Progress And Nerd Thoughts For The Day

Lake Charles, LA

I’ve dropped a couple of more pounds since starting my second consecutive round of Insanity.  I’m now at 215 lbs.  I started this wild ride at a whopping 244 lbs.  I’m starting to experiment more with my food choices, as I’m starting to drop my caloric intake more with each pound lost.  I use the Lose It! app to log all of my food intake for the day, and I’m nearing the 2000 calorie mark.  I started with an allowed amount of 2379 calories and now I am down to 2221 calories per day.  I know that doesn’t seem like a lot, but considering the fact that I’m averaging 500 or so calories per meal and trying to thin out my snack choices to just veggies and fruits, I don’t have a lot of “breathing” room snacks.  Consider that one banana can run up to 110 calories, and you run out of calories real quick!

I’ve been eating a lot of Asian food lately.  I find it to be very filling for the calories it contains, and it is so varied that I don’t see myself running out of options any time soon.  I’m also fond of Mexican food, but that’s a big no-no for the most part.  I’ve cut out all fast food with the exception of the oatmeal at McDonald’s in the morning and the occasional sub from Subway.  I’ve also eaten a few of the Smart Choices frozen meals, but I’m really not a fan.

I’d love to hear some of your food choices or any advice you can give me on what to eat.  I’m still losing weight and still watching my intake, but it would be great to have even more options than the ones I’ve already discovered.

On the nerd front, I’ve noticed a lot of people on Facebook complain about spoilers.  I’m a huge The Walking Dead fan and one of my favorite things to do is hop on Facebook and discuss the latest episode with friends who also watch it.  I’m part of a group on Facebook called Southern Geek, and we have one specific post that we place comments on that contains spoilers, opinions on the episodes, musings on what might happen next, and your standard nerd discussions on such topics.  This particular post is specifically for those of us who have seen the episode and there is a nice big spoiler alert warning at the top of the post for people to see.  It has worked quite well so far, but I also like sharing memes that are often related to recent episodes on my personal page.  While I don’t post many of them, I will share one on my wall.  I try to share only vague ones, and I haven’t had any complaints yet, but I have to ask:  When exactly are spoilers allowed on Facebook pages?

I know people who are two or three seasons behind on certain shows.  They will often gripe that people shouldn’t post any spoilers on their wall because they are so far behind.  Guess what?  It has been two or three years since whatever episode someone is talking about occurred!  Is it the fault of a person posting that Shane is dead on The Walkind Dead that you haven’t caught that episode yet?  NO!  What about films that have been out for a year or more?  Is there a statute of limitations on them as well?  If I post that Darth Vader is Luke’s father, is that considered a spoiler since it has been common knowledge for nearly forty years????

My point in all of this is that Facebook and other social media sites are SOCIAL.  People will want to talk about their last vacation, recall memories of high school dances, and maybe even share photos of their family.  They also might mention what happened on the last episode of Doctor Who.  Are they out to intentionally ruin your weekend because you were at work when that particular episode ran?  No.  They are being social.  It’s what people do. 

Granted, I personally try to shy away from posting major spoilers for a few weeks after an episode has aired, but sooner or later myself or one of my other friends will mention what happended to Amy and Rory.  It’s up to the person who did not see the episode (at least in my opinion) to do their best to avoid the spoilers.

Okay, I’m off of my soapbox.  Much love and appreciation for reading my ramblings.  Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Looking Like Thor By The Summer

Lake Charles, LA

Thor is a character that I’ve loved since I was a youngster.  He’s never really been the it hero for me, but he’s always flying around with Mjolnir in the background.  What’s not to like about the guy?  He’s a little bit cocky yet still has a down to Earth (technically I think it would be “down to Midgard”) attitude.  He’s handsome, has awesome hair, is totally ripped, and manages to learn something in just about all of his encounters with other heroes, villains, and commoners like myself. 

I will often post photos of Chris Hemsworth’s version of Thor with his shirt off on my Facebook page and jokingly refer to the photo as being one of myself during my Insanity workouts.  Sadly, these faux “selfies” draw more likes and comments than actual photos of myself or of my family!  Oddly enough (but not that surprising), my female FB friends like or comment on these photos the most.  In fact, only one male friend of mine consistently likes these photos and he does so because he’s a nerd like me and gets the joke. 

Now I know that there is no way on God’s green earth that I will ever look even remotely as ripped or as handsome as Chris Hemsworth unless God allows my thin hair to miraculously start sprouting again and he gives me a bank account that will allow me to have a personal trainer and/or major surgery, but I can definitely strive to look like the big guy and keep moving towards that goal.

How do I do it?  By getting off my bottom, exercising (even when my lazy engine is telling me not to), trying my best to eat right, and, most importantly, enjoying my life.  I’ve struggled with my weight for all of my life, and with forty years of age just two years away, I’m finally making a concerted effort to get into shape and possibly add a few more years to my life.

What I have done is set what I call the “idiotic goal” of looking like Thor.  Sounds crazy, right?  But that is my ultimate goal.  I know that it’s almost impossible, but it’s a goal I’ve intentionally set so that reaching smaller goals seems much easier.  It’s a mental trick that I’ve thrust upon myself to keep me motivated.  I’ve set this goal to look like the God of Thunder, but before I reach that goal, I know that there are many smaller goals that I have to achieve first.

I’ve actually reached my first goal, which was to lose twenty-four pounds.  I did that with the help of Insanity, willpower, and good old fashioned support from family and a wellness coach.  With that small goal out of the way, I’ve set my sights on losing twenty more pounds.  I started out as a major fatty at 244 pounds.  220 was my first goal and I reached it.  I’m now at 216 pounds (I’ve actually lost a pound since my last post!), and I have 200 in my target zone.  Once I reach that goal, what will I do next?  My plan is to lose ten more pounds to reach 190 and then another ten to reach 180. 

Why did I drop down to a ten pound goal when I reach 200? Because by losing more weight I’ll have less to lose.  Plus, I’m building muscle the entire time that I’m working out, so eventually I hope to reach a point where gaining weight becomes a good thing due to building muscle. 

So, will I look like Thor by summer?  Probably not, but I do hope to be a little bit skinnier and a lot more healthy.  Who knows?  I might just post a picture when June or July comes around to show you all how much I’ve progressed. 

As always, thanks for reading my rambling thoughts.  I really do appreciate it. If you’re a nerd like me who’s fighting with their weight, or just a nerd in general, please feel free to leave a comment about your own weight struggles or goals.  I won’t mind a little encouragement from anyone either!  If you’re a fitness buff or happen to not be a nerd but might be doing the Insanity program or any other exercise program, I’d love to hear from you in the comments as well.  Maybe we can all look like Thor by summer?!?!?!? 

 

Insanity, Clif Bars, And Captain America

Lake Charles, LA

For those of you that aren’t exactly personal friends of mine, you might not be aware that I’ve been doing the Insanity exercise program for the last sixty-three days.  Last night was my final night of my first round of Insanity for 2014.  I’ve done Insanity in the past with varying degrees of success.  When I first received the DVD set in the mail, I had a number of start-and-stop rounds until two years ago, when I managed to do three rounds back to back.

Now, doing that many rounds was great for my health, as my endurance shot throught the roof.  However, I did not change my eating habits and I only lost about twenty pounds total.  That’s not very good.  Still, I proved to myself that I could at least complete the program, so I started once again with a lot of start-and-stop rounds until the beginning of this year, when I decided to not only do Insanity, but also change my eating habits.  To date, I’ve lost twenty seven pounds (seven more than I did with three previous round of Insanity without changing my diet) and my BMI has dropped by four points.

I’m quite proud of myself for managing this feat, and I am looking to lose at least seventeen more pounds before I consider myself a real success.

Part of my success came in the form of Clif Bars.  If you don’t know the story of the Clif Bar company, I highly recommend that you check out their website at www.clifbar.com.  Not only does this company keep your health in mind, they also help out the environment.

I enjoy eating Clif Bars as part of my diet each day for the simple fact that I know I’m going to be consuming roughly 240 to 260 calories per bar.  In my line of work, I often find myself in locations where lunch just isn’t an option unless I bring it with me.  Keeping Clif Bars in my backpack helps get me through in situations like this.  I’ve started trying all of their many flavors, and so far I’d say that White Chocolate Macadamia Nut is one of my favorites.  

I’ve also enjoyed the fact that losing twenty seven pounds so far has allowed me to go down a size in clothing.  While I still have plenty of XXL shirts in my closet, I’m once again adding a few XL shirts to the pile.  On top of that, I’ve gone down two sizes on my pants and three slots on my belt.

I’ve recently had my on a couple of Captain America shirts in the XL range.  Why?  Because Captain America:  The Winter Soldier is roughly one month away, and I can’t wait for it to get here!  I have an old XXL Cap Shield shirt that I’m now swimming in, so I definitely need a new one to wear to the movie when I go with my kids.

I’m really excited to see the new Cap film.  The Winter Soldier is one of my favorite characters in Cap’s world, and I can’t wait to see him fleshed out on the big screen.  Once I’ve seen the film, I’ll definitely post a review in my blog.

Well, that’s all for now, true believers.  Thanks for reading.  Feel free to comment below on anything I’ve posted so far, whether it’s losing weight, Clif Bars, or ol’ Cap.

To Collect…..Or Not To Collect

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Lake Charles, LA

I’ve been a collector of many things over the years. I have bags and boxes full of things ranging from PEZ dispensers to comics to action figures and toys from various films, cartoons, books, etc. What I tend to do is find one or two items that pique my interest and then buy nothing but that particular item for weeks or months at a time.

Two things that I consistently collect are Star Wars action figures and KISS related items. I still have most of my Star Wars toys from when I was a kid (at least the action figures) and I have a multitude of KISS items in my home ranging from KISSmas ornaments to t-shirts and boardgames.

I’ve amassed a very decent collection of recent Star Wars figures thanks in part to following Facebook pages like Yakface and The Jedi Temple Archive. Both of these pages and a few others have turned me on to figures that I might not have otherwise known about.

Hasbro is the primary source for action figures in the Star Wars universe, and last year they did something that has many critics and collectors cringing in horror. They decided to take their fairly successful (but overly prequel bloated) Saga Legends line and reduce the articulation in the figures to five points (head, shoulders, and hips). They also released a line of figures known as the Black Series that features 6″ and standard 3.75″ figures that feature multiple points of articulation and greater attention to detail…..or so we were lead to believe.

In all honesty, the Black Series has been something of a disappointment in my opinion. The packaging has literally been falling apart on store pegs (although this has improved somewhat with the newer waves), and many of the figures, particularly the Biker Scout, are wretched looking for what retailers are asking collectors to pay for them. The paint jobs vary from figure to figure, with Biggs Darklighter being one of the best sculpted and painted figures and the aformentioned Biker Scout being one of the worst. To top things off, retailers seem to be ordering smaller supplies of the figures which means fewer of the really good figures are on shelves, and that leads to jerks who care nothing about the actual figures to scoop them up and sell them for two, three, and even four times what the retail price is going for.

The Black Series figures clock in at roughly ten bucks for the 3.75″ and twenty bucks for the 6″ figures. At Christmas time, many stores and Amazon were having excellent sales on these figures, and I purchased many for less than two bucks. With Christmas way back in the rearview mirror, though, the Black Series price has gone right back to its ten dollar comfort zone.

The Saga Legends line, on the other hand, is pretty good in my opinion. Sure, the 5 POA is a let down for many collectors, but for those of us who grew up with the Original Trilogy and those wonderful 5 POA Kenner figures, a little bit of nostalgia kicks in. Hasbro claims they reduced the articulation because children don’t care about POA and the price could be cut back to half of the Black Series price. Also, Hasbro has packaged Mission Series dual packs featuring the 5 POA figures and they’ve actually got some decent sets out there. The first wave of Saga Legends figures included a nicely sculpted Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda figure and the Mission Series had a rather nice looking Jango Fett figure and some decent Clone figures as well.

Of course, many collectors screamed in horror at the reduction of articulation and also at the paint jobs (justifiably so) on many of the Saga Legends and Mission Series figures. I’ve found, however, that going to a brick-and-mortar store to purchase figures in the SL and MS lines is advantageous, because you can pick and choose which figures you want. I did this because I noticed that many of the SL and MS figures had terrible paint jobs, but they varied from figure to figure. I found a number of excellent figures, but I have yet to find a decently painted Mace Windu.

So, the real question is should I continue to collect the Saga Legends and Mission Series figures or attempt to find the rare decent Black Series figures? My son loves the Saga Legends line and, quite frankly, I like it as well. Do any of you out there collect any of these particular figures? If so, I’d love to hear what you think about them in the comments below.

Also, I’ve recently noticed that the new waves of SL and MS figures are finally showing up in my local stores. I’ve already grabbed the SL Stormtrooper, Captain Rex, and Commander Cody, as well as the MS Han Solo/Chewbacca and R2-D2/C-3PO pack.

The photo above taken from Brian’s Toyz of most of the SL figures:

Thanks for reading.

Comic-al Craziness!!

Lake Charles, LA

Last week saw the internetz explode with excitement over the trailer for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film.  To be quite honest, I wasn’t all that excited.  Don’t get me wrong, I want to see the film.  I just am not as hyped up about it as everyone else seems to be.  Stylistically it looks great, but I will hold judgment until I actually see the film.  Yes, Rocket Raccoon looks cool, but will the story hold up?  Only time will tell.

I do have to give kudos to Marvel Studios for successfully generating so much positive hype over the film.  The GOTG characters aren’t nearly as popular or well known to general audiences as Captain America, Thor, Hulk, the X-men, Fantastic Four, or Spider-Man.  Even Iron Man had a larger following than the GOTG gang.  Now he is just as popular if not more popular than the aforementioned characters.

What Marvel did correctly, though, was test the waters with major characters before taking their cinematic universe into a wider arena.  All of the films that led up to The Avengers were above averager to excellent, particulary the Iron Man films.  Ang Lee’s attempt with Hulk was a miscue, but it occurred long before Marvel’s development team set the Avengers into motion.  I felt that Captain America and the first Thor film suffered a bit due to the fact that they were the last films to  bridge all of the characters together before the big film, but Thor:  The Dark World did a solid job and I have extremely high hopes for Captain America:  The Winter Soldier.  In fact, I’m more excited about Soldier than I am about GOTG.  I’m also looking forward to the Ant Man film.

Sony and Fox are also upping the ante with their latest Marvel-based options.  The new Incredible Spider-Man does look rather interesting to me, even with the changes to Rhino, Electro, and Green Goblin.  Of course, the last time more than one primary villain showed up in a Spidey flick, it was a disaster.  I hope Sony has remedied this with the new film.

The new X-men film looks very, very crowded.  Fox also took liberties with a few of the characters.  While I don’t mind tinkering with the characters a bit (I though that Spidey’s biological webbing in the first trilogy was an improvement on the comics), there are some sacred cows you just don’t touch.  Rumor has it that Beast will be able to control his form, alternating between human and “beast” mode.  That takes away an integral part of that character’s development.  He no longer has to come to terms with his looks, which hinders the character in my opinion.  Also, Quicksilver is supposedly getting the club kid treatment……oh boy!

Then there’s the young cast of the new Fantastic Four film.  While it looks like they are going for an Ultimate FF reboot of the films, I just can’t get over the cast that they have.  Now, before anyone cries foul, know that I don’t mind younger actors taking on roles, I just hope that they don’t ruin an already struggling franchise.  I happened to enjoy the performances of Ioan Gruffudd,  Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, and Julian McMahon.  Jessica Alba was sufficient, but could have been much better. 

Now, with the reboot, we get Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara as Invisible Woman, Michael B. Jordan as Human Torch and Jamie Bell as Thing.  In my opinion, Bell has the best acting chops in the bunch, and I’m assuming he’ll spend most of the film in either heavy prosthetics or CGI, or perhaps a combination of both.  Jordan can act.  There’s no doubt about that, but I wonder what fan reaction will be like to his race.  Personally I don’t care so long as they give a reasonable explanation for his relationship with Sue Storm.  I do think that the general public’s reaction, or more specifically comic fan reactions, will be negative.  I honestly don’t know enoug about Kate Mara to make a call on her, but I hope she does well.  Teller has me worried.  I haven’t seen him in many things and he hasn’t impressed me very much with the little that I have seen of him.  There are also rumors floating around that Doctor Doom might be a lady in this film……what?????

Well, all of this talk about comic films has me wondering.  What comic book character(s) or comic teams would you like to see on the big screen?  It can be characters that have already been in films that you’d like to see portrayed by someone else, or a character that hasn’t even been rumored to be in a film past or present.  Personally I would love to see a stand alone Nightcrawler, Gambit, or Magneto film.  I love all three of these characters, and I believe that if Blade could get three films, why can’t any of these guys get a solo project for themselves?  For the record, I loved the first and second Blade flicks, and it was refreshing to see a lesser known character take center stage.  Other characters that I would like to see flying solo on the big screen include Black Panther, Flash, Iron Fist, the West Coast Avengers, and a Swamp Thing reboot.

How about you?  Let me know and once again, thanks for reading.

Fan Friendly

Lake Charles, LA

I’ve been a fan of many things over the years.  Some of them, like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Batman, and Nightcrawler, have been a part of my life for a very long time.  Some of my other interests, such as Star Trek, Firefly, and Harry Potter, haven’t been with me as long.  

I grew up watching Doctor Who and Batman.  Star Wars was that magical series of films that I watched on the big screen.  As I grew older, I turned to the X-men, Thor, Daredevil, and the Flash for inspiration.  Harry Potter and Firefly didn’t arrive in my life until I was already an adult, but I’ve grown to love both of them very much.  

Star Trek took a bit more time for me to fall in love with.  The original series was off of the air many years before I was born, and since I grew up without cable television, I had only glimpsed a few episodes at friends’ houses or on vacation at a hotel.  It wasn’t until Star Trek:  The Next Generation came into being that I really took an interest in the series.  I watched all of the films that had been released to that point, but Trek just didn’t grab my attention.

Once I graduated college, I took a much deeper interest in Trek.  I started watching TNG again and eventually fell in love with the original series.  Couple that with the fact that many of my current friends are major Trekkies, and it’s the perfect recipe for me to fall in love with the entire franchise.

There are plenty of fandoms out there that I’m not very fond of.  For instance, I just don’t get Bronies (male adult fans of My Little Pony) nor do I understand the fascination with Twilight.  However, if I ever make fun of either of these fandoms or the franchises they are a part of, I do it only in jest.  Why?  Because whether I enjoy or get these fandoms, they are obviously important to the people that do enjoy them.

Basically what I am saying is that we all nerd out over something, whether it’s a TV or film series, a collection of books, Hello Kitty, or our favorite NFL/NHL/MLB/NBA team.  We find comfort within the confines of our respective fandoms no matter how silly others might see them.  When I tell people that I collect Star Wars and comic book toys, many of them laugh at me or tell me to grow up.  When I do the same thing amongst fellow fanboys, I get asked about my collection, offered tips on how to improve and/or grow my collection, and sometimes I get offered money or trades.  I’ve even been invited to places to talk about certain parts of my collection.

The bottom line is that for those of us who enjoy things like Harry Potter or Spider-Man, we need to stick together.  Mainstream fandoms such as NFL fans, reality tv fans, and popular music fans can freely declare their love for whatever it is they are into and no one seems to mind that much.  However, turn up at a party wearing a Spock t-shirt and nerds are automatically ostracized.  So, if you do ever find yourself in a similar situation, seek out your fellow oddballs and embrace their love for their favorite things, even if it is My Little Pony.  Don’t become one of those people who picks on a person because of what they love.  Support them.  Support each other!

Much love, folks, and thanks for reading.

What Makes A Fan A Fan?

Lake Charles, LA

I often read reports, opinion pieces, blog posts, and social media comments related to fans and fandom.  Most of them boast about the true fans of a certain sports team or the hardcore fans of certain superheroes.  Some of these fan groups that are mentioned have actually been given names like Trekkies/Trekkers, the KISS Army, and Twi-hards. 

Seeing all of these fan references made me think:  Exactly when does a person become a fan of something?  Are their degrees of fandom?  Are their some fans that are more deserving of the title than other fans of the same thing?

Of course, narrowing down a definitive answer on who is a bigger fan than someone else is pretty much impossible.  You have to take into consideration things like money, access to interests, social influences, advertising, and exclusivity.  What I mean by this is that there might be a person out there who loves Star Wars and has multiple screen-accurate costumes that they wear to conventions like Star Wars Celebration, buys books and comics related to Star Wars, and collects toys, shirts, etc., but are they more of a fan than the guy who only owns the films on DVD that watches them repeatedly and can quote them line for line because that is all he can afford?  I honestly don’t think so.  In fact, I know a few people who don’t own any Star Wars goodies save for the films and they can run circles around cosplayers when it comes to trivia.

But who is a truer fan?  Who is the real fan?  I guess that is all a matter of opinion.  I consider myself a Whovian, a New Orleans Saints fan, a Star Wars fanboy, a Browncoat, a mild Trekkie, a Houston Astros fan, a member of the KISS Army, and a comic book fan, particularly of Batman, Nightcrawler, Gambit, Thor, Flash, Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, the Joker, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Captain America.  Do I love other sports teams, comic characters, science fiction, and/or fantasy titles?  Absolutely.  I consider myself a Ravenclaw and have read all of the Harry Potter books and watched the films.  Could I argue with someone over the virtues of Snape?  Yes, but only to a degree.  I’m much more involved in other fandoms.  Do I consider myself any less of a HP fan?  Nope. 

Heck, I’m not that big of a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy and I’m more excited about seeing Captain America:  The Winter Soldier than GOTG.  Does that make me any less of a comics fan?  In no way whatsover.  But I do wonder if there are people out there who snub their noses at me for not being more interested in GOTG or other things.  I’m sure they are out there.  In fact, I know they are.

I’ve witnessed true fans try to out people for their fan worthiness.  I’ve watched men try to outwit female cosplayers on whatever character they happen to be dressed as.  I saw one idiot attempt to embarass some female Trekkies and watched as they turned the tables on him, correcting him on multiple topics.  He had no idea what to do with them next.  They had him beat.

But are there people out there that we can consider truer fans than others?  Can people who watch Doctor Who for the sole purpose of seeing how cute Matt Smith or Karen Gillan looks in a particular episode really be considered a fan of the show?  Or are they simply fans of Smith/Gillan?  Just because I can’t name all of the Robins from the Batman comics, does that make me any less of a fan than the guy who has a poster of Nightwing over his bed?  Honestly, I don’t think it does.

What it all ultimately boils down to is that we are all fans of many things to varying degrees.  If you believe you are a truer fan of Star Trek because you can speak Klingon, good for you.  But in no way are you entitled to some special sort of recognition for this fact.  Why?  Because while you were learning Klingon, another fan of Trek might have been checking out Blake’s 7 or Percy Jackson. 

I guess what I’m really getting at with this rambling post is that we all need to get along no matter what we love and no matter to what degree we love something.  This is especially important for the Trekkies, Whovians, Browncoats, Bronies, etc. to understand.  Why?  Because like it or not, society looks down upon geeks, nerds, and fanboys.  While things are much better than they used to be, use nerds are stil considered outsiders.  If you find people who share a love of something with you, TALK to them!  LISTEN to them!  ENJOY their company!  Don’t scoff at them for not knowing who Remy Lebeau’s alter ego is.  Just be happy that you have made contact with someone who gets you and your passion for something.

I challenge any and every person that reads this to seek out a new friend in your chosen fandom.  Attend a fan group meeting or strike up a conversation with someone reading a novel you enjoy at the library or a book store.  That person might know more about the topic than you, or they might know less.  In either case, befriend them.  Eventually you will both grow as people and that is a beautiful thing. 

Thanks for reading.  Now go make some friends!

Excellent Conventions That Are Happening In The Gulf South

Biloxi, MS and Lake Charles, LA

Biloxi, MS is home to one of the biggest “little” conventions in all of the United States.  Each year it is home to CoastCon, a fan-run convention that focuses on gaming, fantasy, and science fiction.  I’ve had the great opportunity to attend this convention on two occasions and hope to attend it again very soon.

2014 finds the convention in its thirty-seventh incarnation (dubbed Revenge of the Red Shirts).  The convention has an excellent list of guests this year including John de Lancie (Star Trek:  The Next Generation, Little Women, Days of Our Lives, etc.), author Kelley Armstrong (Otherworld, Blackwell Pages), and Gaming Guest of Honor Michael Brock.  Also expected to attend are authors Allan Gilbreath, Kimberly Richardson, “The” Rob Cerio, Brandon Black, and Michael Moreau.  There will also be numerous cosplayers at the event.

I call CoastCon the biggest “little” convention because despite the fact that it is a fan-run convention, it manages to get some excellent guests and artists to attend.  It also has the feel of a large convention but with the intimacy of a smaller con.  If you’re in the area, be sure to visit.  You won’t regret it!

CoastCon takes place at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center on March 7,8, and 9.  It’s an excellent convention and I highly recommend it.  Get more information at www.coastcon.org.

Another excellent convention happening in the Gulf South during the first part of the year is CyPhaCon in Lake Charles, LA.  This particular convention has been growing steadily since its first year and shows no signs of slowing down.  It focuses on anime, science fiction, and gaming, but has a little something for everyone. 

One unique aspect of this convention is that its staff has planned events throughout the year.  These events focus on different fandoms, from gamers to Doctor Who.  There’s even a branch organization, CyPhaKids, that has activities throughout the year for younger fans of science fiction, fantasy, and comics.

This year the convention will be held on April 4, 5, and 6 at the Lake Charles Civic Center.  Special guests will include Kandyse McClure of Battlestar Galactica, anime guest Tiffany Grant (Neon Genesis Evangelion), and multiple artists and authors.  MechCorps’ gaming pods will also be at the location providing plenty of pulse-pounding entertainment.  The Suzaku 7 will also be at the convention playing some wonderful tunes.

I do plan to attend CyPhaCon this year and will give a full report once the convention has ended.  For more information, check out www.cyphacon.org.

That’s all for now, kiddies.  Thanks for reading!

Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con

New Orleans, LA, February 7-9

There are very few things in this world that I enjoy more than going to comic and science fiction conventions.  These conventions are the only places (outside of fan group meetings and get togethers) that I can truly nerd out and have no need to worry about backlash or scrutiny.  People at comic and science fiction conventions get me and share many of the same interests that I do.  We are all lovers of Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Batman, The Avengers, Hellboy, Firefly, and just about any other thing that bleeds pop culture.  Granted some of us love some things more than others and a few even hate certain fandoms, but we ultimately share a passion for whatever might be our favorite thing  and THAT is what really brings us together.

Few places can draw that passion out of a nerd and geek like a Wizard World event.  Yes, these types of events are primarily cash grabs for Wizard World, but they are often the only chance many of us will ever get to meet the likes of Stan Lee, Norman Reedus, Matt Smith, and other celebrities who just aren’t affordable enough for smaller fan-run conventions to get their hands on.  On top of the celebs, there are also tons of artists (both regionally and worldwide) that attend these conventions and let us partake in their brilliant work.  I’ve met a number of artists over the years at events like this and have handpicked a few that I plan to blog individually about.

After meeting all of the celebs and artists, conventions of this scale also offer the chance to meet fan groups and smaller fan-run conventions.  From Browncoats to Whovians, every fandom seems to be represented.  Then you have vendors selling their wares, from collectibiles to original works, and those wonderful off-premises events such as room parties, club parties, and, in the case of New Orleans, Bourbon Street.

Now, getting down to business here.  I was lucky enough to hitch a ride to Wizard World NOLA with the crew of the U.S.S. Lafitte and CyPhaCon, one of those aforementioned smaller conventions.  They let me come with them in exchange for holding down the fort at their fan tables.  We arrived on Friday and set up both tables rather quickly.  Once the doors opened for the VIPs and then the general admissions gang, the convention center became very, very busy.  Friday was light, but not nearly as light as I expected it to be.  I saw plenty of wonderful costumes ranging from Harley Quinn to Amy Pond and Spider-man to that guy from Assassin’s Creed.  I didn’t leave the table very much that evening, but I got to meet some really great people and hang out with some wonderful friends.

When the doors closed on the convention for the evening, myself and a friend dressed as Batman headed over to the Howlin’ Wolf for a Friday night full of nerd bands and the wonderful ladies of Orion’s Envy.  The first band of the evening was Space Metal, who served up some excellent sci-fi tunes for those of us who listen to music on the heavier end of the scale.  After them, the Orion’s Envy took the stage to perform a couple of dances for the audience.  Thank the gods that they performed Moves Like Shatner, as that happens to be my favorite.  Once the lovely ladies exited the stage, Sci-fried took control of the masses and played a great mix of metal, hard rock, and even a bit of rap.  They topped off their set with their version of Blue Oyster Cult’s Godzilla.  The Consortium of Genius capped off the evening for us with another brilliant set.  If you’ve never bowed to the C.O.G. before, you need to check them out!

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Myself and my friend exited a bit before the end of C.O.G.’s set and decided to head on down to Bourbon Street.  Along the way we were invited to a bar mitzvah.  It was the first time that either of us had ever been to such an event.  It was amazing!  People were laughing, dancing on tables, and having a generally good time.

After a few minutes, we headed out to Bourbon Street to partake in the drunken idiocy that occurs there.  Countless people took photos with my friend in his suit.  He even got tipped a couple of times!  Soon enough we reached a part of Bourbon that had crowds that were just a little too thick and a little too inebriated for our tastes (and our safety) so we headed back to the hotel.

Saturday found us extremely tired, but still excited from the night before.  Once again the floodgates were opened and a massive crowd strolled through the convention hall.  It was on this day that I met Zach Galligan (Billy from Gremlins).  He was extremely nice.  I received an autograph and a photo with him and headed to Sara Jean Underwood’s table next.  Sara Jean is a rather famous model, but I know her best from her time on G4’s Attack of the Show were she gave updates and performed in a skit as the superheroine, Bustice.  She was very nice.  I snagged an autograph from her. 

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I also took a little time to visit with some of the cosplayers that were at the convention.  My favorites were the lovely Ivy Doomkitty and Ryan Frye, who is almost the spitting image of Chris Hemsworth.

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I met more wonderful people and made plenty of new friends on this day.  I also checked out the vendor area, but left empty-handed.  There were plenty of things that I wanted to buy, but that amazing thing called money has done an excellent job of avoiding me as of late, so my budgetary skills held me in check.

Sunday was almost as packed as Saturday, which is quite a shocker.  I managed to meet Steven Yeun (Glen from The Walking Dead).  He was exceptionally kind and even took a selfie of us for my Facebook page.  He looked extremely tired from signing autographs, taking photos, and shaking hand after hand after hand for the last couple of days.  Still, he was a pro and made sure everyone left with a smile.  I took a little time to visit my good friends in Orion’s Envy once again.  Instead of their usual green greatness, they channeled She-Ra for the day. 

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As the convention drew to a close, I was really sad to see it all end.  This was definitely the best Wizard event that I have ever attended.  Crowd control was excellent, no one got too rowdy, and the celebs and artists were all extremely nice.  I can’t wait till next year.  Overall, it was a fun and wild weekend.

In my next post, I plan on highlighting a couple of upcoming conventions in the Louisiana/Mississippi area.  Thanks for reading!

Uh-oh! Look what you just stepped in!

Welcome to my blog!  If you are a nerd, a geek, an outcast, possibly a classic rocker, or just have so much time on your hands that you are actually reading this, I’m happy to see that you are here!  I’ve written reviews for numerous things on many websites over the years, and have apparently gained a very small following as a result.  This blog will be utilized to give readers such as yourself a little peek into my wildly bizarre but oddly normal life.

I’ll be covering everything from concerts and conventions that I attend to all sorts of nerdy things like science fiction and fantasy films, books, comics, action figures, etc.  I will also talk about projects that myself and friends have in the works.  I might even do an interview or two once I get my feet good and wet with this whole blog thing.

Basically I will blog about any and everything that I want to blog about.  I’ll post a photo or two every now and then and do my best to keep things light and fun.

As my blog grows, I’ll happily take a peek at anything my readers might want me to check out.  Feel free to leave comments, because comments will help me improve this blog and/or give me a good laugh as well.

Talk at you some more soon!!!!!