Search
Search results
bting English - Trading English
Catalogs and Business
App
Trading English is the language to adapt to working life requirements for the purpose of covering...
SurfStitch Surf Check - Surf Cams, Surf Reports, Surf Forecasts, Surf Videos & News
Sports and Weather
App
SurfStitch Surf Check – powered by Coastalwatch. Australia's most comprehensive surf & beach app,...
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Mista in Books
Jan 15, 2018
I won a copy of this book on Goodreads. I entered the giveaway because, as a teacher, any book about teaching by a fellow teacher is worth checking out. When I read the description I had only 1 thought go through my head, "This sounds like where some of the kids I have now are going to end up." I myself teach in an "innercity" elementary school. Some of the things John experienced are things I've seen too...thankfully not the pervasive sex & drugs culture, I mean my students are 8 after all. But the blatant disrespect, cursing, lack of motivation, & uncaring attitude toward education are all definitely things I contend with on a daily basis as well. To me, reading this was both encouraging and heartbreaking. Encouraging because it is nice to know that there are teachers out there that truly care about what happens to these "tough kids" & are wiling to put up with a great deal of abuse to see that they get what they need. Heartbreaking because this story is all too common. There are not enough people that care & not enough dedicated teachers that sacrifice so much for the kids.
The book was well written & as far as I'm concerned, spot on. I've never taught high school, let along in the city, but based on my experiences this is where some of my students are headed. I can only hope that they have the benefit of a caring, persistent teacher like John that won't give up on them or let the students give up on themselves.
The book was well written & as far as I'm concerned, spot on. I've never taught high school, let along in the city, but based on my experiences this is where some of my students are headed. I can only hope that they have the benefit of a caring, persistent teacher like John that won't give up on them or let the students give up on themselves.
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Invincible, Vol 1: Family Matters in Books
Aug 2, 2017
This was a reread for me, but it had been awhile since I'd read this and the mood struck me. I enjoyed this just as much this time as I had the first time around. I've tried Kirkman's other works, The Walking Dead, Outcast, and Haunt and they all fell flat for me, and to be honest, I'd forgotten that Kirkman had written this too, so I guess it's just his horror titles that I don't like. I thoroughly enjoy the family dynamic in Invincible, with Markus Grayson and his mom, Deborah, fully embracing knowing his dad, Nolan, is the superhero Omni-Man. When Markus' powers manifest, he decides to join his dad in crime fighting as Invincible. I think I like Deborah most of all, as her matter of fact acceptance of the danger her husband and son face on a daily basis hides the concern she actual feels for her family.
This is a quick introduction to the core and supporting cast, and the actual superhero aspect of the story is really just the backdrop to Markus' family and him discovering his powers and how he is learning to balance them with high school. I really liked the minimal line art and color palette used; it's marks a stark contrast from other superhero books and their hyper detail and layered color effects, which I think is the point. This book is a superhero book, but it's different from the rest. I'll definitely be continuing with this series.
This is a quick introduction to the core and supporting cast, and the actual superhero aspect of the story is really just the backdrop to Markus' family and him discovering his powers and how he is learning to balance them with high school. I really liked the minimal line art and color palette used; it's marks a stark contrast from other superhero books and their hyper detail and layered color effects, which I think is the point. This book is a superhero book, but it's different from the rest. I'll definitely be continuing with this series.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Samsung Galaxy S8 in Tech
May 11, 2018
Stunning phone
I absolutely love this phone. I upgraded last year from the Galaxy S6 and I’m so glad I did.
It is such a beautiful looking phone. I have mine in a flip case, but I often take it out just to admire it as the body is so sleek and just feels great to hold. The infinity display too is fantastic. The camera is much better than any of my previous phones and takes some pretty good looking photos. I was dubious about the missing home button but it actually works very well and I think this is partly why the phone looks so slick. The fingerprint sensor on the back is a little unusual and it does take a while to get used to, but you come to realise that it is actually useful to have it on the back. The phone itself runs very quickly, I’ve never had any concerns over speed and the Android interface itself is still much better than Apple’s and allows a lot more personalisation and customisation.
My only criticism of this phone is the predictive text/autocorrect. It is so clunky and so unintelligent that it drives me up the wall on a daily basis. It changes real actual words for no reason and then never seems able to learn words that I type regularly. Although strangely it does seem quick to pick up things I’ve misspelt and then constantly correct the right word to a misspelt version that I’ve used once... very frustrating.
It is such a beautiful looking phone. I have mine in a flip case, but I often take it out just to admire it as the body is so sleek and just feels great to hold. The infinity display too is fantastic. The camera is much better than any of my previous phones and takes some pretty good looking photos. I was dubious about the missing home button but it actually works very well and I think this is partly why the phone looks so slick. The fingerprint sensor on the back is a little unusual and it does take a while to get used to, but you come to realise that it is actually useful to have it on the back. The phone itself runs very quickly, I’ve never had any concerns over speed and the Android interface itself is still much better than Apple’s and allows a lot more personalisation and customisation.
My only criticism of this phone is the predictive text/autocorrect. It is so clunky and so unintelligent that it drives me up the wall on a daily basis. It changes real actual words for no reason and then never seems able to learn words that I type regularly. Although strangely it does seem quick to pick up things I’ve misspelt and then constantly correct the right word to a misspelt version that I’ve used once... very frustrating.
Nikki Massey (8 KP) rated The Bletchley Circle - Season 1 in TV
Feb 8, 2019 (Updated Feb 8, 2019)
This short series, set post world war II, follows the lives of four women who previously held very important yet highly classified and secret roles during the war.
Susan, the main protagonist, has the Daily Times each day to compete the crossword (a small way to keep get highly intelligent mind engaged) and realises there might be a link and pattern emerging during a couple recent murders of women. She notifies the police but they can't see the pattern themselves so she reconnects with some of her former colleagues from Bletchley to discover what has happened and they try and predict and prevent the next murder from happening.
They end up putting themselves in very dangerous positions and Susan's husband starts to get suspicious that his wife may be dabbling in an extramarital affair due to her recent absences and secrecy.
The characters are all very likable in their own ways and each brings different strengths to the table.
It's refreshing to see a group of women building each other up rather than belittling each other with cattiness. It's also refreshing to see such strong and intelligent women portrayed in this series.
I felt myself going along with this group of ladies, as a fellow investigator, figuring out the connection between the cases and predicting whodunit.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I really felt the fear and energy the ladies went through as the uncovered the reality.
My only gripe is that the series wasn't long enough!
Susan, the main protagonist, has the Daily Times each day to compete the crossword (a small way to keep get highly intelligent mind engaged) and realises there might be a link and pattern emerging during a couple recent murders of women. She notifies the police but they can't see the pattern themselves so she reconnects with some of her former colleagues from Bletchley to discover what has happened and they try and predict and prevent the next murder from happening.
They end up putting themselves in very dangerous positions and Susan's husband starts to get suspicious that his wife may be dabbling in an extramarital affair due to her recent absences and secrecy.
The characters are all very likable in their own ways and each brings different strengths to the table.
It's refreshing to see a group of women building each other up rather than belittling each other with cattiness. It's also refreshing to see such strong and intelligent women portrayed in this series.
I felt myself going along with this group of ladies, as a fellow investigator, figuring out the connection between the cases and predicting whodunit.
It kept me on the edge of my seat and I really felt the fear and energy the ladies went through as the uncovered the reality.
My only gripe is that the series wasn't long enough!
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Destiny 2 in Video Games
Mar 23, 2019
At first I could see why anyone would play this. The story lines seemed shirt and a bit grindy. However, I have found a lot of the multilayer modes to be fun, if not toxic at times. However, having started the game about a year late, and only because the husband wanted me to play with him, I find needing others to do the raids to be stupid. When trying to get people together they only wanthe others who know exactly what to do. This can frustrate anyone. But I still like doing all the little missions and events throughout the year. I just wish that they had more. Once you cap your light level, you lose interest in the daily and weekly missions and tend to just try to get all the triumphs, which is fine and all, but some of those need 1 of each type of cha raver. Which bites since I only have a high level hunter and just started running through the game with my second character, a titan. That means I would have to do it all over again with the third, a warlock. This can be repetitive and slightly annoying. But I have made quite a few friends to play with, which can make the game extremely fun and desirable. If the raid thing and needing to do all three characters to get all the achievements wasn't such a problem I would have rated it higher. Over all, a pretty fun fame.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019) in Movies
May 28, 2019
Boring Mansion Mystery
Sleuth Nancy Drew (Sophia Lillis) is tasked with getting to the bottom of a haunting mystery at the Twin Elms mansion.
Acting: 9
For the most part, Lillis’ performance is solid in her role as Nancy. She shows her range throughout the movie and you can easily understand why she was given the leading role. Fortunately she is at the helm of the majority of the movie because most of the actors were just “meh” in their roles. Their cardboard delivery gave the movie more of a Lifetime movie feel than a feature film.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 8
Cinematography/Visuals: 2
Conflict: 5
Genre: 1
Memorability: 2
Memorable? The main thing I remember is falling asleep not once but TWICE while watching the movie. There is nothing here that really stuck out for me, neither good nor bad. Wait, I do remember one thing: Waiting for the movie to be over.
Pace: 5
The movie had a tendency to drag on, shot for shot. You think you’re going to get to delve mostly into the mystery, but it somehow devolved into a “daily life” routine type of movie. There was a lot of Much Ado About Nothing as the film drags on. Weak pacing was a huge contributor in killing the whole vibe.
Plot: 2
Resolution: 2
Overall: 46
Yikes. Talk about a movie that is hard to stomach. If your kids ask to see Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, suggest something else. By the time you get to the meat of this movie, you won’t care anymore.
Acting: 9
For the most part, Lillis’ performance is solid in her role as Nancy. She shows her range throughout the movie and you can easily understand why she was given the leading role. Fortunately she is at the helm of the majority of the movie because most of the actors were just “meh” in their roles. Their cardboard delivery gave the movie more of a Lifetime movie feel than a feature film.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 8
Cinematography/Visuals: 2
Conflict: 5
Genre: 1
Memorability: 2
Memorable? The main thing I remember is falling asleep not once but TWICE while watching the movie. There is nothing here that really stuck out for me, neither good nor bad. Wait, I do remember one thing: Waiting for the movie to be over.
Pace: 5
The movie had a tendency to drag on, shot for shot. You think you’re going to get to delve mostly into the mystery, but it somehow devolved into a “daily life” routine type of movie. There was a lot of Much Ado About Nothing as the film drags on. Weak pacing was a huge contributor in killing the whole vibe.
Plot: 2
Resolution: 2
Overall: 46
Yikes. Talk about a movie that is hard to stomach. If your kids ask to see Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, suggest something else. By the time you get to the meat of this movie, you won’t care anymore.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Exploring the Bible A Bible Reading Plan for Kids by David Murray is a wonderful resource for families to use to engage their children in studying the Bible. This book is an interactive guide for children to explore the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, in one year. The overall focus is to discover key points throughout scripture that show how the books of the Bible are connected and tell the story of a loving and gracious God.
The devotional starts with an expedition. Each week is a map of where we are headed and chapters we are ready to explore. You will need a bible, as each day you will be required to look up scripture and with each scripture a question to challenge your heart and to direct you to God's redemptive plan. Along with scripture, you will have prayer points. The need of prayer is important with any study and to do this as family is the beginning of discipleship. Snapshots are memory verses to learn and to bring the point to your heart even more. A daily log follows that which encourages you to write what you learn and to apply. It also encourages every Sunday to journal Sunday's message at your church and to explore with others as family to share what has been learned and the insight each family member might have.
I give this devotional 4/5 stars.
I received this ARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The devotional starts with an expedition. Each week is a map of where we are headed and chapters we are ready to explore. You will need a bible, as each day you will be required to look up scripture and with each scripture a question to challenge your heart and to direct you to God's redemptive plan. Along with scripture, you will have prayer points. The need of prayer is important with any study and to do this as family is the beginning of discipleship. Snapshots are memory verses to learn and to bring the point to your heart even more. A daily log follows that which encourages you to write what you learn and to apply. It also encourages every Sunday to journal Sunday's message at your church and to explore with others as family to share what has been learned and the insight each family member might have.
I give this devotional 4/5 stars.
I received this ARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Marvel Strike Force in Apps
Jul 17, 2018
I really enjoy this game (and not because I'm a Marvel geek). It's basically a turn-based RPG, but instead of leveling up from battles, your characters increase skill and power from "character shards," which are also used to recruit characters, and by equipping gear that you often need to craft. You get equipment from battles and from spheres that are also acquired through combat.
There are many aspects to the game: the blitz competition allows you to compete against other players for a particular set of shards. These campaigns go on for about a week. There are also special events, which are stories that take place outside of the regular campaign. These special events usually result in a new character. The arena is exactly what it sounds like, and you get in-game currency to buy shards or equipment. There are daily challenges that award you special prizes, and then there is the main campaign. Each character belongs to a certain class and has certain skills. The trick is creating a team that is well-balanced enough to win against other players and in the campaign. There are so many ways to play that you can open it several times a day and play for a good twenty minutes before your resources ("energy") is depleted. There's very low pressure to buy anything with actual currency, which is nice. However, if you went that route, the prices are hideously expensive and often pretty useless (hence the 8/10 rating).
It's a fun diversion, and I highly recommend checking it out!
There are many aspects to the game: the blitz competition allows you to compete against other players for a particular set of shards. These campaigns go on for about a week. There are also special events, which are stories that take place outside of the regular campaign. These special events usually result in a new character. The arena is exactly what it sounds like, and you get in-game currency to buy shards or equipment. There are daily challenges that award you special prizes, and then there is the main campaign. Each character belongs to a certain class and has certain skills. The trick is creating a team that is well-balanced enough to win against other players and in the campaign. There are so many ways to play that you can open it several times a day and play for a good twenty minutes before your resources ("energy") is depleted. There's very low pressure to buy anything with actual currency, which is nice. However, if you went that route, the prices are hideously expensive and often pretty useless (hence the 8/10 rating).
It's a fun diversion, and I highly recommend checking it out!
