Rant - Rewriting the US Tax Code

It's my personal belief that as a representing Geek it's my responsibility to constantly increase my knowledge in all things and to do that you have to read more than just comics (unfortunately).  Today the Wall Street Journal's article titled, "Years of Turmoil Forged Tax Plan" just sent me over the edge.  Here's how it starts:

"Republicans' race to rewrite the U.S. tax code on the heels of this month's election relies on years of work that is suddenly and quite unexpectedly poised to pay off.  A 2017 tax overhaul would be a case study in the benefits of dead ends and behind the scenes preparation.  Failure would show again how hard it is to reshape the U.S. tax system, even with rare political momentum and one-party control of government.  Republicans have long sought a rate-lowering, base-broadening revamp of the tax code, fusing differing business interests within the GOP coalition.  Corporation would get a rate cut and lighter taxes on foreign income.  So would small businesses, who report profits on their owners' individual tax returns.  Individuals would get those lower rates and simpler annual tax filing."

I read this and thought to myself, how can anyone read this and not be super frustrated?  To me this entire intro points to everything that is wrong with the party division currently in place in our government.  To this point I refer to one section:

"Republicans have long sought a rate-lowering, base-broadening revamp of the tax code, fusing differing business interests within the GOP coalition."  

This is why the government does not function.  The tax code applies to ALL Americans not just those in the GOP!  Look I'm Republican with a hard lean towards Libertarian and this just pisses me off.  How about approaching a problem from the aspect of the all the people of America?  Every single item being considered to become law these days has one common underlying theme; it greatly benefits the party backing it and spits in the face of the others.  Here is an idea, how about we begin writing laws that improve the lives of all American people?  Not just some, not just a minority group, not just a political party but the entire county.  No?  Too controversial?

Look I know it's not easy, in fact it's very difficult and of course I realize pretty much anything you put on the table will benefit one group of people while alienating another but my point is that things can be put in place to benefit the greater good and not shit on everyone else.  These two major parties are spending an immense amount of time and tax payer money wasting time developing legislature that only serves their interests and will never make it into law; and even though this tactic fails over and over we continue to keep doing the exact same thing.  Isn't that the definition of something?

I know there are many variables and things that need to be considered in this process that I'm not discussing here.  However, if the people running this government could just focus their energy into leading this country toward improving the social, financial and moral standing of all it's people and away from the self serving roots that poison the system and bring progress to a screeching halt, we could be on our way to actual change.

Hoping to one day see this change,
~Steve

Live Long and Prosper - RIP Leonard Nimoy

Science fiction legend and pioneer Leonard Nimoy has passed.  May he live long and prosper in the realm eternal.

See the article

Seriously sad,
~Steve

Re-imagining Superhero Body Types

Check out the article on CBR - Robot 6

My Thoughts:

Okay here is the problem with this. Yes the boobs are ridiculous there is no arguing that but these are SUPER HEROES people! They work out and beat up bad guys for a living! Just imagine if you were kicking ass 24/7 you would have a physically fit chiseled body equipped with washboard abs, big biceps and super cut legs. You want unrealistic I point you towards a kinda chubby Power Girl and Wonder Woman. Any normal human being (which neither of these woman are they're Kryptonian & Amazonian but I wont go there) with the activity level clearly shown in these comics would be an animal with nearly perfect physic! So yes the boobs are too big and some waists may be too small but these depictions I call BS on.

Kinda irritated by this,
~Steve

New THOR #1 Thorina, Lady Thor, Thorette, Female Thor

So my first reaction was, "Thor's got boobs?!?"

Eh hem.  Ok now that that is out of the way, seriously a female Thor?  Look don't get me wrong I was on board with the female Loki.  That made sense, trickster god of mischief who can shape-shift, no big stretch.  But how exactly can they justify turning Thor into a lady?  We'll find out shortly since it's slated for publishing in October but I don't know how they're going to pull this off believably.  (And yes I do see the irony in asking a comic book plot line about Norse Gods to be more believable)

Look I know what the hammer says, it's like an incantation we chant at Geekaholics Anonymous: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor".  But lets get literal.  It says, "shall possess the power of Thor" not "shall become Thor".

Jerk: But if you have the powers of Thor doesn't that make you Thor?

Me: No!  If you got the powers of Superman would you be Superman? No! You'd just be some jerk with Supermans powers.

See more @ CBR.com Here and Other Here.

Wondering what the female version of myself looks like,
~Steve

Marvel Event Evil "Axis" in October with Rick Remender at the Helm

Marvel events are always hit and miss.  Everybody has their own ideas about how they tie in to the Marvel Universe and what, if any, lasting effect they have on the characters and plot lines and I'm no exception.  But this next one coming up has sparked my interest.  Why you ask?  One word.  REMENDER.  Ok so technically its a name but I have loved this guys work ever since his big run on X-Force and of course his Captain America stuff has been awesome.  So, in short.  I have hope!

Check out more details over at CBR - Remender Spins Marvels Evil "Axis"

Crossing my fingers for a hit,
~Steve

Batman The Killing Joke Original Art Revealed (Enter Dramatic Music Here)

A REALLY cool piece of comic lore as popped up recently and this is the story thanks to my favorite comic news source CBR:

As if recent renewed debate about its ending weren’t enough to demonstrate that, after 25 years, Batman: The Killing Joke can still spur discussion, now new original artwork has surfaced indicating the scene depicting the torture of Barbara Gordon was initially far more graphic and sexualized.A photo of the inked page (below, definitely NSFW) was tweeted Sunday by Bill Hynes, a former employee of Gosh! Comics in London, revealing a naked and bleeding Barbara among the montage of images shown to her father James Gordon. In the published comic, by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, that shot is replaced by a close-up of Barbara’s face.

Indeed, whether the Joker raped Barbara Gordon has been long debated, with some readers insisting the violence was physical and not necessarily sexual. This page now may cast the scene, and the already-controversial comic, in a slightly different light.

Read the full article at CBR.COM

Here are my thoughts:

This doesn't change anything for me in the story. Everyone is going to assign their own assumptions to the story whether the art is “graphic” or not. That’s something about the comic medium I love and this is one story that uses the readers imagination masterfully and it’s made this into one of the greatest Batman stories of all time.

For instance for me the Joker has never had any interest in sex. Whether in his day to day life or in his crime it’s never been a priority or focus for him so I never saw this scene as one where he sexually violated her. This is all about humiliating, torturing, degrading and just plain beating down the Gordon’s in the most sadistic way possible. So, check check and check.

Although I do have to say this is a really cool piece of comic lore and if anyone ever does get their hands on this art they’ll either get a pretty penny for it or hold onto it and be transformed into a Geek God from it’s power. How’s that for an origin story!

Doing my best to keep up with the "cool" comics guys,
~Steve

Federal Reserve on Inflation

This article is an interesting back and forth between statements made by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and House Budget Committee member Paul Ryan's response to his comments.


Bernanke is really just reaffirming the Feds commitment to continue keeping inflation low in the future and making sure it remains a key point when making future policy decisions.

Inflation appears to “be very well-controlled now,” Bernanke said, and should remain below the Fed’s 2 percent target “for the next couple of years.” This view is backed up, he said, by “more stable commodity prices and substantial slack in labor and product markets.”

 Ryan disagrees though, saying he:

“was greatly concerned to hear the Fed recently announce that it would be willing to accept higher-than-desired inflation in order to focus on the other side of its dual mandate, which is promoting employment.”

That would be a mistake, Ryan said, because “the Fed’s tools for promoting employment are limited, imprecise, and can have highly undesirable consequences.  [It] runs the great risk of fueling asset bubbles, destabilizing prices, and eventually eroding the value of the dollar,” Ryan said. “The prospect of all three is adding to uncertainty and holding our economy back.”

Check out the rest of the article on Portfolio.com 

A huge non-fan of inflation,
~Steve

U.S. Military Goes Nimble?

News from yesterday reads:

“We’re turning the page on a decade of war,” President Barack Obama said today at the Pentagon. 

For the Pentagon, that means reducing its number of conventional ground troops and moving away from old weapons systems that don’t make much sense in an age where our biggest threats may not come from another nation, but from terrorists who operate on their own. 

The new military will be “smaller and leaner,” [Defense Secretary Leon] Panetta said...

 I'm not really sure how I feel about this yet. I'm used to a big scary U.S. Military not one that jumps around all nimbly bimbly from tree to tree. This next part I'm on board with:

...but it “will be agile, flexible, ready, and technologically advanced.” 

The Pentagon will continue to invest in science and technology and will balance budget cuts “with the imperative to sustain key streams of innovation that may provide significant long-term payoffs,” the strategic report states.

We are an advanced civilization and keeping our military on the bleeding edge of technology will give us the best possibility of defending against attack or prompting attack in response. This next justification is just kinda BS:

“We’ll continue to get rid of outdated Cold War-era systems so that we can invest in the capabilities we need for the future, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; counterterrorism; countering weapons of mass destruction; and the ability to operate in environments where adversaries try to deny us access,” Obama said.

What are you going to do, have a big ass garage sale? Getting rid of Cold War-ear systems is not going to make us more able to invest. Sure, maybe if you melt down the copper wire and sell it to the guy with the storage container in a Wal-Mart parking lot; but other than that we're still in the same boat. Most likely this will cause a huge sucking black hole into which the defense budget will be thrown into, but that is business as usual.

They close with economic impact:

This will present new opportunities for innovators. The Pentagon will be looking for better ways to protect national security in both space and cyberspace... the new strategy calls for development of a new stealth bomber and improvements in missile defenses,

The old military-industrial complex is undergoing the process of creative destruction. There will be losers, just as there is in the civilian economy...but winners will emerge as well from this shift to a more nimble military.

I'm pro business, so I was happy to see the promotion of good ole' American capitalism in this process but I'm not sold on this plan yet.


Skeptical, Hopeful and Uncertain,
~Steve

Read the full article on portfolio.com

Rare Photos of Elvis aka The King

Here are some cool rare photos of Elvis from 1955.  If you love Elvis you've got to "like" the Elvis Facebook Page because they are constantly updating with both old and new Elvis info.

Check out the great interview with Chris Kennedy about Tommy Edwards and his role early on in Elvis's career.

Always building my Elvis library,
~Steve

Teen Titans #3 - Intro of Flamboyant Gay Teen Hero

Steve V

Ok so I'm all about equality and all that crap but what happens when this gay hero gets into battles? Will villains also be charged with a hate crime if this guy is hurt somehow? Tongue and cheek aside, I'm interested to see how this is handled.

Lobdell Builds Up Gay Teen With "Titans" Bunker - Comic Book Resources

www.comicbookresources.com

Comic Book Resources - Lobdell Builds Up Gay Teen With Titans Bunker - With the much discussed, more flamboyant gay teen superhero Bunker debuting this week in DC Comics Teen Titans #3, writer Scott Lobdell discusses the metaphorical underpinnings of a series that turns young heroes into outlaws.

 ·  · Share · 46 seconds ago

Joe Simon Co-Creator of Captain America Dies at 98

He created beloved characters and had a helping hand in making modern comics what they are today.  It's a sad day in the world of comic fan-dom but here's hoping that he's now sitting at the drawing table with Jack Kirby, turning out the best Captain America story ever written and that it will be on sale outside the pearly gates; that way I can read it while I wait in line.

RIP Joe Simon, you had a great run.  My condolences to his family and loved ones.

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Joe's book and a picture of him at the 2010 New York Comic-Con

Rest Well Sir,
~Steve

2010 Already Depressing?

Ok, sometimes the crap that pops up on the MSN.com homepage (that I’ve been forced to read due to it being the default homepage on my PC, and my general laziness) is entertaining enough to click and maybe read before I move on to Google.  But not today!  Today I pop on the web and I have to see this CRAP:

Knee jerk reaction: ‘You’ve got to be $%&#ing kidding me!’.  But of course I follow along behind the rest of the cattle and click this junk to find this intro:

Poets, publicists and psychiatrists all have their candidates for the bleakest time of the year. According to one equation devised by Dr. Cliff Arnall, a British researcher from Cardiff University, Jan. 18 is 2010’s most depressing day. His formula for this bleak prediction takes into account factors like post-holiday blahs and debt, failed New Year’s resolutions and, this year, the nasty chill that has reached much further south than usual. This particular peak in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) isn't the only time that we're prone to feeling low.

Research also indicates that new antidepressant prescriptions peak around Thanksgiving and suicide rates are highest during the spring. If April is a difficult month for your mood, this correlates to T.S. Eliot’s choice, characterized as "the cruellest month." 

So what can you do if you are feeling the winter blues—and how do you know when you should seek help? – MSN.com

I wasn’t depressed before, BUT I AM NOW! 

Let me rephrase these ‘technical terms’ used by Head Shrink Arnall:

Post-Holiday blahs = Longest most terrible hangover of the year (all two weeks of it)
Post-Holiday Debt = The realization that you blew two months rent on presents for people you don’t like, and motorized hamsters for their snot nosed kids
Failed New Year’s Resolutions = As if the statistics of 65% of American’s being over weight and 16 million being severely poor wasn’t enough; you’ve already failed at a goal you set for your self two weeks ago…keep up the hard work and dedication!
Seasonal Affective Disorder = A made up way of saying the ‘rain rain go away’ song had an adverse effect on you as a child (huge exasperated sigh here)

And if you, like me, are depressed 2 1/2 weeks into the new year just remember: you could be living in Haiti…or Canada.

Cheers,
~Steve V

Futuristic Movie Tech Conquering India?

Look, we’ve all seen the movies where someone walks into a room and is immediately identified by their retinal scan or barcode on the neck or some kind of device hidden under their skin.  Which in turn allows the government, or whomever is tracking the person, to know exactly who, where, why and how about said subject.  But that’s just in the movies right?  I mean human GPS with info tracking is just wrong right?  Well not in India…

The Indian government is gearing up to undertake one of the world's biggest IT projects and distribute biometric ID cards to all of its 1.2 billion-person population. According to the government, the cards will contain retinal scans or fingerprints, credit and criminal backgrounds, and information about individuals' addresses and physical specifications. Needless to say, civil liberties groups are less than enthused about the plan. Privacy issues are a major source of concern, as is the government's ability to effectively police a project of this scale. "We could have a hacking Olympics," one analyst commented. The program is the brainchild of tech entrepreneur Nandan Nilekan, who was recently appointed head of India's new department of Unique Identification Authority. According to Nilekan, the system will be especially beneficial to the poor, who have been famously victimized by the country's massive and inefficient bureaucracy. With the cards, Nilekan claims, "maids and labourers … a hundred or two hundred million people—will be able to access welfare benefits for the first time without any questioning who they are." – Slate.com Read the Original story in Guardian

So, of course under the guise of the protection and the welfare of it’s citizens one more government moves to have complete control over it’s people…well done human race…well done. . .

Not sure if I’m overreacting,
~Steve

Kanye West mixes things up at the MTV VMA’s

 

Can you say Duche Bag?

Look…I loved Kanye’s first album just as much as the next guy but seriously?  Jumping on stage and publicly dissing Taylor Swift to say he thinks Beyonce should have won?  Have some respect man, I know you think the world revolves around you but I’ve got news for you…it revolves around me, so get with the program!

 

<a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2009/" target="_blank">Kanye West Storms The VMA Stage</a>

Kanye West Storms The VMA Stage

Plaxico hires a Prison Consultant

I had to laugh when I saw this.  A prison consultant???  What kind of qualifications do you think you have to have in order to be a prison consultant?  I’m guessing a resume brimming of full color pictures of your assorted prison tats?

Anyways, along with the story just making me chuckle, the explanation of exactly what a prison consultant does made me laugh; and while probably not purposefully, it was the highlight of the story for me.  So, for your viewing pleasure:

What do prison consultants do?

They help get you into the best prison and orient you on its rules and customs. Going to prison is a little bit like heading off to college. The first step is finding an institution that's right for you. Then there's a lot of anxiety: Who will be your roommate? Where is the library? What time does the dining hall close? How do you make a good impression with the people in charge? Will you make friends? A prison consultant addresses these concerns.

Check out SLATE for the remainder of the story.

Also, my personal opinion is that, based on my thesis for what makes someone qualified to be a prison consultant, he should definitely hire the guy from Prison Break.

Good stuff right?  Don’t they make quite the pair?  I think that if this stuff doesn’t end up on SNL shortly, they are missing the funny boat.

Still staring into the distance to where my funny boat disappeared into the horizon,
~Steve

Pocket Projector?…next stop holograms???

Check it:

The newest blow-away-your-friends devices: microprojectors (also known as pico projectors). These pocket-size gadgets take video on an iPhone (or a handful of other smartphones) and play it on any surface, turning your wall, ceiling or tent into a 60-inch screen.

The projectors first hit the market last year, with the debut of the Optoma Pico, which made a bit of a splash with the tech community. Now two competing models have been announced: the Cinemin Swivel, by WowWee Technologies ($350, at Cinemin.tv, starting in September) and the 3M MPro120 ($349 at shop3m.com, starting Sept. 1).

Read More HERE.

One small step for man.  One giant leap for Geek Kind!

As soon as I saw this all I could think was, “YES!!!  Once they perfect this, the next logical step is hologram technology!”.  And if you’re a geek you were thinking it too…don’t LIE!

I’m so excited, I can’t wait to record my first holographic message…what will I say?  umm uhh WHAT WILL I SAY?!?  Oh no, panic attack…this could be the single most important thing I ever say and I’M NOT PREPARED!!!  I have to go…

Trying to knock this baby out in 50 revisions or less,
~Steve

Spider-Man is BACK in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Finally, Macy’s has heard the cry of the people as they say, WE WANT SPIDEY!

That’s right Spider-Man is finally coming back after a ten year hiatus from the famous parade and in a BIG way:

A little more info from Marvel.com:

Millions of New Yorkers will feel their Spider-senses tingling this November when New York's own neighborhood Super Hero, Marvel's Spider-Man, makes a triumphant return to the skies over Manhattan to ensnare a new generation of fans in the 83rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®. After a decade, Thursday, November 26, 2009, marks the date when more than 3.5 millions spectators and over 50 million viewers nationwide will catch Spidey-fever as the ever popular Super Hero returns to the Macy's Parade line-up.

Marvel's legendary crime-fighting web-slinger made his Macy's Parade debut in 1987, becoming an instant classic. Hailed by spectators, amateur photographers and millions of the Super Hero's fans, the Spider-Man balloon became an icon of the Parade's signature giant character balloon line-up. Flown in the holiday spectacle for twelve years, the balloon was retired following the 1998 procession. The new Spider-Man balloon debuting in this year's Macy's Parade combines the classic pose of the previous giant—his arms outstretched in front of him and his legs bent behind in full crawling mode—but this time it will feature Spidey's classic web-slinging pose coupled with a more modern look. The Spider-Man balloon will be a part of the Macy's Parade through 2011.

Read the entire story @Marvel.com

Making sure I catch the parade on the good ole DVR this year,
~Steve

Mexican Prisoners Need Love Too

So, I would just like to post a very short clip of an article I was reading today @ NYTimes.com:

“The United States government, as part of its counternarcotics assistance program, is committing $4 million this year to help fix Mexico’s broken prisons, officials said.”

I just have one thought on this:  I thought we were broke?  Has anybody else gotten this impression or is it just me?  Have you or anybody you know been laid off or severely affected by the budget cuts???

If so, a quick tip…I hear there is money in Mexican prison jobs…just a thought…

Waiting for someone to tell me ‘4 million isn’t really that much’,
~Steve

Read more of the fun and informative article at NYTimes.com

Political Cartoons

You’ve all seen the cartoons about President Bill Clinton going over to save the two journalists being held in North Korea and being that he is well known for his little issue with a certain white house secretary they are really slamming him about it:



Don’t get me wrong it’s funny…but I like to think it happened more like this:

And for your viewing pleasure the only other funny cartoon printed this week:

I’ll tell you why this is funny…because it’s true!  Think way back to that story I wrote about the Taliban making threats to kill a soldier they held captive.  In that story the military was using a post on a Taliban website as Intel about the condition of the soldier!  The world it is a’changin.

Doing everything thing I can to keep from a’changin,
~Steve

Billy Mays was doing Cocaine???

So, here is the big headline:

Autopsy: Cocaine contributed to Billy Mays' death

Seriously?!? I could have told you they were going to find SOMETHING in this guy! Have you seen his commercials? I mean, how is it possible to talk that fast and loud without a little something to give you that extra boost…he was always WAY too excited about those products…do you know what I mean?

Ok ok so he was very discrete about it, other than all the obvious signs, he was very clean cut, good looking and well built guy right? Why would anyone question him?

But I say just take one look at his competition and take a good guess:

At first glance it might not SEEM like these guys were partying together…but now its OBVIOUS. I mean look at the Sham Wow Guy (and yes that is his name)! He looks like they picked him up off the street, needle still hanging out of his arm, and threw him in front of the camera.

Just picture this: Billy Mays is partying with this guy and he snorts up a giant line and finishes up with a SHAM WOW THAT IS GOOD SHIT! Billy turns slowly, dramatically, inebriatedly and says…son, I’m gonna make you a star!!!

And the rest is history. . .

Going to start partying in the right places for careers sake,
~Steve