ZOMG, this looks so cool!

How cool does Darkseid look?  This is from the variant cover to Justice League #6.  Oh, in other news, I just read that Justice League #1 has gone back to print for a seventh time, making it the bestselling book of 2011 and still trending strong into 2012.  I think this is the only New 52 book to hit this milestone.  So far its been a great read, but if you haven't gotten into it yet, I'd wait for the trade, as the story is slow, and being able to read it without any ads would be very nice. 

My other favorite so far has been the Court of Owls storyline that Scott Snyder has been running in Batman.  I have to say that this is by far my favorite Batman story since Hush.  The emotions running in the story really resonate and you can see how Bruce is dealing with all that's happening throughout.  This is IMHO Snyder's best work to date.

Nothing else new to report on the geek front, go out and have a great Wednesday, its hump day after all, go get some humps, some humps, some lovely lady lumps...wow that was so bad.

Comic Book Men

So, it's been two episodes and I just can't give Kevin Smith anymore of my time.  I guess I just don't dig him like I used to.  The premise, albeit gave me a nerdgasm, a day in the life of the comic book store.  But it just feels too scripted, too fake, and honestly the shopkeepers seem like douches and jackwagons.  I've spent many an hour at a CBS, browsing, reading, playing games, geeking out, discussing who'd win in a fight Shazam or Thor, Batman vs Iron Man, Superman vs well anyone (still think Wonder Woman could take him!).  I've also been listening to comic book podcasts of late, and maybe that has me jaded, these are from the fans, not shop owners, these are they guys who are out there every Wednesday hitting the shelves to fill their needs (yes a comic book is like a soap opera for guys, without all the bad acting).  I've been working on my list of things I'd like to do this year, so far I've gone back to school...I'd like to participate in or start my own comic fan podcast.  I am slightly slanted as I really only read DC, but I'm always up to talk about anything... Did you see The Walking Dead this week?  See that's how my brain works, it's the whole ADD, oh look a duck, but with cool geekiness.   That being said, I really don't know how many people actually read this, I don't get many comments, but I do see the page views spike after a new post.  If your reading this, leave a comment, let me know who you are and where you come from, feel free to comment, call me a clownshoe, whatever, just don't sit back and lurk the boards...

Back to geekiness, I've been messing with DSLR photography since October more seriously, yes my camera is off of Auto.  I'm running into issues trying to catch the kiddo in action, by the time I get the settings down she's right up in the lens, should I use my 55mm or the 18-55mm  I like the fixed focal length on the 55mm, but sometimes I think it should really be just for portraits, please tell me your thoughts if your a photo nut on what the 55mm should be used for.  Should I just carry my DSLR with me everywhere in case I see something that just looks great, or should I just go out somewhere I've never been and just take a ton of pics?  Seems like all I ever take are family shots indoors or out at an event like the Zoo, etc.  What did you do to get better at finding "the shot"?

With all the hullabaloo about the iPad 3, a friend of mine on Facebook summed it up pretty well, "I'd rather have thin than a ridiculous pixel density."  I think I have to agree, while I love my iPad, I still don't see how it fits into my digital life fully, I don't like using it for typing notes in class, as I just don't like the non keyboard tacticity (is that a real word?).  My daughter is content using it to watch Dora or Diego, which is great, since it frees up the big TV for adult use.  I'm starting to feel like I use it less and less, I don't read on it all the time, I still prefer a real book, I don't play as many games on it like I used to, and well, the movies I have on it are great, but I don't have a lot of free time to watch them.  Occasionally I'm a Twitter S#|$$er, or will browse the web while on the throne (who doesn't?).  I guess since the move, the relegation that I'm unemployed, and now a student, the iPad just doesn't seem like the business tool I thought it would be.  And why does blogger look like a steaming pile on it?  How can I blog remotely when it looks like something that a cat coughed up?  Although, it appears that MS Office has been seen running on the iPad, and its close to a release, shame apple beat you to the game here with iWork for the iPad, think I can squeeze in another i product into this sentence, how about iOS is great, I love iMacs, and I'm a total iTool!  HA, Bazinga!

Geeks vs. nerds

Strangely I fall into both categories.


From: MastersInIt.org

My Tech Wishes for 2012

Since it's the new year, and while most people are making resolutions that will be devoid of completion in the next 30 days, I've moved on.  Yes, thats right, no resolutions, reservations, rest stops, repartees, raptures, or ray guns, well maybe ray guns, ray guns are cool!

No, just a few things on my tech wish list for the year that I hope to see.

First, a new iPhone, yes I like the idea of a new phone with an aluminum back looking like a mini iPad.  I like it, I think its sexy, classy, and cool.  With all the other phones, the iPhone needs a bigger screen, those new Samsung's are very sexy with their big wide screens.

Second, an affordable TV made by Apple (oxymoron I know, nothing by Apple is generally accepted as "affordable" but given the "smart TV's" that are already out there, I think its doable.  Keeping it at manageable sizes; 32" & 37" would be ideal as a companion for most folks as your main home theater setup is generally in a man cave/living room/theater room, this would be an ideal size for an office, bedroom, etc.  All the added features of an iOS connected TV would be great when your getting ready to go, weather, maps, etc.

Third, an updated MacBook Air lineup with a new 15" model, I've always wanted one of these, but 11" and 13" is just a bit to small for my sausage hands to manipulate the keyboard.

Fourth, and these are just things that are already out, and are on my want list.  I really want a 55-300mm lens for my camera, a nice tripod, and a speed light.

So thats it for now, just a quick post of what I think may happen, and some stuff I'd love to see!

Be calm and don't blink.

Back to our nerdly nuts and bolts

We are up to issue 4 of The New 52's and Justice League is a book that has really been on my list as one that I just can't decide on.  Let's go back four months, the first issue hit, we are in a universe where the heroes don't really know each other, Green Lantern had no idea that Batman was just a man in a costume...Superman seems to not like authority, and The Flash, well he's just the flash, fast, cocky, and a smart ass, gotta love it!  Jim Lee can really suck you in with his artwork, Geoff John's story work can usually keep you on the edge of your seat, but this title just runs slow.  I am still trying to piece together the current state of the DC Universe, as I really only follow Superman, Batman, The Flash, and Green Lantern.  Its tough, I mean we really don't know what has happened, what from the last 50 years still happened in the new universe, Bane vs Batman, Jason Todd's Death, Superman's death, Barbara Gordon is not wheelchair bound anymore..etc, these are the things I really wish I knew the answers to.  With This month Justice League #4 hit the shelves, and well remember Aquaman from the Superfriends?  Well, friends he isn't hear, we have an Atlantian bad ass, who doesn't mind getting his trident dirty and I'm loving it, if you ever made Aquaman the but of a joke, well brother, let me tell ya, he ain't that guy.

Lastly, my biggest gripe, is DC touted out that they were drawing the line at $2.99 earlier in the year in response to Marvels inability to decide on price point.  But two of the flagship titles, Action Comics and Justice League are $3.99, and Justice League is 22 pages of story/art and the rest ads and filler, its just a bit much, and then for them to charge the same day and date for digital really chaps this authors ass a bit.  It really makes the thought of going digital only hard to swallow, and I have thought about it, but there is just something about holding a real book in your hands, going to the nerds den, the geektopia, the comic book store and browsing the shelves for something new, finding something that Mitch Breitweiser (a fellow Arkie) has started working on, finding that hard to find trade paperback, that Frank Miller Batman Statue, hell even just picking out a new 20 sided die...You don't get that on your nook, iPad, playbook, blackbook, blackberry, chuck berry, or whatever your using digitally!

So, I don't think you can find back issues on JL right now, but I know once this arc is done it will be in trade paperback (they've already announced a Batman trade, so its coming), when that happens, pick it up, you'll love the visually stunning art by Jim Lee, an incredibly woven team building story by Geoff Johns, and of course a glowing review from me.

4.5 out of 5 Tankards of Terror!

An Unexpected Journey

So The Hobbit trailer is up today, and all I can say is wow!  It's already blown my mind twice, and I know like the other trailers I will watch it religiously until the movie hits next December.  I remember when I saw Fellowship of the Ring, I was so moved by how everything I had seen in the book/animated movie had been brought to life, and now I cannot wait to see these first two chapters.  If you haven't seen it yet, here it is in all its HD glory...

If you haven't turned on "Find My iPhone", you probably should

So, the parental unit (heretofore known as Mom) works in a wireless call center, and with my past experience and what she tells me, people just get dumber the smarter their phones become.  First, if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch (with location capabilities), or an iPad 1 or 2, you need to know about something called Find My iPhone.  Well first its an app, and yes its free, you need to download and install it ASAP.  This is not a way for you to get some type of Batman/Daredevil vigilante justice, but a high tech lowjack for your phone/pad/pod.  The most important thing, you have to have it set up first before it will work...so you can't lose your phone and then decide to turn it on.  Second, if you have iOS 5, and your using the cloud, its really easy, make sure to toggle the switch in your settings to turn on find my iPhone.  Once this is complete you can login to your iCloud account and then select find my iPhone and it will find all your iOS devices assigned to your cloud login.

Once your here, you can send a message/sound to the device, lock it remotely, or wipe it out entirely.  What is cool is you will get a map showing you pretty close to where the device is.  This is handy if you can't find your device in the house, or someone has stolen it.  The key to a stolen device is let law enforcement know you have a stolen device, and that you have tracked its whereabouts and provide this to them, they may or may not go get it, but at least you've gotten them closer than they used to be when things were stolen.

So thats find my iPhone, please use it, it will save you countless hours of problems and issues, also use your cloud space, back up your contacts, and for god sacks, sync your damn devices regularly.

Geeky Dad Out!