Archive for December, 2008
December 31st, 2008 | 
Author:
Ever since he was little, Ichigo Kurosaki has been able to see the spirits of the dead, so when a teenage girl materializes through his bedroom wall, this should be no call for alarm. Rukia Kuchiki is a shinigami, a member of the mysterious Soul Society that is charged with capturing rogue ghosts, and is hot on the trail of an evil spirit. But in the ensuing confrontation, Ichigo absorbs Rukia’s powers, giving him the ability to not only see the undead, but to fight them as well. Now this 15-year-old high school student begins a brand new vocation: hyperkinetic, all-purpose ghost-busting. With enough attitude to make a grown ghost blush, Ichigo and crew are taking on the after-life one ghoulie at time.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Series is still strong.
Tite Kubo, Bleach: A Star and a Stray Dog (ViZ, 2001)
The crew are still scattered throughout the soul reaper city. Uryu and Orihime are fighting the younger brother of the gatekeeper, while Ichigo and Ganju, along with a new friend they picked up along the way, run into one of the assistant captains. And where are Chad and Mr. Y? Kubo, though, never lets the action get in the way of his characters, which is what makes Bleach so special, even this far down the line. A fantastic series. ****
5 Stars Top of the mountain.
The pinnacle of action. This series does action and plot together so well I don’t know if I can go back to reading anything else. Naruto has to take a backseat to this series. Ichigo versus Ikkaku. Uryu shows what a Quincy is capable of. And finally Ichigo and Renji have it out. The battle is amazing and ends with a huge cliffhanger.
This volume pushes the series to a new level, the top of the mountain.
Highly recommended.
4 Stars Ichigo vs Renji
Team Ichigo has been separted while trying to enter the Seireitei to save Rukia from execution. She is being detained in the white tower Senzaikyu, with the Soul Reapers on full alert of Team Ichigo’s presence.
With the team separted, they have to rely on their new skills to survive the Soul Reapers attacks. The group has been divided into Ichigo and Ganju (assisted by an unlikely ally), Orihime and Uryu, Chad, and the Cat (forgot the name).
Each of the members have grown much stronger and it shows. Especially with Ichigo and Uryu. Uryu has become a much more mature, interesting, and stronger character. Orihime is much stronger as well, but she gets overshadowed by Uryu. Chad only had a brief appearance, but it’s made obvious that he has grown stronger too.
Ichigo shows just how tough he is now, with the rematch between Renji and himself. His strength seems to grow exponentially with each volume and he needs every bit of it against Renji. Ichigo learns very quickly and has become a much better tactian as well.
A must read for the Bleach fan.
5 Stars Bleach
Any fan of bleach will enjoy continuing the series with this issue, it just keeps getting better.
Posted in 
Winnie the Pooh Ultimate Sticker Books
Includes 60 full-color stickers starring the Bear of Little Brain, Christopher Robin, and all their friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Very Nice
As a first time Amazon customer I was pleased that the product purchased arrived exactly when expected. It was in good condition too. The stickers are cute and there are a lot of them. I’m not using them in the book, but as wall stickers for my Winnie the Pooh nursery.
5 Stars My 2.5 year old loved it
My 2.5 year old is really into puzzles and this sticker book pretty much fit the ticket. He pointed to the sticker he wanted, I helped him start the peeling process, he peeled it off, then i pointed to the spot each sticker needed to go, and he would stick the stickers to the spot. While he stuck them down, I was able to read the little excerpts alongside each sticker from the Winnie the Pooh books and teach him about the characters and objects. Very educational and fun activity to do with your child especially if you have an unruly toddler on your hands and need a breather. I couldn’t believe that he was able to do so well with the book considering his age. Also, compared to other thin style sticker books i have seen it really has a lot more stickers which made the entertainment last longer than usual.
Author: SShadowJr
Keywords: fusion fall fusionfall fusion fall cn cartoon network cartoon network universe game intro
Added: December 30, 2008
Flawed Dogs The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton Last Chance Dog Pound
Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and children’s picture book author Berkeley Breathed crafts a remarkable, hilarious, and yes, even poignant celebration of “flawed dogs”: “The bent and plain,/ The unbalanced bod,/ The imperfect people/ And differently pawed.” At the core of this “2004 Catalogue of the Piddleton Dog Pound’s Very Available Leftovers” is Heidy Strudelberg, “Garbo, Joan of Arc, and Mother Teresa of the nation’s unwanted dogs: a reclusive warrior-saint of poundpups.” Breathed reveals how Heidy was ousted from the high-falutin’ vanity dog breeding world when she awarded a muddy three-legged street mutt the Westminster Best in Show ribbon. Now, it seems, Heidy has retreated to the Vermont mountains to run the Last Chance Dog Pound, where defective dogs go for one more attempt at getting adopted. The bulk of Flawed Dogs, once you’ve laughed your way through the introductions and formalities, is a gallery of pathetic pups with accompanying verses. A picture of an extra-long Dachshund startling the dishes right out of her mistress’s hands, is captioned thus: “Here’s Sal, it seems no one wants her./ Her ends will stroll off and wander./ A long doggie weenie/ Of noisy linguine/ Sal barks at her butt way down yonder.” Dog lovers will be all in a tizzy to get their hands on this crazy, wonderful salute to blemished beagles and faulty foxhounds everywhere. (Ages 8 and older) –Emilie Coulter
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A masterpiece for dog lovers — and everybody else
`Flawed dogs’ need love too
Review by Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
Very few have fancy pedigrees and you won’t see any of them in the Westminster Dog Show. Their limbs may not be of ideal proportions and their fur spoiled by a grease spot or two, but they are no less alive and no less in need of love. That’s the message of “Flawed Dogs”, a wonderful book for all ages by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Berkley Breathed.
This unique and hilarious book is a treasure that is sure to be a hit with everyone, not just dog lovers. This masterpiece is a mock catalog featuring dogs who are doing time behind bars, hoping for a home. Each dog profiled has an unusual background story. Sadly, something is “wrong” with each one of them so they ended up at the dog pound. The dogs are shown in full Berkeley Breathed glory, with his usual unforgettable style. The art is paired with passionate poetry that is a pitch-perfect. It’s not easy to make a reader laugh and cry simultaneously, but this book has the ability to do just that. Because of their “flaws”, the dogs face eventual execution–unless some noble human comes along who is able to see beyond their imperfections and recognize some trace of value behind sad and lonely eyes.
“Flawed Dogs” is funny to the level of genius but it also succeeds at delivering a serious message. First you giggle and then you find yourself thinking about how wrong it is for some societies to allow many dogs to reproduce unrestricted to the point where some must be killed long before their time. According to Breathed, about half of all dogs in US shelters are eventually put down. As he points out so well in his book, it’s not color, size, shape or behavior that is a dog’s fatal flaw. The flaw of not being loved is the only one that matters.
Adults should not be misled by the goofy and colorful illustrations into thinking that this book is for children only. I originally bought this book for my children and, although I have read it to them many times, it has never found its way into their possession. Today it rests safely in one of my personal bookcases, alongside thick philosophy and science books–many of which pale in comparison. Parents should not worry too much about the theme being too disturbing for younger children. Yes, it may raise a few questions about stray dogs seen running the streets, but that would be a good thing, I believe. The more we talk about the problem of “unwanted” dogs (and cats), the more likely we are to do a better job of preventing unnecessary deaths.
Overall, in spite of the serious nature of its underlying theme, “Flawed Dogs” is an upbeat and funny book. Breathed’s dogs are unforgettable characters and dog owners probably will recognize a little bit of their dog in a few of them. Breathed is a rare talent and “Flawed Dogs” ranks as one of his best efforts. I’ve been reading it to my kids for four years and they aren’t sick of it yet. That should tell you something.
Other Berkeley Breathed books I highly recommend are: “Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big”; “The Last Basselope: One Ferocious Story”; “Goodnight Opus; and “A Wish for Wings That Work: An Opus Christmas Story”.
–Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
4 Stars Great book!
Breathed is such a great writer and he relates so well to children but also to adults. I own quite a few of his books.
5 Stars My son loves this book
Got this book for my son for Christmas. He wanted to get it at the Missouri Botanical Garden gift shop. I’m glad I made him wait. He really likes it.
5 Stars So apropos for those who’ve rescued a dog from a shelter.
Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton “Last Chance” Dog Pound
I bought this as a gift for someone at work who recently rescued a dog from the shelter, who wasn’t physically perfect. I knew they’d appreciate this book!
5 Stars Flawed Dogs, a true look
Flawed Dogs is a excellent book that portrays the true nature of many pound dogs. Some reviewers have dismissed it as trash but from a person with a houseful of flawed dogs, disposed of by others, I say it hits the mark. Thanks once again Berkley Breathed for a excellent book.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Asterix the Gladiator
Lots of fun to read if you love plays on words and have some understanding of the Roman Empire, and classic literature. The comic book form makes it appealing to young readers as well, and may inspire them to look further into historical events parodied here.
4 Stars Graphic SF Reader
A Roman official makes a big mistake. Needing to get Caesar a present, he decides on an invincible Gaul, and choose Cacofonix, because he is easy to capture owing to his solitary walks in the woods. Caesar isn’t interested, and decides to throw him to the Lions.
Asterix and Obelix have to rescue him, of course, and after playing can’t find out how to get into the gladiatorial arena two-step games for a while. They manage it, which is bad for the longevity of the career of the head of the Circus.
5 Stars Roman Asterix
“Asterix the Gladiator” is the fourth Asterix comic in the series, first published in 1964. It’s a fairly enjoyable story, and worth a read for Asterix fans.
The Prefect of Gaul is heading back to Rome for some leave, and tradition says that he must bring back something for Caesar. He decides to bring a Gaul from Asterix’s village, as their reputation suggests they might play well as gladiators at Circus Maximus. Cacofonix the bard is captured and taken away, and Asterix and Obelix head into Rome to get him back, sailing with Phoenicians, taking a Roman bath, and trying their own luck as gladiators.
It’s a bit subdued, the story, but it’s still pretty interesting.
3 Stars Brainless fun.
Rene Goscinny, Asterix the Gladiator (Orion, 1964)
Ah, Asterix. I had originally decided to start tracking these down during my Tintin-collecting days, then somewhere along the way I got sidetracked. It’s taken me till now to remember, so I’ve started making up for lost time.
Asterix and his everpresent sidekick Obelix have to go to Rome and masquerade as gladiators in order to save (for some reason we haven’t yet figured out, given his voice) the bard Cacofonix. This leads to forty-eight pages of relatively constant conflict, along with a slew of jokes about awful voices and parsley.
Goscinny and Uderzo are not subtle. (I remember thinking this even back in the Tintin-collecting days, when I was seeing a panel or two at a time, as opposed to a whole book.) Those picking up Asterix for the first time are going to be quite disappointed if they’re expecting all the nuance and subtlety of today’s better graphic-novel efforts. But for those who are just looking for a good time, Asterix and Obelix are rather like the comic-book version of a Schwarzenegger flick; turn your brain off and have a good time. ***
5 Stars super!!!! more xcitment!!!!
more humor from asterix and obelix… in this episode the duo try their hand at becoming gladiators….