I caught this documentary on Netflix today. It features interviews with many of the guys that are big names in sci-fi like Ray Bradbury and Roger Corman.
The first thing that struck me about this movie is just the passion these guys have for their craft. A lot of them were making movies when they were 10 years old and in the days when video equipment wasn't a cheap or easy thing to come across. Some of them even developed some sophisticated special effects for amateur's. The passion of the men interviewed was really infectious. You could really feel their love for the art of movie-making. You get the feeling that making money was just a happy side effect to their passion.
I think this is a must watch movie if you have Netflix. It was a really fun look at several creative people and getting a little insight to what makes them tick.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Football Friday: Big Ten Season
Well, not really. There's been a few games played but this weekend features the first important Big Ten conference game as Ohio State takes on Wisconsin. This has been more of a rivalry the last decade as Wisconsin has been more on par with Ohio State talent wise. Wisconsin has taken a bit of a step back the past few seasons though.
Ohio State has looked really good for 3 of their 4 games and were a preseason favorite to contend for the National Championship. Wisconsin I think has looked better than expected but aren't what I would call an elite level team.
This is the first real challenge that OSU faces this season. I don't expect Wisconsin to win or even come close in this game though. OSU is just better plan and simple. I think there's a chance that they'll slip up and lose a game, it's just too hard to go undefeated for 24 straight games, but Wisconsin isn't going to be the team that beats them.
The keys for an upset here and the running game and defense. If Wisconsin can establish the run early and get a lead, they might have a chance of grinding out a victory. If they fall behind at any point in the game, I think they're done. OSU seems to get a head of steam in these games and just keep piling on the points.
The only other game in the Big Ten this weekend is Minnesota vs. Iowa and really? Who gives a damn about that?
Ohio State has looked really good for 3 of their 4 games and were a preseason favorite to contend for the National Championship. Wisconsin I think has looked better than expected but aren't what I would call an elite level team.
This is the first real challenge that OSU faces this season. I don't expect Wisconsin to win or even come close in this game though. OSU is just better plan and simple. I think there's a chance that they'll slip up and lose a game, it's just too hard to go undefeated for 24 straight games, but Wisconsin isn't going to be the team that beats them.
The keys for an upset here and the running game and defense. If Wisconsin can establish the run early and get a lead, they might have a chance of grinding out a victory. If they fall behind at any point in the game, I think they're done. OSU seems to get a head of steam in these games and just keep piling on the points.
The only other game in the Big Ten this weekend is Minnesota vs. Iowa and really? Who gives a damn about that?
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Middle Manager of Justice Review
I came across this game while we were sitting in a restaurant last Saturday. It looked interesting but I decided that it would probably play better on my tablet. I really have a love/hate relationship with mobile platform video games. I try to convince myself that I'm really enjoying the game but then I turn on my 3DS and realize that 90% of mobile games are just garbage in comparison. There are always exceptions to those rules and MMoJ is one of those rare games.
You're a middle manager that's in charge of a group of superheroes. You hire them with special packs and then send them on missions, train them and level them up. The heroes are interesting and varied. They all have unique personalities that come out during their promotion ceremonies and during the missions. The little world that the game built is intriguing and grabs you.
Most games of this nature fall apart due to the free to play aspect. You eventually hit some invisible wall where you either have to spend money or you aren't getting any further or getting the cool stuff. The Simpsons Tapped Out game is one of the worst culprits of this. You could dump $10 into the game's currency and literally get one thing for your efforts. I've put 5 or 6 hours into this game and haven't felt the need to do it. I did drop $1 so I could get a beefed up superhero for my squad. But it was hardly necessary. As long as you keep doing missions and pushing forward, you can get all the upgrades and nicer heroes. You just have to be a little more patient with it.
The game really keeps you moving forward. The missions are basic but strategic. The way you train your heroes up is also vital. You can completely hamstring your heroes if you don't train them properly. When you aren't on missions or training your heroes, you're busy managing their moral and upgrading your base. Unlike most time sink games, you never really feel like you're waiting around.
If you have an Android or iOS device, you owe it to yourself to try this game out.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
NFL Week 3 Thoughts
I may do this weekly but I haven't totally decided yet. This is going to mostly consist of random thoughts by me. They probably won't be long form or anything like that. Maybe a couple of sentences about a particular player or team. So let's go...
Barkevious Mingo has 6 tackles and 2 sacks through the first 3 games of the season. I would like to see a written apology for all of the sports writers that bashed the Browns for taking him with their first round pick. Mingo has been a super athletic player and really causes issues on the line for other teams. So far he's my defensive rookie of the year.
Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Washington, NY Giants and Jacksonville are all 0-3. Only 3 teams have started 0-3 since 1990 and rebounded to make the playoffs and zero teams have done it since 1998. I know we like to say "it's early" but I think 0-3 is a good indicator that you aren't making the playoffs. The math is a really hard thing to overcome. Just to go 9-7 these teams would have to go 9-4 the rest of the way. And have you seen these teams play football? Woof... it's for the dogs.
I haven't quite figured out the Tennessee Titans yet. They seem to have a tough and gritty defense that keeps the offense in the games. Jake Locker has played pretty well so far too. The main knock I have against the Titans are that they beat an awful Steeler team and a pretty mediocre San Diego team. I think they'll probably beat the Jets next week and then their real challenge is going to be Kansas City. Who would have thought that would be a critical game?
Chip Kelly really doesn't seem to understand how NFL football works. He doesn't seem to understand that you're not going to wear down the opposing defense by just running a bunch of rapid fire plays. He also made the classic misstep of implementing his offense before he had the players to do it. So now the Eagles are running an offense that have averaged 20 minutes of possession the last two games and are leaving the D out their for 40 minutes a game. That's how you wear down an NFL calibur defense. It seems like the league adjusted to this style almost immediately and have it figured out. A couple of stops and the team just falls apart.
Peyton Manning is the MVP no questions asked thus far.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are maybe the second best team in the AFC. They've gutted out two close wins, a feat which previous Bengals teams have struggled with. The Green Bay win was ugly but that was a signature win by a team that hasn't really had any in the Marvin Lewis era. This is the year for the Bengals to make a playoff run if they ever intend to.
Barkevious Mingo has 6 tackles and 2 sacks through the first 3 games of the season. I would like to see a written apology for all of the sports writers that bashed the Browns for taking him with their first round pick. Mingo has been a super athletic player and really causes issues on the line for other teams. So far he's my defensive rookie of the year.
Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Washington, NY Giants and Jacksonville are all 0-3. Only 3 teams have started 0-3 since 1990 and rebounded to make the playoffs and zero teams have done it since 1998. I know we like to say "it's early" but I think 0-3 is a good indicator that you aren't making the playoffs. The math is a really hard thing to overcome. Just to go 9-7 these teams would have to go 9-4 the rest of the way. And have you seen these teams play football? Woof... it's for the dogs.
I haven't quite figured out the Tennessee Titans yet. They seem to have a tough and gritty defense that keeps the offense in the games. Jake Locker has played pretty well so far too. The main knock I have against the Titans are that they beat an awful Steeler team and a pretty mediocre San Diego team. I think they'll probably beat the Jets next week and then their real challenge is going to be Kansas City. Who would have thought that would be a critical game?
Chip Kelly really doesn't seem to understand how NFL football works. He doesn't seem to understand that you're not going to wear down the opposing defense by just running a bunch of rapid fire plays. He also made the classic misstep of implementing his offense before he had the players to do it. So now the Eagles are running an offense that have averaged 20 minutes of possession the last two games and are leaving the D out their for 40 minutes a game. That's how you wear down an NFL calibur defense. It seems like the league adjusted to this style almost immediately and have it figured out. A couple of stops and the team just falls apart.
Peyton Manning is the MVP no questions asked thus far.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are maybe the second best team in the AFC. They've gutted out two close wins, a feat which previous Bengals teams have struggled with. The Green Bay win was ugly but that was a signature win by a team that hasn't really had any in the Marvin Lewis era. This is the year for the Bengals to make a playoff run if they ever intend to.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Monday TTM: GOAT Edition
We're going to keep it brief today. I got this back this afternoon and it's easily the best autograph that I've ever seen come back.
That's right. The greatest wide receiver of all time and probably my favorite NFL player of all time. He's really tough to get as the site I use has him at a 22% success rate. This one was gone for 47 days. I will say that there are few autographs that could beat this as far as being my favorite.
That's all for this week. I think Jerry Rice deserves a post all to himself.
That's right. The greatest wide receiver of all time and probably my favorite NFL player of all time. He's really tough to get as the site I use has him at a 22% success rate. This one was gone for 47 days. I will say that there are few autographs that could beat this as far as being my favorite.
That's all for this week. I think Jerry Rice deserves a post all to himself.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Top 10 Reasons that Fall Rules
1. Football
This is an obvious reason. Football comes back in September both college and the NFL. You can spend a good weekend glued to the tv and gorge yourself on football from noon Saturday until midnight Sunday. What could be better.
2. Apple Cider
It's not officially fall until you've taken that first sip of apple cider. There's a local apple orchard called Lynd's where I live and they have absolutely awesome cider. It has a nice deep flavor to it. Not too sweet and not too tart. It's just that perfect spot between the two. A great weekend snack is to get some mini Hostess donuts and wash them down with a nice cold glass of cider.
3. Halloween
There's many reasons why Halloween is one of my favorite days of the years. For starters, the old horror movies come on television. There's always some odd movie on television or Netflix to really get into the mood for the season. I love old horror movies, it's a bit of a hobby of mine. On top of that you have all the cool costumes that people make and dress up in. I don't really do the costume thing but it's cool to see what people can think up.
4. The leaves change
Ohio has kind of gotten screwed in this regard the last few seasons. But there's nothing like a cold fall evening with all the bright and vibrant colors as the trees begin to shed their leaves.
5. It's the epicenter of the sports world
Think about this. Football, hockey and basketball are all amping up AND you get playoff baseball. There's literally something awesome on every night as far as sports go.
6. The start of fire season
Those first couple of chilly days come around and you get to hunker down with a nice fire. There's always something special about those first few fires of the season.
7. Pumpkin pie
Namely from Big Boy. Pumpkin pie is probably my favorite of the pie world. When it's well done, nothing can compare to it.
8. Honeycrisp apples
The king of the apples. I tried these for the first time this year and absolutely fell in love with them. I've been heard saying many a time that I would "knife a bitch for some honeycrisp apples." These are amazing. They are super sweet and just full of flavor. You owe it to yourself to go to a farmer's market and get some.
9. HOODIES
Need I say more?
10. WOW
My wife and I are seasonal World of Warcraft players. We usually pick the game up in November some time and play till April. We usually retire the game for the summer as we do a lot of outdoor activities. WOW is the perfect cold weather kind of game. There's always something to do and it gives you a sort of routine to pass the short winter days with. MMOs aren't for everyone but my wife and I really just get a lot out of the game. We can play together or apart if we want. It allows you to set goals for yourself and there's always the allure of starting a new character and building them from the ground up.
This is an obvious reason. Football comes back in September both college and the NFL. You can spend a good weekend glued to the tv and gorge yourself on football from noon Saturday until midnight Sunday. What could be better.
2. Apple Cider
It's not officially fall until you've taken that first sip of apple cider. There's a local apple orchard called Lynd's where I live and they have absolutely awesome cider. It has a nice deep flavor to it. Not too sweet and not too tart. It's just that perfect spot between the two. A great weekend snack is to get some mini Hostess donuts and wash them down with a nice cold glass of cider.
3. Halloween
There's many reasons why Halloween is one of my favorite days of the years. For starters, the old horror movies come on television. There's always some odd movie on television or Netflix to really get into the mood for the season. I love old horror movies, it's a bit of a hobby of mine. On top of that you have all the cool costumes that people make and dress up in. I don't really do the costume thing but it's cool to see what people can think up.
4. The leaves change
Ohio has kind of gotten screwed in this regard the last few seasons. But there's nothing like a cold fall evening with all the bright and vibrant colors as the trees begin to shed their leaves.
5. It's the epicenter of the sports world
Think about this. Football, hockey and basketball are all amping up AND you get playoff baseball. There's literally something awesome on every night as far as sports go.
6. The start of fire season
Those first couple of chilly days come around and you get to hunker down with a nice fire. There's always something special about those first few fires of the season.
7. Pumpkin pie
Namely from Big Boy. Pumpkin pie is probably my favorite of the pie world. When it's well done, nothing can compare to it.
8. Honeycrisp apples
The king of the apples. I tried these for the first time this year and absolutely fell in love with them. I've been heard saying many a time that I would "knife a bitch for some honeycrisp apples." These are amazing. They are super sweet and just full of flavor. You owe it to yourself to go to a farmer's market and get some.
9. HOODIES
Need I say more?
10. WOW
My wife and I are seasonal World of Warcraft players. We usually pick the game up in November some time and play till April. We usually retire the game for the summer as we do a lot of outdoor activities. WOW is the perfect cold weather kind of game. There's always something to do and it gives you a sort of routine to pass the short winter days with. MMOs aren't for everyone but my wife and I really just get a lot out of the game. We can play together or apart if we want. It allows you to set goals for yourself and there's always the allure of starting a new character and building them from the ground up.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Football Friday: NFL Quarterback Ratings
My friend Jonathan and I were going back and forth over texts last week about where we'd place the starting quarterbacks in the NFL. I really enjoyed the conversation and it seemed like a good idea for an article. I'm not going to go one by one here. I'm going to divide the QBs into groups and then review why I put those guys where I did.
THE ELITE:
GOOD BUT NOT GREAT:
5. Matt Ryan
6. Ben Rothlisberger
7. Eli Manning
8. Joe Flacco
9. Matt Schaub
10. Matthew Stafford
11. Tony Romo
12. Phillip Rivers
I actually didn't mean for this division to be as large as it is but it didn't make sense to put these guys in the next group. Rivers has had the biggest freefall in my opinion as I would've considered him elite level a few seasons ago. But he's been a fairly bad QB and has slid down the charts. I think Eli's performance the last calendar year is starting to erode his place on my chart as well. On a brighter note, I think Matt Ryan is close to making a jump into the elite level. Last season he took a big step forward when he threw for 4,719 yards and 32 TDs. Another season or two of that and I think he will be there.
Joe Flacco is #8 you say? But he just won the Super Bowl! That's very true, he did just win the Super Bowl but that still doesn't change what he is. Flacco is going to have bad games a few times a season. He needs good receivers because he doesn't necessarily make them better. I would be happy to have him on my team any day but he's not an elite level QB by any means.
NEEDS MORE COWBELL:
13. Andy Dalton
14. Russell Wilson
15. Colin Kaepernick
16. Andrew Luck
17. Robert Griffith III
This is like the Elite section in that I think you can move most of the pieces around in any order and I'd be okay with it. I put Andy Dalton at the top of this list because I think he has the least to prove. He's 19-13 as a starter in his first 2 seasons and has 2 playoff appearances. That's a level of success that few QBs have ever pulled off. Kaepernick and Wilson look like franchise QBs for their teams but they need more time to do it.
Luck and RGIII bring up the rear on this list. I think there are some real questions about RGIII's long term health in the league. He hasn't looked good to start this season and I think the ACL is an obvious cause. Luck got a lot of hype last season but his stats were the least impressive of the newer QBs. I think he's also not with the right franchise for long term success.
DO OR DIE TIME:
18. Cam Newton
Newton is the ultimate empty calorie guy. Great stats in a vacuum but then you realize, he isn't getting his team any wins. He isn't leading any big comeback drives and he doesn't really make the players around him better. Sources like ESPN will hype him because of those stats but all of the guys in the group above him have had more of an impact for their respective teams. I think another losing season for the Panthers and it's time to start questioning if Cam Newton is the right fit.
YOU CAN DO WORSE:
19. Alex Smith
20. EJ Manuel
21. Jay Cutler
22. Sam Bradford
23. Jay Cutler
24. Ryan Tannehill
This group is just what it sounds like. You can win with these guys and make a playoff run but you're also going to always be looking for an upgrade. Manuel and Tannehill don't fit that description. This is just where I decided to throw them in this article.
EH, IT'S A LIVING...:
25. Christian Ponder
26. Michael Vick
Vick and Ponder have their moments of being okay. I think the jury is still out on Ponder and how viable he is as an NFL QB. Vick is at the end of his playing career and had an awful season last year. I think this season will tell us where Vick is at.
WHO'S OUR QUARTERBACK AGAIN?!?!:
27. Brandon Weeden
28. Josh Freeman
29. Jake Locker
30. Terrell Pryor
31. Blaine Gabbert
32. Mark Sanchez
I feel bad for putting Weeden and Freeman in this category. There's still a slight chance that Freeman can have a bounce back season and regain his form from a few years ago. Likewise, there's a slight chance that Weeden could have a good season or two before he starts to decline as a QB.
The rest of that group though, yeah... it's bad. I think the tough question here is who is worse? Gabbert or Sanchez. I decided that Gabbert gets to be #31 because he doesn't cost as much money and he didn't fumble the ball by running into an offensive lineman's ass. What more can be said about Sanchez, he's just a colossally incompetent QB on the pro level. He has no arm strength, he plays scared and he makes bad decisions with his throws. Congratulations Mark Sanchez, YOU SUCK!
THE ELITE:
- Drew Brees
- Peyton Manning
- Tom Brady
- Aaron Rogers
GOOD BUT NOT GREAT:
5. Matt Ryan
6. Ben Rothlisberger
7. Eli Manning
8. Joe Flacco
9. Matt Schaub
10. Matthew Stafford
11. Tony Romo
12. Phillip Rivers
I actually didn't mean for this division to be as large as it is but it didn't make sense to put these guys in the next group. Rivers has had the biggest freefall in my opinion as I would've considered him elite level a few seasons ago. But he's been a fairly bad QB and has slid down the charts. I think Eli's performance the last calendar year is starting to erode his place on my chart as well. On a brighter note, I think Matt Ryan is close to making a jump into the elite level. Last season he took a big step forward when he threw for 4,719 yards and 32 TDs. Another season or two of that and I think he will be there.
Joe Flacco is #8 you say? But he just won the Super Bowl! That's very true, he did just win the Super Bowl but that still doesn't change what he is. Flacco is going to have bad games a few times a season. He needs good receivers because he doesn't necessarily make them better. I would be happy to have him on my team any day but he's not an elite level QB by any means.
NEEDS MORE COWBELL:
13. Andy Dalton
14. Russell Wilson
15. Colin Kaepernick
16. Andrew Luck
17. Robert Griffith III
This is like the Elite section in that I think you can move most of the pieces around in any order and I'd be okay with it. I put Andy Dalton at the top of this list because I think he has the least to prove. He's 19-13 as a starter in his first 2 seasons and has 2 playoff appearances. That's a level of success that few QBs have ever pulled off. Kaepernick and Wilson look like franchise QBs for their teams but they need more time to do it.
Luck and RGIII bring up the rear on this list. I think there are some real questions about RGIII's long term health in the league. He hasn't looked good to start this season and I think the ACL is an obvious cause. Luck got a lot of hype last season but his stats were the least impressive of the newer QBs. I think he's also not with the right franchise for long term success.
DO OR DIE TIME:
18. Cam Newton
Newton is the ultimate empty calorie guy. Great stats in a vacuum but then you realize, he isn't getting his team any wins. He isn't leading any big comeback drives and he doesn't really make the players around him better. Sources like ESPN will hype him because of those stats but all of the guys in the group above him have had more of an impact for their respective teams. I think another losing season for the Panthers and it's time to start questioning if Cam Newton is the right fit.
YOU CAN DO WORSE:
19. Alex Smith
20. EJ Manuel
21. Jay Cutler
22. Sam Bradford
23. Jay Cutler
24. Ryan Tannehill
This group is just what it sounds like. You can win with these guys and make a playoff run but you're also going to always be looking for an upgrade. Manuel and Tannehill don't fit that description. This is just where I decided to throw them in this article.
EH, IT'S A LIVING...:
25. Christian Ponder
26. Michael Vick
Vick and Ponder have their moments of being okay. I think the jury is still out on Ponder and how viable he is as an NFL QB. Vick is at the end of his playing career and had an awful season last year. I think this season will tell us where Vick is at.
WHO'S OUR QUARTERBACK AGAIN?!?!:
27. Brandon Weeden
28. Josh Freeman
29. Jake Locker
30. Terrell Pryor
31. Blaine Gabbert
32. Mark Sanchez
I feel bad for putting Weeden and Freeman in this category. There's still a slight chance that Freeman can have a bounce back season and regain his form from a few years ago. Likewise, there's a slight chance that Weeden could have a good season or two before he starts to decline as a QB.
The rest of that group though, yeah... it's bad. I think the tough question here is who is worse? Gabbert or Sanchez. I decided that Gabbert gets to be #31 because he doesn't cost as much money and he didn't fumble the ball by running into an offensive lineman's ass. What more can be said about Sanchez, he's just a colossally incompetent QB on the pro level. He has no arm strength, he plays scared and he makes bad decisions with his throws. Congratulations Mark Sanchez, YOU SUCK!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
The NFL Walking Dead
I know, I know. It's only week 2 and it's early and blah blah whatever. Through 2 weeks of the season I feel comfortable enough to say that the following teams are out of it. These team has shown some horrible flaw that tells me, they aren't making the playoffs or if they are it will be some giant fluke and they'll get destroyed in the first round. So let's take a look at our animated corpses shall we...
New York Giants
Few teams have ever had such an incompetent running game. Through 2 games the Giants have carried the ball 33 times for 73 yards. That's 2.2 YPC! That's insane, even bad teams can get 3 yards a carry. David Wilson is the leading rusher with 14 carries for 36 yards and he's already got 2 fumbles. Ouch. The team is also dead last in defense as they're giving up 38.5 points per game. while allowing 747 yards of offense against them. This team is just bad. The only positive for this team is they play in a god awful division and 8-8 might be able to get you the crown. I'm saying dead though.
Washington Redskins
Another NFC East team. This team has just been brutal to watch this season. RG3 doesn't look like he's 100% and the defense is just beyond awful. If it wasn't for how terrible the Giants defense is, they would have the worst defense in the league. They've allowed over 1000 yards of offense in just 2 games. 2 GAMES!!! How does that even happen? This team also can't score on offense. Don't be fooled, most of the points they do score come in garbage time. Green Bay was up 38-7 and just quit trying. What I don't get about this team, is why are you sending RG3 out there when he's clearly not fully healed and risk him further when Kirk Cousins is sitting on the bench and he can win you games. This seems like a perfect time to sit RG3 and let the guy fully heal.
Philadelphia Eagles
3 out of 4 NFC East teams. That must mean that Dallas is winning the division... I don't know. All 4 of the teams suck, Dallas just hasn't looked as bad as the other teams. The Eagles haven't been brutal by any stretch but they have some fundamental flaws that are going to hurt them in the long run. For starters, their defense isn't very good. Their time of possession against San Diego was less than 20 minutes. So you have a mediocre defense and you're going to force them to be on the field constantly. They might score 30 a game but they could also allow 30 a game. Plus, Vick's health is a constant concern. He could get injured and start playing poorly again. I see them falling off as the season progresses.
New York Jets
Their only victory was kind of a fluke. The offense is just awful. I think Geno Smith is doing better than Mark Sanchez would be but that's not saying much. They can't run, their best offensive option left the team. I just don't see how they can win more than 3-5 games this year.
Cleveland Browns
The offense is the issue here. The defense has played some really good football through the first two games. Trent Richardson isn't getting the job done on the ground, Weeden just isn't going to work out as an NFL calibur QB and the offensive line has really struggled. The Baltimore game is what this season is going to look like. I foresee a lot of games where they hold the team to 17 pts. and can't manage more than 10. This team has no shot of a playoff spot.
Author's Note: This was written before the Richardson trade went down yesterday. It doesn't really change the outcome of their Walking Dead status. They're going to probably win 3-5 games at best.
Pittsburgh Steelers
I thought the Bengals played a pretty poor game last night and I also never thought for a second that the Steelers were a threat to win the game. Bill Simmons linked to this article in Pittsburgh Magazine about how Todd Haley is ruining the offense. Past that, they don't have a running back, they don't have a deep threat and the secondary isn't very good. They're 0-2 right now and they haven't played what I would call amazing teams. I think the Bengals are winning the North but they haven't been what I would call good through 2 games.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Need I say more? I think Chad Henne makes them a better team. But I think Henne makes them a 4-12 team instead of a 1-15 team. Their offense is bad on an epic level. Fun fact, the team is currently on pace to score 88 points this season. It's really just sad that a team could actually be this bad.
Carolina Panthers
Ron Rivera is just a bad coach. Kicking a field goal instead of going for it on 4th down probably cost the team the game. Cam Newton hasn't been good so far this season. The running game has been okay and and the defense has been okay. This team just doesn't win close games and I think you're looking at another losing season.
Oakland Raiders
Come on... do I even need to write anything here? I think not.
That's quite a list for it only being Week 2 of the season. There are just some bad bad teams out there. I will update this list periodically when more teams join the ranks of the NFL Walking Dead
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Boo Berry appears again...
It's that time of year again. Boo Berry has made it's first appearance on store shelves for the Halloween season. I posted about the virtues of Boo Berry last year. I decided this year to post some Boo Berry commercials just for a fun trip down memory lane.
Enjoy your Boo Berry while it lasts, I know I will.
Enjoy your Boo Berry while it lasts, I know I will.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Superman Recap: January 1987
When the Man of Steel mini-series ended, it was time to get back into the habit of telling monthly Superman stories. John Byrne and Marv Wolfman were charged with the task of spearheading the new take on Supes and building on what Byrne did in Man of Steel.
Coming out of the Crisis and Man of Steel, there were 3 monthly Superman books titled Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics. John Byrne would write and pencil Superman and Action comics while Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ostrander would write and pencil the Adventures of Superman book. Action Comics would retain it's numbering, Superman started over with a new #1 and Adventures of Superman kept the numbering from the original Superman title. Does that make sense?
Superman would focus on action and stories with Superman in the cape, Adventures was more about the Clark Kent side of things and Action Comics was a team-up book.
Superman #1: Picks up right where Man of Steel #6 left off. Superman tracks down the space pod that brought him to Earth and found that a scientist has been studying him extensively and was the shadowy figure following him around in Man of Steel. Metallo hits the scene and uses his Kryptonite heart to almost kill Superman. Lex Luthor teleports Metallo away at the last moment because if anyone is going to kill Superman, it's going to be Luthor. Good debut issue here.
Adventures of Superman #424: This introduces Cat Grant as a member of the cast and serial flirt with Clark Kent. A terrorist organization called the Freedom League is destroying parts of Metropolis with giant robots. Superman hits the scene and gets a building dropped on him. He manages to escape but has to face all of the robots and they of course combine like a transformer to make an even bigger robot. This had a subplot of Lois' mother being sick and Lex Luthor offering a serum to make her better. At the end it's revealed that Luthor caused the accident and is going to use this to force Lois to love him. This was a To Be Continued! Another good issue for the first month.
Action Comics #584: Superman has gone crazy and starts destroying Metropolis. The Teen Titans of Cyborg, Donna Troy, Changeling and Jericho duke it out with him. Superman tears through the Titans until Jericho possesses him with his powers. A crippled man arrives on the scene and claims to be Superman. He tells of how their bodies were switched, The Titans restore Superman to his proper body to end this one. This one wasn't as good as the others but it was a fun little one shot of a story.
Good round of books this month. They really helped pull you further into the world of Superman. The Daily Planet seems almost like a living place. I kind of want to go back just to see how the staff of the Daily Planet is getting along again. I have to say, Superman is showing a lot more personality than I was expecting. There's a certain level of humanity that Byrne and Wolfman have lended to the character that I really like.
I also find it interesting that this bright and vibrant world was communicated in just 9 issues. There are books in the New 52 that don't have a fraction of this development in close to 25 issues. I think current companies should be worried less about writing for a trade and more about creating a world that people want to visit. I just feel this big level of investment in the characters, their problems and their relationships and it's only been 9 issues of material. I might lose interest as I progress through these but so far I'm actually excited to read some Superman comics. I'll be back at some point to discuss Superman #2, Adventures of Superman #425 and Action Comics #585. See you next time!
Coming out of the Crisis and Man of Steel, there were 3 monthly Superman books titled Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics. John Byrne would write and pencil Superman and Action comics while Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ostrander would write and pencil the Adventures of Superman book. Action Comics would retain it's numbering, Superman started over with a new #1 and Adventures of Superman kept the numbering from the original Superman title. Does that make sense?
Superman would focus on action and stories with Superman in the cape, Adventures was more about the Clark Kent side of things and Action Comics was a team-up book.
Superman #1: Picks up right where Man of Steel #6 left off. Superman tracks down the space pod that brought him to Earth and found that a scientist has been studying him extensively and was the shadowy figure following him around in Man of Steel. Metallo hits the scene and uses his Kryptonite heart to almost kill Superman. Lex Luthor teleports Metallo away at the last moment because if anyone is going to kill Superman, it's going to be Luthor. Good debut issue here.
Adventures of Superman #424: This introduces Cat Grant as a member of the cast and serial flirt with Clark Kent. A terrorist organization called the Freedom League is destroying parts of Metropolis with giant robots. Superman hits the scene and gets a building dropped on him. He manages to escape but has to face all of the robots and they of course combine like a transformer to make an even bigger robot. This had a subplot of Lois' mother being sick and Lex Luthor offering a serum to make her better. At the end it's revealed that Luthor caused the accident and is going to use this to force Lois to love him. This was a To Be Continued! Another good issue for the first month.
Action Comics #584: Superman has gone crazy and starts destroying Metropolis. The Teen Titans of Cyborg, Donna Troy, Changeling and Jericho duke it out with him. Superman tears through the Titans until Jericho possesses him with his powers. A crippled man arrives on the scene and claims to be Superman. He tells of how their bodies were switched, The Titans restore Superman to his proper body to end this one. This one wasn't as good as the others but it was a fun little one shot of a story.
Good round of books this month. They really helped pull you further into the world of Superman. The Daily Planet seems almost like a living place. I kind of want to go back just to see how the staff of the Daily Planet is getting along again. I have to say, Superman is showing a lot more personality than I was expecting. There's a certain level of humanity that Byrne and Wolfman have lended to the character that I really like.
I also find it interesting that this bright and vibrant world was communicated in just 9 issues. There are books in the New 52 that don't have a fraction of this development in close to 25 issues. I think current companies should be worried less about writing for a trade and more about creating a world that people want to visit. I just feel this big level of investment in the characters, their problems and their relationships and it's only been 9 issues of material. I might lose interest as I progress through these but so far I'm actually excited to read some Superman comics. I'll be back at some point to discuss Superman #2, Adventures of Superman #425 and Action Comics #585. See you next time!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Monday TTM: Football Season!
It's that time of year again, that's right football is upon us yet again. An interesting aspect of doing the whole TTM autograph thing is trying to get active players via their teams. I'm currently in the process of hitting NHL teams as they enter training camp. The NFL is a little harder to deal with as far as TTM goes. I have several ones still outstanding but I think most of the ones that I sent out will return eventually. Here's some of the ones that have made their way back to me so far this season.
We'll get the big one out of the way right away. That's right, Peyton Manning signed one of my cards. This is actually a pretty rare success. Looking over the list people either send to the Broncos or his Foundation that's still in Indianapolis. A lot of people send to his Foundation and that seems to land them a preprint from Manning. I sent this to the Broncos and to my pleasant surprise he signed it! This was a long shot in my opinion and it paid off really well for me. A future Hall of Famer and one of the top 3 QBs of the modern era. He probably shoots right to the top of my list of quality gets. I sent this out on September 3rd and got it back September 14th for a total of 11 days.
Rookie quarterback of the Bills, EJ Manuel. He seems to be a mostly solid signer TTM. The verdict of course is still out on him but this could be a solid get years down the road. Speaking of this rookie card, that's part of the trick of doing TTM with active players. Get the guys while they're young and don't have a huge fanbase, they'll be more likely to respond. I sent this June 17th and got it back on September 14th for a total of 89 days.
Geno Atkins is a monster on the line for the Bengals. He surprisingly doesn't have a lot of people writing to him on the site I use. He signed two for me so I'm going to be mailing the extra copy to my friend Jonathan. I sent this out June 20th and got it back August 1st for a total of 42 days.
I live in the heart of Buckeye country so this one gets the biggest reaction from people around me. Mike Nugent is a beloved Ohio State alumni. That feels weird to say about a kicker but it's true. People absolutely loved Nugent when he played. He was a big part of the team that won the National Championship during the 2002 season. I sent this out June 20th and got it back July 29th for a total of 39 days.
Antonio Brown isn't what I would call a well known player. He's well known to Steeler fans and Fantasy Football nerds like me but I don't think many fans know him well. He certainly has very few TTM requests on the site I use. This one was an interesting story. I sent him a 2013 Score card and he signed and sent back a 2012 Score card. So he might have mixed up two cards or he might have wanted the card I sent for his own collection and sent this back. It's all good either way. I sent this out June 24th and got it back September 5th for a total of 73 days.
That's all for this week, join me next week as I open up the vaults of my autograph collection again for another edition of Monday TTM.
We'll get the big one out of the way right away. That's right, Peyton Manning signed one of my cards. This is actually a pretty rare success. Looking over the list people either send to the Broncos or his Foundation that's still in Indianapolis. A lot of people send to his Foundation and that seems to land them a preprint from Manning. I sent this to the Broncos and to my pleasant surprise he signed it! This was a long shot in my opinion and it paid off really well for me. A future Hall of Famer and one of the top 3 QBs of the modern era. He probably shoots right to the top of my list of quality gets. I sent this out on September 3rd and got it back September 14th for a total of 11 days.
Rookie quarterback of the Bills, EJ Manuel. He seems to be a mostly solid signer TTM. The verdict of course is still out on him but this could be a solid get years down the road. Speaking of this rookie card, that's part of the trick of doing TTM with active players. Get the guys while they're young and don't have a huge fanbase, they'll be more likely to respond. I sent this June 17th and got it back on September 14th for a total of 89 days.
Geno Atkins is a monster on the line for the Bengals. He surprisingly doesn't have a lot of people writing to him on the site I use. He signed two for me so I'm going to be mailing the extra copy to my friend Jonathan. I sent this out June 20th and got it back August 1st for a total of 42 days.
I live in the heart of Buckeye country so this one gets the biggest reaction from people around me. Mike Nugent is a beloved Ohio State alumni. That feels weird to say about a kicker but it's true. People absolutely loved Nugent when he played. He was a big part of the team that won the National Championship during the 2002 season. I sent this out June 20th and got it back July 29th for a total of 39 days.
Antonio Brown isn't what I would call a well known player. He's well known to Steeler fans and Fantasy Football nerds like me but I don't think many fans know him well. He certainly has very few TTM requests on the site I use. This one was an interesting story. I sent him a 2013 Score card and he signed and sent back a 2012 Score card. So he might have mixed up two cards or he might have wanted the card I sent for his own collection and sent this back. It's all good either way. I sent this out June 24th and got it back September 5th for a total of 73 days.
That's all for this week, join me next week as I open up the vaults of my autograph collection again for another edition of Monday TTM.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
2013-2014 Columbus Blue Jackets Preview
This is a big season for the Jackets as they move to the Eastern Conference with the Detroit Red Wings. This means a lighter travel schedule with fewer trips out west. I also tend to think of the Eastern Conference as the weaker conference. The East usually seems top heavy with 2-4 teams a season and then a huge drop off. The bottom half of the conference is usually really bad and the 7th and 8th seeds are usually highly mediocre teams that just happened to win more than the other mediocre teams. I think this is a good conference for the Jackets as there will be more chances to sneak in with subpar teams on a more consistent basis.
They let Vinny Prospal go due to what I think was mostly cap concerns and his age in the offseason. He was the team's leading scorer last season with 12 goals and 18 assists. They went out and filled that void by adding Nathan Horton from the Boston Bruins. Horton has a good track record as being a solid offensive player and he should settle into being a big threat on the second line. Columbus also added Curtis McElhinney to backup Bob in the net. Overall, a quiet offseason as far as entrances and exits go. Columbus did make a splash by signing a ton of players long term and showing a commitment to keeping the good pieces in town. So let's break this team down piece by piece.
CENTER:
Welcome to town Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky. You both came in and you decided you wanted to be here. You didn't pout like Jeff Carter and then dog it until the team traded you. You joined up and you immediately went about changing the loser culture that had infected this team. You never quit when the team got down in a game and you were the leaders of the gritty hardball style the Jackets played. Dubinsky rightfully had an A on his jersey by the end of the seasson.
Ryan Johansen and Derek MacKeinze fill out this position for the Blue Jackets. All four of the centers were pretty productive. Dubinsky and Anisimov struggled with some injuries but still managed to be towards the top of the team as far as points go. Johansen managed a respectable 12 points last season despite mostly being a 3rd or 4th line guy. He's only 21 years old and he could really become a good player as he continues to mature into adulthood. I think you'll continue to see respectable numbers out of this squad. Lots of good passes from this group will set up the wings for some open shots. I feel confident in this position this year.
RIGHT WING:
Your other RW guys are Nathan Horton, Mark Letestu, Blake Comeau and Jared Boll. I think Gaborik, Horton and Letestu are going to be a nasty combination here. You have a guy that get you 30+ goals in Gaborik and behind him you have two guys that have shown the ability to get you 20+ goals in Horton and Letestu. Seriously, we're talking about some crazy depth there if 70 goals are coming from a single position and as mentioned with the centers, there are really good centers paired with these guys that can pass really well. I'm thinking back over all the years of the Blue Jackets and I don't ever recall them having this kind of offensive depth... EVER. Jared Boll is the enforcer on the squad. He's gotten better in that role over time but I don't think he's great at it. I think you're looking at a good position for the team here. I think you could see a lot of offense from these guys.
LEFT WING:
RJ Umberger, Matt Calvert, Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson will be taking up the left side of the ice this season. This group doesn't wow you like the C or RW position do at first glance. They all made solid contributions across the board though. I think you'll see these guys do similar this year. You won't see any of these guys put up numbers that will blow you away or anything. I think we're looking at good solid contribution over a course of a season that keeps the team chugging along.
I think the difference between this year and years past is that you used to have a team filled from top to bottom of these mid-range contributors. Now, you have these guys complimenting really good talent and they can settle into the role they were meant for. I think you'll see a lot of Umberger, Calvert and Foligno setting up some good shots and getting some goals when teams are trying to stop someone else. I think you'll see this crew excel at being a support group this season.
DEFENSE:
The defense is rounded out by Fedor Tyutin, Tim Erixon, Nikita Nikitin, Dalton Prout and Ryan Murray. This is where my doubts about the team start to set in just a little bit. I thought the defense played well for the most part last season. They weren't spectacular or anything like that though. I think they let too many shots get to Bob in the net and the team has a downright disaster in a lot of games where they had to use Steve Mason in the net. I think the real question here is, will the defense be just good enough to make a run at the playoffs? Once the Jackets started rolling last season, yes, they were just good enough to keep the team winning. But that was also a result of Bob being absolutely brilliant in the net.
What I do know for sure about this squad is there's some excellent passers in the group. Johnson, Wisnieski and Tyutin can absolutely change the scope of any game with a well timed pass that leads to a goal. Those three are also gritty and tough defenders. They aren't afraid to mix it up and to lay some guys out on the boards. I think this group is the key to a playoff push this year. They need to be better than average if the team wants to push for better than an 8 seed.
GOALIE:
Even if he takes a likely step backwards, I think the team is built to anticipate that. The team has a much stronger punch on offense so they can compensate if Bob starts giving up a little closer to the league average on goals. If he stays a little more consistent to what he did last year, then this team is just going to start steamrolling some teams.My expectation is he'll take a step backwards but he's not going to fall apart like Mason did after his big season with the team.
Curtis McElhinney joins the Jackets as the primary backup to Bob. Curtis is a huge upgrade to what Mason was last season. He's logged a decent amount of minutes with teams like Calgary, Anaheim and Ottawa in the past and he performed well enough in those games. The Jackets just need a goalie that can keep the team afloat so they don't run Bob into the ground during the season. I think Curtis is a good fit for that equation.
THE VERDICT:
I've been a Blue Jackets fan since they came to town in 2000. Needless to say, I've taken quite a beating from the team over the years. The eternal pessimist in me wants to think that the team is going to disappoint this year. But the objective look at the numbers and the attitudes of the players thus far is telling me something else entirely. I'm going to put the pessimist aside this year and say that the Blue Jackets are going to continue what they started last season.
The Blue Jackets are going to enter the weaker Eastern Conference and make an immediate splash there. My prediction is that the team wins a franchise record 46 games, rack up 102 points and enter the playoffs as the 5th seed. So let's hope I didn't just horribly curse the team.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Man of Steel #1-6
Superman is one of those characters I've never been into. I read Action Comics and Superman for about a 4 year period in the mid 2000s. I watched some of the cartoons and Lois and Clark throughout the years as well. He's just never been someone I seek out randomly. I listed to some podcasts about him recently and it really made me curious to really try and get into the character.
I decided to go with the Post-Crisis version of Superman. If you don't know what that means. DC did an event in the mid 80s called Crisis on Infinite Earths. This compacted all of their heroes into a single universe and it rebooted the entire continuity. So when you hear the term Post-Crisis it means that it happened after this event.
Superman got a big reboot during this time frame. John Byrne came over from Marvel and spearheaded the project. Superman was depowered a lot in this era and he was more detached from Krypton in this era. The idea Byrne seems to push over and over is that Superman is human despite where he came from. The Man of Steel series was a 6 issue mini-series that came out in 1986 and goes about establishing a new status for Superman.
Issue 1: Retells the story of Krypton being destroyed and Superman coming to Earth. We see Clark as a teenager and being told about how he was found. We also see some of his early pre-Superman days and Ma Kent making the suit for him.
Issue 2: Serves to introduce us to Lois Lane. She follows Superman around trying to get the story on him but always being a little too late. She finally decides to try driving her car into the river so that Superman will save her. She interviews Superman only to arrive at the Daily Planet to find that Clark Kent beat her to the story.
Issue 3: Has the first meeting between Superman and Batman. It does away with the buddy buddy relationship they had previously and shows how their worldviews clash a little more.
Issue 4: Sets up Lex Luthor as Superman's main antagonist. We also see some of the rivalry and relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
Issue 5: Brings us Bizzaro. This is the first super villain that Superman takes on in this rebooted universe.
Issue 6: Kind of wraps things up from the last 5 issues and gives us an idea of what to expect from the three ongoing series that start up after this. Clark has a thing for Lois but wants her to love him as Clark and not Superman. Superman learns that he's from the planet Krypton but realizes that doesn't change how he was raised and who he is. It also shows Lana Lang and her dynamic with Superman.
All in all, I really enjoyed this mini-series. Superman was more interesting than I expected him to be. I really like the humility of the character. He showed a little more personality than I was expecting and I really like Lex Luthor as a big time antagonist to Superman. If I was grabbing this I would give it an A- or B+. It was a really enjoyable read and I just tore through the issues and wanted more.
It really made me want to dig beyond just this and get into the monthly issues that result from this. I plan to do that and I plan to post those in a similar fashion to this post. Starting from here there will be three monthly Superman titles (Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics). I plan to read the books from a given month and post quickie reviews of each issue and more talk about how I'm feeling about Superman as a character with each passing month. So keep a look out.
I decided to go with the Post-Crisis version of Superman. If you don't know what that means. DC did an event in the mid 80s called Crisis on Infinite Earths. This compacted all of their heroes into a single universe and it rebooted the entire continuity. So when you hear the term Post-Crisis it means that it happened after this event.Superman got a big reboot during this time frame. John Byrne came over from Marvel and spearheaded the project. Superman was depowered a lot in this era and he was more detached from Krypton in this era. The idea Byrne seems to push over and over is that Superman is human despite where he came from. The Man of Steel series was a 6 issue mini-series that came out in 1986 and goes about establishing a new status for Superman.
Issue 1: Retells the story of Krypton being destroyed and Superman coming to Earth. We see Clark as a teenager and being told about how he was found. We also see some of his early pre-Superman days and Ma Kent making the suit for him.
Issue 2: Serves to introduce us to Lois Lane. She follows Superman around trying to get the story on him but always being a little too late. She finally decides to try driving her car into the river so that Superman will save her. She interviews Superman only to arrive at the Daily Planet to find that Clark Kent beat her to the story.
Issue 3: Has the first meeting between Superman and Batman. It does away with the buddy buddy relationship they had previously and shows how their worldviews clash a little more.
Issue 4: Sets up Lex Luthor as Superman's main antagonist. We also see some of the rivalry and relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
Issue 5: Brings us Bizzaro. This is the first super villain that Superman takes on in this rebooted universe.
Issue 6: Kind of wraps things up from the last 5 issues and gives us an idea of what to expect from the three ongoing series that start up after this. Clark has a thing for Lois but wants her to love him as Clark and not Superman. Superman learns that he's from the planet Krypton but realizes that doesn't change how he was raised and who he is. It also shows Lana Lang and her dynamic with Superman.
All in all, I really enjoyed this mini-series. Superman was more interesting than I expected him to be. I really like the humility of the character. He showed a little more personality than I was expecting and I really like Lex Luthor as a big time antagonist to Superman. If I was grabbing this I would give it an A- or B+. It was a really enjoyable read and I just tore through the issues and wanted more.
It really made me want to dig beyond just this and get into the monthly issues that result from this. I plan to do that and I plan to post those in a similar fashion to this post. Starting from here there will be three monthly Superman titles (Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics). I plan to read the books from a given month and post quickie reviews of each issue and more talk about how I'm feeling about Superman as a character with each passing month. So keep a look out.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Discount Bin Diving
The wife and I have been on vacation this week. It's the area of Ohio that I went to college in. So while it's new to my wife, it's an exercise in nostalgia for me. I wanted to stop by an old comic shop that I frequented during my college days and a big sign was on the door saying 25 cent comics.
We entered the store and there were just boxes lined up around the store with all sorts of issues from the 80s and 90s. We resisted the pull for a few minutes. We wandered the very large store and checked out what they had. My wife found trading card boxes for very 75 cents so I grabbed one of those. Then it was time to get to work. My wife and I started taking to the various boxes and pulling out the books that I wanted.
Before I get into what we purchased, I have a hobby within a hobby. I collect specific series exclusively through the discount bins at stores. It's a really cheap side hobby and there's a certain level of challenge to it. The main series that I've been working on for the last 10 months or so has been Justice League Europe. If we go to any shop, I check out their discount books and then grab a few here and there. With this trip I have almost the entire 50 issue run of JLE now.
When all was said and done, we had pulled 60 issues out of the discount pins. I double pulled 3 issues but I figured that was bound to happen with the pile I had. $15 and I was quite happy. My wife mentioned that she didn't think it was possible to get to $100 and I said, I could have easily gotten there if I started pulling all the Avengers and Avengers West Coast books that I saw sitting in there.
I love digging through discount bins. You never know what little gem might be sitting in there waiting to be discovered. I finally found a copy of Justice League Europe #1 which was the one I was having the most issues with. It's not worth anything but people still seem to go for those first issues, even when it is a discount bin. I stuck to just DC books this time. Got a lot of various Justice League books, Legion of Super-Heroes and a couple issues of the Legends crossover from the late 80s.
The thing you need to understand is that the comics in discount bins aren't bad, they just aren't worth any money. You can find some really good stories in the bins if you know what you are looking for. So if you ever want some cheap comics head to your local used book store and see what you dig up!
We entered the store and there were just boxes lined up around the store with all sorts of issues from the 80s and 90s. We resisted the pull for a few minutes. We wandered the very large store and checked out what they had. My wife found trading card boxes for very 75 cents so I grabbed one of those. Then it was time to get to work. My wife and I started taking to the various boxes and pulling out the books that I wanted.
Before I get into what we purchased, I have a hobby within a hobby. I collect specific series exclusively through the discount bins at stores. It's a really cheap side hobby and there's a certain level of challenge to it. The main series that I've been working on for the last 10 months or so has been Justice League Europe. If we go to any shop, I check out their discount books and then grab a few here and there. With this trip I have almost the entire 50 issue run of JLE now.
When all was said and done, we had pulled 60 issues out of the discount pins. I double pulled 3 issues but I figured that was bound to happen with the pile I had. $15 and I was quite happy. My wife mentioned that she didn't think it was possible to get to $100 and I said, I could have easily gotten there if I started pulling all the Avengers and Avengers West Coast books that I saw sitting in there.
I love digging through discount bins. You never know what little gem might be sitting in there waiting to be discovered. I finally found a copy of Justice League Europe #1 which was the one I was having the most issues with. It's not worth anything but people still seem to go for those first issues, even when it is a discount bin. I stuck to just DC books this time. Got a lot of various Justice League books, Legion of Super-Heroes and a couple issues of the Legends crossover from the late 80s.
The thing you need to understand is that the comics in discount bins aren't bad, they just aren't worth any money. You can find some really good stories in the bins if you know what you are looking for. So if you ever want some cheap comics head to your local used book store and see what you dig up!
Monday, August 19, 2013
TTM Monday: Bulls Edition
Back for the third installment of Through The Mail Monday's. I had a bit of a slow week last week as only 3 returns found their way to my box. It makes me a little sad but that happens. Some weeks you get loads of returns and others you get barely anything. I'm on vacation this week so I'm probably not going to mail any out for a few days but write several. I'll probably dump 15+ letters into the box on Wednesday, all 1990 Fleer cards. So, we'll see what my mailbox looks like when I get back.
I wanted to use this installment to give you a general idea of what you're looking at if you decided to do TTM. As I post these, you will see some legit big name stars and HoF guys in there. Actually, you'll see a lot of those. But a lot of the guys you'll be targeting via TTM are mid level players. Role players, guys that were good for maybe a few seasons and sometimes, a guy that you only know and love because he played for your team and you remember him.
This time, I'm going to show you my collection of Bulls players from the Jordan years. Now, understand, this is by no means everyone on those teams that sign TTM. These are just the ones I've had cards of and have mailed to thus far. I think after you see the collection of guys posted here, you'll understand who you'll be going after when you mail out your cards:
There you have it. A beloved role player in Steve Kerr. The man who hit the shot to win the Bulls the 93 title in John Paxon. And past that you have some guys you might remember if you were big into basketball at the time. That's it for this Monday, see you next week!
I wanted to use this installment to give you a general idea of what you're looking at if you decided to do TTM. As I post these, you will see some legit big name stars and HoF guys in there. Actually, you'll see a lot of those. But a lot of the guys you'll be targeting via TTM are mid level players. Role players, guys that were good for maybe a few seasons and sometimes, a guy that you only know and love because he played for your team and you remember him.
This time, I'm going to show you my collection of Bulls players from the Jordan years. Now, understand, this is by no means everyone on those teams that sign TTM. These are just the ones I've had cards of and have mailed to thus far. I think after you see the collection of guys posted here, you'll understand who you'll be going after when you mail out your cards:
There you have it. A beloved role player in Steve Kerr. The man who hit the shot to win the Bulls the 93 title in John Paxon. And past that you have some guys you might remember if you were big into basketball at the time. That's it for this Monday, see you next week!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Revisited
Nintendo is running a great deal through Club Nintendo this month. If you register copies of Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensai IV with them, you get a $30 credit for the e-shop. Both of these games were on my buy list so I gladly took advantage of the deal. I plan to use the majority of the credit to get a copy of the new Mario and Luigi game but I did make a small little purchase of Link's Awakening.
I would classify Link's Awakening as probably my favorite Zelda game. When it came out, it was mind blowing that a game like that would come out on a handheld. I spent a long time playing it and replaying it as a teenager. I beat it several times over the years but I probably haven't attempted to play this game in 15 years maybe. Needless to say I was excited to get back to it.
I still love the game but there are aspects that are dated. The item management really sucks. You're constantly bringing up the menu to change what you're using at any given moment. The game is also kind of bad about aiming you sometimes. I wandered into an area and didn't have the means to kill a mini-boss there. After a few deaths, I left and checked a walkthrough and it had nothing to do with my current quest. So, that was a little frustrating but overall not a huge deal.
The use of the items in this game are clever. You start out with a really small world and the items allow you to open it up as you progress. The Feather remains one of the most unique Zelda items ever as it allows you to jump. Being able to jump really gives the game a different feel from most of the others. The Marioesque side scrolling platformer parts are fun and different.
This is a strange game in hindsight. A lot of enemies and characters from other games appear. There's a character that looks a lot like Mario, Kirby makes an appearance later and there are a ton of Mario baddies present in the game. I've never seen that in a Zelda game since. I'm kind of curious why they did that with the game. Maybe they thought since it was a handheld that they could experiment with things a bit?
I completed the third dungeon this morning. I died a few times but the puzzles didn't pose a serious challenge to me. The second dungeon was tougher in that regard. After, dying several times in the dungeon, stupid bombs, I killed the boss in a matter of seconds. I had my brief misadventure after that but I'm back on track to get through the fourth dungeon today or tomorrow.
I'm still really enjoying the game a lot. It has some flaws that weren't considered flaws at the time it was released. I might consider Link to the Past to be a better game now but I'm not 100% sure of that fact right now. I would probably need to play Link to the Past again to make an honest determination of that and it's a much longer game.
I think my biggest surprise going back is how small the game world is and how short the game seems to be. I remember spending months on it as a teenager and I think I could probably finish the game off by the end of the week... and I really don't remember much about the dungeons and puzzles anymore. Like I said, still a great game and worth checking out for the $5.99 if you have a 3DS.
I would classify Link's Awakening as probably my favorite Zelda game. When it came out, it was mind blowing that a game like that would come out on a handheld. I spent a long time playing it and replaying it as a teenager. I beat it several times over the years but I probably haven't attempted to play this game in 15 years maybe. Needless to say I was excited to get back to it.
I still love the game but there are aspects that are dated. The item management really sucks. You're constantly bringing up the menu to change what you're using at any given moment. The game is also kind of bad about aiming you sometimes. I wandered into an area and didn't have the means to kill a mini-boss there. After a few deaths, I left and checked a walkthrough and it had nothing to do with my current quest. So, that was a little frustrating but overall not a huge deal.
The use of the items in this game are clever. You start out with a really small world and the items allow you to open it up as you progress. The Feather remains one of the most unique Zelda items ever as it allows you to jump. Being able to jump really gives the game a different feel from most of the others. The Marioesque side scrolling platformer parts are fun and different.
This is a strange game in hindsight. A lot of enemies and characters from other games appear. There's a character that looks a lot like Mario, Kirby makes an appearance later and there are a ton of Mario baddies present in the game. I've never seen that in a Zelda game since. I'm kind of curious why they did that with the game. Maybe they thought since it was a handheld that they could experiment with things a bit?
I completed the third dungeon this morning. I died a few times but the puzzles didn't pose a serious challenge to me. The second dungeon was tougher in that regard. After, dying several times in the dungeon, stupid bombs, I killed the boss in a matter of seconds. I had my brief misadventure after that but I'm back on track to get through the fourth dungeon today or tomorrow.
I'm still really enjoying the game a lot. It has some flaws that weren't considered flaws at the time it was released. I might consider Link to the Past to be a better game now but I'm not 100% sure of that fact right now. I would probably need to play Link to the Past again to make an honest determination of that and it's a much longer game.
I think my biggest surprise going back is how small the game world is and how short the game seems to be. I remember spending months on it as a teenager and I think I could probably finish the game off by the end of the week... and I really don't remember much about the dungeons and puzzles anymore. Like I said, still a great game and worth checking out for the $5.99 if you have a 3DS.
Friday, August 16, 2013
AFC South Preview
Back again and this time I'm looking at a less interesting division for 2013. The AFC South I think is largely set in stone as far as who's winning the whole thing. So let's take a look at how this division is looking this year.
The Houston Texans are winning this division with little question. Even with injuries, this team is still packed to the gills with talent. I think the offense explains itself. Two great running backs, a good QB and one of the 2 best receivers in the league. When healthy, this team can score enough points to anyone. Now, the defense is where this team really shines. J.J. Watt had an insane season last year. Think about this, Watt could regress a bit from last year and he would still be an elite defender. The biggest issue this team has is pass defense. I don't thinking adding Ed Reed to the mix is going to fix that. I think their secondary is where you have to beat this team. But as I've said with other divisions, this team might have some issues but I don't see anyone rising up and taking the crown from the Texas. I'll go 12-4 for the Texans.
The Indianapolis Colts had an improbable season in 2012. They finished 11-5 which took everyone by surprise. I expect to see reality to set in this season. Let's look at the numbers here. They had the 26th rated defense last year. They had one of the worst run defenses in the league. They tried to address this by signing a metric crap load of free agents in the offseason. The problem with this is most of the guys they signed aren't that good. Paying a lot of money to the likes of Eric Walden, Lawrence Sidbury and Ricky Jean Francois. They shelled out some big money for a couple of those guys and none of those guys are massive game changers in their own right. I think this whole team falls back a little bit and misses the playoffs. I think you're looking at a team that wins 7-9 games this season.
What can you say about the Tennessee Titans? Well, they have a QB that struggles with accuracy. No one that he can throw to other than Kenny Britt, an inconsistent running back, a so-so offensive line and a defense that's just not very good. This is a talent poor team and I don't know how they're going to win that many games. Reports are saying that Jake Locker isn't looking very good in training camp. That's not the end of the world of anything but it's not a good start. I think you're looking at a team that wins 3-4 games next year.
Last and probably least the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think there's a decent change that you could see Chad Henne as the starting QB this year. If he continues looking better in preseason I think that's a possibility. The team still has MJD and that's worth a few wins if he can remain healthy. Justin Blackmon has been a bust thus far and he's suspended for the first 4 games of the season. The defense isn't even worth talking about here, they just outright suck and I don't think they did anything to change that. A healthy MJD will get this team to 5-11 though.
The Houston Texans are winning this division with little question. Even with injuries, this team is still packed to the gills with talent. I think the offense explains itself. Two great running backs, a good QB and one of the 2 best receivers in the league. When healthy, this team can score enough points to anyone. Now, the defense is where this team really shines. J.J. Watt had an insane season last year. Think about this, Watt could regress a bit from last year and he would still be an elite defender. The biggest issue this team has is pass defense. I don't thinking adding Ed Reed to the mix is going to fix that. I think their secondary is where you have to beat this team. But as I've said with other divisions, this team might have some issues but I don't see anyone rising up and taking the crown from the Texas. I'll go 12-4 for the Texans.
The Indianapolis Colts had an improbable season in 2012. They finished 11-5 which took everyone by surprise. I expect to see reality to set in this season. Let's look at the numbers here. They had the 26th rated defense last year. They had one of the worst run defenses in the league. They tried to address this by signing a metric crap load of free agents in the offseason. The problem with this is most of the guys they signed aren't that good. Paying a lot of money to the likes of Eric Walden, Lawrence Sidbury and Ricky Jean Francois. They shelled out some big money for a couple of those guys and none of those guys are massive game changers in their own right. I think this whole team falls back a little bit and misses the playoffs. I think you're looking at a team that wins 7-9 games this season.
What can you say about the Tennessee Titans? Well, they have a QB that struggles with accuracy. No one that he can throw to other than Kenny Britt, an inconsistent running back, a so-so offensive line and a defense that's just not very good. This is a talent poor team and I don't know how they're going to win that many games. Reports are saying that Jake Locker isn't looking very good in training camp. That's not the end of the world of anything but it's not a good start. I think you're looking at a team that wins 3-4 games next year.
Last and probably least the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think there's a decent change that you could see Chad Henne as the starting QB this year. If he continues looking better in preseason I think that's a possibility. The team still has MJD and that's worth a few wins if he can remain healthy. Justin Blackmon has been a bust thus far and he's suspended for the first 4 games of the season. The defense isn't even worth talking about here, they just outright suck and I don't think they did anything to change that. A healthy MJD will get this team to 5-11 though.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Fast Food Power Rankings I
This is an extremely complex equation of price/enjoyment/quality. I have cut offs to what I consider to be Fast Food. 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and Big Boy will be notable because I consider them to be a step above Fast Food. I may also legit forget a place in here.
1. McDonalds
This one is a surprise for me. McDonalds has always been on my radar and a place I frequent but I would never call it my favorite place to eat. They've kind of fallen into the top spot here due to a combination of keeping fast food prices, tolerable service and not jacking up the menu. My preferred meal here is the McNugget combo.
2. White Castle
Another surprise for me here. The discovery and addition of chicken rings earned White Castle a fringe spot in the rotation when I met my wife. The addition of an excellent breakfast menu has really kicked the White Castle love into high gear. They have a legit good fast food breakfast. They also have sane prices and don't jack with their menu too much from what I've seen. Service can be pretty bad at times though.
3. Burger King
BK steals their way into the #3 spot with the best fries in Fast Food. You can never get a damned Icee at this place and the absolute dregs of society work there but the fries make it worth it. The burgers are worthwhile as well. I think the food is generally good from BK but a little overpriced. The service is also terrible at most of the locations I have around me. The food usually turns out okay but I question why I deal with them.
4. Sonic
There's nothing quite like a Sonic trip in the heat of the summer. I really enjoy the food here but they lose massive amounts of points for how bad the service at our main location is. They have a truly unique menu with tons of options. They run a lot of specials and the price is usually really good. They get a huge knock for bad service as previously mentioned.
5. Wendy's
Huge fall from grace for Wendy's here. Until a few years ago, Wendy's was my unquestioned king of the Fast Food industry. Things started to fall apart for Wendy's with the addition of applewood bacon. This one event kicked off a series of missteps from the company where they stupidly started trying to compete with restaurants that were above Fast Food. Their prices went up accordingly. Now, Wendy's is a pale imitation of what they used to be and 2 combos from Wendy's is going to run you as much as a low end sit down place. I always seem to talk myself out of them due to the price.
6. Subway
Not my favorite sub place but the price is usually right for what they provide. I go there more than some of the places higher on the list but they lose points because the service is usually awful. There's many a time you flee a Subway feeling you've just survived a zombie apocalypse.
Well, that's the list for now. I didn't feel that I could get to a top 10 due to my disinterest in Fast Food currently.
1. McDonalds
This one is a surprise for me. McDonalds has always been on my radar and a place I frequent but I would never call it my favorite place to eat. They've kind of fallen into the top spot here due to a combination of keeping fast food prices, tolerable service and not jacking up the menu. My preferred meal here is the McNugget combo.
2. White Castle
Another surprise for me here. The discovery and addition of chicken rings earned White Castle a fringe spot in the rotation when I met my wife. The addition of an excellent breakfast menu has really kicked the White Castle love into high gear. They have a legit good fast food breakfast. They also have sane prices and don't jack with their menu too much from what I've seen. Service can be pretty bad at times though.
3. Burger King
BK steals their way into the #3 spot with the best fries in Fast Food. You can never get a damned Icee at this place and the absolute dregs of society work there but the fries make it worth it. The burgers are worthwhile as well. I think the food is generally good from BK but a little overpriced. The service is also terrible at most of the locations I have around me. The food usually turns out okay but I question why I deal with them.
4. Sonic
There's nothing quite like a Sonic trip in the heat of the summer. I really enjoy the food here but they lose massive amounts of points for how bad the service at our main location is. They have a truly unique menu with tons of options. They run a lot of specials and the price is usually really good. They get a huge knock for bad service as previously mentioned.
5. Wendy's
Huge fall from grace for Wendy's here. Until a few years ago, Wendy's was my unquestioned king of the Fast Food industry. Things started to fall apart for Wendy's with the addition of applewood bacon. This one event kicked off a series of missteps from the company where they stupidly started trying to compete with restaurants that were above Fast Food. Their prices went up accordingly. Now, Wendy's is a pale imitation of what they used to be and 2 combos from Wendy's is going to run you as much as a low end sit down place. I always seem to talk myself out of them due to the price.
6. Subway
Not my favorite sub place but the price is usually right for what they provide. I go there more than some of the places higher on the list but they lose points because the service is usually awful. There's many a time you flee a Subway feeling you've just survived a zombie apocalypse.
Well, that's the list for now. I didn't feel that I could get to a top 10 due to my disinterest in Fast Food currently.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
NFC North Preview
Now, here's a really cut throat division. You're looking at a division with three legit good teams. Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago will all be in the mix for a playoff bid this season. I think Green Bay and Minnesota will be duking it out for the North crown all season.
Chicago is what it is. A team that can win 9-11 games when everyone is healthy and a team that's going to struggle when people start getting hurt. Cutler and Marshall have something special on offense. They've always been a good combo in the passing game. Matt Forte is really a hit and miss prospect from season to season. Sometimes, he's awesome and unstoppable and other seasons he's not so good. The defense has most of the players back and they were pretty good last year. I expect that to continue this season. Where this team HAS to win this year is against Green Bay. Chicago has to beat Green Bay at least once if they want to win the division. I'm going to say 9-7 for the Bears this year. No real reason, just seems like a good number for them.
Green Bay took a bit of a step back last year. They came a little slow out of the gate but eventually figured it out. I like most of the moves the team made in the offseason. I think Lacey is a great fit for their running game. Greg Jennings leaving hurts a bit but I'm guessing he's not going to be missed once Rogers doesn't miss a beat. The defense is about average as always. I expect the Packers to win the North again this year. I'm guessing they'll be 12-4 this season. They just have talent everywhere and it's hard to see them not excelling.
Minnesota is an interesting team this year. They replaced Percy Harvin with Greg Jennings. I think that's a push. The Cassell/Ponder situation will be interesting and probably a distraction to the team in the long run. AP is the elephant in the room with this team. He ran for 2097 yards last year. It was crazy to watch him run the ball down the stretch. As usual with Minnesota they were a one dimensional offense with a pretty good defense. I think they addressed some of the concerns in the passing game. Their receivers are generally better and Ponder has a year under his belt. If they can just get average performance in the passing game they could go really far this year. This team has some questions but I think 10-6 is where they'll end up.
Detroit is the odd man out in the North. Reggie Bush isn't the answer for Detroit. I feel kind of bad for Detroit fans. They're stuck with Matthew Stafford as their franchise QB. He's good but not an elite level QB. I think they could easily regret his contract extension after this season. I think a big problem with this team is Jim Schwartz. I think his temper and emotional state has rubbed off on the team and caused a lack of discipline. The offense is okay and the defense isn't very good. I think Detroit is in for a tough season and I could see them going winless within the division. I'll say this team is going to win 4-6 games.
I think you're looking at the best division in football right here. I could see Minnesota and Chicago taking both wildcard spots if things played out a certain way. This division is just loaded.
Chicago is what it is. A team that can win 9-11 games when everyone is healthy and a team that's going to struggle when people start getting hurt. Cutler and Marshall have something special on offense. They've always been a good combo in the passing game. Matt Forte is really a hit and miss prospect from season to season. Sometimes, he's awesome and unstoppable and other seasons he's not so good. The defense has most of the players back and they were pretty good last year. I expect that to continue this season. Where this team HAS to win this year is against Green Bay. Chicago has to beat Green Bay at least once if they want to win the division. I'm going to say 9-7 for the Bears this year. No real reason, just seems like a good number for them.
Green Bay took a bit of a step back last year. They came a little slow out of the gate but eventually figured it out. I like most of the moves the team made in the offseason. I think Lacey is a great fit for their running game. Greg Jennings leaving hurts a bit but I'm guessing he's not going to be missed once Rogers doesn't miss a beat. The defense is about average as always. I expect the Packers to win the North again this year. I'm guessing they'll be 12-4 this season. They just have talent everywhere and it's hard to see them not excelling.
Minnesota is an interesting team this year. They replaced Percy Harvin with Greg Jennings. I think that's a push. The Cassell/Ponder situation will be interesting and probably a distraction to the team in the long run. AP is the elephant in the room with this team. He ran for 2097 yards last year. It was crazy to watch him run the ball down the stretch. As usual with Minnesota they were a one dimensional offense with a pretty good defense. I think they addressed some of the concerns in the passing game. Their receivers are generally better and Ponder has a year under his belt. If they can just get average performance in the passing game they could go really far this year. This team has some questions but I think 10-6 is where they'll end up.
Detroit is the odd man out in the North. Reggie Bush isn't the answer for Detroit. I feel kind of bad for Detroit fans. They're stuck with Matthew Stafford as their franchise QB. He's good but not an elite level QB. I think they could easily regret his contract extension after this season. I think a big problem with this team is Jim Schwartz. I think his temper and emotional state has rubbed off on the team and caused a lack of discipline. The offense is okay and the defense isn't very good. I think Detroit is in for a tough season and I could see them going winless within the division. I'll say this team is going to win 4-6 games.
I think you're looking at the best division in football right here. I could see Minnesota and Chicago taking both wildcard spots if things played out a certain way. This division is just loaded.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
A lazy Sunday afternoon
My wife was a little under the weather this Sunday so we stayed in mostly. I watched two movies with her during the course of the day. One good and one that was kind of mediocre.
The mediocre one was Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters. It's a pretty generic action flick. It seemed little effort was put into the movie as the actors didn't even try to pretend like they were in the time period this was supposed to have taken place. I lost interest in it pretty quickly. I felt there wasn't any real hook to it as a movie. It felt like it was going through the motions entirely.
Now, the other one was the 25th Anniversary stage production of Phantom of the Opera. Generally, I'm not one for musicals with a few rare favorites that I've developed. But WOW did this rule. I'm dying to go see this live after seeing this on tv. It was just awesome and not what I expected from a stage production. My wife kept telling me that I didn't have to sit there and watch it but I was just glued to the tv. Here's a small bit of the performance...
So this will probably be something we go see when it comes to town next spring. Needless to say I'm excited for this one.
The mediocre one was Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters. It's a pretty generic action flick. It seemed little effort was put into the movie as the actors didn't even try to pretend like they were in the time period this was supposed to have taken place. I lost interest in it pretty quickly. I felt there wasn't any real hook to it as a movie. It felt like it was going through the motions entirely.
Now, the other one was the 25th Anniversary stage production of Phantom of the Opera. Generally, I'm not one for musicals with a few rare favorites that I've developed. But WOW did this rule. I'm dying to go see this live after seeing this on tv. It was just awesome and not what I expected from a stage production. My wife kept telling me that I didn't have to sit there and watch it but I was just glued to the tv. Here's a small bit of the performance...
So this will probably be something we go see when it comes to town next spring. Needless to say I'm excited for this one.
Monday, August 12, 2013
TTM Monday: Handwritten not typed!
Free bit of advice if you're interested in joining the hobby of through the mail autographs. The people you send to respond better to handwritten letters. It shows a level of effort and care on your part. It shows that you took the time to actually write a letter and didn't just mass produce some form letter on your computer. So always hand write your letters, you'll thank me when the successes start rolling through.
So let's dig through the depths of my collection for some cards!
Say hello to Ed McCaffrey. He played for the Broncos during their big Super Bowl run in the late 90s. He was often a secondary receiving option to Rod Smith but he had a couple of good seasons. Notably in 2000 when he caught 101 passes for 1317 yards and 9 TDs. McCaffrey was always a favorite of mine. He always played hard on the field. I sent this out on May 15th and got it back July 1st. 47 days total.
I would call Andre Reed the best receiver in Bills history. He was part of the era where they made 4 Super Bowls in a row. I think he is currently one of the worst Hall of Fame snubs out there. When you talk about the 90s, you have to talk about Andre Reed in the wide receiver discussion. He was just a great talent and those Bills teams were amazing for a really long time. I think the whole lot of them suffer because they didn't win a Super Bowl.
Steve Walsh had some good moments in the pros. He lead Chicago to a playoff bid as the starter one year in the mid 90s. He never saw consistent action year in and year out though. He's not a huge QB by any means but these are the kinds of players you deal with when you do TTM. You can get some big names here and there but you're dealing in mid level players and obscure players.
One of the best return guys of the late 80s and 90s. Even as late as 1998 he helped the Arizona Cardinals make the playoffs with a huge year returning the football. That was his main strength as a player. He was good as a receiver and kind of mediocre as a running back. He's a player that Browns fan always remember fondly.
Well, that's it for this week.
So let's dig through the depths of my collection for some cards!
Say hello to Ed McCaffrey. He played for the Broncos during their big Super Bowl run in the late 90s. He was often a secondary receiving option to Rod Smith but he had a couple of good seasons. Notably in 2000 when he caught 101 passes for 1317 yards and 9 TDs. McCaffrey was always a favorite of mine. He always played hard on the field. I sent this out on May 15th and got it back July 1st. 47 days total.
I would call Andre Reed the best receiver in Bills history. He was part of the era where they made 4 Super Bowls in a row. I think he is currently one of the worst Hall of Fame snubs out there. When you talk about the 90s, you have to talk about Andre Reed in the wide receiver discussion. He was just a great talent and those Bills teams were amazing for a really long time. I think the whole lot of them suffer because they didn't win a Super Bowl.
Steve Walsh had some good moments in the pros. He lead Chicago to a playoff bid as the starter one year in the mid 90s. He never saw consistent action year in and year out though. He's not a huge QB by any means but these are the kinds of players you deal with when you do TTM. You can get some big names here and there but you're dealing in mid level players and obscure players.
One of the best return guys of the late 80s and 90s. Even as late as 1998 he helped the Arizona Cardinals make the playoffs with a huge year returning the football. That was his main strength as a player. He was good as a receiver and kind of mediocre as a running back. He's a player that Browns fan always remember fondly.
Well, that's it for this week.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Top 10 Episodes of South Park
My wife Kelly and I were talking about this in the car last night. I came up with 10 episodes that I would be comfortable with saying are my top 10 episodes but then I think I rattled off an honorable mentions list of maybe 50 episodes after that. I decided this would be a good blog post so I'm going to cover my 10 episodes here. They aren't in any specific order, I couldn't narrow it down to a chronological list even if I tired, and you might disagree with some of my choices here. I also plan to do a future post with honorable mentions.
Rainforest Shmainforest Season 3 Episode 1:
The guys are forced to join "Getting Gay With Kids" after causing trouble in Mr. Garrison's class. This episode features a rare celebrity guest appearance as Jennifer Aniston voices Miss. Stevens. The trip through the rainforest doesn't quite go as planned though and the group's naive worldview is challenged at every turn. The episode ends with everyone reversing their opinion and wanting the rainforest destroyed.
Butters Very Own Episode Season 5 Episode 14:
Butters uncovers that his dad has been cheating on his mom with men. His mother freaks out and tries to kill Butters. His parents then try to cover up Butters' death until he pops back up. This episode has always been one of my personal favorites. I probably watch it once a year or so. The parts where Butters follows his dad around to the gay porn theater and gay gym are classic South Park moments in the series.
The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers Season 6 Episode 13:
I could safely say this is one of my favorites. There's just so much to love in this episode. Butters becoming Golem, Tokens' speech after seeing Backdoor Sluts 9, the reactions of the wives to their husbands knowing what that porn is.
Christian Rock Hard Season 7 Episode Episode 9:
The cover of the Faith +1 album is my Twitter photo and has been for a long time. This is a typical episode where Cartman has a scheme and it eventually blows up in his face.
Good Time With Weapons Season 8 Episode 1:
I was heavily into anime when this episode came out. I think it was my favorite episode for 5 or 6 years without question. I still love this episode but I just kind of feel bad for Butters and it makes the episode hard to watch. The anime tropes are still hilarious and Cartman sneaking onstage naked is hilarious.
Trapped In the Closet Season 9 Episode 12:
I love this episode for a simple reason... it makes Tom Cruise and R. Kelly look like assholes.
Make Love, Not Warcraft Season 10 Episode 8:
I don't know how this episode comes across if you haven't played World of Warcraft. My wife never disliked this episode but she had a deeper understanding of the show after she fired up WoW for the first time. There's a ton of things about the game that as a player you get a good chuckle out of.
The Ungroundable Season 12 Episode 14:
It's been almost 5 years since this episode originally aired and I still giggle like an idiot whenever someone says "per say". I also avoid saying that word at all costs because my wife will just bash me for doing it. Butters as a vampire is so great you can't even put it into words.
The above quote might be the best thing ever said on South Park. It never ceases to crack me up and just sums up the episode so well. The Goth kids burning down Hot Topic is a great resolution to this storyline.
The Coon Season 13 Episode 2:
In the wake of the Christian Bale Batman and this bashes the way he talks perfectly. I was delighted when they brought the Coon back a few seasons later.
Butters Bottom Bitch Season 13 Episode 9:
I love this episode more every time I watch it. My wife and I watched it about a week ago. On the viewing, it crashed it's way into my top 10 list. The police chief going around as a prostitute is horrifying and awesome at the same time. You know where it's going each and every time and they just make you want to cover your eyes from the horror. Butters acting like a pimp is also classic.
Rainforest Shmainforest Season 3 Episode 1:
The guys are forced to join "Getting Gay With Kids" after causing trouble in Mr. Garrison's class. This episode features a rare celebrity guest appearance as Jennifer Aniston voices Miss. Stevens. The trip through the rainforest doesn't quite go as planned though and the group's naive worldview is challenged at every turn. The episode ends with everyone reversing their opinion and wanting the rainforest destroyed.
Each year, the Rainforest is responsible for over three thousand deaths from accidents, attacks or illnesses. There are over seven hundred things in the Rainforest that cause cancer. Join the fight now and help stop the Rainforest before it's too late.
Butters Very Own Episode Season 5 Episode 14:
Butters uncovers that his dad has been cheating on his mom with men. His mother freaks out and tries to kill Butters. His parents then try to cover up Butters' death until he pops back up. This episode has always been one of my personal favorites. I probably watch it once a year or so. The parts where Butters follows his dad around to the gay porn theater and gay gym are classic South Park moments in the series.
The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers Season 6 Episode 13:
I could safely say this is one of my favorites. There's just so much to love in this episode. Butters becoming Golem, Tokens' speech after seeing Backdoor Sluts 9, the reactions of the wives to their husbands knowing what that porn is.
Christian Rock Hard Season 7 Episode Episode 9:
The cover of the Faith +1 album is my Twitter photo and has been for a long time. This is a typical episode where Cartman has a scheme and it eventually blows up in his face.
Good Time With Weapons Season 8 Episode 1:
I was heavily into anime when this episode came out. I think it was my favorite episode for 5 or 6 years without question. I still love this episode but I just kind of feel bad for Butters and it makes the episode hard to watch. The anime tropes are still hilarious and Cartman sneaking onstage naked is hilarious.
Trapped In the Closet Season 9 Episode 12:
I love this episode for a simple reason... it makes Tom Cruise and R. Kelly look like assholes.
Make Love, Not Warcraft Season 10 Episode 8:
I don't know how this episode comes across if you haven't played World of Warcraft. My wife never disliked this episode but she had a deeper understanding of the show after she fired up WoW for the first time. There's a ton of things about the game that as a player you get a good chuckle out of.
The Ungroundable Season 12 Episode 14:
It's been almost 5 years since this episode originally aired and I still giggle like an idiot whenever someone says "per say". I also avoid saying that word at all costs because my wife will just bash me for doing it. Butters as a vampire is so great you can't even put it into words.
Well, Mom, apparently Butters is gay, finds me very attractive, and, confused about his sexual identity, puked up all over my floor
The above quote might be the best thing ever said on South Park. It never ceases to crack me up and just sums up the episode so well. The Goth kids burning down Hot Topic is a great resolution to this storyline.
The Coon Season 13 Episode 2:
In the wake of the Christian Bale Batman and this bashes the way he talks perfectly. I was delighted when they brought the Coon back a few seasons later.
Butters Bottom Bitch Season 13 Episode 9:
I love this episode more every time I watch it. My wife and I watched it about a week ago. On the viewing, it crashed it's way into my top 10 list. The police chief going around as a prostitute is horrifying and awesome at the same time. You know where it's going each and every time and they just make you want to cover your eyes from the horror. Butters acting like a pimp is also classic.
Friday, August 9, 2013
AFC North Preview
Let's take a look at the AFC North this time out. I think this division is a two team race between the Ravens and Bengals. The Ravens have more questions than the Bengals and that is what I'm basing my predictions off of for this post.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are winning the North this year. They have a top level defense and it got a little stronger with the addition of James Harrison. Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson were terrors on the line last year. Atkins really stepped up his production in year 2 and I think he's going to take another step forward this year. I think we might be talking about Atkins as an elite defensive lineman after this year. On the offensive side, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have another under their belt and Marvin Jones stepped up towards the end of the season. I think you could see the passing game become very dangerous this year. You also have BenJarvus Green-Ellis as a solid running back. This team just doesn't have a ton of weaknesses and I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 10-12 games.
The defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens have some questions to answer. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Daniel Ellerbe and Anquan Boldin have all left town. To make matters worse Dennis Pitta is out for the season due to a hip injury. On offense you have Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones as your main receiving threats. That doesn't fill me with a lot of fear as a opposing team. Ray Rice had a bit of a down year last season and I wonder how he'll respond this year. Will we see the dominate running or backfield receiver or the good running back that's less of a receiving threat. I don't know what to make of the defense either. Elvis Dummervil is good but he wasn't worth the kind of money he wanted. I don't think he's an addition to hang your hat on. I think the Ravens are looking at a 9-7 or 10-6 season. Not enough to win the division but probably enough to get a wild card spot.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in limbo this year. This is a team that depends heavily on Ben Rothlisberger and Troy Polamalu to stay relevant as a team. The Steelers lack proven talent on offense. Antonio Brown has been effective in the past but I don't think he's a no. 1 receiver. Le'Veon Bell has some potential. I think he could be the answer to their rushing woes but I also think he could be a total bust too. Jonathan Dwyer is okay but I don't think you want him as a feature back. The defense is still in okay shape. They seem to struggle when Polamalu isn't on the field though. If he struggles to stay on the field this year, the defense is going to struggle to keep teams from scoring. I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 7-9 games this year.
The Cleveland Browns are looking at the cellar of the North again this year. The new ownership retooled the defense and I think it looks good. They've got some real potential to become a good defense. The real problem with this team is the offense. Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell are not going to lead you to the playoffs. Trent Richardson has some health questions. It's very possible that he's injury prone. I think the offensive line is pretty solid though. I think you're going to see a team that takes some strides but ends up at 5-11 when all is said and done.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are winning the North this year. They have a top level defense and it got a little stronger with the addition of James Harrison. Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson were terrors on the line last year. Atkins really stepped up his production in year 2 and I think he's going to take another step forward this year. I think we might be talking about Atkins as an elite defensive lineman after this year. On the offensive side, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have another under their belt and Marvin Jones stepped up towards the end of the season. I think you could see the passing game become very dangerous this year. You also have BenJarvus Green-Ellis as a solid running back. This team just doesn't have a ton of weaknesses and I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 10-12 games.
The defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens have some questions to answer. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Daniel Ellerbe and Anquan Boldin have all left town. To make matters worse Dennis Pitta is out for the season due to a hip injury. On offense you have Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones as your main receiving threats. That doesn't fill me with a lot of fear as a opposing team. Ray Rice had a bit of a down year last season and I wonder how he'll respond this year. Will we see the dominate running or backfield receiver or the good running back that's less of a receiving threat. I don't know what to make of the defense either. Elvis Dummervil is good but he wasn't worth the kind of money he wanted. I don't think he's an addition to hang your hat on. I think the Ravens are looking at a 9-7 or 10-6 season. Not enough to win the division but probably enough to get a wild card spot.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in limbo this year. This is a team that depends heavily on Ben Rothlisberger and Troy Polamalu to stay relevant as a team. The Steelers lack proven talent on offense. Antonio Brown has been effective in the past but I don't think he's a no. 1 receiver. Le'Veon Bell has some potential. I think he could be the answer to their rushing woes but I also think he could be a total bust too. Jonathan Dwyer is okay but I don't think you want him as a feature back. The defense is still in okay shape. They seem to struggle when Polamalu isn't on the field though. If he struggles to stay on the field this year, the defense is going to struggle to keep teams from scoring. I think you're looking at a team that's going to win 7-9 games this year.
The Cleveland Browns are looking at the cellar of the North again this year. The new ownership retooled the defense and I think it looks good. They've got some real potential to become a good defense. The real problem with this team is the offense. Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell are not going to lead you to the playoffs. Trent Richardson has some health questions. It's very possible that he's injury prone. I think the offensive line is pretty solid though. I think you're going to see a team that takes some strides but ends up at 5-11 when all is said and done.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Brief Update
I've been using the schedule feature quite heavily on this site. I'm not writing the blog chronologically anymore. I'm writing what interests me at any given moment and throwing that on the schedule where I think it should go. My goal at this very moment is to update the blog on an almost daily basis. Monday's will remain the day that I talk about my TTM autographs and Friday is going to become football day until the season is over. I haven't decided on any other features at this point. I may post Filsinger Games wrestling promotion on here but I haven't decided on that one way or the other. That's the scoop as of now. Look for basketball previews to start in September.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The middle of the week...
Wednesdays have been a bit of a challenge for me the last 4 months or so. I've been training for a new job at work on Wednesdays. This has entailed going to a different office at working with a different group for a few hours and then returning to my regular job. This has been a challenge in a number of ways. The chief one is staying engaged with my regular job. The job I'm training for suits me really well. It's a lot of research, it's always different and there's a lot of entry to be done. It stimulates me brain a lot.
I first interviewed for this job last fall. The managers really liked me but circumstances prevented them from hiring me then. The job came up again this spring and the circumstances hadn't really changed. So they offered me a road into the job. Train with them for several months and I can replace a person that will be leaving the group this fall. So that's what I've been doing. I really enjoy the work for the reasons stated earlier and I've been looking forward to the move. It's starting to get close too. I'm not sure when I'll move but I think it will be sooner rather than later at this point.
That's what my work situation looks like. A good dose of limbo as I'm waiting for some gears to finally start grinding.
I first interviewed for this job last fall. The managers really liked me but circumstances prevented them from hiring me then. The job came up again this spring and the circumstances hadn't really changed. So they offered me a road into the job. Train with them for several months and I can replace a person that will be leaving the group this fall. So that's what I've been doing. I really enjoy the work for the reasons stated earlier and I've been looking forward to the move. It's starting to get close too. I'm not sure when I'll move but I think it will be sooner rather than later at this point.
That's what my work situation looks like. A good dose of limbo as I'm waiting for some gears to finally start grinding.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
NFC East Preview
Back again for some more football previewing for the year. This time I'm looking at the NFC East. I think this division has fewer questions than the AFC East does. You're looking at a horse race between Washington and New York. Dallas will be pretty mediocre and Philadelphia will be fairly bad.
The NY Giants imploded after looking amazing in the early part of last year. The Giants were 6-2 at one point in the season and Eli Manning just fell apart. They finished 9-7. I don't know what happened with the team last year. But they haven't changed over the roster too much and I imagine they won't have the same struggles this year. The Giants typically aren't a good regular season team. Go back and look at their recent Super Bowl seasons. They were marginal regular season teams that caught fire in the playoffs. I don't think the Giants can do that this year. I could easily see a 10-6 team not making it into the playoffs this year. The NFC is just packed with good teams. Like I said, I don't really know what to say about the Giants. They're such a hit and miss team.
The Washington Redskins won the East last year with a 10-6 record. RG3 and Alfred Morris were huge for the offense. Morris ran for 1613 yards and 13 TDs while RG3 had a remarkable year for a rookie QB. I think the really remarkable thing about the offense is RG3 threw for 3200 yards and the top receiver on the team only had 633 yards receiving. RG3 likes to spread it around and it makes the offense really unpredictable. The defense was pretty iffy. They made plays when they had to but this team needs the offense to win. I think the question you're looking at here is the health of RG3 coming into this season. He suffered a fairly serious injury last year and you wonder how that will affect him on the field. I think there are also some health questions about him in general. He's not very big and you wonder if the big hits are going to take a toll on him. I think if he stays healthy, you're looking at the favorites to win the East right here.
Dallas is a small wildcard. They always have some talent and could potentially be a threat. Then you realize Jason Garrett is the head coach, Tony Romo is the QB, Dez Bryant is their biggest threat at receiver, they have a mediocre offensive line and a pretty average defense. The running game is hopeless if DeMarco Murray isn't on the field. Jason Garrett is a terrible terrible coach. He has no creativity in his play calling and he gets out coached on a weekly basis. Go back and look at their week 17 loss to the Redskins. The Redskins threw the same blitz at them the entire game. The same blitz and Dallas never adjusted one bit. That's what you're dealing with here. Dallas could go into the last bit of the season at 8-2 and they would somehow find a way to end up at 8-8 or 9-7. My stance is Dallas isn't a threat until they can prove that they can win when it matters.
Philadelphia was lucky to be 4-12 last year. They could have easily been 1-15 or 2-14 if they didn't pull a couple of early wins out of their collective butts. Plain and simple, Michael Vick isn't an NFL calibur starting QB anymore. He was a disaster and a turnover machine last season. I think the Eagles need to just bench Vick now and see what they have with Matt Barkley. Is there really any difference in going 6-10 with Vick at QB or going 3-13 with Barkley learning the ropes? Barkley could always surprise you and make some noise. Other things to note, the Eagles were 29th on points allowed per game. They got rid of some dead weight like Asomugha but didn't add any really impact free agents. This is going to be a feeling out season for Chip Kelly. I think you're looking at a 5-11 team here.
The NY Giants imploded after looking amazing in the early part of last year. The Giants were 6-2 at one point in the season and Eli Manning just fell apart. They finished 9-7. I don't know what happened with the team last year. But they haven't changed over the roster too much and I imagine they won't have the same struggles this year. The Giants typically aren't a good regular season team. Go back and look at their recent Super Bowl seasons. They were marginal regular season teams that caught fire in the playoffs. I don't think the Giants can do that this year. I could easily see a 10-6 team not making it into the playoffs this year. The NFC is just packed with good teams. Like I said, I don't really know what to say about the Giants. They're such a hit and miss team.
The Washington Redskins won the East last year with a 10-6 record. RG3 and Alfred Morris were huge for the offense. Morris ran for 1613 yards and 13 TDs while RG3 had a remarkable year for a rookie QB. I think the really remarkable thing about the offense is RG3 threw for 3200 yards and the top receiver on the team only had 633 yards receiving. RG3 likes to spread it around and it makes the offense really unpredictable. The defense was pretty iffy. They made plays when they had to but this team needs the offense to win. I think the question you're looking at here is the health of RG3 coming into this season. He suffered a fairly serious injury last year and you wonder how that will affect him on the field. I think there are also some health questions about him in general. He's not very big and you wonder if the big hits are going to take a toll on him. I think if he stays healthy, you're looking at the favorites to win the East right here.
Dallas is a small wildcard. They always have some talent and could potentially be a threat. Then you realize Jason Garrett is the head coach, Tony Romo is the QB, Dez Bryant is their biggest threat at receiver, they have a mediocre offensive line and a pretty average defense. The running game is hopeless if DeMarco Murray isn't on the field. Jason Garrett is a terrible terrible coach. He has no creativity in his play calling and he gets out coached on a weekly basis. Go back and look at their week 17 loss to the Redskins. The Redskins threw the same blitz at them the entire game. The same blitz and Dallas never adjusted one bit. That's what you're dealing with here. Dallas could go into the last bit of the season at 8-2 and they would somehow find a way to end up at 8-8 or 9-7. My stance is Dallas isn't a threat until they can prove that they can win when it matters.
Philadelphia was lucky to be 4-12 last year. They could have easily been 1-15 or 2-14 if they didn't pull a couple of early wins out of their collective butts. Plain and simple, Michael Vick isn't an NFL calibur starting QB anymore. He was a disaster and a turnover machine last season. I think the Eagles need to just bench Vick now and see what they have with Matt Barkley. Is there really any difference in going 6-10 with Vick at QB or going 3-13 with Barkley learning the ropes? Barkley could always surprise you and make some noise. Other things to note, the Eagles were 29th on points allowed per game. They got rid of some dead weight like Asomugha but didn't add any really impact free agents. This is going to be a feeling out season for Chip Kelly. I think you're looking at a 5-11 team here.
Monday, August 5, 2013
TTM Monday's: The Beginnings
Another new feature here on my blog. TTM stands for Through the Mail. What this entails is you send mail to a celebrity, athlete, etc. with a self addressed stamped envelope and ask for an autograph. A lot of people will gladly sign a picture, trading card, baseball, etc. for you and send it back. It's always something that's been of interest to me. I decided to pick up this hobby when I found a ton of old trading cards in my parents basement this spring. I've been doing it since the end of April and I have 81 successes from doing this to date. I've stuck to just sports.
What this Monday post will be is just be posting a couple of pictures of my successes and showing how long it took to get. I may even talk about the person in question, why I sent to them, why I like them, etc. I plan to post this every Monday as a sort of feature. I usually send out at the minimum a handful of letters a week and at worst I seem to get 2-3 back in a week. So I should have a constant stream of pictures to share on here.
Chris Iannetta was the catcher for the Colorado Rockies the year they made it to the World Series. Super memorable season as the Rockies had low expectations and just caught fire in the second half of the season and rode that momentum through the playoffs, just destroying everyone in their path until the Red Sox swept them out of the World Series. I have a real fondness for this Rockies team as they were just such an unlikely World Series team. I sent this out on April 27th and got it back on May 6th for a total of 9 days. Speaking of that Rockies team...
Jeff Francis was also on that team. He had a 4.22 ERA and a 17-9 record for the Rockies that year. Francis had an interesting career. He's a good what if pitcher. He spent the majority of his career in Colorado which had a huge impact on his ERA. If he spent his career elsewhere would he have been more remembered? I sent this one out on July 16th and got it back August 1st for a total of 16 days.
Jed Lowrie is the current shortstop for the Oakland A's. His stats of right now are .292/.357/.418 with 8 HRs and 44 RBI. He's about the higher end of average offensively which is really good from the SS position. He's been a huge upgrade over what Cliff Pennington gave them last year. He's also a good defensive SS. He's been part of the reason the A's are 64-46 and in first place right now. I sent this one out on May 13th and got it back on May 31st for a total of 18 days.
That's it for this week. Check out this blog next week if you want to see some more of my recent autograph successes. My guess is I will share 3-5 of them a week.
What this Monday post will be is just be posting a couple of pictures of my successes and showing how long it took to get. I may even talk about the person in question, why I sent to them, why I like them, etc. I plan to post this every Monday as a sort of feature. I usually send out at the minimum a handful of letters a week and at worst I seem to get 2-3 back in a week. So I should have a constant stream of pictures to share on here.
Chris Iannetta was the catcher for the Colorado Rockies the year they made it to the World Series. Super memorable season as the Rockies had low expectations and just caught fire in the second half of the season and rode that momentum through the playoffs, just destroying everyone in their path until the Red Sox swept them out of the World Series. I have a real fondness for this Rockies team as they were just such an unlikely World Series team. I sent this out on April 27th and got it back on May 6th for a total of 9 days. Speaking of that Rockies team...
Jeff Francis was also on that team. He had a 4.22 ERA and a 17-9 record for the Rockies that year. Francis had an interesting career. He's a good what if pitcher. He spent the majority of his career in Colorado which had a huge impact on his ERA. If he spent his career elsewhere would he have been more remembered? I sent this one out on July 16th and got it back August 1st for a total of 16 days.
Jed Lowrie is the current shortstop for the Oakland A's. His stats of right now are .292/.357/.418 with 8 HRs and 44 RBI. He's about the higher end of average offensively which is really good from the SS position. He's been a huge upgrade over what Cliff Pennington gave them last year. He's also a good defensive SS. He's been part of the reason the A's are 64-46 and in first place right now. I sent this one out on May 13th and got it back on May 31st for a total of 18 days.
That's it for this week. Check out this blog next week if you want to see some more of my recent autograph successes. My guess is I will share 3-5 of them a week.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Shin Megami Tensei 4
I got a 3DS for Christmas and it's been my system of choice for all of 2013. It's probably logged 100 hours of gameplay since I came into possession of it. Animal Crossing New Leaf has had almost 80 hours logged between Kelly and myself playing that one.
Last weekend, I purchased a copy of Shin Megami Tensei 4 for the system. This is the series that the Persona games were born out of. It's a very old school dungeon crawler and it's very difficult. I've probably died 5-6 times in the first couple of hours. This has gotten better as I filled my party out and managed to gain a few levels. It's still tough but I have enough firepower to outlast most of the enemies in battle. My first mini-boss fight was really tough but I managed to come out of that with no deaths though my party was totally drained of resources.
The cool aspect of this game is that you fill your party out with monsters you encounter in the dungeon. You have a talk option and you open negotiations with the monsters. If you're successful they will agree to join you. This is challenging as you can make missteps during this process. But it seems to be a consistent process so you can learn from your mistakes with the same monster. This adds some nice variety to the battle system.
The story hasn't progressed much. I've essentially gotten through the tutorial and have just started the early goings of the real game. So I don't really have a lot to say about that aspect of the game. The graphics are nice and the voice acting is acceptable.
The only real issue I'm having is money is really hard to come by at times. I just added the ability to ask monsters for it in combat, otherwise it just seems to be awarded for completing quests. I'm a little worried about that as I could be under geared the entire game and constantly struggling because of it. I'm hoping that will get better now that I'm into the actual game.
So far I'd give the game a solid B. Really fun if you like old school punishing dungeon crawlers.
Last weekend, I purchased a copy of Shin Megami Tensei 4 for the system. This is the series that the Persona games were born out of. It's a very old school dungeon crawler and it's very difficult. I've probably died 5-6 times in the first couple of hours. This has gotten better as I filled my party out and managed to gain a few levels. It's still tough but I have enough firepower to outlast most of the enemies in battle. My first mini-boss fight was really tough but I managed to come out of that with no deaths though my party was totally drained of resources.
The cool aspect of this game is that you fill your party out with monsters you encounter in the dungeon. You have a talk option and you open negotiations with the monsters. If you're successful they will agree to join you. This is challenging as you can make missteps during this process. But it seems to be a consistent process so you can learn from your mistakes with the same monster. This adds some nice variety to the battle system.
The story hasn't progressed much. I've essentially gotten through the tutorial and have just started the early goings of the real game. So I don't really have a lot to say about that aspect of the game. The graphics are nice and the voice acting is acceptable.
The only real issue I'm having is money is really hard to come by at times. I just added the ability to ask monsters for it in combat, otherwise it just seems to be awarded for completing quests. I'm a little worried about that as I could be under geared the entire game and constantly struggling because of it. I'm hoping that will get better now that I'm into the actual game.
So far I'd give the game a solid B. Really fun if you like old school punishing dungeon crawlers.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Old Comics I'm Reading: Summer Edition
One of my New Year's Resolutions for this year was to read more older comics. I've been modestly successful at that thus far. You can read about my Silver Age reading here if you're interested. On top of my Marvel Silver Age reading, I've also delved into the Defenders and West Coast Avengers as titles that I've been reading.
A comic shop in my area marked all their Marvel Essentials down to $5 to clear out the stock. Needless to say, I bought a ton of these and the first 4 volumes of the Defenders came into my possession. If you've never seen the Essentials collections, they are awesome for reading old material. They're black and white reprints and you get 24 or so issues of content in a book for $20. It's a really affordable way to check out old comics.
These had been sitting on my shelf until my wife and I went on vacation in February. I took the first volume of the Defenders and started to read those issues. The concept of the Defenders is interesting. It's a team that isn't a team, they often call it a non-team. What that means is you usually have a core cast and anyone and everyone can show up for an adventure and then just fade off into the sunset again. Currently, the team consists of Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer and Valkyrie. The members come and go as they please so you never quite know who's going to be in a given issue. The Black Knight, Namorita and Hawkeye have also shown up for adventures.
The first volume contains a lot of the issues that lead to the eventual setup of the team so while I've only read 9 issues of the actual Defenders title, I'm about 20 issues into reading about this particular group. It's been a really fun and enjoyable ride. It's a cast of characters that I haven't read a ton about and most of the plots revolve around magic which isn't in my usual titles. So it feels like I've found this new little corner of the Marvel Universe to wander around in. I'm eager to read all 7 volumes that are out and to get the eventual 8th volume that will finish the series up.
I would highly recommend this book if you want an odd ball cast of characters and you like stories that revolve around magic.
The other title is the West Coast Avengers. I'm only a few issues into this series as I just dove into these issues about a week ago. This series sees the Avengers open up a West Coast branch to make the team more effective. The original team becomes Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Mockingbird, Iron Man (James Rhodes) and Tigra. Kind of a mishmash of former Avengers characters here but there's some really strong character work going on in the early issues. Tigra doubts her place, Rhodey has to deal with the fact that most people assume he's Tony and Hawkeye us Hawkeye.
I have fond memories of this book. When I was just getting into comics the regular Avengers were in their leather jacket phase of operations. Needless to say, to an 11 year old brain, the regular Avengers were boring. But right next to it, you had Hawkeye, Iron Man and the Human Torch on the covers. Needless to say, the more colorful West Coast team always captured my imagination more than the boring looking Avengers.
While, I'm excited for this book, I know it has it's problems. After the first 20-30 issues it does become more of a second rate book. My plan is to read it all the way through but I'm not expecting a lot out of the second half of this series.
That's what I'm reading old comics wise right now, I'll probably write another update on this in the fall.
A comic shop in my area marked all their Marvel Essentials down to $5 to clear out the stock. Needless to say, I bought a ton of these and the first 4 volumes of the Defenders came into my possession. If you've never seen the Essentials collections, they are awesome for reading old material. They're black and white reprints and you get 24 or so issues of content in a book for $20. It's a really affordable way to check out old comics.
These had been sitting on my shelf until my wife and I went on vacation in February. I took the first volume of the Defenders and started to read those issues. The concept of the Defenders is interesting. It's a team that isn't a team, they often call it a non-team. What that means is you usually have a core cast and anyone and everyone can show up for an adventure and then just fade off into the sunset again. Currently, the team consists of Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer and Valkyrie. The members come and go as they please so you never quite know who's going to be in a given issue. The Black Knight, Namorita and Hawkeye have also shown up for adventures.
The first volume contains a lot of the issues that lead to the eventual setup of the team so while I've only read 9 issues of the actual Defenders title, I'm about 20 issues into reading about this particular group. It's been a really fun and enjoyable ride. It's a cast of characters that I haven't read a ton about and most of the plots revolve around magic which isn't in my usual titles. So it feels like I've found this new little corner of the Marvel Universe to wander around in. I'm eager to read all 7 volumes that are out and to get the eventual 8th volume that will finish the series up.
I would highly recommend this book if you want an odd ball cast of characters and you like stories that revolve around magic.
The other title is the West Coast Avengers. I'm only a few issues into this series as I just dove into these issues about a week ago. This series sees the Avengers open up a West Coast branch to make the team more effective. The original team becomes Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Mockingbird, Iron Man (James Rhodes) and Tigra. Kind of a mishmash of former Avengers characters here but there's some really strong character work going on in the early issues. Tigra doubts her place, Rhodey has to deal with the fact that most people assume he's Tony and Hawkeye us Hawkeye.
I have fond memories of this book. When I was just getting into comics the regular Avengers were in their leather jacket phase of operations. Needless to say, to an 11 year old brain, the regular Avengers were boring. But right next to it, you had Hawkeye, Iron Man and the Human Torch on the covers. Needless to say, the more colorful West Coast team always captured my imagination more than the boring looking Avengers.
While, I'm excited for this book, I know it has it's problems. After the first 20-30 issues it does become more of a second rate book. My plan is to read it all the way through but I'm not expecting a lot out of the second half of this series.
That's what I'm reading old comics wise right now, I'll probably write another update on this in the fall.
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