Two days ago, I said goodbye to my Mom, who lost her battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease. My mom was/is my world, and I miss her constantly. Mama was the person to get me in to comics. She watched all my favorite superhero cartoons with me and bought me my first comic book. The woman is the only person over 50 that I know that has read the Marvel Universe Encyclopedia from cover to cover. She used to get on my profile on here all the time to see what comic news was going on. I just wanted to give her a tribute on here because she enjoyed it so much. Goodbye Mama

This is a video of my stand up comedy debut. Its at a bar so it may be hard to hear, so I suggest headphones. Viewer discretion is advised. Enjoy!

So, I just got back from watching the latest Michael Bay Transformers movie, and I decided to right a review for those that still haven't seen it yet. First of all, let me tell you that I liked it more than other reviewers I've read, just like I enjoyed Revenge of the Fallen. I understand the movies for what they are: Action packed summer popcorn movies. This movies is not about to win an Oscar and it was never meant to. People that go into these films expecting some Oscar winning movies should just not go and stop reading this review. Now on to the important stuff:
The plot:
Let me just tell you from the get go: The plot is a much better version of Revenge of the Fallen. The Decepticons have been working with humans to use a weapon to conquer our planet, while the Autobots try to stop it. And while the robot fight for the fate of our world, Sam Witwicky deals with some self worth issues. Sam's whole problems really slow down the plot. These movies are about action, and Sam and his new girlfriends Carly draw away from that hot robot on robot action. That being said, the plot is your standard alien invasion, disaster movie. There are explosions, destruction, shooting, and did I mention explosions. Mixed in with that is some death and betrayal. I would say the most the craziest thing was the fact that a major American city was wiped out, and thousands of people were killed. That was pretty intense. All in all, the plot was fun. A masterpiece by no accounts, just fun.
 
The humans:
The human characters were the lowest point of the movie.  You have Shia as Sam. Same old Shia. Neurotic, paranoid, and annoying. This time, Sam feels as if he isn't appreciated after saving the world twice, and  every seems to prove him right. That doesn't stop the nerd from bagging the hottest chick this side of the Milky Way. Let me just say that Rosie is a better character in Carly than Meagan Fox's Michaela. I don't know if its because she's more attractive and less of a b!tch than Fox, or the fact that her only purpose in the story is to introduce a human villian(her boss) and to play the damsel in distress role. I will say that Michaela was more useful. Michaela actually helped out in the battle, while Carly mostly just stood around(except for one important event but I'll get to that later). Simmons is back and this time he's brought along my favorite human character, his crazed German former CIA assistant. Simmons and Dutch honestly proved to be the funniest and most useful of all the humans in the movie. The NEST soldiers are back in full force fighting alongside the Autobots and they are as strong as ever. Honestly, if the movies focused on NEST rather than Sam and Carly, it would have made for a better film. Throw in some unimportant and almost trivial cameos from Ken Jeong and John Malcovich, and you got a movie. But even with some heavyweight cameos, the Sam and Carly drama dulls the entire film.
The robots:
The true stars of the film. All your favorite bots are back along with some new faces. The metal men deserved more screen time and plot time than their human counterparts. The Autobots are the same as ever. The brave Optimus, bold Bumblebee, trigger-happy IronHide, along many others. We are introduced to bots like Q, Dino, the Wreckers, and of course the former Autobot leader, Sentinel Prime, who has some secrets of his own. Sentinel Prime is voiced by none other than Leonard Nimoy, whose voice is obviously great for the aged Autobot leader. What I did find annoying was the references to Nimoy's other roles(Wrath of Khan, anyone? We get it!) But I still enjoyed him, even with the surprise he held. I even enjoyed the time with Wheelie and Brains, two minicon decommissioned Autobots living with Sam. They served to embody Sam's sense of being unuseful, as they weren't considered good enough to help out the rest of their kind. These little kids showed about ten times more emotion than Sam, and were more entertaining than the Sambots, Skids and Mudflap, that were the comic relief bots of the previous movies. Speaking of Skids and Mudflap, there seemed to be some surviving Autobots missing. Where are the Twins, Chromia, and Volt from the last film? Where did they disappear two. On to the Decepticons, normally my favorites. I must say, the bad guys needed more screen time to flesh out their personalities. I missed all the banter between Starscream and Megatron. I've always enjoyed Starscream's sly and sarcastic remarks to his master. As for Megatron, the guys in a bad way. He's disfigured, weak, and hiding out in Africa. To make things worse, the poor guy has no fashion sense, wearing a dirty rag over the hole in his head. Gone is the proud and powerful Megatron of old. The only time we get the old Megatron is at the very end, which doesn't last long. It seemed this event's main point was to give the Carly character some use. My favorite Decepticons: Soundwave, Shockwave, and Starscream don't get much better treatment. While Soundwave and his partner Razorbeak are more prominent in the film, Soundwave is almost made the sidekick of Carly's evil boss, which is a huge downgrade. Shockwave is terrifying and menacing with his prominence and the Burrower, but he has the so little screen time, that he seems almost pointless. As for Starscream, my alltime fave, he has been reduced to a crazed, dribbling wuss, who's given the most undignified death by Sam(Starscream killed by a human. Balderdash) And speaking of death's, I was supremely dissappointed with how most of the casualties occurred in this film. Ironhide and Q's deaths seemed unneccessary, and Megatron went out like a punk. Although the bots were the best part of the movie yet again, they really should have been handled better, especially the Decepticons.
Other notes:
Special Effects-Great as ever. 
Tone: The darker tone of the film made it better than the previous. The death toll, especially on the human side, is ridiculously high. It made the stakes seem higher. Plus if there's anything worse than war to the human mind, its slavery, and slavery is a big issue in this movie.
Propaganda: This movie was a huge piece of propaganda for the U.S. Everything about Optimus Prime, down to his color scheme and every word from his mouth, screamed U.S.A. The conflict can be compared very much to the Civil War, with Megatron as Robo-Jefferson Davis and Optimus as Robo-Lincoln, with Sentinel as Robo-Robert E. Lee. There's even a point where Megatron destroys the Lincoln Monument, and sitting in it. If that doesn't yell "The South Will Rise Again", nothing does.(This coming from a Mississippian). But just as the Union beat the Confederacy and freed the slaves, the Autobots defeated the Decepticons and prevented humans from becoming slaves. I was waiting for Optimus to stop and yell "America! F-Yeah", and honesty, if Optimus would have "freedom" one more time, I was going to move to Canada. 

All in all, the movie was a solid B. Not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but enjoyable. It had its issues, but it was still a fun summer movie. Hope this has given some people some insight on the film

  So now that I have graduated from college(and unfortunately unemployed), I decided to use my free time to show my appreciation to ComicVine and its community . So I decided to host a show for and by the comicvine community. I will discuss comic issues and news. You can send in questions, comments, opinions, topics, and anything comics related you would like to discuss and I will put it on air. I hope to start doing this weekly(havent picked a day yet). So I hope you enjoy!

First poem I've written in months. Enjoy: Blackness

  So, I’ve been thinking a lot about things lately and reading and watching some things from the “Power to the People” Movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Many people think that people like Malcolm X, Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, and the Black Panthers were just violent anti-white activists. But they were never about violence, but about self defense. But what does “self-defense” entail? Self Defense is not about fighting the people in power, it’s about protecting oneself and one’s community from the dangers that threaten it. And this does not just apply to black people, but to all people in the United States. For too long, I’ve seen so much desolation and poison in so many communities, especially here in Mississippi. There are so many people working hard day after day, and can still barely feeding their families. There are people starved for jobs and food, with no one to help and no way to get out. There are single mothers and fathers that struggle trying to take care of their children. Dealers push their wares on kids, getting the addicted and dependent on their drugs: from cigarettes to cocaine. Thousands at home as sickness eats away at their bodies, because they can’t afford adequate healthcare. Schools failing their students so badly that most children barely have the skills to make it in the world. The military making false promises to so many young people, only to send them to die on foreign soil for the façade of “freedom”. I talk about the history of oppression that black people lived during the centuries of slavery. Now, I see that the multitude of the American masses is suffering a new form of slavery. Slavery to our government. Slavery to the rich and powerful. Slavery to drugs. Slavery to a poisonous mindset that seeks to keep us oppressed and subservient. And what do we do in the face of this reality? We protest the government. We beg them to help us. We beg them to take care of us. We put ourselves at the mercies of ungrateful politicians, both liberal and conservative, that don’t give a damn about us. The government should not have that much power over the masses. This is our country. The power belongs to the people not the government. There should be no sympathy for a society and a government that crushes its people, and penalize them for not being able to stand up under its weight. How long will we complain about how bad things are, before we get off our lazy asses and do something about it? We have to stand up, and save ourselves. Superman is not going to come down and save us, and so much for the “Hope” and “Change” that someone promised. Change doesn’t come from the government. It comes from the people. We have to make a change ourselves. We have to defend our communities against the poisons that threaten to destroy everything. Destroy the mindsets that threaten our future. Educate those who the world has forgotten. We have to help those who need it. We have to get eliminate the pushers, whether they be the guy on the corner or they rich man sitting in that corporate building. We have to make sure the people get the care they deserve. This is our country. Our community. And we have to protect and uplift it. You have people like the “Tea Party” that marches and yells to prove their point, but do not do anything to help those who need it. Its time people stopped talking and started doing something. We have to stop this “American Nightmare”. My goal in life is to help the masses that need it. My dream is to start an organization that is dedicated to the self-defense of the American people. A group that seeks to restore power to the ones that deserves it. If anyone reads this and feels the same way, then say so, and talk to a friend. Together we can be the treatment of this cancer that is killing the American people. Together we can offer a better and brighter America for all people. The new revolution begins here and now. Power to the poor. Power to the masses. Power to America. Power to the People!    

To all the X-Men fans: Check out Ludacris's verse in this song. Awesome. 
Warning: I do not support the Soulja Boy in anyway, shape, form or fashion. 
  

So, while I'm out on vacation with  nothing to do save studying my LSAT prep book, I decided to combine my love for comics with my passion for literature. So the first of my comparisons between everyone's favorite "Clown Prince of Crime" The Joker, and Anthony Burgess's famous novella(and film) "A Clockwork Orange". 
Let's take a look at the main character of the novel Alex. Alex leads a gang that terrorizes the streets. The beat, rape, steal, and commit horrible acts just because of Alex's obsessive love for chaos and violence. Alex is fragrantly flamboyant and proud of his work. However, he isn't just an animal. Alex has a hint of refinement with a love for classical musical. Alex serves as a picture of what I like to call "controlled chaos". He controls and spreads chaos to the world around him. The Joker is the epitome of the idea of "controlled chaos". He has dedicated himself to the spread of anarchy against the ultimate characterization of order(Batman). Like Alex, Joker every act serves to feed his own love for violence and the spread of chaos. The Joker is also not just a wild creature. He is elaborate and loud, proudly shouting his greatness and views to the world, even in the face of Batman himself. Even the makeup worn by Alex in the film is strikingly reminiscent of the Joker. Uncanny, isn't it? 
Now let's look at Alex's rehabilitation in prison. In prison, Alex is subjected an experimental treatment( the Ludovico Technique) designed to rid him of his obsession with violence. This technique is protested by the prison priest, but pushed by the prison officials. He is eventually broken, and even the slightest hint of violence or sexual deviancy causes him to become unable to function. This is very much reminiscent of Joker's many trips to Arkham Asylum. He is always subjected to the newest treatment in order to try to break through the lunatic's mind. When the technique is questionable, some always protests(Batman), but it is usually pushed by Arkham's administrators. However, unlike Alex, the Joker does not break, and succumb to the treatment. Joker chooses to constantly reinvent himself, and defy the reprogramming.  
Finally let's look to the end of "A Clockwork Orange". After nearly being driven to suicide by those seeking revenge for his violent activities, Alex breaks his programming and his mind returns to its previous chaotic state. In the end, he has recruited a new gang, and after seeing his former friend with a family, contemplates a family of his own with the hopes that he will have a son that will share the same chaotic nature as he. The same can be said for the Joker. In "The Killing Joke", we are treated to an origin of the Joker(which is debatable) that sees him in his previously life as a failed comedian creating a family. It can be argued that if this origin is true, then  maybe somewhere deep inside, the Joker may be seeking a family of his own that shares his chaotic nature. This could explain his affinity for Harley Quinn, and his efforts at times to influence others to follow his path. 
 
This discussion can also apply to Carnage( and probably more so than the Joker). What do you think?

So, I've decided to try my hand at map making on halo reach. The problem is that I don't have enough X-Box live friends to adequately test them out. So, I'm looking for anyone on the Vine who is willing to join me, and maybe share some maps of your own. My Live I.D. is: welfarexxmonkey (yeah I know its offensive. I'm just seeing what XBOX Live considers too far.) So, you wanna play a game?

This is me freestyling to Lil Wayne's Drop the World. This is actually my first time recording it, so sorry for the quality. I figured the Vine might like the references. If I get enough likes I'll do more(and better) freestyles. Hope you enjoy. BTW, I was slightly inebriated while recording so pardon if its hard to understand, and sorry for the language. Added another one: Freestyle for Travis Porter's "Turnt Up"(Not as good as the other one)