Why Won't You Take My Money?

Please, Disney, take my money.  I want to give it to you.

I love The Muppets.  It's smart and funny and genuinely the most fun I've had in a movie theater since I was a kid.  I doubt I've anticipated a movie more since The Power Rangers Movie.  My daughter had her first extended stay without Mom and Dad so we could go to the theater on opening day.  Afterward, I sang the songs for days and changed my watch face to Animal.  So, needless to say, when it was released on DVD/Blu Ray/Digitial I was very excited to buy.

Now, my situation is likely different than many, but I can't imagine that I'm alone in my predicament.  I'm trying to get away from physical media.  Digital makes more sense with young children, as there are fewer discs to scratch or pages to rip.  My primary device for consuming media is an Android tablet, so I naturally turn to the Google Play marketplace.  They have the movie, but only for rent, not to purchase.  Amazon will let me buy the movie, but I can't store it on my device unless my device happens to be a Kindle Fire.  I could buy it with iTunes, but I don't have a device that this makes sense on.  I could buy the disc and rip it, but then I'm back to having a disc.

I have been given several options that don't really make sense for my situation.  I am very willing to give my money for content that I want.  I don't, however, think that it's unreasonable to want to be able to watch my content that was legally purchased on devices that fit within my life.  Because the formats are so incompatible, piracy begins to look like the only way to get the thing I want in the way I want.

This is a problem.  When piracy is the easiest way, it will be the way people choose.  If Google Play had been available, I would have done that.  If Amazon had been compatible, I would have done that (and, in fact, I did end up doing that so I could at least have it via Roku).  If iTunes we compatible, I would have done that.  I even checked places like Ultraviolet and Vudu to see if there was any way they would be compatible.  Sadly, no.

Disney, please take my money.  And in return, give me a product that is useful and not so restricted that it takes a flowchart to determine what I can and can't watch it on.

Justice League #1 (DC New 52)

I've never read a  Justice League book.  I've always liked DC more than Marvel, so it's not a brand-hating thing, and I really liked the Justice League cartoon, so it's not an ensemble-hating thing, but the book always seemed like it wasn't something I'd enjoy.  I have no idea if that's true or not, but that's what kept me from picking one up.  When I was walking past the comics in my local Hastings, though, I was drawn to the "New 52" logo, and decided to give it a go.

This issue sets up the world the new number ones take place in.  It is a world in which superheroes are not particularly appreciated.  It is under these less-than-appreciated circumstances that we witness Batman and Green Lantern's first meeting.  Batman is typical Batman, brash and cocky as ever.  I was a bit put off by Hal Jordan's personality, but it helps to remember that this is supposed to be early days for the superhero set.  Hal Jordan is a cocky, confident guy, especially early on in his career, so I suppose this is par for the course for this character.  His choices for constructs were inventive, but sometimes the detail required made it hard to tell what they were.  When you only have green to work with, simple is better for clarity.

We also see the very beginnings of Vic Stone, before he becomes Cyborg.  It was nice to see some of the backstory behind a character I don't know much about.  Vic is a high school football star; it will be interesting to see how he teams up with the older members that fill out the Justice League.

And of course, there had to be a reference to the "alien in Metropolis."  Batman has always been distrustful of him, and that comes out very clear in this first issue.  I don't know how long this arc is, but I can be sure that at the end there will only be the minimum amount of trust between the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel.

I can't say that this was the best comic I have ever read, but it got me a bit more excited for, if also a bit more nervous about, the entire new DC universe.

Overall Grade: B

Amalgam Emergence

Coincidental Fishsticks will be re-emerging from the amalgam-blog into which it disappeared shortly.  In the meantime, here are other amalgams which are lesser known, but no less awesome.

Enjoy.

My Week of Internet Thanks - Day 4

It is late, and Black Friday at Walmart has sapped my desire to do anything other than sterilize the majority of the population.  This is slightly late, but I suspect you will forgive me.  If not, I suspect I will live.

Day 4 - Webcomics

Below I have included links to some of my favorite webcomics.  Enjoy, and happy belated Thanksgiving.

XKCD

Player Vs Player

Real Life Comics

Order of the Stick

Looking for Group

My Week of Internet Thanks - Day 3

This one is quick, because I am tired from driving back from Arkansas.  Today on the Internet I am thankful for Hanson, specifically for making them not for little girls anymore.

Day 3 - Hanson

My Week of Internet Thanks - Day 2

I am sitting at Bluegrass Airport, waiting on the very first flight of my life to take off.  To take a bit of the edge off, I thought I should be thankful for something.  So, here it goes.

Day 2 - Podcasts

I have included the embedded players for two of my favorite podcasts.  Hope you enjoy!

Stop Podcasting Yourself - The Sound of Young America

Jordan, Jesse GO! - The Sound of Young America

My Week of Internet Thanks - Day 1

Somwhere amongst the tryptophan overdoses and the ritual worship of extremely padded pigskin-slinging gladiators, it is customary to give thanks for ones blessings during this aptly named holiday of Thanksgiving*.

Because the real world is scary and the day star burns, the only real thing I'm thankful for is the Internet**.  This week, you'll see why.

Day 1 - Jessica's Daily Affirmations

*You Canadians are free to go back to being selfish and self-absorbed.

**No, not really.  It's called suspension of disbelief, you should try it some time.