"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail." - Pearl S. Buck

"The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out." - James Baldwin

About me.....

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I'm a dreamer and perhaps too much of an eternal optimist. I always try to look at the glass as half full. Defiant and ferocious towards those who would seek to unjustly harm others, I speak my mind...for better or worse. Where as some view compassion as a weakness I view it as a strength. I try not to live in the shadows of my regrets because doing so dims the light and the promise of a new day. I do not strive for perfection for this is the quest of fools and denies a man the blessings of humility. The bonds of true friendship and family are to be protected...sometimes by the cunning, stealth, and tenaciousness of a mouse but other times by the wrath and fury of the dragon. I am one and yet I am both. This is my truth.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Kill off a hero and you REALLY piss off the fans!!!

Since as long as I can remember I have been a fan of the Transformers. I remember waking up Saturday mornings and firing up the old Betamax (oh yeah I am that damn old) and recording them so I could watch them over and over. My favorite Transformer of all has and always will be Optimus Prime. He is, in my humble opinion, the epitome of a true cartoon hero and a great leader. Fearless, compassionate, tactical, and a mettle that was as battle tested as I've ever seen. So I remember going to the movie theater one afternoon many years ago with my sister because I was too young to drive at the time to go see the animated movie in the theater. Well to make a long story short the scene where Optimus Prime dies was one of the most heart wrenching scenes I've ever endured watching cinema. This may sound crazy but when the life faded out of him and he went grey it felt like I had lost my best friend, like a part of me has just been ripped out of my soul but that's not too hard to imagine. When we are young we are very impressionable.

And for the record to this day I still hate Hot Rod with a passion. Even as Roddimus Prime he was a joke of a leader, always trying to pass off the matrix of leadership to Ultra Magnus or someone else. He wasn't even worth the exhaust that came out of Optimus Primes engine. Had he not jumped in the way when Optimus Prime had Megatron at his mercy and ready to get taken out Optimus would have won that battle. When the Autobot base was getting hammered he almost single handedly turned the time the tide...who can forget the scene of him saying "Megatron must be stopped..no matter the cost" (how prophetic was that) and him leaping out and gunning down one Decepticon after another. It was awe-inspiring. But NOOOOOOOOO.... Hot Rod had to be the gloryhound....tactically speaking this young robot was clueless. The day that Optimus Prime came back and became leader of the Autobots once more there was much rejoicing in the Dragons Den. A great wrong had suddenly been made right.

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I always knew that Optimus Prime was an icon, a cartoon character of legendary status. I just did not know his death would have such a profound effect on his fans, both young and old. So when I saw this Youtube interview I found myself feeling elated....and in a strange way I felt as if justice had been served. I always wondered if it had been so odd for me to react as I did to Optimus Primes passing. But seeing this interview, I felt vindicated. Optimus Prime is the standard-bearer...the greatest of them all... the heart and soul of the Autobots.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyMytHqARR0&feature=player_embedded

And for the record I adamantly deny that I was the child who locked himself in his room for a week.
It was actually just 5 days and I kept the door unlocked so I could recieve my counseling sessions to deal with my depression.
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