Thursday, March 21, 2019

My Work Here Is Done

I know I've made posts in the past alluding to the growing stress of trying to balance my hobbies with things of much greater importance to me at this stage in life such as work and school and as a result I was going to put this blog on the back burner to help me focus on those things. Recently though I've grown so dissatisfied with my lack of consistency posting here lately so it's with great sadness that I'm announcing that this is going to be my last post on this blog.

I started this blog back in 2012 as a hobby spurred on by my interest in Nerf blasters and by other blogs doing the same at the time. I've since broadened the scope of this blog and in the years since it's gained more hits than I would have ever imagined as a high school freshman would ever get from just doing product reviews and other miscellaneous stuff. I've always gotten a kick out of expressing my opinion on things and this blog has taught me a whole lot about how to put my thoughts into words.

Recently though I haven't felt as passionate about continuing to run this blog nor do I have the time to do so anymore. I'm pretty well done with Nerf for the most part. I've run out of room to continue the hobby in the same capacity I've used to plus, having been accustomed to the hot glue and PVC hackjobs of the era I started up in, I'm kind of put off by the new mass produced precision and shift to electrics that have dominated the new modding scene. I know I sound like an old geezer complaining about kids and their newfangled 3D printed contraptions, but I simply just could never embrace it.

There is also the problem with money. I've run this blog on nothing but my own hard earned cash and I've never, nor would I have really wanted to take donations in order to keep this place running. Nerf has gotten expensive and much of the other stuff I post about are too, and I'd like be smarter with my purchasing. Pouring money into random things just so I could have something to write about just isn't a sustainable way of running this place.

Regardless I've learned a lot running this blog and I'm glad to have stuck with it for roughly seven years, but unfortunately I think it's time to close the door. The blog will still be online as long as Blogger or Google doesn't have a meltdown and I somehow lose everything but I'll be shutting down the Chatroll and I won't be responding to any comments left on here from this point on. I'll still be active in other circles such as Reddit and Twitter, not to mention I'll also continue to be a complete tryhard with video games, be it on PC or console. I do want to revisit the YouTube channel at some point too, but we'll see how that plays out.

Last but not least I want to thank you guys: if you've been following me for a while or even just popped in for five minutes, thank you guys so much. Seeing that view counter climb over the years and hearing your feedback was all motivation for me to keep going. I am going to miss this place but who knows, maybe I'll revisit blogging somewhere down the line. For now though, my life is far too packed to continue on here like I used to and I'd hate to let the blog sit without any sort of closure.

Once again, thank you guys so much. I hope to see you again on whatever endeavors I've got next.

-YALE70

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Samsung Gear Sport Review

Never miss leg day again.
I don't really know how or why I'm back on a smartwatch kick considering I've hardly worn the fairly solid Gear S over the past two years but after seeing the thing collecting dust on my nightstand for all that time, I kind of struck me. That curved screen beast just isn't the most comfortable long term use watch thanks to it's enormous size, nor was it particularly good for the gym which was it's primary use for me. On a whim, I decided to order it's replacement: the Gear Sport, a smaller, yet more robust and fitness driven alternative to the fashion accessory-like Gear S3. After over a week of wearing it, here's what I think.

Friday, January 18, 2019

Nerf Zombiestrike Nailbiter Review (8/10)

Hammers are overrated.
Nerf has been consistently cranking out some pretty interesting blasters lately and while I'll give them crap for skimping out on paint, many of the new blasters are still pretty eye catching. On the other hand, spring powered semi-autos are still a rarity in Nerf's lineups to this date. There was the nifty but arguably terrible feeling Snapfire 8 and the surprisingly good but rather impractical Voidcaster. There was a lot left to be desired with these blasters despite their good ideas, but Nerf seems to have hit the nail right on the head with this entry, literally. This is the Nailbiter, probably one of the coolest looking and most fun blasters I've used to date.