Julius "Sho Nuff" Carry dies

The Last Dragon was a childhood favorite. Mr. Carry had other roles, but the Shogun of Harlem for a number of folks my age is his best remembered role.

I wonder why women's beach vollyball is so popular?

Nuff said.

good diverse music

Okay. There is this station based in Seattle. It is called KEXP. They are part of the University of Washingtion. I happen to like a lot and listen to it on streaming audio when I can. Check it out.

Leopard vs. Crocodile

Wow. This is just amazing. A bad-ass Leopard bested a crocodile in combat.
Leopard vs. croc

Batman

The viral marketing program for the upcoming Batman film has been ongoing and extensive. In fact, there is something going on tonight in Chitown. Go to Citizens for Batman for the coordinates. Google maps returns a spot near the Sears Tower.

Are we thinking about the same guy?

Jesse Helms is being buried today. I am surprised by the amount of adulation he has received since his death. I believe the man embodied the worst aspects of America. But, I tell you what, I will let the quotes from Obsidian Wings clue you in to what I am talking about. The post is long, but if you want just scroll to the bottom for a cross-section of Helms’ own words. The blogger of that site did a good job compiling that material.

Second City

Today was the start of the increased sales tax for my beloved Chicago and the rest of Cook County. We now have a sales tax of 10.25%. Yeah, we are number 1! Screw you New York, we are second to no one.

Wipe out

I was at my gym today, and saw a most amazing and disgusting scene. Someone had been using the hamstring machine and left a puddle of sweat. I am not talking about a drop here and there, you probably could have slurped the sweat up with a straw. Like I said, disgusting. So please men and women of America: wipe off the damn machine after you finish your routine.

Comic Reviews-06/25/08

Conan The Cimmerian #0 (Dark Horse)

He’s back. The new Conan series will explore Conan’s life as a mercenary, and his return home. On the way home, Conan encounters some raiders. Things don’t go well for the raiders. Recognizing the benefits of notoriety, Conan allows the group’s bard to live and tell of what happened. Artist Tomas Giorello and colorist Jose Villarrubia turn in superb work. There is even a fantastic splash page that shows the people and situations that Conan encountered in the previous series. This series should be as entertaining, if not more so, than the last one.

Hercules: The Thracian Wars 3 of 5 ( Radical Comics)
More bloody action for Hercules and his band of mercenaries, or should I say military contractors, as they fight against rebel forces. The group loses a member, and Hercules takes messy revenge. Hercules and company live in a world were life is, as Hobbes said, nasty, brutish and short. The painted art is very good.

Captain America 39 (Marvel)
One of the great recent mainstream comic runs continues to fire on all cylinders. Sharon makes an escape attempt, the 1950s Cap makes an appearance, and the stage is set for another Bucky vs. Cap showdown. I can’t add more expect to say if you are new, than get the trades or even better the excellently produced Omnibus, which reprints the first 25 issues as well as extras.

Iron Fist 16 (Marvel)


Danny discovers an unsettling fact about aging and the life span of the previous Iron Fists. He also seems determined, like Warren Buffet, to use his vast fortune to aid his fellow man. There’s a search for the lost eighth mystical city, while Fat Cobra looks rather scholarly. I also enjoy the cover, I wonder if that’s based on an album cover? Give this book a try. It features a billionaire kung-fu expert, what more do you need?

The New Avengers 42, and The Mighty Avengers 15 (Marvel)
Since both series are focusing on the background of the Skrull invasion, I am going to review them together. First up is New Avengers 42. This issue details how the Skrull queen replaced Jessica Drew. The ceremony looks like a religious ritual. Which is appropriate given the religious nature of this queen and her followers. We also get a new catch phrase which is,” For The Glory.”
In Mighty Avengers, Hank Pym can’t catch a break. Things are on the rocks with his wife, who hangs out with Tom Ford, and so he hooks up with a pretty young lady, who is a Skrull agent, he meets in England. In a rather comical sequence we the see the Skrull agent get all kinds of background info from Pym. In the end, Pym gets taken out literally with his shorts down..er off. We then see the same religious ceremony, which seems to involve the blood of the person they are impersonating.
All in all I am enjoying the Secret Invasion. With a lot of these crossovers, the companion books seem tacked on just to raise extra revenue, but the Avengers titles are an essential and well-written part of the story. My only complaint is that some of the Skrull language parts aren’t translated. But I am sure eager and talented Marvel fan will have an entire translation up within a day or two.

Thought of the Week

Love life, engage in it, give it all you've got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it...

- Maya Angelou

Once you go green

I saw the Incredible Hulk, and it was fantastic. Like the Iron Man film, this one modernized and built upon much of the comic book legacy of the character. The actors were good, and the script was a nice balance of character development and action. I enjoyed the FX. The Hulk and Abomination looked good. I thought it was a great job. There were cameos by Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno, and a glimpse of the late Bill Bixby from his Courtship of Eddie’s Father days. The latter two were the star duo of the 1970s Hulk television show. The really nice touch was the manner in which the origin story is handled. The opening credits provide the origin story, and the movie proper just starts with Banner living incognito in Brazil. That was an excellent decision, and the execution of it was great.

I really enjoyed the world building seeds that were planted in this movie. For example there are the several references to S.H.I.E.L.D., the mention of the super-soldier program from World War II (Captain America film is being planned), and others. We even see the creation of a Hulk villain called the Leader. There’s a cameo by Tony Stark, which seems to lay the seeds for an Avengers movie down the road.
Okay, I know you folks that know me are saying, “That’s great Otis. You liked the movie, but you own over 1000 comics. I don’t know anything about the Hulk." Don’t worry, this picture works just fine if even you don’t know the Leader from Doc Samson. Trust me, go and see this movie. I am going to see it again at least once.

Law & Order

I had to report for jury duty today. I had to go to 26th and California. Which also happens to house the County Jail. For performing my civic duty the county of Cook paid me $17.20. The notice had said to expect to stay until 4:30 p.m., however, I was among the fortunate ones that got to leave at 2:30.
I got to catch a glimpse of R. Kelly. The R. Kelly jury came back with not guilty verdict on all charges. From a third floor window, I saw R. Kelly exit the courthouse, blow a kiss to someone and get into a waiting SUV. There were dozens of reporters, onlookers, cops, and fans waiting outside. One crazed fan tried to run up to R. Kelly’s SUV, a Chicago Police Officer pulled her away from it. Sometimes it’s hard to tell to who’s crazier: the Celebes, or the whacked out fans. Not guilty on all counts. Wow. I haven’t seen the tape (copies can be purchased on the street in certain parts of Chicago), but I have heard before that he has a thing for young girls. Are those just vicious rumors, or another example of the rich and infamous getting to disobey moral and legal laws? I don’t know. But my gut tells me that you really wouldn’t want your kids to attend a slumber party hosted by Michael Jackson, or R. Kelly.

Nasty Campaign

The assault on Barack and Michelle Obama continues. Yesterday on Fox News, Michelle was referred to as Obama’s baby mama. There are two things really wrong with that statement: (1) the term baby mama is used when the mother and father are not married, so the term does not apply; (2) why is the term used on so-called “news” station.

Comic Reviews-06/11/08

Captain Britain and MI13 #2 (Marvel)

This issue continues with the Skrull Invasion of Britain. The Skrulls strategic goal is to capture and/or eliminate magic, and in the Marvel Universe magic is centered in England. Faiza has developed a rather interesting power. She can control the physical structure of a body. She accidentally makes the Black Knight look like an exploded diagram. It is a creepy but well drawn image. The rest of the team gathers with the fairy folk to take on the Skrulls. The end of the book contains the address of Paul Cornell's blog. A good issue and I intend to stay with the book at least until the end of this first arc.

Invincible #50 (Image)
The long delayed issue is here. The art is great, the story is really good, and the origin of Cecil Stedman is at long last revealed. The stage is set for Mark to become independent from the government, and he finally declares his true feelings for Eve. This is a consistently excellent book, a bit late at times, but worth your effort to get caught up using the released trades.

Angel: After the fall #8 (IDW)
I am going to drop this book. I am a fan of the Buffy and Angel. The set up for this book is the aftermath of the end of Season 5 of the television show. The premise is great, however the artwork is murky and the narrative structure is a bit too confusing. I can deal with a convoluted story line, but murky art is a deal breaker.

Comic Reviews-06/04/08

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 15 (Dark Horse Comics)
This current arc ends on a sad note. Xander deals with personal loss, and Dracula shows why he was a bad ass even before becoming a vampire. With all the heavy stuff going on, there’s a funny bit with Dawn dealing with a robot doppelganger.

Criminal 3 (Icon)
Once again Ed Brubaker, and Sean Phillips bring us a depressing, but excellent noir tale. When I say depressing, I don’t mean that as a knock on the story, it’s the just the nature of noir tales. Not a lot of happy people to be found. If you dig Double Indemnity, Out of the Past, or other classic or modern noir tales you should check out this book. This month’s back-up feature is a review of the classic Robert Mitchum film The Yakuza.


Secret Invasion 3 (Marvel)
I am enjoying this series and the accompanying tie-ins. Unlike other mega crossovers, the series and its crossovers seem to fit together rather well. For example, in the two Avengers titles we have seen Nicky Fury gather a new commando squad, and Skrull Queen assume the appearance and powers of Spiderwoman. Both plot threads are introduced at pivotal moments in the story. As for Tony Stark, all I will say is that he appeared to be green-eyed and I don’t think it was because of jealousy. The artwork of Leinil Yu (pencils), Mark Morales (inker), and Laura Martin (colorist) is really good.

Rebel Yelling

The Sons of Confederate Veterans are flying a 50-by-30 foot flag near a major interstate in the Tampa, Florida area. Oh boy. I am a fan of military history. I don’t find a problem with people studying, or collecting relics of notorious groups from history. I also realize that many people can trace their ancestry to folks that fought for the Confederate side in the Civil War. I understand that studying, and honoring your family history, does not mean you are racist or supported slavery. But I wish this group would realize two fundamental issues. First, their ancestors tried to dissolve the United States. They took up arms to destroy this country. Because if it had been split, the country as we know it would have been destroyed. Two, while not every Southern owned slaves, slavery was a fundamental part of the economy of the South. The main reason for the war was the issue of slavery. Yes there were some other issues. But that’s a bit like asking Mrs. Lincoln what she thought about the play. The Confederate flag is the symbol of an enemy that tried to destroy the United States. And the best part, the damn flag was made in China.

Chicago's folly

Chicago made the short list for the 2016 Olympics. I hope we don’t get it. Why you may next. Well, my main reason is that it will be cost the taxpayers too much money. The Mayor says public funds won’t be needed, and local media just seems to nod their heads and agree. However, given the way Chicago works, it’s a good bet the rich and connected will make it out like bandits, while the public treasury gets the bill.

Fitzgerald Does it Again

Tony Rezko was convicted on 16 of 24 corruption counts in Federal Court. This conviction may cause some flap for Obama, but I think it will be limited. From what has been revealed so far, and I am sure Hillary and the Republicans have been digging, Rezko was a fundraiser for Obama, and gave a good deal on some land. Which is minor stuff on the political scratch my back scale.

No the person with real worry will be Governor Blagojevich. There appears to be a much tighter connection between Rezko, Blagojevich and assorted pals. With a guilty verdict on 16 counts, Rezko’s memory may start to have amazing recall of goings on involving the Governor and others. The next few months could become very interesting.

Yes He Can

Well at long last, the primaries are over. Obama’s speech was good. He touched upon a lot themes that I am sure will be the focal point of his campaign. I did not hear all of Hillary's speech, but did she even congratulate Obama? I did catch her line about not making any decisions tonight. Senator Clinton, please concede the darn thing and start helping Obama to win in the fall.
Beyond Senator Clinton’s tenacity, I think the other reason she has been trying so hard is because this was her last best chance to occupy the White House. If Obama wins in the fall, he has an excellent chance, than Senator Clinton won’t be able to try again until 2016. That’s a long time in political years. And if Obama loses, she will just have to face either Obama again, another veteran politician, or perhaps another rising star. In either situation, time and unknown opponents will make things much more difficult for her. So, her best bet has been to stay in and fight as long as she could. At this point, I really wish she would just step aside. She’s fought hard, and dirty (at times), but it’s time to go.

Crime and Punishment

It’s been reported that the administration is pushing to have military tribunals start ten days after the Republican National Convention. Defense attorneys are complaining that they still have not received a security clearance, and have had limited time to meet with their clients.

I have recently been reading a biography of Justice Robert H. Jackson. He was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, and served as a prosecutor at the Nurnberg war trials. The following are, I believe, some still highly relevant quotes about the need for fair tribunals:

We must not use the forms of judicial proceedings to carry out or rationalize previously settled political or military policy. Farcical judicial trials conducted by us will destroy confidence in the judicial process as quickly as those conducted by other people.

Gitmo has already lowered our reputation for fairness in the world. These tribunals as set up will continue to do damage. Justice Jackson comments further on fair tribunals:

But further, you must put no man on trial if you are not willing to hear anything relevant that he has to say in his defense and to make it possible for him to obtain evidence form others. The ultimate principle is that you must put no man on trial under the forms of judicial proceedings if you are not willing to see him freed if not proven guilty. If you are determined to execute a man in any case, there is no occasion for a trial; the world yields no respect to courts that are organized merely to convict.

Sadly the current administration, and many others do not seem to either know or place much value in the important lessons of our past. (America’s Advocate: Robert H. Jackson, Gerhart, 1958, pg. 317).

Were you lying then or are you lying now?

Scott McClellan’s new book has generated tons of negative response from current and former members of the Bush administration. What a surprise. I hope McClellan does not make a lot from his book. After all he stood there and told half-truths to the nation for a few years. Why should he profit by his sudden conversion to honesty?

Check some of the current and past headlines from my blog roll. Those sites have tracked the incompetence and corruption of the current administration long before corporate news dared speak its name.

Green Line: black & blue passengers

The CTA Green Line had a derailment yesterday. Fourteen people were treated for injuries. The CTA was quick to claim operator error as the cause. Maybe, but my first thought was that the decaying public transportation infrastructure was to blame. Which probably helps to explain the CTA’s rather quick response to place the blame. They want to make sure that the public and the Olympic Committee does not blame the system. We have had a few rail incidents over the last couple of years that alone should give the Olympic Committee pause. However, Beijing is hosting the summer games and that city has some of the worst air quality in the world. So what if the El trains slide off the tracks or have to go really slow due to poor track quality.

Comic Reviews-5/21/08

Mighty Avengers 14
Bendis continues to expand upon his Secret Invasion mini. He has used both Avengers titles to supplement and fill in the back-story of the Skrull invasion. I believe this is an excellent idea, which has been well executed.
In this issue, we are shown flashbacks in which the Skrulls gain information and plan for the upcoming invasion. The Jarvis imposter is given complete access to the Avenger’s files. Later he meets with others to discuss how to deal with the Sentry. Their plan, which was featured in Secret Invasion 2, was to convince Sentry that his Void personality had taken over. The plan works, because the Sentry retreats from battle. Only now, the Void persona has taken over and saves his wife from a Super Skrull.

Checkmate 26
This is the first issue of a new creative team. We witness the origin of the Chimera. The man is called Adam Sharp. He is a soldier in Iraq and suffers severe wounds and is left for dead. Checkmate is apparently running a medical program in which nearly, but not entirely dead soldiers are used in an all weather soldier program. I have two problems with this scenario. There doesn’t appear to be any consent given for this program, and the Sharp’s friends and family are allowed to believe he is dead. This whole program seems to be in direct violation of what the new Checkmate is supposed to be about. Perhaps this is a rogue program, if not than I won’t be reading Checkmate for much longer. Overall, I found this to be an interesting, yet disturbing first chapter. The artwork was really murky, but was not to distracting from the story.

Comic Reviews-5/14/08

Captain Britain and MI: 13

This is a new Marvel title that ties-in with the Secret Invasion. London is under attack and the team, nearly complete is responding to the threat. The issue features lots of splash page oh yeah moments. Something I found humorous was the number of Super Skrull permutation. One Skrull has the powers of the founding members of the Avengers (pg14): hammer (Thor), wings (Wasp), antennae (ant-man), and a power suit (iron man). Similar mash-ups are throughout the book. Makes you wonder if the just allow troops to mix and match at will. The art was good, I got a sense of who the characters are, and I enjoyed seeing hero action outside of America. Overall I enjoyed the book, I thought it was a fast-paced introduction, and I am looking forward to the next issue.


Guardians of the Galaxy

Another Marvel space-based book, that spins out of Annihilation: Conquest. I was familiar with some of the characters, but if you aren’t, basic introductions are provided throughout the story. Like Captain Britain, this one starts out in the middle of an attack. Guess they are trying to grab readers as quickly as they can. A fun issue, with one of the best team name suggestions ever made: “Ass-kickers of the Fantastic”. Lots of wacky ideas in this one: a raccoon that serves as the explosives expert, a temple ship that is powered by the faith of its religious members, and the reality show like mission debrief scenes. Good art, some funny and dialogue, and some character development. Overall this was a good first issue.

Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four

This is the first of a 3 issue series featuring Marvel’s first family. The FF first tangled with Skrulls way back in FF #2. The Skrulls despise the FF, and have made special plans to take them out. Mr. Fantastic has been incapacitated in the page of Secret Invasion, a Skrull has taken out Sue, and another Skrull posing as Sue has sent the Baxter building into the Negative zone. The Thing, Johnny Storm, and the kids are trapped there with Skrull from Johnny’s past. While Johnny deals with an old flame, the Thing is about to fight off insect creatures that seem to thrive in the Negative Zone. Sometimes the big two (Marvel and DC) have supplements to their blockbuster events that are just awful. But this one is tied strongly into not only the Secret Invasion mini, but long-time FF continuity as well. Should be a good series.

Red Sonja-Dynamite

Sonja continues her journey to through hell. She is finds herself attacked by all the people she has killed. The numbers are staggering. When it looks as though she is defeated and about to be abused by her tormentors, the sprits of those that have fought by Sonja’s side come to her aid. At the end it appears Sonja is about to find out her final fate. This has been an interesting arc. But I must admit, I am looking forward to the book moving on to the next chapter in Sonja’s life. Reflection is a good thing, but six issues worth, that’s a bit much. Still I give it an overall good rating, not for new readers, but if you have been reading since the beginning it does a good reviewing her past actions and their consequences.