The BIG 4-0

Can't believe it's been 40 years for me. I don't feel like 40 and I don't see anyone in my family as "old" either but they are. Most people worry about getting older but it's just what happens and we should be thankful for every day we're given.

So today I begin a new decade in my life and I don't mind at all.

Happy B-Day to me!

Happy Birthday to Mom!

My Mom's the most kind generous and loving people I know. And that's how it should be I guess. But over the years my Mom has always been great. I love her and wish her the happiest of birthdays today!

Happy Get a Day Off Work Day!

Come on, you are all thinking it, you're just too nice to say it!

Survivor HHH

After the announcement of the newest season of Survivor was announced this week I've had time to think about the theme and I'm not really sure how "new and fresh" this concept is. I appreciate the producers trying to come up with new ways to change up the show and I have an excellent idea of what they can do.

Have no set tribes.

Put everyone on one tribe, then for every challenge, teams are either randomly selected or becomes a school yard pick'em. That would make the game become an ultimate "alliance buster" and really shake things up. I'd love to see how people would react knowing that they may not be going to tribal with the same people every time. It would make for an interesting season I believe!

Anyway, I'll be watching as always when it comes around in the fall. Really looking forward to it!

June movie review

Ok, let's get this over with so I can throw up afterwards. Here's what's coming out in June to torture us in theaters:

 Wonder Woman

Look kids! They're remaking the first Captain America movie but putting a woman in as the lead! Oh her? Yeah, she was the terrible actress in Batman v Superman, remember? Yeah.....I'll pass too.

 The Mummy

I loved the old Mummy series with Brendan Frasier. I love Tom Cruise. That being said, I have no desire to see this film. What's wrong with me?! It looks HORRIBLE!The trailer makes it seem like it's for Mission Impossible 6 or something. I just don't get it?!

 Cars 3

The 2nd one fooled me into seeing it in theaters. I won't make the same mistake twice here.

 Transformers: The Last Knight

Proof that Hollywood is giving us the middle finger and we can't even see it.

Despicable Me 3

Dang it. I have to see it. I don't know why either! But every movie about the minions I've loved. I can't explain why! I shouldn't be looking forward to such a film but I am. AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TOM CRUISE!?

I'm going to see a doctor.

The Re-Read list

Answer summer slowly arrives it's time to look at the list of things I want to re-read this year.

 C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy

Known for his Narnia books (which are incredible) Lewis also made a Space Trilogy which is just as fantastic. It's been a while since I've read these and I might give it a try this summer. In my opinion each book is better than the first!

Bone

I've had a hankering to re-read this for the 3rd time for a while now. Such a great story and I have all the prequel and sequel books to boot! 2017 may be the summer of Bone for me! (though saying it now sounds a little weird)

Calvin and Hobbes: The Compete Collection

I'm fully convinced that Bill Watterson is a genius. Reading this for the first time as an adult was an eye opening experience. As a kid I enjoyed the simple humor found in the comic strip. As an adult I see the unbelievable thought and insight that went into it. An amazing series and a must re-read for the summer.

That's my list...what's yours?

Survivor Game Changers Review

Now that it's over let's talk about a few things here.

First off, Sarah won. I hated her on the show but then again, I hate most of the winners on this show. The good guys rarely wins.

Secondly, this is the first season where I've really hated Jeff's behavior. The host is supposed to be unbiased but it's clear he has a favorite and that one was Cirie.

She gets a big speech during her exit (something NO other contestant had been given the luxury of doing that season) and to top it all off it was because she was the only one dumb enough not to get an advantage in the game!!! I felt sick seeing Jeff swoon over his favorite and now am open to the belief that Survivor does indeed have favorites they help out during the season just to get them along.

In another shameful display of favoritism they even let her come out and bow to the crowd after her early exit. Something NO OTHER contestant has EVER done in Survivor history. Just awful.

Then to top it all off Jeff has to rub the other Jeff's face in his mistake of outing Zeke, which was the biggest public shaming on TV I've ever seen. The man said he was sorry, LET IT GO. But no, we have to talk about how bad and wrong Jeff was because that episode was a ratings booster.

NEWSFLASH- Jeff didn't out Zeke, CBS did and it was purely for ratings.

Overall I have to say this was the most disappointing season of them all. I'm hoping for next season because it'll be nice to see some fresh faces. Until then...

Comics I wish I had

Today I thought I'd list off a few comics I'd love to add to my collection:

 Batman Hush

I've already said it's one of my favorite comics. So why isn't it in my collection? Because my wife wont get the hint every birthday and Xmas when I put it on my list. :)

 Batman vs Predator

LOVED this series when it came out but never collected it. Would love to have all 3 runs of it in my collection, but it's a little costly.

TMNT (Image Comics run)

I read this off the stands when I was younger, I have no idea why I didn't buy it. There's no chance of it ever being repeated and it's one of the darkest runs the series ever had. True to continuity fashion, Larson picked up the story from where it ended in the original run and mutilated the Turtles one by one. Donnie became a cyborg, Raph lost his eye and Leo his hand. Gritty, dark and borderline brilliant series that won't see a reprint ever again. Shame.

Hard to find TV Shows

In a day and age where you can get most things streaming on TV it sure is hard to come by the following:

 Enos

TV spin off of the Dukes of Hazzard. My wife loves this TV Show but we can never find this one on DVD. Even at conventions where you usually can find this sort of thing. With the Dukes popularity you'd think they'd be readily available but no such luck so far. 

 Hong Kong Phooey

Last year I could have bought the entire series for $12 now they cost $40 to $50 because it's out of print. Hopefully, Hanna-Barbara will see the atrocious prices online and put out a reprint soon.

The Tick

Seasons 1 and 2 are both missing episodes due to a "copyright" issue with the writer, while Season 3 has never seen the light of day on DVD. I have burned copies of the series but that's about it. Too bad since this cartoon is Uh-Mazing!

What ever happened to journal writing?

I've been keeping a journal for years now. Started my last year in highschool and went on a off for a few years until my mid to late 20's and have been writing strong ever since.

I'm not sure why I do it. People have blogs (like this) or Facebook (like everyone else in the world) where they post things on their day to day life. Sure you can make journal entries more personal than something online but the other day I got a new journal to start writing in and wondered "Do people even do this anymore?"

Gave me something to ponder on that day and now I'm passing it on to you!

BGG Con wish list (part 4)

Like a little kid who's waiting for Xmas, I can't stop thinking about my upcoming birthday trip to BGG Con! Here's another updated list of games I want to play!

One's already on the list:

Adrenaline
Wacky Wit
Hamburgum
Las Vegas
My Village
Porta Nigra
Rococo
Vikings Gone Wild
Dream Factory

Games removed from the list:

Star Trek Ascendancy: After watching more reviews the game sadly looks like garbage.
Viticulture- Bought it
Star Trek Fleet Captains: Found out it was for 2 players so it's out.
Food Chain Magnate: Bought it
The Boardgame Geek Game: After watching more reviews, it looks like it sucks so I'll pass.
Biblios: Shockingly this game is not in the BGG library!
Conquest of Nerath: Not in the library
Korrigans: Not in the library. Not surprised either.
Pay Dirt: Bought it

Adding to the list:

 Stone Age

A game about living as cavemen....sign me up!

 Lancaster

Be a knight, build your castle, collect the favor of nobles and fight for the king! Who wouldn't want to do that?!

 The King's Abbey

Be a monk. Build your church, fend off vikings and fight off "the evil". Not as exciting as Lancaster but I look forward to playing it just as much!

 Shakespeare

Put on a play, work on costumes, sets and all three acts. Dang! This one looks good! Don't know why I'm just hearing about it now!

Sagrada

The most recent "hotness" in boardgames right now. I'm so-so on it but will give it a try.

I'd like to say "that's it" but I still have a few more days to go before my trip so don't be surprised if a 5th one of these pop up.

Coal Baron

I'll be working in a coal mine going down, down, down.... seriously. The game has a player board with an elevator track that goes up and down the board delivering coal. I gotta check this out!

Fresco

A game about painting a mural on a church ceiling. Oooooooooh yes!


I really can't wait for this trip...

Best Thomas Jane Movies

I won't lie. I love me some Thomas Jane movies! So today I thought I'd ramble off some of my favorites!

Thursday

Though they tried making this one to be a "cult classic" film like "Usual Suspects" this movie did a good job at keeping you interested in the main character through out the film. I highly recommend watching the prequel to Friday if you get a chance.

*This is not a prequel to Friday but if it were, that'd be hilarious.

 The Punisher

Main stream comic fans have all but forgotten this classic movie because it was before the age of Iron Man, but Thomas Jane's portrayal as the bringing of death was pretty spot on. A shame he wasn't given the chance to reprise his role when the new MCU took over.

*If you want to see more of Thomas Jane's Punisher check out the short film he made called "Dirty Laundry" on YouTube. It was an early bid to reprise his role that Marvel Studios didn't take the bait on but should've!

 The Mist

Such a brilliant movie from Stephen King's story and probably one of the best adapted into a film. It's a beautiful thought provoking film that is good (and sad) to the very end. I need to own a copy of this I think. It's that good!

*Fans of the Walking Dead will see a lot of familiar faces in this movie as well!

61*

Probably his best film was portraying Mickey Mantle for the Yankees. He does a spot on impression of him at the bat because Jane is Canadian and never learned to play baseball until this movie was made! Hence when he learned how to swing at a pitch, he did it the exact same way Mantle did in real life! Great performance, great movie!

*The asterisk in the title is there on purpose, since historically MLB did not want to give Mantle the Homerun title outright from it's current holder Babe Ruth. Fantastic story if you ever wish to read about it!

Best board gamers

I wasn't going to make this list but after a little thought I said "Why not?"

1) Playing for the fun of it

It's so refreshing to see folks just enjoying the game no matter what. Win or lose they always have a smile. I love those types of gamers. I've even sabotaged my own game at times to give them a win if it's within reasonable grasp. Great attitudes around the table make gaming even more fun!

2) The Gamer who plans moves ahead

I love it when I gamer KNOWS what they're doing in the game and waste no time in taking their turn. I'm just like that as well so I have respect for others who aren't indecisive at all during the game. There's not many out there but the ones who have this trait are always welcome at my table!

3) Know the rules

I realize now this list is just the exact opposite from yesterday but let me explain. It's so good to know that if I step away from the table for a drink, snack, phone call or bathroom break, that someone will be there who is capable of answering any questions the group may have about the game. This especially rings true whenever we play out our annual Zombiegeddon games and I have to appoint leaders for the ones playing in seperate groups other than mine. (we break everyone up into groups at the start of the game to help it move along quicker)

These are the gamers I hope to see more of at my table in the future!

Worst board gamer traits

Getting more and more excited as I get ready to attend BGG Spring Con this year, so today I thought I'd do another list of three traits I hate seeing in a fellow gamer.

1) Cheating

This one will get you kicked out of the group. Thankfully, we have people who don't do it but I've been places where there was an obvious cheater at the table who whenever they were got played it off as an innocent mistake.

Gaming at my house is for fun. Sure we all wish to win at it, but at the end of the night, I'm just happy we played and had fun. Cheaters ruin everything! I've even seen others cheating when instructing newbies on a game! This has happened twice to me and it boggles my mind on why you would cheat to win against someone who's never played the game before?! Wild.

2) Analysis Paralysis

I actually have 1 or 2 in my group that I dread inviting because they're guaranteed to take longer on their turn than all other players combined. In fact, I proved that exact point when I allowed the next person to do their turn while the other contemplated his options. The game looped back to him right after he'd made his last move from the round before.

Now I understand anyone who's new at a game may take some time getting used to the game play the first time around but it's always the same with these folks. I still love'em so it's not enough to keep them off the invite list, just an added bonus when I see them failing at the faster-paced games that give them less time to think.

3) The Unlearned

Whenever I bring up a new game I make sure to review the base rules with everyone first and suggestive strategies for the game after informing them of the end goal, cards, etc involved in the game that could help them out. And I always have one guy who never pays attention when I do it.

He talks, gets up to grab something to drink, talks or plays on his phone. Then when game time happens he's constantly complaining that he doesn't understand what he needs to do. While it's clear everyone else (who followed along in the tutorial) is.

He interrupts the game with questions that were covered in the beginning and blames others for not explaining the rules as reason for his loss. He's getting closer to being uninvited from board game night because he's a drag on game night and I'm tired of him never listening when I explain the rules.

So there you have it! My worst type of gamers!

 

Worst board game publishers

Yesterday I talked about the best, now it's time for the worst:

 Hurts to admit it, but ever since Todd passed away they've been awful in customer service. The latest expansion was kept so secret that the only place they mentioned it was on their facebook site. But the only way you could get it is thru your local game store....if you had one. They ignored emails and requests for where others could go to pick up the game. Without Mayfair buying them out last year, I think this company would've folded a year ago. How the mighty have fallen.

One of THE WORST. As many times as I've contacted them, they've NEVER responded. I'm asking them where to get certain games...I'm asking them "How do I give you my money?" and I'm getting crickets in response. They don't have a website and every link I can find them providing folks to order their stuff is dead. They virtually do not exist on the internet! I don't see them making it far as a company with such awful representation to the consumers.

Best Board Game Publishers

There are some awesome board game publishers out there, here are my favorites:

 The largest publisher on my list but they earned it. I've never seen a bigger company treat it's customers so well. They just want you to enjoy their games and they don't care if that means giving you a deal on their games. Every GenCon I've been to they've been excellent with their customers. They even sent me a promo for a game at no cost but shipping. Fantastic company!

 This small time publisher is run by a husband and wife but the service is 5 stars. They respond to emails immediately and take care of any issues without question. I've had great experiences with them and it only encourages me to look at more of their games in the future!

Another small company, but probably one of the best. A year ago I submitted a question about their online pricing. Turned out, it had been a mistake and the game wasn't priced correctly. The owner not only emailed me back to apologize but agreed if I paid regular price he'd throw in the newest expansion to the game at no cost. Not only did he do that, but he checked up on me a week later when he heard about the flooding in my state. He wanted to make sure everything was alright with me and if the package had arrived safely. Couldn't believe how incredibly thoughtful that was. This is a company that truly cares about their customers!

BGG Con Wish List (Part 3)

Here's so more games I'm hoping on getting played at BGG Spring Con in a few weeks:

 The Board Game Geek Game

Kind meta I know, but I'd like to check it out and see what it's like. This is at the bottom of my list since it's only for curiosity's sake and nothing more that I'm interested in playing the game.

Basically all it is, is going from one board game store to the next trying to buy as many board games and get the most points to win. Pretty standard but still could be fun. 

 Biblios

I hear so many good things about it but when I look at the ugly dice and boring cards I think to myself "Why?!" Maybe this year it's time to find out.

 Conquest of Nerath

I'm slightly interested in this game because it's very similar to Conquest of the Empire but with a fantasy theme. It's a D&D board game with great pieces and one I've almost bought online but think I should play it first to see if it's for me.

 Hamburgum

Holy cow this one looks good. The pieces look incredible and the theme is building churches for some odd reason. I really hope I like this game. I can't find much out on it but it sure looks interesting to me!

 Korrigan's

I think I just need to play this stupid game about Leprchauns finding their pot of gold once and get it out of my system so I won't be tempted to buy it anymore when the online stores discount it to $10 again!

 Las Vegas

Uber light dice game that looks fun. Don't know if I'd buy it but if it's good enough it may make my list!

 My Village

I hate the "Village" game  this one was based off of. But this version actually looks much better! I'd love to add another Stronghold Game to my collection since I only have one now and it doesn't get played that much. In this game, you're living in a village and trying to leave the biggest legacy until everyone dies of old age. I know, kinda creepy but I dig the gameplay I see for it online so it's worth a try!

 Porta Nigra

Never did I ever think I'd find a game about building structures during the Roman Empire interesting but this game has proven me wrong! I look forward to getting it to the table when I arrive in Dallas at the end of the month.

 Rokoko

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it but a game about designing and making clothes for King Louis XV's gala seems outstanding to me! Such a strange theme to pick for a board game but it definitely has my interest this year!

Vikings Gone Wild

Looks like mindless fun. Depending on how entertaining it is could determine whether it comes back with me or not.

Dream Factory

Ever wonder what it feels like to make your own movie? Well this board game won't even come close to that but it'll try in the most entertaining way possible! Before I go out and search for this one though I've got to play it first.

Paydirt

This game is focused on mining for gold in Alaska....what is NOT to like about that?! The components look good and I'm really hoping this is available in the library. (which I hear is legendary)  Because if this one's good, I'm picking it up pronto!

Man am I excited about this trip.

BGG Spring Con UPDATE

This week the Con sold out and none of my friends could go. But the day tickets were completely gone I was able to snatch 2 at half price from someone selling them. Right at the deadline to where you could do that too!

Who did I get them for? My nephews. I didn't know if they could make it at first and when I spoke to my brother he hadn't gotten back to me yet so I bought them anyway and took the risk. Thankfully it worked out perfect since my brother was planning on driving to Texas that weekend anyway so we'll just meet up and drop the boys off to him when he arrives.

I'm super happy to have the little guys going with me. I know they'll love it and I believe it'll be a fun time overall!

Tomorrow, I'm making up ANOTHER list of games I'd like to play while I'm there since it now looks like the 3 of us will be a big enough "group" to play anything we like. WHOA BOY! BGG CON, HERE I COME!!

A much needed history lesson

New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. But instead of focusing on that, they've decided to take out history instead. For weeks now, they're been removing monuments from the Civil War that have been there for over a hundred years. Monuments not built by racist but by people interested in honoring their history. And this is the graffiti we see around town.

Nice.

Imagine is someone wrote "I Hate Blacks" on a monument of MLK. The media would be in an uproar about it. The culprits would be sought after and prosecuted to the highest consent. But this racist hate against whites is not even being mentioned except through social media who are their locally and against at some of the things that have been written on the monuments. I don't even feel comfortable posting them on my site they're so ugly.

If you want to tear down something that really stood for slavery than tear down the pyramids of Egypt.

Seriously. Slave labor built these things. Slaves we mistreated, died and killed while making them. It's the one of the biggest atrocities in earth's history yet we glorify them as wonders of the world. When in truth it was a vane Pharaoh who cared nothing for human life. If the country of Egypt said they were taking down the pyramids because of the wicked symbols they stand for the whole world would be in an uproar over maintaining them for history's sake.  

But instead, we're left to suffer in a time where garbage like this is acceptable.

Completely disgusting.