I’m trying to have a good mix of rants, analysis, aphorisms and good old fashioned, “here’s what I done thought up this week,” in this book. Since it is after 4 AM, let’s take a page from that last column.

I have never bought a coffee table book before, but today I did, Iron Man: The Ultimate Guide to the Armored Hero. Before you ask, I have been reading the comic for the better part of two decades. It’s funny how a Blockbuster movie success can raise the profile of a previously forgettable hero. Tony has been interesting to me since I was a wee tot for two reasons, the first is that he flies around in a suit of armor, which to the hear of a six year old boy with aspirations of saving the world and a love for futzing with technology seemed awesome.

The second and more recent revelation is that he is the perfect analogy for what the Information Age can ideally create, a person who truly owns the technology and can transform it into knowledge. Knowledge he turns around and uses to change the world he lives in.

I readily admit that this is probably a convenient excuse to read more comic books.

I am OK with that.