That's How It Happened

In any given week in which I spend more than about 24 hours online (which I swear is not more than about 80% of weeks), I get overwhelmed by this secret dark feeling that the internet is evil. As one of the 46% of internet users who actually make a contribution to the so called "online dialogue", I guess that makes me an agent of evil. To redress the balance I wanted to highlight a truly heart-warming anti-internet story. Prepare to have your luddite cockles toasted:

A private collector in the northeastern United States has accomplished the astounding and unprecedented feat of assembling a complete collection of every comic book ever published by DC Comics.

"Ha! So what!" you say. In this globalised over-connected universe, how tough can it be? Just some dedicated dot-com millionaire throwing cash at eBay? Think again:

Amazingly, with the exception of a small handful of items toward the end of the quest, this collection was achieved the old-fashioned way with a lot of legwork and mileage, scouring comic shows and stores large and small from coast to coast. Almost no Internet usage was involved in assembling this amazing collection.

This is a collection that was acheived using a network of real friends, who met in person, and then physically hunted for comics from actual cardboard boxes, at genuine conventions of like minded obsessives.
There are other things that I love about this story. Firstly the original collection of all the DC superhero comics was complete back in 1987, and that the collector had to be urged to diversify into all DC comics. Secondly, that the most challenging items, seem to have no intrinsic interest or value as actual comics: "Girls' Love Stories #56" being the penultimate item.
I identify strongly with the helpless need to buy something quite ridiculous, whose only value is as part of a an equally stupid collection. Sadly though as an internet baby (almost) I am absolutely averse to contact with other collecting nerds. I am aware of one other UK woven collector, but I would never want to meet him or share tips.

In a more sociable venture, I would like to recruit a team to try to beat the Smirnoff Ice Challenge. I went with my brother to check it out last night, and it's very do-able. You get 1 minute to attack a 2.5m cube of ice with your bare hands, in order to recover £100,000. Half the money is in chunks of £500 attached to bottles of Smirnoff black vodka, half is won by getting to a central briefcase with attached ripcord. The ice has been melting since 10am yesterday, and the briefcase is expected to be won tomorrow afternoon. The key time to be in line must be at 6am tomorrow when the chipping and scratching frenzy restarts for the final day. I suggest an overnight camp out, with all campers agreeing to share the prize money. I also thought we could do with a frickin laser, but I haven't got time to prepare that.

Inmates break out of Tennesee prison, break in again with case of beer, drink beer, break out again, break in again with second case of beer, drink beer, get charged with escape. Best Beer Run Evs!

At last a high-carb high-fat alternative to Frappucino? Krispy Kreme Orignal Glazed Donut Drink. All the morbidly obese kids whose parents had their jaws wired shut are going to be so happy.

Augh! Not so normal anymore, are you Brenda?? What's up with Shannen Doherty's weird assymetrical face?

Is this a meme, or just child cruelty? Animated gifs of children having crazy accidents.

Things That Look Like Stormtroopers, to which I would add Rollerblade TRSs.

The Box Doodle Project is sweet as. Little graffitied figures made from packaging.