Damn you, Cronin - you have won THIS round, but I shall have my revenge! ~shakes fist~

I hope that chapter was about Apophenia or Confirmation Bias, and quite rightly pointed out the fact that we notice moments of synchronicity while forgetting all the moments that DON'T mean anything.

It's like, in a business that produces hundreds of issues in any given month, and often draws its story ideas from current events, it's almost inevitable that SOME stories are going to mesh with real events. And then, after the fact, we'll notice, remember, and find meaning in the few issues/events that mesh, while ignoring the thousands of other issues/events that don't mesh at all.

Anyone remember this? Sounds similar to the story in the comics.

Jeff L.

So, the USA only actually declared war on Japan? Germany declared war on the USA? What happened with Italy?

The sequence is:

December 7: Pearl Harbor + attacks on British and American possessions in Asia

December 8: U.S. Congress declares war on Japan as does British government (British Cabinet didn't require Parliament's approval)

December 11: Germany and Italy declare war on United States (both are already at war with Britain)

December 11: Senate and House formally approve state of war with Germany following news from Europe

Hitler was in such a hurry to get his declaration in first that he apparently ordered his chargé d'affaires in Washington to stay away from the State Department.

The declarations were a formality; actual fighting between the U.S. and Germany had begun before Pearl Harbor, when a German U-Boat torpedoed an American destroyer, the Reuben James.

Sorry, wasn't meant to be having a go at you... I'd just had a really bad day at work...

Your response is interesting though...

So, the USA only actually declared war on Japan? Germany declared war on the USA? What happened with Italy?

That is a genuine question by the way, not snark... We didn't cover that much US history in my school...

I think what J to the AAP meant was Osama bin Laden is from Saudi Arabia (originally) and is therefore an Arabian terrorist (though most would prefer the term Saudi, just to be clear) and not an Iraqi terrorist

Yes, I guessed that is what was meant, but what was said was "Arabian" -- which can mean everyone from Morocco to Iraq.

Being attacked by Japan and declaring war on Germany isn’t as stupid as it sounds…

For the record, the United States did not declare war on Germany, it was Hitler that declared war on the United States. FDR specifically turned down requests to ask Congress for a declaration of war on Germany alongside Japan.

Sorry for the very delayed response, I just saw this.

The following is quoted from my Psychology textbook (My Psychology textbook!):

"This has been the experience of comics writer John Byrne. Six months after his Spider-Man story about a New York blackout appeared, New York suffered its massive blackout. A subsequent Spider-Man storyline involved a major earthquake in Japan "and again," he recalls, "the real thing happened in the month the issue hit the stands." Later, when working on a Superman comic book, he "had the Man of Steel fly to the rescue when disaster beset the NASA space shuttle. The Challenger tragedy happened almost immediately thereafter" (with time for the issue to be redrawn.) "Most recently, and [most chillingly], came when I was writing and drawing Wonder Woman and did a story in which the title character was killed as a prelude to her becoming a goddess." The issue cover "was done as a newspaper front page, with the headline 'Princess Diana Dies.' That issue went on sale on a Thursday. The following Saturday...I don't have to tell you, do I?""

I loved that Psych class.

I’m confused too. It’s always shown up in the “Suddenly…” section and the “Meanwhile…” section for me, though a bit later than in the CSBG sidebar. (This week, I don’t think it showed up in “Suddenly…” until Friday afternoon.)

Aha, I gotcha.

So you guys are just getting here from CBR's front page?

That makes sense.

So yeah, during July, one of the weeks, the column wasn't linked on CBR's front page at all due to a comic convention that week (WonderCon, I believe), and then another week, it was linked to during San Diego ComicCon, so it fairly quickly fell off the front page due to other news stories pouring in from San Diego ComicCon.

Sorry about the inconvenience!

Best thing I can say is to bookmark the category "Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed" http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/category/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed/

That way you'll always see the most current column!

"Well, Iraq *is* an Arab nation.

Dragging this back to comics, Quality Comics — which is where this column began — had a sympathetic character named ‘Abdul the Arab’, introduced in Smash Comics #1."

That's implying ALL Arab nations are the same... Like going to War with Germany, because an Italian attacked you (well , they're both European!)

I think what J to the AAP meant was Osama bin Laden is from Saudi Arabia (originally) and is therefore an Arabian terrorist (though most would prefer the term Saudi, just to be clear) and not an Iraqi terrorist...

Being attacked by Japan and declaring war on Germany isn't as stupid as it sounds... By this point, World War II had already been raging for about two years, and Germany, Japan and Italy were supporting each other (they were "the Axis"-against the rest o the world-"the Allies")

Thank god this column came up on the top of the page. I’ve missed the last dozen or so after the site’s confusing re-design. Who let this mess through?

I'm sorry, RobotBacon, I don't exactly understand the complaint. This column wasn't showing up where?

Or being attacked by an Arabian terrorist and going to war with Iraq!

Well, Iraq *is* an Arab nation.

Dragging this back to comics, Quality Comics -- which is where this column began -- had a sympathetic character named 'Abdul the Arab', introduced in Smash Comics #1.

I’m fairly certain, Juggernaught isn’t an agent of Al Queda, that would be silly. That’s like being attacked by Japan and going ot war with Germany! D’oh!:)

Or being attacked by an Arabian terrorist and going to war with Iraq!

Nice legends, as always. Good work. Peace.