A Quick Update on Me

So here is a quick update on how my life is going so far. Well, I'm working as a reviewer at Solix in Charleston, IL. What I do is I look at applications for participation in a government program and see if people have dotted their i's and crossed their t's. I have the afternoon shift, which means that my mornings are free. It's a good job, hopefully, it will give me job experience. You know, that thing employers want at least a year of.

Had a nice little visit from my brother, Ryan. He's attending Purdue, going to be a senior and majoring in BioEngineering, much to the disappointment of my father who was hoping Ryan could build him an Ironman suit. I can't tell you a lot of what my brother is doing because quite frankly you need to have a degree in biology to have an idea of what he's talking about. I kind of understand, it was hard to talk about what I was doing when I was a senior in college as well. Hard to really explain a paper you're writing if you haven't read it yet or read what it is about. Anyway, Ryan and I had a short visit because I had a little thing called a job which took up much of my time. We did go see the new Star Trek movie. We both enjoyed it, I felt it was very fun like the original television show was. We both highly recommend people go see it, though I wouldn't be surprised if most people have already seen it.

I'm planning on taking an online business course this fall through the local community college. I think it will help bolster up my resume and help my future. Going to try and continue this blog. Which by the way, someone commented on for the first time, which pleased me. It was on my last blog post,  "The Loss of a Pet". I do hope people will comment on my blog posts, be it on this one, past posts, or future ones.

I'm Colin, and these are the ramblings of a guy in my twenties.

The Loss of a Pet

When my grandmother passed away my family took in her two dogs, a poodle named Zoey and a bichon named Gracie. Now these dogs were pretty old when we took them in but on July, 22, we had to put Gracie down. It was hard for us because Gracie was very special to my grandmother.

Gracie was nearly 15-years-old when we had her put down, which in dog years she was about 95. Gracie had never gotten over the death of my grandmother, nor did she get used to the fact that she was permanently living in a different home. When Gracie was younger, she was super friendly and loving. For the last year, however, Gracie didn't want to be near any of us. If you tried to pet her, she would just duck and run away. Gracie also seemed to be depressed. She was always crying and begging for a treat, to go out, or come back in. Worst of all, she was constantly getting me up at night to let her outside. So my family decided to finally put her down. It wasn't easy, we said our goodbyes to Gracie by giving her one last hug and kiss before my dad took her to the vet. There was a little comfort to know that when my father took her to the vet, he was told that he was doing the right thing.

While I'm glad that Gracie is now in peace, it does make me pause and think about my other dogs, Zoey and Maddie. Maddie is a poodle as well, and Zoey's older half sister. Maddie is about 14 and Zoey is 12. Both dogs have health issues, Maddie is nearly blind and deaf while Zoey is clearly not as active as she was when she was younger. It saddens me to think that any day could be the last for my dogs.

How is it that dogs are able to take such a huge section in their owners' hearts. Though they do not live all that long, we come to love them so deeply. I don't know, but as one who always had a dog growing up, I can't image not having one. I hope that other dog owners will understand what I mean.

I'm Colin and these are the ramblings of a guy in his twenties.  

Remembering with Rose Colored Glasses: Captain Planet

Environmentalism is an important concept because so many different people have tried to cram the message down our throats. Teachers, politicians, activists, movies, and of course, television. The arguably the most famous show about environmentalism was Captain Planet and the Planeteers. Airing in 1990 to 1996, the show was a superhero cartoon about… you know I’m just going to let you watch the opening theme of the show; it sums up what the concept of the series the best.

So the spirit of the Earth brings to her secret base five overbearing and overemotional humans… oh, wait that was Zordon from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. So Gaia enlists the help of five teenagers from five different continents, gives them magical rings that control the classical elements, some surprisingly high-tech gear and sends them off to fight pollution. When things went pear shaped, which they always did, the Planeteers would shout out the element they controlled and summon Captain Planet to save the day. Then at the end of every episode the Planeteers would do a PSA and finish the show with the Captain Planet's phrase, "The power is yours!" Now the show not only covered issues dealing with the environment, but also gangs, drugs, HIV, and peer pressure. So every episode tried to hammer a message into its viewers, and I was one of those.

Now let's talk about our heroes. Gaia was the motherly teacher of the Planeteers who was voiced by Whoopi Goldberg during the first few seasons, then later Margot Kidder. According to the show's lore, Gaia took a nap for a couple of centuries, and humans took that time to pollute the earth. Despite being M.I.A. for several hundred years, Gaia somehow poses advanced, environmentally friendly technology. The only answer I have is why the goddess of the Earth has such tech is magic. Overall Gaia doesn't have much of a personality. She gave advice to the Planeteers and told them when a problem occurred. In fact, she is like Zordon from the Power Ranger series in that way.

Then there is Captain Planet, he has a ridiculous superhero costume I've ever seen and has so many superpowers to make Superman jealous. When summoned, the Planeteers give up their ring powers in order to create the ultimate champion of Earth. Captain Planet's only weakness is coming into contact to pollution. Yeah, his weakness is the very thing he's fighting against, that doesn't make sense at all. The only reason I can think of why the writers gave Captain Planet this weakness is so the planeteers can still be useful without their powers. The thing I liked most about Captain Planet is that he was funny and made so many puns when fighting bad guys.

The Planeteers themselves don't really have much personality. From Ghana, Africa, Kwame is the leader of the Planeteers and the team's green thumb. Kwame has the power of earth, (dirt, rocks, plants), and begins the summoning of Captain Planet by saying, "Let our powers combine!" Gi, from Thailand, has the power to control water and the team's mechanic, pilot, and marine biologist. Then there's Linka, from the Soviet Union/Eastern Europe and controls the element of wind. The show never says what Linka's nationality is, so the fans assume that she is Russian. Linka's personality is that she's a computer expert, a bird lover, and she's constantly putting Wheeler in his place. The fourth member of the team is Ma-Ti who is a native of the Amazon jungle. Ma-Ti is the wide-eyed innocent of the team and its emotional center. Ma-Ti has a pet monkey and the power of Heart. Okay, so Heart sounds like a lousy power, but it does Ma-Ti telepathy and the ability to feel other living beings' suffering. So yeah, it's still not a great power.

Finally, there's Wheeler from Brooklyn, New York. Wheeler is what I think most of the world assume Americans to be, jerks who really don't know much about the rest of the world. Wheeler is the team's street smart hothead, so he, of course, has the power of fire. While Wheeler does act like a jerk, I do think he has the most personality. Wheeler has an alcoholic and verbally abusive father, causing Wheeler to spend his childhood in the streets of New York. While being a bit lazy, brash, loud, and quick-tempered; Wheeler is also brave, humorous and playful. Wheeler also hits on Linka every chance he gets, and Linka generally turns him down though occasionally she would return his affections. 

All the Planeteers villains are one-note mustache-twirling baddies who are evil for the sake of being evil. We have business owners Hoggish Greedly and Looten Plunder; (insert any Trump joke of your choosing), mad scientist Dr. Blight, evil garbage collector Sly Sludge, mutants Duke Nukem and Verminous Skumm, and spirit of destruction, Zarm. These guys were all about making money and hurting the environment, even when it didn't make any sense to.

While I do have fond memories of the show as a kid, I have to say I find it now too preachy for my taste. While all shows have an eco-friendly episode or two, this show shoves environmentalism down your throat. That said, I do think it did a good job of teaching kids to be respectful toward the environment. I still enjoy Captain Planet's puns, but overall I say this show belongs in the 90's. If you are interested in seeing how the series holds up for yourselves, you can find episodes on YouTube, or buy the first season on DVD.

I'm Colin, and these are the ramblings of a guy in his twenties. Remember, the power is yours!

Thank You

I started this blog in December of 2015, and it's now July of 2016. I just want to thank you to everyone who have read my blog posts. While I don't post as often as some people it still amazes me on how many people have read my posts. My blog has seen over 800 page views and not just from people living in the United States. I've page views from people from Canada, Mexico, Poland, Australia, Portugal, Russia, and even Mongolia.

While my first blog post, cleverly titled "My First Post", has received the most views at 157 views. The second highest is "Zombies, Run!" and I'm surprised to say of my "Through Rose Colored Glasses" blog posts, the most popular one is the Mystic Knights one. Strange, either more people remember it than I thought or are just curious about. Either way, I'm pleased that people are reading my posts. 

I recently started a new job and I don't know how much free time I'll have to write blogs. That said, I do want to be a bit more punctual about writing them. I going to try to get one out every other week. I will continue to do "Through Rose Colored Glasses" posts, and I would love to have any of my readers make comments. I would love to hear from those who read these posts about any topics you want me to cover.

I'm Colin, and these are the ramblings of a guy in his twenties. Thank you for reading them.

The Search for a Job

So the search for a job has been tough, but the last couple of days I've gotten a few offers. On Monday I will start working at a call center, I hope to work there for a bit and gain job experience. That said I'm still looking for another job. In the immortal words of my father, "The best time to look for a job is when you already have one."

Well, earlier this week I had an interview in Springfield, I think it went well. The only problem is waiting for them to get back to me, and tell me if I'm moving on in the interview process. I can't decide what is worse, the moment when you're mind goes blank after they ask you a question, or coming up with better answers when the interview is over. Well, I do know that if I don't move on that I can't give up hope.

I'm Colin and these are the ramblings of a guy in his twenties.

Remembering With Rose Colored Glasses: Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog

Fun fact everyone, when I was growing up my mother originally didn't want my brother and me to watch Power Rangers because she thought it was too violent. While she eventually changed her mind about a year later, my brother and I watched another show made by the Saban Entertainment, Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog. Mystic Knights is essentially power rangers in medieval Ireland and instead of having rangers based off of colors, we got knights with the powers of the four basic elements. The show came out in 1998, I was five years old, and only lasted one season. This show help create my love of the fantasy genre, and is a huge part of my childhood.

The premise of the show is very similar to Power Rangers, a group of knights must protect their kingdom called Kells from the evil witch queen of Temra who often sends monster to destroy them. The knights are Rohan, (yes that is also a name of a kingdom in Lord of the Rings,) the Mystic Knight of Fire, Princess Deirdre of Kells, the Mystic Knight of Air, Ivar, a prince from some unnamed African kingdom, Mystic Knight of Water, and the comedic thief Angus, Mystic Knight of Earth. The knights' allies in the fight against evil are fairies, druids, and a dragon who serves as their zord. The Mystic Knights spend the season foiling the evil Queen Maeve's attempts to conquer Kells. They even get another Mystic Knight similar to Power Rangers getting another ranger, Prince Garrett of Reged the Mystic Knight of Forest.

Rohan was the Mystic Knight of Fire and essentially filled the role of the Red Ranger. Raised by the druid Cathbad, Rohan carried a magical sword that shot fireballs. Rohan would change into his mystic armor by holding up his weapon and shouting "Fire within me!" and could even summon a dragon to help them out. Due to the fact Rohan was the show's Red Ranger, Rohan was more or less the star of the show. He got an upgrade for his armor, found out he was the prophesied warrior that would peace to the land. Rohan was also the son of the malicious Queen Maeve and had a demonic half brother named Lugad. Overall, Rohan was brave and noble leader of the knights

Next is Deirdre, the princess of Kells. Dierdre is a badass, capable of kicking butt on the battlefield and playing the harp for the court of Kells. She was the Mystic Knight of Air, got her armor by shouting "Air above me!" and had a crossbows that shot out little tornados. Deirdre was a logical, straight talker who often times had to play the straight man (or in this case woman) to her fellow knights. While she did sometimes get in arguments with father, King Conchobar for not being the pretty princess type, Dierdre was in my opinion one of the best role models for girls. She could wear a dress and be feminine, but also hang with the boys and fight evil.

Ivar was the Mystic Knight of Water yet had a magic trident that shot out electricity. Ivar was from far off kingdom who was searching for the thief, Queen Maeve's general Torc, who stole his kingdom's sacred chalice. Ivar's story line was finding his chalice and got his armor by shouting "Water around me!"

Angus was the show's comic relief and the Mystic Knight of Earth. He had a flail that caused earthquakes and transformed into a Mystic Knight by shouting "Earth beneath me!" Angus was the childhood friend of Rohan and was always getting into trouble.

Finally the last Mystic Knight is Garret, prince of Reged. As the knight of forest he had two axes, transformed into his armor by shouting "Forest before me!", and could communicate with animals looking them in the eyes. To be honest, I thought Garret was lame when I was five and I still do. Garret was a jerk with lame powers. He left at some point in the series but came back in time for the finale.

The supporting characters were King Conchobar of Kells, Deirdre's father, and his advisor Cathbad, a druid and father-figure/mentor of Rohan. We also had Fin Varra, the Fairy King and Zordon-like character, and Aideen, a sprite that filled Alpha's role in the show. The villains were Queen Maeve, her general Torc, the evil fairy Mider, and the monstrous yet sympathetic Lugad. I remember Maeve being a competent villain who wasn't always screaming about having a headache like Rita Repulsa.

Overall, I remember the series being just as good as Power Rangers. I liked the fact that the knights didn't hide their identity from anyone, and the fact that both the kingdom of Kells and the kingdom of Temera had armies that often fought each other. This was different kind of` Power Rangers where the police and/or national guard were never present when a monster attacked. At least in the Avengers, the police were trying to get civilians out. Sadly, the show only lasted one season despite there being plans for a second season. Why you may ask, well basically Power Rangers was more popular. Most people I've talk to never hear of Mystic Knights so it makes sense why Saban didn't continue the series. Power Rangers were making them more money, so use the budget from Mystic Knights to make Power Rangers a better show.

Despite that, I remember my brother, my cousins and I watched this Mystic Knights all the time and pretended to be the Mystic Knights. Unfortunately, the show isn't on Blu-Ray, though the first four or five episodes are on VHS. You might find a couple of episodes on YouTube but in bad quality. I hope that one day the show will be released again so I can find out if it still holds up.

I'm Colin and these are the ramblings of a guy in his twenties.

A Day at Cedar Point

On May 18th, my Dad, my brother and I spent the day at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was a Guy-vacation, where the three of us would have quality time for male bonding by riding roller coasters. Now we have been to Cedar Point before and knew what rides to hit first. The first one we went on was the Millennium Force, 310 feet tall, 93 miles per hour and a drop that's 80 degrees. This roller coaster is the biggest and fastest coaster in America and a must for any who goes to Cedar Point. I suggest you sit in the back car for the most air time. After the first drop, you are literally pulled out of your seat. Be warned, though, Millennium Force goes 93 miles per hour and you don't truly realize how fast that is until your first ride. The first time I rode the Millennium Force, I didn't fully comprehend what I was getting myself into. I did come to love the ride and my family and I rode it five times on the 18th.

The second coaster we rode was the Magnum XL-200. This coaster is smaller and not as fast as the Millennium Force, it has more air time if you sit in the back seat. This one is a lot of fun and the wait to get on it is always shorter than most of the other coasters. Next, we got onto the Raptor, a hanging roller coaster. This one you need to get in the front which means a long wait because everyone wants to ride in the front. It's good and it is also my brother's favorite. Totally check these two out if you go to Cedar Point.

The other two coasters we rode were the Gatekeeper and the newest coaster, the Valravn. The Gatekeeper is a wing coaster, meaning you sit outside the track, and it is alright. You go through several openings (keyholes) and you are inverted several times. The Valravn, is Cedar Point's newest coaster and it is okay. The most interesting thing I can say about it is that 24 people can ride it, in three rows of eight.

Other coasters we didn't ride but I suggest you go on is the Maverick. The Maverick was not working when we went there and what is cool about it is that it has a 93-degree drop. There is the Gemini, a wooden roller coaster where two cars "race" each other. That's fun if the people riding in each car are willing to play along with the idea of a race.

Overall it was a great day to ride roller coasters with my dad and my brother. I hope that one day I will have kids of my own to take to Cedar Point.

My name is Colin and these are the ramblings of a guy in his twenties.