3-8-24:
David's 18th Birthday!!
Happy 18th birthday to my son David. I do not know how it happened but in the blink of an eye he went from being a baby to an adult. He has become a fun, educated, polite and overall, just a great person. He is doing really well in his mechanic classes, and I have no doubt he will be as great as my father was. Papa would be very proud of you David. You are about to start the next chapter in your life, do not be scared because mom and I will be there to support and teach you. Your next milestone will be when you turn 21 and just like the great wise man Ferris Bueller once said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Love you buddy. Happy Birthday.


1-15-24:
My Best & Worst of 2023

Here is my personal list of my best and worst video games and movies of 2023. List is based on games and movies I played or saw in 2023.
My Best & Worst of 2023

11-23-23
Spanner:
Happy Thanksgiving!! Today I have decided to release a new song that I wrote and recorded called "Spanner"


8-26-23
Smashed Pumpkin:
I wrote and recorded a new song thats called Smashed Pumpkin. As many know I am a huge fan of the band Smashing Pumpkins, but this song has nothing to do with the Smashing Pumpkins, just a coincidence.


5-24-23
Connor Graduation From the 8th Grade:
Today Connor graduated from the 8th grade at Saint Gilbert School. I am extremely proud of him and that he made it to this day. Not because he struggled with any of his classes but because he went through hell for the past year at this school. Everyone, especially the teachers and principal treated him like a criminal for an incident that happened last year where he did nothing wrong. I have not told anyone outside of my house about this incident and it will stay that way. This whole year the school was just waiting for Connor to slip up and do something wrong so they could kick him out. Connor overcame this challenge and proved to this school and everyone in it that he would not let anything stand in his way of graduating and he did. There are days I could tell he was ready to give up and just want to go back to the public school but once he sets his sights on something he will not back down. Academically he did amazing, so good that he secured a spot at Carmel High School all on his own. Good job Connor!! You did it!! I had no doubt you could do it and we are super proud of you and can’t wait to witness your next adventure in high school. Keep being who you are and don’t let this past year change who you are! Love you big time and congrats my little ass kicker!!!




12-27-22
My Best and Worst of 2022:

Here is my personal list of my best and worst video games and movies of 2022. List is based on games and movies I played or saw in 2022.
My Best & Worst Of 2022

11/30/22:
My thoughts on the death of Jason David Frank aka Tommy Oliver, the Green & White Power Ranger.
Growing up as a child and even today I have had 3 role models that have gotten me through a lot of hard times. Two of them are dead, my father and now Jason David Frank (JDF). Without JDF and his Power Ranger character I might not have become the man I am today. Growing up in my teenage years I thought the Power Rangers was the stupidest show ever, it wasn’t until they introduced the Green Ranger. His character Tommy who never put himself above anyone else even though he was the most powerful and skilled of the team. He always put helping others first before himself. He even sacrificed his powers to help everyone else. That really inspired me in my teenage years, to help others even if it doesn’t work out for me. If anyone remembers me in middle school or high school, they should remember that I was always nice to people and helping them get what they needed. Weather it was a ride somewhere or even if someone needed a few dollars I would do my best to help them. It did end up hurting me emotionally in the long run but my generosity and helping others was inspired by JDF’s character in Power Rangers. Fast forward to about 9-10 years ago when my father was losing his battle with cancer and me being an emotional wreck, I had the opportunity to meet my childhood hero JDF in person. When I finally talked to him, he wasn’t one of those celebrities who just sit there, sign autographs and not care who they are meeting. JDF took the time and talked to me and somehow, I told him about my fathers losing battle with cancer. He really seemed to care and told me about his brother who died previously by an illness and told me to stay strong and remember the all the great times we had together and that my father will truly not leave. He then signed a few autographs for me, and I got to take some pictures with him. After that I always tired to stay positive and for the most part people did see me in a positive mood, but behind closed doors I was a very negative person. Now jump forward 2 years after my father passed away, I got to meet JDF again at a comic convention and I kid you not he still remembered me. Maybe because I was one of the fattest people around and you can’t forget something that disgusting but I told him that my father had passed away and I was giving up in my life. I felt so gone in those days that suicide was a daily option for me. I am embarrassed to even show pictures of me around that time because I was so out of shape. Every day if I didn’t pull the trigger that day, I would make sure to keep eating and drinking junk food to help kill me eventually from a heart attack or something in that area.  JDF again told me to stay strong. I do not remember what else he told me that day but all I remember is how going forward from that moment I would try my best and stay strong and be positive for everyone else including my kids. On this trip I brought my kids to meet JDF and have their pictures taken with him. On one of the days JDF hosted a small karate class for kids and since my kids were already taking karate lessons, I thought it would be awesome for him to wear their karate outfits and train right next to JDF. He did notice my kids and brought David out to participate in a lesson. He saw Katie and I were recording the whole event and even gave us a nod when he brought David forward to do some moves with him. I was so happy and jealous while my kid was learning and beating up the Green Ranger. I was able to get more autographs, pictures and even was able to buy something from him that were not mass produced, a neckless of the symbol of the White Ranger with his autographed engraved on the back. After that whole experience I slowly started to change my life. It didn’t happen over night and the risk of suicide was still a daily event. JDF was always so active and full of energy on social media. I wanted to be like that. To have fun and leave an impression on others. I started doing Facebook Live videos of silly things I was doing, family activities or just talking. I stopped doing it after I would get comments on how stupid and fat I was, but it didn’t stop me from trying to make myself better. Around the time the Covid-19 pandemic started I woke up one morning and decided not to drink 10 cans of pop daily but to try to slow down and change my habits. As of today, I am still doing my best to change mentally and physically. I have lost nearly 80lbs and am still working on losing more. Thanksgiving dinner didn’t help me any, but I will work it off again. So, my whole look on life and myself was in part to JDF’s words of wisdom and positivity. I was really looking forward to the next time he was in town and showing him pictures of how huge I was back when I saw him last and compare them to how I look today. I thought since life after the pandemic was getting back to a normal state, I would see him again soon. I woke up the morning of November 20th with people posting on Facebook that JDF had died by suicide. I did not believe it at first as rumors like that always come up occasionally. I was waiting for him to post on social media saying he wasn’t dead. Hours started going by and he never posted saying he was alive, but more people including old cast members from Power Rangers started posting that he did in fact die. I still did not want to believe it and I still to this day do not want to believe it was true. How could someone so positive in life and inspire others to not take their lives take his own? It proves no matter how happy you may seem to others you still face the struggle with taking your own life. I will admit even in the past few years where I have seemed happy and “cured” there are still days that I wonder if I want to continue of this pathway to the unknown. As of today, yes, I want to continue, and I have no plans to leave but JDF’s suicide proves that anyone can go off the path at any moment in life. So, in conclusion I just want to thank Jason David Frank and his character Tommy on the positive aspects of life that he has given me from my teenage years all the way up to today. If it wasn’t for him everyone who knows me would not know me because I would be a completely different person, probably a vengeful hateful person. JDF will always be a Power Ranger, weather he was Green, White, Red, or Black he was the best. I love you JDF and thank you for the memories.
Visit this link to see more pictures of my family with Jason David Frank

6/10/22:
Jurassic Park Dominion Review:

How can someone screw up a Jurassic Park/World movie? By not having a story centered around dinosaurs and making it feel like a Mission: Impossible movie starring Tom Cruise. The dinosaurs are not the threat in this movie but rather human beings and insects, the dinosaurs were only in background and just an obstacle to get around while the characters were trying to complete their Mission: Impossible type story. When the dinosaurs were on screen it was exciting and felt like a normal Jurassic movie, but the scenes were too short. Nothing felt fresh in this movie, it has all been done in the previous Jurassic movies, it was just a nostalgia trip. All the dinosaurs that we have come to love such as Blue the Raptor and Rexy the T-Rex are in the movie but do not get enough screen time. It was great to see all the cast members from all the Jurassic movies team up for this so-called conclusion to the Jurassic Park/World storyline, which does not make any sense since the ending felt like it was already done in one way or another. I won't spoil it but when you see it you will understand. We all see Jurassic movies not for the stories but to see the dinosaurs eating people and wreaking havoc, however the writers of this film forced us to watch the storyline which made me bored and wanting to take a nap. People often call Jurassic Park 3 the worst Jurassic movie, I can tell you I would rather watch Jurassic Park 3 or even a Barney movie then sit through this God-awful movie. Maybe in 20 years when they reboot the franchise into Jurassic Universe, they will focus more on what people want, good ole fun and dinosaurs. Do not waste your money or time seeing Jurassic World Dominion, you should go see Top Gun Maverick.

One final thought about Jurassic World Dominion. At the end of Fallen Kingdom we see that the dinosaurs are set loose on the world. We see the T-Rex in a roaring match with a lion at a zoo and we see a Raptor overlooking a suburban city which is what I thought Jurassic World Dominion would be about. Dinosaurs roaming the world as we know it. There was a Jurassic World Dominion trailer that features the T-Rex attacking a drive-in movie theater which I thought was impressive and what to expect from this film. The scene in the trailer I just mentioned does not appear in the film at all. By the time the movie starts the main dinosaurs including the T-Rex are captured and put on a secluded island just like every other Jurassic movie. There are some dinosaurs on the mainland's but nothing like I was expecting. The main threat on America is bugs, locust to be exact. Think of the final act of the Lost World: Jurassic Park where the T-Rex is on a rampage in San Diego, which is what I was expecting Dominion to be, just cranked up to eleven. No, instead all the dinosaur action scenes happen on another freaking island. Go to YouTube and search for the Jurassic World Dominion Prologue, which is the best thing related to this piece of crap movie.


5/30/22:
Top Gun Maverick Review:

Quick spoiler free review of Top Gun Maverick. For some reason I do not have much to say about this movie. Does that mean it was a bad movie? Far from it, I really enjoyed the movie. It was a good sequel to a classic film that I never thought needed a sequel. It did not feel like the type of sequel that gets green lit just to make money. It felt pure and genuine with the story and characters. The new younger characters do not bring the same memorable performances as its predecessor, they feel like they are just there for the main mission element story of the movie, however the focus of the characters is the relationship between Maverick and Rooster, the son of Goose from the first film. I would have loved to see more scenes that focused on that relationship but that is just me nitpicking. There are a lot more action scenes in film that are breathtaking and made me sit at the edge of my seat. I highly recommend watching the original again before watching Maverick, as there are characters only mentioned in the first film but never seen such as the Admiral’s daughter. If you have not seen the originals in many years give it a watch again, it makes scenes in the new movie have more of an emotional feeling.

5/24/22:
America The Beautiful or America The Trigger Happy?

Pardon my language but what the fuck is wrong with this country where in just over a week apart two eighteen-year-old fuck nuts cause two mass shootings with mass causalities? How many more innocent people have to die before this government takes action with gun laws and gun rights? I know it’s the Second Amendment but maybe it’s time to make some serious changes. Here in the Chicagoland area, I am sick of turning on the news and hearing nothing about all the shootings that happen in the city. I am sick of reading stories about kids and parents have to seek shelter while at a little league baseball game because rival gang members have to do their bullshit in family friendly parks. This must end; I am at the point that I do not even want to leave my house anymore. That and the fact I am running out of organs to sell on the black market just to pay for gas.

4/25/22:
My Funko Pop! Sale:
I am selling most of my Funko Pop! collection. If interested email me a mike@mikehart.net For a complete list of items and prices chick the link below.
Funko Pop! Sale


3/8/22:
David Turns 16 Years Old Today:

Today is David's 16th Birthday. How the hell did I become a father of a 16-year-old? Time just flies by! Feels just like yesterday when I called him Squirt (he loved to pee on us when we changed his diaper) and my little Twinkie. He has matured so much in his 16 years of life, and I could not be prouder of him. He still has the fun, energetic and goofy personality that he had when he was younger. He is bound for sucess, and he makes us all proud. Keep being yourself David, even if I sometimes say you are annoying me. It is who you are and what makes you unique from everyone else. Happy 16th birthday and I love you David, I would not change anything about you, you are perfect just the way you are.

3/8/22:
Review of The Batman:

My quick and spoiler free review of The Batman. It is a Batman movie. If you have seen The Dark Knight trilogy, then you know what to expect. I really did not enjoy this movie. I do not like how Bruce Wayne/Batman is portrayed in this film. The idea of Bruce Wayne acting like a drug addicted, wrist cutting emo kid that doesn’t give a crap about anything in his life does not match the kind of person that would have billions of dollars, is owner of the Wayne corporation and fights for justice and save lives in Gotham City. The Riddler on the other hand is portrayed as a true psychopath so don’t expect a repeat of the Jim Carrey performance. This Riddler is a killer that makes his victims suffer, sort of like the Jigsaw killer in the Saw franchise. The actors that played Alfred, James Gordon and Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin did an amazing job in this film, everyone else just felt bland. In the first trailer for The Batman, they had used the Nirvana song “Something In The Way” which you can expect to hear at least 3 times during the film. The end of the movie of course does set up a sequel in almost the same way Batman Begins did which I thought was unoriginal. Overall, The Batman was just an okay movie. I would recommend it to anyone who loves Batman, but I do not think it is one of the best Batman movies. I give The Batman 2 out of 4 stars.

1/1/22:
My Best and Worst of 2021:
Here is my personal list of my best and worst video games and movies of 2021. List is based on games and movies I played or saw in 2021.
My Best & Worst Of 2021