The Flu = The Suck

I'm at home, got the flu, don't want to stay in, but it's rainy, not hungry, back aches, no one wants to massage it, head hurts, probably from the stuffed up sinuses, eyes hurt too, don't want to stay in bed, coffee doesn't taste right, I hate complaining/whining, I know this is a run-on sentence, but... what I need is a few good punches to my back.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Missing Link Found?

How cool is this? It's possible that scientists have found the missing link! Another clue into our common origins. Who knows what knowledge and information might come from this.



I'm sure there are a lot of people who do not want this. People who refuse to believe we evolved from apes, Creationists, religious fanatics, etc... They refuse to see evolution as having nothing to do with our place here on Earth. That God created us, just as we are today, and that's it. Which doesn't make sense to me as there are some huge differences among humans that don't seem to have been in line with us all coming from the same one man and one woman.

I'm of the mind that God played a role in human (and all animal) evolution. God is great and powerful, and His plan isn't meant for us to understand. And evolution would work perfectly into that line of thinking.

Tito El Bambino - El Amor

Sometimes I get a song in my head, and I'll play it over and over until... forever.

Right now, the latest addiction is "El Amor" by Tito El Bambino.

The lyrics: (in Spanish)
El amor es una magia.
Una simple fantasia.
Es como un sueño,
Y al fin lo encontre.

Es como una luz,
Que se esparce por el alma,
Y recorre como el agua,
Hasta que llena el corazon.

Y va creciendo y creciendo,
Como nubes en el cielo,
Dando vueltas por el mundo,
Es increible, asi es el amor,
Y al fin lo encontre (x2)

El amor te ciega,
Aunque aveces te engaña.
El amor es puresa,
Si es que a alguien tu amas.
El amor te atrapa,
Y de el nunca escaparas.
Solo tienes que aprender a amar, amar (x2)

Y va creciendo y creciendo,
Como nubes en el cielo,
Dando vueltas por el mundo,
Es increible, asi es el amor,
Y al fin lo encontre. (x2)

El amor te ciega,
Aunque aveces te engaña.
El amor es puresa,
Si es que a alguien tu amas.
El amor te atrapa,
Y de el nunca escaparas.
Solo tienes que aprender a amar, amar (x2)

El amor es una magia.
Una simple fantasia.
Es como un sueño,
Y al fin lo encontre.

Es como una luz,
Que se esparce por el alma,
Y recorre como el agua,
Hasta que llena el corazon.

Translation:

Love is a magic.
A simple fantasy.
It is as a dream,
And in the end I found it.

It is like a light,
That it is scattered by the soul,
And it crosses like the water,
Until it fills the heart.

And it is growing and growing,
Like clouds in the sky,
Racing around the world,
It is incredible, such is love,
And in the end I found it. (x2)

Love blinds you,
Sometimes it deceives to you.
Love is pure,
If it’s somebody you love.
Love traps you,
And never lets you escape.
You must learn to love, to love (x2)

And it is growing and growing,
Like clouds in the sky,
Racing around the world,
It is incredible, such is love,
And in the end I found it. (x2)

Love blinds you,
Sometimes it deceives to you.
Love is pure,
If it’s somebody you love.
Love traps you,
And never lets you escape.
You must learn to love, to love (x2)

Love is a magic.
A simple fantasy.
It is as a dream,
And in the end I found it.

It is like a light,
That it is scattered by the soul,
And it crosses like the water,
Until it fills the heart.

I've Watched the Watchmen

WARNING: There may be spoilers. I'll try to limit them but I make no promises. Read at your own risk.

Let me start off by saying a little about the story.

"The Watchmen" was first published in 1986, and it was the book that changed the way comic book stories were/are written. This was the first "serious" comic story. In essence, this was the point where comics hit puberty. Until then, comic books were still something innocent, and mainly "for the kids". This book is special. It's carried in high regards by comic book fans. When comic books hit puberty, a lot of comic book fans also hit puberty. You had twenty-somethings looking at the world with new eyes. They started to see all the F!ed up stuff in the world. (Don't laugh. Some people see the world through things they love.)

Also, remember this... Alan Moore, wrote this. And one thing you need to know about Alan Moore, is that the man is insane. Oh, he's "The dark god of comics"... but he's an insane, dark, comic book god. The man has rejected Hollywood and it's money. Who he hell rejects MILLIONS of dollars? For work he's already done! AND, he doesn't even want his name on the films! He did it with "Watchmen", he did it with "V for Vendetta", "From Hell" and he did it with "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" And you can be sure, he'll do it with any other of his works that someone tries to adapt to film. Dave Gibbons described him as "bat-shiat crazy", which seems to fit perfectly.

Okay, let's move on to the Watchmen film. And let me start off with what I didn't like about the movie.

First, this isn't a "fun" story. It's serious. Yes, it's comic book heroes, but it's more "mature" in subject than say Batman fighting the Joker. And it doesn't ends with the villain being defeated, so don't expect a happy ending. There are scenes where there is a lot of action, excitement and drama, but it ends almost with a whimper.

The ending.... the ending is different from the book! And that's a no-no for the comic fans. "YOU'RE MESSING WITH MY GOSPEL, SNYDER!!!" Imagine going out to see the Superman movie. Except now, his rocket lands on Paradise Island, he's raised by the Amazons... Wonder Woman is like his sister... and they form the Justice League as a family of "New Gods"! BLASPHEMY!! I understand why Snyder changed the ending, no one wants to see a giant vaginal alien squid.... but it's different! This project was doomed once the first person thought "Hey! This could be a movie."

These aren't well-known characters like Superman, The Hulk or Spiderman, so there's no "instant connection" to the character mythologies for those who haven't read the comic book. Also, it's very hard to transition the spandex (costumes) to the big screen. But I have to say, that Zack Snyder's wardrobe people did a pretty good job in making modern day, big screen versions of the costumes. It's hard to transition a work created for one medium into another. Each fan already has their own mental picture of what the characters look like, so presenting them with something else is... "wrong".

Also, the blood... didn't like it. The bar scene with Dr. Manhattan... you didn't need to have all that gore. It didn't even feel right. Like Snyder was trying to hard to make us "get" that scene. Dude... we got it. Take it down a notch or twenty.

Now what did I like about the movie...



Many times during the movie, I felt like scenes were ripped right out of the comic book and plastered on the big screen. Visually, the cinematography was O-MAZING! Wow. It was simply beautiful. (stands and applauds) WOOT! WOOT!

Rorschach (easily my favorite character, since the book) is SPOT on. Jackie Earl Haley has RUINED anything and everything else for me. When I read Rorschach... it's his voice I hear. I bought the motion comic DVD and the voice was just "off"... because it wasn't Haley's Rorschach. The costume, the voice, the mannerisms and nuances... He just did an amazing job. (stands and applauds) KUDOS, SIR! KUDOS!!

The video intro with Bob Dylan's "Times They Are a'Changin'"... WOW! Amazing. (stands and applauds) FANTASTIC! There was so much of the backstory in there that Snyder was able to cut out about 20-30 minutes from the film. That was a lot of stuf he would have had to cut out due to time constraints.

The prison scene, the ones with Rorschach, NOT Nite Owl and Silk Spectre... was awesome. Rorschach is a crazy, violent bastard. He actions have to be violent, bloody, gory and just plain scary (not Dr. Manhattan). "Don't you get it? I'm not trapped in here with you...YOU'RE TRAPPED IN HERE WITH ME!"

I think this movie is great. The comic book fans will have problems with it, but they should still love it. The average non-comic viewer should like it. They might think it's too dark, and kinda weird, but they should like it. Overall, I'd give it an A-/B+

I can't wait until the DVD comes out! I'm going to wear it out looking at each and every single scene.

NY Comic Con 2009

AWESOME

That is the word for this year's NY Comic Con. It simply did not disappoint! Okay, of course it can always be better, they could give cash at the door but... It was good.

On Saturday at the Watchmen Panel, they screened the first 18 minutes of the movie. EXCELLENT! THEN, they showed a scene from later on in the story that looked like it was literally ripped from the comic. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone so I'll try to code this for those who know...

"None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with you. You're locked up in here with me." AMAZING SCENE!

I have NO doubt that the movie will not disappoint.

Costumes. Each year, fans always make that extra effort on their costumes that feels like they did it just for you. When you see the characters, you know that this isn't just a a bunch of people who love comics... this is THE COMIC CON! I don't think I've ever seen so many people get up for the costume contest as this year. I think there was over 200 people who got up on stage. It was awesome.

Giveaways. This is always an important component of comic conventions.

I always remember the two times DC gave away Green Lantern rings. I was so giddy, it was like I had been given an actual lantern corps ring. This year, I had been hoping for the various other lantern corps rings (yellow, red, blue, etc..), or at least one of them. Instead, they gave out Flash rings. Which was still AWESOME! This was, in my opinion, the best giveaway. Second best was a tie, between Wonder Woman tiaras (for the upcoming Wonder Woman animated movie) and Wolverine dog tags (for the X-Men Origins: Wolverine game from Activision). Honorable mention to the "Friday the 13th" Jason hockey mask keychains.

The Future

The future... it's here!

Teleportation has been achieved!

A team of quantum scientists at the University of Maryland have been able to teleport something about a meter in distance!

Okay, well it's only "quantum information", but that means they can recreate an object in a new location. But that is what the Star Trek transporters do. They break down an object or person, send the matter stream to that new location, and rebuild it there using the object's (or person's) "blueprints", or "quantum information".

Okay, it was only a particle. But once you have one particle, you can have two! So it's still a BIG step.

Okay... it's only accurate about 90% of the time. Yes, I'd hate to be in that 10% where my arms are where my legs were, and/or vice versa... but still. You have to admit 90% is still great!

Star Trek... here we come!

Benediction excerpt

I had heard it before, but I loved it when I heard these words spoken by Joseph Lowery (used previously in other speeches)

"..help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy, say Amen. Say Amen"