Been a busy week

This weeks post is a bit later than I would have liked. That whole “real life” thing came up. But you deal with it, and my posting for this week has come at last. This post doesn’t really have a set topic, it’s just going to be a few ramblings of my thoughts throughout the course of this week including:
Schedule of posts, Ferguson, Thanksgiving (for my American friends), Movie trailers, one of my favorite T.V. Shows and The recent YouTube “audit” of the Evolving Earth exhibit at Field Museum.

Though I do have plans for the next couple posts. Now I don’t exactly have a set schedule for *what* I write about, and when. Comic reviews are something I would like to do on a bi-weekly basis. These will almost exclusively be Marvel. I’m not a huge fan of DC as a whole (though I am a fan of a few story arcs that I will likely visit later on), and just don’t have a lot of exposure to Dark Horse, BOOM! Studios or other comic companies. That way I can still sit down and read entire arcs at a casual pace, give my fellow humans (no offense to any other literate creatures who may be reading this blog, whether they be of Earth or elsewhere) at least one set topic on a schedule and it wont crush my wallet buying far more than can be afforded at a time. And at least once a month I would like to do a review of a superhero-based cartoon. This is where it will vary a lot as I have much more access to series that aren’t Marvel. This may also include movies, both live action (as both Marvel and DC have a cinematic universe just waiting to be explored) and cartoon (such as Planet Hulk). Music will come sporadically, depending on what comes out that I listen to consistently, but this means you will see almost everything that a Grand Unified artist puts out (they are some of the best lyricists and MC’s I’ve heard). Sporadically you will see posts like these which are general thoughts on love, life, the universe and anything else I can think of. And Games. Almost forgot games. I don’t buy many games when they are new, but I will review some games, even if they are a bit older (possibly from NES/Playstation One days on occasion).

Ferguson has been a big issue this week. Riots are starting. While I understand much of the frustration, I lean towards the “love your fellow humans” approach to life. Was it racially motivated? More than likely. Studies of the amount of people shot dead by police (on an FBI study) showed that Black people (I wont say African-American even though that may be politically correct, but, many come from Caribbean, or could be born and raised over many generations in other continents as well) include a few interesting statistics. Including the amount of each ethnicity (Black, White and Hispanic) who are shot dead by Police. This includes groups of “Not attacking when killed” and “Not attacking when killed; not killed with Rifle or Shotgun” (basically the weapons where spread would lead to a kill even if not intended). It showed that Black people are upwards of 20% more likely to be killed when being arrested and not attacking an officer compared to White people. The most disturbing part of this study was this quote: “the less clear it is that force was necessary, the more likely the victim is to be black”. That is disturbing. But back to the issue on hand: It is unclear whether force was needed in this case. Some witnesses say he was unarmed and not attacking. Some claim he was attacking but unarmed. What scares me was the officers appeal to religion in claiming that Michael Brown was “possessed by a demon.” A defense like that should not hold up. Demonic possession is something that at this point can’t be proven (or as some would say, disproven), and religion should not play a part in the justice system. The department said “If indicted, Officer Darren Wilson will be fired”, if not indicted he would be allowed to return (though rumors have it they asked him to resign anyways). While I wouldn’t advocate firing him since he was deemed not-guilty, but at the least I would certainly hope he is relegated to desk duty while further investigation went in to a further check if there have been complaints previously in regards to his actions towards other peoples. At this point I think unity and brotherhood would be more effective than riots and violence which would give further rise towards police violence.

Thanksgiving was yesterday in the United States, so to everyone reading, Happy Thanksgiving. Not for what it initially represented (the giving of thanks to those who slaughtered entire towns and tribes of Native Americans) but for the more modern meaning of what it represents: being thankful for what you have in your life. Friends, family and whatever else you have to be thankful for (music, children, the arts, sports, education. The list goes on). Hope all of you enjoyed some time with the family and had plenty of food (or at the least, enough). As a certain comedian (read: Louis C.K.) once said, “The only time you look into your neighbors bowl is to make sure they have enough. You do not look into your neighbors bowl to see if you have as much.” If people lived like that more often, there could easily be a lot less violence, poverty, incarceration and more love, friendships and tolerance.

This week has been solid for trailers to movies. Firs up: Jurassic World. I am looking forward to this. So much. In fact it is up there in anticipation with a few of the upcoming Marvel movies for me. Trained raptors. Genetically modified Tyrannosaurus Rex. And a few surprisingly interesting social observations are brought up (which even the previous Jurassic Parks did pretty well). The effect of technology on society. The morality of genetically engineering animals for entertainment. I can’t wait for it.

And of course Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This is the one that almost everyone has been waiting for. The trailer looks pretty solid, but it looks like they tried to stick to the stylings of the original trilogy. Including the music. Which is pretty good, because almost everyone is scared of a repeat of the prequel trilogy disaster. I think it will be better personally. Plus you know. Lightsaber claymores. Laser hilt. Yes, that is a thing now. I’ve always been more into Trek than Wars, but I am still excited for this movie. The storylines within the Star Wars Universe are so well done, and so expansive that it is no surprise that it is so popular.

Onto the next topic, an old T.V. Show. One of my personal favorites. M*A*S*H. Running from 1972 until 1983. Originally a book, and than a movie, this series is about a unit of army doctors and support staff during the Korean War. It is a drama, a comedy and a look on what the world was like at the time. It touches on several matters that are still relevant today. War profiteering, opinions on the war itself, the right to life and love. Children are often used to show the softer side of several characters. Hawkeye and BJ (who replaces Trapper John in Season 5) form a classic comedic duo. The show starts to tail off near the end when they started to run out of storylines. While it may have been filmed 40 years ago, the acting isn’t half bad while the stories can still be touching (especially those who have served may find several of the episodes touching on a personal level).

Last topic is an interesting one. A lady named Megan Fox does a tour of the Field Museums Evolving Earth and criticizes it. Claiming that evolution can’t be real and that science is wrong, it is a bunch of anti-science rhetoric spewed by someone who may be willfully ignorant of the subject matter. Fortunately many within the science community wont stand by idly as this goes on. Plenty of videos refuting her points have popped up. And a blog (The Angry Askeptiscelis), from my friend and member of my #GU family, R. Troy Peterson. He is doing a refutation in 6 parts (1 part for every 5 minutes of the video). I encourage you to check it out: Part 1 & Part 2. And keep an eye on it for the next 4 parts of the series. It is a good read.

With that, I shall take my leave to enjoy my evening. Hopefully you do the same. Peace peace.

Comic Review: Magneto Infamous

This is my first official Comic Review on my blog. So I am starting out with the collected edition of Magneto Infamous (Magneto #1-6). Classic character. Villain. Hero. Terrorist. Revolutionary. Savior. This man has been there and done that. When I bought this, it was the description on the back that intrigued me.

“Hope has made him weak. NO MORE. Magneto is not the man he was. Allying with Cyclops and the X-Men, he became a pawn in another man’s war. But now, determined to fight for mutantkind’s survival on his own terms, Magneto sets out to regain what he’s lost. He will safeguard the future of the mutant race by hunting down each and every threat that would see his kind extinguished. What are bloody hands to this man? But the future haunts him in the guise of memory, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is tracking the trail of blood. Magneto’s mission is muddled in politics, in compassion – in everything he rejects. What remains: a mysterious woman from his past. Guilt. Always, death.”

Magneto is living an almost normal life. Dressed in normal clothes, shaved head (in a form that is reminiscent of a certain Professor). Early on it is noted “I could see it in his eyes. For him, killing is on auto-pilot.” Sums up his past pretty well, and most likely his future. Wherever Magneto goes, we know there is conflict, bloodshed and death. And Magneto is on a mission. Righting perceived wrongs, and that includes making those suffer if they have ever made a mutant suffer. Murder is an option. Victory, by any means necessary,

Moving from place to place, Magneto must stay several steps ahead of the government, or else he wont be able to fight. His powers are diminished and he is slow to re-master them. But he can do enough. Handful of nails to the hands and face leaves behind a bloody mess and a high body count. Torturing someone for more information, and then killing them when he gets what he needs. On to the next place. His life, his past, has taught him several tough lessons.

There are flashbacks to his youth, and what he endured in Nazi Germany. Sacrificing another person to achieve your goal. To save your life. Fear makes people compliant. And weak. And these lessons ring close to home as he plans on shutting down a Sentinel facility. Guilt steers him down his path. Having brought together mutants for a sanctuary. And in the blink of an eye, Genosha became a mass grave. Anger fuels him. At the world, at the atrocities. At humankind. Genetic Genocide. His thoughts on what the humans are doing to mutants.

“If you’re not going to stand up for yourselves, then… get the hell out of my way.” Even mutants aren’t spared from his anger, though they are not the target. They are the victims. “This is why I fight. Names. Thousands of them. The names of mutants who were taken violently from this world. Each and every one of them a scar to remind me. To fuel me.”

Anger to fuel his One Man War against those who want to harm mutant-kind. And that includes other mutants. The Mauraders just hunt. Kill. Exterminate. Eliminate every mutant they come across. The anger rises as he remembers their assault on the Morlocs. And with that he is determined. The clones of the Mauraders shall be destroyed, and the final copy will serve a new master. To rediscover what it is to be a Mutant.

 

All in all, it was a great book, showing his post-hero days and what drives him to be better than before. I would give this a solid 8.5/10. Well done comic with good insights, but it does jump around a bit.

With that I shall leave you with a single page to pique your interest.

The Rap Guide to…: A Baba Brinkman Review

Last week Canadian Hip-Hop artist Baba Brinkman released a new album. A Rap Guide to Wilderness. It was done with support from the Wild Foundation (http://www.wild.org/) and is a lyrical celebration of nature, wildlife and the environment. Topics include keeping nature in your mind, extinction,  the continuance of life and the importance of apex predators.

It maintains a smooth flow with soothing and uplifting beats while being incredibly informative. While you don’t need to be able to understand scientific terminology, you may still want to be able to access the internet while listening. Baba Brinkman’s music tends to make you think, and this is no different, as such being able to look something up he mentions is something I encourage. Expanding your knowledge is always encouraged and part of being a rational thinker. On his page it does state that ” Album preview now available courtesy of the World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia. Enjoy!” which means that we may very well get more songs released soon for the album, but there are 7 songs already available in this preview that I encourage you to check out.

While you can get the album for free off his music page (The Rap Guide to Wilderness) as a “Name your price” option, any money you do choose to pay (assuming you pay) results in 50% being donated to the Wild Foundation which is a good cause dedicated to wilderness conservation. View his full catalog here.

My two favorite songs off this 7 song EP:
Bottleneck (featuring Sean Ross.) – A song about extinction and how technology can not only record when, how and why animals started becoming extinct, but mentions the attempt at resurrecting the Pyrenean Ibex and the potential to bring back some extinct species via cloning.

Tranquility Bank (featuring Aaron Nazrul.) – This is my absolute favorite song on the album. It is about how venturing out into the wilderness is a good thing, but we cannot live there and expect it to thrive. So we should keep those memories with us always  in our “Tranquility Bank”. Talks about the benefits of moving “up” (building our cities upwards instead of outwards, allowing us to maintain more wilderness) and how it isn’t feasible for us to all go back to the time when everyone farmed for themselves (mentions how famine was a rather common occurrence back then).

He even has a music video for it:

This is the latest in a series of his “Rap Guide to…” albums, which includes The Rap Guide to Evolution, The Rap Guide to Human Nature, The Rap Guide to Business and an upcoming project The Rap Guide to Religion.

Marvel: Age of Ultron Extended Trailer

A new Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer came out today. More scenes were added, more Ultron psychobabble involving his (presumed) obsession with strings. Que dramatic music. Ultron climbing out of a river. Scarlet Witch screaming. And a couple more shots of Hulk vs Iron Man’s Hulkbuster Armor. That one fight scene itself is going to be worth the price of admission opening night to the theater. Anyone big into the Avengers comics, Superhero movies, Action flicks or just loves the massive amazing cosmos we call the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to be interested in the new trailer. Tell me what you guys think, I know I’m getting psyched for it (trying to control my inner fanboy and set standards that are impossible to match but Marvel has really set a standard for themselves since starting this whole thing).

“There is only one path to peace. Your extinction.”

First Post

This is my first post on my new blog. First, a little about myself. My name is Cyhrus, I am a skeptic, gamer, comic geek, science nerd, pirate enthusiast and an all around good guy. While I may post about other things, I am going to mostly be posting about Comics, Hero Cartoons, Games and Music Reviews. I intend on doing at least one post a week, though some weeks I may be able to do two.

So onwards to my first post. Today I will be reviewing an episode of the cartoon Marvel’s Avengers Assemble. The episode in question is Hulked Out Heroes from Season 1.

A gamma weapon has turned the majority of the avengers into Hulk variations. While they all learn what the Hulk deals with on a daily basis, Hulk is learning what it is like to live with himself. As tensions rise in Avengers Tower, Black Widow and Hulk must work together to reverse the process. At the end of the day, they realize that self-control is what truly makes Hulk the strongest of all.

With that I leave you with a short clip from the episode, featuring none other than Tony Hulk. Enjoy.