A Fresh Start...

Well, it’s that time of year again.  The time for starting over, the time for new beginnings, and the time of year where people generally like to make proclamations on resolutions that they would like to accomplish throughout the upcoming year.  Well, for me, I want to try to get back into the habit of blogging a little more often, especially since my last blog post was back in April 2013, so I have come to the conclusion that what better time to start on this than now?

Now, since we are on the topic of resolutions, I think that will be the topic for today’s schpiel.  You see, I am just like everyone else when it comes to proclaiming New Year’s Resolutions.  I take days, sometimes even weeks, thinking of the things that I plan on doing different, or the things that I plan on changing about myself, and then I make sure to let everyone know about them, hoping that I can find someway to help keep myself accountable so I will be successful in completing my resolutions.  And, almost every single year, it does not take long before I fail in one or more of my resolutions, claim defeat, and totally throw that resolution out the window.  Now, you may be thinking, “That sounds crazy?  Why, after one failure, would he totally abandon ship on a resolution early on into the year?  There is still tons of time to redeem yourself?”  

Well, if you do find yourself saying that, or something similar to that, you would be correct.  That does not just sound crazy, it is, in fact, crazy.  But, here is my line of reasoning.  It’s not good reasoning, but hey, that is just how my brain works.  Every year, when I decide on resolutions for myself, they are usually time specific, or date specific, and if I miss a date, time, or something else very minor, it totally throws me all off.  Call it a slight touch of OCD, which I think might be the best way to describe it, but that is just how my brain operates.

So, this year I decided to do things a little bit differently.  Instead of giving myself a deadline, or making my resolutions super specific, I am going to go a little more generalized and broad, and see if I am more successful.  I have a feeling that I will be, and that is mostly because I want to be.  There are a lot of things that I want to start doing differently, and there are a lot of things that I want to start doing better.  I feel that, with me now being thirty years old, I need to finally have a come to Jesus meeting with myself, and accomplish these things that I want to do.  I need to start taking life a lot more seriously.  I have a lot of things left that I would like to accomplish, and if I don’t start doing them, they are never going to get done.  So, without any further adieu, here are a list of a few of the things that I want to accomplish not only in 2015, but possibly even beyond that.

1. Be a better husband and father (not that I am doing a bad job, but there is always room to get better)
2. Try and eliminate the negative from my life (life’s too short to spend it being negative and surrounding yourself with negativity)
3. Try and surround myself with more positivity (hey, you can never have too much of that)
4. Spend more time reading, either for my own enjoyment or reading to my daughter (I used to read a lot, but I have slipped the last few years.  I really need to get back into that habit)
5. Do something writing related every single day. (Whether it be writing, editing, or writing research, it doesn’t matter.  As long as something writing related gets done.  Besides, ACW is not going to write itself!!!)
6. Spend more time with friends.  (I have three people, other than my wife, that I consider my absolute best friends on this planet as of this writing, and we do not spend nearly as much time together as I think we should.  I need to look into fixing that.  One of them lives too far away, but I think I can still make that work)
7. Work on my health (Even though this is kind of far down the list, this one is really important.  I have recently hit rock bottom healthwise, and I really need to start getting serious and do something about that.  I usually am putting others before myself.  While this is something that I am not going to stop doing, I just need to make sure that I consider myself as equally important)
8. Strive to spend as much time doing as I do thinking (I am constantly brainstorming ideas for projects, and that is about where it stays, as a brainstorm.  I need to try and make more of these thoughts become realities. **cough cough** Nerdsweek **cough cough**)
9. Take time for myself (This will entail still making sure that I take the time to continue doing my favorite past time, consuming mass amounts of digital media.  I love listening to podcasts, getting caught up on old tv shows and movies, and of course, playing video games.  I need to remember that no matter how busy I get, I still take the time to do these things as well)

While I am sure that I could probably go on for days, I think that this is a good start.  There are a few of you that I already look to as a daily source of inspiration to get that shot of positivity that gets me through the day.  You don’t know it, but want to thank you for being there, and for maintaining your positive outlooks on life, because I know that it is definitely making a world of difference in changing my outlook, and I really truly do appreciate it.  Well, I think after two pages, that is enough of me being sappy and preachy for now.  But hey, this is my first post in almost two years, I can be a little wordy!  A lot of things have happened since the last time I posted….

The Life and Death of the Super Uber Kickass Nerdcast

Part One: The Life

Kids, let me tell you a story.  No, its not the story of How I Met Your Mother, but its the true story of the rise and fall of one of the coolest podcasts to ever grace your ear holes.  At one time, we thought that there was no power in the 'verse that could stop us.  Just like Kato and Nash, and even Tango and Cash, there was nothing that could break us up.  But, just like Joss Whedon's Firefly, our show came to a very abrupt end.  In our case, there were no Fox execs that pulled the plug on us, we pulled the plug on ourselves.  But how could such an awesome show that had a fairly steady following come crashing to pieces?  Well, here is my side of the story.

To understand how this whole thing came to be, I need to take you back a few months.  June 17, 2011 to be exact.  Now, what makes this date so significant?  Well, this day saw the release of the long awaited live action Green Lantern movie.  But more importantly, this day saw the formation of the coolest group ever to walk the face of the Earth, the Super Uber Kick Ass Nerd Squad.  Now, Pete and myself had gone way back, as we used to work together at Edwards Theater.  And then I had met Ryan through working together at Melaleuca.  And Adam and Ken had both been friends with Ryan for years.  

Now, all planets must have aligned or whatever, but we all met that day, and it was that day where the seeds were planted for the nerdcast.  After the movie, we stayed out in the front lobby for a few hours, chit chatting about every single nerdy thing under the sun.  Every time we were able to meet up, it usually ended up that way.  No matter what combination of us got together, it usually ended up the same way.  A bunch of nerds talking about a bunch of nerdy things...and it was great!  When you get a bunch of like minded individuals together, it is one of the greatest things ever.  We were not able to meet often, but when we were able to, we could have talked for hours.  Unfortunately, we were not able to get together as often as any of us would have liked to. 

Thus came the idea for the podcast.  Now, every so often when we got together, Pete would always bring up the idea of getting us together and doing a podcast.  Now, the first few times, we all sort of just agreed when the idea was presented, but then nothing ever seemed to come of it.  I mean, you don’t really hear a lot of demand for people wanting to sit and listen to a bunch of nerds giving their diverse opinions about all sorts of random nerdy topics.  But then, after bringing up the idea once again, you could see the gears turning in our brains, the smoke starting to pour out of our ears.  Finally, for some reason, it started to sink in that this whole podcast idea would actually be a really great idea.  The biggest perk of all of it?  The chance for us to get exactly what we were wanting...the chance for us to hang out a lot more often.  I mean, we were not going to be hanging out in person, but we would be getting to get together and talking, which was just as good.    

So, the decision had been made.  We were going to do a podcast.  But, with the majority of us unfamiliar for the most part what a podcast even was, we turned to Pete, who has listened to so many hours of audio entertainment, he eats, drinks, and sleeps podcasting.  We basically just decided to do whatever the heck we wanted to do.  What we wanted to do was capture the complete randomness of our conversations.  We wanted to try and find a nice way to keep our spontaneity but find a way to keep it short, sweet, and to the point.  So every week, we would put together a rough outline, where we would include a bunch of talking points, but for the most part, it would still be very natural.  

And in my opinion, the way to make this work, was for us to remember two very important things.  The first thing was to make sure that we tried to keep it as natural as possible, because if we scripted it too much, it would not be as good as if we kept it natural.  And the second thing, and I feel that it is the most important thing, that we needed to remember that this was going to be more than just a show.  In my opinion, it was never about the show.  I am really glad people liked and enjoyed listening to it week after week, but the most important thing I felt that we needed to remember was that this was never about the show, it was about a group of friends getting together, to talk about the newest, latest, and greatest things to hit the nerd community, to talk about the things in our own lives, and to enjoy each others company.

The Lights-nings and the Thunders

               Uh oh! Here they come again! Far off in the distance, there they are...dark, scary, storm clouds. You know what that means? That means it's going to rain again!

               Little Gracie Jo likes it when it rains sometimes. She thinks it's really fun to sit on the couch with her mommy and daddy, and listen to the rain hit on the top of her house, because it sounds like when you tap your fingers on the table really fast, and it sounds really cool!  Sometimes though, she really don't like when it rains outside! It usually gets super windy, it gets cold and chilly, and it gets really dark!

               And sometimes there are even really bright lights in the sky. Her daddy told her it was called “Lights-nings.” And she doesn't like when the lights-nings comes, cause that means that the sky is gonna make those loud booming noises too. Her mommy told her that those noises were called “Thunders.” When the lights-nings and the thunders come, she gets really super scared, and all she wants to do is run away, jump into her bed, and hide under her blankies.

               One time, when she was hiding under her blankies, waiting for the lights-nings and the thunders to go away, her daddy came into her room and snuck his head under the blankies with her. “Hey Strawberry Shortcake, what's the matter?” Her daddy asked her. She told him, “Daddy, I'm real scared! I don't like when there's all that noise outside when its raining! It makes me real scared! I like it better when it's just raining and there is no noises outside at all!”

               “Well,” her daddy said, “There is nothing for you to be scared of. It's not loud and scary like that all the time, it's only like that sometimes.” “How come its only like that sometimes daddy?” “Well honey, its only loud like that on special occasions.”

               “Now, let me ask you this little one. Do you know who makes it rain, who makes the sun shine, or even who makes the wind blow?” “There is a somebody that does all of that daddy?” “Of course there is honey! Those things don't just happen all by themselves.”

               “Then daddy, if it doesn't happen by itself, who does all of it? Is it my mommy?” “Oh honey, it's not your mommy, but it is a different kind of mommy. Her name is Mother Nature. She tells the Earth when to have the sun and moon come up, when the wind should blow, and even when it should rain and snow.” “Oh. Ok. So, is it like a big, giant mommy? That's so cool!”

               “But daddy, how come nature's mommy makes the lights-nings and the thunders? Someone should tell her that it's really super scary, and I can't hear it when it's raining on our house!”

               “Well sweetheart, the reason she is making those loud noises and bright lights is because she is taking pictures of the weather, of her friends, and other really neat things. You know the little toy camera that you have? Well, she has her very own camera too.”

               “Sometimes, when its really pretty outside, she sees one of her friends, or the weather outside is really cool looking, she takes pictures so she can remember it later. The loud 'Thunders' are her pushing the button on her camera to take the pictures, and the 'Lights-nings' is the light from her camera.”

               “Oh...so nature's mommy is just taking some pictures just like I do with my cambra? Oh that's so cool!” “Exactly! So see sweetie, there is nothing to be afraid of! And if you want, we can hurry and get outside, and see if we can be in one of Mother Nature's pictures? Do you want too???”

               “Sure daddy! I am gonna go get my mom and see if she wants to come too!” She flung the blankies off of her head, jumped out of her bed and raced to the other room to get her mommy.

               The three of them made it outside just in time to hear the last thunderclap echo through the sky, and the clouds started to clear up, revealing the most amazing rainbow they had ever seen.

               “Daddy, look at that rainbow! Do you think that nature's mommy got a picture of it?” “I'm not sure little one.” “Oh, well that's ok. Can I maybe go get my cambra and take a picture so I can show her next time she comes back?”

               “Of course you can honey!” She started to run into the house, but stopped after a couple of steps. She turned around, ran back to her daddy, and gave him a great big hug. “Daddy, thanks for helping me to not be scared of the lights-nings and the thunders! You're the best daddy ever! I love you!” And with that, she ran inside to grab her camera.  

5 X-Division Wrestlers Who Were Overlooked

               I want to share some of my opinions on the state of TNA's X-Division. I remember back in the days when TNA was first starting out, and the X-Division was at the forefront of the company. They were the main event, the main marketing tool to draw people into watch the show. It wasn't about weight limits, it was about no limits! Super exciting stuff...just like back in the early days of WCW's Cruiserweight Division, or even in ECW, the classic matches between Rey Mysterio Jr. and Psicosis were, arguably, legendary! But now, it’s as if the X-Division is almost an after-thought. So I think that the tournament that they have been having, bringing in X-Division stars old and new is a great idea! And also, who isn’t excited about the return of the six-sided ring, even if only for one night.

             With all of the things there are to be excited for, there are some things that I am kinda bummed about, mostly the choices of former X-Division roster members that they brought back. I mean, watching Austin Aries, Kid Kash, and Low-Ki come back and kick as much ass as ever before was awesome, but I think that there are a few superstars that they should have used. So here are my Top 5 choices of wrestlers I think were overlooked:

1. - Petey Williams: Former leader of Team Canada, he was a force to be reckoned with in the X-Division. He gained the extra edge he needed that helped keep him focused after getting taken under the wing of "Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner, and with the awe-inspiring Canadian Destroyer finishing manuever, took opponents down for the count.

2. - Elix Skipper: The third essential part of the Triple X stable (along with "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels and Low-Ki) he was a part of one of the biggest Holy Sh!t moments of wrestling history when he performed his finisher The New School on Chris Harris off the top of the cage at Victory Road 2004. Bringing him back could possibly have us see the reuniting of Triple X, and start a bunch of new exciting feuds. (Triple X vs. Fortune is one I personally would love to see!)

3. - Jay Lethal: Mostly because, well, I think he should have never been let go. Plus, being a huge fan of the late Macho Man Randy Savage since I was a kid, I thought that Black Machismo was pretty damn awesome!

4. - Sonjay Dutt: The Original Playa from the Himalayas, Dutt was a very exciting individual to watch, and his feud with Lethal was always entertaining. I would love to see them go at it at least one more time.

5. - Johnny Devine: Another former Team Canada member, he spent most of his last run with TNA crusading against the X-Division with Team 3D, but with Chris Sabin out for the rest of 2011, I personally wouldn't mind seeing a reunion of Paparazzi Productions with Alex Shelly.

           

                        Well, there you have it. Five individuals from the TNA of yesterday that I think should have gotten a chance to show the world at least one more time what makes the X-Division so amazing, and what keeps us coming back to watch every Thursday night. I for one am excited to see the outcome of the series at Destination X, the rematch of AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, the rekindled fued between RVD and Jerry Lynn, and I think Samoa Joe and Kaz will make for a pretty exciting bout as well. I hope that they put on a great show and remind the world that it really isn't about weight limits, it’s about no limits!