I would argue that the number of super heroes in Gotham vs. regular people who have had bad stuff happen to them is still enough to call Batman a bit of loony...

I just think that I would be a lot more like Hermione than Harry, especially if I had a mad man trying to hunt me down.

"Focused on crime" - If that was all it was, he could have just become a cop. Instead, he decided to put on a costume, go to Sharper Image, and start beating up on baddies solo... I think that is outside the scope of what one would call normal.

I'm just sayin', if Batman existed in the real world he would be in need of a shrink.

Just as Einstein observed that space was not an absolute but depended on the observer's movement in space, and that time was not an absolute, but depended on the observer's movement in time, it is now realized that numbers are not absolute, but depended on the observer's movement in restaurants...

You're theory hinges on crazy as being defined by regional norms. Just because you are surrounded by psychopaths does not make your psychopathy normal when compared to standard base-line.

The Tick's not going crazy... he's going SANE in a CRAZY world!

That's true. I just think that I would throw myself into getting as strong in wizardry as possible. How many spells did he actually know in the last book?

I LOVE Wolfram Alpha... great for doing all sorts of complicated things (put in location ISS to see a map of where the International Space Station is and will be, put in two names and it shows you stats with graphs and such of how popular the name is, etc.)

The last few books were, "Angst, angst, angst. Gosh it's hard to be a teenager, and learning to be a wizard is hard." Yes, he was happy to get away from living in a closet, but he spent an awful lot of time complaining.

Which might be true, but you never see her trying to find out. I would totally be there making an idiot of myself making gestures and such just trying to make it work.

nkotula AT gmail dawt com.

I'm Harry Potter, studying magic is hard!

After getting sucked into True Blood (pun intended) one of the things that I would have to add:

I also enjoyed 50 First Dates. I also enjoyed King of Queens. I will not, however, be watching this movie.

They should find a way to get Tasha Yar into the next Star Trek movie.

Is it lighter for my Extreme Ironing needs?

When I was younger (so much younger than today) a couple friends and I made the trek up to Bowie, Maryland with a borrowed camera and interviewed people about The Goatman. It was somewhat amusing, especially the interview with the high school math teacher who took it totally serious and who the kids thought was/is…

Oooh! Can we get an exposé on Goatman, the infernal creature that terrorized 1970s Bowie, MD? [en.wikipedia.org]

If nothing else, the "Bred for its skills in magic" probably should have pointed to the fact that I was kidding. :)