Happiness. Enlightenment. My perspective on it so maybe my journey can help you too. I share this as a life long broadcaster who took my pledge of responsibility in informing and entertaining the audience in a very mindful and meaningful way.
That’s it.
Now, Go Play;
Imagine It. Believe It. And Take Action.
Jim 02/18/2023
This is you… well, if you get serious about working out… but still 🙂
Greetings dear readers! Hope 2023 is treating you well. It’s still new so I can’t say I totally trust it yet. 😉 That’s okay though, I’ve got my little doppelgängers to keep me safe and inspired.
And n all pseudo seriousness, me and mine are moving into the new calendar cycle feeling pretty good. Almost as good as Superman living his best life…
If only everyone could be so super chill.
The mad rush that begins Thanksgiving and concludes the day after the new year starts has once again been a whirlwind. Food with the fam, Black Friday at the day job, my birthday where I get spoiled by my girls every year. This one with more gingerbread…
Say what you will but they’re cute!
Then follow that up with my baby girl turning 13 and then of course Christmas where everybody gets some extra TLC (Tendered Loads of Capitalism) from Santa 😉 He stole the show this year with this one…
I must say, while it didn’t fit under the tree, the Christmas magic certainty gleaned from the screen.And everyone was drawn to the retro pixels.
And no Christmas season would be complete without a final stop of the year to Silver Dollar city where the lights were certainly stunning…
A fun slice of Americana.
Still… not as stunning as my fun loving Mrs.
Yeah. She’s mine 🙂 #wishyouwereme.com
And now the dust is settling and I get to take this time to sorta relax and observe my gifts and what all they mean to me.
Zorro rounds out my new “A-Team” of Funko Pops. I pity the fool who crosses these law dogs. So very much more to the story of this figure taking a place on my wall but we’ll save that for later. Much love to you my brotha! This site here is still one I’m so surprised and grateful that they came to pass. Never have to settle for Horshack again. (Again another story for another time).
On the end of it all, 2022 was what it was and was and despite excuses we can all come up with and blame, in the end every year and more importantly every day is what we make of it. For me, moving forward that will never again be forgotten nor taken for granted.
This toy box isn’t a “business”. It’s a way of life full of opportunity and adventures just waiting to be had.
UPDATE!!!!! Want to let you all know that right now (11/20/2022) You can order the new 50th anniversary Mego Superheroes from Movie Posters Etc NOW! I know I stressed the “retail experience” and I do hope to do that BUT more importantly I want what I want and I also would MUCH RATHER see a small business benefit from your purchase. Check ’em out and Collect ‘Em All!
Jim’s note: This post will be updated throughout the day. Check back or refresh the page often.
Introduction: Why it all matters to me. They’re just dolls for God sake. But not really. They’re a life long source of inspiration, entertainment and joy for nearly 50 years. And now we’ve come to a bookend.
Preface/ prelude 11/05/2022: the discovery.
HAPPY MEGO DAY? 11/06/2022
5:50 am: up and at em! Fall back in full effect. Feel pretty good with the “extra” hour of sleep I got. Now for the morning chores with the cats and dogs. Then off to work.
7:11 am: popped into the home base Walmart. Nothing as expected but tried anyway. Now on to work… best word for today: Anticipation!
7:46 am: thinking about it all (which is always my thing anyway), how to make a game of it beyond the silliness of it all, my mind is pondering using these 50th anniversary figures as a reward system. Trade the treat for a bad or non existent habit I want to break or create. In essence treating myself like a kid who needs to finish his vegetables before desert . So silly. Time to do the day job… bet your bippity that my mind will be filled with ideas for the blogs and podcasts to come inspired by this new hunt.
8:35 am: in regards to last point… work tasks are getting done quicker. So much for the passage of time being manipulated by distraction. I
10:25 am: I truly enjoy and appreciate my day job… but man oh man would I like to be able to check those pegs right now! Not completely obsessed as much as I want to see this happen.
But regardless of the days final results… my heart will go on. Just like Celine sang 😉
Going for a better outcome then these two.
The trick is to just focus on the workday stuff. I swear, these posts come at times that are ethical. No slacking here from this fanboy.
1:34 pm: Lunch time but not enough time to run across town. AKA adult problems. “Just call or order online.” How about no. This about the retail experience and showing support at the register for the company. More on all of that later.
2:01 pm: Could it be any slower? As Johnny Cash so intensely sang; “Tome keeps dragging on.” Now, while I’m not stuck in a prison, the clock is certainly an annoying warden at the moment.
Like sands through the hourglass that doesn’t actually have a hole in the middle. Welcome to my Sunday.
3:33 pm: just found out I have dinner plans right after I get off sooooooo…. I broke and called the store. The young man was nice but had no clue even after looking. The tension builds like a Willie Wonka meme.
4:42 pm: So close to quitting time but the dinner plans have taken precedence. Grrrrrr…. But the biggest reveal so fat is how much I’m getting a kick out of these timeline updates. Something to this form of storytelling 🙂
5:07 pm: dinner party is still waiting for the table sooooo….. update shortly. 🙂
5:28 pm: Nevermind . Family first. 🙂
7 pm: Almost done with dinner. Anticipation slightly muted by post pasta grogginess. Honestly though, I’m not feeling that the final stop is going to turn out with a happy ending.
7:59 pm: It appears to be a bust. But I ain’t going without some digging…
Photo credit: Alicia. She totally gets me and I appreciate that more than you know.
8:18 pm: Learning new things. While the system shows that the figures will be here, when is actually an uncertainty.
“not in transit”
So in at the end of the day the anticipation was left unfulfilled, but most certainly not a waste of day or unbearable disappointment. Watch this space for more on this “Happy Mego Day” that wasn’t plus the podcast that will talk more about the true significance of all of this silliness.
Now, go play!
Jim 11/06/2022
P.S. Not a total bust at the CCP Superstore. Found this fun little star of the FNAF universe from Funko for Freddy’s biggest fan. We call her Kaitlynn. 🙂
Howdy gang! Sorry for the in and out for those that are following me everyday. I’ll be honest with you, it’s been some crazy rockin’ and rollin’ going on back stage and not always in the good way. But I won’t trouble you with that pity party because this is a fun place, and by golly I’m going to keep it that way.
As mentioned before I have decided to scrap the broadcast television show (for now) but I’m far from not throwing stuff out into the ether. What I’m doing is creating some 60 second mini featurettes that I will be posting here as well as broadcasting on TKO 8 television where you’ll find me doing the day job stuff. I really want to introduce more folks to the things you see here but I don’t want to kill myself doing it. Plus I enjoy the various mediums available these days and as such I want to play with them all. Multi media Jim in progress J
One thing that I do feel like sharing with you at the moment is my process. I’m a Henry Ford kind of guy when it comes to production. The efficiency I find in an assembly line structure really works for me. Feds my analytical side and I’ve found as I do the steps (photo’s / video. Writing, graphics etc…) in this way my creativity flows better. I mention this only because coming back to this realization has helped me tremendously in getting back into the groove again.
Another thing I am extremely stoked about is the coming additions to the Toy Box: The Figures Toy Company 8 inch Alive series of KISS Mego style action figures. Recently my good buddy Tom got me plugged back into some of the fantastic branches of the KISS Army and I can’t thank him enough. I’ll go more into all of the “why’s” that makes this so important to me once I get to the review. In a nutshell though I’ll say that reconnecting with one’s earliest influences and inspirations does a mind, body and soul good.
Looking at the clock on the wall I gotta scoot to get back to work on some voice tracks for another fun project I’m working on. In the meantime thank you all again for stopping by and showing your support and love for me and the Toy Box. Below is a gallery of pics from some things to come very soon. It was the best picture day ever!
The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry. I can relate. Well, at least with the Daily Updates. But with good reasons. I’ve been too busy planning, creating and executing!
As the countdown calendar shows, the first broadcast program is getting incredibly close and let me tell you sister there’s a whole lot of work that must be done. So please forgive me for my lack of consistency on this feature at the moment. I’ve got segments stacked up and running out my ears as I work out the final particulars of the broadcast version of the Toy Box. As such my curiosity is growing in regards to what the audience reaction will be.
I’m not terribly concerned with the love it or hate it aspect but just the reaction in general. As I’ve mentioned before dear reader my interests are pretty niche when it comes to the market that I live in. Not that either side is good or bad, just different. One things for sure, this show will most certainly be different than anything else that’s been done around here.
Anyway I just wanted to drop a quick line and say howdy to you all but now I must get back to work. Excuse me I must get back to play. The day any of this becomes “WORK” I’ll walk away and slap myself for taking the fun out of my happy spot. Believe that.
Good evening gang! I do hope your St. Patrick’s Day went well. Overall ours went smooth, no pinching, green beer or leprechauns to speak of but all in all a good day.
The days on the calender seem to be getting in a hurry as I get closer to the launch of the TV version of the Toy Box. No pressure though, it’s all about play and a variety of it so stress is most certainly not allowed. Plus I’m having a ton of fun!
The day job kept me busy as the chief was out of the tepee today and I was left to man the village. Not a bad thing really. It gives me the opportunity to go into super multi-tasker mode. Honestly I liked that. Wouldn’t want to do it every day but its a nice change up and keeps me sharp. The only real difference between today and any other day is that I plop my posterior back in the air chair to spit out the local headlines. which you can see here:
Playing “news guy” is fun but not something I would ever want to do for the rest of my life. Too depressing. Thankfully the chief will be back tomorrow and I can comfortably kick back at master control. Plus after watching the playback it’s simply too much “Jim” for a good broadcast. Between the rip and read with the news my pipes are heard on all of the commercials. One must know overkill when you spot it. Ego be damned. Plus the uploaded version looks like all of the blacks in the video were hit with bleach bomb. Terrible.
One thing that I did get to have a lot of fun with today was the article on a CD I picked up over the weekend. As I try to get the “Thrift Store Flipping” segment back on track the family and I made the rounds at the area thrift shops this past Saturday. Tomorrow I’ll talk about one of the unseen perils of this project, bit of a bummer really but I’d rather keep this one on a positive note.
Pickin’s were very slim but I did score some cool books and a CD for personal consumption. More about the books later but the CD was a winner on so many levels. You can read all about it HERE. It also gave me the motivation to get another segment of the Toy Box in place; the Listening Room.
Well, the clock is ticking and the sandman is calling my name. So off to bed for your old buddy Jimbo. One last tip for you before I wrap this one up. As you have probably figured out I’m pretty easy to amuse and I love a good deal. The Mrs. introduced me to an experience that satisfied both of those needs; a shopping trip to Rue 21. Dude, if you have never been there, pop in.
We just recently had one come to town and I figured 1. it was a girl’s store and 2. I am way too old to be in there. I was wrong on both accounts. Not only did I find a pair of high top sneakers that make me giggle a little (they’re black, shiny and faux snakeskin with white soles) but they were crazy cheap. $5 bucks later and I’ve got shiny shoes. Plus another Lincoln later I picked up a couple of belts, a hat and two watches. Do the math gang, that’s a buck a piece for brand new stuff! I dig it.
Again, thanks for stopping by, catching up or just being nosy. Now, Go Play!
Good golly Ms. Molly it’s been another productive day. I didn’t get a chance to get to my review that I teased you with yesterday but I’ll share with you what the subject matter is:
These Star Wars Mission Series action figures are awesome. Again I’m working on a full review which I hope to have to you by Monday. But don’t wait on me. Go get your self a set or just the ones that catch your eye. They are totally worth the price.
The reason as to why I wasn’t able to get to the review is a very good one. Along with the Toy Box web content and TV show I’m also working on a pilot with a pal of mine Ted Bergman. He developed a fantastically funny idea called Dog’s and Cats Go Hollywood. Not only is fun and funny, it also has a heart of gold for the animals. Be sure to check it out. I’ll share more of my role in the project in the near future. I know, ever the tease but whatcha gonna do. It’s my thing.
At the end of the day my brain is totally mushy but completely worth it. Now, Go Play!
Boy has it been busy so please forgive me for my in and out lately. It’s been a really productive time though. Here’s a quick run down:
Did a lot of tests for the internet broadcast show yesterday. Many thanks to Gar Ghoul for the tip on a video capture device. It was a huge help and most certainly the hub that everything is centered around. Also special thanks to Ben and Tom for bearing with me and being my eyes and ears as I pushed buttons and flipped switches. It’s coming together nicely and once I perfect my method I’ll share the process with all of you potential broadcasters out there.
On the S-Type body giveaway I am so tickled to have received pictures of our young winner and an example of his “Multi Color Man”. The future of the 8 inch format rests in his imagination. Thank you so much for playing and sharing Zach!
The review front finds a pair of fellows that most certainly took me back to my childhood. Being a slave to the tease aspect of things I won’t tell you who or what they are but I will say the Force is most certainly with them.
The biggest thing on the toy front that really knocked my socks off occurred yesterday when it was officially announced the partnership between Bif Bang Pow and ZICA Toys. My two favorite toy makers have partnered up to bring us all into the Twilight Zone. Love these figures!
There is so much going on that I can’t wait to share with you but I must. Time has most certainly become a precious commodity for me these days but thankfully I have you and the Toy Box to help me slow down long enough to write this and play a little. I appreciate that gang. Now, Go Play!
So, daylight savings time, we meet again. Let me cut straight to the chase. I don’t like you. Seriously. But you know what? I’m gonna whip you. Sure the past two days the victory’s have been yours. Enjoy them. They are your last.
Off to lick my wounds and regain my footing, gang. Imma go sleep but you? Fight on! Now, Go Play!
Been another great day! Of course being take an action figure to work day probably helped. Not that it was much different for me BUT the good vibes around the world cast a soft glow of love from the hearts of all that participated. Okay, that was a little reaching but still, it was fun. Lighten up.
Otherwise been plugging away as the TV show keeps getting closer and closer. This is really going to be interesting to see what it evolves into. In its raw form its a true variety show, like Forest Gump and his box of chocolates viewers are never gonna know what they are gonna get from week to week. From animations and toys to music and interviews to sketch comedy and local interest stories and commentary, the sky is the limit. I do hope you all get the chance to check it out.
Now the weekend has arrived and it’s time for me to settle in for some family time. Nothing on the slate this weekend but to chill out, play Barbie’s with my daughter, cook for my wife and occasionally escape to my Toy box. Yeah, life is pretty sweet when you take the time to play despite what the world wants to throw at you that ain’t a ball. Have a great weekend everybody!
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