The Election

Hello boys and girls, I'm back and it's the final post of the year. Focusing on one of the final events of the year, the election. The candidates are: William Yu and Cydney Chan, Rebecca Nguyen and Damon Lundy, Kenar Bannister and Ayotunde Summers, Daniel Padulo and Andrew Burgers, and finally yours truly, Oscar Orellana and Joanne Yu. A lot of choices, I know. I could tell you who not to vote for, but I'm not gonna! I haven't heard any plans  of change for the school from any of them. But they all promise the  same thing, change. Guess we'll have to wait for the speeches( that'll be fun). I think most everyone are iconic figures around the school, save a few. We're all pretty much athletes, or honor students, and all that good stuff we say we are. But that doesn't mean boot. I've got plans in stored for this school, I do! Don't want to spoil them, but here's one. We need a new microwave, nothing too fancy, just new. The one we have is dirty and old, could collapse on us any day. And I know very well how to get the money for items like that. Also maybe a coffee machine, elaborate I know, but I got the swing of it. And more, an economical plan you know? Basically, I've got an idea to help this school, I really want to. I'm not running for fun or just for the sake of running or because of a feeling of entitlement or whatever like some of the other candidates. Politics, it's a sticky business. And if you think your vote doesn't matter, then ha I say. Trust me, one person can be the difference between a good president and a bad one. And the president affect clubs, events, a number of things. But we can't change any school policies or rules or stuff like that. We can't. So vote when it comes to it. I've said it and ill say it again. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not"- Dr. Seuss, the Lorax.

So vote, and vote for Oscar and Joanne 2014! (It's my blog post I get to be bias, and soon to be site!)

And until next year! 

-Oscar 

(This message has been supported by the Lorax club)

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Metalocalypse

Sup kiddies, I'm sure you've heard of an apocalypse, but there's something even better. A Metalocalypse, its also a show, an awesome show. A brutal show, and metal. Its basically about a death metal band called Dethkolk, they're a band in real life also. An animated band on Adult Swim, that is the worlds best band and they are rich as all hell. They all rock and are totally brutal, but they're not the smartest. It is rated TV MA, because of violence and stuff. On lead singer is Nathan Explosion, with a dark heavy voice who failed to get his GEP. Lead guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Swiss man and one of the best guitarists ever. Rhythm guitarist Toki Wartooth, first time in a band and adored by children for his simple and  like young mindedness. On drums is Pickles, heavy drinker (not that the rest aren't) and last name unknown. Finally, bassist William Murderface, an overall angered, mean dude who's fat. Skwisgaar is the guy with long blonde hair, Toki is the guy with long brown hair, Nathan is the big guy with black hair, Pickles is the guy with the orange dreds and Murderface is the guy with the roundish brown hair. They are awesome and do some crazy stuff, like one time they wanted to apologize to Finnland for almost destroying it last tour. They instead released an ancient troll. Its pretty cool so check it out and a Metalocalypse would be awesome. So check it out and my next post. Vote Oscar 2013!

- Oscar (This isn't for the last post)

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Physical Education

Greetings students of Baruch, I come to you with a post of some what attention. We all now the deal with gym, first half is the physical unit. Mainly for exercise and preparing for the fitness test. But then we're cut off and forced into some dance unit. And why? Because we have to just because it has been shoved into our curriculum. Well, I don't like it. This class once meant something, an opportunity to exercise. Another opportunity actually, I do exercise on my own. But that doesn't  make anything better. And students, I know I am not the only one with this opinion. I get around and talk to others, many others agree for different reasons. And those of you who I have not spoke to, but feel this way as well, listen here. I don't deem it fit for kids to be spending this time dancing. It is not a  exercise, it won't get you physical at all. But the regular exercise in that half hour is good, people need some exercise. I'm not exactly the fit guy, but I do enjoy a good exercise. And students, I have tried, been involved and achieved nothing. My idea is I'm just one person, but I'm that one person willing to speak up out of many. Like a activist or a billboard. If more people stood hey, maybe something could be achieved. But we don't have to just exercise. PE involves sports as well. We have the equipment, we can do something else that's more physical. Its a shame it all goes to waist.

 This is just something I wanted to express, because like I heard in a quote "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothings going to get better. It's just not." -Dr. Suess. 

-Oscar O

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Finding Old Writing

Have you decided to go through the forgotten files on your computer, dusty diaries, unfinished journals,  and torn up notebooks from school; rediscovering old pieces from when you were younger? When you read the words that you have written so long ago, you realize how much things have changed. I always enjoyed finding writing because it reminds me of who I used to be. It can bring up a lot of memories; what you were doing and how you felt. Maybe you'll stumble upon a letter you wrote to the president in the third grade and find a stain only to remember that you were drinking cola at the time and spilled a little. Then you smile because its part of the person you might not be anymore. I think everyone should get into the habit of saving their affairs with words because its always an accurate portal back into the past.

-Kristy (Edited/Modified: Kristin)

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Movie Review: Skyfall

Hi everyone,

I hope you guys are having fun or at least more sleep this week! Also, good luck to those of you who still have tests to take! It's been super cold lately, so be sure to dress warmly before heading outside. ^w^ Anyways, today, I'll be reviewing the movie, Skyfall. I don't remember much about it because I saw it a few months ago, but I do remember what I liked and disliked about it, so be prepared for a bad summary this time! OTL

*WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!*

Summary:
The movie starts out with the main character, James Bond, who enters some building and discovers this guy (presumably someone who worked for MI6, the governmental agency Bonds works for) who's shot. Bond then leaves the building and gets into this car that this woman drove over. They proceed to chase this guy who possesses a hard drive that contains the names of MI6 agents. During a scene in which Bond and the guy fight on a train, Bond gets injured. While still fighting, the woman gets in position to snipe the guy, but when M, the head of MI6, orders her to shoot, the woman shoots Bond by accident, and he falls down and into raging waters. The guy with the hard drive manages to escape, and Bond is assumed to be dead.

Some time later, with M watching, the MI6 building is blown up by a bomb. I don't remember exactly remember what happens next, but it is shown that Bond did not die after all, and is living on some island in secrecy. He learns about the bombing, and returns to help M. After undergoing tests to see if he is fit enough to return to duty, M declares that the tests were successful and he can return to duty. After he leaves, she reveals that he failed, but that he is needed, so she overlooked the tests.

I won't spoil the rest, but Bond goes on a quest to find out who has the drive and to stop whoever's been trying to destroy MI6.

What I liked about it:
Prior to Skyfall, I have never watched any James Bond movies before, and I have always believed that Bond was this impossibly skilled man who was cool and could handle any situation thrown at him. I thought he never had any trouble and never had any difficulty in completing his mission. Watching this movie made me learn that Bond was not as "perfect" as he seemed before. In this movie, I saw that he was capable of mistakes and capable of being hurt. He was vulnerable at times and was sentimental about the people important to him.

I also remember this one scene in which Bond got caught by this bad guy, and when the bad guy suggestively put his hand on Bond's thigh, Bond was all "how do you know I haven't done this before?," and the audience went "OOOHHH!!!!~~" because of what the scene was insinuating. I thought that part was really funny because of the audience's reaction (of course, I was like "OOOHHH!!!!~~" as well xD).

What I disliked about it:
I didn't like how Bond didn't really get any cool equipment to use this time. I feel like that was a trademark of the series, so when all he got was a gun and this radio signal transmitter thing, I felt disappointed.

When the woman shot Bond by accident, I was like, "Noooo!!! What are you doing?! How can you just shoot the main character like that? Weren't you supposed to be a good sharpshooter?! Why did you brag about it if you weren't?!" and so on. Of course, it was difficult to snipe accurately from such a far distance, but it was still a bad call on M's part.

There was also this lady that Bond encounters, I think Severine was her name (with an accent mark somewhere in her name), and she died practically immediately after meeting Bond. I felt bad for the girl because she was the one who got Bond to meet the bad guy.

I don't know if I was just tired, but to me, it felt as if there was a lack of climax in the movie. Like I was all "Ohhhh noooo!!!" after Bond fell into the river, but after the MI6 building blew up, the rest of the movie just plateaued for me. Maybe it's just me though.

Overall:
The movie had its fair share of fight scenes and explosions, of course, and it had a somewhat meaningful plot, not some excuse for mindless fights and violence. I learned that Bond was just as prone to emotions and mistakes like we are, though I'm not sure if previous films were like that too. In addition to the lack of cool technology that is usually seen in Bond movies, the movie also seemed to plateau and didn't seem to have a climax. I feel like some people just watched the movie because of Bond's legacy in movies. Despite its bad points, though, you should still watch this movie if you haven't seen any Bond films before, and/or you enjoy action movies.

- Melissa He, 12th Grade, Editor/Writer for Entertainment

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Vampire Diaries Premiere – A Plus

 Last Thursday marked the new premiere of this season’s Vampire Diaries!  After the series took a quick hiatus in the middle of December and returned again this month.  This episode comes after Stefan and Elena broke up after their almost 3 year (real life wise) relationship.  In this episode, Elena finally reveals that after becoming a vampire, her feelings for Stefan’s brother Damon has magnified.  Also throughout all of this heartbreak and torment –mostly on Stefan’s side, there is a race to find the cure for immortality.  Pretty much all of the major characters in this television show want to find the cure for immortality.  The one with the key is Elena’s brother Jeremy and he must kill vampires in order for his tattoo to grow which leads to finding the cure. 

                Honestly, I thought this episode was amazing! It was so suspenseful and I could not take my eyes off of it.  I was so eager to find out what was going to happen next and I felt for all of the characters.  After watching the show for a little more than 3 years, I have felt so connected to each of their stories.  This episode has changed so much from what the series was like in the beginning.   I feel as each character has grown so much from the beginning of the show.  If you are into vampire stories or any other supernatural stories, I think you should definitely watch The Vampire Diaries.  It is an amazing show!

- Giselle Barkley, Entertainment

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Game Review: QWOP

Hi everyone,

How is break so far? Time to sleep in, play games, hang out with friends, and procrastinate on HW (I KNOW I'm definitely not alone on this)! >:'D Well, one game I know you guys should play is QWOP! Prepare to rage at the computer and flip the table over in anger!

Summary:
Your only objective in this game is to get your character, which is this runner guy, to run as far as he can. So one might ask, "why is this game called QWOP?" Well, you press the letters "Q," "W," "O," and "P" to make the guy run! Yep, it's as "simple" as that.

Unfortunately, that's all there is to it, so this summary will be short.

What I like about it:
It's challenging and if you're the type of person who doesn't like backing down from a challenge, then this is the game for you. Trust me, you'll fall down a lot.

I also like how I can't stop laughing whenever I do play this game because the character is always in hilarious positions.

What I dislike about it:
The game can get kind of repetitive after a while, so it's quite understandable if  you get tired of it really quickly.

Overall:
I enjoyed the game for quite a while (for like a day) until I got tired of it. This isn't a game that you enjoy for an extended amount of time because there's nothing else you can do beside run. The only difficulty of the game is how the player you control constantly seems to fall down, and getting ahead in the game may require more patience than skill.

Here is a link to a video that will preview some of the difficulty you will encounter during the game:

*Warning: there is some swearing in the video, so you can just turn down the volume, the video is meant to show the gameplay, so sound is not needed.*

(Watch from 2:41-4:51, the rest is about a different game)

Here is a link to the game if anyone is interested in playing: http://www.foddy.net/Athletics.html

- Melissa He, Entertainment

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Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Hello there fine students of Baruch High school, I’m back  with another post. This time about a video game, a very good video game. Here it is, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi three! If your not familiar with this game series or dragon ball z, you can just go- inform yourself about this subject by searching online. Right now.  Anyhow, so yeah this game is based off the Dragon Ball series. Its really good, it starts from Dragon Ball Z and goes to Dragon Ball GT. But it even includes characters from the Dragon Ball series.  And characters from movies that aren’t in the series. These characters would Mercenary Tao, General Blue (RR Army), Android #8 or eighter, Turles, Garlic Jr.,  the Demon King Piccolo, Dr. Wheelo, Kid ChiChi, and more. It’s really a great fighting game, even if you don’t know Dragon Ball Z, which would be weird. But, there is the play station 2 version and the Wii version. I have the Wii version, which normally you would use the nun –chucks for. That’s really cool, because it’s like you the fighter and you can just do the Kamehameha wave, or the Dodon ray, or the Galick Gun and more. But personally I just use a game cube controller. But be warned, the controls take a while to get used to.  Other than that, this game is a lot of fun! You can fight any character with any character, play through the story, and more! Its one of those really fun fighting games, because you get to move around, its not a 2 dimensioned fight. So I would say check this out, and the Dragon Ball Z series, it could teach you kids a thing or two. Some real entertainment, not like the garbage that’s on TV now a days. Alright, continue to check out for my post, because they’re not stopping anytime soon.
 

-Oscar O.

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Game Review: Ōkami (Wii)

Hi everyone,

This time, I’m back with my first game review~ *imaginary applause all around* …OTL Anyways, Ōkami was one of the first Wii games I’ve ever played, and I completely loved it. For those of you who have a Wii, if you haven’t played this gave before, you should give it a try.

*SPOILER ALERTS BELOW~*

Summary:

Set in the ancient world of Japan (called Nippon), the start of the game flashes back to a time 100 years ago, in which Shiranui, a white wolf, and Nagi, a swordsman, work together to fight Orochi, an eight-headed monster that threatens Kamiki Village, Nagi’s home, and Nami, Nagi’s love interest. Orochi demands the sacrifice of a maiden every year in return for not attacking Kamiki Village. Eventually, they manage to defeat and seal Orochi away, with Nagi’s sword acting as the seal.

Now back to the present, Susano, Nagi’s descendant and lookalike, believes himself to be the greatest warrior in the world and decides to pull out Nagi’s sword to prove that the story was false. Unfortunately, this breaks Nagi’s seal, and Orochi escapes into the world once again. Nagi flees in terror as Orochi starts to roam the lands, consuming all the life force from every living being.

Sakuya, a wood sprite and the guardian of Kamiki Village, summons Amaterasu, a white wolf and sun goddess who is thought to be the reincarnation of Shiranui by the villagers (they can’t see the patterns on Amaterasu; they only see a white wolf). Sakuya asks for Amaterasu to remove the curse from the lands by using her power to bring out the sun again (this is done by using the wiimote and drawing a circle in the sky). Issun, a tiny creature called a Poncle, is responsible for increasing praise for Amaterasu (doing this increases Amaterasu’s powers), accompanies Amaterasu on the way.

After Amaterasu brings back the sun, she is charged with the task of finding the other celestial gods and goddesses to gain their powers and save the world from Orochi and other evil forces.

What I liked about it:

I loved the game’s music, especially when the lands were being purified. I thought it correctly portrayed certain scenes in the game. I also liked the artwork, as all the drawings and even the gameplay artwork was very beautiful and colorful. The gameplay was really creative, as I never thought of using the wiimote as a brush. Furthermore, as Amaterasu, I enjoyed the fact that I was able to roam the lands and (sometimes) randomly go into people’s houses and scare them with my goddess powers.

I also liked how long the story lasted. I had to play Ōkami for a very long time before I finished it, and some parts were somewhat difficult, so sometimes a walkthrough was needed. I also thought the story was very interesting and emotional at times, as there was this sad separation scene, and I cried when it happened.

What I disliked about it:

There was voice over in the game, but I disliked how all the voices were just mumblings. In the Japanese version of Ōkami, all the characters spoke actual words. It would have been much more fun and cool if I could hear the actual characters speak, instead of hearing nothing but people mumbling.

I also disliked how I sometimes had difficulty in drawing certain symbols with the wiimote (I had to redraw it over and over again, and sometimes, the game recognized the symbol wrong and made undesired things happen).

Overall:

I thought this was a fantastic game that includes a lot of adventure and provides game play that can be challenging at times, so if you like these elements in a game (adventure and challenge), you should try playing Ōkami.

- Melissa He, Entertainment

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Battle Royale

Battle Royale

Hey there boys and girls, back again with another movie review. Now this one’s good see, Battle Royale. It’s made by the Japanese, basically it’s about a 9^th grade class being entered in to BR. They were selected by the government because they were one of the most horrible classes, and I mean their students were bad. Now in this movie, students were all horrible, so that is why the government came up with it. Anyhow, once you enter, you are forced to fight and kill, all your other classmates until one is left standing.  Refusal in participation results in death. You also were necklaces that explode if one person is not left standing in 3 days, you’re in a danger zone, or if you try to take it off.  You are given a bag full of bread and water, a map, and a weapon. These weapons are random, some are good, some suck, and some are special. This was a great movie in my opinion. It’s got some good blood and gore, so that’s why I liked it.  But there’s also the idea that the hunger games was based off this. That because this came out before the hunger games, and yes it has a book. There is also a second movie. Either way, it’s much better than the hunger game (this is just my opinion, and I hope it does not offend anyone). So you should check it out sometime, they’ve got it on Netflix. It also something to think about, imagines this happened in real life? 9^th grade class is pit to kill each other for horrible behavior… Hey, I’m not intending something, but I find it comical. Alright then, be sure to check this out and my other post.

-Oscar O.

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MERRY GHOSTMAS!!

Dear Baruch,
Halloween has come and past, so did thanksgiving. And now all you seem to care about is Christmas. Well you all forgot about the most perfect holiday of the ages. Ghostmas! Yes, its Ghostmas time! What is Ghostmas some of you are probably asking? Heretics! Ghostmas is about love, and revenge! Here’s the status quo for Ghostmas. You’re going to want a blank t-shirt say #1. On this day you and everyone else is the #1 guy. Also, you need some paint or spray paint; we usually spray hearts and whatever else you want.  There are also pumpkins involved, you usually throw them. Ghostmas can be any day you want it, but hardcore fans celebrate between the time of Halloween and Christmas. Ghostmas is a fun time to let your imaginations go free, it was founded by Blockhead, the yellow guy in the picture. He’s a little cartoon character made by Michael Swain. He is the most hardcore Ghostmas #1 guy there is, but that is probably because he made it and that he is mentally disabled. But we all stil love him for it. So celebrate Ghostmas you none believers. So keep to update on my posteses, and untill I post the next time.

-Love Oscar O. (11)

Enjoy the Ghostmas Carol below:

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Perfect Instrumental Music

After a rough week for everyone because of Hurricane Sandy, diving back into school work and trying to complete assignments for the quarter have been rickety; and music really helped me get past this quarter. Especially instrumental music. Nothing put soothing music to help you relax while doing homework (or drowning out the sounds that distract all of us). 

One of my favorite instruments to listen to would be the piano. Piano notes echo and project sounds so beautifully, that it's very calming to hear. A pianist that my friend recommended to me was Yiruma. He's a famous Korean pianist, and his melodies are amazing! One song that everyone may have heard would be A River Flows in You. It's one of his most popular songs. Another one that I like from him would be Kiss the Rain. One last hopeful piano song would be If I could See You Again. Brilliant low and high notes combined that make it very irresistible to listen to. 

I don't always listen to piano music, I also listen to the violin. My all time favorite would be Spring by: Vivaldi. And of course, it is a perfect violin music for the springtime. 

Lastly, this may sound strange, but I just so happen to listen to background music from a game I use to play in middle school called, Maple Story. And Maple Story consists of many places - each with their own background music. My favorite is from Ellinia. (You'll see why I listen to it. It's quite addicting.) 

Til' next time - I will be posting up random music! Ta ta music-lovers! :)

- Joanne Yu, Music Entertainment

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Are the Movies Too Expensive?

Every now and then, you may want to catch a movie with your friends or family at the movie theaters.  Movie theaters have oversized screens, large speakers, and popcorn to provide enjoyment while watching the movie.  However, movie tickets can be around $13 - $15! It’s not that expensive, but when you factor in paying for popcorn, soda, and other snacks, it comes to a lot more.  You may be walking out of the movies spending around 40 bucks.  My parents told me how you used to be able to buy movie tickets for $5 to see two movies.  Honestly, I think that is a great deal.  It shows how much less it used to cost to go see a movie before!

So is it too much to go see a movie in the movie theaters?  I think it depends how you decide to spend your money at the movie theaters.  You can get movie tickets for $7 before 12:00 which is called a matinee.   This helps you save a lot of money.  Also you can decide to split snacks at the concession stand to also help you save money.  Overall, going to the movies can cost some money, but you can be wise about spending your money there.

- Giselle Barkley, Entertainment

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Movie Review: The Life of Pi

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone managed to get something good on Black Friday! My mom decided to go to the movies with me that day, so no shopping for me~ OTL Anyways, she really wanted to watch The Life of Pi for reasons unknown to me. I read part of the book before, and I liked it, so I agreed to see it with her.

*SPOILER ALERTS BELOW~*

Summary:

A boy, Piscine Patel, or Pi for short, and his family own a zoo and live in India. Pi learns about different types of religions, so he tries to worship all of them at the same time. His father tells him that this worshipping is ridiculous, and to worship all of them is like worshipping no religion.

Later on, Pi tries to feed Richard Parker, a Bengal Tiger, some meat, but his father stops him before the tiger can fully approach him, and yells that the tiger is not his friend. He punishes Pi by forcing him to watch Richard Parker kill a goat that was placed in front of its cage.

Many years later, Pi fills in for a teacher in this dance class and falls in love with a girl, Anandi. They spend a lot of time together, but unfortunately, Pi's parents decide to sell the zoo animals and move to Canada. They pack all the animals on a Japanese cargo ship, and then get on as well, planning to sail to Canada.

One night, Pi and his family sleeping in the ship cabins, and Pi wants to get out and see the storm. His brother refuses to go with him and continues to sleep. Pi decides to go up by himself, only to be overwhelmed by the storm and the sea's waves. When he goes back to the ship cabin, it is already flooded with water, and he is forced to resurface to the top. He then sees some of the ship residents trying to lower a lifeboat into the water. He tries to get help for his family, but is shoved into the lifeboat. A zebra jumps in and the whole lifeboat falls into the water. Pi watches in horror as the whole ship sinks. He sees Richard Parker floating in the water and tries to force it away from the boat. A large wave hits the lifeboat, and he blacks out.

When Pi wakes up, he finds that only the zebra is on board. An orangutan comes floating out on the sea, and he helps it onto the boat. A hyena comes out, and Pi is terrified of it. Sometime later, the hyena succumbs to hunger, and it later kills the zebra and orangutan. In the heat of the moment, Richard Parker jumps out from under a sheet that covers half the lifeboat and kills the hyena.

Now, Pi has to survive on a boat with a tiger.

What I liked about it:

I thought the movie was really heart-wrenching during the scenes in which Pi was stuck on the lifeboat. His devotion to God plays a role in how he felt about the situation. Although the whole movie was practically about a boy trapped on a boat in the middle of the sea, the acting was good, and I ended up crying for like, the entire film.

What I disliked about it:

Nothing. The movie had meaningful subtext, and I was really moved by it. My mom didn't get the subtext though, and thought it was really boring because "it was just about a boy on a boat!"

Overall:

I think everyone should watch this movie. I know I haven't really described what's so good about it, but it's something I can't really explain. The acting was good, I cried because I was so convinced by the acting, and it felt like I was there on the boat with Pi when I watched.

- Melissa He, 12th Grade

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TV Show Review: Sherlock

Hi everyone,

Instead of a movie review, this time I'm reviewing a TV show. So these past few days, I've been watching Sherlock, a British television crime drama that is based on the widely known works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (he wrote the Sherlock Holmes series). The difference is that it's now set in modern day London. I don't remember how I learned about this show (I probably saw it somewhere on Tumblr; smh to myself), but I am happy I did because it is awesome and entertaining.

Warning: This post will be super long this time. Just shamelessly promoting here. :’D

*SPOILER ALERT BELOW~*

Summary:

At the start of the series, this guy, John Watson, has been discharged from the army because he was injured, and he has trouble adjusting to life in London. He limps and uses a crutch to support himself. One day, he comes across an old friend, and he tells this friend that no one would want him as a roommate. The friend laughs because John is the second person to say that to him that day. The friend then shows John who the first person was.

The scene changes to that of news reporters interviewing this detective, or rather, Detective Inspector Lestrade, about this case in which there were three suicides that were caused the same way; through ingesting a poisonous pill. Reporters ask if the cases were related and if it was planned murder, and Lestrade responds by saying they are related. They ask something else (sorry, I don’t remember), and when Lestrade answers them, everyone receives a “Wrong!” text message from someone anonymous. The reporters also ask if there is any way to prevent this from happening to them, and Lestrade tells them that they could by not committing suicide. He also says that everyone is as safe as they want to be. Everyone in the room receives another "Wrong!" text message from the anonymous sender.

At the moment, this other man, Sherlock Holmes, approaches this dead body in the morgue, and a worker there, Molly Hooper, tells Sherlock about who the corpse was (it was some nice old guy). Sherlock responds by getting his riding crop (I think they're used to hit horses when you want them to go faster) and beating the corpse senselessly, which frightens Molly. Afterwards, Molly tries to ask him out, but she fails because he doesn't get the message.

*dun dun dun* This is when John and his friend (I didn't bother to remember his name) come strolling in.   Sherlock says he needs a phone to text someone, and John lends him his phone. Then, before anyone can say anything else, Sherlock deduces that John fought in the war, is looking for a roommate, and some otherwise unknown facts about his life. Basically, he figured things out about John just by observing simple details. I'm not going to describe the whole deducing thing in detail because 1. it is too awesome to put into words, and 2. it would be a waste of time to do so; my description will greatly pale in comparison to the actual scene. OTL Anyways, John's first reaction is just like, "whutttttt" and "who is this guy?! I don't even—" and it seems as if he is just torn between being amazed and creeped out at the same time. After explaining his process on deducing, Sherlock leaves and tells John where the apartment is. He then winks and takes his leave.

Thus begins their life of solving crimes togetherrr!!!

/is shot for writing a terrible conclusion

What I like about it:

This show is hilarious. The characters were well planned out, and despite being creeped out by Sherlock at first (seriously, the man beat a corpse with a riding crop and deduced like a boss), I soon warmed up to his extremely odd and quirky behavior at times (he can be socially awkward, but that's what makes his interaction with others so amusing LOL).

I also like their accents. Even though I don't understand what they're saying sometimes, it's worth it because their accents sound awesome. 'Nuff said. I liked the accents so much, I found myself impersonating them at home (my mom laughed at my terrible—I mean awesome skills. Ahem).

The plot is amazing. I praise the way they (the writers) incorporated the show into our modern society. It didn't feel awkward at all (I mean, I didn't read the original series, but the plot was really believable).

The actors possess some, as some people call it (including me) "mad skillz" (emphasis on the z guyz lol). I am totally immersed in every episode because everyone's acting is too good to be true. It's either that or maybe I just get emotionally too easily... -sadcake- (Sadcake is an expression I felt like using. It appropriately describes what I'm feeling by juxtaposing the image of a cake, which is normally associated with good feelings, with the feeling of sadness... Sorry for the lecture OTL).

I also think the writers did a good job, as the show is full of "witty banter" (it drew me in like a moth to a flame) that is funny and memorable. I remember when Sherlock encountered this enemy and said, "People have died" (or something similar), and the enemy (not spoiling :'D) replied, "THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DO!" When I heard that, I smh'd the whole time. There are also some lines that I thought was pretty thought-provoking, like when someone (probably Sherlock) said something like, "Caring is not an advantage," etc.

I do believe a small character summary (just the two main characters) will do this post some well-deserved justice (not really, I'm just being overly passionate about this show lol):

Sherlock Holmes - Obviously, he's good at deducing. He doesn't seem to care much about other opinions, except for John's, as he solves cases for his own entertainment. He once called himself a high functioning sociopath. He gets bored really fast, and sometimes he does crazy things to entertain himself (like harpooning a pig, which was really random, the poor piggy). Unfortunately, due to his behavior, he only has one person he considers a friend, John (seriously, he was willing to die for him). He doesn't like it when feelings get in the way because he thinks they just cloud your judgement. He also likes conducting funny experiments (he put a human head in the fridge). In a nutshell, he is pompous (he really likes showing off), sometimes arrogant, and sometimes indifferent, but he does his best to come through for the people that matter to him (by now, I'm pretty sure everyone knows it's mostly John lol).

John Watson - He's the more down-to-earth of the two. He misses the action that he once experienced on the battlefield, so solving cases with Sherlock brings back the excitement and thrill he yearns for. I find it funny that people keep mistaking him and Sherlock for a couple (it seems to be more socially accepted over there), despite his constant denial (I think he just gave up later on). I think it's just that they have a really great bond, and they depend on each other for pretty much everything. Okay, maybe it sounds couple-y. Anyways, he keeps this blog about his life (Sherlock finds the blog pointless), and he usually blogs about the cases he solved with Sherlock. He usually leaves the deducing to Sherlock and is pretty much the opposite of Sherlock personality-wise. He often serves as the moral compass during cases and thinks more realistically.

Okay, enough about me ranting about how much I like this show, it's time for some cons.

What I dislike about it:

The addiction. When I saw the first episode, I got hooked. I wanted to watch all the episodes in one day. Unfortunately, each episode is 90 minutes, so it took me a while.

There are too little episodes. There are only 6 episodes in total (3 episodes per season) at the moment, which is too little for me. Then the writers left this gigantic cliffhanger at the 6th episode, and I can hardly wait for the 3rd season to come out.

The suspense. This kills me. There is always a cliffhanger that bothers me to no end. I have no idea what’s going to happen next and I can’t imagine what would because I have terrible imagination.

The emotions. Maybe it's because I'm too sensitive, but I am drawn into like every episode. Every time there's a sad scene, I'm like "NUUUUUUUUZZZ" and I get all weepy, and if the characters are in trouble, I worry like a paranoid mother.

That’s about it. Yes, my dislikes are fueled by my intense like. OTL

Overall:

It’s quite obvious what I’m going to say. Watch. This. Show. Besides the awesome character interactions, I really liked the plot because it was interesting and thrilling, not boring and tedious like some other crime shows out there (can’t think of one atm, but I have watched a boring one before). It’s also the characters that make this show what it is. I can’t really explain all the reasons why I like this show so much (I’m not good with words, plus I pretty much explained why I like it in the “what I like about it” section), but if you take the chance to watch at least one episode, maybe you’ll understand why. I know not everyone will like the show, but probably a lot of you will/do.

Since it’s a British show, it might be hard to find way to watch the show online (unless you buy it), so I’ve decided to link a website that has all the episodes! Yayyy. Here you go: http://www.dailymotion.com/moffatholmes#video=xnqfr6

BTW, I am aware that there is the American version of this show, but I haven't watched that one and I still like this version better. :)

If anyone really does try to watch it because of my review or has already watched it, you're welcome to leave a comment about the show below. :'D

- Melissa He, 12th grade, Editor/Writer for Entertainment

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Yellow Rat Bastard

Hey kids, this is a new one, I’m going to talk about my favorite place to go clothes shopping.
Now I think you’re all wonder, oscar goes clothes shopping? Well I don’t, I just couldn’t find
better phrasing for it. Clothes buying, purchasing clothes, I don’t know, and I don’t care. So
listen up, you kids see me around the building, in shirts with many different designs. Here,
I threw some in a gif I made shortly, amazing what technology can do. Yellow Rat Bastards
located at 483 Broadway, somewhere in Soho… Yeah I’ve been there, nice place, too many
people if you ask me. Any who, I go there whenever I feel I want something new, something
nice. And I don’t only get shirts, I’ve gotten jeans too and my newest jacket. The black one with
the popped collar. Yeah, popped collars are in, I’m making them. And this store is well adjusted
to my tastes, a lot of black. And that’s all I’ll wear. Really, it’s not a goth thing or whatever, I
just find it suitable and its easier for me. Either way, the stores mainly a shirt place, they have
tons and you’re bound to find something you like. Funny sayings, cartoons, bands, logos, ladies,
neighbor hoods, and more. So I’d go on down there, take your time though, I’m not rushing
you. And there’s my review on Yellow Rat Bastard, enjoy, and until my next post.

-Oscar O.  -(Originally submitted on Nov. 1)

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Avenged Sevenfold

Hello boys and girls, me again with another band holding a different genre that previously spoken. This is Avenged Sevenfold, one of the greatest heavy metal bands ever! They are more recent I believe, not entirely sure. I know a lot of they're songs and albums, but little of the band. I know there are five members... that's about it. But they are great, the music differs from album to album, but still heavy metal all the same. It's a lot of dark music I guess? To me it doesn't seem dark, it's very up lifting, loud, yell, gets you pumped! Everything a heavy metal band should! Now i don't know about you younger generations, listening to your country, and pop, and hip hop, although hip hop is very good, I like it too. Point being, not enough kids listen to rock bands, so pick up your headphones and turn up that volume! The only way to listen to heavy metal is loudly! And I'm pretty sure i should warn about language, think its in my job description. Oh well, still don't think we should care about that stuff. Here are some of my favorites, A Little Piece of Heaven, Nightmare, Burn It Down, Beast and the Harlot, Afterlife, Almost Easy, Bat Country, Lost, Flash of the Blade, Natural Born Killer, Not Ready to Die, and Scream, and more. A Little Piece of Heaven is probably my favorite, its got a music video, all though that i would watch with caution, if i wasn't me. So go listen to this and look up other rock bands, rocks not dying anytime soon. And until next time, I'll see you in the halls.

By: Oscar O. (Delayed - Originally submitted on Oct 25)

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YouTube to MP3 Converters: Right or Wrong?

You want to download new songs, but you have no money on your Itunes account.  What do you do? You will probably consider downloading it off the internet.  One of the most common ways that people download music off the internet by using the YouTube to Mp3 converter which is technically not illegal.  It is not illegal because you are not sharing with others and it is only for personal use.  However, Google has been fighting to take down these websites that allow people to use this.  Many people think it is unfair that they are doing this since it is not illegal.  This has led to people signing petitions to protest this.

Recently, I checked to see if any of these websites are still running. They are still running, but for some strange reason I could not download any of the songs on any of the websites.  Was it a glitch on my computer or was it because these sites were restricted from allowing visitors to download these songs?  Is it morally right to download these songs because you are not paying for them to contribute to the artist? Or is it fine to download it because you would just watch it on YouTube anyways? What do you think?

- Giselle Barkley, Entertainment

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Movie Review: The Grudge

Hi everyone,

I hope you all have been safe and warm this past week! Unfortunately for me, I had a power outage in my area, so I've been without Internet and electricity for about 5 days! My heart goes out to all of you who had to go through that too! I never realized how dependent we were on electricity until it was gone.

Anyways, this post was meant to be submitted during the week of Halloween, but we all know how that went (no electricity, no posting for me). I was going to review a scary movie for the occasion, but even though Halloween's over, I still am, as you can watch scary movies any time.

Alright, it's been a while since I've watched The Grudge (I watched it in 7th grade), so my summary's going to be a bit fuzzy since I don't want to watch it again (it scared my pants off the first time).

*SPOILER ALERT BELOW~*

Summary:
It starts with this quote that says something about how a curse is started every time someone is killed in extreme anger or something like that. Then there is this old lady that lives in this house, and her caretaker, who is this Japanese girl (I think), hears some noise coming from the attic. She then walks into this closet (I think the phone is ringing above it), and when she looks up, a pair of arms reach down and pull the girl, who is now screaming, into the ceiling (to the attic probably). It then fades out to another scene of the police investigating the house. (This paragraph may be horribly inaccurate, so sorry about that.)

The police are looking for the Japanese girl, who has been missing for a few days, and the company that employed her filed a missing persons report on her. I am not exactly sure what the setting is, but it is probably Japan. This police officer chief guy goes into the closet and looks up, seeing a big pitch black hole in the ceiling. When they investigate it, I believe they find dead bodies of people, including the Japanese girl. I don't remember what happens after this, but I do know a new woman has been assigned to be the old lady's caretaker.

This new woman (who is pretty much the main character) goes inside the house to take care of the old lady, who seems to be somewhat mute and senile, and during the night, this scary shadow thing that appears out of nowhere attacks them both, killing the old lady. The police come over again later on, and the woman sets out to find out what happened and why.

The movie also shows how the old lady moved into that house in the first place. Apparently, she comes with her relatives (I think it was her daughter, and her son and his wife) to visit the house first. They decide that the old lady will move into the house. Sometime later, the daughter gets off work, and in the building she works in, she starts to see that there is this ominous force after her. She rushes home, and in her apartment elevator, there is this creepy boy's face every time it passes a floor window. Running into her home, she quickly locks the doors. She then hears her brother's voice outside the door, telling her to let him in. She is relieved to hear his voice, but when she opens the door, there is no one there. She locks the door again and jumps into her bed, hiding under the blankets. However, the ominous force (this creepy lady) grabs her legs from the beneath the blankets, and pulls her down. They disappear into the blanket.

Eventually, the woman (the main character) finds out that this wife and her son was killed in anger by the husband, who later committed suicide. They all died in the house that was mentioned earlier. She discovers that anyone who enters this house is cursed to die very soon after entering it, which explains all the sudden deaths. As she has also entered the house, she must find a way to stop the curse and save herself.

What I liked about it:
This movie lived up to its label of being scary. Then again, The Grudge was the first scary movie I had ever watched in my life, and I watched it when I was 12, so maybe it's not as scary as it seemed back then.  This was pretty much all I liked about the movie.

What I didn't like about it:
Although there's not much I liked about it, there's practically nothing I disliked about it either. The only part I disliked was that it was scary enough to make me afraid of my bathroom, of being alone, and of the dark for like a long time, but most scary movies will do that anyways, so I guess my one dislike doesn't really count.

Overall:
This movie is scary and is probably not meant for the faint of heart, but for those of you looking for a scary movie, you should probably watch this. I will never get over the creepy lady and her death rattle (the sound she makes; it's called a rattle because her neck is broken).

- Melissa He, 12th Grade, Editor/Writer for Entertainment

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Girls’ Basketball Bottle Competition

Have you noticed large bags filled with plastic bottles and aluminum cans in your classrooms?

They don’t look very fitting for the classroom; however, it is for a very good cause. This year, the girls’ basketball team has lost its funding to rent the gym in Baruch College. The Baruch’s girls’ basketball team is very strong. My jaw dropped when I looked at the team’s record for the past few years. They ended each of their seasons on a very strong note. With this much potential, how could you possibly let it all go to waste? I really don’t understand how it is possible for their funding to be cut. Seriously, it’s ridiculous. I think that this bottle and can collecting competition was pretty clever. It’s a unique method to fundraise to get their funding back for the gym, and it’s also a great way to get the whole school involved, both recycling and making money. Who says that you have to be on a sports team to be a part of the school? Support your school’s girls’ basketball team and every time you finish a bottle, put it in your advisor’s big plastic bag. The girls’ basketball team will go around collecting your advisory’s bag of bottles every Monday. Remember, this is a competition. Bring on the competitiveness and show us what you are made of! Winners get a prize from the prize box! Good luck y’all!

Yei Ling Ma

(Sophomore)

Writer for Sports 

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