It’s a bold claim and it’s not 100% true. To be fair, some aspects of the Internet have helped the film industry. For example, it is much easier to check when and where a movie is playing and far easier to buy tickets. The days of checking the newspaper and buying the tickets on-site are gone.
The benefits the Internet provides to movies end there. Trolls and jaded fans are the reasons the Internet ruined cinema.
I have lived in Cincinnati 14 years this month. Prior to 2008 I grew up in Northern Indiana which means I’m a Cubs fan and a Bears fan. (Side Note: I’m a Miami Dolphins fan first but that’s a tale for another day). As a non-Bengals fan living in Cincinnati I am excited for the city and the fans. As a Cubs fan, I think back to the 2016 World Series. I know the feeling. It doesn’t matter if its 108 years or 33 years, the joy and euphoria is still the same.
I’ll admit that it’s hard not to get caught up in the energy. There is a small part of me that feels like I should run out and buy a Bengals shirt or a hat. It’s infectious, but I can’t claim to be a “closet Bengals fan” when I have friends/co-workers that have lived here their whole life. They have endured the rough years and disappointing seasons. As a Cubs fan, I can definitely relate to that as well.
I’m happy for Cincinnati and I’m excited for the fans. My wife was living in Chicago when the Bears won in 1985. The feeling you get just walking down the street is so electric that we want our kid to feel that too. So, despite having grown up a Bears fan, we will root for the Bengals.
Granted there is a small conundrum. My dad has been a Rams fan for as long as I’ve been alive. We can’t neglect the feeling of not only eliminating the 49ers but the rare opportunity of having actual home field advantage in the Super Bowl. I guess, for me personally, it’s a wash who wins. I’ll be happy for Cincinnati or I’ll be happy for my dad. Either way I win.
I’m also glad that I actually care who the Super Bowl contenders are this year. It will be nice that it’s not Brady or Mahomes or Rogers. Although I don’t think anyone predicted it would be the Bengals and the Rams!!
/cheers
The gaming community was rocked today when the news broke that Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard. Assuming this deal actually goes through, and the DOJ doesn’t intervene with another antirust investigation, how does this affect me? I’m quite vocal about my distrust and distaste for anything Microsoft. This news makes my toes curl.
However, Activision Blizzard hasn’t exactly been a paragon of virtue. While Microsoft has their faults, their employees are not running around groping co-workers. I have respect for a company that provides some innovation, but I cannot respect a company that exhibits such disgusting behavior.
Activision Blizzard has been struggling for over 6 months now to repair the damage caused by the scandal. During that time the community suffered and many players, including several of my friends, have left the game. After every step forward, new information is found, and we go two steps backwards. Perhaps this is the dramatic change that needs to happen to rectify the sins of the past.
I’ll admit, I was feeling dead inside when the news broke. My wife had an interesting way to explain it though. It’s like when Disney bought Star Wars. At the beginning I had mixed emotions, but now I’m overjoyed. I hope Microsoft makes the right changes to repair the community and bring the game back to life. I imagine Microsoft will be cleaning house of all the people that should have already been fired.
I’ll admit, the gaming division is the lesser evil at Microsoft. As long as it’s XBox that runs the show, I will be cautiously optimistic. My biggest concern is if Microsoft can’t fix the damage. World of Warcraft is the longest running title at Blizzard but its been hemorrhaging players and money for a while. If Microsoft cannot stop the bleeding, WoW might be the first to go.
I’m hoping for the best.
Please share some of your thoughts.
We’re now six episodes into this series; which means only three episodes remain. I began watching this series with mild interest and now I’m fully committed. I hadn’t intended on writing more about it, however the puzzle in this show is making the discussions fun so I don’t mind writing more on Wandavision. I do not like spoilers so I will provide sufficient warning or redaction when it’s needed.
The puzzle is becoming more interesting as well as a lot of the theories I’ve been reading. In fact there are so many theories and ideas I hardly know where to begin.
The following content contains spoilers for Wandavision.
I think, one of the biggest mysteries, is Kathryn Hahn‘s character. Who is Agnes? I noticed, in the first episode featuring Darcy, nobody mentions Agnes when they were assembling “the cast of character”. In fact her character is rarely, if ever, acknowledged by any member of S.W.O.R.D. Is Agnes only visible by Wanda and the other “cast members”? There are fan theories that believe she is Agatha Harkness. Agatha Harkness is a powerful witch from the Salem witch trials that mentors Wanda (aka Scarlet Witch) in real magic.
Perhaps Westview is Agatha’s “training ground” for Wanda. Listen for the pronouns. A lot of times the “cast members”, when not under the spell, refer to “her” but never Wanda by name. Could “her” actually be Agnes but S.W.O.R.D believes they mean Wanda? I realize that Wanda leaves Westview to confront S.W.O.R.D but what if that is Agnes using a veil to perpetuate the ruse?
I do like that theory but I have another one. What if it’s not just S.W.O.R.D that is watching Wanda? What if A.I.M is also watching? In fact, what if A.I.M. has people on the inside? By the way, Advanced Idea Mechanics is the evil counterpart to S.W.O.R.D. and is first mentioned in Iron Man 3. Perhaps Agnes is from AIM? In fact, what if Wanda’s “brother” is also an AIM operative? It would explain why he was “re-cast”.
Regardless, I do not think Wanda is turning into a villain. It seems that Kevin Feige is trying to lead the audience that way but I think its misdirection. I think she is dealing with her grief of not only having lost her brother but also the man she loved. I think there are nefarious forces taking advantage of her vulnerable state but to what end? Is A.I.M trying to turn her evil and weaponize her? Agatha Harkness isn’t a villain (at least not in the comics), so perhaps she’s trying to mentor Wanda amidst all of this but she doesn’t know who is trustworthy. Maybe she thinks S.W.O.R.D. is A.I.M. which is why she confronts them veiled as Wanda?
Allegedly the last three episodes are all an hour long and I think they are going to be intense. Are there any Wandavision theories you would like to share?
“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams
I don’t talk a lot about sports on this blog; it’s not really a genre that is common in the geek and gaming subculture. However sports is heavy on statistics and numbers, which is right up the geeks alley so I guess it’s not that far out of reach. The baseball season this year is unique because of the covid (much like everything else). I’m having a hard time deciding if the covid MLB season is even worth it. In the end, will it even mean anything?
Bernie and a Stormtrooper catching a Royals game
It does feel a bit normal to have baseball on the television again. Hearing the crack of the bat and the cheer of the crowd always makes me think of summer. However, this year the crack of the bat is met with silence. The lack of a crowd in the stands reminds us again of the state of the world right now. I do admire how the ball clubs are trying to have a little fun using cardboard cutouts and teddy bears to fill the seats for some much needed levity.
There are only 60 games this season; that’s 102 games fewer than a normal season. Initially I thought removing that many games cheapens the season. However my brother-in-law pointed out that now every game has meaning. This is true and something I hadn’t considered. Everyone watches the first 20 or 30 games of the season. Around the time of the All-Star break everyone’s interests peters out a little bit. As we approach the end the season everyone’s interest is restored, especially if your team has a shot at the playoffs.
However, without a full season and only 7 innings per game, a championship will feel ill-gotten and unearned. Players are getting sick and games or entire series are getting postponed. How can it feel like an earned win when you aren’t playing a team at its best. There are some teams that are so far behind their 60 games I don’t know how they are going to catch up. Will some teams only play 53 games?? That doesn’t seem fair.
As a baseball fan, I get it. We’re just glad to have some baseball to watch (or any sport for that matter). However, even if the Cubs were to win the 2020 World Series, it just won’t feel as glorious. I will feel “meh” about it. In the history books it will forever be known as the shortened, pandemic season. I also get it from a corporate perspective. Baseball is also a business and a business, just like all the other businesses in the country, has to meet certain stakeholder obligations. Honestly, this baseball season is more about the corporate bottom line and less about the fans.
After much consideration I’m still of the opinion that the 2020 MLB season should have been cancelled. At the minimum they should have at least cancelled the championship. I’m not excited about it, even with the Cubs in first place. I don’t care about the World Series. I waited 108 years for the Cubs to win, I’m content with skipping it this year. We didn’t have one during the 1994-1995 Baseball Strike, I think we can manage not having it again.
/cheers
I haven’t written an editorial post in a while. It seems fitting that the first one in a while is about age. Coincidentally this is the second age milestone post I’ve written (the first was “Turning 30“), meaning this blog is over 10 years old. In the ten years since turning 30 I now have children. Just the one! Don’t mistake my plural use as a subtle hint. I have left the company that brought me to Cincinnati and I’m now happily employed at a different company for 3 years now. We did suffer some loss; my sister-in-law Natalie and both of my dogs, Gus and Gromit. On the upside, we had five glorious new Star Wars movies! This post, however, isn’t about just the past 10 years. It’s about turning 40.
There are lots of idioms about turning 40. “Over the Hill”. “Middle age”. I’m not a fan of these. Calling someone “over the hill” because they’re turning 40 is like calling someone with dementia forgetful. Besides, these days I haven’t really been feeling like my body is declining. Sure some days my knees and my back hurt; but most days I’m still out there running 4 or more miles a day. I’m still a night owl, up past 11 every night and still functional on 6 hours of sleep.
Maturity is subjective. I’m mature enough to drive a car, hold a job, pay the bills and be a parent. (Although that last one might be debatable). Be that as it may, turning 40 isn’t causing much change. I’m still an avid sci-fi and fantasy reader; in fact I primarily read non-fiction. Most fiction is rather dull. I’m still an avid video gamer. Granted I’m not playing the games kids are playing these days (ex: I’ve never touched Fortnite). In fact I’m probably playing a video game the nights that I’m up past 11pm. I suspect most people my age that grew up with Nintendo are still frequent gamers.
I still collect LEGOs. I’m going to be 40 in a few weeks and I still enjoy the construction and collection of LEGO. Granted I’m not going out and buying just any LEGO. These days I’m collecting Star Wars kits. Which is a great segue to my next point. I am an obsessed Star Wars fan. Since 8 years old I’ve loved these movies. I’m not one of those fans that are stuck in the past. The movies, shows, animated series, books, comics; I love it all. A prequel meme best describes it: “I loved them. I loved them all. They’re all my favorites. every single one of them. And not just the original trilogy, but the prequels, and the sequels too. They’re Star Wars, and I enjoyed them like Star Wars!!”
So in a couple of weeks, when I hit the big 4-0, it’s going to be just another day. I’ll still be watching Star Wars cartoons, playing video games, reading fantasy novels and telling “your mom” jokes. Personally I believe that is “acting my age”.
/cheers
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