BUY COMICS FOR THE TROOPS

We here at GHPALS love our soldiers, seamen, airmen and marines of all genders, races, ethnic origin, etc, etc. Several of us are children of the military and have lost relatives to war.

And we love comics.

So help us in our new project: COMICS FOR THE TROOPS. We've put out  a box at our favorite store, Alakazam Comics, across the street from UC Irvine. When you buy your comics each week, pick up an extra and put it in the box. When it is full, we pick it up and send it off to our military in a far-away country. The last box went to Afghanistan, but we have troops everywhere. The next box might go to the middle of Africa.

How did we come up with this project? Well, like all good ones, it started with one person. An active member cleaned out her comic collection, deciding to keep only the ones she really, really liked. She could have sold them, but someone had told her about AnySoldier.com, where you could find someone in the military who wanted whatever you were giving away. Several wanted comic books, so she sent them off where they would be welcome.

She shared that story, and in the discussion we learned that several of us use AnySoldier to find ways to help. One mother told us her daughter sent 4 boxes of Beanie Babies to a nurse in Afghanistan who said she gives them to the local children she treats. Another saves all her Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock magazines, and when a box is full she sends it off stuffed with snacks and good reading. Another buys paperback books at the Friends of the Library (Costa Mesa or Newport) Bookstores and sends them off.

The conversation wandered off onto the subject of the new DC comics (with the 3D covers) when someone had the bright idea for Comics for the Troops.

SO HELP US ENTERTAIN OUR SERVICE FOLKS and support a small business. Shop
Alakazam Comics and drop an extra book in the box.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book

Several of us signed up for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book Contest, and our scribe's name was drawn. She was "selected to connect with a special group of sisters and read The Prayer Box early."

The book was written by Lisa Wingate, and five "sisters" share the book. The first name on the list is the Big Sister and received the book first. Our scribe was the second sister, and the book came in the mail the day she left for Comic-Con. Perfect timing.

Much of the fun of reading the book this way is you get to write comments in it. And you get to read the comments the your "older" sisters wrote in it. And sharing those comments and the book.

Our scribe had a 10:30 appointment at the Comic-Con blood drive, took The Prayer Box with her. Was she ever glad she did because she had 3 hours to read it. Yes, it took THREE Hours for them to take her blood. Of course the feeling one gets by helping others is priceless, but THREE HOURS?? .

But the best part, she said, was the book. She said she even got irritated when it was she reached the front of each line (and there were FOUR LINES to wait in to donate blood (and no cute vampires hanging around!) But The Prayer Box was the perfect book for waiting because she really cared about the main character, her children, the dead old lady and even the minor characters.

The swag given to blood donors, and The Prayer Book, by Lisa Wingate

The Prayer Box is set on Cape Hatteras after it was battered by a violent storm. Tandi snatched her two children out of their privileged but seriously constrained life in Dallas and ran as far east as she could, stopping before her hat floated away. Almost literally. She found herself renting a cottage on a big estate that has definitely seen better times. Tandi's parents were horrible parents and Tandi has repeated her mother's life choices several times, and really wants this time to be different. But she's latched on to a guy who seems like a repeat and her kids seem headed on the same path she walked as a child.

When Tandi finally checks on the woman who lives in the big house, she finds her dead body. She's asked to help clear out the perishables and finds a stash of beautiful boxes in which the dead woman had filed the prayers she'd written to her "Father" her whole life long.

The discoveries Tandi makes as she learns about her former landlady, and the lessons she learns from the good people around her, may change her life and those of her children. 

The story flows naturally and there isn't a false note among the characters. We all like the idea of putting prayers on paper as the act of writing helps clarify and concentrate one's thoughts.

There are some good lines in it, too. This one reminds me of the things my southern grandmother used to say, "You can dress a toad in lace, but the minute you let it go, it will still poop on the porch."

We wish we could see the book again after the other three sisters have a chance to read it.

And for those of you bag fans, the other side of the Warner Brothers bag in the photo is the Supernatural Hunter Checklist one. The blood drive gave her a Classic 60's Batman bag, but she traded it to a guy for the Supernatural one. He really wanted the Arrow one, and thought Batman made better trading material.

Gotta love the Con!

It's A Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman? Or Is It?

It's A Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman? Or Is It?

Who is Superman? Is he the brooding Batman-light Man of Steel or the heroic figure the geezers in the group remember from the original comic book? We here at GHPALS had a long discussion after members saw the film.

The Superman in this movie is absolutely not the hero of the original comic books. You might not even want to meet this guy. He's not interesting or particularly heroic. He's boring.

They need a reboot of the reboot.

Some Pals claimed the film tried to turn Superman into Batman. The two DC characters are very different, and were that way on purpose. Batman is all about being closed in: the bat cave, the bat car, cities with buildings so tall Batman works in tunnels. Superman is the hero of light and open sky. That's why the guy flies so much! Over fields and mountains. Wide open spaces. America! Yes he lives in a city, but so what. Clark was only following the migration of most young men who grew up on farms.

Another Pal argues that while that the filmmakers were trying to Batman-ize Superman, what they really did was turn Captain Kirk into Mr. Spock. The comic book Superman, like Kirk, always managed to find a way out of a dilemma; both characters were clever and smart and thoroughly self-aware, though Superman chose to hide it by pretending to be Clark Kent. That whole aspect of Superman's character is lost in this movie. And while Kirk lost a few crewmen along the way, his guiding principle was everyone gets back to the ship and the ship gets saved; Spock was perfectly happy with the omelet/eggs view of life: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." In the movie, Superman seems to have adopted that view as he destroys buildings (and presumably the people in them by the thousands), fighting Zod.

The basic problem with the Superman character is that nothing can ever hurt him, except the very rare kryptonite. This makes him a god in many ways, while Batman and Kirk are merely human; they can get hurt. They don't have super speed, so they can't be everywhere at once. They can't use their powers to control nature; Superman can. It's how Superman can catch a bus that's falling off a bridge and simultaneously use his super breath to blow river water on a fire. Superman is the ultimate multi-tasker who just has more tools in his toolbox than the rest of us.

Superman is the embodiment of what Americans liked to think they would be if they had super powers. As we know from all the ancient myths, super beings usually behave irresponsibly. They have to be taught how to behave, and must learn to accept the great responsibility that goes with those powers. The noblest gods protect people whose powers are less than theirs. That ethic, and the accompanying behavior, doesn't come naturally. Gods and children have to be taught, and every hero needs a mentor. Ma and Pa Kent, rock-solid All-American farmers, gave Superman/Clark Kent that education, grounding him firmly in "truth, justice and the American way." 

Kevin Costner, echoing his Field of Dreams persona, certainly doesn't mentor Clark. He's the worst kind of parent since he did not teach his child to accept and use his talents and gifts. Instead, he made his son afraid of them, and the people around him. How wrong is that? The movie's Pa Kent completely abrogates his primary responsibility as a parent. Once again, a movie purposefully destroys what were good parent role-models. Why is that? 

The geezers in our group point out that the original Ma and Pa Kent were older parents. That age brought maturity, and, presumably, wisdom. Growing up on a farm also provides lessons in the power of nature, and the fragility of life. Whatever their ages, Batman didn't have that stable parental influence. He saw his parents gunned down, and never got over it. A butler can never replace a father, no matter how good a man he is. He has reasons for brooding, though the geezers point out the original Batman didn't seem to spend a lot of time doing it; he was too busy.

We had members who wouldn't even see the movie. One Pal was immediately put off by the washed out colors, probably because the comics were so brightly colored. (During our discussion, other Pals said the colors matched the movie's tone, which the first Pal claimed was why she didn't want to see it.) Another Pal was turned off when she first saw the costume. What is it with that webbing? And why wasn't it basic colors? The original costume was made from Superman's baby blankets. This one looks like it was made from worn out clothes or cheap spandex.

Here are some other thoughts that came up during our discussion:

• What's the obsession with meaningless destruction? It's boring and trite and stupid. One of our Pals fell asleep several times during the film.
• CGI will not save a movie. The action was much more exciting in Fast & Furious 6.
• The cinematography was awful. It felt like the camera wasn't stable. Oblivion was beautifully shot. This movie wasn't.
• Ridiculous product placement was very distracting. One scene focused on Nikon camera far too long. Then there was iHop, UHaul, 7-11. Ugh!
• The kelp babies on Krypton were ridiculous, and pointless.
• Why did Russell Crowe keep coming back? He was dead! One after-death appearance, please. More than that is milking a star. (Than again, some of us point out, it's Russell freaking Crowe.)
• It was just too long. Way too long. 
• And Lois Lane as a redhead? Come on! Brunettes everywhere unite at this atrocity!

On the other hand, Gaeta got two legs again. (obscure BSG reference.)

Mesa Water District's New Logo

We here at GHPALS are an eclectic group, interested in a wide variety of things, and all things artistic. We have members who've lived here all their lives, and know a lot about what's gone on around here.

We've been following with great amusement the "rebranding" of Mesa Consolidated Water District to Mesa Water District. Some of the geezers in our group remember when it was called Costa Mesa County Water District. It changed its name in 1978 or so because it doesn't serve only Costa Mesa. It provides water to some parts of Newport Beach and unincorporated Orange County, but doesn't serve all of Costa Mesa; Irvine Ranch Water District serves some of the city.

Personally, we find the new name lame. Who does not think immediately of Mesa, Arizona, when they hear "Mesa Water District?" Apparently the word "Consolidated" was too dated. The district was formed in 1960 when several districts and the city water department joined together to create this new "consolidated" organization. A whole bunch of elected officials gave up their positions, voluntarily, when this happened.

We doubt that would happen today.


Anyway, apparently from what the newspapers are reporting, Mesa Water District tried to trademark their new logo, and failed.  We took a look at it from an artistic standpoint. Comments included "Trippy," "Lame" and "Where's the W or the D?" "Is it trying to look like a waterfall? We don't have  waterfalls here in town and the water coming out of my faucet doesn't look like that."

In other words, we were not impressed. They should have had a contest at the local schools or colleges instead of spending megabucks with unimaginative consultants. We have wonderful graphic arts departments at our high schools, and at Orange Coast College and Vanguard University. Too bad those kids didn't have a chance to show their stuff.

Comic-Con Badge Raffle

Well, your scribe will once again not be attending Comic-Con, though other members of the group will be. I'd hoped to get a badge in the latest opportunity, a raffle of the returned badges, but I lost out. Hopefully whoever won is someone who has not gone in the past and is thrilled to pieces that he/she has the chance now.

Look Forward to the Next Tremaire Book by Naomi Novik

One of our members read an ARC (advanced readers's copy) of the next book in Naomi Novik's series about Tremaire, the Celestial dragon fighting with the British in the Napoleonic Wars.

And she likes it.

We've been Tremaire fans since we picked up a free copy of His Majesty's Dragon at Comic-Con in 2006. We met the author one year, and had our copy of her latest book signed after standing in a long line. Fans like us gave her enough readers that her books started coming out in hardcover.

We must confess we kind of lost interest when the series went to Africa. That seemed far-fetched to us.

But with Blood of Tyrants the series has regained some of its energy. The title that is apt because there's all kinds of tyranny cropping up in this book.Tremaire and Laurence are on their way to China, with an unforeseen side trip to Japan. There they pick up an outcast who will probably become a problem in a future book. They aren't in China long before they are on their way to fight Napoleon in Russia.

It is always interesting to see how the various countries treat their dragons, and how that treatment is a reflection of each country's culture. Trouble is definitely looming with the Russian critters.

We encourage our members to read the whole series.

Life, in a Jar

One of our members volunteers at the Newport Beach Friends of the Library bookstore and never works a shift without buying a book. Last time she came back with an old joke book.

As we laughed at the puns and riddles, we stumbled across this one, which is funny, and profound:

A professor stands before a philosophy class and picks up an empty mayonnaise jar. He then proceeds to fill it with golf balls and asks the students if the jar is full. They agree that it is. 

The professor then picks up a box of pebbles and pours them in the jar. He shakes the jar and the pebbles roll into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asks the students if the jar is full. They agree that it is. 

The professor next picks up a box of sand, and pours it into the jar. He asks once more if the jar is full, and the students agree that it is. 

The professor then picks up two cans of beer, opens them and pours them into the jar. 

“Now,” says the professor, “I want you to recognize the jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends. If everything else were lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else–the small stuff. If you put the sand in the jar first, there’s no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. 

And remember, no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers.”