WORD OF THE DAY! 1/19/13.

earn [urn]
verb

1. To gain or get in return for one's labor or service.

2. To merit as compensation, as for service; to deserve.

3. To acquire through merit.

4. To gain as due return or profit.

EX. I think that this little comic is pretty interesting bit of commentary on the difference between core and hardcore gaming; for one, it would be easy for some to jump to the conclusion that the comic is simply critical of "hardcore" gaming, which appears to involve a lot more violence, in comparison to the the "casual" experience, in which "fun" (and all that "fun" entails) is handed to the gamer on a silver platter. But, that would be just the shallowest gleaning of the comic, that I made the first time I saw it.

The comic is actually a decent definition of the difference between these two types of gaming; casual gaming is defined by how easy it is to enjoy. You start the game, play it until you're done having fun, and that's the experience. It is fine, but not fantastic. Hardcore gaming, on the other hand, is not as easy to enjoy. Sometimes you have to fight past something frustrating or stressful, overcoming an obstacle of some sort, to get to the best part of the experience. And because that experienced feels earned, it is more enjoyable and the impact has a longer lasting effect.

To simplify the difference: I love Tetris. But Tetris doesn't give me confidence or change my philosophy. It helps my critical thinking and distracts me, kills time, when I play it. Mass Effect 3 on Insanity isn't always fun. It can be really hard. It can be frustrating. It can even make you curse as your character is beaten to death by a little bug. But when you work hard, when you earn your way to the next checkpoint, and when you complete the story, that satisfaction can last a lifetime.

P.S. Because this is probably just a way for me to fill three paragraphs and doesn't go into enough depth to satisfy my more discerning readers, um... rainbows will defeat the Reapers!

WORD OF THE DAY! 1/18/13.

headbob/headbop [hed-bawb/hed-bawp]
verb
1. To bob or bop one's head to the music.

EX. I dunno what's better in this picture-- the fact that this individual owns four pugs and had the wherewithal to dress them up as the Marvel's ultimate team of heroes or the fact that they're headbobbing to the themesong of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

WORD OF THE DAY! 1/17/13.

audiovisual [aw-dee-oh-viz-yoo-uhl]
adjective
1. of, pertaining to, involving, or directed at both sight and hearing or visuals and sound.

EX. I like the idea of the audiovisual theme for Pokemon X & Y, since the games represent a technological and design leap forward onto the 3DS, and find some credence in some of the ideas presented. I don't think Xerneas, the fellow on the left, is necessarily going to be a new type (I imagine they'd make him Dark/Flying?), but I do find the idea of Yveltal being Light type, a type that fans have been waiting for since Dark type was introduced in 2nd Generation, would be a welcome addition and might help stir up the competitive scene a little.

MIXED BAG. PODCAST #5 EVIL DEAD LOCALIZED GEORGE LUCAS!

And this one's a little late, but later is better than never-- its the fifth Mixed Bag. Podcast that we recorded last year with my co-host Zach Martin (check out his blog by following him HERE) and a guest, Jonathan Swann.

For those of you out of the loop, the subjects covered in the podcast are just like those covered in my blog; from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to 2001: A Space Odyssey, we'll cover films, television, video games and anything else that falls under our nerdy radar.

Check it out below:

This week's Mixed Bag podcast begins with our take on the Redband Trailer for the new Evil Dead remake, followed up by a pretty fun conversation on the localization of anime, before ending on the the contentious and "for serious" breakdown on our feelings over Disney acquiring Lucas films back in November. Expect a Small Talk podcast on the Hobbit Trailer soon as well as two other Small Talks (one on the Hobbit film and the other on Django Unchained).

WTF WED! HOARDERS: POKEMON EDITION!

WTF WEDNESDAY PRESENTS

HOARDERS: POKEMON EDITION!

Well kiddies, its that time of the week again and I've got an extra twisted bit of painful for you in the form of this f'd up animation from 00mosama00 about the horrors of Pokemon hoarding-- funnily enough I had a thought about this the other day.

Pokemon, originally, expected you to capture 150 Pokemon. As of today, to be a Pokemon Master, you have to capture 649 (with more to come in 9 months). The problem is that, if you actually put the Pokemon world into any sort of reality, trying to capture and own 150 Pokemon is not only difficult but dangerous! Its easy to think of Professor Oak taking care of all your Pokemon you left with him (since you can only carry 6 Pokemon), but let's actually consider the logistical problems that might actually help explain why Ash Ketchum hasn't caught that many Pokemon in the last 15 years or so.

First, let's start off with the fact you can only carry 6 Pokemon. I'm sure you've wished, at some point, that you could carry more. Now, imagine if you will, that you owned 6 dogs and had to care for them/show them attention every day. Now give them super powers and make them somewhere between the intelligence of an animal and a human (more or less in some circumstances). That's a pretty tall order on its own. You'd certainly develop a strong bond with those Pokemon, as you would with pets and friends, and would have difficulty sending them off to a Professor. Even if you could, let's think about the problems with that scenario.

In the Pokemon anime, Ash Ketchum sends most of his Pokemon (those that aren't with him or released) to Professor Oak. Gary, Ash's rival, does the same thing when he is starting out and it can be assumed that most trainers have to send their Pokemon somewhere. But the logistics of Professor Oak, and perhaps some staff, taking care of hundreds of Pokemon is kind of hard to accept. The problem becomes even more difficult when you consider there are supposed to be hundreds, nay thousands (and in fact are millions in our world) of Pokemon trainers that would need a similar service rendered to their Pokemon.

The only other solution is that they have to be stored in the PC, digitally. But it can't be ethical to just leave them in a PC box, in digital form, for months or years on end. Oh wait. *looks at pile of old Pokemon cartridges*

WORD OF THE DAY! 1/16/13.

gainfully [geyn-fuhl-ee]
noun
1. Profitable, lucrative.

EX. He's gainfully employed, got a new ten-speed bike, and Kimberly didn't block his new phone number-- looks like everything's coming up Goldar!

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! 1/5-1/13/13.

WTF WEDNESDAY PRESENTS

POKEMON... IN 3D WEEK!

7. WORD OF THE DAY. 1/10/13. Pizza.

This one was kind of funny because I made the mistake of calling Master Splinter "Shredder". I reckon its probably a pretty common slip-up...at least for me because I know I've done it several times.

6. WTF WED! TRUNKS & CHARLIE THE UNICORN GO TO TOKYO JONGLE!

POMERANIANS!

5. WORD OF THE DAY! 1/13/13. O.P.

I really hope that the new Superman film, Man of Steel, is good. For posterity, I'm going to write a note here about the ridiculous rumor that got overturned yesterday about Zack Snyder was gonna make a Seven Samurai Star Wars movie.

4. NERD CULTURE SMACKDOWN: POKEMONS OF THE WEEK #1

I'll be posting new Pokemons of the week every Saturday!

3. WORD OF THE DAY! 1/9/13. Coincidence.

I think these new Starters for Gen VI are starting to grow on me. My personal favorite is still Froakie, but I'll wait until the final evolutions show up to make my choice.

2. WORD OF THE DAY! 1/13/13. Cornucopia.

On the left we got the official art pic of the new legendary Yveltal. It's been a big Poke'week on the blog and the biggest announcement was....

1. NERD CULTURE SMACKDOWN: NEW POKEMON X & Y VERSIONS ANNOUNCED ON THE 3DS!

On the right, we got Xerneas, the other box art legendary for  POKEMON X & Y! To say I'm excited about this 3DS release at the end of the year is an understatement. I plan to update my blog with new pokemons as they're spoiled by Nintendo, so keep checking the old blog out and lemme know what you think. Let's make 2013, the "Year of Pokemon!"

WORD OF THE DAY! 1/15/13.

handicraft [han-dee-kraft]
noun
1. An art, trade, or craft in which the skilled use of hands is required.

EX. As a fan of handicrafts, I admire the level of creativity and nerditude that it takes to make any article of clothing, much less an outfit, from Magic the Gathering cards.

For another example of my own handicrafts, here are some images of the custom Christmas Magic the Gathering cards I made for my friends this year:

MUSICAL MON! JONTRON'S RAP PITCH?

MUSICAL MONDAY PRESENTS

GAME GRUMPS ANIMATED- THE JONTRON RAP!

As you guys have probably guessed, I've gone gaga for Game Grumps, and its clear that their other fans have too. Show me another group of fans that is this dedicated to making animated content about their selected thing? There are more MLP fans and they're creative, but the fans of Game Grumps are pretty much expected to make an animation of every classic moment of this web show that posts new content.... every day.

GAME GRUMPS ANIMATED- RAP PITCH!

Today, I've got two animations of the SAME JOKE. You can decide which you like better, but I really recommend adding some Game Grumps to your daily diet. You'll prolly thank me. Or not.

WORD OF THE DAY! 1/14/13.

violence [vahy-uh-lens]
noun

1. Swift and intense force.

2. Rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment.

3. An unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights or laws.

4. A violent act or proceeding.

5. Rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language. 
6. Damage through distortion or unwarranted alteration.

EX. "Violence- the cause or solution to all of life's problems." -Mr. Rogers or Gandhi... I don't remember.

WORD OF THE DAY! 1/13/13.

cornucopia [kor-nuh-koh-pee-uh]
noun

1. Classical Mythology. A horn containing food, drink, etc., in endless supply, said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea.

2. a representation of this horn, used as a symbol of abundance.

3. An abundant, overflowing supply.

4. A horn-shaped or conical receptacle or ornament.

EX. I was wondering on Saturday morning, as I wrote my first Pokemons of the Week article, whether or not I would ever want to see a limit or an end to the number of Pokemon. I thought, for a moment, it might be interesting if they stopped at #999. Then, I imagined the development team having trouble deciding which of their designs got to be in the final allotment of Pokemon. It reminded me that they have held Pokemon back in development for years. For example, in the latest Did You Know- Pokemon Part 3 video narrated by Egoraptor, Shellos and Sheldon were held back from third generation before being introduced in Diamond and Pearl. If they had stopped at the 3rd Generation, I would've missed out on lots of great Pokemons.

That's when I realized that there is an endless cornucopia of ideas out there for Pokemon and a never ending variety of designs and styles that haven't been applied. Heck, just check out fanart of the Pokemon to see how each Pokemon can be interpreted in different ways. Now, think about how every time they release more Pokemon, the 90's kids out there whine about how these new Pokemon "don't look like Pokemon." Do you know what defines Pokemon for me? They're based on an animal, object, or image and combined with various elements to fit the basic rules of what a Pokemon can and can't do. That's really the only rule.

Each generation of Pokemon is different and each generation of the Pokemon brings new Pokemons for us all to become obsessed over. And that's why I have optimism about Gen VI.

HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA