Roman FREAKING Reigns

Dear Vince McMahon,
               As a long time fan (been watching since the mid 80's), dedicated to your brand of sports entertainment, WWE, I, along with many other fans, are disappointed with your pick of Roman Reigns to headline Wrestlemania again.

Mr. McMahon, as owner and president of WWE, you have amassed some of the best wrestling talent in the world. However, you should have signed Kenny Omega when you had the chance. The current iteration of The Club could indeed have been better. Maybe now you'll be interested in the talents of Cody Rhodes instead of wasting him on a lame gimmick like Stardust and ultimately letting him go. Others like Bad News Barrett, Alberto del Rio, and Rey Mysterio, among others, should never have been let go in the first place.

Mr. McMahon, I don't know if you can hear the fan reactions when certain superstars entrance music pops. When Seth Rollins or Finn Balor come out the crowd goes nuts. When Roman Reigns music hits, the crowd boos incessantly, much the same way they do with John Cena. This doesn't necessarily take anything away from those wrestlers, but it does show a lack of respect for the fans to push someone so hard who is so disliked by the WWE Universe. I say this because once in a while, the suspension of disbelief has to be backed up with fan support. For far too long the brand has been ran the same, relying on oversized muscular men to build a larger-than-life spectacle which is now the WWE. Mind you, however that it isn't the 1980's, 90's, or early 2000's any longer. The Taker is retired, for all intents and purposes. Same with the Rock, HHH, Sean Michaels, Edge and Christian, and a whole slew of other talent that can and never will be recreated or replaced... but now in a new era, there are new talented and hungry superstars that would love to get a shot. The big push, however, seems to always go to Roman Reigns, recently.
It was leaked out last year, right after Wrestlemania that the plan for Wrestlemania the following year in 2018 had already been decided as Roman Reigns vs the beast Brock Lesnar meaning Reigns will headline the flagship show for the 4th time. I realize with all the hype that has been given to Lesnar that a hero figure must rise up to contend for the title. I get that. The problem I, along with many others, have is the person you continuously pick in Roman Reigns, who is NOT the most talented person on the roster. Reigns uses about 8-9 moves in total and often flubs his lines on the Mic. His moves are as follows:
1) Superman punch

2) Straight right slap or punch

3) Torso kick

4) Deadlift or other type of powerbomb

5) Clothesline, either standing or jumping

6) Drive-by kick

7) Spear

8) Occasional suplex or rarer superplex
... and don't forget the infamous headlock

Monday night RAW is abound with talent like Titus O'Neil, Apollo Crews, Matt Hardy, Cesaro, Sheamus, Miz, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and the Good Brothers/Club, Elias, among others like Jason Jordan, Jeff Hardy, Dean Ambrose, and Samoa Joe, that are currently injured. The point is that it's not always necessary to go to the well with part-timers like Cena, Goldberg, Taker, Kane, and Lesnar, to name a few.
The way to improve the brand and ultimately the long term future of the WWE brand is to utilize your talent better. Not every star has to be a "monster" body builder. In fact, the middleweight guys like Rollins and Balor are better than most of the larger heavyweights. Although, I do think the fans would rather see Strowman get a push over someone like Reigns.

I appreciate the way you have improved the brand by bringing back the Cruiserweight division/205 Live and giving high profile matches like the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber to the women's division.
Please stop the endless push to Roman Reigns, though.

A sincere fan,
Quiet Mouse

New Resolutions

Namaste and welcome my friends, family, and fellow knowledge seekers. Thank you for reading my posting today.

For a new year there are many resolutions that could be made, for a whole plethora of reasons. I've never, personally, been one to make new years resolutions, for my own reasons... mostly excuses.
This year is different, however. I have had illness a lot in my life. Cancer couldn't keep me down, not once nor twice. I'm a survivor through and through. I've faced death. I've faced demons. I've sacrificed for myself, my family and friends, and for my country when I served in the U.S. Navy. I've been fearful. I've shed blood, sweat, and tears. I've been cursed and I've been blessed. For all of this I've come out and grown to be a stronger man, ALWAYS working to be better, ONLY in competition with my SELF to be better than yesterday.  All this is true.

Recently I have been in the grips of sickness. I was shook. For years Western medicine has failed me, as it fails millions more every day; every year... recently I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease and a dysfunctional gallbladder. The doctors are recommending surgery to remove my gallbladder. Even with advances in modern medicine surgery is still surgery. It's still traumatic to your body which can never function at 100% with a missing organ.
For this reason I have chosen to take my life and health back into my own hands, but with the help and support of others.

Veganuary got off to a great start as my family and I started our alternative, plant-based diet. I didn't want to call myself or my family vegan. Somehow the title has been associated with Nazi-like Gestapo behavior by those who still chose to imbibe meat and dairy products. This is what I was lead to believe. What I discovered is far worse. YES, there are the vegans that choose to be assholes to meat eaters, but...
I've personally found that meat eaters are WAY BIGGER ASSHOLES toward vegans than vegans are towered them. Since the diet change, HATERS have come out of the woodwork to be jerks and to cast shame and doubt onto my family's decision. I've even had to deal with my 2 youngsters being hateful of three idea. Mind you how I wrote that. They're hateful of the IDEA. Because I'm a trained chef I have the skills and knowledge to not only make this diet work, but I believe we can have lasting and successful results. That doesn't stop the haters, though.
We keep getting asked where we are getting enough protein from? Veggies.
We keep getting asked where we are getting our nutrients from? Veggies.
Not enough people are asking the important question... where are you getting your fiber from?

I have gone from DAILY morning sickness with vomiting and nausea, to almost completely free of that burden, only feeling nausea 2 times in the last 3 weeks. I realize that we are new to this and results vary from person to person, but I'm grateful for this positive feeling (except for having to deal with haters and skeptics). On that note, my wife and I have begun an unofficial video and photo diary documenting our health, our fitness, and our new way of cooking. Even though I went to culinary school, I really do believe that this diet is not only affordable, but easy to do. The industries that stand to fail are busy pumping out hatre and misinformation against veg heads to keep the gravy train coming from their carnivore consumers. The big pharma industry wants to keep making billions per year selling you medicine for your blood pressure, GERD, diabetes, heart disease, etc., etc.
The cure is in your diet.

This isn't a huge soap box to try to convert ANY ONE to my new diet or lifestyle choices. In fact this really isn't about any one else but ME and MY family. We love it. We're eating MORE good food than before, LESS fast food and soda, and having MORE positive feelings both physically and emotionally. I've even felt more of a spiritual connection with the universe and planet recently.
If it's not the diet for you... I understand. If you want to eat meat and animal products, then by all means risk your health. That's YOUR business, NOT mine. As I wrote, I am NOT trying to convert the masses, only share my story. Over the next month's and year I will be posting more about this subject and our successes. I've already lost 10lbs and am gonna keep it off. Today I'm making veggie tamales in my instant pot. Some of my meals this past month have included pad Thai, pho, corn and potato chowder, fried rice with crisp pot stickers, curried tofu and veggies, Mexican rice bowls, fajitas, tempeh, etc.

The point is that it IS possible to be vegan and eat healthier on a budget. It usually requires a bit of prep, cutting fresh fruits and vegetables, and organization in the kitchen. You CAN eat healthy on a budget. I encourage EVERYONE to grow your own veggies in your own garden. Or join a co-op and share the bounty of your harvest with friends and family. Visit and support your local farmers markets as well as good veggie friendly stores like Chucks Produce and New Seasons markets. Point is that you CAN live a happy, healthy lifestyle that is free from animal cruelty and harmful to your body. You just have to get past the psychology of it, as it is mostly mental. Protein is created by plants. The only supplement needed is B12 and that's easy to find.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, Namaste. Mind, body, and soul are all connected. They are the real trinity. Treat yourself well. Eat healthy and change the world. 

Marvel vs. DC: Infinite

Namaste and welcome to my blog, I am the one and only Quiet Mouse. As you most likely know I'm a geek. I love science fiction and fantasy everything, from comic books to movies to cosplay. This posting is #4 in my series of blogs about Marvel vs. DC and their continued battle in both the comic book and cinema aspects.

I must admit, up front, my bias toward Marvel, however... I grew up reading comics with the Green Lantern, Superman, Batman., and all the villains that DC has made more interesting than their heroes, but whatever. I actually enjoyed the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight movies with Christian Bale in the lead role as Batman. I was stunned and deeply saddened by the untimely death of Heath Ledger after his engrossing performance becoming the Joker in real life and on film. Same with the passing of Christopher Reeve  who is still the best Superman to this day. Sorry Henry Cavill. I'll even go out on a limb and say the Suicide Squad was better than the critics gave it credit for, mostly thanks to Will Smith and the dude who played Diablo. But seriously... who the fuck is Captain Boomerang, lol?


Okay, time to get down to the brass tacks. We are coming to the end of 2017 and we've seen the likes of Guardians of the galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man Homecoming, Lego Batman, Wonder Woman, Thor: Ragnarok, and the Justice League to finish off the year for comic movies... well, I guess Star Wars: the Last Jedi counts too since there have been comic adaptations of the gigantic Star Wars galaxy/ universe. That movie should kick supreme ass, no doubt.
Back to the meat and potatoes...

Guardians 2 was good, but not quite as great as the novelty of the first one. They brought in a bigger galaxy of celestial beings, humor, and a sense of family.
Overall I'll give it a rating of 86% on the QM scale. +4 from RT.
Opening weekend: 146.5 million
Total gross worldwide: >863.5 million
Rotten Tomatoes score 82%

Spider-Man Homecoming showed that Tom Holland is the real deal. He made quite the impact in CA Civil War and kept the story and intrigue for his mostly solo film. Iron man Tony Stark added contrast to the aspiring teen superhero and Michael Keeton wowed as the Vulture Adrian Toomes.
Overall I'll give it a rating of 91% on the QM scale. -1 from RT
Opening weekend: 117 million
Total gross worldwide: 880.1 million
Rotten Tomatoes score 92%

Thor: Ragnarok was just outright AMAZING!!! We hadn't seen our 2 main heroes Hulk and Thor since the end of Avengers Age of Ultron, but boy did they come back to the cinema screen with a bang. The usual cast of Thor, Loki, Odin, and Heimdall were supplemented by Hulk, obviously, Jeff Goldblum as the eccentric Grandmaster, Valkyrie, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Karl Urban as the Executioner, as well as 2 superb cameos from Matt Damon and Sam Neil, both playing actors in a dramatic play on Asgard for Loki pretending to be Odin. The character development, humor, and overall action experience of the "Revengers" stunned audiences visually, but left you with that open feeling leading toward the culmination of the MCU beginning with the Infinity War.
Overall I'll be generous and give this movie a rating of 95% on the QM scale. +3 from RT
Opening weekend: 121 million
Total gross worldwide: >650 million after approximately 4 weeks in theaters. That's pretty impressive... hell, I want to go see it again
Rotten Tomatoes score 92%

I've talked about the Marvel movies, so let me talk about the DC movies from this year as well.

Wonder Woman actually wasn't horrible. It did feel eerily similar to the Captain America: the First Avenger at some points, but I do think that Gal Gadot played the role well overall. Ares was an unusual villain choice, but with it being basically an origins movie, we had to see a former Harry Potter alumni cast as the villain. Despite the overall success of this movie, I don't think it will do much to combat Marvel in supremacy of the cinema comic universe of characters. I DO, however think that this movie DID do a LOT of good for female super heroes, PROVING that there IS a genre and niche there with more and more women becoming fans of comics, comic movies, and geek material in general.
I'll give it a QM rating of 89%. -3 from RT
Opening weekend: 103 million
Total gross worldwide: 821.7 million
Rotten Tomatoes score 92%

and lastly...
Justice League has been generally seen by critics as "a big missed opportunity". I personally have not yet seen this film, but DO plan on seeing it within the next couple weeks upon which time I will report back my subjective findings on the film. From the start it seemed like a big stretch, primarily since DC has never been able to get away from the big 3 of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Combing that with internal conflict within Warner Bros. micromanaging and alienating director Zach Snyder to quitting, it looked like doom and gloom. Enter savior Joss Whedon who directed Marvel's Avengers. Seems like a conflict of interest and true to my initial concern, many of the reviews felt like he just remade the Avengers, but with DC's less than stellar side-kicks like Cyborg, Aquaman, and Flash.
No QM rating as of yet...
Opening weekend: 93.8 million (much less than even Wonder Woman)
Worldwide gross: 279 million
Rotten Tomatoes score 41%

Moving on, I want to talk about 2018.

Black Panther opens the season February 16. We will likely see the 6th Infinity stone: the soul stone present itself in this film which leads directly into the Avengers Infinity War against Thanos and his minions of evil which hits theaters May 4th, followed by Ant Man and the Wasp July 6th.

We've now seen on 11/29/17 the official release of the movie trailer for the Infinity War. It really feels like we are coming to a culmination of story that started 10 years ago in 2008 with Iron Man. Currently 17 movies into an arc taking place over 22 films, with only 5 more to go. After the Infinity arc, Disney and Marvel have stated that 20 more movies are planned to happen. Phase 4 and beyond sound like they're going to be quite something. We know for sure now that those movies will include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man 2 (don't know if it's going to be called Homecoming 2 or get a new title), and Doctor Strange 2. Kevin Feige said on record that he does indeed want to do a Black Widow solo movie, but I haven't heard any confirmation on that yet as all the movies POST- Avengers 4 are being kept HUSH-HUSH.
If the first official trailer for the Avengers Infinity War doesn't get you excited, than you may be Drax's wife... (watch GotG 2). Admittedly, I went and showed it to everyone who would sit still for 2 and a half minutes to see the trailer on my new Samsung Galaxy Note 8. I really think this movie MIGHT just be the nail in the coffin for Warner/DCEU, but you decide and let me know.

I would love it if you would please leave comments about this blog posting, among others. Thank you for your time and I hope your day is EXCELSIOR!