Posted by Dan Billings on May 18, 2012 under Uncategorized | 
How do I make my hair look like that? How does one style hair? I have no idea. Any tips would be great.
I have basically had the same hairstyle and haircut since I grew hair. I don’t always want to look like a frazzled teenager.
Basically, I’m looking for advice, assistance, and pointers on how to look better.
I subscribe to GQ and Details and all I gleaned from those is that I need to have nice abs and a lot of money. I have neither, so I want to fix my hair up a little.
Posted by Dan Billings on under Uncategorized |
I turned in a final exam for the first time since 2007. However, this final exam came without a student loan bill. In collaboration with Stanford University, Coursera.org provides free online classes with a promise of a certificate at the end if you pass. I have no idea what the value of this will be when all is said and done, but it whets my appetite for learning and that is what I need right now.
The site states that “We offer high quality courses from the top universities, for free to everyone. We currently host courses from Princeton University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and University of Pennsylvania. We are changing the face of education globally, and we invite you to join us.”
Each day, I worry that I am losing my edge. I have a law degree but I don’t want to practice law and I’m getting farther and farther away from my math background. I have also lost that educational distaste that I had after and even durian law school. With coursera.org, I have an opportunity to study things I always wanted to study. Additionally, other online resources are available through other universities and individuals. Like TED talks, learning isn’t confined to schools anymore. I have the degrees and I have experience now, but I need to stay informed and ready to learn.
Now, I am taking two more classes (computer science 101 and introduction to logic), have signed up for about ten more, and I am investigating other free online schooling. I have also started another computer science course at udacity.com. Will this lead to new degrees or a new job n the short term? Probably not, but it will provide me with trainings. And maybe options going forward.
Posted by Dan Billings on May 15, 2012 under A Literal Corner |
I check a lot of books out of the Mount Prospect Public Library. Generally, I also choose a book by its cover. But I also read the inside cover to see if the story will be interesting to me. Everything Happens Today by Jesse Browner had a great cover that grabbed my attention. 
Wes seemed like an interesting kid and I wanted to see what his big day was all about.
One of my favorite books of the last few years was Saturday by Ian McEwan. I loved the format so much that I have tried to ape it in so many short stories that are laying around at my feet as I type this. To tell the story of one single day from a single perspective fascinates me because it is exactly how I think. I focus so much on the same details and interesting moments of every single day. Everything Happens Today plays in this same arena. The story begins with Wes walking home after a high school party with all of the inner monologue of a over-thinking teenage boy. He has imagined a certain life ahead of him in the short term that will lead to long term happiness and in a moment of passion, everything changes.
Wes suffers from the same conundrum of many teenage protagonists: he seems to smart for a teenager. Yes, he has doubts, but he reads of an older kid. He also is the child of a failed writer (another concept that appears in far too many books). He is in Greenwich Village. Yes, I know. All of these things don’t really sell this book outside of a hipster fascination, but Browner’s prose flows so easily off the page and I really fall for Wes.
Below is quote from near the end of the book. It doesn’t spoil the story, but I think this is the fundamental point of the story.
“You know when you’re writing a paper, and you run it through the spell-checker? You’d think, right, that you’d catch every typo? But you don’t, there’s always typos left, because sometimes when you misspell a word it becomes another word, and the spell-checker misses it. A mistake like that is a lot harder to detect. There’s nothing wrong with the new word, except that it’s in the wrong place. It’s out of context. That’s me. There’s nothing wrong with me, at least I don’t think there is, but even so I appear to be some sort of a mistake. I don’t fit in with the rest of the sentence, with the way everyone around me seems to think, or live their lives. Whatever it is that makes me out of place may be a tiny thing, one little letter transposed, but it makes all of the difference. Maybe I’m not even a spelling mistake, just the product of poor punctuation. I’m a question mark at the end of a declarative sentence. From now on, you can tell everybody that my new nickname is ‘Typo.’ Call me Typo.”
This is definitely a feeling that I think every young man feels at some point. I felt it later than 17, but it’s not my story.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a comic take on a Saturday. Nothing happens. Yet everything. If you remember how long a lonely Saturday after a mistake can be, this book will make you relive it.
Posted by Dan Billings on May 11, 2012 under Wading into the Potomac |
Is it surprising that Mitt Romney bullied kids in high school? No. Kids are cruel. Especially male kids. 
I was bullied. A lot. Junior high was probably the worst three years of my life. I was “sick” a lot, so I didn’t have to go to school. I didn’t talk about it because it didn’t matter. But it hurt. And it still hurts. I remember all of the people who bullied me. I remember all of the things they said. I remember the people who would stand up for me. And I remember the day I decided to not let them or their statements control my life anymore (even if that was when I was in my mid-twenties).
I wouldn’t withhold my vote from Romney due to his actions in high school, even though I wouldn’t vote for him ever, like other people have written. I understand their points and think that it is a noble stand to say no to any bully.
The problem I have with Romney’s account is that he doesn’t remember it. He said on the radio that “Back in high school, I did some dumb things, and if anybody was hurt by that or offended, obviously I apologize for that.” He also said, according to the Washington Post, “‘I don’t remember that incident,’ Romney said, laughing.”
I will give him the first point. Lots of people, including myself, probably have moments of cruelty and moments of dumbness in high school. Though I never cut someone else’s hair, I know I said mean things to people. We all do. But it’s that he laughs off the memory of that incident.
When I was in junior high, I would have lunch with a few friends and one kid came and sat next to me. And he proceeded to punch me in the shoulder for the entire period. My shoulder was all black and blue and there were a lot of broken blood vessels. No one stopped him, including myself. I always believed it was better to not fight back. That was my choice. This kid’s choice was to punch me. I remember it as clear as day. He probably doesn’t.
In high school, my freshman year was not a lot of fun. I was a bit on my own. And gym class was the worst. I got picked on every day. I remember a childhood friend asking them to just leave me alone, even though we had grown apart. But it didn’t really change things. During a line dancing class, the guys around me began a mosh pit to basically just hit me and we were all thrown in the hall as punishment for disrupting the class, where they continued to make fun or me and push me around. The same year, during a fitness day that included jump ropes, I was hog-tied in the corner and laughed at by students and teachers a like, until someone came over to untie me.
I will never forget those moments. But, again, the bullies probably did. And that is the underlying difference. When you do something mean, you most likely forget it. But when someone does something horrible to you, you never forget it.
Gov. Romney should not have laughed off the incident. He should have had more courage to apologize directly to the individual and note that although he may not remember this incident, he is incredibly regretful for conducting himself in a manner that lead this man to never forget what happened to him. He should stand up and say that what he did was wrong and recognize that there are many individuals out in the world that have been affected by similar incidents and try to make amends.
Each morning, I have to fight to believe in myself because of what people did to me for many years. I have to tell myself that I am a good person and that all of those tears in school created someone great. I have had almost a a decade’s worth of therapy to get past something that I am sure that my bullies don’t even remember. To just write it off as youthful indiscretions is unfair and not something I want in a leader. And any of his supporters who just write it off obviously don’t understand the pain that can be caused by such incidents.
Posted by Dan Billings on May 2, 2012 under Off the New Comic Rack, The Multiplex |
To alleviate the guilt I will have when I see The Avengers, I will follow David Brother’s post and donate to The Hero Initiative.
Here is the idea: So how about this: You’re probably going to go see The Avengers and, judging by the early reviews, you’ll probably enjoy it. How about – as a thank you to the creators who brought you these characters in the first place, who gave you something to enjoy so much – you match your ticket price as a donation to The Hero Initiative?
As creators who did not get their fair share get sick or need help, The Hero Initiative provides them with assistance.
See the movie! Help out!
UPDATED 5/16/2012: I saw The Avengers last week and just donated $10 to the Hero’s Initiative. The movie was alright. Nothing more to say.
Posted by Dan Billings on April 17, 2012 under Off the New Comic Rack, Uncategorized |
In college, everyone had America Online Instant Messenger (AIM). We all had screen names that were related to us but that were not our God-given monikers. Mine was nightwing8782.
I wish I could pull this off
I still use that today on many things, such as my Xbox. I remember sitting at my Dell for hours at night hoping that someone would send me a message to see how I was. I would post statuses that would just ask for communication. And it drove me crazy whenever no one would say hello. I would go to chat rooms or other places just to have some personal interaction. The ironic part is that only five feet away was a roommate, twenty feet away were fellow cross country runners, and within a quarter-mile was over 900 real-life people.
When I read the article Is Facebook Making Us Lonely in this month’s The Atlantic Monthly, I had to agree with the main point, but I also had to disagree with the idea that this is a new phenomenon or that it is isolated to Facebook. The Internet has created a home for the lonely in a way that even Roy Orbison couldn’t imagine. 
It gives us a glimpse into the good days of all of our acquaintances. It allows people to stay close but far enough away as to not get hurt. But as the writer notes in the article, it’s a tool that can be used in many ways.
Over the past few years, I have worked at using the Internet, Facebook, and even this blog, as more of a tool instead of my source of communication. I do not sit on Gmail, or AIM, or any other instant message mechanism hoping that someone will contact me. I do my best to call people and now I actually make the bold decision to have physical friends. I turn to Facebook to share in people’s joys, not to dwell in my failures. I use Facebook to post stories that I have written, this blog that I have begun to take more seriously, and share a few thoughts about my day.
But the Internet over the years has also given me confidence.
This past weekend, I went to C2E2, the Chicago Comic-Con. Yes, there are lots of people who wear costumes of their favorite superheroes (as shown above), video game characters, and other themes that they enjoy. I went with friends from work who had listened to me talk about the mundane daily interactions among the comic book Internet community. When I first read comics in high school, I did not know a single other person who went to a comic shop on Wednesday. Even in college, I would hide them under my bed because I thought they were embarrassing. No one understand my AIM moniker for instance. Nightwing is the adult version of the first Robin, Dick Grayson. But then I went online to find people who like what I like. I found communities with message boards, blogs, podcasts, and lots of other mediums. I wrote a Blue Beetle story for a fan pic Yahoo Group. I realized I wasn’t alone. And it was marvelous!
But the Internet can be an angry, lonely place. At The Iceberg Lounge, Steve K. writes blogs about recent trades or comics and recently wrote about the state of the Internet community. This is a community that I dream of becoming a part of. I imagine sitting around a table at a convention one day with all of these great critics and men and women who just love comics. I find comics so interesting and amazing and I dream of talking about it. I love talking about the different art styles, some that I like and some that I dislike. I think to myself about the great writing being done at many of the small presses.
As Steve K. notes, it is also full of vitriol, and it seems to be on the rise. The Internet (and Facebook) give us all the chance to complain to a wide audience. We all become Simon Cowells – judging people we barely know to try to be funny, iconoclastic, annoying. I am sure that everyone has at least one friend on Facebook or Twitter or whatever that is constantly complaining about their job, their spouse, their kids, their … I might be that friend to you.
And there is a reason why: people like reading angry diatribes. People like bad reviews. A good review or a good story doesn’t get the attention of someone talking about how sad they are or how bad their friend/spouse/boss/President is. Think about your likes or comments on a wall. Do you respond to positive thoughts or to negative thoughts? I know I remember the negative ones more. The same is true about comic book commentary. I remember when someone writes badly about Stephen Wacker or Marvel. I remember when someone badmouths something that Dan Didio is doing over at DC Comics. It’s more entertaining.
From Comic Book Resources
This creates isolation, however. If the marketplace of ideas does not hear good thoughts due to lack of voice, then those who, for instance, liked Avengers v. X-Men don’t feel comfortable adding their two cents to the dialogue. If someone is trying to get attention on Facebook posts about how great their day was and no one asks why, but if they post about how bad their day was and get five people trying to sympathize, what behavior is incentivized? The Internet can become very homogeneous with everyone agreeing and posting on a topic such as to to fit in. The Internet can become very homogeneous because no one wants to counter the points that others are making and decide to hide in the shadows instead.
Loneliness created from a man-made device is difficult. It may be ingrained into distant relationships. But when people reach out because they want to talk about a comic or their day at work, it may be helpful to try to respond to the positive ones than only the negative ones.
Posted by Dan Billings on April 13, 2012 under Off the New Comic Rack |
After the relaunch, I did not continue reading Detective Comics or The Dark Knight because I was not impressed with the prior creators’s work. It wasn’t my tone. Batman and Robin has hit the sweet spot for me.
When Grant Morrison introduced Damian as Batman’s son with Talia al Ghul, he was a jerky kid who had a chip on his shoulder. He didn’t think anyone could teach him anything and had the ego of a boy that had a psychopath as a grandfather and a mother…
Let alone a vigilante as a father.
And that is the story of Batman and Robin. Damian has been Robin since Batman “died” and he was Dick Grayson’s sidekick. Their relationship was great because Dick as Batman was more laid back and Damian did not respect him as a leader. Throughout the precursor series written by Morrison and art by various artists, including Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, and Cameron Stewart, among others, they developed a respect for each other. But Damian was still a loose cannon. And now his dad, whom he really does not know, is back.
Bruce Wayne is a powerful figure. Damian seems afraid of him, like many sons fear their fathers. Not a fear of punishment or pain, but of not being what the son believes their father to want. This story has been told multiple times in literature, on film, and even in comics. But not with Batman.
Peter Tomasi (writer), Patrick Gleason (pencils), Michael Gray (inks), and John Kalisz (colors) have created a beautiful story in the first eight issues of the new 52 Batman and Robin.
First, the art is dynamic but also very telling. The touching scenes between Bruce and Damian (and usually Alfred) are beautifully portrayed. The color schemes and inking appear to change with the tones of the room. If they are angry, the art gives it away in more than just the pencils. When they are Batman and Robin, there is that sense of kinematic fighting as well as dilemma. In this last issue where Batman has to rescue Damian, the reds are amazing. The expressions on Bruce’s face as he rushes into the Batcave with a waiting Dr. Alfred and touching and really provide a beautiful set of images.
Now, the story, as I noted above, is not original. But it doesn’t matter. We all understand the feelings of wanting to satisfy a parent or to watch one of our children try to match what they think we want. Tomasi has created a faulty dysfunctional family built around violence. We believe Batman to be a good man who is trying to stop crime in his city. But does that same intentions create a good father? He enlists young men to be his sidekicks to fight insane people in a little costume. At every turn, Alfred is trying to remind Bruce that Damian is still a boy who needs a childhood, even though both of his parents have been advancing him in age unjustly. To have the surrogate father act as a grandfather to slow down Bruce is an amazing storytelling technique.
This book has moved to the top of my pile and has become a must read. Way to go, DC Comics!
Posted by Dan Billings on April 5, 2012 under Off the New Comic Rack |
When I received the e-mail from Graphic.Ly that they are no longer in the app business, I wondered what would happen with the apps I bought there. It wasn’t much, but there were a few. And now it looks like Comixology is basically on its own. Over at Bleeding Cool, they note that this is good news for them and it’s hard to disagree. I cannot wait until my iPad crashes or something and I cannot redownload the Graphic.Ly add and then have to read whatever I bought on my computer until I forget about it.
This really is my largest concern about digital comics. Yes, there are paper pamphlets all over my floor and boxes are crowding me out of my room, but I at least have them. And they are not cheap. If I am going to pay $3.99 for something, I don’t want to lose access to it unless I decide to throw it away. If I decided to go all-digital, what happens if Comixology fails? Will I, like Graphic.Ly, have access through a computer or somewhere else? Doesn’t seem like great odds. It does make them very toss-able, like they use to be.
Posted by Dan Billings on April 3, 2012 under A Literal Corner |
I began seeing a therapist when I was in college because I was having a hard time dealing with loneliness. I had friends. I ran cross country and track, so I was involved. I did well in class. But I beat myself up on a constant basis. I felt that I wasn’t doing something right and that there was something wrong with me.
After being picked on for more of my primary and secondary education, this seemed rational. I spent my weekends hoping friends would return phone calls and seeing in the basement reading books. These skills led me to work very hard, to understand myself, and to reflect on what I dream to be.
But I was still unhappy. At one point, my therapist recommended a Dr. Phil book that was meant to see myself in a more positive light. It wasn’t helpful and when I reminded her that she recommended it to me, she wasn’t sure what she was thinking at the time and apologized. So, when I picked up The Nerdist Way by Chris Hardwick, I was not expecting more. I thought it would be funny and that was about it.
Hardwick was the host of Singled Out on MTV back in the 1990s and fell on hard times afterwards. But he decided to change his life around and work towards new goals. He founded The Nerdist website, podcast, and now media empire. Although everyone doesn’t need to do that, there are many tips and strategies that Hardwick discusses that I find useful for myself and that I imagine many others do as well.
However, it turned out to be the self-help book that I needed. It turned self-improvement into a game and all of the things he said he needed to tell himself are the things I need to tell myself. I do not have the same addictive personality when it comes to drinking or video games, but I do have one when it comes to self-doubt and to being alone.
From the opening chapters, I could see this book was going to change how I looked at myself. It was funny and true. And for the first time, one of these books seemed designed for someone who wasn’t just a sad sack moaning about things. It was designed for the person who is just hyper-critical about themselves. Hardwick asks you to use these skills for good. Turn them around and be hyper-critical about your self-improvement.
To start, you create your own character profile, a la Dungeons and Dragons. And you set up goals and point systems to level up and be the best you that you can be. So, each month, I will be setting up goals that I want to achieve. They may be short term goals, like finishing a book, or medium term goals, like building traffic to this blog over the next year, or long term goals, like buying my dream house. And as I go through my days, I will think about things that help me work towards these goals and to not dwell on things I did not accomplish. As we all know, no one achieves all of their goals, but it is important to keep having goals and to keep moving forward.
The other parts of the book touch on physical fitness, which I do want to focus on (it’s a mid-term goal), and the last part is to take all of your skills and put them to best use.
If you are someone who gets down on yourself and sometimes cannot understand why the world is out to get you, this book is for you. It has made me look again at many things that I have done and worked on and made them stronger. It has enhanced my therapy sessions and my life.
Highly recommended.
Posted by Dan Billings on March 28, 2012 under Off the New Comic Rack |
I did not expect to pick up the first issue of this story as I am not a zombie or vampire fan, but the article last week in Comic Shop News made me reconsider that choice. I’m glad I grabbed it. The premise of the story is that the upper class in Victorian England had to make a choice during a war that somehow involved zombies. And the choice was to turn themselves into vampires so that the zombies would not be attracted to them. Everyone else – just in between, literally.
Abnett has created a lot of intrigue into this world within the first twenty pages of the series. The region has been broken up into zones, their are union members striking about something, and there was a war. Enough information to begin the story, but with enough details hidden. And Culbard gives the images a light feeling that reminds me of all of the illustrations in Illustrated Sherlock Holmes stories. Though naked vampire wasn’t really necessary… The weakest part of the book is the coloring. The yellowish tint gives this an old look, but in the discolored paper way.
The main character, Chief Inspector George Suttle appears to have a back story in the war that could become very interesting. His mother appears to be similar to Maggie Smith’s character on Downton Abbey. And the other police officers may provide a different view of the entire situation as Suttle is the last homicide detective, who appears to be not in high regard by the rest of the police.
There are several cliches in this first issue. The maid is killed by a zombie called a zombie called restless. Another is bitten on the wrist. This maid begins a story that will most likely come back around. However, generally, these cliches do not distract from the introduction to this story. It starts as enough of a deviation to what I have read before to keep my interest. I will be back for #2.
Abnett and Culbard start an interesting take on a typical story that seems to be much in demand today. This mini-series may fill a gap (that did not really seem to need to be filled) between iZombie and American Vampire well.
