The world of anime and manga has been considered an art form in Japan for many years filled with feeling and cultural depth that draws on mythos, sometimes not known in Western culture. It's a form of story telling that can go over the heads of many simply because of the "traditional" ratio that cartoons = for children. And for me personally, it just can't be ignored that the animes once slated for seasonal broadcasting for the last couple of years has now become greatly dimmed. Not atrociously horrible just slightly clouded. There's a glut of low end animes on the net that will continue to stigmatize the general appeal for newer audiences with your average comedies, slice of lifes' and the utterly brainless romance harems.

I take my mind back into the time when life was good. When life was all about the action, the action that meant something. Where I'd hungrily devour a series in a span of three days without a single break except to answer to mother natures adherent calling in everyone. If you were anything like me, than you enjoyed yourself a good shonen manga. Or anime.

Where I currently stand on my hobby is between a limbo of nostalgia of older series that are just not keeping consistent at their current updates and a mixture of recognition for the great successes of newer additions with great newfangled ideas. I have come to accept the fact that the face of Shonen Jump is ever evolving, ever changing. Yet there is something in common between the new and the old that will always transcend time. The feeling when reaching the pinnacle of an amazing fight scene, fingers streaming across waxed pages filled with tension and anticipation. Or the awareness of your eyes dancing across the screen, absorbing every moment of every second. In a way you almost feel your senses heightening to something unexplainable.

And this is where my mind strays. Combining the love of my two hobbies together. Now I'm not saying your average videogame based on one single series, I'm thinking about a collage of sorts that could become a collectic piece in Japanese gaming history. A Japanese Shonen Jump Ultimate Alliance of sorts, and here are my reasons why such a game would blow my brains out. I'm usually one to start from least to greatest but I'd make an exception for this topic and yes, I am making reference to Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

1. Pays Homage to New and Old

Whether you are a veteran reader way back from reading Dragonball in your earliest days, a newcomer getting into the anime reboot series of Hunter X Hunter, a manga addict currently enjoying Blue Exorcist or just your average anime freak with a soft spot for Yu Yu Hakusho and some Gintama on the side. There's something for everyone, it bridges the gap between new and old. Between big name icons and interesting late arrivals, they all unanimously represent the melting pot of tales Shonen Jump has released for our enjoyment. It's a chain of continuity, a succession that proves that Shonen Jump still has it's mojo.

2. Character Mechanics/Gameplay

The gameplay I imagine pretty much works like MUA so if you haven't played the game before here's how it works. Players can select teams of four from a range of characters (although some characters are not initially available and need to be unlocked), allowing them to create their own teams or recreate famous teams from the publications. Bonuses are also available if forming certain groups such as (The Mugiwara Pirates, Soul Reapers, etc)  I imagine that players can then play into the story where they may be forced to have a certain character within the group to in order to continue the story. Each character has it's own a set of individual powers that are different in relation to each persona, some with more long ranged attacks, healing abilities, etc, etc you get the point. There is character upgrading (where certain character are able to health rejuvenate or have increase speed when a certain attack is activated) and special combo duo attacks that you can use when certain characters tag to each other. Something about Goku and Luffy creating a combo together just sounds too epic.

3. Potentially Epic Storyline

With many places to go and people to meet seeing to the fate of worlds can make for an epic storyline. There's unbridled potential for mixing series tones together, taking twists and turns no one would suspect because the person behind the problems is not the only one up to trouble. Heck if a villain decided to team up with the heroes midway through the story, it would be so kickass! Bakura and the good old shadow realm anyone?

4. Alternate Endings

With your choice of where to go and where to explore, I think this explains itself.

5. Villains

When it comes to critiquing any series, whether it be a video-game, movie, TV show or anime the first question I always ask is "Who or what is the opposition?" Villians are just as, if not more important than heroes. Cloud from FFVII would have never be the person he is without Sephiroth to build him up. They are instigators, are the first ones to roll the die and tend to have plans setup usually ten miles ahead of their competition. And while some fight for themselves, others fight for their own ideology and misplaced intentions. Nevertheless wicked boss fights should ensue.

6. Character Roster/ Dialogue and Interaction

With such a grand amount of mangas to work from, the obvious fact comes into play that such a game would not fall short of vibrant characters to choose between. From the widely known to the point of celebrity status, impulsive Naruto against the newer raged and edgy, "King Of Ishiyama", Tatsumi Oga, add to that the classic wisdom of the great Yami Yugi. There are just so many protagonists and side characters too diverse not to mention. Characters like Goku, Kenshiro, Ichigo Kurosaki, Inuysha, Toriko, Monkey D. Luffy, Gintoki, Allen Walker, Hiruma Kenshin, Kazuki Muto, Neuro, Train Heartnet and Sawada Tsunayoshi are only the tip of the iceberg. With side characters like, Roronoa Zoro, Lenalee Lee, Gokudera Hayato, Killua Zoldyck, Kurama, Anna Kyoyama and Sesshomaru to acts as foils to bring in the sense of familiarity between certain characters belonging to the same series.

The potential for developers/writers to create interesting and refreshing dialogue between leads that you wouldn't normally expect will not only add to the experience but provide proper ingredients for both humor and downright judgmental conversations. I could definitely picture many a memorable conversations to be had from literally anyone interacting with Gintoki, that's for sure.

7. Graphics

Seeing that this is all hypothetically speaking, if such a game were to ever come out I'd imagine the graphics to be phenomenal. From distinct backdrops to fighting animations, there's a lot to be desired and its one I actually believe can be fulfilled. From great landscapes in Inuyasha to the world of the Soul Society in Bleach, it's all there! Who knows even a visit to the demon world of Majin Tentai Nogami Neuro would be such a treat for fans of this unlikely series.

8. Classic Feel - Good VS Evil

Sometimes what people don't realize is that simpler is better, and in this case the tell tale story of Good VS Evil will definitely resonate with most shonen-fanatics. Just like in every single manga/anime an antagonist is already causing trouble and by magnifying it to include other worlds/other villains, it can make for an explosive engagement of outer proportions. Defeating villainy never gets old and stays true to the genre of ass-kicking Japanese heroes.

9. Co-op

Much like the games of 'Marvel Ultimate Alliance', I could see co-op being a fun addition to gameplay mechanics and even better if you can invite your friends into the fray via online.

10. Replay Enjoyment

Every game should have a factor that has you coming back for more, and with the abundance of unique characters, engaging interactions and alternate endings; it's hard not to see myself, giving this more than an extra run.

-

And here ends one of my dream videogames albeit where it will stay, laying in the deep recesses of my mind where it will never see the light of day. I thank you very much! Ciao.

While the release date for Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag is still a long ways ahead of us, I’m cautiously wary and excited for more information to start sprouting about once Gamescon rolls in. This not only being a numbered game to the franchise but also taking the approach of opening the world for more exploration is what I call taking the bull by the horns as they try to get up from the controversial backlash that AC3 gave Ubisoft. Now I could easily title this piece a simple ‘What I Expect from AC4?’, but it’s rather a ‘What I’ll be Paying Close Attention To’ blog that will address more subtler things than simply increased character development, a rebirth of the modern day time period and range of exploration.

WANTED?: It’s the golden age of piracy and without a doubt Ubisoft has confirmed that Edward Kenway will be a ruthless man seeking his own interests before anyone elses. The whole terminology of being a pirate consists of rule-breaking, infamy, thievery and all things “vile.” With this in mind it’s key to remember that during the beginning of the game the protagonist plays more to the strengths of a pirate before an assassin. I’d say Matey that an upgraded notoriety system is in order! How they develop this is key to me in relation to bringing out the seadog in Edward.

Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted: We know Edward’s story arc for the game is his desire to lay his hands on a mysterious object that can make him both powerful and wealthy (possibly made from that rare mineral known as MacGuffinite), that the Templars are also relentlessly pursuing. But what of the Assassins? Bringing the presence of the Brotherhood will add flavour to an already broad game and regain a feeling largely invisible in his grandsons’ endeavors. While Haytham pretty much eradicated all the Assassins in the Colonial Brotherhood, it’ll be interesting to see a brotherhood that is good in number should they ever implement it in that aspect. If not, I would like to see the relevancy of true assassins against Edwards albeit at first greatly skewered one.

HBO Scallywag: One major flaw in Edward that may become more apparent in comparison to previous protagonist will be his moral compass. His self-centeredness and his willingness to bend the Creed in order to serve his own purposes should be seen and understood immediately. Edward takes the central tenet of “Nothing is true, everything is permitted” to mean that he can do whatever he wants – even killing or robbing innocent civilians without fear of retaliation. I want to see Edward at his worst. Giving pirates the HBO treatment means heavily mature scenes of violence and sex – as hinted in the first trailer.

This is a particularly unusual moment. The reveal feels as though it's meant to be shocking — Two women! Two races! Chocolate and Vanilla Yum!— but it does seem gaudy at first. This sort of tongue-in-cheek sexuality has been pushed to the back of the franchise, so now it's slightly predictable seeing a God of War-style nude scene appear in promotional materials in order to gain more attention. But that being said, it’s a pirates life so bring it on. I want to see it all. Especially killing the innocents. And hey, a threesome or two. XD

Eww, as long as it's not this.

Open that Map but Find the X: Taking the concept of open world into a whole new level still leaves me cautiously watching the sidelines in terms of how they properly space loading times. Hopefully it doesn’t turn into a choppy mess of great proportions. But the fluidity of gameplay has to match against the continuity of storyline with the proper dose of cinematic cut scenes. Exploration of your choice with great attention to pacing.

Fire and Slice: I’m keen on seeing how they balance the use of firearms with rebuilding the prominence of the Hidden Blade and keeping its reputation as the custodian of Assassins Creed weaponry. By going back in time developers must realize that pistols and such were much more complex than they were in terms of keeping guns up to stat. If you compare them to the years of the 1760's, they had much more drawbacks. It was common for flintlocks to misfire. Moisture was also a big game changer in terms of gunplay since moisture on the frizzen or damp powder left a gun completely unusable until dry. Which meant the guns could not be used in rainy weather. Interestingly the Caribbean had at least 7 months of rain every year. And in some cases would rain every single day. I'd assume that this is when the blade becomes handy due to it's reliability. I don't know whether or not Ubisoft will create a scheme for this but if not I will be closely looking at the balance of weaponry types in general.

A Man and his Crew: There has to be something that grounds Edward the way he is. To me it would have to be the people he associates himself with. They need to be layered and relateable enough as both comrades to Edward and as sole individuals. With Edwards, first mate Adewale getting his own DLC this is more than possible.

Dancing the Hempen Jig: We need to see someone die in this notorious fashion, the hanging at the end of a rope was a form of entertainment only used for executing. Pirates like Captain Kidd and Calico Jack were left to swing in the air until the flesh rotted off in iron cages prior to their public deaths, this would take years at times before they were eventually killed by the rope. Dramatic death much.

- So here's my list. Is there anything else you would add to that, 'cuz I'd love to hear your thoughts. Ciao!

I've decided to play up a little introduction to myself, nothing fancy. Just something so some of you guys and gals get a feel of my personality. So in advance, it's a pleasure to meet you! ^^

Name: Mary Ann

Nicknames: Nita, Ayame, Ama-chan, Mary.

Born: January 9th

Age: 19

Sign: Capricorn

About Myself: I tend to bounce around when it comes to things I enjoy. I love comics (Marvel is just too awesome!), cartoons, anime/manga, tv shows, videogames, movies and basically anything with robots. My nerdiness is balanced by my intense love for history but most importantly people. I enjoy talking about politics/different cultures, just as much as I enjoy talking about Video Games. I love music to an international scale and am proud to say that I really enjoy Japanese, Korean, Arabian, French, Russian and traditional Irish and Native American Music. ^^ I have watched foreign films and TV series from Korea, Japan, Arabia, Turkey, India and China and can honestly say that Western cinema isn't the only thing out there that is good. I tend to get sleepy very fast, loves a good book, collects too much for my own good and takes to writing in my spare time. I can be a bit intimidating at times, but I try to be as easy going as possible. Oh and I like to make people laugh! I love jokes!

Stupid Thing about Myself: I get flustered when I see beautiful black people...seriously. V-V; It's embarrassing. And I obsess over dogs, I'm such a dog person. I really like Arabian and Scottish accents.

Random Thing about Myself: I love villians, ask me my favorite character in any comic series it will always be a villain. Except for the Spawn Comics.

Ethnicity: Indian (Dad hailing from South America though so I feel a little bit more affiliation to the Caribbean), Indonesian and Australian Aborigine. Such a fine~mix!

Nationality: Canadian from the land of cowboys and natives Alberta.

Languages: English, with snippets of Arabic, Bahasa, Japanese and Italiano.

Religion: Oh wouldn't you like to know. Guess.

Favorite Franchise: The Assassins Creed Franchise, like you couldn't tell by my username. Hur, hur, hur. Fire Emblem and Phoenix Wright coming a close second.

Favorite Videogame Character Ever: A tie between Krados, Scorpion and Altair Ibn La Ahad.

Favorite Game: Red Dead Redemption

Favorite Console: Playstation, because I love the amount of genres within their gaming exclusives. They know how to paint a broad stroke.

Favorite Gaming Company: R*, baby!

Favorite Video Game Genre: Every genre has it's up's and down's but I'd have to say Open World is my mojo.

Favorite Movies: Too many to choose from but here are a few. Last of the Mochicans, Gladiator, Braveheart, The Mask, Apocalypto, Emerald Forest, Unforgiven, Avatar, Avengers, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior,  etc. Haha, there's something about good two's.

Favorite Actor: Mel Gibson. Shut up.

Favorite Actress: I could never choose between Zoe Saldana and Scarlet Johannsen.

Say a Random Person: Marilyn Manson, 'cuz he's awesome!

Favorite TV Show: Spartacus, nuff said.

What Summed up my Childhood: Yugioh and Power Rangers.

Favorite Food: Anything absolutely spicy!

Favorite Drinks: Coffee, Iced Cappuccinos, and Cream Soda, also did I forget to mention Coffee?

- Oh, another thing is that I like to draw, so in the future I'm hoping to share some of my pieces here on IGN. Maybe even take some requests! And yes, I can be 'miss formal' sometimes but don't worry I don't bite... somewhat. lol Just don't piss me off.

As the world gets more and more complicated each and every day so does the translation and means of entertainment in order to keep up with the complexities of setting the bar even higher to appease audiences. There's an urgency in the movie industry that has suddenly exploded to give us interconnecting movies (Marvel Movies) and 3-D shot splendor (Avatar), one can only expect things to get more complex and engaging to satisfy the ever evolving human mind.

Pacific Rim doesn't play to this. Call it reverse psychology if you will but Pacific Rim keeps to its strengths by making the story direct and concise. Reminding us that there are many times where simpler is better. In a sense our expectation for complexities is more of an unconscious effort more than anything else, and this movie actually pulled me back. Hinting me of the times when I was a child where the story was laid out for you and you simply sat back to enjoyed the show.

What starts out with a shaky beginning takes a turn for greatness once the gears start moving. Pacific Rim captivates a broad audience simply by the fact that it's set in a time where the world has to come together to fight for the greater good. Del Toro pays great dedication to both the monster movie genre and Japans' infamous Mech entertainment that warms my inner anime self. I immensely enjoyed that they incorporated languages no matter how lightly touched upon it was, be it Russian, Chinese or Japanese.

There's a sense of embodiment to the characters despite how transparent they are, it's seamless and works well. At sometimes the side characters shine more than the protagonist and in ways pays homage in on itself. The whole cast is likeable despite how wacky and weird they may seem. The influences of Del Toro's character types are not far behind and are a treat to behold. The humor is 'laugh out loud' and very charmingly subtle at times. The fact that there must be two people to operate a Jeager is interesting and good because it doesn't give the protagonist the continual feeling of isolation since he always has another character to be his foil, who in this case is Mako. The romance between Raleigh and Mako is innocent and not completely shoved in your face like other movies and in ways it represents more a start of a friendship though there is obvious attraction. It's tactfully placed where it doesn't feel completely lost on the audience yet it never becomes a main focus.

The action is unbelievably addicting and proves to satiate my thirst with non-stop brawling. The additions made for the Jeagers themselves are fun and individualize each machine as it's own persona. The technical flare of Gothic and Japanese themes are not removed and for anyone familiar with such things will enjoy it more than most. The fights were cheesy in all it's glory and many would find these scenes to easily become their favorite parts to the movie and very well understandably. The monsters have great designs something that should be mentioned without a single doubt, the people who worked on them deserve more than just a pat on the back. Even at the end of the movie it still leaves you wanting more action in the best way possible.

Ironically for myself, the most powerful moments have absolutely nothing to do with big hulking machines as I originally expected but the humanization of all the characters. To see what I mean look no further than Idris Elbas' character, Stacker Pentecost. Idris never ceases to amaze me how he can truly become any of his characters at will without it ever feeling like he's being "himself." In a world that no one should ever take seriously, Stacker pulls the heartstrings by being a true leader and father figure effortlessly. Idris Elba truly spearheads the whole show and should be commemorated for it.

As an action flick, from the get go it never stops or slows down. Besides being an extremely entertaining, good old fashioned monster flick, "Pacific Rim" is a tribute to the strength of international cinema, involving artists and production teams from every part of the globe; stretching it's availability for all audiences no matter what age. And as I imagined it, has become an international hit. Further more the 3 main leads Hunnam, Elba and Rinko Kikuchi preform a great performance with unbelievably FANTASTIC chemistry. With the feel, humor and attributes of a great director, Pacific Rim is a true Guillermo del Toro staple.

My rating: 8.7/10

I'll be honest, I'm picky when it comes to watching icons on Youtube. Its a trade for them that I at times can't understand. But its just as well the perfect way to synchronize ones sense of humor with anothers' sense of video creativity and take ownership of something completely outlandish that works. I find that in Toby Turner a.k.a Tobuscus. For those that don't know this guy than shame on you, you better give me a good excuse if you don't know him! He's an internet personality with the perfect touch of gamer and the obvious splash of comedian. Infamous in his pieces like the "Literal Assassin's Creed Trailer" and randomly charming songs like "Nugget in a Biscuit." And his playthrough for Skyrim which is unbelievably hilarious.

It's unfortunate that he's not the main star of "Whistle While Work It". This music video stars Chester See as he attempts to stray from his usual piano crooning ballads. Featuring a thickeningly heavy dose of auto-tune and flamboyance. Chester and his crew hit up a club with cameos of popular Youtube stars that you may be familiar with including Timothy DeLaGhetto, Lana McKissak, Andrew Garcia and many more. The real treat is that Wayne Brady makes an appearance straight after his debut on the phoenix-incarnated 'Whose Line It Is Anyway?' to bust some lyrics and get bitch swerved.

The song is hardly anything to be excited about as it easily falls flat at times to downright unimpressive. It seems like everyone is trying too hard, See overswag's and Toby oversings more than he usually does. But all that aside its' definitely a tune that grows on you once it's stuck in your head and the dance is addicting. In hindsight you watch the video more for the guest appearances than actual musical inclination. The best Youtube appearance that touched me was the addition of The Fu Brothers that had almost won the debut season of Internet Icon. Including them not only gives the duo more recognition as artists but also demonstrates the perfect dynamic of the ever changing and sometimes unstable Youtube community. Toby also reflects this progress as it's good to finally see him making new friends.

The highlights for this song easily are the comically perfect expressions of Toby that he's well known for and Wayne dropping a guest verse on if he has to choke a bitch. Toby's awkward dancing and smiles underneath flimsy yellow plastic sunglasses is charming and endearing in it's own way. The name Wayne Brady explains itself.

One thing I was peeved about was the fact that YOMYOMF felt the need to hint that their dance was something "innovative" and "new" that will catch on. I think they're crazy, the pelvic thrust is Micheal Jacksons Mowtown trademark. You can't expect to tape on someone elses face and expect it to look original. -.- That's dumb.

There are three alternate video endings: one on YOMYOMF, one on Tobuscus, and one on See’s channel. Really, the only thing that changes is the explosion at the end. The three endings seem like a clever way for the video’s creators to get three separate views from each viewer. There is no real big difference between either. Nonetheless, this video is as entertaining as the title sounds and definitely worth a watch.

And if you really believe that they fall from the sky, sorry to burst your dreams but no not literally.

I remember when the Mass Effect movie was officially announced by Bioware way back in May 24th, 2010 and where the project stands now is still in the early stages of development with no director or actors cast. The mystery in limbo is gradually eating away at me despite the fact that I am in no way excited for this production at all and I have remind myself that the creation of Pacific Rim took 7 years. Mass Effect is a huge game franchise that I believe many will have divided opinions on in terms of how the storytelling and pacing should affect its transition into cinema. And while nothing of recent has been confirmed the only attribute that is set in stone is the fact that the Shepard we're going to be following will be male.

When I first heard this it honestly didn't bother me, but now in retrospect it currently reminds me of the rejection publishers made to the lead character, Nillin of Remember Me. All simply based on the fact of her gender.

And now it dawned on me. Cinema politics can be just as complicated and messy as videogame politics, if not more so. A subtle point of discrimination is usually an even more dangerous one than a blatantly open statement, because you can't see it yet it's underlying in meaning. That being said I'm not accusing them of such but it does bring a few questions to mind.

It's no revelation that this generations endorsement for movie consumerism relies heavily on the concept of sequels and name branding. It's an issue that can be taken in both positive and negative lights.

 Seriously? Thor, Hawkeye you realize that no one gives a fuck right?

The association of continual added spectacles has lead to the molding of a rather mosaic landscape of worthwhile movies that all rely on mass doses of escapism. Most of which will be or already are - processed into facets of sequels or additions of some form.

The biggest example of success when it comes to such strategies is the surge of Marvel films that all have the power to stand on their own merit but ultimately converge to create 'The Avengers' as a point of reference. Marvels' concept of fleshing out a world is much different as that it supersedes the idea of sequels.

What I like to call the term, 'Rebranding' has also become a popular task in the post-modern world which seems to be coming back with a vengeance in the near future. The cultural movie icons referring to likes of classic personages such as, Predators, Terminators and even Jurassic Park dinosaurs are scheduled to make a return. Whether we truly want them or not is besides the point. The expectancy that such situations are bound to happen is what should be dully noted. It's an occurrence that has already happened and history tends to repeats itself.

Regardless, these movies are all continuing to be made due to their story, popularity, high grossing income and a loyal fanbase - while others have been weeded out. This generation is actually a generation that has embraced the ideology of sequelism because it has finally achieved fruit for many. One that I at many a times happen to be inclined to agree and I can look no further than my excitement for Thor: The Dark World.

There's the prevalent Marvel Universe, unexpected Star Trek franchise, rebirthing of DC cinema, a Planet filled with Apes, looming Avatar sequels, rambunctious Expendables, continuous Fast and Furious, tactfully extorted Star Wars, more random rampages from Machete and the flagship, Pirates of the Caribbean.

I've come to accept that sequels will continue and without a doubt many are excellent. But getting to the root topic what do all these titles have in common?

None of these titles represent a sole female lead. And for all the success that Marvel truly is, the woman 'Black Widow' is a character that has never had a true movie representation of her own. To be fair Natasha Romanova is an inspiringly layered character and by far one of my favorite female figures in Marvel history; it's unfortunate that she has had her debut as someone on the side and continues to do so with her presence to come in Captain America: The Winter Solider. She not only she represents a woman who can fight but also is the perfect figure when it comes to representing the morally ambiguous area of grey that separates her from the rest of the Avengers. Such attributes are intriguing and should not go to waste.

The iconic heroine figure Uhara of Star Trek, who is amazingly brought to life by Zoe Saldana has now become nothing more than the romantic catalyst for Spock. It meant a lot to me when she was voted as Number. 1 most popular female character in regards to science fiction and fantasy entertainment in 2012. Being a completely die-hard fan of hers' I felt the lack of individuality and sophistication to her within the sequel. To say I was simply disappointed would be a great understatement.

Neytiri possibly follows into this category,  and though she is independent, isn't controlled by the men of her tribe, teaches Jake to see things the way she does, is in touch with her natural surroundings, hunts, kills, and fends for herself without the assistance of men. Her relation to keeping to character for the sequel doesn't look so bright. It can't be ignored that she does represent the stereotypical role of 'Lover of the Hero who just happens to have gone Native.’

That being said on the flip side, what main heroines do we have?

Well, the first protagonist to come to mind would instantaneously be Alice from the Resident Evil movies for all the wrong reasons. There hasn’t been a single movie I liked except for two but even then, she represents a narrative with too many plot holes to count. Not only do they butcher the lore of the games, but they also own the rights to so many ideas within the zombie genre that frankly goes to pathetic waste. With all that being said, I do respect Milla Jovovich and I’m mildly interested with her inclusion to the third round of Expendables. Though I guess she has this dreadfully horrible series to thank for that.

And then the time before Twilight, ‘Underworld’s Selene played by Kate Beckinsale. Throughout the whole series, she was probably the only character I found not to be miscast in some point or form. There’s a lack of character development but her icy composure and kickassery is played well in the first movie. However there’s nothing of improvement after that and even worse she simply becomes the character arch type of ‘hot girl in leather suit’ with stories that equate to nothing or are just complete bullshit. In fact there are so many problems with it as simply a series that you can even compare these two cinematic messes in their likeness.

Alice?!... Oh, it's you Selene. Sorry, I didn't realize you weren't the only one stuck in a freezer naked.

The only interesting aspect to the films, other than its odd dance around its love interest in absentia, are its retro qualities -- these days, all the other werewolves and vampires seem to be too busy trying to date gloomy-eyed teenagers with buck teeth instead of clashing in tastefully grimy underground lairs with claws and double-fisted guns.

So to make my point very clear, there hasn’t been a movie series with a consistently awesome female protagonist that holds it’s own.

First off this has absolutely nothing to do with being against John Shepard in comparison to Femshep because essentially they are the same person. The greatest attribute to the Mass Effect trilogy was that, romantic options aside the powerful story always stayed true in one form.

And given, IF the movie plays well to absorbing the amount of depth within the story of Mass Effect and hones it, this could have very well been the chance for a female lead to take action and become a positive addition to the world of cinema. Because while hypothetically speaking, say there is a possibility of Femshep being portrayed as having a romance within the movie, it automatically takes a stage down because she’s the main character. For any of you that I've had the privilege of having this discussion with - As I’ve said time and again, if you depict your female characters, no matter how empowered, as only talking to men and not other women, it reinforces the notion that women’s lives revolve around men. Even when women possess agency and intelligence and a budding career, Star Trek Into Darkness for example perpetuates the trope that women are not complete or whole unless they’re helping a man, looking sexy for a man, or a man stands at their side.

Mass Effect is a narrative that's just as character driven as it's blood pumping. With Femshep automatically associating herself with her colleagues it's obvious that she'll be interacting with other women with different personalities and ambitions (ex. Ashley, Jack, Miranda, Tali, etc); while still pertaining to the fact that she interacts with men just as much.

Summer after summer, Hollywood shoves us with many (white and heterosexual) male lead action films. The same message is being sent: girls can’t and don’t live adventures, they’re just sidekicks and love interests. This is so sad. Little diversity is one big problem in Hollywood and in games that remains consistent.

Hypothetically speaking, if a Mass Effect movie were to become a success with a female character, - with the proper writers to build a concise trilogy – it would definitely mean something to see a recurring face on screen that’s of my gender. One who succeeds in spearheading a whole new opportunity for women in lead roles in relation to adventurous/action movies. Having female Shepard would stand out. I don’t know why studio bosses have zero balls to try and make a different action film. Has the likes of Ellen Ripley been all but forgotten?

Bustin' a cap in yo' ass since before yo' even knew ya had one! Suckaaa~!

We have so much diversity in the world and when this diversity is not shown on the media, we’ve got a problem. Most leads of action films are male, white and heterosexual. This is ridiculous. We have black people, we have women, we have gays, bisexuals, pansexuals. Why can’t a hero be a black girl, for example? Or an Asian man?

I think we, as human beings, are always trying to improve our world and our society. We’re not going to improve the world by not taking risks and not changing what we think is wrong. I think the lack of diversity in western media is wrong. Let’s try to change it and not simply saying “the world is like this. The guys from the studios don’t wanna take risks”. If everyone thought “the world is like this”, the world would never change.

But to boil it all down for my part, even though I am a huge fan of the Mass Effect franchise, I don’t know if I will be able to bring myself to see the film. It’s a simple business decision to make movie Shepard male rather than female. They’re taking the “safest” route and at some point I have to take a step back and say that I can’t blame them and heck, if a Mass Effect movie actually manages to be quality it would be a triumph even with a bog standard straight white American male. And while I still persist that the world should change its views, Mass Effect is a series so close to my heart I would rather not see it ruined and would prefer for them to try my wishes on something else. Having Morgan Davis Foehl (Click, I Announce You Chuck & Larry) confirmed as screenwriter is already a disaster waiting to happen.

Irieness, bredren and sistren! For those of you who don't know the word known as 'Irie' or a lick of Rastafarian. It refers to a term of greeting, or de coolest! Most excellent! Or di highest. Either way I'll go back into normal lingo when I can but that's beside the point. 

There is a lot of reggae out there, but not all of it is classic. Some things are worthy of debate, but some reggae artists are classic no matter what. So herein I decided why not share a piece of my memories as well as a piece of culture that's been passed down to me. Now first off, the background I speak from is Trini, known as Trinidadian and not Jamaican. But the similarities as very much close. So dis Trinigyal (Trini-girl) hails from a lineage with East Indian blood but I don't know a fluent ounce of Hindi, Urdu or Punjabi because my fathers family was settled into the Caribbean a long time ago. Wherein I see my heritage.

You may learn sometings from dis, you may not. Either way feel good music is feel good music and I wish to share. I'll also share things within the reggae genre, as we put it 'Dub' or 'Rockas' for example. Or simply other island music.

I'm hoping to make this a bi-monthly thing, where I post something akin to this twice a month. That's not set in stone but heck you never know with these things.

The title simply means, What's going on with the Music? If anyone really wants to know. Chunes = Music, Songs or obviously tunes. We say teuwns too but really, tis all good.

A warning to all of you, Reggae music is definitely not for everyone. It's an acquired taste that some or most of you are better off not indulging in. And the language that is spoken is all English but with really hard slang. So I figured that since it's the first Island Music blog that I'm ever doing, I'll start off by connecting the bridge. So basically classics that are easy to follow and you'll instantly like or have already heard. Well I know at least for the first video I will show today most will be recognizable in some way of form. If anyone really bothers to hop in for the ride, I'll get to some doubly hardcore stuff later on.

So without further ado. Ere' we go!

Jimmy Cliff - The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Regardless of the legend Bob Marley left behind, Jimmy Cliff will always be my favorite Caribbean Reggae singer of all time. His voice is pure silver with silk lining when I listen to him, and I'm sure most of you will relate to this song thanks to Disneys' The Lion King. This is by far the best cover of the song that's originally called Mbube or Evening Birds in South African. The symphony of African and Caribbean influx is superb. I listen to this song when I want to feel calm and serenity, always with a gently sway to Cliffs amazing voice.

Perfect Time to Listen: Driving in the car late at night with surround speakers, the volume turned up really high. The music just takes you away everytime. One of my favorite things to jam to. This song is my second favorite Reggae song of all time.

Bob Marley - Three Little Birds

But then again, what IS a Classic Reggae blog without Bobby? I for one adore this piece, it's nice slow but makes you happy. I'm quite certain that the majority of my lovely followers have heard this song before and that honestly make me happy. If not then enjoy.

Perfect Time to Listen: Right in the morning, it's just perfect. I love making breakfast imagining that there are three little birds by my window sill waiting to eat.

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy

This 1980's song is such a hit many of us have probably sung without realizing who really sang the song. Whether your life is screwed due to some inexplicable situation or you're just procrastinating, this tune is great. And the advice is really straight and to the point, pretty much anyone can relate to.

Perfect Time to Listen: Any time. Because c'mon, you've gotta smile no matter what you're doing when listening to this.

And so ends the journey for now. I hope you all enjoyed them or at the very least played half of each piece.

Word of the Week: Dingolay = To Party, or when someone is being lazy through wasting time.

As In: Aye boy, Johnny must be dingolayin all half of de tyiime man. Mih eyesight dun lye boy!

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

Decided to leave a handprint on some of my favorite literary classics for the wonderful Regal4.1. And might I add that this list was a huge aching pain to fill out since the more I thought of all the wonderful books I've read, the more titles came back to me; reminding me not to forget them. I read around 70 books + a year so this was a truly royal pain in the ass. So thank you very much.

If you were to see my house the multitude of books within is completely breathtaking. Nowadays I use my Kobo to read but to be frank there is nothing like the feeling of your fingers leafing through the pages, eyes dancing across the words absorbing everything in - sipping a tasteful hot cup of cappuccino during winter. Really some of these Canadian snows are the perfect ambiance to just unroll and relax.

In the end the well known titles always kept urging me on, so without further ado here it is! The top three have my input/views, others are self explanatory just by looking at them for the most part. But if you want my opinion just give me a buzz.

1.  The One Thousand & One Nights translated by Hanan Al-Shaykh

- While most of you have probably grown up with hearing collections of European Fairytales, I grew up with both influences of European and mainly Eastern Romanticism in me. Exotic and mystical this Arabian book is a classic with tales within tales. Great book. Not one that can be read in one sitting, though. I really like the form of narrative, with a story leading into or encompassing another story. Most of this book is like onion layers. You really do want to have a bookmark handy if you put this one down as you really will feel like you are reading this all through 1001 nights. This was Scheherazade's tactic to keep King Shahryar's attention so that he couldn't have her executed the next morning. He was a very cruel man who hated women to the degree that he would marry a virgin and have her killed the next morning. Fortunately Scheherazade was a very clever woman with a gift for fantastic storytelling. Her plan worked splendidly, as 1001 nights passed and she was still living all the while curing the Kings' tragic heartbreak and fixing him.

Full of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, there are some instantly recognizable tales (Sinbad the Sailor, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves)  but also some very enthralling unknown ones. For example, "Abdullah and the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman" a tale about Abdullah a fisherman who gains the ability to breathe underwater and discovers a city that is portrayed as an inverted reflection of society on land, where the citizens live their lives by a primitive sort of communism. Another that creates a world of ass-kicking warrior Amazoness women and their striving in keeping their intricate life after a poor man accidentally stumbles into their civilization.

There is satire with one of my favorite's being 'Ali with the Large Member" a tale that obviously pokes fun at the obsession of having a large well, dick.

Another great Nights tale with crime fiction elements is "The Hunchback's Tale" story cycle which is more of a suspenseful comedy and courtroom drama rather than a murder mystery or detective fiction. The story is set in a fictional China and begins with a hunchback, the emperor's favourite comedian, being invited to dinner by a tailor couple. The hunchback accidentally chokes on his food from laughing too hard and the couple, fearful that the emperor will be furious, take his body to a Jewish doctor's clinic and leave him there. This leads to the next tale in the cycle, the "Tale of the Jewish Doctor", where the doctor accidentally trips over the hunchback's body, falls down the stairs with him, and finds him dead, leading him to believe that the fall had killed him. The doctor then dumps his body down a chimney, and this leads to yet another tale in the cycle, which continues with twelve tales in total, leading to all the people involved in this incident finding themselves in a courtroom, all making different claims over how the hunchback had died.

Hanan's version is a shorter version of the Arabian Nights that I recommend for starters but if you're like me and adore full-length version Barnes and Noble has a great version.

2. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Ate this whole collection in the span of all my highschool, this single volume contains all 4 novels and 56 stories belonging to my father. My favorite novel of course being The Hound of the Baskervilles followed by The Sign of Four. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writes in a classy classic manner, free flowing and elegant and even if his settings were not familiar to me initially - it was what drew me in completely and engaged me to use the faculty of my brain. I felt like I literally wanted to figure out the cases myself, as if I was right beside Sherlock himself. I appreciated his stories because of the universal messages in them: love of a husband to a wife, a mother to her son, a son to a father, a father to his child, etc; the evil in greed especially when it comes to riches and money; that men can be truly friends without homosexuality getting in-between; that we have to respect the people we work with; always be wary of the people around you; and that, if used in moderation, cocaine and morphine can actually make you sharper. I cringed while typing the last one.

Nonetheless I thank Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for creating such a book that affected me deeply in such a positive way.

3. A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

What I like about Aldous Huxleys' Brave New World is that it centers around the disease of human passivity as it's controlled by the higher-ups in society. With 1984 there is the possibility for consciousness of the inherent evil of the subversive intolerance of the government, and therefore the possibility for revolution.

With Huxley's narrative, however, this consciousness is completely undermined through the fulfillment of the base drives of the majority. There is no reason to rebel, and society can change only through an impossible systematic negation of all the techniques espoused that clamor to fulfill these drives. Anyone who comes to realize the true state of affairs isn't filled with a Herculean wish to revamp it, but can only sigh to himself while secretly saying, "ah, that's just society getting what it wants," and make plans for voluntary exile. This is the cynicism of Huxley given literary flesh. He echoes the Dostoevskian lament through the Grand Inquisitor that human beings want to be taken care of and provided for, not free. Freedom is too hard, it takes work, and to be human is to take the easy way out. A fabulous if not upsetting and horrifying book, where we are all born and designed in a lab. Captivating.

4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

5. The Odyssey

6. 1984 by George Orwell

7. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

8. The True History of the Elephant Man by Michael Howell and Peter Ford

9. Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson

10. The Strange Case of Dr. Jerkyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

11. The Time Machine by H.G Wells

12. Moby Dick by Hermen Melville

13. Dracula by Bram Stoker

14. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

15. Animal Farm by George Orwell

Special Mention: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

So this is a more personal story, if you're not into mushy gushy stuff than I suggest you turn back before even reading this. This is a non-edited version since I basically forced myself to post a blog for updating sake, so don't be surprised to see bad grammar or funky wording - I'm tired.

Back when I was younger I didn't have many friends. My concept of friendship was a rather naive and albeit greatly skewed one, based largely on the population of the school I went to and not the actual people that cared to spend time with me for who I was, however few and far between they were. I never approached anyone and the people that did only did so because the school I went to was a private school where my father had previously worked as a prominent board-member and later the Main Administrator for 8 years. Basically put since the bright age of four I had a reputation to keep just like my elder brother and the siblings to come after me because of the well-respected and adored personality that my father was.

I was liked for my blameless personality thought in retrospect a very submissive one. I never questioned my teachers or fellow students and if fingers started pointing, I would instantly question if it was my fault before anyone elses; regardless if I done anything wrong not. I cried easily and was very much an introvert - my usual recess consisting of me being alone walking around aimlessly trudging from muddy grass to concrete parking lot with nothing to do or simply observing the other kids from afar. Which was honestly and understandably my least favorite and most dreaded 30 minutes of each day in my life. Gradually I took to keeping busy with the company of books as opposed to videogames since I was brought up in a stricter upbringing where videogames were an absolute no-no. And frankly speaking I had not a single desire or care because I never experienced them for myself or had any friends to speak about them to me. I lived in a quasi-bubble so to speak. I interacted with many people but only at face value.

There were expectations from teachers and other staff that befell upon us, as I was unofficially entered into the "invisible" group of privileged staffroom children. Of which 80% of them were from my age group. Any child that had some sort of family relation or parent working within the school were automatically gained rights that I at the time; because of how innocent I was - thought was unfair to the other children and still believe so till this day. One example being that each day while all the kids had to wait outside patiently for their class number to be called before entering the school even throughout the coldest of winters (which was often), a group of students including myself always got to go in without question. We had instant access to all TV’s and staff rooms which meant access to microwaves (hot foods) while the rest ate cold lunches, etc. While normally this wouldn't exactly be a problem for the school because most staff students knew better than to divulge - it was a problem for me because I had the unfortunate timing of begin born in the same year as a heartless bunch of girls that would always flaunt their "power" in very cruel ways and get away with it. I won't give too many details but let's just say enough to get a poor boy a burnt face due to boiling noodles being thrown in his face during lunch hour.

I spent most of my time with these girls in the backdrop but that's when I silently thought enough was enough; I couldn't handle being in their presence. I began to silently wait outside with the rest of the other students every morning and would go to heat up lunches for kids in my classroom who's parents would accidentally (or lazily) give microwavable lunches for them. Needless to say, a few of those said females got jealous to the point of "ex-communicating" me from their group and making up lies to their parents (who were teachers) to get me in trouble. By then I had a number of guys stand up for me from time to time but other than that I was bullied quite often and had no true backbone to speak of. Not to mention they always ended up in the same class as myself each year. I put up a front that they were still my friends when it came to talking to my father but in truth it was the exact opposite. At some point I believe I was too shy and even felt ashamed when I felt like saying something. I just never had the courage and out of respect for my busy father, didn’t want to cause him too much thought by “complaining.” I was a good girl that tried my best never to cause difficulty and I sorely tried to keep it that way.

All the while back in school, I was called harsh insults, made fun of because of my name, had to endure racist Asian slurs towards my mother because she looked Chinese, had objects hurled at me and at one point I was thrown and locked into a big, dirty bathroom with no lights until lunch period was over. As a bunch of nasty girls sang a tasteless rendition of ‘Bloody Mary,’ saying some atrocious things I’d rather not mention. The majority of these incidents happened during recess where no supervisor could really look over a whole flock of grade school students by themselves. Because, really lets be realistic.

Other than that, I seemed like I never changed or that anything was happening to me at all. I took it, like a good girl. And the other children that did know would never say anything because what happened with the staff kids, stayed with the staff kids. It wasn’t that I hated school, in fact quite the opposite –academically I soared and there were great kids around me, it just so happened that my mind was too preoccupied by the negative influences that kept on coming into my life.

It was around this time that my father happened to befriend a family that also had some of their children enlisted in the same school as mine. None of them were in the same class as I; though they did have a son my age. We would frequent their house quite often during weekends and I remember my first visit there being a quiet one. Though finally someone did manage to get me off of my seat to join my other siblings and the host’s children in an entertainment room of sorts. The TV was playing but it wasn't the first thing I noticed. Still till this very day do I remember the captivating feeling of having my eyes fixated on another much smaller TV in a corner where one of the kids was introducing my brother to Mortal Kombat II.

Back then I only really knew of Pokemon and Mario and neither of which I liked at all. Nothing ever quite truly quipped my interest as rapidly as Mortal Kombat did. More so to the fact that as a child, it exuded confidence of which I never had, something I was so magnetically attracted to because it was a quality that I would later realize as something I wanted to obtain. The gruesomeness I wouldn’t normally be used to slipped my mind the minute I saw the great words of a battle match over. I didn’t play that time – as I automatically felt it was something only “boys” were allowed to partake in but even watching I could tell it had a profound yet strange effect on me. Like I wanted to be that person on the screen.

Time had taken me to a different place afterwards. While I was still bullied, I became quite close to this family with many visits and the occasional sleepover that I for once enjoyed.  Though better yet, I relished in the fact that I could actually play videogames wherein my usual household such things weren’t permitted. Their home being the introduction to my gaming experience and not by the male siblings like I first expected (my eyes always straying to the bottom shelf underneath the VCR during every visit, silently trying to communicate some form of body language to them) but by my now female friends who insisted I play a decent game of Tekken or Dead or Alive with them.

I remember the first time I grabbed that controller hesitantly, invited by a calm hand of a friend five years my senior and another three years my junior; teaching me everything I needed to know with open arms, completely without judgment. My eyes intensified, captured by the moment that I in a sense was always wanting to experience on my own. A triumph against something, whatever the case may be, whether it was evil or a group of horrible bullies. I felt like I achieved something by the end of it all. If anything it taught me to be competitive and how it’s good to be lippy when the situation called for it. At the time, what the story was trying to emit didn’t mean as much in comparison to my inner turmoil’s being manifested into a game of my own. I would not hesitate to admit that during my hours of anxiety and stress that I had on occasion, imagined the ‘mean girls’ of my school having the shit beaten out of them. Of course, it was all hypothetical situations in my mind while playing– none of which ever truly happened but damn, did it feel good.

And boy did I play good.

Eventually I got so talented with my appendages that no one really wanted to play with me anymore. Since their family was huge and so was mine; we’d have tournaments and I’d always win. It got to the point that I stopped playing altogether for a while, but once you have a taste you always come back right? So I found my ways.

I had left that particular school since then and never truly got to stand up against the horrors of my earlier years. But my unfortunate favour of being a bully target seemed forever obsolete. I had another kid during swimming class who would laugh, make fun of me and do the usual of what you would expect a regular, dumb bully would do. I took it once again with tears.

Gradually though, through playing the fighter genre, I began to feel the resolution, that yes, you know what, I could do what I want to do, what I feel is right and what I feel is taking matters into my own hands regardless of how much of a fool I'm going to look like. Since then I had also played an extensive amount of SNK’s ‘King of Fighters’(99' - 2003) which truly helped me hone my skills as a gamer of the fighter genre but more importantly sealed the deal into what would be my continued ventures into the gaming world. A near unspoken name that holds so much reverence in my heart.

So finally I decided enough was enough, I was going to tell him something that I never had the chance to ever say to the other people that bullied before him. I was going to give him the biggest mouthful he ever heard and I would make him sorely pay. For stealing my stuff, for all those remarks encouraging all the other kids to laugh at me and for pushing me onto wet tiled floors whenever he felt like it. I just wasn’t going to take it anymore, I would finally tell him off.

Except that I didn’t. During a break between swimming classes where usually we just play in the pool for a few minutes - somehow he started to physically bother me, taking his hand on the back of my head and dunking it into the water continuously each time longer than the last.

And something in me snapped, with a veracity that would make Terry Bogard or Liu Kang proud I fisted this little punks hair and pulled so hard I’m sure he bruised. I made sure to really pierce my fingers into his skull to which I repeatedly punched him straight smack hard in the middle of his face until he got a bleeding nose.

I was expecting to at least get in trouble or reprimanded for it but I didn’t. I’m sure the kid learned his lesson but it was a pinnacle moment of my life for me. I learned to finally stand up for myself, even if it had to be triggered from an extreme circumstance; with unusual reflex from simply watching my favorite characters from videogames. However "wrong" and “violent” that may sound. After that moment I was no longer the shy girl I thought I was. I knew what I could do if people decided to irk me and what I was capable of. Both verbally and physically.

Because character cannot simply be developed in quiet, we have to undergo an experience of suffering to reach a high point of strength.

Oddly enough I found a best friend in the very person that bullied me, Jason a good kid at heart that just needed to be beaten down a notch. A part of me wonders till this day if perhaps I’m too forgiving but either way; it turned out all for the best. I gave Jason a few punches to the face, and years later in highschool I gave the girl that bullied me years ago a simple smile, a friendly manner and a concealed middle finger. Before walking away and never seeing her face again. Which oddly enough was hard for me because I had become quite the outspoken talker.

So you can imagine that when I finally got my very own console, with my own money spent, with my own unconcealed excitement - that the very first games I would buy would be from the fighter genre. In such words, go with what you know and I wouldn’t change my first videogame experience for the world.

This blog was originally supposed to explain why I found videogames of the fighting genre to be under-rated but it completely transformed into a new being, one that’s much more private yet holds a lot of fulfillment for myself to share.

Case in point, I love my fighter videogames. My heart warms and despite it no longer being my favorite type of game genre; it’s one I hold dear and continue to reengage myself in. Interestingly enough, I’ve never played Street Fighter. Pretty much just everything else.

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

Contains no Spoilers.

'The Wolf Among Us' like Telltales successful predecessor series The Walking Dead is an episodic tale that follows a hero with a moral compass of the gamers choosing. The first detail to immediately take notice of is the graphically astounding world that is pulled off with an unusually laid-back intensity. The crisp use of sharp shadows and tousled grim contrast against the vivid colors of neon pinks, creating a flawless balance of inky and colourful. TWAU produces a broken Brooklyn executed in noir feel that clearly carries the tone from the very get go and sets itself apart from TWD without losing their inert stylistic qualities.

The story follows Bigby Wolf, sheriff of Fabletown - a gruff, rough n' tough character trying to step away from his past while he keeps the fairytale citizens in check, making sure they wear glamor, a property that gives the appearance of the Mundane (humans), who are unaware about the presence of magical beings. He's likeable and doesn't overstep the boundary of when homage becomes stereotypical. Bigby solves crime and the game easily works like a mystery. Each gamer can shift the experience to their interpretation making for a 'pick your path-isque' narrative with replay value, each being different from the next.

Schematics between story and gameplay free-flow nicely, submerging you in the gist of it in the first 15 minutes. Choice always takes a front stage no matter what you're doing, whether you are questioning someone or in a brawl. The combat itself is a shining example of when Quick Time Events truly work, it's fast-paced and manages to keep the suspense through interactive sequences. Very brief moments allow you dodge, choose where to attack or what weapon to utilize that may be nearby. It's gruesome and tasteful.

Men with baggage.

A vibrant diversity of characters help to enthrall players in both distinct and curious ways. The fact that they all signify well-known classic fairytale icons keep us from ever actually dissociating them from their counterparts yet clearly stand out as perfectedly flawed beings. And because it acts like a mystery it truly seems like every character has a dirty secret including the protagonist himself.  While this episode is packed with emotional punch as we shape our experience, there is always a lingering feeling of being one step behind.

Ultimately the conversations are what truly bring the tension to the gritty landscape. The sense of dread, foreboding and gloomy fascination all mold up into timed decisions where it's actually okay to validate not making a response. Personally I picked choices that I immediately regretted afterwards because of how complicated the context of choosing was. You feel like what you do in the game really matters including accepting the guilt or victory that comes with it. I'm not really a player that likes to go back and change decisions until completing a full play-though of a full game so we'll see if any will come back to bite me in the end.

The characteristic themes of ambiguity, violent death, conflicted anti-heroes, beautiful women, terse dialogue, cold music and the isolated feel of 1940's modern cities emulates the perfect landscape for a videogame such as this one. From what we have seen so far from 'The Wolf Among Us' it works like a moving comic, plays like a novel and fine tunes the meaning of interactive storytelling. It's a well crafted game that knows when to pick up the pace, slow down and even stop. The balance of lively and deadly, humorous and glum is executed so flawlessly to the point that my only complaint would be that I can't really take cliffhangers. If you like unpredictably thoughtful or "skeleton in the cupboard" games I extremely recommend this title. Personally I enjoyed it more than the first installment of 'The Walking Dead.'

Hopefully the second time around will be as great as the first and that the series will do Bill Willingham proud.

My Rating: 9.5/10

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

Irieness, bredren and sistren! It's ya island gyal, Nita or Mary Ann once again for anotha much awaited post of "Dem Reggea Classic." Since it's tha special month of Obeah (Black Magic/Voodoo), Jambiez (Zombies) and Loupgaro (Werewolves). I've decided to share a bit in the festivities with a much harder song to understand to take main spotlight of this installment. Thankfully I understand what this artist is saying but I won't break down all the lyrics in great detail because initial reactions are always funny when I share this song with friends. Personally I'd rather you guys listen to the song first before reading my "translation."

Now you are all probably familiar with the name Barnabas Collins. He was the main character on the old American Gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows" in the late-60s/early-70s, who is as you would know a vampire. Played by Ontario, Canadian born Jonathan Frid, he exuded a character of impeccable homage to true vampire complexities. A great classic show that I find never gets old, timeless as it is entertaining. On another note - for those of you who only know the dreaded Burton remake and instantly thought about that, please give yourself a nice big slap on the face. That movie is horrible and nothing but a frustrating hit and miss. So please, slap yourself.

Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino have great taste in being fans, alas Burton you have failed on this in my eyes.

So where is this all going? Well in the Caribbean the show held much popularity and a huge following. The character, Barnabas Collins (affectionately referred to as Barnie) because of his personality inspired many talented artists to create songs dedicated to him as well as vampire culture as a whole. Vampiya is now considered regular slang for simply, 'a very bad person.' So some songs while not obvious still hold roots to darker feelings of the human physiology instead of romantic whims of mumbling lovestruck females.

And herein is where I plug my third favorite Reggea song ever. A comical imitation, caricature and satire towards the famous character sung by The Lone Ranger, who is a born Jamaican Reggea DJ. He currently has 11 albums, his most recent record called "Sweet Talking" (2010) and my favorite, "Barnabas In Collins Wood" (1979). There are two recordings to this song, but the one below is my preferred. WARNING: You may not even understand half of what he's saying. So I explained most of it in short.

"I thirst!

This musical song's called Barnabas Collins. So you got to be good to the Collins, baby. Awhoa!

So now, he come around the night, say around midnight.

So when he comes don't fight. (So when e come fi broke no fight - Haha, he's broke of blood.)

So gyal I beg ya, Out the light

Lock your door tight,

Barnabas will come and take one bite (Barnabas a come fi go tek one bite)

It was a dreadful sight how he bit sister rit'

You should have heard her bawl, "JESUS CHRIST!" (Yo shouda 'ere she bauwl)

Take time Barnie,

Ya you better, take time Barnie.

So when it's 12' o'clock,

He'll come of his box (Ma 'e come-out a em box)

He'll fly around the town and you'll see him come around,

And then disappearing in a tall black gown,

They don't call me 'The Count' for nothing,

Biting like The Count, Dracula Ah, Ah, Ah.

They say his eyes get redder and his ear start drither,

His teeth get longer and they get starstruck, (Star fell struck.)

When they fall upon the scene, you hear a girl start screaming, (When de faoul upon da scene, e're gyal start screame)

So take time Barnie, ya you better take time Barnie

Out the candle, take off your bangle (necklace),

Turn your neck at the right angle,

Yeah, he's the best of the business, ( 'Im a de bessie na ne de busni)

Barnie will chew your neck like a wrigleys' (Barnie chew yo neck like a wringlee - Wrigleys' are chewy toffee-like candies)

Me say, he come upon the Chapel to check se da lord,

But what he really wanted was a pint of blood,

Say Barnie's not a rift or a picket on fire,

Barnie is a wicked and dreadful vampire,

So take time Barnie,"

For those of you who want to compare it to the slightly clearer, slower recording: 'Ere is is!! Clicky Clicky.

And given the month, I've also decided to make this a bit of a learning experience about mythical creatures that I've come to know from one side of my cultural heritage. The roots of my family come from experiencing farm life within sugar cane plantations where it was very easy to get lost. A lot of the mysticism comes from South American Aboriginal Natives, the freed African slaves, abundance of French immersion as well at Indian culture. So basically a boiling pot of folklore inspired from different races.

The most popular creature is the Soucouyant or Suckuya told from those of French/African roots, who lives as an old woman by day but sheds her wrinkled skin and puts it in a pestle at night. She usually lives around the edge of a village and has sold her soul to the devil to suck on the blood of big animals and human legs. She flies in the shape of a fireball looking for victims and can enter houses through keyholes, cracks or crevices this way. It's said that if she drinks all of a humans blood till death, she can assume their skin during only that same night.

In order to kill a Soucouyant one must enter the old hags' home when she has left for feasting and sprinkle salt on her human skin until it starts to shrink, thus making her unable to fit back into it and die in the morning.

Old people talk: If you wish to discover who the Soucouyant is empty 100 lbs of rice at the village crossroads where she will be compelled to pick them up, one grain at a time - that is how you'll know the identity of the being.

Nowadays in Trinidad, if somebody walks around with a hickie (soukie) on his neck, he may get remarks from his friends like: " Eh, Eh, Soucoyant suck yuh or wha ? " They also inspire costumes for Halloween.

A Chooryle is the spirit of a pregnant woman who died in childbirth or committed suicide during. She has long, unbound hair usually covering her face. She dresses in white and holds a bloodied unborn fetus or a crying newborn baby in her arms. In the night she wails as her child cries for milk she doesn't have. If she holds an unborn fetus she gets unsuspecting victims by waiting until the dead of night and making the sound of a crying child outside of a window. Anyone who looks out of the window will be taken with her.

She watches very enviously and will continuously follow a pregnant woman for months until ultimately possessing her. It is said that she is the reason for miscarriages but depending on her jealousy can try to rip out the child out of the womb through possession. Each Chooryle is different with their own personalities though all just as erratic. If a Chooryle sees a man abusing his wife or neglecting his children, she will find a way to kill him, the woman being less likely to get possessed if she comes from such a household. Originating from those of East Indian heritage.

Silk Cotton Trees are regarded with much awe, reverence and fear as they are believed to have spirits and ghosts closed within. It can grow to a height of more than 200 feet and its widely spreading branches often forms a crown measuring 140 feet in diameter. They are used to make coffins though it's rare to ever see anyone completely cut the whole tree down in fear that a resident spirit may go free. It is known as the Devil Tree by Aborigine's. The trees are huge enough to fit the homeless so it's not a rare sight to see them living underneath the roots. It is said that if a Witch Doctor puts a nail through a Silk Tree, he can summon an evil spirit to rip the soul out of a persons body and trap them into the very tree.

• Do not pass a knife or pepper to anyone- it will cause you to have an argument with them.
• Always turn your back to the inside of the house when opening the door at night, that way the spirits that have followed you home, will see your face and will not enter.
• Never say a child is heavy - only dead people are heavy.
• If you want to see a spirit, put wax from a dog's eye into yours.
• A brown spider in your house, means you will get money.
• If the palm of your right hand itches, you will lose money. If the palm of your left hand itches, you will gain money.
• A butterfly in the house means good luck
• If you play with your shadow, you will get bad dreams.
• When someone close to you dies, cover all the mirrors in your house with black cloth until after they are buried, otherwise you will see them in it.
• If your right eye jumps, you will see someone you have not seen in a long time.

Happy Halloween to all my lovely followers!

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

Tagged by Hobowithcanfood. I know I've also been tagged with a profile piece but yeah, I'm stretching that one. Sorry guys, I've just been either too busy working or too busy playing some awesome games. So here goes nothing and yeah, I really mean nothing. My schedule this month is rather boring!

Currently Playing:

• Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag (I've pretty much had myself ready for this and Watch Dogs but considering the delay my chill time is pretty open these days.)
• Last of Us (Started up pretty late on this one.)
• The Wolf Among Us

Anticipating:

Considering that I have little interest for anything coming out until a little bit later, I'll probably be getting my PS4 during the release date of Infamous: Second Son.

• Young Justice: Legacy
• The Walking Dead: Season 2

And I won't be getting it but Crimson Dragon seems very interesting!

• Frost Burned - The Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs

Finally got it, hopefully it's as good as the rest of the series. Pretty much the best werewolf series ever, it's consistent with the perfect balance of action, drama, plot and yes, a bit of romance that isn't eyerolling.

• The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Haven't read it yet but it definitely has my interest. Gaiman knows how to write stories for all ages and this one so far sounds impressive from what I have heard from friends and reviewers alike.

• And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

If it's anything like his other novels than I'm bound to cry reading this. Either way I always get excited to read books from Khaled. Been out since a while ago but I'm finally setting up time to read it this month.

• Thor 2: The Dark World

I had the chance to watch this movie last month but since the time was not in tune with my schedule I gave away the pretickets to two strangers in Tim Hortons. Was happy to see their shining faces!

• Man of Tai Chi

It's been out already but I've been meaning to watch it this month. Excited!

• Skip Beat 205+

Probably the only manga I still keep up to date with these days, because it's consistent. I admit I've fallen behind reading Fairy Tale. Not to mention Naruto and Bleach is shit these days. One Piece is still great but I prefer it in anime.

Books finished this month:

• Assassins Creed: Forsaken by Oliver Bowden

Finally finished reading, was wondering on writing a review about it but I'm not sure if anyone is particularly interested. Do give me a headsup if you are though I may just start writing one while it's still fresh in my mind.

• The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

A dark comic of short stories about life on Indian Reserves, with themes ranging from poverty, basketball, dancing, alcoholism and social stigmatization. For anybody that knows this book was developed into a movie called 'Smoke Signals.'

-

Is it okay not to tag anybody? Otherwise I tag Brambino!

Okay! Okay! I give, I give, I saw a field of flowers!

'Ello MyIGN. You guys should probably know mwuah already since I'm such an egotistical person with a heart of gold like that. Anyways the lovely CristaCookie tagged me to my total and utter surprise - so major kudos and huggles to her. There has been a lot of introductions happening around as of late (however great or annoying that may be) so I guess I was bound to get infected. I admit I had this finished a long time ago, I just was too lazy to press the publish button. I recall two other people tagging me as well...

Also big walloping thank you to Jose for the idea and just about everything else. One of the nicest dudes I know and has had the privileged of meeting here. I only have a great immense amount of love for him, so follow this man. Even till the ends of the earth! EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU. And no pictures of me-self this time, but you'll see me in Nicki's Rapidfire someday.

Warning: Random - unedited version hence a lot of rambling that isn't necessary.

This cute lil bugger is my treasure of a little brother, King. He's the sweetest most adorable thing ever. Given our age gap, I sometimes view him as my own child and I try to spend as much time with him as I possibly can. Life's too short.You can't beat this cuteness Ponkilo!

Real name: Mary Ann

Nicknames: Nita, Anita, Sayeda Warda, Tehzee, Tobey, Tiny Whyi-nii, Lady Devil, Madam, Ice Princess, Empress and all those other nicknames, you lovely people come up with.

Age: A tad bit crazy.

From: Alberta, Canada

Username: Assassinita

Reason behind username: It's simply an obvious mix between my nickname Nita and my personal affinity for Assassins Creed. Nothing too subtle.

Pet Peeves:

People that continuously argue with you even when they know that they are wrong.

People that can't accept others for who they are. 

People that are too negative and don't try to cultivate a level of happiness for themselves. It drags other people down.

People that like to point out others faults without knowing their own.

Men that think their biceps are the reason why the earth is still spinning. Damn, I like your hips okay!

Women that get offended when you tell them that you're not necessarily a "feminist." I am for the rights of all. Beejeezus!

Gossip in the workplace, super annoying.

Girls that say ALL men with facial hair are ugly...not true.

Catchphrases: 

"It's a state of mind."

"BLAM WABAM!"

"Have some strength of character!"

"Hahaha,"

" -it's only how much you make of it."

"BOOM!"

"Touch me again and I cry ambiguous racism!"

"Ca-ca-caramel!"

" *insert comment here*, eh?" (Because I write as I speak.)

"Never too young, never too old until you can't laugh."

Gaming background: Started with some major ass-kicking with the Fighter game-genre, arcading and PS1, PS2. Never considered myself a gamer until I actually bought a PS3 with my own money, more so out of curiosity at the start of it all. I had already played a decent amount on the DS and PC, but yeah gaming was never my main interest until recently so I had been playing a good deal before concluding it as a part of myself.

Top 5 games: 

Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear Solid 3, Fire Emblem 7: Blazing Sword, Assassins Creed II and a tie between Kingdom Hearts II/ King of Fighters 2000.

Favorite genre: Action/Adventure though my guilty pleasure is definitely something strategic or puzzle based.

Current consoles:

• Soon to have PS4
• PS3
• PS Vita
• PC
• DS
• PSP
• Gameboy Advance SP
• PS2
• PS1
• GBA
• GBA SP

Favorite Console:

Has to be my PS3, it's my baby.

Favorite Game Series: Assassins Creed, Fire Emblem, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken, Persona, King of Fighters, Kingdom Hearts and Uncharted.  Favorite Game Story: Telltales' The Walking Dead definitely pulled the heartstrings and is extremely engaging. Everything from the graphics to the choices really sets the tone for the storytelling. If not that than Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones, each and every character propels the story forward through insight to their lives and the music only amplifies the dire situations within the grueling plot. You can't help but care for all of them as if you are right in the war with them. 

Favorite Game Everyone Should Play: Red Dead Redemption, bottom line is that there isn't a game that flawlessly preforms and amplifies the concept of a self-made man despite the tribulations that come to him and the fact that all he inevitably wants is peace for his family.

Favorite Multiplayer: I've never been much of a multiplayer person given the fact that I usually don't have time for it but I really enjoyed it in Assassins Creed: Revelations and the first Uncharted.

Favorite Gaming Addiction: Peggle, Bejeweled and Zoo Tycoon.

Favorite Gameplay: Mass Effect 2

Gamertags:

• PSN - CyberPrimaE

Video game crush:

Altair from Assassins Creed.

Fran from Final Fantasy XII.

Hobbies: Gaming, Temporary Body Tattooing, Writing, Reading, Drawing/Painting, Listening to Music, Dancing, Horseback Riding, Hiking, Swimming, Cooking and of couse, Hockey. I'm pretty sure I'm missing something else but either way I'm always keeping myself busy. Also if spending time with my sisters and youngest brother is considered a hobby then I'll add that. They keep me happy, don't know what I'd do without them. Not that my other siblings don't, but they're special.

Traveling: I love exploring different countries and have been to a few places that I'll never forget because the memories are something I treasure very deeply. I think it's crucial for people to travel, it's a relaxing and learning experience - it truly opens your mind up to many different things. One of my best memories till this day was going cross-country driving from my city all the way to Toronto by car with my older brother. Just three more hours and we could have gone to Montreal but instead we swooped down to North Carolina.

I also go back "home" to Indonesia where half of my family still lives, if you haven't been I will steadily recommend that you do. You have the beach and right beside it, the mountains and the rainforests. Absolutely beautiful. Plus there is the skywalk, which is a glass staircase that goes straight into the sky where you can get an aerial view of the landscape and return back by hand-gliding, parachuting or just walking back down the stairs. If you want to ride Elephants than I recommend Bali as the place to go.

I also lived in Egypt for a good 5 months and a 1/2, some of the happiest moments of my life to be honest and my favorite place I have been to so far. I was only supposed to be there for a month but the time magically stretched. I couldn't get enough of the people and the cheap T-Bone/Rib-eye steaks. Actually standing in front of the pyramids and going in just completely humbles you. The Nile is also a sight to behold. I vividly remember my last day there crying and laughing at the same time because it was the first time I ever saw it rain and getting drenched in a hot shower was a touching goodbye.

Japan was another spot that I must go back to. Basically hung around Tokyo and towns beside because I didn't have enough time to adventure elsewhere. The culture there still has it's imprint but holds the perfect infusion of modern. There is literally a restaurant themed of everything under the sun, I completely recommend the Capcom one - if only for the experience. I got lost but it was amazingly fun to talk to people with body language and the basic Japanese phrases that I knew. I want to go back to Yokohama and Okikawa for sure.

Other places I hope to go to in the future is Italy, Turkey, France and I could go on and on but I'll leave it at that.

Favorite food: Any Spicy dish of Chicken. Lamb Steaks.

Favorite drink:

Cream Soda or Chai Tea.

Favorite dessert: 

Good 'ole Cheesecake. Or Chocolate Lava Cakes.

Favorite movies:  I should really hate this question, there are just too many to mention! The Last of The Mohicans, Emerald Forest, Braveheart, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Primal Fear, The Mad Max Trilogy, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Murder In The First, Wolf, White Squall, Edward Scissor-hands, Corpse Bride, Fist of Fury, Return of the Dragon, The Crow, Thinner, Unforgiven, Gran Torino, Gladiator, 13th Warrior, Jurassic Park, Man Without a Face, The Avengers, Men in Black, Avatar, Dances With Wolves, Ferris Bullers' Day Off, Beauty and The Beast, The Road to El Darado, Aladdin, Tangled, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, ETC.

Favorite shows: Spartacus, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, LOST, Law and Order, Bones, Firefly, The Vampire Diaries, Scandal, Misfits, Murdoch Mysteries, Arctic Air, How I Met Your Mother, Hannibal, Prison Break, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Voice, Dexter, Castle, Beast Wars, the whole Power Ranger Series, The Practice, Into the West, The Waltons, Happy Days, Maverick, Bonanza, etc. Still need to take up Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy. I'm currently watching Sleepy Hollow and I'm really enjoying it.

Favorite Anime/Cartoons: Samurai Champloo, Eureka Seven, AIR, Kanon, One Piece, Avatar The Last Airbender, Martin Mysteries, Digimon Series, Yu-Gi-Oh series, Gintama, Deathnote, Inuyasha, Tiger and Bunny, Metabots, Skip Beat, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Bleach, Hajime no Ippo, Eyeshield 21, Trigun, Ruroni Kenshin, Berserk, etc.

Favorite music: 

I listen to at least something from every genre, I could fill up a whole book so whatever.

Slipknot, Disturbed, Marilyn Manson, Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, Limp Bizkit, AFI, Korn, Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park, Fallout Boy, Coldrain, Simple Plan, Micheal Jackson, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, U Roy, I Roy, The Lone Ranger, Simon and Garfunkel, Passenger, Rob Thomas, Matchbox Twenty, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, The Police, Air Supply, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, The Beatles, CCR, John Denver, Eminem, Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Crystal Kay, Beyonce, Ciara, Nicki Minaj, Marianas' Trench, Hedley, The Wanted, Nancy Ajram, Tarkan, Don Omar, Milk and Honey, Ebit G. Ade, BIG BANG, Maximum the Hormone, FLOW, OneOKRock, Uverworld, etc.

Favorite books/ comics:

The 1001 Arabian Nights, Sherlock Holmes Series, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Odyssey, Dracula, A Song of Ice and Fire, Spawn Comics, The Darkness, X-Men, Thor, Batman, Bounce, Assassins Creed: The Fall.

Favorite MyIGN event: Any sort of flashmob wall-party hosted by Lunastark. Love ya girly.

Favorite blog: I honestly don't have a favorite. :/ But it would be hard to ignore the meaning 'That Pinnacle Point...' holds for myself.

Recommended Users:

Everyone and Leafeaterxx.

For all of you.

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

Despite their often disparaged reputation, television spin-off series are not always scoffing and low quality affairs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer birthed a favorite Angel, while with a bumpy first season managed to garner its own gradually; Cheers gave way to Frasier and Happy Days cultivated two great shows Laverne and Shirley and Mork and Mindy. Not to mention some entertainment like Daria are technically spinoffs based off of a spinoffs but are on point.

That being said, news of a beloved series planning to branch out into a completely different property has me on edge continuously. Hearing news about the prequel series, 'Better Call Saul' centered around Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman before he became Walter Whites' lawyer got me thinking. Sure, I love Saul just as much as anybody but he's not just a supporting character - he's also the "comic relief" on a decidedly serious program. This in turn would indicate that presumably the tone, style and length altogether will be removed from its predecessor. It's a particular transition that actually doesn't seem quite bad when you think about it. But the question is, would you want significant themes incorporated into a spinoff that reflect those of it is original inspiration? Surely some semblance of that are or should be reasons for spinoffs.

One of my favorite feel good sitcoms How I Met Your Mother has now transitioned an official show How I Met Your Dad set to pilot fall of 2014. The first episodes script will be written by Emily Spivey (Up All Night) as well as HIMYM original creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.

How I Met Your Dad will feature an entirely new cast of characters with the mother set to continue the premise of the previous series. Being in the same universe, it's obvious to see a possible crossover as the show hypothetically will follow the same timeline as HIMYM. It's difficult to argue with CBSs choice to greenlight such a project when their most monumental TV show comes to a close. The biggest positive to HIMYM was based incredibly on the castings effortless chemistry, so it still remains to be seen if the comedic stamp can remain and continue to lure fans with new leads. Of course, the creators behind How I Met Your Dad are both talented and so closely related to the original production that a sense of continuity between the two will be guaranteed.

Buuuzzzttt!!! Wrong, first mistake! It SHOULD be called "How I Met Your Father".

However Neil Patrick Harris and Colbie Smulders are arguably bigger draws than Josh Randor (Ted) himself. This is where I believe the new series will suffer greatly from a lack of Barney Stinson and risk appearing to “chase the dragon” if it tries to recreate him. Considering that CBS is in full meltdown it's not something far off.

I was concerned about the new series, The Originals starring the cynical Klaus from The Vampire Diaries at first - but the man has enough depth of character and charisma to gravitate his own series. While the story is fast, it's balanced and works. The tone has changed yet still feels like the universe is the same, it's dark and mature where TWD is about the coming of age and the goodness in people. However with an immense amount of great actors/actresses moving towards that show it inevitably leaves Vampire Diaries with a popularity drop. How does sacrificing in any way your original show startup make the Vampire Diaries mythos-culture better? There's a jump of unpredictability that can go both ways. It may be great now but can they truly keep the tempo of both shows?

Keep in mind the confirmations of "Girl Meets World" and a "Walking Dead" addition into the mix - there becomes a blur of when enough is enough and what truly means original narrative.

This is more of a discussional piece above all else. With so many spinoffs heading our way, it's obvious that some are bound to fail. Can spinoffs be considered original concepts now? Is the fact that there are so many spinoffs a good or bad thing?

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

This September when hearing the news of Assassins Creed III: Liberation getting an HD release into early 2014 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, it got me reminiscing.

Liberation was one of my main reasons for buying the Vita when it was first released and despite having shaky feelings on the prospect I ended up completely and utterly enjoying my experience. Yes the game had a good set of flaws but inevitably a lot of my apologetic behavior came from the fact that I fell in love with the protagonist, Aveline de Grandpré much more than I ever expected. She was enthralling in the sense that despite her not wearing the signature hood of all the Assassins she composed herself as one in an almost enigmatically mysterious way. Enthralled I just kept on playing and by the end of my journey I had already played her mainstory twice in less than a span of three months.

Coming from a staunch Assassins Creed fan from the very first game AC1, I wasn't the type that was clamoring for a female assassin like a lot of gamers. My standpoint remained thus - if they did decide to cast a female lead, where she was would matter, the history would matter and I didn't want them to just create one for the sake of satiating peoples' demands which in my opinion were unfair complaints. What mattered to me was for the protagonist to be fleshed out, to make sense, to be engaging and properly executed regardless of gender or race. (Notwithstanding the attachment I knew I would have for either if it came to it.)

So when Aveline's background description was relieved I had immediate fears. Would they be too afraid to take history by the horns? Were they going to be too politically correct? Would the fact that her being of mixed African race and a woman feel unrealistic in the time period? Was she likeable? In my mind they had already made the mistake of not including the signature hood into her character design. It made her stick out in a way that left me uneasy.

But it all changed as I went through her narrative, she began to mean things to me; some that I didn't even want to admit to myself for the longest time.

For one thing she's a female character free of most harmful sexual tropes (as well as "tropes" within the Assassins Creed franchise ex, prostitutes, dancers, etc) which greatly exudes the fact that she is first and foremost, an assassin. But she throughout the story represents many things, a woman, a daughter, a person of mixed heritage trying to find her place in 1700's society and someone that knows a part of her is missing.

Something I greatly adored was the fact that I found the perfect balance within her personality, femininity and character design. She's a hurt individual but Aveline's full of sass, wit, charm and seriousness when needed be. She's strong and stubborn in her beliefs in a way that truly reflects the sad circumstances of her story. And as a person of conviction isn't afraid to use intimidation to get what she wants but bittersweet in a way that life was pulling her in different directions of gray. Torn in the way of her inherited values and her own core beliefs. It was unpredictable in a way that it's partner, Assassins Creed III wasn't.

In terms of her wardrobe, her assassin clothing is functional, practical and doesn't have cleavage for the sake of titillation like many dishearteningly numbing AC fanart pieces. Yet her lady outfit clearly embraces her ladylike qualities in a way of class and manner that I can't help but have my respect for Ubisoft reach tenfold. It works and she's elegant. The prominence of the hidden blade is also something to be admired in comparison to the ACIII gameplay and it's easy to note that Aveline is a close combat fighter.

What shocked me was the fact that Ubisoft wasn't afraid to put the stops where they needed to, they didn't shy away from the poverty of people, social injustices and racial undertones. The fact that they strung it so well makes me nod a head in approval. It may not matter to some but I appreciate the fact that they don't ignore the plights of the time period despite how harsh they may seem under the oppression of racism. Some incidents are in your face such as the mere fact that the Spanish Templars are the main focal point pushing the capture of Louisiana and controlling the slave trade in New Orleans. The darkness of Avelines' birth even more cringing when reading her mothers diary who was a slave.

Others are an eyeglass into what it would truly be like for a dignified mulatto woman to live around those of fairer skinned company that don't truly accept her. Aveline never truly ever gets the rights to actually "own" her family company for example, even though the efforts of the work is done mostly by her and Gerald Blanc. In one sequence around the last half of Aveline's game where she enters a festive reception in the rich district at the Capitain's Ball, a guard asks permission to have a dance with her. Through the whispers of other guests you can hear a woman around the same age as Aveline make a comment that even though she knew Aveline since they were young; she's aghast at her presence. The woman clearly emphasis's the origins of Aveline's birth and Aveline doesn't make a single comment about it as said person is supposed to be an acquaintance of hers.

In the ACIV recordings, Aveline talks about the distasteful actions that men took towards her and how she had to deal with it, being cat called for example. The powerful part was how Aveline realized in retrospect that she didn't even come to see it because of how she was brought up and it was only until believing in freedom that she broke herself from it. Nevertheless you see her insecurities of wanting love and the curiosity of desiring a mans' touch which reflect those of a young woman brought up in the her time. However she had to focus on the Brotherhood, her behavior as the daughter of a nobleman and ultimately sacrificed that side of her social life for the greater good.

It's realistic in it's tone and she's realistic in the fact that no matter how far-fetched it may seem to have a woman of her heritage and gender to steer her own game, she's understandable and works with her premise well. For those who have played Liberation, yes, she does do justice to her representation. And yes, this game is for everybody.

However one main thing that truly disappointed me was on the fact relating to how she joined the Brotherhood, it's only mentioned and not truly shown which should be something crucial in every single AC installment. It's poorly done. Her journey to New York is very short and the introduction to Connor within her story is rather dry despite him being the main catalyst for her finding conviction in the Brotherhood despite her uncertainties. Her narrative ends in a very bittersweet way much like AC3 and there's no feeling of closure to her own genuine happiness. AC4's bonus of Aveline only adds to the fire. It's like foreholding a treat for a child and never actually letting them eat it. It's not a proper ending to anything with all her potential going to waste.

Nevertheless with the HD set to release this January 15th, 2014 with a complete graphical overhaul, remastered music, revamped gameplay and new missions I have hope that Ubisoft will learn from their mistakes and perfect ACIII: Liberation. I urge those to play this game and give her story a chance. In a sense one could call this a last ditch effort of mine before the game comes out but either way she deserves better than to be considered a sub-category.

I'm thankful that despite the reasons of her first conceptual role to be the lover of Connor Kenway to his installment, that the developers/writers felt invested with her enough to give her, her own game and stayed true to it. In a sense Aveline's in a safer spot than Connor considering that they still had the ability to add her as content in AC4 *SPOILER* not to mention being the decedent of Eve. *END SPOILER*

Whether this release will simply be a farewell to her story or a potential for Ubisoft to create more depth to her and dare I even say a sequel in the future; I am happy. Aveline de Grandpré is one of my heroes.

Thank you.

Also a special thanks to Amaltheaelanor for helping me sort my thoughts into this piece and ultimately being inspiration. You're one lovely lady.

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

So there's an infusion as per usual in terms of inspiration for this blog, Blue's amazing food pieces for one which all of you MUST read. Random mumblings that passed like a blur a couple of days ago with Yomama which I honestly can't remember in their entirety. My close friend who we shall name Peaches for the sake of simply giving her a suitable nickname and my mother's incessant monologue in my mind that determinedly tells me since I was twelve, "Mary Ann, you must learn how to cook. Take a part of me with you or else I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

She chuckles, "Well on second thought, I'll probably rest in my grave once you get a man - I don't want to see any of that." This is when I'm sixteen with a wink that makes me cringe.

"But you're so mala'as! Saya sakit hati." (But you're so lazy that it hurts my heart.)

Well first off mother, I'm offended that you think you're going to die really young. Seriously you should know that you'll have a long life judging on the sole fact that grandpa and grandma lived to be over 100+ years while still smoking cigarettes every morning. And secondly, you're right - thank goodness that I work otherwise I would be quite the couch potato. And third, I'm offended that you think you'll get a heart attack because of me.

Needless to say, I'm pretty content in where my food abilities are now in future present but there's always more to learn. It was Peaches sudden idea that she make a mini-portfolio of some of my food because she thinks, in her words, that my food is very "plateable and drool worthingly flirts with the camera." I just like to stick with the fact that she just wants to practice her photography and leave it at that.

Being mixed, I cook a huge selection of different foods and thanks to my sheltered upbringing - had the to live by the sole rule of knowing how to cook in order to create a good family ambiance for myself in my future. Because as my mother always says, "Home is where the heart is and the heart always needs food to thrive." Good point, mom, good point.

Yes, mother I'll wear something like this for my wedding dress - I get it.

I admit sometimes I don't understand my mother due to her growing up being much different than mine but we inspire each other in different ways. Indonesian cuisine is now my favorite food to cook and I make her enjoy life by taking her out shopping every now and then; and forcing her to watch The Walking Dead so we can have something to talk about later on. The theories she comes up with I tell you...

Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, with over 30 different languages and over 17,000 islands. Each island has it's own cuisine (as well as influences, such as Dutch, Chinese, Indian and Arabian) which makes it so hard for myself to topple and even touch the surface but I love the challenge. From refined dishes to spices, Indonesia offers one of the most diverse varieties of flavours of any nation. This includes famous classics such as Sambals, Sate Bakar, Rendang, Gule and much more. Main stays include the subtle flavours of lime, lemon grass, tumeric root, ginger and garlic. Add to that the special accents of red chilies and green chilies. Coconut also holds a huge station as most used ingredient.

So here goes nothing, photos are taken by Peaches - but you'll instantly be able to tell which ones are mine. They're horribly shot.

Selamat Makanan! (Good eating!)

This is Beef Lumpia (Spring Roll) with a sweet red chili vinaigrette sauce.

Lemper Ayam - a traditional steamed sushi-like sticky rice with cooked coconut chicken and lime inside wrapped in banana leaf.

Sayap Ayam Bakar - BBQ chicken wings with garlic sauce and shallots.

Rendang - If someone asked me for the most authentic dish from Indonesia; it would be this one. Rendang is a staple dish throughout most of the country and takes hours to make. Requires a lot of patience and slow cooking. It's basically tenderized coconut beef cubes in a rich sauce of grounded spices, ginger, galangal, turmeric leaves, shallots, garlic, cinnamon, lemongrass and chillis. It actually tastes better with time because of it's antimicrobial factors, yes, sounds weird but if made properly it can last four weeks and still taste like a mouthful of badass.

Kari Ayam - A rich full flavoured style of Indonesian Curry Chicken, garnished with crispy fried onions on top. It's out of this plate deliciousness.

Mie Goreng - Chicken and Shrimp Fried Noodles sided with Acar (Indonesian Colesaw - not to be mistaken as the pickled Pakistani/Indian stuff), Kurpuk (Shrimp Flavoured Chips) and an egg on top. Also tastes good with scallops and calamari.

Ayam Goreng Ibu Sari - A family special from my grandmother that's been passed down, don't let the dry outside fool you - it's packed with tender softness that is Fried Ginger Chicken.

Daging Masak Jahe - A crispy rendition of Ginger Beef. I usually add sesame seeds at the end for an added contrast but I didn't have any that day.

Nasi Lemak - This may just look like regular white rice to you but it's coated in coconut milk with a dash of salt. Simple but tastes like heaven.

Nasi Kuning - A savory yellow rice that is only lightly curried. The turmeric is what makes the color.

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And onto my horrible camera work, for an artist I can be pretty dumb on the angles and lighting sometimes. Please forgive me.

Pangsit Goreng - Minced chicken and shrimp wontons with carrots, green onions and a good dash of black pepper. The sauce is homemade peanut sauce made with baked and grounded peanuts with garlic and a good bit of vinegar.

Singkong Goreng - Fried Cassava, lightly spiced with garlic, salt, red pepper and a pinch of paprika. Cassava is a root that almost tastes like a mix of soft fries and sweet potato when fried.  When pounded it becomes a chewy extract called tapioca. Like the round balls found in Bubble Tea for example.

Soto Ayam - A coconut curry chicken soup with lime, bean sprouts, boiled egg, lime leaves, green chilies and a lot more tastefully awesome stuff. I actually took this one recently. Photo is dedicated to Blue. If I could teleport stuff through my microwave; you know I would.

Sambal Goreng Tempeh - Fried spicy Tempeh. Tempeh is a soybean cake that is filled with protein and is usually used as a replacement for meat in a vegetarian diet. It can be a bit bitter to some but with the chili paste sauce, it's not that recognizable.

Ayam Masak Kecap - A saucy chicken that uses a form and technique of caramelizing sweet soy sauce to get a thick richness and flavor with lime. Brown palm sugar is a nice secret touch to this recipe.

Udang Mantega - A delightful garlic, butter shrimp dish. I usually dislike shrimp but it's absolutely lovely here. It's a must to have red peppers and green peppers for the traditional inspiration.

Sambal Goreng Cumi - Also known as Sotong, this dish is an extremely spicy helping of squid with an assortments of grounded chillis turned into a paste that is then transferred to help create the main sauce for this recipe. Zing! Straight to your brain.

Kue Lapis Legit - I originally wanted to make a whole section for desserts but I was tired. Pronounced Kwe Lapiece Lageet - I like to replace Lageet with Legit; because that's what it totally is. I may be a sweet tooth but I do like a mild flavour more than the outright sweetness that is simply white sugar. This cake is a multilayered hazelnut and cinnamon cake. There are two techniques for making this cake: both of which are extremely time consuming. Each layer takes about an hour to make and can be peeled off once the product is finished, though it SHOULD be eaten like any normal cake. The first technique is the usual baking process. The second is steaming where you are continuously pouring one layer at a time, steaming it for an hour and then pouring another layer over the other until the process is finished. It takes a full day to make this as there are usually 13 - 17 layers each. And I know somebody wanted dessert, so *wink* that's for you buddy.

And so ends my sharing, hopefully some of you have already licked your electronic devices or computers - otherwise I'm doing something wrong. Meikmati! (Enjoy!)

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

So for this years, MyIGN Holiday Card Exchange the lovely Jade was paired with me! ^w^ I've been a bit of a stalker of hers admittedly but all that ever means is that I have a good taste in following people deeming her a royal, flavourful badass. (Follow her already if you haven't!!)

Anyways, without further ado she sent me this wonderful card.

First off, the girly in me so wants a gun that shoots sparkles like that. And secondly, can I also keep that hippo? It's adorable! Nonetheless most importantly thank you so much Jade! I love it! <3 Remember nothing is true and everything is permitted, even conquering the world with a massive pygmy hippo army and foot soldiers. Obviously the top Chief Sargent General would have to be a mofo Cape Buffalo but that's another story for another time.

Now Assassins, enjoy the winter and happy peanut butter jelly holiday times!

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

Dear Bestest Pick Me Upper,

I admit, I rushed this but it shouldn't stop you from plastering a smile on your face. I guess you already know that I'm pretty genuine when I write - you're awesome. There's a quirky half-smile on my face whenever I see your username on my screen. So here's to my terrible chicken scratch but I just knew that it came with the package of illustrating you in a taco space pod. I simply had to draw it.

The Lordess of Vector

My entry for MyIGN's 2013 Holiday Card Exchange. I got the ever so awesome host JoseOmatic and as I always say - I can't praise the dude enough. So I tried to do the best I could given the time constraint and that fact that I totally forgot about my studies getting in the way. It's super basic photoshop.

And remember keep your hearts up. Happy Holidays IGN-ers!

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

Before everyone makes a hubbub and says that Persona 4 should be the one on top, I will say - only if you're in Europe. Although this years releases for the Vita while not all that robust have been steady, I'm pleased. Sony is gradually utilizing the Vita's potential in a way that leaves me eagerly awaiting for what 2014 has in store. And for anyone that wants a reference for that development, I only need to point out Killzone: Mercenary and it's adaptation as a great handheld FPS that was able to capture the tone and true elements of the genre into something portable.

Having little attention toward the ever friendly LittleBigPlanet series despite playing LBP2 and mildly enjoying it, I had no intention of buying Media Molecule's Tearaway. However it was a friend who coaxed me into trying it and I don't regret it for a second.

Tearaway is about a messenger on a mission to deliver a unique message to the player, referred to by in-game characters as "the You" with yourself frequently appearing via live video (thanks to the Vita’s front camera) – as a quasi sun-like deity that floats in the heavens above a land of paper creatures. At the beginning of the game players can choose whether to play as the male character, Iota, or the female, Atoi, and navigate through a world constructed from paper to deliver the message. The player uses of many of the Vita's features to guide Iota or Atoi, and must battle with scraps, small enemies that try to prevent the delivery. They are quite aware and even a bit scared of the mysterious you, yet Iota/Atoi travel on an epic adventure nonetheless. During their travels they come across many inhabitants of this colorful papery world that need your help.

Everything about it is magical, entertaining and a true spectacle to behold. Not only are there so many things to be done within the game itself but Tearaway also blatantly shows off the creativity in taking the awkward uses of the Vita and flipping them in on it's head, especially the backscreen touchpad. It pulls everything to it's advantage, which is simple storytelling and a touch of bubbly, gameplay with a personality.

There's so many aspects of this delightful game that I could point out - from finding hidden storages of confetti (the currency of the game) to creating your own virtual papercrafting with scissors and layering to make complex creations. But the most important and highly satisfying one of all would be discovering white objects around the world filled with no detail, these items can be "brought to life" so to speak through the use of using Iota/Atoi's camera and taking pictures of them. These pictures become blueprints and instructions on how to make real life replicates of them that can be downloaded in PDF form. Through this you can make an actualized physical art project that goes beyond the game itself. You can create characters and background props from Tearaway and I'm interested in finding other peoples innovations and sharing my own.

Conceptually, Tearaway deserves a perfect score however they were a few gripes in terms of frame rate when it came to too many objects floating on the screen, and a couple dips in motion sensing - though not at all game breaking. If anything, I would complain that the game is too short (roughly 6 hours long) but that would be pushing it.

All in all, it's a remarkable game that every Vita owner should own and every platformer fan should play. A true testament to emotion and adventure that is for everyone. From graphics, narrative and music; Tearaway is awe inspiring and my favorite Vita game of the year.

Rating: 9.6/10

Assassinita, Mary Ann or simply Nita for short is your average Canadian lady incognito who loves hockey, traveling and a good laugh. With a playful personality and capricious hobbies, it's not hard to keep this one satisfied. But watch out for the blade, the bloodlust can make even the sweetest go mental...

*COUGH*

How long has it been? I'm thinking it's been around 6 - 7 months since I've last posted or replied to anything on IGN and knowingly being a part of the completely active side of MyIGN, I'm sure most you all noticed that I vamoosed like some assassin or something. But yes, it's true, I totally abandoned you guys but I have perfectly legitimate reasons. And, no I was not on a super top secret mission to go assassinate someone, I'm not that cliche! I swear! (Even though that sounds super awesome and fun.) Mind you, I'd rather not talk a lot about what I've actually been going through in excruciating detail. Good news is that I'm back afterall right? To top it off, since my absence I notice that I'm still getting new users to follow me, to which I have no clue why, but you won't see me complaining.

I did however suffer a big financial blow that's pretty much left me broke amidst losing one job and quitting two, though those aren't even the reasons why I've lost a lot of greens to begin with. I admit there was a certain period in-between my not being here, where emotionally and mentally I literally felt my brain miss a few slides in my animation wheel. I pride myself in facing everything with a tenacity and veracity that honestly kept me very strong inside. You get back up again stronger than you ever thought you could be, and stay true to yourself even if you may have to compromise a few things. However there were times where I literally felt like I had no soul, and wasn't thinking straight. I never felt truly broken though because I don't believe in being unhappy and not content in one's life despite shortcomings. I'm happy to a fault.

Another thing that really gave me a hard time was gaining guardianship over my 19 year old severely autistic mute brother. Something that usually takes half an hour to sign a document, became a back and forth dialogue between myself and the court because they had initially rejected my papers. Thankfully all that's settled though and it's been smooth sailing on that end.

The biggest thing I had to juggle with was balancing my own cultural identity between my own individuality. Learning what to take and what to leave, my family is really conservative and follows a strict moral code of ethics, yet also keeps true to very traditional, sometimes extremely narrow-minded sort of thinking. It's been a clash, that's overbearing but will always be something I have to face. The past month I had to realize that I'm very proud of where I come from but more so, who I am as an individual. Yes, I'll always coin the term "back home" as Trinidad, India or Indonesia though my birthplace will always be Canada. In an anthropological perspective, it's a natural inclination to be proud of where you originated from as the people before represents a part of your legacy of where you stand today and their success. Especially so, when your parents are first generation immigrants. But if I have to forgo my identity as a Canadian for the more dominant one in my racial/religious community and be oppressed by it, then no, fuck that because first and foremost I'll always be a born Canadian. If I did otherwise, I'd be sentencing myself to life as some stupid, random, second class citizen. Fuck that.

What I went though, is something a lot of people who don't have big families and such, never need to go through but everyone's given their own sort of endeavors to deal with. Honestly, I believe we were all made differently anyways, because if we were all made equally, we'd only all be good for the same thing. We all need difference because that's what builds a whole society since we balance one another in our experiences and inexperience.

I ended up losing a lot of friendships and I'm unapologetic in that regard. There's no shame in leaving people behind that don't care about you or are a waste of time. Because whether online or not, there are some people that will become your friends and some friends that will just become people. It's the natural thing in life.

For all the new folks that have joined MyIGN, congrats, enjoy this place while you can because I sure as hell did. (SHOUT OUT, to Lucy and Bob; I know you guys aren't here anymore but I still miss and love you guys dearly.) I got a lot of e-mails from people practically begging me to come back (courtesy of giving out my e-mail I guess, which I don't regret but was actually surprised at the amount of people that really cared. And for the few of you youngíns who call me a role model and inspiration. Please just, no, I'm only human. But thank you kindly.)

As for what I've been doing now, pretty much being the same Renaissance woman I've always been. Talking to people about my experiences on life, walking away, having people say "Wow, that was a neat gal," and them not seeing me ever again. Haha, I decided to show my face again here though! Mind you, I will be away for most of next month again because of the three festivals I'll be working at. Lots of running around, I know I did write a blog about one rather extensively here on IGN. They also asked me to be on TV to promote their festival so we'll see if that goes through and if it does, I'll try to see if I can find the video and post it here.

The next thing I've been doing by keeping busy is sharing my love for hockey and actually using my knowledge to do something for others. I've been working at a help fund for adolescence and kids to play in official hockey leagues, and try to complete their dreams of playing in the field on a professional level. It's one of the most expensive sports in the world, so basically setting up projects to gain money and awareness for families in constant financial constraints, which is like 75% of what happens to most families. They push their sons really hard but have to stop just because it's way too expensive. It's seriously silly because so many people with actual talent just can't succeed due to the amount of money being pushed into the industry that apparently everyone needs to adhere to. We recently had a thing called "Fivehole for Food" where we play hockey to raise money for homeless and young kids.

Been also blog writing in a hockey community, following stats and watching analytics. It's interesting, though in that kind of field there's not a lot of women so it can be annoying at times to get in peoples heads that I actually know what I'm talking about when I elaborate on valid topics. Mostly keeping tabs on up in coming farm teams in North America and Europe (AHL, KHL) for the Western Conference Division. It's been a heck of a lot of fun, though super tiring. The mathematical parts of it with all the numbers is what tends to get lost on me.

All in all, I'm still struggling but it's nothing compared to what I was going through when I left.

So yeah, your sexy Mary Ann, Anna, Queen Lady of the North, Nita, Empress, MA, Maryam, Empress is back! HAH.

Another Note: Kat bring on the blogs that I've missed. Because you bet your ass I'm goin ta read ém all and comment, sweetheart. Anyone one else that in particular wants a comment from myself on their previous blogs, be my guest and link it here. I'll be glad to read them! ^_^