Author: dtm666

I ramble about things.

The Show Resumes… Somewhat

So now that we got the Brodie Lee tribute week in the books, we can now resume “nonreal” operations… which includes trying to get this 100-Post Challenge on the road… and yes, those do count. And the usual Post Of The Week gimmick will stay linked to the Brodie Lee tribute page, which will have all the linked content on the page.

And with that, we move on to something else…

Some folks might notice that I have changed the colors on the page. While testing some out on the site, I came to the sudden realization that black text on somewhat medium-dark gray backgrounds are difficult to read at a distance and so I made it the boxes lighter… almost white in a way. I haven’t had much in the way of complaints in terms of appearance, but it’s just something that needed to change.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be making some other minor tweaks to the blog – additional work on the menu and possibly introducing new pages to navigate content on the pages. This is all backburner stuff that will pop up here and there.

Regarding future content… I’ve touched on this in the recent edition of the DTM-Cast, but I’m attempting the 100-Post Challenge this month and while things have gone to a slow start, things will eventually pick up. All I can tell you is that Sundays and Wednesdays will be the most bulkiest of days. This coming Sunday will feature no less than twenty-four comic reviews… so that’s something to look forward… okay, maybe not.

So we’ll see what happens… I guess.

Went To Bed Before Midnight For The First Time In A Decade

About a decade ago, I had started a job at a food factory in the evening shift, meaning that I would be finishing past midnight. This inevitably ended up meaning that I would be sleeping at late hours. As the years went on, this became the new normal and I had grown accustomed to it. Even welcomed it.

When I started a day job in the morning, I’d still be up until 12:30 to 1 o’clock in the morning. Partly doing some last minute dubbing or other things in order to get me tired enough to fall asleep. I didn’t mind it; it was part of my routine.
Then something happened last night. For the first time in ten years, I went to be at 11:30 P.M.
I couldn’t explain it. There was no reason for it. There wasn’t anything urgent. There was no change in the routine. I just felt tired, found myself falling asleep, and so I decided to turn it and go to bed. And I’ll tell you what. It was the best sleep I had in years.
Part of me is wondering if this was just a one-off. As if the past few weeks of busywork is finally catching up to me and I’m making up for loss sleep. Maybe this is the beginning of a new sleeping pattern. I haven’t a clue for sure.
But I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?
Later.

Jonathan “Brodie Lee” Huber

Ten days after celebrating his forty-first birthday, news broke that Jonathan Huber – also known as Mr. Brodie Lee in AEW and Luke Harper in WWE – passed away due to a non-COVID related lung issue.

Brodie Lee made a name for himself in the independents, having had runs in promotions such as Ring Of Honor and Combat Zone Wrestling. He’d eventually get signed by WWE, rechristened Luke Harper, and was made part of the Wyatt Family group with Bray Wyatt and Rowan. A run in WWE had net him an Intercontinental title reign as well as a couple stints as Tag-Team champions, but it was his stint in All Elite Wrestling where he began to show his true potential, debuting as the Exalted One of the Dark Order and giving what had been a struggling stable new life.

It was in AEW where Brodie was able to show the world that not only did he make an intimidating big man, because he was a hell of a promo. Whether it’d be intense threats or comedic foils on BTE, there was no doubt that Brodie shined as a personality and made the most of his opportunities, whether it’d be in a World title match against Jon Moxley or during a short run as TNT champion, which culminated in the brutal but incredible Dog Collar match with Cody Rhodes; a match that would turn out to be his final match before his untimely passing.

The news of Brodie’s death devastated me. Even now, a week after the news broke, I’m still trying to come to terms with what has been a shock. It’s a dreadful feeling; a feeling that I haven’t had for a wrestler’s death since Eddie Guerrero over fifteen years ago. Part of it is that in AEW, Brodie Lee became one of my favorite personalities. Not just in terms of his wrestling persona, but through his interviews, whether he was talking about his experiences in the business, talking about his family and his children for whom he had the utmost love for, or even for his admittedly sad admiration for the ailing Toronto Maple Leafs, who offered their own condolences via Twitter when the news broke.

But Brodie’s death affected me in a different way… because he was only a couple years older than I am when he died… and it’s a scary feeling to have when someone at that age, someone who was just on the cusp of reaching his full potential in a business that he was passionate about, someone who was a family man as much as he was a wrestler, passes. It only goes to show how precious life is and is a painful reminder that tomorrow is never guaranteed.

While a part of me will miss Brodie and lament what could have been, another part will appreciate the time that I got to see him in action, whether it was as an Exalted One or a Bludgeon Brother. Whether he was a silent brute or a psychotic cult leader who threw papers at his inept followers, Brodie Lee had what it took to be a star and ran with it until the end… and from what I’ve heard, Jonathan Huber was every bit the kind soul and family man that people made him out to be. And he will be sorely missed.

Godspeed, Brodie. Thanks for the memories.

The Winners And Losers Of 2020

So 2020 has been a rather turbulent year of pandemics, human rights nightmares, speaking out on unimaginable horrors, and another round of politicians caring more about their own rep and numbers than the lives of their constituents. Another round of companies throwing generic statements of solidarity for the sake of lip service. Another round of people yelling and opening the doors to riots that have broken down into warzones that were once only the stuff of B-movie action schlock.

Suffice it to say, it’s been one of the more trying years in recent history. We’ve all had our problems – some graver than others – and it would be a great pleasure in leaving this year behind.

And as I try to compile this list and fulfill an annual tradition, a realization dawns on me; this year has been the drizzling shits from top to bottom and not even the brightest spot this year could overcome the mounds of dookey that we’ve been saddled with. I want to spotlight some good stuff on here, but the truth is that the few bright spots are outweighed by the many, many, MANY negatives. No matter how hard I try to make this somewhat amusing for a lark to read, I honestly don’t feel that positive.

So the thought occurred to simply bin it.

I had almost considered not doing this list because… are there any real bright spots in 2020 that are really worth celebrating? I’m sure Americans are happy they no longer have Trump for another four years, but… is that really going to solve anything? Is the guy going in really going to make things better? When the only reason for voting for the other guy is that he’s better than Trump, is that really a good thing? Don’t forget; better doesn’t necessarily mean good. It may very well means less bad. And as I’ve said in the past, whatever happens in America afterwards is on them… but I’ve said more than enough and I’m digressing from the main point.

I didn’t want to do this list because I don’t believe 2020 deserves to be celebrated. Hell, even after compiling this admittedly rushed list, I still don’t think we need to celebrate anything in 2020 and we should just bury it. And for the month of January, with the 100-post challenge – one hundred written pieces throughout the month of January before the return of reviews starting February 1st, kicking off two months worth of daily reviews – but then I realized that the Winners And Losers, the Years In Review lists are something of a historical document; a look back at things that were good, bad, and anything in between worth mentioning.

So here’s the deal; I’ve picked out five winners for 2020 and five losers for 2020. And there’s also a couple middle grounders. In a change of format, each entry (save one or two) will have some length to it and not just a quick blurb.

Continue reading “The Winners And Losers Of 2020”