On Brian Vaughn's "Saga", so far

A couple of weeks ago, I heard that Neil Gaiman had a new Sandman book out.  I don't fancy myself a comic fan, but I have read a lot of comics for someone that doesn't claim to be a comic fan.

Basically, I'm telling you this because I didn't go into the store with the intention of buying this book.  The Gaiman book was sold out, and I left my first visit to a comic store in maybe ever empty-handed.  I was walking away, trying to think if there was a place to buy the newest Harvard Business Review and lamenting that the local chain book shop closed two years ago.  Needing something to read while I ate lunch, I went back to the shop.

Talking to the comic book guy, I asked him for a recommendation of a book to read, specifying that I wasn't into superheroes.  There was a display up front, where some issues were being sold for a dollar. The first issue of this Saga was what he grabbed, telling me that this is a book enjoyed even by people who don't read comics.

I saw the name Brian Vaughn on the cover and I asked the guy what else he had done.  I knew the name from somewhere.  It turned out that he was the guy behind Y: The Last Man.  Because even though I don't read comics, I had read the whole run of that particular series.

So I bought that issue.  Then I got the collected volume one and two from my library, and read through them.

I like the series so far.  It is star-crossed lovers, in space with magic.  The problem is that I don't really know where it's going.  The main characters are objectors who come from races that have been at war a long time, and it is narrated by their daughter who is born in the first issue.  It is a nice set-up, but there is so much that can go wrong that I am wary of too soon proclaiming this genius.  I'll hedge, and say it is pretty good, so far.

I like my coffee to taste like coffee

This review is from: MR. COFFEE� Water Filter Replacement 6pk

Our city water is over-chlorinated. When we bought the Mr. Coffee machine, it came with a built-in water filter. With every day use, it's efficacy declined, but it was still better than the water, which lowered the quality of the coffee that is the desired output. After a week or so of using, I can say that these equal the original filter that came with the maker when we bought it in the spring. The original said that you should replace it every month, and it took five months of daily use for me to notice that it wasn't up to the original standards. I can't give these as much credit, but the build seems the same.

A note. I couldn't find these in person, so I came to Amazon. The site sells a filter set-up that has the frame and the filter. That is unnecessary. If you keep the frame that came with your coffee maker, you just need these thin, flat discs. If you follow the guidelines, it's pretty cheap. I won't follow the guidelines on replacement unless absolutely necessary.

I am a fan of: The Band "Japanther"

Japanther is one of the top five bands to ever put down chords, with a beat in the back, and to lay lyrics all over the whole thing. That so few people know this fact is a travesty. This album is one of the stronger of their albums, in my opinion. It is only surpassed by their earlier "Dump the Body in Rikki Lake," and equaled by the more contemporary "Tut, Tut, Shake your Butt". For an arty two-piece from New York, they know how to rock, but more importantly, they can write interesting songs.