The Brotherhood of Nations affected by...

The Brotherhood of nations affected by post-911 terrorism grew last week.



India fell victim.

Rumors are beginning to circulate that there may be Pakistani ties to the incident.

Pakistan, as in friend of the U.S., as in ally in the War on Terror, as in supposed to be helping us find Osama bin Laden.

This looks like a shitstorm just waiting to erupt...especially when you factor in that India and Pakistan don't like one another at all and have fought a war or three over the last 50 years.

There was reason to hope for awhile. Indian Secret Service personnel uncovered a plot to assassinate Pakistan's President Musaref last year and passed that information along. As recently as last week, India was sending aid and assistance to Pakistan to help in the earthquake ravaged mountainous regions. These were good signs.

Hopefully, all that good will isn't being pissed away as we sit.

Not for the kiddos...

In my lifetime, I've been bitter on occasion about my powerlessness in the face of political/cultural/economic/"fill in the blank" fate, but I've never been as razor-edged as this guy is.

Check this out. He goes so far as to nominate a C*&ksu&*er of the Month...

Wow!

Almost feel like I should turn in my Bitter, Old Bastard badge. Don't feel like I deserve it anymore. HA!

For the kiddos...Pumpkins

Carve your own.

This is cool.

How bad is it that this is online pumpkin carving though.

Hmmm.

Nelson Mandela Comic Book

Nelson Mandela...comic book.

It's a great way to teach the young.

A little bit of history. A little bit of hope.

I think this is a great idea.

Wonder how hard it will be to get a copy of it in the U. S.

Optical Delusion

Looking at this you see an angry man on the left and a normal woman on the right.

Now...back up from your computer screen. Keep looking at it.

Those of you who wear glasses may be able to take them off and get the same effect.

Weird stuff.

The Constant Wheelie

Look at this thing.

Bombardier outdid themselves.

They presented it as an entrant in a design contest aimed at what transportation may look like in 25 years.

Beneath 12 mph, it has a landing gear that rolls along. Above 12 mph, the landing gear retracts and leaves the rider free wheeling down the highway.

They haven't designed a working model of this motorized unicycle with attitude, but when they do, it is going to be bad assed.

But imagine trying to pass a heavily loaded trash truck on the highway that is losing part of its load to the winds and slipstream of highway speed. The potential for nasty is very big.

And don't even think about accidents. The guy on the Embrio is street pizza in those instances.

They're cool looking, but considering that I'll be in my late 50's or early 60's before any of them make it onto the streets, I doubt that I'll be riding one.

Click here for more of the story.

Jet Powered...or...No more chili for this guy!

Yes...it's an outhouse.

It has a 50-year old, 750 lbs. Boeing jet turbine in it.

With a tailwind, it can top 46 mph.

The things people do.

A friend of his built a jet-powered bar stool and they have races at airshows and county fairs and stuff like that.

For more on this weirdness click here.

Useless Trivia Round II - Question 6

New Useless Trivia question is online.

Click here.

2,000

First, I support our troops in all the things that they do to serve and protect the interests of the United States of America.

Today in Iraq, we reached the 2,000 killed in action threshold.

Instantly, those who need to defend that number make comparisons to Vietnam.

211,470 died in Vietnam.
According to the U.S. Center of Military History.

In comparison, 2,000 is a drop in a bucket.

Now...relate it to your life.

My graduating class at Lake Dallas High School was only 85 people. There weren't 2,000 people in LDHS if you counted faculty, students, janitors, and cafeteria workers.

Perspective.

The instant denigration of 2,000 being a small number is a crock and disrespectful to those who make up the number.

Useless Trivia - Round II - Question 5

Available here.

Comic Book Fans, Infinite Crisis and Old Guys(re: Rusty Pistols) vs. Young Guys(Young Guns)

This is a partial and paraphrased transcript of a conversation that I had with Jerry Whitworth on the Return of Everything DC Yahoo Group.

Jerry Whitworth wrote:

I don't mind alternate realities or futures, but I hate the idea
of "it's a
rainy day, let's go to Earth-2749!". And as I stated in a
previous post, I
could live with a couple of Earths that interacted,
but I think going past 4
or so is just getting ridiculous.

The majority of DC Comics stories happened on Earth-1. Today, there is this concept that back-in-the-day stories were written willy-nilly to take place on Earth-J, K, Q, 42, etc. Part of that is due to loose editorial constrictions back then and a later desire by readers and editors to put all the stories in context leading to some of them being reassigned to other worlds. But still by and large, the majority of the stories took place on the main DC Earth.

And I find that for this reason, many older fans seem to put a vibe
out there that I'm not a true DC fan because I didn't like DC before
Crisis. Who knows, maybe I like DC now because they're being a better
Marvel. Truth be told, if their books weren't so bad for my tastes,
I'd probably still be a Marvel Zombie.

Well, I hope that I don't give off that vibe. On the other side of that coin, you have the hard core Silver Age sucks guys who won't give the older fans their due as comic book readers...or the Marvel zombie who walks through the store denouncing everything DC loudly and obnoxiously grabs up his Ultimate Spider Man and scampers off to...I'll leave the rest of that one blank. I met the last guy in the shop I frequent a couple of weeks ago in Irving, TX. If he acts and reacts to other people the way he does in the comics store, he is out there giving all comics fans a bad name.

But I digress, the outcome of Infinite Crisis, if DC sticks to their guns, is going to lead us to a new status quo. And those fans who came into DC Comics either as a result of Crisis or in the immediate Crisis aftermath may find themselves in the same position that many of us, Silver Agers, did back-in-the-day...that of having to learn your favorite character all over again.

The only advice I can give you is to buckle up cause it should be interesting. Some of the things we see will no doubt be amazing and some will fall flat on their ass. All we can do is hope the good outweighs the bad.

But it is a great time to be a comics fan.

puff

Stately Wayne Manor

Stately Wayne Manor from the 1960's Batman television series burned down in a fire.

I am so bummed.

The Smoking Lamp - JLU-2001's Flash #10

Smoking Lamp #57
++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is lit...
++++++++++++++++++

Imprint: JLU-2001
Series: Flash #10
Author: Tim Burns
Title: "Blur: Part 1 of 3 - Keystone All in Red"

Scary that Wally is starting to think of himself in terms of the cult that is growing about him. He’s everywhere. He knows everything because he’s everywhere. Hmm.

Hmm, I wonder who the voice in Wally’s head really is? Hmm. The Speed Force as intelligent entity...interesting. Wally losing his noodle…could be interesting.

Always like a J’onn J’onz guest appearance.

So, Wally is sharing his speed with the aspirants of the Temple of Velocity. A city full of religious fanatic Flashes. That's a scary thought. Absolute power being what it is, giving super speed to a large number of people would inevitably lead to a few who shouldn't have it getting it.

I wonder. I considered that the voice might be the Spectre, but, based on that last paragraph, I guess it isn’t.

Looking forward to the next issue.

I give it a 7.0 out of 10 cigars.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is extinguished...Steady as she goes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

puff

Superman loses his cool...set to rap music

This gave me one of those stunned to silence, just sit back and watch, moments.

I bet Time Warner and DC Comics didn't approve this.

Click here.

Liz Phair's Underwear

Liz Phair had the song Favorite appear on her 2003 self-titled album.

It is a pretty song. Hear a sample here. Bummer, it won't let me hotlink. Go to the link, slip down about half the page, in the listen to samples section, click on Favorite(believe it is #9), and enjoy a 20-30 second song sample.

She compares her lover to being like her favorite underwear, tossing them on the floor, and eventually putting them on again...hmmm, the sexiness factor sorta waffles for me at that point for me.

Liz Phair is sort of like Avril Lavigne, but more erotic and MILFy.

Click here to purchase her album from Amazon.



Of course looking like that, I'll listen to her singing about her underwear for awhile.

The Smoking Lamp - Av2k's Solo: On The Run #4

Smoking Lamp #56
++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is lit...
++++++++++++++++++

Imprint: Avengers 2000
Series: Solo: On The Run #4
Author: Des Davies
Title: "Finding a Focus"

And Des’s vicious side comes out. Solo crushes a man’s exposed genitalia.
Wow!

“Two are dead, this third might be.” Heck, if the third is the one with the crushed genitals, he might wish he were.

Shame about the teleporter chip making him and his passengers nauseous, it would be a great invention otherwise.

Good to see Solo admit who he is to Janine.

I like that this has turned into a Western with superpowers.

Solo, while he lives, terror dies. In the modern, post-911 heavy terror world, how does this character not have a regular monthly comic book. It would be like not publishing Captain America during World War 2. This has to be a missed opportunity.

I give it a 7.0 out of 10 cigars.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is extinguished...Steady as she goes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

puff

The Smoking Lamp - Av2k's Ant Man #5

Smoking Lamp #55
++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is lit...
++++++++++++++++++

Imprint: Avengers 2000
Series: Ant Man #5
Author: Barry Reese
Title: "Hunter and Hunted, Part Two"

And Barry delivers gratuitous nudity in the first paragraph. Of course, it’s a nude dead woman who when last seen last issue was beginning to decompose while still walking around the house naked, but its gratuitous nudity anyhow.

[Swallows hard] Pardon me, I need to slide my trash can closer.

A gro-bon-ange, huh? I looked it up. Very interesting.

“The scent of sex and spoiled meat…”

Barry, you are a sick bastard. Thanks for the early Halloween gift.

Scott is losing it. Hell, he’s sleeping with his dead wife…he’s already lost it. Maybe it is something to do with the male human’s mind not being able to cope with being miniaturized in the Marvel Universe. Henry Pym lost his cookies a few times over the years. And it’s obvious that Scott isn’t right in these stories. Great stuff.

HA! Saying that Morlun had dinner with the Sinclairs is an understatement. HA!

Her arm…oh gross. Peggy’s…condition is one of the best framing elements of a larger story that I’ve read in mainstream or fan fic in a long, long time. Good job.

The fight scene with Morlun is excellent.

Wow! The ants arranging it so that there aren’t any untoward questions if the Sinclairs should ever be found. That’s a neat idea.

This reads like it should be published. Thanks for sharing it with us, Barry.

I give it 10 out of 10 cigars.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is extinguished...Steady as she goes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

puff

Useless Trivia - Round II - Question 4

Available here.

The Smoking Lamp - Alt Marvel's Exiles #1

Smoking Lamp #54
++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is lit...
++++++++++++++++++

Imprint: Alternate Marvel
Series: The Exiles #1
Author: Hoang Thai
Title: "Morning Stars"

This is the Smoking Lamp’s first visit to the worlds of Alternate Marvel.

As anyone who has read my fan fic can attest, I heartily endorse the use of Footnotes or Endnotes to give the reader additional information. They take the place of editor’s note boxes that used to appear throughout stories and were much more prevalent when I was a much younger comics reader. Good to see them used here. One problem with the Endnotes is that some of the references aren’t complete, example #3… see Marvel's ??? and #6… Alternate Marvel's Deadpool #?!. If the Endnote/Footnotes are going to be used, they really need to be complete references.

Hmm, a SHIELD higher up making sure that she is referred to as ma’am over an interagency communication. Hmm, could it be…I’ll wait.

The Bullet Biker…hmm, interesting character choice. He has a Hawkeye connection. Could we see an appearance by everyone’s favorite Marvel archer at a future point?

The “Stupid guy, he thought, as if get married in the first place” line sort of stops down the story. The line looks like it is missing a piece or like an incomplete thought.

Shouldn’t Bullet Biker’s arm-mounted laser cannon have lost its electronics at the same time the SHIELD EMP took out his bike?

Like the Beetle hatred being brought to the table by Leila Davis, aka Hardshell/Beetle II…or is she III, looks like the groundwork is set for a crossover fight between these Exiles and the Thunderbolts. I like the SHIELD stealth suit employed on the AIM island base when the girl is retrieved.

Conrad Josten has some interesting baggage and backstory. And another link in the possible Thunderbolts crossover appears. Hope that when he encounters his brother, Erik, it isn’t just a fight and then everything is fine. There are some weighty issues here between the two characters that could make for some dramatic storytelling.

Cool hero piece for Conrad, coming to the defense of the target of the uniformed SHIELD agents.

Hmm, wonder if Agent Sayer is going to be an ongoing influence on the team or if he is actually going to be a member of the Exiles.

May be beating the “poor” Conrad drum a little hard. Conrad rudimenting about his past is one thing, but then shifting focus a paragraph or three later and having Agent Sayer doing the same thing is a little much.

Nomad, huh. Hmm, I’ve always liked Jack Monroe.

The government/political conspiracy elements of this story could be interesting.

I’ll be back.

I give it 4.5 out of 10.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The lamp is extinguished...Steady as she goes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

puff

The Indian Norman Bates...

This guy kept his mother's embalmed corpse in a glass coffin in his home.

He divorced his wife because she had a fight with his mother...I hope this was before his mother died.

Geez. This makes the little old ladies keeping a house full of cats seem normal.

I would like to take this time to tell all of my loved ones that after they are gone, I will not be placing their embalmed bodies or unembalmed bodies inside the coffee table for everyone to stroll by and take a peek at.

Ick! I can't imagine.

The part about him choosing lots while sitting at the foot of her coffin to determine all the major decisions of his life is what is most Norman Bates-like about the whole thing. Luckily, no young women broke down in front of his house in a heavy storm and had to seek shelter with him. His mother would not have approved.

The Sky is Cryin'

Today is Stevie Ray Vaughan's birthday.

There was Rock n' Roll, Rhythm and Blues royalty. Same more people didn't realize that while he was alive.

Louisiana Seafood

Louisiana state environmental officials are saying that seafood from Lake Pontchartrain is okay to eat.

Hmmm, weren't we bombarded just a week or so ago with information regarding the highest concentration of human fecal matter ever recorded in free standing water being in the flood waters covering parts of New Orleans? Weren't those waters pumped out of the lower parts of the city? You know where those waters were pumped to...Lake Pontchartrain. And this is before we even begin to consider the toxic chemicals that became part of the flood due to storage in homes and industrial sites that were under water for an extended period.

Those state officials are advising people not to eat oysters from the Lake. I would say that any fish or shellfish from that region needs to be off your diet for awhile, possibly years. Think about it. Its the circle of life. Oysters are one of the things at the bottom of the food chain. They and their ilk get eaten by other creatures in the water. You couldn't pay me enough to eat a Louisiana catfish caught out of Pontchartrain.

We'll see.

Don't be the guinea pig for this experiment in toxicological foodstuffs.

Michael Waltrip, Bill Davis and Toyota

Toyota will support eight Nextel Cup teams when its cars make their debuts in 2007, but none of them is likely to be from Ganassi Racing, which all along figured to be part of the Toyota contingent.

Toyota Racing Development will support four Penske Racing squads and two each from Bill Davis Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. Davis and Waltrip will be partners in 2006, then turn their attention to Toyota. ...

Didn't you just know that there was another factor in Michael Waltrip's leaving DEI and not fighting harder to keep his ride?

I thought it was a good "give 'em the finger" that sponsors NAPA and Best Western have chosen to leave DEI and go with him. At the end of the day, the two companies realize that they'll never be in a position on a Monday morning of having to explain to their boards of directors why Michael Waltrip has done something that embarrasses them on a nationally televised race.

I look for Waltrip and Davis to be to Toyota what Everham has been to Dodge in their rise in NASCAR.