Why Scam People Via Dating?

We live in an era now these days where we use the Internet for many things. Finding relationships is a common thing considering there's Tinder, Match and many other dating sites. We have tons of stories that end real nice. Then there's ones that are nightmares and it ends in money lost. So why does this happen? Why do people want to rip others off?

People get sucked up into the dream of finally being with the one like. There's lots of others that don't realize it and they get conned, losing thousands of dollars in the process. It may start with something small, then it escalates to higher and higher numbers before the con artist is done with them. Psychologically, this can leave the victim scarred for a good while or long time. Recovering what is lost may not always be possible.

Looking up information, it's easy to fall prey to this stuff. Preferably going to some other site as dating sites are cracking down on stopping scammers. Broken English is another easy thing to recognize. Saying they love you very quickly is another thing. There's a few other things that go into this. But the bottom line is that many get hurt. There are stories of some losing hundreds of thousands. Some lose even a million. 

Internet scams are common, but this is a growing epidemic. The fact that the FTC and FBI have articles on this says a lot. And they want you to file complaints, which is a good thing. Don't be afraid to file complaints to the FBI if you have been scammed. Those criminals deserve justice. And if you're having optimism and if things move very quickly, be cautious. When things seem too fishy, stop communicating. Block the person and ensure they can't talk to you. If you can avoid the obvious signs of a scam, you will save yourself the heartbreak and not be broke. Finding someone would be nice, but being careful is a lot more better than rushing though and getting scammed.

YouTube Videos: Dec 21-27

Marathons for TV

Especially around this part of the year, we see a lot of marathons for various movies and to a lesser extent, television shows that air for nonstop hours. It's quick ad it's a ratings grabber for a network who is putting up with more than five hours worth of  the same thing over and over. When you look at Christmas, it's clear a lot of channels do it.

It all starts with A Christmas Story. The film started to get attraction with airings during the 90s. Then in 1997, TNT started the 24 hour marathon of the film. That gets ratings, but with that mind, the landscape has changed a bit from what it was 21 years ago. Now, it's on both TNT and TBS, as a lot of networks will lump one program onto multiple channels. Turner and Viacom do this a lot. Anyway, other networks have done marathons similar to Christmas Story. FX has done it multiple movies. So has AMC, Freeform. The list goes on.

Outside of Christmas, there might be something around Thanksgiving or July 4th for a few networks. AMC is the only one now these days that airs The Godfather trilogy, and they do that around Thanksgiving just about every year. They are very long movies, but they are also beloved (the third not so much, but still) and it's something that the network can get ratings on due to rare airings and maybe not finding it on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Television shows have marathons more than movies. Ion does this a lot with various crime shows for a specific day. USA is very guilty of this with the constant marathons of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and NCIS. The way they treat other syndicated shows they have like Modern Family is downright embarrassing. But unfortunately, they get ratings, and other shows don't get the special treatment as the two. A shame, really. You don't see it with comedy shows. WGN is like this a little bit with M*A*S*H and Last Man Standing, but it's not too bad compared to dramas. Comedy Central loves The Office quite a bit, but it's usually weekends if they pick the show that they air it constantly during a part of the day.

These shows cost money to get and if costs weren't a factor, I would spice it up a bit with various shows instead of four hour airings of certain shows. For holidays, grin and bear it. It's not the worst thing in the world, even though it gets repetitive sometimes. For television shows, not much you can do. Complaining to the networks will not help you at all.

Why Cheat in Relationships?

In the last two weeks, I have been exchanging emails with a 29 year old woman who lives in Russia. She has been rather open with her life and the only relationship she has had with a guy. Ultimately, she got cheated on as he was with another woman. It upset her pretty badly.

I explained to her that some people cheat because they get tired of being around the same person for a long time. Here's I view it here. If you're in it for a long term relationship, then you have to deal with one person for good unless it's one of those polygamy relationships. I also explained to her about some people wanting someone better over who they are currently with. My view on that is that one will only make this a lot worse and cause a lot of tension and end it on a very sour note.

This can happen to both women and men. Bear that in mind. If people really wanted to be out of a relationship, they should say so bluntly. That way, it doesn't hurt much for both. If anything, they could be friends and that's it. Being on good terms is far braver than just causing more trouble and making things look worse on your part. If you're looking to cheat, don't. You will only have regret and it will make finding another person a lot more difficult and the possible what if's of being someone that could have been the one.

Aladdin Remake Outrage

Nostalgia is a two way street. Some might be excited for a fresh experience. Others will swear by the original of a TV show, film, or video game. Anything, really. The live action Aladdin that comes out next year got its first photos shown and the reaction was less than thrilling.

There are few complaints here and there for some, but the biggest I'm looking at is over the Genie. Obviously, it's one of the most iconic characters in Disney's run of adaptations and it's animated 1992 feature was done by the late Robin Williams. His performance was legendary and paved the way studios looked at animated films with celebrities. Will Smith plays the live action version and the complaints are so stupid. I think people are getting very high hopes up and then being disappointed. Very disappointed.

I'm not expecting this adaptation to be identical scene for scene like the animated one. Nostalgia is very powerful here and the comparisons to Williams will be there for Smith. He's not really a comedy guy despite how well loved The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is to this day. Most of his stuff since 1996 has been action and dramas. We are too quick to judge on these first photos, which show Smith without any blue on his body. It doesn't come out until the end of May and the fact that he had to assure people that it will be a blue character shows the amount of impatience over how the character is.

Until a full trailer trailer comes out and the film is properly edited, this is a pure overreaction. The animated Aladdin is my favorite classic Disney animated film, but I'm not going in expecting this to be similar as I said earlier. Let's wait and see. It's just a movie character. Not a big deal unless they royally screwed it up.

YouTube Videos: Dec 14-20

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 6

No Tumblr Adult Activity For You!

Over the past year, adult stuff has been disappearing. Craigslist got rid of personals after a new bill went into effect with the efforts to stop sex trafficking. Tumblr has decided to put an effort to curb adult content and in the last two weeks, it's been met with negative results. Let's just say with no pun intended, people are upset about it and are looking to other sites, even though it's not entirely an adult site.

Unless I'm mistaken, this is Tumblr themselves doing this. There are sites that have their more innocent stuff. Innocent enough where it isn't explicit. Then there is the adult sections, which give warnings that it's very adult. Pornography is one of those things that has been combated over the years. It's typically frowned upon and certain materials is a huge no that leads to suspects getting arrested. What I see Tumblr doing is trying to not get rid of all their adult stuff, but have a warning on what can and can't be posted on their website.

I don't venture into Tumblr much, so I can't form an opinion. The Verge actually has a good article on this and it seems like they are struggling for now until they figure it all out. This stuff takes time. What will truly matter is the numbers of people going to the site after they have their censorship finished. Now these days, the effort to combat sex rings and trafficking is increasing. And I hope people understand that.

When it's all said and done, Tumblr will still be around and the complaints are not going to be as big when they have control of how they censor.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/17/18141106/tumblr-porn-ban-adult-content-appeal

A New Raven Soaring

With another win today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Baltimore Ravens have put a ton of pressure on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Announcements have been made about the benching of their 11 year veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in favor of rookie Lamar Jackson. The proof is in the pudding right now, and the Ravens have become a big threat to the AFC.

As far as throwing the ball, Jackson is okay. It's not wowing by any means, but he does enough to get by. His totals after today's game are just over 800 yards passing, five touchdowns and three picks. The one thing that is a huge help is the ground game. Baltimore has rushed for over 200 in four of the last five, putting them in the top three in total rushing yards. Jackson has made it to almost 600 yards by just running. Combined with the defense playing strong despite the eight and six record, they could be in the running for a division title.

Quite frankly, I think Flacco was playing on borrowed time. Since the 2012 season that ended with a Super Bowl title, the Ravens haven't been the same. Defensively, they've changed a bit. The run game has been inconsistent. Flacco's ability as a quarterback has either been okay or bad or he has been missing time due to injury. He didn't live up to his big contract. What's funny is that they went through a number of quarterbacks prior to his arrival in 2008.

Whether Jackson lives up to the potential is a tale only he can tell. Baltimore may either have their future or he can crash and burn. I want to see the former out of him.

YouTube Videos: Dec 7-13

Nintendo's Continued Misunderstandings

For a step forward, Nintendo goes two steps backwards. The stuff they have done in the last 10 years or so leaves a lot of question marks to what have accomplished. One of these is their stance on YouTube. It's Creator's Program was met with a lot of criticism a few years ago and was a black eye to anyone that either were monetizing or just showing the games they had. A few weeks back, they announced the end of the program.

You would think in theory this would be good. Nintendo would let loose with their policies. And you would be wrong. They have made some guidelines now with different policies. Most notably is that you can't do videos unless you have commentary put into it. Mainly for reviews and let's plays. Anything that has no commentary could be up for flagging. The same can be said for any hacks and homebrews of games that have Nintendo IP's in it. And I'll assume that it goes for every system they have ever made. Not just modern systems, but the NES and everything else in between.

I have only uploaded one Nintendo game with a number of videos and that was the original Super Mario Bros. My assumption at the time was that they were going after the Wii, Wii U, DS, and 3DS. I was wrong. My videos are still up, but I have never done another Nintendo game since. It's sad because I like some of their content and franchises. This new policy will hurt a number of channels. Cubex55 (World of Longplays) might not exist one day because of Nintendo. Even though they have an archive on their website, they would lose tons of Amiga videos, Sega, Atari, everything. Another is a user that goes by the name of packattack04082. His primary focus is Nintendo and Lego games. Maybe some other kids games, but they get tons of views. Millions to be exact. Losing a channel like that would frustrate a lot of video watchers.

I can understand if it was just anything from the Wii and DS up to the Switch. But why still have policies for NES up to GameCube if they are still doing that? I get they are within their rights, but Nintendo is still out of touch with reality. This isn't the mid 90s where the Internet is a new thing. Sure, there are other companies that have similar policies, but they make things a lot worse. This is only going to create a lot more backlash. And quite frankly, it's only going to turn off more people. Not everyone likes commentary. Having only those type of videos is a bad idea.

Nintendo's approaches to the Internet just screams trying to have strict control at times. I wouldn't mind doing reviews of some their games, but my views on them are not always that positive about them. We'll have to see how things go, but it's not going to be pretty. A step forward but two steps backwards.

The Plenty of Fish Experiement

I've dabbled with some online dating over the past year or so. It's intriguing and when I first started going with that concept, I viewed it as more of an experiment. And it became more evident when I started using Plenty of Fish. It has been around for well over a decade. In my few months of trying this site, it definitely has its perks, but problems at the same time.

As far as features, they have it narrowed down to some specifics. Stuff like distance, their appearance, do they drink or smoke. They have the stuff that some worry about. Once you're registered, it's rather simple to search via things like education and whether they are online or not. Messaging is basic and gets to the point. If you succeed, you're in luck.

One of the negatives is that if you want to upgrade, you need to pay. That means credit cards or PayPal. It's the nature of the beast as a number of sites do this. I don't and neither do a number of people. Expect one thing and that is scammers. Obviously, some don't want to wind up in a catfish scenario.

I don't know how common it is for others, but it seems like I keep getting responses from other women who want me to visit a virus infested site or text their number into a scam. Luckily, I'm not that gullible. When it's women that actually want a relationship, sometimes they are rather quiet about what they want out of it. Others are very open. The most common interest I see out of them is hiking. I don't buy into that. But I do see quite a bit of redneck country girls. The whole thing. Fishing, hunting, mudding, you name it. Part of me wants someone that isn't a total redneck, but isn't against doings something like fishing.

Personally, I think it's a decent site that you should try at least a couple of times because you can get responses from your messages. How much patience you have will be the true test.

Doom 1993 (DOS) Review/Thoughts

Back in 1995, my family got a Packard Bell computer running Windows 95. For a few years, we would be on the Internet via dial-up, doing school work, and for me, playing PC games. I didn't play too many games, but the few I played are ones I remember deeply. Doom is one of those games. Coming out December 10, 1993, it became one of the biggest phenomenons of the 90s, finding success and controversy. It's one of the greatest games ever made and still gets a lot of love today.

For one thing, the gameplay is to the point. The whole game is similar to Wolfenstein 3D, but in it's style. It's level designs are more complex as you search areas of Mars and its moons for keys to find the exits. Hundreds of enemies are all around and the gunplay is fantastic. Various forms of killing come from using a shotgun, plasma rifle, the BFG 9000. Even enemies that hurt others, which was an early example of infighting.

The initial release had three episodes, each with eight levels and a secret ninth one. Find the exit, and you finish the level. You fight a boss on the last one of the episode. A lot of the fighting either takes place in tight corridors or some open space areas. A lot of basic stuff. There's tons of secrets lying. Controlling the space marine is very simple. It can be modified to your liking.

It holds its own graphically. The amount of detail at the time to the areas and backgrounds. Just the advancements between this and Wolfenstein is noticeable. Id Software captured a good sense of a 3D world. Another aspect that was given a lot of care is the audio. The music does metal rip off tracks and scary music tracks. It adds to the environment of being alone and the adrenaline pumping gameplay depending on the track being played. Sound effects are great and it's all done in stereo sound.

There's a lot you can say about Doom. Its legacy is very huge. Being able to look, sound, and play great on a DOS computer back then was a huge accomplishment. From the beginnings of just getting a scrolling screen for Commander Keen in 1990 to the ultimate first person shooter experience, it takes time to get to that greatest game ever made.

Score: 10 out of 10

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

I wish this game would come out now, but alas,we'll have to wait. There was a rumor floating around this week of a Crash Team Racing game. Of course, speculation comes into play and it became true. A remaster of the game is slated for late June on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The original was the last Naughty Dog game for the original PlayStation way back in the fall of 1999. To a number of people, this is better than Mario Kart. The single player feels well done. There's nothing cheap about it. It's fair. No bullshit weapons that bombard you at the last second. An adventure mode similar to Diddy Kong Racing. Tournaments and split screen racing. It did everything right. Only thing that it doesn't have over Mario Kart is multiplayer, but the single player is more than satisfying.

I think it's a bit of a shocker that CTR is coming back. How it will handle 90s designs for the modern day will be a question in itself. With N. Sane Trilogy, outside of some controls for the first game, it played rather well. But this isn't a platformer. If it can perform good speeds on your own, the multiplayer and the new online mode, I'll be pleased. Until then, get hyped. When June comes, I'm definitely getting a copy.

YouTube Videos: Nov 30-Dec 6

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 5

Talk about the late Stephen Hillenburg, Black Friday, the Washington Redskins, and school closings.

Cheesed at Arizona

Since 1992, the Green Bay Packers have been a powerhouse franchise for the NFL. My thoughts are that they are overrated, especially more so in recent memory compared to the Brett Favre years. That being said, I'd figured there would be a point where head coach Mike McCarthy was going to be fired. Let's just say I wasn't thinking it was going to happen until the end of the year. Whatever the case, the Packers let him go after an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

What was the problem? If I were to guess, it was the expectations for the year. A different look on both sides of the ball. This is with a healthy Aaron "Hollywood" Rodgers, who was coming off an injury season along with being shut down towards the end of the year. The passing is there. A problem lies in the fact that he has no one to throw it to. Davante Adams is the only guy that has put up any valiant effort, eclipsing 1,100 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns for the year. The next big receiver is tight end Jimmy Graham, but he and two others are tied for second in touchdown receptions at two. Graham's yards are also at just above 450. I think teams are willing to give up big plays to Adams, but know to stop the others. A banged up and declining Randall Cobb doesn't help either.

Ever since Ryan Grant's injury at the start of the 2010 season, Green Bay has not been a good running team. It seemed their fortunes would be decent with Eddie Lacy and James Starks for a few years, but after that, it's back to being abysmal. To be fair, Aaron Jones stats are okay and the best they have had in three years. That doesn't excuse the inconsistent ground game and the need to over rely on Rodgers. This one dimensional aspect usually does not work. In the 13 years of having McCarthy, only being able to produce one Super Bowl and a bunch of disappointment leads to poking a lot of holes at the way Green Bay is coached.

Of course, there's the defense. Since the 2010 season, it has either been very good, middle tiered, or dreadful. Even with giving up tons of yards, the Packers are a turnover machine. A reason why was the ability to pick off numerous quarterbacks. It's a completely different defense, and the struggles to create takeaways is noticeable. Outside of a few veterans, it's a rag tag group of young players trying to fit in with the veterans. It's not like it's going to be a quick fix, but good luck explaining it to Packer fans.

Ultimately, this comes down to questionable play calling, the poor running attack, and the group on defense. I think the writing was on the wall, even with the amount of success McCarthy has had since 2006. Too much disappointment. Whoever is the next coach will have some very big shoes to fill in. NFL title town is in Wisconsin and the expectations will be very high on whoever is next and if they can reach and win another Super Bowl. Until then, the Packers will have to finish the season in strong fashion. Their chances to have a playoff wild card spot diminished with this ugly loss.

Kareem Hunt and Bad Journalism

I do shake my head in disgust at stuff like TMZ, Inside Edition, and other stuff that is basically paparazzi or bad journalism. The effort to make stories is very minimal and it drives into nothing but hate. In the last 24 hours, Kansas City Chiefs running back has been cut for a February incident that including assaulting a woman. A video had just been posted to TMZ and the club released him.

If it was a recent incident in the last week or two, I wouldn't be bothered to do a blog. But from an incident in February? I do think what Hunt did was very stupid and completely unnecessary. What's making me scratch my head at this is why wait until a critical part of the NFL season? Is TMZ trying to sabotage the Chiefs? I want to say yes, but I don't know. We're a month away from football playoffs, and it changes everything in the AFC.

There's a reason why the paparazzi has been hated for over 20 years. Ever since the car accident that killed Princess Diana in France, it puts these so called journalists below tons of professionals. While TMZ may be looked at and sourced by certain TV channels and newspapers, it doesn't mean they are a completely innocent group. Going after celebrities and specific incidents make them no different than ambulance chasers. This could be the case with Hunt, even though what he did was wrong.

One of these days, someone from TMZ, Inside Edition, or one of those paparazzi sites or shows, is going to get killed for sticking their nose into a thing that they shouldn't have been. It only takes one major incident for things to have major change. Whether the Chiefs or NFL does something to look further into whether TMZ did this deliberately, I don't know. Either way, whoever posted the video is going to get a lot, and I mean, a lot of hate.

YouTube Videos: Nov 23-29

The Genius of Stephen Hillenburg

News is spreading now of the passing of Stephen Hillenburg. His name is synonymous with Nickelodeon, a network he had worked for for a very long time going back to 1993. Even though it's only a couple of cartoons, they are amongst the most recognized in not just the cable realm, but for cartoons and the entire television spectrum.

If you were to ask me my favorite cartoon on Nickelodeon, it would be Rocko's Modern Life. Even though Hillenburg didn't create it, he was instrumental to a lot of what made the show special. It was a bit tame compared to Ren and Stimpy, but it wasn't playing safe like Doug and Rugrats. Him and a number of those writers created a world of over the top moments, and stuff that can cater to both kids and adults. A lot of fun satire and normal day things being very dangerous. It's amazing how much they got away with, and it holds up surprisingly well. There's no gimmicks to Rocko, and with that, it stands out a lot more.

Of course, we can't talk Hillenburg without talking SpongeBob SquarePants. It's been on the air since May of 1999 and hasn't stopped. Personally, I stopped watching it probably over a decade ago once they really dumbed down the characters tremendously and either aimed to be like Family Guy or some other cartoon. However, you can't deny the blueprints for those first few years. One thing I just realized was that he was a Marine Biologist. I'll assume that's what made him want to have this kind of show.

SpongeBob is a different premise, but yet, similar to Rocko. It is a bit more lighter toned, but you still have those over the top moments and stuff that caters to both kids and adults. What also helps is that there is more of a wide range of characters, almost like what The Simpsons is. Even though the focus is on a couple handfuls of people, there is still the community of Bikini Bottom and all sorts of events that occur. Hillenburg and his staff created a world that is memorable and easy to recognize. Some of their early stuff is amongst some of the best known material not just for the show, but for television overall.

It's tragic of ALS claiming yet another person. The world is less fun with Hillenburg being gone.

Creed II Review

My thoughts on Creed was that it was not anything impressive or revolutionary. However, it was still a solid movie and a way to continue the Rocky series of films. Creed II continues with that same mantra, but is more settled in as you know the new set of characters. I'd say it's better than the first Creed. And I'm saying that as someone who, even with the trailers, wasn't sure what kind of movie it was going to be.

Adonis Johnson Creed is finally becoming a household name. He finds himself as one of the top boxers. Rocky is at his corner for the fights. Bianca is still by his side through thick and thin. Things are all well. In the Ukraine, Viktor Drago is a very lethal fighter. Trained by father Ivan, his life is hell. Both had endured so much since Ivan's loss to Rocky that it exiled them from Soviet Russia. The hope to bring glory back to them and Russia sends them to Philadelphia for a fight against Adonis.

Going in, I was somewhat expecting something over the top like Rocky IV. Being down to earth helps Creed II and doesn't stray away from what made the first one good. This is similar to Creed, but sprinkled with Rocky II, III, and IV. However, it doesn't wind up being a one sided amount of screen time with one set of characters. They give Ivan and Viktor a decent amount of time and they create a fair amount of backstory for Ivan. Another thing is that they are not portrayed as super villains. They are just people trying to make a name for themselves once again. Otherwise, it's still a gritty film.

Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone are still great and provide a nice chemistry as fighter and trainer. They feed off each other with phenomenal performances that feels very real as Adonis and Rocky. Tessa Thompson is excellent and I like that Bianca is given a lot of development. There is more to her compared to Adrian. A lot more, and she is a complete character. Between the three characters, they provide a strong emotional roller coaster of ups and downs.

Going with the amount of time with the Dragos, Dolph Lundgren is portrayed as more than just a puppet and an emotionless person with Ivan. He wants the good life and it will have to take blood, sweat, and tears for his son to bring them back to glory. Viktor is similar to what his father was in Rocky IV, minus the steroids. That being said, he does have some things to say and he takes a lot of abuse verbally in order to stay strong.

The boxing is about as brutal as you can get without becoming an R rated film. It comes off very real and not over the top compared to a few of the Rocky sequels. As I said about the first Creed, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys took actual damage from some of those punches. Some very strong choreography helps quite a bit, and the training is not overly ridiculous.

Clocking in at just under two hours, Creed II has its own identity while still being a sequel to the Rocky franchise. It stands out a lot more and continues to have a solid foundation for its characters and create some strong drama and sports action. Also quite a few surprises, too. This is a must watch. Head to your theater and see it. You won't be disappointed.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

Ralph Breaks The Internet Review

Along with Super Troopers 2, Ralph Breaks The Internet was a film I had been anticipating for and wanting to see in the theater. I saw the original a few weeks after it came out and enjoyed it a lot. This one is a solid effort, but not as strong as the first.

Things go awry when the steering wheel of Sugar Rush breaks thanks to Ralph. Mr. Litwak is not keen on getting it fixed. The machine is unplugged and many of the inhabitants are left homeless. Litwak has also gotten with the times and added Wi-Fi to the old arcade. Ralph and Vanellope venture into the world of Wi-Fi and the Internet in hopes of finding that part and trying to pay off the costs of it.

One thing I'll get out of the way is that it stays consistently funny with tons of moments and little gags that make for good entertainment. As far as making fun of the Internet, it gets its point across through the various websites without overstaying its welcome on their purposes. One example is the Disney princesses scene, which was in the trailers. It doesn't come off as a cheap one time gag that lasts for a minute. A bit of thought was put into it, as are some of the other websites.

There is a lot more dedication towards both Ralph and Vanellope. Both John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman deliver solid performances as the two characters and provide a good combo of both comedy and drama while exploring the Internet. A few new characters get some screen time. One is Shank, voiced by Gal Gadot. She gives the story a shot in the arm with the writers take on online gaming and contributes to Vanellope's thoughts about life beyond Sugar Rush and Ralph. The other is Yesss. I don't care much for Taraji P. Henson, but she doesn't come as overbearing with her character. Like Shank, she adds a bit to the story, but to the parody of YouTube. Really, both characters are not written as people you forget about during the nearly two hours of the movie.

Fix it Felix and Sgt. Calhoun both return with their original voices, but are mostly afterthoughts. I'm not complaining much about that. There are plenty of game characters in their brief scenes, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Chun-Li, and Pac-Man. It definitely is more along the lines of a popcorn flick, though. The story is not the greatest, but there's worse. Ralph has a bit of a stubborn attitude at times throughout it. It doesn't make it unwatchable, but as a character, he's not as strong like in the first one. Other than those two things, some complaints might be towards being a product placement for various sites to add in some cheap gags. It's noticeable, but I don't think it detracts from the overall experience.

There aren't too many options other than The Grinch, but Ralph 2 is something to watch in the theater. Go check it out. Not as strong as the first, but still a good solid movie.

Score: 7 out of 10

To Understand Convenience

Another year, another Black Friday. Its numbers were very strong, but one area it did more in, it was more in the online spectrum than going to a store.

There is a comfort zone for many people. For ones that go online, it's knowing they can look for something they want, order it, and not wait in line at a store. Around this time of the year, it can be very hectic. Maybe some violence if it goes that far. Some stores may not have an adequate amount of product or if they do, it may run out quickly if it's the hot item of the holiday season.

Companies are mostly set on knowing that they have tons of people ordering online. That being said, it does hurt them if they don't get enough feet to enter their stores and look at the products and make that purchase. Everyone has their own preferences. I'm more of the type to go to the actual store. Maybe I'll do more online one day, but I'm good with what I do now. But there will be others that will have the convenience to be sitting on their computer, cobbling together their list and in a flash finding them.

It's not a case of too much power from certain Internet websites. People want to avoid headaches of travel, weather and other circumstances. And that needs to be understood.

YouTube Videos: Nov 16-22

Geeks and Jocks Episode 4: Console Buyers Guide

Deep Down in NFL's 2018 Season

We approach the last stretch of the season where the next five or six games will make a huge difference for NFL teams. Some quick thoughts:

The Pittsburgh Steelers look like a good favorite to have a good playoff run. With an ability to run with James Conner and a defense that has held its own, they provide Ben Roethlisberger at least another chance for a third Super Bowl title with him. Baltimore might have a quarterback controversy unless they part ways with Joe Flacco, which I doubt will happen. Lamar Jackson had a strong game against Cincinnati, but whether he can cobble up more victories is something that he'll have to prove.

A handful of AFC teams sit at five and five records following yesterday's games. The Indianapolis Colts have been on a tear in a month's span and could be a favorite for the Wild Card if they continue the hot streak. Tennessee has been rather inconsistent and an injury from Marcus Mariota only adds to the issues they have. What Baltimore does depends on who shows up and plays their guts out. And slumping Cincinnati has a certain problem depending on the game they have. They are slowly fading and they have to get their act together in order to even secure a Wild Card spot. The LA Chargers were stunned and while they are a playoff favorite, getting the AFC West from Kansas City just got tougher.

With Alex Smith's gruesome leg injury in Washington, the NFC East is up for grabs. It's a stretch to say any of them could win it, but Dallas seems the most favorable. With a decent group on both sides of the ball, they could find themselves winning the division. Philadelphia experienced another painful loss, but in embarrassing fashion against New Orleans. A thinning secondary that is banged up and a inconsistent running makes up a recipe for a Super Bowl hangover.

The NFC North has a similar story, but Chicago has built a strong year, including a current four game winning streak. A smothering defense and a young offensive group could mean a playoff berth for the first time since 2010. Minnesota might have experience, but a poor ground game and injuries on defense could keep crippling them. Plus, you never know what version of Kirk Cousins you're getting. Green Bay might have their star quarterback, but an inconsistent running attack and poor defensive unit make it hard to determine if they even have a shot for the Wild Card. Detroit could also have a shot, but like the rest of the North, they will need a lot of luck.

New Orleans look to be the Super Bowl favorite. Every facet playing very strong has them very hungry for a second Super Bowl title. The momentum is high and they need to keep playing on a high level. Carolina might still have a Wild Card spot, but after a bad decision at the end of their loss to Detroit, it might be a bitter pill to swallow and a game that could hurt them. Still, they have a decent offense and defense. Atlanta's regressions continue and their chances to even make the playoffs are slim. No strong ground game and a shaky defense make it tough to see them as a Wild Card team.

The Rams are another Super Bowl favorite and if they were to face New Orleans in the playoffs, it could be a game for the ages because of both sides being equally great. With a big win this past Thursday, Seattle has put themselves in the running for a Wild Card spot. A better running attack and young defensive unit has helped compliment Russell Wilson's ability to keep throwing touchdowns.

Who do I think gets the playoff spots as of this blog? In the AFC, the Pats will have the East again. Pittsburgh will win the North. Houston continues on and gets the South. Kansas City has the West. Wild Cards would be the Chargers and Colts. For the NFC, Dallas gets the East. (Was thinking Washington before Smith's injury) Chicago holds on and gets the North. New Orleans has the South, as does the Rams in the West. Wild Cards would be Carolina and Seattle.

My guess for teams that could sneak in are Baltimore and Minnesota. The season is still a bit away from being finished, but crunch time is the name of the game now.

End of Atari Systems: Jaguar

My father was a teenager when Atari started to become a successful company in the 70s. From their beginnings with games like Pong and advancing to the arcades and home consoles, it seemed like nothing could go wrong. But it did, resulting in many home console failures. Even with trying the handheld area and doing okay until the Sega Game Gear, nobody cared about Atari products except the arcades.

I've never really played Atari too much other than a few handfuls of games. Their exit from a manufacturer is one that seemed inevitable with their final system turning 25 next week. The Jaguar was an attempt to be more powerful than the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. In that same breath, it was also going for new generational 3D, which was also the future. It's claim was that it was 64-bit and their slogan, "Do the Math." A very dumb slogan and when you judge the graphics, it's anything but 64. With 2D games, they ranged from average to very good. Ubisoft's Rayman is a prime example of doing something intended for that kind of hardware. Then there's 3D games like the launch title Cybermorph, which looks horrible graphically and tons of pop-up.

Of course, third parties weren't buying into this or to a lesser extent, 3DO. Shelling out 250 dollars is not horribly priced for 1993, but the efforts from Atari were minimal. Sure, they still had arcades, but they were finished with computers and whatever remaining systems they had around 1992. The company was doing most of the heavy work and trying to go after the newest fads. There was a handful of fighting games that imitated their competitors. The first person shooter games are well regarded with Alien vs. Predator and Doom. Some arcade ports like Raiden and NBA Jam Tournament Edition were stand outs.

One of the last ditch attempts to stay relevant came with the release of the Jaguar CD. Overall, the Jaguar was an ultimate failure. It had just over 50 games with the CD having a couple handfuls. Add in a clunky controller many didn't care for, poor graphics and marketing along with a few other things, and it faded into obscurity. Atari stopped with systems in 1996 and focused on making games for others. That being said, the Jaguar is still a relevant system today because of homebrews. There's quite a bit with about as many as the entire Jaguar cartridge library.

Part of me likes Atari, but poor handling of business is why they are irrelevant to my generation and most people that aren't my father's age.

YouTube Videos: Nov 9-15

Creed Review

How about a double review for this Tuesday? I have seen all six Rocky movies, but Creed was something I thought about seeing in theaters in 2015 and forgot about it. With the news this year of the upcoming sequel, I needed to get caught up. What I watched was good, but nothing impressive.

Other than the first five minutes or so, I felt like I was watching a grittier version of the first Rocky. Adonis Johnson, who was conceived by Apollo Creed because of an affair, is a scrappy person who likes fighting. Even though Apollo's wife, Mary Anne, takes him in as a child, he still has thoughts about boxing, which includes some bouts in Mexico while working a regular job as an adult. He quits and decides to go full time boxing. With that, he heads for Philadelphia to see if Rocky Balboa will train him.

In a way, it is like viewing the first Rocky, though it's not directly similar as far as Adonis' story goes. The relationship between the two is similar to how Rocky and Mickey were. Rocky is not exactly willing to go back to the ring as a mentor and trainer, but decides to. Mickey was somewhat like that, but he didn't want to waste time training bums considering he could train other contenders. Adonis wants to make a name for himself and the training is a combination of the first three films, which includes the chicken bit that originated from Rocky II. Basically, Rocky wants to see if the kid has the stuff and if he is not a pretender.

As far as the character relationship goes, Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone gel together quite well and give great performances as Adonis and Rocky. You feel the ups and downs as they battle personal issues and the training to be the best. Outside of the training, there is also the relationship between Adonis and Bianca, played by Tessa Thompson. Luckily, it doesn't go the route of what Rocky and Adrian had. It's more along the line of hate and then turning into love. Bianca is also not afraid to say what is on her mind, but as a whole, the character is more than just a supporting role as she experiences some of the highs and lows that Adonis has.

Like all the others, there is the boxing. We get to see a few, which includes the final scenes of the film. Taking a page from Rocky V and Balboa, they got some real boxers for them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they took some major damage from some of those punches. They are not portrayed as villains, which makes it feel more real and grittier. It's not a show like the first Rocky, nor is it over the top like III and IV.

It is very lengthy, but there is more than enough to keep you watching. Like I said, it doesn't impress me, but Creed doesn't need to do anything revolutionary. It continues on the legacy of the Rocky series. Judging by what they doing with the newest one that comes out soon, being a drama is what makes the movies work and when done right, it makes the experience a lot more better.

Score: 7 out of 10

The Grinch (2018) Review

In my mind, I've enjoyed the few adaptations that How the Grinch Stole Christmas has had. The special from the 60s is enjoyable and one of the greatest specials. Other than a few dark things, I liked (and many others I knew as well) the 2000 live action film with Jim Carrey. To say this newest take on it is interesting to say the least. An animated version from Illumination would certainly raise some eyebrows, both good and bad. It's better than you think.

As with following, the idea of the Grinch stealing Christmas is the main basis of the plot. A problem with the live action film was adding enough to keep people interested for an hour and 40 minutes. This one has that issue, too, but not as bad. This version of Grinch, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, is not as mean, but he can pull off some dastardly stuff. His backstory as a kid is similar to the live action one, though with different reasons for hating Christmas. His dog, Max, is still loyal, and there is a bond between the two you don't see in the cartoon or film. At least in terms of them getting along.

The town of Whoville is a bit more unique with people being more excited for Christmas. That was the case in the live action film, but that was more about competition and glorification of gifts and stuff like that. Here, it's people waiting for that day and celebrating it. Their take on Cindy Lou Who is a lot more friendlier take. They make simply a kid and enjoying her life, all while wanting things to be good for her single mother, who does lots of things for her and her twin baby brothers. Among the other noticeable people for the town is Mr. Bricklebaum. He provides some of the laughs with trying to get the Grinch to get into the holiday spirit. 

Visually, it's a very clean looking film. A lot more lighter toned than the live action take. The characters are a combo of what Dr Seuss created along with the style Illumination does.It's take on Whoville is very beautiful in capturing a Christmas town. Regarding the script, there's a fine balance of giving the main characters adequate time and enough to provide substance to their plots. It's not over the top or cheesy for a kids film. This doesn't rely on fart jokes or anything gross, which is surprising but also a bit of a breath of fresh air. 

It is pretty short, but not to the point where it is boring. My only big complaint is the Grinch sounding like multiple characters. Then again, it's not easy to have an idea of what he should sound like. I do think they nailed it and got a good interpretation of him. There aren't too many choices for the holiday season that isn't a Disney movie (Wreck it Ralph 2 comes out next week) for kids, but at the very least, The Grinch is a safe option. Not my number one recommendation for kids stuff, but a choice you can use if you want to see this in the theater with your family or kids. 

Score: 6.5-7 out of 10

Gamers Don't Understand PS Classic

I'm going into this blog saying I am not defending the lineup of titles that the PS Classic has. But the inclusion has frustrated a lot of gamers, even though they have never been the target audience for these Classics on Nintendo and the upcoming PlayStation version. With PlayStation, it's not as easy considering there are tons more of titles that are fondly looked at. Here are the issues:

1. Licenses: That means titles like Tony Hawk can't make it because of licensed music and the skaters. Obviously, sports games are out of the question. Stuff like Harry Potter can't make it. Should be pretty simple to understand. There have been complaints about Crash Bandicoot not being on it. Same with Spyro the Dragon Tomb Raider, and some other franchises. Part of it is the first two being owned by Activision now instead of Sony, both of which have seen multiple publishers over the past 22 years, and the last one possibly being the result of being bought by Square Enix. It's hard to dissect that, but this stuff costs money. Sony may have a lot of money, but they can't waste a ton of it on licenses.

2. Source codes: I'm reminded of reading a bit of N. Sane Trilogy of having to do the first three Crash Bandicoot games from scratch because of lost source codes. Tons of companies may not have the original files to bring something some of their titles to the PS Classic. If the intent is to look exactly like it was on the original, then it might be shit out of luck.

3. Dead Companies: Basic and simple to understand. That means any original titles unless they were bought by another company (which that could be a hassle in itself), will never make it to anything including Classics.

4. Representation: Looking at the lineup, I think Sony was looking to use a variety of genres. When you have that many titles to pick, it's tough. And that's where the gamers get frustrated. Frustrated that isn't more Final Fantasies, or more Resident Evils or any of that. This lineup is not intended for fanboys. If it were, it would be a role playing game or Japanese only set and lack of many genres and/or representation of America and Europe.

It's not that simple for Sony compared to Nintendo. PlayStation is remembered for not just their first party but tons of third party games that are beloved. Some of my favorites are not Sony games like Medal of Honor, Driver, Metal Gear Solid. This stuff doesn't come free and if you want free, go use an emulator. Honestly, these Classics are not for me and I understand. Plus, I have a number of those games, so the appeal is not there for me. Part of me wishes gamers were not that stubborn and would understand that it's not easy to pick titles. Their choices would be complained at as well. Cut and dry, it's a lose lose situation.

YouTube Videos: Nov 2-8

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 3

First Impression: Red Dead Redemption II

Normally, I don't buy games that close around their release date. There are exceptions, and Red Dead Redemption II is one of those examples. It has been a game that has been on my radar for a good while and I loved the first Redemption when I first played it on Xbox 360 back in 2012. Now to play the new one on PS4, I'm liking it so far. Maybe a tad bit below the first, but still good.

It's 1899 and a prequel to Redemption. Dutch Van der Linde and his gang must survive the land in their attempt to get money and have a fresh start. That is if they can stay out of trouble, which is very slim. So far from the story, it's a tight group that works together to commit crimes or find stuff that will lead them to easy money.

You are Arthur Morgan, and the game is in a way like GTA: San Andreas. Taking care of him is a must with feeding him, with options to trim his hair, and statistics such as stamina and total health. There isn't too much depth, but it's good enough. Otherwise, it's an open world Western where it plays like Redemption with a mix of GTA V. It will be riding horses, helping or hurting strangers, and playing a variety of mini games like poker, horseshoes, and five finger filet.

The game looks very gorgeous. This is about as photo realistic as you can get. I'm not sure if the hardware on either system has reached its limits. Its scenery, especially in the very beginning with the snow effects and the mountain, is stunning and a sight to see. Outside of that, the character modeling is very real, the areas depict a Western that is nearing the final stages, which it was during that time period. What else needs to be said that hasn't been said already? Given the audio, it's not too Western like, but decent enough. The voices are done very well. Both facets were given good enough care.

For gunplay, it's mainly finding cover and taking care of any bad guys that get in the way. Other times, it might be getting someone to stop or just putting one shot in them to stop. If not, you can use a lasso. You can still loot them or put them on your horse Like the first, you can hunt animals, but it takes a lot more skill than just a simple skinning of them and selling parts for money and survival. Be weary, as some of them can kill you rather quickly. There is a good variety of rifles, shotguns, and handguns that have various pros and cons, and choosing the right one could make the difference.

Like any game from Rockstar, you have missions. So far, I've played mainly lengthy ones. Normally, that would bother me in something like GTA and L.A. Noire, but it feels more complex and slower paced here. Going after other outlaws or stopping trains is not as simple as you think. Even the first Redemption felt that way, too. With it being an entire gang, you have to put your contributions in, so you'll have to find a way to mix in doing missions and doing stuff when in between them.

I'll wrap up by saying Red Dead Redemption is a must buy. Rockstar delivered on another solid product and I will keep getting further into it and see how much my thought changes after playing it more.

When Is Too Early, Too Early?

Halloween was last week, so you definitely saw some stuff for it a bit ahead of time with decor, candy, and a few other things. Same with fall stuff. Where I am going with this has to be about Christmas. Not even halfway through October, I am at a store and I already see Christmas stuff being sold. That bothered me a bit and it begged the question which is the title of this blog.

I think it was way, way too early to start having some Christmas stuff. The problem, unfortunately, is companies trying to get their share in and try to get as much profit in a more sustainable period of time. Competition has always been fierce, but it seems a lot more noticeable compared to years past. I'd say the last 10 years or so, maybe longer, we have seen the Internet become a much stronger presence. When you look at the stranglehold Amazon has, there's more than enough concern from companies to get ahead.

I could see people getting frustrated a bit more as time goes on because there needs to be a time to celebrate certain things at the right time, not two months in advance. It seems every year, Christmas stuff keeps coming earlier and earlier. I like the holiday as much as the next person, but even this is ridiculous. It's the same thing with Halloween as well, though not as much time in advance. No joke, but I could see one day Halloween stuff appearing in August and Christmas stuff in September just so companies can try and get an edge on each other. When, I don't know.

Companies should just let people enjoy the holidays before prepping for the next one.

YouTube Videos: Oct 26-Nov 1

Torturing Cleveland: 2018 Edition

Other than an NBA championship a couple of years ago, the city of Cleveland has had to go through very tough times since the 60s for its sports. This week, it has been a crumbling path of destruction. With the Browns of the NFL, they fired coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. In the first season without LeBron James again, the Cavaliers fired coach Tyronn Lue very early in the NBA season, going 0-6 to start the season before last night's win with their new coach.

My take on the Browns is that it is still a very dysfunctional organization. They give up way too easily on coaches and players, but you can't make excuses for Jackson, who only won three games in his two plus years. Since 1999, they have gone through almost, if not, about 30 quarterbacks. No one has a started a full 16-game season other than Tim Couch in 2001. Whatever they try to fix one year, another gets broken. I don't know if its poor management or making the wrong choices, but even with Baker Mayfield it's not making them better. You look at Detroit, who went winless in 2008, and see the amount of progress they have made since, I don't know why the Browns don't look at how they handled that situation. Either way, it's more disappointment that will keep plaguing them.

It's not unusual now in the NBA for a coach to get fired early on. Houston did that with Kevin McHale a few years ago after a poor performance eight games into a season. It makes me wonder what the Cavs were expecting after James left for Los Angeles. It wasn't like they were going to dominate the Eastern Conference. It's surprising that they gave up on Lue very early when he was the reason along with his players that they won the Finals in 2016. Everybody knew things were going to be different, but to fire? I think it's panic and maybe one or two other things, but giving up very quickly makes them look really bad.

Other than the Indians, there isn't much to get excited in Cleveland with their sports teams.

Thanks A Lot, Hari Kondabolu!

This year, there has been a bit of controversy surrounding The Simpsons. It's not anywhere to the level of what it was in 1990 with Bart, but it is a big deal for people who get offended way too easily. Indian comedian Hari Kondabolu did a film titled "The Problem With Apu", a "documentary" about the issues Indians have with Apu, the Kwik-E-Mart owner. Personally, I have never had any interest in it, but now, it seems like the writers are looking to kill off the character.

The sad thing with Kondabolu is that he doesn't understand how much development Apu has had since the 90s. Out of all the non family members he has been given one of the biggest attentions to by writers. When you consider working to be a legal citizen, dealing with Indian heritage and marriage, having a family. There was a lot of care put into Apu, and it's all thrown away because of a handful of insensitive crybabies.

I probably haven't watched the show in probably seven to eight years, but even I know how much The Simpsons parodies everything of normal life. It's not like Apu is just a Kwik-E-Mart owner. He has been a volunteer fireman. He's been in the military. He's not one dimensional. Personally, I do think there are some huge issues such as being on for so long, their liberal approach to stuff, and the characters never aging. I could go on with the cracks that they have, but the characters, outside of maybe Lisa and a few other characters, have never been a huge problem.

I don't mind some equality as long as it's not forced and shoved down our throats, but Kondabolu did nothing of value. I hope he enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame, because it's a cruel world out there.

YouTube Videos: Oct 19-25

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 2: TellTale Games

Sears' Turmoil

As brick and mortar stores continue to shut down, one that seemed like a beacon of light was Sears. After all, it's been around over 125 years. That might be coming to an end sometime this year or next year with bankruptcy on them and the potential of all of their stores and K-Mart stores closing. It could be yet another casualty in the realm of retail stores.

I've never really had many Sears stores around me. One was pretty close to where I live, but it was mainly for stuff like appliances and gardening like tractors. There was one 50 miles away that was more of a department store and they had tons of stuff before shutting down I forget when, but it was in the last decade or so.

One of the things I am hearing is hedge funds being a reason for Sears' bankruptcy. There is always something that causes a place to go out of business. Ames comes to mind for me. They bought a store chain with a huge amount of money in 1998 and four years later, all their stores are gone. I would think Sears is not going to give up, much like how Toys R Us last year was trying so hard, but who knows. The future is up for grabs.

We live in a society where unfortunately, Amazon is a dominant superpower in the retail and online world. Combined with a few other franchise names, it becomes impossible for places like Sears to have a footing in the retail world. They do specialize in certain things, so they are doing some people a favor where they don't have an appliance store close to them to get a new refrigerator or a new washing machine. Either way, it's far from over what will happen. It's a wait and see scenario.

YouTube Videos: Oct 12-18

Stupidity in Umpiring

To have Angel Hernandez blow a bunch of calls in this 2018 ALDS is one thing. It's another thing to have Joe West blow a call that has changed the outcomes of the Houston Astros to where they face elimination as we speak. It just shows how out of touch MLB is with these two idiots.

At the start of Game 4 of this ALCS, Jose Altuve hit what he thought was a home run, but West called it fan interference. It's hard to describe what the true definition of it is, as Boston Red Sox player Mookie Betts was ready to jump and rob Altuve of a hit or game tying homer. The call stood and it was an out, and the claim was there was not any evidence to overturn it We are a far cry from how things were in 1996 with the Jeffrey Maier incident at Yankee Stadium. Now these days, with instant replay, it's easy to spot this stuff.

The way I look at it, there shouldn't have been an out. Unfortunately, there aren't too many angles of the play, but with how it looked, it didn't look like interference. It's fans trying to grab a ball and Betts got in the way of them. In no way were they trying to interfere with him. It looked like they were ready to grab it before Betts jumped. If it were like the Maier incident, you could say that, but it looked like it was in the stands. That should mean anything goes for the fans and for Betts. If we are looking at it from another angle, it could be West trying to be involved in controversy and wanting the attention as usual.

What's it going to take for MLB to stop this umpire? This is playoff baseball. Yeah, West has tenure, but he's changed the series for good. Boston wins tonight or one of the other two games if necessary, the hate he'll get from the city of Houston will amplify to very high levels. Something has to change in the rulebook on what is interference and having the worst umpires calling the biggest games of the season and playoffs. We keep letting guys like West and Hernandez create these horrible moments, and for the fans involved, this could be like 2003 with the Chicago Cubs.

Joe West keeps ruining baseball for everyone. MLB needs to step up and find a way to get rid of him for good.

Saving Seattle Football

Washington state should be considered very lucky to have the fortune of seeing NFL success with the Seattle Seahawks the last 16 years. In that time, they have been to three Super Bowls and winning one for the 2013 season. You wouldn't think they had trouble turning it around, but they did back in 1996/97 and Paul Allen became owner by buying the team. Unfortunately, he had just passed away at the age 65, joining former coach Chuck Knox among the few involved with Seattle football to pass in recent memory.

When they formed in 1976, the Seahawks were a punching bag, much like any expansion team. However, they were quick to improve by the end of the decade. Then, they struggled and when Knox came in 1983, their fortunes came with success and some playoff appearances. When the 90s rolled along, they were okay at first and then struggled. To paint the middle part of that decade, they weren't doing horribly, but not great either. It's stadium, the Kingdome, was starting to crumble a bit. They were a far cry from what they were in the 80s and threats of moving to another place were something that was common as many teams were going from one place to another in many sports.

Like a lot of cities, fans were outraged. There was a lot on the line for losing not just the Seahawks, but also the Mariners, who had a bit success with their 1995 season and getting into the ALCS before losing to the Cleveland Indians. Owner Ken Behring was trying what he could to get a team to California, but was stopped. The hopes of finding another person to buy the team seemed difficult, but they were able to find one in Allen. To keep in mind in 1997, this was one of the founders of Microsoft in the 70s and had only owned the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team for nine years beginning in 1988.

Whatever the case, Allen was willing to keep Seahawk football in Seattle, and he got his wishes. That meant stuff like a new stadium, which would become CenturyLink Field in 2002. Picking up actual talent at coaching, drafting the right players, and having the ideal general manager was needed and he got it. Whether it's Mike Holmgren or Pete Carroll, he knew who could lead them through the thick and thin.

There are many ways to consider Paul Allen as one of the greats. He and Bill Gates were pioneers of the computer and many great ideas for Microsoft. But he was also a guy that understood sports quite well and had the stepping blocks to build on a successful franchise. His contributions to the Seattle Seahawks made him a legend for his native city and the NFL. People will never forget him and the stuff to save professional football.

Friday the 13th: The Game Review

There are plenty of horror games on a number of game systems that do stuff their own way or in a tribute. Titles like Spltterhouse, Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark, the list goes on. But how about Friday the 13th? The franchise has been around for almost 40 years and the only game it has prior to this May 2017 release is the NES game from 1988. You play this one, and you are hooked.

You can either be the good guys or the bad guy. As camp counselors, you must survive for 20 minutes, but there are ways of escaping Jason Voorhees. You have to find parts for cars and boats. Once you got them and for the cars, the keys, you can get out of harm's way. Be aware, though. Jason is one tough cookie and will stop you in those vehicles. There's always calling the cops... if you can find a phone box fuse. If they are called, you got a five minute waiting time before they show up and you go to them to successfully escape. There's also just going through those 20 minutes.

There's an assortment of counselors, some of which you will unlock over time as you play more of Friday the 13th. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some might have good stamina and repair skills with horrible composure and stealth and vice versa. It's a matter of who picks who when playing online. You will want to team up and escape, but scattering is not always a bad thing. Be aware of those skills. They will either help or hurt you. You can also set up distractions and use an assortment of weapons to stop the killer. There is health, which can be healed with first aid spray.

People can also play as Jason. There are various versions of him, each with pros and cons. Some versions may have better weapon damage or kills, and other ones might have better physical stats. Either way you must kill all the counselors Both sides will have traps that they can set. Jason has knives. He can use certain moves that are time based and need to fill up every time they are used. Either way, get rid of all seven, maybe eight if a counselor called for Tommy Jarvis. There aren't too many locations. After all, it's about being alone and fearing Jason.

It's not too bad graphically for being a Kickstarter game. There are some goofy looking models of some of the characters, but it captures the horror of being at a camp quite well. It's dark, there's only some lights in the area. The deaths are quite brutal. Add in the soundtrack and the theme of Jason, and this is the kind of game for some that will want you turning the lights off and cranking the sound up. The voice actors are believable enough to be scared and ready to wet their pants. Overall, those two facets cover strongly what should be done for something horror related.

When you play online, you get experience points and CP. The CP is currency. You can choose to upgrade the counselors and Jason. They have various perks, kills, the whole nine yards. Unfortunately, it's only a few slots, but that's perks of a horror game. You can't always carry everything. As far as other goes, there is offline play. You can customize the characters via the upgrades. Options can be tweaked for audio and gamma capabilities. Progress can be checked a little bit.

I don't have a lot of complaints about this game so far. The lack of jumping and even vaulting from fences is a bit annoying. There isn't much to say about the counselors, but with Jason, sometimes, tapping the button very quickly tires out your finger. That being said, you can still play well and get at least few counselors. Anyway, you should check out Friday the 13th. It's on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. You will be having some fun in a game that is campy, cheesy, and knows when to throw the punches.

Score: 8 out of 10

YouTube Videos: Oct 5-11

Podcast and Patreon

I haven't really done much with this blog site in the last week or two, but I do have some updates. I am on Patreon and one of the focuses is on this blog. If you want to pledge in support of this and what I do on YouTube, don't be afraid to. The stuff I post will not be locked behind a paywall so no fear of content being patron only.

I also have started a brand new podcast on my own. It's called Geeks and Jocks and the focus is similar to this blog. If you are in support of that, then the same thing can be said what I've said already with Patreon in terms of support and pledging. Episode 1 is up right now on YouTube and I hope to spread more of it to stuff like iTunes or a free site that allows podcasts.

Patreon site: https://www.patreon.com/geeksandjocks

And Episode 1 of Geeks and Jocks

Night School Review

There's plenty of movies where there are sidekicks or bad guys that are pretty stupid. Then there is something like Night School where the protagonist isn't that smart at all. Depending on the genre, it can be either beneficial or hurt a film. It does it decently and provides good laughs, but it's not that strong of a comedy.

Kevin Hart plays Teddy Walker, a high school dropout who has achieved success as a barbecue salesman. With news that he will own the place one day, he celebrates with proposing to his girlfriend in the store. However, he causes an incident where the place blows up and he has to look for a job. A buddy can hook him up with one, but he needs his GED, so he needs to find a night school. And that's where Teddy's adventure begins.

As far as the schooling stuff goes, they got a decent group of individuals that have their own flaws. Whether it's the girl who got impregnated in high school or a guy serving a prison sentence, they all want to achieve success and do something that matters. That's where the majority of laughs come from and that is with the stuff they do in and after class. For Teddy, it's dealing with a guy he went to high school with who is now the principal, the night teacher, and lying his way to make sure things are normal to his girl.

The film is pretty consistent with laughs and the antics that Hart does throughout it. It's rather long for a comedy, but not overly long. They get their point across rather quickly and develop the main plot. The beginning is a little slow and it does stray a couple times away from the main point, so mileage will vary. I wouldn't fully recommend seeing it in the theater, but if you're looking for something to watch, it's not the worst film in the world.

Score: 6.5 out of 10

YouTube Videos: Sep 28-Oct 4

Beyond: Two Souls Review

Although they have been around since 1997, Quantic Dream has only made a handful of titles, the latest being this year's Detroit: Become Human. They have been around in Sony's corner the last eight years with the first being Heavy Rain. The second of the group, Beyond: Two Souls, came around in the fall of 2013 as a late release on PlayStation 3 and a few years later on PlayStation 4, which is what I am playing it on. As far as this release was, it stayed in that David Cage style of being a cinematic movie while having it still be a video game.

You are Jodie Holmes and you experience a lot of her life from when she was a kid up to her 20s. She's no ordinary person as she has an entity beside her. This entity, Aiden, causes a lot of stuff for her that sets off a lot of events and a lot of analysis. Without getting too much into explaining the story, it's an interesting sci-fi plot and you make the choice of doing right and wrong. It's up to you how things go and they also pull in some good surprises and twists.

Two Souls has you playing as both Jodie and Aiden. This is a single player game, but can be a two player one, which was not tried at the time of this review. As Jodie, you can perform various actions when prompted. There is some freedom with her, but a lot of what you do comes from pressing certain buttons, quick time events, and a few other knick knacks. Switching to Aiden is simple. This entity can do a few things to people and even Jodie herself. They vary a little bit and they do a good job of not going overboard with what can be done during the game.

Graphically, it's surprisingly excellent. Whatever Quantic Dream did, they did a great job capturing the characters and areas. It seems very real and authentic. One of the selling points was in its audio, mainly voice acting. I'm not huge on Ellen Page and think she's overrated, but she held her own as Jodie. Add in Willem Dafoe as Professor Nathan Dawkins and a few others portraying other characters, and the voicing is not half bad. Given what the developers intentions are, it's a Hollywood type production, but in video game form.

There's not much else really to say. It's a little over 20 chapters. You can replay them any way you want it and there are options to play either chronologically or what they intended through specific parts of Jodie's life first. As I said, you make the choice of doing right and wrong. A lot of the trophies are earned in a specific way and then you can come back for the other option. There are a lot of endings. Overall, it's a decent balance between being a video game and being an interactive film. My only complaint is some of the quick time events. Some of the moments come off a little rushed and almost require you to have your decision half a second before you press what you think should work. It's trial and error, but still.

With that aside, Beyond: Two Souls is pretty good. An interesting story with above average audio and stunning graphics, it plays fine without any huge bugs or glitches. Out of the two at the time, I would play this over Heavy Rain, though that one isn't that bad.

Score: 8 out of 10.

YouTube Videos: Sep 21-27

TellTale Games Tells No More Tales

In 2004, several members of LucasArts formed TellTale games. The focus was on a style the former was well known for: point and click adventure games.  With some hits here and there, their recognition went through the roof with acquiring licenses from Universal to do games based on Back to the Future and Jurassic Park. Since then in 2010, they have done a lot of games based on big properties, with The Walking Dead being their most popular.

In the last week, TellTale has laid off nearly all of their employees, leaving them with only 25 now. More than likely, the odds are they are finished and are preparing to close. This comes as they are almost finished with their last Walking Dead game with only a few episodes left. It paints a different picture of the company, with criticism stemmed on their game engine, the games being buggy, and no severance for their employees who wasted long hours for nothing.

TellTale had said poor sales between The Walking Dead and Minecraft hurt them. I think that's an excuse. Personally, I think it's mismanagement and the costs associated with getting some of those properties. There's a lot more many don't know including myself what other problems they might have had. Add in potentially a lawsuit from employees for violating labor laws, and the mess that has been around for who knows how long is going to get messier. Definitely, a lot of their games after Walking Dead became mostly reskinned ideas and gameplay mechanics, but I think there was at least enough to differentiate.

Either way, TellTale killed themselves. Poor management and outdated tech hurt them and the point and click adventure genre may go extinct unless other companies step in like Square Enix is doing with those Life is Strange games.

Keeping Up With The Jones' Ban

As sites continue to shut down more of Alex Jones with bans, there is a few stragglers that are late to it. PayPal was the latest to get rid of the conspiracy theorist by not supporting his online store. Combined with Apple and Twitter's banning of him and the lawsuits stemming from families of the Sandy Hook tragedy, it's going to be a huge lose lose situation for Jones.

Now, I don't buy into the political shit. That's not even the reason for Jones getting shut down by all these websites. Yes, he has a colossal following, but what he says is what is making him get in all sorts of trouble. The stuff he pulls and the antics he does is enough for them to put their down and declare the bans. My only question would be how much power do the sites really have in terms of dealing with users since there are tons of high profile people that use Twitter and a few other sites. If sites can go after Jones (which they should), they should go after the likes of Jim Carrey and J.K. Rowling.

Jones will still be around. How long is a question in of itself.

.Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Review

WARNING: To anyone that is reading this in Germany, this might be censored.

What was originally going to be an expansion DLC to The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood got built up as a stand alone game. It's result in May of 2015 was one that had a bit of praise. Once again with MachineGames developing, it's more of the same single player action. It's still good, but not as strong as its predecessor.

Set before The New Order, Old Blood is set in early 1946. The Allies are losing the war and Helga Von Schabbs has a folder containing the location of General Wilhelm Strasse at Castle Wolfenstein. B.J. Blazkowicz and Agent One must get it to plan an assault and stop the war from getting worse. More or less, it's their own version of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, but with their own timeline. Things don't go as planned and B.J. must survive to get the Allies a much needed victory. Obviously, it doesn't come close to what the previous game did, but not every game needs a story. Still, there is some development and a decent cast of characters that B.J. surrounds himself around.

Nothing changed in terms of gameplay. It's still that same love letter to the 90s and 2000s. Just like before, there is exploration and a number of secrets similar to Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. It also retains the one man army and objective based ideas of Goldeneye and Medal of Honor along with some new school ideas from Wolfenstein 2009 and Bioshock. There are eight levels, but very expansive and complex as you go through parts of Germany. The focus on single player is still MachineGames' bread and butter, so no multiplayer.

I didn't notice much of a change in the graphics, but it's still nice for an early release. It's more the little details and with the focus on newer hardware and no older tech (was not on PS3 and 360), you can notice finer details on the characters and areas. Just some of the outdoor areas are breathtaking and nice to get a look at. The audio is more or less the same. It's music is part orchestra and part rock depending on your scenarios.  Voice acting is top notch and the accents are very real. Doesn't seem fake. Both facets are still given a lot of care.

Like New Order, Old Blood doesn't have a huge variety of weapons, but each one has its use. It's more old school like Medal of Honor as you don't have any laser type weaponry. Dual wielding is still a part of the fun. The knife still has its use along with the grenades. Unlike most games, it has a good balance between stealth and action, and they give you an equal amount of both aspects. The focus there is bigger. As before, there perks to what you can do during the game, as well as trophy and achievement support.

Brought back is the health system where there are plenty of health pickups, regeneration, and armor. Overcharge returns, but unfortunately, there is no small upgrades. They offer one upgrade perk, but that's it. As with the series, an emphasis on treasure is present. The same can be said with concept art and letters. No enigma stuff, but there are challenges to get medals, adding to a bit of replay value. More or less, the level design has the same ideas. It's linear, but there is a bit of freedom to explore in the areas combined with having strategies for different kinds of Nazis.

There wasn't a huge spike in difficulty, but it had a few more cheap moments compared to New Order. Outside of the story, (which that can be forgiven) the only major complaints I have is trying to fight off a handful of enemies at once and their constant throwing of grenades. The armor still has some problems, but it's not as bad. Anyway, this is still a fun game. Old Blood may not be like The New Order, but it still has some good satisfaction in gameplay and still retaining what made the Wolfenstein games excellent.

Score: 7 out of 10

YouTube Videos: Sep 14-20

PlayStation Mini?

Plug and plays have been popular for a very long time. Even with system ones such as Atari Flashback and Sega Genesis Classic. Nintendo has thrown their hat in the last few years with their NES and SNES ones. Sony is the next to join in on what was announced with a PlayStation Classic. What is happening?

Sony knows the nostalgia fad is a huge deal now and is attempting their own take of it with their very first system, which will turn 24 in December. Speaking of which, it is set to come out on the third of that month(it's debut in Japan back in 1994) for a hundred dollars. Set with two controllers and 20 games, it is an opportunity and a risk they are willing to take. As far as 3D gaming goes, this particular generation is not easy for many to get back into primarily on graphics and maybe controls that weren't top notch.

The very few titles that got mentioned include Final Fantasy VII and Tekken 3, huge sellers for their time. I'm sure the rest will be announced sometime the end of this month or early October. They got some good choices right now, but how the rest pans out is up to them. It's a nice way to celebrate a phenomenal system that had a nice library.

This is a big chance. I do believe this will perform very well and keep the fad going for a while. It's always nice when there's some good competition, even with these Minis.

Here is stuff The Verge said about it.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/19/17877890/sony-playstation-classic-console-20-games-release-date-pricing

A Rarity of NFL Ties

Prior to 2012, the last time there was an NFL tie was in 2008 with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals. Since then, there have been seven that have become ties. The most recent being this past Sunday with the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. It wasn't their first rodeo together since they experienced it in 2013. Is it really that big of a problem? I don't think so.

If anything, it's just pure, dumb luck with this one and the game with the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. People probably said the same thing a couple years ago when the Bengals and Washington Redskins tied when the week before that was the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks. It happens. There isn't a simple explanation for why these happen. I kind of agree that the shortened time could lead to more ties, but it gives them an extra incentive to try for that touchdown rather than go for the field goal.

It's not like these teams are not giving up. Look at all the missed field goals. There's a reason why Minnesota cut their kicker and decided to sign Dan Bailey, one of the most accurate kickers. Being in a dome will help him greatly as their kicking game in the franchise's tenure has cost them in games that mattered. Tangent aside, teams are doing whatever is necessary. More than likely we're not going to see another tie. If it does happen again, we'll see what is in store from fans and critics.

Ties are not disappearing anytime soon, but it's not going to wind up being five or six ties a year like it was before overtime rules came into play during the mid 70s.