Considering some real-life implications of Superman

Just ran across these:

Supes doesn't have windshield wipers.

Mrs. Kent could be overprotective.

Lois got around.

Man of Hard-to-Operate-On

and the best:

Superman learns about opportunity costs.

The usual follow-up stuff

Here's the Oatmeal review of the Tesla Model S.

Here are some other great Oatmeals:
- on dogs
- on movies
- on running

Many more. Just keep clicking around on the website.


Also:
James Jesus Angleton: Spy Hunter says his middle name had the Spanish pronunciation. I'm a gringo dunce for not thinking of that.

Best headline of the day

Upside-down coffin filled with medieval weapons discovered in wooded area

BBC This Month, and Assorted Tidings

Gentlemen,

After much poetic back and forth, the site of book club has now been determined. Tim will be hosting (1419 Elizabeth) at 7:30 this Wednesday.  Thanks for hosting again, Tim.

In other news, our transition to a group made up entirely of married 40ish men with children is now complete.  Mike Cevarr (AKA Newest Mike) will be marrying his longtime partner Kirk Fordam in a ceremony in Washington D.C. next Saturday, accompanied by their two sons, Lukas and Levi.  Mike and Kirk met in college and have been together for 25 years.  In keeping with BBC tradition for all happy events, we will celebrate their wedding during this week's meeting with a ceremonial discussion of "The Wire."  Congratulations, Mike and Kirk!

Mike Eber and Mark Lewis, thank you for your patience this month (and many other months).  June is your reward, when BBC will be making a sharp turn towards the literary with "In the Shape of a Boar," by Lawrence Norfolk.  A quick scan of the reviews on Amazon, while very positive, also frequently use words like "inaccessible," "juggernaut," "tour de force," and "incomprehensible," so I wouldn't dawdle on this one. The Kindle app, which now creepily tells me how long a book is in hours and minutes based on my reading speed, claims 4 hours 45 minutes.  Your mileage may vary.

See you this week.

Andrew

The Sovietization of Smaug

Here's a Soviet-era Russian version of "The Hobbit." Watch as Smaug's gold is taxed at confiscatory rates and he has to wait in line for flame-retardant toilet paper.

Oh, and I'll just point out that Russia, the home of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, managed to produce a version of "The Hobbit" that lasts just over an hour.