One good place for a vacation is Hilton Head, whether you want to kick back and take it easy, or you like more to do on your vacations. With Hilton Head rentals you can find a good deal on a place to stay and find one that is in line with your vacation plans, as well as save some money.

There are many avenues of promotion available, whether it's a business, web site, or what have you. One good way to get the word out is through pens. Everybody uses them. and by continuous exposure of the name you want to get in their minds they can remember it and bring you the attention you want.

Every year I think about posting a summer reading list here, a list of books I plan to read over the summer. What usually foils me is that when it's early enough, I think I have enough time, and next thing you know the summer's over half over. And I have a whole lot of unread books in different stacks, so this list could change very easily. But right now here's the books to read at the top of the list:
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
The Nearly Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus by Fred Hembeck
The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Diana Prince Wonder Woman by Denny O'Neil, Mike Sekowsky, and Dick Giordano
V The Second Generation by Kenneth Johnson
The Authority: Relentless by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary, and Laura Depuy
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
A People's History of the United States by Harold Zinn
Absolute Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg, Charles Vess, Dave McKean, Colleen Doran, and P. Craig Russell

List subject to change, based on new books coming in, changing tastes, and whatnot.
About the same time I planned this post Comic Book Resources asked a bunch of comics professionals their summer reading list.

Many people think that business mailing lists are just a group of addresses that someone got from when you signed up for a contest, bought something, or something else that is random happenstance. The businesses aren't as happy with the randomness of it all as the people that end up on those lists. That's why they want a more targeted list with people that are interested in what you have to offer.

I saw this as I was flipping through the guide this week and wondered what was going on. This article has the scoop. WGN is celebrating the lost art of the sitcom by showing four classic episodes of 5 sitcoms this week. Mary Tyler Moore Show was last night, Barney Miller's on tonight, and Taxi, Welcome Back Kotter, and WKRP In Cincinnati for the rest of this week.
And on a related note, the Doctor is apparently dating his daughter.

So you have a hot tub. And it came with this generic drab gray/brown cover that is supposed to keep the water in the hot tub warm, but doesn't do anything to the overall design. It sticks out like a sore thumb, and it can be something that over time digs at you more and more and ends up taking away from you enjoying and relaxing. Isn't that against the whole idea of having a hot tub in the first place? Instead of letting it dig at you, why not take a look at these hot tub covers and get something that with easy trim-to-fit installation that doesn't need any special tools and experience can get you a new cover that works better with your hot tub and overall design? Then you can get back to the enjoyment and relaxation that you got it for in the first place. It can even create a more relaxing background when it's removed, so you can enjoy it more.

Dennis O'Neil writes about the new Indiana Jones movie. I wonder if a lot of people who didn't like the film are more gunning for George Lucas than the film itself. I didn't really compare it to the previous three myself, and judged it on it's own merits. Any complaints about the physics in the movie should be addressed under 1) movie serial physics, and 2) what has gone on in previous Indiana Jones films. Yes, it sounds like I contradict myself, but I'm just saying those that are now shocked, shocked at what Our Hero does in this film and emerges relatively unscathed should consider what all he did in the previous films with resultant relative unscathedness. And I still think there should've been more of a 50s sci-fi flavor to the film, but, hey, I understand wanting to stick with what works, plus I'm sure the naysayers would've had a field day with that, as well.

The warmer weather has finally come in, the kids are out of school, and a lot of people are thinking about where to go for vacation. There are so many options to choose from, and a lot of places vying for that vacation dollar. And there's all sorts of things to do in New Jersey.
Hear me out.
I'm not talking about some Sopranos tour, or checking out some industrial plant. I'm talking about a vacation that's like the old style vacations you may have read about, on the boardwalk, seeing the sites and riding the rides. I've heard that this kind of thing used to exist in Atlantic City, but alas, the casinos have all but pushed them out. But what if I told you that kind of place still existed in New Jersey? There's a place called Morey's Piers that I've spent some time on their website, checking out all the rides and Wildwood events they've got scheduled for this summer. Like the Radio Disney summer concert series they've got scheduled in July. On July 7th, 14th, and 21st, they've got Free concerts featuring Radio Disney stars scheduled by the Giant Ferris Wheel on Morey’s Mariner’s Landing pier. Show times are scheduled for 1 pm and 4 pm. And then on Saturday July 26th at 2pm is the grand finale of the series with Raven-Symone from Disney Channel’s "That’s so Raven", and also featuring Mitchell Musso from "Hannah Montana".
But a lot of you aren't Radio Disney fans, your kids are, but you're still not sold on the idea of a Wildwood vacations. But check out the website for Morey's Pier, it's a challenge for any destination to offer something for everyone, but this place does. And the kids won't be cooling their heels waiting for the concert to start, either. Whether you want to ride the rides, take in the scenery, or go to the concert, everybody should have fun here.

We've got big storms going on here. I hope my surge protector will be enough protection while I'm online, but given I haven't had a lightning-related problem ever, I'm not that worried.
I'm rereading Transmetropolitan. Which is surprising given the stack of books I haven't tackled yet, even comics. But it touches on some topics even more relevant in this election year, and that's why I keep a lot of the books I get.
I'm supposed to get last week's comics shipped to me today. I checked the tracking, and it's on the truck. It's a carrier I haven't gotten something from before, so hopefully all will go well.

There are a lot of people out there who are struggling with issues dealing with skin care. There's questions and you're not sure where to turn. Is it something you need to ask a doctor about, or is it something you just find out real quick? You don't want to look like an idiot, and think it's a stupid question, but it's important to you. What is most frustrating is the feeling that you're the only one who has to deal with this. Well, like they say: if you're one in a million, that means there's over 6,000 of you. You don't have to go it alone. Once again, the internet is there to save the day. I Do Skin Care .com is a blog devoted to skin care issues where you can go and lay the groundwork to get answers for whatever questions you may have. Whether it's acne treatments, Botox alternatives, Rosacea and how it differs from acne and what to do about it, or something else, they can give you some ideas of what to do. And since everyone is different, and therefore what works for one person may not work for another, it is recommended that you consult a physician before any change in your skin care regimen.

Ken Levine writes about yet another reality show that's been ordered. A show where aspiring singers/songwriters write and perform commercial jingles. Levine goes on to talk about how advertising has become one of the great muses (or at least one that pays the bills) for songwriting. I'd write more here, but I feel another post coming on...

Sooner or later it happens to everyone: you get in an accident, or something happens where you have to get your car repaired. A tree branch fell on it or something. You take it somewhere and you wait and wait, and wait some more. Finally, they tell you what's wrong and what it will cost to fix it. You nod, understanding some of what they said, and afraid that they know you don't know that much about cars and they're taking advantage of you. They might be, they might not be.
It's hard to find good auto body repair shops out there. That's where Collision Repair Experts comes in. They rely on referrals from satisfied customers who have used their repair services in the past. You can search by city or zip code. I tried it, and unfortunately, they don't have anyone in my area yet. But if there is someone that has been used that you think would meet their qualifications to be listed with them, you can let them know. And repair shops can submit their names for consideration, as well. Once they've been verified, they can be included.
Another nice touch about Collision Repair Experts is the lady that comes on the screen to talk to you on each page. Gives it a nice personal touch.

Kathleen David has a review of "The Poison Sky". Unfortunately, someone's DVR gave out before he could watch it. That's why I disagree with another friend as to the way of video distribution of the future, that I think downloads will only be an option and not the option: because people want something physical in their hands when they buy it, and technology has so many different ways to go blooie. Anyway, for them, here's part one of the episode:

More can be found there, including the next couple of episodes if you want to venture even further. And what sounds like a spoiler in the other videos was literally just a blink and you'll miss it scene. That's why it's up there.

It shouldn't surprise you that you can shop for just about anything online nowadays and that includes furniture. There's this one website that offers all kinds of furniture for sale including bedroom furniture, home office furniture, home office desks, and more. What I like about this website is that they realize the apprehension one would have buying furniture online, and have taken proactive steps to help ease any concerns one would have. They offer a guide on how to buy furniture online, plus other guides in how to select the right furniture for your home. They offer a toll-free number to answer any questions you have, and offer free shipping nationwide. And they have the selections for the different rooms grouped together so you don't have to look all over the place and lug pieces back and forth to determine what goes with what. They seem very helpful and want to work very hard to keep you as a customer.

The news is going around that musician Bo Diddley passed away today. Among other things, he is known for the riff on his signature song "Bo Diddley" that Buddy Holly used in "Not Fade Away" that Diddley referred to as "shave and a haircut, two bits".
And we lost another one in the Star Trek family: producer Robert Justman passed away last Wednesday. With fellow producer Herb Solow, he wrote a book about their experiences producing the original Star Trek, and I got both to autograph it one year at the Chicago Comicon.
Condolences to family, friends and fans.

Many people are living on the financial edge. Sometimes an emergency comes up where they need money now, and circumstances have them a little short. That's where something like Cash Advances and Payday Loans would come in handy. These links go to pages that explain what each are and how they would work for you. Then once you decide on the type of loan that would work best for you, you can apply. As with any financial transaction you should review the terms, interest rates, etc. before committing to anything.

Tonight CBS premiered Million Dollar Password. Kathy and I watched it, but don't think we'll be watching any more episodes. Kathy's main complaint was that everyone was standing up and couldn't sit down, and I think that is indicative of a larger problem: they took a parlor game and tried to mutate it into something it isn't. Hey, the top prize is a million dollars. Hey, Regis Philbin is hosting. Hey, the game isn't really as exciting as they're trying to make it out to be. The celebrity players were okay, but none of them were worth getting excited over, I don't think they really brought anything to the game. I enjoyed watching the Password marathon on GSN earlier today, which ironically was episodes of "Super Password" and "Password Plus" and not the original.

BlueCotton can help you with your online screen printing needs, no matter what they are. Whether you already have a design you want to put on a shirt, or want to create one on their website, they can help you. And if you want something a little more elaborate than screen printing, like embroidering, they can do that as well. They also offer all kinds of shirts, head gear, sweats, accessories, and more. They're also very accomodating with shipping: they offer free standard shipping with all orders, but if you need it right away they offer rush delivery as well. So if you need a design printed on clothing, and someone who can help you and not charge a fortune doing it, then check out BlueCotton today!

And the place that ships my comics decided to FedEx my latest shipment. But I guess they decided it absolutely, positively had to be there overnight, as they finally gave me an ETA of Tuesday. Which sucks even more, as the long awaited Nearly Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus is going to be in this batch.
But all isn't good in the funny papers: Lucky Cow ended in February, and PreTeena ended a couple of weeks ago. They didn't really say anything in the strips themselves, they just stopped coming. Had to do some online digging to find out what was going on. I've linked to the start of the final storylines in each strip, and removed them from the roll on the right.
And Peter David talks about the why comic shops drive him nuts (and me, too).
And Wonderella still continues each Saturday, but at a new location. I like reading it more than Final Crisis, or even the Wonder Woman comic.
And I contiributed to this week's Five For Friday: "Name Five Nerds, Geeks And/Or All-Around Poindexters From The Comics."