I Saw a Total Solar Eclipse Today!

Our family!

As I live right outside of Saint Louis and it was on the edge of the path of, "Totality," I had the immense pleasure of witnessing a total solar eclipse today! For early two minutes the sky got significantly darker, the temperature dropped, and it was a very strange and fascinating experience. I feel very lucky I got to witness my first-ever solar eclipse and hope everyone else who saw it partially or totally had a great time too--and was safe (I don't want to see a ton of news reports about people suffering eye-damage from staring at the sun, but know there will sadly be plenty)! It is funny to think I had to wait until I was 29 to see a solar eclipse in-person but my son, Clarkson, got to witness it before he even turns a year old! Then again he probably won't remember it too well, so I'm cool with being older.

Smart Journalism is for Suckers AKA Loser City Made Me Aware Today How Far CBR Has Fallen

This is real.

Look, all websites/blogs/tumblrs/whatever have their ups and downs. Heck, even I have had periods of time where I feel like I'm making great article after great article a s well as other weeks where I struggle to find the motivation to even think up a snarky headline about the latest stupid stunt by a publisher. Therefore, I can't  be too hard on some comic websites even if, say, Bleeding Cool is becoming a nearly impossible-to-navigate mess of advertisements hiding some decent articles (it still is one of the sites I check daily even if it is a pain, after all). That said, I quit going to Comic Book Resources AKA CBR awhile ago when it turned more into a list-article/listicles website than something that actually is a, "Resource," for comic-readers. That said, I didn't know how low it had sunken until I saw another culture-site I enjoy, Loser City, did a piece mocking CBR.

Apparently, "Down to Hulk: 15 Hulks You Want to Smash," is an actual article from CBR. Loser City makes sure to mention that not a single male Hulk is discussed, because apparently only 100% heterosexual men read these puff-piece articles, nevermind that women who are attracted to men or same gender loving men might enjoy an article that humorously points out how Bruce Banner is, "Someone you wouldn't like when he's angry, but might love when he's horny!" or some other moronic joke like that which I literally just made-up on the spot--which I think makes me more qualified to write for CBR than anybody else at that joke of a website. I mean seriously, who still says, "Smash," to refer to sex anymore too? That pun would have been weak even when the term was popular and used on programs like, "For the Love of Ray J."

She sure did, Ray J, she sure did.

The next time I ever doubt my only journalistic abilities I will remember that in August of 2017 a website that once was at least moderately useful for keeping track of comic book news completed sinking to the lowest common denominator with an article about which female hulks are the most fuckable. It doesn't even redeem itself by being tongue-in-cheek, titillating, or anything beyond shockingly stupid. I'm not opposed to sexy imagery or erotic storytelling in the least, but when your idea of a smart article is which hulk you want to penetrate that's just depressing. I personally want to thank Loser City for reading CBR so that the rest of us don't have to. I really hope you guys and gals can maintain your sanity.

An Email Helped Me Realize Just How Little I Care About the Inhumans

I know it is currently in vogue to hate-on the dreadful-looking, "Inhumans," television show being done by Marvel, what with how the director of the show admitted he was hired to make something, "Fast and Cheap," or that even panels to promote the show are train-wrecks. That said, it really does look awful. I didn't realize how little interest I had until today however.

Today I was looking through my emails and got a message from Marcus Wehrenberg Theatres, which used to just be Wehrenberg until they were bought-out by the Marcus chain. As I had Wehrenberg rewards it was easy to switch to the new reward system so that I can earn points when I go to the theater and buy snacks. I also get emails about various other fun ways to earn points, which leads to my telling you how I got a message which informed me I could earn ten points simply by watching a trailer for the show. Observe:

I blurred-out my member ID cuz that ain't none of your business.

It was at this moment I realized I care so little about an, "Inhumans," television show I won't willingly watch a trailer for it even if it earns me a reward. To put this in perspective, I spent a chunk of a hour looking for the, "Avengers: Infinity War," trailer that was exclusively shown at D23 as well as CCI/SDCC and can be a pain to find a leak of. Meanwhile even if a theater-chain offers me  a smattering of points towards movie tickets and snacks if I just click on a link and let a trailer play on my phone--which I know I don't even have to pay much of any attention to while it runs--I just simply refuse to take part in even feigning interest.

I don't hold any anger or ill-will toward the, "Inhumans," television show which makes me want to go out of my way to insult it, I am just so incredibly indifferent it is hard to summon the energy to press my finger on an email-link to the trailer. When I can't even click a link related to this show knowing I'll get a reward if I do so, that my friends is a pretty bad omen for any future, "Inhumans," success. If anyone wants to make me a bet that this will last more than a single season I'll gladly take you up on it. If I'm wrong I'll buy the one good Inhumans story I ever read for you, and if I'm right you can buy me a reasonably-priced trade paperback of my choosing that I'll guarantee you will have nothing to do with the Inhumans.

Mid-August 2017 Links For The Pleasure of Your Eyeballs

Middle of the Month Linkage

It is around the mid-point of August so I thought I would share the assorted links of note I have been lucky enough to find or come across and found interesting/worth telling all ya'll about.

Commence the Links!

Let's start with something that isn't a huge deal in the general scheme of things but made me depressed--The Great Movie Ride has shut-down. Besides the already-gone ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, and Hollywood Tower of Terror that was one of my favorite rides.

Kotaku had a fascinating piece where the author--inspired by the awful events in Charlottesville--asked her Father about what it was like living in Selma back in the 1960's.

Also from Kotaku but far less serious a subject is how, "Heavy Rain," admittedly ended badly. It was a pretty weak conclusion.

I've talked about the, "Dead of Winter," comic based on the tabletop game and this piece by, "Paste," discusses the interesting challenges once can observe when a game of that sort is adapted for comics.

A great artist (Jacen Burrows) and a sometimes-good writer (Max Bemis) are taking-over on Moon Knight's latest comic-relaunch. I really hope it is good.

I've linked to it previously, but this piece about, "How America Lost its Mind," from, "The Atlantic," is really good.

This massive article on the small number of independent video-game stores still in existence is fascinating, and mentions a shop near me in Fenton, Missouri!

Before I forget to mention it, I just wanted to remind everyone that, "Plastic," is a great comic and if they've missed the issues currently coming out it will before too long be available in trade.

John Ridley is a great filmmaker and stellar writer of comics. This interview with him about his latest, "The American Way," mini-series is a good read.

If we're being honest, "South Park," isn't really counter-culture anymore or especially satirical . It still is often plenty funny, but we should be real.

Steve Bannon is a terrible human being, but even with him gone from the White House Staff that isn't going to change how President (for now) Trump is abominable.

I used to Play, "Sims," games religiously and bought all the expansion packs, but now with the constant micro-expansions and such it amazes me more people aren't burned-out yet. I tried the 4th one and it was fun, but I ain't gonna pay a bunch for random, "Stuff," packs.

Multi-Level Marketing AKA Pyramid Schemes are just bad, okay?

Robert Pattinson has really shown he actually has skill since the horrible, "Twilight," films, as this AV Club Film Club video discusses. Between he, Kristen Stewart, and smaller-role Anna Kendrick that awful series brought us some good talents. Video:

Also from the AV Club is when it shared its top comics of 2017 (so far) a bit ago. There are some good books on there!

Let's close on a safety-note. This Monday a good chunk of America will experience a total Solar Eclipse. There are many things to keep in mind to protect your eyes and the rest of your body if you're traveling. Stay safe!

Enjoy the Rest of August!

I hope all my readers have a great rest of the month and that their August leads into an equally good or even better September.

Good and Dumb Fun: "Justice League VS. Suicide Squad," Collection

Absurd, Over-The-Top, and Admittedly Entertaining

"Justice League VS. Suicide Squad," starts out pretty bombastic and just gets crazier and crazier with a myriad of plot elements and characters until we reach the point mid-way through the book where a bunch of stuff comes together to give us:

1. The Villainous Maxwell Lord (capable of minor mind-control)

2. Using the First-ever Suicide Squad

3. To fight against the Justice League and Current Suicide Squad

4. Who were kind of fighting each other

5. So that he can gain the powers of Eclipso

6. In order to gain mental control over the Justice League with his boosted powers, and...

7. Take over America and make it, "Safe," in his opinion, although Eclipso starts driving him mad.

Yes, this is a big book that includes a number of tie-in issues and even with all of that things seem to move at a pretty quick pace. It goes without saying that Lord's plan falls apart and Batman recruits a variety of people to make his new Justice League that currently is coming-out from DC. It is a really silly book full of lots of squabbles and action, a plot that just kinda makes sense if you let a lot of thing slide (especially with a big reveal at the end that places a lot of blame on Amanda Waller, because of course she's up to no good).

Lots of crowded scenes happen.

From that above summary of a variety of things that occur and all the characters you probably can imagine a lot of things are, "In motion," at a time as it were, and the pages do indeed get pretty busy. When you've got the Justice League, the Suicide Squad, an old Suicide Squad, and some other random folk all just duking it out things get hectic. The various writers and author of the main, "Event-comic," Joshua Williamson make it all work pretty well however. The art is a bit less impressive as it can really vary in quality, with the main book having a rotating cast of artists that make it hard to pin-down any kind of particular style for the series as the art keeps a-changing.

This book really is just some good dumb fun, with solid writing and passable art. I think it was the first big event to take place post-Rebirth and I liked reading it. "Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad," is nothing amazing but it is kind of like a popcorn blockbuster--silly, action-packed, and relatively forgettable.

3 out of 5 stars.
"Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad," can be bought on Amazon, at Things From Another World, via Mycomicshop, or from any other fine retailer.

I Tried Parker's Water Ice and it Was Delicious!

They do soft-serve as well!

A couple weekends ago, Clarkson and I headed-over to the nearby Chesterfield Mall whilst my wife and her sister took my Mother-in-law to the movie, "Girls Trip," as a birthday present (they said it was really good and recommend folk see it). Whilst we were at the mall a vendor had popped-up in the main atrium (as often happens at this mall, but usually it is a jewelry event or something) who was selling a treat called, "Water Ice." I specifically tried the brand called, "Parker's Water Ice," and found it quite tasty! They were out of cherry or strawberry when I saw them a bit later in the day but I got grape and found it delicious! Water Ice is kind of like if a slushie had a baby with an ice cream or sorbet. It is free of dairy but has an intriguing thickness to it before melting in your mouth with its delightful fruit flavor.

I was very impressed by Water Ice and think I want to get myself some more. The company, "Parker's Water Ice," originates in Memphis, Tennessee but has an individual contractor named, "Angel Eaton," who operates out here in the Saint Louis region. I thank Parker's Water Ice for introducing me to this tasty treat and look forward to having it again!

Journalistic Integrity Note: Parker's Water Ice did not give me any money to write this or is even aware of who I am; I will be informing them I made this article once it is posted but that's it.

Rant-Reviews: A Smorgasbord of First (and one Zero) Issues!

You Know The Routine By Now...
Seriously, you know how this goes at this point. I do all kinds of capsule/rant-reviews but keep going back to that well of discussing debut issues of titles because while many comics may not even get to a tenth issue, they all have a first (or a zero issue, which is the case with one book I'm going to discuss). I've got a veritable ton of first/zero issues I've been able to sample lately so it is time to dive-in...

Many New Books
Redlands #1
I talked about how this title was getting very hot in The Hot Comics Revue and it is nice to see when a book is both popular and very, very good. Written and colored by Jordie Bellaire (whom I've recognized as a stellar colorist before but haven't seen as a writer previously) with art by Vanessa Del Rey, this is a first issue that is clearly setting-up a lot without revealing too much at the same time. We see how it is about a corrupt town being overtaken by supernatural forces that also have a moral agenda of giving power to the disenfranchised--so horror with a social message, which is my favorite kind of horror. It's grim, violent, and I really enjoyed reading it. Redlands will have a second printing soon but until then your best bet for getting a copy is eBay or MyComicShop.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Mister Miracle #1
Another title featured in my first Hot Comics Revue, this book is written by the talented Tom King with Mitch Gerards providing the artwork. People are absolutely fawning over this book and I thought it was pretty good but don't quite see why people are going crazy about it. It's weird and off-kilter, has a real ominous feel, and Gerards artwork is amazing, but I don't really feel myself hooked-in yet. I'm willing to be patient however because while, "The Vision," grabbed me right away King's, "Omega Men," took a bit to really get going, but once it did that was a stellar book. As this puppy is so hot until there is a new printing you're going to need to do eBay or MyComicShop to get any copies, or find a shop that inexplicably isn't sold out.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Galaktikon #1
I am a fan of Brendon Small's work from Adult Swim's shows, "Home Movies, " and, "Metalocalypse," so when I heard he had a comic coming out I was excited to read it! I then learned the comic is actually an adaptation of sorts of a music album which has a sequel album coming-out soon as well--so that's interesting! Having read this first issue I now am actually a bit interested in checking-out the music as this was a oddly enjoyable title. Equal parts funny and depressing, watching a once-beloved hero of space deal with the difficulties of life via a ton of alcohol is sad, but the book's dark sense of humor carries it through pretty nicely. I liked it a lot and look forward to the next issue as well as giving Small's album a listen whilst I wait in the meantime. You can currently grab copies of the first issue of, "Galaktikon," on eBay or at MyComicShop.
4 out of 5 stars.

Danger Doll Squad #0
I've read the, "Dollface," comic before and this title brings her, the cult-hit Zombie Tramp, and another solo-character known as Vampblade together to form a team/squad. As is the trend with any comics featuring these characters there is a lot of humor, a lot of violence, and a whole lot of variant covers (with some featuring plenty of nudity). I was honestly a little disappointed in this zero issue as it does introduce us to all the characters and makes us aware of who they are, but does little else. After one big prologue we basically jump right into the action briefly before being told to pick-up the official #1 issue in October as well as future issues of, "Vampblade," for more set-up. It's a decent primer on all the characters, but that's about it. You can still find some of the zero-issue covers at Things From Another World and eBay is of course a great resource as well should you want to grab all the assorted covers!
2.5 out of 5 stars.

Ghost Money #1
I've enjoyed speaking with publisher Lion Forge before and they always put out an interesting assortment of books. This new series continues that trend with a yarn about terrorism, money, and politics. Starting in the past before moving about ten-ish years into a potential future, the book imagines a world full of hateful Neo-Cons, rampant Global Warming, and abject poverty...so basically what the world is like now but with slightly more advanced cars and even more drones clogging-up the sky. It's a dark and ominous book, and I quite liked it although the first issue just seems to kind of suddenly-stop as opposed to ending on a solid cliff-hanger or making it clear what the next issue might hold. It's a solid read though and as the story is further fleshed-out I bet things will only get more fascinating and depressing. You can find the first issue of, "Ghost Money," on eBay or at MyComicShop.
3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dead of Winter #1

The third book in this review-segment which also was mentioned in The Hot Comics Revue with this discussed as a title that might get pretty steamy/popular if fans of the game are into it. Based on the tabletop game of the same name, the first issue of, "Dead of Winter," is a fine read. For a comic set in a winter-filled zombie apocalypse there is actually a good deal of humor, but I found most of the characters were pretty paper-thin in terms of personality outside of the start of the comic, a dog named Sparky. It feels like he get the most character development of anyone and he can't even talk! I still enjoyed reading the comic however and imagine if I were well-versed in the game I might have gotten a bunch of references and enjoyed it even more. You can still buy copies at Things From Another World as of this posting should you desire!

3 out of 5 stars.

Tales of Science Fiction: Vault #1
Published by a comic-company--Storm King--that seems to release titles related-to or supervised by John Carpenter, their latest mini-series, "Vault," is a horror-influenced sci-fi tale with a first issue that frankly is a bit of a mess. The back of the comic explains the plot more clearly than the inside of the comic as the plot jumps all around in time, too many characters pop-up only to be easily confused with other characters in bland space-suits, and random stuff about space-fungus or monsters occurs...or something? It's really quite bad besides some decent artwork and I can't exactly recommend it, but should you want a copy MyComicShop or eBay are as always good places to buy from.
1 out of 5 stars.

Grumpy Cat/Garfield #1
I of course have a soft-spot for Grumpy Cat ever since it was the first book to, "Blurb," me on the back-cover as a reviewer. I also enjoyed reading old Garfield newspaper comic-strips when growing-up and have at times perused his comic-book. Considering how both cats are full of attitude, it makes sense for them to meet--and why not have them meet in a format they both excel in, comics? It is a little disappointing that our two stars don't meet until the end of the first issue (so the second issue will be fun for sure), but plenty of plot and funny jokes occur in this issue to make it well worth picking-up. Basically an evil CEO has a way to make cats behave more like dogs and needs some of the most difficult cats in the World to test his program before he sells it to the general populace in the hopes of making major moolah. Therefore, we witness in this issue Garfield and Grumpy being stolen through some clever methods. It's great silly fun and I would recommend it if you want to have a good laugh! Copies of one cover can still be bought at Things From Another World and eBay is a great site if you're after the assortment of variants.
5 out of 5 stars.

I Need a Break!
After reviewing eight new books I need to sit-down and take a breather. I hope you enjoyed reading my meandering thoughts on these assorted new comics and were inspired to check at least one or two of them out (or now know what to avoid if it isn't for you). I'd get up and shake your hand to thank-you for reading all this, but I'm a little winded so, let's just nod and I'll lie down here for a moment till the hurting stops.

"Dark Fang," Sounds Like a Fascinating New Comic

I generally try not to just copy and post P.R. releases from various publishers as posts, because plenty
of other websites I enjoy reading do that and if you're coming to my site you usually are well-versed in comic news or don't care about it and read my page instead because you want to read my scattered thoughts on the rest of the wild world of popular-culture. That said, a newly-announced comic from Image caught my attention enough that I wanted to share with everyone else how it sounds neat. The book is, "Dark Fang."

Written by Miles Gunter and illustrated by Kelsey Shannon, "Dark Fang," is an action-horror book about a woman named Valla who is a vampire and has lived peacefully at the bottom of the ocean, presumably subsisting on the creatures down there. Suddenly her whole home finds itself dying and she ascends where, "Searching for answers on the surface, Valla finds a world headed toward an environmental collapse that will ultimately wipe out her food supply. Now, to stay fed, she must take on the juggernaut that is the global fossil fuel industry." Yes, this is a comic about an environmental activist vampire. How weirdly awesome does that sound?

I know it won't appeal to everyone, but I personally would get a kick watching Valla lecture an oil baron about how what he does is hurting our planet and when he tells her to buzz-off she takes a big chomp out of him, it would be weird, funny, and cathartic considering just how doomed our planet currently looks in terms of how those in power are handling the environment. There isn't currently any preview art available and the book isn't due to be released until November, but I know I'm already excited to see what this story holds!

The STL Comics Summer 1 Day Show Was Fantastic!

A Stellar Time Was Had!

The raffle table during a brief pre-show moment of quiet

As earlier discussed in a previous post, I was pumped to attend the Summer 1 Day Comic Show and this past Sunday I did just that. I arrived shortly before the show-floor opened to the public and was able to snap some pics of the quiet before a sizable crowd made its way in. At 10AM sharp everyone was allowed to enter and upon paying an extremely fair $5.00 entry fee (free for kids 10 and under) the floor was open to all! Upon my entering the show-floor one thing struck me about this comic-show which I never realized could be so noticeable--there were a lot of comics. I know, it sounds funny to remark a comic-show had a lot of comics, but how often do you go to supposed comic-cons and find they are stocked with random celebrities or folk trying to sell you insurance? It was just striking to walk into a comic show and find it was full of actual comics, and that made happy!

Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of shows that are focused more generally on popular-culture or meld some pop-culture stuff with comics, but I also think it can be refreshing to go to a show that is almost entirely-focused on comics or if there are vendors who don't have comics, they have fun comic-related stuff. For example, I got to meet Lisa Pavia-Higel who is behind, "Geekery Gal," which she describes as, "jewelry and sass for geeks, chicks, and advocates. She had an assortment of awesome wearable objects that related to a variety of nerdy-subjects and I was impressed to hear that 10% of all profits go to charity! Also, I saw my chums from Aging Monster Press, met local author and comic-maker Brian Morris and chatted with illustrator John Lucas about a book he illustrated, "Shrinkage."

A cool old underground book I picked-up at the show!

Besides comic-makers the show was chock-full of vendors as well. There were people selling expensive books like first appearances of Deadpool, other recent hits, old Golden Age stuff, and plenty of dollar bins, which are of course one of my favorite things to root through for goodies. I chatted with folk like the, "Middle School Geek," Tom Barker who is in the process of setting-up a website for his comic-business but currently can be reached via email--and who had a lot of great books. There were some vendors with cool old underground comix as well and of course people with Funko Pops and old horror comics as well as horror flicks (if I had brought more money I would have picked-up a cool old VHS copy of, "Night of the Living Dead," but alas I gotta strictly budget my funds).

I had a great time at The STL Comics Summer 1 Day Show and for sure am going to attend the recently announced Winter Show happening March 4th in 2018. It feels like it is a good deal of time away right now, but I'm sure that date will sneak-up on me and I'll be enjoying another comic-focused show in no time!

Some Thoughts on Digitalization, Sexualization, and the Subjective Treatment Lately of Reality

Seeking Primarily Two Things Online...

I (obviously) like to write about popular culture and the trends I see in it. Well, more and more I see the fact that the internet connects us with much of the wider-world making our own personal worlds that much smaller. To clarify: In our ability to reach-out to anyone with an internet connection and learn about different views, exotic places, see new stuff, etc. we have purposely sought out basically only two things--other people who share our exact same views and sex-related content AKA porn.

We are now capable of talking to someone literally half a world away and discussing interesting subjects, but we use the internet to find people who share our precise views and/or will get naked on camera for us. As a book I read long ago once stated in a different context, (it was about genetics), but has a title which works perfectly, "The Future is Now." I would amend that however to state, "The Future is Now About Making Reality Fit Our Views and Getting Off."

A Comic and a Song

It's not a subtle comic, but its fun.

I started having these thoughts when ingesting assorted pieces of culture. For example, I was reading a comic--because this is of course a blog often about comics--which I mentioned when discussing 2016 in review. The comic was the zero issue of, "Lookers," a revamped concept from an old Avatar Press series now published under their, "Boundless," imprint.

"Lookers," is a comic full of sex as it is about cam-girls who take advantage of horny men on the internet who they learn are also social-media trolls so that they can track them down in order to beat them up and embarrass them in order to stop their picking-on other people.  It is a concept both clever and totally stupid at the same time. The first page (which I've edited to make safe-for-work) however makes an extremely pointed statement about the well-known communications concept of the, "Male Gaze," however. Observe:

Edited to be safe for viewing in public!

If you didn't want to bother clicking the image, it states how, "The Male Gaze is a webcam," which is pointed in how true it is. We no longer have to wait for mass media and advertising to create products for the male gaze to observe and consume, we merely have to type the right phrases into our internet search and a few confirmations of being 18 or older and entering a credit card later we've got women (or men) modeling for us in whatever manner we like. The, "Lookers," zero issue is now getting a mini-series tying-in with another comic about a female superhero named Ember hounded by paparazzi so hopefully that will be insightful--the first issue comes out shortly and the 3rd can still be preordered on sites like Things From Another World.

Oh, and I know not all entertainment and porn is designed for the straight male, but plenty a study will show the majority of it is made that way, and with the ease and privacy of the internet we now can easily head wherever we want online to find any sexual desire or fantasy (within reason and legality) we like. Sex has become digitized, and another example of this is the stellar song, "Digital Girl," by Jamie Foxx and featuring The Dream and Kanye West.

"Digital Girl," has a remix too, but I prefer the original.

On the song, "Digital Girl," Jamie Foxx croons about how he feels like he loves a woman whom he has never seen in person, but only knows via his computer screen. The lyrics are worth dissecting for sure, as Foxx goes on and on about how much he adores this lady he's never even met and that someday he wants to get her, "Ass up in this kitchen," but you wonder if in some ways Foxx prefers keeping it all digital. Frankly, the only thing more masturbatory about the internet than how many of us use it for literal masturbation is that many folk use it to find others who blindly agree with their beliefs.

A Reality of Our Own Making

On the internet we love to point out when people are wrong. Arguably, the only thing we enjoy more than that is teaming-up with others who share our views to point-out together how others are wrong. This piece by The Atlantic titled, "How America Went Haywire," is required reading for anyone wondering what the Hell has happened to society lately. Basically, we all live in our own realities that defy actual facts and how by finding others who feel the same way (such as online) we can make our lives an echo-chamber of nonsense until we truly believe Hillary Clinton ran a child sex-ring out of a pizza restaurant or that vaccines somehow cause autism...in dogs.

When we only go to websites that repeat this kind of nonsense and refuse to interact with anyone who feels differently than us we start to buy into the bullshit lock-stock and barrel. After all, if all our sources say Sandy Hook was a false-flag operation to bolster gun control efforts of course it was, the only news-sites and people we believe declare it to be the God's honest truth! We have gotten to the point where thanks to the internet we can enter a reality of our own making, but not just in video-games, it now can be done with simply some web-browsing.

It'll All Be Okay Though! Right?

Tech overload?

This piece so far has been pretty depressing and negative, which isn't my entire intention. As someone who is sex-positive and not at all a prude I want folk to enjoy talking about and watching consensual sex-acts to their heart's content as well as having a great time finding other people who share their social and political views so that they can engage in a jovial exchange of shared opinions. I just find it worrisome at times that as our access to the world expands we seem to be shrinking our personal circle that much smaller to only things that turn us on or people who agree with us.

I guess all I'm saying is when you're done looking at porn on the internet maybe find some articles that challenge your belief-system, pieces that state facts that you may dislike but are just that, facts. Even if you don't like the truth that doesn't stop it from being reality, and if you expose yourself to enough actuality you may turn into/remain a well-reasoned and thoughtful human being. That, or you can be one of those people who insist the Earth is flat. Your call.