Digital comics

I'm a tech lover. I like the latest and greatest devices, a lot (in fact, I am writing this on my iPad 2).

I am also a comic book nerd. Every week, I pick up the new books on my list, (in fact, I am sitting in my favorite comic book shop as I write this on my shiny iPad 2).

So, obviously I am going to start reading digital comics, right? Nope. I just can't get into them, right now. It isn't out of a love for holding processed tree carcasses, it is because digital comics read poorly on tablets.

There are two ways to read a comic digitally:
1) View the full page, which involves zooming in and scrolling to read text that may end up too small.

2) View the comics in a panel by panel mode that decides how much of the page I look at at any one time, and leaves every comic paced as if the reader feeling as though they're hitting a stop light every ten seconds.

Both of these lead to a much less than fun reading experience.

In stark contrast, I have abandoned almost all paper "real" books for the eBook format. While I will admit that it is much easier to reformat the written word to the screen of my tablet, comic books won't win my digital viewing time until they find a way to format their stories in a way that can be read as fluidly as good old fashioned funny books. I have no doubt it is coming, but until it does...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Lusting for tech

I want the iPad 2. I wanted an iPad 1, but never could find the reason to do it. I could not even give a good answer when asked why I wanted the thing. My response usually was reduced to comments on how well designed it was, and that I just really liked it.

I now have two or three good reasons why I want the iPad.

1) The script writing program I use will finally release its iPad app, this spring, making it simple for me to write on the go, and then transfer files which are fully formatted to my desktop.

2) consolidation of gadgets: I have a netbook, which I like. It does what it needs to do as a simple computer. I have a kindle, which I adore, it is a great machine for the one thing it does. With the iPad, both are merged into something that I can keep in one hand, and that dovetails nicely into point 3...

3) I am still recovering from my burst appendix, and it would be nice to have something more robust than my phone to use to surf the web, while resting in bed. At the moment, sitting up at a computer for long periods of time is just not an option, and probably won't be for a little while to come.

Is it still a luxury item? Heck, yeah. Would I get legitimate uses out of it? Yes. I still don't know if I will end up with one, but I would really, really like to. They're neat!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Suck my abdomen

I blew up on February 11, 2011. I was taking a nap, and when I woke up I was in horrid pain. Pain so bad that I could not handle it.

Bless my brother, because without him, I would be much less extant than I am now. He got me to the emergency room, my mom got me to the front of the line (don't mess with a small eastern European woman when her baby is in danger), and I got in for blood tests and a CT scan.

My appendix had decided to blow up... Silly thing... But, at least it was epically so.

Now, I am still in the hospital (February 22, 2011), and my surgery wound was left open, so it would heal more naturally. It had been packed with gauze that where changed twice a day, until yesterday.

Yesterday, I got a "wound vac", which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The wound is packed with special medical sponges, air tight stickers are put on the skin, and then a vacuum tube sucks it all down and keeps me healing.

I'm told this thing is fantastic. All I know is that something is sucking on my tummy and won't stop.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Hospital

Beware The Frog of Thunder

Hello, Readers! Not that there are all that many of you, at this point, but welcome to the first post on Frog of Thunder.

"Why 'Frog of Thunder'?", you might be asking yourself, right now. Well, the Frog of Thunder is from a Marvel Comics story in which Odin turned The Mighty Thor into a frog for a while, hence The Frog of Thunder!

What will this blog be about? ... I don't know, yet.

I have dreams of being profound and poignant and funny and brilliant, but I doubt that will happen without practice... So, for now, I shall ramble a bit each day, and try to stumble into a rhythm that you and I both like.

Best of luck to us both!