The James Logan Courier

Here's a classic Betty Boop cartoon to start your Saturday. According to the Image Archive, the story goes like this: "Stuck in a game a chess, Miss Boop has to fight off the lecherous advances of the king. Not to worry though, even the furniture itself is looking after her honour and modesty. A chair replaces the hem of her dress when it becomes displaced; with a polite 'thank you' from the heroine. When it looks as if the king will finally get his evil way, the bed runs out of the room! The king doesn't stand a chance in this game."

Click the picture to view the cartoon, streaming in 256kb MPEG4. For more information and format choices, click here. Free from the Internet Archive.

This week, we jump from the Betty Boop and the past to something one viewer at the Internet Archive called an "ultramodern retro futuristic spiffy cartoonistic avantgarde mainstream Calvin and Hobbes 3D animation comic book made in France with style and verve." Directed by Christophe Barnouin, Nathalie Bonnin, Luc Desgardin, Comics Trip, is a computer animated cartoon produced by SUPINFOCOM in 2001.

Click the picture to view the cartoon, streaming in 256kb MPEG4. For more information and format choices, click here.

By Nathanial Lealao, Courier Staff Writer

Editor's Note: The James Logan Varsity Football team saw this movie together last Friday.

The Gridiron Gang, starring Dwayne"The Rock" Johnson, Xzbit, and Jade Yorker

Based on a true story of a Juvenile Football Team started by Sean Porter(played by The Rock) and Malcolm Moore(Xzbit), Gridiron Gang is a film about the LA streets and all the kids that make bad choices and end up at Kilpatrick Juvenile center.

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Dwayne Johnson plays football coach Sean Porter in Gridiron Gang, in theaters now.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (259 pages) reviewed by Jessica Stewart

“The tipping point is the biography of an idea, and the idea is very simple. It is that the best way to understand the emergence of fashion trends, the ebb and flow of crime waves, or, for that matter, the transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth, or any number
of other mysterious changes that mark everyday life is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.”

With this basic summary of his book and ideas, Gladwell gives you a whiff of the freshly baked cookies, the scents of which tantalize your nose and cause embarrassing salivation. As he goes on to describe in detail his thoughts a proof for his theory, it is sometimes tedious, but, more often than not, very interesting.


Gladwell uses the word "people" 367 times in the book.

By Kristin Tillotson
Minneapolis Star Tribune (MCT)

MINNEAPOLIS — What's that book next to you on the beach towel, the one spattered with waterproof SPF 45 and iced tea?

Chances are it's a memoir, biography or political screed by someone who thinks the way you do. It used to be assumed that "beach read" meant novel, but not anymore. Fiction may not be dying, but it's certainly getting sand kicked in its face by the truth.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

Here are the best-sellers for the week that ended Saturday, Sept. 16, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide.

(Reprinted from Publishers Weekly, published by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Elsevier, USA. (c) 2006 by Reed Elsevier, USA)

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. The Thirteenth Tale. Diane Setterfield. Atria, $26
Last Week: -; Weeks on List: 1
2. The Book of Fate. Brad Meltzer. Warner, $25.99
Last Week: 1; Weeks on List: 2
3. Rise and Shine. Anna Quindlen. Random House, $24.95
Last Week: 3; Weeks on List: 3
4. Dark Celebration. Christine Feehan. Berkley, $23.95
Last Week: 2; Weeks on List: 2
5. Judge & Jury. James Patterson and Andrew Gross. Little, Brown, $27.99
Last Week: 4; Weeks on List: 7

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

LOCOROCO
For: PSP
From: Sony Computer Entertainment
ESRB Rating: Everyone

There is no easy way to fairly describe "LocoRoco." But hey, here goes nothing.

In "LocoRoco," you star as a LocoRoco, which is basically a gelatinous blob with a big smile on its face. To move around, you use the shoulder buttons, which tilt the field of play either clockwise or counterclockwise and allow the LocoRoco to roll forward, backward and through all manner of interesting obstacles and hazards (imagine your typical platforming game). If you want the LocoRoco to jump, simply press both shoulder buttons and let one go.


A LocoRoco screenshot

Wake up this morning with Popeye, starring in Shuteye Popeye (1952.) In the cartoon, Popeye the Sailor snores while he sleeps, which disturbs Mouse, who is also trying to sleep. A war breaks out between Popeye and Mouse which Mouse eventually wins. Animation by Al Eugster and George Germanetti. Story by Irving Spector. Music by Winston Sharples. Director: I. Sparber. Production Company: Associated Artists Productions and Famous Studios Productions.

Click the picture to watch the cartoon, streaming in 256K MPEG4 from the Internet Archive. Click here for more format choices and information.

Next, Betty Boop stars with Grampy in The Impractical Joker from 1937. Max Fleischer produced this black-and-white cartoon, in which Betty is harassed by a salesman named Irving, and Grampy comes to her rescue.


Click the picture to watch the cartoon, streaming in 256K MPEG4 from the Internet Archive.Click here for more format choices and information.

By Carmen Shiu, Courier Staff Writer

Paula DeAnda, a new pop and R&B singer, debuts at #50 with 20,292 copies of her new-self titled album sold within its first week of release. The first single off of the new
album, "Doing Too Much" (featuring Baby Bash), had its peak on the charts at #41. "Walk Away (Remember Me)" (featuring The DEY) is Paula's current single, which is, too,
getting more and more airplay as time goes by.

By Carmen Shiu, Courier Staff Writer

Long after the originally scheduled June release date of her sophomore album, Natalie finally released "Everything New" Tuesday. The wait is finally over for the fans of this singer whose hit song "Goin' Crazy" sent her debut eponymous album skyrocketing in the charts. There is no stopping now for this 27-year-old latina. The new album is really "Everything New“ — new look, new writing, new styles, and new beats. Her voice has also improved since then. There is an undeniably great artistic growth from her first album, released in May 2005.

Reviewed by Jacqueline Truong, Courier Staff Writer

The Last Kiss
Rated R
1 hour 44 minutes

"The Last Kiss" not only captivates the audience because the characters are real and is dealing with real life situations, but because each of the characters is also instantly recognizable. We can relate to their predicaments.. This movie is appealing, especially to the micro-generation of people who are experiencing a mid-life crisis in their late twenties. Michael (played by Zach Braff), the main character, is a twenty-nine-year-old architect who is about to become a father. It appears as though he has a stable life with a nice job, a lovely girlfriend named Jenna (played by Jacinda Barrett), and a group of loyal friends. His life is exactly the way he expected it to be. However, he is afraid of facing the next phase in his life because he fears that it will inevitably lead to an end to excitement and spontaneity in his life. Indeed, his encounter with Kim (played by Rachel Bilson), a sophomore in college, turns his fears into doubts; he begins to wonder whether settling down with Jenna will really put an end to all the fun and surprises in his life.


Jacinda Barrett and Zach Braff play a troubled couple.

By Roberta Maas and Michelle Morimoto

On September 10, we traveled to Sacramento for a convention. It wasn't just any convention; it was the 40th anniversary Star Trek convention. We had an hour and a half drive from Union City to Sacramento.

When we finally arrived it wasn't what we had expected. There was a very long line to get entry tickets to attend the seminar where William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were to discuss their experiences while filming the Star Trek series and subsequent movies. After buying the tickets we sat down and were immediately told to move because they had assigned duplicate seats. Other Star Trek fans were claiming their right to occupancy.


The authors, Bobbi Maas, left, and Michele Morimoto, encountered cardboard representations of the stars of Star Trek.

By Carmen Shiu, Courier Staff Writer

The top ten contestants from FOX's hit summer reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD), kicked off their national their tour on September 13, 2006 in Seattle, Washington. Although this is the second season of the show, this is the first time the dancers on the show have toured.

Last Friday, the touring show stopped by Oakland, California — the only northern California show of the tour.


Travis Wall and Donyelle Jones dance to "Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles; a contemporary jazz routine choreographed by Mia Michaels. Carmen Shiu - Courier Photo

Review by Jessica Stewart, Courier Staff Writer

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (221 pages)

"My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,057."

Describing himself, Christopher Boone reveals his vast intelligence, but he fails to descibe his shortcomings. These include screaming or groaning when he is confused or angry, throwing tantrums when there are too many people around, and refusing to touch anything that is brown or yellow. Also, he is unable to understand human emotions, but he can understand animals, causing his preference for animal companionship. This is why, upon finding a neighbor's dog dead with a garden fork sticking out of its side, he decides to find out who murdered it and why.


The word "father" occurs 288 times in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Reviewed by Jacqueline Truong, Courier Staff Writer

Amy Tan's The Opposite of Fate is exceedingly intriguing; not only is this a readable book, but it also keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.


The word mother is used 487 times in Amy Tan's The Opposite of Fate

By Julia Keller
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

"The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation" by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon; Hill and Wang ($30)

It was, from the start, a comic book catastrophe.

Not to make light of the disaster that smote the nation Sept. 11, 2001, but at first it really did seem too huge to be real, didn't it? Too monumental. Too terrible. Too much like the work of some fictional criminal mastermind with a catchy nickname. Just too much, by every measure.

By Eric Benderoff
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

CHICAGO _ In a move widely viewed as inevitable, Steve Jobs said Tuesday that Apple Computer Inc. will sell movies from its online music store with prices starting at $9.99.

The announcement is likely to jump-start a nascent movie-downloading industry, much like Apple's move into selling music online in 2003 popularized legal song downloads.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

YAKUZA
For: Playstation 2
From: Sega
ESRB Rating: Mature

"Yakuza" is many things, but here's one thing it's not: another "Grand Theft Auto" rip-off. The free-roaming gameplay and gang lord storyline might suggest otherwise, and assumptions by those who have seen but not played the game have only emboldened the argument.


A scene from Yakuza

This morning we have Casper the Friendly Ghost in a 1935 cartoon in which he has a tough time finding friends because everybody seems to be scared of ghosts. Then he befriends some kids, and their Mom when the terrified banker gives her the deed to the house.

Click the picture to go to www.liketelevision.com to view the cartoon, free. RealPlayer required.

Next, we have a cartoon from the 1920s, starring Felix the Cat. In "All Puzzled," Felix helps a man solve a difficult puzzle. Nice vintage music from the '20's.

Click the picture to go to www.liketelevision.com to view the cartoon, free. RealPlayer required.

By Susan Muramoto, Courier Staff Writer

A new restaurant has recently opened at Pacific Commons in Fremont. It's called Claim Jumper, and judging from the 2 1/2 hour wait (without a reservation) on the day I went there, its popularity is spreading fast. However, don't let the long wait discourage you from visiting--make a quick reservation in advance, and you'll be enjoying a meal there in no time.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (288 pages)
Reviewed by Jessica Stewart, Courier Staff Writer

"I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster."

With this opening statement, Jeannette Walls catches your interest, and has no intention of letting it go. Writing about her life, Walls provides a treasure trove of experiences and life lessons that remain vivid in your mind hours after being read. Told in an off-hand manner, The Glass Castle provides the reader with a window looking in on an incredible world not often found in books.

By Michelle Raskin, Courier Staff Writer

The Covenant (PG-13) 97 minutes

The Covenant, starring the innocent looking, very handsome, Steven Strait (Cayleb Danvers), is one of four of the brothers who are born with a legacy of powers to protect their families. When everything seems to be going fine, a new student comes into the school, Sebastian Stan (Chase), and sirs up things. While Laura Ramsey (Sarah) is busy working on her moves with Cayleb, Cayleb is trying to protect the Covenant. It's all up to him. This movie did have action seems with great fighting music in the background. It was an ok movie, wait till video.
-M.R.


The Covenant: Not Very Good

Let's start the day with a "Little Lulu" cartoon, in which Little Lulu wreaks havoc in a city department store. Animation by Nick Tafuri, John Walworth and Tom Golden. Scenics by Anto Loeb. Music by Winston Sharples. Story by Bill Turner and Otto Mesmer. Produced in 1946.


Click the picture to watch the cartoon, streaming in MPEG4 at 256k. For more information and format choices, click here. From the Internet Archive.

Next we have "The Talking Magpies," in which Mr. and Mrs. Magpie find a new place to live and prove to be very bad neighbors. Story by John Foster. Music by Philip A. Scheib. Produced in 1946.



Click the picture to watch the cartoon, streaming in MPEG4 at 256k. For more information and format choices, click here. From the Internet Archive.

By Michelle Raskin and Jessica Mutch

Accepted (PG-13) 90 minutes

Starring Justin Long (Bartleby Gaines), a slacker with a purpose, who misses his window for true college. So, instead of facing the truth, he decides to make up his own college with the help of his childhood friend, Sherman Schrader (Jonah Hill). When Gaines thinks he’s in the clear, fellow rejected students find the “click away” feature and come knocking on the door of his South Harmon Institute of technology. I find this movie dead on with the hidden truth of college life. Hilariously entertaining. A feel good comedy.
-M.R.

This morning, we present Superman in "Eleventh Hour," a piece of propaganda in which Superman is responsible for several acts of sabotage at the Yokohama Navy Yard in Japan. Lois Lane is held hostage but Superman saves the day. Animation by William Bowsky and William Henning. Music by Sammy Timberg. Produced in 1942.


Click the picture to view the cartoon, streaming in 256k MPEG4 free from the Internet Archive. For more format choices and information, click here.

Next is a Betty Boop cartoon from 1933, "The Old Man of the Mountain," featuring the fabulous Cab Calloway and his orchestra. As a review at the Internet Archive wrote: " Another wonderful and imaginative cartoon. The music is by Cab Calloway and this cartoon features 2 tunes by Cab, "Old Man Of The Mountain" and "The Scat Song". The Fleisher organization cartoons of this period remain the gold standard of cartoons."


Click on the picture to view the cartoon, streaming in 256k MPEG4, free from the Internet Archive. For more information and format choices, click here.

By Patrick Pilapil, Courier Staff Writer

British heavy metal band Motorhead released "Kiss of Death" this week, which does nothing short of proving that Lemmy and the crew has yet to burn out.

Visit Motorhead's homepage.