Jon's Blog

I was traveling quite a bit yesterday and ended up having to turn off the radio in disgust twice while different radio hosts discussed the Pope's support of Kim Davis, Kim Davis herself, and anti-discrimination public accomodation laws in general. The gist of the first show was that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of nationwide marriage equality and now all of these wedding businesses and public officials are being forced to provide services for same-sex couples. And why is it that the religious liberties of small business owners aren't being protected in the first place.

Basically, there are about two or three different issues going on here that have developed over time, but aren't related to each other. I'm going to trying breaking these down.
First, "Obergefell V. Hodges" had nothing to do with what happened to Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Oregon or the Gortz Haus wedding venue in Grimes, IA, or the handful of other businesses that got in trouble for overtly discriminating against gay customers. It has everything to do with the fact that those states have specifically included sexual orientation among a list of characteristics on their anti-discrimination ordinances. Stuff like race or gender or disability or religion.

These particular cases have been circulating long before "Obergefell" was argued, much less ruled on. These businesses aren't in trouble for disagreeing with gay marriage. They are in trouble for being found guilty of discriminating against gay or lesbian customers. It just happens that the services that they offer provide wedding services.

If everything was handled the same way, they still would have been in trouble for discriminating against customers because they were black or interracial or Jewish or disabled or even a Christian instead of gay. Trust me. It happens.

Not everyone files a complaint when discrimination happens. But it's the right of a customer to file a complaint if they feel like they've been unlawfully discriminated against.

Second, there are other cases that have blown up in the news involving small businesses that have said that they discriminate against gay people and couples. I'm thinking of Memories Pizza in Walkerton, IN, and Eastlake Pediatrics in Roseville, MI, specifically, but I know of others. These cases blew up in social media after people complained or after a news article aired. People hollered and complained and made the business owners miserable.

But these were legal forms of discrimination. Most states do not bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Even after the "Obergefell" decision.

In fact, there are many more situations of gay and lesbian people who have lost their jobs after they got married or after they had a kid with their same-sex partner than businesses that have gotten in trouble for discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. There have been many more situations of people who've been drummed out of teaching and pastoral positions for expressing anything but outright condemnation for their gay and lesbian loved ones.

"Obergefell" didn't change this. "Obergefell" just made it so that marriage equality was a reality nationwide. You can still be an anti-gay jerk -- as long as you're in the majority of states...

Remember the "Honey Boo Boo Bop?" This was announced back in February when Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and her family recorded her first song and music video. The song is called "Movin' Up" and the video includes a dance called the "Honey Boo Boo Bop."

I am assuming that you have anxiously awaited the release of the music video. You can also purchase the song on iTunes.

I love Honey Boo Boo, but somebody really needed to tell her and her family "No." I just don't see this helping to raise the status of her media brand.

You can watch entire video here.

(Originally written on 09/29/15): Social conservatives who were fuming at Pope Francis this week for speaking out in favor of economic and environmental justice were tossed a bone when he seemingly came out in support of Kim Davis' refusal to do the job that the people of Rowan County, KY, elected her to complete:

Pope Francis is defending the rights of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to endorse same-sex marriage license. On his flight home from visiting the U.S., the Pope said the conscience rights of officials to object to gay marriage should be respected. Kim Davis was sent to jail for standing firm for her Christian beliefs.

She recently spoke with CBN’s David Brody on “The Brody File” about her case and how some have criticized her because she was married three times before she gave her life to Christ:
"Why would God, of all people, choose me with my past to stand up and defend something that I had failed so miserably at in the world? And then I have to remember that I’m a new person. I gave my life to Christ. His blood cleansed me and washed me clean. And the old has passed away and the new stands in front of you. Yeah, I’m a very unlikely person to stand and defend the word of God."

One has to wonder if Pope Francis understood that Kim Davis ran for an elected position at a time where it was clear that she would eventually be required to expand marriage licenses to same-sex couples? You also have to wonder if the Pope realized that Davis refused to let anyone in her county receive marriage licenses and she refused to delegate the task to any of her deputy clerks? Plus, she altered the documents in a way that makes it unlikely that they are actually legally valid.

You can watch the whole CBN clip here.

Updated on 09/30/15: It was reported late last night that Kim Davis received a private visit with Pope Francis last Thursday evening. They hugged. She cried. He told her to "stay strong" or whatever. And then he gave her some special rosaries.

I became surprisingly grumpy after hearing about it and vented a bit on Twitter last night:

Of course, Kim Davis, her legal team, and her supporters are all over this story today. Meanwhile, she still needs to do her job...

While visiting Twitter late this afternoon, I noticed a series of tweets about a "large incident" at a Kum & Go in nearby Riverside, IA, involving lots of State Troopers and Washington County Sheriff deputies. A final tweet indicated that there was an "officer involved shooting" related to this incident, but no injuries.

I was curious about the "large incident" and found a news article about this "officer involved shooting." It turns out that there was a police chase involving a vehicle suspected in a series of crimes based out of Cedar Rapids, IA:

A trooper spotted the vehicle, a Dodge Charger, driving south on Interstate 380 near the Penn Street exit. The car did not pull over when the trooper tried to get the car to stop, the DCI said.

Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies joined the chase, which continued south on Highway 218. The car exited 218 and headed east on Highway 22.

The car pulled into the Kum & Go off Highway 22, where it hit a Johnson County deputy’s car, causing a state trooper to fire his weapon once, authorities said.

There were no injuries reported.

Three people were taken into custody and are currently in jail while they complete their investigation and ponder criminal charges.

There was a reference to crime scene tape being placed around several gas pumps and a vehicle. I'm assuming that this was to protect evidence, as opposed to indicate an area of damage.

Kim Davis and her legal team at Liberty Counsel announced earlier this week that she received a special meeting with Pope Francis during his recent trip to the United States. She told us that they hugged and he told her to stay strong against the gays and that the meeting last roughly 15 minutes.

Following days of commentary about this story, Father Federico Lombardi, the head of the Holy See Press Office, finally issued an official statement about Kim Davis' meeting with the Pope:

Pope Francis met with several dozen persons who had been invited by the Nunciature to greet him as he prepared to leave Washington for New York City. Such brief greetings occur on all papal visits and are due to the Pope’s characteristic kindness and availability. The only real audience granted by the Pope at the Nunciature was with one of his former students and his family.

The Pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects.

In other words, Kim Davis and her legal team exaggerated the significance of this meeting and milked it in the media for all it was worth.

CBS News reports that the Vatican was "blindsided" by this story, and with the meeting:

A highly placed source inside the Vatican claims the Pope was blindsided. As Pope Francis was addressing a joint session of Congress, then thousands more gathered outside on the west lawn, Kim Davis, who’d become the poster child for opponents of same-sex marriage, was getting ready for a meeting with him at the Vatican embassy. It is a meeting some charge was orchestrated by the man who lived there, the Pope’s representative here, Carlo Maria Vigano. Not even the Papal Spokesman Federico Lombardi knew about it ahead of time. Nor did the leadership of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which would have opposed it. Others claim the Pope knew about the meeting and had ordered Vatican diplomats, perhaps even Vigano, to set it up. CBS 2’s Vatican source doesn’t think so. A close advisor to Pope Francis tweeted that the Pope was, in his words, “exploited” by those who set up what the CBS 2 source says was a “meeting that never should have taken place.” Some call it an attempt by highly placed church leaders in the U.S. to diminish the impact of the Pope’s visit.

I'm still annoyed by ABC New and Paula Faris for her multiple puffball interviews over the past couple weeks. She's allowed herself to be used by Davis and Liberty Counsel into lengthy sympathetic interviews with no real push back against her exaggerations. She was the ABC News personality that exclusively reported on Davis' meeting with Pope Francis. Once again (such as when Davis told us that she has gay friends), Faris remained superficial and didn't actually investigate the veracity of Davis' story.

ABC is considering a half-hour, single-camera superhero comedy featuring Marvel Comics'DAMAGE CONTROL comic book franchise:

Marvel's Damage Control centers on the overworked and underpaid cleanup crew of the Marvel Universe. Their specialty is dealing with the aftermath of the unique fallout from superhero conflicts, like returning lost ray guns to their rightful owners, rescheduling a wedding venue after it has been vaporized in a battle or even tracking down a missing prize African parrot that's been turned to stone or goo. Sometimes the most important heroes are the ones behind the scenes.

I was a fan of DAMAGE CONTROL back in the day. Marvel Comics tried transforming it into a sinister corporation a few years back, but that never really played out.

My hunch is that we will eventually be seeing an ongoing DAMAGE CONTROL series from Marvel Comics in the future should this idea become popular.

Do you live in Blount County, TN? It's near Knoxville and slightly smaller than my own county. The Blount County Board of Commissions plans to vote on a new resolution next Tuesday that's titled the "Resolution condemning judicial tyranny and petitioning God's mercy." Basically, the Board is railing against the court system and recent court decisions that have come out in favor of nationwide marriage equality.

But the resolution also petitions God to protect the people of Blount County from the upcoming Apocalypse that will surely come now that same-sex couples have been marrying throughout the United States (even though same-sex couples have been marrying in patches of the United States for well over a decades -- longer if you count those of us who've been doing commitment ceremonies -- without any Apocalyptic overtones). Check this out:

With a firm reliance upon the providence of Almighty God WE the BLOUNT COUNTY LEGISLATURE call upon all of the Officers of the State of Tennessee, the Governor, the Attorney General, and the members of the Tennessee Legislature, to join US, and utilize all authority within their power to protect Natural Marriage, from lawless court opinions, AND THE financial schemes of the enemies of righteousness wherever the source AND defend the Moral Standards of Tennessee.

WE adopt this Resolution before God that He pass us by in His Coming Wrath and not destroy our County as He did Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring cities. As the Passover Lamb was a means of salvation to the ancient Children of Israel, so we stand upon the safety of the Lamb of God to save us.

WE adopt this Resolution begging His favor in light of the fact that we have been forced to comply and recognize that the State of Tennessee, like so many other God-fearing States, MAY have fallen prey to a lawless judiciary in legalizing what God and the Bible expressly forbids.

Of course, I'm thinking of the day that everyone and everything surrounding Blount County, TN, goes up in smoke; while the people of Blount County transform into pillars of salt because they can't stop looking.

Archie Comics published ARCHIE #3 earlier this week. Last issue ended with Archie falling hard for Veronica Lodge -- and inadvertently destroying her new house in the process. Literally. It was dark, so Archie is betting that nobody knows that it was him.

ARCHIE #3 brings Veronica to Riverdale High. We don't really know much about her except that her family is on the top end of the One Percent. She's well-traveled. She apparently had a reality TV show at some point. And now she's going to public high school in a small city. I'm sure that there's a story there someplace.

Veronica's first day at Riverdale High turns out to be eventful. Everybody is watching her. Half of the school wants to become her best friend. The other half -- led by Jughead -- hates her. And don't get me started on lunchtime!

Here are some of the highlights:

1. Archie Meets Veronica!: Archie is the first person to greet Veronica at Riverdale High. Immediately, he begins carrying her books and showing her the sights! He's obviously smitten with this new girl and she knows it. Turns out that she knows about the house also! This could turn out very badly for Archie if she got mad to narced on him to her father!

2. Jughead Hates on Veronica!: Jughead is completely unhappy with Veronica's sudden arrival. He had been subtly nudging Archie and Betty back together as a couple ever since their break-up. Not enough that either realized it, but with enough string-pulling that it was eventually going to happen. And now Veronica has Archie following her around on a leash. This is not good. Jughead is determined to take Veronica down -- not that Betty will help!

3. Miss Beazley's Cooking Hasn't Improved: The running gag for decades is that Miss Beazley's cooking is horrible. It would appear that nothing has changed within the "Archie Relaunch!"

4. Don't Mess With Sheila Wu!: These panel speak volumes. Seriously, Sheila Wu is becoming one of my top five characters in the "Archie Relaunch!"

5. Did I Mention Beazley's Bad Cooking??: Veronica's first contact with Riverdale High's is explosively embarassing. But she handles it well -- before having a private meltdown!

6. Seeds Planted for the Betty & Veronica Friendship: Betty stumbles across Veronica in the middle of her breakdown -- and she handles it perfectly. This is textbook Betty Cooper: Assess and Act. She didn't gawk. She didn't tease. She didn't obsess. She just began problem-solving in a compassionate way. It certainly impressed Veronica!

7. Seeds Planted for the Betty & Veronica Frenemy Relationship: Of course, their friendship has always been strained. Veronica manages to negate Betty's good will within 30 seconds!

8: It's On!: The next storyline promises to feature a battle of will between Veronica and Jughead & Betty. I'm envisioning a twisty version of "Mean Girls."

By the way, don't believe any of Betty's rationalizations in the preceding panels!

ARCHIE #3 was written by Mark Waid, with art by Fiona Staples, colors by Andre Szymanowicz & Jen Vaughn, and letters by Jack Morelli.

This is the twenty-third in a series of blog posts dedicated to the 40th anniversary of BBC's "Survivors" television series. "Survivors"followed a core group of characters who managed to survived a devastating viral outbreak -- one which managed to kill off somewhere between 95-99% of humanity. Society has crumbled and now those who remain must relearn the old way if they have any hope of surviving much longer.

Today's episode was a fairly simple single-issue story, titled "Parasites." Mina was out collecting plants and herbs for food when she came across a man named John Millen (played by Patrick Troughton) and his water bus. He agreed to come to Whitecross tomorrow to trade supplied for a dozen rubber-boots, but he was really coming to spend some time with Mina. They didn't spend much time together, but there were definite sparks.

John, Mina, and the Water Bus

Here is the curious thing. The water bus arrived the next day, but John wasn't there. Instead, there was a pair named Jeff Kane and Les Grice. They were a rough-looking pair, but weren't overtly threatening -- even if they lacked the social graces!

They hung out at Whitecross for a while, agreeing to trade the rubber boots for our survivors' supply of homemade beer, plus other unspecified supplies. Did I mention that Whitecross' beer is literally explosive? Does that just seem weird that they keep explosive beer around the settlement, much less drink it?

Mina meets the men and is understandably confused. Here is how she put it to Ruth and Greg. There was one man when she first found the water bus. Now there are two. They told her that John went to see his wife unexpectedly, when John had told her that he was unmarried. Plus, Kane was wearing John's hat.

Of course, nobody trusts Mina to get anything right, so they ignore her warnings and their own gut impressions of these two travelers and allow them to spend the night.

Frustrated, Mina goes out and finds John's body floating in the river. There's a knife in his back. She goes back that night and confronts Jeff Kane, pointing out that she found a murder knife and Kane has a knife holster that would fit that knife. Though she used more colorful communication techniques than I did!

Right about this time, Pet remembered that Jeff Kane had been in the news a few years back. He'd been sentenced to life in prison after killing a security guard. Here is one thing you can count on about the people of Whitecross. They might not trust Mina with anything -- even though she's never lied to them -- but they always listen to Pet! They decide to chase off the murderous pair in the morning.

Whitecross' resident priest, Lewis, asks to speak to the men first. He asks them to leave in peace and gets shot in the chest for his troubles -- but not before being told that they have ten minutes to bring some horses for a timely response. At the end of those ten minutes, John and Lizzie will be killed. Sure enough, they'd kidnapped the children sometime during the night!

R.I.P. Lewis

The two men escape on the water bus, but not before falling ill. It turns out that they were drinking a bottle of wood alcohol. That stuff makes you go blind and is highly explosive. Before you know it, the water bus (and the murderous men on it) explode in a fiery ball. Fortunately, the kids escaped before things went terminal.

As noted above, this episode was fairly simple. A pair of parasitic travelers -- men who spent their last years shifting around stealing and murdering -- caused trouble for our survivors. The one notable moment (besides Lewis' death), was the inclusion of actor Patrick Troughton. He was best known for his portrayal as the second Doctor in the BBC's "Doctor Who" series.

It's too bad that his appearance in "Survivors" was so brief. As far as I can remember, Patrick Troughton was the only significant "Doctor Who" actor to appear on "Survivors."

Next week's episode is titled "New Arrivals." We will say goodbye to some familiar faces -- and hello to some new blood!

Comedian Kevin Hart was performing this weekend at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. A 22-year-old Iowa City woman was in the audience, but got in trouble for receiving a call on her cell phone:

She was asked to leave after staff saw her on the phone during the show, which had a strict no cellphones policy. (She) later admitted to being on the phone, police said, but refused to leave when asked to, telling officers "she did not want to stand in the cold." When (she) refused to leave after multiple commands, UIPD officers forced her hands behind her back, according to a police complaint. Police said (she) kicked the officers after they had to carry her outside, and she was taken to the ground and arrested outside of Carver at 10:19 p.m. Saturday.

The Gazette reports that the woman "smelled strongly of alcohol." She denied drinking, but police reported that she had slurry speech and bloodshot eyes.

She was charged with public intoxication and trespassing, as well as interference with official acts causing bodily injury and assault on persons in certain occupations. She was released from jail yesterday. She faces 26 months in prison if convicted.

A website called "RoadSnacks""analyzed over 150 cities in Iowa to identify the ones that probably think they're better than you" and then came up with a list of the 10 Snobbiest Cities in Iowa.

Iowa City didn't make the list -- it didn't even make the Top 100(!!) --, but neighboring Coralville, IA, earned second place on the list of snobbiest cities in Iowa. Here is how they decided that Coralville is number two:

Just outside of Iowa City is the medium sized city of Coralville. Here, they have just about the largest homes in the state. And if putting your kids in private school is a snobbish action, than Coralville is snob central. They have just about more private schools in the area than anywhere else in Iowa.

Coralville also has its fair share of other snooty activities, including theaters and arts related activities. And don’t even try and get into an academic discussion about ballet with a Coralville resident. See, they’re the 2nd smartest in the entire state. Nearly 6 in 10 of them has a college degree.

Frankly, I'm not aware of too many private schools in Coralville. There's the Montessori School of Iowa City (which, interestingly, is actually in Coralville) and there's a private Christian school. I don't know of any other private schools.

It makes sense that the community is well-educated. The University of Iowa in over in Iowa City; not to mention the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Mercy Hospital. All three attract highly educated professionals -- who then move over to Coralville to purchase expensive properties with slightly lower property taxes.

I first learned of this 10 Snobbiest Cities in Iowa chart from KGAN. They went over to the third snobbiest city in Iowa (i.e., Mount Vernon) to get reactions. Nobody agreed with their designation, but this one person tried to shove their collective snob onto Iowa City... Because that's how snobby Mount Vernon can be, I guess:

Gretchen Rhee-Robinson says she recently moved here from Des Moines and questions the criteria for a snobby town. As she sits on a downtown bench with a number of people stopping to chat and scratch the head of her German Shepard Frieda, she says the label just doesn’t fit, “ Well I’m surprised Iowa City isn’t on here. But Mount Vernon, I can’t believe that’s number three. People are really nice here. “

Here is the complete Top Ten List of Snobby Cities in Iowa:

1. Windsor Heights
2. Coralville
3. Mount Veronon
4. Urbandale
5. West Des Moines
6. Asbury
7. Clive
8. Johnston
9. Waukee
10. Robins

Ryan Buell -- formerly of "Paranormal State" -- posted the following message on Facebook earlier today:

Most likely -- given that they are focusing on his "very loyal fanbase" --, this would be another ghost hunting/paranormal research program. Heck, even without the "very local fanbase," we'd be looking at another ghost hunting/paranormal research program. That's what Buell is known for. But I wonder how they could do something new and different with Ryan Buell

If you want to see Ryan Buell return to television, follow the link and say "yes" or make a comment or whatever.

I had a really fun time reading JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS OUTRAGEOUS ANNUAL #1 last night. The large-sized comic book seems to fall squarely between this issue and that.

The Holograms return home from a huge concert and are hyped up from all of the adrenalin. So they do what a band of twentysomething musicians always do when they're too strung out to sleep -- they plan an impromptu movie night!

Thankfully, Synergy is the ultimate hacker and they learn that she can access pretty much any movie that's been made!

The problem is that the Holograms -- despite being super-close sisters -- are all pretty different girls. Choosing a movie is close to impossible. Jerrica wants a classic comedy. Aja wants a sci-fi movie. Shana is into fantasy. And Kimber is just pretty weird!

Their search for the perfect movie is quickly scuttled when each of the Holograms succumbs to slumber. What follows is a series of movie-themed dreams. Each movie cleverly connects to its dreamer's secret fears and anxieties.

For example, Jerrica ends up dreaming herself in a version of "Teen Wolf" -- the 1980s movie, not the recent MTV beefcake series. She finds herself transforming from mild-mannered Jerrica Benton the unassuming basketball player into Jem Wolf, her popular alter ego who doesn't suffer from Jerrica's insecurities and whose abilities are pretty unlimited.

There is a scene between Jerrica and Synergy Wolf which mirrors themes from the "Teen Wolf" movie, but also speaks to Jerrica's worries about becoming usurped by her "Jem" identity:

The other girls find themselves planted into their own movie-themed dreams, such as the Shana/"Empire Strikes Back" mash-up, which shows her being torn between her role within the Holograms and her desire to become a fashion designer. And then there is the mash-up between Aja and "Mad Max," which shows her realizing that her desire to be a loner isn't as strong as her devotion to her sisters. And then there is Kimber's weird "Muppet Babies" dream, which shows her collaborating with Stormer and trying to get the Holograms and Misfts to cooperate.

Each dreamer interacted with Synergy, who offered sage advise or provided some tool for learning a truth. I left the book wondering if maybe Synergy's ability are more than holographic. Could she possibly be psionic? That seems implausible, but I wanted to implant that suggested in this blog for future reference!

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS OUTRAGEOUS ANNUAL #1 was a really fun read, though the price tag might chase away some. But the storytelling is engaging and the various artists are all perfect. It's definitely worth picking up!

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS OUTRAGEOUS ANNUAL #1 was written by Kelly Thompson. "Wired" featured art by Amy Mebberson. "Jem Wolf" featured art by Arielle Jovellanos and colors by Josh Burcham. "Angry Asa" featured art by Rebekah Isaacs and colors by Joana Lefuente. "Shana Wars" featured art and colors by Jen Bartel. And "Jem Babies" featured art and colors by Agnes Garbowska with coloring assistance from Lauren Perry.

CBN's "The 700 Club" answered the question about whether or not demons can possess your kids through horror movies. The answer is YES! (Conveniently timed a few short weeks from Halloween!)

It all happened during the show's Bring It On segment, where co-host Terry Meeuwsen shared the following question by a man named David: "I am a Christian husband who has a problem with my only daughter. She watched a horror film with her friends. Since then she has become violent, uses bad language, and throws things at me. I talked to our local pastor, and he thinks she could be demon possessed. Can a horror film make people violent and dangerous?"

Here is Pat Robertson's response:

I heard of one instance of somebody who was casting a demon out of somebody and the demon said, “But I had permission.” And the permission was that this particular person had gone to a pornographic film or a violent film or some kind of film and had become demon possessed. So, you’re asking me is that the case? Can it happen? The answer is absolutely it can happen and you need to get somebody who knows what they are doing. I’m not saying that’s the case, but an amazing thing. They see the film and the next thing you know their personality totally changes. Just a movie won’t do that, but demonic power will.

David's daughter is old enough that she was able to watch a horror film with friends and without her parents' permission. That bit of information prompted me to consider some other factors that might explain a sudden change in personality for a young woman: 1. Puberty. 2. Alcohol Experimentation. 3. Drug Experimentation. 4. A Secret Boyfriend. 5. A Secret Girlfriend. But it's probably much more realistic that she has a demon nestled inside of her.

Isn't it peculiar that demons seem to infest certain breeds of Christians, but not other people?

You can watch the whole segment here.

Remember JUGHEAD #1? It just came out this week!! It's been years since Archie Comics' JUGHEAD comic book ~~got canceled~~/went on an extended hiatus. We were promised a new series and eventually that happened, as part of the Archie Relaunch!

The "new" Jughead is probably the strongest character in the whole relaunch, IMHO as always. He's quirky and unconventional. He's a loyal friend, but doesn't like to advertise that fact too much. He comes off as a bit of a loner, but he's definitely tapped into the Riverdale social network.

He's a young man who essentially had everything. And then his father lost everything. Which caused Jughead to realize that life isn't fair and that you need to focus on enjoying your little corner of it instead of focusing on all of the stuff that you cannot control that's unfair.

JUGHEAD #1 is written by Chip Zdarsky and features artwork by Erica Henderson (along with lettering by Jack Morelli). Chip seems to be the perfect writer for this updated Jughead. He's a fan of "old" Old School Jughead -- the original Jughead stories filled "with weird science and impossible scenarios" featuring our "lanky hero" who doesn't want trouble, but finds himself targeted by it. My experience with Zdarsky's work is that he's the King of Quirky, which makes him the perfect writer for JUGHEAD.

Then there is the art. Let's get this out of the way. I absolutely love Erica Henderson's artwork. I didn't like it at all when I first learned of Marvel Comics' UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL title, but I've really grown to respect and admire her work. I bring this up because a good chunk of the fandom that I've encountered leading up to now has been complaining about the art. Clarification: most of those complaints were pre-publication and some of those critics have tempered their criticisms since reading the actual book. I just want to acknowledge that elephant and to assure everyone that it'll be okay. (I'll admit though that her rendition of Veronica Lodge really doesn't mess with the Veronica Lodge that we just met over in ARCHIE!)

Anyway, here are some of the highlight:

1. Bye 'Bee!: It seems that Riverdale's School Board has decided to implement some mid-year changes to Riverdale High's leadership, curriculum, and day-to-day functions. Part of that change is getting rid of Mr. Weatherbee! He's being replaced by a tool named Mr. Stanger. But Mr. Stanger assures us that "the changes will be gradual" and are only intended to improve the school experience.

2. Gruel: Jughead wasn't terribly upset about the new principal until he ran across one particular location of non-gradual change: the cafeteria!! The cafeteria food has been replaced by some nasty substitute. Mr. Stanger assures us that it's part of a "clearly defined menu, for optimum health and performance" -- but I think he's just trying to save money by messing with the food budget!

3. Game of Jones: Jughead doesn't take this news well. He immediately begins protesting Riverdale High's new "Food Injustice," but not before passing out and suffering from a "Game of Thrones"-inspired hallucination! My impression is that we can expect these types of digressions on a regular basis in JUGHEAD. For example, next issue will visit the "Time Police!"

4. You Can... Make Food?: Jughead wakes from his dragon-dream and learns that Betty usually just makes her own lunch and brings it from home. His reaction is pretty much the definitive Jughead: "You can... make food?" I really don't think that Jughead had thought about where his meals came from before now. I think he thinks only about the specific things that he wants and that he needs. Anything more is just wasteful learning.

It had never occurred to him before today that there was a Home Economics classroom. And if he'd ever noticed it before, he never bothered to figure out what they do in that classroom. But he now knows and he has a mission: He needs to learn how to make hamburgers! Because this is the other definitive thing about Jughead. He really only thinks about what he needs to know about -- but he's extremely quick about learning things once they become important to him!

5. Chuck Can't Make Food: Chuck's description of his pie just cracked me up -- especially when verified by Miss Crouton!

6. The Power of Infinite Burgers!: Jughead's "Game of Jones" adventure helped inspire his response to Riverdale High's new tyranny of Food Injustice. Latching onto Betty's "Save Fox Forest" protest movement, he begins selling hamburgers to the student body -- much to Mr. Stanger's objection! But Jughead found the perfect loophole that allows him to continue with his burger scheme -- for now, at least. I don't see Mr. Stanger rolling over too easily. In fact, I anticipate that Mr. Stanger will be lowering the boom next issue and creating new challenges for a crowned hero!

Definitely pick up this issue. There are tons of little gags here and there, plus there's a back-up story featuring content from the original JUGHEAD #1 back in 1949! How can you beat that??

You know that I'm a huge fan of Squirrel Girl if you've read this blog for long. So you can imagine that I'm pretty excited about news that Marvel Comics will be publishing a crossover story involving Squirrel Girl and Howard the Duck in 2016!

I was announced this weekend at the New York Comic Con that the two-issue crossover will happen in Spring and will take place in UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #6 and HOWARD THE DUCK #6!

The story appears to have a cosplay theme happening, given the convention setting, the Spider-Man suggestion for cosplaying as him, as well as the image of Howard and Doreen wearing outfits normally worn by the other. But that's just speculation!

I began writing about the "Archie: Riverdale Rescue" iOS gaming app back in October 2013. Since then, the game has expanded to PC users. It's an oddly addictive game where you are tasked with the improvement and beautification of Riverdale USA using a variety of recognizable characters, such as Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica. A big part of the game also involves building emotional bonds between the various characters, leading to romantic couples, BFFs, and overall friends.

I was pretty excited a couple of months ago as it appeared that we would be treated to an new game update for "Riverdale Rescue" soon. I waited and waited until I learned from an online friend that we should be expecting the opposite.

Here is what you get when you open up "Archie: Riverdale Rescue" right now:

If you click the "Learn More" button, you get the following message:

For those without microscopic reading abilities, here is what the second image says:

It's been a wild ride, but like all journeys, Archie: Riverdale Rescue is coming to an end. After October 30th, Archie: Riverdale Rescue will no longer be available for download or purchase. The dedicated efforts of all our players have staved off the disaster Mayor Ruskin left behind. You've cleaned up trash, upgraded houses, built parks, unlocked neighbourhoods, and made new friends; Riverdale is thriving once again!

What does this mean for Riverdale rescuers? We want you to enjoy the full catalogue of Archie characters, clothing, decorations, and fixtures, as well as all remaining quest and comic content. All items (including never-before-seen!) are now available in the Archie store. Soda is on sale at a steep discount -- 100,000 soda for $9.99! Make the most of our last few weeks in Riverdale! Complete quests faster than ever, deepen existing relationships, and max out your Riverdale Rating!

The Gogii Games team wants to thank all Archie: Riverdale Rescue players. Our time imagining, developing, and interacting with the Archie universe has been unforgettable. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to act as contributors to this enduring and beloved license.

I have tried looking at the "never-before-seen" new features in the Archie store, but cannot get the game to fully load for me. I'm hopeful that we will finally get to play with Clay Walker. But I will never, ever know if the game upload continues to stall at 50%!

I will provide update if and when I eventually get back on the game!

I've written a few times recently about Charlton Neo, which is a resurrection of the classic Charlton Comics lines; as well as Pix-C Web Comics, which features public domain characters from Charlton Comics as well as a few other original characters. Pix-C Web Comics features strips from a variety of genres, including superhero, horror, action, and humor romance. But this weekend, they launched one new strips that explores another comic book genre: funny animal stories!

TUFFY TURTLE is described as a "scrappy throwback to an era where funny animals smoked and committed crimes!" It's written by Paul Kupperberg, features pencils by Pat & Tim Kennedy and inks by Barbara Kallberg. But who exactly is Tuffy Turtle?

"Mean Streak" introduces the Pix-C audience to Tuffy Turtle and his beaver buddy, Barney. They are a pair of tough guys who have visions of overthrowing Pondville's mayor, AKA Mayor Freddie Frog. The initial week's comic strip suggests that they plan to implicate Mayor Frog in a political scandal of their creation.

I originally assumed that Kupperberg and the Kennedys had created an homage to funny animal tales from earlier days. But then I decided to do some searching and discovered that Tuffy Turtle, like many great Pix-C and Charlton Neo comic book characters, has a history -- even if it was a very small history!

I went back to ATOMIC RABBIT #3 and discovered that Tuffy Turtle and his corrupt mob of awful animals has been plotting against Mayor Frog since 1956! It all started when Mayor Frog stood up against Tuffy's terrible antics and told our anti-hero that his criminal ways were no longer tolerated!

Of course, someone like Tuffy Turtle would never back down to authority, so he recruited Barney and Flick to eliminate Mayor Frog -- starting with an unwilling accomplice, Basil the Blowfish!

Soon enough, Basil found himself blowing up like a huge balloon. Tuffy takes advantage of Basil's bloated belly and hitches Basil's body to Mayor Frog -- with elevating results!

Once Basil and Mayor Frog were high and helpless, Flick flew over the whisked the pair to parts unknown -- but far, far away!

Flick pulled the string that kept Basil aloft and down he fell like a fish and a frog in the air!

Tuffy Turtle then appointed Flick as Pondville's new mayor, which immediately became problematic as Flick began rejecting Tuffy's influence. (Makes you wonder if Freddie Frog started out as a mobster in his earlier days!)

Before Tuffy Turtle and his gang had the chance to fight things out, we readers learned that Flick isn't very good at flying far, far away. It seems that he just flew around in circles and dumped Mayor Frog and Basil the Blowfish back in their own pond! The pair quickly overwhelm our resident tough guys and Freddy is officially the Mayor of Pondville yet again!

What do you think? How different will Tuffy Turtle be in 2015 compared to 1956? Will he stick with balloon games or have his plots become more advanced with age? Guess I'll need to keep watching TUFFY TURTLE's adventures unfold every week on Pix-C Web Comics!

You too can read Tuffy Turtle's first modern adventures -- not to mention Yang, No Name, N.E.O., Skyman, The Knightingales, Deathwatch, The Spookman, Sadistik, Ms. Molecule, and several other great characters, by becoming a patron of Pix-C Web Comics. Those who become patrons (for as little as $1 per month) gain access to several weekly online comic strips. The more you pledge, the more perks you qualify for. I've been contributing $30 per month towards this venture. I encourage to you to become a patron too!

The New York Comic Con just wrapped up and I found this great video. It seems that various comic book artists were tasked with remaking Donald Trump as different super-villains. Here is my favorite: Donald Trump as MODOK!

You can watch the entire creative process on time-lapsed video right here by artist Nathan Fox.

Could a new MODONALD series be far behind??

Pat Robertson was hopping mad during CBN's "The 700 Club" today when someone wrote into the program's Bring It On segment and challenged Christian churches for tolerating remarriages while railing against gay marriages and families.

Amanda asked: "How is it that Christians call gay marriage a sin, yet they will accept divorce – even though the Bible states that if you divorce and marry someone else, that is committing adultery? How is it okay to cherry pick the Bible?"

Here is Pat Robertson's defensive response:

Pat Robertson: The Bible doesn’t say if you divorce and marry someone else that it’s adultery. It doesn’t say that. It doesn’t say that. So you don’t know what the Bible says.

The Bible says if you divorce for any cause for any cause other than immorality or adultery, but there’s also the Pauline privilege which says if your unbelieving spouse pleads to part, let him to part; the brother and sister isn’t bound in that case. So there are exceptions to that. And so if people get married under those circumstances, they’re not committing adultery.

But the Bible makes it absolutely certain that homosexuality is an abomination before a holy God and God will judge a nation that does it. Just like he will judge a nation that’s given over to adultery. Stealing wives and husbands! The same thing! And if it’s given over to licentiousness, the same thing! So we’re not cherry picking anything!

In other words, Christians who remarry have lots wiggle room and loopholes, according to Pat Robertson, and gay people who marry don't.

But never, ever, EVER accuse Pat Robertson of cherry picking!

You can watch the whole segment here.

Enough About the Cake!: I Need to Vent about Anti-Gay Discrimination...

Honey Boo Boo Releases New Music Video: "Movin Up!" // Dances the "Honey Boo Boo Bop"

Pope Francis: I Support Kim Davis' Refusal to Work // Update: Kim Davis & Pope Francis Held a Private Visit

"Officer Involved Shooting" Today in Riverside, IA // Nobody Injured

Pope Francis: Don't Read Anything Into My Kim Davis Encounter; I Saw Lots of People That Day! // Vatican Was "Blindsided" by Kim Davis Reports

Marvel Comics'"Damage Control" Coming to ABC?

Blount County, TN: Board of Commissions Petitions God to Protect Them From the Upcoming Apocalypse Because of Gay Marriage

Veronica Lodge Arrives at Riverdale High // 8 Reasons to Love ARCHIE #3!

"Survivors" 40th Anniversary: Episode 23 ("Parasites")

Iowa City Arrested for Taking Phone Call During Kevin Hart Show

Coralville Ranked #2 in List of "10 Snobbiest Cities in Iowa"

Ryan Buell of "Paranormal State" Returning to Television?

Jem Meets Teen Wolf (And Other Fun Features!!) in JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS OUTRAGEOUS ANNUAL #1!

Pat Robertson: Demons Possess Children Through Horror Films

Jughead Is Back!! // Six Things to Enjoy about JUGHEAD #1!

NYCC 2015 Announcement: Look for Squirrel Girl // Howard the Duck Crossover!!

Saying Goodbye to "Archie: Riverdale Rescue"

Who Is Tuffy Turtle?

Donald Trump as MODOK!

Pat Robertson: Don't Call Me a Cherry-Picker When I Don't Accuse Christian Divorcees of Adultery!