The Independent

After Two Millennia, Patrons Finally Seated at Italian Snack Bar

by Susana Polo | 5:29 pm, March 21st

The above is a picture of the dining area at Vetutius Placidus‘ thermopolium (or snack bar). The ancient eating establishment was buried under a massive wave of scalding ash during the eruption of Pompeii in the year 79. The Independent says:

The thermopolium, one of the best preserved sites in Pompeii, has been closed to the public for years in order to protect it from further damage. But following months of detailed excavation and preservation work, all visitors will soon be able to go inside and get an idea of a typical ancient Roman lunch establishment.

Is anyone else really hungry?

Read on...

Essay

Memo to Mark Millar: Kick-Ass is Not Realism

by Susana Polo | 4:33 pm, February 22nd

I was all ready to ignore Kick-Ass. To just let it slip past my radar and fade into obscurity like Lions Gate’s Frank Miller’s Will Eisner’s The Spirit. I don’t see the point of willfully subjecting myself to things that I know I will only find repugnant. But then The Independent‘s interview with Mark Millar flipped my nerdrage switch. And then, I watched the trailers, and now… here I am.

Now I know what Kick-Ass is about, other than, you know, violence. Just as I suspected, it is not an original concept, but to my surprise it is an interesting one. The idea of the realistic superhero, with or without powers, has been tackled over and over again. Watchmen, The Authority, Top 10, Batman Begins, Hancock, the X-Men, Spiderman and more have all attempted, in some way, to bring the superhero down to earth.

In a way, this makes me more angry. I’d much rather Millar take a dumb concept and make a bad movie, than watch him take an idea I am honestly intellectually and creatively interested in and make a hash of it.

Anyway, here’s the first bit that got me: Millar says “There’s never been a superhero comic set in the real world.”

Read on...

14 of the Best Geekiest Beers

Given beer's pervasive place in human history, it's not surprising that the geeky pastimes of drinkers would eventually rub off on the beers themselves. The result is a veritable cornucopia of nerdy beers, 14 of which are right here.

Tweetosystem

Eric Limer I'm trying to come up with a control scheme where I can use my xbox 360 controller for leisurely web surfing. It's....interesting.
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James Plafke For a show about a sport I don't really dig, Friday Night Lights is an alright show.
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Eric Limer Just spent a few hours playing Kyntt. Stunning, cute little game. Highly recommended.
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Max Wanna create work flows, wanna make it all work work work.
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James Plafke I am jealous Elmo got to make out with Kristin Chenoweth.
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Eric Limer I swear under my breath A LOT. This must make people near by me very uncomfortable. That being said, I have no intentions of stopping.
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Max Court is now in session at the Burp Castle.
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Eric Limer I don't look at my finances as often as I should which is the main reason why I don't often want to look at my finances.
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Max Desert PolyBus: The game where you drive to Reno and then die.
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Eric Limer If I wrote a webcomic, every strip would be titled "Get it? GET IT?!"
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Max Got chili oil on my hands and face. It hurts. A lot.
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Eric Limer Suddenly I remember what I hate about PC gaming. Mainly never having a computer that can actually do it.
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James Plafke The halftime show taught me that football-watching men drinking beer who love seeing muscular men beat each other up really like to vogue.
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Max Pestering your friends at 8am is how you show you care, right? #hopeso
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Eric Limer Twitter is like RiffTrax for EVERYTHING.
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James Plafke I know global warming is scary, but not having a winter was pretty cool. I didn't have to spend money on shoes for the snow.
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Eric Limer I hereby apologize to all persons --past, present and future-- who have the misfortune of hearing me "sing" dubstep songs.
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Max Even Facebook's Timeline thinks I could have done more with my life.
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Max I did that thing where Facebook turns your Timeline into a movie. Mine had pictures of ducks and foliage set to really dramatic music.
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Max "But I don't wanna go to the dog show!"
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