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Trombone  ·  2735 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Real Reasons for Marvel Comics’ Woes

Outcast and The Walking Dead. I'm a Kirkman comic fan.

Trombone  ·  2746 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Real Reasons for Marvel Comics’ Woes

Yeah, I know a few other people who took the opportunity to get in at that point as well. Because of money constraints I really only get titles in the Batman sphere (Nightwing, Batgirl, Batman et. al.), and I've usually been happy. Batman especially. The Court of Owls arc way back in the beginning of New 52 was great.

I also get titles from Image, Titan and Marvel. Of those, Outcast is probably my favorite right now.

Trombone  ·  2746 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Real Reasons for Marvel Comics’ Woes

Honestly, New 52 is when I jumped in so I can't really make a comparison to past continuity. All I can say is that I've generally been pretty pleased with how they've handled things. There have been some excellent story arcs, IMHO.

One thing that did happen to Detective Comics recently is they reverted to the old pre-New 52 numbering system (I think they did it for Action Comics too). When New 52 happened they reset all the issue numbers back to 1, and that made some collectors unhappy because they wanted "Issue 1000". Eventually DC decided to go back to the old numbering system for a few titles, so the numbers jumped from Issue 52 to Issue 900-something after a recent storyline event.

Trombone  ·  2747 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Real Reasons for Marvel Comics’ Woes

I buy a lot of comics, actually. Mostly DC, because I like Batman and they're cheaper than Marvel. The one Marvel series I get, Amazing Spider-Man, is a complete pain in the butt to keep up with. Tons of little short side series, some issues of which never actually made it to my friendly neighborhood comic dude or any other retailer in the area, and every so often they'll release an issue (NOT an annual) that's three times normal cover price.

On the other hand, I'm generally pleased with how DC has done things since "New 52", at least with the series that I care about.

Trombone  ·  2756 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 16 ounces of Rosemary Oil?

I'd be down with that. I'm still bracing for somebody to emerge and tell me how wrong I am here!

Trombone  ·  2755 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 16 ounces of Rosemary Oil?

True indeed. That website, by the way, has a big section on glass insulators. I went back to the antique threads linked at the bottom and you mentioned that you liked such things. Maybe you can ID the ones you have.

Trombone  ·  2756 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: May 17, 2017

Congrats on the phone shake-up, that sounds liberating. I've volunteered at a few museums in the past, and it can be quite enjoyable. Just make sure it's a place where you enjoy the subject matter!

Trombone  ·  2763 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Sci-fi club special issue: Ghost in the Shell edition

I haven't seen the live-action version, mainly because of lukewarm reviews, but I've always been a fan of the original.

Live-action adaptions are hit-and-miss for me. Some of the comic movies have been really excellent (like The Dark Knight) and others have been total dogs (see: every other recent DC movie outside of the Batman trilogy). The fact that live-action GitS turned out underwhelming isn't much of a surprise.

Trombone  ·  2764 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The most wonderful thing on the interwebs today: Raiders of the Lost Walmart

Well, if it was much much much cheaper I'd actually find a use for this:

I like to have a few disposable, cheap flash drives on hand in case I need to present something, transfer files to somebody, or get something printed at a shop. If I don't get it back, no big deal, and I don't want people pawing through or seeing files on a drive that I'd regularly use. A while back I bought a super-cheap ten pack of these for precisely that purpose.

Trombone  ·  2781 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Happy Saturday Hubski. Have a red winged blackbird enjoying his day.

These birds are bold. I was in the park yesterday and one followed me around for a good 15 minutes until I got out of his territory.

Trombone  ·  2806 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Sci-Fi club no. 31: Cowboy Bebop / The Expanse Discussion

I've enjoyed what I've seen of The Expanse. The world building is strong and I appreciate it. That being said, I'll give it a few more episodes before registering a more concrete opinion.

Trombone  ·  2805 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Sci-Fi club no. 31: Cowboy Bebop / The Expanse Discussion

From somebody I know who has read the books and is current with the show, there are changes in the early episodes and "significant deviations" in later ones.

Trombone  ·  2807 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: /quit: X-COM 2

I've never cared for the X-COM series and titles like it, pretty much for the reasons you mentioned. When I have the time to, I usually play Overwatch. I also bought Guild Wars 2 when it was on sale recently.

Trombone  ·  2807 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 220th Weekly "Share Some Music You've Been Into Lately" Thread

Wait, somebody else likes Real Estate? What's your thoughts on the new album?

Trombone  ·  2807 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Shopski: MR2 Intake Pipe

Yup, my biggest problem is space. I don't have a place where I can set up and work on a car, and that's been holding me back. I just hope that once I do have the space I can still find a 3rd gen Camaro to tinker with (I have an irrational fondness for those cars).

Trombone  ·  2807 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why does Mount Rushmore Exist?

I hope you have a good trip! Wall Drug isn't a must-see by any means, the natural wonders in the area are well worth giving priority to.

Trombone  ·  2807 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 220th Weekly "Share Some Music You've Been Into Lately" Thread

I'm also pretty happy with it. Was curious to see what would happen with Mondanile leaving, but it's a solid album with new ideas. I'm jealous you've seen them live...

Trombone  ·  2809 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why does Mount Rushmore Exist?

I think the best way to describe Wall Drug is that it's an experience. Love it or loathe it, it's completely unique. From the free water to the godawful animatronics. And you've got a point about Mt. Rushmore. One of the more interesting things to me is how much they love Custer out there. For a lot of people, he's just known for the last stand bearing his name, and is seen as a dumbass at best. In South Dakota he's basically a folk hero.

Trombone  ·  2809 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why does Mount Rushmore Exist?

Never been to SotB but I have seen some signs for it in passing. Definitely a Wall Drug kind of vibe. Another one of my favorites is Santa's Land Office.

Trombone  ·  2809 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why does Mount Rushmore Exist?

When I was a kid I took a similar trip. Was a truly formative experience for me, and I'm glad it was for you too.

I don't recall spending much time at Mt. Rushmore when I visited, either. We elected to visit Custer SP for longer instead.

Trombone  ·  2823 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Water is wet, fire is hot and the Solar Roadway is a complete disaster

I never got this idea. It's all very much like when Apple removed the headphone jack. Eliminating an existing, viable technology (asphalt is durable and super recyclable) just because it's old/uncool/whatever. Stick solar panels on rooftops and you'll do much better anyway.

Trombone  ·  2838 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The race for autonomous cars is over. Silicon Valley lost.

My bad, I didn't read the article closely enough. Even so, I wasn't under the impression that Ford is "In The Lead", so to speak. For instance, article says this:

    And Uber, despite its sky high market valuation, is still a long, long way from ever making any money, much less making its own autonomous cars.

That's not correct. Uber and Volvo have had them running around since last year. Without starting a debate about this, that seems like an omission in the article.

Trombone  ·  2838 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The race for autonomous cars is over. Silicon Valley lost.

Ford doesn't seem to think it's over. They just invested $1b in a startup for self-driving AI systems.

Well, I have no idea what those are, except that I'd bet they're from the 70s. They look pretty cool though, and I like your setup. What all do you have down there in the shelves?

Trombone  ·  2838 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The race for autonomous cars is over. Silicon Valley lost.

True, and that's why I said "and Volvo". To be fair, Uber is definitely contributing to development with the data collection aspect of it. They've also been converting Fords with the same tech, ironically.

In any case, my point (beyond my frazzlebrained first comment, please forgive me for that one) is that Ford certainly isn't the frontrunner with its tech, winner notwithstanding. The article is saying generally that the automakers have won, but I'm not convinced it's that cut and dry. We're seeing a lot of automakers setting up to become losers too.

Trombone  ·  2841 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why millennials are becoming proud plant parents

That one in the red rectangular pot? I had that.

Trombone  ·  2844 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Trump's News Conference

Yep, like the Wiki says I've heard it's more of a "we will outlast you" type sentiment. I've also heard it as "We will crush you".

Trombone  ·  2845 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Trump's News Conference

This is interesting. If something is interpreted incorrectly, it could lead to a diplomatic incident.

Trombone  ·  2847 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: February 15, 2017

That turntable is what, 60's vintage? Even with the damage, it must be pretty well preserved if the innards are all functional.