Thursday, March 31, 2005

Rifling through the clutter of a sportsman's drawer

Who used to use the above convention? Was it Will McDonough, Lord rest his soul, or was it someone else?

Let me see. The whole point of getting a computer in my room was to learn HTML so that I could do fancy pictures and frames and the like. Ahh...the best laid plans. We'll just have to do our best, hmm?

On Comics:
I think it is appropriate to start today’s column describing the euphoria that is DC Countdown. It is an incredible book. Recently, DC hit a sweet spot of storytelling; a groove where many stories are superhero allegories to the world at large. Sometimes they produce a ham-fisted, ripped from the headlines story. Such as, this character is gay, or that character has aids (I’m on to you, Judd Winick.) Other times, they mix in character traits subtly. You can feel the desperation of a father looking for his child, or a female wanting to end the cycle of abuse that plagued her childhood. (I love you Judd Winick, although I still am on to you!).

DC Countdown is one of those books that are not about silly “science-man” running around in his tights. Rather it’s a book that deals with low self-esteem, self-righteousness, greed, ennui, hard luck, paranoia…in short, its’ characters have the same ear markings of a best-selling novel or movie (Million-Dollar baby?).

It is a great book. I would be happy to recommend others like it. Plus, if you buy the first edition, it is only $1. Or you can wait. Subsequent issues are only $1.99…
In future blogs, I will reveal the plot and how it further espouses on what it means to be a hero.


On Video Games:

Sigh. A big reason for my un-productivity the past few years is my addiction to video games. I say addiction, because I believe the dopamine levels in your brain rise to a level that mimics certain narcotics. Or it could be the powerful feeling you get from being able to control these characters, much in the way I haven’t be able to control my life. Well, I should say that I have control; I am just exercising it in an unproductive way.

But it is amazing at how media can control our horizons. Just thinking that so much of what passes for education can be obtained through watching TV, or browsing the Internet…and yes even playing video games?

Think I’m lying?

Well, what about these kids nowadays who learned math, science, and many advanced cognitive memory devices playing these card games? It is not a wonder poker has grown in popularity recently. People who spend time with much of the zeitgeist-y Japanese pop culture phenomenon are bombarded with this type of stuff.

Maybe MacGyver and Star Wars are good for the youth?


On Star Wars:

Man, I am geeking out over this. I cannot believe the movie is just a short month away. But it is sad in a sense. Although I know Anakin will become good, is it sad that I am really worried about his descent into madness?

Although this is not about politics, I do feel it is a particular apt metaphor for our country’s decline. Ain’t it interesting that there is a new “Culture of Life” that promotes a “Just War”—full of death—a death penalty—full of more death—and a fractured economic and health system that results in, yep, death? How can we expect to survive if we constantly undermine our own methods of preservation? How can they call themselves Christian, when they forget Christ helped the poor, healed the sick, fellowshipped with women AND people of other faiths, and sacrificed his own good for the sake of the community. SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT BECAUSE YOU ACCEPT CHRIST, IT IS OKAY FOR YOU TO BE A PRICK? Didn’t we kill Calvinism, or something? I thought the Congregationalists were now liberal?

Time to take some benadryl and go to bed. Sorry to bother you. Peace!

(RA leaves, muttering something about “Those stupid, @$&*! Pricks!”)

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