When Stan Leaves, It's All Over.
Twelve years ago ...
Romans 5:8-11 September 10
Breakfast with the Boys; bowling and dance gymnastics 10509.10
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 8
2 Corinthians 2; Proverbs 6, 7
The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
We got in some exercise -- it felt great!
[Beneath this caption I have a picture of a couple facing each other, smiling, with the woman's arms around the man.]
Turtledove, Harry. Drive to the East. New York: Ballantine Books, 2005.
Although in this most recent of the author's forays into World War II between the USA and the CSA seems to present many characters at their most human (even the CSA president Jake Featherston, this series' analog to Hitler, doesn't come across as a crazed maniac), it's easy to see why it won't maintain fans' high regard. Though I can't deny the author's gift at world-building, he shows off more than he moves the story forward -- in about six hundred pages, we've only covered six months! Just when the readers think they're reaching the payoff, the cliff drops another 50 feet. Between fighting Mormons, resentful Canadians, a secret budget item, and always the Confederacy and coastal Europe, what's the USA, what can the USA, do anymore? Check it out.
Now for my own poor attempt at imposing my will on reality ...
I meant to flash back here to my journal entry from September 10, 2001 to get some idea of how the world's changed from that mindset (the day before 9/11) to now and how I reflected that ... But right now my journals, to use some 2000s slang, are whack. In any event, while Martha's out at Chamber Chorale practice where she likely won't sing -- much -- because her left jaw is still aching from the tooth she had pulled Friday and the house is actually without -- much -- background noise (Sarah and Jeffrey are on their tablets, but I'm OK with that before she gets home, I'll try to percolate what's been going on these last few days for me since I don't get to write as much, or read as much, as I used to.
Meh.
Today's title is inspired by one book I finished reading that I got in a collectibles store, a "real steal" for four bucks! Stan Lee's Son of Origins of Marvel Comics (ISBN 0671221663) details the creation process for Iron Man, the Avengers (which he's a founding member of), the X-Men, the Silver Surfer, Nick Fury, Daredevil, the Watcher, and (usually) reprints their first appearances as well. Though I don't doubt the essays are chock full of details I want to know, I got it for the pictures. You know, the explanation tongue-tied adults give/gave you when you discover(ed) their moldering stack of Playboys. Or was that "I get it for the articles"?
Seriously, I don't remember WHAT explanation my dad gave me when I discovered his. If any.
I've read speculations that, due to Stan Lee's interconnectedness with all things Marvel Comics that, at least within the Marvel you see on movie and TV screens, HE'S a Watcher himself! There's a scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that lends credence to that ... but in any event, I imagine that once Stan Lee "leaves" (read "dies"; he's ninety-one, his wife died a few months ago, and he's already pledged to not appear at comic book conventions any more) that comic books and all their adaptations will go on ... but for a while they'll tone down everything out of respect for the man.
The man who most brought comic books and their denizens into popular culture.
And for some fresh insight into the past, I've also read The Progressive Movement: 1900-1915 edited by Richard Hofstadter (LOC 63-19421), a collection of thirty-six primary source documents from the United States pre-World War I that call forth a need for reforming labor so people don't drop dead from exhaustion! When twelve- to sixteen-hour workdays were not uncommon, it was the only way to avoid a violent revolution as some other nations did and still are experiencing.
I'm not so quick to -- though I still will -- criticize today's "progressives" a century later.
In twelve hours as I write this, I'll be starting on my eleventh week at Trinity Hospital's Materials Management warehouse. I'm not quite coming home screaming in frustration, not so much that I can't do the work but for the way some of my co-workers cross the line between correcting and nagging ... anyway, I'm finding most everything I need to and certainly getting done at least most of the time
as fast as they are. I'm not sure I look forward to my ninety-day evaluation there.
Sarah got formally enrolled in confirmation at church last Wednesday, and this coming Wednesday night Jeffrey begins his first and final year of church school (not called "Sunday school" for obvious reasons) and today we went back to two morning worship services.
And yesterday was Breakfast with the Boys!
How I have missed that at church, and yesterday was also Martha's last day working part-time at Burger King. I know her knee and ankles will especially appreciate that!
And so will, so do, the kids and I.
David
Romans 5:8-11 September 10
Breakfast with the Boys; bowling and dance gymnastics 10509.10
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 8
2 Corinthians 2; Proverbs 6, 7
The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
We got in some exercise -- it felt great!
[Beneath this caption I have a picture of a couple facing each other, smiling, with the woman's arms around the man.]
Turtledove, Harry. Drive to the East. New York: Ballantine Books, 2005.
Although in this most recent of the author's forays into World War II between the USA and the CSA seems to present many characters at their most human (even the CSA president Jake Featherston, this series' analog to Hitler, doesn't come across as a crazed maniac), it's easy to see why it won't maintain fans' high regard. Though I can't deny the author's gift at world-building, he shows off more than he moves the story forward -- in about six hundred pages, we've only covered six months! Just when the readers think they're reaching the payoff, the cliff drops another 50 feet. Between fighting Mormons, resentful Canadians, a secret budget item, and always the Confederacy and coastal Europe, what's the USA, what can the USA, do anymore? Check it out.
Now for my own poor attempt at imposing my will on reality ...
I meant to flash back here to my journal entry from September 10, 2001 to get some idea of how the world's changed from that mindset (the day before 9/11) to now and how I reflected that ... But right now my journals, to use some 2000s slang, are whack. In any event, while Martha's out at Chamber Chorale practice where she likely won't sing -- much -- because her left jaw is still aching from the tooth she had pulled Friday and the house is actually without -- much -- background noise (Sarah and Jeffrey are on their tablets, but I'm OK with that before she gets home, I'll try to percolate what's been going on these last few days for me since I don't get to write as much, or read as much, as I used to.
Meh.
Today's title is inspired by one book I finished reading that I got in a collectibles store, a "real steal" for four bucks! Stan Lee's Son of Origins of Marvel Comics (ISBN 0671221663) details the creation process for Iron Man, the Avengers (which he's a founding member of), the X-Men, the Silver Surfer, Nick Fury, Daredevil, the Watcher, and (usually) reprints their first appearances as well. Though I don't doubt the essays are chock full of details I want to know, I got it for the pictures. You know, the explanation tongue-tied adults give/gave you when you discover(ed) their moldering stack of Playboys. Or was that "I get it for the articles"?
Seriously, I don't remember WHAT explanation my dad gave me when I discovered his. If any.
I've read speculations that, due to Stan Lee's interconnectedness with all things Marvel Comics that, at least within the Marvel you see on movie and TV screens, HE'S a Watcher himself! There's a scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that lends credence to that ... but in any event, I imagine that once Stan Lee "leaves" (read "dies"; he's ninety-one, his wife died a few months ago, and he's already pledged to not appear at comic book conventions any more) that comic books and all their adaptations will go on ... but for a while they'll tone down everything out of respect for the man.
The man who most brought comic books and their denizens into popular culture.
And for some fresh insight into the past, I've also read The Progressive Movement: 1900-1915 edited by Richard Hofstadter (LOC 63-19421), a collection of thirty-six primary source documents from the United States pre-World War I that call forth a need for reforming labor so people don't drop dead from exhaustion! When twelve- to sixteen-hour workdays were not uncommon, it was the only way to avoid a violent revolution as some other nations did and still are experiencing.
I'm not so quick to -- though I still will -- criticize today's "progressives" a century later.
In twelve hours as I write this, I'll be starting on my eleventh week at Trinity Hospital's Materials Management warehouse. I'm not quite coming home screaming in frustration, not so much that I can't do the work but for the way some of my co-workers cross the line between correcting and nagging ... anyway, I'm finding most everything I need to and certainly getting done at least most of the time
as fast as they are. I'm not sure I look forward to my ninety-day evaluation there.
Sarah got formally enrolled in confirmation at church last Wednesday, and this coming Wednesday night Jeffrey begins his first and final year of church school (not called "Sunday school" for obvious reasons) and today we went back to two morning worship services.
And yesterday was Breakfast with the Boys!
How I have missed that at church, and yesterday was also Martha's last day working part-time at Burger King. I know her knee and ankles will especially appreciate that!
And so will, so do, the kids and I.
David
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