Trifecta

Been a busy couple of weeks. But I’m glad that I’m getting work. Some highlights of the past few days:

1. Free stuff. I won a nice-looking umbrella in a raffle held at a pest control product launch. Also, my old friend Roche gave me belated Christmas gifts, two shirts and a few packs of Ready Brew Starbucks Coffee. And Benedict gave me two Marvel Legends action figures, Nova and Black Bolt. My thanks.

2. Awesome covers. There are lovely songs I’m discovering via YouTube. I love Natalie Merchant’s version of Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want.” Same with Maria Mena’s rendition of Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love.” I also enjoy listening to versions by unsigned but talented musicians, like Rhymeswiththetimes, who did an impressive five-song acoustic mashup of “I’m Yours,” “Love Story,” “Collide,” “Superman,” and “Here Without You.” Another singer, Shan Malaika (“shanmalaika1”), also has a touching, soulful cover of “Use Somebody.”

3. Comic books. Geeked out on the following:

Avengers Initiative 32- Love the Diamondback and Taskmaster perspectives on the Siege, and how their thoughts converged by the end of the issue.

Doomwar 1- T’Challa and Storm have been deposed as rulers of Wakanda. Surprisingly good stuff.

Uncanny X-Men 521- Oh my god, what a cliffhanger! Wow. Please end well.

Marvels: Eye of the Camera 6- Seriously, this made me tear up a little, specifically the part where Maggie the mutant was telling Phil Sheldon her story. I remember feeling like an outsider when I was about that age. And they were watching televised turning points of the X-Men and X-Factor during their separate “Fall of the Mutants” adventures. I was there, and those were my heroes. And that part of the issue became very real for me.