Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Ryu Ga Gotoku (Like A Dragon)/Yakuza Series

Let's face it, many fans of the series are disappointed fans of the Shenmue series, not because Shenmue wasn't a great game [it's quite the awesome series!] rather, that they never gave the fans what they wanted - a 3rd installment! For those of us who are fans of both Shenmue and Yakuza (who many claim to be the spiritual successor to Shenmue) we want to send Sega a clear message this time around: "Please don't disappoint us again. We love your games! Send them here too, we promise to support them!!!" "Here" of course, meaning the U.S, Europe, and Canada and "support" means buying the damn things. Now that's not to say that we only care about Yakuza because of Shenmue, not at all. In fact, they are as different as night and day, both excellent games and storytelling in their own right. But the style, the drama, the story-telling, the action; although totally different, one can clearly see they are blood-related.

That said, Yakuza 4 (Ryu Ga Gotoku 4) looks amazing! It's scheduled for release in Japan around mid-March while the week prior the U.S will finally see the release of Yakuza 3. I request all those in the video game community and fans of the series to please support the release of Yakuza 3 on March 9th so that Sega will release the 4th ed. here too!! Incase you're new to the series, its basically the Japanese counterpart to GTA but with a very different flair to it. It's an action-adventure crime story and drama revolving around Japan's underground mafia or "yakuza." The story's protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, feared and respected as "The Dragon of the Dojima Clan," is an ex-Yakuza who seeks to rid himself of his past criminal life and start anew. However, his former allies and enemies somehow manage to drag him back into the underworld which he seeks to get away from. If you're a fan of anything remotely close to Grand Theft Auto, or crime stories, you will love this series! It's really awesome, trust me! Check out the trailers.



Kazuma kicking ass, as usual


Here's a snippet at Yakuza 4:

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Memoirs of a Female Dog [Entry # 3]

Sup y'all, its yo' favorite BITCH up in this kennel! Yiieea that's riiiight muthawuffa....Anywayz, I apologize for not being around for so long. I've been mostly busy but had some bouts of being ill as well. A few months back I had constipation and was referred to a clinic for canines that specializes in rectal problems called "Bitches Ain't Shit," the vets there helped me with my long-term constipation problems, they prescribed a stool softener and I got my bowel movements back on so now I'm goooood y'all!! hehe. Other than some minor health issues I've been busy with school; assignments and projects, etc. (and for the millionth time, YES bitches go to school!!)

Woofin' of which, I'm enrolled in this one class right, called "Approaches to Canine Sexuality" and I happen to be the only bitch in the entire class out of like 10-12 dogs. Even though being the only bitch in my classes ain't nuthin new, this time it feels a little extra strange. I mean, we gotta discuss all this touchy subject matter that can make you feel uncomfortable being the only bitch. Last week we were discussing arousal and anatomy and I had to share a book with a classmate so we could see all the diagrams and stuff. It was kinda weird looking at pictures of dicks and pussies (not cats) in a room full of dogs. I dunno, I guess I feel a little out of place because these dogs probably have all kinds of sexual experiences while I don't. Worse yet, I don't know if we're gonna be called upon to discuss our personal sex lives (or in my case lack there of) since the syllabus mentions forming discussion groups about controversial topics. I guess I'll find out in time. The other class I'm taking is a class on Mutli-culturalism and we're learning about oppression, racism, and prejudice. I learned that *being a bitch,* I fall into a minority category and need to discuss the experiences of racism and sexism I might've faced for being a bitch all my life. I dunno..I guess there's so much to say. (I'm also the only bitch in this class too!) And it just so happens that I'm a Pakistani bitch, the only one in the entire building perhaps! I just feel like I offer a unique perspective being one-of-a-kind in most of my classes but I keep quiet mostly..I'm not sure if its cuz I'm feeling shy or whatever the case may be. Anyways, I hope I open up at least enough to get good participation pts for my grades WOL. Well, I guess that's it for now, if I left somethin out I'll just make another entry and I'll try not to be forever again next time. Rolfina signin' off, til next time hot dogs!


*DISCLAIMER*
- My "Memoirs of a Female Dog" series is not, nor was it ever meant to be an attack on women, quite the contrary to be exact. In a comical way I poke fun at the usage of the word "bitch" and how its almost become acceptable to call women "bitches;" something I personally do not agree with. As I've stated earlier, I am guilty of the crime myself, but what I try to use this series for is to highlight the ridiculous culture surrounding the word and how many take it negatively and others (some feminists) turned it into a positive word because of its over-usage. To me, that's like taking another offensive slur and trying to make it positive just because society cannot stop using the word (I'm sure you can think of other examples in popular usage..) Anyway, to bring it all back to what the word bitch really means (a female dog) I thought I'd start a series that is about a real bitch and at the same time be a satire on the word and make you guys laugh. If anything this series seeks to accomplish is to show how ridiculous it really is to equate a woman with a real female dog (a bitch) and hopefully to show how ignorant and degrading it really is.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

1 Litre of Tears - The Diary of Aya Kitou (Chapter 2 - Part IV)

Chapter 2 - Part IV

Characteristic


"I look up to people with strong personality traits, because I myself have nothing special.
I'm attracted to the idea of each individuals putting out their own unique characateristics.
Maybe even in the world that we live in, our uniqueness and talents are used to make the most out of life, like the movie "007."
The world is in need of people with strong character traits.
However, characteristics only belong to you, so it's not something you shove and give away to others.
But people take things in a different way, so it gets complicated.
When I was leaving school, I met Eiko at the bicycle shed. As I held onto "Yamato" and "Last Concert" records, Eiko put my heavy bag inside the byecycle basket.
Eiko said she had something to do so we parted at the crosswalk.
I really like how Eiko is so straight forward, but other people think she is cold hearted."

- 1 Litre of Tears

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

"Never B Peace" by Tupac Shakur

[Chorus]
"Will there ever be peace?
Or all we all just headed for doom,
Still consumed by the beefs,
And I know, there'll never be peace (never)
That's why I keep my pistol when I walk the streets
'Coz there'll never be peace."


Tupac is such a conscience-awakening artist because so much of his music is a reminder of the pain and struggle of young Black youth, but really speaks to all impoverished urban youth the world around. In particular, Tupac's message can be seen to resonate well with minority populations that have been cut off, forgotten, and abandoned by the larger world community. And so during so-called "quiet" times according to the dominant-aggressor, the struggling minority community sends reminders to shock the dominant and dormant communities of the world into realizing that the plight for help and the struggle for survival is still on and just as intense as it's always been, even if not enough to affect change in the larger and dominant community. He is constantly reminding us to wake up and realize the gravity of the situation his community (and like-communities,) and by natural consequence, the larger community will face if things don't change for the better. This is why so many people love Tupac. He was a voice for the oppressed the world-over, and his message is really simple -

if you don't clean up your backyard, the dirt will reach up to your own patio doors, til you're forced to clean it.


If not for the right reasons, the "higher society" should at least care that they will soon face the consequences of abandoning their lower-class counterparts. And this of course, is Tupac's satire of high-class America; because according to him, they always criticize and vilify the ghettos, housing projects, and other poor neighborhoods without really caring about fixing them either, when they are in the position to really make positive changes. So he essentially turns their 'good nature' on its backside and exposes them as heartless and greedy and just about all the other adjectives his own community gets labeled as. And this one song, "Never B Peace" is only one example of a call for reform in the life of a truly prolific yet short-lived career of a budding social activist, aspiring leader and visionary. Rest in Peace Tupac.


"Shit, fuck peace
On the strength 'til my niggas get a piece
We cant have peace
How the fuck we gonna live happy if we ain't got none?
You mahfuckaz is smiling, but I'm mean mugging
Why? Cause I gotta be thuggin
I've seen drugs done turned this whole motherfucking hood out
All us niggas acting up
Wild-ass motherfucking adolescents
These niggas ain't even got no childhoods no more
How the fuck can you have a childhood
and you have a funeral every mahfucking weekend

And you mahfuckaz talking about peace?
Nigga, it ain't no motherfucking peace
You ain't seen the news motherfucker?
You ain't heard?
Little babies getting smoked
Mahfuckaz killing there whole family
'Lil kids getting thrown off buildings
Mahfuckaz gettin abused
Peace!? Nigga is you out your fucking mind??
Fuck peace!
We can't never have peace, till you motherfuckers clean up this mess you made
'Til you fucking clean up the dirt you dropped
'Till WE get a piece
Fuck peace
Westside."

- Tupac Shakur


Nice remix of the original "Never B Peace" (samples "When I'm Gone" by Eminem)