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.