More stress at workies, as we've run into an error which, with the same set of code, the same circumstances, and the same person doing it, cannot be replicated on two different computers, despite the fact that those computers are merely clients, and all the code is running on the same server. Whimper. Someone once said that computers, and highly complex technological devics in general, are among the most infuriating things ever created by man, since they can partly work. Give me something that either completely works or is completely broken, curse you! Is that too much to ask?!
Um. What else? I bought comics! (Work, trips to comic stores, complaining about the heat... this pretty much sums up my life.) And I growled vile imprecations at Antarctic Press and their ilk.
Now, Antarctic Press is what we call a "small press" company, even though they're not really that "small", given that they're not one of the big companies like Marvel or DC or Im... well, actually, just Marvel or DC these days. Antarctic Press publishes quirky little things like Twilight X or Gold Digger (written and drawn by Fred Perry, god of short-shorts). They're also the owners of the legendary Ninja High School franchise and its many spin-offs. Which, on a side note, has been "rebooted" and is now once more written by its original creator, Ben Dunn, who apparently has free time after his latest attempt at creating something new, Valhalla, was laughed off the stage. Or something. Regardless, despite desperately milking any franchise they get their hands on (Warrior Nun Areala?!), Antarctic Press generally has lots of "cred". Generally.
Recently, however, they attempted to cash in on the "how to draw
This... this just isn't done. It's one thing for Marvel or Image or
someone to do a Variant Cover Scheme to rip people off... Marvel's a public
stock company, so you pretty much expect them to give a nice screwing over
to their consumers to please the all-powerful stockholders. But Antarctic
Press?! I could forgive the "Warrior Nun Areala Poseable Figure with
Special Jiggly Nipple Action", but THIS? This shameless ripping-off,
this waste of space, this murder of hapless trees... It's not even very
good stock illustrations! Mutter, mutter.
I'm getting too old for fandom. Or maybe I'm just mad because I didn't think
of this first. Mmm... ripping people off...
Um. Anyway, what else?
I also picked up the "Mystery Men" comic adaptation, but I'll hold off on
reading it until I can see the movie. Mmm... self-control.
In government news, a few fun things are pending in DC. Apparently we've got
another try at the whole "national ID" thingie pending, under the guise of
cracking down on illegal immigrant labor. A new driver's license containing
a microchip with your social security number and other pertinent information
like your fingerprints, which is required if you want to utilize government
services, board a plane, et cetera? The sad thing is, apparently most of the
legislation for this was weaselled through years ago, and the only reason we
don't have it yet is they haven't gotten around to implementing the sucker.
Plus one of the many Congressional committees has come out with a "better"
bill on the whole encryption thing, which makes Executive Orders on the
subject of encryption control unassailable in court.
The problem with opposing stupid government is that you have to win every
battle, and they only have to win once. Maybe it's time to move to somewhere
less repressive, like China...
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