The coronavirus has affected everybody in a way. From some of us contracting the virus to our jobs being taken away, the effects of this pandemic are wide-ranging. Some of us have been able to cope with life at home. Others, not so much. As for me, I've learned a few things from the pandemic. Here are these few things.

• I Have Gotten More In Touch With My Gamer Side: I just got Steam a few months ago, which has helped me through this pandemic. I have played excellent games such as Streets of Rage 4, The Messenger, and Shantae and the Seven Sirens. I've also stumbled upon Age of Empires II, a game I loved as a kid. I've also played classics such as Chrono Trigger, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Final Fantasy II, which have opened me to a world of gaming I've never experienced before.
• Parks And Recreational Areas Are Either Packed Or Empty During A Pandemic: It's hit or miss for traveling outdoors. When I went up to Mount Charleston, it was PACKED. I mean, you couldn't find a single camping spot and the lodge was packed. On the other hand, I went to Red Rock Canyon, where there was sparingly anybody to be found. Most of the time, I hiked around in total silence. Believe it or not, it's extremely cathartic hiking without any background noise. Granted, it gets ridiculously hot in Las Vegas, which may have been a factor. But my hike was more relaxing than the other hikes I've taken, which was nice.
  
• People LOVE Spending Their Money On Pointless Things: In case you're wondering why some parts of the United States have reopened, some people care more about the economy than their own health. Back in my birth state of Michigan, there were people who stormed the state capitol with guns because Governor Gretchen Whitmer shut down everything and extended the shutdown when the number of cases weren't going down. There were people protesting about their civil liberties being infringed and tyrannical governments when there's a rabid virus running amok. Here is a photo from one of these protests.
  

As if people weren't crazy enough. I love my freedom and liberties as much as the next person. But everything has gone back downhill after everything opened up. As a result of everything opening back up, the cases have gone up. Was it really worth spending your money on "MAH HURR" when you contract an illness or aimlessly wandering around Target? I don't think so.

Life isn't just about materialism. It's about other factors such as the time we spend with those we love, the experiences we take in, and the lessons we learn. We want a time like the 1920s or 1980s, where we can flaunt our fancy coats or houses. Yet, we don't take in new places to travel or meeting new people. That's a part of why many of us are depressed. Materialism doesn't equal happiness.

A 60-game season is underway and we already have some teams that are shocking the league. Some teams that were expected to tank and be terrible are actually winning. What are these surprising teams?

• Detroit Tigers: Sitting at 4-2 despite having a team ERA of 5.60 along with the 27th-best team batting average (.198), the Tigers have managed to stay afloat so far. Joe Jimenez (2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, four saves) has been an All-Star caliber closer for the Tigers and JaCoby Jones (three homers, six RBIs, .421 BA) has been a hot bat to start. Detroit could take advantage of a weaker AL Central and a weakened NL Central to play their way into the playoffs.
  
• Colorado Rockies' Pitching Staff: If you guessed that the COLORADO ROCKIES, a team that has never had a Cy Young winner in their franchise history, would lead baseball in team ERA (1.84) and fewest earned runs allowed (nine) this year, many people would've laughed you out the door. But that is the case as the surprising Rockies have held the hard-hitting Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers in check. Watch for the Rockies to make some noise, especially once Nolan Arenado and company pick up the hitting.
  
• San Diego Padres: Also sitting at 4-2, the San Diego Padres have made a surprising run to start the season. Eric Hosmer (.500 BA, seven RBIs, 1.583 OPS) is turning into an excellent pickup for the Padres along with Tommy Pham (four stolen bases) and the bullpen looks stellar. The Dodgers may have a run for their money in the NL West if the Rockies and the Padres continue their torrid runs.
  
• Miami Marlins: Really? Jeffrey Loria's gone and your team is still inept? Your players go to a club in Atlanta for some poontang (as the Rock would call it) and you come back with the coronavirus. 18 players, in fact! Your team deserves to be contracted and the Montreal Expos take your place when you get kicked out.
  

Having done a post about my future plans, I'd like to share a list of countries I'd like to visit. A couple of my favorite pastimes are traveling and hiking and I would like to travel abroad in the future. As mentioned in a previous blog post, I would like to eventually retire out of the country. With that being said, here is the list of countries or regions I'd love to visit in the future.

• England: Or the United Kingdom, in general. I would obviously love to take a tour of London. But I would also love to take a tour of the countryside, seeing some of the farms in England. It would be a wholesome experience for me and it would show a simplistic life compared to the complex lives we live in the United States.
  
• Serbia: I would love to visit the Balkans (yes, I have some Balkan heritage) some day and check out Serbia. Serbia is a mass exporter of various fruits such as plums, apples, raspberries, and sour cherries. Balkan culture is also something that fascinates me, with various traditions such as the kolo. I would also love to hike the Balkan mountains during my travels.
  
• United Arab Emirates: You probably know which city I'm talking about when I'm referencing the U.A.E. Dubai has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and has a great business atmosphere. I'm strongly considering even retiring in Dubai when the time is right; One dirham (AED) is equivalent to 27 cents of the American dollar.
• Peru: A beautiful country, there are plenty of spots for me to take a hike in this South American country. There's Machu Picchu, which is a 15th-century Inca citadel. It's located in the Andes Mountains, which would be a breathtaking hike to take. There's also the Colca Canyon and the Sacred Valley to check out.

As soon as the first set of games broke, MLB was hampered with some unfortunate news. A total of 17 Miami Marlins tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies to cancel their game as well as the Marlins and the Baltimore Orioles. This has put a major question out in the open: should there even be a baseball season in 2020?

For MLB, this is just affecting the Miami Marlins, who are playing in a state that has experienced a spike in coronavirus cases and deaths. There were no Philadelphia Phillies that tested positive after the Marlins series, after all. Perhaps MLB could have Miami play in a temporary home the way the Toronto Blue Jays are right now. After all, there are no fans to worry about.

Rob Manfred also has the game's reputation to worry about. It's already jeopardized by the preseason fighting between the owners and the MLBPA and is being questioned further over the haphazard setup. Why would Manfred cancel the season if there is a strong possibility of there being no baseball in 2021 or 2022?

Still, this happened just as the season started. Who knows how many more cases will pop up as the season progresses? There are also other teams that play in high risk states, i.e. the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Players from these teams could become infected or even infect others. As mentioned, baseball's reputation is being hurt further as the NHL and NBA are preparing their restarts without a hitch.

For me, I wouldn't mind if MLB cancelled the season. There's simply too much at stake to even consider moving forward. Take the time off to try and negotiate a new CBA and save baseball for the future. I wouldn't mind if baseball went down this route.

Full training camps are scheduled to open tomorrow. That means that football season is just around the corner. There are plenty of questions heading into the season as well. What are these questions that need answers?

• Will There Be An NFL Season? For starters, we don't know if there will even be an NFL season. You probably know why unless you've been in a coma. COVID-19 is on the surge in the United States. 14 players of the Miami Marlins just tested positive, prompting cancellations of two MLB games today. As for the NFL itself, the league just cancelled its entire preseason. If the coronavirus keeps surging, there might not be an NFL season regardless of what protocols the NFL takes.
  
• Does Jamal Adams Make The Seahawks Super Bowl Contenders? The Seattle Seahawks gave up a good haul to get the All-Pro safety, but it might be worth it. Seattle didn't have the best secondary last season and they needed the boost. Adams may be the boost Seattle needs to get back to the Super Bowl. If they give him a long-term extension, expect Seattle to be a consistent contender.
• Will Deshaun Watson Be Out The Door? Bill O'Brien traded away his best receiver to Arizona. Before that, he traded away JaDeveon Clowney to the Seahawks. These moves have decimated the Texans to the point of falling out of contention. Will Deshaun Watson be out the door next? If so, where will his next destination be? New England? Chicago? 
• How Badly Will Dan Snyder Screw Up The New Name? The worst owner in the NFL may just blunder the new name that his Washington football team is running out. The suggestions and ideas are flying in for the new team name. However, with his team's temporary name being the "Washington Football Team", what stupidity will come from the new name?
• Will Dallas Ever Pay Dak Prescott? On one hand, you have a quarterback who nearly threw for 5,000 yards last season and completed 65.1% of his passes. He also threw for 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. On the other, you have Jerry Jones, who loves to play the dog and pony show with his players regarding contract negotiations. The question remains: Will Dallas give Dak a new contract by the end of the season?
• Can Cleveland Live Up To The Hype? Last season, the Browns had so much hype, only to fall flat on their faces. They were terrible up front on both sides of the ball. They still have nearly the same group of skill set players and just added Jedrick Wills to bolster the offensive line. It'll be hard to win the AFC North; Baltimore looks like they have a death grip on the division. However, can the Browns live up to the hype and make the playoffs?

We have a team name for Seattle! The new NHL team in the Pacific Northwest will be named the Seattle Kraken! Now, what would be some good slogans to go with the Kraken? Here's some that are being used and some that I thought up. Some of these are just dumb, but here we go!

• "Release The Kraken!"
  
• "Welcome To The Krakhouse!"
  
• "Let's Get Krakin'!"
  
• "Krak-A-Lakin!"
  
• "Krak The Glass!"
  
• "Have A Cold Brew!" (Because Seattle's known for coffee)
  
• "Welcome To The Kraken Barrel!"
  
• (Throws an octopus on the ice. Wait, that's the Red Wings tradition! Gimmick infringement!)
  

I know it'll seem a bit cliched to talk about a classic such as Super Metroid, but I couldn't get enough of this SNES classic. There are many reasons why this should be the first Metroid game to try if you haven't delved into the series. Here are a few reasons why you should check out the game.

• The Replay Value: You aren't guaranteed to get 100% on your first try in a Metroid-Vania style game. It's near impossible due to the numerous items to collect, the different endings to unlock, and the backtracking you have to do to get said items. But Super Metroid makes you want to try and get 100% and try to get all possible endings. It's also a good way to practice your Metroid-Vania skills.
  
• The Boss Fights: From Kraid to Ridley, the boss battles can be intense. The battles also require you to think outside the box in order to beat the bosses. Luckily for the later fights, the bosses can be promptly beaten. Therefore, Super Metroid is surprisingly a good game for a beginner to play.
  
• The Music: Surprisingly, this is the most ambient SNES game made by Nintendo. It's like Nintendo made a game for you to play at night before you went to bed. Speaking of which, this game has a nice soundtrack to put you to sleep. The game also knows how to go different routes on its quiet music. From suspense to danger to calming music, Super Metroid can go multiple routes when it comes to its music.
  

In the 11th hour, MLB and the player's union approved expanding the playoff to 16 teams. Purists will be up in arms, saying that the playoff will 'water' down the product. Here's why you shouldn't worry about what the purists say.

• There Will Be Good Teams That Will Get Their Shot: For a sport that is getting older, the game needs some new ideas injected into it. For too long, quality teams have been shut out of the playoff. For example, last year's Cleveland Indians had 93 wins and still missed the postseason. In 2002, the Seattle Mariners had a solid year with 93 wins and missed the postseason as well. Expanding the playoff would've given these teams a shot at the World Series.
  
• More Money: The expanded postseason will give more teams a chance to fill stadiums and profit off of October baseball. Television networks such as FOX, TBS, and ESPN will get some of the profits as well. Baseball is a game centered around finances and money. Therefore, it needs to progress in its mindset if it is to survive, especially when the age of the average fan is 57 years old.
• Anything Can Happen: Do you remember when the sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005, despite having only three All-Pros? Remember when the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2012? Did you know that seven wild card teams (including last season's Washington Nationals) won the World Series? All this talk about winning your division or bust is a bit of a ruse, especially when some franchises have to go through countless rebuilds just to get there. Baseball is a game where the unpredictable and unfathomable will happen and that is a thing fans should embrace more.
• A Chance For More Rivalries: Don't you want to see the Cardinals and Cubs duke it out in the postseason? The Giants and Dodgers? THE YANKEES AND RED SOX?! Rivalries are what fuels baseball and the chance to add more to the storied rivalries should be enough to want an expanded postseason.

I have a bucket list that I'm working on right now. However, that doesn't mean you can't think up of more goals along the way. Here are some goals that I have for the future!

• Get Married! Yes, I know that true love has been on the downtrend in past years. However, I'm still holding out hope. I've dabbled in dating since I've moved to Vegas. Still, I would like to settle down with a nice woman in the future.
• Retire In Turkey, Portugal, Or Japan: Hopefully, my future spouse will want to travel to Turkey, Portugal, or Japan. Word has it that Turkey has the seventh-best business atmosphere in the world. However, will political unrest in the middle east be resolved by that time? According to Business Insider, Portugal was the best country to retire in. Hello, Lisbon! As for Japan, I love the culture and would love to meet some of the people there.
  
• Go See Europe For A Bit: Maybe this will happen if I retire in Portugal. However, that doesn't mean I want to do this sooner. I would love to see Romania or Hungary and check out the mountain landscape.

Welcome to another edition of Nostalgia Game Review, where I take a look at games for the older days! This edition highlights Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, a classic PC game made by Microsoft Studios.

Developed by Ensemble Studios, Age of Empires II is a real-time strategy game set in the Middle Ages. The original game had thirteen playable civilizations along with five historically-based campaigns that you could partake in. There are three other single-player modes and Age of Empires II supports multiplayer action as well. Age of Empires II was initially released on September 30, 1999.

First, I got to say, YES! AFTER A DECADE-LONG WAIT, I CAN FINALLY PLAY THIS GAME AGAIN! I'M SO GLAD THIS GAME GOT A DEFINITIVE VERSION ON STEAM! HELL YEAH! YOU CAN EVEN CREATE YOUR OWN MAP WITH NINJAS, SPACEMEN, SPEEDING CAMELS, AND THE CAR FROM KNIGHT RIDER! I WISH THERE WERE STORMY DOGS IN THIS VERSION, BUT THE SPEEDING CAMELS WILL DO! FAWK YEAH!

Sorry about geeking out, but this game is awesome. You can create your own map and even mod Age of Empires II. The later versions are definitely worth a shot since they have more civilizations (including the Mayans and Aztecs).

My favorite strategy game of all time, I can't get enough of Age of Empires II. It is definitely worth your time if you want a new strategy game to try out.