"Mortal Kombat II," Delayed...To Set it Up for Success?

Normally, when a movie is delayed, it is for problematic reasons. It is taking a lot longer to complete, for example. That, or the studio doesn't believe it will do well and wants to dump it in a quiet season, and so forth. Many times a flick gets pushed back or shelved for months or years due to how a studio lacks any hope for it. To delay a movie because you think it will do better than you initially thought, though? Well, that's a bit interesting to hear. Hence, we have, "Mortal Kombat II," going from being due this October to getting delayed about seven months to May--blockbuster season.

There were, "Mortal Kombat," movies in the 90s, but during the height of the COVID-era, "Mortal Kombat," reboot landed in theaters and on streaming about the same time and did pretty well. A sequel focused on the character Johnny Cage (played by Karl Urban) has been in the works for some time, and early buzz has been good--really good. The internet trailer has gotten tons of views, early small-scale screenings received a lot of buzz, and with, "Avengers: Doomsday," delayed from May of 2026 due to how much time and money it is taking (the usual reason things get pushed), that slot is wide-open. Hence, Warner Bros. and New Line are moving, "Mortal Kombat II," back due to optimism that it could make even more money as a Summer popcorn flick as opposed to being in the October dumping ground.

It is annoying that a flick--one which is totally done and looks decent--is getting delayed, but if a studio is doing this because it believes in a flick, that is weirdly almost heartwarming--even though at the end of the day any changes are all about maximizing profits. It is a bummer we can't see Karl Urban and friends fighting in, "Mortal Kombat II," for Halloween, but at least we can enjoy the movie closer to Memorial Day of 2026.

"Sonja: Reborn," #1, Kicks off a fun Sword-and-Sorcery Tale

Thank you to everyone who wished me well after my blog post about being in the hospital. When I sit perfectly still I find I am able to read or write okay, so I wanted ot share my thoughts on a comic! I've read the occasional, "Red Sonja," works over the years. Even though sci-fi generally appeals to me more than fantasy, I can enjoy a good grim-and-violent yarn with barbarians, wizards, and sword-wielders. The, "Red Sonja," IP has been with Dynamite for some time, although she originally was over at Marvel (and first appeared in a Conan comic over at Marvel--his comic-related publishing history is complex, too). Dynamite has published a lot of, "Red Sonja," but this is a brand new series featuring the stellar writing of Christopher Priest and art by Alessandro Miracolo. I know there have been comics before where Red Sonja ended up in modern times, but this has an interesting twist of a modern-day woman named Maggie Sutherland suddenly being transported from 2025 into the wilds of Hyboria.

Maggie is not a heroic individual, with her magical transportation happening whilst she chases another woman she's enraged with--the other lady is named Skye (and a man Maggie loved left her for Skye)--through the subway tunnels, threatening her life. One surreal fall into a portal later, and Maggie isn't sure whether she's hallucinating, knocked out, or something else when she comes to as Red Sonja. While everything seems unfamiliar at first, slowly Maggie gets her bearings, and other parts of the comic hint that this is part of a magical bet between light and dark forces.

Christopher Priest is a stupendous writer who can take a character I don't normally care about and make them amazing (Deathstroke) or characters I enjoy and make them even better (Black Panther). I like Red Sonja just fine, but I'm curious to see how Priest handles this whole time-travel-ish style adventure, especially as the issue's conclusion makes it clear that Maggie isn't the only one who has had magic impact her location/time/form. It's a snazzy debut issue, and I'm quite curious where things go from here!

4 out of 5 Stars.

So, I Was in the Hospital

Hey, everyone, how's it going? You're good? Oh, me? Well, I went to the hospital yesterday and just got out this afternoon--but don't worry, I'm mostly fine. You see, it all started at 8:30 AM on the 28th (as I said, yesterday). Samii had left for work, and I was getting Clarkson and Gibson ready for school. I had gotten the backpacks and such ready, so I sat down while Clarkson finished his breakfast to gather my thoughts. Then, I suddenly felt dizzy. Like, really dizzy. The whole world started spinning for 30 seconds. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. I told Samii via text, but figured, as I had my physical scheduled for later that day, I could just ask about it then and see if it was a sinus/ear issue. I got up and was packing some vintage cassette tapes I sold online...then it happened for 10 seconds again. I was getting worried. Gibson suddenly ran up to me and clearly had peed his diaper, so I got on the floor to change him. Then, the dizziness resumed...and didn't stop.

The whole World was spinning, and I couldn't do anything to slow it down. I called my wif,e and she said she'd get coverage at work STAT and come home. I then called 911 and explained what was happening. Samii arrived home and got the boys ready to go to school. As they were leaving the EMTs arrived. They were asking me questions, and I stated I needed a bucket as I felt nauseated. I then threw up. It was the first of seven or so total times I'd get sick due to how dizzy I was. I was given Zofram and other stuff, and we went to the big Mercy hospital, with me throwing up along the way. As we arrived at the E.R., Samii had beaten us there by a few minutes, having dropped the boys off at school and gone straight there. I wasn't sitting for long before they started to move my stretcher, and there were a lot of doctors waiting for me, like, a lot. Normally, when you go to the ER, if it isn't a huge emergency, you'll find you're stuck sitting for a bit. I was actually a bit worried I was being seen so fast, as that meant there was a great deal of concern. Apparently, between the dizziness and extreme nausea, they wanted to rule out that I was having a stroke, of all things. I was given another IV (I had already received one in the ambulance) and was instructed to read various words and describe pictures between a CAT scan and an MRI. 

Thankfully, it was determined there was no bleeding in my brain. Instead, it appeared I had some inflamed nerves that were screwuig up my Vestibular system. That was making my balance all wonky and causing how dizzy I felt. I was given steroids to help reduce the inflammation and sent to a room to rest and recover after all the mayhem. I was still extremely dizzy, but given an assortment of medications to help with that and my unending vomiting. It was explained my inflammation could have been related to a sinus infection, virus, or just been a random occurrence--I am the poster child for random and weird medical stuff.

Overnight, the dizziness got a good deal better. I met with multiple doctors and had a great staff of nurses and techs who assisted me. I had a PT for my vestibular system who had me lie in all kinds of interesting ways, and that helped with the dizziness to a degree as well. I was told that my condition had settled enough that I could go home on oral steroids and dizziness meds. I'm home now, and when I sit stil,l I feel okay. Walking is a bit tricky, and I need to lean on walls. I, obviously, cannot drive for a number of days, but it is thought I might feel mostly back to normal by the end of this long weekend (happy Early Labor Day to me). I appreciate all the words of support from the people I updated about what happened--so much occurred so fast, I wasn't able to tell many friends about this until I was finally back home. I spent much of my time at the hospital either going through emergency evaluations, throwing up, or lying in my hospital bed, utterly exhausted. I'm just glad to be home with my family now (I missed them) and will take it easy over the next number of days. The whole thing was just strange to go from perfectly fine to completely unable to stand in a matter of minutes. I appreciate all of you readers and wanted to update you, too, of course! I'm not fully recovered, but I'm working on it and appreciate all the good vibes you can send me.

A&W Ice Cream Sundae Soda is Tasty to me, but Opinions Will Definitely Differ

A&W has been hyping their new, "Ice Cream Sundae," soda and I wanted to give it a try. Having sampled it I can conclude that I like it a good deal, but understand how others may not. Samii and I sipped on the Zero Sugar option the other day and the first thing I noticed was how it tasted like an cream soda with a hint of a chocolate afterstaste. I dug it! Samii, however, was a bit disgusted. She remarked, "Is this what those chocolate egg creme drinks you've talked about before taste like?" and it got me to thinking that yes, this really was kind of like a chocolate egg creme drink!

If you like cream sodas with some chocolate, this is going to be a drink you love. That, or you might be like my wife and remark, "Soda and chocolate should never go together," upon tasting the, "Ice Cream Sundae," flavor. However you feel, just know that while almost everybody loves A&W Root Beer, this flavor is most likely going to be divisive. I see some people like and don't love it, others are all-in, some despise it. The consensus seems to be your feelings on chocolate in soda will heavily influence how you feel about this beverage. I'm a fan even if it isn't utterly amazing.

4 out of 5 Stars.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Are Engaged

On my blog, my relationship with Taylor Swift has evolved from being antagonistic to being a fan. I also have familiarity with Travis Kelce due to living in Missouri (home of the Kansas City Chiefs) and finding him funny when he was on SNL/doing a podcast with his brother/etc. Anyone who hasn't lived under a rock for a number of years is aware that Taylor and Travis have been a couple for some time. Well, the news broke today that they are engaged. The engagement ceremony/event/whatever you wanna call it was apparently done in private, but they shared the engagement on Instagram. I am happy for them. 

Many people love Taylor and Travis, and a lot of folks dislike them for various reasons, too. However you feel about the couple, I would hope we can all just be happy that two individuals found love. Now, the question becomes just how big or small the wedding itself will be. That's going to be interesting for sure!

Television Tuesday: Ranking This Season of, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," From the Best to Merely Okay

I love the television show, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," or, "Sunny," for short. The most recent season, the 17th, was fantastic. I would say none of the episodes were outright, "Bad," but some were amazing and others were merely okay. Let's rank them for fun and to share my opinion on this twisted masterpiece!

Episode Three: Mac and Dennis Become EMTs

Oh my God, I laughed so hard at this episode I got the hiccups--which only happens when I'm guffawing so much I struggle to catch my breath. There are two seemingly seperate plots in this episode that end up colliding in an insane manner and I was totally here for it. Mac and Dennis buy an ambulance and pretend to be EMTS while Charlie and Frank start a, "Ghost Kitchen," for Dee to deliver food from. It sounds straightforward, but the tension continuously ratchets up along with the madness to the point of a literal explosion. Just a genius 30 minutes, no notes, chef's yes--I mean, "Yes chef."

Episode Eight: The Golden Bachelor Live

First off, I have a newfound respect of Jesse Palmer being willing to even act like he could put up with the kind of mayhem Frank Reynolds and the rest of the gang cause. I don't know how the man kept from, "Breaking," but he did, somehow. Between Frank sending home almost any woman who looks too old, to a TikTok star who likes to yell, "Chew on that thang," and, "Sunny," something it very rarely does--ending with a sweet moment, this is a superb episode. I can count on one hand the number of times, "Sunny," zigged when we expected it to zag and gave us a sweet moment. A big one is in, "Mac Finds his Pride," and you could argue, "The Gang Misses the Boat," shows how, if the gang were separated that some of them could be happy and functional people. The earnest moment of love at the end of this episode, where Frank yells out for a woman he's realized he loves (Carol Kane as Sam/Samantah) is shockingly heartfelt, and it happens on, "Sunny," so go figure. If the EMT episode weren't so hilarious, this would have easily been my favorite episode of the season.

Episode Seven: The Gang Gets Ready for Prime Time

The last of the cream of the crop of this episode, this episode is a glorious hot mess. The gang wants to get ready to appear on, "The Golden Bachelor," for Frank's hometown visits, so they do a play of sorts with an audience watching them prepare for a nice dinner. It all goes horrifically awry between Charlie going too heavy on Nair, Dennis delivering the most ominous monologue I've heard since, "There Will be Blood," and is just hilarious.

Episode Five: The Gang Goes to a Dog Track

Time for a field trip! The gang goes out of town to visit a dog track Frank has a financial interest in, but which is shutting down soon. Dennis and Dee let their addictive personalities take control, Mac and Charlie meet an employee of the track who seems incredibly chill and down to Earth--but also a little weird, and Frank always has a long con in mind. A superb episode with an ending that would be shockingly dark on another show, but works perfectly for, "Sunny."

Episode Two: Frank is in a Coma

Much of this episode centers on Frank seeming to go into a coma and possibly be dying, with the gang processing a mix of grief and relief at such a thing. The guys go out and look for new business expansion ideas (through partying) while Dee alternates between rage and sadness. A bunch of, "Is it Cake?"-related jokes inspired by the Netflix show help bring the episode home in a sharp twist of an ending. This episode made it clear that, "Sunny," was back for a wild season after a slightly weak premiere (discussed below).

Episode Six: Overage Drinking:A National Concern

We get a clever trip down memory lane as guest cast members all the way from the first season return, who used to engage in underage drinking and now have children of their own trying to score alcohol at Paddy's Pub. The one problem with this episode is that a lot of it centers on a mystery of where Frank has gone and leads to the big reveal he's now on, "The Golden Bachelor." That makes this episode feel a lot like one big setup for the (as discussed, amazing) seventh and eigth episodes. Still a solid viewing, however.

Episode Four: Thought Leadership: A Corporate Conversation

This episode featured a nice mix of everyone arguing about who will take the fall for their latest mishap when a reporter seems to show up, but it lacked anything that really cracked me up or made me chuckle. The comments about how everyone had their hands in the shape of a claw, ready to scratch one another, were a bit funny, but otherwise, this was merely okay.

Episode One: The Gang F***s Up Abbot Elementary

The season premiere was not bad (I said none of these were bad), but the initial surprise/gleeful shock of seeing the Gang at Abbott Elementary for an extremely unlikely crossover had passed. While the, "Abbott Elementary," episode was pretty tightly constructed, the, "Sunny," side of things felt more like a bunch of disconnected vignettes or deleted scenes from the, "Real," episode. It dragged, slightly, in other words. The first episode of the season was, oddly enough, the weakest! Still, this was an amazing season and reminded me why this show is among my favorites.

Music Mondays: KPop Demon Hunting With Catchy Tunes

My family watched, “KPop Demon Hunters “ this weekend. Clarkson listens to videos with the music on YouTube sometimes, and all the children where my wife teaches had been telling her about it, so we wanted to give it a shot. Considering how immensely popular it is, we thought it had to be decent—and boy, is it popular! After growing interest once it dropped on Netflix as word-of-mouth spread about this new animated flick, it found the music charting, and a limited national theatrical release just took the #1 spot for the weekend. What is the movie about, though? Well, a trio of KPop stars (Huntr/X) who fight demons with the power of song and cool weapons, obviously!

In all seriousness, the movie has the trio serving as part of a long line of warriors who protect the souls of Earth from demons and face a new challenge when a demonic boy band appears to beat the girls at their own game. There are some obvious twists with characters hiding secrets and not being as good/evil as they seem, with some stellar animation accompanying everything. The real draw here, however, would be the stellar tunes. You’ve probably heard, “Golden,” a ton now on the radio/internet, but for my money the best song is a tie between, “Soda Pop,” which is sung by the secretly-demonic Saja Boys and, “Free,” which is a bit of a romantic duet tune. All the songs get you bopping and dancing around, though, because they are so darn catchy. 

Even if the plot is a bit predictable, there is a good message at the heart of the movie about being true to yourself and not being scared to share everything about who you are with others—this has resulted in everything from readings of the movie being about dealing with trauma, how we handle mental health or self-harm to LGBTQ/closet allegories. I can see multiple takes being possible, but at the end of the day, even if it’s just a wildly fun movie with singing and demon fights, “KPop Demon Hunters,” is a good time. It’s worth a stream on Netflix the next time you want something that should entertain the whole family and you can always play the soundtrack while out driving too!

5 out of 5 Stars.

The August 2025 ToyMan Was a Treat!

I attended the ToyMan Show today and saw so many awesome friends while browsing a lot of cool wares. ToyMan always has an impressive volume of stuff, with the sheer amount of neat items to look at being mind-boggling. Comics, Lego, diecast cars, DVDS, Laserdisc, Funko Pops, vintage toys, posters, magazines, and more were on offer, as always! I began the show chatting with my friend Jack Thomas of Fortress Comics when I spotted his booth near the show's entrance. I proceeded to say hello to my chum Tim Metzger, who had a bunch of awesome comics and DVD boxsets for sale. The superb John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics was selling a variety of neat items, including coins as well.

Spike Forester of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles had an amazing mix of toys, and I enjoyed catching up with Brian Lan too--we talked about the latest, "Superman," movie and my enjoyment of it. Bruce Reynolds had a lot of great comics, and Tom Milister was selling a cool mix of stuff! From one of the vendors, I picked up this snazzy issue of, "Tomb of Dracula," I didn't own but wanted:

In the upstairs area, I saw some of my author friends! Jessica Mathews let me know she had a new book on the way that should be available at the next show and Lindsay Hornsby showed off some cool new stickers! I also saw Leigh Savage for the first time in a long while; she was showing off some of her new books! Before I had to head out, I saw Tatertot Comics and Collectibles too and chatted with a guest of the show, Ming Chen (known for, "Comic Book Men," and other projects). He was very affable and spent a lot of time walking around the show, saying hello to everyone. It was another fantastic ToyMan Show, and I can't wait for the next one on September 28th!

At Least Arizona Iced Tea is Holding Firm at 99 Cents

Tariffs and other economic uncertainty have resulted in lots of things that used to be a set price increasing in cost. The Dollar Tree is now more than a dollar before tax, generally about a buck and thirty cents plus tax. Five Below has a number of items that are five dollars or less, but added a bunch of, "New," stuff that costs more to kind of hide how a lot of items went up above five dollars, too. Arizona Iced Tea has always been 99 cents for a tall boy can since 1992; it is holding the line in the face of everything.

I don't love Arizona Iced Tea, but I do like it. When I want something other than a soda/seltzer, or coffee, I enjoy a tea. Arizona Beverages’ chairman and co-founder, Don Vultaggio, has said that as of right now, the cans will not cost more than 99 cents. The company is privately/family owned and can make those kinds of choices as there are no shareholders to influence things, and even with an increase in costs due to aluminum from Canada, the plan is to keep the price the same. Besides absorbing some costs, increasing volume and sales, as well as promoting tall boy plastic bottles by lowering their price to boost those sales.

Not every company can take measures to reduce costs and help consumers pay less, but if a business can and does so, that is admirable. I applaud Arizona Iced Tea for keeping the price as low as possible in a time when everything keeps costing more. Now, if you find any stores marking it up over the dollar, that's just greed.

Coffee Report Card: The Ground is a Great Spot!

My friend, Emily AKA The Koze Pantry, is going to be trying out new coffee shops for me, and we’re both going to make posts about them! She’ll be calling her posts The Koze Passport, and mine will be the Coffee Report Card! Will we always agree on what spots we enjoyed versus those we did not? Time will tell, but for now we both agree The Ground in Ballwin is a fantastic place!

The Ground opened a bit over a year ago and is both a coffee shop and a plant store. Yes, there are tons of cool plants and other interesting items for sale on the upper and lower level. I had some smooth house drip coffee and some zucchini bread—it was delicious. Emily had a muffin and tried a couple of coffees that she enjoyed. One was hot with a graham cracker flavor element, and another was an iced latte that featured lemon cold foam--she was especially fond of the lemon cold foam!

The Ground is a chill place with friendly employees, tasty coffee, yummy food, and the atmosphere is lovely thanks to all the plants. I’d recommend anyone in the Ballwin area stop there for a drink or snack, and I rate it…5 out of 5 Stars.

Oh, More Blind Bags/Mystery Polybags. Okay?

Readers may recall that when the blind bag/mystery polybags comics for the Image/Skybound comic, “Battle Beast,” were a hit that I made a prediction/bet. I said there would be at least six different blind bag promotions from comic publishers (even multiple ones from the same company), and if that did not happen, I’d gladly buy someone a dollar coffee at Scooters (or they’d owe me one). Well, nobody took my bet, and it’s a good thing for them because the market is getting absolutely flooded with mystery Polybag variants. Some are overpriced and don’t sound exciting (the, “Batman,” relaunch comes to mind), others are the same price as a regular issue and look fun (Mark Spears has one promotion due before Halloween and announced a Christmas-themed batch). Marvel is doing, “True Believers,” blind bags for, “Ultimate Endgame,” and DC just announced they’re doing even more of these for, “D.C. K.O.,” as well.

Publishers big and small are into the trend, and some fans love it while others appear to hate this, passionately. Some people say it is an exciting and fun little idea. Others say it is like comics trying to imitate trading cards with their packs and odds of pulling a, “Common,” one, “Rare,” version and so forth. I see multiple sides and have lived through a number of eras of comic gimmicks that came and went pretty quickly—remember lenticular covers? I don’t think this is going to destroy the comic industry or change it too much either. It’s a method to promote your comic, and right now it’s the hottest thing around. It’ll fade away mostly and be replaced by another gimmick before too long, most likely, and the one thing that will stand out when the hype fades is the quality of the comic itself.

Ah, yes, the actual comic. You see, I get the idea that it is fun to buy a comic and have a chance of a rare variant cover, but I only care as long as the comic is good. When the comic sucks and the only selling point is a cool variant cover stuffed into a blind bag, that is a problem, my friends. That’s the crux of this too: It is a gamble. Pay $6 for your comic, and if you’re lucky, maybe pull a rare $100 cover! Plus, if you get a regular/common cover, you still have a comic to enjoy, so it’s a bit better than buying a lottery ticket, kind of. It just worries me to see folks speculating on these blind bags like a guy buying a bunch of bulk of aforementioned scratchers with the idea to resell them. At the end of the day, at least the (winning) scratchers can be redeemed for money no matter waht, who is to say even the rarest of these mystery polybag comics will hold their value in a year or two from now? 

Comics are already a volatile market where a book worth thousands one day could suddenly lose popularity and be worth a tenth of what it was going for a mere week later. Comic speculation can be fun—I’m an active member of the Comics Heating Up Forum where we talk about popular comics and what could get hot next—but with comic-books you’re best off buying what you love and wanna read, then selling it if the book happens to become sought-after. Chasing trends and dropping a mortgage’s worth of money on blind bags is only going to get you burnt, I’d imagine. My overdrawn point is that these blind bags are a gimmick that marries gambling with comics.

The folks over at CHU and its forum are great!

Should you like to play the slots or a hand of blackjack sometimes and think these blind bags are a fun gamble, then have at it and buy some mystery polybags! Just remember, as with any gamble, you should only play what you can afford to lose, and the House (in this case, the comic publishers) always wins in the long run/overall. That’s why I previously have just bought one Polybag comic if it’s priced reasonably and it is a series I want to read. I get the comic I wanted to enjoy and whatever cover I get, I can happy with. In conclusion: Tread carefully if you’re into these blind bags, plenty of gimmicks before have been a massive success right before suddenly flopping into dollar bins.

"Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines 2," Having Day One Paid DLC is Quite the Choice--A Bad Choice

Those of you in your 20s or 30s may recall the short-lived trend where a game would launch with certain features that were already developed and ready to go, purposely blocked off. This day one paid downloadable content pissed everyone off because it wasn't like a special expansion or anything that was released later on. This was developed simultaneously with the main game but intentionally left out so people had to pay for it and/or prove they had the initial copy and didn't buy it used or rent it (in the case of, "Batman: Arkham City," with its Catwoman DLC code). This trend pretty much died out some time ago as gamers vocally opposed it and companies found other ways to nickel-and-dime us that caused less protest (like making your game, "Free," but charging for battle passes, cosmetics, and so forth, but I digress). That said, it was just announced a game in development Hell for years, "Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines 2," was finally to be released this October--yah! Oh, and of the playable vampire clans, you only get four with the other two locked off for half the cost of the game ($30 for the DLC and the game is $60 on PC)--boo!

The original, "Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines," came out two decades or so ago and was a great, but buggy, first person RPG. It used the same engine as, "Half-Life 2," and was overshadowed heavily by that game. The studio behind it, Troika Games, also made the amazing RPG, "Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura," beforehand. When, "Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines," flopped commercially Trokia went out of business. The game became a cult hit, however, and folks were excited when a sequel was announced a chunk of years ago. Then, "Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines 2" was in development Hell for some time. After a lot of changes in who was even working on the damn thing, many wondered if we'd ever get this game in a released form. Then, it was just announced it is coming so soon! It was weird to get that good news followed by the annoying news.

A third of the theoretically playable clans cost an extra thirty dollars on the first day. Should you like to be a Lasombra or Toreador vampire, pay up. Toreador's are fan-favorites along with Malkavians (and apparently a disembodied Malkavian is in your character's head and you get to play as him in dream-flashbacks to the 1920s, so that's kinda interesting), resulting in DLC seeming extra crass. It is not just a cosmetic shift from the vampire clan you choose, either; it heavily impacts the game what vampire clan you play. If this were the best game, ever, people could maybe overlook this awful day-one DLC that results in you paying ninety bucks for the whole game. However, early impressions of gameplay seem...mixed, at best. If this is the sort of game that everyone reviews as being a 6/10 or 7/10 (with a 5/10 being average) then I doubt many people will want to even buy the base game, let alone pay extra for the, "Bonus," features. If it is considered objectively, "Bad," then it could be a huge bomb.

When, "Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines 2," drops I hope it won't be a mediocre game trying to coast off the love of fans nostalgic for the original game. I hope it will be amazing and impress anyone who plays the tabletop iteration that inspired the PC game, the original game fans, and anyone new to the franchise. I also hope that the game is fun without having to shell out another thirty bucks, and the day one paid DLC really does just feel like some fun bonus content for those who want more game. I am hoping for a lot of things, and I don't know if they can all happen. Expectations for, "Vampire: The Masquerade--Bloodlines 2," are sky-high, and so is the price. I hope for the sake of everyone involved in making and publishing the game, it can deliver. I'm gonna wait for the eventual price drop/bundle deal/"Complete Edition," release to ever try it out, though.

Television Tuesday: "Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser," Reveals a Lot About the Once-Popular Show

I watched, "The Biggest Loser," off and on when it was on the air for a chunk of years--and incredibly popular. The show was, "Everywhere," from tie-in products to sponsored weight-loss camps, spoofs, and more. The idea of the show was straightforward--a group of overweight people work to lose the weight via exercise and healthier eating with assistance from trainers. Oh, and whoever loses the most weight (relative to their initial size/BMI/etc.) wins a bunch of money. The show was a weird mix of inspirational and exploitive. As someone who has struggled with is weight at various points in life, I both enjoyed the show and would be annoyed by it, often simultaneously. Contestants would endear themselves to us with their stories and how they desperately wanted to be healthy...and then we'd watch them do questionable challenges where they got hurt, were made to cry about food, or threw up from exerting themselves so much. "The Biggest Loser," tried to balance the vibes while always going, "Bigger," every season (no pun intended), before eventually, there was so much controversy that NBC opted not to renew it. Now, with the new three-part documentary on Netflix, "Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser," a lot of the show's legacy is reckoned with by contestants, producers who were willing to talk to the show, and one of the trainers, Bob Harper.

Anyone involved with creating the show or profiting off it admits that it had issues, but still defends it was overall helpful to most people. Bob Harper knows a lot of stuff was done to make good television, but he counters that he did want to assist folks in losing weight. I understand how he and Dr. Robert Huizenga believe they had the best interests of others at heart, I can even see the producers who made the show and who get interviewed for this series feel some contrition about certain aspects of the show. Plus, there are contestants glad they went on, "The Biggest Loser," so it clearly wasn't all bad. That said, this docu-series makes it clear, "The Biggest Loser," has a lot to answer for, along with any good it did.

Much respect to Bob Harper for being willing to grapple with the show's legacy--good and bad.

"The Biggest Loser," pushed contestants to the brink in the name of good television. It didn't address the underlying psychological issues some contestants had that resulted in their weight issues. It showed an unrealistic idea of how you can lose weight (unless your job pays you to work out 6-8 hours a day it isn't feasible). This show furthered stereotypes about fat people being lazy, worthy of ridicule, and how if, "They," just put in some effort then they can lose the weight--any other excuses be damned. There are people interviewed for the show who, through being contestants or working on the show, suffered some lasting mental health and physical health issues. "The Biggest Loser," helped some people, but it harmed others too. I applaud Bob Harper for being willing to face that, but do wonder why the other, "Face," of the show declined to participate--Jillian Michaels.

Jillian Michaels was by no means broke before, "The Biggest Loser," but that show made her a millionaire. She made so much money off her likeness and name thanks to the show, and perhaps she 100% stands by it these years later. We don't know, because she refused to take part in this series. Hell, Bob reveals he hasn't talked to her for some time himself--she didn't even reach out after his sudden (and surprising) heart attack in 2017 to check on the guy! I was fascinated by this docu-series, but I wish Michaels had been willing to appear (I'm sure the people behind this series do too). If you have ever watched, "The Biggest Loser," other weight-loss competition shows, or even any reality TV, then this docuseries is a fascinating look, "Behind the curtain." Definitely give it a viewing.

5 out of 5 Stars.

Happy First Day of School to my Family!

Gibson and Clarkson, looking drowsy for the first day of school!

Today, Clarkson returned to school after a short end-of-Summer break last week (they generally go year-round with pauses); Gibson started school today for the first time as well! Samii had her first day with students, too--they were all busy! Gibson starting school young stems from how he was diagnosed with Autism in late June (shortly before his second birthday). It was determined he had some expressive speech delays (which we agree with), however, the diagnosis admittedly felt a little early, as we have mixed feelings on him getting an ASD Level 3 Diagnosis. I have zero issue with Gibson having Autism like his older brother, Clarkson, and do not think I'm in some kind of denial; it's just that Gibson is already doing things at age 2 that Clarkson did not do until much later or has yet to do. That said, his level can change depending on how he does with assistance/intervention, so for now it is apparent that Gibson has a speech delay and also has an ASD Level 3 diagnosis, regardless of my complex feelings about the latter. His diagnosis and further evaluations of where he lagged have resulted in him doing some hours of school every day, and any intervention is great for sure!

Gibson loved his first day at school, with them telling us he had lots of fun, ate snacks, and enjoyed exploring the building as well as making new friends. Clarkson enjoyed being back at school as well, and I am happy that both my boys are fans of learning as well as spending time with their school chums. Clarkson and Gibson are fantastic boys, and it continues to amaze me how fast they are growing up. I hope everyone else has a great start to the school year for themselves, too !

Sean Kingston Made One Particular Big Mistake: He Tried to Rip-Off Other Rich People

Sean Kingston rose to immense fame some time ago thanks to his one-hit wonder of a song, “Beautiful Girls.” It proceeded to make him quite popular for a time, and the song still is great all these years since 2007 (yes, 2007). However, things are not currently going that well for Kingston and his mother. A jury just found them both guilty of wire fraud. This resulted in Kingston being sentenced to over three years in prison, followed by further time with supervised release. The case stemmed from luxury items that were supposed to be paid for via the aforementioned wire transfers, but were kept without anyone ever being paid. Reading about this got me thinking about why Kingston faced legal trouble while plenty of other wealthy folks have committed crimes and got away with it--or a metaphorical slap on the wrist. My main conclusion is that Sean Kingston tried to rip off the wrong people--rich people. 

I’ve seen arguments made that Kingston is facing heavier consequences due to the fact he is a man of color, was born in America but raised in Jamaica (so he seems, "Foreign,") and other explanations. I understand the merit in all of them, but there are also plenty of folks of color or those who weren't born in America (regardless of where they were raised) who’ve been able to commit financial crimes and faced little to no prison time. The thing is, often those who are rich and seem to do questionable actions to get more money are often doing so at the expense of those who are what society considers, “Poor/disadvantaged/overlooked.” 

Brett Favre committed all kinds of fraud with welfare. Major corporations like Amazon try to bust any attempts at unions, which is illegal but done brazenly, and the list goes on. The worst offenders usually face some criminal charges, or anyone who is unlucky enough to be the scapegoat can get in trouble. Still, even if Martha Stewart took the fall for a lot of people, she did not serve nearly as much time as she could have, and I’m saying that as someone who likes Martha Stewart. Unless you’re some of the worst examples possible of white collar crime, like Bernie Madoff or certain Enron executives, as long as you’re ripping off poor people, you can generally get away with it to a degree. When the rich turn on their own, however, there are actually consequences. Jeffrey Epstein was going to spill the beans on a whole list of people who assisted him in committing sex crimes, and he suddenly ended up dying from a suspicious suicide, to give a dramatic (and somewhat conspiracy theory-linked) example. My point is that as long as the top 1% are preying on the other 99%, people generally don’t have enough power/wherewithal/ability to stop them. Sean Kingston was stealing, and his one mistake (besides how you shouldn't commit a crime in the first place) was stealing from other rich people. 

Oh, and none of this, of course, applies to those who aren’t already rich. If you’re living moderately comfortably or struggling, any kind of crime you commit could get you caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Once you enter that magical tax bracket of, "Rich," however? Well, then the rules change even if we want to believe America has justice for all in an equal fashion. I mean, if we really were a nation of (followed) laws, I don’t think a convicted felon who encouraged and attempted a coup of our country would’ve been able to even run for reelection as President, much less claim the office once more (seriously, Donald Trump sucks). America has a whole lot of things that work in theory. When put into practice, though, the sad truth is the rules can change. Sean Kingston committed theft via wire fraud and should have been in trouble for that, for sure! I’m not disputing such a fact. I’m just saying, if he hadn’t been stealing from other rich folks, I wonder if maybe he would’ve avoided doing time. In the end, it wasn’t the beautiful girls he needed to look out for; it was his own greed and the people it resulted in him targeting.

Superman Facing Kryptonite Variations and The Predator Killing the Marvel Universe--Two Fun Comics!

I read two stellar comics that came out this week and wanted to spotlight them both! "Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum," and, "Predator Kills the Marvel Universe," both had their first issues just hit the stands, and they were each quite enjoyable.

"Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum," features the creative team behind the creepy-and-clever, "Ice Cream Man," series over at Image, W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo, and Chris O’Halloran. Published under the DC Black Label, this first issue features Superman discovering some new variations of Kryptonite and enlisting Batman to help him test them out--the reasoning being if anybody like Lex Luthor were to find other samples it is important to know what each iteration of the rock can do. 

Upon being exposed to Purple Kryptonite, Superman finds that his perception of time is impacted. This is cleverly portrayed within the comic itself as panels being out of order. It is an ingenious use of the comic-book format to portray a story concept, and I loved how it was done. The next issue will feature Superman testing out Colbalt-colored Kryptonite, and with such a wild initial issue, I can't wait to see what else happens! This is without a doubt 5 out of 5 Stars.

The comic, "Predator Kills the Marvel Universe," is a bit of a culmination of multiple other Predator-in-the-Marvel-Universe comics. It ties together plot strands from the one with Wolverine, Black Panther, and the most recent, "Predator Versus Spider-Man." The basic idea that has been built up to is that the Predators/Yautja want to claim Earth having checked it out in previous mini-series becuase there are only so many habitable planets--and Earth is perfect with how hot it has become from our treatment of Earth (the movies have made it clear the Predators like it hot) but still being possible to survive on. The problem is, Earth's heroes won't be giving up the planet easily, so things are gonna get ugly. 

Before the opening credits/splash, we already (spoiler alert) have the Guardians of the Galaxy brutally struck down, and it only gets increasingly vicious from there. As this story is a bit removed from the regular Marvel continuity, anything can happen, so I do wonder who will survive of the Marvel heroes--if any. Benjamin Percy is a fantastic writer, and Marcelo Ferreira draws the fights spectacularly, too. Can the Marvel Universe withstand the Predators? We'll know the answer soon enough, because I'm eagerly picking up the rest of these issues! Again, 5 out of 5 Stars.

I Guess Deadpool Can't Outshine Batman, Literally

The first big (official) crossover between Marvel and DC in years is on the way, with a set of, "Deadpool/Batman," and, "Batman/Deadpool," issues containing those two titans facing off and other characters meeting in back-up stories. Interestingly, Skottie Young posted two versions of a cover he made and told folks to spot the difference. You can view the covers above with the left side being the official cover and the right side being the original that was altered. As you probably see, the beam of light went from just looking vaguely like it was calling Deadpool to clearly spotlighting both Batman and Deadpool. Apparently, "Legal," told him both characters need equal billing in the light. I guess Deadpool literally can't outshine Batman. There was a rumor that the symbol looked too much like a Pokémon symbol, and that was the issue, but Young dispelled that rumor when he explained the change.

It is a small change, but it goes to show how much behind-the-scenes maneuvering there must have been between DC and Marvel to make this crossover happen and ensure both companies were pleased with how their characters interact with one another in this cross-universe event. I continue to be curious about this comic and will check it out when the first issue drops in September.

This AI Advertisment From the Local Firm Onder Law is Awful for a Variety of Reasons

Onder Law is a local law firm. We have a lot of them in Saint Louis as we're a sizeable city. Various lawyers have ads that range from serious to silly. Many of them use real clients, some of them use actors, "Reenacting," a client's account of how the lawyer helped them. Both ads at least use real humans. Not Onder Law, however. They have proudly debuted an advertisement that they brag is 100% AI. Ugh.

Supposedly, the idea is to spark conversations, but many STL-based Reddit users (and I) agree that this is more AI Slop. Onder Law couldn't help the local economy by hiring actors for the segments? They didn't pause to consider that a law firm that deals with real cases would look like they couldn't get any real people to voice support? They didn't consider that the optics in the ad itself are weird, too? I saw someone point out online how it's strange when the only grouping of people of color in the ad is pictured on a basketball court covered in graffiti (and it is identified as Jennings) while white folks are shown in country club outfits playing tennis or cornhole in other Saint Louis areas. Yeesh.

A real ice cream shop would have spelled, "Custard," right.

If Onder Law cares about Saint Louis, they sure have a funny way of expressing it. Spending a bunch of money outside our region to create a messy AI ad filled with stereotypes, dumb jokes, and that just looks a little wrong (AI ain't perfect yet) doesn't inspire confidence. I mean, it makes me want to never use Onder Law if I have need of a law firm. An advertisement that turns people off to your services is a pretty bad marketing idea, I'd argue. You do you, though, Onder Law.

"Jesusland: Stories from the Upside Down World of Christian Pop Culture," Provides a Look into the Past and a Warning for the Future

Time for another review of a book that just came out today! First, a bit about me, however. You see, in the early 2000's I lived in a more metropolitan area of West Virginia, followed by a significantly rural area of Upstate New York. Living in these areas exposed me to folks who weren't just Christian, they were Christian. Their religion was a major part of their identity, and they wanted a culture that backed up their beliefs. They liked Christian music, television shows, movies, argued for, "Intelligent Design," and eagerly ignored any paradoxes or hypocrisies in their beliefs--if money is the root of all evil, why do many purveyors of Christian-influenced content get so rich and eagerly flaunt it? There is much to examine. Hence, "Jesusland: Stories from the Upside Down World of Christian Pop Culture," digs into all of that. This meaty book by Joelle Kidd contains nine assorted essays that examine everything from purity rings (you may recall those) to Christian lifestyle magazines for girls (you gotta dress modest to keep that boy you're into closer to Jesus than your genitals), to Kidd's own personal battles with her faith. She often grapples with how a religion that likes to act so persecuted also seems desperate to control much of the personal lives of others and force its way into popular culture in any manner it can. As I am someone who grew up somewhat parallel to those with fundamentalist/heavily conservative beliefs in the same time Kidd heavily examines (the early 2000's) I found, "Jesusland," intriguing as Hell, pun intended.

All of, "Jesusland," is a stellar read, with each chapter digging into varying aspects of Christianity and its weirdly siloed-off version of popular culture. There is one exact passage that really stuck with me in the book, however. It is on page 184 and it reads, "But no, as my teacher told it, if every word in the Bible was divinely inspired, then any one error would cause the entire thing to crumble. If scientists were able to prove that it wasn't true that the entire Earth was destroyed in a flood or that Jesus didn't really rise from the dead, then the whole of Christianity had lost its foundation. (Luckily, both these things were provable--we watched documentaries about them.) This is what really shook me to my core. What kind of faith was so tenous that had to be gripped so tightly?" 

Noah's Ark isn't a metaphor; it 100% happened. Right?

That section sums up the, "All or nothing," view some Christians have perfectly. We have to avoid sex until marriage (and only heterosexual stuff), the Earth has to only be 6,000 years old, and every single word of the bible is meant to be taken literally as opposed to being a parable because if one single part of the bible isn't 100% true, it has to all be false, and our religion falls apart. Many folks can accept a bible is a product of interpretations, translations, and that there are various holy scriptures for many religions, but those Christians whose whole identity is being Christian as opposed to a part of their life? They can't roll with that. That said, what kind of faith is so tenous that is has to be gripped onto for dear life or else it crumbles into pieces? A flawed take on theology, I'd argue, and Kidd clearly agrees.

"Jesusland," is by no means anti-Christian. It is anti-extremist and provides an enligtening deep-dive into Christianity-focused culture. Scratch that, Christianity-obsessed culture is more accurate. When you're more worried about converting others to your faith than your own personal love for God (or love you get from God), you're doing religion wrong. When you blame victims for sexual assualt because they, "Tempted," a man with immodest dress, you're doing religion wrong. When you...you know what, I'm going to stop because this list could take hours. Within, "Jesusland," Kidd provides a superb mix of academic examination and personal anecdotes of those who took their Christianity to the extreme, and clearly were (and many still are) doing religion wrong. 

Still making movies (and loads of cash) in the name of Christ!

We are now in 2025, and the book often points out how things have evolved or shifted from the earlier 2000s. Extremist Christian pop culture hasn't gone away. It has evolved (as ironic as that is to say) and changed itself in ways that ingratiate it with regular culture. Now it is about rebelling against things that are politically correct or woke, because Christians are the ones getting picked on...somehow. Maybe gay marriage isn't as much of a hot-button issue, but you can draw people slowly toward right-wing Christian Nationalism if you get them worried about transgender people playing sports. The little tweaks the far-right has made go on and on--right now diversity has become a dirty word with, "DEI," thrown around like a slur anytime someone who isn't a white male ascends to a position of power, as if being a minority somehow got them a job. "Jesusland," looks to the past, but is quite cognizant of how the successes and failures of extremist Christianity and its pop culture resulted in the ways it morphed itself for the present day.

"Jesusland: Stories from the Upside Down World of Christian Pop Culture," both evaluates a messy past and warns us about a dangerous future. The extremist aspects of Christianity have only gained more traction in the United States and even in parts of Canada. If people don't fight against hateful rhetoric or regressive thinking, both of those things will worm their way into society even more than is already quite apparent. The world of Christian Pop Culture is a twisted funhouse reflection of the real world. It is scary to think that a significant chunk of the population keeps pushing for that warped view of actuality to become accepted as fact and rule over our everyday lives. I appreciate Joelle Kidd writing this book to look back at a metaphorical yesterday and make us aware of the fight against a very upsetting possible tomorrow. Hell, it could literally be tomorrow in America, considering how fast things are going from bad to worse. I give, "Jesusland," a heavenly (pun intended, again)...

5 out of 5 Stars.

An advance copy was provided by ECW Press for the purposes of review.

"Playback," is a Fantastic Novel About How (Literally) Living in the Past Can't Fix Your Present

"Playback," is the latest novel from writer Carla Malden. It follows a 34-year-old named Mari who, in a previous book, "Shine Until Tomorrow," traveled to the 60's when she was 17. I did not read, "Shine Until Tomorrow," but to the credit of, "Playback," anything you'd need to know about Mari's previous journey is expertly imparted in the text. Mari now lives in the present, 2025, and she isn't sure if her memories of traveling in time even really happened, but her present-day life is a bit messy and has her yearning for a potential past. She's divorced, but does love her young daughter, Joni. She didn't achieve success photographing concerts or such, but has a successful career as a real estate photographer. Things aren't bad, but they aren't perfect. Pretty early on in the book, however, Mari finds herself inadvertently shooting backwards into 1967 when someone she cared about then has died in the, "Now."

Much of, "Playback," is spent examining how the more things change the more they stay the same--the window-dressing is just different. Whether it is 1967 or 2025, we live in times of protests, scandals, war, social upheaval, and with it all, a mix of people full of optimism as well as an unending stream of cynics. Whether Mari is somehow back in the 60s and still looks 17 even though she now feels 34, or is in the present dealing with all the B.S. we encounter there, life has complexities. A running theme of, "Playback," is both the love of nostalgia and the danger of embracing it too closely. We talk about, "The good old days," with fondness, and it can be tempting to want to live in them both metaphorically or in Mari's case, literally, but having rose-tinted glasses (the book makes a fun joke with that, actually) about times gone by won't fix your present.

The exact mechanics of why Mari travels in time aren't explored too heavily. She figures out how it is happening on this occasion and starts to realize that if she isn't careful, things can go really wrong. This becomes quite apparent later in the book when she considers trying to mess around with time via moving other people forward or back with her. I enjoyed all of, "Playback," but I really loved the last third where things get incredibly screwy as Mari realizes just how much little things can alter her future in ways she might not like.

Author Carla Malden

Mari spends much of her time in, "Playback," hanging with a band called Neon Dream (whom it is mentioned she assisted heavily in the first book). Music is a big element of the story, with the power it holds over us and within our hearts and memories, resulting in many sweet moments. While Mari is in the 60s, "Playback," both examines and makes some funny jokes about certain time-travel wackiness. Her first love, who used to be older than her and is named Jimmy, is now younger as he's still 22, but she's truly 34 (even if she doesn't look it). Also, one of my favorite running gags is Mari's tendency to ramble when upset, also has her mentioning future technology or ideas, but her anachronistic terminologies are written off by others who assume she's just quirky or possibly tripping on drugs.

"Playback," is a nice and brisk read at just a bit over 200 pages. It doesn't waste any time, with every moment feeling important to the story. There is nothing wrong with a longer yarn, but I love it when a book avoids ever feeling like it is treading water. Even though Mari wants to whittle away her time in 1967, I never felt like Malden was squandering our time with, "Playback," and I appreciate that. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, this book is a bit of a follow-up to another title, but it stands alone with ease.

I found, "Playback," to be a fantastic story thanks to its clever take on time-travel, superb characterization (Mari is a great protagonist and Neon Dream's members are all a hoot), and astute observations about sentimentnailly and the, "Trap," of wanting to live in the past (mentally or in actuality). I was provided a copy for the purposes of review by the publisher, but would encourage anyone interested in the book to get a copy at their local bookstore/request it from their library/bum it off a friend, as it officially hit stores today, August 12th. I give Karla Malden's latest novel....

5 out of 5 Stars.

People, Please Don't Drink Raw Milk

Some things are dangerous to eat or drink raw. Beef needs to be cooked to some degree, with even a rare steak getting some sear. Flour and eggs can carry foodborne illness without proper care taken to turn your raw cookie dough into actual cookies. Then there is milk, which, through a process invented by Louis Pasteur, is a lot safer to drink via pasteurization than untreated. There is no health benefit to drinking raw milk, just as there would be zero benefit to eating a raw chicken breast. Somehow, however, ingesting milk that hasn't been made safe for humans has become a political issue. Now, folks are getting sick as Hell just to make an ideological point.

I'm not joking about the getting sick part, by the way. Just this month, at least 21 people got ill in Florida due to E. Coli that was in raw milk they drank--a chunk of the sickened are children. There are tons of myths about raw milk, from it curing lactose intolerance to helping with asthma or boosting your gut health. These are all the claims of metaphorical snake-oil salesmen/women, but in this case literal snake oil would probably be less dangerous than raw milk! The thing about pasteurizing your milk is that it literally just kills bacteria. It doesn't add anything to the milk--no preservatives, processed stuff, or anything else. When milk is made safe to drink, literally just the germs (ones that can make you very sick) are killed.

Even New Jersey knows raw milk isn't safe--and you know how New York mocks New Jersey!

Regardless of how much medical proof there is about how raw milk has zero benefits for your health, certain people always want to drink it because, "Those in power," must be lying about its dangers/how it can help. This isn't a purely political thing where conservatives are drinking raw milk to, "Own the Liberals," either. There is a weird cross-section of people who swear by raw milk, from folks on the far left to those on the far right who distrust authority and/or vaccines and/or general modern medicine for one reason or another. I can tell you, however, big agriculture or big pharma aren't getting rich off pasteurizing your milk--they are merely following laws in place that they have to make milk safe for human consumption so an item you buy from your grocery store won't make you possibly die of illness. Raw milk isn't safe. There is no benefit to drinking it. Please, everyone, don't drink raw milk.