October Movie preview

(hurl)

Ok, let's do this!

 Bladerunner 2049

One of my most anticipated films of the year. I really hope it delivers.

Jigsaw

I'm usually not one for reboots or remakes....this isn't either but they are trying to start a new series with it, but I think I'm going to see it. I enjoyed the last....7? I would like to watch them again but don't know anyone who has them and they're not all on streaming services but I'm betting you don't have to watch them all to get the story line for this. Megan on the other hand has informed me that I'm going to the movie theater alone that night, since she has no desire to see this film.

Ha!

Ok folks, any other garbage for October you'd like to suggest?

Beach Trip pics

I thought I'd posted these already and just realized this week I didn't! So here's some pics from our vacation last month at the beach!

 These were all taken at the putt putt course.

 My nephew, Archer was super excited he got to go with the adults after all the other kids went to bed. LOL I remember those days...

And of course when a photo opportunity presents itself, I've gotta take advantage of it!

Ok,these were just the ones Megan hasn't posted on Facebook so I thought I'd post them here.

Have a good one folks!

The Chronicles of Prydain

A few months ago I re-watched Disney's Black Cauldron movie and did a little research into the books that it was based off of. I decided to go ahead and give these young adult novels a shot. I read through the entire 5 volume series plus the bonus novel titled "The Foundling" which are just short tales within the world of Prydain.

Overall the books weren't bad. Very enjoyable. It was easy to see Lloyd Alexander was heavily influenced by Tolkien while reading through the books because it felt like a mini-version of Lord of the Rings.

If you have kids, I think it'd be worth their time. Adults? Go back and read Tolkien again. You can't get any better than that!

The Dream Team

A few weeks ago I was watching the Olympic Channel (yep, that's a thing) and saw they were playing games from the 92 Dream Team.

I couldn't help myself and started watching them. Wow. Was basketball EVER bigger than this?!

I remember as a teen playing with my cousin and brothers, pretending to be players from the team. We took turns being each one, with a special rule of whoever played Jordan had to play with his tongue out the entire time. Ha!

Good times!

Age of Empires Definitive Edition

I don't play video games anymore but when I do, it's my old 1997 copy of the original Age of Empires. That being said, imagine my surprise last month when I discovered this gem was set to come out in October. It's the Definitive Edition of the first game.

I never liked the sequels that came out (though they were more popular than the base game) and looking at the new design to this old classic makes me excited! It even comes with the original game graphics as well and is only $20 retail.

I can't recall the last time I was this excited about a video game release. This has nothing but good things going for it. I can not WAIT for it to come out!

To this day I still keep Megan's old laptop from 2009 because it's the only thing we have that can play the game anymore since the newest Windows editions no longer support the software. It's never been on Steam either or I would have bought it years ago. I'm so happy to see this coming out for it's 20th Anniversary!

Filming Rap video

Call me when it's Gangsta

Me filming the "rap" video at 12:30am surrounded by....(ahem)... gangsta's. Some guy named "Yowda" who is a rapper. They had no idea how the video would be though. At the begining of the shoot I was told I didn't have any lines. But sometime during the shoot they changed their minds and didn't tell me.

The black eye is makeup. Looked pretty good. Overall it was an interesting experience to say the least!

Posting a video clip of the filming, later today.

Sons of Anarchy: Bratva

I loved the TV show but had no interest in the book. My wife saw the hardback on sale for $5 at BAM so I told her she could get it. I ended up finishing all my books at the beach that week and shared this book with her the last few days. Finishing it on our last day of vacation.

Overall it's not bad. Reads like a regular episode from the show but unless you're a die hard fan I would advise you to skip it. The story takes place within Season 3 and can be hard to follow if you don't remember other things that were going on during that time.

But if you're a fan and you find it for $5, hey! Pick it up!

Walking Dead Book review

Last month on my vacation I got to read a ton of books, so I thought today I'd share a few reviews of what I read, starting with the first two novels in the Walking Dead series!

I'd gotten this book for Megan years ago and let her read it. She loved it and I had planned to read it right after her but didn't and through the years forgot about it.

My love for the TV series has cooled down but I still love the comics and this is "world" where it takes place. Finding this out in combination with needing something to bring to the beach, made me take this book with me.

Pretty good story about how the Governor came to be. Though he wouldn't get the name "Governor" until the 2nd book!

Speaking of the 2nd book, it takes place a little after the first and stars an entirely new cast of characters which eventually end up meeting the Governor and continuing the story from there. Although you end up hating the main character "Lily" the book is pretty decent and sold me on reading the next 2 (which I'll review later)

More book reviews coming tomorrow!

Soma Toy figures

I thought I'd made a post about these bad boys years ago but turns out I didn't.

 I remember buying these at the old TG&Y back in the day. We played with them all the time.

 Of course, the ninja's were the bad guys and the karate "kids" were the good guys.

 I remember a buddy of mine had the "Robin Hood" set that we'd play with all the time.

As well as the pirates.

Lot's of good memories playing with these back in the day. If I ever find them for a good deal on Ebay, I might pull the trigger one day.

Just thought I'd pass along this blast from the past and see who else remembers these besides me.

Thunderbolts review

I recently finished another series of comics from my collection, The Thunderbolts. An interesting idea that begins with former B-List villains who pose as superheros in an attempt to win their confidence and eventually betray it for world domination.

Brilliant story arcs that have conflict within the team. Some get used to playing the role of hero and have 2nd thoughts about returning to a lie of crime, others sit on within the grey aspect of it all and figure they'll be fine either way the wind blows. Others hold back to see what best benefits them and some of evil to the core. A very dynamic collection of character arcs that sadly starts to go off the rails after the first 24 issues. I think the writers got stuck looking for way to keep the story interesting and fell into the trap of repeating past story arcs with different or new characters. The series finds a lift in it's story telling around the 100th issue but by then you're kind of tired of the whole concept.

So overall, decent idea but poorly executed down the line.

Something to smile about

So I found something interesting about Amazon. They have a site that you can set up an account where Amazon will donate to your favorite charity whenever you order through it. Since I support the Twin Suns Foundation, I decided to go ahead and try it out.

Not only did my package arrive 2 days faster than it would on the regular site, but I wasn't even charged tax on my order! I don't know if this was a one time thing or something they do every time but from here on out that's the only way I'll be shopping through Amazon from now on!

Just thought I'd pass that tip along for the day. Have a good weekend folks!

Boss Baby Review

Ever since this movie came out to rent Megan has been bugging me about getting it and I've been fighting it tooth and nail. The trailers looked dumb and there was no way this movie seemed like it could be more than an excuse for an afternoon nap.

I was wrong.

The movie is actually smarter and funnier than I thought it would be. For a Dreamworks movie it felt very Pixar in it's story telling. I was pleasantly surprised by it. So if you don't have anything to rent one night, make this the movie. Trust me, you'll enjoy it.

Kool Aid Points

 Remember collecting proof of purchases from kool aid products in hopes of cashing them in for free stuff?! (I'm looking at you Kool Aid Walkman)

I remember mom keeping these for us in a plastic box so we could save them up for something special. Unfortunately we never cashed them in because the things we wanted cost buying $500 worth of kool aid.

Ah...but those were the days! I'm halfway tempted to purchase a kool aid jar just for the heck of it. Thank you Ebay, for giving me the ability to waste money on totally unimportant things!

Thor comic review

Now that I've finished reading nearly 20 years of Thor comics I thought I'd give my final thoughts on the series as a whole. Now I love the Thor movies that are out and look forward to the 3rd one later this year, so I went into this with high hopes.

Unfortunately it only further proved to me why DC is far superior a comic universe than Marvels. Say what you will but I have no idea WHY this series went on for as long as it did. While it wasn't all bad (especially the last few issues that dealt in an "alternate" universe where Thor killed all the Marvel heroes and took over the world) it had a lot of repetitive moments.

Odin (Thor's father) dies twice in the comic and comes back each time. Thor's hammer breaks 3 times...and is later put back together. Once within the same issue! Loki dies twice and is brought back and Thor gets 3 different human counterparts he must share lives with until the writers got bored with the concept and wrote it out of his story....only to have another weave it back in. At least they were different personas.

There didn't seem to be much imaginative story writing or thought put in to the run. While comics like Batman constantly evolved in their story telling and got better in time, Thor seemed to be stuck in the same old rut with writers having no clue of where to take the story next.

I won't be reading through it again, I'm moving on to my next series....the Thunderbolts.

More old comic ads

 You look at these pics and think, wow...if they only knew.

But look at this one from 2002! Who wouldn't want to order their super hero hair cut kit!! Ha ha ha ha! Oh man! I love this ad. Like any kid reading this would want a hair cut?! I also love how the Hulk even seems happy to get his too. Insane why they thought this would be a good seller.

Wild.

Star Trek Disappointment

To the left is a Klignon? This sucks. That and the PC garbage that they've gleefully admitted is in every aspect of the new series....yep, I'm out. No interest in seeing this garbage. This is where Star Trek stops for me!

It

We saw It this weekend. GREAT movie. Strong plot, perfect cast of characters and a good mix of horror and humor when needed.

But isn't it weird that the last time we had an "It" movie was in 1990? Exactly 27 years ago......hmmm?

Goodbye Football 2017

What's wrong with Auburn:

1) No offensive line
2) No receivers who can catch
3) QB who doesn't know how to throw the ball away
4) QB who does poorly under pressure

I really tried this year to get back into football. With the Mets making the playoffs the last 2 years I broke away from football. With the Mets poor season I was hoping I could come back with a vengeance and embrace football once again.

I was wrong.

Guess I'll just read more, play board games, watch movies or even clean the house. All of these are much more enjoyable ways to spend my time.

The Idiot Show

It's no secret that I think Jennifer Lawrence is one of the worst actresses in Hollywood but she's also one of the dumbest. When asked about the Irma, she blamed Trump and his supporters.

Really? You ruined the new X-men films, you suck at every movie you've ever made and now you want to show the world how stupid you are as well?

By all means, go right ahead.

Why Walmart will never beat Amazon

Very rarely do I lose control of my senses and order something online at Walmart thinking it's going to be a great experience. I did this last month and once again learned why Walmart will NEVER beat Amazon.

Ordering something through Walmart takes 4 days to get to the store. When it's supposed to arrive every employee there looks at your receipt in wonderment because they have no idea where it is. They either spend 20 minutes in the back only to come out and tell you it's "still on the truck" or they don't come to assist you at all. I went up to the kiosk, put in my order number and waited 20 minutes while the screen told me someone would be with me "shortly"

I canceled the item, ordered it from Amazon and in 2 days it was in without any issues. Goodbye Walmart, I hope it hurts when you're website becomes completely pointless.

Fast Food places I wish we had

Here's a list of Fast Food places I wish we had in Monroe:

 Cici's Pizza

We used to have one back in the day but not anymore. I miss it. Good pizza, good service.

 Hardees

I eat at one every time we pass through MS. They got good burgers for a fast food place!

Firehouse Subs

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! Firehouse is one of 2 places where I've had everything on their menu. EXCELLENT place!

 Red Robin

Yummmmmmm! Whenever I travel I'm always on the lookout for one of these. My Dad used to take me when he traveled up to Portland. Just good food!

Bennigans

If ever I win the lottery I'm opening one of these back up. On the verge of bankruptcy not many of them survived but there's one in Dallas I eat at every other year and I love it. This is the other restaurant where I've tried everything on their food menu! GREAT PLACE!

That's my Top 5, what's yours?

Happy Anniversary to the Bub!

One of the few pics I could find where Megan's actually happy to be around me. :)

It's been 9 years and we're still having many adventures together. I look forward to having many more!

Restaurants that I don't have to visit ever again (Casual Dining)

Yesterday I talked about Fact Food places I wouldn't like to visit again, today I thought I'd do the same with sit-down restaurants!

 Chili's

Ate here all the time back in the day and the food never impressed me back then. Makes me sick if anyone even mentions going to it now.  It's one of the few restaurants I object to when the crowd decides on a place to go.

 Waffle House

This place makes me sick. I hadn't eaten at it in years and my ENTIRE family loves it, including Megan. I gave it a shot this year after staying away for 2 decades and it stills sucks. The food taste cheap and there's nothing on the menu that look appetizing.

 Outback

Last year I would've been outraged by this pick. But after another horrible experience and terrible steak, I'm cutting ties with my old favorite steak house and don't plan to visit it ever again. Now I need to find a new place to eat steak. It's hard to find a good one these days. 

Chipotle

My Boss's favorite place and I don't get what the hype is about. I took Megan a few months ago when we were up in TN and it still didn't impress. Glad we don't have one in Monroe but then again, I'd never go to it anyway.

Restaurants that I don't have to visit ever again (Fast Food)

Today I thought I'd list the fast food restaurants that I wouldn't mind never visiting again:

 Burger King

I've always hated the Whopper and I don't know about your Burger King's where you live but ours have THE WORST service. Add to that they're always out of EVERYTHING (even buns at one point) and their shake machine is always down....yeah, I hope I never visit this place again.

 Raising Cane's

Louisiana home grown...and I thought it sucked back then! The chicken is obviously frozen and tasteless. There sauce is good but that's the only thing I they have going for them, which isn't enough for me to ever go back.

 KFC

Terrible service plus terrible food equals me never having a reason to visit their stores again. If the Colonel were alive today to see what his stores have become, he'd die all over again in shame.

 In-N-Out

Tried it once. Sucked. Tried it a second time because I was told I must have had a rare bad experience....still sucked. Never visiting again. 

Domino's Pizza

I could've added a few pizza places to the list but I decided to only add this one. I've tried their "new" recipe and it didn't impress. I'm pretty good spending the rest of my life Domino free.

That's my Top 5, what's yours?

Money where your mouth is

I remember last year on the campaign trail when Louisiana got destroyed in massive floods across the state, Trump made an impromptu stop back to us and donated $1 million dollars to our recovery.

Hilary? She didn't even mention the devastation in her speeches and ignored the event altogether.

It showed me what type of person each candidate was.

Here in 2017 Trump is back at it again, donating $1 million dollars to Houston's relief fund out of his own personal pocket. Whether you like the President or not you have to admit, that's a kind offer to make.


In the meantime Mrs. Clinton is fundraising for her foundation, bringing in an estimate $2 million per speech, yet not a dime (as of this post) has been offered for Houston Relief.

Funny how some things never change.

Thor spinoffs

Looks like Thor was so popular at one point that they gave his B-characters their own spinoffs. Check it out!

 One of Thor's fighting buddies got his own miniseries (which they mentioned in Thor EVERY month it was out, trying to get folks to buy it) Thankfully my collection came with it (or should I say "unfortunately"?) and I got to read it.

Nothing much happens but that he needs to get back to Thor. Weird.

Yet not as weird as this one. Hercules is of course from Greek Mythology, he's like Thor but less cool. When they gave him his mini-series they set it almost 400 years in the future. I have no idea why someone thought this would be a good idea. It was weird and probably influenced by Star Wars, since everyone was in to sci-fi at the time. I was confused reading it the whole way through.

Ok folks, that's all for now!