"The Pinch" Literary Mag Review

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

It was a privilege to be sent a copy of a literary journal called The Pinch.

I've never heard of this literary journal before, but I was interested to learn more about it.

Now the idea for reviewing literary journals spawned when I had a school assignment, which had us reviewing a literary journal of our choice. So I was scrambling to find a journal. I even asked at least three journals via email to send a review copy for me to review on. However, as the deadline for the assignment approached, I had to resort to the literary journals that were in my school library. And since then, I've gotten journals from two of the companies that I've asked.
However, so that there's no misunderstanding, I decided to review the journals that I've gotten late... ON THIS BLOG!!!
-Yay!
So the review of The Pinch is, in fact, my first review of a literary journal for this blog. So let's dive in.

At first glance...

I was given the Vol. 34 No. 1 (Spring 2014) issue of The Pinch from the editors themselves. On the front cover, it features some objects that one may associate with as something from a museum. The background had some kind of atlas or map, which adds onto the museum-like theme.

On the back cover, you'll see a list of contributors, as well as a "funded by" and the university that supported the journal. In this case, the journal is said to be funded by The Hohenberg Foundation, and is sponsored by The University of Memphis.
-Funny thing: On the bottom of the journal on the back cover, there's some words saying, "Keep this slip. It is the only itemized copy you will receive."

Either this is real or coincidence, because I was asking for a review copy of this journal.

Opening the book...
The first pages contain the masthead (the editors and co.), acknowledgements, the mission statement ("A Note on The Pinch"), and the table of contents.
Now, if you look at the table of contents, you'll see that the journal features fiction (short), creative nonfiction, poetry, visual arts, and a section for the Pinch Literary Award Winners. Now, the good thing about the selection is that even though the genres are divided into sections in the table of contents, they're spread out throughout the book, which increases viewership on the journal itself, versus dividing the audience.

Looking through a literary work...
Let's say I'm reading through a poem. (We'll use a poem as an example.)
First of all, the font. The title is in bold, capital letters. Plus, the name of the writer is on top of the title of the work. The font of the literary work itself seems like a 12-pt. font, though it's not Times New Roman...
-Sorry. That was computer literacy for you guys.
Moving on, the page itself is white (not an off-white). There's space between the gutter line and the text, which is effective, because who wants to try and pry the book further open to not miss a word of text?

The visual arts
Now, as promised, the journal does feature artwork from some of its contributors. For artworks like the huge one by Keiko Gonzalez called "Two Hand Clap," they're displayed with two full pages. The work is a pretty good size, especially for individual artwork that only require one page.

The Winner's Section
Also, as promised, the journal has a section that features contributors that gained recognition for their works. (We'll get to submission processes and guidelines later on in this review.) There's only one winner for different genre. And, just like the other works, the winning works are scattered, instead of being restricted by a set section.

Contributors' Notes
The journal takes the initiative in recognizing its contributors: their name, their education, their occupation, their bio, etc.
Afterwards, the journal has some advertising for future contests, announcements, etc.

Pricing
At first glance, you'll see the U.S. pricing for this book: $15. That seems pricey for a literary journal. Then again, the resources had to come from somewhere. Plus, the glossy cover, the number of pages (157 at least), the dimensions of the book itself (a 9.5" x 6.75", I think), and the binding... I could tell that a lot of effort was put into this journal.
If you look on the page before the masthead, you'll see the prices, when it comes to subscribing to the journal. (They can be bought online.)
$28 a year
$50 for 2 years
$60 for 2 years (for organizations buying)
-Again, very pricey.

Submissions Process
Now, as I promised earlier, the submissions process. Well, if you look at the page before the masthead, you'll see that the journal claims to publish twice a year.
-Good point, seeing that the issue that we have here is the spring edition.
You'll also see that the publishing is overseen by the English Department of the University of Memphis. The journal calls for submissions from August 15th and March 15th; and the works have to be mailed to the address provided, or online on their website in the website provided. (We'll get to the website later on in this review.)
-However, the word is that the journal is now accepting online submissions starting March 15, 2015. Times have changed.
-Plus, you have to submit online on their website.
And, as usual, submissions have to be original and never been previously published... oh yeah- and be ready to send a cover letter.
-I feel that this is starting to become a job application, instead of submitting a literary work. I mean, it's hard enough for writers, because the job market can be a cruel mistress. I'm just saying we don't really need a submission process to emphasize that. However, if it's for the sake of being professional, then cool.

So now, I'm curious when it comes to books and journals. So what if I wanted to learn more about this journal? That's where the journal's website comes in.

The website

The website itself seems simple. This is good, but can use something more. Here, you have black and white colors as a background, even though it features visual artwork and sections on where to find each genre. There's not just online content, but there's also news (where to see the list of winners, upcoming events, etc.), submission guidelines and faqs, and info on summer workshops.
Plus, this website reminds me of something that one would see on a Local Coffee website.

-It's like this website is saying: Eh, we want the website to be simple, so any other business can do the same. But I'm thinking: If your journal calls for originality, then why not emphasize it on your website?

And finally... a little background:
Once upon a time, this journal was founded by William Page in 1980 under the name Memphis State Review. The journal has featured works from well-known writers like Phillip Levine, Mary Oliver, etc. (more writers featured in the mission statement) As time went on, the journal became successful, and is being run by graduate students.
-That was a good start.

Consensus
So, what do I think about The Pinch? Well, to say the least, this journal was a pretty-good book to get my hands on.
Despite their website feeling generic, the prices for subscriptions seem like a bit of a concern, and not much of a history to display... the journal does let itself to good content. With an appropriate size, theme choices, considerable length of the book, and the genres that it's open to, The Pinch would be somewhere where I can submit work to.
So, if you like an interesting read that features award-winning and recognized content, then why not give this journal a try?

Whatsoever Critic
Sources:
The Pinch (both Vol. 34 No. 1 Spring 2013 issue, and website)
Local Coffee (as an example for website comparison)

Courtesy: The Hohenberg Foundation/The University of Memphis

"A.D. The Bible Continues" Ep. 9 Review (5/31/15)

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Welcome back to another review of A.D. The Bible Continues! So let's get going.

So now that Saul has converted to Christ, people are after him in Damascus. But fortunately, Saul escapes by being lifted inside a basket over the town wall, and he flees with Barnabas back to Jerusalem.

Speaking of Jerusalem...
Caiaphas and his clan are still shocked to learn that Saul has turned against him. Leah then demands that Saul be severely punished.
-That involves killing him.

Now say, remember when Caligula took over as emperor in the previous episode? Well, our next scene is him trying to get Pilate's wife Claudia to like him. And then the deceased emperor's adviser is called upon and is given a test: to prove that he would die for Caligula (since he's the new emperor and all).
-I mean, the adviser literally kills himself in front of everyone in the room! Talk about kissing someone's ass that badly!
Anyway, the guy dies, and Caligula realizes that he's bored...
-Really? It took someone dying to make you realize that you intimidated Jerusalem long enough? As proven in the previous review, that's politics in a nutshell.
Caligula: "I am bored with Jerusalem..."
-... Whatever.
Anyway, after bitching briefly about the food and the un-hospitality, Caligula presents a parting gift: having a statue of him built and putting it in the Temple for people to see and recognize who their emperor is. But Pilate is unsure about the statue, because...
-In case you missed it in the previous episodes, Pilate and Caiaphas would butt heads when it came to what was good for the Temple. There had to be some common ground: having rule and religion work together. Well, as the series progresses, we learn that the ruling and the religious don't always go hand-in-hand. I betcha that would be Pilate's and Caiaphas' next argument...

So, as Saul returns to Jerusalem, we see Pilate in conflict once again.
-Doesn't surprise me. He's always like this.
Then Caligula's crummy sidekick Agrippa enters the bedroom, and Pilate requests that he talk Caligula out of putting his statue into the Temple, because it would cause a violent war. Reluctantly, Agrippa agrees to talk to his friend once they return home.
-I don't buy it. He's too much of a kiss-up to ask his friend Caligula the emperor for anything.
As Agrippa leaves, Pilate is still worried.
Pilate: "How do you control a madman?"
-Um... look up Wikipedia on Caligula... IDK.

Meanwhile, Caiaphas receives word that Saul is back in Jerusalem. The Caiaphas orders a search party to apprehend Saul.

Speaking of Saul, Barnabas is uncertain whether or not to tell the other disciples about Saul and his conversion. But Saul is excited and can't wait to be accepted into the brotherhood.
And, wouldn't you know it, the disciples are distrustful of Saul, because of what he has done to them. Saul tries to convince them that he's a changed man, but they don't want to hear his testimony.
But then Peter and John arrive; and Peter wants to talk to Saul privately.
-Okay, good. Maybe they can sort this out, or...
Peter: "We'll start on the road to Damascus... I want to hear it from your mouth... You are going to tell me everything from the beginning."
Saul: "But I'm your brother in Christ."
Peter: "From the beginning."
-So you can tell that this was when Peter first didn't trust Saul, because Saul had done bad to him, and Peter finds it hard to forgive. Um... I sense a focal point here.
So Saul explains his story to Peter...
-Well, after a commercial break, because this is television...
-...and we don't get all the explanation, because of the jump-cut...
...but Peter is still not trusting him.

-Just listen to Peter's ranting to emphasize that he doesn't trust Saul:
Peter:
"You wanted me dead!"
"...don't start lecturing me."
"[Jesus] was my best friend, and my teacher, and my brother, and my Lord and master. He was, he is pure life. I miss him."
-Um, keep talking about Jesus, but please listen let Saul speak already. It's like you want to punish him, instead of welcome him. This is where unconditional love is supposed to come in. Again, focal point, guys.

Meanwhile, Caligula and Agrippa leave Pilate's palace; and we learn that Joanna was sexually assaulted(?) by Caligula in one room, and Mary comforts her.
While that's going on, Caiaphas is invited into Pilate's chambers, where Pilate and Herod explain the situation with Caligula's statue. Caiaphas thinks that it's a bad idea, but Pilate shows that they have no choice. Caiaphas quotes from the Book of Daniel, which prophesies that such an act on the Temple would lead to death and destruction.
-So Pilate, what do you have to say to that?
Pilate: "Well, you have a new god, and he is Roman."
-Whoa. Pilate so doesn't care, that he's willing to reject God, in order to kiss up to the emperor Caligula. I mean, think about it. Throughout the series, we see people jeopardizing morals in order to make another person happy. That's unethical!
And wouldn't it make it better? Pilate even makes Herod and his family stay longer in Jerusalem in order to keep his alliance strong...
-Wow. Talk about throwing your most-trusted ally under the bus.
Caiaphas recalls trying to meet common ground with him before, but Pilate still stands by the emperor's parting gift to the Temple, and suggests that it's Caiaphas' problem.
Pilate: "This isn't my problem. It's yours. Deal with it."

Then we cut to a scene where the women: Claudia, Leah, and Herod's wife, are conversing on what they should do to keep the statue a secret from the public. Leah then shows her ambitious side to the other women by suggesting that since Caligula is usually bloodthirsty...
-...as proven in the first scene of him... with the adviser killing himself to prove his loyalty...
...that they need to find Saul and kill him, so that it would please Caligula. Claudia is appalled by Leah's ambition, but Leah has her think: What would she do?
-Okay, who's being devious here? So many people have guilt in them. It's sort of hard to tell who the bad guy is in this series. Or is there more than one villain? What do you guys think?

Anyway, back to Peter and Saul...

Peter still doesn't believe Saul...
Peter:
"Because of you, we've been hiding!"
"It's not that easy!"
"You went after my daughter!"
-Uh, Saul. Why not say something to...?
Saul: "Will you never let this go?"
-Okay. Well, yeah. Why doesn't Peter let this go? He's too mad at Saul because of the mistakes he made, and what he's done to hurt people. And Saul even admits to his wrongdoing. So yeah. I have to side with Saul. Why doesn't Peter let this go? (Not to be confused with Frozen's "Let It Go" song.)
Then  Saul goes on to ask, basically beg, Peter for forgiveness. And Peter says...

Oh.
We cut to the guards still searching for Saul.
-So? Well, at least we know that they're still onto him.

For the next scene, we see Mary secretly listening to Herod's talk with his wife about what's to come for Jerusalem and that they can't leave, because Pilate said so.

However, Herod's wife sees opportunity: she says that Pilate can't survive such an event when Caligula's statue is put in the Temple, because of the fortelling backlash from the people. She suggests that she and Herod stay in Jerusalem, and as soon as Pilate falls, Herod would be there to take his position and claim what's "rightfully his," and then get rid of the Jesus followers permanently.
-Okay. Now we have more ambitious women in our midst. (sarcasm) Whoop-de-doo.

Meanwhile, John and another follower (Thomas, I think) are in the marketplace, as they talk about Saul and debate whether or not he has changed. But then the guards rallying up the crowd to find Saul confirms... or seems to confirm... that Saul is telling the truth.
-We can't be sure, guys.

We then cut back to Mary, as she tells Joanna the bad news, about Jerusalem being in grave danger. Joanna insists that she help the cause, and she gives Mary a box...
-I don't know if it's money or gold... Some kind of currency, or something of value... IDK.
Joanna makes it very clear to her that she wants to help, but as Mary leaves, Joanna's husband arrives.
Joanna's husband: "Joanna, did I just see that woman take money?"
-Oh. So that box was money...
So the husband confronts her about it, but Joanna insists that she had to help out.
Joanna: "I cannot be silent."
Well, as soon as the husband leaves, another woman in the room questions how she spoke to her husband the way she did, and Joanna explains herself.
Joanna: "Jesus gave me the strength."
Other woman: "Who is Jesus? Tell me about him."
And Joanna... the way she smiles at the woman... seems more than happy to tell her about Jesus.
-Now, I'm not gonna lie: Joanna really stands out right now, because she's sticking up for herself, despite having a controlling husband and being called insane by everyone else.

In the next scene, Mary has already told the other disciples about what was going to happen with the new statue and the Temple, and that it holds serious consequences for Jerusalem.
John: "The Book of Daniel foretells this moment."
-Oh great, it's that book again. It's been mentioned a few times already. Well... tell us, what does the Book of Daniel say? I mean, really. I want to know. I'm curious.
John: "At the temple, he would set up an abomination that would cause desolation..."
-Oh, you mean like the Desolation of Smaug? (pause) Oh no, sorry guys. This show isn't that kind of series. (pause) Dragons aren't in this series either. (pause) Even if dragons talked, they're still not in this series.
The disciples go on to discuss that Jesus had told them about this; and they all come to the conclusion that this "eternal war" would lead to the return of Jesus.

We then cut to Leah telling her husband Caiaphas to make a spectacle of Saul for betraying them. But Caiaphas wants to be civil when confronting Saul, because he feels that he can change Saul back to the way he was before. He also tells his wife to not seek revenge but to love one another.

Meanwhile, Peter is talking with Barnabas about the fate of Jerusalem and about Saul. Barnabas tries to persuade to trust Saul, because guards are out looking for him, and that that's prove in itself.
Barnabas: "Why don't you welcome him in?"
-Yeah, Peter. Why don't you welcome him in?
Peter: "Why him?"
-As in Why did Jesus choose Saul to be an instrument in spreading the Word? Well, you'll see when we get there. Spoiler alert: In the Bible, he'll write many letters to different nations to spread the Word... Sorry. Sorry. This is coming from my studies of the Bible.

So that night, while guards are still looking for Saul, Pilate and Claudia have a meeting with the centurion to discuss how to prepare for the worst that's to come to Jerusalem. Both men assume the worst, but Claudia insists that they-
Claudia: "...have to stop it coming!"
-I was about to say that. But anyway...
Pilate: "But how?"
Claudia: "We think. We plan."
-Okay, I feel like there's a tug-of-war between over-the-top-ambitious women and the women that are trying to stand up for themselves and make a difference. Why is that?
Pilate tells her that there's nothing they can do to stop what's to come.

Meanwhile...
Simon: "I can't believe that this could be the end of the Temple."
-Yeah, we're still on about that. Yeah, as soon as Caligula makes known that he wants a statue of himself in the Temple, it's like "Hey everyone! Check this out!" Wouldn't the news go faster if this time period had social media? Probably would, since pretty much everything is digital now. Just saying.
But Simon is unsure about this, and insists that they can't just sit and do nothing.
-And I thought Thomas was the doubter of the disciples...
But anyway, Peter comes in to make an announcement.
Peter: "Good news! We welcome Saul as our brother in Christ."
-(mimicking Peter) And it took us 3/4 of this episode to get to that conclusion.
But Simon still isn't buying it, and he leaves. Saul leaves to go after him, despite Peter and Barnabas warning him about the guards outside, but Saul goes anyway.
Then Saul makes the mistake of shouting to Simon to come back, which gets the attention of the guards. Soon, the guards capture Saul, and he is whisked away, before Barnabas can get to him.

Then we cut to Simon... who's at a bar or something... as a guy serves him with a drink. Simon is also looking to meet someone.
Simon: "I have information, and it is vital that I get it to them. The city would be destroyed otherwise."
-Okay, if you thought Judas was shady, then you haven't seen this. I mean, what is this? Simon is wanting to exchange information with the rebels now? But why?

Meanwhile in the Pilate household, Claudia meets again with the centurion. Claudia then takes the time to share her thoughts and concerns with him.
Claudia: "How do you prepare yourself for something like this?"
The centurion: "I'm sure it won't come to that."
-I don't know. I have a feeling that Claudia wants to make out with this guy. Why? Because we've already established that she's one of the ambitious women in this series, and she's always suggesting ideas to people, advising for crying out loud! So yeah. I think she would be that ambitious to where she can be lustful. It happens all the time in Lifetime movies!

We then cut back to Simon, who's still hitting the sauce. But then he gets drugged, and after he wakes up, is confronted by... Boaz's wife(?)... who tells him that she and the rebels want to help him and the disciples, on the condition that he exchange the information with them.
-Oooooookay...
So Simon agrees, and he gets to meet with the rebels' leader.

And then the show ends with Saul in prison.

Caiaphas watches as Saul recites the Lord's prayer in his cell.

And that was episode 9. So are we getting somewhere? Yes we are.
In fact, there's talk of the end. What's that going to be like for our characters? For me, if this is to indicate the end of the series, I don't think so. Why not? Because Saul just became a brother in Christ. We still need to find out what will happen to the Pilate clan, the Herod clan, the Caiaphas clan, and the disciples. There are still some unanswered questions here and there. Maybe the next few episodes would shed more light on the situation about "the end."

Whatsoever Critic
Source: A.D. The Bible Continues

Courtesy: NBC/Lightworkers Media

2 EVIL EYES (fan-made FNaF video)- WC Reacts

Today we react to another video. This time, instead of the humor of "Fazbear and Friends," we get a dark twist from the side of Springtrap.



Original video: https://youtu.be/xRuVTFqaE0M

(Inspired by Scott Cawthon's Five Nights at Freddy's series)

Who Would Win?: The Fib from Outer Space VS. The Rumor Weed

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Recently, I was presented with a challenge. Well, I wouldn't say that it's a full-blown challenge, but it was a suggestion made by one of my readers. The suggestion was:

"Hi I am a big fan of your articles and I have a (big) idea for you next one. What if you did one on who would win between the Mother Weed and Fib. You could base it off of what they individually did to Larry Boy ie Mother Weed beating him up and Fib almost eating him."

Good question! Who would win? So today I will tell you who I'd think would win.

Keep in mind that both the Fib and the Rumor Weed are monsters from the LarryBoy universe,

and that they've both only had one full appearance in the franchise.
This idea was suggested by a Facebook user named Jeb Johnson. So thanks man!
And before we move on, warning: SPOILERS! Okay? Let's go!

EVIL DEEDS
First of all, what has these villains done to become bad? Let's go over the facts.

The Fib, in his episode, has done a lot of things to make himself evil.

1. He tells kids to lie, so that he can grow into a giant monster and consume them.

2. He causes destruction: hitting buildings, stepping on cars, etc.

3. He kidnaps people that he tricks into lying.

4. He has made an attempt on two lives: LarryBoy and Junior.

(the threat of eating them; plus he squeezes LarryBoy)

The Rumor Weed, on the other hand...

1. She shows up uninvited to people's yards.
2. She feeds on rumors that people involuntarily (and unknowningly) help her accumulate.
3. She preys on the person that the rumor is based on.

4. She kidnaps her victims.

5. She has made an attempt of two lives: LarryBoy and Alfred. (She beats up LarryBoy; and she has Alfred dangling in her grasp during the climax.)

ABILITIES
For the Fib, growth and brute strength are his abilities.

Like I said before, the Fib grows whenever someone lies. This means that the person would have to lie, and then tell more and more lies to make up for the first lie, until finally, the lie is too big to handle unless the truth is told.
-It's not rocket science.
His strength is also proven, because of the destruction he causes.

Plus, he squeezes LarryBoy to where the hero's plunge ear pops off.
-Now if this was reality, LarryBoy's bones would've been jelly.

As for the Rumor Weed, her abilities are growth and brute strength...
-Wait. This is kind of like the Fib's abilities...
However, there's something that the Fib doesn't have. A system.

What do I mean by this? Well, in LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed, we learn in the LarryCave scene that the Rumor Weeds are connected to a vast root system that ultimately leads to a bigger weed simply known as the Mother Weed.

So with that in mind, the Mother Weed has backup, while the Fib is a one-man show,
Another thing that the Rumor Weed does is... well, it's basically her nature. You know how weeds are considered parasitic, because they show up in lawns without notice, and some weeds (ex. vines) can spread out on walls and fences?

Well, the Mother Weed does the same thing, except let's just say that it's like nature on steroids.

So... now that we've revealed all the abilities and facts about both monsters from the LarryBoy universe, I would like to propose who would win in an actual fight. With that being said, I would say that the monster that would win this face-off would be the Rumor Weed.

Now let me explain:

The Rumor Weed, by far, has a vast root system, which helps her minions go from yard to yard, to invade lawns, and to speak heresy to anyone that listens. The Mother Weed, the head-honcho, has proven to hold her own in a physical fight (even though she beats up LarryBoy off-screen). In fact, both her and the Fib can hold their own in a physical fight.

However, the Weed is so long in length and size, she would probably try to catch the Fib in a choke-hold and strangle him with vines. If her vines can drape themselves over buildings and lift stuff... and burst through the ground, then the same kind of damage can be done to the Fib.
However, if nothing can stop the Fib unless the truth is told... what if the Rumor Weed can use that fact against him? If she uses stories told by other people but her and she puts two and two together, she can use the fact against him; she makes it perfectly that she can use a story (not invent one), because of a lyric from her song:

"It starts as a story,
Maybe it's true, maybe not,
But once you repeat it,
It's hard to defeat it,
Now look at the mess that you got..."
Now pay attention to the second line of this chunk of verse: "Maybe it's true, maybe not..." So a rumor can be based either on something true about something/someone, or something that's not true. So going back to what's being said about the Rumor Weed potentially using the telling-the-truth weakness fact against the Fib... Since we know that the opposite of a lie is the truth, and that a lie can be destroyed by telling the truth, the Rumor Weed can use that fact against him, thus destroying who he is. With no identity, there's no reason for him to go on.

So yeah, that was my theory of who would win in a battle if the Fib and Rumor Weed were pinned against each other, and we have a clear winner. So what do you guys think? Who do you think would win? The Fib or the Rumor Weed? Let me know in the comments section below. If you enjoyed this blog post that was suggested by one of my readers, feel free to suggest another idea for a future post.

Whatsoever Critic
Sources:
LarryBoy and the Fib from Outer Space
LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed

Courtesy: Big Idea Entertainment