Friday, July 13, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 7/13/12.

X-treme [ex-treem]
adjective
1. Slang. As part of the 90's cultural detritus and marketing scheme, commercials and media were given a hardcore bent that relied on over the top stunts, ridiculous slang, and hilariously exaggerated features. Common signatures of this cultural phenomena would include; baseball hats not turned the right way, sunglasses worn all the time, skateboards, roller blades, snow-boarding, Rob Leifeld and Todd McFarlane, graffiti, rap, hip-hop, and rock culture,

EX. In an effort to make soccer seem more X-treme, enjoy the following video:

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

WORD OF THE DAY! 7/12/12.

partheogenesis [par-thuh-noh-jen-uh-sis]
noun
1. Development of an egg without fertilization.
2. Mythology. Human birth without sex; virgin birth.
3. Mythology. Creation of new life from a single individual or being without sex.

EX. Much like the parthenogenesis of Athena from the head of Zeus, the greatest stories ever told through anime have been born from the head of the Japanese Disney, Hayao Miyazaki. Yet, much like Athena's birth being partly from the result of a prophecy foretold by Zeus's first concubine/wire Metis, so too are the idea of Miyazaki born from a mix of his own personal experiences, philosophies, and mythology from all over the world.

Many of the young strong female characters in Miyazaki's works are based on real people and fictional archetypes, like his friend's daughter on whom he based Sen and like Russian mythology's Baba Yaga on whom he based Yubaba & Zeniba from Spirited Away (2001). In Porco Rosso (1992), the protagonist is an exaggerated satire of Miyazaki himself and the story briefly touches on themes of facism, which were once part of Miyazaki's political life. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Princess Mononoke (1997) drew upon his strong belief in natural conservation.

These examples are just a few and it becomes clear through studying any artists works that nothing is original, but that doesn't mean that it can't be unique, inspiring, and enchanting; three adjectives that fit the works of this titan of story-telling through animation.

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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

WTF WEDNESDAY! BOOK OF POKEMON! PT. 3

WTF WEDNESDAY PRESENTS

THE BOOK OF POKEMON PT. 3:
THE KANTO TESTAMENT

The last two books were pretty weird adaptations of Pokemon lore. This book? Its the version of Pokereality that should have been and is yet to come. P.S. I've decided to write at least one or two more article in the series...



I. There is a story told amongst the Pikachu tribe; a prophecy only I can translate to the wretched humans that will read this story will never truly understand but it translates from our language as thus, "He who smelt of clean underwear shall be the chosen one." The prophecy was passed down from generation to generation of the inbred Pikachu that live in the Viridian forest; Raichu who begat Pikachu who begat Bluchu & Pichu who begat Minun & Plusle and the legend lived on through the lyrics of these dullards that roamed the foul wormwood of Viridian.


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WORD OF THE DAY! 7/11/12.

diluvia1 [di-loo-vee-uhl]
adjective
1. Of or pertaining to a flood, especially a famous or big flood; ex. Noah's flood

antediluvian [an-tee-di-loo-vee-uhn]
adjective
1. Of or belonging to the period before the biblical Flood.
2. Very, very old fashion, out-of-date, antiquated, and/or primitive.
noun
3. A person who lived before the biblical Flood.
4. A very, very old person or thing.

EX. It is actually really interesting to think there might be a diluvia1 mythology in the Pokemon world, even though we know from the Pokebible that this is not the case. Either that of Pokemon existed in this world and were simply antediluvian creatures. In which case, I expect to discover a fossil record and go to Cinnabar Island to get my pokemons.

BOOK OF POKEMON PT.1

BOOK OF POKEMON PT. 2
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

WEEKLY ROUND-UP! 7/2-7/8/12. SKYWARD SWORD WEEK!

WEEKLY ROUND-UP PRESENTS

Because of the dearth of articles that I put out last week, around 17, and more than any other week in the history of my blog, I decided to go the extra mile for the weekly round-up and up the normal top total from 7 to 10. Enjoy

First up on our look back at next week is a sojourn to my disappointment with how Nintendo not only dropped the ball with Fi, but how she basically represents everything that is wrong with modern Nintendo. She is as shallow as the shallowest of childish Nintendo titles, holds your hand (even if you've been playing Zelda games for decades) and bungles even that, and is a failed concept for something that could've been great.

9. WORD OF THE DAY. 7/7/12. Duenna.

One of my favorite parts of the week was analyzing the successfully improved characters of the title (save Fi) and even Impa, a relatively minor character with little screen time, did manage to capture my attention and improve upon older archetypes of the same character in the franchise. What more could you ask from an awesome shinobi elf with magic skills and a cool design?

8. MUSICAL MONDAY! A SINCERE REACTION TO MIKE AND IKE'S SEPARATION!

Now, I couldn't write absolutely nothing but Zelda articles all week and even gave myself a little break early on with another article about my friend pugfarts's work on youtube. This video was especially cute, fun, and a really addictive song that made me crave Mike & Ikes. I hope they reunite soon.


I am just throwing my hat out into the ring and declaring that Skyward Sword's Zelda is the best Zelda ever. Unlike most Zeldas (save Tetra), you actually get to spend a lot of time with this Zelda, and the love story between Zelda and Link feels natural. She is a girl-next-door type; kind, pretty, friendly, but also strong-willed and courageous.


I'm just gonna say it. Right now, the number one character I want to have playable in the next Super Smash Bros. game is Ghirahim.He is one of the best Zelda villains ever and probably my favorite video game villain in the Zelda series. He is weird, foppish, but definitely intimidating, and with a flick of his tongue and a swing of his sword, this character would make an awesome addition to the Super Smash Bros. series. His final form could also make an appearance for his final smash move or whatever the heck those things were called in Brawl.


Not much to say but had a blast recording this podcast with Zach Martin and Chase Devine. It is basically our opinions and analysis of the entire first season of Legend of Korra and our feelings on the future of this amazing series.

4. WORD OF THE DAY! 7/3/12. Timeline.

Just in case some other Zelda fans didn't already see the timeline released last year, and for all those out there that just didn't know about it, I decided to write an in-depth timeline of the Zelda series and explain how the games have branched off into three different continuities after Ocarina of Time. I hope you guys found it informative.


I think everyone's favorite character from Skyward Sword, hands-down, is Groose. He is the right mix of funky Zelda character, Disney's Gaston, and Kuwabara from Yu-Yu-Hakusho. His character arc has the most evolution and is quite satisfying. If there is any character that deserves to have incarnations show up in future Zelda titles, it is Groose. I mean, just look at that pompadour and that smile; what's not to love?


And I think one of my favorite tip-offs not only to the Zelda series but Dumbledore Shot First as well was the "Top 11 Reasons I Love The Legend of Zelda". It served as an homage to one of my all-time most popular sets of articles about the reasons I love and hate Call of Duty, except for one thing; I can't think of 11 reasons to hate Zelda and it would feel weird to make such a list. The Legend of Zelda is one of the best video game series ever made and one of my personal favorites.

THE END!!!!!!
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TABLETOP TALES: MY M13 PRE-RELEASE

TABLETOP TALES PRESENTS
MY M13 PRE-RELEASE

To check out my other decks, hit the link below:


This article serves two purposes: To share the nerd entertainment around with anyone who might find it interesting and, in this case, to share my experiences with my second pre-release.


You can find Magic Cards in super stores (Ex. Walmart, Target) but the best place you can buy your cards, meet other players, and play in events is at your local comic book store or hobby shop. I buy most of my cards at The Comic Cellar. Here is a link to its Google Maps location at 3620 Austin Peay Highway #2 Memphis, TN 38128.

And here is a link to Comic Cellar's Website

I took part in the pre-release on July 8th, 2012, at The Comic Cellar. It was my second pre-release and, because I signed up late for this one, it cost me $30. For the entry fee, each player received 6 booster packs, from the M13 Core Set, and all the lands they need to make a 40 card deck. Then the player took part in 4 one-on-one matches, each a best of three rounds. There was a time-limit but, because of the small turn-out, we didn't need to worry about it. All result were put on record and the players with the best scors of the day got to split the prize, a box of packs.

I got this cool fairy deck box.
As per usual, we each got one promo card,  Xathrid Gorgon. We also each received 3 "pity" packs, rather than the usual 1, for showing up and a random deck box( example image above)  courtesy of the store. All in all getting 9 packs, a promo, a deck box, and the chance to player with a bunch of cool people on a Sunday was well worth the admission fee.

Magic the Gathering 2013 Core Set is, of course, the yearly core set release from Wizards of the Coast and this set serves as glue that binds the format together, between one block and the next. M13 will replace M12 in Standard in the fall, but all M12 cards that are reprinted in Innistrad, M13, or the upcoming Return to Ravnica set will still be legal until those respective sets go out of standard next year.

Some of the cool mechanics and themes to look forward to returning with M13 are Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) and the overarching villain for us all to focus on, the three color re-print of the Nico Bolas Planeswalker card, opening up all kinds of multi-color madness even before Return to Ravnica's release.

My ending record is still even, with another two wins and two losses, and I didn't place near the top, but I had a great time. I definitely played against type and to discuss that let's look at...

MY M13 PRE-RELEASE DECK:
BLACK-RED AGGRO!

As with my last pre-release, I didn't have any easy themes, but I focused on building bruisers to knock away my foes health, a splash of exalted, black/red removal to deal with flying and other annoying threats, and a splash of mill that worked in my favor.

Just letting you guys know, I just didn't have my a-game and had never ever played black-red before last Sunday. I know I made some serious mistakes in management (not enough creatures and too many spells) and next time I won't be making the same mistakes. I probably should've combo'd black with green like I originally set out to do.

The good news? I've already decided to redeem myself by building a black and either white/red exalted deck as my next project. Already for that fairy deck box and some orange card protectors.

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MY MAGIC THE GATHERING ARTICLES!

Linked below are all of my Magic: The Gathering Articles. Every time that I make a new one I will link it in this article and I will link this article in all new magic articles. This will cut down on unnecessary clutter in my future mtg article. Thank you. 

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WORD OF THE DAY! 7/10/12.

antiperspirant [an-ti-pur-sper-uhnt]
noun
1. An astringent preparation for reducing perspiration, usually containing aluminum or zirconium and used to prevent body odor and clothing stains.

EX. I hate to admit, as an experience D & D player who played the same dwarf character for several years, that dwarves would probably need antiperspirant and lots of it on their hairy little bodies. I don't think my dwarf ever took off his armor to even go to sleep, so he was wearing the same clothes for weeks at a time, and probably smelt like the stinkiest of humble Bumble Bootsbanes; and a very smelly dwarf-pope.
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Monday, July 9, 2012

MUSICAL MONDAY! 'STAR WARS THAT I USED TO KNOW'

MUSICAL MONDAY PRESENTS
'STAR WARS THAT I USED TO KNOW' A GOTYE PARODY

Today's subject for Musical Monday is a hilarious parody of the hit from Gotye, "Somebody That I Used to Know", a song of heart-break, lost love, and disappointment. Ironically, Gotye's hit had a perfect tone for a parody that draw on the pain of Star Wars fans; after years and years of betrayals at the hands of George Lucas, most recently with the release of the blu-rays not including the original version or even pre-computer graphics enhanced versions of the films and the release of the films in 3-D starting with Episode 1, Star Wars fan have been left feeling like a wampa....so cold.


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WORD OF THE DAY. 7/9/12.

socket [sok-it]
noun
1. A hollow part or piece for receiving and holding some part or thing.
2. Electricity.  
a. A device intended to hold an electric light bulb mechanically and connect it electrically to circuit wires.
b. Also called a "wall socket", it is placed in a wall to receive a plug that makes an electrical connection with supply wiring.
3. Anatomy.  
a. A hollow in one part that receives another part.
b. The concavity of a joint.
verb (used with object)
4. To place in or fit with a socket.
EX.  "Me Pikachusta!" Remember, to boost the power of your Pokemon! Take that electrical mouse out of your pocket and hook it up to an electrical socket.

 ASH MEETS PIKACHU!

P.S. Poke Bible will get a third part this summer.
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Sunday, July 8, 2012

MIXED BAG. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD 25th Anniv. Collector's Edition REVIEW!

MIXED BAG. REVIEW OF 
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD
+
25th Anniv. Collector's Edition
By Sean Barnes
Developer: Nintendo
System: Wii (Released Nov. 2011)
Genre: Action-Adventure

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MIXED BAG. MOVIE & GAME REVIEW SYSTEMS

Below are summaries of my movie review rating system and, beneath that my video game review system.

I prefer the 5/5 system because of the simplicity of it. I don't want to split hairs. I am gonna tell you, in broad terms, where is lands on the scale of game history.

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WORD OF THE DAY! 7/8/12.

wail [weyl]
verb (used without object)
1. To utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.
2. To make mournful sounds, as music or the wind.
3. To lament or mourn bitterly.
4. Jazz. To perform exceptionally well.
5. Slang. To express emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way.
verb (used with object)
6. To express deep sorrow for; mourn; lament.
7. To express in wailing; cry or say in lamentation.

noun
8. The act of wailing.
9. A wailing cry, as of grief, pain, or despair.
10. Any similar mournful sound.

EX. Gotta give a special shout out to OMOCAT , whom I've gone to as a source for awesome Zelda  fanart this week. Enjoy the wailing Zelda above and the various moppets below. Expect to see a piece of her art headlining my review of Skyward Sword today.

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MIXED BAG. PODCAST #3 Special Edition: Legend of Korra Season 1

MIXED BAG PODCAST #3

SPECIAL EDITION: LEGEND  OF KORRA S. 1

And the third Mixed Bag. Podcast rolls out. In the future, we'll be trying to get them done faster but, last week, Zach had his wisdom teeth taken out. Regardless of this little issue, we have got it out and it is ready to be enjoyed.

For those of you out of the loop, the subjects covered in the podcast are just like those covered in my blog; from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to 2001: A Space Odyssey, we'll cover films, television, video games and anything else that falls under our nerdy radar.

The program is hosted by Zach Martin (check out his blog by following him HERE) and myself.

This week we had a special guest, Chase Devine.

 This week's episode is a special edition discussion of the Legend of Korra, including a discussion about the finale, the entirety of the series so far, and the future.



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