Brothers of the Year: Clarkson and Gibson--2024 in Review

This year as Gibson grew and became more, "Interactive," so to speak, he started getting really interested in his big brother, Clarkson. Clarkson enjoyed spending time with Gibson too (usually). They've often enjoyed tickles, sitting together, playing with toys, and so forth. Gibson always wants to be involved in anything Clarkson is doing, which Clarkson has generally been patient about. They are very sweet boys and it makes me feel immense joy to see them have a good time together. They're the best bros of 2024!

Movie Announcement of the Year That Still Has Me Bewildered: Robert Downey Jr. Returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom--2024 in Review

It was Comic-Con International, AKA San Diego Comic-Con. There, in news that astounded and confused, we learned Robert Downey Jr. was returning to the MCU...as Doctor Doom. Not a Tony Stark variant, but Doctor Doom for a new " Doomsday" movie that would replace the now-canceled "Kang Dynasty." It is fun to see how RDJ is coming back to the MCU, but it is a bit odd as well. It feels a bit like Marvel throwing things at the wall to see what could stick, but if it works out then any of us with trepidation will have to eat our words, I suppose. Since that big announcement, Chris Evans has also been announced as coming back in some capacity (besides his recent return as Johnny Storm in the latest Deadpool--and Wolverine--flick).

Will these returns undermine how Iron Man and Captain America's stories wrapped up in, "Avengers: Endgame," or be a cool new twist that helps further reinvigorate the Marvel Cinematic Universe? I guess we'll know more all the way in May 2026 when, "Avengers: Doomsday," comes out. For now, though, it all still feels a bit odd.

Gaming Trend of the Year I Still Dislike: VR/AR Headsets--2024 in Review

Tech companies keep trying to push headsets that offer virtual reality or augmented reality. Advertised as possibly helping with productivity, they keep getting promoted as great for games as well. Even Apple launched such a devcie and while it seems better than some options (and horrifically expensive), I still don't want a Vision Pro any more or less than a Metaquest, Oculus, VIVE, or whatever--I have zero desire for any of them. I just have never really been into VR/AR headsets/glasses/whatever. They seem unwieldy, uncomfortable to an immense degree, and otherwise more of a hassle than a benefit. I believe I have said before that if VR gets to the point where we can be on a holodeck like, "Star Trek," and not have to wear any big devices on our noggin then I will give it a try. Otherwise, companies need to quit pushing VR/AR headsets, please!

Television Personality of the Year: Joel McHale--2024 in Review

A chunk of shows that I enjoyed watching this year had a random shared factor: Joel McHale. I've been a fan of McHale's since the days of, "The Soup," and enjoyed in a variety of other programs too. This year three shows I really liked had him involved. "Animal Control," "Crime Scene Kitchen," and, "House of Villains." On the first show, McHale plays a character in an ensemble comedy about an Animal Control team. For the other two, he serves as a host. "Crime Scene Kitchen," has teams studying clues to determine what item they need to bake--it is pretty fun. "House of Villains," features well-known, "Villains," from reality television competing to determine who is the biggest baddie of all--it is a very sarcastic and funny reality show too with Joel's jokes whenever he appears really zinging everybody involved in a lovely manner.

Whether he's acting in a fictional production, serving as an MC for a baking competition, or hosting a snarky reality show, Joe McHale is always enjoyable to have involved in a T.V. show. I appreciate his presence and just hope that the, "Community," movie that will finish out the television series eventually gets made!

Food of the Year: French Fries--2024 in Review

Before anyone argues that french fries at not a main course and can't really be a food item of the year, I tell you to hush. Sometimes the side dish is what makes the meal you're eating truly delicious. I found myself really enjoying a wide range of french fries this year with assorted sauces or toppings. Sometimes a shoestring fry with ketchup. Other days a waffle fry with some cheese sauce and bacon. On occasion, a McDonald's fry dipped in some sweet and sour sauce or a Wendy's fry put in a Frosty. My point is that there are many options to enjoy french fries in all their forms and with various additional elements. They aren't the healthiest choice (although they can be made a bit better for you depending on how you prepare them) but they sure are tasty!

Musical Surprise of the Year: Kendrick Lamar Releasing, "GNX," With Little Warning--2024 in Review

Kendrick Lamar had already had an insanely successful 2024. He'd beaten Drake in a rap feud to such an insane degree eventually Drake started suing people for how bad an L he took. Then, it was announced Lamar would be the halftime act for the 2025 Super Bowl, a massive accomplishment. Kenny could have rested on his laurels for the rest of the year, but instead on Friday the 22nd of November, he released a surprise LP titled, "GNX," named after the car. It wasn't his best LP ever, but it was a damn good one and a solid Kendrick Lamar album is better than 99% of other music anyways. This was quite a nice surprise and gave everyone some jams to listen to during Thanksgiving!

Proof I'm Getting Old of the Year: How Much New Slang Confuses Me--2024 in Review

I try to keep-up with slang. As I had jobs that involved working with younger people at times before Clarkson was born I was pretty good at understanding what kids a generation younger than me (GenZ or whatever we call them) were saying. However, now we've also got something called Generation Alpha and I have no clue what half the stuff they're talking about is. It took me months to learn about, "Gyat," or, "Rizz," and this whole, "Skibidi Toilet Ohio," or whatever thing still confounds me. I thought my generation had some wild slang back in the day with how we added, "Izzle," to everything or did, "Humblebrags," and called people, "Basic." Now, however, the English language has only gotten stranger with two generations after me twisting and turning words/phrases all about. I'm clearly getting old, and 2024 illustrated that further, no cap. I used that correctly, I think?

Some of My Favorite Comics of the Year--2024 in Review

A Great Year for Comics

In 2024 I read an assortment of comic-books and graphic novels. As always, some were better than others. A handful stuck out in my mind as being especially fantastic. I wanted to spotlight those here as we look back at the year. In no particular order...

"Sunday," by Olivier Schrauwen

In my review of, "Sunday," I discuss how this thick book features a lot of nothing happening while so much also occurs. I know that sounds a bit strange, but, "Sunday," is a book you need to read if you enjoy quirky little yarns and fantastic artwork. Another masterpiece of a book by Schrauwen.

"Ultimate Spider-Man," by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto

Everyone and their mother has been raving about this comic, myself included. It features a grown-up Peter Parker who is married to Mary Jane and has some kids discovering whilst an adult how he was meant to become a hero when younger--and then doing so! The Ultimate Universe books have been pretty great but this Spidey-centric one is something special.

"The Power Fantasy," by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard

The first issue of, "The Power Fantasy," presents an alternative World where a handful of people contain the power of hundreds of Nuclear bombs--they can never come into conflict or we'll all die. That doesn't mean the series has lacked fascinating action or intrigue, however. Gillen and Wijingaard are creating a stupendous ongoing series and I can't wait to see where it goes.

"Plastic Man No More!" by by Christopher Cantwell, Alex Lins, and additional art by Jacob Edgar

This four-issue mini-series just wrapped and expertly mixed body horror and humor into a wild blend. I loved the first issue and it stayed strong the whole way through. As a DC Black Label book, it did not have to hold back on any gruesome visuals either. A thoughtful treatise on life and death with some wild artwork, I loved this book.

Merry Christmas and Happy First Night of Hanukkah!

Today is both Christmas and the first night of Hanukkah. I hope anyone who celebrates these (or any other Winter events) has a great holiday season. I appreciate all of you who read my blog and put up with my musings year after year. Having folks actually check out my thoughts is a gift that keeps on giving!

Television Tuesday: A Meeting of Shows I'm Actually Excited About

Sometimes television shows do crossover events. Characters from one program meet another with the results varying in quality. We'll see it with comedy (Brooklyn 99 and New Girl), or in drama (Law & Order has met tons of folks in other shows). It can be animated as well (Flintstones and Jetsons or Simpsons and Family Guy). Crossover episodes work best when shows have enough in common that the themes and characters mesh well. That said, one crossover is on the way that seems like such a tonal clash--but with talented creators and cast--I'm incredibly curious and excited. I'm talking about, "Abbott Elementary," and, 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," with their two-episode crossover.

"Abbot," is a faux-documentary where despite problems arising all the characters mean well and things usually work out for the better. "Sunny," is an incredibly dark sitcom focused on awful people and how they make the lives of anyone else they come into contact with worse. Both shows take place in Philadelphia but are extremely different besides being hilarious. Sometimes the idea of a crossover would be mentioned in a joking manner, but then somehow it was confirmed as happening. Now, we'll see the gang from Paddy's Pub visiting Abbott in some capacity on January 8th with characters from Abbott's school appearing with the Sunny crew later this year via their show. This sounds like a potential trainwreck or masterpiece.

I suppose if Abbot helps take some of the sharpness off of the Sunny characters and the, "Sunny show," brings a little more edge to some Abbott folks this could show some interesting new sides of the characters we know and love/loathe. I guess at the start of the new year we'll gain some understanding of how exactly this happens. I'm pumped!

Mini PCs are Gaining in Popularity

When it comes to computers we have Chromebooks/laptops and other portable devices with the built-in screen that usually aren't the best for gaming (some Laptops designed to be gaming beasts excluded) but good for day-to-day tasks. Then you've got big ol' desktop computers full of fancy graphics cards, complex cooling systems, and gigantic monitors so you can play the hottest games at the best graphical resolution or, "Dig," for cryptocurrency or such (Crypto is dumb). There is an in-between option, however. Not quite a laptop but far from a huge desktop and (relatively) portable and able to take up less space, it is the Mini PC.

This article on Rock Paper Shotgun by James Archer is a fun read about Mini PCs. It discusses how they can't necessarily run a hot new game at high settings, but excel at slightly older titles as well as doing a bunch of processing or such. Plus, unlike some desktop computers that roar as if they're a, "Jurassic Park," T-Rex, a Mini PC is pleasantly quiet. These Mini PCs sound like a nice in-between option for those who want some computing power that is beyond that of a Laptop but don't want a massive rig. They're gaining popularity too, as one can see from browsing for articles about them or checking forums. I like the idea of an option between, "Weaker," laptops and, "Powerful," desktops, so I'm all for Mini PCs getting more love from folks.

The, "Sonic," Universe and Justice League are Going to Crossover!

Back in the good ol' days of the console wars between Sega and Nintendo, I was team Sega. I did love the Nintendo 64, but before that I adored my Sega Genesis and I will forever argue that the Sega Dreamcast was the best console ever and ahead of its time. Hence, I'm a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog too. That is why I was intrigued to read that the Universe of Sonic and friends will be crossing over with the world(s) of DC!

The comic is titled, "DC X Sonic the Hedgehog." The plot sounds relatively straightforward as, "Darkseid crosses dimensions to invade the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, seeking the ultimate power. Sonic and his friends have faced everything from mad scientists to ancient spirits, but the forces of Apokolips may be too much for them. Thankfully, the full heroic might of the Justice League arrives to back them up!" I don't really care what the McGuffin is that gets the Justice League hanging out with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and so forth, however--I'm just excited for such a comic to occur! Sonic and the Flash can see who runs faster, Batman can scold Shadow about his use of guns, and other creative moments can occur. Ian Flynn is writing with Adam Bryce Thomas on art. I look forward to the first issue in March!

Party City is Shutting Down

After almost 40 years, Party City has reached the point of yelling, "Alright, the party's over." I'm sure countless people have made that joke, but now I have too. Anyway, after previous financial issues, it is the end of the road with all stores to shut down. Liquidation sales have already kicked off and by early next year, Party City will be no more. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 didn't help as few parties were held for a while and an ongoing helium shortage cut into all the balloons the establishments sold. It is a bummer as I always enjoy visiting Party City. They have lots of fun candies as well as cool seasonal and year-round decor. We'll miss you, Party City.

Film Friday: The First, "Superman," Teaser Trailer is Out

Yesterday morning the first teaser trailer was released for, "Superman." The latest movie from James Gunn and meant to kick off a whole new DC Cinematic Universe, it looked fun! We get Superman, his dog Krypto, we witness some romance with Lois Lane, get a glimpse or two of Lex Luthor and have some quick cuts of other superpowered beings. It is a teaser, in other words. Perhaps some of the internet was expecting some kind of Earth-shattering revelation to hit the web, but it seems people are pleased with what we've seen. It looks like a movie with Superman and not much of an opinion can be generated from 2 minutes (after all, trailers can be great for bad movies or awful for surprisingly awesome movies). Here is a link to the trailer if you haven't viewed it yet:

This first peek at everything has caught my attention, so mission accomplished. Now, as July 2025 nears we'll get a better idea of just what the future holds for Superman and the rest of the (new) DC film slate.

Discussing an Epidemiological Aspect of the Idea of Time Travel that Concerns Me

Whenever I read/watch stories about time travel there is one thing that concerns me. Putting aside how possible or impossible it would be to travel through time the Public Health student within me worries about the epidemiological aspects of time travel. I mean, if I were to travel even to just the early 1900s I would need to ensure I'm vaccinated for illnesses from back then that we don't vaccinate for today (e.g. Smallpox being eliminated) and I'd be concerned about bringing my future germs to the past before such an illness even existed (COVID-19 popping-up a century early could be really bad). Plus, even if I could travel to the future, what kinds of new viruses or bacteria could exist my body is not ready for? I don't want to catch the latest animal flu and have it kill me easily because I didn't deal with an earlier form that was weaker and helped people build immunity, after all.

I know it sounds pedantic to worry about the epidemiological aspects of time travel when it isn't even, you know, possible. Still, if developed the technology where we could move forward and backward in time, these are the kind of technical things that have to be considered. As fun as it might be to visit our great-great-grandparents, we also don't want to accidentally kill them with our future germs and then suddenly dissipate into dust like an, "Avengers,' movie because we messed up the timeline. I guess my point is that if we do manage to make it possible to travel through time, we need to just jump a little bit into the future or past so as to avoid any massive issues from our germs...or generally messing up everything. Essentially, don't take any future tech to the past and create an anachronism (often worried about in fiction) or cough some germs onto someone from the past unprepared for them (less considered). If we can be careful about taking stuff too far back or picking up anything too far, "Forward," we should be okay...right?

Beckett (and Therefore CBCS) are Under New Ownership

Beckett Media & Collectibles does everything from price guides to monthly collecting magazines and grading. They've been having some financial troubles (not much interest in their assorted grading services, for example) and have been acquired by a company known as, "Collēctīvus," which has weirdly enough emphasized this is not per se an acquisition, just that they'll be a new parent company. They acquired Beckett, but supposedly plan to keep it independent and be, "Hands off," for now. 

All this is notable if you like to collect comic books as Beckett has owned CBCS since 2017. Therefore, CBCS is now owned by Collēctīvus as well. The exact impact this may have on CBCS remains to be seen, but they've always been a distant second to CGC in regards to comics and with PSA entering the comic grading biz in 2025 I am quite curious how CBCS and CGC will pivot as needed--with this latest business news only complicating things in further unpredictable ways. 2025 is going to be an interesting time for comic grading.

Television Tuesday: "Malcolm in the Middle," is Returning!

"Malcolm in the Middle," was quite an entertaining sitcom that ran back in the early 2000's. It starred an incredibly dysfunctional family with Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) being the focal point. In a surprise announcement, the show will be back with four special episodes on Disney+ in the near future (an exact release date has not been released). An early synopsis is that these episodes will involve Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary and demanding the presence of Malcolm and a daughter he's apparently had in the fictional universe since the show concluded. No other casting has been revealed so we shall see who else comes back. 

Cranston has been in a ton of shows/movies since his sitcom days ("Breaking Bad," being a huge one) and Kaczmarek has appeared in a variety of projects as well; it will be fun to see them return to these roles. Muniz hasn't really done much acting these past number of years, instead focusing on professional racing--there must've been a really good script for him to be interested as well. I look forward to the show returning before too long and more details being revealed!

BOOM! Studios Launching, "20 for 20," and it Sounds Snazzy

In 2025 the company known as BOOM! Studios will be 20 years old! To mark the occasion they will be releasing 20 trade paperbacks from their large and varying catalog, all priced at a pleasant 20 dollars. It is their, "20 for 20," program. These special editions of sorts will be released throughout 2025 and serve as a great introduction to BOOM! and their assorted series. I have a soft spot for one of the October releases, "Hero Squared," which first came out quite early in the company's life--I'd definitely recommend folks check that out along with the other fun TPBs as part of this interesting promotion.

Mixed Feelings: The Fourth

This is the fourth time I've done a, "Mixed Feelings," post on the 15th of December. It's been 5 years since we lost our pregnancy today. It is also a day of celebration for my mother as it is her birthday. I love my Mom very much and want her to have a good day. I also just feel a bit sad and angry today thinking back how hard December 2019-December 2020 was. We lost a pregnancy, a number of loved ones, and COVID-19 becoming a Worldwide pandemic was the cherry on top of it all.

For a chunk of time, I tried to ignore my feelings about how awful those twelve months were, which was incredibly unhealthy. Then I would feel more sad at points, and mad at others. Yesterday I was really mad and irritable. It just still stings to not have Shalom after we wanted him so much and got as far as we did in our pregnancy. Anger is normal, but you don't want to to engulf you completely and leave you just an enraged shell of a human being. Now I just feel a bit sad and reflective. Distance from a traumatic event helps to some degree but some elements still feel weirdly immediate in my memory. It felt so scary and lonely as we were dealing with my wife's hernia bursting as well as our pregnancy becoming unviable all at once. In the years since we've talked with other folks who lost a pregnancy, and it does help to not feel as alone. Grief can be isolating to a degree, however. Sometimes we need a moment to ourselves to feel all the feelings, and I still have many.

I am joyful here in 2024 as well. We have our wonderful boys Clarkson and Gibson. Gibson is our baby we had after our loss, sometimes referred to as a, "Rainbow baby," in popular culture. A rainbow after a storm. I am eternally grateful for our two sweet boys but still miss the child we could not have. It is a lot of mixed feelings, hence the title of the posts. I love my family, from the members we have here to celebrate a happy occasion with to those who have sadly left us or didn't even get to fully join us on this planet. We live in a World of constant change--for the better or worse. I just am trying my best to keep up with it all.

"Marvel Rivals," Early Impressions

"Marvel Rivals," was announced back in March and looked like it could be fun. The developer behind it, Netease, got roasted online for requiring people testing the game to say only positive things, and that was embarrassing. The thing is, the game is actually quite fun and turning into a hit, so in retrospect that rule wasn't even needed. Yes, "Marvel Rivals," is a bit of a knock-off of, "Overwatch," in the third-person instead of first but it is also quite entertaining from the bit I've had a chance to play so far.

Essentially, a bunch of characters who all play pretty differently yet somehow manage to (mostly) balance each other out and compete in arenas (which are somewhat destructible as a nice touch) to win a match. The rules can involve escorting an item/device to a new location or claiming a spot for your team in a best-out-of-three situation, to name some scenarios. The game is completely free with every single character playable from the start. You see, in a manner similar to a game like, "Fortnite," the money comes from folks buying cosmetic upgrades and customizations--you don't pay to gain any actual in-game advantage. The, "Cast," is insanely stacked with 33--yes you read that right--different options. One character is even kind of two as it is Cloak and Dagger. More are somehow on the way as well.

I haven't played every character yet but I did (obviously) sample Moon Knight and immediately enjoyed gliding around with my crescent moon cape. I also had a pretty good time playing the up-close-brawler of Captain America as having the shield to block projectile fire from other foes generally gave me a few much-needed seconds to figure out the best way to close some distance and smack them around. One especially interesting little touch is some characters can synergize with each other a bit if they're on the same team and unlock little extra boosts or moves (Hulk throwing Wolverine via a Fastball Special to give one example).

"Marvel Rivals," has been out barely a couple weeks but already is garnering a lot of attention due to being fun, fast, and (essentially) free. It has also helped some lesser-known characters from the comics who are on the roster get a lot of sudden attention (I'm all for folks loving Jeff the Landshark). With such a huge assortment of characters some can feel a little overpowered or underpowered against too many other options, but Netease is making constant tweaks to balance things out. Plus, as the game is out longer I'm sure more teams will form that take advantage of those synergistic powers. I haven't played a ton of Marvel Rivals yet on my PS5, but from what I have this is a darn good time.

5 out of 5 Stars (as an early impression).

Flashback/Film Friday: Would, "Friday the 13th Part V," Be Good Without that Dumb Final Twist?

When I discuss movies from the, "Friday the 13th," franchise I discuss how the fifth tries to be a slow-burn and creepy, but fizzles out at the end. I always tell folks to watch the fourth and sixth as those are great, but that the fifth sucks. However, on this latest (actual) Friday the 13th, I wonder...could Part V be good without that last-minute twist where it is revealed the killer is not Jason?

That's right, I won't bore you with the exact plot details but in the last 10 minutes of the flick we get the shocking/stupid climax where we find out a random guy named Roy Burns was pretending to be Jason. His idea was to get revenge for a bunch of barely legal teens getting a character named Joey killed. Joey (unbeknownst to everyone) was Roy's son. Without that reveal, if it somehow were Jason, could Part V be better? It is at times eerie, has some wild kills that, "Jason," commits, and so forth. Heck, even without the real Jaosn is it potentially a fun flick?

NOT Jason.

Maybe everyone is hard on Part V because we don't get Jason despite the, "Friday the 13th," moniker? I mean, "Halloween 3," got a lot of hate for having nothing to do with Michael Meyers and later on was reevaluated as a classic, does Part V deserve a bit more love? Part of me says, "Maybe." The other part of me says, "There's no Jason, I hate it and the ending retroactively makes the rest of the movie suck." It's a, "Two wolves inside of us," sort of situation. I guess hardcore fans of the franchise should watch Part V and could reevaluate it a little, but those just dipping their toes into the franchise should still avoid this entry.

Exit 11 Coffee is a Great Local Chain!

I was driving around the Saint Peters region for some errands and noticed a coffee stand. I have never seen it before and that intrigued me as a person who loves coffee. I pulled up and discovered it was called, "Exit 11 Coffee." They informed me this location had been here for about 2 years--why I had not ever, "Seen," it is beyond me, but I'm glad I stopped there as they were really snazzy!

With seven different drive-through locations around Missouri, Exit 11 has an assortment of coffees, tasty flavored teas (they can be iced or slushy-style), and a good deal of food items as an all-day breakfast. I wasn't hungry or I would've tried a cinnamon roll--I'll go back soon for one. I did, however, try a RAVE Energy Tea known as the, "Nervous Breakdown." It was a lovely blend of fruity flavors including blackberry, lime, raspberry and strawberry; I dug it. I also had an Americano and it was perfect in terms of not being too bitter or too light. It was smooth and tasty.

I am pleased to have discovered Exit 11 Coffee and will be going back there anytime I am near one of their locations. I encourage you to check them out online and if you live in Missouri/find yourself traveling through here you should visit a stop!

BOOM! Studios Has a Timeline on Going PRH Exclusive as Diamond Suffers Increasing Woes

A bit earlier on in 2024, the company known as BOOM! Studios was acquired by Penguin Random House. Strangely enough, the company kept distribution with Diamond despite PRH being its own distributor of comics for a growing number of publishers (including Marvel). However, a timeline is now in place for BOOM! to go PRH exclusive. It'll be around July 2025. Diamond will still be able to distribute BOOM! titles to comic stores as a third-party wholesaler for shops that don't want to juggle between those two and Lunar (who distributes DC as well as other companies). Diamond is having some problems, though.

Diamond isn't making itself look particularly appealing as a company for retailers to want to keep working with lately due to a downsizing of warehouses, thereby making comics late at some stores for 3 weeks now. That is three weeks a store could be missing a big chunk of inventory to put on the shelves or tuck away for those with a pullbox. Three weeks where an already thin margin of profit with comic-books is gone. Seeing as how Diamond has had more competition in the last half-decade than before you'd think the company would be on its best behavior and working extra hard to please retailers. Apparently, you would be thinking in an incorrect manner. BOOM! leaving Diamond is another chip away at the company and before too long there may be nothing left for Diamond to lose and still have an impact/matter at all in the comic-book biz. We shall see if Diamond will course-correct in time, I suppose.

Television Tuesday: A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter

As readers of the blog are aware, I generally seem to hate a lot of the new and popular pop music. That said, Sabrina Carpenter has a lot of fun tunes that melt my icy-cold heart. Therefore, I streamed the newly-released special, "A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter." It was fun! Anytime singing occurred I was pleased. There are a ton of vocal guest stars--Shania Twain was really cool to see and Chappell Roan did a lovely duet with Carpenter on the classic, "Last Christmas." The skits were a bit hit-or-miss but enough made me laugh I was pleased. The sing-songy one with Kyle Mooney as a brother-in-law Carpenter has no clue what to buy a gift for had me chuckling a lot. 

This special doesn't wear out its welcome at just 50-ish minutes and could've had even more songs, I'd say. "A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter," isn't the best Christmas special ever, but it is quite good fun. If you're a fan of Carpenter, holiday specials, or good tunes you'll enjoy it.

4 out of 5 stars.

I Tried More Products From, "Gunk Getter," and Have Thoughts to Share

On November 21st, I wrote about how I bought and tried out Gunk Getter Cleaning Gel. I saw some at Walgreens and thought it looked useful. I bought a packet and found that odd slimy gel was like some kind of magic silly putty the way it collected dust, crumbs, and other bits of grime. I made sure to emphasize that I was making the post because I thought Gunk Getter was cool and nobody had paid me or asked me to make the post--but I also emphasized if the good folks at Gunk Getter wanted to give me more free stuff I'd happily try it out too. 

Not too long after my post went up the CEO commented on it to shoot over a message with my info and the company would be happy to send me some more products to sample. I got in touch and gave them my address. I was expecting to get maybe a small package with one or two other things. I got two big boxes filled with a metric ton of cool stuff! Now, I shall share my thoughts on everything I had a chance to test out because I appreciate being sent items to review and it gives me a fun post to write. In alphabetical order...

Air Freshener

I don't put air fresheners in my car much, but I wanted to smell these and see how I felt about them. There is a Hawaiian version and a New Car Scent option. Frankly, I liked them both pretty evenly. Some air fresheners can be far too strong but these have a nice mellow scent that I could see making a car a little extra pleasant to sit in.

All Purpose Cleaner/All Purpose Cleaner Travel Bottles

This was really cool. Gunk Getter sent me both the big bottles and the small ones for when you're on the go. The big bottles are great for home use and the miniature models would fit perfectly in a car. Both sizes have microfiber cloths on the bottom of the bottles in a plastic shell you can pop off and then use the cloth with. The bigger bottles have a nice sizable cloth and the miniature ones have a snazzy mini cloth. It is a really cool design feature As for the All Purpose Cleaner itself, the product worked great. I sprayed it on my stovetop and it did a spiffy job cleaning everything up. It helped wipe away some other household stains too and cleaned up some toys for the kiddos. I was quite pleased with it. If I hadn't been supplied enough to last me a long while I would happily buy more of this as it was highly effective. In regards to the scent options, there is Lavender, Lemon, Citrus, and a, "Fresh," option. I liked Citrus but find I am most fond of the simple, "Fresh," as it is crisp and clean-smelling without overpowering one's nose.

Cleaning Gel

In my initial post, I wrote in-depth about the cleaning gel so I'll spare you all the redundancy of saying the same thing again. Just know that Gunk Getter's gel is some fantastic stuff whether you buy the little packet of it or the nice miniature jar that gives you more but still is pretty small and easy to take with you on the go or such.

Wipes--All Purpose

These are nice cleaning wipes that are less harsh than a bleach one but a bit more powerful than the kind you'd use on your face or bottom (these are not meant for your skin, after all).  The Gunk Getter wipes are great at doing what the name says--wiping stuff up. These work a lot like the All Purpose Cleaner at getting grimy stuff looking better. A great product!

Overall Thoughts

I appreciate that the folks over at Gunk Getter wanted to send me a bunch of cool stuff in exchange for my thoughts (they never asked for a positive review either, saying good or bad feedback would be great)! I enjoyed sampling their various products and am pleased that everything they make is spiffy. My favorite products are probably the original gel because its so interesting texturally and the all purpose cleaner is extremely useful too. I'd recommend buying some of their products in stores or you can visit their website. I know I'm a satisfied customer!

The Last ToyMan Show of 2024 is Today--I May Need to Miss it Though!

Today is the last ToyMan show of 2024. I love ToyMan and always make sure to attend when able. That said, I have a variety of obligations today that will probably result in my needing to miss the event or get there way later in the day. That said, I would encourage anyone who can go to be sure and do so as the ToyMan show is a fantastic place to be! I always say if you couldn't find a particular item at ToyMan you probably didn't look hard enough as the convention is always jam-packed with goodies! So yes, get to the ToyMan show if you can and have a lot of fun--I hope to be at the next one in January of 2025!

Dollar Tree Has Begun Selling Debut Issues of Various DC Comics

For $1.25 and any applicable sales taxes, you can buy a DC comic at Dollar Tree (as long as your location has begun stocking them). There are 38 different first issues of assorted series and are just like the original versions but with different advertisements and copyright information indicating they are newer editions.

This is cool as I am always for attempting new methods to get folks (young and old) to try out some comic-books. I've seen the grab bags at Five Below of random comics before, but these are specifically made for Dollar Tree and are debut issues so that folks then (theoretically) might go buy the other issues or a trade paperback collecting the rest of the story. It would be cool if this works in some fashion to boost interest in good ol' comics and I wish DC and Dollar Tree success.

Film Friday: "Hot Frosty," is a Cute Flick

I wrote the other week about how Netflix has been building a subtle cinematic Universe. I mentioned the movie, "Hot Frosty," and how I intended to watch it. Well, I have and it is a really fun little flick. It is a bit like a Hallmark movie but has some extra little elements that make it a tad more snarky than those productions which (from the ones I've seen) tend to be pretty earnest. The general plot is that Kathy (Lacey Chabert) works at a diner and lost her husband to cancer an indeterminate amount of time ago. She puts a scarf on a really jacked-looking snowman and it magically comes to life and is played by a very, very fit Dustin Milligan. Katy Mixon (who I loved on "American Housewife,") is the town doctor and notes how due to some physiological quirks the claims of the man (dubbed, "Jack,") could very well be true that he somehow is a snowman brought to life. Hijinks ensue.

"Hot Frosty," is very cute and has some tropes you'd expect (everyone thinks Jack is incredibly sexy except Lacey who is too in-her-head to notice at first) and some edgier elements that help it really work. Craig Robinson plays the Sheriff named Nate and is so over-the-top at how he chews scenery that you don't even mind he's kind of the bad guy/a huge jerk for much of the flick. Chabert and Milligan have solid chemistry once she warms up to him (pun intended) and the whole production is a nice low-stakes and sweet film. The only thing that bugged me was we never find out who exactly made the snowman that Chabert accidentally brings to life with her scarf. I thought that would be some kind of fun little reveal, but nope, we are left wondering. That note aside, I had a lot of fun watching, "Hot Frosty," and would recommend you check it out should you have Netflix.

5 out of 5 Stars.

This Rotopol Calendar is Really Cool!

I am a fan of the publisher Rotopol. They put out great comics in German and English and often notify me of cool releases that I enjoy reviewing. Rotopol sent a lovely note wishing me a great holiday season and it folded out to reveal a really pretty calendar. It was cool enough I thought I ought to make a post about it. You can see it above this text. I like the sun and moon a lot. It is gorgeous and thoughtful. Thank you for the card/calendar, Rotopol!

Hot Comics Revue 20--Mark Spears is Monstrously Popular

Mark Spears has been making art for comics, cards, and the like for quite some time. He also has suddenly become immensely popular. A slow-burn overnight success, as oxymoronic as that sounds. The sudden hit he's created? "Mark Spears Monsters," which has overtaken numerous Top 10 comic lists and inspired a lot of spending for an assortment of fun main and variant covers. Mr. Spears did a Kickstarter campaign that was incredibly successful and it resulted in the publisher Keenspot picking up the series. Since then, everything has sold like hotcakes. The main covers are hot, regular covers are popular, store-exclusive variants sell out in a jiffy, and the original Kickstarter issues are insanely sought-after too. A new Kickstarter launched last Friday for a prequel series that will go to backers and then come out with Keenspot in 2025. It, obviously, has been backed heavily. Anything related to Mark Spears and his monsters is selling for a good deal above the cover price.

Why is this series so hot? Well, the artwork is good (on the covers as well as inside the comics) and people love monsters. Plus, some covers have sexy ladies or lady-monsters. There are tons of folks out there with a kink for monsters and sexy guy or gal creatures are bound to sell too. "Mark Spears Monsters," is a comic that caught lightning in a bottle and while eventually there will be too many variants or books for folks and it could burn out a bit, I'd imagine some of the initially popular issues will keep their value for some time. If you can find any copies for cheap, grab them as quickly as possible.

Television Tuesday: TLC is Going a Little TOO Hard on Those 90 Day Fiance Shows

I love trashy reality television. Some shows keep me engaged and others eventually wear out their welcome. I eagerly tuned into, "The Bachelor/Bachelorette," for a handful of years until it became overly complicated with so many shows and a tedious formula ("Golden Bachelor," reignited my interest briefly, however). On the other hand, "Big Brother," manages to keep things fresh enough that I always check a new season out because some are fantastic even if others drag. I enjoy a lot of TLC programs and one franchise that has grown, grown, and grown would be, "90 Day Fiance." The initial idea was straightforward. We followed a couple as their future spouse arrived in America and had 90 days to get married as per a K-1 Visa. Then the spin-offs started. 

Some of the mamy 90 Day shows include, "Before the 90 Days," following couples meeting in person for the first time. "The Other Day," which was about the reverse situation where an American is going to live abroad. "Happily Ever After," and its focus on couples that got married. "Single Life," with cast members who did not find love and are now looking for a partner. "Family Chantel," which focused on Chantel and her insane family. "Pillow Talk," where cast members watch, "90 Day," shows and comment on them. The list goes on and I'm going to stop because there are 18 or so of these things creating a complex continuity where people might be on one show, shift to another, then another, and before you know it we've created an unstoppable machine that gets to the point where there is a spin-off featuring the cast doing a cooking show (it happened). You now are unable to tune into TLC without there being at least one new 90 Day-related program occurring that week, possibly a handful. I've got to ask, is this too much?

A chart from Reddit attempting to figure out how to watch everything 90 Day-related.

I used to try and watch almost any, "90 Day Fiance," type show. With so many programs these days, however, the brand feels diluted. I'm not going to criticize how real or fake the shows are, this is reality television and there are always questionably planned-out elements, one theorizes. I don't care too much if I'm entertained, but am I having fun with every show or am I just trying to check them all out so I know who the Hell a couple on, "The Last Resort," is that are trying to save their relationship because they were on two other 90 Day programs already I must've missed due to the sheer deluge of content? I want to watch reality television to relax, not try to keep track of nearly 20 shows and what is going on in them. At least some shows are relatively self-contained still besides some thematic links like, "Thousand Pound Sisters," and, 'Thousand Pound Best Friends," which, yes, are real shows I watch because I already told you I enjoy junk programming. My point is that TLC needs to show a little restraint with the 90 Day brand because you can have too much of a good thing and get sick of it--even deliciously trashy international couples.

It's Not Just You, Honey Crisp Apples Have Become Increasingly Hit-or-Miss in Quality

I love apples. Our eldest child, Clarkson, is very picky about food but he'll eagerly eat apples. His little brother, Gibson, adores apples. My wife, Samii, is fond of apples as well. We have tried a variety and over time a clear favorite has emerged. We are big fans of the Honey Crisp apple. The thing is, over the years it has felt like some Honey Crisp apples just are not as good as they used to be. Is this in our head? Apparently, it is not, as a fascinating article by Genevieve Yam for Serious Eats discusses.

"How Honeycrisp Apples Went From Marvel to Mediocre," has Yam tracing the origin of the Honey Crisp apple to how attempts to greatly scale up production of the tasty fruit has at times impacted the quality. People trying to grow it in regions that aren't optimal for its biology, extensive storage times, and other factors have resulted in there being a risk that your Honey Crisp apple might not always have a delicious taste but instead be a bit weak and mealy--still better than a Red Delicious, though. I suppose in an attempt to meet the demand for the Honey Crisp apple it hurt the quality, a story that can sadly be applied to many products. It still is our household's favorite kind of apple, but I'll admit without hesitation that too many Honey Crisp apples these days for my liking are a disappointment once you chomp into them.

Joe Biden is Over It/Has Pardoned Hunter Biden

Today, Joe Biden signed a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. A full and unconditional pardon relating to Hunter's illegal gun ownership, tax issues, all of it. Biden (the elder) released a statement saying he was doing it because he felt Hunter was treated differently by the justice system due to his relation to Joe and that was unfair. I know the real reason, however: Joe Biden is done. He's done with Republicans who fought him tooth and nail to accomplish anything good for our Nation as it clawed its way back from the COVID-19 pandemic. He's done with Democrats who forced him to not run for President and how as a result he dropped out of the race way late for Kamala Harris to take his place...and she still lost. Joe Biden is done with politics once he leaves office this January and he doesn't care what anyone thinks anymore.

Now, Trump has always done this kind of bullshit and is already making it clear he's going to appoint loyalists and relatives to positions of power the day he takes office having won the white house for a nonconsecutive second. Biden was a career politician (for better or worse) who wanted to follow the rules and do whatever helped the greater good. It got him pushed out of a reelection bid (I mean, we all were thinking he was going to lose, but now who knows considering how good it looked for Kamala and all that got us), and it didn't do any good. Republicans won the white house, Senate, and House. They pulled off a trifecta with their empty promises and hateful rhetoric that more than half the Nation lapped up, and I imagine Joe Biden saw it all and felt a mix of rage, hopelessness, and defeat. I know I still feel that way about the election, but unlike Joe Biden, I don't have the power to do anything about it. 

Biden isn't going to try to stop Trump from assuming office like some kind of January 6th redux, but he can still throw up a couple middle-fingers to everybody, and pardoning Hunter is quite a big flipping of the bird. We can talk about the political implications this could have, but what does it matter? Biden is done and the Democrats lost it all. Biden is basically just flicking a lighter while a building (our nation)  burns down around him--sure it isn't a good idea, but the house is already ablaze so what harm could a few extra sparks do anyway? Joe Biden is a lame-duck President who doesn't give a hoot anymore. He lost one son, Beau, to cancer, and he doesn't want to lose another to the criminal justice system. Therefore, he did something unquestionably in poor judgment with his power to help a family member. He did something that we would shrug at if Trump did it but which was shocking for Biden--he showed he can be selfish. Trump proves every day he is an incredibly flawed person and today Biden showed some cracks too. He doesn't care about his party anymore, they've self-inflicted enough wounds--again, they lost everything.

The one funny thing about this is there is basically nothing anyone can do about this. A pardon can't be taken back and ol' Joe can't get in trouble as this was an official act he did as President--something the Supreme Court ruled he is legally exempt from when people were trying to bring charges against Trump. A ruling that protected Trump has indirectly served as quite useful to Joe and Hunter. Talk about the Biden's finding a silver lining in a major shitstorm cloud, eh? Still, I didn't have Joe Biden basically saying, "Forgot all ya'll," on my bingo card for 2024. It's been a year.

I Enjoyed but Also Have One Quibble with, "West Coast Avengers," #1

I read the latest iteration of, "West Coast Avengers," by Gerry Duggan and Danny Kim, and quite enjoyed it! The debut issue features Tony Stark and an assortment of heroes (and reformed villains) working to help the Western end of the United States stay safe from danger. The West Coast Avengers comics have always had an interesting mish-mash of a cast from the days when it was Hawkeye's team in California, and this new series contains bigger names (Iron Man, Spider-Woman, War Machine) and random characters (Firestar, new addition Blue Bolt, a reformed Ultron). One thing slightly bugged me, however. You see, a potential villain is revealed at the issue's end, and...Ultron is up to no good.

The idea of taking a monster like Ultron and having him be a good guy now (due to events in some other mini-series) is a cool change to the usual formula, for real! The extra twist that he's still plotting destruction with, "The Gospel of Ultron," being advertised as coming in 2025 at the issue's end kind of ruins things. I mean, it is zero surprise for Ultron to be doing evil again--even if it is slightly different in the sense he seems to be fusing humans with machines (kind of like he used to be with Hank Pym) instead of outright wanting to kill all humans.

I don't mind Ultron being a baddie, but why would you solicit him as reformed and make a big deal out of it only to do an immediate rug-pull and declare, "Nope, he's going to be a problem!" It is my one quibble with the new series even if it leads to a cool story from this new, "Gospel," of that mischievous machine. It just could've been less obvious this was going to happen.