Shinmaru

To be honest, I don't know why athletes do half the stupid things that they do. Some of them probably think that they can get away with it. Some of them might have been doing these things since they've been growing up (a lot of athletes, especially in the NBA and NFL, grew up dirt poor and didn't exactly have the best of childhoods). But from what little I know about Kobe's life, this isn't really the case. He has both a loving mother and father, grew up upper middle class, and got a good education. Pretty much everybody that has anything to do with sports is shocked that it's Kobe Bryant that's in this situation. Before this, I thought that Kobe Bryant should be one of the guys that the NBA should use to bolster its image. Guys like Kobe, Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, people who were hard working, clean-cut individuals. But after this...I don't know what to think about any of these pro athletes. Everyone was certainly wrong about Kobe. But you have to remember that everyone was basing this on what they saw when Kobe was in the public eye. Kobe Bryant is an intensly private individual, so I don't think that many people knew who he really was and what he's really like. Certainly, after this incident, I find myself not knowing who he is at all.

It's a little off topic, but I'll answer your question anyway. The reason why pro athletes (at least in the four main sports in the U.S. - basketball, baseball, football, and hockey) get paid so much is that they work in entertainment. Like it or not, the most lucrative jobs money-wise in the U.S. are in entertainment. Lots of money can be made off of these athletes and thus, they can also command high salaries. But don't be fooled into thinking that all athletes in sports get paid ludacris amounts of money. I doubt you'll be finding many million dollar athletes in the U.S. outside of basketball, baseball, football, and hockey because most other sports don't even come near those four in popularity in the U.S.

I think I'll bring this thread back to life since it never really got a chance to take off. Here's the question: Who played Mario in the live action scenes on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show? Bonus if you can also name who played Luigi.

The name of the SUV was The Canyonero (sp?). Name the items that Johnny Carson was juggling in the Krusty the Clown Reunion Special.

I've just played the demos for Wario Ware and I have to say that they're fun little extras (the reason why it took me so long to play them is because one of my friends borrowed my GBA). I found myself getting addicted to the games quite quickly and really enjoying the pace in which these games are thrown at you. I've been playing these games for the last couple of days and I haven't found a dull moment with them.

I still think he'll lose some fans but not as many as he could have. At least, he won't lose fans to the OJ Simpson degree (is anyone really a fan of OJ anymore?) Really, I doubt he'll be convicted because the evidence that I've seen so far is flimsy at best and both sides will go out of their way to dramatize their sides of the story. The difference is that Kobe is rich enough to hire the best lawyers that money can buy. Will he do that? I don't know but it's a possibility. If he's not convicted, then there's a chance that the public might forgive him because he's already admitted to adultry, a step that he didn't have to take. Of course, we'll probably never know whether or not he's guilty.

What's really sad is that events like these have to happen before people start thinking about these things. Mandatory tests for older drivers weren't really an issue (at least not down here in California - I don't know about everywhere else) until this happened. Stricter airport security wasn't an issue until the events of September 11th. I just wish people could spend more time thinking things through in advance to prevent things like this from happening. It's widely known that when most people get older, their vision might get impaired, their reflexes might slow down, etc. It amazes me that things like this aren't taken into account until things like this happen.

Now that's a Dr. Octopus! I was wondering who'd be the new villain in the Spider-Man sequel (everyone I knew wanted Venom, but I thought Doc Ock would translate better to the movies). At least I know that they chose a good villain for the movie; now all that there's left to see is if this movie will be as good or (hopefully) better than the first.

Whoops. You have my apologies, Taylor. If I made you angry with the way my post presented you, then you have my sincerest apologies. You can be assured that I don't want people to get the wrong idea about you. ~ Mirai looked at the scene in front of him. There was cake and punch everywhere and his date was covered in it. "I think we stopped this a little too late," mirai said to Taylor. "I'm the one who stopped it," Taylor replied. "Oh yeah," mirai said as he walked up to Ruby. "Are you okay?" "I'm okay," Ruby said as she threw some cake onto the floor. "Are you sure you don't want to clean up first?" mirai said as some cake landed at his feet.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Harry [/i] [B]Are you joking? Athletes commit crimes all the time and people rarely care. His fan base isn't going to disappear because of this. [/B][/QUOTE] Yes, but you have to remember that Kobe's fan base isn't like the fan base for an Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, Mike Tyson, etc. Kobe never had a "thug" image or whatever. He was always seen as a clean cut individual with high moral values and respect for everyone. I don't think that his fan base would disappear totally (because there will always be people who respect him for his basketball ability), but there will definetely be people who lose respect for him as a person, if only until everyone forgets about this case. Besides, I would hardly say that people "rarely care." Just look at all the publicity this is getting. The case hasn't even gone to court yet! There hasn't even been an arraignment! Just imagine what it'll be like if and when this case actually goes to trial.

Sorry about that. I guess sarcasm is best kept off the computer sometimes, huh? ^_^ Yep, both games are out right now; MUTATION just came out rather recently, in fact. QUARANTINE will probably come out near the holidays.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that my favorite character is Alucard from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Ah, the life of an ultra-powerful vampire warrior. He has the coolest spells, the best weapons, and he's in one of the greatest games of all time. What's not to like? If I were Alucard, nobody would stand a chance against me and my arsenal of spells and weapons, but that's another story for another thread. My least favorite character is defintely Raiden from Metal Gear Solid 2. First of all, he's a total wuss, especially next to the symbol of badass, Solid Snake. Second of all, those conversations with his girlfriend get old real fast, and they quickly made me want to kill Raiden with extreme prejudice.

O_O Wow, lots of stuff happens when I'm not around lol. ~ Mirai stared at dayday and Ruby who had spilled punch on each other. He looked down at his Cowboy Bebop shirt and thought only one thing: Nobody had better get punch on me. Mirai quickly downed his punch and gave the other cup to Taylor before anyone could get any funny ideas. "Er...do you guys need to clean up?" mirai asked. "No, that's okay," dayday replied. "We just need more punch." Dayday and Ruby both ran to the table to get more punch. "This isn't good," mirai muttered to himself. He turned to TH. "We have to stop them!" "No way," Taylor said. "I wanna see where this goes!" Mirai smacked his hand to his forehead. "Looks like I'm on my own," he said. Then, he ran off to prevent anything bad from happening at the punch table. Little did he know that nothing he could do would prevent what was going to happen from happening.

Actually, .hack does have a game. Actually, there have been two .hack games that have been released thus far in the U.S. What game would make a good anime? I'd like to see a Castlevania anime (if there hasn't been one made, that is). Preferably one based on Symphony of the Night because you know it would be great. Alucard would make an awesome main character and I'd love to see all the spells and such in animation. Anime made into a game? Don't know if I'd want that. Most anime-based games that have been released in the U.S. are complete and utter crap. EDIT: Darn it, he got to the .hack information before I could! And about the Cowboy Bebop game, I've heard rumors that Bandai is making a game based on Cowboy Bebop, but it's just rumor so far.

Regardless of whether or not Kobe is guilty, his image will defintely be tarnished due to this case. He has already admitted to adultry and he'll definetely lose a lot of fans and credibility due to that. Whether or not his image can be rehabilitated remains to be seen. There's something that I find interesting, though. Last year when Allen Iverson was charged with breaking and entering an apartment and weapons possessions (I think that's what he was charged with), there wasn't much hesitation by people in saying that Iverson was guilty. However, when the facts were revealed, it turned out that he was totally innocent. It just goes to show you how wrong the public can be at times and how the public uses someone's image when they're judging someone's guilty. EDIT: Another thing that I think is interesting is that experts say that something like this will probably increase Kobe's merchandising. A high profile case like this could get Kobe's name on the news and in the papers every night and sell things with his name attached to it. I've seen this happen a few times, so it's a sound theory. Of course, that doesn't mean that I agree with the principles behind it.

I'd rather be flooded with hate e-mail by releasing a very good game late, than release a bad game that was rushed. Of course, I am a staunch Nintendo fan, so I'm used to dealing with things like that and it no longer affects me when Nintendo delays their games (it just increases my anticipation - you should've seen me whe Perfect Dark finally came out lol).

Not sure if this is international news, but it's pretty big news here in the U.S., so I decided to make a thread on it. On Friday, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was charged with felony sexual assault (i.e. rape). He is the latest in a long line of athletes who have gotten in trouble with the law. Very little facts have been released about this case. What is known is that Kobe himself has admitted to adultry, but he claims that it was consensual. I'm not sure exactly how, but the 19 year old girl claims that Kobe forced himself upon her. If Kobe is convicted he could face either four years to life in prison or 20 years to life probation. These facts are likely the only straight facts we will get in the case. A very good point was made on a radio show early this morning that I was listening to, and it was that both sides will likely exaggerate their sides of the story in order to prove their case. Basically the only people that will likely know the entire truth are Kobe and the 19 year old girl. Of course, this will probably end up being a very high profile trial (if it ends up going to trial) and it will probably end up being the most high profile athlete-related trial since the O.J. Simpson case. With all this coverage, I'm sure that there will be conflicting views. For instance, will Kobe get unfair treatment? Remember, unfair treatment can go both ways. For example, will Kobe be treated as if he is "above the law" because he is a celebrity? Personally, I find this very unlikely, because the D.A. in Colorado has said time and time again that he will treat this like any other sexual assault case. Then, there is the opposite side of the spectrum; will Kobe be condemned because he is yet another athlete in trouble with the law? I have already heard that there are protesters that have already passed judgement upon him and are ready to picket Lakers games at Staples Center if Kobe plays basketball in the NBA next year. Do I think Kobe is guilty? I don't know and I'm not willing to pass judgement right now, because I think that would be unfair to both the 19 year old woman (who's identity has not been revealed, at least not to my knowledge) and Kobe Bryant. I think that it's unfair to pass judgement on either person without fully knowing and understanding the facts of the case. There are a lot of things that are irrelevant in this case. There are a lot of people presuming Kobe innocent based on the squeaky-clean image that he has presented throughout his career. That is completely and totally irrelevant and has nothing to do with the case; if he was squeaky-clean, he wouldn't have comitted adultry. There are also people, as I stated earlier, that have presumed Kobe guilty because he is yet another pro athlete in trouble with the law. This is also irrelevant; the image of other people and the person in question should not be taken into account when you are dealing with a case that is supposed to be [b]completely and totally fact based.[/b] There are most likely some items and such that I have forgotten to mention. If somebody else has information and/or opinions pertaining to this case, or this subject in general, I'd like to see it.

"You know what," mirai said. "I think you were right, Ruby. How about you talk with dayday right now? I won't intrude." "Are you sure?" Ruby asked. "Of course," mirai said. "I can't have to myself all night, can I? That'd be pretty selfish of me." "What'll you do, then?" Ruby asked. "Hey, there's still plenty of punch here," mirai said with a laugh. "I'll go get punch for everyone." Mirai walks off to get some punch.

I live in Southern California in a little town called La Puente. Perhaps you've heard of it? Most likely not. It's about 45 minutes south of Anaheim and about an hour south of Los Angeles. In fact, I live pretty close to a lot of big Southern Californian cities now that I think about it.

[i]Shin walks up to the lounge where he heard that Jericho was at. Of course, on par with Jericho's reputation, he was long gone. But Shin wasn't expecting Jericho to be waiting for him. To catch a man like Jericho, you had to outwit him, and so far, Shin was the one being outwitted. He had never come across a person who had caused him so much trouble, but he rather enjoyed the challenge. He walks inside the bar and takes a seat.[/i] Bartender: What'll it be? Shin: Just get me a shot of whiskey. I can't afford to get drunk right now. Bartender: Whatever you say, sir. [i]Shin leans back and surveys the bar. The workers had done a good job in masking the fact that Jericho had been there, but Shin's expert eyes picked up the subtle signs of a struggle. The smell of gun powder was barely detectable in the air, but Shin could smell it easily. Shin slides his foot to stand up and his foot kicks something. He bends down to pick the item up. It is a shotgun shell.[/i] Shin: I think that this pretty much proves that he was here... [i]The bartender walks up to Shin with his shot glass.[/i] Bartender: Here you go, sir. Shin: Thanks. [i]Shin downs the shot in one gulp.[/i] Shin: Keep 'em coming. [i]The bartender walks off.[/i] Shin(whispering to himself): I need to find Inblade, but I don't know where he is...if there was only some clue... Voice: You say you need to find Inblade? [i]Shin turns around and sees his friend, Joseph Tristar. Joseph is tall with slightly tanned skin and dark brown hair. Shin pays close attention to the laser blaster in his pocket, but motions for him to sit down.[/i] Shin: What're you doing here, Joseph? Joseph: I was just in the neighborhood and I decided to drop in. Shin: You're looking for Inblade, too? Joseph: Yeah. Or rather, I was. The guy's just too hard to capture for a guy like me. Shin: Yeah, he's the trickiest bounty I've ever tried to go after. Joseph: You need to know where he's at, right? [i]Shin stares at Joseph.[/i] Shin: You telling me that you know where he is? Joseph: Not exactly. Shin: Then, what are you talking about? [i]Joseph takes a shot and downs it in one gulp.[/i] Joseph: Inblade is a bounty hunter, too. And I heard from a very reliable source that he's after a cult leader named Zemdi. Shin: And who is this "reliable source?" Joseph: Come on, Shin, you know it's not wise to reveal your sources. Shin: Fine. Why are you telling me this? Joseph: Because now you owe me one... Shin: ...and when Shin Hazuki owes you one, you know you'll get paid back. I see. You got someone on your tail? Joseph: Not yet, but I do have a price on my head. I'm pretty sure I'll be Inblade's next target after he takes care of Zemdi. Shin: Why is that? Joseph: I used to work for Zemdi. I was one of his best bounty hunters, but I didn't want any part of his cult. So, he decided to frame me for a crime and I got put in prison. I made a prison break a couple of months ago and I've been on the run since. Shin: How can you be so safe out in the open? Joseph: Don't worry about that. Just take care of Inblade...after he takes care of Zemdi, of course. Shin: Gotcha. [i]Shin gets up, pays the bartender, and walks out of the bar and into his ship. His engines blaze to a start and he flies off into space.[/i]

I am also not too fond of the downtime that Fan Fiction usually has. That's why I like Fiction Press a lot more; it's better run than Fan Fiction (plus, you get a lot more extra stuff for free than you do at Fan Fiction). And about flamers...if I were going to criticize someone, I'd just do it while signed in. I hate the anonymous reviewers who just pop in, flame your story, and give absolutely no constructive criticism. Luckily, I haven't had to deal with crap like that yet. EDIT: Didn't notice the question. I found Fan Fiction.net after a couple of my friends recommended me to the site when I told them that I liked to write stories.

Someone recently started a thread dedicated to Insomniac with Dave Attell, so I decided to start a thread dedicated to my favorite comedy show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Daily Show is hilarious and it's a shame that Jon and the other comedians on the show don't get more recognition (I rarely see guys like Lewis Black, Stephen Colbert, or Rob Coldry (sp?) anywhere outside of Comedy Central). Spoofing the news isn't a very new concept (Weekend Update, anyone?), but The Daily Show does it so well and so funny. Plus, they occasionally have guests outside of entertainers and such and they can discuss issues that matter and put a funny spin on them. It's sad to say, but I probably get about a quarter of my current events from The Daily Show (kids like me need to read the newspaper lol). And it's not just Jon Stewart. Lewis Black is my favorite comedian today. The Back in Black segments make The Daily Show worth watching by themselves. And Stephen Colbert is today's master of the deadpan delivery; he's just hilarious. And the news segments that they do are just hilarious. Like when Stephen Colbert interviewed one of the men who discovered DNA (I can't remember his name - someone please enlighten me) about stupidity. I was laughing through the whole segment.

[i]Shin smashes a cigarette under his boot as he watches the Star Jammer fly off. This would finally be the day that he made the catch of the millennium. The day that he would finally catch the most notorious bounty hunter in the galaxy - besides himself, of course - Jericho Inblade. Shin gets up, but before he can walk to his ship, he feels an object placed at the base of his skull.[/i] Voice: Going somewhere, Shin? [i]Shin recognized the voice as being from his rival, Dash Rendar (yes, I got that name from Star Wars - so sue me). Dash had had it in for Shin ever since he stole Dash's prize bounty from under his nose. Revenge was the only thing on Dash's mind and it would be a cold day in Hell if we wasn't going to get it.[/i] Shin: Are you sure we couldn't do this later? I have some business to attend to, Dash. I'm sure you understand. Dash: You can talk all you want, Shin. The fact is, I've got you right where I want you and you can't escape. Shin: Is that so? Dash: Damn right, that's so. Put your hands in the air! [i]Shin does as he is told and puts his hands into the air.[/i] Dash: Turn around so that I can see your face...I wanna see the fear in your eyes before I put a laser in your gut. [i]Shin slowly turns around. His hands are still in the air as he stares Dash right in the eyes.[/i] Shin: This how you want it? [i]Dash shoots a laser near Shin's boot.[/i] Dash: I've had enough of your smartass remarks, Shin. Shin: Is that so? Well, I must be going. Dash: Oh no, you don't! [i]Dash shoots his gun, but in his excitement, he misaims and Shin barely ducks out of the way. Shin breaks out into a run, takes out a smoke bomb from his coat pocket, and throws it at the floor. Smoke fills the area.[/i] Dash: Damn you, Shin! [i]Dash starts shooting wildly and steps through the smoke. Shin takes out his gun and shoots at the building behind them. Some debris falls from the building and lands in front of Dash, giving Shin just enough time to hop in his ship and fly away. Dash kicks the debris in a fit of rage. Shin sighs and leans back in his ship.[/i] Shin: Another close call. Because of that idiot, I lost track of Jericho. That bastard's hard enough to track as it is; the last thing I needed was a delay. [i]Shin flies off into the starry sky, starting his long search for Jericho Inblade.[/i]

Name: Shinmaru "Shin" Hazuki Age: 25 Gender: Male Weapons: Two silver guns (think Vash the Stampede from Trigun) with modified bullets that can shoot through personal shields (but they're not strong enough to shoot through shields that ships have). Also carries several smoke bombs under his coat. Bio: Shin is a former assassin who is wanted by every single crime lord in the galaxy. He has a price on his head nearing the hundred millions. He considers the police force inadequate and therefore, the bounties that he picks up mostly have to do with law breakers. He has never been caught by anybody and has a habit of getting out of the worst of situations with ease. He spends most of his time on the run and catching bounties, although he rarely as time to enjoy the money that he gets. Description: About 5'9", 155 lbs. Has a skinny, muscular body, messy, crimson red hair and brown eyes. He's light skinned and has a 5" scar on his left cheek. He always wears all black: black shirt, pants tucked into his boots military style, and a black coat. The only exception is the gray tie that he wears.

Mirai noticed Ruby still looking over at dayday and TH. "I've got an idea," mirai said. "Why don't we go over and visit them?" "I don't know if that's such a good idea," Ruby said. "Why not?" mirai asked. "Maybe they don't want to be bothered," Ruby replied. "Maybe they don't," mirai said. "But it doesn't hurt to try. Come on, let's go say hi to them."