richcsigs

[richcsigs]

Things learned today...

It's hard to head bang and edit pictures for eBay at the same time.

[richcsigs]

I am blessed.

Some of these people are family by blood. Some of these people are family by marriage. Some are family by choice. It's all family. It's all love. Yesterday we celebrated Aimee's graduation. It was a great day, filled with joy. Filled with laughter. Filled with love. I was reminded of just how incredibly blessed I truly am. Especially since it's so close to when I almost lost all of this last year. To all the family in this picture, and to all the family not... I truly love you all so much. Thank you.

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A great tribute to one of my favorite writers.

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I never considered "mermaids as other types of fish" before. If I ever run an RPG again, I'll probably incorporate this.

Mermay 2025 (11-20) by Christophe Young

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Well...

Lyra Valkeria makes her Wrestlemania 41 entrance.

Me: "Well, I have a new kink now..."

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Wrestlemania 41 Night Two predictions

√ Woman's World Championship Triple Threat Match: (c) Iyo Sky defeats Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. Iyo has been pretty much ignored by the other two competitors leading up to this match, which will continue during this match too. Iyo pins Rhea so the "Rhea can't beat Iyo" story can continue. Plus it also keeps the "Bianca has never been pinned or submitted at Wrestelmania" story going too.

√ Sin City Street Fight: Drew McIntyre defeats Damian Priest. The sad part is both of these guys desperately need a win. But I think Paul HHH has decided that Priest is not main event worthy and with this loss will be dropping back down to the mid card. If this match opens the night, then maybe Priest wins. But I don't think so.

√ Intercontinental Fatal Four-Way Match: Dominik Mysterio defeats (c) Bron Breaker, Penta & Finn Balor. It's time to move Dom up. He's still great on the mike and his in ring work has improved greatly. Either Dom pins Pinn Balor or Balor hits his move on Penta only for Dom to attack him and steal the pin. This leads to the break up of the Judgement Day and gets the title off of Bron without him losing so he can move up the card.

√ Randy Orton Open Challenge Match: Despite who his opponent is, Randy is taking the win here. The next PLE is taking place in St. Louis, Randy's hometown, so he'll be challenging the winner of Rhodes/Cena there. Rumor is his opponent will be the returning Rusev (thanks for the spoiler Big E) or maybe Solo Sikoa. I hope it's not Rusev. He should return on the RAM or SAM and certainly shouldn't take a loss in his return match.

√ Logan Paul defeats AJ Styles. Short and to the point, Logan hasn't won in quite a while and AJ, nearing the end of his career, can take the loss. My prediction for who's in the Prime bottle this year is Karrion Kross.

X Woman's World Tag Team Title Match: (c) Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez defeat Lyra Valkyria and a mystery partner (most likely Becky Lynch). I don't think Becky is coming back full time, which is why I'm picking the champs to retain. I suppose they could do a thing where Becky is just "filling in" for Bayley and then Bayley becomes the co-champion. But I think the champs win with Shenanigans which makes Aldis put the match on the SAM with a suddenly healed Bayley and they win them there.

√ Undisputed WWE Championship Match: John Cena beats (c) Cody Rhodes. This match will be loaded with shenanigans. But Cena winning is the much more interesting option. Then he takes on Randy at Backlash (in Randy's home town), then CM Punk at Money In The Bank (c'mon, this HAS to happen). I'll be honest, I have no idea what they'll do with Cody afterwords, but I'm intrigued to find out. Also, Cody got pretty boo'd on Smackdown by the Las Vegas crowd. Curious to see if that will continue tonight.

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I predicted that, but then gave up on it.

A month ago, this was exactly how I thought the Punk/Reigns/Rollins match would end. But then the whole "You owe me a favor" stuff started. And they were pushing this possiblility on the pre-show so hard, I thought for sure there was no way it would happen. And then Punk got a vdeo package AND a band playing him to the ring and I was sure his victory was a given.

Umm... Gotta take my first answer?

[richcsigs]

Wrestlemania 41 Night One Predictions

√ World Heavyweight Championship match: Jay Uso defeats (c) Gunther.

Jay is hot right now and Gunther needs to lose the title so he can lose to Goldberg in his retirement match. I don't think Jay will hold it for long though.

√ Jade Cargill defeats Naomi.

Naomi's promos have been awesome, but of all the matches on this card, this one's a no brainer.

√ World Tag Team Title Match: New Day defeat (c) War Raiders.

I love the idea of Big E coming along and costing the New Day the match. But honestly, New Day needs this win. Plus, they will be quite entertaining as the champs. Maybe Big E can cost them the titles at SummerSlam.

√ United States Championship: Jacob Fatu defeats (c) L.A. Knight.

Pretty much the other given on this card. It's Fatu's time.

X Rey Mysterio Rey Fenix defeats El Grande Americano.

WWE announced about an hour ago that they've bought the AAA promotion. Yeah... There's no way El Grande is winning.

√ WWE Women's Championship: (c)Tiffany Straton defeats Charlotte Flair.

This is the hardest one for me. I mean, it's Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania LOL. But I just have a feeling that WWE (Paul in particular) is just sick of her s**t. Plus, Tiffany is much more entertaining. So IMO, "It's Tiffy Time!"

X CM Punk defeats Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

You need to send the crowd home happy tonight (cuz SPOILERS it won't happen tomorrow), and of the 3, Punk is the one to pick. Hayman will slide a chair into the ring and it'll end up between Punk & Reigns and that will factor into the victory.

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Reading Pile Pt. 5

Astro City Volume 09: Through Open Doors One of my favorite series! I've loved it since it began in the '90s. This volume collects the 1st six issues from when the series moved from Image to DC/Vertigo. Contains what is probably my favorite Astro City story ("On The Sidelines"). Highly recommend. DC/Vertigo - Hardcover $24.99, Softcover $16.99

Booster Gold Volume 01: The Big Fall Collects the first 12 issues of the 1980s series. This was one of the first DC books I got into when I started collecting (mainly because it had just started) and I loved it then. Rereading it now... it's not that good. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. There a lot of great ideas in this series. It was one of the first comics to tackle the "super-hero as superstar" idea (in modern parlance, he'd probably be considered an influencer). But this is clearly a first effort by Dan Jurgans. There are hints of the writer he'll become though. Plus the art is good. DC Comics - Hardcover $39.99 (Out Of Print), Kindle $9.99

Jessica Jones: Pulse, The Complete* Collection When Alias (the comic) came to an end, Brian Bendis pretty much stated that he had told all of the stories he could under the Max label, mainly because there were characters Marvel wouldn't let him use in an "adult" book. The concept is, after having helped him find his adoptive daughter (during the Alias series), J. Jonah Jameson hires Jessica to be a consultant for a weekly supplement on super-heroes (called "The Pulse"). Since she's pregnant and needs the health insurance, she takes the job. * - While called "The Complete Collection", it is actually missing issue #10 which was a House Of M crossover issue and focused on Hawkeye and didn't have Jessica in it at all. It does include New Avengers (2005) Annual #1, the issue where Jessica & Luke get married. Marvel - Softcover $34.99 (Out of print), Kindle $8.99

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies: A Criminal Novelette I love the Brubaker/Phillips line of books ("Kill Or Be Killed" being my favorite), but this one didn't hit for me. Not bad, it just didn't grab me as their stories usually do. The story takes place in a rehab center. That is until Elle decides she's had enough of the place and convinces Skip to join her in escaping. The story then follows the two teens as they rob stores & fall in love. There is a nice twist ending though. Image - Hardcover $16.99, Softcover $12.99 (both out of print), Kindle $10.99

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The Reading Pile Pt. 4

Lazarus: The Complete Hardcover Collection Volumes 1, 2 & 3 In the not too distant future, the 18 richest families of the world get together and divide up the world. Governments soon fall, and these families become the leaders of the world. People are broken down into three classes. Family (those who rule), Serf (those who have been chosen by the family to serve the family) and Waste (those who have no association with the family). As you can guess, most belong to the 3rd class. Along with their fighting units, each family has a Lazarus; a warrior specifically designed to be the ultimate fighter. They are strong, cunning and hard to kill. For the family Carlyle, this is Forever, the youngest daughter of the family and the series protagonist. This series is, quite easily, my favorite book of the past 15 years. Writer Greg Rucka and artist Michael Lark really put their heart and soul into this series, which is evident if you get the hardcover collections with all the bonus "how we did it" material. Tons of research and discussion go into each issue. Rucka even went so far as to film himself and buddy for a fight scene that Lark could use for reference. Rucka originally said the story would take 125-150 issue to tell. Unfortunately, it looks like the series has died. The final volume (four) is due out in May, collecting the last 9 issues of the series to have come out, which finishes off the first major arc of the series. The last issue came out in 2022, literally one year after the previous issue, and that issue came out 8 months after the one before that. It's a shame, because it was a great book. Image Comics - 3 HC volumes (with the 4th due out in May) - Vol 1 $34.99, Vols 2 & 3 $39.99, Vol 4 $49.99. All still available. Also available in SC trades (with no behind the scenes items).

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The Reading Pile Pt. 3

I'm now working exclusively on the graphic novels, as that pile has gotten waaaaaay too big.

Quantum & Woody: The Complete Series Omnibus I absolutely loved this series when it originally came out. There really wasn't anything like it out there, certainly not from a major publisher (and yes, at that time, Valiant/Acclaim was a major publisher). The book features an Odd Couple-style duo of "super-heroes", forced to be together. Each wears a control band that must be clanked together every 24 hours or they will die. Hilarity ensues. While there is a ton of humor, mainly in the different dynamic of the two characters and a bunch of fourth-wall breaking (the best being the 3 pages in the beginning of issue #4 where Quantum & Woody complain about all the graphic violence the book can get away with, but can't use naughty words), it can not be classified as a humor book, as there is many serious and dramatic situations throughout. The book stars Quantum as the Felix Unger of the group. He takes super-heroing earnestly. He's orderly and meticulous and serious. Woody, the Oscar Madison type, is his complete opposite. He doesn't take the super-hero lifestyle very seriously (the best being his insistence on taking elevators rather that climbing up & down the outside of buildings), is a slob and does everything chaotically. One of dynamics of the team is that Quantum & Woody are childhood friends who both grew up in rich, suburban Connecticut. Which is an issue for Quantum, who is African-American. The series, written and drawn by Christopher Priest and Mark "M.D." Bright (both of whom are also African-American) doesn't shy away from this. The biggest problem with the series is that there is a lot of "jokes" based on Quantum & Woody not being a gay couple. While this was okay-ish in the '90s, in the 2020s, it's just uncomfortable. It worse when at one point Woody goes on a 2 page rant about how all villains are secretly "in the closet" (though Woody doesn't use any terms that would be considered PC). Despite this, the series is still worth the read and I highly recommend it. Just... be prepared for the cringe. Valiant - HC cover price, $99.99 (Out of print) - Kindle, free with a Kindle Unlimited membership.

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If a girl feels uncomfortable hanging out with you alone, and you get so offended by that, it makes you angry, she probably made the right choice.

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More from the Reading Pile

Fortunately The Milk A fun children's story that can be enjoyed by all ages. Skottie Young's art works perfectly with the wild story (a dad tells the story of why it took him so long to go buy a bottle of milk). It's written by Neil Gaiman, so decide for yourself if you want to support it (I had already purchased it before all the news broke). Harper Collins Children - HC $19.99, SC $9.99

Wrestling Unmasked: Ripping the Mask off the Crime, Politics and Intrigue Beyond The Ring A collection of various articles from the British Wrestletalk Magazine from the early 2020s. They are well written and dive into the ugly history of the industry. If you're a long time wrestling fan like me (since the mid '80s), you probably know most of these stories already. But the articles are well written and in some cases personal. Worth picking up, especially if you are recent fan to the squared circle. Wrestletalk.com - ebook £6.99, print SC £14.99, also available from Amazon

Snarf Quest: The Book A graphic novel of the first story line of Larry Elmore's "Snarf Quest" comic from the back of Dragon magazine of the 1980s. It's entertainingly silly and goofy and doesn't take it's self seriously at all (it features a time traveling wizard, a robot that crash lands in front of Snarf and a dragon that thinks it's a duck). Also, it's Larry Elmore, so all of the women are beautiful and scantly clad, but at least they don't fall into the "damsel in distress" trope. A fun read. If you can find it cheap, snap it up. TSR Inc - Cover Price $9.95 (out of print)

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Catching up on the reading pile

Since I'm stuck at home right now, I've made an effort to try to catch up on my reading pile.

Jack Reacher Book 1: The Killing Floor Being a big fan of the show, I decided to give the books a read. I have to say, I was disappointed. No Neagley and how stereo-typical "damsel in distress" Roscoe was were the two biggest disappointments. Also, the ending had a very "Super easy, barely an inconvenience" feel to it. I didn't hate it, mind you. And in fact I'll give the 2nd one a try. I'm chalking it up to it being a first/early work. Penguin Random House - $9.99

Mad's Greatest Artist: Seigio Aragones - Five Decades of his Finest Works One of my favorite artists & writers. His view on the world (especially in the "A Mad Look At..." series) often make me laugh. I'm sorry to hear that his health is not great these days and that his output has suffered because of it. This book is great and you should pick it up (if you can afford to). Running Press - Cover Price $29.95 (Out Of Print)

Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes (The Graphic Album) Various writers and/or artists present stories based on songs from Tori's first album "Little Earthquakes", as well as songs that only appeared as "B-Sides" on singles. The book is beautiful and most of the stories are very good. There is a modern day problem though as her long time friend Neil Gaiman has one story and the epilogue, where he talks about his 30 year friendship with the artist. Still worth picking up though. Z2 Comics - $39.99

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In the first-ever union of the Word of God and the Synthesizer, the Catholic Church’s College of Cardinals voted unanimously Monday to incorporate the lyrics of Yes into the New Testament. The resulting new Bible, the Revised Standard YesScriptures, will replace the Jerusalem Bible of 1966 as the standard accepted record and vehicle of divine revelation.

“Let us rejoice in this momentous occasion,” said Pope John Paul II in a special service at St. Peter’s. “And let no man be unmoved, remembering the words of Jesus: ’In and around the lake, mountains come out of the sky, and they stand there.’ Amen.”

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