How Was Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl the Best Selling Video Game in Japan for 2022?
While I’m certainly not as down on Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (aka BDSP) as it seems so much of the Pocket Monster fandom is, I’m rather surprised that the 2021 titles combined to win two Japan Game Awards. Not only was the duo the best selling video game in Japan for the past […]
Taming the Chaos of My Written Archives
As hard as I work to bring some order to the chaos of my written archives, there is a general disgust that I feel towards the vast majority of my written work. It’s extremely hard to overcome, and while I have had some outside help with trying to corral the best of my ramblings, I […]
How to Put the All-Time Record Sale for the Mickey Mantle Baseball Card in Perspective
On August 28th, 2022, ESPN broke the story of the all-time record sale of a sports item at auction to that point. A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, graded 9.5 Gem Mint by SGC, sold for $12.6 million, a sum which includes a buyer’s premium. Here is the actual auction page on Heritage Auctions for […]
Is Smoliv Good? – New Scarlet and Violet Pokemon
Smoliv was one of the first new Pokemon revealed to be in Scarlet and Violet, the Generation 9 pocket monster adventure games for the Nintendo Switch. According to the official Pokemon Scarlet and Violet website, Smoliv is a Normal/Grass type that stores oil made from nutrients gathered through photosynthesis in the fruit on its head. […]
The Top 20 Magic the Gathering Card Reviews on The Phoenix Desertsong
At one time, Magic the Gathering card reviews were my most successful and profitable content niche. It’s funny, as I started them purely for fun when I returned to Magic the Gathering during the New Phyrexia set prerelease. My first ever Magic card review was Urabrask the Hidden, which I plan to revisit thanks to […]
Neheb the Eternal – A Magic the Gathering Card Review
Early returns on Hour of Devastation indicated that it wasn’t one of the most “valuable” Magic the Gathering sets of recent years. Of course, there are some good, playable cards in the set that trended positively when it came to singles sales. One of these is the Red mythic rare Legendary Minotaur, Neheb, the Eternal. […]
Celebrating Infinite Diversity: Why We Should Embrace Our Differences
In the world we live in today, it’s tempting to try and force people into cookie-cutter boxes based on their race, gender or sexual orientation. But, we must remind ourselves that every person has their own unique set of circumstances, experiences, and perspective on the world. Only by embracing those differences can we truly harness […]
Bloodforged Battle-Axe – A Magic the Gathering Card Review
The Commander 2017 pre-constructed decks for Magic the Gathering introduced a number of strong cards for the Commander format. One of these is a one-mana Equipment called Bloodforged Battle-Axe, released in the Feline Ferocity deck with Arahbo, Roar of the World on the cover. It’s more than an improved version of Bonesplitter, because this Axe […]
Why I Chose SEO Over Social Media for Boosting My Online Presence
For many years, social media was a major part of my existence. It’s how I reconnected with people from my past, stayed in touch with my current friends, and met some really great people, my wife Thomas included. It was even a large part of my job as a digital marketer for over a decade, […]
Augury Adept – A Magic the Gathering Card Review
Augury Adept from Shadowmoor holds a special place in my heart when it comes to Magic: the Gathering. The Adept happens to be the first rare I ever pulled from a Magic pack. Shadowmoor is one of the best MTG sets ever printed, especially in regards to cards that are highly relevant in the popular […]