tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66260522357032203632024-03-05T05:13:56.839-08:00Grim Lantern!Grim Lanternhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06581183453169609237noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6626052235703220363.post-64090643759981624082011-03-13T18:22:00.000-07:002011-03-13T18:24:05.477-07:00Saving the Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPEli0XynZmZ-g9OeXU7KAkfsXNotl3dd-e0bjfMhX8ovTTR5BjfwaKz5FLOgrDP44_oZU86uS5QI9KeJYQ-gZACiqOYhq-1uVvx_y7C-S4Cl-wElx4QWs3qaliky2adVaAJHwGrzUNY/s1600/Capt+Difference+Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPEli0XynZmZ-g9OeXU7KAkfsXNotl3dd-e0bjfMhX8ovTTR5BjfwaKz5FLOgrDP44_oZU86uS5QI9KeJYQ-gZACiqOYhq-1uVvx_y7C-S4Cl-wElx4QWs3qaliky2adVaAJHwGrzUNY/s320/Capt+Difference+Small.jpg" width="230" /></span></a></div><span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: background1;">What if you were a superhero?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would your power be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would you fly like Shazam or be invisible like the Invisible Woman? Would you control ice like the Iceman or fire like the Human Torch?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: background1;">Truth is most of us would choose something that would benefit ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly I think we would far more likely use our stretching powers to grab a soda from the fridge without leaving the couch, rather than patrol the city looking to capture Captain Bedbug.</span><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: background1;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: background1;">Still there is a chance to be a hero, to make a difference in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you know Japan has suffered a terrible earthquake and subsequent tsunami.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Friday the numbers of victims numbered in the dozens, then hundreds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By Saturday the numbers were counted in the thousands and as I write this on Sunday evening, the victims have been projected to be in the tens of thousands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without power, without heat, without fresh drinking water and without hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can change that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can make a difference.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: background1;">Below are the links and numbers of some international relief agencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can't donate money, please see if you can donate time or blankets.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-themecolor: background1;">Your super power can be caring for your fellow human beings.</span></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;">To Help Online</span></b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"></span></div><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"><a href="http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main" target="new"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">American Red Cross</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"><a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/13/apple-now-accepts-donations-to-red-cross-japan-relief-fund-via-i/"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">Apple iTunes</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"><a href="https://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1967" target="new"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">International Medical Corps' Emergency Response Fund</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"><a href="https://secure20.salvationarmy.org/donation.jsp" target="new"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">The Salvation Army</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"><a href="http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/" target="new"><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;">GlobalGiving's Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund</span></a> </span><br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;">To Help From Your Phone</span></b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"></span></div><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;">Donations to the American Red Cross can be made from your phone by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999 for $10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The donation will be included as part of your cellular phone bill.</span><br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;">By Mail</span></b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;"></span></div><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;">Check donations for The Salvation Army's Japan efforts must be marked "Japan earthquake relief" and sent to:</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: background1;">The Salvation Army<br />
P.O. Box 1959<br />
Atlanta, GA<br />
30301-0959</span>Grim Lanternhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06581183453169609237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6626052235703220363.post-73002301817300433232011-03-11T22:53:00.000-08:002011-03-12T13:36:19.802-08:00Cookies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVImn0-d0N3P69oTyzB-eDNipzD4gTSDkXQITDCjyR-h24eZBzaZSVD2mJgJbOtasVUzYDiNjneoOn3uc-JCgc_saFFc_62u5aDR9SLbF9B-4VkEZPXR0RVj01mI0vqEeIxpUgmfRm9o/s1600/GL+Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVImn0-d0N3P69oTyzB-eDNipzD4gTSDkXQITDCjyR-h24eZBzaZSVD2mJgJbOtasVUzYDiNjneoOn3uc-JCgc_saFFc_62u5aDR9SLbF9B-4VkEZPXR0RVj01mI0vqEeIxpUgmfRm9o/s320/GL+Cookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Some cookies I baked a week ago. I was testing out a recipe for a cream cheese frosting but didn't want to go thru an entire cake process. The cookies in the background are chocolate chip & walnut, while the cookies with the logo are a devil's food cookie. I think that's the real reason Hal showed up on my doorstep.<br />
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Yum!Grim Lanternhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06581183453169609237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6626052235703220363.post-60439196546009230452011-03-11T22:48:00.000-08:002011-03-11T22:54:20.904-08:00A New Lantern!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWImQJKI1VxPHTDV4bKHT3XK-Bj2Odf0_B8ob8pLt7OAY4-Jd4UAKE5D794vw2rOT8alOADtwH1sd7izonWd2aQ9jPQeKcpoNnp7s8eqEOw-NOWG7I0Y4eFLoBHOWr1Ut8HtvkZbTaq4Q/s1600/Hal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWImQJKI1VxPHTDV4bKHT3XK-Bj2Odf0_B8ob8pLt7OAY4-Jd4UAKE5D794vw2rOT8alOADtwH1sd7izonWd2aQ9jPQeKcpoNnp7s8eqEOw-NOWG7I0Y4eFLoBHOWr1Ut8HtvkZbTaq4Q/s320/Hal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Meet Hal, the newest Grim Lantern for Sector 2814, otherwise known as my Nerd Lair. Hal likes Rockster & Monster energy drinks, claiming his battery "Works like crap". I think it's a WiFi issue. His ring probably uses T-Mobile.<br />
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Expect some blogging from Hal in the future, he seems to have a lot of spare time.<br />
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I wonder what that's like?Grim Lanternhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06581183453169609237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6626052235703220363.post-65745128489666964372010-12-28T20:25:00.000-08:002010-12-28T20:32:27.040-08:00Respecting Sci-Fi Fans<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IYXBWKJa0EhcxG6xu5oLiMnJr4eXJ29BHvqM-UGk_4IVYoxuY43duNCRZyRq_5ksX_aniv2mI7ObFlAhxictzYHU26SlP5zweg9BkLwK9smzkD4y5hyphenhyphenOdu8JD_KmYT07-3UsX75kNYM/s1600/DeathofCaptainMarvel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IYXBWKJa0EhcxG6xu5oLiMnJr4eXJ29BHvqM-UGk_4IVYoxuY43duNCRZyRq_5ksX_aniv2mI7ObFlAhxictzYHU26SlP5zweg9BkLwK9smzkD4y5hyphenhyphenOdu8JD_KmYT07-3UsX75kNYM/s320/DeathofCaptainMarvel.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">They're killing Spiderman.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">When I was young and an avid comic reader, this would have sent seismic shockwaves throughout the comic world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today it's a shrug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, it's not really Spiderman since it's an alternate universe character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm told one of the Fantastic Four is in the crosshairs soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, shrug.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Why the ambivalence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because let's face it, they've killed Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Captain America, Phoenix and every other X-Man at least once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They've all returned in preplanned fashion leaving the reader feeling used and duped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me when I say nerds and geeks have long memories when it comes to science fiction abuse.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Case in point: The first comic I ever read was Captain Marvel; no not the Big Red Cheese aka "Shazam" but the Marvel Comics version.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all respect to Green Lantern, the Kree Captain Mar-Vell was my first and ever my favorite comic character. I followed his exploits faithfully each month... until they killed him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they did so brilliantly. Not with an explosion, not sacrificing himself for the sake of the universe but facing his own mortality in the form of cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each page was human, touching, heartbreaking and inspiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decades later it's still my personal gold standard of great writing and the journey following a character's arc to completion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's the only comic I've still kept.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">In the television medium, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Joss Whedon is a master at character death; he gets it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cultivating an attachment for a character takes time; both the writer and viewer have to have to find something in that creation that speaks to them on a personal level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once that attachment is formed, then you can move to the next step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch the Buffy episode "the Body."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drawing from his own experiences, Whedon manipulates every emotion and meticulously crushes the viewer with the loss of Joyce Summers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We the viewers cared about the character and actually mourn her loss.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Stargate SG-1 has similar flashes of greatness in the episode "Heroes" where Dr. Frasier is killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It rocked the series and changed the course of the franchise. Stargate Atlantis followed suit with a touching and meaningful <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>demise of Dr. Beckett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both were established characters embraced by fans and ultimately their ends were for effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While both Dr.'s came back for singular appearances, the episodes were more or less for the fans to say goodbye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well done. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Although it makes one wonder if Stargate physicians aren't the Red Shirts of the series)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">As much as I love Star Trek, the writers have irritated me to no end with throwaway fatalities such as Trip, Data and to some extent Spock. (While both Data and Spock died in spectacular fashions, memory transfers lessened the impact and thus the meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'll forgive Spock somewhat; lizard poisons Spock, after all.) Trip however will remain a source of being "cheesed off". Forever. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">A character's death should be a gut punch; it should leave the viewer feeling breathless with a sense of genuine loss, not wondering how the writers will bring the character back. As a writer if you end a character to sell a few extra issues or increase viewership for a week, you've not only done the series a disservice but the fans as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">We're your audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Treat us with respect... and we'll keep coming back for more.</span></div>Grim Lanternhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06581183453169609237noreply@blogger.com2