When Iron Man was first announced, I have to admit I had mixed feelings. Could be good, but probably kinda tough to pull off. But then they signed Robert Downey Jr. to play Iron Man, and I thought, hmmm … interesting. And then the hype just grew and grew and grew until it was already being hailed as one of the greatest comic movies ever.

I liked it. I really enjoyed. But I wouldn’t say I loved it. It’s a good, entertaining movie from start to finish, with good performances, a solid, beenWhen Iron Man was first announced, I have to admit I had mixed feelings. Could be good, but probably kinda tough to pull off. But then they signed Robert Downey Jr. to play Iron Man, and I thought, hmmm … interesting. And then the hype just grew and grew and grew until it was already being hailed as one of the greatest comic movies ever.

I liked it. I really enjoyed. But I wouldn’t say I loved it. It’s a good, entertaining movie from start to finish, with good performances, a solid, been-there-done-that origin story, and awesome F/X that don’t overpower, but rather, enhance the movie. For me, the only thing missing was some heart. Well really well-crafted, I thought it lacked a little human element. I was into the movie, and had fun, but wasn’t as emotionally invested as I wanted to be.

But otherwise, Iron Man is a big thumbs up. If you go in thinking, this will be a fun movie, you won’t be disappointed.

It seems to be that time of year again, and it came on with a vengeance. I’m talking, of course, about allergies.

Are you one of the afflicted?

Fortunately for me, mine haven’t been too bad. Just a minor irritation, like being slightly buzzed on cough syrup, and having a dried out nose. But everywhere I go people are sneezing 6, 8, 10, 15 times in a row. And the crazy thing is that it [i]totally[/i] annoys me. I know it’s not their fault. I know they don’t [i]want[/i] to be sneezingIt seems to be that time of year again, and it came on with a vengeance. I’m talking, of course, about allergies.

Are you one of the afflicted?

Fortunately for me, mine haven’t been too bad. Just a minor irritation, like being slightly buzzed on cough syrup, and having a dried out nose. But everywhere I go people are sneezing 6, 8, 10, 15 times in a row. And the crazy thing is that it [i]totally[/i] annoys me. I know it’s not their fault. I know they don’t [i]want[/i] to be sneezing like that. I know they’re not having a grand time, but the crazy, impatient part of my brain thinks: [i]"Get it under control already! Your sneezing is driving me crazy!"[/i]

Hey, I admit that it’s unreasonable of me to think this way, but sometimes I do. Now, I hope nobody’s throwing mental barbs my way when I go on the rare sneezing attack, but that’s how it goes. I try to let those thoughts slip by, but sometimes it just drives me batty!

Anyway, I hope your allergies aren’t too bad. Luckily, I’ve been mostly unscathed. Let’s see what the rest of the Spring brings our way …

My cat, Alex, is now a drugged-out, speed freak!

Now that he’s back home from the vet and doing well after surgery, the only part of his recovery we’d like to see a little more progress on is his appetite. He hasn’t been eating quite as much as we’d like. So the vet prescribed him an appetite stimulant …

Whoa!

I’ve you’ve ever seen the movie [i]Over the Hedge[/i], there’s a character (a chipmunk maybe), voiced by Steve Carrell, who’s gibbering maniac to start, but on caffeineMy cat, Alex, is now a drugged-out, speed freak!

Now that he’s back home from the vet and doing well after surgery, the only part of his recovery we’d like to see a little more progress on is his appetite. He hasn’t been eating quite as much as we’d like. So the vet prescribed him an appetite stimulant …

Whoa!

I’ve you’ve ever seen the movie [i]Over the Hedge[/i], there’s a character (a chipmunk maybe), voiced by Steve Carrell, who’s gibbering maniac to start, but on caffeine, he’s an uncontrollable maniac.

That’s Alex all over. Almost immediate after giving him the appetite stimulant he started going bonkers! Meowing like crazy. And incessantly. It’s like he did a line off a mirror! And then another line, then another.

He would enter a room. Turn around and leave. Sit on the couch, get off the couch. Walk into a room. Leave a room. Meow. Walk into a room. Meow. Meow. Meow. Leave a room. Meow. Sit on the couch. Meow. Meow again. Sit in Liz’s lap. Meow. Get down from Liz’s lap. Meow. Meow. …

Repeat.

A lot.

So, we’re happy he’s eating, but [i]man[/i] has he gone crazy. That appetite stimulant must be some [i]goooooood [/i]stuff …

Alex came home from the vet last week, and man oh man is he happy to be back (see my April 18 blog for details). He looks good and is purring like there’s no tomorrow. He did very well on his surgery, and for now, is doing really well. His appetite hasn’t come all the way back yet and he’s on about 28 different medications (it’s really 4, but is seems like more), but he seems happy as a clam, enjoying all the spoils of being a house cat, having already reclaimed several of his usual chilling spoAlex came home from the vet last week, and man oh man is he happy to be back (see my April 18 blog for details). He looks good and is purring like there’s no tomorrow. He did very well on his surgery, and for now, is doing really well. His appetite hasn’t come all the way back yet and he’s on about 28 different medications (it’s really 4, but is seems like more), but he seems happy as a clam, enjoying all the spoils of being a house cat, having already reclaimed several of his usual chilling spots. We’re just thrilled that he’s home.

Thanks for all of the support and good wishes. Liz, Alex and I all appreciate it.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2008/04/29 14:28

A few weeks ago I blogged about getting nailed by the Man. Yep. A parking ticket. (See March 21 "The Cops Nailed Me!).

Well, I appealed the ticket, on what I thought were very legitimate points, and provable. And I beat those suckers! I am mighty!

Sorta. Kinda.

Well, a little.

They reduced my $35 ticket to $26.

Wow, I feel so vindicated, so rewareded, so …

Screwed.

… sigh …A few weeks ago I blogged about getting nailed by the Man. Yep. A parking ticket. (See March 21 "The Cops Nailed Me!).

Well, I appealed the ticket, on what I thought were very legitimate points, and provable. And I beat those suckers! I am mighty!

Sorta. Kinda.

Well, a little.

They reduced my $35 ticket to $26.

Wow, I feel so vindicated, so rewareded, so …

Screwed.

… sigh …

A few nights ago I was on my way home, riding the subway, just exhausted. I was just totally zoned out, listening to my iPod. So there we were, rumbling along, and for one reason or another I looked up, and glanced at the side of the window.

[i]Ahh![/i]

Yep.

Big, chunky booger dried up, just hanging there. Naturally, I want to vomit, so I turn my head away. In this case, I looked down, to avert my eyes, and what do I see below.

[i]Ahh![/i]

Yep.

More chunky boA few nights ago I was on my way home, riding the subway, just exhausted. I was just totally zoned out, listening to my iPod. So there we were, rumbling along, and for one reason or another I looked up, and glanced at the side of the window.

[i]Ahh![/i]

Yep.

Big, chunky booger dried up, just hanging there. Naturally, I want to vomit, so I turn my head away. In this case, I looked down, to avert my eyes, and what do I see below.

[i]Ahh![/i]

Yep.

More chunky boogers!

I finally can’t stand it and move to another seat, trying to let the horror dissipate.

Well, last night, I’m on my way home, on the subway, and what do I see smeared on the wall?

Ha-ha! I bet you were going to say chunky boogers. Wrong-o! It was a [i]bloody, gooey [/i]booger smeared on the wall …

(if you just heard a thud, that was me passing out from the disgust)

Ahhh … you just gotta love public transportation …

For lots of pics from the 2008 NY Comic-Con, check out the PHOTOS section …For lots of pics from the 2008 NY Comic-Con, check out the PHOTOS section …

Some highlights and observations from the 2008 NY Comic-Con:

* Marvel displayed a massive HULK statue on the showroom floor to promote the new movie. Very cool. (See PHOTOS) section

* The usual customed comics geeks, er, fans, dressed in full garb, including Indiana Jones, Storm Troopers, Booba Fet (see PHOTOS) and Mr. T (see PHOTOS)

* Comics galore! I made out with a bundle, or should I say, I spent a nice hunk of change to get my bundle, but it was all 25-40 percent off in diffeSome highlights and observations from the 2008 NY Comic-Con:

* Marvel displayed a massive HULK statue on the showroom floor to promote the new movie. Very cool. (See PHOTOS) section

* The usual customed comics geeks, er, fans, dressed in full garb, including Indiana Jones, Storm Troopers, Booba Fet (see PHOTOS) and Mr. T (see PHOTOS)

* Comics galore! I made out with a bundle, or should I say, I spent a nice hunk of change to get my bundle, but it was all 25-40 percent off in different sales, so very cool (never mind the $45 ticket price I paid for weekend admission!)

* Battlestar Galactica panel: I missed this one, but I really wanted to get there. Same with the X-Files 2 movie

* Toys and more: This show had matchbox cars, ninja swords, DVDs, T-Shirts and figurines. A toy-store galore for anyone who doesn’t want to grow up

* Artists alley: This is a great chance to see a lot of established and on-the-rise artists, who often do sketches and signings. Although I only passed by, my favorite spotting was Kyle Baker. Most of you probably don’t recognize that name, but for many years he’s written these offbeat stories, one of my favorites being [i]Why I Hate Saturn[/i], a strange, but fun sci-fi noir mini-series. (See PHOTOS)

* Beanbags: This year they had a whole bundle of beanbag chairs on the floor for resting, but that was prime real estate. Rich Henn and I eyeballed those suckers all day, but could never get one. 20 beanbags for 10,000 (or more) people doesn’t really do it.

* Back massage: Every year the Comic-Con wisely has a back massage vendor on sight to break out those kinks in the back. A 15-minute chair massage really works out the stress in the old back.

* Kickin’ back: The best part of every show is just hanging out with the boys. Along with partners-in-crime Jim Chamber and Rich Henn, we ate an awesome Italian meal at Don Giovanni’s after the show, and then stopped off for a few coctails. Comics. Food. Beer. Now [i]that’s [/i]a trifecta!

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2008/04/23 05:39

It certainly didn’t take me long to lighten my wallet at the NY Comic-Con (and pics are comic soon; I’ve got loads of photos to upload, so check back on the photos section soon). I ducked out of work a little early on Friday, and made my way to the Javitz Center by 4:30. By 6 o’clock, I’d already spent about $100 on comics! For me, that’s a [i]lot[/i]. But in all fairness, I knew what I wanted to buy, so it was easy to find what I wanted, and the prices were so good, I couldn’t say no.

ButIt certainly didn’t take me long to lighten my wallet at the NY Comic-Con (and pics are comic soon; I’ve got loads of photos to upload, so check back on the photos section soon). I ducked out of work a little early on Friday, and made my way to the Javitz Center by 4:30. By 6 o’clock, I’d already spent about $100 on comics! For me, that’s a [i]lot[/i]. But in all fairness, I knew what I wanted to buy, so it was easy to find what I wanted, and the prices were so good, I couldn’t say no.

But since Comic-Con isn’t totally about comics, I picked up a few extra goodies. The core of my haul was comics, indeed, snatching my trade paperbacks (for you non-comics readers, a trade paperback is a collection of individual comic books bound into a softcover collection), but I also picked up an unexpected gift for myself.

To give a sense of what Comic-Con is like, just think of any trade show, with numerous aisles. Along every aisle are booths, and those booths are either comicbook creators selling their books (not too many of those any more, as the booth are very expensive) or comicbook shop owners who are selling some of their stock. And then there’s a few specialty booths, like vendors who sell t-shirts, toys (comic-book statues and action figures; things like that), and, of course, DVDs.

And in a $5 dollar box, I picked up the cartoon of my all-time favorite Dr. Seuss story–The Lorax. I know it’s a little bit dark for Dr. Suess, but for whatever reason, I always connected with the Lorax, so when I saw that sucker on sale, I snatched it up.

I spent the rest of Friday night hanging out with partners-in-crime Rich Henn and Jim Chambers, and I’ll have more on that over the next few days.

But this blog is just about the joy of walking the floor at big comicbook show, thumbing through all the boxes, looking for goodies, and coming away with a nice big stash.

Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2008/04/26 10:10

For those of you who have met him–and those who haven’t–my cat, Alex, is quite simply, the coolest cat there ever was. Gentle and fun, friendly, but not annoying. When he first meets you, he comes up to you, rubs against your leg, and if you pet him, he’s your buddy for life–thus, he’s "The Buddy." He’s been with me since Buffalo back in 1992, and we’ve had more adventures across the country than I could describe in one (or even many) sittings.

And he needs a shout out from yoFor those of you who have met him–and those who haven’t–my cat, Alex, is quite simply, the coolest cat there ever was. Gentle and fun, friendly, but not annoying. When he first meets you, he comes up to you, rubs against your leg, and if you pet him, he’s your buddy for life–thus, he’s "The Buddy." He’s been with me since Buffalo back in 1992, and we’ve had more adventures across the country than I could describe in one (or even many) sittings.

And he needs a shout out from you. A bit of a bad break, I’m afraid, as Alex has a little spot of cancer (gulp), and he’s due for some surgery. He’s got a cyst on his right shoulder, which the vet will remove, and he’s got some cancerous cells in one of his toes, which will also have to go in a case of snip-snip. Now, understand, Alex has faced down death–twice–kicking the dude in black right in the keister and roaring back with flying colors, so Alex is no ordinary cat. (Nine lives? He’s had more than that already!) He’s a figther. Tough as they come. It’s just that he could use a little extra love right now, so send out those good vibes.

Alex will be having surgery in about two weeks, but he’s fine now, purring away. He’s in good spirits, and, thankfully for him, probably has no idea there’s anything wrong, other than an itchy foot!

The vet is hopeful that they’ll be able to get all of those nasty cancer cells outta there, and get Alex back in form, going bonkers on cat nip and walking around like he owns the place (which he pretty much does). So only positive vibes, please, as Alex needs all the love you can bring. Specifically, I’m asking that you pray for three things: 1) that Alex has a quick, painless, successful surgery on his shoulder and his toe, 2) that Alex has a quick, painless recovery, and 3) that Alex regains full strength, health and happiness.

If you can do that, Alex, Liz and I will be most grateful.

Thanks in advance for your love and support.