This Post Is Not About The Avengers

As a kid, my mom worked for a magazine distribution company, so comic books were free and plentiful (if somewhat random in their delivery). I got rid of all my comic books when I went minimalist, but later I discovered that I could read them online, and suddenly I was into it again.

Misty had always like them, too. And knowing what she liked, I bought her Joss Whedon's entire 2-year run on Astonishing X-Men. She loved it, but had little use for reading comics on the computer. And so, for the first time ever, I was actually buying comic books.

Last year, DC Comic rebooted their entire line, and we took that as an opportunity to not only try some new things, but to switch over from graphic novels to actual monthly issues. As a kid, I always preferred Marvel, but I’m not a kid anymore (the evidence presented herein notwithstanding). We currently have about 15 comic books on subscription--most of which are DC--but we occasionally pick up other things, as well.

Here is what we currently read:

Justice League
Batman
Green Lantern
The Flash
Aquaman
Wonder Woman
Stormwatch
Resurrection Man
Justice League Dark
Demon Knights
Swamp Thing
Deadpool
Incredible Hulk
Defenders
Chew

Of course, if X-Men just had one monthly title that we could follow without a flowchart and a compass, we'd probably read that, too.

Now then, if you've made it this far and are curious about this strange underground nerd world, this would be a really good thing to start with: Justice League, Vol 1: Origin (The New 52).

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March 11th is my birthday. I shall be (or, now am, depending on when you read this) “the answer.” (And, if that last sentence makes no sense, it is your own fault for being so ignorant and uncool.) But as I write this, I am sick. Also, I bought a new camera. (Happy birthday to me.) Which has me reflecting back on my life, and reminiscing about my old camera. (What can I say? My life isn’t that exciting.)

It is my hope that a new, fancier camera will result in better photos. (And, if it doesn’t…well, presumably, the fault will be mine.) Which leads inexorably to the question (unrelated to the previously provided “answer”) of what the best photo I ever took with my old camera is.

Perhaps there is no definitive answer. Or perhaps there is, and it is this:

Manly Transport

Last month, I bought a scooter. And, for the record, that's what they're called: Scooters. Not Vespas (which is a brand name--the equivalent of calling every copy machine you see a Xerox), and not Mopeds--which is an amalgam of the words "motor" and "pedal." This doesn't have pedals. It's a scooter.

Specifically, it's a Yamaha Zuma 50, with a 49cc engine. This is important because anything with a larger engine requires insurance and a motorcycle endorsement. Whereas this requires neither, which is a big reason why I chose it.

I use it primarily to get back and forth to work. Yes, I also have a car--but Misty and I share that, and she works much farther away. Now, we can work our own schedules without having to worry about dropping each other off. It also means less wear and tear on the car, and less money on gas.

Oh, did I mention that I spend roughly $5 a week on gas on the scooter? But don't be too jealous; There is, of course, a much greater likelihood that I'll die riding it than I would driving a car. But let's talk more about how I'm better than you, instead.

Also, I have a TARDIS sticker on it. And a little windshield. So there's that.

January: Coke Vs. Science

In double-blind, super-scientific taste tests, most people can't tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi. Of course, this means that at least a minority of people can. But--and this, to me, is the really interesting part--absolutely everyone is 100% sure that they, personally, are in that minority.

I know what you're thinking. "How interesting that is, Erik. However, I certainly can tell the difference. I *know* that I am one of the people that can tell."

Well, of course you are.

Now, I'm no scientist. But I do read a lot of Batman comics, and Batman is a scientist. He doesn't just assume things, and neither shall I. So, Misty and I decided to do a little taste-testing of our own.

Whilst Misty read comic books in the dining room (and, I'm only just realizing what giant comic book nerds this post is revealing us to be), I poured an equal amount of Coke and Pepsi into identical opaque cups. Instructing her to close her eyes, I first brought Misty the Pepsi, then the Coke. Having tried each--but after a few moments of thought--she correctly identified which had been which.

Then came test number two. This time, I just brought one (the Coke), and aked her to identify it. Her answer: "Pepsi." Aha!

Now we switched jobs. I was given each one in succession (which I correctly identified), and then one by itself. I got that one, as well. (Not bragging. Just reporting.)

Still, I must say, it's not nearly as easy to tell them apart just by taste as I thought it would be. For me, there was just a small tell-tale aftertaste with the Coke. (Whereas, Misty says it's the Pepsi that has a revealing aftertaste.)

In any case, the point is that it's not immediately obvious. You (or at least, we) have to think about it for a few seconds. Which means that if you brought me, say, Coke in a Pepsi bottle, I'd probably just accept it without a second thought.

Actually, that gives me an idea....