Elizabeth Fraser in her first interview for quite a long time:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/nov/26/cocteau-twins-elizabeth-fraser-interview

The first time I came across The Cocteau Twins was in an Iain Banks novel (not a commendation). The Crow Road. That’s one that starts ‘It was the day my grandmother blew up’. (I’ll ruin it for you: she was being cremated and her pacemaker hadn’t been removed.) The main character goes home for the first time in ages after starting uni, meets a girl he once fancied, reminisces about smoking joints and listening to The Cocteau Twins. It transpires that it still isn’t to be between them and he ends up shagging in Morse code with another childhood friend who, of course, has been there all along. And no, I did not make the Morse code bit up, go and read it.

Anyway, I was also about that time I was volunteering in an Oxfam record shop. My shift always coincided with a woman who had had a car accident when she was a teenager, the subsequent brain damage meant she was not steady on her feet and I spent most of the afternoon hoping she that each stumble would not result in a proper, painful fall. One afternoon, when it was her turn to choose the next record, she put on Treasure. The shop had an odd feeling of being completely cut off anyway, something to do with its mustiness coupled with a sound system that was a little over-zealous given the cramped surroundings. But it was a very wet afternoon and there were no customers and it had a peculiar effect. It’s very dense music. I won’t describe it any further than that because I don’t need to embarrass myself with slap-dash descriptions (see The Guardian interview and ’sonic cathedrals of sound’). Fraser’s voice really does seem to come from another submerged world which you can hear but you can’t make out the details. Towards the end of the album, the manager returned, was hit by the music as he opened the door and turned a little pale. Or at least his face dropped; “Did someone die?” Not even in a mocking way but in a genuinely unsettled tone. And I can sort of see his point. It isn’t music that can listened to lightly. And when I think about it, I’ve only ever listened to it in more pathetic moments. (Not that I wallow. Ever.)

If you ever have the misfortune (or mad desire) to look up the lyrics for the most part you’ll find complete gobbledegook (and contradictory goobledegook). In one of their better known and later songs ‘Heaven or Las Vegas’, you can actually make out words. I’ve read before somewhere (don’t remember where) that things started going wrong for the The Cocteau Twins as soon as you could make out words.  And I’m inclined to agree. The point isn’t to hear words. Words are useful for conveying emotion, but they aren’t essential. It’s like listening to someone speaking another language, you don’t know what they’re saying but you can tell how they are feeling. You can definitely tell if they are angry or upset and you can probably tell if they are talking to someone that they know well or a complete stranger. That’s what Fraser does, she’s speaking in another language which is pure expression. The words are arbitrary, it’s about sounds, the modulations of pitch, recognising different tones and interpreting the emotions they represent. Like how an abstract paintings can be interpreted in endless ways; it’s abstract singing. And I suppose that’s why it is so comforting, you’re not forced to identify with a set of words that relate to someone else’s experience that has no bearing on how you feel. You’re free to project.

There. Enough wankery for one day.

Oh, and apparently they are going to be on the soundtrack for The Lovely Bones. I hope to avoid this, the chunks are rising already.

And there’s this as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui3JZkITEkA

Jeff Buckley and Elizabeth Fraser – All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun

Apparently they fell in love with each others voices (what kind of weird narcissistic relationship is that?) but if that is the case, Fraser’s voice is under-used. Jeff’s voice is a controlled whine whereas Liz is pure passion, gutteral in places, shattering the rafters in others. I suppose they complement each other quite well but you’ll be able to guess by now who I’d rather hear more of.

Hello World! Hey! How ya doing!?
Today is Thanksgiving! Happy Turkey Day! I want to thank all my Native American chiefs and the Pilgrims for giving us such a wonderful holiday. I hope everyone stuffs their mouths with a lot of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry, corn, etc. Mmmmmmm Yum! Well, since today is such a blissful day, I will enter your minds’ with a jubilant post.

Every school has that one class that every single student takes during one of their semesters because it is extremely easy and exciting. For Syracuse University, it is Human Sexuality. Once a week, you attend a lecture and the professor either puts up slides of body parts or brings in homosexual/transsexual speakers. The class is thrilling because we always see something that we have never seen before. Two weeks ago, the professor put up photographs of extremely hairy vagina’s and funky penises. Those pictures had me cringing in my seat like a Kindergartner looking at body parts for the first time! The class used to use the same exam every year so everyone would get an automatic A. However, they finally decided to change it but it is still quite easy. Finally, for a large portion of the grade, every student must either write an essay, attend a discussion every week, or attend six couple enrichment sessions if the student possesses a girlfriend/boyfriend. So what do you think I did? Hell yea babyyyyy. I do have a girlfriend. ;]

Let me take a quick moment to introduce her. Michelle Jeon loves to eat; she often brags that she can devour up to six plates of food at the dining hall. She also loves to take pictures and has an extraordinary talent in which she can look exactly the same in every single photograph. She is a very passionate girl who works fairly hard at what she wants (except weight loss) and is a girl of many thoughts. She is different from what she appears as and I’m glad that I saw it. And um… I can go into detail about all the other important traits and qualities of her but that’s only for me to know =).  Also, I was just kidding; she really is not fat at all. She is very good at being a girlfriend and should minor in it!

So here are the adventures of our couple enrichment sessions. We were able to shrink six sessions into four by making each one longer. You are lucky I am sharing!

Session 1:

Honestly, I was scared. Michelle was too. We had heard many rumors that couples would often break up because of these sessions. So with this terrified mindset, we both walked into our first session. The first day was slow. The activities were not very fun and Michelle refused to talk because she was nervous… Therefore, we had to rely on my smooth mouth. We had two counselors, Monica and Natasha: We were Monica’s last couple while also being Natasha’s first couple! So anyway, our first activity was a questionnaire. Michelle and I had to sit in a tiny room and answer questions about our relationship while the counselors waited outside; we had to circle a number from one to ten (Disagree-Agree) on questions like “Will you and your partner get married?” Sounds boring huh? It kind of was. We then proceeded to ‘Emotional Jenga’, which was a little bit more fun. Basically, it is the same as regular Jenga but under some of the blocks are adjectives that we would have to connect with our love life. So for example, if the word was “jealous,” whoever pulled it out would have to tell the significant other of a time when he/she was jealous in the relationship. What went on during the game will stay enclosed. It is a life between us two and it should stay like that. Don’t you think? But I did tell her that I will keep her safe forever when I pulled out “Safety.” Hehe.

Session 2:

This day was probably my favorite. By the way, we were in a larger room! Also, Michelle started to talk because she was now comfortable so it made our experience better. So when we walked in and settled down, the counselors whipped out a sandbox filled with sand. Then they also opened up three closets overflowing with toys. Our assignment was to use the toys to describe our relationship in the present, in the future, and how we view family. So we brainstormed together and built what was on our minds on the sandbox. The counselors took a picture of each situation but we liked the “Our relationship in the present” model the best so the counselors printed out a picture of that for us. Even though it is a bit embarrasing to say with my own mouth, I think the whole process was very cute; we tried really hard while giggling to closely translate whatever was in our brain to the sandbox. Our end product was this picture:

Michelle chose the treasure chest to portray that she treasures our relationship. She also decided that two little dogs would represent us and put us on a bridge to resemble that we will always be able to come together no matter the situation. I told her I should be a lion but she would not listen…She also picked two clay models, one with open arms and another crying, to say that we would always welcome each other with open arms at times of difficulty. I truly appreciated everything she did on that sandbox =). The first thing I did was place a snake and two devils under the bridge. From this, I tried to say that we would be able to be together even if there are obstacles. Then I placed a globe and made two soldiers point their guns at it. This means that we would be able to fight the world together and whatever it throws at us. The fire displays our love which will always be burning. The two empty books means that we will both write and live a beautiful story with each other. (It was really cute when Michelle placed just one book later on for the “Our relationship in the future” model and said that our life stories will become one). The open shell facing up means that we will always open up to each other without hesitation. On the other hand, the Spongebob hints that we will also be a joking couple in order to have fun at times. Finally, the genie means that I will try and fulfill all her wishes. Honestly speaking, when else would 19 year old college students play on a sandbox with toys? However, it was a very bonding activity and I hope others can experience it. I came to the conclusion that corny exercises help a lot in relationship building. Plus, if you are with the person you appreciate, everything should be fun.

Session 3:

We started off by drawing our family trees. This activity was good because we learned a lot about each others families. Obviously. One thing that I can tell you guys is that her family does not own a pet. On the other hand guys, I hope all you readers know about Yodi! Anyway, while I was figuring out my family tree, I realized that I did not know many names and ages of people in my family. But please forgive me, my mother has eight siblings. Somehow, I finished it and it was pretty accurate. As you can see, mine (top) is far more complicated than her family tree.

The activity that came after was probably the most meaningful activity out of everything. The counselors gave us blank white papers and told us to decorate a border. After we had borders, they told us to write each other a compliment. I told her that her smile brightens up my day and that all my stress goes away for a moment, and more. We then had to make another border and had to write each other a secret. I told her about a time in my life when I completely changed from a shy boy who had no friends to a confident young adult doing everything right. A story that may seem cliche, but how music saved my life (I will probably write about this in a future entry). It is a point in my life that not many know about, not even my parents. Anyway, with these two activities finished, we were dismissed. While walking out, Michelle and I told each other how happy these sessions make us; we would always walk out extremely joyful every time.

Session 4 (Last):

The last session =(. Although these sessions take up precious free time every Tuesday, I was really sad that it was soon ending. I liked it because I had fun but also because I knew that it made Michelle happy. Anyway, Michelle was in a bad mood this day; she felt sick and was feeling down because coffee sometimes does that to her. And to make everything better, one of the counselors (the fun and experienced one) was late. So we were stuck with an inexperience counselor working by herself which made it a bit boring. Our first activity was to draw a flower and write inside the pedals things that have changed within our relationship because of the sessions and what we should still fix. During this activity, Michelle was being very difficult: she sat down and did not do anything. LOL. Since I am such a nice guy and since I knew she was not feeling well, I did the whole activity by myself and acted as if nothing was wrong in front of the counselors. I made it seem like Michelle was contributing so that the counselors would not suspect anything.

After much hard work, we started the second activity. It was a game to find out how well we know each other. So for example, when the counselor said “favorite food” we would write our own answer on the bottom and what we thought the other person’s favorite food was on top. If you got it right, you would get a point. Another question was “What would you miss the most if you guys were long distance?” We both put “Everything.” You know what it is. Finally, when all the questions were asked, Michelle had more points than me and I had to give her a prize. She wanted me to make her dinner so I will have to do this once in the near future.

I am so glad I got a chance to attend these sessions. It was an opportunity in which Michelle and I were able to grow as a couple. We were able to look into what may happen in the future, how we could become a better couple, and learn stuff about each other that we did not know of. I really recommend couple enrichment to every couple, especially if you go to Syracuse University. I thank our counselors for leading us and hsowing us a great time. I asked them “Why did we have so much fun when other couples say it was intense and often break up?” They responded “We went easy on you. We sensed that you guy are really healthy and had no problems to bring up. You deserved to have a great time.” Michelle and I bought them chocolate and handed them a card each. They told us we were the first to ever do that. We ended our last session with a group hug. <3

Bottom: Monica
Top: Natasha, Michelle, Me

The largest ever hoard of Anglo Saxon treasure has been valued. The gold, which was found on 5th July this year in Staffordshire, was discovered by Terry Herbert while he was out practicing metal detecting on farmland belonging to Fred Johnson. It has now been valued at £3.28 million by the independant Treasure Valuation Committee. The money will be split equally between the two men. The treasure consists of  more than 1,500 individual pieces. The collection includes pommel caps and hilt plates. All in all there is 5kg of gold. The significance of the find is being compared to being, at least equal to, the Sutton Hoo discovery of 1939. Highlights of the collection can currently be seen at the British Museum in London. Thanks for reading.

A particular title from a blog article I saw today reminded me of these words of Jesus found in the ‘kingdom parables’ of Matthew 13, as they are known:

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” ⁵²And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” (Matthew 13:51-52)

Jesus had just spent quite a lot of time laying out teaching about the kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven. And He had done it in parabolic fashion, as was His habit at times.

First of all, I think it interesting that He asks the disciples if they understood all the things He had just taught. There simple response is, ‘Yes.’ It’s interesting because they don’t always understand the parables, though Jesus would take time to explain if necessary (see Mark 4:10-20). But, even more, Jesus used parables to sometimes confound those that are not His disciples, not even willing to give an explanation to help them understand (see Matthew 13:10-17).

But here, after some helpful explaining from Christ, they say they do understand all these things.

So, Jesus continues with some helpful concluding thoughts following His parables: Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.

This is probably a well-known passage, at least to any Bible student or the one who has been walking with Christ for quite some time. But I am intrigued about a few things from this verse:

1) Firstly, the people spoken of here are trained for the kingdom of heaven, or kingdom of God. This isn’t patty-cake, patty-cake Christianity. This is true discipleship, true following of Christ, truly seeking first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.

It was Paul who taught that the ultimate goal for the body of Christ was maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16). He told the church in Colossae that he struggled with all his energy to present them as mature (Colossians 1:28-29). And Paul let Timothy know that the teachings he had passed on must now be entrusted to faithful people (2 Timothy 2:2).

So, back in Matthew 13, Jesus is not trying to form a group simply made up of Sunday-attendees. Nor is He even try to build a group that could say they have one or two extra add-ons like a small group or Bible study attendance. He is passionately concerned to build up a people who are trained and equipped to follow Him. He wants a prepared Bride to marry, one that is pure and spotless. Remember, He did say He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). Thus, we must at least expect His commitment to this.

Can we catch the heart of Christ to see His followers trained for the kingdom of God?

2) Before moving on to some thoughts about ‘things new and old’, I note that Christ said these things come out of the treasure. Whatever path we want to go down in considering what this treasure is, let’s just stop and realise that this is a treasure.

Again, He isn’t calling us into anything that is a little extra add-on. He is calling us into things that are worth something. Matter of fact, this is so worth something that we should be willing to sell all that we have for this treasure (see Matthew 13:44-46).

And the things that we bring out of this treasure are things of worth. I mean, come on. Don’t we get caught up in the slightest of details at times. Don’t we get caught up in those things that are worth nothing in eternal perspective. But what a patient Father we have. Whatever those old and new things are, they are at least worth a whole lot from the God-perspective. These are things that would withstand the testing of fire (see 1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Remember, we are pulling from a treasure. This is no trivial matter.

3) Lastly, a true disciple of the kingdom of God knows that they are to bring from the treasure both new and old. Now, this is incredibly hard in a 21st century, individualistic society. It’s all about now and today. There is no room for yesterday, much less yester-year.

Of course, the young guns will remind us of the deadness of many things of old. And I do know there are such things that must be discarded, if you will. They served their purpose, but it is time to move forward and move on.

But, again, we must marry the two together, find that healthy tension between the two. At least that is what Jesus tells us the wise scribe of the kingdom does. If you want to go to either extreme, then you will never truly walk in line with the kingdom perspective. And you will never pull from that treasure.

That’s challenging!

For the one who only thinks about today – they have missed it. For the one who lives in a land of nostalgia, only remembering the good ol’ days – they have missed it. But the one who catches a glimpse of the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of the King, they know that they are to pull things both new and old from the treasure.

I want to be this kind of disciple: 1) trained for the kingdom, 2) pulling out from the treasure, and 3) being faithful to pull out both new and old. This is the call of Christ.

Treasured moments with the call of fall,

Turkey, stuffing, pies and football.

To some a first, to some a last,

Time gone outliving  the past.

Tales told of moments lived,

Thanks, is the best gift we give.

(Psa 107:8)  Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

What is it that we can give to the One who gave it all?

Happy Thanksgiving, Pastor D

By: Ralph Covert, G. Riley Mills, Wilson Swain

Category: Book , Picture storybooks

Ralph Covert and G. Reilly Mills have penned a remarkable tale of adventure, heroism and a very creative read that your child will adore.  They’ve also crafted a beautiful, mystical method to explain exactly how toys become toys before ending up in Santa’s big red bag; your child’s eyes will light up. After reading this to my grandson, he said “read it again, please”.  He had me read it to him 4 times before giving it a rest for the night, after reading; he flipped through the pages till time for bed.  A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas is an instant holiday favorite and is a classic to be cherished.

Wilson Swain’s illustrations fill each page, which will mesmerize your child and have them dreaming of A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas.  This little treasure is a must for all parents and grandparents. M

         I’m so glad its thanksgiving break. Yet, my gladness over thanksgiving is overshadowed by my thankfulness for Christ’s sacrifice. In previous years, I used to wait anxiously for thanksgiving in order to get a break from life. But now, Christ is my daily break. I don’t need thanksgiving because I rest all year long!

         There is nothing in life that I treasure more than inner peace, a sense of belonging, and knowing that my life has a purpose. Oh wait, did I forget to mention the promise of eternal life? The source of those things I treasure is not thanksgiving, but Christ himself; these being the reason why my thanksgiving is overshadowed by my thankfulness for Christ’s sacrifice.

EbonyMarketPlace.net/sales has the privilege and pleasure to inform you about:

History in Action Toys

History in Action Toys -

The toy’s creator, Sterling Ashby,  launched History in Action Toys in 2005.  He says, “There’s some black folks from history that people haven’t really focused on that have some great stories,” noting Ralph Bunche and Paul Robeson as two of his favorites.  The mission of History in Action Toys: “We want children to see themselves reflected in the faces of our toys and have fun imagining the infinite opportunities life holds. By creating toys based on real-life American heroes, our goal is to inspire children to dream their own superhero adventures.  After all, toys should be fun but we believe they can even be inspiring.”

The Museum desperately needs your help! Legend has it that a Spanish ship loaded with a fortune of gold went missing somewhere in the Caribbean and was never found. This lost treasure is referred to by locals as the Caribbean Secret. Explore amazing Caribbean locations finding cleverly hidden objects and playing unique minigames to recover the riches in Amazing Adventures – The Caribbean Secret!

Caribbean atmosphere

Gorgeous scenes

Find the treasure!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows XP/Vista

CPU: 600 Mhz

RAM: 256 MB

DirectX: 7.0

Hard Drive: 54 MB

It Takes Just A second To Say Thanks,

It Takes Longer To The Work On This.

Amazing Adventures: The Carribean Secret

Join the famous Inspector Jacques Lamont as he pursues a dastardly gang of jewel thieves through the streets of the Big Easy in this exciting Hidden Object game! Scour the city of New Orleans for clues, from the haunts of the rich to gritty back alleys, to catch the crooks. Use your keen wits to bring these clever gangsters to justice as they attempt to cover their tracks and escape from Cajun Cop!

Perplexing puzzles and minigames

Unique atmosphere

Catch the jewel thieves!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows XP/Vista

CPU: 800 Mhz

RAM: 128 MB

DirectX: 8.1

Hard Drive: 96 MB

It Takes Just A second To Say Thanks,

It Takes Longer To The Work On This.

Cajun Cop: The French Quarter Caper

A guy by the name of  W.T. Purkiser said, “not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”  What are some ways you could use your blessings?  Think of ways to impact eternity.  Be creative this week, and find a way to be generous.  Do something specific and let me know what happened.

Compassion a treasured delight,
boundless in scale and generosity,
heart flowering in applied bhakti,
my path from darkness to light,
and what aids my real education in evolution,
the engaged remembering–
noting dark dreams of poverty,
paying attention to hurt imagined,
with such recall strengthens awakening reality.

I dream a confession of repulsion,
striving for compassion i ache in hatred,
and i wish heart opening apply in me,
so harsh judgment be damned–
let me stay fixed upon joy,
golden treasure suffuse my existence.

Compassion overcome my smallness,
make vulnerable my sore tenderness,
and relax this choke-hold upon understanding–
beloved let no destitute escape be mine,
grant me your strength to love,
i long for peace.

First Published Monday 23rd November 2009 here at Ace Gamez - Admitting you were wrong takes a lot of guts in this industry. Any developer willing to throw its hands up and come clean about its shortcomings is to be applauded. But rather than champion these studios, the typical reaction is one of scepticism from gamers who feel burned by a lacklustre title or by promises the developer failed to keep.  Just look at Sega which, year after year claims to have listened to the opinions of Sonic the Hedgehog fans desperate to see their favourite platform hero restored to his former glory, only to be disappointed time and time again. Ubisoft Montreal suffered a terrible backlash over the original Assassin’s Creed and, to be frank, the whole thing became an absolute circus for no good reason. Sure the game was repetitive and the stealth mechanic was broken in several places, but as a technical yardstick, it was highly impressive.

Two years on, the launch of Assassin’s Creed II was in some ways a lot more exciting than the release Modern Warfare 2. The gaming majority knew Infinity Ward’s shooter would be good, but how would Ubisoft’s sequel stack up to the original? Would it make good on the developer’s promise to make things right again or would it fall completely flat? With so many questions surrounding the story and how the war between the assassins and the shadowy templars would play out this time around, it was surprising to see Ubisoft scale back on the pre-release media hype. The game was visible, but it was promoted with a muted confidence that seemed to suggest the studio was on to a winner.

So after much waiting and debating, the game has finally been released and thankfully, it is indeed a vast improvement over the original in almost every aspect. But instead of hitting the ground running, the opening 20 minutes are more of an awkward stumble as we see Desmond and Lucy escaping the Abstergo labs and engaging in some clunky stealth sections and clumsy fighting. Don’t let this put you off however as the core of the campaign will have you hooked, delivering a balance of well-paced action and a narrative that is rammed-full of gripping twists and turns. Before the escape sequence, Desmond hops onto the Animus one last time to pin point the birth date of Ezio Auditore, the lead character of Assassin’s Creed II and the potential key to bringing down the templars once and for all. We see him being born in the 15^th century, shortly accompanied by a brief control tutorial that shows baby Ezio learning how to use his hands, feet and head.

It’s a touching scene that is let down slightly by your arrival at the assassin’s hideout. Once there, you meet two awkwardly stereotypical characters; one being a chap that takes an instant disliking to Desmond and the other is a quirky tech girl with a screw loose and an annoying voice. When compared to Ezio himself, this pair is as deep and as colourful as a murky puddle. You quickly learn that the assassins have busted Desmond out of Abstergo to hook him up to the Animus 2.0 and learn years of master assassin training in just a few hours thanks to the machine’s bleeding effect. It’s the same effect that unlocked Desmond’s latent eagle vision power at the end of the first game.

Once you boot up, you are whisked away to sun-drenched Florence and guided through a combat tutorial that sees Ezio and his brother scrapping with members of the Pazzi, a rival family that cause you a great deal of grief throughout the campaign. Many of the vast improvements on the original are apparent from the outset and while the combat system still sees enemies circling you and politely attacking one at a time, the pace has been ramped up here and you now have a greater range of attacks at your disposal. In fact, Ezio is much more adept than Altair was at the start of the first game, with improved speed, fighting skill and free-running ability, making things all the more enjoyable from the outset.

The first few hours follow Ezio as he runs errands for his father, defends his sister’s honour by beating up her unfaithful boyfriend and evading guards after being caught in the sack with his love interest. He’s a great character, coming across as a loveable rogue but he also hides a ruthless temperament that explodes into a flourish of violence at several points throughout the campaign. It is only after his family gets caught up in a conspiracy that we see his transcendence from street fighting nobleman to cold blooded assassin out to get revenge. In order to bring those responsible to justice, Ezio must work his way closer to the truth by completing missions for key figures around the cities of Florence, Venice and Rome.

While the original game suffered from a lack of mission variety, Ezio will have to prove his worth by completing a wealth of tasks ranging from simple courier errands to the key assassinations that drive the plot forward. There are also plenty of hidden collectibles to distract you from the core mission strands, but rather than serve as bragging rights, these actually have a purpose in the greater scheme of things. Treasure boxes are hidden in every nook and cranny of each city and these can be ransacked for Florets that can be spend on armour, clothes, maps and other useful items. Ezio can also pickpocket currency from civilians and thankfully, this is much simpler to execute than the erratic system of the first game.

Feathers replace flags in this game and these can be collected to complete pieces of a much bigger story, as well as glyphs that have been coded into the Animus by the mysterious Subject 16, Abstergo’s previous test subject. These well-hidden symbols unlock puzzles that all relate to the Pieces of Eden, a mysterious set of relics hinted at by Altair’s leader Al Mualim. Once you crack each puzzle, you are given a piece of an encoded video called ‘The Truth’ that, when completed, will reveal the truth behind the original of the Pieces of Eden. It’s genuinely intriguing stuff that keeps you pressing on to reveal more snippets of the overarching plot.

Each glyph is hidden on landmarks dotted around the cities and will require a lot of climbing to reach. Thankfully, Ezio is an adept free-runner, leaping and bounding across a vast playground of architecture with little effort. Another welcome addition to this instalment is the ability to swim. While you are restricted to swimming on the surface and unable to dive down, it does remove all of the annoyances of the first game’s instant-death water. Walking the streets has also become less laborious this time around. If you remember back to the first game, Altair had to walk painfully slow to avoid arousing the suspicion of guards and even the slightest increase in pace would send a handful of guards bearing down on your position with extreme prejudice. In short, it was annoying, but now Ezio is free to stroll around without too much hassle thanks to a brilliant notoriety system.

City guards are not permanently suspicious of you and are more or less likely to react to your presence based on your notoriety. For example, as you pickpocket, scrap with the Pazzi and kill targets, the guards will become even more aware of you and will try and stop you for questioning. Unless you evade their line of sight or distract them somehow, they will turn violent and attempt to kill you. Notoriety can be reduced by tearing down wanted posters with your face on them or bribing city officials. It’s a great mechanic that asks you to walk fine line between meeting your goals and keeping your status in check.

Status and wealth also play a significant role in the Auditore home town of Monteriggioni, which is where Ezio meets with his uncle Mario to further his assassin training. This serves as a central hub and by paying local architects you can restore the dilapidated town to its former glory and unlock new mission strands along the way. It is here that you first come across the pages of a mysterious codex that was written by Altair many years ago. Each page contains vital information regarding the methodology of the assassins, as well as blueprints for the tools of the assassin trade. These can be passed back to Leonardo da Vinci, a close friend of the Auditore family, who can then make new equipment such as dual wrist blades, concealed firearms and even a hand glider. The pages can also be taken back to Monteriggioni and re-arranged to reveal a greater truth about the assassins.

Needless to say, Assassin’s Creed II is a game full of intrigue and mystery that will keep you engrossed from the awkward opening to the epic finale. However, this is not a game that relies solely on myth or the creation of more and more questions. Ubisoft Montreal has worked wonders to salvage the series and deliver the game it always intended. While the combat still feels disjointed and at points, turn-based, it is the only slight downside in a game packed full of positives and although the campaign will take you around 20-30 hours to complete, you will be entirely captivated for the duration. Surely a measure of how to improve on an original design and one that other developers might do well to acknowledge.

93%

You know what happened when a human is being buried. There is no going back. There is no catching up. All there is to it is an awakening. And no one knows when either.

But when things are being buried, there is going back, there is catching up and there is also digging out. Unless it is buried deep, deep down together with all things related to it. Unless you guard it with all your life. Unless you died along with it.

There are people who thinks burying things is easy like a one way road with a no u-turn allowed sign. Some failed to realise when you bury things, you are merely putting it aside. In other words, it still lives. Whether or not it will live to tell the tale is entirely up to the path one chose.  And also what bitchy karma has planned for us. With karma, it’s always a waiting game which keep us on our toes. You never know what kind of things karma resurrects or is capable of resurrecting.

I reckon burying is both good and bad, both risky and sacrificial, both of bravery and cowardice. We cannot escape burying simply because  there’s just one too many skeletons in the closet. We are cowards for not facing it but we are brave in overcoming it. We aren’t prepared to battle it but we still face sleepless nights over it.

This is what happen when you depend on no one but the land you bury things in. They appear more reliable… until a landslide of course. Especially since it is absolutely rare for whatever one buries to become a treasure.

XOXO

Weight loss and me have been enemies ever since. Calories..oh! They are so difficult to get rid off. For a foodie like me who’d drool over any good-looking food, I can fall in love with every second dish. Calories weigh a lot when one wants to achieve weight loss.

But cutting calories takes away the taste. Not until I tried replacing majority of high calorie stuff with mushrooms. They are nature’s answer to weight loss. Mushrooms are naturally low in calories and contain virtually zero fat. One cup of most varieties of mushrooms contain 45 calories or less.

Mushrooms have a peculiar taste and they can easily replace meat especially beef. In fact scientists have worked out of its weight loss capabilities only to find out that when replaced with bee, meat-eating people of various sizes they were just as filling and contained far less calories. Those people never even returned to the original meat versions. Also people on a low-carbohydrate mushroom-based diet lose more weight and have healthier blood-lipid profiles than those on a typical low-carb diet. That’s wonderful.

This fungus is also a treasure trove of nutrients, quite unlike non-vegetarian, making them very appropriate for vegans and vegetarians. They are rich in iron, riboflavin, niacin, potassium, phosphorus, copper, zinc and antioxidants. They are also rich in protein, Vitamin D and B-12, and loads of fiber to keep your system running just the way it should.

A good example of replacing a high-energy density food with a low-energy one is replacing hamburger meat with a large Portobello mushroom on a burger. Portobello are shaped like a burger and have a meaty, heavy texture that’s filling. Many restaurants offer Portobello mushroom burgers as a vegetarian option on their menu. I like to marinate and grill large Portobello; how do you prepare you favorite mushrooms?

Tips:

1. Always try and cook mushrooms for they are higher in nutrients and cooking removes toxic natural compounds in raw mushrooms.
2. Always buy from authentic sources and never pick them up yourselves.
3. Never wash them instead wipe with a damp cloth
4. Use the stems for soups
5. Go easy on oil if you sauté them. They have great absorbing powers.

Calories in Mushrooms: 4 oz/100g = 13 calories

Happy weight-loss!

I can’t exactly remember when was the time I have watched the news regarding a Filipino who’s going around Cavite with his “kariton” (cart) but not to collect bottles and newspapers. Instead he’s educating children who cannot afford to go to school.

When I’ve seen it on TV, I was kind of teary-eyed. I mean, it’s not a joke to go around Cavite just to educated those poor children. I’ve heard that Efren Penaflorida is a teacher. I’m really amazed by him. I think he really loves his work to be able to do that. Some people choose a field because they want it to be their career but in Penaflorida’s case, I think it is his vocation.

It was like a long time ago when I’ve seen it on news. Long enough for me to forgot the details. A while ago, I was lucky enough to be able to watch some news and there I saw it.

The news was about the 2009 CNN hero of the year. I read at the website of CNN that more than 2.75 million votes were cast. For me, it really shows that people around the world is very much concern with education. As we can see, education is really important because it can help a person achieve his/her goal.

Let’s admit the fact that education appears to be one of the most important factors in a person’s life. With this, it can change the person’s status and disposition in life. My parents always tell us to study hard and finish our studies because no matter what happened, it is the only treasure that cannot be robbed from us.

I daresay Filipinos have talents which are world class. It was not a week ago when Manny Pacquiao won the boxing match held in Las Vegas against Cotto.

Efren Penaflorida is truly a hero. If Doctor Jose Rizal cure people for free way back in his time, I think Penaflorida is his counterpart in this era. His project would be more successful if the Philippine government aside from private sectors would help him to carry out this project.

I just hope that the Philippine government would pay attention to the problems in our education. Budget-cutting is not a solution to the problems being faced by our country. It would only worsen the situation.

Take on the role of Jack the Sharpshooter, a handsome pirate with a penchant for gold. When Jack stumbles upon an ancient casket, his curiosity is piqued and he sets out on an adventure full of magic, love, gold, weapons and a Cursed Ghost. Unravel the secrets of the ancient casket by finding Hidden Objects and get ready for the most astonishing ending!

161 levels to play!

Gorgeous graphics.

Intriguing pirate story

System Requirements:

OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista

CPU: 600 Mhz

RAM: 128 MB

DirectX: 8.1

Hard Drive: 59 MB

It Takes Just A second To Say Thanks,

It Takes Longer To The Work On This.

Pirateville

If you’re looking for an action-packed treasure hunt of a book, this isn’t it.  If you’re looking for a book about family dynamics and a young boy trying to find his independence in a world that won’t let him grow up, this book is for you.

Thirteen year-old Pete comes to his grandmother’s farm the summer his parents decide to divorce.  He hasn’t seen his grandmother in many years, and isn’t sure it will be much fun.  But Grandma makes sure Pete meets some new friends, teaches him about running a farm, and tells him about a secret treasure that has been hidden for generations. A suspicious man keeps visiting the farm, which only adds to the intrigue.  Cousin, Grandma’s dog, is his constant companion, and Grandma claims he can understand English.

During the summer, Grandma and Pete develop a strong bond, especially after she has an accident and Pete wants to care for her.  Pete also wants to find the gold that is believed to be hidden on the property, so while Grandma is in the hospital, he stumbles upon a skeleton and a secret map, and sprains his ankle in the process.  When Grandma has another setback, Pete is even more determined to find the gold and his decision may jeopardize his life.

Although I believe many people will enjoy this touchy-feely book, I found it took me almost a week to finish it, even though it’s only 188 pages.  For me, it was too slow, and I didn’t feel compelled to pick it up and finish it right away, unlike some of the other SSBOY books I’ve read. I did enjoy Pete’s character, as a boy who finds he’s more capable than anyone thinks.

Not sure if this book is set up for a sequel, but the imagery of a ghost city across the lake and the promise of another summer at Grandma’s begs for a continuation with another mystery.

Recommended:  Gr. 4 – 7

For more information: http://ronsdalepress.com/authors/luanne-armstrong/

Fragments of a secret prophecy are appearing all over Greece. The vital task of unraveling its code belongs to a young magician, Lidia. Follow her across Greece towards the regent of Athens, solving fragments of the prophecy along the way. Match gems to obtain letters, and activate the power of the artifacts! Untangle the mystery of this code and claim generous gifts and boundless gratitude as your reward!

Activate artifact power-ups!

Immersive story line.

Stunning graphics!

System Requirements:

OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista

CPU: 600 Mhz

RAM: 128 MB

DirectX: 6.0

Hard Drive: 44 MB

It Takes Just A second To Say Thanks,

It Takes Longer To The Work On This.

7 Artifacts

Your memory is a treasure
in the safe of my heart.