Blog 15: Transformers, Twilight Zone, Black and White.

Hello True Believers, I'm back for yet another exciting blog!  This blog will contain more nudity, swearing and Michael Bay esque Explosions, than Predator(I saw so much Predator ass that movie).  However, we're not going to talk about the testosterone filled Predator movie.  This blog will contain discussion regarding the Transformers film series, the old 1960's Twilight Zone, The new Pokemon Black and White games, and Young the Giant.  Now let's get rockin'!

It took many years for the Transformers to feature a live action movie unlike other 1980's cartoons, IE The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(My favorite was always Donatello by the way), and for obvious reasons.  How even were you going to make a giant Bumblebee? (I hope all my readers visually pictured a giant bee...Jerry Seinfeld will get all the royalties for that visualization.)  So, finally, fans were promised a Transformers movie and the hype was high.  And why not?  Peter Cullen, the voice actor whom originally played Optimus Prime in the 1980's cartoon was returning.  The core group of Autobots and Deceptions were returning!  Everything seemed promising.  Then the movie came out....And I'm fairly sure Megan Fox got more screen time than Optimus....There's something inherently wrong with that.(Which goes against the male grain)  The action scenes were great, but the human story was just the worst thing ever, and it's highlighted by one of my least favorite actors, Mr. Shia Labeouf.  He's just such a terrible actor(See: Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, Indiana Jones).  This is highlighted more so in the sequel, Revenge of the Fallen.  Firstly, Michael Bay begins to just go against the Cybertronian grid all together, and starts making up stuff.  He adds a character who only exists in one very small continuity....the Fallen...It's so very lame.  They added the great former Decepticon now highly decorated Autobot scientist, Jetfire...But turned him into a geriatric ol' geezer.  Can robots even age?  Point is, the entire series has been a monumental disappointment since the getco, and I have no doubt that the third installment, which hits screen this summer, will also disappoint substantially.

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area we call the Twilight Zone.  The series ran from 1959 to 1964 in an age of television when everything was heavily censored.  Rod Serling was an individual who lead the way into breaking the barriers of what was allowed and wasn't allowed on tv.  And we're not talking about nudity or of anything of the sorts, we're talking about rhetorical discussions used in the context of the "Twilight Zone."  Rod Serling himself wrote most of the episodes which varied from topic to topic whether making commentary on inner beauty or on the communist scare of the 1950's.  This was a brilliant program that stands the tests of time to this day, and cultivates the mind to think outside of the box.  I know that Mr. Serling is a creative inspiration for me to this day, because if there's anything I want my creative writing to be able to do, it's to cultivate other's minds.  The Twilight Zone usually airs for 24 straight hours on the 4th of July and New Years on the Scifi(Syfy) channel, and I recommend unfamilar viewers to watch.  Because you never know when you yourself will be making a stop into....the Twilight Zone.

Next topic, Gamefreak and Nintendo Studios released yet another installment into the wildly successful Pokemon franchise.  Pokemon Black and White. Pokemon is such a wildly successful franchise, it's Nintendo's second highest selling franchise behind that of Mario, their mascot.  This is considered the 5th generation(First being Red and Blue, Second being Gold and Silver, third being Ruby and Sapphire, and 4th being Diamond and Pearl) of Pokemon games and fans are left thinking, "Really?"  or, "Shit yeah!"  The game sold extremely well, becoming one of the most successful games released on the Nintendo DS, and reviews were exceedingly high.  All reviews for the games averaged around a 9.0 out of 10, which is phenomenal.  Long time players have said playing this game is like playing the original Red and Blue, and that series clearly went back to it's roots.  That in itself is pretty cool.  I bought White, played the crap out of it, and it was addicting, and cultivating as ever.  I hated the designs of the actual Pokemon at first, but I warmed up on them as I played the game.  And they're actually quite good.  I recommend these games to everyone.

And finally, I leave a question to the readers of the blog.  You don't have to answer it since it'll demonstrate how few readers I actually have.  BUT.  Who'd win in a fight?  Han Solo or Indiana Jones? (With no weapons.)

Just keep readin' the ol' Blog.

El Bloggo Numero 14: Sheetz Suckz, Taco Bell Muy Bueno.

Hey True Believers, it's me returning to blog yet again, however, unlike blogs past, I have a personal vendetta against the first topic, which pertains against Sheetz.  Sheetz is basically a gas station / convenient store that sells many items and basically tries to be Wawa.( Another widespread gas station / convenient store.)  This is a topic of monumental importance to the world at large.  We can ignore the riots throughout Northern Africa and the Middle east, ignore the rising inflation throughout the United States, Obama's proposed lowered budget for 2012, and even the revolutionary Watson who tore apart human competitors on Jeopardy not too long ago.  Today's topic about two convenient store chains.

Okay, so I went to my first Sheetz last week and I wasn't too wonderfully impressed.  They had a looming canopy over their Gas Station that loomed over that to the convenient store which was daunting.  Upon entering the business of humble origins I noticed what looked appeared to be a booming industry.  Having grown up on Wawa when I lived in Southern Jersey, and then again when I lived in eastern Pennsylvania, it was all too apparent for this college lad that I was no longer in Wawa country.  The people with whom I attended this foreign trading station knew where to go and what to do right away.  Whereas I was dumbfounded by the slight similarities between the two, but at the same time, the overwhelming differences.  I decided to investigate the refrigerated beverages first, and low and behold, there was a plethora of cold beverages to choose from.  Alas, despite the increase quantity, there was a surprising lack of quality.  Wawa is infamous for their wide array of store brand teas, juices, and milk.  These beverages were absent from the shelves of Sheetz.  Or, in more economic terms.  There wasn't a substitute.  Just inferior goods.  So, with that noted, i made my way to food section.  There were more options there than at Wawa.  You could get burgers and french fries for example.  Hell, if I recall correctly, you could even get a cheesesteak if you so pleased.  So, having had gone there twice, I tried a cold cut sandwich the first time(turkey), and a grilled chicken sandwich the second.  Both experiences left me feeling sick to my stomach.  A feeling that Wawa never leaves me with.  The reason I even decided on going the second time was because of the simple fact I was fooling myself into believing the first incident was merely isolated.  So to all you Sheetz lovers, I intend not to offend, I'm merely offering my two cents, and with that said, to all you people who have never been to Sheetz, I would avoid it if I can.  And finally, in conclusion, Sheetz offers a great variety of products, but it does not offer the same quality, as Wawa.

Pressing on into Spanish territory, the next "order" of business pertains to a more sizzling topic.  Talking about more food, the next topic is about Taco Bell.  Taco Bell is one of the most successful fast food businesses in North America, belonging to Yum Inc along with KFC, Long John Silvers, Pizza Hut, and others, it's truly one of the tastiest fast food restaurants around.  Now I know it's rather irrelevant to write a paragraph on a chain that literally everyone knows about.  So, what I'm going to write about are entrées that perhaps you, the consumer, have never had.  Everyone's probably had their hard and soft beef tacos and their beefy 5-layer burritos, or even their crunch wrap supremes.  If you're unimpressed by those meal options, may I suggest trying a Gordita or a Chalupa of the nacho cheese variety?  It's Scrumptious.  Or even a Quesadilla?  And for an appetizer try out their cheese roll ups.  They're freaken bangin'.  Anyway, enough of this promo, of which I'm not even being paid for.  Just do it.

Anyway, this was by far the most biased and opinionated blog I've ever written, and it's not even a political entry(what with being a government major and all).  But these are my opinions, and I just shoved them down your throat.  Accept my editorial bullshit readers.


Until next time, Ciao.

Entry 13: Tale of Two Blogs, Pokemon Generation IV, and Baseball

Here’s the tale of two blogs.  Two blogs that are so radically different from one another that they’re actually dramatically the same.  In other words, it’s the same blog, in two mediums, just to increase my exposure to the internet.  But.  To make things more complicated, the blog on blogspot is on entry 17, and the one on tumblr is on 1.  By the time the Blogspot is on entry 50, the blog on tumblr will be on 33.  How confusing is that, bros and brahs?  Anyway, moving on.

Here’s the link to the Tumblr blog: http://cyborgdocholliday.tumblr.com

Pokemon Generation 4 is winding to an end with the impending release of the generation 5 games, Pokemon Black and White(a blog will be dedicated to their release when the game is released) So, with that said, here’s a blog dedicated to Pokemon Pearl, Diamond, Platinum, Heart Gold, and Soul Silver.  The last two being direct remakes of Pokemon Gold and Silver.  Anyway, the 4th generation contained a variety of crap pokemon, that’s for sure, but the gameplay was fun, and there were handful of serious pokebros.  The series, in my opinion has yet to dull, and consumes a fair amount of my life.  Soul Silver just happened to be my favorite pokemon game yet though.  Basically because I loved Silver more than any other pokemon game, even red, and a remake just basically made me cream myself.  Everyone has their series they’ve been playing since they were a kid.  Mario.  Sonic.  Donkey Kong.  Mine happens to be Pokemon.  Anyway, good series overall, and I’m looking forward to Black and White’s impending release.

Moving right along, next matter of business is that Baseball season is upon us with Spring Training coming up and players already reporting to camps.  I for one, am ecstatic for the impending season.  Two power houses stand from each league in the Red Sox and the Phillies, and I think a lot of people are truly electrified for this coming season.  Especially in the Philadelphia region now that they have 4 aces…

http://www.crossingbroad.com/2011/02/old-people-like-aces-too.html#more

Anyway, long season, and i’m simply registering my sentiments ahead of time of my impending excitement.  That’s about it.  Until next time.

I'M OFF!

Entry #12: Streetlight Manifesto, Marble Hornets, and The Lost Generation

Cutting to the chase, about two weeks ago, I saw the Ska/Jazz Punk band Streetlight Manifesto at Penn State University. It was a misty Monday evening filled with sleet as I embarked upon my journey to the institution of higher learning, 3 hours both ways.  I met up with my peers from high school as we trekked on over to see the exuberant, high energy band.  The warm up band was one of the big, local bands known as the Go Go Gadgets.  They weren't a bad band by any means....Not exactly the most original band, but they were not catering in front of the right audience.  They played popular songs such as Dynamite by Taio Cruz in front of a punk of punk kids.  They were not well received.  But after they bowed, Streetlight exploded on the scene and did not disappoint.  My fourth time seeing them, and despite having a shorter set than usual, they were absolutely amazing despite their bass player, Pete McCullough, not being there, it was a blast.  Best part was when they closed with my favorite song of theirs, Somewhere in the Between, and catching lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Tomas Kalnonky's pick.  It was one hell of a show, and it was a bitch getting home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlWFbDpJgyw

So, let's talk about something more spine tingling, shall we?  In the last few weeks, we've seen the new season of the terrifying series known as Marble Hornets.  To explain to those who are unfamiliar with Marble Hornets, Marble Hornets is a youtube sensation about two separate individuals being haunted by an unknown figure dubbed by fans as "Slenderman."  In any case, Entries 27 through 35 have been uploaded sporadically on their youtube account, and take it from this personal account, it's especially spine tingling.

Long time Green Arrow and Batman writer, Judd Winick tackled a new ongoing known as Justice League: Lost Generation, written as an homage to the 1980's series, Justice League International which was groundbreakingly memorable for it's combination of humor and action, featuring most of DC Comics B list characters, and an injection of the likes of Wonder Woman or Batman from time to time.  More than twenty years later, he's been working on a marvelous ongoing with a team of characters that have been disbanded since then, working to take out the big, bad villain of infinite crisis and their old boss, Max Lord.  The series stars Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire, Ice, a new Rocket Red, and the new Blue Beetle.  Now, I know what you're thinking, "WHO THE SHIT ARE THEY!?"  And that's the beauty of the series.  The ongoing is only on issue 19, and I highly recommend any reader to take the chance on picking it up.  It's a good title.

Until Next Time.  Goulet.

Entry 11: Marvel v.s Capcom 3, The NHL All Star Game, and Geoff Johns

Okay, folks here we are for another rousing series of ramblings patented exclusively by me.  Today I'm going to talk about the impending release of Marvel v.s Capcom 3, The up and coming NHL All Star Game, DC Comics writer Geoff Johns, and Greek philosopher Plato.


We'll start off with the gaming stuff.

Firstly, I usually dislike Marvel Comics.  I could elaborate on that, but we can save an entry on that for later, but I usually do appreciate the mass media products Marvel puts out, such as movies and games.  And that Marvel v.s Capcom is absolutely no exception.  The first two games, predominately more infamous for being arcade games, are some of the most intricate fighting games ever released.  And, if not truly a buff at them, requires some surious button mashing.  Marvel v.s Capcom 2 came out 11 years ago in the turn of the new millennium, and was a 2 dimensional fighter released under the Naomi arcade platform.  It was a wildly popular game, and a wildly difficult game.  One I happen to not be very good at.  Anyway, 11 years later, we get a beautifully polished looking game with a full blend of characters ranging from Ryu and Viewtiful Joe to Wolverine and Iron Man.  Not counting Downloadable content, the game features a whopping 36 characters, and the game builds upon a intricate, meticulous strategy where a player selects up to three characters at a time.  There's been unbelievable hype for this game from the gaming world, not unlike that for Super Smash Bros. Brawl back when the Nintendo Wii was first released, and it looks nothing short of promising.  The game is to be released on February 17 on US Shores.

Left to Right: Captain America, Taskmaster, Spiderman

Moving right along to our next topic,  The NHL All Star game is this Sunday, and like All Star games, no one is going to watch.  Forget the fact it's a hockey all star game, just the fact that it is indeed an All Star game all but cements the fact no one will watch it.  However, I think the NHL's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development, and former Red Wings, Brendan Shanahan has done a great job at developing some sort of hype for this all star slug fest between the all stars of the NHL world.....Except for Sydney Crosby....Who got a bruise or something and can't make the game....For the second straight time....*Ahem*  (Note:  Editorial Bullshit:  The NHL would have a better face for the league, if said current face wasn't partially covered up by his pacifier.)  Moving on, this time around, the NHLPA(National Hockey League Player's Association) took the players voted in by fans and picked by the league itself(picked by seasonal statistics and accounted for by parity's sake to give every team some sort of representation), and voted for two captains.  Nicklas Lidstrom, greatest defenseman of our generation and current captain of the Detroit Red Wings, and Eric Staal, one of the premier league's power forwards, and captain of the hometown Carolina Hurricanes(game's in Raleigh, North Carolina).  The two Captains then go on to have a draft and pick their own team.  This aspect of the game has sparked more interest in the weekend than the actual game has itself.  The theory is Lidstrom will pick many other countrymen, being that he's from Sweden, and that many NHL Swedes are pretty close.(2006 Turin Olympics unified the countrymen substantially)  And on top of all that, The NHL Guardians, which'll either be decent, or laughably horrible will make whatever debut they have Sunday as well.  So, stay tuned for entertaining NHL festivities this weekend.

Next order of business.  I'd like to talk about one of my very favorite writers of the comic industry currently.  The architect of what may be the best ongoing book of the last decade, and the best crossovers in ages, Geoff Johns.  Geoff Johns is solely responsible for The reinvention of Hal Jordan and the entire Green Lantern Corps.  He took the series starting from Rebirth, moving into the Sinestro Corps War, and then to Blackest Night, and currently is working on Brightest day.  Six years of phenomenal work.  It's because his dialog between characters, his character development, and attention to details is incomparable.  He may not have the subtlety that fellow writer Grant Morrison has, but he knows how to write and enthralling and exciting book.  And to think, he's had all of this outlined since it's inception.  He's made the Green Lantern so popular within Comic circles that it's inspired a film to be released this summer before another Superman movie or even a Wonder Woman movie.  DC Comics editor Dan Didio is fully aware of the prominent success of Johns and has handed him the reigns to many other DC books, such as some Superman books, the Flash, Booster Gold, the Justice Society of America, among others.  I just wanted to give a shout out to probably my favorite second writer of the business.  Perhaps I'll elaborate more on the Green Lantern mythos in a future blog.

Alright folks, I had it planned that I'd rant about Plato in this blog too, but frankly I wrote a lot already, so I'll save that for the next entry.  But for now, I bid a humble adieu to all, and to all a good night.  Seeya my few, and faithful.

Yo, this is the 10th entry and it has content pertaining to the NHL Guardians, Independence, and Generic Wawa Drank.

Here we are folks, time for another blog entry.  I dunno about the rest of you, but I hit a serious 4-5 week writing block.  Shit was not cash.  However, listening to Bomb the Music Industry and drinking some serious generic wawa drank while wearing superman jammie bottoms and a let it be shirt, I can honestly say this newly rediscovered independence is pretty righteous as my 1980's born would attest.  Or, as Milhouse would say, "radical."  'Cause that was his catchphrase.  Anyway, I got really tired of my title formula that I used for the first 10 entries, so I rearranged that.  If you want to stay alive in this business, and I don't mean that cannibalistic airplane movie.(fathom that, planes eating eachother, what the shit?)  Anyway, I'm back and bigger and badder than ever.  You're favorite resident blogging badass.  And the good news, the writing in this is more pretentious than ever.(Not unlike the author, obviously.)



FIRST MATTER OF BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The NHL and Stan Lee have teamed up for a new Guardian Project.  What's a Guardian Project?  The Guardian Project is an idea where Stan Lee takes every NHL team and recreates them into a superhero, often taking the city from which the team is from into heavy account.  Suffice to say, it's a neat, cute little idea.  And being a huge hockey AND comic books fan you'd think I'd adore it.  Lawlz.  Well.  A lot of the creations that Stanley Lieber(Stan Lee) has created are pretty plagiarized looking, or pretty crappy looking.... That really pains me to say.  For I love Stan Lee, and I love Hockey.  And I know I couldn't do any better or anything, but....c'mon.  Allow me to introduce you to a good one.  And a bad one. And a plagiarized one. 

Here's the Oiler...He's all right....

This is his bio though:

"The Oiler" is serious in a way that only a guy living on the outskirts of the most northern Canadian metropolis can be. He's gritty and tough like the roughneck oilrig workers he mostly associates with. He loves getting his hands dirty and not only doesn't he shy away from hard, physical work, he relishes it. He spends a majority of his time roaming the Northwest Territories. He's most happy when he's exploring the vast northern wilderness.

He does have a lighter side although his superhero buddies don't always get his quirky sense of humor. He's a modern day Cain constantly searching for the wisdom that he's certain the frozen north has to offer.

In stature you'd be hard pressed to find a more impressive Guardian. He's a 10 and a half-foot tall and 950-pound mountain of muscle. Whether it's blasting bad guys with torrents of energized oil, engulfing them in a horrendous blizzard or crushing through concrete walls, the Oiler is one devastating Guardian.

Yerp. 

Here's a bad one:

Silver Surfer Surf Board.....Also, sweet Mohawk bro.  And here's his bio....:

'The Lightning' is a man of action, he is brazen and cocky. Like the pirates who inhabited the Tampa area 200 years ago, he is impetuous and unpredictable. He's feisty and fun and he is a natural ladies man with an in-your-face bravado. He is determined to save the world from harm, and wants to look good doing it. Physically he looks like a dashing young teenager complete with an electric blue Mohawk.  He wears a rubber suit, that resembles a wetsuit but far more durable, that insulates his electrical current and allows him to walk amongst others without burning them to a crisp.

He can move at the speed of lightning and can travel from place to place using power lines or any electrical current. At a moment’s notice he can summon lightning from the sky and harness its devastating energy.  He can focus electric lightning blasts from his fingertips and his internal electrical charge could light an entire blacked out city. His most devastating weapon however is what he calls his "Bolt Spear" which is essentially a highly energized lightning rod that he can create in the palm of his hand.  

And here's the plagiarized one.  Cyclops.  I Mean the Penguin.  Why even?  I mean, I guess Stan Lee can plagiarize his own creation, but.....but....Um.  Here's his bio.


"The Penguin" as a character mirrors the recent history of the city of Pittsburgh. He was raised the son of a steel worker and he grew up watching his dad work in the steel mills. The toughness and gritty determination to provide left an indelible imprint on him.

However, he's a visionary and he loves thinking about how to improve the world around him especially when it comes to his native Pittsburgh. He is a gifted inventor and has a love of science and innovation.

Of all the Guardians, the Penguin is the least willing to be placed into a box. He considers himself a renaissance man, able to adapt to a variety of conditions. In exterior appearance, the Penguin is an impressive looking superhero, mostly human features except for a set of Penguin like wings attached to his arms. The wings, like that of an actual Penguin, don't enable him to fly but rather they allow him to maneuver both in the air and especially at sea. 

So, that's a little taste of the NHL Guardians.  Now, I know what you're saying, "It's prolly just for kids, why so mad, bro?"  Well, they're going to make it into some kind of huge event at the NHL All Star Game....It'll be either unintentionally hilarious, or just bad....If I'm wrong, then SWEET.  That'd be awesome, to be honest.  But, if you want to see the rest of the revealed so far, just venture off here:

http://www.facebook.com/theguardianproject#!/theguardianproject 




Okay, so, being back at the fair University that I humbly reside at, I'm completely independent.  I have to be organized, and do everything by myself.  I've noticed a consider social withdraw on my half.  There's plenty of reasons to attribute to that, but none worth delving into on here.  However, I feel like such a growned up here.  What with all the responsibility I has here.  No, but seriously.  Independence isn't a bad thing at all.


And finally, I'd just like to wish everyone a good new semester.  You can do anything you set your mind to.  But to find a little extra motivation, drink some Tropical Punch, brought to you exclusively by Wawa.


(I can't even find a picture of it....Too generic.)


Scores.

 

Entry #9: Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Good afternoon faithful readers, I'd like to welcome you all to the mile stone 9th blog.  I didn't think I'd get this far either. It's been quite some time since I wrote in here, quite simply because of the fact that I've been quite occupied with finals and then the rustling and the bustling of the holiday season. But I'm here today on the eve of Christmas to wish everyone the happiest of holidays. Winter is a dark and bleak season best embodied by death. But, cemented in the middle of this season lies a holiday that brings the best out of everyone. There truly is no time of year comparable to that of Christmas. I know for myself I love it quite a lot. I love the emphasis on togetherness and selflessness, and though there's been an increase in commercialism over the years, the customs and the values are still in place that make it more recognizable than any other holiday save for maybe Festivus. And as such, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas indeed, and that everyone receives what they truly want for Christmas. I know that if everyone that I cared about got what they truly wanted, needed, and deserved, I'd have a Merrier holiday.


Moving on from the mushy stuff.

I saw the Tampa Bay Lightning play at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers last night, and it was a helluva game. It's probably my fifth trip to the garden in my 12 years of going to see hockey games, and of the six NHL arenas I've been to, Madison Square Garden is by leaps and bounds my favorite. The Rangers are not my favorite hockey team in the least, but I adore Ranger fans and I adore the traditions that exist in that arena. The game went to an eleven round shootout last night, and before leaving for the game I echoed my lust for a shootout before hand. I truly got a wonderful Christmas present last night in seeing a very evenly matched game. I was wearing my Steven Stamkos jersey, and I was definitely in the minority, being one of basically three Lightning fans in New York that night.(My second favorite team). It was the most I've ever seen my father into a game. And in spite of the blistering cold, it was one of the best games I've seen in person in my entire life. Wonderful times were had by all......Except for the thousands of Rangers fans who saw their team lose....

A few weeks ago I listened to Neutral Milk Hotel's infamous In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, for the first time. Half of you are going, "It took you that long!?", and the other half are going, "Who?" Basically, at the behest of one of my closest friends, I finally got around to listening to what is often labeled the greatest indie album ever. And basically it didn't disappoint. I've listened to it beginning to end a plethora of times. And without getting into any of the wildly interesting backstory, I'd strongly implore people to give it a firm listening to.

Being that it is Christmas time, I start slipping into a routine that I've been partaking in for years. Watch Christmas movies(It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve), Listen to crooners sing infamous Christmas tunes(Sinatra mmmmmmmmmmmm), help mother bake homemade Christmas cookies(D'awwwwwww), and buy gifts ridiculously last second with money I don't even have. A truly festive time of year, dontcha think?




And so, as I close this blog of meandering thoughts, I'd like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and to close with an often not heard Christmas song, sung by my favorite crooner, Frank Sinatra.(ignore the content of the video, just appreciate the audio, kthxbye)