Sooooo Stephanie, Jon, and I went to see the new Transformers movie tonight.  Steph didn't want to see it but I paid for her ticket and dragged her along anyway and we blew ~3 hours at the big box theater for some American Entertainment (explosions, humor based on humping dogs and racism, tits, and maybe a few robots thrown in there just to be safe).  Anyway, this is sort of a review, sort of not, but, um... SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.  Will that do?  I hope so, because I'm pretty sure most TF fans have seen this shitty movie by now.  (Actually, I was surprised at the high amount of people who were in the theater.  Surprised and, well, rather irritated.)

I... cannot think of a film where I have uttered "o lawd" so many times before.  This is... this is not a good thing.  And since I have more negative things to say than good, first allow me to get the good things out of the way... I can maybe only think of two or three examples.

Firstly, Megatron and Starscream.  They had several good scenes together, Starscream sounded like Starscream, and... yes.  Somehow, somehow they managed to put some good Megatron/Starscream interaction into this 2.5-hour shitpile of a movie.

Secondly, Ravage.  Yes, his face looked like hell, but he had rocket packs on his back, he was ejected from Soundwave, and he was generally catlike in behavior.  I enjoyed Ravage.

And, thirdly, a device to blow up the sun mounted on top of a pyramid.  I like this for all the wrong reasons.  It's ridiculous, and absolutely, incredibly STUPID in the context of a supposedly-serious movie, but in the context of something G1-related, it's brilliant.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it HAPPENED in an episode of G1, except it was an Incan pyramid, and in that episdoe, you could tell the good guys and the bad guys apart.

Whew, now that that's over with, on to the bulk of the movie: the shittiness.

I mentioned this on Twitter: the first hour of the movie did not feel like a Transformers movie.  In fact, it didn't seem connected at all to the previous Transformers movie -- a film that, yes, had its faults (and many of them), but I enjoyed to a certain extent (and, hey, it got me into the fandom in the first place). 

There seems to be a serious flaw with how Michael Bay portrays Optimus Prime -- it wasn't so much of an issue in the first movie, but it was really apparent here.  In this incarnation, Optimus doesn't have any qualms about killing anyone -- that includes Decepticons (beings who he spares or at the very least pities in basically every TF incarnation prior to Bayformers).  Here, he's decapitating people, setting them on fire, ripping their arms off, tearing their faces in half (GIVE ME YOUR FACE) -- ad nauseum.  He's more fucking ruthless than Megatron.  In fact, I think he's got a higher body count than Devastator.  Something's obviously wrong here.

Robot Racism!  Okay, yeah, some people are going on about "oh, hey, the Autobots download their personalities from the Internet, that's why some of them are talking in ebonics."  Um, no, that's not how it works.  Jazz is one thing, and yes, he was the token black guy last movie (look, G1 Jazz was black, but he wasn't token black), but when you've got the DERP TWINS going around and talking in ebonics, claiming to not know how to read, sporting gold teeth and generally acting the black stereotype, you know you've got a problem.  And one of them was even voice by a white guy (as in Tom Kenny.  SpongeBob... TFA Starscream).  This makes little sense. 

Objectifying women!  I'd rather be complaining about Transformers-related problems, but Michael Bay seems to love selling his films by zooming in on titties wobbling in slo-mo.  This does not amuse me.  I may like teh boobz (well, only a certain someone's boobs), but I sure as hell don't want to see Megan Fox's tits flying everywhere.  Nor do I want to see her humping a motorcycle or lying prone with her legs spread, or see her lips parted in what is certain to turn result in an offscreen blowjob.  In fact, Megan Fox was more tolerable last movie.  I didn't know such a thing was possible.  

Robo-gore.  Let it be known that a little bit of robo-gore is never a bad thing.  In small amounts it's right up my alley, for reasons that won't be discussed here -- but the amount of robot gore in this movie was sickening.  Way over the top, IMO.  It's one thing to have shrapnel and sparks flying everywhere but it's another to have gooey shit.  Not even lying.  The way Ravage was killed nearly made me vomit and I still don't want to think about it.

According to Michael Bay there's upwards of 40-something robots in this movie.  Okay, I'll take his word for it, but it's pretty hard to tell them apart mid-battle.  There were Decepticons popping up who all looked rather similar, whose names were never mentioned, and seemed to be pretty easy to take down with a few machine gun rounds.  What do they transform into?  Who knows!  Because this totally isn't a film about transforming robots, it's about America's military strength, didn't you know?!

Shia La-however you spell his name. Bay should just rename the movies to SAM WITWICKY AND HIS WACKY ADVENTURES (guest starring some robots who also do wacky things).  The movie was basically about him and not Prime et al, running around Egypt and doing wacky Indiana Jones-esque adventures.  Also guest-starring John Turturro's buttcrack.

Other items of note:

- There was a fight in a forest.  Not sure where, exactly, this forest was supposed to be, but I'm pretty fucking sure I saw some trees blow up.  As in, there was an explosion, a fiery one, and there was shrapnel.  Coming from the trees.
- Suddenly, Princeton, or whatever the hell Ivy League school it was supposed to be, is full of slutty college women.  Never saw that one coming.
- Not sure what the fuck The Fallen was supposed to be, but it sure wasn't explained very well.  I'm not really that sure I want it to be explained.
- I still can't wrap my brain around all the fucking TINY robots.  We're talking LARGE robots in disguise here, people!  Not evil toasters and garbage disposals.
- Devastator is not formed from several robots.  It's one large robot formed from several construction vehicles.  These vehicles do not turn into robots.  And this Devastator is even more moronic than its G1 counterpart.  Huh.

Overall, this movie was incredibly stupid, et cetera, but what it lacks -- and what its predecessor certainly had -- was a sense of awe.  That awe of seeing the Autobots first transform, first talk, first fight, etc.  This movie had none of that.  They were background noise while Shia & Co. ran around trying to solve Indiana Jones puzzles.  Oh and explosions.

How to be healthy.  At least, what I'm doing to try and be healthy.  This is, in no way, a comprehensive, all-encompassing guide.  And there are plenty of things I'll be listing that I really need to work on, too.  In other words, this isn't complete, nor is it official, it's just what I do.  I don't know where to start so I'm just going to list off things as they come to mind.

- Go outside every chance you can get.  Even if the weather isn't ideal, go outside for a little walk.  If the weather is nice, and you have no other priorities (such as work), then you have no excuse not to go outside (unless, you know, you're injured).  It isn't natural or healthy to be breathing the stale, canned air that we so frequently inhale when we're indoors, especially in a small room, apartment, or dorm.  At the very least, have your windows open.

- Listen to music.  Any kind of music.  In the car, when you're on the computer (surfing the internet or working on homework), if you're exercising.  Music provides mental stimulation and is far more valuable than watching TV, or having the TV as background noise.  And, generally, music is better than a silent car or apartment.

- Limit packaged foods.  Pre-packaged cookies and chips, microwave meals, and frozen dinners are not only poor for your health, but involve a heck of a lot of packaging that all goes to the landfills.  Instead of buying a carton of Chips Ahoy, make your own cookies -- they taste better anyway.

- Read books.  This is something that I really have to work on... I've always loved reading but in recent years I've had trouble getting excited about any novels.  And, unfortunately, computer use has really cut into the time I've traditionally set aside for reading.

- Unless there's something on television that you really need/want to watch, leave the TV off.  95% of it is garbage and advertisements, anyway.  If you find yourself channel surfing and you've passed by the same channel more than once, it's time to turn it off and do something else.  I have, in no way, ridden myself of TV use.  I habitually watch Red Wings hockey (and general hockey, during the playoffs), as well as the odd cartoon (usually only Transformers Animated) -- but as soon as the program is over, the television is off.

- Drink things that are, generally, beneficial to your health.  I've always had a weakness for coffee, but I've cut my coffee intake drastically and I generally only drink about three cups a week, tops.  It's usually less.  Certain teas are good for you; they help you relax and can improve your mood.  Fruit juice is a case where you have to look at the label and see whether or not it's pure sugar and if it truly does have fruit in its ingredients.  Water -- which is something I need to drink more -- is more refreshing and hydrating than soda, which brings me to my next point:

- Soda, pop, whatever -- it's not good for you.  It's horrible for your teeth, it increases your weight, and it's pumped full of caffeine, acid, and other disgusting stuff.  Diet sodas are just as bad, if not worse (look it up online).  That said, not all sodas are created equal, and some are, admittedly, more "healthy' (or, more realistically, "less bad") for you.  I occasionally treat myself to a bottle of root beer or ginger ale, but it's good stuff, not crap in a can sold by Coca-Cola or PepsiCo.

- Concerning alcohol, of course limit your intake.  I do drink beer, but rarely ever more than a bottle at once.  I might have three or four beers a week, but never more and often less.  If you do drink, drink with friends or your significant other, but do not drink alone.  In my opinion, it's depressing behavior; alcohol, for me, is meant to be enjoyed with enjoyable people.

- Limit, if not entirely omit, your meat/dairy/eggs intake.  Cue people going crazy, saying vegetarianism and/or veganism is a mental disorder -- that's not a stretch, because at one time, that would have been me.  At this point, I'm not a "complete" vegan, as I will still occasionally eat food with milk and dairy products.  Concerning meat, I do crave it now and then but in the future, if I am to eat it, I'd prefer to buy it locally (for example, at the co-op) and not from some massive, disgusting cattle corral.  This sort of thing requires serious decision-making and research, as well as simple cooking know-how.  It's not a switch you can flip on, and it's not something you should do because it's a fad.  There are some serious moral, health, personal, and environmental implications here.

- Get decent sleep.  Once upon a time, I had a really stupid sleep schedule.  Last year, I'd stay up until one or two -- even three or four -- in the morning, then wake up between nine in the morning and one in the afternoon, depending on what classes I had.  It left me feeling groggy and depressed.  Over the summer, my sleep schedule changed quite drastically, as I had an 8-5 job that required me waking up at a quarter to seven.  I still went to bed pretty late, usually around 12:30 or one, but waking up early felt good.  These days, I get to sleep before midnight (around 11:30, usually) and wake up around 8 AM, sometimes earlier.  It's not a bad routine at all.  This sort of sleep pattern isn't for everyone, but it is more natural, and if you're looking to go outside for hiking, photography, whatever -- it's a good routine to have.

- Lastly, for now, limit internet use.  This is one I really need to work on.  Unfortunately, as college students, we have these weird, choppy schedules where time between classes or work or whatnot is too short to go for a hike or get shopping done -- and is perfect for browsing the internets.  I do it all the time, but it's time to think of alternative activities.  What can you do in a one-hour time block?  Wash dishes... draw or doodle... read a chapter or two in a book... prepare a small meal or lunch... cuddle your cat or dog or your significant other... call your family... get basic house-cleaning chores accomplished.  I've found that spending a ton of time on the internet leads to procrastination (as it is, right now).  If you're a 4channer like me, cut it down a little -- which I know is hard, but...  it can be done!

Now studying time for serious.

If I knew, for certain?  Oh yes, of course I'd tell.  Despite what sort of repercussions might follow, it's a pretty easy decision to make.  A tougher question is, "If you knew a friend was unknowingly in an abusive relationship, would you tell him/her?"  That's much harder to tackle and frankly, telling someone this can ruin a friendship.

This depends largely on the crime/transgression/wrongdoing committed and the track record of said person.  That said, second chances often turn into third chances, fourth chances, and so on.

Hopefully this will be the last time I use this icon for quite a while!  It's pretty cold today, and it was snowing pretty hard this morning -- but the sky has cleared up and it's sunnier, at least.  The temperatures are supposed to go right back up into the 40s and 50s starting tomorrow.  Of course, today was the day I had an outdoor lab about tracking animals -- and get this -- it was exactly what Stephanie and I were doing earlier this week, over at Wetmore.  Except that day, we had better conditions, warmer temperatures, and saw more stuff.  So I'm gonna use what we found on that day for my write-up, instead of the abysmal findings from today.

Just enjoying some coffee right now.  Warming my hands and feet back up from that horrible lab (luckily we were only out there for an hour).  And...  a certain someone's birthday is coming up soon!  I finished shopping today, just gotta wait for a package to arrive any day now~  <3  In a week's time there will be friends and drank and merriment, shit will be SO cash.

FFFFF after this appointment with my adviser I am SO taking a shower, I'm totally gross right now lalalala~

Soooo... it's a beautiful day.  I think it got up to 61° F, but the sky's been sunny and the snow and ice have been melting, and people are driving with their windows down -- it's just beautiful out there.  This morning Stephanie and I got some stuff done, then I went to class and learned about plants.  When I got back, I picked up the latest AHM comic from the mail, then we went to MooseWood/Presque Isle.  Met up with Rachel, and we took a nice walk around the park!  Oh it was so pretty, and the air was so fresh, and the cedars smelled so nice.  There were birds everywhere singing in the trees, and it was so quiet at Black Rocks, you could hear the ice melting!  We found a tiny bit of a deer carcass along the trail -- but it was just the skin and fur, no bones.  I tromped around in the woods/snow for a while looking for the rest of the carcass -- no dice.  But it was a great time outside, and it just felt so good to be out in nature with awesome people, getting laughs and fresh air.

As far as All Hail Megatron #8 goes... hurm.  The cover, no spoilers here because everyone has seen it by now, depicts a forlorn Sideswipe standing over a very dead-looking Sunstreaker.  It's a beautiful, heartwrenching picture -- even if, and here there be spoilers -- even if the scene never happens in this issue.  It's implied, but the scene of Sunstreaker's apparent -- well, okay, let me start at the beginning of the comic.

( A long-winded, blow-by-blow account of the issue )

It's still beautiful outside.  This whole week is supposed to be lovely and we've got an outdoor lab involving animal tracking (which has very little to do with BI112).  Tomorrow, I'm thinking another hike.  We need to find that deer carcass at Wetmore.  Yessss.

It's one thing to wake up at 8:00 -- I can do that -- but I can't handle television and televised commercials at eight, oh no.  (To make a long story short, I might have obtained the start to TF:A Season 3 illegally.)

... here there be spoilers.

Loved the opening scene with Hod Rod et al -- and then BAM some Decepticons show up, and holy shit Strika.  AND BRAWN THROWS A RIDICULOUSLY-SIZED ROCK JUST LIKE IN G1.  And cosmic rust.  (Let's just hope this version of cosmic rust isn't as disastrous as the G1 version?)  Because I'm not so sure of what happened to Hot Rod's crew, but it was a great fight scene.  OH AND CYCLONUS.

Drama between Sari and Professor Sumdac... that was good stuff...

And then BLURR.  Oh god Blurr.  Oh shit that was horrible, and scarring, and FUCK.  Fucking Blurr had just done something incredibly badass (not to mention physic-defying) and then... I'm crushed, so to speak. 

Um... way too much stuff in this trio of episodes to really list, but there were some GREAT Ratchet flashbacks.  Perceptor's voice was the shit (kids today just wouldn't understand).  Sari went through a robotic Sailor Moon sequence and now I know the levees are about to burst and all the fangirls will start shipping Sari and Bumblebee because she's not a loli anymore and is somewhat more legally-aged.  Ugh.  Anyway, all the Megatron/Starscream moments were absolutely hilarious, especially near the end when Starscream gained control of Omega SPREEM...  lol'd hard, shit was classic.

... oh goddamn that Blurr sequence.  Might be having nightmares tonight...

Some spoilers?

Stephanie and I went to the theater to see Watchmen last night and it... was awesome.  There were a lot of people there, the main demographic being college-aged young men who were socially awkward, but that made it even better.  The movie was really well-done, and the casting was... just about perfect.  The actors who played Dan, Rorschach, and the Comedian were excellent (Dan was so adorable) -- even Ozymandias worked well -- quite a bit flamboyant, had that shit-eating grin, was still a complete dick, and even had a folder on his computer labeled "boys" (srsly).  Oh, and he hung out with the Village People (wat).  Dr. Manhattan was good, too -- his voice was somewhat monotone and it actually reminded me a lot of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Laurie was great, too.  I loved the dialogue and scenes between her and Dan.  Their slow-mo sex scene was laughably bad and the song from it was stuck in my head after the movie was over... hilariously. bad.

There were some scenes from the comic that were omitted -- and I'm sure many will make their appearance in the director's cut DVD -- and there were a few things changed (how the ending comes about, for one) -- but it worked out well.  It's amazing that a 160-minute film was able to cover an entire (thick) graphic novel quite accurately.  Also, the cinematography was absolutely beautiful.  There were scenes that were taken straight from the comic book panels, and there were so many details -- small details in the background -- it was just... very complete.

Good movie.  Must investigate further.

I am currently eating a very tasty dish prepared by Stephanie... it involves Seitan and spinach and rice... and it is damn delicious!

Let's see...  Red Wings won 5-0 last night against the Blues and it was pretty awesome.  It looks like Hossa's gonna be okay and that's definitely a good thing.

Main point of this post is to give a plug for an LJ community I've just started, if any of y'all are interested -- come visit from_nature .  Last night there was a bit of a shitstorm over at furhideandbone, the topic being which was better to buy, farmed pelts or trapped pelts -- really, the answer should be neither, especially in a community full of supposed animal-lovers.  Judging from some of the vitriolic responses, however, it seems the general posting community there would prefer to remain angrily ignorant of where their furs come from, and that rather bothers me, as well as Stephanie.

In any case, from_nature  was just booted up literally a few minutes ago -- so there's nothing much to see other than a mod post -- but join if you're interested, and spread the word.

... also last night, Stephanie made the best vegan fudge EVAR.  It involves chocolate and coconut.  Yeah.

Woke up early today and got out of the apartment way before 9 -- Stephanie had an appointment at a place that prepares your taxes for free.  We found out really quickly that the weather's absolute shit today, as it was freezing rain and the roads were pretty damn nasty.  By 10 AM we ended up at MooseWood, and I got to see some box turtle courtship and cockteasing (and the follow-up performance of cockblocking), as well as handled Andrew the garter snake for a while.  On our way out, we realized that some dumbass had dumped about thirty pounds of potatoes right next to the road.  There's a problem with the general public thinking the deer at Preque Isle can't find food for themselves, and so they make the (illegal) mistake of feeding them.  It's posted all over the island that feeding deer is prohibited, and yet they do, and it causes all sorts of problems.  Anyway, Stephanie and I transported all of the (frozen) potatoes to the dumpster, despite the fact that the ground was icy and it was was raining ice pellets.

Tomorrow is a busy day.  Anishinabe from 10 to 11:40, as per usual, but lab at one o'clock tomorrow is being held outside at Wetmore Landing -- it'll be kind of a scary drive, and I sincerely hope the outdoor lab isn't canceled because of the weather.  Lab's been pretty boring so far this semester owing to the fact that it's winter, but I really want to go outside for this.  Also, at 4 PM, I have an appointment for my second interview at the portrait studio in Ishpeming.  It involves touching up a portrait in-person (which will be pretty nerve-wracking).  The drive out to Ishpeming takes quite a while, especially in the winter, but here's to hoping I can find the place easier this time.  A print-out of google maps is in order.  And then, to top it off, I have a test in Psychology at 6 PM.  I... will be really glad when tomorrow's over, no matter what the outcome is.

I've got a short class on Friday, and then it's spring break, during which I will be staying in Marquette.  I hope circumstances will allow me to relax, if not, I might rage a little.  I aim to get a lot of work done, namely stuff for NAS 101 -- in orther words, drawing animals.  I need to get back into the practice of drawing critters (well) and it's hard to draw from photographs rather than real life.

Lastly, some Catkin love -

Five Things Meme: comment on this post and I will give you five things I associate with you.  Then, post on your LJ and elaborate on the subjects given.  (You can comment on the entry and not have to participate in the meme -- just say if you don't want to!)

Science

I grew up in a scientific household and until a few years ago, I was almost sure I'd continue the tradition into college.  My father is an entomologist and my mother is a horticulturist -- if you don't know what these professions are, I encourage you to look them up!  I was literally brought up with science and nature all around me.  Like any typical family, we had a trio of cats and a dog for pets, but we had a menagerie of other animals living in what we later called "the science room."  Some of the stranger pets we had were a snapping turtle (which we released after it outgrew its aquarium), an eastern box turtle, and several anoles from Florida; a very large land snail, a whip scorpion, and a hissing cockroach.  At any given time, we'd have several bell jars or fish tanks full of pond water -- some hosted water scorpions and minnows, others had tiny little crustaceans called daphnia, and one year, we even had hydras (which are a relative of jellyfish). 

My parents often took me out into nature, which thankfully is not hard to find in the Ann Arbor area.  Even better was when we went to the U.P. to camp, and I was immersed in science and nature, in a very natural and peaceful setting -- something that most kids never get to experience.  I'd go bug-collecting with my father, and I'd name wildflowers and mushrooms with my mother; we'd point out types of rocks and geological formations along the way.  Occasionally, when I visit my parents (or my parents visit me), we continue this tradition, marvelling at the natural world around us.

Hockey

One of my more material passions in life is hockey.  I've never played and my skating skills are sub-par, but I am a huge fan of the sport.  Once again, this is another thing I have to thank my parents for, specifically, my dad.  He grew up a half an hour from the Canadian border in New York state, and as a kid he watched games on Hockey Night in Canada between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs.  I was brought up the same way in Ann Arbor; as a baby I watched the Red Wings and Hockey Night in Canada, and as a young girl I cheered on the Red Wings to their 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup victories.  Both times my family has visited Toronto, we went to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the trophy room there -- which is in an ancient bank -- has an ethereal, otherworldly feel to it, with muted colors streaming down from the stained glass windows onto the sparkling chrome and silver of the hockey awards.

Watching hockey -- and I've watched it at many levels, from children to high school boys and girls, to upcoming stars, to the collegiate and professional levels -- is a very special experience.  It's one of the few instances where I feel I can really let loose and express my emotions -- whether they be elation or rage or sadness.  Though I've personally attended a countless number of hockey games, I've never been to a legitimate Red Wings game, and someday I'd like to.  

Hockey makes me cry, both in joy and sadness, and there was a year when there was no professional hockey (the NHL lockout, 2004-2005).  I literally felt lost in life, as my heroes were out of work for a year, and the winter months were cold and dark with no games on the television.  However, it gave me the opportunity to watch local hockey teams -- the USA National Development Team and the U of M teams being just a few -- and it was amazing.  There was a night, during the lockout, when a large portion of the Red Wings team traveled to Ann Arbor to face off against the USA team at Yost Ice Arena -- it was a game held for a local charity -- and it was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

Art

Even though I'm an art major, I don't equate myself with art as much as I probably should.  Photography is an art, a dying art at that, and I do have a relatively good knowledge of the art world out there, especially art history.  There are some facets of art, as a blanket term, that I relate more to -- one of them being architecture.  I love old architecture and am blissfully ignorant of contemporary forms of architecture (as well as many other contemporary forms of art). 

It's weird because I'm not sure how I got into art in the first place -- my father didn't express interest in photography until I was in middle school, and by then I was already drawing all sorts of things.  I think I can credit it back to -- yet again -- science.  When I was very young, maybe in first or second grade, I attended this program that was held at the U of M Exhibit Museum (same building where my father works) -- kids were given several pieces of artist-quality paper and artist-quality drawing implements, and we could go wherever we wanted in the exhibits, and draw from "life."  I usually drew from the dioramas on the dinosaur floor.  Later, I was given permission to go to the mammal division (not open to the public), where I picked out many bones and skulls and drew those.  I feel very lucky, as a third grader, to have been given the opportunity to draw a lion skull and ibex skull!

These days I don't draw nearly as much as I should (and I don't think much of my drawings), but I am a photography major -- and I could formulate a rant about how much digital is killing the photographic art, but I won't do that here!  However, damn do I need to take more pictures.  The winter is a very bad time to take photographs, but as soon as it gets warmer...

Theaters

My Michigan Theaters project started several years ago, when I first photographed some small-town theaters in the interior of the state.  I'd estimate it was around 2005 that I initiated the project, and simply put, it was a goal to photograph every recognizable theater in the state of Michigan -- whether closed or abandoned, open or for sale.  I finished the project last year, with my final photography of the Ironwood Theatre in Ironwood, Michigan, and it ended a chapter of covering almost every corner of the state of Michigan in search of a dying venue: the local, neighborhood, main-street theater.

I don't really want to lecture here about why small-town theaters are so important -- I've written and spoke these words ad nauseum -- but to me, these small theaters represent a dying facet of America and our culture in general, as our society approaches a homogenous future.  Theatres are often the last shred of uniqueness in a small town, and one-by-one they are being torn down or converted into storefront churches. 

That said, architectural preservation interests me very much, and I love how photography and architectural preservation can be used to save these theaters.

Comics

I learned how to read via a comic book -- and I think I am a better person for it.  When I was very very young, no older than three or four, my father read The Adventures of Tintin to me -- both Tintin in America and Explorers on the Moon.  The stories are very different from one another -- Tintin in America is a very naive comic, written when Hergé, the artist and author, had not yet set foot on the North American continent.  It's a romanticised tale of cowboys and Indians, Chicago gangsters and drug smugglers -- and when read today, it's so ridiculous it's funny, if in a painful way.  On the other hand, Explorers on the Moon was just the opposite.  It was written in the 1950s at the very start of the space race.  Based heavily on science -- with facts both correct and incorrect -- it's a mouthful and a mindful, and actually incorporates some pretty serious business -- alcoholism, double-crossing, and even death/murder. 

Tintin was my first introduction to comics, and the series remains my favorite.  These days I haven't read nearly as many landmark comics as I should, and I find that many mainstream "superhero" comics just don't appeal to me -- too many continuities, too much fanservice, too many movie tie-ins.  I read IDW's Transformers comics, most recently, the on-going All Hail Megatron series.  Over the summer I purchased and read Watchmen, and it was such a delight to read.  I find comics to be the perfect blend of art and literature, and it's unfortunate that others do not recognize this.  It's also unfortunate how bad a rap the "stereotypical" comic fan gets.

Comic books, though, are amazing.  Sunday morning comics, on the other hand, can die in a fire.

I swear everyday I'm here I get more pissed off at the nuances of the people who hang out in this building and/or attend this class (BI112).  In fact, I hate to say this -- actually, really, I don't -- some of the most decent people here seem to be the other students who use MacBooks.  Not to say that there aren't douchey art students -- because there sure are -- but idiocy just seems to be more pronounced in other parts of campus.

There's a derpy guy that waits out here and seems to be perfectly okay with broadcasting to the world just exactly what brand of shitty rock emo music he happens to be listening to at the time -- the feat here, of course, is the fact that he's wearing headphones.  Headphones are designed to keep your crappy tunes to yourself and if used correctly, only give you slight ear damage.

Oh god there are some really stupid college students out there.  Especially here, at NMU in general.

In other news, woke up to Catkin meowing and being adorable, along with a beautiful blue sky and sunshine.  Good start to the day is good.