Author thegeekregistry

Doesn’t it mean Saint Diego?

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We just got back from a nice Labor Day weekend in lovely San Diego. San Diego seems to be the top summer vacation spot for most Americans who live on the West Coast and we are no exception. We have family that lives there so we had free room and board and were able to have a nice, relaxing trip.

We spent most of last Friday relaxing on Carlsbad Beach and the rest of the weekend shopping and visiting with family. The drive to and from was also nice and just what I needed to clear my head of work, stress, and the ‘real world’. If you are that rare person who has never been to San Diego I recommend it for the perfect weather and the relaxing beaches.

We decided as a family during this trip it was time to get more active. We have gotten more healthy with our eating and weight loss in the past year and a half, but we now want to take up hiking and get more physically fit. We are going to start with some light hikes this month and hopefully build up to some more heavy duty hiking by the end of the year. We are also purchasing the DDP Yoga set in a couple of weeks and trying his form of yoga to gain better flexibility and get more toned. It has a lot of good reviews and I think this will be a fun way to learn yoga especially since I am a Diamond Dallas Page and wrestling fan.

I may either add another day to my blog posting to give updates on my fitness progress or may just temporarily make Mondays Fitness Day. It really depends on my mood 🙂

Either way I have been enjoying getting healthier and extending my lifespan!

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Jakks Pacific WWF/E

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The action figures I have a very large collection of is the Jakks Pacific’s line of WWF/E toys which lasted from 1996-2009. This was the ‘Attitude Era’ line and had some great figures. No matter the wrestler it seemed they all had at least one figure with the top stars receiving many variations. They also featured past stars as well.

They also came out with the Titantron series with microchips in the figures that when attached to a special playset would play their theme songs. Pretty nifty technology for the time.

There were all kinds of wrestling rings, cages to attach to those rings, and various accessories for your own hardcore matches.

Plain and simple, this is a great line and lasted as long as it did because of that.

Currently, Mattel produces WWE figures and has some great looking collector’s lines of current and former stars that I would love to add to my collection. I stopped collecting wrestling toys a few years back and I think now is a great time to get started again.

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Positive Attitudes

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Grumpy-Cat

My goal this week is to change my attitude. Sometimes I can be the funniest and goofiest bastard on the planet, but when my mood is ruined I can be miserable to be around. Lately, I have been pretty miserable.

I have allowed some professional missteps to sour the past two weeks which is not fair to those around me and myself. Without going in to great detail, my missteps have actually worked out for me in regards to lowering my stress levels. I have been at a new job for the past 4 months and they treat me better than I deserve.

My main issue is the pay is not that great and I am not excelling like I am used to. Patience is a virtue and I am lousy at it. I believe in working hard AND making great strides quickly. I need to learn patience ASAP or I will not succeed now or in the future.

The past couple of weeks I have been on and off grumpy and that does not help my stress levels nor will it allow me to succeed as I hope to. Whether it is at my current employer or a future one, I must learn quickly to keep smiling no matter what is thrown at me.

With all of the roadblocks we face throughout our lives and the constant negativity in the real world and on the news, we all need to learn that we can only control our reactions to things and how we allow it to affect our attitudes. An occasional bad day is okay and sometimes unavoidable, but it is up to us to not let negativity permanently affect our lives.

From here on out I plan to do everything in my power to stay positive and keep a smile on my face.

Even if I do not excel at everything, I can at least be happy about it 🙂

Hasbro WWF Figures

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In 1990 wrestling fans and kid’s of the time were treated to the next evolution of WWF toys in the guise of Hasbro’s WWF Figures. These were an awesome upgrade from the LJN figures because even though they shrunk in size they were a bit more detailed and had action features like swinging arms, spinning bodies, kicking legs, etc… These are a bit easier to find mint in package than the LJN’s, but I prefer collecting them loose since the action features are silly, but fun as hell.

I own a few more of these than the LJN ones with the Hulk Hogan with the “Hulkster Hug” version being my favorite. These true “action” figures were very popular and it is hard to find a big wrestling collector without at least one in their collection.   mSL6m9TyWmMt60ZaRhW4m-w

Cardboard Connection has a great list of the figures included in the collection and links to EBay auctions if you want to add any of them to your toy chest, http://www.cardboardconnection.com/sports-other/hasbro-wwf-figures.

Some of the more common ones only cost around $20 in package, but there are some rare ones like Andre the Giant which go for a couple hundred.

Next week I will conclude my look at wrestling toys with Jakks Pacific and the current Mattell line.

Avengers Assemble

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I am currently watching Marvel’s Avengers Assemble through Netflix’s streaming service and I am enjoying it immensely. It is a great mix of action and humor. A lot of today’s television cartoons take themselves way too seriously and it is nice to come upon one that likes to mix in humor with it’s quasi seriousness. I am an adult who happens to enjoy the occasional cartoon and even I like to take a break from all the seriousness of the real world and just smile during a 22 minute cartoon.

It features all of the characters from the live action Avengers with the addition of Falcon. It is also great to see villains and heroes from the Sony and Fox owned Marvel properties like Doctor Doom, Spider-Man, and Thing.

About 14 shows in to a 26 episode run and it has not disappointed. The voice over work is top notch and the animation is well stylized, but not annoyingly so. The writing is pretty solid as well. Even though there is an overarching storyline throughout, the episodes are fairly self contained which I enjoy.

If you are a big Marvel ‘everything’ fan or just want to watch a solid cartoon, then Avengers Assemble should be playing right now on your television or computer.

Robin Williams

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Robin Williams passed away last Monday. It has deeply affected me, and millions of people around the world. His death was surprising news to us all, and we will miss him forever.

This – http://the-bucky-barnes.tumblr.com/post/94574313940/stickfigurefairytales-suicides-go-up-when-a – is a list of suicide hotlines. Please remember, as he said himself, suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems. There will always be someone there to help you, and you are never, and will never, be alone.

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LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars

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Of my many hobbies/interests one of the top ones is collecting toys of all kinds, from Star Wars to G.I. Joe to kid’s meal toys I collect just about everything. Being a big wrestling fan means a large part of my toy collection is toys from the world of sports entertainment. The first really big wrestling toy release came in 1984 with the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars line. Huge, rubbery versions of all the WWF’s superstars were very popular and still are. I did not collect these figures when they came out, but bought a couple of loose (out of the package) figures later in the life. As of today I only own Hillbilly Jim and George the Animal Steele but hope to add to the collection in the near future.

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Compared to today’s toys these do not seem very exciting at first since they have no articulation and are made of rubber, but there was something about them that made them popular with kid’s at the time and collector’s now. The simplicity added to their charm. There have been much better looking and more playable wrestling figures since then, but they just don’t hold a candle to these big pieces of rubber that take a lot of damage and may have some paint worn off over time, but still retain their charm.

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I have included this link, http://www.cardboardconnection.com/ljn-wwf-wrestling-superstars-figures-checklist-guide, to a great website that lists the various figures that came out so you can have a look.

Next week I am going to discuss the 1990’s Hasbro action figures which also hold a special place in most wrestling fan’s collections as well as my own.

The Cornetto Trilogy

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In 2004 a small film titled Shaun of the Dead came out and quickly became a favorite for horror and comedy fans alike. My wife, daughter, and myself all love this movie and never get tired of watching it over and over again. This movie started what has come to be known as the Cornetto Trilogy, based around the references to the Cornetto brand of ice cream treats in each film and the recurring set of actors we see in each movie.  Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost have created a series of loosely connected films that have all proven to be immensely entertaining and have grown a tremendous fan base. All three movies are more than worth your time and deserve multiple viewings to catch all the hidden references and easter eggs. Below is my brief opinion of each movie.

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Shaun of the Dead is quite frankly an amazing movie. The perfect blend of horror and comedy where the humor does not minimize the violent aspects of a zombie film, but actually add to it. This was one of those films that came out of nowhere and quickly developed a cult following. Even if you are not a fan of horror you need to give this film a shot. The social commentary is brilliant and accurate. If you are a horror movie aficionado the references to various zombie films are a thrill to discover. This is one of those rare films that I never seem to get tired of watching.

Hot Fuzz came next and stepped away from the horror side, but the violence and gore makes it seem awfully close to being one. It definitely has a different tone than Shaun of the Dead, but still seems to fit perfectly into this loosely connected ‘universe’. It is funny and violent throughout and the final act of the film is non-stop violent, over-the-top, fun. This is definitely a movie that needs multiple viewings since I am still finding new things despite watching this movie more than a handful of times.

The third and final film is The World’s End. This time we are watching a sci-fi comedy that does not disappoint.and perfectly continues the irreverent theme running through the entire “trilogy”. There was concern that Pegg, Frost, and Wright may not be able to triplicate their success, but that concern was unnecessary. Yet another great film from these three minds.

These are all great movies that need to be seen by anyone who considers themselves a fan of a bit off-center movie making. They have developed a huge fan base and deservedly so.

A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, and Yellow Submarine

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Hey guys! Like I said last week, I’ll be reviewing the four Beatles movies; A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, and Yellow Submarine.

I decided to exclude Let It Be, since that’s just footage of the creation and progression of the last released album, Let It Be. Now, my Beatles movie knowledge is a bit fuzzy. I’ve just gotten into them a few months ago, but I’ll try my hardest on this!

A Hard Day’s Night was the Beatles first movie, in 1964. Recently, it was the anniversary of the movie and was re-released on July fourth. They’re just so young, it’s really quite cute to see them act for the first time. And it’s so sweet that George Harrison met his first wife, Pattie Boyd, on set. I hope to get to see the remastered version on DVD soon!

Personally, I think Help!, in 1965, is the best of the four movies. They’d gotten better at acting and it was more comfortable. The humor was better than last time, and I appreciate that. I really do love the movie, but there really isn’t much to say about it. I think the plot, while quite silly, is actually pretty good, and Ringo Starr’s and George Harrison’s haircuts were ghastly. I can only hope they remaster and re-release the movie next year.

Magical Mystery Tour, in 1967, was the last of all four of them acting together in the entire film, and it was, to put it shortly, bizarre. I liked it, personally, but it was really just silly, and it seemed like almost the entire film was just a bunch of music videos sewn together. The late ‘60s were a very.. recreational time, and I can only imagine that this movie was a product of it. Especially the flying scene.

Yellow Submarine, in 1968, was really quite bizarre to me. It lacked a certain charm all the other movies had, and that was mostly because they weren’t actually in the movie until the last two minutes. They didn’t even voice themselves. I do like certain aspects of the art style, and the Eleanor Rigby part is quite interesting and, in a more rough way, pretty. It was definitely impressive for that time. Overall, the movie feels almost forced. It’s weird for the sake of being weird, as my mother put it. After watching it a few times and getting more used to it, I will admit I do like it, but it is not my favorite.

Next week, I’ll change the pace back to Marvel movies and I’ll be reviewing the Avengers! Have a Marvelous weekend!

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Batista

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Dave Bautista (spelled ‘Batista’ in the WWE) has really elevated his celebrity status in recent years. With the Guardians of the Galaxy having the biggest August opening yet, his name is becoming more well known amongst the general public every day. Then why do pro-wrestling fans hate him so?

Wrestling fans are an interesting bunch. Very loyal to the product and the performers, but if you look at them sideways they will turn on you instantly and wish you death. When Batista made his big WWE return earlier this year the reaction was huge and the fans went wild, but the next day those same fans decided to boo him and turn on him for no apparent reason. He is pretty outspoken in regards to his opinions on a wide variety of topics, but nothing so bad that I feel would make him unlikable.  He may not be the greatest in ring performer of all time, but he performs his role in the ring very well and has been a part of some big WWE story lines and matches.

Perhaps it is the old “he sold out” routine. Those fans are right…how dare he try to be a successful actor and wrestler! He is at the beck and call of the fans and should do what they say *major sarcasm*.

Plain and simple, just like The Rock before him, he will always be a wrestler and now has added film acting to his resume. Good for him and after the Guardians of the Galaxy he is only going to become a bigger star and us wrestling fans will just have to learn to share him with the rest of the world.

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