Lily Watch, Day 124

Welcome to the all new, all unambiguous Lily Watch, on this 124th day of gestation. The last few weeks have passed relatively uneventfully, with the exception of a slight stomach bug that plagued the mother for about 36 hours.

Today was a momentous occasion for the family, as the big ultrasound was conducted to tell us how well the baby is growing. All signs point to a healthy, normal baby; indeed, the baby was possibly doing a jig for the watching crowd. In addition, the sex of the child was revealed to be female, and this news prompted the writer of BunQ Watch to rebrand. It is, indeed, a great day in the family, and we look forward to the next 22 weeks before young Lily's arrival into our world.

And finally, awesome ultrasound pictures! Join us back here next time at the all new Lily Watch!

The Weekly Pull List - 02/13/08

Welcome back to the regularly scheduled Weekly Pull List, where I give you the run down of what I'm reading every week. Because clearly you should be taking your cues on what comics to read from me, right? I've already covered Amazing Spider-Man #550 and New Avengers #38 yesterday, and today I'll be reviewing Green Lantern Corps #21, Marvel Comics Presents #6, Nova Annual #1, Wolverine #62, and X-Force #1. Excluded are Black Panther #34, Fantastic Four #554, and X-Factor #28, none of which Marvel Direct could get to me on time.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #21
This issue is part one of a two issue fill-in, starring the (formerly hot and now unfortunately) Alpha Lantern Boodikka. The formerly hot-headed warrior is now emotionless and exacting in her duty to police the GLC, as is evidenced by her reprimanding of even her fellow Lost Lanterns, with whom she shares a rather painful bond. A special mission given to her by the Guardians, though, take her back to her home planet to reign in a delinquent GL trainee that turns out to be her sister, and we get the promise of a real cat-fight between them next issue.

I really liked this one. This is the type of storytelling that keeps me coming back every month to GL and GLC. We get expanded history on a prominent Lantern and see the effect becoming an Alpha Lantern has on a woman that was known for her fire and passion. Sterling Gates really delivers in what could easily be a shoddy throw-away fill-in, and Nelson's art more than keeps up with this fun story. This kind of quality, even on fill-in, is why the GL corner of the DCU is the best thing DC has going. If you're not reading this book, correct this mistake right now.

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #6
The New Guardian is still crazy and still a glorified labrat up in Canuckistan, while USAgent enlists help to find out what's really going on. Ka-Zar makes like Obama (uniter!) for the inhabitants of the Savage Land, but their hope seems to run out (HAH!) in the face of Roxxon's well thought out assault. Vanguard reveals stuff, but there's little sign of the actual Vanguard and a whole lot of "yeah, buh?" And finally, a flashback to the heady days of WWII shows how Cap inspired even those who have the desire to serve but are never called.

Reviewing MCP is always hard because it's an anthology of three serials and a one shot story. The chances of the book standing out when taken as a whole are pretty low. The Guardian story moves forward a bit and is helped by a brief Iron Man cameo. The Cap story was a bit of (well written) fluff. The Ka-Zar and Shanna story is actually the most interesting thing in the book, though the art is weird in some places. I call this a draw, if for nothing else than the fact that Vanguard is suffering from Guggenheim's tendency to drag in the first half of his stories.

NOVA ANNUAL #1
For not having a lot of actual progression (in terms of the overall series storyline), this Annual really delivers. This is actually saying a lot, since it's essentially a jumping on point/refresher course on who Richard Rider is. More importantly, it's a study in why he is Nova Prime, the vanguard and torch-bearer for the (again) near extinct Nova Corps. He's a normal guy, average in every way, but he's managed to become probably the biggest hero in the galaxy. The entire issue is a struggle for his soul, literally, as his transmode virus infection tries to take him over and, failing that, take him out. In the end we see him emerge victorious, if only for a moment, and we're reminded why he's a hero, and why he's going to matter and make a difference in the end of the Conquest that's raging back in the closed off Kree galaxy.

DnA redeem themselves a bit from last week's ho-hum issue of Conquest and prove they get Richard Rider, probably better than even the people who created him ever did. This understanding translates as well into the main title as it does here. The art of Klebs, Asrar, and Alves is great here, and even with their distinct styles, it manages to feel cohesive. All cylinders were hitting, and it just barely lets the Annual edge out GLC as my book of the week.

WOLVERINE #62
Wolverine has one mission: kill Mystique, whose crime (this time) is betraying the X-Men and almost getting them killed. No problem for the man who is the best at what he does (shanking people with those claws). Except that Mystique isn't going quietly, and she's got that fun little shapeshifting power going for her, and she's hiding out in Iran and Iraq. Cue a long (days long) chase, during which a mosque gets blown to hell and "Wolverine" stabs an innocent girl to death, all the while Wolverine reflects on first meetinng the slippery mutant some 80 years prior.

This was a really good issue. The setup, the chase, the fake-out, it was all good. Jason Aaron builds the story well, and he mines the long past of Logan to flesh this story out well. Ron Garney delivers some solid pencils as well. Jason Aaron continues to impress me, and I'm confident this four part story will be just as good as I've come to expect of him.

X-FORCE #1
X-Force is back, but it's not that X-Force, it's the one from Messiah Complex that Cyclops sent after Cable. This time, he's got another mission for them: eliminate the Purifiers before they can attack mutants again. Only problem is that Wolverine isn't okay with other people becoming him, especially not his wayward clone, X-23. What follows is a look at what should've happened long ago: mutants getting pro-active with people who want to attack them. It all comes to a head in an intense and almost gruesome fight sequence where the heroes aren't pulling any punches (or blades, in this case).

This is good, and I expected no less from Kyle and Yost, who did a great job on New X-Men, post House of M. They choreograph and coordinate the issue well enough, but the actual strength here is in how they position Wolverine as a moral compass, a voice of reason even, trying to prevent others from turning into him. What does it say about him that he argues and warns, but in the end lets X-23, Warpath, and Wolfsbane on the team anyway? There's a lot that's going to be said about Wolverine's leadership and judgment as a result of this series, I think. Clayton Crain does a fantastic job on art, and his dark style really complements what will be a very dark book.

BunQ Watch, Day 107

Welcome back to BunQ Watch, back after nearly a month's absence. You'll be happy to know that not much happened in the interim. There was a somewhat stressing day spent in the ER, as the mom-to-be was having some worrying symptoms that we couldn't ignore. Beyond that, though, things have been humming along without interruption. Which leads us to today's appointment with the OB/GYN. Today, we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time! Yes, it was awesome. Unfortunately we didn't get any new pics of BunQ. It seems we'll be waiting a few weeks for our "official" ultrasound, at which point we'll be able to learn if BunQ will be named Maurice or Lily. I intend to record the sound and take some pictures, in addition to the ultrasound pics. Check back in three weeks for what will surely be a grand coming out party (of sorts).

The Weekly Pull List, Early Edition

Welcome back to the Weekly Pull list, a couple days early this week in honor of Marvel Direct getting two books to me ahead of time. Also, last week I dropped the ball by forgetting to review Annihilation Conquest #4, so I'm going to remedy that today. Let's get to it, shall we?


Annihilation Conquest #4
This issue was a microcosm of the way this series has been going since the prologue and the four miniseries leading in. It gets half the things right and half wrong ( or at least boring). The fate of Peter Quill (who's currently getting the kind of personal attention from Ultron that the Bush administration would insist is perfectly legal) and the remnants of his ragtag band is as good as the Starlord mini. The antics of Ronan and the Super Skrull, who were a dynamic duo of sorts in Annihilation, were terrific. The other half of the story, involving Adam Warlock, the new Quasar, and the High Evolutionary, just falls flat. Too much talking and whining and not so much action, and a thinly disguised fake out at the end are draining my interest in whatever these guys are getting up to. Worse, there's no Nova to make up for it, at least not until the very last issue. Weakest issue so far; DnA need to step it up something fierce next month.

Amazing Spider-Man #550
I called it last week and am happy to say that I was right. This issue was far, far better than the previous issue. Spidey's banter was on point, there was just the right amount of action mixed with character drama, and the new baddie, Menace, really is living up to his name. Guggenheim's got a good handle on this story and all the elements he's using to spin the tale. Larrocca is solid throughout for the most part, though I had a problem with some of his female faces here. There was also a particularly manish looking shot of Betty Brant in one panel, which doesn't match up with the way I usually see her. Still, overall a great issue, and it promises an outstanding final issue of Guggenheim's first arc.

New Avengers #38
This is it, the Secret Invasion is underway, so we're about to see mad Skrulls running around, right? Well, not quite. What we do get here is the fallout of Jessica Jones' decision at the end of January's New Avengers Annual #2, where she fled with Danielle (damn, why'd I just have to look the baby's name up?) to Stark Tower and became a registered superhuman. This issue is called "The Break Up", ant that's exactly what it is. Sure, we get some more posturing from the Mighty Avengers (they've been doing that a lot lately), and we even see the New Avengers get cozy in their new pad, but it's mostly about what's going on between Cage and Jessica. So how does this tie into Secret Invasion? It's hard to tell, except for the fact that we know for sure that at least one person in the Avengers is a Skrull, and that all of this strife is partly the fault of whoever that is. Good issue, but it gets a slight bump down for not really having any Skrull action.

That's it for now, check back on Thursday for the rest of this week's stack.

The Weekly Pull List

Welcome back to The Weekley Pull List, where I give you the rundown on what I'm reading this week. This week is a mercifully short one after last week's ridiculous glut comicry, just six books and a couple of trades. The trades, INCOGNEGRO and SCALPED VOL 02, I'll cover later, so onto the singles.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #549
Month two of almost weekly Spidey kicks off with Marc Guggenheim's opening shot in the Brand New Day era. He gets the ball moving quickly: Pete's broke (stop the presses, I know), there's a new sheriff in town at the Daily Bugle, and an eerily familiar looking new super villain is making noise about town. All this, a suspiciously familiar looking red-haired and registered female hero is trying to claim the new villain as her arch-enemy, police finding Spider Tracers on dead victims, and SHRA registration enforcement to boot.

With all this action, you'd think it was a rip roaring time, but it was a clear setup issue, even when it did have some fun moments. I'm used to this with Guggenheim, but he's really got to hit it just a bit harder, especially in these opening salvos. Larocca's art was solid, even pretty good most of the time, but he had some weird panels here and there, and I didn't really feel the "oomph" that I normally do from his work. Probably because there weren't a million celebrity look alikes. Still, it's a good issue, with promises of much better ones down the line.

ANITA BLAKE VAMPIRE HUNTER: GUILTY PLEASURES #8 (OF 12)
This book has me torn. On one hand, the plodding story has been killing my enjoyment of the book. On the other hand, new series artist Ron Lim pretty much makes up for the story. The story itself is pretty "meh": Anita does a lot of internal monologue, waxing long about how scared she is of vamps and how powerful they are and how screwed she is, while there is generally a lot of standing around and talking interspersed with a little action. The difference here is clearly the art. I was about to drop the book, but then I learned that Brett Booth was being replaced. Booth's pencils have been mostly decent but trended towards terrible when he had to draw action scenes, and his layouts are uninspired at best and boneheaded at worst. So when I say the art saved this one, I mean it.

Lim, in this one issue, has made a case for being the penciller for every Anita Blake book that comes out from now on. Unlike some fill-in or replacement artists, he doesn't throw out the original style. Instead, he apes Booth's style, and indeed goes further by drawing the way Booth should've been all along. His lines are consistent and strong, and he shows a complete grasp of the way Booth envisioned the characters. His facial renderings are more sophisticated and show Lim's range as an artist. More importantly, Lim knows what the hell he is doing with the layout of the panels and placing them on the page. He is well versed with visual storytelling and it shows; the difference between this issue and last are pretty much night and day. If you are still inclined towards this book, the art is the reason to keep getting it, because Lim seems to have the skill to salvage this book.

ANNIHILATION CONQUEST #4 (OF 6)


MS MARVEL #24
Oh Marvel Direct, if only you'd deliver this the week it comes out, that'd be awesome.

TWELVE #2 (OF 12)
I'm liking what's going on here, let me just come right out and say that. JMS is telling a story that we never saw when Cap was revived, that of the real reactions of people from the WWII era coming to our world. We see grief from a father that comes back to realize that his family is dead, excitement from a man who sees opportunity, dread from a woman whose made a deal with...something to which time is irrelevant. More interestingly, we see what the so-called "Man of Tomorrow" really is, when he sees that the bygone era swept away the intolerance that he accepted as normal in his day. Adjustment is the word of the day for the Twelve, but more apt words for this issue are loss and loneliness. All of the men and women have lost something; their identity, their family, their freedom, their concept of the way the world works. The loneliness they feel is what drives Rockman to signal to his people who may never come. JMS is doing great things here, even with a setup issue that leaves a big mystery. I'm loving every page.

UNCANNY X-MEN #495
Messiah Complex is over, and now we enter the "Divided We Stand" era of the X universe. The X-Men are no more in light of the "death" of Professor X, and Cyclops is taking a break after all of the recent chaos. This is an issue for the reader to take a breather, or if they're new, get a handle on what's happened before in order to prepare for the new storyline. So yeah, a setup issue, but well done overall. Scott and Emma's relationship is explored as they vacation in the Savage land, and we get a glimpse inside Scott's mind. Scott gives Tony Stark a piece of his mind that he should've given him way back in Civil War: X-Men. Meanwhile, Colossus, Night Crawler, and Wolverine are headed to Russia for god knows what, and Angel visits San Francisco searching for something, only to be distracted by a literal outbreak of the 60s. Brubaker's got a crazy mind, and with Choi's art, it makes what is essentially a filler issue not so boring. Next month, though, it needs to pick it up.

That's it for this week. I still have the remainder of last week's to do, as well as the two trades. Check back soon, I might even have them done.

Ain't No Such Thing As Half-way Christians

Just a warning for anyone too sensitive/insecure about their religion: you're in for offense. If you're still with me, let's get going on a screed I call "Ain't No Such Thing As Half-way Christians".

A Diatribe I've Been Waiting to Give

The question of Obama's religion came up today, and I had an argument with a co-worker about it. Evangelical and conservative as any I've ever met, he pointed to Obama's church and said that he wasn't a real Christian because, in his words, to be so is to attempt to be Christ-like. I wanted to laugh in his face, but I was so amped up because he was spouting one of the many viral lies about Obama, and I'm well beyond goddamned sick of hearing them. But he made a good point, one that I myself have belaboured at one time or another, despite my lack of adherance to the Christian faith. There are many problems in our world today surrounding religion and its role in society, and almost all of them can be attributed to the untrue believers and their inability (or lack of desire) to follow their own damn religion.

I'm going to pick on Christianity because it's the biggest religion where I live and I know the most about it, but this can apply to any religion.

When I was in high school, the "WWJD" fad was in full swing. It's not as hot as it used to be, but you still see bumper stickers and t-shirts and boondoggles about if you pay attention. Annoying though it was, the message was short and stunningly relevant: What Would Jesus Do? Anything that required a decision or choice in a Christians life, and those four words would be able to guide you, assuming you had a reasonable understanding of the man's philosophy and teachings. Which brings us back to my co-worker's definition of a Christian: a person attempting to be Christ-like. I won't even argue against that, because it's more or less what the bible breaks everything down to anyway. Knowing this, think of any one Christian you know, and ask yourself whether they've lived up to that standard. Have they come close? If they haven't, how hard are they trying to? I'll put money on "not hard at all". And that, right there, is the problem I have with the religious in this country, and the religious right in particular.

Half-Way Christians are the ones I've known all my life. These are the ones who go to church on Sunday and pay their tithes and talk about God and Jesus and the church, and then slough off the pious skin for the rest of the week. They talk about the sanctity of life when talking about abortion, then turn around and raise hell if you try to consider banning executions. They cry for their religious rights to be respected, but they have no intention whatsoever of respecting those who don't agree with them. They are weak-willed enough to give a big hooray for waterboarding, and for making gays second-class citizens, and cutting off welfare for the poor. They seriously ask if God wants you to be rich. What don't they ask, though?

What Would Jesus Do?

Look at the platform for the religious right, for conservatives, and ask yourself that question with all honesty. Jesus wouldn't have tortured anyone. He wouldn't have allowed anyone to go hungry while he had the means to feed them, or naked if he could clothe them. Jesus famously told a rich man that, if he wanted to go to heaven, he would have to sell everything he owned and give the money to the poor, because it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. Jesus wouldn't make decisions based on whether they were hard or if he wanted to do them, he'd make decisions based on whether they were morally right or wrong.

Would he support abortion? No. Gays? Probably not. Babies out of wedlock, divorce, our current prison system, our culture of extravagance, war and genocide in his name? But he would love us as God loves him. He would not do things to hurt us or to punish us, out of spite or because we didn't agree with him. He wouldn't set his own needs over ours. He would patiently and lovingly try to teach us why we should do as he does. That's what Jesus would do.

So I'll agree with my co-worker about what constitutes a Christian, and I'll go further to say that the number of them in this country are few indeed. Oh, sure, there are plenty of half-way Christians, going through the motions and pantomiming their religion, loudly getting up in arms about a few pet issues but ignoring the real issues that Jesus historically would have cared about. But there ain't no such thing as half-way Christians, at least not in heaven.

I leave you with this oh so relevant passage from Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 34-45:

34 Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' 37 Then the righteous 16 will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' 40 And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41 Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' 44 Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' 45 He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

The Weekly Pull List

Welcome to the Pull List, where every week I assess the comics that I bought for the week. I like to think I have impeccable taste in comic books, so maybe you'll find my rundown useful in case you're trying to figure out what you should be reading.

Yesterday was a big release week for me, and the Democratic debates going on tonight really didn't help me with timing, so I'll be doing half of the list today and half tomorrow.

GREEN LANTERN #27
The aftermath of the huge Sinestro Corps War continues here, as Geoff Johns introduces the Alpha Lanterns and puts a hot-headed GL on trial for murder. All this, plus John and Hal visit the Scarecrow while on the trail of a SC ring, and some foreshadowing about one of the Guardians that may have a big role in the far off "Blackest Night" event. Geoff Johns shows why he's the man at DC right now, taking a post event issue and making it relevant and kinda creepy (god damn, those Alpha Lanterns are strange), while sowing some seeds that will bear fruit down the line. A good read, even if it did seem to fly by.

TRIALS OF SHAZAM #11
Freddy Freeman's trials to gain the power of SHAZAM and become the new Captain Marvel haven't been easy, dogged every step of the way as he has been by an evil chick named Sabina that's trying for the same. In this penultimate chapter of the series, Freddy is worried enough to enlist the help of the Shadowpact AND the JLA, and even when things don't work out they way they should for him, he still manages to be confident and steadfast. There's no mistaking what's going down next issue: huge, knockdown, drag-out superhuman fight sequences, with liberal doses of magical lightning and mayhem, eventually ending in Freddy just barely, by the skin of his teeth, defeating the would-be usurper. And you know what, I'm cool with that and this issue, even if it flew by on me. Winick's put together an excellent story that I really can't complain about (except, you know, the excessively long delays the title has suffered), and the art is consistently good throughout.

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #9
Storytelling 101 dictates that bad guys eventually pay for their crimes. In a book generally devoid of "bad guys", good guys have to suffice, and if you've read The Initiative up to this point, you know that they do a good enough impression of villains to qualify at times. Which brings us to issue 9, wherein a clone of a certain recruit (whose accidental death was covered up) flips out and commences with some street justice, all thanks to genetic memories and an "omega-level" piece of alien tech that ironically blew his head off in the first place. This issue was like watching a trainwreck, but not in a bad way, because you already know some shit is going down from the previous issue. When you see the placement of characters, you can't help but keep your eyes focused as he crashes through them. Especially good were the bits with Taskmaster, and the awakening (of sorts) of Gauntlet promises to bring certain story threads to a head soon. Slott and Caselli continue to deliver on this book, and god I hope people keep buying it so it won't be canceled.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #118
Let's just be honest: Ultimate Spider-Man is nothing without Bendis, and I feel sorry for whoever he hands the book off to because they have huge shoes to fill. This is a perfect issue that had no fighting whatsoever. What it did have, though, were great character moments and interactions, crisp dialogue that actually sounded like real conversation, and several plot threads that pay off for readers that have been around since the beginning. In recreating "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends", Bendis is showing why he's still the pre-eminent re-inventor for the Ultimate universe, why his hands have shaped it and made it more relevant in many ways than the mainline Marvel universe. If you're not reading Ultimate Spider-Man, you're missing arguably the most consistently well written and well drawn comic in the industry.

TERMINATOR 2 INFINITY #6
Bought it but did not read (DNR). This is part two of a four part crossover with Painkiller Jane, and I didn't realize it until a day ago. I'll give it a shot once I get the PKJ issue that starts the crossover.

Come back tomorrow for my impressions of Ultimate X-Men #90, Black Summer #5, House of M Avengers #4, Spider-Man: With Great Power #1, and New Avengers Annual #2.

Getting All Meta

So I missed last week's comic round up (actually, I missed the whole week...). I realized after the post the week before that I need to work on a more manageable format for that type of article, so I'm going to experiment until I find something workable. I'm thinking that maybe I'll have a "2nd impression" post on Sunday to follow up on whatever I review on Thursday. I'd also like to start writing short posts every day about comics, since I really do tend to comb the news sites for info and generally just keep up with what's going on in the industry.

So right now I have a stupidly ambitious set of post types (I hesitate to call them articles) that I want to have rotating in schedule. There's BunQ Watch, The Pull List (review of what I bought for the week), 2nd Impression (re-read and re-evaluate previously reviewed comics), Progress Report (chronicling milestones in my writing efforts), politics, comics news, and miscellaneous stuff. And if I can finally get some steam behind some of my writing projects, I'll even start putting out chapters here. Like I said, stupidly ambitious. The easiest things for me to accomplish will be the comics related things, BunQ Watch, and politics, and we'll see where I go from there.

Anyway, tomorrow is the weekly Pull List, and I promise I won't write a thesis this time. :P

An Apt Comparison

Three Kennedys endorsed Barack Obama today, and there was much rejoicing (from me at least) and gnashing of the teeth (from Clinton supporters). How huge is this for the Obama campaign? Well, I don't know, how huge is it for Hillary to have Bill on her side? Bill brings his popularity and political savvy. The Kennedys bring their name and pedigree and, more importantly, their authority on who most closely embodies all the things that made John F. Kennedy one of our greatest presidents. Oh, and they know a little something about getting elected to public office. Watch the speeches of Caroline and Edward Kennedy and see how JFK gets name dropped so often and how Obama is compared to him. Obama himself isn't comfortable with that comparison, but let's be honest here; who is the last candidate for president that has inspired this kind of enthusiasm, that has called people to action and had them come forth in droves? Senator Kennedy really got into his endorsement and went at the Clintons, but not necessarily by name. Tim Russert says, and I believe, that he's putting Bill on notice. If they want to keep doing the terribly negative campaigning, he's going to step up and take Bill on. That would be a sight to behold, but I think Bill has gotten the message from South Carolina.

Anyway, Obama's acceptance speech was phenomenal, as usual. Not as good as his South Carolina victory speech, but still goose bump inducing. I don't see how anyone can watch him and not feel something, anything that will stir your heart and make you believe that his message isn't just about words, but also action. Action that we can all take, that proves we can make a difference in our country. It's not just empty rhetoric. Even people staunchly on the other side, conservatives like Joe Scarborough, have felt the inspiration and hope that Obama is espousing, and they can feel like I feel that America is ready for what Obama brings to the table. It's going to be a tough rode to November 5th, but I believe now, more than ever, that we will make Obama the next president and turn the page on the destructive politics that have defined Washington for as long as I've been able to vote. And I'm committed to convincing others that he is the right man and that this is the right time for him to be president.

This is something I posted verbatim on the Penny Arcade forums. You'll not likely find a more classy and informed set of fellows on the internet than you will in the Debate and Discussion section there (okay, the classy bit may be stretching the truth a bit). After posting it, I realized that it was a good thing to record here, as it really captures what I've been feeling and saying for some time about Barack Obama.

I had a conversation about Obama with my aunt, who is Hillary's age. She didn't say if she'd vote for him or not, but she did say that she didn't think white people would. I argued with her, pointing out all of you guys here and some of my white friends who are receptive to Obama. It's so sad to me that racial politics ground down my parent's generation so badly that they just can't have any optimism or hope or enthusiasm that maybe, just maybe things have changed and that we're ready to move on. I guess me and my wife will have to have enough hope and optimism between the two of us to cover her mom and my aunt. The boomer generation desperately needs the kind of change that Obama represents, if for no other reason than to validate all the struggling they did in their youth to change our nation.

Gloves Off

The Democratic debate tonight was intense. Obama and Clinton were going toe to toe and there were some serious slams. Edwards even made a showing and got in some nice points and rejoinders. This was the most exciting debate I've seen in...well, ever. It's getting so serious now. Obama stood up and went at Clinton for real. No more Mr. Nice Guy indeed. I'm hoping that Obama's performance and his defense against various attacks are enough to sway South Carolina and other primary voters. I also wonder if Edwards is trying to get the VP nod, because he sure as hell isn't getting the presidential nod.

Anyway, check out the debate on CNN (and possibly youtube) because it's so worth the time just for the intense back and forth about halfway into the first hour.

Wasted Effort: Fan Fiction

Just a quick update; I finally finished chapter 3 of Hooligan, my Harry Potter fan fic. It's pretty rad, so don't hesitate to check it out.

Also, check back tomorrow for my round up of the comics I purchased for the week. Quick preview: Holy SHIT AWESOME. That's just for one book.

BunQ Watch, Day 75

Welcome back to BunQ Watch. All is well with mother and child. Normally this wouldn't merit a post, but I got another picture of BunQ that is far more clear than the one from yesterday, so I couldn't resist posting it up. S/He actually looks more like a baby than a bean here than on the other pic, which pretty much means s/he still looks like a bean, only with more baby-like features. I say again: cutest fetus ever, amirite?

BunQ Watch, Day 74

Welcome back to BunQ Watch, which has been on hiatus for 10 days. If you were sorely missing the updates, let me just summarize them for you: everything is A-Okay.

Today was momentous in that, according to "What To Expect When You're Expecting", the baby is starting to look like...well, a baby, and not some crazy alien life form. With that in mind we went to the OB/GYN, prepared for a two hour appointment. It worked out to be more like 1 hour total, and she's got to go back tomorrow to do the less pleasant things that I don't need to be there for. On the upside, we got a couple of awesome ultrasound pictures. Let me just say, the picture, as wonderful as they are, don't do BunQ justice. S/He was doing a little jig, something that was far more awesome to see on the screen than the picture can capture. I mean, as an expectant parent you fully understand that there's a little human growing inside of you or your significant other. You see the belly getting bigger and the physical changes to the mother. At some point you've processed and accepted and internalized that in the near future you'll be caring for a nascent child. Until you actually see the child, though, it's still a little abstract. Seeing my child waving it's little arms around and bobbing its head was a beautiful thing, almost as beautiful as seeing it for the first time in the other ultrasound. The picture doesn't just make it real, it almost validates all this crazy excitement and impatience that I've been feeling. We're more than six months out and I honestly don't think time can go by fast enough.

Anyway, enough of my rambling, let's look at this awesome picture. Cutest fetus ever, amirite?

What We Don't Need

You know what we don't need? We don't need anymore defeatist cynicism in the black community. It used to onstensibly be a defense mechanism; hundreds of years of seeing any progress by our community broken down and destroyed will do that. But while the vestiges of those times still live with us, the truth is that there has never been a better time of opportunity for black people. We're moving beyond the physical and social barriers that have long limited our advancement, only to be held up by mental barriers that defeat us before we've even started. Defeatism is what makes us say that we don't need to bother with college, or that we're not getting anywhere because we're black, or that "they ain't never letting a black man be president". This shit has got to stop, and it's got to stop with the boomer generation most of all. Our parents have instilled (or tried to) that same cynicism in us and wonder why we're not acting like we expect to succeed.

This weekend I had a talk with my mother-in-law about the Democratic field for president and found out, to my chagrin, that she is for Clinton. My wife pointed out to me that black women have it doubly hard trying to decide who to back, so I'll give my MIL a bit of leeway. However, our argument pretty much came down to cynicism vs. optimism. It was unbelievably depressing to hear her say that she doesn't think white people will let Obama be president, either because he'll get killed or because they will say they'll vote for him but won't when they get into the booth. Then, to justify her position, she rattled off the Clinton campaign talking points against Obama. And that's where I took exception. Are we afraid of success here? He isn't just electable, he's smart and savvy and has a track record of consensus building with the other side. Yes, he's young and doesn't have as much time in Washington as Clinton, but that's not as big a strike against him as it's made out to be. He's got the vision and the plans, and with the right cabinet and advisors he'd be just fine.

On the upside, my best friend, an Army staff sergeant, informed me that, should Obama get the nomination, he'll vote for him. This is evidence to me that Obama is the real deal, because the military votes almost en masse for Republicans, and my friend is no exception. When we were in high school, he'd never have dreamed of such a thing, but he (and other military guys I've talked to) believes that the Republicans look out for the military, so he's voting his wallet. Another friend who is an ex-Marine and voted Republican last election has even shown strong interest in Obama. The interest lies Obama being a real uniter and being for change. He's giving people on both sides of the aisle a reason to believe that things can change and get better for our nation.

Lastly, I present two links that demonstrate what I find terrible about the Clinton campaign. These are just the most recent in a string of attacks on Obama since just before the New Hampshire primaries. This is the sort of crap that we've come to expect from politics and the exact same style that Obama has committed to not using to get elected. This is exactly why we need an Obama candidacy, to prove that smear campaigns and backhanded attacks won't be tolerated anymore. Negativity, saying anything to win, and partisan hackery are things we don't need.

BET Founder Slams Obama in South Carolina
Hillary Clinton Defends 2002 Iraq War Vote On Meet The Press

The Price of Procrastination

My poor automobile died on me today and it's entirely my fault. Months ago I found out that I had a badly leaking radiator and water pump. The garage that made the diagnosis wanted to charge me $1100 to replace both. Not being made of money, I declined, instead deciding to buy the parts used and get my friends to help me switch them out. Half a year later (and countless gallons of water replaced), the car finally gave up the ghost, overheating and and cutting out on my just as I exited the highway off-ramp. AAA came out and towed it to our house, and now it sits rather forlornly in the driveway, not to be driven until I've gotten it fixed. To say this sucks is an understatement, because I'll have to get up much earlier to get the wife to work and still manage to get myself to work on time as well. So first thing tomorrow I'll be calling out to the salvage yard to see if I can't find the parts. If not, I guess we'll be carpooling until we can save the cash to get the car fixed. It would've been so much easier to just have gone and handled it months ago, but I guess this is the price of procrastination.

GOBAMA!

A couple days removed from the Failure State's primary, things are looking up for the intrepid Senator from Illinois. Not that they shouldn't be anyway; despite the way the media is spinning it, the fact is that he basically tied with Clinton in NH, and the only reason it's a "big loss "is because polling data in that state was about as reliable as a holy umbrella in a downpour. That's why it felt like being robbed, when it should've felt more like an acceptable loss. Ah well, we move on quickly, don't we?

The good news for Barack came in today, and it made me cheer as loudly as one can without disturbing the people around you in the office. First came the endorsement of the SEIU, a small but not insignificant union in Nevada. Then the big daddy union in Nevada, the Culinary Workers Union, fell in line too and pledged to do all it could to help Obama win the state's caucuses. This is a huge coup for Obama in a state where the caucuses aren't projected to have nearly as many people as are even in that union (60,000). I predict that, like Iowa and New Hampshire, there will be record turnout, and with these big endorsements and his traditional pull of new, young, and independent voters, Obama should carry the state. I hope.

The other bit of interesting and arguably good news is that John Kerry endorsed Obama. The significance here is that Kerry is one of the "old and entrenched" politicians that Obama is ostensibly talking about all the time. He's definitely of the old guard, and despite that pretty bad loss in '04, Kerry carries some political weight within the party. Could this be a signal that the power struggle that will inevitably begin to engulf the Democratic Party has begun? The primaries are always about strategically picking a side anyway, but it's taken on a whole new light this time around. Choosing the candidate isn't just about deciding who will try to dethrone the Republicans, it's about deciding where the power in the party will rest. Is it with the old establishment that Clinton represents, or the newer, younger, and thus far ignored Dems that have rallied to Obama's cause? Politics as usual or a change, yes, but the future direction of the party is probably what's most at stake. Even the news media can sense it, even if they take the asinine view of it by speculating if or how much of a slap in the face this endorsement is to Edwards and Clinton. It's not, in my mind, a slap so much as a shot across the broadside. Kerry's thrown in his lot against the establishment. Where will other prominent Dems fall when this struggle really gets going?

Submission 1 - Monkey Girl: Pawns for Kings

Well, I finally submitted a synopsis paragraph for the Who Wants to Create a Super-Heroine contest. It was a bit tough at the end, way after I'd gotten the main idea written. It's actually surprising that it takes so much to finish something this short, but then again it seems that in writing most of the effort is spent on the last 5%. Anyway, the name of the pitch is Monkey Girl: Pawns for Kings, and while I'm not pinning my hopes and dreams on this contest, I'm still pretty excited about the story. I fully intend to develop the miniseries, and if I can't get it illustrated I'll just write it all prose and work from there. What's also fun about this story is that it's using an older version of the Monkey Girl character I've been fleshing out for a while, so it's got me back in the habit of thinking about her and jotting notes down about her adventures. This sort of stuff I'll use for background info once this story gets rolling, and hopefully I'll get around to telling the back stories in the future. Anyway, check out the synopsis:

Monkey Girl: Pawns for Kings is the story of Kenya Chatmon, alias Monkey Girl, a 19 year-old Chinese girl who was adopted and raised by members of a rural west African tribe. At the age of 13 she began to manifest super powers: communication with any primate or simian, a prehensile tail, and the ability to shape-shift into any species of primate or simian that she has had direct contact with. In the six years since she's gotten her powers, Kenya has fought crime and adventured around Africa and parts of Asia, often with her partner MAL, a genetically engineered "perfect" primate chimera. After the death of MAL at the hands of a super villain, Kenya hung up her tights and decided to go to college in America. On the flight over, she is forced to use her powers to foil an unorthodox hijacking attempt. This puts her in the cross-hairs of a new and dangerous enemy, the Grandmasters, that have been using magic to perpetrate increasingly daring and violent crimes across the USA. With the help of her primate powers, her trusty extending staff, and a mysterious government agent named Crayo K. Sea, Kenya must re-assume her Monkey Girl identity to bring the Grandmasters to justice, before they strike at their largest target: the President of the United States.

Now onto the next pitch. I've got a couple ideas already, such as the Queen of the Mist (sentient fog!), or possibly one of the ridiculously powerful Masters of Matter (psychic control of one of the states of matter). I'll give myself a week to get it done and hopefully I'll have enough time to get one more done.

This Week's Funnybooks

I love comic books. Once a week, generally Wednesdays, I go to my local comic shop and grab my weekly stack of comic books. I figure it'd be cool to give my thoughts on the comics I buy. This week, I'm taking a look at Amazing Spider-Man #546, Green Lantern Corps #20, Hulk #1, Nova #10, and The Twelve #1. Let me say right off, this was a good week.


Amazing Spider-Man #546 is the first shot in the "Brand New Day" era of the long running Spider-Man saga. As I mentioned the other day, Spider-Man's world has been turned on it's head recently in the "One More Day" story. Among other things, it did away with his marriage and completely erased any memory of his secret identity, essentially delivering the hapless Peter Parker into a strangely familiar cross of the recent history and his previous bachelor days. That is to say, many good looking girls that seem almost just out of reach and not enough money to even be saying he's scraping by, all while moonlighting as the friendly neighborhood Spidey. Let me just say, this is a Spidey that I can always get into. Pete is broke, he's back at home with Aunt May, and his luck is running to to the old Parker form. To make things worse, some idiot is running around town with a Spider-Man mask, mugging people! And in the background, a new bad guy is plying his trade in New York. Dan Slott's got a firm hold on Pete and his sprawling cast and he never misses a beat in the script. Steve McNiven delivers some great pencils here as well. These guys are going to do great things the next couple of issues. For a bonus, the other creative teams got a few pages in as well, and these quick shots are like a small taster of things to come. I highly recommend it.


Green Lantern Corps #20 follows on the heels of the end of arguably the best comics event of last year, the Sinestro Corps War. The new status quo was set in the previous issue; Hal and John are the sector Lanterns in Earth's quadrant while Guy and Kyle are in the Green Lantern Honor Guard. This clearly sets GLC as the title featuring Guy and Kyle, and they get half the spotlight here, making the momentous decision to relocate from Earth to Oa. The other half of the issue focuses on a certain recipient of a Sinestro Corps ring, who promises to be a real thorn in the side of Kyle and Hal in the future. This was a pretty cool issue from Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, with some handy fill-in work by Carlo Magno. Mainly it's a setup issue without any real action, so it suffers a bit there, but seeing the two Lanterns moving all their stuff to Oa was fun. Not a bad issue, but not must read stuff for the week. Non GL fans probably want to skip this one.

Hulk #1 is a launch issue, and it comes out shooting from the hip. It's a real departure from the Hulk we've all come to know and love. The first clue of this is that he's red. The second is that he apparently kills an old enemy with a gun. And that's just the first few pages. By the time we've gotten to the last page, there's been a superhero scuffle, some explosions, and a rather unexpected person appears at the end to put into question exactly who the Hulk really is. Jeph Loeb is showing his experience here with this relaunch, putting the right amount of mystery, action, and nods to fans. Having been following the Hulk since Planet Hulk started almost two years ago and on through to the big bad World War Hulk saga, I can say without hesitation that this issue is a worthy follow up. I recommend it, even if you're just jumping on the Hulk bandwagon.

Nova #10 continues a so far flawless run on the character, perhaps the best that's ever been done for the Human Rocket. Nova's been through the wringer since the inception of this series: shouldering the responsibilities of the destroyed Nova Corps, battle weary from the Annihilation War, and nearly killing himself fighting the Phalanx in the Conquest of the Kree Galaxy. Lately he's been out on the far edges of the universe after escaping the Phalanx, heading for the home world of the Technarchy to find a cure for the Phalanx Transmode virus with Gamorra and Drax hot on his heels. This issue, a sort of self-contained monster story, reveals some interesting bits about why Gomorra and Nova split up after Annihilation, all while fleeing a voracious monster. At the end, Nova's in a bad way, and you get the feeling that he'd better get help next issue or he's done for. Credit to Abnet and Lanning (with art by the rising Wellington Alves) on their run on this title. Nova's been great fun from the start, and this issue keeps with the trend of upping the ante. If you're not reading Nova right now...I dunno, you hate good stuff. Read it.

And finally, the Twelve #1 rounded out my reading for the day, and it was a good way to end. The premise has been done before, but it's well handled here. Twelve heroes from Marvel's Golden Age are involuntarily frozen in the final days of World War II, and a fortuitous discovery by a construction crew unearths them nearly sixty years later. These are old school heroes from a time when there wasn't room for cynicism and everyone drank to government Kool-Aid. They've got goofy powers and even goofier names. And by the end of the issue, they're all ready to step into the current Marvel Universe as registered heroes that would set the tone for the rest of the younger heroes (a la the Justice Society). So that's the end, right? Well, yeah, but why is one of them dead at the end? This book is the brainchild of by J. Michael Straczynski, who is probably one of the best writers in comics today. He's on form here, telling the story from the perspective of one of the heroes that, despite wearing a mask, comes off as an everyman that you can identify with. Everything just seems, and I hate to say this, but it seems very real, the reactions (to the characters) and interactions. There's a feeling of anticipation, like you know that this is just a short lull before something major is about to go down. The art is rendered in fine form by Chris Weston, who does a great job of getting a healthy medium between a Golden Age sensibility and the modern comic art we're used to. It's all around a nice package, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series.

Damn, that took much longer than I thought it would. And this was a small week...

God Damn You, New Hampshire

Just...man, seriously, what the fuck, New Hampshire? WHAT. THE. FUCK? You guys are the problem with politics nowadays. You're looking at the past and not the future.

Okay, not all of New Hampshire. But 40% of you that voted in the Democratic primary, I'm disappointed in you. I thought Iowa would be the disappointment, but you guys, you surprised me. Way to go there, lowering my expectations and opinion of you. I'll remember not to place to much confidence there in the future.

Moving on, Obama still came close to a tie, which pretty much puts him at an almost even spread of delegates. Not a total loss, but the juggernaut has just taken a very big hit. Nevada was close to sewn up for Obama, but now it's definitely in play. South Carolina, god forbid, might even be in play, even with the large black primary electorate. It's a real race now, and Obama is going to have to really step up because the Clinton campaign is going to pull out all the big guns and the stops to get the nomination. I'm crossing my fingers and am going to do what Barack has insisted, and I believe, is the right thing to do: to hope.

Just A Couple Things

Not much to talk about today, mainly because I've been goofing off and wasting my thoughts on the Penny Arcade forums and fan fiction. There's been lots and lots of talk since the Iowa caucuses, mainly concerning Obama's rise and Clinton's fall, but also about the merit's of Ron Paul's insanity. I've been caught up in the crossfire that's been going on regarding both, and it's been incredibly fun. I think, and the wife will probably agree with it, that a combination of my love of arguing and my need to be acknowledged as right means that I easily get going on internet forums.

That said, it's awesome that Obama's gotten a serious bump from his Iowa win, as much as 13% depending on the poll. Hearing potential New Hampshire voters, who are supposedly quite independent leaning, talk, you get the feeling that there's definitely much love for Obama up there. No amount of trying to characterize him as all talk and no action has made a difference, and even his unremarkable performance in Saturday's debate has slowed him down. Incidentally, wasn't it pretty hardcore seeing Edwards tag team with Obama to thoroughly anger Clinton? Anyway, if Iowa holds true for New Hampshire (and god knows it hasn't always), then this primary is going to have a huge turnout and most will end up in Obama's favor. I'm optimistic that they're going to make the right choice in the Granite State.

I'm going to cover this more on Wednesday in what will become a weekly post about the comics I read each week, but I wanted to say a little about my first comic of the week that arrived in the mail today. The comic in question is Amazing Spider-Man #546, the first issue in the "Brand New Day" series of stories and first in the now thrice-monthly title. A little background for your edification: Brand New Day (BND) is a "fresh slate" revamp of the Amazing Spider-Man book that follows closely on the heels of the One More Day (OMD) story that did the slate wiping. OMD hasn't been very well received, to put it mildly (seriously, check Newsarama.com or Comicbookresources.com for the outpouring of nerd hate). Some people were so mad that they swore off the book. Well, to those people I say "sucks to be you", because if the first issue is any indication, Spider-Man is going to be just awesome this year. It reminded me very much of the old Spidey I'd read of in old reprints from the 80s and 90s, and that is a very good thing in my book. Further, all of the creators on the book (and it really is a long list of A-list talent) got a chance to shine in the issue, giving hints of the fun to come over the next four months. For as bad as issue 545 was (and it really wasn't all that bad, but retcons can be hard to swallow), this issue was twice as good. I'm no longer cautiously optimistic about Brand New Day; I'm more a fan now than I was before today.

Missed Deadline

Yeah, so I didn't get that pitch done. Actually, I wrote most of it the other day, but I haven't quite got it to where I want it. That said, you can read what I've got so far here, and hopefully it'll be done completely tomorrow. I think the weakness here is the terrorist bad guys, but I'm kinda stuck on an alternative set of villains. Also, there's not nearly enough description of Kenya's looks or personality. We'll see if I can't sort that out tomorrow.

That's My Dog

I know I've been talking about BunQ, but I already have a little one running around the house. We've got a Springer/Cocker Spaniel named Bentley Farnsworth and he's the cutest dog in the world. A friend of mine also has a dog, and he and his wife decided to throw a birthday party for her which we were invited to. Now they live in a town about 30 minutes away, which gave us pause. Bentley's not normally very car friendly, mostly because the only time he gets into the car is if he's going to the vet. Thus the wife decided to ride in the backseat and pet him the entire way there. Thankfully it worked, because I can't imagine riding a half hour with a yelping dog and actually having the dog make it to the end of the trip.

The party was a first for us, and I'd have to say that we'd love to do something like that for Bentley. It was just four dogs, but they seemed to have a great time. Dogs, of course, love running around with each other, and Bentley being a super friendly dog, he had a ball. He's also quite out of shape, so he ran out of steam pretty quickly. After that, we humans ate, and then the dogs all had cake. Okay, not really cakes, they were some kind of tea cakes for dogs with frosting. By the time we left, Bentley was tired and completely stuffed, and he barely made a sound the entire way back home. I'm guessing he had a good time.

I think we did too, even if we didn't know the other people all that well. There's something about dogs that unites owners and gives us common ground to connect on. Comparing our dogs and their eccentricities is always fun, especially when you have dogs as nutty as Bentley can be. But what was more interesting was talking about having a dog in the house when you have a new baby. I'm slightly concerned about that, but Bentley really is quite friendly, so I'm feeling pretty good about him making the adjustment.

BunQ Watch, Day 64

Friday here at BunQ Watch, and all is well with mom-to-be. She's gotten...I guess I'll say accustomed to the twice a day sickness, as well as the sudden hunger pangs. I've really got to read my book today or I won't hear the end of it.

And now, I leave you with the very first picture of BunQ, taken at five weeks along. Ah, those were the days, when BunQ was but a speck in his/her father's eye. Isn't s/he adorable?

I H8 Huckabee

On the Republican side of last night's caucuses, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee pulled an "surprise" upset, winning the contest by about 10% of the vote. I put quotes around that because this was pretty much a foregone conclusion for at least a month. See, in a field where all of the candidates are relatively unpalatable, almost anyone that has a smidgen of personality or likability will get all the press. I'll admit that, like most southern ministers, he's personable, so much so that, if you didn't actually hear any details about his politics, you might think he's an all right guy. With his Gomer Pyle smile and warm demeanor, surely this guy would be good for the nation, right?

Wrong.

Now I wasn't really paying much attention to the guy because he's an evangelical, conservative Republican, three words which automatically set off warning signals in my mind. But as I'm not a Republican, I didn't really care to know anything about him beyond the surface. Now that he's won, though, I can really see how much more insane he is than I imagined. Let me just say, it's much, much more than I'd originally thought. How so? Walk with me.

First, there's the evangelical thing and all the baggage it entails; anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-sex, anti-evolution, anti-any-other-religion-but-ours-you-heathens. Is it saying something when your practice of religion (ostensibly of love) is all about shit that you're against? These are bread and butter issues for the very vocal and very stupid religious wing of the Republican party. I tend to believe that if they (or their frontman Huckabee) is for it, I'm safe to be against it.

Second, Huckabee is appealing to the libertarians (those selfish haters of taxes, government, and poor people) in his party with his talk of small government and pimping of the so called "Fair Tax" plan. Smaller government is a pipe dream and anyone with half a brain can see that. We're too big with too many needs that can't be met by the private sector. Libertarians would like to see taxes get cut so low that the IRS disappears, and then, presto change-o, the government shrinks because there's no damn money to run it. Enter the Fair Tax, a truly retarded idea that only a selfish, myopic, upper-middle to upper class idiot would think is beneficial. Yay, no more income tax, just 23% sales tax on pretty much everything, effectively screwing over the lower and middle class because we spend more of our income than rich people. Think we're getting boned now on taxes, wait until this crap goes into law. See, for a guy who is supposed to be all about Jesus and His ideals, he doesn't talk the talk or walk the walk(oh hey, that's most of the so-called evangelicals too, what a coincidence). Fair Tax will hurt the poor and middle class the most while giving rich people even more of a pass on their tax burden.

Third, besides having a few questionable skeletons in his closet, he's not really the nice guy he makes himself out to be. See that little "I don't do negative ads" switcheroo he pulled? How long will this "I won't negative campaign" thing last, once his back is against the wall? Again, the evangelical side is an ugly one; you can't be a nice guy and be anti-gay and libertarian, sorry to say. He says he's for change, but how much change can you possibly be for when you're an evangelical conservative Christian that supports the war in the Republican party?

The upside to Huckabee's victory is this: he's almost a damn straw man for everything that's wrong with the Republican party. For all his talk, he's really more of the same that we've had, arguably even worse. He's the least bad choice for them, and even then he loses convincingly in polls no matter which Democrat he's against. Against Obama, it's not even close. I can't see independents flocking to him. His candidacy would send them straight to Obama. It doesn't take much to see who is the real candidate for change.

So yeah, not a fan of Huckabee. Not that I expected to, really, I just didn't realize until today how almost Ron Paul level his craziness was. And since it's inevitable that he'll get plenty new people on his bandwagon, I think it's only right to dub these followers by a sufficiently funny and deprecating name, a la Ron Paul's Paultards. I don't know, what do you think of "Huckadweebs"?

I <3 Obama; Thank God Iowa Isn't Stupid

Yes. YES. Thank you, 38% of Democratic caucus goers in Iowa, for making the right choice. I won't have to castigate you on my blog that no one reads. Congratulations also to the people who caucused on both sides in record numbers. It's really awesome to see people braving the bad weather to participate in the democratic process. We need more of that in this country, but even more so we need more informed participation. I'm feeling like that's what we got this time.

As an Obama supporter, this is sweet, sweet vindication. It is invigorating. My belief in Obama is even more solid. That victory speech was for the ages, and it underscores exactly why I and many others feel like he's the man that needs to be president for the good of our country. We do need to turn towards change in this country, to turn away from the ridiculous partisan politics that gets nothing done in Washington. We need positive and optimistic and honest people in charge who will be committed to righting this ship and getting us back on the right way. Listen to or read that speech and tell me if Obama isn't the person that this country needs.

BunQ Watch, Day 63

Day 63 and all is well. The stupid cold snap and a slight case of the sniffles hasn't adversely affected the mom-to-be too much. I'm going to get back to reading my fatherhood book before mom-to-be gets mad at me for not taking the pregnancy seriously. :-P

Raucous Caucus II: Why Am I Watching C-SPAN?

Yes, I'm watching the caucuses on the most boring but most reliable political network. Initial impressions: what the fuck is with the Ron Paul supporters. Paul is not only a long shot, but he's got a really dumb/unrealistic platform overall. Where it's not dumb is in the areas where there's generally already a concensus (Oh, you think Iraq's a bad idea? Wow, you're a maverick). Seriously, he's a magnet for supposed "self made" people and others that are just generally selfish dicks. God help us if he gets elected president. I call end of the world as we know it if that happens.

Caucuses are on now. Make the right choice, Iowa (OBAMA).

Opportunity Knocking

Goal for January: develop at least two pitches for the Image Comics/Newsarama "Who Wants to Creat a Super-Heroine" contest. If you follow the comic industry at all, you should know that getting in as a writer is stupidly hard. Almost all of the focus in talent searches revolves around the artists. This makes sense, of course. The industry isn't all that large, and a lot of money goes into putting out a book, so editors want proven writers for their projects. Hey, guess what, people with novels and tv shows and movies under their belts are clamoring to write comics. Kinda hard for us aspiring writers to get in, having to be as good as people already getting paid to do it. Not that that's any excuse at all.

Anyway, this is an awesome opportunity because it's open to anyone, regardless of experience or who you know. The next Stan Lee or Mark Millar could be typing up the most awesome paragraph ever as you read this. I'd be dumb to not at least try to be that person. Fortunately I've had a female super-heroine running through my head for the better part of the last year. She's been on quite a few exciting adventures in that time, and I've gotten her and her cast of allies and enemies mostly fleshed out. I just need to pick which of her adventures to go with for the pitch. I think that I'll have the pitch written up by this Sunday and will post it up here. After that, I think I'll start really introducing you to Monkey Girl.

Raucous Caucus

So the Iowa Caucuses are tomorrow, and I'll admit that I'm filled with trepidation, and rightly so. This weird ass not-really-a-primary is going to set the tone for the primary season, and it's going to give someone in both parties a real shot at being "The (Wo)Man". And that's exactly why I'm apprehensive. This time around, there's a clear difference, at least in my mind, between the Democratic candidates. Of the three most realistic choices, Edwards, Clinton, and Obama, only Obama has garnered favorable opinion on both sides of the political spectrum here in America. You want to see a "uniter, not a divider"? He's it. Give him the nomination and not only will he be a historic president (honestly, what Republican could beat him without resorting to dirty and ugly tactics that, quite frankly, everyone is tired of), but he'll be one most likely to return some civility and, dare I say it, accountability to Washington. So why am I getting a sickening feeling in my stomach that the caucus goers in Iowa aren't going to see this?

Make no mistake, I'm voting for whatever Dem gets the nomination. I've yet to see a Republican in this race who doesn't make me ill or apoplectic with rage. But I really, really don't want it to come down to Clinton vs. Terrible Republican, because I know it'll be the worst presidential campaign ever that'll just make me even more bitterly partisan than before. Edwards is all right, but between the stigma of his previous defeat and the ultra populist message, I'm afraid he's going to be only slightly better. But how do the Republicans attack Obama? Lack of experience? He's weathering that pretty easily so far. The only attacks I can see that may work, sadly, will be ethnocentric and racist. His candidacy will be a real question of whether we, as a country, are really moving towards the color-blind, accepting society we claim to be. And the first part of the country that gets to weigh in is...Iowa.

I want to believe that Iowa will step up and make the truly progressive choice. That they'll vote to put forward a candidate that isn't part of the old guard, but the new school. That they really do want change and take their role as the vanguard seriously. I really, really hope that tomorrow night I can say that Iowa made the right choice. It's not a very high hope. =\







Oh, and go Romney because, seriously, fuck Huckabee and his sanctimonious fundy ass. In fact, go Giuliani...Obama would destroy him in a national election.

BunQ Watch, Day 62

Today in BunQ Watch, we're happy to report that all is well with the mother-to-be. BunQ has spent a quiet day gestating while reflecting on what it'll be like to eventually have fully formed limbs and organs. Meanwhile, BunQ's host finally came out to her co-workers in an emotional AIM conversation. In a heartwarming display of open-mindedness, everyone congratulated her on her lifestyle choice. There are unconfirmed reports of belly rubbing, high pitched squeals of "Oh My God!", and talks of showers. BunQ Watch will continue to follow this story as it develops.

BunQ Watch, Day 61

If you take a look at my resolution list, you'll see that the wife and I are expecting this year. I thought it might be fun and informative to keep up with how things are going with our little "BunQ". That's not his/her name, of course, but since we're not really sure if it's a girl or boy yet, we just call it our little "bun with a question mark". Hence BunQ. Clever, I know. Anyway, I'll try to keep it going daily, but I'll definitely post when significant things occur.

Oh, and BunQ and mom are doing well today. :-D

New Year, New Resolutions

Well, it's January 1st, so it must be time for resolutions we may or may not keep. Here's my list, and I'm pretty sure I can do at least half of it. Number 6, though...

1. Devote at least 10 hours a week to researching, writing, and developing various writing projects
2. Get a better job
3. Welcome my first child into the world (seven months to go, woo!)
4. Get back to regularly exercising
5. Get back to learning guitar
6. Stop surfing the web so much and use that time more constructively
7. Fix up the front yard and finally build that planter in front of the porch
8. Stop wasting my creative time and energy on fan fiction
9. Beat Rock Band Solo Tour on Expert drums
10. Start a blog and update it daily
11. Submit at least two pitches to Image's super heroine contest
12. Read more books
13. Devote time and money to charitable and community oriented activities
14. Find an artist willing to work on developing original comics

Why I Blog

I've wanted to write professionally for four or five years now. Like many things I've wanted to do in my life, I haven't exactly gotten very far in this endeavor. Why not? Well, I've learned that writing is hard, and most difficult things tend to die on the vine, so to speak, with me. Don't get me wrong, I like to write, quite a bit in fact. My mind often swells with ideas and stories waiting to be told. I've got at least six or so solid story ideas that occupy my mind at any given time. So the desire to do this is there. The problem is that to write, to really write and create stories people want to experience, has to this point required more dedication and work than I've been willing to give. It's almost like real work! Not a fan of that sort of thing.

It's sad, really, because I do write a bit, but in a far less stressful arena: fan fiction. It's fun, sure, and the number of people I can please or disappoint is pretty low. It's a sort of incestuous little community, where fans write things that other fans would like. It's also 99% crap, and even if you do have one of the few good stories, the fact that slowly becomes apparent is that you've just expended a lot of creative power on something you do not own nor can you publish yourself. It's satisfying and fun and even a good way to practice writing, but ultimately I feel that I'm wasting effort that could be going towards my own stories. And so here we are.

This blog is part of my commitment towards writing. The professionals, the ones who are doing this for a living, say you should write everyday. Therefore I will be updating this blog at least once a day (more if I can help it). I'm through putting off realizing my dream. I'm ready to do the work required to get published. An article, a short story, a book, or a comic book; I intend to do what I can to get one of these published this year. Each step I take towards this goal, I'll chronicle here. And in 364 days, we'll see how I came out.