Playmakers

With another season of baseball about to start I thought it would be appropriate to showcase a baseball themed toy.  I came upon Playmakers MLB toys one day when I was in a toy store looking for anything interesting.  This toy instantly caught my attention because I love baseball.  When I was a kid I used to collect baseball cards, and I know if these toys were around back then I would also have collected them.  Playmakers are made by McFarlane Toys, a company that has been making sports figure toys for years.

This time around, McFarlane Toys offers MLB players in a 4inch scale.  For the first series some of baseball’s current fan favourites were included such as Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Beckett, and many more.  Most players come in two versions, either batting or fielding; though pitchers and David Ortiz only come in one version.  Each sports figure is highly poseable because they have over 20 moving parts.  The version I have is of Derek Jeter in a white pinstripe Yankees uniform.  The quality of these toys is really impressive when compared to the price they cost (Canadian retail $9.99 plus tax), and the size they come in.  These toys are a great collectable and will be fantastic to have around once the new MLB season begins.

McFarlane Toys:

www.mcfarlane.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDh6griDDpo

Happy Meal

When I was growing up my parents never took us (kids) to McDonalds very often.  Fast food was simply a treat we enjoyed a few times a year.  Meanwhile, I remember other kids whose parents would take them multiple times a week.  Now that I’m older I am so thankful that they raised us (fed us) on home cooked meals.  I still stick to the same discipline I had as a child by eating fast food once in a while.  However the one item I had to have this week was a Happy Meal.  I hadn’t bought one in years, but remembered those years long ago when they would bring a smile to my face.  I think one of my first toy memories from a Happy Meal was a Fraggle Rock vegetable car toy.  One of the reasons I was motivated to buy a Happy Meal was because I noticed that McDonalds had brought back the Happy Meal box.  For the last few years they had been using plain paper bags that weren’t as special.  What makes the box so special is that it’s almost like a present that you know will have good food inside and include an awesome toy.  Regardless of age, a Happy Meal is bound to bring a smile to your face.

McDonald’s Happy Meal:

www.happymeal.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb4sTWCyTno

New Avatar

Whenever I check out youtube videos of people I’m subscribed to, I’m always impressed by how much time and effort people put into decorating their channel.  One thing that I’m always amazed at is when they transform themselves into cartoon characters.  That got me thinking the other day, why don’t I do that myself?  The only problem was that I haven’t drawn in years, and felt intimidated to draw again.  I also wanted to avoid the feeling of frustration when my pencil wouldn’t draw what I was picturing in my mind.

Nevertheless I sat down today and faced my fears and just started drawing.  I put on a little music as well to get me inspired.  While drawing characters that look amazing is essential, what is most important is finding your own style.  I honestly respect originality more than I do an art piece that looks good but has been done before.  In order to make the cartoon version of me represent my own style, I decided to add a couple of features that are distinct to myself; such as the baseball hat, big nose and dimples on my cheeks.  I was also inspired by the simplicity of anime, which has the ability to communicate complex expressions; which is why I decided to add some exaggerated facial features (big eyes and eyebrows).  Now that I am done, I am very happy with the end result and hope that I will be able to improve on my skills in the future.

Air Jordan III CDP black/cement

In having to describe my feelings towards this sneaker I would say the concept of yin yang is most appropriate.  While there is a lot of good in the sneaker, there is also a lot of bad as well.  To start on a positive note, the good would have to be the release of yet another retro III, especially the black cement version.  That in itself isn’t saying very much for this 2008 retro, because the III is already a beautiful piece of art.  The elephant print, the black tumbled leather, the visible air unit, the Jumpman logo on the tongue, and the silhouette will always combine to make this a masterpiece.

Yet once you start judging this CDP III version and compare it with past releases you can only focus on the negative.   The bad qualities of this version include; a paint job that can crack easily, the substitution of a Jumpman logo on the back heel instead of Nike Air, the down grading of leather, and the outrageous fact that it came as part of a package deal that included a retro pair of disgustingly ugly Air Jordan XX’s.  I sometimes feel awkward criticizing Jordan Brand because it represents so many things that I valued so much when I was a child; and now to even have the chance to own them I should feel grateful.  But I don’t, and I blame it all on how the company is being run today and over the past few years.

The Air Jordan Countdown Packages are a perfect example of how I hate what Jordan Brand has become.  Their sneakers are now over-produced, cheaply made, not true to the original, and poorly constructed.  Unfortunately this has led me to lose my passion for these once beloved sneakers.  But as started in the beginning with the yin yang metaphor, when I do feel less enthusiasm for the brand I try to get back to the positive by focusing on why I still believe Air Jordans are the best sneakers in the world.  I simply lace up a pair I haven’t worn in a while, go outside and enjoy the day.  The sneakers are still very comfortable, and always make a positive statement wherever I go.  Sometimes the best way to get the most out of your sneakers is by wearing them and not focusing on the minor details; that way you’ll always have more white than black in your yin yang passion for sneakers.

Jordan Brand:

www.jumpman23.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt0-PJhs7p0