Castle of Geek

It Takes a Graveyard to Raise a Child

2009-04-04T19:11:00.022-04:00

My love for ghosts goes all the way back to when I began reading funny books during the sixties. The Harvey Comics title, Casper was one of my favorites. I have a 1972 Casper and Nightmare (Nightmare is the galloping ghost) in my comic collection today. I have always thought it would be cool to hang out with ghosts, and have fading and haunting as tools in my skill set.

So- when I found out that Gaiman had written a book about a child who is raised by ghosts, I put it on my "gotta have it" list.

The Graveyard Book is a fun, surprising, and sometimes creepy story about a boy who manages, as a toddler, to escape from a murderer that kills the rest of his family. The small boy finds his way to a graveyard and is rescued by two adoptive ghost parents, the Owens, and a guardian named Silas. The Owens are a sweet and loving couple who were never able to have children during their lives. Silas is neither living or dead, and Gaiman never reveals more than that about him.

The boy, Nobody "Bod" Owens has a wonderful childhood filled with adventure, and receives his boyhood lessons from the Residents of the graveyard. He learns his letters and numbers by doing rubbings on the headstones with paper and crayons that Silas provides for him.

He of course, eventually seeks out the person who killed his family, the man Jack, and the reason for the murders is revealed. Gaiman gave the story a sweet and very real ending. Bod does what all children do when they grow up, and leaves home.

The Graveyard Book is well deserving of the 2009 Newbery Medal Award and will be loved by young readers and adults for many years to come.

Thank you for the gift of this book, Michael, I really love it!

We Were Supposed to Make the World a Better Place

2009-03-14T10:53:00.014-04:00

Michael was able to score on two tickets for opening night of Watchmen last Friday. We had been looking forward to this movie (and dinner afterward in celebration of Michael's birthday) for months, so we were very excited about those two little tickets.

I have to say, I went into the theater not expecting to love it. I knew the movie was two hours and forty-three minutes long, and the couple of reviews I had read online that week were not the best. The last comic book based film I had watched, The Spirit, had been a total buzz-kill, so I really kept the bar low on my expectations.

However- I did love it.

I never once looked at my watch. The film was a wonderful ride, and I even had to close my eyes a few times. There were a couple of uncomfortable scenes with violence against female characters (and a Munchkin) that were hard to watch, but the creators did keep the film true to the graphic novel. There have been a few scenes in my life that have been hard to watch, but there it is.

The characters were fun and interesting. I greatly enjoyed Rorshcach, Dan, Laurie, The Comedian, and Dr. Manhattan with his wonderful stimulus package. Even Adrian and his genetically engineered lynx, Bubastis, were very cool. The special effects were well done and I enjoyed reliving moments from the first twenty-five years of my life. It was good to see the Twin Towers in the NYC skyline again, and to remember that there was a time before they were removed from that skyline.

I will definitely be looking for this one to be released on DVD, as I know I'll be wanting to watch it again...and again. Watchmen is clearly one of those movies that you could see a dozen times, and pick up on something new each time through.

I have also seen Watchmen: Motion Comic DVD as well, and unless you're collecting Watchmen memorabilia, skip it. The DVD does a great job at bringing the comic panels to life, but the narration kills it. I did fall asleep during this one.

Oh yeah- Michael and I had our celebration dinner at the Olive Garden after the movie. We filled ourselves with Zuppa Toscana, salad, breadsticks, and wine. Happy Birthday, Michael!

Zombies and Brains

2009-02-22T20:42:00.010-05:00

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for today, and forecasted another foot of snow for our area.

Another foot of snow.

What better way to spend a stormy Sunday than reading a zombie book and watching four hours of 24 on dvd?

Thanks for the dvd, Neal.

"Zombie Haiku" was a birthday gift from Verge, and just as the title implies, it is a poetry journal written by a zombie, during his final days, in haiku format.

It's great having friends who are English teachers. They come up with the coolest books.

The "zombie" in this book records his journey from living as an average guy to being one of the flesh-hungry, smelly, decomposing undead. He finds "food" in his old neighborhood, a nursing home, a farmhouse, a mall, and finally an airport. It's in the airport that another guy, while running from the zombies, remembers the "head you're dead" rule and obtains the journal.

Why are the farmhouses with cornfields always such a zombie magnet?

Seriously?

One of my favorite entries in the book:

"The flies on my neck

are starting to irritate

the other dead guy"

The best part of this story-

wait for it-

is that the author, Ryan Mecum, is a youth pastor at a Presbyterian church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Nicely done, Ryan.

Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!

2009-02-07T20:45:00.014-05:00

New York City is filled with geeks and dogs this weekend. The Jacob Javitz Center has been host to the New York Comic Con, and the Westminster Dog Show is going into Madison Square Garden on Monday and Tuesday. Half of the lobby of our hotel was filled today with dogs, pet carriers and women in mink coats, and the other half was filled with guys carrying swords, comic books, and racks of Mountain Dew.

Quite a sight indeed.

When I arrived in the city this morning, the geek squad was already out in huge numbers (some in costume, all with an empty messenger bag on their shoulder) and headed down to the waterfront. There was no need to ask for directions to the event.

The convention center was filled with more geek stuff than I could absorb in one day, a far cry from the cons I've attended in New England. I did see a couple of familiar faces- Larry, from Larry's Comics, and Ralph, from Jetpack Comics. I met horror artist Basil Gogos and purchased one of his Frankenstein prints for him to sign. Michael introduced me to his friend Lee Weeks, a Marvel artist, and I had him sign my copy of Amazing Spider Man #580.

While I was waiting for my turn to go through a box of bargain-priced toys, a young boy (12 or so) asked me if I was in line to look through the box. "Yes, I am", I replied. "Well", he asked, "Can I look through it with you?" I smiled and shook my head yes. I had the best time looking through that box, as this kid new every name of every action figure in there. Baby geeks are just so darn cute.

In addition to my few purchases, I have much pop culture chum to take back to New Hampshire.

After spending the day at the con, Michael and I went to the Tick Tock Diner (there was a dog in there too) for our Reuben sandwich fix, and took a night time stroll through Times Square. The city has put a set of funky lighted red stairs over the half-price Broadway ticket booth there, and we just had to go check them out.

I think they're very cool and a nice addition to Times Square.

I'm sitting in my room on the 29th floor of the New Yorker Hotel. Directly outside my window is the Empire State Building. I can see planes flying by, and hear the horns of a million and one yellow taxis in the streets bellow. Manhattan is so very beautiful and busy at night- maybe I'll go back out later tonight and find some cheesecake.

You've got to love a city that sells cheesecake and cannoli at 2:00am~

Comic Book Day

2009-01-23T18:46:00.007-05:00

After finding Amazing Spiderman #583 in my drawer last week, I really wasn't expecting to find any of the Frank Frazetta's Moon Maid up for grabs at my comic book shop yesterday.

Usually the high-demand titles are pretty thin in number by Thursday.

The wooden bin devoted to the new comics did indeed contain two copies, so I grabbed them both.

Score.

The cover art of this one-shot is just fun geeky goodness. The comic was rolled out with three different covers, and I was lucky to get Cover A, done by Frazetta, as shown above.

The story opens with the beautiful maiden, Ciena, strolling along on the moon, Kyra. She quickly runs into trouble, and is rescued by a centaur with a spear wearing some ugly costume jewelry. Once they're out of danger, he shares that he is the son of the Moon God, Orel. He takes her to the Temple of Orel, and then by reading the writings on the wall (literally) she discovers that she has been brought there to be sacrificed. Apparently her blood is the element that is needed to give life to Orel.

Anyway, a priestess called Lyanna, accompanied by a gang of bad-ass flying monkeys, show up to kick some centaur butt and save Ciena from the blood letting.

This is exactly why I love flying monkeys.

The final panel of the comic reads, "The Equinox has come....and the rebirth has begun."

There are only 56 days until the Vernal Equinox- but who's counting?

It's a New Day

2009-01-21T19:33:00.012-05:00

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As I take the sacred oath of the highest office in the land, I am humbled by the responsibility placed upon my shoulders, renewed by the courage and decency of the American people, and fortified by my faith in an awesome God.

We are in the midst of a season of trial. Our Nation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty. Yet the story of America is one of renewal in the face of adversity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven.

On this Inauguration Day, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not simply a birthright -- it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come together as a people to carry it forward once more.

So in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, let us remember that: "The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citizens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

2009: So Far, So Good

2009-01-01T13:52:00.004-05:00

I was all set to go to a party at a friend's house last night, but because of various reasons (snowy/slippery roads, a long day at work, and my drinking buddy telling me earlier in the day that she wasn't going to the party) I decided to stay home and just chill for New Year's Eve.

After hearing that I was going to be alone to ring in the New Year, Michael decided to go to work, ask his supervisor for the night off, pick up a bottle of champagne, and drive down to NH to make sure I had a glass of the bubbly as 2008 came to a close.

When I awoke this morning, I decided to go to the market and pick up some breakfast items, so I could make a tasty brunch to thank my friend for his kindness.

The first person I spoke to in 2009 was a women pushing a shopping cart in the produce section. She looked at me, smiled, and said, "Good morning.....and Happy New Year!"

And this woman said it as if I was a favorite cousin who she hadn't seen in ten years.

I was taken back, but manage to get out a "And a Happy New Year to you as well."

After all the negative energy that I encountered in public during the holiday season- all the deep sighs, frowns, screaming children, yelling parents, and shopping cart bumper-car games at WalMart, I just couldn't believe that a person was being so very kind and wishing me a Happy New Year.

I'm very grateful that was my first encounter with another human being in 2009. So far, so good.

I'm 1-0 with 364 to go.

2008: A Year in Review

2008-12-30T18:22:00.012-05:00

The year started with Hillary shedding a tear for the press and saying, "This is very personal." On January 8th, she won the New Hampshire Primary, but she did not win in Tilton. Later that night, Barack called us at our return watching party to thank us for our perseverance and ask us to keep fighting. We did exactly that.

On the 22nd of that month, Heath was found dead in his apartment at the young age of 28. The New York City medical examiner's office report read, "We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications." Accidents suck.

In February, I said goodbye to the Cult, and started a new job. Kerry got engaged to Mr. Right, Neal broke his ankle, Verge also got a new job, and Mike's friend dropped a tree on his house. I miss seeing those guys every day. They make me laugh. Hard.

I went to see 10,000 B.C. in March. Not bad.

I don't remember much happening in April.

In May, I saw Iron Man (my second favorite movie of the year) attended Free Comic Book Day at Larry's store, and watched Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian with Lindsay, Em, and Verge. The geek boys that sat in back of us that night were very funny. Em threw up.

The Obama campaign came back to the state in June, and we rallied the troops for the final stretch. Hillary and Barack had their event in Unity, but I chose to work that day. I got my name back that month as well. This time for keeps. I also drank lots of cold Mojitos. Lots.

In July I finally got to view, The Dark Knight. Wow- my favorite movie of the year. I hope they retire the Joker as an onscreen Batman villain. Who could top that performance? Seriously?

Lindsay also had a birthday party in July for her two beautiful babies, Darren and Abby. Later that evening, while sitting next to a fire, I fell over backwards in my lawn chair....slowly. And I do mean slowly. Dean was the one to offer a hand.

I had my heart broken in August. I lost my cousin Dale to cancer. It's still an open wound that is healing as time passes. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him.

Michael taught me how to boogie board on the ocean in August, and took me dancing high above the waves on the pier at Old Orchard Beach. Tears of joy and tears of sadness. It gets blurred sometimes, doesn't it?

September was a great month for the Obama camp, as Sarah gave a huge shot in the arm to the campaign. I was hoping for Republican homes to canvass that month, and giggling at the SNL YouTube videos. Good stuff right there.

In October I watched my Em up on stage and hoped this would be the year she would win the crown. She was the prettiest girl there, and had the hottest evening gown ever. She's just so beautiful.

John's band released their first CD, and Verge and I were witches at the merch table. Boo- Yes.

Election Day was November 4th, and I spent 14 hours that day getting our supporters to the polls, canvassing the neighborhoods, and was an accomplice to killing a raccoon or two. I spent that night home alone, watching the returns on t.v., and crying. My 18 months with the campaign had come to an end. Barack won. Straight up.

December brought a horrible ice storm, and left over 400,000 homes without power. Michael bought a kerosene heater up in Maine, and drove it down to my house so my pipes wouldn't freeze and burst. Colter came over and got a tree off my roof. John cut up the tree that had fallen in the front yard. Soon we were warm again.

Christmas was at Lindsay's house, and she made the best turkey dinner ever. Santa brought me a 1966 Batmobile, the Joker, pearls, a microwave, and wine. We had cheesecake for dessert on Christmas.

Mmmm........cheesecake.

The Shortest Day

2008-12-21T19:09:00.004-05:00

"And so...the Shortest Day came and the year died

And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world

Came people singing, dancing,

To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;

They hung their homes with evergreen;

They burned beseeching fires all night long

To keep the year alive.

And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake

They shouted, revelling.

Through all the frosty ages you can hear them

Echoing behind us- listen!

All the long echoes, sing the same delight,

This Shortest Day,

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

And now so do we, here, now,

This year and every year."

Yes We Did

2008-11-09T12:12:00.015-05:00

At 12:00 noon on January 20, 2009, Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States.

Shazam.

He promised us if we all worked everyday to spread his message of Hope, that Change would come to this country. He was right.

My experience with this campaign, the Primary and General Election GOTV staging areas, and Election Day 2008 are forever with me.

I arrived at 4:45am to our staging area on Election Day. I was exhausted, excited, and yet ready to go. It had come down to the final few hours, and our country was about to elect its next leader.

Upon my arrival, my field organizer pulled me aside and asked me if I would be willing to be a jumper rather than a driver for the pre-dawn canvassing. She explained to me that there was a woman named Helen who was in her eighties and wanted to help distribute door hangers but only wanted to drive. I of course agreed and thought it was sweet and admirable she wanted to be a part of our movement.

Helen and I loaded up our materials, grabbed our turfs, checked our flashlights to make sure they were in working order, and wished the other teams good luck. Team Obama was ready to roll.

Helen had a lead foot. I could have lived with that, but she also drove down the middle of the road. The punch line here is that even while sitting on a cat-print rocking chair cushion, Helen could barely see over the steering wheel.

So there we were, driving in the dark at light speed, in the middle of a windy back road, when suddenly I saw a family of raccoons ahead. I knew instantly it was not going to end well.

Sure enough, Helen never slowed down, not even a little, and we hit the biggest raccoon head on. I think some of the smaller ones went flying off the road as well. The sounds of the hit and the squealing were more that I could process at 5:10am. I could feel the pumpkin spice coffee start to come up into the back of my throat.

"What was that?", Helen asked me.

"You.... killed a raccoon. I think it was a mother. We sent some smaller ones airborne as well." I replied.

"Oh. What is the name of the first road we are looking for?"

I managed to stay in the car with her for an hour and get one of our turfs done. We drove on sidewalks and knocked over garbage cans- at least I hope they were garbage cans. I even received a goose-egg on my forehead when I leaned forward to get paperwork off of the floor....just as Helen decided to slam on the brakes. No kidding.

Finally- when I could take it no longer, I told her that we were going back to HQ and re-grouping. She wasn't pleased with my decision, but she complied.

I shared the experience with my field organizer and told her that I needed some time alone. I asked her to give me my own turf, explained I would canvass that area, go cast my vote at the polling station, and then return to pick up my team for the afternoon/evening canvassing.

The rest of the day went well, and I canvassed until 6:45pm before going back to our staging area, turning in the paperwork, and saying goodbye to everyone. I was toast. Burned toast.

I decided to go back to my house and watch the returns from my living room. My inbox was filled with supportive emails from friends, and my cell phone was ringing with calls wondering how I was doing. My friends are fabulous.

I will never forget when ABC News reported "Obama has taken New Hampshire." The tears started flowing down my cheeks and did so intermittently for the next 24 hours. I went to bed that night knowing that we had won New Hampshire and the country. I cried myself to sleep with tears of joy and hope.

The following day I received a congratulatory email from Kone' in West Africa. He wrote, "All my congratulations for the work you have done in New Hampshire for the victory of Barack Obama."

He had watched the returns at the U.S. Embassy in Cote d' Ivoire, and wrote of the feelings there- "The joy was captured everything beautiful...the emotion was strong."

There was indeed dancing in the streets on November 4, 2008. Not only in Illinois, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, and New York, but all around the world.

The Change that has arrived is for all of us~

GOTV

2008-11-01T03:29:00.006-04:00

We've finally arrived at the Get Out the Vote phase of this campaign. It is a very exciting time for those of us who have been supporting Senator Obama since the spring of 2007. This is what we have been working towards and waiting for 20 months now.

Our GOTV staging area this time is a large, nine bedroom farmhouse that a kind soul was willing to share. Plenty of room for all of our out of state volunteers and campaign workers.

This morning we have a bus arriving from Massachusetts with union labor members that want to come to NH and spend the weekend canvassing. My job will be to drive them to their turfs in groups of three or four, and then pick them up when they're done. I'm anxious to meet them and listen to their stories of why they got involved.

Our goal is to completely saturate the state this weekend, and with the ground game we have in place, I think we just might do it.

On Monday, I will be doing data entry until 10:00pm, go home to get some rest and a shower (who will be able to sleep?) so I can return to our staging area for 5:00am. on Tuesday. My first assignment on Election Day is Lit Drop, and after that I'll be driving canvassers to their turfs, and voters to the polls.

Once the polls close, I will be able to sit down, grab a glass of wine, and wait for the returns to come in. Our work will be done.

I've been with the campaign so long that I've been able to choose my jobs for GOTV. My days of phone banking, knocking on doors, and being yelled at by angry Republicans are over. The Pirate Queen commented that this was kinda like playing a video game and reaching the highest level. I can just have fun now, and enjoy these last few days with the campaign.

I love having geek friends.

A fellow supporter sent me a YouTube link this morning that is definitely worth sharing. My daughter recently remarked that she found it odd that McCain uses "my friends" so much in his speeches. Friends like that we don't need.

I'm Fired Up and Ready to Go~

Our Sense of Common Purpose

2008-10-26T11:57:00.005-04:00

We are in the final days of this campaign. On Saturday morning, our campaign office received a busload of sixty college students from the Boston area.

I was amazed that these young adults would feel so strongly about Obama and his message, that they would give up a Saturday to come to New Hampshire and canvass in our communities.

When they walked through the door of our office, they were met by a loud round of applause from all of us.

A moment that will always be with me.

The two students that I was responsible for had never canvassed before, but were very anxious to start their turf. I gave them some suggestions- told them what has worked for me, dropped them off at Union Road, and wished them well.

One of the young adults is an exchange student from France. He's not even able to vote on November 4th.

This is a defining moment in our country's history~

Silly Silly Sarah

2008-10-19T09:55:00.009-04:00

One of my well-meaning relatives gave me a gift subscription last spring to a conservative publication.

That is clearly a story for another day...

Because of the gift, my name is on many Right Wing mailing lists, so my mail can be very entertaining at times. I recently received an envelope from Sarah Palin. I can't tell you how excited I was to open that mail piece, as I just could not imagine what her campaign would use as talking points.

A few quotes from that piece are:

" We Republicans reject the Democrats' fearful and pessimistic mentality. When we are able to get our message past the liberal mainstream media filter- directly to the voters- the vast majority of the American people agree with our confident, optimistic view of principled, conservative government and opportunity for all."

"But the Obama-Biden Democrats and their allies are set to raise over $1 billion to relentlessly flood America's airwaves with their negative and false attacks against our Republican candidates."

"We will make the tough decisions that will keep America strong as we face threats to our security from radical Islamic extremism, nuclear proliferation and tyrannical regimes. But to do this, we must stop the Obama-Biden Democrats from taking control of our government."

"Please make sure we have the resources we need to get our commonsense, confident message out to the American people by joining the Republican National Committee with a contribution of $2,000, $1,000, or $500. today. Thank you."

I've got nothing to add to this post. I do, however, invite you to play the Palin as President game. Please know the door opens three times, and don't forget to click on the red phone.

Have fun~

The Name Game

2008-10-14T19:53:00.013-04:00

Click here to view a fun YouTube video sent to me by a fellow supporter with the Obama campaign.

Was there ever a question that human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully?

Yeah...I guess that whole "harmony" thing is overrated, huh?

Two of My Favorite Things

2008-10-13T17:53:00.007-04:00

Politics meets Comics.

Sweet.

IDW released two comics, Presidential Material: Barack Obama, and Presidential Material: John McCain, last week. When I saw them in the wooden box at my comic book store, I purchased the last two sets. I'm so glad I did. I have to admit that I anticipated the comics being biased toward one candidate or the other, but I'm happy to report that was not the case.

In my opinion, anyway.

The two biographies outline the candidates' lives, and how the arrived to the point of being nominees for President of the United States. I thought the Barack Obama comic did a great job portraying Barack's struggle as a child and young adult. Being born of a white mother from Kansas, and a black father from Kenya, he struggled to find himself. He knows what it is like to feel he doesn't fit- to be alienated, frustrated, and alone. In spite of all of that, he indeed found himself, and where he was comfortable, working with people who needed Hope the most rather than pursuing a corporate job.

The John McCain comic portrayed the horrific conditions he endured at the hands of the North Vietnamese for five years very well. I do respect Senator McCain for coming out of that hellish experience alive. Seriously.

However, his life as part of the Naval "Royal Family" has been very different than Barack's path. Senator McCain is out of touch with all of us Americans that have to get up everyday and go to work with concerns of utility bills, home repairs, property taxes, and rising food costs always in the back of our minds.

A friend of mine recently pointed out how many times Obama uses the word "we" during his speeches compared to McCain. It is interesting once you start watching for it. The pronoun McCain favors is "I".

There is no "I" in Team, or Change, or Hope~

Alaska is Shelter for The End Times?

2008-09-27T18:11:00.009-04:00

And God punishes Jews who don't convert?

Now we know.

A Sprinkling of Republicans

2008-09-21T05:36:00.007-04:00

While canvassing and phone banking during the primary season, the voters on the lists we worked off of were Democrats and Independents. I found them to be (for the most part) open minded and willing to discuss politics and world events.

During this general election, the lists we are given have a "sprinkling of Republicans" in them. This might sound harmless- like chocolate jimmies thrown onto a hot fudge sundae, but it has made for some interesting exchanges on the campaign trail.

I have been told that Obama's campaign is financed by Middle East terrorist groups, I have been gestured and yelled at (which of course made me laugh) and yesterday I was told the Obama is a "Sleeper Muslim."

Sleeper Muslim?

That man also told me that he didn't agree with Obama's view on homosexuality, abortion, the war, and as he saw it, the only drawback to Palin is that she is a woman.

I'm proud to say that I hung with the conversation for about twenty minutes, and left his house just feeling plain sorry for the guy.

I'm considering following Michael Moore's lead and handing out panties and ramen noodles next Saturday as I canvass. Michael's new movie, Slacker Uprising, is his GOTV effort, and appears to be a good one. The 97 minute movie tours colleges in the swing states during the 2004 election, and can be downloaded on September 23rd. His website also states that the DVD will be available online, and in local stores on October 3rd.

However you feel about Michael Moore and his politics, you have to respect his effort in getting young and new voters to the polls this year.

Did I mention Eddie Vedder is in this movie?

"Change We Need" Event with Barack Obama

2008-09-14T07:14:00.006-04:00

There is a huge difference between things we want and things we need. I don't view change in the current path of our country as something that would be nice, but rather a shift that is vital to our health, safety, and well-being.

Our current healthcare system is broken, "No Child Left Behind" does not work, the home foreclosure rate is the highest it's been since the Great Depression, our young adults are dying in another country's civil war, the Arctic Circle has now officially become an island, and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to heat my home this winter.

Barack Obama came back to our state on Friday. It was the first time that I had seen him since he became our Democratic Nominee for President. Even though nineteen months have passed since he declared that he was running for the White House, his presence and words continue to give me hope that our country can move in another direction.

During his speech, he pointed out that while his opponent may have lobbyists and special interest groups behind him, he (Barack) has Us. He sure does. Even though he was late for his event (he got caught up at a political ad taping in Hopkinton) all 1,400 people at that rally danced, clapped, cheered, and waved signs until the Senator arrived.

I was able to speak and connect with Barack again after his speech. He took my hands in his, and we exchanged words and smiles.

He is a dad from Illinois- I'm a mom from New Hampshire. Both of us want things to be better for our children, our families, and everyone around us.

That's what this is all about~

Stranger Than Fiction

2008-09-07T08:12:00.013-04:00

Every family has its dysfunctions, and mine is no exception. Over the years our family has used humor to roll with the special times, and it has served all of us well.

One of the many interesting facets of our family is that my father is convinced that Satan has taken control of me and I'm going to spend eternity at some exclusive resort called "Lake of Fire".

Not sure where that is, but it sounds like a tropical place.

I've had a grand total of one conversation with him (at a family birthday party) over the past twelve months, and during that exchange we talked about the weather, my daughter's impressive vegetable garden, the yummy birthday cake, my beautiful grandbabies, and why my son was late for the party. We kept the conversation shallow and safe.

It was good to see him and know that he is well.

While covering at the front desk last week at work, a Resident (I'll call him Joe) invited me to dinner. I wanted to laugh (again- finding humor in the special times) but I could see that this man, 15 years my senior, was serious. I thanked him for his offer, told him I was extremely flattered, and shared that it would be a conflict of interest if I went out with him. He argued the point, and told me that he was going to inquire with administration if that was indeed a written company policy.

"Besides" he then said, "You are newly-single, Michelle, and need to go out and have some fun."

I wondered how he knew I've been living alone for the past two months. Only three people at work have that information, and they're people I've known for years and trust. I had to ask the question.

"Joe, how do you know that I am newly-single?"

"Your Dad told me. I play basketball with him two nights a week, and he told me that you're available now."

As my children and close friends can tell you, I am very rarely rendered speechless. This, however was one of those occasions.

You just can't make this stuff up~

Goodbye, Dale

2008-08-25T18:25:00.007-04:00

Do you remember the Horse shows, Ferris wheels, and cotton candy?

I do.

How lucky were we that our childhoods were filled with such wonderful memories?

Do you remember when we found each other again as adults?

I do.

What were the odds that we would end up working at the same retirement community?

Do you remember the company field days?

I do.

I think if we had just practiced four times instead of three, we would have won the three-legged race.

Seriously.

Or- maybe if I had just run more and laughed less....

Okay, I'll take the blame for that one.

Do you remember our last embrace?

I will never forget it.

In that embrace there was no fear, pain, or disease.

We were just two kids, descendants of the same six-fingered man, hugging each other tightly and saying goodbye.

The goodbye came too soon, Dale.

I love you, my cousin, and I'll see ya~

Rock On Micmaw

2008-08-17T08:01:00.009-04:00

I've been present at many fun (and funny) parties over the years. During those events, I have seen people jump through flames, fall out of trees, have hair (and body parts) singed by fire, break through through ice, crash vehicles, be decorated like a Christmas tree, fall off a mountain during a thunderstorm, flip a sailboat, and even feed beer to a guinea pig.

Yeah, the guinea pig lived.

I've never seen one of the drunk guys at a party take a chain saw and drop a tree on the guest of honor's house during said (Surprise!) party.

Alcohol and chain saws do not mix well.

Thank you for including me in your celebration, Mark and Jane.

The slush was very yummy~

Happy Birthday

2008-08-04T21:05:00.009-04:00

I attended a celebration of Barack Obama's 47th Birthday this evening. For me, it was also a celebration of grass-roots campaigning and the belief that Senator Obama can facilitate the Change that our country so desperately needs right now.

It was very cool to be with people I have known for over a year now- people I have phone banked with, door-t0-door canvassed and marched in parades with, knowing that our energy and hard work were part of the process that has brought Barack Obama to where he is now.

Democratic Nominee for President of the United States.

Yay.

I remember the night of the Primary Election in January. We were all disappointed that HRC had won the Primary in our state, but our campaign team went out and celebrated until 3:00am, regardless. We even received a phone call from the Senator that night, thanking us for all of our efforts and reassuring us that the battle had just begun.

He was right.

The party in Denver starts just three weeks from tonight. Senator Obama is taking his acceptance speech outside the convention hall to his supporters at INVESCO Field.

He is the Change we have been waiting for.

Happy Birthday Senator~

Comic Book Day

2008-07-31T20:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday after work, I went to see my cousin who is losing a battle with cancer. It was good to see him and spend time reminiscing with him. I don't think I've every hugged anyone so tightly as I did him when we said goodbye.

I didn't sleep very well last night.

Today I decided to have fun and make sure I celebrated Comic Book Day. I went to my comic book shop after work, and found Grimm Fairy Tales #29, Ghost Rider #25, Dresden Files #4, and Batman: Death Mask #4 in my sub folder. All good reads for this weekend. I chatted with Mike, the owner of the comic shop, and we reflected on our summers a little.

This evening I played some free rice. I've only been playing it for a few days, and the highest score I've had is 41.

I've won lots of rice though. That's cool.

Why So Serious?

2008-07-22T16:50:00.008-04:00

I love everything that is Batman. Ask anybody who knows me. However, The Dark Knight is not about Christian Bale's role of Batman, but instead, Ledger's portrayal of The Joker.

Ahhh....The Joker. The Clown we love to hate.

Heath Ledger dished out an incredible performance and turned The Joker into the most evil and creepiest villain I have ever seen. Yes- in my opinion, this Joker has Darth Vader beat.

Being someone who suffers from (self diagnosed) acute coulrophobia, I found Ledger's performance to be very dark and disturbing. I loved it. The scars on his face, his greasy hair, his odd oral ticks, his love of knives, his hate of mankind, and his laughter when experiencing pain, all made me squirm in my seat.

Heath Ledger has left behind an amazing piece of art, and one that can never be reproduced or continued. That is a sad.

I found out last week that a favorite cousin of mine has been given an unfavorable diagnosis from his doctors. His specialist doesn't think that has long to dance. Sometimes, beautiful lives are cut short by stupid reasons. They're not equitable, reasonable, or understandable. Just stupid.

Nothing endures but change~

Ready to Go

2008-06-17T18:26:00.005-04:00

The Obama campaign is back in our state. I received the call today summonsing me to HQ on Thursday.

Election Day 2008 is only twenty weeks from today. There is so much at stake this time, and (in my mind) only one clear choice for the next President of our United States.

I have had my accommodations in place (thanks Erik) for the inauguration in January since last July. Barack Obama is a breath of fresh air and our only hope of bringing peace to this troubled time in our history. He has demonstrated that he is a leader, a consensus builder, and has sound judgement. Senator Obama has talked about his willingness to talk with U.S. friends and foe alike to increase diplomatic power throughout the world.

People are at ease in his presence.

John McCain has gone on record saying that negotiating with U.S. foes is dangerous and irresponsible.

Is anyone else paying attention to the hundreds of Taliban clowns taking over Afghan villages?

Twenty weeks from today.

Yes, we can.

Kick-Ass #3: They Started It!

2008-06-08T19:21:00.006-04:00

Dave Lizewski's fifteen minutes of Superhero fame on YouTube landed him engagements with Jay Leno and David Letterman. Even Katie, the hot girl at school, is talking to him now.

Her (reported) reason for doing so is that word has it around school that Dave is pimping in The Village, and getting beat up by his clients, thus explaining why he regularly attends school with stitches and bandages. Katie's mother runs a shelter for battered women.

Dave is very much okay with all of this, and clearly grateful for her recent attention.

Of the many requests for help that he has received in his inbox, Dave decides to help one particular young woman who is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. When he confronts this man as Kick-Ass, the situation deteriorates quickly, and Dave ends up face down and badly beaten....again.

The next (full page) panel reveals a masked girl (could it be Katie?) who starts swinging a crazy big sword. She impales one man through his torso and decapitates another.

Shazam.

I love the edginess of this comic, and wish Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. were releasing the issues of this title faster.

I've also learned from Comic Book Resources that the film adaptation of Kick-Ass is in pre-production. Casting has begun, and CBR teases us geeks with, "when news breaks on a certain actor they have lined up....a distribution deal will be right around the corner."

Very cool.

Brouhaha

2008-06-04T01:35:00.005-04:00

And that is all I have to say about that.

"You're a Teacher?"

2008-05-26T18:42:00.009-04:00

Indiana Jones answered that question with, "Part time." Truth is, he is an archaeologist, world-famous professor, and war hero.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a fabulous movie, and Harrison Ford (at 66) still has it going on.

Spielberg did not disappoint with the special effects, stunts, and creepy-crawlies in this film. There was an awesome motorcycle chase, a lengthy jungle pursuit, and trips (well, actually plunges) over some huge waterfalls.

My favorite creepy-crawlie segment was the human-devouring red ant scene. Some great geek eye candy right there.

All in all, a fantastic movie. One I would definitely see again, and probably pick up on DVD.

I purchased a Snickers Adventure Bar this afternoon. It is similar to a regular Snickers, but the wrapper promises exotic spices and a hint of coconut. Not sure I could taste the exotic spices, but it was okay.

Your Flying Monkey Called...

2008-05-19T18:21:00.008-04:00

You're needed back at Castle West, ASAP.

Seriously.

Dorothy has promised to take off the Silver Shoes and give them to you finally.

Honest.

The Winkies have also assured me that they will empty out all those pails of water they've been filling since you left.

Silly Winkies.

You're in no danger of a house dropping on you either. Houses only seem to drop on those associated with you, anyway.

No worries.

My Perfect Match

2008-05-18T18:43:00.012-04:00

What else is there to do on a rainy Sunday night than play the Superhero Dating Game?

After answering 35 questions about myself and my taste in others, it was determined that Spider-Man was my perfect match. According to this test, I like intelligent, nerdy, cute guys who like to crack jokes.

I was kinda hoping for Batman, Iron Man, Shark-Man, or at least Wolverine. Truthfully, I'm still waiting for a high-speed ride in the Batmobile. I was lucky enough to meet Adam West last fall, and sit in the Batmobile to have my picture taken, but that's not quite the same.

I also took a Which Super Villian Are You? quiz tonight.

According to that on-line test.....

I am Venom.

I'm down with that.

"Things Never Happen the Same Way Twice...."

2008-05-17T09:59:00.007-04:00

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was a fun movie. I bought tickets right after work yesterday for me, my two beautiful daughters, and the Pirate Queen, so we could attend an opening night showing.

This story is filled with lovable characters. Reepicheep, an adorable mouse with a sword; Trufflehunter, an aritculate and loyal badger; Trumpkin, a sarcastic dwarf; and then there are the Pevensie siblings- Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan.

The four kids get transported back to Narnia by Prince Caspian calling them with Susan's magic horn. They arrived to find that a thousand years have gone by since their last visit, and quickly realize they are there to help Prince Caspian take his throne back from King Miraz, putting the Telmarines out of power, and giving Narnia back to the Narnians.

Did I mention this movie also has one kick-ass castle?

In addition to watching this cool tale of mythology, I was also subjected to a preview of one of the most awful-looking movies I have ever seen.

No kidding.

What is so disturbing (to me) is that it's a Disney movie. How the hell did they go from Fantasia, Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast to that?

I just cannot imagine anyone (even stupid people) spending $8.50 to watch that mess.

Chihuahuas?

M-O-T-H-3-R

2008-05-11T18:18:00.004-04:00

My children are fabulous. Seriously, I am one lucky mother. My oldest child arrived today with wonderful, thoughtful gifts, and visited with me on this beautiful spring day. My middle child blew into my house, handing me a bouquet of forsythia (way past its peak) that she stole off my neighbor's lawn and then quickly left. My youngest child accompanied me to my favorite restaurant for some Mexcian food and a margarita. He also vacuumed without being asked.

"M" is for the million.........

On the way back from the restaurant we listened to my Live: Awake CD.

Lighting Crashes is a very cool song- it just never gets old.

I saw Live in concert a couple of years ago with two good friends down in Boston. We (collectively) had too much alcohol and ended up getting lost after said concert. I remember eating burritos (or was it tacos?) in the rain.

Forces pullin' from the center of the Earth again.

I can feel it.....

"Yeah. I Can Fly."

2008-05-04T13:55:00.011-04:00

This "Super-Bowl Weekend for Geeks" began with the opening of Iron Man.

Sitting in the theater on Friday night, waiting for the movie to begin, reminded me of being at a final championship play-off game at a high school. The energy in the stadium-seating theater was extremely high, and one of the geek boy ushers shouted at the packed house, instructing all of us to be sure to stay after the final credits for a bonus scene.

Geeks always stay for the final credits. No exceptions.

I have to say that this is the first movie, in long time, where I did not look at my watch once during the film. The movie hooked me with the opening dialogue, and kept me completely entertained until the final (bonus) scene. Robert Downey Jr. was a perfect fit for playing Tony Stark, as both battle their own inner demons as much as the bad guys. I found out recently that Stan Lee modeled the Iron Man character after Howard Hughes, and Robert Downey Jr. does a remarkable job bringing that edginess to the part.

Bottom line- I just love this movie. Marvel and Paramount Pictures have signed the cast on for a sequel, and as of right now, Iron Man is scheduled to be a trilogy.

That makes this geek girl very happy.

Saturday was the annual celebration of FCBD. I spent the day handing out hot dogs and sodas to geek girls and boys while discussing comic book titles and the upcoming summer movie season. The comic book store I was at gave away stacks and stacks of comic books, posters, bookmarks, and buttons to everyone that entered the store. It was so much fun to see the young (and the young at heart) walking around the store with their arms full of geek-goodies and smiles on their faces.

It was a good day (weekend) to be a geek.

My beverage of choice this weekend was PAMA liqueur. It is a yummy combination of pomegranate juice, vodka, and tequila. Kinda like a liquid Sweet-Tart for adults. I was going to include the link for the PAMA website in this post, but after checking it out, well.......it's not very cool.

Actually, I felt slightly icky after visiting the website.

But the beverage is really good.

To Peace~

Welcome to the Jungle

2008-04-24T19:57:00.005-04:00

I have missed watching 24 this year. It has been the only weekly television show that I have watched over the past few years. My T.V. viewing is now limited to CNN, and interesting shows that I find on the History or National Geographic Channels.

In 2007, the Sci-Fi Channel ran a show called the Dresden Files, and it was conveniently scheduled for the hour prior to 24. I liked Monday nights last year.

Luckily, Dabel Brothers Publishing has released the Dresden Files in comic book form.

Sweet.

It is only a 4 issue run, but for me, that is certainly better than nothing. I really want to believe that if I visit Chicago in the near future, that I will find Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Professional Wizard, living in his apartment with his friendly Ghost and cool magic stuff.

Welcome to the Jungle opens with a murder scene, of course. A zoo security guard has been brutally murdered (a mangled body with a missing throat left behind) and the police have determined that the gorilla, Moe, did it.

You know Moe didn't do it.

Harry's friend, Lieutenant Murphy of the Special Investigations Unit, calls on our favorite Wizard to help her solve the crime. He's kinda got a thing for her, so he agrees to investigate and use his Wizard Sight to seek out the real killer.

The comic is a good read, and we (Harry) are left hanging with cats (not little cute kitty cats) that have glowing green eyes, and look like.........well, just bad cats.

Go Harry~

Holy Komikku, Batman

2008-04-14T20:42:00.002-04:00

While going through the box of new comics at my CB store last Thursday, I noticed a Batman comic that had the cover art on the back cover. That of course made me curious, so I grabbed it out the wooden box and gave it a look. Upon opening Batman: Death Mask, I saw that it was created in manga style, so it read back to front, and right to left. I was a little reluctant to purchase it, having never been into manga, but when I saw a diagram on the front (back) cover, explaining how to read the comic, I decided to take it home.

I'm really glad I did. The comic is a creation of Yoshinori Natsume, who does the story and the art.

How often does that happen?

The comic is presented in black and white, which usually doesn't appeal to me, but it works with his art style. The story is fun and poses the question: Is Batman the mask for Bruce Wayne, or is Bruce Wayne the mask for Batman?

It includes some great illos of masks, a two-page spread of Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, The Joker, The Penguin, and the gang we love to hate, a faceless murder victim, and a bamboo forest in the middle of Gotham City.

Natsume has really made a splash with his debut in American comics, and I'm definitely putting this four-issue series on my sub list.

My Fifteen

2008-04-13T18:28:00.010-04:00

The following post is for my friend Erik, who now lives in Washington D.C.. He has requested that I write about my evening with Barack Obama on my new blog, so if I've already told you this story, or you read it on my old MyBO page, you might want to click out now, and keep surfing :-)

After joining the Obama campaign last summer, I quickly became very involved and was asked to be a part of the "Dreams From My Father" book discussion groups that the campaign was sponsoring. Because of my organizing and involvement with those, I was invited to spend an evening watching a minor league baseball game with Barack Obama on August 21st. I was in my car when I found the voicemail from my field organizer with the invitation. I couldn't believe my ears, so I immediately went home and called him on my land line.

Yup- I was going to a ball game with Senator Barack Obama.

OMG.

When he first arrived at the stadium, he was of course swamped by people of all ages, wanting to shake his hand and get his signature. I was very impressed by how much attention he gave the children and how he appeared to really enjoy signing all the baseballs he was given by the young fans. He was quick to give them a high five or a pat on the shoulder. His interaction with everyone was fun to watch.

When the crowd settled down, I was able to talk with him and introduce myself. I told him my name, and that I was one of his town chairpersons for the state. "Are you having fun?", he asked. I was stunned because I thought he would certainly ask me what events I had planned or what the level of support was for him in my community.

"Yes, Senator, I am, but I have to tell you that I have never done this before and I've never even been involved with a campaign before."

"But are you having fun?", he asked again.

"Yes.", I replied. He looked at me and gave me a very warm smile.

He was so easy to talk to that I decided to ask him about his book. I told him that I noticed he mentioned a few times in the first couple of chapters that he read comics as a kid. I shared with him that I was his age, and was also reading comics at that time. When the question, "Senator, who is your favorite superhero?" came out of my mouth, it was really quite funny, as the Secret Service, press, and invited guests all became silent and looked at me with concern.

It was one of those moments where I could feel my face turning red and my mouth quickly becoming a desert.

He, however rolled with it, and replied, "Well, I read Marvel comics. I like Spider-Man. If I had to pick a DC superhero though, it would be Batman."

"Me too- me too- my favorite superhero is Batman!" I exclaimed.

One more thing we agreed on.

He was nice enough to take the time to sign my book, "To Michelle- Thanks for the friendship and support!" and he put his arm around me (making me scream) to pose for a picture.

I could not tell you who won or lost the ball game that night, or even what the score was, as my world that evening was limited to the stadium seats. I was sitting next to, and talking with the person who I whole heartily believe will be our next President of the United States.

I was actively a part of his campaign for six months, and I loved every minute of it. After our state primary election was over, I was exhausted and slept during all of my spare time for a week. Senator Obama has been campaigning for over a year now, and has done so with dignity, patience, strength, and grace. He makes time for his family (recently taking Michelle and the girls to the Caribbean) and has an endless supply of energy.

With all the negative campaign attacks that has/is being thrown his way, he remains steady, focused, and above it all.

He has it all over any superhero I know~

Kick-Ass

2008-04-06T14:03:00.012-04:00

Kick-Ass #2 was not an easy item to get a hold of this week. Because of all the press Icon's new title has received from Newsarama and other comic websites, demand was up for the second issue of this comic. The distributor that supplies my comic book store shorted the shop this week, and I didn't receive one in my sub folder.

Again- one of the downfalls of having a last name that begins with "Y". My CB store ran out of that issue at "T".

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for me.

So- I did have to go on an adventure this weekend and find the comic elsewhere.

It was worth the trip.

Kick-Ass #2 opens with David Lizewski at St. Vincent's Hospital in NY, recovering from a crushed spine and two broken legs. After four operations, two months of counseling, three metal plates inserted in his head and weeks of rehab, David returns home with his Dad. He realizes that his dream to be a superhero was not a realistic one, and burns all of his comic books, plans, and costume designs.

However, once he is off his crutches, he realizes the superhero inside of him cannot be ignored, and he heads back out in his community. Thankfully, this time his costume includes two big sticks in an "X" across his back. He comes across one young adult who is being trashed by a gang of other young adults. He pulls the sticks off is back, kicks some gang butt, and saves the young man they are pursuing. Our hero does take a galvanized trash can to the back, and the lid to his face, ending up with up with smashed teeth and cracked ribs. He of course draws a crowd while doing all of this, and the final panel of this comic shows one of the curious on-lookers capturing the moment on his cell phone and saying, "....this is so going on YouTube."

We've got to hope that Dave Lizewski's Dad has a great health insurance plan~

April Fool's Day

2008-04-01T19:10:00.011-04:00

As I was leaving a ComCon last weekend, a thirty-ish geek boy looked at me and said, "Would you like to try one of my Bawls? Look at them, they're blue."

I had no reply for him, and wished dearly that my good friend, the Pirate Queen, was there to field that question. I just reached down to grab one of the bottles of the free beverage, put it in my backpack, and kept moving.

Upon arriving home, I gave it to my son, and he reported that it has a sweet, cream soda taste, proclaiming it to be a yummy beverage. It is also highly caffeinated, which is probably the real reason he likes it. If you would like to try a Bawls, or would like to offer one to someone you know, you can check them out at: http://www.bawls.com.

They're also hiring, if you'd like to sell Bawls.

Irish Eyes - Part 2

2008-03-31T19:19:00.009-04:00

6:57 a.m.

Monday morning.

My car battery is dead.

Flipping Awesome.

After calling AAA, my boss, the car dealership, and my boss again, I arrived in the waiting room of my car dealership and began watching CNN while sipping on a small hot coffee. I had settled into the fact that I was going to be very late for work, and going to spend close to $200.00 to have a new battery put in my car. I figured my April Fool's Day had arrived 24 hours early.

While watching a CNN piece on the high profile Dems that are asking HRC to drop out of the race, an elderly gentleman began talking to me.

He asked me if I liked Obama, and I told him I did. I shared with him that I had been a town chairperson for the Obama campaign during the six months prior to the primary election in our state. He told me that he too, liked Obama, and thought he was a good public speaker and seemed to get along with everybody.

"That's exactly what we need right now," I said, "a President that gets along with everybody." He nodded his head in agreement and looked back up at the T.V.

I noticed that he was wearing a "Korean War Veteran" hat, and asked him what branch of the military he served in. "Army," he replied. "I was Master Sargent- E8. Helicopter Division. I served in the Korean War, Vietnam, and in Desert Storm. I was in my fifties when I served in Desert Storm. My kids didn't think I'd come back alive."

I looked at him, smiled, and said, "Thank you."

I then realized that he might be able to answer my burning question of the past five years, so I decided to give it a shot. "Can you tell me why we are in Iraq?" I asked. He shook his head and told me that not only could he not tell me why we are there, but he couldn't understand why we weren't presently bringing our men and women home.

"We have no business there." He said.

My search for an answer continues~

Irish Eyes

2008-03-30T20:26:00.005-04:00

I was at an St. Patrick Day's celebration today (the original event being canceled by snow) at an Irish Pub. I was in a large crowd of happy people, standing shoulder to shoulder, drinking beer and listening to a group of bagpipe players. I was really enjoying myself, and feeling very proud of my Irish heritage- my maternal grandparent's last name is O'Brien.

Toward the end of their performance, and between songs, the leader of the group invited all of us to raise our glasses and salute the fallen troops in Iraq. He then proceeded to lead his bagpipers into "Amazing Grace." That song played on the bagpipes always brings tears to my eyes, and having it played to honor our men and women that have lost their lives over the past five years was rough.

As of this writing, there have been 4002 confirmed (and 4 pending) troops that have died since 2002 in Iraq. That is a lot of our young men and women who have sacrificed their lives for another country's civil war, and I still cannot find anybody who can give me a good reason for why we are there.

While listening to "Amazing Grace" today, saluting the fallen troops, and blinking back tears, I couldn't help but think about how our current leadership in Washington has really let us down. Senator Obama came forth, before the vote in the Senate to authorize Bush's blank check for this war, and told the country that our involvement in Iraq was a really bad idea. He told us that it would have no logical end, and that too many of our troops would lose their lives fighting another country's battle.

Just saying~

Easter Weekend

2008-03-22T19:38:00.012-04:00

I'm finally past the thirty day mark at my new job. The most intense part of the learning curve is behind me, and I'm settling in with my new tasks and responsibilities. Whew........I can breathe again.

I had dinner last night with my friends from the Cult, and it was a blast to dine for over two hours and drink wine, laugh, and talk about what I was missing at the high school. After the first hour, the restaurant stopped seating people at tables next to ours. Eventually we're going to run out of establishments that we are welcome in.

Much to my delight, Grimm Fairy Tales #25, The Little Mermaid, was waiting for me at my comic book store this week. I thought that title was going to hit the shelves in April, so it was indeed a nice surprise. The issue intertwines two stories (as Grimm Fairy Tales always does) with one being the traditional mermaid story where she trades her voice for legs and capabilities of going on land and pursuing the handsome prince. Of course that doesn't go well, and Grimm leaves us hanging. For the first time, they are making us wait for "part two" to find out how the story ends. I'm hoping this isn't going to be a pattern, as one of the things I like about that comic is that the issues are complete stories. As for now, I can be patient and wait for the next issue.

Tomorrow will be filled with Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, and a wonderful ham dinner prepared by my daughter. According to Wikipedia, a virtual Easter egg is "an intentional hidden message or feature in a object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, computer program, or video game." They give Alfred Hitchcock's famous cameo appearances as an example, and explain that the term comes from the custom of the Easter egg hunt that is observed by so many. Computer programmers like to plant Easter eggs to place a personal artistic touch on an intellectual product. Writers re-create settings of places they have visited with loved ones, and artists give names to sea-planes of women who have captured their heart. Easter eggs.

Happy hunting~

Comic Book Day

2008-03-13T18:46:00.006-04:00

In my world, Thursday is Comic Book Day. I go to my comic book shop after work, and race to my sub folder that is in the bottom drawer (my last name begins with a "Y") of the cabinet that is dedicated to my fellow weekly comic subscribers.

This week I was delighted to find: Countdown #7, Wonder Woman #18, Grimm Fairy Tales #24, and Batman Confidential #14.

Grimm Fairy Tales is a true favorite of mine. I love the art, it is a fun read, and I enjoy seeing our childhood stories presented in an adult way- with a twist. I put that title on my sub list after issue #10, and have been able to fill in the first nine issues with the exception of #4, #8, and #9.

That's what ComCons are for.

I was crazy happy when I looked through the current issue, Snow White & Rose Red, and saw that issue #25 (due out in April) was going to be The Little Mermaid.

I simply cannot wait to see what they do with that one~

It Takes a Hero to Change the World

2008-03-09T19:14:00.002-04:00

That is the tagline for the new movie, "10,000 B.C."

D'leh is the said hero, and the movie follows him and his love interest, Evolet, through their journey to secure the future of their people.

The cast was unrecognizable to me (which clearly worked with this film) and the director/ co-writer was Roland Emmerich, who made "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow."

The film is not historically correct, as the setting takes place during the Mesolithic period which falls immediately after the Ice Age. The creation of Egyptian temples and pyramids (which is depicted in the movie) happened around 2650 B.C. making the movie about 7,350 years off. The cast is way too groomed (perfect white teeth and waxed eyebrows) to help you believe that you are looking at a prehistoric epic. There is a kindly saber tooth tiger that makes a couple of appearances, hundreds (maybe thousands) of cooperative wooly mammoths wearing harnesses, and at the end of the movie, D'leh is given corn/maize seeds which at that time were only in the Americas.

Having said that, the movie is a lot of good geek fun. Watching two wooly mammoth stampedes on the big screen was worth the price of admission alone. There are crazy raptor/emu man-eating thingies that move at warp speed in a few scenes, and at one point in the movie we see a blind mind come up from the floor of the slaves' quarters, share valuable knowledge with our hero, D'leh, and then get lowered back into the floor. That scene made me just laugh right out loud.

Too funny.

I found the movie very entertaining, and I do recommend it to all who enjoy geek eye candy.

D'leh is "Held" spelled backwards, and "Held" is the German word for "Hero." The name was chosen by Emmerich himself.

I wonder what "Telove" means in German?

From the Quarter Bin

2008-03-06T20:37:00.006-05:00

I've been reading the comics that I purchased at the ComCon I attended last weekend. There are two comics in particular that I have really enjoyed. One is a new comic by Icon titled, "Kick-Ass." It is about a high school student named Dave Lizewski, who has no social life, and is being raised by his single father. His mother was killed when he was fourteen years old, not by a villian or a hitman, but by an aneurysm.

He creates his own costume, invents his own cool superhero name, and spends the first few weeks learning to balance on walls, posing on rooftops, and working out in the gym.

His first adventure as Kick-Ass has him confronting three other teenagers who are writing graffiti on public property, getting into a fight with them, and being left for dead in a parking lot. The last page reads, "Two broken legs, my spine crushed, and dressed like a fucking pervert..........my dad was going to kill me"

For all of us that dreamed of being a superhero as a young adult, this comic is a fun read. When I went to my comic book store today, I had this title put on my sub list.

The second title that I found amusing was a 1987 comic by Eclipse Comics titled, "Elf-Thing." The cover art is very cool and retro looking, and the inside art is in black and white. The story opens during the winter of 1986 in the Everglades of Florida. A well adjusted (and very happy) monster transforms into and elf and thus begins his journey as the Elf-Thing. He is challenged with adjusting to life as a small being, dressing in geeky elf clothes, and even losing his former love interest.

Monsters just don't date elves.

The punch line? Wait for it......

After twenty-five pages of following the Elf-Thing on his journey, the very last page of the story has him stumbling upon a clearing where many other elves are having an elf orgy. I had never seen a full page elf orgy before. It's kinda like a car accident on the interstate. You know it is going to be ugly, but you just can't help but to stare.

You just never know what you are going to find in the quarter bin~

Galley and Scullery

2008-03-01T20:37:00.006-05:00

Today I boarded a submarine. My first impression of the vessel was that it was for petite people only, and I laughed to think of my tall friend, McMaugh, making his way around this sub. The hatch going into the sub and separating the compartments looked more like hobbit doors than doorways for adult humans.

The submarine was designed for a crew of 50- although I had a hard time imagining me and 49 other people performing military maneuvers and drills (below the surface of the ocean) for an extended period of time.

It is a peaceful submarine, never going to war or carrying weapons, and it is named after a very docile fish. Still, it took me a while to acclimate to the small spaces and all the military "gadgetry" that was on board. I enjoyed my tour of the submarine, but was very glad when I was able to breathe fresh air and look at the sky again.

The young men and woman who choose to serve in our military are indeed Superheros as well.

Marvel's new Ghost Rider #20, is the beginning of a new story arc, and is produced by a fresh creative team with Jason Aaron as the writer. He has given Johnny Blaze a new direction and has included nurses with machine guns and undead things along Highway 18, creating a storyline with more of an edge. I know that I am bias here, for any writer who includes the undead into their comic is tops with me. There is always room for zombies.

Zombies on a submarine? Now that would be a fun story~

And on the Seventh Day.....

2008-02-25T21:10:00.000-05:00

No, no rest for me tomorrow. Tomorrow is the seventh at my new job, and with all the meetings that I have to attend, people I have to meet, and procedures I have to learn, I won't be getting any chill time during the day. For the past two years I have been working in a resource room at a public high school, and now I am working with the senior population at an independent retirement community.

Same problems......just different faces.

On day one of my new job, I attended a Linkin Park concert in the evening with some friends (the ticket was a birthday present) and it was a crazy fun show. I was on my feet then entire time and did not get to sleep until 1:00am the next morning. Thankfully, day two of the new job was my orientation.

I miss the students that I assisted, and the friends that I worked with (aka: The Cult) but I still see a lot of the young adults in my community, and I've been in touch with my geek friends. One of the members of The Cult gave me a Batman mask for my birthday.

Friends like that are indeed hard to come by.

No, no rest for me tomorrow. It is hard work pretending you know what you're doing~