Estelle Getty, who played the wise-cracking and grumpy "Sophia Petrillo" in the 1980's hit television show The Golden Girls has died at 84. Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White released statements expressing their admiration for her.
At one point The Golden Girls was THE most funny prime time TV show, and a must watch show every week in my household in NY. It was pretty unique for 4-older women to carry a sitcom together!
It's very possible that I wouldn't be here today without the help of Fred Warren Hinde.
I'll always remember the first day I met Fred. I was at the lowest point of my life, and sought a professional to work with me and get my head on straight- I was a confused, depressed, anti-social, hurt, and angry teenager who had just lost all of my money, status, self-respect, confidence, future, potential, and reputation.
Fred, who was a tall, big, and older man towered over me, but he greeted me with a jolly smile and chuckle, like Santa Claus, and shook my hand with the power that I had lacked.
Fred immediately asked me to forgive myself for creating the circumstances leading up to my state of pain. From the moment he laid eyes upon me he saw that I was a good person, a smart person, and an ethical and moral person, who just happened to make one wrong decision.
Here was Fred- a total stranger- who was able to see the real me, just by sensing my aura, composure, my speech patterns, and my answers. He gave me the benefit of the doubt, and I am eternally grateful.
Fred made sure to tell me that I was not his patient- that I was his client. And after a few visits, he told me I was his friend. Fred and I would have deep discussions about all aspects of life, from religion to politics to women to how he became a psychologist to his own personal history and views. We respected each other's opinions, and he treated me as his equal, even though he was by all accounts a genius in the field of psychology.
I had studied psychology in school, and Fred always hoped I would pursue it. He would go on to teach me why compassion, empathy, listening, and love are traits everyone should have. He truly believed that 99% of the people were innately good.
He took me under his wing, and we would have lunch together so many times- his treat because he said he invited me, and I wasn't working yet. Thanks to his confidence-building, however, he taught me the skills to go on an interview, and how to be genuine. I finally was able to pay for his lunch with time.
Fred got me interested in dream interpretation, and bought me a dream book. He also was very open-minded about rebirths and past lives, and gave me a book on that. Fred believed in a Force that made up the universe. And he believed in karma. When my cat required surgery, he handed me $100 without me asking for hit. He told me to pay him back one day when I could, but when I tried to give him the money years later, he wouldn't take it.
Fred Hinde loved me unconditionally, and I loved him unconditionally. We shared all our fears, desires, and thoughts, without fear of judgment. I told him I was concerned about his smoking habits since he was in his early 60's, but it was something he was used to and enjoyed, and said it was his choice. I realized that it was his choice, and I didn't nag him anymore. He had lived a full, happy, productive life, and did so much good for people.
He encouraged me and recommended me to go to technical school to study programming. That lead me to a stable job.
That was Fred- always helping and giving to people who wanted to better their lives. The sheer knowledge and philosophies Fred shared with me, like how it's acceptable to say "no" to people, and how to have empathy yet still realize that my feelings are ultimately more important than other people's is too much for a blog post. Fred was honest and firm when it came to giving constructive advise, but said it in a way that was not brutally honest. He talked about not taking things personally, and striving to see things objectively.
One day, Fred told me that I was ready to be fully integrated back into society, and that I had been so for some time; I had held a job for a year or so, and although I still had my high and lows and will always have a quirky and sarcastic personality, he knew I was fine.
Like an injured bird, he had nurtured me back to good health, and let me fly away on my own, without looking back. I had kept in touch with him perhaps once a year just to tell him that I was okay. I never told him about any drama or negative stuff going on.
I tried to get into contact him a few years ago to tell him about my fiance, but one of his office's answering machines never got to him.
This Friday night I wanted to tell him how much he positively affected my life, and for him to meet my wife, who is caring just like he. I was up all night thinking about all the things he and I talked about, and how our friendship was 100% genuine, and how he went above and beyond any professional. I used to laugh when he had told me he disliked paperwork, procedures, and board meetings.
Fred also allowed me to take charge in group settings, and gave me valuable experience being his sidekick when it came to helping people with substance abuse problems, and people who were trapped by the invisible chains we all imprison ourselves with.
Fred was the type of man who worked to make a difference in people's lives one person at a time, and he had once told me about other people whom he had helped in the past. I wanted to call Fred Monday and tell him how much I appreciated him, and how altruistic he was. Of course, I had already told him these things years ago, but I know that he would be very proud of my marriage and how stable my life has become, walking the right path.
Fred and I didn't have to maintain constant contact. I always saw him as my guardian angel, with his warm smile and gentle laugh, looking out for me. He had actually wrote several letters of recommendation for me, and put his reputation on the line. Whereas many other people talk the talk, Fred wrote his signature on more than one occasion to benefit me without the slightest second of hesitation or with lawyers involved.
His telephone number was unlisted, and since most of his career was spent pre-Internet, I had problems trying to records of him. I finally called some message service for an office listed under his name, and a woman called back.
She informed me Fred died of a heart attack around 3 years ago.
I've been crying on and off again for around 16 hours this past day, as much as I try to hold it in. Fred would know it's part of the normal grieving process. And he wouldn't want me to be sad. But I can't hold it in. I wanted to say goodbye, and tell him how much of an influence he had on my life, and the lives of all the others I have positively touch, like my friends and family. That is good karma in action, and Fred Hinde was the only father figure I had since I moved down here to Florida. It was because of him that I am here now. I know he refused to take credit for anything, but I know he would have liked to hear the words from my mouth one more time. But I can rest easily knowing that Fred was satisfied and finished with me, and that he knew I was fine.
Fred Hinde is a role model for all humankind, one of the most kindest and gentle human beings, yet someone who could be tough and aggressive to get something done. I'm sharing my experiences with him so everyone knows and strive to follow his example.
An eye for an eye makes the world blind. Only through understanding and compassion for others AND ourselves, can we begin to change the world.
If any of Fred's family or friends read this post, I would appreciate if I can contact Mary and tell her how much Fred meant to me and my family.
Tony Snow, 53, died after a long battle with colon cancer. He was best known as President Bush's controversial selection for White House Press Secretary, spinning the company line, but having previously made critical comments about Bush prior to being hired.
President Bush said: "America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character. It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work."
Tony Snow was a intelligent and creative conservative, and had stints with NPR, FOX News, The Rush Limbaugh Show, and The O'Reilly Factor.
As Bush's official spokesman, it was hard to separate fact from fiction with his press briefing propaganda spins, but he was an excellent and sharp worker in whatever he did.
Before Tony Snow is exalted into a saint, I do want the record to show how liberals hated him being Bush's Ministry of Propaganda.
I'm sure a fool like Keith Olbermann (he should have stuck with ESPN) will run a teary-eyed tribute to Tony Snow this weekend. MEANWHILE, take a look how Olbermann covered Snow:
He was a counterculture icon, a comedian I respected and rarely disagreed with. He had the right perspective, was objective, and downright funny.
The AP and TV MEDIA like to say he was known for the "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV", but that was so...1972; his achievements and production were so much more than that.
From hosting "Saturday Night Live" to appearing around 130 times on "The Tonight Show", he also produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, and TV shows and movies. He won four Grammy Awards, and it was announced that Carlin was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Before Sienfield ever did his, "Did you ever notice..." routine, Carlin was already a hardcore perceptive satirist who spoke for the common man.
There's no denying that Tim Russert's Meet the Press and Hardball TV programs showed us how he really put politicians on the hot seat, and (generally) asked the tough questions. And there is no denying his level respect in the field of broadcast journalism, nor can one deny his influence on mainstream media news coverage. He was pretty aggressive and open about what he felt was right. Probably the best political interviewer on television.
I know I should wait a week, but I'll say it now- because I have the guts (or stupidity) to say it- since the MEDIA seems to be romanticizing Tim Russert, and expressing their SHOCK of why Tim Russert is dead.
Hos did Tim Russet die? Look, Russert was overweight, and every time I saw him on TV, he was yelling and taking everything too seriously. I'll say it; no one else will. YES, politics and world affairs are important, but guys like him are so passionate about it, that it has to hurt your health.
Yeah, Russert is a million times smarter and more professional than other broadcast journalists and talking heads, but let's face it...he is still one of them. Was he an "objective voice"? It seems as if he and Chris Mathews kinda knew the answers to the questions they asked already. Also, his critics say he stretched the truth about Saddam's WMD. He was involved with the CIA leak case.
Identity/Class: Citizen of the U.S.A. with no criminal record
Occupation: Customer service representative; poet
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: USF Alumni; former member of Overtown Chess Club
Enemies: The Fuzz, The Man, The Pigs
Known Relatives: Mother, father, brother, wife, daughter
Aliases: Heavyweight Disco, ARR
Place of Birth: Miami, Florida
Base of Operations: Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, and Hard Rock Casino, Florida; subterranean caves beneath New York, Tokyo, and Africa
First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up #6 (December, 1973)
Powers/Abilities: Arnold Roberts is a mutant who has has enhanced creative writing skills, which includes, but is not limited to, poems and short stories. He can survive for extended periods without food or water. Although he seldom gets angry or enraged, when he does...you had better watch out- he transforms into KUMA! Kuma is master of mixed martial arts.
Personality Type: Arnold Roberts is an Enneagram Personality Type #6. As Kuma, he is an 8 (see: Hulk) Height: 6'4" Weight: 310 lbs Eyes: Black Hair: Black Skin: Black Unusual Features: Arnold becomes a grizzly bear. Extremely high voice that does not match his body.
History: Raised on the mean streets of Miami's Overtown district, Arnold Roberts may not have had the luxuries or opportunities of rich families, but he had the strong moral upbringing of his parents, and a strong will to resist temptations. However, his brother was unable to resist the temptations and became the super-villain named "Black Tempest". This broke Arnold's heart.
As a boy, Arnold was teased by his classmates and so-called friends for being sensitive and kind-hearted, even though Arnold was always the biggest and tallest kid in the class. This gentle giant absorbed the taunts and girls and boys alike made fun of him because he loved poetry and preached peace as opposed to violence and war. Arnold's mutant ability to write innovative poems and stories was not latent- he had it at birth.
Trying to make a life for himself, Arnold registered with the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. Unable to make his mind up about what degree he wanted, he took a Religion Course out of curiosity. Arnold was shy, buy struck conversation with the man who was The One, the Leader of the War Purgers, and CCB3.That night, Arnold was working in the kitchen at the Marriott on USF campus where he saw The One was his work partner. Little did Arnold know that The One had his eye on him, and set the moment up years before. The One had designed a mutant detection machine years before called Cerebro, which had flagged Arnold as a potential super-human being.
One night at closing, The One shot Arnold with a tranquilizer dart and put him to sleep. The One genetically engineered Arnold Roberts to transform into KUMA!
Just wanted to post about a true professional inside and outside of the professional wrestling ring- Beautiful Bobby Eaton, most famous for being part of one of the greatest NWA tag teams, the Midnight Express.
Eaton had a heart attack recently, and is recovering. He also had some heart complications in 2006. He's only 49 years old. Let's hope for a nice recovery. Bobby took a lot of bumps and bruises in his career to please fans.
Eaton had ring psychology, mat skills, and was one of the best tag team wrestlers ever. Because he hardly spoke on the microphone, and wasn't muscle-bound, he spent most of his career carrying others and being a role player; he never had any complaints about that.
Although he was mostly a heel (bad guy) in the ring, he is rated by his peers as being a generous and nice family man in the locker room and on road trips.
Eaton had paid his dues when he first entered the wrestling world. Born in Hunstville, Alabama and trained by the legendary Tojo Yamamoto, he wrestled in NWA Mid-America (a small time league) from 1976 to 1980. Although he was 17 and a "jobber" (guy who loses a lot), he quickly trained more experience wrestlers, had a great work ethic, and his in-ring athleticism and showmanship was obvious. (Eaton climbed to the top rope, which was rare back then). Eaton started off as face (good guy).
Eaton had feuded with future Fabulous Freebirds Buddy Roberts, Michael Hayes, and Terry Gordy, fought the future Honky Tonk Man (Wayne Ferris) and teamed with a variety of partners, including Lanny Poffo, Randy Savage's brother. His feud with Chris Colt was legendary in that territory, and included Eaton turning heel, and back to face again.
1980 saw Eaton wrestle in Georgia, and then CWA in Memphis, Tennessee, which was a wrestling hotbed then. As a heel, he teamed with Koko B. Ware (then known as Sweet Brown Sugar), and was managed by Jimmy Hart. This team (The New Wave) was ahead of its time because they were heels who used death defying agile moves, and created new combo moves. Eaton and Koko then had a bloody feud with each other. They eventually teamed up again. During his CWA days, he teamed with, or fought against, the Moondogs, Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn), Dennis Condrey (rival), and Jerry "The King Lawler.
Eaton went to promoter Bill Watts' Mid South wrestling, a very tough and exciting league. Manager Jim Cornette had a three-man heel stable named The Midnight Express (Dennis Cordrey, Randy Rose, and Norvell Austin). Eventually, Eaton and Condrey became The Midnight Express exclusively under Cornette, their mouthpiece. The Midnight Express had memorable, violent, and wild feuds with Magnum T.A. and Mr. Wrestling II, The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton), and began a decades-long feud with the Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson).
Eaton became famous on a more national stage in 1985 when The Midnight Express and Cornette joined the NWA's most famous promotion (run by Jim Crockett), which was broadcasted on TBS and nationwide local affiliates. The first two years, the Express had high-quality matches against the New Breed (Sean Royal & Chris Champion), the Rock & Roll Express, and the most famous tag team of all time, The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal).
In 1987, Condrey quit, and was replaced by Stan Lane. This version of the Midnight Express actually was more successful and more famous. This run was the peak of Eaton's career. In 1988, although they were brutal heels, were managed by the most hated manager in the NWA, and attacked such fan favorites as Dusty Rhodes, The Fanastics, Rock & Roll Express, and Ronnie Garvin, they were being cheered by audiences. They beat heel rivals Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson (the Four Horseman), while fans cheered. In late 1988, the Express finally turned face in a match against the Road Warriors, in which the Warriors turned heel.
They feuded with "The Original Midnight Express" (the returning Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose), who were managed by Paul E. Dangerously. Lane, Eaton, and Cornette left NWA around the time when Ted Turner bought it over and renamed it WCW.
They returned and feuded with the Dynamic Dudes (Shane Douglas & Johnny Ace), Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk, and the Steiner Brothers. Many experts say the Express were no longer considered one of the best anymore, and due to behind-the-scenes politcs, Cornette and Lane left WCW in October 1990, while Bobby stayed.
Bobby was left alone, and became a singles wrestler. The bookers did not give him a push, and he was a lower midcarder, just pretty much having solid matches that no one cared about. He had no manager or microphone time.
He turned face, and was finally given a slight push, having excellent matches with Arn Anderson, Ric Flair, Ricky Morton, Mike Rotundo, Terry Taylor, and Steve Austin.
In 1991-1992, he turned heel, and joined the dominate stable The Dangerous Alliance, lead by Paul E. Dangerously. He teamed with Arn Anderson, and was a stable member with Rick Rude, Larry Zbyszko, and Steve Austin. After Paul E. left WCW in late 1992, Arn and Bobby were managed by Michael Hayes. New head booker Bill Watts fired Eaton to cut costs.
Eaton was hired and managed by Jim Cornette to wrestle in (SMW) Smokey Mountain. Eaton joined the Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane & Tom Prichard). After Bill Watts was fired in WCW, Eric Bischoff rehired Eaton, and paired him with youngster Chris Benoit. Although they had the best technical skill of any team at the time in WCW, and had super-quality matches, they were lower midcard, never had interviews or videos, and hardly ever won. Benoit went to Japan, and Eaton was teamed with former rival and former partner of Stan Lane, Steve Keirn around 1994. They became jobbers as well.
In 1996, he was in comedy sketches with Lord Steven Regal. They were called The Blue Bloods, and were joined by Squire David Taylor. They were funny and technical wrestlers (yet boring) heels, and wrestled at the lower midcard. In 1997, he turned on them, and was never in any storylines anymore. He became a backstage road agent, jobber, and trainer until 2000, after he was laid off. He wrestled at independent shows.
In 2003, he formed the short-lived New Midnight Express with independent wrestler Ricky Nelson. Eventually, Eaton reunited with Lane (sometimes) and Condrey (a lot). Eaton made one appearance on TNA, where he jobbed out to Kid Kash.
Major Titles Held
NWA United States Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Stan Lane
NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane
WCW World Tag Team Championship – with Arn Anderson
WCW World Television Championship
NWA Georgia Television Championship
AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Sweet Brown Sugar (2) and Duke Myers (2)
CWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA American Tag Team Championship – with Dennis Condrey
NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Lanny Poffo, George Gulas (3), Mexican Angel, and Great Togo
NWA Six-Man Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with George Gulas and Jerry Barber , George Gulas and Arvil Hutto George Gulos and The Mexican Angel, and Secret Weapon and Tojo Yamamoto
NWA Mid-America Television Championship
Mid-South Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Dennis Condrey
There was something about watching Crazy Eddie and Money Store commercials during Mets or Yankees games, Godzilla marathons, and syndicated comedies in New York in the 1980's. As a kid, I didn't mind commercials, since I was conditioned to expect them in-between certain intervals. I even memorized the script and jingles for my favorite commercials. I was blissfully unaware that Crazy Eddie was ripping off shareholders or how Phil Rizzuto was able to give money away from the Money Store.
CCB3, Tony Vahl, and Damian Hospital have discussed the perception of reality changes from childhood to puberty, and how kids really don't know what cheesy stuff is. Dark-Truths.com also has made comments about which shows have held up over time, and which have not (Knight Rider).
There is no question that we try to reclaim our childhoods, even as our adult responsibilities increase. Although one day we no longer had the desire to "play with toys" anymore, and tossed out our action figures, we still love computer and video games, sci-fi, and sports. But we'll never look at new commercials the same way again.
Charlton Heston has died, but because he was so larger than life he has become an immortal icon. He really defeated death, because his movies and influence will exist as long as there are humans. Arguably the best actor of all time, Heston not only excelled on the silver screen, but was just as strong and intense in real life, by standing for what he believed in.
Our society will miss him. His achievements are too numerous to discuss. For me, his work in The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, and Planet of the Apes are timeless, and the environmentally progressive Soylent Green and Omega Man are excellent man vs society movies.
In recent decades, many left-wing liberals have attacked Heston for his views on supporting the right to bear arms (as guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution), and his views that climate changes are natural and in the grand time line and scheme of earth's history, humanity has lasted but a second (100% true).
Quite frankly, people like Michael Moore and George Clooney make me sick; Heston had the guts to speak his mind, and not be politically correct. He stood for what he believed in, and was always honest about where he stood. He stood for civil rights when the Conservative administration did not, and his words and actions showed that he believed in freedom for all.
It's a shame current MEDIA commentators can't understand how complex Heston was, and how labels simply didn't apply to him. Not that it matters; I imagine he's looking down upon them now from Heaven, and I can hear Heston's maniacal laughter as the Talking Heads try to analyze and judge him.
Well, R.A.W. likes to ask questions about secret symbols on the DailySkew, and other like to inquiry about my origins, and I get a lot of questions about my last name, so I figured I'd post a link to the Hospitallers.
The nutshell is that my ancestors were Christian warrior knights who defended the Holy Land. They were good guys. Their history and continuity is very deep. There are only a few Hospitals left, and I, Damian Hospital, am one of them, from my father's side.
Damian Conrad Hospital, 31, shares the same date of birthday as my wife Jennifer Love Hewitt.
February 21
Birthdays
1986 Charlotte Church (opera singer) 1979 Jennifer Love Hewitt (actress) 1977 Damian Hospital (the one) 1977 Steve Francis (basketball player) 1958 Alan Trammell (baseballer) 1955 Kelsey Grammer (actor) 1946 Tyne Daly (singer) 1946 Alan Rickman (actor) 1943 David Geffen (record executive) 1940 Peter McEnery (actor) 1939 Richard Beymer (actor) 1937 Gary Lockwood (Yusolfsky) (actor) 1936 Barbara Jordan (US Congresswoman) 1935 Rue McClanahan (actress) 1933 Nina Simone (Eunice Waymon) (singer) 1927 Erma Bombeck (Fiste) (humorist, columnist, writer) 1925 Sam Peckinpah (director) 1915 Ann (Clara) Sheridan (actress) 1914 Zachary Scott (actor) 1907 W H (Wystan Hugh) Auden (poet) 1903 Anais Nin (writer) 1894 Andres segovia (guitarist)
Happy Birthday, Damian.
i remember when you were "Damian Conrad Hospital, 19, sophomore History major"...
i'll see you before i leave back to the motherland next year.
A few years ago Tony Vahl and I had the pleasure of meeting writer Jim Krueger (best known for his Marvel Comics Earth X work) at an Orlando convention. To this day, Earth X remains the ultimate story of Marvel's future. No other Marvel maxi-series, mini-series, crossover event, ongoing series, or one-shot could even tough how Jim tied together decades of unresolved continuity plot lines combined with excellent characterization, and a great story. (His Earth-X characters are "done", meaning they generally have lost the hope that they had during their Silver Age primes.)
Tony and I loved Jim's deep, philosophical messages contained in his work. Sure enough, meeting him in person was a blast, and he came off a genuine human being. Jim told us some things about his own past (which is not listed on wiki) which influenced his writings, such as his experiences with Jesuits. He took the time to chat with two strangers. Not only is Jim a "good guy", but he's a sharp and aware writer who enjoys creating and being in charge of his own projects.
It would be great if Bobby Fischer was to be known as the only US-born chess player to become the official World Chess Champion, or to remembered as one of the greatest chess players to have ever lived. Unfortunately, he's always been involved in political, legal, or chess controversies since the 1960's.
He ultimately renounced his United States citizenship and was actually happy 9/11 happened, and was always a staunch Jew-hater, even though his parents were Jewish. He had problems with the law. In fact, many people who remember him in his prime, only know that he "disappeared" for a while: "Whatever happened to Bobby Fischer?".
However, there is no denying he did captivate the world in the 1950's to the 1970's during his famous chess matches, and although he was always reclusive and weird, he became an overnight young sensation and had a high peak in the chess world.
Was he the best? No. I consider him the "Sandy Koufax" of chess, meaning that the MEDIA tended to overrate him when compared to other chess masters.
On a final note, anyone who was around during his era only has good memories of him, and it is a shame he was always so isolated, weird, and full of skewed and hateful beliefs.
im sure everyones already seen this before, but... lets revisit the stupidity of our president. i love the slow mo of him pulling the door.he is quite possibly the most inarticulate political figure since genghis khan.
DAMIAN SAYS: Archived so future generations will know the Truth. Is there any wonder why other countries have no respect for America?
Writer Marv Wolfman was a die-hard comic book fan himself, and was a well-respected heavy hitter in the industry. One of his childhood fantasies was to have all of the characters from different earths and timelines fight a cosmic master villain who was above them all, almost like a child playing with action figures, or a librarian cataloging books.
Anyway, Marv (with Len Wein's support) volunteered to clean up the multiverse, and was given control of DC's 12-issue maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. He believed the multiverse was getting out of hand for new readers, so used DC's 50th Anniversary to destroy all the different earths until there was one merged earth. This was historic and unprecedented, and actually lived up to its tag-line: "Worlds will live. Worlds will die. And the DC Universe will NEVER be the same."
Here is wikipedia's plot summary, since I have no intention of reinventing the wheel:
The story introduces readers to two near-omnipotent beings, the good Monitor and the evil Anti-Monitor, who had been created as a result of the same experiment that created the Multiverse. The Monitor made cameo appearances in various DC comic book series for two years preceding the publication of the series and at first appeared to be a new supervillain, but with the onset of the Crisis, he was revealed to be working on a desperate plan to save the entire Multiverse from destruction at the hands of the Anti-Monitor. The Crisis series highlighted the efforts of DC Comics' superheroes to stop the Anti-Monitor's plan. Under the initial guidance of the Monitor, a select group of heroes was assigned to protect massive "tuning forks" designed to merge the surviving Earths into one that could be protected from the antimatter that had already annihilated untold numbers of alternate Earths. Eventually the conflict grew, and nearly every DC hero became involved in the battle.
The Monitor is murdered by his own assistant, Harbinger, while she is temporarily possessed by one of the Anti-Monitor's "shadow demons," but he expected the attack and allowed it to happen so his death would release enough energy to protect the last five parallel Earths (the homes of the known DC Universe) long enough for the heroes to lead an assault on the Anti-Monitor, under the guidance of the Monitor's assistants, Harbinger, Alexander Luthor, Jr., and Pariah. The villain is forced to retreat, but at the cost of Supergirl's life.
This lull in the war provides some breathing room for the heroes, but the various supervillains join forces under Brainiac and Lex Luthor to conquer the Earths, while the Anti-Monitor causes chaos on the Earths by forcing the Psycho-Pirate to manipulate the emotions of their inhabitants. The second Flash dies stopping the Anti-Monitor's backup scheme of destruction (to use an anti-matter cannon to penetrate the protective aura). The Spectre halts the hero/villain conflict, warning that the Anti-Monitor is traveling to the beginning of time to prevent the Multiverse's creation. Heroes and villains join forces in response with the heroes travelling to stop the Anti-Monitor, and the villains traveling to the planet Oa in antiquity to prevent the renegade scientist Krona from performing a historic experiment that would allow the Anti-Monitor to succeed in his efforts.
The villains fail, and Krona proceeds with his experiment, while the heroes support the Spectre, whose battle with the Anti-Monitor creates an energy overload that shatters space and time. With that, a single universe is created and all the superheroes return to a present-day reality where the various elements of the five Earths were fused into one, with no one except the people present at the battle at the dawn of time remembering the original reality.
The Anti-Monitor attacks one last time, transporting Earth to the Anti-Matter universe and summons a massive horde of shadow demons. However, he falls to a carefully planned counter-attack, culminating in a battle with Kal-L (the Earth-2 Superman), Alexander Luthor of Earth-3 and Superboy of Earth-Prime, with some unexpected last-second help from the New Gods' adversary, Darkseid. As the Anti-Monitor crashes into a star and dies, Alex sends himself, Earth-2 Superman, Earth-2 Lois Lane, and Earth-Prime Superboy into a paradise reality.
The aftermath of the crisis plays out a few pages later, including Wally West becoming the new Flash. The final page shows the Psycho-Pirate, who was now imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, talking to himself in a monologue: "I'm the only one left who remembers the infinite Earths. You see, I know the truth. I remember all that happened, and I'm not going to forget. Worlds lived, worlds died. Nothing will ever be the same. But those were great days for me... I had a good friend in the good old days, really. He was the Anti-Monitor. He was going to give me a world to rule. Now he's gone, too. But that's okay with me. You see, I like to remember the past because those were better times than now. I mean, I'd rather live in the past than today, wouldn't you? I mean, nothing's ever certain anymore. Nothing's ever predictable like it used to be. These days... y-you just never know who's going to die... and who's going to live." [End of plot summary]
CRISIS was a commercial success, and helped put DC back on the roadmap with Marvel, and although the actual story on its own was not critically acclaimed since there were 50 years worth of characters to include (although George Perez's artwork was of the highest quality), most fans were entertained. Newsgroups at the time show that there was much speculation regarding who would die, and ultimately major characters did, such as Supergirl and The Flash (Barry Allen, regarded as the symbol of the birth of Earth-1 and the Silver Age). Of course, trillions of earths, heroes, villains, and people died off-panel, since the infinite earths were wiped out by the anti-matter cloud, and the remaining 5 merged into one new earth.
Unfortunately, Wolfman's assignment was only the 12-issue maxi-series, and the DC editors dropped the ball in terms of planning out this New Earth. In fact, even within the CRISIS maxi-series, there are continuity errors. It was not Wolfman's fault; he had no direction or idea that the heroes would later be shown to have no memories of the crisis. Wolfman should be commended for writing such a massive story, and he should not be held accountable for how DC had no idea what they were going to do with the New Earth.
In issue #11, we are shown the new single universe, which is a lot like Earth-1, but with a new back history that retconned a lot, including the actual story and events from issues #1-10 from even taking place! There are also many scenes in issues #11 and 12 (which were supposed to take place on the one new earth) which were later retconned from happening.
Here is my attempt to restate the confusion in simple terms (as you can see, it's difficult subject matter):
0) Krona made his first appearance in Green Lantern #40 in 1965. Ages ago, when he saw the Creator's Hand create the origin of the universe, the taboo observation was said to have created evil. In CRISIS #7 it was said to have created the multiverse. 1) An anti-matter cloud was wiping out entire universes. When the anti-matter wave hit, matter- such as planets and the people living on them- became disintegrated and "erased". 2) The Monitor created devises to halt the waves from wiping out earths, and eventually only 5 of the previously infinite earths remained. 3) After the Monitor was assassinated, his fall- back plan included the merging of the last remaining earths into one, but this was causing a lot of destruction. 4) The Anti-Monitor went back into time- to the Dawn of Time- and replaced the Creator's Hand with his own in issue #10, to reboot the universe. When Krona saw this Hand, the Anti-Monitor created a new universe, instead of the old multiverse, and history was re-written. 4a) Sidenote: At first there was one universe. Then Krona saw the original Hand at the Dawn of Time, and the multiverse was created. Then the Anti-Monitor went back into time, and Krona saw his hand instead, resulting in a new universe, which began to retroactively erase the first universe and the multiverse. As you can see, there are retcons all over the place here! 5) Once the universe was "rebooted" in issue #11, all of the events leading up to #11 should have been wiped out, but they were not. And this opened the door for additional confusion and continuity errors within the DC Universe.
My next installment will feature the post-Crisis DC Universe, and how in some cases the lack of editorial planning made understanding the DC Universe even worse for new readers.
Wrestling Halls of Fame, Internet shrines, legends reunions, newsletters, magazines, streaming videos, and DVDs all try to recognize the achievements of the workers who contributed to the industry. Due to the nature of the business, past accomplishments are forgotten. Here are my very brief personal thoughts about the wrestling deaths that occurred in 2007.Rest in peace, everyone. Phil "Flash" Barker- A great old-school British scientific grappler. Was still in the industry as a referee for independent shows. Had some famous battles in England back in the day. I never saw his matches, and he was never mentioned in WWE.
"Cowboy" Lang- Former Midget's World Champion and star; wrestled from the 1960's to 1990's.
Cocoa Samoa- Broke in the late 1970's in southern promotions. Was once billed as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's brother. Also called himself Sabu the Wildman (before the current Sabu). Had a great feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler in Memphis. Never made it big.
Bam Bam Bigelow- The first "mainstream" wrestler death in 2007. He seemed so alive when he was active in the Mid-South, AWA, WWF, NWA, and ECW. Bigelow was arguable the most agile big-man in modern times (Big Van Vader and the late Big Bossman were also agile for heavyweights). I took Bigelow to be a serious contender in the WWF during his first brief stint there (only 1987-1988, can you believe that???); he was pushed for a while and was awfully popular before he abruptly left. He was one of the top faces ("good" guys) during this period (most big brutes were heels- bad guys). His ECW run (1996-7) was memorable. He also made a return to the WWF and had a huge paying WrestleMania Main Event vs Lawrence Taylor. Bigelow ran into personal problems in Florida after he retired, and his death was suspicious and was way too young to die. He was addicted to pain killers, cocaine, and anti-anxiety drugs.
Mike Awesome- The former ECW World Champion hanged himself in his Florida home. He had to retire due to injuries, and hit his wife. He was suffering depression and took his life. Mike was big, tall, and strong, and in addition to his monster ECW push, wrestled in WCW, WWF, and Japan. I never really liked his character that much, since he dominated opponents, but I did respect his size and hardcore matches.
Ray Stern- Ray was an old-time wrestler born in Brooklyn, but made a name for himself on the West Coast with his high-flying maneuvers. A rag-to-riches story, he was famous in other endeavors as well. He was inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame (the one that recognizes skill).
Bad News Brown- One of the toughest SOB's ever. He was already famous in Japan and Canada before coming to the WWF. I was very impressed with his mainstream run in the WWF, although he brawled to double-disqualifications too much. One of the first workers to be a "tweener"- a cross between a face and a heel. Bad News didn't like to "sell" his opponents moves, since he believed himself to be a legitimately superior athlete due to his martial arts training. He was the only wrestler to actually challenge Andre the Giant outside of the ring, after Andre made a joke about African Americans. He had legitimate heat with Bret "Hitman" Hart, as chronicled in Bret's autobiography.
Black Shadow- His match with El Santo in 1952 is considered by many to be the most famous match in Latin American history.
Ernie "The Big Cat" Ladd- Former pro football player turned to wrestling in the 1960's. He was tough as nails, and was one of the first African Americans to enjoy acting as a villain during this era. Immensely popular, this giant of a man drew a lot of money thanks to his charisma and look. He was very famous. He feuds with Bob Backlund, Andre the Giant, and the Junkyard Dog are legendary. He lived long enough to be inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame.
Arnold Skaaland- The famous manager of WWWF champions Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund, he was a WWWF-lifer (thanks to being a shareholder with Vince Senior). Actually famous (or infamous) for throwing in the white towel causing Backlund to "quit" under the Iron Shiek's "unbreakable" Camel Clutch. This lead to the Birth of Hulkamania, as Hogan squashed the Shiek after shaking out of the Clutch. Skaaland was a good guy manager He was inducted in the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994, and to finally tie up the loose unresolved plot line, Backlund turned heel and attached Arnold that year. I remember Arnold as being the quiet and highly respected "adviser" to Backlund and old footage of him with Bruno in the 1970's. He rarely interfered or did anything to steal the spotlight from them.
Abe Coleman- "Hebrew Hercules" wrestled in 2000 matches, mostly a mid-carder for regional promotions around the world. He had a famous bought against Golden Age master Jim Londos in Mexico City.
Sonny Myers- Mostly known for his various NWA championships in the 1940's. He was involved in the industry for over 60 years, as a trainer and backstage worker.
Sandy Barr- The only U.S. promoter from back in the day to actually took care of his wrestlers by paying them as promised. He was in the Pacific Northwest, and trained Doink the Clown and Jimmy Jack Funk, among others. He also was a referee and booker.
Sensational Sherri Martel- I was shocked when the best female valet of all time died at such a young age. Sherri was one of the few valets to actually adapt to the gimmick and style of her man. For example, when she managed "Macho King" Randy Savage, she became "Queen Sherri"; she was "Peggy Sue" when coupled with The Honky Tonk Man; "Sister Sherri" with Harlem Heat, etc. She sang the vocals for Shawn Michaels' "Boy-Toy" song when she managed him. She also managed such stars as Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair in WCW, and Shane Douglas in ECW, She was a great female wrestler with the AWA, trained by the Fabulous Moolah. She was very wild and charismatic. She partied hard- drugs and alcohol, and I guess it caught up to her in the end. Although she always played the witch, I liked her because she put her body on the line to save her man in the ring, unlike other women back then who did not take any bumps.
Biff Wellington- A minor Canadian wrestler who debuted in 1989, now known for being an occasional tag team partner of Chris Benoit. Had a brief stay in ECW in 1996, where his eye was injured while fighting Taz. He retired and became addicted to pills. He died young, and had numerous strokes.
Woman- Strikingly attractive valet in the 1980's Florida ("Fallen Angel") with Kevin Sullivan. She was part of Sullivan's entourage of "Satanists". They married in 1985. Thanks to her friendship with wrestling photographer, Woman was plastered all over the magazines in the 1980's, which is how I first saw her when I was a kid. She had a great feud in WCW with the Steiner Brothers and Doom. She had a great run in ECW with The Sandman and Raven. Also managed The Four Horseman and Randy Savage in WCW. She met future husband Chris Benoit in WCW. She was murdered by Benoit.
Chris Benoit- Chris was a small yet tough Canadian, with runs in Japan, Canada, ECW, and around the world, as the man with the death-defying moves. He may have been short, but his physical stamina, aerial moves, mat work, and hardcore brawling were superior than 99% of the wrestlers of the modern era. He had to pay his dues, and since his microphone skills and charisma were low, many promoters did not push him into the Main Event picture. In fact, although he was part of a later-version of The Four Horseman in WCW, Benoit was delegated to the lower-midcard for his WCW career, under Eric Bischoff. He finally became a made man in WWF, since the fans loved his intensity and attitude. He finally got his break in the WWF by winning the Royal Rumble, and the WWE World Championship at WrestleMania. He held numerous titles in the WWF, and was one of the most respected wrestlers in the business. Chris killed his wife and son, before committing suicide. This travesty caused the MEDIA to investigate the wrestling industry, and hopefully there will be reform, since many workers need to take steroids and illegal drugs to work the tough schedules and to keep their positions. I personally followed and respected both Benoit and Woman's careers, and can't understand why he'd kill her and his son.
John Kronus- Known for his cult ECW run with Perry Saturn, "The Eliminators". Kronus was a hardcore daredevil. He was very popular with the Philadelphia crowd at the ECW arena. I thought he was VERY hardcore, with his aerial moves and tables and chairs. He had a brief opening act with WCW. He died of an enlarged heart at a very young age. Ronnie Gossett- Famous southern manager, who worked with such Memphis legends as Jerry "The King" Lawler, Jimmy Hart, Percy Pringle III (Paul Bearer), Jeff Jarrett, and anyone else who passed through that territory.
Tor Kamata: Great 1970's "foreign heel" who had a memorable program with WWWF Bob Backlund, and was managed by Freddie Blassie.
Karl Gotch: Called "The god of Pro Wrestling" in Japan, he worked with and trained Japanese superstars, and was revolutionary in the purosu-style of athletic wrestling as opposed to the Western "entertainment" products. When people mention in-ring technical legends, they tend to forget about him because his influence was in Japan, not the United States. Suffice to day, he was in Lou Thesz's class.
Bronko Lubich: Solid tag team wrestler in the 1950's-60's, who became more known as one of the legendary referees in World Class in Texas. Truly a Hall of Fame referee.
Dewey Robertson: Best known for portraying the Missing Link in the 1980's in the Mid-South, Texas, and the WWF. The Missing Link was like George The Animal Steele. Ultimately, Dewey's drug lifestyle may have created the means for his to have cancer, but we'll never know.
Countdown to Final Crisis, Part 0: ORIGINS by Damian Hospital
DC Comics has announced that May 2008 will feature "Final Crisis", which will wrap up DC's continuity changing storyline that have been happening for the last 5 years, although it many ways, it has always happened since the first DC comic ever published. I'd though I'd write a series of posts describing the events that lead up to "Final Crisis".
There are countless (infinite? heh) websites and blogs that outline the fictional and real publication history of the DC Universe, so I will try and make my take on CRISIS different: to explain it to a layperson or casual reader, as opposed to a so-called "expert".
For those of you who have no idea what DC Universe or CRISIS is, allow me to briefly explain:
Casual readers or non-comic book readers may wonder how it is possible for Bruce Wayne (Batman) to still be a crime fighter since the 1940's, or if Superman remembers his encounters with FDR, JFK, Reagan, or Bush (both of them).
Or perhaps you don't care, just like you don't care about the aging of comic strip characters like Beetle Bailey or Blondie, or animated characters like Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny.
But comic book fans? Comic book fans are of a different breed, and have always demanded continuity and consistency(yet never received full satisfaction).
The truth is original comic book were solely for kids, but the older kids had a science fiction and pulp background, which promoted a tendency to question everything, and for all inconsistencies to be explained in print.
The sad fact is many writers (to this day) simply wanted to meet deadlines and make end's meat, and didn't have the time, desire, or even awareness to make sure every issue was free from past inconsistencies. Editors doubled as writers or marketers, so as long as an individual comic was free from glaring errors, it passed Quality Control, sort to speak.
The first true continuity controversy occurred when fans wrote into DC comics after Superboy appeared. Originally Superman was adopted as a baby, was the sole survivor of Krypton, and assumed his costumed career as an adult. However, DC wanted to capitalize on youthful super-heroes (which were side-kicks) by actually showing Superman's "unrevealed adventures"...as a boy.
Two problems:
1) The additions of Smallville, Ma and Pa Kent, Lana Lang, Krypto, Supergirl etc. were all NEW additions to his Superman's history, and began to be incorporated into his main book, even though he had said and done things which contradicted this. This is called retroactive continuity (RETCON). Although it was not called that, and although retcons have existed since the Bible (for thousand of years, the serpent in the Garden of Eden was...just a serpent. Hundreds of years after Jesus's death, he became... Satan), members of the comic book community coined that term, after identifying it as a legitimate phenomena.
2) Superboy's adventures occurred during the present day (1940's), when it SHOULD have been around 1925. But the writers wanted a contemporary feel, not isolate the audience they were targeting. So Superboy made topical references and had technology of 1940's, not 1925.
Later on, DC brought back heroes that they had stop published during World War II, which were original versions of The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and others. But they had already made new versions of these characters in the 1950's and 1960's. So DC compromised by having the original characters meet the updated ones, but by "revealing" the existence of parallel earths. In effect, the 1940's heroes had (all along) lived on a different earth than the modern counterparts.
What about Superman, Wonder Woman, or Batman, who had continued to be published all through those decades? Well, they had different versions, too, and those Superboy stories were later revised as well- to a different earth.
Confused yet?
I hope not, because it gets more fun!
Fans enjoyed this multiple earth set up, which was called the multiverse. It appeased older fans who appreciated the older history, the newer fans, and nitpicking fans. Of course, it eventually became a great marketing gimmick- to have superheros from multiple earths team up to face super-villain masterminds who joined forces. Can't get any better than that, for a fan!
For over 20 years, there were many Crisis on Multiple Earths stories, and most of the earths were identified by numbers or letters. In fact, there were not a whole lot of complaints in the letter pages, just questions to clarify which earth an adventure took place in.
However, in 1984 the editors and writers began to see that they were still glaring errors, editors had to become continuity police, writers had to do research on each earth, and the duplicity of it all made heroes seem irrelevant and not unique (there were an infinite number of Batmen- so why is the Batman of "Earth-1" so special? Answer: he's not.)
So to celebrate DC's 50th Anniversary in 1985, they promised to change everything. This was the first attempt for DC to blatantly revise the rules and history of the universe during an in-story drama. [To date, Marvel Comics (publisher of Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron-Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-men) have never done this, and instead pick and choose which stories remain in cannon, and generally use a 5 or 10 year time-line for their entire history.]
To be technical, any DC comic published before 1986 is "pre-Crisis", and is divided into 3 ages: Golden, Silver, and Bronze. DC's sales began to slide in the 70's and 80's, as Marvel Comics (generally) ruled. To bring life into the sagging comic book titles, DC had Marv Wolfman and George Perez team up (they were very $$$uccessful with The New Teen Titans) to create CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, which according to issue one started in July, 1985.
My next Countdown to Final Crisis post will focus on that.
Pre-Crisis Trivia:
The Golden Age Bat-Man who made his debut in Detective Comics in 1939, was killed off in the late 1970's, with no fanfare or media attention. He had married Catwoman, and had a daughter named the Huntress.
The Golden Age Superman, who made his debut in Action Comics#1 and is regarded as the first super-powered hero, was actually weaker than the Silver Age version. There is no fine division in publishing history (no issue saying "And now, here's a new Superman!") separating when the focus of Superman comics switched from Golden Age to Silver Age, although major revisions to his origin help us determine a date. However, keep in mind, the official naming of Earth-1 and Earth-2 occurred in 1961 , so any reference to a "Earth-2" Superman story after then is a retcon.
Modern writer, editor, and fanboy Mark Waid was able to list every earth (even some that were never named) in 1986, but there is no indication that the early writers and editors had any idea of the details and histories of the different earths- especially freelance writers.
Anytime DC bought a new property (like Captain Marvel "Shazam!"), it was usually put on its own earth (like Earth-S!).
Over time, Roy Thomas and other authors, writers, and editors (who were fanboys themselves) went out of their way to explain every published appearance by using the multiverse to explain them. In other words, for example, if Superman met Bugs Bunny, it had to be explained in a letter column or even as a note inside the comic as "actually happening" on Earth-WB. In effect, any published comic became "cannon" on its own earth, separate from "Earth-1" where all the popular and young heroes (in their primes) had adventures in.
2007 Skew Review Damian Hospital 12-31-2007 Going into 2007, Tony Vahl and I had high expectations that the Year of the Pig would be a year of chaos and unpredictability. Sure enough, we were correct. Below is a list of some events from 2007:
Politics
The battle for Presidential nomination started at the earliest point ever. Candidates have been using the Internet more than ever to spread their message, and live debates gave YouTube all the recognition and validity it needed to be an instant way to reach out to the people.
New Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sure set expectations high that the Democrats would put this nation back on course after taking over Congress.
Senator Larry Craig got busted in a men's restroom, and denied making homosexual advances to an undercover policeman. Former male prostitutes or other men Larry came onto in the past have since come out, to verify that he is gay, but Larry stands firm that it was all a misunderstanding.
President George W. Bush: his popularity is the lowest for any president, and many senior advisers resigned from his administration. I will not waste anymore space talking about all the things GW and his cronies did this year.
Crime
Shootings grabbed headlines- from Virgina Tech to children's school to a mall. In all cases, the Internet played a key as a forum for the killers' rants. And the MEDIA had a field day with it.
The MEDIA still focused and gave way too much attention to missing persons and alleged kidnappings for certain families. The MEDIA has continued to pick-and-choose who gets the coverage. MEANWHILE, thousands of others never get MEDIA attention because they are not marketable enough.
Craigslist and MySpace's murder, rape, kidnapping, and prostitution rates have increased.
Global
China has been accidentally poisoning and exporting toys and dog food to the United States.
China has been testing long-range missiles, and space weapons.
China continues to execute government officials and dissenters.
The military regime in Myanmar severely beat and arrested protesters, many of them monks. The world shrugs.
The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, continued to have a pissing contest with the West over its right to harness and produce nuclear energy. He had threated to destroy Israel several times, but always denies it when speaking to Western reporters. His public Iranian speeches always contain his threats that he would destroy the West, but he seems to change his tune when talking to the U.N.
An earthquake in Japan released 300 gallons of radioactive water into the sea. Can Godzilla be far behind, now?
Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize and two Oscars for spreading the word about the dangers of Global Warming.
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf was forced to step down as military leader, but was sworn in as a civilian president. He has been losing control all year.
The death tolls and unrest due to the war in Iraq has increased.
Bombings in Iraq and Israel are commonplace.
Boris Yelstin passed away.
So did Jerry Falwell, Lady Bird Johnson, Tammy Faye Bakker, Ingmar Bergmann, Tom Synder, Bill Walsh, Hank Bauer, Joel Siegel, Clete Boyer, Phil Rizzuto, Merv Griffin, Leona Helmsley, Richard Jewell, Pavarotti, Jane Wyman, Norman Mailer, Evel Knievel, and millions more.
War in Somalia: And still going...
Hong Kong continued to create laws to be environmentally-friendly, now that it is a economic superpower.
Microsoft released Vista and became under fire for forcing this operating system on all new Dells and other computers instead of Windows XP or a "blank" system.
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez was granted the power to rule by decree, publicly attacked capitalism and democracy, allied with Cuba and Iran, and unsuccessfully tried to rewrite the constitution.
Russian leader Vladamir Putin has been headed back to his KGB roots...
Estelle Getty, who played the wise-cracking and grumpy "Sophia Petrillo" in the 1980's hit television show The Golden Girls has died at 84. Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White released statements expressing their admiration for her.
