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2017
This season of Rick and Morty is diving into extremely squanchy territory. The writing is as good as ever. My question, though, is this: Is Rick and Morty still a comedy or has it morphed into something else. Rick has transformed into something quite a bit more than a perpetually grumpy and drunk smartest creature in the multiverse. He’s more akin to Kali, a force of universal destruction and creation. This season seems to be focused on intensely (how else?) this aspect of Rick.
Is it a now a dramedy?
Is it a Swiftian satire?
Perhaps it’s just me and my current state of mind. I don’t find myself laughing nearly as much as before. I do, however, still find the series incredibly watchable. I still think it is brilliant. Maybe even better than before. I liken it to M.A.S.H.’s transition during its run, where the sense of the awfulness of war was cranked up season by season and it morphed from comedy to dramedy to drama to tragedy.
As Morty gets smarter, more confident, more competent and less willing to put up with Rick’s rickness, the tension between these two characters is being stretched to the breaking point. Is that what the season finale will be about? How could Morty, any Morty do anything but complain about Rick’s bull-crap. Oh wait… Eye-patch Morty is still out there in the multiverse. Lurking.
Just how dark will this series get? I guess that depends how brave the writers are about examining the existential horror that is Rick’s existence. Since we’ve already seen Rick attempt suicide, I’d say that they’re pretty fearless and therefore we’re in for some extremely dark times indeed. We’ll find out if the writers are brilliant enough to make multiversal nihilism consistently watchable, even enjoyable, if not actually comedic.
I’d never noticed, or at least made note of, the sheer number of giant robots there are floating around in my childhood memories. One of the first animated cartoons I remember watching was Gigantor. I can still remember the theme song. It premiered in 1964, so I’m guessing I saw it during it’s first run. It makes plenty of psychological sense. What little kid doesn’t want to be huge and powerful or to command something huge and powerful?
What brought this up? Well, of course the idea of building a giant humanoid robot, climbing into it and fighting another robot is pretty ludicrous and pretty awesome. It is so ludicrous and so awesome that, of course, groups of folks out there are building giant robots. To fight each other. While they’re inside of them. No, these aren’t remotely controlled creations like in other robot fighting leagues like Battlebots®. I’m reminded of Mark Pauline’s Survival Research Laboratories, except I don’t know if Paul the nine (eight? seven?) fingered would be, ummm, extreme enough to climb into one of these in an arena. He’s given enough of his flesh and bone for his art.
The thing is, I would totally watch this. I’d be a happy spectator. There will not, however, be live spectators for the first fight sometime in September 2017. Why not? Well they’re leery of killing their audience.
I’ll update this blog post when they formally announce the bout date.
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| Click images to see them full size | |
| June 04, 2017 |
 All packed up and ready to go. |
 Because Tom is the bikeman! |
 A cool custom car outside of Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, ME – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°06’12.5″N+69°22’04.7″W |
| June 05, 2017 |
 There was also a countdown on the wall for Lepage’s last day – Tim Rich’s The Independent Cafe |
 A good portion of the Wild Gardens of Acadia – http://www.acadiamagic.com/wild-gardens.html – was being replanted, taken care of. |
 Tom is a wild thing in the Wild Gardens. |
 Wild Gardens of Acadia – Tall Mountain Blueberry, I think. |
 Wild Gardens of Acadia – Tall Mountain Tomberry |
 Sand Beach – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°19’45.2″N+68°10’56.3″W/@44.3292222,-68.1844943 – panorama. Acadia National Park |
 Who’s the punster? |
 That’s who did this! |
 Sand Beach – My back to the sea. No, I am not speaking in Tamarian |
 Tom gazing at Otter Cove – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°18’51.2″N+68°11’47.2″W/@44.3142306 |
 Huge draft horses – they work pulling carriages on the park’s carriage road network. |
 Percherons |
 Percheron & Clydesdales (I think) |
 The view across Jordan Pond – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°19’16.7″N+68°15’14.1″W/@44.3213111 – which will ride around |
| June 06, 2017 |
 Starting the hike to Acadia Mountain & St. Sauveur Mountain. |
 Looking out at Somes Sound from the Acadia Mountain trail – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°19’25.5″N+68°19’32.7″W |
 Yay! We summited Acadia Mountain! https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°19’23.2″N+68°19’21.6″W |
 Panorama from the top of Acadia Mountain – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°19’23.3″N+68°19’21.0″W |
 Tom of the Mountains! |
 I don’t know what this is. OK, it’s a plant, but I don’t remember what kind. |
 This, however, is a Ladies Slipper Orchid sitting all by itself – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°19’24.7″N+68°19’03.9″W – I live for stuff like this. |
 More from the slopes of Acadia Mountain. |
 These are called, appropriately enough, Starflowers. |
 Yay! The summit of St. Sauveur Mountain – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°18’37.0″N+68°19’23.3″W |
 Back at the Blackwoods Campground – https://www.google.com/maps?q=loc:44.3114556,-68.2075889 – after a great day hiking. Boy Scout pyromaniacal skills ftw! |
| June 07 & 08, 2017 |
| See Tom’s Blog |
| June 09, 2017 |
 Good day to stroll along the Bar Harbor museum in the streets and see things like Balance Rock – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°23’19.9″N+68°12’01.2″W |
 Panorama – the Bar Harbor Shore Path – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°23’26.9″N+68°12’07.0″W |
 OMG – An Alien! |
| June 10, 2017 |
 The kids at the College of the Atlantic have the right idea. |
 From a “cottage” for the 1% to a college that costs $53,000+ per year. Hmmm. |
 Panorama from a CoA garden – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°23’41.2″N+68°13’10.1″W |
 Some of the kids really get into their gardening. Or their art. Or both. https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°23’41.5″N+68°13’10.1″W |
 I don’t remember who owned this “cottage”. |
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 College of the Atlantic gardens – Alliums |
 College of the Atlantic gardens |
 College of the Atlantic – Dock |
 College of the Atlantic – The good ship Starfish Enterprise |
 College of the Atlantic gardens – Golden Chain Tree |
 College of the Atlantic gardens – Golden Chain Tree plaque |
 Penobscot Marine Museum – Model of the ship Wanderer – Did you know this photo shows both figureheads and bowspirits and that they’re not the same thing? Learned that here – https://www.google.com/maps/place/44°27’31.6″N+68°55’30.4″W |
 Penobscot Marine Museum – Model of the ship Aramo |
 Penobscot Marine Museum – Lumberjack’s got back. |
 Penobscot Marine Museum – USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere. |
 Penobscot Marine Museum – USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere. |
Unconventionaut 