Geek or Greek?

Every time I hear there's some Comic or Sci-fi convention going on, I get giddy and this incredible urge to do anything (and everything) possible to attend wells up inside me. And even worse, I start getting pre-halloween delusions of the perfect 'outfit' (some would say 'costume') to wear. One time, it was Xena.

As a teen, I used to collect comic books and play video games (a lot). That was a previous stage in my life, though I will still enjoy a game here and there. And who doesn't like to dress up, eh?

Ultimately, I can never rationalize going and let it fall by the wayside, living vicariously through news reports and online photographs. And then I stumbled on this on Wired:

I think I might have to try harder next year...

Photo credit: Wired.com: Knights, Heroes and Vixens Converge at Comic-Con 2007

My Plans Tonight

I got the following message from the mothership tonight after dinner (in a delicious cookie container):

And when I'm done cleaning up, I'll continue to read Harry Potter (which finally arrived in the mail today). Don't you dare tell me what happens!

Can You Tell How Excited I Am?

It's the day before the seventh, and final, Harry Potter book comes out. Obviously, there are tons of events happening around the city. To me, this is absolutely insane. When was the last time you heard of a bookstore open at midnight? Oh right, when the last book came out.

It's crazy! Of course, being a Harry Potter fan myself, I'll be attending some of those events. Wand making, potion making, live owls! It'll take all my self-control not to knock those little brats over to get to the front, but I think I can do it. No promises on the squealing though.

Steam Explosion Rocks NYC

Taken en route to dinner at a nearby restaurant.

More on this here.

Sicko!

Everyone needs to watch Michael Moore's newest flick, Sicko.

While I agree with some critics who say the film is slightly propagandistic (our worst vs. their best), it is just sad and disgusting to realize how bad the lack of health care is in this country! Never mind comparing us to other countries!

The worst part of it all is the fact that not only do the uninsured suffer, but so do the insured! Co-pays! Medications! Deductibles! By no means is health insurance free! How can a middle-class family financially survive the increasing costs of a heart-attack? Of cancer?

Are there drawbacks? No system is perfect; but does that mean socialized systems never work? Think about your local policemen, firemen, public libraries, and post offices.

In the end, I'd rather be funding the government to help take care of its people, than to a bunch of shareholders - can you guess whose interest these shareholders have at heart?

I Knew Him Once

Even though I knew one of the police officers tangentially (we went to the same school; had mutual friends), I feel emotionally affected than I expected. Aside from it being a f*cked up situation, I suppose most of that feeling is coming from how similar we are in our heritage and history. I think we might have went bowling once.

And then another part of me feels melancholy about the fact that I no longer speak to those mutual friends. While they say tragedy brings people closer together, I probably won't seek a reunion. Sigh. What reason do I have to rekindle those friendships after we chose to leave them?

In any case, I hope he makes a full recovery. And that they catch the suspects. They get what they deserve.

Off to Mass.

After today, I can finally check off Ptown off my checklist for this summer!

Have a wonderful Independence Day ya'll!