Over the years, the famous Notre Dame of Paris has been captured at many different angles. There are various bridges spanning the length of the Seine throughout Paris – each offering their own unique advantage of composition. My most popular Notre Dame depiction was taken while floating upon the Seine, not at all uncanny. In this particular instance, however, I explored the “less pretty side,” viewing the Notre Dame from the streets of Paris on a very dreary and unabated rainy day.
Marvel’s The Avengers is a box office hit, topping The Dark Knight’s midnight premier
The Avengers (2012 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
records and emerging as #1 opening weekend at $207,438,708 [1] in the United States and Canada alone. However, is this highly acclaimed film worth the hype? Or is it simply another blockbuster blown out of proportion? Even many of the staunchest critics agree – The Avengers is a superhero masterpiece.
Incorporating elements from the previous films, The Hulk, Iron Man, Iron Man II, Thor, and Captain America, The Avengers embodies a fantastic medley of the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes and villains, all the while, paving the way for the next installments. It is highly comedic and intensely action-packed, superior to the Transformers series which attempts a similar plot-line in Dark of the Moon.
The Avengers opens up with a most ominous, alien voice, rambling on about some plot which entails the power-hungry Loki, banished of Asgard, like something produced by Garage Band’s “deeper vocals” voice modifier. Following this singular introduction, we find SHIELD agents and scientists (some from Thor) working diligently at unlocking the secrets of the divine Tesseract, a source of seemingly ultimate and limitless power. Albeit, as one might expect of the suspenseful setting, their experimentation goes terribly wrong. The Asgardian device suddenly reacts with a violent burst of light and generates a portal, which may be likened to the destructive force which presumably annihilated the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger, sending forth the vengeful Loki who is bent on conquering Earth with an army given him in return for the Tesseract. The available SHIELD agents surround the self-proclaimed “god,” albeit are disposed of by a few blasts of Loki’s newly acquired staff. Nick Fury arrives on the scene, shooting a few rounds in vain, whilst Loki uses his staff to mind-control the mercenary Hawkeye and Dr. Erik Selvig to aid in his escape. The next few moments are without respite – the SHIELD complex sinks underground, collapsing inward as a maelstrom, due to the effects of the Tesseract. Fury and company give chase, although lose their quarry and are forced to flee.
On less dramatic grounds, fan-favorite Tony Stark and his girlfriend Pepper Pots, are debating who deserves the most credit for Stark Tower – a top of the line, self-sufficient complex inspired by the reactor core. Amusing quarrel aside, SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson -promptly arrives with a briefing for Iron Man, in preparation for the “Avengers Initiative” – it would appear the world is once again in peril and only the aforementioned team of heroes can save it.
In another part of the world, Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), after dispatching with a Russian general, is sent to extract Dr. Bruce Banner (The Hulk), and Director Fury introduces Steve Rogers (Captain America) to the Initiative. The team slowly comes together as the peril grows greater, and there is much dissonance among the members, as they fight to recapture Loki, and then amongst themselves (Thor vs. Captain America & Iron Man) to retain him. All the while, the preparations for Loki’s army is nearly complete… will the team be able to come together and save the world, or will the alien apocalypse fall upon them?
The Avengers is a barrel of fun, with enough intrigue to keep the audience guessing until the end and a good portion of comedy to provide the necessary balance. It introduces [to the series] the developmental process of a team, rather than a single protagonist. The villain is likewise in control of a massive army and it is evident another power is pulling the strings at the start, adding depth. In this way, it separates itself from its superhero predecessors outside of the animated realm, attaining the claim by some that it is “the best superhero movie ever.”
Family Perspective
This time around, the violence gets a little bloody, with the death of a great number of characters (as opposed to those scenes which are given little reflection), some more evident than others which are merely suggested.
Language is fairly minimal, albeit a few curse words are used in the course of the film.
Natasha Romanoff, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, remains a source of eye-candy, albeit not as overt in as in the Iron Man films and much more of an independent protagonist. Her top, during the Russian interrogation, is low cut and gratuitous during fighting scenes, yet the “buck stops there” so to speak, in that the female form is not exploited for the vast remainder of the film (note: at the beginning, Pepper Pots wears “short-shorts,” she, however, plays a minor role in the film and takes up only a small fraction of screen time), aside from the skin tight suits.
The Avengers is better suited to teen and adult audiences, especially on account of much more mature conceptions and visuals.
Notable Quotations
“Earth’s mightiest heroes type-thing. / Yeah. Takes us awhile to get any traction, I’ll give you that one. But let’s do a headcount here. Your brother the demigod, the super soldier living legend who kind of lives up to the legend, a man with breathtaking anger management issues, a couple of master assassins, and you, big fella, have managed to [anger] every single one of them.” -Tony Stark to Loki
“You miss the point, there’s no throne. No version of this where you come on top.” -Tony Stark to Loki
“I’m in the middle of an interrogation, this moron is giving me everything.” -Black Widow
“I’m bringing the party to you. | I don’t see how that’s a party.” Iron Man | Black Widow
“How desperate are you? You call on such lost creatures to defend you. / It burns you to have come so close. To have the tesseract, to have power – unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded of what real power is.” -Loki
“Well, let me know if real power wants a magazine or something.” -Nick Fury
Christian Perspective
The Avengers delves deep into what it means to be a hero, as clashing egos and selfish motives are put aside for teamwork and integrity.
Captain America, Steve Rogers, stands for traditionalist, Christian America, when, after a remark is made about Loki and Thor’s “godhood,” retorts “I mean no disrespect ma’am, but there’s only one God, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that!” All the while calling for team to unite and realize their duty.
References are made to the macro-evolutionary theory, as Loki jokingly states he had thought “humans were more evolved” than they were behaving. Loki, furthermore, observes the depravity of man and the hopeless nature therein (without a remedy).
Over the course of a few days I developed a soundtrack for a mini-movie which I will be presenting before an English class representing the poem, Dover Beach. This is the soundtrack in question, with shooting for the video in progress:
This video is made legally using Apple Co. loops provided with the application, Garage Band, in accordance with Terms of Use.
Ever heard of the calm before the storm? Well this is the calm... AFTER the storm.
In January of this year, I provided the manuscripts for my short story publications on this blog, without
The annotated version of War At Our Doorstep delves into the story, uncovering important details and casting light upon the story's various ambiguities. The story provided in this post is the original, unannotated version.
the extras provided by their ninety-nine cent counterparts, and developed my Literary Feedback page to gather the opinions of my readers and subscribers.
Since then, months have passed, and I’ve updated my publications. War at Our Doorstep has had punctuation errors and an imagery [literary] device was altered. 400 Years of Silence was extended to include additional background about the character Manasseh, and pave the way for the potential novel to come.
These new additions are available on their old posts:
If you’re looking for a quick read, these should do the trick, and as always, I’d love to have feedback (that’s why I changed “Leave a Reply” to “Share Your Opinion” – much more welcoming).
Kid Icarus: Uprising is the latest Nintendo 3DS game released by Nintendo and designed by Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the hit Smash Brothers series.
Introduction
You play as the angel Pit, following the orders of Palutena, the goddess of light and protector of
Kid Icarus: Uprising (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
humanity, as you fight against the resurrected Medusa. Your journey takes you from towns to spaceships, futuristic landscapes to ‘natural’ wonders – each equally captivating, with an added vibrancy due to the extra dimension of 3-D. The story, however, does not end after your primary objective, taking an unexpected turn and extending gameplay exponentially as a result. Chapters may also be replayed at different intensity levels, from practically effortless to an infernal onslaught which may pose a challenge for even the most experienced of players.
Gameplay
Ease of gameplay has been disputed among players, however, it is certainly do-able. Albeit more suited to right-handed players, lefty’s should by no means be deterred, as only simple swipes of the stylus are required of their right hand. As a left-dominant player myself, I found the game to be difficult at first, albeit much easier after the first few missions had accustomed me to the configuration – no adjustment of the controls was necessary, albeit Nintendo has provided that as an option in addition to the circle-pad pro.
Sound
The soundtrack of Kid Icarus: Uprising is incredibly beautiful and uniquely assorted. From soothing orchestral, violin accompanied tracks, to simple ditties which serve but a momentary purpose – all serve to heighten the enjoyability of the game and immerse the player within the world of Greek myth. Not to mention, each piece is made available as an unlockable, by the completion Treasure Hunt achievements (which also reward hearts, weapons, idols, etc).
Dialogue is a key characteristic of the game, seemingly present without ceasing. Albeit, it rather serves as a compliment to gameplay, once a player is acquainted with the controls and may appreciate the witty repartees and mindless jabber with comprehension. Otherwise, they are aggravations at best. Once, however, this condition has been met, the dialogue maintains interest in a seemingly empty world (aside from the attacks of underworld minions), where there is little character interaction, aside from these exchanges.
Content
Defeated! Visual depicts an AR Card idol battle captured with in-game camera applications.
The content of Kid Icarus: Uprising is truly abundant. With 25 chapters, unlockable back-to-back boss battles, dozens of weapons (to be bought with hearts, the KI:U currency) and power customizations (and a land + battle practice range to try them out on), three treasure hunts with one-hundred twenty achievements each, collectible in-game and paper-card “idols” (digital figures with descriptions and AR Card capabilities), streetpass-spotpass enabled, online / local multiplayer, and much more. Albeit some features are more engaging and useful than others.
Multiplayer is a competitive challenge, although there are no overall leaderboards, which is a letdown. Players accumulate points during the process of each match and are ranked according to their totals at the conclusion. Wins are saved and exchanged via streetpass.
Playable characters include:
Pit (primary): chief angel of Palutena, the goddess of light and protector of humanity. He is persistent, passionate, and often quite silly.
Pittoo: Pit’s Doppelganger, created by Pandora’s mirror, often an antagonizing force, albeit (highlight spoiler > ) linked with Pit in life force and becomes an ally due to necessity and a slight change of heart.
Magnus: powerful human mercenary, dedicated to fighting against underworld forces.
Little Girl: details unknown, resident of a ruined city.
Dog: details unknown, resident of a ruined city. Can sniff out and locate food in garbage, runs without tiring.
Family Analysis(E10+ [ESRB])
The characters within KI:U aren’t exceptionally frightening, albeit some are notably grotesque, such as the lord of the Underworld – with pointy fangs, red eyes, and whatnot. There is no blood, and most combat is against the forces of the underworld, in the form of giant eyeballs, frog-like beings, and other odd but otherwise inhuman creatures. There are, however, a few human / god encounters where a character will make known they have been defeated and may even make a corresponding exclamation of defeat. However, deaths are seldom, often with enemies returning to fight again unscathed. Albeit, this does not dismiss the violence in itself. The game is likely more suitable for tweens, teens, and older, than ten year-olds, unless families take care to monitor their child’s gameplay and discuss plotline implications. There are a few sexual references – in one instance, Palutena jokingly tells Pit she can read minds and that he “better not be thinking anything naughty,” to which he exclaims in surprise, as if he had been contemplating unsavory matters. Some characters, such as a Nature-Force leader is flirtatious, while Amazon Pandora takes it a step further, emphasizing her appearance and is overtly coquettish.
Christian Implications
The fact that there are collectible “idols” should be telling in itself of the game’s religious affiliations. Rape, murder, and other mature concepts of Greek mythology are not mentioned, however, spiritual references are made. Pit “prays” for Palutena’s safety, at which point another goddess remarks he is a very confused angel, since he has no god/dess to pray to at the moment. A reincarnation of Helios, Hades, Medusa, and Poseidon (as well as others) make appearances, with a few original gods and goddesses exclusive the Kid Icarus realm. Pit is the protector (by extension of Palutena) of the helpless humans who are referred to as selfish and greedy, the gods are also revealed in their folly (often warring against one another and causing trouble).
During World War 2, these cannons were more than menacing. Having significant range to fire upon the beaches a substantial few miles away, the man operating this machine of death could be almost completely disconnected from the battle at hand.
Kid Icarus: Uprising is the latest Nintendo 3DS game released by Nintendo and designed by Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the hit [Super] Smash Brothers series.
General Review:
Graphics
Kid Icarus: Uprising has spectacular, immersive graphics which are heightened to their utmost by the extra measure of depth provided by the 3DS.
Storyline
Simple and humorous, with a few twists and turns to keep things interesting.
Music
As numerous modern video games, the soundtrack of Kid Icarus is a masterful, orchestral blend which may be enjoyed by even the most discerning listeners.
Spiritual & Family
The world of Kid Icarus is loosely founded upon Greek mythology.
Mention of “empty souls”
Similar to Metroid & Zelda in that a battle is being waged against monsters, sometimes humans are involved, such as in one of the early battles. There is however, no gore or impact effects.
Gameplay
A widespread complaint from left-handed users has been prevalent in discussions of the game and its criticisms. However, being left-handed myself, I find no problem with gameplay, except for a slight takeaway. The left hand controls the circle pad and L-button, while the right hand makes simple movements on the touch screen. Up, down, side-to-side – as this game does not require handwriting, and so long as one may move their hand in the proper direction, there shouldn’t be too much of a problem, only discomfort.
Here is yet another flower which may be found within Monet's Garden. It's colors are vibrant and add to the overall scheme of the garden.
else. Now, after a deal of consideration, I have decided to publish an eBook containing a portion of my photography collection, with individual commentaries and explanations.
However, before this, I would appreciate the feedback of my subscribers and of those simply perusing my blog: what is your favorite composition posted thus far on the AW Blog?
Please post the name or URL of your favorite in the comments below (you may alternatively indicate which is your favorite on the comments section of the corresponding photograph) – some or all of the chosen photographs will be featured in the eBook.
Le Academie Nationale de Musique est une belle œuvre de l'architecture - the National Academy of Music in Paris is, like many of the buildings around it, an exquisite architectural specimen - laced with gold borders, nostalgic figures, and other such artistic wonders. Paris is an astounding city from first glance, and entering into the city, aside from some of the more modern buildings (such as the airport, of course... and all the cars and motorbikes), one may feel as if they have stepped back in time.
I found this photograph in my collection of compositions from Ireland. Albeit I was unsure of the identity of its subject, I had my suspicions it was Saint Patrick. I tried doing a Google Image search which failed horribly, afterwards I found a photograph which I had taken some time before of a World War II memorial, which stated its location. From that location, it was easy to pin down the identity of Saint Patrick, just in time for his celebration. Behind his statue is a plethora of pink flowers, sitting atop a bog of sorts, which is apparently quite dangerous for its inherent quicksand qualities.
