Heroes X

Willard Kalif asked:


Wizard’s First Rule is the first Terry Goodkind book in the Sword of Truth series which is also the basis for the ABC television series Legend of the Seeker. This is a review of this remarkable book.

This isn’t your typical epic fantasy book. Yes, it has all of the normal trappings you would expect such as an epic sized quest, plenty of conflict, and of course a dragon or two. This book has all those things but it has significantly more. In Wizard’s First Rule Goodkind shows us more than just an epic adventure story where our hero attempts to save the world from ruin.

 Our hero is named Richard Cipher and we adventure with him on a journey to becoming a seeker.  A seeker’s role is to find the truth in things and a seeker’s sword has the word “Truth” engraved on it. And it is in this journey to find truth that Goodkind takes this story from just a story to a real exploration of truth and the nature of good and evil.  There are many conversations and situations that explore the bipolarity of good versus evil and the grey area that lies between the two. Doesn’t it make sense that even the evilest of men believes that what he is doing is righteous? Yes it does and Goodkind takes a good hard look at this. He raises questions in your mind about the whole nature of truth and the real commitment it takes to find the real truth.  This is an intelligently written book that gives you more than just a story. It gives you lots of food for thought.

Unique Twist on the story

A typical and effective tool that a writer will use is to put our hero on a time limit -as time counts down the tension builds. It is very effective writer’s tool and in this novel Goodkind puts a nice spin on this. He puts the evil bad guy on a timer. Our protagonist (Darken Rahl) has a very specific time limit if he is to achieve his personal goals that will bring ruin down on the world. And our hero, along with a small group of companions can foil it all if they can just hold things off long enough for time to run out. It’s a wonderful reversal of the usual time limit based story.

The Story and Writing

The story and writing are superb. There are some interesting and surprising plot twists and things that happen. In other words you go along for quite a wild and exciting ride. And there are some unique fantasy themes and ideas like the Boxes of Orden and the Book of Counted Shadows which are both central to the story and quite unique.

Avoiding some of the Pitfalls of typical epic fantasy

One of the biggest problems I run across with epic fantasy series is the complexity they often contain. Many series of books have enormously complex worlds with a cast of characters that numbers in the scores if not hundreds. This complexity can get very confusing as various factions, lordships, families, and bloodlines partake in the story. In Wizards First Rule there is none of this. We are introduced to the central characters early in the book and as the story progresses we meet a small number of new characters that are central to the story.  It all flows very smoothly and it all stays on target. You won’t have to take any notes to keep track of all the characters.

Theme and Reading level

This book is not for children or for the faint of heart. There is some graphic violence and an extended torture scene that you will find unsettling. I found it uncomfortable to read and this is exactly the point that Goodkind was trying to make.  If you want to carefully study the ethics and morals of the battle between good and evil you have to fully show both sides of this coin – both the good in all its goodness and the evil in all its dark and unsettling reality. The only real way to defeat evil is to first see it and acknowledge it.

Wizard’s First Rule is an intelligently written and exciting epic fantasy story that goes beyond just a story. It is also an examination of ethics, values, morals, and the perpetual battle between good and evil. It will make you think about the nature of the struggle and the real purpose of the hero.

 



Karl Krinsen

Gregg Hall asked:


Throughout the 1970s, television programs (particularly hour long action/dramas) often featured heroes with enviable sports cars. Though not every car was particularly memorable or essential to the show’s personality, some television sports cars did manage to leave a lasting impression. Here are five truly unforgettable television sports cars from the 1970s:

Dan Tanna’s 1957 Thunderbird from Vega$

In the pilot for this popular seventies cop show, the show’s protagonist, Dan Tanna drove a bright yellow Corvette. Somewhere along the way the car was destroyed in the desert and Robert Urich’s character ended up with a bright red 1957 Thunderbird convertible. The T-Bird was, in essence, the co-star of Vega$. Urich commented that the sports car received more fan mail than he did. The show aired 67 episodes and through the entire production, only two of the 1957 Thunderbirds were used. The cars later appeared, painted an aquamarine hue, in the Richard Gere movie, Breathless. One cannot think of Vega$ without thinking of Tanna in his T-Bird cruising down the strip.

Jim Rockford’s Firebird Esprit from The Rockford Files

James Garner gave chase to villains in a series of gold Firebird Esprit’s during the course of The Rockford Files seven-year run. In addition to being Rockford’s most recognizable accessory, the Firebird was also a moving printing press. Always the clever detective, Rockford kept a small printing machine in the back to produce custom business cards to help him in his adventures. Over the course of the series, multiple model years of the gold Firebird Esprit were used. Despite the money problems that always seemed to evidence themselves on Rockford’s answering machine, he was able to buy new Firebirds regularly.

Joe Mannix’ custom Oldsmobile Toronado from Mannix

Though Joe Mannix began his crime-fighting career in the 1960s, the hour-long drama bearing his name survived into the 1970s. His customized 425 1966 front-wheel drive convertible Oldsmobile Toronado featured a slew of high-tech advances including a short-waver radio receiver and a hidden compartment that often housed his sidearm. The Mannix roadster wasn’t the only car used by Mike Connors during the show—in the later seasons he got behind the wheel of an assortment of vehicles—but it was certainly the most memorable ride from the series.

Columbo’s Rusty Peugeot from Columbo

One could argue whether rumpled detective Frank Columbo’s rusty old 1959 Peugeot 403 Grande Luxe Cabriolet really qualifies as a sports car. Even if it does in principle, it didn’t in terms of apparent performance. The chewed up old rust-bucket was a perfect companion to the equally disheveled detective played by Peter Falk in the popular 1970s detective series. Interestingly the Peugeot was later sold to a couple in Ohio who were located by network execs when the series was revised in the form of a few television movies in the late 1980s.

Starsky’s and Hutch’s Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch

The Ford Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch was such a big star that its red and white paint scheme and styling actually became part of the Ford product line. Even today, S&H Torino owners gather to display their souped up Gran Torinos and to revel in memories of a popular 1970s cop show. In terms of sheer recognizability, the S&H Gran Torino is in a class of its own.

You might remember Ironsides’ ride or what Kojak tooled around in. Perhaps you can recall Quincy’s car, too. But when most people are asked to discuss cars popularized in 1970s television, odds are they will mention at least a few of the top five listed above. These cars became stars in their own right, often nearly overshadowing their human co-stars.



THe iCE ManN

Dan Castro asked:


We are a society of hero worshipers. But we have had a dearth of heroes in recent years. Most of our leaders, superstar athletes, movie starts, CEO’s, presidents and senators have left us disappointed, frustrated, and disillusioned. These days, we have to look beyond the glitz of Hollywood, the weak excuses of superstar athletes, and the “spin” of politicians and CEO’s to find the true heroes.

Historical research shows that heroes have consistently followed the same set of principles over the last several thousand years without even knowing it. They have left us a well-worn trail to follow by their examples. Each of them, as individual role models, have joined together to form one giant, universal role model.

Heroes have an uncanny ability to look beyond the crisis of the moment and see a purpose so big and all encompassing that they forget, momentarily, about everything else, everything - including their own interests. These are the types of people who have always been our heroes - consistently over the last several thousand of years. These are the types of heroes we need more of today.

But who are these heroes and where do you find them? It turns out you don’t have to look very far.

At my Dad’s recent funeral in the little town of Castroville, Texas, a man came up to me and said, “Your Dad changed my life.” I was shocked.

My Dad was a typical old-style Hispanic authoritarian figure, with a jaw of stone, not prone to show great affection to anyone, including his family. He was a strong disciplinarian. We were terrified of him when we were kids. He could be harsh and cold at times, but he was still my Dad and we all loved and respected him.

He grew up in poverty as a migrant farm worker, traveling with the cotton crop harvest from season to season, living in small tent-cities with all the other migrant farm workers.

At the age of 17, he left home to join the Air Force. He did his basic training at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, like so many other enlisted men during that time. As it turned out, he had a very high IQ and became an intelligence officer, interpreting code as it was transmitted by the Russians during the cold war.

After receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he went to college at the tiny Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, where he decided to study to become a preacher. During the summers, he did volunteer work in the little town of Mason, Texas.

——————————————————————————–

In that town, lived an impoverished teenage boy named Fred Zavala, who was being raised by his alcoholic grandfather in a one-room shack with no furniture in it except a rusty old bed spring. He was an outcast. One day, a skinny Bible student came to visit. The student was out to change the world, one person at a time. The student invited Fred and his grandfather to church. At first Fred resisted. But, because of the student’s warm enthusiasm and zest for life, Fred eventually went to church. It was a small Hispanic Evangelical church in Mason, Texas.

At church, Fred developed a crush on a girl named Janie. But Janie’s father knew of Fred’s background and circumstances and was, therefore, not fond of Fred. Fred was never invited to Janie’s house when her father invited other church members over for dinner after church. Instead, he would walk slowly in front of Janie’s house with his head held low, his hands in his pockets, gazing longingly at Janie’s house, wishing he could go in.

Eventually, as the Bible student’s time in that little town was coming to end, he tried to get Fred a job so he could learn a trade and earn a living. He succeeded in getting Fred a job at an auto-mechanic shop, but things didn’t work out there. Then Fred got a job hauling rocks to building sites. Every day, under the hot, burning Texas sun, Fred faithfully hauled his rocks. It was not a glamorous job. But it was a job. He looked on with fascination at the skill with which the stone-masons cut and laid the stone to build beautiful structures. He thought, “I’d like to learn to do that.” He made an internal decision to learn stone masonry from the masons to whom he carried stone. By watching them and asking questions, he eventually did learn stone masonry. He pursued this craft with passion until his masterful work began to be noticed by others. His work received so much demand that he eventually started his own building business.

Over the years, he did well financially, and he eventually bought houses and land. He even married his dream girl—Janie! He also started a Mexican food restaurant across the street from the nicest steak house in town. Eventually, the steak house went out of business and the bank asked Fred if he was interested in buying the building. Fred did so and he turned the steak house into a thriving business. Now after church in Mason, Texas, most people eat at either Zavala’s Mexican Restaurant or Fred’s Steak House. The outcast who was rarely invited to dinner is one of the wealthiest men in town and owns two of the busiest restaurants.

How did this turn around come to be? It started with a poor, young college student with a passion for people. He saw what no one else in that little town saw. He saw riches where others saw rubble. The vision then spread and grew in the heart of a teenage boy who chose to believe in a force higher than himself and thus, came to believe in his own abilities. It happened because two unique men pursued their dreams with passion, consistent dedication, and blood, sweat, and tears. Neither Fred nor the young Bible student will ever be famous, but both accomplished their dreams. Both have lived happy, fulfilled lives. Fred obtained all he ever hoped for. The student accomplished his goals as well; he helped turn the life of a young man around from that of a poor outcast to that of a wealthy, highly respected businessman in the community. The student was my father, Daniel M. Castro. That’s why Fred Zavala came up to me at my Dad’s funeral and said, “Your Dad changed my life.”

We can now clone animals, and we may even be able to clone human beings soon. But we can’t clone character and integrity and the kind of selflessness that makes up the heart and souls of heroes. So, where will our future heroes come from? They will come from within. When we learn to see through the eyes of heroes, we will see the kinds of things heroes see. We will see riches where others see rubble. We will see opportunity where others see obstacles. We will be able to walk where heroes walk, and we will be able to act as heroes act. But first, it takes a decision. The decision behind the decision is to focus on a purpose bigger than ourselves.

When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, people from all over the U.S. invited complete strangers into their homes, and donated food, water, clothing, books and millions of dollars to the victims. It was a comforting reminder that if we ever suffer such a tragedy, there might be a few people out there who would come to our rescue.

When we help other people weather their storms, something unexplainable happens in the cosmos. Electricity starts to flow, we feel more energized, brain cells get more creative, people unite, hearts swell - and sometimes, just every now and then, miracles happen.

You don’t have to look far to find the true heroes among us. You may not see them on TV or read about them in the newspapers. But they are out there . . . changing the world . . . one person at a time.

Daniel R. Castro, author of Critical Choices That Change Lives: How Heroes Turn Tragedy Into Triumph. To download the first chapter free, go to http://www.dancastro.com



Smith & Wessen

Dan Lynch asked:


There’s something about the western. For a long time it was one of the most popular genres on the landscape of entertainment in America. From the 1930s through the 1970s millions of Americans flocked to movie theaters each year to see stars like John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and Clint Eastwood face down the bad guys. Louis L’Amour, the most prolific author of western novels in history (and my personal favorite) has sold 225 million books. The western dominated television in America in the 1950s and 1960s, with approximately 120 television series produced. The record for the longest running prime time television show (1955 – 1975) is still held by Gunsmoke, a western starring James Arness as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon. That record may soon fall, however, as several shows including, believe it or not, The Simpsons, are poised to equal or surpass that record. I guess nothing more starkly illustrates the changes in our society in the last few decades than the mind boggling fact that Homer Simpson may soon accomplish what scores of evil desperados couldn’t do over two decades – take down Matt Dillon.

 

The heyday of the western has come and gone but the western has not ridden off into the sunset. It is an indisputable fact that since the 1980s fewer films and television shows produced have

been westerns. Yet every so often some brave soul in Hollywood takes a chance and turns one out. Like a monster in an old grade B movie the western refuses to die.  

 

Though few and far between, the television western has not been buried on Boot Hill yet.



In 1988 CBS gave us Paradise, a prime time television series starring Lee Horsley as Ethan Cord, a gunfighter who takes on raising his sister’s four young children after her death. It was an excellent show and was more family oriented than a shoot ‘em up but managed to work in plenty of action due to the circumstances of Cord’s past. It ran for almost 3 seasons.

In 1989 CBS scored big with the made for television miniseries Lonesome Dove, which was based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Larry McMurtry that spent 20 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list. It is the story of retired Texas Rangers Gus McRae, portrayed by Robert Duvall and Woodrow Call, portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones undertaking the first cattle drive from Texas to Montana. Widely regarded as one of the finest miniseries ever, Lonesome Dove was not only critically acclaimed; it was a huge ratings success. Over the four nights it ran it scored a ratings average of 26.1 with a 39% share of the audience. It also won 7 Emmy awards, 1 Peabody award, and 2 Golden Globe Awards. Lauded for its gritty realism, Lonesome Dove proved that we still like a good western and if Hollywood turns one out we will watch it in big numbers. Apparently even actors are not immune to the captivating spell of a good western. Robert Duvall commented that of all the roles he has played (and that’s a considerable number considering he’s been acting since the early 1960s) his favorite was that of Gus McRae.

In 1998 CBS took a chance again by airing the prime time television show The Magnificent Seven, based on the classic 1960 film with the same title starring Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen. As a huge fan of the original movie I must admit I watched the pilot episode of the show prepared to condemn it as a cheap rip off and an insult to the fine film it was based on. I could not have been more wrong. It was not only a great show but the clever tweaking of the characters paid homage to the original. The show starred Michael Biehn as Chris in the Yul Brynner role and Eric Close as Vin in the Steve McQueen role. Unfortunately, the network kept bouncing it around on the schedule as so often happens and it never managed to find an audience. It was gone in 2000 with only 22 episodes produced. It is 2008 so I guess CBS should be putting out a western television series this year if the pattern holds. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.



 

Theatrical films have not been completely devoid of westerns either since the 1970s.



The 1980s - The Long Riders (1980), Pale Rider (1985) and Silverado (1985)

The 1990s - Dances With Wolves (1990), Tombstone (1993) and Wyatt Earp (1994)

The 2000s - Crossfire Trail (2001), Open Range (2003) and 3:10 To Yuma (2007)



This is by no means a complete list. I just picked a few examples for illustrative purposes.

 

Now we get to the meat of the issue. Why has the western not become extinct? I have a theory about why the American people are always receptive to the western.

 

The western resonates with us. It is perhaps the most uniquely American form of storytelling.

We Americans are a straightforward people. We like our entertainment straightforward. Good guy versus bad guy works for us. The Europeans call us blunt and simplistic. Maybe we are.  Maybe they just don’t understand a good old fashioned face to face to settle an issue. Nuance is for sissies. We did not build this nation with nuance.

 

The western is the ultimate morality play. There is no room for moral relativism. It’s about good against evil and nobody sits on the fence. We like the idea of good standing up to evil and defeating it. In this post 9/11 world I believe most Americans understand the need to take a stand against evil and defeat it.

 

Nothing typifies the American spirit like the western. Rugged individualists facing adversity with courage, dignity, a “Can Do” attitude, and just plain grit is a concept anyone can admire.

Westerns remind us what it’s like to face tough times without whining about how tough life is. When drought or flood or grasshoppers got the crops people choked it down and went on looking toward better times next year. When a rancher shot a wolf or a mountain lion after his stock he didn’t get sued by PETA. If a woman had to wield a rifle to defend the homestead while her man was away she didn’t look for a therapist afterward or keep the kids out of school for counseling.

 

We like our heroes. Whether it’s Superman standing up for truth, justice and the American way, Jack Bauer pursuing terrorists or our brave troops in the armed forces fighting to defend our nation we love our heroes. We need them. Our heroes are extensions of ourselves. They stand up for what’s right. They protect us. They defend the weak. Because of the very nature of the settings and circumstances of westerns there are more opportunities for heroic behavior than in more civilized and sedate environments. The western lends itself to producing heroes.

 

We’re proud of our country.  We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in a little over two centuries. We’re proud of what it took to forge this nation from the wilderness. We’re proud of what our country stands for. Even the things we have done in our history that we cannot be proud of like our mistreatment of the black man and the red man can lead us to be proud because we addressed those horribly unjust situations and tried to correct them. We have admitted we have done wrong and progressed as a society. We are not perfect but we should be given credit for being honest about the darker chapters of our history. I believe in a world where in the 21st century slavery still exists and certain nations rewrite the history of WWII to absolve themselves of guilt The United States Of America deserves to not be judged too harshly.

 

I believe these factors account for the American people’s affection for the western. I believe this is an enduring love affair that will never end. I believe there will always be room for a good western on the American entertainment scene whether it’s in the form of a book, a television show, a play, or a feature film. Yeah, there’s something about the western.



John Johnson

Jim McEwan asked:


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Smith & Wessen

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Surely, fans will miss Heroes while it takes a hiatus from our television screens due to the WGA writers’ strike, but while we’re all waiting in anticipation for Volume 3, a surprise has been cooked up for us in the form of a novel. Based on the NBC science fiction series, Heroes: Saving Charlie is a book that reveals the untold love story of Hiro Nakamura, played by Masi Oka on the series, and Charlie Andrews, who is portrayed by Jayma Mays, throughout their six month relationship before she was murdered by Sylar.

In Heroes’ first season, one of Hiro and Ando’s (James Kyson Lee) storylines was about having to travel to New York . Along the way, the two stopped at a diner in Texas , where they met waitress Charlie, who seemed to have special powers of her own. Shortly thereafter, Charlie was found murdered in the diner’s storeroom, with her brain removed, a sign that Sylar was behind it. Hiro was then determined to go back in time to prevent this, but he landed six months in the past, on Charlie’s birthday. He desperately warned her of her death, but she said that she knew she would die eventually, due to the blog cot in her brain. A relationship soon blossomed, but was cut short when Hiro unconsciously teleported to Japan .

In the upcoming novel, Heroes: Saving Charlie, fans and viewers will get discover Hiro and Charlie’s previous love lives. Centering on the two’s relationship, it will also explore each character’s nature and personalities.

Moreover, the book’s premise says that it is also Hiro’s mission to save the love of his live from a heartrending death that awaits her. Armed with his powers to manipulate time, Hiro vows to save Charlie. However, messing up with the events in the past will result in yet unknown consequences in the future.

To find out about Hiro’s adventure in saving Charlie, grab the novel Heroes: Saving Charlie, which hits bookstores on December 26.

For more resources about Heroes or for the full story of Heroes: Saving Charlie Released Next Week please review http://www.buddytv.com



THe iCE ManN

Patrick Arden asked:


No one can deny this fact that, it is very difficult to restrain the want of pursuing a hobby. Whether it is watching movies, playing a particular sport or reading books, it is very difficult to live without them. Likewise, if decorating rooms and places is one of your hobbies then I am going to provide you some information about posters and how you can decorate your place with them and from where you can buy them in good varieties.

Eyes are the best entertainer to the brain and it is obvious that most people remember and enjoy what their eyes come across. Be it a scenery, a movie or a television poster. The sense of sight has been a very effective medium when it comes to making the human remember thoughts and ideas. It has been utilized by citizens and groups in order to promote their battle against something bad or to promote something good. Everywhere in the world posters are being manufactured and syndicated for various purposes. These posters come in all shapes and sizes and in all colors and styles. Nowadays, people are buying posters on various themes for decorating. For example Television posters.

If watching television is your hobby and decorating places is your passion, then you can mix both these emotions and develop a good method of making your room or any place, be it a hotel, bar or restaurant, to look more beautiful. You can buy beautiful television posters. These posters depict TV artists, famous cartoon characters and also your favorite series crew, for example actors of the famous series ‘Friends’. It is very difficult to elope the magic of TV series and you can bring this magic to your room in the form of television posters.

Be it Simpsons, Snoopy, Snoopy And Friends, Sopranos, South Park, Prison Break, Sarah Jane Adventures, Scooby Doo, Sex In The City, Shaun The Sheep, Nintendo, Noddy, Pingu, Popeye, Power Rangers or Friends, every famous TV character and series poster is available under the category of television posters. And yes, you may not find these posters in such a great variety in general poster shops. Visit poster websites to search, compare and choose your favourite poster. And lastly, enjoy converting your hobby into passion.



Karl Krinsen

Patrick Omari asked:


Once upon a time, really not very long ago, if you wanted to know what it was like to play guitar you bought a guitar, learnt some chords and got sore fingertips before strumming out that first baby-steps, three or four chord song - usually “Knockin On Heavens Door,” “Smoke on the Water” or, if you bought a capo too, “Wonderwall.”

Then, as you progressed from strumming chords you could pick out individual strings and when you threw in a D and G you had “Everybody Hurts” and as the skill builds up you could tackle those songs that would make your wrist fall off with practice such as the circus like riff that opens “Sweet Child Of Mine.” With every Nirvana riff nailed a feeling of satisfaction would emerge and you’d become braver, tackling more complex sounding tracks such as Jane’s Addiction’s “Just Because” before your confidence was up enough to play with other guitar bashers - or, in technical terms: musicians - and learn more.

At least, that’s how I did it.

Not anymore though. This thing called Guitar Hero traversed its way from Japanese arcades to shop shelves. A miniature, plastic little guitar shaped controller with colour coded buttons in place of frets. No need to learn actual chords and riffs when you can push coloured buttons, as prompted along to guitar classics. Then there’s sequels and dedicated editions. Not to mention being able to hook it up with your mates games and have face-offs. If only you could do such things with REAL guitars.

Then there’s Rock BAND - to give you all the fun of being in a real band without any of that troublesome stuff of say, buying instruments, learning instruments, learning and writing songs and.. creating. Oh no, who needs that when you can spend upwards of 70 quid on a fake guitar or drumkit which, by the way, you look really cool playing, and PRETEND?! Wow, with one person singing, one person pushing buttons pretending to play guitar and another hitting colour coded drum pads it’s almost like you’re in a band! Wow.

Let me illustrate how I see this in terms of the devolution of music: imagine you’re walking down the street. You walk past a house and the garage door is open, inside a drummer twirling the bolts on top of the symbols and setting up while two kids churn out guitar chords and lanky kid with a bass (they’re always the lanky ones) tunes up. Two minutes later they’re in the middle of a slightly loose and ever so slightly out of tune cover of “Love Buzz.” It’s not great but they’re getting there and in a few months they’ll be playing it infront of people and calling themselves something like Plastic Glass and people will be jumping up and down. Teenage girls will be adoring them and soon they’ll be writing their own tunes and maybe, this is just a maybe mind as the record industry is in a scary state, they might even get to make an album.

Keep walking down the metaphorical street.

Now you come to a house with no net curtains, you can see straight through the window. Inside there’s a large tv and around it three young adults, one of them has what looks like a microphone in his hand, another has something resembling a stratocaster (it even says Fender on the headstock but you can’t see that from the street) and the other is sat behind what looks like half a drumkit but somehow.. not quite right. Then as images appear on the screen they start what looks like a game of make believe and dance around as if they’re pretending to be the band that made the music on the game. Never mind they didn’t write it, never mind that they don’t know how to really play but they are going to pretend they did. After three and a half excruciating minutes of watching these people pretend (just be grateful the kids in this house aren’t into it enough to dress up too) they do a little excited jump - perhaps even a little chest bump - and celebrate the fact that they got enough points to unlock another song they can pretend to play.

Now if people continue to do this instead copying songs at the first place you stopped how will music get made? Where will the soundtracks for your Make Pretend Game come from?! If you ask me, the only difference between Rock Band/ Guitar Hero and the old Harry Enfield sketch of Tim Nice-But Dim rocking out with his tennis racket to Dire Strait’s “Sultans of Swing” is that his racket wasn’t actually shaped like a little plastic guitar and could do something useful like play tennis.

It’s getting so bad that bands are actually releasing their songs ONLY via these games.

So yeah, if you wanna know what it’s like to be a gangster and blow things up then by all means by a game. And yes it may be fun and quicker than actually learning but if you want to know what it’s really like to play guitar, buy one. You can pick them up cheap enough to start learning on - easily as cheap as buying the game and controllers. If you want to get the rock band experience find a couple of friends that play instruments - not toy ones - and play with them. Trust me, it’s the most fun you’ll have.



cosmiclovehammer

Steven Gwillim asked:


My guess is you watch the television series “CSI.” Apparently the majority of America does, because it’s still referred to as the most watched show on television. We have a definite fascination with crime and the criminal mind.

I suppose we just want to understand why some people do the things they do. Well, now we get the privilege of watching how the process all unfolds through the eyes of a crime scene investigator. Okay, granted the show is fiction, but it’s still art imitating life on some level. Not to mention it’s so popular that there have since been several spin-offs. We just can’t get enough of the criminal justice process.

I can’t even begin to imagine how many people want to become a crime scene investigator now days. Gee, I wonder why this is. Could it possibly be related to Gil Grissom or Nick Stokes? Naa, after all those are just characters in a television series. No one could possibly believe that becoming a crime scene investigator in real life would be like having such a position on a television show.

Or could they? Well of course they do. The general public get ideas all the time. Careers and job fields are glorified on television and film. People view them long enough and start to believe that they know what the job would be like. Sadly they’re mistaken. Any job position or field of work can be glorified on the big screen. Heck, they can make you believe that a janitor is the coolest job known to man. It’s all in how they present it to you. Unfortunately being a crime scene investigator in real life is not like it is on television. Not everyone is going to be attractive or dressed suave and classy.

Examining the evidence is not going to be in some club-like atmosphere with crazy lighting and fancy windows. And most importantly, the criminals are not caught as easily as they are in television shows and films. While a crime scene investigator does have access to wonderful toys and gadgets, you can bet Hollywood takes it to a new extreme. Gil Grissom would pull a fingerprint off of a hair follicle that’s been underwater for 20 years.

It’s imperative to do some background work before assuming you know what it’s like to be a crime scene investigator. Find out what the real pros go through and what sort of education is required. You may be surprised to discover that the field is quite competitive.



Mang Mang

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Many celebrities today have chosen to use their high status as a means to raise awareness about different social and political issues that are close to their hearts. One such celebrity is Greg Grunberg, who portrays police officer Matt Parkman on NBC’s hit television series, Heroes.

Grunberg, whose popularity grew due to his work on the television drama series, Felicity, has decided to become a hero in and out of the small screen by leading the Epilepsy Foundation walk, which was held late last March. He chose to take part in the event mainly because his own child, Jake, is one of the many people around the world who have been stricken with the difficult condition. However, Grunberg has said that Jake is more than capable of engaging in regular activities and, more notably, has taken a more active role in educating others about the truth behind his condition.

Epilepsy, or what is also sometimes known as a seizure disorder, is a neurological condition that is made most problematic by the series of random epileptic seizures. Studies have shown that around 50 million people from all over the world are affected by epilepsy. Although the condition is incurable, it can be controlled with the help of medication, and sometimes even surgery.

Aside from his involvement in the Epilepsy Foundation Walk, Grunberg has also tried to raise money for the Pediatric Epilepsy Project (PEP) by selling works of art accomplished by his fellow Heroes cast members. Grunberg is the organization’s celebrity sponsor and was the host of the online art auction, which featured the self-portraits of the different Heroes characters. As can be seen on the PEP’s official website, the organization “was formed with a single, all-important mission: to raise funds, provide financial support and increase community awareness to help sustain the Division of Pediatric Neurology at UCLA.”

For more resources about Heroes and especially about Heroes’ Greg Grunberg Involved In Charitable Work please visit http://www.buddytv.com



Mang Mang