Saturday, June 28, 2014

Personal Belief

A person who fights for his government is a soldier. A person who fights for his country is a patriot.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Transformers: Age of Michael Bay

    I just came out of the Transformers: Age of Extinction and I want to start this critique by adding that I've hardly watched any of the cartoons with the exception of the Beast Wars. I wasn't a big fan of the franchise until I saw the movie and for fans who did see the cartoon and hated the movies, your attitude won't change. I became a fan by watching the movies and while story wise and dialogue usually lack, the action is always top notch and it carries on into this 4th installment into the franchise. Michael Bay has a terrible reputation for putting in so much action and explosions into his movies, the film itself is a giant roller coaster in a way. He definitely put himself in that box with this film that apparently will be his last time directing.
    For those whom may not know, the transformers started out as toys owned by famous company, Hasbro. When their popularity skyrocketed, the cartoons came out only to spread the word and made more money for the company. In 2007, Michael Bay would bring them to the big screen with a screaming Shia LaBeouf and sexy Megan Fox. However fans who are "purist" to say the least were outrage by the changes made as well as other things I don't care to mention simply because, it's fiction so let's get over it. While the stories can be confusing and the action ridiculous at times, again this is an action movie, nobody expects Oscar winning performances.
    To me, this film is no different from the rest with the only exception of the absent Shia LaBeouf whom is replaced by Mark Wahlberg who plays an inventor/tech repairman. Living with his daughter in Texas, they come across what appears to be a broken down truck which turns out to be Autobot Leader Optimus Prime. This brings Wahlberg and his family into a war that's been going on behind the scenes ever since the events of the last movie Dark of The Moon. The United States government is hunting the Autobots who once swore to defend them thus breaking the alliance and Optimus Prime's faith in humanity. To add more on  Prime's crap list, a bounty hunter claiming to be working for Optimus's "creators" comes to Earth to bring him back to his place of origin.
    Meanwhile Mark Wahlberg and his daughter played by Nicola Peltz, are on the run from Kelsey Grammer who in charge of the CIA and Stanley Tucci who plays the owner of a corporation that's building their own army of Autobots that can be controlled with the aid of studying and resurrecting a familiar foe. Armed with the legendary voice of the original Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen and a few surprise voice cameos, this film brings in familiar and new Autobots to love. Like most of the Transformers movies, this is a great action film with a barrage of explosions and tons of action that makes the 2 and 1/2 hours feel like only 90 minutes.
    This definitely wasn't the worst, that title belongs to Revenge of the Fallen but this film was worth the money, especially in 3D. Besides the action, there was plenty of comedy relief and a heartfelt theme with Mark Wahlberg playing a father that learns to let go of his daughter. I would have to give this movie a solid 7 out of 10 because again, this is an action film. The story was confusing at times and the action was really over the top, I think I saw more explosions in this film than any other done by Michael Bay. The other problem I had was the newly added Dino-bots because they really just appeared without any origin or anything.
    It was revealed in the beginning that the "creators" used some of Earth's atmosphere during the dinosaur period to create the Autobots so did they make the Dino-bots as prototypes or something? Ignoring the minor details, this is still a fun movie and I can tell just from the ending that it's the end of Michael Bay but not the end of Optimus Prime. Of course, if you're one of those people that didn't like any of the movies anyway then I doubt you should bother. I wonder if you even take the time to finish my critique? Anyway, this movie is a solid summer blockbuster and I will anxiously look forward to the fifth installment.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Personal Belief

The love of the whole world is meaningless compared to the love of the one.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Redskins lose Trademark and Name Change Possibly Coming

    It was recently announced that a U.S. Patent Office had terminated the Washington Redskins trademark on the grounds that it was offensive to Native Americans. That the name "Redskin" was in fact a racist term and the logo was indeed offensive, so what that basically means is the Washington Redskins can no longer claim profits from anything with the Redskin's name or logo. So the popular NFL Franchise that's been around since the early 1930s is now forced to make a hard decision on how to proceed with the team's future. Of course they're lawyers are already working on an appeal but at the end of the day, the season starts in two months and they will lose money if they don't change their name to something they can claim and make money off of. At the end of the day, that's all this is about for the Redskins.
    The Washington Redskins are one of the most valuable teams in the NFL, currently valued at about 1.6 billion dollars. They have some of the most loyal fans in the league and as of where they stand, their upcoming season seems to be promising but now things have changed. Merchandising counts for a huge sum of a franchise's profits so if anyone can make money of a team and they don't have to pay them, that's a problem. So does this mean that they Redskins have to change their name? No, but if they want to keep their revenue stream going unaltered then it's what they'll most likely have to do. 
    This ongoing lawsuit has brought much debate on both sides for decades. One side claiming that it is in fact a racist and offensive towards Native Americans, reminding people of the discrimination they suffered. The other side is talking about how this is a slippery slope that tells people that they can just file a lawsuit on the basis that they're offended by anything they find offensive. Which side of the coin your on is up to you but these are the facts. What's going to happen is unclear but the clock is ticking and the team's future may not be in trouble but I wouldn't count on them keeping the name.
    Like I've stated before, Merchandising counts for a huge sum of the team's yearly profits and only a fool would let money slip through his fingers. I know what a lot of people are thinking right now. "They have a history," so did the Cleveland Browns (that became the Baltimore Ravens) and the Houston Oilers but guess what, that didn't stop them from moving and changing their name. There's not much anyone can do now at this point, even if the appeal happens, this can go on for years so the easiest thing to do is would be to change the name and get it over with. It's the smart business move but the owner has vowed to fight on behalf of the fans who are dedicated to the team and it's history.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Father's Day Poem


I Have a Dad
I have a Dad.
He loves me when I’m good.
He punishes me when I’m bad.
He never does it because he can.

I have a Dad.
He loves to make me laugh because of how I smile,
no matter how lonely or sad I am.
I’m proud to be his son.

I have a Dad.
He is there to guide me,
even when I get mad
and I lose all my sanity.

I have a Dad.
He is there for my mother, sisters and me.
He always gives an ear and a shoulder to our problems.
When my other friends see us, they begin to cry.

They cry for something they don’t have.
I cry because I have a Dad.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Every Writer Starts Somewhere

Every writer starts somewhere and for me, it started with these four short stories. Still underground and trying to put my feet in the water, these four would start a foundation for me to build on. Now I'm a self-publishing when I can and it all started here. I'm very proud of each of these no matter what people say and I know they're worth your attention if you give them the opportunity. There's something for everyone in this book. I've been self-publishing for 3 years now and have put in some work so now I feel it's time to start bring things together.

Most of these stories are short and I know that some people aren't willing to pay much for short pieces of work. This feels like a better way to give people more of me for a reasonable price so I hope you give this novel fair consideration. Two of them are written in a prose form, A Murder for a Murder: September 11th, 2026 and Confessions of a Vampire. The other two are plays, one for the screen, The Wall. The other is a theatrical comedy play, The Merlin show. The stories here were chosen in a specific order to give you a break from one genre before going into something similar. I sincerely hope you enjoy this collection and until the next is written.


Wednesday, June 11, 2014

To Hell With the Friend Zone



Wisdom from a Muse
By
Anthony Labson

Tell her about her hair.
The way she waves it
As she turns her head
And looks at you with her eyes.

The way she uses them
To burn a hole through your heart
and tell her how there’s only one way
to get it started.

To feel the touch of her lips.
So full and luscious
And the thought of them touching your skin
sends a paralyzing chill up your spine.  

A spine you would use to defend her
even if it cost you your own life.
Never allowing it to break in half
even if it was the weight of the world,
the world that is nothing without her.

The only reason that you live
Is because you know she’ll be there
and seeing her by your side
makes the world a jewel in the universe.

Oh wait a minute,
You’re just in the friend zone?
Move on and find someone else.
These words are too good for her.

Monday, June 9, 2014

EA Sports UFC Demo Review

    I just recently played the demo for Electronic Arts UFC game available on the Playstation network and I have been waiting for this game to come out since it was revealed last year. There are a lot of good things that I like about it and very little to disagree with. The history of Ultimate Fighting Championship is nothing short of astonishing to say the least. I can remember when I was a child and I need my father to rent the VHS tapes of UFC for me at rental stores. Now these days, Dana White has turned it into one of the most successful sport entertainment institutes in the world.
    For decades, Ultimate Fighting Championship has become the leader in Mixed Martial Arts Caged Fighting since acquiring Japanese promotion Pride Fighting Championship. There is no denying that Mixed Martial Arts has replaced boxing as the premiere full contact sport, now EA has decided to bring the next chapter to the gaming consoles. Now much is limited because this was the demo but a lot was changed from the last game so we're going to start with the main concern for sports games and that's gameplay controls. There are some familiarities but the differences completely took me for a loop.
    The controls for punching have stayed the same. There's high and low punching, you press R1 or L1 to deliver more powerful punches or kicks. You have to maneuver transitions with the right stick and move it around to switch to different positions. This is on default settings so hopefully for less experienced gamers, this could be changed to fit your fancy. The only problem I see that every gamer will have whether your a prodigy or novice, the submission controls.
    Instead of keeping it simple like it was in the previous game, EA tried a new system that keeps the same concept but delivers a more complicated process. You go for a submission by pressing R1 and moving the right trigger into whatever position to start the process. A mini-game will appear in the form of a clear octagon and if you're defending a submission, you have to move the right trigger button to one side of the octagon in order to defend or attempt the submission. The whole process seems difficult and will take time to get use to.
    That's really my only complaint about the game so far until it's release on June 17th. The graphics are incredible and the gameplay is just as fun as long as you can stay off the ground or in a clinch. The surroundings appear so real and straight out of a movie and the fights are fluid. When I play as Jon "Bones" Jones and I hit my opponent, I see the sweat flying off his face and the attention to detail in the fighters is nothing short of professional. I will be anxiously awaiting next tuesday to pick this game up and since I pre-ordered. The biggest attraction to me is getting to play the master of Martial Arts himself, Bruce Lee.
    The demo is still available and there is a lot to download so make sure you have plenty of time on your hands because it will take a while. For me, it was worth it coming from a fan of sports games, Bruce Lee and UFC. It will be nice to play Bruce and have a fantasy fight with Anderson "The Spider" Silva. Ultimate Fighting Championship has a lot to be thankful for because in the hands of Electronic Arts, I see this game flying off the shelves very fast. Just remember to take the tutorial and learn the stuff because if you jump in with both feet then I'm pretty sure you'll have your ass handed to you.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Leo: Government Issued Is Now Available on Amazon

After spending months in prison for the killing of Tony Giovanni, Leo Clarkson awaits to be executed. Wanting an end to his misery and overwhelmed by his depression due to losing Sara, Leo couldn't run fast enough to the needle. Death won't be so kind to him when he is denied his much wanted death and is thrown into a scheme involving corrupt agents and a classified briefcase. The only reason Leo gets involved is because of a secret that is being kept from him and it's just too good to pass up. The only catch is, Leo is going to have to go home.


Going back to South Florida, he has to befriend the leader of the most powerful gang and retrieve something that was stolen, the briefcase. While everything seems like random events, Leo soon realizes that it's all connected in some form or another. During Leo's journey he will confront his past both physically and mentally but he won't do it alone. Leo will be relying on an old friend to help him survive while a new friend helps him to bring back his humanity. The corrupt agents and the gang aren't the only problems Leo will be facing this time.

Leo will face the worst enemy he has, his demon. The only thing keeping him from going completely insane is the memory of Sara and his desire to honor her memory. Leo will complete his change that he promised to her but keeping it will be a challenge. There will be death, there will be sorrow and there will be a choice to make after the anarchy. One way or another, the events in this novel will set the course for the last part in Leo's journey. Until the next is written.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Why Must We Live In Fear?


Children with Matches
By
Anthony Labson

Nobody wants a war
especially now when the danger is so high.
Before war was just Hell
but now nobody knows what to call it.

War was simple at first.
A sword goes into the stomach,
an axe comes down on your head,
an arrow goes into the air,
and then it upgraded.

A bullet goes into a gun,
the gun fires and a bullet comes out
then it upgraded to cannons.
Giant steel balls roll on the ground
taking whatever they hit with them
in their incredible momentum.

Then came the missiles filled with
“normal” explosions.
They come down and go boom
Hitting their target with pinpoint accuracy.
Then it got worse.

Those “normal” explosions now come
with either atomic or biological capabilities.
Entire nations can now be wiped out
with the push of a button and it’s all in the name
of security.

Sounds secure as long as a finger is needed
to push the button.

But now that finger has been removed
either by a hacker on a computer
or a machine that would destroy itself
if it was given an order to.

The world is covered in gasoline right now
and there’s a lot of ways to strike a match.
Give thanks for each day you have
because cold days may be coming back.  

Monday, June 2, 2014

The Curse of Good


The Curse of Good
By
Anthony Labson

One man is cheated,
the other is rewarded.
He studied for the test
and the other copied.

One woman uses her mind
to gain respect.
The other uses her body
to gain popularity.

One person works hard to make a living
support his family and his future.
The other kissing posterior to advance,
caring only for themselves and backstabbing friends.

One follows the rules,
pays the dues, follows the pattern,
and accomplishes their goals.
The other becomes lazy and
expects the good to pick up the pieces.

The bad should enjoy it while they can.
They will enjoy the short young pieces of their lives
Having fun and living for themselves
but only to have nothing in the end.

The good will suffer
because it’s always the curse
of the good to tolerate the bad.
But when your time is up,
You will be surrounded by the good you spread.

The bad will only be surrounded
by silence and darkness. 

Sunday, June 1, 2014

New Poem


The Plan
By
Anthony Labson

I’ve heard when people plan
God laughs.
I’ve learned that to be true
the past decade of trying to live.

Growing up, everything seemed to be
according to a plan.
Go to school, get a job, and
get an education, it was all
about following the plan.

I went to school where everyone said
I wouldn’t survive high school
and I ended up graduating college.
I dreamed of becoming a successful author.

I still do.

Then something happened along the way,
some blame a leaders competence.
Others blame the work of a God that
apparently has abandoned us.
Why are we so quick to pick blame?

I’m not a religious man but I can say
that I do believe there is a plan.
I don’t believe it because of scriptures
written to keep order or a self-proclaimed
holy man.

I believe it because of what I’ve seen,
what I’ve experienced and what I’m
continuing to do right now.
I gave up on my dreams and went towards
Security, I felt safe but miserable.

Then I met a friend
who gave me a kick in the ass
when nobody had the balls to do so.
I went back into writing because of him.

He is the reason I believe in
The plan.

I was meant to give up at first,
I was meant to find him,
And it was his purpose to put me
Back on my path.

There is a plan and while we may not
Agree with it at certain times.
I’ve seen enough to believe that
events happen for a reason.

Believe in the plan.