NERDS AROUND TOWN

D&D, crowdfunding and weekend plans

D&D, crowdfunding and weekend plans
ART BY JESUS RODRIGUEZ

Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio, Sports and Wrestling. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!

Hey Nerds!

We made it to what some people term the most important day of the week, Friday. I think those people got their days mixed up, but it's ok, I do enjoy a good weekend.

GOOD DEED OF THE DAY

It isn't often that the great and easy opportunity to support a great local charity can happen by just showing up and having a great time but that's exactly what happens by going to the Bayou City Art Festival this weekend. Support local non profits and local artists by spending money this weekend at the Bayou City Arts Festival. Of course it's also a reminder to make sure to spend some time visiting The Arc of Greater Houston's children center there this weekend, those guys do a great job working with people with disabilities and the families of people with disabilities.

WHO ME?

This weekend I actually have nothing going on by design, you see next weekend I'm recording live on location from Cox ATA's big tournament we're going to do all kinds of interviews and just overall have a blast out there. Then the very next day is Wrestlemania, so we're going to be recording while watching that for Nerd Thug Wrestling. All of that means we're going to be slammed and I have other work in front of me that will need to be done by then so I'm not going too crazy next weekend, although I may still try and sneak out for the Damn Dame's Burlesque show Friday night.

WHILE YOU'RE STILL ENJOYING THE FEELING OF PAYDAY

This week I haven't gotten to feature very many kickstarters so I'm going to make that up you right now, this is a really cool one. Critical Role is a twitch streaming broadcast of professional voice actors playing their dungeons and dragons game, it's been going on for a while now and it's incredibly successful. One of the things that has been mentioned to them over and over is that they should do their own cartoon of their D&D game. That's a great idea, but an incredibly expensive one and not something they can just pool their money together and make. Instead what they did was they put some great thought into their pledge levels, they put some great production into their launch video and made a kickstarter for what was initially supposed to be a pilot, but instead of getting the $750k they asked for, on day one they reach $1.5 million dollars and keeps growing so they've responded and now the stretch goal is $8.8 million dollars and they'll make a 10 episode season instead of a pilot. They don't necessarily need your help but it's an interesting case study for why these things are a good idea when executed properly and honestly, check it out, it looks really cool.

WHILE YOU'RE OUT

Don't forget to stop by your local comic shop this weekend as you're out on your own adventures, comic books can be a great way to get kids into reading, they can be a fun escape for teenagers and honestly they're still awesome when you're an adult. This week Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #6 comes out, you may recognize the title from it's recent explosion onto Netflix, there are two series before this one, make sure to check them out. Also this week, Ironheart #4 is out. The heir apparent to the Iron Man kingdom is Riri Williams, the young protégé who at one point was trying to literally fill Iron Man's shoes is on her own in her own book with her own suit of armor. This is one of the reasons to be reading comics, books like Age of X-Man: The Extremists #2 written by my twitter friend Leah Williams. It has great character moments plus it's an X-Men book dealing with alternate realities and a world where sex is forbidden, how do heroes fight if they can't love?

WHILE YOU'RE STILL HERE

One more Indiegogo project for you, it's already funded but you may be interested in buying these none the less because it's a really cool product. Check out these playing cards specifically made for travel! I think this is a great idea, I travel a little bit for all the stuff we do and sometimes you got a little while to kill and this just makes better sense. One of the fun things about going through these projects is it's kind of like watching Shark Tank when someone comes on with a crazy brilliant idea and all you can do is sit there and think about how no one ever came up with this first? Anyway, check it out, playing cards designed for travel.

EVEN THOUGH NOBODY ASKED ME

So right after I say that the overall Hall of Fame class this year for WWE isn't that strong of a class they turn around and induct the Hart Foundation. This is cool, I think their timing isn't great considering Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart passed away recently but perhaps that's what spurred the decision on. The Hart Foundation were one of those awesome tag teams that you can't say enough great things about and then to think that both individually and together the careers that both The Anvil and Bret "The Hitman" Hart had, it's great to see them put in.

I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great weekend and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Monday and we'll be bringing more good times your way. Feel free to check out my digital short story The Wilson House or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where every shirt is now under $20 or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.

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The Astros are cooking! Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.

In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.

It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.

Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?

Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.

Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.

If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.

As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.

And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.

There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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*ChatGPT assisted.

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