Hi everyone! You may have noticed the blog has changed--again. This is now the one and only blog page, so no more navigating between Sci-fi/Fantasy and Just Stories. You may notice that all the former "Just Stories" blog posts are gone, with only the Sci-fi/Fantasy posts remaining here on this page. I did this because I'm beginning something new in the same vein as the Just Stories blog. 
   I'm starting a new blog series called Everyday Snippets. Through Everyday Snippets, I'll be describing something beautiful that I noticed in the previous week. It may be simply how the breeze rustles the leaves in the trees, or a simple act of kindness I witnessed someone perform. These snippets won't be long--likely only a couple of paragraphs at the most--but I hope that they will inspire each of you to look for something beautiful in your everyday lives. Look out for the first one next Thursday, with new ones being posted every subsequent Thursday!
   So, I know your probably wondering about the fates of the Sci-fi/Fantasy blog posts and the short stories. You'll be happy to know that I will continue my Sci-fi/Fantasy blog posts each Monday--the only difference is that you will read them right here on the new, consolidated Blog page alongside my Everyday Snippets each Thursday. As my most popular blog, I'm happy to continue the Sci-fi/Fantasy blog and bring some geeky conversation to your week!
   As for the short stories, nothing has changed! I will continue to post story updates, teasers, and release announcements right here on the blog. These announcements and teasers will probably come on unexpected days throughout the week, so make sure you stay tuned through social media!
   I hope these changes will make your experience on my website even more enjoyable. My goal is to create weekly blog posts that you can look forward to--something to brighten your day. I want to hear from you: what do you think about the changes to the blog? Do you think that a consolidated Blog page will make the site easier to navigate? Let me know in the comments below!

   Just this weekend, the trailer for the highly anticipated Justice League ​movie dropped. Missed it? You can watch it below:

   After seeing this movie (and this trailer), the question moviegoers and comic book fans will undoubtedly be asking themselves is, "How does this compare to the Avengers movies?" I know many of you will cast that vote based on your loyalty to Marvel or DC, which I get. I tend to gravitate towards Marvel movies; however, I've also liked the DC movies I've seen, so I like to think I'm pretty objective on this topic. 
   One observation that Wired magazine made with this trailer was that it's very dark. Indeed, they are correct--nary a bright color is seen in this gloomy-skies, dimly lit, drab-colored-costume trailer. (Don't get me wrong, I think the costumes look cool...but they are rather dull.) I realize that many of you may not find a problem with that. I think it's fine, but I do agree with Wired: "Honestly [Director] Zack: Would it kill you to turn a light on sometimes?" While it cannot be argued that the Avengers movies have grown darker in tone (and, in the case of Thor: The Dark World, dark in visuals as well), you can still watch them with the lights on. I will give DC credit for lightening the tone with a few jokes scattered in the trailer.
   That all being said, the special effects are quite nice. The battle scenes appear to be very well done, as has come to be expected of DC and Marvel movies. It is difficult to make a final judgment on the special effects compared to Marvel movies as there is a lot of fast-moving action and lens flaring in this particular trailer; however, they appear to be about on par with Marvel's Avengers. Take that how you want. 
   My final thought is that the scale of this movie seems to be much smaller than the Avengers. There are a lot of moving parts in the Avengers, with a broken S.H.I.E.L.D., a lingering division from Captain America: Civil War, hostile world governments, and not to mention more characters. I realize that there has been limited interaction between superheroes in the DC movies until now, but the Justice League seems small and incomplete in this movie. The lack of Superman appearances (due to his supposed death) are noticeable. I also know that there has been some governmental hostility and division between DC heroes (yes, I've seen Batman v. Superman), but, in stark contrast to Age of Ultron, there is no obvious opposition or disdain towards the Justice League in this trailer. I realize that these are not necessary pieces for a good superhero movie, but we are comparing this to the Avengers.
   I want to hear your thoughts. I'm sure many of you will be going to see this movie in November. What are your first impressions based on the trailer above? Do you agree or disagree with my analysis of the trailer? Let me hear you in the comments below! 

   The 20th century was, unfortunately, full of wars, many of which America became entangled in. We were desperate to stop these incessant wars, and, well, as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. In the midst of this, we strove to be on the cutting edge of combat technology. 
   Spearheading this effort was DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA was, and continues to be, vital to our nation's defense. Among DARPA's accomplishments are ARPANET, the predecessor to the modern World Wide Web; NavSat, an early GPS system; and much more. While it cannot be argued that DARPA has had success in many areas, they've also had their share of failures. But just because some things were failures doesn't mean they wouldn't have been super awesome. 
   Take, for example, the mechanical elephant, a quadrupedal machine piloted by one person. DARPA began developing this during the Vietnam War as a more efficient way to transport soldiers and equipment through the unforgiving Vietnam terrain:

(photo credit: secretprojects.co.uk)
   Look (and sound) familiar?

(photo credit: starwars.wikia.com)
   Yeah, it did to me, too. Of course, there are obvious differences: the AT-ACT pictured here is much larger (requiring two pilots) and is much more heavily weaponized than the mechanical elephant. But, I mean, you have to start somewhere, right? Well, obviously DARPA did not think the mechanical elephant (or a force field) were worth further investment, as the mechanical elephant never made it past the design phase. Though I hear that they are currently working on quadrupedal cargo-carrying robots, I want the mechanical elephant back. If there's a petition somewhere to resurrect it, please let me know and I'll sign it.
   What do you guys think? Do you wish DARPA hadn't killed off the mechanical elephant? Let me know in the comments below!

   It's a topic that has divided Star Wars fans for decades: the light side v. the dark side. Some are mesmerized by the uniform gray, red, black, and white colors of the Empire and the Sith; others are drawn to the underdog, ragtag, and a little disorderly Rebel Alliance (not to mention those beautiful X-Wings). Do you prefer the screaming engine of a departing TIE fighter or the whoosh of a Y-Wing jumping into hyperspace? Are you the type who would prefer your headquarters to be on a remote tropical planet, or do you fancy a cosmopolitan metropolis? Do you stick to protocol, or do what you have to do to get the mission done? Today, you'll have to evaluate yourself and choose the Rebel Alliance or the Empire.
   Imagine yourself in the Star Wars universe. Your home is a natural wonderland, rich with precious metals and other valuable resources some systems only dream of. But one day, the imposing shadow of a Star Destroyer envelops your small town. Before you know it, Stormtroopers are on the ground, with the barrels of their guns in your face. What do you do? Defect? Or grab whatever you can and fight? Click your choice below.

   What did you vote for? Let me know in the comments below!

   Before I begin, I guess I should inform you that I loved Power Rangers when I was younger. Like a lot. So, for you hardcore fans out there (and I know you're out there), please realize that I have no personal bias against the franchise. Any comments I make pertain only to the movie. Are we good?
    If you haven't seen the trailer for the new live-action Power Rangers film, I've included it here for your convenience. You're welcome.

   Now that the disclaimer and the trailer is out of the way, let's talk about the movie itself. With the advent of movies like Max Steel, we can see that studios are clearly starting the trend of live-action-ifying (if you know what I mean) children superhero series. ​I wrote a blog post about Max Steel before I saw it. In it, I discussed how it actually could be an entertaining movie; for the curious, you can check the whole post out yourself. However, I never followed up on that blog post after I actually saw the movie.
   Okay, so...it wasn't horrible. But it wasn't a Marvel or DC movie either. I would say that the most exciting thing about it was the special effects, which I have to say were very well done. To be honest, that was what got me excited about it in the first place. The storyline was mediocre and the action was short-lived. In some places, it felt more like a lackluster Spiderman clone. I felt a hint of dissatisfaction when I left the theater. I daresay the Power Rangers movie will be the same.
   If you've watched the trailer above, or any other trailer for the movie, you're instantly dazzled with colorful and robust special effects, right? Yeah, they are pretty good. However, my fear, and, indeed, my prediction, is that once we eat up all the meat of the franchise and the special effects, we'll be left with the bones of an unsatisfying story. For the sake of all you Power Rangers diehards, I hope I'm wrong, but we'll find out for sure on March 24th when the movie officially releases.
   Will you be going to see Power Rangers in theaters? Are you excited about it or not so much? Let me know in the comments below!

   I may or may not have mentioned this in the past, but I'm a huge Star Wars Rebels fan. It's funny because I didn't really get into it until the end of Season 2. I have watched every episode since. We are now approaching the end of Season 3, and things are getting good. Like, really good​. Let me explain.

(photo credit: starwars.com)
   I know many were big fans of Thrawn before he officially entered Star Wars canon (I had no idea who he was until Star Wars Rebels), and yet, I'm still not a fan. Why? Because I am hardcore Rebel, and Thrawn is the sworn enemy of the Alliance. The thing is, he's really good at his job. Throughout Season 3, we've seen him use his ruthless wit to study and slowly learn the Rebel's tatics. In spite of my personal dislike of him, he has given the Rebels many a close call so far in the season, and his signature ominous organ music is enough to make any Rebel quiver in their boots. Plus, this is one of my favorite shots of the whole season so far:

   Of course, the series has seen plenty of action before. However, most of this action was limited to run-ins with unsuspecting Imperials, bounty hunters, and the like. As season three has progressed, there is definitely a greater sense of struggle on the Rebel side and a greater sense of determination on the Imperial side. Most of this can be attributed to Thrawn's crafty tactics. In the most recent episode, we witnessed a new type of TIE fighter being tested under Thrawn's watch, the TIE Defender:

(photo credit: starwars.com)
   This thing is loaded with, as Ezra described it, "heavy cannons and shields." While it may look funky, (spoiler alert) it did give the Rebels a run for their money. And for now, it's only in the prototype phase. Who knows what it'll do once it's finished!

   With rumors of a new animated series swirling, I braced for a rough ending to Season 3, and, as a result, the series. (For those who have not seen Rogue One, spoilers ahead!) My worst fear was that the season would end with the Battle of Scarif and the Ghost crew would all die. I was relieved to hear that a fourth season is indeed coming. Details are scarce, however, LucasFilm says we can expect more at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando next month. I realize that the Battle of Scarif could be the ending for Season 4, but at least I have a little time to prepare myself for it. (I never saw the Ghost leaving Scarif, but I hope I'm wrong!)

​   So, any other Star Wars Rebels fans out there? Let me know your thoughts on the season so far in the comments below!