Hulk Smashed

I just saw Avengers 2 and liked it, because I am a nerd.

If you are into "normal" movies, I'm not sure why you'd like it.

But then, these movies are now making many billions, collectively.

Did you know Marvel is telling a story spread out over like 20 movies? Something like this has never been attempted in cinema before, and so far it's WILDLY successful.

I think back to my comic book nerd reading past when I had to hope the LaVerdiere's drugstore had Thor #288 on that rickety spinning comic book display hidden over by the magazine rack. And they often didn't.

But now? It's like we've been transported to some reality where comic books are real and everyone lives in a comic book. It's amazing and Strange*












*Dr. Strange the movie coming to theaters June 2018.

The Long Con

Heed my warning, and heed it well: The Con is spreading. ComicCon, where people dress up like comic characters. It's spreading more and more into the real world and I bet soon enough you will see a Stormtrooper or Boba Fett or a Wookie family celebrating Life Day.

Happy Life Day!

Beware!

Not a drill

Please note, this is not a NASA security guard.

Just some nerd playing dress up. Isn't it grand fun?

Implicit Patriot

Can you judge a book by its cover?

Consider in this case the cover is a Waifu pillow surrounded by dozens of high powered guns.

Nothing troubling about this, right?

Just Amendments 1 & 2 brah.

Tomorrow's love couple

Real people, as it were. Who choose to surgically change themselves into likenesses of dolls.

Our modern society is so decadent.

A New Kind of Love

These are the men of the future. Consider the men of the past. Think of a boy born in 1900, who grew up into a world of radio then TV. Think of how different he'd be than this young man above, born in the Internet. All the rules are changing.

Without foundation in this new world, we drift, assuming new personas, at least for a while. And some more passionately than others.

The Internet has opened a Pandora's Box, and it won't be easily shut. It could be shut though - a good sized solar flare would fry modern technology, and we'd revert to the year 1900 quickly enough, for a decade or more. But the Internet would return, inevitably.

My advice for this new world? Be flexible of mind and body.

My Dear Waifu

So, here we are: Waifus. I learned about them recently! They are the pillow wives of anime fans, from what I can gather. Go ahead and look it up, if you dare. There's whole sites, and words, and sadness. Look at these chaps, "coming out" with their waifus at school!

These people are "real", by the way, in that they feel - and express! - some sort of strange devotion to their pillow... girls. Wives. Whatever! At least the majority of these guys will not breed.

Or will they?!

Euphoric

The Internet atheists of Reddit almost make me want to take up religion, they're that smug and sadly, usually terrible. This is Ralph - he's one of the "Fittest" (i.e. you religious sheep are not). Now, mind you, I agree with the gist of Ralph's points here, I just find the presentation ridiculous. But look at me, spreading memes!

Again, I understand the sentiment. I just question the fashion, specifically the hats and in general guys wearing Anime shirts. Also, "Selfie - Culture", which I document with this series of posts. The world where a camera(phone) and an internet connection is enough to spread your stupid teenage brayings across the world. And lo, the Internet is filled with teenage brayings. But also genius and a new world.

You realize there's a whole culture of these mostly guys out there? Internet atheists who wear "Fedoras" as a show of unity with other Internet atheists, and post constantly on the Internet about said subjects. Good for them for discussing, but guys. Guys....

Also, obesity is frequently present, as it is across ever larger percentages of the population. Maybe atheism is fattening?

Redshirt in London

Click for huge! Your humble blogger went to London way, way back in 2004. I loved everything about London, and especially the British Library and the British Museum. Simply heaven. And herewith I present some photos I took at these places before I was shut down at the BL by this super snaggled tooth security lady. I sincerely did not know photography was prohibited - but note! I never used flash so I consider my crime victimless, aye, even more, a victory.

I know the names or authors of none of these books, unfortunately, as I did not take notes for my pics of these ancient books - this one's from like 1320 or some such. Also, I assume the pic above is from a complete book of medieval porn/botany.

More botany. And snakes.

Illuminated Texts is the name of the genre - huge manuscripts hand written by small armies of monks squirreled away in far off castles and monasteries. Beautifully painted and simply gleaming under light, no doubt due to the actual silver on the page. Books were once magical, mystical items of great import and rarity and as such, they were venerated. Now, we have Kindles and iPads and cheap ass paperback editions. It's the future, people.

Bonus British Library collection of John Dee's magical items. Dee was fairly awesome, but yeah, it seems like there were so many awesome people back then. In history, that is. As opposed to now. We're all lame.

Hello Free Shrugs

How nice. Do you think it's sincere, or ironic? Could be an in-disguise hipster pranking morning rush hour. Or a Jesus junkie out for a fix.

I think this guy's ironic. But there you see a shrug, for free, and presumably many more to come. So he's delivering, even if ironically. I mean, it's not like shrugs aren't ironic either. You know?

Also, too - the word "hello" clearly can be spoken as "Hell!", "O!", as if in fiery damnation. Ironic, huh, for such a friendly word? What isn't ironic, though, really?

Come at me, bro

Internet memes. Wondrous little things that come from nothing and bring forth chortles and snorts, for a time, till they fade away back into the digital nothing from which they sprang. Some last longer than others, such is the way of all things. I expect longevity correlates to the degree with which the meme addresses the human condition. Closer to the bone and the more LOLS there are to be had.

What I find hilarious about this meme is the ironic mocking of the faux peacock effect - some male punk is feeling testy and gets pushy with someone else over some perceived slight. They'll raise their arms, puff their chests, tilt their heads back and strut in this position in side to side motions. It's all very bird like, and have I ever mentioned I have a "problem" wherein I view ALL human interactions as if in a nature documentary? We are animals, after all, living in nature.

The "Come at me bro" move is a genetic behavior we share with our simian sisters and no doubt goes back millions of years into our shared past. Billions maybe.

After all, it's clearly a defensive measure intended to make the possible attacker think you are bigger and more menacing prey than you might really be. Puffing up, as it were. An ancient and noble defense, but one that fails in the face of a dedicated assailant.

Not much you could do here, really, other than roll into a ball and pray to FSM that he tires/bores/frightens off. Bears can be scared off, of course, but not if they're all chargy and foamy fangy. You're screwed.

Ink on face

America, the mug shot. God bless these United States!

I also posit face tattoos are the last taboo to be broken when it comes to ink on skin - which, remarkably, in the last 20 years, has gone from verboten for polite society to something even Mom does (butterfly on the ankle). What happened? Oh yeah... Republicans.

This is actually the Jester look from yore. Fetching! Also, king me.

Totally expressing his individuality. Do you doubt it? He's an individual!

Not as individual as this guy though - complete individual. Appears to have his third eye open too, which is so cool. Could also hang many notes and mementos from his face.

Seriously, what would drive someone to do such things? Let me answer my own question: Falling in with a crowd that thinks facial art is cool, and a person without a firm sense of self.

And what of it? It's a big world, and is made fuller by people pushing boundaries. Also too - what are you looking at?

PBMF

Now, see, here's a kid who's having a blast, and no doubt will be the hell raising bad boy all girls come to love - can he be tamed? NO!

After his first arrest, I wonder if the parents will feel at all responsible?

Popped Culture

So, apparently the gal above had a hit song with some inane repetition of the days, or something - I've never heard the song, and don't know what her name is, yet somehow I recognize her. O Mighty Internet, how you seed my brain with visions!

This makes me realize I've officially become "old" - it happened a year and half ago, actually. All of a sudden I no longer "got" the younger generation. It's all skinny jeans and tattoos and big glasses and I don't know what the heck is going on, gosh darn it! I realize in my wiser moments this is a sure sign of generational age - you're far enough removed from the 14-20 age group that you have no clue what's "hip". If the kids still use that word.

I'm cool with it, of course. Redshirt adapts. It's just interesting how suddenly and noticeably it seemed to happen (I'm sure it was long in the making, me unawares). Like one day, POW! Get off my damn lawn.

The Mask Family

Enjoy it for all its ironic hilarity, but consider! At one time in the long ago past, someone made these masks, and someone else helped publish a photo of these masks in a magazine meant for purchase, and some other people purchased this magazine, all thinking "Gosh! Those knitted masks are practical and stylish, and would look great on my entire family!"

That's the world we live in. A world where someone would wear these masks, unironically! These are most likely the same people now falling for Nigerian email scams.

Unleashed (Cry Havoc)

Remember those fun days? They're not that long gone, and by gum we're on the verge of bringing the political party responsible for all of it back into power of the US Government, Ruler of the World. You should be terrified, for they are not only Unrepentant, but even more insane, rapacious, bloodthirsty. The Republican Party is an active source of evil in this world, and we all suffer from their predations. And not just us, but our dogs.

Dogs trained to be aggressive, threatening. Wonder how their lives turned out? Wonder how everyone in this picture lives turned out. Badly for all, I hazard. But this is not new, of course. We've been waging war, and torturing, and ruining dog's lives for a long time.

 An Assryian relief, circa 650 BC. This relief was found in Nineveh, Iraq, and now probably lives in the British Museum like most everything else ever found from Assyria. If you ever have the chance to visit this museum, you must. And take more than one day. But anyways, know who else had a dog?

That's right: Hitler Dog. Think the other NAZI dogs had to salute him and give up their bones and such? Probably not: Dogs are naturally socialistic as shit. But I digress.

This is a military medic treating a dog bite on an Iraqi prisoner, naked, as per the torture routine - handed down from on high, probably right from the tippity top - Cheney, Rummy, and the Gang. Everyone else on down to these folks is just following orders, but perhaps taking a bit too much glee in it.

And here is my Redshirt's Lament for today: That these destructive Republicans have released a wicked genie from its bottle for their short term political and financial gains - hate, torture, sadism, fear, distrust, etc, etc. They've unleashed havoc - and here, or rather there, in the early 1990's,  I had such high hopes that America was turning a corner. The PC Movement - arguably one of the most important movements in American history for it's wide ranging impact -  was at it's peak and changing everything, for the better. A New Era of Hippyism was rising - I refer you to The Spin Doctors, for example - and everything in the country and the world seemed to be getting awesome. Europe was free, dictatorships were crumbling across the world, with few bullets fired. Global co-operation was at an all time high, nations mostly working for each other's benefits (mostly)... ah. It was great. But then something horrible happened - an evil seed (Nixon) sprouted and unleashed insanity upon our nation. Newt Gingrich was in the lead and it led to the Impeachment of a popular president, the mass consolodation of corporate power across the board, including the media (Witness the banks merging, the oil companies merging, all the media merging, etc), and a stolen election. About which I still am in dumb shock that it happened, all orchestrated out of Fox HQ and the state government of Florida. And then 9/11 and it was like Manna from the Heavens for these psychos - this, OBL wisely knew, and thus the brilliance of his terrible plot - as they could indulge every one of their long held lusts, for war and death and bombs and torture and a cowering domestic population giving them whatever they want - gladly, with a vicious spite in it. We, as a nation, have been thoroughly poisoned by these people, and this is but one of the results.

Once we go down this road too far, we'll never come back - perhaps it is already too late, but I have hope in Obama, still. So we'll see. If anyone can roll back the tides of hate, repression, bigotry, and sheer evil, it's Barack Hussein Obama.

Anyways, all this was just a setup to post this awesome pic, the artist of which I have sadly forgotten.

These Modern Times

Traffic jams in Boston, man. Brutal. I got a bad case of the Road Rage and I don't know what to do about it - nothing works! MAN!

Our modern times have imprisoned us, in jobs, on roads, in houses. For the vast majority of human existence we were nomads, moving about - and free to do so. But this is no longer the case, for there's no where to go. We're everywhere. And thus psychosis - paranoia, anxiety, depression, etc. We're actively working against our nature.

But also, becoming something new. There's bound to be birth pangs. And lots of anger.

Finnish Fashion

Some Finnish hipster kids. From a Finnish fashion blog, here. Enjoy!

To belabor the rant, let me make some superficial judgments: These kids have their own mobile phones, they play video games a good portion of the day, they chat, they text, they watch a lot of tv. What are the odds they're whiny brats? Or will grow up to be selfish jerks? Since their Finnish, perhaps less than were these lads American, but the odds lean that way. In my opinion!

How can these kid's lifestyles compare to the lives of the kids in the post below? Not much. And so you see - OBJECTIVELY - how the kids these days (since 1945 or so) are taking this world to Heck in a Hand Basket, and all the Old Coots are right: These young whipper snappers are ruining everything!

Don't get me wrong - I grew up in front of the tv and had one of the first Atari home game systems - Pong ruled, dawg. I'm fully immersed in the generations undergoing this transformative shift. I'm just a hypocritical fossil and like to Lament shit. But I'm up front about it.  My generation sucks, as does my Fathers, and I'm sure the generations to come will suck just as much. We all suck!

A porpoise full of holes (Laughing)

Happy 9/11! It's been everywhere today, and I've been on top of the Mountain with no TV (radio only). I don't begrudge the coverage due to the anniversary, but hoo boy am I tired of it. It's a cudgel to beat down a fearful population - a population that is collectively much worse off then before 9/11. America has gone down the shitter since, thanks to the evils and stupidity of Republicans, who continue to go to great lengths trying to destroy the USA.

In this regard, the attacks of 9/11 were spectacularly successful. We've gone bankrupt, given up numerous freedoms, allowed the extreme concentration of wealth, let our infrastructure rot, our education system wither, our government is barraged by hateful and greedy louts, or, conversely, run and driven into the ground by Republicans. OBL stated he wanted to do economic damage to the USA and thus the entire "Western World". Look at the world's economy today and it's clear to see he was in part successful - he didn't cause the banks to fail, or the housing bubble, or Enron et al - but the attacks of 9/11 became the blank check the banaly evil Bush Administration cashed again and again. A terrible situation, since they blundered into every trap set, fucked up every action they took. It was a running disaster and this was the consequence of 9/11 - the empowering of the Republican party to wreak untold damage to America, which they continue to pursue. Witness:

I don't make fun of 9/11 because I am laughing at the tragedy of all the folks who were killed - that is tragic. All death is tragic - but then, it's not, either. Since it is the inevitable end for all lifeforms. And there are tragic losses of life all the time around the world, some far, far larger than 9/11, yet these events barely penetrate our collective consciousness. Thus, I make fun of 9/11 to take the fear out of it, the fear used to wield power for evil ends for many years - remember "TERROR ALERTS!!!"? There's no need, no need at all, to be afraid of terrorism. Any fear you have is directly the goal of the terrorists - that's the only way they can win. And Bush and the gang did their best to make it happen. Thank FSM for Obama to right the ship as much as it can be righted.

We've changed as a country since 9/11, and I don't think in many good ways. Darker, more depraved and bloodthirsty, the forces of hate and fear let loose and running wild. Recall the "Torture Debate", and that we now have to have a debate about torture at all.

Along these lines, I encourage you again to read or re-read "1984" by George Orwell. It's scarily prescient and quite a good story too. Here's a quote from Smith's diary (an illegal act):

April 4th, 1984. Last night to the flicks. All war films. One very good one of a ship full of refugees being bombed somewhere in the Mediterranean. Audience much amused by shots of a great huge fat man trying to swim away with a helicopter after him, first you saw him wallowing along in the water like a porpoise, then you saw him through the helicopters gunsights, then he was full of holes and the sea round him turned pink and he sank as suddenly as though the holes had let in the water, audience shouting with laughter when he sank. then you saw a lifeboat full of children with a helicopter hovering over it. there was a middle-aged woman might have been a jewess sitting up in the bow with a little boy about three years old in her arms. little boy screaming with fright and hiding his head between her breasts as if he was trying to burrow right into her and the woman putting her arms round him and comforting him although she was blue with fright herself, all the time covering him up as much as possible as if she thought her arms could keep the bullets off him. then the helicopter planted a 20 kilo bomb in among them terrific flash and the boat went all to matchwood. then there was a wonderful shot of a child's arm going up up up right up into the air a helicopter with a camera in its nose must have followed it up and there was a lot of applause from the party seats but a woman down in the prole part of the house suddenly started kicking up a fuss and shouting they didnt oughter of showed it not in front of kids they didnt it aint right not in front of kids it aint until the police turned her turned her out i dont suppose anything happened to her nobody cares what the proles say typical prole reaction they never --

There's a whole genre on the internet of "funny" TAZER videos. Cuz people getting shocked is funny, right? And how about this? Good old Florida has allowed all mug shots to be publically accessible. And thus websites exist of everyone who gets a mugshot in Florida - guilty or not. Though of course if you're on the internet in a mug shot, you're guilty. It's depressingly addictive. A sample:

The hat only comes off for mug shots.

Know your Zombie!

I'm not sure how this is possible, but here you go.


I await the day when an execution is televised - you know it's just a matter of time. On Fox!

Seriously though, 9/11 sucked, but let's move on.