Books I like: The Harry Potter saga, by Fafa

The Harry Potter saga is one of my favourite stories. I like the adventure of this little wizard we saw grow up for seven years.

Harry Potter lost his parents, killed by Voldemort. Then the story began with amazing adventures. The films are good too but it's when you read the story you can imagine all.

I have chosen these books because I want to continue the story of Harry Potter.

If you are a fan, go to see the webpage: pottermore.com and tell me what you think about it!

                                                          Fafa

A sound of thunder, a short story by Ray Bradbury, with a Time machine and dinosaurs! Collective writing

We've studied A Sound of Thunder, a short story by Ray Bradbury.
In that short story, a man, Eckels who lives in 2055, decides to do a time safari; to travel in the past and kill a dinausaure.

The hunters arrive sixty million two thousand and fifty-five years before President Keith; they try to kill a Tyrannosaurus rex but an unexpected event changes everything. When they come back in their own time they understand that it will never be the same .

Some of us liked the story:
-"The suspense is good" (Fafa)
- "I liked it because..." (The furious Skyline)" [We would like to know! Note from Mrs P.]
- "I like it because the idea of going to the past is a good idea and it uses well the Time Travel paradoxes, that is to say if you destroy something in the past it changes the future." (Cockatoo)
- "I liked it because we discover the things of the past; it's a good idea but it's difficult to understand everything" (Nana)
- "Because there was a paradox and suspense" (Lil)
-"I liked the story because it was interesting but I didn't like the ending, it was a bit frustrating because it's too open. we don't know what happened." (Agie)


Some didn't:
- "I didn't like it because I think it's too complicated: he just killed a butterfly! The chain of events was too much!" (Ghost Wolf)
- "It was too science-fictional, almost like fantasy" (Jules)
-"I didn't like the story because its storyline was poor" (Guiz18)

And what about the 80s film for television adaptation??

Similarities: The film follows the story quite faithfully.

Diffences: There are no helmets in the film ( in the book they were used to prevent polluting the past). The T-Rex is less impressive in the film than in the story. It's ridiculous because the special effects are cheap. The film has less suspense than the story.

-"I didn't like the film because the suspense is absent, the special effects are ridiculous. When we see the T-Rex it's like a toy whose closed up with the camera to pretend the T-Rex is big" ( Fafa )

-"The adaptation from the novel is very bad : There aren't specials effects, the T-Rex is baddly done, it's not terriflying but the novel is better because we can imagine the scene ; which shows the short story is very imaginative" ( the furius skyline )

-" I didn't like the film because the special effects are very old, the T.Rex looks like a toy. In the text, it's described like the biggest animal in the world but in the movie it's ridiculous." ( Jade )

- "The film is not very good but i liked the way the path was shown (it was difficult to imagine in the short story)" (Mrs P.)

And what about the message conveyed by this story???
We musn't go to the past, it's dangerous beacause there is a risk to change everything in a  future and the present.
If we kill a butterfly  we can change the politic of a country into dictature.

Ghostwolf:"I don't understand the consequence of the murder of a butterfly, and a few elements were not really logical, I don't like it."

Nana: "I like this story but it's very complex and we don't understand all. The subject is interesting."

Onche_onche: " A Sound of Thunder is very interesting because going to the past is a dream for many people. It is good or bad? We don't know."

As you can see, this topic raised a lot of questions!
What is your opinion about it?
Thanks for reading us,

                                                                                            Mrs P.

My Chemical Romance, an alternative rock band, by Nana.

My Chemical Romance also called MCR is an American alternative rock band.
Gerard Way, the lead singer, is a native of Belleville, New Jersey, who started My Chemical Romance in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.
He said it is seing people jumping from the Twin Towers that would decide him to give true meaning to his life by changing other people's one with music.
In 2002 the band released their first album I brought you my bullet, you brought me your love with the independent label Eyeball Record.

By his numerous tours for several months the group will attract the attention of record companies including Reprise Records with which MCR will release a second album Three cheers for sweet revenge in the spring of 2004.

With the singles The Ghost of You and Helena the group became known throughout the United-States where the album sold 1.4 million copies in and around the world.
During the progress of the group over time Gerard Way has changed time and again his hairstyle (from blond to black and as of today, red).

I like this band because I like their music and their video clip. I like too the life of Gerard Way, the singer : his life was difficult .

Nana

Thank you Nana for this article: I didn't know this group I've watched a few videos. I must say the videos are very interseting!

Mrs P.

Why we laugh, by Lil',

Hi, it's Lil',
I love to laugh, but why do we laugh?

Laughter is a reflex, mostly a sense of gaiety, it is linked to its opposite, sadness... and sometimes we cry and we laugh at the same time!
Humour, tickling or even another laugh are the main causes of the sequence of these small jerky expirations accompanied by more or less noisy inarticulate vocalizations.
The stress can also cause laughter, it's called nervous laugh.
As for me, Lil', I laugh for all reasons and especially in comical situations.
And you, what makes you laugh?
                                                                         Lil'


Thank you Lil' for this, not very personal, but quite informative article on laughter! We would have liked to know more about those comical situations you alluded to! Maybe next time?
And you, dear reader, what makes you laugh?
As for me, TV series like The Big Bang Theory make me laugh a lot!!!
                                                                       
                                                                        Mrs P.

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Day in the USA!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15.
King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968.

The famous "I have a dream " speech

It was first observed on January 20, 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.


Abridged from Wikipedia
by Mrs P

A film I love: Willow, by Jules

Willow is a 1988 American fantasy film , directed by Ron Howard and produced by George Lucas.
Willow is a young farmer/apprentice wizard who one day meets Hadmortigan, a great swordman and together they journey through a world of magic and also monsters, to save a baby princess from death at the hands of an evil queen.
This film is 126 mn long and if you are a fan of fantasy films it's for you!

I really liked this film when I was little, it was my favourite film, I've watched it maybe 1000 million times and I found it funny, and scary as well at that time, but just a little bit.

Enjoy, and give your impressions about the film !

Jules

I've never seen this film but now I think I will try to watch it. What about you?
Mrs P.

Bourges Springtime Music Festival a.k.a "Le Printemps de Bourges" , by Agie

Every springtime, this annual music festival takes place in Bourges. Since its creation 35 years ago, this festival has become a major event in France and in Europe which welcomes every year more and more visitors, on average over 200,000 people (mainly young people, 91% are under 35).
During these days, over 200 artists are present and give more or less 60 concerts. The people can also discover a lot of stalls, bars, and restaurants in the city center, and attractions and three free outdoor stages nearby.
The particularity of this festival is that it's grouping together all musical genres and it receives professionals but it also allows young talents to be discovered.
This year, for the 2012 edition, the complete programation will be revealed on February 24th. In the meantime, all the future visitors are impatient. It seems that it will be an dynamic springtime once again!

See you there,

Agie

For more information
http://www.printemps-bourges.com/fr

Would you like some King's cake?

In January, in France , we all enjoy a "Galette des Rois"

with a trinket ("fève") 

                                                                  in it that makes you King or Queen for the day.

What about other culinary traditions?

Feel free to share yours in the comments!

Mrs P.

Videogames, by Guigz18

Videogames are becoming more realistic. Indeed we can see it from the latest games at Christmas time. For example the war games like Call of Duty

or Battlefield are changing from year to year. In these two games we find ourselves in the midst of World War III.

The possibility of a Third World War in real life is not inconsiderable, so the scenarios make you think...

There are shocking events such as the destruction of the Eiffel Tower by the Russians.

These are the best selling titles because they attract a predominently young male population fond of online playing (there are about 11,000,000 players).

So the purpose of these games is to have fun but they can also make you think about what could happen...

Guigz18

And what do YOU think about video games? Are you a fan? Share your opinion with us in the comments (remember : to be published you must tick the "anonymous" status, therefore you must add your name to your comment if you don't want to remain anonymous!)

Mrs P. 



HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and hope to meet you here again soon!
Mrs P.