Have a seat, eat some fried eggs and bacon, and read up on some links. Sounds like a good time to me!

COMICS!

Peter David ends X-Factor. Considering that the story arc currently being offered in Previews is called "The End of X-Factor," this is perhaps not surprising. Also not surprising: Marvel cancels this when David leaves. I'm sure we'll see another iteration soon enough (perhaps even the next month, which is an annoying tic that Marvel does, it seems, more than DC), but I figured that the book would last only as long as David lasted. It will be interesting to re-read the entire run and see how it holds together.

The story of AOL ending Comics Alliance was a bit more surprising. As far as comics news, I tended to read Robot 6 and CA, even far more than I read the Mothership (sorry, Jonah!). No one seems to know the reason for the closure, except that AOL was reshuffling things. I don't get the many, many haters' comments about the site - sure, not everything was a winner, but the vitriol leveled at it in some of the comments sections is weird. Read the Robot 6 and the Bleeding Cool comments for some examples. I'm still not sure how discussing racism and sexism in comics, even if you think it's not there, is a bad thing. Anyway, they haven't done Morrison annotations in a while, which I really liked, David Brothers is still writing for 4thletter!, and Sims just posted the latest Funkywatch, so I think I'll be okay. It's just too bad CA has been killed.

"Ah Ethel!" Trust me. Just check it out.

POP CULTURE!

FotB Daniel Joyaux has started doing a Game of Thrones Power Ranking series, the latest one of which is here. I can't comment on whether he's right or not, because I consume GoT over the course of about 6 days after the season is over, power-watching 2 or 3 episodes (the latter if it's a Friday or Saturday night) every night. That helps me keep track of the vast cast more easily, plus I don't have to wait a week to see what happens next. "But Greg," the logically-minded among you might object, "you still have to wait a few extra months while each episode airs!" Well, sure, but I've already waited so many months already, I don't mind waiting a bit more for the more intense viewing experience. But it does mean I have to avoid all spoilers and even on-line discussions of the show. That's the trade-off I make!

Here's Under Siege cut as a silent movie. These sorts of things are all over the Internet, but the presence of Steven Seagal in anything makes it 1000 times better. SCIENCE!

Here's an overview of the Misfits of Science pilot. I never actually watched Misfits of Science, because I must have been doing something else in 1985. Maybe it was on at the same time as The A-Team or Knight Rider?

Apparently there's a Twitter account for '80s Don Draper. It's not bad. I found the link here.

I know I shouldn't be reading Cracked articles, but this one led me to the Lord of the Rings Project, which is pretty awesome. That dude has way too much time on his hands, but it's fun to noodle around on it for a while.

Is this the most sexist show in history? It's possible, I guess, but it did lead to a different television show with a gender flip. Fun stuff!

SPORTS/POP CULTURE!

Jason Collins, a journeyman NBA player, came out of the closet this week. I think it's pretty cool that this was greeted mostly with kudos or, best of all, "mehs," as it really didn't matter that much to a lot of people. Of course, Chris Broussard of ESPN said something stupid about it, but that's his right. The idea that he should be fired for it is asinine, I think, but the comments (don't read the comments!) seem filled with people who want him killed. There's nothing more intolerant than people preaching tolerance for others, amirite?!?!? As usual with the terrible media, has anyone ever asked Chris Broussard about his opinion on noted adulterer Kobe Bryant? I mean, if Broussard is against not only Collins's homosexuality but also the fact that he's having sex out of wedlock (although you'll note that Collins could easily be a virgin), he has to be against a shit-ton of other NBA players who have kids out of wedlock or cheat on their wives, right? Someone should ask him that. Meanwhile, this is either more evidence that it's not a big deal or more evidence that ESPN has sold its soul: the network cared more about Tim Tebow than Jason Collins. That's pretty funny. Finally, we get a media guide to Collins coming out. Just so you can be extra sensitive!

Hey, it was the Philadelphia Phillies' 130th birthday the other day. The Phillies, for those of you who don't follow baseball, are the second-oldest baseball franchise (after the Cubs) and the losingest sports franchise in history. That's my team, damn it!!!! [Edit: Dang, I forgot they're the fourth-oldest baseball franchise, after the Cubs, Braves, and Reds. My bad! They still have the most losses, by God!]

MISCELLANEOUS!

Kelly Thompson went to Oregon. Yes, it's just another reason to hate Kelly Thompson, if all her crazy opinions weren't enough!

America's most beautiful town squares. Prescott, AZ, is on the list, and it's not a bad choice. Prescott is a nice town.

I would have more, but I got sidetracked at the end of the week a bit in the real world. Such is life! Have a great day, everyone, and enjoy celebrating the Mexican victory over a small group of French Foreign Legionnaires in a fairly insignificant battle! It's what America is all about!