There are two books I'm supposed to read before arriving in Ireland on Saturday (one, Year of the French, is to the right), and they total about 1000 pages. I've mostly been reading comic books since coming home, and haven't started, but it's a long plane ride, right?

Slate ran an article today about the difficulties of thinking about the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's album, which is worth your time: http://www.slate.com/id/2167998/pagenum/2/
For me, it's an album that I haven't listened to all the way through in a good four years or so, with neither the relatability of Rubber Soul or the eccentricities of the white album. I still love "Good Morning Good Morning", "Fixing A Hole" and "Day in the LIfe", but after giving it several thorough listens in high school I wasn't able to think of it as the Beatles' best, much less the best album ever, and as far as my personal favorites I'd rank it below a pre-drugs release like Hard Day's Night.

On the subject of our blog's sidebar/list (currently "Our Favorite Non-reptillian TMNT Characters"): theoretically, I have no problem with this. But these lists should be made dembrocratically if they're to be done at all. These are not my favorite non-reptillian TMNT characters. Let's look at who's actually listed:

- Rat King: A homeless dude with rats crawling on him. He can communicate with them, and is probably shat on by them a lot. A loser.
- DeathWatch:
A serial-killing janitor who, at some point during the Carter adminstration, was apparently sent into space. This list was chosen totally at random, I guarantee it.
- Mr. Go: Has only appeared in the most recent TMNT animated series.
- Master Splinter: Yeah, dude. This choice is a good one, and one time my brother went as Splinter for Halloween.
- Shredder: A formidable villain in every incarnation, particularly menacing in the first live-action TMNT movie. Another good choice.
That's about 40% correct, or an F--. Some suggested alternatives:

- Krang: Nigh-invincible and hilarious. His wikipedia article says it better than I can: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krang
- Baxter Stockman: Mad scientist; appeared in the second turtles comic ever, developed both the turtle-hunting little robots the mousers and turned into a bomb-ass human fly.
- Usagi Yojimbo: His name is Japanese for "rabbit bodyguard" and he has had his own solo series since 1984.