Blogzilla 1985

Art Bell Dead at 72

2018-04-14T14:42:00.002-05:00

We at BZ85/PZ85 are saddened by the news of Art Bell's passing.

Bell was the creator and long time host of Coast to Coast AM until his retirement in the late 2000's.

C2CAM is one of many influences on Podzilla 1985's creator Seanán, and was the biggest inspiration for the initial creation of the podcast, as well as the currently running monthly program "I Want to Believe."

Bell's personality and dedication to the paranormal lives on the in programs like the X Files, and will continue to inspire those who look into the beyond for answers.

He was 72.

Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, David Ogden Stiers

2018-04-04T17:06:00.001-05:00

I was sad to learn that David Ogden Stiers passed away not long ago. He was suffering from bladder cancer, and passed away peacefully at 75 in his home.

Like many others I remember him as Major Charles Emerson Winchester the 3rd from M*A*S*H. He was the stuck up rich boy doctor who quickly became the replacement for old ferret face Burns. I always liked him more as a balance to Hawkeye and B.J., and he became more of a team player as the series went on.

His character's love of classical music has always stuck with me. I didn't care for it much as a teen, but over the years I've grown to understand its beauty.

Funny, in some ways I use to feel the same way about M*A*S*H* in general. I wasn't a fan as a kid, and always got bored when my mom would watch it. Yet, as I got older I did get hooked on the reruns. I spent a lot of TV time in high school and college enjoying the show.

Although, that wasn't hard to do when it was being aired ten times a day via three or four different networks. I actually miss watching M*A*S*H*. I may have to break out the few seasons I have on DVD.

My real appreciation for the man though is for his voice work.

For many years he has been a staple of Disney voice acting beginning with his role as Cogsworth, the clock from "Beauty and the Beast." For the longest time I never knew that he was the voice behind the character.

It wasn't until I found a "Disney Art of Animation" book at a yard sale that it was brought to light. The last half of the book was focused on "Beauty and Beast," since it was the newest film at the time of publication. There was a photo of Ogden Stiers with Angela Lansbury and the late Jerry Orbach. The three made up Cogsworth, Mrs. Pots and Lumiere, respectively.

Recognizing all three talents blew my mind a bit. I had known about Lansbury since I was kid, but seeing Major Winchester was news to me. He also continued to voice Cogsworth in pretty much everything Disney has put him in, from sequels to "House of Mouse" episodes.

In general I was just starting to really notice voice actors in cartoons and movies. I still get a thrill every time I recognize a voice. His role as Cogsworth made me more aware of his voice so it would bring a smile to me when I picked him out in other Disney films.

His next role was in Pocahontes as Governor Ratcliffe. I loved how he helped bring the slimy gold hungry politician to life. Even better was that he played opposite of himself, also filling the role of Ratcliffe's man in waiting, Wiggins. The two characters are so different on so many levels, that most people would never guess they were voiced by the same man.

Wiggins still kills me every time I watch the film.

How often does an actor get to play both the comedian and the straight man at the same time?

He also had small roles in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Atlantis: The Lost Empire."

I still love hearing his parts as the Archdeacon during "The Bells of Notre Dame" on the Hunchback soundtrack. The man could sing.

Ogden Stiers also lent his voice as a narrator for most of the Winnie the Pooh stories during the 2000's.

His final major Disney role was as Dr. Jumba Jookiba, the creator of experiment 626. Yes he was a part of "Lilo and Stitch." Like with Cogsworth, he would return to voice the evil scientist for pretty much everything the character was put in, including "Kingdom Hearts." I still love Jumba, he's just so lovably evil and crazy. In the TV show of this series he also voiced several of the other experiments.

I'll even admit that I learned something new when double checking my Disney facts. He also lent his voice to the dubbed version of "Spirited Away." I have watched this film countless times and I never realized that he was Kamaji, the spider man running the heat in the bath house. I can't believe I never noticed that.

Another great actor has left this world, but thanks to film and TV he will not be forgotten.

And I really want to watch "Lilo and Stitch" now.

Hello Bishi?

2018-02-15T16:25:00.004-06:00

Hello Kitty has always been a part of my life in one way or another. I was never a hardcore fan, but I do love Sanrio characters so very much.

Early on it was all about Hello Kitty and My Melody, and in my munchkin years when I enjoyed watching the Hello Kitty's Furry Tale theater cartoon on TV.

Then in middle school it was all about Keroppi and Pochacco. A friend reminded me of the adorable animals and several teen aimed fashion brands were using them on t-shirts.

When high school hit, I discovered my favorite yet in Badtz Maru.

I still love this bad boy penguin to death. His style just makes me smile. I like Tuxedo Sam, the earlier penguin in the brand, but he's no Badtz, though he does have an adorable sailor hat.

After college, Chococat joined my list of beloved characters and most recently I find myself rather entertained by Aggretsuko, who is an office worker red panda that get's angry at work and goes into metal music rages.

She's so cute.

What I didn't know is that, three years ago, Sanrio created some characters for social media to help sell their products. Theses five human characters are Sanrio fans as well and got popular enough to spawn a manga, drama CDs, a phone game, and most recently an anime.

I heard about Sanrio Boys last summer, and honestly thought it was a joke.

I mean come on, pretty anime boys who love Sanrio characters?

It's not a joke.

It's a thing, and has been since 2015.

How did I miss this?

Seriously? How?

The anime began airing this month, and I'm already hooked.

Kouta and Pompompurin

Five episodes.

Only five episodes are out so far and I'm already invested in these characters knowing next to nothing about this craze.

Heck, episode two practically had me in tears! Granted I'm a sap when it comes to cherished stuffed toys but it got to me all the same.

Without spoiling too much, the series starts with us meeting Kouta Hasegawa. He is a boy who loved spending time with his dear grandmother and his best buddy, a large plush Pompompurin. His grandmother gave him the toy as a birthday gift and the two became inseparable.

Sadly, as so many children are little jerks, his peers at school start to make fun of him. Why is a boy his age so attached to a "girl's" toy? Naturally, Kouta gets embarrassed, and takes his anger out on his beloved toy and, worse yet, his grandma. She tries to find out why he's upset and he just yells at her and runs away creating a rift that he has trouble fixing.

The Kouta we are following is in high school now, and a rather lost one at that. He's listless, unsure of himself, and full of regret. He doesn't feel that he can do anything and he has nothing that he's passionate about. Due to a few minor events Pompompurin is brought back into his thoughts, along with his conflicted feeling over liking the pudgy yellow dog. He get's even more caught up in these feelings when he notices a classmate with My Melody keychains.

High school boys aren't supposed to like Sanrio characters, right?

So far I have gathered that this show is about personal growth, not being afraid to be who you are, loving what you love with no remorse, and getting through these tough realizations with friends who get you and accept you completely.

Now allow me to introduce the rest of these Sanrio character loving boys to you, even though I've just met them myself.

Yuu & My Melody

Yuu Mizuno is popular at school, very sociable and a little on the flashy side. He also has no problem voicing his love for his "princess" My Melody. He has a very large collection of his little bunny's merchandise and is always up for adding more to it.

I like Yuu so far. He's not afraid to say what he loves and encourages others to do the same. He also seems to be good at reading people right off the bat. Plus I get his love for My Melody. She's freakin' adorable! Not gonna lie I may be getting more of her stuff in the near future too between this anime and her upcoming crossover merch with Sailor Moon.

So excited!

Shunsuke with his Hello Kitty-san shirt

Shunsuke Yoshino, the soccer team's ace striker, is Yuu's friend and neighbor. He also is a fan of Hello Kitty. So much so that he actually has a rather deep respect for the character. Most fans call her Kitty-chan, but he insists on the more formal Hello Kitty-san.

When I first saw the ad for this show Shunsuke was the one to catch my attention. He just does not look like the Hello Kitty type at all and I needed to know why. I don't really have an answer yet, but I'm sure it'll happen. I'm trying to not dig around too much so I can enjoy the show with fresh eyes.

I did read though, that he dyed his hair white to be closer to Kitty.

Ryo in the school library

Ryo Nishimiya has had little screen time so far, but I know his characters are the Little Twin Stars Kiki and Lala. I know those two are popular but I've never really been a fan. Maybe he'll make them grow on me too.

Ryo is a bit of a brat. He has to deal with looking girly, and it causes him a lot of grief. He is the youngest of the group, but I'm not cutting him any slack for that. I'm gonna need him to play nice and stop being a little punk.

Seiichiro and Cinnamoroll

Finally we have Seiichiro Minamoto, the school's student body president. He makes a point to know who every student is and seems to actually notice them, not just memorizing faces and names. He's almost nosy, and wants to make a point to completely solve whatever conflicts he walks into. He's also on the school's archery team so he keeps himself very busy.

Cinnamoroll is his Sanrio character. It is a cute one, I never really got attached to this one. I was very much set on Badtz when I discovered it.

He'll probably fill the big brother type role of group, or the overly pushy "mom". We'll see where it goes. All five are really just starting to interact with one another.

Over all I'm very excited about this find. I had already thought about making fan characters for my Sanrio favorites. I want Badtz and Keroppi to have bishis too!

Oh wait I don't have to!

Yeah Sanrio already did it. I don't know if they will be in the show or not but the popularity of the first five guys made the powers that be grow the group to seven.

I know very little about them but I found images!

Naoki with Keroppi goods

Naoki Sugami, is a biology teacher who loves Keroppi. Well duh, who doesn't love that little frog? It's so cute!

If nothing else I hope they drop him in as just a teacher, but don't let the other guys know that he too is a Sanrio fan.

I need more Keroppi stuff...

Badtsz Maru's fan is a wanna be delinquent, Subaru Amagaya.

I personally would have made him a little more punk, maybe less emo... I REALLY want him to be in the anime though so I can have my Badtz merch visuals.

I LOVE BADTZ!!!

Alright I think I've fan-girled enough for now....maybe.

I do recommend this anime to any Sanrio fan for sure and anyone who's just a sucker for bishonen anime in general. I will be watching for sure, but having to wait for episodes is gonna kill me just a little.

Who's your favorite Sanrio character? Let me know in the comments here or on Blogzilla1985's Facebook page!

You Will Not Live Forever

2018-02-06T14:29:00.001-06:00

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. I AM Mr. 100, and it's going to take more than some high blood pressure and a possible heart attack to slow me down. I have lived through the deaths of my parents, exile from my family, and the most painful emotional breaks that have brought me to the edge of suicide.

I'm still standing here.

Defiant.

Confident.

Impossible to knock down.

Don't let my bravado fool you. Sunday was one of the most frightening days of my life. I felt a pain unlike any I've ever experienced, and it echoed through my chest, back, jaw, and arms. It was so overwhelming that I could no longer convince myself that it was nothing, and I went to an Urgent Care office here in Cape Girardeau.

Until this point I was sure that it was just sore muscles. I haven't been able to lift much lately, but I'm a big guy, so it's probably just a nagging old injury. I had made the mistake of looking up the symptoms online, and anyone that has ever done the same will know the fear that follows. The internet is an awful place, filled with awful people, and very scary information when you're some simpleton trying to self diagnose. My hope was that Urgent Care could ease my mind and I could go home, rest, and get over this.

Instead, the doctor on staff did a great job convincing me that I was going to drop dead almost immediately.

She literally walked into the office with my blood pressure readings written on a scrap of old yellow paper, and pushed it in my face to prove a point that I'm a walking corpse. She told me how her brother was my age when he died of a heart attack, and he didn't even have any symptoms. Everything I described to her were classic signs of angina, and I needed to go to the ER immediately. I asked her questions, though they were jumbled messes created by a mind racing with the worst thoughts and vomited up through quivering lips. I don't know if she was being honest or just trying to scare me enough to go to the ER (talk of lawyers and liability were thrown around), but she succeeded in making me feel like my life was now over.

As soon as the doctor left to let the hospital know I was on the way, I broke down in tears and Ally consoled me as best she could. I cried when they told me my mother would never wake up or get better. I cried when hospice told me that my father had "expired." I cried the day I shattered my best friend's heart into a million pieces. I had never cried for myself before.

I arrived at the ER with Ally around ten minutes later, thanks in part to one of those stop lights that never seems to turn green for you. I could see the frustration on her face as she was trying to get me to ER as soon as possible, just in case my heart was giving out and every second counted.

I had just gotten off the phone with Lindsey. I fought through the tears to tell her that I was going to the ER because they thought it could be my heart. I could hear the shakiness in her voice as she tried to be positive for me, but we were both floored. She and I have been through everything together and shared a lot of awful experiences. Neither of us were prepared for the prospect that I could be dying.

St. Francis rushed me to the back and within a few minutes I was shirtless and strapped to a couple of different machines. They did an EKG on me, as well as taking x-rays, blood work, and a urine sample. They put an IV in me, but unfortunately for me they had to do it twice. Either I didn't have enough blood or they just misjudged where they stuck me the first time. I told the nurse, who was both lovely and very nice, that if it's the worst thing that happened to me that night I would be happy.

That's right. Even possibly dying I still try to be polite and charming. I was a big hit in the ER.

Asa arrived not long after I got there, and we had to convince quite a few other people not to make the trip. I didn't want to bother them. We watched the end of the Super Bowl while we were waiting for the doctor to come talk to me, and I can honestly say it was the first time I had watched the Super Bowl since I was a teenager.

And what a game!

The doctor told me that my EKG, blood work, x-rays, and urine sample all came out fine. Whatever pain I was in was not caused by my heart. My blood pressure was dangerously high, but he told me that I shouldn't be concerned right now as long as I get it under control. Everything seemed to be fine, but the fear of possibly hearing about how I was going to die was still there.

It's still here.

I'm only 35 years old. The doctor referred to my young age when he spoke to me, and I thanked him for his kindness. I've never felt like I was too old to consider myself old, but I also know that the term "young" is in the rear view mirror at this point.

My age didn't matter to me in the moment. For the past few hours I had convinced myself that I was going to die, and whether I was 35, 25 or 55 didn't matter to me. All that I could think about was the fact that I was going to die, whether it was my heart now or something else down the line.

Death is guaranteed.

I'm afraid of dying. Part of why I explore the paranormal so much is because I'm looking for answers to what happens when you leave this mortal coil. The possibility, or probability some would say, that there is nothing beyond this existence is the most terrifying thing that you could ever consider.

And now, for the first time in my life, I had to face my own mortality in a way that was more serious than just "well, I'm getting older."

I would tell myself that just getting older doesn't mean your life is over. If you take care of yourself you could be handsome and useful for another 25 to 30 years before you're really considered over the hill. I would look at celebrities like Johnny Depp and Sofia Vergara and think about how they're much older than me but still gorgeous. I could still be something special, even when I'm 55. My literal fear is that I would be ugly and old in my 50's, but if I worked hard I could stop that.

Now, I'm not even sure I'll see 55. If things continue the way they are I could, and probably will, die by the time I'm 50. That gives me 15 years to do something.

What is that something? I don't know. I have the worst brain in existence. Even if I fix my blood pressure, even if I live to be 80, I'll still get old, and I will still die. There is no escaping that which will come for us all.

I look back at my life and can point to a lot of things that I'm proud of. I can't say that I've wasted my time on this Earth. I've met great people and have accomplished quite a few things. I even started a no name little podcast that has become a legitimate thing and has afforded me and the people I care about quite a few opportunities. I've fallen in love, probably more times than I should have, and kissed the prettiest girls in the world. I've seen some great movies, played some great video games, and eaten some fantastic pizza.

Even with a life that I can honestly say was pretty cool, I feel empty. I feel afraid. I want more. I cannot be satisfied that this is my existence, especially if it ended sometime soon. There are too many places to go, too many people to meet, and too many experiences to live to just die now.

I'm the best person to give advice, because even though I've made some of the absolute worst decisions in life I can coach others on how to avoid the same mistakes I made. If I have fooled you with that, then I offer to you this advice - enjoy life. It's far too short to sit around waiting for something to happen. Make it happen. Fall in love. Lose weight. Take chances, because you'll only regret the chances you didn't take. If you're sitting around just coasting through life then you're not doing it right. And, God forbid, someday you might be 35 and told that you could die in the next few days and you're going to look back at your life and wonder what the hell you were thinking.

I know it sounds like a cliche, but that's because everything they always told you was right. Seize the day and try to do something remarkable. No person should ever be satisfied with the mark they've left on this life.

And then it comes back to me, the unlucky ones who will never truly be satisfied with existence and will always just fear what comes after it. Sometimes I wonder why I even care if I live or die if the only thing that waits for me is nothing.

I'll keep searching for that reason. Until then I'm going to enjoy the movies, the games, the pizzas, the kisses, the friends, and everything else that I was afraid of never having again when they told me my ticker could be taking its last tock. And I'll continue searching for what could lie beyond this world. I'll hold on to the hope that I'll see my mother and father again, or at the very least, that they're somewhere in this world again. And even if I never see them again, they exist, and maybe this shot at life will be better than the last one.

I want to believe. I want to live, not just be alive.

I hope this inspires you to want to do the same.

Shining Live!

2018-02-06T13:29:00.001-06:00

It has finally happened! I have an English version of an Uta no Prince-sama game.

Granted, it's on my phone but I'm fine with that.

Shining Live! dropped in the Google Play store on January 23rd for download, and its your typical freemium with in game purchases. It's mainly a rhythm game, but you do have some story elements for unlocking new songs. You also get photos of the various idols that you level up as you play.

The better the photos level and skills the more points you get while playing each song.

My favorite parts of the game that I was pleasantly surprised with -

All of the music are songs from the series.
All of the respected voice actors are accounted for.
Best of all the game is actually challenging. I didn't get my first S score until well after midnight on my first day playing.

Some of the dialogue is a little stiff and drawn out, but it seems to be getting lighter as I progress through the story. The guys' personalities are coming out a bit more rather than just being overly professional. That being said there is not much of a story. That may change, but so far it's just playful banter between the guys as they work gigs.

So far I like the game. I've unlocked about eight songs and already have a couple high level cards. I actually had to force myself to stop playing so I could get lunch.

There's also a campaign mode that allows you to play other songs you may not have unlocked, for a limited time. Rarer songs will also pop up on this list from time to time.

The game does however ask you the hardest question of all.

YOU CAN'T ASK ME THAT!

It's not fair making me pick one. I like them all for different reasons. This really is a series full of characters you get attached to. I guess I should be happy that the third idol group HEAVENS isn't in this game too.

...........yet.

To a New Year and New Challenges

2018-01-16T16:34:00.002-06:00

2017 was painfully long, yet over in the blink of an eye.

I got a promotion, moved to a new apartment and got a new car after I smashed the old one into the side of another vehicle.

But this is my column, and I'd rather side step the bad events and focus on the good.

I fell behind on the upkeep of my Etsy page, but locally my art thrived. I had two local shops house my work.

Gaming Grounds in Cape Girardeau, MO, hosted some of my Pokemon fan art, and the walls got a little touch of color with my trading card wall hangings. My adult coloring pages were a bigger hit over all, as I had to restock with new designs several times over the last few months.

Villainous Grounds in Perryville, MO, was another welcoming home for my work. The amazing owners of this coffee shop/comic book store are big supporters of local artists and authors. They have a consignment method of sorts, and it allows us creative types to put our work up for sale for a minimum charge. I personally have sold a half dozen or more drawings that probably wouldn't have sold otherwise outside of a convention setting. I can remove my work whenever I want and they only take a percentage if an item sells. It's a great system, and I am so lucky to have found them.

Going into 2018, I want to continue to further my creativity. I'm generally not one for resolutions but I have decided to set myself a few goals.

And, since you're still reading this, I hope you're interested in those goals too.
Long Term

Blogzilla 1985 Challenge

As many of you know this blog took a bit of a hit when Podzilla 1985 started. Having come back to it, though, I realized I really missed writing. Even if it's just a top ten list here and there, I plan to make a blog post at least weekly. Expect a minimum of 52 posts from me this year.

Seanán claims that he will match me, and I hope he does.

Drawing Challenge

I felt so accomplished after this past Inktober challenge. There was just something satisfying in saying "I'm gonna draw something every day this month," and then actually doing it. I created a ghost type Pokemon coloring page every day this past October and made a point to post it on Facebook to verify that I wasn't cheating.

I'd like to do this again for every day of this year, but I know I can't keep up that pace.

Key example: we're two days in and no new drawings. I did get around to scanning the art I finished up in December, but nothing new was put on paper.

I don't have a set challenge yet, but I'd like to do at least six full months of daily drawing challenges. February will be my first, and that will give me time to come up with a theme.

I'm open to suggestions by the way.

Short Term

Esty Relaunch

SLY DUCKY CREATIONS (represent!)

As I stated before, this past year I've dropped the ball on my Esty store. It's been in "vacation" mode since probably August. Between being busy with my job and a plain lack of motivation, I ignored it.

That needs to change.

I want to be able to sell what I create. In no way do I ever think it will be enough to be my main form of income, but if I can make some extra spending money from my passions it would be all the more worth it.

This will take several parts though. The most annoying thing will be photographing everything. I still want to increase my item stock in few areas as well.

So, Arceus willing, I'd like to relaunch Etsy by March. This will give me a little time to make new items and still get things rolling before my next convention. Once the relaunch happens I plan to post new items monthly, but I am going to do my best to make it bi-weekly.

The more options I have the better chance I have at getting traffic.

Pokemon
|
I want to fully beat Ultra Sun and/or Moon. I have a bad habit of not finishing my games. Sure I'll complete the story, but not the post game objectives. I also want a full Pokedex. It has been far too long since I've caught them all. Plus, I need that shiny charm.

I NEED it!

That's all I really have right now. I think these goals are reasonable and if I surpass them, even better.

So here's to a new year.

Let's just hope it's not another dumpster fire.

Being a White Person is Difficult

2017-12-14T11:35:00.003-06:00

I know, you probably saw the article title and already decided not to read this because it sounds like another one of those "whoah is me" whiny white guy posts about a country slipping through his fingers and turning him into the bad guy.

Well, looks can be deceiving. This is not that. This is just some inner dialogue between the very confused facets of my personality that I've decided to air publicly because I make poor life decisions, in case the Playstation VR I bought yesterday didn't give that away.

Let me run you through my usual mornings - I get to work in the morning, make sure my store hasn't fallen apart or burned down, and while it's slow I check my usual websites for what I might have missed overnight.

I'm a journalist, but I'm also just kind of an information sponge when it comes to the world. I read the local news, the world news, paranormal news, video game news, celebrity news, and sometimes I listen to Huey Lewis and the News.

Although, to be honest, it's just the songs he did for the Back to the Future series. I never did forgive him for the whole Ghostbusters lawsuit fiasco. That song is a national treasure and he had no right to accurately claim copyright infringement.

Back on topic - so when I'm checking my sites, I come across more and more articles that are critical of white people in general. Just today, while reading over Kotaku (my poor substitute for the now dead Joystiq), I came across the following sponsored cluster of articles.

Without reading the articles I already passed judgement on the content based on the headlines, kind of like you probably did when you saw this one.

I learned two things from the pile of headlines - white women are the worst, and white people are bad people.

It's not a new concept. The fall of the white monolith has been a long time coming, and I can't say I'm shedding too many tears over it. I grew up white and poor, and all of the opportunities and privilege I was told I would get for my skin color seemed to miss me somehow. I fought and scrapped for everything I ever got, and I assumed that placed me outside of the box when it comes to the ignorance and arrogance that while people are criticized for.

Not only did I assume the term "white privilege" didn't apply to me, I actively rebelled against it. I
fought against the term and tried to discredit it. White privilege can't be a blanket statement, can it? If one person doesn't receive the same opportunities as another, then you can't label the entire race with such an offensive term.

And believe me, I took offense to it. In my anarchist brain, I took the term to mean that the world assumed I got where I am today simply because I am white. To me, it meant that everything I've ever earned was actually given to me simply because I was born to the right skin color.

I absolutely hated that. I have worked harder than most people I know, white or otherwise, for the smallest of opportunities because I've always felt like the odds were stacked against me. When someone tells me to my face that I had it easy, I want to break their jaw and yell the kind of obscenities I usually save for Huey Lewis, when I think about how he almost robbed this country of one of it's greatest movie themes of ALL TIME.

I campaigned against white privilege because I wanted my accomplishments to be recognized as a product of my hard work and creativity. This started a sort of spiral into what could be considered the very beginnings of an alt-right mentality.

I'd heard their rhetoric before. They believe white people are a target for this country now, and that we're somehow losing our identity to this progressive nation that has accepted homosexuality and is trying to welcome diversity like never before.

I was confused. I was starting to believe that white people were being targeted. Everywhere I looked, it seemed like white people were the root of all problems. We're oppressive, we're insensitive, we're exploitative, and much worse.

I'm not blind. I've seen the negative impact white people have had on history. We stole land from the Native Americans, we enslaved African Americans, we've sexually assaulted the men and women under us. We've generally been some bad hombres, as some stupid little man said once.

But that's THOSE white people. That's not me, right? I never stole anything from anyone. I've never sexually assaulted anyone, and I sure as hell don't appreciate being lumped in with a group of true evil.

But there were also things I completely disagreed with when it came to the so called alt-right. I don't believe homosexuality is a sin, and I am an known activist for gay rights. I don't believe white people are superior to other races in any shape or form. I love the progression of this country away from Bible thumping hypocrites to a free thinking society that embraces humanity as a whole, not just the kind we like.

It was during this time period of my life when I founded Podzilla 1985, and through conversations with the people on the show, I began to understand a little bit more about how I was wrong. I learned that white privilege doesn't mean I didn't work hard to get where I am. I learned that "all lives matter" is just a way of overshadowing the importance of black lives, because the Black Lives Matter movement is not sending out the message that other lives aren't important. And, I learned that things I found to be okay when I was younger was never okay, and I was just too blind and insensitive to realize it.

Rape jokes aren't funny. Racist jokes, regardless of who they're against, aren't funny. It's not that progression is trying to make the country too PC, it's just trying to make the country think up some better material and stop trivializing these atrocities.

In the simplest terms - I grew up. And I'm still growing today, as every day I learn a little bit more.

I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I was the good guy. And in a lot of ways, that's the biggest fallacy of white people like me. You're not evil, and no one said you're evil. But when you fight harder to defend yourself and fail to realize what other people are suffering for, you become part of the problem. This isn't about you, believe it or not. This isn't about me. This is about a country looking for a new identity, because the one we've been using isn't working anymore.

I know you feel kind of lost in this world because sometimes you feel like the bad guy, but I'm here to tell you that you're not. Right now, you're not anything. But you can be something, you can be so much more than our ancestors ever were, by reading and trying understand what this new movement is trying to accomplish.

It is difficult being a white person, because your instinct is to rebel against news articles that say we should be better people. After all, you're not a bad person, right? How dare they insult you when they don't even know you.

But, trust me, that isn't the point. There are more important things happening than your damaged pride right now. This country needs to change, and if you think the critics don't have a point then just remember who we elected president. Remember how close Roy Moore, a verified bigot and alleged pedophile, came to winning Alabama.

And look, I get it. You're thinking "but I didn't vote for Donald Trump." You're celebrating Alabama because Doug Jones won.

But remember - a lot of people did vote for Donald Trump and he was elected. Roy Moore lost Alabama by such a close margin that he refuses to concede.

We cannot be a part of the problem any longer through our dismissal of what's happening around us. It's time to put our pride aside, and to embrace change. The fight will be uncomfortable, you will face some hard truths, and there will be times when you will feel like the world's enemy.

Just remember that however you feel, someone who doesn't look like you has had it worse and still has it worse today. That's the problem.

I choose not to be a part of the problem.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? - An Animal Crossing Top 10

2017-12-14T10:34:00.003-06:00

With the launch of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp I have been reminded of my true love for this series. I could never really get the hang of things in the Gamecube version, but I've been hooked ever since Wild World on the DS.

Our animal neighbors really help make the game. If I have the right group I will do my best to keep them in my town. Nothing is sadder than losing your favorite neighbor. I have stopped playing because of this, but well get back to that story later.

The main point is that these characters can leave a real lasting impression on you.

You love some, you hate some, and others you just don't understand.

Through my various game plays a few strong personalities have stayed fresh in my mind. Everyone has their favorites, and few are always the same. I want to share with you some of my all time favorite neighbors.

So I give you...

My top ten favorite Animal Crossing neighbors!

But first a couple of ground rules for my list.

1: No NPCs.

They are staple in your community, even if you do still have to work for a few of them. This list is for your randomized neighbors. They are a big part of what make each game play unique to each player.

2: They had to have been my neighbor.

There are a lot of neighbors that I think are cool. However if I've never interacted with them in my town they are a no go.

On to the list!

10: Hopper

I love penguins, and this little cranky guy was my first neighbor of the kind. I have a soft spot for the "cranky" personality neighbors. In some ways Hopper was a replacement for a past cranky neighbor that I greatly missed. Through my interactions with him I grew to love Hopper for his own being.

Hopper resided in my City Folk game, and was still a resident when I moved on from my Wii version of the series. He would often wear my favorite designs and parade them around town to our other residents. He wasn't ashamed to cosplay.

I also can't help but smile at his starter catch phrase, "Slushie." Who doesn't like slushies?

Blue raspberry has always been my go to flavor.

9: Olivia
Animal Crossing cats are a must. I've had my fair share of them for neighbors, but Olivia has always stood out the most. She's also the only "snooty" neighbor that I could really ever stand. Just ask Blair, because that little snot squirrel and I have a bad past...

But that's a different list, back to Olivia.

This cat has some style. She still resides in my New Leaf town and I'm still jealous of her ivory piano, not that I'd have room for it any where in my house. Yes this cat is a bit stuck up, but under that uptight appearance is a neighbor who does care.

Or she's just nosy.

Olivia likes to visit me a lot, but never over stays her welcome. She may be an acquired taste, but she can stay as long as she likes.

8: Alfonso

This crazy alligator moved to my New Leaf town shortly after I visited a friend's town. I apparently made an impression on him.

Alfonso is usually an upbeat, cheery neighbor but he falls under the "lazy" personality type. I find most lazy animals to seem a little weird from time to time, but that's also part of their charm.

Al would always send me on fishing missions, probably because he was too lazy to go try for a snack himself. I didn't mind though, since I liked helping him out.

Unfortunately, thanks to my friend his usual catch phrase of "it's a me," yes, like Mario, was long gone. I'm pretty sure she had him saying "yah, baby!" by the time he joined my town. That got changed as soon as I could, but I can't recall to what. I'm pretty sure he's still in my town.

I should probably go check on him some time.

7: Bam

This active little deer always keeps me on my toes. He constantly wants me to work out with him or race him. Guess that's what "jock" type neighbors are all about though.

It took me a little time to warm up to Bam, but before I knew it just seeing him strut around would make me smile. Seeing him hustle about would also make me want to work hard for the town.

Bam was a great little motivator. I was sad when he wanted to leave town, and even my asking him not to go only went so far. He prolonged his stay a few times, but one day Bam moved on from our little New Leaf community.

6: Daisy

Daisy is the worlds cutest puppy. I don't care what you say, it's true.

I love Daisy. Being a "normal" personality type she's very easy to get along with. She's a bit shy and worries over silly things, but is sweet as can be. She also has a mysterious imaginary friend that she'll talk about from time to time.

She was my gardening buddy in Wild World. I'd plant extra flowers around her home and she'd keep them alive and well.

Daisy would also regularly rock my fashion designs from the Able sisters' shop.

5: Ruby

This "peppy" bunny was one of my first friends clear back in Wild World. She generally had one very important mission for me. Bring her all the "Lovely" furniture I could find.

Her home was so pink...

So much pink...

Ruby would also visit me a lot, and scold me if I didn't go see her regularly. She always sent good gifts with her letters too. I remember being jealous of her stationary but luckily once I'd received one it was easier to get copies for myself.

Constantly using "lil ears" as her catch phrase gave her a big sister feel, even though she looks more like a little sister.

4: Coco

To many she seems creepy with her hollow eyes, but Coco is nothing but sweet. She's very similar to Daisy, also being a "normal" type neighbor.

I first met Coco in City Folk. She really liked to fish in that game, yet when we met again in New Leaf she changed over to bug catching. She was very happy when I gave her a mantis as a gift.

Coco also looks a lot like the gyroids you can dig up in the game. Her home is generally shelter to three or four of them as well.

If Coco moves to your town, don't fear her. She's a good friend to have.

3: Lily

If I was a frog I would be Lily. She makes me smile. Lily was my neighbor in Wild World and though she too at one point moved on I have never forgotten her.

Another "normal" type she was instantly likable and friendly. Much like Daisy, Lily liked to wander town and water flowers that she found. I loved that she was usually whistling or humming, and music notes were almost always floating around her head as she bopped along town.

Most recently she has joined my crew of friends in Pocket Camp! I was so excited to see my adorable frog friend again. I made a point to meet her invitation requirements quickly and now I can chat with her again whenever I please.

2: Biskit

This "lazy" puppy is the only villager that I can claim to have had in all three of my main staple games. He moved in on Wild World when my dear Lily moved out. He never replaced the frog but he quickly became a favorite to play with and talk to.

He also started my journey in City Folk with me, and helped me transition in the new town. It was awesome to start off with a familiar face. He even stuck around the whole time as well. Biskit is a very loyal friend if you are nice to him from the get go.

Shortly after moving onto New Leaf, I found that he had moved in as well, and it was a good day. He and Alfonso hang out a lot in that town, and it just seems so perfect - two lazy friends who just crack me up.

Biskit also likes to do a lot of different things. He's never out doing the same task. One day he's fishing, the next it's a hunt for the best fossil he can dig up. I will say he's a strange dog, but I wouldn't want him any other way.

Before moving on to my number one there are a few honorable mentions I'd like to bring up.

Sterling
This guy was one of Shannon's best friends in New Leaf and I would often chat with him when I went to visit the other town.

Boone
My first "Jock" friend back from the Wild World days.

Muffy
My "Uchi" neighbor in New Leaf. She loves my fashion, and I love her home interior choices.

Puddles
I need her and Lily to be in the same town. Puddles is my New Leaf resident frog.

Curt
My cranky bear big brother from City Folk. Reminded me so much of my best bud ever in the series.

And finally my number one. The neighbor I love most of all.

1: Apollo

This "cranky" bald eagle may seem cold and rough around the edges at first, but he just needs a true companion. He will act tough and try to keep you in line like a big brother or father figure. Once he trusts you, he'll share his stories and wishes with you.

I liked Apollo from the get go, though it did take some work to get him to like me. He was a pillar in my Wild World game. I generally made a point to talk to him daily and I'd be sure he was on my letter list as much as possible.

Then a new Pokemon game came out and I took a break from Animal Crossing. When I returned I was devastated.

Apollo had moved away in my absence.

There was no chance to ask him to stay. He was just gone.

I was so upset that I stopped playing the game all together. Sure, I could have tried time traveling and just reset the date on my DS, but I was too hurt. It wouldn't be the same.

I just stopped playing.

I was even a bit gun shy when City Folk was announced. I didn't know if I wanted to get attached again just for more animals to move away.

Shannon bought it for me any way. He even managed to get me psyched at the prospect that Apollo could once again be in my starting town. It was a long shot with 210 possible animals to encounter. We took our chances though.

Alas, Apollo did not start out in our new town.

He did arrive later down the line though, and I refused to let him leave once he moved in.

As of recently, he chills out in my camp on Pocket Camp. He's probably the number one reason I'm already level 21 and the game has only been out for little over a week.

It's nice to know my favorite bird is just a button press away whenever I need a little smile.

Fashion Finals

2017-11-14T20:59:00.001-06:00

Season sixteen of Project Runway is drawing to a close, and all that remains is fashion week. The judges have made their calls, and sadly my personal favorite designer will not be showing her collection.

We made it so far.

I continued to root for her through the ups and downs. I even cried along with her.

I love Kenya Freeman's style, personality, and ability. It hurt to watch her be eliminated, but I agree completely with the judges words of encouragement to her. We have not seen the last of her. Yes her collection will not walk the New York Fashion Week runway, but she has been exposed to the hungry eyes of the fashion world. Someone out there will give her another chance to shine and show what she can do.

Plus there's always hope to see her on a new season of All Stars!

Now I'm stuck with a new problem. Who do I want to win this season? I had moved all my chips onto Kenya and now I'm broke.

First lets take a quick look at who will be showing their collections.

Bradon Kee started off as a dark horse, having never really done women's wear prior to Runway. Yet, he has been the judge's golden boy this entire season. With three wins to his name and generally nothing but universal praise every week it seemed natural that he was going to make it to the end.

His designs are cool and fun. It's nice to see something different, yet you can always tell when a look is his. I'm not saying that's bad. He has a signature. His perfect record just kind of makes me not want to root for him. It feels like he already has it made, and we didn't get to see any real struggle with him. As a designer he has worked hard and is good enough to win, but I still don't want him to.

I will say that I love his fabrics. That peach leather is fabulous, and the flamingos are so out of left field that it just makes you smile.

Ayana Ife was the other clear choice for a top contender. She always has interesting ideas and that fact that she executes them in a modest sense is a nice change of pace. She had two wins to her name, but unlike Brandon she's been in the top and bottom when it came time to be judged.

I'm not crazy about Ayana's collection. I think it's interesting, and will make for a good show. It just doesn't grab me personally. I'm more invested in her as a person. She makes things that are different yet still chic and current. I just don't see myself getting excited over it.

Her color pallet is a little drab, but her silhouettes will make up for the lack of color power. I sound wishy washy about it, but I am excited to see her collection walk. I feel like I only want her to win so that it expands the modest fashion market. I'm not a client for that market, I just like seeing something different get a boost.

Kentaro Kameyama is another designer that I liked from the beginning. He makes me smile. He makes me laugh. I love his minimalist approach, which is kinda funny because I normally love bright loud colors.

I usually really like what Kentaro makes. He does a lot of gorgeous pleating, and has made some very cool looks with traditional Japanese influences. Yet as the final has gotten closer a weird streak seems to have jumped out.

During his home visit with Tim Gunn, he shared with him a piece of music he composed to go with his collection. It was very somber but pretty. It seemed a bit odd to me since he'd explained his collection was inspired by classical music. Tim asked him what has inspired him to write the piece, and Kentaro's reply was that he had found a dead cat on the road. After he buried it he listened to the ground, and that was what he heard.

What?

I don't claim to understand composers, or designers for that matter, but that was just odd to me. Even Tim seemed to look confused and took his time replying to the explanation.

Strange story aside, I still like his collection. It's a bit disjointed, but it is intentional, and I have the same complaints as the judges. His styling is just plain odd and takes away from the line. The thick eye brows and top knots just do not work. Personally, I got a "one of us" vibe that just made me feel weird. If you ask me, it makes the models look ugly or in some ways manly.

Not a good mix.

I really hope he takes the judges advice. I would still like to cheer for him, but this hard left turn into bizarro land is making it hard.

Finally, we have Margarita Alvarez. She loves loud bright colors.

Me too!

Yet, I still don't really like her, and I feel bad about that! I can't explain why, but I do.

Tim used his save on her just before the final, so she has had quite a bit to prove. She also really wants this big win and is not afraid to voice it. She has a lot of color and sparkle. I should love all of this, but I'm just not behind it, at least not one hundred percent.

I do love that she was inspired by a loud ugly couch from the 1980's enough to use it as inspiration to create her own print. That part is pretty freakin' awesome. I still just tend to like parts of her looks, but not them as a whole. It makes it hard for me to want to support her.

I am excited to see her show though. I know it will be bright and eye catching, but will it be tacky?

All and all I guess I want either Kentaro or Ayana to win, though I'm pretty sure Brandon will take it all home.

We'll see next week, but I still wish Kenya was showing.

Fashionable Sweet Sixteen

2017-09-21T15:14:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've felt the need to share my thoughts, but so far season sixteen of Project Runway is keeping me entertained.

As usual there are fifteen designers and each week we are left with one less. There is one major change this season, and it is long overdue. This time, all of the models are of different sizes and body types.

The judges and Tim Gunn have always been critical of the designers whenever they gripe about not having a size two model. The average American woman is a size sixteen, far from what the fashion industry tends to show off. I love that the people behind this show are pushing for more variety in high fashion and stressing that real people are the clients that designers should be aiming for.

Ideals are great, but we are not living in a size-two-fits-all world.

The models are also rotated weekly so everyone will be getting a chance to test their true skills when it comes to designing for real women.

Another thing that I do feel is different this time around are the attitudes. Sweet sixteen may be very fitting for this go around. In the past it's always been a room of catty divas out to prove that they are as awesome as they claim. I feel that this season's pool has a much more chill vibe happening. The designers seem to get along with one another for the most part. Several even seem humble by nature, but don't let this calm fool you - there are still a couple over the top characters with us.

Shawn & Claire in the work room

I'm going to start with the twins.

Shawn and Claire Buitendrop are identical twins but one leans more towards hard punk rock designs, and the other more feminine pop princess looks. They are competing individually, but you'd never know it. These two sisters are attached at the creative soul and can not seem to complete anything without the other.

They're not bad, but I've yet to truly be impressed by them. Also, their way of speaking drives me insane. They go from whiny and sing-song with one another to a strange case of I'm super intelligent and need to emphasize my big vocab while focusing on diction whenever Tim is in the work room. This same odd tone comes out when they talk to judges on the runway, too.

They just need to go.

I don't care that they've dressed Katy Perry. They need to go. Honestly at this point in the competition they are the only designers I really want gone. We'll see what kind of nightmare starts when one gets cut before the other, that is, if they both don't get booted for helping each other too much.

Brandon with his latest winning design

I have a couple of designers I'm also on the fence about. Brandon Kee seems like a bit of a wild card to me. Right from the start he claimed to have never done women's wear, and that it scared him a bit. He's a men's wear kind of guy. Project Runway has always been 90% women's wear challenges. It confused me why a predominantly men's wear designer would enter this competition being afraid of doing women's wear.

Despite this he's been knocking it out of the park. He's won two challenges so far and has made his models look amazing every time. So far he has also not fought with anyone in the work room, seems to be really soft spoken, and just gets in a zone to work. Nothing seems to phase this guy, except for his own occasional self doubt. Lately it looks like he is feeling a bit like a one trick pony. Most of his designs still hold the same elements, and the judges called him out on it this past week. Despite that, he still won, and I'm excited to see what he'll do next. I don't know if I want him to be the overall winner, but I'm not ready for Brandon to leave any time soon.

Batani in the work room

Batani-Khalfani, I feel, is holding back. She's been safe a lot and on several occasions her own look is more interesting than her model's. She has sent some good looks down the runway, but I don't really think that she's putting herself entirely into her work. I want to see what happens when she lets herself go, because I feel like there is so much more that she can show us.

She also kinda pissed me off by claiming that she wanted to flatter her model when she did get a full figured woman for her first challenge, yet she did nothing to flatter her body. If anything, she hid it, and all of the models on the show this season are proudly comfortable with their bodies. There is no need to hide them when they know how to rock an outfit. Use this opportunity to grow as a designer.

In closing, I do already have a few favorites.

Mostly I just love theses designers personalities, and I feel like I would want to be friends with these people. I would love to see more than one of them make it to the top three.

Samantha sketching up her "evil" design

I just get Samantha Rei.

Her style is very much what I would like to wear normally, but still get a little too self-conscious to pull off. She is so much like a handful of girls I hung out with in college. The whole punk, Gothic Lolita, fairy tale fantasy loving nerd vibe is completely my thing. Plus she has a whole army of Monster High dolls lining her closet.

She's been on the bottom a few times, but is still pushing through. I don't want her time to come to and end. I know she can step it up and put some great things forward. We just have to wait and see. I do feel bad that she was on the bottom last week, when the theme was in the field of inspiration she loves. This seems to happen a lot on this show though and designers always seem to come back harder after a heart felt fail.

Kenya with one of her high score designs

I also adore Kenya Freeman. She almost always has a smile on her face and I just love her whole attitude. She's designed for real women and knows how to make a flattering outfit. I also can't look at her without thinking of my college friend who helped make all of our anime costumes.

Kenya has also been on the top and bottom design lists so far. She's a fighter though, and an impeccable seamstress that I want to see more from. I want to see her work her magic on the larger models. She is a very emotional designer, and has cried a lot already with surely more to come.

I just hope that they are all happy tears for a job well done.

Kentrao in the work room

Finally, I can't help but root for Kentrao Kameyama. He cracks me up. It's very hard not to smile when he's talking through his work with the other designers. He also trusts Brandon's opinion a lot. Those two are never really far apart, but, unlike the twins, they still do their own thing.

Given Brandon's seriousness I doubt he'll be lead astray by this either.

His sewing skills are top notch and he's always very mindful of his model. He takes criticism and advice from Tim and his models and actually uses it to improve his pieces before they hit the runway. He still seems to be finding his way and figuring out what the judges want to see from him. I'm curious to see where this former concert pianist goes from here.

I have high hopes for this season of Project Runway.

As usual I'm sure they'll "make it work!"

Roger Moore Dead at 89

2017-05-23T10:40:00.002-05:00

Sir Roger Moore, the third and longest running James Bond from the classic movie series, has passed away at age 89 from
cancer.

With the news today about the bombing in Manchester and the Russia investigation in the United States, it would be easy to miss the sad news that the legendary actor had passed.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1993, but never let the prospect of death slow him down.

In an interview with NPR in 2004, the aging actor expressed his thoughts on death what lies beyond.

"My attitude about death is, going into the next room, and it's a room that the rest of us can't get into because we don't have the key. But when we do get the key, we'll go in there and we'll see one another again, in some shape or form, or whatever."

Donald Trump - Who is He Working For?

2017-05-18T18:36:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. You're tired of Blogzilla 1985 as a political site and you want us to go back to countdowns and stories about pretty boy animes. Well, until Lindsey gets off her butt and starts writing again, you're stuck with me and my "libtard" views.

Except, I'm not a liberal. Do I lean left? Sure. Sometimes I'm afraid of tipping over. But I like to think of myself as unbiased, and I call them like I see them.

It's just unfortunate that Donald Trump is so awful, a blind man could see him in a pumpkin patch. Cause he's orange, get it?

It would be easy to make fun of Trump's comical appearance or how "unpresidential" he carries himself. He doesn't speak very well, despite how much he likes to hear himself talk. He's the presidential equivalent of a Toby Keith song, or a Nascar race - he plays to the most red blooded Americans who pride themselves on God and country and get uncomfortable when their white supremacy is challenged by a progressing nation.

To those people he is certainly an amazing president. He promised the world to a section of this country that felt ignored for too long by President Obama and his championing of gay, transgender, and minority rights.

But now that we're over a hundred days into his presidency, what has he actually done for them? Or for you? Or for anybody?

Why are you still championing the cause of a president more concerned with being buddies with leaders of our enemies than taking care of his people?

This is a man who just fired the FBI director that was looking into his ties to Russia. The same Russia that hacked the DNC and helped get him elected, despite John McCain's statement on Morning Joe today that there "is no evidence it worked." The same Russia that Donald Trump told secret intel to in a closed doors meeting with two of their top foreign operatives, one of which is a reported spy for the Russian government. That meeting, by the way, DID include Russian photographers, who made sure to snap plenty of pictures of the happy trio. The very same Russia that compromised former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was a standout star at the Republican convention when he lead the room in chants of "lock her up," you know, back when Hilary Clinton was the victim of the witch hunt that Donald Trump now cries about. The very same Russia that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself of investigating due to his own ties to the country that came out in one of Trump's early scandals.

And man, take a second to think of how many scandals the Trump administration has had since he took office. And here I thought the "grab her by the pussy" comment would be the last I ever heard about this awful human being. Apparently, desperate Republicans have a really high tolerance level.

Despite all of the evidence, or at the very least possibility, there are a lot of people who see the smoke bellowing out of the USA's windows and assume everything is okay. Republicans are like that dog in the house on fire and they keep telling themselves "this is fine."

And yes, I admit that a lot of what is being thrown around about Trump is circumstantial right now. But those are the key words - right now. Every day we find out more about how this administration is just one giant house on fire, and sooner or later that adorable little dog in the hat is going to be a charred corpse wrapped in the flag of the United States.

Why were so many so quick to demand Hilary Clinton be locked up for accusations that ultimately proved to be completely false, and yet defend Donald Trump in the face of overwhelming levels of "HMMMM YOU DON'T SAY?"

And if you thought Trump's ties to Russia were the worst of it, you've obviously been so distracted by that scandal that you've missed all of the other ones. Trump has said he'd love to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He's praised and invited Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte to the White House. Duterte is a thug who has called former President Obama the "son of a whore" and told him to "go to hell," among other colorful things.

And then there is Turkey. Yes, the same Turkey that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is on the payroll of. The same Michael Flynn that both former Attorney General Sally Yates and former President Barack Obama warned Trump about, but who he hired anyway and then fired for the very same reasons he was warned.

President Trump invited the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to discuss things of great importance, possibly including secret intel, we at BZ85 cannot confirm nor deny that.

You've probably seen how that meeting ended already, because it was all over the news.

Actually, it wasn't. What took place after that meeting has gotten shockingly little coverage compared to the smoke coming from the Trump-Russia story, and this one has actually been proven because the whole thing was caught on camera!

What first appeared to be a riot broke out among peaceful protesters and some of the hired goons of Erdogan. But, even more shocking, is new footage that has led some to believe Erdogan himself may have ordered the violence against the protesters, as the NY Times has documented here.

Eleven people were injured, including a police officer. Turkey claims that their people were met with hostility and they only responded in kind, but the evidence does not back that up. And even though lawmakers like John McCain have condemned the violence and called for punishment, or at the very least an apology, I can tell you who we haven't heard from about this.

Donald Trump.

United States President Donald Trump.

Where is Trump to defend his people against foreign violence? How can he spend all of his time on Twitter trying to draw sympathy for the hole he himself dug, and not have time to directly speak to the nation about this act of foreign violence on American soil? Why does Donald Trump seem to have the best interests of foreign entities at heart and not the people of the United States of America, almost half of which voted him into office?

Who does Donald Trump really work for?

Chris Cornell Dead at 52

2017-05-18T17:27:00.002-05:00

Chris Cornell, lead singer of revolutionary grunge group Soundgarden and Audioslave, was found dead this morning after performing in Detroit on Wednesday night.

Soundgarden was a staple of 90's music, with hit "Black Hole Sun" being one of the most recognizable and beloved songs in music history. After taking a break from Soundgarden, Cornell created supergroup Audioslave with legendary Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. He eventually returned to Soundgarden, and the band was featured prominently on the soundtrack for "The Avengers," and released their last studio album "King Animal" in 2012.

Cornell had dealt with drug abuse since 13, though no evidence at this time says it had anything to do with his death, which has been ruled suicide by hanging.

Soundgarden has a special place in the hearts of many of us at Blogzilla 1985 and Podzilla 1985. Chris was an amazing singer, and his immense talent will be greatly missed in this bleak world.

The Truth - Whether We Like It or Not

2017-05-13T12:18:00.003-05:00

Our current president, Donald John Trump, is a liar, a fraud, and is leading us down the path to the destruction of the democracy that we claim to cherish so much.

Republicans in office turn their heads and look away every time Trump creates a new controversy. They make excuses for him when he does something wrong, and then have to adapt their excuses to fit whatever narrative that Trump creates when his own explanations completely contradict the alibis attributed to him.

His reality is his own, and instead of calling him out his lackeys, like the waste of a paycheck Conway and cringe inducing Sanders, spin everything to fit his reality. It doesn't make sense and no one really buys it, but he continues to be our president because no one who can make a difference chooses to.

Let that sink in, and I'm mostly speaking to Trump supporters who continue to stand with their candidate. This man and his kind lied to you for your support in getting him elected. He promised health care for everyone, and jobs for everyone, and all crime to be done away with almost immediately when he got in office. He said he had a plan to destroy ISIS and it would be so simple and easy.

Donald Trump told you exactly what you needed to hear.

So why, now that his own words condemn him as a liar, do you choose to stop listening?

Just last week he celebrated a Republican health care bill that was rushed to get approved that will kick twenty four million people off of their insurance. Costs will sky rocket. The people who will need it the most, the elderly and the sick, will not be able to afford their own insurance. And if you're a woman, you might as well just move to Canada now. When confronted by angry Americans about what this new bill will do to people, Republicans didn't stick up for their constituents. They instead tell them outrageous claims like no one dies without access to health care. What happened to the Americans that our president vowed to help with the best health care for everyone? Trump seems to have forgotten them.

My personal favorite lie might be when Trump said that crime would be an afterthought when he would become president. He threatened to personally solve the crime problem in Chicago, which is in desperate need of help. Yet, over one hundred days later into his presidency, nothing has been done to help the people of Chicago. Trump loves to exploit the black people who come to his rallies with signs that say "Black People For Trump," but he seems to have forgotten them too where it counts. The streets of Chicago still run with the blood of innocents while Trump enjoys his weekend golf trips.

And ISIS? Well, at least something is happening.

Instead of tackling these issues that he promised he would fix as soon as he became president, Trump has had to fight a continuing battle for his own self image. And it's a battle he chooses to participate in, because no one should doubt that Trump's most important agenda is Donald J. Trump.

The Russia-Trump story will not go away, and you shouldn't want it to. Instead, you should be alarmed. You should be terrified. You cannot turn away from the political atrocities before you.

If you've been living under a rock for the past few months since Trump has taken office, let me break it down for you -

Trump asked Russia to hack Hillary's emails during the campaign, and they did. FBI director James Comey, in a very stupid move, vaguely announces eleven days before the election that they have reopened the investigation into her emails. Two days before the election he reiterates that nothing was found, but by then the damage was already done to Hillary's chances of winning.

Russia has contact with both Jeff Sessions and Michael Flynn during the campaign, even though they both denied it when asked. Flynn is fired by Trump only after the press finds out about his collusion with Russia, despite being warned months in advance by both sitting president Barack Obama and attorney general Sally Yates.

During testimony a few weeks ago, James Comey admits there is an investigation into Russia's hacking and whether it effected the election. He digs deeper, and just days ago asks for more resources as subpoenas are handed out. Trump fires the FBI director who is investigating his campaign's relationship with Russia, based on a recommendation from his new attorney general Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from all Russia investigations because of his own lies about meeting with the Russians.

So far, the smoking gun has not been found, but it's pretty clear to anyone without prejudice and with half a brain that there is definitely something going on.

And what is Trump's response to this?

Denial.

Misinformation.

"Fake news."

In his letter to Comey explaining why he fired him, he had to add that he was glad Comey told him on three separate occasions that he was not under investigation. Why? Why did he feel the need to add this? Is it just because he's an idiot politician, or is he trying to plant more seeds of deceit to keep people away from the harsh truth that he is a liar and a fraud? Would the director of the FBI, a respected fed with years of experience, really tell someone whether or not he was being investigated?

And if you still believe after all this time that Trump is doing the right thing and is our greatest president ever, how about the fact that the president of the United States today literally tweeted a threat to a possible witness against him?

In press briefings later, White House spokesman Sean Spicer refused to answer any questions about that tweet and what it could mean, other than to just say "the tweets speak for themselves."

Trump also threatened to cancel those press briefings, and to only send out written releases instead. The power of the press is to hold these people accountable for their actions and to call out their lies when they hear them. And if you're one of the people who buy into the Trump administration's claims of "fake news" every time something negative is printed about him, I both hate you and feel sorry for you. To be so blindly led by party affiliation instead of common sense or patriotism is pitiable.

Is the media bias? Of course it is. If it wasn't we wouldn't have Fox News. But you cannot accept that everything written about Trump by anyone other than Trump is false. Once you have accepted Trump as the only truth in this country, you've accepted the first steps towards dictatorship. Governments in other countries control the news, but that is not America. We must hold people accountable for their lies, and whether you believe Trump or think he's guilty of Russian collusion, there must be questions. There must be investigations.

Every American, regardless of political affiliation, must ask questions about Donald Trump and his administrations. Do not make the mistake of just looking away and taking his word as truth, because politicians lie - and not just Republican politicians.

We are living through a very important moment in American history. This is the time when we either embrace democracy and investigate Donald Trump for his possible crimes, or we let him sweep it under the rug and allow the president to control this country without question.

Whether he is guilty or innocent, he must be held accountable and the truth must come out.

I've seen friends fighting over their beliefs when it comes to Trump. I've seen arguments, and I've been involved with quite a few of them. I've been called a Democrat, a left wing anarchist, and a "libtard" once. But I would argue that I am none of these things. I am a journalist, and I am an American. I accepted George W. Bush as my president just as I did for Barack Obama. I cannot accept Trump as president in the way he has carried himself so far. His lies, deceit, exploitation, possible treason, and lack of job knowledge makes him an easy target for the press, the people, and other countries.

I have never seen a country so divided as I have seen with Donald Trump as it's leader. I hope, if Trump is to remain in office, if he is truly innocent of these accusations, that he fire his circle of advisers and replace them with people who will truly help him and not just cater to his child-like tendencies.

This is the most important job in the country. There can be no room for those who would put themselves before the people.

Donald Trump must change, or he must go.

The Fall of Brandon Barbwire

2017-04-06T20:06:00.003-05:00

Brandon Barbwire is counting down the hours until he loses his championship.

It's not a matter of "if" at this point, and you can thank none other than Matt Hardy for putting the final nail in the coffin of the Pinnacle's best.

Hardy made a surprise return to WWE at Wrestlemania on Sunday. and even won the RAW tag titles with his brother Jeff. The WWE fans welcomed Team Xtreme back with open arms. After their stint in TNA, where Matt became broken and embraced an insanity that would make him even more valuable as a performer, the Hardy's could have gone anywhere. They were such a hot commodity that they demanded their own price, and WWE had the biggest bank account. Even though legal battles with Anthem meant the "broken" Matt Hardy was dead in the water, Matt & Jeff were instant stars again when the New Day introduced them on Sunday.

It was a Wrestlemania moment if there ever was on.

And sitting somewhere watching the epic return of Matt Hardy was Brandon Barbwire. I can picture it in my head how he clutched his Cape Championship Wrestling title to his chest that night and reminded himself that he was the man who took Matt Hardy to his limit.

Thanks to his manager and leader of the Pinnacle Jeff O'Dell, he might has well be a member of Batman's rogue gallery, who sat around a Poker table in a classic episode of Batman the Animated Series telling each other about how they "almost got him."

Rewind to just over a month ago.

Matt Hardy, soon to be the biggest free agent of the world, came to CCW in his quest for gold and went toe to toe with the champ. Brandon Barbwire is a lot of things - vindictive, jealous, vile, sneaky, and a cheat, but dammit he's still OUR champ.

The two had an incredible encounter, one in which our guy had scouted out the Broken One's moves and countered him quite expertly. He avoided the Twist of Fate on multiple occasions, and gave it back to this worldwide legend just as good as he got it. It was a clash of champions, and the Cape Champion Wrestling fans were out of their seats with their jaws planted firmly on the floor.

Meanwhile, I watched Brandon's manager Jeff O'Dell. I saw it all over his face - concern. Don't give Jeff too much credit. He wasn't concerned that his supposed friend Brandon could get hurt going against a ring veteran and a certified psycho. He was concerned that his favorite fashion accessory, the CCW title, might be in danger of not being at the center of his den of snakes that he calls Pinnacle. Every time Hardy slammed Brandon, the panic became more apparent on his deceptive mug.

Brandon ended up on the outside of the ring and took a moment to collect his thoughts. When he tried to enter the battle once more his manager, his friend Jeff, held him back and cost him the match via count out. When Brandon finally got back in the ring, infuriated and bewildered by what just happened, Matt Hardy laid them both out and stood over them like a conquering hero. He invited his fans in the ring to take pictures, while Brandon Barbwire, our guy, limped to the back like a wounded dog.

Much has already been said about the fallout from that betrayal. I even had both Jeff and Brandon on a special edition of Pro Wrestling Unscripted, where the champ confronted his friend on his lack of faith in him. Hearing Jeff O'Dell, that modern day snake oil salesman, sell Brandon an arena full of lies, excuses, and vague justification was insulting.

Let me be honest - I don't like Brandon Barbwire. He has called me out at multiple CCW shows, and once actually put his hands on me as he tried to recruit me into his organization of liars and thieves. He is a boisterous coward, and the kind of champion you want to see lose in the most humiliating way possible. But, somewhere in that arrogance, is a legitimate fighter who wants to prove how good he is. He's a real bastard sometimes, but he's still our guy, the CCW champion, and occasionally he doesn't seem like that bad of a fellow.

Brandon Barbwire had the chance to defeat the most talked about wrestler in the world, and I watched Jeff O'Dell rob him of a once in a life time opportunity. Jeff had the audacity to tell Brandon that "there will be other Matt Hardy's" during our interview, and I'm not sure if he was outright lying or he didn't realize that he's wrong. There will never be another opportunity like that. Yes, Brandon will surely go on to fight bigger and better warriors in his career. But, short of a miracle, Matt Hardy will forever be the ghost that haunts Brandon Barbwire.

At CCW March Malice, Brandon fought Sarge O'Riley in an epic encounter of former teammates. Sarge was greeted with the revere that a veteran of this great sport deserves. And Brandon? He was heckled, booed, and it didn't take long before he heard the chant that will forever follow him like a curse - DELETE! DELETE! DELETE!

Those chants struck at his very soul. I could see the frustration and paranoia in his eyes as he tried to bully the fans into respecting him. Brandon Barbwire won his match against Sarge thanks to Pinnacle's dirty tricks. In fact, Brandon has quickly gone from having Pinnacle as his back up to outright relying on them to win again and again. His confidence is shaken, his abilities and natural skill are locked behind a wall of doubt thanks to Jeff O'Dell's betrayal.

On that same card the Best of the Best Austin Lane fought up and coming star, and possibly the best all around wrestler in CCW Hollis Giroux, to a draw in their battle for a chance to fight Brandon for the title at the super show in April during Comic Con. If there were two men in the entire wrestling world that Brandon Barbwire never wants to face again, it's those two warriors.

Both men have a legit claim to be number one contender. Hollis earned a title shot by beating both Jake Dirden and The Cody Wilson, and the very idea of facing him scared Brandon so much that the latter faked an injury to prolong the inevitable fight. Austin Lane, who tore down the house against Ricochet last year and is regarded as the man to beat in CCW, defeated Brandon multiple times in his quest for the gold. The two carried on a bitter rivalry for months that saw Austin have the champ's number on multiple instances.

Brandon kept his title against both of those men individually. Their quest for a rematch seemed to be over when their match ended in a draw due to a double pin, and somewhere Brandon Barbwire smiled. His smile would be short lived though, as Osby Tomlin, former KoK champion and new general manager of CCW, broke the news to him that because of their draw he would have to face BOTH men in April.

Not only that, but there would be a fourth man in the match that took us all by surprise - Colt Cabana.

The look on Brandon's face said it all. He knew his time was over. He started as a conquering champion, one who defeated Sarge O'Riley and Farmer Billy Hills in the same night to claim the title. I've been to every Cape Championship Wrestling show, and I watched his confidence fade over the months as he faced star after star.

He beat Jake Dirden thanks to smashing him in the head with his belt.

He lost to Austin Lane, and only won the feud thanks to luck, cheating, and the Pinnacle.

He barely defeated Hollis Giroux after cowering from him for months, and his post match beatdown showed the frustration in his own waning ability as his reign continues.

The one constant through his months as champion is his increasing dependence on the Pinnacle and especially his "friend" Jeff O'Dell to interfere on his behalf. Where as he once had Jeff in his corner for guidance and maybe an occasional distraction, he now relied almost entirely on Jeff to save to his title time after time.

And Jeff O'Dell is no idiot. He's a lot of things, almost all of them negative, but he is a smart man. He knows how dependent his champion is on his interference. When I had Jeff and Brandon in the studio to talk about the former's actions against Matt Hardy, I couldn't help but wonder how much longer Jeff will put up with the man he hand picked to be champion. He is no longer the fiery warrior that Jeff O'Dell recruited as his number one in the nefarious Pinnacle stable.

After Jeff saved Brandon's title again against Sarge at March Malice, you could see the desperation on both of their faces when Osby made his announcement. Brandon behaved with a mixture of anger and fear, but Jeff looked concerned. By the time Hollis and Austin laid Brandon out together,

Meanwhile, Jeff looked like he was ready to sell off his stock in the Barbwire Bandwagon. Brandon should be afraid, because there is a precedent that Jeff has already set. When Sarge didn't need his help anymore, he had Pinnacle turn on him. When Blaster chose to do the right thing in the tag tournament, he had Pinnacle turn on him. When people outgrow their use to Jeff O'Dell, he disposes of them without shedding a single tear.

At the end of March Malice, Brandon Barbwire looked like a lost child. His eyes were glazed over, and his mouth was wide open as he sucked in wind after being laid out by two of his opponents.

Jeff O'Dell looked over at me as he was helping Brandon to the back and asked me "are you happy now?"

I snapped back at Jeff that this was his fault. Brandon's loss to Matt Hardy, his chance of greatness being stolen, the "delete" chants, his fading star, was all Jeff's fault. Brandon looked over at Jeff like he finally realized something, but even if he has, it's far too late.

Matt Hardy returned to a heroes welcome at Wrestlemania. Brandon Barbwire will lose his title at March Malice. You can't help but wonder how things might have ended differently if Brandon got to prove his mettle against Hardy, but it's pointless now. He is a dead man in Cape Championship Wrestling.

The only question is - who will Jeff O'Dell get to pull the trigger?

(Special thanks to Mandy Kennedy at Voyage Visions for the pictures.)

CCW Caged Chaos - Brutality at it's Finest

2017-02-01T13:15:00.003-06:00

I left Blogzilla 1985 a little over a year ago to focus on this silly little podcast thing that I was never fully committed to. My passion has always been writing. It started with awful short stories on an actual type writer that my mother got me for Christmas when I was a preteen, and continued through my college career as a contributor and eventual editor.

In short - no, Egon. Print is not dead.

Blogzilla 1985 had been very successful for me. I reached a bigger audience through the internet than I did working for a local publication, and I had no restraints on what I could talk about. When the idea was bounced around what would eventually become Podzilla 1985's core group, I was hesitant. How would this translate to an audio form where I couldn't plan out what I was going to say? Were we good enough to improvise and keep people interested?

Of course we were! Podzilla 1985 has been a smashing success for me, and I can trace my excitement back to that original Wrestlemania podcast I did with Double H, Zach, and Louie. I've always had an attachment to the world of professional wrestling, and to be able to work with my old friend and fellow former GameStop victim Hunter was the best introduction I could ever hope for.

One of the perks of covering wrestling regularly on Podzilla 1985 was that I became aware of Cape Championship Wrestling. It's a great alternative to the corporately produced big box federations like World Wrestling Entertainment, and as luck would have it, our old friend and former PWU co-host Hunter was the general manager. I attended my first CCW strictly to see his performance and hear my good friend and pro wrestler Osby Tomlin take his last trip through the curtain and into the squared circle. Years of battling in this sport of barbarians and dreamers had taken a toll on him, and he had to retire that night.

In the silver lining of tragic circumstances, something wonderful grew where he planted the seed of his retirement.

Cape Championship Wrestling became a monthly tradition for me, both as a fan attending the live shows and as a journalist covering the event for the podcast. Over the months since that first official show I've come to know the people in the ring and behind the scenes personally, and it's been one of the most rewarding endeavors of my life.

The shows have gotten better and better each month, with a mixture of fantastic performers from around the United States, special mainstream guests, and amazing homegrown talent. These men and women have left their sweat and tears all over Southeast Missouri.

On January 28th, they decided to put it all in a steel cage, and it was one of the most brutal things I've ever seen as a wrestling fan.

I arrived late at the Arena Building with fellow PZ85 cast member Dalton, and as we were heading up the steps we found one of our other PWU co-hosts Ally and friend of the show JR talking to a reporter, It wasn't just Podzilla 1985's story anymore - CCW was a force to be reckoned with. I felt like Mr. 100 gets enough attention, so Dalton and I ducked away and met up with Lee Montgomery at the entrance. Lee is one of the head honchos in CCW and has become a regular on Pro Wrestling Unscripted along with lead booker Jason Wells.

We got our tickets and met up with the usual gang inside. The first thing I noticed was how impressive the production values were for this show. The ring looked great, we had our very own Titan-tron, and even the barricades looked fantastic. It was great to see CCW in fine form in Cape Girardeau after a couple of shows in other cities.

It was a full house too, which was both a blessing and a curse. We like to call ourselves the taste makers in CCW, and the Podzilla group is usually the most vocal fans there. Hell, we're almost entirely the reason Blaster is the megastar he is today. We start most of the chants and were gracious to hear from the higher ups in CCW that they appreciate the hell out of us driving the show. If I had one complaint about the first show I went to it's that the crowd was so flat you could hear Tanner thinking about his life choices. This show was loud though, and while the chants were mostly still driven by us, the crowd seemed to be really into it.

Ken Murphy did the usual introduction, and I can honestly say I get a kick out of Ken's genuine excitement for the product. His sincerity is a compliment to wrestling and I cannot imagine Cape Championship Wrestling without him.

Double H made his entrance and I was giddy to see how much he has evolved since the first show. He was a special guest then, but has firmly established himself as one of the most important people in that ring without ever wrestling a single match. I even saw him signing autographs, which made me smile even though I was sad no one wanted mine. Those kids act like they don't listen to podcasts or something, I don't get it.

The action was incredible. I'm not going to give you a match by match recap, because someone already did. You can catch up on what you might have missed by clicking here and reading Jared's write up on the show.

With that said, I do have a couple of thoughts I want to add to Jared's recap.

It still amazes me how over Blaster is with the crowd. It started as a joke between me and the PWU cast after seeing some guy with a Sin Cara mask at one of the earlier shows. The name Blaster probably took them literal minutes to think up, and the whole thing seemed like it was thrown together at the last minute. So of course, being the antagonist bastard that I am, I decided that this Blaster would be important. He's a friend of a friend anyway, and a genuinely nice guy. I couldn't be happier with his success in CCW. Before the show Barry, who also made the save multiple times that night when the ring wasn't behaving, handed me a stack full of Blaster Section print outs and I handed them out to the crowd along with Ally and Tanner. To see so many people excited when Blaster came out was a, well, blast. And will the gunslinger of the Pinnacle turn to the light soon? Jeff O'Dell didn't seem too pleased that Blaster has become a fan favorite. My reporter instincts tell me trouble is a brewing.
Cody Wilson. Can we talk about Cody Wilson for a second? Here's a guy that I've been taunting for weeks ever since I found out his Twitter handle claims him to be Mr. 100. As everyone knows, there is only ONE Mr. 100, and I took offense to that arrogance. So I made it my mission to call out Cody and when I found out he was fighting Blaster I was overjoyed. This feels like it was set up specifically for me. So what happens when Cody Wilson comes out for his match? He shakes my hand. He shook my hand! Points for being polite, at least. I bragged that either Cody or Blaster would finally get a win, and I totally jinxed it. Jason Vaughn's little buddy ruined everything by being added to the match, and he ended up winning the whole thing by stealing a pinfall. Karma would come for him later.
Good to see Phoenix again. Good wrestler and a swell guy all around. Glad to see him pick up a victory.
Sexy Sarge is always a blast to see, even if he might not fit the definition of "family friendly." D'mone is one scary dude, both in the ring and outside. I talked to him a few times during the show and his calmness is unsettling.
Dell Tucker is one brutal mofo. After beating Jason Vaughn clean he obliterated him and his ward JD Wilks. If they were looking to establish a top tier bad guy they've done an amazing job in just two shows with Tucker. I hope he sticks around for a long time, and Brandon should watch his back.
I never realized how legendary Tony Kozina is until recently. I started looking more into the man's history, and he's kind of a big deal. Not only that, but his match with Brandon Espinosa stole the entire show. Just a brutal old school hard hitting fight, and Brandon continues to be an in ring highlight of the CCW shows. There was a little confusion about what the hell Espy was trying to do with the bottom turnbuckle, as it took what felt like 10 minutes to get it loose to use as a weapon in the finish. Espy is a great improv artist though, and his taunts to the crowd while he worked on it covered the awkwardness of it.
Kyle O'Reilly was in Kozina's corner and it was cool to see the former Ring of Honor champion at the show. He was covering for Davey Richards who, shockingly, cancelled at the last minute. The crowd loved Kyle, and he was kind enough to take pictures during intermission. The guy seemed like a class act.
The saddest moment the night came when we didn't get our patented selfie with Austin Lane. Thanks to the cage and the surprise attack by Billy and Sarah, Austin didn't come to our section for our usual chit chat. Even worse was when referee Lane Austin, not to be confused with Austin Lane (though they're both dreamy), came over and told us they were worried Austin broke his rib during the match. It was still entertaining as hell, and Little Bit carried her team pretty well against the Pinnacle's first couple. Billy continues to be just the most entertaining bad guy with his over the top antagonistic attitude, and Sarah has become so much more than just the eye candy for him. Bonus points to Sarah for taunting a group of kids in the front row by bending over and wiggling her butt at them as they threw less than polite insults at her. Right in front of their parents. Trashbirds were in full force that night.
Joining the already announced Joey Ryan in April is none other than internet darling Colt Cabana! Colt made an appearance live via satellite (sure!) to tell the crowd he was coming, and I think you can still hear the ghost of Dalton crying tears of joy in the Arena building.
Also of note - next month CCW is crowning their first tag team champions! Exciting stuff, and I love tag team wrestling.
Main event time, and Hollis Giroux is the man. One thing CCW has done very well is establishing stars quickly, with Brandon, Hollis, Billy, Dell, and Jason becoming megastars and endearing themselves to the fans almost instantly (we still take credit for Blaster).

After Hollis, out comes Brandon, and who does he get in the face of? You guessed it (and no, it's not Frank Stallone.)

I don't know why Brandon Barbwire continues to think that calling me out is a good idea. His attempts to turn me to his side and become his enforcer have all been in vain. For the past few shows he's gotten in my face and told me to "turn," but I'm a journalist. I try to stay neutral because that's my job. Brandon's job is to wrestle and focus on his opponent, and my job is to report on it. I think I do my job very well. This time though, Brandon kicked it up a notch by grabbing me by the back of my head and telling me to "stop wasting" my potential. For a moment, I even held the belt, and I would be lying if I said it didn't feel right.

But this wasn't my night to take that belt. Tonight was all about Hollis getting his title shot after Brandon ducked him for three months. It was a hell of a match, and while my PZ85 cast mates were cheering on Hollis, I sat there quietly. What Brandon said was still swirling around in my brain. By the time I came to my senses to cheer on honorary PZ85 member Hollis, it was too late. After a bad fall from near the top of the cage, both men were down, and then something happened. Brandon went for a pin, and from my vantage point I couldn't see exactly what happened, but it was only two and Jeff O'Dell came unglued. He yelled about the hypocrisy of referee Lane Austin for not counting a three because apparently Hollis was on the ropes, when before he wouldn't break a hold Hollis had on Brandon despite him doing the same.

Brandon, through the grace of God or the Devil, ended up winning anyway, and laid a brutal beatdown on Hollis after the match that was completely over the line. Hunter helped Hollis to the back, and Brandon got on the mic and went on a tangent about Double H had paid off the ref to screw him over, and tried to present himself as the victim.

But Brandon Barbwire is not a victim. He's a liar, a cheater, and a manipulator, and the fact that there are fans in the audience that slap his hand and cheer him on when he comes out shows what a master at it he is. I've known Hunter Hendricks for almost a decade, and he's always been the most honest person I've ever known, even when I don't want him to be. I don't know how Brandon did it, but I know in my heart that Brandon orchestrated this whole event to make Hunter look bad. I've never been a saint, and I'm a bit of a manipulator myself. Evil knows evil, and I will continue to haunt Brandon until the truth comes out.

Sexy Sarge came out after and told Brandon he was his next opponent for that title. Sarge was a member of Pinnacle once, before O'Dell betrayed him and Sarge has been on a mission of revenge ever since. Brandon may have fought younger opponents before, but he's yet to take on someone driven by rage and vengeance.

#goodluckchamp

Our very own Mandy Kennedy took some exclusive shots for her site Voyage Vision, and has been gracious enough to let me share some of them with you here. And make sure you check out Cape Championship Wrestling's Facebook to keep up to date on the next amazing event!

Your Violence is Not Justified

2017-01-26T11:44:00.003-06:00

I'm going to post a very unpopular opinion. Please, join me for this most fantastic voyage!

I've been noticing a disturbing trend on Facebook lately. Friends and strangers I find myself agreeing with politically have been posting memes and text about how funny, karmic, and just downright awesome the assault on alt-right leader and white nationalist Richard Spencer was.

In case you've been hiding from the world for the past few days, and who can blame you if you were, you may have missed the video of a man in a mask sucker punching Spencer as he was doing a street interview with a journalist. He was explaining the meaning behind Pepe the Frog, which apparently has become a mascot for the alt-right, when the attack took place.

And the internet cheered. Punching a Nazi quickly became more popular than kitten videos and "datboi" memes, which needs to come back in a big way. It became apparent that a big chunk of the internet believed punching someone you disagree with in the face is absolutely okay.

Possibly, for the first time in history, the internet was dead wrong.

I'm not going to pretend that I agree with or understand the hate speech that Spencer spews. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I don't think punching a Nazi in the face isn't funny. Of course it is! If I could, if it were legal, I would slap every person I disagree with on a daily basis. To be fair, I'm also kind of a dick.

But in no way is that thought process justified. You can't punch people just because you disagree with what they're saying. As far as I know, in all of the research I've done on Richard Spencer, I've never seen him to be violent or advocate violence against other races. Yes, he wants an ethno-state where America becomes a haven for white people, and that's despicable. He thinks that other races are inferior and that's incredibly wrong. My personal opinion of the man is that he's a racist idiot and the kind of person that keeps true progress from reaching the easily influenced of the United States.

But just because I personally disagree with his message doesn't mean he doesn't have a right to say it. And it worries me that so called progressive thinkers, who abhor brutality and demand equal rights in a country that can be severely lacking at times, take so much pleasure in seeing a man being assaulted in public.

Sure, Spencer is a scumbag. I don't deny it. His rhetoric makes me feel ill, but is there a difference between preaching hate and advocating violence? I think there is. The constitution protects our right to freedom of speech, and the response to that is yes you have the right to say whatever you want in this country as long as it's not a lie (unless you're in the Trump administration), but you should be prepared for the consequences. However, there is no law stating assault is a proper response to a disagreement of opinion.

This isn't the first time that Spencer has been targeted for violence. When you give an unpopular opinion you're bound to make some enemies. Believe me, I know from experience.

Just last year the national editor of fact checking site Politico resigned after giving out Spencer's actual home address and telling readers to "exercise" their rights as "decent Americans."

You can't pick and choose who gets rights under the law. That's what we're protesting against! You might disagree with what Richard Spencer says, but I have yet to find any solid evidence that he has advocated violence against anyone. He is wrong in his opinion of inferior races and a white America, but the answer to his negativity is not to physically assault him.

Would it be acceptable if an alt right supporter punched Shaun King for pointing out the racial injustice in America? Would we laugh if someone assaulted a woman for talking about women's rights, just because the person who hit her disagreed with her opinion? I mean, to some people, the rights of others is just as offensive to them as these neo-Nazi's beliefs are to us. So where do we draw the line on free speech and when physical violence is an appropriate response?

It's an easy answer - violence is never the answer. The day that we celebrate attacks on our enemies for merely using the same rights that we all fight for, whether we agree with their message or not, is a sad day for America.

No, I do not have to turn in my movies and games where the heroes use violence to topple an evil empire. This is not that. Richard Spencer is not the leader of an oppressive organization with the power to destroy us all. He is the spokesperson for a fringe movement that gains more and more sympathy every time someone posts a meme about his assault.

What makes it worse is that people are advocating for more violence against him. This isn't a case where he has assaulted people and gotten away with it and someone finally delivered some swift justice to his face. This is someone speaking his mind and being physically attacked for it, and how can any of us believe that is just?

If we open up the door to answer verbal hatred with physical violence, what's next? How far will this escalate and how long will it be before killing someone who disagrees with you becomes a common solution? And, in a Trump America, who do you think the law will side with?

Just because someone says something you disagree with doesn't give you the right to hit them. I learned that when I was a child. It makes me sad to see so many supposedly righteous people taking pleasure in the assault of a horribly flawed but innocent man.

I know a lot of you will disagree with that opinion considering what a piece of work Richard Spencer is. Some of you might even call me an alt-right sympathizer. What I am is an American and a journalist, and I cannot condone sucker punching a guy twice for stating an opinion that is different from mine.

If you disagree with that, maybe you should reevaluate what exactly you stand for.

Numbers Don't Lie (But the Trump Administration Does)

2017-01-23T18:39:00.002-06:00

The inauguration of Donald John Trump was the biggest event in human history - bigger than the civil rights marches of Dr. Martin Luther King, bigger than the Beatles playing for the first time on American television, and even bigger than the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

President Trump is the answer to all of our prayers to God, even more so than his only begotten son, who was a loser that didn't do as much for humanity in his lifetime as our new savior will do in the next four years.

Say goodbye to all crime, poverty, and the evil Muslims who toss burning American flags at our good Christian neighbors as they tear across this once great country in their quest to bring us to our knees.

Donald Trump is Batman, Superman, Gumby, the Pope, and the entire Marvel roster (except Jubilee) rolled into one. Only he can save us, and now that he is in power we can make America great again™!

And if you believe any of that, you may have just earned yourself a position in Trump's cavalcade of talking heads and alt right puppeteers. Congratulations! I do have some bad news for you though - all of the best positions in the cabinet have been taking by the highest donors.

I know what you're thinking right wingers, alt righters, working class who have lost hope, neo Nazis, and the like - give Trump a chance. The election is over, the bad blood has settled, and now it's time to respect our new commander in chief and see him for what he REALLY is. Not the lie spewing megalomaniac, or the hate mongering caricature of a real human - we get to see the REAL Trump, and we need to give him a chance because we're Americans dammit and we want to see America succeed!

Well, I hate to break it to you, but we did give him a chance. And in the first weekend of his term he's already lost my trust and any hope that his presidency will amount to anything more than I already assumed it would.

The time for jokes are over. The humor is gone. Now is a time of distrust and fear the likes of which I've never experienced in my thirty four years on this Earth, and I'm going to tell you why.

The dishonesty of Donald Trump was never under question in his campaign to become the 45th president of the United States. Well, not by intelligent people, anyway. If you somehow managed to plant your head firmly into the ground and completely ignore the rhetoric that was proven to be lies (which are too many to list here, but the NY Times did a nice write up here), I guess you would still have faith in him, and you should really reevaluate your thought process.

But a simple check of, well, the internet will show you just how much our president likes to stretch the truth. Politifact has a great system to track the honesty of public figures, and their assessment of Donald Trump is that he ranks somewhere between needing a small cricket to keep him in check and having first degree burns below the waist.

We were told that things would calm down after the election, which was a strange way of somehow justifying lying on the campaign trail to get elected in the first place. We are a nation of liars, so it seems somehow poetic than our new leader is the biggest liar of them all. Still, there are plenty of people on both sides who knew Trump was dishonest, and yet somehow convinced themselves that it would change the moment he was sworn in.

And then it didn't.

By this point, I'm assuming we've all seen the pictures of Trump's inauguration crowd compared to Barack Obama's. The difference is huge, as Trump would say, and it definitely does not work in his favor. It's not entirely surprising, as Trump lost the popular vote to democrat Hillary Clinton, so he might not be as popular as the former president.

You may not remember, but Obama was the coolest thing since those sunglasses with the mirrors on each side, and his 2009 inauguration drew in an estimated 1.8 million people. His inauguration event saw three dozen celebrities perform, including musical acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, U2, Beyonce, and more.

Compare that to Trump's, which drew considerably less people and featured today's hottest artists to celebrate God's gift to humanity - 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith.

And, in all fairness, I really like "Here Without You," which America could have dedicated to the Obama's on Friday.

Sure, it's embarrassing for a narcissist like Trump to have less of a crowd than Obama, but it wasn't entirely a surprise. Barack Obama was the first black president in the history of this country, and this was a United States that was starving for change. In the eight years of Obama's presidency we've seen a huge shift towards "everyone," and not just people with the right genitals and skin color. Obama's presidency was seen as progress, and people from all walks of life came out to celebrate it.

No matter how much Mr. Trump wants to spin his victory, he is not the outsider that America wanted. He is not Barack Obama, and his policies don't speak to as many different demographics as Obama's.

But you wouldn't know that if you just listen to the president's staff without looking into it on your own.

In the his very first speech as White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, under direct order from Donald Trump, scolded the press on their inaccurate reporting of the 2017 inauguration crowd. Trump was reportedly furious that his popularity was in question, and that someone had the gall to point out the smaller crowd that he drew for what I'm sure he thought was the greatest day in American history. After all, actor Jon Voigt had just pointed out that Trump was literally God's answer to all of our prayers.

Spicer, without taking questions from the press he was there to address, had the nerve to say that "this was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period — both in person and around the globe."

It wasn't.

Both in person attendance and television ratings for Trump's inauguration were well below that of former president Obama. In fact (a word you should never say around Trump), the televised ceremony only drew an estimated 30.6 million for The Donald, compared to Obama's 38 million. Spicer's claims that Washington's metro system had greater numbers on Friday was also proven to be a lie, as it saw 570, 557 entries compared to the 782,000 for Obama during his inauguration in 2017.

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Trump drew a larger crowd, but that didn't stop the president's new team from clinging to their "alternative facts."

Kellyanne Conway, Trump's top adviser, argued with NBC's Chuck Todd on Meet the Press about the legitimacy of Spicer's claims. When asked about Spicer's blatant disregard for evidence and truth possibly undermining the credibility of the White House, Conway blew the internet away with that new phrase which has taken America by storm.

"Don't be so overly dramatic about it, Chuck. What... You're saying it's a falsehood. And they're giving Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that."

If you want to read the entirety of this awkward exchange, and I highly recommend you do so, you can click here.

Saying that Chuck Todd was being "overly dramatic," and in the same interview stating that if we're going to be critical of people in the Trump administration when they lie we need to "reevaluate" their relationship with the media, is just another attempt by Republicans to discredit honest journalism.

Donald Trump has cried time and time again that there is no war on the media. According to Trump, the media is a biased collection of anti-American freedom haters who exist only to try delegitimize his presidency. It's not his questionable picks for his cabinet, or his proven history of lying about everything from policies to crowd sizes, or even the fact that he lost the popular vote by close to three million votes that casts doubt on his legitimacy. It's simply a media smear campaign against the greatest American that has ever lived.

Or, it's something we in the field of journalism call "reporting." It isn't always opinion pieces or partisan stories that drive us, sometimes it's just reporting the facts as they are. Facts - there's that word again. There is no such thing as alternative facts. Alternative facts are just lies skewed to reinforce whatever agenda suits the person telling them.

This sets an incredibly dangerous precedent. No longer should we laugh at the baffling behavior exhibited by the Trump administration. By lying to our faces about something as simple as a crowd size, Sean Spicer, Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump, and the entire Republican party has declared that truth has no place in this new world that our orange savior has brought us.

If they'll lie to us about that, what's to stop them from lying to us about foreign policy? What about the state of the economy? If "alternative facts" can be used to completely overwrite truth, why should I believe anything that comes from Washington DC?

This is not the time for liberals to make light of the nonsense coming from the right. This is not the time for conservatives to back their guy out of loyalty to party lines when he's lying. And you might not want to admit it, but Donald Trump is lying. He's been lying for years, and now he has the power to destroy this country.

It starts with a lie - a blatant lie in the first ever press conference under the Trump administration. Where does it have to escalate to before we, as Americans first and foremost, decide we will not stand for this kind of conscious disregard for truth, justice, and the American way?

If you're afraid of the truth, and I know the truth can be terrifying, don't worry. The Trump administration will tell you whatever you need to hear to look the other way while they corrupt what really was making America great - progress.

Just today, Sean Spicer met with the press again to make amends for what is quickly becoming the first injury to the Trump administration's stellar reputation.

"I believe that we have to be honest with the American people. I think sometimes we can disagree with the facts. there are certain things that we may... we may not fully understand when we come out but our intention is never to lie to you."

You can't disagree with facts. Facts are proven truths.

The only "alternative" to a proven truth is a lie.

A Return to the Pokemon TCG

2017-01-23T12:02:00.001-06:00

Like many kids in the 90's, I was a fan of Pokemon. I could never satisfy my lust for the anime merchandise, since it was released in the US before anything else.

My brother and I found out about the trading card game leading up to the original video game release. Naturally we wanted it, and like so many other kids, once we had it in our hands we had no clue how to play.

Playing the game was never a huge deal to me, I actually lost interest in that aspect quickly.

No, I just wanted to collect the cards.

I liked the art and it was just another way to "catch them all." Plus there was a certain thrill to opening a booster pack and wondering if you'd get that holographic card that you'd been hoping for.

I was an avid collector though the first few expansions. I had the original starter box set with the classic holo Machamp, and lucked out with a first edition at that. That luck continued with boxes for the Jungle and Fossil expansions, but my favorite box came with a holo Vaporeon. I still love that card to this day. I didn't have a ton of money at the time, so I didn't get as much as I'd like.

It didn't help that I was also getting into anime at the time so my budget was getting stretched thin from various fandoms at once.

So as generation one of Pokemon was coming to a close I started to lose interest.

I never got a copy of Silver or Gold, let alone Crystal, when they came out. Pokemon Johoto started airing on the WB rather than Fox, so I couldn't even watch the anime anymore. I was very lost on the new generation and found it hard to keep up.

Sure, I knew and loved the first 150 Pokemon, but this sudden expansion of pocket monsters I felt no real attachment to.

This got even worse with generation three. I didn't even have a Game Boy Advance, and felt there was no way was I able to catch on at that point. So despite how much I had loved Pokemon, I let it slip to the back burner and continued with collecting goodies from my other animated loves. I did at least get to watch more of the Pokemon anime in college, but it was more of an occasional occurrence rather than the "I can't miss an episode" attitude that I used to have.

Time passed and I graduated from college. I took a very large step in my life and moved away from home to be with what would become my soulmate.

It's actually his fault that I am the Pokemon collector I am today.

It all started with a ROM of Pokemon Emerald, that I did not illegally own because it's illegal. I hadn't played in so long, and he was upset that I didn't really play games other than some old school NES and SNES ROMs on my computer. So he hooked me up with a GBA emulator and got me Emerald to try out. It took me a while to get use to the new aspects of the game but before long I was hooked again.

We bought a GBA shortly after and the newly released Leaf Green. It didn't take long for plushies, toys, and yes, more trading cards to find their way home with me. I still wasn't into the playing the TCG but the art was enough to sucker me out of my money. I would buy booster packs on a whim, and if we found a good deal I'd get a box set or two.

One case that I'll never forget came from Toys R Us.

They were bundling old booster packs and decks in boxes with some other random goodies for about twenty dollars a pop. One of those boxes had two gym leader decks, some random birthday party stuff, and four booster packs in it, When we picked it up you could also hear something sliding around in behind the cardboard, and curiosity got the best of us.

What did we find when we inevitably bought the set? We found were fifty Chimecho promo cards from Nintendo.

Who needs that many Chimechos?!?! Seriously. To be fair, I still have most of them.

Moving on.

Until this past year I've never really done anything more than collect the cards for the art and to just possess them. So, what changed? I can credit most of my current obsession to two things.

The first is Pokemon's twentieth anniversary. Like so many others, I got swept up in this hype and followed most of the news and posts about it. The biggest thing to come out of it for me was the Generations series of the TCG. That fact that it was composed of reprints of older cards got my attention, and the fact that they were only available in bundles became my obsession. I spent a ton of money on these monthly releases last year.

I blame most of my excitement for them on one YouTuber's channel, Unlisted Leaf, and his card opening videos that I started watching in late 2015. I found him entertaining and his excitement over the various series of cards was highly contagious. It's hard not to smile when you see someone get excited over an unexpected good pull. These videos were my second push, and it made me want to open boosters again for myself.

So, in the eternal cycle that began anew, I started buying cards on a more regular basis.

Then, like all other things in life, it came to the digital age.

The online version of the TCG had around for a while now, but I never really bothered with it. However, when you buy a pack of physical cards you also get a code for a booster in the online game. I was getting quite a stack of these promos and I really didn't want to just toss them or give them away, so I figured why not give this thing a try.

I set up my account, sat through the tutorial, and tried my hand a a couple of versus matches against a computer opponent. It wasn't too bad, and way different than how my brother and I had tried to play all those years ago. I eventually got the hang of it, and now I play almost every day. I feel like I have few good decks under my belt, and one of them I like enough that I'm actively trying to gather the correct cards to have a physical deck of it too.

Along with actually playing the game now, I've started to become a bit more aware of my collection. Over the last six months I've been organizing and tracking my vast stash of cards. For now I've chosen the Pokedex method of organizing, as I have my cards separated by generation and then in order by means of the National Pokedex. Though to date only the first two generations are completely sleeved.

So many cards.....

I also found a great app called Pokellector for keeping track of my cards. It lists all of the English cards by series and allows you to check off what you have. It will also let you choose a card you have or want and show you it's average going price on Amazon. I know there are better places to buy cards but at least it's a starting point, right?

I just wish that it would account for holo and reverse holos in the newer sets. Though, thanks to it, I know that I have ninety three percent of the Generations series in my collection - only eight more cards and I'll have my first complete series.

Evolutions is the last series for the X & Y run of the TCG, and it is a total throw back to the original base set. The art is the same but the stats have been boosted to be more in line with current cards. There are also some amazing full art cards that have been added in. I really want to complete this set, but I've had awful pulls so far.

I won't give up though. I want that full art gold trim Mega Blastiose EX card, damnit!

Right around the corner we have the next generation of the TCG coming out, as February third will bring us the official English release of the Sun and Moon cards. I've been watching openings of the Japanese cards and they look great. There are some amazing new full art cards that I hope to get my hands on and I'm excited to see how these new GX cards play out in the game.

These cards have come a long way from their simple beginnings in the late 90's, and I don't see them going away any time soon.

Nor does my poor, poor wallet.

Reflections on Jem

2016-01-19T22:35:00.000-06:00

I got a little surprise today after work. I was killing some time at our local Hastings and saw that Jem and the Holograms, the movie, was out on Blue Ray and DVD already. I mean I'm not really that surprised. It bombed in theaters so the quick home release is a tactic to make back some sales.

Now I was in no way ready to just buy this failure, I've heard few good points about it, but I still wanted to see it for myself. So I hopped over to the rental section and nabbed myself a copy for the night. After a quick stop for pizza, Jem got popped in the Xbox One and the journey started.

I told myself going in that this was not going to be a good Jem film, so I tried my best to just look at it as a movie in general. Yes I still picked at the Jem aspects because that's what it was mean to be, but I didn't hold them accountable for the most part. As a Jem movie yes is has some major problems, but as a feel good coming of age movie it really wasn't bad.

The characters were likable, and and you had no problem hating the villain. It was touching, though a bit pushy at times. If it had been just a basic music based film it would have probably fared much better.

The problem, it wasn't. It was meant to be a Jem and Holograms movie.

I'll start with the problems I have.

Character Misrepresentation.

I am a long time Jem fan. I know my world bible for the series and I want it as true to form as can be. So first off them being younger pissed me off. I can deal with that but I still didn't like it. Mrs Bailey, the caretaker of the Starlight girls, being turned into Aunt Bailey I can also forgive. It's minor, a bit irritating, but forgivable. Besides I love Molly Ringwald so I'll let it slide. I'll ever let the whole Erika Raymond thing go even though I don't really want to. She was a bitch, as she should be, but she was too mean to the public. Eric was a snake, but he knew how to smooze, not just degrade and belittle. The gender swap did nothing for his role, other that make him look worse and make me miss the old slime ball. But two characters bothered me more than the rest.

The first being Rio. Jerrica's high school sweetheart. Jem's road manager, and tech support. He was neither of these in the movie. No he was Erika's son, who was training to take over Starlight Music. Oh and he sings. Rio never sang in the show. He also never knew who Jem really was. It was one of the major constant plot points of the cartoon. He was basically dating both Jerrica and Jem not knowing they were the same woman. He was also very set in his ways of detesting all liars, so Jerrica could never really bring herself to come clean to him. She didn't want him to feel like a fool and in turn hate her. Way to just throw that all out the window. Now don't get me wrong movie Rio was still really likable, but he also became rather generic.

My other problem was Zipper. Now by the end of the film I liked him a lot, but at first I was confused. Zipper was always Eric's hired hit-man of sorts. He did all the dirty work and was paid nicely for it. Heck he set fire to the Starlight House for Girls so that Eric could put pressure on Jerrica to give up her share of Starlight Music. He was never just an assistant, and had nothing to do with Eric's music dealings. Hired muscle. That's it. Now by the end of the movie I liked Zipper's role even if it was out of character.

Musical Mishaps.

While the music in these film wasn't bad, it didn't strike me as Jem and the Holograms. I would have liked it to at the least have a feeling of the old group. A small touch of retro if you will. It can be done. Most of it just didn't grab me. The only song that I liked right from the start was "The Way I Was" which served as Jem's solo act song. Her Lady Gaga like transformation was unnecessary, but the song actually resonated with me. I could see myself listing to it on it's own. Even "Young Blood",the movie's anthem, took a couple of times to start growing on me. The rest of the songs are easily forgettable. More generic pop for the trash.

The thing that bothered me the most music wise was probably meant to be cool and experimental. On several occasions they would show music themed video clips and the switch back to the film with it playing as the back ground music. It was rather distracting. I get the concept since the band was started as an internet video in this round, but it came off as a cheap answer to a real background score. Not a fan, though it was probably cool for the people who's videos got used. If they even got told about it.

Science Substitution.

Synergy was a super computer that could create realistic holograms remotely. She is the reason there is a Jem. She literally projects the image of Jem over Jerrica though her remotes, the star earrings that Jerrica always wears. She was never a little robot that was there to remind Jerrica how much her father loved her. As far as the family love aspect goes Synergy was meant to be a reminder and sudo substitute for Jerrica and Kimber's late mother Jackie Benton. She was modeled after her after all, and on several occasions gave the young women advice when they felt lost. The robot was a little cute, but I wasn't impressed.

Alright now that I got that out of my system let's look at the good.

The girls had a good dynamic. They weren't dead on, and they had some flaws but over all not bad. Jerrica was still trying to take care of everyone and seemed to be the most level headed. Kimber was still younger, a bit pushy and selfish. I was happy that Shana still had her fashion, but she felt pretty flat other wise. Aja was always one of my favorites. She was still a little hard, maybe a little too much so but also forgivable. I even don't mind that her engineer and auto skills got swapped for techie hacker skills. What I didn't like was they made her a kleptomaniac. Ashley of the starlight girls had been the little thief not Aja.

I also was fine with their updated looks. They still felt true to the 80's icon without being literal. Don't get me wrong, I loved their little 80's flash back video at the beginning. Small little nudges to the cartoon without being completely shoved in our faces. Did anyone else also catch the old school my little pony in one of the old family clips? It totally made me smile.

Finally the real meat and potatoes. By far the best part of this film was the ending credits scene. We get our beloved Misfits, and Erika starts feeling more like the Eric we remember. That scared desperate side that knows he's in over his head, but will still manipulate the shit out of you to get his way in the end. That is the evil Raymond we all love to hate. That is how my Jem villain needs to be portrayed.

We learn that she booted the spoiled punk band from the label, but now she needs them again. I didn't love all of their looks, but I could tell who was who before they ever said any names. Jetta looked awesome, even though she shouldn't be there if Raya isn't. Once again willing to over look. But the real gem of this scene was Pizzazz. Kesha was a great pick for our spoiled rich girl rocker. She came off a little nuttier than our attention hungry princess of old, but it just worked. This one scene just oozed the potential this film could have had. It had the right tone and screamed just what the fans were hoping for. Problem is this sequel set up will probably lead to nothing, because of the bad box office turn over, and over all poor fan response.

So I pose this to all of you Jem fans out there. Yes it was bad. As a Jem movie it was bad. As a film on it's own though it was not. Please go watch this again, in the comfort of your own home, and give it a fresh look. There is potential here. I would like to see what could happen. Are you truly ready to give up on our favorite cartoon rock groups?

I'm not.

I am willing to give a sequel a shot.

Are you?

Pessimistically Off-putting and Oppressively Ruminative (Part 2)

2015-10-07T01:41:00.002-05:00

It should go without saying that I am no fan of myself. I don't think it's the case with every single person that experiences depression, but it makes sense that someone that can't control their own feelings of hopelessness won't see themselves in a positive light. I have particularly negative feelings toward myself, as well as the assumption that everyone else shares those feelings.

If I don't even like myself, why should anyone else?

I won't argue whether or not that reasoning has valid points, it's just something long periods of absolutely bottomed out self esteem has produced, and it's very hard to reason against. In fact, logic is completely disarmed in these fights because they're my own thoughts and they make perfect sense in my head. I like to rely on logic quite a bit, so it took a long time to even start to think that maybe this doesn't make as much sense as I think it does. When you couple that reliance on logic with paranoia, new and awful ideas take root. Coincidence has no place in a paranoid world, and when that person you don't even know just happens to look your way and laugh, there's obviously no other reason for that laughter than you being the most pathetic being they've ever witnessed.

Paranoia and self hatred have nurtured anxiety within me, and it surges when I am in view of anyone. There are people I am comfortable around, but it usually takes a long time to get there. I am not going to do well on a first meeting situation, and I can't find a way around it. I can try to pick which way I fail that interaction, but it usually ends up being withdrawn into a shell, saying nothing and usually not even looking at them. I found a lot of positivity for awhile, and it helped me do much better at the whole social interacting (much better by comparison). Lately, though, it's reverted back to what it was. I have trouble talking to people again, and I let it force me out of a lot of situations.

Something specific that I wanted to mention is a situation that really does seem so insignificant, no one ever understands why I shy away from it. So, I'll take a minute and explain (to no one, probably) why I hate when someone takes my picture.

I know, and have acknowledged that it's not a serious matter, and it's such a personal thing I usually just leave it at that. I've already mentioned that I just can't stand myself. I do not like to even see myself, there's rarely a time I have a positive reaction to seeing myself. Having depression isn't just a series of highs and lows, it's everything in-between, and after every crash it takes time and effort to build myself back up. With any luck, I can get high enough to just coast along for awhile. Knowing a picture of myself exists is distressing enough, very much so, but the real damage comes when I see it myself. I'm certainly not Dorian Gray, but if I see myself every bit of happiness and self esteem I had built up just fucking vanishes. Simply seeing myself can cause me to prematurely crash, and I can do nothing afterward but let the mood pass by, however long that takes. Now couple that with the paranoia, and knowing that my picture even exists, let alone might be posted somewhere, assaults the self esteem that is already torn apart. "It's just a picture" really isn't that comforting to hear. The sad part of this is that it's usually not strangers that just want to take my picture all of a sudden. It's friends and family that want pictures of me. I can understand that, people like taking pictures of everything for some reason. I politely decline having my picture taken, because I would rather just avoid all that. They playfully argue about it while I desperately try to convince them to just leave me alone, without becoming rude about it. Usually I'm made to feel guilty about it, that they just want a picture of me and it's not a big deal. Well, it's not, but it really is. I'm made out to be difficult, or rude (which I was trying hard not to be), or "No fucking fun." That's probably my favorite one. And it's true, I shy away from a lot of fun situations because my anxiety will make them less fun, or no fun at all. All I'll end up doing is regret ever participating. How do you convince people to just leave you alone? I usually can't, aside from people that have known me for awhile, and even then it's not a guarantee they won't just snap one and laugh about it, because it's not a big deal. I couldn't give a shit about offending my own family anymore, but how do I avoid my girlfriend's family, because they love taking pictures. I try to avoid the situation altogether if I can, but if cornered or directly asked, I just give in.

Do I act in a way that will just seem rude to them, or just take that hit and deal with it later? It's usually the latter.

So, "Why don't you like your picture taken?" or "It's just a picture, what's the big deal?" The reason is that I don't do very well emotionally. I have a tenuous grasp on anything positive, or just anything that could make me feel better as a person, and that simple act crushes me every time. I have skipped out on things based solely on that reason, missed family events and such, that's how much it means to me.

But I've never been able to express that to anyone, so it's just an odd thing that gets forgotten.

Pessimistically Off-putting and Oppressively Ruminative

2015-09-21T20:44:00.001-05:00

Note - The following article was sent to me by an anonymous guest writer, who will remain so until they decide to reveal themselves. I am just posting this trip for them. Enjoy!

It's difficult to start anything, regardless of significance, but what would be the best way to place your musings into a form that could potentially be viewable by others? How do you manage the complication of requiring large quantities of time to produce the smallest bit of text because you're never sure how you want to word it?

Obviously, the answer is this, because while this first paragraph took longer than it should, I have no deadline of any kind. I have all the time I want or need to put down thoughts that I may end up tweaking or outright deleting later, with no one knowing, or caring, one way or the other how many obstacles, false starts or dead ends it took to reach this end.

The idea of this is to type out thoughts I have on various themes of sadness. Depression, anxiety, or simple apathy ( a personal favorite) are certainly easy subjects to write about. Easy from a personal viewpoint, because I am familiar with the feelings I have, and I still don't entirely understand them each time. Relating my personal reflections on these feelings, my moods, when they come up is important to being able to better understand your own feelings. It's importance is only valid as a facet of a collection of thoughts, one viewpoint among many others, all of the same idea. The fact is that everyone will have a unique outlook on the situation, your situation and theirs being different, but still one and the same. How you came to be in your situation and how you deal with it will be the difference, but you are fighting the same thing. Being able to access someone's thoughts can sometimes be like getting inside information for your own fight. Some ideas may be just a shade different than your own, but you will certainly come across some that are so distinct, or even just beautifully expressed, it will open your eyes to possibilities you were unaware of. These possibilities will hopefully be available to anyone that wants to read them, because the only effective weapon for this beast is a different viewpoint, a shift in your outlook.

And no, that's not as easy as it might sound.

This long winded piece is just an introduction to try and explain a few...goals, I guess? For lack of a better word. I have very little desire to actually share this, but my own drivel about being a collective kind of obligates me to do so. As uninteresting and insignificant as I find myself, hypothetically someone (somewhere, someday, somehow) will find something useful in one of the future musings. Even if someone reads one of my viewpoints and says "Oh, yeah.." this will have served some kind of purpose.

The hard part to actually writing something readable is being able to collect your thoughts and present them in an eloquent fashion. I'll likely not be doing that. My thoughts are definitely scattered, and they just come when they come. They also usually come in the most inopportune times, such as driving to work, or when I've waited until the night before a test to start studying. I do what I can, and unfortunately it's often very little. I'm also not promising to refrain from outright whining, but I will certainly try to avoid any of that.

I have an idea of where this is going to go, so by all means please let the master know if you want this to continue (or start, to be more accurate). I'll likely keep writing now regardless of viewership, but I can always find another source if needed.

Friendship of Future Past

2015-07-11T18:47:00.002-05:00

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is currently airing its fifth season, and has aired over 100 fantastic episodes.

At the end of season four we saw some old familiar faces from our adventures in the 80's. Tirek and Scorpan, from the original "Escape from Midnight Castle," returned as villains. In turn, the Smooze from the original "My Little Pony" movie" has made an appearance in season five.

These small nods to the ponies I grew up with has given me hope that we will see more little winks to their equestrian past.

With these wishes, I bring to you five things from the first generation that I would love to see in Friendship is Magic.

There are many things that I want to see again, but these I feel are very possible in the universe that has been laid out before us.

# 5 Mr. Moonchick (The Moonchick)

This odd little dwarf-like man served as a pillar of wisdom and advice for the ponies. When a problem would arise that they could not solve, he was one to go to. He gave them the Rainbow of Light. He got them a new home when Dream Castle was destroyed. As absent minded as he was, he made things happen and hooked the ponies up with what they needed.

In many ways Zecora has taken over his role in the new series. She's just more of an advice giver and cure maker rather than overall issue solver. She gives the other ponies the means to help themselves, but what if something came up that she can't help solve? What if Twilight can't find what they need in an old book? Maybe they need to track down the mysterious Moochick.

#4 Twinkle Eye Ponies

We've got the classic Earth ponies, Pegasus, and Unicorns. A type of pony that I would love to see revived are the Twinkle Eye ponies. They come in all forms, but what sets them apart is that their eyes are crystallized.

In a way the Crystal Kingdom ponies could be new take on these gemstone eyed favorites, but I don't want to settle for just that. It would be very easy to work these ponies in, but the tricky part would be to not copy the crystal pony stories. Naturally Rarity would be fascinated by them, but they would still need to bring something new to the series. Maybe they are a rare species, like the Breezies (who by the way are totally just mini Flutter ponies) and it's curiosity that draws our Mane Six to seek them out.

#3 Sea Ponies

Along with the Twinkle Eye ponies I'd like our pony friends to meet their aquatic counter parts. They have land and air covered. It's only natural that there are ponies in the water as well.

The closest we may have come to this would be the sirens in the "Rainbow Rocks" Equestria Girls movie.

My problem with those characters is that they were the villain figures. The sea ponies have always aided the other ponies and been nothing but friendly and playful. Sure there are probably some bad eggs, but overall these creatures are on the side of good.

Plus other than some minor swimming there hasn't been any real sea or beach time in the series so far.

#2 Catrina

I loved this villain and she needs to find a home in Friendship is Magic. Her addiction to Witch Weed, the source of her power, could make for a great plot device.

Plus I loved her minion, Rep.

I don't know if she's enough of a threat to serve as a major villain, but I think she deserves an episode at least. Maybe like Discord, she's stopped but not really converted right away and has to be saved from her addiction. Much like her original story, Catrina was't always bad. It's the Witch Weed that makes her bad.

Though most importantly she would serve to bring in my number one wish - the return of some of my favorite pony friends.

#1 The Bushwhoolies

Yes, the Bushwhoolies. They started out as Catrina's slaves, forced to gather Witch Weed and produce her elixir from it. With some help from the ponies they realize that they don't have to be slaves and work together to overthrow Catrina. After gaining their freedom they become friends with the ponies and show up frequently for fun and to aid them.

These little fluff balls may look like they can't do much, but never underestimate their numbers. They are loyal and will do whatever they can to help when needed. Plus they're cute, determined, and funny to boot.

You know Fluttershy would love them.

I know I'm asking for a lot here, but I really do feel that these elements could fit into the world of Friendship is Magic.

Will it happen? Probably not any time soon. However that's not going to stop me from hoping for it.

Sunday Random Sunday....the BZ85 Version!

2015-07-05T19:54:00.001-05:00

From....my apartment, this is Sunday Random Sunday, which tonight is on Blogzilla 1985 as opposed to our normal audio version because of the holiday. I hope you had a fun and safe Independence Day and I'm so thankful that you're back with us again on the website that started it all.

I'll be going it alone for this adventure into the things you should know, the things you might find interesting, and the things you wish you could just forget.

You can't seem to turn on a television or check your favorite news website these days without being assaulted with stories about the definition of marriage and how the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality is either progressing our country out of the dark ages or creating a new world of immorality. Gay rights activists call it a step forward in humanity, while many from the right say it's the first step towards a future where you'll one day be able to marry your neighbor's dog.

As ludicrous as that argument is, and it is one of the dumber things that the conservative community has ever spouted, there is a very real challenge to the new definition of marriage that came into the light over the weekend.

A little over a week after same sex marriage was found to be legal in all states, Nathan Collier and his legal wife Victoria have applied to marry another woman named Christine in Billings, Montana. He is quoted as saying that should his application be denied, he will file a lawsuit and take it all the way to the Supreme Court.

The former Mormon explained that he just wants to “add legal legitimacy to an already happy, strong, loving family.”

There are those who would argue that a polygamist relationship would be harmful, but the marriage equality act raises the question of what the definition of a family is. Conservatives would tell you that the definition of a family was a husband, a wife, and children until the Supreme Court ruling. The thought that a loving household could involve two husbands or two wives in place of the traditional man and woman seemed impossible for a very long time, and there are still some who hold on to the outdated, insulting, and dangerous notion that a child is in more danger living with a same sex couple than a “traditional” one.

So where does that leave polygamy? The argument against people marrying a ten year old or a horse is that the ten year old can't legally consent, and the horse is a horse, of course of course. However, polygamist relationships are between consenting adults, and isn't that one of the arguments in favor of same sex marriage? Two consenting adults should have the same rights in relation to marriage, whether they're heterosexual or homosexual. So if two consenting adults can now enter into a bond made out of love, why not three? Why not four? If the fight for gay marriage was based on the slogan “love wins,” then what makes their "controversial" view of love different from a polygamist's?

As controversial as this may sound, I'm not against polyamorous relationships. What consenting adults do with their personal lives should be no ones business but their own, and just because it doesn't sound “normal” to someone else doesn't make it any less legitimate. Remember, that was the same argument used in support of same sex marriage and homosexual relationships. At one point in my own life I was very close to being in a polyamorous relationship, and although I realized it wasn't for me, I would not pass judgment on someone else if it makes them happy.

Now that gay marriage is just marriage, is polygamy next? Or, is it all just smoke and mirrors by those hoping to discredit the Supreme Court ruling? I'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject. Email us at podzilla1985@hotmail.com, or leave me a message on Facebook and let me know what you think.

Well, things keep getting worse for business mogul Donald Trump. The Donald recently announced his bid for the United States presidency, and it looks like that will be the only highlight of his presidential run.

His remarks against Mexican immigration, where he called the Mexican people “rapists” and “drug dealers,” already cost him dearly when Univision pulled out of airing the Miss Universe contest, which Trump has owned since 1996. Shortly after Macy's said they would no longer carry his clothing or fragrance line, and now it looks like his racist comments have also cost him his spot on NBC. NBC announced on June 29^ththat they've canceled the upcoming telecast of the Miss USA pageant and next year's Miss Universe, as well replacing The Donald on his one time hit show “The Apprentice.”

Trump has called NBC “weak” for the way they've responded to his “truth about illegal immigration,” and he plans on suing Univision for $500 million for backing out of their deal to air Miss Universe. He'll need every one of those dollars to help with his presidential campaign, which looks to be a bigger disaster than Ross Perot's legendary 1992 campaign, in which he referred to the black community as “you people” and said President Bush was trying to sabotage his daughter's wedding.

It did make for some great SNL skits though.

Some might point out that Trump does surprisingly well in polls, and is a definite threat to the Republican nomination. While that may be true, I remind you that at one point in the 92 election, Ross Perot was a legitimate contender, even though he ran as independent, which has never done huge numbers against the bigger left and ring wing parties. Perot started out strong and fizzled out, while Trump has come right out of the gate screwing things up, and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

Republican front runner Jeb Bush told reporters in New Hampshire “this is a guy who was a Democrat for most of the last decade. I don't think he represents the Republican Party, and his views are way out of the mainstream of what most Republicans think.”

Trump fired back that “Jeb Bush once again proves that he is out of touch with the American people,” and that “the last thing we need is another Bush.”

I think the biggest surprise coming out of this is that anyone didn't already assume Trump is a scumbag. He is the stereotype for the sleazy businessman that leaves your hand feeling dirty after shaking his. Being rich is not the best trait for being president, and it looks like there are some things that money can't buy, like a second chance to make a first impression.

A major story in geek culture was released online this week that our friends over at Pentanerd must be kicking themselves over missing.

Over on reddit, which serves as both a major hub of socializing and the sewer of the internet, a user calling himself analogueboy posted pictures and video of a prototype system made during a fabled collaboration between then the leader in electronic games Nintendo and future contender to the throne Sony. Legend has it that Nintendo actually worked with Sony to develop a new CD add on for the Super Nintendo, but nothing was created beyond a prototype, as Nintendo decided to work Philips instead on the upcoming CD-i. That unholy union spawned no console, but ultimately gave the gaming community a legendary trio of Zelda games, as well as a sort of spiritual successor to Super Mario World called Hotel Mario. Meanwhile, Sony created their own system, and Nintendo never regained the footing they would lose in the console wars once the Playstation arrived.

People are debating whether or not this new discovery is legitimate or not, but it is a very interesting footnote in history. The reddit user who posted the pictures said he found the prototype in a box of his father's, who once worked with someone named Olaf, who was employed at Nintendo.

If the system is real, it could be one of the rarest and greatest finds in the history of video games. If it's fake, he could always sell it to Fox.

They'll believe anything.

As much as I'd love to keep talking, I'll save that for Podzilla 1985, where you can normally find me these days. Plus, it's off to the theater to watch Terminator Genesys!

In closing I'd like to reaffirm my commitment to both the BZ85 website and the PZ85 podcast. Expect more content to be uploaded to the site, while we continue to build our podcast network with lot's of great new programming. It's a lot of work, but I like to think somehow, someday, it'll all be worth it.

Or I'll quit. I'll quit hard, and I'll quit fast. Have a great night!

Elimination Chamber Preview

2015-05-31T17:12:00.003-05:00

Tonight is the night! For the third time in six weeks, World Wrestling Entertainment is holding another big event, and this time it's only for Network subscribers.

The gang over at Podzilla 1985 has their preview up, and there is still time to listen to it before WWE ignores all of their great fantasy booking and screws up what is an incredible card.

Let's listen!