“Which ___ Character Are You?” Quizzes

I did this over on the old blog, but people seemed to like it, so I’m moving it to the new one, for the heck of it. And don’t expect any real updates on the weekend. Next week, Arune.Com will be back with more fun.

You are mad Sawyer. You don’t normally get mad but
when you do you go off in a rant. You like to
be cool and collected but woo boy! You better
watch out when someone ticks you off! Just try
come off your high horse every once in a while.
But one of you personality traits is that you
have patience!

Which Sawyer are you? With 11 results and hott pics!!!
brought to you by Quizilla

You would be Lex. Very few people care to look
past your reputation. Most often, you don’t
get the chance to show them your compassionate
side. You can be deceitful, but that is a side
effect of being raised by someone so demanding.
(Please rate this quiz)

Smallville Character Quiz
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You’re Angel!

Which Angel character are you?
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Tony Almeida

Which 24 Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

You are Wolverine!

A loner by nature, you feel uncomfortable when
around those you don’t know and even those you
do. You are awkward when it comes to
relationships, but fiercely loyal to those you
love.

Which X-Men character are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla

You are Detective Vic Mackey. You are tough as
nails and you dont take shit from anyone. Your
eye is always on the bigger picture, and you
make sure it all goes your way. You take care
of yourself and your friends, and you never
accept defeat.

Which “The Shield” character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Which “Saved By The Bell” Character Are You?

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 95% Spider-Man 90% Robin 89% Supergirl 82% Green Lantern 80% The Flash 80% Wonder Woman 67% Batman 65% Iron Man 65% Hulk 60% Catwoman 20%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Sawyer You scored 39% kindness, 76% courage, 57% seedy past, and 66% secretiveness!

“Baby, I am tied to a tree in a jungle of mystery. I’ve just been tortured by a damned spinal surgeon and a gen-u-ine Iraqi. Of course I’m serious!” You are Sawyer. You aren’t really a kind person, but you are fearless and a force to be reckoned with. Your past is full of dark secrets that you can’t seem to live with. However, the worst possible thing to do is to keep everything locked up inside! Have a few more slumber parties by the campfire with Kate, and maybe you’ll finally be able to get that weight off your chest. Your polar opposite is: Walt You are similar to: Kate and Locke.

Ryan Lavery vs Zach Slater

This is one funny interview between All My Children stars Thorsten Kaye and Cameron Mathison. I wish both actors were allowed to bring this kind of energy to their on-screen conflict. If you’ve never watched AMC, this interview will mean very little, but it’s always nice to see actors with so much passion for their work. And Mathison did attend a highschool that was a rival to mine, so I figure a fellow Canadian can’t be all bad. Unless he’s one of those guys blaming the violence on Canada. Or a moron like Michael Moore who thinks Canadians leave their doors open all the time.

And I Get Hassled Travelling To Texas? Plus.. DVD Players

Some kid ran away to Iraq, without his parents’ permission, to help with a school project. Aside from the danger he put himself in, the question of how the school wouldn’t have him expelled and how his parents were oblivious…how did this kid make it to Iraq? Security is supposed to be tight as hell and I get pulled over at every airport security checkpoint (generally politely by the guards, who are often cool to talk to), even if I’m flying in the U.S! How do you make it to Iraq? He co-opted his Dad’s identity, which I guess works if all brown people look the same (and they don’t), didn’t speak any Arabic and work Nike shoes…which is all supposed to make this a worthy scholarly endeavor? I do give the guy credit for getting his 15 minutes of fame, but isn’t there a better way to finish a high school research paper? Things were different in Canada, that’s for sure.

On a completely different note, DVD players are now at 100 Million Sold! (Thanks to Augie for the link) I remember buying a player in 2000 and how reticent people were to switch over to the format. I’m glad to see people embracing the technology, though it makes we wonder what the next format will be and how hard it’ll be to transfer over all my purchases and the eventual cost. DVDs have brought so many new kinds of purchases (the “special editions,” television series box sets) to the forefront of DVD buying, that I imagine it’ll be like going from VHS to DVD: you’ll have to hold onto the player for a few things.

Soap Operas: Online, On Your Cell and Not On Your TiVO

So, it seems that soap operas are facing record low audiences, are tightening budgets and having to fire veterans to free up cash to hire newer, younger stars for longer term, lower paying contracts. I won’t pretend that soaps are perfect, but it’d be interesting to see how the decline of soaps may coincide with the decline of the comic book industry. I’m sure that’d be an interesting comparison, since both have core fanbases of nostalgic people who got into both sources of entertainment while they were young.

With that said, at least there’s an effort by ABC to keep fans of all ages immersed in soap opera news and culture. They’ve launched an Online Mobile Store to sell you ringtones and pictures for your phone. The ringtones are fun but if you know how to use Photoshop, you can download the same images from ABC.Com and just edit them perfect for your cell. Still, I applaud the effort and I also like their new Fan February Contest, which ends tomorrow (DECEMBER 30TH!!!) and provides you with the opportunity to have a non-speaking cameo on All My Children, One Life To Live or General Hospital. I’m sure they’ll also do those week long promos for the winner, so it’d be a lot of fun for anyone who won.

It’s a tough time for soap operas and just as they left radio for television, it’ll be interesting to see where they go to now, if their ratings dip down too low to be profitable on television.

A Blast From The Past: My Acclaimed 9/11 Column

I couldn’t find much else to run today, as I haven’t had time to write any little essays, but I did want to re-post something that made me a little famous. I used to work for IGN.Com and during that time, I wrote a DC Comics-centric weekly column entitled “The Column of Tomorrow.” I had a strong following, but this particular column, written days after 9/11, received the most acclaim: it was reprinted in a Superman comic book, it was written about online by the Comics Journal (a respected comic book magazine) and a lot of people on the ‘web contacted me. It was great fun.

–

Anyone reading this is quite aware of the tragic events in New York City this past Tuesday. No words I utter can ever hope to describe how it felt to see these events live, albeit via television, and I cannot begin to imagine how it feels for those at ground zero or those who lost loved ones. As bad as I feel about this attack against my country, I know that the people who lost loved ones or had to be directly confronted by this horror (literally) are experiencing an indescribable pain. While America and the world sit stunned by the coordination and efficiency of these terrorist attacks, we must not forget that those directly affected by this nightmare will be haunted forever. While some of us can turn off the television with the hope of somehow blocking these images out of our minds, some may never be able to close their eyes without seeing these very images.

This isn’t fiction. This isn’t a movie or a comic book. Superman won’t be coming to save us.

Or has he?

I’ve always seen Superman as a metaphor for the power of the human spirit and soul. His extra-ordinary powers always struck me as some kind of metaphor to show what one can do when they approach something with a pure heart and determination. He isn’t super because of his alien origins or his powers: it is his unyielding purity of heart and devotion to good that make him special. But Superman isn’t any better than human beings: he is just representative of a human who has embraced his own capacity to do good and be good. In that respect one can reasonably conclude that there is a Superman inside all of us. There is a shining beacon of light in all of us that cannot be defeated by any Kryptonite. If you didn’t believe it before, the sheer altrusim and goodness displayed after Tuesday’s vicious attack is proof of our capacity to do good and to be good.

We’ve seen men and women, who’ve never known each other before, banding together simply because it is the right thing to do. We’ve seen total strangers risk their lives to save other strangers for the simple reason that all life is sacred. We’ve seen a nation united in order to help each other regardless of race, religion or beliefs. We’ve seen people put aside their anger to focus energy on peace and rebuilding. What more must people do before we realize that Superman lives inside all of us?

Perhaps the greatest ideals to carry in our hearts and to seek to epitomize come from Superman himself. When confronted by the worst humanity has to offer, in the recent Action Comics #775, Superman was able to triumph and say this:

“Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul I swear until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share…I’ll never stop fighting. Ever.”

And in our hearts, we must do the same. We have the power to change the world simply by being and the fact that we are alive today only reinforces the duty we have to do good in this world.

Not all of us will pull the triggers to defend our country.

Not all of us will rush into burning buildings or tend to the wounds.

But all of us can do one thing: remember that the Superman living inside each of us is more than apparent when we look at how much good each us can do to turn this tragedy into a victory for the free world.

Do not give into hate. Do not give into mindless vengeance.

Embrace the opportunity to change the world simply by giving all you can in light of the cowardly attempts to break our spirits. Show these terrorists that while they show us the ugliness that they have to offer, we will respond with the best that humanity has to offer. They cannot win unless we compromise who we are. They cannot win unless we sacrifice our dreams.

Our capacity to do good and to be good is far stronger than the hate of organized cowards.

Hopefully we’ve also all learned one of the most profound truths in life: all human life is precious regardless of any superficial differences. While it is unfortunate that such tragedy is what brings us together, one can hope that we all take a second to look around us and see how great we all are. We’re not asking people what religious beliefs they subscribe to or differentiating by gender, age and race. We’re helping people without a second thought. Let us hope that the sight of so many different people working together shows everyone that in the end, it is our hearts that unite us and it is this unity that gives us strength.

And so when you ask “What would Superman do?” just look inside your heart and you’ll find that he would do the same as us.

God bless everyone.

–Arune Singh is proud to be American.

–

Seems like a positive thing, eh? Well, some people said I was not patriotic (yeah, nationalism and patriotism are far too confused these days) and said I should be ashamed, but most people seemed quite positive and supportive of my message.

iTunes is too… cheap?

Some people just confuse me…

So now it seems that some music companies want to play around with Apple’s iTunes pricing system and really…that’s stupid. 99 cents is a perfect price point for impulse shopping and the price shouldn’t be based on the length of the song or other silly variables. Heck, if not for the digital music industry, music sales would be down the toilet even further. I’d never buy an entire 50 Cent CD, but I do purchase a few of the catchier singles, and that’s money that Fiddy wouldn’t otherwise have taken from me.

Of course, I think this is all a way for the music industry to cover up the fact that they just aren’t giving listeners what they want: put out a CD that people want and they’ll buy it. Keep producing mediocre CDs from mediocre bands and guess what? Sales will be mediocre too.

I also think that the $9.99 price point you see on most CDs from iTunes is a great way to encourage business. For whatever reason, certain prices just drive sales and iTunes is the future of music, creating endless new business models for music. Who needs an entire album? Artists can release tunes as they finish them. No need for filler. And I’m sure this scares some music companies, because it changes their paradigms completely and without their initiative provoking the change. It’s time for the music industry to move forward and embrace this new way of selling their product. It’s not about radio anymore: it’s about the playlist.

And if you don’t own an iPod, you should get one from Apple.Com and see what the fuss is all about. It’ll change the way you hear music.

“Superman Returns” vs “X3″

vs

With the holiday season in full swing, two big comic book movies have been heavily promoted: Superman Returns and X-Men 3. Both are hotly anticipated by fans and are predicted to do quite well: but which one had the better trailer?

X-Men 3

The X3 trailer is definitely a very visual trailer. You’ve got cameos by Colossus and Kitty Pryde, two classic X-Men; the introduction of Juggernaut; the resurrection of Jean Grey; the death of at least one major character; and the introduction of Kelsey Grammer as the Beast. The visuals definitely look exciting and the film has a very nice visual feel, one I find more interesting than in previous films. There is no doubt that big, important things will happen in this movie. There’s a palpable sense of excitement.

But…the focus seems off. There’s no consistent theme guiding this trailer, even with the Patrick Stewart narration: I don’t know what emotion is being evoked. For every “cool” image, we’re shown a random battle scene or baffingly boring scenes such as Mystique jumping on a table. It’s as boring/useless as it sounds. There’s obviously a raising of the stakes by series villain Magneto, but we’re not shown enough to get into it: a “cure” is mentioned, familiar to comic book readers, but that would have been a far more interesting theme to guide the trailer. What defines us and how much are we allowed to be different? THAT is something I could relate to and I’d find more compelling.

Looking at the trailer for Spider-Man , there are reasonable comparisons to be made, as that was a “big important” trailer too, but the theme was simple: sacrifice in the name of goodness. That kind of emotion isn’t in this trailer.

My rating: 6/10.

Superman Returns

Wow. Now this is a trailer. The biggest problem facing this trailer is that we rarely see Superman, nor do we get a clear feel for the plot. That said, the trailer is able to overcome all this with the same grace and elegance that was found in the teaser for Batman Begins, appealing to a base emotion in all of us: hope. This trailer is all about the human spirit and the hope within.

The Marlon Brando monlogue, lifted from the original Superman film, is really moving: you’re introduced to the emotional words of a father who hopes the best for his son and the mission statement for Superman is reaffirmed. Every sentence has very specific wording, used to acheieve maximum effect and appeal to the hero within. When Brando says, “They can be a good people, they wish to be,” there’s a lyrical quality to the dialogue the makes it more than a trite statement meant to tug at heartstrings. Combined with the image of Superman rising into the sun, there’s a statement being made about the greatness of human nature. When we see the determination in Superman’s eyes, as he flies down to Earth, there’s a swell of emotion as the music reaches its climax.

There’s also a classic look to the buildings and fashion that make the film seem special: there’s no reliance on current trends or technology to make this world. The “timeless” look of the film, from the farm scenes to Metropolis, give it a unique kind of glow when watching the moments pass you by.

It’s hard to describe why this trailer works for me, but I think it’s because the focus is so squarely on the ideals of Superman, not being “cool” or “shocking” the audience. There’s a purity to the message that you rarely see in superhero trailers. This isn’t Fantastic Four. Now I’m biased, having seen the convention footage while in Syndey, so I know a bit more about the plot and I hope that footage constitutes the next trailer. In the end, this trailer fills me with hope and puts a real smile on my face, two things that rarely happen to me at the same time. And really, that final scene of Superman speeding back to Earth is just TOO cool.

My rating: 10/10.

Blame Canadians By Blaming Americans

Canada is blaming America for exporting its culture of gun violence. There’s an interesting, and accurate, comment at the end where it’s noted that the gang problem in Canada (which one could attribute to the lack of melting pot culture and the self-imposed segregation/ghettoization of cultures), which seems to engender this violence and embrace the use of firearms. Then again, with the special election, the politicians are desperate for something and every country sees politicians shuffle off some modicum of responsibility.

And this story just has to make you sick: 49 people, thus far, caught for filing false claims with Red Cross, alleging to be Katrina victims. Wow. How much of a self-loathing jerk do you need to be to do that?

Superman Returns Set Visit: Status Report

As many of you know, I visited Sydney, Australia, in July to report on the film Superman Returns. I can’t say much, though I did get to meet and talk (in a roundtable discussion) with all the principle participants, from Brandon Routh (Superman) to Bryan Singer (director) to Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane). It was a great visit and walking around the sets was a real treat, but even though you’re seeing lots of other magazines publish reports about the film, you won’t see my reports till June. That said, we did A LOT of interviews and since we’re not facing the same constraints as print media (such as limited space and focus), I think you’ll enjoy it all. And where will you read about? Well, CBR of course, and I know you Arune groupies all check the site every weekday for the best in comic book news.

With that said, I wish we got to take cool pictures, such as this one from the latest issue of Premiere magazine, which really showcases how well Routh suits the role…and the suit. I can’t go into details, but I can say that he is a worthy addition to the brotherhood of actors who’ve donned the tights.

Famous Arune Moments

Since I have no idea how to transfer posts from the old blog, I’m going to reprint some of the must-read moments from the previous incarnation. I’ll try to come up with daily updates, some of a silly nature (tech, television, comic books), but I will endeavor to create one “meaningful” entry a week, though length may vary.

Arune In His Comic Book Debuts

(04/05/05)

While my official debut was as a cop in Superman: Birthright #10, these are awesome too.

Lucifer #58 (DC Comics/Vertigo, 2005): the writer of this series, Mike Carey, is a great friend of mine and apparently this is only the first of a few appearances in his comics. The series is about that Lucifer, yes, but there’s a strong philosopical subtext to everything in the series and it’s one comic book I reccomend to those with open minds. Anyway, this issue is a stand alone issue focusing on Lucifer, a few of his allies (I’d be hesitant to say friends, as no one knows why Lucifer does what he does) and the wolf-god Arooon. Which sounds a lot like Arune, if you didn’t realize the connection. It’s a much larger part than I thought I’d get and it’s a ton of fun. I’m not sure how much sense it’d make if you’ve never read the series before, but I enjoyed it thoroughly, beyond my own ego stroking.

Sleeper Season Two #8 (DC Comics/Wildstorm, 2005): while I’m not especially close with series writer Ed Brubaker, I know him to be a stand up guy and a very intelligent man. I’ve done a lot of promotion for his series “Sleeper” over at CBR over the years and he had said he’d put me in an issue of the series. I figured it’d be as throwaway goon or one of the “one time” villains he showcases in the series, but instead I got something better: I was a taxi cab driver! Yes, I make many jokes about my skin color making me a perfect taxi cab driver and finally, I got to live out my dream! Not only that, my character entered into a multi page sexual experience with one of the female protagonists in the book… who then promptly broke his neck after the best sex of his life. Aren’t comics amazing? You can visit Ed at his web site.

Arune In Soap Opera Digest

(04/05/05)

… sorta. The title is a tad exagerrated, but it got your attention, right? Like all those weight loss magazines that promise results but can never deliver! And that comparison sounded better in my head.

Above are scans of Soap Opera Digest Vol.30 No.14, the April 5th issue (only available on newsstands till April 11th, after which you can buy it from the magazine’s website), featuring the cover and the article in which I’m featured. I was interviewed regarding The O.C, because there was a recent story featuring Wildstorm Studios and Seth Cohen (one of the leads) trying to get a comic book published. SOD contacted my editor, Jonah Weiland (whose great blog is here)and he referred them to me, so they could learn more about the comic book process (and Jonah isn’t an OC fan). The interview went well and though my ramblings have been re-worded heavily, there is one quote I needed to address:

SOD: Seth & Summer grew close again while working together. Can working on a comic inspire romance?
Singh: Well, there aren’t many women in the industry, so maybe for homosexual men. But when you’re spending that much time with someone on such a detailed project, you can grow closer.

Now I know most people won’t be offended by that and I know no one at SOD was, but the comment was taken out of context. I said something more along the lines of, “well, with so few women in the industry, it’d have to be the guys hooking up” and it was meant facetiously, something not translated into the interview. I know that no one at SOD is purposely misrepresenting me and none of the above comments are blatantly homophobic, but I want to make sure no one thinks I am taking a shot at gays.

There is a clarification being printed in an upcoming issue, so I’m sure it’ll all be fine. But with this being a promotion of comics and being a representative of CBR, I want to make sure I put my best foot forward and don’t embarass anyone.

Arune Makes his Debut on NPR

(06/29/04)

Arune was on NPR & BBC’s “The World” segment in June, 2004 to speak about Spider-Man. Listen by going to: http://www.theworld.org/latesteditions/06/20040628.shtml