Christopher Farnsworth's Blog, page 21

Ten-minute blog post. GO!

1. It's great when some people reveal themselves as huge douchebags. For one thing, it saves the rest of us the work of finding out on our own. Yes, I'm looking at you, guy who's proudly slashing salaries at America's public libraries:

"A lot of libraries are atrocious," Mr. Pezzanite said. "Their policies are all about job security. That's why the profession is nervous about us. You can go to a library for 35 years and never have to do anything and then have your retirement. We're not...

Storm Drained

Today's news in geek: as part of its ongoing reorganization, DC Comics will end the Wildstorm imprint, which it bought back in 1999.

This is not terribly surprising news, but it is still somewhat sad, because for a while, Wildstorm was publishing the very best work in comics. It set Warren Ellis loose on titles like Stormwatch, and then gave him free rein on The Authority and Planetary, and he made the ideas of super-humans and alien wars and mad scientists astonishing again (and in the...

Action Figures

"Venture Bros." returns Sunday (Sept. 12) to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, and it's about goddamn time.

I can honestly say this is the one show that has never disappointed me. (I'm looking at you here, "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica.") Admittedly, it's not for everyone. As I've said before, "Venture Bros." — created by insane super-geniuses Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer — appeals to some very specialized audiences. You have to find jokes about serial killers funny, know an ungodly amount...

Mendacious Pants, etc.

Hey Pentagon. There's some classified info in BLOOD OATH. I just remembered.

Very funny Firefly panel at Dragon Con 2010. Includes crank calls from Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion and a brilliant supporting role by the iPhone. Man, the love this show still inspires is incredible. (Via Topless Robot.)

And here's Part Two. really needs to get more work. She's brilliant.

My friend Bill Heisel is doing a great series called "The Shadow Practice," about the illegal clinics that prey on...

Hands Bitten For Food

The new CEO of GM – the company that got $50 billion last year to stave off bankruptcy – criticized the Obama administration for not knowing enough about economics. He then went on to discuss the shade of black of an iron kettle.

The AV Club has an interview with the always compelling demon dog of American letters, James Ellroy. If you're in Los Angeles, you can catch the live act at the Mystery Bookstore tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 10) at 7:00 p.m., where Ellroy will sign copies of his latest...

"Well, Mr. Mayor?"

Nathan Fillion is already an A-lister to me. (Wow. That looks really creepy when it's typed out like that.)

Why do "True Blood's" vamps have their fangs on the laterals, not the cuspids? This is actually something that's bothered me for a while. Leave it to The Answer B!tch to uncover the truth.

The weirdest moments from Archie Christian Comics. I read all of these as a kid. The weird part is, at the time, none of them struck me as weird.

Gawker Media now has more readers online than any...

I feel like I'm rewarding bad behavior.

All right, I bought the damned iPhone 4.

Yes, I know, I whined mightily about how Apple screwed up my perfectly serviceable iPhone 3G by loading it with software its tiny brain couldn't handle — much like Microsoft used to do to my computer with every new operating system upgrade. It was the first time since I made the switch to Apple that I actually owned a product that wouldn't work. I've had to wait as much as three or four minutes as the little 3G huffed and puffed its way between...

Monkeypox and other developments

* "Sir, as police officers, we're concerned about your well-being. Now come with us to the hospital or we'll taze you." Sadly, not a joke.

* Swine flu? Where have you been? The cool kids are all worried about monkeypox now.

* Five hundred people collapsed one morning in a crowded field, and nobody knows why.

* I'm interviewed about BLOOD OATH by Cheryl Nason here, and by John Raab here. Also, if you've read the book, why not buy the T-shirt?

* My pals Borys Kit and James Hibberd have the scoop...

Broken City: Los Angeles

The measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members, is the old saying. I kept thinking about that as I read this piece in the L.A. Times today about the country's Department of Children and Family Services:

Los Angeles County officials have failed to follow state law that requires them to publicly disclose child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect, according to an independent audit released Monday.

The violations involve "potentially dozens" of child fatalities...

This One Is Not About You

"Researchers also determined that 75% of lap dancers actually find you really attractive and funny." As it turns out, some of those young women really are putting themselves through college.

Fine young cannibals: we're all descended from creatures that ate human flesh.

Blockbuster about to file for bankruptcy. One billion dollars in late fees, folks. And these are the same people who had the balls to charge you for not rewinding the tape.

Living with the ghosts of Zane Grey. (Thanks to Tod...