Is anyone else getting tired of taking a nice quiet walk around town only to have the ambiance shattered by some dumbass college kid's s****y little Civic or old ass Integra? I for one am.

Someone needs to tell these people that just because your car is louder, does not mean it is any more powerful.

Every day I hear hundreds of over-sized mufflers placed on tiny 4 cyl engines sputtering by, and I think to myself "seriously, what's the point?"

Facts about these supposed flow boosters:

1. By adding one you are actually ruining your car, the decreased compression throws off the preset compression that your car was meant to operate at. Fun Fact #1, cars typically die within 25,000 miles of installation of one of these mufflers.

2. Just because your exhaust is louder, doesn't mean your car is faster. A popular misconception by many. The truth is, your ENGINE is what is supposed to be loud, not your exhaust. Fun Fact #2, if you can not hear your engine over your exhaust, your car is probably a piece of s***.

3. Like screaming to the person right next to you? If you do then these exhausts are a must buy, as when you are inside a car with one of these babies installed, you can't hear someone a foot away without them shouting at the top of their lungs at you. Hopefully you don't like music because most stock stereos are drowned out by these massive mufflers, requiring you to turn your stereo up to obnoxiously loud levels. Fun fact #3, most people do not like hearing your music or your exhaust from 2 blocks away.

4. Similar to number three, with one of these mufflers, your chances of hearing loss are increased by 60%. A result of both the loudness of the muffler, and the loudness of the music trying to drown the muffler out of the inside of the car. Fun Fact #4, hearing loss can lead to many complications... find out for yourself.

5. People aren't looking WITH you, they are looking AT you. You may think your hot new mufflers loudness grants you a high opinion from onlookers such as "Wow, that's a powerful car," or, "Man I bet that things fast." Fun Fact #5, they are actually thinking "God, that things annoying," or, "What a s****y car, its so crappy that he had to get an obnoxious muffler and risk the condition of his car just to feel a little better about it"

You a-holes will do what you want, but keep in mind, nobody is impressed.

For the last two years or so I have been pouring tons of effort into a manga that had been based off of a storyline I came up with a while back. And I have just recently finished the rough draft of the storyline for the first part. As I have only a limited copyright at the current time I will not be disclosing much about it. Although I CAN say that the series is entitled 血影©, or Chikage© (yes I hold the name in copyright so watch yourselves,) and is the story of a young Japanese boy in the late Edo period who unwillingly becomes a mercenary after a life-altering event.

I am currently looking for a few people of similar interests and intellect to join my "cognitive board" of advisers, (as my publicist calls it,) to help really get my story on the move. As few of my friends have the time, and even fewer actually like anime, I decided to come here, where many of you have carried out insightful and intelligent discussions with me and others relating to storylines, artwork, and all sorts of important factors that really make these stories great.

Any work done to aid this cause will be recognized and fully credited. As such, any resulting publication will come with a monetary reward where credit is due for all involved.

You must understand that for legal purposes, anyone willing to participate will be required to sign legal documentation stating that if for any reason they leave the project, are forced off of the project, or begin their own project, all characters and story elements are entirely my property, and the use of any of them without my express written and verbal consent will be subject to legal prosecution. The form also has a non-disclosure clause which you must also sign, so anything we discuss about the series, stays with those involved and is not to be discussed in any way, with outside parties.

Once you are accepted, (if you are accepted,) and have signed the form, you will immediately be filled in on any and all information relating to the series, so that you may provide feedback and ideas. Most, if not all of the work that you will be doing will be done over the Internet in chat rooms, discussion boards etc. If this becomes too difficult we can discuss other ways of doing business.

If the series receives publication you will be credited for all of your work and be invited, but not required, to attend any and all meetings regarding the series, wherever it may take place.

Please note at this point the workload is far from heavy, and in fact really doesn't exist since all of your efforts will not be compulsory but voluntary. You may contribute when you have time to, there is no required schedule to adhere to or anything like that, this can all be done at your leisure.

If you are interested please contact me via private message, or comment this stating interest in getting involved and I will contact you, and we shall see how you might fit in to my project.

P.S. You do NOT have to be on my friends list to get involved. Those that respond within 3 days are the most likely to get picked.

Above - Ken Irowade

KH: Thank you for joining us.

Ken: Of course

KH: So let's get down to it. Your performance on the show is exceptional, and it has garnered you a lot of publicity, how are you handling your fame?

Ken: Pretty well actually. When the show first started I didn't think anything of it, but after a few seasons it became apparent that it was huge, and apparently so were we by association.

KH: So you are enjoying it then?

Ken: Well, yes and no. I try not to let it get to me, I don't want to end up as that child actor who had a lot of potential but then ruined his life and overdosed at twenty-seven.

KH: True. So many young talents lost to the vices of Hollywood.

Ken: Precisely. I think it's best to keep everything in perspective. Sure people across the world know who I am, but I'm no more important than anyone else on this planet.

KH: That's a very dow to earth way to look at it. So do you like your character?

Ken: Absolutely.

KH: Even though he is a "bad guy" now?

Ken: (laughs) Yes. though I don't really consider him to be a bad guy, at least, not inside.

KH: How so?

Ken: Well, I think that deep down he is actually a very caring and compassionate person, but life has dealt him a tough hand and he has kind of lost his way. It all has a lot to do with willpower. He could have risen above and stuck with his principals, but he was so emotionally damaged that he was unable to make the right choice. Vengeance and anger have dictated his whole life, so naturally he would stoop to new lows in order to overcome his problems.

Above - Ken Irowade as Uchiha Sasuke.

KH: I see what you mean, so he is kind of like the victim of tragedy?

Ken: Exactly, he is paying the price for the wrongdoings of others. It is as if he is doomed to live a life of solitude and regret, a life that he has done nothing to deserve. Which is kind of why he turned out like he did, he figures that if he must live that way, he might as well let nothing stop him, even if he truely does believe what he is doing is wrong.

KH: So he is weak-willed then?

Ken: In many ways yes, which is why I like Naruto so much.

KH: Why's that?

Ken: Because Naruto is the perfect parallel to Sasuke. He is his polar opposite. Naruto's life has not been any better than Sasuke's, but unlike Sasuke he has never given up or given in. He constantly has hope, despite the odds, and never abandons his principals no matter what it may achieve.

KH: I had considered that before actually. But you truely do bring out sides of your character that no other actor could, you are the perfect match for Sasuke.

Ken: Thank you.

KH: So we sat down with Junichiro a few weeks ago.

Ken: (laughs) So I've heard.

KH: He says you are a bit of a method actor.

Ken: That I cannot deny. They constantly make fun of me for it, I spend all day on set as Sasuke.

KH: Does it bug them?

Ken: I don't think so. Juni does it himself actually, although not to the extent that I do, but he seems to slip in and out of his character off set from time to time. I don't even think he notices it...

KH: (laughs) So do you all get along?

Ken: Oh yes. They are all great to work with.

KH: You and Junichiro seem to be very good friends off set.

Ken: We are. I'd have to say he's one of my best friends. We hang out a lot, in fact recently it seems like he lives with me and my family. It's almost eerie when I wake up and he's not passed out on the floor with a controller in his hand.

KH: (laughs) So he's pretty much at your place all the time?

Ken: Yeah, I go over to his house sometimes but we usually just hang out at my place because I live a few blocks from the studio.

KH: Do his parents have a problem with it?

Ken: Not at all, they are great people. They always invite me over for holidays when my parents are out of town and I have to stay in town for filming.

KH: So have you guys been that close since the beginning?

Ken: To be honest at first I didn't like him, but that was just because I was a jealous little 12 year old.

KH: Yeah, we've been told that you originally auditioned for Naruto.

Ken: Yes I did, and I was glad that I was given the part of Sasuke but I didn't really appreciate it back then because I was so disappointed by not getting to play Naruto.

KH: Do you still feel that way?

Ken: (laughs) Not at all, I am a lot more mature than I was in seventh grade. And the more I understood about acting the more I understood why they picked me for Sasuke, and Juni for Naruto, he really was the perfect choice for Naruto. I can't imagine anyone playing the role better or harder.

KH: He does seem to fit the bill. So how about your other co-stars? Do you like them?

Ken: Definitely. Yuki is great to work with and so is Gozu. He's always giving me tips and helping me get into character.

KH: Yeah he seems to be the real pro of the cast.

Ken: He's kind of like the grandfather of our cast's family. He's wise and experienced, and looks out for all of us. He's very kind.

KH: Any other actors on the set that you really admire?

Ken: Masaru Yobu is a very talented person, the first time I saw the final take of his first appearance of Orochimaru I was stunned, he is such a nice person in real life but once he puts the make up on he becomes this malevolent demon of sorts, it's amazing. I also really respected Noboru-senpai, he was never one of those extremely famous actors like Gozu, but he was a legend in the acting world.

KH: Yes we heard that he recently passed a way. My condolences.

Ken: Thank you. It was really sad, the entire set was closed for a few weeks when we were informed of his passing. There was not a single person who had worked on the show that did not attend his funeral to pay respects. And Gozu gave a really heartwarming eulogy.

Above - Noboru Takai, 1933-2008

KH: Anyone really upset by his death?

Ken: Well, we were all shaken, but I'd have to say it hit Juni the hardest. He was really upset for a while and almost couldn't even step on set, and was didn't even say a word at the funeral. He kind of fell apart. He and Noboru-senpai were very close. At one point when the filming was on break it had been two or three days since I had heard from him so I went over to his house and when I walked in his room he was just sitting in front of the television re-watching the Konoha Invasion arc. So I sat down beside him and watched it with him without saying a word. His eyes were glazed over in tears. And when the scene where Sandaime (Noboru) died in sacrifice for his village he just broke down crying, harder than I'd ever seen anyone cry before.

KH: It was that bad huh?

Ken: Yes, he was realy devastated by it. But I stayed and talked with him for a while and he began to calm down. He eventually got back on his feet and seemed to be okay, it helped that Yuki was there for him as well.

KH: When we last spoke with him he said he and Yuki we starting to become involved.

Ken: (laughs) Starting my ass. Those two have been awkwardly dancing around each other for a long time. It was quite obvious to everyone else how they felt. Actually it was shortly after Noboru-senpai died when they finally admitted it to each other. I think it was her being there for him when he was so upset that finally made them realize how they felt about each other.

KH: How about you? Any special girls in your life right now?

Ken: Not really. I just recently got out of a relationship so I'm kind of enjoying the single life.

KH: It must be easy for you to get women though, according to Junichiro you are a fangirls fantasy.

Ken: (laughs) He would say something like that. I don't know, it doesn't seem any easier for me to get a nice girl than for any other guy.

KH: I see. So any new projects? We saw you do a few guest spots on TV recently, and have heard you have taken a role in a new movie.

Ken: Actually yeah. Sasuke hasn't been in the show much recently so I've had time to pursue other projects, one is a mystery/horror movie. It's about a man who loses touch with reality and begins to have a psychotic break. At one point he goes to a hypnotherapist and tries to "break off" that piece of him that is causing thoughts of anger and murder. The problem is the process worked too well, and that piece of his personality splits off and becomes its own, and he begins to have black outs where his other personality takes over in times of stress.

KH: Sounds interesting, who do you play?

Ken: I play his son, who he lies to about all of his recent changes and problems. He tries to keep me in the dark to protect me, and eventually get's scared because he begins to have murderous thoughts about me. So he becomes more and more detached and tries to spend as little time with me as he can so as not to think about me at all.

KH: So does his other personality finally get you?

Ken: (laughs) We haven't even begun filming yet so I don't know, and if I did I wouldn't spoil it for you.

KH: (laughs) Thanks... I guess. So speaking of other media, what are some of your favorite shows and movies?

Ken: Well my top 5 favorite movies have to be Lucky Number Slevin, Chaplin, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fight Club, and Thank You For Smoking. And as far as television, I don't really have any favorites but I have been watching a few shows religiously.

KH: What might those be?

Ken: Well recently I started watching Burn Notice, and I love it, but I've always been a Bruce Campbell fan so it's hard not to love anything he appears in. I've also been watching the Venture Brothers, Metalocalypse, and a few other Adult Swim programs.

KH: I see. Well one final question before we rap up. What or who influences your work, and your portrayal of Sasuke.

Ken: I'd have some of the more general influences are actors like Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery, Robert Downey Jr. and Aaron Eckhart. As far as influences for Sasuke the only thing I can attribute to that is Sasuke himself. I read the manga constantly to try and really capture his character correctly. Other than that I just wing it, once you are in his head it's pretty easy to go from there.

KH: Well thank you so much for coming, you are a very talented actor and I hope we get to speak with you again.

Ken: Thank you