Quickly done sort of a preview of coming events maybe

Ah don't have a lot of time, heading back out to help Cool Geoff with moving stuff.

I've got my comic reviews to write plus I still have my write up of Fanexpo to do (in my defence, I have been working the past two days, that's a pretty acceptable reason to not have the write up done)

But I've finally got to read Flashpoint #5, here's a sneak preview: it's hilariously bad. I'm not even really mad at this. The guys in charge think that's satisfying storytelling, and it's definitely not.

Haven't gotten far un Ulysses, a library book came in so I picked that up- it's the one with the deadline after all.

I'm looking forward to talking about the book here- it's a murder mystery featuring a writer who's embarrased by the inaccurate title of his book "Bimbo's of the Death Sun".

Of course the actual title of this book IS Bimbo's of the Death Sun. Very definitely a self fulfilling prophecy.

Breaking magnetism

So Saturday I didn't hit up the Expo, but helped my friend move some stuff to his new place.

In trying (and ultimately failing) to take apart his computer desk, our first hurdle was changing the head piece on the magnetic tip screw driver.

It wasn't coming off!

So I pull and turn and struggle, with all my great strength, to no avail.

Everyone gives it a shot, ala the sword in the stone style. No good.

This is crazy- did we break magnetism??

So I have it again, and no, tugging with an adjustable wrench ALSO didn't get the job done.

So I'm looking at it, and I say that "turning is no good 'cause of the whole octagonal design. Locked in. It's gotta be pulled out"- and in a half paying attention little tug, it comes out.

(To be clear, we had CERTAINLY tried pulling it straight out, we're not crazy/dumb, but maybe we didn't get the "straight" part as exactly right as we'd thought)

Anyways, this was hilarious, we all had a good long laugh at the situation (and solution).

We spent quite some time on that desk, taking it outside to see whether it'd fit in the car (it wouldn't) and whether we could take it apart (we couldn't... for the most part. There were some crazy screw bolt things that had stymied us- until my brother Jordan, whom we always make fun of for lack of handiness, gets two of them out! It... it was crazy! So props for that one.)

But yeah, we had to drag the thing back inside.

And then with what stuff we did drive over to the new place, there were only two parking spots available, and they were a tight fit no matter how you look at it. So I climbed out of my window to get out.

Yes, I could've gone out the other sides door, but that's no fun. And so you don't think that I just super sucked at parking (though I usually do kinda suck at parking) even on the side that wasn't super close to the other car, that other side you could still only barely open the doors. In fact only the back door on the passenger side could be opened. Which was perfect, since that was where all the stuff I needed to get out was resting. Well, there and the trunk.

Okay, just wanted to get that recorded, because it was funny, and also, if I didn't do this now I'd have run out of time for posts.

Guards behaving badly.

I felt kinda sick last night, but that was just an effect of going to the FanExpo on very little sleep after a full nights work. I expected it, but I am feeling better now. I'll write here, brush my teeth, and hop back into bed.

I want to be careful I don't end up repeating myself here about stuff at the con when I do have to do my official write up for the mondo site, but I can definitely tell you about this:

So I leave the main building yesterday to try and find a place to purchase a ticket for my friend for Sunday. Just outside the doors was an old friend from my Ontario Place days with, I assume, her same sex partner. She really is a bit of an older lady, but super nice, and of course very enthused about science fiction, comics- con stuff!

I had some free time before the next panel I wanted to attend, so I was glad to chat for a bit about how things were going, and the expo, you know, what you'd say in that kind of whatdya call it- social interaction, when this security guard comes over to try and get us to move along.

I took this as my cue to exit, so we started winding our way to our good byes, but the guard just became more exhasperated that we hadn't zipped off right away.

We say "we're going"

She says we've been standing here for quite some time. Which, while potentially an astute observation, uh, isn't a crime. There weren't any no loitering signs around or anything. There wasn't even a crowd.

It's a fire exit.
Okay, again, no signage and if you'd stop interrupting us we'd be gone by now.

Listen, my supervisors here now...
AHA. So what you're really saying is that you were supposed to keep this lane cleared, couldn't be bothered to politely inform us of this earlier, but when your boss shows up you're a bit skittish.

And the guard (something around the 40 year old mark herself) says to my friend "don't be a bitch"

I could count the number of times on one hand how often I'd used that word myself (uh, probably all those times I was reading something aloud. So I don't even really count that.) but I was more than ready to point out to the guard what she'd called my friend with zero provocation.

At this point my friend does become a little needlessly provocative, sort of railing against authority figures by rote, but at this point I can hardly blame her.

The guard insists she didn't call my friend a name whatsoever... even IF the three people who heard her (including myself) had all heard wrong, maybe she said "witch?", regardless, she called someone a name while in the course of her duties. Obviously, that's unacceptable.

Ah, after spending this time laying out the situation, I bet you're wondering whether there's any comeupance for the guard, whether I've got a great ending for this tale... uh, no. Sorry. Heh, whoops. We parted ways and I hit the con back up for my next panel, but not before a quick departing hug from my friend, and then also a hug from her hulking partner I had just met. I was definitely not expecting that.

Just a short post while I find some honey

Got home half an hour ago from hanging out at a friends place. It was a really nice time if a little ‘late seasons of Dawson’s Creek’.

App’s are app-arently a big deal. I guess they’re pretty cool.

‘Scuse me, pizza’s done.

That looks good. Hawaiian. Have I mentioned I’m a pineapple guy?

I’ll just give it a few minutes to congeal and then—AND THEN!!

I’ll eat it.

We went to Hero Burger at Wellesley and Church I think it was. I thought I’d been to a Hero Burger before, but that other place was way more cramped and expensive, so I don’t know what’s going on. By which I mean I don’t know the name of the other place I went to. It was quite good, almost Harvey’senian in its deliciousness.

I’m coming up on that big Fanexpo weekend, I’m get pretty exhausted just thinking about it. Hopefully I’ll cut my wandering down to a bare minimum to keep from killing myself. Also, I’m pretty sure I want to meet Dan Slott. Also Malfoy, so I can tell him he killed at the Heston lines used in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

In this context, ‘killed’ means did a good job.

I’m hungry, so I’m going to go eat pizza now*, bye

*almost used Winnie the Pooh line, but decided against it. Ah, maybe that should be my title.

So you wanted an UNinteresting post, right?

I've let ye olde time run away again, so I'm a little rushed for posts.

That's alright.

Hmmmexcept I haven't done much of note lately.

I've been playing some pokemon with a dude at work- I totally lost to him this morning! What? Say it isn't so!

It... is so.

NOOOOO!

I was over confident.

So I guess I have ONE fault. It's a good thing I'm so abundantly humble, or I'd have TWO faults.

Did you... did you see what I did there? With the, you know, braggadociousness.

Wait, spellchecking...

braggadociosness.

And even then, it could just be 'braggadocios' that's a word, and the -ness makes it nothing.

I know I know- FASCINATING!

So someone on the facebook namedropped this other guy whose first name is Isaac, so I googled him, and he was just some dude, so THEN I googled myself... way to be the third Isaac Mills there.

And it was on my old comic review site, where's the new one?

Okay, clicked on the first Isaac Mills- wow, that is a handsome guy. He apparently likes "Them Crooked Vultures". I don't know if that's good or not. Probably it is.

Had a close call there- my window abruptly closed on me. Fortunately all this stuff had auto saved, or that could've been messy.

This has been a pretty lame all over the place post, so let's find a random cool internet picture to finish off the whole thing.

And I just spilled my blueberry juice on myself. Way to wear a white shirt, White Shirt! It looks like I had a bloody nose with very little iron in my blood.

Right picture, let's have a look...

So, all pictures having something to do with bloody noses are gross, so I have now disqualified all of them.

But here's one that mirrors what you may be thinking when reading this:

It's been 2 months and (what day is it?) 18 days since my last hair cut

Just past 3am and I need to get to work on my comic reviews.

But I've only got 5 books this week, as opposed to the 11(!!) from last week. So that helps.

I stayed up all last night playing Persona 3 (that's the game that came before the really cool Persona 4, of which I've written about before here) so I was in the exact same spot when my bro woke up as when he left me that night.

So I drove him to the dentist!

This is all leading to something, me taking the chance to stop off at a first choice haircutters for... uh a hair cutting.

I thought I'd be in and out, but I hadn't counted on the line ups of little girls wanting, and I quote, "Rapunzel hair".

Sure, it was cute but I'd rather not encourage a love of hair extensions at 5 years old.

Aaah I know I know I'd make a terrible father. Have to paint the nursery pink and buy dollies.

Oh they should make a "Dolly" - a plush version of that first cloned sheep. That'd be cool.

So one of the stylists was trying to process the sale of said hair extensions, and another person stops her, pointing out that she can't use the same code for each item, that the different colours have their own codes, and you're messing up the inventory numbers for the end of the night.

Makes sense. So the first stylist re-entered the sale, but did the exact same thing.

No, see - INVENTORY!!

Oh. OOOOOH! Gotcha!
(Does the same thing)

Long story short, I was crossing my fingers that I would get some other stylist. Any other stylist.

Naturally, I did get her. My fears were not put at ease when she cut herself on the clippers. She says to her associate "It's okay, I just have a little pattern now."

And I just thought how I was in store for a communicable disease. All I wanted was a hair cut!

I normally just get the clippers on the sides and back, little trim up top (not a whole lot to trim after all)- in and out, easy peasy lemon squeezy, as the kids say.

But this one took forever, I gotta hand it to the lady, she was meticulous. And rough, I've never had clippers pull on my head so hard before. Or the scissors. And she just kinda roughed me up a bunch grabbing hair to trim up top too.

She used some "volumizer and..." okay, I forget the second thing, but my head has smelled like a super salon ever since I left the place, and it kinda sucks. Usually they'd ask about whether I wanted some extra junk in my hair (no thanks).

But like I said, she was meticulous, AND she didn't kill me. So I tipped her two dollars.

Following this was a not-so-quick trip to Wal-Mart where I grabbed 16 items. What. Is. My. Problem?!

15 items or less, Isaac! And you didn't even end up eating those chips today!

After waiting in a regular line that wasn't really moving at all, a group of us were sent to the express line regardless of how many items we had. I can only presume this was because of justice.

I was asked whether I wanted to donate to the something something, I said "sure, uh, is two bucks okay?" and the woman at the register looked REALLY happy about it.

Do Wal-Mart employees get paid off some kind of charity commission? Who did I donate to exactly? An elaborate tip jar?

The point of this story is that I'm a generous, generous man. Feel free to not disagree.

2011 fanexpo update

I did a poor job of resting up this weekend. In trying to work with my craaazy schedule I'd stay up past the point that I was tired, and it'd invariably be daylight (because that's how it works) and I'd stay up for several hours more.

I've been approved for my media pass at fan expo this year, but for whatever reason it won't allow me access on Saturday. Losing one day out of four isn't that bad, except with my work Saturday was going to be the best day for me to go.

As it stands it'll go something like this: Work on Wednesday from 6pm to 6am, get to sleep at around 8am, wake up a little after noon to get down for the 2pm first day of fan expo, take some notes, grab some freebies, then at 5pm head onto the subway to get to work for 6pm to 6am... go home, sleep at 8 then try to get up relatively early because if there's going to be any decent DC panels that aren't on Saturday they'll be here (I still haven't seen any schedule of events, so I haven't figured out where I'm going and for what).

I was thinking about simply buying myself a Saturday ticket, but a) that would suck, and b) I've gotta sleep sometime.

And then I get to go Sunday, but liesurely, seeing as I got to sleep most of Saturday.

Also not taken into account here is when I'd find the opportunity to do my weekly comic reviews... I'd better definitely ask if it's possible to pick up my books on the Tuesday instead of the regular Wednesday, I thought I heard that my store has them early, but that seems crazy to me. Very useful if true.

A buddy asked me if I was going to the speed dating at the expo, something I was entirely unaware of, but apparently everyone else in the room I was in all knew the score "oh, yeah, that's a thing this year."

I'm really behind the curve on this- I know there'll be speed dating and portfolio reviews, that's about it. I should do some research.

Anyways, I'm tempted to sign up for the dating thing, it'd be cool to meet some more people that are interested in comic stuff (most people I know... aren't). I don't know, I probably won't do it, it's not as though I've got a lot of time that weekend where I'll be fully lucid.

In other news, I hurt my wrist a week or two ago (not really sure how long ago, it FEELS like forever), but it seems to finally be almost 100%. Wrists seriously take FOREVER to heal!

Random T.S. Eliot and METEOR!

Before leaving work I went up on the roof to try and get a look at the purported meteor showers. I don't know that I'd ever been able to see a meteor before, I do tend to suck at observing astrological phenomena.

"Is that something??"

It's a plane.

But because the moon had set I could see a lot more stars than usual-- scanning scanning-- okay, THAT is totally Orion's belt. Awesome.

I was looking up for a while, enjoying the scenery, but still no meteor. I was about to turn to leave when ffft THERE IT WAS!

It wasn't even me seeing it peripherally or anything, just straight on yes- quick streak through the sky. Meteor.

I gave a loud "Yes!" and did a little fist pump.

Read through Wednesdays Toronto Star, Thursday's first section only Toronto Star, and Friday's Toronto Sun.

The Sun really sucks. I'm glad I read so I can see a diversity of opinion, but everytime I read the Star it seems clear that its ideals are congruent to my own. It talked a lot about the social cues leading to the London riots, without adding too much as far as specific solutions- because it's a complex issue!

Whereas the Sun specifically called out the Star for it's namby-pambyness, social cues smocial cues, they should just call in the army, give weapons to store owners, and see how many people want to riot then.

While it's truuue that that would stop the rioting, what the Sun seems to not want to acknowledge is that the root causes for people to act out like this won't just disappear. They'll surely manifest in some other way.

Of course, so long as it doesn't manifest itself in violence towards the wealthy, the dudes in charge are probably good for whatever.

I wrote down a great quote from (ah fine I'll go down and get the paper) the Wednesday Toronto Star that was quoting this blogger Laura Penny (I specifically didn't write down in my notebook that she's 24, because her age shouldn't be relevant to the quote, but obviously I still remember it 'cause I'm imagining a hot Lois Lane type. I'm sorry!!)

"Riots are about power, and they are about catharsis. People riot because it makes them feel powerful, even if only for a night. People riot because they have spent their whole lives being told that they are good for nothing and they realize that together they can do anything - literally anything at all."

I know people will read that and think: "No! These rotten kids just want to destroy and steal, they don't have any political messages they're trying to get out!" But what those commenters fail to realize is that they're only dealing with the reality at hand in the most immediate and literal of fashions. Even the kids who haven't considered their actions (the vast majority) are still reacting to feelings caused by SOMETHING. Feelings of disenfranchisement, isolation, purposelessness, and hopelessness.

I feel like there's a T.S. Eliot quote in the back of my head that I should have ready to write here... but it's not coming to me.

Well, here's one (I'm looking on google now for quotes), but it's definitely not what I'm looking for:

"Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them."

"It's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them." <- this isn't it either, but it's similar to a Splinter quote from Ninja Turtles that I grew up with.

Well, this one isn't it either, but it speaks to how the people act without understanding why: "Poetry may make us from time to time a little more aware of the deeper, unnamed feelings which form the substratum of our being, to which we rarely penetrate; for our lives are mostly a constant evasion of ourselves."

Almost gave you a REALLY irrelevant title. Woulda been somewhat arty and cool. Simon and Garfunkel lyric. About spices. Didn't fit any theme here.

Not sure what triggered it, maybe just same as ever ruminations on mortality, but as I was driving along, stopped at an interminable bit of traffic, I thought about how one way or another there will come a day when I can't see anymore. (To be clear, my eyes are perfectly healthy thank you)

I opened myself to the world, greedily drinking in the sights, letting it rush into me. The greens were greener, the details a little crisper, and I just plum got to appreciate that the world can be a really beautiful place.

It IS a beautiful place.

There's supposed to be a meteor shower this weekend- I'll be awake anyway- I'm going to do my best to see some of the show!

(I tend to forget to watch out for astrological phenomena- fingers crossed!)

I think I freaked out this one lady a bit when I answered a couple of questions about my life really honestly, instead of skirting the issue. It was the most awkward anyone has ever been offering me gum. Like I was starring in an episode of Casper the friendly Ghost.

Man that show sucks.

Also, bad analogy, he does a lot of things, but I've never seen that Casper chew gum.

Just take names. (I wish.)

***

My left wrist has been bugging me lately- too much weight on it. It's a little better today than yesterday, but I've really got to remember to stop picking things up with that arm. I got my bro to carry my juice for me, so a good start.

Yes yes, I could have switched hands on that one.

Anyways, I'm going to go read some comics before bed.

Get your hands off me. Oh, your hands weren't on me? My mistake.

I really need a couple more hours of rest before work, but I'm just not falling back to sleep.

I keep thinking about the relative merits of Cowboys and Aliens, as well as Rise of the Planet of the Apes (went to see them both yesterday).

And I was thinking about what I would say to Dan Didio, head of DC comics, if I could talk to him one on one, without him having to be on stage in a bombastic salesman persona.

And then there's the rioting in London. Feels like most places are only a step away from rioting these days. I know the rich really don't want to be taxed, but maybe they should quit antagonizing the proletariat? *cough*french revolution*cough*

And as much as I hate that those rioters are breaking into stores to steal- you realize they've pretty much been brainwashed to believe they'll only be happy with stuff, right? More stuff than they can afford.

Hey, where's my opiate? Us masses need our opiate!

I was talking about this yesterday- there're dumb stories that are just meant to entertain... and I guess tacitly also to placate us, and then there're stories with that touch of the revolutionary.

Cowboys and Aliens doesn't concern itself with the plight of women in its society (the only woman to take part in the awesomeness did turn out to be an alien- and before THAT was revealed she was still only grudgingly brought with the posse because... they didn't really care), and all of the giant enemy aliens are painted with the same uniform "evil" brush. Maybe they were a hive mind? Then I'd be okay with it.

But hold on, I don't want to sound as if these are really big issues: I get the people who really don't like when these things fail to be addressed, but I'm not going to hold it against the creators if they don't want to talk about that stuff.

They wanted black and white morality, a straightforward story, fun blowy up stuff, posses, cowboys and indians, gold in them thar hills. And all that's awesome!

Is there a message to the movie? Technically there's the "teamwork will save the day" but it's just fun.

Planet of the Apes is all about sacrifice, growing up, revolution. It's pretty great for that. And there are a lot of affecting parts (a couple of deaths) that don't drain me emotionally like your "Up"s or "Toy Story"s- which is great, 'cause I'm more likely to watch Apes again for that.

I'm going to try and get back to sleep for a couple of hours, but I wanted to mention this: when the orangutang (er, I think that's what it is, I'm no primate-ologist) shows up and the audience is laughing at it-- because it's funny lookin'! It's different than us humans! Ho ho ho...

Guys, are you aware of what movie you're watching? You know that guy is going to "Rise" and depose you, precisely because the humans underestimate and judge by appearance? Also, the apes can be thought of as an oppressed class that up until the mass awakening that takes place in the movie (thanks to science!) were happy chilling out, maybe watching a movie? I'm saying you, in the theatre, are the ape.

You're laughing at yourself.

Tis truly a madhouse. A madhouse!

A (slightly) closer look at Kyle Higgins

I WAS going to say how I'd just come from the Kyle Higgins blog to here, but then I got delayed reading a "Too Busy Thinking About Comics" post, which always takes a lot of time to get through.

So many comments.

The Kyle Higgins blog is interesting because I keep trying to figure out what Higgins has done to land him a starring role in comicdom.

Part of that is my own burning jealousy, sure, but there's also curiosity at play. Time after time, tracking the career path of all the big names, they've invariably paid their dues in some way.

The greatest example is the author of Dr. McNinja getting to write Deadpool. Here's an awesome guy that produced an amazing webcomic for a couple of years, and now he's writing Deadpool. Makes sense to me.

People who've written novels- like Brian Meltzer. He's famous, he says he wants to write a comic, his audience will follow him to said comic. Makes perfect sense.

Now, I question the wisdom of assuming all mediums are created equal, that just because Meltzer is good as a novelist he will surely be good as a comic writer. But that's another can of worms.

Jeff Lemire, who I've pointed out isn't my favourite author- he's done a fair amount of material on his own, done the convention circuit thing BEFORE he became affiliated with DC. The man did the work, I get it.

But Higgins... as far as I can tell, he's responsible for a half hour super hero movie for his higher education thesis. That's it.

That must be the greatest movie ever!

I did read one interview he gave about his upcoming role as the writer of Nightwing. He sounded cool, really enthusiastic, so good luck man.

I like how his first blog post talked about how un-into the idea of blogging he was. Which is exactly what I said too. Maybe I've found a kindred spirit?

Ahh probably not- I've done a gillion blog posts since I've started and he did 11 before I guess moving on to greater things.

What? 11?!? That's my monthly quota number, popping up again. We've got some kind of numerology up in this place.