Old Rock Day

 Happy Old Rock Day!

"What is Old Rock Day", you may be asking? Well, since you all asked so nicely, I'm going to tell you! Old Rock Day is a day for celebrating geology, and geologists. The word "geology" comes from Ancient Greece, and it basically means "study of the earth". A person who studies geology is known as a geologist. Geologists study the rocks of the Earth and other worlds, as well as how they change over time. This branch of science overlaps with other Earth sciences due to, well, everything living on Earth.

Humanity's interest in the Earth and its rocks stretches as far back as antiquity. For example, in 540 BC, Greek poet and philosopher Xenophanes would describe the fossils of fish and shells he would find out in the mountains. The more famous Aristotle would make observations of how the Earth changed, with his Lyceum successor Theophrastus that would make the biggest leaps in geological study with his work On Stones. And no, it was not about being stoned. Either the punishment or being high. Although getting an Ancient Greek philosopher high sounds hilarious.

Interest and research would continue on. In the Middle Ages, Abu al-Rayhan al-Biruni wrote one of the earliest works on the geology of India, theorizing it was once a sea. Persian physician Ibn Sina and Chinese statesman Shen Kuo would also contribute greatly to the understanding of the Earth's geology during this time.

The first usage of the word 'geology' is credited to Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1603. The first large-scale geological maps would go on to be made by British geologist William Smith based on his studies of fossil records in the late 1700s. This would cause him to be regarded as the "Father of English Geology". In 1785, Scottish physician and agriculturalist James Hutton wrote a paper called "The Theory of the Earth", which he presented to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Studying the geology of his native Scotland, he theorized that rocks could be used to figure out the natural history of the Earth. As such, he became known as the father of modern geology. 

In 1809, Scottish geographer and cartographer William Maclure became 'The Father of American Geology' when he produced the first geographical map of the USA. And from there, many more men and women worked to find the secrets of our world's history through its rocks and fossils. 

So, yeah. Geology has been quite important to help the world's inhabitants understand this big ol' ball of rock and magma we live on. Just something to think on. Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!

National Bird Day

 Happy National Bird Day, everyone!

This day is for celebrating the wildly diverse species of bird throughout the world, from the pigeon to the ostrich. The heron to the eagle. The flamingo to the owl.

This day was created in 2002 by the Avian Welfare Coalition as a way to raise awareness of the importance of birds. You see, birds are a way of indicating the health of an ecosystem. If the birds are doing well, the rest of the ecosystem may be doing well. Birds are also living history, as they are the descendants of the dinosaurs. 

It's believed that there are 1,150 species of birds native to the United States alone. The largest known bird is the common ostrich of Africa, with males standing at over six feet tall and can weigh nearly 300 pounds. Common ostriches can't fly, but they are the fastest species of bird on land, able to briefly run at speeds of 40 mph. The smallest is a Caribbean bird called the bee hummingbird, which only is about 2 inches long and weighs less than an ounce. 

I wanted to write this short little blog entry commemorating this day because, well...I think birds are kind of neat, and I hope you do, too. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

U.S.Avengers #1 (January 2017)

If anyone has read my blog, they'd know that one of my absolute favorite superhero teams is the Avengers. Thanks to Kurt Busiek and George Perez, I was fan of Earth's Mightiest Heroes long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe made them a household name. 

One of the most interesting things about the Avengers is how the roster has evolved and changed over the 63 years of the team's existence (Yes, 2026 is the Avengers' 63rd Anniversary). Not just that, but the spin-offs the team has had over the years. West Coast Avengers, Solo Avengers, etc. Heck, there's a joke team called the Great Lakes Avengers. These spinoffs have allowed many heroes say they proudly have worn the Avengers' iconic "A" logo over the years. 

The Avengers have had an incredibly diverse roster over the years. And I'm not just talking about gods and aliens and robots. They've had members from all over the world, all different colors, creeds, and even sexual orientations. As such, I thought I'd look at an Avengers comic for my first review of 2026.

Avengers spin-off teams tend to have a gimmick. For example, the West Coast Avengers' gimmick was they were based in California. This team, the U.S.Avengers, is meant to have a theme of American patriotism. British writer Al Ewing wanted to explore American patriotism and its relationship with American citizens. So, let's take a look at U.S.Avengers #1! 

The cover is a Paco Medina, Juan Velasco, and Jesus Abertov piece. It's a basic cover, showing the roster of the team, but it is well-drawn. Also, it gives me the vibe of an American action movie poster. 

The story begins with...a flashback.

It's being told by Roberto da Costa. He talks about the day he wanted to be an American. The flashback shows him watching Magnum PI with his fellow original New Mutants: Sam "Cannonball" Guthrie, Rahne "Wolfsbane" Sinclair, Danielle "Mirage" Moonstar, and Xuan Cao "Karma" Manh. As shown in the New Mutants graphic novel, he had come to the Xavier Institute after his powers manifested and his girlfriend died. 

He remarks that he felt truly loved amongst his teammates. They all had their differences. They were from different countries, but they were able to bond and come together. They had become a little family. To him, that group was a microcosm of the United States. The melting pot, disparate and separate cultures coming together to form a mighty whole. As Roberto is recalling this, the Secret Empire is coming by to pay a visit. 

Page 3, Panels 1-2

They're packing what looks like what Ernst Blofeld would have if he had access to SHIELD technology: A helicarrier that is also a volcano base. I love comics. Conventional weapons can't scratch the paint on the thing, so our man Berto needs to bring out a big gun. Roberto makes a call to another man: a General Robert L. Maverick. God, that is such a gloriously 1980s name. He asks Maverick if it's been long enough, but Maverick says that the "safety lock" is still active. It will shut down in four minutes...and the Empire will arrive in America will arrive...in two minutes.

The scene then shifts to this young lady.

Page 3, Panel 1

Meet Dr. Toni Ho, the daughter of Ho Yinsen. I wonder if she's aware of the Sons of Yinsen from Joe Quesada's Iron Man run? Yinsen and her mother divorced when she was a kid. When she was a child, her father died saving Tony Stark's life in Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963). She never got the chance to tell her father about how she felt about her parents divorcing, and now she never will. It left her with a disdain for Stark, and she set out to be his better. High School was tough for her, being an Asian-American lesbian, but she showed to be a real good programmer and engineer, also managing to graduate from Caltech with three Ph.Ds. Much like Stark, she built a suit of power armor of her own. This suit is the latest incarnation of the Iron Patriot armor. 

Her Iron Patriot armor has no guns, no outright offensive weaponry. All its armaments are non-lethal/less-lethal stuff. Stun lasers, gas pellets, but most notably...it packs forcefields. 

Page 6, Panel 1

Her forcefields are able to slow the Secret Empire's flying HQ, but not stop it completely. But that's alright. Roberto has another member of the team in position: Aikku Jokinen, aka Enigma. 

Page 7, Panel 1

First appearing in Avengers #4 (January 2013), Jokinen was a Norwegian born to Finnish parents. She was bonded to an alien suit of armor known as Pod. After some shenanigans, she would be freed from Pod with the aid of Toni Ho, her eventual girlfriend. She infiltrated the Secret Empire HQ and starts wrecking house.

The HQ launches a lot of drones. Roberto has a plan for that: His old friend Cannonball and Squirrel Girl. Dorren Green's army of squirrels deal with the drones. Maverick's "safety lock" has switched off. Thanks to a special genetic plug-in, and now for one hour about every day and a half, Maverick can now become the new Red Hulk. And he does what a Hulk does best: Smash the sweet baby Jebus out of the Secret Empire's HQ. 

We then next see Sam Guthrie talking about himself. We've had talking head scenes like this throughout the comic so far. It isn't some fourth wall-breaking thing. They're actually making videos meant to be sent as internal memos to convince SHIELD that the U.S.Avengers and the new AIM are genuine in being the good guys. Sam asks about the videos, why they have so much flash, rah-rah USA, that kind of thing. Roberto points out that it's his flag. As well as Sam's. Doreen's. Toni's. As well as Aikku's if she wants it to be. That's what he believes in. He has to believe in the future...and a version of Captain America arrives. 

Page 16, Panel 3

Elsewhere, a man in a golden skull mask remarks to a crowd that there is no America. He believes that everyone is corrupt. That everyone lies. There are no guiding principles, there are no rules. There is only one truth: Get Yours, and Screw Everyone Else. The story ends with the Golden Skull welcoming his audience...to the $kullocracy. Yes, that is spelled right, it's supposed to have an American Dollar sign.

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2017 trade paperback U.S.Avengers Vol. 1: American Intelligence Mechanics.

National Science Fiction Day

Happy National Science Fiction Day, everyone!

"Why is this day Science Fiction Day", you may ask? Well, it's because on this day in 1920, Isaac Asimov was born. Well, Asimov himself considered this day his birthday, his actual birthdate is unknown. For those not in the know, Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a very prolific author in the genre, having penned and edited over 400 books in his lifetime. While he's most famous for science fiction, he's also written in the mystery and fantasy genres. Asimov would be regarded as one of the great sci-fi authors, most known for his Foundation, Galactic Empire, and Robot series. In fact, he coined the word "robotics". 

I myself happen to be a bit of a fan of science fiction. Mainly thanks to Star Trek. As a kid, I was obsessed with space. I loved spaceships. My dad and I would watch Star Trek together, and it really helped mold me as a person. I own several Star Trek novels, my favorite one being Strike Zone from 1989. I must have read that one like, four times. I bought it at my local library. Dollar well-spent. 

Science fiction has been a big part of my life, and I hope you spend some time enjoying some, whether it's watching a movie or TV show, or reading a book/comic. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone!

Hope you all have a wonderful day today, and may 2026 be a good year for you!

2025, The Positives

2025 has been...well, it's been a year, hasn't it? It's been rough for a lot of people. However, it hasn't been all hopeless.

That's right, 2025 did have some positives. Allow me to show you some, courtesy of the Good News Network.

- The fisher returns to Ohio. For those not in the know, a fisher is a carnivorous mammal native to North America. They're mustelids, meaning they're related to weasels, otters, and badgers. Ohio used to be a major home to the fisher, until the 18th century, when they were nearly hunted to extinction by fur trappers. Since 2013, fishers have been spotted more and more in the state, the fruit of efforts by conservation groups to maintain healthy ecosystems. 

- King Amenhotep III statues rise again. 1,200 years ago, a pair of statues of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III were damaged by an earthquake. Since the late 1990s, a team of Egyptian and German experts have worked to reassemble and repair the statues. On this month, the fully-restored statues were displayed in Luxor. 

- Fluor Field revitalizes a South Carolina town. Fluor Field is a baseball stadium located in Greenville, South Carolina. Since 2006, the 6,700-seat stadium is the home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Boston Red Sox. The field is meant to replicate Fenway Park, the Red Sox's own home stadium, even having its own version of the famous "Green Monster". Since the field was built, it has helped revitalize the city. It has generated nearly $300 million for the city's economy and transformed a seedy part of the city into an area full of high-rises and hotels. The power of sports indeed.

- ANEW celebrates 20 years of recycling office furniture. On Earth Day 2005, interior designer Rose Tourje founded ANEW. She found inspiration by seeing some office furniture being accidentally tossed out a window to the ground where forklifts were filling dumpsters to go to landfills. Since then, ANEW has worked with numerous companies to reduce office waste while helping benefit the less fortunate. 

- Blind man cooks barbeque. In Duncanville, Texas, there is a barbecue restaurant that is rather unique. That's because the chef, Christopher Jones, is blind. Having lost his eyesight due to diabetes, he started a restaurant here he cooks his grandfather's recipes using his other four senses, mainly smell. Just goes to show that just because one is disabled, doesn't mean they still cannot contribute to society.

- Japanese college student becomes American football hero. Kansei Matsuzawa was a talented soccer player in his native Japan during his high school days. After graduating from Makuhari Sogo High School in 2017, he went on a trip to the USA. He would end up seeing his first NFL game there, and he saw himself in the kickers. Inspired, he returned to Japan where he learned how to kick footballs by watching YouTube videos of Seattle Seahawks player Jason Myers. He would go on to play for the University of Hawaii's Rainbow Warriors, where he not only became known as "The Tokyo Toe", he became the very first University of Hawaii player to be named an All-American in 2025. Just goes to show that talent knows no borders. 

- Frenchman saves family from a burning building in Paris. Fousseyneu Cisse never expected to be a hero. But when the 39-year-old immigrant receptionist saw that a group of people were trapped inside a burning apartment building, his inner Superman emerged. Cisse climbed to an adjacent building and helped rescue two adults and six children. A spectator had filmed his heroic act, and it went viral in France. He would be invited to be a guest of honor at the country's Bastille Day parade by French President Emmanuel Macron, and Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez awarded him a ceremonial medal. Through it all, Cisse was humble, saying that he was told to act by his heart. 

- A scorpion's venom may be able to fight breast cancer. Scientists in Brazil have discovered that the venom of the Amazonian scorpion known as Brotheas Amazonicus appeared to fight breast cancer cells much like modern chemotherapy medicine does. They discovered that a peptide in the venom called BamazScplp1 is the reason, and it could lead to a new therapy to help save the lives of people with breast cancer. 

2025 was full of bright spots. Scientific advancements and people working to make the world better. Hopefully, 2026 will continue to provide little bits of light like against the darkness. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time, and have a very happy and safe New Year!

International Cello Day