Friday, April 27, 2012

[Review] History of the World: Part I (1981 movie)

Summary: Mel Brooks brings his one-of-a-kind comic touch to the history of mankind covering events from the Old Testament to the French Revolution in a series of episodic comedy vignettes.

Rating: R. 

Run Time: 92 minutes.

Other warnings: Sexual jokes are present throughout the entire movie and there is quite a lot of profanity... so don't show kids this movie :P

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I can safely say this was one of the most perverted movies I have ever seen. Apparently my friend was going to watch it once too, but her parents were like, "NO. This is too innapproriate." (Unlike mine.) But it was really quite funny as well.

PROS
It was hilarious. They reimagined things such as the parting of the Red Sea (which turned out to be Moses raising his arms/hands because he was being robbed). Some parts of the movie were amusing innuendoes and other you wouldn't really be able to understand without knowing the basics of history and their rulers, but even I got them (and my general knowledge level is nearly null). My favorite part of the movie probably makes me immature but it was a part near the beginning of the movie (so it was in "Ancient Rome"). Tge main characters were walking into a place where the senators spoke in Latin (which sounded like nonsense). The main characters dessed up in togas and instead of speaking latin (which was BS to them), they just walked in saying, "bs, bs..." Yup. I'm officially super immature.

CONS
The only things that actually really annoyed/irked me was that the main characters stayed constant throughout the entire movie. Or atleast the actor, Mel Brooks, did... (He played the roles of Moses, Comicus, Torquemeda, Jacques, and King Louis XVI!) Oh, and the fact that at times it was too perverted for me to handle and so I had to turn away and plug my ears >.< My mom, of course, was like, "No, its a good movie, you need to watch all of it." T_T So I stayed through the torture and found the movie mostly to my liking.
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They went through history like this:
  • The Dawn of Man
  • The Old Testament
  • The Roman Empire
  • The Spanish Inquisition
  • The French Revolution
Also, at the end, there was "Previews of Upcoming Attractions" in History of the World: Part II (which never came out).
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Trivia tidbit: Apparently the catchphrase, "It's good to be king." originated in this film (it is used many times during "the French Revolution")

Quote:
Jacques: Don't cry, my dear. I may not have been born a king, or lived like a king. But at least I can die like a king!
[He strides to the guillotine with dignity]
Citizen Official: Your Majesty, do you require a blindfold?
Jacques: None!
Citizen Official: Have you any last request?
Jacques: None!
Citizen Official: Test the guillotine!
[Another executioner triggers the guillotine; the blade comes down and chops the head off a wooden dummy] Jacques: Holy shit! Uh, wait! Wait! Last request! I have a last request!
Citizen Official: What is your last request?
Jacques: Novocaine!
[the Official confers with the Executioner]
Citizen Official: There is no such thing known to medical science!

Jacques: I'll wait!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Do Something Selfless Team Abnegation Giveaway


Today's TeamAbnegation Giveaway is for a finished copy of Insurgent or a $10 Amazon Gift Card (winner's choice).




If you choose a copy of Insurgent you will be contacted on May 1st.  As soon as your mailing address is received a copy will be ordered from either Amazon or The Book Depository.  If you choose the Amazon Gift Card it will be emailed to you.

There are several ways to enter.  You can enter daily between now and April 30th to increase your chances of winning.  There are 3 different messages you can tweet.  Choose to tweet 1, 2 or all 3 each day.

 Contest open to anyone who can legally enter.
 Ends 4/30/12

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, April 19, 2012

[Review] Rae of Hope by W.J. May

Goodreads:
 How hard do you have to shake a family tree to find out the truth of the past?
Fifteen-year-old Rae Kerrigan has never questioned her family’s history. That is until she accepted a scholarship to Guilder Boarding School in England. Guilder is a very unique, gifted school.

Rae has no idea what she is getting herself into or that her family’s past is going to come back and taunt her. She learns she is part of an unparalleled group of individuals who become marked with a unique tattoo (tatù) on their sixteenth birthday. The tatù enables them to have supernatural powers particular to the shape of their marking.

Both her parents were marked though Rae never knew, as they passed away when she was young and never told her. Learning about her family’s past, her evil father and sacrificial mother, Rae needs to decide if there is a ray of hope for her own life.
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In General
I found this book really interesting and unique. It mimics Harry Potter in some ways, but the world that is woven is interesting enough that it doesn't really bother me. I would recommend you read it :D

About the Plot
A couple months before Rae's 16th birthday, she was sent to a school for the gifted in England. She has no clue what she's getting into until she reaches there since her Uncle and Aunt have never told her anything about her past. Everyone at Guilder except for her knows about her past, and know her as the girl who's father used his magic for evil, which they are not supposed to do, and then died in a fire. All the students at Guilder get a tatù  on their 16th birthday (it pretty much grows on their skin) because of their bloodlines. This tatù gives them special powers, each conforming to the marking, which they are training to use. Rae's tatù is a huge fairy that's really pretty :) Throughout the book you learn about Rae's past along with her, especially about her father. There are people who want to harm her and people who want to enlist her.

About the Main Character
Rae Kerrigan is a strong character, although slightly naive. She's really cool, and does what she seems is right, which is a strong point. At first she seems slightly confused and seems to think it's the world against her but she soon realizes she has true friends at Guilder. It seems all the guys at Guilder have a crush on her, and that gets quite amusing xD

About the Love Interest
The love interest (the main one) is called Devon Wardell. He's really nice and well.. amazing. He's got a tatù of a Fennec Fox and has some fox-like skills.Some of them arecool nocturnal talents apparently, and super speed. On of Rae's inner thoughts were, "Hmm... cute, superhero, tactful and now, trustworthy... nice package.
That sums him up pretty well ;) 

About Other Characters
My favorite among the more minor was Molly, Rae's roommate :D She's super cool and her tatù lets her meddle with electricity. She's a curious chatterbox, but a nice curious chatterbox, and on the first day Molly went around asking all the 16+ people about their tatù xD Julian (a student who can draw the future) is pretty cool too xD And of course, who could forget Riley? They most prominent member of the boy with a crush on Rae (other than Devon). He was really funny too :P

The Ending
I really didn't know who the bad guy was until it was revealed >.< Neither did I know who the good guy was. The ending had a bunch of twists that wasn't revealed before, and I found it really interesting :) I can't give away much with out spoilers, but yay!

Quotes xD
"A boy on the opposite team dribbled the ball near his goalkeeper. In the blink of an eye, he’d passed midfield and streaked around a defense player. He took a shot on the net, scoring easily. Rae blinked and rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things.
“No goal! No goal!” Devon waved his arms in the air. “Riley, you know the rules. Only natural play—no gifts!”
“Give me a break! I can’t help if my slow running is faster than everyone else’s,” Riley shouted. His teammates cheered and slapped him on the shoulder.
“You’re not faster than the speed of light without your gift! No way can you argue with the laws of physics.” Devon tapped his head and the other boys laughed. “Trying to impress the girls?” The guys started walking over to where the girls sat.
“No goal! No goal!” Devon waved his arms in the air. “Riley, you know the rules. Only natural play—no gifts!”“Give me a break! I can’t help if my slow running is faster than everyone else’s,” Riley shouted. His teammates cheered and slapped him on the shoulder.“You’re not faster than the speed of light without your gift! No way can you argue with the laws of physics.” Devon tapped his head and the other boys laughed. “Trying to impress the girls?” The guys started walking over to where the girls sat." -page 19

and then when Molly got her tatu
"Molly scrunched her face into a puzzled look, then suddenly she brightened. “Holy crap! You’re right. I’m going to be able to create electricity or something super cool like that. Oh my goodness, this is going to be so awesome.” She swung around and grabbed Rae’s hands as she jumped up and down.
Rae went flying across the room. She slammed into the wall and slid down onto the bed. She rubbed her head, just above her ponytail. Shocked, she stared at Molly who stood with her mouth open, surprise written across her face.
They both started laughing.
Molly offered Rae her hand. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think…I had no idea…”
Rae crawled around the outstretched arm, shaking her own hand. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll avoid the hand contact for a bit.” She stood. “I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting that.”
“Neither was I.” She spread her arms wide, bumping the wall. The lights dulled and then began flickering above them. “What the -- ?”
“Hand.” Rae pointed. “On the wall.” Shouts sounded outside the hall.
“Oops. Guess I’d better figure out how to control this.” She stuffed her hands into her pockets. The lights stopped flickering and the shouts outside stopped.
Rae went flying across the room. She slammed into the wall and slid down onto the bed. She rubbed her head, just above her ponytail. Shocked, she stared at Molly who stood with her mouth open, surprise written across her face.They both started laughing.Molly offered Rae her hand. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think…I had no idea…”Rae crawled around the outstretched arm, shaking her own hand. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll avoid the hand contact for a bit.” She stood. “I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting that.”“Neither was I.” She spread her arms wide, bumping the wall. The lights dulled and then began flickering above them. “What the -- ?”“Hand.” Rae pointed. “On the wall.” Shouts sounded outside the hall.“Oops. Guess I’d better figure out how to control this.” She stuffed her hands into her pockets. The lights stopped flickering and the shouts outside stopped."
        -page 59

5 out of 5 stars
I can't wait for the next book :O

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Failed Brain Lateralization Test Results

Brain Lateralization Test Results
Right Brain (60%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain.
Left Brain (44%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain
Are You Right or Left Brained?
Personality Test by SimilarMinds.com


My reaction: O.o
How in the world does this work? Last time I checked, 60+44 does not equal 100 XD
Someone help? :P

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

$25 Amazon.com Gift Card compliments of Team Abnegation

Hi guys! Again. I'm gonna be putting up a lot of Abnegation stuff because I'm Team Abnegation, and here's the latest :) You can get news about Insurgent and Team Abnegation here: http://bit.ly/abnegationfaction

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, April 2, 2012

[Review] Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.


I loved this book, which actually surprised me (the length made me think there was a whole lot of unnecessary stuff). My friend has been telling me to read this for a really long time, and I kept procrastinating when I saw that it was 563 pages long. I finally did get it, but it still took me a couple months to get up the courage to read it >.<

Vocabulary:
Caster: A caster has powers, although each caster has their powers focused in a certain area. There are healers, people who can LOOK like other things (illusionists), people who can look at a place and see through time periods (how the place was in the past and the present), etc.
On their 16th birthday, a caster chooses to be either dark or light.

Also, anything highlighted in white so you can't see it are spoilers...
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So the plot is pretty much that Lena is a caster and she's a very, very powerful one. She's also the related to the most powerful dark caster. She's 15 and she's afraid that she's going to be a dark caster because a long time ago, her ancestor was cursed. The curse specifies that all of her descendants will be chosen to be light or dark by a really old book- they won't have a choice like most casters. This book is pretty much about Ethan and Lena, and how Serafine (the dark caster) keeps trying to kill Lena, and how they avoid it.

The characters are pretty well rounded, and since this book is in Ethan's point of view, you don't go through the confusion of switching POVs, and we get to know a lot about Ethan, with out all the information seeming forced. You are also able to understand a lot about some of the less important characters, such as Link (Ethan's best friend) and Amma (Ethan's housekeeper). The characters are all pretty awesome, though, especially Lena's uncle, Macon Ravenwood XD

For some entirely random reason, my favorite character was Macon Ravenwood.  And then, they KILLED him. Really, why did they have to do that? <--- that was rhetorical by the way. I suppose I understand why someone had to die, and why it was Macon, but REALLY.  He was the most amazing character! (to me) I suppose if I asked other people they'd say Lena, Ethan, or some other equally important character :-/ I guess Macon being nocturnal made Ethan call him a vampire but still T_T Macon did not deserve to die by any stretch of the word.

Anyway, you should definitely read this when you can, and I will be reading the next book soon :D

Next book:



Sunday, April 1, 2012

Insurgent ARC Giveaway

Team Abnegation is also doing a Insurgent ARC giveaway!
In case you don't read read the Terms and Conditions here is something very important: 
The Rafflecopter is a shared form and it is the same giveaway for 1 ARC on all blogs.
Remember to click on http://bit.ly/choose_abnegation once a day!
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Team Abnegation!



Project Tell Taylor

Abnegation: The Selfless

I will be my undoing 
If I become my obsession. 


I will forget the ones I love 
If I do not serve them. 


I will war with others 
If I refuse to see them. 


Therefore I choose to turn away 
From my reflection, 
To rely not on myself 
But on my brothers and sisters, 
To project always outward 
Until I disappear. 


*Some members add a final line: 
“And only God remains.” 
That is at the discretion of each member and is not compulsory.


Join Team Abnegation and help them win the #DivergentNation challenge!
You can join at this link
Even if you want to support another faction, please click on this link once a day (http://bit.ly/choose_abnegation)
  You'll need to use the bit.ly  or the view won't count :-/ 
The link will show you faction news(:


Kathy @I Am A Reader Not A Writer is one of the 10 team leaders and there will be lots at her blog(:


On top of that Abnegation has giveaways for its supporters, so check out those links^