Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Invaders From Mars Vs. Red Planet


* = 'Love them with money or they'll hate you with hammers...'

Why is the Interweb(s) the home of the disgruntled failed critic? I know I can be harsh once in awhile about some of the things I subject myself to, whether it’s music, games, books, comics, etc., but most of the time I will at least take the time to talk about what I enjoyed about a said item. I guess I’m just amazed at the vast amount of disgruntled comic fans out there that just love the fodder the DCnU has provided. It’s become so predictable that I can’t even enjoy Chris Sims anymore. In fact creators whom I grew up enjoying, like Jim Shooter, spend entire blog posts just ripping things in an exercise that is solely designed to bring them the adulation of those who already adore them. I’m starting to think that maybe the current political climate is less the ‘strange’ and more the norm.

Can anyone just take a subject or item and enjoy it for what it is anymore? I’m not sold on the DCnU, not at all, but some of the critiques being bandied about are less about objectivity and more about the Bully Pulpit. Are we just now so predisposed to hyperbole that we have the inability to see any merit at all in someone else’s work? Not to mention what ever happened to, ‘if you don’t like it don’t’ read it, watch it, listen to it, etc.? At least the Grognard community, which can be unbearable at times in their staunch H-A-T-E of anything that they perceive as different, will still acknowledge certain things about systems they rip. Maybe it’s their D.I.Y. spirit, or maybe it’s just that in the insular, small gaming community they can’t afford to alienate too many of their fellow dice slingers. I’m not sure, but I sort of figured comic book folks would be similar, how wrong I am.

Which brings me to my original point, can’t we just agree to disagree on things? I don’t dig on Brian Bendis, I think his ideas are insanely incredible, but his execution always leaves me cold. That being said he has produced some amazing work. I don’t need to call him stupid or demonize him or go all Hank Williams Jr. and compare him to Hitler. See this is the crap that’s wrong out there. Rather than having a rational discourse where we compare points in an open minded fashion, listen to one another, and then agree that each of us is entitled to our opinions and move on we INSTANTLY go to the least common denominator and start name calling. We lack perspective, patience, and the ability to treat other people like human beings.

We’re all so damned polarized. I guess the optimist in me always hopes that my fellow human beings will be able to respectful, I’ve given up on kind, to one another and understand that just because someone doesn’t believe in what you believe in doesn’t make them ‘evil’. Then again the pessimist in me just hopes for the Zombie Apocalypse because mankind has shown again and again that given its druthers it’s a snake eating it’s own tail voraciously. I guess it’s good that I’m a realist.

If and when given the opportunity mankind will never cease to disappoint you. If you expect the best, or honesty, or humane treatment, rational behavior, or unselfishness, etc. you will be sorely disappointed, because that has ceased to be the center of our nature. Yesterday I watched a strung out lady and her stereotypical white trash family erupt in anger at K-Mart. She literally wadded up a $1.47 T-shirt and in a fit of rage through it into the face of the cashier, just because he was struggling to find the price of the mismarked item. She had no patience, no respect, and no class. The thing is after her creepy brother removed her from the store, her mother continued to berate the young man, but not to him, no that would be confrontational. Instead she talked about him as if he wasn’t there to another cashier who was checking us out. It was beyond uncomfortable it was embarrassing. Embarrassing for humanity. The thing is this is a regular thing at most department stores daily.

Where and when did it all change?

RANDOM CRAP!

- I didn’t intend for that to come out. I just wanted to poke a bit of fun at Hank Williams Jr., Jim Shooter, and Grognards. Huh, guess I had a lot more on my mind than I thought.
- There are a ton of leaves in my driveway.
- I didn’t paint last night. Instead we ran a ton of errands, including that bizarre K-Mart stop. We then just hung out on the couch. It’s funny that even with all my frustration with humanity, I find this spark of hope within my wife. She’s just outstanding.
- “Damn you Dave Lennox!”
- Bernard Berrian

has time to ‘Twitter War’ with Representative John Kriesel,

but he doesn’t have time to work on those hands and routes to earn all that fat cash he’s getting paid? C’mon Bernard, you were a budding star when you were in Chicago, what happened? Is it the money? Are just no longer hungry for success? What is it? I know it’s not you being ‘frozen out’ by quarterbacks because I’m sorry, but this is the NFL and guys just want to win, they don’t care whom they win with. So maybe instead of fighting with a disabled State Representative war hero maybe you should head over to Winter Park and put some more reps in.

I thought I had something more to say. Guess not…

“Us, and them
And after all we're only ordinary men.
Me, and you.
God only knows it's noz what we would choose to do.
Forward he cried from the rear
and the front rank died.
And the general sat and the lines on the map
moved from side to side.
Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who.
Up and down.
But in the end it's only round and round.
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The poster bearer cried.
Listen son, said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside.

'I mean, they're not gunna kill ya, so if you give 'em a quick short,
sharp, shock, they won't do it again. Dig it? I mean he get off
lightly, 'cos I would've given him a thrashing - I only hit him once!
It was only a difference of opinion, but really...I mean good manners
don't cost nothing do they, eh?'

Down and out
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about.
With, without.
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
Out of the way, it's a busy day
I've got things on my mind.
For the want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died.”



* = Save us from 'Us' Ron Swanson!

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