are graphic novels just comic books?

I always thought there was a line between graphic novels and comic books, perhaps I am wrong. I was searching online for recommendations for a graphic novel, and I came by this list, compiled by Paste Magazine, of the top 20 graphic novels of the decade. Surprisingly, more that half of the titles are what I would call comic books - not necessarily graphic novels.

This is what wikipedia has to say:

A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using comic form.[1] The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction works and thematically linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of genres.[2]

Graphic novels are typically bound in longer and more durable formats than familiar comic magazines, using the same materials and methods as printed books, and are generally sold in bookstores and specialty comic book shops rather than at newsstands. They have also gained increasing acceptance as desirable materials for libraries.

Perhaps it works like whisky and bourbon? Comic books are a type of graphic novel?

today's poll

The SO and I have a disagreement over exchanging goods on Craigslist: Once an item is committed to sell, is it the buyer's responsibility to come and get it, or should the seller meet the buyer half way?

is feminist a poor label?

So, I'm a feminist. I label myself this way and actually tell people about it quite often. All this is brought up because of an episode that happened at book club. A women older than me commented to me at the end of the night that she was very happy to hear me say I was a feminist, and where could she meet other feminists. To which I replied that I don't actually know if the people I fraternize with use the label feminist, but that I'm sure they would fit the bill. To move it further, I turned to two other women younger than me and asked them if they would ever refer to themselves as feminists (btw... I get the feeling that both of them were very progressive). As expected, they both said no.

Where is the age cut-off for feminists? I don't mind sharing my age. I'm 30ish. I call myself a feminist, but I think only a handful of my friends my age refer to themselves this way. I don't think any of my friends that are younger than me use this label. Although, this label seems to be very popular with my female friends that are about 10 years older than me. What happened? Why is this so?

When I told my younger friends at book club the motivation behind calling myself a feminist, they felt the same way. Basically, I think that gender inequality is still a huge problem in the US, and I don't think there is any valid reason for it. Therefore, I'm a feminist. The SO would say that I'm a pseudo-second-wave feminist. The SO also states that the label invokes fear of man-bashers and bra burners. In a way, I feel like I am owning the label and forcing my own definition.

I really have started rambling now.

daily rant

It really bothers me when people take the elevator for floor. I mean it's one flight of stairs; they can't walk up one flight of stairs? My building at work is 3 stories high, plus a basement. I feel guilty for taking the elevator up to my third floor office, but every single day someone gets on in the basement and off on the first floor.

unpopular beliefs

I saw this on facebook, forgive me. The premise is that you post 10 things that you believe that are unpopular or controversial, Let's play....

1. I believe in the theory of general intelligence. In psychology, we refer to this as g. The construct of g is manifested as your ability to learn; it's partially genetic and partially environmental. I think people really take issue with the genetic component, but if you can get your father's blue eyes, then why can't you get your father's skill for logical reasoning?
   
2. I don't think that vaccinations cause Autism. This is still debated, and I think the evidence for it is weak. Nevermind my entire issue that Autism is a diagnosis and not a disease. It is a set of symptoms that are grouped together. We have no idea what the cause is, because we have no idea what the disease is. More research should go into exactly what Autism is before we can ever start trying to prevent it.
   
3. I think that sometimes, the group is more important than the individual. I feel like this is blasphemous in the US and accepted practice elsewhere in the world. The reason why all school children are required to get vaccinated for disease is not to protect the individual, but to protect the group. This will segue to my next unpopular belief....
   
4. I'm perfectly fine with socialized health care. The US spends more money on healthcare than it should, and we are one of the only industrialized nations that does not provide some kind of healthcare coverage for our citizens. Just as there is a value in having an educated society, there is a value in having a healthy society. Alright, you can call me a Commie-Socialist, and to speak of Commies
   
5. I'm not convinced there is a god, and I live my life accordingly. I am not in a position to say there is no god, but I allow room for that chance just as I allow room for the existence of unicorns and fairies.
   
6. Abortion and information about reproduction options should be made readily accessible to all women. This starts with providing education about conception and birth control, and includes women's rights to decide what happens to their own bodies. I think the door swings both ways and applies not only to women that need abortions, but also to women that choose to have multiple children (i.e., the Duggars).
   
7. Gays should be allowed the right to enter into legal marriage. This is a civil rights issue, and is no different than the legalization of inter-racial marriages within the last century.
   
8. I think that generational differences are crap, and most of the differences between generations can be better explained by age effects. All this 'research' that shows that Gen Yers need instant gratification - well, when the Boomers were in their 20s, they wanted it now too. That was manifested in an explosion of independent businesses as the Boomers didn't want to 'work their way to the top' with their parent's generation.
   
9. I think sexism and racism are still a major problems in the workplace, and in the larger society. I also think that a large part of the US wants to ignore that this is still an issue.
   
10. (I stole this one directly from someone else) As much as I think that racism and sexism are an issue, I think that the larger divide in the US is between classes... and here's the part I really steal: I think that a rich black kid has a better chance of being (financially and professionally) successful in life than a poor white kid. It's true that if it were a poor black kid and a poor white kid, the white kid would have the advantage. The world we live in is no longer a meritocracy (I really wonder if it ever was), and the likelihood of people moving up and and out of the lower classes is getting slimmer and slimmer.
    

4k for my gas guzzler?

There is a bill making its way through the US House of Representatives that would provide credits of around four thousand dollars for people to turn in their older, less efficient vehicles for newer, less polluting versions.

The way the bill is currently worded, individuals could take their old (pre-2001) gas guzzlers to their local dealership and receive a voucher for three to five thousand off the purchase of a new car with a rating of at least 27mpg. The dealer must then destroy the old car and provide proof of destruction to the US Gov't to be reimbursed.

In theory, I like this. Representative Betty Sutton from Ohio, a democrat, of course, seems to be on the right track. If this bill passes, we would cut pollution, possibly use less gas as a nation, people would be encouraged to go out and buy a new vehicles - hell, the KBB on my car is only two thousand! - and that in turn could help some struggling car companies.

There are some effects that bother me about the bill. On a whole, how would this plan effect the supply of used cars on the market. I've never owned a new car - I've always bought used, from my '81 Honda Prelude to my '88 VW Fox and now my '92 Honda Accord. At any given point, my car has always been at least 10 years old. Also, my first two cars were bought for less than a thousand dollars. Would those cars remain on the market with this program?

Now, the bill itself has just been referred to committee, so who knows what it will look like if it ever makes it to the floor for a vote, but it will be interesting to watch.

breathing earth

I found a link to this website today:



It is a representation of birth and death rates, along with CO2 emissions. Interesting and depressing all in one. Kind of makes me happy that I have decided to not have children. btw... in the time it took me to post this, 1300 people have been born and 508 have died.