- The forgotten side of racism - Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Thank goodness I am somewhat anonymous on this thing, because I can finally mention something about this. Nicolae has often brought this up, but because I'm usually at work when he mentions this, I really can't respond due to the political correctness that my job entails. First off, a disclaimer--I realize that as with everything, there are exceptions to the rule. I know that there are great people in all ethnicities, but there are some that really ruin the view of their race and culture as a whole. How many times has racism been called out when something happens and a people group is unhappy with it? African-Americans cry out the injustices of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Uncle Remus Tales (which, in my own little mini-rant on that, why the heck are you guys upset with it? True, dialect is used in the tales, and you have the Tar Baby and all, but Uncle Remus himself OUTSMARTS THE WHITE SLAVE OWNER!!! I figured some would be proud of that little tidbit!), and they say, "Oh, our people have been oppressed, and so the white man should pay back what is ours!" I'm sorry, unless you are 150 years old and up, then yes, you do deserve the couple acres of land and a mule, but don't start talking about how oppressed you are when you're driving around your souped-up Escalades, Tahoes, and BMWs and almost bursting my eardrums while I'm sitting in my little Toyota at a stoplight. There was a time in college, when I was going to the cafeteria for dinner, and across the street from the cafeteria, there was a group of at least 50-75 African-Americans standing around, and while they weren't necessarily doing anything, their presence was threatening to me, because they were lined up across the sidewalk, with no signs or anything. Just standing there. Is that to make white people learn how you supposedly "feel" about us? I have no idea. And don't say you want to live in the United States and get money from others doing jobs that we Americans don't want to do, but wave your red, white, and green in front of our faces and refusing to recognize the country that you're living in! Ever think that maybe if you didn't come over and agree to work for less, then maybe some Americans WOULD take those "unwanted" jobs! Don't say that it's all "the white man" that wants you out--hello, some of us are trying to support you and comfort you at a time that you're concerned that you'll be kicked out! And why not do things the legal way and go through the citizenship process? "Oh, it's all the red tape and it takes forever" you say. Well, hello, I was brought up being told that I had to WORK to get rewards. Nothing's free except salvation. And while white people are accused of being racist, some of the minorities have shown that they are more racist than us! Look at Oprah Winfrey. Yes, she's successful, and she has done some good in this world, and that's great, but she certainly favors African-Americans instead of ALL AMERICANS! America has been called the melting pot, because people from everywhere came together and aspects from different cultures came together to make the American culture. But nowadays, I see that some people want to be here and receive all the great things from the US, but they don't want to truly become American. I really loved what Morgan Freeman had to say in an interview; when asked something about being African-American, he said, "I am not African-American. I am American!" THANK YOU, MR. FREEMAN! Okay, this probably sounded completely politically incorrect and probably racist, but mind you, I'm not a racist. There have been people of all ethnicities that I have loved in my life, but I hate the separation and the double standard that is placed before us. We cannot say anything that is against a person of a different ethnicity (such as "nigga" or "wetback") even if they use the term themselves, but people of another race can call us "cracker"? No, I'm sorry, but it doesn't work that way! It's all about human decency and fairness. I know, life isn't fair. But c'mon, can't we at least drop the cultural classifications and just be plain American? ::steps down from soap box and waits to be lynched::

posted by Christina Moore @ 5:51 PM [[ 1 comments ]]

- Less talkey, more drivey of the drivey-machine! - Thursday, April 20, 2006 Ladies and gentlemen, steers and queers, today I will shamelessly promote two of my favorite webcomics. The first is megatokyo (http://www.megatokyo.com). This has been around for several years now (over 5 to be exact) and it's basically the antics of two young American men stuck in Tokyo and the antics and craziness that thus ensues with two young American men being stuck in a cosmopolitan place. I first discovered this through my friend, Tim, who got started on them with the now published manga. I started reading them and loved the wittiness as well as the artwork, which has matured over time. Plus, I love Miho (the chick in my weblayout) who is the "gothic" hacker chick who likes to mess with people's minds, just because she's a "gothic" hacker chick who likes to mess with people's minds. In the past week, I've started reading Applegeeks (http://www.applegeeks.com), which has some of the same dry humor and classic one-liners (my subject is one of the precious gems from the webcomic). It's starting to develop more of a storyline now, but thus far it's been a few vignettes with a blossoming romance and the building of a "MacGirl"--don't ask, you just have to find out for yourself! That is all for tonight, folks. May your dreams remain unbroken.

posted by Christina Moore @ 7:36 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- My Pig Personality--and no, I'm not Miss Piggy! - Tuesday, April 18, 2006 Okay, I'm a sucker for personality tests just to see if people really can get inside my head and figure me out--and I feel for any one who tries to do so! Anyway, this one was interesting. http://www.freaknfunny.com/files/upload/draw-a-pig.swf Okay, have you gone to it? Have you got your results? You better, because I don't want my results giving you ideas. Okay, you sure you have them? Huh? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya? (I love Finding Nemo ! ^_^) Okay, then, let's proceed. First, here's my pig: Okay, now that you are finished laughing at my lack of drawing ability--hey, I have an excuse, I was using a touchpad!!!--these are my results. * Toward the middle of the frame, you are a realist (I guess I am, sorta...though I'm also a big dreamer) * Facing left, you believe in tradition, are friendly, and remember dates (Okay, I can see somewhat the tradition, though some traditions are stupid, and yeah, I can be friendly, but I don't always remember dates) * With few details, you are emotional and naive, you care little for details and are a risk-taker (Okay, I completely agree with the emotional part, and yes, I'm fairly naive, details I can say yes to, but risk-taker, not really. I'm way too shy to take risks) * With 4 legs showing, you are secure, stubborn, and stick to your ideals. (Somewhat yes, definitely yes, and most definitely yes!) * You are a good listener. (So I've been told.) * You have a good sex life. (DO WHAT?!?! Umm, my sex life is nonexistant, so how the crap did that end up getting there, unless I have multiple personalities and my evil, much sexier personality is getting some action when I'm asleep.) I will come back later with some sort of great ponderance or rant or whatever...we'll have to wait and see. So, champagne wishes and caviar dreams--though that won't amount to much since I don't drink champagne and the THOUGHT of caviar makes me want to hurl. P.S. Ash, if you see this, you need to tell Alexander to get the comments back on your blog. My comment on your latest post is I'm glad to see that you wrote something, congrats on you and Nic's 1 year anniversary (that's so sweet! ^_^), and you're JUST now discovering Megatokyo? You poor, depraved child! You are in for a wonderful l33t treat! I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the 4th book in June, and you'll have to tell me your reaction to it.

posted by Christina Moore @ 3:55 PM [[ 1 comments ]]

- The Forgotten Hell--Jury Duty - Monday, April 17, 2006 Well, I missed work today due to jury duty, which was something else! I've served on a city jury before, but this was my first county jury summons. I was supposed to show up at 8:30 a.m., and my well-meaning family told me that I should get there very early to get a good parking spot. So I got up at 5:15 a.m., left at 6, and showed up at 6:30--way too early! It gave me some time to read and all, and then we finally got called in. It was almost 10 when they finally called my group. We were told to report back at 1 p.m. So I got a few errands done and worked out, grabbed lunch, then headed back. We finally got in the courtroom after 1, and we went through the whole voire dire. The prosecution took over an hour, we had a 20 minute break, then came back for more questioning. We were dismissed about 5, 5:15, and we weren't called back in until after 6. After much nail-biting, the twelve jurors and 2 alternates were called, and I was not on the list--THANK YOU LORD!!! And on top of all that, my sinuses are acting up, so I'm extremely stuffed up, can't breathe well, and I'm sure I sound really funny. My coworkers and clients should love me tomorrow... Well, have a great evening! I'm going to become dead to the world.

posted by Christina Moore @ 5:54 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- A Semi-Normal Entry - Saturday, April 15, 2006 Okay, I've inundated y'all with Fujikage Journeys, so I'll give you a bit of a break with a regular entry. Not much going on with me--reading Red by Ted Dekkar. It's the second entry in a trilogy that's a mix of biological thriller and Narnia. Very interesting. I have to report for jury duty Monday, which I guess is okay, but I've got to get up at the butt crack of dawn so I can be down at the courthouse to get a fairly good parking spot. Don't know what to expect, but I'll just have to wait and see. Friendship ties have been severed between myself and someone who I had known for almost 6 years. It was tough, but I've found that it's been for the best. He's certainly not who I thought he was, and I'm now noticing things about him that occured over the past several years. But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20. Well, enough bugging you. I know, trivial post, but oh well. I hope all of you have a wonderful Easter!

posted by Christina Moore @ 2:21 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- Fujikage Journeys Chapter Two--it finally comes to an end! - Wednesday, April 12, 2006 Okay, here's the last of the second chapter. It may take me a little bit to write the third chapter--I've been sidetracked by the need to write a story to serve as a catharsis for my anger, which none of you will ever see, I'm sure. It's horrible, thus far, completely unorganized. Well, enjoy, and I'll be back with a normal post some time in the near future. ~*~*~ The sisters arrived at the bus depot. After grabbing their tickets, they sat down on a bench until their bus was called. Across from them sat a curled up body, shuddering with sobs. A small mop of chestnut brown hair rested on top of two small knees that were wrapped by equally small arms. The toes of the child’s blue tennis shoes slightly hung over the edge of the seat. Unable to resist the crying child, Kasandora went over and placed her hand on the feet. A startled "Huh?" escaped the little boy’s mouth. His cheeks were red from his crying, and the corners of his eyes held tears that had not yet been shed. Kashi was most taken aback by the boy’s eyes; even though they were almost black, there was a fire in them, a light shining in the dark brown irises. She involuntarily gasped, but regained her composure. "Hey there, what’s your name?" The child sniffled a little bit then shyly answered, "Ohashi Iraija." He looked to be about ten or eleven and very upset. "What’s wrong? Where are your parents?" Kashi asked. Surely his parents were around the depot. "My parents are dead," he said quietly. "I’m trying to reach some family south of here, but I don’t have any money." "We’re going south, too, and you can come with us if you’d like–" "KASHI!" Deina hissed. The youngest sister turned around to see her sister furiously motioning to her; she returned to her older sister. "What do you think you’re doing? If you think I’m going to pay for some strange kid to come with me, you are CRAZY!" Deina whispered. "But the kid needs our help!" Kashi hissed back. "And you won’t have to worry about paying for his fare. I will pay for it out of my own money." "You are stupid if you think I am going to help pay your way when you run out of money!" Kasandora was tempted to give in, but Iraija needed them. She could feel it. "Not all of that money is yours–some of it is Father’s!" Deina knew Kasandora had a point. And her sister knew it, because her face lit up and she rushed back over to the little boy. "Hey, I’m going to pay for your ticket, and you can ride with us. Will that be okay, Iraija?" A smile lit up the tear-streaked face. "Sure! Thank you, miss!" "Oh, you can call me Kashi!" And the two walked over to the ticket counter to pay his fare. Deina crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head. "Bus 35 to Kian-su is now boarding," the omnipresent voice crackled over the P.A. system. Deina stood up, grabbing her bag and placing the katanas at her sides. "Let’s go, Iraija!" Kasandora said, grabbing the child’s hand after he placed his backpack on his shoulders. The three strode to the bus, Deina leading the pack. Just as she stepped onto the vehicle, the driver stopped her. "Nuh-unh, you can’t come on, honey." Deina placed her hands on her hips, a defiant motion and somewhat difficult with the swords. "What do you mean? I paid my fare." "You may have paid your fare, honey, but there’s no way I’m allowing you on this bus with those things!" The driver pointed to the weapons at her sides. "How do I know you’re not going to hijack the bus, or something?" "Sir, I promise you," Kasandora cut in, "she will not do anything to harm anyone." "Look, no weapons on busses, and that includes you, Miss Blue Hair. Now, you either leave your weapons outside, or you leave me alone and find some other way to go where you need to go!" Deina looked like she was about to go back on Kasandora’s statement about not harming anyone, but this time Iraija stepped forward. "Miss, he does have a point. Besides, you both look like you can handle yourselves in walking. You will be fine." Deina did a double-take at this child who seemed so confident of what he said. "Well, at least you can get to where you need to go," Kashi told Iraija. "I hope that you are able to get to your family safely." "Actually…" Iraija paused, and looked back and forth at Kashi and Deina. "I really don’t want to travel on the bus all by myself. Do you think I can go with you? I’d really like the company." Immediately, Kashi turned to Deina, giving her the only look that really worked on her older sister—the terrible, horrible, puppy-dog eyes. Her little sister’s eyes seemed to get about three times larger, and tears would well up along the lower rim of her eyes. The look was so pitiful that Deina had to say yes in order to get the image out of her sight. "Okay, okay," Deina said. "But he’s not my responsibility!" So the three turned around, went through the depot, and back outside to start their journey once again, but this time on foot.

posted by Christina Moore @ 5:06 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- And once again, Fujikage Journeys Chapter 2--it never ends!!!!! - Tuesday, April 11, 2006 Deina had most of her things packed before she mentioned the trip, so all she had to do was finish. She reached in the closet and got out a black, sleeveless duster. She had obtained this from a friend who was involved in questionable activities; he gave her the coat as a birthday gift, and it had all sorts of pockets and holsters inside it. As she pulled her arms through the duster, she quickly walked to her father’s study. "Now where is that key?" she muttered. She checked on top of the desk and in all the drawers that were unlocked, but she couldn’t find it. Deina looked around the room, racking her brain, trying to remember where she had seen her father had put it. She looked to the bookshelf. Of course! Standing on her toes, she reached for a book; opening it, she found what she was looking for. The hidden compartment had not only the key, but their father’s secret stash of cash. Taking the key, she opened the locked desk drawer and found what she was looking for. Her father kept three guns, but after he got sick, he put them all in the same place, something that Deina didn’t understand. She took the largest of the three and placed it in the holster on her right side. The second largest gun was able to fit easily in a holster on her left side. But there was a problem with the smallest of the guns, which really was small. She picked it up; she could tuck it in her ankle, but that would be bad if it went off accidentally. She already had a gun at both sides. She finally just tucked the gun into the back of her pants, hoping that it would be safe there. Why didn’t he ever teach me how to handle these things? Nevertheless, Deina felt that she may need them. Now she was ready...she thought. Deina and Kasandora met in the foyer of their home. Taking one last look, they stepped out of the door, and Deina locked up. She noticed that her sister’s eyes were watering. Oh great! she thought. Why does she have to be so freaking sentimental? However, Deina was forcing down the lump in her own throat. "So, where do we start off?" Kasandora asked. "Well, I guess our best bet would be to catch a bus and go to the end of the island, and then catch a ferry to Aomori. It looks like our longest leg of the journey will be through Honshu, and we need to get to Kyushu, but we’re going to have to watch our money if we’re going to get there and back." "Okay. Well, I guess we better get going, then." The two girls started their walk to the bus station downtown, which was just about a mile. Deina looked at her sister, whose bow and arrow were strapped to her back. "Hey, Kashi, I’ve got a question," she said. "Do you think we’re going to manage to get on the bus with your bow and arrows strapped to your back?" Kashi looked slightly hurt. "Well, I’ve got to have something to defend myself. What about you and those katanas? Don’t you think two swords are more dangerous than a bow and arrow? I have to grab my bow and an arrow before I can even think about using it." Even though it doesn’t take but a second, she thought. "You can just whip those things out of their sheathes and you’re ready to make sushi out of someone!" Deina fumed a little. "Look, I was told by Dad to bring them with me. You don’t have an excuse!" "Well, I need to protect myself, too! Sure, I’m younger than you, but I’m old enough to take care of myself!" "We’ll see. I’ll remember that the next time you cry for my help!" Kasandora wanted to growl, but she was too grown up for that. Just wait, Deina, she thought. You’ll be asking for my help, too!

posted by Christina Moore @ 3:46 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- Fujikage Journeys--Chapter 2, Part 2 - Sunday, April 09, 2006 Kasandora looked around her room. For eighteen years, this had been her home–all she had ever known. And now she had to leave it. She opened the drawer in the night stand next to her bed; she lifted a small, wooden box out and placed it in her lap. Opening the lid slowly, she looked upon the last thing her father gave her. The silver bands glinted in the glow from the bedside lamp, and the precious metal was smooth and cool underneath her roaming fingertips. A strange energy radiated from them, flowing through her fingers, up her arm, and through the rest of her body; she took one band out and looked for a way to open it. Kashi didn’t see any latch, but there were two seams. She pulled it gingerly and it finally opened. She placed her wrist inside and closed it. The band fit perfectly, and she lifted her arm up to admire it. "Looks pretty good on me," Kasandora whispered to herself with a faint smile. She put the other band on. These must be pretty special–I can really feel energy from them, Kashi thought. She stood up from her seat on the bed and took another look around the room. She would have to decide what to pack. She knew she would need basic toiletries–soap, her brush, deodorant, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera; she took a few steps to the bathroom that she and Deina shared and grabbed some of the stuff. She came back to her room and packed them in her small travel bag. She grabbed another change of clothes, since surely they would be stopping along the way to wash clothes and themselves. In her closet, Kasandora noticed her bow and arrows. Though her mother was not the warrior, she was accomplished with the bow and had taught her daughter all she knew. And Kashi wasn’t that bad of a shot. You never know when you may need one, the girl thought. The bow was already in its holstering strap with the quiver attached; the strap went across her body, and the bow rested on her back for easy access. After double-checking the quiver, Kashi was satisfied that she had everything. "I don’t want to leave, but I know that I’ve got to," she murmured. She zipped up her duffel bag, placed the bow holster over her, and walked toward her bedroom door. Kasandora turned back, giving her room a last, long look. After standing there for a few seconds, she rushed back to her bed, opened the duffel bag, and looked to make sure Deina wasn’t in the hallway. She then reached under her mattress and grabbed a small paperback. It was the latest 5-person journey manga she had been reading. I’ll just make sure to hide when I want to read it. Kashi really was not up to her sister’s teasing. Hurriedly zipping up her bag, she placed it on her shoulder and rushed out her room, closing the door behind her.

posted by Christina Moore @ 1:20 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- Enough angst--on to Fujikage Journeys! - Saturday, April 08, 2006 Okay, after my angst-ridden, horrible poem of last time, here is the first part of the second chapter of my story. Which this means that now I must start writing Chapter 3. Warning, new material may take awhile for me to post. I'm horrible about writing fiction--it took me half a semester to write a short story for a college creative writing course, and I did that at the last minute, within 3 days. Maybe I can post bits and pieces of that--it's almost 15 pages long, so I don't want to inundate you with an even longer post than my Fujikage posts. Anyway, enough blabbing, on to the story! ~*~*~*~ Two days had passed since Moru died, and all of the rites had been completed. Deina and Kashi sat in their family’s garden, taking in the sight of the buds just starting to form on some of the flowers and trees. Deina knew she had to tell her sister about the task their father had set before them. She wasn’t sure how much Kasandora knew. How did someone tell their sibling who seemed perfectly content staying where she was to pack up everything to go somewhere they had never seen or heard of? Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths. Well, here goes nothing! "Father gave me his swords," she blurted out. Yeah, that was smooth, D! Kasandora responded with a blank face. "Really? I’m glad he gave them to you. I know you really loved him. Of course, I loved him, too, but I know you were especially attached." This wasn’t working the way Deina had hoped. She hoped her sister would bring up whatever her father had given her with that. It looked like she would have to say something herself. "He mentioned that he had given you something, too." Kashi looked down to the ground. "Yeah, it was a pair of wrist bands made of silver. He said they had been in the family for some time, something his great-grandmother had been given." She lifted her head and seemed to have a small smile on her face and a mist in her eyes. "They’re really beautiful." Kasandora suddenly covered her face and her body shuddered with sobs. Deina shifted uncomfortably; she didn’t do well when it came to comforting others, especially her emotional sister. After a moment of deliberation, she gingerly placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. "Umm...I know this isn’t the best time, but I think you should know what Father told me before he died. He told me about this journey that he went on when he was younger, to some sort of shrine. He said it was a tradition in the family, and it’s where his katanas were blessed." Kasandora raised her head and turned to Deina. "Why did he never tell us about it? I’m sure it was exciting. He always told us about his battles and journeys." Deina sighed. "I don’t know, but we’re about to find out how exciting it really is. We’re supposed to follow the same path." "Do what?!" Kasandora stood up abruptly. "We have to go on this journey that he went on? Why?" "I don’t know." "This sounds like something out of a stupid 5-person journey manga, except we’re missing three people." Deina finally stood up. "Look, I’m not exactly excited about the trip, but it’s what father wanted, and I am going to fulfill it, and you’re coming with me!" "Why do I have to come with you?" Kashi put her hands on her hips, ready to argue her position. Deina took a step forward into her little sister’s personal space. "Because Father said so, and I say so." Deina’s strategy worked; Kashi put her hands down. "Okay, fine. When do we leave, and how do we know where we’re going?" "We leave as soon as we get packed. With the katanas was a map leading to the destination. Since we don’t have a vehicle, we’re going to have to go on foot, taking the subway, bus, whatever. I’ll bring along my money as well as the money Father had hidden in his study. I would suggest you bring along yours as well." "Okay," Kasandora said. "Let’s get packing." ~*~*~*~ I'll try to post Part 2 tomorrow--if not then, it will be Monday.

posted by Christina Moore @ 7:34 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- I may be part of the Machine, but I'm just as much of a victim of it as you - Friday, April 07, 2006 So much, too little So much greed Where it's all about the "bling" And you're nothing if you don't give in To the digital, material Too little appreciation for reality So much, too little So much expected Of little girls to be Like the Christinas, the Shakiras, the Beyonces Forget about your mind little girl, Just flaunt your body Sex is true power Too little self-respect So much, too little So much injustice When the one with the most money And the best lawyer Are the ones who get the deal Too little real justice So much, so much So much racism amongst all ethnicities So much mindless motion So much media bombardment Won't you just leave me the hell alone? Too little independence Too little common sense Too little heart Too little independent thinking Won't you just let me live?

posted by Christina Moore @ 4:38 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- Fujikage Journeys--Chapter One - Tuesday, April 04, 2006 This is actually an original work--though I did get some inspirations from a friend. It's an attempt to be a storyline for a 5-person journey manga that sort of pokes fun at 5-person journey manga. The first two chapters are quite serious, though I hope to add a little more humor later on. Leave a comment and tell me what you think. ~*~*~*~*~ Kasandora’s feet padded on the cool hardwood floor as she tried her best to keep the bowl of water from spilling. She knew these were her father’s last moments; the vision that came to her just two hours before was currently being lived out. She walked through her father’s bedroom door. Her sister, Deina, was vigilantly seated next to her father’s bed, and the pale face of her father was moist. She kneeled next to his frail body, wrung out the cloth in the bowl and began wiping his face. His eyes slowly opened, and a content smile spread over his features. "Ami," he whispered. Kasandora returned his smile shyly; there was no need to correct him. If her father mistook her for her mother, it was okay. He would soon join Ami and both would watch over their daughters with the other Fujikage ancestors. She studied her sister. Deina had been keeping watch on her father for three days now, and it was amazing that she had been able to stay awake. Deina, the firstborn, took after her father and that included the traits of stubbornness and endurance. The elder girl refused to have Kasandora take over, no matter how many times she offered. Deina needed to be there, though, more than she knew. Kasandora stood slowly. "I am going to pray," she announced softly. "I will be back soon." "Fine," Deina murmured. Kasandora saw the look of disgust on her sister’s face. No need to start another argument at this time; besides, I would never win. “I’ll be okay, Kashi,” Deina reassured. "Just go." The younger sister silently walked out of the room, head lowered. Though she knew her father would soon be at peace, her eyes could not keep from moistening. Deina pushed a hand through her short black hair. Kashi and her religion, she thought. Nothing but children’s tales to help them sleep better at night. How can she believe there is some divine power? If you can’t see it, smell it, taste it, or touch it, it’s not real. What was real was the sight of her father. How cruel was this life? Fujikage Moru was a warrior; he was not only a military man, he had been a master in several martial arts and swordplay–something which had been learned by each generation of their family. She could remember his practicing, each move slow and disciplined, an image of the power his family bestowed, the power his family had earned. Now, there he was, his once black hair now grey, his once strong body now frail, weak. A man who was once brilliant and alert now confused his younger daughter for his dead wife. Life was very cruel. "Deina," he whispered. She held his gnarled hand and looked upon him. "Yes, Father?" He took a ragged breath. "Go get my katanas." Deina stood up and exited, going down to the end of the hall where his training room was set up. She headed straight for the shallow closet which held his various blades. She found the katanas shrouded in silk. Handling them as Moru had instructed her when she was young, she walked back to his room. She placed his prized swords on his torso and returned to her station at his bedside. He motioned her to come closer. "Deina, you have always been my child. Your independent spirit and strength were evident before you were even born. While Kashi has taken after your mother in her gentleness, you have been a fire that cannot be put out, something which has often been said about me. I never had any boys, but you are my firstborn. I have not needed male children." He paused to take a few deep breaths. "This is the reasoning for what I am about to do." Kashi kneeled upon the floor with the fire lit in front of her. "Hear my prayers, ancestors. Give my father peaceful leave as he enters the world of the eternal." She was alone, her eyes closed, her soul in tune with the divine. "He has served the family name well. He has bestowed honour upon the Fujikage lineage. Hear my prayers, ancestors." A wind ruffled through her long, light blue hair. They were listening. "I do not know what the future holds for Deina and me, but be with us. Be with Deina, comfort her, for she is confused and will continue to be confused through all of this. She loves Father dearly." Kasandora.... The wind had picked up, seemed to be calling her name. Kasandora.... "When I...was a young man, my father sent me...on a journey. He said that it was a task all the Fujikage men must do. It took me through many dangers....and many lessons. The final...destination...was a shrine. The purpose I had to find for myself." Moru paused and coughed a couple of times, his chest heaving. After clearing his throat, he continued, "He did give me these katanas, though, which had been blessed by a holy man who occupied the temple where the shrine was located hundreds of years ago." Deina had a hard time believing what her father was saying. It sounded crazy, yet he sounded more coherent than the past few days. "What are you saying, Father?" "I am saying that you...you and Kashi must take this journey. It has been...set forth...by...the ones who went before us. I know you believe that life is only here and now, that there is no eternity, but this...will benefit you. You will grow as you’ve never grown before." "Why did you not tell me of this?" Moru took another deep, ragged breath before he gave his explanation. Deina was afraid that the end was coming closer. "Because I had to wait for the right moment, and now is that moment. The two of you will be on your own now. It is the ordained time. Just promise me you will take care of Kashi, and that you will allow Kashi to take care of you. She is more valuable to you than you know." He went into a coughing fit that rattled his chest even more. She was surprised that he was not coughing up blood. Deina went into action to calm her father. "Please, Father, don’t get worked up. It’s okay. If this is what you desire, we will go." Moru took a deep breath. "Take...these with you." He handed Deina the blades. "You will need them. I have already...given Kashi...what she needs." He took a few more ragged breaths. Deina knew the end was near, and she didn’t want it to come. "No, Father, no! Fight it! Fight it, won’t you?!" His facial expression was serene and loving. "I have fought. I have had a good life." Deina was not going to let him die. This was not right. This had not happened before. Who was calling her? The wind was picking up around her, but she couldn’t open her eyes. A vision was coming. Images flashed in her mind....places she had never seen, fog in the mountains, a temple, people....so many people....dangers.... Deina was clutching to her father, cursing in her mind. "You can’t go, Father." He smiled at his daughter. "It is ordained. It is my time, dear. I love you." With that he closed his eyes. Deina was still clutching his clothes when his last breath escaped. She threw her head back and screamed. Kashi’s blue eyes flashed open and she gasped. The journey had begun.

posted by Christina Moore @ 7:18 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

- A new layout and movie reviews! - Saturday, April 01, 2006 Yay, I've got a beautiful new layout now--thanks so much Sherly! Okay, I saw 3 movies over the past week, and since this is my blog, I will torture you senselessly with my perceptions of them. Napoleon Dynamite--Yeah, yeah, I know this has been around for quite some time, but after my mom said it was good and my curiosity had gotten the best of me, I broke down and rented it. I may have enjoyed the movie more if I had not had to deal with an immature person whose vocabulary mainly consisted of lines from the film. While the plot is only a series of vignettes loosely tied together, what really shines in the film is the dialogue. Yes, it sounds very elementary-schoolish, but part of the humor is the fact that these are high school--and older--people using it. It has an 80s feel to it and doesn't seem to take itself seriously, which is a good thing. The dance number near the end is just absolutely perfect, and who knew that an ugly, out-dated brown suit could look so good on a goofy looking Jon Heder? Favorite quote: "There's more where this came from." Elizabethtown--Another suggestion from my mom, and really, it's pretty good once you get past the characters who all seem to need to be in an insane asylum. Drew--played by Orlando Bloom--is an exec who has created an ultimately popular shoe, but then it all falls under. Just as he is about to commit suicide--in one of the strangest, yet inventive ways I've seen yet--he gets a call saying his father has died. This all leads into him going back to Kentucky, to a family who he has never known, and on the trip there he meets Claire (by the adorable-as-ever Kirsten Dunst), an extremely peppy flight attendant who tries to show him that there's more to life than running at break-neck speeds. The two end up falling in love in a strange way, and he comes to accept and be accepted by his father's family in Kentucky. Many strange encounters ensue, including Drew's mom (played by Susan Sarandon) doing a stand-up routine and a tap dance at her late husband's memorial service, and a burning bird prop--don't ask, you have to see it for yourself. The last little bit of the movie is Drew going on a road trip, created by Claire, letting him stop and see that it's okay to take your time in life. Strange, yet good film, if you're into chick flicks with a little indie edge to them. Favorite quote: "I'm going to miss your lips...and everything attached to them." Red Eye--Okay, I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Wes Craven has become popular for such movies at Nightmare on Elm Street (which I refuse to see) and Scream, but Red Eye is different, somewhat. While there are definite Craven moments, especially near the end, this movie was suspenseful and kept me on the edge for most of the movie--minus some of the more predictable thriller-movie-moments. Cillian Murphy is creepy while remaining attractive--hard to believe this guy is playing Superman in the upcoming movie. I can't really say much, but basically Rachel McAdams, a hotel manager, is kidnapped into helping an assassination plot against a high-level government official. It's almost like Nick of Time with a hint of Flight Plan. Favorite quotes: Cynthia: God, they totally threw me. They were such assholes. Lisa: Cynthia, there are no guests who are assholes, just guests with special needs. ~*~*~ Lisa: So, what do you do? Jackson: Government overthrows, flashy high-profile assassinations. The usual. Okay, that's it for movie reviews for now. Have a great night, and don't forget to spring forward before you go to bed!

posted by Christina Moore @ 8:37 PM [[ 0 comments ]]