International Rock Day

Today is International Rock Day!

The history of how this day came about is rather vague, but the goal of the day is clear: the celebration of rocks! Because, well...they rock, ha ha!

Yeah, sorry. All rocks on earth come in three main forms:
- Igneous: These rocks started out as molten magma and are formed when it cools. Naturally, you mostly find these around volcanoes. Granite is an igneous rock, for example. It's comprised of magma with a high silica content.
- Sedimentary: These rocks are formed by sediments (like minerals or organic matter) basically being cemented together thanks to the effects of erosion. Sedimentary rock covers over 70% of the Earth's land mass, but it only comprises a small amount of the Earth's crust. It's basically a covering. One example of sedimentary rock is sandstone, which is rock formed, naturally, from sand.
- Metamorphic: Metamorphic rock is formed when a rock is changed into a new form thanks to heat and pressure, hence the name. Igneous and sedimentary rocks can be changed into metamorphic rocks. Marble is an example of metamorphic rock, formed when limestone (a sedimentary rock), undergoes the metamorphic process.

Rocks are also rather important to human development. It's believed that humans and earlier hominids started making tools from rocks in the Lower Paleolithic Era. Stone tools found near Lake Turkana in Kenya from 2011 to 2014 have been dated to be about 3.3 million years old. As time went on, these stone tools would evolve further, until the development of metallurgy caused rock tools and weapons to be superseded by metals like bronze and copper.

So, yeah. Rocks are pretty darn neat. Check out some today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!

DC Comics Presents #85 (September 1985)

When you're a superhero in the DC Universe, one can say you did not have it made until you got to team up with the "big guns". In said universe, that usually means meeting with a member of the Justice League, like say, Green Lantern, or Wonder Woman, or perhaps...Superman.

Superman teaming up with other heroes is nothing new. The DCU is full of them, and Superman even had his own book dedicated to his teaming up with other superheroes: DC Comics Presents. Going from 1978 to 1986, the book lasted 97 issues and got four Annuals. 

The issue we're looking at this week is a rather...unusual team-up. After all, Superman and the Swamp Thing are two characters that really did not have a lot in common. After all, one is an alien refugee (Yes, Superman is a refugee), and the other was a scientist-turned swamp monster. But that doesn't really matter when it comes to facing a common threat. This is DC Comics Presents #85!

The cover is a Rick Veitch piece. It depicts what looks like an angry Superman blasting away at the Swamp Thing with...white energy circle vision? I think it's meant to be depicted as using maybe his X-Ray or heat vision, but they tend to not be portrayed that way. The cover has that painted look to it. I like that. It gives the impression I'm looking at the cover of an old paperback novel. 

"The Jungle Line"
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciler: Rick Veitch
Inker: Al Williamson
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins on Interstate 55, a road that goes from Illinois to Louisiana. A car is making its way southwards, the hot sun baking it like it was a delicious muffin. Mmm...muffin...

A man is driving down this road, sickly and sweating. But this man is no regular driver with a bad head cold. This is a man who should not get sick. Who should be immune to all Earthly disease. 

The Man of Steel swore he would never go on a bender on Thanagar ever again.

As Moore himself said, the Man of Steel is heading down south to die. As he drives, he starts seeing bizarre hallucinations. He sees blood-soaked forests, with all sorts of strange animals. So, what is going on here? How did one of the mightiest heroes in the DCU end up in this state?

No problem, you're getting one. We go back a bit earlier, when Clark Kent and Lana Lang were sent to cover a discovery made in a meteorite.

"The fungus seems to enjoy cursing us out..."

The meteorite itself is not the big deal. After all, they hit Earth all the time. But this particular meteorite has a strange alien fungus on it. It's quite a find, even though they're in a world that has its fair share of contact with alien life, Superman being one of the main examples of it. However, unlike the Man of Steel, this fungus won't resist thorough research. As Lana asks the scientist, a Dr. Everett, about the fungus, Clark secretly uses his microscopic vision on it, discovering that the fungus is Kryptonian. He feigns dizziness to leave the conference. Using his superhuman memory (remember, this is pre-Crisis Superman), he identifies the fungus.

"By Rao, Thanagarians used to make cheese with this stuff!"

The Kryptonian scientific name for it was avarel uthotis, but its common name was the bloodmorel. Native to the Scarlet Jungle on Krypton, it's a dangerous little fungus. It can permeate the skin and grows in the bloodstream. Symptoms of exposure include fever, bouts of incapacitation, hallucinations, chronic overexertion...and in 92% of all cases of infection...death.

The next day, Clark notices his powers are going haywire. They fade in and out. He takes the subway home instead of flying because of this. That night, he starts having hallucinations.

"Your underwear kept making dirty jokes, so we didn't invite them."

Yeah, imagine your clothes arguing over what you should do about your fate. Dr. Everett lets Superman take the meteorite to examine. I can imagine that Superman told him he wanted to make sure the fungus wasn't dangerous to humans. Superman tries to examine the meteorite with his microscopic vision until it cuts out. He accepts he's a dead man walking and tries to head somewhere to let the illness take its course, so...he goes down south. According to the comic, there are no superheroes based in the Southern US. That sounds so weird to me. He also takes the meteorite with him for...some reason. 

Clark falls asleep at the wheel, causing the car to crash. Thankfully, our man's invulnerability was working, so he survives it. He stumbles out of the car, still clutching the meteorite. He hallucinates that he's in the Scarlet Jungle on Krypton. Hey, this was supposed to be a teamup between Superman and Swamp Thing, right? So, where's the other half of this teamup? Where's ol' Swampy?

"Alright, who's making all this goldarn noise in my goldarn forest?!"

There he is! Swampy notices that Clark seems to still be alive after all of that which leads him to wonder who this man is. Meanwhile, Superman's long strange trip takes a turn for the darker.

"We're actually the most beautiful creatures here!"

Yup, the creatures taunt our man, saying that he's lived too long. He was supposed to have died on Krypton. He should not have outlived his world. Which is hilarious as by this point in the pre-Crisis continuity, he's not the only survivor. Supergirl, all the criminals in the Phantom Zone, etc. The creatures become skeletal and demand he join them in death.

Back in the real world, the former Alec Holland examines the alien fungus on the meteorite. Naturally, he doesn't recognize the species. He tries to establish contact with the fungus, only to get painful sensations. Sensations of a burning red sun. Sensations of crushing gravity. He realizes, "Yup, this thing ain't from Earth". Swampy looks at the downed Clark and realizes he may know who this man is.

Back in Hallucination Land, Superman tries to fight the skeletal monsters, screaming that he is not dead, nor does he belong there. They can't keep him here, as he is Superman. Swamp Thing opens Clark's jacket, revealing the Superman costume underneath. It's then that the Man of Steel wakes up and gives Swampy a warm greeting.

"AUGH! MY GLUBOK!"

Thankfully, the ex-Alec Holland is made of swamp muck, so he'll live, and the hole Superman blasted in him will heal up. While he heals, he watches the feverish Superman yell and scream, lost in his hallucinations. His screams knock trees down, wild heat vision melts boulders. His body is going into overdrive, which will burn him out and kill him.

Swampy has to help Superman, calm him down, and find a way to cleanse his system. But the fungus got the Metropolis Marvel all messed up. There's no way to get through to him, unless...the fungus!

Swamp Thing touches Superman's shoulder with one hand, and the fungus with another. This allows the former Alec Holland to get into Clark's mind, see his hallucinations.

"Oh man, Lois is going to murder me for forgetting to clean this basement."

Superman crushes his hand, naturally thinking that Swampy is another hallucination. He tells Superman he is dying. The Man of Tomorrow tries to fight Swamp Thing, but Alec is able to get through to him, pointing out that he's overexerting himself, burning himself out. Alec tells Superman to touch his hand and uses...the color green to heal him.

Ecto Cooler can cure anything! Even alien fungi!

His job done here, Alec leaves to let Superman rest. He's going to be just fine now. Yeah, the forest looks like a warzone, but he'll be fine.

Superman wakes up, feeling right as rain. The fungus has been purged from his system, and his powers are back in working order. He flies off, feeling refreshed and renewed. Swamp Thing is happy about this, the story ending with him wandering back into the swamps, as the sun rises to signal a bright new day. 

I did enjoy this issue. What I did like about it is that it's not your typical team-up story. Yes, it does use the formula of old-school team-up stories (The heroes meet, fight, then join forces), but it uses them in a unique way. 

The one main thing about the story that confuses me is how Superman got infected by the Kryptonian fungus. He didn't touch the meteorite, he presumably did not breathe any of the fungus, so how did he get infected? And also, how come nobody else was infected by the fungus? Did it just ignore humans? Also, how exactly did Swamp Thing heal Superman? Did he just...use the color green? Yeah, the story is a bit vague in places, if you couldn't tell. I did get a good chuckle out of the scene with the Clark Kent suit and 

I also liked the artwork. It had a good sense of storytelling, and the renditions of the hallucinatory monsters are terrifying. 

If you want to read this for yourself, check out the 2011 trade paperback DC Universe by Alan Moore. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Se you next time!

Capybara Appreciation Day

Today is Capybara Appreciation Day!

Capybaras are a species of rodent native to South America. They are the largest species of rodent, able to reach 3.48 to 4.40 feet in length, and can weigh between 77 to 146 pounds in weight as adults. They live near bodies of water in savannas and dense forests. 

The name capybara comes from an amalgamation of words in the Indigenous Brazilian Tupi language, meaning "grass-eater". 

World Chocolate Day

 Today is World Chocolate Day!

Chocolate is mainly produced from cocoa beans. The plants that produce these beans are native to the tropical areas of the Americas, mainly in South America. This plant was first domesticated around 5,300 years ago in what is now Ecuador by the Mayo-Chinchipe. They served it as a bitter drink mixed with spices and corn. This would spread to Latin America, where there is a modern descendant of this drink served in southern Mexico and Central America: Chilate. From there, it would spread further to Pueblo peoples in what is now the Southwest USA. 

Chocolate would be introduced to Europeans in the 16th century, thanks to Chistopher Columbus seized a canoe used by natives to trade, which had cocoa beans. However, it would be Spanish friars that would make the big impact, thanks to them introducing chocolate to the Spanish royals. It was originally a luxury item, enjoyed only by the rich, where sugar was added to counter its natural bitterness. But when the steam engine was invented in the 1700s, it became possible to mass-produce chocolate. It would also help lead to the rise of the transatlantic slave trade.

Improvements in technology, like Walter Churchman's mechanical cocoa grinder in 1729, and Dutch chemist Coenradd van Houten's press that removed half the natural fat from chocolate, made chocolate cheaper and easier to produce, also allowing its transition from strictly a drink. In the late 19th century, several chocolate companies were born. Some are still around today, like Cadbury and Hershey.

Chocolate has had a long history, and if you want to learn more, you can read here and here. Thanks for reading this blog entry and treat yourself to some chocolate! See you next time!

Captain America #20 (August 1999)

Since the 4th of July was this week, I thought I would take a look at a comic starring a character that is supposed to embody what the Unites States is supposed to be: Captain America! 

Over his many decades of adventures, Steve Rogers has generally been able to count on one thing to have his back: His iconic round shield. Composed of a unique vibranium-iron alloy, this shield is for intents and purposes, indestructible. However, just because something seems indestructible, doesn't mean it actually is. Like many characters, Rogers has undergone his fair share of status quo changes, and yes, some of them involve the mighty shield. 

The comic we're looking at today is part of Mark Waid's run on the character, where his shield got mysteriously shattered, and was forced to use one made of energy for the time being. But it turned out the shattering was part of a bigger problem. We'll see a bit of it here. This is Captain America #20!

The cover is an Andy Kubert piece. It depicts Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter standing with their backs to each other over what looks like a large version of Cap's shield that's been shattered. It's a neat cover, and it shows the state of Steve and Sharon's relationship at the time. 

"Danger in the Air"
Writer: Mark Waid
Penciler: Andy Kubert
Inker: Jesse Delperdang
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins at Fort Colan in Colorado. This Army base is where the US Military is examining, and reverse-engineering technology and weaponry confiscated from the organization of super-scientists known as Advanced Idea Mechanics, or A.I.M. And the beekeepers are none too happy with that idea.

"We want our guzzlenonkers back!" 

Luckily for the base, it was someone watching their backs...but not quite who you think.

"Yeah, I'm Batman."

It's not Steve Rogers, but John Walker, aka the USAgent. If you watched Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Thunderbolts, you may be aware of this man. He had gotten a tip about this siege, and despite his mission at the time was to capture the Thunderbolts (as established in Thunderbolts #23), he wanted to take care of this. Not to mention it was an opportunity to test out his new shield. His new shield looks just like Rogers's iconic round shield, only with one major difference: Rogers' shield is composed of a Vibranium/iron allow. John's new shield is pure Vibranium. 

In case you're not aware, vibranium is an alien metal with wild properties, but its main thing is absorbing blows. It's why Cap's shield is basically indestructible. Logically, since USAgent's shield is similar, it should be just about as unbreakable, right?

Yeah. An AIM soldier blasts at the Agent. The shield seemingly takes the blast well, but then it starts to, well...vibrate. Which it's not supposed to do. Remember, vibranium absorbs impacts.

Uh oh indeed. Walker's shield then explodes. 

Eh, he'll be fine. Walker's a tough dude. Let's go look in on something more pleasant, shall we? Not to mention that this is Steve Rogers' book. What's he up to? Well, he's enjoying a nice bit of dinner. But he's not having a dinner for one, no. He's enjoying a dinner with his then-squeeze Connie Ferrari and her assistant Javier Ramirez. Ramirez leaves quickly, leaving Connie and Steve for some...alone time.

It doesn't turn out quite like one would think. Steve notices a photo on the wall.

"They said they ran out of color film. I think they lied to me."

Connie tells Steve that was her brother David. Steve would like to meet him, but that's not possible. You see, growing up, the Ferrari siblings' father was very much a Great Santini-type. He pressed David into joining the armed forces. David was miserable about it, and Connie implies that David was possibly LGBTQ+. He ended up dying due to a hazing incident. Connie has issues with military men as a result. This puts a bit of a hamper on things for Steve. You see, at this time, his identity as Cap wasn't public, and even though at this time he wasn't an enlisted man, he's still former US Army. Yeah.

Thankfully, Connie changes the subject. She remembers back in issue #15, Steve was talking to a blonde woman. That was Sharon Carter. She's Steve's ex, but he tells Connie they were former...co-workers. She vanished after he told her he loved her, and now he's worried about it. He admits he's not sure if he means it. He still feels he should go find her. Connie's all like "if it'll make you feel better, go ahead." He then leaves. Connie worries that she let a winner like Steve get away. But he shoots a glance at her, and she's feeling triumphant.

So, where is Sharon Carter, anyway? Well, she's in Turkey. As in, the country of Turkey, not the food.

All things considered, she'd rather be in Paris.

A man comes up to her to talk. He claims to be American, here to survey oil fields. Does Turkey have oil fields? 

Anyway, he introduces himself as Steve, and that sets Sharon off. As in, she tosses him across the bar.

Over at SHIELD's Manhattan headquarters, Cap is discussing his issues with Sharon with Dum Dum Dugan. Dugan encourages him to not worry about Sharon. If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be. However, the conversation is interrupted by an explosion. The two go to check it out, and find carnage. No, not the Spider-Man and Venom villain.

"We had just two payments left on those!"

The Mandroid armors are mysteriously exploding, injuring the agents inside. Cap rescues an agent that's trapped in the suit, and he notices that the Mandroid suits in storage are blowing up as well. Dugan reports a bigger problem: in the headquarters' power core.

"I told you bubblegum doesn't fix everything!"

Parts of the core are erupting like firecrackers. Most of the crew made it out, except for one man. He froze up in panic. Steve throws on a radiation suit and goes to rescue him. Steve works to rescue the man, but it's complicated by his new shield. You see, at this time, Steve was using an energy shield. His classic round shield was shattered. The energy shield cannot ricochet like the old shield, so he can't use it to turn on the failsafe from a distance.

Thankfully, Steve has another plan. He is the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, after all. Using some acrobatics, Steve reaches the failsafe switch and turns it on. He's able to get himself and the scared man out of there in one piece.

The crisis is over, but Dugan is still left baffled about what is going on here.

Cap then gets a call from Tony Stark, aka the Invincible Iron Man. He's figured out why Cap's shield is in pieces...and because of it, America, if not the world, is sitting on a gigantic bomb.

I enjoyed this comic. There was plenty of action, but the highlight of the comic to me was the scene with Captain America and Connie Ferrari. It's clear Steve is trying to move on, but he's still carrying a bit of a torch for Sharon Carter. Which is not surprising. Carter was his first major love, after all. And he likely feels terrible because she's been through...a lot. Also, I did get a chuckle out of John Walker getting blown up. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Captain America: Land of the Free. Thanks for reading this blog entry!

Happy Fourth of July!

 Happy Fourth of July, everyone! I hope you all have fun and be safe celebrating America's 249th Birthday.

For those not in the know, the Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, is essentially America's birthday. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, which was their stating that the Thirteen Colonies, which would become America's first 13 states, were breaking off from Great Britain. Congress would make it a federal holiday in 1938.

The holiday is traditionally celebrated with parades, barbecues, baseball games, concerts, and carnivals. And at night, beautiful displays of fireworks are shown all over the country, from major cities to small towns. All for saying "Happy Birthday" to the nation.

I hope you all enjoy this day! Enjoy the hot dogs and the parades, and don't forget to watch the fireworks! And most importantly, be safe.

World Meerkat Day

Today is World Meerkat Day!

If you're like me, you may have first heard of meerkats from the 1994 Disney animated film The Lion King. The character of Timon is a meerkat. But what is a meerkat, exactly? Well, contrary to what their name suggests, they are not cats. They are not remotely related to felines at all. Meerkats are actually a species of mongoose. 

Meerkats are native to southern Africa. They make their homes in rocky crevices, but they're mainly known for living in plains, where they dig systems of tunnels that they can retreat to for protection from predators (like tawny eagles and black-backed jackals) and harsher weather.

Meerkats are very social animals. They're "people people"...or is that "animal animals" in this case? Anyway, meerkats form packs that can consist of as many as 30 members. Members take turns taking care of the kids and watching out for predators. Older meerkats often get higher "ranks" in the pack. Packs can be pretty violent to each other. 

Meerkats mainly eat insects, but they have also been known to enjoy eggs, scorpions (scorpion venom is useless against the meerkat), small birds and mammals, and even plants and seeds. I can imagine a meerkat on Iron Chef would make some...interesting recipes. They aren't the type to chase after prey, often finding food by digging and turning up rocks.

Meerkats can breed all year, but they mostly do it during months of heavy rainfall. Meerkat gestation periods are around 60-70 days, and they can birth between three to seven pups a litter. How many litters of pups a female meerkat has often depends on if she is the dominant female in the pack or not. Dominant females can have up to four litters a year. 

Meerkats aren't considered especially endangered, but the effects of climate change can have negative impacts on packs, increasing temperatures and less rainfall harming pack growth. 

Yes, meerkats are fascinating animals. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! See you next time!