S.A.C. 2nd GIG

A close sequel to the acclaimed Ghost in the Shell anime series, the events of 2^nd GIG begins shortly after the reforming of Section 9 and premieres with their debut. Japan’s prior executive cabinet had dissolved, and is now headed by the new Prime Minister. Political stability hangs on a hinge as tension builds between the Japanese government and refugees from China thanks to the targeting made on refugees by the mysterious terrorist organization known as the Individual Eleven. But all is not as it seems on both sides of the conflict, and Section 9 faces a dilemma that could end in civil war fueled with weapons of mass destruction. Will Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team be able to resolve the issue in time to prevent the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people?

BET’s Black Panther

Lets shake things up a bit, move into new and unexplored frontiers, and battle beasts the like of which we have never seen! Lets go to American animation!

My benefactors at FanGirlTastic have graciously provided me with some material they would like me to review; among these is a cartoon series that aired on BET in January of last year: Black Panther. For those of you that don’t know, Black Panther is the first black superhero to appear in mainstream American comics, and made his debut in 1966 during the Silver Age of comic books. The BET series was animated in the motion comic style, and Black Panther himself was voiced by none other than Djimon Hounsou, of recent films such as Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and Blood Diamond.

New Zealand Earthquake Relief – Receive RPG Bundle!

I suppose I’ve reached that point in my career as an internet celebrity (ha, I wish) in which I start supporting fundraisers and using my vast power and influence to get my fans to rally up and do the right thing. Well, at least hear me out, because have I got a great deal for you.

As you might have heard, New Zealand’s city of Christchurch was recently devastated with a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. Nearly one hundred people have been confirmed dead at this point, and about two hundred people are still missing, leading New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key to dub February 22, 2011 as the nation’s darkest day. This is a national emergency for the small island-country, and they can use all the help they can get in recovering from this disaster. This is where you guys come in:

DriveThruRPG.com, the largest online store for new and vintage RPGs, has teamed up with the New Zealand Red Cross to raise funds for the earthquake relief. For only $20 you can purchase a Role Play Game bundle containing nearly $340 worth of RPGs; that’s nearly 50 RPGs for an the simple price of $20, and all the money is going directly to the New Zealand Red Cross. Alternatively, if you’re not interested in all this RPG crap, you can simply directly donate money to the funds.

I personally think this is a great way to help out; even if you’re not concerned with the disaster in New Zealand, just think of the amazing deal you’re getting with all these amazing games. I’m not too crazy about getting so many games that I could never finish, since I’m not a huge RPG fan, but I didn’t hesitate at the offer and the chance to do what I could to help out. It’s cheap, and it’s going to a great cause, so what’s stopping you?

You can make your purchase or donation at this address: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=88713&src=social_media_link&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d65ef0306a6ccaa%2C0

Thanks for the support, everybody!

The Dark Verse Vol. 1: From the Passages of Revenants

While working a booth at Creation Entertainment’s Weekend of Horrors last Autumn (because, yes, I also have a weakness for horror films) I found myself with a little bit of extra time between sales. Looking right across the hall from myself sat an author selling his debut collection of short stories, The Dark Verse Vol. 1: From the Passages of Revenants. I decided to support M. Amanuensis Sharkchild (obviously not a pen name), bought a copy of his book and got to reading right away. It’s rare that I ever find the time to read books on my own outside of school, and I’m glad that the one I happened to pick turned out to be a very pleasant read, otherwise I might have given up on reading anything outside of my assigned reading completely. I know it’s a little late to give my review, considering I’d finished the book several months ago, but when rummaging through my stuff it caught my eye and I realized I’d never written a proper review of it; I considered this an outrage, since not many books manage to captivate me in such a way as this one had. So, without further ado, I present to you my formal opinion of Sharkchild’s collection of horrific bedtime stories, The Dark Verse.

Science and Religion in Radiata Stories

In the Kingdom of Radiata, the city is split into four sections, each run by a different guild: Theater Vancoor (Warrior Guild) resides in the Red Town; the Olacion Order (Priest Guild) resides in the White Town; Vareth Magic Institute (Mage Guild) in the Blue Town; and the Void Community (Bandit Guild) in the Black Town. While ultimately contrasting, and often clashing with each other, the four guilds help maintain the balance within Radiata, and are on occasion called to set aside their differences to go to the aid of the Kingdom.

Today, I’m here to talk to you about the Mage Guild and the Priest Guild.

On the surface, these two appear to be complete opposites: one advocates the use of scientific reasoning and understanding in order to solve the world’s mysteries logically; the other advocates the importance of religion based on holy scripture and uses faith to solve the world’s mysteries. Here, we have the classic clash: science and religion.  However, many ways in which the guilds interact with one another, as well as core similarities between the two, lead me to believe that some suggestion is being made about the interaction and coexistence of science and religion by example through Radiata Stories.