THE NERD REPORT
Nerds around town: It's all about Comicpalooza this weekend
May 10, 2019, 8:09 am
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!
It's Friday and the weekend is upon us, storms be damned it's Comicpalooza time!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
Seriously, just buy a shirt and help people with cancer. That's what this boils down to, we all hate cancer, we all know it can be a massive burden on someone and it just becomes a sad story at some point, the longer the battle goes the harder it is to get your life right afterwards. Help people in the battle against cancer, buy a shirt and support Crits For Cancer. #NerdsUnite
COMICPALOOZA WEEK!
It's an easy one today. When you go to Comicpalooza, one of the things to get excited about and check out is all the people. So many people are going to be cosplaying and having a great time, Comicpalooza feels like a genuine celebration for many. They are all so nice and many will take pictures with you, the whole scene is a very exciting and fun thing to be around. Ranging from Harry Potter to Doctor Who and all the comic book movies and comic books characters themselves, this thing will be loaded with your favorite characters and people just out there trying to have a great time. So ask people nicely for pictures, have a great time and truly enjoy this weekend, I know I will.
WHILE YOU'RE OUT
So usually I tell you to go check out your local comic book store and then I highlight some new comic books right here. This weekend you need to come down to, you guessed it, Comicpalooza. You'll actually get to meet tons of comic book creators and fun people and get to find other fun reasons to buy comic books. Reasons like, I met this creator and they seem awesome, or I met this creator and we both agree the world needs more Batman in it. The reality of it is, these are people just like you and me and they are pouring their hearts and souls into being these talented creative people and when you meet a lot of these guys you'll see they're very cool, down to earth people and you'll love reading their work and supporting their dreams because they make good books.
NETFLIX MAKES A MOVE
As the streaming wars keep going, Netflix has fired the next shot by stepping up their relationship with Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse was the publisher for both Umbrella Academy and Polar which both did amazing at Netflix and also were both very well made, which I think is important to a show being successful. Dark Horse has been a player in comic books for a very, very long time and honestly they have a pretty massive and robust catalog of characters but if I had to guess what was next it would be the Black Hammer line of comics at Dark Horse. It's about 1960s superheroes and their legacies and then fast forward to modern times and what impact their heroics had in the world, sort of, it's a crazy read.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
Here lately it's rained on and off and on and off seemingly the last two months and I can't help but notice how poorly Houston now handles the massive amounts of water we're getting. My father's neighborhood flooded massively during Harvey, not because of the rain but because they did those controlled floods and dumped three feet of water into his neighborhood after a massive storm. The reality is these days with all the construction, there's less trees and grass to absorb the water and honestly we've poorly planned this city to the point that water has no where to go at times and we have only ourselves to blame. We need to be doing better about city infrastructure and how we build things before we become like New Orleans who had broken levees and awful infrastructure.
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 some proceeds help fight cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio or support our Patreon Page. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
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Houston rallies to beat Duke and advance to face Florida for NCAA title
Apr 5, 2025, 11:08 pm
A week into the 2025 season, the Houston Astros are already giving fans plenty to talk about—and not all of it is bad. While the offense continues to sputter, particularly at the top of the order, the pitching staff is showing flashes of what could be a defining strength of the team. Let’s break down some early season observations following their latest series opening win against the Minnesota Twins.
Top of the lineup falling flat
The Astros’ biggest issue right now is at the plate. In the series opener against the Twins, the top three hitters in the lineup went a combined 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts. Jose Altuve, usually a stabilizing presence, struck out five times in that game, the first five-strikeout performance of his career. With Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman gone, there’s even less margin for error when stars like Yordan Alvarez go cold. His early-season slump has only magnified the absence of the team’s former offensive anchors.
Chas McCormick also looks completely out of sync at the plate, continuing a troubling trend from the opening series. Meanwhile, Cam Smith is struggling to stay competitive in at-bats, often falling behind in the count after watching fastballs go by for strikes.
One bright spot: Mauricio Dubón finally picked up his first hit of the season against the Twins, showing signs of life.
Hunter Brown is a dude
On the mound, however, Hunter Brown looks every bit like the breakout arm Houston needs. Despite a couple of mistakes—most notably a hanging breaking ball that Matt Wallner turned into a triple—Brown dominated overall. His two-seam fastball produced soft contact all day, with Twins hitters averaging just 62 mph exit velocity. Broken bats and routine grounders were the theme, and Brown even flashed some defensive flair with a slick bare-handed play to first.
Still, Brown can refine his pitch sequencing. Willi Castro jumped on a first-pitch changeup for a hit—an example of how Brown might be better served by establishing his elite velocity before mixing in off-speed.
Bullpen bright spots and smarter pitching
The bullpen continues to be a strength. Bryan King once again delivered a solid inning in relief, and Bryan Abreu made an important adjustment by leaning on his fastball early in his outing, throwing seven straight to start the inning. He has the velocity to overpower hitters and should continue trusting it.
New blood
Manager Joe Espada also made a smart call by starting Brendan Rodgers in cold conditions. Rodgers, with experience playing in Colorado’s thin air and chilly Aprils, responded with a key hit—albeit a bit of a lucky one, aided by a balk that brought the infield in. Still, his presence in the lineup could bring some much-needed consistency, and he deserves regular at-bats. His power was on display when he hit a clutch double, driving in Victor Caratini and extending Houston's lead against the Twins.
Other notes and areas to improve
- Christian Walker finally launched his first home run of the season after a rough game against the Giants. His struggles have largely come against curveballs, so it’s no surprise he found success against Joe Ryan, a pitcher who doesn’t feature one in his arsenal.
- Base stealing continues to be a glaring weakness defensively for the Astros. Opponents are taking extra bases far too easily—a problem that could become costly in close games if not addressed.
Big picture
Yes, the offense looks rough—and yes, there are real concerns about depth and consistency. But the early returns from the pitching staff, especially from Hunter Brown and the bullpen, offer reason for optimism. If the top of the lineup finds its rhythm and the Astros start cleaning up their defensive execution, this team still has the tools to win the AL West.
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