Sunday, September 21, 2008
Poem - valentines
A chocolate or a rose.
For in a week these shall be gone,
But Valentines remain.
If love were always sweet to tongue
Or fragrant to the nose,
Each day would be like Valentine's,
And we would go insane.
A Valentine just hangs around
Waiting to be kissed
Long after special days have passed
And every days are here.
So one is wise to choose one well
And chocolates to resist.
For in the midst of mania
It's nice to have one near.
Deception Point - Dan Brown
I think this book was the best book i have read. It had a lot of action for a book of its size and it showed what people can do to others when they are wanting to keep things a secret from the society of humans.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Shawshank Redemption
I liked the part where he is shown in his cell, the night he was to escape. It made us think, what is his next move. Then, the next morning, he was to wake up as normal and stand in front of his cell, but he never stepped out. His cell was empty and the commanding officers showed the warden and the warden was speechless. He had to find him because the warden was scared that if he were to escape, then the warden would be framed. The warden brings in the escaped prisoners friend (Red) from prison and asks him where his friend has gone. He said he doesn't know. In frustration and a scared emotion, the warden throws chess pieces from the escaped prisoners room at Red and also at the picture he had hung up on the wall of the cell. It tore through the paper and fell down a hole the prisoner had made to escape. It shows us later on in the movie how he escaped. That was my favourite part of the movie as it shows an awesome climax to the movie.
The character that remained in my mind, even after the movie, was Red because he had served a life sentence in jail for far to long and he was the only black man in jail to escape a free man and feel redeemed from what had happened in his past. He always felt regret for what he had done but inside he was to walk in the footsteps of his past life and make up for his mistakes. By making a new friend, he has found a true place in the real world.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero widely considered to be one of the most famous and popular of such characters and an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc. in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 30th 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book.
The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father moments before the planet's destruction. Adopted and raised by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent, and imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity.
While referred to less flatteringly as "the big blue Boy Scout" by some of his fellow superheroes, the general public within the comics hails Superman as “The Man of Steel,” “The Man of Tomorrow, and The Last Son of Krypton. As Clark Kent, Superman lives among humans as a "mild-mannered reporter" for the Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet (the Daily Star in original stories). There he works alongside reporter Lois Lane, with whom he is romantically linked. This relationship has been consummated by marriage on numerous occasions across varying media, and the union is now firmly established within the current mainstream comics continuity.
The character's supporting cast, powers, and trappings have slowly expanded throughout the years. Superman's back-story was altered to allow for adventures as Super boy, and other survivors of Krypton were created, including Super girl and Krypto the Super dog. In addition, Superman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film. The motion picture Superman Returns was released in 2006, with a performance at the international box office, which exceeded expectations. In the seven decades since Superman's debut, the character has been revamped and updated several times.
A significant overhaul occurred in 1986, when John Byrne recreated the character, reducing Superman's powers and erasing several characters from the canon, in a move that attracted media attention. Press coverage was again garnered in the 1990s with The Death of Superman, a storyline which saw the character killed and later restored to life.Da Vinci Code
The interpretation of hidden messages in Leonardo's famous works, (which relate to the concept of the sacred feminine) including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, figure prominently in the solution to the mystery.
The novel has several concurrent subplots interweaving the lives of different characters; eventually all the characters are brought together and the subplots resolved in the denouement. The unravelling of the mystery requires the solution to a series of brain-teasers, including anagrams and number puzzles. The ultimate solution is found to be intimately connected with the possible location of the Holy Grail and to a mysterious society called the Priory of Sion, as well as to the Knights Templars. The story also involves the Roman Catholic organization Opus Dei.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Christopher Columbus =- August 3rd
On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus set out on his first voyage to what came to be known as the New World. With three ships and a crew of ninety, Columbus hoped to find a western route to the Far East. Instead, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria landed in the Bahaman Islands.
Christopher Columbus set sail in an era of maritime advances, charting his route with the aid of a mariner's compass, an astrolabe, a cross-staff, and a quadrant. The most popular map for mariners at the time was Ptolemy's Geography or Cosmography, printed in 1482 but originally compiled by the Alexandrian geographer, astronomer, and mathematician Claudius Ptolemy in the second century A.D.
Rough Ride For Cruise Ship
A cruise ship on which dozens of passengers were injured when it struck stormy seas off New Zealand on Wednesday will leave Auckland today.
The Pacific Sun was expected to sail late in the evening, after further bad weather forced the ship to delay its departure and stay in Auckland overnight.
The vessel will visit the New Caledonian ports of Noumea and Isle of Pines as part of a seven day voyage catching up on the delays caused by the weather.
The ship was on its way from the Pacific Islands to Auckland when it rolled in seven metre swells several hundred kilometres north of New Zealand.
About 40 of more than 1700 passengers and 671 crew needed to be treated for injuries suffered in the incident.
A safety inspection was carried out yesterday both by an MNZ representative and surveyors representing the United Kingdom-registered vessel's own maritime authorities.
Sixty passengers who had booked for the 10-day holiday cancelled their bookings and will be given full refunds.
Michael Cullen doubts labour
Finance Minister Michael Cullen is dismissing National's claim it can offer two more rounds of tax cuts, without borrowing to fund them.
Party leader John Key told National's election year conference in Wellington yesterday that his party would bring in a second round of tax cuts in April next year and a third in April 2010.
Dr Cullen says National is trying to have it both ways by pretending any extra Government borrowing would only be for infrastructure. He says nobody believes that.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
All Blacks
They are the World Cup holders and finally, after a decade of despairing deficiency, the Springboks were able to claim a victory against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
They deserved the victory and would have left yesterday for their next Tri-Nations task against the Wallabies in Perth, feeling extremely relieved they did not blow this Carisbrook test. It was close though and it required a moment of inspiration from halfback Ricky Januarie to dust off the demons.
The smallest player on the park nearly inspired the Boks to win at the same venue three years ago when test rugby was last hosted in Dunedin. That time the Boks succumbed when All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu scored four minutes from time.
On Saturday, as 29,136 spectators watched test rugby return to the same venue, Januarie reversed the fortunes with his snipe, chip and regather routine for a superb late solo try, converted by Francois Steyn.
It was a superb piece of individual brilliance from the Springbok halfback to counter the sinbinning of his captain Victor Matfield a few minutes earlier.
That decision by the erratic referee Matt Goddard, looked to have consigned the Boks to the beaten ranks in New Zealand like every other Bok side which has visited since 1998.
With an extra man the All Blacks led 28-23 and appeared to have survived the onslaught.
Then, from a ruck, Januarie speared past replacement forwards Mealamu and Neemia Tialata, chipped another replacement Leon MacDonald, regathered and flung himself across the line in an exultant swandive.
The Boks were the better team in this test but made extra hard work of their surge to victory.
They outscored their hosts two tries to one but conceded 23 points to Daniel Carter's boot as referee Goddard discovered all sorts of misdemeanours, especially in the staccato first half, until he calmed down a shade.
When Goddard blew time, new Bok supremo Peter de Villiers bashed his coaching bench to show the relief the Springboks felt in finally erasing their shabby record in New Zealand in the last decade. It had been close, the Boks had almost handed the match to the All Blacks before Januarie retrieved the result.
This was an All Black side ready for the taking, shorn of so much experience that when senior lock Ali Williams wandered off with blurred vision to be replaced on debut by Kevin O'Neill, five members of the pack totalled 19 caps among them.
They coped fairly well, the scrum was still more potent than the visitors', they had twice the ruck possession and forced the Boks into double the All Black tackle count.
But the Boks dominated the lineouts where they nicked a third of the All Black throws, had a better scrambling defence, mauled strongly and made more of their attacking chances.
In my opinion. If the all blacks had been to the breakdown of each maul or ruck fast and drove over then there wouldnt have been a problem with our game play but our forwards wernt fast enough and the south african team dominated. we couldve made it easier for ourselves by doing the hard yards before the end of the game but it showed on the score board that we had not been at the top of our game. maybe the absence of some of our top players was the result of our loss also
Freyas Trip! Part 2
Prince Caspian
While standing on a railway station in 1941, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are magically whisked away to a beach near an old and ruined castle. After Susan discovers a chess knight, Peter soon realizes that they are in Cair Paravel, where they once ruled as the Kings and Queens of Narnia, and convinces the others of the same. They explore downstairs and find Susan’s bow and arrows and Lucy’s bottle of magical cordial. The horn that can call Aslan is not there, however, for Susan left it in the woods the day they returned to England after their first visit to Narnia. Peter finds his shield and royal sword Rhindon. Although only a year has passed in their world, 1300 years have passed in Narnia. Edmund figures out the time problem, suggesting that Narnian time operates differently from earth time and that hundreds of years of Narnian could well have passed since the one year of England time had elapsed.
Then they hear a boat coming down the river with two soldiers and a bundle that moves. Susan strikes one of the soldiers on the helmet with an arrow, and both jump into the water and head for the far shore. Peter and Susan plunge into the water and rescue the boat and its bundle. It is a Dwarf called Trumpkin. After offering him some apples, they listen to his story. He tells the legend of ghosts in the ruins of Cair Paravel, explaining why the two soldiers fled. Then they exchange stories. The Dwarf is a messenger of King Caspian the Tenth. During their absence, a race of men called Telmarines have invaded Narnia, driving the Talking Beasts into the wilderness and pushing even their memory underground. Narnia now is ruled by King Miraz, a cruel despot, with his wife Queen Prunaprismia.
Miraz is also an usurper, having killed his brother, King Caspian IX, to take the throne. His nephew, Prince Caspian, is initially ignorant of his uncle’s evil deeds, but eventually learns the truth. He also learns about Old (pre-Telmarine) Narnia, first from his Nurse and later from Doctor Cornelius, his tutor. Unknown to Miraz, Cornelius is part Dwarf and part human and also tells the stories of old Narnia to Caspian. He especially tells much of the story in the middle of the night, on the roof of the Great Tower, when the planets Tarva and Alambil pass within one degree of each other. Cornelius tells Caspian that the story about ghosts at Cair Paravel was invented by the Telmarines because they fear the sea, never forgetting that Aslan came from over the sea in all the stories.
Miraz is childless and is thus willing for Caspian to be his heir, but when the Queen has a son, Cornelius warns Caspian that his life is now in danger. Before he leaves, Cornelius gives Caspian Queen Susan’s horn with instructions to use it only at the point of his greatest need. Caspian escapes on his horse Destrier. After a long ride and a long sleep, Caspian begins to ride again. The weather gets stormy, and Destrier bolts. Caspian hits his head on a branch and is knocked unconscious. He awakes in the den of a badger, Trufflehunter, and two dwarfs, Nikabrik and Trumpkin. Nikabrik wants to kill Caspian, but the other two won’t allow it. Caspian tells them his story, and they want him as their king.
The badger and Dwarfs take Caspian to meet many creatures of Old Narnia. They first meet the Three Bulgy Bears, Pattertwig the squirrel, then the Seven Brothers of the Shuddering Wood (Dwarfs work a smithy; they give Caspian a mail shirt, helmet, and sword), and the five Black Dwarfs. They inform them of a council at midnight three nights ahead on Dancing Lawn. Pattertwig takes the message to many others. Then they meet Glenstorm, the Centaur (also a prophet and a star gazer, like in most literature), and his three sons, who suggest that the council at Dancing Lawn must be a council of war. Next they meet Reepicheep the foot tall mouse and receive his assurance of the help of twelve mice. They also meet Clodsley the Mole, the three Hardbiters (badgers), Camillo the Hare, and Hogglestock the Hedgehog. They dream about waking up the trees, but the Dryads and Naiads have sunk into a deep sleep. Finally they meet fauns, dozens of them, including Mentius and Obentinus, Dumnus, Voluns and Voltinus, Girbius and Nimienus, and Nausas and Oscuns, all sent by Pattertwig.
They gather for the council, when Camillo says there is a Man coming. It turns out to be Doctor Cornelius, who had used magic to find them. He says that King Miraz is coming with his army and they should flee to Aslan’s How and the Great Woods near Cair Paravel. But Miraz arrives there shortly after they do, and various skirmishes characterize the next few days with Caspian's forces gradually losing. In another council inside Aslan’s How, which had been built over the Stone Table in years past, they discuss whether or not to use Queen Susan's horn. Cornelius thinks it more likely to bring King Peter and company than to bring Aslan. Then they dispatch Pattertwig to Lantern Waste and Trumpkin to Cair Paravel to discover the results of the blowing of the horn.
The children realize that the horn summoned them the day before. Trumpkin tells how he was caught, trying to take a shortcut to Cair Paravel to discover whom the horn might have brought. He is a bit disappointed, having expected to meet the adult Kings and Queens of the past, not teenagers. So, after they outfit the Dwarf in mail and weapons, they challenge him to a sword fight and a bow and arrow contest. The Dwarf loses the first contest to Edmund and the second to Susan. His estimation of the four children improves greatly thereafter. Having heard the story, the true Kings and Queens of Narnia try to make their way to the battlefield.
They decide to save time by traveling by water and going up Glasswater Creek. Unable to sleep that night, Lucy tries to talk to the trees. They rustle but do not awaken. Finally she goes to sleep. The next morning they begin again. A grey bear attacks, after again surprising Lucy with its lack of talking ability. Forced to kill the apparently wild bear with arrows, they take some of the meat to eat later. After some time, they realize they are lost. They decide to go down the ravine until it meets the river and then travel up the river. Lucy sees Aslan and wants to continue in his direction, but they ignore her. But the journey is long and hard, and the children lose their way.
Finally they reach the Great River. Suddenly arrows whiz past them, and they fall to the ground and crawl away. They have to return up the gorge from whence they came. After some distance, they light a fire and cook the bear meat. Then they sleep. In the night Aslan calls Lucy. She sees the trees moving and then she sees Aslan. He tells her that it was her fault for the detour. He instructs her to go back, awaken the others, and insist that they follow her, who would be following Aslan. She does.
They finally agree to follow Lucy in the middle of the night, and gradually, as they obey, they begin to see Aslan's shadow, then Aslan himself. Susan apologizes in another moment of confession. Aslan finally stops, and the others catch up. Aslan says: “And now, where is this little Dwarf, this famous swordsman and archer, who doesn’t believe in lions?” Aslan gives Trumpkin a toss in the air and a shake. Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin are to head to the mound. The girls see the woods come alive and dance with Aslan, including Bacchus and Silenus.
Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin enter Aslan’s How and decide to listen at the door to the conversation. Nikabrik has brought two friends, one a Hag and the other a Werewolf, trying to convince Caspian, Cornelius, and Trufflehunter to ally themselves with the powers of evil against Miraz. A fight ensues, and Nikabrik and his two friends are slain.
Peter decides to send a challenge to fight Miraz in single combat to decide which army shall be considered victorious in the war. Edmund, with Glenstorm and the giant along, delivers the challenge. Miraz accepts, even though he has a stronger army and thus has more to lose by reducing it to a single combat, in part because his two lords, Glozelle and Sopespian, egg him on. Peter picks his Marshals of the List for the fight — a Bulgy Bear, Giant Wimbleweather, and the Centaur Glenstorm.
The fight begins around two o’clock. They fight for a while and then take a rest. Miraz gets the advantage and Peter’s left wrist is sprained, so they bind it tightly. Peter does better in the next fight until Miraz trips on a tussock. Peter steps back, waiting for him to rise, but the Lords Glozelle and Sopespian stab Miraz, claiming treachery by the Narnians, and initiate a full scale fight. After a short time, the Wood enters the fight and end it soon. Early that morning Aslan, Lucy, and Susan had freed the river-god from the bridge at Beruna, children from school, a boy from a man who was beating him, and others, including Caspian’s old nurse, who had been ill and near death. They come by a schoolhouse where a girl is forced to teach several fat, rude, mean, pig-like boys. Aslan and company frighten the fat boys and they run, and it is implied they turn into pigs for their greed.
When Aslan arrives at the battle, the Telmarine soldiers surrender. Lucy uses her cordial bottle to heal Reepicheep, and Aslan restores Reepicheep's tail, in payment for the mice having eaten away the cords that had bound him on the stone table long ago. The Telmarines are locked up at Beruna. Aslan and company celebrate. The next day messengers go throughout the country with an offer to allow people to go to another home if they do not wish to follow Caspian as King and live in a Narnia on equal terms with Talking Beasts and Dwarfs and Dryads and Fauns. Aslan tells the Telmarines of their true origin, from the world of men, where their ancestors were pirates in the South Seas who fell through a gap between worlds. About half of them accept the offer and arrive at the Ford of Beruna on the fifth day.
Aslan has set up two stakes of wood with a third piece uniting them on top. Peter, Aslan, and Caspian stand in front of the "door". Peter and Susan are told by Aslan that they will never return to Narnia. Peter tells the others he can cope with this as "it's all a bit different from what I thought". Although fearful that the doorway is a way of execution, one of the Telmarine soldiers advances and goes through the door and disappears. Then, to allay fears, Peter and the rest of the children go through the doorway, knowing that Peter and Susan will not be allowed to return to Narnia again. They arrive back at the railway station, Edmund without his new torch, which he left in Narnia.
i have seen the movie to this well known book and from what i have seen to what i have read, the book and the movie seem quite similar but the movie has edited some stuff that should not have been edited to understand the storyline. From working at the movies i have asked other people about what they thought about the movie and people say it was alot better then the lion the witch and the wardrobe.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Kung Fu Panda
Po is a panda who works in a noodle restaurant owned by his goose father Mr. Ping. He is a kung fu fanatic with secret dreams of becoming a great master in the discipline, however his weight and clumsiness seem to make his goal unattainable; Mr. Ping hopes instead that Po will one day take over the restaurant, and waits for the perfect opportunity to disclose the secret ingredient to his family's noodle recipe.
The tortoise Master Oogway has a premonition that the evil warrior Tai Lung , the former student of his own protégé, the Master Shifu , will escape from prison and return to threaten the Valley of Peace. While Shifu sends Zeng, a messenger goose, to Chorh-Gom Prison to have the security increased, Oogway orders a formal ceremony to choose the mighty Dragon Warrior who can defeat Tai Lung. Everyone assumes that one of the Furious Five — Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane — a quintet of supremely skilled martial artists trained by Shifu, will be chosen for this honor.
While the Five demonstrate their skills at the ceremony, Po arrives too late and finds himself locked outside the walled palace square. As a last-ditch attempt to get in, he ties several fireworks to a chair and ignites them, which sends him crashing into the center of the arena. Inspired by this sudden appearance, the old master tortoise designates Po the Dragon Warrior to everyone's shock. Despite Po's protests and Shifu's pleas to reconsider, Oogway stands by his decision.
Revolted at having Po under his tutelage, Shifu attempts to make him quit by berating and humiliating him. The Five similarly dismiss Po as a worthless interloper. Although he becomes aware of Shifu's true intentions and is deeply hurt by his heroes' disdain for him, Po endures their abuse willingly for the dream to become something more than the failure he thinks he is. Master Oogway, still certain that Po is the right choice, gives him sage advice to believe in himself. Eventually, Po endears himself to the Five (except for Tigress) with his tenacity, good cooking, and sense of humor. At this time Tigress reveals to Po how Tai Lung came to be so evil. Shifu raised him from a cub and treated him like a son. When Oogway refused to make Tai Lung the Dragon Warrior, he became enraged and turned on his master. Tigress ends her story by saying that Shifu loved Tai Lung like he never had before, or since.
Meanwhile, Zeng's errand backfires when a tour of the prison given to him by the overly confident head of security, Commander Vachir, inadvertently enables Tai Lung to escape. Tai Lung orders Zeng to send word of his arrival to Shifu. In the Valley of Peace, Oogway passes away and ascends to the heavens, leaving his final wish that Shifu train Po. However, upon learning of Tai Lung's return, and realizing that he has to face the evil warrior, Po attempts to flee. Shifu stops the panda and promises to train him if he is truly destined to be the Dragon Warrior. When Po confesses his deep self-loathing due to his obesity and his belief that he may never be a match for Tai Lung, Shifu is at a loss for a solution. Overhearing this argument between Po and Shifu, Tigress takes it upon herself to intercept Tai Lung, and the rest of The Five follow her to assist. The following morning, Shifu discovers that Po is capable of impressive physical feats when motivated by food. Shifu leads Po to the countryside for an intensive training regime in which Po is offered food as a reward for learning his lessons. As Shifu hopes, Po excels and swiftly becomes a skilled combatant.
The Five battle Tai Lung but are eventually hit with a specialized nerve-striking technique, which overpowers them, and they retreat to the valley in defeat. When they return, Shifu decides Po is ready to face the villain and gives him the sacred Dragon Scroll, which promises great power to the possessor. When Po opens it, he finds nothing but a blank reflective surface. Stricken with despair at the scroll's apparent worthlessness, Shifu orders his students to lead the villagers to safety while he stays to delay Tai Lung for as long as he can.
As Po participates in the evacuation, he meets his father, who tries to cheer him up by telling him the secret ingredient of the family's noodle soup: nothing. Things become special, he explains, because people believe them to be special. Realizing that is the very point of the Dragon Scroll, Po rushes off to help Shifu. At this time, Tai Lung arrives at the palace and attacks Shifu and berates him for not granting him the title of Dragon Warrior just because Master Oogway did not choose him. For his part, Shifu is crippled by his profound feelings of guilt and responsibility for his former protégé, whom he loved and raised like a son, turning to darkness.
When Tai Lung discovers that the Dragon Scroll is gone, he attempts to kill Shifu in his anger. But before he can, Po finally arrives and challenges him. Although Tai Lung scoffs at Po's abilities, the ensuing fight proves Po to be a formidable opponent. Despite Po's skill, Tai Lung temporarily stuns him and gains the Dragon Scroll, but is unable to understand its symbolism. Po tries to explain the wisdom of the scroll to Tai Lung, but the frustrated leopard tries to subdue Po with his nerve strikes. The attack proves useless on the panda, as his nerves are difficult to find due to his body fat. Emboldened, Po counter-attacks with an improvised combat style that takes advantage of his girth to absorb and deflect the force from Tai Lung's attacks back at him. In the end, Po uses the Wuxi Finger Hold on Tai Lung (which he claims to have "figured out" on his own), and defeats him in an explosion of light that ripples through the valley.
The Five return to the valley to investigate and find a slightly dazed but triumphant Po. Deeply impressed at Po's victory, Tigress leads the Five to acknowledge the panda as a Kung Fu master. The villagers, including Po's father, follow suit and hail Po as a hero. Po suddenly remembers that his teacher is badly wounded, and rushes back to Shifu. At first the master appears to be dying, and Po panics. But it turns out that he is only resting after such a terrible battle with Tai Lung. Po, deeply relieved, rests on the floor with Shifu. After a few seconds, Po suggests that they get something to eat and Shifu agrees.
As i Work at the movies, i think this is a great movie fot the family. ive asked people as they come out of the movies whether they liked the movie and they say it is very enjoyable for all ages. Kung fu panda is a comedy which shows a clear storyline throughout the movie. it has funny parts sad parts and evrything in between but all in all it is a great film to watch.
Freyas Trip! Part 1
Rugby
Monday, June 30, 2008
The magicians nephew
This story begins in London around 1885, when two children, Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, meet. One day, while exploring the attic shared by all the adjoining houses in their terrace, they take the wrong door and surprise Digory's Uncle Andrew in his study. Uncle Andrew, a bumbling yet malevolent self-taught magician, tricks Polly into touching a magic ring (yellow ring), which causes her to disappear. Andrew then blackmails Digory into following her by using another ring, promising him that he will be able to bring Polly back with a different type of magic ring (green ring). The rings transport the children into a wood with many pools of water. Initially, the pools appear to be just shallow puddles but, in a parallel to the attic common to the houses on their street, the children discover that when the correct ring is worn, jumping into different pools will transport the ring's wearer to different universes. Digory convinces Polly to come and explore through some of the other pools with him, expecting his uncle to confiscate the rings upon their return.
After having marked the pool which leads back to Earth, the children enter another pool, and find that they have arrived in the midst of an enormous crumbling palace in the ruins of the ancient capital city of that world, called Charn. The children discover a hall filled with images of all former rulers of Charn, in chronological order. The first faces are fair and wise, but as they progress down the hall, the faces become prouder and crueler. There are still several empty rows, implying a premature end to the kingdom. There they find a bell, as well as a sign which at once dares one to ring the bell and also warns not to ring it. Digory falls for the taunt and rings the bell, against Polly's wishes. It awakens the last of the statues, that of the evil Queen Jadis.
The Queen tells them how she and her sister had waged the final and ruinous war of that world. After many bloody years her own defeat seemed certain, and in order to prevail she had spoken the Deplorable Word. This curse destroyed all life on Charn but that of Jadis, and even she would sit dormant in the Great Hall until someone came to ring the bell. The children, upon learning of Jadis's evil, try to escape back to the Wood but Jadis is able to travel back with them by grabbing hold of Polly's hair, and from the Wood Between the Worlds, to London. Digory and Polly are finally successful in retrieving Jadis, but they bring along not only Jadis, but also Uncle Andrew, a cab driver named Frank, and his horse, named Strawberry.
Digory draws the whole group into the nearest pool, thinking it leads to Charn. This pool, however, leads to a world which appears to be completely dark and empty. Jadis quickly recognises it as a world that has yet to be made. Soon, however, they hear singing which seems to cause the stars to begin to shine and the sun to rise. The visitors can now see the singer for what he is, Aslan, the great Lion, and they continue to watch as he breathes life into the world so that animals, plants, and the world itself are created from nothing. Jadis attacks Aslan with an iron bar she had ripped off a lamp post in London, but as this fails to even attract his attention, she flees, while the iron bar grows into a lamp post in the young Narnian soil. Aslan selects some animals to become intelligent talking beasts, giving them authority over the dumb beasts.
Aslan next sends Digory on a journey to get the apple of youth to protect Narnia, and to atone for bringing the evil witch Jadis into the new world of Narnia. Polly, Digory, and the horse from our world (turned by Aslan into a winged horse and renamed Fledge) fly to a far-away mountain to get the apple from a walled garden. Right as Digory takes an apple and prepares to leave, he sees Jadis, who arrived before him. She tempts Digory to either eat the apple and gain eternal youth, or else secretly transport himself back to London and use it to cure his dying mother. Jadis herself has eaten an apple, thus becoming immortal and proving the power of the fruit. Although tormented by the temptation to steal an apple to save his mother's life, Digory believes that his mother herself would tell him not to steal. He keeps his promise to Aslan and travels back to Narnia to give him the apple.
Aslan tells Digory that he has done well and instructs him to plant the apple in the ground. He then holds a ceremony to crown the king and queen of Narnia (Frank the cab driver and his wife, Helen, whom Aslan magically transported to Narnia). Meanwhile, a new tree grows from the apple Digory planted. Aslan explains that this tree will protect Narnia from the Witch: since she stole an apple from the original tree in a selfish way, its fruit is now abhorrent to her, and Narnia will thus enjoy an innocent Eden-like period. Aslan tells Digory that a stolen apple would have cured his mother, but that the day would have come later when she would have rather died in her illness. Aslan then gives Digory an apple from the tree of protection to take to his mother to save her, and sends the children and Uncle Andrew back to the Wood between the Worlds, whence they return to London. Digory gives the apple to his mother, who is healed, and buries the apple core in his back yard. He also buries the magic rings, which Aslan has instructed him to safeguard to prevent future misuse.
The apple core grows into a tree, and years later it is blown down in a storm. Digory can't bear to have the tree cut up into firewood so he has it made into a wardrobe, linking the end of the narrative to the next story chronologically in the series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The "old professor" in that story is Digory, where he lives in an old country house which he had inherited from his father, who in turn had inherited it from his great-uncle, just after the retirement from his services in India, as described at the end of the book.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
English
English is a West Germanic language that originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers and Roman auxiliary troops from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the Northern Netherlands. Initially, Old English was a diverse group of dialects, reflecting the varied origins of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms of England. One of these dialects, Late West Saxon, eventually came to dominate. The original Old English language was then influenced by two waves of invasion. The first was by language speakers of the Scandinavian branch of the Germanic family; they conquered and colonized parts of Britain in the 8th and 9th centuries. The second was the Normans in the 11th century, who spoke Old Norman and ultimately developed an English variety of this called Anglo-Norman. These two invasions caused English to become "mixed" to some degree (though it was never a truly mixed language in the strict linguistic sense of the word; mixed languages arise from the cohabitation of speakers of different languages, who develop a hybrid tongue for basic communication).
Cohabitation with the Scandinavians resulted in a significant grammatical simplification and lexical supplementation of the Anglo-Frisian core of English; the later Norman occupation led to the grafting onto that Germanic core of a more elaborate layer of words from the Italic branch of the European languages. This Norman influence entered English largely through the courts and government. Thus, English developed into a "borrowing" language of great flexibility and with a huge vocabulary.Rugby
We are Whangaparaoa colleges 3rd grade rugby team. We started off at the begginning of the year with a pre season match against Canada. We had a win. We then had a couple of games against kingsway college winning against them also. Then our season started, winning against Kristin and Long Bay college. We then had a loss against kingsway, after they brought in some new players from Henderson to help them win. We lost another game to Rosmini college who are at the top of the table. Our game picked up after that winning against Kaipara college 34-5 last weekend. we are doing well so far. improving as we go and hoping for another win next weekend.
Book Review
The story takes place during three years of the Great Depression in the fictional "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama. The narrator, six-year-old Scout Finch, lives with her older brother Jem and their widowed father Atticus, a middle-aged lawyer. Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill who visits Maycomb to stay with his aunt for the summer. The three children are terrified by, and fascinated with, their neighbour, the reclusive "Boo" Radley. The adults of Maycomb are hesitant to talk about Boo and for many years, few have seen him. The children feed each other's imaginations with rampant rumours about his grotesque appearance and his reasons for remaining hidden, and they dream of ways to get him to come out of his house. Following two summers of friendship with Dill, Scout and Jem find that someone is leaving them small gifts in a tree outside the Radley place. Several times, the mysterious Boo makes gestures of affection to the children, but, to their disappointment, never appears in person.
Atticus is assigned to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young white woman. Although many of Maycomb's citizens disapprove, Atticus agrees to defend Tom to the best of his ability. Scout is subjected to other children taunting Atticus, calling him a "nigger-lover", and she is tempted to stand up for her father's honour by fighting, even though he has told her not to. For his part, Atticus faces a group of men intent on lynching Tom, but this danger is averted when Scout, Jem, and Dill shame the mob into dispersing by forcing them to view the situation from Atticus' and Tom's points of view.
Because Atticus does not want them to be present at Tom Robinson's trial, Scout, Jem, and Dill watch in secret from the coloured balcony. Atticus establishes that the accusers – Mayella and her father, Bob Ewell, the town drunk – are lying. It also becomes clear that the friendless Mayella was making sexual advances towards Tom and that her father caught her in the act. Despite significant evidence of Tom's innocence, he is convicted. Jem's faith in justice is badly shaken, as is Atticus', when a hopeless Tom is shot and killed while trying to escape from prison.
Bob Ewell is humiliated by the trial and vows revenge. He spits in Atticus' face on the street, tries to break into the judge's house, and menaces Tom Robinson's widow. Finally, he attacks the defenceless Jem and Scout as they walk home from a Halloween pageant at their school. Jem's arm is broken in the struggle, but, amid the confusion, someone comes to his rescue. The mysterious man carries Jem home, where Scout eventually recognizes him as the reclusive Boo Radley.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Chris Brown Lyrics
I gotta see you boo (hey)
And the hearts all over the world tonight,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight [x2]
[Verse 1]
Hey! Little mama,
Ooh, you're a stunner
Hot..little figure,
Yes, you're a winner
And I'm so glad to be yours,
You're a class all your own
And..
Oh, little cutie
When..you talk to me
I swear..the whole world stops
You're my sweetheart
And I'm so glad that you are mine
You are one of a kind and..
[Bridge]
You mean to me
What I mean to you and..
Together baby,
There is nothing we won't do
'cause if I got you,
I don't need money,
I don't need cars,
Girl, you're my all.
And..
[Chorus:]
Oh!
I'm into you,
And girl,
No one else would do,
'cause with every kiss and every hug,
You make me fall in love,
And now I know I can't be the only one,
I bet there heart's all over the world tonight,
With the love of they life who feel..
Wat I feel when I'm
With you [x5]
Girl..
With you [x5]
[Verse 2]
Oh girl!
I don't want nobody else,
Without you, there's no one left then,
You're like Jordans on Saturday,
I gotta have you and I cannot wait now,
Hey! Little shawty,
Say you care for me,
You know I care for you,
You know...that I'll be true,
You know that I won't lie,
You know that I would try,
To be your everything..yeah..
[Bridge]
'cause if I got you,
I don't need money,
I don't need cars,
Girl, you're my all.
And..
[Chorus]
With you [x5]
Oh..
With you [x5]
Yeah Heh..
[Bridge 2]
And I..
Will never try to deny,
that you're my whole life,
'cause if you ever let me go,
I would die..
So I won't front,
I don't need another woman,
I just need your all and nothing,
'cause if I got that,
Then I'll be straight
Baby, you're the best part of my day
I need you boo,
I gotta see you boo
And the hearts all over the world tonight,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight [x2]
Woo Oh.. Yeah
They need it boo,
They gotta see their boo,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight,
Hearts all over the world tonight [x2]
[Chorus]
With you [x5]
Girl..
With you [x5]
Oh..
This song is played in the morning when i wake up because it reminds me of how much my Girlfriend means to me.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Lateness
The list is taken from "Roget's Thesaurus" - a very useful book to consult when searching for the right word to use.
delay, procrastination, detention, deffering, filibuster, postponement, adjournment, prorogation, retardation, respite, reprieve, stay, protraction, prolongation, moratorium, contango, demurrage, remand, leeway, high-time.
Tarry, wait, stay, bide, take time, dawdle, linger, loiter, saunter, lag behind, take one's time, hang about, hang around, hang back, gain time, hang fire, stand over, lie over bide one's time.
Put off, defer, delay, lay over, suspend, shift off, stave off, waive, retard, remand, postpone, adjourn, daily, protract, spin out, draw out, lengthen out, prorogue, keep back, tide over, let the matter stand over, reserve, temporise, sleep on it.
Shelve, table, lay on the table, lose an opportunity, be kept waiting, dance attendance, kick one's heels, await, sit up, sit at night.
Late, tardy, slow, behindhand, belated, posthumous, backward, unpunctual, dilatory, overdue, delayed.
Backward, late in the day, the eleventh hour, ultimately, after, behind time, too late for.
Slowly, leisurely, deliberately, at one's leisure, ex post factor, sine die.
This Imposition above is a fair punishment for my wrong doing. I think it's a more wiser option to be on time and not be late then to be late and have an imposition. Not only that but the amount of time wasted goes towards the learning I had missed out on due to my absence.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Cross Country
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Extra Degree
Sunday, April 27, 2008
joke
One day they sat down and decided to settle the whole dispute with one dog fight. They'd have five years to breed the best fighting dog in the world and whichever side's dog won would be entitled to dominate the world. The losing side would have to lay down its arms.
The Russians found the biggest, meanest Doberman and Rottweiler ------- in the world and bred them with the biggest meanest Siberian wolves. They selected only the biggest and strongest puppy from each litter, killed his siblings, and gave him all the milk. They used steroids and trainers and after five years came up with the biggest meanest dog the world had ever seen. Its cage needed steel bars that were three inches thick and nobody could get near it.
When the day came for the fight, the Americans showed up with a strange animal. It was a nine-foot long Dachshund. Everyone felt sorry for the Americans because they knew there was no way that this dog could possibly last ten seconds with the Russian dog.
When the cages were opened up, the Dachshund came out and wrapped itself around the outside of the ring. It had the Russian dog almost completely surrounded. When the Russian dog leaned over to bite the Dachshund's neck, the Dachshund reached out and consumed the Russian dog in one bite. There was nothing left at all of the Russian dog.
The Russians came up to the Americans, shaking their heads in disbelief. `We don't understand how this could have happened. We had our best people working for five years with the meanest Doberman and Rottweiler ------- in the world and the biggest, meanest Siberian wolves."
"That's nothing," an American replied. "We had our best plastic surgeons working for five years to make an alligator look like a Dachshund."
Joke
For a Special Person
this true love in my heart
it is buried so deep
and that I would always keep
All through the darkest night
you are the brightest star in my sight
always been at my side
even in a grisly fright
You clothe me when I shiver
with your ever warm embrace
you are the moon that lights my way
that makes me feel very gay
You wipe the tears on my cheeks
the tears of joy that I have seek
and its you, my love, my divine
That makes me shine so bright
You are the sun in my sky
staring at me with all your might
guiding me with your ever shining light
For the first time in my life
I found my love and my life
without you I will cry
for you my love I will die!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The Ocean
Tremendous waves crash onto the beach repetitively as they are forced from behind
The sun radiates its glow over the surface of the water making it look calm and as flat as a stone bench.
Cliffs overlook the misty water as it collides with the walls.
The impact throws the water over the cliffs and onto the grassy hills.
The sparkle of the water levitating into the air making an aluminous glow over the horizon.
The luscious dew had a soul of its own releasing its amazing spirits in the air.
Day after day it repeats making it more beautiful as it continues.
Then all of a sudden half the sun drops under the earths surface and shimmers across the horizon as it peers into the night.
A Story
Monday, April 14, 2008
Beggining of a story
Billy T James
Comedian Billy T James (1948 -1991) or William Taitoko to his family had many contributions to make to New Zealand entertainment. He starred in his own TV show, performed on stage and even made a movie . He joined the Maori Volcanics in the 1970s and performed around the world. Going solo in Australia and then New Zealand saw him in great demand for his skits and impresions and his cabaret singing. He starred in The Billy T James Show and Radio Times on TV and the feature film Came A Hot Friday. He was New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1981 and Entertainer of the Decade in 1985.
Crystal Meth
Hello.
You may or may not know me.
I destroy homes.
I tear families apart,
I’ll take your children and that is just the start.
I’m more precious the diamonds, more valued then gold.
The sorrows I bring are a sight to behold.
If you need me I’m easily found
I’m all around you in every city and every town.
I live with the rich I live with the poor.
I live down the street even next door.
I’m made in a lab just not the kind you think,
I can be made under the kitchen sink.
I can be made in the closet or in the woods.
If this doesn’t scare you to death it certainly should.
I have many names but one you’d know best
My name is Crystal meth.
My powers are awesome just try me and see.
Try me twice and your soul will belong to me.
Once I possess you, you’ll steal and you’ll lie
You’ll do what it takes just to get high.
The crimes you’ll commit for the high and fame
Will be worth millions once I get in your veins.
You’ll lie to your mom and steal from you dad,
When you see their tears you won’t even be sad.
You’ll forget your morals and how you were raised,
Once I teach you my worthless ways.
I’ll take your friends, your control, your pride,
But I’ll always be with you right by your side.
You’ll give up your friends, your family, your home,
When you run out you’ll be all alone.
I’ll take and I’ll take till there’s nothing to give,
And when I’m through you’ll be lucky to live.
You can try me for fun but I’m no game.
Giving the chance I’ll drive you insane.
I’ll give you nightmares while you lie sweating in bed.
I’ll be the evil voices inside you head.
You shouldn’t have tried me how many times were you told?
But you challenged my powers how could you have been so bold?
You couldn’t say no, and just walked away.
If you could do it all over again what would you say?
I’ll be you master you’ll be my slave.
Don’t fear being lonely I’ll walk with you to your grave.
I’ll show you more pain then your deepest betrayal
So come take my hand as I lead you to HELL.
The pitch of the night
The truth burns
So they turn
Their faces away
From the sun
When small liberties
Began to fray
When their constitution
Was being chipped away
When their newspapers
Were shut down
When their rule of law
Was twisted around
When might became right
And their friends
Were carried off screaming
In the pitch of the night
They chose ignorance
Feigned blindness
Pleaded ignorance
And now when the shadow of the jackboot hangs
Ominous over their beloved land
They walk as zombies
Unable to distinguish right from
Wrong from right
Their minds furred with lichens
Like the dark side of trees
The truth burns
So they turn
Their faces away
From the sunSaturday, April 12, 2008
Tomorrow, When The War Began
Ellie Linton goes out camping in the bush for a week with her friends Homer Yannos, Lee Takkampurazhat, Kevin Holmes, Corrie Mackenzie, Robyn Mathers and Fiona Maxwell. They find a way into a large, vegetated sinkhole in a remote area of bush the locals have dubbed "Hell", and camp there for the week. During this time they see large numbers of planes flying through the night without lights, and though it is mentioned in conversation the following morning, they think little of it.
When they return to their hometown of Wirrawee, they find that all the people are missing and their pets and livestock are dead and dying. Fearing the worst, they break into three groups to investigate Wirrawee's situation. They confirm that Australia (or at least, Wirrawee) has been invaded and local citizens are being held captive by a hostile foreign force. Ellie's group is discovered and, in order to escape, create an improvised explosive using the fuel tank of a ride-on lawnmower in a backyard as a bomb. However, returning to the nearby meeting point, they discover Robyn and Lee missing. Homer and Ellie search for them and they are met by Robyn, and they discover that Lee has been shot in the leg and hiding out in the main street of Wirrawee, the centre of the enemies activity. Ellie and Homer confer with the others and Ellie decides that they should attempt to rescue Lee in a large earth-moving bobcat. After a rough truck chase that sees several soldiers run over Lee is successfully rescued and returned to the safety of Hell. Ellie and Lee get together and form a romantic relationship after a dream that Ellie has, and Fi and Homer also get involved in a romantic relationship. Ellie finds them to be an unlikely couple, and is a bit jealous at first, but towards the end accepts the fact that she has Lee and Fi has Homer. Of course Kevin and Corrie have been in a romantic relationship for a few months before the invasion.
They decide to raid nearby farmhouses, searching for food and other supplies, and then retreat to Hell to establish a base camp for them. On the way they discover their friend, Chris Lang, hiding in his home, and decides to join Ellie's group. The group decides to wage a guerrilla war against the invaders and Ellie, Fi, and Homer steal a petrol tanker, and blow it up under a bridge successfully blowing up the bridge that provided the easiest way into Wirrawee (the detour was very slow and complicated). While this is happening Corrie is shot in the back while finding food with Kevin, and Kevin sacrifices his freedom to drive her to an occupied hospital for medical assistance.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Grand Canyon
One day we went on a trip to the Grand Canyon. My mother, father, sister and I finally realised how big and magnificent it really was. We all divided up to look at the great scenery and the area it covered and the shapes and colours of the rocks. My father went south, my mother and sister went east, and I went north to see the jump site of Evil Kneivel. As soon as I got there, it started to rain. By the time I put jacket over my head, it had already seeped through my back. My head and my toes tingled in the ice-cold weather. The thunder booms and the lightening start to burst out like a fork stabbing into the ground. The lightening mustn’t have been that far away, if I saw it two seconds ago, I thought. I started to run back to the caravan, hoping I didn’t get struck by the forceful lightening. My back was getting sore and I had to rest somewhere so that it would heal. I found a rock next to the edge of the chasm. I hid until the rain subsided. I was blocking my ears and waiting in fear. Unexpectedly, a force of wind blew me out from under the rock. I was fighting to keep my balance and withstand the wind. The impressive force of the lightening hit right next to me. Tossing me away with an enormous force. The landing gave me several lacerations. I have a cut on my lower leg, a 10cm cut on my calf muscle, my elbow is grazed and my lower lip is wrecked. I was crawling along the floor to get to our caravan. My parents would be worried and wondering where I was? I was almost there, but somehow this big wave came. It was a Tsunami, coming through the Grand Canyon. The wave is like a massive brick wall that rumbles down the canyon, like an empty stomach, roaring on its way past! Bringing with it, a sea of troubles. What a spectacle! It was coming straight towards me. Bursting with rage. I had to get back to the caravan. I will have to use my last ounce of strength to get to it and I would never give up until I got there. The gigantic wall of water was several kilometres away and it had almost crossed where I had walked. Still crawling, I got to the caravan with an almighty reach. My family was wondering what was going on, until they gazed outside. They started the vehicle and sped to the left of the wave so that we could move to higher ground. The ground shook as the wave moved ever so closer. The fear ran though our bodies. We had almost made it to the high ground, until unexpectedly a rock got wedged in one of the wheels. I volunteered to get it out and I dashed out the door and went around to the wheel and freed the stone.
The Terminal
I enter in silence. All I hear around me is the crying, yelling and the feet of the people passing me by, making their way to the plane. My ears ring as people beside me are pleading loved ones not to go. It’s as though they would never see each other again, in some cases, it really is goodbye for a very long time. The slow droning voice of the person behind the intercom speaks in monotone but giving clear instructions on incoming and outgoing flights. I hear my flight number and I see it presented on the board above me, my heartbeat starts to race as I’m realising I’m about to leave the place I felt comfortable in.
I hear my own feet inching towards the plane. My ears and eyes close up as if I’ve been dunked underwater. I start to feel the cold breeze that passes my face. It chills my body making me feel small and withdrawn to the big task ahead of me. I start to hear things in slow motion as I creep ever so close to the plane. It’s as though something is holding me back. Is it my family, or is it my gut feeling telling me something is going to happen. I hope that I’ve made the right choice. My head is almost filled with regret but I’m almost at the gate. There’s no turning back.
I look to my left and see people crying and smiling for many reasons. I look to my right; peering through the glass of the window. The plane I saw was rocketing down the runway. I felt more nervous then, having thought of everything I’d miss out on here. A message comes over the intercom again informing the passengers of our flight very soon. I’m holding bags in both hands with a backpack strapped behind me. I feel heavy. It’s as though my bag is pulling me down, stopping me from proceeding towards the gate. Its as though it was alive pushing me towards the floor and pinning me down. The feeling subsides and I think about the future that awaits me. The past will still be here. I reach the gate nervously travelling past the guard. I am here an I’m ready. I can do this. Its my future.
A one way trip
Down a chargeless road.
An Exposed road
With cars alongside you.
Easing past, as your head
Fills with stormless thoughts,
And rageless peace.
Drifting slowly down
The widened road,
With no pressure
Know one to set you back.
No road rage is applied.
There is no limit.
Concentrate on the road
Poems
Love is the greatest feeling, Love is like a play, Love is what I feel for you, Each and every day, Love is like a smile, Love is like a song, Love is a great emotion, That keeps us going strong, I love you with my heart, My body and my soul, I love the way I keep loving, Like a love I can't control, So remember when your eyes meet mine, I love you with all my heart, And I have poured my entire soul into you, Right from the very start. |
A gentle word like a spark of light, Illuminates my soul And as each sound goes deeper, It's YOU that makes me whole There is no corner, no dark place, YOUR LOVE cannot fill And if the world starts causing waves, It's your devotion that makes them still And yes you always speak to me, In sweet honesty and truth Your caring heart keeps out the rain, YOUR LOVE, the ultimate roof. |