Thursday, April 30, 2009

Another Countdown Clock



Created for Ally Carter to promote her new book: Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

Oh NO! The Clock Started! Which Wire Do I Cut?

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Refrigerator Worthy

Two online comic strips (webcomics) made me laugh out loud recently.

I'm posting the links, since both strips have an archive which is worth the time wasted.

http://xkcd.com/574/

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/4/22/
(And, no, it's not too soon.)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Diamond Previews May/July 2009

Here's what appeals to me in the May issue of Diamond Previews, a catalog of everything that is available to comic book stores.

P.47 Dark Horse The Secret History of the Giant Man
P.49
Dark Horse Pictures That Tick
P.58
Dark Horse Classic Uncle Scrooge Characters #2: Donald Duck

P.68-69
DC Comics Wednesday Comics
P.72
DC Comics Batman and Robin #2
P.93
DC Comics A Death in the Family HC
P.100
DC Comics Billy Batson... #6
P.110
DC Comics Tom Strong Deluxe HC
P.116
DC Comics Fable Deluxe HC

P.149
Image Comics Liberty Meadows Sunday Strips, Volume 1

[insert p.49]
Marvel Franklin Richards: School's Out!
[insert p.58]
Marvel Marvels: Eye of the Camera #6
[insert p.80]
Marvel Powers: The Definitive Collection, Volume 3

P.210
Bluewater Productions [various biographies]

P.222
Cartoon Books RASL: THE DRIFT COLLECTOR’S EDITION HC

p.243
Drawn & Quarterly THE JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY: NANCY VOLUME 1 HC

P.245
Emotional Content BIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL: CHE GUEVARA GN

P.252
Hill & Wang CHE: A GRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY HC (HILL & WANG EDITION)

P.253
IDW The Hunter

p.270
Little, Brown THE IMPOSTER’S DAUGHTER: A TRUE MEMOIR HC

P.278
Raw Jr. LLC JEFF SMITH: LITTLE MOUSE GETS READY HC

p.317
Hermes THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WALT KELLY HC

P.374
(Disney) WALT DISNEY CLASSICS COLLECTION: RUNAWAY BRAIN FIGURINES [Mickey figure]

P.389
BARACK OBAMA: “CHANGE YOU CAN COUNT ON” COIN BANK

P.390
MICKEY MOUSE: RUNAWAY BRAIN “CANDY FLAKE VERSION” VINYL FIGURE

Sunday, April 26, 2009

If I Won The Lottery...

The current MegaMillions jackpot (the multistate lottery of which New York is a member) is currently $181 Million.

If half is subtracted for taxes, that leaves $90.5 M. Paid out over twenty years (only fools take the lesser lump sum payout) that equals $4,525,000 a year, or about $12,000 a day.

So, what would I do with all that money? I think I would become a nomad. No, not a vagrant backacker, trying to find America... I'd buy an Entertainer coach, the kind used for rock tours. An RV on steroids. Convert it so it can store a motorcycle with sidecar (nothing fancy) for local trips to grocery stores or whatnot.

Then I'd buy a warehouse somewhere and convert it into a home base. A place to display and store my property, and possibly retreat to when I tire of driving across the country. Maybe I'd buy a mountain or an old missile silo in Montana... and a small office somewhere to handle the legal affairs, junk mail, and anything else requiring a permanent address.

Maybe I'd monetize my travels, film some travelblogs. Search out the unusual and interesting.

So, what would you do with if you won? What if someone gave you a $12,000 gift card, and told you you only had tomorrow to spend it? That you could only pay for services used that day? (No buying airplane tickets for next week, for example.) I think I'd ask to reschedule the day, and plan for a big homeless dinner somewhere... try to get donations in kind... Or something similar to help a group of people.

Or spend it all on slot machines, $20 at a time, cashing out whenever my winnings exceeded $20. Even if my percentage win is only 0.1% ($0.02), that's $12K + $12. I fulfill the requirements, and take the money and invest it wisely. Or if a casino is not nearby, I buy scratch-off lottery tickets and play a few each day.

Or I find a random attractive woman (preferably a tourist), explain my dilemma, and spend the day enjoying the city with her.

Hmm... reminds me of the old TV show "The Millionaire".