Less Than Royal Treatment

We got back from our Mexican cruise on the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas, in honor of my parent's 65th wedding anniversary on Sunday. Except for dropping $200 at the Texas Hold-Em table everything was going fine until our last night on the ship. We had a cocktail party in my uncle's cabin before dinner, my Uncle Gordon, my parents, my sister Barbara and her fiance Mick and Dayle, Brian and me. We left to get ready for dinner and a few minutes later Barbara, Mick and the three of us we seated at our table in the dining room, having just ordered our drinks when Uncle Gordon came in and said, "We think Rosalie (my mother) just had a stroke!"

We spent the next three hours in the ship's medical facility. My mother's blood pressure was 198/97 and she was incoherent. The doctor (at least we think he was a doctor), a big Russian man who spoke in broken English and possessed a loud barking voice, ordered the nurses about as they began dripping something into my mother, which slowly began to lower her blood pressure . When it got to 145/90 he said she was "out of trouble," that for her that would be "normal" and that she could not survive on a normal blood pressure of "120 or so." He and the nurses then left the room and I sat there watching her blood pressure slowly go down to the "normal 120 or so" and then still lower. When it got to 103 I found the doctor and asked about it. He then took her off the drip and her blood pressure went back to the 140 area.

They released her (against our wishes) and we kept asking the doctor about a stroke. "She no have stroke. Stop saying that word. No stroke here. High blood pressure only problem. No stroke." We watched her through the night and when we got off the ship in the morning I drove her to her hospital and we spent the day getting her checked in. They looked at her in the ER, did a CAT scan and said she had had a stroke. Duh! She had trouble forming words, didn't remember anything about Saturday, was docile and quiet. When we checked her in she had to sign an admittance form. She signed "Rosalie" and then stopped and stared at the paper. I said, "Keller" and she slowly signed her last name. She got into a room around 9:00 PM, ten hours after we arrived at the hospital.

She was better yesterday, remembering the cocktail party and the doctor (she thought he was handsome), but not much else. She was speaking better, being able to form more words. They will be looking for heart damage today and to see how her new pacemaker is working.

We did this trip this year because we were not sure both my parents would be around for a 70th anniversary; I hope we were wrong.

I did some checking this morning and it appears that Holland America is rated as having the best medical facilities and we may take that into consideration next time we cruise. When we took Holland America to Hawaii in 2003 we awoke the first morning to a Coast Guard helicopter hovering outside our balcony. A passenger had had a heart attack and they called for an air-lift. They also TURNED THE SHIP AROUND to meet the helicopter and put us 8 hours behind schedule when we hit Hawaii five days later. On Royal Caribbean the doctor would have most likely argued with the passenger over the chances that a heart attack had occurred.

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Blackhawk #238

Blackhawk #238 (On Sale: October 12, 1967) sports an unusual cover by the usual team of Dick Dillin and Charles Cuidera.

Inside we have "The Walking Booby-Traps" by Bob Haney, Dick Dillin and Charles Cuidera, a continuation of last issue's story. The Blackhawks are captured by the international criminal Barbarossa and the traitorous android G.E.O.R.G.E. agent, Johnny Vak. The team is knocked unconscious, then mysteriously released. When they return to G.E.O.R.G.E. headquarters they each discover powerful explosive implanted into the skulls. Though Mr. Delta places them under arrest for going off on their own while suspended, the team escapes in order to prevent the explosives from hurting others.

Edited by George Kashdan.

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Tales of the Unexpected #104

Tales of the Unexpected #104 (On Sale: October 10, 1967) has a very dramatic cover by Neal Adams. When the mystery/horror craze hits in full stride over the next few years, Adams will be the guy who does the majority of the covers. Here is his first "mystery" cover for DC.

Inside we have "Master of the Voo-Doo Machine" by Carl Wessler and Bernard Baily which would later be reprinted in Unexpected #162, "I Was King of Dagger Island" drawn by the amazing Leonard Starr (known mainly for his 22-year run on the syndicated "On Stage")and reprinted from My Greatest Adventure #1 and finally "The 24-Hour Nightmare" drawn by Jack Abel.

Edited by Murry Boltinoff

Off to Mexico

I leave this morning for a week-long cruise to Mexico in celebration of my parent's 65th wedding anniversary. Our group will consist of my wife Dayle and me, our son Brian, my parents (duh!), my sister Barbara, her fiance Mick and my Uncle Gordon. First time cruising for Barbara and Mick, but the rest of us are old-timers at sea. We will be hitting Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. The brochures say there is wi-fi in all the cabins and most of the common areas, but we shall see if this is so and how much will it set me back. I may post from the ship or I might just say, "Fuck it; I'm on vacation."

When I get back I have to get serious about finding work as it will be closing in on three months of unemployment by then, but I also have a salon showing of my artwork in early November and I need to get a few more pieces done. I shall be busy when I return, but hope to not think of much of this while at sea, though I am taking most of my pastel supplies, so if the mood strikes I can get a few pieces done on ship.

Something Republicans Could Learn From

Did anyone else catch the amazing video of Marion Jones on Countdown Friday night?



You can tell she isn't a Republican. Honesty, contrition, guilt and shame, things Republicans know nothing about.

Republicans Bash the Troops!

Oh why do they hate America so much? Why do they hate freedom? What can you say about a despicable Republican party that would actually try raising money off of Rush Limbaugh's attacks on Iraq veterans?

How unpatriotic! How unAmerican! How desperate?

Watch this from tonight's Keith Olbermann.

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Superboy #143

Superboy #143 (On Sale:October 5, 1967) sports a really wonderful Neal Adams cover, his first for the "Boy of Steel."

"The Big Fall" is written by E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by Al Plastino. Plastino is another guy who is on his way out at DC. He has about six more months of work before he is let go after drawing Superman and the Superman family for 20 years, a victim of a style that cannot change with the times.

The second Superboy story, "Superboy's Civil War Time Trip" is a reprint from Superboy #91 by Jerry Siegel and George Papp. A Smallville celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the Civil War through a re-enactment includes the Kent family, Lana Lang, and Lex Luthor. Superboy travels into space to stop an alien missile, but when he returns to Earth he sees Clark Kent participating in the play. Knowing that it can’t be the real Clark, he watches and thinks that the explosion sent him into the past where he is seeing the real Civil War.

The people involved resemble the future residents of Smallville, except Clark is a spy, and the Luthor duplicate is a hero. Superboy tries to alter history, but in each case he is thwarted by fate.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Democratic-Blue Republican Elephant With Racing Stripes!

As Kieth Olbermann asked tonight, does anyone get this logo? Democratic blue, with racing stripes! And elephants only get up on two legs when they are humping! Best of all, this is to happen just a few miles away from the Sen. Larry Craig Memorial Mens Room Stall; Republican humping at its best! Hot, sweaty Republican mansex!

The Daily Kos has this take:

And yes,this is real, not an extremely clever photoshop job, and truly encapsulates what the Republican Party is all about.

Wide stance? Check.

In Minneapolis? Check.

Prison stripe-wearing? Check.

Starry eyed? Check.

As for the elephant humping the "2008"...

Are they going for a "Still screwing the country in 2008" theme, or is it a reference to hypocritical adulterers like David Vitter and just about the entire Republican presidential field?

All of the above? Check!

Apparently they ran out of space for a collapsing bridge.

Pants Aflame!

Remember when president shit-for-brains stood in front of the American people in 2005 and 2006 and declared, "We do not torture terror suspects?" Funny story. Ends up he was, oh, what's that word? The one always associated with this shithead? Oh yeah, lying. The mother fucker was lying, and he knew it! So all you people out there who still support this dirtbag need to ask yourself "why do you support him?"

He has no morals, no scruples, can't run a war, can't manage an economy, runs up record deficits, makes bigger and bigger government that wants to watch every thing that you do, lies through his teeth and even with owning the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Justice Department and the Supreme Court he didn't even attempt to reverse "Roe vs. Wade." If your pet desire from government is not "make really rich people even richer" then he doesn't give a shit about you or your wants and neither does his party. They do hope you ignore the massive evidence to the contrary and hope you still continue to vote for them even though they will never do for you what they promise when running for office.

He is a fucking liar; you people who still foolishly support him are just pathetic.

Christmas Comes Early for Democrats!

Today Sen. Larry Craig defiantly vowed to serve out his term in office on Thursday despite losing a court attempt to rescind his guilty plea in a men's room sex sting. Can it get much better than this for Democrats? They get to blast the hypocritical Republic party and their not-so-closeted gay members all the way through the primaries! They're all about "family values" folks, oh, and lying to your face! From Larry Craig to David Drier just one gay hypocrite after another!

I believe the song goes...

Happy days are here again!

Self Portrait

One of the reasons I have been unable to post much lately is that I am taking a basic drawing class in college right now. I don't think I need it, but it is the only way to get into the good art classes, so take it I have. Actually, the instructor is very good, making what would be really boring, pretty interesting. Our latest homework is to do a self portrait in conte and mixed media. Mine is 2% conte and 98% pastels and pastel pencils.

I did my painting on butcher paper, using a mirror I moved into the bedroom to the right I get my visual. This would be so much easier if I could just take a picture and go from that, but part of the assignment is no photo reference.

Oh, did I forget to mention that the portrait had to be life-sized?

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Atom #34

Atom #34 (On Sale: October 3, 1967) has a cool cover by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson. I loved those Gil Kane "big hand" covers!

Inside we have "Little Man -- You've Had a Big-Gang Day" by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sid Greene. I'm not sure why the Atom never caught on as a character. Shrinking down to sub-atomic size seems like it would open up a whole world of interesting stories, but the Atom never seemed that exciting. I don't know if the problem was secret identity Ray Palmer or a reliance on "bug-based" villains, but something just never worked right here. Certainly, the problem was not the artwork; Gil Kane was a master comic book illustrator of great invention.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Strange Adventures #206

Strange Adventures #206 (On Sale: September 28, 1967) has a very nice Mike Sekowsky and George Roussos cover. You can use this as a trivia question to stump your friends, "Who besides Infantino and Adams drew Deadman in his first year?" Chances are Sekowsky is not going to be their first guess.

Inside we have "An Eye for an Eye" by Jack Miller, Neal Adams and George Roussos. Miller took over editing and kicked Arnold Drake out of his own series. This is the book most people think of when they think of Adams' first super-hero story even though his Elongated Man back-up story appeared in Detective Comics on the same day.

Boston Brand has been given a second life in spirit form as Deadman in order to find his own murderer. His search leads him away from the Hills Bros. circus, but before he leaves he stops to visit Lorna Hill, the owner. She is meeting with her brother Jeff, who claims to have taken out an insurance policy of Boston's life. Jeff is facing money problems, which leads Boston to suspect Jeff of his murder.

Deadman takes over Jeff's body as he meets with a motorcycle gang led by Morty. Morty is blackmailing Jeff, claiming that he has evidence that Jeff murdered Lenny Deane in Dayton. While this gives Jeff an alibi for Boston's murder, Deadman suspects that Jeff is innocent of Deane's murder too. He finds evidence that proves Morty was the real killer. After saving Jeff's life, Deadman forces Morty to confess. When Deadman leaves his body, Jeff has no memory of the adventure, but he is now cleared of the murder rap. Reprinted in World's Finest Comics #223 and Deadman #1.

The backup story is a reprint from Strange Adventures #64, "The Earth-Drowners" is by Joe Samachson, Jerry Grandenetti and Joe Giella.

Edited by Jack Miller.

A Rocky Ending

Over on the Tony Isabella board I have been playing Bob Ingersoll's weekly Movie Quiz. Each week Bob comes up with a theme and then finds five films that point to that theme, with the final Friday film usually being a titular slam-dunk, i.e., the theme is in the name of the film. Anyway, today's movie was Rocky III, Bob's clue being "1982 When 'The Italian Stallion' is defeated by a brutal challenger, his former nemesis offers to retrain him in order to regain his fighting spirit." This got me thinking about when I worked at a theater in the 1970s.

In my half year or so working at a discount twin-screen theater one of the films we showed was the original Rocky. The theater got films in a few weeks to a month after everyone else got them, but we only charged $.99 a seat and had the best seating-to-screen size ratio in town, which made for a pretty nice viewing experience. We played Rocky for over a month and one of my jobs was to make sure there were no problems when a film ended and that people did not go out the emergency exit, which also allowed kids to sneak in (even at a $.99 movie it happened all the time), so I was always in the theater for the end of the movie.

The thing I noticed about Rocky was that I would get lots of questions from people asking me what happened at the end of the film. They just could not believe that Rocky lost the fight; they wanted the pat Hollywood ending. I would explain that Rocky lost the fight, but won his life, that he knew he couldn't beat Apollo but that to prove to himself that he was not "a bum" he needed to go the distance and had. Some people were satisfied with this, but some were not. To those still in doubt I would say, "Look where he was and who he was at the beginning of the film and look at where he ended up" and that usually turned on the light-bulb for most. A few though just never got that Rocky had a happy ending. Me? The first few times I saw Rocky I was in tears, but I am such a baby.

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #79

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #79 (On Sale: September 26, 1967) features Neal Adams' first super-hero cover. Soon Neal would be doing most of the Superman family covers. I always thought Neal drew a beautiful Lois Lane.

Inside we have "The Bride of Titanman" by Richard Hughes and Kurt Schaffenberger, When a member of the Anti-Superman Syndicate uses an experimental weapon on Superman, the blast is deflected off his body and strikes Lois. The ray transports Lois to a parallel dimension inhabited by girls resembling Twiggy. Lois is arrested by the midget police force and put in a jail cell (Is Richard Hughes a pseudonym for David Lynch?). She is rescued by Titanman, a hero visiting from another planet.

Titanman falls for Lois and despite her feelings for Superman, she agrees to marry him. At the wedding she learns that Titanman already has seven wives and polygamy is legal. Lois wants to back out, but Titanman's mental powers sap her will to resist. Superman then arrives, but instead of helping Lois, he encourages the marriage.

The backup story is "Checkmate for Lois" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Kurt Schaffenberger. Lois investigates a mysterious millionaire who has converted an aircraft carrier into a castle. Lois fails to get an interview, but Lana Lang succeeds. Then several people who share similarities with chess pieces disappear. Lois tracks them and Lana back to the aircraft carrier where she unmasks the millionaire as Professor Lang, Lana's father.

Lois is then taken prisoner, because Lana, her father, and the others have been taken over by a ancient sorceress, two kings, and their followers whose spirits had been trapped inside magical chess pieces. The sorceress Lediv, inhabiting Lana, then lures Superman to the castle and arranges for his mind to be taken over.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

More Homework

I had homework to pick an artist I was interested in and to copy a picture of their's in soft charcoal. I chose James Bama. I had to fix this once and then go over the blacks again to get the really dark tones in the hat, neck and deaper creases of the face but I think it turned out really well. I started out with a sort of blanket neutral tone on the face then darkened it where needed and erased it to lighten where needed. Bama painted this guy's face dark and then dabbed the lighter skin color over the top, creating the weather-beaten look of his skin. By daubing the eraser over the neutral tones I was able to simulate the effect.

My Still Life

I'm taking this basic drawing class in college (it's a long story) and our homework the second week was to "draw a still life with personal significance..." so I drew one that encompassed a few of the things that are important to me: A spring toy my son gave me one Father's Day, which signifies my family, a mask worn by Chris O'Donnell in the movie Batman and Robin, which signifies my love of film, my TiVo remote, which signifies my love of good television and techy gadgets, The Phantom #69, which signifes my love of comics and Don Newton's work, and my set of Unison pastels, which signify my love of artwork.

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Plastic Man #7

Plastic Man #7 (On Sale: September 21, 1967) has a cover by Carmine Infantino and Mike Esposito.

Inside we have "Plastic Man's Fantastic Old Man" by Arnold Drake and Winslow Mortimer. Three costumed criminals attempt to rob an art gallery. Plastic Man and his assistant try to stop the robbery, but fail. News about the robbery reaches Gordon Trueblood, who questions his friend Plastic Man about the crime. Plas reveals that it was his father, the original Plastic Man, who tried to stop the crime. Plastic Man, Jr. and Gordy then visit a rest home owned by the senior Plastic Man. He explains that the criminal leader, the King of Spades, also owns the mortgage on the rest home and is trying to take it over. The elder Plas has been unable to prove that the King is a criminal.

The two Plastic Men team up to trap the King of Spades and his partners. Their plan almost succeeds, but Gordy loses the evidence against them. Then the King takes over the rest home.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

I'd Like to Secede Please

Well, it sure isn't Lord of the Flies, but it is slightly more entertaining than watching flies. Kid Nation, the new reality program on CBS is a hopeless bore-fest. What did you expect?

Forty kids ages 8 to 15 are secluded in an abandoned New Mexico ghost town (OK, really a movie set used for Legend of the Lone Ranger and Silverado) where they will spend 40 days creating a new community with their own little hands. There has been the pre-show hoopla regarding the possible skirting of child-labor laws and 14-hour shooting days. And yeah, it appears that four of the kids accidentally drank bleach during the filming of an episode (bet that doesn't make it on the air).

CBS pushed this show with "kids forming a better society" trappings, but what you really have is a Survivor clone for those dancing around puberty. And not a good Survivor clone either, more of a Pirate Master type of clone, with fake mythology "the adults couldn't make a go of this town and it died, maybe you kids can do better." Too bad it is really a movie set, which is built near the foundations of what was once Bonanza City.

As in all Survivor clones, the kids are divided up into teams and compete against one another. They don't vote anyone off, but at the end of each show, kids can request to go home to their Mommy. The smart ones, eight-year old Jimmie in the first episode, will do this quickly.

Like Survivor there are camera crews all over the place generating reel after reel of film. Unfortunately all of it is dull and insipid. What is scary about this show is that what they are showing you is the interesting part (and if you figure 10 film crews filming for 14 hours a day, that is 140 hours of film a day or 560 hours of film they had to work with for just the first episode)! That the show lay there like a turd slowly turning hard as the sun bakes it is a sure indication that there is something horribly wrong with this show.

I think the real problem here is that 1) the pre-show hype talked about "kids forming a better society," but in reality it's just a reality show using fake competition and reward and punishment to get the kids to do things 2) the kids are just not very interesting, and 3) they're kids. You know how on every season of Survivor there are one or two really whiny players that you can't wait for the others to vote off? Well, on Kid Nation there are 40 of them and after one episode I'm voting them off my TiVo.

I Finally Know What GOP Stands For!

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a plan to give our troops in Iraq more leave time and have repeatedly blocked any effort to bring the troops home. The GOP, the Ghouls Of Politics have once again spoken up for more death. Watch how they try to wriggle out of this come next year's elections. Ghouls, that's what they are.