bobbyshaddoe80
The Shaddoe of Truth
"If you seek the truth... look to the shadows..."
Blog for Random Thoughts and Reviews
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Addressing serious issues through allegory and social satire, the best sort of sci-fi.
I could write so much about the differences between Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus one as different sides of a political story.
Shin was a political satire at points about the ineffectiveness of Japanese Beauracracy in the face of immediate crisis and how a solution can only be found once the government is pared back to a leaner, more agile and less bound by red tape core of problem solvers.
I talks about competence and creativity and radical ideas in the face of insurmountable odds once freed from constraint. The protagonists are young, scrappy and ambitious and the idea that you can make a difference, can step up and save everyone if only you were free to do so.
Minus One is about humans struggling to deal with a crisis in the face of a LACK of government, with almost no military after the trauma of a war they were forced into by their government and then lost badly. It's about picking up the pieces and then having those pieces kicked over again because of the actions of others and possibly, the inaction of one of the protagonists in the past. It's about regret and shame and heartbreak and the feeling you are not worthy of happiness so denying it when it presents itself to you.
And while Shin deals with the constraints placed on Japan by the treaty that ended World War II and whether or not they can deploy their self-defense forces to try and stop Godzilla before it is too late, Minus one deals with the lack of support from the US Occupying Forces who seem to not care if Japan gets absolutely destroyed again. You can almost feel a kind of callous disdain in the non-presence of the Americans as if they are ok with Japan being destroyed as long as it doesn't lead to conflict with the USSR. Or maybe they are just using that as an excuse to further humiliate a defeated enemy that once threatened them.
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Being Misunderstood
By Robert L. Torres
It's not an easy thing to be accepted or understood as a person. Regular people struggle with this sort of thing a lot in every day life, and it becomes doubly difficult for people with certain disabilities, whether they be physical or mental.
Growing up with ADHD, my biggest fear was not being liked or accepted by others, whether it be teachers, fellow students, or just people in general. Being a misfit or an outsider is often a social stigma that no one really wants to be saddled with, because we all wish to have people in our lives that know us, understand us, accept us, and love us.
Family is always there to help because by virtue of bloodlines or ties of marriage, they are always meant to accept you and love you unconditionally. However, as I came to learn, this isn't always the case.
Over the years, more and more I grew to see, to understand, to appreciate the people that would come into my social sphere. Those that I would come across often shared similar interests, and in many ways, were often social outcasts and misfits from so-called 'mainstream' society as well.
When you come across those who understand and know what it's like to be misunderstood, that is where real understanding comes into play.
When one is a child, and they are being picked on and bullied for being different, trying to make yourself understood by those that have no interest in understanding you and are more interested in finding ways to get under your skin, it can feel a lot like screaming into the wind or trying to demand that a hurricane or tornado not make landfall in your area.
Even when one is able to be amongst people that understand and accept you, sometimes it isn't for very long. People being people, they will find any reason, no matter how minute and petty, to disassociate themselves from you. In these instances, you can't help but wonder if the people that you were once friends with were ever really your friends at all.
Eventually, you come to the understanding that those that choose to turn their backs on you for the most insignificant of reasons are not people you want to associate with anyway.
Those in your life that know you, understand you, and do not judge you, regardless of whether they be family or friends, are they ones to truly count on. It never helps to try and complete ridiculously Herculean Labors just to be accepted by people who are just going to move the goalpost even further away anyway for the sake of their 'friendship'.
True friendship is defined by quality and not quantity, no matter what social networking apps would lead you to believe. In this day and age of social media and influencer culture, one shouldn't take much stock in having followers instead of friends. Granted, Jesus of Nazareth had followers that were also his friends... but then again, so did Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and David Koresh.
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My Cancer Journey
By Robert L. Torres
This is a tough thing for me to speak about, which is why I always find writing to be a more therapeutic avenue for self expression.
In the Summer of 2022, I felt on top for the world, especially heading into the Fall. I had just finished a wonderful run with the cast of 'Beauty and the Beast' and had been cast in the lead role of Shakespeare's 'MacBeth'. Life was going great.
Then on August 31st, as I went to work suddenly I had excruciating pain in my left leg, I couldn't walk or stand on it. I couldn't work with my clients, nothing. I had no choice but to call my parents to take me to the hospital.
I had hoped that it was nothing serious, and I would be back home in a few days at most. Only it didn't turn out that way.
I'm hearing talk of cancer and amputation and I was terrified. Eventually I was transferred to Orlando Regional, where I ended up staying for two whole months, especially once they had no choice but to amputate my left leg to save my life.
I had been placed in a chemically induced coma on September 4th, and woke up ten days later surrounded by my family. That is when I learned of the amputation. That's when I knew my life would never be the same again. There was so much that had to be done, cuz the the main focus at that point was to get better and get back home to my life.
Over the next few weeks as I began my chemo treatments, I had to sacrifice my role in Shakespeare, clean out my savings account, surrender my vehicle, and shave my head.
By mid October I had been discharged back home in New Port Richey, where I have been staying with my parents as I finished off the final rounds of chemo therapy.
This journey has been a long and arduous one, not just for me, but for my family. The healing and strengthening of family ties has symbolized my body's own physical and spiritual healing. As I got to reconnect to family members I hadn't seen in years, it allowed me to get in touch with my own connection to God and be grateful each day as I worked towards becoming stronger and healthier.
Recently, after completing the four rounds of chemo, I had a PetScan done on my body to determine if the cancer cells were indeed dead, inactive and will continue to shrink.
My oncologist is confident the results will be in my favor, and I will find out very soon if that is indeed the case.
It will be a huge relief, cuz it means the long nightmare is finally over and I can move forward with getting my life back on track.
Being back home, utilizing a wheelchair as well as a walker has been... unusual to say the least, but also a necessity as I grow more and more accustomed to my body and be comfortable with my new circumstances. All in the effort to grow stronger in body, mind and spirit in preparation for the next aspect of my journey... obtaining prosthetic limb.
That in itself is a scary prospect, but a necessary one if I ever wish to get my life back on track, get back to MY home, obtain a new car, get back to work, get back on stage with my fellow community thespians,, and just get back to LIVING MY LIFE.
But this whole journey has made me appreciate what people go through when they themselves are struck down with cancer or have family members and friends dealing with cancer. One always wants to stay positive and hopeful, but the emotional toil it takes can be excruciating.
I am grateful and fortunate that my cancer was the curable kind, but I know many others aren't so fortunate.
It also showcases that we can't always predict what tomorrow will bring. We also cannot allow our fear of tomorrow paralyze us into inaction. All we can do is deal with what is going on in the here and now, and try our best to prepare for whatever life throws in our path, come what may.
Never allow yourself to fall into despair, for it is better to be the light that dispells the darkness, than allow the darkness to extinguish your light.
UPDATE: The results of the PetScan have revealed that the cancer cells are indeed dead and have shrunk even smaller than before, and are continuing to shrink. The news itself has even a great relief, as it means I can at last focus on getting my life back on track. The first steps towards that goal have already been set in motion, as I have scheduled to meet with a representative from a local prosthetics firm in order to hopefully get fitted for a prosthetic for a prosthetic leg. From there, it's a matter of getting back home, with a vehicle of my own and getting back to work and to my life.
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Is this like how when different incarnations of The Doctor team up only some of them remember the events cuz of the wobbly timey whimey stuff?
in Kamen rider Revice The Mystery (2022) Terui forgot about the orphnocs and fangires he fought in the crossovers, that's a reference to the fact that no one remembers what happens in them
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There have been evil Rangers teams often done as mirror images of the actual main team. This team is pretty unique in that they are an all female team, and while they are an evil Ranger team, they are more dark reflections of the Ninja since they are products of dark magic that turned them from simple cats into fierce Ninja warriors.
I'm also pretty sure it's meant to be a dig at TMNT, with simple turtles being transformed into humanoid creatures that learn the art of ninjitsu. I could be wrong.
But they were an exceptional element to Kakuranger and what made the show a lot of fun to watch.
Flowery Kunoichi Team/Hanarangers
All female villain gang from the 1994 Super Sentai Series Kakuranger
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Expressions of Frustration:
I hate that my work takes up so much of my free time that I can't sit down properly and write out the things I want to write.
I hate that I can't figure out ways to monetize my writing skills in a substantial manner.
I hate that my wife is so scared of having children that the discussion isn't even brought up.
I hate that I am probably going to die with nothing to leave behind, nothing to continue after me and that I love with this fear that I will never reach my potential as a writer or as a person.
I hate that I am constantly agued by interruptions.
I hate that I am blessed with so many ideas and no way to execute them.
I just want more time, more out of life, more money, more love, more peace of mind, and just more opportunities.
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Salma Hayek... Not just a talented actress but a smoking hot latina!
Salma Hayek in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
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Mirrors always have something new to say. Each day when you wake up, it tells you 'Good morning, boy you look like death warmed over. Why don't you hop in the shower, you look like you need it.' Once you're done, you wipe the steam off the mirror and it says, 'Ahhh, much better. Better brush up and rinse, and make sure you get the back teeth and your tongue. It'll help get rid of that morning breath.'
Even when you're ready to go out, and you're styling your hair or putting on make up, a mirror says, 'Now don't forget you wanna tease the hair, not piss it off. And don't overdo it with the hairspray and gel. And that goes double with the make up. Remember, if you're gonna go heavy on the eyeshadow, go light on the foundation and rouge. You want 80s rocker chick, not Bride of Bozo the Clown.'
Sometimes mirrors arent always complimentary, and always seem to comment on every perceived flaw that develops on your body. 'Ugh, look at the beer gut and those love handles. You really need to hit the gym, and cut down on the fucking candy bars for goodness sake!'
Still, mirrors never lie... No matter how broken or distorted... They still manage to reflect the truth.
prompt 1651
Write a paragraph about mirrors. Start with this:
Mirrors always have something new to say.
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About the author:
Robert (or Bobby to his friends) has been an avid reader since age 6, and would often read to his mother on long car trips throughout his adolescence (even providing voices and sound effects). He became an avid fan of science fiction, horror, and fantasy at age 10 when his father first introduced him to such cult classic series as Star Fleet aka X Bomber, Star Trek TNG, and Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds.
Writing has always been a passion for him, but could never find time to coherently turn his disparate ideas into something unified.
Diagnosed with ADHD at an early age, Robert finds writing out his thoughts and feelings to be a great outlet for the occasional chaos in his mind. He also finds great structure, routine and creative expression in the world of the theater.
Robert believes that quality of character and quality of story are not mutually exclusive concepts when it comes to telling a good story. In addition, any story worth telling, irrespective of genre, should be about something. Not necessarily pushing an agenda, but rather using the medium of fiction to engage in social satire and essentially hold up a mirror to our society and culture and make us think and feel as well as be entertained.
In addition to a great love and appreciation of UK TV scifi/fantasy/horror a la Doctor Who and Blake's 7, Robert finds great appreciation in the realm of Japanese tokusatsu (which is often a melting pot of scifi, fantasy and horror).
As per his heroes, Robert counts Robin Williams, Salvador Dali, Vincent Price, Paul Naschy, Frank Herbert, Charles Sonnenberg, and the Marx Brothers amongst many others.
Since 2006, Robert has been happily married to his college sweetheart, Pamela (a fellow artist), and lives in the Florida suburbs of the Tampa Bay area working as Home HealthCare Provider.
In the tail end of 2022, Robert successfully battled cancer, but lost his left leg in the process. But he has just become.more determined to love each day to the fullest.
Questions or comments:
Email - [email protected]
Bobby's Facebook Page
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100 likes!
If only the stuff i posted got 100 likes. Lol
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I love this remake. Its beautiful and honors the spirit of the original while also adding so much to make the story unique. I love the use of natural color as opposed to the garish color of the original abd the acting is just onpoint. Plus the horror seeps into things slowly but surely. Its beautiful.
DAILYHORRORFILMS HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN: 3 Days Until Halloween
Patricia wrote about “Three Mothers” lost to time, predating all Christian invention. Pre-God, pre-devil. Mother Tenebrarum, Mother Lachrymarum and Mother Suspiriorum. Darkness, tears, and sighs.
Suspiria (2018)
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With the announcement that Jodie Whittaker will be leaving the role soon, I wish her all the best of luck in her future acting endeavors.
In addition, I do hope she makes her way to Big Finish eventually. After the debacle of Series 12 and the Chibnall Disasterplan, especially the Timeless Child horseshit, she deserves better material to right the wrongs done to her and to the series itself.
As lovely as she is as a person and as talented as she is as an actress, it would seem that she has superseded Colin Baker's 6th Doctor as the worst incarnation of the Doctor ever.
Honestly, it isn't fair that this has to happen to her. If there was better writing and if she was given better characterization, she would be more fondly regarded. As it stands, it just seems, at the moment, that the experiment to make the Doctor a woman has failed miserably. None of this is Whittaker's fault of course, but people are gonna lay the blame at her feet just like they laid the blame on the show going on hiatus back in the mid 80s on Colin Baker, and even the outright cancellation of the show in the late 80s on Sylvester McCoy.
Still, even as she abdicates the role... there is always hope, and always possibilities...
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Perfect Blue.... One of the best horror/thriller animated films that not only shines a light on the darkside of the entertainment industry, but also is very prescient in its depiction of cyber bullying and cyber harassment.
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A brilliant and beautiful film, the horror slowly working its way into destroying this family. A slow burner but its an engaging slow burn. One of Ana Taylor Joy's best films.
October 2019 Horror Movie Marathon: Day 30
The Witch (2015) Directed by Robert Eggers
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I freaking love this girl! she was awesome on 'Arrow' and she was awesome in 'Hell Fest'. she needs to do more stuff cuz she is just awesome!
Bex Taylor-Klaus as Taylor Ann Smythe in Hell Fest (2018)
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Classic Argento. The use of set design and use of color and music work so well.
Skepticism is the natural reaction of people nowadays. But magic is ever-present.
Suspiria (1977) dir. Dario Argento
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Liberated Audio Reviews
Blake's 7 - The Liberator Chronicles Vol. 6
RELEASED OCTOBER 2013
Recorded on: 2, 10 and 30 October and 13 December 2012
Recorded at: Moat Studios
Review By Robert L. Torres
Incentive by Peter Anghelides
'The Liberator crew are recovering from a Galactic War and searching for their lost members Blake and Jenna. But it’s a search that leads them into terrible danger…'
Because this story marks the return of Steven Pacey to the role of Del Tarrant, I think it is best that I get my views on the character out of my system before getting to the rest of the review.
Honestly.... Out of the main characters that have come and gone on the show during its four season run, there are two that I do not count as my favorites.
The first is Soolin, largely due to how bland and one note the character was compared to the character she was brought on to replace in Series D... Cally.
The other character is Del Tarrant, and I shall endeavor to explain why I dislike him despite Steven Pacey's fine performance.
From the first moment he appeared on the show, there was something about him that just rubbed me the wrong way. For years I knew it was the character himself that seemed like the problem... But I could never work out why.
This story finally brought to light why I disliked Tarrant's character. He was a young, cocky, hot shot with loyalties only to himself... Basically a less charming and less endearing version of Star Lord. He was impatient, brash, and only seemed to be throwing in his lot with the resistance for no other reason than for fame and glory.
In addition, Tarrant seemed to go out of his way to get under everyone's skin (or rather just Avon's), and always bristled under Avon's command.
I understand that with Gareth Thomas having left the series, they needed to create a new character to go up against Avon on the decision making, much in the same way Avon used to butt heads with Blake. Except the dynamic between Avon and Tarrant, from what I remember, was different and far more antagonistic than it was between Blake and Avon. Avon was an Alpha dog, but Tarrant was also an Alpha dog. This is probably why most of their disagreements, from what I remember, tended to come across like dick wagging contests.
It has been a while since I saw the series proper, but there are only two things of any significance regarding Tarrant that I remember. The first was the Series C episode 'Death Watch', which I think involved his twin brother Deeta. The other was the episode 'Sand' from Series D, which involved him and Servalan being trapped on a planet together... Having conjugal relations.
While the character of Del Tarrant isn't my favorite, Anghelides does a pretty good job of at least attempting to shed a bit of light on his character. This is accomplished by focusing on his desperate desire to stand out from the crowd and make a name for himself on par with the legendary Blake and Jenna.
The story begins not long after Tarrant and Dayna have officially joined the crew. During their latest attempt to locate Blake and Jenna, Tarrant and Avon are captured and interrogated while strapped to an electro-shock lie detector. This dual focused narrative split is in itself a pretty interesting dig at unreliable narratives, especially given that both Tarrant and Avon receive electro shocks whenever they aren't being completely truthful in their recollections.
By the way, kudos to Adrian Lukis for his exquisite portrayal of Interrogator Bracheeni. The scenes that featured him interacting with Tarrant and Avon were actually some of the best parts of the story. The revelation of who and what Bracheeni is added a great deal to the narrative, especially in providing an explanation as to why the Liberator crew had to abandon the search for Blake and Jenna.
All things considered, it is nice to get an actual in-universe explanation as opposed to what actually happened: the plot thread being dropped without explanation, forcing viewers to accept the fact that Blake and Jenna weren't coming back... Ever.
While there are some interesting ideas and set ups featured in the story, the narrated recollections are not really that engaging. In addition, my problem with this story is the same problem I had with Volume Three's 'Armageddon Storm'. Its a narrated story that should have been done as a full cast audio.
Final Score: 6 out of 10 Plasma Bolts
As it stands, this story does its job of filling an hour and retroactively provides answers to lingering questions, thus making it essential. However, this is marred by being an uneven story that is only half engaging.
Jenna's Story by Steve Lyons
'Jenna's story is finally told - from her escape from the Liberator during the Galactic War, to her determination to continue the fight against the Federation alone… with the odds stacked against her.'
When Big Finish Productions obtained the rights to produce new stories set within Series A through C of Blake's 7, this not only opened up story avenues to provide greater focus stories for many of its characters, but also an opportunity to fill in a couple of gaps in the narrative.
While 'Incentive' was an uneven story, it still managed to do what the show itself was unable or unwilling to do at the time: explain why the Liberator crew abandoned their search for Blake and Jenna.
Answering lingering questions seems to be this boxset's central theme as the next two stories are focused on what happened to the characters that literally jumped ship at the end of Series B, Jenna and Blake.
According to dialogue spoken by Cally in early Series C, it was always assumed that Jenna was with Blake when they abandoned ship during the Galactic War. It was also naturally assumed that Jenna had been with Blake the whole time during Series C and D.
Turns out that wasn't the case at all... Which actually works to the benefit of this story and the next.
Here, Jenna recounts how she spent her time surviving and fighting during the events of Series C and leading into Series D. It provides Sally Knyvette with great material and also serves as a reminder of what made me, personally, fall out of love with the series during Series D... Particularly with the way the series ended.
Let me be clear, as much I personally didn't like not having Blake and Jenna around on the show anymore, Steve Lyons managed to craft an exceptional Jenna-centric story that absolutely had to be told. This story, as well as the next one, managed to do a much better job implementing the central themes of what was meant to be on display during Series C and particularly during Series D: how the crusade that Blake started with hope and optimism slowly but surely devolved into cynicism, suspicion, self-interest and ultimately self-destruction.
This is highlighted well during Jenna's dealings with Correll, played by John Banks, and his disrespectfully dismissive attitude towards people with 'noble causes', his derogatory disbelief in 'heroes', as well as his overriding, self-serving self-interest.
Kudos to Banks for portraying someone that's basically an unlikeable, selfish jerk without becoming despicable.
The crux and climax of the story is based on a line of dialogue Blake tells Tarrant during the series finale regarding Jenna's ultimate fate. While the moment itself is thrilling and well executed, I had hoped that it was a lie as part of Blake's test or something. Still, what was crafted here is suitably tragic as it showcases the depths of Jenna's devotion, and even her love, for Blake.
The ultimate tragedy being that, in the end, she never did get to tell Blake how she felt about him... and how much he meant to her.
Final Score: 10 out of 10 Plasma Bolts
A superbly satisfying sendoff and sublime swansong for Sally's Stannis!
Blake's Story by Mark Wright and Cavan Scott
'Blake's story is finally told - from his escape from the Liberator during the Galactic War, to his new life as a troubled, scarred man on a distant rebel world…'
Before getting into the review, I have to state that while I understand the reasons why Gareth Thomas and Sally Knyvette left the show at the end of Series B, it is my opinion that the show lost quite a bit of its inherent identity once Blake and Jenna were gone.
While many contend that promoting the late Paul Darrow to lead actor was the creative booster shot the show needed, there is a reason the show was still called Blake's 7 and not Avon's 7.
No matter who is given the spotlight and focus, Blake's presence is still very embedded within the show's DNA. Despite his absence, Blake's influence is still keenly felt by those that inhabit this fictional universe... Both directly and indirectly.
While the storytelling avenues may have opened up for the rest of the cast, the audience would still inevitably wonder, 'Where the hell is Blake? When is he coming back?' Largely because the audience was still interested in seeing Blake's story continue.
Both Gareth Thomas and Chris Boucher no doubt understood this to be absolutely true. As long as the Roj Blake character remained alive, but missing from a show that bared his character's name, then Gareth Thomas would not have been able to truly move forward in his career.
Which is why its no surprise that the most memorable moment in the entire series came about at Thomas' insistence.
But this isn't about how Blake's story ends... Its about the circumstances Blake experienced during Series C and D that led to his ultimate fate on Gauda Prime. And I am pleased to say that Wright and Scott do an excellent job filling in the blanks of Blake's journey.
From landing on the planet Epheron in his escape pod, to attempting to reunite with the Liberator (which includes Blake visiting the planet Shorlan post-Armageddon Storm), to being captured, tortured and accused of treachery by the Resistance (thus explaining the scar over his eye he displayed in the series finale), its all presented here brilliantly. I also appreciate how engaging these moments are, and aren't treated as plot points to check off.
The late Gareth Thomas really did a great job with this material, displaying the same charisma and intensity he had shown throughout his tenure on the show, which is doubly unfortunate that he had opted out after Series B.
The framing device utilized for Blake recounting events is brilliant, and the twist reveal is actually rather clever... If a little unsurprising. However, it serves the narrative well as it goes to the heart of the tragic and ironic inevitability that lies ahead for Blake, particularly in his connection to Avon.
Despite their disagreements and opposing ideals... And no matter how often Avon secretly wished to be rid of Blake... They still needed each other.
It often reminds me of why the Doctor chooses to travel with companions, the companions keep the Doctor grounded and keep the Doctor from going too far for the sake of selfish self interest and so on.
While neither one would ever admit it, Blake and Avon had the ability to keep each other in check. And even though Blake said at the end of 'Star One' and even near the end of this story that he always trusted Avon... Its only with the benefit of hindsight do we question whether or not that trust was warranted.
Final Score: 10 out of 10 Plasma Bolts
A truly satisfying sendoff for the original star of the show.
Final score for Volume 6 of the Liberator Chronicles, in its entirety, is 8 out of 10 Plasma Bolts.
This is an essential set of stories for longtime fans. Even though there are six more boxsets of stories left in the range, if the Liberator Chronicles audio range ended here, it would have ended on a major high note.
As an aside, while the next six boxsets have produced some outstanding stories, I personally feel that both 'Jenna's Story' and 'Blake's Story' should have been the stories utilized as the finale for the Liberator Chronicles range overall.
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Questions or comments:
Email - [email protected]
Bobby's Facebook Page
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