Monday Morning Commute: Dead Hero, Dead Men, Lively Coffee
Those two fiendish goblins Boredom and Apathy are running amok, hoping to infiltrate the brain-bone of any unsuspecting humanoid. In the current system, the one that drags us down and demands we work far too long for far too little of a reward, they are highly successful. After all, Bordeom and Apathy sit outside of offices and follow workers home, striking just as TV-dinners are microwaved. But there is a refuge, a small oasis in the desert of the modern condition. And you know what?
You’ve arrived.
Welcome, my babies, to the Monday Morning Commute. This is the place where we share our ideas about the upcoming week. Here, we stave off malaise and depression and lack of enthusiasm! Join me!
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Mourning / Irvin Kershner
Irvin Kerschner is dead. You know what that means, don’t you? That’s right, the last director to helm an amazing Star Wars flick is no longer a passenger on Spaceship Earth. The Empire Strikes Back isn’t just a credible sequel or a fantastic piece of science fiction, it’s one of the most affective stories I’ve ever experienced.
What makes the movie magical isn’t the mind-blowing special effects or the incredible battles – although they are appreciated – it’s the abundance of relatable elements of humanity. Friends are torn apart. Lovers seek passionate infernos, only to have complications extinguish the embers. An individual pushes himself to the limits of his capabilities, only to undermine his progress by leaving early. Hell, there’s even a suave black dude with a cape.
I have no doubt in my mind that without Irvin Kershner, The Empire Strikes Back would not be the masterpiece we know it as today. Hopefully he’s chilling in Heaven blue-ghost style, chatting it up with Richard Marquand. Hell, maybe they’ll even take it upon themselves to haunt Lucas on Christmas Eve, showing him the error of his ways.
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Reading / Y: The Last Man
Okay, okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking: How’ve you never read Y: The Last Man before? In truth, I’m not sure. I think the title slipped by me as when I got back into comics (sometime around 2005) a few years of issues were already underway. But since I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about Brian K. Vaughn’s seminal work, I decided to give it a shot. Also, it didn’t hurt that Webhead Comics (if you’re ever in the Greater Boston area, you need to check this place out) had an amazing Black Friday sale.
I’m three issues into Unmanned, the first trade, and I’m damn hooked. In case you don’t know the premise: for some mysterious reason, all of the male mammals on Earth have died, with the exception of Yorick and his pet monkey Ampersand. There are some serious political overtones, both since Yorick’s mother is a Congresswoman and there are hints the male-extinction might be militarily-induced. There’re also some hints of science fiction, as the potential for cloning has been intimated. And of course, there’s action-abound and gunfights at least once an issue.
I’m still early into the series, but it’s piqued my interest. Certainly a far cry from what many of my comrades hoped would come about if they were the last man on Earth.
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Drankin’ / Coffee
Today marked the first day back to work since the glorious Thanksgiving break. Needless to say, the day beat me over the head with a steel chair. And then it dropped the leg.
Luckily, I was able to power through the day with the assistance of boiled dirt-water. Or, if you prefer, coffee. Most days I take my thought-juice straight-up black, with no sugar to boot. But today I felt a little more adventurous. So what I did was, I spruced up my morning coffee with a tablespoon of honey and some vanilla soymilk.
Go ahead. Laugh it up, fuzzball. You can scoff at my beverage choice and call me a metrosexual. I’m fine with that. Because the bottom line is that cold Monday mornings in November don’t just chill the skin, they chill the soul. And my ridiculous honey-vanilla-coffee-creature warms it back up.
I just hope I don’t suffer delirium.
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These are the newest tenants of my mind. Who is living in your head this week?