New Finds on the internet.

One a little fun, and one a little more serious to catch our collective eye.

Let's get the fun one out of the way first: Good Old Games.


Playing older games and sometimes new ones at a discounted price on my laptop? No DRM on these games which made them inaccessible and annoying before? Sign me up. I already have Heroes of Might and Magic 3, and I will be back for more. Make no mistake about that.

The more serious one is a Cracked Article; sure its a comedic one, but I want everyone to read it fairly...see if it applies. It may not be the case for humanity, but it does open some eyes in my opinon.

Here you go. Think it over. I'll be seeing Thor tomarrow if all goes well...now back to ponies, the Armageddon as told by a very exact witch, and some numbskull child in the body of a 30-year old writer who helps the cops.

Random Stuff I've Been Linked Too (Part 2)

I know I've done this before, since I've checked, and now I'm doing it again. It was two posts ago which brought my unfathomable rage eariler, so let's see what can give me unbridled joy....just without all the death.

First, I'm still watching White Collar. This is one of the best shows-alongside the generous opinion and outward awesome that is Burn Notice-with some of the best character development I've seen in a long time for men and women involved. No one is a liability, everyone has their awesome, funny,and incredibly heartwarming moments which are easy to spot, and it depicts a relationship between rivals that I haven't seen before in such a capacity..ever.

Now, while I'm getting ready to watch this show again and I'm doing some research, I get linked to this lovely little blog post.

Let me break it down for you: The male cultural perception is incredibly broken. We're supposed to be strong, unfeeling types who simply cast off to greatness because we can feel good about having those weak, piddling emotions and understandings to hold us back.

This is wrong. We need to be able to express and not be ashamed for it. We need to be able to say that we're men because we're human beings-just as women should-and the world would be better for it.

This was to be my response post for Ms.Kesler, but I couldn't get it on there somehow. I was impressed with her feature and felt the need to congratulate:

'Thank you for this feature and your feelings upon it. I agree with your analysis and idea of feminism wholeheartedly. The perception of the male cultural stigma pervading other men has gone on far enough. It has been said best by many others and it shall be repeated here: The Patriarchy Hurts Men Too.

What I found particularly drawing about Fight Club as a movie was not only the Mental Illness angle perpetuating the idea of a culturally-supermale society, but also the complete and total persecution of lesser males-and females by the second half-for being incapable of reaching their goals. One of the many reason the 'Calvin and Hobbes' theory was postulated was that Jack (In this situation, Calvin) was someone who completely saw fantasy as an escape towards a society where he was a superman who could do literally anything he set his mind to. Tyler (being Hobbes) facilitated that need and gave Jack everything he ever desired all with the context of a completely fabricated pseudo-reality.

When he gets thrown into reality once more, where does Jack stand? A normal human being without that world to reside within, but also a free man who cast off the shackles.'

Take that to the bank.

I am a Man...

And I watch a lovely little cartoon called "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."



No. I'm completely serious. This is probably one of the funniest new animations I've seen in recent memory outside Adventure Time with Finn and Jake and Regular Show. This little gem was developed and produced by Lauren Faust, an artist and animator well known for her work on Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends alongside her husband, Craig McCracken. Her work clearly takes inspiration from other sources and the initial commercial roots of the original Hasbro franchise, but it goes beyond that altogether (and far beyond the Memes, let me tell you) in order to become something wholly original. The main characters are exceptionally well-defined as females in almost every archetypal role possible for a protagonist with visible motivations and flaws, the animation is flawless and the comedy-while sometimes gendered because of their primary demographic-is side-splitting.

I was introduced to this series by people on Skype, and as with nearly everything I'm recommended to see, I was skeptical not only by the nature of the story by the title and what people had said, but also because of MLP's history. The original "My Little Pony and Friends" was I show I watched with rose-tinted glasses back in my childhood years. The rotating cast and conventional "pink, pretty and hooved" mentality was bought in for girls, but there wasn't really any conflicting storylines with depth; it was meant to be marketable and we were dumb children. Who were we to care?

Also, for the record-since I don't want this brought up here: I am a heterosexual and a man, and I am proud of being such. I watch this show because I am a fan of a good storyline. Despite the demographic or lack thereof, I watch this series because I found something well-made to be entertained by, and I will continue to do so.

But this Pony show blew my mind just in the pilot. Cutsey names, but with strong humor. Traditional lessons for children, but presented without pandering. Action and conflict without dumbing down to the primary demographic without glorifying or detracting from narrative tropes. And the potential for something greater waiting in the wings in an arc storyline of magic, friendship and harmony. I am as hooked to this as I am hooked to Burn Notice, White Collar, and the Friday Action Block plus One on Cartoon Network.

And one of the reasons I'm hooked to this series is the fact that the author is defending her own work in the greatest Take That I think I've seen in media thus far. Kathleen Richter, an graduate from the University from California and an outspoken feminist on Ms.Blog, decided to deride the show for not displaying values to girls that spoke to things outside the pony-girl-princess archetype, as well what she claimed as 'pony racism.' Lauren Faust responded...and did she ever respond.

I think I can say this with absolute honesty and without a shred of doubt or misplaced conviction:

YOU GO GIRL! WHOOOOOOOOO!

...The F&*^!? (Hey, I'm back.)

I've been busy writing feature stories. There's no time for that. I'll link it later; LOOK AT THIS.


They are using SHOCK TREATMENT on people with disabilities, mainly Autism.


THE HELL!? Oh, they better be damn proud of themselves-this Betty Fry and Randy Lee Williams for their wonderful book they are trying to put out. Trying to place this tripe on people within Canton, MA who shock residents, withhold food, and STRAP residents to a wooden board. People have died from this. Children have died from these hacks for doctors and nurses who have absolutely no idea what they are doing-You know, outside the physical harm-and call themselves capable of handling the responsibilities of the Hippocratic Oath.

Make no mistake I'm gonna boycott this book. I'm saving this page, and its getting sent around. Make no mistake that if this were to happen in New York, that I wouldn't bring a damn firestorm upon whomever had the gall to abuse psychiatric and medical practice in such a way that it would not stop. And make no mistake that if some loony were to support this, what I wouldn't bring down upon them. There is NO reason to treat those with disabilities this way, there is NO reason that I would allow such support in my presence, and I will NOT hear otherwise. IT IS WRONG.

So....Writing Again.

This time on Wordpress for blog, but not for my own needs, but for a gaming blog. Love writing about the industry when I'm not looking at other things to talk about. So, I will link it up soon, so you can read my stuff there as well...there will be more.

Gaming Time.

I'm gonna do reviews again, and starting with getting my DS Emulator up and running. I'm gonna be around at times to put them right here. Nice.

(Review) Disney's Princess and the Frog.

Alright, this is my first movie review, but as it is my first, I decided to start with something simple.

Oh, and you'd think that because the subject matter is Disney and an animated movie, that'd be the simple part. No no, the simple part comes in when we're doing the writing. Disney's return to hand-drawn animation with a stylized, well-cut fashion of 1950s New Orleans is far and away from the conventional Disney storyline.

I'm going to take a break from all the discussion about the new Disney Princess which will be sufficiently marketed to hell and back, and skip to something important. The character of this movie is charming and sufficiently lighthearted surrounded by a lesson about life which every person should follow right from the get-go; work hard for what you have. This is a bold and risky move, using Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) as a foil for a hardworking, independent young woman when the culture and the times were sufficiently against a business owner, much less them being a woman and black. Her appropriate foil Lottie (voiced by Jennifer Cody), is your blonde pseudo-princess who serves the high-society and riches angle, but is also well-meaning and friendly....just a bit diabetically obsessed with the color pink.

Throw in a dash of Anastasia-equse art direction, and you have the making of a pretty good titular conflict displayed in soft, vivid lines and more jazz than the bayou can muster as love interest-to-grow Prince Neveen of Maldonia (voiced by Ricardo Mon-I mean, Niptuck-star Bruno Campos.) becomes too engrossed with the culture and makes a deal with the Shadow Man, Dr.Facilier (voiced by the epic voice talents of Keith David.), who is sadly bog-standard for a Disney villain sthick. I will admit that he oozes class and style out of every pore, though.


Come on! Look at the guy. Guy has one hell of a ridge with a quite prominent jaw, but he is just class in every way.

Nearly every formulaic Disney narrative device is subverted to wonderful effect; the love takes time instead of quick. The too-perfect Princess already has a good mindset, but she still needs to live her life too. Wishing is secondary. A main character DIES. Period. Full stop. Top that, former generation (excusing Fantasia. I applaud your candor.)

This lovely movie sparks a whole new realm of animated displays back to the hand-drawn times of yore, accomponied with vivid and stylized colors with narrative context. I am expecting far more from this....except I will never accept a sequel. Mark my words: No more crappy sequels.


4/5