When Worlds Intersect Is that A Good Thing?

I am a long time traditional comic book reader. Old school when ten cents got me the latest issue of Batman. I love libraries. Movies. Animation. Sex. Literacy. Reading, Creativity. And usually they are compartmentalize and each is in their own silo.

Sometimes there is an overlap. One or two intersections is okay but this...this is popping brain cells. Once upon a time eh, 1999,  there was a comic book called Birds of Prey. Later, there was a television show by that name. It didn't last long but I watched it.

No complaints. It had Shemar Moore.Why be greedy?

Soooo, I'm checking my Tweet stream and somehow wind up at Bleeding Cool where I see Birds of Prey XXX. A Parody.  This trailer is safe for work. Only words are exchanged and only one of them is heated. Can't trust that Huntress for nothing. She does drop a F-Bomb.



How? Why? Nooo!? Well, maybe. It is like the Star Trek Enterprise XXX parody. On the one hand is nothing sacred? On the other hand I have always had half a lobe to do Picard.

Which is wrong, wrong.

For the record, I have only seen the Star Trek Enterprise XXX trailer. It seems like they tried to be respectful. I have never seen any of the XXX parodies and don't think I am going to be able to for quite some time. Not high on the bucket list.

Back to the Birds of Prey. So they have Oracle in the wheelchair. Oracle is gonna get busy later and not just floating through Ethernet cables either. She is neither PC or Mac, Oracle's rig is custom built.

(Okay, quick recap on the back story: In an alternate dimension, Oracle is a later day Barbara Gordon who got the hell and the use of her legs beat out of her by The Joker. He might have done other things but that depends on the interpretation by the specific artist who wrote the book at the time.

I hate that guy. Straight up hate The Joker. Nothing funny about that damn clown.

Barbara, who was a librarian reclaim her mantle as crime fighting Information Mistress of the Digits. Then the other Birds of Prey, The Huntress and Black Canary, get to chase and capture villains and make Gotham or New Gotham a grand place to live. )

Hence, my dilemma. Oracle still a librarian fighting crime from a wheelchair (this is important for story continuity. Later on DC had Barbara walking again to resume being Batgirl. The Wheeled Sisters did not take kindly to the change).

Oracle is getting some non-combat action and it ain't with Richard Grayson. Double score. Except that she is bonking a detective in a nookie film. Let us not forget that her pop is Commissioner Gordon.

Why must I be tormented so?  I love Batman, I do. Iconic character.  But dig it, there are the comic books, the 1960s series, movies starting from the 1940s on up. Major props to the animated series. That isn't a typo. You have Batman, the Animated Series, The Brave and The Bold, The Batman, Batman Beyond not to mention all the action he's got in Justice League.

Batgirl has is third season appearances in the early 1960 Batman shows, the cancelled series and guest star shots as an adult in some of the animated series.

DC come on! This is the only full length live action movie with a super heroine. It is a movie that most people can only watch when the lights are low and the Two Buck Chuck is chilled.

So I have been told.

There should be a Black Canary animated movie. You can have Ollie (Green Arrow) in it but let the girl clear her pipes. I know you made a Wonder Woman animated movie that didn't make bizillons of dollars but I don't think you advertized the movie that well. I would have bought it if I could have found it at Target. Water over the bridge.

Dang it, forget that there are 14 to 18 year old boys for a moment. Girl people like action movies too. I am not against the action in the parody but you know what I am saying?.

What am I saying? I lost track.

I'll watch the trailer one more time just to cement that I saw it. It might be important one day. You never know. This isn't wrong. But it is just not right.

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Zorro Est Arrive on the Finally Friday Freakout

Once upon a time there was a video jukebox called a Scopitone. It was placed in bars, upper level clubs and places where people got to see the performers of the day do their thing while knocking back a Martini.

I can't do the whole history justice but I highly recommend a visit to the Scopitones blog. There are videos from France, Europe and a few Americans you might recall like Lou Rawls, Della Reese and Brook Benton.

I want to introduce you to a gentleman by the name of Henri Salvador. Henri was a well respected jazz performer and vocalist. He was also a clown in the best sense of the word. I can't speak a lick of French but for this video you don't need to.

We need some fun after the past two weeks. I think you are gonna like this.



Sound familiar? This is not a cover of the song "Along Came Jones." This is the original that inspired the American version of the song.

I got one more for you. Tout ça c'est pas grave which translates to It's All Okay.



I wish the heck I paid more attention in French class but I think I get the gist of it. Some of his videos are pure uncured ham; others are just strange without a translation or cultural background to get the joke.

Mr. Salvador appeared in a couple of French movies in the 1940s and 1950s. Looks like he had a television show too. I have to stress that he wasn't just a prankster; he seems to have the kind of career that allowed him to have the flexibility to try new things and not lock him into one format.

In any case, I blame him for my new Scopitone habit.

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Baby Got Back on the Finally Friday Freakout

I've got orange marmalade and leftovers in the refrigerator. I really like to mix food together. My derriere is not all fast food. Nope. I stuff it with veggies, pasta and other assorted food items.

Yet even I would draw the line at a Twinkie diet. And by Twinkie I really mean Chocodiles. Or Ding-Dongs. Chilled, of course.



And then I find this video. Merciful heavens. I've heard of cultural appropriation but this cuts the cake. As a funny parody example. I don't even like Gilbert & Sullivan musicals. I tried but meh, not for me.

But I get it. The source video is from the movie The Pirate of Penzance and the musical adaptation, well go visit Mike Hightower if you want more of the same.



In the spirit of equal time for those us with the amp in vamp and roll in the stroll I convey to you the original Sir Mix A Lot version of Baby Got Back.

Me, I wonder if you can mix Orange Marmalade with pasta?

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May Day Doo Dah 2010 - Parade Time Distortion

I know this is gonna confuse people. The Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is this Saturday. For real. No, it is not December. No there won't be a good reason or justification for the 11 a.m. champagne style orange juice inoculation.

Change is good. Just takes a bit of getting use to.


Still, goodness knows how Fester is going to tolerate the increase in temperature. Not to mention the Country Gentlemen, The Dead Robert Palmer Girls or the Bastard Sons of Lee Marvin:



The ancients and the crusties have fond memories of hot dogs and tortillas floating in the air. (Uh, don't bring tortillas to the parade. The 1990s have passed my friend.) Many of the parade's four footed participants especially liked the hot dogs that found there way to a liberated pound puppy.

Ditto on not bringing the hot dogs.

So here is the deal. Don't take your love to town or Old Town Pasadena cuz the parade isn't there anymore. They moved it to East Pasadena. Hey, if any place needs a parade it is East Pasadena!

The exact location is 2627 E. Colorado Blvd. 91107 between Altadena and San Gabriel Blvd. Bring your own lawn chairs, pillows, and blankets. There is a Denny's near by and I'm sure there are other stuff that needs to be discovered in East Pasadena.

According to the web site you can be sure that some of the following kinda sorta will appear:

• Queen Erica Valentine,
  
• The Electric Squirrels,
  
• Martinis in the Morning,
  
• Howdy Krishna,
  
• Stupidiotic Evolution,
  
• Mystik Krewe d’Dieux Dah,
  
• Zombies of Debt,
  
• Flying Baby
  
• Street Racing and Stroller Cross,
  
• Men of Leisure,
  
• LA Derby Dolls,
  
• Dead Robert Palmer Girls,
  
• Drunk in the Garage and god knows who else but I think they be some pirates and parrots a foot.

For the Green among you take the Foothill 187 and walk. Or take Metro 181 if you can find it and then hoof it to the festivities.

Whoa, I just found out that Pooh Bah Records is in the area! I wondered where they disappeared to. In the name of vinyl you gotta go.

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Ethical Castaways – A Blog Noir Tale of Content, Respect and Responsibility

It was a dark and stormy night at the Castaway Bar and Grill. Mookie the bartender was polishing the beer into the counter top as he bounced to a remix of Baby Got Back and Feelings. You could hear the barflies drink gulps of regret as they caught threads of Twitter static. It gave me the creeps; watching them hope for redemption in the tweets of possibilities. And then she walked through the door.

I chunk my Psycho Berry smoothie as my client swung her swag. You could tell she had been around; the woman had logos on everything. Even her sunglasses had a slogan, “You can’t hide from 3x Intensified Tide! ” I felt a brain freeze coming on as she slid into my booth.

“McGuffin, right?”

“Yeah. How can I be of assistance?”

“I need help with my blog. I've made some mistakes, silly ones you might say. I need help in extricating myself from an unfortunate situation.”

Yeah, I smiled sarcastically. I heard. People are talking. Go on.”

The dame looks around as she leans into the table, “Well, I don't want to be known as "that kind of blogger." I'm just a…”

“Stop right there! I don't want to know any more about you than I have to. Let's cut to the chase sister. I’ve seen your blog. It ain’t horrible, I've seen worse but yeah, you need to get a grip. Your content is all over the place. You’ve been mixing factual and sponsored content like scrambled eggs. From the look of the logos you flash on your blog I’d say you’ve been spending extra bonus time with PR, haven’t you?

“I got caught up with some action, I might have technically crossed a line or two but I’m here, right? I want to do better. I’m ready to listen.”

I suck up some smoothie as I pass her the folder.

“So you say. Let us begin shall we?”

Content – Roll Your Own

“First off, I don't want you sponging content from other people’s blogs or companies. You cut that crap out now, you hear me? It is ok to quote but you’ve lifted whole chunks of stuff, ‘taint Kosher. Plus, others are getting wise to the game. People in the know can punch a phrase into a search engine and surprise, fifty posts show up with the exact same words. Spammy if you ask me.”

“So in the future I would not expect to see canned content on your blog.  My sources tell me that there is new web based application, something called Attributor, that can track wayward post back to the Mothership looking for copyrighted content. It would be unfortunate if you was bit financially by a spider.”

I showed her the print out from FairShare. Her lips trembled a bit.

“I want you to read WashWords 5 Old News Secrets to Make A New Blog Sing to help you write good content and stay on the good foot. You will also read Lisa Braziel's 6 Steps to Develop Content for Social Media Campaigns. only you will exchange the word blog for company. I also want you to soak up some of Copyblogger's post on A Three-Step Approach to Strategic Content Development.”

“Jeeze that’s a lot of reading, but yeah, anything to get the heat off. I’ll do it, sure no problem.”

Respect Your Adversaries and Competition

“Next you will no longer refer to people you disagree with as a rectal hernia waiting to happen. You don’t have to love them or even like them but you do have to come from a place of respect. Now, I do not say this lightly. Notice this dent upside my head. Besides, you need them.”

“I don’t need those heifers. Always popping their chops. They are jealous biddies sticking their nose in other people’s business. What do I need them for?”

“I manage to suppress my nature tendency of wanting re-aligning her bridge work. “I'm hooking you up with Joella at Blog With Wings.  I want you to read her post on studying your competition; what they do well and what you do better. I also want you to read her post on writing in a conversational style because frankly when you do write it sometimes has the taste of three day old toast. You ever try to eat three day toast?”

“Alright, I get your point. Go along to get along, right?”

“Wrong!, I said respect, not self sacrifice. Object to the idea, not the person. Explain why you think it is a bad idea without questioning heritage, birthright or I.Q. Comprende?”

I could see she was shaking, so I asked Mookie to hook her up with a Mango Sunrise. If she was having trouble with this I’m not sure how she was going to take my next suggestion. The dame wrapped her mouth around the straw and indicated I should continue.

Responsibility, Transparency and Ethics, Oh My!

I pulled out the Blog With Integrity printout and slide it across the table. She went internally ballistic. The dame looked past me gazing at the Twitter stream. She started to tear up again. "I'm not leaving cash money on the table!" I had to say this the right way or risk sending a blogger back to the dark side.

“I'm not asking you to; no thinking blogger would say such a thing. Look, behind the monitor you have real people coming to your blog. You have some responsibilities. How much you want to take on is up to you. You need to recognize it ain't all about you. Your are part of multiple communities not just the Land of Me. With blogging comes responsibility. That is why we are here. You want to make positive changes for the long term. You don't want to flame out. Am I right?”

Sniffing, she nodded her head and sighed. “Yeah. it has been challenging being misunderstood.”

“All I'm saying is be true to your blog. You build credibility and credibility leads to trust. Trust can lead to Steady Freddie money. No promises but no bull either. It is a process. A journey, not a sprint.”

“Now back to this thing about integrity and pledges. One size pledge does not fit all. If you had read the About page it says so. For some bloggers it is a one time only statement that you have advertising or promotional content. For other bloggers they have are visual indicators when sponsored content appears. You can choose like Queen of Shake Shake not to have any declaration at all because she doesn't need no stinking badge or pledge to be ethical.”

“I'm just asking you to check in with your ethical compass and make sure it is in alignment with your personal and business belief system. At least look at the site to get a sense of what you might want to consider or reject in constructing your own ethical guidelines. If you don’t want to do that then perhaps you should visit the Responsibility Project and watch videos of BlogHer09 conference attendees talking about Responsible Blogging.”

“This discussion isn’t going away. Read others bloggers like Ali,  Jennie and  Kelby Carr have written. Take a look at CyberJournalist.net’s writing from a few years back on blogging ethics. I'm not sure why journalists want to weigh in on what bloggers do when some of their workplaces are kinda skeezy in the ethics department (Travel, accepting packages and presenting content from advertisers without attribution comes to mind.). Like I said, don’t hate, evaluate. Some of the ideas are good, like linking back to original sources, separate factual information from advertising content and admit mistakes and correct them promptly.”

“Mookie, fix me a Passion Power Blueberry smoothie to go. Anyway, it is all here. Read it or not, your choice.”

Disclosure and Transparency in Action

Liz Gumbinner and myself are Contributing Editors at BlogHer. Upon my request, Liz did provide me with information about the Blog With Integrity website and link suggestions. My personal opinion is that I support most of concepts of the pledge but I choose not to display any badge at this time on my personal and informational blogs.

Gena Haskett is a Contributing Editor at BlogHer where this post originally appeared.

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