Happy 20th Anniversary to a Forgotten Blog

Remember how, in my last post, I said I was trying to think of things to post about? That was seven and a half years ago. Time flies, doesn't it?

First things first, I don't want people to see this post and think that I'll be posting here on a regular basis again. I don't see that happening, so please don't get your hopes up if you're one of the three people that knows this blog exists. I'm mainly posting this for one reason: to mark the twentieth anniversary of this very blog.

Twenty years. Wow. When I started scribbling down some goofy notes on what started out as a crappy page on Tripod.com back in 2001, I didn't expect it to last one year, let alone many. And while I haven't posted anything since 2014, and I haven't even visited here in quite a long while, I still have kind of a soft spot in my heart for this place. It was somewhere for me to go and put my thoughts together in a place that felt comfortable. It was somewhere for me to try being creative, to experiment with writing at a time when the friends I had online were doing something similar.

But after a while, I felt like I'd run out of things to say. It's not like nothing was happening in my life, but I didn't really have the enthusiasm for blogging that I had forever ago. It stopped being something I enjoyed doing, and became something to do because I'd always done it. That's the same reason why my output over at my movie review blog kinda tapered off after a while. After so long, I was simply burned out. Throw in life getting in the way, and the whole thing just wasn't as fun as it used to be anymore.

I do look back on this blog with fondness, though. And that's why I had to be here to mark its twentieth birthday. It's been a long, long road between where I was then as a dorky teenager on a beaten-up Gateway PC in a college dorm room in Campbellsville, Kentucky, to where I am now, as a dorky adult on a beaten up HP laptop. But it's been a fun ride, and I'll never say no to a little fun.

This Post Is Filler

I'm not going to lie, it's rough for me to keep this blog going sometimes. I's primarily due to the fact that I can never think of anything to talk about. At least, nothing that can't be summed up in 140 characters on my Twitter feed. I know I've mentioned my lack of creativity multiple times in the past, to the point that my handful of regular readers are probably sick of hearing about it, but it's true. The days of me coming up with a ton of cool stuff to post here on a weekly basis were nearly a decade ago. Or at least it feels that long, anyway.

But I don't want to close this blog's doors, regardless of how little use it may get. It's just a matter of coming up with something, anything to put here. I've been looking back on some of my older stuff and found my recaps of Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, Stan Lee's old superhero reality show on what was then the Sci-Fi Channel back in 2006 and 2007. I've actually been thinking of doing something similar to that again, only this time focusing on the show Legends House on the WWE Network. I could probably get a little mileage out of that show even though it's already a few episodes deep, right? I don't know why not. All I'd have to do is get off my lazy butt and do it...

...This may be tougher than it seems.

Con Fever Strikes Again

Once again the time of year has arrived for comic, science fiction, and horror conventions to start cropping up. I mention this because this past weekend saw the third annual Lexington Comic and Toy Convention in beautiful downtown Lexington, Kentucky. This time expanded to three days with twice the floor space, and with Lou Ferrigno and William Shatner, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols from Star Trek among others in attendance as guests, it was guaranteed to be a bigger experience than the past two years.

And that honestly isn't too far from the truth. It really felt like there was more to do, to see, to be a part of this year. That's a big reason why I enjoy the Lexington Comic Con and conventions in general. There's always so much to experience that one is really missing out on a real adventure if they don't go.

That's not just for the whole "meeting celebrities" thing either. That's a sizable part of it, don't get me wrong. You've got people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds roaming around, some of them in the coolest costumes you'll ever see, all exhibits and vendors peddling wares that you might not ever get a chance to find elsewhere, and a general overall feeling atmosphere that this is where the cool kids hang out.

I don't attend a lot of conventions, unfortunately. Financial and travel constraints often get in the way. The only other one I've got lined up this year is the Scarefest horror con in September. But I think since I only go to two or three a year, they mean more. I've got a lot of memories from the one I just attended that I'll cherish for a long time. (Meeting Carlos Alazraqui and hearing him do the voices of the Taco Bell chihuahua and Rocko from Rocko's Modern Life for much of our conversation was the best part of the whole weekend for me.) And honestly, I can't wait until next year.

Who Are We Gonna Call Now?

It's been a few days since Harold Ramis sadly passed away. While I didn't know him personally and he didn't even know I existed, he still made a huge impact in the lives of many, myself included. And while others have created far more eloquent, touching tributes to eulogize him, I wanted to take the opportunity to pay my respects as well.

While I and many others will forever recognize him as Egon Spengler from Ghostbusters, his work with other movies should not be ignored. Ramis wrote, directed, and appeared in so many classic comedies that laughter probably wouldn't sound the same if he hadn't. If you loved movies like Stripes, Meatballs, Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, or Groundhog's Day, you have Ramis to thank in part. (That doesn't forgive him for Year One, but that's neither here nor there.) Ramis gave fans of comedy so much, even as far back as his SCTV days, and the pain of his absence is lessened by all the wonderful things he left behind. He may no longer be here physically, but as long as we have his body of work, Harold Ramis will never truly be gone.

Rest in peace, Mr. Ramis. You've earned it.

Happy New Year!

So it's that time of year again, where we say goodbye to the year that was and welcome the new one. And with 2013 now out of the way, I'm looking forward to seeing where 2014 will take us. So I hope you all have a safe and happy new year and enjoy yourselves, okay?