Thursday, July 29, 2004
Watch this space
I'm back in the land of internet access. I hope to blog on Friday with my thoughts on San Diego Comic Con, the DNC convention, and put up some SDCC pics. Stay Tuned, as I adjust to east coast time.
Here' s a pic to from this year's SDCC to tide you through:
Brian Bendis giving me his best Johnny Cash.
Here' s a pic to from this year's SDCC to tide you through:
Brian Bendis giving me his best Johnny Cash.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
This Date in History
I just noticed that My Yahoo wished my a happy birthday, and supplied me with these interesting tidbits:
This Day in History
On July 21, 1925, what's called the "Monkey Trial" ended in Dayton, Tenn., with John T. Scopes convicted of violating state law for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution. (The conviction was later overturned.)
On this date:
In 1831, Belgium became independent as Leopold I was proclaimed King of the Belgians.
In 1861, the first Battle of Bull Run was fought at Manassas, Va., resulting in a Confederate victory.
In 1899, author Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Ill.; poet Hart Crane was born in Garrettsville, Ohio.
In 1944, American forces landed on Guam during World War II.
In 1949, the U.S. Senate ratified the North Atlantic Treaty.
In 1954, 50 years ago, the Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into northern and southern entities.
In 1961, Captain Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth, flying aboard the "Liberty Bell Seven."
In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin blasted off from the moon aboard the lunar module.
In 1980, draft registration began in the United States for 19- and 20-year-old men.
In 2002, telecommunications giant WorldCom Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection, about a month after disclosing it had inflated profits by nearly $4 billion through deceptive accounting.
Ten years ago: Former Senate Republican leader Hugh Scott died in Falls Church, Va., at age 93. Britain's Labor Party elected Tony Blair (news - web sites) its new leader, succeeding the late John Smith.
Five years ago: Navy divers found the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, in the wreckage of Kennedy's plane in the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard. Advertising executive David Ogilvy died in Bonnes, France, at age 88.
One year ago: President Bush (news - web sites) said he was working to persuade more nations to help in Iraq (news - web sites). Carlton Dotson Jr., the roommate of missing Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy, was arrested and charged with Dennehy's murder.
This Day in History
On July 21, 1925, what's called the "Monkey Trial" ended in Dayton, Tenn., with John T. Scopes convicted of violating state law for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution. (The conviction was later overturned.)
On this date:
In 1831, Belgium became independent as Leopold I was proclaimed King of the Belgians.
In 1861, the first Battle of Bull Run was fought at Manassas, Va., resulting in a Confederate victory.
In 1899, author Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Ill.; poet Hart Crane was born in Garrettsville, Ohio.
In 1944, American forces landed on Guam during World War II.
In 1949, the U.S. Senate ratified the North Atlantic Treaty.
In 1954, 50 years ago, the Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into northern and southern entities.
In 1961, Captain Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth, flying aboard the "Liberty Bell Seven."
In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin blasted off from the moon aboard the lunar module.
In 1980, draft registration began in the United States for 19- and 20-year-old men.
In 2002, telecommunications giant WorldCom Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection, about a month after disclosing it had inflated profits by nearly $4 billion through deceptive accounting.
Ten years ago: Former Senate Republican leader Hugh Scott died in Falls Church, Va., at age 93. Britain's Labor Party elected Tony Blair (news - web sites) its new leader, succeeding the late John Smith.
Five years ago: Navy divers found the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, in the wreckage of Kennedy's plane in the Atlantic Ocean off Martha's Vineyard. Advertising executive David Ogilvy died in Bonnes, France, at age 88.
One year ago: President Bush (news - web sites) said he was working to persuade more nations to help in Iraq (news - web sites). Carlton Dotson Jr., the roommate of missing Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy, was arrested and charged with Dennehy's murder.
Birthdays, Comic Book Mecca, and odds n ends
Yep, it's my birthday. I'm going to get me a giant burrito at Chipotle and a Spiderman Ice Cream cake from Cold Stone and ignore how many calories is in that cheesecake ice cream filling. 33 years and counting.
Then I'm off to the San Diego Con on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's the list of panels I'll be attending:
Friday
11:30-12:30 Star Wars Day: What’s New in Star Wars from Hasbro
12:00-1:00 Marvel’s Universes
1:00-2:30 Lions Gate: Open Water and Saw
3:00-4:00 Terry Moore
3:30-4:30 DC Comics: Fans Turned Pro
4:30-5:30 Avengers/Marvel Heroes
6:00-7:00 Spotlight on Aaron McGruder
Saturday
10:00-11:00 ABC’s New Fall Series Lost
11:00-12:00 WildStorm: Comics Untamed
12:00-2:00 Star Wars Spectacular with Lucasfilm’s Steve Sansweet and guests
2:00-3:00 Dimension Films: Sin City
3:00-4:30 DC Comics: Taking It to the Limit
4:30-5:30 Cup O’ Joe with Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada!
7:00-9:00 CBLDF Benefit Auction
Sunday
11:00–12:00 Comic Book Idol 2
12:00–1:00 CBLDF: Fighting Censorship on the Front Lines
1:00-2:00 Joss Whedon: Serenity
2:00-3:00 DC: Collected Editions Brainstorming Session
I'll try very, very hard to have updates here with various news, pics, sketches, etc from the Con like I did for the Wizard World LA. I'm really looking forward to catching up with some folks, discovering cool new comics, and knocking down small children that get in my way. Just kidding about the last one, but I am mentally preparing myself for "the crowd".
I'm an hour away from being on vacation for the next three weeks, but don't worry I'll still update the blog.
Then I'm off to the San Diego Con on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's the list of panels I'll be attending:
Friday
11:30-12:30 Star Wars Day: What’s New in Star Wars from Hasbro
12:00-1:00 Marvel’s Universes
1:00-2:30 Lions Gate: Open Water and Saw
3:00-4:00 Terry Moore
3:30-4:30 DC Comics: Fans Turned Pro
4:30-5:30 Avengers/Marvel Heroes
6:00-7:00 Spotlight on Aaron McGruder
Saturday
10:00-11:00 ABC’s New Fall Series Lost
11:00-12:00 WildStorm: Comics Untamed
12:00-2:00 Star Wars Spectacular with Lucasfilm’s Steve Sansweet and guests
2:00-3:00 Dimension Films: Sin City
3:00-4:30 DC Comics: Taking It to the Limit
4:30-5:30 Cup O’ Joe with Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada!
7:00-9:00 CBLDF Benefit Auction
Sunday
11:00–12:00 Comic Book Idol 2
12:00–1:00 CBLDF: Fighting Censorship on the Front Lines
1:00-2:00 Joss Whedon: Serenity
2:00-3:00 DC: Collected Editions Brainstorming Session
I'll try very, very hard to have updates here with various news, pics, sketches, etc from the Con like I did for the Wizard World LA. I'm really looking forward to catching up with some folks, discovering cool new comics, and knocking down small children that get in my way. Just kidding about the last one, but I am mentally preparing myself for "the crowd".
I'm an hour away from being on vacation for the next three weeks, but don't worry I'll still update the blog.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
One Giant Step (closer to death)...
Today's the day I wish I was born. For the longest time I wished could have forced my mom to go into labor and be born on what would have at least been the 2nd anniversary of a human touching down on the surface of the moon. Instead I was born the day after. Happy 35th anniversary to the great adventure.
Tomorrow I turn 33...at least that's what my wife tells me. After 30 I lost count.
Tomorrow I turn 33...at least that's what my wife tells me. After 30 I lost count.
Wolverines!!!
Now, this isn't my long winded post on the movie Red Dawn, and the year I killed a dear and its heart...but rather this is my chance to beat Shane over at Near Mint Heroes with this link to a letter our little mutant Canadian runt wrote to his pal in the blue and red tights at DC Comics. Read Wolverine's letter to Superman, now before the Cuban/Russian forces parachute in and lock us all up!
Monday, July 19, 2004
Viagra for the Conservative Man
I was clearing off stuff on my Hard Disc Recorder, trying to make room for all the TV it'll be recording while Kel and I are away on vacation. I forgot what day it was, but on one of Jon Stewart's The Daily Show last week, they had a segment on a museum dedicated to "telling the truth" about the Clinton presidency. John LeBoutillier and Richard Erickson are trying to build an Anti-Clinton museum in Little Rock, Arkansas not too far away from the future Clinton Presidential Library. Exhibits will include Whitewater, Filegate, Lewinski, and even the murders Clinton were responsible for. WTF?!?!
What is it about the former President Clinton that makes every conservative get out their tin-foil hats and start acting like UFO's exist or something. I don't understand why after four years they still have such a hard-on to take down this guy. Clinton is like viagra to the Radical Right. It amazes me that after investigation after investigation folks like LeBoutillier and Erickson still insist that somehow Clinton was guilty of all these lies. Yeah, he cheated on his wife, and compounded it by lying on oath about it and to the American people. He received his punishment for that, and it's a wonder and a miracle that his marriage is still intact by God's grace and the power of forgiveness. But really guys, Clinton killed people? I'm sure the Pod People made him do it.
What is it about the former President Clinton that makes every conservative get out their tin-foil hats and start acting like UFO's exist or something. I don't understand why after four years they still have such a hard-on to take down this guy. Clinton is like viagra to the Radical Right. It amazes me that after investigation after investigation folks like LeBoutillier and Erickson still insist that somehow Clinton was guilty of all these lies. Yeah, he cheated on his wife, and compounded it by lying on oath about it and to the American people. He received his punishment for that, and it's a wonder and a miracle that his marriage is still intact by God's grace and the power of forgiveness. But really guys, Clinton killed people? I'm sure the Pod People made him do it.
Friday, July 16, 2004
Didja ever have to make up your mind
Help Lefty make up his mind. I'm looking over the different panels and what not I want to see at the San Diego Comic Con, and have run into a quandary. On Saturday I have four different presentations I want to be at and can only manage one or two of them. They are:
12:00-1:00 DC: Identity Crisis: Murder in the DCU
12:00-2:00 Star Wars Spectacular with Lucasfilms Steve Sansweet
1:00-2:00 Marvel: X-Men Reloaded
1:00-2:00 Smallville Super Session
Now I have a feeling we'll see some footage of Episode III at the Star Wars thing, and I am excited about Episode III next year. Identity Crisis should be a fun and lively discussion especially with so many people upset over Sue Dibney's death, rape, memories being erased and the news that because of Identity Crisis there will be not sequel to Formerly Known as the Justice League. The geek in me wants to go to the X-men thing, because well I have this man-thing for Wolverine (just kidding, but I do want to go). And Smallville I want to go for the possibility I could win free swag (like Season 3 DVDs). So what should I do? Leave your thoughts in the comments area.
12:00-1:00 DC: Identity Crisis: Murder in the DCU
12:00-2:00 Star Wars Spectacular with Lucasfilms Steve Sansweet
1:00-2:00 Marvel: X-Men Reloaded
1:00-2:00 Smallville Super Session
Now I have a feeling we'll see some footage of Episode III at the Star Wars thing, and I am excited about Episode III next year. Identity Crisis should be a fun and lively discussion especially with so many people upset over Sue Dibney's death, rape, memories being erased and the news that because of Identity Crisis there will be not sequel to Formerly Known as the Justice League. The geek in me wants to go to the X-men thing, because well I have this man-thing for Wolverine (just kidding, but I do want to go). And Smallville I want to go for the possibility I could win free swag (like Season 3 DVDs). So what should I do? Leave your thoughts in the comments area.
Live Long and Prosper (under John Kerry)
I had a weird conversation last night while having dinner with some close friends. On my little trip to see Rush last weekend, I gave up the comfort of an inflatable bed to the cramp quarters of a small couch. I remarked that the "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one", a quote from Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. My friend, Anthony remarked that I seem to have an ethics system based on the Star Trek "bible".
Now there are many Christians that feel that Star Trek teaches secular humanism which is supposedly bad, and to that I say get your head out of your asses and go out and actually DO God's work instead of bitching about how much power the devil, his demons, or Hillary Clinton holds in this world.
Anyway, so I say to Anthony that this nation would be better off if we all had a little trekkie in us [at least that's what my wife says ~rimshot!]. Imagine John Kerry giving a stump speech in which he says:
"Let us send a message to our President, that the needs of the many far outweigh the needs of the few. The Halliburtons, the Carlyle group, the pocketbook and stock portforlio of the top 1% of our country, while the many are left to fight and die, left to see their savings dry up, or simply left behind. And for what? A war we had no business fighting, a war that deposed a despot yes, but not worth the cost to our safety and security here at home. We are the United Staes of America, not Klingons! This November, let's beam back Bush to Crawford, TX and with your help together we will boldly go into create better tomorrows, full of promise and full of peace. Live Long and Prosper."
Now there are many Christians that feel that Star Trek teaches secular humanism which is supposedly bad, and to that I say get your head out of your asses and go out and actually DO God's work instead of bitching about how much power the devil, his demons, or Hillary Clinton holds in this world.
Anyway, so I say to Anthony that this nation would be better off if we all had a little trekkie in us [at least that's what my wife says ~rimshot!]. Imagine John Kerry giving a stump speech in which he says:
"Let us send a message to our President, that the needs of the many far outweigh the needs of the few. The Halliburtons, the Carlyle group, the pocketbook and stock portforlio of the top 1% of our country, while the many are left to fight and die, left to see their savings dry up, or simply left behind. And for what? A war we had no business fighting, a war that deposed a despot yes, but not worth the cost to our safety and security here at home. We are the United Staes of America, not Klingons! This November, let's beam back Bush to Crawford, TX and with your help together we will boldly go into create better tomorrows, full of promise and full of peace. Live Long and Prosper."
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Short take on Identity Crisis #2
Geez, I was beginning to think I was the only one who thinks that Identity Crisis is shaping up to be one heck of a good ride, then I came across this short review. I liked issue two so much more than the first issue. The first issue was the setup, and now here in second issue we begin to dive into the mystery of who killed Sue Dibny and what secrets our heroes may be hiding. Without spoiling too much, the secret revolves around one of the most heinous acts that often take place in times of war but our heroes in their response to the act for a moment of time cease to be protectors and become jury as well. I suppose it's the gross misfortune of Sue Dibny that has the comic internet bloggers and messageboarders up in arms, but I do think that Identity Crisis will have a place in the pantheon of classic comic minis like Crisis, Watchmen, and Dark Knight. It is, in my honest opinion, just that good. The mystery of who killed Sue Dibny has my curiosity peaked at an all-time high. I also like the way that Meltzer is reworking all those second and third tier DC villains and injected them with some new cajones. Issue #3 can't come soon enough.
Meurwedge is whuat bwings us togwether twodwhey
(apologies to The Princess Bride)
Well the "Defense of Marriage" Amendment went down in flames yesterday 48-50. It would have taken 60 votes for the amendment to continue and it fell well short of it. What's interesting is the some of the people who voted for it. The biggest sore thumb in the whole thing is "democrat" (who IS he kidding) Zell Miller not only voted for the amendment, but also co-sponsored it. Yeah, he IS Bush's Prison Bitch. Also voting for the amendment were Mitch McConnell, Kit Bond, John Warner, are Kay Bailey Hutchinson all of whom have been divorced, and in Warner's case divorced a few times. There was another Democrat who voted for the amendment, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska. I don't know too much about him, and his voting record isn't linked on his home page, so I don't know where he lies politically. I do know that he sided with the republicans in previous budget votes. Now, I'm not some sort of liberal Grover Norquist that believes that compromise is "date rape", but on this issue I find it odd that any self-respecting Democrat would give help bolster Bush's "preaching to his base" ploy.
It was also very nice to see that 6 Republicans voted against the amendment proceeding: Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, John McCain, Olympia Snowe, and John Sununu.
But the fight isn't over. Evidently the next front in this war to "defend traditional marriage" is in the House of Representatives where some folks there are trying to strip away the jurisdiction of federal courts. This is way more troubling than a straight up or down vote on an amendment like we had in the Senate. The beauty of our government is in it's checks and balances. We need the judicial branch to be able to do their job as the last stand of defense in defending our rights. This is something to keep our eye on as it comes up for debate next week.
Well the "Defense of Marriage" Amendment went down in flames yesterday 48-50. It would have taken 60 votes for the amendment to continue and it fell well short of it. What's interesting is the some of the people who voted for it. The biggest sore thumb in the whole thing is "democrat" (who IS he kidding) Zell Miller not only voted for the amendment, but also co-sponsored it. Yeah, he IS Bush's Prison Bitch. Also voting for the amendment were Mitch McConnell, Kit Bond, John Warner, are Kay Bailey Hutchinson all of whom have been divorced, and in Warner's case divorced a few times. There was another Democrat who voted for the amendment, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska. I don't know too much about him, and his voting record isn't linked on his home page, so I don't know where he lies politically. I do know that he sided with the republicans in previous budget votes. Now, I'm not some sort of liberal Grover Norquist that believes that compromise is "date rape", but on this issue I find it odd that any self-respecting Democrat would give help bolster Bush's "preaching to his base" ploy.
It was also very nice to see that 6 Republicans voted against the amendment proceeding: Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, John McCain, Olympia Snowe, and John Sununu.
But the fight isn't over. Evidently the next front in this war to "defend traditional marriage" is in the House of Representatives where some folks there are trying to strip away the jurisdiction of federal courts. This is way more troubling than a straight up or down vote on an amendment like we had in the Senate. The beauty of our government is in it's checks and balances. We need the judicial branch to be able to do their job as the last stand of defense in defending our rights. This is something to keep our eye on as it comes up for debate next week.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Lefty's Weekly Three Questions
This week it's "Tell Lefty a little bit about yourself" 3 questions. Leave your answers in my comments section. My answers will be there as well:
1. You're casting your own movie of your life. Who do you get to play you and why?
2. What's your favorite book, movie, and comic book?
3. Are you, in real life, "6 Degrees from Kevin Bacon", if so how? What's the link?
1. You're casting your own movie of your life. Who do you get to play you and why?
2. What's your favorite book, movie, and comic book?
3. Are you, in real life, "6 Degrees from Kevin Bacon", if so how? What's the link?
Lefty's Weekly Top Ten
1. XM Radio Last week we subscribed to XM Radio, and ever since I've been preaching it far and wide. I tested it out on my road trip to the Bay Area for a Rush concert. The satellite radio worked quite well, with only a few fade ins and outs, and just a little bit of static. My one complaint, there's just so much stuff I find myself flipping around so much. I need to get a remote control so that I keep my eyes on the road more often. Favorite stations right now are America Left, Deep Tracks, Hit Tracks (Classic Rock), Fred (Classic Alternative), and XM Live.
2. Amazing Race 5 (CBS) My favorite show on TV is back! But it's on so dang late! The guy who decided that this highly entertaining show needs to go on after the crappy and racy Big Brother needs to be fired (and probably rehired by Fox). The beauty of this show was that it became something to get together with your friends for a BBQ and watch. Anyway, this season looks good and it's a little too early for me to have favorites, but I really really hope the girl that was the runner up on last year's Big Brother gets an early exit. Jeez, her and her boyfriend are annoying.
3. Joe Schmo 2 (Spike TV) Wow, this year's offering of Joe Schmo has been pretty good. Yeah the crass humor is just that...but this is a fun show which now has my wife addicted to it. Just got to remember that new episodes are on Monday now. Thank God for repeats.
4. I Love The 90's (VH1) I love the "I Love the ..." series. I have the "I Love the 70's", "I Love the 80's" and "I Love the 80's Strike Back" burned onto DVD-R. The ILT90s is a little strange for me, because the 90s is the period of time I transitioned from my youth/teens into adulthood so I find myself not connecting as much to the toys and kid's shows segments. I always love the snarky comments the folks make, and it was a hoot seeing Kevin Smith appear on the show. I'm recording these and will burn this on DVD-R as well.
5. Allman Brothers Band Macon City Auditorium Macon, GA 2/11/72 This third release in the ABB archive series is only available at their shows or online. The first release was from 1970, the second from 1971, and this one is from 1972. I heard that the archive release will go up to 1975 and then return to 1970. I would love to hear some 90s material, but I am loving these selections. On this 2/11/72, we have the five piece band. After the death of Duane Allman, the band chose not to replace him. Later that year they would add Chuck Leavell on piano, and soon after that bassist Berry Oakley would also die in a motorcycle accident. I love the "One Way Out" on disc one and the "Les Brers in A Minor" on disc 2. A cool show, highly recommended.
6. Rainbow 6 on Xbox Live Yadda Yadda Yadda, still playing this great game. Still not tired of it. Can't wait for the next one coming out in August.
7. Star Wars Clone Wars vol.4 Light and Dark (Dark Horse Comics) I'm a geek for Star Wars, even the recent stuff. Yeah I would be a fool if I said I like the new stuff (episode I and II) as much as the OG trilogy, but I don't hate it. I just like it a bit less. Anyway, Dark Horse and Lucasfilm is doing a great job in marketing these Clone Wars books complete with timelines to show where these stories fit within the Star Wars mythos. This trade paperback is nearly exclusively on the Quinlan Vos, a jedi working undercover for Count Dooku, and flirting with the Dark Side of the Force. The art is decent, not spectacular, but the stories are good.
8. The Daily Show (Comedy Central) It's now required watching in the Lefty household. I'm looking forward to it's Democratic Convention coverage.
9. Living History by Hillary Clinton Just finished this book, now I can get back to reading my comic book trades, and Star Wars candy (sweet but little substance) novels for the rest of the summer. This was a real good book by a woman that has really gotten such a bad rap. I am impressed by how much her faith in God affects her life, and she's sharp as a tack as well. A good read. I'll be tackling her husband's book probably after the November election.
10. Ultimate Spider-man #62 (Marvel) I have two more issue of this title before I drop it. I'm not dropping it because I don't like it, rather I decided to only read it in hardcover trade format. I already have this issue and the other 61 issue for sale on Ebay. Anyway, this issue has all the elements of stuff that as a Spidey geek I should hate: Ben Reilly (spidey's old clone in the regular book) -check, Carnage (a cheap-ass Venom wannabe) -check, and "shocking" death of a cast member. However this issue is really good, and what makes it even better is that we have to wait for the next issue to really feel the emotional weight of the said character's death. It'll be hard to wait for the trades in this case.
2. Amazing Race 5 (CBS) My favorite show on TV is back! But it's on so dang late! The guy who decided that this highly entertaining show needs to go on after the crappy and racy Big Brother needs to be fired (and probably rehired by Fox). The beauty of this show was that it became something to get together with your friends for a BBQ and watch. Anyway, this season looks good and it's a little too early for me to have favorites, but I really really hope the girl that was the runner up on last year's Big Brother gets an early exit. Jeez, her and her boyfriend are annoying.
3. Joe Schmo 2 (Spike TV) Wow, this year's offering of Joe Schmo has been pretty good. Yeah the crass humor is just that...but this is a fun show which now has my wife addicted to it. Just got to remember that new episodes are on Monday now. Thank God for repeats.
4. I Love The 90's (VH1) I love the "I Love the ..." series. I have the "I Love the 70's", "I Love the 80's" and "I Love the 80's Strike Back" burned onto DVD-R. The ILT90s is a little strange for me, because the 90s is the period of time I transitioned from my youth/teens into adulthood so I find myself not connecting as much to the toys and kid's shows segments. I always love the snarky comments the folks make, and it was a hoot seeing Kevin Smith appear on the show. I'm recording these and will burn this on DVD-R as well.
5. Allman Brothers Band Macon City Auditorium Macon, GA 2/11/72 This third release in the ABB archive series is only available at their shows or online. The first release was from 1970, the second from 1971, and this one is from 1972. I heard that the archive release will go up to 1975 and then return to 1970. I would love to hear some 90s material, but I am loving these selections. On this 2/11/72, we have the five piece band. After the death of Duane Allman, the band chose not to replace him. Later that year they would add Chuck Leavell on piano, and soon after that bassist Berry Oakley would also die in a motorcycle accident. I love the "One Way Out" on disc one and the "Les Brers in A Minor" on disc 2. A cool show, highly recommended.
6. Rainbow 6 on Xbox Live Yadda Yadda Yadda, still playing this great game. Still not tired of it. Can't wait for the next one coming out in August.
7. Star Wars Clone Wars vol.4 Light and Dark (Dark Horse Comics) I'm a geek for Star Wars, even the recent stuff. Yeah I would be a fool if I said I like the new stuff (episode I and II) as much as the OG trilogy, but I don't hate it. I just like it a bit less. Anyway, Dark Horse and Lucasfilm is doing a great job in marketing these Clone Wars books complete with timelines to show where these stories fit within the Star Wars mythos. This trade paperback is nearly exclusively on the Quinlan Vos, a jedi working undercover for Count Dooku, and flirting with the Dark Side of the Force. The art is decent, not spectacular, but the stories are good.
8. The Daily Show (Comedy Central) It's now required watching in the Lefty household. I'm looking forward to it's Democratic Convention coverage.
9. Living History by Hillary Clinton Just finished this book, now I can get back to reading my comic book trades, and Star Wars candy (sweet but little substance) novels for the rest of the summer. This was a real good book by a woman that has really gotten such a bad rap. I am impressed by how much her faith in God affects her life, and she's sharp as a tack as well. A good read. I'll be tackling her husband's book probably after the November election.
10. Ultimate Spider-man #62 (Marvel) I have two more issue of this title before I drop it. I'm not dropping it because I don't like it, rather I decided to only read it in hardcover trade format. I already have this issue and the other 61 issue for sale on Ebay. Anyway, this issue has all the elements of stuff that as a Spidey geek I should hate: Ben Reilly (spidey's old clone in the regular book) -check, Carnage (a cheap-ass Venom wannabe) -check, and "shocking" death of a cast member. However this issue is really good, and what makes it even better is that we have to wait for the next issue to really feel the emotional weight of the said character's death. It'll be hard to wait for the trades in this case.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
We're Losing Our Lease, Everything Must Go!
I'm very very busy at work, so I'll have limited time for posting. Just want to plug my ebay auctions. I have a few items up for sale at Ebay. You can view what I'm selling here. Bid away. Sales go to the Lefty Brown Have a Nice Time at San Diego Comic Con Fund.
Friday, July 09, 2004
Could you use it in a sentence?
President George W. Bush welcomes the 2004 Scripps Howard Spelling Bee champion, David Tidmarsh, 14, of South Bend, Ind., to the Oval Office, Thursday, July 8, 2004. David bested 265 other contestants from across the nation to win the prestigious spelling honors. He is the first student from Indiana to win the contest in 76 years.
Time to play, supply your own headline. Here's a few of mine:
D-U-M-B-A-S-S, Dumbass. The president is a dumbass.
(or)
Bush receives help on the proper pronunciation of Terror, Nuclear, and other words.
(or)
Bush meets with a potential replacement for outgoing CIA Chief George Tenet
Leave your headlines in the comments section below.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Guess the 80's Song & Artist
How many songs and artists can you guess? Answers are NOW posted in the comments section.
1. "Deep in my heart I'm a warrior/Can't get food for the king, good God"
2. "I'll tell you one time only, in my business do not mess"
3. "He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich"
4. "It's time to come together/It's up to you, what's your pleasure"
5. "Boys with small talk and small minds/really don't impress me in bed"
6. "Whistling in the graveyard/calling up your girlfriend"
7. "We Are young but getting old before our time/We'll leave the t.v. and the radio behind"
8. "You wanna be in the show/Come on baby lets go"
9. "In the paper today tales of war and of waste/But you turn right over to the T.V. page"
10. "Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin'/Out on the street the traffic starts jumpin'"
11. "We're no strangers to love/You know the rules and so do I"
12. "The wild dogs cry out in the night/As they grow restless longing for some solitary company"
13. "I've got all the patterns down, up until the ninth key. I've got Speedy on my tail, and I know it's either him or me"
14. "She'll take a tumble on you/Roll you like you were dice"
15. "I got this feeling/That time's just holding me down"
16. "I'm in heaven/With the maven of funk mutation"
17. "He tried pretending our dance is just a dance but I see/He's dancing his way back to me"
18. "The deception with tact, just what are you trying to say?"
19. "Cryin' on the corner/Waitin' in the rain/I swear I'll never ever wait again"
20. "Could I have loved someone like the one I see in you/I remember the good times baby now, and the bad times too"
1. "Deep in my heart I'm a warrior/Can't get food for the king, good God"
2. "I'll tell you one time only, in my business do not mess"
3. "He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich"
4. "It's time to come together/It's up to you, what's your pleasure"
5. "Boys with small talk and small minds/really don't impress me in bed"
6. "Whistling in the graveyard/calling up your girlfriend"
7. "We Are young but getting old before our time/We'll leave the t.v. and the radio behind"
8. "You wanna be in the show/Come on baby lets go"
9. "In the paper today tales of war and of waste/But you turn right over to the T.V. page"
10. "Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin'/Out on the street the traffic starts jumpin'"
11. "We're no strangers to love/You know the rules and so do I"
12. "The wild dogs cry out in the night/As they grow restless longing for some solitary company"
13. "I've got all the patterns down, up until the ninth key. I've got Speedy on my tail, and I know it's either him or me"
14. "She'll take a tumble on you/Roll you like you were dice"
15. "I got this feeling/That time's just holding me down"
16. "I'm in heaven/With the maven of funk mutation"
17. "He tried pretending our dance is just a dance but I see/He's dancing his way back to me"
18. "The deception with tact, just what are you trying to say?"
19. "Cryin' on the corner/Waitin' in the rain/I swear I'll never ever wait again"
20. "Could I have loved someone like the one I see in you/I remember the good times baby now, and the bad times too"
I'll do the the blogabout, The word will make you out n out (with apologies to Yes)
+ Farmer over at Corrente writes about a "scary" member of the SCLM, Judy Woodruff.
+ Elayne Riggs at Pen-Elayne posts on a grammatical faux paus and our next Vice-President's family, the Edwardses.
+ Rivka at Respectful of Otters claimes she's the last blogger to write about the Edwards V-P news, strangely enough she still beats the New York Post at it.
+ Scout at And Then... posts on Cheney's poll numbers.
+ Bryant at Make Me a Commentator!!! has an excellent post on Ann Coulter's recent attack on the Kerry-Edwards winning ticket.
+ David over at Edwardpig takes a break from his hiatus to post that Kerry is going to win easily in November. I have been saying for at least a month or so that I think Kerry will kick Bush's ass in November, so David is preaching to a convert here.
+ Upyernoz over at Rubber Hose has a good response to the latest Right Wing Talking Points to bash John Edwards.
+ Michael over at Musing's Musing has a great post about the New Cheney Doctrine, which he swiped from Kos and added some more of his remarks. Good stuff!
+ My good friend, Paul over at Rants and Raves has a rant about Tony Blair's flip-flops. Looking forward to seeing Rush with Paul and friends this weekend.
Lots of other good stuff, but thought I'd just stick to some political stuff. If you have the time visit some of the links on my list over to the right side of the page.
+ Elayne Riggs at Pen-Elayne posts on a grammatical faux paus and our next Vice-President's family, the Edwardses.
+ Rivka at Respectful of Otters claimes she's the last blogger to write about the Edwards V-P news, strangely enough she still beats the New York Post at it.
+ Scout at And Then... posts on Cheney's poll numbers.
+ Bryant at Make Me a Commentator!!! has an excellent post on Ann Coulter's recent attack on the Kerry-Edwards winning ticket.
+ David over at Edwardpig takes a break from his hiatus to post that Kerry is going to win easily in November. I have been saying for at least a month or so that I think Kerry will kick Bush's ass in November, so David is preaching to a convert here.
+ Upyernoz over at Rubber Hose has a good response to the latest Right Wing Talking Points to bash John Edwards.
+ Michael over at Musing's Musing has a great post about the New Cheney Doctrine, which he swiped from Kos and added some more of his remarks. Good stuff!
+ My good friend, Paul over at Rants and Raves has a rant about Tony Blair's flip-flops. Looking forward to seeing Rush with Paul and friends this weekend.
Lots of other good stuff, but thought I'd just stick to some political stuff. If you have the time visit some of the links on my list over to the right side of the page.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Lefty's Three Questions
Here's this week's Lefty's 3 Questions. Leave your answers in my comments section. My answers will be there as well:
1. In November, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney will be voted out of office, but there is still a chance of the (insert nervous laughter) "October Surprise." You know, Usama being "captured" or something like that. What's your scenario for an October Surprise?
2. What CD are you most embarrassed to own, and still listen to?
3. Bruce Jones is now exclusive with DC Comics, leaving The Hulk in need of a new writer. If you were Joe Quesada and had your pick of the contemporary literary world, who would you convince to write the series?
1. In November, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney will be voted out of office, but there is still a chance of the (insert nervous laughter) "October Surprise." You know, Usama being "captured" or something like that. What's your scenario for an October Surprise?
2. What CD are you most embarrassed to own, and still listen to?
3. Bruce Jones is now exclusive with DC Comics, leaving The Hulk in need of a new writer. If you were Joe Quesada and had your pick of the contemporary literary world, who would you convince to write the series?
You found my page, how?
I'm always interested to see how some people find my blog using different searches. Here's a few searches that have resulted in hits to my site:
"Chris Brown Christian speaker"
"Chris Brown" -a lot of hits looking for the Tennessee Titans football player
"local taxes, flint, MI" -probably from my recent post on F9/11
"robot Lefty" -does not compute
"mike wellman+gone south+lefty" -hmm, mike must be searching to see who's been talking about his excellent comic book.
"fresburg star wars" -long long ago in a crappy California city far away
"remake of mr. roboto song" -Styx sucks, please go away
"allman brothers all live will the circle" -ah my peeps!
"bittorrent ultimates" -these aren't the droids you're looking for
"jeph loeb tim sale spiderman blue bittorrent" -just go buy the damn thing! it's well worth it.
"Neverending Story" + bittorrent" -you're gay! (not that there's anything wrong with that)
"john edwards christian"
"john edwards pics"
"john edwards on homosexuality"
"Songs for john edwards" -what i sing in the shower, STAYS in the shower
"john kerry airplane" -wtf?! someone call the secret service!
"sebastian bach of skid row married" -wow, you learn something new everyday
"randi rhoades i'm a cartoon"
"Chris Brown Christian speaker"
"Chris Brown" -a lot of hits looking for the Tennessee Titans football player
"local taxes, flint, MI" -probably from my recent post on F9/11
"robot Lefty" -does not compute
"mike wellman+gone south+lefty" -hmm, mike must be searching to see who's been talking about his excellent comic book.
"fresburg star wars" -long long ago in a crappy California city far away
"remake of mr. roboto song" -Styx sucks, please go away
"allman brothers all live will the circle" -ah my peeps!
"bittorrent ultimates" -these aren't the droids you're looking for
"jeph loeb tim sale spiderman blue bittorrent" -just go buy the damn thing! it's well worth it.
"Neverending Story" + bittorrent" -you're gay! (not that there's anything wrong with that)
"john edwards christian"
"john edwards pics"
"john edwards on homosexuality"
"Songs for john edwards" -what i sing in the shower, STAYS in the shower
"john kerry airplane" -wtf?! someone call the secret service!
"sebastian bach of skid row married" -wow, you learn something new everyday
"randi rhoades i'm a cartoon"
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Kerry-Edwards 2004
I've been saying it for months and now it's official, John Edwards will be John Kerry's Vice-President. This is the best choice for Kerry. The SCLM has already written their story on John Kerry for months now. They say he's too intellectual, too droll, too boring. Edwards on the other hand has been painted by the media as being charismatic, fiery, and charming. Now Kerry will be able to take some of the charisma by osmosis, and be able to have a better showing in the Southern states, and the "fly-over states." I expect to see a double-digit uptick in Kerry's polling now, but then again I don't put much faith in polling. I still think that Kerry will kick Bush's political ass in November. Kerry could run for POTUS with a Mexican stripper as his VP and still win because this year election is a referendum on Bush, and Bush's numbers are in the toilet. When it comes time for people to vote, they'll look and see what a Bush White House has cost them financially, they'll remember their lost friends or loved ones, and what hell our country has been through this past four years.
Still, Kerry has made a wise choice in Edwards, and should get people talking once again about what a Kerry-Edwards White House would look like, and the promise for a better tomorrow. Only a few short months until we put an end to the Bush White House!
Still, Kerry has made a wise choice in Edwards, and should get people talking once again about what a Kerry-Edwards White House would look like, and the promise for a better tomorrow. Only a few short months until we put an end to the Bush White House!
Friday, July 02, 2004
It's Not Easy Being Green (and Dead, sorta)...my thoughts on Green Lantern
The ring was passed to a new hero, Kyle Rayner, who smelled like a Peter Parker clone from a mile away. He was a young man who was an artist who moved to New York to find work. After the death of his girlfriend, he learned that with great powers come great responsibility and awful costuming. Even with the lousy costume, I became a fan, because I felt like I was getting in on the ground floor with a new hero learning the ropes. He was tossed in rather quickly with the Big Boys (and Girl) when he joined the JLA, and uber-writer Grant Morrison played a major role in transforming this wet-behind-the ears Green Lantern into a fundamental part of the team. During this time, new writers have come and gone, some good, some horrible. I happened to liked Judd Winick's run, which got some heat for (gasp! shock!) actually featuring a gay character. Since Hal's departure, Kyle has become more confident, has discovered both his family's roots and his Green Lantern roots, restarted the Green Lantern Corps -a group of intergalactic "cops" who help keep the peace in the universe, got a serious girlfriend and fellow Earth G.L., and even met up with a younger Hal Jordan in some sort of time travel thingie.
So years pass, and it turns out that Hal Jordan returns partly from the dead and becomes The Spectre, whose original job was to be a spirit of vengeance but now had taken up his time trying to be a spirit of Redemption. Well, people sorta saw cracks in the dam at that point, and I knew sometime, somehow we'd see Hal picking daises, not pushing them. The current Green Lantern series closes up shop in a few months here, just in time to see a short return by H.E.A.T.'s favorite writer Ron Marz. Now I've never been a huge fan of Marz. Many of his scripts had great ideas, but bad execution. So far this last storyline has been pretty good, as some mysterious bad guy wants Kyle Rayner's ring, and it doesn't matter if he's dead or alive. The last issue revealed that this bad guy is Major Force, who was the villain that killed Kyle's girlfriend, but I think he's just a shill for someone else.
Anyway, right now there's a ton of speculation about what's going to happen. That is one of the good things about the Internet and comic book news sites. It builds interest, speculation, and hours of diversion from work, friends, wife, and sleep. Lots of people think that Kyle Rayner will be killed off, either by the end of the Green Lantern series in a few months, in the mini-series Identity Crisis, or in the Green Lantern:Rebirth project. Others think that there will be more than enough room for all the G.L.s, much like when the current series first started with three (sometimes four with comedic relief G.L. Gnort dropping in from time to time) Earth Green Lanterns. I happen to think that Kyle will escape Death's Door but will instead find his home out in space. Kyle has made a place for himself in the DC Universe, and with writer Grant Morrison working exclusively for DC right now, I'm beginning to wonder if we won't have two new Green Lantern series in 2005 instead of just one. That would be pretty cool, a spacey Green Lantern series with Kyle, and another more Earth based series with Hal. Of course, we have another major Green Lantern in John Stewart, but it seems his sole purpose right now is to be in the JLA. It will be interesting if his role in the JLA will be challenged when Hal returns.
I am really looking forward to the Rebirth miniseries. Geoff Johns is a very capable writer, proving his chops month in and month out on books like Teen Titans, Flash, and JSA. Geoff has given Green Lantern a run for the money as my favorite DC character in his handle on Flash. He also returned Hawkman to prominence in the pages of JSA and then in his own book. And Ethan is a pretty good artist, he got a bad rep at Marvel with his work on New X-Men, but much of that was because he had little time to make deadlines. For a good look at what he's capable of check out the gorgeous Flash Iron Heights. October can't come soon enough.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
We're Getting Feedback...This Wednesday's Three Questions
I'm trying out a new thing here at Lefty's Place, it's called three questions. Please use the comments section to answer these questions (my answers to the three questions are in my comment area as well).
1. If you had to kill off any major X-Men character (currently not pushing up daisies), who would it be, and why? Keep in mind that the death would remain permanent (yeah I know it's a freakin' comic book nothings permanent, but this is a 'what if' situation).
2. What album/record/tape/CD/mp3/etc by any musical group or artist have you bought and re-bought the most, and how many times have you re-purchased it? Bonus points if you still own the multiple versions/copies of the work.
3. I have this theory the literate folks are either like The Catcher In The Rye or The Lord of the Flies, but almost never both? Why book do you like? Which camp are you in?
1. If you had to kill off any major X-Men character (currently not pushing up daisies), who would it be, and why? Keep in mind that the death would remain permanent (yeah I know it's a freakin' comic book nothings permanent, but this is a 'what if' situation).
2. What album/record/tape/CD/mp3/etc by any musical group or artist have you bought and re-bought the most, and how many times have you re-purchased it? Bonus points if you still own the multiple versions/copies of the work.
3. I have this theory the literate folks are either like The Catcher In The Rye or The Lord of the Flies, but almost never both? Why book do you like? Which camp are you in?
Lefty's Weekly Top Ten
Here's this week's top ten things that's been 'floating my boat.'
1. Fahrenheit 9/11 I'll be seeing this again this weekend with my wife, Kelly. It's a powerful film that stirs up the passions, deepens my convictions, and made me weep. I've been thinking about some of the story structure stuff. For instance, I like how Moore juxtaposes the reaction of the Iraqi woman's loss of her family with the story of the Flint, MI woman's loss of her son. There's other stuff, I'll have to post something more on it later.
2. Spiderman 2 Wow! Saw this last night, and I'm really, REALLY impressed. This is a smart script, and one hecka of a cool summer flick. This one is easily ten times better than the first film. The CGI looks great, and I enjoyed many of the actor's performances. I particularly liked how Doc Ock was a genuine sympathetic villain. I felt that the script was able to give all the characters enough screen time to really make me feel for them. I WILL be seeing this at least one more time on the big screen. Highly recommended!
3. Fever to Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs What the hey, it was a cheap CD, and the snippets I heard sounded good, so I picked it up...and my butt got kicked! If you like The White Stripes, you'll definitely like this disc. It reminds me of White Stripes with a little of early Debbie Harry or Blondie mixed in.
4. Franz Ferdinand They've got a good beat, and you can dance to it. This Scottish band's self-titled debut is darn good. I wasn't too sure how much I'd like it after one listen, but after three listens I"m really grooving to it. Everyone for some reason is comparing it to Radiohead with a dance beat. I disagree, I think they sound more like Flaming Lips mixed with a pinch of The Smiths.
5. Joe Schmo 2 (Spike TV) Man, if you're not watching this real cheesy show you are missing some great stuff. What happens when you make a fake reality show, and one of the "contestants" starts to figure stuff out. This week's episode ended on a "To Be Continued..." which leads me to believe the producers are going to take the easy way out and get rid of the perceptive Ingrid. My one complaint is that the show purposely comes up with some of the most cornball double-entrendres that sorta of gives the clues that not everything is at it seems. For instance, those who get selected by the "bachelor" is given a pearl necklace. The bachelor in his address to the ladies says, "I regret that I can only give three pearl necklaces tonight." Funny, yes, but a little juvenile.
6. True Story Swear to God: 100 Stories (Ati/PlanetLAR) Do yourself a favor, this Saturday go to your nearest participating Comic Book Shop and pick up a free comic book, and also pick up this cheap trade. Creator, and all-around nice guy, Tom Beland collects his one page strips into 100 Stories. There's some funny, funny strips that may cause you some embarrassment as you almost cause your morning coffee to come out your nose in front of your local coffehouse's staff and customers. Ummm, not to say that's happened to me at my favorite coffeehouse, Javawava. No, that was a friend of mine, I swear. Anyway for ten bucks you can pick up this treasure.
7. The Dead 6/16/04 Red Rocks, CO FINALLY! I haven't enjoyed the Grateful Dead/Other Ones/The Dead since the mid-90s. It seemed that every incarnation of the Dead felt like they were just barely keeping things together, but this year the glue that holds them all together is Warren Haynes. I know he doesn't do it all by his lonesome, but like he's doing the Allman Brothers, he makes those playing with him step up to the plate and give some of the best performances. I recently downloaded this show, and I've been loving listening to it. Now I really regret not catching them for $20 when they played last week up in the Bay Area. I'm looking forward to downloading more of this year's summer run...and this week The Dead and the Allman Brothers Band are sharing the stage up in the Northwest. Man I wish I was there, 'cause that will be magical. If you need a copy of this show, drop me an email or comment and we can work something out.
8. Muriel's Wedding DVD I've been on this strange Toni Collette kick as of late. We recently rented this flick, and have now fallen in love with this film. I will be buying this in the near future. Here' the basic premise, according to IMDB: Muriel finds life in Porpoise Spit, Australia dull and spends her days alone in her room listening to Abba music and dreaming of her wedding day. Slight problem, Muriel has never had a date. Then she steals some money to go on a tropical vacation, meets a wacky friend, changes her name to Mariel, and turns her world upside down. Next up for me on the Toni Collette Lefty Brown film festival is "Changing Lanes". So far this is my favorite Toni Collette movie, just barely edging out "About a Boy".
9. Ex Machina (Dc Comics) Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris co-created this excellent comic. What if a super-hero runs for Mayor of New York and wins? Well, pick up this great book and see. The first issue jumps around with time, and the closing image definitely tells the reader that this is a universe that's close to ours but fundamentally different (I won't spoil it for you here). Tony Harris' art is superb. Don't wait for the trade, go out and pick up an issue now (maybe this Saturday, when you also pick up your free comic book).
10. Rainbow 6 on Xbox Live Yep, this game has shown up on my Top Ten more than any one thing. What more can I say about it, other than I hope they bring out some new maps..although with the new game coming out in August I sorta doubt that.
1. Fahrenheit 9/11 I'll be seeing this again this weekend with my wife, Kelly. It's a powerful film that stirs up the passions, deepens my convictions, and made me weep. I've been thinking about some of the story structure stuff. For instance, I like how Moore juxtaposes the reaction of the Iraqi woman's loss of her family with the story of the Flint, MI woman's loss of her son. There's other stuff, I'll have to post something more on it later.
2. Spiderman 2 Wow! Saw this last night, and I'm really, REALLY impressed. This is a smart script, and one hecka of a cool summer flick. This one is easily ten times better than the first film. The CGI looks great, and I enjoyed many of the actor's performances. I particularly liked how Doc Ock was a genuine sympathetic villain. I felt that the script was able to give all the characters enough screen time to really make me feel for them. I WILL be seeing this at least one more time on the big screen. Highly recommended!
3. Fever to Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs What the hey, it was a cheap CD, and the snippets I heard sounded good, so I picked it up...and my butt got kicked! If you like The White Stripes, you'll definitely like this disc. It reminds me of White Stripes with a little of early Debbie Harry or Blondie mixed in.
4. Franz Ferdinand They've got a good beat, and you can dance to it. This Scottish band's self-titled debut is darn good. I wasn't too sure how much I'd like it after one listen, but after three listens I"m really grooving to it. Everyone for some reason is comparing it to Radiohead with a dance beat. I disagree, I think they sound more like Flaming Lips mixed with a pinch of The Smiths.
5. Joe Schmo 2 (Spike TV) Man, if you're not watching this real cheesy show you are missing some great stuff. What happens when you make a fake reality show, and one of the "contestants" starts to figure stuff out. This week's episode ended on a "To Be Continued..." which leads me to believe the producers are going to take the easy way out and get rid of the perceptive Ingrid. My one complaint is that the show purposely comes up with some of the most cornball double-entrendres that sorta of gives the clues that not everything is at it seems. For instance, those who get selected by the "bachelor" is given a pearl necklace. The bachelor in his address to the ladies says, "I regret that I can only give three pearl necklaces tonight." Funny, yes, but a little juvenile.
6. True Story Swear to God: 100 Stories (Ati/PlanetLAR) Do yourself a favor, this Saturday go to your nearest participating Comic Book Shop and pick up a free comic book, and also pick up this cheap trade. Creator, and all-around nice guy, Tom Beland collects his one page strips into 100 Stories. There's some funny, funny strips that may cause you some embarrassment as you almost cause your morning coffee to come out your nose in front of your local coffehouse's staff and customers. Ummm, not to say that's happened to me at my favorite coffeehouse, Javawava. No, that was a friend of mine, I swear. Anyway for ten bucks you can pick up this treasure.
7. The Dead 6/16/04 Red Rocks, CO FINALLY! I haven't enjoyed the Grateful Dead/Other Ones/The Dead since the mid-90s. It seemed that every incarnation of the Dead felt like they were just barely keeping things together, but this year the glue that holds them all together is Warren Haynes. I know he doesn't do it all by his lonesome, but like he's doing the Allman Brothers, he makes those playing with him step up to the plate and give some of the best performances. I recently downloaded this show, and I've been loving listening to it. Now I really regret not catching them for $20 when they played last week up in the Bay Area. I'm looking forward to downloading more of this year's summer run...and this week The Dead and the Allman Brothers Band are sharing the stage up in the Northwest. Man I wish I was there, 'cause that will be magical. If you need a copy of this show, drop me an email or comment and we can work something out.
8. Muriel's Wedding DVD I've been on this strange Toni Collette kick as of late. We recently rented this flick, and have now fallen in love with this film. I will be buying this in the near future. Here' the basic premise, according to IMDB: Muriel finds life in Porpoise Spit, Australia dull and spends her days alone in her room listening to Abba music and dreaming of her wedding day. Slight problem, Muriel has never had a date. Then she steals some money to go on a tropical vacation, meets a wacky friend, changes her name to Mariel, and turns her world upside down. Next up for me on the Toni Collette Lefty Brown film festival is "Changing Lanes". So far this is my favorite Toni Collette movie, just barely edging out "About a Boy".
9. Ex Machina (Dc Comics) Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris co-created this excellent comic. What if a super-hero runs for Mayor of New York and wins? Well, pick up this great book and see. The first issue jumps around with time, and the closing image definitely tells the reader that this is a universe that's close to ours but fundamentally different (I won't spoil it for you here). Tony Harris' art is superb. Don't wait for the trade, go out and pick up an issue now (maybe this Saturday, when you also pick up your free comic book).
10. Rainbow 6 on Xbox Live Yep, this game has shown up on my Top Ten more than any one thing. What more can I say about it, other than I hope they bring out some new maps..although with the new game coming out in August I sorta doubt that.
