A quasi-MSTie moment

Remember that time Mike, Tom, and Crow were turned into the cast of Renegade?

Mmm...falafel

Via Drudge, Bill O'Reilly defends Dan Rather and decries the smearing of people's reputations via "Internet mouses." Who's up for some falafel?

More comics journalism that sucks

Who the hell complains that someone's death has gotten too much media attention?

Stupid, stupid networks...

What programming genius put Veronica Mars, House, and Scrubs all in the same hour? Not even DVR can solve that conundrum. Dumbasses.

Who knew?

Geraldo owns -- or rather, owned -- a newspaper.

Synergy!

Jerry Seinfeld has donated The Puffy Shirt to the Smithsonian. In completely, utterly unrelated news, Seinfeld has just been released on DVD.

An observation

The use of mass transit in the Twin Cities is complicated by the fact that Minnesota is a state populated entirely by Weeble People.

Oh, yes. She will be mine.

One more thing: 80s headband Supergirl gets an action figure in February. Sweeeet.

DC in February

Some thoughts on DC's upcoming wares for February:

SUPERMAN/BATMAN: SUPERGIRL HC
Written by Jeph Loeb, art and cover by Michael Turner.
Award-winner Jeph Loeb and the red-hot Michael Turner reintroduce a classic character into the DCU. This fantastic hardcover includes the entire "Supergirl from Krypton" storyline, originally presented in the best-selling Superman/Batman #8-13.

All of Michael Turner's women look like slow-eyed anorexic crack whores. And yet his books sell like hotcakes and people pay buckets of money for his sketches. I should have stuck with drawing.

ALL STAR COMICS ARCHIVES VOL. 11 HC

Written by John Broome, art by Arthur Peddy, Bernard Sachs, Frank Giacoia, and Bob Oksner, cover by Peddy and Sachs.

The adventures of the world's first super-team continue in this extra-sized final volume of the series at no extra cost. In Volume 11, collecting All Star Comics #50-57, the JSA face the Diamond Man, Mr. Alpha, and more.

I think this is the first Archives series to close out a run. And I guess this means the 1970s revival of All-Star won't be getting the archive treatment.

GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #5

Written by Geoff Johns, art and cover by Ethan Van Sciver.

The penultimate chapter of the stunning tale that restores Hal Jordan as Earth's Green Lantern. In this shocking issue, learn the final fate of Kyle Rayner. And as Hal Jordan's rebirth explodes across the DCU, the JLA continues its epic battle against one of the oldest powers in the Universe. But are the heroes prepared for the return of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern?

I'll be curious to see if DC's strategy is to cram all of the insane Green Lantern continuity clean-up into this mini-series and then never refer to it again in the subsequent ongoing series. That's too much to hope for, isn't it?

JLA CLASSIFIED #4

Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, art and cover by Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein.

A follow-up to Formerly Known As The Justice League begins as the second story arc of this hot new series! The 6-part "I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League" begins innocently enough with the newly established "Super Buddies" open for business -- complete with their very own theme song. But things hit a sour note when a former foe opens a bar next door to their new "headquarters" in the strip mall downtown!.

I liked the DC Universe so much more back around 1988-91 or so when Keith Giffen was writing eveything and no one was dead except, like, Barry Allen. Sweet Jebus, I'm old.

SEVEN SOLDIERS #0

Written by Grant Morrison, art and cover by J.H. Williams.

I'm there, dude.

Boids

We finally dropped Birds of Prey from our pull list at Dreamhaven last week -- there's only so much either of us can take of reading about strong women who always prevail against the forces of evil because they are strong, because they are women, and women are strong, because they're strong women. It's a nice message and all, but it gets kind of repetitive fifty-three times an issue.

A horse of a different color

This looks more entertaining than the Van Helsing movie I actually paid money to see.

Spectre? I hardly know 'er!

If you ever needed to see Alex Ross dressed up as The Spectre, go here now. Fortunately, he went with the classic version, in the trunks, and not his own Kingdom Come version, who was nekkid under that cloak. Betcha we never see DC Direct make a Kingdom Come Spectre figure.

Harry Lampert

The comics press is reporting that Harry Lampert, the artist who co-created the Flash, died this past weekend. I mention this only because Mr. Lampert talked my ear off at the San Diego con in 2000, and seemed like a terrific guy who was thrilled that people were still interested in something he drew five decades and change prior. Tom Spurgeon has details and a comprehensive listing of links in his report.

Small thoughts

Mike Sterling articulates my immediate reaction to last week's Smallville. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to watch that show with much of my brain functioning. Thank Jebus for Allison Mack and Erica Durance. Smallville has always been at its best when it deals head-on with the fact that we're watching the formative experiences of The Boy Who Will Be Superman instead of wallowing in teen angst and doe-eyes, but of late the show has pretty much been saving that sort of thing for the season openers and finales, and spending the rest of each season in as much of a generic status quo as it can.

On the plus side, though, Allison Mack. And Erica Durance. I'd love to crash a Lane/Sullivan family reunion some time...

Is there a crazy doctor in the house?

So it turns out that the title character in Fox's new medical drama House is, in fact, Hugh Laurie (looking kind of like he's doing a Xander Berkeley impression), and not some American actor who kinda looks like Hugh Laurie. She Who Must Be Obeyed was right, and it means we'll be giving the show a chance tomorrow night. I just hope it doesn't make the same mistake previous crazy doctor shows like Chicago Hope and Gideon's Crossing did, namely, creating a fascinating and multi-layered central character of dubious stability and then surrounding him with a cast of intensely boring people who suck all of the drama out of the show whenever they're on-screen. Adam Arkin, I'm looking at you.

Night Court on DVD

If you've been dying to see that season of Night Court that was full of characters you don't remember from when people actually watched the show and Dan acted totally different and Bull had hair, well, it's coming out on DVD next year.

I wonder how many shows have a really bad or different first season that's making studios leery of putting them on DVD. St. Elsewhere's first season, for instance, is almost unrecognizable as the show it would become later on in its run.

Well, SOME sequels don't suck...

Potentially good news: Pierce Brosnan will return for a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair.

Potentially bad news: Rene Russo is not yet signed on.

Really freaking weird news:

According to Brosnan's producing buddy Beau St. Clair (who spoke with Variety), the sequel will try and examine the character of Thomas Crown in a "post September 11th" light.

Because, you know, 9/11 had such a huge impact on dashing international art thieves who are in it for the fun and return their stolen goods immediately. Look, if I go to a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair, I'm going because I want to see a fluffy, exciting caper movie with a really weird romance between actual grown-ups in the mix. I'm surprised I have to explain this.

(Thinking about it, 24, with its intensely dark and paranoid spin on domestic and international politics, may be the only real piece of pop culture that truly gets at a post-9/11 mindset...)

A wish for 2008

Do you know what would be nice? An election where neither party's ticket featured anyone named Bush, Dole, Gore, or Clinton. That would be a first in my lifetime.

Bad mojo

If one has hung a rosary from one's rearview mirror, for what I imagine would be to bring luck or blessings or something like that, shouldn't one take care to hang it so that the crucifix on the end doesn't bang on the dashboard every three seconds or so?

Pointless waste of time

Resolved: Raking leaves is the most idiotic activity which a homeowner is expected to do. Discuss.

One more thing

When you're reading the election post below, feel free to insert a joke to the effect of "When did American politics turn into a late-period Allen Drury novel?" wherever you feel it's appropriate and most humorous. Thanks.

Election thoughts

I don't have much to offer in the way of specific diagnoses of the 2004 election; it's amazong how close Kerry came against a sitting President during a war, and I suspect one analysis I heard on C-SPAN yesterday, to the effect that 51% was the upper bound of Bush's potential share of the popular vote, is spot-on. It's far less of a mandate than the administration is claiming, but it's not like strategeric exaggerations are anything new for this administration. I'm glad that there were no large voting irregularities or problems, I remain confident that I voted for the better man, and I'm truly proud to have voted for John Kerry.

That said, I think two of the best and most sober analyses of the election I've read are this one by Kevin Drum and this one by Josh Marshall. I also think much of the hand-wringing that this is somehow the end of the Democratic party is premature (though it may also be what kicks the party's ass into gear for 2008). Bush's coalition is a pretty precarious one, and there's no clear heir apparent for the next time around; Cheney has said he has no interest in running (cue dusted-off Howard Baker Chief of Staff joke here) and there just aren't that many names that spring readily to mind who could appeal to evangelicals in the same way Bush does. (Snark: Perhaps he'll thank them by actually going to church some time.)

As readers of this blog probably know, I'm working on a PhD in political science. The day after the election, several dozen faculty and grad students met to discuss the election. And after about an hour of kibbitzing about turnout, demographics, exit polls, and the like, a student from China got in the last word. He told us about a discussion he'd had with his landlady, who lamented the Supreme Court decision that gave us Bush in 2000. His response was along the lines of:

Your Supreme Court made a bad decision. But the Supreme Court has made bad decisions before. And that bad decision wasn't as bad as Dred Scot or Korematsu. And we have another election this year. That's a wonderful and precious thing and you should all cherish the mere fact that you were able to vote and will be able to vote again.

And, finally, Ken Layne has been on an entertaining rampage that will satisfy the most bloodthirsty Democrat. He also links to this map which is, frankly, chilling when compared to the 2004 electoral map.

Too much time for comfort

No one should have the time to go to this:

If you're anywhere near the Hollywood area, and if you're free next Monday night, you can meet the cast of Too Close For Comfort as Rhino throws a reunion party.

...
We are told that Nancy Dussault, Jm J Bullock, Lydia Cornell and Deborah Van Valkenburgh are all confirmed to appear. There will be DVD set giveaways and screening of episodes.

Election

Well, THAT was unexpected. Oy. And ugh.

Voting

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I cast our ballots this morning; we registered on-site (yay same-day registration!) and then voted. I was voter #400 at our precinct ar about 8:15 am; I don't know if that means turnout is heavy or light or indifferent. This vote felt particularly good, and both of us afterward reported taking extra care filling in the ovals on our ballots.

My prediction: Kerry with at least 289 electoral votes. Could be a long night, but I wouldn't be surprised if we knew who won relatively earlier than we're all expecting.

This just in

In other news, water is wet.

Separated at birth

Mark has a terrifying observation about the new Legion comic.

The center of the political universe

I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, which just may be the center of the political universe this election cycle. My parents and their friends have all been volunteering on the Kerry campaign and will be driving people to the polls tomorrow. And another Scranton expatriate has written about the surreality of seeing one's hometown get so much attention from Presidential candidates. This description of the town really struck home:

It's ironic to see Scranton become now the subject of so much national interest, to see powerful men lavish so much attention on a city that has been so neglected for so long. Scranton has been mocked for a reason, cruel and unnecessary as it is. To grow up in Scranton was to know that your hometown was in decline. You couldn't miss it. Year after year, the downtown became less vibrant. Stores boarded up one after the other. You'd drive through your neighborhood and notice more people weren't keeping up with yards grown mangy with weeds. They weren't replacing the siding on their houses, letting it crack and peel. There was less money for such things. Jobs were leaving town, heading to Mexico or overseas or wherever. It didn't matter where they went -- they weren't coming back.

My parents' generation grew up with the belief that they could always get a decent job working with their hands or doing a trade if they weren't college material. But over the years, good-paying jobs -- union jobs -- moved away, and were replaced by low-paying ones like telemarketing. And for those of us who were college material, staying became less possible, despite all of Scranton's unique and endearing qualities -- its mountainous beauty, sense of safety, and small-city intimacy. It's something my parents, who still live within six blocks of where they grew up, could probably never fathom until it happened. For their children to pursue their dreams, they had to leave Scranton -- home -- where generations of our relatives have lived. And so my two sisters and I and countless of our former schoolmates and friends have settled elsewhere.