under the moonlight

i could see stars up above

so beautiful, a wonder

and the dark sky so afar

it was a chilly night

the wind whispers

on my ears, softly

and i shivered

it was a lovely night

that anyone would behold

the moon was smiling

the stars were inviting a tranquil being

but, one soul embraces a gloomy world

away from what the night brings

and as she looks afar

up, to those tiny crystals hanging

in the dark wide shadow

tiny drops of loneliness

overflowed

and it took her

far away

Do all little girls dream of becoming princesses? Will a makeover make all of your dreams come true? Do all Disney films have to be contrived, formulaic, and predictable?The Princess Diaries would have us believe so.This latest effort by Garry Marshall, the veteran director of such feel-good mush as Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride (also known as Pretty Woman, Part II), and Cinderella (also known as Pretty Woman for the Pre-teen Soul) serves up another plate of outdated, inconsequential fluff that would be more appropriate as a Saturday afternoon Disney Channel special than a theatrical release.But, as has been proven by the box-office receipts of the aforementioned trio of Marshall films, there are just enough people out there that will eat this stuff up with a spoon to guarantee it’ll keep showing up at a theatre near you.The Princess Diaries is, then, much of the same. Homely and awkward teenager Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a frizzy-haired, retainer-wearing mess. She is habitually teased by her classmates, especially by one Lana Thomas (Mandy Moore), a perky cheerleader type whose boyfriend (Erik von Detton) Mia has the hots for. Mia doesn’t think her life could get any more pathetic, until one day along comes Mia’s long-lost granny (Julie Andrews), who reveals a big family secret that changes Mia’s life forever. As it turns out, Mia’s granny is actually the queen of Genovia, a fictitious country of which Mia is apparently Princess. But wait, Mia can’t be a princess! Not with her unruly hair and coarse manners. So, under the watchful eye of her grandmother, Mia undergoes “princess lessons,” a series of Draconian image and behavior changes that make Mia groomed, well dressed, and ladylike.But wait, the plot thickens. Mia doesn’t want to be princess! Sure, she likes her new look and riding around in a limo just fine, but, really, she just wants to be a regular kid! What should she do? The fate of her fake-country lies on her shoulders, and she is torn between her responsibility and her wants.It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where things go from here. Mia gets to be Princess but revolutionizes the role (a la Princess Di) and retains her regular-kid sensibilities even though she is in charge of a small nation.Despite the fact that The Princess Diaries is complete fodder generated to appease the short attention spans of preteen girls, the film does manage to churn out some decent performances. Julie Andrews is great in her first major role in years, and does manage to bring a degree of regality to an otherwise completely flat character. The film’s young star, Anne Hathaway, holds her own in the insipid storyline and manages to be charming and somewhat funny. Even Marshall-mascot Hector Elizondo gets in a few choice scenes as Mia’s chauffeur and confidante, and Julie Andrews’ love interest. Even pop-princess Mandy Moore, cast against type as the token bitch that eventually gets hers, is at the very least watchable.I do have some issues with the theme represented in The Princess Diaries, as well as in most of Marshall’s films, for that matter. This notion of changing one’s image as a means of changing one’s life is slightly degrading and imparts an ultimately negative message in the minds of the impressionable youngsters that will be subjected to it. Though many will argue that it’s just a movie and not an emotional manifesto to be taken too seriously, one has to consider the fact that for the ninety minutes that these kids are in the theatre watching this film, they are under the command of whatever is on the screen. Of course, it could be worse. They could be watching American Pie 2.Ultimately, The Princess Diaries is little more than diabetically sweet feel-good junk designed to get preteens to fork over their disposable incomes. But judging from the track record of such films, smart money is on the fact that the film’s target audience will flock to it anyways.

….if i would have to die now….

….at this very moment…

….right here in my seat….

….i won’t permit it…

….til the time that….

….i have watched the sun rising in the east…

….and setting in the west…

….my last breath would be drawn…

….at the sight of twilight…

….and so be it…

….I’ll be walking through the abyss of death…

Naruto Uzumake is a boy, who has contained the kyuubi demon since he was a baby, now he has grown up, despised for whats inside of him, Naruto trys his hardest to become reconized and hopefully fullfill his dream of becoming Hokage, the leader of his village Konoha.

I have been watching this anime for over two years now and going. It has aired on Cartoon Network Adult Swim the past couple of months dubbed over. I prefer the original japanese with the subtitles, because the dubbed over episodes dont sound right, and I am far ahead with the series then the one being aired on Cartoon Network.
This is an immenesly successful anime, with a fantastic story line and endless array of characters. The story of course surrounds Naruto, but you get to know all the other characters which make it even more interesting. Once you start watching this series you get caught up more and more, because there are a lot of good story lines with a few fillers. They have also made a Naruto Movie.

The main story line is the one that draws you in, and I find Naruto to be an amazing character and there is so much to him. Also you can see the development of the other characters through the story lines. Each one of the developing new Ninja techniques to use in the field. Sometimes there are filler episodes inbetween major storylines or just to give some space and thats what kills, because you want to know whats happening next. This show airs every wednesday in Japan, and so we get the subtitled torrents by thursday or friday at the latest thanks to Dattebayo. And this show is at season 8 and still going strong.

]]> http://dusk180.wordpress.com/2008/11/22/naruto-manga/feed/ 0 dusk180 naruto http://dusk180.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/kakashi-hatake-of-naruto/ http://dusk180.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/kakashi-hatake-of-naruto/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:53:12 +0000 dusk180 http://dusk180.wordpress.com/?p=54 ]]>

Kakashi Hatake  is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto originally planned to introduce Kakashi in the manga to the series’ titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, early on, but pushed back this meeting so that Naruto’s teammates could be better developed.

In the story, Kakashi is the leader and teacher of Team 7, consisting of the series’ primary characters, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki. He is initially portrayed as a detached and apathetic figure, but as the series progresses, his loyalty to his friends and students becomes increasingly apparent. Kakashi’s past has been extensively explored in the series, resulting in a gaiden being devoted to his past experiences. Kakashi has appeared in several pieces of Naruto media, including three of the four featured films in the series, all of the original video animations, and several video games.

Numerous anime and manga publications have praised and criticized Kakashi’s character. Although he has been noted to be an echo of similar detached shōnen characters, the duality of Kakashi’s apathetic and serious sides have been praised.Kakashi’s popularity has been noted by reviewers; T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews commented that the series could simply be renamed “Kakashi.”Kakashi has been highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls.Merchandise based on Kakashi has also been released, including key chains and plush dolls.

Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion.

On September 25, 2005 he won the World Driver’s Championship title at the age of 24 years and 58 days, thus breaking Emerson Fittipaldi‘s record of being the youngest World Drivers’ Champion – a feat that was bettered by Lewis Hamilton in 2008. After retaining the title the following year, Alonso also became the youngest double Champion. In 2007, he became the second F1 driver, after Michael Schumacher, to score at least 100 points for three consecutive seasons. Nicknamed El Nano, Alonso acts as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and is one of the directors of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

Alonso is currently at Team Renault and able to finish at #5 with 61 points at the just ended formula 1 2008 season.

alonso, i have to say, is one of the best drivers ever to grace at the formula 1 race tracks.

the wind blew

and i heard it again

a hanging dream of melody

it sounded a tone of harmony

it calms the heart

and brought tranquility in mind

the sound of it

that i love to hear

yields deep happiness

from within

i closed my eyes

felt the sound

and followed it

the sound of peace

the sound of my endless dream.

Former Super Aguri racer Takuma Sato made a triumphant return to Formula One testing, setting the fastest time for Toro Rosso at a packed Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Monday. Sato clocked a best of 1m 20.763s to beat Sebastian Buemi, also in action for the Italian squad, to the top slot by over three-tenths of a second.

In all 17 runners were in action over the course of the test’s opening day, which saw the nine teams in attendance kick start their 2009 programmes. With sunny and dry conditions at the Spanish track, most drivers enjoyed productive days.

Renault have announced an unchanged driver line-up for next season with Fernando Alonso signing a two-year extension for 2009 and 2010, and Nelson Piquet confirmed for a further season.

The news brings to an end speculation over the future of both drivers. Alonso had been linked to a possible move to Honda, while many had questioned whether Piquet would be retained after a difficult maiden season with the team.

“We are happy to confirm both Fernando and Nelson for next season,” said the team’s Managing Director, Flavio Briatore. “This gives the ING Renault F1 Team one of the most exciting driver pairings with the perfect blend of youth and experience.

“Fernando’s commitment for the next two seasons confirms the faith he has in the team and we are delighted to continue working with him. He has been a big asset throughout this difficult season and his leadership and talent, matched with the team’s hard work and determination, have paid off with our recent performances, which have placed the ING Renault F1 Team back among the top competitors of Formula One.”

Alonso returned to Renault in 2008 after a one-year hiatus with McLaren, having previously won his two world titles with the French squad in 2005 and 2006. Following a difficult start to the season, they came on strong in the latter races, with the Spaniard scoring unexpected wins in Singapore and Japan to help the team to fourth place in the constructors’ championship.

“I have decided to stay with the ING Renault F1 team because, as I have often repeated this season, they have always been my first choice and I feel very happy and comfortable with them,” said Alonso. “It’s a very close-knit team with a competitive and winning mentality, and also a relaxed and warm attitude, which suits me perfectly.”

“After a difficult start to the season, we have overcome our difficulties and constantly improved our performances. My back-to-back wins in Singapore and Japan, and my recent second place podium finish in Brazil, have proved how competitive we can be. In the past we have won championships together, as well as going through tough moments, but we are now determined to show that we can repeat that success together in the coming seasons.”

Piquet’s rookie campaign with Renault featured nine retirements, but also included a podium finish in Germany and four other point-scoring finishes as his form steadily improved throughout the season.

“Obviously I am delighted to have the opportunity to race for the ING Renault F1 Team for a second year,” said the Brazilian. “Although I have had a tough year, I have learned a lot from my rookie season and I will aim to put that experience to good use next season. I want to thank the team for their support this year and for the trust they have shown in me for the future. I’m already excited about 2009 and looking forward to working with the team over the winter so that we can start next season strongly.”

Alonso finished fifth in the 2008 driver standings on 61 points, while Piquet ended the season 12th with 19 points.