CM Punk Leaves WWE. When Will They Wake Up?

    For anyone whose a fan of wrestling and WWE. I have the worst news so far this year and that's CM Punk, one of the biggest names in the company has quit the company. Punk had been contemplating leaving when his contract expires in July of this year but due to several issues going on within the company, he decided to be expeditious with his exit. Punk recently competed in the annual Royal Rumble which he lost and after that, had a meeting with owner Vince McMahon to ask for his release. This is not a good start for the WWE because simply CM Punk is one of their best draw ins.
    CM Punk has always been vocal about his feelings towards the company and how management has shown no interest to people who have true wrestling talent. Known for his famous "pipebomb" segments, he would rant on about how frustrated he is about issues within the company and the direction in which the company would like to go. Rumor has it that the direction of CM Punk's character in the current story line was the final straw that  lead to his decision. CM Punk was scheduled to face Triple H at this year's Wrestlemania in New Orleans but now those plans have changed to a to be determined opponent. What the truth is will be your decision to believe but if there's one issue I believe Punk is right with, it's WWE doesn't seem to be on the ball.
    World Wrestling Entertainment is the top of the food chain when it comes to professional wrestling. If you land a job there then that means you are in the big leagues but the problem with being in the big leagues, you tend to grow careless. That's what many fans believe is going on with the company due to poor story lines and mismanagement of performers. One in particular is fan favorite, Daniel Bryan whom has become the unsung good guy or baby face of the WWE. Daniel Bryan had his brief 15 minutes of fame when he competed at SummerSlam beating John Cena, the top baby face, for the WWE heavyweight title.
     The WWE would have Bryan drop the title after only having it for a few minutes but what the WWE didn't count on was the fans turning to Bryan as the new top face. With his captivating "Yes" chant which has been used at other venues besides WWE and technical wrestling ability, Daniel Bryan has been portrayed as an underdog against a corrupt corporation. The problem now is that it seems to the fans that the WWE would rather have former top baby face John Cena or the returning Dave Batista as the top good guy. The fans however are not going with it and have been demanding refunds for shows because Daniel Bryan either not showing up or other issues. The fact that Daniel Bryan was not even in the Royal Rumble match made fans irate and booed Dave Batista out of the arena even though he won the Royal Rumble and is suppose to be the main baby face.
    This has not only frustrated Batista who became furious with the fans for booing his win and was seen arguing and flipping people off. This is an embarrassment to the company because in a way it proves what CM Punk has been saying, that the WWE doesn't care about what the fans want to see. That they rather give the spotlight to those who have already had it and not give upcoming talent a chance to shine. If that is true then the WWE better prepare for a huge drop in sales because I believe the fans are sick and tired of the same feuds, the same heroes and villians, and don't get me started on the PG rating. I would need to right another blog about that.
    There is no denying that the quality of WWE has gone downhill and if I'm wrong then why are fans booing good guys John Cena and Dave Batista? Why are people asking for refunds because of story lines that don't make sense and they hate how they didn't get to see their favorite superstar perform? Why did CM Punk and other superstars like former WWE Divas Katliyn and Beth Phoenix quit the company? Several superstars have done the same due to problems within the company such as famous superstar and WWE Hall of Famer, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The WWE is the main company to go if you want to be a somebody in the world of sports entertainment, nobody should want to leave it.    
    The only good news to this is that the show will go on but the quality of the show will be in question since it's clear to the fans that WWE needs to listen to them. The WWE isn't going anywhere because I truly believe that it's too big to fail but the fans needs to stay vocal about their frustrations with the company. Hopefully things will change for the better because nobody wants to see another top superstar leave. Someone will come to replace CM Punk, there's always another superstar waiting to emerge. The question is will he be allowed to spark the change that will draw a crowd and make the WWE the powerhouse it was years ago during the Monday night wars between them and WCW.

Review of The State of The Union Address

    At about 9:30 tonight, President Obama spoke to the nation about past year's accomplishments and failures as well as his plans for this year. He spoke of the subjects that this country has progressed in while there was still issues lacking improvement. Speaking for over 90 minutes, President Obama promised to accomplish new goals if the legislative branch is willing to go along with it. That's the main issue for this blog, whether or not that the divided government will set aside party goals and see the bigger picture. The first issue that grabbed attention was the economy growth.
    Nobody can deny that the economy has gotten better and that people are going back to work. I have seen it myself in the area I live and in the area where I work. But President Obama still believes more can be done to strengthening the economy such as raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10. Most companies may obviously be against this because nobody wants to spend their own money for someone else's agenda plus some believe the minimum wage is high enough as is. President Obama believes by raising the wages it will give people more money to spend and raise the numbers higher than they are now.
    The next issue he discussed was equality in the work force. President Obama stated that, "Women in the work force still make $0.70 less than men and work equally as hard." He also covered how since "The Great Recession" the opportunity to rise in companies has staled. These issues are focused on because they affect morale and why should people work hard for a management position they are never going to get? People's faith in the "American dream" need to be restored by the rise in wages and opportunity.
    Obviously the president was going to talk about his main objective during his presidency and that's the health care law also known as Obamacare. He admit fault when it didn't go as smoothly as possible but still showed conviction and certainty in its success. He pointed out people who if they didn't have the health care provided under the law would be in worse shape then they are now. While it's clear that many in the audience didn't approve of the law, the fact is that it's happening and the president stressed that it was time to move on because it is helping people.
    The sensitive issue he touched was the return of the soldiers coming home from the middle east and how President Obama is bring home more troops than ever. President Obama maintained his stand on defending the country and its allies but not at the expense of our military if it isn't necessary. With that he introduced Army Ranger Corey Remsburg, an army ranger who suffered severe brain trauma after surviving an attack during his time in the middle east. He is blind in one eye and still has little mobility on his left side but he fights every day to improve and hopefully go back to the Army Rangers.
    This was the most powerful moment in the address for one main reason and that is Corey Remsburg symbolizes everything that America has gone through. He went to a war and suffered losses and just when everything seemed lost, he kept fighting and now he's capable of having a life when everyone assumed he wasn't going to make it. Now he stands a symbol of hope and an example that no matter what has happened, if you're willing to fight for what you have than you can win. America has suffered losses but just like Corey Remsburg, we will survive.
    President Obama gave a great speech and spoke with strong confidence. He touched on issues that need to be addressed for this nation to be strong and I can testify that it is better than it was 8 years ago but more work needs to be done. The only problem the president didn't address is how he is going to get it done because the truth is that it's not just up to him. When parties get over themselves and start thinking of what the people want then that's when America will be strong, when comprises are made and egos thrown out the window. That's when this nation will be strong again.

Xbox One Review

    I've had the Xbox One now for about a week and I have to say that I've never felt more wrong about my predictions. I thought the PS4 would be a better console but when I played the demos provided by Best Buy and after taking time. There was something in me that said that the Xbox One would be a better console. I went ahead and spent the money I was saving to buy a new console on Microsoft's masterpiece. I only had enough money to buy one game so I went with Madden 25 because I a football game is a must for me. 

    While I admit I am bummed that Microsoft hasn't gotten the 3D capability down I will say that it makes up for it with one advantage. The complete voice commands make this next generation console not only amazing but futuristic. Armed with the new improved Kinect system, movements are caught more accurately and detailed. As far as the games go I can't comment because I bought a game that I already had during my time with the PS3. But I did download 2 demos that would give me a glimpse of what future games would be like. 

    The first game was Dead Rising 3. The graphics were very over the top and the gameplay was familiar with any gamer. The fun was there with the combo of weapons that were available to massacre zombies as well as the vast selection of vehicles. The next game that I demoed was Zumba Fitness Party. That game being more Kinect based was very entertaining and fun. It beats a trip to the gym with a variety of workouts while listening to known music. 

     Everything that I was worried about when it comes to the Xbox One were unwarranted and next time I will learn from this and not judge. Don't misunderstand, I plan on getting the PS4 because I believe that will be an equally satisfying game console but now I am convince. The Xbox One is a fantastic system and I know that people are saying that it's more expensive than the PS4 but remember one thing. You're getting the Kinect with it which is a $100 value where as the PS4 you're just getting the system and no camera. The Xbox One is a system that's worth that extra $100.

A Murder For A Murder is now in print!

    For two years now I have been pursuing my passion for writing and have gone into the field of self-publishing. It's started strictly with eBooks but now this year I decided to take the next logical step and start printing them. The question to what eBook to print was fairly simple because I chose the book that meant the most to me out of all so far. I chose A Murder For A Murder: September 11th 2026 because of two reasons which I will  now share. The first reason is the most simple one and that is because, I'm a patriot.
    I wrote a poem a long time ago called Another Page which is in my eBook of poetry Madness in a Recession. The purpose of the poem was to reflect that when I was growing up, I showed no care for the lesson of Pearl Harbor. I would read about it time after time again in every history class and every time I would ignore it. Then 9/11 happened and that's when I realized why we studied Pearl Harbor in our history class. I realized on September 11th that America will always have enemies and all they need is time for America to drop it's guard.
    The second reason I chose this is because it was my first full novel that I ever wrote. The first eBook I wrote was Madness in a Recession but that was a book of poetry. This was the first story I ever wrote to express my feelings on how we handle terrorism, what would happened if we did something different, and what is the right way to handle terrorism. I knew there were risks writing about a sensitive subject but the fact is I truly feel that a pattern is always followed and I've always been one to go against the current.
    I've made a lot of mistakes in my ventures writing which I am both embarrassed and thankful for. You can't be successful if all you have ever done is succeed. I have failed many times in my life but finally getting the courage and confidence to see this through has brought a new spirit within me. I am more determined now to seek out more ways to expand my name and be the next James Patterson or Tom Clancy. If anyone who reads this is interested then my book can be found at the CreateSpace estore right now and will be available everywhere else next week.
     If you enjoy a good suspense story and are a fellow patriot then I believe that this book is meant for you. I hope that if nothing else, this story reminds somebody who was just as arrogant as I was about Pearl Harbor so that we will never again drop our guard. September 11th 2001 was the darkest day I ever saw and I hope never again to see another day like that again. Thank you to the military for making sure that everyone that was involved that day was brought to justice.

I'm Back!

    I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in a while but I've been extremely busy this week for several reasons. One is at my full time job we had a hard count inventory coming up and that is never a good thing. I've had to count so much the past week that I feel like I could give birth to an accountant and what's worse is I have to get started on my taxes. But a job is a job and it's giving me the money I need to get my second biggest project going and that's writing and getting my name and products out there. The second biggest reason is I'm working on getting one of my books to print soon!
     Out of the 5 stories I have written, I decided to print A Murder For A Murder: September 11th 2026 which should be available soon. The final reason I haven't been on is simply, I just exhausted. While doing this I'm still working on my trilogy and will hopefully have the first part available soon. I haven't been getting much sleep and I'm feeling really drained so I won't go into details about the titles just mentioned but I will keep you updated. Sorry for being brief but that's the truth and I won't lie to my followers or friends.
     It's been a long week and couple of days so I know I've fallen behind but hopefully soon I will get things kicking. For now I'm doing the one thing I've been needing to do, get some rest and sharpen my ax so I can get back on track with what I need to do. When I next blog it will be to announce when my first book is being released, thank you and until the next is written.

Which are you?

     Someone who follows their heart sees the tale of Beauty and the Beast as a tale of a woman who sees past a monster and falls in love with the man inside. That person believes the two are going to live long and happy lives as they live in their castle which is away from civilization. The person that follows their mind sees the tale as a serious case of a victim suffering the affects of Stockholm syndrome and the beast should be prosecuted and the beauty hospitalized. Which one do you follow?

For Anyone Whose Ever Lost a Pet

Storm

I can’t believe it’s done.

With the touch of a needle,

my best friend is gone.

Somehow, that same needle punctured

 my heart.

 

I got you when you were a pup.

And for 13 years, I saw you grow

into a beautiful pure black Labrador.

The kind you would see in a show.

 

There were great times,

like running alongside you early in the morning,

throwing the ball around the yard,

showing you off to everyone and bragging,

playing tug of war with the rope.

 

But there were bad times,

like you barking in the middle of the night.

Your barks would sound like thunder.

Not to mention the hours of life used

picking up after you went inside the house.

 

But this moment is the worst.

When I realized that your time was coming,

I knew what I had to do, but I didn’t like it.

But I loved you too much

 to see you suffer.

 

I hope I did some good in staying with you

in that silent, ice-cold room

and talking to you so you wouldn’t hear

that silence till the end.

 

Oh, how I cried when I looked into your eyes

and told you “I’ll be seeing you again.”

I wonder if you knew what was coming.

Either way, I hope you knew my heart broke

for the first time that day.

 

I lost my first best friend.

His name was Storm.

And he was the best dog in the world

hands down.

 

Personal Poem.

My Closet

Like the phantom of the opera,

I was a misunderstood monster.

Not scarred in the face by fire

but with a body of excess fat.

 

The demons kept hurting my soul.

They tortured me with insults.

Boys threw stuff at me.

Girls called me a freak.

 

I fought back with hatred and fists.

Boys lost teeth and girls lost hair.

My life was becoming a sad fable.

Dante would run in fear of my inferno.

 

So, I ran into my closet and dreamed

in such a small hot space.

I lived in a new world with sunlight and cool breezes.

But the breeze was just hanging clothes running across my face.

 

Silence.

That was my greatest ally to focus on my dreams.

There was nobody else that could distract me

when I was in that closet.

 

The price for paradise was cheap --

my heart and my sanity.

I had no use for those things anyway.

I wasn’t happy when I had them.

 

Time went by fast when I was in the closet

and slow when I was out.

For 6 long hours I’d be in hell.

I would cut off my right arm

to hear that final ring.

 

For years I was in my closet,

praying to God for mercy.

Finally my parents found me

and dragged me out of my closet.

 

My parents were scared

to see their baby boy look so cold.

They couldn’t understand this boy who is so sweet

look so morose and so angry.

I would try to get back in my closet,

 But they would keep me out,

kicking and swinging.

 

Later, I was sent to see someone.

I felt like a wounded animal backed into a corner --

scared, confused, and ready to fight to the death.

The doctor looked at me with such pity.

 

I would say, “Go to hell.

How could you blame me for what I’ve done?

If you’d lived my life you would understand.

For some people, dreams are better than reality.”

 

I met others who had my problem,

who had scars of their own

and were outcasts of society for different reasons.

Some cut their arms, some were loved too much by their parents.

There was even one a boy who wanted to be 6 feet under.

 

Even though they opened their arms to me,

I pushed them away.

My anger made me numb from the heart down.

I was the boy with a permanent frown.

 

But something happened one night.

Somebody got their wish.

That boy was going 6 feet under

because he purposely drowned in his toilet.

 

When I saw him covered in sheets,

I realized where my anger was going to take me.

So, I decided that it was time for me to go home.

I told the doctor everything he wanted to know.

I met the requirements and became healthy again.

 

After months of treatment,

I was allowed to live again.

I moved away from my demons and my torture.

I now have a new home and a new closet.

 

But I don’t use it.

I put all my clothes in drawers

and boxes in the garage.

Now, I feel the warmth of a real sun

and the smooth breeze on my face.

 

I still have my anger,

but I keep it under control.

I have friends now and a girlfriend.

Will it last? I really don’t know.

 

But when I wake up in the morning

and I look at my life today,

I can actually see that my prayer was answered.

I am free from my torment and my closet.

I have been granted my mercy.

Sample from my eBook Madness In A Recession. If you love poetry then please give my work a chance. Thank you and until the next is written.

Knights of Columbus

     A relative of mine joined an organization a while ago that has changed his life and shared it with me. The organization is called the Knights of Columbus, a religious Catholic group that goes around and does good will for others. The organization was founded in 1882 when it was founded in Connecticut as a fraternal benefit society. The main purpose of the organization is to offer aid to those in need and their families. It has grown from a few people to over 1.8 million people and it's run by numerous councils in various countries like the US, Canada, Mexico and several others.
    The Knights of Columbus have been there to help people suffering from acts of domestic violence to natural disasters. Every year they donate millions of dollars to various charities and give hundreds of hours to community service. Trying to make the world a better place, the Knights of Columbus are out there giving what they can to people who only have a little. For anyone whom may be interested, they have a twitter account and web page. If anyone knows of anyone that has free time and wants to make a difference then I highly recommend that you look them up.
     The opportunity to become a knight is very simple but there are requirements that must be met in order to qualify. This is a Catholic organization so yes you must be a practicing Catholic if you want to join the organization. The way you can contact them is through their website and it will have all the contact information you need.
     It's made a big difference in my relative's life and I know that if you're looking for something good to do and get you out of the house then this is your organization. He works with a wonderful group of people with fascinating stories and have a history of blessed memories. He's hoping to inspire others to do the same good so they too can have blessed memories. I write this blog tonight to send the message and help out because these are good people and the world needs more like them. 

WWE Network Launching 2/24/2014

     Tonight World Wrestling Entertainment has made the biggest announcement to wrestling fans since the purchase of World Championship Wrestling by WWE. The WWE has announced tonight the launch of it's own network, "WWE Network." Armed with a sharp new logo and over 100,000 hours of footage to deliver, the network is aiming to be a monumental achievement. For $9.99 a month, wrestling fans will have access to endless hours of classic footage from every era in history. Whether you're a fan of Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin or John Cena, there is always something for anyone whose a fan of wrestling.
     Along with the hours of archive footage, the WWE Network is ready to go with 4 original shows known as Countdown, Monday Night War, Legends House, and WrestleMania Rewind. Countdown is basically a show where fans will get a chance to vote on the top ten of whatever the topic is. Monday Night War is a show that will capture the moments during the ratings war between WWE and WCW at the time until WCW's eventual purchase by WWE owner Vince McMahon. WrestleMania Rewind will focus on the must see WrestleMania moments that created careers and was the ending of legends. The most anticipated is the new reality show that is called Legends House.
     This show will take place in a house full of WWE legends such as "Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, Roddy Piper, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and more as they live in this one space. The trailer showed amusing few moments such as the guys goofing around and having some good time but there were moments of drama. It looks to be a show anyone whose watched wrestling for years would enjoy. The network will also give fans a chance to watch exclusive pre show matches before popular shows Raw and Smackdown start.
     For anyone like me who doesn't have time to watch all of WWE programing, the network will also give you the chance to catch up whether it's Raw, Smackdown and even NXT or WWE Superstars. I work a full time job while trying to become a successful writer so I don't have time to catch everything so for people like me, this is an advantage. I've been a big fan since WrestleMania 7 when I saw the Legion of Doom a.k.a The Road Warriors beat Demolition for the WWE Tag Team titles. Speaking of WrestleMania, the best feature I found is this one.
     While having a subscription gives you access to this, to me the biggest draw in gives subscribers the opportunity to watch WWE live Pay Per Views such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam at no extra cost. The average pay per views cost $50 to $75 depending on the event but all together annually you would spend over $600 buying every pay per view.  With the subscription you're getting ever single pay per view for only $120 plus more considering taxes, you don't need to do math to know that's a lot of savings.
     The WWE has an overwhelming following and judging by all these features, I have no doubt that this will succeed. This announcement appeals to everyone who misses the good old days of wrestling and I miss the attitude era but it also appeals to today's wrestling fans as well. People will pay when this network goes online whether it's for themselves or their kids that are WWE fans. If I'm able to then I'm pretty sure I will be taking part in this advantage because it can be seen on multiple devices and with HD signals. I will wait however to see people's general reaction plus I'm one of those people that likes to wait and see if there are any bugs at first but all things considering, great job WWE.

Synopsis for my EBook, "Confessions of a Vampire"

A famous killer returns on Halloween night but this time the only life he wants to take is his own. The problem with his ambition is that his religious views are in the way of his plan coming to fruition. The killer has a deep religious belief that he needs forgiveness in order to enter Heaven, not because he is a killer, but a vampire as well. A curse that was forced upon him when he was human and made him go into hiding. Now after a century of torment, he has decided to call it quits but not before achieving absolution.

An unlucky priest finds himself meeting the most evil creature he will ever come across as he is forced to listen to his confession. He will listen as this villain reveals intimate details that no history book could’ve ever known about. He will hear his sins and then decide whether he can forgive this man for the evil he has done and the evil he is. Will he help this killer achieve his goals or be victim to a monster’s rage? Will the killer’s belief pay off or is his madness blinding him to the fact that he is beyond redemption.

This is a dark tale not meant for anyone young so buy at your own risk. If you’re a fan of horror or vampires, this EBook is for you. I hope you deeply enjoy this and after you’re done, take a look at my other works. Until the next is written. 

Synopsis for my EBook "Madness In a Recession" available on Amazon

    My name is Anthony Labson and this is my first publication and it's mostly based on specific events in my life. This poetry book is also about the people I've met during one of the toughest times in my lifetime and the struggles they have gone through. Growing up wasn't easy for me so over the years I wrote these poems as a vent for my emotions and those emotions are in this piece. For anyone that's ever felt like an outcast, lost their faith, or just hated life in general, this EBook is for you. My hope is when you read this EBook, you know that you are not alone and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

    Why do I believe that this book is worth your purchase? All of these poems don’t just reflect me or one person but reflect specific issues that are universal. This isn't just a book of words coming together to fill a page. It's a book containing vast emotions experienced by several people who have experienced the recession in their own way. Some of these poems will make you laugh, some will make you cry, and some will even terrify you.

    By the end of this EBook however, you will fall in love with one or more of these poems. It's my most sincere wish that you enjoy this and hopefully help me start and continue my career with writing. Thank you for your time and hopefully your purchase. Please be kind and share this with others so those still in the darkness can hopefully find a light. Until the next is written, enjoy and thank you again.