Saturday Waffling (July 6th, 2013)
First off, I’ve fixed the poor quality image in Thursday’s installation of The Last War in Albion. This is in no way an excuse to link that entry because a lot of people missed it due to the whole US federal holiday thing. Two more installments of that are queued up before it takes a break for a bit. I continue to really enjoy it. Readership numbers suggest you may or may not be enjoying it. We may have to talk about that.
Second off, it’s really, horribly hot. Sufficiently so that we’re butting up against the operational capacity of the air conditioners I own. I do not want to write. I do not want to think, or move, or be alive. I want to find a nice chest freezer and curl up in it until October or so.
So this is our discussion topic for the weekend. July: why should I even bother?
July 6, 2013 @ 12:48 am
"Second off, it's really, horribly hot."
You don't live in Phoeniz, Arizona, though.
No but seriously, it's not nearly as hot here as people complain (and it's a dry heat anyhow) but our Julys are TERRIBLE. Even the nights are far too warm. It's awful. Which is why my family usually plans our vacations around this time (and true to form we're heading off to Disneyland next week to avoid the brunt of the heat this month, yay).
July 6, 2013 @ 4:59 am
Coincidentally, it's also really, horribly hot here in sunny South Yorkshire.* I haven't taken the dog for a walk because I hung out the second load of washing today, and by the time I'd finished I could hardly breathe. The one I feel sorry for, though, is my wife, Alison. She's on nights at the moment and is having to try to sleep in this. We've recently got blackout curtain liners which help with the light, but they do nothing for the heat.
Why should you bother? In my opinion, if you really don't want to write, drop back to three posts a week. We'll live, and so long as you keep up that much I don't think you'll lost a significant number of potential customers. There's been a few discussions lately where I've wanted a second day to see them unfold further.
Unless you meant why should you bother being alive, in which case I'll ask you to consider the future benefits of hanging on through this until cooler weather prevails.
* Full disclosure: I'm sure it's way cooler here than where you are, but we don't have AC at all because we rarely need it. For me, though, this counts as horribly hot.
July 6, 2013 @ 5:45 am
It's actually quite nice here in central Illinois, unfortunately I got sun burn at the July 4th parade by forgetting that lotion might be a good idea. Mucked up most of the rest of the 4th and got July off to a ropy start. Can't complain to much though as I've had quite a nice week of work, spent mostly slobbing about the house.
July 6, 2013 @ 7:44 am
"Readership numbers suggest you may or may not be enjoying it"
I like it! I'll even try to click through from my RSS reader, in order to prove I like it!
July 6, 2013 @ 7:46 am
Greetings, surface dwellers, from a damned soul in Hell. I laugh at your notions of heat. Also, down here all broadcasts of Doctor Who have Pauly Shore digitally inserted as the Doctor.
July 6, 2013 @ 8:03 am
Last summer there was one air conditioned room in my house, but the fact that it was a small area meant the room was really pleasantly cold. Maybe you could try just air conditioning one room.
July 6, 2013 @ 8:04 am
I have one room suited to that, but unfortunately during the day my wife sleeps in it. They're holding up better today than yesterday, though.
July 6, 2013 @ 8:04 am
That's Alabama for you.
July 6, 2013 @ 8:04 am
Thank you!
July 6, 2013 @ 8:06 am
I'm reading it! I just haven't had much to say about it because of how little of that early Grant Morrison stuff I've actually read.
July 6, 2013 @ 9:00 am
Yeah, I'm only half worried. I know it's a new project, not the main topic of the blog, and on terribly early and obscure material, and that frankly I shouldn't judge until I hit Marvelman, V for Vendetta, and/or Swamp Thing, all of which are at least fairly early topics.
But one gets… nervous. 🙂
July 6, 2013 @ 9:51 am
I'm in Mississippi, and have never owned an air conditioner.
And I'm loving The Last War In Albion so far. I'll try and get the links out for those entries from now on, and link to the entries so far. I know several groups who would be interested. Sorry for being lazy. I'll blame it on the heat. Ha.
July 6, 2013 @ 10:02 am
I got this system worked out where I spend winters in Michigan and summers at the top end of the South.
July 6, 2013 @ 10:37 am
After a ridiculously cold June here in Manchester (we actually turned the winter heating back on at one particularly dismal point, something which doesn't normally happen until October) it's quite a relief to have some sunny days at last…
July 6, 2013 @ 10:53 am
It's funny, because I've done some traveling and it's been non-stop rain and mild weather. And not too far from where you are.
EDIT: My captcha was literally "ltsclear". Coincidence?
July 6, 2013 @ 11:19 am
"Second off, it's really, horribly hot. Sufficiently so that we're butting up against the operational capacity of the air conditioners I own. I do not want to write. I do not want to think, or move, or be alive. I want to find a nice chest freezer and curl up in it until October or so."
I, for one, adore the hot weather. I eagerly look forward to it and summer every year. Considering I too live in the northeast, I guess that's just one more thing that makes me a weirdo.
What I can't stand is the nonstop torrential downpour we've had for the past three months and now the stifling humidity. If we're all going tropical, the rainy season is supposed to be in the winter, dammit!
July 6, 2013 @ 12:15 pm
Not a frequent commentor but I'm digging The Last War In Albion. Like Encyclops said, I'm not familiar with Morrison or Moore's early work (due to their lack of availability in paper form, I've yet to get a tablet so with the exception of Brian K Vaughn & Marcos Martin's excellent Private Eye I'm still paper based for my comics).
So I'm interested to see how Rebellion's Zenith collection works out. I've 'acquired' a digital copy of the story (as yet unread) but the with the ownership issue I'm glad that the cost made a moral stance easier to take. If they release a more affordable collection that resolve may be tested.
Looking forward to your take on those other 'M's of British Comics who get overlooked in the whole 'British Invasion' – Milligan & McCarthy, particularly with the Darkhorse collection scheduled for latter this year.
July 6, 2013 @ 3:04 pm
drop back to three posts a week. We'll live, and so long as you keep up that much I don't think you'll lost a significant number of potential customers. There's been a few discussions lately where I've wanted a second day to see them unfold further.
I endorse this.
(With the added selfish reason that I'm backpacking around the US [from Australia] at the moment and would be struggling to even keep up with a standard thrice-weekly schedule).
You could even go to two Who, one something-else post per week, now that this is the Sandifer site, and not just a Dr Who blog.
July 6, 2013 @ 3:07 pm
I thought sunny days in Manchester were dreaded. But then, I often decide to pretend that there is nothing whatsoever that is true about Manchester besides lyrics from The Smiths.
As for cutting down, the problem is really "too hot, brain broken." And anyway, I'm working on extra essays for Tom Baker right now, so it's really that I'm stumped on the Managra essay. Trust me, the moment you put me in a pleasantly cool room I positively fizz with ideas. I may have accidentally acquired another book I'm writing, in fact.
July 6, 2013 @ 4:12 pm
Early July is Fringe Festival in Toronto, so days are spent in air conditioned theatres and nights drinking in the parking lot of Honest Ed's. (If you live in Toronto you know it, otherwise, watch Scott Pilgrim.)
July 6, 2013 @ 7:40 pm
I'm also enjoying Last War in Albion. As I know nothing much of British comics history, I find it fascinating.
July 6, 2013 @ 8:52 pm
I am enjoying Last War in Albion but Grant Morrison didn't hit my radar until Zenith. Great to read about the early stuff.
As for the hot weather – suitable time to visit Australia.
July 6, 2013 @ 10:25 pm
You are Sergeant Detritus and I claim my five pounds!
July 6, 2013 @ 10:50 pm
But then, I often decide to pretend that there is nothing whatsoever that is true about Manchester besides lyrics from The Smiths.
"Oh Manchester, so much to answer for" ? I've only lived here since '92, so sadly I never got to experience that grimy Lowry/Morrissey city of myth. My Manchester is the one that's populated by web designers with ironic facial hair who drink faux traditional real ales and attend strange art events…
July 7, 2013 @ 2:26 am
Hmm. Well the family and I have driven to Canberra to stay for a couple of nights – we're seeing the Turner from the Tate exhibition.
Tonight it is going to get down to -3 Celsius, and only up to 12 tops tomorrow afternoon.
July 7, 2013 @ 8:50 am
I've never owned an air conditioner either. But I rent.
I spent one summer without air conditioning here, back in '00. (And no, I have no idea how to say "back in '00" aloud.) I don't recommend it.
July 7, 2013 @ 9:51 am
Philip, have you seen Detention? There are a few movies of that name, but I'm talking specifically about the Joseph Kahn movie from 2011. It's sort of about what happens when several other genres of movie collide with a slasher movie, the villain is explicitly an agent of narrative collapse, it's got time travel via pop music montage, Planet Starclaw, and enough timey wimey cleverness to warm the cold cockles of Moffat.
July 7, 2013 @ 1:37 pm
Better yet, read Scott Pilgrim. The Honest Ed's scene was glorious in the book, and one of the big letdowns in the movie. I am pleased to hear that the book's assertions that that is a real place are true.
July 7, 2013 @ 1:41 pm
The only reason I bother with July is National Barbecue and Explosions Day. Otherwise the only thing it has going for it is that it isn't quite as bad as August.
What I can't stand is the nonstop torrential downpour we've had for the past three months and now the stifling humidity. If we're all going tropical, the rainy season is supposed to be in the winter, dammit!
I laugh bitterly at the notion that rain has a season. The main difference between winter and summer here is that in winter, it rains for week-long stretches with a couple of weeks in between, and sometimes it snows instead. In summer, there is a thunderstorm for an hour at sunset pretty much every day.
July 7, 2013 @ 2:19 pm
Speaking of British comics, were you planning to include anything about British girls' comics in your Britcomics thingy? If so, I may be able to help out some.
July 7, 2013 @ 2:22 pm
What do you have in mind?
July 7, 2013 @ 2:55 pm
Bunty, Jackie, that sort of thing?
"Melody Lee, you've got to find your secret enemy…"
July 7, 2013 @ 3:50 pm
You know how you've got that TARDIS Eruditorum link at the top of the site now that goes to a big table of contents for all the Doctor Who posts?
You should do the same thing for Albion. Would make it easier for newcomers to catch up — and this is, by its nature, a project that's harder to start reading in the middle.
July 7, 2013 @ 3:51 pm
Planning on it – I've been formatting the tags to make that easier. It'll be ready by the time the second wave of Albion posts begins.
July 7, 2013 @ 3:54 pm
Glad to hear it. Might be nice to start each post with a link back to the previous post in the series, too. And maybe even add a link to the next post at the end, once the next post goes up.
July 7, 2013 @ 5:06 pm
Sent you an email. 😉
July 8, 2013 @ 12:14 am
I very rarely comment but have read damn near everything. I will definitely have something to say about V – reading that book as a messed-up-19 year old (is that a redundancy?) was a formative experience, the ripples of which are still being explored in my interior and creative life.
SPOILERS: I think it's better than Watchmen.
July 8, 2013 @ 6:37 am
If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll say "back in oh-oh". Otherwise I'll just go for "back in 2000".
July 8, 2013 @ 10:34 am
Every location in the book/movie is real. I've been to Sneaky Dee's many a time, Sonic Boom, the same locations of Second Cup and Pizza Pizza. It's a Toronto love letter.