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A Tábua de Esmeralda by Jorge Ben
A Tábua de Esmeralda by Jorge Ben
1974 | Pop
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"This one is an old classic: it's my foundation. Each song is a wonder. Each song tells a story. What sums it up for me is that if I'm happy I put it on and I'm even happier; if I'm sad I put it on and it makes me much happier. It has the ability to lift my mood or enhance a good mood. There's a quality of light and darkness, this association which I find really powerful and very impactful on my soul. It's a record to laugh to and to cry to. There's so much beauty. I find the string arrangements so moving. It goes so far into my being when I listen to it. It's a very big favourite and as I say a foundation to everything that I love, that hybrid. That's what is so attractive in Brazilian music: the fusion of cultures creating a new thing. That's really fascinating. It was in 2009 I think that I went on a hunt for this record, and bought it. I'd only heard certain songs; someone put some songs on my iPod a number of years ago, and then one day I realised that they were all part of a full album, which I bought when I visited Brazil some years ago, the first time that I played Brazil solo. And of course with Stereolab we were already cultivating that bit of land before we knew that it had already been cultivated and had a name and an identity. It's just an attraction, and you can't really explain them. They're doing the same thing in different parts of the world, or sometimes some things become so strong they go through your DNA somehow and you have them in your blood and they're not to be contested: they're there. But for me music has been the transformational tool. I know I've listened to records and I was one type of person before listening and after I find myself being transformed. It's the same with going to certain gigs: I walked in as one person and I walked out a different person. And I love that about music. You can't touch it, it's just there. There's a bit of a mystery behind it that makes it even more powerful."

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    Carbo - Notes & Sketches

    Carbo - Notes & Sketches

    Productivity and Business

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    Carbo includes new drawing capabilities, iPad Pro / Apple Pencil / 3D Touch support, latest iOS: App...

Isis’ Betrayal (Dark Warrior Alliance #4)
Isis’ Betrayal (Dark Warrior Alliance #4)
Brenda Trim, Tami Julka | 2020 | Paranormal, Romance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
157 of 200
Kindle
Isis’ Betrayal ( Dark warrior alliance book4)
By Brenda Trim & Tami Julka

Isis Rowan is the fiery middle sister of the prophesized witch triplets, and when she finds out that the High Priestess Cele has not only attempted to kill her sister, but is also practicing dark magic and committing atrocious acts to gain power, she is ready to chop off some heads. To make matters worse, Cele has also targeted the gorgeous and sexy human-sex demon hybrid Braeden, who also happens to be her Fated Mate. Isis is ready to kick some ass, until she realizes that Braeden is not all that he seems. Once she uncovers the truth, it's all-out war, and while she has no problem giving her destructive temper free reign, she must channel her anger to thwart Cele, and save those she loves. Goddess help the evil High Priestess when Isis finally gets ahold of her. Braeden Hall, a cambion who needs sex to survive, finds himself in an impossible situation when his son is kidnapped by an insane High Priestess and held captive. To free him, Braeden thinks he's given a simple task of collecting information on a sexy female until the witch he is to manipulate ends up being the one female meant for him, his Fated Mate. He is ultimately forced to choose between loving Isis and protecting his son. He wants nothing more than to claim Isis for eternity, but that means his son will die. The precarious balance all cambions live with is threatened, and he fears becoming a full-blown sex demon who will rape and pillage without thought. Will he be able to overcome Isis' infamous temper and convince her to not only become his ally, but ultimately, his mate?



This was a mega quick read for me. I really like this series which is ever so similar to another popular series! I love to see these ancient species find their fated mates it’s a formula well used and enjoyable when done right! My only bug bear was the power of 3 comments as a huge Charmed fan it kinda drove me crazy! Fabulous for those fantasy fans that love some hot sex scenes with fated mates and lots of paranormal activity.
  
Yummy Yummy Monster Tummy
Yummy Yummy Monster Tummy
2021 | Card Game, Humor, Kids Game
The Kids Table series from Purple Phoenix Games seeks to lightly explore games that are focused toward children and families. We will do our best to give some good insight, but not bog your down with the millions of rules…

In Yummy Yummy Monster Tummy (which, again, I think I will just call “this game” from here on out), players are kids who are visiting their grandfather and hear noises in the attic. When the kids check out the noises, they find colorful little friendly monsters roaming about! These monsters are all super hungry, and you have found that they love eating items that are the same color as their fur. Oh, but they hate anything considered to be a “vitamin.” Sound familiar, parents?

DISCLAIMER: We were provided a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. This is a retail copy of the game, so what you see in these photos is exactly what would be received in your box. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rulebook, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T


To setup this game, first download the official app to your phone or tablet. Yes, an app. Start the app and choose your skill level. Grab all the cards belonging to the Attic set, shuffle them, deal each player the appropriate amount of cards, and place the rest of the deck face-down to form a draw pile. You are now ready to play!
This game is a cooperative game, so players are all trying to win as a team. The whole object of the game is to play cards that will match the monster’s fur that shows up on the app. The color of the cards are very important, as the cards that are played (scanned by the app) will be mixed together to form the new color. So if the monster on screen is red, adding a blue and brown card just won’t do. This not only helps teach colors and mixing, but also encourages cooperation and concentration – something my kids definitely benefit from having in a game.

As the game progresses, other creatures are added that require players to scan other cards, or that give special abilities. I will leave those to you to discover through your plays; I do not wish to spoil much of anything.

Shown below is a screenshot from one of our games, so that you can see what most of the game looks like and how cute the little monsters are.


Players will continue to play cards, draw new cards, and try their hands at mixing the correct colors to match the monster as closely as they can until the app is finished throwing monsters at you. At that time, your success is evaluated and you may even progress to the next mission, or to a new area altogether, adding a new set of cards to the existing deck. This increases possibilities for new color combinations, but also slowly adds in new rules to keep the game interesting and fresh.
My little boy and I have played this game about three million times since we received it from Lucky Duck Games. We cannot get enough of it, and have tried to introduce other players to it with tons of success. The overall premise is very cute and easy to grasp. Even when adding in new creatures and their special rules, he has been handling it remarkably.

I really appreciate the effort that has gone into developing a hybrid app/board game for kids that is just really fun for all who play it. I have seen where this has been redeveloped and rethemed from a different game with more sensitive subject matter. So that’s a boon.

I think the hardest part about playing this game is finding the sweet spot of where to hold the card so that the front-facing camera on the device is able to scan the QR code on the card backs. I know my kid had a difficult time figuring out what “5-10 inches away from the camera” actually meant. An easy fix, and we were on our way to our hundredth play.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to play one of these app-drive hybrid games, I definitely recommend picking up a copy of Yummy Yummy Monster Tummy right away. It is very light, designed for children AND adults, and will provide innumerable hours of quality time with family.

Oh, and don’t worry about reading the rulebook. Just download the app, shuffle the cards, and let the app whisk you away… to your grampa’s attic. Enjoy!
  
Pan (2015)
Pan (2015)
2015 | Action, Sci-Fi
Where's the magic? Where's the sparkle?
The mesmerising story of Peter Pan has been told by numerous directors, playwrights and novelists over the years with Disney’s brilliant animation being one of the highlights in a series of standout moments.

Now, the story receives a very 21st-century makeover in Pan, but does director Joe Wright’s brooding reimagining sink or swim?

Unfortunately, this occasionally beautifully shot film ends up causing more of a headache than Michael Bay’s much-maligned Transformers series in a movie that lacks the magic and sparkle of the traditional tale, instead focusing too much on special effects and noise – my god this is a loud film.

Stars like Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara, Garrett Hedlund and Amanda Seyfriend take their places amongst a cast of forgettable characters that never seem to make any sort of impression, despite Pan’s 111 minute running time.

Following the story of Peter, played by a particularly wooden Levi Miller, Pan takes place many years before the events of the famous story, following a similar path to the recent Alice in Wonderland remake and Oz the Great and the Powerful.

Unfortunately, including a previously unmentioned backstory to the character brings about the same problems as it did for the aforementioned films. Pan has no charm and is completely void of originality with the production team borrowing many elements from movies like Avatar, the Harry Potter series and even the Indiana Jones franchise.

Hugh Jackman’s Blackbeard is the only character to make any sort of impact and the Wolverine star is a delight to watch in a role that requires masses of cheese and just a little malice. The rest of the cast are as wooden as the galleons in which they are transported and this is a real shame, given the talent on offer.

Elsewhere, the cinematography is exceptional with some amazing sequences shot with flair and supreme confidence but the poor CGI detracts from the spectacle. For a film with a budget of $150million, it has some of the worst special effects I have ever come across.

Nevertheless, there is much for younger children to enjoy. The bright colours and constant shifts in tone ensure Pan never settles into a rut, despite its bland characters and lacklustre special effects.

Overall, Pan is a crushing disappointment. The special effects are poor, the promising cast never gels together and the story is a hybrid of other, better films that results in a movie that will leave you with a headache, rather than a sense of magic and sparkle.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/10/18/wheres-the-magic-wheres-the-sparkle-pan-review/