deviantART: by:KairiTheValeyard http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:KairiTheValeyard&section=today deviantART RSS for by:KairiTheValeyard en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:42:42 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png Ghostbusters Prime http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/28978878/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/28978878/ Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:26:40 PST
I've had ample playtime with both the XBox 360 and Wii versions of the game, so right off the bat, I can tell you the main differnces very easily. Aside from the obvious, which are the graphics, the playstyles of the two differ greatly to accomodate the systems they occupy. The XBox 360 version played like a stylized version of Gears of War, while the Wii version was a 3rd persion variant of Metroid Prime (hence the name of this journal entry.) You use the Wii Remote to aim and fire your blast stream, while the cross pad is used to access your other gear, such as the Slime Blower, the Dark Matter Generator and the PKE Meter, with optional (but needed) goggle support. And unlike the other version, in the Wii version, destruction is practically encouraged, as it's the only way that you'll find many of the hidden Tobin's Spirit Guide art pages. Catching ghost is simple and fun, if a bit tedious at times, but fortunatley there is a variety of ghosts to keep you on your toes. (Like a certain 100 foot tall marshmallow man...)

There are also certain events in each game that occur differantly, or seen from a new perspective. (In the XBox 360 version, there is a battle on foot in the streets of Time Square before you enter the building Stay Puft is attacking.) The story is top notch due to the fact that Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis helped pen the script. Voice acting by all of the original cast members (sans Weaver and Moranis) is sopt on and yes, Winston finally gets his due.

If I had to recommend which version, I would say get the X Box 360/PS3 version if you have 2 or more systems, but all of them are a great addition to your library.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Turtles Forever- A review of sorts http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/28555263/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/28555263/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:55:17 PST


All you need to know about it is the following:

1) It is made of WIN. Utter and complete WIN.
2) The 2k3 versions of the Technodrome and Foot Soldiers are damn awesome.
3) All incarnations of the TMNT were given nods...except for Next Mutation (and possibly the Image series)
4) 80s April- still hot.
5) The Mirage Comics TMNT can kick ALL OF THEIR ASSES.

My only real gripes with the movie, aside from not able to watch it again right away to see anything I missed, was the fact they made the 80's characters a little too goofy. I mean, don't get me wrong I liked the way they were, but the 80s series did have some bit of seriousness to it, and the Shredder really was no slouch in the hand to hand combat department. (I've got hours of play in the first TMNT arcade game to vouch for that.) The Mirage TMNT had a hard edge, but even they had a little more personality. There were quite a few cameos too, like the gang that the 80s TMNT had faced in the first episode along with the human versions of Rocksteady and Bebop, and nods to a lot of the continuities that has existed, including the Archie comics and the Japanese OVA. (But, as before, I did not see any trace of the Next Mutation or Image comics versions.) The revamped Technodrome and Foot Soldiers was a swift kick in the ass. Rocksteady and Bebop? No need to change them...

Also, the dialogue that they wrote for the movie was very clever, especially whenever the 80s Turtles broke the 4th wall (and the reactions from Hun and 2K3 Raph when they did that were golden.) What's even funnier was the Mirage Turtles reaction to the other TMNT. It was like a big 'Take That' at the fans of old who complained when TMNT was adapted for television. Even more awesome was the way they snuck in lines from the first comic issue (The Shredder...is shredded!)

Now, how kick ass would it have been if 80's Splinter, 2K3 Splinter and Mirage Splinter all met up as well?

Overall, it was one of the best movies for the francise and a great way for the 4Kids series to go out on. Here's hoping the Nick series can do good.


Oh and one more thing: This past week on Family Guy, Glenn Quagmire said something to Brian Griffin that was LONG overdue.

Quagmire: You are the worst person I know. You constantly hit on your best friend's wife, the man who pays for your food and rescued you from certain death and that is how you repay him? And to add insult to injury you defecate all over his yard, and you're such a sponge. You pay for nothing and you always say "oh I'll catch you later" but later never comes! And what really bothers me is you pretend that you're this deep guy who loves women for their souls when all you do is date bimbos, and yeah, I date women for their bodies but at least I'm honest about it. I don't buy them a copy of Catcher in the Rye and lecture them with some 7th grade interpretation about how Holden Caulfield is some profound intellectual. He wasn't! He was a spoiled brat and that's why you like him so much. He's you! God, you're pretentious. And you delude yourself by saying you're some great writer even though you're terrible. You know, I should have known Cheryl Tiegs didn't write me that note. She would've known there was no "a" in the word definite. And you know what I hate most about you is your textbook liberal agenda on how we should "legalize pot, man", how big business is crushing the underclass and homelessness is the biggest tragedy in America, well what have you done to help? I worked down at the soup kitchen Brian, and I've never seen you down there! You want to help, GRAB A LADLE! And by the way, driving a Prius doesn't make you Jesus Christ. Oh wait, you don't believe in Jesus Christ or any religion for that matter because "religion is for idiots!" Well, who the hell are you to talk down to anyone? You failed college twice, which isn't nearly as bad as your failure as a father. How is that son of yours you never see? But you know what, I could forgive all of that, ALL OF IT...if you weren't such a bore! That's the worst of it, Brian. You're just a big sad alcoholic bore! Thanks for the fucking steak.


As Kelso would say...BURRRRRN!!!



]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Ninja Kick the Damn Rabbit!! http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/27354027/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/27354027/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:45:58 PDT
Of course, you may be wondering if I'm blogging about how much I want to play the game. And believe me, I more than anything would like to give the game a whirl. But lately, there are two things that have been irking me in relation to this game: Fans and Ubi Soft themselves.

First off, een before the game was released, there has been a certain element of the fanbase that has been very vocal about what they want. These are comprised mainly of the folks who primarily remember the Turtles via the old 1980s show. That's all well and good, but some of them seem to have an attitude abnbout them that stinks of elitism, harshing on any aspect of the series that isn't from the 80s toon, especially the 2K3 series. Never mind the fact that the 2K3 series is as close to the original Mirage comics, if it's nothing like the cartoon (or, heaven forbid in some cases, the horrible live action Fox series) they despise it. I actually have some fondness for the 80's cartoon, because if it wasn'r for that show,I'd never be interested enough to find the original series and I'd never be a big a fan of the TMNT as I am.

Anyway, these fans became very insistant that Ubi Soft include Rocksteady and Bebop in the game, or Tokka and Rahzar, or various other characters from the 80s show and comics (well. to be honest, the Archie comics. There were demands for charcters from the Mirage series, but not nearly as much as I'd have liked to see.) And a lot of these fans swore that the game would suck if they didn't include them or would never buy the game if Ubi Soft never put them in there.

It's the same insanity I saw with Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the months before it was released. And just like then, I wanted to roll my eyes with annyance at the narrowmindedness of that sentiment. As I said in GameFAQS, not playing this game because Rocksteady and Bebop aren't in it makes about as much sense as not playing Street Fighter 3 because Guile and Chun Li didn't show up in it. (Fortunataley, she was included in 3rd Strike and Remy is as close as Guile as you got...and, would you look at that, the game didn't suck.) Ultimately, I feel as though fans like that are never gonna be satisfied with anything the developers would have done. If the guys were in the game, I'm sure someone would have found something wrong with them, like not being the correct voice actor, or not using the right gun. Ultimately, the final decsion of the roster was in the hands of Ubi Soft and Peter Laird himself.

And thus brings us to problem 2: Rabbids.

See, this game is billed as a celebration of 25 years of TMNT, and that's all good, but the inclusion of the Rabbids, especially to TMNT fans, makes about as much sense as anyone saying they liked the Image version. (For the record, I thought that in theory, that series sounded like a good idea, but was horrible in execution, especially with what was done to Leo, Raph and Don. ESPECIALLY Don and Leo.) I mean, look at characters like Baxter Stockman (the original), Rat King,Miyamoto Usagi (from Stan Sakai's "Usagi Yojimbo") Nobody and the Triceritons. Hell, I'd have even taken Hun.

But...Rabbids?

Yeah, uh....what?

Strictly speaking, the only possible reason to include them, aside from the fact that they are the prerequisite joke characters, is to help promote the Rabbids upcoming game. And that's not exactly exclusive to them: you sit there and tell me, with a straight face, that Konmai did not use Snake's appearance in Brawl to get hype up for MGS4. If anything, Sony should be thanking Nintendo for getting some people to buy a few extra PS3s! But 3 differant ones?

To paraphrase Optimus Prime in S.O.S. Wheeljack "UbiSoft, why the FUCK did you put 3 Rabbids in this game?"

But I'm ol with it. I'll live. It just means I can ninja kick the damn rabbids now. Every fighting game has people you hate. Don't get me started on how muuch I hate fighting guys like SETH, Yamazaki or, for fuck's sake, JIGGLYPUFF.

But then of course, there are those who are being, well, really pissy about the inclusion of the Rabbids. If you go on over to the Smash Up forums or, God forbid, GameFAQS, you'll see what I mean. These people are declaring that Smash Up sucks and will never play it. Despite the fact that, you know, they haven't actually PLAYED it yet. The ones who actually have pplayed it have been giving failry positive reviews. And as of the current writing of this, Nintendo Power has scored the game a 7.5 which is a goo... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Dattebayo!! The Marvelous World of Disney! http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/27146036/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/27146036/ Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:39:24 PDT
The past few weeks or so have been, to say the least...ODD.

First, Disney has bought MArvel Comics. Which means that The House of Ideas is now currently in the hands of Mickey and crew. While I don't really think we will be subject to Donald sporting adamantium claws or seeing Kingdom Hearts feature Sora teaming up with Yuffie and Jubilee (FUCK!!!!) I think it may be a good thing for Marvel. Of course, if they happen to, you know, fire Joe Quesada, that would be nice too.

And just when you think you've seen it all, then there is THIS:

[link]

Yeah, Naruto Shippuden...on Disney XD.

The sounds you here are of many a Nartuo fan either fainting, crying out in joy and/or terror and me giving the stinkeye to CN.

Granted, there will be censorship (Especially when the y get to the Hidan story arc and any use of the Sexy Jutsu) but I'd sooner have it on a channel that appreciates anime than none at all.

Oh, and again, FUCK YOU CN.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Dark Prince http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/26027232/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/26027232/ Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:58:18 PDT

Oh yeah, I have a Youtube Channel of sorts. It's small now, but give it time.


[link]

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard I've been tagged it seems... http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/25880080/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/25880080/ Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:59:06 PDT
The rules on this one are: pick one character that you created and have him/her
answer these questions:

1. Hi! What's your real name and nickname?
My name is Prof. Altair Issac York from the 'Fanning The Flames' storyline. My friend Jack Fenton refers to me as 'Yorkie' sometimes.

2. Interesting... what's your current age?
Well, I'd say 2100, give or take.

3. Uh huh. What's your favorite food?
Offhand, a turkey sandwich.

4. What is your favorite drink?
Earl Grey tea, or green tea. Ok, just tea in general.

5. Confession time! Who's your crush/lover?
Sorry, we're not that far into the series yet for that sort of information. Now, Danny Fenton on the other hand, I could give you a list of potential females...

6. Aww! Have you two kissed yet?
Uh...NO.

7. Classic question! What's your favorite color?
Red, black or grey.

8. Who's your favorite author?
J.R. Tolkien is a good start. I read so many over the years...

9. Now what's your biggest fear?
Boredom.

10. *stifles a giggle* I'm not laughing *bursts out laughing* Sorry. Any siblings?
Like I said, we're not that far into the series for that information.

11. Awesome. Who's your hero?
Well, I could say my father. The reasons WHY however, that's a tale for another day.

12. Ok, who is your worst enemy?
Unfortunatley, it's Perseus. You'll know soon enough.

13. What would you do if your hero and your worst enemy got together?
Let them fight it out.

14. Interesting... what would you do if you met your creator?
Probe his mind, see what makes all of that randomness come out.

15. Okay, I'll contact them right now. Done! Now, what do you want to be when you grow up?
you mean 2100 is not considered grown up?

16. What's your worst nightmare?
You REALLY don't wanna know.

17. What's your lifelong dream?
I'm already living it actually.

18. What would you do if your lifelong dream came true?
Just enjoy the ride.

19. Ok, where's your favorite place to relax?
At the roof of Casper High, or any school I've been in.

20. Last question! What do you spend most of your time doing?
Training Danny, prepping for the inevitable fight between Amity and the Wraiths and juggling mummified cats.

21. We're done! Now tag whoever the hell you want.
Hmm...very well...

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Fallen Indeed http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/25694052/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/25694052/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:47:46 PDT






I'd be lying if I said that 'Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen' is a great movie. Ok, it didn't exactly blow, but it's not one of the best things I've seen out there. If anything, I'd like to think of it as Micheal Bay's excusse to use as much military jargon and hardware as possible and get paid for doing it. And unlike Kevin Perierra and Olivia Munn, I decided to stay for the full 2 and a half hours before I feel qualified to pass judgement on it. Seriously, if you make it a habit of saying that you walked out of a movie a half hour in anytime you have to say anything about it, the criticisms you levy at it may be moot seeing as how you haven't seen the full product. That's like me saying I hated "Seinfeld" if I only watched 15 minutes of it.


So, here's the story: two years after the events of the first movie, Sam Witwicky is trying to live a normal life. Unfortunatley for him, fate plays a very cruel trick on him, as the Decepticons are monitoring him, and through some very, well, convuluted means, manage to revive Megatron who wishes to use the info that was somehow stored in his brain to trak down a machine that will spell the end of the human race. Oh, and some guy named the Fallen, who is Megatron's mentor, is behind all of this.

The primary problem with this movie is that you'd think with such a pressing situation, you'd have a lot of screentime for the Autobots and Decepticons. Sorry, not this time. This is pretty much a 'coming of age' story for Sam, with giant robots, an awkward continuing romance subplot and Sam's mom geting high off of brownies thrown in. You'd think after the kickass opening sequence, which really gets into oveerdrive when Prime skydives into Hong Kong, that we'd get some more info on who the new autobots are, or what they've been up to. Sadly, even with the kickass intro, we barely even get to see much of Arcee in action, hell I wanted some more of Sideswipe.

Another issue: the twins Skids and Mudflap. If anything, I found them more annoying than racially offensive. So seeing one of them almost taken out by Devestator was kind of amusing. Oh, and speaking of annoying, aside from shaky camera issues, the new sidekick Leo; just what use WAS he other than helping Sam track down and get former Agent Simmons to help them out? I know there is a need for comic relief, but he was as useful as a grenade in a TNT cabinet.

Fortunatley, the battles were one of the few saving graces of the movie, such as the aforementioned Hong Kong showdown, as well as any scene that features Optimus Prime fighting anyone. Which brings us another question; why are the Autobots so damn badass in this film? Let's see: Sideswipe cutting Sideways in two, Jetfire taking out Scorpinock, Bumblebee destroying Ravage in a brutal fashion, Skids and Mudflap going berserk on Devestator. Hell, Prime himself has several moments: taking on Megatron, Starscream and Grindor in the forest (before getting killed, Prime practically hands them all their asses, going so far as to kill Grindor and rip off Starscream's arm and beat him with it) and the final battle (shooting Megatron IN THE FACE and utterly wiping out The Fallen. Of course, haven been given the hardware of Jetfiore, that is understandable.) I think maybe the CGI guys saw the original 'Transformers' animated movie and were REALLY pissed off at how the Autobots got treated.

Oh yeah, how kickass was it to have Soundwave as a damn SATELLITE?! And voiced by Frank Welker no less? (Ok, so he sounds more like Dr. Claw than Soundwave, but still...) And Starscream was more true to form here than in the first one (meaning he is a complete coward)

It's an ok movie, but I expected a better script. Oh well, thee's always the third film.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard M.J. and F.F. http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/25571126/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/25571126/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:12:38 PDT
To put it bluntly, I wasn’t exactly the happiest of people in my young life. In fact, a good deal of it sucked. You wouldn’t exactly be the happiest of people either if you were a constant huge target for every bully and derided for your physical appearance. But there were a few things that gave me a more optimistic outlook: books, loads of cartoons, the NES and, as per the requirements of being a child of the 80s, Michael’s music. Even if I found myself in a unbelievably miserable funk or if I had nothing really to get me going, all someone had to do was turn on a MJ song and I was brought out of it. My first exposure to him was when I saw ‘Thriller’ when I was 5 years old in my late neighbor Barbara’s apartment. (Ironically enough, it was here that I also got my first taste of beer at that age-let’s just say I never had a taste for the stuff after that) It scared me shitless, and it probably gave me nightmares for a couple of days, but it was one of the most amazing things I saw. No matter what me and my sisters felt about in our individual music tastes, we always agreed on the fact that we loved his music. It was amazing to see him in action, doing dance moves that I tried vainly to imitate, especially that damn Moonwalk. God, if I could only recall all the times I tried it and actually nailed it.

Amazingly enough, it was also because of MJ that I actually put forth the effort to beat my very first arcade game. In a local store, which is now a mosque, the owners had a Moonwalker arcade game set up in the front area. I played it once and wanted to beat the damn thing in the worst way possible. I saved up at least $3.75 in quarters and proceeded to go on a campaign of kicking Mr. Big’s ass one way or another. And after doing that, it felt like I could do anything now.

I guess that is why I looked up to him so much when I was at that age; he, like many countless others before him, showed us there is nothing we can’t accomplish if we drive ourselves to it enough. I fear though that this may have been also the ery thing that lead to this untimely death. There was nothing he needed to prove anymore; if he needed to pay off debts, there must have been other ways to do so. But he chose to continue doing what he did best. He was human, let’s make no mistake about that; he said and did things that made me slap my head and say ‘what the hell were you THINKING?’ or made me wish I could just teleport next to him, shake him by his shoulders and yell ‘get a GRIP!’. But I always admired and respected all that he did. Nothing will change that, short of a lobotomy.

It’s also fitting to know that at my sisters wedding, some of his songs played during the reception. The guests, both from my generation, my mom’s generation and the younger kids, really enjoyed it too.

Wow, that wasn’t so bad as I thought it’d be….


(And for the record, Moonwalker for the arcade: FRACKING AWESOME.)


Another tragedy that rocked the world was the death of a icon of the 70s, Farrah Fawcett, after a long battle with cancer.

Years ago, one of my grim observations to my younger sister was 'famous important people and celebrities always seem to die in 3s.' Sadly, the evets of yesterday made that painfully clear.

If you have to ask what was one of my more fond memories of Farrah, it was when she guess stared on Jonny Bravo, as herself. You can't help but agree with Jonny on any assertion that she was an awesome woman, but then again you couldn't help but laugh at his lame attempts at wooing her.

Also memorable: a recent roast that she had attended. Took a lot of guts (and lack ofcare for some of the dumb shit she had to endure) to not only go there, but to tell some jokes.

It never failed to amaze me the bravery this woman exhibited when she was battling this disease, and she even went so far to document this struggle in a recent documentary that aired on NBC. She even wanted to marry long time companion Ryan O' Neil before the disease could claim her life, but sadly that was not to be. She leaves behind a undeniable lasting mark on Hollywood and the world.

Rest in Peace Farrah.


-------

Ok, let's try to get ourselves a little bit cheered up.

I watched 'Transformers: ROTF' today. I'll get a more detaild review ready for public consumption later, but I can tell you this: there are plenty of cringe worthy events in this movie, things that made it clear that Micheal Bay must never do the third movie. However, it does prove one assertion I have al... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Punching Out 'Wishology', Part 1 http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/24870977/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/24870977/ Thu, 21 May 2009 09:55:56 PDT aella of pain' as he proceeded to hand all of us our asses on a platter. Of couse, if you are the champ of the Major Circuit, you better be able to punch people so hard the'll think Dragon Ball Evolution was good.

Punch Out!! on the Wii is a great game, but be warned that when the game starts the Major Circuit, that is when it will begin to start the process of opening cans of whoop ass on you. Screw that, not even cans, lets just say kegs or crates of beatdowns. And then there's Title Defense Mode. whoever said that games these days are too easy probably would weep at the ass kickings these guys have in store...

Oh yes, 'Wishology'...I haven't said much about the 3 part movie because, quite honestly, there is not enough words in my vocabulary to adequately describe how bad of a job this has done in entertaining me. My friend Katie perhaps summed it up best...



[i]Man, Butch Hartman has lost it. Apart from KISS making a guest appearence I did not enjoy this special. As was stated (repeatedly) Turbo Thunder was a complete waste of good talent, the parodies were so hammered together (The Matrix, The Terminator, The Lord of The Rings, AND Men In Black all crammed into the first part) and then it just got even crazier.

The "Eliminators" were great examples of how NOT to make a villain, regardless of what medium. Way too powerful and can do just about anything (come on, sucking weapons through a portal and then incorporating them into their bodies? Even for a kid show that's a little farfetched.) Or maybe they were just fine and it was the protagonists who were just needlessly stupid, it was hard to tell. The lack of certain characters was also disheartening (where the hell was Tootie? She would have been a shoe-in for all the craziness.)

I didn't even bother with the third part. I think it's safe to say that Nick is as good as fucked at this point. [/i]

At this point, I think I'll keep on writing fanfiction.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard The Wedding Chronicles http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/24343092/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/24343092/ Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:57:38 PDT
It was an event that I spent an entire year mentally preparing myself for. While I was very happy that she and her fiancee, Louis, are together, it also meant that I would have to deal with th reality that she was moving on to the next stage of her life without us. It's something taht every sibling has to contend with, but it's not as though we are saying goodbye forever. It just means that she will be living very, very far away. Rochester, NY, is very nice I hear. Now if I had some cash to visit the damn place I'd be much happier.

I joked around with Louis a lot, so I can appreciate his sense of humor, especially on the day of the wedding. I think using humor is a good way to deal with a lot of tension. And that day, we needed all the jokes we could crack: the hairdresser got lost on the way to my sister's hotel, so the delay was much more than we anticipated. And the photographer got lost on the way to the church (apparently, it's REAL easy to get lost in Harlem.) and it made my sister anxious as she was waiting to make the walk down the ailse while she was in the limo. I can only imagine the wait that the people in the church had to endure.

The walk down the aisle, I am SO GLAD I did not mess that up. That was one of my main concerns, other than my cousin's daughter who was one of the flower girls, kind of tripping on the way. As we made our way to the area taht was set up with Elder Stevens (I think it was his name) everything went smoothly. and then a funny thing happened: the 'I do's' that were exchanged. Both Louis and my sister decided that when they said those pivitol words, they needed to say them in a quirky way. Of course, me being the naturaly quirky person that I am, decided that I too could be a bit off beat. As the Elder asked who giveth my sister away, I said my own quirky 'I do' to his inquiry. Needless to say, the audience in attendance had applauded all of us.

The reception was another key moment for me. Niot only because of the kick ass buffet (and it was indeed a kickass buffet) but because I had one last hurdle to overcome: my fear of public speaking. Now when it comes to one on one and a small group, I'm ok. A large room filled with over 100 people? I'd sooner fight Mike Tyson or go through basic training in Fort Benning again than take that on. But I had to. I promised my mom that I wouldn't make any horrible jokes and for 3 minutes, improvised a nice, if a little sappy, toast to my sister, who I am very proud of, and her new husband. My older sister and my cousin, who was also the wedding choreographer, also gave some more heartfelt speeches (I am also very proud of my cousin for having the guts to continue on, even after the short little tearfest she had during) and in all, it was a rocking good time we all had.

Now, if you ever wondered what a guy like me would look like in a tux, the pic is in my gallery. There is also a gallery on my Myspace page of said event.

Also, I told a couple of people that my sister and Louis planned on having a mini 'Soul Train' dance line. To answer certain questions.

YES, I did go on the dance line.

YES, I did indeed do the dance from the Ghostbusters music video and animated series.

And YES, I was AWESOME when I did it.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard On Weddings and The Shipping Wars http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/24239992/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/24239992/ Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:21:05 PDT
I still remember the shock of learning about her engagement last year like it was yesterday, not to mention the odd feeling that she will no longer be living with us. It's kind of sad, but it is to be expected; I just hope that my sister and Louis have a wonderful life together up in Rochester. I just hope that I don't become an uncle all too soon. I ain't ready for that responsibility yet!

Thinking about the wedding also makes me think about, of all things, all the pairings I have seen in fanart and fanfiction, not to mention the levels of tolerance I have for most of them. Yeah, I know, why would my sister's wedding make me think of something like that? My mind's an odd piece of equipment, so let's not dwell too much on it. It's kind of been bugging me for a very long time, but I never really felt the need to comment on it until today.

It's pretty natural to fantasize and write about our favorite characters paired up with who we consider to be a perfect fit for them. What isn't healthy is the lengths some people go to protect or promote said fantasy. It's one thing to write about something like Zutara, or make pretty bitching artwork. It's another to constantly antagonize, flame or annoy anyone else who doesn't agree with it. Well, ok, sometimes, if someone from the opposing camp says something really nasty about your preferred pairing, that's fine, you should be angry. But if you think using profanity on someone's body of work just because you hate the pairing is ok, I think you need to reexamine the logic behind that. I may not care for certain pairings, but I will not deny someone their right to express it.

Also, if you're going to explain WHY you think a certain pairing will or will not work, prepare for either two things:

1) Someone who will casually, and calmly, disagree with you and explain why, in their view, they believe the opposite. These people can be reasoned with and engage you in a healthy dialouge. There is no need to unleash a cluster of F-bombs at them.
2) Someone who will curse, rant and flame you and call you all sorts of ugly names because you don't know what you are talking about. These people can and should be ignored.

What also REALLY annoys me are any anit pairing clubs. If you're that opposed to something like that, do yourself a favor: Don't dedicate a club to the object of your disdain. Seriously. That's like me making a 'I Hope Rusk Limbaugh Is Eaten By A Pack Of Hungry Timberwolves' club. It's kind of pointless and I'll have the far right on my ass faster than you can say 'butterscotch.'

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard A Brief Summary of 'Daybreak' http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/23848501/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/23848501/ Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:51:57 PDT
How about that series finale eh?

Let's see if we can make sense of what happened: Essentially, what has happened on Caprica is just the latest in a series of cycles involving humans and essentially has happened at least three times before they found this 'Earth'. Oh, and the Eve they found in Africa? Well turns out that girl that Sharon and Helo had is her. In short all humans on Earth came about because of a human/cylon hybrid. Of course, if you can ignore the fact that there were already humans living on Earth before the arrival of the fleet, as well as the thousands of humans who came here, that is completely reasonable. So let's just say there were a whole lotta human/cylon freaking going on.

Oh, and that other Starbuck corpse that was found on what they thought was Earth? Forget that, it's not important. She was a ghost all along. Yes, she was really a ghost, Starbuck did die, but she was sent back from the dead to lead them all back to Earth...


Yeah, my head hurts too.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Clearly, they wish to insult our intelligence http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/23289100/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/23289100/ Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:21:09 PST
This time however, they may have bitten off more than they can chew. This past Wednesday, the paper ran a cartoon by Sean Delonas in their op-ed section that has some very disturbing undertones: a couple of police officers are depicted, after gunning down a chimp, having a quick conversation. One officer turns to the other and says "They'll have to find someone else to find the stimulus bill."

If you asked me, an average African-American citizen seeing this for the first time, if I found this racist, the words 'FUCK YEAH' would do little to convey my outrage. At the very least, this can be described as very unsettling and at the worst, I cannot, in any way, shape or form, even see how anyone can defend this cartoon: as long as I can remember, I have seen numerous examples where racists compare black people to apes, or denigrate them to such a level that we are lower than them. And sadly, the New York Post editor has the nerve to issue the following statement:


Quote:
"The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."




Now, you must forgive me, because I'm gonna borrow a recent gag I've see used in SNL's Weekend Update section...

Really Col Allen, REALLY? You seriously don't think anything is wrong with this picture? You don't REALLY think people are gonna draw comparisons with what racists such as the KKK thinks of African Americans and this little drawing your artist whipped up with? Do you really think this is not gonna piss people off? REALLY?

And really, Delonas, do you think people are gonna see the dead ape and say "Yeah, that is a totally representation of Nancy Pelosi'? Never mind the fact that when people think of the stimulus package, they immediately think of the president, who, if I seem to recall from various news reports over the past couple of weeks, has been linked HEAVILY to the bill. Maybe you think I can see the satire on your level, in the bizarro world, where racism does not exist and I'm riding a fucking unicorn drinking from the Happy Fountain of Dreams in the Gumball Lane!

Really, do you think this is not in any way, shape or form distasteful not only to any and all American citizen but to common human intelligence in general? Seriously, not even Ann Coulter would stoop to this level of insipid racism, and she's Ann FUCKING COULTER!!! I am not surprised though, this newspaper is so bad, my mom refused to line our late cat's litter box with it.

Somewhere in the reaches of space, aliens are searching for signs of intelligent life on Earth. If they happen to come across this journal entry, let me give you guys a hint: Don't start at the NY Post.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Rush Limbaugh is STILL A Big Fat Idiot http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/22851067/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/22851067/ Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:16:42 PST
While I could say a lot about some of the conservative books I've seen at the library that magically popped up on the eve of the election (like 'The Audacity of Deceit' and Dick Morris' latest conservative stab) I think I need to address the subject of my blog: Rush Limbaugh, or as I refer to him, Fats McBlowHard. See, it's not enough that during the election, when he had made the monumental mistake of misquoting Obama several times or misrepresenting his speeches. No, this guy actually said, on radio, that he WANTS Obama to fail. This is how much he is against the new administration: he is willing to state on radio to the public that he hopes that Obama and the ew administration will not succeed in their endeavors, despite the fact that the failure of the Obama Administration may put the country in a deeper shithole than it already is.

And maybe it's me, but wasn't it you, Rush, who said that no matter what, we need to stick it out and support our president through good times and bad? Or does that only count when you support a man who supported illegal wiretaps, ennabled the use of torture on enemy combatants which flies in the face of everything a civilized country stands for and completely blew a freaking wad of cash on a very unneeded military action that will have long standing consequences? Or maybe it was Bill O' Reilly who said that. Actually, I think it was both.

God, no wonder people can't stand politics.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard So I'm 31 http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/22280836/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/22280836/ Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:43:00 PST
So much has changed lately. My youngest sister is getting married in the spring, many of my neighbors have moved away, started a small family or passed away. I'm starting out on yet another job hunt. I've seeing a bit more of my extended family. It's all a bit much at times, but I've learned to adapt. That's something I've always managed to deal with.

As I go through the motions of life, my family always seem in awe at some of my behavior and quirks. Aside from the sarcastic tone I sometimes exhibit, the aloofness, absent minded momenst and general quiet times, they seem to think I don't take life as seriously as I should. Truth of the matter is, I do: I just find differant ways of expressing it. Yes, I should be a little more forthcoming about some of my inner feelings, but anyone who has known me has taken note that I'm somewhat of an shy person when I feel the need to, but I try to be a lot more jovial around friends. Also, being serious all of the time eriously cramps my mood, dig?

Another thing that has changed is my love of comics, or lack of. Too many things have changed, and not for the better. I still find it staggering what has come down with Marvel over the years, from something I enjoyed reading to me asking a friend of mine 'Thor did WHAT to Wasp?' Don't even get me started on how I feel about most of television either: I could list so many reasons why the Nickelodeon of our youth blows away today's Nickelodeon, but that is another topic for another time.

So I find it's best to have a good sense of humor and a healthy outlook on life, but just a little bit of indignant outrage leftover when you really need it. It beats being cynical 24/7, trust me.

And yes, I still enjoy writing fanfiction. A lot. It says a lot when someone says that a story of yours, and I quote 'Is made of win, it is made of complete win. It wins the Internet.' Yeah, I should do another Evangelion comedy ASAP!

So here's looking foward to being 31!

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard PETA Has Mama Issues http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/21596511/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/21596511/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:57:33 PST
But then, of course, there are the party poopers, the naysayers, the Stop Having Fun Guys who feel they need to make a statement and ruin it all for anyone who enjoys eating roasted bird flesh filled with bread. I speak, of course, of PETA. In their efforts to alert the people to some rather unsavory practices in the meat industry and encourage people to adopt their way of life, PETA has gone after, of all things, a popular Wii/DS series. Specifically Cooking Mama. But let's let PETA, in their own words, describe their stance:


Quote:
She looks innocent enough a happy woman who has a twinkle in her eye and loves to cook but if you take just a minute to think about what happens to the animals who are killed for Mama's meals, a fun cooking game no longer seems quite so innocent.

Every year, billions of animals are raised and killed for food, but people often overlook the immense suffering that occurs before they make it to their dinner plates.

The idyllic barnyard scenes of years past, which are still portrayed in children's books and games, have been replaced by windowless metal sheds, wire cages, gestation crates, and other confinement systems. These operations are now known as factory farms.

Farmed animals have inadequate legal protection from the horrific abuses that they suffer, including neglect, mutilations, chronic pain, crippling, transport through all weather extremes, and inhumane slaughter all of which would be illegal if they were inflicted on companion dogs or cats.

If Mama knew what happened to animals on factory farms, she very well might want Majesco Entertainment to make a new Cooking Mama game that is much more animal-friendly. And while we're excited that Mama is going to be more vegetable-friendly in the upcoming Gardening Mama game, we'd love to see a more vegetarian-friendly Mama as well. Please give Mama a voice write to Majesco and politely ask that it create more vegetarian recipes for Mama or even a game with just vegetarian recipes!

Now, you'd think that PETA would be just happy with a sharp criticism of Majesco and be done with it. No. See, they recently released a fun little flash game on their website called 'Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals'. Here's the link to the website, but I will tell you right now, it's more fucked up than you think it is.

[link]=pcmgb08



And here is a nice little description of what to expect...


Quote:
Majesco's game is so heavy on dishes that are made from dead animals that the only things missing are the blood and gore...

In the original version, players score points for assembling a meal. That also applies in PETA's parody, but with this Thanksgiving dinner, players also must go through the motions of plucking the turkey's feathers, pulling out the bird's intestines, and cutting off the animal's head. All the while, a demonic cleaver-wielding Mama takes delight in the agony. When the player beats the game, Mama has a change of heart and replaces her bloodlust with a craving for tofu-turkey.

Wow. Yeah, this was what the Cooking Mama needed all along: needless guilt over our choice of food and blood and gore. PETA Spokeman Joel Bartlett had this to say in regards to criticisms:


Quote:
We're having a bit of fun at Mama's expense, but there's nothing funny about the suffering endured by turkeys and other animals who are killed for food. With all the delicious vegan alternatives available, there's no need to make the carcass of a tormented bird the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving table.

So essentially, what PETA wants you to know is that you should feel real, deep, hurtful shame for choosing to eat meat in any way. That's how I interpret it. I mean,... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard The Road To MangaNEXT 08 http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/21304424/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/21304424/ Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:57:02 PST


It's not that I am anti-social or anything, but damn, there are days where when you do your job, people do extraordinarily careless or stupid things that makes you wish a swift and painful demise on any and all who piss you off. That's how it is when you work near holidays. You must learn to grin and bear it before you can excel at the job. That's all I can say.

The day before Halloween & Halloween itself was chaotic at best; on Thursday, we had encountered a humoungous onslaught of customers that could hardly be controlled. People everywhere ripping apart packages of costumes they had no business opening, leaving costumes in various places on and around the floor, trying them on and half assing the put away- it's enough to make a man want to stab them with the various hooks we use in the sore to hang up clothes. By the time we closed, which was 11:00, the store floor was in such a state that I serioulsy pushed for a new company slogan: Buy Something, Then Get The Fuck Out. We stayed until 12:30 or 1:00 clearing the mess our oh so considerete clientelle left for us. I officially did not get back home until 2:23, at which point, I managed to get an oh so vital total of 4 hours of sleep. I then had to wake up, get back to Ricky's, collect my paycheck, return to Astoria, cash said paycheck and make a deposit, return to Manhattan and go to Times Square to buy a new digital camera, then hightail it back to work at 4 to resume my duties. (By the way, NEVER take the bus downtown in Manhattan in the middle of the day if you are in a rush. Trust me.)

Coming into work, I had two pleasent sights waiting for me: one was the huge ass line outside of Ricky's, which is not too surprising. I mean, come on, it's Halloween, people needs their costumes. The other was the interior of the store, which was considerably less than the previous day. Ephram wisely chose to let only a set number of customers inside at a time, in order not to have a repeat of the previous day. It went relatively well, all things considered. One person had to be escorted out since she did not understand the 'all sales final, no exchanges' policy (really? exchanging a petticoat for panties) and we had a couple of obnoxious gentlemen who, well, wouldn't get the fuck ou fter we closed. Look, when the music goes off and we flicker the lights on and off, we are trying to be nice. It's not our fault you can't decide what to buy at 10 on Halloween night, so please, take the hint and get out. NOW.

Ah yes, MangaNEXT 2008. An event I've ben planning for since missing out on AnimeNEXT. Aside from money issues, I opted not to go to AnimeNEXT because of various factors (one being the raised prices, other being my lack of a camera.) They changed the venue for this one o somewhere in the middle of Sommerset, NJ, or as I call it 'Rutgers City'. (Rutgers University is in the area.) Unlike last year, I did not have the pleasure of hanging out with Anita and company, so mostly I was alone, except of course when talking with various people. It was fun, if a bit subdued, especially when I visited certain panels. Here are some highlights from teh stuff I did:



-I took part in a Bleach Discussion Panel which was much, much smaller than I wanted. It was an interesting discussion, as we talked about many plot points in the series and certain characters. It soon shifted a bit into other territory when I brought up the comparisons of Bleach to various otehr cartoons in the US, in particular, Avatar. (And yes, we actually did debate on the Avatar Aang vs Bankai Ichigo fight. It got pretty intresting really.) Also of note: people realy, REALLY like Avatar and old Nickelodeon (you know, before it became That Network With SpongeBob, iCarly and D&J Reruns)



-D Gray Man discussions were much more livlier. I really need to catch up on that one. What was really funny, aside from the moderator's many funny comments, was the 'shipping' aspects with various characters. I will be blunt: some pairings should never be. (Allan/Kanda? No. Koury/Lavi? OH HELL NAW!!!!)



-There was also a Super Mario Bros discussion panel there too that, believe it or not, aired some of the eps from the DIC produced SMB cartoons. To say I ran from seeing that is an understatement.



And now from the video game/TCG front...



-If you have a Wii and you like shoot 'em ups, play Castle of Shinigami III. It's actually quite fun considering the low costs and is right up there in Ikaruga levels of difficulty. Just try not to think too badly of the voice actors...

-I learned something important while playing Naruto on the Wii, the latest one to come out in Japan: I will always, ALWAY... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard The Joy of Cleaning Up After Others http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20887274/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20887274/ Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:55:27 PDT


The upshot is that the store gives me discounts on stuff I purchase there, which means I get a reasonable discount on the Indiana Jones fedora when I choose to buy it (provided, of course, that I will make it to MangaNEXT this year.) along with the whip. All I need now is the khaki shirt and pants, and a clear idea of what I want to do at MangaNEXT (along with, of course, a camera; that is Anita comes in.)



And now a word of warning on Mega Man 9: Prepare for an ass kicking if you play as Proto Man.



Oh yes, the writers of 'The Office' have been tapped to write a script for 'Ghostbusters III' and it looks like Bill Murrary is intrested in doing it, as he was not as happy with the previous film. All I wanna know is where is the freaking Ghostbusters game?! I want to bust some ghosts NOW.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard And now, random commentary... http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20791404/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20791404/ Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:56:00 PDT
-I have learned many things while working at Ricky's NYC the past few weeks. Things like 'Customers don't like putting things back where they belong' or 'Customers don't read signs' or 'The children of customers, in particular the 8 and under set, open things'. Folks, if you ever go into a clothing or goods store and sometimes see an employee with a harried look in their, stop and ask yourself 'I wonder if I can do anything to make their job a lot less stressful?' My advice is to not make the job more difficult for that person. I know, we are there to shelve the stuff and all, but really, if you are not gonna buy the egyptian goddess costume, it would REALLY be nice if you put it back in the egyptian section, not the Playboy Bunny area.

Also, if you are gonna use the changing roomm, don't break the hangers. PLEASE!

-As you all may have heard, our good buddy Jack Thompson has lost his license to practice law, meaning he can no longer be counted on to sue Take 2 Interactice for anything. Yeah, I should be out celebrating with a keg of beer but there is two things you should know. One, I don't actually drink. Two, when you stop and think about it, Jack really did not offer anything other than a questionable stance on video games as well as his own very one sided and flawed critique of video games and video game players as a whole. His disbarrment, while deserved given his behavior, really does not matter too much to all of us since he was, well, ineffectual to begin with. I just hope Fox News will not hire him as a consultant whenever there is a tragedy.

-Today, Nintendo unveiled a whole slew of new products, which includes Sin and Punishment 2 (YES!!!) Punch Out Wii (FUCK YEAH!!) Club Nintendo coming to the US (YEEEAAAHHHHHH!!!!) expanding the capabilities of the Wii to enable games to be downloaded to an SD Card ('bout time!) and a brand new version of the Nintendo DS, called the Nintendo DSi. The DSi will have 2 cameras, support music playback, have a larger screen and have an SD card slot, along with a built in Opera browser, improved WiFi capabilities and access to a store where you can downlaod games to said SD card.

If you listen real close, you can hear a PSP screaming 'FUCK!!!' into it's 9th glass of beer...

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard And he wonders why people hate him... http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20453556/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20453556/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:34:59 PDT




In a certain message board, someone had posted a pretty funny pic involving Sasuke, Sakura & Naruto, and Sasuke's apparent reasosn for leaving Konoha, which supposedly involved Sakura. I had to insert my two cents in about that situation and it went something like so:

If anything I have learned about most of the die hard Naruto fans it is this...

Sakura can get over her crippling crush on Sasuke, spend 3 years training with one of the legendary sanin, become more powerful and determined to protect her teammates & contribute more to the team...and the haters will STILL bitch and piss and moan & complain about her because they believe she either ruined Sasuke, contributes nothing or is not as 'cool' as the Uchiha kid. Never mind the fact that the little bastard beat Naruto up pretty damn badly, betrayed the whole fucking village to team up with the asshole who tried to kill everyone he cared about who also wants his body for immortality purposes. Oh, and let's not forget that when Naruto finally finds his longtime friend, Sasuke threatens to kill him without so much a second thought. And then when he finds out that his brother was actually protecting him because he didn't want his younger brother caught up in a civil war his family wanted to start in the village, he decides to go after the village elders, after being tyold this by a lost family member who is obviously trying to manipulate him for Akatsuki's own ends. Did I mention how extremely GULIBLE he is? Y

Yeah, I'll pick Sakura over Sasuke any day. At least she has common goddamned sense.


This was written before I read this week's Naruto chapter, which has revealed that Sasuke has decided to extend his wrath to the entire village due to the decisions of the 3 village elders.

So, Sasuke has essentially decided to do precisely what his brother was trying not to do, and involve the entire village in a stupid conflict all because his feelings got hurt? Yeah, real smooth, I am SO rooting for you, dumbass. I hope God that Sakura takes her time and completely and utterly stomps a mudhole in the ass of Mr. emo who has taken way too much of the fucking spotlight Uchiha before punting him in the jaw Randy Orton style and knocks the stupid out of him.

oh yeah, I also got a job now. HUZZAH!!!

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard For Nefertitti http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20183010/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/20183010/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:33:05 PDT
Neffie, as we always affectionally referred to her as, was our family's first ever pet, and she was something of an enigma; sometimes she did things that we were pretty sure there was no chance any cat could do. Like open cabinet doors that were tightly shut. For me, her destruction of my combat boots was just mystifying: these were no ordinary boots mind you, these were boots that came from Fort Benning. I've had them for over 3 years and they have been through a lot with me. Road marches, desert runs, Pre-PLDC, whatever hardship I had, they had seen it through with me. She destroyed them in less than a day when she got her claws on them.



Oh, and she was my personal alarm clock for a good 2 years when I was in high school. Every morning, she would sit on my chest and lick my face or sit at my side to paw at me until I got up. Of course, the fact that this so happened to coincide with feeding time probably didn't hurt her needs too much.



One of the most heartbreaking things about this, however, was the fact that it was the only decision that we could make. We didn't want to see her suffer needlessley anymore and the alternative was not acceptable. So, with a heavy heart, I said goodbye to my beloved cat.



Standing there in the waiting room while waiting for my older sister to come by, I had started to talk with a few of the pet owners waiting to take their pets in for examinations. And I dealt with my grief and pain the only way I knew I could: I told jokes. A LOT of jokes. I shared some humourous stories and observations too, but mainly I had quite a few jokes.



Someone once told me that they couldn't believe that someone like me, who had a rather off the wall sense of humor, had so many personal issues. I told him that I remembered something that Richard Pryor once said in a book: in order to have a real good sense of humor, you have to also experience real pain. So it hurts a hell of a lot to lose my cat, yes, but the best thing I can do now is wipe my eyes, smile and tell a detailed ancedote about what cats are REALLY thinking when we pick them up. You must never allow it to dwell too much, because the memories of those we love will always comfort us, no matter what...



Rest in peace, kitty.







By the way, if you want to know just what cats are thinking when they see us or pick them up, here are a few:



"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?"

"Yes I am cute and fluffy, I know. Leave me alone already!"

"Don't bogart the tuna."

"Maybe if I stare at you long enough, you will let me sample some of that fried fish you have on your plate."

"Ugh, your breath! It reeks of bvodka!"

"The things those humans says."

"Snowball? Why do you have to call me Snowball? It's 'cause I'm white, isn't it?"





Always leave them with a smile...

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Random Thoughts & Questions http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19932399/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19932399/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:50:01 PDT




- Yeah, I should have mentioned this a lot earlier, but I was blown away by 'The Dark Knight', a movie that surpasses my expectations. It's one of the best ever interpretations of the Batman comic, and has one of the best stories ever in a superhero movie. Of course, Heath Ledger's final full performance as the Joker is everything it is hyped up to be and is more than worthy of an Oscar. Though some naysayers may be turned off by the somewhat realistic approach to the Batman universe, I find that Nolan's style can make it work.



-Ok, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones 4 (I like the movie, damn it!) Dark Knight, Prince Caspien...it's been a really good run lately with these movies. So, of course, SOMEONE has to ruin it. Yeah, Disaster Movie....look, I have said plenty about the directors of these movies, so whatever I said about 'Meet The Spartans' applies to Disaster Movie. It's like they sit down, watch all the trailers for good movies, look at TMZ & work from there. Nice to know that they aren't hampered by unconventional things like, say, humor or decent writing or decent acting. I guess this is the only way that Carmen Electra an get a legitimate paycheck without being nude.



-My aunt Maxine's wedding was a couple of weeks ago. It was real cool seeing almost all of the family again, even family members I barely remember. Of course, in all big events comes an awkward moment for someone. And that was me...



In weddings there is a tradition that the bride throws the bouquet and the groom throws the garter belt. Everyone knows that. It's what you do with a garter belt that I apparently forgot. See, whoever catches the garter belt has to put it on the leg of the woman who caught the bouquet. So, guess who caught the garter belt?

Needless to say, I felt undying, unyielding embarrassment.



-So, anyone else find that the timing of the whole John Edwards scandal to be a little too convienant with the DNC coming up? Yeah, me too.



-Gurren Lagan...damn this is a weird show.



That's all for today!

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Sozin's Comet (Zutarians, don't kill me!) http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19505723/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19505723/ Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:59:39 PDT


Wow.

3-4 years, 3 seasons and it all came down to this: a 4 part story that details the Gaang's final battle against Azula, Fire Lord Ozai and the might of the Fire Nation and Aang's desperate stand against Ozai's mad ambitions.

Before I can get into this, I have to admit, like some, when I first watched 'The Boy in the Iceberg' I was almost ready to dismiss the show. It looked at first like just another anime inspired show that this time Nickelodeon had decided to air. But I decided to give it a chance. The artwork reminded me of a Hayao Miyazaki film & I figured 'Hey, if they are gonna draw inspiration from that, the least I can do is give this one a try'. And from there on, the show did not disappoint me. It had done something that very few American cartoon that kept me hooked for a very long time. Episodic shows like Avatar are very few and far between in the American market, and when they work, they work well (see Justice Leauge, Teen Titans). But the level of growth in Avatar grew tremendously over each episode. The ambitions and creativity of the team was great, and with each episode, the tale expanded and the characters grew on us more and more.

So, fast foward to now. The four part opus to the Avatar tale takes the show to it's highest peak yet, hooks us in and does not cease to keep us entertained until the final act. We watch as Aang struggles with finding a way to end Ozai's mad plan without killing him. We see the reunion of Zuko and Iroh, the return of various masters who make up the White Lotus Society (apparently all old people know each other), the descent of Azula into utter madness as we see into the fragile psyche she hides behind her cruel exterior, and most importantly of all...Zutara officially dies and Maiko & Kaatang prevails! ^_^

There are so many things I could cover that was right about this episode, but the part that stood out the most, aside from Zuko's influence on the crew, was Azula's breakdown. I never actually outright hated her, despite all the utterly despicable things she was responsible for. If anything, after the events of season 3, I had immense pity for her. Imagine being groomed, by your own father, to be a cold, heartless and manipulative engine of destruction, to use fear as a means of control. But just like her brother, all she wanted was love from both her parents, and we see how much of an effect losing her approval really had on her, complied with the betrayal of her friends and the responsibility of becoming the next Fire Lord. If they do air the spinoff series, I hope they continue with the story of Azula.

Oh, and the battles...wow. I could not keep track of how many times I said the word 'damn' during the seige on Ba Sing Se alone by the White Lotus Society. The fights betwen Azula, Zuko & Katara was amazing, especillay when Katara had completely taken Azula by surprise. But Aang vs Ozai...we are gonna have to come up with new words to describe that battle, hell this whole episode. And the music, my God the music, the best I've heard in a very long time.

In short, this is now the standard in which I hold action adventure cartoons now. This is one that will be very tough to top by anyone I am very, very glad to have been witness to it. Thank you Aang, Sokka, Katara, Zuko, Toph, Appa, Momo, Iroh, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee and a big thank you to the Avatar creators, Micheal & Bryan, for a damn fine job.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Favorite Avatar Moments! http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19483411/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19483411/ Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:42:02 PDT
Season 1

1) The first fight between Zuko and Admiral Zhao aboard Zuko's ship. Not only do we get to see Zuko take on an experienced foe & previal, be we get a first glimpse into the character of Zuko himself.
2) Aang's reunion with Bumi- It's not everyday you meet up with an old friend from 100 years ago who is still alive. But then again, we never figure our friends would make us go through incredibly deadly lengths to figure out who they are...
3) Katara learns she is a healer, yeah that was classic. The writers take something that could possibly scar a character and then turn it around to make it so that Katara slowly becomes a stronger water bender. and speaking of water bending...
4) Katara vs. Pakku: despite it being a losing battle, Katara more than proved her mettle against Pakku, who stubbornly held on to the belief that no woman could make a capable water bender. She would go on to become possibly one of the most powerful waterbenders, if not the most powerful one on the show to date.
5) Suki pwns Sokka-yeah, I enjoyed that immensely.
6) Yue sacrifices herself to restore the moon- If you didn't even shed at least one tear at that moment, you are a cold, cold person & will not be eating any of my mint chip cookies.
7) That foamy guy in Kyoshi village. He always makes me laugh.
8) Iroh delivers a beatdown to various soldiers- A word of advice: if Iroh tells you to leave something alone or he will proceed to hand you your ass, listen to him. There's a good goddamn reason he is the Dragon of the East...
9) The death of Admiral Zhao. Did not see that coming...
10) The introduction of Ozai & Azula. See above statement, throw in 'Holy shit, Mark Hamil!'
11) The Avatar State is used to repel the Fire Navy. As if Aang wasn't powerful enough before...

Season 2:

-Azula's introduction. Damn, that was just cold, the way she casually tells her officer she was mulling his imminent death. But then again, seeing as she smiled during the Agni Kai that scared Zuko, what did you expect?
-Aang's Avatar State unleashed for the first time when he thought that Katara was dead was awesome.
-The introduction of Mai & Ty Lee. Azula didn't really need to work too hard to convince Mai, but with Ty Lee, she practically had to terrorize here during a circus performance to 'convince' her to join up.
-Mick Foley's guest appearance as The Boulder. Not only is it awesome because it's, you know, Mick fucking Foley, but it's him as The Boulder, a very sly caricature of The People's Champion. (That's The Rock to you, jabroni!)
-Toph handing all the Earth benders in the underground tournament their asses. Twice.
-Zuko's childhood, where we get a hint of Maiko, the malice that Azula had, and a hint of just what happened with his mother and how Ozai became the Fire Lord. We also learn he is a tremendous dick. Oh, and Zuko kicks some ass.
-Azula fights off Aang, Zuko, Katara, Toph & Iroh.
-Aang's training under Toph. Brutal and funny.
- Aang becomes a boy obsessed when he loses Appa, becoming more agressive and violent. When he finds the people who was responsible for his disappearance, he becomes completely berserk and activates the Avatar Stare, only for it to be stopped by a hug from Katara.
-Fortunatley, Aang recovers his hope when a baby is born to a refugee couple on their way to Ba Sing Sei. We also see Sokka & Suki further their relationship, learn Toph has a crush on Sokka and see the crew take out a drill.
-The return (and untimely death) of Jet. It was cool to see him fight again, but I wish he'd survived the fight at Lake Laogai.
-The tribute to Mako!
-The complete takeover of Ba Sing Sei by Azula, and Zuko's choice to side with her. As I said before...did not see that coming!


And now, Season 3!

-While 'The Awakening' has a lot of great moments, such as the meeting between Ozai & Zuko, Katara's temper making itself known & the conversation between Azula & Zuko at the end, nothing will replace the sheer awesomeness of these three words- "Load the Toph!"
-Aang goes to school! We see life in the Fire Nation for the first time, and see Aang interact with other kids, get into a whole mess of trouble and top it off with a sweet dance party where he and Katara bust out moves I don't ever want to attempt at my current weight level. We also see the first appearance of a very persistant enemy, hints of Mai's dislike of Azula and, of course, Wang Fire!
-Aang & Katara blow up a factory, what more can I say?
-Sokka makes a freaking kick ass sword out of a meteor (shades of Goemon from Lupin III) & undergoes some training of his own. What ws even more kickass is that his teacher figures out that Aang is the Avatar without so m... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Didn't I go through this last year? http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19287742/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19287742/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:57:34 PDT


It seems odd now, just a few months ago, October actually, I was talking with anna & her friends about how the show was really getting good & before I was prepared for it, it's all set to end. I mean I knew that there was not going to be a season 4, but I guess I wanted the show to last as long as possible. It's one of those rare US made cartoons that anyone can watch & enjoy. It also doesn't hurt that the show's anime style look is easy on the eyes.



But instead of yet another rant about Viacom & their business practices, let me start listing some of the reasons why the show is so damn good:



The story- The writers do not shy away from certain themes in the plot of Avatar. The war which has lasted 100 years, the possible murder of the previous Fire Lord by his own son, acts of genocide, these are just some of the things that happened within the main story line & they are approached in a manner that both kids and adults can handle. And each of the main characters has a unique back story that makes them who they are. Zuko, for example, has matured considerably. We first see him as a hot headed, determined fire Nation officer who will stop at nothing to capture Aang, but as the story progressess, we learn why he is the way he is; he desires nothing more than his father's love and acknowledgement of his existance. He has a greater inner conflict within him and it drives him to do many things, both heoric & not so heoric. at the end, he finds the courage needed to confront his father and join Aang in his quest to restore order to the world.



The action- Oh sure, any Tom, Dick & Harry can make a show with martial arts. But how many shows out there have martial artists that fight with freaking WATER as a weapon?

Avatar's universe has the martial artists use the elements in conjuction with their martial arts, which makes the action sequences even more enjoyable. And the writers actually consult with an actual martial arts teacher: Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association. Tai Chi, Hung Gar, Chu Car, Northern Shaolin & Bagua are the basis of each of the bending arts in the show.



The influences- Various eastern and western influences are in the show, especially the asian ones. Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, the creators, draw inspiration from a variety of series, like Star Wars (in terms f story) as well as Hayo Miazaki films (Appa, the flying bison, was basedaround the Catbus design from 'My Neigbor Totoro';) The show's writers also draw inspiration from various films and anime companies like Production I.G., Studio Ghibli & GAINAX. The staff was even required to watch all 6 episodes of FLCL by director Giancarlo Volpe. How freaking cool is that?



If you want to see for yourself how the show will ends, the fianl episodes will start airing on Nickelodeon next week at 8, leading up thethe 2 hour (WHOA) finale airing on Saturday. And you can catch any of the episodes you missed on the Nicktoons network (provided you have digital cable) or buy them on DVD. Of course, you COULD do the smart thing and find yourself a torrent of teh shows...but I think contributing to the delenquency of my audience would be a bad thing...

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Mistakes Were Made (In Tribute to George Carlin) http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19003567/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/19003567/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:33:38 PDT


Anyway, as a way to lighten the mood and as my personal tribute to the late George Carlin, here are the situations where this bearded man is needed most desperately.



Going to See Lil Wayne in concert- Someone please explain to me just how the hell this guy sells any damn album.



Watching Nancy Grace- Take everything that is contemptable about Bill o Reily, but give it a shot of estrogen, a law degree and an even worse holier than thou attitude greater than every journalist working in Fox News and you have an idea of everything Nancy Grace stands for. The woman's history is a file sheet of just plain wrong, from her questionable practices as a prosecutor (the shit she tried to pull would make Manfred von Karma sick to the gills) to her stint on Court TV and now her show on Headline News. As if she wasn't judgemental enough, her needling style of accusatory interviewing actually caused a guest of hers to commit suicide hours after being on her show, when Nancy tried to implicate her in the disappearance of her son. To this day, se has yet to apologize for her actions. Don't believe me? Here's a quote from Wiki:



In an interview with "Good Morning America," Nancy Grace said in reaction to events that "If anything, I would suggest that guilt of raping and murdering her young son made her commit suicide. To suggest that a 15- or 20-minute interview can cause someone to commit suicide is focusing on the wrong thing." She then said, while she sympathized with the family, she knew from her own experience as a victim of crime that such people look for somebody else to blame.



I would use the words 'heartless bitch' to describe her, but that would be a huge disservice to genuine heartless bitches everywhere. And if you get a chance, look up her interview with Elizabeth Smart on Youtube. If you haven't proceeded to throw your cat into the screen after viewing that, I applaud you because you clearly have more patience than I have. You also probably value your screen more than the life of your cat, but we'll talk about your inhumanity later. The point is, it's amazing that people like her, Reily, Hannity, etc, are actually taken seriously as hournalists. My idea of a journalist is someone who isn't a comnplte fucking douche, who is objective & questions everything that is fed to them.



Buying a video game without first checking out all possible reviews- It's been said that the best critic should be you the consumer, but it doesn't hurt to sometimes check to see what most people think. I mean, yeah, I like FPS's, but that doesn;t mean I will automatically like Halo 3. But who are you more likely to trust: the guys in the magazine or website who make a review on all possible factors, the snarky critic who makes about half a dozen allegories abiout how good or how bad a game is without really getting into detail why the game is bad or the guy reviewing on GameFAQS whose online handle is 'Elite SpartanXL986'? Yeah, I'll go with number 1, although choice two does make some awesome jokes involving Mr. T.



Going to see ANY Video Game movie- With the exceptions of the first Mortal Komabt & the first Resident Evil movie, I have come to dread seeing any movies adapted from games. It's like the people involved spent 5 minutes playing Doom, saw that one kid who killed a freaking Cyberdemon with a chainsaw & said 'Hey, you know what, this will kick ASS as a movie!' For the hotshots out there, heres the first rule of video game movies: DON'T FUCKING MAKE VIDEO GAME MOVIES. I typed that in bold bcause from what I hear, people will pay closer attention. Rule two is simple: If you ignore rule one, make sure that before you make this movie of yours, you spend at least a month playing that game to death... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Indiana Jones & The Bitter Internet Critics http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/18453098/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/18453098/ Thu, 22 May 2008 18:59:01 PDT


The movie, set in 1957, has Dr. Jones teaming up with Mutt Williams (played by Shia Lebeauf) to find an old friend & Mutt's mom, Marion Ravenwood (KAren Allen reprising her role from Raiders of the Lost Ark';) The two must save their friends and beat a KGB team to a hidden location in the Amazon to return a crystal skull, which origins are best described as 'not of this world'. Then again, every Indy movie has artfacts that are 'not of this world.' That's part of what makes them awesome. Well, except for Temple of Doom. That one could have been so much better.



The cast does a superb job in their roles, especially Cate Blancet and John Hurt, and the pacing just feels right. The interaction between certain characters doesn't feel cornballed or phoned in, and in between the action sequences and the hunt for clues, the character of Indy is fleshed out a bit more than in previous films. TThe CGI was used quite well. (And surprisingly, it was not as heavily used as in, say, the prequel SW movies) The plot about the Crystal skull itself is also quite intriguing and presented in a most unique fashion. And it's the plot of the film that has the internet critics have their feathers ruffled.



The roots of this story are set in a sci fi backdrop instead of the mystical trappings the previous one has found themselves in. And apparently, it's more plausible to believe that Indiana could find things that have links to deities, but not to life outside our world. I find this to be incredibly insane: do they remember what the Indiana Jones films draw their inspiration from? Those serial reels from the 30's and 40's draw people in with fantastic stories like that. What more do you wnat from Spielberg, a crane that teaches you kung fu? I can think of other reasons why this movie has drawn their ire, but it goes in the realm of Spoiler City, so I'll share one: it takes these fans out of their comfort zone because they believe the movie has to stay within a certain parameter, as well as their very high expectations. Once the line is crossed, no forgivness ever for anyone associated with the movie, no matter what.



So, in short, see this movie. It's a real good story, and has a lot of good moments and action sequences. And it could be worse, it could have been the original title George wanted to use: 'Indiana Jones & The Saucer Men From Mars'. Thank God Steven Spielberg stopped Lucas from using that...

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Movie Madness http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/18430080/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/18430080/ Wed, 21 May 2008 12:12:43 PDT


I'm not much of a follower of the Iron Man series, and lately if you read the current issues of Avengers or Iron Man, you noticed that as of late, Tony Stark has become a bit of a...well, I think the word 'dick' is most appropriate. But I digress; the movie however washes way any bitter memories of the Tony Stark that has become prominent in Civil War. Here, Robert Downey jr portrays the genius behind the Iron Man suit with a playboy attitude and a weakness for all things alcohol and he dows it with such wit and style, you would be hard pressed to convine me that he was born to play the role. Of equal billing is his supporting cast: Gwyneth Paltrow as his secretary and possible love interest Pepper Potts and Terrance Howard as Col. James Rhodes, the best friend who sometimes needs to talk common sense into Tony. Oh yeah, if he dowsn't become War Machine in the inevitable sequel, I will riot.



What's good about the movie is not just the scenes when Tony is in full gear (and man, are they sweet) but many of the events that influence Tony's decision to change Stark Industries. The movie points out many of the problems that the world has to answer for when weapons can be sold to anyone without fear of reprecussions and Tony's struggle with what damage his tech has wrought. I hope the momentum stays for the sequel.



As for Speed Racer, I have to admit, I do like the visual effects, but script wise, maybe a little more time could have ben spent on it to get it right. Nice adaptation of the show though, and the y REALLY went all out to make it seem like a live action anime, but it could have been a bit better. Emile Hirsch did do a good job, however, I will say that.



Now then, Indy. There's been a bit of a controversy concerning the reviews of Indian Jones' latest adventure. While internet critics seem to villify and loathe this one, newspaper & tv critics seem to be more welcoming of this entr into the series. My only advice to anyone who is waiting to see this film is to be your own critic and judge this movie on your own merits. I have faith that Spielberg did a good job on this one (my faith in Lucas, however, is shaky.) and will see this movie, regardless of how much someone like say Harry Knowles may hate it.



Speaking of bad movie experiences, that idiot director we all love to shit on, Uwe Boll, will have to face the fact that his movie ';Postal' will be on a vey, VERY limited run in the US.



[link]



Boll has gone public with his views on why this film will not see a wide release. I have my own theory: People will tend to look down on you when you use the WTC plane attacks as satire to comment on America in a post 9/11 world. Especially when you're a prick who thinks he's a good director.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Cruel Brawl Indeed http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/18225665/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/18225665/ Thu, 08 May 2008 11:37:09 PDT
1) Pikachu is a force to be feared and despised. Now, a good Pikachu player knows the range and versatility that the electric mouse has, and can use all of his abilities well. A bad Pikachu player--try to imagine someone who just jumps and uses his Thunder attack for about 99.9 percent of the entire match. God, don't you just hate that. Equally annoying is the insistance of said person to only play on stages like Temple, which gives them a lot of space to run. Lesson for this one: Ike is your friend. Well, actually, Ike is your friend regardless, but this goes double for Pikachu spammers.
2) Once you get the 10 ko's you need for Cruel Brawl, don't ever play this mode again. It's like the CPU is programmed to 'Ass Fuck' and given steroids. The alternate name for this should have been 'Asuka Langley Sohryu Simulator'.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Conspiracies, and The Nutters Who Believe In Them http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17749225/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17749225/ Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:29:52 PDT


There is a joke I could make here and now about these two posters, the toliet and human excrement, but it’s way WAY too easy for me. And as much as I would like to point out the flaws in the ’evidence’ that these people would like me to believe in, there are many other websites & articles (Like the Popular Mechanics article) that easily & rationally explains these things better. My point is, I think I understand partially why these people choose to believe this baloney: the dislike for the government that Bush runs is deep, and we are capable of believeing that this man & his cronies are possibly some of the most blatant criminals ever to call themselves responsible Americans. I mean, we already believe that they stole an election or two, why not believe it possible for them to make an terrorist attack on our own soil & use it for their own ends? Sadly, that’s the truth many want to believe, instead of the actual cold reality: a bunch of pissed off religious zealots wanted to kill a lot of innocent people to make a point & try to cripple us. It’s unfortunate however that this act was used as a pretense in invade Iraq.

Yes, Bush is bad. Very bad. But think for a second, really. These are people who can’t keep secrets very well. And they are horrible liars. How could they actually get away with this if they are so incompotent at their jobs?



My first piece of advice is to read Al Franken’s book ’ Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them’. Not only is it a funny book that slams politics and television networks like Fox, it has a good chapter relating to all things 9/11. Quite illuminating. My only other piece of advice: take a rational look at these arguments the ’truthers’ give you, then look at the rebuttals. And ask yourself: Do any of the truthers ’evidence’ stand up to serious scrutiny and hard scientific evidence?



That’s all.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Sonic is in Brawl Adam Sessler, Chill Out. http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17522970/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17522970/ Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:06:20 PDT
This game still hasn't gotten old for me. I'm finished with the SSE mod, but now find myself trying to collect the boss trophies, get rare stickers & revisiting some of the stages with certain characters in order to see how much faster I can beat them. Then there's the coin matches I have had, the CD collecting, Events, All Star mode and my many attempts at beating Boss Rush (only to have Ridley, a robot or Tabuu hand me my ass.) In short, this game is flipping awesome.

What kind of irks me about the game, though, is the Stage Creator. I wanted a few more backgrounds to work with instead of the initial 3 they gave us. Also, Diddy Kong's kind of meh for me.

Oh, yeah, here: 2878-9286-2495 is my FC.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Brawl- First thoughts http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17307379/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17307379/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:34:59 PDT
There isn't enough adjectives to describe the sheer awesome this game drips. Really, there isn't. There isn't even enough variations of the F word to convey this game's power of pwnage. So just take my word for it, if you have a Wii, get this game. NOW.

Oh yes, I have seen certain message boards and the various complaints/whinings/bitch sessions some have had. These complaints are moot. Oh, and if anyone says that the Subspace Emmisary can be beaten in 2-3 hours, the person is a cheater or a goddamned liar.

A more coherrant review will be made later.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Feb 22, 2008: When Sarcasm Got Real http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17027899/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/17027899/ Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:32:46 PST


Now, it was just another morning, except for the part where I actually woke up early. I was determined that day to pick up a Wii, by hook or by crook, and be done with the day. So, groggily, I arose from my bed and stumbled out towards the bathroom, where I met up with my younger sister, Sakiyna. She had been on the phone a great deal the night before, but I thought nothing of it, I mean really she had a boyfriend, this was to be expected. After exchanging pleasantries and commenting about my current state, she had said something to the effect of 'Well, I've got somegood news."

"What, you got engaged last night?" I replied.

That was then she flashed that smile of hers.



"I WAS JUST JOKING!!!!"



Yes, it's official: my sister is now engaged to her boyfriend, who I officially met for the first time today. The news sobered me up real quick; she had already told my mother & older sister the night before, but I arrived late last night so the news was still fresh. The remainder of my day was spent rushing about Manhattan, not only in search of the fabled Wii, but with thoughts of all that had just unfolded. I mean, dude, my younger sister, sh's getting married. I kind of figured my older sister would be first and then Sakiyna, but I guess things are unfolding in reverse. Thenagain, the unexpected always seem to happen with my family. I even prayed to God & thanked Him for blessing my sister with this. (Much later my mom would joke 'you should also pray to God & ask Him to help you find a job.)



So, this will take time getting used to, I know. But I'm happy for both of them & wish Sakiyna & Lewis all the best.



And in case you are curious, yeah, I got the Wii today. Huzzah!!

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard I, Gamer http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/16710562/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/16710562/ Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:26:49 PST
Lately, there has been a lot of gamers on message boards or in general conversation throwing around the terms 'casual' and 'hardcore' in regards to gaming lifestyle. A lot of these "hardcore" gamers are upset that since the Wii has come out just about anyone can pick up a controller and play a game, be it their younger sibling or their mom or grandmom. To them only a certain set of people shoudl have the ';privilage' of playing a video game. Mom wants to sit down and play Madden? Tough shit, it's not for her, mind her business.

To that I say: you're mental.

I don't know why this kind of attitude has become more prevelant: A game is a game, no more no less. If Average Joe wants to try something new, let them. Some gamers wonder why people look down on them, I have a theory: it helps not to be an elitist asshole. I've been playing games for a very good portion of my life, I don't exactly consider myself 'full blown hardcore' despite the dedication and time I have given to many of them. I just consider myself really, really good. If being good at this kind of hobby means you are hardcore, I guess I am. I haven't played console games as much as I used to, but I think that the belief taht games should only be enjoyed by a certain subset of the populace is bull. That's like saying only children should enjoy Cartoon Network or black people can only listen to rap; you're limiting the experience for no good reason other than a preconceived notion.


HOWEVER...if you were to ask me 'What would you consider to be an act of hardcore gamers?' then please consult the following list. If you ever did any of these, then you are, in the words of Mick Foley 'fucking hardcore, man.'


-You've beaten both quests on the original Legend of Zelda in one sitting.
-You beat Contra with one life...and you didn't use the Konami Code.
-You have an original copy of Akumajo Dracula X. Bonus points if you know what that means.
-You still have a Dreamcast.
-You import games regularly. Bonus points if you write FAQS for import games.
-You owned copies of Diehard Gamefan. Extar poinst if you were a staff member.
-You consider Gamepro to be 'of the devil'.
-You've beaten M. Bison on Level 8 of Street Fighter 2 Turbo on the fastest speed setting.
-You've beaten Street Fighter Alpha on the highest difficulty and beaten Akuma with 2 perfect super victories...with DAN.
-You can score a perfect victory in King of Fighters '94 on Rugal.
-You get over 30 victories in Cruel Melee Mode.
- You can beat the last stage boss of Metal Slug 4 without dying. EVER.
-You tolerated Metal Slug 4.
- You know how to do each and every secret transformation in Samurai Shodown 2
-You collect game soundtracks
- You beat every Metroid 2D game in under 2 hours.
-You instantly know what I mean if I mention the terms 'aplha counter', 'wave dashing', or 'linking attack'.
-You've scored more than 1000 lines in Tetris in an average game.



Oh there's more I could think of, but you get the gist of it...

Anyway, speaking of games, the demand for Super Smash Bros Brawl is at a fever pitch, to say the very least. Looking at the full roster makes the US release even more desirable, but it's the music that has me hyped. A while ago, some dedicated fan managed to begin releasing the music online for Super Smash Bros Brawl. Let me be perfectly blunt: It is so full of epic win, you'd love even the music tracks you would hate. And don't get me started on the awesomeness of the Angel Island Zone remix...

March can't come soon enough.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard 2007- Look Back And Wince http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/16223029/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/16223029/ Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:41:02 PST

Best Game of the Year That Doesn't Have The Word 'Halo' In It: Portal


-Yeah, I know, you'd figure that something like Call of Duty 4 or Bioshock should get the nod. And yes, those games are awesome. But in a year where we saw a LOT of FPS games, this particular game was different. Instead on frantic run and gun fragfests, intense firefights, and explosions up the ass, this game has just one simple weapon, a giant complex of unique and insane obstacles, a computer with more character than most RPGs released as of late and the promise of cake. (Ok, that last one, that may have been a lie...) The game forces you to think of creative ways to use the portal gun to solve puzzles and challenges your preception of how a FP game should be (as well as conventional physics. A must have.

Why Is This News, Part 1- Britney Spears' personal life.

-The amount of time the networks have spent on the life of Britney has made me, I think, 20% more cynical about the state of network news. Yes, she's got mental issues, yes she needs psychological help, yes her mother should take a more active role in her daughters lives, but for God's sake, don't fucking treat this like it's a national emergency. Let them worry about themselves, the world will move on. Let's focus on more important issues, like why a certain someone in a big white mansion thinks torture is ok despite international law saying otherwise...

Why Is This News, Part 2- Celebrity Meltdowns in General

-See previous entry, and add this: Someone, ANYONE, please cock punch Dustin Diamond. HARD.

Wow, It Didn't Suck!- Transformers

-Ok, show of hands, how many of us thought that the movie would suck? Ok, ok...now then, how many of you were freasking relieved when the opposite was true? Good. Now, here's hoping the sequel will be even better.

Holy FUCK, did that suck ass!- Spider Man 3

-Actually, in all fairness, it wasn't a complete horrible mess, but the story and decision to rush in Venom and change the circumstances behind Ben's death has to be best described as 'big mistake.' A shame really. At least it wasn't Fantastic 4.

The John Cena Award For Jobbing to No One- The Hulk, World War Hulk.

-It's one thing to come to Earth and threaten to destroy a city unless the guys who shipped you off surrender themselves to you. But to completely pwn each and every person who confronts you, even the Sentry, the guy that was supposed to beat you at the end of this story arc, oh HELL NO. Even Al Snow knew when to take a dive.

Took You Long Enough- PS3 Drops to $399

-Remember when Sony said 'We do not care' when asked if they were worried if the X Box 360 and the Wii would outsell their system? Well, apparently, they do care now. After trying to sell several different (and more expensive) versions, the price of the PS3 was finally lowered to $399 for a 40 GB version (albeit with some features missing.) Now, if there were only more than a handful of games to actually make people buy it...

A License To Print Goddam Money- The Wii.

- WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET THIS DAMN THING?!!!

Please, Just Stop Talking- Cam'ron on 60 Minutes

-There are many, many reasons why this rapper should never be seen in any way shape or form for any reasons releated to the world of music or society. The 60 Minutes interview is one example.


I Still Can't Believe This Happened- The Chris Benoit Murder/Suicide (and the coverage of it.)

-I can't stress enough just how much this has affected everyone who has ever watched wrestling or been a fan of Chris Benoit or known him. On the one hand, Chris Benoit was known as a connsumate professional, a man who loved the business and his family deeply, who always had given his best in the ring and in his day to day life. On the other hand, he chose to commit a horrific act against his wife and son & took his own life after battling a log unforessen depression. I can not tell you if I can ever forgive the man for what he has done, but I will say he has left a mark on the business forever, for good and for bad.

The media coverage of this however, that's a whole differant beast altogether. The press's rush to put out the most sensationalitic version of this story as they could g... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard More random lists http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15889385/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15889385/ Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:39:29 PST
Top Ten Reasons Why DC and Marvel Comics suck major ass:

10. DC is run by a Bizarro Editor, who translates horrible stories as good business
9. Marvel's been taken over by Skrulls
8. Writers in Marvel & DC have been secretly replaced by Erik Larsen
7. Too busy looking at online message boards to make Teen Titans better
6. Marvel's creative process has been hampared by fantasy football
5. 'Someone' at DC decided that there wasn't enough Crisis & rape to satify their quota for the year
4. Gears of War SERIOULSY cutting into their work schedule
3. Looking at slash fanfiction of Black Cat & Mary Jane stunts their mental prowess
2. They're waiting for those fucking Bleach filler epiosdes to end.
1. They're following the Todd McFarlene patern of success to tell a story...and you know how that will end.


The Top Ten Signs Your Boss is an Immortal (You know, like from Highlander...)

10. His idea of the good old days is 1728
9. You see him hit by a truck and he is back at work the next day.
8. He is celebrating his 340th birthday
7. He remembers when George Washington was president.
6. He says he got in on the ground floor of General Electric when Thomas Edison founded it
5. He still refers to lightbulbs as a new invention
4. He still uses an abacus
3. Says hyrogliphics where a fad
2. Claims he coined the phrase "He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it."
1. Says Jesus was a childhood friend


Top 5 signs of the apocalypse

5. DC Comics actually decide to stop making Weekly Crisis books.

4. Leonardo DiCaprio actually wins an Oscar

3. When you walk outside, you see a converted Ambulance with a Crossed out Ghost on its door speed past your house, sirens blaring.

2. You hear the words "Puny Humans, I've come to SMASH!!!"

And the number 1 Sign...as always... The Chicago Cubs win the World Series.


TOP 10 REASONS TO MAKE TOP 10 LISTS

01. The urge to break the world down into top ten lists is overpowering!
02. It's a nice even round number...much more popular than 'top 9.567 lists'
03. 9 out of 10 professionals agree that top ten lists are cool. And that one guy who doesn't agree is just an asshole.
04. There's always ten things, no matter what, that can be lumped into some sort of ascending or descending order.
05. They are guaranteed to enrage one troll or another and thus excellent troll detection systems.
06. The voices in my head said so...and they so seldom can agree on anything.
07. We owe it to Bo Derek to keep the tradition of numerical supremacy alive.
08. Unlike Nigel's awesome amps, our lists do not go to 11.
09. If we don't do more top ten lists then the evil bunny will come out. And no one wants that.
10. There is no reason 10...it is only a hypnotic suggestion implanted into your head to make you wake up at approximately 1:46 am and go berzerk through your home with a buttered baguette and a tennis raquet. That's MY excuse, anyway and I'm sticking to it.

Top 5 signs you will not have a good year.


5. You wake up to see the Grim Reaper sitting by your bed saying 'tick tock, tick tock.'
4. You learn first hand the truth behind all those vampire legends.
3. You just joined a new club in your city. Sadly, the American Nazi Party just doesn't seem to go over well in Brooklyn.
2. The good news: You just gradutated infantry school. The bad news: you get your first assignment in this quaint little town called Baghdad.
1. You just bankrolled Uwe Boll's next 3 films.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard The Countdown Begins... http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15725869/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15725869/ Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:40:56 PST
It's not like I hate the Army or anything; I'm quite mellow about the time I've served. But sometimes you do something for so long, and you know it's not something you can see yourself doing for an extended period of time. And given with the recent events that has transpired, be it personal or otherwise, this couldn't have come at a better time. I will miss the people I have served with, and hope those who have been deployed recently or will be deployed over the course of next year get home safe and sound. Ok, there are a couple I won't be too broken up about in regards to never seeing them again, but let's not dwell on that.

Of course, the question I got asked about the most was 'Why did you join?' Short answer: I pretty much needed to do SOMETHING. I was at the end of my rope & my mom figured this was one possible option to consider. Of course, in the long run, I realy should have considered the Air Force instead of the Army (damn!) but I had actually considered going to the Army ever since High School. Myself and two friends each considered a differant branch. While I know one of them went to the Air Force, my other pal, he was set on joining the Marines. Wonder what became of him...

Anyway, 10 days until I am a free man. Hoo-ah!!!!

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard I believe the term we are looking for is 'Doh http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15382600/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15382600/ Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:11:52 PST
Apparently, if you make a motivational picture using screencaps, it's a no-no. No matter how funny the picture may be. So, bye bye Toph & Wheelie.

I'd complain, but I'd like to think I want to stya on the admins good side.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard DS Stuff http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15162723/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/15162723/ Sun, 21 Oct 2007 17:59:46 PDT


Bleach: The Blade of Fate: If you don't have a copy of Jump Ultimate Stars or it's prequel, good news. This game will fill that void that your wallet refuses to fill. Developed by gaming juggernaut Treasure, Bleach: BOF is a fighting game that follows the Soul Society story arc and features over 20 differant characters from the series, including Hollow Ichigo and...BONNIE? (Yeah, Ganju's damn boar is a playable character.) The fighting system is nothing too complicated, and the game engine has a lot of features at your disposal, like guard canceling, chain combo, counters & such. The touch screen, however, is the main catch: you can use it not only to activate special moves and supers, but to use cards to help in battle. And yes, Bankai is in the game as well. Some rock (Like Ichigo's & Hitsuguya's) and some...not so much. (See: Aizen.) There's also online play, so if you feel like kicking some random cross country ass, find a wi fi spot and start playing.



Sonic Rush Adventures: There are two things you need to know about the Sonic games on the DS: They are 2D and they do not suck! That said, Sonic Rush Adventures is a welcome change of pace. Yes, there is the frantic twitch gameplay that is associated with Sonic, but in this game, they continue to add on to the 2D experience. Instead of just stage after stage, the player explores areas around the islands where the game takes place & gives them a series of vehicles to use in between. Boss battles take full advantage of both screens and the stages have various obstacles that switch the action from 2D to 3D very well. Oh, and there's online gaming too.



The Legend of Zelda The Phantom Hourglass: Yes, you need this game too. And yes, you will be required to have a stylus at all times, but that's ok. The game controls with it so well, using the stylus to swing a sword will be second nature. And there are other very well thought out things you can do that uses th DS to it's full potential, but I can't tell you. You need to find out for yourself. And yes, you can play thi game online too.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard MangaNEXT 2007 http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14985039/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14985039/ Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:49:14 PDT


MangaNEXT is way differant from AnimeNEXT. First off, the convention takes place in one centralized area, that being the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Second, the fee for entry covers the entire weekend, instead of AnimeNEXT's many, many payment options. And as the name indicates, the focus is more on manga and artwork instead of just anime, so panels like the Shonen Jump appreciation panel is more prevelant than say a panel on Media Blasters. (Oh, and they actually aired the Bleach musical in that panel as well. To say that I was surprised that footage of this exists is an understatement.)



The Dealer's Room is also smaller, but readily accessible, as they did not bother with a bag check. I suspect it's because security is tighter and there's no way you can lift something without being caught. One item I wanted, but they were sold out of, was Bleach vol. 21. I'll just have to pick it up along with a copy of Bleach for the DS tomorrow. I also saw Ichigo's zanpakuto on sale, both versions. The bankai version of Zangetsu went for 20 dollars. I'd had picked it up, had I not already given some of my cash to my mom before I left the house. Hey, house expenses are more important than bokken replicas of a kick ass zanpakuto...



Cosplay Chess...how to describe it...in theory, it sounds silly. In practice, it is silly & extremely fun to watch. Various cosplayers act out a game of chess as their respective characters a follow a scripted format to the amusement (and detriment sometimes) of all. For some reason, the crowd was really cheering it up for Maito Guy. Oh, and for some reason, he had brought that Master Chief helmet with him. I met up with Anita there (she was taking part in the game as Ada Wong.) and we hung out the majority of the day with her friends. (I'd had stuck around for the rave, but anyone who lives in the NY-NJ area knows just how fucked up the bus scedule is.) She had about a total of three costumes that weekend, one of which I just saw on her Myspace page now.



There was also this strange game panel called C.R.A.Z.Y.O.T.A.K.U that happened that day. All I can say aout that is I saw the funniest improv act involving Mario ever done that day. Oh, and some mad crazy sessions of WarioWare & Wii Play was part of the game show. Damn you Nintendo for making so many addictive products. Yeah, the Wii portion had two parts: A marathon session of WarioWare & a few rounds of Tank, where the team that had scored the most kills wins. I oughta give that game a go...



The Artists Alley & Game Room had merged into one huge room, and unlike the Game Room at AnimeNEXT, the Game Room had a DJ mixing it up in the background. And there was a lot of systems to try out: PS2, X Box, X Box 360, Gamecube & Wii. Hell, even a Sega Saturn & Dreamcast were there. How bad ass is that to have a freaking SATURN?! Sadly, there was no Halo 3 as far as I remembered & there was only ONE single solitary PS3. Damn, I mean that just ain't right, one PS3? Then again, you kinda need games that people want to play on a PS3 and Resistance just can't cover it. (There's also VF5, but that's also on the X Box 360.)



As for the games I played, first let's cover the ones I know:



-Street Fighter 3 Third Striike: I really hadn't played this game in so long, so picking it up and playing it again meant that I had to forget about trying the parry system: my reflexes took time to come back. But I got back into the ryhthm of the game & learned real quick just how good I am with Yang & Ryu. Somehow, I don't know why, but I seem to really step up with those two.

-Super Smash Bros. Melee: There's this unwritten rule that if you play Smash Bros at an anime convention, expect to get your ass kicked. It seems that every anime con I go to, the real serious Smash Bros players show up. And most of them want to kick my ass.

True story: It was the final moments of yet another match in Smash Bros at MangaNEXT. I was Mario, one player was Samus, another was Fox. Samus & I were down to our last lives & Fox was pwning us bad. Samus decides I needed to go, and he was charging up his beam as Fox & I did battle. (The stage is Mushroom Kingdom one. Samus gets real close to me & launches the beam. Keep in mind, I said my reaction time isn't the best, but since i've been playing more that day, it got faster. The second the beam is launched I did Mario's Foward + B attack to make what was the most surprising elimination ever...



Guitar Hero: I need to play more.

And now for thoughts on the games I play... ]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Random Top Ten Lists http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14884262/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14884262/ Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:02:16 PDT

Top Ten Signs Jack Thompson is A Douche

10. Underneath the toupee, his head is shaped like a nozzle.
9. He doesn't have blood; only a mixture of water, vinegar & other medicinal ingredients
8. Beat out John Edwards for 'Biggest Douche in the Universe' 3 times in a row.
7. Middle name is 'Summer's Eve'
6. Even Ann Coulter thinks he's a nimrod.
5. Every time he opens his mouth, it smells of a woman's taint.
4. We hate Uwe Boll slightly less than we hate Jack.
3. At the time of the Rapture, all that is with God will ascend to Heaven...except for Jack, as he's been a jerk in the eyes of God.
2. Look at that face. Does he not look like someone who enjoy's cleaining female private parts?
1. [link]


Top Ten Signs You Watch Too Much Anime

10. When you win at the track meet, you turn to your opponent and say 'You think you can beat me with a shunpo like that?'
9. You pummel your love interest with a mallet if they do something wrong (Females only)
8. You ask the gym in your neighboorhod if they have a room where you can train 10x Earth's normal gravity.
7. Your school had to call your home when the creative wriing assignment you submitted was your version of 'Make Out Paradise'.
6. Your date finds it really unsettling when you keep on muttering to yourself 'I musn't run away, I musn't run away...'
5. You are disqualified from the local Yu Gi Oh tourney when you keep on babbling on about 'The Heart of the Cards'.
4. During boxing matches, you have a habit of crushing your glasses in your hands & saying 'His power level's over 9000!!!!'
3. You introduce Hiten Mitsurugi techniques to kendo class...and they work.
2. You get the same tattoos over your body as Reiji.
1. You get in serious trouble during a karate session when you perform '1000 Years of Pain' on your sparring buddy.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard The Patron Saint of Anger http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14645380/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14645380/ Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:44:01 PDT
-Celebrities who have major meltdowns and wonder why people seem to hate them.
- News shows dedicated to said celebs.
-Shows that tell us how much money a day certain celebs make or blow on houses, parties, clothes, etc. Do I really need to know just how much money I don't have? So Sabastian Bach has a bitching KISS pinball machine, good for him, he earned it. I just don't think I need to have it thrown in my face. (But Sebastian is still a kick ass vocalist.)
-MTV in general.
-The shift in VH1's programming from music programs to countless celeb trivia/news/reality programming.
-Anything on G4 that is not Ninja Warrior, Cinematech: NE, Cops or Braniac.
- The arrogance & sheer gall that the current administration has displayed in regards to foreign policy, domestic affairs & any person who dares question them.
- That bitch at the local Cinnabun.
- The year 2001. EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF IT.
- Conspiracy theorists who seem to want to totally dismiss any and all rebuttal to their beliefs when someone makes a rational, thought out counterargument.
- Fox News.
- The KKK
- Religious Zealots of any ilk.
- Fred Phelps.
- The total lack of balance in programming that Nickelodeon has
- Cartoon Network trying to become Nickelodeon
- Eli Roth when confronted with criticism of his 'Hostel' movies. No, they are NOT a slick, well thought out cry against the arrogance of American tourists in foreign lands, they're just real shitty movies.
- any Saw movie that has the numbers 2 & up in the title.
- Hugo Chavez
- Uwe Boll
- The asshole who stole my friend Kevin's backpack.
- Bill Maher getting on his high horse when he tries to prove that religion is the cause for every bad thing in history.
- Everyone involved in the O.J. Simpson debacle that has unfolded as of late. O.J., Fred Goldman, Goldman's daughter....the whole bloody lot of them can fuck off...
-People in Jump Ultimate Stars Who Do Nothing But Spam with The Big 3 ALL GODDAMNED MATCH.
- The guy who thought that selling PS3s at 600 a pop was a good idea.
-Lenny Sparpe of Nottignham, Wyoming. HE KNOWS WHAT HE DID!!!!


Admittedly, I'm just like Homer Simpson: we're both rageaholics, but my consumption of rageahol is easily quelled by the knowledge that though the power of a keyboard, I can find constuctive ways to release my inner Hulk.

Of course, I could always just go out on dates, but where's the fun in that?

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Jury Duty http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14587830/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14587830/ Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:19:40 PDT
Seriously. The wait to be interviewed by lawyers to serve as a potential judge of your peers is mind bendingly, soul shattering boredom at it's judicial best. What's worse is that I may have to come back tomorrow for the privillage of waiting all day to see if I am picked. It's days like this where I would welcome the Judge Dredd system of judical handling, only in my vision, we have Chuck Norris clones out to dispense law and order instead of Rambo.

The upside? I get to watch 'The Goonies' while waiting.

In other news, I'm heading to the Poconos this weekend for a Singles Retreat as ordered by my boss, who you all have to answer to. God, I love democracy!

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Uh oh... http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14529044/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14529044/ Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:03:26 PDT
Great, NOW WHAT?

I mean, this game is awesome, and there's no doubt in my mind that if there was a way to release this in the US, Nintendo would make assloads of money. But the minute I got all of Raoh's komas paid for, I knew I just screwed myself over. I can't try the quiz mode, as Japanese has yet to be mastered by me, and I've completely dominated the ranking mode. The only thing left is online, and to be frank, there are some perfectly vicious BASTARDS that play this game. Most of them seem to concentrate solely on the 'ring you out with only one move' combo, which gets real annoying real quick if you are unprepared. And then there are those who only use the 'Big 3' in any of their decks (The top three used koma summons are Seiya, Sena & Trunks.) That too gets annoying.

So while I still love this game, I don't think there's too much I can do anymore right now other than get better at online play. However...if anyone wants to trade their Bleach DS game for Jump Ultimate Stars, feel free to track me down...

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Random Thoughts... http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14486308/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14486308/ Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:48:04 PDT

-So Kim Possible is ending..again. It kind of sucks to know there will not be aother season, but I think it's for the best the series goes out on a high note, and not have fans complain about how the next season 'is not as good as (insert number) season' of the show. Simpsons fans & South Park fans know what I mean. Still, I'd like to see one more fight between Shego & our Kimmie-cub...ok, I'm lying, I want to seem them get down & dirty. I'm a grown ass man, I should know better.

-Watching the AOTS take on whether or not 'hardcore' fans would dig Metroid Prime 3 awhile ago on 'The Loop' was a test of whether or not my intelligence could possibly take such blatant hostility. The questions of what a hardcore gamer is, what gamer would want a Wii, and if Metroid Prime 3 is enough to make a gamer happy is another topic unto itself, so for now, let me ask if there is anyone out there who can do me a favor and track down Kevin Perierra, then proceed to pimp slap him for asking such a goddamned dumb question. That goes double for those AOTS fans who were all on The Loop.

-While we're on the subject of G4, there's only one real good reason to watch that channel: Ninja Warrior (aka Sasuke). That show (and the female counterpart of the tournament, Kunoichi) is friggin' AWESOME. Also, Makato Nagano is the man.

-I'm still trying to figure out which stories to add to the gallery, but sometimes I wonder if writers get as much respect here as the artists.

-Since the goverment is curently looking at the WWE & the wellness program they are touting, would it be safe to assume that they will be investigating TNA Wrestling as well, you know, just to make sure they cover all the bases? I'm not saying that I think there are steroid users there too, but I look at Scott Steiner & the first thing that pops in my head is 'Big Poppa Pill Pumper.'

-Six Samurai: Bad news. Six Samurai after the next booster pack: You're screwed.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Breeding Anomolies http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14380805/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14380805/ Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:22:27 PDT
When Gold & Silver was introduced, it brought with it a brand new dynamic to the series, the breeding aspect. You could take two pokemon and leave them at the Day Care Center, then come back after a specific amount of time to get their egg. A great way to raise new pokemon for trading and such, but there comes a time when something occurs that makes me shudder at the genetic possibilities waiting to be abused.

Which brings me to last night's chyato session on AIM: One of the regulars brought up the issue of breeding and revealed that two of their pokemon just laid an egg. No biggie except for the fact of the pokemon in question: An Empoleon and a Ponyta. Two completely different species of pokemon apparently got together and had produced an egg.

Look, I know that this is a fictional game world, and some sort of starnge and weird oddities in the system show up from time to time. But, and I have to stress this quite well, a horse & a penguin should not fuck & expect to have children, no matter what universe you are in. It's just not how God & science intended for it to happen. Hell, we are dealing with a Water/Steel type & a Fire type, this should not even be an option. I only shudder to think of creature that egg will produce- Will it be a donkey that shoots water from within it's mighty nose, a falcon that spits out fire & ice, or will this unholy union of bird and land mammal produce The Thing That Should Not Be?

And if you think that was fucked up, you should know that apparently a whale & a cat had an egg as well...

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard So long Danny (Or Why I Like What I Like) http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14320892/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14320892/ Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:44:27 PDT

So, Phantommania II is now in full swing with 4 more of the regular series episodes of Danny Phantom left, while the final 1 hour episode is set to air at 8/7 central on Nickelodeon. Now I can sit here and bitch and moan all day about how much I hate the programming execs at such and such network, but I've done enough of that. I think it's time I really explained why I really have been a fan of this show, as well as certain other shows.

Danny Phantom is differant from the majority of the shows that Nickelodean has. Yes, there are certain cliches that exists (The popular high school kids all seem to worship, the 'status quo' established, hero has goofy parents) but the way that the show handles such cliches, as well as it's title character is handled differantly. Danny is, like his previous Hartman predecesor Timmy Turner, the perpetual underdog. He's awkard, rather shy, easily picked on because he's not like everyone else, he hangs out with just as odd friends. And then, through a series of random cicumstances, he gets endowed with super powers some of us would kill to have. And even then, Danny is still the underdog. While you;d think that any other hero would become some shining paragon of virtue, Danny actually is not. He tends to be selfish, cocky, he toys with the idea sometimes of abusing his power for greater profits or social status, he starins his relationship with his parents & sister sometimes. In short, he is human. He's not going to become like Superman in a matter of seconds, he's just a teen who's learning, albeit slowly, to handle the newfound powers responsibly in a world that has pegged his regular self as some random nerd or his alter ego as a danger to society without so much as a second thought. He's even become his own worst enemy at times. He is a Spider Man for another generation (just without all the real bad angst & traumatic death of a loved one to spur him into taking up the cause more seriously.) And I like stories like that-stories that show that the hero more or less has to learn to deal with many issues that leading a double life presents, as well as his or her own flaws.

Also, as with Avatar & Justice League, the show has a bigger story to fall back on. Usually, the average cartoon series nowadays has jjust random adventures, with no one overall story arc or central theme connecting the episodes. This show has many differant story arcs that eventually come back again in the series to present more situations for Danny & Co. to conquer, as well as unique characters to support. Think about it, would Danny & Sam have ever properly addressed their feelings for one another had Ember not did what she did? Did anyone think that any of Danny's family, especially Jazz, would not catch on to the fact that Danny was a superhero with ghost powers? If Danny had not met Vlad, would he had become as self centered and ego driven as his parent's old friend? A good hero needs a good set of characters to compliment him, as seen in Spider Man or Batman or Avatar, and Danny has those too.

Speaking of which, that's another thing I like about Avatar: It doesn't insult the intelligence of the audience. The show's writers clearly acknowledge that in a battle the scales of which Aang's world faces, bad things happen. A lot of bad things. The effects of war and it's aftermath are addressed well in that show, as well as the concept of loss & death. The loss of Zuko's mother clearly has left a rather deep scar in him, and it shows in many of the actions he chooses. Ultimately, all he wants from his father is his acceptance & love, and while we can understand his plight, it's still shocking when he seemingly betrays his uncle Iroh & sides with Azula, a far less unsympatheic character whose intentions for her family may or may not be clear.

Anyway, I've typed enough. Let's just enjoy the shows & hope Marvel has found some way of not fucking up 'Endangered Species' any more than they probably have.

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard Damn...where has the time gone... http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14286001/ http://KairiTheValeyard.deviantart.com/journal/14286001/ Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:10:23 PDT [link] if you are intrested) So, since this lttle page is still up, I may as well update it with stuff I have lying about...

I'm not really much of an artist, more of a guy who's pretty good with typing and photos. So, most of the things here that will be shown are stories I devised from the depths of my rather random psyche or pictures I take from my day-to-da life. If ever the day comes where I take my first bold step into the realm of artwork, it'll be here. (In all it's amatuer glory.)

And really, would you like a jelly baby?

]]> ~KairiTheValeyard