Thursday - March 28, 2024
Community Hubsite By ONDigitalCities.com

Archive for the ‘ Columns ’ Category

 

Follow Your Dreams, Then Keep Going

February 26th, 2019

Whether from a childhood mentor, a speech at the Oscars, or that poster hanging in the office collecting dust, one phrase is repeated to us over and over throughout our lives – “Follow Your Dreams”.  But what exactly does that mean? Does it mean that if you are reading this while sitting at a job you don’t enjoy or looking around at the laundry and dishes piling high that you aren’t following your dreams? Because seriously, who dreams about waking up and dedicating their time and energy to things that they don’t feel any type of self-gratification from? Most dreams and goals, at the... Read More

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Lost Its Critics In A Flash

February 24th, 2019

There were few Best Picture nominees at the Oscars this year more divisive than the Queen biography, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Critics, fans of the band and people who like to get irritated on social media were brutally torn up over the film, with several of them calling it “problematic.” I couldn’t agree with you more. Having seen “Bohemian Rhapsody,” I likewise found myself offended. I likewise found it very, very problematic. Predominantly for one reason. One main reason. That main reason? THEY DIDN’T INCLUDE ANYTHING ABOUT THE SONG “FLASH” FROM THE MOVIE “FLASH GORDON” IN... Read More

It’s A Crisis For DC

October 26th, 2018

In the last two weeks DC Comics has released two comics that have garnered a lot of attention. Just to be safe let’s establish both spoiler and mature content warnings. Two weeks ago was the release of Batman: Damned #1. Which included the first appearance of Batman’s penis, affectionately dubbed The Batawang (not in the comic itself, obviously).  This sparked some controversy, which should have been expected, but is so tiresome. Some retailers got angry that a book, heralded as DC’s first comic in their Black Label line of mature readers comics, but unlike Vertigo these comics... Read More

COULD `THE FORCE’ BECOME A RELIGION?

October 17th, 2018

Could “May the Force be with you” someday be more than a T-shirt slogan? Might it one day become the climactic phrase of a religious ceremony?   According to Hollywood lore, when the first “Star Wars” film became an outrageous success, George Lucas’ ambitious friend Francis Ford Coppola suggested that Lucas try to turn the philosophies of the “Star Wars” series into a religion. Lucas laughed it off.   However, given recent events, he may have to once more fend off Coppola’s insistence.   Since Disney bought the franchise, the “Star Wars”... Read More

‘Iron Fist’s’ Second Season Could Be The Best Of All Marvel Second Seasons

September 28th, 2018

So… let’s talk about season two of Iron Fist. And I don’t want you to think that’s a condemnation of season two. I would go so far as to say that season two of Iron Fist is the best show of all the second seasons of Marvel’s Netflix series. Which came as a big surprise to me, as I’m sure it did to most people. Not that I hated the first season, it just wasn’t the show I expected given the source material. I was definitely expecting more out of season two, mostly because the show runner for season one, Scott Buck, was placed in charge of Inhumans after he... Read More

What’s The Good News? New Column Highlights POSITIVE News In The Q-C!

September 26th, 2018

There are millions of people around the world, every day, that do fantastic things for their communities, and thousands of those are right here in our Quad-Cities! People are helping others, coming up with charity shows and promotions, volunteering their time and efforts and talents, and doing things to make our community a terrific place to live. About a decade ago, I ran a website called www.getyourgoodnews.com, which featured nothing but all good news, all the time. When I joined up with www.quadcities.com, I brought that same ethic of journalism – reporting the good, the positive, offering... Read More

In A World Of Perfect Pitch, Would A Hung Be Hot?

September 21st, 2018

When it comes to singing, most of us are best served in our quest at vocal immortality by forgiving shower walls. Some bar band and karaoke heroes are a rung up, but we also have the advantage of typically serenading the inebriated. Even in the case of some “professional vocalists” the studio trickery of Pro Tools is what makes them pristine and listenable on record. However, a day may not be too far off when every crooner is perfect. A day when singers are bred, not discovered. No, this isn’t about “American  Idol.”  However, it will likely spawn a reality TV show... Read More

Mighty Con Was A Pretty Mighty Con

September 6th, 2018

On Saturday and Sunday this Labor Day weekend was another Mighty Con. This time no one had to worry about the air conditioning going kaput, because it was held at the QCCA Expo Center which doesn’t have air conditioning. Which is definitely a creative way to address complaints. All kidding aside it was a decent weekend both for the convention itself and on a personal level. I arrived at the con early on Saturday, partly because I was with other people, partly because I had other things going on that day and needed time to get them all done and partly because we were aware that Saturday was... Read More

Comics Should Not Be Censored

August 28th, 2018

I read an article on Bleeding Cool this week, Image Comics to Publish Censored – And Non-Censored – Variant Covers for CBLDF (https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/08/09/image-comics-censored-variant-covers-cbldf/), which on September 5th, 2018 Image Comics will be releasing a dozen covers of various titles with special covers that will have that cover art both covered with censored boxes and Comics Code Authority boxes and covers without those boxes to raise money for the CBLDF: the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The CBLDF is non-profit that focuses on legal battles surrounding comic book owners... Read More

Criticism of LeBron Should Be Slam Dunked

August 9th, 2018

I’m never going to say anything bad about LeBron James again. This week LeBron announced that he’s donating millions of dollars to help send kids around his native Ohio to a special school, the I Promise School in Akron, he’s creating that will be free, will give them free uniforms, free breakfast lunch and snacks, free books, free transportation, and if they graduate, free tuition to University of Akron. He’ll also pay for their parents to get their GEDs, pay for childcare and pay for them to continue their own educations. It’s an incredible gesture of largesse and return to his... Read More

Translate