Remember: It's Better to Include than Ignore

I wrote back in February about how, "When it Comes to Disabilities, Our Nation Needs to Remember the Importance of Inclusivity AND Accessibility--Plus Keep them Affordable!" That piece was more about governmental entities needing to take better steps to help those who have a disability feel included in the world via accessibility- things can be absurdly expensive even with insurance, after all. That said, people down to the individual level need to remember it is better to include those who are, "Different," as opposed to simply ignoring/forgetting them. A friend of mine posted the above meme and it really struck me because of how true it is.

Just because a child is in a wheelchair, stimming, or has any kind of disability that doesn't mean you need to, "Not stare," and ignore them. I always prefer children to ask why my son, Clarkson, sometimes claps, makes certain sounds, and uses a talker as opposed to ignoring us. Clarkson communicates differently but he still loves playing with other kiddos via jumping with them on a trampoline, climbing on things at various play-zones, and so forth. I don't want parents to tell their children to not stare at Clarkson, I welcome them having questions and wanting to learn about Clarkson so they know the best way to interact with him and be his friend.

Inclusivity isn't just something our government or community needs to do. We as individuals are responsible for making sure those who are, "Different," can feel included whether they are children or adults, with a visible or, "Invisible," disability. It is okay to acknowledge my child is different. Ignoring how he has Autism won't help anyone. Acknowledging he is different via your guidance as a parent can help foster acceptance. That helps everyone, from my kiddo to yours. Knowledge is power, and we all have the power to understand and embrace our differences.

I Saw Usher in Concert Yesterday!

Usher is currently on tour and stopped in Saint Louis to do two shows. I was able to catch his performance yesterday, the 26th, here in Saint Louis. It was a lot of fun and extremely entertaining! The first half of the show had a lot of dancing, roller skating, and huge screens showcasing interesting imagery about Usher's life due to the theme being that an artificial intelligence of sorts is looking at his past, present and potential future--which makes sense as this is the, "Past, Present, Future," tour. The second half of the show slowed things down and featured more of Usher standing and doing the best special effect he has--singing with his incredible voice.

The crowd was pumped, with the many ladies in the audience getting especially loud the first time Usher ripped his shirt off and poured a bottle of water over himself. The women also enjoyed a segment in the latter half where Usher went down into the crowd and fed the women cherries from a big bowl he got at a nearby bar area. It was humorous but dragged on a bit long compared to how quick and exciting the rest of the show was with the numerous costume changes, dancers, and crazy lights going on and off.

I had a lot of fun at Usher's concert and everyone else in the audience seemed to be having a gas as well. A ton of effort had clearly been put into creating an exciting and engaging show with Usher making sure to sing a bunch of his hits newer and older in addition to some less-known but still quite catchy tunes--the man has an extensive catalog. One fun thing was that at points Usher threw out stunt money and one crew member was kind enough to give me an extra bill when I asked. Take a look:

If you are able to see Usher while he's on tour I would encourage you to do so. I had a great deal of fun and appreciated the mix of showy stuff and chill moments where Usher focused on singing. It was a superb show!

As Halloween Approaches I Present: 3 Game Moments that Actually Scared Me

I don't scare too easily. I've seen a bunch of horror flicks and while the occasional sudden moment can make me jump, it doesn't freak me out and keep me up late at night. The only movie that ever really freaked me out was, randomly enough, "The Sixth Sense." I don't even believe in ghosts, but that movie was equally sad and scary. Anything else though with Freddy, Jason, Michael Meyers, Lepruchans, Candyman, serial killers, or such just entertains me. The same goes with games, although there have been three occasions that come to mind where a video-game legit scared me. The kind of fright where you stay up a little later thinking about how wild it was--that sort of scared.

1. The opening of, "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain."

Toussaint Egan over at Polygon has made the same observation as me, the opening of Hideo Kojima's last MGS game is actually quite terrifying. Whether you know all the story reveals that come later in the game or are going in fresh, it is like a totally different title than the open-world military combat game it morphs into after the first couple hours. The game opens with Snake in the hospital, emaciated and weak from a coma, being stalked by a strange man on fire who seems dedicated to killing you. Players can't tell what is real, a hallucination, or if this is some version of Hell that Snake has ended up in. That fire-man coming at me was a surreal nightmare incarnate.

2. Finding Mia in, "Resident Evil VII: Biohazard."

I never found the, "Resident Evil," games scary. They had attempts at jump-scares with the Nemesis, but nothing that made me feel ill at ease until I dipped my toes into the seventh official game in the series. Perhaps because it switched to a first-person perspective that made everything feel more visceral, especially when you first locate your character's wife. You're playing at Ethan Summers and you find Mia early in the game, but something is really wrong with her. Some kind of infection has made her homicidal and by the time she shoots up a flight of stairs at the player and uses a chainsaw to cut one of our hands off I was quite alarmed. The whole game is pretty spooky, but Mia was what stuck with me.

3. The Floormasters in, "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."

I don't know why, but as a kid, these things legit scared me. They would appear in certain dungeons by first manifesting as a shadow overhead that made a weird whistling howl as it grew bigger. Then, you'd be grabbed by the strange mysterious form and dragged to an earlier part of the dungeon. With some quick footwork, you could dodge what turned out to be a creepy-looking hand you had to attack. Once you hit the hand, however, it would break into three mini ones that would attempt either to choke you or reform the big hand. As a middle-school student these things just really struck me as spooky.

Film Friday: Those Leftover Redbox Kiosks Post a Big Privacy Risk

Redbox used to be a fantastic way to rent movies. Now, however, it is one big fiasco. You all may recall when Redbox shut down due to its then-owner, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, going bankrupt. Now, those kiosks sit outside stores like big, heavy, useless bricks. That is, except for ones that are supposedly wiped of their sensitive information and sold to whoever wants a machine (people collect random stuff). The problem, however, is that these machines and their data are apparently easily accessed because CSSE did a really crappy job erasing customer information. 

I, for one, don't love the idea that somebody can buy an old Redbox kiosk and get a bunch of credit card numbers among other stuff--especially as a person who used Redbox a decent amount back in the day to rent movies and games. CSSE probably doesn't care much as the company is essentially having a fire sale to try and dig itself out of being nearly a billion dollars in debt. Still, this is sloppy and just serves as a further embarrassment to the company.

The 7UP Shirley Temple is Quite Enjoyable

I enjoy sampling short-term and promotional soda flavors. Big soda brands always seem to be rolling out some temporary new tastes to sample. One mix that actually makes a lot of sense when you hear about it is the new 7UP Shirley Temple. A Shirley Temple as a beverage generally contains some cirtus soda mixed with grenadine and topped with a cherry, so why not give us a premade version? Knowing that it was logical to have this be a drink I figured it would either be tasty or somehow fail epically against all odds. Thankfully, the 7UP Shirley Temple is pretty darn good.

I've been avoiding drinking sugary sodas for the sake of my weight (those calories add up), but I could not find the zero sugar/diet version of the 7UP Shirley Temple anywhere. I visited and called multiple stores until one location in a local grocery chain (Dierbergs) told me they had a single 12-pack left. I had them hold it and snatched up some soda to try. Upon cracking open my 7UP Shirley Temple the first thing I noticed was how the pomegranate flavor really hits you with the 7UP. This tastes like a Shirley Temple that went hard on the grenadine, in other words. That isn't a bad thing, though, just something to note! After you notice the pomegranate making its presence felt with the 7UP there is a nice and crisp cherry aftertaste. It isn't the best version of a Shirley Temple I've ever tried, but I've had versions of the drink that were quite worse due to shoddy bartenders. I also wonder how this would blend with some Vodka if someone wanted to make a 21-and-up version of the drink as you see sometimes. I bet it would work pretty well!

In conclusion, the 7UP Shirley Temple isn't the best promo flavor ever, but it is pretty tasty. If you like the Shirley Temple beverage in general this should meet any expectations you have of a canned soda's take on the classic drink. I'd rate this a lovely 4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Eternal Family," is the Weird Streaming Service I Didn't Know the World Desperately Needed

Look, I've complained about how there are too many streaming services. There are the mainstream ones that serve millions of folks like Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO MAX/MAX, and more. There are niche ones too like, "Shudder," which focus on horror-based content or Crunchyroll with Anime. It is a lot, but I can appreciate how this variety is capable of resulting in something interesting too. Something strange. Something known as, "Eternal Family."

I was on Facebook and saw a weird ad full of random quirky clips. It said it was, "Eternal Family." It looked like the love child you'd get from the more esoteric shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim reproducing with the catalog of the cult movies brought back to life by Vinegar Syndrome. I did some research, and yeah, "Eternal Family is an offbeat streaming platform presenting hidden gems from the past and surreal entertainment." It has a bunch of old bizarre stuff, things the platform created with the talent involved in the service, and it is weird. The thing is, I'll always take weird over boring, so I checked it out.

Eternal Family has an app, a program you can access on Roku televisions, and a website. It offers a free 7-day trial and a subscription for $8 a month (or less if you buy a longer chunk of time). You navigate it like any other streaming service with its various genres of content. That's where it being like other streaming services ends, however.

There are old monster movies from foreign countries, strange television shows from the 90's. 80's comedies, low-budget and surreal horror movies. Short flicks, some anime, and a number of original content options, and it is all so random and entertaining. Back in the older days of the internet/Youtube/whatever you would just kind of stumble upon unique and cool things (there even was a website called, "Stumbleupon," for example). Now, of course, we go online to find something specific as quickly as possible. That is why search engines such as Google are so popular and Amazon with its nearly-infinite selection of items is massively successful. We want to find something fast and get it given to us even faster. That is all well and good, but Eternal Family evokes the feeling of just finding something cool. 

In an interview, the folks behind Eternal Family say, "It’s a bunch of weird stuff that you might not 'get' but makes me and my friends happy to watch." That's a great way to put it, but I'd argue there is enough variety to the stuff on, "Eternal Family," that anyone who tries it out will find something they get. Maybe a vintage silent film. Perhaps a T.V. movie titled, "Wishman," about a bioengineered creature featuring Linda Hamilton before she was in, "Terminator." A training video from the 90s about how to use a speed-bag could appeal too. Maybe entertainer and artist Kerwin Frost singing karaoke? What about a Latvian cartoon series for kids? These are all real options with, "Eternal Family," the strangest streaming service on the web. 

I'm unsure how Facebook knew to have a random ad for this streaming option appear to me (I mean, they probably studied my analytics and knew I'd like it, but yeah). I am happy I checked it out, however. Eternal Family is most definitely not for everyone, but it could be for anyone who wants something wild and different. Check it out, you'll be glad you did.

The, "Blade," Movie is Delayed Once Again

If I may spoil a scene in the latest, "Deadpool and Wolverine," movie, there is a part where Wesley Snipes returns as Blade and remarks at one point that there has only ever been one Blade and only ever will be one Blade. Deadpool then looks at the camera knowingly as a new, "Blade," movie has been in the works with Mahershala Ali set to play the famous vampire-killing Daywalker. The thing is, the movie keeps getting delayed to the point where I worry that Snipes' character could be correct.

This leads me to share how I wasn't surprised but still concerned to hear the movie has slipped out of 2025 and has no set release at the moment. The flick has been through multiple directors, and scripts, and has been in preproduction purgatory for about half a decade, having been announced as in the works way back in the Pre-Covid times of 2019. I hope everything can get straightened out and we end up with a good flick. I just want to be entertained as Ali does cool stunts and stakes some vampires; it sounds easy enough but clearly, there is a lot of work to be done.

"Erenshor," is a Single-Player Game That Simulates Being an MMORPG; That Sounds Strange and Interesting!

I used to dabble in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, back when I had a lot more time to burn. I'm old enough to have dipped my toe into, "Ultima Online," and never played, "Everquest," but recall how huge it was. Then, of course, it seems like we've all played a significant chunk of, "World of Warcraft," at some point in our lives. Still, those games can be a huge time-sink and other players can be heavily dependent on you to join them for quests/raids if you're in a guild that enjoys those high-intensity dungeons and such. What if you want to play an online game where there is less of a grind and you won't be letting any real people down if you miss a few events? Why not try an MMO...that's actually offline? Enter the intriguing new game, "Erenshor."

"Erenshor," is essentially a single-player MMO. It takes place in a big fantasy land and is full of other players who go questing, trade loots, and level up when you're not around while hanging out with various guilds...except these other players are all NPCs and the game isn't on the internet. Everyone besides you is a, "SimPlayer," with a computer-generated personality, appearance, and the like. It is a game for just you that feels like a big online title but requires a lot less time, dedication, and the like. The graphics look inspired by, "Runescape," and I love the idea of, "An MMORPG...on your time." I can explore a fantasy world that is just like an MMO but has nary the usual stressors of it taking forever to level up, or having to play with a bunch of people to enjoy the best quests/raids/etc.

Looks like an online game, yet it isn't at all!

You can play a demo of, "Erenshor," now on your computer via Steam. The old-school design gives it relatively modest system requirements--although my current setup is so basic it can't run it. Do please give the demo a try and let me know how it is. If I get a slightly more juicy computer in the future I'd definitely give, "Erenshor," a try sometime either via its demo or once development is complete.

Today's Quad Con in Saint Charles was Stellar!

 

Whenever the Quad Con comes to town I get excited. The Saint Charles one is always held at the Steel Shop Event Center and is a hoot. Full of vendors, creators, and other cool folks, you can spend a bunch of time having fun at any Quad Con show--and that is just what I did today! I made new friends and saw old chums, bought a bit of cool stuff, and otherwise found the show to be quite an enjoyable experience. I'll share some highlights below...

I saw some of my good friends that I often run into at other shows. My chums I had the pleasure of chatting with included John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics, Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, Marcus Mosley, Eric and Tricia of STL Comics, Larry of Bug's Comics, the good folks of Comic Book Relief and That Comic Book Guy. I also was excited to see my good friend Jack Thomas of Fortress Comics. He was kind enough to pose for a photo with his impressive wares:

There were even more vendors of comics/toys/Funko Pops/etc. as the show was packed with folk selling cool items. I met the vendors of Magnitude 10 Comics for the first time and they had a cool giveaway they were doing! Besides folk selling wares, a lot of cool folks who made neat items were present too. The cool fellows of Biff! Bam! Boom! Comics were there and always a treat to speak with. Friend of the blog Ria Leso was at Quad Con, promoting her cool works including the upcoming release of issue 2 from, "The Sleepless Ones," comic. Here she is with her cool banner:

I met Matthew Kreke, an author of the young adult book, "Beacon--The Hero of the Heartland," as well as, "The Night Slayers," comic. The show was really big and I was busy checking all the cool booths for sure, and during the show I made the acquaintance of Marisa Carbonell of Mariposa. She had a ton of cool stickers, bookmarks, and so forth featuring her artwork. Here is a picture of her cool booth:

This Quad Con in Saint Charles was immense fun. The show was packed with vendors, creators, some cool cosplay, and everyone was having a great time! I already look forward to the next one in this region on April 13th, 2025. Thank you again to the folks behind Quad Con for having me attend as it was superb!

The Variety Saint Louis Trunk-or-Treat Event Was Great Fun!

I've written about the wonderful organization here in Saint Louis known as Variety on a previous occasion. They help families in a multitude of ways and were kind enough to highlight how their assistance in getting Clarkson his Novachat device was incredibly helpful when it came to his communication skills. Variety held a Trunk-or-Treat event today and it was a lot of fun!

Samii, Clarkson, Gibson, and I all drove to the event and our good friend Emily met us there to do the trunk-or-treating with us! Clarkson loved one spot where they had made slime (as seen above). He kept making faces as he touched it but didn't want to stop! Everyone loved his Halloween-themed shirt as well with bats on it.

Gibson and Samii had fun outfits themed for the event as well, with Samii sporting a Jack-o'-lantern shirt and Gibson dressing as Donald Duck--he got lots of compliments for his adorable outfit. I need to make sure to thank our friends Doug and Rachel who gifted us the getup! Here is a better look at the boys in their clothing before we left--I tried to crop out the cat the best I could who desperately tried to pop into the picture:

Variety's trunk-or-treat event was fantastic! The cars were all decorated wonderfully with an assortment of themes, everyone was incredibly nice, and the weather was about as perfect as one could have hoped for today. We want to thank Variety for all they do and look forward to attending more fun shindigs they have throughout the year!