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« The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition »
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Solidsnake Designs has had an impressive run over the years. We have lasted through seven innovative versions and been the connector between many fledgling artists. We can only hope that now, as Solidsnake Designs is laid to rest, it will be remembered fondly in the hearts of those who found resources, inspiration, and even a friend or two.
-The Administration
PS: If you're looking for a community that already knows all of SSD's members, try TalkPark or StudioZero.
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 999 Location: Solidsnake Designs
The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition « Thread Started on Mar 2, 2009, 8:43am »
Welcome to this edition of the Herald! As you can see it isn't as large as we anticipated. life has certainly caught up with a number of us, and we had a lot to do. I know, same old excuse, right? Well guess what? My muse has came back. About time, I know. So next edition you'll see a lot more articles from me. I miss writing and I really want to get back into it again.
Unfortunately this is the last month you'll see an article from d.Safe as he's stepping down from the Herald. The team thanks him for all that he's done, and we hope he doesn't stop writing. Though here's a good thing, we have a writer returning with us! From that Herald search we did a couple months ago, Psionic/Ryan has rejoined the rankings and I'm very excited for him to throw some pieces out way.
I need to thank Saknika as she was basically a lifesaver to me today. Quite honestly, the reason the Herald is late is because silly me forgot that February was a short month, so I didn't remember until I woke up this morning. Great, huh? Also, lots of cookies to Andrew for all the editing he did this month. So enjoy this edition. And we'll be back again in May with a more jam packed Herald.
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 999 Location: Solidsnake Designs
Re: The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition « Reply #1 on Mar 2, 2009, 9:01am »
Remember when people use to do things around here to make themselves stand out and be noticed just so they could win this award? Yeah, I miss that. It's been very hard to pick someone for this award in the past year or so. I encourage all of you to take part in a number of things and truly get involved and get yourself noticed. This time, it was hard, but I believe I chose someone who is very deserving of this.
Yes, he's a staff member. Frankly, he's done very well in his board. There are a number of threads from him. Plus, he keeps his interaction with others in Chillout. Friendly, helpful, and yes, a member of the Herald, he really makes his way around the board. He's also the person who has spawned the newest idea for the community, a filmography board. Congratulations, Net. Keep doing as well as you have been.
Over the months of March and April, please be sure to wish the following members a very happy birthday!
March 7th • Virus March 27th • Scorpian (and he expects gifts) April 2nd • Dalton April 9th • ufc
This is somewhat the pinnacle of infrared photography. To create an unnatural and surreal photograph out of what you see every day. Not only that, but this photo shows wonderful depths of color and texture, honestly giving the trees the look of cotton candy. This really is one of those shots that you could go on and on about why you enjoy it, and find very few things that irk you.
Congratulations on capturing such an amazing scene, and on making Photo of the Moment.
Impossible Words A Poem by Panicz Saturday, January 31st, 2009
There are times in the year when the black bear sleeps; When the weather is ruled by lions and sheep; When cats bark thunder and dogs bark rain Where the warm winter sun won’t shine again.
There is sometimes a time when the colourful fruit Is strangled and killed by the asparagus root. It’s then that the crow of the warm winter snow Will bite and will fight ‘till the fruit again grows.
Incandescent black light shines some of the time, When the DJ of deaf meets the watcher of blind, But in rhyme do we trust and in rhyme do we do What the logic of life claims cannot be true.
There are times in a life where words can be wrong, Where sticks and stones are actually strong, And where the tortoise loses to the hare in the race, Where us acting naturally is a slap to the face.
I’m scared of the place, of the method, of time Where impossible words are unlinked from the rhyme. But the carniverous fears of the cat the and sheep Are really what’s keeping the bear from his sleep.
This is really a professional poem. I'd have to say it's in fact one of my favorites. It flows together so nicely, I get lost in it.
There are times in a life where words can be wrong, Where sticks and stones are actually strong Has to be my favorite part. It's clever and holds substance.
Having said that, there's always room for improvement
Where us acting naturally is a slap to the face.
Would flow much better had it been:
Where being ourselves is a slap to the face.
And I believe that
Where sticks and stones are actually strong
Would be much stronger if it were-
Where the sticks and the stones are actually strong.
However, despite one or two spelling errors, this poem is pretty much well done. I commend you for your achievement and I think I speak on behalf of all SSD when I say great job.
General members-I'm quite disappointed. I would have expected many more submissions in the Lit board by now. I would challenge you to channel your feelings and emotions into poetry or other forms of literature, it can be extremely relieving and it also shows off your creativity to the whole of SSD. Think about it
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 999 Location: Solidsnake Designs
Re: The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition « Reply #2 on Mar 2, 2009, 9:11am »
Q: So Dishwasher safe eh? Are you Microwaveable? A: Only until Thursdays. I get re-coated on Fridays.
Q: Mouse or tablet? A: Tablet
Q: Top or Bottom A: You are at the top of my shit list. That’s what we’re talking about correct?
Q: Are you nervous about the wedding? A: A little. More nervous about the timing.
Q: What do you think of Ms. Hanes? A: I want to see this. I have been banned from being around when it’s taped.
Q: Do you want kids? If so, how many? A: Yes, I would love kids I don’t want any more than two. Preferably a boy and a girl.
Q: And if so, do you plan to be the carrier, or will Kay? A: Kay
Q: Do your moral values more closely parallel that of a "Post Reply" button or an affiliate banner? A: I would have to say a quote button.
Q: Would you rather eat Arty's goat or stab Gray in the eye? A: No offense to Gray, but I would love to stab someone, even if it is just an eye.
Q: Do you thinks Avtar's question was kind of a dick question? Even if Grey is just a silly freshman? A: No, I find it more as a statement of his character.
Q: Why Fireworks? A: Easier to use, and I grew up using it so I already know it.
This issue we’re covering two holidays, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter! In honour of them, we have recipes that you can make for each. Try them, let us know what you think, and most importantly, enjoy!
The Recipes Featured: -Easy Irish Soda Bread -Black Treacle Scones -Country Scalloped Potatoes -Roasted Rack of Lamb -Dirt Cake
Easy Irish Soda Bread Serves about 20
Possible Food Allergies: -Milk
Ingredients: -4 cups all-purpose flour -4 tsp white sugar -1 tsp baking soda -1 tbsp baking powder -1/2 tsp salt -1/2 cup margarine, softened -1 cup buttermilk -1 egg -1/4 cup butter, melted -1/4 cup buttermilk
Preparation: 1. Preheat the over to 375ºF (190ºC), and lightly grease a large baking sheet. 2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and margarine together in a large bowl. Stir 1 cup of buttermilk and the egg into this. 3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form the dough into a round and place on the baking sheet. 4. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup buttermilk. Brush the loaf with this mixture. Using a sharp knife, make an ‘X’ on the top of the loaf. 5. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. You can continue to brush the buttermilk mixture on while it bakes.
Black Treacle Scones Serves about 15
Possible Food Allergies: -Milk
Ingredients: -3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour -2 tsp baking soda -4 1/2 tsp cream of tartar -1/2 tsp salt -1 tsp ground cinnamon -1/4 tsp ground allspice -1/4 tsp ground cloves -1/4 tsp ground nutmeg -1/4 tsp ground ginger -1/2 cup butter -2 tbsp molasses -1 cup milk
Preparation: 1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) 2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender. 3. Combine milk and molasses in a small bowl. Stir this into flour mixture until moistened. 4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Roll the dough out into a 1/2inch thick round. Cut out circles with a medium biscuit cutter and place onto a prepared baking sheet so they’re not touching. 5. Bake for 10-12 minutes and let cool on a wire rack briefly before serving.
Note: For soft scones, cover with a cloth for 10 minutes, for crispy ones do not.
Country Scalloped Potatoes Serves about 6
Possible Food Allergies: -Milk -Onions
Ingredients: -1 (10.75 ounce) can of Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Celery soup (regular or 98% fat free) -1 (10.5 ounce) can of Campbell’s Chicken Gravy -1 cup milk -5 medium baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced. -1 small onion, thinly sliced -2 1/2 cups diced cooked ham -1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preparation: 1. Stir together the soup, gravy, and milk in a bowl. 2. Layer half the potatoes, onion, ham, and soup mixture in a 13x9x2” shallow baking dish. 3. Repeat layers and cover. 4. Bake at 375ºF for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Roasted Rack of Lamb Serves about 4 Note: Can also be done with beef or pork.
Ingredients: -1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs -2 tbsp minced garlic -2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary -1 tsp salt -1/4 tsp black pepper -2 tbsp olive oil
-1 (7-bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched -1 tsp salt -1 tsp black pepper -2 tbsp olive oil -1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC) and move oven rack to the center position. 2. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Add olive oil to moisten the mixture and set aside. 3. Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. 4. Heat olive oil in a large heavy oven-proof skillet over high heat. Sear the rack of lamb on all sides for 1-2 minutes. Set aside for a few minutes. 5. Brush the lamb with mustard and roll in breadcrumb mixture. Cover the ends of the bones with aluminum foil to prevent charring. 6. Arrange the rack bone-side down in the skillet, and roast the lamb for 12-18 minutes depending on the degree of doneness you want. Take the temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure it cooks to taste. 7. Let it rest 5-7 minutes after cooking, loosely covered, before carving between the ribs. Remember that it will continue to bake while it sits, and will gain another 5-10º.
Dirt Cake Serves about 10
Possible Food Allergies: -Milk -Chocolate
Ingredients: -1/2 cup butter, softened. -1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened -1/2 cup confectioners sugar -2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix -3 1/2 cups milk -1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (like Cool Whip) -32 ounces chocolate sandwich cookies with cream filling (like Oreos)
Preparation: 1. Chop the cookies very fine in a food processor. The white cream will disappear. 2. Mix together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a bowl. 3. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, pudding, and whipped topping. 4. Combine the pudding and cream mixtures together. 5. Layer in flower pot or pan, starting with cookies and then cream mixture. Repeat these layers a few times. 6. Chill until ready to serve. 7. Add artificial flowers and gummy worms for decoration and enjoy!
Mammals are the only animals with flaps around the ears.
African elephants only have four teeth to chew their food with.
Ken, Barbie's boyfriend, debuted in 1961. Unfortunately, they split up on Valentine's Day 2004.
In the US, murder is committed most frequently in August and least frequently in February.
In 1870 there were more Irish living in London than in Dublin.
The first televised sporting event was a Japanese elementary school baseball game, broadcast in September 1931.
The world's first TV news helicopter was introduced by KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles on 4 July 1958.
Forks, mostly being two-tined, used to known as "split spoons."
Your heart beats 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about 3 billion times and pump about 400 million litres (800 million pints) of blood.
The people killed most often during bank robberies are the robbers.
Orville Wright numbered the eggs that his chickens produced so he could eat them in the order they were laid.
Boxing became a legal sport in 1901.
More than 100 million people hold hunting licenses.
Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. So tell me, What is your real name? My real name is Alex Glanville
How old are you? I am just over 19, started trip number twenty in January
Where do you live AND where are you from? How long have you lived there? I currently live in San Jose, California and I hail from California; lived here all 19 years in three different houses.
Are you in school? For what? I go to a community college a few miles away, I plan to obtain a MFA in Photography after a transfer.
What did you come to SSD for? Friend, surfing, advertising, etc. I came to SSD way back in December of '05 and probably signed in for the first time this February. I'm not sure what drew me to SSD in the first place. It could have been the graphic arts aspect because back then I was into Graphic Arts.
What hobbies do you have? Do you have any annoying habits that people can't stand? My hobbies persist of Photography and Go Karting when I have the money. My annoying habit? Formatting every document I get my hands on
I have seen some of your work and I have to say your photography is amazing. You have quite a talent. How did you get started with it? My. It started with the insecurity of my friends. I had this idea that they weren't true friends. So I'd take pictures of things that happened-so I could remember-and I could always look back and smile. As sad as that was, it turned into a passion. Capturing moments to remember and I started to figure out my friends were there for me at every turn
What was your first ever photo? Oh my. That was tens of thousands of pictures ago. I can dig around on an old hard drive if you wish to see. I'm actually quite curious myself! [...10mins pass...] Well, it appears that hard drive was reformatted to accommodate a different computer, but here's a link to my first 'artistic' photograph: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/45065742.
I noticed you are entering the "Touchup" Community Practice. Do you design much? I don't. I severely lack in the creativity department, I'm more “right brained” than left. I do have a knack for detail and touching up photo's is something I enjoy. As well as pointing out the small things my friends do and creep them out about my observations
What programs do you use? I use Adobe PhotoShop CS3-would be CS4, but CS4 doesn't support 64-bit on Macs yet-and Adobe PhotoShop LightRoom 2. I hope to add Photomatix Pro 3 to the mix in the near future.
So tell me. Do you have any interest in Literature? Answer carefully . . . I actually do. I took up literature before I got into Photography. I haven't given up this wonderful form of expression but like I said before, I lack in the creativity department and I started feeling that my poetry started to waiver in quality. I also write short stories and essay's, my most recent essay was a letter to Alien life forms.
Do you have a deviantArt? I have two! I've already linked to my old one twice (http://some18kanal03.deviantart.com) and just recently moved to http://comicidiot.deviantart.com.
Give our readers a sample of your awesome work. Give us something new and give us something good!Alright This coopers was eating a dove right in my backyard! Snapped 4GB's of photo's, aout Still Life Shot. One of my paper weights! My uhm... “Sexual Humour with Peppers” side? See the paint ball?
What is your favorite . . . .
Food? Cookies =3 Movie? Somersault Drink? Limeaide Book? … I forgot how to read! TV Show? NCIS!
Some ♥Personal♥ questions now!
Are you single? Yup And loven it. But I'm able for grabs
Are you gay? No
What do you like in a girl/boy? Short stature & Long Brown Hair
When is the last time you gave someone a kiss? Who was it? Does not apply!
Who is your idol? Certainly there are a lot of people I look up to in life; there are those photographers who take pictures as a career. They are an idol. Then there are the people who do our dirty work-thanks goes to Mike Rowe!-and their efforts to keep our lives' civil. I am unable to give you a name though Never put much thought into it. If you really want a name, Iron Man was my childhood idol-I refuse to see the movie! I don't want my image of Iron Man tainted.
What do you like about your life? Everything makes me smile It's my favourite exerciser!
You seem to have a great outlook on the world. What do you like most about living? Oh, your psychic! God. I love so much about it. It's funny. I'm not a religious person but my point of view on life is so open. It bums me out when people are so negative because they aren't putting any emphasis on their future. But what I like most? Feeling impervious to the fronting winds in winter as I walk along in the park detached from my iPod.
Do you prefer to drive or walk? I'm 50/50. I love to walk where I can: library, former high school, friends houses. But I love driving because I can go somewhere else and walk with scenery thats hours away on foot. Besides, my camera gear is so much lighter when I can keep it in my trunk
Tell us your favorite song. It better be good too. Sheesh. Does it have to be appropriate? It's a tie with 'Call to Arms,' 'Secret Crowds' and 'Start the Machine' by Angels & Airwaves – and don't go all Blink 182 4EVER on me X_x Um, for “inappropriate” it'd have to be 'Lollipop Luxury' by Jeffree Star.
Have you ever met a celebrity? Epic doesn't count. Oi vey! I've met football stars (Pictures to prove it!), CEO's (via their children, though some people say they're my “connections” but hey, you can't blame friendships made in Preschool!), and I saw an actor across the street once in Hollywood.
What is your oldest memory? Running into the front room of the house and seeing my mom and her friends chatting.
Who is the most important person in your life? There is no single person who is important in my life. All my friends mean the world to me. Of course I've had friends who mean more than others, but in the end they are just as valuable. And my family has always been there to push me on.
Are you religious? Nope
So! Do you like to read? Give us some names man, some names!!!! No. The last book I read was “Watchers” by Dean Kootz. And honestly, I haven't finished reading it after six years or so. I have to read a book for my English class in college... Spark notes please?
Tell us something interesting about yourself that you haven't already said. Despite my honesty, I have a plethora of secrets more than a decade old
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Is there anything you would like to add for all of SSD to see? Shoutouts? Special siggy you want to give to someone? Well, you guys seem well behaved. In the forum I go to everyone gets way off topic fairly easily. They lack the discipline this forum has! So if I ever get you guys off topic, by any amount, slap me and remind me! I don't like being rude!
I hope you have a great day, and on behalf of all of the Herald Team, farewell! Thanks! Same with you
A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. - Robert Frost
All diseases run into one, old age. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. - Maya Angelou
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate? - Will Rogers
For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery. - Jonathan Swift
Every government is a parliament of whores. The trouble is, in a democracy, the whores are us. - P. J. O'Rourke
A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running. - Groucho Marx
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice. - Bill Cosby
Advertisements contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper. - Mark Twain
Don't forget Mother's Day. Or as they call it in Beverly Hills, Dad's Third Wife Day. - Jay Leno
Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. - Bill Cosby
Let me tell you a story. There was once a (noun) with a pet (noun) . They were best friends. They would (verb) and (verb) , without even a care in the world. One day a (noun) came along and stole the pet ----------. Scared out of his mind, the ---------- went to a far and distant land called (place) to rescue him. Using his exceptional skills at (skill) , he was able to rescue his pet ---------- and live happily ever after in the land of (place) .
I had to visit my (family member) yesterday. She's sick with (ailment/disease) . All the while she just kept on (verb) ing and (verb) ing up mucus, it was disgusting. The (noun) says that she'll be fine, if she (verb) s enough. But I still can't shake the feeling that she's (adjective) ill. She's so (adjective) all the time and it makes me (adjective) for her in ways I can't explain. I hope she'll (verb) soon.
Yesterday my favorite actress, (famous actress) got arrested for (crime) . It made me (adjective) knowing how (adjective) the can can be, especially for someone as (adjective) and (adjective) as her. Her latest movie, (movie name) , was a blockbuster hit! Can't they (verb) her sentence because of her contributions to society? What has the world come to? I can only (verb) that she (verb) jail long enough to whip out her next movie.
The other day my father caught me looking at some (noun) on my (noun) . Sighing, he said that we needed to have "The (verb) ". It scared me, a little, hearing about how the (noun) and the bees can mix so well. He then started telling me about (verb) , when a bunch of birds and a bunch of (noun) gather together in the cabbage patch. I was (adjective) and (adjective) at the same time. He encouraged me to use (noun) and only do it when I'm ready. I don't think I'll ever be ready not to!
The Director of Activities here at (company name) would like to (verb) you all for attending. It is our wish that we can (verb) together in harmony while still maintaining that level of (noun) that we all (verb) . After (number) years in this business, I (verb) exactly what's best for this company. Hopefully we can all gain (adjective) knowledge as to how to combat this (adjective) . I (verb) forward to (verb) ing you in the future. (verb) you, and good night.
The (End)
What is Easter really? Where did it originate? For most Christians it is the day in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Debate has arisen throughout history as to when the festivities were to actually take place. Now, however, a set time has been created for the celebrations, the date changing on a yearly basis. How did this come about? Why do we even bother with Easter?
The answer to this is very simple. Many people don't really pay attention to how Easter falls on the calendar. For many Christians, the 40-day period of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at midnight on Holy Saturday. The next day, Sunday, is the day of the Easter holiday. Easter is also the conclusion of Holy Week, including Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion. The holiday is one of the main feasts in a traditional Christian calendar year and is usually sometime between March 22 and April 25.
How did Easter gain its Sunday celebratory status? Early on, those of Jewish origins believed that Easter fell on different days following the Passover festival. According to the Babylonian lunar calendar, this would be on the evening of the full moon. However, Christians of Gentile origin wished the celebration to always happen on the first day of the week, Sunday, though it would take place on different dates for the years to come. The churches in the East, those that were closer to the resurrection and believed more in the old traditions, held the festivities on the day after Passover, and churches in the West, those who descended from the Greco-Roman civilization, celebrated Easter on a Sunday.
There are many people that also relate Easter to Paganism. Some believe that the holiday came from old Teutonic mythology. It is believed that Easter originally comes from the word Eostre, who was the Greek goddess of Spring. The myth tells that Eostre appeared after a long, cold winter, bringing the warmth of Spring back down to Earth with her. The pagans held many festivals and rituals for this time of year when the cold left and the warmth returned.
The festivals always happened around the vernal Equinox every year. The Greeks were not sure as to when and why Spring would come when it did, though they believed that they must please the goddess to ensure her return every year. Thus the festivals were lavish parties in honor of the goddess.
However, Easter as we know it changed when Christianity came, and in 325 AD the date of the festival changed and Easter became known as a celebration for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 999 Location: Solidsnake Designs
Re: The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition « Reply #3 on Mar 2, 2009, 9:42am »
Many of us have read and are big fans of Aurthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha, which was a wonderful Cinderella story about Chiyo who was sold to life as a geisha in Gion prefecture, Kyoto. She later became a wonderful geisha known as Sayuri, as we found out while following her well-told tale of love, loss, and friendship. Those of us who read and loved this book, were also fascinated by the secret look we gained at the life of geisha. Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki changes all of that.
Iwasaki was not born into an okiya, or geisha house. She too was born to a normal family, though no one was sick. They simply had to deal with hard times, and so they sold their daughters one by one. However, they were able to visit as much as they wished, and their children weren’t gone forever. The only slavery felt was the debt they carried. In Japan, however, it is considered honorable to take on such a debt if it means helping your family overall because you are able to work it off where as they may be in no position to do so.
Iwasaki was the youngest of seven girls in her home, plus four older brothers; and when her older sister Tomiko went to become a geisha, or geiko as they were known in the Gion Kobu, her family had given up four of their seven girls.
Iwasaki ultimately made her own decision to go at a young age, and eventually became the atotori, or successor to the okiya. She stuck with this career until the age of 29, when she retired to lead her own life and to have a family. During the time she was a geiko though, she was one of the best of her time, and entertained people such as Prince Charles.
Iwasaki is not her birth name, however. She was originally known as Tanaka Masako (surname first), and at the age of ten she told the family court judge that she wished to become an Iwasaki.
Up until she finished junior high (the equivalent of our middle school) though, she could not completely pursue a career in the arts. The Japanese government made it law that a girl must at least make it that far in her education first. Iwasaki’s career didn’t take off until after this point, for that was when she could make her debut.
As anyone can see, it’s clear that there were a lot of wrong conceptions gained from Memoirs of a Geisha by Golden. Mizuage, or the ritual deflowering of girls, is something only practiced by actual prostitutes, for example. That was never something that Iwasaki experienced, and she does explain it all clearly in her autobiography. She was neither a slave, nor were the girls treated poorly in most cases. And they could have boyfriends if they wished, and retire into marriage, or just in general. The world that Golden created was very much twisted between the prostitutes and the geisha, and Iwasaki’s words help bring light into this matter.
Her story is not the most eloquently written, nor is it as gripping as Golden’s, but you will find yourself enjoying it nonetheless. Tucked into two sections of the book you can also find photographs of herself and her family at the okiya, plus some very helpful diagrams regarding the hair ornaments and other pieces of the ensemble that a geisha wore.
What is most wonderful about the book though, are Iwasaki’s views on how the entire thing is run. Iwasaki has a bold way of telling things, and she was not afraid to share how out-dated she felt the system was. Which, with how the world is ever-changing, is both a wonderful and terrible thing to hear. Tradition is wonderful, but so is change, and reading this book you can see how she’s trying to strive for middle ground, and how this is what set her mind to becoming good enough to help obtain these changes.
It’s an autobiography that any fan of Memoirs of a Geisha doesn’t want to miss, and that any person who is deeply interested in the traditions of Japan should invest in. It’s not perfect, and it’s not a thriller, but it is informative and fun. The reading is easy so that you don’t have to be a scholar to understand, and in the end you gain a good sense of satisfaction, and are left thinking. It’s definitely a book that I recommend for your bookshelves.
It is hard for people in a democratic society to think of any other way of living. Many people look at their life and believe that the entire world lives the way they do. These same people are the ones that do not look into the future at what could happen. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood takes what used to be the democratic society of America and turned it into something else: a society that focuses on the men and leaves little for the women. The men are now the driving force behind the country while the women basically look nice and birth children. Their rights have been stripped and they have been broken down to the most basic thing men could think of.
Offred is the main character of the story, detailing her stay with one of the Commanders of Gilead. She is a handmaid, which is the name they have applied to fertile women whose entire purpose is to enter a family and produce a child. She wears the typical read robes with a white head dress to pick her out from the other women in the society. Once a month she gets together with the commander and his wife for the “ceremony,” which nobody enjoys, to try and create a new life.
This is the life of the handmaid. They are allowed no extra privileges and are granted no perks in their life. Most of the time they are looked down upon by the wives, women dressed in blue who act more as a centerpiece than anything else. However, there is hope for the handmaids: a secret network has developed between them to spread news and gossip relating to the society and their commanders. This is one thing Offred has to look forward to in her repressed life.
The story is basically that of Offred’s last stay with a commander before she escaped. She is brought to a new house, the house of Serena Joy, a once-famous gospel singer before the war. Joy doesn’t like having a handmaid at their house, thinking she cannot do her job as a woman. However, she gives into the fact and, during Offred’s entire stay at the house, is usually bitter and short with her. Offred, however, tries to display the utmost respect for Joy, as her only job is to provide the woman with a baby.
Her job day in and day out is the same: light shopping and, once a month, performing her real duty. The handmaids go shopping in pairs of two, never more and never less. After the shopping, Offred and the other handmaid walking with her often visit the Wall, a large structure in front of the old university that now serves as a reminder to those who do not follow the ways of the new society. Often people are hanging from the wall with white bags over the heads, hanged for their crimes. Every now and again, though not as often now, women will be hanging there, usually hanged for murder.
As Offred continues her monthly routine, she realizes more and more how the ceremony doesn’t feel as impersonal as it used to. She begins to get to know the commander more and often visits him in his study after everybody is asleep. They would play Scrabble or he would allow her to read old magazines, which was forbidden for women in this time. They developed somewhat of a special relationship, one that would have been condemned had anybody told the proper authorities. During this time, Serena Joy, desperate for a child, allows Offred to perform the ceremony with Nick, the commander’s driver, but to no avail. The two of them tell each other that this act is strictly for the family and that no connection will develop between the two of them.
The story ends abruptly. The commander took Offred to a club outside of the Gilead lines where women were free to do what they want. It used to be an old hotel and all of the women here were what was once known as prostitutes. Shortly after arriving back home the black van arrives for Offred, though Atwood does an excellent job at explaining it so that the reader will not worry about the girl, she will be safe.
The main conflict in this story has to be surrounding women’s rights. The fall of the United States also saw the fall of women’s rights. As the leaders of Gilead rose, more and more rights were taken away, such as the right to own property and the right to a job. Everything told in Offred’s story surrounds this lack of rights, and because of that this can easily be identified as the main conflict. The climax of the story is a little harder to find. However, after much consideration, the climax could have come when the commander takes Offred to Jezebel’s, a prostitution center frequently visited by the commanders. Offred is reunited with Moria, her friend from college before the rise of Gilead, and learns a thing or two about the current state of the nation. Later on in the night, the commander takes Offred to a hotel room and they have sex, even though Offred is pretending to enjoy it. This is the climax for two reasons: for one, there are only two things that can happen to Offred. She can continue working to have a baby for the commander or escape back into society. Another reason is that it is one of the most important events in the story, not only being at the club, but the risks the commander had to take to get her there.
In a story such as this the strengths and weaknesses of the main character are easily identifiable. Offred is a very strong woman for taking her new role in society without complaint. Throughout her entire story she has flashbacks to a time before Gilead where she as a woman still had rights. She was married with a child, had a job, and had control over her own money. Her ability to continue living in this current society while having these flashbacks of a better time has to be her strongest trait. She remembers what the past was like and longs to return to that, but she raises from bed each and every day and continues her duty in this new society. Her weakness, however, has to be her growing feelings for the commander. It puts her into an impossible position. Handmaids are not supposed to have feelings for their commander as their duty is only to bear children. Love and compassion are thrown out the window. As the story continues, Offred risks her life more and more as she grows closer to the commander and participates in illegal activities, such as the reading in his study.
Throughout the novel Offred takes a very drastic change, though it may not be noticeable by many people. Throughout her stay with the commander, she became more and more risky. At first, she was not willing to do anything that would really get her into trouble, but near the end it doesn’t really seem to matter. She visits the commander on a regular basis and has sex with his driver, Nick, in his small apartment above the garage. The fear that once held onto her seems to have dripped away throughout the novel, causing her to change into this person who will take whatever risks necessary.
Many different people are present throughout the novel, but there are a select few that, if absent from this work, would take away from the novel as a whole. Serena Joy is one such character. Joy and Offred initially clash when she first comes to the commanders house, but throughout the novel Joy seems to grow fonder of Offred during her stay. It gets to the point where, if Serena Joy were not the wife present at this house, Offred may not have had the opportunities she had at this house. Another one that is important, even though he’s not a direct character, is Luke. Without some kind of explanation of Luke, the reader would not be able to get a proper understanding of Offred’s character. Through the flashbacks the reader learns many different aspects of Offred’s being.
Many symbols are present throughout the novel. One of the most striking ones is the red color of the handmaid’s belongings. Red is often used as a symbol of blood, which is present during the menstrual cycle, which is the time of the month the handmaids are used to create a child. In a nutshell, the red symbolizes everything their life stands for. The Eyes, the secret police of Gilead, are also a symbol. They symbolize God, or a being that has a watchful eye over everything. They watch everything the handmaids do in public and often pick up ones that are breaking some kind of law.
Atwood could be trying to say many different things with this novel. One of her most striking messages has to be treatment towards women. In the past, women were treated like dirt; they had no rights whatsoever and really had no place in society. In this new age, the leaders of Gilead have stripped women back to their basic being and really don’t allow them to do anything. I think Atwood might be trying to say that we as a people need to continue moving forward instead of moving back into the past and allowing women to keep all of the rights that they deserve.
For this review we look at a historical non-fiction book that I found to be a very good read. I was first introduced to this short novel as required reading for my history class, though I found it was a very enjoyable book. Farewell to Manzanar, written by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston is the story of a Japanese American family during the second World War, told from the point of a young girl who was sent with her family to an internment camp.
The majority of the book is the story of inside the actual internment camp, the saddening story of how a solid family was torn apart and scarred forever by their stay in the camp, and the young girl's struggle to grow up in a world full of prejudice and hate, especially after they are freed from the camp and forced to move back to another home, surrounded by Americans who possessed a loathing for the Japanese long after the war was over.
Despite the fact that it's a historical non-fiction novel, this book was one of the best books I've read in quite a long time. There are very few things I can say negatively about this in general. It was captivating, emotional, and it really tugged at the heartstrings a few times. Part of the book is the author (the girl) growing up in the years after her years in the camp, and even her taking her own children to see the camp decades after it had been torn down.
Farewell to Manzanar is a book I'd recommend to anyone regardless of purpose. It's educational and an eye-opener, yet also a captivating read and a truthful story that anyone even remotely interested in the subject would do well to read.
Basic Information Books- 7 Genre- Fantasy Rating- 5/5
Background Information and Summary Meet Pamela, owner of the Tarot Café. She will read your past and present, and from this tell you of your future. She sees things that most others do not, is a charismatic and lively woman, and did I mention that she’s hundreds of years old?
The Tarot Café takes place in England (shock!) and follows the life of Pamela, a human who was both blessed and cursed with a gift to see things that never should have been seen. It is because of this that her life spirals mercilessly out of her control, and she finds herself another pawn in the game controlled by Belial.
This tale definitely is borderline satanic, and would probably be banned from every church out there, but it’s worth the read if you are in to fantasy. Sang-Sun Park outdid herself in the beauty of not only the artwork, but in the story. It takes classic tales of the devil, and makes them flourish into something to capture the imagination, and take it on a journey that you don’t regret. It touches on everything—from love and loss, to charismatic outings and enjoyable days. It even gives you a whole new meaning to what it truly means to live, and to die.
Just when you think you have things all figured out as well, Park doesn’t disappoint and things will happen that make you second-guess your previous conclusion. And nothing is ever quite what it seems.
What’s truly wonderful about this tale of hardships though, is that all of the little side plots do have meaning to the end, and none take so long as to bore the reader, nor to cause the reader to forget important information. All the side plots help get you thinking, and some aid the ending, and so when it does end you feel that it is neat and tidy. And yet there is also the feeling that if she so wanted, Park could write a continuation on to the tale.
I’ve read the manga twice now. Once as it was coming out, which wasn’t good because there was a year-long gap between the release of the 4th and 5th books that left me totally forgetting some important details, and so I was confused for parts of the rest of the books. I remembered the main plot, but having gone back and read it a second time all the way through, I realize now that there were a lot of things that made the story better that I wish I’d remembered the first time. And both times I read it, I have gotten teary-eyed at the end. I’m not an overly-emotional kind of person, but the end is incredibly moving, and it’s something that just brings tears to the eyes.
So definitely give this one a try if you’re into fantasy. It’s got great artwork with plenty of stunning details, and an in-depth and intense story to go along with it. It’s worth the $70 USD you’ll spend on it if you decide to purchase the whole series, and if not I’d just read it in the bookstore or borrow it from your local library if they have it. I highly doubt that you’ll regret it.
And if they ever turn this into an anime, I will be the one fangirling and freaking out the loudest.
Written by Tsugumi Ohba Art by Takeshi Obata
It was Christmas when I first laid eyes on Death note, and immediately after removing the wrapping paper and looking at the rather brilliant cover I thought ‘Hmm, I like a bit of manga, this looks good’. Then I read the blurb. ‘It sounds good too’ I thought. I was intrigued from the start, and not disappointed when I started reading it.
In volume 1, we are introduced to Ryuk the shinigami and Light Yagami, a bored straight A student bound for college. It is in the opening sequences that Light finds a book with ‘Death Note’ written on the front of it. Light is initially sceptical of the writings he finds within, the book claiming to belong to a god of death. But when confronted by the Death Note’s original owner, a shinigami named Ryuk, we see how Light put the Death Note to the test, writing in the name of a criminal he sees on the news, and moments later, he is dead. Considering the possibility of a coincidence, Light tests the power of the Death Note further by writing down the name of a hoodlum he encounters, after seeing him harassing a young woman. The thug is killed by a traffic accident, the cause of death the Light had designated only moments before.
Now that he know the true power of the Death Note, Light decides to embark on a mission to rid the world of evil using the Death Note, killing criminals all over the world. However, killing is killing no matter how righteous, and Light soon has the authorities bearing down on him. A detective who goes by the name of ‘L’ is brought in, and he has a knack for solving unsolvable cases. A game of wits ensues as Light and L face off, and L soon discovers the location of the killer to be in Japan. That’s when the NPA, the National Police Agency, are brought in to lead a manhunt to find the killer known on the internet and by the media as Kira. With the authorities on his heels, can Light stay one step ahead?
Death Note has a wonderfully unique story, and is beautifully illustrated. Hugely popular all over the world, Death Note is one manga you can’t resist. But like all manga, you do tend to read it pretty quickly as there are considerably fewer words than your standard novel. So, to maximise my experience of Death Note, I am limiting myself to reading 50 pages at a time, and at about 200 pages, it’ll take me 4 reads to finish a volume. I suppose I’m trying to savour it, and it really is something to be savoured, as it is a pleasure to read a manga as good as this. A must buy.
Basic Information Episodes- 49, plus one OVA Genre- Mecha, Action, Comedy, Romance Rating- 5/5
Background Information and Summary Full Metal Panic takes three series to come to completion, and most fans of the anime expect another sequel.
The first part of the series totals 24 episodes, and this is the one where we meet all of the main players in the story. First and foremost is Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. He’s an excellent fighter with elite tactical skill and precision; but he can’t function in society as a civilian. So when that becomes his mission, he finds it hard to adjust, and makes things very difficult for those around him. The next main player of the story is Kaname Chidori. Kaname is who Sousuke was sent to guard because even though she is just a high school student, she is also a Whispered; and as such there are people who’d like to get their hands on her in order to extract the information she knows as one.
Backing them up you’ll meet Melissa Mao and Kruz Webber. They are Sousuke’s direct teammates, and while they might not seem like much they both have skills that are necessary to the battles fought. They’re also part of what helps Sousuke to develop as a character.
Far behind the action, but the one calling the shots is their captain, Teltha Tessarosa. She is also a Whispered, and is also commander of the submarine that is the base for Sousuke and the rest. It’s from her that most of the important information will be gotten regarding the Whispered, and what the true purpose of everything is.
Throughout part one of the series, you’ll travel with Sousuke through the battles he has to fight in order to complete his mission of keeping Kaname, and thusly the knowledge she possesses, out of enemy hands. You’ll watch him grow as a person, and you’ll see changes from Kaname as well. As intense as it will be in parts, there will be things that make you laugh as well.
The biggest thing about this section of the anime however, is the reoccurring enemy. Pay close attention to this, and question everything, because it won’t make sense until the end.
As we finish up the first series, we come to the next twelve-episode part known as Fumoffu. Fumoffu is basically a short comedy meant to show what day-to-day life is like for Sousuke and Kaname after the battles have been fought and it’s time to go back to school.
Honestly, there is hardly anything serious about Fumoffu. This section of the anime is meant to be romantic comedy, and it fulfills that quota quite nicely. You shouldn’t write it off, however, because it is crucial to the third and final part. Make sure you pay attention to the scrapes that Sousuke and Kaname manage to get into, and how they grow together as people, because it is going to play a key factor in the third and final part, The Second Raid.
The Second Raid is thirteen episodes long, and is the final segment of Full Metal Panic. Sousuke’s duty guarding Kaname ends, but he’s not happy with the terms of how it is done. In fact, we learn just how much Sousuke has changed when this happens by the actions he takes afterwards.
With this final installment we are back to the mecha, and to the fighting. While the intelligence network decides that they can handle watching Kaname, Kaname has plans of her own because like Sousuke, she’s not happy with how he left.
You’re going to meet new enemies, and revisit some old enemies, and references to Fumoffu will be made. While it’s the final segment, it’s also the most confusing and complex part to the entire series. In the end most of your questions will be answered, but new ones will also arise, which leads to the suspicion that there will either be a fourth section to the series, or more OVAs.
At the end of The Second Raid, you are going to meet new people with no identities, and you’re going to see Sousuke beginning to act as mature as he should. However it cuts off here, with no explanation, and upon watching the OVA you get no answers there, either.
In fact, the OVA is basically comedy about Captain Tessarosa. It’s not incredibly important to the series at all, but you still shouldn’t watch it until after everything else. You need to have a good understanding of the characters before you see this OVA, but other than that it’s just for fun.
Overall it’s a very engaging three-part series. Each episode moves smoothly into the next, and you want to see where things are going to go. Actually, sometimes you don’t want to because you know things are going to end poorly, but you watch anyways.
The art in this anime is superb. It contains a lot of detail, and whoever was the art director knew how to set a mood with the way things are done. There is nothing at fault really with what you will see.
And unlike a lot of anime, where if you go to a different location you just pretend they’re speaking a foreign language, this one will actually attempt to use specific languages native to different countries. While the main language for it is Japanese, when they are in countries such as China, they speak Chinese, and just this extra little step makes it that much nicer.
Overall, I give this a full 5/5 rating. While I wasn’t thrilled with the cliffhanger ending, it still showed superb quality as an anime. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in this genre, and to anyone who loved Gundam Wing.
Naruto is a recent and popular anime that was finished in 2007, at the total of a large 220 episodes. Despite the long series, a sequel was started, and is still airing now. However, the sequel aside, the original Naruto series gives plenty of material to review. Overall I would say it is probably one of those shows with the best potential, but with the worst possible execution.
The story is centered around a young ninja Naruto Uzumaki who is going through his training to become stronger and eventually claim the title of Hokage, who is essentially the top ninja. His incredible determination is outmatched only by his brilliant yellow afro hair and his annoyingly orange jumpsuit. His voice, just as loud as the colours of his appearance, never seems to stop shouting, as though he only has one volume setting. He is accompanied by two fellow ninja friends, Sasuke and Sakura, an emo kid who wants to kill his brother, and a worthless ninja who can't do anything but faint during the worst possible moments, respectively.
As they go throughout their training they encounter a lot of obstacles, go on a lot of missions, and eventually partake in exams and battles, competing against other ninjas to see if they qualify to be 'promoted' to the next skill rank. With a very wide cast of deep and diverse characters, a sound plot and an exciting series of twists, one would think that it contains the potential to become one hell of an amazing series, and it does -- just very, very, very slowly.
For some reason the producers behind Naruto decided that it would be absolutely amazing to take ninjas, who are by nature very fast and deadly, and put them in a show that moves at a snail's pace. Every battle, no matter how much goes on, seems to take about three entire episodes on average, which contrasts to the point that if you take the amount of time they were actually fighting, it would last about two minutes tops. The basic way anything gets done in Naruto is the following.
Ninja 1: [performs a battle move or action to attack the other ninja] Ninja 2: [looks amazed as though he's never seen another ninja before and proceeds to ask wtf just happened] Ninja 1: [stops the entire battle for half an episode to go on a long tangent about what the move is, how it is performed, sometimes going into explicit detail about the functions of the human body] Ninja 2: [growls determinedly and shouts about how he or she will not lose, proceeds to attack the other ninja] Ninja 1: [looks amazed, asks what happens, repeat]
If you're wanting an anime with action, you will not get it here.
Another thing that slows down Naruto is the evident belief that the entire history of every single character, no matter how insignificant, must be explained in great detail, by a combination of long-winded monologues and flashbacks that, again, take nearly an entire episode. For some reason, the monologues also take part in the middle of every battle. You'd think that they would go out for a cup of tea after the battle and get to know each other, but apparently in the midst of the battle is the best time to stand around and chat about their past lives, even if the entire town has come to the arena to see the battles. Somehow, nobody cares.
To prove my point, I went back to around episode 70 and watched until episode 80. In this segment, an evil ex-student of the current Hokage kidnaps his former sensei and proceeds to get in an epic, Hokage-style battle. Which would be great except for the fact that each person uses about five moves total, and the battle ends at the end of the second episode, where the evil guy has a sword sticking through his master, who is, by the looks of him, about three hundred years old. Great, quick end, right? Nope! From episode 74 to episode 80, the pair simply stand there and exchange angry monologue and heroic speeches, even when the old man has a sword sticking through his chest. I kid you not. Seven episodes. Nothing happens. To further prove the point, in another battle going on at the time, flashbacks are everywhere. To test things out, I spent about five minutes each on episodes 75-78, skipping a flashback every time I saw it. There was about two minutes of action per episode, and even at the end of that, nothing had changed.
Naruto. Incredible potential, incredible fail at execution. If you're okay with watching a series get dragged out almost to the breaking point (indeed, by episode 80, enough has happened to fill about 20 episodes in a normal anime) then you'll probably love it. It has a great story with plenty of good characters and a lot of great twists. However, if you actually have a life and enjoy watching stories that finish within the current decade, I would not recommend Naruto at all.
Background Information and Summary The Dreamer is a webcomic that’s set both in current-day America, and the war-torn days of the Revolution. It’s funny, dramatic, and full of wonderfully depicted historical scenes that keep the reader looking for more.
Meet Beatrice, more commonly known as Bea. She’s not the best in her class academically, she gets nervous around the guy she has an enormous crush on, and whenever she can she loves to hang out with her friends. When it comes to school, she’d much rather be performing on stage for the drama club than studying in some boring class. That’s just who she is. Her family seems to be well-immersed in all forms of the arts, and so she’s given a good opportunity to pursue acting.
Bea’s a good kid though, and an average high school student. She doesn’t do drugs, she’s in no gangs, and she stays out of trouble. Family life isn’t perfect, and she does get irritated by others, but that’s pretty normal. When she starts dreaming though, things are turned upside-down.
Meet Alan Warren, one of the many heroes of the Revolutionary War, and a member of Knowlton’s Rangers. He is the first one that Bea meets in her dreams, and it is ultimately her curiosity of him and the others she meets through him that leads her to look forward more to bedtime with her dreams than to the waking world with her friends.
Bea was always prone to having her head in the clouds, and she loves to fantasize. It’s more than likely what makes her such a good actress. But when these dreams start happening and then picking up one after another and following history that she had totally forgotten about, she begins to wonder just how much of a dream they really are.
Lora Innes is a wonderful writer with a true passion for the Revolutionary War. While there is a lot of fiction in the story, she is very careful to make sure that everything is based off of factual history, and that things are as accurate as you can make them in such a genre. She also studies books on plot and writing, so you enjoy the story enough to keep going and not be bored by history alone. Not to mention the fact that by knowing how to write she makes sure to leave you on a cliffhanger every update to keep you coming back for more.
Being skilled in writing isn’t her only positive aspect though—Lora Innes is also an incredibly skilled artist. She went to school for art and graduated with a BFA. Following that she worked for the Artifact Group and did illustrations for clients such as Fischer Price and Nickelodeon. She pushed herself further though, and worked even harder to increase her skills and attention to detail, and eventually decided on putting her writing, illustrating, and love for the Revolutionary War together. It was the consent between her and her husband, Mike, that she left working for others and now concentrates on The Dreamer alone. And she wouldn’t change it for the world.
The webcomic is going to be two years old this September, and its come a long way since it began. Not only has the art steadily improved, but the readership has steadily increased, and Lora has been able to visit a few conventions. The biggest achievement though, one that all Dreamer fans have been cheering about, and congratulating Lora for; is when IDW Publishing picked up The Dreamer and made it available in local comic book shops everywhere.
Even though it’s now a published comic, Lora doesn’t stop posting it for free online. She’s faithful to her internet fanbase, and those that can buy the comic in print form as well. It’s a great way for her readers to support her, and Lora is equally proud to be supported as such.
Overall, whether you understand the Revolutionary War or not, and whether or not you even like history; this is a must-read webcomic. It’s in no way a sappy romance, but it’s not so much action that you have no true plot either. There’s an equal balance of everything to please the appetite for reading appropriately. And it’s not something that you’re going to want to miss out on.
Ahh the wonders of YouTube never cease to amaze me and this month was no different. Here are 5 videos that have been making waves across the internet this month. _________________________________________________
David After Dentist
A dad tapes his 7 year old son after getting out of the dentist. He’s drugged up beyond belief and the results are epic! _________________________________________________
Guitar: Impossible
In the words of the creator: “Over 1000 cuts. 6 hours of guitar tabbing. 1 hour of shooting. God knows how much editing.” He was bored and made one of those super cool songs that are put together by taking individual notes and editing them together. _________________________________________________
Mario vs Spartan 2
One of video game’s classic heroes takes on one of today’s. Mario and friends take on the Master Chief in a showdown to the death! _________________________________________________
Microphone Fail
Some idiot doesn’t know how to use a microphone. _________________________________________________
Sony Releases Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work
Warning: This video contains bad language.
To round up this month’s 5 videos this one comes straight from your favorite parody news station The Onion!
There are the good movies, the bad movies, and the strange movies. There are the good strange movies, and the bad ones. And then there are the ones that you enjoy while having a clearly bemused expression on your face. This review turns the spotlight to one of those movies, an animated film released on August 28th of 1992 (in the USA that is), a movie with an original plot, original characters, and a style that will have you wondering what on earth you're watching.
Prince Frederic lived with his father, who possessed magical powers, until one day the prince's aunt Messina murders his father, and turns Frederic into a frog, though he manages to escape before Messina kills him as well. Jumping ahead in time, Frederic is now a grown frog with magical powers who has taken on a human-like stance, and works for the French secret service. He is eventually hired by the British Intelligence to investigate the disappearance of many of Britain's greatest monuments, which seem to vanish into thin air. Dubbed Agent F.R.O.7, he along with his two sidekicks, Daffers and Scottie (a female martial artist and a weapons technician respectively), begin to investigate these mysterious occurrences, fighting evil henchmen and discovering the mysterious villain in quite an interesting sequence of events throughout the story. He is joined by Nessie, the mythological sea creature, a pair of quite eccentric crows, and a bumbling military general as they try to solve the case.
Needless to say this is a very strange movie with many questions left unanswered, such as the time shift between the medieval ages and modern Europe, though that's rather small compared to the magical frogs and talking crows. While the plot might deviate from whatever plot it had to begin with, it's still interesting in a way, and for those who appreciate the genre (again, whatever that might be), will stick through it and enjoy what the movie has to offer. This is one of those movies where you either like it a lot or you won't be able to finish it. I'm part of the former. This movie was one of the great classics from my childhood and I enjoyed every minute of it. I recommend anyone this movie, if not for you, then your crazy friends or perhaps your kids. Overall, a very strange but very interesting and memorable film.
Lionhead Studios have yet again made a great game. Fable 2 takes place after the first game where you follow a new hero in their quest to avenge the death of their sister. Notice I didn’t say his sister. In Fable 2 you have the choice to play as a male or a female that you didn’t have in the first game. You also have the choice to develop your abilities of strength, skill, and will which will change the way your character fights as well as looks.
One interesting addition to the game was firearms. The first Fable all you had were bows and crossbows. In Fable 2 you have a whole arsenal of firearms including the Assault Rifle from Halo 3 (must download the add on content). Of course there were also added will abilities as well as melee weapons.
One other cool addition is the time system where you actually get to see the world evolve in front of your eyes. In between chapters of the story you’ll notice towns getting bigger and more extravagant or even smaller as people move away.
The quests are your run of the mill go here, kill that person, or protect that person quests. Your overall goal is to collect the last remaining heroes in Albion. Your quest will take you to the aid of 3 other heroes in a mission to combine their power to fight the person who killed your sister and is trying to basically take over the world.
Overall gameplay is decent with mixed melee, ranged, and magical attacks at your disposal you can mix it up, but other than that most fights will feel the same. The new job system was not done very well in my opinion. For the jobs like cutting wood, making swords, bartending, etc you sit there and try to hit A as a dot that is going across the screen enters the green section of a bar…it’s rather boring and takes a long time. Once you have a lot of money you can also buy property which will also bring in more money. The only problem with this is there is no real way to keep track of your properties other than walking up to each one of them. Again you can have a spouse and even kids, but sometimes it gets a little cumbersome as you are doing your quests.
I’m not going to give anything away, but I will say that I was VERY disappointed in the ending of the game. The boss battle was….well I’ll let you find out.
Overall the game was a fun play and kept me entertained. I beat the game, but haven’t really gone into the really deeply hidden stuff yet. I give it a healthy 4/5.
What better way to spend your time with up to 3 other friends than running through the woods, airport, hospital, or city and killing zombies? I can’t think of anything more awesome and neither could Valve when they came out with Left 4 Dead.
This game throws out all the technicalities of first person shooters and only keeps the fun and easy aspects as you roam through levels blowing off zombie’s heads before they devour your friends. The gameplay is exceptional seeing as no matter how many times you play through the game it’s a different experience. Weapons, zombies, special infected, health packs, and ammo all spawn in random places every time you start the game thus making it a complete mystery when your next cache of ammo will come…maybe it will never come…who knows? The object of the game is to run from safehouse to safehouse within a level while you’re on your way to the rescue point where you will be rescued by various vehicles. Once you reach the rescue point you must fend off wave after wave of zombie attack. It truly is a game of survival.
You have a variety of weapons at your disposal including a pistol that you can also dual wield, pump shotgun, auto shotgun, assault rifle, uzi, sniper rifle, Molotov cocktails, and pipe bombs. All of the weapons are easy to use and are pretty straight forward. The pipe bombs and the Molotov’s are thrown weapons. As you might think the Molotov will spew huge areas of fire where you throw them and the pipe bomb will attract all of the zombies in the area for about five seconds before exploding.
The multiplayer is very fun. You’ll be split up into an infected team and a survivor team and duke it out in the streets. As the infected team you’ll be working hard to take out the survivors as they try to make it into the safehouse. It’s a rather fun aspect of the game. You can also dive right in and do co-op.
The graphics aren’t the best in the world, but you don’t need a nice and shiny game to have fun. They don’t take away from the experience at all.
Overall I think Left 4 Dead was a great game and will continue to be a great game when they come out with more downloadable content. I give it a solid 4/5.
The trailer for Final Fantasy XIII was recently made available to download on the Playstation Store, and by the looks of things it will be set in a high tech world, complete with guns, airships, and the usual beast enemies. Final Fantasy XIII will also feature strategic command based battles, and the active time battle system will make a return.
With the Final Fantasy VII and X team at the helm of XIII, we should see an artistically varied world. Some of the characters revealed so far include the leaping gun wielder Lightning, blonde motorcyclist Snow Villiers, and the red haired Oerba Dia Vanille, who seems to be part of some resistance group.
The Final Fantasy series has always been among the best looking games on Playstation, and XIII should be no different. If the trailer is anything to go by, it should be a great looking game. That, along with the trademark epic story should make gaming gold.
Final Fantasy XIII is due for release in 2010, the exact date is still unannounced. It should be well worth the wait.
If you know me you know I’m one of the biggest Halo fans out there and that means I’m super psyched about this game. Halo 3: ODST is a standalone expansion of Halo 3 which will be available only for the Xbox 360.
In the game you will be playing as an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) in the timeframe leading up to Halo 3. If you played Halo 2 you might have remembered the Chief left Earth in pursuit of the Profit of Truth. This is the story of the people left behind on Earth to clean up the remnants of the Covenant invasion.
Little is known about this game other than the small snippets that Bungie has released. You will be going through the city of New Mombassa in Kenya looking for the missing members of your squad. It’s been reported that the game itself will be free roaming, but the missions will be played like flashbacks and resemble the level structure of the other Halo games. From the screenshots that were released you can gather Halo 3: ODST will have more of a stealth aspect than the other Halo games as you will not be playing as the Master Chief. You’re just a normal human special forces ODST.
Halo 3: ODST will ship with EVERY Halo 3 map included and Halo 3 multiplayer will be accessible through the ODST disc. Above is all of the information that is out in the public. Unlike most companies Bungie is very good at keeping secrets.
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 999 Location: Solidsnake Designs
Re: The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition « Reply #4 on Mar 2, 2009, 9:48am »
Oh, winter. Oh, Ohio winter. Oh, cold Ohio winter. Welcome to yet another lovely year of lake effect snow, below zero temperatures, and horrible sidewalks. The average scene for a high school student whose attitude doesn’t change at all.
For those kids who can actually afford a car, insurance, gas, and parking pass payments, kudos to you. Unfortunately, for Medina’s least fortunate students, driving is out of the question. On exam days, that leaves one mode of transportation: walking.
Walking is all fine and dandy. I have no problem with walking. In fact, I walk five or more miles a week no matter the weather (the perk of not having a car). However, winter is a different story. So far this year, there has been about ten inches of snowfall. Most people do not shovel their sidewalks, and with many sidewalks being right next to the road (especially closer to the school), snow drifts pile up on the sidewalk. These piles come about two inches above my knee. Have fun walking in that.
When these unfortunate kids get home, their pants are soaked to the knee and they’re freezing. Many of them often end up with a cold having to walk knee-deep in snow with the temperature around -5. What is a person to do?
Shovel your sidewalk. It takes maybe fifteen minutes at the most and really is a great exercise. If you can’t, pay somebody to do it. There’s bound to be a kid in your neighborhood that will shovel for ten bucks.
Have a heart, shovel your sidewalk!
Rockstar Punched Energy+Citrus Acai Berry
This is one of Rockstar’s Punched flavors out on the market and I do have to say it’s rather easy to drink. Too many energy drinks out on the market have a hard bite and are uneasy to even swallow. Acai Berry does have a slight bite when you first take a drink and it wears off into a nice berry taste.
As for the energy factor it seemed to boost my energy a lot. It wasn’t to the point of hyperness, just a nice awake and alert state. Its energy blend contains Taurine, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Caffine, Guarana Seed Extract, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng Extract, and Milk Thistle Extract. If you would like to learn about energy drink ingredients check this out.
Overall it’s nice and easy to drink and has an ok taste. Is it the best tasting energy drink I’ve ever had? No it could taste better and the energy output was good. I give it a solid 3.5 out of 5.
Too often we are quick to jump and blame the government and funding issues for our failing education systems. We say there aren't enough money for books and classrooms, that teachers are overwhelmed by overfilled classrooms and that there isn't enough money to get good teachers. The government doesn't care, that we're taking all the money away, etc. While these are completely relevant, and in many cases truthful concerns, they are not our only problems. In fact, they are not even the worst ones.
The biggest problem is the way in which we're teaching our children. I'm a new university student, nineteen, still young and learning, and already I've seen my past schools change. When I went back to visit some of my old teachers I got to see first hand how the classrooms of today are so different from those of just a decade ago. Tenth grade literature students (someone I was only four years ago), taught by an ex-Honors teacher, were only just learning what words like 'disconnect,' 'guilty' and 'imply' meant. The first words out of my Economic's teachers mouth when I saw her years later were, 'Would you believe how stupid these kids are?' I went to visit my third grade English teacher, the one who got me hooked on writing, and I was told that they are only allowed to teach by the book, by what the districts mandate. There is no time for free thought. There is no time for lessons outside of anything the district tells them to teach.
Our education's downward spiral has been accelerated by the schools' beliefs that if we teach the students to do better on tests, then they will excel in the real world. If we teach them to fill in the correct bubbles, then they will be fully prepared to do everything they need to do in real life. If we teach them all to be the same, to know the same and to act the same, then there will be no issues.
This has got to stop. Students are not the products of an older generation, not simply there to fall in line and know only what the districts and state governments say they should. Where's the freedom of thought? What happened to the teachers who were allowed to experiment and have fun and deviate from the textbook lessons to get us to think, to gain experience and to become our unique selves? This doesn't happen anymore. We're teaching our up and coming generations how to pass tests, not how to learn and survive, or even how to discover, search and explore.
It would be going too far to suggest that our students are turning into mindless drones, however it's not too far to suggest that we're all headed in a bad direction. Worse, even, than we find ourselves in right now. We need to stop attempting to get our students to learn specifically how to pass the tests and teach them in the way that we learned -- by experience, by experimenting, by following our own path. We can still learn the material, but we can also learn the rest, the most important things. I'm only a young university student and the gap between myself and those three or more years younger than me is already noticeable, and frightening.
Decide what we need to know. Do we need the best grades? Or do you think we could live with more?
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 999 Location: Solidsnake Designs
Re: The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition « Reply #5 on Mar 2, 2009, 9:49am »
One of the biggest issues any photographer faces is lighting. We are naturally slaves to light, even more so when we’re working in the outdoors. You have to be careful not to make things too harsh, but on the flip side if it’s too dark then the exposure may take so long that the model/object/scene moves in some way and the focus is destroyed. And if these things aren’t what you’re looking for, then you’re probably going to be very upset.
Working with and understanding natural light is an art form in and of itself. There are things you need to be aware of when thinking about how you want to create your photograph, and they’re all things to look for when you’re out scouting for a location.
First and foremost is the quality of light. The best light to photograph in are the two hours after sunrise, and the two hours before sunset. The light will be soft but illuminating at this time, and will thus help you out. The closer to noon it is, the harsher the light will be, and this can create very unseemly contrast and blown-out exposure if you’re not careful. It will also cause a lack of definition in what you are photographing, since there will be a severe lack of shadows to give shape and dynamics to things.
One must also be aware of how the light plays on their subject, and may want to look for open shade. Open shade is any shady area that can provide relief from harsh shadows while not causing you to loose so much light quality that the camera has to go to long exposure.
Open shade isn’t as easy as it sounds though, because you have to be careful with it. When looking for it, make sure that it is solid or else you’re going to have unflattering light splatters on whatever it is you’re photographing, and 90% of the time it’s just going to ruin the photo.
Something else to be aware of is when it’s an overcast day. On days such as these you can get away with photographing at high noon because the clouds will act light a softbox and soften the light that you’re attempting to use, and thus making it of a better quality for you.
If you’re able to, bring a second body and a reflector. Have this person bounce light for you, so that even if you’re in a shady area you can bring light into the object to make it look nice. A reflector is 9/10 times the most important tool a photographer will have when working outdoors, aside from the camera itself.
You don’t just have to be outdoors however to work with natural light.
If you take out a compass (we’re getting old school here), and find any north-facing windows in a house or building you can use for photography, you’ve found a location that will have great lighting at certain times of the day. Observe the location and see what kind of light you get at what hours. You’ll find that it’s a great place to photograph people and objects, and that it will add to your photographer’s tool box.
Natural light doesn’t seem like much, but since most photographers (especially those just starting out) can’t afford an expensive light system, it’s all they have to work with. So understanding the basic principles and applying them to your photographic outings will help to improve the overall quality of your photographs.
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 999 Location: Solidsnake Designs
Re: The Herald: Mar/Apr '09 Edition « Reply #6 on Mar 2, 2009, 9:50am »
One of the tendencies many people have when writing is to attempt to churn out the perfect article, essay or story in the first run. It's been drilled into our heads by schools who sit us down and have us write essays, beginning to end and completely edited, all in one sitting. However, for those who actually know how anything is written, we know that's not the way to get it done. The perfectionism people suffer from when writing can mean the difference between a great work of literature and even finishing in the first place.
When writing your first draft, there is only one thing you want to focus on -- finishing. The first draft is where you let all your ideas loose on paper like a paint splatter. It will look ugly, it will be messy and unorganized, and it will be far from perfect, but that's the first step. You can always outline in the beginning, do some brainstorming and prepare your characters and plot before you start, but once you get started, don't look back. The urge to do small edits and erase things is going to pile up the farther you go, but don't do it. Don't erase, don't edit, don't even read back on anything you've written.
Once you've got all your ideas on paper is when you can go back to edit, but you need to get everything down on paper (or your word processor) first. If you don't let yourself write out of your safety zone, where's the experimenting? Where's the originality and the possibility to discover new things about your own stories and writing? It's important to let everything loose while writing your first draft because that's where all the best parts come out. After you're done you can hack away at it, but refrain from doing anything to your work before then. You know it to be true. If you're too self critical, you're never going to get anywhere because nothing is going to look right.
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