As many of you know, it’s President’s Day. In most years, that’s just a day off from school or work, as well as a formal acknowledgement of America’s history. It’s our indirect way of appreciating the ideals of American democracy and the people who made it possible.
Many others have already said it, but it still holds true. America is very divided. That’s not an opinion. It’s backed up by real numbers. Half of Americans hate each other, based on their political ideology. There’s no respectful disagreements. There’s just a growing us-versus-them mentality and it’s incredibly toxic.
Since a new president was sworn in last month, there have been a lot of talk about unity and healing. That talk hasn’t resulted in much, in the grand scheme of things. Many Americans still hate each other. They also still refuse to accept that a President they didn’t like or vote for won the election.
How do we come back from that?
How do we heal from that?
How do we ever get to a point where we can just get along again?
I honestly don’t know. I wish I did. I really do. As a proud American who loves his country as much as any patriotic American, I want to see us do better. I want to see us transcend our flaws, of which there are many, and become more akin to the vision that our founders set out to create.
I don’t expect it to start today. I don’t expect it to start tomorrow, either. However, I believe in making the effort.
Maybe today is a day when we can all start trying. Even if you didn’t vote for the current President, don’t let that stop you from making America the best it can possibly be. Look forward to the future and not to the past. See your fellow Americans as fellow Americans and not an insurgent army.
I know that’s asking a lot. I also understand there are some people who truly cannot be reached. They will not be satisfied until America, as we know it, is destroyed and rebuilt in their own perverse image. Those people are an extreme minority, but they often talk the loudest and resort to violence most readily.
Let’s not let them derail the vision for a better America.
Let’s not let them keep us divided.
We’re Americans. We are lucky beyond measure to be born in this great land. In our country, a President is not a King, but they are those tasked with carrying America forward. They’ll continue to do their part. That’s why we elected them. Now, on this President’s Day, let’s do ours.
Sometimes, the calendar doesn’t always work out favorably. When Christmas is on a Tuesday and Halloween is on a Monday, it really hinders your ability to make the most of it. Every now and then, by either math or fluke, the calendar works out just perfectly. I’d say a year in which Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday is as good a timing as you can hope for.
I say that as someone who hasn’t always enjoyed Valentine’s Day. Yes, I love romance and I’m not ashamed of that, but Valentine’s Day is hard to celebrate when you’re single. Now, I have a better excuse than usual for being single this time. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic. It’s not exactly easy to get out there and date when we’ve been in quarantine for months on end.
Valid or not, it’s still an excuse and they don’t make Valentine’s Day feel less lonely. At the same time, it gives those lucky enough to have that special someone make the most of this day. It’s Valentine’s Day and it’s Sunday. You’ve got an entire day to celebrate your romance. Take full advantage of that.
Even if you can’t go out as much as usual, find a way to be romantic. Make a nice dinner for one another. Watch a movie that gets your shared passions going in all the right ways. Share an activity, even the non-sexy type, that you enjoy doing together. Every couple is different. Use this day to celebrate that. Love is a beautiful thing and it is worth celebrating.
To those lucky couples, I wish you a happy Valentine’s Day. To those who are still single like me, I say hang in there. Love is worth being patient for. To help bolster your Valentine’s Day spirit, here are some of special Sexy Sunday Thoughts. Enjoy!
“There’s a good chance you’ve walked by someone who has pictured you naked.”
“To some extent, being really horny is like being hypnotized by your genitals.”
“A kink that leaves no scars or marks is barely a kink.”
“If pity sex weren’t a think, cowards would’ve gone extinct by now.”
“A true friend is someone you don’t mind telling about your porno stash.”
“Fear will keep you in line, but horniness will keep you motivated.”
“Making love without setting the mood is like eating a gourmet meal over the kitchen sink.”
I’m not gonna lie. That story still puts a smile on my face. Last year sucked, but when a bunch of shit-posters on Reddit tank a predatory hedge fund, the world is an objectively better place.
As much fun as that is, there are some other stories related to investing that are worth noting. On top of the craziness caused by r/WallStreetBets, it has been just as chaotic for investors of cryptocurrencies. When the financial world is in chaos, cryptocurrencies that thumb their nose at old economic institutions tend to thrive.
Now, full disclosure, I do own Bitcoins. That’s the only cryptocurrency I own and I don’t own much. I’m not a bold investor. I buy index funds and ETFs. I would not fit in on r/WallStreetBets, nor would I be a good evangelist for Bitcoin.
For that same reason, I’d like to send a special note to those currently caught up in the Dogecoin craze. If you don’t know what Dogecoin is, then that’s understandable. It is a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, but it’s unique in a few very particular ways.
Most notably, Dogecoin is often treated as a joke. That’s because it started off as one.
That’s not my opinion. That’s literally part of its origin. Its creators, Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, were legitimately surprised when people started using it. I guess they didn’t get the joke.
That doesn’t mean Dogecoin has absolutely nothing going for it. It is a functioning cryptocurrency that uses some of the same technology as Bitcoin. Its most notable difference is that, unlike Bitcoin, there’s no limit to how many Dogecoins can be mined. Whereas Bitcoin can only ever have 21 million, Dogecoins can be mined indefinitely.
It may seem like a small difference, but that difference matters if you understand the basics of scarcity in economics. Most people understand it on some levels. If you can make an infinite amount of something, then it’s not going to have much value. If something is incredibly finite and difficult to obtain, like gold or Bitcoins, it’s going to have more value.
It’s that concept that I’d like to convey to those cheering on Dogecoin. Thanks to the recent upheavals from r/WallStreetBets, Dogecoin has been surging more than most currencies and even people like Elon Musk are cheering it on.
That’s not unusual. Sometimes, certain assets get propped up for a brief period. That has happened a lot with cryptocurrencies over the past decade. However, with Dogecoin, it’s a lot more style than substance.
Whereas Bitcoin gains value as it becomes more accepted in various sectors of the economy, Dogecoin gains value because people are just cheering it on. One has long-term sustainability. The other ends as soon as people get bored or find something else to cheer on.
Today, it’s Dogecoin.
Tomorrow, it could be JackCoin, a cryptocurrency made exclusively for people named Jack.
Again, I’m not an investment expert. I’m not giving investment advice to anyone. However, to those thinking about getting in on the Dogecoin craze, I offer one important message.
You can win with style over substance in a lot of things, but not when it comes to money. At some point, a product has to demonstrate its value. You can only prop it up for so long before basic economic forces take over. It’s not fair and it’s not rational, but that’s how economics work.
Dogecoin will find that out at some point. Investors may have to find out the hard way.
There are certain topics that I find difficult to talk about, but I’ll still make the effort because they’re worth discussing. That’s why I’ll write something about abortion or religion every now and then. These are serious, emotionally charged issues. There’s merit to discussing them.
I’m sorry, but I’ve yet to see a single discussion about “cancel culture” that has ever been productive. Some say it’s a threat to free speech and western values. Some say it’s not really a thing. I say both are wrong and both aren’t helping by making sub-par arguments.
Every few months or so, it starts trending and for bullshit reasons. Usually, what some bemoan as “cancel culture” depends heavily on their political affiliation. A conservative won’t see Colin Kaepernick being shut out of the NFL as cancel culture, but they’ll whine endlessly about Rosanne Barr getting fired from her show.
Conversely, a liberal will cheer when Lou Dobbs gets fired, but will make endless excuses for liberal celebrities who say objectively dumb shit. It always seems to boil down whether you’re politics align with whoever or whatever is canceled. It’s arbitrary, it’s petty, and it’s absurd. I really don’t have any other way to describe it.
Now, I could rant for hours about bullshit “cancel culture” arguments. However, I’d rather do something more productive with my time. I’d also prefer not to add to the whining. The only reason I’m bringing this up is because that’s all anyone has been doing since the story about Gina Carano broke.
If you’re not up to speed, consider yourself lucky. I won’t recount the details. The long and short of it is she got fired by Disney for some stupid tweets that mentioned the holocaust. Now, I won’t give my opinion on the contents of these tweets. Again, that’s not a productive use of my time or anyone’s time, for that matter.
However, I don’t want to bring this topic up just to rant about it. Instead, I’d like to use the ongoing whining about “cancel culture” to offer some perspective about what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters. I could try to put it into words. Thankfully, people far smarter and more talented than me already have.
The following image that I found on Twitter sums it up nicely.
If that doesn’t get the point across, please see this helpful little image detailing the paradox of tolerance by Karl Popper.
In short, being tolerant is a good thing. Protecting free speech is a good thing. However, there are lines, limits, and context. Failing to understand them will only cause more outrage and whining. The world already has too much of that. Let’s not add to it.
I had a plan in place for my next video for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It was a good plan. Then, I saw Episode 5 of “WandaVision” and I just had to change it. If you’ve been following this show, you probably know why. There have been a lot of strong reactions to it, as well as new fan theories.
Now, I was going to wait until the end in order to formulate my own theories and do a proper review. I just can’t wait that long. I’m sorry. I’m weak, in that respect. This video was a bit rushed, but it’s my own quick reaction to what’s been going on in “WandaVision” and the possible implications for mutants in the MCU. Enjoy!
There’s just a few more days until Valentine’s Day. Being a lover of romance and a writer of erotica romance novels, I certainly appreciate a holiday centered around love. At the same time, I have mixed feelings because I’m currently single and have been for quite some time.
It can get lonely on Valentine’s Day. However, even if I am alone, I can still appreciate love and my love of comics certainly help with that. Beyond my fondness for superhero romances, my love of comics helps remind me why love is a feeling worth pursuing.
It’s a beautiful thing. If you’ve found love with someone, then you understand its power. Even if you haven’t, the stories in comics help depict why it’s so powerful for so many characters. Love is a big part of what drives famous heroes like Superman, Spider-Man, and even characters like the Punisher.
It even drives villains. Let’s not forget that in the comics, Thanos was in love with the physical manifestation of death. It’s creepy, but it still counts as love.
I may have to spend another Valentine’s Day alone this year. That’s always disappointing. However, thanks to my love of comics, I never feel too lonely. I hope others can enjoy that same feeling. To assist, here is my pull list and pick of the week. Enjoy!
I apologize for posting this several days after the fact. I know I’m late to the party with respect to reactions to Episode 5 of “WandaVision.” I don’t have a very good reason for that, other than being pre-occupied with my Super Bowl LV preparations.
In hindsight, that might have been for the best because the events of this episode were incredible. It was, without a doubt, the most impactful episode of this show to date. Both the fan reactions and the IMDB scores are proof of that.
I can safely confirm that my reactions mirrored the shock, glee, and astonishment that got this show trending the day it debuted. As excited as I was to watch the Super Bowl, I found myself more caught up in the implications of this episode.
Now, before I go any further, I want to disclose that there will be talks of spoilers for this episode. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you do. If you’re at all a fan of Marvel and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is one episode you do not want to miss. It has implications that could likely impact future movies in the best possible way.
If you’re still here, then here’s a brief rundown of the events.
Wanda and Vision’s kids start as infants, but rapidly age to toddlers and then to pre-teens
Vision starts to suspect that something is amiss in their cheerful life
Outside Westview, SWORD is trying to make sense of the anomaly and starts sending drones inside
Wanda doesn’t like the intrusion and goes so far as to step out and warn SWORD not to interfere with the world she’s created
Vision is able to free some people from Wanda’s manipulations and confronts her about it
Before they can come to blows, a surprise guest arrives at the door and it’s Wanda’s dead brother, Pietro
However, it’s not the Pietro that died in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” It’s the Pietro from the X-Men Fox movies, played by Evan Peters.
After four episodes of teasing, mystery, and build-up, this episode gave us the first major payoff. Now, it’s a bit clearer as to what’s going on and what’s driving this story.
We know now that it’s not some outside agent who has hijacked Wanda’s mind and powers. She’s the one doing this on her own. She’s the one who created this strange anomaly around Westview, creating her own pocket reality that mirrors that of American sitcoms throughout the decades.
That’s a critical and potentially revealing detail, one that even Vision finds distressing. In addition to finding out that she’s the source of all this, we also learn that she’s the one who took Vision’s body from SWORD and she wasn’t polite about it.
She’s clearly not in a very understanding state of mind. Visions death at the hands of Thanos did not go over well and him not coming back in “Avengers Endgame” only made it worse. At this point, she has lost too many people that she loves and she’s willing to break reality to get it back.
That moment when she steps out of the bubble and confronts SWORD makes this clear. She has what she wants in this pocket reality. She has Vision, a family, and a life in which she hasn’t lost everyone who matters to her. That’s powerful in that it shows how much she was hurt by the events leading up to this show.
However, the biggest moment, by far, came at the end with the arrival of Quicksilver. However, the fact that the Quicksilver we saw was not the Quicksilver played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was the most jarring. It also has the greatest implications.
This is the part where I’m going to start exploring some fan theories, some of which others have already developed. I think after this episode, we have enough details to make some less-than-wild speculations about where this is leading.
We know from the previous episode that Vision was indeed killed. It’s very possible that he’s only alive because Wanda is animating him. We also find out that as powerful as Wanda is, she has limits. She couldn’t make baby Tommy and Billy stop crying. She also couldn’t bring their dog, Sparky, back to life.
This would imply that, even if she wanted to bring the Aaron Taylor-Johnson Quicksilver back, she couldn’t. It seems that if someone dies in her universe, then they stay dead. She cannot bring them back. However, this may not apply to version of her brother from other universes.
We already know from “Dr. Strange” that the multiverse is a thing. Wanda may also be aware of this on some level, even if she didn’t consciously reach into another universe to find another version of her brother. The fact she found the same version we saw in “X-Men: Days of Futures Past” could be another telling hint.
However, I don’t think that means that the MCU is about to do a direct crossover with the Fox era X-Men movies. I think trying to incorporate that messy continuity into the MCU will be too cumbersome, even for someone like Kevin Feige.
I suspect that we’re getting this particular version of Quicksilver because he, and other mutants like him, have been in a pocket universe of their own. It’s why we haven’t seen any mutants show up in the MCU, at least with respect to the story. I understand the movie rights were the logistical reason for that.
The fact that Wanda created a pocket reality of her own means that someone or something taught her. I don’t know who it could be. Perhaps, it involves someone like Agatha Harkness, a witch from the comics who helped Wanda master her powers. Maybe it involves someone far more powerful, like Mephisto.
Whatever the source, I think pocket realities are going to be what plays into the events of “Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” They’ll be akin to the disruptions or wrinkles in the larger fabric of reality, which was already disrupted by the events of “Avengers Endgame.” That domain could be where mutants reside.
Now, I could be dead wrong about that. In fact, I’m not entirely confident in that theory being true. However, there’s one other theory that I think is a bit more plausible. It’s not so much a theory as it is an observation of trends.
Wanda is becoming a villain and she will likely play the part of the MCU’s main villain in Phase 4.
I think, thematically, this makes sense. After Thanos, the MCU needs a new villain to warrant a massive assembly of the Avengers. We’ve already seen this big, menacing villains who look, act, and sound evil. We got Ronan, Thanos, Dormammu, and Ultron. I think the MCU needs a change of pace after that.
Wanda would act as an entirely different kind of villain. This isn’t someone who is just an outright villain from the get-go. She’s a friend. She’s an Avenger. She’s someone who has lost nearly everyone she has ever cared about. If ever there was a hero you could understand breaking bad, it’s her. That’ll make fighting against her that much harder.
The moment in this episode when she confronted SWORD made it clear. She can bend reality to her whim and she’s willing to use it to get what she wants. That’ll make her both dangerous and volatile. She may end up being the main villain of “Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.”
If that’s the case, then Phase 4 of the MCU is going to be very chaotic indeed.
Super Bowl LV is over and while the outcome was lacking in drama, it was still not surprising.
Again, Tom Brady led a team to a Super Bowl.
For the seventh time in his career, Tom Brady is a Super Bowl champion.
At this point, there’s no way around it. Tom Brady is the greatest. They call him the GOAT, the Greatest of All Time. It’s not just a cute acronym. It’s the truth. The man has won seven Super Bowls. That’s nearly double that of any other quarterback of any era. He’s also played in ten. Out of a 21 year career, that means he’s been to a Super Bowl almost every other year.
If you’re not an American football fan, just know that’s insane. That’s unheard of. In a game that’s supposed to be the ultimate team sport in which one player cannot win a game alone, it might as well be superhuman. It’s one thing to do this with one team over the course of two decades, but Brady had to raise the bar yet again by going to another team and winning them a Super Bowl in his first year.
Again, that’s insane.
That’s unheard of.
That was thought to be impossible, given the nature of the NFL.
That still didn’t stop Brady. He still went to a new team and, despite not even winning the division, he went onto win the Super Bowl. There are Hall of Fame players who are considered the greatest of their time who never even played in a Super Bowl. Barry Sanders, Bernie Kosar, Calvin Johnson, and Philip Rivers are all considered great, but Brady has played in 10 more Super Bowl than they ever did.
At this point, there is no debate. There is no context or second-guessing. Tom Brady is the greatest football player of all time. After this lastest Super Bowl, I would even go a step further.
Tom Brady is officially better than Michael Jordan.
Trust me, I don’t say those words lightly. Michael Jordan was so dominant when he played in the NBA. His six championship and the way he went about winning them are what put him a cut above the rest, even among players today. LeBron James is trying to catch him, but even if he goes onto win six championship, he won’t be better than Tom Brady.
Patrick Mahomes is still great. He still won a Super Bowl last year and he still put up great numbers. Nobody can take that away from him. However, even if he goes onto win seven Super Bowls throughout his career, he’ll never be greater than Tom Brady, if only because he lost to Brady when it counted.
You can hate Brady all you want for winning so much and being so dominant. You can even hate how lopsided the Super Bowl was this year. You still can’t deny the cold, hard truth.
Tom Brady has shattered what few doubts remained. He is the greatest of all time when it comes to football. I’m confident in saying that there will never be anyone as great as him, for as long as this game is played.
The holiest of holy days for football fans has arrived!
Super Bowl LV is set to kick off in Tampa on this most glorious of annual sporting events. As a lifelong football fan, this is a day that’s near and dear to my heart. I don’t always care who’s playing. I just want to see a damn good game while eating chicken wings and drinking beer.
I’ve been eating light and working out more in preparation for this, as always. This is also one of those Super Bowls where you don’t really need to do much to hype it up. All the tag lines are there.
It’s Tampa Bay vs. Kansas City.
It’s Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes.
It’s the greatest quarterback of all time versus someone who could end up becoming the greatest.
I don’t doubt for a second that this is the match-up that the NFL marketing department hoped for when the playoff started. Even if you’re not a fan of either teams, you can’t deny the weight of this match-up. These are two great teams led by two of the best quarterbacks of our generation. I’m ready for this. My heart, body, and liver is just so ready.
I don’t think I need to say much more to excite my fellow football fans. For the rest of the day, it’s all about counting down the seconds to kick-off. In a year where every week was in doubt due to the pandemic, the fact we made it to the Super Bowl is a hell of an achievement. If the game is as great as advertised, then I’ll take that as a sign that better days are coming.
We’re almost home, fellow football fans. As we wait for kickoff, here are some Sexy Sunday Thoughts to help pass the time. Enjoy!
“You know you watch a lot of porn when you can tell whether or not someone has bleached their anus.”
“A threesome can only go really wrong or really right.”
“Evolution ensures that not too many people can have a pathetic loser fetish.”
“Innovation is the mother of all invention, but it’s the cool aunt of sex toys.”
“People who take themselves too seriously are a lot less likely to be adventurous in bed.”
“The best hand job will never measure up to an average blow job.”
“A love/hate relationship will leave you as conflicted as a virgin porn star.”
The following is a video that I posted to my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It is another collaboration between me and my good friend, DC-MarvelGirl 1997. Once a gain, she has lent her voice acting talent to do a reading from X-Men Supreme, a fan fiction series I wrote years ago. Enjoy!
Jack Fisher's Official Publishing Blog 