Beginning to Blog

To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm doing this. I've never been big on blogging before, but, with 2009 just around the corner, and my need to make my Not So Humble Opinions known to as wide an audience as possible (although I'm under no illusion that anyone will ever read this), perhaps it's time to boldly press on into the new world of Blogiture.

That being said, just what exactly does one talk about in a blog? Anything one wants, I imagine. Now that we're - thankfully - past the most entertaining and absorbing presidential election of my life (YAY! The good guy won for a change!), I"m sure we'll see a sharp decline in the number of political blogs. I mean, c'mon, Obama can't possibly give pundits as much to work with as good ole George W., can he? Let's hope not.

So, for this initial post, I guess I'll start with a few things that are on my mind right now:

1. My first book - CAPES, CROOKS, AND CLIFFHANGERS: A Visual History of Heroic Serials through Vintage Movie Posters - is almost done. I'm working on the final edits now, and then it's off to the printer. This has been a labor of love for the past four years, and I can't wait to actually see the finished product. I'm really proud of the way it's turning out, and I hope the reaction to it is good.
   
2. Being unemployed sucks. I know you know that, but I just wanted to say it. For the first few weeks, the feeling of being on vacation is pretty cool, but after that the charm wears off fast.
3. And speaking of that, can we talk about health care for a minute? I really understand how it is that so many people are uninsured these days. I'm eligible for COBRA, but they want - are you ready for this? - $600 PER MONTH to continue my coverage. With that being the reality, I'm going to have to decline coverage and take my chances until a better option comes around.
4. Comic Buyer's Guide #1651 should be out soon, with my first cover feature for that magazine, this one on Marvel's Illuminati. You really should check it out.
5. Facebook: I've just set up a Facebook account, and am having a ball connecting with old friends from high school and college.
6. What I'm watching right now: Dexter Season One on DVD, Property Ladder, Kitchen Nightmares, Heroes, Spartacus on DVD.
7. What I'm reading right now: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (an interesting story, but way overwritten and overwrought. As much as I can see where Rand's going, the fact is that her characters are cartoon people who only exist the way they do to make her point. The book is, in the end, about as realistic as The Hobbit, and far less entertaining), and Dexter in the Dark, the third of the Dexter books by Jeff Lindsay (very entertaining and exciting, and a very fast read. It's easy to get caught up in pulpy potboilers like this).

That's enough for this first post. I'm sure I'll have more to say later.