Entertainment Monday: (Monday December 28, 2015) Scott Weiland

*Posted on behalf of Jon Bear 

You can not have grown up as I did (as a teenager) during the decade of the 1990s without having been effected in some way by the Grunge phase of popular music that originated out of the Seattle, Washington area led by bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam and featuring many talented bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Queensryche, Mother Love Bone and The Stone Temple Pilots (known as S.T.P.) who's lead singer was the extremely talented and extremely troubled Scott Weiland.  Weiland would later go on to front the very successful group Velvet Revolver among several other bands as well.  

When Kurt Cobain of Nirvana committed suicide in April of 1994 it was terribly sad and surprising for a generation of music fans who were caught up in the Grunge phenomenon.  If there were any Seattle Grunge band member who's death you may have expected to hear about it would have been Scott Weiland because of his much publicized and troubled history with illicit drug use.  While I was never a huge Grunge fan, I appreciated a lot of the music and the bands Alice and Chains and Stone Temple Pilots were probably my two favorites.  

A few weeks ago prior to Christmas, Scott Weiland passed away while he was on tour with his current band.  There is a great deal of speculation and some controversy around Weiland's death which is most likely drug related, and would come as no real surprise for a guy who was in and out of rehab on countless occasions since his early 20s.  I wanted to take a moment though this week to remember Weiland and some of the amazing music that his bands created, reflecting upon the artist and his immense talent.   I am grateful for the music Weiland helped to bring into so many lives.  While his personal story may forever be a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug addiction, his professional story will always be about the musical legacy he has left behind.  

Interstate Love Song: STP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjJL9DGU7Gg  

Pretty Penny: STP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWj73gYZDUk
Plush: STP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXhmwMdUKfA
Vasoline: STP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht672-wYelc

Fall To Pieces: Velvet Revolver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JhsUFuqbCM

Rest in Peace Scott Weiland.  

Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer- Review by Carlyn

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I started reading the Artemis Fowl series when I was a teenager and it’s only now that I have decided to finish the series. Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian is the last Artemis book out of an eight book series. There are also graphic novel depictions and some short stories called The Artemis Fowl Files. The Artemis Fowl series is about a boy genius who starts off as an arrogant criminal mastermind who becomes good as the books progresses. Artemis was never an evil character; instead he was uncaring and arrogant towards others. He mostly made inventions and stole and scammed from other bad people. 

 Artemis’ life changes when he learns that the magic world exists.  At first, he exploits the fairy people but later cares for them and protects them from danger.  Artemis makes friends with Holly Short, a fairy who is part of the police unit called LEPrecon and Mulch Diggums, a dwarf burglar. Artemis also has a bodyguard called Butler and Butler’s sister Juliet.

In this book, Artemis has to face a crisis on an epic scale as his fairy nemesis Opal Koboi has broken free from jail once again. This time around, she is determined to end the human race by releasing the Beserkers, who are ancient spirit warriors that protect the fairy race. The Beserkers possess Artemis’ family so Artemis must find a way to release his family and save humanity.

The action happens where the first book began which was at Artemis’ home, Fowl Manor. This time, instead of being enemies, Artemis, Holly and Mulch are battling Opal Koboi instead of each other. The story is darker with more violence and death than in the other books. The human and fairy world are impacted on a global scale resulting in millions of deaths. Usually, the fairies are able to wipe minds and destroy evidence but this time the damage is too hard to hide.

I found this book to be quite the page turner since the stakes were so high in this book. Despite the darker feel of the novel, the action still has a hint of ridiculousness in it that lightens the mood. For example, the heroes get chased by possessed rabbits and bees who side with the bad guys. In this book; it’s just one narrow escape after the other. Some of the escapes were just a bit too convenient though, with other characters just happening upon the scene to save them. I liked the possessed element as well, as it was an interesting obstacle to solve and as I mentioned before provided some comic relief.  I felt sorry for the casualties that died when possessed as they were not responsible for their actions.

I thought that the loyalty and devotion that the heroes shared with each other was beautiful. They were like a little family and willing to die for each other. It was great that everyone had a skill or talent that was useful to help in their survival.  I also have inkling that Holly and Artemis might be a couple when Artemis grows up but that’s just wishful thinking on my part. Artemis was just as clever as he was in the other books. I felt that in this book, Artemis felt even more pressure to save the day. I admired his strength on appearing calm and collected even when he didn’t know what to do. He really didn’t need to do that as his friends; particularly Holly could see when he was bluffing.

It was sad when I reached the end of the book because it meant I had finished the whole series. The ending of the novel was great for the final book and a little sad as well. The heroes and the world they live in are forever changed. It has been a fun experience reading the Artemis books over the years. The characters grew and changed and the stakes in the adventures always grew higher. If I ever have kids I would love to read it to them or if I ever have my own class, I would let my students read the books. 

Entertainment Monday: Lady and the Tramp (Monday 21 December, 2015)

Lady and the Tramp was one of the first movies I watched as a child. My grandma owned a copy of the video and every time I went to visit, I would watch the video. My grandma was a teacher aide for a French language pre-school and her copy of the video was in French. I was enthralled by Lady and Tramp despite the language barrier. There was even a time when I thought that Lady and the Tramp was a French film. I decided to rent Lady and the Tramp at the video store as I wanted to see how I’d feel about it as an adult. I also wanted to see what it would be like in English.

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Lady and Tramp is an animated Disney movie from 1955. It is about a golden cocker spaniel named Lady (Barbara Luddy) who lives with her owners Jim Dear (Lee Millar) and Darling (Peggy Lee). Lady gets confused when her owners have a baby and by all the new changes to her family. Fortunately, Lady has her friends Jock (Bill Thompson) a Scottish terrier and Trusty (Bill Baucom) a bloodhound to help her.

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Life gets tough for Lady when Jim Dear and Darling go away on a business trip. They leave their baby and Lady with their aunt Sarah (Verna Felton). Aunt Sarah hates dogs and shoos Lady out of the house which is more than she can bear. A mishap results in Lady getting lost in town. She doesn’t know her way back but is befriended by Tramp (Larry Roberts). Tramp is a street dog who takes a liking to Lady.

I have concluded that I am still enchanted with the movie. Lady and the other dogs are so cute. I think it’s the little things that make this movie good. The animators did a good job in capturing the movement of the animals from how their legs move and their facial expressions. 

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I also liked how Lady’s owners are called Jim Dear and Darling which is what Lady thinks their names are because that’s what she hears. In the film, the faces of Jim Dear and Darling are rarely seen because the story is about the dogs. The world also looks so big from the dog’s perspective.

 I’m also glad that there isn’t any cheesy dog puns.The animation is old school as it was made in the 50s but it has a storybook charm. There is no singing apart from a little ditty that some Siamese cats sing.

Have you revisited any of your childhood favourites?

Stacey and the Bad Girls by Ann M. Martin- Review by Carlyn

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*Spoilers included*

Stacey has quit the Babysitters Club. She’s no longer friends with the members of the club and prefers to hang out with her new friends and boyfriend. It’s summer and Stacey suddenly finds that she has more free time as she use to babysit on a weekly basis. She spends her time with her new friends, listening to their favourite band U4Me and munching on snacks. Stacey’s mum gets sick of Stacey and her friends making a mess of the house and eating all the food so she tells Stacey that she must get a summer job. So, Stacey gets a job working as a child minder for Bellair’s which is a department store.

Stacey is really good at her job thanks to all her babysitting experience. Her new friends meet her every day after work and they spend time at the mall. Stacey loves her new friends as they are into fashion and obsessed with U4Me too. However, Stacey discovers that her friends are into shoplifting and drinking alcohol. Stacey doesn’t know what to do, the girls are all thirteen years old and without them she would be all alone.

It was interesting reading this book where the Babysitters Club is at odds with each other. There have been fights in other books but that usually gets resolved by the end of the story. There was some lead up to Stacey leaving the group in previous books, where she is unhappy with babysitting all the time and wanting to do other things. The Babysitters Club involves a lot of dedication from its members. The girls have meetings three times a week and babysit on a weekly basis. That’s a lot work for thirteen year olds so I can understand why Stacey would want to quit. As a crusty old person, I feel that the whole issue could have easily been resolved if the girls had an honest chat instead of a screaming match. Stacey could have asked to do less babysitting or take some time off or leave the group but still remain friends with the other girls. However, I know without all that fuss there would be no story.

Obviously, the Babysitter girls reconcile with Stacey, she loses her bad girl friends and she rejoins the club. Stacey is one of the main characters of the Babysitters Club after all.  I also get the feeling that Stacey could have been very happy without the Babysitters Club if she found the right friends too. While the girls reconcile, they don’t resolve the issues that caused Stacey to leave the club. Stacey just apologizes and tells them she’ll work her personal life around babysitting. I felt the other girls should have apologized as well for their part but they believe that only Stacey is wrong.

There is also a secondary plot in the novel about Mary Anne and Dawn who are babysitting their cousin Amy. Amy’s parents have gone to London for a holiday and leave Amy behind. The girls have so many fun plans for Amy but Amy spends her time crying because she misses her parents. One day, the girls play hide and seek with Amy and I wasn’t surprised that Amy used that time to run away. Fortunately, Stacey finds her while working at the department store and calls Mary Anne and Dawn. The event leads the way to Stacey rejoining the Babysitters Club.

I liked this book as it was interesting to see what would happen if one of the girls quit the club.  I wish it had been a more positive book and that Stacey’s new friends weren’t bad girls but just different girls. There is also a spin off series that looks into life without the Babysitters Club called California Girls which features Dawn. Dawn hasn’t quit the Babysitters Club but she moves to California to live with her dad for a while. The focus of California Girls is less on babysitting and more on teenaged life. It also has a more mature feel than the Babysitters Club books. 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Review by Carlyn

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A book review about Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was one of the first blog posts that I ever read. I had just started blogging and went around looking for other blogs to read.  I read so many book blogs praising this book that I was intrigued to read it myself.  I got this book this year thanks to Jon Bear. Jon Bear gave me a gift certificate from Amazon for my birthday and I used it to get this book. I haven’t always been readily accepting of gifts but I have resolved to let people do nice things for me.

Anna and the French Kiss is about an American teenager named Anna Oliphant who goes to Paris to complete her final year of high school. Anna doesn’t want to go to France but her dad enrolls her into the School of America in Paris so that she can become more independent and worldly.

At first, Anna is overwhelmed at being in a foreign country. She is unable to speak the language and she doesn’t know anyone. Fortunately, she is introduced Meredith who lives next door to her and she invites Anna to hang out with her friends. Meredith’s friends include Josh who loves art and is a high school junior, Rashmi who a senior in high school and Josh’s girlfriend and Etienne St. Clair who is also a senior and also artistically inclined. Anna develops an instant crush on Etienne but he’s dating someone else.

I liked Anna and found her to be relatable. I liked reading her progression in living in France; where she starts off from being shy about interacting with the locals to being able to go out alone. I also liked how by the end of the novel, she still hadn’t mastered the language but knew enough to communicate in French which I felt was realistic.

As I am an adult who likes to read young adult fiction, sometimes I find myself wanting to give advice to these imaginary characters. I know it’s weird but I start to care about the characters. In Anna’s case, I felt like she was my little sister. For example, there was this one part in the book where Anna has been avoiding the buffet line in the school cafeteria because she can’t speak French and is worried she’ll make a fool out of herself. 

So Anna survives on pears and baguettes until her friends make her go to the buffet. I found that so amusing and cute. Anna discovers that the servers know a little English and that they are nice. Rashmi points out that most Europeans are fluent in English or can at least speak a little of it. I could have told her that as the servers work in an American school, they would know some English. If it were me, I would have spoken to the servers in English and tried my best to pronounce the food on the menu. I would also mime or point at things if necessary.  I find that most people are nice and understanding to new people learning a language.

The pressure is on. They’ve teased me all week, because I’ve avoided anything that requires ordering. I’ve made excuses (“I’m allergic to beef,” “Nothing taste better than bread,” “Ravioli is overrated”), but I can’t avoid it forever. Monsieur Boutin is working the counter again. I grab a tray and take a deep breath.

(Perkins, 2011, p.54).

 “NOW THAT WASN’T SO TERRIBLE, WAS IT ANNA?” St Clair hollers from the other side of the cafeteria.

(Perks, 2011, p. 55).

There were lots of other cute moments in the book as well. I found myself thinking wistfully about my teenaged life though my adolescence wasn’t spent any near as beautiful as Paris. Paris is really showcased in this novel and Anna goes to many touristy places as well as the local haunts. I think the author did a great job in showing how magical Paris can be.  Of course, after reading this book I learnt about the Paris attacks which were so shocking because Paris is one of the last places that I thought anything like that would happen.

Paris is the city of love so it’s no surprise that Anna falls in love with her friend Etienne St Clair. He’s the dreamiest senior boy who is artistic, polite, kindhearted and manly so of course all the girls are in love with him. Etienne already has a girlfriend though and Anna has a love interest back in America. I thought Anna and Etienne belonged together and were soul mates. They have a friendship as well as a passion for each other. 

What was tedious about their love story was their other love interests. Etienne doesn’t want to break up with his girlfriend because he fears change.  He’s been with his girlfriend for a long time and they have been drifting apart even before he met Anna. Anna holds back her feelings for Etienne because he’s already got a girlfriend and she’s got a crush back home. The two eventually confess their feelings for each other but there are many misunderstandings that get in the way.

This book is actually the first out of a book series which are about girls going to new places and their adventures. It was a reminder to me that traveling is also an educative experience. I will be reading those books as well as this has become my favourite new book series for this year. I recommend this book for people who dream about vacationing and adventure if only in a book and anyone studying abroad.  

Entertainment Monday- Alina & Galimatias ( Monday 7 December 2015)

I was first introduced to Alina Baraz & Galimatias’ music from reading an article on Buzzfeed on summer music. I really enjoyed listening to the song Fantasy which was featured in the article.

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Alina Baraz and Galimatias are two individual artists that have collaborated to produce the album Urban Flora. Alina Baraz is a 21 year old singer from America; she is known for her sultry breathy voice and Galimatias (Matias Saabye Køedt) is from Denmark and specializes in electronica and dance music. The result of the collaboration is not energetic trance but easy listening house music. Most of the songs seem to be about attraction and seduction but tasteful.

There seems to be hardly any pictures of Alina Baraz or Galimatias which I have read is a deliberate move on their part. I believe it is so that their music is the main focus for now. I do hope that they continue to collaborate with each other and I look forward to hearing more from them.

Fantasy

I instantly liked this song when I heard Alina sing the first line. I have since had it on repeat for many times. This song reminds me of bright summer days and travelling. In the song Fantasy, Alina sings about how love can be like taking a vacation to the seaside on a tropical island.

Show Me

A song about seduction and attraction. Galimatias also sings in this song with his voice alternating into auto tune. The track is modern and unusual.

Pretty Thoughts

This song is my latest favourite from them. I think it is the most upbeat of their songs. 

Jessi and the Troublemaker by Ann M. Martin - Review by Carlyn

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For those new to the blog, I collect Babysitter Club books for the nostalgia. In this book, eleven year old Jessi Ramsey babysits Danielle. Danielle is a character from a previous book. She had cancer but is now in remission. After being sick for so long, Danielle engages in reckless behaviour as she is eager to get into all the fun she missed. The babysitters think that Danielle is out of control and wonder whether they should tell her parents.

The Babysitter book series features seven babysitters who all have their own distinct personality and each book focuses on one of the girls. Jessi is supposed to have a special bond with Danielle yet she doesn’t use her influence to talk to Danielle at all. Whenever an incident happened with Danielle, the babysitters just patiently told them to clean up whatever mess Danielle and her friends made. The girls eventually do say something to the parents but the parents are unfazed. Everyone is so happy that Danielle is in remission that they let her get away with things.

In fairness, I understand the babysitters’ hesitancy because they are still children themselves. The babysitters are aged between 11-13 years. In our time, most people wouldn’t leave children between those ages in charge of other children. The books were written in late 80s-90s where children had a lot more freedom.

It is not until Danielle does something that gets people hurt that her parents finally see she needs boundaries.  Danielle’s friends hate her afterwards because they get in trouble too. The kid logic was amusing to read, as the kids thought Danielle should be the only one in trouble because it was her idea. I used to have the same logic when I was a kid. I did not understand that if you went along with something, you were just as guilty too. So one of the babysitters pointed out what all parents say, which is “If your friend jumped off a bridge would you do it too?” Then everything is resolved.

There’s also a second story involving Jessi’s aunt. Jessi and her sister Becca eavesdrop on their aunt and think she’s going to get remarried. They think their aunt is going to have a surprise wedding so they plan their outfits and buy a present in preparation. I thought that subplot was cute and something out of an 80s sitcom.

This book was not one of my favourites out of the series. It was alright. What I did like was that it was nice to have a character from a previous book return. There are some books in the series which have special themes or issues such as diabetes, cancer, racism, death etc and this book is one of their special themed books. Mostly characters in these books are never mentioned again so I was surprised to see this book. 

The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and C. Cutler M.D - Review by Carlyn

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I’m a Buddhist but I’m not a practicing one. I don’t know much about the religion at all. I’m a Buddhist because my parents are Buddhists. We’re Laotian and it’s the main religion of Laos. My parents occasionally go to the temple to pray and that’s mixed with the cultural aspect too. Going to temple is a good opportunity to mingle with other Lao people and eat food after the prayer sessions.  I think my parents are not that religious but there’s some Buddhist influence in how they interact with the world.

You may wonder about my ignorance over my religion, my answer is that while I did attend temple many times when I was growing up, I never learnt much about the religion at all. Whenever we went to temple, the adults would go pray while the head monk would chant something in Laotian and all the kids just played outside until it was lunch time or they would be in the Lao language school. Also, there is no baptism involved in Buddhism so it was not like I was on a path to follow Buddha.

 I wanted to read The Art of Happiness to learn more about Buddhism. The Art of Happiness was written by Howard C. Cutler who is a clinical psychiatrist. He had a series of interviews with the Dalai Lama on the subject of happiness. Cutler wanted a Buddhist perspective on how to achieve happiness to compare with western notions on happiness. 

The book features quotes from the Dalai Lama and some meditations, along with statistics and observations by Cutler.

It became apparent while reading this book the depth of the discussion on happiness. I found the prospect of reviewing the book to be an overwhelming task. My reluctance is also due to the fact that I identify as a Buddhist but do not have any real understanding of the religion but wanting to do justice to Buddhist teachings.

The book is divided into four parts with three or four chapters exploring an aspect of the human psyche such as self esteem and suffering. The main ideas that I got from this book is that everyone has a right to happiness, suffering is part of being human and that one should be kind to oneself and others. I think those themes are apparent in most religions but I think Buddhism is more philosophical and less doctrinal about it.

The Dalai Lama answered questions thoughtfully and I thought that many of his answers were practical solutions bordering on psychology. The focus for Buddhism is enlightenment which does involve training of the mind through meditations and stopping negative thoughts and actions after all.

What was most thought provoking for me was the chapter relating to anxiety. They described many forms of anxiety but this instance was the most poignant for me.  Cutler and the Dalai Lama discussed whether the Dalai Lama got nervous before making public appearances. His holiness said he did and that he overcomes it by reminding himself that his efforts to help people are sincere and he tries his best. He also mentioned how people come to him expecting miracles and cures. The Dalai Lama cannot give people miracles but he tries his best to comfort people as best he can which gives some people peace.

 Cutler later related the story to a young student who was suffering from social anxiety. The student he had the advice in mind when he wanted to ask out a girl. He was nervous but remembered that he his intentions were good which helped to ease his nervousness. The student didn’t get the date but he was content that he had tried and that was enough for him.

I tend to be an over thinker and worrier especially when I have to do something out of my comfort zone. So, that advice your good intentions and trying your best gives me some comfort.  While the book wasn’t a life changing read, I was glad that I read it. I think it is one of those books where you gain a new understanding each time you read it. I wonder what I will learn next time. 

Entertainment Monday: Teen Beach Movie 2 (Monday 23 November 2015)

I was thrilled to discover the sequel to Teen Beach Movie was out on DVD. The first movie was about two teenagers, Mack (Maia Mitchell) and Brady (Ross Lynch) who by magic find themselves stuck in a 1960s teen beach movie called Wet Side Story. You can read the review about it here.

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In this movie, Mack and Brady are back in the real world. The two are about to commence high school again after the end of the summer vacation. Mack and Brady’s relationship gets tested when they return to school. They both have different lives and interests. The pair wonders whether their love was just a summer romance.

Meanwhile back in the Wet Side Story, the movie is not going according to plan. Lela (Grace Phipps) who is one of the main characters, has been altered from when Mack and Brady were in the movie. Lela doesn’t want to be just someone’s girlfriend or a damsel in distress. She leaves the movie by magic with her boyfriend Tanner (Garrett Clayton) to the real world.

Lela revels being in the real world. She loves going to school and the opportunities that she has in the modern world. Tanner is fascinated by everything but worries that Lela no longer needs him. The two sing and dance their way around to the bemusement of everyone else.

Mack and Brady try to persuade them to go back into their movie but Lela loves the real world too much.  The other characters in Wet Side Story don’t know what to do with themselves after Lela and Tanner leave. The Wet Side Story begins to deteriorate without the lead characters, so the secondary characters go after Tanner and Lela.

This movie is so cute and a perfect movie to watch for a movie night or a sleepover. I really enjoyed the sequel and thought it really built onwards from the first movie. I thought this movie was funnier because of how Tanner and Lela interacted with the modern world. I think Lela and Tanner were the highlight of the show and I loved their sunshiny dispositions. The movie reminded me of the Brady Bunch movies where the family lives in the 90s but everything about them comes from the 60s.

I liked all the songs in the movie that I want to get the soundtrack. I thought the dance numbers were really good and all the young people are really talented. I also think that this movie is empowering for young girls and a good base to discuss gender equality to children. 

Entertainment Monday- Wayne and Gillian's Wedding Soundtrack (Monday 9 November 2015)

In 2011, my parents attended the wedding of Wayne and Gillian. My parents knew one of their parents and that’s how they were invited. One of their party favours was a CD of all their favourite songs. My parents gave it to me and I wasn’t interested in it at all. I didn’t really look at it until a week ago when we were clearing away some junk.

So I decided to listen it and I was delighted by the music. The playlist features 15 songs. The song list is a diverse selection including Australian pub rock, independent artists and mainstream songs.

1. Sunsets -Powderfinger

2. Feel Like I should- Archer

3. Dinosaur-Kisschassey

4. Space They Cannot Touch- Kate Miller-Heidke

5. You’ve Got the Love-Florence and the Machine

6. Fall At Your Feet-Boy and Bear

7. Betterman- John Butler Trio

8. Keepsake-One Dollar Short

9. Wednesday Morning, 3am- Simon and Garfunkel

10. Forever and Ever Amen- The Drums

11. Why- Avril Lavigne

12. Burn your name- Powderfinger

13. You’re the Voice-John Farnham

14. Father & Son- Cat Stevens

15. Colourful- The Verve Pipe 

Stacey vs the BSC by Ann M. Martin - Review by Carlyn

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I’ve been collecting Babysitters Club books for some time now. I still haven’t read all of them nor do I have the entire collection. When I was little, I use to flick through them whenever I visited the library. I was too young to read them but I couldn’t wait to read them when I got older. I read these books for the nostalgia as it’s all in the 80s and 90s which was when I was growing up. It’s not quality writing but it’s entertaining.

The Babysitters Club series is about a bunch of teenage girls who babysit. The club is well organized with a club president, secretary, treasurer and alternate officers. The books focus on one girl in each book. Stacey vs the BSC is obviously about the babysitter named Stacey. Stacey is 13 years old, who loves fashion, boys and babysitting. She use to live in New York City but moved to the fictional town of Stoneybrook after her parents divorced.

Stacey made friends with members of the Babysitters Club and joined it as the treasurer of the club. As Stacey became more acquainted with life in Stoneybrook, she begins to make new friends and gets a boyfriend. Suddenly, she starts skipping club meetings and cancelling babysitting. She wants to hang out with her new friends much to the disapproval of the Babysitters Club.

I had some sympathy with Stacey in this book. Adolescence is a volatile time and it’s only natural for people to go through phases and meet new people.  In the book, Stacey’s has a hard time trying to balance BSC duties with hanging out with new friends. The girls have meetings three times a week and babysit regularly which is a lot for a thirteen year old girl. I can understand how Stacey would want to experience more and have fewer responsibilities.

Another issue I could relate to is losing a friend when they get a new boyfriend/girlfriend. I understand that they are so in love that they want to spend all their time together that they neglect their friends. I’ve heard of cases where girls break up with their boyfriends only to find that they have no friends anymore. The friends stop inviting them to things because they usually are too busy with their special someone.  

It was also interesting to see the Babysitters Club in a different light as Stacey became embarrassed by them when comparing them to her new friends. Some of her new friends are more fashionable and sophisticated than the BSC members.

It was easy to see that it all wasn’t going to end well. Resentment brewed between the club members and Stacey.  I think it could have all been resolved had they had an honest conversation instead of giving looks and terse remarks. What was interesting about this book was that the storyline continued in other books. Usually, issues are resolved by the end of the book and hardly ever mentioned again.   In the end, I know that the Babysitters Club will win out because Stacey is a key member.

                                                                             

I don’t mean to be rude but … by Simon Cowell- Review by Carlyn

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This book first came out around the time that American Idol was still new. I wanted to read this book to learn about how the reality singing contest first got started and know more about Simon Cowell. Simon Cowell is a music producer and judge for various singing and talent contests such as X Factor, American Idol and Britain’s Got Talent. He is known for his blunt honesty, which can cause upset with the contestants, audience and other judges. Some people hate him for his remarks but I don’t have a problem with what he says. I think he’s just a straight forward person. The book even includes hate mail that people have sent to him.

Simon Cowell is the son of Julie Brett (1925-2015) and Eric Selig Phillip Cowell, Sr. (1918–1999).  He has a brother named Nicholas and four half siblings John, Tony, Michael and June.  The Cowells were an affluent family as the father was a successful estate agent. They lived nearby a film studio and often had celebrities over at their house.

Simon wasn’t that interested in school and did various jobs before deciding that he was interested in working in the music industry. His father helped him to get interviews through his connections; which some people didn’t like.  Simon worked his way from the mail room to music executive.

In 2000, he was approached by Nigel Lythgoe to be a judge in a new reality show called Pop Idol which became so successful that international versions were launched. Simon went on to judge on other reality contests like X Factor and America and Britain’s Got Talent.

My impression of Simon Cowell is that he is a hard worker, ambitious and cynical. I think his confidence has paid off for him throughout his career. He was never shy about talking about what he wanted and his persistence paid off. There are instances in the book where he would ring someone non-stop for an agreement.

I thought he was also good at spotting current trends and cashing in on them. When the Power Rangers was very popular, he got the idea to produce a soundtrack as well as one for the World Wrestling Foundation. Others scoffed at the idea but millions of albums were sold.  I also got the impression that his idea of success is selling a lot of records rather than music as an art form .I don’t think that’s a bad thing because the music industry is a business and he is a music executive not an artist.

I think he has a talent for spotting talented artists and finding hit songs. He knew the Spice Girls would be hugely successful and he had wanted to buy Baby One More time which at the time was going to an unknown singer called Britney Spears. He also wasn’t afraid of telling people if he thought they couldn’t make it even when some of them were already famous and wanted to branch into singing.

There’s so many artists mentioned in this book and their songs that I went on Youtube to find the ones that were in the book. As all the songs are old now, some are pretty dated but at the time they were quite good. I didn’t watch much of Pop Idol or American Idol when it was on tv so I went to watch some of the episodes he mentioned in the book as well.

I think aspiring singers and entertainers would benefit from reading this book. The book features advice for entertainers wanting to become famous. Simon suggests aspiring singers should work hard on their craft; they should know what suits their voice, train, work on their image and find a platform for experience. He lists examples of famous stars who were first actors before they became singers such as Kylie Minogue and how it’s good to have an established fan base. Now aspiring talent have so many avenues to become stars, there’s so many reality contests and there’s always Youtube.

                                               

Entertainment Monday: Minions ( 26 October 2015)

The Minions originated from the movie Despicable Me. They are the henchmen for the evil genius known as Gru. The Minions were so popular that they now have their own movie. This movie is their origin story. The Minions are actually centuries old creatures, who have always linked up to alpha leader for survival, usually a villain. They have been henchmen for the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the ancient Egyptians and Dracula. They also have a terrible habit of accidently killing their leader so when it reaches the 1960s, they must find a new evil leader to follow.

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The Minions who decide to go on the quest are Kevin, Stewart and Bob. They end up in America and decide to be the henchmen of Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock). Scarlet is the most powerful villain in the world and she wants them to steal the British crown so that she can rule. She warns them if they fail, there will be dire consequences. They actually succeed but there still are dire consequences.

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I’m not infatuated with the Minions like some of my friends. They love the minions and would buy the whole merchandise range if they could. It makes shopping for their Christmas and birthday presents easier for me though. I’m not really a fan of high pitched characters that goof around. I was invited to this movie by a friend who had free tickets.

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Before you call the fun police, I thought this movie was cute and I liked the origin story of the Minions.  I especially liked Scarlet Overkill for her over the top theatrics; she really lived by her name. I learnt that the Minions speak a gibberish language with a bit of French, English and Spanish thrown in. They are still easy to understand as they point and nod a lot, the other characters confirm what they are saying and they just do whatever they want to do.

I think young children will really enjoy this movie and people who enjoyed the Minions in Despicable Me. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more Minions movies. 

Other film reviews you might enjoy:

• When Marnie was there

My 29th Birthday

My birthday was on the 27^th of September and I turned 29 years old. I can’t believe I’m so old! I don’t feel sad about turning older and I still feel that I’m still getting my life together. This year I decided to go out with my friends to celebrate my birthday. I invited my friends to lunch and to the musical Strictly Ballroom.

I had a hankering for Mexican so we went to Guzman Y Gomez for lunch. I had the fish tacos and pink lemonade. One my friends paid for my meal as a birthday treat. My tacos were smaller than I expected, I should have ordered more but I didn’t want to burden my friend.

It started to rain while we were eating our meals. I knew that it was going to rain and had been expecting a drizzle. Instead of a light rain, it was a heavy downpour with a sweeping wind. We even offered our table to some girls who were eating outside as it was raining so hard.

We had to walk in the rain to get to the theatre on time. Fortunately, I brought two umbrellas which we were able to share. We managed to get the theatre on time and not too wet. The show we were seeing was Strictly Ballroom. It started off as a movie directed by Baz Luhrmann who also directed The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge.

The musical is about a young man named Scott Hastings who is an amateur ballroom dancer. He causes a sensation on the ballroom when he starts to dance his own steps instead of strictly ballroom. Scott meets a plain Jane type girl called Fran who becomes his dance partner. Fran and Scott eventually fall in love.

I had watched the movie before so I knew what was going to happen in the play. I thought the dancing in the musical was awesome. I especially liked the opening number and all the glittery costumes. 

I didn’t actually watch much of the play to be honest. On my birthday I was coming down with a sore throat. I also felt a bit sick when I was at the restaurant that one of my friends gave me some medicine. It was the rain and having to entertain that made me worse. My friends don’t all know each other so I had to make sure everyone felt included and keep conversations flowing.  Maybe the medicine made me drowsy or maybe it was just the illness but I fell asleep during parts of the show. By the end of the day, I was close to losing my voice.

My gifts 

After my birthday, I developed a bad cough.It's almost the end of October and I still have it! I've been to the doctor and have been given antibiotics. I didn't wait until the last minute to go the doctor either, it's just that  whenever I have a cough, it tends to be lengthy illness for me.  I was fortunate that my friends took the time to come to my birthday and I appreciate all the nice things they got for me.

Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess by Carolyn Meyer - Review by Carlyn

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The Royal Diaries Series is a fictional diary series about real royal women from history. I have been collecting the books since I was a teenager and I finally have the whole collection. I have one book left to read from the series.

Anastasia (1901-1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas of Russia and his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna . Her family is best known for being the last royal family of Russia before communism took over. Anastasia and her family were murdered by the Bolsheviks. After their deaths, there were rumours that Anastasia had somehow escaped from the execution.  Many women came forward to say that they were the missing Grand Duchess. However, DNA testing has proven that none of the women are Anastasia and testing on the remains has proven that Anastasia did die with her family.

The real Anastasia 

The book chronicles Anastasia’s life before her family’s demise. The diary starts off in happier times describing Anastasia daily life. Anastasia hates studying and would rather take photographs and go sledding. She has four other siblings Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Alexei. Her mother and sisters think that she’s immature and unladylike but her dad likes that part of her.

The Romanovs

Anastasia and her siblings inherited Hemophilia from their mother which is a rare blood disease that causes heavy bleeding when injured. While Anastasia and her sisters had some symptoms of hemophilia, their brother Alexei had a rare form of the disease. In the diary, Anastasia describes how Alexei would develop big bruises after hurting himself and how his joints would hurt. The diary also mentions Gregory Rasputin, a holy man who helps to calm Alexei when he is hurt. Anastasia doesn’t like Father Gregory because of his dirty appearance and strange aura but she respects him for her mother’s sake. Her mother believes he’s a miracle worker and relies on his judgment. Rasputin’s influence over the Queen is unpopular among the people but the Queen ignores it.

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I felt a bit sad when reading the book as I knew what was going to happen to Anastasia. It was sad reading about her hopes for the future, how one day she’ll wear her hair up and have suitors. Anastasia was an innocent child who was ignorant of the political upheaval that was going on around her. The Russian people were starving from a famine and there was the First World War. It left a lot of jaded resentful people.

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I wonder what would have if the Romanovs had lived. I think Anastasia would have probably become a flapper because she was a spirited person. She probably would have married someone high born too. If the Romanovs had survived they might have lived in exile or if they remained in power, it would be a constitutional monarchy. I think Anastasia’s brother would have died young because he was always in poor health. Russia would certainly be different from the Russia today. I don’t know for the better or worse, it would just be different.