TOYSREVIL Turns 6

There has been many an false starts to this particular post, with many a different directions all leading elsewhere than the current one. Tis strangely fascinating, this process of "change", affecting carefully laid or haphazard plans with a flick of an eyelid, a whiff of experience, and even a taste of pain. Light turns to dark, a ray of sunshine turn nasty-billy. As different as Day and Night, and somehow altered thru a span of time, however long or minuscule-short.

And not too long ago, I'd even have a "New Direction" charted out for TOYSREVIL too! But seems on this blog-birthDay on February 19th (Singapore-time), seems I am embracing "change" again, starting with a "cosmetic" layout change - with the previous menu-right now turned over to the left! (The blog-icon looking "outside" of the web-browser frame had finally gotten to me after 6 years :p). Still loads to be tweaked, but hey, that's one of the "fun" having a blog, isn't it? (So I convince myself ~ heh).

Regardless of intent, this post got started because I had wanted to address the age of the blog, on it's sixth annual "blog-birthday", both for content purposes, as well as self-promotional. A decent pat-on-the-back, not for myself, but for the blog to have travelled as far as I had ever imagined it would. Six years ago it was about the ramblings of an "Angry Man", and seems ironically, it has come full-circle.

I find myself blogging "angry" these days, no doubt an extension of my recent online-experiments, as well as a misdirected reaction to my Stroke, which in reality, is still "fresh", happening less than 4 months ago. And blogging "angry" is not how I want to blog.

Ironically, I find myself more "loquacious" when I am stressed or unhappy, or of course, angry. I simply have more emotive words to "say", rather than "sunshine optimism", which accompanies basically most product-releases and toy-news, don't they? Be that as it may, as passionate about toys as I claim to be, so too about my own personal health, I have become to notice, and accept the existence of.

I am by nature, do not have a combatative nature. I do not relish "confrontation", nor do I need to invite "dialogue" (which basically means "confrontation" in this internet-age we live in, don't deny it) unless I require and state it to be - because I realized that's one of the reasons why I started a personal blog! If I've any grievances or grouses, I'll head off to a local forum and bitch and whine along with the crowd, innit?

(Maybe that's why I no longer engage in forums, I have my own blog to bitch+whine in hahahaha - and mayhap more folks gravitate to setting up their own blogs, because what they say might not have gone along with, or down well, with the crowd in various forums, and their incarnations earlier). Seriously, who does not want to have full control over what they want to say?

"Blogging Angry" on TOYSREVIL. It is no longer a notion I enjoy, and neither I am comfortable with. But it has become an option I may, and will consider, as of now.

Three words have been in my mind for a while now: "Views, Reviews and Interviews" (I like my catchphrases, doncha know? LOL). The option of blogging / writing angry, happy, disappointed and maniacally, is covered by "VIEWS".

I have been totally lacking in toy and product reviews, and since my hospital stay, I had the urge to review my toys, and gifts that had been sent to me by many a folks, hence I will henceforth conduct regular "REVIEWS", be it good or bad. Worthwhile, or sucky. My opinions and taste versus yours, nothing more than that.

"INTERVIEWS" came initially in a negative connotation. I had actually started up another whole article specifically addressing "Artist Interviews" (for I am still tweaking and one day post in full). And had both a love/hate feeling for. I love doing interviews with folks. I love finding out more about the creator, and toys I used to blog about daily. I am far more interested in how they materialize, other than how many colors exist, or how much they cost.

But some interviewees do not give a crap. I read between the lines of each and every interview I have done, and I know who are there because they genuinely want to be there, and who are the ones who just want to be featured and skim the surface with things we all already know about. Be that as it may, both instances are near always an interesting read, although admittedly hard to edit sometimes. I don't need for you to love me, to be interviewed hahaha but if you've got nothing to share beyond cut-and-pasting from your own bio-page, I'm not the guy for you, thanks! Hahahaha

For a month or so now, I have been attempting to see the response to a "Weekly Roundup"-option with Wednesdays and Weekends, but seems the concept is either hard to catch-on by folks, or folks just simply do not care for it.

Besides being a health-issue, I had also feel a combination of news works for a in-depth concentrated blast (of course peeps are used to reading individual-posts, as well the current age of self-promotion with ReTweets and FB-links) would actually be more enticing at a single-go, rather than individual posts. Perhaps I should have given it more time, perhaps I should have promoted it more. And frankly, "perhaps" does not write my blog hahaha. Nevertheless, the Roundups will indeed continue, but this time it'll be a weekly one-day only Industry Wrap-Up on weekends. If it ain't found in my inbox, it then chose not to exist on TOYSREVIL, simple.

This way I will not be distraught with "old news" and reporting on them (I will not lie). And if folks want to literally do exclusive reveals? (Meaning only for the TOYSREVIL blog and not c/ced to everyone else) I am here for you. I will pimp you like a 2-dollar 'hoe like the toy-pimpdaddy I have been and can still indeed be muahahahahaha

Understand I am writing this with me being the ONLY author of this blog, in mind. In the past 5-plus years, I have not opened up the TOYSREVIL-blog for external blogging. Sure there are invited folks and friends thru the years, but it has never been a scenario where I have multiple writers on staff, simply because (1) I cannot afford to pay anyone! I can't even pay decent for myself, how dare I ask others to write for free, on a regular stasis? Yes, I believe good decent effort and work needs to be compensated. (2) I do not want to be spending more time editing others' work or intentions. Double-edged meaning meant for a wholly different post, and if you do not understand what I meant, than you are the person for me! Hahahahaha

Now? The blog can still not hire anyone (per se), but it is open for submissions and additions, if it pleases you.

Embracing "change", I do.

Festivities begin the start of March 2011. All ads will be fulfilled by then, and new ones (if ever there are any) are to expect deeper content, just not necessarily daily content.

I used to "resolutionize" my birthday-blogs, about what I intend to do for the future, now I want to engage the world. This is somewhat no different, except I know for a fact about "changes", and of the myriad of stalled dreams that had become the fabric of reality, when I contracted Stroke in end-2010. They may take some time getting there, but the dreams will be fulfilled one day, and the changes still remain how they will be reached, tis just another different route I am attempting.

I have not turned my back to the community. I have just decided to engage you guys "differently" (than I have been doing). And attempt it I will, with the love and support of folks who care, about me and this blog.

Thank you for reading thus far, it has been a joy writing and would be an honor to continue writing for you all!

Have a Happy Toy-Day!

Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
Singapore