Results

A few weeks ago, I put up a post: which would you rather write with: a pen & paper, a computer, a laptop, or a phone (texting).

Results came in:

• Paper and Pencil: 0 (0%)
• Computer: 5 (71%)
• Phone: 0 (0%)
• Laptop: 2 (28%)

So, these are the results. From this quick poll, we can do an estimate determination of what people like to write with. Goodbye old ways, welcome new ways, however, not texting.

~minkster

Weekly News and Comments 3

So, for my third weekly news and comments... what to do?

Something concerning tech? Something concerning books? Nah, how about a notification!

My third WN&C is going to be about an introduction to the Junior Olympics. We all know about the Olympics. It's going to be hosted in Beijing. Did you know however, that for kids 8-18 there is a nation wide (US) Junior Olmpics.
Events range from the one-hundred to the three thousand meter racewalk.


Qualifying can be a toughfy though. You have to go through associations (near your area- the local trach teams), regionals (all of the states nearby), and finaly if you get through those steps, you get to participate in the Junior Olympics.

Right now, on Friday, We are on the fourth day of JO's. It's been sweltering hot here in Omaha, with an occasional rain shower.

For more information go to the USATF site (united states of america track and field).

~minkster

Over Sea, Under Stone

Over Sea, Under Stone, by Susan Cooper is the prequel to the popular The Dark is Rising.

In this book Simon, Jane, and Barney go on an unexpected quest to find a goblet that tells of King Arthur's times. However, they are not the only ones looking. They are on the righteous side, so people from the dark side are trying to find it before them.

I give this book two thumbs up (9/10), for a good plot, a good page turner, but most of all, the characters. Characters are what make a good book, a good book. If the characters are all perfect, or all snotty (and not funny), then I regard the book as a "not so good book" because without good characters the book and the plot isn't carried out with the same gusto if the book had had great characters!

Good Job Susan Cooper for writing this book!

I highly recommend this book for ages nine to sixteen, for people who like adventure.

~minkster

p.s. If you haven't read the series, I recommend that you do so.

Why Read?

Why be such an avid reader?

Reading is fun, depending on what book you chose. It increases your vocabulary, and gives you ideas. You can immerse yourself in a different world, go on a quest, or save the universe from ultimate destruction.

You can also get away from who you are, and what you are doing, and just DEAR (Drop Everything And Read).

It can relax stress (at least for me).

However, you have to get the right book that will work for you, because if you don't, you probably won't enjoy it one bit.

So off to DEAR time!

~minkster

Weekly news and comments 2

This week of posting has been very exciting, and so, in honor of that, I will blog about a free program called scratch.

Scratch is a very easy program to use, and lets you make your own game, animation, or short story. You can make your own figures, and best of all, it's free!

Also, you can publish what you make to the web site, so that other people can see/play you work. You can play their game/animation to!

So you can use the easy-to-use program, join the community, play games, and learn while you're doing all of it!

~minkster

Kaimira- the sky village

Kaimira, book one, was a very satisfying read. Satisfying, because it was exciting. Satisfying, in a sense that you want more. And satisfying, it was above your expectations.

Kaimira by Monk & Nigel Ashland (published by Candlewick Press) is about two kids (the story switches between them), who share DNA with the meks (evil robots, built for humans), and the beasts (who fight the meks and the humans). The human empire has fallen, and humans have had to retreat into hiding, or up into the Sky Village (a village held up by hot air balloons). The two humans- Mei and Rom- meet each other through two identical books they are told not to open. In two life threatening conditions, they try to help each other through... to survive.

I would rate this book 9/10, and would recommend this book for ages 10-17.

I really liked how Monk & Nigel Ashland wove this story like a pattern, coming together, and amazing you with how the story comes together.

I can't wait for the next book!!!!!!

~minkster

Y Pulse, Continued

This is the second post, so if you haven't read the first one, I would suggest that you read it.

This post is about some of the other things that happened at Y Pulse.

The first point I would like to bring up, is that most of the websites, and/or companies that presented, were for everyone (adults and kids, male and female), or they were for girls (well, almost every presentation).

Next, an interesting topic that I picked up at the book presentation, was that books one day will go from the hard copy that you now enjoy, to online, or with a portable device that would be cheap. Some people said that this change would happen in the next five years. Now, despite that, some people will still want the hard-copy, and that's great! Book stores will still be around, but will be more tech related.

My third point is that, if possible, this conference is a great booster for anyone who is creating a business. So, if you are doing something related to teens, you should probably check this conference out!

~minkster

Taxis

AAAAAAHHHHH!

Whizzing past the water, changing to land, you peek at the spedometer, and realize, you're going eighty on a fifty-five mile-an-hour speed-limit.

Why do they go so fast?

I think they go fast, because that way, they can make more money by getting more people once they're finished with you.
So, is this better than a bus?

In my opinion, no. Bus drivers lose their job (well, in some companies) if they're pulled over for speeding, and so, busses are better if you have lots of time for where you're going. If not, take a cab!

~minkster

Y Pulse

So an overview of Y-Pulse... but first, what is Y-Pulse?

This years 2008 Y-Pulse was stellar, lead by Anastasia Goodstein. The conference was about teen marketing, and technology. Speakers Ranged from Justina Chen Headley (an author), to MC Hammer (hip-hop, dancejam.com), and everything went on schedule, and was very exciting.

Who was at the conference?

Starting out companies, starting authors, and CEO's of companies, all people, focusing on tweens, but mostly teens.

So, where was the conference located?

Good old San Francisco. The confrence and the lodging was in Hotel Nikko.

What was your favorite part?

I really liked some of the social networking confrences, but no confrence was bad- for all of the people speaking were very good, and knew what they were doing.

~Minkster

For More information on Y Pulse click HERE.

Shanghai Shadows

Shanghai Shadows by Lois Ruby is about a girl (Ilse) who is in her early teens. She had lived in Austria, but with the Germans coming to invade, her family moves to Shanghai. In Shanghai Ilse meets new and interesting people, but also faces challenges, like when her older brother joins REACT (a rebellion against the Japaniese who are infesting China), she follows him, and joins the resistance.

This is a great book, and it deserves a rating of nine out of ten (9/10).

All people who liked Kiki Strike and the Shadow city, or Montmorency and the Assasains, would like this book.

I highly recomend this book for its plot, and how Lois Ruby creates the characters, some who would be your friend, and some, your enemy...

~minkster

Geocaching

Geocaching

Geocaching involves a GPS (Global Positioning System). It is where you can find "geocaches" around you. Geocaching is where somebody hides a "Cache" (a little box, to an altoides tin, to an ammo box), and they tell you online what the latitude and longitute are, and you have to go and look for it.

Click HERE for more info.

~Minkster~

The Hunger Games

Imagine a place that we called North America, now put into twelve "districts" and a capitol. Now Imagine that the districts had raised a rebellion against the capitol, and had failed, and as punishment, each district would have to submit one boy and one girl each year to The Hunger Game - a fight to the death. The winner would survive, and bring food to his/her district.
Imagine being chosen, and being in love with the person you have to kill to survive...

The Hunger Games by Susan Collins is a really great book. I encourage everyone when the book comes out to read it!

Rating-- 9/10, readers 7th grade and up.

Weekly News & Comments

Tech Center

In modern times, we want a good and inexpensive sound program, because who actually wants Sound Recorder? For one, you can't do almost anything with it, and second, you can't delete any sound.

So I was looking on the Internet, and I found a good sound recording program. It is called Audacity. Audacity lets you delete certain sections, see the wave lengths, and much, much, more. Best of all, it's free!

Book Center

I looked around and I found myself glued into The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. This book is by Douglas Adams. It is about a man on Earth, who finds out that the Earth is about to blow up from a friend, who happens to not be from Earth at all! Read their adventure, and also maybe watch the movie!

I give this a rating of 8.5/10, and say that I would recommend the age from 12-100. This is a sci-fi book also.

~Minkster