The Undead Army

"Here's your key, sir." Matt took the key from the worker. He was going to room 159 in the Piggy Banc Hotel. The Hotel was pretty fancy, and very cheap. Nari had given him one hundred Wurms to rent a room, and taught him the system of money for the country he was in, which she said was called Asarina. Snigs were bronze coins, they held the smallest value of the coins. Silver Wurms were equal to fifty Snigs. Gold Wiks were equal to ten Wurms. And Slunts, which were so rare that most people never get to see the platinum coins, were equal to one hundred Wiks.

Matt's room was pretty small. He had a bed and a table. That's it. It was only fifty Wurms so he still had fifty left. He had no weapons or clothes to drop off so he put his coin sack on the table and left the building. He walked around the village, noticing that since the morning a few more people had arrived. He enjoyed the shops that were scattered around the village. Especially the Smith's. The Smith sold his metal works as well as equipment for other smiths. But the reason Matt loved the Smith's shop wasn't because of what it sold. It was because of the Smith himself.

The village's smith was named Gannon Isaacsson. Gannon was a kind man and had given Matt a small daggger for free, claiming he made it when he was only eight years old. And Gannon allowed Matt to try his hand at Black Smithing (which Matt found very fun, but extremely difficult). And Matt left the shop with a burn running the length of his arm.

Upon returning to the hotel, Matt saw a notice board with a poster that caught his eye. On the poster was the image of a knife. Just below the image read the words "All lawbreakers and rebels are to be reported to any member of King Slamon's army." He liked the dagger and was pondering the words when he noticed a wanted criminal poster. This poster had the image of Chief Copun on it, and below the image was the word WANTED and the reward. The reward was very big. 500 Wiks.

The Glass Castle

I recently finished the book the Glass Castle. This book is amazing. It's a brilliant memoir by Jeanette Walls. Her sad story is turned into a masterpiece. The book tells of Jeanette and her family. Her Mother, an artist who doesn't want the responsibility placed on a mother, her father, who is always drunk and isn't exactly law-abiding, and her brother and sisters, Brian, Lori, and Maureen.

The Glass Castle tells of how the kids learned to look after themselves and each other, while their parents live their messed-up lives. There are tales of crazy kids, crazy events, and even crazier adults. The book holds memories like the time Billy Deel attacked them with a BB Gun, and when Denitta Hewitt bullied Jean in Welch, the Chiristmas she got Venus (the planet), and many many more experiences.

The book is exciting, touching, and extremely interesting all at once. To be able to turn your sad life story into a wonderful masterpiece is an amazing gift and Jeanette Walls has done exactly that.

The Secret Keepers

I always thought of Disneyland as magical. I thought Adventureland was an amazing place where kids could have... well ... adventures. I thought of Toowntown as hillarious. Frontierland was the cozy, old fashion town I just loved. Fantasyland was classic Disney, and i loved it for that. I loved them all. I loved the Pirates of the Carribean, the Haunted Mansion, and the Mad Tea Party. And I always wanted to know what happens in the park after dark. But the book the Secret Keepers changed that wish.

The Secret Keepers is about a boy named Finn and his DHI friends. DHIs are the new Disney Host Interactives, holographic kids who act as tour guides for Disneyland guests. When Finn gets a job as a DHI, he thinks that all he has to do is pose and let the tech guys make his hologram for free tickets and some money. His thoughts were way wrong. He ends up being woken up in the middle of the night by nobody. It would be fine, he just woke up at night big deal. It would be fine, if he hadn't woken up in the middle of Disneyland! He's suddenly thrown into an adventure, coming to the park at night and fighting evil Disney characters led by Malifecent the witch.

The Secret Keepers is extremely thrilling, it's the kind of book that keeps you up all night. It's loaded with personality and full of adventure. Magic castles, mysterious characters, and Disneyland like you've never seen it before.

Playing For Change.

I've been listening to the Playing For Change CD a lot recently. It's really amazing. So many people with so many instruments and cultures. It's really amazing. They traveled all over the world to find music, to see talented musicians play. All connected some how by their songs. It's really so very truly amazing. So many people just playing music, all playing the same tune. It shows how so many cultures and races can be brought together by one thing. In music, we can find peace. No matter who you are or where you live. Small things can bring us together. Remember that the next time you sing, strum your guitar strings, beat your drums, or play your piano, someone on the other side of the world is playing that exact same tune.

The Undead Army (continued)

The store was full of hunting items. Bows, arrows, daggers, spears, and other weapons. The store also had hunting maps, woodland camouflages, water skins, packs, medical kits, and a lot of other hunting gear.

"Does your father own this store?" Matt asked Nari.

"Actually, I do. I run it and clean. I buy the stock and make sure there are new sales and items every once in a while."

"Why would your father have you run the store?"

"Because...he doesn't live in the village. He's fighting in Slamon's army," replied Nari.

"What about your mother?"

"I never knew my mother. She left us after I was born." Matt hadn't any idea what it was like not knowing your mother. He suddenly felt pity for Nari. A young girl without a mother whose father is far away.

"I'm fine on my own. I can go out whenever I want and hunt and eat whatever I want. Now come, I'll show you upstairs." They went through a door behind the counter and up the stairs behind that door.

The house had one bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room. The bedroom had a single mattress and a small cupboard. The kitchen had a small stove and a counter with groceries on it. The living room had a table and a few chairs. That was it.

"I don't have much. I don't really need much because I'm never really home.," Nari said. After a short tour, Matt got hungry. He realized he hadn't eaten for a full day.

"If you have nowhere to stay, which I'm guessing you don't, you can check Piggy Banc Hotel. They have a resturaunt on the ground floor."

October

October is here! This is my favorite month of the year. I can't wait for Halloween and my birthday. This year I'm gonna be Barney Stintson. I love Halloween. Candy! So here's some facts about my favorite month:

-Did you know that October was named October because "Octo" translates to eight in Latin. October was the eighth month in the old roman calendar.

-The Anglo-Saxons called this month Winterfylleth (fylleth translates to moon) because the full moon of October marked the beginning of Winter.

-The Opal is October's birth stone. It is supposedly able to predict illness, losing it's shine if your temperature rises and becoming less colorful. The Opal is said to crack if worn by anyone not born in October.

-October is Eat Better, Eat Together Month.

-October is Filipino American History Month.

-The PSP Go was released on October 1st!!!!!!

-The Saxons called October Wyn Monath (translates to Wine Month) because it is the season of wine making.

-The 18th is Dog Whipping day, when all stray dogs have to be whipped out of town.

So there's the facts. I hope you enjoy October!

We're Moving!

Around June 2010, my family is moving to San Francisco! We're all very excited. I can't wait. I'm excited to stay in the states for a while. I've never lived in a city. San Fran has lots of cool places to see. There's Fisheman's Wharf, the Exploratorium, Ripley's Believe it or not San Fran, Zeum, Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Zoo, and many, many more. I look forward to visiting the Sony store too.

This will be the first time I live in the states, but the second time I'll visit. I went to Colorado once in the summer between second grade and third grade to visit my Dad. We went to Pikes Peak, a Native American attraction, and we took a road trip to California to visit Disney Land. We stopped in Vegas for a day and I had Denny's for the first time in my life.

I'm glad I'll be able to experience San Fran, I'll finally be living in the city. I can visit Disney Land once in a while, and Six Flags and Great America. San Fran has a lot of perks, but I will miss some stuff on Guam. I'll miss the beaches. And the hiking oppurtunities. And I'll miss the people and family on Guam. I'll be breaking out of my comfort zone, and leaving the people and places I spent my life knowing. But I'll have to face these problems if I want to see San Fran.

Inheritance Series

The Inheritance Trilogy, by Christopher Poalini, is probably one of my favorite book series. It's exciting, imaginative, extremely detailed, and all around a good book. It takes place in the country of Alegasia, a land where Dwarves, Elves, Humans, Urgals (almost like Orcs with horns), and a wide variety of creatures live. It tells the story of Eragon, a teenage farm boy living in the town of Carvahall. He lives with his uncle Garrow, on a modest little farm. But one day, Eragon finds a dragon egg, and it hatches a sapphire colored dragon. Eragon is suddenly thrust into an adventure he never even dremt about, brcoming a Dragon Rider and going on a quest to overthrow the evil king, Galbatorix.

In Eldest, Eragon goes to the land of Elesmera, home to the elves. This book is full of surprises. Way more than in the last book. Eragon grows rapidly and faces new challanges. And the end holds a surprise that can change all of Alagasia forever. Even the story of Roran is in this book. Saying anymore would be a spoiler. I haven't read Brisingr yet, but I will soon.

The books have an extremely interesting plot. The characters are also interesting. The cast includes Brom, a story teller from Carvahall who seems to know a lot about the Dragon Riders and Magic, Angela, a rather odd herbalist, Galbatorix, a mad king, and many many more characters.

The books contains many languages, I have no idea how Poalini remembered them while writing. There's the Dwarf language, the Ancient language, the Urgal language, and English. There's a huge variety of personalities and cultures in this book as well.

The Undead Army

"The troops are set sir. We're ready to move out at your command." It was midnight. General Voss Ran was gearing up for war. His sword was sharpened, and his troops ready. His attack was to be on High King Slamon of Winter Castle.

"Have them move out. We must move silently." They began to move. Most were excited about the battle. Some, like Lieutenant Brock were unhappy at the thought of attacking the king. The men were all part of Voss' Undead Army. They had been preparing for the attack for one hundred years.


"Yes!!" Matthew Parker had just won the award for his pewee league team MVP. He was in soccer. After the game, his coach took his team to get ice cream at the Guam Premier Outlet. They split up into groups afterward and explored. Matt went with his friend Peter to Bestseller. They had found the book they had been waiting for.

"I can't believe they have a special edition Voss' Army," said Peter. "I couldn't even find this online." Matthew was sitting in a chair reading a copy.

"Looks cool," he said. "Voss was ready to attack," he read. "The men were all equipped and armored. Suddenly, the battle cry of an Emotussen Indian rang out through the valley. Voss halted. He jumped. His legs were stronger than when he was alive. He was above the tops of the trees. He could see two boys. They were wearing blue soccer uniforms."

"Funny," said Peter. "We're wearing blue soccer uniforms."

"Excuse me," said a store clerk. "We'll be closing in five minutes."

"Come on, let's go," said Matthew. They left the store. Coach Brock met them at the bus stop near by. They were tired. The game was the full 90 minutes. Matthew took a nap on the bus.

When he woke up, the bus was going down a sort of forest. It was dark. Everyone but Matt and Peter had been dropped off.

"Where are we?" said Matthew.

"I don't know," said peter.

"Ya coach said ta drop ya off here," said the driver.

"Let's go," said Peter.

They got off. The bus sped away at a high speed. Suddenly, they heard a piercing cry. They could see the figure of a man above the tree tops in the dark sky.

"This doesn't look like home..." Matt said.

Matt and Peter were lost. They began to walk. Neither of them knew where they were going, and neither of them cared. They just started moving. They could hear nothing. All they knew, was that they had to move.

After a while, Matt said, "What can we do now? What if no one finds us. What'll we do then?"

"I found you," said a gruff voice behind them.

"Uuhh. . . . . RUN!" yelled Peter. An Indian grabbed them from behind.

"I won't hurt you." he said. "I'm emptying the forest. We need to get away from Voss. Follow me."

They had no other choice and nothing to lose. They thaught they were dreaming. Voss? In the forest? Impossible, they thought.

"Let's go," said Matt. They followed the Indian. "I'm Matt and this is Peter," he said.

"I am Epominom Travintosolosus. You may call me Epo. I'm an Emotussen Indian. It is nice to meet you." They walked for about an hour in silence. "We are nearing the end of the forest. My tribe is just outside the borders. I am the son of Chief Copuningontulofortusepus. My people call him Chief Copun."

They heard a voice, "Who goes there?"

"It is I, Epo son of Copun."

"Epo? Who are these travellers with you?"

"They are Matt and Peter from the forest."

"They may enter."

"Let's go," said Epo. They went in.

The village was small and cozy. It was filled with about a dozen huts. "My people live in these huts, but we are very few. Each hut can hold about 20 people," Epo said. "I do not stay in a hut like them. I prefer a place like this."

They had walked a short distance away from the huts to a clearing in the forest surrounded tightly by trees. There was a mattress in the corner and a pillow made from feathers and animal skin. A table sat in the center of the clearing along with four chairs all carved from a fine wood neither Peter nor Matthew could identify. On the table, were a map, a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a dagger.

"Please wait here, I must go find my father." He left the clearing. Matt went to the table and sat down. He looked at the map. It listed places he'd never heard about, even from the Voss' Army book.

"This is strange, the pictures on the map are moving!" said Matt. Peter came to look at the map.

"No they aren't," Peter said. The map was motionless. Just then, Epo returned.

"My father would like to see you," he said. Peter got up and walked toward Epo. "Why aren't you coming?" asked Epo when Matt made no indication to move.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something," Matt said. He got up and they went out of the clearing. Epo took them to a hut slightly isolated from the rest. They went inside. The hut was bigger than Matt expected. Exactly 20 people were comfortably living in it. 20 Mattresses lay near the walls, a chest next to each one on the right hand side. Aside from those, the hut was relatively empty. Chief Copun sat on a bed stringing a bow.

"Hello," he said. "My son tells me you were in the forest at midnight last night. That was nearly an hour ago. What were you you doing out there?"

"We were lost. We are strangers in this place," replied Matt.

"How did you come to this part of the country then? I am no fool, I know these lands like I know the lines of my palm. What are you doing here?" Copun sounded powerful. His voice was very deep.

"We don't know," said Peter.

"You don't know? Well if you are lying I will kill you, but Epo believes you so will as well. You will join him and the hunters until I decide what to do with you. Epo, get them a bow and quiver of arrows as well as a dagger and proper clothes."

Epo took Matt and Peter out of the hut and to a ladder leaning on the side of another hut. Epo led them to the roof of the hut where there was a small room, reachable only by the ladder.

"These are for you," he said handing a pair of Indian pants to each boy. "Tomorrow, I'll bring you your weapons. Return to my clearing, I've arranged for two new mattresses to be placed there." They went back to the clearing Epo showed them. They found two new mattresses waiting for them near Epo's mattress. Matt went to lay down. He began slowly fall asleep.


"Good morning." Matt had just woken up. Peter was awake and eating some scrambled eggs by a cooking fire. "Would you like anything to eat?" asked Epo.

"Yes please," replied Matt. He was given a plate of scrambled eggs and a glass of fresh water. He went to sit over at the table. The bow, arrows, and dagger were removed to make room for him. He looked at the map. "Hey, the pictures moved." Sure enough, a mountain range had moved nearly an inch from where it was the other day, and a city moved as well.

"Map making is a valuable skill. Some lands move because they are on the backs of creatures, some are the creatures themselves," Epo was staring intently at the map. "A map maker must be able to make the map completely accurate, even if that means using a bit of magic." Peter came to the table to look at the map as well.

"Come," said Epo. "We have work to do."

"These are yours," said Epo, handing Matt and Peter their weapons. "We will hunt in the forest today. Follow me."

"What are we hunting?" asked Peter.

"We will be hunting the Dempo," replied Epo.

They walked into the forest. The Dempo? What was that. Matt wondered and didn't notice that the others had started chasing something. He followed. He realized that they were going faster than normal people. He couldn't keep up. Neither could Peter. They stopped to catch their breath.

"What happened?" asked Matt.

"They found the Dempo. It looked cool. Almost like an Ostrich, but it had longer legs, twice as tall as me. About eight feet tall. That was only the legs. It had a head the shape of a snake with fangs, and wings like an eagle's, but bigger," Peter replied.

The boys could hear the Dempo, it screamed as loud as a jet engine, roaring like a lion ready to pounce on it's prey. It was louder than expected. It ran past them. They followed it, hoping it wasn't as fierce as it sounded. Matt drew his dagger and threw it in the direction of the Dempo. It screamed, confirming a hit. Matt drew his bow and an arrow, running to the creature. It was small, like a baby. The Dempo looked helpless. Matt prepared to fire. It screamed in pain. The thought of killing a living creature was barbaric to Matthew. Thwang! the creature was dead. Epo shot it from a nearby tree.

The Indians were gathering around. They looked amazed. All staring at Matt. He looked confused.

"I'm surprised you stood so close to a wild Dempo. No one in my tribe has done that without dying of it's claws or wild fangs," Epo said.

Two Indians took the Dempo back to the tribe, leaving the others to finish the hunt. They moved deeper into the forest. Next time, Matt would kill one on his own. Peter was just as determined. They both had their bows ready. The group split up. Each person alone. They stayed close, but to close and the Dempo would know of them, a large group travelling through the forest. Peter screamed. He was near a Dempo, slightly ahead of the others, and fighting for his life. He was using his dagger, his bow dropped and forgotten. The hunters ran to him. The Dempo was dead.

"Wow," Epo said. "This is an amazing sight. A boy killed a Dempo at close quarters. You will be highly admired by the people of my tribe."

They walked home, carrying the Dempo. That night, they had a feast. Peter and Matt sat at a long table a little outside of the village. People came and praised Peter for killing the largest Dempo found for three years. Matt ate until he was full. Then, he ate some more. Dempo meat tasted surprisingly good.


"We are ready to attack, Lord." A band of savages had been waiting outside the Emotussen village for three days. They needed food, and would kill for Dempo meat.

"Have the troops move out," said a tall man armed with a sword, five daggers, a bow, a quiver of arrows, two hand axes, and a war hammer.

The group moved toward the party.

They were halfway asleep when it happened. They could hear screaming and the sound of battle. Matthew heard it first. He immediately woke Peter. The feast was over and everyone was sleeping, other than the guards, who were alert and firing arrows at something in the woods.

"Did you hear that?" asked Matt.

"What?" asked Peter.

"The screaming in the woods," replied Matt.

Then, a group ran into the party site, attacking anyone they could reach. The others woke up, and ran for their weapons.The attackers fired at the warriors, and most fell injured or dead. Some Indians ran to help the injured, while the warriors grabbed their weapons and attacked, some using slings, others bows.

"We need to get our weapons," Peter said.

Matt had kept his weapons close during the night, he thought he might need them the next day for hunting and wanted to make sure he knew where they were. He grabbed them from under his mattress and ran to find Epo. The Indian was nowhere to be seen. The attackers were moving in further towards the village, the surviving Indians had retreated to the forest.

"Hey kid," yelled a deep voice. It was calling Matt. He turned towards it and saw Chief Copun, holding a giant bow, even by Longbow standards.

"Follow me," he said.

Matt followed Copun to a clearing he recognized as Epo's living space.

"You are in charge of the villagers. Take this map and take them to the Contonosis Cave. I will meet you there," Copun said. "Your friend will be safe alongside my warriors. Do not worry about him."

Matt wasn't worried. He knew Peter would survive. Peter always got a sudden rush of energy when in danger, and could somehow do anything with that energy. Matt ran to the forest and saw a group of survivors.

"The village emptied to this spot. We are all here," said the village wise man.

Matt fixed his weapons and said, "Follow me."

They walked for what seemed ages. Uneventful hours went by before they reached the cave. It was right on the mountain in the outskirts of the forest and looked small. There was only a small hole to crawl through. The inside was different. The cave was at least 100 meters high. That was only the chamber they were in. They had a lot to explore.

The villager's started to settle. They made fires, makeshift leaf beds, and for some, shelters. Matt started to explore. The cave was pretty straight. One cavern lead to the next, that to another, and so on. The caverns were pretty empty. One had a water hole. The last huge cavern had a giant rock in the center. It was 50 meters wide, 20 high. He climbed it. Or at least, he tried to. It was huge. Nevermind, he thought. He went back to the entrance cavern and slept.

The next day, they woke, and while he Indians prepared to return home, Matt went back to the cavern withe the huge rock. He managed to climb it and found a hole on the top of it. "It is said to go down to hell itself."

Matt jumped. "Hello, I didn't expect you to be here." An Indian boy around Matt's age was standing next to him. "Are you ready to go?"

"I was sent to call you," said the boy.

"OK. I'm coming." As he stood to climb down, the rock shook. Matt fell onto it's surface. The rock shook with a force that would fell an elephant. Matt couldn't help but slide. Before he knew it, he was falling down the hole.

It didn't actually lead to Hell. Matt landed on soft soil. He could see an exit, just big enough to crawl through.

After exiting the hole, Matt looked around. He was near the edges of the forest, also near a small village. He was standing on a path leading to the village. Further down the path, past the village, was a castle. It was huge. Bigger than any building Matt ever saw. "Ahh, Winter castle."

Matt jumped. He thought he was alone. Someone was behind him. " Are you going to the village?" the person asked. Matt guessed she was a girl. He turned around.

"I don't know," he said.

"Well, you should come. It's almost time for the carnival."

"What's the carnival?" asked Matt.

"In the village Roscur, we hold a carnival once every year. People from all over come. It's village wide. There's stands on the streets, a lot of stuff to do." The carnival sounded like something to see.

"Ya, I guess I am headed to the village."

"Alright, come on. My name's Nari. I live in the village." They walked down the path in silence.

When they came to the village Roscur, everyone there was rushing around. Traffic was really bad. "Is it always like this?" asked Matt.

"Only around carnival time. But it'll get more crowded the closer we come to the carnival."

It gets worse, Matt thought. This is already so crowded. People were on the streets setting up stalls and attractions, buying materials for the attractions, working for carnival money, or else just passing through.

"I live there," said Nari, pointing to a tall house in the middle of the village. "You can come visit if you like."

"Sure," Matt said. He had nothing else to do with his time, not knowing how to return to the Indians or wanting to go on a muddy climb up the hole he came out of. As they walked to the house, Matt noticed that it was actually a store. Nari must live above it, he thought.

And so Matt walked into the house.

New Laptop

I'm in need of a new computer. The one I am currently using is slow, old, and I'm guessing has a virus. It takes forever to connect to the internet, loads pages slowly, constantly disconnects for no reason, and sometimes even has trouble finding programs on it's own hard drive. I really need to replace it. So, because it would be more useful when I move to the city, I want a laptop. It would be easy to bring around the city, and use at a cafe or somewhere. I could use it when I go to stay at a hotel or someone else's house. Laptops are just so much easier to me than a desktop.

I was looking at some laptops the other day. So was mom. The best ones I found were the Inspiron 15, the Studio 15, the Alienware M17, and the Alienware Area 15. For some reason, no matter how many times I click on the link, I can't find the M17 or Area 15. Only the M17x and Area 15x, the upgraded, and way more expensive versions. I'm most likely to go with the Studio 15. That's $899 worth of work I have to do. And if I want it before we move, I have about 7-9 months to get it. I'm currently trying for $25 a week. So if anyone has any work for me, please call 472-7881 or email me at blue96915@gmail.com. I can wash cars, clean houses, do some yard work, clean bathrooms etc. Just call or email me.

TV, Television, The Magic Box, and Moving Pictures

If you haven't seen project free TV yet, take a look here. It's a cool site with loads of shows and movies. It has shows from the Simpsons to One Tree Hill. And movies from 2006 to 2008 including GI Joe: The Rise Of Cobra and Transformers: Revenge Of the Fallen. The author would like to note that the shows and movies on the site are not in his ownership, he found links to them and posted them on his site.

If you don't watch it already, check out How I Met Your Mother. It's a show about Ted Mosby, an architect in New York City. He tells his kids the story of how he met their mother. The WHOLE story. Starting with how he met their Aunt Robin. The characters are hilarious. There's Lily and Marshal, a couple who are connected so closely, they even believe that if one of them does something, they both feel it. There's Robin, a Canadian TV reporter. And being Canadian around Ted and the guys brings up a LOT of Canada jokes. Sand Castle's in the Sand is a good episode to watch for some Canada jokes. And there's Barney. Just see the show to find out about him.

Rock Band

Rock Band, as you know, is a game allowing players to create a band and go on tour. Since I got my Rock Band Unplugged PSP Bundle, I've been playing it a lot. So here's a quick review.

Rock Band Unplugged is your typical Rock Band game, band creation, world tour, and the ability to play any of four instruments: Drum, Guitar, Vocals, and Bass. But, the game's gameplay is very different  from others of it's name. You play chords and notes by pressing the PSP's Triangle Circle, Up, and Down buttons. One great feature is the ability to play all instruments at once. You can hop back and forth between instruments with the Left and Right triggers. If you play a certain amount of notes for an instrument, it plays on it's own for a while, allowing you to play another instrument. This is very challenging, and extremely fun. Tour mode is pretty much the same as other Rock Band games, pick a city, pick a song and play. Character customization is also the same as other Rock Band games. Modes other than Tour include Quick Play, Survival, and Practice. Quick play is the mode where you can pick songs and play. Just choose from your library. Survival is where no instrument plays on it's own. You have to jump back and forth and stay on your toes to be successful in this mode. Practice is...well...Practice. Pick and instrument and practice.


Recently, we got the Beatles Rock Band. One thing I can tell you now, you'll finish this quick. We finished it in less than a day. This game is just Rock Band with a few changes. There are only Beatles songs here. NO character customization. You can only play as the Beatles. Cities don't come up like before. Instead of unlocking two to five cities at a time, in this game you unlock one city at a time, each in their own time period. This is the new Tour mode: Story Mode. Other than that, this game is the same.

Sony PSP

I'm getting pretty close to my goal for a PSP. I have $140. With a Gamestop trade in, I can get 40% extra trade in credit, witch will allow me to get one even sooner. I thought that I'd want GTA Liberty City Stories for my first game, then I'd set another goal so I can buy the accessories and other games. I can't wait to get one. I started saving around January '09, and have been attempting to earn money for it since. I started with 40 bucks I had saved from a birthday, and slowly added that extra hundred doing laundrey for Mom at $5 a load, and washing and vacuming the car for $10. My Mama Lou gave me $20 bucks to wash and vacum the car, and $5 one time to vacum a rug. Can't wait for the PSP.

I planned on getting the PSP 3000, but if I have enough money and no PSP by October 1st, I might just get a PSP Go. The Go has a slide open screen, looks more DS like for a PSP, but I wouldn't get it for it's look, the 16 gig memory is awesome. And I would still be able to extend it with a Memory Stick. I think the 3000 would be good to have too. It doesn't have a huge memory, but it will be able to use UMDs wich will save space on the memory stick, no game downloads. I'll probably use a 3000 memory for movies and songs. Fill it up with that kind of stuff. But the Go would be filled with games, demos, and stuff like that. Maybe just one movie.

The best games for a PSP (in my opinion) are the Force Unleashed, Patapon (and possibly Patapon 2), GTA Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories, Star Wars Renegade Squadron, and Burnout. I hope to get one of those along with my PSP. The others I'll get after I earn more money. The A/V out cable is cool. If you have a PSP but no PS3, you can play like you do have one. Use your PSP as a controller and play on your TV. I think I'll get on of those. And with an A/V out cable, I can use the internet explorer to surf the web on my TV (I don't wanna buy the Wii's internet channel).

Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde (and other Heros)

What if Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde were a super hero. I always thaught that if Mr.Hyde could be completely controlled, he'd be a good hero. He's smaller so he's got to be faster. He's a brute despite his size. And Dr.Jekyll is a super brain. So, what if the two became a hero. I know they were only created to be a demonstration of the good and evil inside a man, but Mr.Hyde seems like a good weapon to use against villains. Also, I always guessed that Mr.Hyde was stronger. With a cane in his hand he'd be pretty hard to beat. In the cane, would be the potion to become Hyde and the one to become Jekyll. The Hero would have Jekyll's brain, and Hyde's brute strength.

Another cool hero would be the Joker, or someone that can do what he can. In a game I played, he used prank-like weapons to defeat enemies. He could thow explosive cards, use smiley-face bombs, punch long range with an extendo glove, shock people with that hand buzzer thing and give off laughing gas. Now those would be cool stuff to use. Another thing he could use is his collection of knives. If only he were a hero.

Blog Absence

We recently went to Japan for vacation, which explains my abscence from this blog. During the trip, we went to loads of cool places. I'l just write a little about it, you can read the full story here. We stayed in an apartment building in Shinjuku East. It was pretty nice. Most of our time was spent away from it though. We went to Disney Land, DisneySea, Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji Fishmarket, and loads of other cool places. Japan is filled with awesome stuff. Their Sushi and Bento are delicious. When we were in Japan, I tried Shakey's resturaunt. They have the best Pizza I've tried in my life. Their desert Pizza is so good.

Japan was one of the funnest things that happened to me this year. It is definately a place I want to visit again. The trip lasted two weeks, the last week of my absence was spent in Santa Rita with my Dad's familly. Me and Maia went there to spend time with them. We meant to go before the trip but didn't have time to. While in Santa Rita my cousin Noah taught me how to ride a Rip Stick.

That pretty much explains my absence. With that done, I will leave you until tommorrow.

How do you feel when you stay with a babysitter?

I really don't know how I feel. My Mama Lou usually watches us when Mom and Dad have somewhere to go. Grandma Shannon used to watch us when we lived in Santa Rita. I like to go around the babysitters' house and find hiding places and cool stuff in the house. I love adventure. If there's a part of the house I haven't seen yet, I'll explore it. Even though I'm gonna be 13 soon, I love to play Hide n' Seek at a babysitter's house. I can hide in places I've never even noticed before.

I guess I like being babysat. Mostly because whoever babysits me, has a kid I can do stuff with. Just as long I have something to do when being babysat, I'll be okay.

What do you think about when you can't fall asleep?

I think about Heaven. What it's like there and what it would be like if it didn't exist. What if after death there is nothing. What if after death, your existence just stops. No reincarnation or life after death. I believe Heaven exists, but what if I'm wrong? That's just one of the many mysteries I think about. Or what if Reincarnation exists, and your life, the people you love, the social status you hold, just disappears from your memory in your next life. Your parents, teachers, uncles, aunts, friends will all be forgotten in your next life and be replaced by new people. Thinking about it scares me.

I also wonder if everything, this world, it's people, it's animals and plants, are all part of my imagination. What if I'm an alien in another world, asleep and dreaming of a little boy, Justin Cruz. What if this world is something like a movie for an advanced civilization. An advanced force created and is being entertained by us. We are no more than imaginary creatures given artificial intelligence. A TV show.

I know I sound wierd, but that's what I think about when I can't sleep. Stuff like that just pops into my mind.

If you could take three people with you on a trip around the world, who would you take, where would you go, and why?

I'd take Rain, Kevin, and Michael on the trip. Then, the travelers would be only kids, no restrictions or time limits. Halo all night! I'd probably visit Japan, I'd like to buy something like Pokemon Platinum in Japanese, It would be cool to get the game where it was created (plus, having a Japanese game would be cool ). I'd visit loads of sushi restaurants, and fish places. Then I'd buy a Japanese PSP (if I had the money). Kevin can visit the Martial Arts Dojos, he loves that stuff.

Then we'd go to Thailand, Mom and Dad said that that place was cool. They said something about huge malls, I want to see how huge. I'd want to eat some Thai food, I've tried the restaurants here, they're good. I wanna go on a riverboat cruise!

I'd also like to go to Germany and see my Dad. Or we could go to Africa, I'll bet Michael and Rain would love to see the place Arrival and Sierra117 (Halo 3) were based on. Exploring the African Jungles would be fun. I'd also like to go to South America to see the Amazon. Floating down that river would be fun.

Then off to the United States. I want to go to Six Flags. There's this huge room I went in last time. There's loads of slides in there, and ball guns at the top. The top guns can be loaded with balls. You're given bags before you go in to store the ammo that comes out of the tubes or ammo that's already been fired. And on the ground area, there's a big gun that can load six balls instead of three. By then, I'll probably be homesick. Time to set out for home!

Who or what has had a strong influence on you in your life?

Leonardo Jose Babauta-or to me, Dad-has had a huge influence on me. Thanks to Dad, I've become a more respectable person. I've still got some stuff to work on, but with Dad's help, I now eat at the very least one fruit a day. I always finish my vegetables. (That sentence sounded kind of like I was a geeky toddler showing off.) Dad taught me about blogging, and exercise, and best of all: a healthy life style.

Before: I'd eat Vanilla Wafers or Chips Ahoy as a daytime snack. My lunch bag was filled with junk like Spam, KFC, McDonalds, Receese, Kit Kat, Wendy's, the list goes on. My Breakfasts would be Doughnuts, Fried Rice, Froot Loops, and other Junk. I still like that stuff, but I don't eat them as much.

My lunches now: no meat Spagghetti, no meat Chili and beans, meatless Tacos, Salmon, Grilled Cheese, and loads of healthy stuff. I eat a fruit with or after breakfast and sometimes after lunch. My breakfasts have become Heart to Heart cereal, Life, Kashi Waffles, Chex, Cherios, Kicks, and occasionally a peanut butter toast (on special occasions, I have cinnamon rolls). Thanks to Dad, my future will not include Diabetes, Heart Disease, or Stroke. All I need to add is the excersise.

Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

This is a good movie if you like action. The stuff in it look cool, but are unrealistic. The fighting scenes are awesome, the plot's okay, and the graphics are pretty good. It basically explains how Wolverine, or Logan (his name in the origins movie is James), gets his Adamantium claws, loses his memory, and gets the name Wolverine.

Watch only if you've never read the comic, or else (according to other people on the web-I've never read X-Men) it will seem pretty messed up. I did some research on the comics and it's way different. It might be a disappointment to some X-Men Comic fans.

Most critics say it sucked because they liked how Wolverine had a mysterious past (and they thought it was thinly plotted), but I liked it (then again, I'm just a kid, what do I know about critiquing movies). The action was pure awesome! I'm a kid, I don't care about plots as much as awesome, hardcore action. But if I had to rate the plot, I'd say it was okay. It wasn't as great as Star Wars or anything, but it wasn't that bad (or thin). A 3.0 story. It has a lot of fighting (action!) which is good.

The movie opens to a dark and stormy night, in a big mansion (Canada 1800s). A sick boy (James) is lying on a bed, kept company by his brother (Victor), the groundskeeper's son, though James doesn't know that Victor is his brother. James' father walks in and seems outraged. He tells Victor to go home. Later that night, screaming and gunshots are heard. James runs downstairs and sees his dead dad lying on the floor. This makes his claws come out (for the first time). He runs at the groundskeeper (Logan) who killed his father. Logan tells James that he is his father only after being stabbed by bone claws.

Good Stuff: Loads of fighting and cool characters like Agent Zero and Gambit. I loved the action. The plot isn't too bad, but it could use a little more like the character Rose and her story.

Bad Stuff: All I can think of that was bad about this movie, is that the writers didn't include Rose, and that it wasn't clear at the end who Weapon 11 was (I had to tell Rain who it was, and Maia didn't know either). There was also the fact that Wolverine now had a back story, but that didn't bother me too much.

Final Score: The movie is good over all--mostly because the action--and earns a 4.0 of 5 (remember, I'm just a kid and am doing my first ever movie review, I'm not your best choice for a review yet).

Halo!!

I'm addicted to Halo! Halo 3 Halo Wars, wichever. It's the only X-Box game I play. It's addictive. If anyone has cheats for me, please comment this post with them.

Halo is the story of how th Covenant, a race of aliens following the strange group the Prophets on a Great Journey, invade the human colonies to trigger the Halos, super weapons capable of destroying the entire universe. The Halo is actually a defense against the gruesome Flood, mankinds worst nightmere. The Flood are crazy aliens that are hardly civilized, but they sure can fight.

Realizing the Great Journey is a sham, tha Arbiter and his army of Aleats join the UNSC (United Nations Space Command). and then comes the story of Halo 3 (I didn't finish it).

Please tell me if I got the story wrong.


Halo 3 Achievements

Fear the Pink Mist: Difficulty-easy
Fear the Pink mist is easy to get, if you can stay alive when trying to obtain it on Legendary. Just kill five enemies with a needler. Tip: go for the Grunts.

Used Car Salesman: Dificulty-Normal
This works on Phantoms! If you take out a Phantom turret before it drops it's soldiers, you will get this achievement. Other vehicles might be harder.

Skull Achievements: Dificulty-Easy to Hard
If you know where the Skulls are, this is an easy task (luckily for me, Rain memorized where they are). If you don't know, good luck finding out, you'll have to go places that are normally invisible.

Party Time: Grunt Birthday Party!!! I love this skull! get it, and prepare to hear and see some happy Grunts.

Here's a Halo Wars challange, play skirmish on a one on one map. Play as Cutter. Try building an elephant and one barracks. Use the Barracks only to upgrade troops then recycle it. Build no other unit training buildings. Using onlyWart Hogs and Infantry is hard!

This Is A Post

What should I blog about. Should that be a question mark?

Sunday was Easter, but you already know that. No matter how old you are, you can always egg hunt. Most of the time for the golden egg. I want that Egg!! Most of the time it's a plastic egg, but with a LOT of money. At two hunts I missed that egg. I was too old to hunt in the third. Why should their be an age limit anyways? What would a six year old do with a golden egg money? Probably spend it on something like a Batman toy when they could be buying a video game or something.

Why do stuff like that have age limits? Like you must be this short to ride, or you must be this big play. What if you go to an amusement park for a little cousins birthday. You're at the place and then you find a roller-coaster. It goes all the way around the park at a huge speed. But wait, the seats are kitty sized. You just found the best ride in the place, but you couldn't go on.

Anyway, thanks for reading this boring post. I just wasted your time didn't I?

How to Become a Jedi Part 3: The Force

At the rank of Jedi-ish, you probably want to be able to use the force force your next mission. Without it, you will die. To use the force you must become one with nature. That sentence is NOT true. To use the force you must be smart. False. To use the force you must have obtained a PHD. Very untrue. All you need to use the force would be a Rancor brain, and Bantha dung. Very true.

Because you have close to no Midi-chlorians, you need a boost. By eating a blended mixture of Rancor brain and Bantha dung, you will obtain the Midi-chloreans from the 2 and should have at least 10,000 Midi-chloreans.Once this is done you can move on to testing your Midi-chloreans. Take three cynderblocks each the size of a small car. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself lifting one block. Focus all your energy on grabbing the block. If you relly put your effort into it, you should be able to feel yourself holding one without actually holding one.

Now try to place one block on top of another. Then place those two on top of the third. Now pick up all three and throw hem as far as you can. If you can throw them 300 yards, you have failed! To use the force properly, you must really put your all into training. Throwing it 500 yards is still failling, 750 yards is closer, 1000 yards is where you want to be. No more no less. If you can do that, you have achieved the lowest level of force use. Congratulations, you have earned the rank of Jedi-like. Now you may proceed to your second mission.

Rubik's Cube or DS?

I've been wondering, what's better, a Rubik's Cube or a DS? Most would immediatly say DS. It's electronic, it can play games, and it's addictive. But is it really all that great when compared withe a Rubik's Cube? The Cube can't play games or PictoChat, but it's just as addictive. Let's explore the items.

Challenge
The Rubik's Cube is the world's most popular puzzle, it's definetly very challenging, most people would try to solve it, but mess up what they already solved. This process is frustrating, and very difficult, but if you know how to solve one, it's surprisingly hard to stop. The DS has some pretty fun challanges. Examples include Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, Pokemon Pearl, Pokemon Diamond, Prism, and Mario Kart. But can they really compare to the Rubik's Cube? No way on earth.

Current Score: Rubik's Cube-1  DS-0

Variety
The Rubik's Cube isn't only good for being solved. You can put pattterns into it and make all kinds of different shapes. I saw an online picture of someone who mixed the colors to make a face in a giant Rubik's Cube. The DS has some different features. You can draw on it, play RPGs, play puzzles, some games even have music players. Then there's games that use bonus attachments like Guitar Hero. You can obviously do way more on a DS.

Current Score: Rubik's Cube:1   DS:1

Addictiveness
The Rubik's cube is so challenging, you'll spend hours playing. I haven't put mine down since late morning today. They can really hold you. The DS is just as addictive. There isn't as much callenge, but there's so much to do with it. This catagory ends in a tie.

Final Score: Rubik's Cube: 2   DS: 2

Match 2: Soccer Ball vs. X-Box 390

The X-Box 360 is an amazing gaming experience. It can play online multi-player, play DVDs, and the game graphic quality and gameplay are awesome. This is my personal favorite system. The soccer ball is the best outdoors item you can find. Match 2 will be between these items.

Challenge
The X-Box 360 is a very challanging device. The games are very difficult. Halo 3, Perfect Dark Zero, Lego Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth will have stuck to the TV screen for days. You'll be completing levels, searching for achievements, and beating high scores. The soccer ball is challenging, you can juggle-very difficult to do, shoot goals, play keep away, and loads of other things.

Current Score: X-Box 360: 1   Soccer Ball: 1


Variety
The X-Box 360 can do a lot. You can  go shopping in the Marketplace, earn gamer points, play games ranging from RPGs to first person shooters, and loads more. With a soccer ball, you can juggle, shoot goals, dribble, and some other stuff. But is there really as much variety in the soccer ball as there is in the X-Box 360?

Current Score: X-Box 360: 2   Soccer Ball: 1

Addictiveness
The soccer ball is very addictive. If you have time to play, you won't stop. I love juggling. It's addictive to challange yourself to see how long you can juggle, or to play with your friends. The X-Box 360 is just as fun. If you pick up your controller, you won't put it down for hours, sometimes even days. This catagory has to be a tie.


Current Score: X-Box 360: 3   Soccer Ball: 2

Bonus Round: Price
Bonus: how much to buy. The soccer ball immediatly wins. The 360 is great but it costs about $300.

Final Score: X-Box 360: 3   Soccer Ball:3

Thanks for reading!

look at this: Cool X-Box

My New RUBIK'S CUBE

I got a Rubik's Cube! They're surprisingly addictive. I'm learning how to solve one here. Once you pick one up, it's almost impossible to put it down. I love to play with mine. I started getting addicted when Rain brought his for the weekend. I've been asking mom to buy one since. We've been looking at sites and videos on Rubik's Cubes. Here are a few (Note: Some these sites are for Cube owners and users only) :

-Josh's Rubik's Cube Rap
-Beginner Solution to Rubik's Cube
-Rubik's Cube Scrambler
-Rubik's Cube Records (Here's a Video of one)

Hint: Most people would try to solve the cube color by color. This doesn't work. Solve it layer by layer from top to bottom.

These little toys are very, Very, VERY addictive. If you don't have one, go to KMart and get one. YOU NEED A RUBIK'S CUBE!!!!!

DAD CAN SOLVE A RUBIK'S CUBE IN 5:39!!!!! And he only got his today!

My Rubik's Cube's name is Noodle

How to Become a Jedi Part 2: Your First Mission

I should have mentioned the Jedi ranks in part one. For a trainee you start at the rank nobody. You can work your way to Jedi-ish, then Jedi-like, then Jedi trainee, then Almost-Jedi. If you can even make it to Almost-Jedi, I'll tell you the rest of the ranks.

It's time to finish your training lightsaber. Cut the crystal into five equal and symmetrical parts. If they aren't exactly alike, they will release a toxic gas that will melt away everything in it's path for 65 miles in exactly 1.5 nanoseconds. Carefully place the crystals in the lightsaber. They are very delicate at this point so don't stuff it in or the lightsaber will explode. Don't place it in to gently or else, KABOOM!! Just place them in one by one and try not to make them explode. Do NOT open the Adamantium to put the crystals in the lightsaber. The oxygen will be sucked out of the world by the lightsaber and no one in the world will be able to breath. Place the color crystal in next. If you successfully place the crystals in the lightsaber, there will be a screeching sound for a few moments, then a flash. Congratulations! You built a training lightsaber.

Your first training mission after assembling a lightsaber, would be to climb to the top of Mount Everest and search for a bear. Most people don't know this, but bears are masters of the force. They can use the force to lift a two ton piece of cement on the other side of the world 1000000 yards in any direction. The bad thing about bears is, they can't use a lightsaber. Their bear hands are too oddly shaped. If you can sense a bear on Mount Everest, go to it and challenge it to a duel. Do this by going up to it, drawing your lightsaber and swinging for it's head. It should attack you. Your job is to use your training lightsaber to knock it out and bring it to where ever you work at without causing suspicion. If you can do that before the bear wakes up, you have achieved the rank of Jedi-ish. Now get rid of the bear before it wakes up and kills you.

WELL WELL'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Monday was Noelle's Birthday! She's three years old. Her party was Sunday. We had a party at our house. It was really fun. We ate Burgers, and Hot Dogs, and Spagghetti. Desert was good too, even though I didn't eat cake. Mom's cupcakes are delicious. The Pinata was crazy. All the kids jumped on each other to get to the candy. Lauren conducted her science experiment at the party. It's pretty obvious that taller people are the fastest. Except for when Rain ran. That kid's fast.

When we asked Noelle what she wanted for her birthday, (of course we had already gotten her a gift, a small play cottage outside in the back.) she said McDonald's. What I don't understand is why little kids love that place so much. What about Wendy's? That place is way better, and so is BK. How about Denny's? That's by far better than any of those places.

Anyway, Happy B-Day Noelle!

The Force Unleashed for the PSP

Must have for Star Wars fans: Star Wars the Force Unleashed. After playing my brother's PSP version, I've decided that in my opinion, the Force Unleashed is the best Star Wars game I've ever played. The storyline is amazing, explaining the creation of the Rebels in an unexpected way. The main characters are very extraordinary. The game play is pretty awesome too.

For a handheld system, the Play Station Portable is pretty amazing. It gives graphics and features you can't find in the DS. So when I heard my brother got the Force Unleashed for the PSP, I expected it to be a good game. I didn't expect it to be this great. The controls are easy to learn, using only four buttons for loads of moves. The features are great, within the story mode, and in Force Unleashed mode. In story mode , you'll be spending hours searching for lightsaber upgrades and Holocrons. It's a pretty addictive search and the lightsaber customization will let you set those upgrades to your taste. As well as lightsaber customization, you can put on costumes, enter cheats, and view Holocrons.

In the Force Unleashed mode, you can play some awesome games. The games include Order 66, Force Duels, and Historic Mission. In Order 66, you can pick a Jedi and battle through the imperial army, defending against the traitorous clones. Force Duel is basically a duel between Jedi. Historic Mission is my personal favorite Force Unleashed game. You play as a Jedi fighting through legendary scenes such as the Dune Sea battle in Episode VI, the Battle of Mustafar in Episode III, and countless other battles.

This is just my opinion, try the game if you want to really see how it is.

P.S.: for owners of the game, here are some cheats:
Eclipse: play as Juno
Hologram: play as PROXY
Speeder, Virgence, and Tyranus: force cheats

How to Become a Jedi Part 1: The Lightsaber

After listening to the Ninja Handbook audio book, I thought of trying something like it. Here it is:


Considering I have nothing else to write about, I'll tell you how to become a Jedi. Before I start though, I need to stress something. Like the Ninja Handbook, these posts will kill you. If you value your life, walk away now. Still here? If you're planing on reading on, please acknowledge I'm not responsible for any injuries you may receive by following things said on these posts. Let's begin.

To start, you'll need a Training Lightsaber. Unlike the actual Lightsaber, this can't kill (only sting) and is rather easy to make. First, you'll need to find materials needed for a hilt. The materials needed would be some Adamantium (like Wolverine has), a colored Crystal, a Kaiber Crystal, and car battery.

Next, (note that this will be your first real Jedi test) take the Adamantium and form it into a cylinder shape without using heat, or else the Lightsaber won't work and you'll just have a metal stick. Make the inside look like the diagram above. It doesn't have to be exactly like it, because you're only making a Training Lightsaber, and you can only use the Adamantium.

Third, find a space shuttle the owner is willing to let you borrow. You'll need to use this shuttle to fly to any planet with a Crystal Cave. This is just a cave with hundreds of little crystals flying around everywhere. Find a Kaiber Crystal. When you try to take it, it's pretty likely some beast defending it will attack you. If you attempt to kill it, you are crazy! Don't even think about continuing with this post, or any following, because you will die! If you run away from it screaming, you will die. If you're not even there to fight it because you already stole the crystal and returned to earth before the beast realized you were gone, you are ready for the next post. I'm just not ready to write it.

Emma Noelle and Her Stinkertongue (continued)

The next day, Emma was up early. Bert was asleep on the mattress. It was 6:00 a.m. Emma went to her bag and took out the cookies. She decided to eat them for breakfast. The camper was parked in a Utah pit stop area. Emma didn't like the place. It gave her an uncertain feeling. She looked out the window. There he was. Stinkertongue was following them all night. He was sleeping near a tree on the side of the road. He was covered in leaves to prevent suspicion. Emma changed, grabbed her bag, and went outside to talk to him.

“Wake up,” she shook him a little. He opened an eye.

“Yes?”

“Why are you following us?”

“Because you keep me safe.”

“What?” Emma didn't know what Stinkertongue was talking about. She was cold.

“You have saved me from the Taster.”

“The wha-” Emma was cut short. A figure the shape of a snake with legs was slowly making it's way to the area where Emma was standing. It came closer and closer. Then, it ran. It ran straight towards a tree. It ran up the tree into the branches.

“It's coming,” said Stinkertongue. “We need to get away from here.”

“Why? It's not even after me. Whatever this Taster thing is, it's after you. You need to get away from here. I can stay!”

“Foolish girl. You are the one it is after. Only by eliminating you, can it get to me.”

“What are you saying?” The thing was crawling out of the tree, holding a long something in it's mouth. It was stalking it's way to them.

“No time to argue, come on!” Stinkertongue grabbed Emma with his tail and put her on her back. They ran. Without knowing where they were going, or what they were doing, they ran. And Emma felt good. The wind blowing in her face and the warmth of Stinkertongues body felt good. She felt like an adventurer. Then, it hit her.

“What about Bert?” she yelled.

“We will see him again, don't worry. The taster is only after me. And you, of course.”

“But what if we never find him. We don't know where we're going or if he'll look for us!” Emma was worried. She didn't even remember which way the Camper was.

“Don't worry girl.” The Taster was coming closer.

“It's gaining,” Emma said. It was only a few meters away. Suddenly, it sprang, throwing Emma off Stinkertongue. She lay there, the Taster on top of her. She could see its horrible face.

Emma Noelle and Her Stinkertongue

“Emma, breakfast is ready.” It was 7:00 on Saturday morning. Emma Noelle was getting ready for her day. She was going to be with her dad for the weekend and into most of the week. She was excited. She only saw her dad every few weeks. Her mom and dad were divorced. She had been living with her mom. She got up and changed out of her pajamas.

“Coming!” she yelled. She ran down stairs. Her mom handed her a plate of pancakes. “When is dad gonna be here?” Emma asked. She was eager to leave. Her mom was getting ready to go to work for a parent teacher conference. She taught fifth grade.

“He'll be here at eight. Be sure to take your bag. There are some snacks in the refrigerator for you to take for the trip. I'll see you later,” she picked up her keys and left. Emma finished breakfast and went upstairs to her room. She picked up her bag. She never left the house without it. It was filled with stuff, her wallet, her knife (a hunting knife she bought for emergency-neither her mom nor her dad knew she had it), her notebook, some pens, a slingshot, a flashlight, her laptop, and marbles.

She ran downstairs and put some chips, some cookies, and a water bottle in her bag. She went outside and locked the door, putting the spare key back in the house plant. Then, she froze. She thought she saw a lizard as big as a small car run across the street and into the woods across from her house. She walked across the street to the woods. She started to explore. She knew the woods (they weren't very large) and the friendly old man living in them, Mr. Blosk. After half an our of searching, she began to think she had imagined the lizard. She went back and waited for her dad.

“You ready?” Emma was going to leave. Her dad had just arrived. They were going to go on a road trip from Colorado to California. Her dad, Bert (who she never called dad), wanted to try his new truck. It was a camper he bought after leaving his apartment.

“Ready,” she said. “Let's go.” They went to the van. It was bigger than Emma imagined. There was a bed, a mattress, a TV (Luckily with Rock Band-for 630-and a DVD player because it had no cable), a sink, and a small closet.

“I'll be driving up front. The water tank is full, but don't run the sink for too long. You can watch TV or play the X-Box if you want..”

“Okay, thanks Bert,” Emma replied. Her dad went to the front. She went and sat down on the bed. The camper looked pretty cozy. She looked out the window near the bed. Then, she saw the lizard. It was just the tail, but she was sure she had seen it. She opened the window connecting to the drivers seat.

“Bert, I-” she began. How could she make it seem like she saw a giant lizard? He wouldn't believe her.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Never mind.” She couldn't tell him. How silly would she sound? She closed the window. I'm probably just imagining things she thought.

About two hours later, they stopped for gas. Emma went to explore around the area. It was mostly woods. She didn't want to get lost in the woods so, she just walked to the back of the gas station. There were huge rocks back there, some the size of the camper. They formed a ring. Emma went in the ring. She wondered how the rocks became formed like they were.

“Hello,” said a gruff voice behind her.

“Hi,” Emma said turning around. Her heart froze. She was staring at the giant lizard.

“What's your name?” asked the Lizard.

Emma was scared. She reached for her knife.

“Please don't use that on me,” said the Lizard when Emma drew the hunting knife.”I mean you no harm.” Emma was never going to use the knife. She only used it for scare.

“How do I know your telling the truth?” Emma asked. She really was very frightened of the Lizard.

“You have no choice but to believe me,” it said. “I swear on my tail that I won't hurt you.” It looked like it was telling the truth. For some reason she couldn't explain, Emma believed it. She put away her knife.

“So, what's your name?” she asked

“You may call me what you like, for I have many names. I have a name for every place in the world.”

“I'll call you Stinkertongue.”

“That name is fine.”

“I guess I should go now.” Emma thought she was dreaming. If not, she thought she could leave the Lizard and never see it again.

“I made this place. The rocks, the woods, the fuel,” it said.

“How?” asked Emma. She was curious. If he was telling the truth, she wanted to know how he did it.

“Emma! We're going!” Bert was calling her.

“Bye.”

“I won't be leaving you Emma.”

Global Warming!!!!!

Imagine a world, shattered and destroyed by humanity. Wreckage and dump lies everywhere and roads are torn up. There isn't a single human in sight due to the loss of resources. What happened? The hole in the atmosphere grew to an immense size, and the sun fried the planet. Garbage filled the planet, killed trees, and spread disease. Global Warming will eventually destroy us. The materials we believe we need so much will be our downfall. We can't rely on fossil fuels and electricity any longer.

Turn off and unplug anything not being used before leaving a room. Try unplugging everything in the house or spending the whole day outside. pick three places to stay at. This will minimize the energy you use, and at only three places, you won't use a lot of gas either. We can also use nature for energy. Earth 4 Energy would be something to consider. If not for global warming, at least lower your power bill.

Another thing to think about is gas. Buying a Hybrid may not be an option for some. You can minimize gas usage by minimizing automobile usage. If you live near everything-e.g. grocery stores, restaurants, shopping malls-you can walk. It takes time and energy, but continual walking will keep you in shape and lower the amount of money spent on gas. If not, a bike is another option. It still takes up energy, and you may not be close enough to everything to bike, but after a while of biking, you'll be able to bike all over your city, town, village, or even island.

Plant a tree, recycle, there are all kinds of things you can do about global warming. If we don't do something about global warming, the human race will eventually die out. Future generations will be the ones suffering because we did nothing to help. We can save the future, or destroy it.

5 Great Books

Here's a list of 5 of the best books I've read (So far):

Redwall
This fantasy novel takes place in the middle ages in a country inhabited by peaceful mice, brave otters, wise and powerful birds, evil stouts, cunning foxes, and many, many more creatures. At Redwall Abbey, creatures are loving and kind. They live quiet lives, most of the time. They must know how to defend themselves and often experience battles, living in an area inhabited by evil creatures like rats and foxes. There is usually a journey by the abbey warrior to find someone or something to help the abbey in times of war. The stories are exciting and suspenseful making this book a a great read.

Westmark
Also taking place in an imaginary land, Westmark tells of the story of Theo, a printer's apprentice and how he gets caught on the wrong side of the law by printing a pamphlet illegally. He meets new allies, the traveling performer Count Las Bombas, his sidekick Musket, and the strange girl Mickle, after fleeing the city and eventually becomes friends with the rebel Florian. He becomes caught up in a war between the Rebels and the Monarchy. The rebellion sends him on a mission in a town where his friends have been captured. He rescues his friends Count Las Bombas, Musket, and Mickle, but leave his other friend, Justin injured. They defeat Cabbarus, the minister aiming to gain control of Westmark, and Mickle's true identity is revealed. Westmark is a very interesting and exciting book.

The Westing Game
The Westing Game is a very, very thrilling story. It tells the story of a mysterious murder, where the victim somehow knows who killed him and makes a game out of it. The person who can find out who killed him, wins his fortune. Being the owner of Westing Paper Products, he was very wealthy, thus all of the heirs chosen to play take a shot at solving the mystery. Theft and explosions are involved in the Westing Game. This book is probably the best mix of thrill and excitement I've ever read.

The Looking Glass Wars
The Looking Glass Wars is the story of Princess Alyss Heart of Wonderland. In Wonderland, the Royal Families, Spade, Club, and Diamond, rule under the Heart family. Card soldiers protect Wonderland, and the Cut-commanded by Redd, the outlawed Heart princess-battle for control over Wonderland. The Hatters, an elite military fore of Wonderlands fiercest and most loyal warriors, protect the Queen under any circumstances. The Looking Glass Wars tells the story of how Princess Alyss' family is attacked by her Aunt Redd. She flees with her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, to the Pool of Tears and is suddenly out of Wonderland and in a strange new world. The story is very imaginative and is a very different, yet somewhat similar, to Alice in Wonderland. This is a very good book, including characters from Alice in Wonderland: The Caterpillar(Split into seven Caterpillars), the Mad Hatter(Hatter Madigan), even the Cheshire Cat. Check out the site.

The Mysterious Benedict Society
This book is one I'd like to read again. It is has a very interesting story, clever characters, and a great amount of imagination. Reynie Muldoon is an orphan with a very sensible head on his shoulders. He had completed all of his text books and is pretty well respected by his private tutor. So, when he see the ad Are you a special child looking for opportunities? shows up in the newspaper, he goes and takes a test. He ends up joining the Mysterious Benedict Society, and is sent on a mission to a school. Saying any more would spoil the story. Very thrilling and imaginative, this is a great read for anyone.

We Moved!

We Moved! We now live in Hagatna, Guam. The location is great. We're right next to everything, Agana Shopping Center, the Julale Shopping Center, Shimbros, Plaza De Espana, the Beach, Chamorro Village, Latte Stone Park, and loads of other places. The place can be a little noisy during the day, but it's relatively quiet at night.

We can walk to the library, which is great. Before, we couldn't go as much because the library was so far away. We can't play soccer in the yard anymore, but we can go across the street to play in the field and our new yard is better for skateboarding and riding the scooter.

The new place looks great on the inside too. We have less space, but more rooms. Maia has her own room now. I still have to share my room with Rain on the weekends. I spend most of my time in my room. It's all mine on weekdays.

Outside of the house is all cement. We can skate and run around, but the space is smaller. There's not really mush out there other than the mountain, but we still have fun. We can always go to Plaza De Espana or Latte stone Park if we really need to be near grass. I love going to either place. There's so much to do at Plaza De Espana or Latte Stone Park. We can run, hide, play, all kinds of stuff. The best part is, they're both in walking distance!

I'm glad we moved, but I'll miss the old place too.The yard was bigger, there was more to explore (the jungle), there was generally more room, and the grass. I definitely miss the grass and the porch.

Well, the new house is pretty cool over all, on a scale of 1-10, it deserves a 9.5.