Happy Halloween!

Have a Mario-rific Halloween! Be safe and eat lots of candy! See you on Monday!

Courtesy of Walyou

Rollback

Rollback by Robert J Sawyer is one of the first sci fi books I have read in a while. It's set in 2048 and follows a couple in their old age. Don and Sarah Halifax are celebrating their 60th anniversary when they get a phone call. It's a grad student calling to tell Sarah that there has been a response. You see, in 2009 Sarah was a member of SETI and they received a message from Sigma Draconis. Sarah decoded it and sent the official response. A dialog has been started.

The message back from the Draconians spurs the interest of a billionaire who feels that Sarah is key in decoding the second response, which has an additional layer of encryption. He offers her a new procedure, a rollback. The rollback is intended to rejuvenate the elderly and essentially de-ages people. It is incredibly expensive and only the richest of the rich can get the procedure. Sarah agrees on one condition: that Don can get one too. The billionaire reluctantly agrees.

The book then continues in a series of real-time events and flashbacks. We get to see Don and Sarah as their relationship grew. Soon we realize, however, that the rollback worked on Don, but not on Sarah. He becomes physically 25 and she remains 87. This is where the book splits into what are essentially two different sci fi stories that are interconnected.

The first follows Don. How does a man who is physically 25, but mentally almost 90 get by in the world? He has no employable skills as he has been retired for over 20 years and has a hard time even understanding youth culture. The second relates to the alien contact and decoding another message. Both are very interesting, but combined, they create one key flaw. The relationship between Don and Sarah that is so important to the book is sort of dropped temporarily and then picked up again later. I think I would have enjoyed it more if they had been separated chronologically in the book.

I really liked Sawyer's writing. It was very easy to care for the characters, they were some of the most relate-able I have read in recent memory. I also really enjoyed the inclusion real history, pop culture (duh), and products. This really helped to ground the story in reality. It was also quite Canadian, which I enjoy, even if I didn't understand all of the details (Who was the Prime Minister when you were born? Yeah, thought so).

All-in-all this was a very enjoyable book. One of the two story components had a very predictable ending and the other had quite a unique twist. I was able to finish it in just a little more than a week and occasionally had a hard time putting it down. Check this one out! You won't be disappointed.

It Was Funny Sixteen Years Ago...Right?

Can you name a few timeless TV shows? I think, of thinks like I Love Lucy, Mr Ed, and even Star Trek as timeless shows. These are shows that you can appreciate even now, years after they were created. These are the classics, the shows that everyone knows about and many people love.

Well, Mrs Titan and I recently came across a show that was way more topical than anything I can think of in recent memory. We wanted something to replace 3rd Rock From the Sun so we went for The Ben Stiller Show.


Every skit in the first episode was like a time capsule of the early nineties. There were U2 jokes (and not about the charity stuff), Calvin Klein cologne skits, and other bizarre flashy colors, akin to the opening theme of Fresh Prince. It wasn't bad comedy, it was just hard to find too funny.

I had fun seeing a young Ben Stiller, Andy Dick, Bob Odenkirk, and Jeneane Garofalo (back when I thought she was funny), but this fun just wasn't enough to watch more than the first episode. Half of the references and jokes made no sense to me (I was only 10 when this first aired), so that was it. We quit after only one episode.


If you love the nineties and long for very out of date jokes, then check out this show, you will love it. If not, skip it. I'll be watching sketch comedy made this century (well, or SNL or Kids in the Hall or Monty Python...huh...)

Showcase Presents Superman: Part 12

This is the twelfth of numerous posts on Showcase Presents: Superman. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the stories.Now, this won't be like most comic blogs with scanned pictures posted throughout. Mostly because I don't have a scanner, but the stories should speak for themselves, but also because I want to go through the whole book in the next few weeks, and I want non-comics readers to enjoy the kookiness that us comics readers understand from the Silver Age. While I may mock these stories, I am not making anything up, this is all straight from the comics! While I may mock, I love these stories and the character of Superman. This is great stuff! The cover scans are from the Grand Comic Book Database.

Action Comics # 247

"Superman's Lost Parents"

Long Story Short: "Superman can never be happy and never be reunited with either of his sets of parents."

For once this story starts in Clark's apartment instead of at the Daily Planet. Clark is reading a paper in his apartment when his adoptive parents Ma and Pa Kent, long thought dead, appear in a bubble, right outside his window. They tell a story about how they were sent from the past into the future (while little Clark was at school).

He decides to talk them to his Fortress of Solitude where he shows off by riding a dinosaur, playing tug-a-war with a dozen "atomic-powered robots," and his creepy lifelike dioramas (seriously!). He then takes them back to his apartment for dinner, when Lois shows up! They scare her away so Superman can save the day and as soon as he takes off...

...Well, it turns out they aren't really Ma and Pa Kent, but Millicent and Cedric, a couple of crooks who have to recap everything with a tiny pen projector as soon as Clark is gone. They found out his secret identity so that they can sell his secret to the underworld. They quickly trick Superman into getting them some kryptonite so that they can make an antidote. They then roll away in their bubble, right behind Clark's back (again, seriously!).

They then blackmail Superman repeatedly so that he will bring them things. You know, like ancient artifacts. Anyway, Millicent takes off to buy some mink coats, so Superman moves in with his plan! A Ma Kent robot that super-hypnotizes Cedric and a Pa Kent version for Millicent. He then returns all of the stolen goods and mopes. Poor sad Superman.

The Squid and the Whale

What happens when you are a selfish parent? When everything you screw up is your kid or your spouse's fault? Well, The Squid and the Whale is about the most dysfunctional family ever, with two parents, played by Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, who are the most selfish people ever.

They are both literature professors who compete between themselves for their kids attention and for literary greatness. These are the "academic elite," where something is only good if it is "dense" and hard to understand. They teach their children only to value "dense" academia, and not follow any other goals. It is a sad thing to see.

The parents split up early in the film,and everything ultimately becomes a competition. Which kid wants to be with dad and which with mom? The kids are messed up as well, with neither of them being able to function socially.

This is ultimately a hard movie to watch, there are many awkward, and real-seeming, moments. It was really interesting to see, I think both Mrs Titan and I enjoyed parts of it and were glad to have seen it, but will never want to watch it again. It was just a little to quirky and out there for us. If you want a quirky and weird movie, check this out, but be prepared to be grossed-out and saddened.

It is Coming!

Just so you all know, I'm having a movie made. You can buy it on VHS or...well, just VHS. Check it out:
source

Low Content Week Continues...

...with the most disturbing and yet appealing thing you will see all week. Enjoy!


I'm sorry. Truly...

Ever...or EVAR?!

Monday night both Mrs Titan and I were suffering from a pretty nasty cold. WE were tired and wanted to go to bed. But we knew we had to stay up for How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM). We did, and thank goodness! It was amazing as usual. It is the one show that every week I have very high expectations and every episode exceeds my expectations. I have yet to be disappointed with an episode. I love this show, and, as my in-laws are still here and I don't have time for much of a post, I just want to profess my love:

BEST.
SHOW.
EVER!
It's Legendary. Seriously.

It's Time For Us All to Embrace Change

Well, it's time. Whether we like it or not things are going to change. We will have new people in these power. They want to save us and the planet. They will cure diseases, give us a solution to our energy crisis, help feed the hungry, and bring stability to our government.

So, who will lead us into this bring new future?

No, not them.

No, not even these two.

Yes, the skrulls. I, for one, look forward to the benevolence of our shapeshifting overlords. Plus, isn't that little girl cute?

Movie Mondays...Uh Oh

Well, it's Monday...already. I didn't have the opportunity to watch any movies this weekend, what with some visiting in-laws. Well, unless you count about an hour of Terminator 2. "Come with me if you want to live." Heh! Anyway, I should have a little more to talk about tomorrow, but they are here until the end of the week, so expect light posting.

Anyway, back to T2. I saw it when I was about 11 at a friend's house, and I still have the image of the T1000 stabbing people in the head burned into my mind. It was quite the childhood trauma/defining moment. Do any of you have a defining/disturbing movie moment from when you were a child?

See you tomorrow!

It Could Be Worse Week

Well everybody, it could be worse out there. We could be stuck with crappy pop culture, we could be living in a comic book with insane criminals EVERYWHERE, we could be livining 100 (or even 50 years ago), or we could be stuck in the Sahara as slaves to nomads. But...guess what? We're not, we live in amazing times and, no matter what happens on the stock market, we are blessed.

Thanks for all you readers out there, and I hope things get better for you. I know pop culture doesn't ultimately mean much, but I think we can use it to better understand our place in life. You all enjoy your weekends and I will be back next week. In the meantime, I'm off to play Mass Effect! Thanks Mr Lil' Sis!

It Could Be Worse Week: Skeletons on the Zahara

For the last couple of weeks I have been reading one of the most amazing stories of survival that I have ever read. You see, back in 1815, just after the War of 1812, an American trading brig shipwrecked along the west coast of Africa, just along the Sahara. They were captured pretty quickly by the natives and sold into slavery.

Dean King extensively researched this event, and wrote the book Skeletons on the Zahara by focusing on two critical books published right after the events. Both the captain, James Riley, and one of the crew members, Archibald Robbins, published accounts of their experiences, and both of these books because best sellers in their time. These books were read by people as powerful as Lincoln, and it is assumed that they helped to support the abolitionist movement.

What of the best parts of the early chapters of this book was the discussion of international relations at the time. America and Britain had just ended a war that saw the White House burned down. No one was sailing commercial or trading ships at the time due to the war, so this was one of the first trading vessels sent out after the war.

It is amazing to see how the nomads of the Sahara lived in the early 1800s. They lived off of very little, just some camel milk and rancid water for weeks at a time. It seems like a large part of the local economy came from shipwrecks, allowing the nomads to get plenty of gold, cloth, food, and other goods. The nomads roam and trade and occasionally join large camel trains to make very large deals in and around the large local cities.

What struck me the most about this book is what the American sailors actually went through as slaves in the Sahara. They went without water to the point where their tongues were swollen and brittle and their bodies were poaching joint fluid just to keep them going. They were beaten and forced to work. They were starved to the point that they they lost over 100 pounds in two months. They were forced to drink their own urine and camels' urine. It amazes me what these men went through. Every time they were on the verge of giving up something would happen to bring their hopes up just a bit.

Captain Riley was an amazing man. He was able to convince one of his masters to buy up four other men so that he could bring them to freedom. He told his master that he had a friend in Morocco (where the Americans and the Europeans had embassies) who would be willing to buy their freedom. This was a lie, but he never gave up. He pushed it and pushed it, assuming he would figure it out when the time came. Ultimately, obviously, he was able to make it out, but not all of his men were so successful.

This is a fantastic and incredibly interesting piece of history and you should check it out.

It could be worse, you could be a slave on the Sahara, forced to drink your own urine and starving to death while being beaten by people you are terrified of and do not understand. (See? That's pretty bad huh?)

It Could Be Worse Week: The 1900 House

So, lets tell a long, rambling story to get us to our point. Back about five years ago or so I was sitting in a hair salon, waiting patiently for the future Mrs Titan to have something or other done to her hair. Anyway, I was desperately searching for something to read that wasn't about celebrities sleeping with other celebrities, or the 50 Best Ways to Satisfy My Man. I ended up picking up the manliest magazine in the joint, O Magazine.

It it was an article about Oprah herself, or maybe her friend or something, going to visit the set of a PBS reality show called Colonial House. The first thing to catch my eye: PBS reality show. Wow, what was the world coming to? Then I read a little about the show. Since then, Mrs Titan and I have seen three of the "House" series.

This weekend, however, we watched the first of these, 1900 House. So, what is the House series? Well, they set up a house (or in later cases a village or community) with period accurate items, and then a family (or multiple families) live there for three months. The 1900 House was filmed in Britain in 1999 and featured the Bowler Family. The Bowlers, made up of a mom, dad, three daughters, and one son, had to deal with 1900 living for three months, and their adventures were fascinating.

They are forced to live as if in 1900, so no electricity, just gas lamps,. No central heating, just a range (kinda like a big cast iron stove). No indoor toilet, but they do have indoor running water (with no hot water heater, just a boiler in the range). They have no dishwasher, no shampoo, no washer or dryer, and are not allowed to eat or use any products that weren't commercially available in 1900 London.

This show (and the others like Colonial and Frontier House) is the best at showing what life was really like in these times. Not only are they only allowed to use items that would have been used, but they do their best to stick to the social and moral norms of the society at the time. The women need to be fully dresses in corsets and dresses at all times. They are not allowed to take jobs outside of the home, and they actually seem to have to work harder than the men.

This show is a fascinating look at history and at who we are now. How spoiled is the average American or Briton (this is the worst in Frontier House)? We take so many things for granted, and I, for one, am very happy that we live when we do. These shows do not glamorize the past, they show the past for what it really was: hard. Anyone with any interest in history and how far we've come should check out these shows, there is a list of sequels at the end of this link. I hope Outback House or Schwarzwaldhaus 1902 (Black Forest House 1902) come out on DVD some day!

So, it could be worse, you could be living 100 years ago and have to work twice as hard to accomplish half as much.

Also, if you're a woman, it could be worse, you could be a second class citizen who is barely recognized as contributing to society.

Nothing has made me more greatful to be a modern American than these shows. Please rent them and check them out. And PBS, please make more reality shows, I like the way they show the best of people, not the worst. Thank you.

It Could Be Worse Week: Showcase Presents Superman: Part 11

This is the eleventh of numerous posts on Showcase Presents: Superman. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the stories.Now, this won't be like most comic blogs with scanned pictures posted throughout. Mostly because I don't have a scanner, but the stories should speak for themselves, but also because I want to go through the whole book in the next few weeks, and I want non-comics readers to enjoy the kookiness that us comics readers understand from the Silver Age. While I may mock these stories, I am not making anything up, this is all straight from the comics! While I may mock, I love these stories and the character of Superman. This is great stuff! The cover scans are from the Grand Comic Book Database.


Action #246

"Krypton on Earth!"

Long Story Short: "A 'swindler' wants diamonds more than money."


Jonas Smith a, frankly, crazy real estate promoter creates an island development which is a replica of Superman's home planet, Krypton. A quote: "That atomic plant will heat all homes! We're using all of Krypton's best features, even their clothing! And it will be a community free of slums!" And there will be no criminals! How? Well, "When families buy a home here, each member's fingerprints are checked with the FBI files." You know, all of this sounds very illegal.


We shortly find out that Jonas Smith is actually "Swindler" Smith (gasp!). Superman is invited to attend a ceremony where he is crowned the honorary king of of Krypton-on-Earth (there's that modesty again). A giant statue/lighthouse is constructed in the image of Superman and the light beams from his eyes are suddenly turned to X-Rays, which will melt ships. First, light bulbs creating X-Rays?! Second, X-Rays melting ships??!! Back at the ceremonies, Superman gets choked up when he sees wax figures of his parents. You know, he seems to see them every other issue, and he has wax figures of his own in his Fortress of Solitude, why is he still crying about it?


Now it starts to get really weird. Smith has Superman perform all sorts of feats (remember, this is just to sell property). One of his feats involves creating diamonds from coals, which will be destroyed shortly thereafter. There is then a reenactment of Krypton's destruction, which seems a little odd considering Smith wants people to move to a replica. A fake planet explodes, which means Superman needs to save the crowd from falling debris.


Shortly after that a rocket with a baby is launched. Turns out it was a lead baby full of the diamonds that were never destroyed. Smith asks Superman for an autograph and he recognizes, using his "super-memory," Smith's fingerprints. He is quickly attacked with Kryptonite, but he is able to escape using a flag and some wind (seriously). He then rushes off to arrest Smith and his cronies. The next day he carries a branch of the Metropolis Real Estate Co to the island so that the people who already bought into the community will not be cheated. The community is then renamed Kryptonopolis. Neat!


Let's think about many of the richest people in the world today...how did most of them make their money? Was it diamonds? No! It was real estate. "Swindler" Smith is an idiot!


Anyway, it could be worse, at least our housing crisis was caused by greedy mortgage brokers and spurred on by silly legislation allowing for, and in fact forcing, stupid loans, and not some maniac who thinks he can make more money from diamonds than from real estate.


Also, it could be worse, we could be living in a world with an egomanical super hero with a God complex and who spends more times visiting celebrations and orphanage and trying to keep people from discovering his secret identity rather than actually helping those in need. That would just give us false hope!

It Could Be Worse Week: At the Movies

All this week, after the stock market crash, and all of the other bad economic news, we are going to be celebrating "It Could Be Worse Week." A look back at why we have things better through the lens of pop culture. First up movies:

The Love Guru
Yes, we watched the Love Guru this weekend. You see, I have like Mike Myers since SNL, and I have seen most of his movies since. I really enjoyed Wayne's World, So I Married an Axe Murderer, the first Austin Powers and the Shrek films. By 2002, the third Austin Powers movie started to feel tired.

So, we were hoping to capture some of the economic excitement of the late nineties by checking out a Mike Myers movie, The Love Guru. It is a quintessential Myers film. Goofy and stupid with lots of silly jokes. The only difference is Myers doesn't play a lot of different characters, only one. There are a lot of cameos, with numerous celebrites showing up to see the Guru Pitka.

I honestly don't have a lot to say about this movie. It was okay, not great. It was a relatively enjoyable 90 minutes. The issue is, Mike Myers is really no longer relevant in the world of comedy. His material was great 10 years ago, but now it is just okay. People have moved on to the world of Judd Apatow and "realistic" style comedies. Myers' goofiness just feels outdated. If you like his older movies, you will probably get a chuckle out of this, but don't expect it to feel relevant. Comedy really has come a long way in ten short years.

So, it could be worse, we could be stuck watching Mike Myers movies instead of the great comedies we have in theaters and on TV.

The Miracle of the White Stallions
This movie is all about the Spanish Riding School (in Vienna) and their famous "dancing" horse breed, the Lipizzaners during World War II. This is a 1963 Disney film, and we got it because of Mrs Titan's love of horses. The film follows the director of the school, Colonel Podhajsky, as he evacuates the horses and tries to keep them safe during the war.

The film is well acted, even by the horses, and the whole thing was done with the permission and support of the Spanish Riding School. Part of the film was shot at the school and the actual horses from the school were used in the film. It was great to see the actual location where these events occurred. Podhajsky escapes to the country side with his stallions, but the mares were relocated across the line of demarcation, to Czechoslovakia. The climax of the movie comes when he must work with the Americans to try to recover his mares. Does he do it?

This movie is fast-paced, exciting, historically relevant, and very interesting. It is worth checking out for anyone who likes war movies, horses, dressage, or just a good movie. Check it out!

It could be worse, we could be trying to ezcape from the Nazi, American, and Russian armies with over 200 horses, representing a historic riding school.

Halloween is Coming Part 2!

Hey everyone! Here are some more costumes that I am sure you will wan to spend your money on for this Halloween!

Don't you want your dog dressed up as a sex slave from a famous science fiction series? I know I do!

You know, this guys actually looks a lot like the Joker! Look at his smug little smile. He doesn't care about anyone or anything, except chaos! It makes me want to put a wig on my dog!

Here's the same dog in a costume that makes him look cool and adventurous. I like the little arms, although every dog I know would spend most of Halloween just sitting there chewing his arms off!

A Playboy Dog! Eww. Just...eww.

Mail Order Awesomeness!

Well, I finally got around to reading the second volume of Mail Order Ninja by Joshua Elder, Timmy Strikes Back. I don't know why I waited so long (that's not true...I do). The point is, it was great. It was a lot of of fun, much like Volume 1. This story picks up right after the first book, with Timmy living large and ruling the school with the help of his new ninja friend, Jiro.

Timmy's archenemy, Felicity, gets her own ninja, Nobunaga, and gets her hands on a magical statue that gives her amazing powers and turns her into a giant Venom-like monster. The book then jumps ahead a month and turns revolutionary tale, where the kinds fight back against Queen Felicity aka Big Sister.

This comic/graphic novel/manga has everything, disco ninja dancing, MC Nösblëd (aka "Sickest DJ in the midwest" whose "Preferred method of kickin' it" is "old school"), explosive shurikens, a flashback featuring the "Shinobi Academy Science Fair," "Mind Controlling Nutrient Paste," a CNA (certified ninja accountant), a secret underground resistence meeting, an authentic confederate cannon loaded with dirty underwear, kids with grenades, at least three pretty massive and awesome battles, and Timmy's first kiss! Plus, an awesome meta-joke about Tokyo Pop!

So, as you can see, there really is nothing I need to add. You need to pick up this book! It is cheap, only $5.99 and it is a ton of fun! This is something you can buy for your kids (ages 8 and up) and then steal it from them to read it first! It's fun for the whole family.

And a there is a preview of Volume 3, titled Ninjaz in Da Hood! Hip Hop Ninjas! Rapping Ninjas! The return of MC Nösblëd! I can't wait.

Amazing TV!

I'm feeling a little under the weather today, but I want to say just a little bit about my favorite competitive reality show.

The Amazing Race is consistently one of the best shows on TV. If you haven't seen it, there are 11 teams of two people with a previous relationship, who race from one point to another trying to beat the other teams. The last player to the pit stop will have to leave the show.

The pairings often seem to be done to create tension and drama. This season features a newly dating couple with a super-overbearing guy, a long-distance dating couple, and a long-term married couple trying to get over the devastation of a cheating husband. All engineered to be exciting and dramatic. My favorite couples to watch, however, are the ones who work really well together. Altough, I guess we need bad guys to root against.

Each leg of the race has different challenges that the teams muct get through. On one challenge per leg they get to choose. Often between brains or brute strength. On another, one member has to face the challenge alone. These choices are often the source of fighting on the show and Mrs Titan and I always try to figure out what we would do if we were on the show.

I also love the show because we get to see all kinds of unique places in the world. It is always fun to see how other people live and how Americans react to it. It is great to see these other cultures and many of the challenges focus on some cultural aspect of the places the teams visit.

My only complaint with the show is that the episodes are too short. I would love to see two hour episodes, so they could focus a little more on the locations, and not just on the infighting. This would be especially helpful in early episodes where we have 22 people who we have never seen running around. It is hard to really get a feel for many of the earlier castoffs. UPDATE: Okay, seaching the CBS website I found Phil's Video Diaries. Check them out for some of exactly what I was talking about. (And see Phil Keoghan get whooped by a girl!) Check this show out! You can also rent past seasons on Netflix!

Showcase Presents Superman: Part 10

This is the ninth of numerous posts on Showcase Presents: Superman. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the stories.Now, this won't be like most comic blogs with scanned pictures posted throughout. Mostly because I don't have a scanner, but the stories should speak for themselves, but also because I want to go through the whole book in the next few weeks, and I want non-comics readers to enjoy the kookiness that us comics readers understand from the Silver Age. While I may mock these stories, I am not making anything up, this is all straight from the comics! While I may mock, I love these stories and the character of Superman. This is great stuff! The cover scans are from the Grand Comic Book Database.

Superman #125

"Superman's New Power"

Long Story Short: "The Man of Steel gets himself another power."

This story starts, as most do, in the offices of the Daily Planet, where Clark Kent spots some "disturbances deep down in the bedrock." He flies to the core of the planet to repair some damage and on his way out he spots a "midget space ship." He touches it and it explodes.

Later Superman chases down a car full of fleeing crooks. They bash right though him, and he learns that he no longer has super strength, but he does have his invulnerability, so he is fine (you were all holding your breath, right?). His fingers then shoot rays at the car, and the crooks immediately give up. So, what was his new power? That's a mystery!

It turns our, he has lost all of his powers except the ability to fly...and his new power. The next panel reveals the mystery. He can create a miniature version of himself. What?! Yeah, that's it, that's his new, fancy power. The rest of the story consists of Superman shooting a tiny Superman out of his hands to solve the world's problems. At the end of the story the tiny Superman sacrifices himself on some falling Kryptonite and Superman gets all of his old powers back.

This may be one of the weirdest Superman stories ever. Out of all the "new" powers that Superman could have been given, a tiny double is just really bizarre. It was a fun read, but I'm pretty sure my mind has been blown. I think this may be the weirdest story in this Showcase, but I'm sure we will have plenty more when I get to Showcase Presents: Superman Family!

Religous Movie Mondays

This weekend Mrs Titan and I watched a duo of religious movies that had almost nothing to do with each other and weren't really all that religious.

Luther

This five year old movie stars Ralph Fiennes as Martin Luther, the founder of the Reformation. I vaguely remembered the story from tenth grade history, and the movie seemed fairly historically accurate. It was great to see Rome in the Middle Ages, as a place where you could pay for your salvation, and the salvation of loved ones with cash. I have no idea how accurate those scenes were, but it seems like there would have been rebelling priests before Luther if it were as bad as all that. But, I guess he just had the courage and/or naivete to stand up to the church.

I think the think that struck me the most was all the violence in the wake of the Reformation. I don't remember the story being so violent in history class. It makes sense though. I really enjoyed the acting, although some of the characters were hard to understand, because they were German actors speaking in English. I will also say that after the 95 Theses were nailed to the door (about 45 minutes in) the movie slowed down and could get a little boring. Overall it was not a bad film, and quite an interesting historical piece. Check it out!

The Protocols of Zion

Shortly after 9/11 America and the world saw a rise in anti-Semitism. Marc Levin decided to investigate the reasons, and made a documentary of his discoveries. One of the most important documents leading to modern anti-Semitism is The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a forged document which purports to be the minutes of a meeting of all the top Jews in the world discussing how they plan to take over the world. It has been proven a fraudulent document published in Russia in the early 1900s to stir up hatred of Jews.

Levin finds that many people in the US still publish, read, and believe in the Protocols. These people are able to see "proof" of this hateful document in all kinds of world and business events. They are deluded and filled with hate. Over the course of the film Levin visits a New York newsstand, a mosque, rabbis, the headquarters of a white power organization, the premier of The Passion of the Christ, a prison, a white power broadcaster, an evangelical church, and even a Palestinian rally.

People are surprisingly open with him, telling him they hate him and his people. It's a scary thing, and he had to be quite brave to go to these places and admit to being a Jew. The prisoners and the evangelicals actually seemed to be the most educated of the people he meets. They make the most sense when it comes to their beliefs and they tended to be the most open to him and what he had to say.

I wish the movie was a little more structured, as it wasn't always easy to follow and assumed a pretty broad knowledge of history and religion going into the film. What I ultimately came away with is that the world is a scary place. Hate is easy to breed and propagate and people will grasp onto anything, including a hundred year old piece of debunked propaganda just to validate that hate. It is scary what some people believe and that they will ignore facts placed before them for a foundation of hate. I think this is a movie that every American should see, so we can truly understand the state of our country and the world.

Halloween is Coming!

Well, it's the first Friday in October, so I figured we could check out some Halloween costumes that you might be seeing around this year. Here we go:

This is supposed to be Isabella I of Castile. Did this historic queen from the late thirteenth century become famous and I missed it?





















Here is little Napoleon, so your little (aka short) boy can pretend to be a empire building dictator with a...well a Napoleon complex. Fun!





















Now, anyone who has ever searched for Halloween costumes knows that the majority of costumes for women only come in the "sexy" style. Here is the most disturbing of them. A "Sexy" Sponge Bob "costume." Who would wear this?!


















Here is another that just makes no sense to me. It's called a "shocker." Am I missing something? What is a shocker? Does this mean something dirty? I bet it does! If anyone knows leave a comment as cleanly as you can.



















Here's another women's costume that is a little weird. The "Supa Pimp Mama Plus." You know, so you can slap your gigolo around (Supa Gigolo costume sold separately).




















I think this is worst of all and will definitely give me nightmares. Seriously, this is not for the weak hearted. I am not sure why anyone would wear this and, if they did, expect to have any friends come November 1st. If I ever saw this guy I might just have to punch him square in the jaw. By the way this costume is called "Anita Waxin." Clever.
















This one may be my favorite. How cute is this little chili pepper? I know what I'm forcing my future, hypothetical ,kid to wear! Lots of pictures!






















Here is another one of the guy's costumes. Apparently the "sexy" costumes are becoming the standard for men as well. Although, this seems more pathetic and desperate than sexy. Poor guy. He must have a lonely genie.



















When I was really young I watched the Care Bears. I think most children of the '80s did. I was never one for Halloween, but if I was, I would never have chosen Grumpy Bear. He was such a downer. But check out this kid. He is so happy but his hat is so sad or angry or sarcastic or something. Great stuff!

















This is the cutest costume ever! The Lil' Stinker. Ha! Here is hypothetical kid's costume at age 2! By the way, I think the costume must come with its own stink smells 'cause look at that kid's face. Pew!



















All of these pictures are from BuyCostumes.com, the web's most popular costume store! Check them out and watch out for the sexy SpongeBob on Halloween!

Showcase Presents Superman: Part 9

Okay, first I have to say, sorry for the lack of a Superman post yesterday. Have you ever felt like the week was dragging on and you thought it was Thursday when it was really Wednesday? Yeah, exactly. Long week. Oh well, here goes!

This is the ninth of numerous posts on Showcase Presents: Superman. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the stories.Now, this won't be like most comic blogs with scanned pictures posted throughout. Mostly because I don't have a scanner, but the stories should speak for themselves, but also because I want to go through the whole book in the next few weeks, and I want non-comics readers to enjoy the kookiness that us comics readers understand from the Silver Age. While I may mock these stories, I am not making anything up, this is all straight from the comics! While I may mock, I love these stories and the character of Superman. This is great stuff! The cover scans are from the Grand Comic Book Database.

Superman #125

"Clark Kent's College Days"

Long Story Short: "One of the earliest Superboy stories."

This is the second of three stories in Superman #125. It begins with Clark getting an invitation to his college class reunion. He graduates from high school and immediately ships off to Metropolis U where he is mocked by the upper classmen for being weak and wearing glasses.

He snaps an oar on the rowing team, and has to blow out a light switch so he can escape his dorm room and put out a burring car. It reminds me of my college dorm, only we had burning couches outside the dorms and everyone would have been too drunk to realize I was Superman.

Clark is then in a class where he sees his professors newest invention. A steam powered robot! It developed a crack in class so Clark repairs it with heat vision. The prof notices and decides Superboy is in his class and needs to be "trapped."

The first test is a lie detector. Every student (I guess they are all boys) gets tested, but the bell rings right before the last student, Clark of course, can be tested. Randomly, he is then distracted, and nearly collides with a plane. So much for super concentration.

The prof then decides to drop two cannonballs off of a replica Tower of Pisa. He decides to fill one of them with explosives(!) to get Clark to use his X-Ray vision. Instead he flies off to dig holes for the balls to fall into. How he wasn't seen I have no idea. Luckily no one was killed!

Next, while Clark is cheering on the cheerleading squad (made up entirely of men!) he accidentally jumps too high (again with the super concentration). The prof is using his binoculors and would be able to spot him if not for the cannon smoke. So, he uses his super-speed to gather up a bunch of helium balloons to pretend he floated up there with helium. No, I have no idea why he wouldn't just use his super-speed to land! Wouldn't his chemistry professor realize that fourteen small helium balloons could not hold a full grown man aloft?

Finally, the prof takes Clark to a cave and corners him with kryptonite. He is able to stab the wall with his fingers discretely and releases some kind of gas that slowly poisons his prof and class. Well, not really, it just puts them to sleep. He is then able to rescure them all as Superboy. At the very end the prof is finally able to run his lie detector test on Clark. He passes on the question of "Are you Superboy?" Why? Because he is no longer Superboy, he is now Superman! *sniff* How sweet!

The Curse of Chalion

About a month ago my mom forced a book on me and said "This has to be the next book you read." Well, I was using a system (obviously) to pick my next book from my huge shelf of unread books after each one I finished and I tried to explain this to her. She told me to quit being silly and to just read this one next. It was Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion. I decided I better do it lest Mrs Titan and I be uninvited to Thanksgiving dinner.

I had never heard of Lois McMaster Bujold before this, but she is a science fiction and fantasy author who has won four Hugo awards for best novel (a Hugo is the most prestigious scifi book award there is). Well, I'm glad that mom forced me to read this, because it really was a fantastic book.

The Curse of Chalion is the first of Bujold's books set in this particular fantasy world. This isn't your standard fantasy world with elves and goblins and whatnot. There are only humans, and there is no magic (unless you count the acts of the gods). The world is fully realized, with its own hierarchies and political structures. The story of the curse of Chalion is all about these courtly politics, but it is a lot of fun.

We focus on the main character, Cazaril, who has just been released from slavery and is making his way back to his homeland. He winds up in a minor province where he earns himself a position as the secretary/teacher of the sister of the heir of a major nation. She the heads to the capital where the entire cast of characters get caught up in all kids of intrigue and adventure.

One of my favorite aspects of Bujold's writing is that the characters actually follow the rules of the world they live in. This sounds obvious, but so often in fantasy and scifi novels, characters act with values and characteristics of modern Americans. Bujold's characters are realistic, believable, and act as if they were raised and live in this world and even though we may not agree with everything they do, we understand them and understand why. It is refreshing.

There is not a ton of action, which is not a bad thing at all, the book was easy to read and felt very fast paced. Some of the theological discussions went a little over my head, but this did not take me out of the story at all. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, whether they llike fantasy novels or not. I look forward to reading the rest of the Chalion books and more of Bujold's writing.

There mom, I finished it. Now can we come to Thanksgiving dinner?