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Trombone  ·  2732 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Real Reasons for Marvel Comics’ Woes

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

Trombone  ·  2744 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  ·  2744 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  ·  2745 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  ·  2753 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  ·  2754 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  ·  2754 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 16 ounces of Rosemary Oil?

My best guess is this from the Clevenger Bros. Glass Works in Clayton, New Jersey sometime after 1966. The company did a lot of mold blown reproductions (would explain the seam), and started putting a "CB" mark on their glass in '66. So, maybe is this is a reproduction of an earlier design, done by that company.

https://www.glassbottlemarks.com/bottlemarks-2/

http://clevenger.sjerseyglass.com/

Edit: by the way, rosemary oil is indeed one of those things that people like to use as a natural remedy. A right cure-all, if the exceedingly reliable internet is to be believed...

Trombone  ·  2754 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  ·  2760 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  ·  2760 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: May 10, 2017

Hey Pubski, it's been a while. It's very rough few months, and I kind of holed up and ghosted the joint. But I'm feeling a bit better now, so I'm glad to be back. Have a nice day everybody.

Trombone  ·  2762 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Benjamin Fraser - You Drank Some Darkness (flac's first album - it's finally done!!)

I'm really impressed by this, and by how multi-talented you are in general. It's inspirational. You really do deserve all the praise you get.

Just out of curiosity, how did you choose the album art?

Trombone  ·  2762 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  ·  2779 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  ·  2803 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  ·  2804 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: 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  ·  2805 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  ·  2805 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  ·  2805 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  ·  2805 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  ·  2806 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Shopski: MR2 Intake Pipe

Really cool! It must be super satisfying to get results out of a project like this.

I claim to love cars, but I wouldn't know the first thing about what to do about fixing one. I don't know how I would go about accumulating any experience.

Trombone  ·  2806 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  ·  2806 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  ·  2807 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  ·  2807 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why does Mount Rushmore Exist?  ·  

This was offputting. It drips with disdain. I understand that he's trying to make a political point, but way to do that by being an arrogant tool to the entire state of South Dakota. The best compliment he can come up with in the whole thing is "It was as beautiful as any land I’ve ever seen". That's the compliment equivalent of "meh" while looking down your nose. I've been to South Dakota, and yeah, Mt. Rushmore is kind of strange. "The hubris of man" and all. But? Custer's a great little town, and it's an excellent base of operations to see the state. There's more than a freakin' Pizza Hut there. Try out Wall Drug. Custer SP is quite beautiful. There's Pipestone. There's Badlands. There's Teddy Roosevelt NP. South Dakota is a treasure trove of nature's wonders. Instead of appreciating any of this, our narrator tosses his backhanded compliment out and spills more words talking about the local fauna come begging to lick the salt off his car. Does he ever mention another human being outside of his family unit? Is he that self-absorbed?

If I was to give Mr. Anderson some polite advice, I'd say:

- Go on your trip in season, because things will be open.

- If you want to actually see things, do some research and take some time to get out of your car and take a hike.

- Put down your electronics, and please make your kids do the same. If they're unshackled from their screens for a while, they might actually look around them, and appreciate it. They should understand how fortunate they are to be able to go on such a trip to such a beautiful area of the country. If all they do is Snapchat, you've wasted all your money getting them there.

- Check your preconceptions at the door and talk to people.

Trombone  ·  2820 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  ·  2835 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  ·  2835 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  ·  2835 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.