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Kraggh's Works ♫♪

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Berix And Zesk

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Bionicle, Reviews Feb 12 2009 · 21 views

Bionicle

Now, I don't have pictures, and I only have a few minutes to write this.  However, I thought I'd inform you on the sets of Berix and Zesk and what my initial and most dominant thoughts were.

Berix is tall and has the best color scheme of any blue set since Gahlok in 2002.  She is the second-best Agori.  I also really like her yellow head and her helmet.  I have no objection to the colo gold in the set, although perhaps the shield it is part of could have been a better shape.

Zesk is beyond doubt the best Agori.  Seriously, I recommend him.  His helmet is very cool and it kind of makes him look like a puppy.  The tail is perfect, and if you build him like the Zesk Review Rebuttal suggests, his body looks stone-cold awesome.  The color scheme is perfect.  Overall, he can look like a beast, a demon, a monster, or a simple puppy.  Unlike how previous reviews have claimed, he is indeed very posable.  Perhaps the head is restricted, but only to the degree where he can't look up.  He can still look from side to side.  In the meantime, he comes with a great variety of poses.  You can pose him with his legs sprawled out, standing on three legs but lifting up his front paw menacingly, pouncing, ready to pounce, and kicking his hind legs like a bronco.  Surprisingly, in the last item of this list, he actually has considerably good balance.  He looks good from multiple erspectives and I have not found a pose that I didn't adore yet.

Now all I need is a nickname for him...How about Dutch Dog?

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

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7 Comments

Number Eight

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Art, School Feb 11 2009 · 25 views

School

This is a drawing I did in art class with charcoal. The dimensions are 10"x12". Please note that the picture was too large for the scanner and a small portion of his right shoulder was cut off. It is a scaled up version of a picture half its size. The name of the person is Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), the eighth president of the United States (1837-1841). The title of the portrait is "Number Eight". (EDIT: this has recently been changed to "Old Marty")

On a side note, he looks like my old track coach.

Posted Image

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

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3 Comments

Snoop Magazine

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Humor Feb 10 2009 · 29 views

Humor

No, I don't have photoshop, and I only had fifteen minutes.

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

2 Comments

The Visual Symphony

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Wisdom, Music Feb 08 2009 · 30 views

Wisdom

Yesterday, I my sister and I met a disagreement.  This is the same sister mentioned in the entry Taking Portraits.  The disagreements came about when we were at a college orchestra.  She strongly disapproves of orchestra members having to wear a specific color, in this case black.

First of all, let me say that I am a man of tradition.  I enjoy the traditions I live with and the cultures they are a part of.  I have learned to let my culture make my life more fun and lively.  Black, formal clothing and orchestras, by tradition, go together.  However, the question I must answer is why black clothing is the traditional garb of the orchestra assembly.  In this entry, I intend to answer that.  In this case, let us take inventory.

The Visual Symphony

Just as an orchestra must have symphony in its music, it must also have a symphony in its appearance.  When people come in jackets, shorts, sneakers, pinstripe suits, bow ties, coveralls, and the rest of a great mixing pot of appearances, the orchestra looks chaotic.  The look is not pleasing to the eye.  However, when the entire band is all dressed in one uniform, it is much more relaxing and comfortable for the eyes of the members of the audience.

The Formality

When an orchestra plays its music, it is a formal occurrence.  Throughout history, orchestra, band, and opera have been treated as luxuries.  Indeed, they are.  You often have to pay to see them as well.  When an orchestra plays, it performs, and it performs to an expecting audience.  Their scores have been carefully practiced and now are presented for a special occasion.

During formal events, such as church, funerals, political debates, attempting to get hired, business meetings, the all-important prom, and the even more important wedding, participants dress up in whatever clothing their culture defines as formal wear.  Considering that a performance is a formal occasion, the same rule applies here.

The Organization

An orchestra is, above all else, organized.  It is not layed back, and its music is carefully practiced.  When all people dress in uniform, they reflect how organized the orchestra is.  Let us consider that an orchestra consists of a number of people who work together, almost as if they are an anonymous entity.  The members must become one being, and play the music as one.  Dressing in their traditional uniform shows their cooperation with the rest of the orchestra.

It was said by my sister, "I think that when they dress however they please it makes them looks like they came just because they felt like it, because they wanted to play music when they didn't have to."  However, the chaotic appearance still detracts from the organized visual style preferred by the formal orchestra.  If someone came up wearing regular basketball cloths, it would also show that they are perhaps stubborn, not willing to work with the orchestra and its director.

An orchestra is always something that people have the choice to join or not, presuming that their country isn't communistic.  It is well understood that members of the orchestra are there because they want to be.  However, when not performing, much of an orchestra's time is spend in practice, working hard in preparation for their next performance.  They may dress casually then, but on the date of the performance, they must show through both their music and their visual appearance the effort they put into this.

The Exception

Now, there are acceptable times for people to break off from the formal dressing of an orchestra.  During the concert, there was a moment when they played a few jazz songs.  At this, the orchestra switched to several musicians who were dressed casually.  This is because jazz is a casual music, and at its very heart is unorganized, consisting of frequent improvisation.  Therefore, the casual attitude of the music led the musicians to dress casually.  Each member has the opportunity to show off their own uniqueness.  This works similarly, and even more appropriately, in a rock or rap band, in which each member is usually meant to be a unique personality in the band, defined by more than just the instrument they play.

Overall, I will say that many things favor the black, formal clothing that is routinely worn by the orchestra.  This is where a specific dress code has its place, just as casual clothing has its place in a rock band.

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

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Should Dogs Vote?

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Humor Feb 08 2009 · 22 views

Humor

The dog of an aunt and uncle of mine, seventeen years old in human years, finally let go of life a year ago. Had he lived up until today, he would have been eighteen before election day. It occurred to me, then, that he was old enough to vote, although he wasn't necessarily, *ahem*, human. Yet, if a dog reaches the age of eighteen, should it be eligible for the vote?

I wonder if it would be worth sending a letter to Obama about. Do you think he would reply?

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

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Why So Stupid?

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Humor Feb 06 2009 · 24 views

Humor

Do you want to know how I got these scores?  My teacher...was...a thinker.  And a fiend.  And one day we come to class a little lazier than usual.  My girlfriend grabs an iPod to occupy herself.  He doesn't like that.

Not.  One.  BIT.

So, the entire class watching, he reads the mushy songs she listens to, smirking while he does it.  He turns to me, heh, and he says, "Why so stupid?"  He comes to me with a pencil..."Why so stupid?"  He puts a pencil in my hand.

"Let's put some files into place!"

Aaaandh...

"Why so stupid?"

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

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The Question Of Respect

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Wisdom Feb 05 2009 · 31 views

Wisdom

Respect is something all people need to receive and, more importantly, give.  So there will be no misunderstanding, we as human beings do not deserve respect.  To simply put it, this is because of our imperfect identities.  However, as an act of grace, we must respect others simply because it is the right thing to do.  Because, as sinners, we are all equal in the eyes of God, respect should be given unconditionally.  In this way, we should respect all others, regardless of our personal opinions of them.  Respect should not be biased, but it is.

Because we are sinful, we see respect as a two-way thing.  We will respect someone, but usually because we like him or her.  People will treat you poorly, but you should respect them anyways.  However, as society at large works, people think that respect should be earned, when as sinners we do not earn anything.  We use these imperfections to our advantage, and we often use respect only to gain respect in return.  We respect expecting to receive something in return, an ultimately selfish goal.  Rarely do we give someone respect because we are selfless, and rarely is our respect pure.

While the respect of others is a benefit of respecting others, the only true reward to pure respect is its contribution towards character.  Character is the qualities that define you.  You can have good qualities and bad qualities.  Life's most common and most persistent question is, "are you a good person?"  Clearly, good character one of our main goals in life.  Religions have been organized around this goal.  Ultimately, respect's true benefit is not material gain but contribution towards your character.

There are things that we can do to become more respectful.

First, there are certain people in life that we can't stand or have trouble getting along with.  There are parents, siblings, people you are jealous of, people who have hurt you, and people who have not given you respect.  For whatever reason, however, the result is usually the same: you do not respect them.  Approach these people, and then try to treat them as if you were friends.  Whatever reasons you have that you do not respect them, let go of it and force yourself to be respectful anyways.  Tell them calmly how you feel.  The experience may be a humbling one, but that is okay.  As humans, humility sometimes needs to be enforced into us.

Second, there are the people you do not know or hardly ever notice.  There are the everyday people you meet on the streets and the people at work who you hardly pay any attention to.  In our minds eye, they are simply extras.  However, all people live lives, with their own little stories, memories and dreams, joys and sorrows, triumphs and trials, gains and losses.  All life is precious.  Go over old photos, perhaps of high school graduates, and think of how much they have done in their lifetimes, how many memories are stored in their pictures, and how, although they are strangers, they were people like you, possessing all qualities of life.  Life is too precious to ignore, and everybody you meet will one day die.  No time in life should be wasted with useless disrespect.  We cannot know everybody in the world, and we can't go out of our way to flatter everybody we meet.  However, we can, in our hearts, respect these people as equals, and to not view these people as extras.  During random encounters, do not treat others as if they are "just someone".  There are many subtle ways that you can show people that you simply respect them, even if all you can give them is respect's simple attitude.

Third, learn to respect the people you already respect even more.  There are certain people we respect naturally, whether they be role models, girlfriends, that cool kid, your parents, your teachers, or your siblings.  There are people who have respected you, there are people you have met who have shown admirable character, and sometimes there are even people that you just respect spontaneously.  For whatever reason, you respect them.  However, can we respect them even more?  Of course we can.  Sometimes admiration can be mistaken to be respect, just as lust can sometimes be mistaken to be love.  Admiration is good, but it is not the same thing as respect.  Sometimes we can, in our admiration, loose appropriate respect.  Respect and admiration are not the same things, and it is possible to admire without respecting an individual.  For example, admiring the president and admiring the president are two different things.  To give an example of how one can admire someone without respecting them, let us look to a common relationship.  Imagine a high-school boy who admires a girl, and asks to go out with her.  The girl says no to him, but he still urges a relationship.  While his feelings for her might be great and intended to be positive, if he respected her then he would have respected her wishes.  Sometimes respect such as this can be hard, sometimes easy, and sometimes it takes a bit of thought to figure out what the truly respectful thing to do is.  Occasionally, it would be wise to sit down and think through such situations.

How does it benefit you to be a respectful person?  Respect is key when in any interpersonal relationship.  Respect can get you places that sometimes talent can't.  Respect makes you feel good because you are good.

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

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The Phundamentals Of The Phelps Are Strong

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Michael Phelps Feb 04 2009 · 49 views

Michael Phelps

Recently, it has come to light that Michael Phelps has been smoking an illegal drug.  I found out about it yesterday, and there were at least a half a dozen conversations I had about it.  Even the teachers were talking about it.  Today, people still talk about it.  For the first time in a very long time, I was made fun of for being interested in a certain subject, and the subject was the Baltimore Bullet, not something generic like comic strips.

I have a few things to say to this current dilemma among our culture.  I should first start off by listing certain highlights of his career.

Michael Phelps is an outstanding individual who was introduced into the Olympics at the age of fifteen, finishing in fifth place at Sydney.  He then went on to Athens to win six golds and two bronzes, where he quickly became a huge phenomenon, and people knew that they were to get ready for a legend.  Four years later, he made history in Beijing with an unprecedented eight straight gold medals, seven of them coming with world records.  He hasn't lost a single swimming competition since the Pan Pacific Championships in 2006, where one out of his six races ended in a silver medal.  He has been declared one of the greatest athletes of all time, if not the greatest.  Most recently, however, that all went down the drain when he appeared in a British tabloid, which presented him, like so many other victimized celebrities, in a most negative fashion.

It is unfortunate to say that Michael Phelps has not been thinking clearly lately.  Being caught smoking an illegal drug is never good, neither for reputation nor character.  However, I think that we should still honor Michael Phelps.  After becoming a titan in Beijing, he has been popularized as being so awesome that almost no mortal weaknesses could take him down from the pedestal of being the most awesome person in the world.  He was exalted and made a role model for his outstanding character.  He worked incredibly hard with superhuman dedication towards winning eight gold medals and becoming the greatest Olympian in history and for a long time to come, with willpower that only a handful of people in the world possess.  Now, in contrast, smoking is simple, and is very common throughout the world.  While certainly it is illegal and I do not approve of him doing this, he could have done far worse things in life, especially with his fame.

Now, Michael Phelps has admitted that this was "behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment".  Why should we not in our hearts accept his apology?  Forgiveness is a blessed virtue, and it is important to forgive one of their sins.  I have said before, "Forgive the sinner, not the sin".  I say that this still applies here, especially because he still has outstanding character that very few people can match.  If you look past this current setback, you will see that he is still a splendid individual, that the fundamentals of his character are still strong.

Michael Phelps has the honor of being something more than human.  He gets to be a legend, and all legends serve as icons for something in our society.  For Phelps, he is an icon who symbolizes personal achievement, golden determination, persistence, good sportsmanship, and the pride of America.  For these things he should be remembered, as his legend encourages us and gives us hope and optimism.  He should be remembered for his works, like so many other superstars should be, such as Britney Spears, who I am a big fan of, despite her personal defects.  However, Michael Phelps's reputation makes things more difficult than the likes of Britney Spears, considering that his reputation was a direct result of his character.  However, if Michael Phelps is as dedicated and of such quality character as we know him to be, if Michael Phelps can set his mind towards establishing his great Olympic dramas, he should be capable of avoiding drugs from now on.  Michael Phelps has said, "For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public -- it will not happen again."  Michael Phelps has given us a promise, and he has demonstrated that he can back up his promises and walk the walk, or rather, swim the swim.

In school things have changed.  I am glad to say that there are still many people who respect Michael Phelps, but as for the people who now foster grudges against him, for now I consider them bad judges on character.  I find it comparatively odd that one person can consider him a titan one day and scum the next.  It reminds me, actually, of part of the Joker's philosophy.

"You see, they're all just a bunch of...schemers.  They will be there cheering for him when its convenient, when he's making earth-shattering achievements, but the moment on, tiny little British magazine proves that he's only human...they'll eat him."

How accurate that analogy is, the reader can decide, presuming that they have watched "The Dark Knight."  However, it is a misfortune that it is true with some people.  I cannot say that such people anger or frustrate me, and I respect their opinions, but I am not pleased with the opinions and attitude I have seen.  This morning, I turned on the computer I was assigned to, which opened up to a desktop of Michael Phelps holding up his gold medal, the person next to me said, "hey, it's stupid marijuana boy!"  Later, when classes were switching, however, a girl friend of mine (a girl who is a friend, not a girlfriend), saw the desktop and loved it, then instantly looked up an image of the Beijing Bling to put on her own computer desktop.

I now see a distinct divide in the world of Phelps.  There are people I now know who don't like him.  There are people I know who absolutely adore him.  I am glad for the people who still like him, who can see past such an incident as this and remember him for giving us a summer like no other.  In the future, I anticipate that this will be forgotten, and only the most irrational people will cling to this incident as a reason to disdain him.  Those clingers, however, will be rare.  I, along with many other awe struck Phelps Phans, will have forgotten about this in the future, and the legend will prosper.  I hope the best for Michael Phelps, and that he will still be honored for never letting us down.

Your Honor,
Emperor Kraggh

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Phelps Phorever

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Michael Phelps, Music Jan 29 2009 · 38 views

Music

:kaukau:
I took a lap around the pool to see what medal I would find
I left everybody swimming far back in the wakes behind
While watched by the world listening to my nation's tune
I did the best that I could do

Yeah

The legend started in Sydney were very soon
I was young and I came right out of the blue
Then I became a rising star in old Athens
So now I have my trend to defend

If I win silver then will you still call me Michael Phelps?
If I keep striving hard will Bowman be there giving his help?
I'll keep my nation's pride with my superhuman might
Gold in sight

You saw me win within a week
Eight straight golden medals, looking sleek
You took for granted all the times I've never let you down
France tasted win, the truth be said
If not for Jason's leap ahead
I even won with eyes closed
Hunting gold like hounds

If I win silver then will you still call me Michael Phelps?
If I keep striving hard will Lezak be there giving his help?
I'll keep my nation's pride with my superhuman might
Gold in sight

If I win silver then will you still call me Michael Phelps?
If I keep striving hard will Crocker be there giving his help?
I'll keep my nation's pride with my superhuman might
Gold in sight
Yeah!

If I win silver then will you still call me Michael Phelps?
If I keep striving hard will Mother be there giving her help?
I'll keep my nation's pride with my superhuman might
Gold in sight

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The Family, The Friend, And James

Posted by Jean Valjean , in Literature Jan 21 2009 · 17 views

Literature

James was a normal boy at eight years old.  He had a happy time at home with his parents.  His parents were the coolest people in the world and they taught him many fun things, like how to ride a bike and how to do a bunch of tricks with a yo-yo.  He loved his family.

Life was good until he learned a new word the hard way.  That word was "divorce", and he didn't like it.  One day his mother packed her bags and left very quickly.  James did not have much time to say goodbye to her.  He wished it could have gone a little more slowly.  James now remembered the times when his parents would argue inside of their room.

James hardly came out of the room that day.  He felt so angry at his parents that he didn't want to talk to them.  The very thought of the family being split apart was alien and dreadful, and he wanted to run away from it.  Life as he knew it had literally ended.  The rest of his

The next day didn't feel normal.  He was shaken awake, but not by his mother.  He opened up his eyes and, to his disappointment, saw his father instead.  His father tried to act nicely, as if everything good, and didn't mention anything about what had happened the day before.  Yet, James was still uncomfortable with him.  He packed his backpack by himself and his father drove him to the bus stop for his first day of school.  He tried to tell jokes while they waited with the other students for the bus to come, but they were not the same kind of jokes his mother had told him in this same situation.

When the bus came, James quickly got on, eager to get away from his father, away from the strange and frightening new family life he now had.  He was scared and sad.  When he sat down in his seat, he let his breath flow out.  He felt heavy and yet empty.  Away from home, he now had time to feel depressed.

His friend Beck sat next to him.  She was a cool teenager who didn't mind hanging out with a kid like him.

"Hi, James, how are you doing?"  she said cheerfully.

James didn't answer right away.  "I'm okay," he said, silently.  He really didn't want to talk about his parent's divorce.  He was embarrassed to think of it.

Beck seemed concerned for him.  For the rest of the ride, she talked to him, and he tried to talk back, trying to make the day seem as normal as possible.

Most of school was normal too, accept that James felt a little weird throughout the day.  At lunch he somehow didn't feel like he could fit in.  As he ate, he thought about his mother.  He thought of all the times, and he missed her dearly.  He wondered why his parents split up so suddenly.  Was it his fault?  Had they disagreed on how to raise him?  He knew they had their disagreements.  He felt a little guilty, and also victimized at the same time.  Why did this have to happen to him?

When it came for school to end, he got onto the bus.  Beck sat next to him again.

"Did you learn anything new today?" she asked him.

"Yes," said James.  "Today I think I learned more than ever before."

"That's good.  Are you enjoying school?"

"Yes, it's so great I wish I didn't have to go back to dad's house, but it's not that great."

When James got home, he barely talked to dad.  He felt angry at him.  Maybe if he showed how bad he felt, his parents would regret splitting up and quickly get back together again.  Did things work that way?

The next day was equally awkward, from the moment he woke up to his wait for the bus.  His conversation with Beck on the bus seemed emptier than usual, and they didn't talk about happy stuff as much.

After lunch, something odd happened.  He was going to go out for recess when he saw Beck in the hallways.  heading towards the lunch room.  That wasn't right, because she went to high school, which was in a different building on the other side of town.  She spotted him, smiled, waved, and came straight to him.  James was surprised but pleased to see her, because she was nice and it was good that he could, for once, meet her at a time other than on the bus.

"Hello James," she said to him.  "I got permission to leave my school and come here.  The principal understood.  Come, let us go to recess with the rest of the kids."

They went outside.  Beck took him to a side of the school on the top of a slight slope where they could look at the entire playground.  A lot of kids noticed her because she was a teenager.

"I thought we needed to talk," Beck told him.  "You've been acting differently and you once said you were going home to your father, not your parents.  Did your parents get divorced?"

James cried in response.

"James, my parents are divorced too.  I understand how you feel.  I want to tell you that everything is going to be okay.  You will get the chance to meet your mother again, and you can see me every day if you want to talk about it.  I can't be your new family, but you will still always have me as a friend.  We all feel pain, we all feel sorrow, but there are still blessings in your life that God has given you so that you can carry on.  I'll be your friend, and I'll always love you.  When my parents got a divorce, I wanted to run away from the problem.  I then found out that you can never run away from the badness of divorce, but my friends made me stronger.  I also figured out that I wasn't responsible for my parent's divorce.  They had simply fallen out of love with each other.  I also believe, James, that nothing has been you fault either."

James hugged her.  He was done crying, and now he felt better now that she had talked to him.

"Thanks," he whispered.  Then the bell rang and everybody was lining up to go inside.

"You'd better go.  I will see you on the bus," Beck told him.

After school, on the bus, James could have a meaningful conversation with Beck again, unlike yesterday.  At home, he wasn't afraid to talk to his father about the divorce, to ask him about his mother.  His father had responded immediately by handing him a letter from her.  The envelope was sealed, so he knew that dad didn't read it beforehand.  James went to his room and read it.

"Dear James,
It is my regret that you had to go through this.  Neither your dad nor I wanted to traumatize you, but it was unfortunate that things might have been worse had we stayed together.  I won't see you in a while, but I will miss you very much.

You will perhaps have trouble talking to people, especially your father.  Don't be afraid to talk to him.  I also know your friend Beck's mother, and she is also divorced.  I want you to know that you can talk to her about how you feel, and that she will listen and understand.  Don't feel guilty in being open about the problem with another person.  It's perfectly healthy.

James, I still love you.  I will always love you.  Your father loves you and God loves you.  Always remember that.

Love,
Mom"

James put down the letter.  He was feeling better now.  He left the house and bathed in the bright sun.  His future again looked bright.

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Me

Username: Emperor Kraggh
Real name: N/A
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Heritage: Half Dutch, 25% Hungarian, 12.5% Swedish, 6.5% German and Irish
Physical description: Looks like the eleventh Doctor
Favorite food: Chicken, turkey, and beef.
Least favorite food: Vegetables of any kind
Favorite song: American Pie
Favorite movie: Schindler's List
Favorite TV show: Smallville & Arthur the Friendly Aardvark
Favorite play: Les Miserables
Favorite color: Silver
Second favorite color: Brown
Favorite board game: Risk
Favorite athlete: Michael Phelps
Lucky Number: 53
Past-times: BZPower, writing, reading, politics, drawing
Political party: Republican
Religion: Christian
Language: Not English, but American.

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