As in guillotine...

Unpacking Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between The World and Me

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:July 17, 2015
Post category:Personal Reviews
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Between The World and Me, is one of the most important books to be published this decade, surely, possibly even this young century. In context of the long list of tragic events of the past few years (from Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Sandra Bland, to Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charleston), it is timely, but that's the easy part. It's the combination of Coates' framing (a letter to his son) and his raw, unapologetic tone (no white gaze-y appeasement here) that makes it stand out as a singular work that has drawn deserved comparisons to James Baldwin.

Why MLS is better* than the Premier League

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:April 20, 2015
Post category:Personal
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Even in defeat, there's nothing like watching a soccer match in person, but when your side wins, it's an absolutely glorious feeling, and Friday night's game was a great reminder of that. From the great beer selection and unexpectedly delicious chicken & waffles with sriracha syrup, to the perfect weather and entertaining result, it was a great night.

We never look up anymore…

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:March 13, 2015
Post category:Personal
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Don't be fooled / by the cul de sac / the gingerbreading / the German engineering

How I Could Just Kill a (Virtual) Man

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:March 12, 2015
Post category:Personal Pop Culture
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RPGs, simulations, and strategy games are my preferred genres, but I've played and enjoyed several shooters that prioritized story over gameplay (BioShock Infinite), explored the moral gray areas of violence as a solution (Spec-Ops: The Line), or whose sci-fi settings simply put things in a less problematic context (Halo). The timing of Hardline's switch from military fantasy to militarized police fantasy couldn't possibly be worse, either, in light of the ongoing problems in Ferguson, MO, one of the more egregious examples of a systemic cultural problem in this country that most video games either completely ignore or cynically tap into.

On Llamas, Dresses, Net Neutrality: A Clue(Train)!

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:February 27, 2015
Post category:Media Personal
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That desire for community, to connect with others who share your interests, is what drives the best and worst of what, as a whole, makes the internet so invaluable -- from the early days of Usenet to Tumblr and whatever comes next -- and for some (including business execs who don't get it), so dangerous. I'm sure there are plenty of business lessons to be learned from all of this, and I'm sure there will be plenty of think pieces and hot takes addressing those, but I'm far more interested in grappling with the human element.

Fighting Cocks, Dummies, Red Blazers | Soccer Podcast Roundup

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:February 13, 2015
Post category:Personal
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I've never been a fan of podcasts, preferring reading or listening to music on my daily commutes, but in my search for as many ways as possible to engage with soccer, I've come across several that are now in regular rotation, adding yet another formidable contender in the battle for the downtime that used to go to pleasure reading.

Milestone’s Timely Return Should Offer Distinguished Competition

Post author:Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Post published:January 23, 2015
Post category:Pop Culture
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Thankfully, it sounds like Milestone isn't planning to place all their chips on comics alone because I doubt they'll find much success in the core comics market. But as part of a broader distribution and media strategy that will hopefully include original graphic novels, webcomics, animation, and, eventually, live-action TV and/or movies and video games, I'm excited about the possibilities.