Rocking Out

This is all I have to say: Rock on, son. Rock on.

When it Rainns, it pours.

I mentioned in the past that I have, basically, two shows that I really care to see. First, by scheduling, is Heroes. Every week has been another pleasant surprise, as I keep expecting the Suck Bomb to drop.

I mean, hey, it is TV.

Anyway, the other show, which I've also mentioned, is The Office. Sure, it took me a couple episodes to get into it (those episodes are now much more funny now that I actually enjoy the show...odd), but now I really look forward to the new episodes. That's why I was interested when I heard that Rainn Wilson, Dwight, was hosting Saturday Night Live. He's been pretty good in everything else I've seen, Sahara, for one, but SNL has, how you might say, SUCKED in recent years, so I was a bit aprehensive, too.

Apparently, that was the old Spidey-sense tingling. Man, was it awful. Apparently, SNL doesn't have an equivalent of the "Friday Night Massacre" on Studio 60. Either that, or the idea that there was worse stuff that didn't make it on scares me.

Man, that show sucks.

Grease'd

I've made mention of the fact, in times past, that I don't much care for reality tv. I've rehashed it a couple times and I don't feel like it again. Suffice to say, they aren't, generally, good. My wife, on the other hand, rather enjoys them. Specifically the music related ones, American Idol (though we've only watched a season and a half since we've been together) and Rockstar (which I actually enjoyed) spring to mind. This trend has been carried on with Grease: You're the One That I Want!, which I don't exactly hate, but that's more due to a general erosion of my willingness to fight over these things. I do have my favorite "Danny" and "Sandy"s, but it won't break my heart to see them go. Actually, I think it'd be funny if the show that they're casting for tanked. That would bring a great deal of joy to my blackened heart.

The thing that bothers me most about Grease... is that the songs stick in my head. I mean, it was bad enough when we'd watch the Travolta/Newton-John version, but now they get refreshed every week. It's akin to lighting yourself on fire and, when the flames begin to die down, you have a friend pour some more gasoline on you.

A perpetual Richard Pryor, if you will.

You'd get that reference if you were older.

Kids...feh.

Bow to your corporate masters!

I know this is probably unethical on some level, but I'm really psyched about the new Spider-Man movie. The above banner is actually for the tie-in game, which will hopefully rock as hard as Ultimate Spider-Man, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see. It's been proven, though, that a good Spidey game CAN be made, so here's to hoping!

Toothless

I've made it no secret that, generally, I'm politically conservative. Actually, I'm more politically apathetic, given that I don't feel like the system in any way represents me or any of the other "little people" (the populace at large, not limited to, well, little people), but when I vote, I tend to vote conservatively. Generally, this means that I end up voting for guys who I know will be self-serving idiots just because they claim they'll vote the way I want them to on what are key issues for me as a voter. I know, when I vote for them, that they're probably going to do a lot of other things that will end up screwing me over, but so long as those key issues are covered, I'll just have to suck it up and take it like a man.

That said, I've never supported the war in Iraq. I think, looking back, that we did some good there, early on, but lately all we seem to be doing is swapping lives for no real gain. So I can see where the Democratic party leaders in Congress might see an opportunity to exercise their power to do something about it. Personally, I think that we made this mess, we need to clean it up, but I'm aware that I'm just a guy who hears stuff on the news. It's possible that they could have better information than I do.

That's why I've lost any possibility of having respect for all of them. Well, ok, I didn't really have much respect for the people in Congress (or most politicians, really), so this is more like going into negative numbers, but, come on! A non-binding resolution?!?!? If you're going to do something, have the guts to do it all the way! It's like the little guy who wants to make a show like he's a threat, but makes sure his friends are "holding him back" so he doesn't actually have to get in a fight. Are there political implications of this little weenie bill? Sure. Everybody will be on record (except for the ones who can't be bothered to show up) as to where they stand on the war, but that's just a bunch of posturing for the ones running for President who don't want to be held accountable for their original votes for the war. I really think Hillary is the worst thus far. I've had no love for her before, but she keeps saying that if she'd had better information, then she would've voted differently.

As if she had no responsibility to research for herself before voting.

The thing is, like everyone else who voted for the war, she got caught up in the post 9-11 feelings and, maybe even motivated by her constituency (I imagine the people of New York might've had a problem with her if she'd voted against it, since they were such a big part of the whole thing), and she voted with her feelings instead of researching it for herself and voting that way.

Then again, maybe I'm giving her too much credit. Maybe she is just voting with whatever she thinks will be more popular.

The problem with democracy is that it ignores the fact that people, as a collective, are stupid. The problem with representative democracy is that it panders to the collectively stupid.

Dubious Holidays

I like Valentines Day. That hasn't always been the case but, as I am married and, thus, guaranteed to have a Valentine of my very own to love and hug and squeeze and call her name George (Andria probably wouldn't appreciate it if I did call her George, though), it's alright in my book. Still, I find the whole thing a bit...unsettling. I mean, isn't there a better way to celebrate the spirit of undying love than by tagging it to a guy who was (by tradition) beheaded?

If not, maybe we're marketing it wrong. How about instead of giving heart-shaped boxes full of chocolate to our loved ones, we pass out little chocolate saint statues?

No heads, of course.

And perhaps, instead of cards, we could tell the parents of our significant others that they remind us of fishmongers, in honor of Ophelia, who went swimming without a lifeguard and didn't make it to Valentines Day.

And Cupid, he's out. Instead, those who want to send a message of love can employ men dressed as mobsters and cops, the way Capone sent a message to "Bugs" Moran and his men.

Besides, all the grown men wandering around in diapers kinda creeps me out.

Still, we've gotta keep the chocolate. Without it, there'd only be Easter between New Years and people fitting into their swimsuits in the summer and, really, how many Cadbury eggs can one person be expected to eat?

Anxiety...ATTACK!

I've been having a bit of anxiety where the site is concerned. Obviously, my level of involvement here over the last year has been less than...much. I've had numerous false starts on comics and I've even planned a redesign on the site that didn't happen. That last one is partially my fault and partially the fault of the people who make the irrational policies on our email at work. It's ok to keep a viewed email forever (so long as you don't exceed your inbox capacity), but unread emails have a shelf-life of 30 days, no more. The sketched version disappeared (I emailed it to myself so I could work on it at home), so I have nothing to go off of and I don't have any ideas for what to do with it.

Then there's the new comic idea...which is an older comic idea that's jumped back to the front. I have it more fleshed out than I did in the past, which is good...helps make comicking easier. Unfortunately, every time I start to draw, I...well, I don't. It has been suggested that my passion for drawing has been replaced by my passion for fatherhood, which in and of itself is not a bad thing (I do want to be a good dad), but since drawing was my outlet for frustration and creative impulse...well, not having that may end up being difficult on me later. I don't know how this works.

And there you have it. I'm freaking out because I'm not drawing, but I'm not drawing because, other than in the theoretical sense, I don't care to. I mean, even in times when Aaron isn't around and I might normally draw, I don't. What's THAT all about? Hopefully, this will resolve itself. I'll discover that mostly my inability to make myself draw was a byproduct of sleep-deprivation or something. But if it doesn't, that may mean fatherhood has changed me to an extent I wasn't prepared for, and that scares me.

Who am I, now?