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Happy new year, merry late Christmas, happy really late Thanksgiving, and happy super late Halloween. Yeah, I've been kind of disappearing when it comes to blogging recently, but I just haven't had the time to get on posting when I start having the craving to make comics and I have to get my creativity flowing and it just takes a while. Luckily, I'm back in time for the break of 2014, and let's see what it has to offer.
Let's look at some movies.
- Ride Along – What you'd get if you took Friday, turned it into another cheesy action comedy, and replaced Chris Tucker with Kevin Hart. (1/17/14)
- I, Frankenstein – Rebooting the story of Frankenstein for a new generation, and now we have Harvey Dent as Frankenstein. (1/24/14)
- The Lego Movie – You don't need to check your monitor, this actually exists. And the trailer looks surprisingly epic. And the roster is pretty impressive–if you consider Channing Tatum, Will Ferrell, and Jonah Hill to collectively be "impressive". (2/7/14)
- Muppets Most Wanted – The Muppets go touring in Europe, and the most wanted criminal in the world happens to look just like Kermit. You can connect the dots. (3/21/14)
- Divergent – The movie of the book. It's the future, Chicago is split into five factions, Tris takes a test, she doesn't fit into a faction cuz she's Divergent, she discovers something sinister happening in her utopian society, blah blah blah. It has a budget bigger than that of The Hunger Games, so it better be worth its hype. (3/21/14)
- Noah – Basically, when God was unsatisfied with the world and tried to bring apocalypse to it and Noah built that ark for all that animals: the movie. Just as it was told in the Bible. Oh, and Emma Watson shows up. (3/28/14)
- Rio 2 – Apparently people liked that movie, and it looks like the same movie except it's in the Amazon and we learn that Jewel has a dad and–incoming narrative hook–his habitat is in danger! "Le gasp" indeed. (4/11/14)
- The Amazing Spider Man 2 – Electro and the Rhino. The only new things about this sequel. (5/2/14)
- Legend of Oz: Dorothy's Return – This movie tries to add something new to something that's already perfect. Five new characters (a giant talking marshmallow, a china doll, a "tree-turned tugboat", and an owl), and the biggest threat is that some Jester is going to turn iconic Ozzians (that's what it's called right?) into marionettes. Really? (5/9/14)
- Godzilla – Finally, something that looks good. Godzilla '98 was the Razzie-winning black sheep of the series (the only thing it got right was its visuals, and I think they screwed even that up), but luckily this cream looks big enough and strong enough to cover that nasty zit. Anyway, this movie is Godzilla vs. malevolent creatures "bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance". Does this mean another Pacific Rim, or is this a metaphor saying that it's Godzilla vs the real monsters–us? (5/16/14, which is two months earlier than Japan. Oh, the irony.)
- Maleficent – A Sleeping Beauty prequel-reboot combo through the eyes of the bad guy. This is new. And what's this, they cast Angelina Jolie as Maleficent? And what's this…they made Sleeping Beauty a teenager? Uh… (5/30/14)
- The Fault In Our Stars – The classic love story between a teen girl with thyroid cancer and an ex-basketball player who lost his right leg to osteosarcoma gets adapted to the big screen. It's a freaking maple tree, it looks so sappy. (6/6/14)
- How To Train Your Dragon 2 – I didn't know you could Neville Longbottom so much in four years. (That's right, it's a verb now describing drastic changes in courage and heroism over time.) Anyway, Hiccup took a few levels in badbutt and new adventures with him and Toothless await. (6/13/14)
- Transformers: Age of Extinction – It's an entirely new arc and it stars an entirely new cast, so can you blame me for throwing it under the bus immediately? If it grosses over a billion, I will lose faith in the sci-fi action genre forever. (6/27/14)
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Caesar and his boys vs. the survivors of the virus. The prize? Supremacy as the dominant species of the world. (7/11/14)
- The Boxtrolls – From the guys who brought you those scary stop-motion movies (Paranorman and Coraline) comes another seemingly-not-scary stop-motion movie where underground trash collectors called Boxtrolls who raised an orphan who now has to save them from an exterminator. What. (9/26/14)
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – I don't even have to explain this. If you said you didn't read that book as a kid, I wouldn't believe you for a second. (10/10/14)
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – Katniss leads the districts in a rebellion against the Capitol and has to make a lot of crucial decisions as the war of fate escalates quickly with horrific consequences. (11/21/14)
- Home – I can't believe what I'm about to type. They made a movie on The True Meaning of Smekday with Sheldon Cooper, Rihanna, Steve Martin, and they even got J.Lo! No, the real J.Lo! Words cannot express my elation. (11/26/14)
- Exodus – Basically when all the Jews left Egypt and Moses led them: the movie. Just as recalled in the Bible (or The Prince of Egypt). In this case, all the Jews leave Egypt and Christian Bale leads them. Uh… (12/12/14)
- The Hobbit: There and Back Again – Didn't think the end of the Bilbo arc would be so near, would it? (12/17/14)
Most anticipated: Home (Mockingjay P1 was a close second)
Now, some video games.
- Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition – Basically Tomb Raider for next-gen consoles. (1/28/14; PS4, XBO)
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z – 2012's DBZ for Kinect was an embarrassment to the game series, so Namco Bandai wants to try to redeem themselves. If you liked Zenkai Battle Royale, the game mechanics aren't too different. With a redundant name like that, it could very much be digging its own grave. (1/28/14; PS3, X360, Vita)
- Lighting Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – This game picks up where XIII-2 left off and ties up the loose ends of XIII's story, part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries later to feature the mobile Agito as well as FFXV. (2/11/14; PS3, X360)
- Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare – This is the strangest art shift I've ever seen in anything. Looks to be an interesting shooter. (2/18/14; XBO, X360)
- Thief – Master thief Garrett popularized the stealth genre just as well as Solid Snake could, and now he's getting a reboot. However, it risks mimicking the already successful Dishonored, so let's hope it has some fresh tricks up their sleeve. (2/25/14; PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
- South Park: The Stick of Truth – South Park has already made a huge mark on American animated television, helping codify the raunchy, off-color adult humor that we see in most animated sitcoms. Among many people, I first got a taste of the game via Game Informer, and it seems to be the RPG of the year…if it doesn't get delayed again. (3/4/14; PC, PS3, X360)
- Titanfall – Fast-paced action, cloud services, and robots. It's not surprising that the game had a huge splash at E3 and won sixty awards at the show! People are already saying it'll be the next big landmark in the FPS genre, and be the secret weapon for the One. Wait…it's multiplayer-only? Uh… (3/11/14; PC, X360, XBO)
- Dark Souls II – Dark Souls did pretty good a couple years ago, and this sequel appears to be just as hard. The game boasts a juicier graphics engine and better AI, and it might not even have an easy mode. So if you don't like hard games, step away. But if you like challenges, be my guest. (3/11/14; PC, PS3, X360)
- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes – To hold you off until Phantom Pain, Konami has the first half of the MGSV arc for you. This picks up where Peace Walker left off, chronologically one year later and nine years before Phantom Pain. (3/18/14; PS3, PS4, X360, XBO)
- Infamous: Second Son – The One has Killer Instinct, and the PS4's trying to combat that with the new Infamous, with a new character and new twists on old powers. (3/21/14; PS4)
- Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Apparently now Diablo's getting into the expansion pack game like Warcraft, and here's the first of what could be a plentiful add-on series. (3/25/14; PC, Mac, PS4)
- Destiny – Bungie's first post-Halo game, and my most anticipated game of the year. (Plus it's on 360, so there's non need to upgrade!) A prosperous period of advancement has screeched to a halt with the Collapse, after which mankind could face extinction. You are one of the survivors, the Guardians of the City, and you must protect the little remains of humanity from demolition. (9/9/14; X360, XBO, PS3, PS4)
- Sunset Overdrive – The game's bouncy visuals and enthralling gameplay put it really high on my most-anticipated list–actually, it's bested only by Destiny. It's like Viewtiful Joe in 3D as a shooter. There's gonna be ziplines and wall-running and even some acrobatics, so I expect some Mirror's Edge thrown in the puree as well. It's also gonna be using Microsoft's cloud services a lot, but I'm not a cloud gamer. Still excited. (sometime; XBO)
- The Sims 4 – The Sims 3 and its umpteen expansion packs was one of the defining parts of my childhood, so I expect The Sims 4 to be way better. The PC sales of the past three games have been staggering, and I expect nothing less than true brilliance, whether it be better graphics or better mechanics. However, you do need an account on Origin (think EA's take on Steam) and Internet access as the game initially installs. Kind of chips at my hopes, but it still looks awesome. (Q3/Q4; PC, Mac)
- Watch Dogs – I've heard about this game for a while, and my thoughts of it have whittled down to "Dishonored with a hacker and none of the cool super powers." There's also some parkour promised to show up, and some cover-based TPS stuff too (Hitman much?). And for a game that has five collector's editions (special, Vigilante, Uplay Exclusive, Limited, and Dedsec), it seems like it'll match the hype pretty well. (Q2; PC, PS3, PS4, WiiU, X360, XBO)
Most anticipated: Destiny (Sunset Overdrive was a close second)
Now, some upcoming books.
- Hollow City by Ransom Riggs – In the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Jacob and his Welsh homies go to London where all those creepy children are at. Miss P's bro Caul is able to steal the kids' "abilities". Cue another fight for survival. (1/14/14; 352 pgs)
- Sorry You're Lost by Matt Blackstone – Denny "Donuts" Murphy has just suffered the passing of his mom, and to cope with that he becomes a class clown. But in Donuts' core is a happy place where his mother still lives and his dad doesn't watch TV all day. Donut and his buddy try to score dates for the year-end dance, a mission in which Donuts learns some important morals that could change him for the better. (1/21/14, 320 pgs)
- Almost Super by Marion Jensen – Each leap year at an exact time, each 12+-year old member of the Baileys gets a superpower. The two newest recipients, Rafter and Benny, get let down with suckish powers. The big bad of the story ends up sparking a war between her family and the Baileys. To be honest, I lost them at "superpower". (1/21/14; 256 pgs)
- Cress by Marissa Meyer – In the third entry of the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and her band of misfits are still plotting to overthrow Queen Levana. Their best hope is to go to Cress, an OP hacker who ironically is searching for them (eeeeviiillll). Stuff happens. (2/4/14; 560 pgs)
- Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done by Stephan Pastis – In the sequel to Mistakes Were Made, there's a school competition to find a globe for a cash prize, but someone's trying to hijack. It's up to Timmy and his polar-bear partner Total and his new eccentric ally Great-Aunt Colander to find an end to the madness. (2/25/14; 288 pgs)
- Game Over, Pete Watson by Joe Schreiber and Andy Rash – A boy finds out his dad is a superspy that is trapped inside a game, so he has to use his gaming skills to enter the game and rescue him. To be honest, I lost them at "superspy". (3/11/14, 224 pgs)
- Sean Rosen Is Not For Sale by Jeff Baron – Y'know Sean, that guy who's trying to pitch a movie idea to Hollywood? Alright, so now not only is he working on his script, but he has school, track, dog-walking, podcasts, and keeping his secret from his parents, all while a private detective has been sent to find out about Sean. To be honest, I lost them at "podcasts". (3/18/14; 384 pgs)
- The Ninja Librarians by Jennifer Swann Downey – It just sounds dumb, doesn't it? Wait until you hear the plot. Alright, so a girl and her bro are chasing her mongoose through a library when they get into the janitor's closet and fall into a secret pathway to the HQ of a society of…y'know. There's a betrayal, she and her pals take the blame, and they need to clear their names. To be honest, I lost them at "mongoose". (4/1/14; 384 pgs)
- Poached by Stuart Gibbs – In the sequel to Belly Up, a horrible prank set up by a school bully leaves a koala missing. Teddy gets thrown under the bus since he's the only one coming and going on camera, and he needs to find the real culprit and fast, because juvie is calling his name. (4/8/14; 336 pgs)
- Renegade by Debra Driza – That android Mila I was talking about meets a boy who joins her to find some guy who knows about her past but people are looking for her. Basically, it's the same book with some boy. (5/13/14; 448 pgs)
- The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan – The fifth and final installment of Heroes of Olympus. Many are either fighting their emotions of seeing it go or complaining loudly about how they have to wait a year to see how it all ends.
Mother Earth"Gaea" is still a strong foe and her giants must be stopped before the Feast of Spes where she plans to kill two demigods to receive (title) to awaken. To be honest, I lost them at "Gaea". (10/7/14; 608 pgs)
Most anticipated: I don't even know.
Well, I think I did pretty good to sum up the year! Leave anything you think I missed in the comments. Here's to a great new year that's bound to be full of awesomeness courtesy of Sammwak!
Stay classy,
Video of the Week: "Why I love my Honda VT750" by Nick Bertke aka Pogo, the guy whose mixes I've been uploading and gushing about to a fault. In this video, he drives around on his motorcycle, talks about it, admires the vista, and explains why the original Star Wars trilogy will always be superior to the new trilogy. All while we get to see some beautiful Australian scenery.
The cutest thing I've ever seen.
If you've been following me and my good friend the Jolly Good Bookie on Google+, you would already know of some grim news I must tell you. The Bookie found out that he wasn't a real person and was just something I created for my own benefits, so he quit. That's right, the JGB is no longer associated with Sammwak. Looks like I'm going to have to grab the reins and introduce something new. I know I haven't made a review in a while–heck, I haven't made a post in a while ever since school clogged my schedule. First off, I'm sorry. Secondly, I want to try something new. Once a month, I'll release several reviews crammed into one post, alongside some news and upcoming titles in the bookverse. Welcome to BookBuzz.
Fast food has received lots of osmosis in the pop culture of America. With thousands of restaurants around the country that serve millions (if not billions) of people and then plague televisions with their commercials, it's very hard to avoid the growing phenomenon of unhealthy deliciousness. Some people love its taste, others hate its effect. But have you ever stopped to wonder how all of this came to be? In the novel Chew On This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson, you find out just that. The matter is broken down simplistically to give you a history lesson and a behind-the-scenes look at big fast food brands and what dark secrets they're hiding from the public. In this book, you will learn about…
- How the hamburger was invented
- How McDonald's was born
- How McDonald's inspired the birth of tons of restaurants in its wake
- How chickens are slaughtered
- How fries are made
- Why meat grinding is a more dangerous job than you think
- What E.coli is and how lethal it can be
- And much much more!
Chew is one of the few novels that actually gives me information and not trivia. As the tagline says, this book taught me "everything you don't want to know about fast food". And after reading it, I frankly did not want to know this about fast food. The writing provides an honest and fascinating undertone as the book changes subjects, and it doesn't feel droned. They didn't just copy and paste their research, do a little paraphrasing, and publish it. Never once was it not interesting, and it was sapid enough to the point where I'd actually want to keep reading. Few nonfiction books can pull that sensation out of me. Definitely a book you should read if you're addicted to fast food or if you're in an on-off relationship with it, like me.
"I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It's not as easy as it looks." Thus begins the most heartwarming story of the year. Now, before I even tell you what the book is about, look at the author of it. Katherine Applegate. Doesn't sound like much, does it? Now, take away the "therine". Now you have KA Applegate. Yes, that KA Applegate. The lady who spent the 90s writing Animorphs went on to win the Newbery Medal. Wow.
Anyway, The One and Only Ivan is about the titular Ivan, a silverback gorilla who lives the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He has grown to living a life of people watching him all the time, and never once does he ever think about his old life in the jungle. His thoughts are about shows he's seen and his friends Stella (an elderly elephant) and Bob (a stray dog). Above all, Ivan has a penchant for art and is always thinking about how he can capture the taste of fruit with crayons and an open imagination. Then as a baby elephant named Rudy is added to the Exit 8 crew, the tides begin to change, and Ivan must make sure the tides go in the right directions as he becomes a papa wolf for little Rudy.
As you can tell, Ivan is a very heartfelt novel that comes from a unique perspective. Never did you think a simian Shakespeare could swing in with such an amazing story. His streams of narration can hook a reader from page one and keep them there as the story unfolds in the next hundreds of pages to follow. Definitely a book that I did not see coming from the lady who wrote Animorphs, and definitely one that deserves the Newbery. Not only is it beautiful, but it also has its moments of humor. Ivan chucking "me-balls" of poop at people he hates will never not be amusing.
James Patterson has a knack for just the right type of comedy — with the just right amount of heartwarming goodness. Whether it comes in a huge twist or a very subtle reveal, James does it right. And it's epitomized in the first two volumes of the misadventures of Rafael "Rafe" Khatchadorian (pronounced "catch a door, Ian"). I mean, they were masterpieces! I'd love to go into detail, but I've already done that in some other reviews. Now, a big change is coming to Patterson's third middle school story–Georgia's taking the wheel. Yep, lil' G has her own story to share in Middle School: My Brother Is A Big Fat Liar. And what a story it is.
G is starting middle school at Hills Village, the same place where Rafe left one heck of a mark. She plans to excel in all the fields her brother failed to clear the name of the Khatchadorians for good! G got so cocky, she even bet Rafe that she'd become popular. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done, as everyone's now adapted to make school a living hell for anyone with the last name of Khatchadorian. Plus, there's the Princess Patrol, a trio of snooty mean girls who rule the school and look devilishly good doing it. They've got their crosshairs on G and are willing to bully her every time the chance comes.
In the wake of her troubles, G is also crushing on an adorkable boy named Sam (no, not me) and befriending a loud-talking girl named Rhonda. Out of school — get this — G plays electric guitar for a band called The Awesomes. (Rafe doesn't think they live up to their name. Why? Because he's Rafe.) But Rafe's not quite done yet. He wants to make his burden of the bet a lot lighter and plans to humiliate G in the worst ways. But could G actually be able to fight her odds and emerge on top?
When I finished My Brother Is A Big Fat Liar, I was disappointed if anything. Why?
- I finished the book the same day I started it. (I took a few days separately to read through Rafe's books.)
- I don't think the book's name is very appropriate. The Worst Years of My Life makes sense because Rafe explains why middle school was the worst years of his life. Get Me Out of Here makes sense because Rafe wants to get out of here and explains why. G does nothing to explain why her brother is a big, fat liar beyond one page; she's too busy telling her story.
- It has the most predictable setup of all time to the most generic ending of all time. I mean, you know the ending before it's even close to arriving, it's so foreseeable.
- Rhonda is so annoying.
On the bright side, the book still have traditional Patterson gags and charm, and the climax is absolutely jaw-dropping. In Patterson's trademark fashion, I did not see that one coming. Even though the story's flaws are mortal in the end, it's still a decent read to hold us by for Rafe's next adventure.
The Scholastic Graphix graphic novel lineup is full of great authors. Jeff Smith (Bone), Raina Telgemeier (Smile/Drama), Doug TenNapel (Bad Island/Cardboard), among others. But a name like Kazu Kibuishi caught my eye as early as the fifth grade. I was a huge Bone fanboy at this time so I pushed the book aside. But after reading and reviewing all nine books in the series, I decided to give the first installment, The Stonekeeper, a try. Kibuishi is now on my "graphic novel authors to watch" list, because that book was grandiose.
Our story ironically begins with a bang as the main characters–Emily and her little brother Navin–are involved in a tragic car accident that kills their father. Two years later, Emily's mom is struggling to raise her kids by herself, so she moves them into a spacious old house inherited from Emily's great-grandpa Silas. As Emily explores her new home, she finds a stone amulet that warns her that her family's in danger. Before she even knows what the amulet's capable of, Emily and Navin are thrown into a mission to rescue their mother in a subterranean world full of friends and foes.
This book's storytelling is absolutely pristine even in the limits of 192 pages; and the story's emotions whiplash from exciting action to tearjerking drama within pages. Emily and Navin are ordinary children that you can feel for as they embark on a journey of such proportions. Also, the illustrations are crisp and beautiful and impeccably follow along the storyline. That being said, the story arc is very simplistic with not enough rising and falling actions to fill in the holes before and after the climax. It's a book that I blazed through while at the same time understanding what was going on, and that sort of let me down. But The Stonekeeper's "and the adventure continues" ending paves the way to a lot of sequels I need to plow through.
Remember back in May 2012 when I made a review for the last Bone book, saying that JGB Bone was coming to an end? Well, I forgot about one spinoff book (and the handbook and the prequel and the Quest for the Spark series): Bone Tall Tales featuring Tom Sniegoski. In this book, campfire myths from our old smoking pal Smiley are used to answer questions like how Boneville was made, and how the Bones got lost in the valleys.
The book was only 128 pages, so it didn't take me that long to finish. I was very disappointed. The book is nothing but mildly entertaining stories that give me some exposition and context about the Bones, but I wanted more. More story, more action, more laughs, more pages, more Bone that I expected out of this! And to think I was so excited to read this book. Hopefully Quest for the Spark will be a saving grace, because Jeff Smith is dangling off the edge off of my "graphic novel authors to watch" list.
"It's easy to lose your soul in high school."
Maggie has been home schooled for years now, but now she's a big girl. She's going to make the transition from home school to public school as she goes into the ninth grade. She has three brothers that's been watching over her for as long as she can remember, but Maggie just feels like she won't be able to fit in. Maggie's life has been stalked by a gray cloud of sorrow ever since her mom hit the road. Maggie's never had any friends outside of family, but luckily she makes two friends, Lucy and Alistair. They eat lunch with her and take her on their adventures around town, but there's one big secret she has.
Why she's haunted, she doesn't know. What it'll take to free the spirit, she has to know. School hassles mixed with a harrowing haunting has Maggie's hands way full. But in the end, she learns to see her brothers through a different perspective and learns the true story behind her sidekick in spirit.
I came across this on Common Sense Media, and it looked like a good read. It said something about "a ghostly twist", so that hooked my attention. Some time later, the book shows up at the school libe and I decide to check it out. Ladies and gentlemen, I finished that book the same day. Doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment for a graphic novel, but still. I've read all nine Bone books, and each one took me a couple days to read to capture everything on the page. With this book, I could burn through it like I did The Tale of Desperaux. But we're not here to talk about adequate graphic novel lengths, we're here to talk about Friends With Boys. You have to understand that this is the full-length print debut of Faith Erin Hicks, author of another graphic novel called Zombies Calling. That sounds way more interesting than this. I was disappointed when I'd closed the book. Unsatisfied, like I was missing the main entree and being given just the sides.
If I got this and saw that Jeff Smith or Doug TenNapel had written this, I'd be highly disappointed. But I have to lay off a bit of my flak since Hicks is a pawn at this game of chess. But I'm the chess-master. I know what and when things are coming. But I didn't expect most of the things that occurred, but for all the wrong reasons. Friends with Boys, even on my belittled standards, was very mediocre. Maggie and her friends are lovable characters, I get that. It has all of the bullying and bad words of high school, and then it has a ghost. That's how you describe the book in one sentence. The other thing I hate is that the ghost is mute. Maggie should've actually taken the time to talk to her and have her tell her story instead of having some boring exposition do it for her. That would've made her a much better character. I also would've preferred the ghost to be Maggie's age, but that's an unimportant complaint–also, it's not my call.
Another pet peeve I have is that everyone seems to understand what Maggie's going through. Imagine if someone said to you, "I'm haunted by a ghost." Would you respond with "I completely understand", or think that they're sliding down the slippery slope of sanity? If you chose answer A, you're just like the characters in this book. I loathe you for that. I know that other people have much warmer thoughts for this book, but I think I've just wiped Hicks off of my "graphic-novel-authors-to-watch" list. The only thing I'll acclaim the book for is that it has darn good illustrations. Friends with Boys just fell flat in my opinion.
Friends with Boys may be appealing illustration-wise, but it's just a series of misguided plot lines and stale gags with little action. Hollow, but not with enough flaws to get you to shut the book. There are certainly better graphic novels out there, but I might be willing to give Hicks a second chance if she does release again in the not-too-distant future. But for now, she hasn't hit that sweet chord yet.
If you liked Friends With Boys, check out:
- Drama by Raina Telgemeier
- Tina's Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap and Mari Araki
- Same Difference by Derek K. Kim
- American Born Chinese by Gene L. Yang
- Brain Camp by Susan Kim
- Cardboard by Doug TenNapel
I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing this! Well, you know the algorithm–tune in, well, whenever for more awesomeness courtesy of Sammwak! Be sure to Like this post, and if you're new don't forget to haunt that subscribe button! You can also find Sammwak on Google+ where you can get more news and stuff there! You can also share it to your pals on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Tumblr, and more!
Stay classy,
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered by many to be the greatest video game ever made…now, let's see how that holds up when I play it. This is just the beginning of a series that is currently six episodes long. The computer fan is still annoying as ever, and there's also a watermark. This was the most primitive stuff I could find before upgrading to what I used in my Donkey Kong 64 video (which you can find in last week's post). But nonetheless, enjoy, and if you like this one, knock yourself out with the other five.
Gratuity "Tip" Tucci is an eighth grader at Daniel Landry Middle School, assigned with writing an essay with a minimum of five pages about the true meaning of Smekday. If her essay is chosen from thousands of entries, it will be buried in a time capsule to be opened a century into the future. It all began when we found out that there was intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Life of extraterrestrial proportions. Anarchy spreads like wildfire following the visitors' arrival, discussing plans of renaming Earth to Smekland (to honor Captain Smek) and forcing the entire American population into one state.
If there's someone who has a lot to tell about their experience, it's Tip. First of all, her mother just isn't herself lately. Maybe it has something to do with that strange glowing mole on the back of her neck. Then there's a friendly visitor who becomes Tip's friend, dubbing itself "J.Lo". (I'm dead serious.) But the invasion quickly gives way to a cross-country adventure as J.Lo, Tip, and her cat Pig travel to find Tip's mom at the Happy Mouse Kingdom. Along the way, they make friends including Chief Shouting Bear, Vicki Lightbody, and the Brotherhood Organized against Oppressive Boov (BOOB). The trio is going to need all the gas in their hovercar if they're gonna cook up a plan to save the country, maybe even the world.
I think I came across this when I was looking for a good science-fiction book to feast my eyes on. The premise seemed promising and I quickly found myself wanting to read it. My English teacher had the book in his class library, and I found myself plowing through the book a little bit each day during our equivalent of study hall. I was more than elated finding the book at our school library, and days later I'd read the book cover to cover. All the time, all the hours I spent reading this story was definitely worth it. This is the best science fiction book I've read since Maximum Ride, and I can tell you why.
- An exquisite sense of humor – Smekday has the freshest gags I've heard in a while, and it's a good reality check compared to the book's sci-fi intensity. Rex has a gift for proper comic timing that will leave the reader thoroughly amused.
- It's part-graphic novel – Smekday tells us of the history of the Boov and the Nimrogs (plus other educational nuggets) via comics. It's a nice art shift that goes beyond the pictures and newspaper clippings.
- GIRL POWER! – Tip is a very empowering character that's strong and sassy, and knows when and how to speak her mind. She's like the Spice Girls smashed altogether into a little girl. Boys will hardly feel alienated with the BOOB as well.
- Additional pictures to deepen the experience – Polaroids taken by Tip, newspaper clippings, Tip's drawings, all of these show up in the book and add some sort of depth to the story so you know what's happening.
- A really shocking ending – Trust me, you will not see it coming even if you read all the exposition and context there is to read.
- Vivid writing and dialogue – Through Tip's eyes, it feels like you're actually there. It's always fun to picture what's happening in your mind, from the little things to the more climactic events. Rex has the ability to turn a good laugh into a shocking tragedy with just a few sentences, and this shows as the book nears to its unexpected conclusion.
- Lovable characters – J.Lo has been an adored character by lots of those who read the book. I mean, it's hard not to love an alien who's willing to make a car be able to fly, and then later unknowingly eat a urinal cake. Tip's characterization is more evident since, well, she's the one telling the story.
- A unique structure – The book is split into thirds. Two thirds are written in essay form, and the third is the longest part of the novel as Tip convinces herself to come flat-out and finish what she started. "Odd", I believe, is the wrong adjective to use. Well, when's the last time you read a book like that?
- The community loves it – Many people call Smekday one of their favorite books they've ever read, and they give away five-star scores like candy. And this book deserves it, since…well, I've already gone into detail. Check out snippets of some Goodreads community reviews:
"…loved the cat, loved Gratuity, loved everything about this book." – Kaethe
"…Adam Rex's delicious banquet of pop cultureskewers dipped in saucy social commentary and served alongside a heaping helping of warm, filling comfort food…" – Stephen
"Adam Rex rules." – Ceridwen
"Pretty much my favorite children's book of the past few years…" – Paul
"…one of the funniest, constantly entertaining books I've read in a long time…" – Chris
Not convinced? Tip and J.Lo have a couple reasons of their own.
"BOOB is an…acronym." […] "Brotherhood Organized against Oppressive Boov. It stands for that."
"Shouldn't it be B-O-A-O-B, then?"
"We really wanted it to be BOOB," said Marcos, and at the younger boys giggled again. (126)
"Waitaminute," I said. "BOOB?"
"It's the name of our club," said boy number two.
"Are you guys from Florida or something?"
"No," said Beardo. "Why?"
Both boys shouted over each other.
"It stands for–"
"Shut up!"
"Backyard telescope Ob…Observation of–"
"Of Occupations by Boov!"
"I don't know why I ask," I said, "but shouldn't your acronym be like, BTOOB or something?"
"BOOB sounds better," they said.
Boys. Honestly. (225)
The True Meaning of Smekday is a gem among sci-fi books, with vivid writing and fast-paced action, all boiled down to a dramatic finale. Easily one of the best novels I've ever read. I hope I'll see a story like Smekday in the not-too-distant future, if not a direct sequel. I'll even accept a spiritual successor. But this is not the last I'll see from Adam Rex. It's like an alien-infused Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for kids. Yeah, it's that good. Not only that, but there's going to be a movie based off of the book. The name? Home (formerly Happy Smekday!). You'd think that maybe it would be called The True Meaning of Smekday, or even Smekday, but they settled with Home. You'll never guess who's playing the two main roles. Rihanna and Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. (It took me way too long to realize they're just doing voices.) The movie doesn't arrive until next November.
If you liked The True Meaning of Smekday, check out:
- Cosmic by Frank C. Boyce
- Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
- Aliens on Vacation by Clete B. Smith
- Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke
I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing this! Well, you know the algorithm–tune in, well, whenever for more awesomeness courtesy of Sammwak! Be sure to Like this post, and if you're new don't forget to abduct that subscribe button! You can also find Sammwak on Google+ where you can get more news and stuff there!
Stay classy,
This is where I usually put my video of the week, but I know that you probably don't know that I have a YouTube channel. Check out my crap-res gaming videos of me playing games on old Nintendo consoles with the power of emulators. I don't intend for these to catch fire very quickly, but they're just out there. I think I got the mic working on this one. The computer fan's a pain in the behind, and I can't afford to shut it up, so try to bear with it.
The nostalgic gremlin inside me is at it again, so I've decide to sate him with this week's post: a glimpse at what my childhood was like. I never quite open up to my readers quite like this, and over 100,000 of you have bothered to show up at my site to read my posts, and sixteen of you have made it a weekly basis! So consider this a big thank you to everyone who's been supporting me. Now, don't expect this to be a tell-all about myself–I still shall keep personal information at bay.
But in 2008, my horizon changed completely thanks to three shows: Total Drama Island, Chowder, and Flapjack. Yes, if it wasn't for these shows, I probably never would've become the Cartoon Network fan I am today. And you can assure yourself that I just ate the next two Total Drama seasons up, because I did. Then there's Disney Channel. I fondly remember watching Kim Possible, The Emperor's New School, The Replacements, Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Jonas, the list goes on.
Another favored horror series of mine back in the day is the Chillers saga by Johnathan Rand. Now, Rand is working on two Chillers series: Michigan Chillers and American Chillers. As the titles imply, events within a Michigan Chillers book take place in the good ole Great Lakes State. But American Chillers books can happen anywhere in the fifty states. These books, to be honest, were awfully similar to Goosebumps, but they have covered more subjects that are common in horror literature: werewolves, aliens, zombies, ghosts, vampires, the list goes on. But then the new Chillers came and vacuums are coming to life and crickets are gaining a craving for human meat. But who am I to complain and criticize, old Chillers was the shiz back in the day. Heck, it gave me the inspiration to become a horror author–I'm not saying I am a horror author, I'm still working on it.
Never would I find a series quite like Captain Underpants, where a vile school principal could turn into a superhero who wore nothing but underwear and a cape. But the book I remember the fondest would probably be the third one–that's where the game changed completely! But as a blogger, I shan't spoil it for you. This series may have also given me the inspiration to become a comic writer, which is how many people remembered me by. I have to devote a lot of my childhood to Pilkey on this one.
- Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel – A 2-time Newbery Honor-winning children's book series starring a frog and a toad whose friendship take them on many adventures. Easy-to-read vocabulary, imaginative illustrations, and a great moral made this series an instant classic for me.
- Franklin by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark – A classic children's book series starring a group of anthropomorphic animals, but the spotlight is on a young turtle boy named Franklin. See as he learns the virtues of friendship and love as he goes through countless scenarios: a bad day, a thunderstorm, the first day of schol, etc.
- Ready, Freddy! by Abby Klein and John McKinley – First grade is nothing short of a jungle for Freddy Thresher, first grader and amateur shark enthusiast. Read along as he deals with Max the bully, the talent show, show-and-tell competition, homework problems, bedroom horrors, and more. The series has almost 30 installments, so if you like the first book (Tooth Trouble) you can mow down the rest.
- Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus – 90s kids may remember this one, but I remember it from my elementary school days. It stars a kindergartner named Junie B Jones as she embarks on school misadventures from facing the "stupid smelly bus" to facing the monster living under her bed. Eventually she 1-ups to first grade, where she remains to this day.
- Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca – Jack and Annie are siblings that live in the fictional Frog Creek, PA. They have a tree house that can magically whisk them into any time or place, from the prehistoric era to San-Fran in the middle of that gnarly quake. They are also assisted on their missions by Morgan le Fay. Like Junie B Jones, the series 1-ups and goes from "Morgan Missions" to "Merlin Missions", where they remain to this day.
Another great game I had was SSX Tricky, the first and greatest sports game I've ever played. My version of the game concept was simple: once you have some big air, Über Trick out to score as many points as you can before landing. When you're not tricking out, you might be racing against competitive AI or helping upgrade your characters, unlocking boards, costumes, etc. I know the game like the back of my hand, and so do my siblings, who are equally good at it. (I think this game was the one thing we could bond over besides TV shows.) The game also had the best soundtrack:
I might as well recall another game that, while not as legendary as these other two games, was definitely a decent time-killer: Tony Hawk's Project 8. I can just recall the game's lenient physics that could allow you to perform a perfect half-pipe transfer or do a clean ollie over a fence. When I wasn't skating, I sure as heck was bailing or unsuccessfully trying to perform rad tricks. The soundtrack for the game wasn't half bad, but there's only two songs I remember fondly: "Gone Daddy Gone" (Gnarls Barkley) and "Smack" (Ugly Duckling).
Oh, and one last thing. I also remember playing lots of music games back in the day: I had the Guitar Hero/Guitar Hero II dual pack, so I had two times the rock-star goodness in one 2-disc case. We also had the first two Rock Band games–no, not in a dual pack. Luckily, our Guitar Hero guitars worked with the game, and the only thing that was new were the drums and mic. Oh yeah, then there was that time where I may have broken the drum pad, but luckily lots of people face the same problem.
Oh, TMI? Sorry about that, I just had a lot to say. Oh yeah, and Lilly from Hannah Montana was in it OKAY I'M DONE! Then Spy Kids 3 came out, and that was an awesome movie too with the video game universe, but then Spy Kids 4 came out. Yeah, we don't talk about that movie, it's hard to even call it a Spy Kids movie. That's why I look at the series as a trilogy with an extremely bad movie. Oh, and there was also Sharkboy and Lavagirl with the gosh-awful VFX, but the chance of it winning kids over is 9:1.
I think that's all I have to say about my childhood! Hungry for more nostalgia? Check out The 90s Are All That on TeenNick every night from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am ET! (I was not paid to say that.) Besides that, tune in next Friday for more awesomeness courtesy of Sammwak!
Stay classy,
Video of the Week: "(Parody) Everything Wrong With Equestria Girls in 7 Minutes or Less" by LittleshyFiM. It's a hilarious parody of CinemaSins, so I recommend you check them out too. Am I the only one who didn't know this movie existed until now?!
Hey guys it's Sam, and welcome to the long-awaited return of Jolly Good Bookie! Now, Diary of a Wimpy Kid could easily be the most popular realistic fiction novel of all time; it has inspired a colossus of merchandise including a 3-part movie series, and it has inspired a countless number of realistic fiction titles in its wake. "Wimpy Kid clones", I like to call them. I've read tons of them: Dork Diaries, Big Nate, Origami Yoda, and pretty much every Andrew Clements book, most notably Lunch Money.
Now, few realistic fiction authors do it right like Kinney did; for example, Lunch Money is one of my favorite realistic fiction books. So is The School Story, also written by Clements. Most authors go wrong attempting to make their story as derivative as possible, while not paying any heed to flaws like a thin plot or poor characterization. I can list so many books that have failed to do exactly this, and most have ended up on my list of the worst books of all time. The Loser List by HN Kowitt was a standout example of this. Its plot practically screamed Wimpy Kid: the middle school misadventures of a boy obsessed with comics. I read this book a while back, and here's what I had to say about it:
"This book is an average Wimpy Kid decoy, and believe me, I've read tons of those (Dork Diaries, Big Nate, etc.), so I feel almost BAD for Mr. Kinney that tons of publishers couldn't come up with anything original. And that's what makes The Loser List…well…a loser! The storyline is cumbersome, the illustrations are rough-felt if not violent (save for the picture where a kid got ripped in half), and it feels like just an average walk in the park, trip on the rock, and dip in the fountain."
But I guess the story was successful enough that Kowitt made two sequels, turning Loser List into an official series. This is sequel #1, so let's see if Kowitt brought homemade to the table, or just went out and bought some pancake mix?
"Ty Randall must die."
In a world full of Wimpy Kid doppelgangers, there's Danny Shine. He's returned, he's ready, and he's out for revenge! In Revenge of the Loser, Shine has successfully gotten his name off of the Loser List in the girls' bathroom. But he quickly discovers that the List has become the least of his problems–his radar is focused on Ty Randall, a new kid with two six packs–one of muscle, and one of green tea. He's contributed to more school programs than Danny cares to remember, with the main focus being on helping the environment. So for good measure, Ty's a hippie. He's attracting all of the girls at lunch like a magnet with his handsome looks and his serious tone. Even Danny's secret crush, Asia O'Neill, is falling head over heels. The jealousy just builds up to the point where Danny snaps and concocts a complex plan to do Ty justice, but unfortunately true colors are shown and Danny must desperately repair the damage before it's too late.
Revenge of the Loser definitely has something new to offer, and the story does focus more on itself than some goofy drawings or copying and pasting from Wimpy Kid. The infamous bathroom wall graffiti does return, but that's probably as rogue as ROTL ever gets. Well, Chantal is kind of a gold-hearted jerk who shows her true hero at the end. But besides all of these new concepts, Revenge of the Loser is almost the exact same as its predecessor. At least the plot is structured better.
It somewhat pains me to say it, but I think Danny Shine has finally done Wimpy Kid justice. There, I said it myself. Revenge of the Loser comes packed with humor and heart–albeit derivative humor and heart–and definitely puts its predecessor in the shadows. Now, let's just see if they can keep that up for Jinx of the Loser, or better yet, Take Me To Your Loser, hitting stores this September.
- Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
- Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
- Big Nate In A Class By Himself by Lincoln Peirce
- Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
- The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman
Because I love my fans, I'll make this a Jolly Good Bookie double feature! Carpe diem, baby! Anyway, what if A Series of Unfortunate Events met Mysterious Benedict Society? The result would probably be School of Fear, the young-audience debut of Gitty Daneshvari. The novel takes place at a very shady institution that few people have heard of, called the School of Fear. Run by Mrs. Wellington and her assistant Schmidty, the main goal of the School of Fear is to eradicate children's fears over the course of a summer using "unorthodox" methods. This summer's students are Theo Bartholomew, Madeleine Masterson, Garrison Feldman, and Lulu Punchalower. Theo is terrified of general death, Maddie of bugs (notably spiders), Gary of deep water, and Lulu of confined spaces.
I loved the ominous and gothic feel of the story as it went along, and how it mixed its dark chills and clever thrills with some quality laughs to keep the prose fresh. The story is exciting albeit predictable and tedious, and definitely one I do not regret reading when I find myself awake at 7 in the morning. (No, it's not insomnia.) It showed that a good way–if not the only way–to face your fears is to tackle them head on, and it shows how difficult life can be while crippled by phobias. This is a good book to relate to; all humans really are afraid of something.
However, to me it frankly started to fall apart around and following the shocking climax; I found myself lost in the prose quite frequently on numerous occasions. I also kept asking myself if they were ever going to conquer their fears, but luckily Daneshvari has several aces up her sleeve to shrewdly guide the story. Other than that, School of Fear is a pretty tense and exciting adventure with underachieving predictability and noticeable tedium. I would definitely read the other two sequels in the trilogy–in fact, I have my hands on Class Is NOT Dismissed as I type, and as you read.
- A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket and Brett Helquist
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
- The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
- Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail and Matthew Cordell
Well, that was fun, wasn't it? Be sure to tune in same time next Friday for more awesomeness courtesy of Sammwak!
Stay classy,
Videos of the Week: "THE PERFECT BOYFRIEND?" and "HOW TO BE A SALAD!" by PewDiePie. I wonder if he'll become the most-subbed channel on YouTube by the end of the summer. I'M BETTING YOU, FOLKS!
Do you think you know Hansel and Gretel? They're just the kids who drop the bread crumbs and then go to that candy house and eat a lot of food and get fat and almost get eaten by that witch, right? WRONG! Adam Gidwitz has just taken the Hansel and Gretel we know and bathed it in blood-soaked darkness that would make Goosebumps and Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark seem like nursery rhymes. This is definitely not your average fairy tale, and you can tell from the amounts of times Gidwitz jumps into the story to warn you about the most violent pieces of the puzzle, recommending to keep all small children at bay. This story doesn't just include the candy house witch–it seamlessly intertwines that tale with seven others to create different chapters of the duo's perilous life:
Faithful Johannes: This beginning chapter serves as a prequel to the rest of the story, revolving around a young prince that is promoted to king after his dad bites the dust, and Faithful Johannes–the late king's most loyal servant–is tasked to show the new king his entire inheritance save for one room. Johannes was told that if he showed the king this room, it may cost the king his life. Oh, and ravens show up. If you believe in the omen you know something sinister will occur–but these ravens can talk.
Hansel and Gretel: This is where the story of the brother and the sister begins. In context (or if you read chapter one), this would make more sense. After feeling betrayed by their own mom and dad (aka the young king) after a big debacle, they run away into the forest where they come across a candy house. Starving, they proceed to help themselves to the treat, but are caught by the house's owner, who warmly welcomes them in. She feeds them food to the point where they become fat and lazy, and although this looks like a dream come true, she has plans to make it a nightmare.
The Seven Swallows: You may better recognize this part of the story as The Seven Ravens, a fairy tale of its own. After Hansel and Gretel flee for the second time, they come across a husband and wife with seven sons and a longing wish for a daughter. The father sends his kids off to fetch water, but when his sons do not return, their father curses them so they transform into ravens and fly off. Hansel and Gretel embark on a journey to find the seven sons in a world where the moon craves human flesh, and the results of their adventure will shock you!
Brother and Sister: Picking up where 7 Swallows left off, this chapter follows Hansel and Gretel as they make shelter in Lebenwald (LAY-ben-vault), the wood of life. As Gretel befriends a talking tree whom is practically Lebenwald's landlord, Hansel realizes he has an animal bloodlust, and he keeps on bringing an offering to the fire no matter how much Gretel tries to stop him. But when Hansel's murderous mania gets the best of him, his altered beast is revealed.
A Smile Red As Blood: Gretel decides to hit the road alone, shaken and saddened by the events of the last chapter. She stumbles across Schwarzwald (SHVATS-vault), the wood of darkness, but visits the village right by it. When she is rejected by most of the village people (joke not intended), she sits down and mopes. Luckily, an old woman accepts her. Weeks later, Gretel becomes smitten with a dashing young man with red lips. Even if he's a bit aggressive. One night, Gretel manages to flee from her home and follows the young man's path into Schwarzwald. The following events are nothing less than grisly, and you'll probably never look at doves the same way again.
The 3 Golden Hairs: This is probably the most horrifying, dreadful, and macabre chapter in the entire book. You have been warned. When a pair of huntsmen bring an ugly beast home from a hunt, the monster is skinned to reveal something other than flesh, blood, and bone (no Potter reference intended)–a boy. Not just any boy–Hansel! He decides to stay under the watch of the Lord and the Lady, but it turns out that the Lord is an addicted gambler. When he loses to an elusive stranger, he discovers he's made a deal with the Devil and, to counter it, Hansel must travel to the place Down Under. No, it's not Australia…
Hansel and Gretel and the Broken Kingdom: In all honesty, all they do is return to their home kingdom to their parents, tell them about their perilous journey, and discover that their home is in ruins due to a great beast. It's reptilian, it's fire-breathing, and it rhymes with "flaggin".
Hansel and Gretel and the Dragon: Almost there. All that happens is Hansel and Gretel manage to start an army to face the dragon and then take it on, but it turns out they were a little unprepared and the results are actually more gruesome than you'd probably like. This is the one chapter all squeamish readers should skip.
Hansel and Gretel and Their Parents: This is it. The very last chapter. After their brawl with the dragon, despite the results not being too successful, Hans and G are still hailed by the kingdom as true heroes. We also see the true identity of the dragon, and then Hans and G become king and queen. Just thought you'd want to know.
Yes, A Tale Dark and Grimm may be very dark, gory, and quite disturbing, but when you peel that layer of the story away it's an exciting, enthralling, and surprisingly touching fantasy adventure that tells important truths wrapped inside the premises. The messages the story offers are mainly the virtues of forgiveness, love, and trust and how they're worth all the work. Gidwitz' dark but droll storytelling skills make Hans and G characters we can empathize for, and we can ultimately comprehend why they came home even after abandonment from their parents.
RECOMMENDATION: For anyone who loves fractured fairy tales or modern spins on old classics, but is willing to read through a couple of grisly moments.
(click on the images to teleport to their Amazon pages!)
You know my algorithm: tune in next Friday at 1:00 EST for more awesomeness courtesy of Sammwak!
Stay classy,
VIDEO OF THE WEEK: "Harlem Shake" by VideoGameDunkey. Trust me, it's not what it looks like, but it's totally worth it.


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Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder. This is a problem with how the body uses food. It is characterized by a failure to secrete enough insulin, or, the inability to use insulin. Because insulin is needed by the body to convert glucose into energy, these failures result in excessively high levels of glucose in the blood and not enough energy. Diabetes may be a result of other conditions, such as genetic syndromes, chemicals, medicines, malnutrition, infections, viruses, or other illnesses.
The 3 main types of diabetes—type 1, type 2, and gestational (during pregnancy only)—are all defined as metabolic disorders that affect the way the body metabolizes, or uses, digested food to make glucose. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.
In prediabetes, blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be defined as diabetes. However, many people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Prediabetes also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, people with prediabetes can delay or prevent development of type 2 diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, about 208,000 Americans younger than 20 have diabetes. Most of them have type 1 diabetes. However, type 2 diabetes, a disease that used to be seen primarily in adults ages 45 and older, has become more common in younger people. This is mainly due to increasing rates of obesity in children and teens.
Although the teenage years can be a challenge for any child as he or she goes through sexual and emotional changes, it can be especially trying for adolescents with diabetes. Adolescents want to "fit in." Being different in any way from his or her peers can be emotionally stressful, especially for the teenager.
The teen who previously followed his or her diabetes management plan may now become rebellious and refuse to do so. A teen may also experience denial of the disease, or display increasingly aggressive behavior in reaction to the stress of managing diabetes during a time in life that is challenging enough already.
One aspect of diabetes management, blood sugar control, is especially hard during adolescence. Researchers believe the growth hormone made during adolescence to stimulate bone and muscle growth may also act as an anti-insulin agent. Blood sugar levels become harder to control. This results in levels that swing from too low to too high. This lack of control over blood sugar levels can be very frustrating for your teenager.
Open communication between you and your teenager with diabetes is important. You should recognize that your teenager wants to be treated as an adult, even if that means letting him or her take charge of his or her own diabetes management plan. Parents should also recognize that teenagers need the following:
Spontaneity. Adolescence is a time of spontaneity, such as stopping for pizza after school. However, the teenager with diabetes also needs to realize that managing his or her diabetes successfully will give him or her the flexibility that is craved.
Control. Teenagers want to be in charge of their own lives and create their own identities. To achieve this control, the teenager will test limits. However, a teenager with diabetes can learn that to exert control over his or her diabetes means learning to gain control over other parts of life.
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subset: commoncrawl


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SPOILERS AHEAD. If you haven't seen tonight's Idol, don't read on.
Or maybe you did anyway. Hi! Honestly, that hour-long "girls solo round" episode did not totally deliver on Idol's promise of a big Top 40 reveal. No names were shown at the end, and so many of the 20 guys and 20 guys remaining are people who have yet to be highlighted on the show! But anyway, here they are….
Adriana Latonio
Amber Holcomb
Angela Miller (pictured)
Aubrey Cleland
Brandy Hotard
Breanna Steer
Candice Glover
Cristabel Clack
Isabelle Pasqualone
Janelle Arthur
Jenny Beth Willis
Jett Hermano
Juliana Chahayed
Kamaria Ousley
Kree Harrison
Melinlda Ademi
Rachel Hale
Shubha Vedula
Tenna Torres
Zoanette Johnson
Bryant Tadeo
Burnell Taylor
Charlie Askew
Chris Watson
Cortez Shaw
Curtis Finch, Jr.
David Willis
Devin Velez
Elijah Liu
Gurpreet Singh Sarin
Jimmy Smith
Johnny Keyser
Josh "J'DA" Davila
Josh Holiday
Kevin Harris
Lazaro Arbos
Mathenee Treco
Nick Boddington
Paul Jolley
Vincent Powell
Stay tuned for my full episode recap later on!
Read more:
All 'American Idol' recaps on EW.com
Zoanette Johnson: Really, 'American Idol'?! — VIDEO
Mariah Carey gets the Nicki Minaj phone call: A dramatization


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Super Mario 64 - Ride Big Boo's Merry-Go-Round
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Super Mario 64 Walkthrough
Bob-omb Battlefield
Big Bob-omb on the Summit Footrace with Koopa the Quick Shoot to the Island in the Sky Find the 8 Red Coins Mario Wings to the Sky Behind Chain Chomp's Gate
Whomp's Fortress
Chip Off Whomp's Block To the Top of the Fortress Shoot Into the Wild Blue Red Coins on the Floating Isle Fall Onto the Caged Island Blast Away the Wall
Jolly Roger Bay
Plunder in the Sunken Ship Can the Eel Come Out to Play? Treasure in the Ocean Cave Red Coins on the Ship Afloat Blast to the Stone Pillar Through the Jet Stream
Cool, Cool Mountain
Slip Slidin' Away Li'l Penguin Lost Big Penguin Race Frosty Slide for 8 Red Coins Snowman's Lost His Head Wall Kicks Will Work
Bowser in the Dark World
Big Boo's Haunt
Go On A Ghost Hunt Ride Big Boo's Merry-Go-Round Secret of the Haunted Books Seek the 8 Red Coins Big Boo's Balcony Eye to Eye in the Secret Room
Hazy Maze Cave
Swimming Beast In the Cavern Elevate for 8 Red Coins Metal Head Mario Can Move! Navigating the Toxic Maze A-Maze-Ing Emergency Exit Watch for Rolling Rocks
Lethal Lava Land
Boil the Big Bully Bully the Bullies 8-Coin Puzzle With 15 Pieces Red-Hot Log Rolling Hot-Foot-It Into the Volcano Elevator Tour in the Volcano
Shifting Sand Land
In the Talons of the Big Bird Shining Atop the Pyramid Inside the Ancient Pyramid Stand Tall On the Four Pillars Free Flying for 8 Red Coins Pyramid Puzzle
Dire, Dire Docks
Board Bowser's Sub Chests in the Current Pole-Jumping for Red Coins Through the Jet Stream The Manta Ray's Reward Collect the Caps
Bowser in the Fire Sea
Snowman's Land
Snowman's Big Head Chill With the Bully In the Deep Freeze Whirl From the Freezing Pond Shell Shredding for Red Coins Into the Igloo
Wet-Dry World
Shocking Arrow Lifts! Top O' the Town Secrets in the Shallows and Sky Express Elevator--Hurry Up! Go to Town for Red Coins Quick Race Through Downtown!
Tall, Tall Mountain
Scale the Mountain Mystery of the Monkey Cage Scary 'Shrooms, Red Coins Mysterious Mountainside Breathtaking View from Bridge Blast to the Lonely Mushroom
Tiny-Huge Island
Pluck the Piranha Flower The Tip Top of the Huge Island Rematch with Koopa the Quick Five Itty Bitty Secrets Wiggler's Red Coins Make Wiggler Squirm
Tick Tock Clock
Roll Into the Cage The Pit and the Pendulums Get a Hand Stomp on the Thwomp Timed Jump on the Moving Bars Stop Time for Red Coins
Rainbow Ride
Cruiser Crossing the Rainbow The Big House in the Sky Coins Amassed in a Maze Swingin' in the Breeze Tricky Triangles Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Bowser in the Sky
Secret Courses
The Princess's Secret Slide The Secret Aquarium Tower of the Wing Cap Vanish Cap Under the Moat Cavern of the Metal Cap Wing Mario Over the Rainbow


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Bones SPF McClain Duck Hunt P5 Wheels White 54mm
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- Details
Our most impactful eyeshadow ever! Crème Glaze Baked Eyeshadow features a new hybrid powder with a crème texture that glides on to create a striking, foil-like effect. This palette of three Baked shadows is glazed to an even shimmer finish for creamy, intense color. With Vitamin E to keep lids soft, these assorted shades can be worn alone or blended with your everyday products to up the high-impact ante.
- Ingredients
Crème Glaze Baked Eyeshadow – Sandy Lagoon, Golden Sunset
Ingredients: Dimethicone, Talc, Mica, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Zinc Stearate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Lauroyl Lysine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Lauryl PEG-8 Dimethicone, Maltodextrin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Silica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tin Oxide MAY CONTAIN: CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77000 (Aluminum Powder), CI 77007 (Ultramarine), CI 77510 (Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide), CI 77510 (Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77400 (Copper Powder), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77400 (Bronze Powder)
Net. Wt. 0.10 oz./3 g
Product: Made in Italy/Brush: Made in Vietnam
- How To Use
Apply to the eyelid. Use alone, or with your everyday eye make-up to intensify the impact. Can be worn dry or wet for added brilliance.


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Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images
Palestinian schoolgirls walk past Israeli border policemen standing guard outside a Palestinian house in the center of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after dozens of Jewish settlers took over the Palestinian property overnight, claiming they have legal ownership.
RAMALLAH, West Bank – Palestinian organizers are calling for massive demonstrations on Friday to mark Land Day, an annual event that commemorates the killing of six Arabs who were protesting Israeli land policies on March 30, 1976.
Tens of thousands are expected to participate in what organizers have billed a "Global March to Jerusalem." The plan is to have protesters from neighboring countries march up to the Israeli border to "demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians and to protect Jerusalem," according to organizers.
The future status of Jerusalem is at the heart of the Palestinian movement and is the theme for the global Land Day. East Jerusalem is regarded as the likely capital of a future Palestinian state.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian activist, explained some of the reasoning for the march to NBC News during a recent interview in Ramallah.
For Palestinian farmer, a constant reminder of Israeli occupation
For many Palestinians, Land Day is an annual opportunity to demonstrate that Palestinians inside Israel, the West Bank and Gaza are united and share common goals.
This year will mark 36 years since Israel's practice of expropriating Arab land to build Jewish settlements provoked protests by Arab residents in the Galilee and Negev. In addition to the six people who were killed, over 100 wounded during the ensuing violence. Since then Palestinians have commemorated March 30 as Land Day and have turned the day into a general protest against what they see as discriminatory practices by the Israeli government. So it seemed an appropriate date for activists to hold their march.
Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images
An Israeli settler looks out the window of an occupied Palestinian house as an Israeli soldier stands guard in the center of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on March 29, 2012. Dozens of Jewish settlers took over the Palestinian property overnight, claiming they have legal ownership.
"The Global March to Jerusalem represents three things," said Barghouti. "First of all, the unity of the Palestinian people, and their struggle to achieve freedom and end occupation, for Palestinians in and out of Palestine; second, it affirms the centrality of the issues of land and Jerusalem to achieving Palestinian freedom; and third, it provides international solidarity with the Palestinian cause."
'Absolutely peaceful'
The organizers plan to send convoys of vehicles to approach Israel's borders simultaneously from four neighboring countries: Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. According to organizers, more than 600 institutions from 64 states have been involved in planning the march. Protests are also planned outside Israeli embassies in Europe and Arab countries. Organizers say they are hoping for 1 million people to demonstrate in various protests all over the world.
"The event is meant to be a non-violent protest that will include parliament members, citizens and religious figures from all over the world – including Jews, Israelis will also protest with us," Saied Yaqin, one of the march organizers, told NBC News.
Organizers of the march insist the protests will be orderly.
"This march is absolutely peaceful and non-violent, and we will try everything possible to prevent violence," Barghouti said. "Of course, if they use violence against us, the world should protest. But the march is absolutely peaceful and nobody will try to provoke violence."
But Israeli Defense Forces aren't taking any chances.
A statement released by the IDF said they are "prepared for any eventuality and will do whatever is necessary to protect Israeli borders and residents."
Israel has also issued a stern warning to Arab countries and Palestinians to refrain from approaching the border.
Soldiers along the border have been instructed to be on high alert and they will reportedly have crowd-dispersal means at the ready and will also deploy marksmen. According to a Haaretz report, a so-called "skunk" device is being prepared that sprays a harsh-smelling substance at demonstrators.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- 'Global March to Jerusalem': Israel's borders on high alert as protests loom
- Gang-raped, strangled, set on fire: Teen dies in Ukraine hospital
- Was Jewish school gunman linked to French spies?
- Global smartphone booms poses huge fraud risk, expert says
- US: North Korea using hackers; food aid suspended over rocket
- US orders more security for troops in Afghanistan
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world


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December 2006
Cuba, the largest of the Greater Antilles, is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km. (93 mi.) south of Key West, Florida. Cuba covers 110,860 km. (44,200 mi.), about the size of Pennsylvania. Havana (pop. 2 million) is the capital and largest city; other major cities include Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Holguin, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Pinar del Rio, and Guantanamo. U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is the oldest U.S. base overseas, operating since 1903 when the U.S. government obtained a perpetual lease.
The country's terrain is mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains up to 2,000 meters (6,000 ft.) in the southeast. The climate is tropical, moderated by trade winds; dry season (November-April); and rainy season (May-October).
Cuba's population consists of 11 million people; 70% urban, 30% rural. Spanish is the official language, with a literacy rate of 95%. Cuba is a multiracial society with a population of mainly Spanish and African origins: 51% mulatto, 37% white, 11% black, 1% Chinese. The largest organized religion is the Roman Catholic Church, but evangelical protestant denominations continue to grow rapidly. Afro-Cuban religions, a blend of native African religions and Roman Catholicism, are widely practiced in Cuba.
Spanish settlers established the raising of cattle, sugarcane, and tobacco as Cuba's primary economic pursuits. As the native Indian population died out, African slaves were imported to work the ranches and plantations. Slavery was abolished in 1886.
Fidel Castro, Chief of State since 1959, brought Cuba onto the world stage by inviting Soviet support in the 1960s. Cuba was declared a socialist state on April 16, 1961. For the next thirty years after the declaration, Cuba received substantial economic and military assistance from the U.S.S.R.--generally estimated at $5.6 billion annually--which kept its economy afloat and enabled it to maintain an enormous military establishment. Cuba is slowly recovering from severe economic recession following the withdrawal of former-Soviet subsidies. In August, 2006 while undergoing intestinal surgery, Castro temporarily transfered power to his brother, Raul Castro.
CIA World Factbook; U.S. Dept. of State Background Notes, 06/2005, 08/2004


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Being big fans of Carven, the young chicster's go-to label for individual and achingly cool pieces, as we are, you can imagine how excited we are to take in all that's set to come out for Spring 2012.
From the best separates to a trove of must-have bags, jewels and shoes, it looks safe to say that til spring, we'll be pining away for the chance to nab as much Carven as we can.
Take a look at some of our favorites and check out the complete range's slideshow below.
A cute pairing of full-on prints looks disarmingly chic while the outfits shoes add a grounding dose of strength to an otherwise girlie look that's become the labels signature.
This incredibly unique neckpiece is certain to become a statement maker and conversation starter while distinctively framing your neckline.
How adorable are these festive ethnic sandals complete with silver bells? We can imagine pairing them with just about anything come spring to add an over-the-top however elegant playfulness from day into night. -Naveed Hussain
[nggallery id=38]
Photos: Carven


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Welcome to the GamesRadar video game fan art gallery. Here you will find some of the finest video game fan art in the land. It's a celebration of the vibrant visuality of video games and - more importantly - a showcase for the incredibly talented artists who interpret the medium in their own unique style. We've tried to put together a varied selection of works for your enjoyment and will be updating regularly with new pieces. So the gallery will continue to grow.
Thanks to all the artists who gave permission for us to include their work.
18 Dec, 2012 update: 33 new pieces added
16 Nov, 2012 update: 30 new pieces added


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- 3 clementines
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clementine
- 4 6-ounce halibut fillets
- Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
Recipe Preparation
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) of clementines. Chop peel (reserve flesh for another use). Combine chopped clementine peel, chopped parsley, minced garlic, and sea salt in small bowl. Stir in extra-virgin olive oil and set gremolata aside. DO AHEAD Gremolata can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel of clementine in four 2-inch-long strips (orange part only). Cut four 12-inch squares parchment paper. Place halibut fillet in center of each parchment paper square. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle halibut lightly with olive oil. Place 1 clementine peel strip, cut side up, on each halibut fillet. Bring 2 edges of parchment paper together along long side of fish fillet and fold parchment edges together 3 to 4 times. Tuck both remaining edges of parchment underneath fillet to create packet and place parchment packet on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining fish fillets. DO AHEAD Halibut packets can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill on rimmed baking sheet.
Bake fish just until opaque in center, about 18 minutes (to check doneness, unwrap packet and insert fork in fillet). Remove rimmed baking sheet from oven. Unwrap fish. Place halibut fillets on plates, spoon gremolata over, and serve.


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A bowl of blackberries does not a blog post make. Not even when I gathered them myself while on holiday in Dorset. And not even with a gratuitous picture of bebe enjoying said berries thrown in. It will have to do for now though, since S and I are getting married next week and there are a million tiny little things to sort out still. After the wedding I'm hoping to get back into the swing of blogging, but right now I need to go sort out table arrangements, centrepieces and more of that...
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
5 comments:
- Elk said...
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, enjoy the day and definitely focus on preparations... and as for the berries well they made me drool
- 5 October 2009 at 00:54
- Baking Soda said...
Oh eh. yes. I presume that can be a little time consuming! Teehee! You go girl, happy sorting, don't stress!
- 5 October 2009 at 07:49
- tara said...
Congratulations and all the best for your happy, happy day.
- 21 October 2009 at 18:57
I have an old photo of me eating berries when I was a baby, and my face looked just as messy as that baby's. Brings back so many memories :).
- 18 December 2009 at 01:24
- This is it!! said...
Your blog is awesome.
- 21 March 2010 at 19:52
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Soda consumption among children in California is on the decline, according to a new UC study. But black and Latino children may be replacing it with a beverage that's just as sugary.
Writing in the journal Academic Pediatrics, researchers from UC San Francisco said young Latinos and blacks seem more likely to replace that soda with fruit juice.
Alexis Gomez, a family nurse practitioner at St. John's Well Child and Family Center in South Los Angeles, said one common misperception is that fruit juice is healthier than soda.
"The best thing would be to get juice that doesn't add sugar," he said. "But most of those juices are really expensive, and it's really hard for poor kids to afford that."
What low-income children can afford, he said, are the cheaper versions, where makers add more water and then add sugar to cover up for the diluted taste.
"Unfortunately, every time I do a physical exam on a kid, most of whom are Hispanic or African-American, when I ask them what they drink, most of them drink soda, and all of them drink juice," said Gomez, specifying that the juice they drink is the type with added sugar.
Overconsumption of sugary drinks can increase a young person's chances of becoming obese, due to the "excess of calories," and developing type 2 diabetes, due to the extra sugar, Gomez said.
"The best thing to do is make the juice at your house," he said. "Buy the fruit, get a juice machine and make your own. You can also add some vegetables to get some more vitamins and minerals to give you a perfectly-balanced snack."
Or better yet, Gomez added, just eat the fruit.
UCSF researchers found that sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among children of all ethnicities between ages 2 and 5 dropped 24 percent between 2003 and 2009; among children between ages 6 and 10, it dropped 21 percent.
Despite that drop, there were higher rates of consumption among black and Latino children, as well as children whose parents had lower levels of education, the authors of the study wrote.
Among children between the ages of 2 and 5, rates of juice consumption decreased among white children and increased among Latinos; for children between 6 and 11, consumption rates remained stable for white children and rose for their black and Latino counterparts.
In a statement, the researchers attributed that to "mixed messages about juice," noting that the public health message about juice right now is that if it's 100 percent juice, it's OK. There have been campaigns to reduce soda consumption among children, the authors added, but fewer efforts to get children to reduce the amount of fruit juice they drink.
"Our results stress the need for more education on healthy beverages and making sure these messages reach all ethnic groups," Dr. Amy Beck, the lead author of the study said in the statement. She added that the best thing parents can use as a replacement for soda is water or milk.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children who are 6 or younger drink a maximum of between four and six ounces of fruit juice a day. For children 7 or older, it recommends they drink no more than 12 ounces daily.


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Earth Balance recently sent me a giant box of snacky goodness that is just about the coolest thing I've ever received in the mail.
The evening that the package arrived, my mom was over. We opened it up and immediately we all agreed that there was a moral imperative to open those PB Popps. HELLO FRIEND. These are sort of like Cracker Jacks on peanut butter steroids - they're peanuts and popcorn coated in sugary peanut butter and oat combo. Seriously, they are very, very delicious. I love them very much.
But my favorite of all the different savory snacks was definitely the Aged White Cheddar Popcorn. So super tasty! I've been counting calories and watching my weight for about 5 months now, and I love that I can have almost 3 cups of this cheezy goodness and it's only 150 calories! That's pretty great for a naughty snack food. You can't see the white cheddar flavor crystals that are generously coating this popcorn, but trust me when I tell you that it's there, and it's good. This is definitely a high quality snack treat! Also, I closed up the bag with a chip clip, and they didn't seem to get stale... even after 3-4 days.


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Family Room / Build a stylish ambiance in the family room with the perfect curtain ideas. You can get the piece by installing the items on the windows or even doors. Some people think that a curtain only looks great inside a family room. However, it also looks
Recent Post


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Friday, March 16, 2012
Is Shockey worth the hassle?
It was only the latest display of Shockey's "attitude" or "edginess" or whatever you want to label it -- Toomer labeled Shockey a "bad teammate, worse person" after hearing the rumor that Shockey might want to return to the Giants.
Shockey responded with characteristic vitriol, mentioning on Twitter old divorce allegations that Toomer "urinated" on his ex-wife's clothes and that Toomer "loafed on a play and got man handled in my leg that caused it to break."
Juvenile stuff from both men, to be sure. And it made me wonder once again if Shockey is really worth the hassle.
At $4 million per year, which is what the Panthers paid Shockey last season, he certainly isn't. Greg Olsen is the clear No.1 tight end for Carolina. And even though Carolina likes to run a lot of two-tight sets, that's too much for a second tight end.
Maybe if Shockey would take half that he'd be worth bringing back, but even then you have to figure the Panthers have better pass-catchers and better locker room leaders. Shockey can be high-maintenance. And although he certainly wants to win, he doesn't always think before acting.
The Twitter feud with Toomer is only the latest example -- it might have felt good to Shockey to hammer Toomer with a couple of tweets, but you can rest assured every general manager in the NFL also saw that and thought to themselves, "Hmmmm.... do we really want this guy in our locker room?"
Shockey will play somewhere in 2012 -- he's not washed up. But it's going to be at a lot less than $4 million, and I ultimately don't think it will be with the Panthers. If I were the Panthers, I wouldn't bring him back unless it was at something close to the veteran minimum, and he may be able to get more than that somewhere else where there's no Olsen.
-- On a different note, the first big day of "March Madness" was more annoying than real madness, wasn't it? Too many games that weren't close at the end, too few upsets and two bad calls that derailed UNC Asheville's last chance at the ultimate upset over No.1 Syracuse. Hopefully today will be better. Here's my column about "Fantastic Friday."
18 comments:
Give him 6 million. He has something most Panther players dont...heart and fire.
- March 16, 2012 at 10:33 AM
~Anonymous said...
"Give him 6 million. He has something most Panther players dont...heart and fire." ~
I couldnt agree more! I disagree with the notion of giving him a raise to 6 milliion. But I do believe we should offer him a 2 or 3 year deal that is incentive driven. The FIRE and tenacity that Shockey brings is much like the fire of Steve Smith, Jon Beason, and Cam Newton. We need more players with that kind of fire and tenacity! It was refreshing to see last year, and I hope it is a trait that is rewarded.
- March 16, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Absolutely..there aren't many players like him in the league..he can still make good clutch catches..get him in here but for the right price!
- March 16, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Scott, in one word...
- March 16, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Yes, he is...at the right price. For all the hoopla about how difficult he is, we had not one single isue with him, unless wanting to win more so than his teammates is a real issue.
- March 16, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Is Newton worth the hassle?
- March 16, 2012 at 11:56 AM
- John said...
Anonymous 11:56am,
What hassle?
It's comments like yours that convince people that the Newton criticism is mostly race related.
And don't bother bringing up anything that might've happened before he became a Panther because what he does here, is all that matters now.
- March 16, 2012 at 12:25 PM
He brought swagger, grit and mentorship that was desparately needed. Having Shockey and Olsen last year brought a needed aspect to the offense missing since Wesley Walls. It was too easy for teams to get us one-dimensional if they stopped the run and had 3 guys covering Smitty. Teams were not able to do that with Shockey and Olsen. You got to have 2 quality, proven TE's to punish the opponent. I am sure at times Shockey has said things he regrets or isn't proud of. I think most people fall into that same trap at times, especially if you have fire and passion as he does. Give that guy an extension, he deserves it. Let him retire a Panther!!!
- March 16, 2012 at 1:06 PM
- Unknown said...
I, for one, would be happy to have him back. I agree with most of the previous comments that he has fire and tenacity. Sometimes people with passion are a little hotheaded and tend to shoot off at the mouth. Case in point, Steve Smith...but you don't see anyone wanting to get rid of Smitty. I think Shockey is a fantastic addition to our offense, and, even after only one year, it's very hard to imagine our team without him. I will be over the moon if he's still with us next season. By the way, I haven't heard him say anything that wasn't provoked in some way or another. Not that provocation excuses childish reciprocation, but I think it is unfair to say he's not worth the money he's asking for just because he's easily provoked. His paycheck should be about his talent and his passion for the game. Period.
- March 16, 2012 at 1:47 PM
It's comments like yours that convince people that the Newton criticism is mostly race related.
- March 16, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Yes. He's definitely worth the hassle. He's a hothead that wants to win and he fires up the team. I love it! He and Steve Smith have the attitude this team needs. Sign him again!
- March 16, 2012 at 3:01 PM
Shockey's twitter feud with Toomer was immature. Ok, so what? Toomer is a nothing nobody and let's not forget who started the whole thing. He asked for it and he got it. Everybody knows Shockey isn't one to back down from confrontation. That's what makes him a valuable football player. He's not the athlete he once was but he still brings the fire, and that's why he'll be playing somewhere next year. Toomer may not want to play with Shockey, but you can bet some Panthers do, including Cam, if you take him at his own word.
Now I agree, we can't afford to give him 4 mil. and I agree he isn't worth that much to us, but I don't think anybody else will pay him that either. That's why the Panthers are letting him test the market. It gives them leverage in contract negotiations. If we can pay Shockey a reasonable amount for his services, he is definitely the kind of guy this franchise needs, and we should try and keep him. Steve Smith can be a headache to, but I don't hear people saying he isn't worth it. That's the way it goes in football. I don't care if the guys are nice or not. All I care about is can they play and do they play hard. Why? Because every every other team looks at that way and if you don't, you're going to get walked all over.
It was about time last year when some of the cupcakes started realizing that. Being nice and upstanding young men? Heck, that's not even true in college sports anymore and it isn't going to win you any Superbowls, Scott. Come on, it isn't the 50s any more man. Live with it.
- March 16, 2012 at 4:22 PM
I guess we can add homophobic label to the racist Cam hater above.
- March 16, 2012 at 5:57 PM
Shockey was no trouble for the Panthers last year. I liked what he brought to the table. I hope he comes back. 1.5 million sounds about right.
- March 16, 2012 at 6:02 PM
2 mill at most
- March 16, 2012 at 7:19 PM
March 16, 2012 5:57 PM
It that it? All you got? My 6 yr old has better logic more intelligent and better educated. Any new material? Broken record.
The smeller is always the feller anyway Mr Race Baiter Card.
Stop defending homosexuals, cheats, scammers, liars etc. Were you raised in a whorehouse? Jesus hates queers and lesbos.
Agree. Scam Newton sucks.
GO BAMA 14 Titles
- March 16, 2012 at 8:23 PM
- Blaine said...
Shockey was a great addition to the team. We should definitely try to do a deal to keep him. Had our defense been healthy we would have probably made the playoffs with our offensive production. Shockey was no problem here, he fit in nicely!
- March 16, 2012 at 11:39 PM
What has Scott done besides take shots at people! Jeremy Shockey was a great asset to the Panthers! And will be even more this year. Somebody with that heart and desire to win is what every team needs especially the Panthers! Pay him what a veteran should be paid!!! Shockey and Olsen is one of if not the best tightend duo in NFL!! "IF" the Panther aren't smart enough to sign him he WILL be great wherever he goes! "AND BE A GOOD LOCKER INFLUENCE!! Thanks for your words Scott but try to come with something better than a few comments between too old teammates. NOT ANONYMOUS DAVID HORNE
- March 17, 2012 at 1:57 AM


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Events for this weekend.
7 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 and 8; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9, CharACTers Entertainment presents "White Christmas"; Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center, Gadsden; $10 for adults, $8 for students; tickets available at the Hardin Center and www.wallacehall.org.
7 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and Dec. 6-8; 2 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9, The Whole Backstage presents "White Christmas"; $16 for adults, $14 for students and seniors; tickets go on sale Oct. 22 at the box office.
BACK FORTY BEER CO.: Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sam Lewis
BLACKSTONE PUB: Friday, Charger; Saturday, the Stephen Hartsfield Band
CHESTNUT STATION: Friday, Body Shot; Saturday, Rexton Lee
DOWNTOWN TAVERN: Friday, Flannel Shirts
MUSIC CENTER AT TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL: 7:30 Friday, Drake White, $25; www.brownpapertickets.com
TOP O' THE RIVER: 7 p.m. Jan. 3, Singing on the Coosa concert, Mark Trammell Quartet; $12, meal not included;
TU'KANOOS: Friday, Channing Wilson
SNEAD STATE: 7 p.m., Dec. 6, Snead State Community Choir, excerpts from Handel's "Messiah," Fielder Auditorium.
CHRISTMAS AT THE FALLS: 5 p.m. daily, Monday through Dec. 22, annual light display at Noccalula Falls; tickets $5, children 3 and under free.
GADSDEN MUSEUM OF ART: opening 10 a.m. Wednesday, then 10 a.m. to 4 p.m through Jan. 2, "Alabama's Finest 2012 — Fine Crafts"; no admission charge.
HARDIN CENTER: Daily through Jan. 31, 23rd annual Festival of Trees and "Let It Snow: The Exhibit"; $6 adults, $5 children, free for Hardin Center members.
MEADOWS GALLERY: "Strangers in Class: Gazing Across the Economic Divide," John Magnan; continues through Jan. 15; gallery hours, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays


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Web analytics has established itself as a major topic for discussion when planning for a Web application and building a business case. Before, Web analytics was often something added onto applications as an afterthought. Today, it is regarded with much higher priority and considered to be a powerful tool that can provide a number of business benefits. Businesses looking to better understand user behavior and application usage can utilize Web analytic tools to collect, analyze, measure and report on Internet data. However, it is important that businesses have planned for and understand Web analytics in order to take full advantage of the benefits it provides.
Based on his experience with business development, business analysis, requirement management and, of course, Web analytics, Kishore Babu Nandanamudi, the lead business consultant at Virtusa, outlines 14 ways to make Web analytics more actionable and achieve the associated business benefits.
Tips for Creating a Strong Password Correct risky password behavior and reduce your chances of being hacked.
Five Rules to Make Your Professional Employment Reference an Asset Failure to nurture professional references can break a successful job search.
10 Essential iPad Accessories Get the most from your iPad with these accessories.
Related Topics : Business Intelligence Vendors, Data Quality, Data Warehousing, Key Performance Indicators, Knowledge Management
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