1.
Russia/USSR & Star Wars Decode

So how did the USSR fall? (First topic of many)

Let's start with Reagan's "Star Wars"

https://t.co/LsC84g2ei3
SDI was created to "protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons"

1.
"Pull the brakes" comms

09/10/2018 SHOCK: Italian Motorcycle racing star does the unthinkable by grabbing a rival's brakes at 140mph in Race on Live TV!

Moto2 star Romano Fenati SACKED by team for sabotage and endangering a

1. - Gator Comms Post Election
11/11/2020 Minnesota deer hunter bags 10-point buck — and an alligator
"odd chain of the events from Saturday’s firearm hunting opener"
https://t.co/aorxJ8hYib
Hunting Opener.

1. - Kashyap Patel

05/14/2018 Nunes, Gowdy accuse DOJ (Rod Rosenstein) of launching anonymous attacks on congressional investigator

Nunes: "Kash is always 2 steps ahead of the DOJ and this is why they are launching anonymous attacks on him in the

1.
Symbolism Comms Thread: Humpback Whale

Let's start with an example.

01/27/2016 Dead humpback whale washes up on North Carolina coast

"a baby humpback between 1 and 2 years old"

"More biologist on scene. Something's about to

1. Now that Stan Lee is being eulogized far and wide, it's important to remember how marginal Stan Lee and his collaborators (Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko) were in the 1950s and 1960s.

2. Marvel Comics (before that Atlas) was just a cog in the machine of a bottom pulp publisher run by Martin Goodman, the husband of one of Lee's cousins. It was the lowest of the low in the publishing world.

3. Now Mario Puzo (not yet the author of the Godfather) shared offices with Stan Lee in the 1950s and 1960s. Puzo wrote for garrish men's adventure magazines and, like Lee, dreamed of writing a novel & breaking out. But Puzo looked down on Lee.

4. Flo Steinberg, 1960s secretary at Marvel: "They were always making jokes about us. They'd come in and giggle. mario Puzo would look in and would see us all working on his way to the office and say, 'Work faster, little elves. Christmas is coming.'"

5. When JFK was killed, the whole office of Magazine Management was stunned and quiet. Except Lee. He continued working. "He was still working on the comic books," Puzo said. "Like that was the most important thing in the world."

In keeping with year-end tradition, I wanted to share the best books I read in 2020 – a year unlike any other - with a list of reads heavily influenced by global events including…

…Race and social justice. While not a planned reading theme as I started the year, social injustices that have plagued our nation for centuries rose up in a jolting manner. May we pass on to our children and grandchildren a more socially just world than we received.

Frederick Douglass, David Blight

Douglass was a self-educated slave who freed himself to become a tireless speaker, political leader & passionate reformer. Even reading his speeches today, you feel drawn to the power, drama & personal suffering of this great man.

Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas & Timothy Keller

Theologian, Pastor, Church Leader & spy/traitor. Quite a resume for an influential young German aristocrat. Details the rise of Hitler & pure evil unleashed in the face of the pure good of Christ as seen through Bonhoeffer’s eyes.

So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo

Jarring. We have so far to go as we confront the realities of systemic racism. Since reading I've sought out reverse mentors to try and learn more. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. (Much profanity for those sensitive to such)

WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS, the biggest and baddest Star Wars comics crossover of the modern Marvel era... begins in May.

What is it? Pretty simple:

Boba Fett vs... everyone.

Here’s the launch interview, and some additional thoughts in the

WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS runs from May to October, kicking off with an issue from me and my longtime friend and collaborator Steve McNiven. (We did Death/Return of Wolverine together, Uncanny Inhumans etc.) He’s INCREDIBLE, and I think this is his best work in ages. I mean...

Steve inked himself (to amazing effect), and the colors there are by the staggeringly talented Laura Martin.

It’s always special whenever I get to work with Steve, and this is no exception. There’s a fight sequence in that issue that (literally) has to be seen to be believed.

The story: Boba Fett has Han Solo at the end of EpV, but we know it takes him a while to get to Jabba in EpVI (he’s not there yet when Lando and Chewie go to Tatooine just after Empire.)

What took so long? Well, someone steals Han, and Boba has to get him back. NO MATTER WHAT.

That journey, which has MANY twists and turns, puts Boba up against the galaxy’s heaviest hitters, since basically all of the big factions and players have an interest in grabbing Han Solo.

I mean, think about it...

Amongst my absolute favourite musicians of all time, one name that is certainly near the top is of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab. I don’t know if any such data exists, but I am pretty sure he would also be among the most widely sold international artists in India. (1/43)

This is a thread about Nusrat sahab’s connections with India - his first performance here, songs blatantly copied from his compositions, his non-film albums done here, and also his work in Bollywood. So buckle up, coz this is gonna be very very loooong. (2/43)

The story starts in 1979, when a certain legend by the name of Raj Kapoor was invited to a Qawwali show in Birmingham, and heard Nusrat sahab performing there. So impressed by his music was Kapoor sahab, that he made up his mind to invite Nusrat sahab to India. (3/43)

Soon after, in early 1980, Rishi Kapoor was getting married to Neetu Singh, and Raj Kapoor promptly invited Nusrat sahab to perform at one of the sangeet ceremonies. The invitation actually was sent through Pakistani actor Mohammad Ali, a mutual contact of the two. (4/43)

Nusrat sahab accepted the invite, and was apparently excited with the prospect of also visiting Ajmer Sharif. His performance at the sangeet was attended by the who’s who of Indian film and music at the time, and he is said to have performed for hours through the night. (5/43)