Keep Me Going Strong.
NFDC Happenings From TumblrA few months ago, I made the decision to submerge a few entries for the sake of propriety. I was employing this weblog as an example of writing competence and I wanted the work to speak for itself without the burden of political prejudice. However, those who needed to see with clear eyes have seen what they needed, if they ever did. So a handful of my more opinionated posts has been restored.
It was my assumption that I had it somewhere, but I really didn’t. After all, I’ve had that collection for quite awhile, so it would only make sense, yes? But no … I was wrong.
I’ve talked about Neil Gaiman previously and on many occasions. Obviously, at least to me, he is well worth mentioning. Of late, I’ve found myself encountering references to an earlier work of his, a short one in which he confronts a known-by-heart fairy tale and inverts it, slinging it inside-out to great effect without losing any of the original material. My assumption was that it lived in a book of his works called Angels & Visitations, but actually it only resides on its own or as a performed audio piece. It is entitled “Snow, Glass, Apples” and it is only for the strong of imagination and not for the faint of idea.
It’s a day to lower your heads, ladies and gents. Hold each other’s hands and say comforting words to one another. Words like: “You can’t drown, you fool, you’re immortal!” or “Do you exshpect me to talk?!?” or “That’sh the Chicago way, and that’sh how you get Capone!” or “You’re the Man now, dawg!” After almost 50 years of cinematic genius (schinematic geniusch?), The Man is retiring.
Fortunately, the fruit of this retirement will be an autobiography to be released next fall. While I remain an advocate for the printed page, if The Man reads his own words for the audiobook, I’ll buy a dozen!
Time is fleeting.
You have only so much time, so make the most of it. For some of you, this time is a mere week, while others have a slightly larger window. Regardless, this is a matter that affects every single one of us, even those of you living beyond our borders, so please … if you are an American citizen and you are above the age of 18, please ensure your electoral readiness.
It had grown too far, like an untended vine. So I trimmed it back, quite severely actually. Cut from 85 items to a mere 50, my Amazon Wish List is much easier to maintain. Maybe you should do the same?
On a not really related note, I’ve been undergoing a renewed interest in comic books, and not just because of my own amateur superheroics. I tend to be very fair-weather these days, primarilly because of the steep price of modern comics. I don’t want to sound old and nostalgic, but I look back with fondness on the days of 75 cent comic books. Now they’re almost three dollars a piece, which makes waiting for the eventual trade collection a very viable option. But something is coming in the fall. Or coming back. Someone, actually. DC Comics is resurrecting Hal Jordan and returning his power ring. Admittedly, Hal is nowhere near as well-known an alter-ego as Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne, but the anticipation echoes my excitement over last year’s 1602, so I cannot wait to see what they’re going to do in Green Lantern: Rebirth.
In the meantime, I just read the first two issues of a seven part mini-series called Identity Crisis. If someone were to take a look at my favorite comics over the last 20 years, they would notice a distinct trend. When heroes are forced to face or share their humanity, that’s when I get hooked. It all started with the literally world-shattering Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, because until then I’d never considered just what it might be like for a superhero to face death, chaos, fear or hopelessness. At the same time, Crisis placed so much emphasis on regaining resolve and rising to overcome, even in the face of insurmountable odds. Identity Crisis is nowhere near as cosmically expansive in scope, but it retains that great humanity. The plot orbits the tragic death in the JLA family and the efforts not only to discover the killer’s identity, but also to cope with such loss. The art is stunning and the writing is exceptional.
It just warms the cavernous cockles of my intake manifold heart to hear the news. Once again, two of our fellow human beings have stepped forward to reassure us that the holy shall remain holy and all is right with the world. So thank you, Britney. Thank you, Whatever-Your-Name-Is-And-Didn’t-You-Just-Have-A-Baby-With-Some-Other-Girl-Dancer-Guy. By your brilliant example, we shall carry on, knowing that marriage is still a righteous and sacrosanct institution never to be entered lightly and always to be treated with respect and dignity. Amen.
If so inclined, please wander over to JIVE Magazine and read my newest feature: Everyday Superhero - A Jack Emmert Interview.
Who the heck is Jack Emmert? He’s the remarkably well-read demigod of geekery behind the success of City of Heroes. Even if you have little to no interest in online roleplaying games, I think you’ll find him interesting, maybe even a little inspiring.
Just stepped outside, for only a second. There’s no rain yet, but it’s coming. The wind has sent ambassadors of intent, however. Leaves are trembling against each other, making a sound like a hundred rusty tambourines. I can only imagine what it must sound like … what it must feel like … what it must be like, just a few hundred miles to the south.
Hold on, Mobile. Hold on, New Orleans. Hold on, Biloxi. And Pensacola? Oh, I imagine you’ve seen worse during Spring Break …
With all the bluster and fuss about swift boats and national guard records, it is really hard to keep track of the actual mechanics of the presidential campaign. It’s a wonder that either candidate has any idea where they are at any given time.
Bush or Kerry: “Excuse me, sir, but do you know where we’re heading next?”Either Campaign Manager: “Where? Forget where, ol’ buddy! It’s all about remember when and way back then! Get your head in the game, soldier, and keep riding that Vietnam train! Woo-woo!!!”
Maybe it is not so dire as that, but when important news blows by unnoticed, I have to be a little concerned. What news? The presidential debates, for one thing. If anything is going to bring this campaign back around to a discussion of issues rather than rhetoric, the debates will. Unfortunately, we’re only getting three. Or possibly just two, should President Bush decide three is just too much. But this is the schedule as it sits right now:
Whichever side your on, you owe it to yourself to catch these as they happen and with your own eyes and ears. Recaps and replays will only give you soundbites and chunks out of context. You’re smarter than that, aren’t you? Don’t wait for the world to spoonfeed you an opinion … get your own.
Getting your picture in the paper is just the coolest thing. For me, it has happened a handful of times. When I was small, there were Cub Scout functions, vacation bible school photos, and one occasion involving a huge paper mache turkey filled with canned goods. In every case, I’d save our own family paper and my mom would make the rounds to call friends and relatives, asking for their copies. “No, we don’t need the whole thing, just the one section. Thanks!”
Print is electric now, but I’m sure mothers and fathers still make those same phonecalls for the joys of their pride. Probably more so. After all, today’s Internet article will just be an archive on a hard drive tomorrow. But paper can by saved, pressed in a scrapbook, allowed to gracefully fade.
If you’ve come to visit from the Northside article, welcome. And thank you. If you’re just randomly passing through, please pick up today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution and read Gary Dorsey’s feature story about the bloggers of North Fulton County. When you’re done, I suggest you fold your copy neatly and put it somewhere safe. My mom will be calling sooner or later.
