On the other hand, Mickey Wolverine would be awesome.

It's the last week before a nice holiday, so forgive me if my mind is scattered....

• Wow, so Disney bought Marvel Comics, eh? Well, my reaction is a bit more than "I don't really care" as some comics bloggers have said. If you read comics, it's an interesting development. All this corporate intrigue takes place at a level well above my head; I would hope we won't have a Spider-Man/Mickey Mouse crossover anytime soon, but I dunno. Disney has huge pockets, and could do good things for the comic industry; or it could just be an excuse to sell more DVDs and milk the teats. I reserve judgment, but yeah, this is a game changer in a lot of ways for the comic book business. I have often feared that the monthly paper comic book may be going the way of the cassette single; I don't yet know if this will hasten that or reinvent comics as a mass appeal medium entirely. Either way, these are interesting times. Who would've predicted a decade ago "Iron Man" and "Wolverine" movies would be worldwide smashes? (*I saw this illustration at Will Pfeifer's "Movie Man" blog and had to borrow it.)

• Behold: the Lego house! Wonder how it is in the winter.

• Short review: Wacky title or no, "Inglourious Basterds" is a heck of a lot of fun. Better than I'd hoped, because Tarantino's last movie "Death Proof" was a rather dull and mean-spirited slog, and I've really tired of the man's motormouthed egocentric public persona. But he's reminded me of his inescapable talent -- he does know how to make one hell of a Nazi-slashing entertainment!

• If you eat your dog, is it a crime? This is a couple weeks old, but an interesting debate recently here downunder. Cultural prerogative or just doggone nasty dinner?

• My thoughts go out to the victims of the 49 Fire in Auburn, California, not 20 minutes from where I grew up -- more than 60 homes burned on a highway I've travelled hundreds of times in my life. About 20 years ago there was another 49er Fire in that same region which burned all over the area and you can still see the scars today. Growing up in the California foothills, I often thought grass's natural color was a bright and dry yellow. Unfortunately, in August heat it's a disaster waiting to happen. I hope the folks affected by these blazes are OK.