I finally rate this movie!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
So You Want to Be a Wizard (Diane Duane)
Title: So You Want to Be a Wizard
Series: Young Wizards
Author: Diane Duane
Released: 1983
Rating: 5/5
Basic Plot: Nita Callahan is a thirteen-year-old girl who discovers a book titled So You Want to Be a Wizard while hiding from bullies in a library. She brings the book home with her and discovers that it is about the art of wizardry.
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The Importance of Words
As a writer I believe that how you say something is just as important as what you say. Word something the wrong way and you'll offend people you didn't mean to. Word it another way and what you really meant will be known to people. It doesn't matter how "sophisticated" your words are, it just matters that people understand them. In this book it's shown that language and belief is what hold the multi-verse together. I really like this aspect of the book. Spells in it are speaking to the Universe to tell it what you want and not just a formula.
Treatment of a Teen Audience
I originally read some of the Young Wizards series while a teenager myself. As a teen I was always happy when I found an author who didn't treat me as a child. Who didn't think of me as dumb. This book treats its audience with respect. The main characters (Nita and Kit) are teenagers but are still able to figure things out. They don't make stupid mistakes and deal with very real problems. I'm not talking about magic or jumping into another universe. I'm talking about deciding who to help and should you give a very evil person a chance at redemption.
Character Growth/Strength
A good story has the characters change from how they were in the beginning to how they are at the end. Nita and Kit are both afraid of the torment from bullies. The combined spell that they perform near the beginning of the book is to make people stay away from Kit and for Nita to find an item that was stolen from her by Joanne (the girl that bullies Nita). By the end of the book, after going through a Hell universe and fighting off the creator of death itself, both have changed. Kit has a presence that makes him appear very strong and Nita gets her pen back. Besides that, Nita faces her fear of Joanne and gives the bully a chance at being her friend. I'd say that is some good character growth there.
Final Thoughts
I found this lovely book at a Goodwill. Once I saw this some of my childhood came back to me. While I had never read this book in the series (even though it's the first one), it still connected me to other books in the series that I had read while younger. I am glad that I still enjoy Duane's writing even though I'm not a teenager anymore (reading Piers Anthony was a disappointment on the other hand). Even though this book was published in 1983 I think children will get something out of it today. Bullying, good and evil, and forgiveness are all topics covered in this book. Just be aware that it is a dark book.
Series: Young Wizards
Author: Diane Duane
Released: 1983
Rating: 5/5
Basic Plot: Nita Callahan is a thirteen-year-old girl who discovers a book titled So You Want to Be a Wizard while hiding from bullies in a library. She brings the book home with her and discovers that it is about the art of wizardry.
---------------------------------------------------
The Importance of Words
As a writer I believe that how you say something is just as important as what you say. Word something the wrong way and you'll offend people you didn't mean to. Word it another way and what you really meant will be known to people. It doesn't matter how "sophisticated" your words are, it just matters that people understand them. In this book it's shown that language and belief is what hold the multi-verse together. I really like this aspect of the book. Spells in it are speaking to the Universe to tell it what you want and not just a formula.
Treatment of a Teen Audience
I originally read some of the Young Wizards series while a teenager myself. As a teen I was always happy when I found an author who didn't treat me as a child. Who didn't think of me as dumb. This book treats its audience with respect. The main characters (Nita and Kit) are teenagers but are still able to figure things out. They don't make stupid mistakes and deal with very real problems. I'm not talking about magic or jumping into another universe. I'm talking about deciding who to help and should you give a very evil person a chance at redemption.
Character Growth/Strength
A good story has the characters change from how they were in the beginning to how they are at the end. Nita and Kit are both afraid of the torment from bullies. The combined spell that they perform near the beginning of the book is to make people stay away from Kit and for Nita to find an item that was stolen from her by Joanne (the girl that bullies Nita). By the end of the book, after going through a Hell universe and fighting off the creator of death itself, both have changed. Kit has a presence that makes him appear very strong and Nita gets her pen back. Besides that, Nita faces her fear of Joanne and gives the bully a chance at being her friend. I'd say that is some good character growth there.
Final Thoughts
I found this lovely book at a Goodwill. Once I saw this some of my childhood came back to me. While I had never read this book in the series (even though it's the first one), it still connected me to other books in the series that I had read while younger. I am glad that I still enjoy Duane's writing even though I'm not a teenager anymore (reading Piers Anthony was a disappointment on the other hand). Even though this book was published in 1983 I think children will get something out of it today. Bullying, good and evil, and forgiveness are all topics covered in this book. Just be aware that it is a dark book.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Let's Play Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Parts 70 and 71)
I meet up with Dahlia.
Let's Play Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Parts 67-69)
I continue the search for my daughter and run into a newly single woman who gives me directions.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Inbetween: Death of the Five 7
It had been awhile since I had done something important with someone else. I didn't turn to Qui-Gon but felt his mind and tried to ease the tension there. I who had been to the Heart of the Darkness many times had become used to the Dark Side energy there. This Jedi Master had never been there before and his anticipation might kill him.
He gave a gentle push back with his own mind and I went back to only myself plus my surroundings.
"You need to focus on what you'll have to do." He said kindly.
"And you need to be relaxed." I replied and didn't dwell on the fact that I hadn't told him everything.
Qui-Gon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I felt his mind relax but not by much.
"I guess that will have to do." I said with what could barely be called sarcasm.
As we exited hyperspace a cold feeling ran through my veins and I could see the Jedi Master shiver, though he had it mostly under control. I was used to this cold that had nothing to do with temperature and my body made no sign that I was affected.
Upon exiting hyperspace the Heart of the Darkness came into view. It seemed to be a little smaller than the average moon. It had five points jutting out of it and a sphere for the center. The five points jutting out of it were five Navigator ships. They had originally been ships that Navigators, like myself, had both piloted and taken care of.
I didn't immediately fly towards the Heart of the Darkness but instead took note of Qui-Gon. I held his left hand in my right hand. He looked into my eyes and I could feel the terror in them. The Massacre had left me with such a fear, especially when it was over and I had realized what I had done. What I had been capable of.
Qui-Gon nodded and I touched his mind with my own. Where I felt horror I left calmness. I didn't fully calm him as he wouldn't have been able to do what he'd need to when he entered. After a few minutes I felt that he was calm enough and left his mind.
"Thank you." He said.
"You're welcome." I replied and flew towards one of the entrances of the Heart of the Darkness. I went towards one of the five points and was afraid that I'd need to calm Qui-Gon again. Luckily that wasn't the case.
Landing the small craft in one of the cargo bays wasn't hard to do. But I didn't take that as a sign that this mission would be easy.
I got up and walked to the door that would allow me to set foot onto the Heart of the Darkness.
Turning around I said, "Ready when you are."
Qui-Gon paused a moment before he followed me out of our small ship and into a much larger one. I stretched out with my mind and other senses to look at the cargo bay. So much had happened here and soon there would be no need of it anymore. Except for nostalgia.
"It used to be much nicer." I told the Jedi Master. "What it it has become is not what it began as. It began as a way to explore the universe not a way to help end it."
He was about to reply when a loud alarm went off. We both took off running with me in the lead. I took out a small blaster and he took out his lightsaber. The plan was for this to go as quickly as possible. Showing him around could wait for later.
As we exited the cargo bay and into one of the main hallways lasers started firing at us. I dodged them while Qui-Gon used his weapon to have the blasts hit the lasers that fired them. The alarm system had turned on because Qui-Gon was an alien that had not been entered into the system. The Five had entered Navigators to be the only things allowed in. Which was why I had never had a problem with the ship.
I fired my blaster at a droid that had appeared in the hallway. It dodged it and when I fired my next shot it became paralyzed. A third shot finally brought it down. The spider-like droid was down and yet another of the model appeared behind it.
Qui-Gon was able to spare a moment to redirect a laser blast to distract it and I put it down.
More spider-like droids came after us and the laser firing system continued to function. This went on until we reached a door that would allow us into the sphere of the Heart of the Darkness. That would allow us to enter the control center of the whole ship. Well, space station really.
I teleported behind the door and updated the system to allow Qui-Gon in. After a few seconds the security system deactivated. I opened the door and was given a view of Qui-Gon deactivating his lightsaber and putting it back on his belt.
"Couldn't you have just teleported there in the first place?" The Jedi Master asked as he walked into the sphere.
"I had to make sure you survived." I replied.
He just looked at me and I turned away.
"Besides, a lot of things about this are illogical." Were the only words that came out to counteract Qui-Gon's look.
He nodded. "That they are. You can still go back."
"No," I said. "I wouldn't have come this far if I didn't plan to end this."
With this new man by my side I walked to the center of the ship. Upon arrival I walked into the center of the room and allowed Qui-Gon to take in the sight. All five were in cryogenic chambers around the room. I had made sure to keep track of how each one was doing. If each one was dying or surviving.
"We'll have to unplug them." I told him. "Basically just make the cryogenic chambers kill each of them. I made it as a safe guard if anyone tried to unfreeze them. The normal way to do so kills them, it takes prior knowledge to remove them safely."
I saw the emotions overtake his face. He finally realized that killing the Five wasn't about fighting an enemy, but killing that enemy in their sleep. Killing the enemy when they couldn't fight back. An dishonorable way to kill, especially for a Jedi.
"There has to be another way." He managed to say but I shook my head.
"Unless you want to unfreeze them and fight them. Even if partially woken up they will fight as strong as Master Yoda. You won't be able to fight them easily, even with me by your side." I paused. "You probably won't survive and I don't know if I can kill them in a fair fight. And if they are released they will tear this galaxy apart."
Qui-Gon walked slowly over to a cryogenic chamber and did the actions to unfreeze one of the Five, which did the opposite. I felt him go through many emotions as he did the actions. He was feeling if he was betraying his order and yet doing good for that same order.
"I couldn't kill them when I had the chance." I told him as I killed another of the five. "If I had I wouldn't have put you into this situation."
"It's hurting you more, isn't it?" He asked as he went onto the next one. "I shouldn't have put you in this situation."
"If I hadn't become a Navigator I wouldn't be in any of these scenarios."
"I'm glad you did decide to become one." He said with a little too much affection.
Finally I came to the final member of the Five. I knew his name without looking at the tag on his cryogenic chamber. His name was Carver and I smiled at the good times. But when the bad memories came to me I felt no regret as I killed him.
Qui-Gon put his hand on my shoulder and I leaned into him. They were gone now. I was now the only Navigator left. I had no comfort to find except the man beside me. And one day he'd be gone or dead.
------------------------------
Inbetween tumblr
He gave a gentle push back with his own mind and I went back to only myself plus my surroundings.
"You need to focus on what you'll have to do." He said kindly.
"And you need to be relaxed." I replied and didn't dwell on the fact that I hadn't told him everything.
Qui-Gon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I felt his mind relax but not by much.
"I guess that will have to do." I said with what could barely be called sarcasm.
As we exited hyperspace a cold feeling ran through my veins and I could see the Jedi Master shiver, though he had it mostly under control. I was used to this cold that had nothing to do with temperature and my body made no sign that I was affected.
Upon exiting hyperspace the Heart of the Darkness came into view. It seemed to be a little smaller than the average moon. It had five points jutting out of it and a sphere for the center. The five points jutting out of it were five Navigator ships. They had originally been ships that Navigators, like myself, had both piloted and taken care of.
I didn't immediately fly towards the Heart of the Darkness but instead took note of Qui-Gon. I held his left hand in my right hand. He looked into my eyes and I could feel the terror in them. The Massacre had left me with such a fear, especially when it was over and I had realized what I had done. What I had been capable of.
Qui-Gon nodded and I touched his mind with my own. Where I felt horror I left calmness. I didn't fully calm him as he wouldn't have been able to do what he'd need to when he entered. After a few minutes I felt that he was calm enough and left his mind.
"Thank you." He said.
"You're welcome." I replied and flew towards one of the entrances of the Heart of the Darkness. I went towards one of the five points and was afraid that I'd need to calm Qui-Gon again. Luckily that wasn't the case.
Landing the small craft in one of the cargo bays wasn't hard to do. But I didn't take that as a sign that this mission would be easy.
I got up and walked to the door that would allow me to set foot onto the Heart of the Darkness.
Turning around I said, "Ready when you are."
Qui-Gon paused a moment before he followed me out of our small ship and into a much larger one. I stretched out with my mind and other senses to look at the cargo bay. So much had happened here and soon there would be no need of it anymore. Except for nostalgia.
"It used to be much nicer." I told the Jedi Master. "What it it has become is not what it began as. It began as a way to explore the universe not a way to help end it."
He was about to reply when a loud alarm went off. We both took off running with me in the lead. I took out a small blaster and he took out his lightsaber. The plan was for this to go as quickly as possible. Showing him around could wait for later.
As we exited the cargo bay and into one of the main hallways lasers started firing at us. I dodged them while Qui-Gon used his weapon to have the blasts hit the lasers that fired them. The alarm system had turned on because Qui-Gon was an alien that had not been entered into the system. The Five had entered Navigators to be the only things allowed in. Which was why I had never had a problem with the ship.
I fired my blaster at a droid that had appeared in the hallway. It dodged it and when I fired my next shot it became paralyzed. A third shot finally brought it down. The spider-like droid was down and yet another of the model appeared behind it.
Qui-Gon was able to spare a moment to redirect a laser blast to distract it and I put it down.
More spider-like droids came after us and the laser firing system continued to function. This went on until we reached a door that would allow us into the sphere of the Heart of the Darkness. That would allow us to enter the control center of the whole ship. Well, space station really.
I teleported behind the door and updated the system to allow Qui-Gon in. After a few seconds the security system deactivated. I opened the door and was given a view of Qui-Gon deactivating his lightsaber and putting it back on his belt.
"Couldn't you have just teleported there in the first place?" The Jedi Master asked as he walked into the sphere.
"I had to make sure you survived." I replied.
He just looked at me and I turned away.
"Besides, a lot of things about this are illogical." Were the only words that came out to counteract Qui-Gon's look.
He nodded. "That they are. You can still go back."
"No," I said. "I wouldn't have come this far if I didn't plan to end this."
With this new man by my side I walked to the center of the ship. Upon arrival I walked into the center of the room and allowed Qui-Gon to take in the sight. All five were in cryogenic chambers around the room. I had made sure to keep track of how each one was doing. If each one was dying or surviving.
"We'll have to unplug them." I told him. "Basically just make the cryogenic chambers kill each of them. I made it as a safe guard if anyone tried to unfreeze them. The normal way to do so kills them, it takes prior knowledge to remove them safely."
I saw the emotions overtake his face. He finally realized that killing the Five wasn't about fighting an enemy, but killing that enemy in their sleep. Killing the enemy when they couldn't fight back. An dishonorable way to kill, especially for a Jedi.
"There has to be another way." He managed to say but I shook my head.
"Unless you want to unfreeze them and fight them. Even if partially woken up they will fight as strong as Master Yoda. You won't be able to fight them easily, even with me by your side." I paused. "You probably won't survive and I don't know if I can kill them in a fair fight. And if they are released they will tear this galaxy apart."
Qui-Gon walked slowly over to a cryogenic chamber and did the actions to unfreeze one of the Five, which did the opposite. I felt him go through many emotions as he did the actions. He was feeling if he was betraying his order and yet doing good for that same order.
"I couldn't kill them when I had the chance." I told him as I killed another of the five. "If I had I wouldn't have put you into this situation."
"It's hurting you more, isn't it?" He asked as he went onto the next one. "I shouldn't have put you in this situation."
"If I hadn't become a Navigator I wouldn't be in any of these scenarios."
"I'm glad you did decide to become one." He said with a little too much affection.
Finally I came to the final member of the Five. I knew his name without looking at the tag on his cryogenic chamber. His name was Carver and I smiled at the good times. But when the bad memories came to me I felt no regret as I killed him.
Qui-Gon put his hand on my shoulder and I leaned into him. They were gone now. I was now the only Navigator left. I had no comfort to find except the man beside me. And one day he'd be gone or dead.
------------------------------
Inbetween tumblr
Doctor Who "The Rings of Akhaten" Review
A leaf saves the day!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The Walking Dead (Season 3)
Show: The Walking Dead
Season:3
Episodes:16
Created By: Frank Darabont
Released: 2012-2013
Rating: 4/5
-------------------------------------------------------
Andrea's Character Arch
Throughout The Walking Dead I have liked Andrea. Is she perfect? No. But I don't think the character deserved so much hate. However, this started to change this season. I can understand why Andrea overlooked the darker side of Woodbury at first. Hell, I would've in her situation. She had the choice between more doom and gloom OR a hot guy and a little bit of paradise. That being said: I think her relationship with The Governor went on too long and made her act dumber than she actually is. I don't like the relationship with the two for the same reason I don't like the one Derek Reese and Jesse Flores had in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Those two relationships work only because one of the characters in the relationship act dumber than they really are. But, by the end of this Season, the Andrea I knew and loved came back.
Let Down of an Ending
I'll try to keep this spoiler free as possible, but as I'm talking about the ending spoilers are probably going to happen. Anyways: this Season's big thing was supposed to be a big show down between The Governor and Rick Grimes. In other words a showdown between Woodbury and Team Prison. At the mid-season finale there seemed to be a little hint of what the Season Finale would be like. But by the end of this Season Finale there had not been a big showdown between the two. Yes, there was a little battle between them but nothing that looked like what us fans were looking for. Was the Finale bad as a whole? There were some VERY good moments but the fact that there was no big showdown was a huge let down.
Merle
I know many people adore Daryl and consider him the highlight of the series. I, on the other hand, prefer Merle over Daryl. Heck, I prefer Merle over any other character on this show. Yes, Daryl is the more moral character but Merle is just so fun to see on screen. There's something about this racist asshole that is nice to see. Maybe it's his dedication to his brother that makes the character redeemable even before the last few episodes of this season aired. I waited three season for Merle to finally appear again and his reappearance was glorious. I liked the exploring of his character for more than part of an episode. You got to see a more complicated character than the one shown in the second episode of Season 1. Scott M. Gimple, leave my beloved characters alone! Bad, Gimple! Bad!
Final Thoughts
While this Season did have some down points, overall it was well put together. The highlight episode being "Clear". Which, besides seeing the return of Morgan, had some excellent character development of Michonne (who previously in the Season was more of a figure than an actual character). Again, I loved seeing the return of Merle but would've so loved to have had the showdown that I was promised. However, we did get to see the total breakdown of The Governor as well as Milton proving himself to be a badass.
Season:3
Episodes:16
Created By: Frank Darabont
Released: 2012-2013
Rating: 4/5
-------------------------------------------------------
Andrea's Character Arch
Throughout The Walking Dead I have liked Andrea. Is she perfect? No. But I don't think the character deserved so much hate. However, this started to change this season. I can understand why Andrea overlooked the darker side of Woodbury at first. Hell, I would've in her situation. She had the choice between more doom and gloom OR a hot guy and a little bit of paradise. That being said: I think her relationship with The Governor went on too long and made her act dumber than she actually is. I don't like the relationship with the two for the same reason I don't like the one Derek Reese and Jesse Flores had in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Those two relationships work only because one of the characters in the relationship act dumber than they really are. But, by the end of this Season, the Andrea I knew and loved came back.
Let Down of an Ending
I'll try to keep this spoiler free as possible, but as I'm talking about the ending spoilers are probably going to happen. Anyways: this Season's big thing was supposed to be a big show down between The Governor and Rick Grimes. In other words a showdown between Woodbury and Team Prison. At the mid-season finale there seemed to be a little hint of what the Season Finale would be like. But by the end of this Season Finale there had not been a big showdown between the two. Yes, there was a little battle between them but nothing that looked like what us fans were looking for. Was the Finale bad as a whole? There were some VERY good moments but the fact that there was no big showdown was a huge let down.
Merle
I know many people adore Daryl and consider him the highlight of the series. I, on the other hand, prefer Merle over Daryl. Heck, I prefer Merle over any other character on this show. Yes, Daryl is the more moral character but Merle is just so fun to see on screen. There's something about this racist asshole that is nice to see. Maybe it's his dedication to his brother that makes the character redeemable even before the last few episodes of this season aired. I waited three season for Merle to finally appear again and his reappearance was glorious. I liked the exploring of his character for more than part of an episode. You got to see a more complicated character than the one shown in the second episode of Season 1. Scott M. Gimple, leave my beloved characters alone! Bad, Gimple! Bad!
Final Thoughts
While this Season did have some down points, overall it was well put together. The highlight episode being "Clear". Which, besides seeing the return of Morgan, had some excellent character development of Michonne (who previously in the Season was more of a figure than an actual character). Again, I loved seeing the return of Merle but would've so loved to have had the showdown that I was promised. However, we did get to see the total breakdown of The Governor as well as Milton proving himself to be a badass.
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