Avengers #18 - Infinity

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

RIP Ray Harryhausen

Special effects wizard, Ray Harryhausen, has passed away at age 92. Most known for his stop-motion effects in such films as Mighty Joe Young, the Sinbad franchise, and Clash of the Titans, Harryhausen went largely unremembered in the digital age though his contributions to movies were still appreciated by fans who might not even have known his name. Even I, a fan of his work who did know his name, was unaware that Harryhausen was still alive until an interview appeared a few years ago.

Harryhausen admitted that he may have used computer animation in his work but he was not a fan of modern cinema, noting that Hollywood in his day was about escapism and focused on what he considered "real heroes." He lamented how the "heroes" of modern movies almost uniformly solve their problems through violence and how graphic the films are. Despite winning an Oscar for his work, he also admitted that he disliked the fact that his career mostly consisted of B-movies, though he later acknowledged that many of the films on which he worked managed to outlast the "A"-movies of the same time.

Harryhausen lived out his final years in London and was not much of a public figure. Several films regarding his contributions to movies have been released in recent years.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Bookmarked

I am going through bookmarks yet again - something I do every few years, usually to no avail - so I may share some of the stuff I come across. I'm serious about doing it this time - I have so many bookmarks that I can't find anything and I spend more time on search engines looking for some site or article I thought I'd bookmarked but can't find than doing anything productive. Almost every other time I've started to do this, I become overwhelmed or am forced to stop to do something more important and never get back to it. But it's become such an issue that I really am going to see it through this time.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

RIP Jeff Hanneman, Guitarist for Slayer

Slayer just announced that founding member, guitarist, and songwriter Jeff Hanneman passed away around 11am today. He was in the hospital when his liver failed. Details are sketchy right this moment - I do not know why he was at the hospital to begin with, nor much of anything else - I only know that Jeff Hanneman has died at age 49.

He had not played with the band in about two years and recently fought a case of necrotising fascitis brought upon by a spider bite. Conflicting reports surfaced earlier this year, with some saying Hanneman would return to the band and others reporting that he might not return.

Slayer remains one of my favorite bands to this day. Their impact upon me, both as a musician and artist otherwise, cannot be exaggerated. I will definitely follow-up this post with a more proper eulogy once more is known.

Suffice it to say, our deepest condolences go out to his friends and family.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

X-Men NOW #1 - Deadpool Variant

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Kuwait Airways

The summer months are right around the corner and for many, this means it is time for a vacation! The era of the "staycation" may be behind us and more and more people are looking to travel. While there are great tourist destinations all over the world, there are many great places to visit within one's own country. Either way, you are going to need transportation and with gas prices being what they are these days, driving is not likely to be a viable option.

While there is always the bus, roads don't go across the oceans; depending on where you plan on going, you may be forced to take a plane. However, planes can be less expensive than you might think - particularly if you go through a travel agent or agency. Traditional travel agencies are near extinct now, though. They have been replaced by online sites that allow you to fashion your own travel packages, offering rates for transportation, lodging, and more.

Take kuwait airways online booking as an example. If you wish to vacation in the Middle East, there are great beaches, nightclubs, and restaurants everywhere, but do not let eh name fool you. Kuwait Airways has flights worldwide and may be the cheapest you can find no matter where you are vacationing. Online, you are able to compare prices in a single window. On some sites, you simply enter the information about your vacation and it does the rest, finding the best priced airline and lodging in the area to which you are traveling. Even if you have to manually search for the best deal, everything you need is on one site.

Even if you put off planning to the last minute, you should be able to fashion a great vacation plan online in a matter of hours - even minutes!

Screwed

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Silence & Co.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Kevin Smith Joins HuffPost Live

Kevin Smith and Jay Mewes were on Huffington Post Live earlier to promote their upcoming cartoon flick when some head honcho offered Smith a job. The director of such notable comedy classics as Clerks and Mallrats graciously accepted, noting that he often watches the channel.

This should be epic. Kevin Smith is very much a "live and let live" type of person and the HuffPost Live on-air staff (the morning chick in particular - I don't learn "journalists'" names until they land their own talk show and book deal) are very much not. Ever true to their Internet roots, the HPL (no relation) crew is staunchly fundamentalist in their collective concern for all things "minority" and socially righteous. In fact, I would be downright shocked - and not a little disappointed - to learn that each of them was not gay-married to homely, overweight, transgendered, Muslim partners of one minority persuasion or the other. They Godddamn demand the rest of us to be!

If they are not, it is clear that they are homoislamofattransgenderphobics who also routinely malign pit bulls without true knowledge of The Facts.

I've been an outspoken critic of Fundamentalist religious practices and vocal supporter of equal rights for all, but HuffPost Live's brand of pious, sanctimonious Moralism can best be summed-up by the aforementioned hostess' immediate on-air challenge:

She folded her arms in a combative stance, pulled up a tweet some other celebrity had made against gay marriage, and implored of Kevin Smith, "Do you think [this male celebrity] should get on the right side of this issue?"

The fracas can best be foreshadowed by Smith's reaction: Taken slightly aback by her self-righteous indignation, he said something to the effect of, "Well, he's his own person with his own opinions..."

Hahaha! Silly funny man, you now belong to HuffPost Live; no one is 'their own man with their own opinions' there!

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Malibu Horizon

Although I do not agree that drug and alcohol abuse can be considered a "disease," I completely understand the need for inpatient drug treatment centers. Addicts need time to work on conquering their problems and underlying issues without having to also contend with everyday issues. Inpatient treatment provides that. Rehab is not, as some people suggest, a "vacation" of any kind but the treatment facilities need not be stark, barren atmospheres. Malibu Horizon is known for its comforting environment.

Marvel to Ban "Mutants"

According to at least one article, Marvel is considering eliminating the word "mutant" from its vocabulary in what that article's writer hails as a huge step forward for all mankind. I disagree; it's fucking stupid.

We already have enough terms that provide the same separation and "mutie" was originally the "slur" for "mutant." Using this structure, Chris Claremont and other writers directly confronted issues such as apartheid and racism - issues that are almost never even hinted at in today's ultra-Liberal, politically correct world. How will those issues ever be discussed in a comic book in which the word cannot even be used?

Of course, given Marvel's editorial approach over the last five years or so, this is probably just another gimmick that will come and go in a matter of issues. The only reason I bring it up is because it's yet another example of what amounts to censorship by social contract. There are already plenty of racial slurs Marvel, and other publishers, do not use, so why add yet another - why create a fake slur word then refuse to use it? Even better, why create now two fake slur words for the same thing?

And, moreover, it isn't like Marvel is ever going to actually confront any of the issues for which it is ostensibly instituting this self-censorship - I can't imagine the company ever tackling racism or separatism in any shape, form, or fashion these days except as a gimmick.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Guitar Parts

If you play guitar, you have probably put one together at some point or at least thought about it. To do so, you will need Guitar Parts and you can find them online. From strings to necks to pickups and more, you can now custom build the guitar of your choosing without ever leaving the house. I actually knew a couple of guys who started out doing this very thing and later turned it into a living, so it is definitely something to consider if you are a guitar enthusiast.

RIP Don Payne, Simpsons Writer/Producer

48-year-old Don Payne, best known for his work as a writer and producer on The Simpsons, died from bone cancer last Tuesday at his home in LA. Payne also wrote the screenplay for Thor, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He won four Emmys for his work on The Simpsons. He also won an award from the WGA for his work.

Our condolences to his family and friends.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013