NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: New comic books, My Chemical Romance and writer's block
Nov 8, 2019, 3:33 pm
NERDS AROUND TOWN
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 and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
Next weekend the Firefly 5k/10k Run is happening to benefit Buffalo Bayou Partnership, this is one of the cool ones. A nighttime run with lights and all kinds of fun costumes and afterwards there's a party. It's bright and fun and it benefits a great cause, so come out and get sweaty and be glowing and have a great time.
The Houston Food and Wine fest will be this Saturday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $55 and there's all kinds of good food and wine to be tried and eaten. There are over 20 foods and tons of 4 oz wine samples, now me personally, I'm not a wine guy but man do I love a food festival. There's all kinds of goodies to be had and who knows, you might find your new favorite dish and who doesn't love a new favorite dish.
There's some great books coming out this week including Legion of Super Heroes #1, it's a return from the future as the teen super heroes of the 31st Century come crashing back into DC Comics. This is a big deal because honestly, these guys are a huge part of DC lore and their absence has been criticized and discussed ad nauseum. X-Force #1, the reinvention of The X Men property continues as X-Force becomes the intelligence agency of the Island Nation of Krakoa. This is some very real and very exciting stuff, seeing new stories and a new way to engage the relationship between Mutants and the Marvel Universe. Seriously, check it out. Come by your local comic book shop and check it out.
My Chemical Romance has announced a reunion tour and young 20's me is super excited about all of this. I hope to god they are coming to Houston and a quick google reveals they aren't even coming to America but playing New Zealand, Australia and Japan. There's a reunion show in the states but otherwise nothing. What is going on here?! Hopefully these are just warm up shows and down the pipe is some great stuff but honestly, I don't think that's the case. I hope the shows are "get ready" shows, I hope they get back into the studio and make a new album, but as of right now all they have are a few shows scheduled. I loved The Black Parade and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and I really want another album like that… but so far they have a few shows scheduled. Not for nothing, they have Jimmy Eat World on the tour and I love them too.
So I'm a fairly open guy here and I like to make an honest approach to how my life is going and what it's like to be somebody working their way through freelance life. It isn't glamorous, it does afford me a different way of life and a questionably relaxed lifestyle but man I have been straining with a serious case of writer's block all freaking week. Everything I've been writing all week has been absolute crap and I totally apologize to anyone who reads my work this week.
Feel free to check out my brand-new comic book Another Day at the Office or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
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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