Fights, colds and Captain America

Not feeling so hot this morning – like I’m coming down with something – my head is stuffy and I’m sneezing any my eyes are tearing like crazy – which kind of stinks I was going to go play city of heroes tonight but if I feel like this at the end of the day well that part is off. Still there is a plan to completely geek out on COH this weekend so that’s a plus. Cheese puffs and Red Bull to go folks.

It’s been gray too long I think people are losing their minds – I saw two almost fights last night – one between a mini-van driver who tried to loop around a tour bus who was making a very wide right turn on 33rd street and a big guy with a cell phone – the van came too fast and too close to the cell phone guy for his liking so he kicked the car as he was going by. It stopped and man with cell phone was ready to rumble – however the tour bus and a lot more traffic was coming so the mini-van moved on. You have to wonder, if the mini was in such a hurry that it damn near drove up on the sidewalk to get around the tour bus – but you have time to stop and fight?

Then over on 34th street I saw where a guy in a suit tossed a bicycle messager’s bike to the ground and then got ready to fight the messenger – they both pulled up for some reason but the air of tension and frustration remains here. We need to see the sun I think.

Meantime Dick Cheney has been touring the world snarling at his hosts and demanding fresh live puppies and kittens for dinner. Well maybe not that last bit but he’s been busy these last few days making pretty angry sounding speeches to people like the president of Pakistan, China and the odd waiter or bus boy.

Meantime – it looks like his surprise visit to Afghanistan wasn’t that much of a surprise as the base he was staying at was attacked by a suicide bomber – he wasn’t hurt but there were a good number of killed and wounded. And the happy talk is that the Taliban has regrouped and is getting ready for a spring offensive – probably just as the last National Guardsman is sent to Iraq to support the ‘surge’ which looks to have as much long term effect of the situation in Iraq as a rock thrown into a deep pond. Of all the many sins committed by this bunch of bloodthirsty idiots, letting up on the Taliban to go after Sadam is one of the worst.

In the early days of the occupation there was much nonsense written comparing the early days of the occupation of Germany after World War 2 and Iraq with the message being progress in Iraq was faster than that in Germany. There was made up talk about a die hard Nazi group the werewolves and much else that proved nonsense. But no matter what it was like in late ’45 – we weren’t bombing Berlin in 1948. We are, however, still dropping bombs on Baghdad.

As a break from all my deep thinking I picked up The Essential Captain America Vol 2. (on of a series of marvel b&w reprints) mostly cause I wanted to see the end of the second cosmic cube storyline – when I was a kid the only a few stores had comic books in my town and most had maybe two copies of each magazine. Looking back now some 40 years later I have to say …oh my was I easy to please.

Actually the art’s not bad – about ½ the books were done by Jack Kirby who even when phoning it in did good work and most of the other books were drawn by the Gene Colan who didn’t suck either – and even the one shot stuff was done by Artists who while they didn’t have the chops just then still did fine jobs.

It’s the writing that just absolutely – and there is no other word for it – sucks. I don’t know if Stan Lee was still doing all the writing at that point or was just a name on the credit box – but whatever – man the writing is just awful – stilted and full of old style comic book things like “if I can just hold on” “I can I must” and “now to accelerate to top speed” – man just get out of the way of the action Lee – yeah it’s 36 years ago but still you could write something that people might actually say out loud you know?

And yeah they were trying to give Cap a human element and human problems but for god’s sake does he have to piss and moan about the death of Bucky Barnes – every single issue? Good god cap you’re supposed to at least a bit stoic yes? And let’s face it Bucky was a low rent Robin anyway. Not much of a loss there. Then there is all the whining about the girlfriend who is an agent of S.H.E.I.L.D like Cap was going to hook up with a waitress – it’s a wonder he gets a chance to hit bad guys with all the moaning going.

Well enough of that - -still sneezing and eyes watering like heck – so I’m finishing this – back to work then to bed.

Pic is of Diana Rigg of course. Who else.

Peace Love Bucky