Personal Belief

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.