 |
||
| BrendanMcKillip.com brendan mckillip's daily journal |
 |
|
|
||
 |
|
|
daily journal
Talkin' Snow The Chicago Sun-Times has a great quote from Illinois Senator Dick Durbin regarding all the snow in the nation's capital. "I never could get over how people in this town reacted to snow," he said. "I am convinced that infants born in Washington, D.C., are taken from the arms of their loving mothers right when they are born into a room where someone shows a film of a snowstorm with shrieking and screaming so that those children come to believe snow is a mortal enemy, like a nuclear attack, because I have seen, for over 40 years here, people in this town go into a full-scale panic at the thought of a snowfall."While I haven't lived in that part of the county, my current job and my last job put me in regular contact with people who live/work in the mid-Atlantic states and I've experienced their abject fear of snow first hand. Office closing, school closing, massive car accidents - all because something other than rain fell out of the sky. It's comical. A foot of snow can bring Virginia or North Carolina to its knees. They get snow in the area enough that you would think they would get used to it, but that just doesn't seem to happen. Snow starts to fall and the people all fall apart. I can't imagine living like that. posted by Brendan | 4:53 PM | permanent link
Why Can't They All Be Like Watterson?  There is plenty of interesting tidbits in the short Q&A session, but this is the part that I found the most interesting. "It's always better to leave the party early. If I had rolled along with the strip's popularity and repeated myself for another five, 10 or 20 years, the people now 'grieving' for Calvin and Hobbes would be wishing me dead and cursing newspapers for running tedious, ancient strips like mine instead of acquiring fresher, livelier talent. And I'd be agreeing with them. ... I think some of the reason Calvin and Hobbes still finds an audience today is because I chose not to run the wheels off it."Now I can't expect all comic strip creators to have the talent and unique voice of someone like Bill Watterson, but is it too much to ask that they have at least some of his artistic integrity? He probably is right. If he had produced Calvin and Hobbes strips for another 5 or 10 years and "run the wheels of it", I would be cursing that strip like I do tired and uninspired strips like Cathy and Beetle Bailey. (Though I honestly can't image ever hating Calvin and Hobbes) Luckily he did not do that, and left when he knew he had said everything he wanted to say with the characters. Now I wish some of those other comic strip creators who call Watterson an inspiring talent would follow his example and step aside for "fresher, livelier talent." Labels: comic strips, Rant posted by Brendan | 9:48 AM | permanent link
Watchmen 2: Electric Boogaloo Today parts of the Intertubes are all aflutter about the rumor that DC is seriously considering publishing some sequel or prequel books based on Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbon's monumental Watchmen novel. Most comic book fans shudder at the thought. It would be like making Citizen Kane 2. It's a sentiment that I share.  My problem with that argument is that with DK2, you had the same creative talent taking on the characters and settings that they crafted the first time around. Miller wrote and drew the first series. He was back to play in the same sandbox in 2001. There is no way in hell Alan Moore would touch a project like this, let alone even acknowledge its existence. His hatred of DC is legendary and well documented. And I would expect Dave Gibbons to fall in line behind Alan Moore � though not for the same reasons. So without Moore and Gibbons DC will have different talent coming in to play with a landmark piece of comic literature. I don�t see that going well. Memories of the dismal Scarlet come to mind. DC would serve themselves best to leave well enough alone. Watchmen has become their biggest selling graphic novel because of Moore�s and Gibbon�s perfect creative synergy in a standalone piece of literature that has not been diluted with spin-offs and sequels. The books remains powerful for its superb storytelling technique, provocative themes, and memorable characters. Hopefully DC will leave it that way. posted by Brendan | 7:29 PM | permanent link
Dick Tracy by Joe Staton Joe Staton is one of the many artists who have contributed work for a charity art auction taking place this month. Based on his rendering of Dick Tracy, I would love to see a Dick Tracy comic handled by Staton.  Then again, anything would be an improvement to the insufferable pencilings of Dick Locher. Labels: art, comic strips, Rant posted by Brendan | 4:56 PM | permanent link
Some Quotes and Thoughts Read a few quotes this week that struck a chord with me. The first one comes via the shitmydadsays twitter feed. "No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist." Besides finding this quote laugh-out-loud funny, I felt like I could relate to the message behind the quote. I am often tagged with the label of "pessimist" because of my tendency to consider or anticipate all of the ways something could go wrong. What people don�t understand is that I don�t expect things to go wrong � which would be the definition of a pessimist � I just want to take time to consider what could go wrong and plan out how I might need to respond to that change. Maybe I take more time than necessary to consider all of the bad, but that still doesn�t mean I expect them to happen. I just don�t like being surprised or not ready with a response. The other was a comment by someone to an article on HuffingtonPost.com (I don�t remember the article) This is why we can't look to politics for answers. One party is a streamlined, effective machine that gets everything it wants, no matter the obstacles, but has terrible ideas on just about every modern issue. The other has far better (though not perfect) ideas and aspirations, but makes a herd of cats look organized, and a monkey in kitchen look competent. You can't vote for Republicans, because their string of successes are absolute losses for everyone around them and the planet as a whole, and you can't vote for the Democrats because they can't wash their hands without getting a black eye, let alone actually accomplish something meaningful. Politicians only do the right thing when forced to, dragged kicking and screaming all the way, by a populist movement that they can't ignore. That's the only thing I can think of that might serve as a feasible substitute for both the t-est-icles the democrats forgot on their way to Washington, and the morality that the republicans have never had. Which pretty much sums up why I loathe politics, have little faith in any level of government, and tear my eyeballs out in frustration over the voting public�s continued acquiescence to a two-party political system. And I don�t even want to talk about the Supreme Court�s insane decision yesterday that will now allow corporations to spend money on political campaigns unabated. I thought the US government was for the people by the people. The Court said in its decision that it was a matter of Free Speech. When did a company earn the same rights as an individual? This leads me to my a third quote I stumbled into that does a good job summing up what I think the Supreme Court decision means for the future of our democratic representative government. "We are moving to an age where we won't have the senator from Arkansas or the congressman from North Carolina, but the senator from Wal-Mart and the congressman from Bank of America." - Melanie Sloan, director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. posted by Brendan | 4:12 PM | permanent link
One of These Doesn't Belong The US Post Office announced their special stamp issues for 2010. The release that caught my attention was the one planned for this summer that will feature comic strips. Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, Archie and Friends, Calvin & Hobbes, and finally Garfield.  Archie is a classic comic character better known for his comic book incarnations than comic strip appearances, but I guess I can let that slide. (Though after comparing the Archie comic strips being produced today against the Archie comic books being published today, I think its best we ignore Archie�s comic strip existence.) Calvin & Hobbes is a one of the great, enduring pieces of comic strip art that is superb not only for the life and creativity that Bill Watterson brought to the form, but also because he understood that the time comes when you said your part and you need to leave the stage. But Garfield? It�s a comic strip that was intentionally designed and produced for the greatest licensing potential. There was little sense of creation because the artist loved the medium. Jim Davis saw an opportunity and aggressively (and very successfully) built a licensing empire on the back of fat orange cat. I hate Garfield, and I hate that it is included in this collection of stamps. Labels: comic strips, Rant posted by Brendan | 12:43 PM | permanent link
Football Grumblings I don�t even want to talk about the Bears. If it wasn�t obviously from the last two weeks that the Bears coaching staff � namely Lovie Smith � is unable to prepare the team to play football each week, then yesterday�s sad little performance should have made it painfully clear. I�m considering jumping on the bandwagon and becoming a New Orleans Saint fan for the rest of the season. Instead, let�s talk about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Many football seasons ago, when Lord Charlie Weis was handed the keys Rockne�s office, the sports pundits and football intelligencia proudly spoke of Weis� superior skills in designing offensives and building up quarterbacks. Certainly that would translate into good things in South Bend. Nearly five complete football seasons since then and what does the Irish have to show for Weis�s leadership? A potent offense and spectacular quarterback, but not much else. No defense. No special teams. No team identity.  At what point does Charlie start paying attention to what is happening with Jimmy Clausen isn�t on the field and start working on making the defense play as intense and consistent as the offense? Is that even possible? Labels: Chicago Bears, football, Notre Dame, Rant posted by Brendan | 4:52 PM | permanent link
Moving from Indifference to Hatred Apparently the New York Yankees won their MLB-record 27th World Series last night when they finished off the Phildelphia Phillies 7-3. I say apparently because until I saw the headline online this morning, I was completely oblivious to the fact that the Yankees were on the verge of winning the series. I never considered myself a Yankees hater, like so many other people I see out there who spit bile when ever the team is mentioned, but seeing how the series had gone 6 games and I was unaware of it being played made me think that at subconscious level my sports awareness shuts off when the NY Yankees are mentioned. Over the past number of years, even if I wasn't watching every game, I have been at least aware how the World Series is playing out. That didn't happen this year at all. I found that sort of interesting. Made me wonder if there are other teams that I instinctively block out. Have the Lakers won the NBA championship yet? Then again, maybe it's time to become a Yankee hater. Especially when their players throw quotes like this around: "It feels better than I remember it, man," captain Derek Jeter said. "It's been a long time."Yes, I bet those long nine years have been torture on your fan base. Bastards. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 12:45 PM | permanent link
Maybe They Let Him Ride on the Team Bus Is Chicago Tribune columnist David Haugh on the Chicago Bears� payroll? I ask because for years the guy has seemed hard pressed to write anything negative about the team. If he does, it is something weak like, "The Bears need to work harder at establishing their running game early." Great. Instead, we get what usually reads like fluff pieces that started from a Bears press release. For instance, over the last two weeks we have gotten articles from Haugh that: 1) Defend the Bears� decision to extend quarterback Jay Cutler�s contractNow the first article I don�t have much beef with. Cutler has been impressive. Why not lock him up. But the other two? Especially when you consider that both articles were written after the Atlanta and Cincinnati games where the Bears looks woefully unprepared and poorly coached. It's like he's watching a different team then the rest of us. It�s because of him that I actually spend very little time reading about the Bears in the Chicago Tribune. For all the grief Chicago South Siders have given the Trib for being too easy on the Chicago Cubs when the newspaper owner the team, I think the Trib gives the Bears a much easier time overall. Labels: Chicago Bears, Rant posted by Brendan | 1:20 PM | permanent link
More Proof the People are Idiots I'm not sure what frustrates me more about these survey results. The fact that drivers don't think writing messages on a tiny screen with a teeny-tiny keyboard doesn't impact their ability to drive or the fact that people are doing all of these other things when driving.  posted by Brendan | 12:43 PM | permanent link
Don't Even Look at the Peanuts!  Growing up I was aware that some people were allergic to peanuts - and that it could be dangerous for them - but we were all still going about our day same as the next guy. If you were allergic to a certain food, you took the necessary precautions. But now it seems like everywhere you turn there are warnings about the possible existence of peanuts like there mere mention of them will bring a person to their knees. Are that many people really allergic to peanuts or is it an over reaction by companies that are trying to cover every inch of their ass from any potential lawsuit? Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 10:32 PM | permanent link
Why You Gotta Mess With Our Kringle? Ever since Heather and I spent a weekend in Racine, WI and discovered the Danish-goodness of the kringle, ordering and enjoying kringle from O&H Bakery has quickly become a holiday tradition in our home. We order 4 kringle to arrive just before Thanksgiving. Eat one Thanksgiving morning while the kids and I watched the Macy�s parade on TV, and the remaining three would go into the deep freezer to be thawed and devoured on Christmas morning, New Year�s Day, and special occasion to be named later.  We always order 4 because that was how O&H structured their shipping. It cost as much to ship one kringle as it did to ship 4. It made economical sense. (And provided an excuse to have more of the heavenly flakey pastry in the house)This past week Heather and I received emails from O&H advertising (among other things) their new $9.95 shipping. This intrigued Heather and me because we both knew that shipping used to be around $12 for 4 kringle. Could O&H Bakery really have lowered prices for shipping? Would we be saving on our order this year? What we learned when we visited the O&H Bakery website was that they had restructured their shipping plan altogether. Shipping did start at only $9.95, but that was for orders between $0 and $50. Gone was the structure of by number of kringle ordered. Probably, I suspect, because O&H is now selling more than just kringle through their website and wanted a shipping plan that reflected this. Heather thought that are order last year for 4 kringle had come in around $50. Again, would we still benefit from the new shipping structure? I checked.  Sure enough, last year�s order was exactly $50 for 2 almond kringle, 1 cream cheese kringle, and 1 cherry cheese kringle. We were charged $11.50 for shipping.We still couldn�t believe that the company would actually be lowering prices. Companies just don�t do that. That cost had to have been moved over somewhere else; and we quickly discovered where it was � in the price of the kringle itself. Prices for all kringles had gone up to a flat $14.95 regardless of flavor. O&H used to have a tiered pricing system for the kringle. Basic flavors like almond went for $12, more unique ones like cherry cheese went for $13, and specialty/seasonal flavors were in the $14-15 range. O&H flattened the price of the kringle to offset the change in shipping structure. They�d still be making their money � and probably even more. In the end it means we�re probably going to go from ordering 4 kringle to ordering 3. An order of 3 kringle will be $44.85, and will keep us in the first tier for shipping, bring our total to $54.80. If we stuck with our traditional order of 4 kringle, it would cost us $59.80, which then puts us in the next tier up for shipping ($13.95) and would bring our grand total to $73.75. That�s starting to get pretty pricey for some danish. Even ones as fabulous as the ones from O&H Bakery. The increase in costs is especially depressing when you consider our first mail order with O&H Bakery, back in 2004, cost us a total of $45.55. That was 4 kringle (3 at $7.95 a piece, 1 at $9.95) and included shipping. 5 years and O&H have nearly doubled their prices for a kringle.  We�ve talked about switching to other kringle, but we�ve tried other kringle and none of it measures up to O&H. Heather is threatening to drive up to Racine, WI to buy straight from the bakery � she assumes the prices per kringle will be cheaper. I think the amount of gas and time consumed during the 200 mile round-trip drive will eat up any savings.I guess the plus side to all this is that we will be . . . Wait. What the hell am I saying. There�s no plus side to this. We want our damn kringle and we�re mad that price increase will either cause us to decrease our order or pay more out of pocket for the delicious taste of kringle on Thanksgiving morning. What can I say, kringle is like crack for my family. We�re irreconcilably addicted and pissed that the cost of getting our fix has gone up. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 7:31 PM | permanent link
My Health Care Rant I've been baffled and frustrated with the debate over health care that has been so dominate over the last few months. I didn't understand the rush to pass legislation and I don�t care for the scare tactics and incendiary language that both sides use when publicly debating the issue. Don�t give me "what if's" and "coulds," give me facts so I can decide for myself. Then I found this article on Huffington Post by Dr. Mark Hyman and realized what was really bugging me about the great Health Care Reform debate � The White House and Congress isn't working on reforming health care in America, they are reforming health care insurance. Hyman argues that what we need to do is work on creating better value out of health care, not lower costs so we can do a greater volume of care. If we change our approach to health care so that it focuses on creating a better product � healthier people who don�t get diseases or illness � then lower health care costs will follow. It�s an argument that makes more sense to me than the idea of government run insurance plans and negotiated lower prices from pharmaceutical companies. Improve how we deliver health care � what the grand purpose of health care is - and the upside is healthier people who are reliant less on the health care system downstream. "If the medical visit does not incorporate the science of 'health creation', in addition to symptom suppression, then the burden of disease and the cost of health care will continue to rise unchecked. There is only one problem. The focus in health reform is on doing what we already do better, not doing the right thing. We are looking for ways to pay less for what we are already doing, not pay less as a result of improving the 'product' of health care - the health of the individual, and communities."Of course, in a health care system that has grown up around a premise of treating the sick, this kind of change will be difficult. Nobody wants to give up their golden goose. "The unspoken secret in health reform is that if we are to reduce our costs, including improving value through improving health outcomes per dollar spent, and health care costs are potentially reduced from $2.5 trillion to $1 trillion annually, then some in the health care system will be out significant amounts of cash. We can't just keep doing the same thing and pay a little less and expect a different outcome. The industries that profit from the sickness and obesity of Americans will have to retool to profit from health promotion, or go out of business."Ultimately I have little hope that the men and women in Washington crafting their reform package will actually deliver a plan that has lasting positive value. In the end, any bill passed will probably be an exercise in re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and at a considerable high cost to tax payers. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 5:14 PM | permanent link
The Deification of Youth and Stupidity Craig Ferguson is a genius. I should watch his show more often. posted by Brendan | 10:05 PM | permanent link
Apollo 11 versus Wal-Mart The Chicago Tribune has a short article arguing that while Apollo 11 reaching the moon in July of 1969 was momentous, they real �big� event of 1969 happened a few months later when Sam Walton incorporated Wal-Mart. Trib writer Rob Manker thinly argues that the creation of Wal-Mart had a much more direct and lastingly influence on American than the Moon landing. For better and for worse, the existence and success of Wal-Mart has influenced the way we shop, how we live, and how business is conducted. It�s an interesting question to ponder. I want to believe that the Moon landing was more influential; but when I consider what�s happened over the last forty years since Neil Armstrong�s first steps I have a hard time getting excited about the U.S. space program or revealing its influence on American life. posted by Brendan | 4:41 PM | permanent link
And So It Begins I've seen stores do "Christmas in July" sales, but Sears & Kmart are taking things to a whole new level this summer. They've already launched their Christmas Lane departments online and in stores.  And according to the story I read on the Chicago Tribune, it sounds like other retailers could take the Christmas Creep to a whole new levels this year. Ugh. Hopefully the all-Christmas radio stations will still hold off until November. posted by Brendan | 3:55 PM | permanent link
Why I Avoid the Comments Section on Newspaper Stories A Chicago Tribune editorial dealing with President Obama�s plans for Health Care reform � which was published the morning of 6/16 � currently has 247 comments A Chicago Tribune story about President Obama killing a fly in the middle of television interview � which was published at 6:45am on 6/17 � currently has 271 comments The editorial is critical and questioning of Obama and the Democrats plans. The fly-killer story is a short fluff piece. Yet the fly-killer piece has gotten more comments in 6 hours than the editorial has gotten in 24 hours. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 1:08 PM | permanent link
Dumb People Get Wet  When I woke up this morning at 5:45 am I noticed that it was raining.When I was downstairs at 6:15 am making my lunch and eating breakfast I noticed that it was raining. When I was in my car driving to the train station at 6:40 am I noticed that it was raining. When I parked my car at the train station at 7:00 am I noticed that it was raining. It was painfully clear to me that it was raining this morning and that if I didn�t take the necessary precautions I would end up very wet walking from my car to the train station. That�s why I was wearing a jacket and carrying my umbrella when I got out of the car. So I wonder what the dude walking through the parking lot with no jacket and no umbrella and an increasing water-soaked shirt was noticing all morning while he was preparing to leave for the train station? I would have asked him, but he was wearing headphones and was preoccupied with trying to figure out how he could keep his Walkman radio and his newspaper dry. Labels: Observation, Rant posted by Brendan | 2:43 PM | permanent link
Resign Already  The news that there are wiretaps revealing Roland Burris talked with former Governor Rod Blagojevich's brother about how to raise money for Rod without it looking like he was buying his way into the vacant Illinois Senate seat doesn't surprise me.If anything, it strengthens my perception of Roland Burris as a insignificant little man who desperately wanted to be someone special and important. If not already there, Burris is on his way to becoming as large of a joke in Illinois as Rod Blagojevich. What could clinch it is if Burris decides to move ahead with a re-election campaign. posted by Brendan | 12:49 PM | permanent link
My Only Comment on Drew Peterson I�ve been avoiding the media circus surrounding Drew Peterson for the last 10 months or so. The story is tragic, but I find the coverage of the story and Peterson�s over-blown personality a disgusting thing to behold. So I don�t read the stories and I turn the TV channels when I start to encounter anything related to Peterson. But on the night he was arrested a few weeks back on charges that he had murdered his third wife, Kathleen Savio, I accidentally stumbled through CNN while trying to find the Versus network to watch the Blackhawks (Versus is a hard station to find) and CNN was talking about Drew Peterson. Drew�s lawyer was on the phone being interviewed by Larry King. I lingered only for a moment, just long enough to learn two things � one, that Peterson had been arrested; and two, that anyone associated with Peterson�s defense or PR should also be put on trial. Peterson�s lawyer was wondering aloud on whether or not twelve adults could be found in northern Illinois to serve on an impartial jury. Considering how the local media had covered and portrayed Peterson on TV and in print, Peterson�s attorney argued, he believed it would be difficult locating people who hadn�t already formed an opinion on Peterson�s innocence or guilt. Maybe, he suggested, a jury would have to be imported from down state or somewhere else to serve on the trial. What? While I won�t excuse the news outlets from over-exposing this story, they could have showed more self-restraint in feeding Peterson�s narcissistic personality, they are not the only one to blame in this situation. Peterson could have refused the interviews or kept to himself. His lawyer could have told him to shut his mouth and keep a lower profile. His PR firm could have been fired. Instead Peterson�s been whoring himself out to every news program, talk show, and sensationalist producer that was willing to slap Peterson�s face on screen. His over-exposure and portrayal within the media is as much his creation as the medium. Hopefully there aren�t any expensive motions for change of venue or extraordinary measures taken for building an impartial jury. If there is then it will be because Peterson couldn�t keep his mouth shut or his face out of a camera for the last year. Which means his defense and PR team should be required to foot the bill, not Illinois tax payers. And that�s all I�m going to say on the subject. This is my first and last post on Drew Peterson. It bothers me that I�ve even given him this much of my time. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 9:51 PM | permanent link
Ugh It's not enough that we've polluted and cluttered most of the planet, apparently we have clogged the space around the planet as well.  This computer generated image, supplied by NASA, shows objects that are currently being tracked in Earth orbit. Approximately 95% of the objects in this illustration are orbital debris, i.e., not functional satellites. The dots represent each item. The orbital debris dots are scaled according to the image size of the graphic to optimize their visibility and are not scaled to Earth. This image provide a good visualization of where the greatest orbital debris populations exist. The space shuttle Atlantis is flying at about 350 miles above Earth, an area littered with more dangerous space junk than the lower orbits where shuttles normally park at the international space station. Even if aliens were trying to contact us, would they be able to penetrate the junk we surrounded ourselves with? posted by Brendan | 3:52 PM | permanent link
5 Things I Think The problem is that now I have to deal with individual people�s stupidity. A company can always overcome stupidity behind the counter be changing its training or hiring practices. There�s nothing that can be done about the slow minded yahoos who are afraid of technology yet still choose to lumber through the painfully simple touch screen display of a CVS check-out station. And I think there are others who would agree with me on this. Even on TV it�s a great experience.  I haven't heard or seen any of the sports media talking heads broach this subject, but I have to think that with a little time � and maybe a championship or two � that talk should rise to the surface. Maybe it already has and I'm just not aware of it or maybe in general discussion has moved beyond who will be the next "Michael Jordan" to "who will be the next dominate player in the NBA."  When the Chicago Tribune put the Pepsi-Cola Throwback into a taste test against regular Pepsi-Cola (I know this is the sort of hard-hitting journalism that will keep the newspapers relevant for another 100 years), one of the comments related to Pepsi Throwback was, "Now this tastes the way Pepsi should."Their reaction to the regular Pepsi-Cola was, "Too syrupy." I've avoided Pepsi-Cola for years because I thought it was too syrupy tasting. I think I'd like to give this Pepsi Throwback a try while it's in stores. Labels: 5 Things I Think, Chicago Blackhawks, Rant posted by Brendan | 10:08 PM | permanent link
5 Things I Think I'm attending an email conference for the third year in a row, and this time I finally decided to stay at the hotel associated with the conference center. The hotel is a posh-posh resort run by Marriott. They charge $16 for 24 hours of internet access. The hotel I stayed at the last two years � which was five minute drive away � gave me Wi-Fi Internet access for free and was nearly hundred dollars cheaper per night. This is last time I stay at this resort.  [via]  I can't wait for this to open and get Ian, Emma, and Zoe up there. It will be a blast.  Check out his blog. Labels: 5 Things I Think, Chicago, Comics, Rant posted by Brendan | 10:32 PM | permanent link
I'll Continue to Chew My Food, Thanks David Edwards has invented inhalable chocolate.  He calls it Le Whiff, and he was able to develop it thanks to work he has done on creating inhalable insulin and an inhalable TB vaccination.According to the story in the Chicago Tribune, Edwards developed a modified inhaler that delivers a thin layer of chocolate particles - too large to enter the lungs - that coat the inside of your mouth with the taste of chocolate. That's all fine and kooky-weird in a fun way, but this was what I thought was just plain goofy from the story: "We believe really strongly that there's a whole new way of eating�by aerosol," Edwards, 48, said in a phone interview from Paris. "The big picture here is that for thousands of years we've eaten with our hands or, more recently, with chopsticks and forks and things. We're sort of moving on. People have been whiffing [my product] here in Paris for the past few months."I have a hard time believing that the next logical step in eating evolution is to get food into our bodies by spraying it out of a can (cheez whiz and whip cream aside). I understand stumping for your new invention/product, but claiming that we're ready to move beyond forks and spoons to a spray can is taking it a tad too far. Dial it down a notch there. posted by Brendan | 1:28 PM | permanent link
Finally, Someone Understands  I�ve been ranting about how disgusting dudes wearing sandals are for years and always get quizzical looks from people when they hear my arguments against male sandal wearing. Now I can tell them I�m not the only one who is disgusted by the sight of a man in sandals, there�s also a talking . . . .duck . . . . inna online . . . . comic . . . that shares my . . . . Ah, damn, people are still gonna look at me funny when I talk about this, aren�t they? Labels: comic strips, oddities, Rant posted by Brendan | 12:34 PM | permanent link
5 Things I Think And if none of them are named McKillip, why don't they explain the origin of the name on their website? I'm curious. That�s just not right. Aaaaah!  Trop50, the 50% less sugar orange juice "beverage" from Tropicana, may be the worst tasting liquid I have ever ingested that wasn�t intended for medicinal purposes.I'm not sure if I'll be able to forgive Heather for bringing that into our house. I think she received this sorry excuse for a drink for free from the store. Who is this product for? The sugar and calories from your orange juice isn't going to kill you. Cut the sugar and calories out from someplace else. Ugh. My tongue hurts just thinking about Trop50. Starting this May, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be screening each of the 10 Best Picture nominees from 1939 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of what is probably Hollywood�s greatest year. Ten great pieces of film making, plus animated shorts from 1939 and chapters of Universal�s Buck Rogers serial from that year as well, all up on the big screen. And the series ticket is only $25 � that�s $2.50 per movie! That would be a fantastic ten weeks. But then I realize that�s only one reason for being in California and I can always come up with five or ten reasons to stay in the Midwest. Labels: 5 Things I Think, Chicago, classic movies, Family, oddities, Rant posted by Brendan | 1:08 PM | permanent link
Internet Annoyance Day  Enough of the cheeky website pranks and fake press releases on April 1, 2009. Let's give it a rest already. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 11:49 AM | permanent link
Country. Why'd it Have to be Country? I love my wife. Love her bunches. I love her enough that I�m not bothered by her conservative political views or misplaced devotion to reality TV programs.  I�ve learned to take in stride her rabid support for the Ohio State Buckeyes and her unique organization habits.I can even overlook that she mispronounces the work �insurance� and �strawberry� (She puts the emPHASis on the wrong sylLABle) But recently she has taken up an activity that I�m not sure if our love can overcome. She has declared herself a county music fan. Now, there isn�t anything wrong with country music. All forms of music are art and certainly can be appreciated. However, I have yet to be able to comprehend how anyone can listen to more than two country music songs in a row and not go a little batty in the brain. All those twangy voices and steel guitars, it gets to be so, so . . . country after a while. And every song is a little story about how a guy met a girl, or woman killed her husband, or something cute and wacky that kids say. Ugh.  Again, I�m not saying there�s anything wrong with country music. After all, country music does have the highest per capita number of attractive female singers of any music genre. But unfortunately there are no pictures on radio. So I�m still left with the music. Is it me, or is tuning into a country music radio station feel like listening to a series of Ford Truck commercials being played back to back to back.And now Heather is becoming a fan. The radio in our van is being left on US-99, Chicago�s (only) country music radio station. The stereo in the family room is set to US-99. She�s even using the last of an iTunes gift card she received lately to bolster up her country music collection. Obviously I can�t change her, but right now I don�t know how I will live with a country music spinning wife. This could be the biggest challenge to our marriage since the 2006 Fiesta Bowl. posted by Brendan | 8:40 AM | permanent link
5 Things I Think  Is it possible to have a favorite kind of potato? I think it is.Red potatoes, quartered up, boiled, and then served with lots of melted butter and a touch of salt & pepper. It�s like candy. I could eat them with every meal. Considering the size of the bag of reds Heather brought home the other day, eating them for every meal might be the case for a while. As for how the rest of the season goes? I don�t care right now. But at least I have that first game to look forward to.  I think I�m actually looking forward to driving to Florida with the wife and kids. This summer, to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary, Heather parents are taking all of their kids, kids-in-law, and grandchildren on a 5-day/4-night Disney Cruise. (generous, I know)Heather and I have foregone flying from Chicago to Florida because of the cost of the airline tickets. Even with prices coming down, it would still be very expensive for all five us to fly. So we�re driving. Google Maps says the trip 18 hours of driving. While I know it will probably become unbearably frustrating at times to be trapped inside our van with four other people, I think overall driving will be sort of exciting. It will be an opportunity to see a bunch of stuff that we don�t normally see and to hopefully be concerned less with the destination and more about enjoying the journey. Then again, maybe you should check back with my in August, after all this has happened. Warner Brothers does have all their titles available yet, but www.warnerarchive.com is always growing. Labels: 5 Things I Think, Chicago Bears, classic movies, Rant, Sports posted by Brendan | 1:06 PM | permanent link
Good Luck With That  From today's Chicago Tribune:Sears Tower will change its name to Willis Tower this summer, under the terms of a lease signed by global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings.If the past few years have taught me anything, I've learned that Chicagoans don't like outsiders coming in a renaming their cultural landmarks. Of course everyone in Chicago will continue to refer to the building as "Sears Tower", we've been doing that for over thirty years. If the name ever switches within the public consciousness, it will probably take another thirty years to work it's way in - maybe longer. Consider this. There are streets in Chicago that received new names when my Dad was a kid, but to this day my Grandparents still refer to those streets by their original name. My Dad knows to do the conversion in his head, but that doesn't happen for me. I only know the new name. If the name change sticks for the Sears Tower, it will probably follow a use progression similar to that. I will forever call it Sears Tower, Ian (my son) will learn both names, and his kids (shudder) might only know it as Willis Tower. Then again, at least when the street names were changing it was by Chicagoans and usually to a name to honor a Chicagoan. Willis Tower will be named after a London-based insurance broker. So the building could go on as Sears Tower forever. (I'd like it noted that I avoided the obvious, "What you talkin' 'bout Willis" jokes that this story inspires) posted by Brendan | 12:39 PM | permanent link
Constitution? What's That? I guess I was naive to believe that now that former President George W. Bush is out of office I won� t have to hear about him anymore. Whether President Obama proves to be the right or wrong choice, at least the country was picking up and moving on from 8 years of W�s misguided governing. Apparently W�s follies are going to keep coming back to haunt us as information, documents, recordings, and other damning evidence of the depths of the Bush Administration�s reckless and possibly illegal activities come to light. Today�s it�s the release of memos written by Bush�s legal team to justify actions the White House wanted to take in their War on Terror. Looks like the Bush lawyers didn�t bother to read the Constitution before they started scribbling out their briefs. From a story about the released memos in today's Chicago Tribune: A March 2002 memo, for example, said holding prisoners in wartime "is an area in which the president appears to enjoy exclusive authority, as the power ... is not reserved by the Constitution in whole or in part to any other branch of government."It�s probably a damn miracle we didn�t end up living in a police state back in 2002. posted by Brendan | 1:49 PM | permanent link
There's Nothing Miserable About Chicago I�ve told myself a number of times that I wasn�t going to comment on it � but the story keeps popping up and every time it does it�s like a little paper cut on your finger that keeps getting opened up. Forbes.com's released a list of "America's 10 Most Miserable Cities" that they compiled using the following criteria: commute times, corruption, pro sports teams, Superfund sites, taxes (both income and sales), unemployment, violent crime and weather.  Chicago came in #3 on the list.I know I�m responding emotionally to the use of the word �miserable�. If Forbes had used another term like �least desirable� or �challenging� cities to live in, the response might not have been so vehement. But I don�t think that was ever Forbes intention. They chose the word �miserable� so people in those ten cities would register all sorts of reactions, get them talking about Forbes, blah, blah, blah. Again, this is why I didn�t want to comment or acknowledge the article. So why am I? Because it just burns me that Forbes continues to publish this sort of irresponsible, faux-science reporting. You can�t just pick some criteria, come up with rankings, and then claim that this place or that place is a better or worse place to live. Why you call one town over another your home cannot be reduced to crunching numbers or the scientific method. Chicago Sun-Times columnist (one of the few things I like about the Sun-Times) Neil Steinberg sums up my aggravation with Forbes� article nicely in his column today: What the Forbes study overlooks is that Chicago is not populated by Manhattan scribes nor Boulder mountain climbers, but Chicagoans. We are a hearty tribe, made of stronger stuff, and delight in challenges that only seem miserable to those who don't know any better. Calling our city miserable is like an agoraphobic calling baseball awful because it takes place outside. It says a lot more about the complainer than the thing being complained about. We love it here, and pity those whose appreciation of life is so constricted that they fail to see why.Now that I�ve gotten that off my chest, maybe I can finally start ignoring Forbes� story and return to enjoying living in (or at least near) Chicago. posted by Brendan | 1:18 PM | permanent link
His Name Ain't "Sometimes Cookie Monster"  My initial reaction to reading Sunday�s installment of Sheldon was, "No, he must have some of his information wrong. No way they would do that to Cookie Monster."But a brief scan through Cookie Monster�s Wikipedia entry backs Sheldon�s statement up � at least the part about Cookie Monster promoting healthy eating. He still eats cookies, but now they are a "sometimes food." I always take whatever I read on Wikipedia with a healthy dose of skepticism, but there are enough outside citations to confirm the fact that Cookie Monster has indeed abandoned his pro-cookie agenda. This startling revelation makes the Cookie Monster DVD Zoe brought home from the library this past week so much more fun - and important - to watch. The DVD collects classic sketches starring Cookie Monster at his anarchy-producing best; before he became a soul-less tool of the establishment forced into teaching children the sort of responsibility and moderation they should be getting from their parents. I would hate for Zoe to grow up thinking Cookie Monster thought cookies are a "sometimes food." Labels: comic strips, Family, Fun, Rant posted by Brendan | 10:30 AM | permanent link
Colossal Waste of Technology  Saw a guy on the train this evening playing solitaire on his iPhone.Dude, you've got an iPhone, an amazing device that will allow you to do just about anything you want - listen to music, talk to people, watch movies, or surf the web. Plus, there are hundreds of applications you can buy for cheap to run on the iPhone. And you're playing solitaire. The game that came standard with Windows 3.0 in 1990. You do not deserve an iPhone posted by Brendan | 9:34 PM | permanent link
Ah, Winter 6+ inches of snow on the ground. Snot-freezing temperatures.  Yes sir, this is a good winter. (Side note: I think my pants froze during my walk from the train station to my office. They were cracking when I took each step.) These extreme weather conditions are one of the reasons why I love living in Chicago. I don't want the same-old, same-old every day. I like to see that thermometer swing. posted by Brendan | 10:33 AM | permanent link
Metra blows This morning I missed the circus on the BNSF Metra line when they halted all trains because a Secret Service agent boarded a train but the ticket agent thought he was acting too suspiciously and asking strange questions. But this evening's derailment of an AMTRAK train just outside of Union Station means BNSF Metra trains are delayed up to 70 minutes and I'm stuck downtown for the time being.  So I'm going to head over to my sister's house and sit this out. Metra blows. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 5:45 PM | permanent link
We've Impeached Him The Illinois House of Representative voted 114 - 1 to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich this morning - the first time in our state's 190-year history that a governor has been impeached. Now the venue moves to the Illinois Senate, where Rod will plead his case on why he thinks he's fit to governor. Fun, fun stuff. I loved the photo the Chicago Tribune ran on their website homepage when the announced the House's vote.  What a tool. I can't see how this story ends with Governor Rod remaining in office. Then again, Henry Burris might actually get sworn in as the next Illinois U.S. Senator. So who really knows anymore. Side note (and rant): One House member, Rep. Milton Patterson (D) from the Southwest side of Chicago, voted against the measure to impeach Governor Rod. In interviews after the historic vote Patterson stated that he didn't feel it was his job to vote to impeach the governor. I'm wondering whose job Patterson thinks impeachment is. Our government is set up with a series of checks and balances to make sure that the government always has the best interest of the people in mind and can take necessary steps when one branch is behaving in a way counter to that promise. Who else is going to impeach the governor other than the Legislative branch? Magical elves? Rodeo clowns? The ghost of Abraham Lincoln? When there is a serious question of the Governor's ability to governor the State, the House votes on impeachment. Then a trial is held in the Senate with the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court as the presiding judge. The two sides (Governor and House of Reps) make their cases, and the Senate votes on whether to remove the Governor from office. Checks and balances. If you don't think Governor Rod should be impeached based on the facts you have been presented then just say that. Don't wimp out by voting "no" and then say you don't think it's your job to decide on something that is exactly your job to decide on. In this situation it is your job to make a decision on whether or not you think the Governor should be removed from office. You aren't actually removing him. Just passing a vote on whether you think the facts present warrant taking the next step in our government's series of checks and balances. If you aren't clear on what your job requirements and duties are or how our State government works, then maybe the people who voted for you last time should reconsider the vote when you come up for re-election. posted by Brendan | 12:47 PM | permanent link
Money Better Spent While I am happy that Barack Obama won the election, I think the $770 million his campaign raised could have been better spent then on TV ads and posters. The country is floundering in a recession, companies are failing, jobs are being lost, but people found the money and energy to donate almost a billion dollars to a presidential campaign? I'd like to see Obama's campaign management team spin that sort of money raising magic for the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, or the American Cancer Society. posted by Brendan | 11:49 PM | permanent link A Little More Suffering Please  Because I reserve my mornings for reading on the train, I don't listen to Steve Dahl anymore. Back when he was on WCKG in the afternoons, I made it a regular habit of listening to his show on the train ride back home after work. That ended when he jumped to JACK-FM.Now my only opportunity to catch a Dahl rant is to look for one of his periodic columns in the Chicago Tribune. I liked Steve's column today. Steve rages against the use of private jets by the heads of the Big Three auto makers. In particular, I really enjoyed this part: "The auto execs said they need the jets because they're very busy, and it's easier to travel when you have a private jet. Hey, we're all busy! Most of us are working our tails off to make our car payments and come up with all of the bailout money that Congress is spending on everybody but the hardworking American taxpayer."Steve illustrates a point that I know is being made all over, but one that I don't think can be stressed enough. That most of the pain and struggle in this recession is being felt by regular working Americans. If our government is going to fund these bailouts to financial institutions, banks, the auto makers, and whoever else gets in line with hat in hand, then I think the we'd all like to see a little more suffering out of the management of those companies receiving tax-payer funded money to keep afloat. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 1:10 PM | permanent link
Thanks for Reminding Me Up until I read this story in the New York Times, I had stopped worrying about paying (or help paying) for the kids' college education. My attention had shifted from fretting about how to pay for things in the future to how to pay for things in the present. No reason trying to figure out how to pay tuition at the University of Illinois in 2016 when we're struggling to make sure we can pay the car payment in 2009. Damn economy. But thanks to the new report from National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, I was reminded that if Heather and I make it through this recession with everything intact, we probably won't be able to help Ian, Emma, and Zoe much with college. Great. The New York Times article has a great graphic that illustrates just how outrageously the cost of higher education has skyrocketed over the last 20 plus years. The article doesn't give a reason for the meteoric rise in costs, it just states as fact that the cost of going to a university can increase by over 400% while family incomes rose just 147% and this is completely normal. That's what frustrates me. There there doesn't seem to be an explanation that makes sense - or at least I haven't come across one - as to why tuition and room & board at universities around the country need to go up 8%, 10%, 15%, or 20% annually. That just seems insane. Where is all the money going? Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 9:27 PM | permanent link
Decisions Do I bother watching the Notre Dame game this evening?  More than likely they are going to be blown out by USC.As much as I would love to see a spectacular upset, I don't think Charlie Weis has it in him. Not sure if that's because he's a bad coach or because his players haven't developer enough, but the fact of the matter is as of alte Notre Dame doesn't scare teams with winning records. (Hell, I don't think they scare teams with losing records anymore) So do I tune in for the probable massacre? In the end I imagine I'll pray for the upset and check in around 8:30pm. The game should be close to halftime and should be able to get a sense of how things are progressing. If USC is having their way with the Irish, I can move on to other things. If the Irish have suddenly grown a backbone, then I may hang around for the second half. Labels: football, Notre Dame, Rant posted by Brendan | 5:45 PM | permanent link
Open Letter to Chicago Media Outlets I think we both agree that the majority of the people in Chicago are probably excited about Barack Obama's Presidential victory.  Whether it's because he's our first black President, a hope for real change in government, a local Chicago boy, or just anyone other than George Bush, there is an angle there for just about everyone to be interested in what an Obama administration has in store for the country.That being said, do we really need to have every aspect and movment of the Obama's life between now and January 20, 2009 documented, photographed, analyzed, and reported? I understand that it is exiting to have someone from Chicago preparing to assume the top office in the country and Obama and his family are an interesting topic, but in just seven days you have hit a a fever pitch in your coverage that I' m not sure is sustainable for the next seventy odd days.  What concerns me is that you are working your damnedest to do just that - fill every day from now to the Inauguration with as much Obama-ness as possible. Which I can only imagine means more stories about where Barack and Michelle had dinner last night or psycho-babble about why we might be jealous of Barack.If people thoughg the press fauned over Obama during the Democratic primaries, then in comparisson what you guys have done over the last seven days could be described as obsessive stalking. I think the guy is great. I' m excited and interested in seeing what he does as President. But you are on the verge of killing that enthusiasm with your constant reporting on every movement, speech, thought, and breath taken by Barack, Michelle, and their two daughters. He's going to be President for four years. Pace yourself. Thanks, Brendan posted by Brendan | 10:21 PM | permanent link
Goodbye Robo-Calls Regardless of which candidates you voted for today, one issue that I believe the entire population could galvanize behind and support in a unanimous manner is the ending of political campaign phone calls. In past elections, I remember Heather and me receiving a phone call or two in the weeks leading up to the election. But the number of calls we received in previous years paled in comparison to the volume of phone calls from volunteers, campaign committees, and automated systems that inundated our home phone over the last two months. Our phone was ringing two or three times a day from some representative of somebody�s campaign who wanted to know if they could count on our support on November 4. Heather just started saying �yes� to whoever was on the phone so she could hang up on them as quickly as possible. What was particularly annoying was the number of automated phone invitations to join virtual town hall meetings via the phone so we could ask questions of some candidate. An impromptu conference call on a Saturday afternoon? Lame. But now the calls will end. My proposal, before we pass any economic stimulus packages or bail out any more banks, there should be a plan to add a referendum to the ballot of the next election regarding the elimination of these annoying campaign cold calls.  posted by Brendan | 7:36 PM | permanent link
Well That Should Take Care of Everything Saw this little AP story headline and immediately knew that happier, rainbow and unicorn filled days of laughter and booming economies are now just moments away. White House tells banks to stop hoarding moneyThe White House's approach to putting pressure on banks to start lending money reminds me of a line from Ghostbusters. After the novice Ghostbusters have a less than successful first encounter with a apparition in the basement of a library, Bill Murray's character - Peter Venkman says, "Hee hee hee! 'Get her!' That was your whole plan, huh, 'get her.' Very scientific." posted by Brendan | 12:47 PM | permanent link
More Good Economic News Our national debt has grown so large that the National Debt Clock cannot even display all the numbers.  To accommodate the display of our $10.2 trillion debt, the dollar sign in the clock was replaced with a "1". A new clock will be installed early next year that will allow the debt display to climb up to the quadrillion of dollars. Pleasant. Fun fact: The national debt has grown more than $500 billion each year since fiscal year 2003. Thanks for everything, George W. Bush!! Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 10:31 AM | permanent link
MAVERICK!  Saw this ad (right) on the Chicago Tribune website today and it got me to thinking how over the course of the last few weeks, the McCain campaign has totally ruined the word "maverick" for me.The campaign's over-use of the word to describe both Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin is sapping the original meaning from the term. "Maverick" is drifting over into the realm of the single-word punchline instead of the a verbal embodiment of a personal philosophy or code of conduct. Like "liberal", "ring-wing", or "main stream media", "maverick" is becoming a hollow term used as verbal filler to pad around cliches and talking points in politicians and political pundits monologues. What do McCain and Palin mean when they call themselves "mavericks"? That they do whatever the hell they want, facts and common sense be damned? They do a bad job of defining what a "maverick" is and why I should consider this an honorable quality when deciding who should be the next President of the United States. And isn't it a little weird that McCain and Palin keep referring to themselves as "mavericks"? Isn't that something they should leave up to others to do for them? All this self-referential talk about being "mavericks" is beginning to sound like they are speaking in the third person about themselves. That's kinda creepy. With any luck, this "maverick" crap will end with the election - regardless of who wins - and I can work on re-establishing the word "maverick" with it's true meaning.  posted by Brendan | 4:47 PM | permanent link
Wise Words The Founding Fathers did have all the answers over 200 hundred years ago. We just haven't been listening. "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them, will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."Obviously, the emphasis provided in the quote from Mr. Jefferson was supplied by me. Regardless, I find Mr. Jefferson's comments on the role of banks/financial institutions and their influence on the public very enlightening when contemplating our country's current state of affairs. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 4:57 PM | permanent link So Much for Government Protecting Its Citizens This boggles me mind. EPA won't limit rocket fuel in drinking waterSo there is rocket fuel in the water. There is ROCKET FUEL IN OUR WATER. How is that something that can be left alone? Confounds the hell out of me. Labels: Rant posted by Brendan | 11:24 AM | permanent link
Where's My Bailout? The United States Government�s bailout of insurance giant AIG has me perplexed. For a country that is bills itself as the shining example of not only a democratic government, but a free-market economy, I don�t fully understand why over the last few weeks our Federal government has deemed it necessary to step in and save failing businesses. That sort of behavior seems economically antithetical.  What the government did for Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and Bear Stearns, while slightly distressing, at least amounted to only trying to find a way to keep those organizations upright. It was a slightly perverted form of corporate mediation, if you will. The AIG deal, from where I sit, looks like a straight up hand out of cash to keep the company afloat. But in all cases the steps taken by the U.S. Government amount to governmental intervention to the private business sector.This sort of government meddling certainly seems to run counter to the ideals of a free-market, but if these few bailouts helps the overall economy from a total meltdown then I am more inclined to go along with the decisions. Except for one thing � the $85 billion loan to AIG. The Mayor of Chicago, Richie Daley, is known for eccentric and off-kilter press conferences and public appearances. Even after almost 40 years in public service (almost 20 of those as the Mayor of Chicago) he still has a way of speaking that calls to mind somebody�s crazy uncle. Despite all that, I thought his recent comments offered in response to the AIG bailout reflected my own thoughts on the subject. What frustrates me the most about this situation is the news that the SEC allowed five firms � I�ll let you guess who � to be exempt from rules that would have prevented these companies from leveraging themselves into the holes they have ended up in. The SEC exempts a select few companies from certain regulations designed keep financial institutions from sitting on too shaky of ground, and when those same firms threaten to bring the U.S. economy to its knees as a result, the government rushes in to prop them back up with tax payer money. I hope that two years from now, when I no longer have money to buy fuel, milk, or clothes because of an economy in shambles that AIG and these other firms will step in to reciprocate the help I unwilling provided them last week. posted by Brendan | 4:46 PM | permanent link
Just Let It End I'm really not sure if it was coincidence or an intended counter-punch, but I couldn't help but take note of the the opposing underling artistic point of views in Sunday's For Better or For Worse and Opus. While Lynn Johnston was trying to explain to us why that instead of finding an ending for the story of the fictional Patterson clan or turning the strip into a frozen-in-time perpetual soap opera (i.e. Brenda Starr), she's opted to restart the For Better or For Worse from the beginning so she can retread old stories, Berkeley Breathed was publishing an episode of Opus that clearly take a swipe at all of the comic strip creators who cannot - or will not - realize that every story needs an ending.   While I have never really found Berkeley's comic strips particularly funny, I do appreciate the work he has done and the unique voice he has brought to the medium. And with yesterday's strip I think it's clear that he understands what comic strip creators like Lynn Johnston do not. That the circle of life does apply to comic strips. All things need to come to an end - regardless of how much you are enjoying them. I suspect Berkeley is building up to ending his Opus strip. Possibly so he can move on to something else. Maybe find a new outlet for his creative energies. Lynn, on the other hand, has decided to take the Opus' interpretation of the circle of life in comics to an extreme - sending FBOFW readers into a endless loop of the same stories repeated from the beginning. She's not even going to try and come up with new material. Johnston plans to rehash the old stories. Even writers of Hagar the Horrible and Dick Tracy try to come up with new stories and gags. Lynn's decision boggles my mind. What a waste of comic strip space. Labels: comic strips, Rant posted by Brendan | 10:16 PM | permanent link
A Post about Star Wars Even though the press release clearly states that the DVDs in these two box sets are exactly the same as what was originally released with the special edition versions of all the Star Wars movies over the last few years (and which I already own), I still can�t help thinking about owning these two new boxed sets.  It has to do with the slick continuity of design. These two box sets would just look pretty cool up on the shelf with the rest of the DVDs in my collection. Luckily, my logical self understands that owning movies on DVD is about the content, not the packaging; so ultimately I will pass on these sets.But speaking of Star Wars and movie content, I�m not done talking about Star Wars quite yet. I really liked what Todd Alcott had to say about Star Wars in general when he was reviewing The Clone Wars animated movie that recently landed in theaters.  His point, basically, is this: that for all these middle-aged whiners who claim George Lucas has ruined Star Wars with the release of his Prequel Trilogy and now this animated Clone Wars series, Lucas is gaining an equal number from a new generation of fans with the Prequel/Clone Wars material. How we, the grown-ups fans of Star Wars, relate to Star Wars is completely different from today�s kids.Now I like the Prequel Trilogy well enough, but I know those are the films that Ian is more excited about watching. He likes the Original Trilogy, which is my favorite of the bunch; but he will pick Attack of the Clones over Return of the Jedi any day. When he talks Star Wars, it is usually about Anakin, Count Doku and Jango Fett, not Luke, Han, and Leia. And while I am sort of ambivalent about the whole Clone Wars animated series that will be debuting on TV this fall (and has received a movie release this summer), Ian is talking up his excitement and interest in seeing both the film and the TV cartoon.  Alcott makes the point that the reason most middle-agers hold the original Star Wars films in such high regard is that they provide a link back to their childhood, and by extension other happy memories. He argues that if you take a step back and critique Star Wars or Return of the Jedi with the critical eye of an adult seeing the film for the first time, these original movies really aren�t much better than the new batch of films. It�s all a matter of when you first watch a Star Wars movie that determines your connection with the storyline and the mythology of the series.If anything, I think the staying power of the Original Trilogy with middle-agers and the level of interest generated by the Prequel/Clone War material within the next generation is a testament to Lucas� power to craft exciting stories that capture the imagination of youngsters in a deep and moving way. He grabbed us when we were young, and now he is inspiring the imagination of our children with new tales in his Star Wars universe. Let's leave the man alone and let him create in peace. Labels: Animation, movies, Rant, Star Wars posted by Brendan | 9:54 PM | permanent link |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"$85 billion, that's your money. I mean, it's all of our money. I don't know where they get it. It's really interesting. They just print it or something.
|