From our "Duh!" Department: Five years later, the White House admits fault in "Mission Accomplished" banner. The color of the sky in W's world isn't blue, but it's one micro-shade closer.
Paula Abdul critiques an American Idol contestant's second song before he sings it.
Ernie Colon and Sid Jacobson find new life in comics, sadly in our brave new world.
Steven Grant's latest column, where he touches upon topics in comics and politics, among other things. He writes 'What mostly amuses me is the statement of voter i.d. backers that this measure will "safeguard public confidence in the integrity of elections.' Seems to me trustworthy voting machines would go a lot further..." I hear ya.
And finally: The Onion's Election Glossary.

Figures, I start talking about nude celebrities on this blog, and I hear from the minister who reads this blog. And she tags me for a meme, no less. But hey, she made the 500th comment to this blog. Congrats, Arlene!
I've heard about memes, but this is the first time I've been tagged for one. The object is to write a four word memoir. It was originally six words, but some wisenheimer got it down to five, and issued a challenge to whittle it down to four. And Arlene brings it down to three. Arlene, Name That Tune. I've got challenge enough with just 6 words. And with a little editing of the title of my autobiography:
"Got your life right here, Shatner."
Next, I'm supposed to link back to the person who tagged me, and tag five others. She got most of the other ones in the state I'm in, so that's out. Hey, I know somebody in Indiana. And some nearby ones, as well:
Geoffrey D. Wessel
Blog This, Pal!
The Oral Report
Booksteve's Library
Miraclo Miles
As Arlene says, have fun, and don't forget to tag me back.

You've probably heard the hubbub over the weekend about Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus' topless photos for Vanity Fair magazine. Click on the last link for a topless photo with Miley Cyrus. Did you click on it? Ain't I a stinker?
This has caused Vanity Fair to move up posting the story and slideshow pictures taken by Annie Liebovitz on their website. And it has resulted in increased web traffic for their site. Interesting enough, the behind the scenes video shows that the so-called shocking photos were taken at a family gathering in Calabasas, California. And father Billy Ray Cyrus was there and in some of the pictures.
So in a shameless attempt to increase web traffic here at MTC Central (including my original misspelling of photographer Annie Liebowitz' (Annie Leibowitz) name) I have the story and links up here.
And just because we love ya, here's some Billie Piper topless pictures as well.

I'm holding off on my trip to the local comics shop because I was informed today that I couldn't get the Free Comic Book Day comics until Saturday. Da owner (hi, Rembert) said Diamond came by his shop and took pictures for FCBD, and while there somebody asked about getting a free comic, and the hammer fell down. The only thing is, since we're going to see Iron Man on Friday, and gas is $3.75/gallon in my area, that's a lot of travelling.

Earlier today I wrote about David Pirkola, the Michigan comic shop owner who was shot last weekend. His recovery for himself and his store is further hampered by his having no health insurance. The Beat is reporting that donations have passed the $2000 mark, and auctions and signed comics are in the pipeline to raise more money. Again, if you have any to spare, or you realize that as tight as things are some have it worse, please consider donating.

Yahoo is reporting the Republicans are readying their attack against Barack Obama. In addition to the usual suspects, one of the advisers to the Swift Boat Veterans is involved in this. Hopefully Obama can do more against this type of attack than the previous Democratic candidates did. I don't want to go through 4 more years of this crap because the mudslinging is ignored by the candidate, and the people fall for the Repugnicans' same lies again.

For many people, losing weight includes looking into the dietary supplements on the market to help them out. But there are so many on the market, and it's difficult to choose one that would be considered "best", or at least best suits your needs. Fortunately, top diet pills can help you with your selection. They've rated the diet pills on the market by 12 different criteria, factoring in such things as value, ingredient quality, customer feedback, safety, company reputation, reorder rates, etc. As with anything pertaining to your health, please consult a physician before undertaking any effort to change your health and condition.

Like many people, I hope to one day go to England and France. My wife acts like she isn't as interested in going as she used to, but like I said before, anytime there's a Doctor Who marathon on Sci Fi, she's watching it, and sure enough, guess what she was doing last Monday. She likes seeing the sights on the show, and she first learned about London's Millenium Eye (you know, the big ferris wheel) from the show. And she felt bad when the alien spaceship destroyed the tower at Big Ben (we read that Big Ben isn't the clock itself, so that's why I made the distinction). And finding Hotels In London is as easy as clicking on the link to see what Cheaper Than Hotels can do for you.
And the United Kingdom is more than just London, and Cheaper Than Hotels can help you there, as well. They can help you get a good deal on Hotels In Manchester. And if you want to see other cities they can help you with Hotels In Birmingham, for example.
And Paris...don't let the word around the campfire throw you, they're not as rude as they say. I haven't been there yet, but as we say here at the blog quoting The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend." I would suggest brushing up on your French if you, though. You don't have to master the language, but if you show you're making an effort, and not trying to be the "ugly American", they'll cut you some slack. And you can go here to cut a deal on Hotels In Paris. So if you get a chance see what you can save on lodging, maybe it'll make the difference on whether or not you get to go.

Many Americans are selling prized possessions to make ends meet. As a result, donations to the Salvation Army are down 20 percent, and items are going for less since more are selling them. Thanks to Barry Keller for the link. And like Keller says, hopefully these people will remember this at the polls in November instead of falling for the same Republican okey-doke.

When many people talk about the finer things in life, one of the things they mention is art. Whether it be paintings, sculptures, or something else, many people still have an interest in art. In this futuristic age of digital cameras and high definition television, it's good to know that the old traditions still carry on and what's more, have cultivated an interest among the people. Park West Art Gallery is the home to the largest collection of fine art in the world. Not only does Park West Art Gallery have locations for people to peruse their offerings, they have an affiliate company called Park West at Sea that conducts art auctions on cruise ships around the world.

Michigan comic book store owner David Pirkola was shot during what they call an apparent robbery, while authorities aren't sure why a comic shop would be such a target. What's worse is he has no health insurance. And as was pointed out in Journalista, even if he was fully covered in that regard, when something like this happens it takes a long time to get back up to speed financially and personally. Fortunately, the folks at iFanboy have set up a PayPal account to help offset this financial hardship for Pirkola. So if you can spare some, please help him out.

Well, after months of following the news, and waiting for it's debut and alpha testing, I was finally able to sign up for SocialSpark. It's the next step that Izea is undertaking for those who write posts for money, but SocialSpark is a lot more than that. It's also a social network where you can check out fellow bloggers, and even ask to be their friends, much like those other social networking sites, but without the spam and getting slammed big-time for friends requests, a lot of those not being actual real people. And Izea has taken the next step from PayPerPost to address any concerns and objections thte online community has had about their service. They have a code of ethics that they require their bloggers to subscribe to. And they want to make sure that everything is up-front and honest in those matters when bloggers write for money, and even when certain search engines want to hunt these sites down and penalize them their page rank for doing so (unless it's for one of their services that they offer), they have created RealRank, which is a blog ranking system that is based on actual readers and page views, and employs calculations that are based on that, and doesn't serve any agenda that would benefit their company more than reporting accurately who's reading your website. They're even 100% search engine friendly. And the posts are written by the bloggers in their own words about products and services that they believe in, which is something that they're doing anyway, and if they can make some money, and be totally honest with their readers about it, so much the better. And the bloggers that are on SocialSpark have such varied and interesting opinions, it's a lot more than whether J.J. Abrams is going to ruin Star Trek. So why not check out SocialSpark today and see what all they have to offer? You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

After being away for awhile, ComicMix has another Munden's Bar story up. And it's a good one, kids. You know how, um, groups of women, um, get in sync if you know what I mean? Well, imagine it's the Amazons who are on the same page, so to speak, and it's a full moon. And they're coming to the bar. Is Munden's ready for...The Crimson Tide?

If my wife were writing on this blog, I could tell her about the W.H. Stark House, that it's a Victorian landmark in Orange Texas, and she'd write pages on the subject. When we met John Byrne on his original farewell tour years ago (now, now, as Sean Connery said "never say never" about a similar situation) that's all she wanted to ask him about. Nothing about his comic book work. Nothing about co-creating Kitty Pryde, her favorite character, even though Byrne based it on an actual person by the same name that he knew. She just wanted to ask him about the Victorian house he moved into. She just loves the home interiors. And then there was the time we went to the Winchester Mystery House. While she doesn't have as much interest in the paranormal as she did back then, the architecture of the house was a wonder for her to tour.

And the W.H. Stark House is designed in the Queen Anne architectural style, the house features a distinctive turret, stained glass windows, and ornate woodwork in cypress and long leaf yellow pine. Today, the three-story structure stands much as it did at the turn of the 20th century, with fifteen rooms of original family furnishings, personal effects and decorative arts, including antique rugs, original textiles, silver, cut glass, and antique porcelain. Also featured are the Stark family’s impressive collections of American Brilliant Period cut glass, pressed and pattern glass, milk glass, porcelains, and other 18th and 19th century decorative accessories. Once she sees the web site and the house, she'll be wondering when we can go down to Texas to see it.

Ain't It Cool News has a story up about USA Today's article about next summer's Land Of The Lost movie. Even though some things are being changed (it's three adults stranded instead of a father, son and daughter) they've retained the look of the Sleestaks. Well, not the rubber suit, where's-the-zipper look of it. And a change in weaponry which sounds cool. Hey, at least so far it looks better than the remake the Kroffts did a few years back.

You've probably heard about identity theft, about how easy it is to pull off, what steps you should take to ensure it doesn't happen to you. But even with those precautions, all it takes is one misstep on your part, or encountering a crafty individual, to cost you hours and lots of money, just to undo the damage an identity theft causes you. And you wouldn't even know it happened unless you were turned down for a loan or contacted by a collection agency. And it doesn't look like the government is going to do anything about it. And some would say that you should take care of yourself, and I can understand that point of view. With lifelock, they offer proactive protection against identity theft to ensure your security. They guarantee their service up to $1 million dollars, and CEO Todd Davis is so confident in his company's services that his social security number is in their advertising.

Hey kids, to get you warmed up for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday why not go to Ben and Jerry's and get some free ice cream? Because the only Ben and Jerry's store in Indiana is down south by the Belterra casino. Didn't they used to have stores in Indianapolis and Bloomington? Guess I'll have to raid the fridge for my Americone Dream. Thanks to Mark Evanier and Laura Gvojaag for the heads up.

One of the big things about working a new job, or staffing that job, is the training. Some places don't put much thought into it (at my last job, their approach was to run through some things and have the new person listen to a veteran, usually me. And I had zero training on that regard. But I wanted to do more than just have them sit and listen, I wanted them to understand what was going on and why I did certain things) And if you've gone to a restaurant (and not the kind where you go order at the counter) how much you enjoyed the experience came down to how the wait staff treated you. So good training is very important to restaurants, especially given their highly competitive nature. That's why having high-quality products like this waitress training video can help you out. By instilling the high quality service you want your restaurant to provide, or if you're working in the wait staff and want to improve your skills, make your customers happy, and get more tips, then this video is for you. And I don't know if this will help, but this giant wine glass, that can hold a whole bottle of wine in a glass, certainly can't hurt.

Augie DeBlieck Jr has posted confirmation of what he calls the worst-kept secret in Hollywood, and what I call finally pulling the trigger after years of threatening to do so. Scrubs is moving to ABC for their last season (like I said, this has been around for years, "final season" and all). In this age of conglomerates owning the media, Scrubs is produced by Touchstone, owned by Disney, who also owns ABC. And apparently they got Zach Braff to do one more season, go fig.

Most of us with our own internet connections now have as part of a standard feature e-mail that screens out spam, viruses and internet junk mail. But what if you're a business and of course you don't want to pay for individual internet accounts for every employee. With the money you'd waste on that, you'd just about expect your employees to web surf on company time. It'd be better if you set up your own secure system, or better yet, have a knowledgeable experience company set that up for you. AppRiver provides dependable exchange hosting service for businesses of all sizes. Customers who use our SecureTide™ service appreciate the affordable, highly-effective solution to their spam and virus problems. Customers who outsource their Exchange solution to AppRiver like the easy administration of their Shoreline™ management interface and our embedded security enhancements. In fact, they've maintained a 97% customer retention rate since their first year in business.

Last night, I decided to venture forth and get a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV at Best Buy at the midnight release party. If anyone reading this feels bad at missing out, don't. The thing with midnight release parties is that yeah, you're the first to get it and everything, but what are you going to do when you get it home? Stay up all night playing it? In this instance, I went because I had the chance to, and I'm not going to any of the early releases of Iron Man, because I want to see it with Kathy and she won't get a good chance to see it until Friday afternoon. Also, there's the social aspect of it. There were about 20 people ahead of me by the time I arrived around 11:30. By the time the store opened, more than that got in line behind me. Unfortunately, I was only wearing a jacket in 40 degree weather, and I didn't bring anything to pass the time (something to keep in mind for the future). A guy from the local Fox station came to do a story. Since it was just the one guy, he wasn't in front of the camera, and did some shots of the store midnight opening, and interviewed the people in front of the line. And the giveaways they hyped? Someone came out a few minutes before midnight and gave away 5 t shirts to the guys in front of the line, and word around the line was they were in line since 9pm. I did get a poster and a Rockstar Games sticker in the store.
I was wondering if they would have the special edition (version with the game, duffel bag, lock box, CD, art book, and keychain), as that was what I was wanting to get, and if they ran out before I got to it, then that was a wasted trip. Also, I had a Fry's ad touting the guide for sale for $5 if you bought the game, and I was wanting to price match.
Finally, midnight came, and the doors opened. Everything worked out, getting the special edition and the guide for $5. I also had some Reward Zone coupons that brought the price down, as well. I listened to some of the CD on the way home, played a little of the game, and checked out the stuff from the deluxe edition before calling it a night. Early review: the opening cinematic is more like a movie, with the credits as part of the background. Also, it is a lot more real than the previous GTA games. I was more reluctant to crash into other cars.
And the blog was down before I took off last night, and I wanted to link to Wil Wheaton's post about GTA IV and the hubbub being stirred up, mainly by politicians looking for easy points in an election year, and people who worry about The Children playing this game which is rated M (and Best Buy was carding everybody last night. Yes, even yr. obedient servant had to pony up his driver's license to get the game. I rather enjoyed it, as it's probably the last time in this lifetime I'll have to do that) and the system is set up to keep the game away from The Children, especially if The Parents are doing their job. And shouldn't people be worried about other things involving The Children, like better health care and education, and improving their overall quality of life?

These cruisers bikes are usually bikes with just one speed. They're not for racing, they're for kicking back and taking it easy, taking in the view. You might think this is a product that would just be in California or Florida, but these cruisers bikes can be used in all 50 states. Think of it more like a state of mind, like Hawaiian shirts. Looking at the cruisers bikes website, you see beach scenery and you'd think California or Florida, but there are many different environments you can ride these beach bicycles in, as they're ideal for stopping and smelling the roses. You can actually view and marvel at the things you zip by going back and forth to work, the store, etc. That was one thing that I liked when my wife and I walked across our little town for exercise, that there would be the little things you don't pick up because you're either zipping by them while driving, or not going anywhere around them otherwise.

They have many different types to choose from. You can get the men's cruisers, women's cruisers, chopper cruisers, and accessories. But not to worry, cruisers bikes are as simple to assemble as they are to ride, and before you know it, you'll be kicking back, taking in the scenery and getting some exercise to boot.

It's shaping up to be an interesting night around here. First, the Star Wars-themed Deal or No Deal is on tonight. Yeah, I know. But somehow both work. And if I didn't have reason enough to watch:

And Grand Theft Auto IV comes out tomorrow, but some stores are planning special midnight openings to sell it, including Best Buy. As luck would have it, I finally completed The Simpsons Game this evening (but I was stuck on the "Five Characters In Search Of An Author" level. I didn't think I would defeat Matt Groening. Yes, he was a boss on a level. I even searched online for cheat codes to no avail. I was finally able to get through the level on my own skills.) it was a fun takeoff of videogames that was enjoyable in it's own right.

In this day and age when we have our own computers and printers, and Kinko's had to merge with FedEx to avoid going the way of buggy whip salesman, you're probably wondering why you'd have someone else do your printing jobs for you. While you can do a lot of them yourself if they're simple jobs, you'd go to a printer for your printing needs for the same reason you'd go to a car mechanic or technician to fix something of yours' that goes on the blink: rather than spend all the time, training and resources for you to do the job, even if you could do all that, there's a good chance you'd mess it up, and it would be better and easier to have a professional do the job for you. And VistaPrint is no exception. They can do note cards, business cards, checks, rubber stamps, announcements, and car magnets! You can customize all of their products to your liking! I took advantage of their offer to print up some free business cards for myself, where I hype myself as a "writer gun for hire". Alas, I do no have many opportunities to present business cards, and these cards should do the job. If you are in need of business cards that are more tailored to your needs, VistaPrint can rise to the occasion. They can handle your printing needs with professional styling, fast shipping, and quality care.

This is the week. Iron Man comes out Friday Thursday night at 8pm. I'm fanboy enough to be excited. And Jon Favreau at the helm, I can't see how it can't be good. Sci Fi has a Stan Lee interview about the movie and other projects. And Rich Johnston has pictures from the premiere over in England. BTW, in the interest of full disclosure, but more so I can have something to talk about, I'm the high bidder on a couple of his auctions that I hope I win.

It isn't like the good old days when you got a credit card offer in the mail and if interested you'd fill it out. Or if you were shopping and were offered a free gift if you applied for a credit card. I remember my freshman year of college I'd save money on pop by applying for a Sears credit card every week for a 2 liter. Never got a card, but I didn't care, as long as I saved the buck something on getting a 2 liter. But that's the type of shopping around that should be done when you're looking for a new credit card, instead of just taking what's offered to you, and when you apply for credit card online you can look at Credit Card Rates.com to see what's out there, and shop around for the best deal. Whether you're interested in the lowest rate, or looking for a rewards program that's most beneficial to you, Credit Card Rates.com can help you out. And if you're wanting to read up on credit, find out how to improve your credit, they can help you out as well. So if you're in the market for a credit card, don't wait and see what the mail brings or what the pop-up ads bring, check out Credit Card Rates.com and select the card on your terms.
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I recorded the 48 Hours Mystery featuring Christa Helm's unsolved murder, but haven't watched it yet. Steve Thompson does a recap and reports he's had an upswing of visitors. I've had a similar bump, and hope people who've come by have like what they see and come back.

I read the news that this weekend was the NFL draft. I know a lot of fans was interested, especially those who want to pick the winners of the games. And here you can go and get free NFL picks to get you started. You can see if the picks are any good and hopefully utilize them in your picks and be the envy of your friends and fellow sports fans.

Kathleen David posts that it's Doctor Who producer Russell T Davies' birthday. It's probably tomorrow in England by now, and he's not going to see this, but let me add my best wishes as well. Say what you will about Who, but it's one of the shows that Kathy watches whenever it's on. We have the DVDs, but when Sci Fi Channel is running a marathon and she's watching TV, that's what she turns to. And for a Christian woman to be drawn in to Torchwood (she doesn't love everything about the show, but hey, it takes a lot of progress.

With bankruptcies, the housing bubble, credit usage, etc. growing each day more and more people are suffering from "bad credit". And they want to do something to fix it. But rather than jump on the first credit card offer you get and paying outrageous charges that could end up higher than the credit limit (and costing you more than money) why not look at these bad credit credit cards?

They also offer different options for bad credit loans, so look around and compare notes before you proceed.

Instead of the usual premiere at midnight, looks like Iron Man will debut at 8pm on Thursday at the theatres. It's Paramount releasing it, and they did the same thing with Transformers. Due to Kathy's work schedule, it'll look like Friday before we see it, because I don't want to keep her up late, and I don't want to go by myself. This looks like it's well worth looking forward to.

If you're planning to move to Lewisburg Pennsylvania, or if you plan to attend Bucknell University, why not check out Lewisburg Luxury? They offer quality apartments in Lewisburg and Bucknell Rental Properties that are more than just a rental, they're a home. All units include: Chef's Kitchen, Beautiful Wood Floors, Kohler Fixtures, Radiant-heated Bathroom Floors, Central Heating and Cooling, In-unit Laundry Facilities, and Energy-saving Design. Plus, they're very pleasant to look at. One look and you'll be wanting to call these apartments your next home. So if you're planning to relocate to Lewisburg, why not see what Lewisburg Luxury has to offer you today?

I've read the early edition of the Sunday paper with the sales ads. I've confirmed the Wii sales mentioned here for Target and Best Buy, also they have an ad in USA Weekend for Wal-Mart mentioning they have it for sale. I'm having to pass on it for now, alas, as I'm planning for the Tuesday debut of Grand Theft Auto IV. If you've been waiting to get a new system for this game's release, some stores are offering a $50 gift card if you buy the game and a game system (X Box 360: Best Buy and K-Mart) or a Playstation 3 (K-Mart). You might click on the link to go to the threads for the Sunday ads for Target, Circuit City, and Best Buy for more info. And Fry's is offering the game guide for $5 if you buy the game from them. Anybody else know of any other deals for these games and systems?

Decision Resources helps pharmaceutical companies develop and implement marketing strategies for drug therapies based on current market trends, cost, and need by analyzing market trends, industry reports, and drug treatment studies. They're the source of health care reports provider for the pharmaceutical companies to keep up to date with the changing market, and supply and demand of their products. By utilizing these reports, the companies can determine how to maximize their resources to realize their goals in the marketplace, and achieve the ultimate benefit for the company and shareholders. They don't have to develop the resources to perform this market research, Decision Resources has the personnel and system in place to perform that function for the companies.

Last weekend at New York Comicon they had a Venture Bros panel with a preview video that got uploaded to YouTube. If you're wanting to take in all the details of the video without the fanboy yelling, our friends at Quick Stop Entertainment have got you covered:

New season starts June 1st. And to think I was gonna hafta watch all these DVDs here.

If you're a small business or a self-employed individual looking for health insurance, how do you get it without paying through the nose? One possible alternative is USA Health Insurance that offers free quotes to businesses and individual, family or group insurance. And not a two-bit, fly-by-night insurance, either. You can get health insurance quotes from Blue Cross Blue Shield, United, Kaiser & Aetna agents for all states as well as COBRA replacement. Not only health insurance, either. They also have dental coverage available. So if you're looking for affordable health insurance in California or any other state, why not check them out? You might end up with better coverage.

ComicMix has a story and link up to some leaked footage on YouTube that they say is for the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special. You see Cybermen both in and out of their helmets. And who's the mysterious lady with the Doctor? You can't embed the video, but check on the link before they take it down.

My mom was mentioning something about getting a real estate license and moving into that career in her retirement. One school that offers education in that field is Key Realty School. While they offer Las Vegas real estate school enrollment, you don't have to go to Las Vegas to go to school there. They also offer online and correspondence classes, so they are very flexible as far as your schedule and location. You don't have to change your world to change your life. Wherever you are in life Key Realty School can help you achieve your goals and become licensed for the real estate field. They have the courses and instructors to help you with your dreams.