NYCC: Be Careful

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

In a few weeks I’ll be going to NYCC and I’m filled with excitement and anxiety. I’m excited because I finally get to go to NYCC after all these years and anxiety because of any possible attacks.

Three pipe bombs were found near a train station in Elizabeth, NJ, there was an explosive set off at a Marine charity race in Sea Isle City, and a dumpster in the Chelsea block of Manhattan housed a pressure cooker explosion. Another homemade explosive was found two blocks away from the Chelsea neighborhood, but did not go off. Twenty nine people were injured in these attacks, but thankfully no one was killed. The attacks were formulated by Ahmad Khan Rahami who was captured by the police in a chase that ended in Linden, NJ. Rahami was shot in the leg and taken into custody while an officer he had shot sustained a mere chest injury.

New York has been home to various bombings, most notably 9/11, the Boston Marathon, and other attackss in between with pressure cookers and makeshift bombs galore.

New York is a wonderful city and a large pot of America’s melting pot culture. NYCC in particular is an example of this concept. As a cosplayer I love seeing people from all of the world cosplaying characters everyone knows and loves. I also love meeting other cosplayers and conversing with them.

To attend this annual New York based convention after a few bombings shakes my spirits some. It’s a scary notion of going to a city after it was bombed because no one knows when another assailant may appear. No one can predict a bomber’s next action or who is a bomber. Albeit, NYCC’s security appears to be tight which is a mild relief. Yet the idea still persists.

In the past year I’ve ventured to at least six cons in areas both pleasant and putrid. Through these experiences, the con life has taught me something. It’s that you can’t always be scared nor can you predict what will unravel.  This not only applies to cons, but just travelling in general, and I obtain some peace with this advice. At best all I can do is be careful, be cognitive, and be close to my friends at NYCC. It’s all anyone can do honestly other than to avoid the con itself, but why would I avoid something I’ve already paid for and been looking forward to for so long?  

To those attending NYCC like me: be safe, be aware, be with your friends, and be sure to have a great time.

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

So tell me, are you going to NYCC?

Pokemon Sun and Moon: Coro Coro News

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

I swear one of these days this blog is going to turn into a Pokemon blog. Regardless, we have new information regarding Pokemon Sun and Moon. We are now starting to see the game’s effects of what appears in Sun vs Moon based on today’s Coro Coro leak. Coro Coro is a certified magazine that often preaches Pokemon news.

Pokemon Sun features:

       -An UB-02: Expansion encounter with Tapku Koko. This Ultra Beast looks like no one we have seen thus far. It’s named ‘Expansion’ for the expanding weapon it uses in combat and is exclusive to Sun 

       -The evolution of Rockruff: Lugarugan. Lugarugan’s Sun form only appears in this version

       -The trainer faces off with Gumshoos, a Totem Pokemon.

Pokemon Moon features:

       -An UB-02: Beauty encounter. This Ultra Beast looks incredibly like Lusamine even down to her pose. Is anyone seeing a pattern here?

       -Lugarugan’s Midnight form which appears only in this version. It looks more like a werewolf which does reflect upon the Chinese hack months ago that foretold of a ‘werewolf Pokemon’. Whoever the hacker was received correct information. Now here’s hoping we obtain those amazing possible final evolutions of the starters. 

       -The trainer fights Alolan Raticate, a Totem Pokemon.
 

We’ve also learned that UB-01’s name will have a deeper meaning and that in the next issue, Type: Null’s power will fully be revealed.

In more relation to Pokemon news, Pokemon Go’s Pokemon Go Plus will finally be available at $35 on September 16^th, 2016. This device will help you catch Pokemon and collect items without having to look at your phone. Pokemon Go will come to the Apple Watch later this year. On the Apple Watch you can receive notifications about Pokemon, but you will have to catch said Pokemon on the IPhone.

Pokemon Go may also be intertwined with Pokemon Sun and Moon based on a picture Coro Coro revealed.

serebii.net

From what the picture exposes, we may be able to catch Alolan forms of Pokemon in  Pokemon Go. While this would eventually be a nifty feature, I personally would love to see us establish the other generations before encountering this new breed of Pokemon.

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

So tell me, what do you think the Ultra Beasts are?

Pokemon Sun and Moon: One Step Closer to Alchemy?

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

We just got a ton of news regarding Pokemon Sun and Moon.  From this information, my brain began to conjure some theories which you may find interesting.

• Dexio and Sina: Hey look at who’s back, but wait if they’re here does that mean Sycamore is nearby?  And if so, is there’s a connection with Kalos and Alola? We already have Kukui and Samson Oak, Prof. Oak’s cousin. 
  

• Alchemy: people have deciphered that the legendaries of Sun and Moon are based off of alchemic beasts. We now have Type: Null a chimera Pokemon – meaning it’s made up of other Pokemon.
   
• Aether Paradise: Aether Paradise is home to injured Pokemon, but also conducts research on the side. Lusamine runs AP and wishes to be like a mother to all harmed Pokemon which is wonderful, but what is the research? From what I’ve noticed about Sun/Moon is that it’s heavier in depth regarding the environment. We have Pokemon like Yungoos and Gumshoos brought in to deplete the population of Rattata and Pokemon adapting to the Alolan nature. Yes, AP could be researching these noticeable changes and comparing them to other regions like Kalos, Johto, Hoenn, and many others.
  
  But let’s take a look back at Type:Null – it’s a chimera Pokemon. Nowhere else in the region is there a chimera Pokemon, let alone the whole Pokemon universe. It had to come from somewhere and AP does perform research and experiments. Also, look at the name: Type: Null. Doesn’t that sound like some scientific classification and if so, what other “Types” are there?  What if Type:Null is one of their experimental Pokemon? After all it was created to harness power akin to that of a legendary Pokemon for a mission. Yet this also the poses the question of “what mission” and makes you wonder if there’s more to AP. Like, for example, what mission would they need to fulfill other than their original purpose? Or perhaps, are they connected to Team Skull in some fashion? 

•  Gladion: Gladion is the leader of Team Skull and looks incredibly similar to Lusamine and Lillie. He is the only one who possesses Type:Null. Gladion has a few options for his backstory:

-AP used to be a family ran organization. Gladion disagreed with its researching methods so he took Type: Null and ran off to create his own type of “justice”.

-Gladion is a brother to Lusamine and tests her experiments in combat. Team Skull is secretly with AP.

-Type : Null fled AP and joined Gladion.

-Type: Null was kidnapped by Team Skull and is being used to hunt down legendaries and is the team’s ultimate weapon.

• UB-01: LILLIE IS UB-01; or so I believe. It has incredibly humanesque qualities akin to Lillie including her big hat. This also makes me wonder if Gladion and/or Lusamine are also ultra beasts or partake in the creation of them. We saw UB-01 appear before our trainer and Lusamine in what looks like a part of AP. Why would it appear there and out of a blue portal?

If Pokemon Sun/Moon are about alchemy and Aether Paradise is conducting experiments that lead to Ultra Beasts, I have a feeling we may get a similar situation of:
 

Tumblr.com

 If my theories are true then get ready to have your hearts broken.  I’m already stockpiling boxes of tissues.

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

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

Gene Wilder: A Man of Pure Imagination

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Holy gobstoppers, Gene Wilder is deceased.

Gene Wilder (originally born as Jerome (“Jerry”) Silberman) has passed on August 28^th, 2016 in Stamford, Connecticut at the age of 83 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He hadn’t informed the public of his condition because he didn’t want children to sadly view him for his illness, but rather happiness for all the joy he brought them.

My heart has been punched severely by this news and still aches as I write this entry.  So much so that I needed longer than usual to craft an entry that at best would convey my feelings for the man and to do it in a proper fashion. Even so, I’m still tearing up at “Pure Imagination” as it plays in my head.

In a sense, I feel as though I’ve grown up with Gene Wilder. We first met during my childhood with “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. The movie terrified me greatly, but as an adult I appreciate it and adore it dearly especially with its trivia. Did you know that the first time Wilder ever appeared to the cast was when he rolled out to them upon opening the factory? And that the reactions of everyone during the boat scene were completely genuine? The director had informed the cast they were going on a boat ride, but didn’t mention the horrific images or Wilder’s improvised lines (“There’s no earthly way of knowing which direction they are going…”). In fact, most of the reactions in this movie were genuine – even down to the final scene where Charlie confronts Willy Wonka in his office.

Wilder returned to me in my teen years where I fell in love with “Saturday Night Live” especially the older, original cast including Gilda Radner.  It was during this time that I had learned that he had married Gilda Radner and when she died from breast cancer, he created Gilda’s Club. Gilda’s Club was a non-profit charity to help those with cancer. The notion of Wilder wanting to continue breast cancer efforts despite her passing and his suffering from it was beyond immeasurable and imaginable for me. The mere amount of heartbreak he must have endured had to be ungodly.

Following me through my adolescence and adulthood, Wilder thrilled me with “The Producers” (Pre-Nathan Lane/Matthew Broderick (though he loved their Broadway version)), “Blazing Saddles”, and “Young Frankenstein” (“FRONKensteen!”) both produced by Mel Brooks. Gene Wilder had met Mel Brooks in his early stage career and the two housed a wonderful friendship and partnership.  He was nominated for an Oscar for his role in “The Producers” which caused him to be a highly demanded actor which secured his iconic role as Willy Wonka.

It’s been about a week since Wilder passed and my chest still throbs terribly in knowing we lost a great man. In knowing I lost someone who I seemingly grew up with, who would always wind his way back into my life. For every moment he visited, I learned to love more of his work as well as life. Thank you Gene Wilder, for somehow secretly always being there and being a wonderful person.

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

So tell me, what did you like Wilder in the most?

Leslie Jones and the Internet

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Can the world give Leslie Jones a break? The woman has been berated on Twitter for her role in “Ghostbusters”, bashed on the red carpet, and now, her website has been hacked. She’s been degraded since her received role in the  new “Ghostbusters” movie wherein she plays a subway ticket seller as to where the other women are portrayed as scientists.

Personally, I liked Jones’ role in “Ghostbusters”  because her character has a major point: she knows the city. She knows how to get places easily and quickly. Street smarts are her strongest suit to which she heavily uses. Plus, most people seem to forget that Ernie Hudson’s character in the original “Ghostbusters” was just an average Joe who wanted a job. Ernie wasn’t a scientist and neither was Leslie. Sure, the other women knew about their fields and how to get to places, but Jones knew how to fulfill that duty in a quicker fashion which aided them in their ghostbusting. Could they have also made her a scientist? Yes and she still would have been an intelligent woman, but maybe street smarts wouldn’t have been her best trait.

Celebrities are standing with Jones from her brutal cyber attack and for good reason. There was no reason for the woman to deserve such harsh treatment. No one knows if this will be the last strike against Jones, but the woman stands strong – even calling out Twitter for its policies and the users who bashed her based on gender, race, and “Ghostbusters” role.

Here’s hoping Jones won’t face anymore cruel attacks and will be able to live her life in peace. When she will resurface online, no one knows, but she’s a powerful woman who has allowed nothing to stop her from doing anything thus far.

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

So what are your thoughts on Leslie Jones?

Off Season Fun at the Shore

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Summer is winding down which means the shores will soon be empty of tourists and travelers. Shores like Wildwood, Ocean City, Long Beach Island, and many others often end their summer season around the teens in September. It’s a week after Labor Day, so naturally families will utilize that weekend to squeeze out the very last of summer.

However, just because the summer season comes to a close doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the shore. Here are some things you can do during the off season at the shore.

5. Shop

Take note of the shops. Most shops stay open for a week more after the off season to snag some last summer deals. Usually stores promoting summer wares and food are closed, but others may still remain open. For example, Ocean City NJ has a Christmas shop and a few arcades on the boardwalk that are open year round.

4. Snag Some Sales

Speaking of shops, since it is the off season you can score some great deals. You can get clothes for $10 and under as well as other accessories like purses. Even some arcades that offer a specific point amount for prizes reduce their points as a part of ‘end of summer sale’.

3. Do a Photoshoot

Want to do an uninterrupted photoshoot on the beach? Go during the off season. You’ll still get sun, experience the sand, and be at peace with no gawking onlookers or photo bombers.

2. Get Exercise

While it is good to exercise any time during the year, the shore during the off season is a good place for working out. You can run up and down the boardwalk and/or the sand, you can bike along the boards, do yoga on the beach next to the sound of waves, and don’t have to worry about the crowds getting in your way.

1.Experience the Local Culture

You can always take in the local culture. Each beach town has its own quirks. For example, Long Beach Island is more laid back and quiet as to where Wildwood is a haven for teenagers. While their boardwalk shops may be closed, you can still enjoy the local eateries, the small businesses, and try something new.

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

So tell me, do you like to go to the shore during the off season?

Kenny Baker: One With the Force

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This is the year that will probably go down in history as ‘the year when everyone amazing passed on’. We’ve lost Alan Rickman, David Bowie, and now Kenny Baker aka R2D2 from “Star Wars”. Kenny Baker died in his sleep on August 13^th, 2016.

Baker was born in Birmingham, England on August 24, 1934. Due to his size of 3 ft 8 inches, Kenny Baker wasn’t expected to live past his puberty. His stature as a little person gave way to respiratory problems which accrued during his life and caused him to be in a wheelchair. Despite his height and illness, Baker became immortalized as R2D2 when he took on the iconic role in 1977. But before Baker stepped inside R2D2’s suit, he worked as a circus performer, a pantomime, and a nightclub actor at the age of sixteen. He was a part of a musical duo called the “Mini-Tones” with his friend, Jack Purvis, before he died in a car accident and Baker started his film debut.

Despite his height and health problems, Baker didn’t want to be treated differently and would inform others of this. His wife, Eileen, saw him on the “Michael Parkinson TV Chat Show” and wrote in, wanting to meet him because she too was a little person. After their meeting, they married shortly after only for Eileen to die from epilepsy in 1993. Not for one day did she treat him differently, not even when they made a family together.

Baker has cemented a place for himself in the hearts of many from fans to George Lucas and even his niece, Abigail Shield. Baker likes to be known for other roles he has played such as the Plumed Dwarf in “The Elephant Man”, Fidgit from “Time Bandits”, a part of the Goblin Corps from “Labryinth”, and many other memorable roles. He even starred as a jester in the music video for “Safety Dance” by the band, Men Without Hats. Baker was living proof that big things (such as talent, kindness, and professionalism) come in small packages.

Rest in peace, Kenny Baker – you were the droid we were looking for.

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

So tell me, what Kenny Baker role did you most enjoy?