Category: Musings

Let Chastise A Man For Disrespecting Another Man's Memory With Further Disrespect.

So let me tell you a little story…

Last year, a somewhat-notable and beloved internet personality committed suicide. A rather shocking event to those who supported the guy. I never knew the guy nor have I seen any of his content, but I’ve heard him mentioned here and there. So basically, I had no connection with him. He was another loss in a continuing line of them and his presences will no doubt be missed by those who did.
Some time later, another internet personality – one that’s a little more notable but also a little more notorious, to put it mildly – is asked about this recent suicide by this one individual and he says things that might not go over too well and naturally, some people got offended… which is understandable. However – and I don’t want to sound like I agree with this individual, because I don’t – but I also understand that suicide is a touchy subject. It’s not something that’s seen in a positive light and it’s not something that everyone is going to agree on as far as many aspects are concerned.
I knew someone who committed suicide several years ago and I’ve heard similar comments made. Of course, I was offended, but at the same time, I also knew there were people who would feel that way. Again, suicide is a touchy thing. Not everyone sees it the same way. So while I was offended by such comments, I held no malice towards the person who made them. I still talk with the guy every so often.
But then again, that person is not a polarizing internet personality who has been the recipient of tremendous heat over the years and who has been the subjective of an overtly obsessive blog with a seething, irrational viewpoint that everything this guy does is terrible.
So when those comments were made – which were said on the guy’s facebook page that’s closed circles only, so it’s essentially a private or restricted forum similar to inviting only a few people to your house rather than let it be open to all – naturally, this blog picked up on it through their “Facebook Informant”.  And they would run with it. They wouldn’t touch on it all the time, but every so often, they’d bring it up and they’d bring up what a horrible person this guy is… and of course, every year, that blog does a year in review. And on top of that list, that point gets brought up. And because of that obsessive viewpoint to tear down this guy over comments that he made regarding this other guy’s suicide – that somebody asked him about; he didn’t shoot out of his own volition, someone ASKED him about it and he gave his honest thoughts without thinking about it… presumably the same “Facebook Informant” that broke the news – but because of that viewpoint, I’m starting to despise the other guy. Not because of his suicide, not because of anything he’s done or hasn’t done, because of what he now represents… because my only knowledge of the man is that he was a personality who committed suicide and whose suicide was trivialized because someone they obsess over said something bad.
For those who need more context, I will sum up my thoughts in brief.
Justin Carmical did not commit suicide so that a certain blog could use a lapse of judgment by Christopher Bores as further fuel in their obsessive campaign to hate on the man. Telling me I should hate Bores because his beliefs over Carmicals’s suicide conflicted with theirs is a graver insult to Carmical’s memory than anything that could come out of Bores’ mouth because that tells me that Carmical’s suicide is nothing more than a trivial afterthought to these people. So my only memory of Justin Carmical is that he’s the guy who committed suicide and whose suicide was used as fuel in a campaign to hate on another guy because he said things they didn’t agree with. And because of that, I feel nothing but malice towards Justin Carmical and what he now represents in regards to these people.
Let me tell you something; that is not a pleasant thought. I shouldn’t have to feel that way. But suicide, and to a broader point, death in general, is a very touchy thing. It is something that is very fickle and something that everyone reacts differently to. It’s the kind of thing that anything that is said about the matter is bound to offend somebody out there and I’m sure there’s something in my words that people will find objectionable or offensive. And that’s fine. It’s not something people like to talk about. I don’t like talking about it, which is why I never said anything when it happened last year.
There are better ways of honoring Justin Carmical that doesn’t involve this sort of thing. Watch his past content, discuss his better moments, share in some pleasant memories. Let this Bores thing be a footnote and focus on the good memories. Because focusing on this one thing is a much graver insult and a much more disrespectful, or rather, disgraceful act to the man’s memory than anything that could come out of Bores’ mouth.
On a side note, this same blog did a brief note on the passing of Ralph Baer and that post originally featured more nasty things directed at Bores, but that portion of the post was edited out and I applaud that blog for it because not everything needs to be about Bores.
If only that same forethought and restraint was shown in regards to the late Justin Carmical.

COMIC REVIEW – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Mirage Studios – Volume 1)

the one that started it all… and after reading it, I’m amazed they were able to continue the series for as long as they did.

The very first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pretty much lays the groundworks for the various aspects that people would become familiar with as this became a massive multimedia empire. We are introduced to our four Ninja Turtles, their rodent sensei Master Splinter, their arch-nemesis Shredder and his Foot Clan, and the origins of all these characters as well as their bloodfeud. It leans hard into its parody and homage to the Frank Miller works, particularly Daredevil, while also crafting a compelling story with lots of bloody, violent action depicted in glorious black and white.

The artwork is truly exceptional stuff; lots of gritty detail and some beautifully rough line art of the various battles between the Turtles and their foes; whether they’d be rugged hoodlums, lethal Foot ninjas, or the Shredder himself. The decision to go black and white as opposed to color might’ve been a money thing – I honestly don’t recall – but it pretty much defined the look of the comic going forward. To the point where I would later come across a color version of this issue and it didn’t quite look as good.

For those whose first exposure to TMNT was the cartoon, reading this comic and realizing how violent it was had to be a bit of a shock and you get why the cartoon is what it is to appeal to kids. But more than anything, the bigger shock was how self-contained the story is. I’m not going to spoil things, but the ending leaves little room for further adventures, presumably because Eastman and Laird figured this was their one and only shot at getting something published. Fortunately, not only did they manage to produce a second issue and continue the story, but… well, it got big.

It’s funny to go back and revisit this issue, like, what? Decades after the fact. It’s been reprinted several times, it’s even been posted on the official Ninja Turtles site for all to see before the big change in ownership. The original printings command high prices, but you could probably find reprints easily enough. The book holds up after all these years and is worth checking out if you bare any fandom to TMNT. And if you’ve already read it, read it again. It’s fantastic.

BOOK REVIEW – The Death Of WCW (10th Anniversary Edition) (2014)

So in 2004, The Death Of WCW was released. A tome written by Wrestlecrap connoisseur R.D. Reynolds and Figure Four Minus Five Stars guy Bryan Alvarez, it was a fascinating and insightful look at the history of World Championship Wrestling, from its early days to its most profitable period to eventually its downfall. Ten years later, they release an expanded edition of the book to commemorate the book’s tenth anniversary… because the thing still gets published and apparently still sells, which justifies said expanded edition.

For all intents and purposes, this is the same book you’ve read in 2004… at least, for the most part. A lot of the text included in the old book has been retained for the most part, but at the same time, the new Death Of WCW book almost feels like a completely different book. Surface-level, it uses different fonts and pictures as the previous book. Dig a bit deeper and a lot of the items that have been mentioned in the previous book has been expanded upon with actual quotes from those who were on the “front lines” as it were. There are also new items added in for good measure. In a sense, this book feels like a more refined product of what came out ten years prior; almost as though this was the book that was supposed to come out, but didn’t because of space constraints.

But what makes this book even more insightful is that not only does it expand upon the unfortunate tale of World Championship Wrestling, but it also points out some of the mistakes that are being repeated TODAY by the major promotions. Remember that mirror gimmick where Hogan (and the audience) could see Warrior in the mirror, but nobody else in the room could? Did you know WWE tried that stunt not just ONCE, but TWICE? Many of these lessons not learned are highlighted and pointed out… although there are a couple lessons that have been “learned.” Remember when WCW unmasked Rey Mysterio Jr? You don’t? Well, good. Nobody else does, either.

In the original book, the epilogue covered the mismanaged Invasion that dominated WWF television for the latter half of 2001. Sadly, that entire chapter has been excised from this new edition, but in its place is a laundry list of all the stupid things that TNA Impact Wrestling has done over the course of its dozen year existence… and it is just as lengthy as the original epilogue. It is, perhaps, the closest thing you’re going to get to a Death Of TNA book… assuming such an event happens sooner than later.

All in all, this expanded edition is worthy of being added to your library, even if you already have the original book. It’s the same book with some expanded bits, but feels different enough that it’s worth taking up another slot on the shelf. Those who didn’t care for the book the first time… well, I doubt anything here will change your mind, but this version feels more complete.

A hearty recommendation.

RAW Numbers Are Low

“How the fuck is Roman Reigns
Superstar Of The Year
When He’s Been Hurt for Half of It?”
-Anonymous WWE Fan

From today’s WON update:
http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/96-wwe-news/40371-raw-falls-near-record-low

“Raw did 3.51 million viewers last night, the lowest rating for the show since a Christmas Eve show in 2012. It was the lowest non-holiday audience for Raw since December 3, 2012, a show that did 3.43 million viewers, and one of the lowest rated non-holiday episodes since 1997.”

Anyone still want to argue that a vacationing Brock Lesnar as WWE World Champion is best for business? Because I think the above just proved otherwise.

Part of me is suddenly rooting for a 16th John Cena World title reign.

5 Days Of Shitsmas… Living Up To The Label

For anyone who cares about my thoughts on the “12 Days Of Shitsmas” AVGN marathon… the name is indeed appropriate.

Day 1: Tagin’ Dragon
Not much to say about this one; typical Nerd thing.

Day 2: ALF (Master System)
I’m assuming Mike Matei wrote the script for this one because this has his trademark puppet sex fetish obsession all over this one. Terrible episode.

Day 3: Crazybus (Genesis)
Like I said in the video, it’s a fucking tech demo.

Day 4: Ren & Stimpy: Fire Dogs (SNES)
This one’s alright. Not quite funny, but there’s enough here that it could pass for a review… somewhat.

Day 5: Rocky & Bullwinkle (NES)
Terrible, predictable, unfunny, the epitome of non-medy, felt like I was watching an old NC17Productions video rather than a Nerd video… although given the quality of the substance, the two are practically interchangeable.

Final Fantasy VII Coming To PS4… Exactly As Advertised

So… I’m late to the party, but I suppose I could toss in my two cents on the matter…

SquareEnix announced Final Fantasy VII would be making its way over PS4. Almost immediately, people were thinking REMAKE. Then the trailer hit… it’s just the PC port of the game with upscaled graphics; the same version of the game that you could get on Steam for PC. And then the internet, in predictable fashion, lost their shit.

So… I’m wondering. Where did this idea come from that SquareEnix announced a remake for PS4?

Continue reading “Final Fantasy VII Coming To PS4… Exactly As Advertised”