Today's word of the day is Encompass:

en·com·pass

[en-kuhm-puhs] 

–verb (used with object)

Via Reddit

I am a real American...

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You know what? I AM saying she's a gold digger.

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Remember how in last week's Immodest Proposal I was talking about characters on The Simpsons aging and I wrote:

And I know that it seems like this is just an extension of the Fanboy mentality that wants the stuff he likes to age with him and not to serve younger people as it served him in his youth. Maybe, and I'll address that next week

I was planning on using this week's post to talk about the issue of continuity, about preserving narratives for some communities and how it may come at a price of alienating other groups. Honest, I was! And, more importantly, I was going to examine the inherent tension that exists between aging groups of fans and the need to bring in fresh blood and new eyes. Luckily, Divine Providence has dropped this story into my lap in a fit of cosmic synchronicity (I'm guessing that's what Jesus was up to instead of Rapturing folks): Starting in September, DC Comics (that's Detective Comics Comics, for you keeping score) will relaunch all their titles (about 50 or so) with new #1 issues. The editors are saying some continuity will be preserved while others will be jettisoned, or updated; what this probably will mean is that it'll be a big mess of old stories blended in with Clark Kent tweeting and everyone meeting this newfangled Wonder Woman for the first time, or something.

But it underscores a real issue in the world of comic books: how do you honor the lifelong fans without distancing yourself from potential new ones? How do you serve adults and children without condescending to the adults or exposing children to subject matter that's too mature for them? My immodest proposal is that comic books need a new dynamic based on a carefully plotted strategy to attract new readers.

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Immodest Proposal is a place where Rob Dean makes humble suggestions that would forever alter the world and vastly improve the lives of everyone. But, you know, you don't have to listen to him, or whatever.

the resemblence is uncanny!The Simpsons is in a rut. That venerable institution, once lauded by cool english teachers and awkward IT staffs alike, has fallen into disrepair and it may take drastic measures to bring it back.

Starting around the early 2000s, it seemed there were less good episodes per season; instead the show was dominated by stunt casting, delving into backstories of lesser characters, random "travel episodes" that eventually descended into becoming the lazy set-ups that were mocked by earlier Simpsons episodes. Random changes were made to characters - Apu's octoplets, for example - that served as nothing more than 30 minutes of filler. The writers began lapping old scripts, revisiting plot points that were already dealt with or that previous writing staffs derided (rightfully) as cheap and uninteresting. 

How can the producers hope to rescue the show? What price will they have to pay to escape from the shadows of Macfarlane's Animation Empire and reassert itself as the rightful Emperor of Smart and Important Cartoons?  My suggestion: it's time for the characters in The Simpsons to start aging.

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He went on and on about how delicate space and time was, but frankly I didn't buy it.  I mean, if you think it's so easy to change the course of world events, try it.  You don't need a time machine.  You're already living in somebody's past and somebody else's future.  Just step on a bug or something and see what that gets you.  See if you were never born, or suddenly now there's fifty Hitlers in your bathroom, crapping all over everything.  It ain't going to happen.  Anyway, that's what I figured.

--The Time Machine Did It by John Swartzwelder

"Be an astronaut?  Sure!"

NASA has discovered a bag of cocaine in one of their hangars.  Seriously?  What the hell, NASA?  The centrifuge, giant gyroscope, rockets, jets and zero-G's aren't enough excitement for you?  You have to bump rails on top of it?

Also, this case combined with this earlier report, why is Coke everywhere?  Aren't we going a bit too far with this whole retro thing?  I like Scarface as much as the next person (providing the next person doesn't really like Scarface), but come on people.  It's the 21st century.

It's meth's time.