Should Wolverine Be Named After a Different Animal?

Photo courtesy of martha's Flickr page - Wolverine pencil darwing: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marthouli/3782986309/in/photolist-6LhN2T-89BENX-5tiumw-nhqony-pxDMLr-bRJNXx-bWvq6Z-8qpL5a-o92gxr-5dp2EU-hh681x-cgqkNN-bWvhAB-8qpKZV-fywhvP-8XnP7P-byeSsb-dr1Shk-cdSBTm-71jwh5-8PJmgy-nFZUQN-558gCv-oFTcBy-jwFZda-9het2G-8rRCtK-4x5kr6-awFGdM-cyogks-6vVwns-amUoAn-7Rx9sr-amXdfU-amUnsi-rodMWc-amXcTC-rEESTV-rEzv3B-ro6vPA-qHF7Gq-rEz2Mq-rodQe8-8scKcq-9gvPzE-9qBSZQ-8qsTaN-bWvgUB-ixZdd4-7xHFDy

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When I was a kid growing up, I really did not know all of the characters of Marvel comics as well as probably most others did.

There were some traditional, very popular super heroes that I had never heard of until I gained some familiarity with the wonderful Secret Wars series that I still have only pleasant memories of right to the present day!

Part of the pleasantness of these memories was the fact that my parents got me these (and other) comics at JFK Airport so that I would have some reading material for the long airplane ride across the Atlantic to France. As it turned out, I read and reread those comics I do not know how man times over the course of that trip to France. Hell, I even remember all of the comics that they acquired for me, in the form of the Marvel 3-Packs. There was Secret Wars issues #7-9, Transformers issues #1-3, and GI Joe issues #7, 25, and 29.

That was how I really got into both Secret Wars and GI Joe, although I had already been a fan of the Transformers for some time at that point.

And Secret Wars was my introduction to the wonderful Wolverine character, who really captured my young and vivid imagination that summer!

He became one of my favorite characters, and has remained so ever since.

One aspect of this character that fascinated me was his name. At that point, I had never actually heard of a Wolverine, and has mistakenly assumed that it was somehow associated with wolves, since that was how it sounded. Of course, in time, I knew better.

But upon stumbling on this article (see link below), it kind of made me reminiscent of those days of the summer of 1985, when thoughts of the significance of Wolverine's name and his powers weighed far more heavily on me.

What a summer! What a great Marvel character!

Here is the link:


 Was Wolverine the Most Accurate Name Choice for Logan? This Fan Says No Way! by Kristin Lai ⋅ Posted on July 31st, 2015:

http://moviepilot.com/posts/3424083-this-convincing-fan-theory-claims-that-wolverine-should-be-called-the-lynx?lt_source=external,manual

Danny Devito Likens Bernie Sanders to Obi-Wan Kenobi

This was actually both pretty funny, and quite poignant.

Comedic actor Danny Devito has given Bernie Sanders a very strong endorsement, and echoes the words of the fictional Princess Leia from the original Star Wars movie, when she sent a message to Obi Wan Kenobi, saying that he was the only hope. As it turned out, Luke Skywalker (who wound up being Leia's brother), proved to be another, 'New Hope," as the title of the film suggests.

And indeed, maybe there are other people that will provide some hope for a better future someday.

But right now, Bernie Sanders is far and away the best option of anybody out there. He has a proven track record of working for the rights of the middle class and the poor, and generally of fighting for the interests of the 99%, which separates him from the other major party candidates, both Democrats and Republicans.

In any case, if we want to restore the country back from elitist corporate interests, and move this country away from the corporate mentality that has been destroying it, it is time to take a serious look at other alternatives from mainstream candidates, unless we collectively really can get excited about another presidential race between a Clinton and a Bush.

Bernie Sanders is the man!

Here is the link to the article where Devito praises Sanders:




Danny Devito To Bernie Sanders: ‘You’re Our Only Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi’

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/danny-devito-to-bernie-sanders-youre-our-only-hope-obi-wan-kenobi/

Cecil the Lion & the Ugly American Hunter

A couple of weeks ago, Walter James Palmer was best known as a successful dentist living in Minnesota.

Now, he is one of the most hated men in the world, quite literally, and has become the picture of the "Ugly American."

By now, most people surely know why.

I mentioned that he is successful, and I say that because he must have been. After all, he spent a whopping $50,000 on what he must have considered the privilege of hunting and killing a lion, which he claims to have believed was completely wild. He claims that he trusted his tour guides to do what was legal, and believed, if we take him at his word, that his kill was perfectly within the boundaries of the law.

However, it was not.

The poachers basically led one lion that was in the protected Hwange National Park outside of the park's boundaries, and then went to work. They lured him out of the park. They did this by strapping a dead carcass onto their vehicle, then driving him out of the boundaries of the protected park. Then, they shot him with a bow and arrow.

Cecil escaped, but the hunters tracked him for 40 hours, and then ultimately killed him. It was a long and painful death.

Earlier this week, Palmer made a public statement on the matter:

"I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt."

"I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

He says that he deeply regrets it.

But the question to me is whether he actually deeply regrets it, or deeply regrets having been caught. After all, he is pictured with the dead lion, and he looks pretty happy. He is smiling. In fact, he is positively beaming.

Since they lured the lion out of the park, and then killed him, there is enormous suspicion about Palmer not knowing at least more than he is claiming to have known.

Even if he doesn't, there are some questions. After all, gone is the Golden Age of big game hunters being glorified, and taking very public pride in their kill of magnificent creatures, such as a lion, among other animals. What makes him look like the picture of the "Ugly American" is that, in an age when we know perfectly well about endangered species and the magnificence of these creatures, and the need to protect them, he spent huge sums of money (for one person, anyway) and traveled across the ocean and to another hemisphere to essentially pay for the privilege of killing such a beloved creature, so that he could presumably have the trophy that he wanted.

In this sense, Palmer seems to belong to a different era.

Of course, his actions sparked outrage around the world.

It is safe to say that his life will never be the same after this.

Maybe, just maybe, this will help to dissuade other big spending pricks to do the same thing in the future, with any luck.

I found this now relatively famous clip of Jimmy Kimmel speaking at length about this topic, and making some very valid points, and asking some pointed questions. It was moving, and so I thought I would share it here:






Cecil the Lion's Killer, Dr. Walter Palmer, Contacts Authorities by ELISHA FIELDSTADT, July 31, 2015:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cecil-lions-killer-walter-palmer-contacts-authorities-n402081

Minnesota dentist 'deeply' regrets 'taking' Cecil the lion USA TODAY NETWORK by Mary Bowerman, USA TODAY, July 30, 2015:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/07/28/minnesota-dentist-walter-james-palmer-cecil-lion-africa/30785881/

I Noticed A Weird Spot On THIS Rhino’s Horn. When I Realized What It Was? It Will Save The Species, published by Sun Gazing:

http://www.sun-gazing.com/we-noticed-a-weird-spot-on-this-rhinos-horn-when-we-realized-what-it-was-it-will-save-the-species/

The Origins of Heath Ledger's Joker

DC Comics already began to seriously fall behind Marvel Comics by the time that I got into comic books, and it felt like that gap just kept widening over time. There is a good reason for this, since Marvel Comics characters tended to have a far more human side. For example, Peter Parker was broke, and had serious issues with personal confidence and love interests. Tony Starks becomes a drunk, and loses his status as Iron Man as a result (something that I would like to see the movie franchise incorporate into their story line).

However, DC Comics began to close that margin just a little bit, at least, with the Batman movie franchise starring Michael Keaton in 1989.

The Batman is a great character for DC. He is probably their best original character, because he is not too perfect or hokey, like Superman.

Maybe the rich millionaire (now billionaire) Bruce Wayne seemed a little too good to be true, but even this could be converted into a darker and far more complex character than typical comic book characters generally did from DC. By the time that the new movie came out in 1989, the Bruce Wayne character was a bit more complex than the television series Bruce Wayne had been, which was refreshing.

The latest movie series is even more realistic, and Bruce Wayne is an even darker, and far more complex character. He, too, had serious women issues. He was lonely, and had a sense of responsibility, but needed to portray the perennial party boy of the frat world type. A spoiled rich bat who was actually the dark superhero known as Batman, who tried to do what was right, even if that meant looking like he was the bad guy. He looks like the poster child of irresponsibility, but in fact, he secretly risks his life to try and help the people of Gotham who need him.

Also, The Joker is a great character. Much like Batman, he is dark, and their is a psychotic side to him that adds an extra element of danger there. He got progressively darker, until the most recent big screen portrayal, in which he is very, very dark. By this point, it seems that he really does not care what is going to happen. He hates "schemers" and destroys their plan, injecting a little chaos into everything, making him very unpredictable. This is also what makes him so fascinating, and why he became such an incredibly popular character - probably one of the best, and certainly one of the most iconic bad guys in recent memory!

This is almost to be expected, because The Joker lends some serious flexibility to the standard DC Comics characters, who usually possess very little.

Found this article recently on the origins of The Joker (or at least the Joker as portrayed by Heath Ledger), and thought that this was an interesting take on his origins, and what had turned him into the ultimate "Agent of Chaos" that he had become by the time of the movie.

So, here is the link, to any Joker and/or Batman fans. He really was an amazing character!





Just What Was the REAL Origin of Heath Ledger's Joker? by Kit Simpson Browne ⋅ Posted on July 30th, 2015:

http://moviepilot.com/posts/3427033-new-fan-theories-on-heath-ledgers-joker?lt_source=external,manual

Senator John McCain Compliments Obama Against Fox News & Tea Party

Yes, John McCain is a Republican. And yes, he lost the 2008 election to now President Barack Obama.

Yet, he actually lashed out with some barbed criticism against GOP faithful, suggesting that it caters to the lowest common denominator. He blasted the Tea Party, saying:

"Many in this group didn’t come to power to get things done."

Also, he gave a little bit of praise to President Obama has grown in office.

But he did not go much farther than that, claiming that Sarah Palin was a positive voice in politics today, even though she may very well have been the reason that McCain himself was not elected into the White House.

Still, it is a bit of a surprise that he could be so critical to his party and those that support it. Here is one last quote from his recent criticisms:

"I saw a guy on ‘Hannity,’ maybe ‘Huckabee,’ and the guy said, ‘You know, the Chinese are coming across our border, and they are going to commit cyber attacks,’” he said. “(New Republic)



JOHN MCCAIN LAYS INTO FOX NEWS AND TEA PARTY, PRAISES PRESIDENT OBAMA BY MICHAEL HAYNE, JULY 31, 2015:

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/john-mccain-lays-into-fox-news-and-tea-party-praises-president-obama/

Some Amazing Places To Visit During This Lifetime

Here is yet another blog entry on traveling that I never got around the publishing.

These are two links to sites about amazing cities. The first link is about cities around the world, while the second one is about charming towns of Europe.

Enjoy!



"Here Are The Top 25 Cities You Should Visit In Your Lifetime. You’ll Never Guess #1!" by Mark Pygas:

http://news.distractify.com/culture/trip-advisor-top-cities/?v=1





"The Most Charming Towns In Europe You'll Want To Visit ASAP" Posted: 05/01/2014 7:00 am EDT Updated: 05/01/2014 7:00 am EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/europe-charming-towns_n_5205593.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

Real Life Fairy Tale Places

I mentioned in a recent post that I am trying to clean house, and finally let some blog entries that I never got around to publishing finally see the light of day.

In that spirit, here is one from well over a year ago in the traveling section, about certain places that look almost unreal, looking like real-life fairy tale places.

Here is the link:



"26 Real Places That Look Like They’ve Been Taken Out Of Fairy Tales" by Arielle Calderon  BuzzFeed Staff, April 28, 2014:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/real-places-that-look-like-fairytales?bffb