Of all the things that I’ve been teased about, or for all the reasons I was bullied as a kid, the one thing that never was much of a problem for me was my interest in “geeky” things, of which comic books were the king. I’m not condoning bullying, nor am I advocating it, but the times people did take me to task for being so into comics, it actually strengthened my resolve and made me learn to better verbalize what I loved about the medium. In the end, the key to not being bullied about my love for comics was simple: confidence.

As long as you’re not continually pushing your passion in people’s faces, and confidently wear your interests as a badge of honor, I’ve found that you’re not likely to get bullied, or teased, by too many people. I’ve found that true when I was overweight and now that I’m built like an NFL reject. It’s just a matter of how people percieve you, and if they see that sign of weakness, the people who give into their baser emotions will pounce on that weakness. It’s not right, it’s not fair, but for the time being it is the way that life works. Sure, some bullies just bully for the hell of it, and yeah, wearing a Punisher t-shirt every day won’t do you a lot of favors, but confidence gets you by. It’s hard to know when confidence becomes arrogance, but I think if you act with the mindset that there’s nothing wrong with loving comics, and that it’s cool if others don’t like it but just respect your passion, then you’ll be fine.

However, sometimes no amount of logical action will stop blind discrimination. Some things we just can’t control. So love your comics, be respectful of others’ views on them, be confident that there’s nothing wrong in geeking out over the new Spider-Man 3 trailer, and you’ll be fine. The key is confidence, with a little side serving of a balanced life so that you don’t go off the deep end and think that you really have Jedi mind powers. If I can get by having tattoos of Superman’s “S” and symbols from Angel, then you’ll be fine.

When in doubt, just rock one of the cool shirts from this store, which features nerd t-shirts that are not only unique, but also not too boxy and baggy (at least from the ones I own).

Well, September has come to an end and we enter October, which means we’re almost ready for Canadian Thanksgiving! If you’re new to Arune.Com, use the navigation tools on the right to check out all the posts in September, from reports about my trip to Toronto to some fun videos for everyone. See you next month.

• There’s a new Angel comic book series and I interviewed the writer, Scott Tipton, over at CBR. He’s written some great stories in that universe and I expect he’ll tell another excellent story. I got a sneak peek at the first issue and I loved it. It’s also where I got the above art.
• Matt Striker’s Classroom. Matt is a former NYC teacher who was fired for moonlighting as a wrestler and then hired by the WWE. He uses the teacher gimmick in the WWE and he also gives “lessons” each week. Check ‘em out– they’re pretty funny and not quite PC.
• No matter what this article says, I refuse to believe that not wearing underwear in public is anything but silly. And Paris Hilton is the not the person whose trends I’d wanna see anyone follow.
• Avril Lavigne spits on a photographer again and I don’t know if she should be lauded or criticized. Yeah, as someone famous you have to give up some privacy, but as a celebrity photographer, you’re robbing people of their privacy. I guess no one’s right or wrong, but here’s how to stop the cycle: stop buying those gossip rags.
• Weird Al talks about his new album, Straight Outta Lynwood and it’s a great disc. I love “Canadian Idiot” (a parody of Green Day’s “American Idiot”) and “White & Dirty” (a parody of the rap song “Ridin”). Great stuff and one of the best albums I’ve purchased in a while.
• Can you smell what the Rock is cookin? Either way, check out this interview with The Rock and learn about his plans for the future. It’s from June, but still pretty relevant.
• Justice League Heroes looks excellent and this article has images of all the alternate costumes for the characters. I’m partial to the “Kandor” costume for Superman and the”Walter West” uniform for Flash. I played the gave at Comic-Con International in San Diego this year and loved it, even though similar games such as X-Men Legends tend to bore me. Superman, in particular, was fun to play with because you could use his heat vision and do a 360 degree turn. Awesome.
• The WWE is supporting the U.S military by having a special screening of John Cena’s new film, The Marine, for some Marines. The WWE does a lot for our troops overseas and it’s admirable.
• A nice interview with WWE superstar Batista, who is a pretty charismatic guy, and probably really scary to meet in real life (he’s huge!). He’ll be on Smallville later this year.
• There’s a new sexiest woman alive. To each their own. I don’t get the big deal about her.

We’re almost there, as I’m closing in on the record breaking Arune.Com blog entry. I’m working on new things to share with all of you, and I’ll be tackling politics a bit more, but don’t expect this to become a political blog. I’m a centrist, with a slight leaning to the right, but I’m not about to get too political, except on the big issues (like the Arar situation). Plus, I’d rather focus on the fun stuff and talk about what’s on my mind regarding the mysteries/quirks of life, as opposed to ranting and raving. By the way, if you’re Canadian, you need to listen to Weird Al’s new song entitled “Canadian Idiot,” a spoof of Green Day’s “American Idiot.”

• Everyone’s favorite vampire, Spike, has a new comic book series and I interviewed the writer over at CBR. I read the first issue and it’s a lot of fun, easily one of the best Angel or Buffy comic book adaptations. It’s a very authentic feeling tale, but if you’re not one for monthly comic purchasing, just wait till the mini-series concludes and buy the trade paperback.
• The results are in and Grey’s Anatomy continues to be the show to beat. I understand the people like primetime soaps and that the diversity of this cast appeals to a large audience. I even understand that the sappy love stories in the show might intrigue viewers. But everytime I’ve watched this show, I’ve found Meredith (the lead character) to be a whny, self important brat and the writing (especially the dialogue) to just not be very good. Any fans care to explain what’s so awesome? I know that everyone has their own tastes, but I just don’t get the show.
• There’s more than one important Steve at Apple. Wozniak is quite an important person in the computer world, and has probably influenced your life more than you realize. Through his work with Steve Jobs, you now have the iPod, the Mac OS (operating system), and the Mac design aesthetic that continues to be aped by all the major companies. If anyone wants to buy me his book, iWOZ, I’ll be happy to accept the gift.
• I’ve never been a big fan of the musical group The Black Eyed Peas and this article touches on many of those reasons. That said, they know how to craft a good hook and I wish them nothing but success, even if their music usually doesn’t do much for me.
• Expect some changes in the education system. I don’t know much about Secretary Spelling, but I do like a lot of the ideas put forth in this article, as I’ve made no secret of my dislike for the form that higher education is taking these days. The cost of school is ridiculous and the interest on student loans is even worse. It’s sad that we can’t create a school system that is open to most Americans to participate in without fear over those costs. The only way for this country to get ahead of others in creativity, technology, innovation, etc, is to educate everyone so that they have the tools to boldy blaze new paths.
• Keep religion out of politics, says Lou Dobbs, who can often seem like a blowhard, but is on the money with this article.

I’m sure you’re excited about a weekend update for Arune.Com, but really, this is going to be a really nerdy update, mostly with Superman-related news. So, if you don’t like, you’ll learn to deal with it, just as if you were ingesting little bits of poison each day…which you sort of are, every time you visit this site.

• The Sydney Herald newspaper has a good interview with Brandon Routh, star of Superman Returns.
• This isn’t a soundtrack for the film, but a Sound Of Superman album is being released. You can get the first song on iTunes already. Here’s minimal info on the disc.
• The Japanese are known for a lot of cool things, including their “Real Action Hero: line of kickass toys. Here’s their new Superman Returns figure.
• And, if you have that kind of money to blow, here’s their Jack Bauer figure. No, I’m not buying it. Yes, I want it.
• But if you do want to buy some Superman Returns toys, the new boxes of Cap’n Crunch cereal feature Superman on their boxes and have coupons inside for SR toys.
• Still, there are the comic book based Superman action figures hitting shelves soon or you can get figures based on the awesome show we know as Justice League Unlimited.
• If Angel is more your thing, there are some neat new action figures coming out soon.
• You might be more of the Transformers kind of person, so here you go.
• In real news, George Lucas is attacking America…and no, it’s not with another bad Star Wars film. In this case, Dallas and its ilk are to blame for world problems. The force is not with this one.
• So, American Idol is in trouble over a lawsuit filed by angry fans who feel that marketing Clay Aiken as heterosexual, when he’s apparently homosexual, is false advertising. Right. Here’s their response to Simon Cowell’s comments. I’m not sure how this lawsuit couldn’t be considered homophobic, because his talent wasn’t misrepresented, and nothing else about him was, so if the issue is with his sexuality, then by definition, isn’t this homophobia?

I’m using a picture from Transporter 2 today, because that film is fun…and because I want to. I’m allowed to be immature. It’s my blog.

• It seems that 60 Gig iPods may be replaced by the rumored touch-screen/bluetooth iPods. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.
• Adding to his resume, Jon Stewart will host the Peabody awards. Are they televised? I’d watch the show just for Stewart’s pithy comments.
• USA Today has reviewed 24: The Video Game and provided a pretty fair review. If you’re not a fan of the show, I doubt you’ll put up with the many flaws of the game.
• This is a funny article about nerdy obsession, in this case Battlestar Galactica and before anyone points out comparions, such as his love for Angel, I’m not this bad. Not even close.
• In more Galactica news, there’s a mobile game coming out.
• Chloe, along with Jack, is probably the only person who won’t die in 24 this season. Here’s an interview with the actress.
• Apparently more kids are staying home for longer periods of time with their parents. It’s bound to happen when you cripple modern teens with increased college tuition, the need to own more electronics, increases in the price of gas, etc.

There should be some more original content today, though that’ll be it for the forseeable future, unless I end up with more time on my hands. I should be able to write something each weekend.

• David Boreanaz is a good actor? The first paragraph of this article is hilarious and a tad unfair to the former Angel star, who actually delivered many emotional moments, but apparently he’s good in a new film.
• Will Jack Bauer survive this season? There’s talk of some filming in the U.K next year, but the producers continually mention that Kiefer Sutherland may not be involved. In the words of Jack, “Dammit.”
• You ever want to make those cool tracers that Batman uses to track everyone? You can, and they would work pretty well too.
• Are we multi-tasking too much in today’s society? Time Magazine has the answer. I’d argue that we’re too reliant on technology and we’re too shackled by it, since the work day never truly ends, but it is teaching us to be much more detail oriented while dealing with an increased workload. The article ends nicely, not blaming technology for rotting our brains, but offers another theory.
• Microsoft is going to take advantage of Sony’s delays with the PS3. I’m glad to hear them admit that there should have been more units on the market near Christmas time.
• Here’s a link to a nice interview with the new Superman, Brandon Routh. The new trailer for the film was shown at the ShoWest convention recently and when it hits theatres, it’s going to make a huge impact.
• Apparently Superman is a United Methodist. Ok…sure?

Sadly, this news wrap has nothing to do with the Super Bowl, as I am merely using to that name to draw in viewers who might othewise not stop by the site. Yeah, I’m an attention whore: sue me. Also, for those not in the know, please visit ComicBookResources.Com- The #1 Online Comic Book Magazine, where I’m a staff writer.

• Newsweek has a great story on Stephen Colbert and Bill O’Reilly comments, showing he doesn’t understand “satire.” It’s a great look into one of the best shows on television, The Colbert Report.
• Are American Cars that bad? CNN will tell you.
• Just like Cookie Crisp, the new car smell may be bad for you, but it’s a good way to be bad.
• From all the previews thus far, the movies I’m looking forward to this year are: Superman Returns, Mission Impossible 3 and the train wreck called X-Men 3. I’m sure I’m forgetting other films, but nothing comes to mind right now.
• This is an old story to some degree, but Kelly Clarkson also thinks her movie sucked too. It’s nice to see people admit that their work does sometimes suck.
• Most people can see the Jesus overtones in the Superman myth, but now Superman is being used to educate people about religion.
• A Christian news site tells you what Jack Bauer’s day would reall be like after saving the world.
• David Boreanaz, the man we know as Angel and now Agent Booth on Bones, is apparently one of the ten sexiest men on television. I also found a link to an old CNN article that addresses many of the reasons I liked Boreanaz’s previous show, Angel.
• Gillette’s Fusion is now out in stores and the five blades are supposed to cause much less irritation than one might expect. I like the Power version (with a battery) and I’m surprised at how relatively affordable it is.
• For all the angry Muslims, the best way to show your anger is to not to be the kind of violent people that you’re accused of being.
• Canada enters a new era, as Stephen Harper becomes the new Canadian Prime Minister on Monday. If you click on the Rick Mercer Report link on the right side, you’ll see his great video about why it’s not bad to have Harper in charge. Note to Liberals: conservatives aren’t the Satan you might want them to be. The world won’t fall apart with them in charge. And to Conservatives: there’s nothing wrong with Liberals. They’re not some kind of enemy: they have the same goals as you.
• Note to the producers of that Tim Allen film: it’s stupid. Just because the character thinks he’s a dog, doesn’t mean he’d be a moron. I know a lot of dogs who are smarter than a lot of people. And the people they’re mocking, “furries,” aren’t a bunch of insane idiots either. Just because they feel a special connection to animals, doesn’t make them any more nuts than the rest of people who feel a special connection to fiction (like Jack Bauer, for example) or to sports (like those whose life and spending revolves around the Superbowl).

Television networks UPN and WB are becoming one joint network called CW, which oughta make things interesting. A lineup including the WWE, Veronica Mars, Smallville, Everybody Hates Chris and such makes for an interesting programming schedule. I’ll be interested to see how this pans out, but I think this network will have a real chance. Perhaps we’ll get the Veronica Mars/Smallville crossover, where Smallville would finally exploit all the potential of the excellent series pilot. It might also mean that Angel and Buffy might find new life, since the former was controlled by WB and the latter by UPN. Sure, it’ll probably never happen, but it’s one less obstacle is Joss Whedon wants to try.

I’ve got a lot of great e-mails from readers, but I’d love to see people post more comments. That’s even more gratifying. Today’s collection of news is random, as school is keeping me busy and I haven’t had time to write. Let’s begin here: Daniel Dae Kim, seemingly the token Asian du jour (who you may know from 24, Angel and Spider-Man 2), talks about his work in Lost. A great interview by CNN. Kim seems like a real cool guy and his comment about Hurley, a popular character on the show, is spot on. It’s interesting to note that Hurley’s portrayer, Jorge Garcia, really did speak his own Korean. Wow.

• John Kerry, the most boring presidential candidate in decades, finally grows some balls and brings up an interesting debate, but he’s too late. Even with other Democratic blowhards joining in, the party is forgetting something: the Democrats stand for nothing. Historically, they’ve done best when focusing on environment, energy and civil rights, which is their platform, as opposed to crime and military, which is the forte of the Republicans. The Democrats can blow steam all they want, but without real plans and a message for the country (and less embarassing “plantation” comments), they won’t win the next election. They need to start being something other than the guys who play “opposites” with the Republicans.

Canadians are set to vote in their new election and the Liberals will likely lose. I don’t like the Tories much at all, but I think a Harper minority government could (we’ll see really how tolerant he is) be good for Canada in the short term, with the NDP as official opposition. Yeah, Harper’s cabinet is questionable, but the Liberals don’t deserve to run the country after their scandals: and if crap happens now, I put the blame on them. The Liberals could have run that country forever if they’d played it right. But Paul Martin, pictured on the right, screwed up his party, bilked the Canadian people and has to pay a price. Hopefully the Great White North does not pay for it as well.