Pazdziernik II

Dilbert: A Rarity

Dilbert the cartoon character by Scott Adams might not be a “rarity” because he certainly finds much resonance among “techies” and those who do technical computer or engineering work for a living. (A "very sexy profession" indeed!)

However, it is a "rarity" to see Dilbert blacked-out for a while. The Union Leader in Manchester, New Hampshire blacked-out Dilbert this week; replaced with a simple notice:

"Editor's Note: Due to content that some reader may find offensive, Dilbert will not run for the next four days."

Well, it’s a ‘satire’ about Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. Scott Adams certainly knows that we are almost at Holy Week and Easter. (Another “rarity” is Easter coming so early this year. It won’t be this early again until 2160!) His response is ‘time make fun of’ Our Lord.

I suspect that he also realizes that Christians are not as ‘thin-skinned’ as other religious people because we still await a direct ‘satire’ from him on other great religious personalities. (Recall the killing of Christians in 2006 over Danish cartoons — drawn by secular Europeans — by Radical Islamists who can’t or unable to distinguish "between secular Europeans and religious Christians"or who don't realize that their governments use this as a pretext to divert attention away from their own shortcomings.)

Our response to this should be to grow in holiness. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to examine our conscience to always respect the sentiments of others. Cartons or other things that make light of the truly sacred for others or the authentic cherished beliefs of others are signs of intolerance. Humor quickly looses its appeal after mature reflections of this sort.

Dilbert’s “HAY-SOOS” panels began on March 8, 2008.

However, in the normal course Dilbert can be real funny:

Dilbert’s Date: Do you have any hobbies?

Dilbert: I like to read obscure articles on the internet and imagine having friends who are interested in the same thing.

Dilbert’s Date: But you do have friends, right?

Dilbert: Is it too late to change the subject?

Image: Cubes and Punishment: A Dilbert Book by Scott Adams (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2007)
Tags: New Hampshire, Union Leader, Dilbert, Scott Adams

Captain America® Lives!

Like many others I suppose, I was very happy to learn that Marvel Comics has revived Captain America® (No. 34, March 2008). I haven’t been following the recent exploits of Steve Rogers but his “revival” sparked my interest since, unlike other superheroes, the identity of Captain America® is well-known and because he is a superhero who does not have super powers. He simply has extraordinary abilities stemming from a US military experiment in the 1940s. For example, he can not fly or run faster than the speed of sound. He has my affinity because he’s more along the lines of Batman® than Superman® or Spider-man®.

Well, after some research, I discovered that Captain America® died last year (Captain America® No. 25, March 2007) and in the current issue (No. 34) Steve Rogers remains dead, in keeping with the solely natural aspect of his human nature. Captain America® is now new: His sidekick Bucky Barnes, following the wishes of Steve Rogers, has taken-up the Captain America® persona.

Barnes accepted Roger’s last wish upon two conditions: 1. that his mind be probed to ensure that no one can take control of it again (it’s part of the recent story-line); 2. that he does not answer to anyone. Hmmm.

I never bought into the idea that Captain America® is the “personification of America” or the like. In my estimation he is his “own man” and fights manifest evil wherever it is found. My thesis now has even greater traction two-fold: because of Barne’s conditions of acceptance and because Captain America® now carries a sidearm, in addition to his familiar shield.

Please stop me if I'm becoming Dilbert!

Image: Captain America® No. 34 (March 2008)
Tags: Captain America, Marvel Comics