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!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
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.
Friday, August 2, 2013
AFC East Preview
I think the headlines of this division have been grabbed by the Aaron Hernandez case. He's a giant loss to the Patriots, who rely heavily on tight ends, and will really weaken their team. The Fins went out and spent a lot of money in free agency. The Bills overhauled in the draft and the Jets are the Jets.
The bottom line to the East this year is the Patriots are going to take a step back because Gronk and Hernandez are gone. This is going to make life difficult for Brady. The defense has also had issues as time has moved on. With that said, who in the North is going to take the title away from them? The Patriots still have Stevan Ridley who ran for 1200 yards last year. Amendola and Tebow are unknowns but Amendola was good when healthy and I think Tebow could excel as a tight end. I think the Patriots are going to struggle but I think they're going to struggle to a 10-6 or 11-5 record. I don't see any of the other teams really getting anywhere near that.
The Buffalo Bills brought in a new corp of receivers, new QBs and look to be overhauling the system. Look, this team is just bad. I see some real potential with EJ Manual but he's just a rookie. This is a team that's building for a couple of years down the road. I think you're looking at another throwaway season here Bills fans.
NY Jets... what really needs to be said here. This team is a total disaster. Mark Sanchez is the worst starter in the league no ands, ifs or buts. The butt fumble from last season is going to be what we remember him for. The rest of the offense is a complete disaster. This team is going to struggle to score 17 pts. a week. The defense is still pretty decent but they're undisciplined and they'll once again be a poorly coached team.
Miami went out and spent some money in the offseason. Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe were notable additions to the roster. I think the Wallace deal can be summed up when you look at the reaction of Steeler fans. They were sad to see him go but they weren't THAT sad. Wallace has always struck me as a fairly limited receiver. He's really great at running straight routes but not so great at anything else. Tannehill can throw some bombs and that will surely benefit him. There's some good pieces on the offense but I'm not sure the defense is going to be that good. I don't think Ellerbe was that great of a pickup. I think the team will be improved this year but I don't think they'll be playoff bound at all.
Playoff Picture:
New England Patriots win the division. No wildcard teams from this division in 2013.
The bottom line to the East this year is the Patriots are going to take a step back because Gronk and Hernandez are gone. This is going to make life difficult for Brady. The defense has also had issues as time has moved on. With that said, who in the North is going to take the title away from them? The Patriots still have Stevan Ridley who ran for 1200 yards last year. Amendola and Tebow are unknowns but Amendola was good when healthy and I think Tebow could excel as a tight end. I think the Patriots are going to struggle but I think they're going to struggle to a 10-6 or 11-5 record. I don't see any of the other teams really getting anywhere near that.
The Buffalo Bills brought in a new corp of receivers, new QBs and look to be overhauling the system. Look, this team is just bad. I see some real potential with EJ Manual but he's just a rookie. This is a team that's building for a couple of years down the road. I think you're looking at another throwaway season here Bills fans.
NY Jets... what really needs to be said here. This team is a total disaster. Mark Sanchez is the worst starter in the league no ands, ifs or buts. The butt fumble from last season is going to be what we remember him for. The rest of the offense is a complete disaster. This team is going to struggle to score 17 pts. a week. The defense is still pretty decent but they're undisciplined and they'll once again be a poorly coached team.
Miami went out and spent some money in the offseason. Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe were notable additions to the roster. I think the Wallace deal can be summed up when you look at the reaction of Steeler fans. They were sad to see him go but they weren't THAT sad. Wallace has always struck me as a fairly limited receiver. He's really great at running straight routes but not so great at anything else. Tannehill can throw some bombs and that will surely benefit him. There's some good pieces on the offense but I'm not sure the defense is going to be that good. I don't think Ellerbe was that great of a pickup. I think the team will be improved this year but I don't think they'll be playoff bound at all.
Playoff Picture:
New England Patriots win the division. No wildcard teams from this division in 2013.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Han Shot First!
Bill Whittle does some really great Youtube videos with a conservative slant to them. I came across this one a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the overall message to it. I think he's ultimately right in his assertions about how Hollywood has pussified male characters over the course of my lifetime.
And he's dead on when he points out that Greedo missing stretches the realms of disbelief.
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