Here's your proverbial thousand-word answer...
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Baseball Playoffs 2008: From 0 To 100... And Beyond
There are lots of great stories in this year's baseball playoffs, which of course has to start with the fact that the Cubs have gone 100 years without a World Series championships. At the other end of the spectrum are the Red Sox, who technically haven't yet gone even a full year without one, on account of being the 2007 winners. You've also got the Milwaukee Brewers, playing in their first postseason since 1982 and still looking for their first championship, along with the Tampa Bay Rays, playing in their first ever postseason (and thus, also looking for their first title).
The Rays are the odd men out in the American League, as the other three teams duking it out this October are all recent champs: Boston (2004 and 2007), Chicago (2005) and LA Angels (2002) have each added World Series banners to their stadiums in this young 21st century.
It's much more of a mixed bag in the National League, with the Dodgers winning it all twice in the 80s (1981 and 1988) and the Phillies once in that decade (1980 - their only World Series win), but nothing more recent than that among the four contestants. As irrelevant as it may be a century later, the Cubs were actually quite the powerhouse 100 years ago, as shown by their back-to-back (and only) championships in 1907 and 1908!
Also fascinating to me are quirky facts like how, going into today's Cubs/Dodgers Game 1, the two franchises had played 2,024 times with each team winning 1,012 games! Now that's parity!
There's no clear cut favourite this year, although the Red Sox may be the closest, despite being the AL Wildcard team. I'll be rooting for the Cubs in the NL and possibly the White Sox in the AL (I'd love to see Ken Griffey, Jr finally get a long postseason run after all his years languishing on bad teams in Seattle and Cincinnati). If we got the all-Chicago match-up for The Big Show, I guess I'd be with the Northsiders and cheer for another "great oh-eight" for the Cubbies! Regardless of who wins and who loses, though, it should be a great month of October!
The Rays are the odd men out in the American League, as the other three teams duking it out this October are all recent champs: Boston (2004 and 2007), Chicago (2005) and LA Angels (2002) have each added World Series banners to their stadiums in this young 21st century.
It's much more of a mixed bag in the National League, with the Dodgers winning it all twice in the 80s (1981 and 1988) and the Phillies once in that decade (1980 - their only World Series win), but nothing more recent than that among the four contestants. As irrelevant as it may be a century later, the Cubs were actually quite the powerhouse 100 years ago, as shown by their back-to-back (and only) championships in 1907 and 1908!
Also fascinating to me are quirky facts like how, going into today's Cubs/Dodgers Game 1, the two franchises had played 2,024 times with each team winning 1,012 games! Now that's parity!
There's no clear cut favourite this year, although the Red Sox may be the closest, despite being the AL Wildcard team. I'll be rooting for the Cubs in the NL and possibly the White Sox in the AL (I'd love to see Ken Griffey, Jr finally get a long postseason run after all his years languishing on bad teams in Seattle and Cincinnati). If we got the all-Chicago match-up for The Big Show, I guess I'd be with the Northsiders and cheer for another "great oh-eight" for the Cubbies! Regardless of who wins and who loses, though, it should be a great month of October!
Just A Little Taste Of More
To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of this blog, and because my last working day was exactly two months ago today, here's a brief excerpt from the first draft of my current book, More Real-Life Adventures of AgileMan (Year Two: Easier Said Than Done). Note that the final version of the book could be drastically different, and that some or all of the following words could be changed or not even appear at all in what finally gets printed. But as of right now, here's what some of the words look like, in an Issue entitled "Buddy, Can You Maybe Just Cut Me Some Slack?":
For many of us at my company, books were common items to see resting beside our keyboards or making the trip home and back every day in knapsacks or briefcases. While not everyone was reading up on topics that were applicable to our jobs, lots of us were. Since moving to Agile, reading up on subjects that might help us in our work had become a much more prevalent part of the culture. Besides the big stack of Agile reference material, we also had copies of:
But it was Slack, by Tom DeMarco, that had the biggest direct impact on us as we moved into Agile Year Two. It’d be tough to get even this far into reading this second AgileMan book without appreciating that we suffered from the chronic problem of having too many key people, especially among leadership, who were loaded up to 200% or more and therefore often operated like chickens with their heads chopped off. Interestingly enough, DeMarco writes in his book about such organizations, and in many ways Slack read as if he’d stopped by and observed us in action for a few weeks! He advocates for something that’s even more counter-culture (by which I mean, counter to our culture!) than simply reducing everyone to 100%: he makes a compelling case for building slack time into everyone’s schedule!
While you should read DeMarco’s book to get the full story, what’s relevant here is that "slack" isn’t an invitation to goof off. It’s time to think. It’s time to pause and reflect, time to let your mind wander a bit into new areas because that can often lead to interesting revelations, or just time to deal with the unexpected. If I remember correctly, DeMarco refers to slack as having some give in the line, rather than having the line completely taut at all times. So think of that as I use the word “slack” from now on, and try not to picture the lazy, good-for-nothing “slackers” who you knew – or were! – back in high school!
Google, the one-time Internet start-up company whose product is now so ubiquitous that its name has –rightly or wrongly! – become a nearly-universal synonym for “search,” “research,” “fact check” and “look up,” has institutionalized the concept of slack with its “20% time.” From what I understand about how it works – and that’s very limited, as I’ve never worked there! – Google employees are expected to spend the equivalent of one day per week on unscheduled, “blue sky” type work. This could mean prototyping an idea that you’ve had but aren’t yet sure has any potential, re-factoring some programming code that’s been bugging you or causing lots of headaches, or researching some topic that you think may help you in the future, to name just a few ideas that are probably quite lame compared to how Google team members actually use that time. They’ve had this policy in place for several years and can point to various products (I believe gmail is one of them) that have come out of it. It’s now part of the Google culture.
So here we have the company that I work for, with its already-conflicting forces of sustainable pace and overloaded roles colliding violently, and into that mix steps the concept of slack time, operating, as it does, somewhere to the far left of sustainable pace! I mean, really, c’mon: how could hilarity not ensue?
OK, so perhaps it wasn’t all that hilarious, but some very interesting results did come out of the fact that several of us read Slack and took it to heart. Sometimes it was entire teams who began setting aside portions of their Iteration time for “slack work,” while in other cases it was simply individuals giving themselves a little breathing room in which to think, plan or dream. In this Issue, I’m going to describe a little of each.
For many of us at my company, books were common items to see resting beside our keyboards or making the trip home and back every day in knapsacks or briefcases. While not everyone was reading up on topics that were applicable to our jobs, lots of us were. Since moving to Agile, reading up on subjects that might help us in our work had become a much more prevalent part of the culture. Besides the big stack of Agile reference material, we also had copies of:
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
- Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
- The Responsibility Virus: How Control Freaks, Shrinking Violets – and the Rest of Us – Can Harness the Power of True Partnership by Roger Martin
- Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork and the Myth of Total Efficiency by Tom DeMarco
- and others, with similarly long and important-sounding titles!
But it was Slack, by Tom DeMarco, that had the biggest direct impact on us as we moved into Agile Year Two. It’d be tough to get even this far into reading this second AgileMan book without appreciating that we suffered from the chronic problem of having too many key people, especially among leadership, who were loaded up to 200% or more and therefore often operated like chickens with their heads chopped off. Interestingly enough, DeMarco writes in his book about such organizations, and in many ways Slack read as if he’d stopped by and observed us in action for a few weeks! He advocates for something that’s even more counter-culture (by which I mean, counter to our culture!) than simply reducing everyone to 100%: he makes a compelling case for building slack time into everyone’s schedule!
While you should read DeMarco’s book to get the full story, what’s relevant here is that "slack" isn’t an invitation to goof off. It’s time to think. It’s time to pause and reflect, time to let your mind wander a bit into new areas because that can often lead to interesting revelations, or just time to deal with the unexpected. If I remember correctly, DeMarco refers to slack as having some give in the line, rather than having the line completely taut at all times. So think of that as I use the word “slack” from now on, and try not to picture the lazy, good-for-nothing “slackers” who you knew – or were! – back in high school!
Google, the one-time Internet start-up company whose product is now so ubiquitous that its name has –rightly or wrongly! – become a nearly-universal synonym for “search,” “research,” “fact check” and “look up,” has institutionalized the concept of slack with its “20% time.” From what I understand about how it works – and that’s very limited, as I’ve never worked there! – Google employees are expected to spend the equivalent of one day per week on unscheduled, “blue sky” type work. This could mean prototyping an idea that you’ve had but aren’t yet sure has any potential, re-factoring some programming code that’s been bugging you or causing lots of headaches, or researching some topic that you think may help you in the future, to name just a few ideas that are probably quite lame compared to how Google team members actually use that time. They’ve had this policy in place for several years and can point to various products (I believe gmail is one of them) that have come out of it. It’s now part of the Google culture.
So here we have the company that I work for, with its already-conflicting forces of sustainable pace and overloaded roles colliding violently, and into that mix steps the concept of slack time, operating, as it does, somewhere to the far left of sustainable pace! I mean, really, c’mon: how could hilarity not ensue?
OK, so perhaps it wasn’t all that hilarious, but some very interesting results did come out of the fact that several of us read Slack and took it to heart. Sometimes it was entire teams who began setting aside portions of their Iteration time for “slack work,” while in other cases it was simply individuals giving themselves a little breathing room in which to think, plan or dream. In this Issue, I’m going to describe a little of each.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
2nd AgileMan Book Now Has Its Shape
After finishing the 24th Issue this afternoon, I looked over what topics I had left to cover. Then I grouped them into the Issues that I thought they'd fit into, and lo and behold, I saw a shape to the remainder of the book that seemed just about perfect. Not only that, but there's a good chance that I can bring it all in with the same Issue total (32) that I had the first time, although the word (and page) count will be at least 25% greater. Both of those discoveries were happy ones, and they mean that I'm about to embark onto the final quarter of this first draft journey!
What a great way to wrap up my second year of blogging...
What a great way to wrap up my second year of blogging...
The Legion Truly Is Legion
This amazing, and beautiful, Phil Jimenez page showing "the world of the Legion of Super-Heroes" gives one at least some idea just why some newcomers find the Legion a difficult nut to crack.I consider myself a pretty good Legion fan, and even I could probably only name about 75% of the characters on this page!
Baseball Playoffs Starting Early This Year
Following their win last night (in a make-up game for one that was rained out earlier in the month), the Chicago White Sox host the Minnesota Twins for a one-game playoff to see who gets the American League Central crown. Technically, this is considered regular season game # 163 for each team (in terms of stats), but really, we're into the postseason now, baby! It's also the third consecutive must-win game for the White Sox, each of them against a different opponent (Cleveland on Sun, Detroit last night, Twins tonight). If they actually pull it out this evening, they can "relax" in the sense that they'll then get to play a best-of-5 series with Tampa Bay Rays... so they could actually lose a game and not be done!
I'm really looking forward to the Angels-Red Sox series, because Los Angeles looked so good this year (the only team to post 100 wins across MLB) and won 8 of 9 games against the AL Wildcard team. On the other hand, they've been absolutely owned by Boston recently in the postseason, having been swept by them the last two times they met (last year and 2004). So clearly, something has to give!
And you can't be a baseball fan if you're not intrigued by the fact that the Cubs have made it to the playoffs with the best record in the National League (and second only to the Angels) in this, the 100th year since their last world championship! C'mon, how great a headline would that make: Cubs Own '08 Again! Damn, that'd be fine! You wouldn't want to have to face them in 2108, if that happens...
I'm really looking forward to the Angels-Red Sox series, because Los Angeles looked so good this year (the only team to post 100 wins across MLB) and won 8 of 9 games against the AL Wildcard team. On the other hand, they've been absolutely owned by Boston recently in the postseason, having been swept by them the last two times they met (last year and 2004). So clearly, something has to give!
And you can't be a baseball fan if you're not intrigued by the fact that the Cubs have made it to the playoffs with the best record in the National League (and second only to the Angels) in this, the 100th year since their last world championship! C'mon, how great a headline would that make: Cubs Own '08 Again! Damn, that'd be fine! You wouldn't want to have to face them in 2108, if that happens...
Closing Out Blogging Year Number Two
As hard as it may be to believe, today marks the end of our second year here at Kimota94's Place! The first post appeared waaaay back on Oct 1, 2006, making tomorrow our second anniversary and the start of the third year. Who said I'd never last?
I've been trying to think of something special to do here tomorrow, but so far haven't come up with anything spectacular. I'm toying with the idea of posting an excerpt from the in-progress first draft of More Real-Life Adventures of AgileMan (Year Two: Easier Said That Done), but I'm not even sure there's all that much interest in any such thing. So now's your chance to sound off on the topic, if you're so inclined. Otherwise I may do something even more boring!
I should also point out, for posterity, that while I managed something like 1200 posts in my first year, I came up considerably shorter in Year Two: slightly less than 600, in fact! Now, I did another 100 or so over at The Studio, but still. I suppose I can take some pride in the fact that I'm still averaging better than a post per day, and rarely missing a day. Combine that with my new Superman original artwork and striking the pickle motherlode, and I guess things could be a lot worse right now!
I've been trying to think of something special to do here tomorrow, but so far haven't come up with anything spectacular. I'm toying with the idea of posting an excerpt from the in-progress first draft of More Real-Life Adventures of AgileMan (Year Two: Easier Said That Done), but I'm not even sure there's all that much interest in any such thing. So now's your chance to sound off on the topic, if you're so inclined. Otherwise I may do something even more boring!
I should also point out, for posterity, that while I managed something like 1200 posts in my first year, I came up considerably shorter in Year Two: slightly less than 600, in fact! Now, I did another 100 or so over at The Studio, but still. I suppose I can take some pride in the fact that I'm still averaging better than a post per day, and rarely missing a day. Combine that with my new Superman original artwork and striking the pickle motherlode, and I guess things could be a lot worse right now!
The One That Didn't Get Away
Last night, around midnight, the final week of the Siegel and Shuster Society charity auctions wrapped up, and I finally got one! This Rags Morales page from Nightwing # 140, showing a magnificent Man of Steel towering above the grown-up Robin should soon be in my hands, for a "paltry" $510 US. (Remember: it's for a good cause!) I would have loved to get the George Perez page last night (showing Captain America facing off against Batman) but it went for over $1000. The walk-on cameo role on Heroes ended up costing somebody over $14,000, and apparently it was the same guy who paid a similar price for the Jim Lee sketch of himself with Superman. Therefore one person will have contributed over $28,000 of the nearly $120,000 that the four weeks of auctions raised. That's quite the super-fan!
But It's Not My Birthday!
Today, as Vicki and I were strolling through the grocery store, we both stopped dead in our tracks when we saw a big display of the 1.5 L jars of Bicks dill pickles (with garlic)! Why should something like that nearly take our breath away? Well, cue the flashback music and effects...
More than a decade ago (we weren't even yet in a house with a pool), all of the grocery stores for hundreds of kilometres around us stopped carrying that particular product. You could still find the 1 L jars, and those have kept me going, lo these many years. But in the 1.5 L version, the pickles are much larger; in fact, you probably actually get fewer pickles in the 1.5 L jar than comes in the 1 L jar, because the big ones are just that much bigger! To understand why that makes a difference... aw, who am I kidding? You'll never understand it! (Let's just go with: size matters, and you can make up your own phallic joke!)
But what's important is that we haven't been able to find the big jars for over 10 years, and suddenly today: there they were! A whole display of them! We grabbed four jars (all we could carry, as we'd walked there) and hope to pick up some more over the next few days. It actually feels just a little like Christmas morning around here right now...
More than a decade ago (we weren't even yet in a house with a pool), all of the grocery stores for hundreds of kilometres around us stopped carrying that particular product. You could still find the 1 L jars, and those have kept me going, lo these many years. But in the 1.5 L version, the pickles are much larger; in fact, you probably actually get fewer pickles in the 1.5 L jar than comes in the 1 L jar, because the big ones are just that much bigger! To understand why that makes a difference... aw, who am I kidding? You'll never understand it! (Let's just go with: size matters, and you can make up your own phallic joke!)
But what's important is that we haven't been able to find the big jars for over 10 years, and suddenly today: there they were! A whole display of them! We grabbed four jars (all we could carry, as we'd walked there) and hope to pick up some more over the next few days. It actually feels just a little like Christmas morning around here right now...
Monday, September 29, 2008
Video Games Just Keep Getting Better
I love the way more and more video games (of the type that I play, anyway) have complex science fiction storylines to them. Resistance posited an alternate history, whereby Russia, Europe and then England were taken over by an alien invasion in the 1950s. The Halo franchise has so much going on within it that I can't even keep track of who's an ally and who's not from game to game, but it's definitely rich in alien lore. Others, like Half-Life, Doom, Unreal Tournament and Quake all have backstories that get filled in more and more with each new release. That's a good part of what appeals to me about gaming these days, along with the wanton killing and puzzle solving.
Imagine, then, my response to this deluded post in which someone waxes on about how video games have gone downhill since the days of Ms. PacMan and Space Invaders. Ironically, I just played PacMan on the weekend, because my new XBox 360 came with a version of it pre-loaded. It held my interest for about 5 minutes, just like it did back in the day when it was "the" game. Running around in a 2-D maze, being chased by little ghosts while eating energy pellets, didn't really ignite my imagination way back when anymore than it does now. I love that the graphics of video games keep improving, and that our ability to immerse ourselves in them - VR-like - has continued to increase. I guess it takes all kinds, but I'll take the newer games any day of the week... and twice on Sunday!
Imagine, then, my response to this deluded post in which someone waxes on about how video games have gone downhill since the days of Ms. PacMan and Space Invaders. Ironically, I just played PacMan on the weekend, because my new XBox 360 came with a version of it pre-loaded. It held my interest for about 5 minutes, just like it did back in the day when it was "the" game. Running around in a 2-D maze, being chased by little ghosts while eating energy pellets, didn't really ignite my imagination way back when anymore than it does now. I love that the graphics of video games keep improving, and that our ability to immerse ourselves in them - VR-like - has continued to increase. I guess it takes all kinds, but I'll take the newer games any day of the week... and twice on Sunday!
Why Can't All MLB Stadiums Have Retractable Roofs?
I've been waiting patiently for over 2 hours now, as the Chicago White Sox / Detroit Tigers make-up game - so important to the crowning of a American League Central Division champion - suffers through an extended rain delay before starting.
I wish baseball were not quite so at the whim of the weather, especially as September and October rolls around and the games take on so much more significance! With every team seemingly getting a new ballpark built over the past (or next) 10 years, you'd think that MLB could simply mandate that you have to have some way of getting games in during inclement weather.
Ah well...
I wish baseball were not quite so at the whim of the weather, especially as September and October rolls around and the games take on so much more significance! With every team seemingly getting a new ballpark built over the past (or next) 10 years, you'd think that MLB could simply mandate that you have to have some way of getting games in during inclement weather.
Ah well...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Pool All Closed For Another 7 Or 8 Months
With some help from Tammy and despite me throwing my back out yesterday (yeah, that was good timing!), we got the pool winterized yet again. The winter cover had been chewed through by some small animal in our shed over the summer so we had to spend $120 for a new one, but that was no big loss as we'd had the previous blanket for most of the 10 years that we've lived here. Lesson learned, though: must keep blanket sealed away in hard plastic tub while the pool's open!
I actually lost some sleep last night worrying about whether I'd be able to lift the two pool ladders out of their wells today, what with my back being all messed up. Some years it's been quite the struggle to get one or both of them out because they get wedged in there over the summer, but I was lucky and they came out easy-peasy this morning. I was all ready to call the next door neighbour over if they hadn't, though... there wasn't going to be a lot I could do otherwise, as I had very little strength available to me in any sort of lifting motion.
Now that the pool's closed, I'm ready for a good run of mild days, not cold enough to make us pull out our winter jackets but also not so warm as to require a dip after cycling. I used to love the October bike rides into work except when we'd get Indian Summer days and I'd kick myself for not being able to take a swim when I got home.
I actually lost some sleep last night worrying about whether I'd be able to lift the two pool ladders out of their wells today, what with my back being all messed up. Some years it's been quite the struggle to get one or both of them out because they get wedged in there over the summer, but I was lucky and they came out easy-peasy this morning. I was all ready to call the next door neighbour over if they hadn't, though... there wasn't going to be a lot I could do otherwise, as I had very little strength available to me in any sort of lifting motion.
Now that the pool's closed, I'm ready for a good run of mild days, not cold enough to make us pull out our winter jackets but also not so warm as to require a dip after cycling. I used to love the October bike rides into work except when we'd get Indian Summer days and I'd kick myself for not being able to take a swim when I got home.
Jays Finish 2008 Season 10 Games Over .500
It wasn't quite as strong a finish as I'd hoped for, but a record of 86-76 is still one of the Toronto Blue Jays' best finishes since last appearing in the postseason (1993). They've hit the 88-74 mark once (1998), 87-75 once (2003) and now matched their 2006 mark a second time. In fact, over the past 3 seasons they've posted 86, 83 and 86 wins, making for a very nice 3-year run of winning more than they've lost.
In matters of a more immediate nature, the Brewers (in a game I'm watching right now) just went up 3-1 in the 8th inning, while the Mets just fell behind 4-2 (also in the 8th), meaning that Milwaukee will earn the Wildcard spot today if both scores hold up. I was sort of hoping for a 1-game playoff tomorrow afternoon between the two teams at the about-to-be-mothballed Shea Stadium, but the Mets will have to rally (or the Brewers choke) for that to happen now.
Meanwhile, both the White Sox and Twins are leading their games in the late innings, which would mean (if nothing changes) that Chicago will have to play their make-up match against the Tigers tomorrow afternoon, and then potentially a 1-game playoff against Minnesota on Tuesday! Now that would be exciting, if it played out that way!
In matters of a more immediate nature, the Brewers (in a game I'm watching right now) just went up 3-1 in the 8th inning, while the Mets just fell behind 4-2 (also in the 8th), meaning that Milwaukee will earn the Wildcard spot today if both scores hold up. I was sort of hoping for a 1-game playoff tomorrow afternoon between the two teams at the about-to-be-mothballed Shea Stadium, but the Mets will have to rally (or the Brewers choke) for that to happen now.
Meanwhile, both the White Sox and Twins are leading their games in the late innings, which would mean (if nothing changes) that Chicago will have to play their make-up match against the Tigers tomorrow afternoon, and then potentially a 1-game playoff against Minnesota on Tuesday! Now that would be exciting, if it played out that way!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
One Of The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told
While I've always been just a tad bit more in awe of Alan Moore's "For the Man Who Has Everything" (Superman Annual # 11), there are so many more emotional moments to be found in Moore's other great Superman tale: "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" which ran in Superman # 423 and Action Comics # 583, marking the official end of the pre-Crisis DC Universe. That 2-part epic has once again been getting talked about lately, thanks to the announcement that Neil Gaiman is writing a "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" 2-parter to come out immediately after the conclusion of Grant Morrison's current "Batman R.I.P." saga. Because of that, today I decided to re-read (for the umpteenth time) the 1986 story that put a definitive conclusion to the Silver Age Kal-El's adventures.There's so much to love about this poignant wrap-up that I almost don't know where to start. In the first part, we learn that Superman's been gone and assumed dead for many years by the time August 16th, 1997 rolls around (recall that this comic came out in 1986). Lois Lane has married Jordan Elliot and has a son with him, and is being interviewed by a reporter from the Daily Planet who's writing a "Last Days of Superman" retrospective. Through flashbacks narrated by Lois, we visit an earlier time when Superman's arch enemies had grown quiet for a while, allowing the Man of Steel to devote more of his time to assisting scientific research. But then that period of rest and reflection is shattered when several of the second- and third-tier villains return, more murderous than they'd ever been before. This development clearly shakes Kal-El, as he asks his friends at the funeral for childhood friend Pete Ross (killed by Toyman and the Prankster), "If the nuisances from my past are coming back as killers... what happens when the killers come back?" What, indeed?
After having his secret identity revealed by those nuisances, he gives up his Clark Kent identity for good. Luthor, meanwhile, has tracked down the robotic head of Brainiac, and is quickly taken over by the artificial creature, making for the most integrated "Brainiac-Luthor Team" of all time. As he/they plot a master plan, other lesser lights like Metallo and the Kryptonite Man attack Metropolis and the Daily Planet in particular, looking for revenge on the friends of Superman (especially now that his Clark Kent identity is known). To safeguard Lois, Jimmy, Perry White and the others in his inner circle, Superman takes them all to his Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic, where even Krypto the Super-dog shows up, looking a bit long in the tooth but still flying.
One of the most moving moments in comics history occurs at the Fortress, as the Legion of Super-Heroes pay a quick visit (from the 30th century) presumably because they know that this is one of their last chances to spend time with their 20th century friend (since his future is their past). But they've brought a surprise along with them, in the form of a young Supergirl (from shortly after she arrived on Earth in the dawn of the Silver Age). Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, was visiting the Legion in the future when they decided to make their trip to the past (yeah, time travel... heh!). However, Superman had not long before held his (older) cousin's dead body in his arms after she gave her life to save the multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths # 7, making this encounter feel like he's talking to a ghost. When the teenage Kara innocently asks Kal-El if she grew up pretty, you'd better have a hanky or two handy for when you see the look on his face! The Legion presents Superman with a gold statuette of himself holding a Phantom Zone projector, and then beats a hasty retreat back to their own time period.
This series of scenes shows perfectly why Moore is the master of his art, because he addresses every single question any fan of the Silver Age might have at this point. Wouldn't Superman wonder why the Legion picked that particular night to visit him? (Covered!) How could the Legion bring Supergirl with them when they know she just died in that era? (Check!) Wouldn't Superman rip someone a new one over a move like that, and then realize his mistake and apologize? (You bet!) It's an amazingly satisfying handful of pages, while ripping your heart out in the process.
This issue ends with Lois (in 1997) recalling that she and the other friends in the Fortress never heard what happened that night after they went to bed (when the Legion came a-calling) but she knew that something had, when she saw Superman the next morning... because it looked like he'd been crying.
As the second part begins, Superman, Krypto and the friends are under siege from several villains: the Brainiac-Luthor hybrid, the Kryptonite Man and even the three founders of the Legion of Super-Villains, who've similarly come from the 30th century, but in this case they want to take part in the final destruction of the Man of Steel. Brainiac has erected an impenetrable force field around the Fortress, with the villains on the inside and any superheroes who might help Superman's cause on the outside.Krypto, who just recently had a starring role in Superman # 680 (in 2008) but generally isn't seen all that often these days, has a great moment back in our tale from 1986. He builds up a good head of steam and then lunges at the Kryptonite Man, ripping the bad guy's throat out while getting himself a lethal dose of kryptonite poisoning in the process. His self-sacrifice is matched by Jimmy Olsen and Lana Lang, both of whom re-establish 1960's-style superpowers that they'd once had (Moore forgets nothing!) in order to take out some villains themselves. Their efforts aren't entirely in vain, but they're both killed before they can really save the day. Lana had rushed into battle after overhearing Superman confess that he loves Lois and only Lois but could never choose her over Lana without devastating the redhead by his actions. With one stroke, writer Moore explains roughly forty years of "Lois / Lana" stories, whereby Superman seemed to always lead both women on mercilessly.
The villain behind it all is finally revealed to be Mr Mxyzptlk, the 5th-dimensional imp who always spent his time befuddling the Man of Steel until Superman could trick him into saying his name backwards and being returned to his own dimension. Here he's a darker version of Mr Mxy, but with a great rationale provided by Mr Moore. Lois comes to the rescue when she recognizes what the Legion had given her man in the previous issue, and deduces that their visit was always about providing a clue to the Man of Steel, not sounding his death knell (as he'd assumed). Supes retrieves his own Phantom Zone projector from elsewhere in the Fortress and shines it on Mxyzptlk just as the not-so-cute imp says, "Kltpzyxm," causing him to be torn in half between the Phantom Zone and the 5th dimension. "He panicked when he saw the ray and made a fatal error," Kal-El tells Lois. "Just as I knew he would. I killed him, Lois. I intended to kill him." Because he'd broken his oath never to take a life (a well-known standard of the Silver Age), Superman feels that he has to pay the ultimate price for his action. And so he walks into the lead-lined room in the Fortress where he's stored gold kryptonite, the one substance that removes a Kryptonian's superpowers.. forever!
Lois wraps up her trip down memory lane with the Daily Planet reporter by saying that she never saw Superman again after that. He'd apparently left that chamber and walked out into the Arctic to die, a human being. The reporter leaves Lois, but she's joined by her husband, Jordan, and their son, Jonathan. Now, anyone who hadn't by that point figured out that Jordan Elliot is really a de-powered Kal-El (recalling that Kal's birth father's name was Jor-El) gets the additional clue of seeing young Jonathan (the name of Clark Kent's foster father) squeeze a lump of coal into a diamond... and a final wink from Jordan as he closes the door on that chapter in their life.
"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" is simply a perfect finale to the thirty-or-so year history of the Silver Age Superman. Moore misses no notes at all in his 2-part celebration of the Man of Steel's life, and it's perhaps the finest sendoff any comic character has ever received.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Nobody Wants The American League Central!
As we race into the final weekend of the 2008 Major League Baseball season, there's only one American League slot left up for grabs: the division title for the AL Central. Minnesota Twins lead the Chicago White Sox by half a game (apparently Chicago must've had a rain-out that hasn't been made up yet, which could be interesting if the two teams finish within half a game of each other after Sunday!) so anything could happen over the weekend.
[Update Sep 28/08: As of the end of the 2008 MLB season today, those two teams are still just 1/2 a game apart, and therefore Chicago gets to play Detroit tomorrow afternoon to get their 162nd regular season game in. If they lose, the Twins claim the Central; but if they win, then they'll be tied with Minnesota and will therefore play a 1-game playoff with the Twins on Tuesday night!]
Anyway, they're both hosting teams this weekend who are out of contention (aka "spoilers"): the Twins are home to the lowly Royals, while Chicago has Cleveland in town. As of right now, Minnesota is down 6-0 while the Sox, after building up a 4-3 lead by the end of the 4th inning, are now behind 9-4, thanks to giving up 6 runs in the 5th! You'd think, with so much on the line, those two contenders could do a little better than that, wouldn't you?
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay, Boston and LA Angels wait to find out who they'll play, starting on Wed and Thu of next week. If I understand the various rules correctly, I think it's all but decided that LA will host Boston (assuming TB claims the division), since the Wildcard team (Bos) never plays their first series against their division winner (TB). Since the Angels have some ridiculously-long post season losing streak at the hands of the Red Sox, that could be fun. The Central winner will head to Tampa, for some sun 'n' surf and maybe even a game or two.
In the National League, three teams are fighting for the last two playoff berths: the NL East, where the Phillies lead the stumbling Mets (who absolutely collapsed at the end of the season last year and fell out of the playoff race right at the finish line and could repeat that dubious feat this year) by a single game; and the Wildcard, which has the Brewers and Mets dead-even with three games left each. I'm watching the Mets lose to the visiting Marlins (down 5-1 in the 8th), while the Phillies just dispatched Washington, 8-4. Assuming the Mets can't rally in the final 2 innings, that'll makes Philadelphia's magic number just 1 (meaning any win by them or loss by the Mets gives them the division). Meanwhile, Milwaukee is tied 1-1 with the Cubs in the 6th, so they may pull a game ahead of New York or simply stay tied in that neck-and-neck Wildcard race (again, assuming a Mets loss).
The Cubs and Dodgers have already punched their own tickets to the playoffs, but about all we know at this point is that Chicago will start at home, and Los Angeles will play their first two games on the road. After that, there are just too many different permutations still possible!
As usual, it's proving to be a very exciting conclusion to the season for those who are interested in such things (like me!)
[Update Sep 28/08: As of the end of the 2008 MLB season today, those two teams are still just 1/2 a game apart, and therefore Chicago gets to play Detroit tomorrow afternoon to get their 162nd regular season game in. If they lose, the Twins claim the Central; but if they win, then they'll be tied with Minnesota and will therefore play a 1-game playoff with the Twins on Tuesday night!]
Anyway, they're both hosting teams this weekend who are out of contention (aka "spoilers"): the Twins are home to the lowly Royals, while Chicago has Cleveland in town. As of right now, Minnesota is down 6-0 while the Sox, after building up a 4-3 lead by the end of the 4th inning, are now behind 9-4, thanks to giving up 6 runs in the 5th! You'd think, with so much on the line, those two contenders could do a little better than that, wouldn't you?
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay, Boston and LA Angels wait to find out who they'll play, starting on Wed and Thu of next week. If I understand the various rules correctly, I think it's all but decided that LA will host Boston (assuming TB claims the division), since the Wildcard team (Bos) never plays their first series against their division winner (TB). Since the Angels have some ridiculously-long post season losing streak at the hands of the Red Sox, that could be fun. The Central winner will head to Tampa, for some sun 'n' surf and maybe even a game or two.
In the National League, three teams are fighting for the last two playoff berths: the NL East, where the Phillies lead the stumbling Mets (who absolutely collapsed at the end of the season last year and fell out of the playoff race right at the finish line and could repeat that dubious feat this year) by a single game; and the Wildcard, which has the Brewers and Mets dead-even with three games left each. I'm watching the Mets lose to the visiting Marlins (down 5-1 in the 8th), while the Phillies just dispatched Washington, 8-4. Assuming the Mets can't rally in the final 2 innings, that'll makes Philadelphia's magic number just 1 (meaning any win by them or loss by the Mets gives them the division). Meanwhile, Milwaukee is tied 1-1 with the Cubs in the 6th, so they may pull a game ahead of New York or simply stay tied in that neck-and-neck Wildcard race (again, assuming a Mets loss).
The Cubs and Dodgers have already punched their own tickets to the playoffs, but about all we know at this point is that Chicago will start at home, and Los Angeles will play their first two games on the road. After that, there are just too many different permutations still possible!
As usual, it's proving to be a very exciting conclusion to the season for those who are interested in such things (like me!)
Another AgileMan Week Of Work Complete
It was a three-and-a-half Issue week, as I finished the 19th, and then knocked off the 20th, 21st and 22nd over the course of the past five days. It feels like it's about 60% complete (first draft) at the moment, but then I look at the small list of topics I have left to cover and wonder if maybe I'm closer to 75% done? No, I realize next, there's so much important stuff that has to go in the back half of the book, most of which I haven't gotten to yet, so it's gotta be in the 50 - 65% range.
Or, I could just keep working on it and not worry about such things. But what fun is that?
Or, I could just keep working on it and not worry about such things. But what fun is that?
One More Swim And Out
We both got in the pool today for a last dip, and then started the process of shutting 'er down for another long winter. Thanks to the magic of blogging, I know that it was four months ago yesterday that I took the first swim of the year, so that's not too bad of a season at all (with probably close to 100 good days in between). We've certainly seen shorter over our 11 summers here.
If we're closing the pool, that must mean that the baseball postseason is just around the corner... which it is! No Jays (again) but it'll still be a ton of fun to watch, and I won't be distracted by any silly work stuff this year! There's still a chance for an all-Chicago World Series, but I guess the LA Angels - who will almost certainly finish with the best record in the majors in 2008 - may have something to say about that. And of course, since the Dodgers are also set to play in October, we could just as easily have an all-LA finale.
If we're closing the pool, that must mean that the baseball postseason is just around the corner... which it is! No Jays (again) but it'll still be a ton of fun to watch, and I won't be distracted by any silly work stuff this year! There's still a chance for an all-Chicago World Series, but I guess the LA Angels - who will almost certainly finish with the best record in the majors in 2008 - may have something to say about that. And of course, since the Dodgers are also set to play in October, we could just as easily have an all-LA finale.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Still Swimming On Sep 25th?
Yes, it's true... with just 3 months to go until another Christmas (aka "Spend All Your Money On Crap" Day) rolls around, it was a lovely 26 degrees this afternoon, and the pool was in full swing at our house. Well, "full" as in both Vicki and I were in it! We certainly could've fit another person or two in there somewhere, but everyone else seemed to be stuck at work! (Ha!)
It was also gorgeous weather for a bike ride downtown and a lunch with Boneman in the park, which happened today as well. If you think that the two of us spent as much time discussing our anticipation for Resistance 2 as we did catching up on work matters, then you'd be right. I even pointed out to Boneman that the gameplay videos that have been coming out clearly show that the health packs are gone from the game, replaced by the now-standard "don't get shot for a few seconds and you'll get full health back" approach to such things. I'm OK with that, as hunting around for health tends to distract from the rest of the experience.
And tonight I'm out for the evening with McChicken. How'd I get so busy all of a sudden? :-)
It was also gorgeous weather for a bike ride downtown and a lunch with Boneman in the park, which happened today as well. If you think that the two of us spent as much time discussing our anticipation for Resistance 2 as we did catching up on work matters, then you'd be right. I even pointed out to Boneman that the gameplay videos that have been coming out clearly show that the health packs are gone from the game, replaced by the now-standard "don't get shot for a few seconds and you'll get full health back" approach to such things. I'm OK with that, as hunting around for health tends to distract from the rest of the experience.
And tonight I'm out for the evening with McChicken. How'd I get so busy all of a sudden? :-)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I'm Gonna Have To Get Better At Not Shooting My Friends, I Guess
After watching this amazing video of the Resistance 2 Co-op play, it seems like I may have to modify my standard "shoot anything that moves" approach to First Person Shooters! After all, that looks like a lot of teammates between me and the bad guys...
Just 40 days to go until the eve of Resistance 2...
Just 40 days to go until the eve of Resistance 2...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
I'm Not Even Sure Where I Stand On This One
This story, about People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urging ice cream giants Ben & Jerry to begin using human breast milk instead of cow's milk in their products, leaves me torn. On the one hand, humans drinking our own breast milk is the most natural thing in the world - most of us have done it as babies, after all - and intellectually less disgusting than taking in the secretions of another species (as my ex-boss always used to refer to it).
On the other hand... ewwwww?
On the other hand... ewwwww?
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