Welcome to the Wasabiverse
Archive for June, 2003
Next time you go to Hogwarts and need to bring cash…
29 years ago
by Tom
in LiveJournal
You can see how much you can convert it for. CNN Money has a conversion tool for Harry Potter money. Too funny.
IMPORTANT SIGN THAT YOU ARE TOO SICK…
49 years ago
by Tom
in LiveJournal
Want to know how to tell if you’re too fucked up to operate in normal life due to a cold? Easy:
I just had a police officer bang on my door about two minutes ago. He was stopping by to confirm that I was Tom Croom and then gave me my wallet and checkbook that I had left at Publix yesterday. I hadn’t even noticed they were missing. Thankfully, I am always broke so there was no money in it.
Being sick sucks.
Living in a small town is kinda cool, though, since I got it back.
Yes, I’m a Harry Potter loser…
109 years ago
After driving back from Orlando on Saturday afternoon…
(we had crashed at Joey Snackpant’s house after a late night of The Hulk and The Ale House. Frog Explode. Hulk Smash. Mentally Challenged Ending.)
…I stopped and picked up my copy of the 870 page “children’s book” Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Upon getting back to the house, I sucked down some major vitamins and started reading. My ever developing cold hindered me, but I managed to complete the entire book in one evening.
Did I enjoy it? Hell yes 
It leaves me wondering some things though. WARNING: Don’t read this part unless you have finished the book or don’t mind learning info early. SPOILERS galore ahead (including the “who dies” part).
1. Okay, the much hyped about death of Sirius Black didn’t seem like a “complete” death. It was too magical and it happened in a place called the Department of Mysteries. Granted it was re-inforced VERY strongly with the Dumbledore/Harry conversation at the end - but still…
2. My favorite line in the who book is on page 32:
“Enough – effing – owls…” muttered Uncle Vernon…
(This is a kid’s book, right?)
3. Again showing my old school bias for kids books, I also got a kick out of 13 year old Ginny Weasley exclaiming “Damn” later in the book.
4. I enjoyed knowing that there was a death, and getting constantly thrown other possibilities: Mr. Weasley, McGonagall, etc. Clever writing.
5. Cameos were a blast, too… especially Lockhart in the mental ward.
6. Is it just me or was Harry’s dad a dick at age 15?
7. Okay… if the Cho girl is out of the picture, does that put Harry back with Hermione… and where does that leave Ron? Or is it Ginny? Or will there be someone else? Or is it (gasp!) Luna? It’s like Degrassi Junior High all over again.
8. I’m really starting to dislike House Elves (though Dobby is much less annoying this time around.)
9. My only complaint in this book was the lack of a “twist” ending. Every Potter book has something you don’t expect at the end. Going in, we all knew there would be a fatality. I guessed early on that it would be Sirius since he had the strongest emotional attachment to Harry. Beyond that, though, this was more a “money” book that an “surprise” book. Money meant in the sense of a “money shot” where you get to see stuff you’ve always wanted to see such as Voldemort and Dumbledore duking it out.
Anyway…
My only worry now is if there’s another three years until the NEXT book. Also, with J.K. Rowling’s current pattern, the next book should be well over 1000 pages.
I’m going back to bed and get rid of this cold now. 
Let’s play a game…
69 years ago
by Tom
in LiveJournal
called “How often does WasabiGirl check her LiveJournal and when will she noticed what I picked up on my way home today?”
Clock’s at 2:41 PM at my house kids… so let’s see 
[NOTE: This post originally had a photo of a McDonald's Happy Meal toy from Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo. The photo is no longer available]
is Michael Knight really Buffy the Vampire Slayer?!
59 years ago
Every once and a while we stumble upon little gems in our lives that bring us sincere happiness to the nth degree. My recent moment of joy came via our friend Greg from Wasabi Anime who stumbled across a copy of Knight Rider‘s pilot episode of DVD. As WasabiGirl and I watched it last night, the more I realized that the series concept had been taken and completely reworked into another modern day classic: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Here’s my proof (warning: a decent working knowledge of both series is needed to truly understand this!):
Michael Knight & Buffy Summers: Both are (in their respective times in society) considered sex symbols. Both characters are “loners” that prefer to work on their own. Both have a blatant disregard for authority. Both tend to wear clothes that are too tight for them.
Devon Miles & Rupert Giles: Both are the “fatherly” and “sage-like” figure to each series’s main character. Both dress very stiff on a regular basis. Both have British accents. Both have last names that rhyme!
K.I.T.T. (the car) & “Slayer Ability”: Both Michael and Buffy are thrust into a position of power against their will… Michael’s in the form of K.I.T.T. and Buffy’s in her Slayer Abilities. These work to carry the shows’ themes. Knight Rider: “ONE man can make a difference…” & Buffy: “Once a generations A (aka ONE) slayer is born…” There is only ONE K.I.T.T. and only ONE Slayer. (Exception noted later.)
K.I.T.T. (the personality) & Xander Harris: Both serve as close friends to the main characters. Both serve as comic relief through sarcasm. Both serve to save the main character’s ass throughout the series.
Bonnie Barstow & Willow Rosenberg: Both are generally too sexy for their own good. Both girls are uber-genius level and solve all the technical problems on the show (Bonne fixes K.I.T.T. and Willow is the computer geek.)
Nipples: Both series feature at least one shot of a woman’s nipples pushing through a tight shirt in almost every episode. Watch reruns and you’ll see what I mean.
K.A.R.R./Garth Knight & Faith: Loner? There can be only one? Not in TV Land boys and girls. Both “forces of good” suddenly had evil opposites with the same abilities! Since Michael’s “powers” being embodied in an separate entity, K.I.T.T., the first half of the “evil version” came in the manifestation of K.A.R.R. (Knight’s Automated Roving Robot.) K.A.R.R. was the prototype to K.I.T.T. and came back to try and destroy them. Garth Knight was the evil Michael Knight sporting facial hair (a la Star Trek’s “Mirror Universe”) and escaped a prison in Africa(?) to try and kill Michael. Buffy’s powers are a part of her, so her evil double was one person: Faith… the “other” slayer who was evil.
I’m sure further research would dig up even more mirror elements… once the “Knight Rider Box Set” comes out, I’ll let you all know
(both have very cheesy smiles!
The standard obligatory JACON 2003 con report.
139 years ago
brought to you in part by the new Transformers Generation X: Cynatron vs. Medacon
I had written a very nice and verbose con report last night. As a sign that it was TOO long, though, Mother Nature stepped in and killed all local power with a thunderstorm an took my typed LJ entry with it. So here is now a much shorter expedited version:
= Njoryo kicked ass at keeping things together for Wasabi Anime at JACON. We left a very good impression with them (from the feedback we got at the Sunday night dinner.) This was also the second time Njoryo babysat an overnight viewing room for Wasabi Anime. Next time he HAS to be a daywalker somehow
= ilovejapan got to be the Wasabi Anime daywalker. Along with convering out table for a time, she worked as a JACON volunteer. I heard nothing but glowing reviews for her performance… which is amazing since she was the only volunteer under 18
= Cobheran delved into the world of the travelling salesmen and got to talk to dealers in the Dealers Room. We even got some signed paperwork back! This was also his first shot at running an overnight viewing room… and he did a spectacular job.
= WasabiGirl worked, pimped Wasabi Anime, AND played dress up all in one weekend. Impressive!
= Snackpants is now forbidden to bring any more green alcohol. Ever.
= “Open bar” does not mean I have to order as many drinks as possible. Twelve free drinks somehow found me staggering in front of the screen in the Wasabi Anime viewing room babbling about SOMETHING. Thanks Snackpants & Njoryo for turning on the next movie to shut me up.
? = What the hell is the “Cosplay Conspiracy?”
= Snackpants to Njoryo in the viewing room while very drunk: “Hey… President… Can I advise you to take me to Steak & Shake? I’m starved!”
= I finally got to meet the More Than Toast crew. Akimbo & Grungetta rocked, and had the infinate patience to listen to my drunken three hour epic about the birth of Wasabi Anime of Florida.
= I was amazed that it took me all weekend to stumble upon Berserkershinji. He’s usually much louder and noticable, and must be calming down in his old age.
= Contrary to popular belief, Calistrisa is still alive… now if only we can get her to advise from time to time. You see, advisors get invited to be “Guests” at conventions, not Press.
= Some of the greatest entertainment can also be the cheapest… like Checkm8 and I convince a band of stalking fanboys/girls to hide in the abandoned Sushi room from Jingaro… and seeing how long they’d just sit there. (You had to be there.)
= Getting to hang with the crew from Anime Sushi in a nice relaxed atmosphere. Synthestatic and Damon, YOU GUYS ROCK!
= Cowkitty & Company, I wish I could have seen you guys more! We just get REALLY swamped at the big cons. We should be at MetroCon & Yamsumicon, though!
= Fairydust279, what happened? I saw you Friday and then you were gone. My con felt incomplete since I only had PANTIES (kitty_senshi) without BOOBS (Fairydust279)
= Going to see FINDING NEMO with kitty_senshi, geckosan, wasabigirl, rcdancer8402 was great!
= Family Feud Team WASABI PRIME was cheated out of their chance to exact cold hard vengeance on the Tampa Shatner team… just wait until 2004.
efathefinger… thanks for bringing me my badge and sparing wasabigirl the drama. Hell hath no wrath like a female cosplayer pissed at staff.
Methinks that covers the bulk of it. I’d going to hit “update journal” now. There are some dark clouds rolling in and I hear thunder…
