Seventh Carnival posted!

The Seventh Carnival of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans is up at Racy Thoughts.

Details about the Eighth forthcoming.

I've always considered myself a prude.

I never got into superhero slash. I was always perfectly happy to avoid it. I was never particularly impressed when I did find it. I figured it wasn't for me (aside from making fun of the occasional suggestive panel) and I was just one of those people who didn't have an interest in reading slash fiction.

So, why was my immediate reaction to this post this question:

Is there there Cooper/Olbermann?

There may be a bad influence or two in my blogroll.

Seventh Feminist SF Carnival

Deadline is today, November 17th. Racy Li has all of the information you need.

February Solicits Time

Finally we get the Wonder Woman#5 promo. Now if we could just see the third issue.

WONDER WOMAN #5
Written by Allan Heinberg
Art and cover by Terry & Rachel Dodson
Concluding the 5-part story “Who is Wonder Woman?” The combined forces of Wonder Woman’s transformed rogues gallery declare all-out war on the amazing Amazon, compelling the all-new Wonder Woman to mend fences and join forces with her predecessor and with Wonder Girl if she’s going to survive to finally answer the question: “Who Is Wonder Woman?”
On sale February 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Here's the rest.

While I'm not fond of the current Green Lantern, it will be over and we'll get a surprise. I'm already surprised by how well I took the news of that month's guest star in Ion. This is when the new writer takes over The Flash. I'm not sure I trust even Darwyn Cooke with The Spirit still. The phrase "Omega Women" made me cringe. Captain Comet is still solicited as Captain Comet (Take that, Starlin!) and I like the Marilyn Monroe-style JSA cover.

Escapism

Trying to get back into comics after nearly a month of being absolutely obsessed with real-world events. I've been reading comics and writing my NaNoWriMo for that.

Green Lantern #14 didn't help much. It depressed the hell out of me, reminding me of more than a few disillusioning things in the news lately. I was writing things making fun of current events to take my mind off of a lot of these things. I didn't warm this plotline in Green Lantern #10 and its still not for me.

Fortunately, I found my missing Daredevil issue, so maybe I can get into that instead.

Edit: The last page of Daredevil #86 -- Yeah, that cheered me up.

Dammit!

A few months ago I picked up Daredevil, but I had no time to read it. I put it aside for when I had a chance. Since then, I've forgotten to Daredevil a few months in a row because I hadn't read the last one. Last week, the clerk was telling me how much he liked it, and I realized that I had let it lapse. I picked up a couple issues, fully intending to read them after the one I'd already bought. It was the issue with Foggy on the cover, announcing the fake-out and I know I picked that one up.

Well, over a week has passed, my election obsession is subsiding, I'm behind on my NaNoWriMo and I feel the overwhelming urge to read Daredevil. So, naturally, I can't find the issue.

This sucks. I can't even pick up Green Lantern and start to read without thinking about how I'm in the mood to read Daredevil.

This is why I am two weeks behind in comics reading.

Go Read.

I'm a regular flurry of posting. I just wanted to point people towards Gordon's post about that voting meme. The one where you see pictures and then answer questions about the pictured person. He said a few things I didn't say myself because I didn't want to send any potential voters to that site.

I can't comment on his site, so I'll just say here he's totally right, and add my own thoughts about how that was set up the wrong way. Honestly, does knowing what Bill Frist looks like and what position he holds mean you have any idea what his views are? How does that make someone a better voter than a person who doesn't know the pictures but happens to have listened to and read transcripts of the guy's speeches, and knows his voting record?

A much better idea would be to give quotes about policies and match them up with names and jobs. But, hey, what do I know? I'm just someone who prefers to look at online newpapers over twenty-four hour cable news when finding out about the world.

Obligatory Election Day Annoyance

But first, here's one more contest I missed, thanks Michael!

Now, seeing as today is Election Day, and I've already picked my own candidates, bugged the shit out of the guys in my office to get to the polls, placed my bets and posted the Vegas odds, I'm certain I don't have to remind anyone who's a US citizen who's of age to vote before the polls close.

Because I've been glued to the election news and you are a freaking idiot if you sit this one out.

Don't worry about the lines, just bring weather appropriate gear and that graphic novel you've been meaning to read. Or, my LCS sold a couple reprints of old pulp novels, so I have the Shadow and I know some of you have Doc Savage!

Once again, no time-travel was performed in the making of this post. I just felt it was important enough to put above the NaNoWriMo Counter (because seriously, too many people forget to bring a book to situations like this and get soured on the whole experience), and will put it back to the year 2006 on Wednesday.

Making Democracy Interesting

(I swear, I'll think about comics again once the election's over!)

After looking for days (I'm not into online gambling normally), I thought I'd be disappointed since it was a mid-term, but the internet did not let me down. Yes, there are people gambling on the government this year! It took until tonight to find the odds, though. The professionals are putting their money on a Democratic Congress (Link goes to an online gambling site):

Washington, DC (Nov.6, 2006) – Political gamblers at Sportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino, seem less confident in a Republican majority Senate. Today almost 63 per cent of the money is going to the Republican line compared to almost 88 per cent that headed there last week. Meanwhile, bettors haven’t really changed their view that Democrats will take a majority of the House seats with almost 73 per cent of the money bet on a Democrat victory, down marginally from 75 per cent last week

According to the latest odds at Sportsbook.com, the Democrats are -450 to win the House and +200 to gain control of the Senate. Republicans are +300 to retain control over the House and -280 to retain the Senate.

With Americans heading to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday) latest polls continue to show Democrats sure to pick up lots of seats – but will they get the magic 15 needed to gain control? Many of the tight races could fall to Republicans with their vaunted ‘get out the vote machine’, so there is plenty of uncertainty to present a worthy challenge for political gamblers.

Granted, Vegas oddsmakers favored Kerry two to one in 2004, so this doesn't lock anything. But, in case someone has time to put a little money down there it is. The link goes into detail on the most talked about Senate races.

Off-topic

So... Is anyone putting any money down on the election?

I'm probably the last to link this.

Dave's having a contest.

(So is Chris.)

Thank you, DC!

In the March/April trade announcements:

WONDER WOMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP
Writers: William Moulton Marston, Robert Kanigher, Dennis O'Neil, George Pérez and Phil Jimenez
Artists: H.G. Peter, Ross Andru, George Pérez, Phil Jimenez and others
Cover artist: Alex Ross
Price: $19.99 US/$23.99 CAN
Page count: 192 pages

Now, more! Because you still have some serious catching up to do here to get near Superman or Batman.

(I said I'd post less, not stop completely, and this is important.)

Don't Get Excited, You're Not Rid of Me Yet

Let's be realistic here. If I'm going to seriously do NaNoWriMo, writing for actual money, Blog@Newsarama, my regular job, and WFA, something has to give. I've been slacking off here anyway, so it's getting put on the back burner for a bit.

I'm not saying there won't be any November posts, but there's going to be considerably fewer than usual here. I don't think anyone here wants to hear me whine about having writer's block, or my writing sucking, or anything like that. That's what livejournal is for anyway.

I'll also be taking a break from my regular friday column on Blog@Newsarama, but I'll still be linkblogging there.

Happy Halloween!

Turn Back Your Clocks, America (- Arizona)

Just after I posted that last post I noticed that Daylight Savings Time took effect on my computer.

That was pretty cool.

Yes, I am sending you somewhere else.

We're coming up on my religion's major holiday, and have posts died down because I'm seeing friends and family?

No, I'm trying to finish up a few things for work before November First. And I'm trying to rearrange my apartment so that my schedule doesn't drive the neighbor lady insane.

I overslept and missed an o-pportunity to get Geoff Johns to sign my Rebirth hardcover. (Damned right I got the hardcover!) I also owe Megha the Five Things meme. I will do that, I swear.

But today, instead of an original post here's a link to Double Articulation. He has a post up about Blog Names.

This is barely enough to warrant a Spoiler Warning

Well, I got Seven Soldiers and was planning to type out my insights. Then I read it, and realized it's going to need a digestion period. I'm still in a state of gibbering giddyness over the Granty-goodness contained within.

In the meantime, here's a panel that made me smile. Look at the face and hair just beneath Arthur's arm. Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing in ProtoCamelot?



I'm going to decide that I am, and that it totally makes up that issue of 52 I saw beach bunny fembots instead of lady mad scientists.

But the writer still has a strike against him for Lois Lane not getting to punch anyone in that All-Star Superman issue where she had powers for a day.

I Can't Believe I'm Doing This.

I had many motivations for starting a blog, just one of which was to build writing discipline so that I'll be able to sit down and write that novel/screenplay/comic book/play/book of gutwrenching poetry when I retire.

I've learned over the past year that, when motivated, I can sit down and pound out a few paragraphs. They will be somewhat coherent. From the response, it also seems that they can be entertaining.

I've also learned, without benefit of college classes, that I can construct an essay and get my point across to a reasonable number of the people reading it. Go me.

I haven't written much in the way of fiction, however.

And when I pictured myself retiring and settling down to a project, I came up with a few different kinds of project. Unsurprisingly, none of them were nonfiction.

This is the point in my life where I start to panic about that. In addition to my work duties (a few too many performance reviews are due very close to Thanksgiving where I work), and my online blogging addiction (I'm steady at two solo blogs, two group blogs, a linkblog, and a full themed BlogCarnival right now!), I convinced myself to pound out a comic book script. Because that is what all comic book fans who can't draw eventually do.

You can't see it.

I was five pages in when I decided to figuratively toss myself off the cliff.

I don't mean in-story, either.

I signed up for National Novel Writing Month.

If posting declines during November, you now know why.

(It's Karen's fault, she talked me into it!)

Can anyone tell me if Memphis services Oklahoma?

It's very likely, but there's always the hope that I'm wrong. And I could ask the clerk, but I'd rather have a chance to have my violent outburst before I'm in close proximity to a living target.

And don't worry about the cat. He can handle himself.

Holy Crap!

They did manage to get her origin down to one sentance.

Really, that's all a new reader needs to know about her.