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    Al-Quran Bahasa Indonesia

    Al-Quran Bahasa Indonesia

    Reference and Book

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    Assalamu alaikum to everyone. Do you recite the Holy Quran Sharif regularly? If it’s yes, then we...

MirrorMask (2005)
MirrorMask (2005)
2005 | Drama, Family, Sci-Fi
9
8.0 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Mirror World of Weirdness
Now, I will admit that even though I have read many of Neil Gaiman's works, I had never heard of this movie before, until just recently and I must admit that I really enjoyed this movie a lot! What was the most interesting thing to me about this movie was that the drawings that Helena had drawn throughout the film was none other than Dave McKean's drawings, who was well known for doing a lot of the artwork for Neil Gaiman's books! I loved the way that the drawings provided a haunting and surreal atmosphere for the film as I found myself either being memorized by the imagery (the scenes with the City of Lights were beautiful) or being frightened by the imagery (the scenes with the sphinx cats really creep me out). I also loved the fact that this film is somewhat of a spiritual successor to "Labyrinth," another film from the Jim Henson Company, as both films dealt with the main character having problems with their families and once they enter another world, they have to save the people who resemble their family members from whatever dark force happens to come upon them. The actors and the actresses in this film were fantastic, with my favorite character being Valentine as he was played wonderfully by Jason Barry and he really brought so much humor to the film. I also loved Stephanie Leonidas' portrayal of Helena as she is shown to be a spunky girl who doesn't seem to be afraid of the frightening world she ends up in and it really makes me get into her character.

The only problem that I had with this film was that the story tend to get a little confusing at times to the point where I don't exactly know what is quite going on with the characters. Like for instance, the movie didn't really explain about what kind of condition Helena's mother had that caused her to go to the hospital in the first place and even though it wouldn't be a major part of the film, I still would like to know what kind of disease Helena's mother had that would be so dangerous to her health.

Overall, "Mirrormask" is a fantastic and surreal film that anyone who is a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's works or surreal movies in general will definitely enjoy for many years to come!
  
    Il Sole 24 ORE

    Il Sole 24 ORE

    News

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    Download or update the new version of the app Il Sole 24 ORE for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. ...

    Bhojdeals (Now Bhoj)

    Bhojdeals (Now Bhoj)

    Food & Drink

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    BHOJ (Previously Bhojdeals) is a One stop mobile app for all the foodies in Nepal, where they can...

    New York Post iPad Edition

    New York Post iPad Edition

    News and Magazines & Newspapers

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    INTRODUCING THE NEW YORK POST'S NEW APP FOR IPAD! The New York Post’s app for iPad is all-new!...

Daring Dustbunnies
Daring Dustbunnies
2019 | Bluff, Card Game, Racing
I have never once entertained the thought that every time I run the vacuum cleaner I may be sucking up fluffballs that are psychically linked to magical beings. Why have I never thought of this before learning of this game’s existence? What kind of egocentric human am I?? Well no more! I now care about each pile of dust accumulating under my couches and will strive to keep them there as long as I can. Or at least as long as my wife allows.

Daring Dustbunnies is a card-driven racing game for two to five players. In it players assume the roles of mystical rabbits whose fate is linked to colored fluffballs attempting to get close to the vacuum without being sucked up into it. Through timely card play the mystical hares can eke out a win or suffer the ultimate fate of being sucked into the evil Hoover (not a sponsor) of death.

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 will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. Like what you read? You may purchase a copy online or from your FLGS. -T


To setup place the Start tile and Vacuum tile on the table with room tiles between depending on the number of players. The gold, silver, and bronze medals, all six fluffballeeples, cat, and dog tokens will be placed on or near the modular board. Each player will be dealt two character cards, choosing one to represent themselves and the other to be flipped as a resource and Fate token organizer. Fate tokens are dealt to each player. The players will look at the Fate cards and then place them face-down on their inactive character tile. Each player receives one Wire token, three starting Static tokens, and four Move cards. The remaining Move cards and Charms cards are to be shuffled and set in decks near the board. The player who last used a vacuum will be the starting player and the game may begin!
On a turn the active player will choose one of their Move cards to play and resolve. Move cards typically show a numeric value and color of fluffball to be moved. Should the player throw a 1 of Pink, then the pink fluffballeeple is moved one space closer to the vacuum tile. If there are no other fluffballs on this space the player will perform the space’s special action. This could include playing an extra Move card, flipping the top Move card and resolving, dumping a Move card from hand, taking or giving a Move card from hand from/to another player, or moving another fluffball one space forward. If a fluffball lands on a space containing another fluffball the moving fluff instead receives a number of Static tokens equal to the number of other fluffballs on the space.

Some Move cards do not move fluffballs. Instead they may activate the Cat or Dog, which forces fluffballs either toward the vacuum or away from it, respectively (darn cats). Some cards are Talismans which force the active player to reveal their Fate card for the remainder of the round. This is important because maneuvering fluffballs in order to keep their own Fated fluff free from the vacuum is a perilous task for the player. Once their Fate token is revealed other players may then focus Move on that color fluff in order to knock out its player for the round.

Once a fluffball approaches the vacuum tile and is forced to move into it, the fluffball stops at the Tube of Destiny. Within this tube fluffballs are able to be saved with savvy cardplay, but one more Move card played matching the fluffball’s color is a death sentence to to the Bag of Beyond. Fluffballs in the Bag may not be saved by any means.

Ways a fluffball can be saved from the Tube are by Charm cards, Wire tokens, and character special abilities (possibly). Charm cards may be played before or after a Move card has been played on any turn. They are powered by Static tokens (game currency) and can offer a multitude of special powers. Wire tokens are provided at game setup and can move a fluffball backwards (away from the vacuum) for a cost of ALL the player’s Static. All characters will have special abilities printed on their character tiles, and are able to be used once per round. As each game lasts three rounds, these are very powerful.


Play continues with each player taking turns playing their cards, using Charms and special abilities, and refilling their hand of cards once all cards in hand have been played until all end of round conditions are met. The fluffball closest to the vacuum without being inside it is awarded a Gold medal, the next closest the Silver, and next closest the Bronze. At the end of three rounds players compare numbers of medals won and determine the winner!
Components. I want to start by saying I absolutely adore the theme and art style of this game. How quirky and wonderful is this theme? And it is so colorful and stinking cute! I just smile a giddy smile every time I play this because I am just having so much fun getting into the theme and using the components. That said, this game uses a lot of different components and the quality is very very good across the board. The only real minor quibble I have is the design of the Static tokens. They are supposed to be placed below the Fate token on the backside of the character tile, but that area of the tile coupled with the busy Static token design sometimes causes my eyes to go a little funny. It’s very busy-on-busy. If only one item was busy and the other a little more plain I would be completely happy with the components.

The gameplay is very unique and enjoyable. Yes, I know several games that use cardplay to move tokens along a race track. But usually in games like that the goal is to be the first across the finish line. Here the player wants their linked fluffball to be closest to the finish line without actually passing it. This little twist is something I very much appreciate and causes players to adopt different strategies than one might normally utilize.

The different special powers of the characters and Charms cards are also aspects that help raise this game’s favor. Add in the abilities of the Cat and Dog and now there are so many options for players to choose as they play the game. I know Andy Hopwood, designer, takes pride in his ability to offer games with familiar playability but with a twist. Daring Dustbunnies is no different, but is also quite a bit different than what I was expecting.

I happen to very much love this game. My 4-year-old son and I also play a watered-down version of the game without the special powers and Charms (because he can’t read yet), and he absolutely adores it. In fact, my boy enjoys just carrying the vacuum tile around the house as he would a treasured stuffie. If THAT doesn’t say “great game,” I don’t know what does.

Wait, yes I do know what does. I can say it. Daring Dustbunnies is a great game! As I am learning more about Andy Hopwood’s games I am starting to appreciate the wonderful designs and this one is one of his best, in my opinion. If you are looking for a cute and excellent game with an inventive theme and familiar gameplay, but with a twist, then you need to look into Daring Dustbunnies. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a frantically Fated 16 / 18. Play it with your littles. Play it with your significant other(s). Play it with family and friends. I have a feeling all will enjoy it.
  
Little Comfort
Little Comfort
Edwin Hill | 2019
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hester Thursby is a Harvard research librarian with a knack for finding things. She's good at research, so when Lila Blaine comes to her, asking for help finding her long-lost brother, Sam, Hester figures it will be another easy job in what has become a side-business for her. Hester has some extra time, as she's on leave from her job as she and her partner, Morgan, try to navigate life with his niece, Kate, whom they are caring for since her own mom has disappeared. But finding Sam--who may have left with his friend Gabe, a foster kid, isn't as easy as it seems. Sam has no wish to be found. He's now a con man who cozies up to the rich and his latest mark, Wendy Richards, a Boston socialite, has the ability to give him all he's ever dreamed of: wealth, status, security, and more. When Hester's investigation threatens this, there's no limit to what Sam and Gabe may do.

This was an intriguing mystery that definitely held my interest. Somehow it was darker and grittier than I expected (sorry, I probably wasn't giving librarians enough credit here), but that certainly didn't diminish my interest at all. The opposite really. Hester is a fascinating character, to say the least. A lot of toughness, smarts, and dedication wrapped into a tiny package (she's 4'9"). She's dealing with a lot, taking on care of three-year-old Kate and a leave of absence, but that doesn't stop her from tracking down subjects and tangling with whomever she meets. She, Kate, and their basset hound, Waffles, are on the case.

The book is told from multiple POV, so we hear from a whole host of characters, including Gabe and Sam. Hill is a wonderful storyteller, and really puts you in the shoes of his characters. And boy, are some of these folks creepy. Terrible things happen in this story, and some of these people are downright despicable. Yet, he still captures the intense longing of Gabe, a foster child, and shows how Hester, who also had a tough childhood, can identify with him. Each character is an individual with their own voice. It's incredibly easy to get caught up in the tale of Gabe, Sam, and Lila and their past at Little Comfort, a lake house, plus Hester, Morgan, and Kate (oh sweet little Kate). I read the second half of the book in one determined setting, fascinated to find out what was going to happen. It's not edge-of-your-seat suspense, per se, but it's wonderful characterization and dark, mesmerizing plotting. So many secrets, so many lies to unravel.

Overall, while this one was more complicated and edgier than I was planning going into it, that was fine with me. Hester is a great character, and I'm really excited that this is a series. Hill is an excellent writer, who knows how to hold my interest with a well-paced thriller. I'm quite looking forward to seeing what Hester is up to next.