This is the archive for February 2009
By Jenelle Gallardo, Courier Staff Writer
Do you find yourself asking, "Where's a good place to get some frozen yogurt around here"?
To find some, I had to travel outside of the Union City area and then some and stumbled upon this slightly new place named Orange Tree inside New Park Mall in Newark. Though the parking is scarce and the walk is a doozy for these hard times, Orange Tree's frozen yogurt is a treat you can't beat whether it's hot or cold outside.
Posted by courier at 10:06 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Keeping You a Secret
by Julie Anne Peters
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
(May 7, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316702757
ISBN-13: 978-0316702751
First time I saw her was in the mirror on my locker door. I'd kicked my swim gear onto the bottom shelf and was reaching to the top for my calc book when she opened her locker across the hall. She had a streaked blond ponytail dangling out the back of her baseball cap. Great. Now I was obligated to rag on her for violating the new dress code. Forget it, I decided. My vote — the only dissenting one in the whole student council — still counted. With me, anyway. People could come to school buck naked for all I cared. It wasn't about clothes. We slammed our lockers in unison and turned. Her eyes met mine. "Hi," she said, smiling. My stomach fluttered. "Hi," I answered automatically. She was new. Had to be. I would've noticed her. She sauntered away, but not before I caught a glimpse of her T-shirt. It said: IMRU? Am I what? She glanced back over her shoulder, the way you do when you know someone's watching. That's when it registered — the rainbow triangle below the message. My eyes dropped. Kept her in sight, though, as she disappeared around the corner
Acclaimed Julie Anne Peters has written her first book centered on a lesbian couple. Julie Anne Peters also happens to be a lesbian as well.
Posted by courier at 06:41 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Cary Darling
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
If every dog has its day, then every "Slumdog" has its night.
"Slumdog Millionaire," the tale of a poor, gangly Mumbai boy who ends up winning big on a game show, lived up to its rags-to-raja storyline at Sunday night's 81st Academy Awards at Los Angeles' Kodak Theater. It snagged eight awards, including the honors for Best Picture.
The little movie with no big names zipped by such star vehicles as "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" with Brad Pitt, "The Reader" featuring Kate Winslet, "Milk" starring Sean Penn, and "Frost/Nixon" with Frank Langella.
Posted by courier at 09:23 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Dan Gallagher
MarketWatch (MCT)
SAN FRANCISCO — After enjoying a banner year in 2008 despite the slowing economy, the video game industry may find the coming year to be more of a challenge.
The mounting recession along with a lack of big blockbuster titles in the pipeline is expected to weigh on the sector in 2009. And while no one is predicting a major downturn in what many analysts consider to be a recession-resistant business, tough comparisons with the prior year and rising development expenses are expected to put more squeeze on game makers — several of whom are already coping with their own internal issues.
"Any year that you don't have a 'Grand Theft Auto' or a 'Halo,' you're going to get a cautious outlook," said Michael Pachter, video game analyst for Wedbush Morgan.
Posted by courier at 11:28 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Rohan Kumar, Courier Staff Writer
Ensemble Studios, one of the most successful video game publishers known for there online video game success Age of empires, are at it again. Ensemble Studios latest game
Halo Wars is set to be released for Xbox 360 on March 3,2009. Halo is traditionally a first person shooter, but
Halo Wars is a real-time strategy game like
Command and Conquer. Real-time strategy games allow you to control whole armies of men and direct them in battle.
Posted by courier at 06:40 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
For: Nintendo Wii
From: Acquire/From/Ubisoft
ESRB Rating: Mature (blood,
suggestive themes, violence)
It's reset button time again for Tenchu, the stealthy ninja whose recent adventures have been something of a technical mess.
With "Tenchu: Shadow Assassins," the series returns to the arms of the developers who originally created it. That's the good news. The slightly baffling, not-so-good news? It appears exclusively on the console least capable of handling its fickle approach to stealth gameplay.
For those unfamiliar, "Tenchu" takes the complete opposite tack of most ninja games. Rather than carve your way through whole armies, you're lurking in the dark, traipsing from point to point and avoiding enemy contact whenever possible. You're capable of performing kills on unsuspecting enemies whose backs are turned, but if one of them sneaks a conscious glance at you and you aren't equipped with the right weaponry, you're dead to rights.
Posted by courier at 04:59 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Suzanne Wu, Courier Staff Writer
Aberdeen Cafe
46831 Warm Springs Blvd
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 659-0888
A family-oriented Hong Kong style restaurant, Aberdeen Cafe is an excellent pick for those who enjoy Hong Kong Style Chinese fare. Located in Warm Springs, Fremont, the cafe is popular for its array of rice dishes, congee (porridge), and noodles. Providing for an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, the Cafe is a hot spot for families with children of all ages. On a recent visit to the cafe, my family and I waited a short ten-minute wait, seeing as though it was a Saturday afternoon, the wait time was not absurdly long.
Posted by courier at 09:45 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jenelle Gallardo, Courier Daily Editor
Located deep between the nooks and crannies of Alameda is an authentic, cozy, Mexican restaurant called Acapulco.
Since 1953, Acapulco, owned by the Quintero family, has been catering delicious home-recipes for over 50 years. What could be mistaken for a tavern or your grandmother's house is a restaurant teaming with life, culture, family, and food.
Posted by courier at 09:35 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Daniel Song of Dennis
is Dead (flickr photo)
Former four Logan students, Michael Hefferman, Ray Casarez, and Daniel Song, have collaborated together since 2002 to create Dennis is Dead, a heavy-metal band.
Inspired by bands such as Green Day, and Blink 182, Hefferman and Song taught themselves how to play their instruments. The two, plus other friends that share the same love for music, came together in seventh grade and created Dennis is Dead. Casarez later brought his guitar skills to the band .
Posted by courier at 09:29 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jenelle Gallardo, Courier Daily Editor
One of the most successful bands emerging from last year is New York's very own, Vampire Weekend. Forming in 2006,
Vampire Weekend is made up of Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, and Christopher Tomson. Headlining indie rock festivals, concerts, and shows of their own they have made their way to to the top. Scoring MTV music spots and movie soundtracks, this ivy league band is not only the favorites of east coast college students but for many different age groups all around the world.
Posted by courier at 09:07 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Colin Covert
Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT)
Could this be the year that predicting the Oscars went from sheer guesswork to statistical science?
Nate Silver, the prodigy of prognostication whose FiveThirtyEight Web site called the 2008 elections with uncanny precision, has turned his algorithms on tonight's Academy Awards broadcast.
Posted by courier at 08:42 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Rafer Guzman
Newsday (MCT)
Hate it or love it, the underdog is on top.
Not long ago, the movie to beat at this year's Oscars seemed to be "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a big-budget, sentimental saga with marquee names like Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Its closest competition came from somber historical dramas like "Milk," "Frost/Nixon" and "The Reader." And many observers wondered whether "The Dark Knight," a blockbuster anchored by Heath Ledger's final, bravura performance as The Joker, might nab some major awards.
Posted by courier at 08:37 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Chad Brady, Courier Daily Editor
Coraline is the first in what is sure to be a long string of animated children’s movies for 2009. But while most of these movies are computer animated and aim to copy the style of movies such as
Shrek and
Kung Fu Panda, Coraline is more dark and offbeat.
Posted by courier at 09:33 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Night Smoke by Nora Roberts
Hardcover: 323 pages
Publisher: Thorndike Press (February 2, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786282193
ISBN-13: 978-0786282197,
Courier Editor-in-Chief
“She stood apart from the rest, staring straight ahead while the light wind teased her honey blond hair out of its fancy twist. Expensive shoes, Ry noted, of supple midnight leather, as out of place in this part of town as her velvet coat and fancy face.”
Unfortunately, Ry cannot see past Natalie’s obvious wealth, and it slowly eats away at their relationship. Night Smoke is an interesting novel with fascinating characters and an exciting plot. I couldn’t put it down. While this is one of Roberts’ older novels, I believe it is one of the best.
Posted by courier at 09:06 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jericho Faustino, Courier Daily Editor
Action gamers are sure in for a treat with the upcoming game,
Prototype, set to come in June of 2009.
Prototype is a sandbox style of game in development by Radical Entertainment. One of the main themes in Prototype is the ¡disguise and destroy¢ concept which is tied in the protagonist¢s enemy-consuming and shapeshifting powers. The player is able to consume the bodies of those he has beaten and killed, giving access to their memories, their shape and their abilities. The player not only can shape himself into his enemies, but he can shape himself into forms that are specialized for attack, defense or sensory enhancement.
Posted by courier at 08:13 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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"Retro Game Challenge"
For: Nintendo DS
From: Namco Bandai/XSEED Games
ESRB Rating: Everyone (alcohol reference,
mild fantasy violence, mild language)
The Nintendo DS has its share of real classic game compilations, and now it can lay claim to hosting perhaps the best fake classic game compilation as well.
"Retro Game Challenge's" premise is ingenious: A grown man, frustrated by the complexity of today's games, has sent your more skilled self back in time to complete a series of challenges from his favorite childhood games.
Posted by courier at 08:11 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Sandhaya Mansfield, Courier Daily Editor
Fox is spicing Friday nights up with a new show from the creative mind of Joss Whedon, titled "Dollhouse."
"Dollhouse" reunites former "Buffy" alumni Eliza Dushku with director Whedon for a thrilling new drama. Eliza Dushku plays "Echo" an "Active" member of an illegal underground group who have had their personalities erased so they can be imprinted with various new personae.
Posted by courier at 02:12 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Mia Tungol,
Courier Staff Writer
Last night, the James Logan Improv team competed against Cupertino. Before the show had even started, some members of the audience were not able to hide their excitement for the show. Once the show had started, the room was quickly filled with cheering and applause. When the competition games began, the audience could not contain themselves any longer. The referee had some difficulty to calm the room. However, by the end of the first half of the show, Logan had won with a score of 24.
Posted by courier at 01:32 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Glenn Gamboa
Newsday (MCT)
LILY ALLEN "It's Not Me, It's You" Grade: B-minus
BOTTOM LINE Blander music blunts Lily's edge
Lily Allen was refreshing when she debuted in 2007 with "Alright, Still." Brash and brainy, she twisted numerous musical styles, from reggae to U.K. grime to breezy pop, to suit her sassy stories.
On her follow-up, "It's Not Me, It's You" (Capitol), Allen's sharp lyrical style is relatively intact, but the music that supports it is often so dull that it sucks the charm out of her delivery. Maybe it's because Allen wrote the whole album with Greg Kurstin of The Bird and the Bee instead of using a larger group of collaborators, but after a while "It's Not Me, It's You" runs out of steam.
Posted by courier at 10:16 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Rihanna, (left) and Chris Brown
performing. wikipedia photos
The weekend altercation between one-time lovebirds Rihanna and Chris Brown left her bloody and bruised, and was so brutal it required a doctor's intervention, according to new details that emerged Tuesday.
"Chris knocked her around," a source told People magazine. Witnesses in the hospital with Rihanna told other online sources the "Umbrella" singer "was clearly very upset. ... I could hear her screaming."
Posted by courier at 09:53 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Melissa Mota, Courier Staff Writer
The band Hoobastank, which scored big with their first single "Crawling in the Dark" way back in 2002, has come out of hibernation with the kick-butt CD,
For(n)ever.
The CD definitely takes us back to the band's old rock roots. There are a mix of upbeat, straight forward songs like "My Turn" and "All About You."
Posted by courier at 09:24 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
Hardcover: 240 pages
#Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (February 13, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374105235
ISBN-13: 978-0374105235“At times I thought that some of the stories the passersby told were exaggerated. The only wars I knew of were those that I had read about in books or seen in movies such as Rambo: First Blood, and the one in neighboring Liberia that I had heard about on the BBC news. My imagination at ten years old didn’t have the capacity to grasp what had taken away the happiness of the refugees.”
Unfortunately for Ishmael, he would soon find out first-hand exactly what taken away everybody’s happiness.
A Long Way Gone is a devastatingly realistic memoir of a boy soldier in Sierra Leone and the trials he must overcome during his rehabilitation. It is at once inspiring and disgusting, and one cannot help but feel compassion for a young boy who has lost his family to rebels with a “just” cause and must pick up a gun himself in order to survive. As I read about Ishmael’s life and the choices he was faced with, I was extremely grateful for my family, my life and, above all, my safety.
Posted by courier at 09:35 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Resident Evil 5,
Courier Daily Editor
The latest installment of the
Resident Evil franchise,
Resident Evil 5, offers a whole new experience for the avid Horror game player, but still keeps its classic over-the=shoulder view and dramatic, yet suspenseful game play that loyal
Resident Evil fans have grown to know and love.
With gameplay similar to
Resident Evil 4, the player will control Chris Redfield. The environment plays a significant role in the game. The Mercenaries minigame, which was featured in both
Resident Evil 3 and
Resident Evil 4, will be back for
Resident Evil 5.
Resident Evil 5 is set for release on March 5, 2009 in Japan, and March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe.
Posted by courier at 04:23 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Mei-Xin Yang, Courier Staff Writer
Place: Justin Herman Plaza (at Market and Embarcadero)
Hours: Starts at 6pm
The pillow fight is coming back! On St. Valentine's Day in 2006, a pillow fight occurred in the Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco for the first time. It was a very successful event and it brought lots of happiness to the people who participated. Since the event was so successful, pillows will be wielded in Justin Herman Plaza again this Valentine's Day.
Posted by courier at 01:42 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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A previous Lohri celebration at Logan
Courier photo,
Courier Staff Writer
Every year here a Logan Lohri is celebrated. In India, Lohri is celebrated in January during the time when farmers' crops are harvested; that’s why some refer to Lohri as the Indian version of Thanksgiving. The festival of Lohri marks the end of winter and the coming of spring and the new year.
In India, Lohri is celebrated every year on January 13th. Here at Logan Lohri is celebrated in February each year to avoid disrupting the finals schedule. Tonights's Lohri celebration at Logan started at 6 p.m. and it ended s around 9 p,m. The Lohri will be hosted by Logan teacher Harpaul Rana and the James Logan Punjabi club.
Posted by courier at 06:13 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Suzanne Wu, Courier Daily Editor
On a lazy, and late Tuesday afternoon my parents and I dropped the car off at the auto shop and carpooled over to a restaurant near our former place of residence near Thornton Avenue. Palace Chef, an excellent and authentic eatery, is hidden behind the old McDonald's, blending in with the frozen yogurt and donut shop nearby. Although it looks old and unreliable, don't let its appearances fool you. Parking around the area is few and the outer and inner appearance isn't fabulous, but what the restaurant lacks in good looks, it makes up in sheer volume and taste. Noodles served at the Palace Chef restaurant are truly authentic both in preparation and taste.
Posted by courier at 05:14 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Ray’s Sushi: Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar
888 West A Street Hayward CA, 94541
Business Hours
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30-2:30
Saturday 12:00-2:30
Dinner: Monday-Thursday 5:30-9:30
Friday-Saturday 5:00-10:00
Sunday 5:00-9:30
By Suzanne Wu, Courier Staff Writer
Upon entrance into Ray’s Sushi in Hayward, the sound of chatter and clinking plates are a welcome sound. For early diners, Ray’s is an excellent choice because the restaurant tends to become more crowded as the night wears on.
My family and I went to Ray’s Sushi on an early Thursday night for dinner. We were seated almost immediately and after menus were presented, were asked for our beverage choices. The drinks offered at Ray’s are not really special, just the usual assortment of soft drinks, tea, and juices. At Ray’s, service is mediocre, especially when more people arrive to dine. The trick to ordering and dining at Ray’s is being assertive because the servers will, often times, be too busy to come and check on the tables. Ray’s sushi is worth the wait and will dish out satisfaction by the plateful. Although Ray’s might not be the most exquisite and sensational sushi ever created, it makes up for the slight lack in quality with quantity.
Posted by courier at 05:05 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Tawab Fakhri, Courier Staff Writer
After a three year break, the All-American Rejects have finally released their long awaited new album
When The World Comes Down. Fans were eager to find out if the band lived up to their potential after their previous hit album
Move Along, which drew millions of fans with their mix of slow and upbeat rock. To the surprise of many, the new album definitely does not repeat the same sounds we heard in
Move Along. Although the sounds are new, the feeling of AAR music is as great as ever.
Posted by courier at 05:14 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jenelle Gallardo, Courier Staff Writer
The electro-funk-dance hits spewing out of their debut album,
Oracular Spectacular, are the brain children of former-Wesleyan University students Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, under the moniker MGMT. Who is MGMT? The band, formerly known as "The Management", and still pronounce that way, are dubbed MGMT by the public.
Posted by courier at 04:59 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jim Abbott
The Orlando Sentinel (MCT)
It's time again for the Grammy Awards, the most vexing tribute ever devised for best music of the year.
Each year, members of the Recording Academy seem to find ways to suck the life out of an art form that ought to be immediate and emotional. Big production numbers or A-list duets, such as last year's medley featuring Tina Turner and Beyonce, can too often be overblown.
Sure, there's anticipation for Jennifer Hudson's follow-up performance to the stunning Super Bowl anthem, but is it worth the wait?
Posted by courier at 09:32 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Define "Normal"
by Julie Anne Peters
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers;
1st edition (April 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316706310
ISBN-13: 978-0316706315,
Courier Daily Editor
Without warning, my knees buckled. Exhaustion over-whelmed me as I took in the scene around my brothers. It looked like Hurricane Hugo had swept through the kitchen. Cereal was strewn all over the counter. Dirty dishes filled the sink. Newspapers, envelopes, and trash littered the floor. Automatically, I flicked off the Mr. Coffee. A crust of black had burned to the bottom of the pot. Had mom left the machine on all day?
This book, Define "Normal" by is different than the ones I normally review, but it captured me just like all the fantasies I read.
Posted by courier at 10:45 PM. Filed under: Entertainment
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My Man Michael
by Lori Foster
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley (Jan. 27, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425226298
ISBN-13: 978-0425226292
“They are savages. Marauders taking what they want without consideration. At first, we tried to fight them, but that only caused damage to our homes and lands without success in defending our people. When we engage, they go after our men, knowing that we have a shortage and that our men are most valued.”
Lori Foster’s new novel,
My Man Michael, is just that. It is a completely new setting, plot, situation and set of characters for Foster. As long as the reader can keep an open mind, it is thoroughly enjoyable. It has some great messages for the reader and some social commentary that takes it to an intellectual level that most romances never reach. I loved reading it and could not put it down, which meant that I spent a frustrating Super Bowl Sunday switching between reading a sensational novel and watching an enthralling football game. I recommend waiting to start the novel until you have a sizable chunk of time to relax and enjoy.
Posted by courier at 09:07 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Jericho Faustino
Courier Daily Editor
Activision, one of the lead publishers, based the famed franchise
Call Of Duty on the
Quake III Arena engine, on October 29, 2003.
It started out as a first-person PC, shooter game, but has quickly grown to be one of the biggest names in video games today.
The latest game released in the
Call of Duty franchise,
Call of Duty World at War, has gained a lot of criticism.
Posted by courier at 10:03 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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Gabe Ocampo
Lorisa Salvatin/Courier Photo
The first impression you get from Logan student Gabe Ocampo, is of a young, somewhat typical, yet charismatic guy who wants what most teenagers want and does what most teenagers do. Seems pretty simple, yes? Until you hear his beats.
Gabe practices the intricate urban art of beat-boxing and has been since the 8th grade. He became inspired when his brother made him listen to Rahzel’s “If Your Mother Only Knew.” He was struck by how he could sing and beat-box at the same time, and badly wanted to learn the skill himself. He began a month later and it has now become one of his passions.
Posted by courier at 09:32 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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By Tawab Fakhri, Courier Staff Writer
The largely popular and successful Gears Of War, has a true and blue sequel. Gears Of War 2 does the saga justice with the same amazing gameplay, beautiful enviroment, and deep storyline as the original.
Although GOW2 does not hold all the original fun micro-aspects to the game, such as instant targeting of your partner, it is replaced by wonderful doozies such as the all-too-fun chain-saw-duels, or the new brutal ways to execute your enemies. But the favorite by far is the use of the “meat shield” where you can use a downed locust as a mobile defense until it dies.
Posted by courier at 09:16 AM. Filed under: Entertainment
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