File#24: Pools Closed

As of Today, This blog is DOA. If you wish to continue following. Head over to Bahamut Six, where I have resumed blooging activities.

The Darkness Files will remain up, for the rare time I post here, or, I may reformat it as something else.

For those dorpped by, Thanks.

File # 23: Aint No Love in This Park

So I was in Love Park Sunday night, when a fight broke out between a group of wild animals-- I mean teenagers from North Philly. One kid had a knife and another one hurled a cigarette butt holder at him. I eventually left for my own safety.

But it got me thinking. Love Park is in line sight to City Hall. How does Nutter not notice how filthy it is? Between the Skateboarders, the homeless and the Be-Be's kids who trash that park and the murder that happened a month ago, when is someone gonna clean this park up and enforce it?

Do I have to wait for a white tourist to get slain on the Love Fountain and a pre-packaged angry Michael Nutter speech before the park gets cleaned up and the rules get enforced? This crap wouldn't fly with the rich people at Rittenhouse, so why should it pass here?

File # 22: Wielding the Hammer of Destruction

A few years ago, SEPTA, the transit agency in Philly, began installing video cameras on the subway cars of the Broad Street Line as a measure to "deter crime", or a least give an excuse to defend themselves when they are questioned as to why Transit Police aren't patrolling the trains more often.

I've always wondered if they were operational. Well today, I no longer have to wonder about that.

On Monday afternoon, a seemingly normal man walked with his child on board the Subway at City Hall station. Minutes later, he was going "THIS IS SPARTAAAA" on some innocent 20 year old and started wailing him with a hammer like he had the power of Thor. Then he took his kid and left. The scariest part is this can happen to ANYONE. And he's at large.

STORY

File # 21: Return of the Armed Intervention in Thirty

This is hands down my favorite one-sided fight.
Ali, you're magnificent. I just wanted you to know that.

Thirty Days.

After a very long wait In Thirty short days, the Second Season premier of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 will hit the airwaves (in Japan, anyways)* on Sunday October 5, at 5:00.

While I've been gladly enjoying Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (and Macross Frontier, now that its finally starting not to suck), I'm in a fever pitch for my V-Fin Fix and I need it now.

It's time for the return of the armed intervention.

It's time for more Gundam.

While I'm generally a big fan of the franchise (the UC series, in particular), I've been pretty fond of 00 not because its the New Kid on the Block, but for the way 00 has been able to deconstruct many of the tropes established in the Gundam Franchise while telling a more seinen style story that fits in our post 911 culture. While the protagonists are presented as well intentioned and heroic, they're still terrorists.

To elucidate, Celestial Being's goal are not to destroy the world (really, they're not), but to influence the political landscape to bring peace to the world under one big frikkin' gun... dam. However their goal, though altruistic, actually bring terror to the world, instead of peace.

While this type of "Lawful evil" has been presented before (See New Mobile Report Gundam Wing or Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY for similarities) it's the way this story is handled that makes me quite fond of it. Setsuna and company are quite aware what they are doing is hypocritical, yet they believe in they're own will that they are doing the right thing. To compare it to Geass, its kind of like Lelouch's original intentions for destroying Britannia, without the heaping amounts of FABULOUS.

Another point of interest is the civilian aspect. While many of the fanbase have their own opinions about Saji Crossroad, I'm glad his role was included. So many series that focus on war usually cast their perspective from the solider and/or the civilian turned pilot. When non combatants who aren't interacting with the cast are featured, its usually a three second reaction shot to some event on screen. With Saji, you get to see his life and experiences pre and post destruction from the conflict of Celestial Being vs. The World. Best of all, he doesn't even know his neighbor is a Gundam Meister! His scenes, while brief, were snapshots of how life is affected by events out its reach. Its going to be interesting to see where Season 2's conflict takes him and how that will affect Setsuna. Will he be influenced to see the good in Celestial Being and possibly aid them in their cause? Or will he let his hate consume him and try to lend a hand to destroy it?

Okay, I'm rambling, but I'm excited.

So yeah, Thirty more days. WHO'S READY?

*For you viewers who refuse to look at subs or don't speak Moon, Season one of Gundam 00 will air on Sci-Fi Channel, Monday, November 17.

File #20: The Dub of The Rebellion

LOVE IT!

While Johnny Yong Bosch (the second Black Ranger!) doesn't have Jun Fukuyama's range of FABULOUS, he still does a hell of a job as Lelouch. His interpretation plays up the mischief of the role while making him sound more... manly. Thankfully Lloyd's VA makes up for it with TWICE THE FABULOUS!

Yuri Lowenthal does a great job retaining Suzaku's lovable dopiness from Season 1.

C.C. doesn't sound quite so right, Kallen's dere dere is good, but verdict is the waiting on the Tsun Tsun part. Plus she gets some of the clunkiest lines I've heard ("I'll show you what this badass mother can do!") this side of a newer anime.

Mao, Clovis, Lloyd and Rivalz are pure win. And Christian Freeman is wonderfully smooth and pompous as jerkass Jeremiah a.k.a. "Orange-Kun" Gottwald.

The only one who really sounded a little "off" was Steven Blum as Touhdo. A rare miss for him.

When I first saw the trailer, I was a little put off by the voices. But now I'm glad the actors are doing this entertaining series with justice.

JIBUN WOOOO!

File #19: He Who Fight's Monsters

"Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein".
"He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
-Nietzsche aphorism, taken from Jenseits von Gut und Böse (Beyond Good and Evil)

Or to put it simply...

"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
-Harvey Dent, Batman: The Dark Knight

You know, this is how it really happened

Truth Can Really Be Stranger Than Fiction

In one of the more ironic and stupid scandals to hit the local Television market, no one fits this above quote better than former KYW news anchor Larry Mendte.

As a television reporter, it was his job to keep the public informed about events in the world and in the community while maintaining a high degree of integrity and professional candor. However, due to his jealousy of his younger female collegue, Mendte became the type of person he used to investigate in his early carrer.

By obtaining Alycia Lane's e-mail password, Mendte constantly snooped Lane's email acount a recorded 537 times in a attempt to derail her career by leaking sensitive personal information about her.

The irony is, Mendte didn't have to go through the trouble. She was able to sabotage her career all on her own.However, it seems Mendte still wasn't finished with his alleged vendetta.

Last Friday, during his guilty plea, he made a statement that reaked of large hammery this side of the infamous "Checkers Speech" by the late President Richard Nixon, Mendte alleged that he and Lane had a "flirtatious, improper relationship." Note: he did not use the word "affair". With all of the rumored bickering between those two, I really can't picture those two being "improper." Plus he wears his news makeup in public.

It is very likely for now Mendte will at least recieve some legal punishment. And that comes before the eventual Civil Suit from Lane and, who knows? Maybe a divorce from his wife WTXF anchor Dawn Stensland (that's only speculation of course)?

However, for now, in the quest to protect own his interests, Mendte destroyed two careers and KYW's reputation. While not a full blown villain, Mendte acted antagonistic enough that he might as well be.

For he who fights monsters...

File #18: Swan Song For Fumo

To update on a story that I haven't done in a while, Vince Fumo is going down.

Next month (Sept. 8th to be exact) is the official start of what will appear to be a long circle-jerk of a trial to bring down the most powerful PA State Senator in history.

So far, two computer aids have plead guilty, testifying that they were ordered by Fumo to purge computer records. Said records were the ones which lead the FBI and the IRS to investigate Fumo.

Meanwhile, Fumo is still doing his job, flip-flopping against the Casino issue and basically getting involved in any PA vs. Philly legal herp-a-derp. I guess when he gets makes his statement during sentencing (if he gets acquitted, I will drink my own pee), he'll want a fresh full list of good deeds that he made for his constituents recently in a attempt to keep his stay in Club Fed as short as possible. That is, he doesn't croak before then. Honestly, I don't see him seeing a day in jail.