Thank You on Memorial Day

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

What is Memorial Day? Memorial Day is a day off from work, barbeques, mad dashes to the mall to snag those Memorial Day sales, but most importantly, a time to honor those who serve and have served for our nation.

Originally titled ‘Decoration Day’, it was officially declared in General Logan’s General Order No. 11 speech that on the 30^th of every May people would honor those who have fallen in the Civil War. People were to decorate the graves of comrades with flowers, wreaths, and anything of important significance. This proclamation was made on May 5^th, 1868 and May 30^th was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any combat.

On the first ‘Decoration Day’ General Garfield gave a speech at Arlington Cemetery wherein thousands of participants gathered to adorn the graves of over twenty thousand Union and Confederate soldiers.

New York was the first state to officially recognize this holiday in 1873, followed by the other northern states. The South refused to celebrate this day because they had different days for honoring their dead. After World War I, ‘Decoration Day’ changed to honoring all who had passed in any war and not just the Civil War. This holiday was passed through Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 which ensured a three day weekend for Federal holidays – Memorial Day included.

To this day, we honor soldiers and loved ones whose lives were lost in battle and for their sacrifice we cannot thank them enough. We honor them for preserving our lives in our nation, we praise them for their dutiful service until the very end of the line, and we thank them with every fiber of gratitude we have. We wear ribbons and red poppies for them and should we ever see them, dead or alive, we should thank them not only today, but for as long as we live. For they have encountered horrors we could never dream of or experience and should be revered with honor and respect.

Thank you for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share, and subscribe.

So tell me, what are you doing for Memorial day? 

Pokemon a Go-Go

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This week the registry for Pokemon Go Field Test in North America launched.  You can still sign up for it; in doing so, you’ll be testing out Pokemon Go before it is finalized for the public.

So, what do we have so far in regard to Pokemon Go?

Your phone (or the Pokemon Go Plus wristband (not yet available) which will need to be near your phone) will vibrate when a Pokemon is near. Simply toss a Pokeball and the Pokemon is yours – there is no battle. Pokemon battles against trainers appear to be crafted from quick time based events wherein you swipe left or right to attack and defend. This also applies to gym battles which are incredibly different than what we have seen through the years. Gym battles now consist of the player joining one of the three teams (Red, Blue, or Yellow). These teams compete with each other for the Gym’s Prestige aka ownership of the gym. Trainers leave one Pokemon at the gym to guard or fight for said prestige. When a team obtains control of a gym, they can use it to further their trainer levels through battles with the rival teams.

From how it sounds, gym battles aren’t a one and done deal as within the games: you fight the gym leader, you get the badge, next gym. Instead, it appears that the battles will never end not only for ownership of the gym, but for levelling up trainers as well.

Pokemon no longer need to level up either, but your trainer level does. It’s still uncertain as to how levelling up trainers will work, but all we know is that exploring the area and catching Pokemon are key notes in this process. My guess is that it’s determined based on how many steps you take.

Besides, you do find Pokemon eggs that hatch after walking for so long. Players can also encounter Pokeshops and items at art installations, historical locations, and monuments. However, you can also purchase in game items and extra items. Pokeballs weren’t included in this concept, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were especially if you’re nowhere near those sightings. Yet Pokemon Go will be a free to download game in spite of its in game purchases.

Pokemon can evolve in this, but not in the way you’d expect. Since leveling up Pokemon is out of the question, you now have to catch Pokemon of that type until it eventually evolves. Ex.: To evolve Tentacool into Tentcruel, I would need to catch x amount of water type Pokemon until it evolves. When the Pokemon will evolve, it’s not mentioned.

I’m a bit iffy when it comes to Pokemon Go because of its weird transition from the gameplay we’re so familiar with to the phone. We’re not receiving those heart pounding, tedious battles that paid off in the end, the gym battle system seems never ending and confusing, and leveling up/evolving seems strange.

At least we get trainer customization and the ability to catch Pokemon which are cool, but will these factors hold up in the game?

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to share, subscribe, comment, and critique.

So tell me, what are your thoughts about Pokemon Go?

Save the Animals from Selfies

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Some days I wonder if humanity is making progress or falling behind. Then I remember this year’s sick addiction of humans forcibly interacting with animals and recall why I don’t have that much faith in humanity.

For thousands of years human and animals have lived side by side, but sometimes people tend to ruin this coexistence. While there has been rigorous and horrific poaching and animal abuse in the past (and sadly continues to persist), this year seems to be outstanding in just how low humans can be with animals for ungodly moronic reasons.

So far, we’ve had an endangered baby dolphin die because people needed to take a selfie with it. The dolphin’s exposure outside the ocean, weather, and constant manhandling caused it to pass on. Shortly after this event, there was a man who actually dragged a shark out of the water, just to take a selfie with it. The man threw the shark back into the water, but it did not swim far because it washed up on the shore moments later.

Recently, a man and his son visited a national park and put a bison calf into their van because they believed it was freezing and dying. Bison can easily survive the cold weather due to their thick layers of fur, but the father and son were adamant in their belief. They were ticketed for their efforts and the baby bison was euthanized because its family rejected it. When people interfere with bison (especially baby bison), it can lead to the mother abandoning their offspring. The mother wouldn’t accept her calf and thus led to the calf’s unfortunate demise.

By no means should we force animals into a selfie or drag them from their environment just to satisfy ourselves. It’s a form of cruelty that should be reprimanded or at least handled in some fashion. People’s foolishness are killing innocent animals that are just trying to survive in this world.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share, and subscribe.

So tell me, do you have any faith in humanity and why?

Pokemon Sun and Moon Thoughts

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Finally, we get some news regarding Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon.

A week ago, we were shown the starter Pokemon for Pokemon Sun and Moon: Rowlet (Grass/Flying), Litten (Fire), and Popplio (Water). Along with these starters, we were also given a glimpse of the legendarys – one which is a celestial lion for Sun and another which is a cosmic kite like being for Moon. While we still don’t know their names, we do know that our adventure will take place in a Hawaiian region called Alola which appears to be a play on the Hawaiian phrase ‘Aloha’.

With these new concepts and trailers, here are my thoughts about them:

-This unreleased game is making me do something I have never done in my entire history of playing Pokemon. It’s something as a child I never thought I’d do. It’s something that almost seems uncharacteristic of me and yet, I greatly want to do this.

It’s choosing a grass starter. Rowlet is too adorable for my own good and I’ve already thought of some names for him/her. It comes with the new move Leafage which is a barrage of leafy quills fired at the opponent.

-Litten is basically this game’s fire filled Grumpy Cat and I adore it. He/she looks like they have the attitude of ‘screw it all, everything needs to burn’. Its body is covered in certain oils and uses fiery hairballs for attacking.

-Popplio has received a mixture of love and hatred from the Internet. I’m not too fond of it myself, but my opinion can be changed. I understand why they crafted Popplio to look the way it does and while it is cute, it’s just not my jar of jam. Besides, the starters’ evolutions are what finalize my decision when picking one.

-We have also received a glimpse of an unannounced Pokemon. With a big bushy tail and little legs, it could be another dog like Pokemon like Lillipup.

-For our legendarys we have a celestial lion and a moon bat kite. Both are interesting in their own right and appear at similar shrines. The cosmic lion appears during the day time, while the moon bat kite appears during the night – this makes sense given that they represent the day and night. 

-We now know what Alola looks like and it encompasses the Hawaiian landscape. There is a giant volcano, lush greens, sandy beaches, and a city district. Given that Alola is a tropical oasis, I can imagine that we can dive again. I also wonder if there will be any underwater volcanoes or if there will be a nod to the Ring of Fire that surrounds Hawaii. Since that would be a fire/water area, perhaps this could be a unique way to introduce Volcanion despite his original hacked appearance in XY. I wonder if we have to use waterfall to access some parts of the island as noted by the large waterfall in the distance. Or, perhaps, it could lead to a secret area. Actually, since Alola is one giant island, can we take a boat out to other possible islands?

-There are now four options to choose from for our trainer. Our rival is unclear whether it will be the opposite gender trainer like in XY or the dark skinned boy. The dark skinned boy could be like XY wherein the trainer had friends that followed them. The professor in this one looks more laid back, tying in with Alola’s society and theme. The characters seemed to generally be carefree and relaxed from their appearance to their movements.

-Here’s hoping we get to change our clothes again. If you noticed in the trailer, at one point the male trainer’s stripes are blue. Then later on, they’re black. Also, why does the girl have a rubber glove on her head?

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to share, subscribe, comment, and critique.

So tell me, what are your thoughts on Pokemon Sun and Moon ?

Never Too Old for Cosplay

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

I apologize for the lack of entries last week – crafting cosplays, con going, and con recovery are incredibly tiring and fun. This past weekend I attended the Steampunk World’s Fair and from that con, I’ve retrieved some wisdom which has reassured me about one thing in life.

You're never too old for cosplay.

This is something I’ve learned at the Steampunk World’s Fair wherein I saw a good amount of elderly people cosplaying. They cosplayed couple outfits such as a bee and her beekeeper, an octopus and a fisher, and simply Victorian clad personas. Their outfits were wonderful and highly detailed and it made me wonder if older people spend their retirement money on cosplay.

When we think of growing old we recall things the media has shown us: travelling the world, retirement homes with Sunday bingo and crocheting, sitting around the house and knitting, grandchildren, medical bills and daily pills. Yet I find that even that concept has changed too and where some elders may engage in these activities, others might cosplay as I have witnessed this past weekend.

                                                                                                                   

Most of you are probably in your teens and twenties like me and embracing youth. None of us are contemplating retirement or when we hit our fifties. Yet sometimes in the late hours of the night or in the quietest moments of the day, we begin to wonder about ourselves. Will we be doing what we want to well into our lives? Will we still be the same person? Will we grow out of something we love by force of adulthood and responsibilities or stay true to it?

For someone who constantly wonders about the future and who I will be, it’s refreshing and wondrous to see elders cosplaying. It’s wonderful and reassuring to see creativity and passion outlast the hardships of life and our youth. It also shows that we still can have vivid imaginations and be ourselves right until our dying day. Maybe when I’m in my retirement, I can scrimp and save and craft some wondrous cosplay like what I saw at the Steampunk World’s Fair.

Will I be ninety five and still cosplaying? I would like to because it’s a part of who I am and knowing that it’s accepted by society, is strongly enticing and inviting.

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share, and subscribe.

So tell me, have you ever seen older people cosplaying?

Tower of Terror to Take a Possible Final Plunge

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Rumors have been buzzing of Disney replacing the Tower of Terror with a "Guardians of the Galaxy" overlay. This change would happen in Disneyland California Adventure and Walt Disney World and so far, the Internet is raging like Rocket Raccoon.

The Tower of Terror is an important icon of Hollywood Studios, complete with an immersive dark ride experience. Even the ride’s plot is something that has called out to riders time and time again – of how an unfortunately grave incident many years ago could resurface within an elevator and transport you to the Twilight Zone.

The Guardians of the Galaxy overlay would completely wash out The Twilight Zone memorabilia, haunting music, and unforgettable interior. In its place we would receive a plot revolving around the Collector and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Parks Chairman Bob Chapek, originally thought about this overlay. He was shocked by the fact that despite Disney owning Marvel there are no Marvel rides. Instead, only character meet and greets exist. As much as the meet and greets are cool (seriously, who doesn’t want to get their picture taken with Captain America? #TeamCap), tourists want something more. They want rides featuring Thor and Loki fighting enemies or shoot em up adventures with Black Widow and Hawkeye. They want something more than a photo opportunity. While I do understand and agree with his reasoning, I strongly am against the notion of giving the Tower of Terror a Guardians of the Galaxy overlay.

The Tower of Terror holds many memories for people; for me, it’s a remembrance of embracing something I love dearly (The Twilight Zone), going on my first drop ride, and overcoming the fear I felt for the ride when I was a child. I adore The Twilight Zone because of its strangeness, unique storytelling, in depth plot in such a short televised time, and mild cheesiness. It’s something I grew up with and something I still turn to for entertainment and inspiration.

I’m all for a Marvel ride, but they should eliminate something menial as opposed to something iconic. Or even install a new area solely made for Marvel attractions. They still have enough land to base new attractions. They’re even building a Star Wars section which is still only a fraction of the space they have. They could easily craft a Marvel area and install new rides without removing anything from Hollywood Studios, including Tower of Terror.

However, we must bear in mind that this (for now) is just a rumor. Sometimes rumors come true, while others fall by the way side. For those of us who want to drop into the Twilight Zone, let’s hope the tower still stands without the overlay.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, subscribe, and share.

So tell me, what are your thoughts regarding this rumor?

Legendary Pokemon Distributions

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Nintendo is incredibly distribution happy this year. Not only are they releasing a legendary Pokemon each month to celebrate the 20^thAnniversary of Pokemon, but they are distributing other Pokemon alongside them.

For starters, this month gamers can receive Darkrai from May 1^st – May 24^th with a  code from Gamestop. At level 100, this powerhouse of a Pokemon boasts Dark Void, Ominous Wind, Feint Attack, Nightmare, and the special ability Bad Dreams. Bad Dreams allows a sleeping Pokemon to be damaged every turn.

Following Darkrai’s arrival, we also have Shiny Yveltal, Shiny Xerneas, and Zygarde. These Pokemon will be distributed by Mystery Gift on Pokemon X/Y and Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.

Zygarde will be distributed from April 30^th – May 8^th. Zygarde was an unexpected distribution; hence the late announcement for him. Shiny Xerneas will be released from May 11^th- 17^th and Shiny Yveltal will be issued from May 20^th – 26^th.

Also, from March 4^th - October 31^st, 2016 players who have the Pokemon Bank will be able to receive Regirock, Regice, and Registeel.  Gamers simply access their Pokemon Bank and receive the trio using the Pokemon Link found in Pokemon X/Y and Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.

Lastly, from May 2016 and onward, members of the “Pokemon Trainer Club Newsletter” can receive Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. The Pokemon Company has urged players to register for the newsletter by April 22^nd, 2016 to receive these legendarys. The newsletter will distribute codes that gamers can use to retrieve these Pokemon for Pokemon X/Y and Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, subscribe, and share.

So tell me, what Pokemon are you looking to download?