"Things In July"

Well, I see where the "Marvel Superhero U. S. Postage Stamps" will be at the post office Thursday the 26th. Naturally I'll buy me a sheet and never use them, but frame them and hang them on my wall as a bookend to the DC Comics set I previously purchased. Looks like some pretty good choices of characters and covers this time around, though Lord knows "why" they decided they needed "Spider-WOMAN" in the set.

And, in keeping with my plan on eliminating my home phones completely and getting cellular phones soon, I purchased one of the "tracpones" for myself, just to get used to the idea. Not sure yet what my plan will eventually be on my pc, though. I'd like to eliminate the DSL connection and just go back to a dial-up since my pc's so ancient. However, IF I get a new upgraded pc, then I'll need it, especially if I plan on doing on-line auctions in the future. That's how the telephone companies sort of have one by the honchos. You need a connection if you wanna pc, but if you have cell phones you don't need a phone line for anything else. Any hoo, I think I'll see what sort of various plans the phone company in these parts have regarding such. Perhaps they offer a cell phone plan and I can just keep my high speed pc connection as well.

Finally got my push lawnmower fixed again. Two little pieces that fit in the head cover had come loose which turn the router, spinning/starting the crankshaft. I had been taking the whole unit off from the motor and replacing these each time just to get the thing started, but today I went by a local lawnmower repair shop and just bought a new cover, so now all is well again. Mowed my lawn, then went over to my folk's place and used their riding mower to do as much as I could with it on their yard, then brought it back home and finished mowing my large back yard. Still need to finish the trim at their place.

My birthday (back on the 17th.) went rather uneventful. Mostly used the day off to do many photocopies for a planned project collecting pretty much all of the "Elmo Jenkins" stories, strips, spot cartoons, ad use, etc., etc. I've done over the past nearly 40 years. I'm getting there with it. (More on that another time when things progress a bit with this project.)

Won a copy of the Super Comics reprint Plastic Man #18 recently and got that in, only to win yet another of those; a #16, and an issue I really remember the most due to it's John Severin cover art. Haven't gotten it in yet, but anxiously awaiting it. Still looking for the other (and first) of those Super Comic reprints, a #11, which is easily found on eBay auctions IF you want to pay the price for it. The cheapest copy I've seen is in VG+ for $25., which is a bit more than it's worth to me, but maybe a cheaper copy will eventually turn up somewhere. Speaking of "Plas", I also won a copy of the original Quality Comics series, #64 (from 1956), which was the last issue they published. Got it very reasonably due to it having the first page gone (but otherwise complete). Don't know "why" I've been on a Plastic Man binge here lately, but I've really got most issues of the character that interest me outside of the originals from the 1940-50's, such as the 1966 DC #1 with Gil Kane art, House of Mystery #160 (which re-introduced the character in the silver-age and tested the waters for his return) and the first 10 or so that Kyle Baker did in a series of late. Later issues of the DC series didn't interest me as much due to the artwork. Oh yeah, and I have that DC Special which reprints Jack Cole stories (some fine stuff, there!)

Having some problems with my printer. It's one of those disposable Lexmark ones; a Z730. this makes the 3rd. such Lexmark 9and the LAST one, ever) I've had, with previous ones being the Z11 and Z25. Those printers worked "well enuff" for my needs, but when I'd go to get a new cartridge the store clerks would tell me each time that that particular model had been discontinued and I had to get a different one. This was pretty annoying. But I do have a HP printer around here that just needs an ink cartridge if this one goes out as a back-up.

As I was saying...problems...this time with a new ink cartridge, a black one, that prints dark GREEN! Oh well...at least it's readable.

Things are work have picked up some, but they're still just working only one or two of us at a time. Makes it difficult at times to keep the place stocked, especially if they get in new tools.

Watched both the new "Fantastic Four" flick as well as "Transformers". I think what bothers me the most with these superhero flicks is that they wanna cram too damn much story into a single film. Here we've had 2 FF flicks and in the original storylines that'd bring us up to around #55 or so. There was at least one too many plots going on there. "Surfer" looked good, though. And the "Transformers" flick was actually well-made, but around 30-45 minutes too long. Too much crap thrown in there, but the special effects were excellant, and what I expected from such an adaptation. I give the FF flick a "B" and the Transformers a "B+". (Wanna see "Stardust" next.)

Also "tried" to watch "Diehard 4". Got into the flick for maybe a half hour before turning it off to finish some other time. (What I did see of it I'd give a "C-".)

Dat's 'bout it.