Rest In Peace: Patrick Swayze

What an awful day in this world. Actor Patrick Swayze has succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. He leaves behind a beautiful wife, Lisa, and a legion of fans that span the generations.

Swayze first entered my radar in The Outsiders. In a cast of teen idols, he came off as the paternal one. Good looking and emotional, Swayze looked to have a bright future. Then there was Red Dawn. What a moment in time that was! Anyone have a favorite moment from those two movies?

"No one puts Baby in a corner" was burned into our collective brains in Dirty Dancing. My sister and I couldn't believe how sexy and sensitive he was. Sigh. Not gonna lie about that one now. The movie had it's hokey moments, but it continues to delight audiences.

Then there was Road House. Whew! Playing Dalton, the tough but tender bouncer, this is where I truly learned to love the Swayze. When it comes on television to this day, the hubby and I may stop to watch. This film is one of my favorite old school gems.

I know a lot of folks are fans of Ghost, but I prefer Swayze's macho turn in Point Break. Between Keanu Reeves and him, it was quite a treat for both the ladies and the action fan in general. I absolutely love this movie and I know my husband has a soft spot for it as well.

Rather then going through the rest of his filmography, I would like to take a moment and cheris the Saturday Night Live skit Swayze did with Chris Farley. You know what I am talking about! The Chippendales tryout skit that solidified Farley's comedic genius was also a triumph for our man. It took a lot of guts to let it all hang out and be the straight man to Farley.

I will remember Patrick Swayze as a remarkable dancer, a devoted husband, and a guilty pleasure of sorts. He was one of the good guys, despite a few road bumps along the way. God Speed to you, Mr. Swayze. You have earned your rest.

Marvel and DC Shake Things Up... Another Opinion

So Disney bought Marvel, huh? DC is now DC Entertainment and has a female chief? Interesting. Am I supposed to go into a cold sweat and panic now? That's just not going to happen.

God knows that sometimes things need a good shakeup. The fans and pundits have certainly said so numerous times. Here is the golden opportunity on a platter, right?

I work in animal health, and in the last 15 years there have been several shake ups and mergers. These changes affect the employees and some lose their jobs. It also makes things seem uncertain and gives the end user cause for pause. What inevitably happens is that the top sellers go along like clockwork while the slow selling products and antiquated thinkers take a hike.

For better or for worse.

These companies aren't always right. There are inevitably speed bumps. Some folks don't like the new status quo. It is always full of changes and adjustments. Getting used to having new management and ideas that aren't what fit with our own ideals can be the hardest part. Embracing change isn't easy.

That being said, do I think that comics will change? Not really. From everything I have read and seen, there is an awareness that people are in place that can handle the paper portion of the proceedings.

What fascinates me is the changes that will be visible to the non-comic book reader. Will we walk the aisles of our local stores and see even more merchandise? Will there be more presence on our smart phones? Will video games be a bigger factor? I say yes to all the above.

At this point as an old school fan, I want to embrace change and take the ride. I challenge the new powers involved in these endeavors to give me a reason to be excited and joyful. It would be a nice feeling.

Randomly Weird Moment of the Day

Today during lunch, I went to the bank, whick is located in a Safeway grocery store. To my great surprise, I found that I couldn't get through to park my car.

Why, you may ask?

Two elderly gentlemen were parked in the middle of the driveway in a large Impala. One was sitting in the car while the second was standing behind a Cadillac Escalade that was parked in a handicapped spot.

I put my car in park, noting that there were at least SIX cars behind me. I called to the man outside the car and asked if he thought he could move so that traffic could filter through.

His reply: "Nope. We are busy turning in this car that is illegally parked in a handicapped spot".

I asked "do you think you could park next to it so that traffic can get through?"

His crabby reply: "No. We are doing important citizen's business here today."

My (still calm) answer: "You need to move. You are blocking traffic and causing a serious potential for accidents."

Him: "Nope. You all have to wait."

Me (hysterically): "There are cars backed up to the road now. It is dangerous. Move now."

Him: glares at me and doesn't move.

Me: "I am calling 911. You are causing a hazard."

Him: "To hell with you all. I am almost finished."

In the meantime, the guy behind me has gotten out of his car and is swearing at the two old guys. There is lots of honking. A store employee has come out and is observing the scene. It is chaos.

The senior citizens pull into the next spot. I hear this:

"Just wait until this happens to you. You kids don't appreciate a damn thing we have done for you!"

We all are able to proceed to parking spots and go about our business. I count 18 cars behind mine. Yikes.

As I walk in, the store employee is still getting an earful from the old guy about his rights as a senior citizen...

Moral of the story: Two wrongs don't make a right.

For the record, my grandma is in a wheel chair, and I have been very upset at seeing non-handicapped (lazy) types use those spots. I just don't see how blocking traffic and making a scene is going to fix things.

Awesomely Bad 1980's Hair: Vixen

While I am picking on the Detroit Justice League of America, I might as well confess my extreme hatred of Vixen's hair. I know that to some it was a creative, awesome look, but to me it just looked... weird.

Vixen is sporting a mullet of sorts, with beautiful braids in the back, but a strange, scary, faux ears thing going on in front. It was hard for me to see a character that was supposed to be a model looking so funny.

What did you think of her look?

Pictured: Cover to Justice League of America Vol. 1 #234.

Awesomely Bad 1980's Costumes: Vibe

When the Justice League of America broke up it was sad. Then Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Zatanna moved things to Detroit and picked up four new members. The one I would like to focus on tonight is Vibe.

Dressed in stylish yellow pants with black and orange on the pockets, this 1980's dreamboat was a sight to behold. His v-neck black and yellow top only served to accent this. Top off the outfit with a red bandana, green shades and gloves, and a what appears to be a fabulous mullet, Vibe is definitely on my list of "awesomely bad" costumes.

I defy any artist in comics today to make this character cool.

There- the gauntlet has been thrown. Heh.

What did you think of Vibe?