Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Mondo Marvel #7 is Live!

Yes, I know. But it's that time again, so bear with me.

It's time for Mondo Marvel #7 - December 1962!


It's all about Love, Money, and Revolution this week!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Mondo Marvel #6 is Live!

Hey everybody!

It's that time again!

Mondo Marvel #6 - November 1962 is up and running!


Go check it out and see why The Astonishing Ant-Man is really just a crap superhero!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Mondo Marvel #5 is Live!

Well, it's been 2 weeks, so you know what that means!

You don't? Um. Er...

It's time for Mondo Marvel #5 you silly goose!

This week the Fantastic Four visit an alien world and Reed maybe sorta commits genocide, Ant-Man fights a Communist cross-dresser, The Human Torch gets his own series (apparently because there are just so many Commies to fight), and Thor gets a huge expansion in his cast of characters.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Mondo Marvel #4 is Live!

Hey gang! Guess what?

That's right!

Mondo Marvel #4 is up for your reading pleasure over at Comics Bulletin.


This week, we get the very first Marvel Super-Villain Team-Up (and it goes about how one might expect), plus the first real appearance of Dr. Henry Pym, The Ant-Man. Also, Hulk gets a personality make-over and Thor fights Commies!

Go 1962!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Worth Reading 2

The science of voodoo: When mind attacks body - health - 13 May 2009 - New Scientist

The idea that believing you are ill can make you ill may seem far-fetched, yet rigorous trials have established beyond doubt that the converse is true - that the power of suggestion can improve health. This is the well-known placebo effect. Placebos cannot produce miracles, but they do produce measurable physical effects.

The placebo effect has an evil twin: the nocebo effect, in which dummy pills and negative expectations can produce harmful effects. The term "nocebo", which means "I will harm", was not coined until the 1960s, and the phenomenon has been far less studied than the placebo effect. It's not easy, after all, to get ethical approval for studies designed to make people feel worse.

Worth Reading 1

Why People Believe Invisible Agents Control the World: Scientific American

The problem is that we did not evolve a baloney-detection device in our brains to discriminate between true and false patterns. So we make two types of errors: a type I error, or false positive, is believing a pattern is real when it is not; a type II error, or false negative, is not believing a pattern is real when it is. If you believe that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is just the wind (a type I error), you are more likely to survive than if you believe that the rustle in the grass is just the wind when it is a dangerous predator (a type II error). Because the cost of making a type I error is less than the cost of making a type II error and because there is no time for careful deliberation between patternicities in the split-second world of predator-prey interactions, natural selection would have favored those animals most likely to assume that all patterns are real.

But we do something other animals do not do. As large-brained hominids with a developed cortex and a theory of mind—the capacity to be aware of such mental states as desires and intentions in both ourselves and others—we infer agency behind the patterns we observe in a practice I call “agent­icity”: the tendency to believe that the world is controlled by invisible intentional agents. We believe that these intentional agents control the world, sometimes invisibly from the top down (as opposed to bottom-up causal randomness). Together patternicity and agent­icity form the cognitive basis of shamanism, paganism, animism, polytheism, monotheism, and all modes of Old and New Age spiritualisms.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Mondo Marvel #3 is Live!

Has it been two weeks already? Yes.

Did I wait until the last minute again? Yes.

Do I suck? Yes.

Mondo Marvel #3: July-August 1962

This installment brings us looks at Fantastic Four #5, The Incredible Hulk #2, Journey Into Mystery #83 (featuring the first appearance of Thor, God of Thunder), and Amazing Fantasy #15 (featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man).

Enjoy!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Jesus Fucking Christ.

Bakersfield dad accused of biting out son's eye - Bakersfield.com
"My daddy ate my eyes."

A search warrant report said the father "was displaying symptoms of being under the influence of PCP."

Alas, SCC, We Hardly Knew Ye...

Looks like the critical combination of shitty timeslot, low ratings, and Fox not getting a big enough share of the profits has led to the demise of one of the best Science Fiction shows on television, just as it was hitting its stride.

Seriously, the last month and a half of Season Two were as good as, if not, at times, a little better than Battlestar Galactica on its better days.

But Fox renews Dollhouse? Really, Fox? You're gonna play it like that?

Shameful.

My Reviews: Week of May 15

Secret Warriors #4




















Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Holy Crap! I Just Had a Dream Like This Last Night...

Toilet snake attack: urban legend comes true? - Yahoo!7 News
The director, who declined to be named, said. "A snake's mouth isn't always clean."

Especially that snake's mouth.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Gah! News I Didn't Need to Hear...

Man, 30, gives 'birth' to his twin | The Sun |News

Former firefighter Gavin, of Witney, Oxfordshire, said: “Four hospital doctors had previously examined me and were all puzzled by the lump.

“Some thought it was a cyst, others an in-grown hair.

“Then one said it could be my undeveloped identical twin that I absorbed at a very early stage. I feel absolutely fine now but it has not sunk in yet that I could have had a twin brother. I have him in a jar at home and I call him little Gav. I haven’t told many people. I feel like a bit of a freak.”

Friday, May 08, 2009

or at least the place where we decide to act...

Possible site of free will found in brain - life - 07 May 2009 - New Scientist

It's actually about the consciousness of movement - where the impulse to move apparently originates in the parietal cortex, signals to the premotor cortex which then initiates the movement and signals back to the parietal cortex that a movement was made.

Not exactly "Free Will," but then whether or not Free Will even exists is a question that hasn't been answered to everyone's satisfaction.

But interesting, nonetheless.

My Reviews: Week of May 8

Legion of 3 Worlds #4 (of 5)




















Agents of Atlas #4




















Marvel Zombies 4 #2

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Mondo Marvel #2 is live!

Mondo Marvel #2: January-May 1962 is up and running. This week I cover Fantastic Four 2-4 and The Incredible Hulk #1.


The column is a little long, so pop some popcorn, pour yourself a tall one, settle in and enjoy!

Friday, May 01, 2009

Samurai Princess



Directed by the writer of Tokyo Gore Police. Produced and with gore effects by the director of Tokyo Gore Police.

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl



From the director of Tokyo Gore Police.

As if that needed saying.

My Review: Week of May 1

Detective Comics #853

Friday, April 24, 2009

My Reviews: Week of April 24

Ghost Rider #34




















Immortal Iron Fist #25

My Reviews: Week of April 17

Ignition City #1




















Captain America #49

Andrew Sullivan For The Win (or Suck It, Douchebags)

Reagan On Torture Prosecutions
The United States participated actively and effectively in the negotiation of the Convention . It marks a significant step in the development during this century of international measures against torture and other inhuman treatment or punishment. Ratification of the Convention by the United States will clearly express United States opposition to torture, an abhorrent practice unfortunately still prevalent in the world today.

The core provisions of the Convention establish a regime for international cooperation in the criminal prosecution of torturers relying on so-called 'universal jurisdiction.' Each State Party is required either to prosecute torturers who are found in its territory or to extradite them to other countries for prosecution.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Mondo Marvel #1 is Live!

Hey True Believers!

My very first Mondo Marvel column went live today over at Comics Bulletin, wherein I take a fresh look (as fresh as possible) at the birth of the Marvel Universe in November 1961's Fantastic Four #1.

Then look for new installments every other week as I make my way through every superhero comic that Marvel published from there to the end of December 1969! It'll be a long haul, but with your support, we can do it!

Come take a look and then check out the message boards to tell me what you think!

Thanks for your time!

Paul Brian McCoy

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Too Sad...

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Cult author JG Ballard dies at 78

"If you look at the start of his career, he began writing science fiction stories and we was regarded as very avant garde.

"And there was a kind of violence lurking beneath the texture of these novels. And they've come to seem less and less futuristic and you know it's as if we're embodying, we're living in now a kind of Ballardian world."

Go here to read the short piece: "Why I Want to Fuck Ronald Reagan"

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Fight Me, Cowards!

It's kind of silly and the only control you have is over who you choose to fight, but damn if I'm not getting addicted to My Brute. At least it only parcels out 3 fights a day. Otherwise, I'd be doing this all night.

I know. It's sad, really.

If any of you cowards want to fight my Brute, and want to continue on fighting and building your character's experience, weapons, and allies, be sure to create a password, otherwise it's apparently kind of easy to lose track of your Brute.

Like you haven't heard that enough.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

More Proof the Japanese Cannot Be Out-Crazied...



Apparently this series, Cat Shit One, is based on a manga called Cat Shit One: Apocalypse Meow that was set during the Vietnam War.

I need to see this.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

For Very Good Reviews, Go Here...

Why I Prefer Twitter to Texting...

Egypt tries to hang up on killer SMS rumours - Yahoo! News UK

The Egyptian government has sought to dispel rumours that a mobile phone text message "from unknown foreign quarters" is spreading around the country and killing those who receive it.

The extraordinary move by Egypt's health and interior ministries follows press reports that an SMS containing a special combination of numbers killed a man in the town of Mallawi south of Cairo.

"He died vomiting blood,followed by stroke, shortly after he received a message from an unknown phone number," the Egyptian Gazette reported on Wednesday.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

As Good an Excuse as Any, I Guess...

A mind dismembered: In search of the magical penis thieves—By Frank Bures (Harper's Magazine)

A few days after I arrived in Lagos, an article appeared in the newspaper. The headline read: court remands man over false alarm on genital organ disappearance. According to the paper, a young man named Wasiu Karimu was on a bus when he “was said to have let out a strident cry, claiming that his genital organ had disappeared. He immediately grabbed [Funmi] Bello, who was seated next to him, and shouted that the woman should restore his ‘stolen’ organ.” They got off the bus, and a crowd of “miscreants” swarmed around the woman, ready to kill her. But a passing police patrol intervened, stopped her from being lynched, and escorted them both to the police station, where Karimu told the commissioner “his organ was returning gradually.” The paper gave the exact address where Wasiu Karimu lived, so I decided to try and find out what exactly had transpired in his pants.

Is it Wrong That I Laughed at This?

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What Looks Good to me...


I've stepped in and subbed for Michael once again, on the better late than never, What Looks Good #253: Irish I Were in Dublin...

It's St. Patrick's Day themed. :)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Monday, March 02, 2009

I Am At a Loss For a Title...

'Radioactive' sex offender on the run - Telegraph

The 42-year-old was due to face trial for downloading indecent images of children but fled Britain after receiving large doses of radiotherapy treatment for a thyroid condition.

Southwark Crown Court heard that Mr Leopold could harm anyone he comes into contact, due to the radiation.

Judge John Price said: "Please warn officers that when he is arrested he might be radioactive."

He added: "This is not a joke."

I Think This Headline Says it All...

Friday, February 27, 2009

I Hope You Don't Know Anyone Who's Died Around Cinci Lately...

Deters: 'This is off-the-charts weird'
On many nights over 16 years, Kenneth Douglas engaged in his own personal macabre workplace party.

He often brought drugs or alcohol to work and sometimes had sex with women.

At least three of those women were dead, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said Thursday.

But if Douglas is to be believed, he could have had sex with as many as "over a hundred" bodies in the 16 years he worked as night attendant at the Hamilton County morgue.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Blast From the Past


The 12 year old version of me apparently thought that there was such a thing as "Heat Radiation" and "Freeze Radiation." Not to mention "Force Radiation" or whatever it was called, that could knock people down. Hmmmm.

It was kind of cool, though, that the character idea I submitted was made a villain. His diabolical plan was to blow the ozone layer wide open, flooding the Earth with, you guessed it, radiation, making him all-powerful. Or something like that.

And it would have worked, too, if it hadn't been for those damned Dial H for Hero kids. Well, the boy in particular, who just happened to transform into a Hindu god who could do anything imaginable. Seems like cheating, to me.

My Reviews: Week of February 27

Groom Lake #1

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch #5

Incredible Hercules #126

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Your First Band and Album Cover

What would your own album look like if you were in a band? Follow the directions below and find out...

Here are the rules:

1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on "explore the last seven days"
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

-----

And here's the result!


And now, for the credits...

I snagged this idea from Kelvin and wasn't going to actually post it, but when my band name popped up Scummy Man, I said what the hell.

Here's the Wikipedia link to Scummy Man, just to prove I didn't make that up.

The quote is from Ed Norton, which was almost enough for me to scrap the project, but I went with it.

The image is entitled Raspberry Splash #2, by someone named Zaukher and belongs to him. I make no claims of ownership. It was actually the second picture that came up for me, but I wasn't able to copy the third picture, so I used this one instead. I used Photoshop to trim it down to Album/CD size and I think it worked out just fine.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

I smell an invasion...

Evil Robert Mugabe hoards lost Doctor Who tapes | The Sun

BBC investigators believe the troubled nation holds some of the early episodes of the cult series which are still missing.

But tyrant President Mugabe has banned the Beeb from setting foot in his country. And diplomatic relations are also extremely tense — meaning researchers are unable to get into the nation’s TV vaults.


Thursday, February 19, 2009

My Reviews: Week of February 20

Batman #686

Ghost Rider #32

Dark Avengers #2

John Constantine: Hellblazer #252

Gravel #9

Um, huh?

Ex-police media chief Kevin Loomes masturbated in front of backpackers | The Australian

Defence lawyer Neil Lawler told Magistrate Sheryl Cornack that Loomes had received counselling since the incident and was extremely embarrassed.

"He is aware of the issues that he has to address," Mr Lawler said.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Bizarre...

Visions of 'little people': The eye disorder that leaves thousands of Britons fearing they've lost their senses | Mail Online

Following his wife's death six years ago, David Stannard has become accustomed to spending quiet evenings alone at his home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

So it came as a surprise to the 73-year-old when he looked up from his television one evening to discover he was sharing his living room with two RAF pilots and a schoolboy.

'The pilots were standing next to the TV, watching it as if they were in the wings of a theatre,' he says.

'The little boy was in a grey, Fifties-style school uniform. He just stood there in the hearth looking puzzled. He was 18 inches high at most.'

Mr Stannard's guests never said a word and vanished after 15 minutes. That night, he says, the walls of his house, which had always been white, looked as though they had been redecorated in patterned wallpaper with a brickwork effect.

The next morning he was caught off-guard again when he found a fair-haired girl standing on his sofa. She also appeared to be from the Fifties, but was life-size, wearing a short skirt and pink cardigan, with chubby knees, white ankle socks and ribbons in her hair.

'I watched her for a while,' he says. 'She didn't move much. Then she was gone.'

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

In Memorium...

Bad News...

Cramps Singer Lux Interior Dead At 62

Over the course of more than 30 years, the Interior and Ivy surrounded themselves with an ever-changing lineup of drummers, guitarists and bassists, and released 13 studio albums (the last being 2003's Fiends of Dope Island). They also famously performed a concert for patients at the Napa State Mental Hospital in 1978 (which was recorded on grainy VHS and has since become a cult classic) and appeared on a Halloween episode of "Beverly Hills, 90210." Their video for the song "Bikini Girls With Machine Guns" also drew rave reviews from Beavis and Butt-head on a memorable episode of the show.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009