"Me Grimlock no bozo, me king!"

**Edited and touched up for your reading pleasure**


Scott wrote a little preview of what was to come in a future entry. Said preview stirred up many fond memories and re-awakened my inner child. "Re-awakened" isn't the most accurate term. The kid was really only about 10 minutes into his afternoon nap.

In the comments section I listed off a few of my most favorite things, everything from the Sit & Spin to Lite Brite. The 80's had the best toys and cartoons. Stuff that makes the ones we have now look like shit. To me anyways. But of all that the 80's offered, there was nothing that could compare to the Transformers. When I think of my childhood, I think of Transformers. The cartoon. The movie. The toys!! Hell, even the toothpaste, toothbrush, and everything else they could slap the name on. I had it all.

That was my childhood in its simplest representation. Big ass robots that could turn into other cool shit. In fact, that should be one of the definitions of a Transformer:

Main Entry: trans-form-er
Pronunciation: tran(t)s-‘for-m&r
Function: noun
1. one that transforms; specifically : a device employing the principle of mutual induction to convert variations of current in a primary circuit into variations of voltage and current in a secondary circuit
2. Big ass robots that could turn into other cool shit. (see picture)


















Over the years there have been many Transformers: Generation 1, Generation 2, Beast Wars, Machine Wars, Beast Machines, Transformers Energon, Transformers Armada, and on and on. But for me, Generation 1 was the best. The standard for everything. And of those first Autobots and Decepticons, I had a favorite. My "one and only" if you will. I liked many, but loved one.

Grimlock.

Who didn't love the "King of the Dinobots"? Seriously, who? Tell me and I'm whippin' that ass. Or at least giving them the finger.

Hell, I even named my new car after the big, lovable bozo, I mean King.

With all my passion for the King, you'd think I still had one to play with and another stashed away somewhere for safe keeping. But I don't. I have no friggin' idea where mine went. I think he was a casualty in the great "Toy Holocaust" of '88 that was carried out by my mother. (I apologize if I offend anyone with the use of the phrase "Toy Holocaust"; and vehemently defend my stance that it did indeed happen, despite my mother's claim that the event never took place.) But I am trying to rectify that situation.

OK, in trying to acquire some new pieces of my childhood, I figure there are 3 ways to go about it: Ebay, an actual store, or maybe a comics convention. And anyone who knows me knows that I'll have to buy 2 if possible because I prefer even numbers to odds. That's really just the OCD kicking in. So when I buy toys, I generally like to buy 2 if I can. That way there's 1 to play with and 1 to keep in its packaging. Like the world will end and the most valuable form of currency will be a "Mint In Box" transformable Wolverine, who transforms from the scrappy, feral mutant into a wolf. (Yes they did have these, and you didn't think I'd buy it? You fool.) Anyways, so I'm looking for 2 Grimlocks. In 2005. So you can imagine trying to find this toy from 1985 is not an easy task.

My first and best option is Ebay. And the quality Grimlock figures run around $165. Yeah, an action figure is $165. Pirates and bandits have moved from the high seas and highways to the Internet. Selling toys to dumbasses like me for excessive amounts. By the way, did I mention that I hate Ebay? I hate haggling or waiting to see if I'm outbid (which I have been on everything I've ever tried to get from Ebay), so Ebay is getting moved down the list for now.

Next, we try the actual stores. Maybe the toy aisle in Wal-Mart or Target. Or maybe the specialty stores like a Toys R Us. It's pretty doubtful that I'm gonna find a toy from 1985 hanging in the back of a row of other toys, like some long-forgotten treasure that noone else notices but me. So I'm just hoping they'll do a re-release of Grimlock like they did for Optimus Prime a little while back.











No such luck. In fact, I get pissed even more. What do I see in the stores now? The bastard sons of some meth-head advertising exec. They went and defiled my favorite Transformer.

Grimlock:













NOT Grimlock:












SURE AS FUCK NOT Grimlock:













So that's a swing and a miss for the stores.

Moving on to comics conventions. I missed out on Comic-Con this year (as well as years past and probably future). However, there is still Dragon-Con in Atlanta in September. But, I'll probably have something come up to prevent me from going as usual. But I'm still holding on to some hope that I'll be able to go this year with the Icon. For those who don't know, Cons (short for "convention") are excellent places to pick up anything that has to do with comics, cartoons, sci-fi, etc... So it stands to reason I may be able to pick up a Grimlock and a hefty price while I'm there. If I can make it. That's a big "if".

So. It looks as though I may have to cowboy up and really hit Ebay and try to procure a decent Grimlock. That, or wish upon a star that someone will get me one for my birthday (Sept. 3rd). *Hint hint* *Wink wink* *Nudge nudge* No? Dang. Thanks anyways.


D
(Hoping that a certain Autobot makes an appearance in the upcoming live-action Transformers movie.)

Who do you want to be today? Who do you want to be?

Just re-visiting an old post, but did anyone create their own little country? Just curious.




Winston Churchill? Dr. Doom?

Wanna find out how you would actually run the country if you were in charge? Finally be able to back up the shit you've been talking for years?

Run the country as a perfectly democratic utopia? Or would you rather just seize control and rule with an iron fist?

Well wander on over to Jennifer Government: NationStates and see what it takes to run your own country.

The site describes the sim as:
"Jennifer Government: NationStates is a nation simulation game. You create your own country, fashioned after your own ideals, and care for its people. Either that or you deliberately torture them. It's really up to you."

Of course, the hardest part of running a government is creating the damned name. After that, just choose sides on issues and watch your people and country prosper and grow... or cower in fear and serve your unbending will.

Have at it. It'd kinda be fun to have everyone start a nation and start our own region. "The Region of Blog".

D

Change Is Inevitable, Except From A Vending Machine

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." - Anatole France.

Ok, it's not that serious. You may have noticed a new addition to the blog. Or probably not. It's over there on the right. Your other right. Down. A little more. There.

Welcome to the "Geek Zone". Well that's the working name until I can think of a better one. Basically, I'm assimilating my other blog into this one. Slowly. Painfully slowly. Like a "special" kid learning quantum physics kind of slow. And I started with what I thought was going to be a simple cut and paste "operation". But I had a bleeder on my hands. I mean I nicked an artery, cut open the intestine and left the scalpel in there after sowing it up. Turns out, not so simple. All is said and done now and the patient is in recovery, but still not exactly the way I would like. But good enough for some out-patient therapy.

Next, I'll be adding the choicest of blog additions from the Longbox over here, and I may place them in the archives or something. It'll be like hunting Easter eggs! Badly written and totally up nobody's alley Easter eggs, but eggs none the less damnit!

Soooooooooo. I got that goin' for me.

D

My actions are not vengeance. No, not vengeance. Punishment.

You should have to have a license to own a pet. Period. And the fee to obtain that license should be a hefty one at that. Period period.

I just spent about 10-12 minutes helping my new neighbor's puppy (a white German Shepherd to boot, so you know I love her already) get re-hydrated and cooled down. He apparently leaves her outside (I have no idea for how long, it could just be for not too long) on a line that's staked in the ground. She does have a dog house with a small bowl for food and water. And that's about it.

It's fucking 90-something degrees and 1000% humidity and she has her line all caught up and wrapped up in some tennis shoes that he may or may not have left out there for her to "play" with. She's so caught up that she can't even get back into her dog house. Which has no more water in it by the way. So as I stand there sweating buckets (and I'm not wearing a fur coat) trying to untangle it, I decide I need scissors. So I go get them, come back, cut the laces and untangle her. I also go get more cold water from the fridge to give her. As I pet her and start to leave she runs after me until her line catches her and she can't go farther. I tell her to go back in her doghouse and that I'd see her later. Then I go back and give Brody a huge hug, some more cold water and make sure that everything is set up for him INSIDE MY APARTMENT before I leave.

I always feel like I'm being the worst parent (yes I'm one of those people) by leaving him inside with the temp around 80 and for about 4-5 hours at a time. But I leave both sets of blinds up, the radio on, plenty of water and some stuff on the floor for him to play with/chew up. I actually feel worse when I see something like what happened to poor, little Kennedy (soooo cute) because I have to leave Brody again instead of staying home to play with him.

Sorry, back to my initial statement. You should have to pay a substantial fee (that would show you are financially stable enough to support said pet) AND pass a written and oral exam as well. With possible home inspections to follow.

I thought about joining the SPCA or becoming an Animal Cop like on Animal Planet, but I'd really end up being The Punisher or The Spectre ( the wrath of God, for the short version) of Animal Police: dishing out the deserved punishment to those who were cruel to animals. It would NOT be pretty.

OK. I'm done for now. I may get all fired up again about it later and add something, but that's that for now.

D