Mark Wesley Pritchard
Bio
You can call me Wesley. Former cosplayer, retro gaming fanatic, die-hard Texas Rangers fan, and nostalgic freak. Need I say more?
Threads: @misterwesleysworld
Instagram: @misterwesleysworld
Stories (398)
Filter by community
Taking a Different Approach on Birthdays. Top Story - November 2025.
Hello November! It's my birthday month, meaning that I'm a Scorpio, if you're into that sort of thing. One of the best traits about my zodiac sign is that I'm competitive and want to succeed in life. I love celebrating my birthday, which happens to be on November 13. In case you're curious how old I'll be. I'll be turning 38 years old. If you look at my profile picture on here, you must be thinking that I don't look my age and you're right. I've been mistaken for a high school student and a college student. I'm fine with that and looking youthful works to my advantage. You've heard the saying, "Black don't crack." It's another way of saying that black people don't show any signs of aging. As I near 40, I've since outgrown birthday parties. The last time I had a birthday party was at home after school and 14. Nearly 25 years later, someone throwing me a party, while the gesture is admirable and with good intent, I don't feel the need to dress up and attend my own party thrown by someone else. I turned 18 in 2005 and my friend at the time took me out to miniature golf, then had my birthday dinner at Olive Garden. Besides, who doesn't love their endless breadsticks? The staff surprised me with a chocolate cake. After that, my friend and I went to Best Buy, and I chose my first country CD. That album was Toby Keith's Honkytonk University. I couldn't wait to go home and listen to it. I wore that CD out on a daily basis, because no songs from that album were skippable. It was so good and had since fallen in love with country music. Unfortunately, I ended my friendship with my long-time friend and classmate in 2021 after nearly two decades, due to his anti-gay views. I came out to him in the summer of 2012, several months after I came out of the closet. We're no longer friends, but that was one of the best birthday memories I've ever had.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Critique
Their One Shining Baseball Moment Is Within Their Reach
Rookie pitcher Troy Yesavage (pictured above) had the most outstanding performance of his career Wednesday night, going against Blake Snell, who thought he was going to be untouchable during the duration of the Postseason. He made World Series history by recording an incredible 12 strikeouts, which is a new record for a rookie in a Fall Classic. Also, he made Postseason history for becoming the first rookie to strike out 10 batters or more in multiple games. The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 in Game 5. Now, they're just one win away from capturing their first World Series title since 1993. 22-year-old Yesavage made his MLB debut in mid-September after being drafted last season. He has a bright future with the Blue Jays moving forward. Game 6 will return to Toronto on Friday night, meaning that they have two more chances to clinch a World Series title. Kevin Gausman will take the mound, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers is expected to start.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Unbalanced
Best Quarter Century MLB Team: Boston Red Sox
There have been some outstanding moments that happened in Major League Baseball over the last 25 years. So, who is my pick of the best MLB team that made the biggest impression since the year 2000? They are none other than the Boston Red Sox. Why? It's because they had some of the best players we enjoyed seeing over that span. Players such as David Ortíz, Pedro Martínez, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek, Josh Beckett, and the late Tim Wakefield. The Red Sox won four World Series titles in a span of 15 years (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018). The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry dates back to 1919, when legendary Yankees player Babe Ruth was traded to the Red Sox. Around this time started one of baseball's most well-known superstitions: The Curse of the Bambino. The Red Sox didn't have a World Series title for the next 86 years until 2004.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Unbalanced
Post Cosplay Life: One Year Later
October 27, 2024: a date that I'll always remember forever. If you're new to Vocal or my page, welcome aboard. After 10 years of doing cosplay, I made the decision to retire from this wonderful craft. I loved meeting so many people on social media and at conventions. Not only that, but I loved showing off my cosplays to everyone. I participated in many cosplay contests, winning two of them. So why did I decide to walk away from the thing that I enjoyed so much, you ask? Three reasons were deciding factors in making this decision: the almost three-year absence of me not attending cons, the tragic passing of my grandfather back in 2022, and experienced signs of burnout. I attended my first con in nearly three years in late September 2022, then attended my final two conventions in 2024 before closing out my decade-long cosplay journey. I didn't see myself cosplaying well into 2025 and beyond, because I wanted to seek and pursue other interests and hobbies. 10 years was a really good run, but I want to explore new things that I always wanted to try. For example, I've always had a huge fascination with photography. My amazing experiences with cosplay photographers at and outside of cons made me curious to try this skill. I had a digital camera over 15 years ago while I was attending college, but I ended up losing it. Now, I'm eager to learn how to be skilled in taking picture perfect photographs. My ultimate goal is to photograph at fan conventions and possibly do cosplay photoshoots somewhere down the road.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Geeks
My Huge Dislike of Euphemisms . Content Warning.
Everyone's favorite, or rather, hated social media platform YouTube turned 20 this year. My 17-year-old self thought it was the best thing that was ever invented. Fast forward to 2025, I've come to the conclusion that it has gotten worse over time. Why? It's because these YouTubers are interested in coddling their audiences rather than providing us with honest, factual information. One thing that I dislike about YouTubers is them using euphemisms of words that are harmless for the most part. The late, great George Carlin discussed this on his 1990 comedy album, Parental Advisory. He explained that euphemisms hid the truth, which he had a huge dislike of. There are some terms that were highly offensive and the language needed to change, such as terms that describe people with disabilities. I can accept some language that is here to stay. In my opinion, YouTubers and regular people using euphemisms makes me want to throw up. We're literally babying a generation in order for them to get more views and subscribers/followers. Where feelings are more important than keeping it real to everyone. They're afraid if they used direct language in their videos, their videos would be demonetized, which I've always found both laughable and ridiculous. I've heard that lame excuse countless times. Basically, they have to walk on eggshells, so they don't "trigger" their audiences. I'll share a few examples of terms that many people have been using online that makes me cringe.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Humor
Destination: World Series
The 2025 ALCS matchup between the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays was full of hitting power. Plus, it was eventful and something worth watching. A few years from now, we might see this in a video compilation as among the best Postseason moments of all time.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Unbalanced
Looks Like Team Spirit
Today, October 20, is National Day of Writing, which encourages everyone to express themselves through sharing their thoughts to others. Since becoming a creator on Vocal back in 2018, I've written a plethora of stories that might be relatable to others, such as baseball, video games, and tidbits regarding my personal life. In the last several years, book bans have been one of the main talking points, mostly from conservative politicians and the most well-known writers have accused them of censorship. If there were books that discussed gender identity or race, chances are that you won't see them in public schools or at your local library. You can't shield children from everything, because they deserve to know about topics that they're curious of. Books about race, gender identity, and other progressive issues are needed, because it might be relatable to many people. Conservatives always claimed that these book bans are about "protecting children", but I've never bought that excuse. Protect them from whom or what exactly? Also, their other claim is to stop the indoctrination of children. Indoctrination has been a huge buzz word amongst conservative politicians. It's just a low-key term for brainwashing. Teaching children how to treat others with respect is not indoctrination. It's called being a decent human being. If only they put so much energy into passing common sense gun control laws instead of policing libraries and schools on which books children can and can't read. My point is that having an imagination is not a crime and as John F. Kennedy once said, "Libraries should be open to all---except the censor."
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Writers
Unapologetically Being My True, Authentic Self
What's in a name, you ask? Your name might have a personal or cultural meaning that's near and dear to you. On the other hand, you dislike your name and want to change it or to be called by a different name. For me, I chose the latter. In a recent article from the Social Security Administration's (SSA) website, they displayed a table of the top 100 names given to males and females between the years 1925 to 2024. In case you're curious, the most popular name for males is James, while Mary is the top given name for females in the past 100 years. My name, Mark, is ranked 15th on the list among given male names. Near the end of 2022, I made a bold decision to do something for myself. In December of that year, I decided that I wanted to go by my middle name, which is Wesley and wanted to be addressed by that name. I'll share the why in a bit. It's not a popular name and according to MyNameStats.com, it's ranked 488th. I'm almost 40 and I have the right to be called by a different name. It was a grown-up decision that I don't regret at all.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Humans
A Huge, Devastating Blow to Special Education
I struggled to write this story, because this topic in particular hits very close to me. In my previous story about special education, I shared my personal story of how the program changed my life and my concerns surrounding it. I'm emotional talking about it, because I was that kid. The kid on the autism spectrum who relied on the services that accommodated my personal needs. I had an IEP to assist me with whatever I needed. Over three decades later, I'm forever grateful for the teachers and other staff who took time out of their day to help me become the person I am today. They wanted me to become successful and live a productive life. Without it, I wouldn't be as successful as I am today. If you would like to read my previous story, you can click the link down below. It's worth the read and please share it with others to spread the word.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in The Swamp
What a World Series Title Would Mean for the Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have surprised everyone by becoming one of the best teams in the league. Currently, they're playing against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS as they aim to win their first pennant in franchise history and make their first ever World Series appearance. Their late season surge and outlasting their division rivals, the Houston Astros, for the American League West crown, shows that they're dangerous and not here to play around. In case you've been living under a rock, the Mariners won the AL West title for the first time since 2001. They have greatly turned things around under manager Dan Wilson. Since the firing of Scott Servais, Wilson, who was a Mariners catcher and was part of the 2001 team that clinched the AL West title, deserves all the credit for getting this team to where they are today. Now, the Mariners have a chance to win the AL Pennant and make their first World Series appearance. Their last playoff appearance was back in the 2022 ALDS, where they were swept. I love a good underdog story, and the Mariners are an example of that.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Unbalanced
Favorite MLB Players of the Last 25 Years
There's a saying that time flies when you're having fun. The same can be said when it comes to the 2025 MLB season. There have been outstanding moments, and we're eager to find out wait on who will become World Series Champions. A few months ago, I wrote and published about my favorite World Series games of the last 25 years. If you would like to read that entire story, you can click the link down below and share your favorites.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Unbalanced
The Blue Jays Understood the Assignment
Well, well, well. The New York Yankees fall short yet again. They perform great during the regular season, but fall apart in the Postseason. This has been their MO for who knows how long. This was the same team who was in the World Series a year ago. Aaron Judge and the Yankees made multiple errors during Game 5, where they had a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning. All of a sudden, it went straight to hell from there. Before this season began, I predicted that the Yankees would miss the playoffs. Now, after they were eliminated by the Blue Jays in the ALDS, whom I'll discuss in a bit, the Yankees front office has a lot of decisions to make. Will Aaron Boone return as manager? Does the starting rotation need to undergo some changes? If this team doesn't make any changes, they'll never return to becoming the dominant team they once were over 20 years ago. Aaron Judge is the Dan Marino of Major League Baseball. A great player, but he fades in the playoffs. No World Series titles...yet, but it's unacceptable for a player to have lackluster on-field performances. I no longer have any confidence in the Yankees, because they look so lost every year. They got outperformed by the Blue Jays and it revealed their weaknesses and were exposed. If the goal of the Yankees is to win World Series titles, like I said, changes need to be made and fast. Otherwise, they'll endure more years of disappointing seasons and playoff exits.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Unbalanced
