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Watch The Original THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Trilogy!

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Way back in the Seventies, live action super-heroes were a rarity.  Both in television and the movies, these characters were dismissed as children's properties and with the exception of Batman, Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk, none had really found much success.

The Amazing Spider-Man appeared as a tv movie in September 1977 before being picked up for a total of thirteen episodes. 
 

Nicholas Hammond, a former Von Trapp kid from Sound of Music and a memorable appearance on the Brady Bunch ("Sorry Marcia, something suddenly came up") played Peter Parker.  Other characters from the comics making the transition included J. Jonah Jameson, Aunt May and in the pilot, "Robbie" Robinson.

Even though the series wasn't tremendously faithful to the source material, it was fun and had The Wall Crawler face such menaces as an evil clone, ninjas, religious cults, and mind control.  Overseas, several episodes were edited together making a trilogy of feature films.  Check them out after the jump.


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Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: G.I. JOE S3 #15, THE V-WARS #1, DREAM POLICE #1 plus VINE #1

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The Joes seem to be wrapping up another season, can it be over for G.I. Joe proper until the fall?  IDW gets bloody with a new violent vampire tale with V-Wars #1 by best selling author Jonathan Mayberry while over at Image JMS cues Cheap Trick for Dream Police #1.

With all the talk about the ComiXology and Amazon changes, we forget that ComiXology still supports indie comics, so we shift focus to an independent book featuring flora vs. the deadliest game in The Vine #1.


G.I. JOE - SEASON 3 #15 (Final Issue)
WRITER: Paul Allor
ART: Steve Kurth
Publication Date: April 30, 2014
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400431101511
Buy it HERE



“Yo, Joe! See You Next Fall?” - Sometimes a volume ends with much fanfare, or at least some warning in the solicits gives it away.

Not the case here, I was surprised to see a thank you page listing all of the creators involved with the initial Fred Van Lente’s run on the book and beyond after leaving after issue #11.

The young and talented Paul Allor took a look at the back story of Cobra Commanders, miming the main point of Hickman’s S.H.I.E.L.D. that embedded Cobra into the fabric of human history.

The latest and final issue continues and concludes last month’s arc that has Cover Girl and team responding to a Cobra operative Siren looking to rescue her son from a Cobra brainwashing and training camp. The camp is run by a female Big Boa and indoctrinates the youth to be good Vipers someday.

Cobra son Isaac doesn’t seem to want to be rescued, but Roadblock, Hashtag and Cover Girl do their best to undo the brainwash and return the rest of the kids to their parents.

A fun story, a fun ‘season’ of Joe, all wrapped up here. Van Lente borrowed from everything Joe including Sunbow, Devil’s Due, A Real American Hero and the toy lines to give a fresh injection to the storyline that is different from Hama or Dixon’s approach to the characters. Allor continued the vibe on his fill-in issues and to great success.

What is next for the IDW Joes? A teaser page for September’s The Fall of G.I. Joe with a teaser ‘you will always need us’.

That’s true. I know I will! Yo Joe!

Allor confirmed on twitter this morning a ‘soft reboot’ for the fall.


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MST3K: Five of My Favorite Mike Episodes

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Mike Nelson, in my humble eyes, is by and far one the best byproducts to come out of the Midwest.

Although now settled in California, he spent the earlier years of his life in Illinois, Wisconsin, and of course, the birthplace of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Minnesota.

Handsome, quippy, and wildly clever, Mike has given us beloved viewers constant laughs at an alarming rate. Growing up with Mike, Tom, Crow, and Gypsy had a lasting impact on me.


I found myself wanting to learn the obscure names and events they would often reference. I owe my long lasting interest of intertwining humor and intelligence together to the MST3K crew. For that, I’m so grateful. I’m also mildly resentful because I turned out to be a great, big nerd. THANKS, GUYS.

Exactly ten years ago, I visited Milwaukee and stumbled upon an absolutely jaw-dropping record and video store. Let’s just say, they carried everything you couldn’t find anywhere else. At the time, MST3K was still pretty hard to come by. And lucky duck that I am, I happened upon a DVD box set that contained The Legend of Boggy Creek II, Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders, Time Chasers, and The Touch of Satan. A very Mikey boxset indeed.

Needless to say, I bought the living bejesus out of it.

I can say, without a doubt in my mind, that in 2004 I went from being a hardcore fan of MST3K to a full on MSTie. Holding hard copies of these episodes in my little lady hands was such a thrill. I would put them on the projector whenever I would host parties and recruited new fans by the boatload. I still have that box set, however, it’s far more beat up than when I originally bought it.

I actually kind of love it that way.

Now, in the Beginner’s Guide to Mystery Science Theater 3000, I previously preached my disgusting, unbridled love for three Mike episodes: Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders, Final Sacrifice, as well as Soultaker.

Obviously, if I felt the need for you to watch them then, I still feel that deep, deep need now.

However, I’d like to share five more of my personal favies with you in delicious chronological order.

How’s that sound, sugar?


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Make A Super Mario Bros. KOOPA TROOPA Burger...It Has Bacon, So You Know It's Gonna Be Awesome

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In light of Bob Hoskins passing away the other day (and the fact that all things Mario is worth being written about), I think it's only fitting that we honor Mr Hoskins (who happened to play Mario in the god-awful Super Mario Bros. movie) by making a couple Koopa Troopa burgers out of bacon, hot dogs, ground meat and food coloring.

I mean, it may not seem like much of an honor for a man who made other, better films, but hell, anything with bacon is fine by me.

And really, who wouldn't want to sink their teeth into a memorial burger that looks like this:


Yeah, I thought so.

To create this awesomeness click HERE to head over to Instructables contributer Candida's step-by-step instructions in creating a masterpiece that your friends and family (but especially kids and old gamers like me) would appreciate.

Just remember to eat them, not jump on them....these burgers aren't worth any points except the culinary kind.

Source: Foodiggity

 

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Chris McVeigh's Retro Technology Lego Kits Will Have You Weeping For Yesteryear

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Nostalgia is a powerful thing and one that can bring you to your knees if you aren't careful. For me, whenever I see my Atari 2600 game console, I am immediately propelled backward in time some 30 years where I witness the younger me entranced by game graphics that would make you weep if you saw them today, and who, upon completing her fifth hour of Cosmic Ark, will have become a real "Gamer".

Artist Cris McVeigh understands the particular draw of nostalgia and has thus created an amazing selection of Lego kits featuring retro technology that will not only have you weeping from the bombardment of memories entering your noggin at lightening speed, they will leave you panting to own them all.

And luckily you can (because McVeigh also understands that nostalgia can be packaged and sold as well).

From the aforementioned Atari 2600:

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Don't Like the Color of Your Nipples? Japan Has You Covered (NSFW)

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Dafuq?

I've never given much thought to the color of my nipples or my areolas simply because I'm too busy thinking about things like "Will I have enough money to pay the mortgage?" or "If I'm pooping blood should I have that looked at?" but perhaps I should waste a few minutes of my life (which might be ending if Web-MD is right about the blood poop thing) contemplating if my nipple color is appalling to my husband who prefers his nipples (and surrounding areas) pink like a...flower?

Seeing that mine are the color of undercooked caramel, I might need one of Japan's finest nipple color products, Pinky Queen Top Pack, a powder that will turn your apparently grotesque brown nipples a pinkish hue that smells like a rose...yes, your nipples will smell like a bouquet of freaking flowers:

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18 Famous People Who Are Missing Body Parts

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Apparently April was Amputee Month and nobody told me until I was catching up on all my YouTube channel videos, and now I feel bad because I didn't post one missing limb or Boxing Helena articles all month (and god, there are so many to choose from too) so dammit.

But, since there is nothing wrong with a belated video about people missing body parts (I am, after-all an editor on this site and my power is absolute...or so I tell the writers working here) here is a great one by one of my favorite YouTube channels/magazines of all time, Mental Floss.

You know, I really need to start writing all these holidays down...

Video after the break.

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GEEKS-IXUM OVERDRIVE: My Favorite Nerd-World Vehicles

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I've never really been a car geek.

You've read exploits of my many, many geekeries, but automobiles ain't one of 'em.

But I recently had to buy a new car. When I am purchasing a car, I turn into a car guy.

For a brief time, I think of crankshafts and suspensions and cylinders and horsepower. Interiors and trunk space, aerodynamics and chrome. Intake vents and McPherson struts, dual exhausts and laser-cut projector headlamps.

After some research and car-gazing, I purchased a Ford Fusion, as it fulfilled all my wants for my 150-mile daily work commute: a four-door vehicle with sharp performance, aggressive style, lots of tech/entertainment features and plush comfort – all for a bargain price.

I am enjoying the new ride, and for now I am indulging the waning car nerd. It made me think: What are my favorite fictional vehicles from my superhero/sci-fi nerdery? Strap yourself in, pilgrim.


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Save 16% All MAY From Our Friends At SUPERHERO STUFF!

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It's May!

Summer movie season has begun!  We've already had the fantastic Captain America: The Winter Soldier and tomorrow The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is released and in two short weeks we'll have the latest X-Men installment, Days of Future Past!

Which means lots of awesome merchandise available from our friends at SuperheroStuff.comand we've got a coupon code saving FOG! readers 16% off through the month.


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Read an Excerpt From 'SONGS ONLY YOU KNOW' By Sean Madigan Hoen

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Thoughts of Ionesco frontman Sean Madigan Hoen has written his first book, Songs Only You Know: A Memoir for Soho Press.

Songs Only You Know: A Memoir plunges the reader into Detroit's hardcore punk scene with eighteen-year-old Sean and spans a dark decade during which his father succumbs to crack addiction, his younger sister spirals into a fatal depression, and his sense of home crumbles. Sean's salvation is music, and the many eccentrics and outsiders he befriends as frontman of Thoughts of Ionesco, a band referred to by Spin as "an art-core mindfuck."

Sean's prose whips from mordantly funny to searingly honest while offering an unflinching look at a family in crisis, low-rent music subculture, and the hard-earned identity of its author. A story of young manhood that deserves a place alongside Tobias Wolff's This Boy's Life and Nick Flynn's Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Songs Only You Know is a beautiful, devastating exploration of family, friends, and one young man's musical dream. It marks the arrival of a fiercely original literary voice.

And we've got an excerpt for you! Check it out after the jump!

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HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Collector's Edition Comes to Blu-ray Combo 5/27

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PREPARE FOR THE NEXT SOARING ADVENTURE WITH THE RE-RELEASE OF A SPECIAL COLLECTORS EDITION OF THE ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINATED     

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

Highly anticipated “How to Train Your Dragon 2” opens on June 13th only in theaters

Just in time for the premiere of DreamWorks Animation’s highly-anticipated sequel, the Academy Award®-nominated HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON flies into stores loaded with Viking-sized bonus features, including an exciting episode from the studio’s hit television series “DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk.” Packages also include a code for up to $7.50 off one movie ticket to see How to Train Your Dragon 2 in theaters.* (*While supplies last).

Hailed as “spectacular” (Access Hollywood), “funny and touching” (Rolling Stone), HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON rolls fire-breathing action, epic adventure and laughs into a captivating and original story of a young Viking named Hiccup who defies tradition and befriends a dragon.

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THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (review)

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Review by Benn Robbins
Produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach
Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, 
Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner
Story by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, 
Jeff Pinkner and James Vanderbilt
Based on Spider-Man by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Directed by Marc Webb
Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, 
Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, 
Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, 
Paul Giamatti, Sally Field


After watching The new Amazing Spider-Man film by Sony and Marvel Entertainment all I can say is, I really hope they just give back the franchise to Marvel Entertainment as a whole because what I saw was more like the "Eh"-Mazing Spider-Man.

Never did so much action, excitement, and emotion leave me so tremendously underwhelmed and empty as this film did.

Their aim was true but like the drunk spider videos I watch on YouTube, the can never really hit the mark and get it right.

Mostly to blame, I feel, are the dynamic writing duo from J.J. Abrams's bullpen, Alex Kutrzman and Marc Orci, the two responsible for penning such gems as The Island, Transformers, Cowboys & Aliens and the two reboot Star Trek films.

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHNNNNN!!!

These two write like 15 year olds who love the genre of comics but never really get what actually makes comics good, and fun to read.

Yes, they have action.

Yes, they have funny dialogue, but what they always seem to lack is heart and soul.

I never really feel anything or anyone these two write about. Like I discussed with my friend, who saw the film with me, I never feel any emotional connection with any of the characters. And that is the one thing, probably the only thing, that is important in a Marvel comic/film.

Stan Lee prides himself on writing emotional characters with real world problems and issues that audiences feel a connection with. The everyday person who just happens to have superpowers.

Ask him, he will be glad to tell you all about it.

Trust me.

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FADING GIGOLO (review)

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Review by Benn Robbins
Produced by Bill Block, Paul Hanson, 
Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte
Written  and Directed by John Turturro
Starring John Turturro,Woody Allen, 
Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis, 
Liev Schreiber, Max Casella, Bob Balaban


Fading Gigolo is a very refreshing film about connection and the basic human need: Love.

It is the fifth film by actor/director John Turturro and it is one of his finest.

Told against the backdrop of New York City, Fading Gigolo begins as Turturro’s character, Fioravante, a quiet florist and his good friend, Murray, perfectly played by Woody Allen are packing up the last of Murray’s antique books store as it closes forever.

As they pack up the books Murray tells Fioravante of a strange happening at his dermatologist's office.

Murray’s doctor, Dr. Parker, played by Sharon Stone, mentions to him that she and her beautiful girlfriend might be interested in a menage a trios and did he know anyone who might be interested.

To which Murray turns to his friend and says, “I was thinking of you.”

Seeing the potential of financial gain and with his failed bookstore gone, Murray begins to convince Fioravante, who is also in need of money, that he should go ahead with it. Thus a very strange, sometimes awkward and usually funny partnership is born with Murray, now dubbing himself Don Bongo and Fioravante, now calling himself, Virgil as his “ho”.

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Make Your Own Cat Turd-Smelling Dog Treats For Your Disgusting Canine

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If you have a dog, like mine, who looks at cat turds as if they were treats from the ass of god himself, then perhaps you would like to join me (and chef Alton Brown) in creating dog treats not festering with possible viruses (or kitty litter) but still smells like it exited the anus of their favorite feline.

Gross sounding, I know, but let's get real here, wouldn't you rather hand over a healthy snack to your little shit-eater filled with goodness rather than having a guest watch your dog chowing down on a pile of cat leavings?

I know I would.

So watch the video the after the break (and click the link HERE for the recipe itself...that way you don't have to write it down during the video) and start cooking.

What I won't do for that damn dog.

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LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES: 'Toys Search For Meaning In the 1984 Disney Flick 'Where the Toys Come From'

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Kids live on the surface of their existence, unfettered by the internal struggle that all adults face as they get older when, in the dead of night, questions like, "Why am I here?" and "Does anything I do mean anything?" plague them.

It is a trait that most everyone in their late-thirties on up wish they possessed once again.

Unfortunately, there are times when the spark of introspection is triggered in someone young, say a ten year-old girl who nonchalantly decided to watch a Made-For-TV movie from Disney back in 1984 about toys searching for where they came from and walked away from that short hour-long flick filled with questions of her own, leading to the all-consuming malaise that cloaks me her still to this day.  

(sigh)

After the break is that very movie so watch it with a glass of wine to comfort you...you may need it.

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'And Then They Were 3!' – A Look Back at FANTASTIC FOUR #381

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This week, all the mainstream news outlets were breaking a huge story about an Earth-shattering development in Marvel Comics.

Headline after headline after headline, all in giant fonts and bold letters screamed the same “news” item over and over again…

MARVEL IS KILLING OFF A MAJOR CHARACTER!

“Is it true?! Is Marvel really killing of a major character?! How do you feel about that?”

And even some of my pals who’ve read comics for as long as I have got caught up.

“I can’t believe Marvel’s doing this! This is bullsh*t!”

I tell ya, whenever Marvel makes headlines about shuffling a major character off this mortal coil, I always get… nostalgic. I think back on the first time I saw the company kill a major character. I think back on a little story billed on the cover as…

“FOUR… NO MORE!”

Confession time; I love the Fantastic Four. For me, like so many others, the work Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did on the book stands as a testament not just to what comic book storytelling is capable of, but science fiction storytelling as well. 

The creations of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, depicted by John Byrne

And then you throw in runs from guys like John Byrne, Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo, Walt Simonson and the recent genius that was the Jonathon Hickman run and you get a book that is a regular showcase for what an entire genre and medium is capable of.

I wish I could say the Stan and Jack run was my first exposure to the book, or that it was John Byrne’s The Trial of Galactus that hooked me. But it wasn’t.

No, Mr. Tom DeFalco gets the honor of hooking a young Chris and he did it with issue #381.

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Boston Cinegeeks! We've Got Tickets For Jon Favreau's CHEF!

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When Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), his friend (John Leguizamo) and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen -- and zest for life and love.  'CHEF' also starsBobby Cannavale, Oliver Platt, Scarlett Johanssonand Robert Downey, Jr..

For your chance to attend the advanced screening of CHEF on Tuesday, May 13 at 7pm at the Regal Fenway, go to www.gofobo.com/RSVP and enter the code FOGBGWA.

Double Feature Movie Show: NOT BASED ON A TRUE STORY

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There are a lot of films out there that are “based on a true story.”

Some actually are, but a few are…well…just not.

Sure, they may be inspired by something real.

Vaguely.

Or maybe not at all.

But, they’ve really been sold as being totally true.

Here’s a good double feature of two of the best not true true stories.

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MUSIC VIDEO MONDAY: Rebel Girl- Bikini Kill

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It's funny how easy it is to fall asleep. I'm not talking about drifting off to dreamland at the end of the day or finding yourself falling into the sweet unconsciousness in the middle of the afternoon, what I'm referring to is how effortless it is to let go of all the things that we felt so passionate about in our late-teens and early twenties, and instead, embrace the perceived complexities of adulthood and responsibility. We fall asleep when we get older (at least for most of us) and let go of what we believe is childish things.

We forget how to be rebellious.

But sometimes, we wake up, and that spark of rebelliousness starts to glow bright once again. That light can get lit by the smallest of things: the smell of pot at an outdoor concert, the feel of an old flannel shirt against your skin, a song playing in the background that reminds you of when all you wanted to see was the world burn and be reborn.

And that sleep ends.

Yesterday I found a blank, unmarked CD, put it on and I woke up. It was as simple as that. The first song was Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill and I remembered everything, not in the typical shades of nostalgia pink, but in real life red. From the first shriek of Kathleen Hannah's tough and beautiful voice, the lyrics tumbled out, each word punching me from all sides, tossing me like an abusive mother awakening a child:That girl thinks she's the queen of the neighborhood/She's got the hottest trike in town/That girl she holds her head up so high/I think I want to be her best friend, yeah.

I wore cut-off jeans with tights, I laced up combat boots that rubbed the sides of my calves raw, I put on comic character shirts (made by me). I wrote chapbooks of poetry with third-wave feminist leanings. I worked in a used bookstore. I went to concerts. I had crushes on every girl punk band. I wrote their lyrics on my arms. Danced at the front of the stage. I was free. I was unabashedly unapologetic. I was happy.

Then I forgot...somehow I forgot that once upon a time I was a riot grrrl who wasn't afraid of the system, of politics, of pushing the boundaries of polite society.

I am waking up, all of us girls/women are. We are remembering what it was like to be combative and angry and creative and powerful.

The fourth-wave of feminism is churning and it's rolling back into shore...it's waking us up one at a time and it sounds just like a song.

This song.

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And You Think YOU Have Problems: Meet Frank Selak, The Luckiest Unluckiest Man Alive

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Cartoon Frank Doesn't Live Any Better Than Real-Life Frank

For work I am on all manners of social media outlets. I have to be, as a writer I must build what is known in the industry as a "Platform". It is a Sisyphusian life. I update my status. I write 140 characters or less describing a feeling or announcing that my newest post has dropped and gone live. I post pictures of my dog wearing various Star wars costumes. I tell publishers that "Yes, my followers are increasing, I'll let you know when it reaches the number that will somehow allow you to see fit in publishing my book".

It is a life that can take it's toll.

But these are nothing if not First World problems and something I am ashamed of actually. I have food, shelter, a comfortable place to watch hours of Netflix and yet, I still manage to complain.

Whenever I browse Facebook I am moaning, Twitter gives me an ulcer, Tumblr is filled with nothing but Bob's Burgers Gifs and pictures of dicks and I grumble and feel bad that I am forced to deal with it all.

I am an asshole.

And you know how I know this? Because I discovered Frank Selak, a man for whom life has fucked and rewarded simultaneously. And believe me when I tell you that is not an overstatement.

If you are like me, a complete self-obsessed asshole, then watch the video about Frank after the break. Trust me, you'll feel a whole lot better about your Sub-par Denny's experience after watching it.

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