Well, here we are again.

In 2021, I wrote a reflection about the Donald Trump presidency and the beginning of Joe Biden’s term. I had hoped we were closing an ugly chapter of American history, but I ended by pointing out that it’s not over. And it’s not. Here we are in 2024, and the American voting public decided to bring Trump back for a second term.

In addition to my warning last time of, “It’s not over,” the headers in my previous reflection included:

• Hubris was One Enemy…
• …and Cowardice was Another
• America’s Institutions Held, but Only Barely

So let’s look at those three items again, along with an important question: What happens now?

Continue reading “Election Day 2024 Fallout” →

People are always asking me, “Charlie, why did you just punch me in the face and try to light me on fire?” To which I normally punch them in the face and try to light them on fire because those people didn’t follow the essential etiquette in having a conversation with me.

To avoid that inevitable burning sensation that comes from me touching a lit match to your gasoline-soaked flesh, please follow these simple five steps. Doing so will ensure a healthier, happier, and combustion-free conversation.

So you want to have a conversation with me…

Continue reading “So You Want to Have a Conversation with Me…” →

Yes, I’m about to launch into a talk on politics. If you’re sick of the topic or just don’t care what a nerd on the Internet has to say about the United States government, go ahead and skip this one. I’ll go back to screaming about comic books and role-playing games next time around.

So, here we are at the end of the term of President Donald Trump–three words together that once seemed so far-fetched that they were a joke on The Simpsons. The past four years in the United States have been largely defined by political divisions, racist policies, and a frightening lean into outright fascism. They culminated in an attempted coup at the Capitol Building that claimed lives. This is not the first time this sort of thing has happened, and I’m sad to say it won’t be the last time. But maybe we can prevent it from happening again for a long while. Maybe we can even learn from it as we move forward?

I don’t really feel like trying to prognosticate about the future of the United States and its elected representatives. But January 6, 2021 is going to be a defining moment in American history, as will the immediate aftermath of the insurrection. As the chapter of President Trump comes to an end, I’d like to take a moment to reflect and get my thoughts down. As the incoming President Biden vows a return to normalcy–whatever that means–I think taking a snapshot of this moment in history that I can look back upon will be very useful in the days to come.

Continue reading “American Government in 2021 and Beyond” →

2018 marked the year I burned out on fan forums on the Internet. I always knew those places bred negativity, but I also like to communicate with nerds about nerdy things. Unfortunately, the deadly seriousness with which some people treat their hobbies eventually made me something of an Internet recluse.

It didn’t help that I familiarized myself with the controversy surrounding The Last Jedi, that Pathfinder announced a new edition, that the Hulk got punked by Thanos in Infinity War, or that Doctor Who introduced a female Doctor. Change hit all my areas of interest, and that always brings a wave of negativity with it.

But the big question is: Why? Why do people take entertainment so seriously? Why does it seem so much easier to focus on the negative rather than celebrate the positive? And what can fans do to create better discourse in the future?

Continue reading “The Anatomy of Nerdrage” →