wokeness – Page 5 – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Superman #79 (1993)

February 10, 2025February 4, 2025carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s pop culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 and explore a notable chapter of the post-Crisis DC Comics universe through the Superman monthly series.

Months after DC Comics published the death of Superman with the best-selling Superman #75 (1993), the publisher went on to shake things up with the Reign of the Supermen storyline. One of the four Supermen was Cyborg Superman who first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 (1993) and had his first story in Superman #78 (1993).

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Superman #79, published in 1993 by DC Comics with a story written and drawn by Dan Jurgens.

Early story

The story begins inside a dark part of The Daily Planet with journalist Ronald Troupe starting his work in the absence of Clark Kent. Since Superman’s death, the very accomplished Kent has been absent and was perceived to have died somehow while covering Doomsday’s rampage through Metropolis.

With Kent absent, the newspaper lost one of its best writers. This opened an opportunity for Ronald Troupe to approach Perry White to fill Kent’s slot and work. White, who was close with Kent, values hungry reporters and challenged Troupe to bring him a story so big, he could not turn it down.

With the sudden presence of the Supermen, Troupe viewed Cyborg Superman as a major subject to report about…

Quality

The evil Cyborg Superman handing over a device to US President Bill Clinton. This image is strangely symbolic as both of them are evil figures – one is fictional and the other is real. Clinton’s legacy of empowering Palestinian terrorists through the mass murderer Yasser Arafat still remains.

I want to start with the approach Dan Jurgens took to come up with this particular Reign of the Supermen story. Instead of telling the tale through the viewpoint of the more established Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane or photographer Jimmy Olsen, Jurgens instead used the newcomer Ronald Troupe who happened to be a hungry journalist tasked with coming up with a compelling report about Cyborg Superman. This creative approach resulted in a very fresh look at the events involving the caped cyborg complete with the use of a journalistic narrative Troupe wrote on his computer (the paragraphs are stylishly displayed on each page). The writing done was pretty lively to read from start to finish.

I do have a problem with how specific events turned out. To ensure that Troupe would encounter Cyborg Superman, the established character Max Lord (who is working directly with the US President over very sensitive matters) very unrealistically had his government-provided limousine stop (while entering the White House gate half-way) and actually got out to meet Troupe only because the reporter convinced him too easily. Even back in the 1990s, such a scenario is very unrealistic and no person working with the US President would ever stop to give a reporter special attention while compromising security of the White House.

And then there was the short sequence in which Troupe – already within the White House perimeter with several defense turrets already firing energy blasts – miraculously managed to get close to Cyborg Superman without getting hit was also very unbelievable. Very clearly, Troupe is this comic book’s magical black man.

To come up with the superhero spectacle, elements of Islamic terrorism (represented by the fictional Qurac and its terrorists) attacking the White House plus Cyborg Superman’s sudden involvement were implemented. Quite predictably, the caped cyborg became the centerpiece of the action. I can say the spectacle here was fresh and intriguing to see.

Conclusion

*Cyborg Superman fights the terrorists of Qurac.*

Superman #79 (1993) has a very unique approach on storytelling but the above-mentioned unbelievable turnout of events plus Ronald Troupe being the magical black person (literally protected by plot armor) somewhat ruined the reading experience for me. By the time the story ended, the anticipated pay-off to everything that was built-up ended up weak and unsatisfying. To be clear, this is not a badly made comic book but its flaws really ruined it. Also by today’s standards, Cyborg Superman is a very evil character and having him with the American flag on the cover is disgusting.

With regards to geopolitics, having Bill Clinton as the US President made this comic book age very badly. As President, Clinton empowered Palestinian terrorists and anti-Semitic people through the mass murderer Yasser Arafat (a real-life demon) while disrespecting Israel and its people. People who love abortion, political correctness (which leads to wokeness), victimhood and LGBTQ rights also benefited from Clinton’s sinister leadership. By today’s standards, having Clinton and Cyborg Superman appear together strongly symbolize real-life evil and fictional evil in a rather creative way.

It was destiny that his wife Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 US Presidential Election to Donald Trump. This is because the Clinton legacy remains very bad for the whole world. Trump, who is now the US President once again, is already working to make serious corrections while also restoring dignity in America.

Overall, Superman #79 (1987) is not worth your time. Only those who are really obsessed with the Reign of the Supermen storyline can enjoy it. For those looking for the iconic Superman, better look for another comic book!

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Did many undocumented Filipinos leave America before Donald Trump’s return as US President?

January 27, 2025January 26, 2025carlocarrasco

By the time you are reading this, it has been days since Donald Trump formally returned as President of the United States. That being said, it has been months since Filipinos staying illegally in America have been advised to not wait to be deported by Trump’s new administration which itself has made clear it new immigration policy. In fact, the search, apprehension and deporting of illegal immigrants in America are already in effect (click here and here). In a recent report by GMA Network, the Philippine embassy in the United States is not certain how many undocumented Filipins left America to avoid the mass deportation.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of GMA. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippine Embassy in Washington has yet to determine if many undocumented Filipinos have already left the United States ahead of the anticipated mass deportation under the Trump administration, an envoy said on Monday.

“We are not sure whether many of those that are undocumented na ating mga kababayan have left,” Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez told Unang Balita in an interview.

Romualdez said the embassy has advised undocumented Filipinos to leave the US as deported individuals will not be allowed to come back.

“Yun nga ang advice namin sa kanila. Kung wala talaga silang legal path, it is better they go na muna para makabalik sila dito at some point in time. Kasi kapag ma-deport ka, talagang hindi ka na makakabalik,” he said.

(That’s our advice to them. If they really don’t have a legal path, it’s better they go already so they can come back here at some point in time. Because once you get deported, you really can’t come back.)

According to Romualdez, the US government said those who have criminal records as well as the 1.3 million immigrants who are already processed will be prioritized for deportation.

In November last year, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it would assist over 300,000 undocumented Filipinos in the US who could possibly be deported.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said that there are an estimated 370,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants in the US.

“The DMW is prepared to assist our OFWs, whether they are documented or undocumented OFWs. Under the directives of our President, a whole-of-government team is here to provide support to possible deportees,” Cacdac said.

During Trump’s first term in the White House from 2017 to 2020, over 3,500 Filipinos were deported with the highest being recorded in 2018 with 503.

In his victory speech, Trump reiterated that he would close borders in the United States and would impose stricter laws against illegal aliens.

“We gonna have to seal up those borders, we are gonna have to let people come into our country. We want people to come back in, but they have to come in legally… We are gonna start by putting America first,” he said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think many illegal Filipinos have left the United States before Trump formally returned as US President? Have members in your local community turned too sympathetic to illegal immigrants and perceived them as refugees? Do you realize that there are violent criminals and terrorists among the many millions of foreigners who illegally entered the United States under the failed Biden-Harris administration?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 50

January 6, 2025January 1, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 HolyLandSite’s examination of Kursi and Lord Jesus’ power over the demonic realm – Kursi is a place in the east side of the Sea of Galilee in the region of Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) in Israel where two men possessed by demons stayed at. HolyLandSite produced this video to emphasize the biblical relevance of the place, what happened and, most of all, the immense power Lord Jesus had over the demonic forces that caused huge problems for people back then. This is a biblical examination of the place and a lively reminder of the light and authority of Lord Jesus, the Savior and Hope of ALL nations. Grab a copy of the Holy Bible and then watch the video from start to finish.

#2 GTV Japan examines Nintendo’s crisis – Remember back in the late 1980s when a shortage of ROM chips prevented Nintendo from releasing games on time? Back in those days, microchips were essential for manufacturing cartridges of games for consoles. A lot of people believed that Nintendo, which already had several restrictions on game publishing and business with 3^rd party game companies, deliberately created the shortage for their advantage. There is a lot more details and developments that happened beyond the perceived shortage and the video by GTV Japan has a very in-depth look at it in the video below.

#3 What the hard drive of terrorist Bin Laden contained – Remember when America found and eliminated the mass murderer and terrorist Osama Bin Laden in 2011? YouTuber fern published a video focused on one particular aspect related to the operation that took Bin Laden down – the sensitive information contained in his hard drive. The video also has a key analyst interviewed who provided a lot of insight. Watch the video now.

#4 Wokeness in Japan exposed – Believe it or not, there definitely is wokeness in Japan and it was exposed a lot during their news media coverage of the 2024 US Presidential Election which Donald Trump won. In fact, a certain Japanese professor who was included in the media outlet’s coverage (being in the studio with others) was so liberal, he got frustrated as Commie Kamala Harris lost and he even reiterated the Democrats’ buzz words like “threat to democracy”. Think about it very carefully. The Democrats and their Satanic Left pawns have been spreading their distorted views in Japan and influenced some people there. The woke-minded in Japan may not realize it but they are looking and sounding awkward (if not pathetic). Perhaps some woke nuts of Japan love Islamic terrorists and I know they have pro-Palestine zealots. Watch and learn from the video below.

#5 Controversial Alice Guo featured in episode of Dark Asia with Megan – Alice Guo (AKA Guo Hua Ping), the controversial former mayor of Bamban who has been detained for various charges, is now the subject of a new episode of Dark Asia with Megan. For the newcomers reading this, Alice Guo is notorious in the Philippines not only for her links with POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) but also for her very questionable background with regards to citizenship, family and origin. She even escaped the Philippines temporarily before getting brought back. In fact, Alice Guo’s case raises a lot of questions about national security, espionage and foreign infiltration into the systems of governance in the Philippines. Watch and learn from the Dark Asia with Megan video.

#6 PatmanQC examines Donkey Kong – Long before Donkey Kong Country became a massive critical and commercial hit with gamers around the world, there was the original Donkey Kong in 1981. I never played the arcade version but I played Donkey Kong on the Atari 2600 back in the early 1980s and it was a fun game. A short time later, I played the ColecoVision version and was impressed to see the graphical improvements. The production history of Donkey Kong is really interesting and PatmanQC produced not just one but two documentary videos about the game.

#7 Popcorn in Bed and You, Me and the Movies react to Vertigo – Vertigo, the classic film directed by Alfred Hichcock, was one of the first twenty-five films selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. That being said, it is not surprising that it has been the subject of several movie reaction videos on YouTube. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to watch it entirely first when you have the chance. Otherwise, I encourage you to watch the reaction videos of Popcorn in Bed, and You, Me and the Movies below.

#8 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Signs – Back in 2002, I saw Signs inside a packed local cinema during the evening. The film directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Mel Gibson kept moviegoers in suspense and occasionally pulled off some sudden scary moments. That being said, you have to see Ashleigh Burton react to it.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 40

November 8, 2024November 7, 2024carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 A look at Donald Trump’s amazing comeback as US President – I already blogged about the amazing comeback of Donald Trump who won the 2024 US Presidential Election decisively. While that blog post had lots of videos about the victory, I added some more below for your enlightenment.

#2 The engineering of the F-117 Nighthawk – Do you still remember the F-117 Nighthawk? It was the sophisticated stealth fighter America used against Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991. I personally could not forget the first time I ever saw it on TV (news broadcast of the 1991 war) as a teenager. The F-117 is no longer in use but its engineering and the history of its development should be seen in the video below. Watch and learn!

#3 Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s wokeness – It is a sad fact that very similar with Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood), wokeness and identity politics are ruining video games. Recently, EA released Dragon Age: The Veilguard which was the first new Dragon Age game they released in ten long years. The big problem here is that woke activists at BioWare inserted their poison into the game. Watch RK Outpost’s videos below.

#4 The blunders of Kamala Harris, her allies and the Democrats – Kamala Harris, who has been US Vice President for almost four years now, lost the US Presidential Election to Donald Trump convincingly. She led a campaign that was dishonest, pretentious and even turned to hatred by comparing Trump with Adolf Hitler. No matter Kamala did, she and her woke allies failed miserably to connect with voters. Instead of discussing policies and plans to serve the people in the near future, Kamala emphasized identity politics and vibes. Is it any wonder why she lost and why are the Democrats so unpopular? Watch the selected videos to find out why and how she lost.

#5 Kamala Harris supporters freaking out – Losing an election is always painful and embarrassing. So much so, there were supporters of Kamala Harris who could do nothing but record/stream themselves freaking out. Some supporters working in the media or in government just keep on spreading their distorted views and lies to as many people as possible. They also had trouble containing their emotions. I can only wonder if the Democrats themselves care to calm down their devastated supporters. Watch and learn from these videos.

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A Look Back at Action Comics #456 (1976)

September 20, 2024August 20, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, DC Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1976 to take a close look at a part of the DC Comics universe through a tale of the Action Comics monthly series.

If you know your entertainment history, you should be aware that Steven Spielberg’s Jaws made a tremendous impact on millions of people who saw the film in cinemas in the mid-1970s. The massive success of the movie caused some people to become afraid of sharks which in turn convinced them to avoid swimming alone at sea. Over at DC Comics, it just so happens that they have a super villain who is actually a highly evolved shark called The Shark (Karshon).

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Action Comics #456, published in 1976 by DC Comics with a story written by Cary Bates and illustrated by Curt Swan.

*The cover inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws.*

Early story

The story begins inside the Metropolis Aquarium where Captain Strong, young boy Jayson, young girl Jill and others closely watch a tiger shark swimming. What the viewers do not realize is that the tiger shark they are watching is a super shark (The Shark) whose evolution jumped by eons as a result of a freak nuclear accident from the previous years.

The Shark is a highly evolved mutant (half-fish and half-human) endowed with fantastic mental powers. The Shark previously encountered Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) who caused him to devolve back to his primitive form as a tiger shark.

At the aquarium, The Shark moves closely towards Captain Strong and Jayson with strong glass separating them. Suddenly, Jayson is turned into a pool of jelly on the floor and The Shark uses its power to form a large stream of water to break the way out of the Metropolis Aquarium and into the air.

Meanwhile, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are riding the metro-island ferry. A giant water sprout emerges near them…

Quality

*The struggle between Superman and The Shark starts.*

While it was clear that DC Comics took a creative stab on people’s awareness of the movie Jaws, the Bates-Swan duo came up with a rather fantastic way of having Superman deal with The Shark. For one thing, the creators efficiently came up with exposition to keep readers informed about who The Shark is, why he exists and what his background was within the DC Comics shared universe. Next, the creators managed to make The Shark an actual threat to the people of Metropolis which serves as an efficient build-up for the inevitable conflict with Superman. The good news here is that Bates-Swan combined efforts turned out to be gripping and believable.

When compared to the many battles Superman had against the other powerful villains, the traditional collateral damage is pretty light in this story. This is because the creators used science fiction concepts and a little bit of real-world science to explain The Shark’s powers, how the water streams used by him got formed and why he has key advantages over Superman. These creative methods more than made up for the lack of hard action and there are explanations that made sense just before the story ends.

This comic book also contains a short, standalone Black Canary tale that ultimate served as added amusement that is not related with the Superman story at all. It should interest fans of Green Arrow.

Conclusion

*The Shark’s menacing face and power overwhelms Lois Lane.*

Do not let the Jaws-inspired cover art fool you. Action Comics #456 (1976) is actually an entertaining read thanks to the combined efforts of the Bates-Swan team. The Shark was a believable threat and the story was well written. To say that this comic book was just a cheap way of exploiting the popularity of Jaws by coming up with shark-related tale of Superman is not true. This old tale is a fun ride free from the politicized science and woke garbage that dominate modern-day entertainment.

Overall, Action Comics #456 (1976) is recommended.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 31

September 4, 2024August 28, 2024carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 HolyLandSite’s comprehensive videos about the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel – I love Israel and I will always stand with it in accordance to my uncompromising faith in the Lord and His Word (the Holy Bible). During the one and only day-off of the Israel 2023 pilgrimage tour I joined, I visited the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem and it is truly one of the most significant places to visit in the entire world. The Dome of the Rock (the Muslim shrine) occupies the space where the two Jewish temples used to be and inside it is the Foundation Stone (preserved layer of mountain top rock) which is the spot where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac before God sent the angel to intervene. Be aware that during the time of Lord Jesus, the 2nd Jewish temple was established.

HolyLandSite produced the most in-depth and most informative videos about the Temple Mount and I encourage you to watch them now.

#2 The #10 billion Apple Car disaster – You ever heard of the Apple Car? Such a project from the very same company behind iPhone actually existed and it ended up as a disaster worth an estimated $10 billion. What happened behind the scenes at Apple? Did the technology giant really believe it could make a positive impact on the automobile industry? You can find out more by watching ColdFusion’s video below.

#3 Venom: Lethal Protector revisited and explained – I should mention first that I am not a fan of the Marvel Comics super villain Venom. For the newcomers reading this, Venom emerged in the late 1980s as Spider-Man’s deadliest enemy and went on to become a murderer who somehow helped Marvel Comics sell a lot of comic books. Because comic book fans wanted more of him so much, Marvel went on to publish the Venom: Lethal Protector limited series in the early 1990s and it led to even more comic books showcasing him as an anti-hero (specifically a killer helping the powerless people). If you are interested to learn about the Venom: Lethal Protector limited series without having to go through all the trouble of finding the comic books, watch the video below. Better save your money.

#4 You, Me and the Movies’ reaction videos of the first three Jaws movies – YouTube channel You, Me and the Movies recently posted their movie reaction videos of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975), Jaws 2 (1978) and Jaws 3-D (1983). Having seen all three movies before, I enjoyed these reaction videos. The first movie from 1975 is a true cinematic classic directed by a very young Spielberg and if you have not seen it, I encourage you to watch it entirely first before seeing the related reaction video. I cannot say the same about Jaws 2 and Jaws 3-D (AKA Jaws 3). Once you are ready, enjoy the videos below.

#5 Retrospective videos of Suikoden and Suikoden II – Recently, Konami announced that it will finally be releasing the anticipated collection Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars on March 6, 2025 for varied game consoles plus Steam. The said collection was supposed to have been released in 2023 but a delay happened and Konami was very silent until recently. Now that fans of the first two Suikoden games have something to look forward to in 2025, here are some retrospective videos that will help you understand what the games are and why they are still popular among Japanese RPG (JRPG) enthusiasts.

#6 The wickedness and wokeness of Rachel Zegler exposed – Actress Rachel Zegler is not worth trusting as she went ballistic while promoting the new Snow White movie from woke Disney. Not only did she go against the legacy of the classic Snow White animated movie, she sided with the pro-Palestine movement and their terrorists. While her tweet could encourage pro-Palestine believers to watch the new Snow White, it is a fact that there already a movement of people who hate Israel telling people to boycott the said movie simply because it has Israeli actress (and Wonder Woman star) Gal Gadot. By being woke and reckless, Zegler is only turning off people from watching the new Snow White and if the movie fails, it will cost Disney a lot of money. Watch and learn from the selected videos below.

#7 Popcorn in Bed reacts to King Kong (1933) and Godzilla (1954) – I really enjoy watching the movie reaction videos of Popcorn in Bed (PIB) and recently she posted new videos about two very significant movies…the original King Kong of 1933 and the original Godzilla (Gojira) film of 1954. As the two mentioned movies are cinematic classics, I encourage you to watch them first before watching Popcorn in Bed’s reaction videos. To those who saw classics already, watch the reaction videos below.

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Gears of War: E-Day was the pleasant surprise of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase

June 19, 2024June 14, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

With the exception of a certain 3^rd party games that turned out to be a creative misfires respectively, the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase) was clearly a powerful showcase of future games on the Xbox ecosystem and the 1^st party games of Team Xbox displayed is the most exciting bunch yet!

As mentioned before, we are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision, Blizzard, King and Bethesda, and Team Xbox has many game studios as a result. The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase is just the taste of many exciting and fun 1^st party games coming out in the near future (including the Game Pass services for Xbox and PC) with titles like the Perfect Dark reboot, the Fable reboot, South of Midnight, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more.

Among the many 1^st party games showcased was Gears of War: E-Day which turned out to be the most pleasant surprise as many people heavily anticipated Gears of War 6 and the Marcus Fenix Collection. On my part, I anticipated GOW6 and a Gears Tactics sequel to be announced but what was unveiled officially was both intriguing and captivating. To find out more what Gears of War: E-Day is about, watch the official unveiling below…

Being made by The Coalition using the Unreal 5 engine (the same engine used in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II), Gears of War: E-Day is the origin story that depicts the horror of Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of the iconic Marcus Fenix. For the newcomers reading this, Emergence Day refers to the event when the Locus Horde emerged from the depths of the planet Sera and started major assaults on human cities causing massive counts of deaths. Chronologically, Gears of War: E-Day is set fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War game.

As seen in the above trailer, Marcus Fenix looks younger and you can see him struggling in what seems to be his first-ever personal and physical fight with one of the Locusts. There is also a subtle reference in the video that sends gamers a message – the MK1 Lancer is here and it is NOT the chainsaw-equipped gun that became the iconic weapon of choice in the Gears of War franchise. Again, the story of this upcoming game is set more than a decade before the first GOW and The Coalition developers have planned some changes that will impact not only the interactive experience but also the storytelling.

*Do you recognize the eyes of Marcus Fenix in this image? The high level of detail of Unreal Engine 5 combined with the digital artistry of The Coalition make a great combination!*

Gears of War: E-Day is looking like a very welcome addition to not only its franchise but also for future releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC, as well as for Game Pass subscribers among Xbox and PC gamers. I doubt that a version of the game will be released on aging Xbox One consoles. As to when will the new game be released, I am speculating it would be in November 2026 as that month would mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the original GOW. It is also possible that Microsoft will release the next-generation Xbox console on that same month as well.

Gears 5 was the last main Gears of War game I played during the final months of the existence of my old Xbox One console. I played Gears Tactics on my Xbox Series X a few years ago which was fun experience. That being said, Gears of War: E-Day is the next GOW game to look forward to.

I certainly hope that The Coalition will STOP implementing wokeness, identity politics and foolish feminism (present in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5) into the new game and just make Gears of War: E-Day be much more like the original Gears of War of 2006…a war story about a band of brothers (the grunts) who risked their lives to accomplish mission objectives. The original Gears of War had the vibe of 1980s Hollywood action cinema – specifically from Predator (1987) – and I want to see that implemented in the new game.

*Here is hoping that this prequel will be released within two years’ time. Xbox fans have waited long for 1st party exclusive games to be released in this current console generation.*

You can learn more about Gears of War: E-Day by clicking https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/06/09/gears-of-war-e-day-interview-details-xbox-games-showcase-2024/

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 22

June 15, 2024June 25, 2024carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 The miraculous rescue of hostages – In case you missed the news, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully rescued four Israeli hostages, fought with the Palestinian terrorists and brought the hostages home safely. This not some high-risk operation turned lucky. This operation was a blessing from the Lord God whose covenant with the Jewish people has always been true and standing to this day. All the praise, honor, thanks and glory to Him! Ignore the lies of the Islamo-Leftist mainstream news media and focus on the truth by watching the selected videos below…

#2 European Union (EU) elections resulted in the fall of the Satanic Left – Very recently, a series of elections took place in Europe which determined the composition of the European Union (EU) parliament. European voters who have grown sick and tired of the policies of the Satanic Left (examples: mass migration, taking care of illegal aliens at taxpayers’ expense, fascist climate change policies, government corruption) made their choices by electing more conservative and more nationalistic/patriotic candidates. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her party gain power while the President of France had no choice but to dissolve French parliament (National Assembly) and call for a snap election. Watch and learn more from the videos below…

#3 Documentary of the Houston Rockets’ amazing 1995 NBA championship defense – Never underestimate the heart of a sports champion. That is the moral lesson behind the unbelievable successful NBA championship defense the Houston Rockets achieved in 1995. For the newcomers reading this, the Rockets won the title in 1994 but ended up ranking only 6^th place on the Western Conference the following season. This meant that the Rockets had no home court advantage through the NBA Playoffs of 1995. How they defied expectations and overcame tough obstacles to win a 2^nd straight NBA championship must be seen in the selected NBA documentary video. Enjoy!

#4 A very deep look back at Lost Odyssey – Lost Odyssey is not just a very notable video game released only on Xbox 360 many years ago. It was arguably the most defining, traditional Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) that can be best described as a Final Fantasy game without the name. To be clear, Lost Odyssey involved the combined talents of Japanese greats Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Takehiko Inoue (famous manga artist) and Nobuo Uematsu (musician always know for Final Fantasy), and it was an ambitious JRPG that also happened to be an Xbox-exclusive game. If you wish to know more about Lost Odyssey, what it has in common with Final Fantasy games and why it remains a very notable game, watch the documentary below…

#5 PatmanQC’s Ring King retrospective – Retro gaming YouTuber PatmanQC published recently his retrospective video about the 1980s game Ring King (also titled as King of Boxer) which is fun and informative to watch.

#6 You, Me and the Movies’ The Blob (1958) reaction – Recently the 1958 version of The Blob was featured by You, Me and the Movies in a movie reaction video which is entertaining to watch.

#7 RK Outpost examines woke Star Wars – It is no secret that under the umbrella of the woke Disney company and the Lucasfilm leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, the established entertainment franchises of Star Wars and Indiana Jones got ruined. Sad to say, Star Wars continues to be made with extreme wokeness and rabid feminism, reaching the point of completely ruining the sci-fi franchise as we know it. Watch and learn from RK Outpost’s videos below…

#8 The evil of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas – It cannot be denied that Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is pure evil. So pure is their evil, they want nothing less than committing complete genocide against Israel and its people. To his day, pro-Palestine zealots cannot even tell the difference between good and evil, and right and wrong. For the Palestinians and its brainwashed supporters (all supported secretly by terrorist state Iran), terrorism, violence and murder are the only ways to achieve what they want. Watch and learn from the videos below…

#9 2024 Xbox Games Showcase videos – Following the lackluster Sony State of Play and Summer Game Fest, Team Xbox and its partners came out blazing with the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase recently. In my view, it was a big improvement over last year’s showcase (which itself was quite good) and there were highlights that should not be ignored. Posted below are selected videos for your viewing pleasure.

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Lara Croft redefined and remembered

May 8, 2024May 7, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers! I want to share with you that in recent times, I played and finished Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (2014) on my Xbox Series X console.

This is not a retro review of the said game. I want to share with you all that I played Tomb Raider (2013) on my Xbox 360 a long time ago. While the game was indeed fun, I never actually replayed it. That being said, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was my way of replaying it except that I have a more modern console to enjoy it with plus more gaming content. I accumulated over 300 Microsoft points (Xbox achievements) along the way.

*The very intense action sequence in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.*

The overall game design by Crystal Dynamics is still fun to interact with and the game’s production values are still of good quality. What I liked most with Crystal Design’s work is the way they designed the tale to immerse players into the action-packed settings while also succeeding in redefining the iconic Lara Croft with both long-time fans and new gamers in mind. Achieving these two goals together is very challenging for most game developers.

For the newcomers reading this, the Tomb Raider reboot of 2013 has a story concept filled with chains of unfortunate events that players will experience as Lara Croft who in turn has to overcome tremendous obstacles to survive and help her companions live on.

The new Lara Croft that Crystal Dynamics came up with is a young British woman (played by Camilla Luddington) who is about to become the Tomb Raider (the brave explorer). Early in the 2013 game, Lara learned a lot about archaeology from her travels with her parents (note: her father is an established explorer) who went on several expeditions. In different times, she eventually lost her parents which led to her inheriting the family fortune while receiving care from Conrad Roth. Lara joins a group in what turned out to be her first-ever expedition with the goal to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai.

Crystal Dynamics’ revision of Lara Croft is radically different from the original version of the early Tomb Raider games that I played on PlayStation in the 1990s. The modern Lara – as defined in the 2013 reboot and the two sequels released in 2015 and 2018 – is a survivor who went through lots of pain and killing as she faced armed opposition (the group Trinity is the antagonistic force in Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider) that got in her way. By comparison, the original Lara Croft of the 1990s was a rich and very talented explorer who negotiates with prominent clients to do jobs (adventures around the world) that they can’t do.

Going back to the 2013 game, Lara Croft was portrayed to be vulnerable as the odds are so strong against her. Crystal Dynamics designed the game to make players relate with Lara’s gradual development into a fighter, survivor and hunter. This includes gameplay elements that were introduced from one stage to the next. That being said, by the time I reached the final stages of the game, I became experienced with the new capabilities Lara gained such as climbing, jumping great distances, shooting, firing with arrows, skinning the hunted animals, solving environmental puzzles and finding ancient artifacts.

Whether you play the 2013 game or the Definitive Edition, it is clear that Crystal Dynamics’ work on Tomb Raider is an undeniable success as they strongly redefined Lara Croft while establishing rock-solid gameplay. Crystal Dynamics hit their creative peak in Rise of the Tomb Raider (which I finished on Xbox One) before giving way to Eidos-Montreal (as lead developer) and provided support in Shadow of the Tomb Raider (I also finished this on Xbox One).

*Screenshot captured from the very late stage of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.*

Personally, I like the 2013 modernization of Lara Croft. While she is not the eroticized figure the original Lara of the 1990s was, she still has a strong sex appeal and the way she was portrayed in the three games (2013-2018) made sense as her personally kept developing in a believable fashion with each new game. That being said, I just hope that Crystal Dynamics and its partners will not ruin the gaming icon with wokeness, identity politics and the garbage of the Leftists in future big-budget Tomb Raider games. Lara Croft is well defined with adventuring, exploration, survival and a fighter against evil forces.

Elements of wicked Iran (wicked since 1979) would serve as fitting enemies of Lara Croft in a future big-budget Tomb Raider game. This one is from Tomb Raider #1 (1999). Iran is a terrorist state and the chief sponsor of terrorists.

I am watching your moves, Crystal Dynamics. Don’t forget you have a responsibility to the fans. Please avoid falling into the temptation of turning the Tomb Raider franchise and Lara Croft herself into woke agenda vehicles. Going woke means betrayal towards fans and doing things the very wrong way.

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I Love Israel: Israeli agricultural center and DILG sign memorandum of understanding (MOU) on food security solutions

April 18, 2024April 18, 2024carlocarrasco

As some of you are already aware, I fully stand with Israel which is directly connected with my uncompromising faith in the Lord. I keep on praying to Him for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and recover from the effects of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks committed by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. I can assure all of you that nobody from the evil Islamo-Leftist mob, nobody from the pro-Palestine zealots and nobody from any evil society would stop me from supporting and loving Israel.

Now, on with the news…

Recently here in the Philippines, memorandum of understanding (MOU) on food security solutions was signed by an Israeli agricultural center and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), according to an official announcement. The MOU signing was witnessed by Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the announcement published through the DILG’s website. Some parts in boldface…

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with an Israeli agricultural center aimed at providing intensive training and education to selected local agriculture students on modern food security solutions.

The MOU was signed by DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos and AgroStudies Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yaron Tamir at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

In his speech, Abalos thanked the Israel Embassy and the AgroStudies for their friendship and partnership, as the agreement will significantly boost the attainment of Pres. Marcos Jr.’s vision of ensuring food security under the Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance.

Agrostudies is an international training center which provides a program for agricultural education to interns from developing countries around the world.

“We thank our partners for this continuous partnership of you transferring the technology and best practices to our Filipino farmers,” he said.

Abalos also thanked the partner national government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture, National Security Council, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for their equal commitment to pushing forth the said program.

The DILG Chief also cited the DILG’s Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay (HAPAG) Program, which complements the national government’s food security measures, and the KADIWA ng Pangulo program, which provides access to quality and safe food items at affordable prices.

Based on the MOU, the DILG will collaborate with LGUs in the selection of eligible students to participate in the 11-month AgroStudies program in Israel, focusing on various aspects of agriculture, including crop cultivation, livestock management, and agricultural technology.

Meanwhile, Tamir explained that the Philippines was the first partner country of Israel over the last 20 years, with some 8,000 Filipinos as scholars in this program, the largest among 15 partner -countries in the AgroStudies internship program.

“Our purpose is for the students and farmers to learn modern technologies in Israel and engage in businesses in the Philippines. I promise that as long as I am the CEO, the Philippines will have the highest quota,” Tamir said.

Posted below is a related news video…

The MOU signed is crucial because food security is a priority under the current government. We Filipinos should be very thankful that Israel – which is an established world leader on agriculture, farming, water and food development – was willing to be a strategic partner as there are over one hundred million people around the Philippines who need to be fed in the long term. Along the way, the Philippines has to keep working hard on boosting agricultural production, expanding the number of government-backed food stores, stabilizing prices of food and cracking down on those who smuggle and hoard agricultural goods.

We should also be thankful to the Lord that even as Israel remains busy fighting the terrorists not only in Gaza but also across the border with Lebanon (Hezbollah), the Jewish state and Israeli companies still value the Philippines as a key partner on economics and social development issues.

To my fellow Filipinos reading this, I encourage you to accept the truth that Israel is the land God designated specifically for the Jewish people (read Genesis 35:10-12) and His command must be followed without hesitation. If you want to be blessed further by the Lord, do so by loving and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). I did my part when I was in Israel. Also, let me remind you all that the ties between the Jews and Christians are truly biblical!

We live in a very divided world. Around the world, Leftist forces have been supporting evil forces like the current regime of Iran which is known for supplying and arming the Palestinian terrorists and other terrorist groups around the Middle East. Leftist forces have been supporting the Palestinian Authority and other enemies of Israel. The Leftists and terrorists always go together and their anti-Semitism is clearly obvious. Hamas is purely evil and they are being protected by not only their fellow terrorists but also by mainstream news media outlets who are linked with Leftist forces and people who hate Israel and the Jewish people. Beware of the evil union of the Islamo-Left which is wicked deep within.

With all that said, I encourage you all to pray to the Lord God in support of Israel and believe that He will guide the Israeli forces to another victory which means finishing off Hamas, crushing Hezbollah and forcing Iran and its terror proxies to give up. Read Joshua 11:1-20 in the Holy Bible for relevance and truth.

If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful, you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel and love the Jewish people no matter what. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your enlightenment.

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