tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69598237536558083842024-03-19T07:58:04.173-04:00Mahou KunoichiA woman's path through the magical realm of East Asian multimedia and real life.Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-49503769362931938222020-10-30T15:51:00.000-04:002020-10-30T15:51:18.276-04:00State of the Dojo - Where have I been?<p> Hey peeps, DJ MK here.</p><p>Feels like an eternity and a half since I've written on here, huh? Well, there has been a lot going on in my life lately. Obviously there has been a lot with everything on the news and, of course, a near world-ending pandemic on our hands. But I'm now in a much more stable position to describe everything that's been happening here.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Game over to the Mixlr broadcast...again (this time for good)</b><br /></span><p></p><p>If you tuned into my broadcast this summer, I had to cancel my Mixlr subscription again due to unexpected expenses. That was part of the story. My unemployment hasn't kicked in since the end of the spring semester back in May and it was starting to catch up with me. So as much as I didn't want this to happen, I had to drop the show for the sake of reducing expenses. I'm also not doing as many scheduled shows as I usually would so the expense overall wasn't making any sense at the time.</p><p>Not too long after that, 6 years worth of work was deleted from the site. Even though I said I was coming back, it wasn't enough to keep my material on the site. 2 weeks after I had to end my membership, they deleted hundreds of recordings - never to be seen again. There were several signs pointing to this shift but that personal effect sealed the deal.<br /></p><p>I am hoping that this will change come 2021 as I have been planning a podcast with some friends and language partners. Some of the discussions we've been having lately have been rather podcast worthy (their words, not mine!) and so it's a dream in progress! As for Mahou Kunoichi & Maximum Khord, that may be the end of an era. Not the way I wanted to go out but I guess this may be a blessing to put energy towards things I genuinely care about.<br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The nerd grief's been pretty immense! </b></span><br /></p><p>One thing I've learned in my short time on this dimension is when somebody's feeling pain or stress, there is a legitimate concern or feeling behind it. Fan grief should never be shamed and this year we've had a ton of it. The passing of Kobe and Gianna Bryant and their team was one thing that was difficult to handle. The passings of Grant Imahara, Naya Rivera, and Chadwick Boseman were another - the latter two to this day is hitting me really hard. Even if you're not really into celeb culture or pop culture in general, you can't really avoid the impact COVID-19 has had on all of our lives (unless you're in a really isolated space, Wakanda, Themyscira, or Vanuatu - in that case, more power to you). There's also the protests and the various challenges to fundamental needs and human rights. We can't deny that we are in need of a huge paradigm shift and healing. It's really incredible and seems almost inconceivable (and yes, I'm using the definition correctly Inigo Montoya!) that all of this has happened within the same year. I'm sure I speak for many when I say that I really wanted 2020 to be my year of new starts, newfound confidence, and new strength. We're got 2 months left so I feel like we still can!<br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Side-gigs and grad school</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've recently started up fall graduate school classes and a card reading shop. I've also been searching for another job so that I can pay my student loans more easily. It does feel like running for a bus going up a 90 degree angle sometimes. Graduate school has been keeping me busy in a lot of good ways. While I'm in the middle of an intense paper at this moment, it's been a welcome distraction from the chaos and maybe a push towards something more empowering and interesting - something I have been needing recently. The clientele has been going up on my Fiverr shop lately and I'm super grateful for that. Here's a blog exclusive code for you - if you use the code SAMHAIN, you'll get a free recording of your reading. What I write down and what I say can have rather interesting revelations for each medium.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The stumbling block in every hero's journey - confidence</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The challenge that a lot of people in my age group have been experiencing is the challenges when it comes to self-confidence. I'm no exception to this. I've had crises of faith, questioned my career and school path several times, and have dealt with experiences of self-doubt that almost shut me down completely. There have so many times this year where I stopped myself short of executing an idea because I felt like either it would be looked upon as ridiculous or somebody's already done it but better.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">If there is one thing I hope you take away from this is that you are good just as you are and you always have opportunities to improve, succeed, & grow. The world will sometimes tell you otherwise; news flash - it's a myth. There are times I fall for it even with this knowledge but you can remind yourself to get back up - literally and/or spiritually - and try again.</span><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bright sides! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm glad that I have my family and friends that have helped me get through this crisis. I got a birthday present that I never expected - a message from Greg Baldwin (the voice actor of Uncle Iroh and Aku) that I listen to whenever I feel things get really rough. I've talked with one of my favorite spiritual authors twice this year and I'll have the privilege of working with her for the next 6 months! I'm also doing breathwork with a great community of women and discovered parts of myself that I either never knew or reminded that I had. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've even considered going by my real name on my content. That option may still be executed down the line. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know that I can get through all of these difficulties and then some. The next two months may have challenges but I know they will have their joys too. Whatever happens, we'll get through these things together.</span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope you enjoy the new content and services I'm providing and stay safe out there. Of course most importantly, may your heart be your guiding key.</span></span></p><p><i><b><3 DJ MK</b></i></p>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-54042682690613079922020-04-16T22:31:00.002-04:002020-04-16T22:31:54.689-04:00Camp NaNoWriMo 2020, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the WritingHey peeps.<br />
With all of this time to reflect on our situation, there's also been a lot of time to figure out what activities to keep our spirits up as much as possible. I've been doing several and I've detailed them in some of my livestreams - the obvious Netflix catchup, language learning (I'm picking up my Japanese again), music (in my case, singing and piano), and reading. There has been one creative endeavor I have been wanting to go back to for a while - creative writing. It's something I've had a complex relationship with for years (this blog and my previous one being no exception to this) and it's only now during this period that I've been able to begin to heal it.<br />
This year's Camp NaNo has been my most successful writing campaign to date, not only in consistency but also in word count. My confidence in my creativity has gone up and I've also found a happy medium on my writing productivity. That moment when I crossed the 10,000 word mark was a magical space because that feeling of flow hadn't been in my world for so long.<br />
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Up until that point, the writing process I loved and felt passionate about was almost akin to pulling teeth. I couldn't produce anything outside of academia or journaling for a long time even with the ideas still coming to my brain. I'm not sure if this manuscript will see the light of day but the possibility of finishing the challenge gets me excited to go to my laptop everyday and get something down.<br />
I'm still figuring out what finally managed to help me get through the gates. I'm still learning how to get better at my craft. But I'm glad that I'm feeling unconditional happiness again. I may write more posts here on the winding journey to this point.<br />
For now, the biggest message I want to give to you is this - if you've been an creative rut, whether a short lived one or a lengthy one like I have, please know that there is a way through. Don't judge yourself harshly by what others produce no matter how tempting it is or that you could've started sooner. Relax and see where your words take you no matter how flawed or unclear things feel right now. Most importantly, remind yourself of the things you do enjoy in your craft and create more moments like that.<br />
Take care of yourselves everybody. Find something you've always wanted to do and find a way to do it. Most importantly, may your heart be your guiding key.<br />
<i><b><3 DJ MK</b></i>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-51025257030943525222020-04-03T22:09:00.003-04:002020-04-03T22:09:53.172-04:00State of the Dojo - COVID-19 LockdownHey peeps, DJ MK here.<br />
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This period has been a difficult time for all of us, especially in the nerd community. Between cancelled conventions, delayed media releases, and more packages and titles than we thought we had to deal with, the overwhelm is real. And then there's of course the genuine struggles, fears, and losses we've experienced along the way.<br />
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It's been over three weeks since my state shut down. In some ways, I feel like I'm taking on the role of Simon Itani from <i>Blackout</i> - trying to make sense of all of this while at the same time trying to provide comfort to my audience through whatever means I feel confident in. (Side-note: <i>Blackout</i> is a podcast I highly recommend along with <i>Homecoming</i> and <i>Bronzeville</i>)<br />
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In terms of activities besides the livestreams, I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo writing some new fiction. I'm also learning Japanese and the piano as well as retraining my voice so that I'll have some awesome burnout free karaoke times by the time I get out of here. I'm not sure how frequently I'll update the site but I'll be sure to communicate as often as I can on here.<br />
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Here's an awesome quote from Kate Mulgrew<a href="https://www.katemulgrew.com/"> in her recent letter to fans</a> (proud to say I'm one of them) -<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(65, 65, 65); color: #414141; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i>In this time of extraordinary challenge, exercise your right to be deeply human. Be surprised by your own generosity of spirit. Don’t be afraid of fear, confusion or anxiety. We are living through an Unknown Pandemic, and we have every right to be unsettled.</i></span></blockquote>
It's okay to feel what you feel right now. It's okay to not always know what steps to take or which direction to face. Now is the time to be patient and ease up. In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty, remind yourself of the things you do feel sure about even if they are temporary. If you can't come up with things, it's okay. Allow others to do it for you. There are helpers out there. If you're one of them - whether you're a first responder, retailer, delivery person or just donating a meal to a neighbor or the small amount of funds to research, I salute you.<br />
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Stay safe, be aware, and know that there is support when you need it. Take it easy everybody and of course, may your heart be your guiding key.<br />
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<3 DJ MKSailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-23453267565529300072020-03-04T10:10:00.001-05:002020-03-04T10:10:06.264-05:00Mahou Kunoichi (the radio show) is back!Hey peeps!<br />
If you've listened to my latest episode last Sunday, you'll have seen that I've finally gone premium on Mixlr and that the show is back on the air officially! I'm pretty rusty on my production and my space is not exactly conducive to long streams at this point but I'm working on getting back to top form. Reviews for <i>The Farewell</i> and <i>Midsommar</i> are coming up on the show and here so stay tuned for that.<br />
<a href="https://www.fiverr.com/s2/a13eb03c4c">I've also officially opened up my card reading storefront for business!</a> If you use the code 'VIRGO' when you request a card reading, I'll throw in an oracle card or rune for free. This'll be good until the full moon passes out of Virgo (which is 3/10) so jump in on this deal quickly!<br />
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Finally, tonight I'll be starting on Fritz's route on <i>Cinderella Phenomenon.</i> I've been enjoying this VN immensely so I'm happy that I'm taking my time with it. The fandisk <i>Evermore</i> is still in development but it looks like they are making some progress despite their steep challenges. (One of the developers is also in grad school so I can totally relate.) <br />
It feels like 2020 is picking up some positive steam now so I'm gonna take this momentum onward and upward. As soon as I get some more interesting news to talk about, I'll be sure to write it here!<br />
Stay awesome and, of course, may your heart be your guiding key! (I got to use that phrase in a recent Lyft ride and it felt awesome!)<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b><3 DJ MK</b></i></span>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-50419061957542338622019-12-27T14:02:00.000-05:002019-12-27T14:02:12.494-05:00State of the Dojo - January RevampHey peeps, DJ MK here.<br />
2019's been a bit of a lull period on the site. Between classes, work, and straight up writer's block, it's given me little energy to write on here. But after so much happening on my end, I'm happy to say that progress is finally happening in my nerdy realm.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>First, I've just started a card reading business online! I've been a passionate card reader for 7 years now and I've been told by several people that the readings have been empowering. After an intense retreat, I've decided to share these skills to the public. This will also make funding of the show much easier to pull off.<br />
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In honor of the storefront opening after so much deliberation and delay, if you message me on Fiverr with the code '<b>YULE</b>', you'll get your reading <i>at half price</i>. <b>Note: This <u>doesn't</u> affect the fees for fast tracking (reading in 24 hours) or live readings!</b> If you donate to my ko-fi page, you're also eligible for a free reading (minimum 3 cards). Just add your question/desired advice to your donation message and I'll answer as fast as I can!</div>
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Second, I'm starting back up on my reviews. I've prerecorded several reviews and recaps including <i>Avengers: Infinity War </i>and <i>Endgame</i>, <i>Doctor Sleep</i>, <i>Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker</i>, and <i>Kingdom Hearts III</i> as well as trailer first impressions and recaps - just to name a few items. Of course, I'm always open to any suggestions you may have!<br />
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Finally, I'm happy to say that the full length show's coming back on Mixlr. I'm starting back up on the site next month. Considering all of the exciting media 2020 has to offer, I'll be jumping back on here as often as I can!<br />
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Thank you so much for the love, patience, and support.<br />
Happy Holidays and may your heart be your guiding key!<br />
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<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-21405291725439918482018-02-26T20:24:00.001-05:002018-02-26T20:24:17.119-05:00Real Talk (Vlog) - What Black Panther Means to MeHey peeps,<br />
I'm back in full force on YouTube as well as Twitch. I just finished Amesbury's route on <i>The Lady's Choice</i> and you can check it out on my YouTube channel!<br />
Just after <i>Black Panther</i>'s release, I decided to make a vlog & impromptu Q&A about the personal impact the movie has had on me.<br />
The last few weeks have had a positive effect on my self-esteem much like <i>Wonder Woman </i>did. I've been walking taller and prouder of my ancestry than ever before, especially with the genetic test results I got last month (more details and a video coming up on that soon!) and my family history. It felt like my time in the sun was finally here when I saw people who looked and acted like me on screen.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aJU6dIhdb0c/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aJU6dIhdb0c?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>To the cast and crew behind this movie, thank you. You've done a lot for the geek and nerd community.<br />
Special thanks to Grim Toadstool for the questions during the livestream!<br />
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My <i>Black Panther</i> review will be coming up next on my Mixlr page. Until then, please feel free to check out my YouTube and Twitch channels and my Mixlr showreel under my social media tab and the top of the page!<br />
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<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b><br />
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PS - WAKANDA FOREVER!Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-66901325694086120702018-01-06T23:12:00.003-05:002018-01-06T23:12:24.620-05:00明けましておめでとう, or 2018 feels so promising already & my new donation pageHey peeps,<br />
Hope you're having a great 2018. Though it's only 5 days in, already things feel really exciting for 2018. Besides the tech upgrades and gratitude rituals, the roster of upcoming films, games, and tv shows has material everybody can get excited about. I'm not sure if it's just the newness of the new year or it's 2018 in particular but it feels like there's a gorgeous tinge of optimism and motivation all around (and I'm totally okay with this).<br />
I'm also enjoying the Twitch marathon of <i>Yu-Gi-Oh</i> extensively. At first I wrote off the series after the original series ended its run in the US. But after watching <i>5D's</i> this week, I'm hooked again. Though I've never been competitive with <i>Yu-Gi-Oh</i>, going through this marathon has had me looking up decks again and restocking the classics. It's even gotten me curious about the other summoning methods (pendulum and accel). I know in the end it's elaborate marketing, but for me it's more of a card playing nostalgia factor. Anything that gets me closer to my inner child is a win-win for me.<br />
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The only thing I need to do is restart my Mixlr shows full-time. Last month, I created my donation page on Ko-fi to help in the effort. Recently their system's gone behind a paywall so the audio livestreams have been nearly impossible to do. I had been considering going to another platform but considering the content restrictions and Mixlr containing 5 years worth of content, I found that to be an unsuitable move.<br />
I chose Ko-fi because the system's ideal for those who can't do big donations or support me every month. It's a one-time payment and it's a consistent price ($3 a coffee). It also makes my goal simple. Getting a Mixlr Premium membership is about $20/month, which would take 7 coffees to complete it. Which means if 7 of my followers donated, <i>Mahou Kunoichi</i> can finally make its official comeback on Friday.<br />
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Any support - whether by donations or word-of-mouth is beneficial. In the meantime, I've been doing livestreams on YouTube and Twitch. Those will remain entirely free and out of personal enjoyment. This year's first play through will be <i>Grim Fandango Remastered. </i>I've seen my cousins play it but it'll be my first time playing the game so I'm excited to see how this will go.<br />
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Hope everybody has a Happy New Year and may it be a fun one! :)<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><3 DJ MK</span></i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-49830929832943313172017-12-17T02:09:00.000-05:002017-12-17T02:09:06.753-05:00State of the Dojo - Holiday SabbaticalHey peeps,<br />
Hope your holiday season has been wonderful. Between the snowfall and the prep for a new year, it has been exciting for me.<br />
Thanks for understanding the literal radio silence the past few months. Earlier this year, I graduated with my undergraduate degree and so I decided to transition fully to the online station Mixlr. Some snags came up in the logistics of my streaming in terms of tech limitations. I've been using my phone to do broadcasts but the production has been rough lately. Nevertheless, I'm doing my best until I can update my devices.<br />
I've also taken a creative sabbatical to recharge and prep for graduate school next year. It's certainly helped as my ideas have come back in full force and I'm excited to share them with you.<br />
I've posted my spoiler-free review of <i>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</i> on my Mixlr page. I've also recorded the spoiler review which I'll post next weekend (but if anyone's interested in hearing it sooner, comment here or DM on my Twitter page and I'll send the file to you exclusively).<br />
2018 is very exciting media and opportunity-wise. Awards season is coming up, longtime franchises are concluding, new plots are starting, and loads of new cons I'm excited to attend.<br />
As 2017 winds down, I wish all of you Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.<br />
May the Force be with you all along with Peace and Long Life!<br />
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<i><b><3 DJ MK</b></i>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-71280420766424617102017-07-17T13:32:00.002-04:002017-07-17T13:32:46.435-04:00DJ MK's now on Twitch!Hey peeps, DJ MK here.<br />
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I got back into videos but not in the way I imagined. I'm back via video games and Twitch. My friends kept on saying video games have been super integral to my life. I didn't realize how integral until doing my current series.<br />
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I watch let's-players everyday. I read competitive gaming stats even if I don't necessarily play some of the titles. I even make that crazy dream of one day playing competitively despite being well-past the average age bracket let alone not being the usual demographic in almost every sense. But these things are alive and well even with the trials of college, funds, and my stubborn tendency to procrastinate.<br />
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TL;DR - I'm glad I'm able to share more with you, especially getting back into the gaming and streaming communities. If you want to play with me or have titles to recommend, don't hesitate to message or comment. I'm open to doing more multiplayer games and any gaming advice. My favorites are in fighting, city building, RTS, and action-adventure titles.<br />
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So come and join me in my adventures on <a href="https://twitch.tv/tandersiah">Twitch</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC00RJ9sVqKKPtq_fXhqYEBg">YouTube</a>. I've been broadcasting everyday at 2pm EDT. But I'll let you know if schedules change via Twitter, Twitch, and Discord.<br />
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Stay gold my friends and I'll see you in the next episode!<br />
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<b><3 DJ MK</b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-38728042335219761832017-04-26T13:45:00.000-04:002017-05-01T11:34:50.472-04:00State of the Dojo - Querying Bill Nye, Meeting Joe Biden, and I'm Published!Hey peeps, DJ MK here.<br />
While I'm in the middle of producing other material, I have some good news. My poetry and two of my photos are going to be featured in the University of Delaware's annual English magazine <i>Caesura</i>. This is my first time going for a college publication so the fact I was able to pull this off on my senior year is amazing (yes I'm graduating and I wished for denial via the Genie).<br />
But 2017 hasn't stopped the action so far. Bill Nye the Science Guy came to campus and I had to ask a question about arts and sciences working together (because they're always better together, if his show's not any indication ;) ) and of course gave one of his fun answers.<br />
Bill Nye also said Rehoboth Beach is one of his favorite places for summer vacation. I was fortunate to have a retreat a few weeks later at Memorial House. The best part of that place is it's near the pier where Fun Land is located (back in season May 13th!). One of my peers mentioned that Rebecca Sugar cited Fun Land for her show <i>Steven Universe</i> and the region where the show takes place is known as Delmarva. That's inspired the playlist for this week's show (well that and <i>Thor: Ragnarok</i>) and I'm excited to share that with you this week. [The poetry event got moved to May so I'm back this Thursday.]<br />
The excitement didn't stop there. Earlier this month, former Vice President Joe Biden came back to the University of Delaware to speak with students and faculty about the Biden Public Policy Center. Prior to the speech delivery, I got to take a selfie with him as well as other professors and students. It was great!<br />
Guess Wayne Gretzky really is on point with that quote - the one you see in high school hallways all the time:<br />
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<b>You miss 100% of the shots you <i>don't</i> take.</b></div>
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If you don't get something down, that's the equivalent of not making progress on a gaming level. I didn't really understand that quote until now. You really do need to get your foot in the door and that means actually making an effort to get something down, to take that trip you've wanted to do for years, to start up a blog and write. Many people get terrified just taking that first step because they don't want to look like a fool on their first shot.<br />
To all of those pioneers I've been lucky to meet, thank you for helping me take that first shot. If you have yet to take your first shot, go ahead. Give it a go.<br />
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Much love,<br />
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<b><i>DJ MK</i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-17915738105651367962017-01-28T16:37:00.000-05:002017-02-13T16:40:24.796-05:00Nerds Step Out for Justice! - The Women's March on WashingtonHey peeps, DJ MK here.<br />
I had to take some time to process everything because last Saturday was a big turning point in my mind (well that and do a massive catchup on my dramas and homework. It's actually gotten me better at writing <i>Sailor Moon</i>-like headlines. Can you tell?). The march has shifted my thinking in many ways but it has especially changed and reaffirmed how I've looked upon the nerd community.<br />
I attended the sister march in Newark and they expected only about 300 people to show up. Thinking back on the crowd now, it was probably more like 500 or 600. Of course I can't show up to a march like that without my <i>Sailor Moon</i> shirt (and so glad I did). Seeing Carrie Fisher's image everywhere also cheered me up. I felt like I was part of the Nerd Justice League or something!<br />
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It's one thing to have solidarity with other people online but another thing to be able to do it in person. There's a reason why physical protests are really popular. That presence is really beautiful. Of course, there are some who can't do this right physically whether it's distance, ability, or just lacking the permission to act. However, there's more than one way to protest besides the obvious picketing and shouting supporting messages.<br />
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<li><b>Write letters to your local senators, leaders, and supporters</b></li>
<li><b>speak your thoughts and listen to some</b></li>
<li><b>share with kindred spirits via social media</b></li>
<li><b>enhance your spiritual side or whatever side you've been ignoring for a while</b></li>
<li><b>reflect on what you truly believe in (and it doesn't have to be religion)</b></li>
<li><b>take some time for yourself, your family, your friends, etc</b></li>
<li><b>draw, write, act, sing, do anything that makes you come alive.</b></li>
</ul>
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Most importantly, <b><i><u>do not give up on that last bullet point</u></i></b> because that's going to fuel you for the days to come. If there's one thing I will never forget through my time in the nerd community and the other communities I'm grateful to be a part of and to have experienced, every person is special and has a place in this world. Every person has a right to be be who they are without fear. Most importantly we need to help each other. Like the rights our ancestors and predecessors have worked so hard to obtain and maintain, we have a lot of work to destroy the destructive narratives we carry within and around us. But I know we can do it. Maybe Zarya is really onto something.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<b>TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG.</b></div>
Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-67473251369372746212017-01-18T10:44:00.001-05:002017-01-18T10:44:43.337-05:00MKonMixlr now Maximum KhordHey peeps, DJ MK here.<br />
For easier recognition as well as distinction between my radio show and my livestreams, MK on Mixlr is now known as Maximum Khord. It's a new name but the same content you all know and love! :)<br />
Look forward to the broadcast this Saturday.Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-73209166733237368952017-01-04T00:45:00.005-05:002017-01-04T00:47:51.705-05:00New Year, New MKHey peeps,<br />
DJ MK here.<br />
Originally I was going to take a hiatus this January and focus solely on writing blog posts and livestreams on weekends. But I couldn't stay away considering that this year's my final year on the station and my undergrad life. The show's doing its final Deep Freeze special on Tuesdays 12-1:30pm this month, then switching to Mondays 12-1pm for the remainder of the semester. It's really interesting how I started off on the end of the week and now I'm ending my time on the radio waves at the beginning of them.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>With a new year, there's a good amount of revamps I'm planning for Mahou Kunoichi. Here's a small overview of what's to come for the site and my endeavors.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>My YouTube channel is getting revived.</b> It'll mainly focus on vlogging, original content, song covers, and booktube (on the audiobook side of things). I'm still going to do the occasional let's play. Asagao Academy did get some good footing but it may end up phasing out to personal gameplay since playing it with OBS takes a toll on my current resources.</li>
<li><b>Expect an increase in livestreams!</b> Due to this year being my last year on the local station, I'm going to increase my Mixlr usage significantly after I graduate. I'll upload all my radio episodes on SoundCloud. For the most part, it may remain a once-a-week thing with the holiday specials.</li>
<li><b>Hello guest posts!</b> I'm going to write more of what I love and what I love is getting to interact with you the nerd community. Whenever I do guest posts, I'll be sure to post them under my Portfolio page.</li>
<li><b>You're going to see more of my self here.</b> In the beginning of this process, I've been hiding away a lot more due to marketability purposes. But as I've gone on with my work over the years, there's a lot more I want to cover and expand upon. The biggest mission of Mahou Kunoichi is to make sure every person has a home in this magical community and I feel I can o this best by showing more of myself through the previous plans and talking about the things I really care about like my self-acceptance and social issues to address through our media. I believe people have an easier time to dream and achieve what they want when they see it in a concrete fashion. I hope my work will make a contribution towards that, however small it is.</li>
<span style="color: white;">
</span></ul>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;">This year is going to be full of </span></span><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: black;">adventure, self-discovery, and creativity. There's no one else I'd rather share it with. Happy 2017 and</span></span> </span>stay gold</span> my friends!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><i><b><3 DJ MK</b></i></span></span>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-82581414994800596182016-11-29T16:51:00.002-05:002016-11-29T16:51:22.124-05:003 Reasons Why Jackie Chan's Win is ImportantHey peeps, DJ MK here.<br />
There's nothing that makes me happier than a personal hero getting honored. Jackie Chan won an honorary Oscar at the Governor's Ball two weeks ago. The award was presented by his <i>Rush Hour</i> co-star Chris Tucker. If you haven't had a chance to see Jackie Chan's speech in full, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPb1cw2NW7Q">you totally should!</a><br />
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<img alt="Jackie Chan Oscar Win" border="0" src="https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1566539/jackie-chan.jpg?w=400" title="Jackie Chan at the Governor's Ball" /></div>
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Jackie Chan's win is really important in the film industry - both independent and corporate. Besides the notable name, there are three things that we have to acknowledge and hopefully more people will encourage this material in their movies, TV shows, and other media.</div>
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1. It'll open doors for more Asian and Asian-American leading roles.</div>
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We already have a dramatic shortage of lead roles for Asian-Americans and the few leads we have had to break the glass ceiling through self-reinvention, playing stereotypes, or limited exposure through ethno-cultural economics and niche markets. Jackie Chan, while not Asian-American, has helped open doors for many newcomers: whether it's back in China or here in US. He's played a range of characters from a super-cop saving his family and the city from peril, to a race car driver, to an archaeologist, to a drunk pawn shop owner who's the reincarnate of an immortal being. (I know the last one's a stretch <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forbidden_Kingdom">but it happened.</a> And it's actually good!)</div>
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2. It brings respect to an impressive genre - martial arts.</div>
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If you've read any quote from Jet Li or Bruce & Brandon Lee, one of the biggest meritocracies in the film industry is being able to handle an action scene. Chinese and Hong Kong cinema has the most challenging scenes to shoot due to the incredibly fast pacing, the actual actors's lives are on the line (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DOsXsCoHUM">see Donnie Yen & Mike Tyson</a> or <a href="https://youtu.be/zTAbN7SpXbA?t=7m18s">Cynthia Rothrock</a>), and these scenes often have to be done in one shot. While <i>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</i>, media making nods to tropes in the genre, and the icons listed here have brought prominence, we have yet to see respect to a person in the front lines let alone a living one still active in the industry.</div>
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3. He did this as himself.</div>
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Nodding back to number 1, Asian and Asian-American characters have a glass ceiling to break through and that has also boiled down to acting chops. (in case the GITS scandal was not enough to pull your hair out.<span style="color: blue;"> Still think Rinko Kikuchi could've pulled Motoko Kusanagi off well.</span>) Jackie Chan's win shows that you can do something deeply immersed in your personal and national history and be yourself while doing it. With the many diversity movements that require much needed support, actors like Jackie Chan, Aziz Ansari, Donnie Yen, Lilly Singh, and many others demonstrate that persistence and dedication can take you far.</div>
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An Honorary Oscar should not be looked at any less than the award show we see every year. Whether a performer is young like Lupita Nyong'o (or Anna Paquin or Tatum O'Neal) or old like Emmanuelle Riva (or Clint Eastwood or Dame Judi Dench - movie nerd's going back to bed now) or you hit somewhere in the middle, your contribution is very important to the cultural landscape. Behind the scenes or on the front lines, your voice is valuable especially in the media spectrum.</div>
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Congratulations Jackie Chan. You totally deserve this.</div>
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Peeps, don't be afraid to join the Academy, the Hall of Fame, or whatever arts committee you're passionate about. The voices of the future are ours. Let's make it a good one.</div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stay gold.</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><3 DJ MK</span></b></i></div>
Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-28991950531342185582016-11-12T12:30:00.002-05:002016-11-12T12:30:38.626-05:00State of the Dojo - October/November 2016Hey peeps,<br />
Sorry for the long radio silence but I have a lot of updates that I need to share with you.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
1. I'm voicing an audiobook coming soon on Audible & iTunes!<br />
I've mentioned this on my Twitter page. I'm doing an audiobook with Grey Sun Press and Raven Oak. It's my first VA job! The book is called <i>Amaskan's Blood</i> and it's the first of a fantasy trilogy. I love a good fantasy story and Raven Oak's plot captivated me on the first read. The purchase link for the book itself is under my Portfolio tab. The audiobook's release date is March 2017. Until then, feel free to keep track of my progress on Twitter!<br />
Special shoutout to Zachary for letting me know about ACX and a huge thank you to Raven Oak and Grey Sun for giving me this opportunity! <br />
2. NaNoWriMo<br />
<strike>Besides blasting Twitter with my useless commentary</strike> I've been extremely busy with a project of my own. My <i>Assassin's Creed </i>plot took on a life of its own this month. I had to get everything down. It started off as <i>Rose of Versailles</i> mixed with <i>Journey</i> and AC mythos. But as I've gotten further into the story, it's turned into <i>Fuyu no Semi</i> mixed with <i>Outlander</i>. (It's probably not helpful that I have 2 other stories in my brain as well as catching up with season 2 at the same time.) Nevertheless I have to get it down. Whether or not this gets published heavily depends on my bravery & TPTB. Once again, if you want to take a look @ my progress, click on the word counter on the sidebar and it'll take you to my profile.<br />
3. Vlogging & SoundCloud<br />
As the holidays have started to kick in, I've been able to vlog much more than usual. I also have been learning some more shooting and editing skills. Expect some uploads to my YouTube Channel soon, including my first con in 5 years and International Games Day!<br />
I also gotten some requests to have my episodes more widely available and I'm working on it. It'll all be compiled on SoundCloud for your listening pleasure (and yes, that includes my Mixlr material).<br />
<br />
My life (just like my material) has gotten pretty diverse lately so let's enjoy what the world has to offer. Thank you for being so patient on the writing end of things. More content coming up!<br />
Stay gold,<br />
<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-62015738766805408842016-06-24T18:30:00.002-04:002016-06-24T18:30:53.330-04:00Fun Friday - Summer playtime... with cats?Hey peeps,<br />
<br />
Hope the summer's not melting your face off! Unless you're in the southern hemisphere, in that case freezing. Or at the equator which in that case, enjoy the perfect weather!<br />
<br />
I took a huge slowdown this summer. Usually I'm busy with something whether it's a volunteering project or work. But this year I decided to take a genuine vacation and it's been strange not having to write religiously or read a roster's worth of novels, or sweep through thousands of songs on my list for work (but I still do that for pleasure - habits die hard!). As a result I haven't been creating much content here or for myself and the most updating I've been doing has been on Twitter and the occasional Google+ post.<br />
<br />
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Except yesterday where I had to play a movie (we're in serious need of a movie tech upgrade), I haven't even touched my PS3 since I got on break and since I'm going abroad next month, I may as well do some catchup on my plot points before I leave the States. However, the time that I would be using on console games I've been using on mobile gaming instead.<br />
<br />
I've been playing <i>Kingdom Hearts Unchained Chi</i> a lot (especially with the special E3 packs), <i>Miitomo</i>, and one game my cousin recommended to me called <i>Endless Sky</i>. But there's one that's been on my mind constantly. I've come late into this game but I've been in love with how simple it is - not forgetting to mention how adorable it is.<br />
<br />
Ladies and gents, it's Neko Atsume. Of course, being an otaku, I had to cover it at some point, wouldn't I?<br />
<br />
ねこあつめ or Kitty Collector was first released in 2014 by the gaming company Hit Point. I first found out about this game in passing and it mostly served as meme fuel in webcomics or some of my gaming circles. I downloaded the game last month just when they released the version 1.6 expansion. I fell in love with the game easily with the simple gameplay and watching the cats in a state of play and rest. All I have to do is make sure they have plenty of food and entertainment and they'll come and fill your backyard! Yesterday (6/24/16) was the most full I've had with cats. I ended up staring at my kittens for almost half an hour before snapping back to reality and back to my usual Spotify surfing session. For something so simple, it's been so enchanting. Whenever I get wound up trying to create something or stressed and the nearest shelter is over an hour away, a switch to the Neko Atsume app tends to be all I need. Taking pictures of the cats has also been fun too.<br />
<br />
I've been working towards the backyard expansion now since I've gotten the hang of figuring out what cats enjoy playing with and eating. I try to add a new item everyday so that new cats come every other hour.<br />
<br />
It's official. I've got ねこ fever. But I'll work to get away as much as I can to finally finish KHII FM+ and blog more. I've missed getting more in-depth with you and it's great to get back in the saddle again. :)<br />
<br />
Stay awesome this summer and I'll see you next post!<br />
<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-37746578442418246122016-05-24T21:01:00.000-04:002016-05-24T21:01:22.606-04:00日本語のクラス:どうでしたか?みんなさん 今日は。元気?<br />
二しゅまえはとてもいそがしでした。だからこのブログでかきませんでした。ごめなさい。でも今ひまです。大学の今日年はおわらってます。ちょっとつかれた。でもうれしいです。夏の休みですから私はかぞくとカナダとカメルンに行きます。学校は楽しくてにぎやくておもしろいだと思います。<br />
たくさん書きました。今ちょっと疲れた。だからたくさん練ってます。<br />
読むくれてありがとうございました。<br />
<br />
'Til next time!<br />
<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-29679066581657102672016-05-01T16:14:00.001-04:002016-05-01T16:14:30.075-04:00#LVup 1st D&D sesh TODAY! :DToday I'm playing D&D for the first time! Technically this should've been my second time round but due to unforseen circumstances, I ended up being a prisoner of an anti-magic colony. My DM's been having a lot of fun with this situation and it's been fun trying to come up with things I could do until game time. He also referred me to a great site called DnD-Spells so that I don't have to go flipping through my guidebook every time I want to chose a spell<br />
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To give a little backstory, Maylin (aka Mataari) is a half-elf born in the region of Ostia, where magic wielding is a highly praised position. (I'm still determining whether it's genetic or a result of family devotion.) Magical power is a legitimate and praised ability among humans and elves. So when Maylin was chosen as a cleric, naturally a lot of other half-elves saw it as their chance to prove themselves worthy under the guise of two societies. However, all Maylin wanted was a peaceful existence with her family and to find her human father. So she went westward towards the borders of the goblin and orc kingdoms, going on nothing but instinct and her human family name that he may be there.<br />
<br />
This is in the midst of when the region was about to end a long standing feud between the orcs and the goblins. However the orc leader who was in the process of delivering peace talks to the region was assassinated before they were to begin and his successor (his son) suspects the goblins for sending the assassin. My presence and my team's presence in the region is to find out whether this assassination is the result of an ancient feud or something else entirely. Ostia was supposed to be the mediator of the talks so they gained absolutely nothing from this line of inquiry. However, given the stereotypes of the goblins and orcs respectively, they have their fair share of marginalization. One thing both races do share is their hatred and misunderstanding of magical power.<br />
<br />
Unlike Ostia, the orc and goblin kingdoms saw magic as a weapon of destruction and mischief. Both sides have ways of dealing with magic users. Both sides use a seal that symbolizes the person is a magical user and has the effect of muting any magic that can cause harm. However, how they're looked upon in some parts of the region is completely different. For some states, the seal is a voluntary process - it may provide a source of discrimination but the seal would be removed after your departure from the region. Other states would see magic usage as an automatic death sentence regardless if the seal disables the capability of harm. And that's the situation I ended up in.<br />
<br />
I'm not sealed but I am bound by my hands and verbal spellcasting would be too risky. So the only abilities I do have are what little I can do agility-wise and mental magic. I heard from some of the prisoners that a little girl (race unknown) who was just discovering her abilities got executed. It's very similar to Maylin's own magical discovery except her power was a sign of greater things to come rather than a curse. So how will she navigate a world of opposites and violent intrigue? I'll type up the details soon but for now, I must get ready for battle.<br />
<br />
'til next time!<br />
<br />
<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-87219906889598763822016-04-24T12:45:00.000-04:002017-01-19T12:46:03.570-05:00I haven't done an all-日本語 post so why not try one?みんなさん 今日は。 元気?<br />
今年は日本語106をべんきょうしてる。 クラスはちょっとむすかしい。 でもたのしくておもしろいですよ。よくけい語をはなしていました。いまダメ語をべんきょうしる。英語でカシュアルです。毎日日本語をはなしてない。じかんをあらない。ずっといそがしです! でもラジオにはなしてショをする。ファンが好きですよ。大学生とブロドカ-スタ-です。私もブロガ-です。毎日かきる。Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-29220575839707767812016-04-20T10:30:00.001-04:002016-04-20T10:30:27.587-04:00#LVup - How I'm Taking My Nerdiness to the Next Level<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99hAcvDHozkwMZi2v0otlmzadrtUiRWyZJXM4UWJoKLwhHrxQwREGjmQjOSr3iHDeZl81nacU6BrepK09Ql95k6pg_oIsrG-UHVWYzbGT8WUYe9AnDEpgJ65MgVLr5Z424GdISfLYWqM/s1600/Drawing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99hAcvDHozkwMZi2v0otlmzadrtUiRWyZJXM4UWJoKLwhHrxQwREGjmQjOSr3iHDeZl81nacU6BrepK09Ql95k6pg_oIsrG-UHVWYzbGT8WUYe9AnDEpgJ65MgVLr5Z424GdISfLYWqM/s320/Drawing.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Hello my fellow Magicians! Or in this case, my fellow Clerics and half-elves.<br />
I'm an <i>otaku</i> and I'm really proud of being one. Thanks to this part of my living, I've been able to make good friends, enjoy interesting content, have fun adventures, and to do many things I wouldn't have dared (broadcasting and blogging to name a couple). This year, I've been thirsty to take my nerdom a step further. I admit though - I didn't think D&D was going to be the next deep dive.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For those who don't know what D&D is, it's an acronym for the popular tabletop RPG <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>. An easy image of a D&D session is a group of players carrying sacks of polyhedral dice and painstakingly crafted figurines, making complicated calculations and rolling those same dice around a dim-lit dining table in one of the player's parents' basements, and immersing themselves to what society perceives as a highly introverted activity with players channeling their best Shakespearean England voices often coming off as discount Kenneth Branagh impressions. Add the maps and limiting terminology and it's an easy target for stereotypes. (<i>A/N - There was one period during my Costa Rica trip where a couple of my group mates and I were planning an impromptu session and it made a few people cringe. Yep! Prejudice still alive and well folks! In case you're wondering about the results, we were all too exhausted to play so we never got around to it.</i>)<br />
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Even though I'm a gamer and an avid book worm - both titles that have their share of marginalization, I've also had this image of D&D in my mind at some point. <i>What? DJ MK judging her 2D cousins when she preaches equality? J'accuse!</i> Yep, I'm fallible just like the rest of us... mortals. But hey, at least I'm not Superman! (Sorry DC. Love your costumes though.) D&D also has its own struggles in creation and in gameplay, with the game heavily inspired by LOTR lore and the direct association reduced in subsequent editions, lack of diversity despite the game clearly encouraging it, polarizing opinions of the game boosting their careers or a waste of youth, and the few famous examples of players are action stars, political players, or (in the case of some female players) associated with the porn industry.<br />
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The bigger question is - how did I fight all of those complex associations to be a part of one of the most elaborate gaming campaigns of all time? Answer - good publicity. That and my personal vested interest in the genre.<br />
My first exposure to D&D was actually through a parody - <i>Monsters and Mazes</i>. It's from a <i>Dexter's Laboratory</i> episode <i><a href="http://dexterslab.wikia.com/wiki/D_%26_DD" target="_blank">D&DD</a>. </i>(Yeah... They were not being subtle on that one.) What attracted me was the camaraderie and the chill environment that lets the group use their imagination to project themselves in various powerful characters and they're self-created within the rules of the world. You could even have your character get basic training from another class!<br />
Most of my positive publicity of D&D came in more in my college years, specifically when I met Wired Magazine writer Ethan Gilsdorf. He just released his geek memoir/autobiography <i>Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks</i> (one book I highly recommend you get on your reading lists.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599219948/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1599219948&linkCode=as2&tag=dmsr-20&linkId=C6QBHKICZ3GO4LHT" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1599219948&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=dmsr-20" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture to go get a copy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This pretty much cemented for me that I had to get in on the sensation. Granted I'm not the best at math (save for high school algebra, geometry, and statistics), but at least this will teach me the basics. Plus being an awkward former extrovert<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=dmsr-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1599219948" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> may give me a slight advantage when it comes to the tricky parts in negotiations both in-game and in real life. Also, since I write fiction on the side of playing games, it would certainly give me a lot to work with when it comes to creativity. In fact a lot of popular entertainers, artists, and writers (like Ethan Gilsdorf, Stephen Colbert, and Ta-Nehisi Coates - yes. the creator of Marvel's Black Panther) have cited D&D as their biggest influences over their creativity.<br />
<br />
So I didn't get a chance to jump into the craze until 3 years after I discovered Ethan's book. I transferred schools, was far away from the friends I originally would've tried this out with, and - to quote Cmdr. Riker - I got snapped back so hard I wished I was an ensign again. The Anime Club format was completely different from what I was used to, Video Game Club was late at night (later became non-existent save for the competitive clubs. I wasn't really good at any of the titles they listed.), and I couldn't stay on campus for very long due to living off-campus so I felt very out of touch. After I got my job, I've been able to stay longer on campus and I saw that the Board Game Club meets every Monday after my shift ends. I decided to take a chance and go for a few meetings.<br />
<br />
Midway through the year, I found out that one of the club co-presidents is a resident DM and he was looking for a new group to start a campaign in a world he recently created. I jumped into a rag-tag group of seven people and spent an intense amount of time creating my character and the environment she lives in.<br />
<br />
My character is a half-moon elf and a life cleric. Her elven name is Maylin Reymenor and her human name is Mataari Shran (for those who follow me on Steam, that's a name I created via a D&D generator). She wants to go on this journey to find her human father and to give the half-elves a better status in their lives since they've been looked upon as third-class citizens by the high elf council. The goddess choosing Maylin to be a cleric came as a surprise to her community and her mother but as a shock to high elf society. So to prove her worth, she goes on a journey with six other adventurers to save the continent from relentless strife and bring honor back to the Reymenor name.<br />
<br />
Because I missed my first session, I ended up in a situation that I personally hate being in - a damsel-in-distress in a dungeon. But I guess that's what I get when I don't look at my schedule carefully enough. My DM says that a cleric is desperately needed in the next campaign so at least I'm not going to be useless next campaign. ;)<br />
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I'll put my progress up here after I finally get playing. I know it'll take some time getting the mechanics but I know I'll have a fun challenge ahead. Until the next game, to glory!<br />
<br />
<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b><br />
<br />
<i>PS - even if you're not a D&D player or an intense gamer, Ethan's book is a good read. He covers a lot from a Lord of the Rings pilgrimage & LARP to video games & disability awareness. If you're curious about Ethan's other work, <a href="http://www.ethangilsdorf.com/" target="_blank">check out his website</a> and his articles on Wired, The Boston Globe, and Geek Dad.</i><br />
<i>PPS - I just joined Amazon Affiliate to help improve the content of the site and make it easier to recommend content on this site. Hope you find some more interesting items to try out! :D </i> Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-74371524450732858002016-04-11T20:43:00.000-04:002016-04-11T20:43:11.029-04:00New blog segment coming up - LevelUpHello fellow magicians,<br />
I love to find ways to expand my nerdom further and I decided to make a segment devoted to just that. Thus, I'm starting a new chapter called Level Up. My new article will be coming up soon, documenting the first journey I'll take. To give you all a hint, it involves a heavy amount of imagination and a set of dice.<br />
<br />
Take a look at this baby and keep a lookout for it on future posts! They'll be archived later on in one of my pages I've recently installed. (one of my recent attempts to make the blog user-friendly - more detail on that later.) If you have any suggestions about my next frontier, send me a tweet or a comment with #LVup!<br />
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[Load,Strategy graphics by <a href="http://www.freepik.com/">Freepik</a> from <a href="http://www.flaticon.com/">Flaticon</a> are licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" title="Creative Commons BY 3.0">CC BY 3.0</a>. Made with <a href="http://logomakr.com/" title="Logo Maker">Logo Maker]</a><br />
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Stay awesome! :)<br />
<3 DJ MK Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-67530204192873958512016-03-06T13:16:00.001-05:002016-03-06T13:16:04.405-05:00What the Heck YouTube!? - #WTFUAnime and VG YouTubers have been getting hit hard lately by copyright and community strikes. It's been crazy trying to keep up with everything between work, my radio shows, school, and this blog (which I haven't updated in a while - I apologize). But after one of my favorite YouTubers got deleted, I couldn't stay silent any longer. I had to make this video - https://youtu.be/2kGkYW9I63w<br />
<br />
Creativity is a big passion of mine and when a right to that creativity is infringed upon, it's hard for m to sit down and watch someone's hard work being destroyed. Things are not permanent in life and we must shift with the seasons to live life fully. But then there's unnatural destruction - the type that produces poison that can't be flushed out if left too long in its devices.<br />
<br />
The Google Feedback method I suggested may be completely useless considering that the majority of the issues associated with YouTube have come from their algorithms. But if there's another avenue, it's better than doing absolutely nothing. I know YouTube is trying to protect itself from losing a lot of money from the very companies challenging these creators. But they need to realize right now that this has gone too far.<br />
<br />
Continue sending the hashtags, discussing the issues, and posting the videos on this issue. Sooner or later, there has to be a beneficial result from all this.Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-37188414867969050752016-02-11T21:36:00.004-05:002016-02-11T21:36:54.917-05:00Pardon Our Dust!Mahou Kunoichi's growing up so that means another overhaul. You ready for tomorrow?<br />
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Tune in at 11am EST on the Basement (WVUD 91.3 HD-2 FM) for some great nerd action.<br />
'Til then, stay frosty.<br />
<b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b><br />
<i>PS - awesome classic Toonami remaster and archival by YouTuber SlimD716.</i><b><i> </i></b>Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-2995023144500646862016-02-07T15:52:00.001-05:002016-02-07T15:52:48.200-05:00Mahou Kunoichi Turns 2! たんじょびおめでとうございます!Hard to believe this. I've been running this blog and my radio show for two years now. On top of that, today's my 1/2 birthday and it's the 50th Super Bowl. Tomorrow I'm starting off school with my first Japanese class of the year and it's the Chinese New Year.<br />
<br />
Wow.<br />
<br />
I don't know what else to say except thank you. Thank you for all the support you've given me the past 2 years and here's to another two more. :)<br />
<br />
I may do a brief episode post-Super Bowl halftime or something. 'Til then, I'll be happily hunting for some half birthday cake or pizza.<br />
<br />
I may be in my 20s but I'm never too old for a half birthday celebration. ;)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b></span> Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959823753655808384.post-19291829550559898782016-02-03T14:25:00.001-05:002016-02-03T17:35:59.802-05:00"Training" Wednesday - Fixing My Computer今日はみんなさん。お元気ですか?久しぶりですね?<br />
In case you're wondering about the musical radio silence from last week's FM episode up until today, it's because I had to fix my laptop. Yes, self-repair is a growing trend and I'm embracing it. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. While I still have no clue what I'm going to do after the FM stint's up, computer magic may be in the works for this young magician. This isn't my very first foray into building computers. My first build was a desktop with my 6th grade computer science teacher. (It's been 10 years since I've done that and I heard it still works like new. :) ) So I thought my laptop fix would not be too difficult since the principles were similar albeit smaller.<br />
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I was right but boy was I wrong on a few major levels.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I had a laundry list of repair and I was nervous about so many things that can go wrong, mostly in the software department. I think I still have some residual trauma for when I accidentally deleted the Classic* capability from my family's Mac so the physical construction looked like a cakewalk.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Things I needed to fix -</b></i><br />
<ul>
<li>Increase space on my internal hard drive - #1 reason why I couldn't do recordings plus I have a hard time deleting things. You never know if some material's going to be future gold!</li>
<li>Backup materials in a physically secure and portable location - The majority of my backups are wireless (via Dropbox, iCloud, and Google Drive) but they can only hold so much for free.</li>
<li>Replace missing screws and feet - It's astounding how much of an influence the bottom of your laptop can influence your top systems. It contributed to my next problem.</li>
<li>Fix CD drive - My theory was the bottom connection was not secure enough to keep the disk player stable. It tended to glitch when it got to the last few minutes of a film or an installation. </li>
<li>Replace batteries and charger - easy fix. It was about time for an update anyway.</li>
<li>Upgrade to El Capitan - a given considering programs are becoming El Capitan dependent.</li>
</ul>
My dad suggested to tackle the top problem, I should get a bigger SSD**. I decided to make the hard drive my final priority and tackle the simpler fixes first and replaced my battery and charger, dusted the mainframe and fans before replacing it with my new screws and feet, and I got an external 1TB hard drive. I could start backing up some items and delete some of them from the internal hard drive so that the major things got supported (I also installed an emulator which only works on El Capitan - more on that later). I cleared up enough space to upgrade Yosemite into El Capitan so I did the installation before backing up my data again.<br />
<br />
This was the first mistake I did in my upgrade - jumping into a new system before getting familiar with it. My second mistake kicked in when I attempted to switch my system to a new hard drive and it took nearly two more days of work to figure it out. (My family's smart but they also encourage me to figure out things on my own.) I remembered my dad's biannual RAM upgrades so I made sure to wear nitrile gloves while within the mainframe even though I was already grounded. An electrical discharge from your body or a non-grounded surface can easily render your computer useless so you can never be too careful. The physical swap was the easy part. This is where the software trauma pretty much kicked in.<br />
<br />
I tried starting up the usual way by just pressing the power button. It didn't do anything. So then I thought maybe plugging in my TB hard drive would be the catalyst for the upgrade. (I was partially right - my computer recognized it.) But because it didn't have the startup software for El Capitan on it, it had a flashing folder with a question mark. So then I switched my hard drives back in place and I saw in a YouTube video that dragging my user profile would be enough to reinitialize my system. NOPE! I even tried installing wirelessly with the option-R keystroke. What do you expect would happen with no data except NOTHING! I realized later on that my hard drive was not being recognized and I had to format my new hard drive before installing anything new to it. I didn't have the adequate supplies to do the job and I didn't feel like removing my new hard drive again just to do an elaborate restoration process. So I had to wait for two days for my USB to SATA cable to arrive before I could do anything.<br />
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Most of instructions I received on YouTube were from people who still had Yosemite and then upgraded later, which is a smarter way to do it. However, if you're rather lazy like me or new to these sorts of installations, here's my version of the upgrade. Hopefully this will be helpful for Mac newcomers or worker-bees.<br />
<br />
<i><b>You'll need:</b></i><br />
- your old hard drive externally & your new one already installed in your laptop<br />
- a USB to SATA cord<br />
- a hard drive containing your most recent Time Machine backup<br />
- An iCloud account (then again, it is REQUIRED for most Apple items anyway)<br />
- OPTIONAL - nitrile gloves <br />
<br />
<i><b>Steps</b></i><br />
<ol>
<li>Plug in your old hard drive to your laptop, using the USB to SATA cable. Use the same precautions as you would in the mainframe because the simplest shock can render your hard drive unreadable.</li>
<li>Turn on your computer. Your system should recognize your hard drive right away and start up as usual, except it'll recognize your old internal hard drive as an external hard drive (which technically, it is.)</li>
<li>Go onto <u><i>Disk Utility</i></u>. Chances are your internal hard drive still holds the brand name. Go under your hard drive, then press the Erase button. <i>The Erase function tends to happen quickly (anywhere between 2 seconds to under a minute).</i></li>
<li>The formatting and partitioning happens automatically. No need to worry about naming your partition since it'll go back to its original name when you restore it from your backup. <b>Make sure you choose the GUID Partition Map. There's no need to press the partition button unless you want to create more than one.</b></li>
<li>Go to the <u><i>App Store</i></u> and download <u><i>OS X El Capitan</i></u>. If you already have this upgrade, it'll ask you if you want to reinstall the system. Accept the decision. Change the save point to your <i>new</i> hard drive. <i>This installation takes about 15-20 minutes.</i> <b>If you tend to keep your external sound on mute, turn on the sound before the next step because it's critical!</b></li>
<li>Restart your computer after the installation is complete. Your connection indication light will shut off on your drive for a few seconds. Detach your old hard drive <b>BEFORE</b> the startup chime rings and store it carefully. Attach your backup drive if you haven't done so already. <i>The new drive will warm up for a couple of minutes before installing the new El Capitan files. </i><b>Expect multiple restarts.</b></li>
<li>Follow the instructions on screen. Log into your iCloud account and make sure the save point is in your new hard drive. <i>Installation will take 15 minutes. </i>[<b><i>If you don't see the El Capitan installer and the screen's grey sans the Apple logo, hold down the option button and it will list the connected hard drives. Click on your new hard drive and it will go straight to the installer.</i></b> <i>Follow the same instructions as above</i>]</li>
<li>After the <u><i>El Capitan</i></u> installation is complete, it'll ask if you want to restore your computer from a previous backup. If you have a Time Machine backup, go ahead and do this process and make sure you grab the latest file. <i>It'll take a couple of hours (3 tops) for the installation to complete </i>so it may be good to grab a bite or a movie during this process. After that's all done, go ahead and use your computer.</li>
</ol>
Congratulations! You have a new computer again or at least your digital home just got a lot bigger. :) <br />
<br />
A simpler way to do the install is to put El Capitan on a reserved
memory stick or hard drive and then follow steps 6 through 8. Then again, that's human nature - we don't expect Murphy's Law 24/7 unless we're novelizing or in the movies! Still, it's not a bad thing to have, especially if the unthinkable happens and you have to repeat the process again.<br />
<br />
Now I pretty much fixed everything and it's all going smoothly so it looks like I'll be broadcasting again soon. I've been expanding some of my other channels too. I'm currently updating my YouTube account. The recent copyright strike experiences have made me a little wary but I'm not completely daunted. I'm also planning out a weekly live stream (whether on YouTube or Twitch, I'm still deciding) and my first few broadcasts will cover wuxia MMOs and classic gaming so I'm excited to share that with you all. Finally, I'm making strides in my Assassin's Creed fanfic. I don't know how soon I'll be able to post it on Wattpad. But if I wasn't daunted by a challenging laptop repair, I certainly won't let the Templars wipe out my mental Guild!<br />
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Until all that happens, enjoy my broadcasts on Mixlr (updated frequently on my Twitter feed @djmk4life) and my Friday broadcasts on the FM. My final winter special is this Friday @ 9-11am on the Basement. My hours for next semester will be about the same minus 1/2 hour. Any topic requests, suggestions, and media can easily be tweeted to me. Phew this is a long post. I came in with a story and came out with a tech lecture!<br />
<br />
If you made it this far, you deserve a piece of really good cake. (not a lie either!)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><3 DJ MK</i></b></span><br />
<br />
PS - For those who are curious about what I use, here's the basic specs.<br />
<ul>
<li>I use a 2012 15" MacBook Pro. It was a college freshman/New Year's present. :)</li>
<li>I switched from 180GB Intel hard drive to a 480GB Crucial drive (both SSDs - I heard Seagate's a good switch too).</li>
<li>My 1TB hard drive is from Seagate. I got the light version so that it's easier to carry. I do many writing and visual projects so those tend to take up a lot of space.</li>
<li>The charger was not Apple-licensed but it gets the job done (plus it comes with a USB port for charging my other devices too!).</li>
<li>My USB 3.0 to SATA cable and battery is by an American USB company called Anker. (Their instruction manuals are simple and have the best sense of humor!)</li>
<li>The CD repair technically could've been rendered optional. Current MacBook Pros have rendered the CD drive obsolete by making the
space available for a second HD for extra hard drive space (losing speed's no
longer an issue today) or an invisible Time Machine backup.</li>
</ul>
<i><b>Terminology!</b></i> <br />
*For those younger millennials, Classic is known as Mac OS 9 and when OS X (specifically Cheetah) came in, Apple made the equivalent of backwards compatibility for any software that supports 9, which made it possible for me to play the majority of educational games like these:<br />
<i>Interactive Math Journey </i>(The Learning Company - also created Reader Rabbit. Apparently they revived RR for the Wii in 2011.)<br />
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<i>Math Blaster Ages 9-12</i> (Davidson - played a lot of their games growing up. They really knew what they were doing when it came to intellectual gaming. My elementary school teachers used to pretend to be Ike and Rita from <i>Reading Blaster</i>. They got the Rita voice spot on!)<br />
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<i>Living Books</i> (I had the Berestein Bears Afraid of the Dark, the Arthur spelling one, and a number of others. Brutalmoose describes some other ones here.)<br />
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<i>Disney Interactive</i> (AKA the games that made my childhood! I had the Lion King, Hercules, Winnie the Pooh & Pocahontas. I got a Toy Story 2 game on the Dreamcast.)<br />
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And tons of other ones that are in the back of my brain... There should be a gaming database where people try to recall their pre-OS X/Windows 9 days.<br />
<br />
My deletion of the system = the loss of using most of my computer gaming library. But thankfully the elementary school I attended to was a Mac campus (a rarity in the 90s and 00s!) so I was able to fill in the void until the later cat upgrades came in. The Classic capability was dropped after OS X Panther. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mac+OS+9&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8" target="_blank">Apparently there are a lot of classic emulators out there...</a><br />
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**SSD = Solid State Drive. Upgrade from the disk drives (the ones that make the "whirr" sound when they boot up).<br />
A major downside when it came to past physical upgrades was you had to choose between having a good capacity for your files and rapid processing power for gaming and practical usage. A bigger disk drive would give you more space but the processor would be at its limit. With the solid state drive however, it's compromise free. There are still purpose-devoted computers out there. But a lot of them are capable of multitasking now. I use my laptop for three purposes now thanks to the upgrade - school, broadcasting, and gaming. :)<br />
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There you go. Information that didn't need a search engine and was fun to write. My job here's done! Plus if you made it <i><b>THIS</b></i> far, make that an entire cake!Sailor TMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15838981254750920836noreply@blogger.com0