Linkfest - Happy July 4th

Happy July the 4th! This week's link fest remains politics free with links to an amusing Star Wars parody music video, Atari's 40th, Snorkisms, YouTube 301 views, and SDCC schedule.

RIP Andy Griffith
An icon died today as Andy Griffith died at the age of 86. For your parents’ generation he was known as the town sheriff in The Andy Griffith Show. For me, I grew up on him as defense attorney Matlock. His 60+ year long career included movies, specials, radio, and a whole lot more. Condolences to his family.

The Star Wars That I Used To Know
Take the Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" music video, and some Star Trek fan frustration and here is the result. Pure gold, if only to hear "George Lucas" sings his response to the complaints.

Obamacare Lives and Why It Matters

I said for over a year now that the Supreme Court would overturn the individual mandate of Obamacare. I figured it was automatic with the charge being led by Chief Justice John Roberts. I could not have been more wrong. Not only did the court uphold the law 5-4, but Roberts was the swing vote. Even more amazing, it was upheld by the legal reasoning that the government has a right to tax and the penalty of not getting health insurance is the equivalent of a tax. The ruling was so unexpected both CNN and Fox News initially got the ruling wrong, declaring it overturned. This is good news for Americans even if 50% don't know it. Oddly it seems most that are against are the ones that most likely will need it at some future date. However, always keep in mind that the Republicans have years to come up with their own solutions and as always, the best they could come up with is "tax cuts". That is their Band-Aid for everything.

Fox News and the GOP have spent a tremendous amount of time and (tax payer) money fighting Obamacare but rarely do they explain why it’s bad and what the alternatives are. It comes down to "its socialism" and wrong. Ask anyone for specifics on why it’s wrong and can guarantee that maybe 1 out of a 100 can provide an informed response beyond the basic talking points of it simply being wrong just because the talking heads say it is. Did you know that thanks to Obamacare, you cannot be denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition? Did you know your kids can't be either (yea before they could be)? What about knowing if your child wants to get a graduate degree or just hurting from this down economy, they can stay on their parents insurance until 26 years old? Again Obamacare. I am aware of a ton of die-hard Republicans taking advantage of that. What about free mammograms or a ton of other maintenance tests that use to cost a lot and soon no longer will. Free tests means people will detect problems before they become a whole lot more expensive and possibly a burden on the tax payer (more below on that). When people ask about these kinds of individual aspects of the law, Americans are overwhelming for them (in 80% range). Add they are part of Obamacare and suddenly that numbers dives to around 50% range. That makes no sense except you have to remember that Fox News folks rarely are giving any actual information to form an informed opinion.

Linkfest - New Apple, Microsoft Tech

Time for more stuff that grabbed my interest (or linkfest to keep it simple). This week found the cool image of a Lego mini-fig, Apple and Microsoft has new toys that might be worth buying (but not really), some Game of Thrones fun and upcoming movie trailers. What do you know, another week without politics.

Anatomy of a Lego Man
Hit the link to view images and breakdown of how this kind of creepy split section of a Lego man was produced by carving and painting polyurethane foam. The final result from artist Jason Freeny is a little over a foot tall but pretty cool looking. His equally bizarre art of the anatomy of a gummy bear can be found here.

Apple WWDC 2012 Announcements
Last week Apple held a developer's conference to announce a refresh of MacBook Pro and Macbook Air along with an update to OSX and iOS6. Over all it was a ho hum event. The Macbook Air is getting a speedier processor and tweaks but essentially the same product. The MacBook Pro is improved with a much thinner look and Retina display (whose resolution is so tight that it reaches point where can't really read the text). That small size and screen resolution level you will never use or need will set you back around $2200. The iOS6 update, which will not work on first gen iPads and first three generations of phones, is really nothing major. The big changes is Siri to iPad, Facebook integration, phone tweaks, safari update, and removal of Google Maps for Apple's own solution. Most of which jailbroken iOS and Android devices can already do.

E3 2012 Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo Press Conferences

This week Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo teased their plans for the next year in video games. For Nintendo, it was an important show as they plan on releasing the Wii U for the Christmas holiday season as a means to finally compete with the other two graphics wise while still offering that unique Nintendo library. The show could be summarized as march of the sequels. Games shown off include Crysis 3, Black Ops 2, new Medal of Honor, Resident Evil 6, Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed 3, God of War: Ascension and the list goes on. The Wii U for all intents is just an improved sequel to the Wii.

Nintendo's Wii U sadly disappoints. For all intents it is an updated graphics chip with a fancy controller that most will probably stop using pretty quickly once they buy the pro controller for the system (think Nintendo's version of the XBox 360 controller). The idea is sound but at the end of the day if people wanted to use a tablet device to play video games they would just play games on a tablet. The system is set for release by Christmas, no price yet but I suspect the $250 to $300 range. The system also is the first time Nintendo seems to embrace the existence of the internet but it still remains a tightly controlled sandbox around the Mii experience.

Linkfest - Death in 3s

For once a non-political post but sadly one with posts of dead entertainers with a mix of movie trailers.

Kathryn Joosten, Dead at 72
Over the weekend, TV lost a fan favorite with the death of Kathryn Joosten at the age of 72 after a long battle with lung cancer. She came onto my radar do to her memorable character of Dolores Landingham on The West Wing, a character that died all too soon in the series. She popped up again and again on TV, often for brief but excellent roles including another favorite of mine in Scrubs. Her final role was on Desperate Housewives which ended its series run in May. Never knew her personally but she did what I think any entertainer wants... to be remembered for their work. I remember hers and was looking forward to her popping up again on TV. I guess now we will just have to stick with our memories and repeats.

Networks Reveal Their 2012 Fall Schedules

This week the big four networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox) revealed their plans for the 2012-2013 TV season that begins usually around mid-September. While subject to change, the main takeaways is the new shows and those that got cancelled to make room for them. Some favorites have been moved around. So far there doesn't seem to be many standouts with the pattern being an emphasis on comedy and more reality competition. Below is the summary of what is cancelled, new shows, links to trailers and new shows descriptions along with a completely uninformative opinion if a show is dead on arrival (DOA) or not.

ABC
Cancelled: Charlie’s Angels, TBS-bound Cougar Town, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, GCB, Man Up, Missing, Pan Am, The River and Work It
New Shows: Last Resort, 666 Park Ave., Mistresses, The Family Tools, How to Live with your Parents, Malibu Country, Nashville, The Neighbors, Red Widow, Zero Hour
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: all but Zero Hour

CBS
Cancelled: CSI: Miami, A Gifted Man, How to Be a Gentleman, NYC 22, Rob and Unforgettable
New Shows: Elementary, Vegas, Made in Jersey, Partners, Golden Boy, Friend Me, The Hob
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: all but Elementary

Fox
Cancelled: Alcatraz, Allen Gregory, Breaking In, The Finder, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Napoleon Dynamite and Terra Nova
New Shows: The Mob Doctor, Ben and Kate, The Mindy Project, The Goodwin Games, The Following
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: Ben and Kate, The Mindy Project, The Goodwin Games. Mob Doctor has decent chance and The Following will survive the season.

NBC
Cancelled: Are You There, Chelsea?, Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever, Chuck, Free Agents, Harry’s Law, The Playboy Club, Prime Suspect and The Firm
New Shows: Revolution, Go On, The New Normal, Animal Practice, Guys with Kids, Chicago Fire, Save Me, 1600 Penn, Next Caller
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: all but Revolution

CW
Cancelled: Ringer, The Secret Circle, One Tree Hill (which aired its series finale on April 4), H8R, Remodeled and The L.A. Complex
New Shows: Beauty and the Beast, Arrow, Emily Owen, MD, Cult, The Carrie Diaries
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: Emily Owens. Carrie Diaries, Cult. Arrow and Beauty and the Beast will last season but only one will get renewed.

Linkfest - Avengers Assemble

Just realized it has been weeks since posted anything. I guess just have not found much that I felt like posting about but here are a few new things. Most of it is politics related after the break.

The Avengers Smash Weekend Record
In just three days, The Avengers took in a record breaking $207.1 million in the US box office smashing the previous record of $169.2 million held by Harry Potter 7.2. The movie deputed in most other parts of the world last week so now at the end of its first full week out, its total is already a staggering $654.5 million. It did in one week what the most successful movie of 2012, The Hunger Games, took months to make. For those on the fence, you should see it.

It really is as good as people say. The first hour of story building can drag at times but even then the character interactions are entertaining enough to not matter. When the movie shifts to New York though, that is when everything snaps into perfect place. The last hour is just wall to wall action that always servers the characters or the story. There are even a few "Whedoneque" moments of humor that are inserted at just the right moments.

This movie is the epic story telling that Michael Bay keeps trying to achieve with Transformers but falls short because he fails to recognize that spectacle that doesn't serve the story or character is pointless. See the entire tilting building sequence for evidence of this. It had lots of spectacle but could remove entire sequence from movie and have no impact on story or characters. You can't really say the same about the Avengers. Every sequence has purpose, even a throwaway line that is followed up after the credits. When watch do make sure to at least stick around for the mid-credits scene that introduces the villain Thanos. His goal? Make Death fall in love with him by destroying all life. Hopefully Whedon will write and direct the sequel just to see that fight. Next time he might be able to get in the classic "Avengers Assemble" line as could not without it seeming forced and corny. Good call.

Linkfest - RIP Dick Clark

Dick Clark Dead at 82
The legendary TV entertainer Dick Clark died today of a heart attack at the age of 82. Dick Clark was probably known to most as the host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve. For me, he became part of my weekly television rituals as host of TVs Bloopers & Practical Jokes and various versions of Pyramid. He also hosted American Bandstand for nearly three decades. It is his good humor, goof feelings hosting style that became the norm for television and emulated today by the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Ryan Seacrest. His last television performance was New Year's 2011. I watched him for most of my life every New Year’s Eve. This year's New Year celebration will just not be the same without him.

Final Flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery
Hit the link before for a video of the final flight of Discovery as it was given a bit of the red carpet treatment by being allowed to fly low in Washington, DC as it heads to its final resting place at the Smithsonian. Normally the airspace in DC is restricted to pretty much all flights but the President so brief change was a kind of way for the nation to tip its hat for 30 years of service and the end of the current shuttle missions and really the space program for the foreseeable future.

Linkfest - Illusion of Safety

Supreme Court OKs Strip Searches for Any Reason
In yet another example that the definition of Conservative "small government", the Supreme Court ruled that strip searches are ok for any reason. When it comes to making people think that Conservatives are keeping them safe, it seems government can't get big enough or stomp on enough rights. In the latest ruling, the five Conservative judges once again voted as a block ruling that police can perform strip searches for any reason, including minor traffic offenses. In short, if the police are willing to arrest you and haul you into a jail cell, they can do whatever they want. This doesn't mean you are guilty or they even have evidence. They can simply arrest you, strip search you, decide it was a mistake and release you. Your dignity may not remain intact but hey at least your will feel "safe" from whatever new thing they want you to fear. The justification for the decision was based on Tim McVey (Oklahoma City bombing) being arrested for a minor traffic offense and not getting stripped search. Without explaining how, the Conservative ruling failed to explain how a strip search would have led to the discovering of his car bomb. I guess they figured he kept the car jammed up his rear? This is ironic considering the Five will overturn the Health Care act in June on claims it stomps rights to purchase what you want (never mind states requiring car insurance, home insurance, etc.). To sum it up, to the Conservative Court your body has no rights but you do have the right to not buy stuff you don't want but need. Once again Conservative hypocrisy in action.

Wiretapping for Profit
While they claim to the contrary, the telecoms probably make a pretty decent profit listening in on our calls at the government's request. T-Mobile charges law enforcement (aka tax papers) $500 per month per target. Sprint charges $400 per "market area" and "technology" with a $10 per day fee. No idea what those "per" mean. For AT&T its $325 activation fee, $5 per day for data and $10 for audio. Verizon charges $50 fee and $700 per month per target. The fees pile on after that depending on what others things law enforcement want for targets of wiretaps. Listening in is good for business.

Linkfest - More MPAA/RIAA Lies

Oops been a while. Here is the last few weeks of links that grabbed my interest. There is a gallery of a Lego Delorean, an end of the Encyclopedia, exercise myths, more proof of MPAA/RIAA lies used to stomp our freedom for corporate benefit, Keith Olbermann fired, and two amusing videos.

Lego Back to the Future 2 Delorean
Mimicking the style of the high end Star Wars sets, Alex Jones has re-created the Back to the Future DeLorean out of the Legos. Hit the link above too few more of the gallery.

Encyclopedia Britannica Ending Print Version
A true end of an era as the Encyclopedia Britannica is no longer printing encyclopedias after a 244 year run. The last volume will be the 2010 edition. The decision was made due to lack of sales. Sure most kids today probably barely have used a set but still a little sad to see such a thing goes away.

iPad 3 Officially Announced

Today CEO Tim Cook announced the iPad 3. As I predicted, the iPad follows the iPhone 4S in just being an incremental improvement over the previous model. Video of the event is here or the 99 second highlights here.

The improvements (comparison, other tablet comparisons) are really only important if truly anal about graphics and image quality. The device comes with "Retina Display" which is a 2048 x 1536 pixel range which means very crisp quality of images and video. Most programs and movies will not really benefit from this but games will. The CPU is dual core, so faster with improved graphics card and the camera is now 5 megapixels so great improvement there. Again most existing programs will not benefit but games might. The iPad 2 will get a $100 price drop. Hands-on video here.

Linkfest - iPad 3

This bi-weekly list of links that grabbed my interest include a prediction for the iPad 3, a valuable comic collection, death of a hatemonger, some funny, some cool CGI, and two movie trailers.

Apple's iPad 3 Announcement Predictions
Wanted to get my guesses down for what Apple will announce on Wednesday. I think the iPad 3 will simply be a retread of the iPhone 4S release. By that, I mean the improvements will be minor and for most with a previous generation device, it will not really be worth upgrading for. Basically the hardware will just be a little bit better. The chip will be a little faster, the cameras a little better, the screen resolution a little better, the battery life about the same and it will have Siri. The price will remain the same. There will be no smaller model to compete with the Kindle Fire and Nook. The price of the iPad 2 will drop by $100 but mostly to get rid of stock, not to create a new long term price point. The availability will be mid to late March. In addition, Apple will announce something related to rumored Apple TV. I think at most that will just be their existing monitors getting a boost in size and resolution with Apple TV built in that allows for more flexibility on what apps can be installed. Anyone looking for a leap forward in TVs will be disappointed. Bsically to sum it up, those with an iPad 1 may need to make a decision on upgraded but those with iPad 2 probably do not have much to worry about.

Romney Donor Frequently Threatens Critics

Normally I save something like this for the "link fests" but something about a billionaire using Scientology like tactics to silence critics through abuse of the law just really annoys me. It is also those times that the internet can be its most powerful.

A Salon article entitled "Billionaire Romney donor uses threats to silence critics" spells out some of the details. The article is about Mitt Romney supporter and billionaire Frank VanderSloot. He lives in Idaho and is CEO of Melaleuca, Inc. A company has a Better Business Bureau logo on its front page. There might be reasons for that logo being there. A 2004 Forbes article that described the company as "a pyramid selling organization, built along the lines of Herbalife and Amway." The company this individuals has run for years has to agree to "not engage in the marketing and promotion of an illegal pyramid and accused by the Food and Drug Administration of "deceiving consumers about some of its supplements." Draw your own conclusions about the company and its leadership from that.

Star Wars, Indiana Jones Filmumentaries

Below are the "Filmumentaries" of Jamie Benning. These videos act as a one stop video for what creation of four films - Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark. They are compiled from interviews, behind the scenes material and other sources. The result is fascinating, wonderfully edited movie length videos that tell you everything about the creation of these wonderful films. They are long but worth watching if a fan. His Vimeo account with the videos is here. An interview about putting together Raiding the Lost Ark can be found here.

Raiding The Lost Ark: A Filmumentary

Linkfest - End of House, Kodak

Kodak Shuttering Camera Business
It is a true end of an era as Eastman Kodak Co have announced plans to focus on printers and to close its camera business. This is significant because Kodak not only invented the handheld camera, but is essentially synonymous with photography with its long history in photography going back to 1889. The movie business was built with the help of Kodak. It is hard to find a film that doesn't mentioned Kodak in the credits since for decades their cameras and film was used for creating movies and TV shows. The end came simply because Kodak just did not respond to the move to digital cameras and equipment fast enough, trying to force old style cameras on a population that had moved past them. By the time they made the transition, it was over as the competition had already started to dominate the market. Chances are the company is doomed as people just don't think "printers" when it comes to Kodak.

BitTorrent Piracy, No Effect on US Box Office
A new study from the University of Minnesota and Wellesley College has determined that there is no evidence that Bit Torrent hurts the box office (new movie releases at theaters) in the United States. It does have an impact on International box office but that is more due because of the often months delay between a premiere in the US vs. other territories. The MPAA assumes that every copy downloaded is a lost ticket sale but common sense should tell you that isn't the case. Chances are if someone is willing to download a movie with often crappy sound, jumping camera and other degraded quality, then they had no intention of ever going to see the movie. Chances are if not available to download, they just wouldn't see it. Now this is not a defense of piracy but just pointing out that the millions of dollars spent to fight it, the wiliness to override the first admen dent with acts like SOPA, are just wasted efforts that continued to be justified with bad math.

Linkfest - Super Bowl and D'Ohs

Time for another linkfest of random stuff I liked online. For once it is politics free. This edition brings you links to the Super Bowl commercials, a Back to the Future diorama, Oscar nominations, a case against eliminating the penny, Avengers extended commercial, Homer Simpson, and analysis of a classic comic book storyline.

Super Bowl Commercials
The Super Bowl may have ended wtih a New York Giants victory of 21-17 against the Patriots but the commercials will live on for months. If you want to know what you missed (or watch them again), hit the link above.

Lego Back to the Future II Diorama
Lego master Alex Jones (Orion Pax) has built a diorama of Hill Valley 2015 complete with the vehicles, clock tower, theatre and more. At the link is all the images and click here for the rest of his creations. If the name Orion Pax seems familiar that is the name of Transformers Optimus Prime before he became the leader of the Autobots. (via Brothers Brick)

Stop SOPA and PIPA

Normally I try to keep political stuff off this website but sometimes exceptions must be made. This is one of them. Congress, with the support of members of both parties, is currently in the process of trying to pass two laws called SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Act). The laws were essentially written by lobbyist to give corporations the power to protect their copyrights. Sounds good right?

Here is the problem. The laws as written gives corporations the power to legally censor the internet without due process by blocking any website they feel might have copyrighted or pirated content. Proof is not necessary nor required.

In a day and age when most people agree they want smaller government this is the single greatest expansion of power we have had in nearly a decade and it turns it all over to corporations on the assumption they will not abuse it. Do you trust corporations and the government to make the right decisions on what websites can live and die? I don't and nor should you.

They don't have to prove a thing in the process of taking down infringing websites. So this may mean sites like The Pirate Bay might get blocked in the United States but it also gives corporations the power to block any website they choose as long as they put it in terms of copyright infringement or piracy.

Linkfest - Candidate Romney, Economy

Lego Starcraft BattlecruiserHit the link for a sweet Lego gallery based on the Starcraft II Battlecruiser Hyperion. The creation is made up of around 15000 Legos.

GOP Presidential Candidate Decided
Despite what the press may have you believe, the contest for the Republican candidate for President is decided with Mitt Romney. More than likely by the end of the month (probably after South Carolina) it will become official. While Iowa tends to not count for much since Republicans there are very extreme in their views (while ironically frequently benefiting from the government dole), the simple fact he managed to win the state proves what the polls have been showing for a while now. While his victory by only 8 votes is unimpressive, the simple fact he won at all there proves it is locked in. After all he has been the only candidate that has remained steady or slightly grown in the poles for the last year.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all
With the many Lego related links used in the last year, seems a Lego Christmas tree is appropriate. Hope all is well for you and yours.

Linkfest - SOPA

All Companies That Support SOPA
Hit the link to see all the companies supporting SOPA which will likely pass Congress next year unless stopped. The claim is the law will stop piracy but in reality it gives corporations to power to block any website they claim has pirated content, no actual evidence required. It will cripple the Internet. They can choose at any time what site lives or dies in the US and to get it restored the site has to take the accuser to court which can take months or even years. On the surface that may sound fine but keep in mind the RIAA and MPAA have tried to sue and shut down sites just for playing a clip from a movie, for showing a home video of goofing dancing to "protected" music and even just for sites that are critical of them. Don't believe they will abuse this power, see next story. In short, any company that supports SOPA has essentially made a statement that they do not value free speech. An example is web host provider Go Daddy. Their support of the bill means that they will happily shut down any website they receive a notice from no questions asked. If you know anyone that uses them, it is advised they be ditched asap.

Linkfest - Rescue Me

Lego Daily Planet
Hit the link for a gallery of images on details on how this cool Lego creation was made that pits Superman & Young Justice against Brainiac. The creation has lots of cool details like street side kiosks selling comics, labeled sewer covers, street signs, and whole lot more. (via ComicAlliance)

RIP GamePro
GamePro magazine which started in 1988 as the NES age reached its apex, is ending publication with its current issue with the website is being absorbed by the mothership of PC World and likely most of its staff laid off. I remember reading and subscribing to the magazine way back when before time meant I no longer could focus much less play video games with the frequency that made a subscription worthwhile. Shame to see yet another gamer magazine go away.

Links of the Week - Lego & Politics

Lego Victorian House
That image to the left looks like a decayed Victorian House created by Mike Doyle. Very beautiful in its black & white decay. It also turns out it’s made up completely of Lego. Nearly 130,000 of them. Even more amazing is this is pure Lego, no wood, glue, or alterations. Just someone at the top of their building game. Hit the link for more images and details about its construction and click here for Mike's website.

10 Stubborn Food Myths
Hit the link to read about 10 myths that continue to thrive despite the science against them. For example "starvation mode" which takes weeks of low intake or 24 of no intake instead of the myth of one skipped meal. Another is salt is just bad for you. Your body needs it but like everything else, too much is a bad thing. The big one is turkey makes you sleepy. Turns out that while turkey plays a part, it really the cause is more about the volume of food being eaten rather than the amount of turkey that makes you sleepy after that Thanksgiving dinner.

Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire vs iPad 2

Today Barnes & Noble officially introduced the Nook Tablet, successor to their Nook Color. Running Gingerbread (Android 2.3), the 7 inch tablet has 1 GIG of RAM and 16GB of storage with microSD slot to add more for a $250 price. All this sounds promising but really for most people, especially with Christmas around the corner, is what is the best tablet to buy - Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet or Apple iPad (or any tablet really like Xoom, Galaxy Tab 2, etc.)?

Lessons from the Tax Income Gap Chart

Take a moment and study that graph to the left. That graph provides a lot of information with two very simple lines. It tells you why the Occupy Wall Street movement exists. It tells you why the GOP has focused on an agenda of doing everything possible to cut taxes for the rich at the expense of everyone else and probably more than that if want to get into the details of history.

The graph tells the story of how income has grown since post-World War II from 1947 to 2007, just as the economy was on the verge of imploding yet again. The blue line represents the median income of 99% of Americans. The orange line is the income of the remaining 1%, the millionaires and billionaires of this country. Most of who work on Wall Street. Now noticed how from 1947 to 1985ish, the income increase was more or less steady. Statistically they were right on top of each other, with a difference of .5% here and there. In effect the country rose together. Then in the 80s that orange line changed dramatically as it started to climb. This corresponded with the rise of "Reaganomics".

Reaganomics aka trickle-down theory basically says the more money you give the rich, the more it will help everyone else. The problem with the theory is it doesn't account for what happens if the rich do not actually spend their money but just sit on it. The easiest way to give rich people more money is to tax them less. Which the US has been doing for the last thirty years. There was one exception, during the Clinton years when their tax where increased. The result wasn't a hit to the economy but a period of huge growth, in part by the internet boom. That is why the line just sky rockets. Basically increasing the rich's taxes didn't harm them at all and had a positive impact on the economy (the opposite of what the GOP sells every day). During this same period the blue line enjoyed a modest increase too so everyone benefited, just the 1% more than the rest. A dip then occurs because the tech bubble burst of 2000.

Linkfest - Jokers

Cain's 9-9-9 Plan is Much Love for the Rich
If you just hear the plan without thinking about it, the 9-9-9 plan sounds good. The 9 numbers sounds so good with 9% corporate tax, 9% income tax, and 9% sales tax. It’s already a fact that for whatever reason, people believe prices that end in 9 are a better deal than those that don't so there is that reason he picked the number. However, once you look deeper it’s not so hot. For one, most businesses will not have to pay that 9% due to various tax shelters and the like that exist. Cain does nothing to address that. As for the income tax, that means that not only will 9% of every dollar you earn be taken away, it also means that another 9% will be taken away for every dollar you spend. On top of the state, county and city taxes you already pay. This also means that deductions go out the door so benefits of being married or having kids cease to matter. But still, seems like a good idea, and it could be as far as simplicity of paying taxes. However, as the chart shows, it really is just a boom for the rich. The bottom 80% will pay more in taxes under the plan. The next 19% will pay a decent amount less, the top 1% a 10x less than that with the top .1% experiencing around a 100x less boom to the bottom line. It hard to picture in text, but the picture makes it painfully clear. Once again, the GOP proves their only priority is the top 1%.

15 Facts About Wealth Inequality in America
For years now the GOP are selling a pretty simple story - for the country to succeed all of us must sacrifice to keep the top 1% rich happy. Happy rich people means one day they might create jobs and give us raises instead of doing the layoffs that have become the norm. For some reason, this argument has worked on 50% of American's even though this flies in the face of the human condition and all of history. For those with brains, hit the link for 15 facts, supported by data (not party specific data) that supports the notion that while everything is getting better for the top 1%, the other 99% continue to get screwed. Sad facts include the reality that top 1% has 33.8% of our nation’s wealth, own 50.9% of our stocks & bonds, and have had their wealth grow year after year while other bottom 80% has dropped year after year. In addition, average earning have hovered around $18.50 an hour for 50 years while in same period the rich's portion of USA's income has grown while everyone else's has shrunk. This is why the Occupy Wall Street exists.

Muammar Gaddafi is Dead
After 42 years of a crazy and ruthless dictatorship, the ex-leader of Libya is finally dead. He has been hiding for weeks now as his government was overthrown in favor of Democracy but he was continuing the fight in pockets throughout the country. That fight essentially came to an end when he was found in his hometown of Sirte. It will be interesting to see how Libya develops from here. I suspect it will continue to be a problem for western countries for quite a while. Regardless, the people of Libya should be applauded. They chose their own destiny and sacrificed their lives to achieve it. That is something any lover of democracy should stand behind, regardless of where it occurs.

Mark Hamill Retires the Joker
After 19 years of performing the voice of The Joker, Mark Hamill has officially retired the role with the release of Batman: Arkham City video game. He had previously the decision earlier this year but in a tweet verified the decision. For me he is the definitive version of the character, providing just the right amount of crazy menace in his voice.

Iraq War Ending Before ChristmasPresident Obama confirmed today that American troops are leaving Iraq by the end of the year. The decision was actually part of a 2008 agreement signed by President Bush but the press conference today reiterated the intention to uphold that promise. Like many, I was concerned that we would delay ending the war as it has proven very lucrative to military based companies that pay a lot of money to Congress to keep the money flowing. I am sure the GOP will lambast the decision as being premature as they tend to get the most money from those corporations.

The Avengers Trailer #1

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Today Apple announced the death of Steve Jobs. He died today after a multi-year fight with pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. His influence on the technology we take for granted cannot be underestimated. The personal computer (Windows or Apple) all have his stamp on it from his efforts in the early 80s with the world's first personal computer, the Apple II. Simple innovations like the ubiquitous use of the mouse are in part due to his influence. He made not have invented the technology, but he helped make it part of our daily lives.

That influence spread to all desktops, all laptops and moved into the music market with the iPod and its knockoffs, the tablet market with the iPad where all competitors’ are still trying to catch up. He changed how music and movies are brought to us over the internet thanks to iTunes. The movie industry and animation we all have fond childhood memories were forever changed with the founding of Pixar Animation Studios that have made some of the best animation movies in history with films such as Toy Story, Wall-E, and Up.

The technology he helped develop is often the foundation of every movie we watch, every special effect we enjoy, every piece of music we hear, every graphic design we see and every video game we play. You name a modern piece of computer technology and Steve Jobs probably directly or indirectly influenced it in some form or fashion.

Not many people can claim to have truly influenced and changed the world regardless of race, religion, age or country. But Steve Jobs could. The world lost a giant today.

Tribute from Gizmodo:

Steve Jobs Commencement Speech on June 15th, 2005 (transcript)

Linkfest - iPhone 4S

iPhone 4S RevealedToday Apple held its press conference, minus Steve Jobs, to announce the next iteration of their iPhone and iPod lines. Unlike the hype from the blogosphere, the result is just an incremental improvement to the existing devices. Almost all the improvements are software related, in part due to the iOS 5 getting released on October 12th. For the iPod line, the Nano is getting around a $30 price drop and a minor software update. The iTouch will get the new iOS 5 update.

As for the main event, the result is same looking phone with faster dual-core chip (so better gaming experience), same RAM (so unlikely to feel that much faster even if technically it is), slightly improved internet download speeds (but only if on AT&T), new camera (8 megapixels with 1080p video camera) and about the same battery life.

Next Generation of Amazon Kindles

Amazon held an Apple-like press conference to announce their next generation of Kindles resulting in the cheapest and possibly best e-book readers to date. There will be three models (or more with alt configurations) with various degrees of features and release dates but all are available for pre-order now.

Kindle Fire ($199); out November 15th; 8 hours per charge
This is the tablet version of the Kindle comes with a 7'' color touch screen, 1Ghz dual core processor, 512MB of RAM and 8 GB of storage for 14.6 ounces. The reason for the lack of space is because this customized Android devise will be mostly cloud based using the Amazon Whispernet in conjunction with Amazon Cloud Storage to hold your books, movies, TV shows and music. Instead of having to store everything locally on the device (like with the iPad), you can just makes your purposes online at Amazon and download as needed. The device also comes with their new web browser called Amazon Silk which takes advantage of the 3G to Amazon's cloud to pre-render websites for faster load times. The device is not designed to be an iPad replacement. If you are someone that isn't particularly into using a bunch of apps (which is most people once the "new" of tablets wear off), but see using tablets for reading (web or books), listening to music, and watching the web, this just might be the perfect (and cheap) solution.
- Impressions and Video

10th Anniversary of 9/11

Today is the 10 year anniversary of a terrorist attack that quite literally changed America and the world. Every year the media makes us relive the day and it still hurts. It still makes my cry. But not so much for those that died that day but for what was lost since then. America lost its hope and lost its way.

The attack claimed more than 3000 and more lives and did change a city. A city that is finally working towards reclaiming the site, complete with memorial using the footprints of what fell. America is now much more aggressive, angry and quick to lash out blindly. America is no longer the land of the brave but the land of the scared. The airwaves are now ruled by fear mongering and finger pointing as others desperately blame others for situations while doing little to offer solutions. That day the terrorists did win. When they change the character of a person, or a country for the worse, there is no other term for that but victory.

To find that hope I continue to look back at the days that followed and see the moments of greatness. I remember moments of solidarity such as Great Britain's Changing of the Guard. Or Jon Stewart extraordinary episode of The Daily Show a week after the attack.

The rebuilding continues. There is still hope. There is always hope. That "victory" can be taken away as easily as it was given up. America has the ability to change like no other country on the planet. Once day, the fear mongers will cease to penetrate. One day the cowards will quit being the vocal minority constantly seeking blood. A few days after 9/11 the world was probably the closest to peace it has ever been as everyone gathered around, mourned with us, claimed hardship with us, and offered the hand of help and friendship. If the world can do it once, it can do it again. The leadership to reach that day isn't here today, but one day it will be. Hopefully with the next generation that has seen how easily the older generation has been manipulated by the media and political leaders and chooses not to follow the same path.

9/11 was a day of tragedy and new darker beginnings. Osama bin Laden is finally dead. It’s time we start moving past the specter of 9/11. America changed once, it will change again. We will once again be the beacon of democracy and wiliness to hold our hands out in a gesture of friendship rather than fear. Our future will be bright even if it doesn't seem like it today.

"The reason I don't despair is because. This attack happened. Its not a dream. But the aftermath of it. The recovery is a dream realized. That is Martin Luther King's dream. Whatever barriers we put up are gone. Even if just momentary. We are judging people not by the color of their skin but the content of their character. ...any fool can blow something up, any fool can destroy, but to to see these guys, these firefighters, these policeman, people from all over the country, literally with buckets, rebuilding, that that thats extraordinary. Thats why we already won. Its light, its democracy, we already won, they can't shut that down."
- Jon Stewart 9/20/01

Links of the Week - Politics

GOP Explained by an Ex-GOPer
Hit the link for an effective explanation of just how far gone the Republican Party is now. Despite their frequent claimed love of Ronald Reagan, not even he could get a vote in today's GOP. For example he committed the horror of raising taxes 11 times. This change of party first, business second, America last and what is motivating it was brilliantly broke down by Mike Lofgren, who was a Republican Congressional staffer for 16 years. He pretty much hits the nail on the head on not only how corrupt the GOP has become but why the weak Democrats are ineffective at countering them.

25 CEOs Who Made More Than Companies Paid in Taxes
One of the great cons (of many) that the GOP has pulled over the last year is successfully lying that taxes influence business more than any other factor. That because of taxes, business choose not invest in themselves, to grow, to try to perform better. The logic makes no sense but people follow it anyway. Even though 11 years of tax cuts have proven it doesn't work. It’s not even hypothetical anyone. Eleven years of tax cuts sold to create jobs and all that has occurred is 2 recessions, minimal job growth, smaller middle class, and the rich being richer for doing nothing. Yet the idiots still believe. Between the tax cuts and loops holes it has now reached the point where most CEOs now make more money than their companies pay in taxes (most pay $0). It is now past pathetic. Yet if anyone is experts at being pathetic, it is teabaggers and their ilk. Anyway hit the link for details.

Linkfest - Endings

The last week has been a series of ending it seems both big and small. Libya might just experience democracy for the first in generations as Gaddafi has seemingly been overthrown, Steve Jobs steps down as CEO of Apple, a memorial finishes and a legendary hacker joins the team he often defeated.

The End of the Gaddafi in Libya
Hit the link for an interesting explanation on how Libya uprising succeeding in potentially toppling the current dictatorship. The story is how a determined people, with solid planning, ingenuity and sacrifice can overcome impossible odds. It is also a story of how true democracy must succeed. Not handed to the people as a "gift" like it was done by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan but an organic hard fought decision by the people themselves, sadly earned with the literal blood of family and friends.

Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple
One of the most successful CEO's in history has officially resigned his position, many believe due to his continued fight with cancer. It is no small exaggeration to say that Steve Jobs is one of the most important people in the history of computers, an invention that literally changed how society operates in just a few short decades. His achievements in technology development changes how we perceive information, enjoy entertainment, learn and so much more. While I may not like how Apple operates, there is no doubting that the things Jobs spearheads has literally changed the world for the better. Few people can make such a claim.

Linkfest

Lego Princess Ceinwyn
Hit the link for a gallery of images of the Princess Ceinwyn created by Luke Hutchinson out of Lego. Very pretty with cloth sails and a nice Lego ocean base to complete the look. (via Brothers Brick)

Warren Buffet - Stop Coddling the Rich
In an article in the NY Times, super rich Warren Buffett makes the rather obvious argument that it is time to tax the rich. The 10 year experiment of constantly cutting taxes on the "job creators" that the GOP has been advocating has simply not worked. Two recessions and negative economic growth for the poor and middle classes have proven this. The only people that have seen growth in these last years from the GOP policies? The super rich of course. Thanks to the multitude of tax loopholes that the GOP refuse to close, the rich actually pay less a percentage of taxes than any other group. Buffett points out he paid 17.4% while other people in his office averaged 36%. I am lower middle class and my burden came out to about 27%. I think the national average is something like 24%. Net result is all this crap about "being fair" that the GOP advocates fails to point out that the rich actually are paying less than everyone else. The article is worth reading and it sums succulently as tax cuts for the rich ("job creators") does not equal job creation as the rich do not allow tax policy to interfere with their efforts to invest and make more money.

Meet Comex, iOS Hacker Supreme
Forbes has posted a great article that covers hacking genius of 19 year old Nicholas Allegra who has 3 times now hacked the Apple's iOS used in iPhone and iPad to create incredibly easy jailbreaks for those devices. A jailbreak allows you to use your paid for device in whatever way you see fit on whatever carrier you choose without big brother (Apple) having to approve it first. Hats off to Comex for his outstanding efforts, may he continue to be successful in thwarting Apple's iron fist of control.

US Patent System is Killing Innovation
An interesting op-ed piece on Gizmodo that points out how the new era of "Civil War" between tech companies will likely stifle innovation. What is currently happening is in the billion dollar markets of smart phones and tablets various companies is trying to use patents to squash the competition and become the only real provider of a certain type of product. The main culprit is Apple who is attempting to use courts to block the sale of any tablet device that isn't an iPad. This leads to other companies going over their lists of patents and using Apple in return saying their iPad violates patents and shouldn't be sold either. This goes back and forth until an agreement is reach. The problem though is this kind of fierce legal fighting (besides being the opposite of capitalism), means that some bright guy in his garage will likely be sued into oblivion or just bought up before some new product that might be better than the iPad could ever reach the public much less the market. When that happens, innovation ceases to occur.

Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
NPR compiled a list of the top 100 books of all time based on the votes of their readers (apparently a paltry 60k). The list isn't definitive nor is the number order that important but as a list of fantastic books to read it works as a great resource.

San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) 2011 Panels Links

Below are links to as many of the San Diego Comic Con Panels I could find that were posted on YouTube by people that attended the con. The panels cover topics like television shows, movies, comics, specific actors and creators and a wide variety of other topics. A panel could have actors, creators, and so forth appear from 30 minutes to an hour on stage to promote their current project often ending with fan Q&As. Usually the best panels are the ones where the participants seem to genuinely enjoy being there and interfacing with fans. Some of the many links before may seem incomplete for various reasons. They may include a necessary cut to remove copyrighted footage like trailers, gag reels and other fun stuff that if left in might result in the entire panel video being removed. Also in some cases the editing is just odd but most of the panel was there or it was the best I could find. The panels I recommend most is Castle, Eureka, Amazing Spider-Man, Game of Thrones (cause Emilia Clark is stunning), Joss Whedon (always entertaining), Kevin Smith (equally NSFW entertaining), and Torchwood: Miracle Day. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments along with links to any panels (or better copies) that I may not have found.

Links of the Week - Lots of Videos Edition

US Credit Ratings Downgraded for 1st Time Ever
For the first time in the nation’s history, the US lost its AAA credit rating which was awarded back in 1941. Yet further sign of the problems the GOP manufactured crisis on the debt ceiling has caused. Their willingness to commit literal economic suicide for the entire country demonstrated just how little confidence even investors now have in our country. Ironic, considering most of what the GOP does is to benefit Wall Street. As if often the case, too much greed has resulted in far reaching consequences. Sadly, this will be yet another way for the GOP to spin things in their favor as most people don't have the brains or understanding to recognize how easy all of this could have been avoided. Instead they have proven beyond doubt just how far gone the GOP but with a significant amount of power to back the crazy up with due to complete lack of leadership from Obama who doesn't see a position he isn't willing to cave too. The GOP spin will be the high debt caused the downgrade and thus their approach is the only way is directly contradicted by S&P's own statements on the cause.

S&P also changed its assumption that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts would expire by the end of 2012 “because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues. More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating,” S&P said.

Note that "revenue increases" is another way of saying increase taxes by closing loops holes or ending existing tax cuts which the GOP refuses to do under any circumstances. In short, the GOP refusal to compromise and deal with the debt in an adult manner underlined our current leadership's dysfunction in a way that could no longer be ignored. No fake crisis, no awareness of just how bad things are.

New Spider-Man RevealedAbout a month ago Peter Parker died in a battle against the Green Goblin in Ultimate Spider-Man #160. The Ultimate SM universe is a modernized version of Marvel that takes more liberties with the characters. An example of that is this week's news that the replacement Spider-Man is a half black, half Hispanic named Miles Morales. Of course the right wing movement had a fit over this. Posts about the change were pretty much flat out racist and of course Glenn Beck diving in claiming it is some conspiracy orchestrated by Michelle Obama. In reality, the writer Brian Michael Bendis, had been considering it for a while and decided to commit to it after seeing Donald Glover in the costume for an episode of Community (great TV show). How this will play out in comic book form and how successful this change will be may take many months to determine.

Linkfest - GOP At It Again

Lego Serenity
Hit the link to view the Lego creation of the ship Serenity from the movie and the Firefly series. Stuff like this makes you wish Lego would get more into the sci-fi business as this would be awesome to be able to build. (via BrothersBrick)

2004 Election May Have Been Hacked
Court investigations in Ohio's 2004 presidential election (a key swing state then) indicates that the Republican Party may have hacked the election. The story is a key reason why the GOP was so gung ho on moving to paperless voting as most of the companies granted the contracts to provide electronic voting are Republican supported companies. In this case the company is Tennessee based SmarTech that was owned by Michael Connell (who died in an unexplained plane crash) who was a major GOP supporter. The evidence indicates that a redundancy switch to SmarTech kicked in during election day and after the change suddenly Bush experienced a surge in voting support. I suspect like most voting stories, the press will mostly ignore this one and focus on the fake ones the GOP creates to support their laws to prevent people from voting legally.

Links of the Week - Mostly Lego and Movies

End of the Space Shuttle Era
Today marks the official end of the Space Shuttle program as the Shuttle Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Thursday morning. Atlantis received a little fan love as it was towed home to the theme of Star Trek: Voyager. The program was launched back in 1976 with the test shuttle named Enterprise in homage to the Star Trek series. I was fortunate enough to see a night time shuttle launch back in 1996 I think. I don't remember exactly when but what I do remember is that amazing moment when night turned to day and the full capabilities of what mankind can do when driven towards a purpose that isn't entirely motivated by greed but simply for the quest for knowledge. I doubt we will see the like ever again. The first video is the towing (sound doesn't kick in for about a minute).



30 Years of the Space Shuttle in One Launch
At the link is a look back at the Shuttle program as Gizmodo combined footage from 30 years of launches to kind of emulate a single launch. A true end of an era.

Links of the Week - Safe Travels Atlantis

Space Shuttle's Final Launch
Today was a true end of an era as Atlantis became the final space shuttle launch in history. The program is officially retired after 30 years in service. The first shuttle, Columbia, on April 1981 and today marks the 134th and final mission. This is the probable first phase of the eventually elimination of NASA as private corporations get paid more and more to take over their responsibilities. Considering knowledge for knowledge's sake has no value to corporations, this day will probably mark the beginning of many ends to come in regards to space travel and the quest of knowledge of the universe.


Lego Batcave
Another work of Lego art. This one is a horizontal, more or less three floor representation of the Batcave complete with Batmobile, aircraft, and more that was created by Alex Schranz. Hit link for the gallery. (via Brothers Brick)

Links of the Week

Lego Super Star Destroyer
Lego has announced that they are going to release a 3,152 piece set that re-creates Star Wars' Super Star Destroyer. The set will retail for $399.99 and come with Dengar, Admiral Piett and IG-88 minifigs.

Weiner Resigns, GOP Wins Again
Once again the GOP successfully proved that they do not have to be held to their own standards. Under mounting pressure from the typically spineless Democratic leadership, Anthony Weiner resigned his seat in Congress. This is despite the fact that while he flirted online, GOPer David Vitter was caught breaking the law by cheating on his wife with prostitutes and fellow GOPer John Ensign was caught breaking Congress rules by covering up that he cheated on his wife with a staffer. Sure Ensign resigned but not because of the cheating but because of breaking the rules was going to get him kicked out. Keep in mind that while the press was relentless for nearly three weeks to cover this, ignoring everything else in the process, they barely gave more than a few days coverage to the other two for much more egregious behavior. The double standard lives on and now the Democrats have proven that it’s ok for Republicans to declare open season on them. Why kill em with better policy if can do it with a tweet or two? I do agree with Crook and Liars, I honestly don't care what all three of them did. I dislike the hypocrisy of the two GOPers since they ran on family values but overall who they cheat on or with isn't my concern. Those actions don't affect me. What policy and laws they propose do. I wish that is what the press would spend their time covering but given a choice between the story of wieners that doesn't affect us and the story of things that do, they will also go for things that don't matter.

E3 Video Game News and Announcements

The big three of the video game industry has held its press conferences at the Electronic Entertainment Expo that is being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Microsoft announced a fleet of games for the XBox 360, Sony announced their new handheld called the PS Vita while Nintendo introduced their next console the Wii U with touchpad controller. Read on for more details; hit the title link if interested in watching entire video of their keynotes.

Nintendo
Nintendo was last in the press conferences but not least as it presented a strong lineup of games and a new console that may allow them to once again compete with the others. The keynote started with a symphony playing Legend of Zelda tunes to a montage of Zelda games as a homage to the franchise's 25th Anniversary. Sadly no special collection is being planned, instead they are simply releasing a few past games like Link's Awakening along with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) for Christmas. In other words just business as usual. Games in the pipeline for the 3DS include Super Mario Kart 3D, Star Fox 3D, Super Mario 3D, Kid Icarus 3D, and Tetris 3D. Most expected to be released by end of the year. Kirby Wii was also announced but the Wii was not the focus.

Links of the Week - With Stupid Edition

Weiner Admits to Picture
The underwear picture heard around the world finally has its guilty man. New York Representative Anthony Weiner finally admitted the picture was his and apparently one of several he has sent out to woman over the internet the years. He admitted to the behavior but says he never had sex or even met the woman he was flirting with online. The GOP, of course, is asking for his head on a platter. Ignoring the fact that they stridently defended previous leaders like John Ensign among others that actually did take the step of cheating of getting laid by someone other than their wives. In the case of Ensign he broke the law multiple times to try and cover it up. Andrew Breitbart, he actually "broke" the story by buying the photos from one of Weiner's online woman, felt this "proved" he was a real journalist. After all in Republican land, if a "liberal" makes a mistake his entire career should be flushed down the toilet (see Dan Rather) but is a conservative makes nothing but mistakes (fake Black Panther story, fake Acorn story, fake Sherrod story, etc) then getting one right undoes all those others.

Apple's WWDC Introduces iOS 5

Today Steve Jobs held the key note address for Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 that did not introduce the iPhone 5 as hoped but instead introduced iOS 5 with iCloud. The emphasis on the update is to try to put data "in the cloud" so easily accessible from any iOS device (iPad, iPhone, etc). iOS 5 is being released sometime this Fall.

The key new feature is the replacement of the now defunct MobileMe called iCloud. The idea is a hub to store all data might use on an iOS device such as music, videos, photos, etc. It sounds a whole lot like Dropbox with an auto sync feature. All users will get 5GB free, not sure how much it costs for more. However, if you have music, Apple is introducing something called iTunes Match that will have you "upload" your music collection to iCloud and does not count to the 5GB limit. The reason for the quotes is it’s not really uploading your music but matching your music library to iTunes. This works for music already purchased from iTunes or music ripped from CD collection. If like me and didn't rip your collection at a good bit rate, this is a solid way to "upgrade" your collection to 256 kbps AAC files without going through the trouble of re-ripping everything. Just note that ACC is not as universally accepted a format as mp3.

Links of the Week

DC Comics Rebooting 70 Year History
DC has announced that it is rebooting its universe almost from scratch after their current "Flashpoint" story arc end. The relaunch will have 52 #1 titles come out that month starting with Justice League #1 (to left is the cover). The origin story, back story, events, costumes (including more clothing for the woman) and more will be altered to "modernize" the characters. While DC is being silent on specifics, it seems that the goal is to simplify the universe and make it easier to adapt to movies, television and video games. An example is from the art here which shows Green Lantern Hal Jordan using the ring to create a Gatling gun. Until the movie, that would have never done that, created preferring hitting hit opponents over shooting them. The tendency for creating guns was left to former Marine, Green Lantern John Stewart. Another example is Superman being de-aged to late 20s and more than likely no longer married, again aligning with the upcoming movie. The examples will probably continue with characters losing more complicated or "messy" portions of their past like deaths, marriages, offspring, and more. I am betting the directive is if the story arc or character can't be explained in less than two minutes, then that aspect will be removed from DC's new continuity. If you are a long time reader of comics, this news is probably bad but if you are looking to try them out (or hop off the collecting merry go round), this is good news. As a long time collector familiar with DC Comics history, I find the idea full of story potential but DC's execution over the years has been sloppy at best as Warner Bros executives ultimately make the big decisions and that often doesn't lead to good storytelling.