Smilin’ Stan The Man Lee

I absolutely, one-hundred percent, agree with this:

http://onehundreddays.vox.com/library/post/day-eightyeight-the-man-the-myth-the-legend.html

There are rumours (aren’t there always?) that Stan Lee did not contribute as much as people think, that he latched on to people like Jack Kirby and took too much of the credit. Psshaw. Mouthy he certainly is, but he’s still worthy of the title of Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. Because it’s not just superheroes who owe him their existance as we know it. Titles such as Maus and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman would never have come about (not to mention runs such as The Watchmen); comics would almost certainly have died a humiliating death without Mr Lee, or someone like him.

On a surprisingly relevant side-note, I’m on issue #65 of the Amazing Spider-Man run, having bought the entire series on DVD-ROM. It’s awesome. Although it is at about this period that Spectacular Spider-Man first came out, so everything’s about to explode into potential nonsensical-ness.

The guy who wrote about Stan Lee is doing one piece on a different comics-related matter every day. So far, the whole run has been awesome: well-written and well-researched. And he reminded me of Death’s Head, so extra kudos points there.

Excelsior!

Speaking in tongues…

…is usually a sign of possession. However, I think this extract from an email I received is proof that I work for a robot of some description. The only time that you’ll see the English language mutilated this badly normally is when you translate it via the intratubes into Japanese, and then back again. Twice.

Option will not be workable moving forward . Our contract with the NLA has a 6 month limitation for scanning titles/sections on the NLA digital database we received. Of course the issue regarding re-processing needs/ quality/non received within SLA -needs finalising with them, as in this case we need the scan copy, but outside of this come March we must use the feeds. Therefore do we need to consider putting a case to the NLA – option 1, and in the interim sort another workable solution with abbey.

Just so you know, context doesn’t help. This email makes no sense whether or not you’ve seen the rest of the conversation.

I know I think of myself as a bit of a grammar snob, and I realise that some people – Melvin – think of me as a complete cunt when it comes to reading their emails, but there is no excuse for this standard of writing. The woman who sent this to me is the boss of my boss, is educated to an MA standard, and is paid at least double my salary. She could at least make an effort to be understood.

I need a new job.

This guy ain’t stoopid. He’s my hero.

4PM Vegetarianism Is a Journey, Not a Destination

Sandwich artist: What kind of sandwich do you want?
Guy: I’m a vegetarian, so I want the veggie sub.
Sandwich artist: What items do you want on it?
Guy: Everything in the picture… And throw some chicken on there.
Sandwich artist: You can’t have chicken on that! Chicken is meat!
Guy: Chicken ain’t meat! Just put it on there!

Subway
Charlotte, North Carolina

via Overheard in the Office, Jan 16, 2007

Chris – it CAN be done!

5 stars on Psychobilly Freakout

By a 5-year-old who doesn’t even have to watch the screen. Blimey!

I. Want. This.

‘Nuff said.

Hyperactive Petey

I’m putting this up for Liz’s benefit. This is Petey the cat. Good looking fella.

It’s from DSutherland’s photostream. I think Petey’s his cat.

The fucking Daily Express

This article offends me.

Not because it denigrates the Daily Express, woeful propagator of utter bollocks. Aside from all the gumpf about DPoW, and being the originator of Rupert the Bear (who beats even Garfield, Family Circle and Fred Bassett as the world’s dullest cartoon character), the Express regularly makes up stories and hates everyone who doesn’t look like they were washed with Daz.

No, the article offends me because Chris can no longer complain. He doesn’t have to read the Express anymore, and hasn’t had to for well over six months. I on the other hand, have to read it to make my living. It is pushed in front of my cheerful face, which then become much less cheerful, while my intestines react accordingly to Richard Desmond’s – ah – organ and escape through my contracted rectum.

These bloody foreigners, coming in here and stealing our blognews…

(I admit it – I’m not offended at all. I just wanted an excuse to write that last line)

No loss of wonder

Interesting post here: has gaming lost its lustre? Is there less wonder now in gaming than there used to be?

I’d say no, personally, but that’s not my line of attack for this post. No: I’m far more interested in a side-effect of the post, seen in its comments, which are listing and discussing the commenters’ top moments. What are your top moments of wonder in gaming? What moments made you glad to be a gamer?

Some of mine are listed in the comments section of the above post. I’ll hold off my full list for the moment, which means (given that I’m about to embark on a week’s holiday) I won’t tell you mine for another week, but feel free to show me yours.

[EDIT: While the YouTube links are playing up, here's the link to the above video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeOJe0JEE8Q]

I rock.

I rock.

No, really, it’s true. I rock.

I won Guitar Hero II by walking into a shop, rocking on a game that I had not played before, and rocking better than any other bugger for the next two hours.

I. Rock.

That is all.

Bond. James Bond.

We went to see Casino Royale on the weekend, which was pretty awesome. Now, I’m an unrepentant Pierce Brosnan fan, mostly (actually, entirely) on the viewing of GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. Tomorrow Never Dies was a bit ‘meh’, and Die Another Day was fifty percent excellent, and fifty percent trash – although the trash was not Mr Brosnan’s fault, for the most part.

I’m not going to say that Daniel Craig was a better Bond than Brosnan, or Connery. He’s certainly a different Bond to Brosnan, although he treads on many of the same toes that Connery did, albeit in a darker fashion only made possible by the intervention of forty-ish years on Hollywood. Craig is definitely good, though. While Chris puts this down to the film makers wanting to go back to the original novels, I would suggest that the success of films such as The Bourne Identity have influenced Bond as much as Bond influenced them. Inversely, the lack of critical success of dross such as xXx (and it’s incredibly inferior sequel) have also influenced Bond’s new direction, ironically by copying Bond at its worst and showing MGM and Barbara Brocolli exactly what was wrong with their precious franchise.

Interestingly, Casino Royale shares a director with GoldenEye, which was till now the least ‘Hollywood Bond’ of the entire run, in my view.

Cinematical have put together a series of posts about Bond in general. A pick of the best:

Interview with all concerned in Casino Royal.
The opening shots.
The Bond opening credits.
The Bond movie trailers.
The complete Cinematical seven days of Bond.