Yet another Blight Blog

As usual, I was reading The Blight Way by Patrick F McManus. However, one thing's been getting to me. I can't really follow the story much anymore. Maybe it's that I'm not near the good parts yet or that the story just drags on for ages. I really don't know, personally. But then again, who does know?

Blight Way Blog #2

The Blight Way may have had one part I chuckled about, but there was nothing else that caught my interest much. I may just not get the humor or the book may not really be of my interest. In fact, I was almost falling asleep. Then again, I was kind of comfortable reading it on the couch (in the Resource Room, not at home), so it probably isn't the book. Still, it's not the most interesting book I've read, but at least it's better than some stories we've read in class.

Finally, some humor!

As many of you don't know, I'm reading "The Blight Way" by Patrick F. McManus. It's supposedly a comic mystery, but I didn't really see the humor in it. That is, until page 27. There, I found the first humorous thing in the whole book. So Bo Tully, who is a sheriff, and his father, Pap as he's called, are on their way to solve a murder. They meet up with this group of guys who had car trouble. So Pap pours coffee into the battery terminals and tells the boys, "Anytime you need to stop to pee and your truck won't go afterwards, you try this." One of the guys, who is named Pete Barton, says "First time I ever seen coffee used to start a rig," and Pap says "Starts me every morning..." The funny part is that the coffee is being used to start up the truck and the clever comment by Pap is what brings in the humor. It's not all that funny, but I got a snicker out of it.

One Change in "Torn Thread"

Lately, I've been reading a book called "Torn Thread" which, like "Night," is about the Holocaust. Though a lot less graphic, change occurs in this book as well. One specific change is when Eva, the main character of the story, is put on a train to go to a Nazi camp. She is reminded of the ghetto, or attic, she used to live in, to hide from the Nazis. It is explained: "She remembered the dark room with its uneven floor and steeply pitched ceiling, the wooden crates that they used for furnature. She had cried for days when they'd first moved there. Now she gladly would have agreed to live in the ghetto for the rest of her life, if only she and Rachel could be back with Papa. (Issacs 48)" Basicly, Eva hated living in the ghetto at first, as it was a huge difference from living in their old house. However, being away from family for a long while, especially at her age of twelve, can change everything for anyone, not just Eva.

Different Cultures in Sonic Unleashed

I know what you are thinking. Another video game-related blog? Another Sonic blog? Just wait and you'll see why Sonic has to do with cultural differences. In the game Sonic Unleashed, the world is broken by Doctor Eggman, and Sonic has to restore it with the Chaos Emeralds' power, visiting different shrines around the world. Almost all different cultures in our world are represented in some way. For example, African culture is shown as a village in a continent called Mazuri, with African outfits, tents, food to buy with rings (the currency and the collectable/health item in the Sonic games) like yams and even the landscape is based off of the African Sahara. Other places that are replicated are the Middle East ("Shamar"), the Carribean islands ("Adabat"), Europe (Spagonia) and even New York City here in the US ("Empire City"), though the last one's only in the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of Unleashed. Though the style may be cartoony, how Sonic Unleashed places each culture is in ways that are non-offensive racial diversity and are pretty accurate to real life.

Japanese Culture - Family Structure

One culture that is different than us is the Japanese culture. Specifically, their family structure is one of the main differences. As one may know, in America, family members don't all live together at a certain age. In other words, grandparents don't usually live with the parents; like so, the children don't live with the parents usually after a certain age. In Japan, however, it's a different story. All three generations of grandparents, parents and children alike all live together.

Living Fully with Severe Visual Imparement (Living with a Difficulty)

(Sources: http://www.helium.com/items/95362-living-fully-with-severe-visual-impairment, http://www.writers.net/writers/55424?PHPSESSID=189dfa2806917356a5bd65ce73566891 and my memory (she is my friend after all))



As the assignment was to write about someone going through a difficulty, I decided on one of my best friends on the internet, Lauren Rodriguez. She was born prematurely and had to be put on a ventilator to breathe. Because of the oxygen, it destroyed her retinas (her eyes, for those who don't know) and gave her retinopathy of prematurity* (or ROP for short, as she puts it). Despite not being able to see out of one eye, she still does things that the average 24 year old (her age may not be that accurate here). Working at a day care center, going to the mall with friends and much more. Lauren has also written fan fiction and many stories, even one that got published, called "Finding Her Courage." Though it normally would be an inconvenience to most people, she believes that once she stops being able to see with both eyes, she'll then only see the truth. In addition, she is worried about that day, but also hopeful since she knows God will be there for her. I feel that Lauren's story is an interesting view on how one may be disabled and yet still be hopefull, even if worst comes to show.



* I had to research on the full name of the disability.

Natural Disasters (Hurricane Katrina)

(source: http://www.katrina.noaa.gov/ and my memory)

Hurricanes are not exactly a pretty site for any part of the world, but one in particular stirred up a storm (no pun intended) when it arrived in the southern US. This hurricane was Hurricane Katrina. A category 5 storm, Katrina ruined the coasts and blew harder than most storms, though normal for a storm of that size. The one thing that ruined it all though, was that the levies apart, flooding the streets of New Orleans, LA. In addition, it did not only destroy the city, but George W. Bush's reputation, due to the way he handled the situation.

Sonic Unleashed Game Guide (Playstation 2 and Wii)

I'm back with another Sonic guide that I read. Sonic Unleashed is a game with the famous blue hedgehog doing what he does best: saving the world from Doctor Eggman (also known as Doctor Robotnik). In the mist of Sonic stopping Eggman again as Super Sonic, he captures Sonic and drains the power of the Chaos Emeralds to unleash a beast inside the earth called Dark Gaia. The side effects are that Sonic turns into a "Werehog" (refered to as WereSonic for the rest of the review) and people act very differently than they would normally, at night. Unlike the people, Sonic is the same on the inside when the sun goes down, despite looking like a beast. The main plot is to restore the Chaos Emeralds' power and stop Eggman as usual. I could go on and on about this game, but it would be rather boring if I did so. The guide itself really helps, but only if you have the PS2 (Playstation 2) or Wii versions. The XBox 360 and Playstation 3 versions are very different versions of the game and there's no guide for them, though the story is just the same. Sonic Unleashed is another game I highly recommend, but then again I may be biased, because I like Sonic a lot.

The Onion - Sh*tload of Mathwork Due Monday

As I have mentioned in my "Good Night Bush" entry, I really like comedy and satire (usually depending on the topic). My Resource Room had a copy of the comedy newspaper "The Onion" and one of the articles was pretty interesting. This particular article was called "Sh*tload of Homework Due Monday" (censored for school reasons). It looks at how a teacher assigned an assignment right before the bell rang and how it was a pointless one. To sum up the article, one of the interviewees said one word. Because this is a school blog, I won't say it on here (Hint: It starts with "F" and ends in a "C-K"). Overall, the humor in that one article is sure to brighten any student's day when one is suffering having too much homework

Guinness World Records - Gamer's Edition 2008

Did you know Sonic The Hedgehog has the longest running video game comic series ever? Or that Super Mario Brothers 3 is the best selling game of all time (not including bundles with consoles)? You could learn this and much more in the Gamer's Edition of the Guinness World Records. If you're a fan of the Guinness World Records series or just love video games, this book is for you. The Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition book is very similar to the regular "World Record" books, but this one has records of gaming such as high scores, sale records and other high ranking stats. Facts like that "Tomb Raider is the most successful video game-based movie" and "World of Warcraft is the most popular MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) with 9.3 million subscribers to date. The good news is there's going to be a 2009 edition, so be on the look out for that, if you like the 2008 edition.

The Broadway Outside Reading series comes to a close with a book about the last show (and my favorite), which I saw for the third time, Mary Poppins. The book's called "Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen if You Let It." In actuality, it's three books in one. The main book has the same title as the whole collection and explains how Mary came from the books to the film and to the stage. There's also a design portfolio of sketches of sets and costumes that are/were used in the West End and Broadway productions of the show. The last book has pictures of the original Broadway cast for most of the show's parts. As for the show itself, if you expected to see the movie on stage, you're in for a big surprise. It's based off of the P.L. Travers books as well, so it's not all familiar territory for Disney fans. Personally, I knew all about it before I saw it in person for the first time and it's my favorite version of Mary Poppins to this day.

Outside Reading - Spamalot (to close in 2009)

(Sources: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122497.html and http://www.broadway.com/Broadway-s-Spamalot-to-Close-One-Week-Earlier/broadway_news/5016130)

The second of the Broadway O.R. collection is here, with an article on Monty Python's Spamalot. Spamalot is a show spoofing the medieval times, for those who haven't seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail. However, the jokes are more out there than in the movie (or at least in what I've seen of it). In addition, the humor keeps getting updated. For example, at the show I was at, they did a joke: "When's a plumber not a plumber? When his name is Joe" (It's a political joke). The bad news is that it's closing on January 11th, 2009. When it does close, it will have performed 1,582 performances along with 35 previews.

Outside Reading - Avenue Q Review

(this "review of a review" is based off a review from http://gonyc.about.com/cs/broadwayshows/gr/avenueq.htm)

As you may know, I was in New York in October. Starting with this blog, I'll post something related to each of the three shows I saw, starting with Avenue Q. Avenue Q, at first glance, seems like just Sesame Street for adults. However, it's much more than that. It's a story about a man named Princeton, who is moving to Avenue Q and wants to discover his purpose. He meets Kate Monster and the rest is history. At least, I won't reveal it for those who want to see the show. The characters are almost all puppets, a la Sesame Street, but there are some humans too. Keep in mind though, this show is aimed for adults and is not appropriate for children. The message of the show is that nothing's forever ("Your hair... is only for now, George Bush... is only for now" - "For Now" (song from show)) and you don't need a purpose to succeed in life.

Video Game Heroes (In a Box)

Video Game Heroes

(Mario and Sonic, with their friends in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii/Nintendo DS))

Although they are fictional, video game heroes can be very good role models (most of them are, in my opinion). Looking back at artifacts to show it, my belief grew stronger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dClX0p2A6zg

This song called "Sonic Heroes, from the game (also called) "Sonic Heroes" sums up a hero's will to never give up and save the world.

Sonic Heroes

What goes up must come down

Yet my feet don't touch the ground

See the world spin upside down

A mighty crash without a sound

I can feel your every rage

Step aside I'll turn the page

Breakin' thru your crazy maze

Like a laser beam my eye's on you

Watch me rule the night away

Watch me save the day

Feel my storm its getting close

Headed your way

Sonic Heroes (Sonic Heroes)

Bind you, confine you, defying your reign

Sonic Heroes (Sonic Heroes)

Setting the stage for a heroes parade

I won't even hesitate

A second left to alter fate

And you try to strike but a bit too late

I got you hooked by my own bait

Watch me rule the night away
Watch me save the day
Feel my storm its getting close
Headed your way

Sonic Heroes (Sonic Heroes)
Bind you, confine you, defying your reign
Sonic Heroes (Sonic Heroes)
Setting the stage for a heroes parade

You can bet there ain't no doubt

As the words spill from the mouth of a hero

I can chase another day

Fight you all the way

Like a hero

And together we stand strong no matter how

No one can bring us down...

Sonic Heroes (Sonic Heroes)

Bind you, confine you, defying your reign

Sonic Heroes (Sonic Heroes)

Setting the stage for a heroes parade

Sonic Heroes (Heroes) (Heroes)

Sonic Heroes (Heroes) (Heroes)

Give me a reason and we'll find our way

Mario, Link, Wario (not a hero, but still) and Kirby dueling it out in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (image from nytimes.com)

Though most video game characters fight against evil, there have been occasions when game heroes have fought against each other. A popular example of this is the "Super Smash Brothers" series.

Mario and Sonic posing together in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (image from wiicade.com)

Gaming characters (especially mascots) have been rivals to each other. The most famous mascot rivalry is the one between Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario. Though Sega dropped out of hardware and the two characters aren't true rivals anymore, they are still competitive and battle against each other in "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games" and "Super Smash Bros. Brawl."

Video game heroes have made an impact on one's imagination and help make the impossible possible to just about anyone. In addition, they show the willing to never give up, make sacrifices to save people and protect the world for the greater good of people. So, game heroes are just as influencial as real life heroes, because of these values that they show in every game.

Good Night Bush

One thing you may not know about me is that I really like certain types of satire or parodies. Whether it's on a website, a book or magazine, it's usually pretty funny to me. Enough about yours truely though, onto this book. "Good Night Bush" is a parody of the famous book "Good Night Moon" involving a certain president, written and illustrated by Erich Origen and Gan Golan. If you know the story of Good Night Moon, which is known to be a childrens classic, Good Night Bush will be familiar. Ironicly, replacing the comforting items in the original book are the events, people and other things that have made the Bush administration a hard one to get through for the past eight years. The subtle changes in the bedroom scenes are fun to point out and discover, and just like in the original book, there's a painting over the fireplace. However, it's one of a oil plant. To wrap this up, let's say "Good Night Bush" and "Good night Dick Cheney wispering hush."

For more information about this book, check out http://www.goodnightbush.com/

What I've been Reading - Sonic Chronicles Guide by Prima

Lately, I've been reading the guide to Sonic Chronicles: the Dark Brotherhood made by Prima Games. If you remember my last review about the Nintendo Power article for this game, you know I was excited for it. It's a fun game and the guide really helps get through the story. So far, I'm in the Kron planet area in both and have been using the guide to find all the Chao eggs (there's 40 different Chao that can come out of them) and to find what I'm supposed to do in the first place in the area. I highly recommend the game and the guide together, since it could help most people to get through the game and sucessfully complete it one hundred percent.

One Main Trait Paragraph

(NOTE: The following paragraph has been rewritten due to losing the original in computer form)

A main trait I would use to describe me is kind. First off, I’m nice to everyone I know such as my friends and family, and respect others most of the time. I wouldn’t be me, if I wasn’t like that. In addition, I’ve helped many people on quite a few occasions, such as basic things like holding a door open or picking up something that fell. I try to help when ever I can (well, if it’s something I want to help on and usually it is). All of these reasons and more are why give myself the trait of being kind.

Animal Dreams Double Bubble

Outside Reading

One thing I've read recently is a review for the upcoming game "Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood" in Nintendo Power. Like most game reviews, it showed the good points like moves, dialogue and the feature of rasing Chao (little pet-like creatures that appeared in earlier Sonic games), without forgetting the bad points like the battle system's repetition. The rating it got, however, makes sure it'll be an awesome game when it comes out and I also learned a bit more about the game.