BotCon 2009 = Boring 2009?

Color me underwhelmed with this year's BotCon.

Maybe I'm spoiled. Maybe the last 8 shows I've gone to have just been awesome because the convention was growing each year, getting more and more popular, and the toys that were coming out were cooler and cooler. Nothing can beat 2007 ... but can you expect anything to? We had a movie premiere, we had more people from TFW there than any other year, and we got to literally pee in Hasbro's toilets.

This year the only thing we know for sure is that we're getting a ton of Cybertron repaints in the box set (and an Energon repaint or two), that Stan Bush is going to perform another concert of his "it was cool the first 150 times I heard it as a child but 25 years later I'm just not feeling it" infamous song listings from the original animated Transformers movie, and a tour of Paramount's studios where I'm sure for some it'll be awesome but for me it'll be ehhh.

No movie premiere. No awards dinner, that I can see, because it's part of the Paramount tour. And to top it off it's in one of the most expensive places to live. I think I'm still paying off part of my trip to Pasadena back in 2004 when I worked the show for the Hartmans during the dark ages (aka OTFCC).

Scourge is neat looking, and the inevitable Sweeps repaint(s) will probably be cool, but that's really about it. How Cybertron Defense Scattorshot's mold is not in pieces in some small Asian kid's lunchbox is beyond me. They've only used that mold a total of 432 times if I recall correctly.

As I said on my Twitter ... perhaps I'm just a bitter old man. But this isn't the BotCon I remember!

I don't understand TEH INTRANETZ

So today a friendship ended with a female that I have known only for about a year. Why did our friendship end? Because I laughed at the fact she's decided she's going to marry a boy that she has in fact never even had a chance to meet. That's right -- friendships with people that can see you everyday are not as important as a relationship with someone on the Internet.

L-O-FUCKING-L.

Now, do not get me wrong. I believe it is ENTIRELY possible to meet someone online and create a long-lasting friendship. Shit, I am more or less proof of that, considering some of the best people I have ever had a chance to meet are people I have spoken to for days online with over the last few years. Drew Eiden, my heterosexual lifemate, is someone I grew to knew thanks to the Internets (and a lot of alcohol in Rhode Island).

But I think it is childish, silly, and actually really pathetic to determine that your soulmate is someone that you've never touched, never kissed, and never even seen move in fluid motion other than a grainy webcam. I believe you can start talking to someone online, meet them, and create a relationship that way. But I don't believe you can plan a wedding date with someone you've never spoken to face to face.

Why can't kids just go back to playing violent video games and smoking cigarettes? Either I lived an incredibly sheltered life back in the 80's and early 90's, or times have changed so much that the next generation is going to destroy the world because they're going to be so fucking high on whatever household cleaner they've managed to get their hands on.

Oi vey.

Animated Shockwave is plastic sex

Once upon a time, during the Christmas of 2008, I found myself the Animated Shockwave toy at my local WalMart store. I was so excited. I was also so broke. So I passed on him. Fast forward nearly four months and, in my reluctance at ever finding the original release, I had given up and was just going to buy the Target exclusive purple repaint.

But alas! Sitting in the toy aisle at an over-priced $21.98 was Shockwave! So I passed on the purple ... although I'm probably going back to get him tomorrow with Mindy when she comes up to get whatever plastic/vinyl she needs for her costume. At least that way I'll have an Activator toy that I'll actually open as opposed to the one that was in my care package from way back in like ... October.

This toy is fucking amazing.

Yes, he doesn't quite stand 100% perfect. But hey, neither do I (thank you, genetics!). I just love the quadruple-changer effect he has, even if you're just rotating a leg, pulling out some claws, and pulling out the legs. It's simple and fun ... but the tank mode is a pain in my ass and thus he remains forever in robot mode. Or should I say "modes" ... ha ha. I think I love this over priced toy so much because of the fact the character in the show is so likable (I like villains, they're more fun to write/act/watch).

I'm also a huge fan of this "silver Autobot logo, gold Decepticon logo" idea that someone came up with. Such a nice change from the traditional red and purple.

If you can't find the original release, do yourself a favor and pick up the Target exclusive release. You'll still enjoy the fact that you have an awesome toy with great homage to the original. Kudos to Eric and Derrick for an awesome design on this thing.

I am now off to pick up Leslie from her job (because her car sucks) and then spend the evening with the group watching Ghost Hunters. Hooray! New Seasons rock.

Welcome to my own personal ranting page

Some of you know me as the lovable, or not so lovable, "Kickback" from TFW2005.COM. Some of you know me as Chris, that really loud drunken idiot at various BotCon conventions over the last 8 years. And some of you have no idea who the hell I am.

And I'm okay with that!

Since my mouth is usually on "mute" from the things I really want to say while posting officially on TFW2005, since I'm an Administrator and all, this blog now works as my secondary source of ranting and bitching where I can stop censoring myself. I'm actually quite excited to be able to bitch and complain at the top of my lungs now about things that are really stupid.

So sit back, grab a beer, and enjoy the rants!