Maybe I have nostalgia goggles on, but I miss Midnight Special, at least the first 4-5 years. www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4hr...

Fall cooler temps are here in Maryland and I love it. This is October as it should be. Wore a jacket last night to walk the dog (where Penny met a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Gimli).

Sanctimonious people irrationally blaming a racist’s murder on Democrats’ language are silent about Trump’s threat to wage war on Americans.

Today, what Hegseth and Trump said wasn't the form of a loyalty oath. But in function it was: Get on board with the war on Americans or leave.

How did I not know about JB singing with BB & Bobby until now? youtube.com/shorts/I45Ic...

Melinoë, main protagonist from Hades II

The technical term for their method of governing is extortion—and mostly it has worked. (Some exceptions. See Kimmel.) They play hardball and the only way to respond is play hardball back. Granted, likely to be painful in the short run, but it's the only way to stop bullies and mobsters. Don't cave.

Mister Miracle from the very talented @jonhartman.bsky.social . It was hard choosing a character, but as a kid who was into Houdini's bio at the time, I was hooked on Scott Free as an escape artist. Other ideas: Nexus, Space Ghost, and Matter Eater Lad or Ferro Lad.

The only Rapture I believe in. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHCd...

Listening to a little street music after a ramen dinner.

Latest subtle clue I'm not in Texas: Dr Pepper isn't as prevalent as a dispenser option or gas station/convenience store cars. Especially Dr Pepper Zero On the plus side, I'll never have to drive through Waco again.

My friend Richard’s delightful guitar playing. Reminder to me to do things I enjoy. We need it especially now.

Doh! I completely forgot to bring my new graphic novel purchases to read on this 5-hour flight. I have my iPad for reading. So far Baltimore airport has been a breeze. Easy parking, quick shuttle, fast security checkin. The hour drive had slow downs, but driving to DC would be worse.

Well, at the bar near the departure gate to San Fran, folks are having beers at . . . 9 AM. As my uncle used to say, “I’m a light beer drinker. As soon as it’s light, I’m drinking a beer.” * anecdote in the alt text

We enjoyed the Small Press Expo today. We picked up stories of different genres & nice prints. We enjoyed chats w/artists. Over 500 artists from all over. A bit to read. The 1st thing I bought: a woman illustrated her father's story of when he danced w/Janis Joplin. Excellent hook. #spx #indie

I'm so glad to see this from my senator. I might be new to Maryland, but I came from having Cruz & Cornyn for my senators. The honesty is refreshing. Thanks, Hollen.

While in Bethesda, Grace & I stopped at Torchy's for lunch. This might be the only Republican I really like. The Democrat is good, but today, I needed some brisket & chipotle on flour tortilla.

A couple of weeks ago, I read Sunflowers by @keezyyoung.bsky.social . Beautifully illustrated & written. My wife’s best friend from college is bipolar so I had a slight understanding of bipolar disorder. This work gives insight into living with it. Thanks store.silversprocket.net/products/sun...

Now that we’re in Maryland, we’re headed to the Small Press Expo (SPX) later this morning. Lots of great talent there. I’ll pick up many works, incl Ignatz nominees. With all that’s happening, enjoy your thing & support those who make the world more joyful. www.smallpressexpo.com/ignatz-awards/

I just finished watching Sugar. I'm a sucker for noir. And for clever use of classic movies. The editing alone is impressive. But there's more to it than that. Nothing I saw came out of nowhere. The clues & foreshadowing are there. The characters are solid. www.youtube.com/watch?v=twvP...

I found out I can have a grill or smoker on our townhome balcony, contrary to my initial reading of the laws. This is far more meaningful in my life than Charlie Kirk.

I chatted with a co-worker today in LA. As a person of color, she's worried about being picked up in the sweeps there & no one knowing what happened or where she is. We half-joked about my helping her husband get a lawyer, but it's a serious threat. Too many in the US live in fear bc of Trump.

This is probably my favorite Bobby Bland song. It's been covered a lot, but he brings something others don't. Bland does sadness as well as anyone. youtu.be/aANNYq-6fTg?...

Now we get to see all those Republican critics of Janet Reno for the Branch Davidian assault jump all over this.

Penny had sat more in the new chair in my office than I have. And her bed is right there. I think she likes that swooped seat.

We just voted for the 1st time in MD. And it was great: We received our ballots in the mail, we checked our candidate research & marked our votes, and dropped it off. TX made it harder to vote—removing polling places, shortening hours, etc. No need to take off work or stand in lines.

I left in time. I'm not surprised at all as the extreme Christian right has gained power in Texas. Government has no business pushing a religion on citizens. Especially one driven by rightwing hate. www.texastribune.org/2025/09/02/t...

I never found Brand (or Dennis Miller) that funny. The quick delivery w rapid references was often shallow. So their flips to nonsense aren’t surprising. But blaming deadly floods on chemtrails & seeding is disgusting. youtu.be/AyNX3Wo6Qv8?...

My wife, daughter, & I loved seeing Jaws on the big screen, as Laurel & I both saw it when we were kids in 1975. But it was the chattiest crowd I've seen. People in front of & behind me talked pretty much the whole time, incl a doofus saying the lines before the actors. Is movie etiquette dead?

We took the short drive to Harpers Ferry today, mainly to get an idea of what's there. So no real hiking on the Appalachian Trail or the others in the area. I thought it was a beautiful area and just enjoyed the views. It was sunny 72 degrees F. Next time, we'll walk the Maryland Heights trail.

I thought I might get an RCA 6v6gt black plate tube for the amp. A pure indulgence to have ~80 year old tubes. But wow the price has doubled in 2 years, when I last shopped. $80-100 + shipping. Used Swart Atomic Jr amps seem higher now, too. Mostly $1000-1200 vs $600-800 a couple of years ago.

Governors’ defense of their control of their national guard seems more critical as courts seem limited to check Trump’s abuses of power. Esp w this SCOTUS. What’s to keep Trump from his military occupations of US cities and worse? That military leaders aren’t resisting is a bad sign.

I hope Gov Wes Moore continues to push back on Trump, whose secret police are already very active in MD. I wouldn't be surprised if Trump thinks Baltimore is easier prey. But I don't think it is.

Finally unpacked the boxes in my office & hung some new & favorite art. The guitars are here, too, w the idea I'll practice more this way. I'd like to add more original art as I can afford it. #comicart

I just sneezed loud enough that the strings on my guitar five feet away rang out.

I realized it's been 4+ years since I last fried anything. I didn't stay with a tried & true recipe. No, I decided to do something I've not done before--fry chicken with a wet batter. And I improvised. It didn't marinate a full 24 hours, which is imp but I'm impatient. Details in alt text.

Good, spicy chicken 🍗 in this part of MD isn’t a thing. So, I’m marinating chicken in a buttermilk slurry for fried chicken tonight. I fry food maybe 1x a year. I got out of the habit. No cooking on the balcony either. So no grill or smoker for me. So it’s indoor frying.

Sleepy time Sleepy time All the time... She ran errands with me today--a load of old boxes to the recycling center, then a trip to the dog store for food, & car wash. Reading Uncanny X-Men in the best way. @gailsimone.bsky.social

Due to recent changes at Amazon/Comixology, I'm going elsewhere for DRM-free comics. I'm not sure about DC, Marvel, & IDW comics, though I rarely buy the first 2 anymore. Maybe physical? Maybe digital but no backups? Not sure. With 33 comic boxes ... www.diversetechgeek.com/where-buy-dr...

Anytime I buy or even think about Jeni's ice cream, I immediately hear this song. Not Tommy Tutone. youtu.be/XHTxqk_UxHo?...

I'm at the dog park, trying to enjoy it at dusk. But a woman is talking very loudly to her phone. We didn't want to hear her family drama. It's not even interesting drama. Alt text for Penny is up to.

I’ve seen a couple of cons & fests explicitly say “no AI” but all should do so. I now plan to give feedback to adopt that policy when I go to cons.

I'm a bit surprised that IDW's total digital sales (Comixology/Amazon, GlobalComix, Google, etc.) is only 5-7% of their annual revenue. I would have expect more in the the 10-15% range. I moved to digital a few years back (w occasional physical purchases). bleedingcool.com/comics/idw-o...

Sitting with Penny during lunch on the new patio furniture. She likes watching the neighbor dog and squirrels from the balcony.

A great Godzilla 4x5 risograph print that @gracekb-art.bsky.social bought me at Boston Expo. I love the style & custom embellishments by @thenazzaro.bsky.social .

The Bork nonsense is long past tiresome, esp when people omit the context of Iran-Contra & D's warning they would reject his nom. Bork put party before the law before & would do so again. The ugly politics didn't start with Kennedy but with Reagan, something Reagan fanboys can't accept.

More than Reddit or other forums, FB is terrible for questions. Someone asked if they should cook onions & green peppers before adding to a meatloaf mix. 100x advice on meatloaf that doesn’t answer the question 20x “ugh peppers in meatloaf” 50x “use <other thing> instead” 0 answers to q

@gracekb-art.bsky.social 's Krypto sketch went to a good home today. (I love this cosplay which is well done and seems to be her own take on the look.) Good final day at #bostonfanexpo

Great to meet @davewielgosz.bsky.social and @chrisrobinson.info at #bostonfanexpo. Terrific guys who are a blast to chat with. Check out their work. We had a good talk about their work & about indie comics.

A great Big Barda upon request from @heatherantos.bsky.social as well as a sketch of Ben Grimm. I was glad to meet Heather & Michelle who are so friendly and nice. So many comic artists & writers are good folks...Steve Leiahola, Klaus Janson, & more.