WonderCon SF Comic Book Convention: Why You Should Be There

WonderCon SF, the Comic Book Convention coming this Friday and running through Sunday at The Moscone Convention Center South, is going to be amazing. In brief, here's why you should be there for the 25th anniversary of this event!

- First, all of the major comic book publishers of note, and some not of note, will be there. From DC and Marvel Comics, to Dark Horse, Aspen, IDW, BOOM! (who's partnered with Stan Lee), SLG, and many more.

- Second, special guests, like Joe Field, who started the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Award (and lives in Concord), one of the first alternative comics publishers Mike Friedrich, and former WonderCon program director Bryan Uhlenbrock.

- Third, STARS, like Ryan Reynolds for The Green Lantern, the next Superman, Henry Cavill and the entire cast of Immortals, and legends like Jim Kelly, who this blogger interviewed last year:



And of course, geek and nerd culture, which is another way of saying tech, games, fun, and frivolity.

Visit the WonderCon site for more info. And follow Zennie62 on Twitter.

Crisis in Libya: Al Franken Gets It

Did you watch the President's speech on Monday night? Reviews are mixed, naturally, depending on the agenda of the reviewer. Here's a quick sampling before moving beyond the pundits to talk about Senator Franken's pragmatic action.

@thenation
The Nation

Obama tries, without success, to explain an undeclared war. By John Nichols. http://bit.ly/fxeZq0

From the other end of the spectrum:

@NewsHour
NewsHour


Pres. Obama accomplished three main goals to three distinct audiences at his speech on #Libya http://ow.ly/4oHYO

Even people who felt Gadhafi was presiding over a beastly, cruel, and violent repression of Libyan citizens are rightly concerned about the cost, particularly given how the two major U.S. military operations in the last decade added to the deficit. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) is set to introduce a bill to assure that military operations, such as the undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, don’t get a free pass to float a check - that military spending won't add to our national debt.

Senator Franken has expressed concerns about the potential cost of military operations in Libya, saying, "You know, so far the administration said we can pay for it in the regular military budget but at a certain point, that may not be the case." Franken continues to be a forceful presence in the Senate, focusing on productive work rather than simply posturing for the press.

The debate will continue about what we should have done about the slaughter of civilians, and what the role of the U.S. government and diplomacy should be outside our borders. With so much of our budget already dedicated to the military I'm glad somebody has the courage to face reality and confront the hard choices we face instead of passing the cost-burden along. Thank you, Senator Franken.

Thomas Hayes is a New Media Advisor, Political Consultant, Journalist, Entrepreneur, and former Congressional Campaign Manager; he believes in "follow the money" when following politics, and continues his 12-step recovery from the years spent as a Programmer/Database Administrator by carrying his camera nearly everywhere and writing on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

You can follow Tom as @kabiu on twitter. Tweet

2011 NFL Draft: Did Blaine Gabbert Twitter Tweet Stutterer Was An Idiot?

Missouri Quarterback Blaine Gabbert (pictured with a bass posted at plixi.com), who's stock has risen amazingly high since he smartly chose CAA and Tom Condon to represent him, now has the spotlight bright on him, and has to be really careful, particularly with social media.

But first, this CAA aside.

This blogger is suspicious that CAA's Condon's choices seem to get on a media hype train. Yes, Tom Condon has represented seven of the past eight overall NFL Draft number one picks, but that doesn't happen without a whole train of people working in concert to make that happen, including the media: in January, Sports Illustrated's Andrew Perloff (also of The Dan Patrick Show), and who's a friend of this blogger, made a point of referring to CAA and Tom Condon (who also represents the Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning) as a "powerful agency."

Why Andrew? Powerful how?

My Spider-Sense tells me that, on top of hiring former NFL coaches like Terry Shea to help Gabbert, CAA Football works the press. To have so many writers refer to one person as "powerful" - producing 57,100 results in a Google search when one controls for "tom condon" - is down right scary and interesting.

Does the media fear upsetting Condon? I guess we'll see. The former head of IMG Football has a ton of great relationships, and he is personable, from experience, but that doesn't mean one can't question why one of his clients is rising so fast, in this case, Blaine Gabbert.

Whatever the reason, social media provides a small window into who Blaine Gabbert is.

Blaine Gabbert On Twitter

From his Twitter page @BlaineGabbert, we will learn that Gabbert likes to fish. A lot, it appears. Moreover, the Mizzou signal-caller who was one bad call away from an Insight Bowl win seems pretty good at it.

But when it comes to referring to one "Stuttering Stanley," on Twitter, out in the open Gabbert shows poor judgement, that is if he cares about what NFL owners are going to think about him.

In a tweet exchange with Missouri Basketball Guard Kim English, Gabbert appeared to be referring to a classmate called "Stuttering Stanley" as an, in caps, IDIOT. This is how it went down:

Englishscope24 Kim English
Its going smooth as the 08 #CottonBowl RT @Hogtrough Hey @englishscope24 how is the speech impediment coming along? Stuttering Stanley!
10 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

One of the people who retweeted that statement was Gabbert:

Englishscope24 Kim English
by BlaineGabbert
Its going smooth as the 08 #CottonBowl RT @Hogtrough Hey @englishscope24 how is the speech impediment coming along? Stuttering Stanley!
10 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

And then he tweeted...

BlaineGabbert Blaine Gabbert
@Englishscope24 that dude is an IDIOT
10 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

And English tweeted back..

Englishscope24 Kim English
@
@BlaineGabbert lol. Yea. "Stuttering Stanley" was a big hit in 3rd grade.
10 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Now to the common reader is looks like Gabbert's referring to someone who stutters as an idiot. Presumably because that person has a speech impediment. In a time when many are hyper-sensitive to such comments and tweets, for Gabbert to allow himself to look like someone who would do such a thing shows that the CAA hype machine has a weakness when it comes to social media.

Mr. Condon's got to sit down with his client.

Now, peering deeper into the tweets, it looks like Gabbert was referring to another person on Twitter, and involving issues surrounding the departure of Missouri Basketball Coach Mike Anderson to Arkansas. But it's not clear, and English's tweet about "Stuttering Stanley" being "a hit" in the 3rd grade points away from the possibility.

And even if Gabbert was actually making fun of English, the choice of words in that situation was terrible considering what's on the line: the difference between being the number one pick in the NFL Draft and a $50 million bonus, versus a lower level, say, number 22, and a $10 million bonus.

Or even less.

The message is clear: Mr. Blaine Gabbert, you're in the public spotlight now. A public figure. People are watching what you tweet on Twitter. Be careful.

One wrong tweet could cost you millions.

YouTube Has Charlie Sheen | Sheen, Learn From Renetto, Stop Playing

YouTube, where this blogger is a YouTube Partner, has finally added Charlie Sheen as what has to be the 15,001st partner. To that, "Welcome Charlie Sheen," from Zennie62, now please subscribe to Zennie62 on YouTube, and after that action, pay attention to this advice, encapsulated in this classic video from the second YouTube "AsOne" meetup, held at Pier 39 In San Francisco on Febraury 19, 2007:



In in, Renetto, who's name is Paul Robinette, one of the first YouTube Stars going back to 2006, has great advice for any YouTuber and especially Charlie Sheen. They are:

1) Don't get upset with video comments
2) Don't delete video comments.
3) Don't block anyone, even trolls.
4) Plan your videos before you do them (when possible).
5) Use the YouTube video to hold a conversation with your viewers.

Renetto encourages free conversation from his viewers. As he said in the video, "even if they hate me, they respect me because they know it's free." In other words, viewers know he will allow them to express themselves. A tall rule to live by - and a hard one because some people can be cruel - but it's worth it to build an engaged community.

The current crop of Charlie Sheen YouTube videos don't talk to anyone and have useless pronouncements that are worth seeing once, then not again. Take this video:



And here's more advice from Zennie62:

1) Add a description to your videos, using keywords to make them easier to find in a search.
2) Place a link to your Twitter page in your YouTube channel page.
3) Add links to your website or blog (need to make one first) from your video page.

Charlie Sheen will get a ton of subscribers on YouTube, but he can do a lot better. Sheen can contribute to the YouTube experience by having a conversation with his viewers.

That's a lot art on YouTube. Many, this blogger included, have got too caught up in making shows and monologues. (But interviews are valuable, and another form of conversation, so that style will remain.)

Renetto showed the way of the vlogger; it's time to return to it.

2011 NFL Draft: Why Blaine Gabbert When Colin Kaepernick Is Better?

It's funny how, every year before The NFL Draft, there's this attempt to establish consensus about a potential NFL player using the wildest reasons, then calling that collection of thoughts logic. The practice remains for the 2011 NFL Draft when talking about Missouri Quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Let's get this out there: Blaine Gabbert is not a better quarterback than Nevada Quarterback Colin Kaepernick (in photo). Period. And since Mr. Kaepernick's projected for the 2nd round of the NFL Draft, there's no logical reason Mr. Gabbert should be ahead of him. That's too much money to spend for someone who's not going to immediately start and lacks Cam Newton's intangibles.

You say Gabbert's got size at 6'5; Colin Kaepernick's 6'6. You tell me Gabbert had a 127 passer rating in 2010? Well, Kaepernick was never below a 132 rating for his entire college career. Ok, now you point to "character," well, Kaepernick's got that too, though frankly "character" is overrated.

This video shows the kind of system Gabbert played in, and while it's one that's favored here, frankly, it's very much like the one both Kaepernick and Cam Newton played in - all are variations of spread systems.

So, look at how Gabbert responds to being rushed in this video. Moreover, point to one segment where Blaine completes a throw downfield in close coverage.



Now, even though this video is about Nevada's Tight End Virgil Green, Kaepernick's throwing to him. Watch the quick decisions, mobility, throwing poise, and passing style.



Now think about it.

Why is a person who plays that well ranked below one who does not? Agents, college, and hype. That's all.

Colin Kaepernick was the best at The Senior Bowl. He was the best thrower at the NFL Combine.
Colin Kaepernick is better than Blaine Gabbert.

Amy Adams Is Lois Lane, But Do We Need "Superman" To Be "Realistic"?

The internet's abuzz with the news that the up-and-coming Actress Amy Adams (pictured) was selected to play "Lois Lane," and joining Actor Henry Cavill, who will play "Superman / Clark Kent" in Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder's version of Superman - yet another "reboot" called Superman The Man Of Steel.

Congratulations to the hard-working and hot Amy Adams, who's getting great roles and knocking them out of the park.

Ok, but regarding Superman The Man Of Steel, here's a problem.

Well, two problems.

First, "Superman" was just done before, called Superman Returns and very recently in 2006 by Bryan Singer. That version of Superman was hard to sit through because it was too realistic. Yes, "realistic" because it tried to tackle how Superman could hear all that was going on in the World and decide to swoop in on the unsuspecting bad people, or the doomed victims of a disaster.

The result was a picture of a very lonely Superman just hanging in space eavesdropping on everyone else's life, while neglecting any chance to have one of his own with Lois Lane or some drinking buddies at a local bar.

In short, Superman looked pathetic, and a far cry from the character the late Christopher Reeve gave cinematic life to a generation ago.

Now, we're forced to consume yet another take on Superman just six years later? That's a little much. Moreover, the new version comes with the built-in risk that a new generation of Superman watchers will not be able to enjoy John Williams classic score should Snyder elect not to use it, or refer to it. (Please use it!)

Second, the idea of a "realistic" Superman calls up a script from memory that was flying around the Internet and became the basis for Hancock, starring Will Smith. Called Tonight He Comes, by Vy Vincent Ngo, it was a "realistic" portrait of a super man, alright - one who was a very jaded-with-the-system, bitter, and extremely sexually frustrated super man.

(Have doubts? Read it yourself: Tonight He Comes. That's a realistic Superman.)

And if that's at all like the picture Snyder's going to paint for Superman The Man Of Steel, and if Zack saw that script by Ngo and it became part of his idea for this new Superman, then Superman as we know it - or know him - is dead.

And replaced by a person who's all too super human, all the way down to how he has "fun" to make up for his inability to keep the woman he loves, and its "impact" on bathroom walls.

Frankly, that's not a side of Superman I'm interested in seeing.

What About A Real Strong Woman?

Meanwhile, will we ever see a Super Woman played by a real strong woman? A chic with muscles? A female bodybuilder or fitness model? Judging by the looks of NBC's up-coming Wonder Woman, we're in for another skinny, watered-down version of a woman who can lift and throw a big rig - and all that in an era where women have no problem showing their guns, and guys love it.

Is there any reason why Zack Snyder can't give us that kind of realism?

Just asking.

Limitless: Bradley Cooper Makes Good Pill Of A Movie (Movie Review)

Limitless is a good movie. The story of Edward Morra (Bradley Cooper from The Hangover) is told in a great mix of jump cuts, brain activity animation, and other cinematic tricks, all for the purpose of making you feel the kind of rush, then disorientation that Morra feels after taking pill after pill of a drug called "NZT." It's the kind of movie that makes you think of what you're not doing to achieve your own potential, then shows you what people will do to maintain the success they reach after doing so.

Limitless was, for a time while watching it, an excellent Oscar "Best Picture" candidate, and it still may be, but for this blogger it fell off about three-quarters of the way through it.

After great pacing and a wild rush of cool dialog and contemporary scenes of New York City (as well as Cooper's great scenes with his girlfriend girlfriend Abbie Cornish and with Robert De Niro, who plays someone not unlike real life Investment Banker Henry Kravitz), Limitless slows down and you can almost feel the audience lose interest. One woman in the theater even fell asleep for that part of the movie.

It's as if the director, Neil Burger, and screenwriter Leslie Dixon, didn't quite know what next to do with Morra. Then, one scene where Morra drinks the blood spilled by his would-be assailant in an effort to get some more NZT in his system, was a bit much for me. That's about where it went from a "9" to a solid "7.5."

Still, Limitless is a good movie. What's especially nice is that it's modern: Bradley Cooper gets it on with women of every race and location, it seem, from black, Asian, and white, to women from overseas. That was cool, and it's great to see Hollywood come into the 21st Century.

Check out Limitless, it's a good pill of a movie.