Comics 11.26.2003

Batman #621
Catwoman #25
Amazing Spider-Man #501
Punisher #36
Queen & Country #21

Another day….

Bye Hee Seop….

This upsets me… I’m not even going to bother to get into it. It’s just a bad move.

Why commemorate death?

I thought this was an interesting little story.

It got me thinking about the politics of photographing cemeteries, a topic I thought of while viewing photographs at a photoblog I check out from time to time.

Cemeteries are unlikely places to find beautiful photographs. There’s a fine line between the life at the cemetery and the death in it. It’s certainly hard to know how to act and react to the environment and it’s surroundings.

I (personally) feel uncomfortable photographing cemeteries, which brings me to my conclusion: I should understand that cemeteries are supposed to be a place to celebrate the lives resting there… Mourning does not hold a monopoly. Perhaps one day I will truly understand this, for now, it’s just some words on a computer screen.

Total Solar Eclipse

The universe is like a puzzle really, and every so often the pieces come together and give us a little understanding as to how it all fits together. But why does it fit together and why are the pieces so disjointed?

Pith

Pith is an interesting word.

2003.11.21 – 1949

Men fall into patterns, history repeats itself in small doses – rotations per minute per my life- inhale, breathe in banal inheritance.

History lies, backwards progress, regression, suspension… becoming so much more than even time thought to allow… and I find my natural lines are longer than this book will allow me. Comfortable cohesion clung to, and talked about and sought after… I’m trying to pull it together, and begin in some frank newness… newness that is now, that is new, that is contention.

… or will I know how to decipher my own scratch, music, charity? Or will I see my own reverence, pushing me back to my starting point?

Listen, rotations per minute, per consequence, bones cracking, age old movement, past. Time is nothing to work for or against, or understand that each second exists because of its previous incarnation. The previous and the post-ious existing in harmony with the now. I am only here now because I was here one second before, writing about 1+1= my bitter sweet disposition… revolutions per minute. I’m counting, always counting.

… and now, I change the station in my mind, bring my thoughts to some distant echo, soft and serene – cool like winter, clear and thoughtful –

This is me, hunched over, in my house, alone, thinking too much… or not enough.

Big Choi!

Hee Seop Choi is busy this winter preparing himself for next years Cubs team. So far the Cubs haven’t made any big moves this off season, and I’m really hoping they don’t make a move for a new first baseman. Choi is the man. He’s a great defender, his bat will come back (once he sees enough major leage picthing, consistently!), and he comes at a cheap price (which frees up jack for these high dollar “stars”).

From Cubs.com article…

As the Chicago Cubs spend the winter months trying to sort out their situation at first base, Hee Seop Choi is quietly going about the process of trying to secure a spot on the 25-man roster.

As part of his quest to return to the forefront of the Cubs’ minds when they begin Spring Training in Arizona next February, Choi is playing in the Venezuelan Winter League for the Magallanes Navigators.

“Family Guy” Returns?!

Now this is some good news!

As many as 35 new episodes could premiere in January 2005, according to the Fox spokesperson, which would mark the first time a canceled series has been revived on the strength of its DVD sales and syndication ratings.

Comics 11.19.2003

Transmetropolitan Vol 9 The Cure TPB
Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Daredevil #54
“Vision Quest”, Part 4 of 5. Looks like some interaction between Echo and Wolverine coming up…. Hmmm…

Hulk Gray #3 (Of 6)
Loeb and Sale continue their Hulk story…

Small week, but that’s okay. This new Transmet trade will keep me busy. Also started reading Watchmen again, so that’s another long one to keep me reading.

I’ve been thinking about getting a cat lately, a Maine Coon. Anyone have any stories to tell about their Maine Coon cat? Maybe point me in the direction of one that needs a home?

There’s peace in quietness…

What do my thoughts sound like when I’m not thinking? What are my thoughts thinking? Is there any way for me to control my thoughts, or are they controlling me? What are my thoughts? What best defines me as a person? Is there a difference between the me in the mirror and the me in my head? Why does one question always lead to another?

I’ve searched for peace in many ways, and in just as many ways it has eluded me. I think I’ve given up looking for God, because all while I was looking, God was right there looking at me. I think I’ve given up trying to understand what it is I cannot understand. Is God a reality? Does it really matter?

I’m reminded of the story of the man who was struck by an arrow… his doctor wished to remove the arrow at once, but the man did not want it removed until he knew everything about the person that shot the arrow; his age, his parents, why he shot it… What would happen to this man if he were to wait until all his questions were answered? Death? That’s a good possibility. But what good are his questions? Perhaps life is best spent being and doing what we can as human beings. Endless questioning about the infinity of the world does not bring us any closer to the truth.

“The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole.”

drunkinjuns.org

I used to love the Drunk Injuns, and while talking to a friend this morning we got to talking about them. I typed “Drunk Injuns” in Google, and their it was… their website. I had been looking for a Drunk Injuns wesite for a while, because I knew they would have one sooner or later… I guess I hadn’t checked for it in a while though because it looks like it’s been up most of the year… good thing I found it now that 2003 is finally coming to an end.

And thank God 2003 is nearing it’s end. I typically don’t believe in bad years, but I’m ready for this one to go away…

Purpose…

Last night I watched a movie called Hana-bi, and while watching it I kept thinking about purpose.

I wasn’t thinking of your purpose, or her purpose, or their purpose. I wasn’t thinking of the purpose of a race (human) or the purpose of a specific philosophy or religion. I was thinking of individual purpose. The purpose a person finds that keeps them going, for whatever reason. The purpose that is their own and no one elses. This is what truly keeps people alive, isn’t it? At the end of the day, sitting alone in your chair, sleeping in your bed, eating your dinner, purpose is what keeps the blood flowing.

Purpose can save a person from their own despair.

Purpose is (for the most part) neither right nor wrong, it just is. What drives you cannot be condemned by others… though they might try, ultimately their attempts are (or should be) in vain.

I’m pushing myself for whatever my purpose might be. I might know it, or it might know me… either way, I will understand it, focus on it, and push towards it… This is drive. This is desire.

In purpose is hope. I’m hoping.

Cy Young Sham

Gagne. Whatever.

What the?

My head hurts after looking at these…

I’m going to lay down now.

A Brief History of the Cy Young Award

I thought this was kind of interesting.

It seems as though, historically, the Cy Young Award always went to winners of many games (as close to 20 as there was). I guess times need to change, but it just seems to me that if a Cub doesn’t win this award, it’s just another slight at the entire Chicago Cubs organization by the powers that be (whatever they be). But being a Cub fan all my life, I’m used to being short changed.

NL Cy Young Award

The National League Cy Young Award will be announced tomorrow, and among the hopefuls are the Cubs’ Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. I’d love to see either one of them receive the award, though I think I’m rooting for Kerry Wood just a little more.

Kerry had a great season, and pulled off some great games in the playoffs. He took the loss hard in the final game of the NLCS, and I think receiving this award could really boost his morale, and just generally help the dude feel the love. Prior will have plenty of time to collect.

Eric Gagne of the Dodgers is considered the favorite to win. All I can say is, I disagree. Starting pitchers live in a different world. Closers are great, but starting is key. If you don’t have someone going 7+ innings, what do you have? You can’t get to the 9th inning without playing 8 innings before it.

I guess tomorrow will tell.

Go Cubbies!

Comics 11.12.2003

Incredible Hulk #63
Hulk Smash

Nyx #2
Issue 2, we’ll see where this is going. So far, it looks like it might have a chance.

Punisher #35
I was going to drop this title, but it’s ending soon, so I might as well stick it out. Next comes a MAX Punisher title… I love the “F” word.

Ultimate Six #4 (Of 6)
Things are getting crazy here…

Ultimate X-Men #39
Boom!

Queen & Country #20
With each issue this book gets better and better

Sometimes, this is what it feels like…

I spent some time out today sitting on a park bench. Across the street from this park was an old convenient store that somehow lost it’s convenience. I had my camera with me, and managed to find a few photos in rusty corners, and quiet alleys.

I sat on that bench for a long time. I read a little, I wrote a little, and I sat a little more. The wind was blowing hard and pieces of sand were flying at me with some sort of intention. I managed to catch some in my mouth… it was crunchy, but didn’t really taste like anything.

I sat alone for some time until some old friends drove by on their way to the store. They stopped and talked for a bit until their need to shop overcame them, and off they went. It was good to see them, I hadn’t really seen either one of them much for the past (hell) 10 years.

The book I was reading was called Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior, and reading it had me thinking more about life, and what it is am I doing with it, and where it is I think I am taking it. It was fitting (as I sat alone) and read about Overcoming Arrogance and Overcoming Habitual Patterns. These ideas aren’t completely unique, but the way they are presented, coupled with my current state of mind, I felt good reading them.

The road back to “normalcy” is a long one, and I wonder if I’ll have anything left if I do manage to find my way back. Emptiness is not totally empty, and I am not completely alone… It’s one thing to know these things, and a completely different thing to understand them.

Why do I carry on, and what am I carrying?

Triple Threat

I watched all three Matrix films today, now my head hurts.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of the total lunar eclipse tonight. Perhaps I can even get a nice photo of the moon to add to my collection!

Astronomers expect a colorful show Saturday night when Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon, creating a total lunar eclipse. The event is expected to be much more visually pleasing than a similar eclipse May 15.

“The November eclipse will be dramatically brighter than the May event,” says Fred Espenak, a NASA scientist and veteran eclipse watcher.

I was lucky enough to inherit my Grandfather’s Grandfather Clock when he passed. It’s a beautiful Seth Thomas Floor Clock, and sometimes I just sit and listen to it tick. It’s really peaceful for me, even though most ticking clocks tend to irritate me.

This clock has a neat feature on it called a moon dial. It’s pretty obvious what a moon dial is, and in the past these dials were used to help determine best times to plant, fish or travel. For me it’s just a nice touch to the clock, and it adds to the overall appearance. With tonight being a full moon, the moon dial is right on the money, telling me that tonight’s moon will be full. I sometimes check with my moon dial in the morning to know what kind of moon to look for that evening.

Sadly, it’s 5 months today since my Grandfather passed away. I miss him every day. Tonight’s lunar eclipse will be a nice memorial.