I missed ComicMix in the last round up, and they've got all sorts of mishmashed art in their stories, including one called M.O.D.U.C.K. (Mechanized Organism Designed to Undermine Comics...Kontinuity? Anyone else got a suggestion?). And to not spoil the punchlines, more are found here, here (with Twitter reactions to the news), and here. And oddly enough Mickey Mouse by Jack Kirby.

I go away for a day at the museum and you guys go crazy. When I came home to catch up, the first piece of news I caught was that Disney bought Marvel. The advantage of being away from the computer for a little while is that I missed the initial hysteria and questions of "what does this mean for...?" this part or that part of Marvel. Another good question from Bleeding Cool: how does this effect Howard the Duck since his likeness was changed by Disney's lawsuit against the character. Another point made at the link that I'd do a cartoon about if I could draw the Thing would be him saying "No problem, I've already got 3 fingers." I would imagine the answers to most of those questions are addressed by Comic Book Resources where they compared Disney's purchase of Pixar and imagine a hands off approach for now, at least where the current licensing agreements stand. Or will it be more like the Mouse's purchase of the Muppets as Jim Hill speculates in his piece. But the minute they end (especially the Paramount/Marvel agreement) they take over. And like Disney's licensing of MGM for the Florida studio (where it ended last year and became Disney Hollywood Studios) Universal's licensing of Marvel for their Islands of Adventure theme park will probably not be renewed and Universal will have to change the rides, attractions, etc. to something else. Don't think Warner Bros is interested in slugging it out in Orlando at this time, maybe Universal will come calling? After all, Islands of Adventure will have Harry Potter next year and the movies released through Warner Bros is a major element of that franchise.
The Beat has some thoughts as well, and Bob Rozakis has some thoughts from a perspective from the time he was at DC, and Time and Warner Bros. merged.
As for Disney's license with Boom! Kids, since they seem to be doing well with the license so far, I would imagine either a subcontract arrangement where Boom! produces the material and Marvel/Disney distributing it. As for the publishing future, it would be real easy for Disney to realize how much they have and shut it down. After all, how many Mickey Mouse cartoons have you seen lately? But I could imagine the publishing arm continuing as long as it generates some profit (and it isn't taking any resources away from Disney), at least keeping it going as a cheap R&D source. And I would guess that Kingdom Comics would become part of Marvel. Of course, this paragraph is as Dennis Miller used to say, my opinion and I could be wrong.
I hope to have a report on my day today up here soon. Since I've been home, I had to take care of a couple of things and wade through all of this news to process it. At least this is better than last year when I went to the museum and found my gas was off. No, it wasn't for non-payment of the bill. Here's my original entry to prove it.

I was checking the gas prices in my area last night and had my memory jogged by the listing that the price in my area this time last year was $1.25 a gallon more than it is at this time. And like I read online and mentioned here before it's just a matter of time before the price will stop climbing up again. Something to ponder while you're enjoying the good times now.
I think one factor that was a problem last time gas prices were so high was the lack of preparation of alternative means. The big usage of fuel for most people is transportation from one point to another. Right now, our elected officials have bigger fires to put out now to rely on them to better develop our mass transit systems or develop any alternatives on their part. So it's up to us to find alternatives. One possibility is an Electric bike which is just the thing if you don't relish the prospect of having to bike to work or your errands. You can see the electric bikes for sale and find one that is just right for you. I was also reading about how traditional bicyclists weren't happy with people buying and using these electric bikes for sale, but as long as you obey the rules of the road and are courteous to others you shouldn't have any problems.

Today's the day I cross off two more things from my Summer Bucket List (and it's cutting it close: the past couple of nights it's gotten really cold here. I might have to turn on the heat. Who ever heard of turning on the heat in August? Seriously...) We're going to go see the King Tut exhibit at the Children's Museum. Then after that we're going to visit Half Price Books and eat dinner at Boston Market. Hopefully this time I can have the sirloin strips that I like so much.

I must admit that there's some items that make me think twice when I hear about shopping for them online. Furniture is one such example. But there are some advantages to shopping for furniture online when you think about it. You're better able to look at different styles and types without having to travel from place to place trying to find what you're looking for and having salespeople hovering over you ready to swoop down at the first sign of interest.
And if you can find a great place like this furniture site you can enjoy shopping more. There you can choose how you look for the pieces you want for your home by looking by designer furniture, style, type, price or more. They even have furniture articles for you to read to learn more and help you shape your taste and preferences. So if you're looking to buy furniture in the future, maybe you should check out this site instead of dreading it. You may find that you like it.

I didn't mention in my earlier post, but I got the two games on Thursday. And a little while ago I just completed Batman Arkham Asylum. It was challenging enough to keep me interested and just on the border of frustration. I'm not a hard core gamer but I think it isn't bad that I finished the game in 3 days. It's a good game, but my finances didn't allow me to own it at this time.
And I crossed off another item on my Summer Bucket List. We went to KFC Buffet in Kokomo and got to enjoy the KFC chicken and sides without worrying about running out. Kathy loved the potatoes with cheddar and something else mixed in with it (it's late, I can't remember what it is now). They only have it with the buffet, so it looks like we'll be coming back. And I got her some more root beer from B&K which is her favorite. And we picked up a few things at Wally World that we missed yesterday. They had the DC Legends 5 pack with Superman, Batman, Lex Luthor, Two Face and Catwoman. But at $55, I'll have to pass for now. Before that I went to Target and they had the two 6 packs of Justice League Unlimited figures that I passed on as well. But there was one figure set I wanted to get: the Teen Titans 6 pack for DC Infinite Heroes with Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Arsenal, Monsieur Mallah and the Brain.
Hopefully I can enjoy Guitar Hero Smash Hits some more before I have to return the games on Wednesday.

Even though the weather's cooled a little bit, maybe I'm fooling myself, but I think there's still some good times to be had out there before it gets cold again. Maybe time for a quick getaway to enjoy a change of scenery. Maybe take a peaceful pause from the hectic everyday rush of life.
One good place to get away from it all for a little while and enjoy the peace and beauty the world has to offer is Boothbay Harbor Maine. With a friendly staff that's there to ensure you enjoy your stay to comfortable accomodations where can choose a guest room or an efficiency, you'll be glad that you were a guest at their hotel. Boothbay Harbor also offers flatscreen televisions and free wifi. I talked here before about loving the wifi, but even an internet and TV addict like me would be crazy to spend all my time getting my fix, with all the beautiful scenery they have to offer. You can even get an oceanfront view with a deck overlooking the water. Nothing like that here on the internet.
And the food: you've got to check out the Boothbay Harbor Restaurant. If you want to sample the lobster and other seafood Maine is famous for, this is the place to go. Forget getting fast food and eating it in the room, this is the way to enjoy dining. You'll get more than bodily nourishment, you'll get an unforgettable experience.

If you've paid attention to my XBox Live info box on the right you've seen that I've been playing a couple of new games. One of the few things I want to get from My Coke Rewards is a coupon for a rent one game get one game free at Blockbuster Video. I know, I know, but in this neck of the woods they're the only game in town for game rentals. The Blockbuster near me charges $8.99 plus tax for a 5 day video game rental and they've got a special right now where you can rent 2 games for 5 days for $12.99, so I only saved 4 bucks with the coupon.
One problem with renting 2 games is that usually I can only concentrate on 1 game at a time. Last year when I did the same thing (rent 2 games) I played through The Incredible Hulk and then zipped through Guitar Hero Aerosmith. I've got 2 similar games this time, one that is a quest-based superhero game and another in the Guitar Hero franchise. I'll get to them in a minute. The other problem is the time factor. These games are due back on Wednesday by noon and I want to get through them by then. That pretty much dictates the time I spend on gaming between now and then. I could rent them again if I don't get through in time, but that's 10-14 bucks that I could save if I don't.
The first game I got is Batman Arkham Asylum. Believe what everyone is saying, it's a real good game. The problem is right now my funds limit how much I can spend on a game. And as good as this game is, it's like others of it's kind where there isn't that much replayability. Once you play through, you're done. There's some similar games where I thought I would revisit them again sometime, but like everything else on the "to do sometime" list I haven't got to it. And there's the look for the hidden items throughout the game thing, in this instance it's Riddler's Clues, but nothing I'm obsessing over. If I find one, great. If I don't, I don't. And there is the rare camera problem where you can't position Batman right (especially in the sneak up and take out people mode) but this is a very rare instance. And I like the fighting mode which is very easy to master. And I'm actually playing in Normal mode in this game. Another problem is one articulated by Hamm the pig about the Buzz Lightyear game in Toy Story 2: they seem to design the game so you'll have to buy the guide for it. I did some digging online and found this useful Batman Arkham Asylum guide that helped me when I was stuck in a couple of places. Getting the same enjoyment out of the game (except for the time restraints) and your choice is paying $53-60, or $5-14? Which would you choose?
The other game I got was Guitar Hero Smash Hits, kind of a "greatest hits" compilation of songs from previous Guitar Hero games. It's a fun antidote to the obsessive quest filled game. I just wish you could play the Rock Band guitar with it instead of the Guitar Hero one, which feels more like a toy guitar. And there's something wrong with it because every time my Star Power is ready it activates by itself without me flipping up the guitar. A minor annoyance.
So hopefully I can get through the games in time to return them. I'm still on track with cleaning out the TiVo as well.

Women spend a good part of their day fixing themselves up to present themselves to the world the way they want to be presented. Any woman will tell you that it's a lot of hard work to look as good as they do. And at some point in each woman's life, they start to wonder if it's worth all the time and effort spent to fix themselves up. Every woman has an occasional day where they decide not to go through the ritual, and their schedule allows them to relax their regimen. And some women decide to forgo certain aspects altogether. And there's some that look for an easier way to achieve their look.
One way some women look into is permanent cosmetics. The process, perfected and popularized since the 1980s, involves introducing color pigments to the skin to visually mimic the application of everyday cosmetic makeup. It is an easily-maintained alternative to applying a cream or powder to your skin in a complicated daily routine. And more than people who become busy or bothered with the whole make up deal take advantage of the procedure. Cancer patients, burn survivors, and others who have tissue damage or mobility issues have also had the procedure done for different reasons than saving a few minutes each day.
Oddly enough, even though it's called permanent, it actually lasts only 3-5 years. It's called permanent because once the procedure is done it can't be washed off like regular cosmetics. And it only lasts for 3-5 years because of such factors such as skin exfoliation (both natural and chemically), sun exposure and medication.
That's what I like about this website is that it isn't like other websites that only offer minimal information and say you have to schedule an appointment to find out more, hearing the pitch for their services as part of the learning process. They have information of what procedures they do, what is involved, what you can expect, the credentials of Silvia Young, all of which allows you to learn more about the procedure and whether it is right for you.

School is back in session. I'm glad to report that we heard from my sister-in-law and the niece got settled in nicely into her dorm. Got the side of the room and bed and everything. We didn't hear about the textbooks and those of you in college are probably still hurting from the sticker shock. $100 for a paperback? It seemed like the internet to the rescue where you could look around and get a good price on your books. Until they decided to come out with packets that you don't what's in them until you open it. And there's online codes good for a limited time, etc. How can you fight that? The Consumerist has an interesting followup with more information, tips and tricks. And why are they so greedy?