Author: somegeektoldme@gmail.com

Six conspiracy theories for the reality challenged

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Science

I want to talk about conspiracy theories. Why? Because everybody loves a good conspiracy theory. Whether it’s Barack Obama was born in Kenya; toothpaste has mind controlling drugs in it; the Earth is hollow; the existence of Bigfoot; 9/11 was an inside job; space is a hoax; Coke vs New Coke; chemtrails; AIDS was created by scientists; Paul Rudd is immortal; and there are no Olsen twins, it’s just one person.1

Why people believe in conspiracy theories, is not the basis on this blog. I am going to focus on what they actually believe; in fact, just six conspiracy theories. Six conspiracy theories that are insane, mental, crazy and utter lunacy.

There are many crazy arsed conspiracy theories floating around in this beautiful world of ours. There is a lot, but these six…well, let’s just say they upset me for different reasons. Mainly, they deal with misinformation, disinformation and a lot of falsehoods.

I have organised these conspiracy theories into three groups. The first group contains the conspiracy theories that I view as harmless and idiotic. What I mean is that believing in any conspiracy theory in this group, will not get people hurt, killed and cause offense. Just other people shaking their heads, thinking “Do they seriously believe that?”2

The second group is reserved for conspiracy theories that; to me; are highly offensive to a lot of people. Once you read it, you’ll understand.

Finally the third group, this is where people believing in these conspiracy theories, have a direct and harmful to you and other people. Basically, believing in these conspiracy theories actually negatively impacts the world.

I do feel the need to point out a warning though; this blog is not very funny, because conspiracy theories; to some degree are not funny, so I’ve been more serious than I should. Sorry.

So, let’s look at this delightful, charming selection of wonderful, well thought out conspiracy theories, that…upset me.

Group 1: Harmless

Flat Earth

Let’s start with the Mother Goose of conspiracy theories: Flat Earth. Ok, so a believer of this conspiracy theory is called a Flat Earther. They believe that instead of the Earth being a spinning globe, that orbits the Sun; the Earth is actually a flat plane with the Sun orbiting Earth, above us. The Flat Earth theory tends to be a somewhat gateway theory, to larger and even crazier theories out there; said Alice as she tumbled down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos.

There are several different versions of the Flat Earth model; because funnily enough, they can not agree on an official model. The main points on a Flat Earth are that: the Earth is flat; the Earth is stationary; the edge of the Earth is surrounded by a gigantic ice wall, which is in fact, Antarctica; the Earth is enclosed underneath a dome; and the Sun and the Moon are enclosed in the dome with us. Apparently the Sun and the Moon are the same size!

The conspiracy part of this theory is that NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) ESA (European Space Agency) and every other space agency; along with governments from around the globe,3 are suppressing the information about the world being flat, while lying to us on a daily basis.

Now, in my humble opinion, for someone to believe in this, you need to reject or deny a lot of things. Things like planetary evolution, stellar evolution, classical mechanics, Newtonian physics, plate tectonics, the general theory of relativity, Magellan’s circumnavigation, Earth’s 15 degree per hour drift, Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, the Heliocentric model, photographs from space and the list goes on.4

You also need to disbelieve that various people have already discovered the Earth was a globe, from Ancient Greek philosophers (scientists) like Pythagoras to Aristarchus to Eratosthenes, going back 2,500 years ago, using observations and calculations.

Among many things that upset me about this nonsense, is that these reality challenged people still can not explain or debunk the problem of the horizon or to prove the existence of the dome! Basically, to me, believing in the Flat Earth theory is harmless. Idiotic and crazy, but still harmless. We have known the Earth is a globe for thousands of years, but apparently, some people still have not got the message. Maybe 5G is to blame?

Evolution deniers

Now the people that believe in this conspiracy theory, are exactly what would expect: evolution deniers. They believe in creationism or intelligent design and reject the long established theory of evolution. Basically they are anti-evolution. I know, I know, the list does not get any better.

The conspiracy theory is that the elite; mainstream media; and scientists want to control the narrative about this subject and steer to towards evolution and away from thing else. They can claim that fossils are fake, research is biased, or information can be reinterpreted. Also the notion that humans could be related to apes, is quite a sore point.

This has brought the debate about whether creationism should be taught in public schools, instead of evolution; or at least along side it, in many countries over the years; aka the science vs religion dilemma.

What upsets me, is that much like Earth being spherical, evolution is a proven scientific fact; yet people living in the 21st century, still deny it. They reject the mountain of research and information from world class scientists like Alfred Russel Wallace; Richard Dawkins; Julian Huxley; Eugenie Scott; Gregor Mendel; Julian Huxley; August Weismann; Theodosius Dobzhansky; Eugene Dubois; Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon; Charles Darwin and hundreds of others.

They also reject the the concepts and evidence of adaptation; homology; genetics; natural selection; niches; cladograms; molecular clocks; anagenesis; genetic drift; atavisms; and one of my favourites, convergent evolution.

Not accepting the evolution theory, is to me, just lunacy. Just like the Flat Earth theory, the believers of the Anti-Evolution theory are harmless. These people are misinformed and misguided, but harmless.

The Moon Landing

Now this conspiracy theory is lazy. Just, really lazy. Believers of this one, claim that not only is space not real, but the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in 1969, was actually fake.5 They believe that the whole event was filmed in a Hollywood studio, with Stanley Kubrick as the possible director.

They also claim several camera shots; angles of shadows; lighting sources; lack of stars; lack of blast crater; environmental and transmissions issues; along with other things, all point to the lunar landing to be staged, with the astronauts as paid actors.

To me, this is just crazy talk. Every single insane claim of NASA trickery, can actually be explained with logic, science and information. What makes me laugh is; if this conspiracy theory is to be believed, not one person involved in this cover up has come forward with real evidence. After 50 years?!

Is the reason this has not happened, because of how well the hundreds; if not thousands of people involved, have remained silent? Or is it because there is no cover up?

What upsets me about this conspiracy theory, is that a motivated and dedicated group of people, dreamt big and did something that changed the fate of human history, has become a meme mocking joke with some idiots and at the same time, belittling their achievements, by people claiming it never happened. It’s just utter nonsense to call the Moon Landing fake. It really is. Believers of this conspiracy theory are just so wrong, but at the end of the day, they are harmless.

So, the first group contains conspiracy theories that are pretty crazy, but they are harmless. If you meet any believers of these theories, you may be torn between giving them a hug and saying you forgive them for their insane ramblings, versus sitting them down and painfully and patiently explaining to them, why those conspiracy theories are wrong.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Group 2: Offensive

The second group could be a little bit more difficult to forgive. This group contains people that believe certain acts of horrific crimes towards humanity, have been over estimated or even claiming the crimes never took place. Yes, this group is about Holocaust and Genocide deniers. Sorry, there is nothing funny about this group.

Why people believe in this…well, I am not smart enough to answer that question. This conspiracy theory covers the Armenian Genocide, Bosnian and Serb Genocides, The Holodomor, Bangladesh Genocide, Cambodian Genocide, Nanjing Massacre, Rwandan Genocide and even the Holocaust; along with sadly, a lot more.

What makes it even more disturbing are the Rohingya Genocide in Myanmar and the Uyghur Genocide in North Western China, which are happening in real time; along with people denying both genocides are happening. Genocides are being committed right now in the world, however some people claim it’s all a hoax.

To me, it’s totally offensive to the people being murdered right now and the thousands of families, that have lost loved ones over the years, to have this filth being spread. To deny these crimes, or at least down play the damage that has been done, is an affront to our humanity and these vile conspiracy theories must called out. Every. Single. Time.6

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Group 3: Dangerous

Climate Change deniers

You knew this was coming, didn’t you? I mean, how could I make a list of insane conspiracy theories and not have Climate Change deniers. Now, if you didn’t already know, people that believe in this little gem, say that against overwhelming scientific evidence; climate change is not actually happening. It’s fake; a hoax. However, even it’s a possibility that it is real, humans are not the cause of it. Some how is all about some scientists, trying to push their own agenda on to the world.

It’s a lot to digest I know; but let’s push on shall we? These people can fall into two groups: the first group believes that climate change is not happening at all; so let’s all calm down. The second group is reserved for people that accept climate change is real, but it’s not humans warming the planet, it’s part of the Earth’s natural cycle.

I have many issues with the believers of this craziness. Whether it’s the first group with simply denying that climate change does not exist or the second group passing the buck onto someone, because “…we didn’t make the mess, why should we clean it up?” They feel that that emotional, financial, physical sacrifices are too much for humanity to curb climate change, so why should they change anything about their behaviour?

These people also like using the term “global warming”, because it gives them the necessary tools to dismantle the argument. “It can’t be global warming, if we are getting colder temperatures.” or “It’s so wet and cold today, what happened to global warming?”

These people don’t understand, with rising CO2 levels around the world, will cause the average global temperature to increase. However, the implications of this is that the colder regions of this planet, will get colder. They will experience colder temperatures and more extreme colder weather. The reverse can be said about the hotter areas, because they will just keep getting hotter.

Plus, we have not even addressed the environmental dangers faced by the non-human residents of this planet, from polar bears and other arctic creatures moving south to the rising acidity levels in the oceans, because of CO2 build up.

The Earth’s climate is changing in real time, because of what humans are doing. To deny this, is to me; denying reality. This is extremely dangerous to you, your family and to everybody. If nine out of ten doctors state smoking is harmful to you, why would you listen to the one doctor that states the opposite? So if nine climate scientists state that climate change is real and humans are the cause of it, why in the nine levels of Dante’s hell, why would you listen to the one scientist that says climate change is a hoax? The answer is that it’s easier.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Anti-Vaxxers

As a parent, I think this conspiracy theory is the worse. Believers of the Anti-Vaxxing conspiracy theory; known as Anti-Vaxxers, have the mad impression that vaccinations simply do not work, and they are wrong/evil, so they will not vaccinate themselves; but more importantly, their children.

They believe that the drug companies, governments and certain important people around the world, have been seducing and tricking people into…saving themselves and their family?

For my own understanding, Anti-Vaxxers build their argument that vaccinations are unsafe around three major points; 1.) the different reactions that people receive after having a vaccination; 2.) a child developing autism after a vaccination; in particular, the MMR ( measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine; 3.) they claim because their children were not vaccinated and have not developed any diseases, this proves that vaccinations are a hoax.

Now before I go on, I need to point out that vaccinations are a form of medicine. And just like any medicine, there can be reactions to it. Nothing is 100% safe to 100% of the population. People can be allergic to something that is known to them or unknown. Because of this, some people develop reactions to different vaccines.

This can range from the most common symptoms like pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was administered; mild fever; muscle and joint aches; headaches; feeling tired; chills; and fainting. It’s interesting to note that these side effects, are a signal that your body is beginning to create an immunity against the disease. (Vaccines, 2021).

Some serious side effects from vaccines can be difficulty breathing; swelling of your face and throat; a fast heartbeat; a bad rash all over your body; dizziness and weakness. (Vaccines, 2021). Because of these side effects, Anti-Vaxxers claim that this proves vaccinations are actually dangerous and should be outlawed. It’s funny, because you have a greater chance of getting struck by lightning, than developing a side effect of a vaccination.

Let’s now look at the autism debate. Anti-Vaxxers will state time, and time again, about the links between autism and vaccinations. This dates back to a British doctor, when in 1998, published a paper claiming direct links between autism and the MMR vaccine. Because of this, researchers wanted to investigate the claim, so they did a series of studies, covering thousands of children that received the MMR vaccine against thousands of children whom never received the vaccine.

Can you guess the result? The rate of autism was the same for both groups. This resulted in the original paper being withdrawn and widely discredited, while the doctor was struck off the medical register. There are no links between autism and the MMR vaccine. Autism is not caused by the MMR vaccine.7 It is bonkers to suggest anything else.

The last argument can be summed up with herd immunity. If 24 out of 25 children in a classroom have been immunised, the 24 children will help protect the one child that is not immunised. By having the greater population of children and adults being vaccinated in the community, this means they are protected; but also they can protect the people that are not vaccinated.

Vaccinations, in my small and humble opinion, could quite possibly be the single greatest invention in human history and also the world’s best tool to eradicate diseases, that cause avoidable deaths in children and adults.

If an Anti-Vaxxer starts talking about how their child is not vaccinated and they are fine; it’s because of the other children being vaccinated around them, have kept their child safe, by not allowing the disease to spread to them. Also considering the global COVID-19 crisis, I wonder how Anti-Vaxxers view the world now?

I believe you have the right not to vaccinate yourself and your children if you choose to; but you can not argue with the science behind it.

I was going to entertain discussing the conspiracy theory about QAnon and the US 2020 election….but I decided not to. I don’t want to give it any more oxygen than it already has. Plus it’s just bat-shit crazy.

So what should you do, if you ever meet anybody from these groups? Just smile and be polite; and don’t bring up any of this insanity. It’s not worth it. However, if they start trying to educate you on their truth….well, you have permission to enlighten them. Let’s change the world, with one crazy conspiracy theorist at a time.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

References:

Vaccines. (2021). Vaccines Side Effects. Retrieved from https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/safety/side_effects

1 This important conspiracy theory was brought to the world’s attention by John Oliver. Thanks, John.

2 Yes, 100% they do.

3 Pun intended.

4 Everything I just listed is above reproach.

5 Many Flat Earthers believe in this conspiracy theory as well, because since NASA is lying about a Flat Earth, so why wouldn’t they be lying about the Moon Landing?

6 Sorry, I think this group of people could quite possibly annoy me the most.

7 Autism is actually a highly genetic disorder.

James Bond: Death counts, dames and dastardly dudes

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Movies

I’m not afraid to admit this, but I’m a Bond fan. I’ve read the books, watched the films and they’re awesome. Some more than others, though that can be related to any franchise. I think the main reason I like them, is the utter absurdity of them.

The funny thing is that after reading the books and watching the films, the biggest difference between the two mediums, is that even though Bond does sleep with women in the books, he actually tries to build relationships with them; he’s a lot more respectful to them in the books, than in the films.

Anyway, I may not be able to name the first Bond film I saw on television, but I do I remember my first cinema experience with the famous British secret intelligence service agent.

It was 1987 and my Dad took me to see The Living Daylights, starring Timothy Dalton. I think it was the first time, just the two of us had gone to the cinema, so it was special for me. Dad liked Bond, I mean who didn’t like Bond? Except for Blofeld, Jaws, S.P.E.C.T.R.E, the Soviets and honestly…Q.

Image by Some Geek Told Me

A few years ago, I was reading Ian Fleming’s Moonraker, which was the third book in the original James Bond series. Two things struck me while reading it; the first was that the film was nothing like the book. I mean, apart from the lead villain sharing the same name, they were two completely different stories. The second was at the end of the book (SPOLIERS START!),1 where Bond basically kills a submarine with a rocket. (SPOILERS END!)

It got me thinking, I wonder how many people could have been on that submarine? How many people did Bond just kill? I thought the answer would be quite difficult to discover. This led me to wonder about the number of people Bond had killed over the years, across the books. I thought this answer would be even more difficult, considering the number of books been written, across different authors, publishing companies and reboots.

And that’s when it hit me: the movies. I could sit down and watch every single Bond film and record every single person that Bond kills. Is that possible? I didn’t know, but I wanted to find out. Luckily for me, I had my girlfriend.2

The first film we saw together at the cinema was Skyfall and knowing I was a Bond fan, she gave a DVD box set of all of the Bond films at the time. Because of this, I had the means, so I needed the time. I told my girlfriend about my plan and after mentioning it was a ridiculous idea, she agreed to help me.

In fact, she was the one that suggested that we record the number of women she sleeps with as well! I had never thought of that; it was brilliant! So each Saturday night, we would sit down and watch the films in order and record the number of shags and kills. Now I knew, sometimes we could not always be able to watch them together, so we needed to establish some rules for counting.

For counting shags, we decided to make three rules: 1.) If Bond sleeps with the same character twice, over two different films, that is counted as 2 different shags. 2.) If Bond sleeps with twins at the same time, that is counted as 2 shags 3.) All hook-ups must be consensual.

Counting the kills were going to a lot trickier. We decided in order to count a kill for Bond, we needed to actually see him kill someone; whether it’s with a gun, knife or in a fight. Also, the person had to be dead. If there was any situation where the villain or henchman could feasibly survive the encounter, we could not count it.

Another point was if Bond blew something up like a building or a vehicle, and without knowing the exact number of people within the building or vehicle, we could only count the people we saw; guessing the number was not going to be fair measurement.

For the final rule, a villain or henchman needed to be killed by Bond’s direct action to them. What this meant was if Bond was driving a car and went left, while his pursuers went right and drove off a cliff, Bond did not kill them. They died because they were stupid, not because of Bond’s superior killing skills. If anybody died an avoidable death; because they were idiots, then Bond did not kill them, so they could not counted.

Before I reveal the results of the survey, I need to point out two things. The first is that I have watched 25 James Bond films. Now, wait a minute, you’re probably thinking; there are only 24 films, not 25. Yes, that is very true, because the 25th Bond film, No Time to Die, will be released sometime in 2021.3

The issue is this, all 24 films (not counting No Time to Die) were made by Eon Productions, so they are all official or canon films. However in 1983, Taliafilm released Never Say Never Again, starring Sean Connery as James Bond. This film is a sort of remake of the original 1965 movie Thunderball and the reason it exists at all, is just too bizarre to explain or to believe.

Anyway, I had to make a choice: do I count only Eon Production films or include a Non-Eon Production film like, Never Say Never Again? 4 I discussed it with my future wife and we both decided, that since James Bond was being played by Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again, we had to include it, because it was a James Bond film…with the OG Sean Connery; so we had to count it.

The second point is that nobody is perfect. Someone else may have watched these films and have come up with a different set of number and results. Because of this, we may have miscounted somewhere along the line; but I really hope we didn’t!

Each of the six actors whom have played James Bond, have been coloured coded, along with their movies. I have also recorded what happened to the villain(s) at the end of the movie. If an entry says for example SHOT + DROWNED, it means the villain was shot and drowned. If an entry says for example HUNG/STABBED, it related to the fate of each of the two lead villains in the movie. Sweet? Alright then, let’s do it and I hope you enjoy it!

 FILMYEARSHAGSKILLSFATE OF VILLAIN(S)
1Dr. No196234DROWNED
2From Russia From Love196348ESCAPED
3Goldfinger196429SUCKED OUT OF A JET
4Thunderball1965318HARPOONED
5You Only Live Twice1967322ESCAPED
6On Her Majesty’s Secret Service196935ESCAPED
7Diamonds Are Forever197117ESCAPED
8Live and Let Die197337POPPED WITH GAS
9The Man with the Golden Gun197421SHOT
10The Spy Who Loved Me1977322SHOT IN NUTS
11Moonraker1979313SHOT INTO SPACE
12For Your Eyes Only1981210CHIMNEY/STABBED
13Never Say Never Again198343HARPOONED
14Octopussy1983216CRASHED
15A View to a Kill198545FELL+DROWNED
16The Living Daylights198726CRUSHED/ARRESTED
17Licence to Kill1989210BURNT+BLOWN UP
18Goldeneye1995234FELL+CRUSHED
19Tomorrow Never Dies1997330DRILLED
20The World is Not Enough1999323SHOT/PIERCED
21Die Another Day2002219ELECTROCUTED+SUCKED INTO JET ENGINE
22Casino Royale2006113SHOT
23Quantum of Solace2008114LEFT IN THE DESERT+SHOT
24Skyfall2012219STABBED
25Spectre2015230ARRESTED

The results of the survey are:

Sean Connery: 7 films = 20 shags/71 kills   average: 2.9 shags/10.1 kills

George Lazenby: 1 film = 3 shags/5 kills     average: 3 shags/5 kills

Roger Moore: 7 films = 19 shags/74 kills   average: 2.7 shags/10.6 kills

Timothy Dalton: 2 films = 4 shags/16 kills    average: 2 shags/8 kills

Pierce Brosnan: 4 films = 10 shags/106 kills  average: 2.5 shags/26.5 kills

Daniel Craig: 4 films = 6 shags/76 kills    average: 1.5 shags/19 kills

Highest kill count in a film: Goldeneye: 34

Lowest kill count in a film: The Man with the Golden Gun: 1

Highest shag count in a film: From Russia with Love, Never Say Never Again: 4, A View to a Kill: 4

Lowest shag count in a film: Diamonds are Forever: 1, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace: 1

Highest kill count per average film: Pierce Brosnan: 26.5

Lowest kill count per average film: George Lazenby: 5

Highest shag count per average film: George Lazenby: 3

Lowest shag count per average film: Daniel Craig: 1.5

All time highest kill count: Pierce Brosnan: 106

All time lowest kill count: George Lazenby: 5

All time highest shag count: Sean Connery: 20

All time lowest shag count: George Lazenby: 3

Total:  25 films = 62 shags/348 kills   average: 2.48 shags/13.92 kills per film

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

1 Yes, I know the book was published in 1955 and people have had 66 years to read it, but some people have not.

2 It should not be a surprise, but that girlfriend, I mentioned, found a Power Morpher and morphed into my wife.

3 Thanks again, 2020. You and COVID-19 have a lot of explaining to do.

4 Yes, I have not forgotten about 1967’s Casino Royale with Peter Sellers and David Niven. I have not included it because it was a parody and not a serious arse-kicking action film. My survey, my rules.

Invincible: A love letter to superhero comics

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Comics

Now before I start on my small rant about Invincible, I want to take the time to explain that this blog is going to be the first of many, based on certain comic books. These comic books will be either titles I am currently reading or titles that I have read in the past, even though the series has finished. Sweet?

Ok, I want to talk about Invincible. Why? Well, it’s mainly for two reasons. The first is that the book is amazing and second, there is a certain TV show coming out in March, so I thought I might get ahead of the curve on this. 1

I realise when talking about a movie or book, there tends to be spoilers. So for anybody that has not read Invincible, I will try to make this as spoiler free as I can. Sound fair?

Invincible debuted in Invincible #1 in January 2003, from Image Comics. 2 It was created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker, with Kirkman as the writer and Walker working on the pencils. Now you may be thinking “Robert Kirkman? Isn’t he that Walking Dead guy?” Yes, they are the same person, he co-created both of them. 3

Invincible ran for 144 issues, along with some extra issues. Kirkman was the only writer for the series, with Walker being the artist for #1-7, #127-132. All the other issues were drawn by Ryan Ottley, which was 127 issues over 14 years.

Now for the plot. Invincible is about a high school student named Mark Grayson. Mark is the son of Omni-Man, one of the world’s most beloved superheroes. 4 Mark grows up waiting for his superpowers to activate; so basically when other kids are running around pretending they have superpowers, he is annoyed that he doesn’t have them yet.

Eventually for Mark; and also for the reader, his powers emerge. This means Mark can finally become a superhero like his father. Mark now has everything he has ever wanted; superpowers, a costume, a superhero name and even some superpowered friends and enemies. Also, Mark’s costume is yellow, blue and black; which to me, is quite original.

However, because Mark’s powers have emerged, it sets off a chain of events that puts Mark and the reader on a path, that nobody sees coming. Spoilers!! Also, I think I read somewhere that describing Invincible was like if Peter Parker the teenager, had Clark Kent’s powers. Cool concept.

The funny thing is, the first time I had heard of Invincible was in 2006. I was reading Wizard and it mentioned that Invincible was that title for the month. 5

A few months later, I was standing in my old comic book shop, when I noticed the Invincible section in one of boxes. I picked up Invincible #0, then I read the trades through the library and liked what I saw. After going on a national and international hunt for back issues, I officially starting reading Invincible as a monthly title in June 2007 with #42.

I have Invincible #0-144; plus Invincible Returns #1; Image Comic Summer Special FCBD 2004; and Marvel Team-Up # 14, where Invincible meets Spider-Man. I told you I was a geek, so don’t be surprised!

So…why do I like Invincible? Let’s start with the writing. I think Kirkman said at some point during the run, that Invincible was his love letter to the genre of superhero comics. I can understand that, because Invincible has been the longest series I have ever collected, based on a single character. 6 It’s a phenomenal series!

One appealing factor to enjoying Invincible, was the fact that you could enjoy a monthly title about a superhero, by getting on board at the ground floor, so to speak. Having only being published in 2003, you did not have the baggage of 50 years plus of stories to grapple with. No offense to Marvel and DC.

Anyway, the main characters are fleshed out, as well as the secondary characters. From Debbie (Mark’s mother) to Monster Girl to Atom Eve to Oliver and to…Thragg.

This of course brings us to the villains of the series. Mark does have a rogues gallery, but they are different to say Batman’s or Spider-Man’s. They turn up to made Mark’s life a nightmare, however Mark does not have never-ending battles with them. Yes, the likes of Angstrom Levy and Powerplex provide personal battles for Mark; just as collective villains do like the Reanimen and ….spoilers!!!

The fact that the title does break the mould with the villains, does place it as a rare category in the industry.

Since Invincible is a comic book, I need to talk about the art. The thing with Walker and Ottley, was that they were not shy when it came to fights. Don’t get me wrong, having Mark spending time with his family and friends, always to me; gave a sense of normality to the title. Mark had problems and issues to solve, which I think drew similarities to Peter Parker’s life outside of the costume.

That being said…the fight scenes. Wow. I say again. Wow. Invincible was one of the first comics that I had seen, that gave readers brutal, bloody and gory superhuman fights. I’m talking about some awful violent scenes like somebody punching through a person, limbs being ripped off, and intestines. A lot of intestines.

For me, the fights were amazing to look at, for the pain staking detail that was applied to each panel; but at the same time, there was a sense of “anybody could die in this book.” And characters did. A lot.

Anyway, without going to much into spoilers, I started reading Invincible at a strange time in my life, and as I grew older, I noticed that Mark and I were on the same journey towards family, not superhuman powers; though that would have be nice.

When it was announced that Invincible was ending with #144, I turned to my wife and started explaining how strange I felt about that. She humoured me, by allowing me to talk about how long Invincible had been in my life and that it was always the very first comic I would read, when my mail orders arrived.

I guess one of the legacies of Invincible for me, is that I currently hold no desire to read any monthly superhero comic book anymore; as in a title named after the protagonist. To me, you can’t top Invincible, though if the right title came along, I would stand corrected. 7 I feel stupid because writing this blog and talking about Invincible, has reminded me what an amazing series it was and the fact that I still miss reading about Mark’s failures and triumphs.

We finally arrive at the point of the Invincible TV series on Amazon Prime Video. When I heard a TV series was going to made, I assumed it was going to be a live action adaptation. After watching the two trailers, I am so happy for three main reasons.

The first reason, is that the show will be animated. This means they can travel to Mars, Viltrum and other worlds, as well as different locations on Earth; and meeting crazy powered characters, without them looking cheap, shoddy or shitty.

The second reason is the animation is based on Walker and Ottley’s art. It’s honestly like reading the comic; I am so grateful, because it looks gorgeous! The third reason is the fight scenes. If the comic is a gauge to measure the fights, then the TV series will blow people away!

As for watching the series, I probably won’t just yet. This is because I can’t afford two streaming channels; but also, it gives me time to wait for the “Second Age of Middle-Earth” series, so I can watch them on a trial. Maybe.

For what it’s worth, I think Invincible is one of a small group of elite comic books and manga, that have stamped their mark on the 21st century, for actually adding to superhero culture, and not taking anything away.

There are many problems in the world right now: climate change, racism, poverty, child abuse, COVID-19 and sadly, the list goes on. Reading a comic book like Invincible will not change or solve any of these issues, but it will put a smile on your face. It’ll make you happy and isn’t that one of the points of life?

So go visit your local comic shop or library and fall into a rabbit hole of half human/Viltrumites, brutal fight scenes and the coolest one-eyed orange alien named Allen, you will ever meet.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

Image by Some Geek Told Me

1 Just to be clear, I am generally not ahead in many things, especially fashion or music.

2 Technically the first appearances of Invincible was in Tech Jacket #1 with a preview and a cameo appearance in Noble Causes: Family Secrets #3.

3 Useless piece of information for you: Invincible and The Walking Dead both came out in 2003, but The Walking Dead #1 was released in October, while Invincible #1 was in January.

4 Omin-Man aka Nolan Grayson is a Viltrumite, a native of the Planet Viltrum.

5 Am I the only person to miss that magazine?

6 Though to be fair, the wielder of the Right Hand of Doom, might say something about that.

7 This does not include manga, because One Punch Man and Ultraman kick all different kinds of arse.

The ABCs of the DMZ

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Geography

I want to talk about the Korean Demilitarized Zone or as it’s most commonly known as the DMZ. Why? Because it’s one of the most heaviest protected border regions on the planet and I’ve actually been there.

Ok, let’s back up a bit shall we? So what exactly is the DMZ and why is it so unique? Let us once again enter our own TARDIS and travel backwards in time to the year 1953, to the beautiful Korean Peninsula. Just like Semisonic’s “…every new beginning, comes from some other beginning’s end” our lesson begins at the end of the Korean War. 1

Originally the boundary between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK aka North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK aka South Korea), ran along the 38th parallel, which cuts the Korean Peninsula in half. After 3 years of fighting (1950-1953), the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on 27th July 1953. It brought a long term ceasefire between the North and South Korea.

With the Armistice Agreement, both countries moved their forces back 2 km (1.2 miles) from the front line, so the DMZ could be made. Through the centre of the DMZ is the Military Demarcation Line or MDL, that separates North Korea from South Korea.

Image by Rishabh Tatiraju via Wikipedia

The DMZ stretches from one side on the peninsula to the other. It is 250 km (160 miles) long and 4 km (2.5 miles) wide. There are no active soldiers in this area, apart from the Joint Security Area (JSA). There are barbed wire fences and military posts dotted along the area, to keep people out.

Because of this, the area inside the DMZ had become a somewhat of a conservation reserve. Because very few people actual interact within the DMZ, it has created by accident, a type of biodiversity bubble. Over 65 years of nearly unmolested attention from humans, has resulted in over 2900 species of vegetation and over 70 species of mammals can be found within this bio-bubble.

The red-crowned crane and the white-naped crane, are two endangered species of crane, that now live in the DMZ. It is also to be believed that the Asiatic Black Bear, Amur Leopard and Siberian Tiger; which are all endangered species, may all be living in the DMZ as well.

So what else is interesting about the DMZ? The border separating North and South Korea is actually closed to everybody. What this means, is that if you wish to North Korea from South Korea, you must travel through Russia or China to do it; and vice versa.

There is however a meeting place at the JSA called the T1-T3 conference rooms, or also known as the blue houses. These buildings are where negotiations can take place, because there are located on the MDL. Inside these buildings, you can step from one country into the other and back again. 2

T1-T3 conference rooms

Image by Driedprawns via Wikipedia

I was fortunate enough to visit the DMZ in late 2005, so this was over 15 years ago. Some of the routines, systems or protocols may have changed over that time, so I can only talk about my experience when I was there and what I can remember.

I was working as an ESOL teacher at the time, in a city called Jeonju, located south west of Seoul. I had traveled to Seoul before, but on this particular trip, the aim was to visit the DMZ. I had a Lonely Planet guide book, which explained where in Seoul I could catch the tour. 3

Anyway, I found where the tours started from and caught a bus to the JSA, which was at the village of Panmunjom, which is north of Seoul. 4 Once there, we were taken into a building for a lecture. An American officer working for the United Nations Command proceeded to explain what was going to happen and where we were going to be taken.

Before that point, I had been in a constant state of curiosity during the bus ride, which I think lasted something like 1hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. I had been reading about the history of the area and when I finally arrived, I was very excited. That all changed during the lecture.

The officer basically said, because of where we were, we needed to sign a waiver. This was because if anybody did anything stupid that would result of somebody getting shot, injured or killed by the North Koreans, the UNC would not be liable. When I held the wavier in my hand, things became a lot of more real to me. I mean, how would I explain to my Mum about why some North Koreans decided to try and shoot me? I decided from that moment to dial down the curiosity and dial up the self-preservation.

After signing the waiver, the tour group was led from the room by the officer. Now I can’t 100% remember the order of these events, but I can remember that they happened. We were told about the 1976 Hatchet incident or Axe Murder incident and shown it’s location, along with the Bridge to No Return.

While we were walking around inside one of the buildings, a ROK soldier came walking to towards us, so the American officer told us to stop and listen. As the ROK soldier walked past, we could hear a small metallic noise. After the soldier had left, the officer asked us if anybody had heard anything.

A few people raised their hands, so the officer asked another question: What was making that sound? The group had a few guesses, before the officer revealed that the sound was a ball bearing inside the heel of the soldier’s boot.

This of course led to the reason why, not just that particular ROK soldier had one, but all of the ROK soldiers at the DMZ had ball bearings in their heels. The answer left me gobsmacked! The reason the ROK soldiers had ball bearings in the heels of their boots…was quite simply to annoy the DPRK soldiers with the noise! I found that quite funny and fascinating at the same time.

Even though it’s very obvious, I made the observation of what some of the ROK soldiers were doing. I saw some ROK soldiers that were guarding buildings on their side on the MDL, were staring directly at their North Korean opposites; for hours!

However, what was truly amazing was that some ROK soldiers were standing behind a building, with half their body exposed and the other half unseen; from the North Korean side. When I asked the American officer why were we looking at, he replied that there were two reasons the ROK soldiers were only exposing half their body. The first was that the ROK soldiers could still observe and watch the North Korean sentries, while the second was that the each ROK soldier was only giving the North Koreans half a target to aim at!

I was also shown and told the story about the two flag poles, representing the flags of North Korea and South Korea. So the story goes that, during the 1980’s, the South Koreans constructed a flag pole on their side on the DMZ, at a place called Daeseong-dong. The flag pole was built to a height of 97-98 m (323-325 ft). I need to point out that at the top of the flag pole was the South Korean flag and weighed 130 kg (287 lb).

Now the North Korean government was not to be out done for this. Their response was to build an even larger flag pole, standing at a massive 160 m (525 ft) and flying the North Korean flag, which weighs 270 kg (595 lb) at the village of Kijŏng-dong.

This leads me to talk about the two villages. Daeseong-dong and Kijŏng-dong are known as “peace” villages, because they are the only settlements allowed to be in the DMZ area, under the Armistice Agreement. The funny thing is that they are quite odd.

Take Daeseong-dong on the South Korean side, it is protected and administered by the United Nations Command and residents are expected to live at least 240 days per year in the village. The village had a population of 218 people in 2008. At 11pm, there is a curfew and headcount every night in the village and residents are exempt from military service and paying taxes. Nice deal eh?

Kijŏng-dong on the North Korean side, is something else entirely. Also known as the Propaganda Village, Kijŏng-dong appears to be fake. On one hand, the North Korean government has previously stated that the village is home to over 200 families, where they work on a collective farm.

On the another hand, the South Korean government and western media state something crazy! They claim the buildings in the villages are concrete shells, because they lack glass windows or rooms; a small crew of caretakers sweep the empty footpaths; and some lights are turned on and off at set times, to try and give the impression the village is a hive of activity. Sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction.

To reinforce how crazy the pettiness of the two countries have been, they have used loudspeakers to pump out various propaganda to each other, 5 as well as using balloons to drop leaflets on the neighbouring country.

Now one thing I haven’t mentioned are the tunnels. From 1974, several tunnels have been discovered running into the DMZ, from North Korea. The great thing is that as part of the tour, you can descend into one of the tunnels. 6

As we walking into the tunnel, the tour guide explained the history of the tunnels. It went something along the lines of the tunnels being discovered by the South Koreans; North Korea would claim that South Korea was responsible for their construction; then North Korea would later claim ownership of them, because it was stated they were coal mines.

It’s an interesting story, especially when you are hearing about it and actually standing in the tunnel. It was at that point when we were shown the craziness of the situation. The tour guide pointed out the blast points, which indicated they were made from the North Korea side.

However, the best thing about it was that the walls were black. As in black paint. The North Koreans painted the walls black, to give the illusion that it’s coal!

Over the years, diplomacy between North and South Korea has increased. This has resulted in many changes within the DMZ; the biggest have been the removal of landmines and guard posts, but also the reintroduction of transportation.

If you ever get the chance to visit the DMZ, please take it. You won’t regret it.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

1 I need to point out that technically North Korea and South Korea are still at war, they are just in a frozen conflict.

2 Granted there are DPRK and ROK soldiers staring at each other and you, inside the building. It’s a surreal setting.

3 My South Korean Lonely Planet book went everywhere with me, it was amazing! (Not a sponsor).

4 Because the JSA and Panmunjom are so close to each other, the two names can and have been indistinguishable. It’s also mentioned in Billie Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

5 Again, just another way to piss off your neighbour and their family.

6 I think it was either the 2nd, 3rd or 4th tunnel.

Sir Edmund Hillary: King over the Mountain

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People

I want to talk about Sir Edmund Hillary. Why you ask? That’s a good point, so I’ll try and answer that question, as I muddle through my thought processes. During my childhood and later as an adult/man-child, “Sir Ed” as he was sometimes referred to, was a larger than life icon that generated a massive amount of mana (respect) from the country.

I mean, I could name some of the most famous and important people in the country growing up. There was the Prime Minister, the All Blacks coach, the All Blacks captain and Sir Ed.

Say the name Sir Edmund Hillary and someone might say that’s the first person to reach the summit of Mt Everest, which is the highest mountain above sea level, which stands at a colossal 8,848m or 29,029ft.

Mt Everest is located in the Himalayan mountain range, which sits along the border of Nepal and Tibet. Hillary and fellow mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, accomplished this insane feat on 29th May 1953, where they stood on the highest point on the planet for 15 minutes, before descending down to base camp.

Now, I could try and focus on this now famous expedition; that quite frankly, changed the world. However, that is not what I want to talk about, even though it was truly amazing. What I want to discuss, are Hillary’s astounding achievements after climbing Mt Everest. This of course is not to take away Hillary’s achievements before climbing Mt Everest.

Head and shoulders portrait of Edmund Percival Hillary circa 1953.

Image by TimofKingsland via Wikipedia

Now, I’m going to break them down into three sections, so the first section is what I call Professional Achievements. In 1953, Hillary was made a Knight Commandeer of the Order of the British Empire. Basically this meant he was knighted; hence the “Sir” in his name. Hillary also received many other awards and medals from United Kingdom, New Zealand, Nepal, Poland, United States of America and India, over the years.

From 1955 to 1958, Hillary was took part in Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which he was in charge of the New Zealand section. By doing this, the expedition was the first to cross Antarctica via the South Pole, by using vehicles. Hillary actually arrived at the South Pole, driving a modified Massey Ferguson tractor. Seriously…a tractor.

Hillary also ventured back to the Himalayas, throughout the 1960’s; though he never attempted a second climb of Mt Everest. I mean, why would he go back, after he knocked the bastard off. 1

On another expedition to Antarctica in 1967, Hillary and his party first climbed Mt Herschel, which stands 3,335m or 10,941ft. Hillary also led the first jet boat expedition up the Ganges River in 1977 and then pushed on to climb to its source, located in the Himalayas. As you do.

Hillary was also the first person to complete, what is now known as the Three Pole Challenge. This is a challenge to reach the North Pole, the South Pole and the top of Mt Everest. Hillary reached the summit of Mt Everest in 1953, the South Pole in 1958 and lastly, reached the North Pole in 1985, flying with; of all people, Neil Armstrong. You just can’t make this stuff up!

The next section of achievements is about family. Hillary was a suitor of Louise Rose, whom was 12 years younger than him. She left Auckland, New Zealand to continue her music studies in Sydney, Australia. On his way to the Himalayas, Hillary stops and visits her, where they kiss for the first time, while walking along the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Hillary married Louise in September 1953, which he later confessed to being terrified of proposing to her! They went on to have three children; Peter, Sarah and Belinda.

It would be remiss of me to mention that in 1975, Louise and Belinda were killed in a plane, near Kathmandu, Nepal. Hillary remarried 14 years later to June Mulgrew.

At last, we come to the third and final section, Hillary’s Humanities achievements. In 1960, Hillary established the Himalayan Trust, which is a charity organisation that supports the Sherpa people of Nepal.

Through his amazing work, many schools, hospitals, airfields and conservation projects were built, which greatly aided the community. Hillary was also made Honorary President of several ecological non-profit groups. Hillary also served as the New Zealand High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, as well as the Ambassador to Nepal from 1985-1988. Hillary’s devotion to the Sherpa people lasted his adult life and on the 50th anniversary of his famous Everest climb, he was made an honorary citizen of Nepal.

To end this celebration of Hillary’s post-Everest achievements, it’s one of the most obvious. Beginning in 1992, Sir Edmund Hillary’s portrait has appeared on the New Zealand $5 note; which at the time, made him the only living person to appear on a banknote that was not a current head of state.

Image by Reserve Bank of New Zealand

It’s only interesting to point out that the mountain in the background of the $5 note, is not Mt Everest; but actually Aoraki/Mt Cook, which is the highest mountain in New Zealand. This was done at Hillary’s insistence.

Hillary passed away in 2008 at 88 years old and the world is still less because of it.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

1 This is a quote from Hillary after descending Mt Everest with Norgay. The first person they met was George Lowe, where he uttered the famous words “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off.”

You know that we are living in a chemical world …

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

…and I am a chemical girl, I mean boy, I mean man!

I want to talk about chemicals. Why? It’s funny the way people describe or talk about something, when in fact, they are actually talking about something else entirely. Like when your uncle said that he saw some monkeys at the zoo, when in fact, they were chimpanzees; something else entirely.

Chemicals are another great example. You may have heard someone talk about how they don’t like to have chemicals or added chemicals in their food or drink. They might explain they only eat organic food, that is grown or produced locally; along with no added chemicals. They only want to consume or drink healthy options; anything that is chemical free or not dangerous to novice dancers, like the latest Chemical Brothers or My Chemical Romance albums.

Sounds fair, right. I mean, what type of person, would actually like chemicals in that new berry flavoured sports drink or that delicious looking chocolate muffin? The answer would be you.

Wait a minute, so what is a chemical? Helmenstine (2011) describes a chemical as a substance that is made up of matter; which can mean a gas, solid or liquid. Helmenstine (2011) also adds that a chemical can be an element or a mixture like a gas, compound or solution.

So chemicals are everywhere and in everything. In the food you eat, the liquids you drink and the air you breathe. You swim in chemicals, you wear clothes containing chemicals and you use chemicals to maintain the ongoing function of your body, like testosterone, adrenaline and estrogen.

Basically, you can’t avoid chemicals. Whether it’s the gas Carbon dioxide (CO2) your body exhales; the Dihydrogen monoxide or water (H2O) you drink or the Sodium chloride or salt (NaCl) that you sprinkle on your food, chemicals help maintain life on this planet.

These chemicals fall under the branch of science known as Chemistry, which relates to the study of the periodic table of elements, atoms, molecules, reactions, their relationships and bonds to each other and everything else that goes with it.

I think that when someone says they don’t want to eat or drink chemicals, what they are really saying, is that they don’t want food or liquid that has been altered or created, by means of Genetically Modified Food or GMO; or at least ingesting or inhaling dangerous or harmful chemicals.

These harmful or dangerous chemicals can be made naturally or artificially, by humans for different reasons. Also, just because a chemical is created naturally, does not automatically make it good for you; just as an artificial chemical is not automatically bad.

Governments around the world have different departments and organisations, whose function is to regulate and administer the control of harmful and dangerous chemicals in food chains.

They include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA in the United States of America), Foods Standard Agency (FSA in the United Kingdom) European Food Safety Authority, World Health Organization (WHO) and many more.

So, the next time you hear some person complaining that they don’t want chemicals in their diet, please just politely remind them; that just like Wet Wet Wet’s 1994 cover about love…chemicals are all around.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels.com

References:

Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, February 11). What Is a Chemical and What Isn’t a Chemical? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-chemical-604316

The Magna Carta: Still kicking arse after 805 years

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn History

I want to talk about the Magna Carta. Why? Because when I told my wife what I was going to write about, she asked if the Magna Carta was a Harry Potter spell. No, it’s not.

So…what is the Magna Carta? It’s one of the famous and most important documents in the world. However to me, and only to me; it’s an amazing piece of legislation that is still relevant in 2020, as it was when it was created in 1215. 1 To understand what the Magna Carta aka the Great Charter, truly is and it’s importance, we need to jump inside our TARDIS and travel back to the High Middle Ages; in particular, England.

So, let’s set the scene shall we? At that time, different countries around the world were using the feudal system. Feudalism was a way that land ownership and duties were administered and exchanged. For an example, in England, the king would own all of the land in the kingdom. Now, owning all of the land sounds great…but it’s not really practical. I meant being the landlord of the country; think of the paperwork!

Because of this, the king would parcel out land to lords, barons and nobles in exchange for service and soldiers. These lords would be called vassals, which they in turn would parcel out smaller sections of land to lesser lords, local lords and to the peasants.

Now King John was the ruler of England in 1215 and he wasn’t exactly popular. Because of this, he is remembered as being one of the worst kings in English history. He had been king for 16 years and in that time, he had lost various wars with France; gained an annulment for his first marriage; was accused of murdering his own nephew; starved 22 knights to death; implemented heavy taxes to fund his foreign wars; excommunicated by the Church and sleeping with some of the wives and children of his barons. Also he was supposedly an enemy, of one green cladded archer that lived in Nottingham Forest. 2

Anyway, the barons and lords of England were very tired of his shenanigans. If they refused to pay the taxes, King John would confiscate their properties or punish them severely. They needed to stop the never ending and increasing taxes, so they could avoid losing their lands.

The barons wanted everybody in the kingdom to obey the laws of the land. To them, nobody was above the law, not even the king. Because of this, the barons; led by Robert Fitzwalter in 1213, took their concerns to Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

After a meeting with the barons aka the rebels, 3 Langton went to see King John, to remind of the Charter of Liberties. This was a set of rules, laid down by Henry I in 1100, for a king to be bound by, to safeguard certain rights for their subjects. Langton wanted King John to honour that charter, but in a surprise to nobody, King John did not share the same ideas as the Archbishop or the rebels.

WASHINGTON – MARCH 03: A copy of a 1297 version of Magna Carta is on display during a press viewing at the National Archives March 3, 2008 in Washington, DC.

Photo by Alex Wong via UK Human Rights Blog

King John looked to Pope Innocent III for support and protection from the rebels and their allies. However, after two years of negotiating and stalling, the rebels were sick of the situation; they decided to create a solution. In May 1215, the rebels met, broke their allegiances to the king and started a military campaign against him. They captured London in the same month, which forced King John back to the negotiating table.

On 10th June 1215, King John met with the barons at Runnymeade, to discuss reforms and they did this with a document. After some editing and discussions, the Great Charter was signed on 15th June 1215, by King John, the barons and various other people. 4

Magna Carta has been annulled, reinstated and had many revisions over the years, but what is so special about it? I mean, it was created over 800 years ago, how is it relevant to governments and their citizens in 2020? The answer is all about legacy.

There are many clauses in Magna Carta, but the two most famous ones are about liberty and rights:

“No free man shall be seized, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, exiled or ruined in any way, nor in any way proceeded against, except by the lawful judgement of his peers and the law of the land.

“To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice.”

This is profound because of the changes Magna Carta would bring, not just to England, but to the world, throughout the centuries. The Great Charter helped in creating the first Parliament of England; it was used in creating the Petition of Rights in 1628, to challenge King Charles I and was used at his trial; the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence of 1776, was based on Magna Carta; it led a movement in England for all men to have the vote, which in turn became a movement for women to have the vote, years later.

The importance of Magna Carta had also gained strength internationally, because subjects of the British Empire, began to demand the same rights granted to British citizens, under Magna Carta; many leaders around the world, fighting for freedom, were citing Magna Carta for their rights; and 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created, based on Magna Carta, to promote the rights of people all over the world.

Over the years, Magna Carta has become a beacon for justice, liberty, freedom and rights the world over. Not bad for a document that is 805 years old. Though to be fair to Magna Carta, the world and Judge Dredd, the greatest piece of legacy the Great Charter has given us is quite simply this: That everybody must obey the law and that nobody is above the law; not even a king.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

1 I’m not an expert, but I think Judge Dredd would have approved of the Magna Carta.

2 Does the name Robin Hood ring any bells?

3 The answer is no. The rebels did not have X-Wings nor did King John have a Death Star.

4 Even though King John did sign the charter, he actually didn’t believe in it or follow it.

Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker paid for my wedding

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Comics

I want to talk about comic books. This is because I’m a comic book fan, so I’m also a reader and collector. It’s funny, because I have a hard time remembering when comic books were not part of my life. For some reason, I had a large cardboard box filled with comics, underneath my bed, when I was young. Where the comics actually came from, I have no idea.

Maybe they came from older cousins; maybe they were donated from family friends; or maybe my future self, travelled backwards through time and placed them there, in order to maintain a linear timeline. 1

Before I ramble on any more about comics, I need to clarify something. When I am talking about comics, I am not just discussing superhero comics, but comic books of any and all genres. 2

Great, let’s crack on then.

Let’s talk about the stigma that comes with comics, especially with adults. What I mean is, why would a grown adult choose to read literature that has hand drawn pictures to guide the reader through its narrative? Why bother reading about something that is like a child’s fantasy, as well as looking at female characters whose physical dimensions are grossly exaggerated? Why read something that is obviously designed for children and the illiterate, along with people that are not intelligent enough to read a real book? Or something like comics appealing to people with poor social skills, unable to grow up or face reality? 3

Harsh words I know, but I have heard similar and even worse than this about people that like comics. Sometimes directed at me and sometimes directed at comic fans in general. Because of this, it’s amazing what time and self-confidence can do to someone.

I think maybe for nearly twenty years, I was ashamed and embarrassed for people to learn that I read and collected comics. Nearly twenty years. I think I was afraid of what people would think of me; however now…it doesn’t bother me. If someone wants to think less of me, because I read comics, then I can’t help that.

Over the years, I had collected hundreds of comic books and I was running out of room. So I decided to start selling some online via Trade Me; it’s basically the number one website in New Zealand, for buying and selling anything! Anyway, after eight years of selling second hand comics part-time, had provided me with a small fund.

The problem was that I was saving that money for something special, but I didn’t know what. Enter the solution; my fiancée. I got engaged and suddenly I had an expensive wedding to pay for, but with no money…except my secret comic book selling fund. In a nutshell, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker and all of the other uncountable comic book characters, paid for my wedding.

Sorry, I got side tracked. Over the years, my taste in comics has changed, because of the different genres that are available. You can read horror, romance, superheroes, thriller, crime noir, fantasy, all ages, foreign, science fiction, drama, humour, mystery, politics, non-fiction, supernatural, teen, war and western; to name a few. There is seriously a comic book for everybody.

Image by lisistent from Pixabay

So…why do I read and collect comics? That is an interesting question, to which I’m not entirely sure. 4 I think a lot of it is linked to comics themselves and also the messages they give. I love the marriage of what literature and art can do in a comic book. Whether it’s spaceships and alien worlds or a zombie apocalypse or good old cape story, having the narrative unfold with mind blowing art, solidifies how profound the medium can be.

Imagine Judge Dredd cruising around on his Lawmaster 5; or Spider-Man swinging around New York; or Wonder Woman head butting Ares the God of War; or Michonne killing her 23rd zombie for that issue; WITHOUT the artwork. The cultural and visual impact would not be the same, because how I would think the Phantom’s costume would look like, could be different to your version.

Also please name another medium, where each week or month, your favourite characters return to continue their adventures. Each issue is like a chapter in a book, but instead of waiting to turn the page to see what happens next, you have to wait for the next issue to be released. Being a comic book fan teaches you to be patient. 6

Now I am going to get a bit predictable here, I’m sorry. I want to discuss the messages and themes comics carry and the importance of them. It sounds geeky and corny, but comics have taught me things, I really don’t if I would ever learn anywhere else.

Peter Parker taught me about having great power, comes great responsibility. Clark Kent taught me that I’m stronger than I think. Mar-Vell taught me that everybody has the capability to change. Charles Xavier taught me about tolerance. Al Simmons and Daniel Ketch taught me to say no to the devil, while Anung Un Rama taught me that my destiny is my own. And Bruce Wayne…well he taught me to never give up.

There are so many comic book characters that I feel have left nuggets of wisdom for me to follow and absorb into my own philosophy. From the Fantastic Four (don’t show off to your girlfriend and her little brother) to Green Lantern (you’re never alone) to Invincible (family is forever) to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the proper way to dispose of chemical waste) to Wonder Woman (it’s ok to be a paradox).

Though there is a group of characters that have given me one of the best lessons: supervillains. They have taught me that it doesn’t matter if you get knocked down for the 1st time or the 1,000th; if you stay down for 1 minute or 10 years; pick yourself up and try and try and try again. 

I try to teach some of these messages to my UMCs, because I want them to believe in themselves and in the future, so if they are ever in a relationship with someone that likes Sour Cream and Chives, they will have the strength to be tolerant.

Basically the takeaway message is this: be curious and brave and go to your local library; or even better, visit your local comic book store and start your journey into the wormhole of comics. Your future self will thank you for it!

Now I know there are many things wrong with the comic book industry, but there are so many things right with it. Yes, I kind of feel like a walking, talking comic book encyclopedia; but I love comic books. I always have and I always will.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

1 In my humble opinion, linear time travel is the one that rules them all. 

2 To be fair, superhero comics were my gateway drug.

3 I’m playing Devil’s Advocate here, I don’t believe in any of that.

4 What kind of idiot asks himself a question that he can’t answer?

5 Drokk!

6 Let’s not mention titles on hiatus. I’m looking at you, Saga. I’m 100% looking at you.

Science, Science, wherefore art thou Science?

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

I want to talk about science. Why? I think science is cool; well, at least to someone like me it is. It’s something that I love learning about, because it can answer a lot of my questions, along with things that I had never thought of or imagined. 1

Alright, let us begin, shall we? Science. From the Sodium-Potassium pump to the strong nuclear force to plate tectonics to magnetars to hereditary genetics to the periodic table 2, I love it. From Darwin to Hawking to Easley to Faraday to Ibn Al-Nafis to Curie, I love them.

Now I’m not as smart as any of the people on this list, to actually create the science that we learn about. I’m just smart enough to remember some of the details. That’s it. These people have inspired me with their discoveries and their positive impact on the world is massive. 

Take the field of astronomy and astrophysics, which are two of my oldest loves. Having different people from all over the world research stars, comets, planets, quasars and everything else, is quite frankly, completely amazing and humbling at the same time.

An example of this was in April 2019, when the Event Horizon Telescope project released the very first image of a black hole. 3 To me, reading about the project; watching the video clips; and staring at the image; I was left with one word. Wow.

I know it was debatable whether an image could be taken of a cosmic object that had a gravity well so demonstrably strong, that not even light could escape it. However, as Sheperd Doeleman of Harvard University and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said “We have seen what we thought was unseeable.” If that is not an example of “Impossible is nothing”, then nothing is.

Having people dedicating their lives to mapping the human genome, creating weather models, studying planetary magnetic fields, understanding isolated ecosystems; and then revealing that information to the world is amazing. Because of this, I’m reminded of Sir Isaac Newton quote, when he said in 1675 “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

We are currently living in the Contemporary History time period. Never before in the history of life on this planet, has the sheer amount of information and knowledge about everything, has been so accessible to the population of our species; regardless of age, gender, class, job or favourite snack flavour.

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

In my humble and geeky opinion, this is truly astounding, because we can learn about centuries worth of scientific content; as well as new discoveries as they unfold. Seriously, you can learn about time dilation, while you eat your breakfast; covalent, polar and ionic bonds while riding public transportation; or the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, while distracting yourself from your neighbours’ out of control party. Seriously, is that not cool? Well, you not being invited to the party is not cool, but…you know.

Another thing that is important to me is that details matter. Facts matter. Misinformation and disinformation about Science seems to be on the rise, which to me, is just insane. By this I mean take COVID-19.

Scientists are promoting social distancing, self-isolation, hand washing and mask wearing, to limit the spread of the virus. However, it seems that in too many countries around the world, these scientists are slowly getting dragged into political arguments.

It gets worse, because some people believe that (all) scientists are part of different deep state or conspiracy groups, hell bent on controlling or brain washing us. So science and scientists can never be trusted.

Because of this, some people in our society are under the impression that science is a religion or at least, it’s some form of cult, where you need to worship scientists as gods and perform crazy ass rituals. Therefore, they must be “devil worshipping, god hating zealots.” I find this interesting, because in 19th century New Zealand, a lot of the scientists of that time, were also clergymen.

Science is not a religion. Religion deals with belief systems that govern our actions, based on those beliefs. They are about how we should treat ourselves and each other. 4 To me, science is simply about understanding the world around us through observations and experiments.

So if you ever are curious about something scientific about our world or if someone else asks you a scientific question and you don’t know the answer; don’t panic (unless you forgot your towel). Be brave and make the time to search for the answer, but be careful: you may fall into a rabbit hole of information and you might learn something.

I believe that having more adults that are scientifically literate in society, means we have more informed adults. 5 By having more informed adults, means they can make better choices about themselves and the world. Like saying yes to vaccinations and saying no to climate change and Sour Cream and Chives.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

1 Basically questions related to super powered individuals.

2 I was reading a book about helium and I couldn’t put it down.

3 I like to call them “beautiful nightmares.”

4 Notwithstanding the law, of course. Somewhere Judge Dredd is silently agreeing.

5 Birds are a special kind of dinosaurs. Accept it.