'Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters'

I mentioned a few posts ago that I had borrowed the book 'The Host' by Stephenie Meyer, and at the same time I borrowed 'Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters'. Well, I got through 'The Host' in no time flat (the first week I had borrowed it - after not really getting into it for the first two or three days), and, finally, I read and finished 'Percy Jackson'. Thank goodness for school holidays.

This 'Percy Jackson' is a continuation of the original story - in that he is fighting against the same people who wish to use him and see him fail in the first novel. However, it is, also, a stand-alone novel enough for anyone who hasn't read the first novel to be able to pick it up and read it seperately and understand what is happening. There are only one or two slight references to the first novel, and anything that needs to be explained is, but not in a boring "This is Quidditch - for the 6th time" manner that you get with 'Harry Potter'. Maybe by the final book in this series it could be like that, but at the moment, it's all good.

The story has you wondering what is going to happen from the moment you open to the chapter listing. This is one of the good things about Rick Riordan's chapter titles - they are written for kids to have a laugh over. You are always wondering what is going to happen in the chapter because of the title. Many times, also, the chapters just keep flowing on, one from the other, with no time gap between. One good thing, though, is that there are plenty of spacings within the chapters, or time gaps, so that when you need to put the book down to do something (like sleep, in my case sometimes), you can read to this minor ending within the chapter, and be able to follow the story easily from there onwards when you come back to it.

The story itself is very easy to follow. You know who most of the bad guys are, from the first novel. You know that Percy will have to come up and face these bad guys over and over, from the end of the first novel, but you aren't always sure how, where, and what with in this novel. Some of the classic moments occur when there are cyclopses about - including Percy's brother. Oops...did I just put a spoiler in? Nah, you would find out soon enough, anyway, if you read the book. Perhaps the most hilarious moment in the book for me was when the centaurs came to the rescue - but I won't go into detail about that, at all, for that would spoil it.

All in all, Rick Riordan has produced another fun, witty, and full of hilarious situations story that any kid would love to read. There are, also, a couple of messages - or more - in the story that kids may or may not pick up on: courage in yourself, as well as in others, as well as being there for others no matter what, are just two of which I can think.

It is worth while reading, and a good veg at the same time. And, once again, you can learn a little about the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece at the same time.

NRL Dragons/Tigers Semi-Final

Well, my team made it through to the Grand Final that is going to be played this coming Sunday in Sydney. My team, if you didn't already know it, are the St George Dragons (click here to see the Dragons' website). It was a bit touch and go on Saturday night, when they were playing in the semi-final against Wests Tigers. I admit, it was REALLY awesome to see them live, in a semi-final. I haven't been to a semi-final before, and...well...the atmosphere was just...perfect.

At half time my team was down 12-6. Wests had two converted tries, and we only had the one. The teams were fairly good at being picked up on infringing the 10 metre distance between the tackled player and the defenders, until about 10-15 minutes before the end of the first half. Then things really started getting interesting. Yes, Wests had scored in the first 15 minutes, which should have been disallowed due to interference. Two of the Dragons were taken out, defending, and so a gap was produced that someone could just run straight through to score. Not fair. That is not what rugby league is about. If you want to play that kind of game, go over to America.

Anyway, St George came back and scored a converted try, so it was 6 all for another 10 or so minutes. Then the Tigers scored another try - off a forward pass. St George should have been given the ball after the Wests fellas passed the ball forward. Yes, they may have scored another try in the first half even if the Dragons had got the ball because of the forward pass - but the pass should have been picked up, considering St George's had been, and they were close to scoring a try then, as well!

Anyway, half-time came and went. About half-way through the second half, the Dragons go in for a try! They converted it, too. That made it 12 all. Two other attempts had been made, but they were unsuccessful, unfortunately. The Tigers' fans that I was sitting near - they were starting to get not only nervous, but unhappy as well. It was not looking good for their team. They had been eager, pleased as punch, and assured in many ways, at the start and after the second try had been converted, they were now anxious and unsure.

With roughly 5 minutes left of the second half, Jamie Soward kicked for a field goal. This does not always work - field goal attempts tend to go off to the side. But his went straight through, and the Dragons were leading, 13-12. It was unbelieveable! The atmosphere, as I mentioned, was ecstatic for all the Dragons fans that were there - and there were A LOT! The Tigers fans were starting to despair - but they still had roughly 5 minutes! In football, anything can happen in five minutes.

And something nearly did happen with only 30 seconds to go. A missed tackle and one of the Tigers was running up the sideline opposite to where we were sitting. Thankfully, one of the Dragons got him, and they started wrapping up the match when Benji Marshall (the best player in the NRL, according to the person I was sitting next to for the game - a Tigers fan) kicked the ball out, and there was going to have to be a scrum with only 10 seconds to go. It didn't take place, and the players started shaking hands, with the siren going off in the background. The roar of the crowd was astounding, with Dragons fans hugging, high-fiving, and singing the team song all around! It was....(what's another word I can use???)...phenomenal!

I must say, as well, that leaving the stadium was not a nightmare as I thought it might be. The crowd was good, and didn't push to try to get out or onto trains at the station, and we were all generally well behaved. Of course, there was a bit of a problem between a Tiger supporter and a Dragon supporter towards the end of the match - didn't see anything much and security was onto them before I knew anything about it.

And now, guess what? My dad has informed me that maybe, just maybe, he might be able to get two tickets to the grand final! That would be AMAZING! I would love to go, to see my (and his) team win - crossing fingers!

Here's hoping to the Dragons pulling off a Grand Final win; to win not only the Minor Premiership, but also the Major Premiership. Good luck, guys!

Spamming...

For some weird, bizarre, odd, stupid reason one of my posts on this blog keeps getting spammed. Obviously I put some tag word in it that make people click and send spam messages to it. Thank goodness for the spam-controller (is that anything like the Fat Controller out of 'Thomas the Tank Engine'?). Seriously, I've had to delete numerous messages from that one particular post in the past - very...interesting...messages they were, too... - and now it's getting spammed again. I wish spammers would just go jump in the creek...

Almost tempting to delete the post, except it contains piccies I took overseas, in London.

Yes, it's very sad that I'm typing about spamming, but it's an annoying bit of life on the net, and I'm wanting to vent.

Holidays

Well, all I can say is...ABOUT TIME!

This term seems to have dragged on, but also sped along, all at the same time. The days seemed to fly by - probably because we were all constantly on the go, doing things to make sure everything was running smoothly at school. And yet, at times the days could not go fast enough. Especially when I was teaching certain classes. Other teachers would understand - there is always one class that you just don't want to face...especially on certain days when you're already not in a good mood.

I must admit, I haven't done as much work as I should have during the whole term. Or, rather, I've been very slack and not done enough work in my own time, thereby creating extra work for me to do during the holidays. That sucks, but that's my own fault.

My favourite National Rugby League (NRL) team is in the semi-finals tomorrow night, and I'm definitely barracking for them to make it through to the grand final. It would be great if they did. They seem to bail out in the semis each time they make it, but...High hopes this year. Go the DRAGONS!!!

Apart from that, and hoping to maintain some kind of semi-respectable status in an English Premier League (soccer) tipping comp, there isn't really much that has occurred, or is going to soon occur, in my life after this term finished today. School, home. That seems to be my life. Very boring. I seriously must start thinking about achieving something more with my life.

And the real dratter these holidays - though not at the same time, because of the reason - is that I can't go out and visit my friends from where I used to live. I'm housesitting at the moment, and so enjoying the break from home. However, because of that, I have an obligation to not go anywhere, in case of any break-ins, etc. I would feel very guilty if something occurred while I was away. So, I'll just have to try and squeeze a visit in before Christmas.

Oh, heading to Rome for NYE and three weeks after that. That's certainly something to look forward to, apart from seeing Muse in early December. Yes, those are both highlights of my life at the moment.

But holidays are made for vegging out with, right? Here's to vegging out! (Oh...and all the marking that goes with not completing it before the term ended...)

A cool video, with a very important message!

Muse have put one of their songs to a video brought out by MTV Exit, to help raise awareness about human trafficking and exploitation. This is a very important issue to raise awareness about, and something that all people should know is going on, sometimes right under your very nose.

To view the video, click here.

Thanks, Muse, for adding your name to the campaign.

'The Host', again...

Well, I finished reading 'The Host'. At around page 100 I was starting to feel bored, so I gave up on it for that night and turned to the book beside my bed for lighter reading. I wasn't finding the storyline all that captivating and, to be honest, I was finding myself reading words that Stephenie Meyer had used in 'Twilight'. However, when I picked the book up the following day, I got back into the story and didn't read anything else until I finished it.

The plot is good. It's simple in many ways - there are only about two or three things the main character wants to achieve and the audience knows this. They aren't kept a secret. There are, though, a couple of interesting moments in the book where the audience can get confused on what the author is actually trying to say. Had to re-read a couple of passages to get the correct understanding. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting the viewpoint she went on with after the main character 'dies' - very well done, there! Bit of a curve ball doing that!

Overall, if you like sci-fi storylines you would enjoy this novel. Well, no, maybe not, but you quite possibly would if you were female and enjoyed them. The momentum isn't hugely fast. It does pick up more towards the end, as any good novel should, but it isn't something that will take your breath away. It's not a mind-numbing, brain-bending experience, but it is an enjoyable read, and something that could possibly make you ponder a couple of things about humanity.

A student of mine said that she didn't understand the book - that she got confused by it. I can understand this, because of the internal conversations that take place within the main character, but it's not very confusing if you keep up with it. I'm just pleased how the story turns out in the end. It's well thought out, and structured. Wasn't expecting the ending that came about when first reading.

If you're interested in know more about it, click here to go directly to Stephenie Meyer's page on 'The Host'.

Happy Reading! Still got 'Percy Jackson 2' to read. Still got three weeks to do that, too... I know I'll have to go out and eventually buy 'The Host', may as well return it to the library this week!

Follow up from 'The Bet'...

As you would be well aware, I made a bet with a friend a couple of months ago about being able to forego seeing 'Twilight: Eclipse' until the 20th July this year. (Click here for more details.) My friend graciously accepted 'defeat', though he didn't really lose, and so read 'Emma' by Jane Austen, watched the Gwyneth Paltrow movie version of the book, and did a report on it, as his punishment. Part of the punishment, too, was joining my Facebook group and submitting his report to the group as a discussion topic.

Please, PLEASE, go and have a look at what he has written. It is classic. You don't have to join my group, but I would love to know what you think! Click here to indulge in a few chuckles...

'The Host' by Stephenie Meyer

So, to continue reading Stephenie Meyer novels...

If you didn't know, I've been reading 'Twilight' for the last six months. It didn't take me that long, I've just been reading and re-reading it for that time. I was tossing up whether or not to read 'The Host' after finishing the saga, but didn't want to try finding it at the local library.

Today, though, that has changed. The school at which I work had the book in their library. Problem solved! I borrowed it from there. (I didn't want to try at the local library because I knew I wouldn't be able to get the chance to - it would be out already and bound to have a waiting list.) Anyway, I was searching for the next 'Percy Jackson' novel - which I found with the help of the librarian - and borrowed it and 'The Host' until after the school holidays. One whole month to try reading it.

My first thought was "Gee, it's a big enough novel, don't you think?" But then, I believe it is a complicated story, and worth reading all of it. I've only just started and read up to chapter 3. Am looking forward to getting further into it when I have the time. It might even replace 'Breaking Dawn' as the novel beside my bed that I read of a night...Then again, probably not. Love that one too much. Especially the ending. Last two and a bit pages are my favourite bit of the novel.

Anyway, I'm rambling now. Will write more about it when I've read further. And I'll try not to give the story away.

Girls Night In!

Girls Night In!

So, the above link is to an event about raising money for the Cancer Council of Australia. I'm very much in to raising money and awareness about cancer, having lost many relatives to different types of the disease, as well as my Mum having had a bout of it three or so years ago. Thankfully that was very small, picked up early, and easily dealt with. Unfortunately, it's not the case in many people's lives.

Therefore, anything that can help raise money is a bonus, so we can, possibly one day, live in a cancer free world.

'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief'

This is a book that I've come across recently due to some kids I teach. We post on a blog some ideas that we would like to learn about, and me reading this book (because I had never heard of it) was something the kids were wild for me to try. We (the class) have just started learning about ancient Greece, hence why the students suggested the novel. I decided to put it to the test about a week after the suggestion...

So far, so good. I'm about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through the novel, and am enjoying it. It's aimed at the pre/early-teens audience, but I can understand why the kids were wanting me to read it. It's got a lot of humour in it that can appeal to older readers as well.

The main idea about the story is that Percy is the son of a Greek god. I won't give away whom. It becomes obvious fairly early on in the story, anyway. The really great thing about the novel is that there are a lot of ancient Greek mythology references throughout it. This is something I've never really been able to remember so well - which god or goddess was responsible for what thing in life, and what deeds they had done/performed/achieved. Through this novel, the reader can find out a lot of things about the Greek gods/goddesses and actually remember what they did due to the situations in the novel that Percy is placed - if one is wanting to use the novel as a way of remembering things. Very helpful.

One last thing: Rick Riordan (the author) has done a very good job at honing in on the charcteristics and jargon of kids. Probably due to having children himself, but he does it well, nonetheless.

Anyway, here is a link about the books if you are interested. Enjoy.

UPDATE: I finished the book today. It ended well. I guessed who would be the 'chief' bad guy, as well as who was the minion, and it is well done how the book ends with you knowing that there is a sequel. I mean, I know there are three more books in the series so far. It's just that, the book is written for a sequel to easily occur - for the author to be able to write.

Anyway, it is a good read. Enjoyable. Nothing mindbending. And, it does teach you well for the Greek gods and goddesses.

'Vampires Suck' - in some ways...

This movie is funny in very many ways. It is meant to be funny, but I don't think it is funny for parents to bring children who are clearly under 15 years of age to it. 10 year olds should definitely sit this one out - it's humour is not exactly aimed at them. And it can be crude at times. Then again...what the children are exposed to at home, who knows! Maybe they get this kind of stuff these days?

Anyway...on to the actual movie...

It has all the jokes that one expects for a spoof on 'Twilight', but it takes the vampires-hiding-out-in-Forks thing not so seriously. Which is good. It makes the film funnier. The whole population of Sporks knows that there is something strange about the Sullens, and they list what is weird (vampire 'characteristics' as described in 'Twilight')...but they must be 'Canadian' because of it. There are a lot of vampire jokes in the movie and most of them are funny. There is the whole Jacob-and-Bella/Becca-Romance thing happening, as well - but it ends nicely with Jacob running off (after going several ks hanging onto the front of a classy yellow Porsche) after a cat. Jacob has a thing for chasing cats. Becca's Dad, Frank, is also completely oblivious to the fact that anything weird is happening around him - it must be the Kardashians causing all the problems (and who can blame him for thinking that?).

I don't think that I'll really ever need to see this movie again. Yes, it is funny, but it is fairly pathetic in some parts, as well. I liked all the 'Twilight' jokes, and there were tonnes of them, but they missed some lines and things that were in the trailer for the movie that would have made it funnier. I liked the whole Prom King and Queen scenario thing that happened, and the things that kept on being thrown at Becca. But it didn't all add up to a great movie.

One thing I'll admit. They did do a good job at fitting two movies into one, and making the scenes fit together so it had some kind of storyline.

However, they're just going to have to work harder next time in making a spoof movie that is hilarious, not just funny.

Maybe I'm just a tough audience...

Why would you? Why???

The other day I was driving along in my car when I saw one of these:

My question is: why would you buy a 4WD-looking Porsche in the first place? Why? Yes, the sales for Porsches have increased by 50% since they introduced the Cayenne, but WHY?

If you want a Porsche, be a traditionalist, and go for their trendy, beautiful cars that have style. If you want a 4WD to take the family off-road, buy a Pajero, or Patrol, or one of them!

If you want to add something that says "Look, I have tonnes of money to waste" why not get a BMW 4WD instead?

Okay, so I haven't looked at the specs to see if the cars are better or worse in steering and all that, but to spend money on a Porsche...when it's a 4WD...SO NOT WORTH IT!

When is someone going to take one of them 'off-road'? No one would want to take one of their fancy Porsche 4WD off-road - they might get it muddy! That's why I'll never understand it!

Go spend your money in a more sensible fashion when buying a 4WD - get something that is going to take the mud, and you're not going to care, when you take it off-road. If you want a Porsche, get one that is beautiful, like this one:

So much better than having a 4WD version of a Porsche. Too much money for sense, methinks!