Morphenominal Blue

What's up readers?

It's been a long day. I was out into the early hours of the morning last night with the lovely Miss Joni White (yes, even geeks have love lives), even though I knew damn well and good that I had to get up early today. On top of being exhausted, I was finally eliminated from a Yu-gi-oh tournament I have been participating in, and one of my classes is becoming frustrating as all hell. So, as you can guess, I was in no mood to be at school, let alone for nine hours...

Therefore, I have decided to talk about something that always seems to put me in a good mood tonight...

Guys...It's Morphing Time!

 

Around 20 years ago, five teenagers with attitude were summoned by Zordon to protect the world. As the years have gone by, different teams have used their weapons, megazords, and brightly colored spandex to do just that. These teams have conquered foe after foe, calling upon the powers of dinosaurs, cars, magic, ninjas, and other various archetypes.

The Power Rangers have been a mainstay in the childhoods of the past couple of generations. I am one of the privileged individuals who has been with them every step of the way, from Rita Repulsa to current villain Admiral Malkor.

Through these past 20 morphenominal years, I have picked up a few personal favorite rangers...

Go figure, they're all blue!

I'll start with the original Blue Ranger: Billy

 

 

Billy was selected as one of the original five rangers. He wasn't the biggest, or the toughest, or the best fighter for that matter...

 

He was the smartest.

 

Billy was often in his lab inventing different tools and weapons to aid the rangers during their mission.  He is credited with the development of the classic ranger communicator, seen throughout many different seasons beyond his time.

 

Billy's powers originally came from the Triceratops power coin. He controlled the Triceratops Zord and eventually the Unicorn Thunder Zord.

 

When their original powers were lost in battle, Billy and the other rangers traveled in search of legendary warrior Ninjor. Upon their arrival, each ranger was given a new coin with new ninja powers. Billy was given the power of the Wolf, granting him access to the Wolf Ninja Zord and eventually The Blue Shogun Zord.

 

 

Upon the arrival of the Zeo era, Billy gave up his ranger duties and took a support role as a technician and weapons designer. When one of his experiments went awry and caused him to age uncontrollably, he joined the Alien Rangers to their home planet of Aquitar to search for a cure. This was the last we saw of Billy, the original Blue Ranger.

 

 

After Billy, there was Rocky.

 

When Rocky assumed the blue zeo powers, it was not his first time as a ranger. Rocky was given the red Mighty Morphin' powers when original Red Ranger Jason was selected to go to a world peace conference along with original black and yellow rangers Zack and Trini.

 

Many ranger fans will admit that Rocky was a less than desirable red ranger. He was fun loving, high energy and often bit off more than he could probably chew, though he didn't seem to be a great fit for the leadership role that a red ranger usually fulfills. However, blue seemed to suit him just fine. 

When the then Ninja Rangers were turned into children by the evil Master Vile, they were sent on a mission to find the Zeo Crystal. This crystal helped reverse the effects of Vile's spell, and granted all new powers.



Rocky became Zeo Ranger III Blue.

 

Shortly after the new powers were granted, a new threat put Angel Grove and the Earth into peril.  With new weapons, a new color, and spiffy new spandex, Rocky and the Zeo Rangers took the fight to King Mondo and the evil Machine Empire. Rocky piloted The Sphinx Zeo Zord and Super Zeo Zord 3.

 

At the beginning of the Turbo era, Rocky suffered a devastating injury during a martial arts practice match and was forced to retire from his ranger duties.

 

Our last ranger of discussion comes years later in the 11th Power Rangers installment, Ninja Storm.

 

This is Blake, The Navy Thunder Ranger

 

Admittedly, I'm not into Blake's backstory as much as Billy's or Rocky's. However, I am immediately fond of this ranger for one particular reason...



Navy is my favorite color, and seriously how badass does this guy look?

 

Anyways, Blake and his adopted brother Hunter were students at the Thunder Ninja Academy. Technically, they were not a part of the original team. In fact...

 

They started off as villains!

 

Blake and Hunter were tricked by the evil Lothor into believing that the Wind Ninja Rangers and The Wind Ninja Academy were responsible for their parents death. This caused the Thunder Rangers to attack the Wind Rangers, and honestly give them a run for their money. However, eventually it is revealed that it was in fact Lothor who was responsible for Blake and Hunter's parent's deaths. This causes them to join the Wind Rangers and fight on the side of good.

 

Blake controls the Beetle Zord.

 

As a side note, I've always said that if Power Rangers ever became a reality and I were to become a ranger, I would assume the Navy Thunder Powers.

 

Whew...all that talk of Power Rangers has definitely made me feel a lot better than I was before. I guess that's it for now guys. Until Next time,

 

May the power protect you.

 

Violent Video Games

I'm sure some of the people who read this may have picked up their copy of Grand Theft Auto V by now...

...so did I!



Grand Theft auto is not a game installment that was worth losing sleep over, so I didn't partake in the mass campouts and midnight releases. No, I picked up my copy the day it was released, sometime in the afternoon, like a normal person.

The GTA games are not ones that I usually play. I was in elementary school when the original game made a giant splash in the worlds of video games and yes... PTA. My mom, being the dedicated, loving, over-involved parent that she was (love you mom!) was a huge part of my elementary school's PTA. When the game originally made its appearance, it sent the PTA community into a fury, which caused my mom to forbid me from playing it, before I even knew it existed.

As you can guess, this caused a childish curiosity that lasted for the entirety of my youth; still, being a good, parent-loving, God-fearing, respectful son, I did not play (except for once at a friend's house, shhhh!)

Fast forward to when I was 17+ and had some extra cash to burn (well, at least I thought I had it to burn). Admittedly, I was feeling a little rebellious, so I bought Grand Theft Auto 4. The result?...

...I didn't like the game too much.

For my semi-pure, kind of innocent, Christian raised brain, everything going on was a little hard to swallow. The combination of that, plus the fact that the game honestly kind of sucks did not leave me a GTA fan.

I had no intention of buying GTA V until I saw the online play.

The online play was so appealing to me that I buckled and hopped on the band wagon. The joke was on me though! GTA Online has not been released yet.

Bummer!

I've played through the story a bit at this point. I hate to admit it, but the game is amazing. I've played enough to fall a tad behind on my studies (sorry professors!).

I'm not here to talk about my hours of logged gameplay though.

No, I want to talk about a controversial topic that this game rests at the very heart of:

Do violent video games promote violent behaviors in the children, teens, and adults that play them?

Honestly, I don't think so.

I've played many violent video games in many different formats. These include anything from my personal favorite Gun to Call of Duty. None of these titles have ever caused me to want to do anything out of the ordinary.

Sorry PTA, but just because I play GTA, doesn't mean I want to steal a car, hold up a bank, or beat up the nice, pretty lady standing at the corner.

It's always bugged me that games like GTA are accused of promoting its players to take up a violent lifestyle. Other games that could be said to promote other activities or actions tend to fly under the radar at times. For example, Call of Duty has run into some opposition, but not as much as games like the GTA or Saints Row franchises. Occasionally, it gets thrown in the mix, but not always. There is also not much of an argument for a more positive influence, such as CoD promoting military enlistment. No, violence seems to be the only subject of dispute, and a select few games take most of the flack.

An excuse can be made for any argument for any game. I bet you didn't know that even children's games such as Pokémon take heat for taboo topics. In the case of Pokémon, its animal cruelty.
That's right trainers, when you send your Torchic into battle and then return it to its pokeball, you are going against everything PETA stands for.

 I wonder if the above battle would be considered Cock Fighting or Dog Fighting...maybe both?

 

Gamers, its not hard: have fun, play in moderation, and distinguish what is real and what is fantasy. If we all can do that, then the gaming and real worlds would be a much nicer place. I hope to see you all somewhere in the gamer world, whether in online play or on the leaderboards. Until then...

 

AFK 

Music Profile: The Maxies

Disclaimer: The following post may offend some. If you are easily offended by crude and vulgar language or humor, either do not continue to read, or STOP BEING A PUSSY!

You have been warned!

Music isn't generally something that that you might consider to be a part of geek or nerd culture. However, every once in a while a band may come along and spark just enough silliness or playfulness to...oh, who am I kidding, sometimes a band just has a kick-ass gimmick that needs to be shared with the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Maxies.

 



Seals and rude boys beware, Greenland's (no, really, Greenland!) biggest band has crash landed in Southern California. They're better than any of your other favorite shitty ass bands, and they'll gladly tell you why (the even have a song entitled My Band is Better than Your Band).

 

The chaotic power pop punk band is made up front man Maximum, guitar players Android and Donnie Debauchery, bass player Mad Maxie, and drummer Stix.

 

They've even brought their mascot Bi-Polar Bear Tom

(Oh, btw, that's yours truly in the bear suit).

 

This band is not for the easily offended (or for PETA either, for that matter). These guys love to sing about their ice covered native homeland, drinking and partying, and of course, their favorite pastime: clubbing baby seals. The band is known to frequent small clubs and bars, though they have also toured with bigger names such as Reel Big Fish and Suburban Legends (who yes, they are still better than).

 



See anyone familiar in this photo? :)

 

The Mighty Mutha F*ckin' Maxies are currently at it again, getting ready to release new music and head out on tour. If you happen to see them head into your town, I recommend you pop in and have a great time! These ice cold immigrants put on a great show and are loving and faithful to their dedicated "Frozen Army." ...just don't forget your lube when you do.

 

Go ahead and check out the group's Facebook and follow them on Twitter. However, beware the infamous caption action photos you may get tagged in...I swear, I've had to talk my way out of my fair share of awkward photos on my Facebook. Check out some of their work on ITunes and Youtube as well.

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheMaxies

 

https://twitter.com/themaxies

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5xfw_1ncG8

 

Until next time, I'll end this post like every Maxie show ends...

 

I'd like to ask you all one question...are you ready? F*ck You!

 

 



 

 

The Problem with Playing Batman

In case you didn't hear, former Daredevil star Ben Affleck will dawn the cape and cowl in the 2015 Man of Steel sequel. Not surprisingly, it has sent shockwaves across Nerdvana. The general consensus amongst the comic expert and elite seems to spell doom for the big screens caped crusader and the upcoming film. I mean, there always has to be a hater right?

Personally, I don't like the casting choice either. However, this posting is not to bash poor ol' Ben. Rather, this is to explain my opinions on why it is extremely difficult to play and/or cast the world's greatest detective. Let me explain...

 

Anyone who knows anything about Batman knows that throughout his long career, there have been many adaptations of the Dark Knight. There's Batman, Batman and Robin, The Dark Knight, Batman Beyond, so on and so forth. Through these stories, you will also find different individuals as Batman (No, Bruce Wayne is not the only Batman out there). With all this rich comic history, Batman can easily take many personality styles and features when he hits the big or little screens.

 

Who can forget Adam West? Campy as he was, he made his way into the hearts and living rooms of the public in the 1960's. By no means was this the tortured soul that most Batman fans are accustomed to; yet it still worked! Admittedly, Adam West is by far my favorite Batman incarnation. Instead of what movie goers have come to expect, West played Batman as a corny, old fashioned good ol' boy.

 

 

Since the announcement of Affleck as Batman, I've come to the conclusion that I could easily see him fill the role... if it was played similar to West.

 

However, that's not what we want for Man of Steel 2, and rightfully so.



 

What we want to see on the big screen in 2015 is the hero that is haunted by his parents cold blooded murders. We want to see the orphaned billionaire playboy who turns into the hero that Gotham City deserves.

 

We had something close with Christian Bale.

 

Anyone who hopes to play a decent caped crusader to the extent we want has a job ahead of them. We can't forget that the dark past that molded Batman is hidden under a rich and flashy persona that is Bruce Wayne. Batman / Bruce Wayne should be able to be elegant, flashy, tortured, intimidating, and as close to a broken man as you can get. If any of these traits are lacking or missing, you may get Batman, or you may get Bruce Wayne, but the fully dimensional character won't be believable. That's the problem with playing Batman. 

 

Bale did a good job portraying Bruce Wayne, the billionaire. He also did a decent job showing some  of Bruce's emotional scarring. However, his Batman needed work. Lets be honest, the voice was annoying, and he was kind of scrawny...

 

Nothing against our new Batman; I believe the task given to him would be difficult for anyone. Many have tried, and some have done decently where others failed (here's looking at you Clooney). For what fans want and expect, Affleck was probably not the best way to go. But who knows, maybe he'll surprise us. I just hope they don't bring back the nipple suits...



 



 

 

 

 

 



 

Introductions / The What and Why / A Brief Profile on My favorite Comic Character

Greetings! Salutations! Aloha! Hola! and all that other "hello" jazz! Welcome to what I have decided to call "The Lifestyles of the Geek and the Nerdy!" For those of you who are immune to sarcasm, yes, I know that this is the best blog title ever...but more on that in a minute.

Without giving too much detail, I have never been interested in blogging, reading blogs, or anything of the sort; in fact, I have been very much "anti-blog" up until this point. Alas, you and I are here (well, at least I know I am). In all honesty, this is an assignment for a class I am currently enrolled in. Despite this fact, I admittedly am excited for this new venture...

Oops sorry, I'm babbling aren't I? Let's move on!

 

So what is the "lifestyles of the geek and the nerdy?" This blog is my personal "nerdiverse" that I am sharing with the world-wide web, the blogger community, the "twittersphere," and anyone else who may care. Let me forewarn you; this is not meant for primarily comic books! I wanted a place where I could share all the quirky and geeky stuff that I'm into. This may include: music, comics, movies, TV shows, haunted attractions, Disney, random adventures, and quite honestly anything I damn well please. Just consider this the ultimate utility belt for the dork inside all of us.

OK, so since I've made you sit through all this boring crap, lemme give ya something fun to read!

My absolute favorite comic book personality is not a super hero. Initially, she is not a full fledged public menace either. Most people know her as the faithful sidekick to Batman's arch nemesis, the Joker.

I, of course, am referring to Harley Quinn.

 

Whenever I talk about Harley, I always start off by saying the same thing...

 

"Harley isn't just a criminal, she is a tragic love story!"

 

Dr. Harleen Quinzel made her debut in Batman: The Animated Series. Ms. Quinzel was initially an intern at Arkham Asylum, looking to make a name for herself as a psychiatrist. Ignoring all warnings of how Arkham's strong personalities would eat her alive, she ultimately sets her sights on the infamous criminal and lunatic, the Joker. Through her interactions with the famous deranged clown, she quickly and quite easily gets tangled in Joker's web of lies, deceit and manipulation. Inevitably, she falls head over heels in love with her project. This leads to her dawning a new name, breaking Joker out of Arkham, and committing herself to a life of crime alongside the Clown Prince of Crime.

 

Of course, it is blatantly obvious that Joker has no reciprocated feelings towards poor Harley and is simply using her. Through the years, our poor oblivious sidekick has cut the chord and developed other friendships amongst the Gotham criminal elite, as well as her own notorious reputation. Even still, hints of her infatuated loyalty to her true love still exist. This is evidenced by Cat woman and Poison Ivy's somewhat reluctance to completely accept Harley as a team member in the DC comic series "The Gotham City Sirens" (which I highly recommend).

 

Unfortunately, I haven't read up on Harley since her placement in The New 52's Suicide Squad installments. Once I do, I'm sure I'll end up reporting on it. Oh! and you can find Harley's origin story in Batman: Mad Love, which was adapted from the Batman : The Animated Series TV episode of the same name.

 

Harley's Origin presented by Mojo