tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54778462012-01-10T02:37:28.938-05:00Loren Collins' Questions, Comments, and Snide Remarks.Lorennoreply@blogger.comBlogger2211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1123351959436365272005-08-06T13:55:00.000-04:002005-08-06T14:12:39.443-04:00

Unusually, within days of DC announcing that JSA #76 would be a 'Day of Vengeance' crossover, it shows up with an 'OMAC Project' crossover logo on the cover. Some have said that the crossover elements here weren't that intrusive. I disagree.The OMAC tie-in comes in the form of a fight scene between a blue OMAC robot-thing and a handful of JSA members. Fortunately I have a general idea of what

Lorennoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1123042361704914622005-08-03T00:10:00.000-04:002005-08-03T12:10:24.420-04:00

Despite the hype, and despite my general fondness for a lot of DC's crossovers during the last decade (even Zero Hour), I'm just not into "Infinite Crisis." I didn't buy Identity Crisis, the only tie-in minis I even tried were OMAC (for which I tried the first issue at 75 cents, but didn't feel like reading further) and Villains United (which I continue buying, even though I'm not digging it

Lorennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1121817915559526672005-07-19T19:35:00.000-04:002005-07-19T20:34:27.586-04:00

Walt Disney was supposedly opposed to making sequels to his animated movies, other than his original plans for Fantasia, that is. And none were made during his lifetime. But starting with The Rescuers Down Under in 1990, and really picking up steam with the direct-to-video Return of Jafar in 1994, Disney has turned incredibly sequel-friendly. Sometimes it seems that they are leaving no

Lorennoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1120670012353717972005-07-06T13:12:00.000-04:002005-07-07T11:46:49.760-04:00

One of the hot-button topics of Hudlin's series has been the Captain America/Black Panther fight that was related in #1. It's a very well-drawn two-page spread by JRJR, but it has caused a lot of consernation among fans.Way back during the "DC vs. Marvel" crossover, fans were asked who should win in a fight between Cap and Batman. That was when I was first exposed to the (apparently commonplace

Lorennoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1120232102790426622005-07-01T11:10:00.000-04:002005-07-01T11:35:02.840-04:00

It's July 1st, which is the perfect time to do my mid-year analysis of my comic buying habits. Starting in 2004, I've kept an Excel file of all my comic purchases. Last year I spent a total of $697 over the whole year on comics. At this point in 2004, I'd spent a little over $300.This year, my comics budget has increased. Between January and June, I dropped $452.70 on comics, an average of

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1119898218705335672005-06-27T14:49:00.000-04:002005-06-27T14:50:18.713-04:00

John Ostrander's The Spectre was one of the better series of the 1990s. He took a character traditionally so powerful that other writers had struggled, and managed to weave a fascinating tale of evil and morality.So it irritates me to see how the Spectre is treated in the Days of Vengeance mini-series. I'll let writer Bill Willingham explain: "Since the new Eclipso is a female now, she

Lorennoreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1119653536573774822005-06-24T18:33:00.000-04:002005-06-26T10:43:34.533-04:00

One of the most powerful moments in Batman Begins was the murder of the Waynes. After two shots, young Bruce is left standing over his parents' bodies in an otherwise empty alleyway. Nolan captured the atmosphere and pain of the scene perfectly, closing with the suddenly-orphaned Bruce standing alone, no police or passersby spontaneously rushing to his side. His loneliness is palpable, and I

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1119587741526153542005-06-23T23:52:00.000-04:002005-06-24T10:43:58.323-04:00

The story of how T'Chaka, the father of T'Challa and the previous king of Wakanda, died was first told in Fantastic Four #53. T'Challa relayed the story to the visting superheroes (with the Thing responding unusually insensitively; "I can recite ya half'a the 'Bomba the Jungle Boy' books by heart! So yer little bedtime story ain't impressin' me!').As originally told, Ulysses Klaw was a greedy

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1119143046153996722005-06-19T20:15:00.000-04:002005-06-19T20:09:41.033-04:00

I've been a fairly vocal critic of Reginald Hudlin's new Black Panther series, for various reasons. The one particular complaint that has perhaps garnered the strongest reaction from fans is the book's somewhat loose approach to continuity and the character's history.For those of you unaware of what's taking place in the new series, Hudlin has basically rewritten the Black Panther origin story,

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1117413597266026622005-05-29T20:21:00.000-04:002005-05-29T20:39:57.290-04:00

The Internet is ablaze with talk of the Indiana judge who issued a divorce decree barring the couple from teaching their son Wicca. I'd go so far as to say there's too much distressing going on, since the judge is so clearly wrong and has justly been criticized from all sides. It's a decision that can only last until it's heard on appeal.But one interesting side-effect of the story is that the

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1116769352924396842005-05-22T09:17:00.000-04:002005-05-22T09:42:32.960-04:00

The Batman: "Riddled" - The Riddler is probably my favorite Batman villain. And this is not a series I've found myself generally fond of. Yet this episode was surprisingly good, arguably better than the first two BTAS Riddler episodes (although not approaching the Ty Templeton stories).Now the Riddler himself...I hate the design. HATE IT. Robert Englund actually turns a rather good

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1116711777605870472005-05-21T17:22:00.000-04:002005-05-21T17:42:57.613-04:00

ABC premiered The Muppets Wonderful Wizard of Oz last night. It's the first full-scale Muppet production since NBC's Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and the direct-to-video Kermit's Swamp Years, both of which came out in 2002. The new movie is certainly better than the latter, but differences in type make it hard to evaluate against the former. Their respective strengths and weaknesses more

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1116710526763955912005-05-21T17:18:00.000-04:002005-05-21T17:22:06.770-04:00

I've wrapped up my reviews of Manhunter's trial of the Shadow Thief over at Suspension of Disbelief. Nothing new from the latest issue to cover, but rather a look back at the finished arc.I wonder what the next trial story in the series will be? Maxwell Lord? Jean Loring? Something spinning out of Infinite Crisis? Or maybe Kate will get to prosecute the Manhunter killer.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1115916788574858692005-05-12T12:31:00.000-04:002005-05-12T12:53:08.596-04:00

Leading up to Sunday's episode of The Simpsons, the commercials proclaimed "Guest-starring American Idol's Fantasia Barrino!" The promo blurb said the same: "Lisa...panics when another contestant (Fantasia Barrino) outperforms her." They promoted this guest appearance almost as much as Ray Romano's the week before, and that was the 350th episode.So what did Fantasia do? Her character appeared

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1115750029644474042005-05-10T14:05:00.000-04:002005-05-10T14:41:52.860-04:00

Perhaps I just like a good beat, but Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl" is catchy. But I hate, HATE, the song. As remakes and remixes go, this one must rank pretty high on the list of covers that miss the point of the original."If I Were a Rich Man" is perhaps the best-known song from Fiddler on the Roof. It is a poor man's dream of wealth, full of desires of leisure, with a little silly extravagance

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1115653180492753452005-05-09T11:34:00.000-04:002005-05-30T12:31:15.360-04:00

I've been rereading Priest's "Black Panther" series recently, and when I reached the last year of the title (when the main character became NYC cop Kasper Cole instead of T'Challa), I noticed something about the covers. Something that made "Ultimate Spider-Man"s covers look innovative by comparison: Eleven issues, and every single one is a pin-up featuring the Black Panther posing with

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1113533717516342072005-04-14T22:44:00.000-04:002005-04-14T22:55:17.516-04:00

Various thoughts on Previews:ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #1 - Everyone else'll be buying it, so I might as well.ABSOLUTE BATMAN: HUSH OVERSIZED HC - I have no interest in this, but it gives me hope that we'll eventually see a New Frontier Absolute Edition.GOTHAM CENTRAL #32 - I'm gonna miss Brubaker.SUPERMAN books - Only three months in, and already a big crossover. It seems that

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1113349339271810502005-04-12T19:34:00.000-04:002005-04-12T19:42:19.273-04:00

A short play, adapted from Monday's 24 episode:CAMPER: “There are headlights coming right toward me.”JACK: “That’s because there’s a tracker in the briefcase. It’s hidden, and designed not to be found.”CAMPER: “So what am I supposed to do?”JACK: “Do you have a compass?”CAMPER: “Yeah.”JACK: “Run it over the briefcase and you’ll find the tracker.”CAMPER: “I thought you said it was designed not to

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1113261662001810062005-04-11T19:14:00.000-04:002005-04-11T19:21:02.003-04:00

It looks like neither one will appear again in their respective series, but last week gave viewers an interesting casting coincidence.On The West Wing, Ed O'Neill guest-starred as a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for President.On 24, Geoff Pierson gave what was likely his last performance as President John Keeler.Thus, in the same week, the dads from both Married...With Children

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1112676669329317432005-04-05T00:31:00.000-04:002005-04-05T00:51:09.330-04:00

Here's my comic pull list as it stands now. As for the status of the books on it:Akiko - Hasn't had a new issue in a year.Astro City - "The Dark Age" starts in a few months.The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty - Just shipped its final issue.Captain America and the Falcon - One more issue and it's over.Ex Machina The Flash Gotham Central - I wonder if Brubaker leaving will harm sales.JLA - Dropping this

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1112052770650326532005-03-28T18:30:00.000-05:002005-03-28T18:32:50.653-05:00

I've got a new post up at Suspension of Disbelief, my first lengthy analysis of something other than the law. This time, it's a look at the astronomy presented in Mark Waid's Superman: Birthright.Check it out.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1111646898834243662005-03-24T01:31:00.000-05:002005-03-24T01:48:18.836-05:00

Here's another observation from the ICv2 listings for February. Starting from around #200 and going up, these are the DCU titles and their statuses.#182 Bloodhound (Cancelled)#170 Monolith (Cancelled)#154 Richard Dragon (Cancelled)#140 Breach (second issue)#132 Manhunter#115 Gotham Central#113 Doom PatrolMeanwhile, the lowest Marvel Universe ongoing is at #111, the last issue of the cancelled

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1111645660790963452005-03-24T01:10:00.000-05:002005-03-24T01:27:40.790-05:00

Marvel's press junket shifted into overdrive to promote the new Black Panther series, hyping the first issue and then further hyping that issue selling out. Regular newspapers (like my local Atlanta Journal-Constitution) ran substantial articles about this hit new series, and how it was flying off the stands. You'd think that a black comic character had never sold so well.Now the ICv2 rankings

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1111355214946491082005-03-20T16:15:00.000-05:002005-03-20T16:46:54.950-05:00

A look inside the minds of the folks at Columbia Pictures:"Remakes are big. Alfie, The Ladykillers, The Manchurian Candidate...""Didn't all of those underperform at the box office?""Well, yes. But that's not important. Remakes can get press coverage that original films can't, and they attract audiences based on familiarity alone. From a marketing standpoint, they're great.""So what did you

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1109783813299290332005-03-02T11:37:00.000-05:002005-03-02T12:16:53.303-05:00

I've had one buying experience with the online WizardUniverse store. I'll never make that mistake again.Back on New Year's, I learned that Wizard was selling a set of the new Muppets Series 9 figures from Palisades for $20. An amazing deal. So I ordered that plus an older Muppet figure and a copy of The Escapist #1 (which was on sale for $1).Then I waited. A toy order I made at another

Lorennoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1109483045537983652005-02-27T00:26:00.000-05:002005-02-27T00:44:05.540-05:00

I posted an obscenely long legal review of Manhunter #7 over at Suspension of Disbelief. When I started, I expected it to be relatively short, like silogamsam's review I linked to: Kate's tactics were bad, and there was a significant objectionable question. Nothing big jumped out at me at first, like having the prosecutor call the defendant as a witness.But as I started writing my thoughts

Lorennoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1109170714533032652005-02-23T09:49:00.000-05:002005-02-23T09:58:34.533-05:00

The last of my auctions ended last night. Overall, I made about $550. My "Ultimate Spider-Man" issues accounted for almost half of that. My massive JLA lot, on the other hand, went for a lot less than I'd expected. I have so many theories on what I could have done differently there, but it got over 100 hits and only 3 bids, so maybe the interest wasn't there.Some items didn't sell even though

Lorennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1108860123711369842005-02-19T19:38:00.000-05:002005-02-19T19:42:03.713-05:00

Please Buy My Stuff!Lots of auctions ending tomorrow night. Lots more ending Monday night. And since I didn't get everything up on Monday as planned, I expect to list the rest tomorrow night.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1108856575934116102005-02-19T18:30:00.000-05:002005-02-19T18:42:55.936-05:00

I and several other posters from CBR have banded together and founded a group blog, Suspension of Disbelief. As I explain in the first post, the idea is to take a page from Bob Ingersoll's "The Law Is A Ass" column, or Scott's medical reviews at Polite Dissent, and examine the various real-world aspects that arise in comic books.So far we have an excellent analysis of the archery incompetence on

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1108766713744082472005-02-18T17:40:00.000-05:002005-02-18T17:45:13.746-05:00

Newsarama has confirmed that Dark Horse will be releasing a three-issue "Firefly" comic starting in July. Based on the description, it sounds like this is the rumored adaptation of the aborted DTV prequel to the film.I'm a little disappointed they couldn't get John Cassaday on art, but I checked out some of Will Conrad's other work, and it ain't too shabby.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1108705376032279652005-02-18T00:35:00.000-05:002005-02-18T00:42:56.033-05:00

Monday night I posted about 45 more comic auctions at eBay. I would've done more, but I ran out of time. Lots of TPBs, complete mini-series, and a bunch of Bendis and Morrison material.Biggest item: JLA #1-58, plus 22 JLA-related issues. That's the Morrison and Waid runs, as well as the mini-series DC One Million, DC 2000, World Without Grown-Ups, and three JLA Annuals, three Secret Files, and

Lorennoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1108684493112991592005-02-17T18:46:00.000-05:002005-02-17T18:54:53.113-05:00

My copy of "Space Usagi" came in the mail yesterday. I attempted to explain to my mom the high concept of the series.It's about a samurai rabbit...In the distant future...Who (according to the cover) fights dinosaurs...On other planets.The absurdity of the book hadn't struck me until then. I suppose that years of comics just make you immune to the sheer weirdness of the stories you read.On the

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1108396329090960372005-02-14T10:47:00.000-05:002005-02-14T10:52:09.090-05:00

It took me far longer than it ever should have, but I finally posted some eBay auctions that I've been putting off for ages. So far, I only have my Ultimate Spider-Man issues, as well as my runs of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol and Aztek, but more is coming tonight.Check 'em out:Loren's eBay Auctions

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1107763332616027922005-02-07T02:54:00.000-05:002005-02-07T03:02:12.616-05:00

In the course of researching the James Watt quote used by Bill Moyers, I obtained some help from Reverand Austin Miles, whose book the Grist author cited as his source for the quote. I e-mailed Rev. Miles for additional source information, and he replied both swiftly and helpfully. He even replied to my follow-up e-mail. Unfortunately, despite Rev. Miles aid, in a post below I treated him as

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1107570658102779822005-02-04T19:12:00.000-05:002005-02-04T21:30:58.103-05:00

Those who support "saving" Social Security without creating personal accounts, what are perhaps the two most common proposals? Raising the tax rate, or raising the taxable income level. In response to that, here's the short version of my numbers from yesterday. Listed are the OASI tax rate and the maximum income (in 2000 dollars) subject to that tax. 1940 2% $36,900 1960 5.5%

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1107562348408518402005-02-04T18:48:00.000-05:002005-02-07T02:48:49.506-05:00

Brian Carnell and A Little Reason offer a couple more follow-ups on the questionable James Watt quote. Reverand Miles informed me that he recalled the quote from an episode of the PTL Club, which makes it difficult to check. And as pointed out in the above blogs, the media often had field days with Watt's verbal missteps, so its total absence from the public record Perhaps most damning is a

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1107560893022492302005-02-04T18:21:00.000-05:002005-02-04T18:48:13.023-05:00

From today's Vent in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Social Security isn't welfare. It is money my hard-working parents invested for their future, and now King George wants to mess with it -- and mess with their future. The use of "invested" shows that the author doesn't appreciate how Social Security works. The use of "mess with their future" shows that s/he doesn't understand the reforms

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1107475804582278432005-02-03T18:46:00.000-05:002005-02-03T19:51:16.883-05:00

I spent a big chunk of today pulling stats from the Social Security website, and playing with the numbers. I'll be putting together a more professional piece later, but here are some starter stats. In 1940, the OASI tax (combined payroll and employer 'contribution') was 2%. Only the first $3000 was taxed, so the maximum yearly tax burden was $60 ($738 in 2000 dollars). The average monthly

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1107296872501345712005-02-01T17:15:00.000-05:002005-02-01T17:27:52.500-05:00

"After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back." - James Watt, US Secretary of the Interior (1981-83) This quote has been making the rounds of the Internet the last few months garnering a substantial presence on left-wing blogs. If true, it would seem to be a heavy indictment of Mr. Watt, and of certain right-wing Christians. The other day, it showed up in a (rather controversial) Bill

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1103240187236234422004-12-16T18:17:00.000-05:002004-12-16T18:36:27.236-05:00

Pop Quiz: Name as many TV shows as you can that were set in your state. I live in Georgia. Despite being home to Atlanta, a fairly major metropolis and home to the '96 Olympics, I can name less than half a dozen shows that have ever been set here. Designing Women, The Dukes of Hazzard, Matlock, Savannah, and Profiler. According to TV Acres, there have only been 13 network shows set here since

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1103239012743455642004-12-16T18:11:00.000-05:002004-12-16T18:16:52.743-05:00

Todd Zywicki has an excellent post on Social Security and the common misunderstandings (or outright manipulations) of what the program was intended to accomplish. I've made arguments similar to the latter one before, the the first one is new to me. On a related note, Neal Boortz has pointed out the last few days that if Social Security privatization is to stand any chance, it needs advocacy

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1103238649264522262004-12-16T17:59:00.000-05:002004-12-16T18:10:49.263-05:00

About a year ago, the city of Atlanta imposed a 3 am closing time on local bars. This was done in response to the growing amount of late-night violence surrounding the bar scene, and as a non-drinker, non-clubber, the change didn't affect me one whit. Yesterday's newspaper, however, reported that the city is once again attempting to renovate the image of Underground Atlanta, the city-owned

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1102220627498788392004-12-04T22:50:00.000-05:002004-12-04T23:23:47.500-05:00

After the first eight episodes of "The Batman," my opinion of the show hasn't changed much. It's kinetic and well-animated, but I find the voices lacking, the designs sub-par, and the plots full of holes. There have been a number of groaner moments, but no great ones that stick with me. But there's something more substantively wrong with the show, something that goes beyond the mere surface.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1101711169547624022004-11-29T01:21:00.000-05:002004-11-29T01:52:49.546-05:00

Since Bob Ingersoll isn't around to point out legal mistakes in comics anymore, someone's got to take up the slack. This may not be a new issue (I picked the tpb up cheap last week), but it's new to me. After Jack Murdock is murdered, his killers are arrested and charged with the crime. Loeb then writes "But on the day of the bail hearing, suddenly they had a Park Avenue attorney." The

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1101708699826580762004-11-29T01:04:00.000-05:002004-11-29T01:11:39.826-05:00

The 2.5 Gigapixel Photograph If printed at 300 dpi, this photo would be over 20 feet long. Suddenly the satellite imagery in "Alias" doesn't seem that farfetched. (Courtesy of Radley Balko)

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1101164346026449232004-11-22T17:55:00.000-05:002004-11-22T17:59:06.026-05:00

It is November 22, and as all long-time CBRians know, that makes today the time-honored holiday of Sucksgiving. The ancient origins of Sucksgiving are shrouded in mystery, but the date's effects on the events of the past century are unmistakable. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, and that sucked. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, beloved author and theologian C.S.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1101018294761171102004-11-20T22:29:00.000-05:002004-11-21T01:24:54.760-05:00

I had another post typed up, and then Blogger lost it when I tried to publish. So rather than retype it now, I'll just do the comic book thing, and take a look at the new Previews. The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #7 Captain America & the Falcon #12 Priest just announced that Dan Jurgens takes over the pencilling duties with #13. Works for me. Ex Machina #8 Flash #219 Still not "Rogue War."

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1100992751909025952004-11-20T18:12:00.000-05:002004-11-20T18:20:55.690-05:00

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1096754711065161932004-10-02T17:47:00.000-04:002004-10-02T18:10:01.083-04:00

I never was particularly fond of the BTAS treatment of Catwoman, but she's the first villain that I feel the new series has actually gotten right. Both the Catwoman and Selina Kyle designs are sleek and effective, and Gina Gershon provides perhaps the best voice yet on the cartoon. My real indicator of success is that Catwoman is the first villain who I'm actually looking forward to seeing again.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1096694308601670562004-10-02T01:35:00.000-04:002004-10-02T01:18:28.600-04:00

Somehow, I allowed the entire month of September to slip by without a single blog post. What's even more pitiful is that I haven't been too busy; rather, I've let an awful lot of unproductive time slip by. So to get back in the habit, something simple: Astro City: The Dark Age #1 Good things come to those who wait. Captain America & The Falcon #10 Ex Machina #7 Flash #217 Gotham Central #26

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1095407229782467352004-09-17T02:14:00.000-04:002004-09-17T03:47:09.783-04:00

I'd heard the raves for months. I couldn't ignore the hype and the ratings. And my brother swore I would like it. So tonight, I gave "The Apprentice" a chance. Color me unimpressed. I like the entreprenuerial aspect of the show. The assignment, to create and sell an ice cream flavor, was neat and I had some positive expectations. Watching the guys hawk their product on the street was

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1092339310329235262004-08-12T15:31:00.000-04:002004-08-12T15:35:10.330-04:00

Greek Security Team Fails to Notice Giant Horse

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1091286587126862282004-07-31T10:51:00.000-04:002004-07-31T11:09:47.126-04:00

My humble little drive for Congressional office took an unexpected hit last week, following the results of the Georgia primaries. Back when I 'announced' my candidacy in April, I think Cathy Woolard was the only declared candidate at the time. Others followed, including previously-ousted Rep Cynthia McKinney. The consequences of McKinney's presence didn't strike me until about a month back, as

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1091285409681299402004-07-31T10:39:00.000-04:002004-07-31T10:50:09.683-04:00

Sorry for the unannounced hiatus, but I took a break from blogging during the last few weeks before the bar exam. Between studying and moving out of my apartment, a lot of time was consumed, and blogging was an activity that could afford to be cut for a while. But now that's over. The bar exam was on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, and I felt better walking out than I did walking in.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088970506774704382004-07-04T15:47:00.000-04:002004-07-04T15:48:26.773-04:00

I still haven't yet seen Spider-Man 2, but if it's half as cool as the Spider-Man 2 Lego Film, I believe I'll be happy.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088888604621110472004-07-03T16:47:00.000-04:002004-07-04T01:11:42.530-04:00

It's Free Comic Book Day, so now is as appropriate a time as any to check and see how much I have spent thus far this year on non-free comic books. Thanks to the inspiration of Augie De Blieck, I've been keeping an Excel spreadsheet listing all of comic purchases for this year. In the first half of 2004, I have spent just a smidgen over $300 on comic books. This money bought 187 comics, 6

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088829009317204652004-07-03T00:19:00.000-04:002004-07-03T00:30:09.316-04:00

The Southern Baptist Convention is expressing some clear displeasure at the Bush camp's efforts to use church rosters as part of its campaign. They maintain, and rightly in my opinion, that politics should stay out of the church. I'm beginning to wonder exactly who exactly who are Bush's core constituency. He's alienated himself from small-government conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and

Lorennoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088828231316791072004-07-03T00:14:00.000-04:002004-07-03T00:17:11.316-04:00

Rock, Paper, Saddam

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088742176116876122004-07-02T00:17:00.000-04:002004-07-02T00:22:56.116-04:00

My correspondence with Dr. Emeka Felix of Nigeria may be at its end. At least it lasted two months, and I got a fictional trip to Africa out of it. I've now put my last batch of e-mails online, now color-coded for your convenience, and including a couple of e-mails from the Central Bank of Nigeria itself (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). I'll give Dr. Felix another try in a day or two. In

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088560076530339932004-06-29T21:41:00.000-04:002004-06-29T22:34:58.873-04:00

As if anyone didn't suspect this already: "Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you. We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton, quoted in the Associated Press There's been an unsourced Hillary quote

Lorennoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088559625186447582004-06-29T21:38:00.000-04:002004-06-29T21:51:26.573-04:00

FINALLY! Warner Home Video (WHV) is proud to announce a special edition DVD of the timeless animated classic "The Iron Giant" on September 7, 2004. Loaded with all-new special features -- including 8 "never-before-seen" scenes, including an alternate opening, all with director commentary, 13 mini-documentaries highlighting key sequences and a featurette, "The Voice Of The Giant," hosted Vin

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088221878664491582004-06-25T23:37:00.000-04:002004-06-25T23:51:18.666-04:00

Fillmore! has apparently been given the axe by Disney. This disappoints me greatly, as the show was one of my favorite cartoons currently on the air. The tone was unlike what you'll find on any other kids' cartoon show, as it was essentially a cop drama played out with junior high students. It also had possibly the best black leading character in a cartoon ever (not that there are a bevy to

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1088202964720552762004-06-25T18:10:00.000-04:002004-06-25T18:36:04.720-04:00

Paul Musgrave has a few things to say about some new pro-Social Security propaganda that's making its way around the web. And Paul's right, it's grossly misleading. Here I thought I was pressing for changes because I wanted to make my *own* choices regarding *my* money. Now it turns out that SS opponents haven't been folks like me interested in personal choice, but rather evil dagger-toothed

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087963460463120532004-06-22T23:59:00.000-04:002004-06-23T00:04:47.333-04:00

Today I turned 26. What else of significance do I share this day with? Not much, frankly. But Bruce Campbell shares my birthday, so that makes up for the lacking in other areas. It also means I need to make something of my life, so future kids born on this day can say "Loren Collins has my birthday."

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087709716087347262004-06-20T01:18:00.000-04:002004-06-20T01:35:16.086-04:00

Let's see what Previews has in store for me this September. First, the definites: Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes #3 (for my brother) Flash #214 - $2.25 Gotham Central #23 - $2.50 HERO #20 - $2.50 JSA #65 - $2.50 Plastic Man #10 - $2.95 Pulse #5 - $2.25 (apparently down from $2.99; yay!) Ultimate Spider-Man #65 - $2.25 And now the series which may or may not be on my pull list in three months:

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087673675491132392004-06-19T15:31:00.000-04:002004-06-19T15:34:35.490-04:00

Today only, if you register to vote online, you can get a free copy of Ex Machina #1. Both Randy and Don named it "Best of the Week" over at TheFourthRail.com, each giving it a 10/10 rating. So if you're not already registered to vote, do so today. (And don't forget to vote Loren in November, either.)

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087622425955996672004-06-19T01:05:00.000-04:002004-06-19T01:43:24.620-04:00

John Leo on the lost art form of argumentation I've had the opportunity to listen to Rush Limbaugh recently, and I came away unimpressed. My reaction to Sean Hannity's radio show is much the same, but I remain a fan of Neal Boortz's show. I attributed some of this split of opinion to the content of the shows; Rush and Sean talk nothing but politics, but Neal is inclined to discuss virtually

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087181137392897672004-06-13T22:36:00.000-04:002004-06-13T22:45:37.393-04:00

Here's the latest example of a fad surely created by people with too much money and too little common sense: Baby Exercise Classes. Even assuming, for the sake of argument, that there's *any* merit to such instruction, why would an infant need it? They eat a single food product, and it's all-natural. I don't imagine that overeating is common. It's not like a baby can sneak cookies or candy

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087179840340298802004-06-13T22:21:00.000-04:002004-06-13T22:24:00.340-04:00

The Giant Lava Lamp of Soap Lake, Washington. This is a federal pork program just waiting for the right generous Congressman to come along.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087081875312440672004-06-12T18:55:00.000-04:002004-06-13T23:00:51.353-04:00

Today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution contained a follow-up story regarding a pair of G-8 activists profiled last Sunday. It seems that they've been a little tight on cash, but had a plan to get their rent money: "We were going to pay with the money we took in from posters and T-shirts and water." But nobody showed up to buy that stuff. "We ended up spending more on last-minute things than we

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-108708087574506442004-06-12T18:52:00.000-04:002004-06-12T18:54:35.746-04:00

"When John F. Kennedy made his famous speech that the Vatican would not tell him what to do, evangelicals and Southern Baptists breathed a sigh of relief. But today, evangelicals and Southern Baptists are hoping that the Vatican will tell Catholic politicians what to do." - Gary Bauer, quoted in USA Today

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087016333577963552004-06-12T00:50:00.000-04:002004-06-12T00:58:53.576-04:00

There are now at least three proposals being put forth to place Ronald Reagan's face on a piece of currency, particularly the $10 and $20 bills, and the dime. These currently bear the images of Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, and Franklin Roosevelt, respectively. I'm not keen on any of these suggestions, especially not the $10. Hamilton was a Founding Father. His lasting influence on this

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1087005419073755912004-06-11T21:01:00.000-04:002004-06-11T21:56:59.073-04:00

Last Friday, I took part in my church youth group's all-night Superhero Movie Marathon. Five and a half flicks, seen over twelve hours, and only myself and the youth minister made it through the entire night without going to sleep. None of the films were new to me, but as is common with films that tend to engender certain expectations before viewing them, a repeat viewing allows one to see the

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1086915460325548912004-06-10T19:51:00.000-04:002004-06-10T20:57:40.326-04:00

There's a Pizza Hut ad airing on television these days with Jessica Simpson and the Muppets, hawking the new "4-for-All" pizza. In it, Ms. Simpson says that because there are four little pizzas, and a total of 18 different toppings, and then, after producing a blackboard and uttering a couple of mathematical terms, declares that there are "six million, three hundred twenty-one thousand different

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1086733293176386382004-06-08T18:19:00.000-04:002004-06-08T18:21:33.176-04:00

In the wake of the man's passing, I was exposed to a Reason magazine interview that Ronald Reagan gave in July 1975. It was during his tenure as California governor, and it's a great insight into his political beliefs before he made his way into the Oval Office. And it's a system of beliefs that I find myself in strong agreement with.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1086733150999092582004-06-08T18:14:00.000-04:002004-06-08T18:19:11.000-04:00

School officials in Massachusetts have decided to ban birthday cupcakes from the classroom. Obesity concerns were cited as the reason. These kind of nanny state articles would be funny in The Onion. Unfortunately, it's all too real.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1086729102573350672004-06-08T17:06:00.000-04:002004-06-08T17:11:42.573-04:00

It seems that the U.S. Supreme Court has at least five millionaires on its bench. And who are they? Stevens, O'Connor, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer. In other words, the entire middle and left wing of the Court. No conclusions or allegations here, just the observation that it's funny how Republicans are labelled as the party of the rich.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1086312231221075822004-06-03T21:20:00.000-04:002004-06-03T21:23:51.220-04:00

I just happened upon Dave Leip's Atlas of US Presidential Elections. It's a wealth of US political history, and a darn cool site to boot. Cool if you're a political geek, that is.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1085687990798785932004-05-27T15:49:00.000-04:002004-05-27T15:59:50.916-04:00

With the finales of 24 and American Idol, the TV season has pretty much come to an end. And with the new seasons of 24 and Alias not starting until 2005, this loss of new episodes is more significant than the normal season's passing. True, the networks, particularly Fox, seem to be experimenting with running new series over the summer. Unfortunately, I have not a whit of interest in any of

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1085635949054909822004-05-27T00:59:00.000-04:002004-05-27T01:32:29.053-04:00

One of the better performances on tonight's "American Idol" finale was Tamyra Gray's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. She kept the riffs to a minimum, and although the ending was blown completely in an attempt to sound diva-like, it was otherwise a great performance. I was annoyed, however, by the audience during the song. When Tamyra held a particularly long high note (I believe it was

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1085156742135447822004-05-21T12:05:00.000-04:002004-05-21T12:25:42.136-04:00

Joshua Claybourn, whose blog I read regularly, linked both to my campaign site and this blog today. So I'm frantically trying to fix all the coding errors on the site, and improve on some of its faults. If anyone has any tips or suggestions as to how I could improve or add to the site, please let me know. And many thanks to Josh for the good word. I only wish my blog could be as erudite as

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1085155384526770172004-05-21T11:52:00.000-04:002004-05-21T12:03:04.526-04:00

Fox, opting to reject traditional network scheduling models, has announced its new year-round schedule. I watch five shows on Fox, only one of which ("The Simpsons"), actually gets treated normally. "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Arrested Development" get juggled around Sunday, but thankfully always remain in a 1.5-hour block with Simpsons. Fox gets my gratitude for renewing AD, though. "The

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1085154682432325512004-05-21T11:22:00.000-04:002004-05-21T11:52:53.646-04:00

Since I just finished law school, it seemed like as good a time as any to watch the GenX version of "The Paper Chase," "Legally Blonde." I'd heard mostly good things about it over the past couple of years, but it mostly disappointed. I could complain about the smaller leaps of logic in the film (e.g. first-year students assisting on a major murder defense), but I'll let those fly. And although

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1085152719826556312004-05-21T11:11:00.000-04:002004-05-21T11:51:35.223-04:00

Taco Bell is running a contest encouraging you to "Share Your Sauce Wisdom." If you win, your words of wit could see print on one of those little Taco Bell sauce packets. But check out the rules for entries: "The message should be short (no longer than 70 characters), simple, left of center and about the little things in life..." Left of center? I guess Taco Bell just isn't in the market for

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1084944608809393082004-05-19T01:26:00.000-04:002004-05-19T01:30:08.810-04:00

ABC has decided not to begin the fourth season of "Alias" until January 2005, opting instead to air a new show, "Desperate Housewives," in the Sunday slot in the fall. Such treatment doesn't bode well for the network's faith in the show, or its long-term prospects. And to think that the 3-week gap between the season's penultimate and final episodes was irritating. Now we get an eight month

Lorennoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1084912971088082992004-05-18T16:25:00.000-04:002004-05-18T16:42:51.090-04:00

Let's see what piques my interest for the month following the bar exam. This isn't everything I'll buy, nor am I necessarily buying everything listed, BATMAN: THE 12-CENT ADVENTURE GOTHAM CENTRAL #22 I'm not a Devin Grayson fan, and I won't be buying any installments of the "War Games" crossover. But this, this is only 12 cents. I won't, however, be buying 100 copies, like I did with the 10-

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1084739177099346032004-05-16T16:23:00.000-04:002004-05-16T16:26:17.100-04:00

I'm through. After twenty whole years of schooling, I've finally reached the end. It's a good feeling, although frankly, I don't feel much. I suspect this lack of emotion is a combination of 1) Only having class on Mondays and Wednesdays this past semester; 2) Having been completely done with class for three weeks; 3) Having two empty months before me as I prepare for the bar exam; and 4) Not

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1083980783455257042004-05-07T21:46:00.000-04:002004-05-07T21:49:37.576-04:00

Tonight was my last meal on the UGA Meal Plan. For seven years, I've eaten my meals during the school year in one of the three campus dining halls. For five and a half of those years, I was on the 7-day plan. There are only a handful of people I know of who have been on the meal plan longer than I. It's actually become as aspect of my character, especially during the last two years. Could I

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1083733851828593022004-05-05T01:10:00.000-04:002004-05-05T01:14:03.640-04:00

Michael Jackson's new attorney, Thomas Mesereau, had this to say after Jackson's arraignment last week: “This case is about one thing only. It’s about the dignity, the integrity, the decency, the honor, the charity, the innocence and the complete vindication of a wonderful human being named Michael Jackson.” Funny, but I count seven things there, not one. Should Jackson be worried that his

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1083727924670113182004-05-04T23:32:00.000-04:002004-05-04T23:35:16.200-04:00

When Chappelle died, I predicted that Jack wouldn't survive this season. After tonight, I've changed my mind: Tony is going to take the eternal celestial dirt-nap. He certainly can't return to CTU after what he's done, and simply having him lose is job is undramatic. Maybe he'll die a hero, maybe Saunders will simply have him killed in some fashion. But Tony is worm food. And Michelle's

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1083725031656628822004-05-04T22:43:00.000-04:002004-05-04T22:47:03.030-04:00

"Scrubs" had its season finale tonight, even though it doesn't appear to have been advertised as such. (It doesn't even say so on the NBC site.) "Friends" ends on Thursday. "Enterprise" ends tomorrow. "Arrested Development" is already over, as is "Tru Calling" and "Will & Grace." And I'm sure there are more that I'm not remembering. (A variation on this theme is "Alias," which doesn't end for

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1083629795542392442004-05-03T20:16:00.000-04:002004-05-03T20:19:28.746-04:00

I'm surprised I hadn't caught word of this earlier, but next Monday on ABC is a TV movie adaptation of Madeline L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time". There don't appear to be any really big names involved, so maybe that's why it hasn't generated much buzz. I can only hope that this won't be another victim of network tampering with classic material (see: NBC's "Brave New World").

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1083518745091782932004-05-02T13:25:00.000-04:002004-05-02T13:28:54.280-04:00

There are now about a half dozen formal candidates for Georgia's 4th District Congressional seat. None of them, to my knowledge, have a campaign poster anything like mine: LC for Congress Poster Now I just need to find an appropriate place to put it on my website.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1083516960796415362004-05-02T12:56:00.000-04:002004-05-02T12:59:10.246-04:00

You are currently using 0 MB (0%) of your 1000 MB. Isn't it great to see those last two words in your e-mail account? Google's right; if their program works, I'll never need to get a new address.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1082264837883297822004-04-18T01:07:00.000-04:002004-04-18T01:10:12.686-04:00

There is a quote which has circulated the internet for years, gaining incredible notoriety despite overwhelming, but little-known, doubts as to the identity of its author. I finally decided to put my nose to the grindstone and try to find some answers for myself. My findings are written up in the piece linked to below: The Truth About Tytler

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1082161200854911012004-04-16T20:20:00.000-04:002004-04-16T20:25:24.640-04:00

Radley Balko has some things to say about how the Republicans have (or more precisely, have not) stuck to the principles they promoted ten years ago in the Contract with America. Here's a prime example: Since the Republican takeover, real growth in federal outlays for the Department of Education have increased by 101%; Labor by 83%; HHS by 81%; and Commerce by 82%. All were departments

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1082160929587776072004-04-16T20:15:00.000-04:002004-04-16T20:18:23.030-04:00

Kilt-Wearing Marine Plays Bagpipes in Iraq. I feel like breaking out the old bagpipe trainer and following suit.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1082160785271547342004-04-16T20:13:00.000-04:002004-04-16T20:15:58.746-04:00

I've been in college for seven years now, and I've never been fond of the Greek system. Now it looks like my reservations were justified.

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1081707523180967332004-04-11T14:18:00.000-04:002004-04-11T14:22:03.623-04:00

I watch a fair bit of television. Not as much as I used to, but I do follow a decent number of shows. What are they? Sunday - The Simpsons; Malcolm in the Middle; Arrested Development; Alias. The heaviest night of the week, and the last three programs air opposite each other. I also watch CBS Sunday Morning, when I'm up in time. Monday - The Bernie Mac Show, although I haven't seen it since

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5477846.post-1081392197093018502004-04-07T22:43:00.000-04:002004-04-07T22:46:01.250-04:00

At only $10, I've made my first campaign expenditure: VoteLoren.com I think it's worth the investment, don't you?

Lorennoreply@blogger.com0