.Then they told me she had fleas.At this point, I felt like a horrible, negligent owner.Cats get sick, so that was just unfortunate.But when the other things were brought up I just wanted to die.

How much does a sick kitten cost?$587.That's for 4 different medicines, blood work, the office visit, etc.It cost us the start of our honeymoon stash.The remainder went on the credit card that I have been busting my ass to pay off.If she isn't feeling better by tommorrow morning, then I have to take her back for more work, which means more $$$.

She's our pet though.She's part fo the family.You can't just NOT treat a sick animal.It's cruel.I'd do anything to make sure my animals are well.Still, I'm upset at the cost.Eliminating my credit card debt is very important to me.I fucked up by overspending when I was younger and now I'm trying to fix it.I manged to pay off over $3000 of my debt last year.Now it's going to be that much harder.Every penny spent costs me more money in interest and...I'm sure you know how credit cards work.

So I feel just terrible today.I feel horrible that our kitten had mites AND fleas AND was sick.The cost just makes me feel like I'll never pay my debts.Two steps forward, one step backwards.It feels hopeless.If you have credit cards: DON"T USE THEM UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NEED TO.My debt is a little less than half as big as it was this time last year, but I still loathe the fact that half of a work week each month has to go to those cocksuckers at Mastercard.

I guess it could be worse.At least I was able to pay the bill.

I'm Still Alive

2008-01-04T15:15:00.000-05:00

This is just a message to say I'm still around.There has been a lot of post-holiday activity and blogging has been on the bottom of my "to do" list.I'll get back to it when I feel that I have something worth saying.

Just Taking A Break

2007-12-30T01:06:00.000-05:00

I haven't written a post in a while.The holiday was pretty busy.I figured that I would give a little update and a few random thoughts.

1)I got my gf a ring, which now makes her my fiancee.I actually planned things out and put work into this instead of following my usual method of last minute, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants craziness.It went as well as I possibly could have hoped and am quite proud of myself at how everything turned out.Now it is on to the wedding itself, which I can already see is going to be quite an experience.

2)I got an mp3 player.Believe it or not, I have never owned one before.I have no interest in the small, cheap ones( I have too much music for that little storage space.).The big ones are too much money for me to feel comfortable spending at once.This one will be able to hold about 1/2 of my music.That will do.SO that's one reason I haven't been writing:I've been transferring my music.

One thing I won't be doing much of is buying music online.I am hesitant to buy anything that will stay only on my computer or any piece of elctronics.That means I'm still going to buy CDs, transfer them to my CPU, and then to the player.It seems laborious when I could just buy stuff online and have it within seconds.I think the effort is worth it because I will never fully trust my life to a computer.It is just a machine.Though it is highly doubtful to happen, this computer could crap out tommorrow and I could lose everything on the hard drive.If all of my music was just downloadable files it would all be gone.That and I also appreciate being physically able to possess the CD.A computer can never duplicate the sensation.It's too impersonal.

3)I wrestled again this past Friday in a Texas tornado tag team match.It went mostly well, but we ended the match at least 3 or 4 minutes too soon.The crowd was digging it though.That is what ultimately matters.At one point I went over the top rope, missed the apron, and landed HARD on my unprotected knee and elbow.I walked away with only a scrape on my elbow, which is just gross enough looking to be cool.

Sometimes my luck amazes me.I have never broken a bone in my life(that I know of) and have never had a stitch put in me or an operation.And between wrestling and my storied job history, I've been in more than my fair share of physically dangerous situations.I shot myself in the hand with a nailgun once and the nail just bounced off of the tip of my finger.Last year, I had an SUV on NJ route 287(If you don't live in NJ, that's a major North/South road in Northern Jersey.) almost hit me.I spun around 3 times:once on my side of the road, then once across the median and into the other lanes of traffic, and the third time back across the oppostie lanes of traffic and ended up stalled on the median, facing the right direction.I didn't hit anything more hazardous than a blade of grass.I took a second to gather myself, started my car, and finished my drive home.I've fallen asleep operating power saws(more times than I'm comfortable admitting) and haven't so much as broken a fingernail.I have twice fallen off of 24foot ladders(both times from about halfway up) and got nothing more than a scratched stomach.I once fell 10 feet through a ceiling onto a desk and then onto my head on a concrete floor and just got bruised.It will be interesting to see what finally "breaks" me.I'll probably slip on a banana peel and crack my skull open on some plush carpeting.

A Quick Thanks

2007-12-22T01:58:00.000-05:00

Wendy Withers , who is also pretty much my only regular reader and the only person who actually leaves comments here, had some nice things to say about me in her blog(now award-winning).She deals with a large variety of topics, loves zombies and is a genuine writer.

If you're lurking through here trying to find something to read with more depth and better sentence structure, then check out her blog.

Speaking of zombies, if you ever find yourself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse the people at this blog have found some survival tips.You never know.

Something Trippy...

2007-12-22T00:31:00.000-05:00

I don't remember where I got the link, but this is cool.This is one of those things where every time you watch it you see something you missed the last time around.There is another one here , but it is a lot shorter.I actually use the one from the second link as my screen saver sometimes.

I always love finding these odd little flashes of creativity.The ones that are interactive are even better.I'm not talking games, but diversions.

Looking Like This:Hair Tales

2007-12-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

I am not a person obsessed with my appearance.I make sure that I am clean(clean feels better) and that I look like I bathe regularly.I'm not really concerned with my clothing.I'm a jeans and T-shirt person for life.I buy the cheapest sneakers I can stomach buying.(My current pair was $15.I will wear them until they need to be held together with duct tape.)

This isn't too say I don't have my peculiarities.I have made some very bold fashion choices in my physical appearance.For one thing, I have 16 tattoos.When I fist started getting thm, I wanted to keep them all in places where I could hide them.Then I got one on my forearm and suddenly it was open season.Some people are curious and might ask a question or two, but I've never gotten any grief over them.I think they're getting more and more common and accepted, so people aren't as shocked as they might have been in the past.

I also have a long goatee, maybe about 6 inches long.I shave only about once a month, and sometimes even less frequent.Once more, I rarely get any grief for this.My job is such that I don't need to be clean shaven.At worst people want to tug on my beard.It's a good prop for wrestling for that very reason.

The thing I get the most comments about, and hard times about, is my hair.I started growing my hair long when I was a freshman in high school.My mother was okay with it, but would never let it get too long.Her idea of long hair must've been an inch long, 80's mullet.I had other ideas and, by the time I was a junior, had won.I could grow it as long as I wanted as long as I kept it clean.I took that ball and ran with it and still won't give it back.

I have cut it short twice in the past:once because I got a bad haircut and the other time was to get a job.Both times I tried to work with the short hair and find a style I liked because short hair IS easier to take care of.It just never worked.It just ends up long.It grows in thick too.I'm not close to balding yet.(crosses fingers.C'mon genetics.)I'm also a redhead(real hair color).That means that not only is it long and there's a lot of it, but it stands out like a signal beacon.There's no mistaking me when you see me.

I love having it.It's just more...fun.It allows for a couple of different style options.Seeing other people's reactions to it over the past twenty years has been an experience in the best and worst that people have to offer.There is a whole set of prejudices and stereotypes that come with being a guy with long hair, none of them flattering.

My first experience came right about when I was a junior in H.S.My family was living in a condominium complex.That means your neighbors were right on top of you and privacy sometimes wasn't possible.One day I was cleaning out the inside of my mother's car.It was a sunny day, I had the radio out with me and was just cleaning and enjoying the tunes.

When I finished my job and came back in my mother pulled me aside.She told me that one member of a family from a condo next to ours, a lady senior, came to the door to warn my mother that there was a suspicious-looking man near her car.Looking back, I'm just thinking"How did she not know that I lived there?Our front doors were only 15 feet apart."But still, she saw me and instantly had me judged as "criminal", or "undesirable".

It has been a recurring pattern all my life.There are people who feel uncomfortable talking to me because of it.It has occasionally made me an uncomfortable spectacle.Almost every time that I've ever been to see stand-up comedy, I've been the guy that the comic picks out of the audience to tease.(Caroline Rhea once called me Jesus!Really.It was before Sabrina and Rosie.)I've been turned down for countless jobs because of it, often with a boldness and frankness that would not be tolerated if their issue involved race or gender.Some might ask why I just don't cut my hair and blend in.Guys SHOULD have short hair, you know.No one forces me to look like this.Peace is only a scissor snip or two away.The answer is simple:I don't want to.Dealing with the bullshit is a small price to pay for being happy with at least one aspect of your physical appearance.I have awesome hair.So fuck you all. I'm keeping it.

Hearing this little rant, you might think that it might be an obsession of my life.That maybe I walk around all day like"Yeah.Look at my hair.Pay attention dammit!!!"I'm not though.It's as unnewsworthy and familiar to me as my own face.It's just something I happen to have.People always will make jokes and I'll get the requisite haircut cracks and offers.But they get used to it.It gets old, kinda like the Superman jokes that Clark Kent endures in Superman:Identity.

These opinions that I wrote about above are always in my head though, even if they rarely are spoken of.I think that anybody who experiences discrimination because of their appearance, no matter how insignificant it may seem in relation to another person's experience with discrimination,retains it and has an encyclopedia's worth of counter attacks and defenses just waiting to be unleashed at anyone who gives them shit. I never really thought about what other guys with long hair go through.I'm too self-absorbed to care.Looking through the internet(That thing again)and I found just some of that:guys with long hair shouting their concerns.Some are more radical than others.I think this guy pretty much nails it.

Some things, like "get a haircut" being considered a slur I had never thought of.If I look back at many of the incidents that he brings up and count the number of times they happened to me, then it would seem that people have been pretty rotten to me.I can't seem to get mad about it though.It's interesting to read about.I can relate to the stories.But it doesn't make me seethe.I'm old enough and have heard it all.The comments just roll right off my back now.I don't blame anybody for the position I'm in, or not in.(But I do have my eye on you, Mr."The Man."You are never to be trusted under any circumstances.)But sometimes, it just feels good to rant.

Dumbest Post Ever-Who Would Win In A Fight?

2007-12-19T01:05:00.000-05:00

The rules of "Who would win in a fight?" are simple.

1)Anything goes, including any powers that the characters would have.

2)Anybody or anything, fictional or real is eligible.

3)There is no such thing as too silly a matchup.

4)I haven't figured out how to determine who wins yet.That's not really a rule.I'm just saying...

The inaugural fight is between two underappreciated advertising icons.

IN THE RED CORNER:

NAME:Grimace

STRENGTHS:Size Advantage

Unusual body shape and stubby limbs make grappling impossible

No external genitalia to be exploited

WEAKNESSES:Unusual body shape and stubby limbs make grappling or punching or kicking impossible

Soft and doughy.Probably can't take a punch for shit.

Appaling lack of cardiovascular conditioning

MY TAKE: No one is exactly sure what Grimace is."The Milkshake Guy" is not a proper answer.Is there a female version of Grimace?How do Grimaces have sex?Grimace also has no visible anus.He obviously eats.How does he poop?Why is he always naked?Even when around children?I think Grimace is fucked up in the head and probably angry about being backed up because he has no waste orifices.His opponent is in for a world of hurt.Speaking of which...

IN THE BLUE CORNER:

NAME:The Fruit Of The Loom Fig Leaf Guy

STRENGTHS:Mobility.The leaf costume is the least bulky and restrictive of all of the FOTL guys.

Righteous anger over having to wear the crappiest FOTL costume.

Heart and determination:wants to show that he can be as big as the Apple.

WEAKNESSES: Leaves do not make good armor.

Prone to shaming tactics regarding costume.

Lack of experience in the spotlight.Doubtful anyone even cares about him.

MY TAKE:I've seen this guy listed as being the "fig leaf guy" and also as the "leaves and currants" guy.Either one is equally stupid.Couldn't they have used an orange or a banana?(Sometimes when I type banana I have to restrain myself from typing too many "na"s.Otherwise I'd be writing banananana.And that's just stupid.)I'm sure someone got fired over that one.Come on.Fig leaves?Does anyone even eat figs except in Newton form?They need to stop trying to be different and edgy and give people a fourth fruit they can recognize.

On a similar topic, why are there 2 grape guys?It's like the guy who came up with this was told to come up with four fruit mascots and was like"Apple.Grapes.Uhhhh...More Grapes.Uhhh....Crap.Four?Really?I don't know.Leaves?Is that a fruit?"I could do better than that.

WHO WINS?:Hell if I know.I'd pick the fig leaf guy because Grimace is pretty much useless unless he's eating or sucking up to Ronald.And how is he going to do any damage with those short little arms?I doubt he could reach to squeeze his nipples if he had any.Grimace's only hope is to fall on fig leaf guy or eat him.I just don't see another way.

Superman:Identity-A New Favorite

2007-12-18T19:16:00.000-05:00

(A note-The internet is full of comic reviews and blogs.Most are filled to the brim with negative bullshit.I'm not going to waste anyone's time with books I don't like.When people are looking for new stuff to read, what's the point of hearing about the shit?You want to know what the good stuff is.I will take up the challenge of bring good stuff to people's attention.Starting now.)

Earlier this year, I started reading DC comics, despite being a "Marvel Zombie."One thing I didn't expect to happen was becoming a Superman fan.My interest was solidified after reading Superman For All Seasons.I was looking for more Superman GN/TPBs to read and kept hearing about this book called Superman:Identity. The problem was, every time I picked it up I always ran across the page where a 20-something Superman, still thin enough to look a little awkward in his costume, was flying around.My first thought then was always "I don't want to read about some bony Superman."So I always put it down.

About 2 weeks ago, I broke down and picked it up.I think I've read it seven times since then.For those who don't know, Identity is the story of a guy, whose name just happens to be Clark Kent, who lives in what I suppose is our world.Superman exists, but as a comic book character.Young Clark is constantly assaulted with Superman jokes, Superman comics, and all manner of Superman memorobilia.And he hates it.His closet is full of unwanted Superman crap and his name makes him an outcast at school, even amongst the nerds.

One night, while hiking in the woods, he wakes up to find himself floating in the air.He realizes that he now has Superman's powers and is immediately wondering if he should shout from the mountaintops or keep it hush-hush.The story continues through all stages of his life, all the way until he is an old, gray man.

The whole story is told from Clark's point of view, mostly through journal entries that he types up on an old typewriter.I don't know how Busiek did it, but I felt every single thing that Clark felt.I felt every tragedy and triumph.When Lois announces she is pregnant I was there, joyfully bouncing around the ocean like a caffeine-addled dolphin.I felt the disappointment when he discovered that his powers were fading with age.At a few points I found myself with a lump in my throat.If I am having an emotional reaction to a story, then there must be something good going on there.

Stuart Immomen takes every art duty here, taking pencils and color.The color is done painting-style(very professional term there) which lends a much more realistic feel than is normal for him.The realism helps draw you in here.If the art was more traditional this would still be a good story and worthwhile purchase, but would most likely lack the emotional resonance.

I can't recommend this book enough.It will brighten your day and make you believe that a Superman could exist.Even if you don't like Superman- read this book.If you don't like comics-read this anyway.I wouldn't steer you wrong.

At least not this time.

I HATE WINTERTIME

2007-12-17T19:11:00.001-05:00

It took me 40 minutes to get out of my parking space this morning.I needed to use a shovel, a hammer, 1/2 a bag of rock salt, about 5 pounds of kitty litter,a cardboard box, and a whole lot of rocking back and forth to escape.Fucking ice.Fucking winter.Fucking New Jersey.AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

And it's not even Xmas yet.I can't imagine living any further north.I turn on the Weather Channel and see these places where it starts snowing in early September or something and they're always getting like 2 or 3 feet of snow per storm and I know that if I lived there I'd have gone crazy years ago.

On the plus side, my tires aren't completely bald after spinning them all morning and the ice only broke one of my windshield wipers.(on the driver's side!Of course...)I'm sure tommorrow will be just as much fun.

Oh Boy

2007-12-16T23:52:00.000-05:00

On my last post, I talked a little bit about some of the more unusual keyword searches people used to find this blog.A She-Hulk fan site linked that because I mentioned that someone searched for me using the phrase "Jennifer Walters Boob Grow".He did it as a goof just to push me further up the search engine list for anyone typing in that phrase. I think it's pretty funny.

The funnier thing is that since linking me 3 days ago,248 people(as of now) have clicked on that post.The number of times people have come here from google searches looking for that exact phrase went from the initial one, to five now.

So, for anyone coming here looking for pictures of She-Hulk, don't say I never gave you anything:

This is my favorite She-Hulk picture, that I've seen so far.She looks pretty badass. There are no growing boobs, but if your taste in porn is that specific I'm sure there's an internet site somewhere out there that is perfect for you.

A Blog First

2007-12-14T00:18:00.001-05:00

If you look at the right side of my blog, under where the archives are, you will see my visitor counter.I use Statcounter to count the people coming here.One of the nice things about the service is that you get access to free statistics about your visitors.I like to look up the keyword searches to see how people arrived here.Some keywords I understand(such as he ones pertaining to the Delaware Water Gap).Some leave me puzzled(Used College Stud Underwear?That was searched TWICE, by the way.Jennifer Walters Boobs Grow?I know I've mentioned She-Hulk a couple of times, but I'm pretty sure I didn't talk about any mammarian size increases.)

When looking through the keywords last week, I noticed that one was the url for this blog.That means someone actually searched for me intentionally!They never came back though.Too bad.I do have one regular reader(Thanks Wendy!), who actually even put me on her blogroll.If you see a post with comments, chances are almost certain they are between her and I.It's cool.I appreciate the conversation.I do wish more people would comment though, even to tell me that this blog sucks.1600 visitors and they're all lurkers.Perhaps I need more interesting content, or meatier content.I kinda like doing what I want though.Maybe I'll try some new things once I figure out what they are.

Crappy Weather And A Revelation

2007-12-13T23:51:00.000-05:00

Today we had our first nasty winter storm of the year.If this storm was an item on a Chinese food menu, it would be the pu-pu platter.It had a little bit of everything:snow,sleet,hail,freezing rain.Normally, I hate the snow.I've gone over this before on this blog.It's just downright aggravating when your relationship with it grows past it being something to play in or with.Today though...I didn't mind it one bit.When I wasn't working or reading my new comics, I was watching it fall and coat everything.These storms create chaos on the roads.People are forced to adjust their normally assholish driving behavior, for better or worse.That, and the threat of not being able to stop your vehicle as it slides uncontrollably down one of the many shoddily tended, hilly roads, makes winter weather my least favorite weather to be caught out in.

Yet this time I was happy.I was happy because, for the first time in 6 years, I wouldn't have to spend my whole day driving in it.I wouldn't have to chop the ice away from the front of a telephone pole with a hammer so I could set up a ladder.There wouldn't even be any ladders.I could just watch it from the warm indoors, drinking a cup of hot cocoa.I knew that by the time I left work, the roads would be clear of traffic and most likely be better plowed and salted.And I live five minutes from my job.Pffft.Even I can make that drive.

I also realized that this is going to be the weekend I make one of the most important purchases of my life.I'm not going to say exactly what it is, but involves a diamond.You know what I'm talking about.My life is going to change in slightly less than two weeks.It took 34 years, but I'm ready.I don't just think I'm ready.I know I am.

Short Graphic Novel Reviews

2007-12-10T10:29:00.000-05:00

It has dawned on me that I haven't written about comics in quite a while.There are two main reasons for this.#1 is that I find the online comics community totally obnoxious and am not always willing to be associated with them, even if only vaguely.#2 is that in my week-to-week buying habits, nothing has really been wowwing me.Things have been merely adequate.I haven't had the urge to give anything multiple rereads.

My graphic novel purchases, on the other hand, have given me plenty to smile about.I'm all caught up on the books I want to be caught up on, so all that's left for me has been to thumb through as many recommendations as possible and buy some of the stuff that I've only ever walked past.This post is for the best ones that I have so far.Some may not be new to you, but they're new to me.

1)Crecy by Warren Ellis/Raulo Caceres:This is the story of the 1346 battle between England and France and is told from the point of view of a soldier in the British army.This is more of a breakdown of how wars were fought at that time in history rather than a manufactured drama.William, our narrarator, explains in humorous, agonizing detail every step of the English army's journey as well as giving us a more personal point of view regarding a time in history where the common man's voice was rarely, if ever, heard.The art, done without color, is busy and highly detailed.It fits the story to a T and reminds me of the art in the Big Book Of... series of books.Among the great details you will learn by reading are mechanics of crossbows and longbows and an alternate use for latrine leavings.A great, quick read and one I recommend highly.At only $6.99 it's a steal.

2)Rising Stars Vol 1&2 by J.Michael Straczynski:This is the story of a group of 113 children from Pederson, Illinois who develop powers because they were in utero during a meteor strike during the late 60's.The story starts with the kids, called "specials", as children and flashes back and forth between different stages of their lives.When the weaker ones are murdered, it is discovered that their power is dispersed to the reamining specials, making them all the more powerful.The first volume is the highlight here.It establishes the major players and, by the end of the book, ups the ante for the second volume significantly.I liked vol. 1 so much that I bought vol2 the next day.Unfortunately, things sort of fall apart here.You get some big, spectacular fights.But you also get some self-pitying "WHY ME?" moments which feel somewhat forced and cliched.The character who gets that monologue comes out on the other side a bit lamer, whinier and not as kickass as he was in Vol1.It also gets a little preachy at the end, but at that point I was wrapped up in the characters enough that I was able to look past it.But the lack of an immediate threat at the end might turn some off.Vol1 I recommend for fans of Heroes who wish the show had more action.I would only recommend vol2 for those who really need to see where the story goes.

I have 2 others I want to review, but I will do those later.I need to go to work and blogger doesn't seem to want to save my draft.

The Blue Moon Is Out

2007-12-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

As I've stated in the past month or so, I've gotten the opportunity to actually wrestle a few times over the past month.Normally, I am just a manager.That has gotten to the point where it bores me to tears to do.The wrestling, on the other hand, is fun and exciting.I had a show on the 30th of November.People I know even showed up.It was the first time I had sold a ticket in over two years.One of the guys took some pictures with his cell phone and emailed them to me.

I've been quite hesitant to post any pictures of myself.It's not because I think I'm so disfigured that it would make you vomit, but rather because I think no one has a need to know what I look like.Who fucking cares, right?But then again, who really cares about my comics or my cats or my old CDs?This is my blog, dammit.You know what?I'm posting the pictures I got.

They're a little blurry.They were taken with a cell phone.These first two are from the match itself.They aren't exactly action shots, but the match was kinda crappy.There wasn't much action to be had.

I wasn't completely happy with the match.I had a decent one set up, but the guy I was wrestling was having a bad day of the highest degree and wasn't really into it.After the first minute went good, he forgot a spot and everything after that went out the window.We had to improvise the whole thing from that point on.He wasn't hitting me very hard or staying on me like he should have been.Shit happens.The world didn't end.Our lives have gone on just fine.We have another shot in December to make up for it.It will be in a tag team match.

The other two are of me signing autographs for some of the kids at ringside.It's fun to sign an autograph, but it's not THAT big of a deal.They'll pretty much ask anybody on the ring side of the guardrail.I sign with a smiley face that I draw hair and a beard on.It's a logo I created for myself.Some fo the kids complained that I didn't sign my name.But I'm sure if they remember anyone, they'll remember the guy who signs with a smiley face.

I signed probably about 20 that night, which is a record for me.Some kid wanted autographs so bad he took off his shoes and was having people sign them.That was a first for me.A few kids were getting their T-shirts signed.I'll sign everything shoved in front of me.They don't know I'm a jabroni, just some guy with a day job who does this on the side.It doesn't matter to them though.I love entertaining the kids.They're so unashamed to be into it.They yell, scream, cheer, and boo louder than anyone.They aren't sitting around, waiting for you to fuck up so they can call you on it.They just want to have fun.Every audience should be so loose and free.

I Used To Love Her...

2007-12-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

As I've stated from the very beginning, the primary reason I even have a blog is because I'm one of those overactive-mind types.My brain races night and day and I can't ignore it.One positive effect this has is that, in order to entertain myself, I'm pretty open to trying new things, even if only a couple of times.Some things stick and never leave.Others are merely discarded and forgotten.This blog post is dedicated to those forgotten little treasures.

My apartment is like the world's lamest museum.I keep all manner of nonsensical trinkets that mark some passing interest I had at one point or another.I thought it would be fun to pull some of these out and see where my mind was at when these were an important part of my life.(All of my hobbies are, or were, important to me.What you choose to do with your free time says a lot about you.)Anyway, here we go.

1)ANIME

I count 17 anime DVDs in my collection.I probably got most of them about 5 years ago...I think.I was making decent money as a contractor and thought nothing of dropping a few bucks(a common trend for me) on some mindless entertainment.I always loved the animation and the unconventional stories.It is nice to have quality animation with adult themes.Some people still dismiss anything animated as "kids' stuff".Those people are missing out.The only animes I really watch now are pretty much just the Miyazaki ones.They're the only ones that hold up for me.I know they may be too mainstream for a hardcore anime enthusiast, but fuck em.The other ones don't hold up.Sorry.

2)SKA/PUNK

At one point sometime in the late 90's I was in a bit of a rut musically.My music of choice was, as it is now, heavy metal.The problem was that all of my favorite bands were breaking up, putting out less music, or putting out less good music.It never occured to me to try other bands, like I had always done.Instead I decided, on a whim, to pick up a few punk and ska compilations.I had known some people in college who listened to it and I always though it was, at worst, a little goofy.

I liked most of what I heard.The songs had good hooks, but didn't sound like typical pop or pop rock music.Maybe it was just a way for me to listen to some more mellow music.I was drinking a lot back then, which might explain why I wasn't thinking right.At that point in my life I needed mellow.I bought dozens of these compilations for like $5 each and then bought the albums of the bands I liked best.I was making mix tapes(about 30 over a 4 year time period) of the best songs because my car didn't have a CD player.I couldn't stop.

Then something funny happened.Listening to punk and ska turned into listening to hardcore groups like Earth Crisis and Strife.Listening to hardcore than evolved into listening to metal again and I came full circle.I stay away from the CD store now if I can help it.I can spend a couple hundred dollars in no time at all if I'm not careful.

3)SWORDS/WEAPONS

It all started when my gf and I had just started going out.We were at an outdoor flea market near the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border when we happened upon a table with a few assorted knives and daggers.There was one in particular that I thought was pretty neat-o:

It's a WWI combat dagger, or at least a replica of one.The handle, with the brass knuckles and the spike, look like they could really make your day miserable if they came into hard contact with you.I thought that was awesome, so i bought it.At about the same time, I started getting catalogs from a company selling inexpensive swords and replicas.So I started buying weapons.

You can see my collection a few pictures up.There is also a katana, but that is in my bedroom.My gf has kept it on her side of the bed ever since the day our place was broken into 1 1/2 years ago.The nunchukas are foam.I tried using them once or twice and felt really silly and put them away.People who visit usually like to play with the katana, once they see it.Everyone wants to be a ninja.

4)STICKFAS (WARNING!!!These shelves have dust on them because...I don't dust them.It's too boring and would occupy time I could be doing something fun.If dust offends you....I don't know what to tell you.Tough cookies.)

I have a couple others, but you get the point.For a few months about 3 or 4 years back, I thought these things were the greatest thing ever.If you don't know, Stickfas are these little models kits of anything from a skateboarder to knights and the dragon seen above.They are meant to be very poseable and all share the same ball-and-joint locking mechanism, so the parts are interchangeable.As you can see, my dragon comes equipped with missles(Sigh...I'm 5 years old again.But a dragon armed with missles would friggin' rock and you know it.)I bought the majority of the kits available at the time and then just quit.I have a bag of about 100 different parts, blades, guns, etc.I just don't feel like changing anything around anymore.

I think I might do this from time to time here.I have all sorts of odd little collectables, toys, CDs, books, and other assorted junk.Sharing these are the best way I can think of giving people a good idea of who I am.Some of my recollections might be a bit hazy and/or vague.Some of these things I might not remember at all if I didn't actually own them.It's always fun to try.

My Poor, Neglected Blog

2007-12-04T10:55:00.001-05:00

I haven't been writing much recently.I just haven't felt much like writing.I do have things to write about.I'm done with both of my wrestling matches.The Heroes finale was last night.I'm still buying plenty of comics.I'm only a few weeks away from taking a big step in my personal life.There's always something going on in the news.Yet this is all I can muster.I think my interest is just fading.I grow bored.We'll see what happens.

Fire Pro Wrestling Is Here Now!

2007-11-29T10:43:00.000-05:00

(I'm not sure why I'm doing so many video game-related posts recently, but fuck it.I'm going with it for now.)

Even though I've cooled off a lot in the past few years, I've been a video game fan for a long time.In that time there has been a handful of games I've obsessed over:Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy Tactics, Mario Kart, Street Fighter II, Disgaea, Dark Cloud II, Castlevania( any version).If I had to pick one game that I've spent more time with than any other game/game series it would be Fire Pro Wrestling(which I will hereafter refer to as FPW.)

Back when I was in my final 1 1/2 years of college, I was working as dorm security.One of the other guys working security noticed that I liked to play games and also that I liked wrestling.He had a Super Nintendo with a device that let him copy games and play Japanese games, of which he had hundreds.He introduced me to this Japanese wrestling game called Fire Pro Wrestling.FPW is a hardcore, very realistic wrestling game.It is known for having huge rosters of real life wrestlers, changed ever so slightly to avoid copyright issues.It also has the best create-a-player feature of any wrestling game.

I was hooked my first time playing.I would be at the guy's dorm room daily for gaming sessions.Eventually, his game converter came out with an upgraded model, and he sold me his old one and let me copy as many of his hundreds of games as I cared to.I probably ended up with 150 or so games on 3.5 inch floppies, including 3 fire pro games and about 6 or 7 other japanese wrestling games.None had the impact of FPW though.

Over the years I grabbed as many FPW games as I could find and play.I was always teased unmercifully from my other gaming friends, who would mock the game's less-than-stellar graphics and sound effects.They didn't get it.Why would I play the polygonal PS1 wrestling game with 1/4 of the moves and 12 characters when I could play FPW?It was never about the graphics.It was all gameplay and customization.

I seriously got into this game.It's hard to put into words how much this game has meant to me over the years. I would create dozens of characters, from versions of my friends to musicians to other video game characters to , of course, other wrestlers.I set up tournaments, title belts and story lines.The older games didn't have that stuff built in, so I had to write it out on paper.I would let the cpu go at it and watch the matches in real time.I would recreate famous cards, like the various Wrestlemanias.I could never even begin to guess how much time I've spent playing FPW cumulatively, but I would say it easily surpasses the 500 hour mark.

The last FPW game that I seriously got into was called 6-Man Scramble.It was released for the Sega Saturn about 10 years ago.(I had a mod device for the Saturn to play Japanese games.)There were two FPW games on the Game Boy Advance, but they didn't thrill me.It was something to do with the lack of face buttons on the GBA.It seemed to limit the playability.

This month, Fire Pro Wrestling Returns was released for the PS2.It took a little bit of work to find because it was not a high profile title and many stores won't order a game if no one pre-orders it.I got it this past Sunday from an EBGames near me.Now I have a fully featured, ENGLISH copy of my favorite game of all time.There will be no more stumbling through kanjii-filled menus or relying on 20 page FAQ's to translate.I've already renamed the entire roster of 300+ characters.I haven't been to bed before 2AM since getting this game.I even joined the Fire Pro Wrestling Club so I could take advantage of their transferrable edit save files.This game has effectively booted Guitar Hero from my PS2.

A former obsession has returned to my life.Happy Days!!If you are a real wrestling fan, walk right past that copy of Smackdown Vs. Raw and buy this.Forget about being a graphics snob and you will find the deepest, most customizable wrestling game ever made.If I didn't have to go to work, I'd be setting up a lighttube deathmatch tournament right now.

First Match Is Over

2007-11-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, I had the first of my two wrestling matches of this month.Things went about as smoothly as I could hope for.We had a stiff, energetic match.The crowd was a little dead in the beginning, but by the end everyone sounded like they were really into it.The ref was out of position for us once, but we covered it up and got to the spot a few seconds later.Overall, I'd give the match a 6.5 or 7 out of 10.

Tommorrow I have match #2.We've put together about 70% of it, though I'm not sure if I'll keep all of what we have so far.We'll have ten minutes instead of eight, which will give us a bit of breathing room as far as pacing goes.I plan on having this match involve a bit more wrestling than the first one, which was a straight-up brawl.I also might be in a battle royal that night. I'm looking forward to this.I've even sold five tickets so far, which is more than I've sold in the past 2 years combined.It's odd having people come to see and support me.It even makes me a little self-conscious.When the matches are done, hopefully I can go back to not selling tickets.

Console Rundown/Tech We Don't Need

2007-11-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

I realize after yesterday's post that I'm pretty hard on video games and gamers in general.Today I'm going to lay off the gamers a bit and I'm going to take a look at the current group of consoles.I have not yet bought a new gaming console and do not think I will buy one this generation.If I do indeed refrain from buying one, it will be the first time I do.I really do like games, but something about this new generation just seems...off.It hasn't grabbed me at all.So here's my outsider's look in.

XBox 360 :I actually had a preorder for this when it was released but had to cancel it because it was expensive enough to take away from my ability to buy Xmas presents for other people.I was pretty sad at the time because I wanted to play Oblivion.Two years later and that is still the only game I have any interest in.Microsoft seems to be playing it really safe.FPS.Racing game.Grand Theft Auto rip-off.Rinse.Repeat.All they seem to be interested in last years game with this year's graphics.There's too many sequels and rehashes of old games.Xbox Live Arcade is where I would probably spend most of my time, but I can't justify the purchase of a console for that.Looking back, it seems like it was rushed out before it was needed.

Playstation3 :It was waaaaaay too expensive, but the price is going down(and still too expensive).The same complaints I have about game choice with the Xbox360 also apply here.There's also the issue here that much of that high sticker price is for the blu-ray player which I don't need.High def technology is still too expensive.I'm giving it a few more years before I jump onboard.I just don't see that much of a difference in picture quality.What little difference I do see is not enough to make me abandon my current, perfectly working TV so I can drop hundreds, or even into the thousands, of dollars on a new set.Sony needs to worry more about games and less about forcing new technology on a population that isn't ready for it.

Wii :I look at Nintendo's motion sensing technology as something that still needs to mature.It's too different and developers don't seem to know what to do with it.There are also too many minigame compilations out for this system.The only game I want to play on the Wii are the virtual console games.I don't think I'd buy even one Wii game.I'll look a little harder at the next iteration of the Wii, after the technology has grown up a bit.It's interesting and different but just not worth the investment right now.

Looking at what I wrote, it seems I'm more disappointed in the quality of the games for these systems.There are too many sequels and old ideas.I'm seeing the same games I saw two years ago.Better graphics or a fancy new controller on the same old game do not make a new game.I won't even get into this silly obsession with making games bloodier and bloodier, which is apparently the only way game companies know how to make "mature" content.

I don't want to sound like some grumpy old-timer who hates all new technology, but so much of it is just worthless.Companies prey on our need to be compulsive consumers.I've seen so many people rush out to buy, let's use high def TV's as an example again, and they don't know how to use them.They just plug them in and expect everything to be the same as it was with their ten-year old 19" set.The fact that one TV can be more sophisticated than an older one must be some sort of alien concept.I can't even count the number of times I have gone into somebody's house as a technician and had to explain to the customer who is so proud of his new 54" plasma TV what I mean when I tell him to set his TV for "video1".If I had to guess, I'd say slightly more than half of the customers I had didn't even know how to use their TV's remote.When talking to customers aged 50 and over I'd bring that number up to 75% at least.

Rant over.

Comics>Video Games

2007-11-26T10:39:00.000-05:00

A little bit of fuss had been made recently surrounding the video game Assassin's Creed or, more specifically, Jade Raymond's role in promoting it.Since much of this controversy involves a comic strip, it has found its way into my comic blog-reading attention.

First of all, the comic itself is not that good.It's drawn OK.The premise isn't particularly funny or clever though.The insinuation behind it is not much more inflammatory than a typical political cartoon, but the execution is pretty tasteless.It doesn't really offend me, but I'd be blind not to see how it could offend other people, particularly Ms. Raymond.Let's just say that I understand why legal action is being taken.

Seeing information about a video game in the comic book section of the internet just reinforces my view that video games/video game fans are a much lower form of life/"art" than comic book/comic book fans.About 6 months ago, I found the feminist comic book world by accident while clicking around at Newsarama, which I had also just found.It was right about when the Mary Jane statue controversy was just starting.Even though I don't always agree with what I'm reading, I must admit that it's been fun to read different viewpoints about topics that you don't typically see during standard fanboy bitching sessions.

Most of the writing is about controversy and negativity.You don't see many posts on WFA or Girl Wonder about things people like.It can sometimes be disheartening, but I realize that someone's anger is much more entertaining than someone's contentment.I also realize that there are comics and characters out there that these people must like but don't write about unless they're being mishandled.The characters aren't the problem.In comics you have great female characters like Supergirl, Power Girl, Oracle, Black Canary, She Hulk, Ms Marvel, Misty Knight, Coleen Wing, Storm, Jean Grey, Invisible Woman, Wonder Woman, etc.If your comic book reading goes beyond superheroes then the list will be even bigger.The problems usually come with a particular writer's or artist's(Especially the artists) interpretation of that character.Hand one of these characters to the right person(Gail Simone writing Wonder Woman is a good example.)and you can please a lot of people, not just angry fangirls.No one wants to read bad books.Regardless of how pervasive the sexism might be, there are safe havens out there if you just look.

Video game fangirls don't have that safe haven.The only video games made for girls involve ponies, princesses, or Barbie.(Sometimes all three at once.)I've been playing video games for about 30 years now, since the days of Pong and the Atari 2600.I don't think I could name 5 potential female video game character role models.There's Samus and that's about it.Everyone else is either a pretty princess or masturbation fodder.That's only good if your career goal is to be a stripper or Snow White.The only female character to make an impact in the last ten years is Lara Croft, who only became an icon because her boobs are big enough to make Power Girl envious.

Women/girls playing video games only have a few options:

1)Get used to playing as the tough guy lead character.
2)If you do get to be a woman, you can be sure she'll be as naked as the game rating will allow.
3)Fables is to the most overly recommended female comic book entry point as Tetris is to the most overly recommended female video game entry point.
4)Learn to love girl-centric IPs like Barbie or Bratz.

These are just the games.The fans are even worse.I know that there are hardcore female gamers who love all the same games that the guys do.My girlfriend is one.Since we started dating 6 years ago, she has beaten as many if not more games than I have, and that includes RPGs, first person shooters, and blood-soaked action games.She won't go online to play though and I don't blame her in the least.Any female gamer brave enough to go online is almost guaranteed to be propositioned and harrassed by the anonymously-emboldened online fanboy crowd.If she's really, really lucky she can even get unsolicited pictures of random penises.I guess they can stick it out out of love for their hobby, but why would they want to associate with those asshats?

Which brings us right back to the Jade Raymond comic.Was it in poor taste?Yeah.Was it surprising?No.She's pretty...and she's into games.I've seen some pictures of her.She wears clothes where you can tell she has breasts.I think in one picture I even saw about 1/2 inch of cleavage.Hubba hubba.So of course her position in the company is just to be the cover model for her company's games.Of course she fellated her way to the top.That's how pretty women succeed in life.(Insert eye roll emoticon here.)She couldn't possibly have EARNED her position through hard work and good ideas.She's doing what every female gamer is doing:waiting for the lucky day when she too can be the object of affection from GamerGuy1984.He'll ask how big her boobs are.She'll reply with a very coy "LOL".Maybe they can get married...ONLINE!!! It's so romantic.(You can put an eye roll emoticon here too.)

I'm not outraged, just embarrassed by association.On the positive side, Assassin's Creed has received praise and good reviews pretty much across the board.Kudos to Jade and her team for putting out a quality product in spite of the bullshit surrounding it.

Just Lazy

2007-11-19T01:11:00.000-05:00

I haven't been writing ,much recently because not much has been going on here.I feel a bit guilty , so I'm going to do my lazy fall-back post and just toss some trivial updates out there.

1)The first snow of the year happened today.It didn't amount ot much, but I still hate snow.When you're a kid, snow means cancelled school, sled rides, and snowball fights.When you're an adult, snow means breaking your back trying to shovel so you can slip and slide all the way to your job.The fun, playful aspect of snow disappears and is replaced by toil and inconvenience.It's so irritating.

2)Someone recently stumbled across my blog with the search term "used college stud underwear".It's the closet to a porn search I've seen yet.I wonder if the person was looking to buy some, look at pictures, or read some erotic used underwear fan fiction.(The internet's a big place.I'm sure there's some out there.)I thought that was funny.

3)It really has been boring around here recently if those two things are the best topics I can think of.How sad.

Uhhhh......

2007-11-15T09:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, while looking through some message boards on Newsarama, I came across a thread about the strangest or oddest things people had seen.One person mentioned a video called "2 Girls 1 Cup".Apparently, this video is so horrific that there's a whole crop of videos on YouTube that just show people's reactions as they watch it.I was curious and googled it.(To see it you'll have to do the same thing.I AM NOT GOING TO LINK IT.)The description didn't give me much hope, but I watched it anyway.

Have you ever played the game where you say "For a million dollars would you..."and then you name an act you would never ever do under normal circumstances and see if the other person would do it for the money?Imagine if someone actually took you up on one of those scenarios, your most scatological one, and then took it even farther than you ever thought they would.Watching this video is like seeing the most heinous version of the joke "The Aristocrats" acted out in real life.

I can't even describe it.I didn't get sick or throw up, but if you have a weak constitution, don't watch.Don't watch this if you are eating, about to eat, or have just eaten.Don't watch this at work.The first two or three seconds will make you think that this is porn.This is not porn.I don't want to know if you have sexual thoughts when you watch it.

This is the video that would make baby Jesus cry.

Marvel Makes An Effort

2007-11-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

Marvel Comics' recent efforts to promote their product through a subscriber-based online service has actually been getting some attention from the mainstream press.This attention, not to mention the service itself, can only be a good thing for comic book fans.

To say that comics are a niche hobby is a grand understatement.The best selling books are lucky to sell 200k copies.The 32-page monthly books can mainly only be found in specialty shops, which can be intimidating to visit for those new to the hobby.Bookstores carry trade paperbacks, graphic novels, and manga, but often without much of a selection and nearly always without an informed person to make recommendations for new fans or children.Putting the books on the internet, even without the ability to download, adds one very-accessible entry point for anyone interested.

This service could also potentially help with the other really big comic pitfall:the aging core readers.Comics have the unfortunate disctinction of being thought of as a "kids' hobby", in spite of the fact that an overwhelming majority of their readers are in their twenties and older.The problem is that many people read comics as a kid and eventually outgrow or move past them to other, more "mature", pasttimes.What is left are longtime readers and people who came back into the hobby after taking a bit of a break(I'm one of these.),both of whom are apparently unknown to the genral public.When these readers go, who will be left?Putting comics on the internet will allow kids more exposure to them, in a more comfortable environment(home), where parents are better able to monitor their kids and what they read.

This brings about the biggest obstacle an initative like this will face:non-comic reading parents. They are the ones who will ultimately pay for the service for their children.$4.99 or $9.99 per month for thousands of comics is certainly a better value for cost-conscious parents than $2.99 for a single issue.That makes one year's subscription($4.99 times 12 months)the same price as ONE X-box360 video game, three DVDs, and also less than a typical monthly cable bill.Perhaps they will also read a few issues themselves and won't be as hesitant to buy a monthly the next time.I would bet that a lot of parents or people who used to read comics twenty years ago would be surprised at how much things have changed regarding both the art and the writing.There is something there for fans of any genre of fiction. A good comic can be every bit as gripping as the best movie or book.

I really hope this takes and new fans come in.It probably won't be the savior of the industry, but it is a step in the right direction.I'd hate to see my favorite hobby die in ten years because the fan base got too old and drifted away.

Oh no!Not The Holidays Again!

2007-11-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year.The holidays are coming.Isn't it funny how stores seem to put their Xmas crap on display earlier and earlier?We can't even get through Halloween without fucking Santa hats and fake snow.I figure that maybe online sales are hurting brick-and-mortar stores so much that they are just trying to promote a Xmas-level shopping frenzy earlier and earlier to make up for it.An extra month of Santa Claus.An extra month of ear-stabbingly horrible Xmas carols.An extra month of trees and reindeer.Ugh.

In case it isn't glaringly obvious, I am not a fan of the holidays.I don't even want to celebrate my own birthday, why would I give half a fuck about Xmas?I don't, but the people around me do.Therefore, I reluctantly participate out of consideration.I don't want presents.If I want something, I'll buy it for myself. If I can't afford it then I can wait.I certainly don't want someone else spending it if I think it's too much.No one else needs to get involved in my very American consumer duty.You don't buy me anything.I don't buy you anything.It seems fair to me.All I want out of my holiday is the day off from work.And if I get extra pay for working a holiday even that is negotiable.

"But this is the one time of year when everyone is just a little nicer to each other.It's holiday spirit."Why can't we just be that polite all year round?Do you really need an excuse not to be an asshole?Holiday spirit is overrated.Eggnog is disgusting.That's why they only sell it once per year.Nobody would drink that shit on a daily basis.Xmas carols are the absolute WORST kind of music in all of human history.Another song about Santa and snow with chimes and bells in it?Make it stop. Please, make it stop.I wonder what group/singer will sell their soul this year and release a Xmas album?It should be Bruce Springsteen since his music all sounds like shitty Xmas music anyway.And I'm an athiest, so the religious aspect only merits an eye roll and a head shake from me.

My least favorite part of the holiday season is the "holiday party."I'm not a fan of parties.I avoid all larger-than-two-other-people social gatherings as a rule.I don't look at it as a free meal or a chance to interact with people outside of work.I look at it as being trapped in an environment that I have little control over.When you add a holiday theme that I dislike anyway, it just makes my desire to go shrink even more.If I did go, this would be my schedule:

4:30PM-I arrive at the holiday party.

4:35PM-After saying hello to a few people, I get on line for food.

4:45PM-I have my food and find the most remote, out-of-the-way corner of the building to eat my dinner.

4:55PM-I'm nearly finished with my plate.I realize that I could sneak out the door and no one would notice.

5:00PM-I leave through a side door without a word to anyone.

It's a waste of my time.I always feel a little bad about saying no, just because I don't want anyone to think that my decision is a reflection of my opinion of them.I have two this year to avoid, one for my job and another for my wrestling fed.The wrestling one I've blown off for the past two years since it started, so this year shouldn't come as too much of a shock to anyone.This is the first year I've worked in the building I work in now so I guess I'll have to see how persistant people are here.Last year, when I was in Central Jersey, no one so much as blinked when I didn't show up.I was also a technician and didn't know that many people in the building.All I can do is stay quiet and hope nobody brings it up.The only thing worse than being trapped at a party is having to give the same explanation about why you aren't going to twenty different people.I hate repeating myself like that.

Please let it be over quickly this year.

Pointless Cat Photo/Nothing Better To Do

2007-11-12T00:50:00.000-05:00

Once more, I'm stuck as to what to write, so here's a cute picture just for the sake of making a blog post.The one on the left is the oldest cat, a male.We don't really name our pets because the names never stick.They always end up as "Hey you" or "Kitty."The one on the right is the kitten, who gets bigger every day.This picture makes it look like she is making him smell her farts and he's covering up in self-defense. Or they could be sleeping.Whatever works for you.

The back of our couch is the most desired cat sleeping spot in the house.It never lacks at least one cat.They're all there as I type this.See?
OK.That's enough cat for one day.

Random Shit

2007-11-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

As is becoming typical of me, I can't think of any topic long enough to make a full post about.So, in cases like this, I usually just hit briefly on some random trivia about myself.So, without further ado, here it comes.

1)I'm currently about 1/4 done with my Nextwave:Agents of H.A.T.E. #5 coloring project.I have many full panels done, but still no full pages.For some reason I just want to say how much sucky it looks so far.The problem is that I don't think it's going all that poorly.It's different, but still not too bad.

2)It turns out that my second wrestling match this month is a straight up match with no unusual stipulations.I'll take it.I haven't put it together yet but I plan on making it bigger than the TV match and a bit more brutal.There is also a chance I could be in a battle royal that night as well.That would be cool.I always have found battle royals to be easy matches because, unless you are in the final four guys, there's really nothing to memorize or plan.You just get beat up a bit and leave when you are ready.No muss, no fuss.

3)Somehow in the course of my getting into DC comics I became a Superman fan.I don't know how it happened.I'm only missing issue #2 of All-Star Superman.I bought Action Comics for the Bizarro arc and found that I'm still buying it.I also have a few Superman trades as well.I like Superman better when they focus more on his human tendencies and his desire to try to help everyone over the stories where he just steamrolls over people because he's friggin' invulnerable.I know the kryptonite deal, but I always thought it was kinda lame.He's better to me when his weakness is his compassion.It makes him easier to relate to.

4)The one DC character I like better than Superman is Black Canary, thanks to Gail Simone's rendition of her in Birds Of Prey. (I now have six TPB covering issues 56-103.)I also got her last miniseries on the last trip to my LCS.The two stories that did it for me were the Shiva Training story where she found Sin and the fight against the Silk Brothers in Singapore.Those fights are fucking brutal and made of 100% Grade-A awesome, especially the Silk Brothers fight.I don't understand how it is logically possible to not be a fan after reading that."IMPREGNABLE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE!"

5)Speaking of martial arts, I would like to recommend the movie "Shaolin Challenges Ninja".It is the tale of a Chinese man who marries a Japanese woman.Both are martial artists who think that the style of their own country is superior.They spar for supremacy and the husband(Toa), played by "Kill Bill"'s Gordon Liu, comes out the victor. The wife goes back to Japan to her Ninja buddies, who decide to go to China en masse to challenge Toa one at a time.What follows are some of the best fight scenes you could ever hope to see featuring some diverse styles.Drunken boxing, crab style, the three section staff, judo, ninjitsu, and many others make an appearance here.The story ends a bit abruptly, but none of the characters are made to look bad in it.Everyone gets a chance to shine.This is my favorite Shaw Brothers film and I can't speak highly enough of it.

6)Our kitten is driving us nuts with the very rough way that she plays with the other two cats.She is very physical and has already proven herself to be the better of the older male cat.She takes him down the same way a lioness takes down a gazelle and he doesn't like it at all.The older female( who weighs about 20 pounds) puts up a bit more of a fight, but seems to be a little nervous.The other day she took a dive off of a table onto the kitten in what I can only describe as a body splash.It was fucking hilarious.If this were a cartoon, the kitten would have been smooshed to the thickness of a piece of paper.I guess the entertainment value that comes from how creative their battles become makes up for the headaches.Fucking cats...

A Totally Unfounded,Far Fetched Conspiracy Theory

2007-11-08T00:38:00.000-05:00

(DISCLAIMER :The following is a work of fiction.This blog post is filled with wild and unprovable statements.I have put absolutely no research into any of my "facts."My theory has more holes than a donut factory.Yet somehow this doesn't seem soooo out of the realm of possibility for me.)

Every year you hear more and more about flu shots.Everybody needs a flu shot.Flu's gonna be bad this year.You really need a flu shot.The flu is portrayed in the media like it's some black plague and only by being injected with this medicinal miracle drug can you ever hope to deal with it.

The problem is that the flu shots are always in short supply.People are even going to Canada because they're so concerned.With medical science knowing full well when flu season is, you would think that they would be able to meet demand.It must be really tough to produce.I think the problem lies elsewhere.

We all know that the government controls the media and are in league with the medicine companies.We also know that our privacy and civil liberties are slowly being stripped from us, one by one.Programs like Google Earth make it possible for anyone with a computer and a decent online connection to get a satellite pic zoomed in on your neighbors driveway, close enough to make out the color of the cars.There are security cameras everywhere.Someone is watching you at all times.Even right now.Any lengths will be taken, by the government, to ensure that you are on their radar at all times.

Flu shots are part of the process.The reason they're so scarce is because every flu shot includes a microscopic chip that will enable our keepers to monitor us through their worldwide security system.All of the "security" items you see at stores?They're really there to detect your chip.Cameras at traffic lights?Oh yes. They know you've been there.The automatic sensors in public bathrooms that turn the water on and off so you don't have to touch the faucets?You're nailed, buddy.Metal detectors?Also chip detectors.Your cell phone?Now you're just broadcasting it.(Besides, your cell phones are being used to track you too.If they can put an MP3 player, a video camera, a datebook, and videogames in a phone then they can get a microtransmitter in there.If somebody took your cell phone apart, could you identify all of the individual pieces?I don't think so.But they don't advertise that feature at the booths in the mall.)It's why everything electronic has a digital display now.The extra circuitry is there to mask the tracking chip.There are chip detecting devices in every remote controlled televison so they know exactly what YOU personally are watching.I could go on but, as you see, there is no escape.

The people who own these devices don't even have to know that the chip technology is in there.All of the parts, along with the chips, are made in overseas factories.That way they are far,far out of sight and mind from all of us being chipped and controlled. Besides, they can't tell the retailers and vendors. They're being chipped too.

At this point you might be thinking "What about when you get a yearly flu shot?Does that mean you have that many chips in your body?"No.Every year the chip is upgraded for more functionality and one function is always to deactivate the old chip, which is then safely and discretely ejected in your urine.

And don't bother going to Canada to escape.They're in on it too.Canada has actually been a part of the United States since WWII but our government keeps it a secret because the usually friendly American-Canadian rivalry is good for morale on both sides.They get their representation through secret meetings with select members of the government cleverly referred to as "trade meetings".I know most people think that Canada is part of the British Commonwealth, but that is obviously a front.Great Britain just gets a cut from the flu shot profits to keep quiet.That's why our two countries get along as well as we do.

Why does it matter that the government controls the media?Because they can have every news outlet in the country run reports encouraging us to get the flu shot.You can't say that the media isn't adept at using scare tactics.Things like the internet and 24 hour news channels just make their job that much easier. Spread the word and you spread the fear.

Is this outside the realm of possibility?Or is it just stupid enough that it might be true?I don't know about you, but I'm not getting a flu shot.I never have in the past.I've had the flu once.I worked the entire time.It slowed me down, but didn't stop me. It's all hype.Don't believe it. Don't let yourself get "chipped."

Witold ‘Vitek’ Kieltyka (1984-2007)

2007-11-07T01:26:00.000-05:00

Vitek was the drummer for the metal band Decapitated.He was killed in an automobile accident in Russia involving the band's tour bus.He was 23 years old.

A link to the story is here.The band's website has a little more info.(Here.)

This is a sad day for music.

An Update On The Wrestling Thing

2007-11-06T18:10:00.000-05:00

For those who have never read this blog(99.9% of you)I have been involved in the indy side of professional wrestling for the past four years.In that time, I have realized that the role I play(manager) isn't the role I want(wrestler).The role I want is also not something I would fit into well because of my size.This has led to some frustration and dissatisfaction on my part.Recently I have found out that I will be able to WRESTLE in a match in the coming month and have found my enthusiasm for wrestling has come rushing back to me.

Anyway, I went to practice on Saturday and was rewarded with an additional surprise:I would be getting TWO matches this month.The first will be at our monthly TV taping and the second at one of our more heavily promoted shows a week later.Details of the second match are up in the air, but I am hoping for some sort of gimmick match.A gimmick match is a match with some sort of stipulation such as a lumberjack match or a steel cage match.

My opponent and I put together our TV match at practice.I put together the basic outline of it and together we worked out the weak points and he changed some things so that it would fit his character better.I think we have created a really fun match.The match will start off with a little bit of character work where we will both get a chance to put our respective personalities over.Once the comedy is done though, the match becomes a fight.The psychology of the match is already pretty sound, but I am sure we will continue to tweak it as it approaches.I've already come up with an idea or two for my opponent to do to enhance his charcter.

This is my first real chance to get out there on my own and prove myself in the ring.My opponent, who has not been doing this as long as I have but has more matches under his belt, is psyched too because I am not afraid to take a beating.I've been in some battle royals and a few mixed tag team matches, but my singles matches were either at birthday parties or as a last minute add-on for another fed because I was on the ring crew.I might never get this chance again.I plan on going all out and leaving my heart and soul in the ring for all to see.I know I'm a little small to be taken too seriously as a wrestler, but damn if I'm not going to go all out for it given the opportunity.

I realize wrestling is often written off as "fake."People who say that are missing the point because they are comparing pro wrestling to competitive sports when it has more in common with theater.Even the "fake" part is questionable.Yes, we know who's going to win ahead of time and we aren't really trying to cripple one another.But you can't fake gravity.And a lot of the blows you see are delivered full force.You are expected to take a lot of punishment.Those who cry or complain don't last too long and lose a lot of respect from their peers.I thrive on the physical aspect.Pain is a great motivator.It's a side fans don't hear too much about because much of wrestling's mainstream media attention is usually devoted to steroid use or trying to catch wrestlers talking to each other in the ring in some ridiculous attempt to debunk it.Suspension of disbelief is critical to a good wrestling match.That is why we have to hit hard.That is why so many secrets of the business are still so closely guarded.Smart mark fans don't know half as much as they think they know. People would be much less critical of pro wrestling if they knew how complicated and deep it really is.EVERYTHING you see, no matter how insignificant it seems, has a purpose.

I can't wait for the end of the month.I will post more updates as I learn more.

What I'm Listening To

2007-11-06T00:39:00.000-05:00

I often give out personal informationon this blog of various degrees of non-importance.Tonight I thought I'd give people a glimpse into my taste in music.I've given a recommendation or two in the past, but this is based on my favorite albums at this moment.These are the albums that I am currently most likely to put in my CD player or in my car.This list could easily change next week.I'm an avid heavy metal fan and my list reflects this fact.Please check out some of these albums.I will attempt to describe the bands for those who are not familiar with them.My descriptions are not meant to be comprehensive reviews, but rather guidelines.The world needs more people listening to good music.So now, in no particular order:

1)Dark Tranquility-Character :A Swedish Metal band that often features keyboards in a prominent role.The vocals are harsh, but comprehensible.There are no ballads here , but the music is not so heavy as to be offputting to people whose metal experience is limited to more classic metal such as Iron Maiden.Best song in my opinion is Out Of Nothing.

2)Vintersorg-Cosmic Genesis :This is a bit hard to descibe.Progressive Black Metal is as good a description as any.Vocalist Vintersorg also plays most of the instruments on this album.Vocals vary from a Black Metal growl to beautifully sung clean parts.This album is not above throwing hooks at the listener and those who don't normally like metal-style vocals will appreciate the more melodic parts.This is one of those albums that gets better with each listen.Instant gratification is possible but the patient will reap the greatest rewards.

3)Akercocke-Antichrist :I've mentioned this band in a past post that I am too lazy to look up at the moment.The core of their sound is some of the most extreme metal you can hear(Try their album The Goat Of Mendes for the best example of that)but is mixed in with a very European pop sound.These guys are virtuosos, extremely technical.This is not an album for beginning metal fans but rather for connosieurs.The sharp contrast between the heavy parts and the melodic parts can be jarring. But, once more, this is an album that should be listened to repeatedly.I recommend listening to it twice in a row at least.You will hear something different every time and the tapestry of their sound will only get richer. It might be of some interest to mention that they are quite noticeably into Satanism.If this will throw you, walk away now or just don't read the lyrics.I recommend the latter because you will be missing out on some grade AAA metal.

4)The Devin Townsend Band-Synchestra :Devin Townsend is a former Steve Vai guitarist who also plays in metal band Strapping Young Lad(Highly recommended).Except for a few moments, this is most assuredly not a metal album.Don't get me wrong, it can be heavy when it wants to be(Vampira).Most of the time though, this is a very sedate, relaxing, and even light-hearted album.This is a great album for people who might want to hear some more obscure progressive rock with a sense of humor.I've had this album for a while now and the fact that I still listen to it so often is a testament to how great it is.Of evrything I mention in this post, this would be the easiest album for non-fans to get into.

5)Epica-The Phantom Agony :This is perhaps the strangest thing I listen to.This is a female fronted symphonic/gothic metal band.Normally that means a Lacuna Coil or Evanesence sound-alike.In this case, vocalist Simone Simons pulls a page or three from more classical styles such as opera.This can make the music quite "syrupy" at times(plenty of ballads and softer parts), but don't let that put you off.This band is deceptively heavy.The orchestration works better for this band than many other symphonic bands just because it is such an integral part of their sound.There are also male, death-style male vocals that pop up in about half the songs.The song Cry For The Moon is probably in my five favorite songs currently.I have never gotten tired of hearing it.If hearing a choir and strings mixed in with your metal is going to put you off, then avoid this.For everyone else, this is a treat from a classy band.

6)Decapitated-Winds Of Creation :This is their first, and heaviest album.I like everything they put out and would recommend anything of theirs, but this is the king.This is a HIGHLY technical Polish Death Metal band.Surprisingly, when this album was made, most of the members were under the age of 18.Everyone here is classically trained as well.This album will relentlessly assault your eardrums.Like most really good metal, this one requires a good ear.There isn't a hook to be found and the speed varies between pretty fast and insane.This band seems to be following a musical path similar to that of Sepultura(if that gives you a point of reference), though without the world music phase.This is some of the best, truest metal for your $$$.

7)Ministry-The Last Sucker :This is another album I've mentioned before.If you don't know Ministry you should be ashamed of yourself.That's right. Hang your head in shame.I'll wait ...................................................................Arguably, if there was no Ministry, bands like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Mushroomhead, etc. might not exist as you know them.Oddly enough, they started off as a Depeche Mode-style pop band, but quickly grew out of that to become the kings of industrial metal.There is a cover of The Doors' Roadhouse Blues here.And no, it doesn't sound anything like the original(.Thank friggin' God for that.)Whenever Jougensen and company have a president named Bush in their sights the result is always magic.Brutal, bludgeoning magic.This album takes its cues more from the Psalm 69 days in that there are far fewer trance-style songs and more straight-up rockers.This is the album you want to put on in your car, turn up to full volume, and drive at insane speeds down the highway(Author's note:Speeding is not legal.Do so at your own risk.)

And that's it.Any album I list here I put my stamp of approval on.Each band here also has a great catalogue of albums to investigate if these catch your attention.My favorite of the ones listed here?Akercocke.Hands down winner.They manage to scratch every muscial itch I have.You can't go wrong with Akercocke.

Being Good Pays Off

2007-11-05T09:41:00.001-05:00

I've taken my short break and I think I've gotten the negativity out of my system.What better topic to return on than to tell a tale about my job.Because people LOOOOVVVEEEE hearing stories about other people's jobs.My blog...my choice.Besides,this made me happy.

A bit of background is needed first.As I've stated before, I worked as a cable technician for 6 years prior to arriving at my current position.It wasn't a bad job, but it was also one that I burned myself out on hard.Dealing with the public will do that to you.I'd been cursed at, threatened, had people attempt to hold me hostage, had someone threaten to call the newspapers and those guys on the news who fight for consumer rights, watched full grown men and women have temper tantrums because I couldn't move their 4000 pound entertainment center to put a cable outlet behind, and have also been kicked out of peope's houses.Sometimes all of this could happen over the course of one week.Needless to say, it gets to you after a while.

For most of my 6 years, I was a contractor.In spite of the difficulties, I always did top-notch work and made quite a good name for myself.This helped get me into the main company.The schedule was a little lighter there, but the shadow of "big brother" loomed even larger over you.The customers still sucked and now I was being called every 15 minutes by one person or another to pick up extra work, get yelled at for my numbers not being perfect, etc.I had had enough and asked to get out.Coincidentally, the job I am at now just happened to open up the next day and, after a quick interview process, I got the job.

I've always been pretty shy and quiet in my regular life.It takes me a while to warm up to people and conversations come extremely difficult.I'm the guy who gets the "One day he's going to snap and get a gun and kill everyone here."-type comments.When I started the new job I told myself that I would make every effort to say hello to everybody and to try to be a bit more open.So far, I've been moderately successful. A lot of people work in the building I work at. At one point or another, they all walk through the warehouse so I get to see everyone.I try to be as nice and helpful as possible to anyone who comes in who needs something.I'm not a "This isn't my job"-type of person.The way I see it my job is easy and I always have time to lend a hand.Despite my efforts, I still get the vibe from some people that I'm making them nervous and that upsets me a little.I've had enough of people being afraid of me.It benefits no one.

Last week, one of those people who give me strange vibes came in asking about delivering a package with UPS and I was the only one paying attention to her so I told her I'd make sure the deliveryman got her package.The guy came and I made sure he got the package.I decided to e-mail the woman to let her know.I felt a little weird beause I wasn't sure if she'd be irritated that I e-mailed her, so I was quite polite(Hey, that rhymes!) in the wording. She shot back a happy response and told me not to worry about bothering her.That was nice.

A few days later I found out that she was asking the woman I work with for half the week if I was always so nice.That made me feel so great.I can't tell you how satisfying it is to have someone have a conversation about me that doesn't involve the odds of my going postal at work.It makes me realize that I'm taking the right course and having the right attitude at work.Leaving out the drama at work CAN help you.I hate being at odds with anyone.It may sound corny, but I'd just like to be the guy at work people can rely on.I'd draw the comic book parallel to Awesome Andy from She-Hulk. I find I'm at my best when kept busy and the people around me are happy.I don't want to be anyone's boss ever again. I don't want to run the company, or even my department.I just want to be put to use.My job may not be glamorous, but it gives me that opportunity in spades.

Taking A Break

2007-10-31T10:57:00.001-04:00

I think I'm going to take a break from this whole blogging thing for a little while.My brain is in a million places at once.I can't think of anything to write about.I've always used comics as my default topic, but I'm just growing tired of writing about them.I'd much rather just read them.Even reading WFA is getting tiring to me because I'm tired of hearing people bitch and insult each other.It makes me cranky and my posts have been too negative recently which is exactly what I NEVER WANTED.This was supposed to be my happy, brain pressure release valve.Instead it has become a window into my continuing disappointment with the human race.If I'm inspired I will write, otherwise I'm not going to kill myself trying to come up with a topic every day.And quite frankly, I don't think anyone would care if I never came back.Life goes on.

How I Read Comics

2007-10-30T10:44:00.000-04:00

Nowadays just about the only thing I read is comic books.I have regular books in my bookcase.Some of those don't even have pictures.But nothing has grabbed my attention like the comic book.I'm not sure if it's the characters, the format, the art, or whatever that has roped me in.But here I am.I even blog about comics here and there.

I also read other blogs about comics.I've stated many times in the past that I just don't understand the fandom.After reading so much negativity and people taking it upon themselves to become comic activists and others just pulling all sorts of subtext out of them I often wonder if I'm actually the strange one.I don't even try to find any subtext in my reading material.It requires too much thinking.Thinking isn't a bad thing, but sometimes I want to suspend that and just enjoy myself.

What am I even looking for?Am I just reading them to kill time?Is this just one more activity that I'm going to drop a year from now when something else comes my way to distract me?Is there something of substance to this hobby that I have adopted and spent soooo much time and money on?I though maybe I could look into that.

I go to my LCS on Thursday morning.It's the best time for me.I usually have a good idea what I'm looking for because I'll scan Diamond's shipping list sometime during the week.I'll first get what I know I want and, if I haven't already spent all of my money, I'll go through the shelves and pick up some random books that I think might be interesting.It doesn't seem like a big investment for me to spend 3 or 4 dollars to try something out.Sometimes I'll pick up a TPB too.There's definetely some impulse buying going on there.

When I sit down to read my comics I'm looking for one main thing:I want to feel like I'm in the story.It should not register in my brain that I am reading a comic.I should know what is going on without having to backtrack and re-read anything.The art, the lettering, and the story should all just come together and take me away.Allusions to real-life situations like politics or any -isms don't affect my enjoyment or my ability to escape.Why not?It's FICTION. Even fiction about real events is still fiction.I feel that if I let my own agenda taint my reading that I'd be cheating myself and I wouldn't enjoy them as much.That's pretty much what happened to me with video games.

Getting back to my point, I just need to feel swept away.I want to feel like I am standing right there with the characters, seeing just what they see.If, when I finish the comic, I open it up again it's because I want to re-read something that blew my mind and not because I was clueless about what went on.And that's really it.I watch movies with the same mindset.I want to be entertained.I'm here with an open mind.I'm not interested in social commentary unless it is part of the story.I'll accept the flaws if the product is good enough.I don't think that makes me weird.

As far as whether or not this will last with me I just don't know.It's been about two years now and my interest is stronger than ever.And I don't know what they could do to piss me off enough to make me stop.This hobby scratches all sorts of itches for me.I get to read, look at (mostly) great art, organize them, and there's an endless amount of material.I think the outlook is good.

This post was pretty pointless.I think I just wanted to write something today.Anything.Par for the course, I guess.

Just When I Thought I Was Getting Away

2007-10-29T10:25:00.000-04:00

So I've been a bit down recently on my involvement in pro wrestling.I've been feeling pretty worthless there because I never seem to get to do anything except be a glorified cheerleader.All I really want to do is get physically involved and get hit a few times.I know by being a manager those opportunities don't always come about, but recently it seems as though they NEVER come.

My group had its TV taping this past weekend.I wasn't completely into going because I knew that I would, at most, have a promo to film.My mind was racing with thoughts of just quitting. No one is putting a gun to my head and forcing me to do this.The only thing that holds me back is not wanting to stop doing something I dreamt of doing as a kid, even if the reality of it is different from the fantasy.

I get to the building and right away I'm told that they're putting together a program between one of the other managers and me.That means I'll be getting a match next month!!Glory fucking days it happened!Anyway,I got to cut two promos to promote it.During the second promo, my adversary came out and I got in his face.The whole premise is supposed to be that I'm jealous of the attention he receives because (here's a surprise) I feel it is rightfully mine.After berating him for a few minutes he grabs me by the shirt and cocks back his fist to punch me.The guy I manage attacks him from behind and grabs his arms.I get right in his face and start yelling at him and I also get to smack him silly.The fight ends with him being thrown to the ground as I walk over him and then spit on him before leaving.It felt pretty good and the crowd, though small, was giving me plenty of heat.

Next month we get to have a match.I'm not sure if it going to be this one match and then the feud is over or if this will be an ongoing thing.I'm grateful for getting this match, but I'm really hoping for an ongoing thing.I'd love to have a gimmick match as the blow-off, preferably something with weapons.When I say weapons I don't mean knives and guns, I mean chains, leather straps, chairs, etc.A no-disqualification match would work for me as well.But it's not my call.It's the promoter's.I'll go with what he says.

I've worked with this guy before and we always have a good time putting these matches together.I usually put together the bulk of the match, even though he's wrestled many more actual matches than I have.(I have about 6 or 7 to my name.He probably has about 30.)It's a neat thing to go through.It's like choreographing a fight scene.My character is a cowardly heel and I'm not afraid to play it for laughs with some slapstick spots.I know that he's looking forward to it because I will actually let him hit me hard.The only thing I don't do is any "pulling pants down to humiliate" spots.The last time I did that 200 people got a full moon and also came one inch away from seeing my full monty because the guy who pulled my pants down grabbed up too high and hooked my underwear too.(That sentence would look really bad taken out of context.)That was easily my most embarrassing moment in wrestling.

So for the next month,I'll be plotting some epic battle in my head.I've already got a boatload of ideas.I'm going back to practice on Saturday to work them out with the guy.I'm going to make the most out of this chance so hopefully I can get more matches.It's almost as if the promoter knew I was feeling disenfrachised and came up with something to pull me back in.Indy wrestling is rough.You see a lot of people come and go.Many people get hurt.Some guys just want to wrestle a few matches in front of friends to look cool before quitting.Some people quit because there's little to no money being made.I've stuck with it out of pure love.I've been scorned but I'm still there.And apparently I'm still going to be there for a while longer.

What I Hate About The Online Comic Fan Community

2007-10-27T16:41:00.000-04:00

So you're messing around on the internet looking for whatever it is you like to look for.In this case, we'll say it is comic books.So you're surfing and you stumble upon a blog.You read it and maybe you agree with the author and maybe you don't.It doesn't really matter.You then scroll down to the bottom of the page to read the comments and you see an exchange similar to this(entirely fictional) example:

JohnC :I think DC stole this idea.Marvel did it back in Secret Wars in 1987.

BigComicF :DC couldn't have stolen it from Marvel because they released it in 1983.Secret Wars came out in 1984, not 1987.Maybe you should do some research before you open your mouth.

This is pretty typical banter within blogs and/or message boards.So what exactly is wrong here?Let's see...JohnC presents an idea and BigComicF tells him why it isn't a good one.Where's the problem?

The problem is BigComicF's last sentence.

"Maybe you should do some research before you open your mouth."

This drives me absolutely apeshit.You've made your point already.Was the petty, sniping personal attack really needed?I see so many arguments start this way because one or both of the people involved have to take a cheap shot.The second someone gets that little dig in there it's like logic and reason go out the window.

It's easy to know if you do it.If you find yourself attacking the person and not their position, then you are guilty.I also don't want to hear this eye-for-an-eye or "He did it first" crap.Rise above it.Be the bigger person.Stick to your point.If it's a troll on your blog, then ban the prick. Insulting someone's intelligence or man/womanhood brings nothing to the table as far as making your point goes.

This sort of bullshit is EVERYWHERE in the online comics community.It's like nobody realizes that these are just opinions being thrown about.An opinion piece does not neccessarily equal a factual one.I don't see how someone not liking your favorite comic or reading something into it that you can't see is reason enough for some ridiculous personal struggle.Yet almost every debate here(not here in this blog,but here in the online comics community) ends up like that.And everyone wonders why the same fucking arguments pop up time after time after time again.Nobody's really talking. Everyone is just jumping into the ring and swinging wildly at each other.

I've managed to dodge most of this.I try to make the comments I leave elsewhere so innocuous and blatant that there is no way that they can be misconstrued.But sometimes they are and I get hit with some shrapnel.It happened just a couple of days ago and somewhat inspired this entry.I left a comment somewhere and first caught a little shit for being new and then the personal attack came.So I left it alone.That's what I do every time this happens.You attack me and it's conversation over.You present a counter-argument or respond to me without resorting to a personal attack and we can talk.No need to fight back.And no need to take the argument here either.That's why I'm not linking it.I'm over it but it still just served as a reminder of the behaviour I don't like.I have nothing to prove to anyone.And neither do you.

I know you're a fan and your passion runs deep.You cling to your opinions like they're your babies and you know know they're right and perfect and it can hurt when someone says that they are not, indeed, right and perfect.The problem is that they're just opinions.Opinions are never right or wrong.Everyone professes a desire to debate and talk but they really just want a group of people to agree with them.Dissenters are nearly always shot down and shot down hard.It happens on each side of every argument comics fans have.And it's really fucking tiring.

Attack the point,not the person.That's all I have to say.

What I Bought/What I Thought

2007-10-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

Every Thursday Morning I go to my LCS to get my weekly comic fix.I buy them with the intention of loving them,not picking them apart.I try to throw some quick thoughts about them here.You won't find anything particularly thought-provoking,but rather just honest thoughts.I will use spoilers if I want to and I won't warn you about it.This week I left with eleven books,some a bit older.

1)She-Hulk #22 :This is one of my favorite books and I've been waiting for this issue in particular because of the change in creative team and direction.So now She-Hulk is a bounty hunter.That works for me.The Absorbing Man and Titania as villains also get the thumbs up from me.My question is what's up with Jen?I'm guessing she's a LMD.So far,so good though.

2)Cable & Deadpool #46 :While I bear no ill will toward Cable,taking him out of the book was the best thing to happen to it in a while.Hopefully,seeing Deadpool interact with the MU's heavy hitters will build up a case to keep him in another title when the book gets cancelled.This time,Deadpool and Bob,Agent of HYDRA hook up with two separate versions of the Fantastic Four:one from eight years ago and the recent Black Panther/Storm incarnation.Deadpool has the funniest moment of the week talking about Sue Storm's "ample,matronly bosom".This story was pure,fun comic book wackiness.It also had Bob as Doctor Doom and Deadpool as Wolverine in his Weapon X attire.Loved this book.

3)Tales Of The Sinestro Corps:Superman Prime :I came into this knowing nothing of Superman-Prime except that he's just one of many versions of Superman cluttering the DC universe.This origin story was a bit like the Cyborg Superman one in that it painted him as a slightly more sympathetic character.This book also featured Krypto who, as much as it pains me to say it,isn't as lame as I want him to be.It was a good issue,but I'm still not sure I like the character.

4)What If?Planet Hulk :I've always loved What If? stories.They give the writers/artists room to explore characters and concepts free from the constraints of continuity and often lead to some really interesting situations.The best story here explored what would happen if the Hulk landed on the planet that the Illuminati intended for him to go.The practical joke playing one-upsmanship between Banner and Hulk was priceless.It was also funny how Banner was the one who was hunting animals while Hulk was protecting them and enjoying their company.It was almost...sweet.

5)Birds Of Prey #111 :This is the first time I've bought this book in standard format instead of trade and also the first time I've read it not written by Gail Simone.I still liked this.I love how Oracle is worshipped by nerds everywhere and also how her and Calculator are sniping at each other from computers in the same room.She's also the luckiest character ever that she's not daed.The only thing keeping every villain from knowing who she is is their arrogant ,and even a bit sexist, assumption that Oracle couldn't possibly be a woman,never mind one in a wheelchair.It wasn't bad, and read enough like Simone's version so that it wasn't too jarring.

And I'm out of time because I have to go to work.That's all folks.

My Nextwave Coloring Project

2007-10-26T00:43:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I got Nextwave:Agents Of H.A.T.E. #5,the Crayon Butchery Variant.I got two copies.One to bag and board and one to color.My plan is to do the whole book.Why?Why not.

So far,I've put about 13 or 14 hours into it.I haven't finished any full pages yet,but I have about 10 to 12 full panels done and bits and pieces everywhere.I' not going a page at a time,but rather an item at a time.For example,I've gone through the book and colored in Boom-Boom everywhere she appears.This is mostly so I don't forget what color I made everything.

I decided to use colored pencils for this.I just didn't want to use crayons and markers bleed through the pages.But damn if it doesn't take forever with pencils.If the paper quality was better I could use markers and I'd be much further along.It's not a big deal,it just means it's going to take me a little longer.

I'm pretty critical of myself whenever I take on a new creative endeavor.I'm looking at the job I'm doing and comparing it to the original and am reminded that I am not an artist.But overall,I'm not totally displeased.I'm not going for an exact color-for-color copy.I'm just using solid colors,because that is easiest.Though here and there,I am highlighting things and experimenting.And you can totally tell when I'm doing it too.It is amazing how much the coloring affects the look of a book.You don't get to compare that much.How often do you see the same book with two editions,each colored in a totally different way?You don't.You get one book and the only difference is usually the cover.

I don't have a scanner to post any pictures.I should probably be grateful for that(you should be too.)At best I could take a picture of a finished page when I get one done.This is a lot of work,but it is fun.When it comes to this kind of thing,I love a challenge.I'm hoping to finish this in about a month's time,but it will probably take longer.

Thank You And Shut Up

2007-10-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

Wow. At least when Ann Coulter says something that's ignorant,you can write it off as shock hype for a book she's promoting.This guy though....You would think that someone so smart would have the common sense not to say the things he says,especially in this day and age.All he needs is a report about Asian people and their amazing skills in mathematics and karate and he'll have offended just about everybody.

Dude,keep your racism and homophobia to yourself. No one's giving you a free pass just because you're a scientist.

A Second Look At JLA:Earth2

2007-10-25T00:43:00.000-04:00

Here's the story:I bought the TPB JLA:Earth2 last week and didn't like it.My biggest problem with DC Comics is that they let all of their "Elseworld" characters intermingle and also that there are too many legacy characters.I would think that one Superman is enough.For example,why do Kingdom Come Superman,Red Son Superman,Superman Prime,etc need to be running around in the same universe with regular Superman?It smacks of extreme laziness and lack of confidence in your creative staff when you'd rather just slap a different colored uniform on one of your flagship characters than create a new one.At least Marvel tries.It would be like when new characters are promised for Spider-Man's Brand New Day and then they turn out to be Ultimate Spider-Man,Marvel Adventures Spider-Man,Peter Parker from the MC2 Universe and Spider-Man from What If?The Other. But I digress.

That problem hindered my ability to enjoy this book,but I figured that maybe my bias was tainting my view of an otherwise great book.It couldn't have been as stupid as I thought it was.So I decided to put my feelings aside and re-read the book with a more positive outlook.My new verdict?It's still silly.

First,Ultraman has his own version of kryptonite,called anti-kryptonite.If they call it anti-kryptonite then they must be aware of regular kryptonite,which comes from the JLA's universe.But they didn't know about the JLA's universe until the beginning of the book(or so it is implied).I'm assuming they named it anti-kryptonite a while back.How did they know?

Second,why do the JLA even bother giving Aquaman a vote?Come on...it's Aquaman.

Aquaman:I can't help guys.I gotta rule Atlantis.But you can call me if you're in a pinch.

Batman:Call YOU?(Big belly laugh ,which is shared by the rest of the JLA,followed by wiping a tear from his eye.)Oh Aquaman,you're priceless.

Third, it was really odd hearing them discuss the moral at the end of the story when they were rebuilding.It sounded unnatural.The CSA ending was cool though.

Next,the Flash's alter ego was named "Johnny Quick."Because he's quick.Get it?I've never heard a more generic name in all my life.Oh,wait a minute.I have."Power Ring" is more generic.Using this method of naming,their version of Aquaman(Why something like this would exist I don't know.)would be named "Swim Man" or "Joe Fishguy".

Really,I just felt like picking on this book a little more.That's the only reason I'm posting this.To be honest,it did read better the second time around.It was mindless fun.It felt more like I was reading a cartoon than a comic.Green Lantern's ring powers can lead to some pretty interesting visuals.I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

Delaware Water Gap Hiking

2007-10-24T10:26:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot of anger in comic blogging circles and I've even slipped and allowed myself to be caught up in some of it,which I hate to do.Now seems as good a time as any to have a peaceful post full of pretty pictures from my last hiking trip at the Delaware Water Gap.

This view comes from a little less than halfway up the trails.It never fails to amaze me.Of course there's a highway(Route 80)running through the picture.Because,as everybody knows, New Jersey is nothing but one giant highway system."You live in Jersey?What exit?"Har-dee-har-har.

I think this was taken at the same landing that the first picture was taken,just from a different angle.This has become one of my favorite places to go to relax.I've even gotten my girlfriend into it to the point where she is chomping at the bit to go,in spite of the difficulty of some of the trails.

Speaking of difficult trails,this part of it.I would guess that this rock wall is about 30 or 40 feet high and is so steep that you can only get up it by zigzagging back and forth as you climb it.There's a bit more to it than what's shown in the picture.Shit like this is the most fun part of the hike.Of course,once you get up to the top you're treated to some incredible scenery.This is the mountai on the other side of the Water Gap.I know there are trails there to get to the top of it,but I haven't been there yet.Perhaps if I can get there before it gets too late in the year.Or next year.No rush.They're not going anywhere.

We were talking to these Chinese guys up at the top.They took some pictures for us and we took some for them.At the top, there is a place where you can scale down the side of the mountain about 30 feet to get closer to the edge.If they took about 2 more steps backwards they would have a nice long fall(don't know the elevation).That's where we were and they followed us down.Nice people.

There's no story behind this.I just thought the clouds looked kinda ominous.

Aside from the actual hike and the breathtaking view,the best part of any trip here is to check out the waterfalls.This isn't much of a waterfall,but is pretty.

This is more like it.The falls this year have been pretty light,perhaps due to the lack of snow in the winter or not having much rain this year in general.This is probably the biggest one that I've seen there this year,being about 10 feet high.We're not talking Niagra Falls here.It's a river that flows through a valley and it's all downhill,so falls are just a natural part of it.You can swim in the water and stand under the falls,but I wouldn't drink the water.It dooesn't look dirty in the least bit,but I hear there's enough mercury in the water to make it unsafe to drink.What a shame.

I saw a cave under the water here and that's what I was trying to get a picture of.If you look at the bottom of the picture under the waterfall you can just make it out.If I had taken this picture earlier in the day when the sun was brighter I probably would have gotten a better picture.

I feel sorry for people who don't get to see things like this.There's much more to life than sitting on your fat ass in front of the TV or computer.(He says as he sits in front of his computer.)I could go hiking every weekend.You get a lot of exercise.You see some pretty neat shit.The people you meet are usually quite friendly.And not that I'm some sort of New Jersey apologist,but this shows that there is more to Jersey than all of the dirty,negative stereotypes that people who aren't from here(and even from those who are) like to spew.

Quick Thoughts On Heroes

2007-10-23T10:40:00.000-04:00

I've been enjoying the TV show Heroes and wanted to give a few thoughts on it.(What an intro.)

1)It's a little strange seeing a comic book-style story where the superpowers don't come from aliens or lab accidents.But it's refreshing and makes more sense.If your child can get your eye color or your nose, then why not some special abilities?Storywise, it makes sense because it's an easy way to introduce new characters.Also, genetics and inherited traits are things that non-superhero fans who might be watching the show can understand without having to suspend their disbelief more than they already need to.

2)The show seems to be building up a whole universe of characters.This might be a problem because it means that certain favorite characters aren't there for every show(like Claire wasn't in yesterday's show) and also because of those non-comic fans who might not be used to keeping track of that many characters in one show.On the plus side, having a large cast with many powered individuals will help the show develop a mythology that,if the show lasts, can be quite rich and lead to some interesting crossovers between characters.It will add to the show if you don't know who is going to show up in whose story.It makes it fun and unpredictable.

3)I left a comment about this on Wendy Withers blog about this and wanted to expand on the though here.Is it just me or does it seem like only the women like using their powers?Claire has been experimenting with her powers and testing their limits from the first episode.Jessica revels in being strong(That half of her personality does, at least.).I don't think her voluntary confinement is going to last too much longer.Monica was afraid of her powers until Micah made her aware of them.What did she do then?She started playing around with them.Blonde lightning chick and reality-shaping chick both also seem( or seemed) to love having powers too.Even Claire's mom, who only made the briefest of appearances ,had to show off her gifts.
Who on the men's side likes having powers?Hiro and Micah.Hiro has been the comic relief though and Micah is a kid.Every other male on the show just broods.I mean would it kill Nathan to fly every now and then?Isaac,Peter, and Matt are(or were) all depressing and keep their abilities at arms' length.Even Mohinder,who doesn't even have powers,is waaaay serious.Human nature being what it is, I find it hard to believe that so many people who find themselves with special abilities wouldn't use them.

4)This show needs more super-powered fight scenes.What has been shown so far has been way too short and infrequent.I don't mean some humongous battle royal(that would be nice, but I'm sure would really test the show's special effects budget),but to just let some characters cut loose.Peter,Monica,Jessica,Sylar, and any other characters whose powers lend themselves well to combat should get their chance to show it.

5)This show really doesn't have a "tank" yet.I mean someone who is just really,really strong and resilient.That kind of character would certainly stir things up and force some action.

Dear Brian M. Bendis

2007-10-22T14:52:00.000-04:00

Dear Brian Michael Bendis,

When I started getting back into comics a few years ago I asked around as to what books I should try.Your name came up as a writer that I couldn't go wrong with.I tried some of your books and damnit if I wasn't hooked right back in.

Since then I've seen your name dragged through the mud a little bit.He's too decompressed.He reads poorly in a monthly format.Nothing happens in his books.They're all talk.He doesn't know continuity.He writes people out of character.I was easily able to dismiss all of these comments as mere opinions.After all,you can't please them all.At least you were pleasing me.I would have even come to your defense if there was a need(plenty of other people to do that) or I was asked.

A couple of weeks ago,New Avengers #35 was released and,well, you know what scene was in it.I will say this...you got people talking.Only they weren't talking about what a badass the Hood was,but rather about what a bad asshole you were.

I know what you were going for with this issue.I even wrote an entry in my humble little blog about it.I may not have liked seeing the beating of Tigra being so one-sided but, as it relates to the story, I knew why you did it.I was reasonably understanding.Other people...not so much.

The thing is, I understand why they are mad.I see exactly where they are coming from.This time though, I can't defend you.I don't even think a lot of your usual defenders are going to touch this one.You took a visually disturbing,realistic beatdown and put it in a comic book.It involved a female character taking the beating while falling out of her clothes and squealing for help.You're a smart man.Your writing shows you have a brain.You just HAD to know that there would be fallout.Your readers are not children who can just see the story for what it is.Your readers are mostly ADULTS,who have a habit of reading into things and pulling out the hidden context.And, oh boy, does the scene I described a few sentences back just SCREAM with hidden context.

I don't think you're completely sunk yet.I know that the Hood will eventually get his come-uppance.That's what comic book villains do.They make life for the heroes really interesting for a little while and then they lose.When that time comes,allow Tigra a revenge beating.It may not be in the larger plan,but perhaps you can fit it in.Maybe you don't like her character much.Shit,I don't like her character.Still,she deserves her revenge.She was embarrassed in front of a room full of supervillains and had her family threatened.Give her the final blow.Give her the final fight even.Controversies like this add up and sometimes it can be a good thing to acknowledge one and fix it.Show your critics that you aren't petty enough to take out a character you hate out of spite.Make things right.It's not too late.

Still a fan(but watching you closely),
W.Knapik

Random Comic Musings

2007-10-22T10:19:00.000-04:00

I have spent a lot of money in the past five days.Between my weekly trip to my LCS,two trips to Borders, and my order from Midtown Comics I ended my week with 20 comics and 6 TPBs added to my collection.That's just a shade under $200 being spent.I read a lot.I read fast.I'm insatiable.There's a seemingly infinite amount of choices out there.Good for me.Bad for my wallet.Anyway,here's a run-down of some of what I got.

1)Mighty Avengers #5 :This one took a little while to come out.I'm glad I read a lot.If this was one of only 5 or 6 items on my pull list I'd be pissed.I'm ready for this Ultron story to end.I normally don't mind decompression,but this story really feels dragged out.Does the trade really need to be six issues long?I hope this at least ends with a bang.

2)Captain America:The Chosen #3 :I think this story would work just as well without the whole "Captain America is dying and using mental telepthy"angle.I like the idea of a soldier imagining that all of his brave acts are being performed by Cap.It lends a "was he there or not" kind of mystery to the story.Having him use his best Dr. Strange powers is really a distraction.I still like the story,just not so much that one part.The art,on the other hand, is amazing.Mr. Breitweiser would fit perfectly on Cap's monthly book if the need ever arose.

3)All Star Superman #1,5,6 :I wanted to try this book again without the barrier of translating Bizarro-speak.I'm glad I did.(I just got a solicit call from a chiropractor for a free visit.Please.Why not just go to a witch doctor?Back to the topic...)I'm glad they didn't spend the whole first issue on his origin.Thank you for your assumption that we know the story already.Also, the thing about Superman is that he is so friggin powerful that it is hard for me to get into any story where he's fighting bad guys because I know he'll win.He's Superman,you know?.But seeing him selflessly save the common people and also seeing him deal with the values instilled in him by his upbring add a layer to the character that I can read about all day.I groaned when I saw Krypto in #6,but then seeing how much Supes loves his dog and how he plays with him and how the dog protects him just reinforced that human side and all was forgiven.There really is a deep character in there if the writers care enough to explore it.

4)Marvel Comics Presents #2 :It's all about Hellcat folks.The first story with the police detectives and the Watcher is pretty good as well.

5)Walking Dead Vol 7:The Calm Before :Not much happens in this volume.Everyone settles into the prison and the mood lightens a bit.Carol finally finds a way to commit suicide,but at this point seeing main characters die isn't too shocking.The ending just killed me.Not because I hated it, but rather because I'm trade-waiting this book and now the anticipation is killing me.I somehow just knew the Governor wasn't dead.A man with no cock AND a tank equals a lot of fucking trouble.Seeing Rick's group tortured and forced to bounce around all the time just kills me.I find myself reading and going "Just give them ten minutes of peace!!!Damn you Kirkman!!"That said, it's still a fantastic,gripping read.

6)JLA:Earth 2 :I bought this because it was on some 100 greatest TPB list that I found.This was just silly.I'm not a fan of DC's having multiple versions of the same character interacting with each other.I thought maybe seeing the evil versions would be different,but it wasn't.It's still annoying.Martian Manhunter came off pretty good here though.

7)Nextwave :Agents of HATE #5(Crayon Butchery variant) :I could not wait for this one to arrive.I got two copies.One gets bagged and boardded and goes straight into my long boxes.The other I am tackling with a box of 72 colored pencils.I know the contest is over, but I still would like to tackle coloring the whole issue.I started yesterday and spent about 4 or 5 hours on it.My hand was so fucking cramped by the end.I'm no artist.My coloring job will not be even half as good as what was originally published.But I do have to say that so far, it doesn't look too bad.The flat coloring just makes the book seem a little retro and even psychedelic.I keep the original on hand for reference for costumes, but other than that I'm winging it.I don't want an exact copy.

8)DMZ Vol 1:On The Ground :I've seen this at the bookstore for months now and havbe always been tempted to grab it since it's only $10.I like the idea of a second American civil war with NY as the front line,so I finally picked it up.I have to say that after reading it I don't know anything more about the story than I did by reading the back of the book.Five issues worth of reading and nothing to show for it.I'm not even sure if I like the main character.This doesn't seem up to Vertigo's normal level of quality.I know there's at least a second volume,but I'll be skipping it.This book joins Ex Machina in the "failed-to-grab-me" pile.

9)Deadpool (Various):I'm still in the process of collecting all of Deadpool's first full-length series.I'd guess that I'm probably about halfway there by now.It's a little inconsistent,depending on who's doing the writing,but overall I'm really enjoying the whole series.There are more than a few great moments,such as Loki cursing Deadpool with the face of famous actor "Thom Cruz" not to mention his whole ordeal with Typhoid Mary.Oh yeah.Deadpool was able to lift Thor's hammer and become a Deadpool/Thor.It's not what it sounds like when it's all over,but it was still a great issue.

That's it for now.

Coincidence?

2007-10-19T19:00:00.001-04:00

Last week,Marvel shows off the design for the new Captain America,complete with gun and knife.

The internet reacts,with many fans crying out that Captain America would never use a gun and that his shield is all the weapon he has ever,or would ever need.Fans on forums show scans of Captain America comics from the 40's and 50's(See here )where he is clearly using guns,but it falls on deaf ears.(eyes?)

This week,Marvel releases 2 books that show Captain America using a gun( Avengers Classic #5,in the extra story in the back and Captain America #31, during one of the flashback scenes with Bucky.Yeah,they were manufactured flashbacks,but that's besides the point.)

Did they anticipate the potential backlash?I think comic companies read and react to the internet more than they claim to.

Nostalgia

2007-10-19T10:26:00.000-04:00

Reading back my post from yesterday got me thinking about how much nostalgia from our younger days influences our thinking.It's not just a comics thing where people seem to be reluctant to move away from the old guard.How many times do you hear about a singer/band's first album being their best one?How often do you see a list of movies grouped together under whatever premise and see that the bulk of the movies on the list are 20,30,40 years old or even older than that?The same thing goes with television and (especially) literature.Newer stuff just doesn't get the same respect.

Does everything really suck so bad right now?With all of our advances in technology,with more source material available to draw inspiration from, is the best we can do really something from many decades past?Personally,I think that's crap.I think things are getting better or, at the very worst, staying the same.It's our sense of nostalgia that taints our view.

Being first does not mean being best.The Simpsons is something of an homage to The Flintstones, which in turn is paying tribute to The Honeymooners.Does that make The Honeymooners the funniest and best of the three shows?No.Comedy has evolved.The formula set forth by The Honeymooners has been tweaked and improved.Watching that show seems quaint and more amusing than funny compared to the wild directions The Simpsons have taken the formula of the disfunctional,bickering family."But Jackie Gleason was a genius."Maybe he was, but now his comedy is dated.We need to move on.

Black Sabbath was arguably the first heavy metal band.I know that's a point of contention amongst music buffs,but in terms of just nailing the sound and the mood of heavy metal Black Sabbath was the first.I love Black Sabbath.Everyone knows Black Sabbath through either their songs or at least by association through Ozzy Osbourne.But they're not the best metal band.Music has moved forward.Metal has taken huge leaps and bounds from the days of Sabbath's simple power chord riffs.And I don't have to crap all over their legacy to point that out."Paranoid" can still be a great album.It's just not the best anymore.At some point we have to let go.

I think it comes down to the fact that we often look back to our childhoods to find the happiest moments in our lives.(unless your childhood was totally fucked up)I think it's a bad thing to live in the past too much.Children are easily entertained, or at least easier to entertain than adults.They don't have the baggage that comes with growing up.That's why the cartoons we watched as a kid are better than the cartoons now.We still see them through the eyes of a ten-year old.Maybe the cartoons,music,movies,etc of today are of the same or even better quality than those of yesterday.We're just trying to look at them from a mindset we don't have anymore. It's too easy to let our biases influence our thinking.There are gems in every genre waiting to be discovered and cherished if we can just let go of our security blankets.

Wrestling And Comics/We Are All Too Old

2007-10-18T14:13:00.001-04:00

In the course of my searching through the internet I found this post on WFA which likened the recent beating that Tigra took at the hands of The Hood in New Avengers to a "job" in pro wrestling.I have to say that I love the analogy.Pro wrestling and comics are very similar.Both involve impossibly muscular men and unrealistically attractive women in colorful,gaudy costumes with strange names playing out the ages-old fight between good and evil.

I'm not writing this to tear apart the author's argument,but rather to explore the comics-wrestling connection.In wrestling,to "job" is simply to lose.Someone has to do it.A "jobber" is someone who loses consistently.The classic "jobber" is mostly a thing of the past.They have been replaced with those who are informally referred to as "jobbers to the stars",who are people like Al Snow(mentioned in the comments section of the linked post) or Scotty 2 Hotty.They have enough of a name to win some of the time,and even to win the occasional title,but are almost guaranteed to lose against a star of higher caliber.These are the people who used to be called "mid-carders".Tigra is a mid-carder.She has a name.She's been on the Avengers.But she isn't an A-lister or a marquee name by a long shot.That much I think can be agreed.

In wrestling,much like in comics, the bad guy(or "heel")is there to pose as realistic a threat as possible to the good guy(or "babyface/face") before inevitably getting his/her ass handed to them in the end by said face.Heels can come in many forms:cowardly,sneaky,foreign,monster,etc.The Hood is currently being set up as the monster heel,which is arguably the most dangerous kind.

One way to establish your monster heel is to have them decisively beat up some known,capable opponents,like a mid-carder.No one will be impressed when you beat a serial loser.For this you can set up a "squash match",which is just one way of saying "one-sided victory".In this case,the person being beaten is not important.The purpose of a squash is to build up the winner and nothing else.The poor victim on the receiving end is interchangeable.In this case,Tigra is the one who got squashed.

I know many people are upset that it was a female hero on the receiving end of the beating.I understand.I can see that women get the shit end of things in comics way too often,but I think in this case it just happened to be Tigra.She's been in a couple of books recently,so peope know who she is.She's not a pushover,but is also not a heavy hitter.She would have been out of the main scene anyway, as it appeared she was heading to some Midwestern state whose name escapes me at this moment for her Initiative assignment.She was an appropriate candidate for this "job."I know Bendis could have picked another character or even created someone just for The Hood to beat on,but he didn't.It might be a little shitty to see the former Avenger Tigra taken out so easily and brutally,but in this case I don't think this is her story.It's The Hood's.You aren't meant to go"Will Tigra get her revenge?" but rather "What will it take to stop The Hood?"She might get her comeuppance at some point,but I think that's secondary to the story they're trying to tell.They have a monster heel to build up.

Did Bendis and company accomplish this?At least as far as the internet crowd goes,the answer is no.I think part of the reason is that comics' target audience is just too old to completely lose themselves in a story without critical analysis.It's part of getting older and liking the same things you liked when you were 12.Our imagination and sense of wonder gets a bit trampled by the weight of the world.Wrestling has the same problem.It's no longer targeted at very young kids, but rather at teens and young adults.As a wrestling worker,I prefer to see young kids at the shows.They lose themselves in the spectacle and yell,scream, react and just have a great time.It's the older fans who sit back and heckle or make snarky remarks about things like"workrate".The kids will give the heel "heat" for beating up on the face,which is the reaction you hope for.The adults are much more likely to direct their heat towards the booker or the promotion itself for putting together a match in a way that is totally contrary to what they would want.While there's nothing really wrong with that,and some of the talent might even agree with them, it's just not the reaction you want people to have.Sure, the creators have a big hand in what goes on, but they're not supposed to be the focal point. You want the people to be into the story,not the politics.

I don't want people to stop complaining.I enjoy reading the rants regardless of whether I agree with them or not.It's part of fandom.As fans, we can certainly demand a better product.And comics,much like wrestling,are niche products that typically put much more effort than some more mainstream endeavors(like pro sports) into being fan-friendly.I just wonder if when you direct all of your venom at the writers and/or editors if you're really "getting it."Maybe the curtain has been pulled back too much.Maybe too much has been made of writers/artists instead of the story, which is the ultimate end product that we spend our money on.Maybe as we get older our suspension of disbelief and desire to escape fades a little and gets replaced by cynicism and our own projected mistrust of authority.Maybe it has always been there and the internet just brought everyone together in a public place.After all, the stereotype of the snarky"Comic Book Guy" had to come from somewhere.It just seems to me that a lot of the "heat" directed at writers/artists/editors(in this case,Bendis)by the current comics crowd would be directed somewhere else if we were all ten or fifteen years younger.I know I read comics differently now than I did when I was 15.Do you?

Due To A Lack Of New Ideas I Now Present The Same Crap I Always Talk About

2007-10-18T00:59:00.000-04:00

It's been a pretty bad week for me blog-wise.Besides drawing a daily blank as far as what to write about,I've also been working extra hours and trying to catch up on my far-too-neglected piano practice.I went hiking at the Delaware Water Gap again.I'd post pictures,but blogger has been giving me trouble with that in the past few days.I'll try again another day.Surely I can fill up some space with my regular minutae.

1)I got a $50 tip for helping someone with our shop's forklift.I hit Border's this morning to spend it on some TPBs.I got the Birds Of Prey TPB "Sensei & Student."Damn if they don't get a lot of issues in those trades.They even take me over an hour to read,and I read pretty fast.I've still got the last issue in it to go.I also got Superman For All Seasons. I'm not much of a Superman fan,but in flipping through it I liked the scenes with Clark in Smallville.After reading through it during my lunch break,I'd have to say it was a rather charming story.It took the whole "Superman is awesome at everything" part of the character that makes him a bit annoying to me and set it aside to show a more emotional side of Superman, as well as a peek inside what the other people in his life think of him.For an impulse buy,I was very satisfied.

2)Tommorrow is comic day for me.I'll probably get about 6 Marvel books, doubtfully any DC books and Vol 7 of The Walking Dead. I'll be nearly caught up but I'm going to continue to get this just in trades.It will make it easier for the day I inevitably read every volume back to back.I can't say that I'm sick of zombies yet.I'll even be getting Marvel Zombies 2 tommorrow.

3)My cats are driving me nuts.Our kitten is now 6 months old and is trying to assert herself with the other cats.She torments the older one with a move I can only describe as a side-headlock takedown.Every time I hear moaning I know exactly what's going on.Her and the older female fight constantly.I hope they resolve this thing amongst them soon.It's like my girlfriend and I can't relax for more than ten minutes without breaking up a fight or an impromptu wrestling match.Right now the oldest female is the dominant one of the three,but that might change soon.(Ohmigod.I just blogged about a cat story.I'm going nuts.)

4)It's 1:30 AM and I'm still not tired yet.I have always had problems sleeping.I've tried every trick and tip that has ever been published,but if I can't shut the old brain down then sleep is impossible and recently it has been running nonstop.If I can get about 5 hours of sleep or at least 5 hours of in bed relaxation I'll be fine tommorrow.Anything less and I drag all day.I won't drink coffee because it's tastes disgusting and smells bad enough to put a lump in my throat if I breathe in its vile stench too deeply.If I could ever get past or even used to the inhumanly horrible taste and smell there's still the fact that caffeine has almost no effect on me.I doubt it so much as raises my heartbeat. Coffee...nothing.Jolt Cola...nothing.Red Bull....nothing.Those pep pills they sell at convenience stores...nothing.Ginseng...nothing.Stacker2....nothing,even after taking a handful.X-tra large pixie sticks...nothing.Mountain Dew...nothing.Energy bars...nothing.You get the point.I gave up on finding something years ago.

5)That's it.I really have to go to bed.

I'm A Bad Comic Book Fan

2007-10-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

I spend a lot of my time on the internet reading about comics.I think I'm a horrible fan though,because I don't engage in a lot of what appears to be perfectly normal comic fan-like behavior.

1)I have never dropped anything from my pull list.

2)I've never blamed an artist/writer for failing to entertain me.

3)If I buy a book, don't like it, and keep buying it then I admit to just collecting it.

4)My childhood remains blissfully unraped.

5)I love changes to the status quo.It can be exciting.

6)I don't talk down to or insult people who read different things than I read.

7)I understand when the movie is different than the book and judge it on its own merits.

8)I don't nitpick at continuity errors.

9)I like most of what I read.

10)I don't get all up in arms over a bad cover.

11)I liked Civil War, House Of M, and Avengers Disassembled.

12)I feel no sense of nostalgia for the comics of my youth.The writing and art are 1000000 times better today than they were back then.That's the main reason why I got back into comics.

13)I don't hold any character up to a standard that was set decades ago.Times change and people change with them.

14)I've never made a "Michael Turner can't draw feet." comment.

15)I don't buy comics just to make fun of them or to hate on them.I buy them for my reading enjoyment.

16)Delays don't bother me at all.

17)Events don't bother me either.

18)I don't take the stories personally.

19)I can wait out the slower pace that decompression brings.

Remembering Superfriends

2007-10-13T16:55:00.000-04:00

No one has ever come up with a better synopsis of the old cartoon Superfriends than Seanbaby .Most characters get a brief character history,a comic strip and some out-of-context clips from the show.Check out his main site too.He reprints a lot of those stupid(or great) Hostess ads which featured your favorite Superheroes beating some random supervillain or nameless gangster by throwing fruit pies or Twinkies at them.I don't think any of the ads are in continuity,but they should be.

Stupid Things I Did During College

2007-10-13T10:54:00.000-04:00

Many people go to college.Some people use it to educate and train themselves to get better jobs.For some people it was nothing but a party.I'm one of the latter.I went to college on a full academic scholarship because of my excellent high school GPA and my SAT scores.

I entered in William Paterson College in September of 1991(seems so long ago) and proceeded to enter into one of the silliest phases of my life.My memory of that time is mostly hazy.I was always told that lots of alcohol and "perfectly legal" cigarettes can affect your memory.Damn if they weren't right.Anyhow,some of the things I DO remember involve crazy and/or stupid activities that only the young can get away with doing.(not that I'm old now)I'm going to share some of these with you and maybe some of you can de-lurk long enough to give out some of yours.

1)When I turned 18 I decided that I wanted to pierce my nose.I already had 7 earrings so it didn't seem like a big deal.I decided to do it myself.I had my roommate get a bag of ice from the cafeteria so I could numb my nose.Then I got a training stud,normally for use in your ear, and started corkscrewing it into my nose.Yes,it hurt.A lot.I got halfway through when I started to get faint.My roommate forced it the rest of the way through.I never had a proper piece of nose jewelry, so I just used an extra earring.I kept it in for about 2 months before I got sick of it because it kept falling out of my nose when I was sleeping.I still have a hole in my nose where it used to be.

2)One night at Penn State University some friends and I were party-hopping.We happened across one place that had a giant goldfish tank on the floor.People were reaching in,scooping out goldfish, and eating them.I don't mean goldfish like in goldfish crackers.I mean goldfish like you buy in a pet store.I ended up eating 12.The next morning I "set them free" at a rest area somewhere along Route 80.

3)One night,some friends of mine decided that they were going to have a small dorm party.I got one 375ml bottle of rum and one 375ml bottle of gin.I drank them both,by myself, straight from the bottle with no chasers.The next thing I remember was waking up in my bed the next afternoon dressed only in my underwear and a t-shirt.Only the T-shirt was pulled down with my waist through the T-shirt's NECK HOLE.I don't even want to know how that happened.

4)This isn't stupid,but just kinda odd.I was in a fraternity in college.(It was fun.I issue forth an emphatic fuck you to the naysayers.)We used to go camping twice a year.One of those times would be in the many woods that surrounded the campus.On one trek through the woods we found an abandoned car,up off the ground and supported by the trees' branches.we spent a lot of time in those woods.There was a cliff and a pretty large waterfall buried in there.Good places to party,even if you did have to stumble through the pitch black woods at 2AM with a dozen beers and 3 or 4 "perfectly legal" cigarettes in your system.

5)I participated regularly in campus talent shows and lipsync competitions.At my first,which I was a part of with my frat pledge class,I dressed up as a very convincing girl to play Veruca Salt as we sang the "Oompa Loompa Song" from the original Willy Wonka movie.During one talent show I played my bass guitar and read haiku poetry about beer farts.During another I stuffed a sock down the front of my pants and lipsnyced to the Mojo Nixon song "She's Vibrator Dependent."I was a little buzzed and all alone on stage.After doing something like that,I really couldn't claim to have stagefright anymore.

That's all for now.Honestly,I'm lucky to remember that much.So,what are all of yours?

Anything For The Attention

2007-10-12T13:14:00.001-04:00

Sigh. Apparently,the only way she can get in the news is by sticking her foot in her mouth.Anything to sell a book.One day she'll piss off the wrong people and will just disappear.

Christians,she's one of yours.Glad I'm an athiest.

Reviews/The Experiment Is Over

2007-10-12T09:30:00.000-04:00

Recently,I've been giving my impressions on some of the DC comics I've been picking up.I know my personality type.I should've known that the second I told myself it would be OK to pick up non-Marvel books that I would keep doing so.So why make a big production out of the whole thing now?I'm going to continue doing what I do now:buying 95% Marvel and picking and choosing DC books and the odd indy book.

I don't want to do typical reviews of comics.That can be found anywhere and much better written.I plan on focusing more on why I buy what I buy and what is making me keep or drop the books.I will make shameless use of spoilers if I see the need to.

This week I came home with 15 comics.I'm not going to go over them all.I didn't pick up Wonder Woman like I thought I would because it was not Gail Simone's first issue like I somehow thought it was.

1)Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #1:When I heard of this book I thought"There's no way in hell I'm wasting money on something called Captain Carrot."But,after reading a preview on Newsarama where the posters actually seemed to like this book I decided to give it a shot.I read this during my lunch break yesterday so I was being distracted every 2 minutes and didn't really get the story.The sense of humor the book had was fine.There were a lot of dopey little jokes scattered around the panels that I found amusing,especially at the comic-con.(best part of the book,hands down)I just didn't really like the characters.Twenty years ago I would have LOVED this.Now,it's worth a few chuckles and not much else really.I don't think I'll be picking up #2.Give me Franklin Richrds:Son Of A Genius anyday for my goofy,fun comic fix.

2)Booster Gold #3:This is another one I tried to read at lunch with all the distactions.My first read left me feeling very underwhelmed,but I decided to read it one more time when I got home so I wouldn't have all the chaos around me.That second time went much better.Booster was golden when drunk.As for Jonah Hex...he was there too.I have no opinion on him after reading just this little bit.It didn't make me want to go pick up his comic,but I think I'll keep buying Booster Gold.

3)Green Arrow And Black Canary #1:With this I figured that since I liked Black Canary in Birds Of Prey I probably would like her here as well.In other words,it was a total impulse buy.My first reaction was "Oh crap.I just bought something written by that guy from The Real World."I sooo don't want to take that guy seriously.Putting my prejudice against MTV reality stars aside,I actually liked this.They did a good job on getting me up to speed on what happened to lead into this.Black Canary beat a guy half to death and then kind of moped around for the rest of the issue,but I didn't mind that.The ending made me want to come back next month to find out what happens.
On a side note,I really thought I'd be goofing on Black Canary.A martial artist wearing what looks like a leather bathing suit and fishnet stockings?It's silly.But damnit if she doesn't just have crazy skills.She doesn't seem to be afraid of much of anything and pretty much kicks all sorts of serious ass.As it stands right now,she's my favorite DC character.

4)World War Hulk:Frontline #5:This series has actually gotten better as it has gone on.Sally Floyd is back on the wagon hard and it is causing her to make some really poor choices and Danny Granville solved his case and Korg had a beer and a stereotypical alien moment where he reflected on his impressions of humanity,which weren't completely positive.The comic at the end was written specifically for the internet crowd and gave me my quote of the week as Sally Floyd hits on Reed Richards:"It all stretches,right?"The expression on Reed's face was priceless.

5)New Avengers #35:This issue focused almost entirely on the villains,most specifically The Hood.The thing with villains in comics is that you know with near certainty that they will be defeated.They're threatening for a few panels,but then everything falls apart.The Hood has actually come out on top so far.He's calculating,smart, and organized.If he can get his motley crew of ne'er-do-wells in line then we can look forward to some very cool hero/villain fights in the upcoming months where the end result might not be a foregone conclusion.

6)Runaways #28:Three things went through my mind reading this.First,I can't wait for them to get back to the present.Second,it was touching to see that the Yorkes love Gert over everything else.Third,Nico actually looked Asian!It must be realy hard to draw asian eyes without making the character look like a gross stereotype.

7)Punisher War Journal #12:Coming into this,I really didn't know why the Punisher was getting involved in WWH.Let's face it, The Punisher isn't even a small challenge for Hulk.It's a very lopsided mismatch to say the least.Fraction had it make sense though as Frank Castle basically saved some innocent stragglers and helped them out of the city.The venomech suit was unexpected and a nice visual.I'm left wondering if Hulk will go after Frank since he killed one of his Warbound.I have loved the last two issues of this book.They have showed a more human,heroic side of The Punisher that usually gets pushed aside in favor of big guns and big explosions.It makes him a bit more three-dimensional and easy to relate to.

8)New Avengers/Transformers #4:I'm a sucker for crossover titles,especially when I'm familiar with both sides of the crossover.This book had some ridiculous moments(Spider-Man's webbing is strong enough to contain Megatron?),but I think they were done more to give our heroes a bit more of a definitive win and also for effect so I didn't worry to much about that.It ended in what may have been a slight nod to the Transformers movie's theory that all of our technology came from studying Cybertonian tech.At least that's what I got out of it.I'll have to re-read this whole series in one sitting now that it's over to get my full impression of the story.

Overall,it was a good week.The Fantastic Four are back together.The Sinestro Corp War continues to be totally awesome.The New Warriors are having some problems.It was all good.I liked all of my books this week.Usually,I get one or two that I'm lukewarm on and just getting to have an uninterrupted run(and I'm not afraid to admit it and I don't hold it against the title or its creative team that I don't fully love it.)Next week I'll get vol 7 of The Walking Dead and I'll be all caught up with that in TPBs.I'm looking forward to that.

The New Captain America

2007-10-11T14:24:00.000-04:00

The link is here. I'm not providing any breaking news here.I just wanted to chime in.

1)I highly doubt this is Steve Rogers.Rogers wouldn't carry a gun.

2)The star on the shoulder says Winter Soldier to me.WS isn't above using guns either.I think if ANYBODY in the MU can get away with being the new Captain America and not cause a fan revolt,it's Bucky.

3)That costume is really shiny.Other than that(and even that doesn't bother me)I like it.Redesigned costumes don't bother me.Fuck the status quo.It's in the spirit of the original and if it's going to be a different guy it should be a different costume.

Dirty Little Trade Secrets

2007-10-11T13:39:00.000-04:00

Until I fell into my current cushy desk job,I was a cable technician for six years.I have no ideas for topics today so I'm going to let you in on some things you need to know when dealing with cable technicians.

1)Jokes about the movie "The Cable Guy" aren't funny.If you think you're the first person to greet us at the door with "CABLE GUY!!!", you're not.It's not funny the first time and it's definetely not funny the 1765th time.

2)Learn to distinguish between phone,cable,and electrical outlets.I'd be retired if I had $10 for every time I asked someone where the cable jack was and they pointed to an electrical outlet.

3) A lot of people apologize for their houses/apartments because they feel that they are too dirty.If you are moving you don't need to apologize.We understand.But if you let your pets defecate all over the house or are a pack rat and have kept every single box and scrap of paper that has passed through your hands in the last 20 years then that is a different story.And yes,we will make fun of your house when we leave.Same thing if your house smells.If you're willing to acknowledge that your house is dirty,you should be just as willing to admit that it smells.(see *)

4)Tips.They're not just for waiters.If your cable guy does a great job or goes above and beyond his responsibilities or has to go on his belly through your dirty ass crawl space,throw him $5 or so.If you were a total asshole to the technician and they want to lynch you a couple of dollars can turn things around in a hurry.

5)If you're building a house have the wiring done when the walls are down.You can thank me later.

6)Contractors who work for bigger companies are not the "rip-off" contractors.They have guidelines and pricing guides they have to follow.The "rip-off" contractors are the ones who work for themselves.They can and will do whatever the fuck they want and take as long as they want.

7)Don't make appointments you can't keep.If having TV is that important to you,make arrangements.

8)Yelling and having a temper tantrum does not make the technician want to help you more.It makes the technician want to do just enough to shut you up.A nice customer has a much better chance of getting good service than the lunatic customers.

9)And for God's sake,if you don't know how to run wires,please,please,please...don't do it.The conversation usually goes:(customer) "Hey.I wired this place myself."(technician)"Show me where.I'm going to have to redo all of it."And that goes double for the fittings on the end.You do not crimp fittings with pliers.Ever.

*-One time I went to a house where the customer had a bird that they didn't cage.The bird went wherever it wanted to and shit wherever it wanted.So the whole house was decorated with round,white bird shit spots.And I mean the WHOLE HOUSE was covered.It was probably the most foul house I had ever been in.We rescheduled the job as a rewire and got the fuck out of there.The moral:Not everyone adapts so easily to the presence of animal feces.

Maxim Magazine Talks Comics

2007-10-10T15:38:00.000-04:00

A number of years ago I had a subscription to Maxim Magazine.I got it in part for the cheescake(Just being honest) and also because they seemed to have a sense of humor.After about 6 months I was sick of it.I was tired of reading the monthly articles telling me that I needed a pair of $100 dress shoes to even get a woman to talk to me and just tired in general of the condescending tone the magazine took to anyone who wasn't a soulless yuppie.I cancelled my subscription as soon as it ran out and it hasn't spent more than one second on my mind since.

When wasting time at the IGN comic message boards the other day, I came across this link which takes you to their list of the 15 lamest superheroes.The list was put together with all the care of someone whose entire exposure to comics has been seeing the first Spider-Man movie once a few years ago.That seems to be the same effort they put into everything they write.#15 and #14 by themselves should be enough for any self-respecting fan to be disgusted.

I'm currently trying to encourage more visitors for my entertainment(It's much more fun to look at a lot of people on my stat page instead of 6 or 7.Still being honest.) and I'd like to see what other people think of this.I hate to use them for the link again,but since I don't know any other way to get this out there(still a blogging newbie)here's my gratuitous link to WFA.(I don't know if the moderators actually read what they link,but if they're reading this I wouldn't be linking to you again if you weren't damn effective in getting me hits here.My compliments...)I know at least one of the characters on this list has a pretty sizeable following over there.

What I'll be Buying

2007-10-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday and that means new comic day.I get my stuff tommorrow morning because my work schedule won't get me to the store until either before the shipment comes or after the store closes.Either way, here's some of the stuff I'll be getting:

1)Booster Gold #3:This is the do or die issue for me.I liked #1,but didn't really know what was going on.It was a typical first issue though and I didn't expect to be floored.#2 had that Sinestro mustache-twirling moment which really made me mark out hard.In #3 he's meeting Jonah Hex,who I've heard of,but know nothing about.If this issue leaves me feeling meh,I just won't pick it up anymore.If it's as entertaining as the last one though,I'll keep buying it.I'll wait through 5 issues before I add it to my pull list though.

2)Wonder Woman #13:I've become a big Gail Simone fan in the past month or two.It's her sense of humor really that I love.That's why I'm getting this.I'm not sure how Wonder Woman can be funny, but then again, I'm not too familiar with the character outside of the TV show and Superfriends. I did buy the annual a few weeks ago,which was a good primer.I come into this one totally optimistic.

3)Heroes For Hire #14:This for me has been one of those "not really loving it but collecting it anyway" kind of books for me.This WWH arc has been pretty fun though.Somewhere in the back of my head I remember reading somewhere that this book was getting cancelled,but I might be wrong.My memory is occasionally quite hazy.If that is indeed the case though,I'd like to see Shang Chi pop up in another book,maybe as another instructor in Avengers:The Initiative. Misty and Colleen will be around somewhere I am positive.

4)New Avengers #35:The Hood scored points with me last issue by shooting Wolverine in the crotch(Leading to the best line of the book:"Maybe it'll grow back bigger.")so I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do this time.I also want to see what happens with the symbiotes.I'm not really interested in "poor,poor Tigra."She's a B- level character who doesn't really add anything except some T&A.I'm not sure why she seems to popping up in so many books recently.The skrull stuff?It's too early to say.I think Marvel and Bendis are still setting the table for this one.

5)New Warriors #5:This book has been slowly picking up momentum and the last issue ended with a really good cliffhanger.I'm still thinking that Night Thrasher is a Black Panther trained and funded Tom Foster,but some things I've read in forums online has made me question that a bit.

6)Runaways #28:This one took a while,eh?That's OK.Delays don't bother me too much because I buy enough comics to keep me plenty occupied.Not sure what's going to happen but I guess there's going to be some line-up changes.As long as they don't touch Karolina Dean I'm cool.Of course I'm wondering what's going to happen with the Yorkes and how this time traveling isn't going to totally fuck up the timeline.They(The Runaways,not the Yorkes) aren't exactly being careful about not interfering with the past.

7)Wolverine #58:This is funny.I had to look back at #57 to see what happenned.Between the one-shots and the annual I totally forgot what storyline was going on.I loved the Civil War arc.The Jeph Loeb arc not so much,but to be fair,I haven't had the chance to sit down and read the whole thing in one sitting.I usually do that when I collect a whole story or miniseries.I always pick up a ton of stuff I missed due to my aforementioned sketchy memory.

8)World War Hulk:Frontline #5:The main story, "Embedded",has been OK.It picked up a bit the last issue.I'm more interested in "Costume Division", which has played out like a warped buddy-cop story.The cartoony stuff in the back is always fun too.I love the goofy,comic-strip style stuff that Marvel throws into their books.If they collected a whole bunch of them and released them,I'd buy it.

I'll probably walk away with 13 books or so.I'll read some during my lunch break tommorrow and the rest when I get home.I do spend a lot of money on them,but that's really my only luxury.I need to have some fun.I'm not a "pinch every penny" type of guy.

On a side note,two days ago I linked to WFA again.The first time I linked them I didn't know they would link me in return and was terrified of the trolls coming to invade my blog,but I only got about 12 hits from being linked there.It was really quite inconsequential.This time I did it knowing I would be linked because I wanted to just add to the volume of blogs about this Robinov douchebag from Warner Brothers in case someone was collecting them.I went to bed at 1AM last night and had 0 hits for the day.I wake up and check in at 9AM to find that about 80 people had visited here over the night.And WFA linked TWO of my posts!Damn.Well, I said I was going to start courting readers more.80 people is about 1/4 the total number of people who have stumbled over here since I started.And in one day too,8 hours even.Some people even stayed to read things,though no one left any comments.It still amazes me that ANYONE would find this,never mind read it.I don't really see myself as having much worthwhile to say.Whatever...(In the hour it took me to write this post,86 more people came here.Either WFA is really hopping today or my statcounter is broken.)

A Change In Purpose

2007-10-09T10:28:00.000-04:00

It's just one of those days.You know the ones...where you find yourself questioning everything you do.I find myself today questioning my blogging experience.I still haven't told anyone I know that I do this,not even my girlfriend.If I tell them they might feel some urge to "support" me and read it.I don't write anything controversial,so that's not a worry.I swear a lot,which can be jarring if you're not expecting it,but I do that in my normal life anyway.Most of my posts are purposely bland to discourage comments by the few people who do pass through here.I'm making every effort to keep this as low profile as possible.It's MY thing.

But yet I added a visitor counter about a month ago.And just earlier today I found myself playing with this Technorati widget which is cluttering up the bottom of the page .All I wanted was the "linked to" listing,but it keeps adding this other shit too...So fuck it.I'll put the whole mess on the bottom of the page where it's not as much of an eyesore.I have also found myself leaving comments on other blogs more frequently.I'm slowly getting over my fear of linking to other blogs.(With one or two exceptions, I usually only link to myself or bigger sites that won't notice that I linked them.)

I have to admit it.The thought that anyone at all reads this is fascinating to me.I love looking at my stats page.Most people seem to just stumble upon this site and don't stay too long.A few people do linger,which means that they're reading things.A handful of people have even come back.It's kinda cool.And with all of this I find that for someone who claims to want to be left alone,I really am interested in who visits me.

I am very insulated in my personal life too.I spend time with my girlfriend...and that's it really.Some of my isolation is voluntary.I do have friends,but I don't spend much time with them.And I'm surprisingly OK with that.Call me detached,but I don't really miss them.They can count on me if they need me, but I don't feel the need to talk on the phone or hang out as often,if at all.My phone isn't exactly ringing off the hook with people wondering where I am, so I guess they're OK with this arrangement too.

But with this blog, I'm not sure where I want to go.It's primary purpose is as a pressure release valve for my brain.It's more therapy than entertaining.But I often find myself writing like I'm addressing an audience.And I usually add my URL when leaving a comment somewhere.It gets me thinking that maybe I do want people to read this.Maybe I even want to see some comments.I need to get over my fear of people on the internet though.I'm pretty good when dealing with physical pain.I enjoy it in a way.I have very thin skin though.Mental pain,like personal attacks and other such garbage, will stop me cold.I just want to crawl in a hole when the mudslinging starts.And if there's one thing people on the internet are good at dishing out,it's mental pain.That's my hang up right now and holy shit I can't believe I'm actually going to post this kind of personal information.Wow.Anyways...

So here's where I'm at:I think I might start trying to drum up some traffic.I'd kind of like to know where some people's heads are at.This blog will continue to be about whatever I feel like,but comic books will be my default topic if I can't come up with anything else.I'm even going to start linking to people who might actually realize that I'm doing it.I'm going to try to leave more comments.I need to toughen myself up against the harsh,harsh internet world.This whole "thin skin" thing sucks.It holds you back.I've been feeling quite confident recently, so now is as good a time as any to push myself forward.I have always liked to write.I like writing for an audience.Here's my chance.It's time to go for it. So it's time to take a deep breath and dive in...

Even I'm Mad At This One

2007-10-08T10:16:00.000-04:00

In coming up with something to write about today I figured I could either continue to pull topics from off the top of my head,which hasn't been going too well recently, or I could go for a current "hot" topic.I guess today the hot topic wins. Normally I avoid them,but when it is something this assinine I think every dissenting voice helps.

So it seems the WB doesn't want to do movies with female leads.There is so much wrong with this it is hard to know where to begin.It's a slap in the face to every actress currently working today.Hollywood has shit roles for women to begin with.Few and far between are the movies where the female lead can't just be renamed a generic"Love Interest"(which includes "Masturbation Fantasy") or "Cold Bitch".Now the WB,a major player in the movie industry, is taking those few solid roles away.I'm sure that will greatly add to our cinematic experience when the most any actress can hope for is to play the woman who fawns over Shia LaBeouf.

Of course,this calls into question the fate of the Wonder Woman movie.But I'm not so sure this is a bad thing.It's not because I don't think WW deserves a movie.WW is arguably the only female comic book hero who is a household name on her own, without being part of a team or being directly associated with a male comic counterpart(Catwoman has Batman.Elektra has Daredevil.Sue Storm has the FF,etc.)She's an icon.She has a built-in following.That says movie material in my book.I just think the movie is doomed to fail because a)Hollywood would not know how to make it without turning it into a T&A fest that most fans would be embarrassed to watch and b)the TV show left way to strong of an impression.(Tangent time!)I'm normally the first one to want to give a new person in a role a chance.But even I'm trying to figure out a way to get Linda Carter in the title role.Anyone else just seems...meh.I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.I mean Jessica Biel is insanely gorgeous, but she's not Wonder Woman.She's not even Donna Troy.I think it's to the point where they could get the real Wonder Woman(if one existed) and people would still want Linda Carter.

To get back on topic,their reasoning that female-led flicks bomb is bullshit.First of all,no Hollywood star is immune to failure.The Last Action Hero showed that the almighty Arnold could make a turkey.Ditto Bruce Willis in Hudson Hawk.Brad Pitt has Seven Years In Tibet shaming his resume.Tom Cruise has The Last Samurai. Tom Hanks has The Man With One Red Shoe( Or,if you want something more recent:The Ladykillers). Why not blackball these guys too?I couldn't give two shits if I never see Tom Cruise in a movie again and I usually like his movies.No star is a sure bet for silver screen success.It's all in the scripts.The best movies become sensations on their own,regardless of the lead's gender.

I've really only read about this in the comic "blogosphere" via When Fangirls Attackbut this is the kind of story I hope gets some attention,if not for the brazen and appalling disregard for half of the population then just to make some noise and get some movie execs to realize that the reason these movies bomb isn't because of the lead is a woman but because they just reek of slapped-together crap.

I'm no activist.I'm more the aiding and abetting type.But this is one of the most ignorant things I've ever heard and,like I said in the beginning of this post,every voice shouting this down helps.This irritates me so much I'm even willing to step out of my protective bubble and link to WFA again to add my voice to the growing angry chorus,knowing full well they might link me again.(I fear everyone on the internet but I'm getting better.) My rant might just reiterate what everyone else is saying,but I'm thinking volume is the key here.If enough people talk they'll have to say something.At the very least,it will be fun to watch them backpeddle.

Birds Of Prey,Opeth,And Other Things

2007-10-07T16:51:00.000-04:00

Here's where my brain is at today.I'm kinda bored and more than a little restless right now.So of course I want to pollute more of the internet with more of my painfully awful brain farts.

1)For the past few months I've been trying to see if I could get into DC comics and I've been thinking that it has been a bit uneventful.I haven't flat-out hated anything,but nothing has really blown me away.Today I found myself reading the Birds Of Prey trade "The Battle Within" and realized that I had bought three Birds Of Prey TPB's in the past week.I guess I know what my favorite DC book is now, and by a comfortable margin too.Like I've said about it before, I was just able to sink right into this title like I've been reading it all my life.It has likeable characters,great action,and a sense of humor that should not have surprised as much as it did considering the whole reason I picked it up in the first place was because I like Gail Simone's take on Deadpool.

2)I also have been catching up on The Walking Dead and have currently finished up to vol.6 of the TPB's.Wow, volume six was a little...um...dark.I really did not think Michonne would take things to the point where she did.Kudos to Charlie Adlard as I felt every single thing being done to the Governor.The spoon put a lump in my throat.And that motherless fuck of a human being deserved every last bit of it.It does kind of make me wonder if the feminist comic reading community would consider what happened to Michonne a case of sexism or even of WiR?It was a rape and was probably the most graphic and disturbing thing I've ever read or seen on a printed page.But she also stood defiant and strong through the whole thing and,when rescued, remained so and left on her own power.I've just never seen anything written about it.

3) I am now all caught up on watching Heroes.I did not watch the show when it was on and caught up through the DVD set.What are my impressions so far?On the positive side,it's nice to see a show about superhumans not being treated as a joke.I loved the slow build as the characters came together.I wondered how Nathan was alive but I figure Peter just flew off on his own after Nathan carried him away.On the negative side, and I'm not sure if this is even the show's fault,but I've seen this same concept done better in Supreme Power and even in the latest New Universal,which is probably closer to Heroes content-wise than Supreme Power is.I see season one though as just an introduction.Now that the major players are revealed and we know what they can do the writers can cut loose now.I'm not expecting some massive, Secret Wars-sized battles but I am hoping for some longer superpowered fight scenes than have been shown so far.

4)The new Ministry album,The Last Sucker,has some fantastic CD packaging.It has a transforming picture on the cover and the whole thing is a pop-up digipak.The album itself...is awesome of course.This is Ministry and they're firing off on someone named George Bush.That's when they've always been at their best.I'd put the album on par with Rio Grande Blood,but it is not as much of a throwback as that album was.4 out of 5 stars(Wow.How did I ever come up with a ratings system based on a five stars?I'm patenting this one.)

5)Currently listening to the Opeth DVD,Lamentations.It's a live concert from 2003 around the time of the Damnation album.The sound quality is impeccable.This is Opeth,after all.The track list covers most of their catalogue but favors Damnation, which I'm cool with as I liked that album.They left out songs from Still Life though,which is as puzzling as it is unfortunate.Let the snooty metal elitists whine about how they don't sound exactly like they did on Orchid.They're missing out.I'm more than happy to absorb all of the grade AAA music that these guys can pump out.If you don't know who Opeth is, I'd describe them as a progressive death metal band(I guess?).The songs are usually about 9 to 10 minutes long and change tempo and tone quite freqently.Anyone hoping for pop hooks might as well just keep looking elsewhere,as they are not here.The albums are a challenge to listen to,much the same way classical music is.They challenge not because they seek to brutalize you, as much real metal does(Although I like this approach too),but because it will take many listens to dissect all of the musical beauty that is coming out of your speakers.I can put on one their albums that I've heard 1000 times and still find something I hadn't noticed on a previous listen.I also recommend listening to their albums in one sitting rather than a song here and a song there.

6)That's all there is today.

The DC Experiment, Part IV

2007-10-05T10:22:00.000-04:00

Man,I'm feeling really fucking crabby today.Maybe it's the fact that I couldn't sleep last night and was still lying awake at 4:30 AM.Hopefully that doesn't interfere with this and make me get get nasty.I've already walked away from the piano in total disgust after trying to practice.Ok, here goes nothing...

So I've been picking through DC comics trying to see if I can get into them in spite of the forbidding continuity issues.The results have been mixed so far.None of the problems I've had so far are continuity-related.Instead, they've usually had to do with me being underwhelmed by the characters themselves.Luckily,this week I grabbed some stuff I really liked.

1)All Star Batman And Robin The Boy Wonder#7:I think I actually like this book.I've read many reviews online which are less than flattering,but I don't really care what they think.This book is just big, dumb fun.After three issues, it still has yet to fail to entertain me.Batman hands Dick Grayson the opportunity for revenge and he also gets a make-out session(a little juvenille in my description, but that's what it was) with Black Canary.I really think I'm going to add this to my pull list.(Wow.I think that's the first time in comic blog/forum history that someone has mentioned ADDING something to a pull list.I guess I'm really not in the club.)The art here is more than competent and Miller's characters are so over-the-top that I can't really can't see how anyone can get upset over them.

2)Action Comics #856:This continues the Bizarro storyline from the last issue.This issue gives out some history of Bizarro and Bizarro world(much appreciated info) and even references Mary Shelly's novel Frankenstein.The Bizarro speak here is one million times easier to read than it was in All Star Superman.I love how even the JLA have Bizarro equivalents:Happy Batman,Green Lantern shooting himself in the face with his power ring, and a big, fat, hot dog eating Flash.I love the sense of humor involved and I also like seeing how Superman interacts with the everyday people of New Yo...I mean Metropolis.(Why can't Metropolis just be Manhattan and Gotham be the Bronx/Brooklyn?It's so obvious that is what they are supposed to be.)Bizarro is an almost sympathetic villain in that he's so childlike in his demeanor.I think even Superman realizes this as he seems to want to help him as much as he wants to protect everyone from him.I'll finish reading this arc and I'll try the first issue of the next one before I decide if this is something I want to keep reading.

3)Tales Of The Sinestro Corps:Cyborg Superman:I picked up the Sinestro War one-shot about a month or so ago,and was impressed enough to want to follow the story.I ordered everything I needed to get caught up from Midtown Comics (even the Parallax issue).This issue tells the origin and history of the Cyborg Superman.My only exposure to Hank Henshaw was in the fourth Marvel/DC crossover,where he dealt with Silver Surfer and Thanos along with Kyle Raynor as Green Lantern and Hal Jordan as Parallax.Coming into this issue, I really had no opinion of Cyborg Superman(now to be referred to as CS).I figured him to be another Superman knock-off, who just happenned to be part robot.Seeing how he came to be, which really is quite tragic, kinda turned me around on him.He really is/was a good man driven mad by the unfortunate turns that his life took and the losses he has suffered.It gets me thinking that so far I like DC's super powered villains more than their heroes.CS,Sinestro, and Bizarro have all surprised me by being something a little more than just the mirror image of their heroic counterparts.

Overall, I'd have to say that I don't think I'll be adding a bunch of DC books to my list.I doubt I'll read Final Crisis, but there's still time.I might change my mind there.I also got another Birds Of Prey trade(Blood And Circuits) since I liked the other one so much.I'll be reading that today during my lunch break.For now though, I'm quite happy getting an issue or two here and there.I still prefer the Marvel Universe.The characters, and just the whole MU in general, seem more believeable to me.

Please Be Good,Please Be Good

2007-10-04T08:26:00.000-04:00

It's my comic book day today,so a short post only.I found this yesterday.I watched this show religiously when it was on.Some events NEED to still be there(atlas sphere).I know there will be new events and that's fine,but some of the classics should stay.I'd even take them with a modern "twist".Hulk Hogan as host?Whatever.They could have Carrottop host the show for all I care, as long as the show itself is good.

Falling Out Of Love(But Still Friends)

2007-10-03T10:03:00.000-04:00

Some things in life you think will never leave you.There are interests/hobbies that I have now that I have maintained since before I hit puberty.I'm talking about video games and pro wrestling.They've always been there and they've always just fit right.However, in the past year or so,I've seen my interest in both of those things dwindle to nearly nothing.I never really expected that to happen.

Now, I'm not talking about fads or passing fancies.I tend to get interested in a lot of things,but only for a little while.It's sort of turned me into the "jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none" type of person,which I am OK with.It comes in handy as I'm rarely lost in any task.Video games and wrestling though were always both a given.I'm not sure where they lost me.

I think getting involved in pro wrestling may have killed that for me.The first thing that happened was that I lost interest in watching it on TV.I haven't watched wrestling on TV in about 2 years.It seems silly to watch when I can just do it on my own.I can't even sit through older matches,which I would assume would scratch some sort of nostaglic itch.I guess I assumed wrong.

Even participating has been something of a downer recently.When I signed up, I signed up as a manager.I weigh 160 lbs on a heavy day,so I felt that I would be too small to wrestle and that managing would allow me to be involved as a personality without looking too out-of-place.But as the years have gone on,I've realized that I am happiest when I'm getting tossed around and hit.It's invigorating.I could do it every day.

But I'm a manager, a "cowardly heel"type.I can do all the moves...very well.I can even put together a halfway decent match.Given experience I could do a whole lot better.In my position though, that doesn't happen very much.I'm there for "flavor."I'm there to work the crowd and get them into the match.And I'm getting tired of it.There are guys who wrestle who are my size and even smaller.So why don't I wrestle?Because I'd look ridiculous.Wrestlers should be big.They should look like they could kick the ass of nearly anyone in the audience.I do not look like that,not even a little bit.So now when I go to a show I just want to get hit.I want to do something that will end up with me on my back.I'm not afraid of getting hurt at all.Those opportunities don't come too often though.I'm usually left disappointed.I rarely go to practice anymore because I never get to use what I learn.

It's frustrating and I'm ready to quit.I never saw that coming.Here I am, doing something I have dreamed of since I was little and I'm about to voluntarily walk away.I know I'm a little frustrated at being too small to take the role I'd really like to take, but quitting?I don't know how it came to that.I should be glad just to be there,but it just hasn't been enough.I never saw this coming.

As far as the video games go, my thought is that maybe I'm just finally moving past them.I still play.I love my Nintendo DS.I'm currently playing the shit out of Guitar Hero.But I don't feel any need to move past that.The new systems do absolutely nothing for me.I put my money down for an Xbox360 when they were being released,but had to take the preorder back because it left me short on Xmas present money.(I don't really celebrate Xmas.My buying presents is more out of consideration for the people I know who do.)That was my last itch for any sort of video game.

I still follow what's being released, just so I'm not totally out of touch.And from what I see, the industry is focusing less on making new and exciting products and more on becoming a sequel factory for the few proven sellers.Come up with a great,original idea....then pump out 8 sequels to compete with the copycat games.I'm tired of racing games.I'm tired of first-person shooters and any game featuring the military.I'm even tired of RPGs.Shit's all the same now.

Also, the attitude around games has changed as they've become less of a geeky guilty pleasure and more of a mainstream pasttime.Companies no longer seem to be trying to outdo each other on games, but instead have turned things into some technological arms race.What good are all of those pretty graphics if the game underneath them is five years old?Better physics and more characters onscreen does not equal a new gameplay experience.And I've never been a tech-junky.I think a lot of the techy stuff is neat, but wholy unnecessary.

Gamers have gotten swept up in the madness too.It used to be that if someone you knew had a different system than you had, it was cool because you got to try some games you probably did not have the opportunity to play at your house.Everyone is taking sides now.People pick a console and stand by it like they're getting a royalty check.

Now there's a rift between "casual" gamers and "hardcore" gamers.Both are terms created in the media.Neither term existed even a few years ago.Everyone used to be just a gamer.Now if you like puzzle games, suddenly you're not playing "real" games.The game industry is now finally opening itself up and making this once almost shameful hobby acceptable and gaming nerds are doing all they can to keep the newcomers out.They're worried that their games are going to suffer in quality in order to be accessible to some fictional 50 year old woman just picking up a controller for the first time.It's stupid and makes me angry.I'm embarrassed to be even marginally associated with these people.They're getting a negative sterotype and I have to say that it is well deserved.

I am so grateful that comics have come back into my life to fill any potential void left by games and wrestling going bye-bye.Sure, the fans are harsh in comics too.But once you can accept that quality in comics is subjective and that only you can determine what you like, it becomes more bearable and even entertaining.There's an endless amount of material out there.As long as I like reading, I'll like comics.I'm also not the type to take the stories and characters personally, which helps since sometimes jarring changes are the norm.I hope I don't become one of those jaded, bitter, "I'm dropping Amazing Spider-Man from my pull list which now only has 2 comics on it because everything sucks so much." kind of people.I'm running out of places to get my geek on.

Because I Have Nothing To Write About

2007-10-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

My mind has been a blank the last few days as nothing has really happened and not much of any personal significance has passed through my mind.So I am going to do my usual list of random points to see if anything inspires me.

1) I can't wink with my left eye.So there.Wow!This has to be the most pointless sentence I have written here so far, and there's a lot of competition for that spot here.

2)When you work for the cable company,it is impossible to get away from your job.I can't watch TV or even go to the movies without seeing their commercials.(Sighs....)

3)Damn.I really am strapped for ideas.This entry is fucking worthless so far.

4)I picked up the vol 1 digest of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane.(Aaah, comics.My fall back topic.)That's a really cute book.I think I'm a little outside of it's target demographic, but I still really liked it.Sometimes it's nice to read something light-hearted like this.I think I want to get Mary Jane vol 1 and 2 to catch up on the back stories.

5)The internet does not breed negativity.People are negative assholes to begin with.The internet just gives them a public forum to air their assholiness.(Is this a new word?If it is, I invented it.)Do you want to have fun with them?Call them out on it and watch them scramble to defend their right to be a troll."I'm not a troll.I have a right to give my opinion."We know jerkoff.We know.

6)Some moronic woman is suing Apple now for dropping the price on the iPhone so soon after its release.How fucking stupid are these people?That's the risk you take when you become an early adopter of technology.The prices are going to drop eventually.You pay the bigger prices to have the hot new item before anyone else.Like any of these asswipes really needed an iPhone for any reason other than to brag about how they had one.Either that or they want to gouge people on eBay by selling it for waaay over the sticker price.Get over yourself, you could have waited.Fucking vanity about personal possessions.Just one of many reasons I have so much hate for my fellow humans.I have news for you...the iPhone will not make your penis any bigger.Sorry.Someone had to say it.As for the women who bought one...I don't know.I just don't know.

7)Still stuck for ideas.I've erased about 7 things I was going to type because they just didn't have a point.I think I'll just quit while I'm ahead.I guess it's good that I at least wrote something.Right?

The DC Experiment, Part III

2007-10-01T09:36:00.000-04:00

I am a regular reader of Marvel comics,but my appetite for comics has had me picking up some DC comics to see if I can get into them.I have come into this with the best of intentions.I do not share any of the prejudices and problems of jaded, long-time readers.I am just looking to find some good new books that I can pick up.Here's my impression so far:

1)I hate to start on a bad note, but I still do not like all of the multiple variants of the main characters in the same books.It just seems lazy to me.The only character whose many incarnations I understand is Green Lantern.Everyone else though...not so much.Isn't one Superman enough?When Kingdom Come Superman arrives do people say "Hey look!It's Kingdom Come Superman!"Even in the upcoming Countdown:Arena book, there are 3 Supermans and 3 Batmans?Why not one of each and four other characters getting a chance?I've said it before,it's almost as if DC has no faith in its staff to create any new original characters and would rather just put their flagship characters in slightly different outfits and call them someone new.

2)Also,some of the other character design seems a little weak.There seem to be a lot more characters whose only ability is being a really good fighter.Put a mask or garish costume on them and...voila!!Instant superhero!He might be the coolest character in the DC universe, but I can't get behind a guy who looks like a fry chef covered in boomerangs.I'd bet you could dress a guy in a chef's outfit,strap a pie plate to his head and call him The Pieman.He could throw cream pies at people gimmicked up with explosives,corrosive acid,broken glass,fire ants, etc.I'll bet he could find his way into Batman's rogues gallery.He might even get to go against Flash or even Superman.

3)Enough negativity for now.One thing I've liked is that having some characters with so much mainstream media exposure.They come with built-in familiarity,at least on the most basic level.I think newborn babies come out of the womb knowing Superman's origin and abilities.Learning the continuity is a small step to take when you don't have to figure out who the character is and what they can do.For me, something like having seen many episodes of Batman:The Animated Series has made getting into Batman books a snap.I think a new reader getting into Marvel could get the same benefit reading Spider-Man or Hulk comics.

4)I really like Birds Of Prey.I picked up the Perfect Pitch TPB and sunk right into it like I was reading it all my life.This was a fun,action-filled, high kicking blast.I know I said before that having so many martial artists was a problem,but that doesn't mean I don't have any appreciation for those kinds of characters.Even though it seemed to begin right in the middle of some situation I had no trouble getting a feel for the characters right away and figuring out exactly what was going on.That can easily be chalked up to the skill of the writer,Gail Simone.The whole reason I tried this book to begin with was to read something else that she wrote.She even took one of those self-perceived"weak" DC character designs, the Crime Doctor, and made him interesting to me.The fight scenes were very well drawn and put me right in the middle of the action.Even if this whole DC thing ultimately falls flat with me,I'll still pick up other trades for this series.

5)On the Monthly side, I have been enjoying Booster Gold and the whole Sinestro Wars saga.I'm looking forward to seeing the next part of the Bizarro arc in Action Comics and All-Star Batman And Robin has been pure fun, in spite of the whole "Goddamn Batman" thing being overused.I'll try Gail Simone's Wonder Woman.I'm still not sure if I like anything enough to add to my pull list, but picking up a few issues here and there seems to be working out nicely.

AHHA!!!!!!

2007-09-29T15:16:00.000-04:00

The snake I found a few days ago was a Black Rat Snake . They're constictors and grow up to be pretty big.They're also non-venomous,which is comforting.Pretty cool.

More Random Thoughts

2007-09-28T13:56:00.000-04:00

Wow.This was a pretty hectic week for a vacation week.Here's some random stuff of no particular importance.

1)Since I got some money for my birthday, I was finally able to buy Guitar Hero(I & II).I never got it because with a choice of getting either comics or video games, comics win every time.Damn that's a fun game.I've been playing it constantly.I'm probably going to play when I'm done with this.I should not have gotten this.The last thing I need is MORE distractions in my life.Yet here I am.Hmph.

2)My legs are still sore from my hike 2 days ago.I usually don't get too tired hiking.I walk a lot to begin with so I've eased into it quite nicely.Wednesday though I was totally blown up at about 1/2 mile in.We did decide to not take the trail for the first half of the way up, which did make the first mile or so(not a reliable figure.Based upon no actual measurements.Not even the weird medieval ones based on the lengths of vegetables or body parts.)a steep, relentless hill that we even had to crawl up on all fours in a few parts.It was worth it though for the view alone.We were high enough up that the hawks that fly around there were only 10 feet or so above our heads and not really concerned that we were around.And the waterfalls are always a treat,even if this year they are quite a bit smaller this year.

3)Grabbed a few DC comics again today,just for shits and giggles.Wonder Woman Annual was fun enough and easy to jump into,but brought up one point that bothers me a little about DC.I find it really weird to have so many direct variations of the same characters interacting with each other.It almost seems as if rather than creating a new character,they'd rather just palette swap Superman to yellow and pass him off as a different character.Superman Yellow.

4)Speaking of Superman, I also picked up All-Star Superman 7 and 8.I mostly got it to check out the Bizarro storyline.(Bizarro.Basically just a mirror image of Superman,right down to his clothes.See what I mean?So many direct variations of just a few characters.)Bizarro speak can get really hard to read.This was a chore to read the first time around.I had to go back and re-read it to understand what was going on.The second gothrough went much better.And this book did offer an explanation for why the Bizarros,at least that version of them(him?), look how they do.I still prefer the Action Comics Bizarro story better,but I might still grab some other issues of this.I have a feeling I'd like it a hell of a lot more if I wasn't putting all of my reading energy into translating half of the dialogue.

5)Between this and trying to do 1000 other things at the same time my piano practice has been getting pushed to the side more than it should be.I sat down today for the first time in about 3 or 4 days to practice and sounded like total shit.I was fumbling over even the easy shit.I need to get back on track there.

6)I still don't know what kind of snake I stumbled onto at the Ice Cave.The sites I've looked at so far about snakes in New Jersey suck.They have no good pictures.This is the picture I took of the snake,not knowing it was there.I just stuck my camera in the dark cave and snapped a pic.:

7)Another highly recommended band for anyone interested in Death metal:Decapitated .The path they're taking kinda reminds me of early Sepultura,except I don't think they're ever going to tribal.I do prefer Covan to Sauron on vocals.Sauron's growl served its purpose,but Covan's more comprehensible vocals and range are helping to give them their own sound.That's not to imply that they sucked before.Anything but.I'm just saying I like the new guy better.

8)I'm tapped for ideas.Later.

Abandoned Housing Development

2007-09-27T01:22:00.000-04:00

When I moved to the house I live in now in 2004,I always noticed that in the woods appeared to be a few houses.I could never tell if people lived there.Last year, I finally walked over there and found about 15 or so houses,totally abandoned.I peeked in a few windows and left it to be explored another day.

Today(or yesterday.It's 1:30 AM now) my friend Darrell came over so we could go hiking,but we decided to head over to Spookytown first.It turns out the place is even bigger than I had thought.Apparently it was a whole housing development,with a gazebo and a pool.And there are also about 30 houses, and not 15.And, as I said I would, here are some pictures.

First,there was a lot of graffiti.

Someone decided to go the creepy, insane route:

Look!I just took a picture of the last few words.Spooookkkkkyyyy!!!!!

The houses were all grown over with trees and plants.Most of them had a lot of damage to them.

We also found a few things,harmless in themselves, but kinda creepy in an abandoned neighborhood.

We managed to get into the basement of one of the buildings and got a few neat shots.

This was in the basement.It's just a work bench that got a bunch of shit dumped on it,but I think an animal lives in there.Just looks like a place an animal would go.

Let's not forget the open septic tank I almost fell into.It would have been about an eight foot drop before I landed in this.

The coolest thing was finding the pool.There was a frog or two living in it.

There were a couple of concrete tracks out by the pool as well.

Not to mention the lonely gazebo,or what's left of it.

Since most of the houses were boarded up or had floors that were so badly rotted/damaged most of the other shots involved us just sticking our cameras ina doorway or window and snapping a pic.Some interesting looking damage,but not nearly as cool as getting in the houses.

I took more pictures,but they're just more of the same.This was a fun little visit.We looked for some mail in the one house we could freely walk around in so we could get some sort of idea as to how old the place was.We only found some store circulars and an envelope postmarked 2000.I can't believe that kind of damage can happen in only seven years.The houses were pretty small too.In the town I live in all of the new housing,especially in a community like this one was, is of the McMansion variety.I think I'd rather have Spookytown.

Scaring The Crap Out Of Myself

2007-09-26T20:19:00.000-04:00

So today I was hanging out with my friend Darrell.First we went to the creepy abandoned houses in the woods behind my house.I'll post some photos tommorrow.It turns out there is a whole abandoned development there.Some creepy shit,but that will wait until tommorrow.

Next we went hiking at the Delaware Water Gap.I took pictures,some from the top of the mountain and some of the waterfalls.Here's two(one of each):

This is one of the many waterfalls.This one is actually pretty small,but it fit in the frame and didn't come out blurry.

This is the Delaware River from about halfway up the mountain we were hiking.I have pictures from up top but this is the only one I have where you can see Route80

Anyway,on the way back we stopped at some place called "Ice Cave".It's just a cave(hence the name), but the big draw I guess is that it constantly has a super-cooled breeze coming from it.Well there I was snapping some pictures inside where it was pitch black.I slipped and grabbed a rock to catch my balance.I felt something under my hand SLITHER AWAY.I screamed like a grade school girl and ran out, not knowing what sort of mystery wildlife I just found.It might have been a wet stick,BUT IT MOVED.Anyway I get home and download my pictures and find this(taken maybe 30 seconds before my slip):

Take your eyes to the left side of this pic to see what I touched.I have no idea what kind of snake that is.If someone reading this knows,please tell me.It sure as hell doesn't look like a garden snake to me.I'm having trouble finding info online(though to be honest,I didn't put much effort into my search.)Looking at the picture and judging from the size of the cave,I'd guess it is between 3 and 4 feet long.We shined a flashlight into the cave after the incident and saw nothing,so this picture is all I have to go by.

First person to comment with the correct name for this snake wins a prize.(Author's disclaimer:Your prize will be the satisfaction of knowing you helped me out.Don't be so friggin greedy.)

After note:I noticed that these pics don't enlarge when I click on them.And I re-loaded them a few times.If you have this problem and are bored enough to actually look,I also posted the pic on my Myspace page.