Holy Sex Batman!

New adventures of the Dark Knight.

In Amherst there is this sign outside of Newbury's Comix heralding the arrival of the DVD version of the latest Batman movie.

 



I haven't seen it yet myself, although I heard that Heath Ledger gave an amazing performance as the Joker.



Of course Ledger is worth watching even without the make-up.

 



What a stupid waste his death by OD was! I've been a Batman fan from way back when I used to buy Batman comic books as a kid. I haven't actually read a Batman comic in literally decades. However, I recently came upon this neat website called Shirtless Superheroes that shows me how times have changed in the comic world.

Of course even in my day Bruce Wayne always got the girl, but now he really gets the girl!

It seems Batman has gone New Age, meditating to incense in the nude.

Only Alfred tries to maintain dignity by putting cold water on a Batman hard-on.

Oh well, I guess today's kids would be bored by the Batman of my day. Still, must every shred of innocence be stripped away?

Speaking of cartoons, here's a recent Doonsbury that's actually funny.

 



In the window of the J.Rich clothing store in Northampton is this poster. Notice how Barack Obama is nestled in there with all the 60's icons.

Indeed, in some circles the election of Obama is seen as the ultimate fulfillment of the political expression of the 60's cultural revolution.

On Thanksgiving I went to my sister Donna's house in Belchertown. We had to stop to get something in the center of town so I jumped out of the car and took a few snaps. Here is the monument to the battle of Gettysburg, with a real Civil War cannon in the foreground.

This is the Congregational Church from 1737.

I like Belchertown, but it's a little too sleepy for me.

A political junkie gave me this old button from one of the campaigns of Arthur J. McKenna, who served as a State Rep from Springfield's North End for 22 years.

 



The donor suggested that the career of Rep. McKenna might be worth looking into and offered a few tips of where to start. An excerpt from McKenna's obituary:

Mr. McKenna, who retired in 1984, was chairman of a special House committee initially formed to oversee construction of Interstates 91 and 291 through the Springfield area. He also served as a legislator on the Rules and Civil Service Committee and the Interstate Highways Committee, which he headed starting in 1967.

Born in Springfield, Mr. McKenna attended Sacred Heart School and was a graduate of Cathedral High School. He served on the Springfield Board of Aldermen and was a former Springfield fire commissioner.

Hmmm, construction of Interstates 91 and 291 through the Springfield area? Two of the most controversial projects in Springfield's history and it looks like Mr. McKenna was right in the midst of it all.