well, the King Street Apple Store opens this Saturday at 10 AM.
first thousand guests get a free t-shirt.
will i see you there?
quote of the day:
“Die Zukunft einer Bewegung wird bedingt durch den Fanatismus, ja die Unduldsamkeit, mit der ihre Anhänger sie als die allein richtige vertreten und anderen Gebilden ähnlicher Art gegenüber durchsetzen.” - Adolf Hitler
on King Street looks to be coming along nicely.
the barricade is down and the front façade is done (and covered with foam board).
the sign for the Genius Bar is all glowy, too.
i’m not in the market for any hardware anytime soon (i hope), but it’s about time.
quote of the day:
“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.” - Che Guevara
priceless.
quote of the day:
“Sally, you’ve never seen a street like Sesame Street. Everything happens here. You’re gonna love it!” - Gordon Robinson
a Jackson-Davenport TV commercial featuring John McKissick playing during a showing of Varsity Blues.
quote of the day:
“Football incorporates the two worst elements of American society: violence, punctuated by committee meetings.” - George F. Will
since today is the opening of The Dark Knight in the United States, i felt this topic was appropriate.
not long after i got home from HeroesCon, i decided to hang a poster the nice folks from Newsarama were giving away. what poster?
Adam Hughes’ representation of some of the DC Comics’ female characters, titled “The Real Power of the DC Universe.”
there’s been plenty of discussion of this around the net - mostly discussing whether the image pandered to prurient interests or not. i don’t feel it does, but the image’s artistic merit (or lack thereof) isn’t what tickled my brain.
what actually struck me was the caption at the bottom, listing the characters from left to right: Catwoman, Oracle, Zatanna, Black Canary, Power Girl, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batwoman, Vixen, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.
now, i didn’t need the key to identify the characters, even out of costume (not sure what that says about me), but i didn’t identify them all the same as the caption did. to me, Catwoman is Selina Kyle - that’s her name, that’s who she is. Catwoman is just what she does. the same goes for Barbara Gordon (Oracle), Diana (Wonder Woman) and Kate Kane (Batwoman). Zatanna uses her real name, and the rest i recognize by their alias (as given in the caption).
being an introspective sort (or maybe i was a little drunk, who knows?), i wondered why. why did i seem to connect to certain of these characters in a different way?
some of it may be exposure; i read Wonder Woman every month. but i don’t read Catwoman. or Birds of Prey. and Kate (Batwoman) has never even had a series. i also read Justice Society and Justice League each month: books that feature Power Girl and Vixen, respectively.
so it can’t just be exposure.
characterization comes into play, obviously. Diana spends quite a bit of time as “Diana Prince” rather than “Wonder Woman.” and Power Girl is usually called “Power Girl” - even though her name is Kara Zor-L (Supergirl’s real name is Kara Zor-El, just to add to the confusion).
yet even when she’s wearing the star-spangled britches, i still think of Diana of Themyscira as Diana.
i think that what really makes me remember her (and the others) by her name is an internalization on my part of the natural-seeming humanity (character origins aside) that has been imparted by the craftsmanship of many writers, artists, actors and directors through the years. i’ve connected to them because of a sense of self-recognition. they are three-dimensional to me, even in a flat world.
which made me consider other characters. who else did i have a similar connection with?
Superman? he’s Clark. Spider-Man? he’s Peter Parker. The Thing? Ben Grimm. Iron Man? Tony Stark.
all these characters, i thought of by their “birth” names. or perhaps their “self” names.
but after Tony Stark, i remembered another billionaire: Bruce Wayne.
him, i think of as Batman. he’s definitely fleshed-out and “real” to me. as real as a comic character can be, anyway. but why Batman, and not Bruce?
(and i finally reach the point of this post)
Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne are both self-made men, of a sort. both inherited money, but they both recreated themselves for other reasons than fiduciary gain. both are orphans, both are physically normal men (ignoring Stark’s relatively recent “Extremis” upgrades) who daily contend with godlike superbeings - and are successful in doing so.
but, again, why is Tony Stark “Tony Stark” and Bruce Wayne “Batman?”
comparing these two led me to believe that it comes down to a recognition of the anima of each, rather than their personas. the self rather than the mask, in other words.
many of us like these characters, whether they are in four-colour form or projected on a movie screen. Stark is the playboy figure that many of us would like to be - living without a care in the world, driving fast cars and romancing beautiful women. Bruce Wayne does the same things - but almost no one wants to be Bruce Wayne.
and it’s because i think most of us realize that Bruce Wayne is a lie. he is the face that Batman shows the world to hide his true soul. we don’t want to be Bruce Wayne because he’s really a freaking psycho. Tony does good things with the Iron Man identity because he wants to; there may be charitable motives, and there is certainly a drive to atone for past failures, but at the end of the day Tony likes a good party with a starlet on his arm.
Batman doesn’t. he goes to parties (as Bruce Wayne) because it’s expected of him. there are plenty of natural predators that use camouflage; Batman is simply a human one.
with more reflection, i realized that my recognition of Batman as the “true” person was at least a little bit due to empathy with the character (just as i identify with others). but, again, he’s not really someone comfortable to identify with.
so, if you go see The Dark Knight this weekend (along with half the rest of the world), maybe take time out to think about why you enjoy it. is it just for the spectacle, or is there some part of the Batman in you?
quote of the day:
“Wer mit Ungeheuern kaempft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein.” - Friedrich Nietzsche, Jenseits von Gut und Böse
also known as, “why regulations for ambiguous reasons are dumb.”
Senator John Warner (R, VA) has proposed reviving the old national 55 mile-per-hour limit, originally set in the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act. prior to the 1974 law, speed limits had been set by the states. after the law was repealed in 1995, power to set limits reverted back to the states.
Senator Warner wishes to reinstate the limit for the same reason it was originally created: to save fuel. he (and others) have also averred that a lower speed limit will save lives.
there are several problems with this reasoning - including the fact it didn’t do either the first time.
how does 83 percent of traffic ignoring the limit sound? how does a constant decline in fatalities after the limit was repealed sound? or the massive one percent overall fuel savings?
sounds like there’s not much to save, huh?
in 1973, there was a shortage of fuel. OAPEC declared an embargo against those nations that supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War. this caused an actual shortage of supply and commensurate rise in price.
there is no shortage now: prices are rising due to a variety of factors, but they’re mostly on the demand side of the equation. the developing world, namely China, has a demand for petroleum and is willing to pay for it. this drives prices up because they are willing to bid more per barrel than before the beginning of their explosive growth. this rise in demand (and price) has caused speculators to bid the futures price higher - a logical course of action, as the seemingly consistent upward trend in price promises to reward their investment well. and finally, the US dollar is tanking on the currency market; since oil is priced in dollars, of course the price will go up.
so there’s no real reason to “conserve” oil - we’re not going to run out any time soon.
but more importantly, how is it the government’s business to tell me how much fuel i can use? it’s mine, i bought it with money i earned, i’ll burn it how i want.
following this logic, if i want to save fuel, i can always choose to slow down. most interstate highways have a 45 mph minimum speed limit - so i can get on the road and set the cruise at 55 whenever i want.
the American Trucking Association has asked Congress to consider reinstating a national limit in order to save fuel and reduce their fuel costs. i have to wonder, why don’t they just decide to slow down? why do they need the government to tell them to do so before they do? if a fleet owner is worried about his fuel costs, it’s not that hard to tell his drivers to slow down - it’s not even that hard to install governors and tell-tales on the trucks. it seems like they want our tax dollars (that pay for the Highway Patrol’s services) to pay for the monitoring of their fleet.
oh, wait, our tax dollars already subsidize the trucking industry to a ridiculous extent anyway. what’s a little more?
and all this assumes that slowing down will save fuel anyway.
my Honda, built almost twenty years ago during the reign of the 55 limit, gets approximately the same (actually, slightly better) fuel economy at 80 mph as at 55 mph. so a 55 mph speed limit wouldn’t save me anything. this is mostly due to combined factors of light weight, gear ratios and an engine optimized (over stock) for flow efficiency.
and i’m sure i’m not the only one. there are several cars (the T200 Celica comes to mind) that are most efficient at speeds in excess of 55. much (i dare say most) of the world has speed limits of 100 kph or higher. since the US builds less than 15 percent of the world’s cars, it wouldn’t surprise me if cars built outside the US were intended to have peak efficiency at or near the prevailing speed limits in the country of origin. heck, since the 55 limit has been dead for almost 20 years in the US and the 65 limit for 13, i wouldn’t be surprised if US designed cars were intended for higher efficiency at speeds in excess of the old double nickel.
i guess it’s obvious at this point that i’m unconvinced of the need for legislation intended to “save fuel” or “lower the price of fuel.” the only way for the government to lower gas prices would be remove the excise taxes (or subsidize it, which amounts to the same thing). and that, rabid anti-tax person that i am, would be even more stupid than lowering the speed limit.
just let the market work, folks. the bubble will burst and prices will come down (see: the housing market and dot-com boom/bust). the dollar will go back up, and prices will come down. supply will come up, and prices will come down. the constant rise isn’t going to last forever.
and we still pay less than most of the folks in Europe…
quote of the day:
“Uh, 10-4 Pigpen, what’s yer Twenty?
Australia ?!
Mercy sakes, ain’t nothin’ down there but Tasmanian Devils
An’ them Q-Alla bears.
What’s that?… No Double-Nickel limt?
We gonna be there in a short, Pigpen.
This here’s The Rubber Duck, Ten-Ten, an’ doin’ it to it
Like Pruitt used to do it…to it…
We gone… Bye Bye…” - Bill Fries (a.k.a. “C.W. McCall”), Around The World With The Rubber Duck
i had intended to write more about HeroesCon (as well as some other subjects), but have been unable to for various reasons. some mental, some emotional and some physical.
my aunt passed away on June 30. the emotional impact of which still hasn’t really hit me.
i lost my wallet July 2. the wallet itself was a gift from my deceased godmother. it also contained all of my identification, debit card, credit card, insurance identification cards and whatnot. still have yet to manage replacing everything.
July 8, i started a summer German class at the College of Charleston.
which i promptly missed the third day of, as i was in the hospital.
i’m out now, obviously, but the drugs i’m on have me more than a bit wonky.
so i’m really not sure when i’ll be able to get another substantive post up.
sucks, neh?
quote of the day:
“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” - Mark Twain
ambivalent feelings for Charlotte aside, i loved HeroesCon.
sadly, i’ve not got much in the way of photos, as i was too busy to take them. i’m sure i’ll do better next year.
it was really cool seeing so many people, of such varied ages, who all felt passionate enough about comics to spend ten bucks (or more) just to hang out with the folks who create them.
lots of folks in cool costumes (here’s where i wish i’d taken photos): there was a trio dressed as Speed Racer, Trixie and Racer X who were spot-on to the old TV show. multiple Jokers, Harley Quinn, Superman, Supergirl, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, a pint-size Iron Fist, and a huge number of folks who were obviously anime characters whom i’ve never seen. my favourite costume was a woman dressed as Renee Montoya/The Question. there were also “organized” costumed folks there; with Klingons (along with a few Starfleet officers and Borg drones) collecting for charity, and Vader’s Fist also in attendance.
getting to meet the artists and watch them work was cool - it’s amazing what talent and experience will let someone do in a matter of minutes or hours, given a blank surface and writing implements.
best sketch of the con: Evan Dorkin did a brilliant sketch of a Skrull Milk and Cheese on a Secret Invasion sketch cover.
i particularly liked the way Artist’s Alley was laid out (though some of the “big name” pros apparently didn’t), with “Indie Island” smack in the middle. to me, having the “alternative” artists and publishers concentrated made it easier for folks like me (who mostly read superhero books from the big two) to sample what was available (stylistically and thematically). i’ll admit that i think a lot of the “indie” stuff is crap - hipness for hipness’ sake. but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. if these folks enjoy creating it and others enjoy reading it, i’m all in favour. plus, we need more non-superhero stuff if the industry is going to grow its readership.
i spent too much money: not that i spent a lot, but i spent more than i should. some with those handily clustered indie artists, and some with the multitude of dealers. prices on non-key modern age books ran from 2 bucks to 10 cents per, with key books running guide to multiples of guide. “hot” titles seemed a bit pricey as well - for example, i saw not especially rare Civil War books going for what (to me) seemed stupid prices. lots of Silver and Golden age stuff, some with very attractive pricing (i scored a gorgeous copy of New Gods #2 for a mere 5 bucks - i mean, Kirby pencils, Colletta inks, and the first appearance of Desaad for five bucks?) and some with very unattractive pricing (i was looking for Gold Key Man From U.N.C.L.E. books and couldn’t find any that i didn’t feel were overpriced - good to fine stuff priced like near mint). but i still haven’t actually sat down and figured out how many books i brought back.
tomorrow, i’ll finish with reflections on the panels i attended (all two of them).
quote of the day:
“If you love comics, you won’t care what Robert Kirkman thinks of your work.” - Todd Dezago, during the Image Show
for the lack of HeroesCon wrap-up yesterday.
i was at the bike co-op meeting later than i expected, and forgot to carry my laptop (with all my notes).
that said, why not check out the co-op?
quote of the day:
“Socialism can only arrive by bicycle.” - Jose Antonio Viera Gallo
and worn out.
but it was a blast, and i learned a lot for next year.
yes, i’m already planning on going next year.
anyway, on to the report!
HeroesCon, founded in 1982, has become one of the “must do” cons in the country. it is the oldest surviving independent con, and one of the largest. before this weekend, i had never been to any entertainment convention; business conventions, yes. but not entertainment. this year i had decided to go to at least one convention, and HeroesCon (being held each year in Charlotte, a mere 170 miles away) best fit my scheduling and financial constraints.
some observations on Charlotte before i get to the con itself:
it’s pretty. obviously, banks have lots and lots of money. many attractive green spaces and public sculptures. that said, it’s bloody sterile. admittedly, i didn’t get out of the immediate area of the convention center, but at 6 PM on Saturday evening all the retail establishments and 90 percent of the eateries within reasonable walking distance were closed. this seems fairly dumb considering the density of hotels in the area of the conventions center. visitors need to eat and often want to spend money. plus some of the “pretty” is obscured by the absurd amount of construction going on; like i said, banks certainly have money.
this, however, doesn’t seem to extend to the population. i’ve never been accosted by panhandlers so frequently in such a short period of time before - and i’ve been to places with lots of panhandlers. the armed security guards everywhere were kind of off-putting as well. understandable, but still.
i stayed in the Hilton Charlotte Center City; like the city itself, it was attractive with some downsides.
the room was very nice. no surprise there, it’s a Hilton. all the rooms are non-smoking, the beds are comfy, the bathrooms are exquisite, etc. it’s a Hilton.
yet internet connectivity started at ten bucks a day - which is ridiculous for a hotel that runs anywhere from $130 - $190 a night. the Motel 6 at the airport has free wireless internet, folks. the only reason i was able to get online Saturday night (because i’m not paying ten bucks to use a wired connection) was because someone forgot to turn off the hub in the conference room for a while. there’s no parking owned by the hotel, so you’ve got to pay to park in Wachovia’s garage. starts at $18 a day through the hotel. and, of course, room service and the hotel restaurant prices were obscene. it’s a Hilton.
next year, i’m going to try the Westin. it’s the same price, and just on the opposite side of the convention center from the Hilton.
now that i’ve got all my whining out of the way - i’ll post about the con itself tomorrow. like i said, worn out.
some pictures from wandering around Charlotte:
quote of the day:
“It’s not about us, it’s about the characters.” - Dan DiDio, at the DC Nation panel
what i've been listening to... | john on why the 55 mph speed limit won… |
 | Heather on sometimes life gets in the… |
 | Saphyre Rose on when is it offensive? |
 | jhota on i bought a 4-drawer legal file… |
 | Nicole on i bought a 4-drawer legal file… |
