Being a White Person is Difficult

I know, you probably saw the article title and already decided not to read this because it sounds like another one of those "whoah is me" whiny white guy posts about a country slipping through his fingers and turning him into the bad guy.

Well, looks can be deceiving. This is not that. This is just some inner dialogue between the very confused facets of my personality that I've decided to air publicly because I make poor life decisions, in case the Playstation VR I bought yesterday didn't give that away.

Let me run you through my usual mornings - I get to work in the morning, make sure my store hasn't fallen apart or burned down, and while it's slow I check my usual websites for what I might have missed overnight.

I'm a journalist, but I'm also just kind of an information sponge when it comes to the world. I read the local news, the world news, paranormal news, video game news, celebrity news, and sometimes I listen to Huey Lewis and the News.

Although, to be honest, it's just the songs he did for the Back to the Future series. I never did forgive him for the whole Ghostbusters lawsuit fiasco. That song is a national treasure and he had no right to accurately claim copyright infringement.

Back on topic - so when I'm checking my sites, I come across more and more articles that are critical of white people in general. Just today, while reading over Kotaku (my poor substitute for the now dead Joystiq), I came across the following sponsored cluster of articles.

Without reading the articles I already passed judgement on the content based on the headlines, kind of like you probably did when you saw this one.

I learned two things from the pile of headlines - white women are the worst, and white people are bad people.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? - An Animal Crossing Top 10

With the launch of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp I have been reminded of my true love for this series. I could never really get the hang of things in the Gamecube version, but I've been hooked ever since Wild World on the DS.

Our animal neighbors really help make the game. If I have the right group I will do my best to keep them in my town. Nothing is sadder than losing your favorite neighbor. I have stopped playing because of this, but well get back to that story later.

The main point is that these characters can leave a real lasting impression on you.

You love some, you hate some, and others you just don't understand.

Through my various game plays a few strong personalities have stayed fresh in my mind. Everyone has their favorites, and few are always the same. I want to share with you some of my all time favorite neighbors.

So I give you...

My top ten favorite Animal Crossing neighbors!

Fashion Finals

Season sixteen of Project Runway is drawing to a close, and all that remains is fashion week. The judges have made their calls, and sadly my personal favorite designer will not be showing her collection.

We made it so far.

I continued to root for her through the ups and downs. I even cried along with her. 

I love Kenya Freeman's style, personality, and ability. It hurt to watch her be eliminated, but I agree completely with the judges words of encouragement to her. We have not seen the last of her. Yes her collection will not walk the New York Fashion Week runway, but she has been exposed to the hungry eyes of the fashion world. Someone out there will give her another chance to shine and show what she can do.

Plus there's always hope to see her on a new season of All Stars!

Now I'm stuck with a new problem. Who do I want to win this season? I had moved all my chips onto Kenya and now I'm broke.

First lets take a quick look at who will be showing their collections.

Fashionable Sweet Sixteen

It's been a while since I've felt the need to share my thoughts, but so far season sixteen of Project Runway is keeping me entertained.

As usual there are fifteen designers and each week we are left with one less. There is one major change this season, and it is long overdue. This time, all of the models are of different sizes and body types.

The judges and Tim Gunn have always been critical of the designers whenever they gripe about not having a size two model. The average American woman is a size sixteen, far from what the fashion industry tends to show off. I love that the people behind this show are pushing for more variety in high fashion and stressing that real people are the clients that designers should be aiming for.

Ideals are great, but we are not living in a size-two-fits-all world.

The models are also rotated weekly so everyone will be getting a chance to test their true skills when it comes to designing for real women.

Another thing that I do feel is different this time around are the attitudes. Sweet sixteen may be very fitting for this go around. In the past it's always been a room of catty divas out to prove that they are as awesome as they claim. I feel that this season's pool has a much more chill vibe happening. The designers seem to get along with one another for the most part. Several even seem humble by nature, but don't let this calm fool you - there are still a couple over the top characters with us.

Roger Moore Dead at 89

Sir Roger Moore, the third and longest running James Bond from the classic movie series, has passed away at age 89 from
cancer.

With the news today about the bombing in Manchester and the Russia investigation in the United States, it would be easy to miss the sad news that the legendary actor had passed.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1993, but never let the prospect of death slow him down.

In an interview with NPR in 2004, the aging actor expressed his thoughts on death what lies beyond.

"My attitude about death is, going into the next room, and it's a room that the rest of us can't get into because we don't have the key. But when we do get the key, we'll go in there and we'll see one another again, in some shape or form, or whatever."

Donald Trump - Who is He Working For?

I know, I know. You're tired of Blogzilla 1985 as a political site and you want us to go back to countdowns and stories about pretty boy animes. Well, until Lindsey gets off her butt and starts writing again, you're stuck with me and my "libtard" views.

Except, I'm not a liberal. Do I lean left? Sure. Sometimes I'm afraid of tipping over. But I like to think of myself as unbiased, and I call them like I see them.

It's just unfortunate that Donald Trump is so awful, a blind man could see him in a pumpkin patch. Cause he's orange, get it?

It would be easy to make fun of Trump's comical appearance or how "unpresidential" he carries himself. He doesn't speak very well, despite how much he likes to hear himself talk. He's the presidential equivalent of a Toby Keith song, or a Nascar race - he plays to the most red blooded Americans who pride themselves on God and country and get uncomfortable when their white supremacy is challenged by a progressing nation.

To those people he is certainly an amazing president. He promised the world to a section of this country that felt ignored for too long by President Obama and his championing of gay, transgender, and minority rights.

But now that we're over a hundred days into his presidency, what has he actually done for them? Or for you? Or for anybody?

Why are you still championing the cause of a president more concerned with being buddies with leaders of our enemies than taking care of his people?

Chris Cornell Dead at 52

Chris Cornell, lead singer of revolutionary grunge group Soundgarden and Audioslave, was found dead this morning after performing in Detroit on Wednesday night.

Soundgarden was a staple of 90's music, with hit "Black Hole Sun" being one of the most recognizable and beloved songs in music history. After taking a break from Soundgarden, Cornell created supergroup Audioslave with legendary Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. He eventually returned to Soundgarden, and the band was featured prominently on the soundtrack for "The Avengers," and released their last studio album "King Animal" in 2012.

Cornell had dealt with drug abuse since 13, though no evidence at this time says it had anything to do with his death, which has been ruled suicide by hanging.

Soundgarden has a special place in the hearts of many of us at Blogzilla 1985 and Podzilla 1985. Chris was an amazing singer, and his immense talent will be greatly missed in this bleak world.

The Truth - Whether We Like It or Not

Our current president, Donald John Trump, is a liar, a fraud, and is leading us down the path to the destruction of the democracy that we claim to cherish so much.

Republicans in office turn their heads and look away every time Trump creates a new controversy. They make excuses for him when he does something wrong, and then have to adapt their excuses to fit whatever narrative that Trump creates when his own explanations completely contradict the alibis attributed to him.

His reality is his own, and instead of calling him out his lackeys, like the waste of a paycheck Conway and cringe inducing Sanders, spin everything to fit his reality. It doesn't make sense and no one really buys it, but he continues to be our president because no one who can make a difference chooses to.

Let that sink in, and I'm mostly speaking to Trump supporters who continue to stand with their candidate. This man and his kind lied to you for your support in getting him elected. He promised health care for everyone, and jobs for everyone, and all crime to be done away with almost immediately when he got in office. He said he had a plan to destroy ISIS and it would be so simple and easy.

Donald Trump told you exactly what you needed to hear.

So why, now that his own words condemn him as a liar, do you choose to stop listening?

The Fall of Brandon Barbwire

Brandon Barbwire is counting down the hours until he loses his championship.

It's not a matter of "if" at this point, and you can thank none other than Matt Hardy for putting the final nail in the coffin of the Pinnacle's best.

Hardy made a surprise return to WWE at Wrestlemania on Sunday. and even won the RAW tag titles with his brother Jeff. The WWE fans welcomed Team Xtreme back with open arms. After their stint in TNA, where Matt became broken and embraced an insanity that would make him even more valuable as a performer, the Hardy's could have gone anywhere. They were such a hot commodity that they demanded their own price, and WWE had the biggest bank account. Even though legal battles with Anthem meant the "broken" Matt Hardy was dead in the water, Matt & Jeff were instant stars again when the New Day introduced them on Sunday.

It was a Wrestlemania moment if there ever was on.

And sitting somewhere watching the epic return of Matt Hardy was Brandon Barbwire. I can picture it in my head how he clutched his Cape Championship Wrestling title to his chest that night and reminded himself that he was the man who took Matt Hardy to his limit.

Thanks to his manager and leader of the Pinnacle Jeff O'Dell, he might has well be a member of Batman's rogue gallery, who sat around a Poker table in a classic episode of Batman the Animated Series telling each other about how they "almost got him."

Rewind to just over a month ago.

Matt Hardy, soon to be the biggest free agent of the world, came to CCW in his quest for gold and went toe to toe with the champ. Brandon Barbwire is a lot of things - vindictive, jealous, vile, sneaky, and a cheat, but dammit he's still OUR champ.

CCW Caged Chaos - Brutality at it's Finest

I left Blogzilla 1985 a little over a year ago to focus on this silly little podcast thing that I was never fully committed to. My passion has always been writing. It started with awful short stories on an actual type writer that my mother got me for Christmas when I was a preteen, and continued through my college career as a contributor and eventual editor.

In short - no, Egon. Print is not dead.

Blogzilla 1985 had been very successful for me. I reached a bigger audience through the internet than I did working for a local publication, and I had no restraints on what I could talk about. When the idea was bounced around what would eventually become Podzilla 1985's core group, I was hesitant. How would this translate to an audio form where I couldn't plan out what I was going to say? Were we good enough to improvise and keep people interested?

Of course we were! Podzilla 1985 has been a smashing success for me, and I can trace my excitement back to that original Wrestlemania podcast I did with Double H, Zach, and Louie. I've always had an attachment to the world of professional wrestling, and to be able to work with my old friend and fellow former GameStop victim Hunter was the best introduction I could ever hope for.

One of the perks of covering wrestling regularly on Podzilla 1985 was that I became aware of Cape Championship Wrestling. It's a great alternative to the corporately produced big box federations like World Wrestling Entertainment, and as luck would have it, our old friend and former PWU co-host Hunter was the general manager. I attended my first CCW strictly to see his performance and hear my good friend and pro wrestler Osby Tomlin take his last trip through the curtain and into the squared circle. Years of battling in this sport of barbarians and dreamers had taken a toll on him, and he had to retire that night.

In the silver lining of tragic circumstances, something wonderful grew where he planted the seed of his retirement.

Your Violence is Not Justified

I'm going to post a very unpopular opinion. Please, join me for this most fantastic voyage!

I've been noticing a disturbing trend on Facebook lately. Friends and strangers I find myself agreeing with politically have been posting memes and text about how funny, karmic, and just downright awesome the assault on alt-right leader and white nationalist Richard Spencer was.

In case you've been hiding from the world for the past few days, and who can blame you if you were, you may have missed the video of a man in a mask sucker punching Spencer as he was doing a street interview with a journalist. He was explaining the meaning behind Pepe the Frog, which apparently has become a mascot for the alt-right, when the attack took place.

And the internet cheered. Punching a Nazi quickly became more popular than kitten videos and "datboi" memes, which needs to come back in a big way. It became apparent that a big chunk of the internet believed punching someone you disagree with in the face is absolutely okay.

Possibly, for the first time in history, the internet was dead wrong.

Numbers Don't Lie (But the Trump Administration Does)

The inauguration of Donald John Trump was the biggest event in human history - bigger than the civil rights marches of Dr. Martin Luther King, bigger than the Beatles playing for the first time on American television, and even bigger than the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

President Trump is the answer to all of our prayers to God, even more so than his only begotten son, who was a loser that didn't do as much for humanity in his lifetime as our new savior will do in the next four years.

Say goodbye to all crime, poverty, and the evil Muslims who toss burning American flags at our good Christian neighbors as they tear across this once great country in their quest to bring us to our knees.

Donald Trump is Batman, Superman, Gumby, the Pope, and the entire Marvel roster (except Jubilee) rolled into one. Only he can save us, and now that he is in power we can make America great again™!

And if you believe any of that, you may have just earned yourself a position in Trump's cavalcade of talking heads and alt right puppeteers. Congratulations! I do have some bad news for you though - all of the best positions in the cabinet have been taking by the highest donors.

I know what you're thinking right wingers, alt righters, working class who have lost hope, neo Nazis, and the like - give Trump a chance. The election is over, the bad blood has settled, and now it's time to respect our new commander in chief and see him for what he REALLY is. Not the lie spewing megalomaniac, or the hate mongering caricature of a real human - we get to see the REAL Trump, and we need to give him a chance because we're Americans dammit and we want to see America succeed!

Well, I hate to break it to you, but we did give him a chance. And in the first weekend of his term he's already lost my trust and any hope that his presidency will amount to anything more than I already assumed it would.

The time for jokes are over. The humor is gone. Now is a time of distrust and fear the likes of which I've never experienced in my thirty four years on this Earth, and I'm going to tell you why.

A Return to the Pokemon TCG

 Like many kids in the 90's, I was a fan of Pokemon. I could never satisfy my lust for the anime merchandise, since it was released in the US before anything else.

My brother and I found out about the trading card game leading up to the original video game release. Naturally we wanted it, and like so many other kids, once we had it in our hands we had no clue how to play.

Playing the game was never a huge deal to me, I actually lost interest in that aspect quickly.

No, I just wanted to collect the cards.

I liked the art and it was just another way to "catch them all." Plus there was a certain thrill to opening a booster pack and wondering if you'd get that holographic card that you'd been hoping for.

I was an avid collector though the first few expansions. I had the original starter box set with the classic holo Machamp, and lucked out with a first edition at that. That luck continued with boxes for the Jungle and Fossil expansions, but my favorite box came with a holo Vaporeon. I still love that card to this day. I didn't have a ton of money at the time, so I didn't get as much as I'd like.

It didn't help that I was also getting into anime at the time so my budget was getting stretched thin from various fandoms at once.