Fun News: You Could Technically Hire Adam Sandler to Officiate Your Wedding

Popular singer Taylor Swift and pro footballer Travis Kelce got married in a private (but big) ceremony on July 3rd at Madison Square Garden, and you know what? Good for them. Some people are ecstatic for the couple and pleased that they also donated money to a bunch of charities. Other folks dislike Taylor and/or Travis and have complained that they wasted time/space/energy...as if the whole concept of a wedding isn't already self-indulgent to a degree. I mean, you're having people come out to essentially watch ya'll agree to a contract, you can make it as extravagant and magical or informal and official as you want, so ignore haters! In all of this hubbub about T&T, one thing stuck out to me the most--technically, anyone could ask Adam Sandler to marry them, and he can.

Yes, the Sandman officiated the marriage of Taylor and Travis, as he is legally certified to do, interestingly! He also sang them a song, which reminds me of the tunes he used to do on SNL. As for how this happened, Sandler knows Travis (who had a bit of a role in, "Happy Gilmore 2," in fact) and has only ever had good things to say about Taylor as well. Still, it is kind of wild to think all the paperwork will show Adam Sandler as the officiant. I suppose if he ever gets tired of alternating between making surprisingly good and then shockingly bad flicks (and then back to good, then bad, etc.), he could start a business marrying folks.

July 4th, 2026. America at a Critical Juncture

Last July 4th, I apologized to America, or at least the concept of what America could be, for what had become of the nation under Donald Trump and the GOP. Things most definitely have not become better, but the fight continues to save some shred of America's soul. America will be 250 years old, and keeps suffering as those in power keep telling outright lies whilst blaming minorities/immigrants/LGBTQ folks/etc. for any problems. Demonizing others and stoking the flames of hatred...all in the name of making a bunch of money via a massive grift. Seriously, it is disgusting the amount of money Trump and his family have raked in whilst destroying the nation piece-by-piece--sometimes literally in the case of D.C.'s reflecting pool-turned-alage-ridden-swamp. That said, the fight goes on. Whether on a smaller scale with cities, on a larger scale in states, or at the Federal level. 

It, of course, is not just Republicans/conservatives trying to wreck things. Plenty of Democrats lately seem to like declaring how they are, "Centrists," who would rather just go with the flow of the Nation and avoid rocking any metaphorical boat even if that, "Flow," is more of a tidal wave that will doom us all. It shocks me how a lot of supposed moderate Democrats seem eager to viciously fight against anyone a bit too liberal for their liking in primaries, while offering barely any resistance towards a surreally fascistic right-wing. The one compliment I'll pay conservatives is that even when certain elements of the party will hold various views on certain things, they quite often all stick together and unify behind whatever/whoever becomes the party's focus...even if for the past decade or so that, "Focus," has been a hateful excuse for a human being. Whether it's in-fighting or focusing energy where it belongs, the battle for America keeps going. It can be discouraging, exhausting, and otherwise seem pointless, but giving in to despair or outright giving up will stop things from ever getting better. America is 250 years old and finds itself at a crossroads. Whether the country ends up rushing towards destruction or a bright future will quite likely be determined in the next handful of years or even months.

"Heaven," by Katie Skelly is a Sexy and Scary Delight

"Heaven," is the latest comic by the extremely talented Katie Skelly. I've discussed in previous posts how much I enjoyed her horror story, "Maids," and the extremely raunchy adult comic collection, "The Agency." An interesting thing about, "Heaven," is that it is both quite sexy and has a lot of eerie elements as well. The setup of the story is that four high school seniors learn about a mysterious strip club on the edge of town called, "Heaven," that sometimes seems to exist and other times appears to have vanished without a trace. Dolores is the eldest at 18 and, due to a mix of disinterest in her Catholic school, a stressful home-life (she lives with her mother, who is going through a messy divorce), and general curiosity, gets a job at the club. Obviously, everything is not as it seems with Heaven.

Throughout the chapters/"Scenes," of the book, there is a palpable sense of dread. There is something eerie about Heaven, from its owner, "Lover," seeming a bit off to customers going missing, Dolores having nightmares every night after work, and so forth. Tensions increase with every turn of the page, and Skelly's superb art manages to both titillate and disturb. Brief moments of violence punctuate the slow unfurling of just how many secrets Heaven holds, and there are many! Skelly knows how to concoct a stellar tale, and "Heaven," is further proof of how she is a modern master of the comic art form. "Heaven," hits stores next week and is published by Fantagraphics, which was kind enough to supply me with an advance copy of the book upon my request for the purpose of review. If you enjoy stories that are as alluring as they are creepy, you definitely should seek a copy out for yourself!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Nope, Too Hot

It is too hot. I sat and read some random assorted comics that I enjoyed today, but couldn't put words together in my head to describe much about them other than, "Matt Fraction's take on the original Batman deserves more love, along with how Absolute Batman is getting so much press." A single sentence does not make for a particularly good article, however. I read that some members of Gen Z are apparently more prudish and dislike all the kissing and sex-talk on, "Love Island," which made me laugh, but results in little to say besides, "Oh, those younger generations." Even in our air-conditioned house, it is still quite warm (AC can only do so much), and as I said, it is too hot. 

Every Summer seems a bit hotter for longer (probably because climate scientists will warn you that it is, in fact, happening), and I am not a fan of extreme heat. I want to share some hot takes on various subjects (no pun intended), but nope. I just need to try and stay as cool as possible and relax. Some weekend storms are on the way, and in my best old-man tone, I will probably declare, "We needed this rain," when it hits and--I pray--lowers the temperature too. For now, I'm simply trying to avoid sweating so much that I resemble the Wicked Witch of the West (or Elphaba, for you, "Wicked," fans) when she melted into a steaming pile of goo. You all try to take it easy and stay hydrated as well. I care about you, my readers!

Sony is Killing Disc-Based Games, Physical Media Continues to Disappear

Sony has announced that, come 2028, games will no longer have physical disc releases. Everything will be digital on the PlayStation store or those little download codes in boxes at retailers. This will, in essence, kill the resale market for any new video-games games and really makes it look like the PlayStation 6 could be coming in 2028, and will be digital-only. We've had the option of digital-only consoles for some time (Xbox Series S springs to mind), but that being the sole option is worrisome for reasons I have outlined in various posts. You don't truly own that digital content, after all, and it could get harder to access at any point in the future. As if to drive this point home, Sony also announced it was shutting down the virtual stores for the PS3 and Vita--so download any games or updates while you still can! The internet is, to put it simply, enraged/pissed/big mad. 

In this day and age, even if a ton of sales are digital, having physical options makes it easier to rent a game, check it out from the library, borrow it from a friend, or otherwise do things that save consumers money. Then again, I suppose that costs companies some extra bucks they want to squeeze from people. Between AI chatbots that almost seem eerily self-aware and spew misinformation, the rise of science denial or political faelshoods (an alarming number of people insist the Earth is flat, vaccines cause autism, and any election their candidate didn't win was rigged), everything becoming a subscription service, and basic human rights being under attack (marriage equality, the right to an abortion, trans rights, and the list goes on), this future we're rapidly speeding towards seems more like a brick wall of destruction than an open road of progress. You know, Marion Stokes spent decades operating many VCRS so that she could tape hundreds of hours of television. She was a librarian, T.V. producer, and activist who was concerned that if we didn't have a record of what really happened in history, lies and falsehoods would be easy to spread with zero proof to counter them. Now, everything may end up digital and easy to alter without anyone noticing. My point is, she had a pretty solid argument.

The, "Mad Dog Magic BBQ Spice," From Max Mix is Delicious

Longtime readers of the blog are aware that I generally am not a fan of sauces. I didn't enjoy ketchup until I was in my 20s, and was astonished when I enjoyed Freddy's Fry Sauce. That said, I have always loved a good spice mix/dry rub/etc. I often keep my eyes peeled for new ones, and when I was at Dierbergs the other day, my attention was immediately drawn to a display with an assortment of spices. I approached and saw they were a brand named, "Max Mix," after their founder, Max Crawford. From childhood to now being a young adult, Max was into spices and BBQ, which led to him launching Max Max in 2023. As his company's website discusses, "The dream is that Max Mix will provide independence for Max, provide employment and job training for others with special abilities, create awareness about the lack of meaningful and respectful employment in our special needs community, and all while helping people spice up their life with flavorful food." The Mad Dog Magic BBQ Spice that can be put on anything looked intriguing, so I figured a tasty-sounding spice from a company dedicated to helping others was something I wanted a bottle of!

So, how was the Mad Dog Magic? I assume you read my headline where I declare it was delicious, because that stuff is fantastic. The name is, "..a heartfelt tribute to a beloved friend, Mad Dog Maddox Truitt," and I adored the smoky and sweet flavor, as well as the slightly spicy kick it carried. I put it on some chicken I had, and it took it to a new level of flavorocity, and yes, I did make that word up just now. My point is, I loved the Mag Dog Magic BBQ Spice and plan to try other flavors of Max Mix in the near future. If you live somewhere Max's products are easy to acquire, I'd encourage you to grab some at the store, or you can always buy them online!

Disclaimer: As I always like to make clear with these kinds of posts, Max's Mix did not reach out to me or request an article be written about them. They are not even aware of my blog's existence, but I will be emailing them about my article so that they know how much I dig their Mad Dog Magic!

"Supergirl," Had a BAD First Weekend at the Box Office...

"Supergirl," is the second big film in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new take on the DC cinematic Universe. "Superman," did quite well, and the second season of, "Peacemaker," which altered its continuity to take place in the same universe, was a hoot as well. "Supergirl," earned raves for Milly Alcock's performance, muted praise for Jason Momoa's Lobo, and was otherwise given a critical, "Meh," by many outlets. It proceeded to land roughly in theaters.  I mean, it made less than, "Morbius," did in its opening weekend. "Supergirl," isn't the worst cinematic bomb ever despite dramatic headlines, but the indifference of reviewers and theatergoers is evident.

Some people have begun discussing whether a general toxicity in fandom is to blame. Other's have said it is proof female superheroes don't sell/Hollywood keeps failing them. Every superhero movie that struggles results in discussion of, "Superhero movie fatigue," and plenty of folks have already begun writing this off as, "Not a big deal." The argument already is going, "Supergirl was never a big thing, the real test is how that Green Lanterns show, and Clayface movie do!" which feels like a big example of, "Moving the goalposts," but whatever.

I do want to check out the new, "Supergirl," movie. That said,  just I didn't see the latest, "Superman," until it had been out a couple of weeks, and I had the chance to view it, that'll probably be the case with, "Supergirl," for me too. At least if I go in with average-to-low expectations, I may very well conclude that it is better than people have been saying. Sure sounds like I will have much of the theater to myself when I do make it over there.

"The Serpent of the Sea," is a Great Tale Full of Creepy Vibes

"The Serpent of the Sea," is a new comic by writer Finlay Miles and illustrator Lyndon White. It's a highly enjoyable one-shot story with a delightfully unreliable narrator who might be suffering from madness or could have simply stumbled into knowledge no human should learn of, and found the Universe prefers anything he discovered be rendered forgotten. Set in 1882, we read the diaries of Captain Edward Bartholomew Pierce as a seemingly straightforward search for missing shipping vessels morphs into a fight for his life against all manner of strange creatures and beings.

Miles does a superb job of filling readers with dread and White's illustrations are imposing and scary without a doubt. They cram a lot of impressive storytelling into their comic, and I do wonder if we'll someday get a sequel exploring how much of what Captain Pierce believes occurred is real or imagined. If you desire a good serving of horror, "The Serpent of the Sea," should help satisfy that craving! You can buy it on White's website, and I rate it...

5 out of 5 Stars.

Sony Has Reaffirmed You Don't, "Own," Those Digital Movies You Bought. I'm Not Surprised

I discussed almost exactly three months ago my concerns with how physical media disappearing could lead to issues due to how we never really seem to, "Own," digital media--even if we, "Buy," it. Some folks argue that if you outright bought something, of course you own it! Well, they are oh so very wrong sometimes, as recent news at the PlayStation store makes evident. John Walker at Kotaku breaks it all down:

Sony is contacting PlayStation Store users who bought movies from the platform that were distributed by StudioCanal—like Terminator 2, Total Recall, and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind—to say that “you will no longer be able to access your previously purchased content from Studio Canal, and it will be removed from your video library.” There’s no mention of any refunds or make-goods for the affected users. Sony simply says the films are going away “due to our content licensing agreements,” once again reaffirming the fact that you are never truly buying anything that’s digital, just temporarily renting it.

You bought a movie to stream on your PlayStation or maybe even took the step to download it for some form of safekeeping. Sony comes along and says, "Nah, you didn't," before pointing to some fine print tucked away in a massive EULA document. Things like this are why I get nervous hearing, "GTA VI," won't have a disc in the physical boxes upon release, just a download code. When you don't have the DVD, comic, or even a DRM-free download of something, it could very well disappear someday from wherever you thought it was secure.

Society seems to be moving more and more towards a model where nothing is owned, and everything has a membership plan. The subscription economy has its cheerleaders and those fatigued by it. In some ways, it is the logical evolution of capitalism--arguably for the worse. Just remember that you own nothing and you're going to love it!

"Absolute Batman," is Getting an Animated Adaptation and Absolute Funko Pops Are Incoming

Back in April, I discussed my slight astonishment at how DC hadn't fully capitalized on the success of their Absolute Universe and, "Absolute Batman," in particular, with a ton of tie-ins. Well, DC has had enough time to gear up and get some stuff made, as recent announcements show. The biggest one is that out of DC's upcoing slate of animated projects, an adapatation of, "Absolute Batman," is planned. It'll be a series aimed to older/adult viewers, and it remains to be seen what network/streamer it ends up on, but it has been announced! Plus, a limited number of Absolute Universe-themed Funko Pops shall be for sale at Comic-Con International/San Diego Comic-Con, with doubtlessly more Absolute Pops planned. I'd bet DC has a lot more in the works with the massive success of everything-Absolute and will be interested in seeing what comes next.