Friday, August 25, 2023

About Superman

 I have always loved comics, ever since my Uncle Frankie gave me a box of them when I was 4-6, dumb mistake, I read looked at all the then great issues which could of financed me later on. Still I read them, and enjoyed them.
All the comic nerds have them boxed away in their sleeves protecting them, investing in them. Books are to be read, toys are meant to be played with by kids, but no fanboys ruined childhoods again. Like Carl Sagan or Neil Tyson DeGrasse, ruining sci fiction with fact, sure fact is cool, but so is Space Wizards with light up sword, if you don't get it, walk away. 

Now, on with the title, my main reads as a kid were for DC, Aqua man, Green Arrow(before Grell did his thing. It is fine, but Green Arrow was a modern day robin hood, Green lantern, a Space cop, fucking A! And I did read Batman, but I enjoyed the non dark goofy stuff, (Adam West is my Batman, Michael is second, the rest are garbage IMO), and finally Superman. The Half Canadian Superhero.

Superman, to a lot of folks is boring, which is fine, for them for me. Supes was always that big brother who would be larger than life. The Boy Scout helping people out. The powers were there but that didn't matter.  He was an orphan, loved by his adopted family, given good morals to live by, to promote. He was different than Batman, a kid orphaned and taught himself how to brutalize criminals, to put them away, only to have escape later on to kill more people, people close to him, well mostly Alfred, Jason Todd (ok maybe not him). Batman fails every time being a hero. Bruce is a Billionaire, why isn't he helping people out, Nope he creates OMAC (One man Army Corp) in one time, an AI that wants to kill him. Did Bruce try to save Freeze with financing his attempt to save his wife, no.
I bring this up because I watched an interview with Todd Macfarlane, he stated how boring Superman  is, and it is his thoughts, but no, Superman is an ideal, something to strive to be better. Spawn is a killer who rules Hell now? or it was that way last time I read a spawn  comic, or that lame ass movie. Spikes and a striking resemblance to Spidey's black suit. Meh, it was the nineties.
Marvel has characters who are tired and boring to. Wolverine, fuck if there was a Superman type of character, Wolverine is it, but worse. His height was originally under 5'5", but he is as big as most heroes now, can regenerate from bones(???), cut anything with his blades, ever cut a tire with a knife, not easy, so he has to have super strength, to cut a Sentinel nut sack off. Over powered much, they killed him but he survived. They only killed Supes once.
Or Spider-man ( i loved Amazing Spider-Man growing up), the writers just like shitting on Spider-Man, to save Aunt May from a bullet, he made a deal with the devil to make her live again, in which he and Mary Jane break up and grow a part. Gods, Aunt may, must be 140-150 years old now. I mean I would love to see my family live that long and me along side them. But jesus, I read ASM online every effing Wednesday, and this arc is garbage, Zeb Wells had a great series called Skullkickers. His Spiderman stuff is painfully dreadful.
And Back to Supes, in Man of Steel, it was a good attempt on Superman, Cavill is 2nd to Christopher Reeves, and people were upset when he killed Zod, He was protecting who he thought was his people, he grew up on Earth. 
Anyways, keep you mitts off Clark/Supeman. BTW, who didn't try to fly like superman in pretend?

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

A little ditty about Chad & Gray

So, this is my new blog. Folks have been upset at the fact I share everything with folks on Facebook. So that is why I am here far away, if folks want to read it , they can follow the link, if not. Life goes on. Easy Peasy. 

So, Geekorium was this last weekend, Kelly and I were invited to volunteer for it. Myself, was to head a an AD&D game, to show folks that the world doesn't start with D&D 5e (Gods, I hate that system.). Sadly only a few were only keen on trying to sell books to me of their own game system, and folks talking shop. ( Talking shop with folks even with 5e was worth it.) and Kelly was assigned  to the board game lending library working with a dude named Nathan ( cool fella from Hal Con's table). Was kind of disappointed in that a game never blossomed, BUT (just in case the great folks there see this.) I had a blast, the seclusion on my body issues really dampened  my socialization ( miss being with folks outside here) needs. I feel so alone. So it was great Marina, Gabe and Victoria made us feel like a million bucks. Thank you.
Sadly, there was a dynamic of our gaming group has fractured, which hurts to hear. I want us all to be cool, but alas we can not. I will not go into it, as I might have gone too far. So I am thinking of stepping away from any gaming other than what I shall run. I do not want to control it, but I can not be around an  negativity anymore. My depression is so deep right now, it could be considered dangerous ( to myself, never anyone else, I do not like hurting folks). 
The good thing about that, is that my table when tidied up, will be open, and I do  not have to travel far. As my impending disability  is showing that my travels will be greatly hampered to near my home. So I better get writing then. 
About the depression, I am suffering horribly about it. I had to resign from a job that , even complaining about, ultimately, I really enjoyed. I made some wonderful friends from work and parents over my 5 years there. It broke my heart and my soul. Also with my debilitating arthritis. I am bound to my apartment and soon possibly a wheelchair. 
My "doctor" has not helped me with that at all in the few years it has been known that I need a total hip replacement and now seemingly knee replacements. Again, I feel alone in this. Kelly helps out as much as she can, but I hate to ask as I am a 51 yr old male, who can not walk more than a few feet before dropping (hence my resignation), I am terribly embarrassed that I had to GoFundMe a rollator. I am afraid next will be a wheelchair and other embarrassing things. 
The only thing that is keeping me going, is something I experienced when I was dying from the appendix issue 8-10 years ago I had. while in a room waiting for a doctor, I had what I would think is a NDE (Near Death Experience), I will describe it, just for the folks who might be afraid of the enviable crossing we all take. 
As I was in the room with Kelly, throwing my guts up, I closed my eyes, and felt warm, and a brightness through my closed eyes. the brightness grew to the the point of opening my eyes. I was in a large field, the grasses were almost hip high, brushing against me, I can still feel it, like remembering a hug from someone close ( you never forget that) anyways, the sky was twilight with a reddish orange sunset ( almost like a feeling of Autumn), it was warm though and I remembering feeling good, really GOOD, no pain at all and a happiness I have never felt in a long time. In the field before me wasn't anyone, except a tall man, old looking, almost like Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf dressed in travelling robes, I could only guess it was as my Norse reading would say it was Odin, as the traveler. No words were said. but looking at him, I felt the typical " not right now" or " not your turn yet feeling, I then opened my eyes, back to the chilled ER room, with Kelly doing something minding her business. myself feeling back miserable in pain. I was  given an Ultrasound and found that my Appendix burst, and by 23:30 that night I was able to get a job in Antarctica ( you have to have your appendix out down there.), I know I was in trouble, when a few weeks later for my follow up the surgeon told me, if I didn't come in when I did, I would have most definitely would of died at home. Jesus Christ, being told that, it scared me. BUT, I know what is waiting for me, and I can not wait ( No rush to go, just happy to know what is in store for me.) to rest. BTW, "Dr." Tilley, I asked him two weeks before the rupture, if I had a gall bladder issue as I had a pain in the right side where those different issue might have been. He told me to get my sugars under control and things will get better. Right, this is why I do not trust him at all. His stupid response almost killed me.
Wow, almost an hour in. I could keep going. I will save anything else for another day.

I hope whoever reads this is well, 
Take care of yourself.

Chad "Gray" Vieth