So Long and Thanks for all the Experiments

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This year we’ve had many depressing departures: Nelson Mandela, Harold Ramis, Shirley Temple, Robin Williams, and now Grant Imahara, Tory Belleci, and Kari Bryon.

Tory, Kari, and Grant

popularmechanics.com 

Thankfully, the famous Mythbusters trio are not deceased, but they will be leaving the program. Known as the M7 Build Team, the trio took on experiments and helped Jamie and Adam with their own mythbusting antics.  Many fans have been heartbroken over this news that has taken the Internet (especially Twitter) by storm. Audiences have grown up watching these three have fun with experiments, but now it is time to bid a final farewell to them.

There are rumors circulating around their leave from the famous myth busting show. For a while it has been rumored by the Hyneman himself that not everyone got along on set. Everyone stepped on each other’s toes, but they were able to brush it off and make it work. On top of this little tidbit, the creators of Mythbusters are attempting to return the show to its original state of Jamie and Adam doing all the experiments. Grant, Tory, and Kari didn’t appear until the second season of Mythbusters, which doesn’t make them a part of the original crew.

Will you miss the M7 Build Team? Who was your favorite? 

Feel free to reblog, comment, and subscribe. As always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

The End is Near for Clara Oswald

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

For those of you who didn’t get the memo, Friday’s entry was not posted because I was camping for the weekend. Now that I am back and sober, let’s dive into this entry.

With the new season of “Doctor Who” just around the corner, we already have titles of episodes, tickets being sold for the theatrical debut, and tons of new merchandise. We’ve been briefly introduced to various characters such as Ms. Delphox and Danny Pink. It seems like every day we’re receiving new information about the popular series, including the speculation of Jenna Coleman leaving.

A few days ago, Jenna Coleman claimed she was quitting the sci fi series. Since most of the season has been filmed, she will be leaving at Christmas. The BBC refuses to confirm if this rumor is true or not, but assures audiences everywhere that they will have to watch to see what happens.

If Jenna does leave at Christmas, it could possibly usher in the new companion, Danny Pink.  Danny Pink is a teacher who taught alongside Clara when she wasn’t traveling with the Doctor. It wouldn’t surprise me if Clara was somehow written off in the Christmas episode because every companion has their run. Sooner or later, the torch is passed onto someone new that may or may not win the audience’s hearts.

Do you believe Jenna will leave at Christmas, why or why not?  Feel free to comment, reblog, and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. 

I'll Always Have a Friend Like You, Robin Williams

Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to bid one final farewell to the friend we’ve always had, Robin Williams.

Robin Williams was a friend we grew up with. He was the crossdressing nanny who fought off burglars and shoved his face into a cake. He was the lovable Genie who could make any and all of your wishes true, while encouraging you to bee yourself and to dream. He was the wild man of the jungle who knew everything about the sudden stampede, the very game of survival itself, and how to avoid a ruthless huntsman. He was someone that we could always turn to for a laugh and could make us smile no matter how sad we were.

Robin Williams committed suicide at the tender age of sixty three in his San Francisco home. He had slit his wrists with a pocket knife and hanged himself with a belt.  It’s a painful image to imagine, our childhood icon tossing himself into Death’s arms, especially after attending rehab to maintain sobriety.  Robin Williams has had a long life of struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol, yet with every struggle he has managed to put his vices aside, and make us laugh.

Robin Williams’ death shed light on another demon he had been battling all his life. This demon is known as depression. While it’s rumored that he also suffered from supposedly being bi polar, it was never confirmed. The depression supposedly began when he was addicted to cocaine in the 80s and it haunted him for many, many years. Even his psychologist stated that he was still suffering from depression when he committed suicide.    

The idea of Williams killing himself due to this mental disorder has caused the Internet to burst with concern for others who many suffer from depression and at times, want to end their lives. On Tumblr, suicide hotlines have been posted like wildfire. Upworthy has posted links about depression and articles relating to it. Because of this tragic death, people are worrying for others, offering them a shoulder to cry on, and an ear to listen to when times are tough.  People are opening themselves to strangers and friends, asking them to spill their soul in hopes that they won’t end their lives and it’s all because of Robin Williams.

Not only has the famous actor touched our hearts, but the hearts of those who had the pleasure to work with him. Dante Basco, aka Rufio from “Hook” wrote a farewell letter to him and hoping that he would see him in Neverland someday. Countless of stars, including Gilbert Gottfried, tweeted their respects for Williams. Even Blizzard, the company that brings us World of Warcraft, is planning to memorialize Robin Williams as an NPC within one of their games.

Peter Pan once told us that we should “never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” We say goodbye to Robin Williams who flew away to Neverland one last time, but I assure you that many others, like myself, will never forget him. May he rest in peace and find humor with God beyond the clouds and in our hearts. 

The Uprising of The Doctor

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

The Radio Times released an article today with a headline that sent Wholock fans screaming with delight. Apparently, Stephen Moffat, the current writer of Doctor Who claims that he would love to do a Doctor Who and Sherlock crossover. However, there are a few obstacles in his path; namely, Sherlock and the Doctor.

He claims that Gatiss, the current writer of Sherlock, said that both lead characters would go sulk off, and that the crossover would best blossom in our imaginative heads. Sherlock and the Doctor would refuse to complete the task and claim that the other one can do it, because he’s so clever. From how it sounds, nothing would get done and Clara and John would probably have to fix the issue at hand and chat over some tea. They could also drag their companions along and persist that they solve the problem until they give in and do so.

In other Whovian news, this week the Doctor Who world tour was launched in Cardiff..  Moffat, Capaldi, Anderson, and Coleman lined the red carpet as they conversed with fans, engaged with Cybermen and Daleks, and showed sneak peeks of the new series.  Capaldi and Coleman will be in the United States for the first time ever as they bring the tour to New York on August 14^th. The tour was initially launched in Cardiff on August 7^th and will conclude in Brazil on August 19^th.

To cap off this BBC filled blog entry, Fathom Events will be theatrically hosting the first episode of Capaldi’s Doctor on August 24^th and 25^th. Tickets are available now for just $12.50 and the screening will last for at least an hour. Chances are I’ll be joining my fellow Whovians in theaters when this momentous occasion occurs.

So, who’s ready to jump into that blue box once more and travel with the Doctor? What are you most excited to see in this upcoming season of Doctor Who and do you hope that a Wholock crossover will happen? Why or why not?

Under the 8 bit Sea

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Before we begin tonight’s entry, I would like to inform you all that I’m adjusting my posting days. I will still post on Fridays, but I will no longer post on Mondays because of my extended work hours that day. Instead, I will be posting on Tuesdays. So from now on the new posting schedule is every Tuesday and Friday. With that being said, let’s delve into tonight’s post.

8 bit gaming never left us and over the years, it has found its way back into our lives. My last entry focused on an 8 bit adventure and now today, I present you with another one.

Scuba diving has always been a past time of strapping on swim masks and diving down to see what lies beneath the waves.  In Deep Loot, you get to do just that, but instead of admiring the majesty of manta rays or the beauty of bottle nosed dolphins, you get to treasure hunt.  Released this year for mobile devices for literally nothing, Deep Loot allows you to explore an endless ocean and complete eighteen sets of treasures. Some of these collections are references to pop culture; for example, one set is the Discord Diamonds (aka the Chaos Emeralds from Sonic the Hedgehog) and another set is Galactic Artifacts featuring a Futuristic Screw Driver (aka a Sonic Screwdriver from Doctor Who).

As you dive there are movie references scattered throughout the ocean. One movie reference that caught me off guard was a sunken Statue of Liberty from the original Planet of the Apes. These nods to classic cinema make the game more interesting and add a spark of humor as you fight off jellyfish, sharks, and other sea creatures.

While collecting treasure, you earn coins for each piece you obtain. Yet the game easily eats up your hard earned money as you’ll often find yourself roaming to the store purchasing packs of keys for treasure chests and more air supply packs. Of course you can upgrade your boat, suits, weaponry, and drill, but after a while they become quite pricey. Knowing that you need the upgrades to continue completing the collections you ask yourself: is it worth to spend $1 on 100,000 coins?

I’ve managed to complete eight out of the eighteen collections, knowing that I have many more pieces to find. The gameplay is fun, but at times irritating due to the random onslaught of fish attacking you. Very rarely, this can lead the game to freeze and force you to end your dive. Thankfully, you still make out with your loot, but you’ve lost an opportunity to discover more treasure.

Overall, I give this game a 7 out of 10. It’s fun, highly addictive, but can its rare freezes can be remedied. 

An 8 Bit Diamond in the Rough

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This week I travelled to an ancient pyramid to annihilate enemies and restore balance to the pyramid.  Traps n Gemstones is a game for many mobile devices and it allowed me to accomplish such wondrous, adventurous feats. Traps n Gemstones is basically 8 bit Indiana Jones goes to Egypt.  You play as a nameless archaeologist who must find and return all Egyptian relics to their rightful place in the pyramid. By doing this you will restore peace to the ancient structure, capture the villain who hid the relics to begin with, and unlock new locations to explore. As you roam throughout the pyramid, you encounter various enemies like scorpions, mummies, and many others. You also stumble upon multiple puzzles, each requiring their own unique solution with hidden gadgets.  The plot ends when you find all the relics and return them to their pedestals, but from there you can go through the pyramid discovering secret chambers and more treasure.

This game is produced by Donut Games and is available for mobile devices for the small price of three dollars. To be honest with you, it’s the best three dollars I’ve spent on a game. It reminded me of growing up and playing 8 bit games on the Nintendo Entertainment System.  I give it a 8/10 for challenging gameplay, innovative puzzles, and bringing back a graphic style that everyone knows and loves.