5/10/2006

Peanuts: The Dark Years

Early Peanuts strips were sometimes unexpectedly dark









The first Peanuts cartoon.

5/09/2006

The Poem Generator Does "Slow News Day"

posted by John :
Prine songs
Greg played a fork
in Oprah’s Book Club in frustration
like doing homework.
He did a walk back a
couple of South Parks
titled "A Mood For Us"
to
go
to
Los Angeles.


Poem Generation courtesy of Rob's Poem Generator

5/08/2006

Book Buying

With the low American/high Canadian dollar it is actually cheaper right now to buy books from the US than in Canada. Some examples (All prices are quoted in $CDN):
Titleamazon.com amazon.ca
Please Kill Me : The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil11.5113.46

Batman the Dynamic Duo Archives

34.8654.75
Postwar by Tony Judt27.8734.32
The Creating Brain: The Neuroscience of Genius
by Nancy C. Andreasen
17.2430.95
The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988
by Efraim Karsh
10.7615.96

Beagle Boy Bailey

Oregano and Basil


I bought the oregano a week ago and the basil last Saturday. I'm going to try to document their growth by posting a new pic every Monday.

More Colorado


The grave of a neighbourhood cat in Nederland Colorado


Freedom of expression American style


Covered bridge in Nederland. Elevation 8233 feet


A postcard image of Nederland.

5/07/2006

Colorado Backyard





Stretch

I've been reading Jack Cole's Plastic Man series which appeared in Police Comics from 1941-1943 as republished in the DC Archives Editions in 1998. The art is really peculiar and yet obviously inspired by legendary artist Will Eisner who was doing The Spirit for Quality Comics at the time. Plastic Man and Jack Cole share such a singular story that Art Spiegelman and Chip Kidd produced a book on the subject: Jack Cole and Plastic Man : Forms Stretched to Their Limits

Reading the series I found my own weird encounters in Plastic Man's world.

One of the first oddities I came across was that Plastic Man in the guise of his gangster alter ego, Eel O'Brien takes a trip to Ottawa, Canada to pick up some narcotics in a hearse. Remember this was a kids comic book sold in any pharmacy or corner store in 1941.



In one scene a dykish villian, named Brawn, hops up, Plastic Man as Eel O'Brien, on Mary Jane, which turns him into a psycho killer.




The appearence of women in these comics is notable. Brawn was a cigar chomping muscle bound lady with an army of svelte young female thugs.


Here's a scene where a criminal on the run who declares that he detests "Modern Women". It appears that a modern woman is one who smokes and approaches a man with desire.



This next image illustrates how words change in meaning over time. Calling a woman a 'snatch' has a different association attached to it now than it does here in the 1940s as a pick-pocket.


A few scenes of Plastic man taking on female form appear





In this one he purposely tries to attract men sexually in order to distract them. Then he transforms into what I assume is a stereotype of a gay man circa 1941.


At the time Pinball was seen as a front for organized crime and thus a sordid activity associated with gambling. It was a pariah for a time just as much as drugs still were and still are. Also note worthy is that the pinball czar has a 'foreign' accent.

Funny now gambling and narcotic video games are par for the course.

This final scene is just bizarre. Just look at it and imagine that you are 8 years old. Your father or mother takes you into the phaarmacy maybe buys you a soda at the fountain and you get a comic book for a dime from the rack. It's Police Comics No.6. In it you see this

5/06/2006

Recognition

Prime Minister Harper acknowledged in an official statement yesterday the Armenian genocide of 1915. This is the first time that the government has done so. The Turkish government denies (against all evidence) that the genocide ever occurred.

I think that it is important that Canada took this step. eventually Turkey will have to deal with this horrible part of history instead of threatening any country or individual who speaks about it.

5/05/2006

B-Movie

Another random Movie title generator. This time bulit around B-Movie Titles. These are movies I want to see:

Spirit Gallows
The Subhuman Need of Sinbad
The Macabre Castle of Flowers
The Black Attic of Urges
The Insane Tomb of Santa Claus
The Room of the Screaming Dream
The Flesh-Eating Dreams of Tarzan

The nice thing about this random generator is that the titles actually do sound like B-Movies. Sometimes in fact I could swear I've seen the movie.

Movie Maker

Randomly generated movie pitches from Rob's Amazing Movie Maker.

* An inept bungling criminal and an Amish Teen discover that their father is actually Santa Claus.

* A handsome, but obsessive boyfriend and Kevin Bacon move to the big city to start a new life together.

* An Autistic genius and the head of the CIA discover frozen neandrethal while digging a swimming pool in the back yard.

* A group of skilled, yet witty archeologists and a posse of outlaw cowboys eat and drink in a coffee shop and talk about popular culture.

* A teenage hacker and a Japanese Lawyer do battle with computer animated monsters.

Random

I am tired of these D&D stereotypes.

Poem Generator Does Leslie

Songs to him as well. I think
about the sidewalks, which then
gets washed away with any
luck
by speaking,
be it Stephen
Colbert at Wellesley too.
Pictures at home.
Boulder is a glacier.
Enjoy
that novel
got kicking around in the spring...

The Poem Generator

the backroad. a problem with vibrant
buds of the blackness, on the
return of many things: Of
those golden hourswhoseperfection is
being removed.
this house is of dialogue to
Globe and kings, And fury the
forgotten ape

the lecture was blue, the highway is
important. I
laughed when
all wore masks and
why the information
comes

the gift of a
den, a spare tire
strapped
to feel
free to know

A poem(?) constructed from The Glob and Wail by Rob's Poem Generator

Who Was That Masked Man? Woman?

One of the things I dislike about internet comments, and of which I am guilty of participating in, is the practical anonymity of comments. I think that this damages discourse as responsibilty for what one says in both tone, impact and factual content is frequently discarded. Imagine if you were at a lecture or seminar and the audience all wore masks and a constantly rotated in and out of the room while the lecture was ongoing.

It comes down to an equation of credibility (ie truth, justification, ratiocination) and accountability two principles that underlie theories of democratic practice following the age of reason. My thoughts on this come from my experience reading the comments attached to Globe and Mail and Washington Post articles. One of the things about journalism is that it is supposed to be accountable for the information it provides. I love hearing other peoples thoughts and opinions and am certainly not against comments. I do however have a problem with the lack of accountabilty that allows people to feel comfortable to mislead, be lazy, and generally lower the level of dialogue to tosssing out epithets and disinformed opinion.

Feel free to comment.I would be interested to know what others think about the matter.

Happy Birthday

5/03/2006

Flogging a Dead Horse

Flog away. Veteran journalist Robert Scheer has reported in depth on every administration since Nixon. He had the following to say about the Bush administration
"They don't care about facts, logic or consequences. They are the most cynical people that I've ever encountered in politics...I don't think I've ever seen that kind of cynicism before, and I'm the guy who interviewed Richard Nixon."

Watching Chicks

The Eagle webcam is getting around 10 million hits a day. According to the Guardian it's a world wide web wonder.

May Musings

Yesterday morning was one of those golden hours whose perfection is measured in proportion to their rarity. Birds sang, the sky was blue, the air an impossible mixture of briskness and languidity. I felt recharged and decided to go out nowhere in particular. The streets so long morbid corridors of ice were now lined with vibrant buds of green, cream, rose and coral all set against the clear blue cape of a spring sky.

It's taken me a while to settle into my new home but yesterday I felt sure that it was my home. The most immediate change is the amount of light. This house is full of light whereas the other apartment was more of a bunker, a den, a burrow.

Natural light is important. I work better and longer, my head is clearer, I have more energy and greater focus.

On the way home I walked past the old apartment. The sun had disappeared by this time and the air was chilly. Two young men on unicycles went by, one with a spare tire strapped to his back. I laughed when I saw them enter my old apartment building. I like to think that two unicyclists are living in my old place.

5/01/2006

May Day/Beltane/

It's that time of year again when all the world forgets the wickedness of the past year and dances around a great bonfire or pole to celebrate the gift of procreation and the return of our friend the sun. Hah you think I'm making that up? Only in part. Today is Beltane a day of festivity marked by contemporary pagans and said to have originated in the British Isles. May Day celebrations go on all over Europe but became associated with Communism in the 20th century and fell out of favour in the United States.




Some Beltane revellers

4/28/2006

Baby Head

No! The giant baby head is being removed.

At least the sun is shining

what?

My Pups



Spring Has Its Way Alas

Stood alone there,
out on the highway.
In the blackness,
on his own.
Through the wind,
rain and fury
'Folds the story
of Malcolm Murray

Not an evil bone
in his body,
Not a bad thought
in his mind
Always drifting,
home to home
To everybody
he was kind

Was a hunter
and a drinker
A simple life
his only care
You could find him
out on the backroad
Or in a tavern,
alone somewhere.

Heard one day,
that he'd been missing
Gone out hunting,
did not return.
The sky turned cloudy,
the wind grew still
For his poor soul,
my heart yearned



Found him lying,
in the mountains
By a stream where
he loved to be
Lost a good friend
and a good man
Say farewell
to Malcolm Murray

It's been said,
out on the backroad.
There's a shadow
by the light of the moon
Never fear,
never worry,
It's just the memory
of Malcolm Murray.


Stood alone there
out on the highway.
In the blackness,
on his own....

4/27/2006

BOOm

This is reported by FOX News so you no it's the result of the most meticulous research. In other words don't you dare question its veracity. "A big boom came from sky!"

Hanging on a Limb

Wow! Stephen Harper just buckled under to Mr. Bush over softwood lumber trade. It was decided by the NAFTA arbitration board that the US was at fault for imposing illegal tariffs on Cansadian softwood lumber exports. The US fought this tooth and nail and now Harper has given away 1 Billion Canadian set a precedent that means future trade disputes will be settled outside of the terms of NAFTA. Incredible. I'm thinking that Conservatives always do the opposite of what they profess to believe in. Quote "The Americans would like to get this settled by 5 o'clock."

Boston: City of Internet Love







4/26/2006

Eagle Eye

My roomate has been obsessively watching this live eagle cam from BC . Mostly because it is of a female on a nest of eggs that are going to hatch anytime now. She noted that in a few days the first born chick will kill the second born. Ouch!

Boo in the Loo

A haunted toilet in the Low Valley Arms a pub in Wombwell has been drawing some attention.

4/25/2006

Live from Fiendland

Kiss for a new generation comes from Finland. They are named Lordi and they are the Finnish entrants in the 2006 Eurovision contest. Band members are Vocals: Lordi (the unholy lord of tremors), Guitar: Amen (living dead unstoppable avenger), Drums: Kita (extraterrestrial man-beast),Keyboards: Awa (possessed sorceress, she-devil) and on Bass: Ox (the giant powerhouse on hoofs).

Some peopl are taking them seriously as a Satanic force and have asked that they not be allowed to play in the Eurovision contest, which gives them way to much creedence.Songs include "Would You Love a Monsterman?", "Monster, Monster", "Devil is a Loser" and "Wake the Snake" (I wonder if that is a ballad?). According to the Eurovision web site the Lordi entry "'Rock Hard Hallelujah' is not only the most rocking Eurovision entry since ABBA's 'Waterloo' back in 1974, it also has one of the catchiest tunes".

And here's the German entry >>

Boston Signs


The Field




Fenway Park




CITGO




Shell Oil

Prime Minister Shrub

Stephen Harper seems to be emulating the ever popular Bush in his every move.
Here's the list:
1.) Wearing military outfits (the flak jacket visit to Afghanistan)
2.) Emphasizing 'patriotism' through miltary action (Afghanistan)
3.) Vetting all public comments made by party members
4.) Lowering taxes while increasing military spending
5.) Banning media from documenting the return of dead soldiers
6.) Restricting access to information
7.) Rejecting environmental responsibilty
8.) Pretends to be a regular joe, man of the people

This is not the Conservative Party of the past. This is a party that rose out of the reactionary right and the Reform Party. Creationist believer, Stockwell Day is now the Minister of Public Safety. It seems kind of crazy to be emulating a leader whose popularity is at an all time low and whose term in office looks ready to go down in history as a disaster. However Canada does tend to follow the curve 4 or 5 years after in many social and political areas.
C'est La Vie!

4/24/2006

Autistic Adults Picture Project

This is an interesting site that collects photo portraits and profiles of autistic adults as part of an Autism awareness project:The Gallery >>

4/22/2006

Just Like the Cold Old Days

Russia doesan't seem to be much more of a friend to the West/US than the USSR was. So as I said in Grade 7. It's not really about systems of government it's about power.

Iran, Russia Reportedly Reach Enrichment Deal (Washington Post)

Phone_Jamming Time

What the hell? From a Washington Post item called "How the GOP Lost Its Way"
On top of all the scandals, it has just come to light that the RNC paid millions in legal bills to defend operative James Tobin, who was convicted with associates in an illegal phone-jamming scheme aimed at preventing New Hampshire Democrats from voting. In doing so, the GOP appears to sanction and institutionalize corruption within the party.


What??? And these are just the people who got caught. Was this ever front-page news? I missed this. Sigh....

4/16/2006

I hHave Made So Many Mistakes

Redline

Mon Treal

I've been missing the good and bad ol' days of Montreal lately. I guess passing through on my way to Boston sparked that. One thing I miss was the great neighbours I had on Chapleau. What I realize now however is that this was even unusual in Montreal. Annick explained that to me, and yet I imagine it having even less of an opportunity to happen in Ottawa.

By the end of my time there I had quite a network of casual and not so casual acquaintences. I miss being able to just go out onto the porch and look over the park and hook up with people passing by who I knew. It was a warm and comfortable time and this isn't.

But you have to let it go. I'm 40 now and I feel a bit lost these days. A bit puzzled; as if I've bought some ill fitting clothes that I thought might suit me and found out they look a bit funny. Too tight.

So what's next? You can't go back. I'm not having an easy adjustment. There are different forces at work here and I have to go one way or the other.

Recently Discovered Animal Species

2006

  • Furry lobster (Kiwa hirsuta) NEW FAMILY and GENUS: South Pacific
  • Honeyeater bird: Indonesia(New Guinea)
  • Colasisi, hanging parrot : Camiguin (Phillipines)
  • Phillipine forest mouse (Apomys camiguinensis) : Camiguin (Phillipines)
  • Golden-mantled tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus pulcherrimus): Indonesia(New Guinea)
  • Long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijni): Indonesia(New Guinea)
  • Berlepsch's Six-wired Bird of Paradise (Parotia berlepschi)Indonesia(New Guinea)
  • Madidi titi monkey: Bolivia


2005

  • Kha-Nyou, tree rodent: Vietnam
  • 43 new species of vertebrates (one mammal, five geckos, two agamid lizards and 35 frogs, a new species of shrimps, 14 new species of freshwater crabs): Sri Lanka
  • Highland mangabey (Lophocebus kipunji): Tanzania


2004

  • Bone eating worms (Osedax rubiplumus and Osedax frankpressi ): Whales
  • Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) : Arunachal Pradesh (India)
  • Variant anglefish: mid-Atlantic ridge
  • 13,000 new marine species: World's Oceans


2003

  • Rorqual whales (Balaenoptera): World's Oceans
  • Pygmy elephants: Borneo
  • Giant red jellyfish (Tiburonia granrojo): Pacific Ocean


2002

  • Bernardi monkey and Stephennashi monkey (Callicebus bernardi and Callicebus stephennashi,): Amazon forest (Brazil)

2006 or...not?

Things I Learned Today

4/15/2006

Neo Conservative Fantasy

An interesting remark from the Guardian concerning US relations with Iran:
It is a widespread belief in Washington's neo-conservative circles that a comprehensive air assault would disorient the Tehran government and galvanise the Iranian people into bringing it down.
Really? There is such a good track record on bombing and invading people who don't ask for it in such matters. Do these people even know what they are talking about? No one wants to be invaded. It's wishful thinking at best. Neo-Conservatices live in a fantasy world and sadly tromp around messing things up trying to make the world match their vision. Why don't they just get a Play Station and leave us out of it.

That being said I do believe Iran is an obvious danger to world stability. What is ridiculous is that the Iranian people would love to be 'saved' like Iraq has been.

4/14/2006

Year Two

A year ago today Leslie and I met for the first time in Boston.

4/13/2006

Boston Trip





Slow Motion

I clearly don't see movies very often. The last two movies I went to were with Leslie. The first being in January, Capote, at the Bytowne, and Heart of Gold at Kendall Square in Boston this month.

Capote was really a good fable about a man who weighed his soul against fame and career and lost out. It was an exceptionaly sad story.

Heart of Gold on the other hand was a fable about a man who weighed his soul against fame and career and won out. It was a remarkably reassuring story

4/05/2006

Back

What a crazy month. Before I even unpacked I was on the road to Boston to celebrate with Leslie our first year together. It was a really great time even with all the shootings in Cambridge (three). No wonder there were so many police around.
We met up with Mel and Mike as well as John Galvin and Dina(sp?) at the Enormous Room in central square, went to the Aquarium, Boston Beerworks, the North End, Boston Commons, saw Heart of Gold with an amazing sound system, ate lots, drank lots.
It was so nice to see Leslie again after two months. It was just perfect. I have a ton of pictures to sort through but heres one of Leslie and her twin sister Morely, when we went for Thai food.