CD
Review
By SHANNON NORDT
Staff Reporter
SAPSOI9@PSU.EDU
Urban Superstar Jaheim, 26, has
done it again with another great
album. Jaheim’s new album Ghetto
Classic was released on Feb. 14. He
has returned to the music scene after
a four-year break after his second
album Ghetto Love.
Ghetto Classic is the third album
released by this artist and is composed
with songs about love and how to
hold your relationship together.
Jaheim’s third album is a step
towards his advances in music. This
album includes 11 new songs one of
which is now playing on the radio
airwaves called “the chosen one.”
I really enjoyed this album a lot
probably because I am a fan of
Jaheim’s music. The album cover
shows a deep golden sky in the
background with Jahiem’s face in the
spotlight of this acoustic setting. This
sets the stage for the album, letting
the viewers know this could be an
album to listen to when you want to
relax and fantasize about love.
I was impressed with the first couple
of songs on the CD due to their use of
neo soul and R&B rhythm.
One in particular that I really fell
in love with was Daddy Thing. This
song is about his relationship with his
daughter and how he cares for her.
One problem that I have with
the album is that after a while all
of the songs seem to sound alike.
The songs seem to have the same
rhythm just different words. The
album starts out with positive songs
about love but then it gets into the
breakups. However, the album does
seem to have a nice flow to it with
both up beat and slow songs for
your many moods.
You could play I like a DJ on a
happy day and Masterpiece on a not
so good day. I have always liked
that this artist provides variety.
I would recommend this album
to any one because it has great
potential. I don’t feel this is one
of his best but because of his
youthfulness 1 am sure the best is
yet to come.
Billboard.com’s
New CD Releases
February 28, 2006
Alan Jackson
Precious Memories
What began as the ultimate
in-house project emerges as a
landmark work by one of country’s
singular artists. A collection of
Jackson’s 15 most beloved hymns,
these evergreens need little more
than his warm, rich baritone and
minimal instrumentation to shine
like polished gemstones.
Ne-Yo
In My Own Words
Though known among peers like
Mary J. Blige and Mario for his
masterful pen stroke, Ne-Yo is not
your average singer/songwriter. On
his impressive debut album, the
young crooner’s crafty verses mate
well with his fine vocals.
ENTERTAINMENT
Scrumptious sushi on second
By MICHAEL ALBRIGHT
Staff Reporter
MBAI33@PSU.EDU
Nestled amongst the dance clubs,
bars and the traditional restaurants
that make Second Street in Harrisburg
the place to satisfy just about any
craving at any time, is a unique
dining experience straight out of the
Land of The Rising Sun. Miyako -
Sushi On Second, is Second Street’s
very own taste of Japan for far less
than travel fees.
Miyako offers a wide selection
of delicious Japanese entrees, but
for the bold it also offers a very
generous Sushi menu. Those who
are not familiar with Japanese
cuisine should know that it is most
noted for being minimalistic in
nature while still requiring great
skill to prepare it correctly.
The delicacy that is Sushi is perhaps
the best example of such a culture.
Sushi or Sashimi, is cold, cooked
rice, topped with raw or cooked fish,
served in bite-size pieces. While
Sushi can be served cooked, it is
most often and most known as being
a meal of raw seafood, leaving some
diners running for the nearest Red
Lobster special of the week.
The blue canopy and numerous neon
sign that broadcast the restaurant’s
name can be seen from blocks away,
conspicuously attracting patrons to
come m,
Inside, the restaurant is a quiet,
relaxing place complete with dim
lighting. First to greet entering
customers is a small bar and waiting
area. Miyako invites customers to sit
at the bar for a few appetizers, a few
drinks, or even a full meal.
Customers wanting a more
intimate setting can wait to be
Staff Reporter
LCSTONE@GMAIL.COM
This week we are featuring the
epitome of geekness. One of the core
characteristics of geeks are the games
they play. As geeks are varied, so are
their games. It can be everything
from the ever popular video games of
today to the old and true D&D games
of the basement. And always keep
in mind that the term “Renaissance
geek” is a very real term with geeks
everywhere enjoying numerous types
of gaming eveiy day.
For this issue, we are going to go with
the mother of all geek games, one of the
first, and most beloved games out there
today. Dungeons and Dragons. That
is right, the love child of Lord Gary
Photo courtesy of google.com
Player's handbooks are an essential
when playing the original D&D game.
Unmgi
Frexh Wafer Eel
By LISA STONE
seated in the
dining room,
located towards
the end of the
building down a
long hallway and
past the kitchen.
The dining room
is furnished with
decorations of
Japanese culture
but is suspiciously
flooded with
Western music
played at a low,
non-disruptive
volume.
Upon being seated
patrons are handed
a menu and a
selection sheet.
It is expected
that patrons peruse
the menu and
circle the desired
selections on the
selection sheet
with provided
pencils. Adding
to the authenticity
of the restaurant is the automatic
provision of the notorious eating
utensils, the chopsticks.
For the less dexterous forks,
spoons, and knives are available
upon request. I, however, chose to
blend in and stab my meal with the
wooden sticks.
Located on Second St. in Harrisburg, Miyako offers a wide variety of Japanese sushi, teri
yaki and hibachi cuisine as well as a quiet, relaxing atmosphere.
Most dinners at Miyako are served
with a Miso soup, consisting of a
soy base with tofu and seaweed. The
Miso soup is served piping hot with
a side of the house salad, a mix of
greens, topped with a tangy, slightly
sweet ginger dressing.
While some customers choose to go
the easy way out, I chose to inquire
e e lc
Gygax himself. D&D was one of early
tabletop Role Playing Games out there.
Its success paved the way for many of
the systems that are currently out there,
such as Werewolf the Apocalypse
and Vampire the Masquerade by
White Wolf, GURPS and Battletech. If
not for the dedication of the old TSR
company, tabletop gaming as we know
it today would likely not exist.
D&D is what is referred to as a
table-top RPG. Basically what that
means is that it does not require
specialized equipment to play. No
gaming console, no computer, just
paper, pencils, dice, little character
figures (if you are rich enough to
afford that sort of thing), and snacks.
Lots and lots of snacks.
While games like D&D don’t
require special equipment to play,
there are some basics that no game is
truly complete without. The
Player’s Handbook, Monster
Manual, and the Dungeon
Master’s Handbook are pretty
much essential. Hard to run
a game without the rules
and monsters to attack the
players with after all. Little
character figures are always
a nice plus, and you can even
personalize your little alter
ego with a custom paint job.
A map board of some variety
is helpful in many cases, as
is terrain for on it if you run
into that sort of thing a lot.
The plus side is that these
are one time purchases. Once
you have them, you can
play for as long as you like
with them.
Even these essentials have
as to what were the most popular
selections of sushi, and then asked for
that meal to be created. My request
was fulfilled, and I was served the
following selections:
Amaebi is a type of shrimp that is
harvested for its sweet, but delicate
flavor. The shrimp are kept in a fresh
tank until they are to be served.
While the tail is served as the main
piece, the head is often deep fried
and served separately. This one
goes down easily if you are a fan of
traditional, cooked shrimp.
Unagi is fresh water eel. Unagi is
believed to provide the consumer
changed greatly over the years. Dice
today come in all sorts of shapes and
designs. In the days of our geeky
forefathers the dices were paper or a
cheap plastic, and one colored them
usually with a crayon. Today’s pansy
figures are made of non-cancer
inducing plastic or a safe metal.
Back in the day twas puppy-killing
lead figurines that one made do with.
Even the books lacked the colorful
illustrations that they enjoy today.
The evolution of the D&D gaming
gear is actually a fascinating subject
to look into.
After acquiring these basics players
will then under the supervision of
the Game Master (GM or in days
of old, the Dungeon Master) create
characters and take them through
whatever adventure their GM has
made/purchased. Unlike any other
game out there, the player controls
everything that their character does
and says. In essence, you become
your character.
D&D is home to campaigns that
can literally go on forever. You don’t
“win” D&D so much as you progress
through a story line, gaining abilities
and equipment as you go. Depending
on your GM, it can be a true epic,
taking years to play out the scenario
or a one day story arc. It depends on
the group and the GM.
Games of D&D and the like are
places where good friends can be
made. I personally have friends from
game groups that I have known for
years (1 was corrupted to the D&D
side at a young age). This is not
unusual, with some groups having
played since the first edition came
out in Jan. 1974.
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THE CAPITAL TIMES February 27, 2006
Photo by MICHAEL ALBRIGHT/The Capital Times
with strength and stamina, making
this a common summer time dish
in Japan. Unagi contains about 100
times more Vitamin A then any other
fish. It has a slimy feel to it but is
surprisingly tasty.
Hamachi is a Yellow Tail Halibut,
which is farmed and fed with special
foods to enrich its buttery qualities.
After a few minutes of exposure the
meat will darken on the top. This
becomes a stronger flavored section
of the fish. It has a sweet flavor,
which is unique to this selection.
Maguro is nothing more than Tuna.
This is a very common selection due
SmHm
Saimoft
v n
It is also important to make
a distinction between the
different types of Dungeons
and Dragons games. D&D
refers to the first edition, not
quite as common as it once
was. The second edition is
Advanced Dungeons and
Dragons (AD&D) and is still
commonly played. Finally,
there is the more recently
published third edition and
the even more recently
published edition 3.5. These
latest editions have many
very harsh critics, creating
a division in the Dungeons
and Dragons world. Some
players have stuck with
the second edition, others
converted to the third. In
either case, the fundamental
philosophy behind the game
has changed very little over
the years.
Despite allegations
that D&D encourages
Satanism, witchcraft,
and any other unpleasant
thing fundamentalists
have managed think up, D&D and
games like it endure and prosper.
Like many other geeky hobbies,
there have been and will always be
persecutors, mud slingers, and those
just trying to get some attention
by standing on a false moral high
ground and pointing a finger at a
target like D&D. It is a testament to
the loyalty and nerve of gamers that
tabletop RPGs still exist today.
The sheer popularity of D&D
has led to the creation of an old
D&D cartoon based on the game,
to the fish’s commonplace in
the western world, but to many
surprises it is perhaps the most
“fresh” in appearance and taste.
Sake is another commonly
selected fish by those new to the
Sushi cuisine. Sake is frozen at 0
degrees Fahrenheit for 72 hours
and salted and soaked in vinegar
prior to serving. This selection
required a half glass of Coke
after eating as it encompasses a
lingering taste, to say the least.
Hirame is another selection
of Halibut. This selection was
tougher than the other halibut
with almost no notable taste.
Tekka Maki or Tekkamaki is
a helping of Maguro (Tuna),
packed with rice inside nori,
roasted seaweed. Basically,
this is the Japanese version of
a tuna sandwich.
Miyako Sushi On Second is
conveniently located at 227
North 2nd Street in Harrisburg,
and is open Monday through
Friday 11 am until 10 p.m: and
weekends 11 am until 11 p.m.,
giving you plenty of time to stop
in whether you are already a fan
of sushi or just feeling a bit...
adventurous. Enjoy!
Mlrmmo
e r
D&D has grown so much over the years
that it has been made into movies, a car
toon, and now even a new MMORPG.
a couple of movies, and now a new
MMORPG. The fans, as they say,
have spoken. Not only has D&D
endured the years, but it has grown
more popular with more copies of the
reference materials sold each year.
Game shops today are considered
incomplete at best if they do not stock
the essentials of D&D and some of
the other necessities of the game.
So, while many of you may never
have heard of the game, it has played
a pretty major role in the geek
underworld, and shows no signs
of flagging.
Photo courtesy of imdb.com