Batfreud

All the heroes were involved in the war effort (WW2 only - the other wars, not so much), but as a nerd, I'd like to raise a quibble: If you've got Superman, Batman, and Robin on your side, instead of having them raise and harvest Victory Gardens you instead used them to, oh, I don't know. Kill Hitler? But alas! There are no real heroes. Just drawings, or words, or characters on a screen.

From the original Batman serial film series - 1949, yo! Batman and Robin. The baggy leotards are intimidating, yes? But still, 1949! These 15 short stories ran before the featured movie of the day.

It's interesting to note through art the changing of society's standards. All the tough guys from the early days of movies and tv look like [arnold]little girly men[/arnold]. No definition! Do they even lift?

When you're "Adam West" smooth, maybe you don't need to be jacked.

Your car needs to be, however. Gee whiz tools define the character.

And now consider the Batman mythos as underlined here - created in 1939, WW2 propaganda campaigns, and already with a film series in 1949. A popular TV series in the 60's. Also a wacky movie. Movies in the 80's - 10's. And so many, many comics. A myth is born before our eyes, and enters the Jungian collective - we all "get it", right? Rich playboy with tragic background fights evil using cool toys? It's an expression of our desire for fairness in a closed, controlled system that is not fair, in which we are mostly powerless. A modern hero, for modern times.

Batman also might be a symbol for revenge, but I leave that for you to judge, and also what it says about humanity if true.

Longing for Zombies

Pretty slick, right? Well, it's much more than that! Behold, the Zombie Proof House:

As you'll see, every Anti-Zombie detail has been attended to.

Closing 'er up!

Tight as a drum!

Welcome to Zombie Land HQ! But seriously, what could this person be so afraid of? Zombies, for real? Looters? Thieves? It's simultaneously sad and glorious - cuz don't get me wrong: This is my frikken dream house. When I win the lottery, I'm buying this place.

These are the Voyages

Bravo to the dude who, so many movies ago, came up with the meme: Hey! Let's make a porn parody! And thus, a never ending stream of puns was born.

Of course, there are parody Star Trek porns - go ahead and ask the Great GIS, if you dare. You probably shouldn't. Unless that's your thing. Anyways:

I've heard surprisingly good things about this one - regarding the production quality. I mean, look at those actors - they had to fly in the bald dude from England! They've got the whole TNG cast, in porn version. Including, I'll note, shapely Ensign Ro.

I'd never heard of this one before GIS told me. However, from my brief perusal, the production qualities are not as good.

There should be a "Hef Law": Any technology will first be used for porn. I bet the first piece of data sent on the internet was ( @ Y @ ). Or not. I won't take that bet.

A Mid Life Nerd Crisis

The Chrysler Turbine Car, 55 of which were manufactured in Detroit in 1963. The car could run on almost any fuel, including, as I have just learned, tequila. Read here. As you'll also read in the Wiki, the car was shown at the awesome 1964 World's Fair.

My theory, based on nothing but my own speculation with no research: The CTC was the direct inspiration for this most awesome of cars:

Now, of course, the Batmobile (1966) is waaaaaay cooler. But you can see the resemblance in the rear, in the fins, and of course the gas turbine engine.

If'n I were one of them rich as Croesus Dot.Com UberNerds I'd take a stab at buying the Batmobile right about now, or at least building a replica. Then I'd be happy, for sure. Cuz everyone knows once you have the coolest car, you win. Game over, man.

If I also owned the "Han Frozen in Carbonite" sculpture I could truly proclaim myself KING OF THE NERDS.

But of course, that wouldn't be enough, would it? There'd always be some other ironic yet awesome collectible out there to obtain, or stop someone else from obtaining, because that's all this life really is, right? A neverending game? You'll never know the rules or the score or even the team colors, but you'll play all the same. What choice do you have? It's that or "Price is Right" Loser Music as you exit, stage left. And we shan't have that, amirite?

The Morning After

Alas! What was shiny and bright in the night has turned to discarded trash in the day. But I still love you, Chairry (though to be honest I was more of a Magic Screen man myself).


I'm serious too - are you familiar with your different "Day" and "Night" selves? Or am I crazy? Or, all of the above?

The Temporary Objects of our Permanent Desires

The "Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite". Another collector's item, though not nearly as special as the Celica below. There's lots of replicas of this one, although I believe this picture above features one of the props used in the actual movie, giving this nerd nerd-cred for nerd-millennia. And sure, it's a striking centerpiece, and a conversation starter, but what can you do with it?

As opposed to:

A primo coffee table.

 A stylish yet practical desk.

 Or of course a quick and easy - but hilarious! - costume.

Open your minds to the possibilities, my fellow nerds. 

Muninn went a'courtin'

Or it might be Huginn. I get those two mixed up all the time. Regardless, watch your garbage pails - you know how ravens like trash.

Simulated Suffering

Sorry for the long absence! I've been exploring the concept of "simulated suffering", whereby you intentionally choose an action which causes you some suffering, in the hopes of learning/growing from the experience. We do this all the time of course, but there are degrees. And it's the degrees - and the intention - which matters.

Consider running, or jogging. I'd put that squarely into a "simulated suffering" category. You are willingly making yourself uncomfortable, in order to advance physically and mentally. That's the concept!

So, I see many people justify tattoos from this perspective - the pain of getting a tattoo makes you remember it, makes you learn the lesson you're trying to teach yourself. I have no evidence one way or the other whether this works. It might!

But I would like to describe two basic techniques (in addition to the technique already mentioned - exercise): Meditation and fasting.

1. Meditation. You might not think of this as suffering, but to your normal mind, it very much is. Meditation is suffering because the time spent meditating could be time spent by the mind obsessing about whatever is to be obsessed with that day. You are forcing yourself to not think, not talk, not move. These could all be considered degradations done to you by another, but because you are choosing (choice is key here), this becomes a simulated suffering. Again, the idea is by taking time each day to "suffer" - here, meditate - you come to appreciate the normal world far more. Like with...

2. Fasting. Ever gone 24 hours without eating? If you're healthy enough, I'd recommend you try it, at least once, to see what it's about. It's painful, and can be filled with real suffering. But, once done, that mountain climbed, you'll come to appreciate everything in a way you did not even realize before. You'll come to cherish that small snack you have before bed, or the breakfast that is made for you, or the nice lunch near the park...


And that's the goal: We are living a miracle, the greatest gift that could ever be given. We are alive. Yet! The vast majority of us utterly take this for granted, and instead focus on whatever pathetic delusions we've created for ourselves to whine and moan about. It's obscene - but I do it too! We all do.

So, the work is: Take yourself out of your normal perspective, intentionally put yourself in a different perspective, and see what you learn. Do this often enough and it becomes habit. Once it becomes habit, it is you. 

I challenge you to think of ways in which you might implement this thought in your own life. What "simulated sacrifice" can you come up with?

The best example of this of course is the "You don't know what you have till it's gone" School of Living, wherein when you are sick, you can think of nothing else but how wonderful it is to be healthy. But when healthy, you rarely give it a moment's thought, right?

We must realize this miracle as an everyday experience. This is one way to get there: Make yourself suffer - within bounds, constructively, for a purpose; but suffering all the same. Because as far as I can tell that's the only way any of us learn.

Marketing Campaigns Become Our Desires

Big winner! This guy was the lucky person who was allowed the opportunity to buy the first iPad in China. His T- shirt reads "I BUY IPAD NO1"; I'd add it appears #2 as well.

I can't help but shake my curmudgeonly  old head whenever I see expressions of such sincere passion over buying a consumer product - like when folks around the world camp out the night before an iPhone release. It's crazy! And I suppose a testament to the effective marketing campaigns of Apple.

But it speaks to a deep and fundamental absence in so many people's lives - that they are so wrapped up in Consumer Culture that their desires are imported, created on Madison Avenue, and willingly incorporated into their very sense of SELF. To the point that I'm sure many are familiar with: You become defined by your social group (and yourself) by the products you own (or, conversely I suppose, don't own).

If I was an ad executive, I would light my fat cigar with a $100 bill everytime I saw a picture like this, and laugh, laugh, laugh all the way to the bank.

We become our delusions, and when the rush eventually fades away, and you're left with this gaping sense of "what's next, want more..." fret not: There will be another shiny bauble to get your temporary attention.