Bisbal Cream: January 2012

MVOTD: Month End Review (Day 139)

This has been a short month of music videos. Only 15 in all were posted by myself, and they are;

2NE1	Can't Nobody (English)
2NE2	Can't Nobody (Korean)
4Minute	Heart to Heart
B2ST/Beast	Lights Go on Again
David Bustamante	Abrazame Muy Fuerte
DBSK/TVXQ	Purple Line (Japanese version)
Donghae & Eunhyuk	Oppa Oppa, Shindong version
Heart2Heart	Facebook Official
Martin	Show The World
Midnight Red	One Club at a Time
NSYNC	I Want You Back
SHINee	Hello
Super Junior	Haengbok (Happiness)
U-KISS	Tick Tack
ZE:A	Love Coach

Well, I can tell you who didn't win. That would be Heart2Heart with Facebook Official. They managed to do the right things the wrong way. Also not in the running is Midnight Red...because they didn't dance. There are others not in the running, but that doesn't matter so much as who is in the running.

So who is in the running to win best music video of the month? TVXQ and NSYNC are. NSYNC's classy use of a CG moonstation and non-materializing girlfriend were hilarious. Also, TVXQ's ability to make tall buildings transform into speakers was great. Both dance in ways to make the heart happy. They are definitely contenders. And that's why it's a tie. NSYNC's dancing makes you ask "why?" and "what are they doing?", while TVXQ's dancing looks cool and sometimes funny. The music videos are both ridiculous, complete with embarrassing outfits and random extra bits. Plus, in Purple Line, the biggest guy turns on his falseto in order to do a rap. How fun is that? Therefore, both NSYNC's I Want You Back and TVXQ's Purple Line win.

MVOTD: Can't Nobody (Day 139)

Today's music video is Can't Nobody by 2NE1 of YG Entertainment. 2NE1 is probably my favourite female pop group because their costumers are amazing. In the Korean version of Can't Nobody there was only one outfit I didn't like (seriously, who makes the 16 year old wear S&M gear?). The rest were interesting and fun, especially the red bolero with the giant collar. I really really really really like that bolero. It's amazing and gravity defying. Then there's the spiked hoodie, the suave "ninja" outfit, the fabric swimming, and the lightning bolts. 2NE1 knows how to make a music video a fun time.

Not only were the costumes and scenes interesting, but to add Super Junior interestingness, at one point Dara (the twiggy one) looks just like Ryeowook of Super Junior. And, as a twist, they did an English version music video too. It's not as well done as the Korean version, but it passes muster, and gives a better view of that wonderful red bolero. So here it is.

The ~~good~~ Korean version.

The English version.

Can't nobody look so cool in that red bolero.

Topic of the Day: Bill C-11 (Day 139)

I did two epic things today: drive my car around with the window down, and e-mail my local MP about Bill C-11.

First, I have to brag about driving around with my window open in January. Normally, the temperature is 30-40 degrees lower so...today was fantastic weather. I put in some TVXQ and cranked up the volume while I cruised around the city with my window open...in JANUARY. It was nice, especially since being obnoxious like that is one of my favourite things about driving in summer,

Second, and more importantly, I e-mailed my local Member of Parliament (MP) about Bill C-11 and its recent additions. Thanks to all the tech savvy people on Facebook, I learned a lot about it. Originally an okayish bill, US supported lobbyists pushed for SOPA-like laws to be added to Bill C-11...and more. For example, not allowing you to upload your CD music onto your iTunes. If you purchased that CD it's your music and putting it onto your iTunes is only expanding ability of use for you. Yes some people misuse this, but a lot of people don't.

Essentially, the issues with Bill C-11 are the same/similar to SOPA's - increased risk to legitimate companies, increased costs to legitimate companies, more censorship of free speech, increased exposure to hackers/viruses/identity theft, and the danger of being cut off from internet use for minor infractions. I can't say that I know everything about Bill C-11. What I do know is that people who are pretty generous towards Bill C-11 still don't like it. So, if you want to learn more, here are some websites with more information.

Michael Geists answers to 10 questions on Bill C-11, SOPA, and other things.

A blog explaining Bill C-11 and its issues.

A form letter that eliquently outlines some issues with Bill C-11.

The MP index where you can find your MP's contact information.

Janet Jackson - I Get Lonely (Janet Vs. Jason, The Club Remix Radio Edit) (1998)

Mal and Susy - Stop And Go (Alternative Version) (1999)

Mal & Susy - Stop And Go (Alternative Version) (1999)

Grant Phabao - Tub (1998)

MVOTD: Midnight Red (Day 138)

Remember Heart2Heart? Remember their lame dancing, bad haircuts, and lack of personality? Well, here comes their predecessor to blow them out of the water...by just standing there and singing. Here's Midnight Red with their track One Club At A Time.

And here's Heart2Heart for comparison.

Review: Secret Garden (Day 138)

Before we start, an admission. The book I was complaining about last week got better. Not 100% of course, but there are less promiscuous things happening and more plot, so things are working out okay. You would think this would teach me not to review things until I've finished them but no. Today's review is on the first five and half episodes of Secret Garden, a K-drama.

See this picture? It is totally unrelated to the storyline...other than those two being the main characters of course.

In Secret Garden, a wealthy department store owner accidentally meets the woman of his dreams - stunt woman Gil Ra Im. She takes a disliking to him since he has bad taste in track suits. However, through a series events caused by him obsessing over her, they eventually end up at Jeju Island together only to both drink "medicinal alcohol". Spoiler alert. The "medicinal alcohol" they drink causes them to body swap. Now she's in his body and he's in her body and they don't know how to get back. Otoke? (What to do?) Have awkward funny scenes of course. He teaches her how to put on a bra. She lears at other women. Etc. Etc. Laughs are had by most.

How do I feel about this drama? I really like it. The lead female character and her friend are both really likeable, atleast until the bodyswap. The leading man is ridiculous and therefore entertaining. There is even the worthy love adversary, Gil Ra Im's boss Director Im. I call him "Boss is Boss", because as the children say, he is so boss. What could make this better? Enter Oska, the washed up popstar with a sad love story who has to work with his former-ex and only true love. Other than being a popstar that is my age or older, he adds depth to the storyline. Including the tension between the leads, the body swapping, and the cool stunts they invariably pull due to all the stuntpeople characters, the story is interesting and enjoyable. I give Secret Garden a 4 out of 5.

"My mindmap" By Lucía , 6B

Hi!!!

When I grow up I want to be a teacher because I ❤ teaching and I ❤ kids. Teachers work in schools. They don't wear a uniform. They help children to learn. Teachers work in the morning and in the afternoon at their homes. I think the best think about the job is that it is interesting and funny.

Look at my concept map. Do you like it?. I made it at bubblr.us

See you soon!!

Peace celebration!! By Paula C. 6A

Hi classmates!!!

Whay day is today?? Yes, it´s Peace Day!!

Peace is celebrated on this day because it´s the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Ghandi. Mahatma Ghandi was a Indian man whose life was based on the principles f truth and non - violence. I think he was a great and perfect man.

"There isn´t way to peace, peace is the way" -Mahatma Ghandi

In my school we celebrated this day singing the song "No dudaría" by Antonio Florez. Each class wrote a sentence. In this sentence we said what we wanted for a better world. And each class painted a rain drop with our names .Rain drops can symbolize heaven's tears .

In our English classroom we made a Peace project about the colours of Peace, the birds, the plants that symbolize Peace.We talked about famous Peace heroes who received the Nobel Prize.

Be happy!!

''PEACE Symbols'' Marianela 6°C

Hi mates,
These are some Peace symbols like the doves and the rainbow.

The dove is a symbol of peace around the world. Noah set a dove free from the Ark. It returned carrying an olive branch.

The most famous doves of Peace were made by the famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso .

Rainbow: The rainbow is also a biblical peace symbol.Some religions believe that after the Great Flood, God created a rainbow as a sign of forgiveness.

The ''N'' and ''D''-This symbol was used widely in the 60's to express Peace.The story goes that it was originally designed to promote PEACE

Nuclear and Disarmament.

"My Ideal Job In My Future", by Oscar Martos , 6C

Hello, my friends!
Today I want to share with you a mindmap that I created at bubbl.us, an interesting page.
This mindmap is about my ideal future job: to be a musician.

I want to be a musician like Kirk Hamett because it´s an original job. Musicians usually play their instrument in concerts, but sometimes work in auditions. Musicians don´t wear uniform, it is very confortable. They play instruments like guitars, trumpets, pianos,

saxophones, drums...It´s necesary to study very hard to be a musician. The best thing of a musician is to be creative.

This is a video from my favourite punk group: Green Day.
I hope you enjoy with the video.

Good bye!!!!!!!!!!

PEACE DAY

"Peace Day 2012" by Guillermo , 6C

Hi bloggers!!!!!!!!
On Monday 30th all the schools around the world celebrate the PEACE and NON-VIOLENCE DAY.
At our school we are going to sing a very beautiful song"No dudaría" by Antonio Flores.
I like this day because all the people think about what we need to give Peace a chance.
Here you have the song that we are going to sing.

"Rap against racism" by Guillermo 6C.

Hello, a video made for rap singers from Spain. Hope you like it.

IN A RESTAURANT

On Wednesday Primary 4 students went to a very special restaurant. Its name was "The best" so you can imagine...
Marian helped us with our ponunciation.

This free slideshow made with Smilebox

"Martin Luther King " by Inés, 6B

Hi friends,

I´m going to tell something about one of the most famous Peacemakers in the world: Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, He was a pastor of the Baptist church, he developed a crucial role for the civil rights movement for African Americans. He received the Nobel Peace price in 1964. He led the march on Washington where he delivered his famous speech "I Have a Dream",where he imagined a tolerant and peaceful America.

In 1968 he was assassinated on the balcony of a motel.

I have a dream...

Mañana Mañana días son estes.

Unproductive week.

Ho hum.

MISS MARY MACK

This is a clapping game that Marian taught us the other day. At the beginning it was a bit difficult but at the end we did it! Lots of fun this day! Thank you Marian!

This free digital slideshow made with Smilebox

To do this game :
1. Cross arms in front of chest
2. Touch your legs
3. Clap own hands together
4. Clap hands with partner three times

This is the song:

" Bad news in La Coruña" by Juan Carlos, 6A

Bad news: Today a student and three policemen are missing in the sea off the coast of A Coruña. The policemen had entered the water to try and rescue the student at the Orzán cove who had been swimming in the early hours with two friends . The two friends managed to get out of the water and raise the alarm. One of them, a Spanish student, has been admitted to hospital.A helicopter and several police vehicles and ambulances are helping. The sea was in a tremendous condition, with waves which reach nearly to the promenade.People in La Coruña are very sad today.

" PEACE Symbols" by Nerea Rellan , 6B

Hi friends, I´m Nerea Rellan.

This is one of the symbols of Peace.

This symbol was used widely in the 60´s to express Peace.The story goes that: it was originaly designed to promote PEACE and Nuclear Disarmament and the artist use "n" and "d" to create this image.

Do you like this PEACE symbol??????

PEACE AND LOVE!.

MOVING FOR PEACE

On Monday 30th we are going to sing the song MOVING. We like this song because its chorus is very easy for everyone to sing. This song invite us to move and dance for PEACE.
Learn the chorus and sing this song with us:

MOVING, ALL THE PEOPLE MOVING
ONE MOVE FOR JUST ONE DREAM

"My job" by Laura Fosado, 6C

Hi friends!

I want to be a chef like Carlos Arguillano

because I like cooking.The chefs work in

restaurants,ships and hotels.They usually

wear black trousers ,a white jacket and

a white tall hat.They prepare lunches and

dinners .Their work is hard.I think

this job is funny.

"Mother Theresa of Calcutta" by Laura Fosado, 6C

Hi friends,
My post is about a nun who worked a lot to help illness and poor peole in India. .

Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950. For over 45 years, she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries.

Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity at the time of her death had 610 missions in 123 countries including hospices and homes for people with HIV / AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programmes, orphanages and schools. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Peace starts with a smile

"Caves"by Belén, 6B

Hi classmates,
Last term I read "Caves" in the English classroom.This book tells us about caves.Now I know that:

* The Mammoth Cave in Kentucky in the USA is the biggest cave system in the world.
* Most caves are limestone caves.
* It can take one year for a stalactite to grow 2 centimetres.
* Ice caves are the most dangerous kinds of caves.
* The longest lava cave is in Hawaii and is more than 11 kilometres long.
In the book there is also a story " The lucky accident".The story is about four children who discovered an amazing cave with paintings more than 20, 000 years old!.

MVOTD: B2ST (Day 137)

Today's Music Video of the Day is B2ST/Beast's Lights Go on Again. Unfortunately, it's just a teaser and they just stand around singing. Fortunately, they are all wearing nice formal wear. The only real questions left are, "why didn't they make a full music video?", and "WHY IS MY FAVOURITE MEMBER WEARING A DWARF HAT?". That is all.

A Concerned Ramble on Consumerism...ish(Day 137)

Today an acquaintance posted an article about Apple factory abuses in China. It said that often the factory owners don't care if their employees get hurt or killed. It also said that many factories have critically dangerous area which they know about yet don't fixed. The saddest thing it said was that if Apple and its computer producing peers put pressure on the factories, the factories would improve/fix the situation, but Apple and its peers are not going to. They are not going to stop endangering people because that would inconvienience the consumer. The consumer who wants the latest coolest thing now and who doesn't think about the people producing it. We are that consumer.

A statement that shocked me (from Apple) was that ,"We've only known about these problems for four years...". No. We've known about it longer. Remember Nike's sweatshop scandal? Reebok? And a host of other retail brands. We all know that they produce the stuff we wear and use in other countries where work safety requirement are lower and the ability to abuse workers is greater than in the "developed world". And we don't care. We show that we don't care by purchasing. Purchasing whatever we want without thinking about the people making it. I know I do it. When my conscience gets to me, I think how I would like to buy all Made in Canada/USA/fairtrade products. However, I can't. There are so many products that we rely on that we can't find made locally/fairtradey, and if we could it would take a stroke of genious budgetting. Thus far, shopping so that our consciences are clear is near impossible. So what can we do? There must be a solution.

I LOVE YOU

We celebrate Peace Day on January 30th. This day is coming so... let's start saying everyone our feelings. we have to say nice things to friends, family, mates, ....What about saying I love you?

Gandhi: A Peace Hero

Hi , friends!.

There is no way to Peace, Peace is the way.

Who was Gandhi?.

Mohandas K. Gandhi was born in 1869 in India. He entered an arranged marriage with Kasturbai Makanji when both were 13 years old. His family later sent him to London to study law.

In Southern Africa he worked ceaselessly to improve the rights of the immigrant Indians. Before he returned to India with his wife and children in 1915, he had radically changed the lives of Indians living in Southern Africa.

Back in India, He and his followers threw the King of England and his great armies out of India without using weapons.. Independence, when it came in 1947, was not a military victory, but a triumph of human will. In January 1948, at the age of 79, he was killed by an assassin as he walked through a garden in New Delhi .

* Click here to make a poster like mine.

* Click here to create animated texts.

"An interesting job" by Daniel Rodríguez, 6B

I want to be a boat captain because I love boats and the sea.

Because I love boats.A boat captain is the boss of the ship. He oversees the crew and the entire running of the boat. They don´t work in an office.They work in ships. They usually wear a uniform : blue trousers, a blue jacket and a blue short hat. I think it´s a hard work. The best thing

I think that is a hard work.

They visit many different countries. I think that´s the best thing about the job.

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Cumin Yogurt

When I was working in Amsterdam, many, many years ago, one of my favorite things to do was visit museums. One of the perks of working in a media company, you see, was a press pass that gained me free entrance to most museums. And I love museums. Now, I want to say at this point, that in no stretch of the imagination do I know anything about art, or history, or anything else that goes into museums. I can’t tell a million-dollar masterpiece from a back-alley watercolor. Nor am I an expert in world artifacts. This has its disadvantages, that much is certain, but it also has a brilliant silver lining: I walk into every museum with no expectations, no fore-knowledge, no technical framework with which to measure anything against…and as such every painting, every sculpture, is filled with new-born, dewy-eyed potentiality. Scoff if you wish, but walking into a museum and just letting your gut, and not a signature, tell you when to be blown away is, put simply, really quite nice.

Since I could come a go as I pleased (thank you dear press pass), and I was based in Amsterdam for a couple of months, I took my sweet time with the museums. Even the big old Rijks was savored in slow, steady, and delicious bites. I would come for a few rooms at a time, or just wander, letting my heart take me where it wished. I had my favorites, seemingly random picks, to which I would return to time and again, allowing them to awe me and inspire me. I didn’t favor a painter or a period…as with food, men, and books, it was all about chemistry. How can you have chemistry with a picture? Well, I think, more than measurement and color wheels and divine ratio, the answer to that is the secret that all true artists know.

Me? Like I said, I’m just a simple girl who knows nothing about art…except what it’s like to be enraptured by a picture.

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Cumin Yogurt

(Inspired by Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce from Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi)

2 medium-sized eggplants (the fat oblong types, not the thin Asian eggplants, about 200 grams each)
Olive oil for brushing
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
A couple of dashes ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

- Slice the eggplants lengthways. Score the cut side of the eggplants in a diagonal crisscross pattern, being careful not to cut the skin.

- Place the eggplants on a baking tray and brush the cut and scored sides with olive oil. Be generous! Sprinkle with sea salt and a few good grinding of black pepper.

- Place the eggplants in a pre-heated 350F oven and roast for 30-45 minutes or until completely soft and nicely browned.

- While the eggplants are in the oven, put together your yogurt. In a bowl mix together the yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep this in the fridge until ready to use.

- Once the eggplants are ready, remove to a plate. You can dress them with the yogurt sauce or serve this on the side.

The inspiration for this dish came not so much from a recipe but from a picture. The picture on the cover of this book. Just look at that. Wouldn't you be moved to rush out and buy some eggplant based solely on that photo? Me being me, I went and I did.

You can find the recipe for that here. If I had stopped to think a bit, before dashing off to make this, I would have topped it with some lightly toasted pine nuts. I’ll have to remember that for next time. The original recipe has the eggplants brilliantly crowned with pomegranate seeds but pomegranates are not very easily available here. We had this as a side for some baked chicken but I was thinking you could scrape the eggplant and yogurt into pita bread with some chickpeas and have yourself a nice lunch. If there are leftovers, you could whiz them in a food processor and make a very delicious spread.

I haven’t visited any museums recently and I definitely think that should be rectified soon. We should always give ourselves the opportunity to be moved, to be enthralled, by something that our hearts tell us is beautiful. Until my next museum trip, cookbook photos will have to do.

Thats my house

Thats my house.

Thats not my house (yet).

MVOTD: Purple Line (Day 136)

Today's music video is Purple Line by TVXQ/DBSK of SM Entertainment. The song is especially ideal for today's topic, SOPA, because it's in Japanese. If the U.S. had as strict copyright laws as Japan (anyone ever tried to find KAT-TUN mv's on Youtube?), South Korea would be in charge of the world's media. Or maybe England would be. ...Probably South Korea. Here's the video.

Did anybody else notice that the buildings were Transformers? Or that the hugest guy in the group has one of the highest voices? Or that he has a funny piece of purple in his hair? I did, and did those things ever make this music video epic.

Sopa Suppa (Day 136)

Last week, Wikipedia blacked out their website for a day in order to raise awareness of SOPA and PIPA, two documents which seem to be badly written. To me, the badly written part seems to be half of most people's problems with either SOPA or PIPA. The other parts are the potential huge extra costs to websites, limiting nature of not allowing things with copyright infringement to be linked to, and an end to proxies.

Extra costs
According to the rather well written Wikipedia article, extra employees/programs would have to constantly be monitoring all linked sites (and their own) to make sure that none had any copyright infringement. Problems with this include 1: by now almost everybody does some copyright infringement and 2: it's the vagueness of SOPA that makes this a worry. No one knows how much copyright infringement may or may not be allowed, so this may mean limited access to sooooo much of the internet.

Links
Most everybody has done some copyright infringement. It could be anything from writing fanfiction to photoshopping one's self into celebrity photos. The fear is, due to bad/vague writing, that SOPA could make it so that links to sites with these types of infringement would be illegal. The bigger fear is that websites could be charged and fined for not knowing about and getting rid of the offending links with no warning needed or explanation allowed.

Proxy
The States doesn't like the proxy apparently. I would like someone to explain how the bad they can do is worse than the good. Proxies are how people who live in countries with currupt governments use the internet. They don't want their government spying on them while they e-mail friends and family, and they especially don't want their governments spying on them if they're freedom writers. On the less serious end, proxies are how I would watch CNN if I wanted to watch it. I as a Canadian am not allowed to watch it because they don't have to show the commercials in Canada (I would see them if I used a proxy).

So that's that. My thoughts based on my limited knowledge of SOPA. From what I read, there is no way that I would ever want it to happen, especially in Canada (which is now a possibility. Ugh.). It may be time to write to my local representative.

Fujisan: Molten Chocolate Cake

I really love a good molten chocolate cake (or molten chocolate lava cake or fondant au chocolat for fancy people ). I know, to some people, it’s an overdone, passé, and almost retro dessert, but I LOVE it. It is, quite simply, warm chocolaty goodness defined, and, when done right, it is simply wonderful. So, it’s no surprise that I can’t get enough of this awesome molten chocolate cake created for the Salon du Chocolate by designer Stéphane Bureaux and his design group. It is practical and artistic and fun, all at once! Simply place a chocolate candle inside the cake, then watch as it slowly burns, filling the interior of the cake with warm liquid chocolate. Voilà! Molten Chocolate Cake! To see more yummy creations by Stéphane’s Bureaux, check out his website, right here. For more on the molten chocolate cake, click here.

THIS IS MY FAMILY

THE 3 R'

WORLD ENVIROMENTAL EDUCATION DAY

On January 26th we celabrate a special day. It's very important for us to look after the Earth, our enviroment. Recycle, please! Play this game:

This is our poster to conmemorate this day with somoe of the things we can do about the enviroment:

A SPECIAL MUSICAL GROUP

MELODY STREET

Listen to this story about five families of musical instruments.

" I want to be an actress" by Inés, 6B

Hi kids!

My dream is to be an actress when I am older. There are many actors and actresses that I´d love to work with and I´d love to star in a Hollywood film.Acting is very fun and exciting,but it is also a hard work. An actress acts as a character, either on a TV show , a film or a theatre play.I performed in a proffesional play in the Forum Metropolitano.

53b portraits

Alternative hungover activities.

Oil paints from a Portuguese Chinese shop.

Books: Ficciones, Jude the obscure, The picture of Dorian Gray, Everything is Illuminated.

Jess, Fay, Laura, Amy.

Inspired by Margot Tenenbaum.

More to come.

MVOTD: Haengbok (Day 135)

Since the topic of the day was unpleasant, here's Super Junior's song Haengbok, which means 'happiness'. It's very cute. Leetuek has a cute ponytail. Yesung wears his cute glasses. People get hugs. It's all very cute and pleasant. Enjoy.

Monday "Review": Book vs. Book (Day 135)

Thanks to some book loans from friends and family, I was busy reading this week instead of watching Kdramas like I should have been. I completed the "Attolia/Thief" series (as I call it) by Megan Whalen Turner and started on the Winds of the Forelands series by David B. Coe. While I'm not very far (the first book) in the series, I am on page 237, so I think I know the writing style. Some things occurred to me.

Authors have a limited amount of characters they can realistically create. Some can make six characters, and some can make 30. Authors who write complex stories about political intrigue had better be able to write 30 plus characters. Otherwise their interesting plotline becomes dull and the characters become hard to relate to. This is actually a jab at David B. Coe. While he succeeds at being mysterious, the characters aren't differentiated enough so it feels like their names and roles are their primary identities. I actually preferred Megan Whalen Turner's method of speaking through one character and then revealing at the end how seemingly ordinary events were actually strategic moves of political power. Her characters were differentiated and likable, so you cared who won.

Like all genres, fantasy authors write various levels of sex/sexual references. Some, like Megan Whalen Turner, have almost zero reference to sex. Others, like David B. Coe, can't seem to go three chapters without a sexual reference/naked person.

In addition, men and women write differently about sex. Or rather, different authors give different opinions on sex. Kristen Britain makes plently of sexual references in her latest Green Rider series book, but the characters always care about each other and have a prior existing relationship. In the Winds of the Forelands though, it seems that all the characters are ready to jump into bed with any mildly attractive person they meet. Only one of the sexual relationships any character has had was with a person that they had known for more than a week. What is that?

Thus far, David B. Coe has not impressed me. Generally we like people the more we learn about them. Not so in his book. His characters become likeable or unlikeable by millimeters and centimeters, so it's hard to tell who you want to win. The characters are a little messier than normal, and therefore "real", but they still feel like they are just making the storyline happen. Also, for my taste, the sexual references he makes are gratuitous. We all know that people do things, but the books' attitude toward and sheer number of sexual relationship ruin the storyline. I want to enjoy the book, because I borrowed it from a friend, but can political intrigue make reading it worth it?

On the other hand, Megan Whalen Turner's Thief series also had issues. I suppose all media does. Some books felt like they went on for too long. Others focused on characters I didn't like too much. Most of my issues with her writing were to due with my personal prefences on which characters were interesting, but it was the Thief series, so I shouldn't have been surprised that they focused on the thief character and not on the lonely queen (who rocks). Overall, I am much more pleased at having read Megan Whalen Turner than at trying to read David B. Coe. Much more pleased.

Soviet architecture.

Born to die Babe

Chanson of the week...