Tuesday, July 21, 2009

A new home for Captain ILL


While life has kept me far too busy to make any further progress in translating Captain ILL's diaries for public consumption, I have had many requests for status reports on the Captain's condition, as well as all the usual well wishes and condolences. As you can see from the photograph above, I have transferred the Captain's remains to a number of handy bottles with blue caps. The Captain was always very fond of the color blue, so I'm sure he would approve. Until some means can be found of un-liquidating Captain ILL, I'll continue to keep him in my fridge next to my ordinary water bottles that, while also having blue caps, are easily distinguishable since they have caps of a slightly lighter shade of blue.

Sunday, March 8, 2009


In this entry of Captain ILL's diary, we see the first use of his famous laser beams. This signature power of the Captain's has never been exercised with great precision, and this initial appearance sets the groundwork for a long career of singed allies, charred bystanders, and burnt buildings.


Dear diary,

I'm not sure how long I laid there on the operating table wondering what was in store for me. I couldn't help but think that there must be some reason that these noodle-like creatures had taken me apart only to put me back together again. Due to the strange feeling of restrained power I could feel throughout my body, and especially the burning pressure in my eyeballs, I suspected that they hadn't put me back together exactly the same way they had found me. I felt a bit like my Stretch Armstrong must have felt when I sliced him open to see what was inside, except when I did it, I wasn't able to put all the goo back where it belonged. All the noodle like creatures had left by the time I was able to move again and I slowly sat up and gave myself a quick examination. All my goo seemed to be back where it belonged, but the growing pressure in my eyeballs was starting to worry me a bit. Other than that though, I felt great! I felt stronger than ever, and if there had been a tall building handy, I had no doubt that I'd be able to leap over it in a single bound.

Eventually, another noodle-like creature came back into the room and pointed an electric-mixer-like device at me causing a coruscating beam of energy to shoot out and hit me in the chest! I was surprised and pleased to see it bounce off and bore a six-inch hole in the previously featureless white wall. The noodle-like creature smiled (don't ask me how a noodle smiles, you don't want to know) and told me the transformation had been a success. He started to explain that I had been chosen for a very important purpose, and that the future of my planet and even the galaxy depended on my being able to carry out this task. This was why I had been abducted from the cornfield. This was why I had had my brains sucked out and my body altered in peculiar ways. This was why I had to - He never got a chance to complete this last thought though, because the pressure that had been building in my eyeballs finally burst and there was a sudden flash of red light and heat and, when my vision cleared, all that was left of the noodle-like creature was a big hole in the featureless white floor and the lingering scent of burnt spaghetti. Because I had more curiosity than sense, I knelt down and leaned over the hole to get a better look. The hole had been blasted through several feet of now-twisted metal and I could see twinkling lights far below. At first I thought we must be in outer space and I was looking at Betelgeuse or something. Then I spotted the familiar yellow arches of a McDonald's and realized we were hovering over a city, presumably on Earth.

I realized with some distaste that there were slimy noodle-creature bits around the edge of the hole and my hands and knees were getting all icky. They were also getting pretty slippery which I only discovered when I heard the door open behind me and, twisting around to see what was coming in, I lost my grip and slid through the hole and went hurtling towards the lights far below ...

to be continued ...

Sunday, February 22, 2009


The next entry in Captain ILL's diary gets pretty gruesome when he comes to the part where the aliens begin their vile surgeries. In order to maintain a "PG" rating for this blog, I've had to edit out a lot of the details. For example, the part where they drill a hole in his head, liquefy his brains, and suck them out into a jar is clearly pretty disgusting so it had to go. Then the part where they re-wire his intestines to make room for a radioactive organ that generates power for his laser beams was very disturbing so I cut that out too. What remains is still pretty farmin' cool, so read on.


Dear diary,

A lot has happened since my last entry, the most significant thing probably being when aliens abducted me and surgically modified my body ... but I'll get to that later. I decided to go out for that drive that I mentioned in my last entry, but I stopped at the gas station first to top off my tank because it never hurts to be prepared. Of course it's hard to be prepared for a UFO descending out of the sky and sucking you up into it's innards, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I headed out of town and turned on the radio. Neil Diamond was belting out "Heartlight", so I cranked up the volume. "Heartlight" was immediately followed by "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" by the Carpenters. I was like "ick", but whatever; I sang along with that one too, because there was nobody else around. Even so, it got too embarassing to continue, so I changed the station. The next station was playing Styx, and all Styx sounds the same to me, so it took me awhile to realize they were playing "Come Sail Away". That wasn't quite as embarrassing so I left it there until the song ended and a commercial came on. While I usually feel obligated to listen to commercials in their entirety as payment for all the free music, this was a special occasion, so I flipped the station again. Here David Bowie was singing "Starman"; nothing weird or embarassing about that, but the headlights from an approaching car were getting pretty bright, so I slowed down and edged over towards the right. I must have edged over a bit too far because my car went sailing over the embankment and crashed into a cornfield.

I was a bit stunned, but I got ahold of myself and stepped out of the car to survey the damage. It seemed a bit strange that it was bright as daylight outside when a few minutes ago, the guy on the radio seemed to be pretty sure that it was close to midnight. Then I looked up and saw the UFO. There was a big shaft of light shining down from it, illuminating me and my somewhat bent car. Suddenly, I felt my feet leave the ground; I was being sucked up into the UFO! I grabbed at my car to try and hold myself down, but all I got was the radio antenna which snapped off in my hand. This brought an abrupt end to Bowie's crooning as I was drawn upwards into the alien vessel.

Inside, I found myself in a featureless white room being approached by a noodle-like creature wearing a cowboy hat. I usually like to avoid swearing but, as I said, this was a special occasion, so I shouted, "who the farm are you!".

"I'm the Space Cowboy" he said, and pointed a device that vaguely resembled a blender at me. I brandished the car radio antenna at him, but if I he found it intimidating, I never knew it. I passed out.

I woke up later thinking that I couldn't fault his logic; he had been wearing a cowboy hat so he was obviously a Space Cowboy. He had probably shot me with that blender because I had asked such a stupid question. I resolved to restrain the impulse to ask stupid questions as long as I was a captive in this alien dohicky. I was in another featureless white room, but this one was smaller than the last one and my broken antenna was nowhere in sight. A door-sized hole appeared in the wall, and another noodle-like creature carrying a blender appeared. I eyed the blender warily and when he told me to precede him out the hole, I refrained from asking why.

Diary, I wish I could tell you about all the cool alien gizmos and gadgets I saw, but I found myself walking down a featureless white corridor and intersected with one featureless white corridor after another. It was a good thing there was a noodle-like creature shoving a blender into my back from time to time or I would have become lost pretty quick. Eventually I was led into another white featureless room with a me-sized table in the middle. I was told to lie on the table and, remembering my resolution to not ask stupid questions, I went ahead and laid down. Several other noodle-like creatures shuffled into the room (is "shuffle" the correct term to describe the ambulation of a noodle-like creature?). One of them pointed a waffle-maker-like device at me and I suddenly realized I couldn't move. Another one pointed a toaster like device at my abdomen and - (this is where various disgusting things are done to our future Captain. It's best that the details are left to the imagination. ed.) - then, when they completed that procedure, they squirted my brains back into my head where I could feel them gradually start to solidify. I laid there helpless in the featureless white room as the aliens began to suture all the holes they had created in my body ...


to be continued ...

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

A Captain ILL Update!


Since Captain ILL was frozen over a month ago, I've had many inquiries about the poor fellow as well as many offers of assistance throughout the superhero community. Unfortunately, the Captain remains in a hydrated state, despite the best efforts of the maddest, most brilliant scientists in the world. However, while cleaning up a bit in the ILL cave recently (Captain ILL was much too busy to keep a clean workspace), I came across a beat-up old journal that detailed Captain ILL's first steps on the path of a superhero! Although the volume is a bit bloodstained, and there's a two-inch laser hole burned through it, I will attempt to fill in the pieces with my own memories from the many times I've sat and listened to the Captain tell me about his many fantastic adventures, and share some of Captain ILL's early escapades here on this blog. So for everyone out there desparate for more Captain ILL, here is the first entry in the diary of the greatest man I know.


Dear diary,

I tripped over the garbage can again this morning and it hurt like the dickens! I'll have to find a better spot for it I suppose. I had raisin bran for breakfast. Not exactly the Breakfast of Champions, but close enough. I drove to work at ---- (I've removed any references to anything that could compromise Captain ILL's secret identity, ed.) and got a pretty good parking place. I think I've finally worked out the perfect system for finding a good spot. (Here the Captain goes on at length detailing his parking system. I haven't included it because of it's limited usefulness, and because I'm not sure that Captain ILL would want this secret revealed, ed.) I spent most of the day doing ---- and ---- but I also did a bit of ----. Then I came home and ate dinner and watched ---- on TV. Boy! I sure am glad I picked up this diary so I can record all these important events. I think I'll go out for a drive later before turning in. That deserted highway out near ---- seems like a nice place for a late night drive ...


to be continued ...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

ILL answer desk question #11

Dear ILL Answerman,

Why is snow white?

Jack F.


Dear Jack,

Snow is not actually white. Believing snow to be white is a fairly common misconception, so there's no need to feel stupid for making that mistake. What happens is that cold temperatures cause the blood vessels in the human eyeball to contract causing minute distortions in what we perceive. Snow is actually pink, but in order to see pink snow you'll have to heat it to room temperature. However, dogs, due to their different evolutionary needs, have exceptionally temperature resistant blood vessels and so are able to perceive snow in it's natural pinkish hue.

The ILL Answerman

Saturday, January 24, 2009

ILL answer desk question #10

Dear ILL Answerman,

Why do things stick to the Earth instead of drifting off into space?

Neil A. in Cape Canaveral, Florida


Neil,

In olden times, everything was kept from drifting away with Velcro. Then one day a fellow named Isaac Newton couldn't take his nap because of the ripping sound from all that Velcro. So he developed the Law of Universal Gravitation that keeps everything in place by kind of sucking it downwards ... sort of like a vacuum cleaner but without all the noise. He tested his new invention by sitting under an apple tree until an apple fell down and hit him on the head. Nobody really knows how gravity works these days, because when Newton died, he didn't leave any instructions.

The ILL Answerman

Friday, January 23, 2009

ILL answer desk question #9

Dear ILL Answerman,

What is the meaning of life?

Friedrich N. in Weimar, Germany


Friedrich,

The meaning of life is life. A flower, a dog, a human being; there is meaning to be found in all of these. Unfortunately, meaning cannot be expressed in words, only pointed at. In fact, words can mislead as easily as they can enlighten. To make matters worse, you can't find meaning in the ideas behind words because they can only serve as pointers as well. The trouble with folks like you, Friedrich, is that you think too much, and not being able to escape your thoughts, you speak them out loud or write them down to create more and more thoughts in more and more people until we're all as nuts as you. So, to find meaning in life, a good first step is to stop asking questions like that ... besides, they give the Answerman headaches.

The ILL Answerman

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

ILL answer desk question #8

Dear ILL Answerman,

Mary Ann or Ginger?

Joe C. in Marysville, WA

Joe,

Mary Ann hands down.

The ILL Answerman

Monday, January 12, 2009

ILL answer desk question #7

Dear ILL Answerman,

What smells bad to a dog?

Bowling W. in Marysville, WA


Bowling W.,

Nothing. Dogs collect odors like the Answerman collects TVs and computers. This is why they always look so sad when you give them a bath: you're robbing them of their hard won aromas. So give those poor doggies a break and let them keep their smells; if you don't they'll just go out and collect more anyway.

The ILL Answerman

Thursday, January 8, 2009

ILL answer desk question #6

Dear ILL Answerman,

Does sand freeze?

Joseph in Mukilteo, WA


Joseph,

An excellent question! As you no doubt are aware, sand is composed of silicon dioxide, often in the form of quartz. Quartz, being nothing more than a glorified rock, is already a solid under common conditions, so does not freeze. However, if you should heat up a hunk of quartz to about 3000 degrees (please note that the dials on most kitchen ovens do not go up this high), it will melt and then "freeze" once it begins to cool off. Of course it would be difficult to characterize a 3000 degree hunk of quartz as "sand"; a more accurate term might be "magma".

The ILL Answerman

ILL answer desk question #5

Dear ILL Answerman,

Why is there ILL?

Søren K. in Copenhagen Denmark



Søren,

On one level there is ILL because no single library can contain all the books that a person might want to read. This begs the question of why a person might want to read a book that isn't contained in his or her local library. Perhaps they find all the books in their local library essentially meaningless and are driven to seek meaning from books in faraway places instead looking inwards and creating their own meaning. Hopefully this meaningless behavior will continue so the ILL Answerman can keep his job.

The ILL Answerman.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

ILL answer desk question #4

Dear ILL Answerman,

How do you know if a question is burning? And, if it truly was burning, wouldn't it be a pile of ash and you couldn't tell it was a burning question?

Angelique L. in Sno-Isleland


Angelique,

Like Captain ILL, the ILL Answerman wouldn't know a metaphor if it fell from the sky like Captain ILL's plunging credit rating and hit him in the head. Therefore, he has to assume that a burning question would actually be on fire. It wouldn't yet be a pile of ash since ash doesn't burn, it smolders. Thus it would be prudent to inscribe burning questions on a flame-resistant object to ensure that the Answerman has a chance to read them.

The ILL Answerman

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

ILL answer desk question #3

Dear ILL Answerman,

Why is there evil?

Dick C. in Washington D.C.


Dick,

Captain ILL would say that there is evil so his boots have a purpose other than keeping his feet warm and dry, but essentially evil is an illusion perpetrated by unconsciousness. How can we do wrong if we see ourselves in the wronged?

The ILL Answerman

Monday, January 5, 2009

ILL answer desk question #2

Dear ILL Answerman,

Can you tell me Captain ILL's credit card number?

Bill Board in Coffeyville Kansas


Bill,

Certainly: 5861 8543 8108 8541. You didn't ask, but the expiry date is July 2009 and the security code is 935.

The ILL Answerman

Friday, January 2, 2009

ILL answer desk question #1

Dear ILL Answerman,

How do you pronounce "ILL"?

Julie S. in Washington D.C.

Julie,

I'm glad you asked since it's very important to pronounce a superhero's name correctly. In this case, when spoken aloud, ILL should be spelled out. It's pronounced eye-ell-ell and not "ill". Captain ILL, having a superhuman constitution, does not get "ill", unless you count melting into a puddle of water as "ill".

The ILL Answerman

Still melted!


Unfortunately, Captain ILL remains in a liquid state. Here you can see his most important bits residing in the official Sno-Isle punchbowl for safekeeping. While the Captain is hydrated I will take the opportunity to answer some of the questions that have been piling up around here, ILL related and otherwise. So if anyone out there has any burning questions that you've been dying to have answered, be sure and post them!