Forgotten Newspaper Work

[Axizol]

A couple months ago, we've been brewing Newspaper events that failed, but some of us did indeed do our work, and I would not like their work to go to waste. Here it is, part of the KH newspaper!

[Axizol]

http://nonesuch.flyingredslippers.org/kls/images/blacktattoo.jpg

The black tattoo was moving...
Imagine you had the power to do anything. To fly, learn martial arts, control other people, and go to Hell and back. What if you had the power of Hell itself? That is what is explored in the book The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven. A fight for dominance and the fate of the whole universe has begun and it’s time to finish it. Magic, demons, and pure evil envelope this story. Three protagonists make up the story. Esme Leverton has been training all her life to defeat the ultimate evil that is the Scourge, the epitome of evil who has a plan to destroy the world. Charlie is a hot-headed young boy who acts rather than thinks, he is unwittingly possessed by the Scourge which manifests as (you guessed it) a huge black tattoo on his back. And then there’s Jack a normal kid with no supernatural abilities or fighting skills who is sucked into the fight. And then there is the antagonist the Scourge; a pure evil that has had only one mission for his whole existence and will do anything to complete it.

The book itself is filled with amazing imagery and spectacular characters. The description of Hell filled the environment with great depth. The characters all seemed all too human despite the fact of their inhuman strength and abilities. They all tend to develop nicely throughout the story and you actually feel them grow as it goes on and the hardships become apparent. But the story does have its downfall. It seemed as though the dialogue was flat. There seemed like there was no passion in the characters. And along that the battle scenes seemed a bit too unreal with the author adding unnecessary sound effects to the dialogue. After reading this book I felt like the book kept running in circles with multiple trips to and from Hell making it seem as though getting into Hell was as easy as opening your front door. Along with that the descriptions of the demons of Hell are small in comparison to other books. I find it hard to imagine the characters due to their lack of description. Though I believe the author did this to make you get into the shoes of the characters though I saw it as a failed attempt. But the book is redeemed itself with the overall story. It gives a new view Hell and where we all came from. It’s a great read if you want to find a book to just fill your time with.
All in all I give this book a 6/10

[Axizol]

"Ninety-nine Demon Souls and one Witch Soul." That is what a weapon must consume in order to become a Demon Scythe in the hit anime series "Soul Eater." This show is one of a kind in the anime world, and with a human turning into a weapon, it is not hard to see why. As weird as it sounds, it does not disappoint in storyline.
The anime is placed at the Shinigami (Death God) School for Weapon Meisters, also named Shibusen, which is located in Death City Nevada. To start from the beginning, certain humans have a gift to manipulate their souls and power towards another person who is often called their "weapon." Meisters are classified as students of Shibusen, who have the distinct power to enact with their weapon counterparts and use them in battle against enemy demon souls like Al Capone, Jack the Ripper, and Medusa. In order to graduate from Shibusen, Meisters have to travel to different countries and battle with evil forces. Upon defeating said forces, their weapons eat the souls and absorb their powers.
The main characters are Maka Albarn, a furious forceful scythe wielder, and Soul Eater Evans, a powerful scythe transformer. Maka's own father is the one and only Death Scythe graduate at Shibusen while her mother (a meister) travels the world in search of a new partner after the divorce. Upon ignoring and secluding her father, Maka dreams of mastering the different techniques of demon hunting so that she may surpass her mother. Soul Eater, however, is the only Shibusen student with sharp teeth and red eyes (the normal sign of a demon). They fight along with their friends: Death the Kid, the Shinigami's son; Liz and Patty, Death the Kid's weapons and sisters who transform into twin guns; Black Star, a physically powerful assassin; and Tsubaki, Black Star's multi-faceted weapon transformer of significant power; they fight to save not only the world, but their school from the forces of darkness plaguing the land.
"Soul Eater" starts with a three-part introduction to the three main meisters and their weapons and then continues to introduce how the three characters know each other. As the story progresses major villains: the Demon God; Arachne; the most powerful witch under the Queen; and Medusa, Arachne's sister; arise and attempt to take down the school and destroy the planet.
"Soul Eater" is not only amazingly original, it also provides a huge suspense for viewers that makes them want to jump into the screen and fight alongside the students of Shibusen cheering and hollering to beat up the bad guys. Overall, "Soul Eater" consists of everything needed and more to rank as one of the greatest animes out there.
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They are probably some of the most ridiculed as well as the most praised individuals of all generations. Hit movies like "Iron Man," "The Dark Knight," and "Spiderman" have remastered these original comic book heroes into realistic action movies that will surely be around for many years to come. In 1827, Switzerland's Rudolphe Töpffer created the first real cartoon comic strip entitled "The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck" which became the first popular comic series hit in America. Disney released its own set of comics with the "Mickey Mouse" generation. Later, Stan Lee created the first ever Marvel comic books which spread to include Spiderman, Ironman and X-Men today. Today, its biggest rival is DC Comics, which includes famous heroes such as Batman, Superman, and the Justice League. Although many movies have been released over the course of the nearly 200 years of the comic's long trendy life, DC and Marvel comics remain the top two. Multiple books, manga, comics, television shows, and movies have been based on gifted individuals who have extraordinary powers. The hit NBC television show "Heroes" is based off just that: a group of unsuspecting people begin to discover they have super powers and use them to save the world. These heroes band together to defeat the evil Sylar from destroying everything in his path. Over the course of its four seasons, "Heroes" has captivated its audience by creating a new realistic version of the superhero. Cartoon Network now holds the base for television shows like "Batman: the Brave and the Bold," a team-up with Batman and several other superheroes; "Ben10: Alien Force," a 15-year-old boy who has the ability to transform into 10 different aliens; and "Powerpuff Girls," a trio of feminine superheroes who fight to protect their city from monsters. Some do not realize just how infatuated with being extraordinary they have become, but it is out there, and most likely the better of dreams include performing a great act to save mankind. It really is mind-blowing just how many generations have celebrated the superpowered humans we call "Superheroes." It is clearly a metaphor for the inner hero in all of us. You do not need super powers to be a hero. Even normal, "un-super" people can make a difference and save the planet.

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America's Best Dance Crew 3 leave audiences speechless


America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC) puts another season under its belt, crowning Quest Crew as the best dance crew in America. Throughout the season, themes have been administered to the contestants, ranging from "the Wack Dance challenge" where members had to take various old-school moves and modernize them to the "Hip Hop Decathalon," where members had to take various hip hop basics and incorporate them into a routine of their own. This season not only introduced many new challenges, but it brought a season of never-before-seen dance styles.
For example, Dynamic Edition, a clogging dance group from Springville, Alabama, led by choreographer Brandon Norris, hit the stage and introduced a fusion of hip hop, country, and clog dancing styles. The dance crew was eliminated by Fly Khicks, an all-girl NBA Miami Heat dance group.
Fly Khicks had also previously kicked off Boxcuttuhz dance group, and then progressed to eliminate Strikers All-Star, making Fly Khicks the first dance group in the history of ABDC to make a three-time comeback from the bottom two. Fly Khicks, however, were eliminated in the second to the last show, placing third out of the entire competition.
The show dwindled down to the Beat Freaks, an all girl Hip Hop crew, and Quest Crew, an all boy Hip Hop crew. Beat Freaks is comprised of seven females from Los Angeles, California and have "too many awards to count and have been featured on numerous television shows, as well as in music videos and tours with the likes of Pink, Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus and Madonna, as well as in movies like You Got Served and Step Up 2," according to MTV.com.
Quest Crew, which hails from Los Angeles, California, is the exact opposite of the Beat Freaks, comprising of 7 all male contestants of Asian decent. The group has performed on dance shows such as Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol." According to their profile on MTV.com they were "a group of friends who were pretty much spending all of their time together anyway."
On the season finale the Judges picked their favorite three dance groups and had them perform together in an original routine. Taking the Stage first was Shane's Crew made up of Dynamic Edition, Striker's All Stars, and Quest Crew took the stage first, dancing to a master mix of Flo-Rida's "Right Round." Who wowed the crowd by mixing clogging, stepping, and break dancing all into one spectacular routine.
JC Chasez compiled his three crews, Team Millennia, Beat Freaks, Boxcuttuhz who called themselves "Team Beat Box." Mixing hip hop, wild choreography and dramatic stage performances, they hit the stage and performed to a master mix of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" leaving the audience screaming.
The last choices, Lil Mama's crews: the Ringmasters, G.O.P., and Fly Khicks hit the stage in a whirwind performance. Choreographing a mixture of Latin and Hip Hop dancing for the audience, to Kardinall Offishall's "The Tide is High."
Finally, the top two crews, Beat Freaks and Quest Crew performed together and reenacted a chase for votes to the song "Beggin" by Madcon. When they were done the judges gave their final review of the two amazing crews and the winner was revealed, leaving a fanfair of fireworks and confetti, along with the massive dance crew banner. The other dance crews emerged from backstage to congratulate Quest Crew on their win.
Once all was said and done America picked their favorite dance crew to hold the title. This is only the beginning of firsts in ABDC history, next season more new performances are promised. Only time will tell who America's Best Dance Crew 4 is.


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St. Patricks Day, not just green and gold

It comes every Mar. 17, and leaves lucky items, sore pinches, and laundry piles of green clothing. No, it is not the Jolly Green Giant. it is the St. Patrick's Day, which originates from Ireland and has become a widely celebrated holiday. On this day, streets of Ireland are paraded through and bands can be heard from miles away playing tradition folk songs. According to historychannel.com "each year, nearly three million people line the one-and-a-half mile parade route to watch the procession, which takes more than five hours."
Some may be asking themselves at this point how the holiday came to America, but the answer is easily found when opening a history textbook. Around the 1840s a potato famine struck the country of Ireland leaving many without food, and even more without jobs. This caused a huge amount of Irish to migrate to the United States, looking for jobs suitable for them. However, according to memory.loc.gov "living conditions in Ireland were deplorable long before the Potato Blight of 1845...and a large number of Irish left their homeland as early as the 1820s."
With the added Irish spirit in America, many traditions changed or adapted to the new terrain. In fact, America started the alcoholic tendencies tied to St. Patrick's Day, for in Ireland, the government demanded pubs be closed on this day, to properly celebrate the holiday sober. Currently, though, Irish merchandising uses the holiday as a commercial profit, and draws in large crowds during the month of March, so that they can use the tourism money to boost their economy.
The day does, however, fall over the Catholic season of Lent, which entitles giving up a cherished way of life to show devotion to God. According to historychannel.com, however, "lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage."
The traditions of the holiday are mostly misconstrued and bent to fit the commercial gain of the holiday. The clover, for example, which is the symbol of the day, symbolizes the rebirth of spring, which happens to fall under the month of March. The clover symbol dates far back to the celts, the original inhabitants of Ireland. Another Celtic trait passed on to the holiday is the music of the Irish, which is folk music, in which stories of religion and tradition would be passed on around fires during the spring months.
The mascot of St. Patrick's Day is well known to be the leprechaun, but many times the origins of this small mythic race are also misinterpreted. To start, the leprechaun was originally called "lobaircin" which according to historychannel.com means "small-bodied fellow." Celtic legend states that these small creatures were cranky souls who would use their magic for good and evil purposes. Although they are minor parts of Celtic legend, the little souls made good mascots for the embodiment of the Irish spirit, as they were clever, cunning, and tricky. The original misinterpretation came from Disney, who released a film called "Darby O'Gill & the Little People." From this film many were able to misconstrue the figure and make it a known part of the holiday.
The holiday, however, is more than leprechauns and clovers. It is a celebration of Ireland's most known patron saint, St. Patrick. Legend has it that St. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and then escaped using religious visions to find his way to Ireland, where he studied for 15 years the workings of Christianity and served his people as a great and bold leader.
The first St. Patrick's Day was held Mar. 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers marched through the streets of New York City. Currently Boston and New York hold the largest St. Patrick's Day Parades in the United States.
So, there it is, fact and fiction, the workings of St. Patrick's Day. Next time someone tells the legends of this day the facts will be clear. Celebrate the great saint not the fake merchandise used to draw large crowds in. The next time someone pinches another person for not wearing green, he/she will know the origin.

[Axizol]

The economy continues to devour America's subsistence, lugging along with it our ambition and drive. Confessions of a Shopaholic functions musically to the monetary imbalance. It's an outrageous harlequin personification that has appeared with impeccable timing. While unemployment is soaring, this movie's first line is: "A man will never love you or treat you as well as a store." Did they just faux pas? I think they did. How deliciously “let-them-eat-cake”! Well, if you're also strapped for cash, then sit yourself down and wait until this movie falls into the bargain basket at the local movie store. Confessions is playing with a scatterbrained ditz so named Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fischer). She delivers some laughs, and if I am to take a short sincerity break, then I do believe in the fabulousness of Fischer's performance. Of course it cannot match Legally Blonde's Elle Woods. However, Confessions of a Shopaholic tends to act just like its characters: forever walking into glass doors while somehow also spilling large ceramic vessels of hors d'œuvres and then falling on top of their petite, perky behinds.

Hollywood is climbing to its umpteenth pratfall with these types of romantic comedies these days. And yet I cannot stop myself from indulging. I've been several months sober from Sex in the City (which seemed as though a fossil when derived from its television premiers), and I've been binging on He's Just Not That Into You and, of course, Confessions of a Shopaholic. Neither Lent nor Mardi Gras shall arrest me from my pack-a-day habit. So let us pull away from the plots of these mediocre romantic comedies, just because they're all the same. After all, I'm taking a page from Obama's book. It is time to set aside childish things. As abovementioned, I do believe in the talented cast. But I also believe in their underutilization. They are just like the mannequins in Manhattan store windows. They all enjoy the company of Ms. Bloomwood as she plucks the Gucci bags dripping off their shoulders. But in the end, their performances are wooden. Director P. J. Hogan has somehow turned the fluffier-than-air, marshemellowy book series into a dense and hollow log. I cannot make fun too much, however. Hogan's orgasmic, vibrant eye settles every scene into a certain rhythm. It's an organized mess that's abstract and metaphysical.

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a kind of a screwball comedy that's drowning from all the confetti and taffeta as well as the deviled eggs that fall off the hors d'œuvres tray. Now, if I am to truly set all childish things aside, then I will see the movie for what Ms. Bloomwood is wearing—the real star of the cinema. The gaudiness, lewdness, flamboyance, and obnoxiousness that drapes along her body could be bottled and sold as an energy drink. I would definitely buy that and that and that and, oh, also that. I love the overcaffinated approach. But in the end I only see myself giving it a simple 5.5/10. Go ahead and indulge, but watching people spend madly in Manhattan department stores while we're in this economic crisis seems somewhat sadistic and sinister if you ask me.

[Axizol]

Music Reviews


The Fame by Lady GaGa

Track Listing
Song Title indicates a bonus track.

Just Dance
Lovegame
Paparazzi
Beautiful Dirty Rich
Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
Poker Face
The Fame
Money Honey
Again Again
Boys Boys Boys
Brown Eyes
Summerboy

Paper Gangsta
Starstruck
I Like It Rough



Lady GaGa is a new electro/pop singer, but is quickly on her way to stardom. Her debut album, The Fame, definitely took the music world by force.

The title song, The Fame, talks about someone, or even a group of people, who enjoy the finer things in life. The song has a very catchy beat, the chorus hitting you hard everytime it plays. In addition to a strong beat, the song's lyrics are surprisingly accurate and very relatable, which is what makes this song so attractive to GaGa fans.

As for the rest of the album, there are other several songs that deserve mention. The album's first single, Just Dance has got to be one of my favorite songs of all time. Although the lyrics are a bit silly, the concept is very wise and the electronic beat is to die for. Poker Face, the second single is another amazing song. The heavily electronic beat on this song will keep you dancing for hours! Lovegame, Boys Boys Boys, and I Like It Rough are also mention-worthy songs.

Overall, this album gets a rating of 8/10 from me. This is a must have album!

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All I Ever Wanted by Kelly Clarkson

Track Listing
Song Title indicates a bonus track.
Song Title indicates my pick for best song from the album.
Song Title indicates my runner-ups for best song.

My Life Would Suck Without You
I Do Not Hook Up
Cry
Don't Let Me Stop You
All I Ever Wanted
Already Gone
If I Can't Have You
Save You
Whyyawannabringmedown
Long Shot
Impossible
I Want You
If No One Will Listen

The Day We Fell Apart


Released just last week, Kelly Clarkson, the FIRST American Idol, is making a huge impact on the music world. Her new album, All I Ever Wanted, is full of powerful songs and strong lyrics.

The title song, All I Ever Wanted, has an explosive chorus that you can't help but love. The beat behind the entire song is upbeat, but you can feel the emotions behind it very easily. The lyrics are beautiful and are in true Kelly Clarkson style. This song is easily one of my Top 3 Picks from this album, possibly even the best song.

My Life Would Suck Without You has a very... frank title. Although the title of the song is a bit blunt and not like Kelly at all, the song itself is amazing, having a very Since U Been Gone feel. If I Can't Have You and Don't Let Me Stop You are other mentionable songs from this album. If I Can't Have You has a very strong beat, while Don't Let Me Stop You is a more emotional song.

The most emotional song on this album, however, has to be Cry. Cry is a slow song, but the lyrics hit you hard. It's about a break up and about betrayal. Once you get through the chorus just once, you'll instantly fall in love with this waltzy song. Definitely one of the highlights of the album.

Overall, this album gets a 7.5 from me. There are some songs that are iffy, but overall it's a worthwhile buy.

[Roxas[Nobody]]

I read Black Tattoo 2 years ago, I only finished part 1 though.
Good review Indiejocky.