I don't think I ever mentioned Aviv Or. She's an Israeli comics artist whose work I've been intermittently aware of since we met on the CrossGen message boards years ago. Every now and then I'm moved to google her name and see what she's been up to lately. This webcomic is 4-5 years old, and I think I've seen it before. Webcomics about video games would be funnier to me if I didn't play The Sims 2 almost exclusively, so that's what the strip I linked to is about.

Edit: I found one that's hilarious even though I have no idea what game it's from.

It is warm. After being so cold only a couple of weeks ago, now I'm sitting at home with my windows open and it's maybe 23 degrees out. Yesterday I went out with short sleeves. I still carried my coat over my arm, because I knew I'd be coming home at night and it would probably be cold again. Then again, it's supposed to drizzle tomorrow.

My brother and I are cleansing some comics we were disappointed by. After about ten second chances, we're finally dropping New Avengers, and Madame Xanadu is also going. I really like the art and the magic, but the plot is plodding and the whole thing seems to be more about the Phantom Stranger than the title character. Supergirl might go, too, what with the New Krypton thing and everything.

Instead, we're getting The Unwritten, Ex Machina (probably starting with the next story arc) and probably Captain Britain and MI:13. My brother is at an advantage, because he knows some of the characters. I'm only going based on the fact that people like it who like the same things I like.

So, yesterday was Tuesday, AKA family visit day, AKA pop culture immersion day. I got an early start because I had to leave work early for a doctor's appointment. I watched the last three episodes of season 3 of BSG, as well as episode 8 of True Blood. I also read about half of this month's comics, and some of the rest today.

Rewatching the first few eps of BSG I ever saw (in their entirety) made a lot more sense in context, naturally. I still feel as though ( !!! )

Comics! I haven't read BtVS (the Harmony issue) or Madame Xanadu yet. ( For length more than spoilers. )

Fallen angel is not ending. Yay. It is being restarted in a new volume, which I totally don't get.

Not sure what to do with Runaways. I wanted to give the new guy a chance, but he just does not get it. This month's package was mostly lackluster. Everything was okay, but nothing great or exciting, nothing that I was dying to read as soon as I opened it.

Got this month's comics! Read four last night, four today, and one (BtVS) left for Friday. I would've heard about it if Fallen Angel was ending, though, right? It did say "to be concluded" but that could just mean the Moloch storyline. Kind of ambivalent about Supergirl because there was no previouslies text and I'm not quite sure what's going on. I don't know about the others. I love FA but most of it just left me kind of cold, nothing wowed me.

In other comics, though, Mitra Farmand is kinda awesome and is totally going on my regular rotation. With Lesbian Pirates on hiatus and Butterfly updating once every other month or so, I was really craving something new. So, go scans_daily for bringing the cute and funny.

It's still freaking cold, though.

Random Kryptonian, you are such a liar. How and why did the Blue Whale attack you, when it's well known that Blue Whales eat plankton?

I have a feeling that this whole thing is going to end in a massive, "superheroes must always be alone" aesop.

La la la comics, lots of comics for meee!

Work tomorrow, and then a dodgy schedule for the rest of the week. I haven't quite figured out how to balance it all out so that my brother and I can go to Icon and fill up on our graphic novel quota. And also see Hellboy II, which is only getting to Israeli theaters next weekend.

I should be sleeping, but instead I spent all day reading Apocalypse Challenge stories and experimenting with recoloring hair for a theoretical Sim story that I might someday play, assuming I ever have a freaking DVD drive in my laptop. After I finish the Impromptu legacy, that is.

In short: I'm as boring as ever.

Okay, I know I just said that I don't like posting from work like, an hour ago, but my code's compiling and this post on Supergirl is great.

It's International Blog Against Racism Week, and I missed almost all of it. I had a hectic week, and am about to have another, so in case I don't get to post tomorrow, here's a quickie for thoughts:

The theme this year is intersectionality. So, let's talk about queer people of color, or rather, queer people of non-mainstream cultures. Racialicious has some good posts focusing on the experience of being black and gay, although I can't seem to find the one I'm thinking of right now.

I read Pride High online. This is a comic book about a gay-straight alliance at a superhero school, whose members struggle to learn how to use their powers while at the same time struggling against their less tolerant, less open-minded, or just less outspoken peers. I'm up to issue four or so, and am loving it so far.

( Some spoilers follow. )

PS: I snagged the icon from sanguinity, whose post about atheism I commented on rather excessively.

Things that I found on the internet today:

these two pieces of manatee-mermaid art. I have surmised that they are adorable, and in all ways superior to fishy-type mermaids. More biologically sound, too.

This piece of Supergirl art by the guy who's supposed to be taking over regular penciling duties. Given the instability of Supergirl's storylines ever since I came on the title, I'm afraid to hope. It is very pretty, though.

Beaker (of the Muppets) does an awesome version of the Ode to Joy, from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.



He also does the Habanera from Carmen. Sexy beast.

Anyway, real life beckons. I did the shopping, and now I have a screwdriver with which to put together my new table. YES.

I have actually thought up six names for core cast of one of my writing projects. I've been stalled for ages, not been able to write a thing. This is good.

Now I just have to name their characters, and then we'll be in the character concept phase. Woot.

The comics came day before yesterday, and I tore through them like madness as usual. Some long awaited entries -- Buffy, Runaways and such. Overall, though, not a very inspiring package. Should I post my thoughts at length?

I have shiny new physio exercises to cause me pain make me stronger. Woot? I also have a splint for my arm at night, which I had made this morning, and promptly (eight hours later) forgot on my desk at work.

The weather is very hot and unusually humid. I hate being sweaty.

I went to a computer technician yesterday and he said upgrading my CPU wouldn't make much difference to how my game runs, and my graphics card is integrated and can't be replaced. To make the game better, I'd have to sell my laptop (while the warranty is still valid) and buy a new one with a better graphics card (still integrated and non-upgradeable). Alternatively, buy a desktop, which is imminently upgradeable. I have nowhere to put a desktop and it would be imminently impractical, and yet I am still considering it, because I want The Sims 2 and Spore that much.

Digital Femme should totally write this, because it would be kinda awesome.

I am tired. I am always tired. A part of me struggles with the desire to quit my job and sit at home and brood for a couple of months. I know I will get sick of it before I run out of money, but I am terrible at job-hunting and so much better off saving that money for tuition. The worst part is that this is life and I can't just say it'll pass. It won't. This is life.

HULK... SMASH!

Monday: Spent all day on the train from NYC to Pittsburgh. Finished The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night-time, then read all of Tears of the Giraffe, which I had picked up in Penn Station, in one go. I was suitable heart-warmed. Got into Pittsburgh, met Sarah, drank coffee, spent the night in a hotel.

Tuesday: Checked out of the hotel and moved into Sarah's house. After several hours of quality time, Sarah went to work and I spent the rest of the day getting my internets on.

Wednesday: Sarah and I went to the Andy Warhol museum, got caught in the rain (a little), went to a comic book shop, had Chinese for lunch and walked back to her place. I got two Birds of Prey TPBs, used and cheap(er), one Blue Beetle, one Ex Machina (Brian!), and then a couple of FCBD comics and a single issue of Tiny Titans.

I love Tiny Titans already.

The day of traveling took something like twenty four hours, starting at about 5 AM Jerusalem time and ending at about 10 PM (or later; I was too tired to note well) New York time. It got progressively more aggravating and I managed to break just about everything. By noonish today I managed to fix pretty much most of it. I struggled with the public transit system for a while. Then I took a cab to the Met.

I saw the much spoken of Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibition, and thought it interesting. Predictably enough, it focussed on the most "iconic" characters, read: those who have had non-comics media adaptations, primarily films. It was thought-provoking, and I was tempted twice thrice in the gift shop area. I almost got Louise Simonson's cover girls book before I remembered that me and art books don't really mix; it'll just languish on the shelf. I also thought of purchasing the Golden Age Wonder Woman collection and the Kavalier and Clay novel. Then again, there are other books I'd rather read first, and I decided not to buy them just because they were there.

I also spent some time in the modern art area, wandered aimlessly a bit looking at whatever caught my attention, and took a long walk through Central Park. That last one may or may not have happened accidentally by the process of me deluding myself that I could cross the park on foot and not get lost. I neither confirm nor deny.

I had a musing about the House of M storyline, too, but I'll share that at another time, when it's more well-formed.

Farscape comic book? Yes, please!