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J Elizabeth Klug (21 KP) rated Animal Circus in Books
Dec 14, 2019
I received a free copy of the book through the Goodreads Giveaways program and voluntarily chose to review.
For the animals of Doe's Circus, life is hard. At the mercy of the ringmaster and his tyrannical gang of showmen, the petting zoo animals long to escape.
Written from the perspective of the animals, the story takes you through how they react to the abuse they suffer, their determination to survive, and their plan to escape.
With superb characterization, the story is well written. It's dark and suspenseful with a surprise ending that left somewhat disappointed and slightly traumatized.
For the animals of Doe's Circus, life is hard. At the mercy of the ringmaster and his tyrannical gang of showmen, the petting zoo animals long to escape.
Written from the perspective of the animals, the story takes you through how they react to the abuse they suffer, their determination to survive, and their plan to escape.
With superb characterization, the story is well written. It's dark and suspenseful with a surprise ending that left somewhat disappointed and slightly traumatized.
Rebecca Billcliff (2409 KP) rated RuPaul's Drag Race in TV
Jan 5, 2020 (Updated Mar 27, 2020)
The Shade! (2 more)
The T
Get those nuts away from MY face!
Such good watching Queen
Gag me with a Delorian! This is some dam good TV. It's a wounderfull look into the world of drag, and the culture around it.
You love some queens, you hate some others, and it can be an emotional rollercoaster.
The Smash Game is the one I look forward to, and gurl! Does it deliver!!!
There is so much brutal honesty and the mix of love and confirm is great. Yes, it is edited, yes, there is a lot we do not see. But instead of think about the fun and the joy of watching this program, and think instead of the acceptance and mainstream love for this community that has come out of this program. Introducing an entire generation to drag and teaching us that love is love!
Oh and Ru and Michelle are so funny! Please see What's The T! Review to follow.
If you can't love yourself, how in the he'll are you gonna love somebody else?
Can I get an Amen!?
You love some queens, you hate some others, and it can be an emotional rollercoaster.
The Smash Game is the one I look forward to, and gurl! Does it deliver!!!
There is so much brutal honesty and the mix of love and confirm is great. Yes, it is edited, yes, there is a lot we do not see. But instead of think about the fun and the joy of watching this program, and think instead of the acceptance and mainstream love for this community that has come out of this program. Introducing an entire generation to drag and teaching us that love is love!
Oh and Ru and Michelle are so funny! Please see What's The T! Review to follow.
If you can't love yourself, how in the he'll are you gonna love somebody else?
Can I get an Amen!?
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Messenger in Apps
Jan 14, 2020
Too Big
I use to use messenger like most of the population that is on Facebook. Lately, though I use messenger lite which is the exact same program but is half the size. I never understood why you have to use messenger even if you already have the Facebook app. Also if you are using the actual web version of Facebook there should be absolutely no reason to need a messenger app. Between that and the large download size, I encourage people to use messenger lite instead.
The Craggus (360 KP) rated First Man (2018) in Movies
Oct 16, 2018
First Man (2018) brings down-to-earth intimacy to the story of mankind’s giant leap. #Review
Opening with Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) test piloting an X-15 rocket ship so high you fear he may crash in to the orbiting Universal Logo which went past mere seconds before, Damien Chazelle’s quietly absorbing biopic is something of an antithesis to the usual stars ‘n’ stripes bombastic heroic portrayal the US space program usually receives. Instead, the focus here puts the man in the foreground while the mission is pushed to the back...
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusFirstMan
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusFirstMan
Amanda (30 KP) rated Successful Coaching in Books
Jun 21, 2018
This was a very helpful textbook that I used for a coaching class to get a certification in coaching from the American Sport Education Program. A lot of the information was common sense, but there was some information that I found to be interesting. I enjoyed being able to discuss this with the class. I strongly recommend this if you are clueless about coaching a sport, otherwise I'm not sure how much you would really benefit from it.
Jessi Bone (48 KP) rated Space 2.0 in Books
Mar 28, 2019
To The Moon and Beyond
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor” Elon Musk Founder of Space X
Rod Pyle takes us on a journey to space in his new book Space 2.0. Mr. Pyle does not only look at where we have been on our journey to space but also to where we are going as both governmental and independent agency look to the sky for the future and protection of planet earth. The photographs and digital graphs are a bonus sharing with us visual examples of today and yesterday in the space program and allow us visual interpretations of what he is sharing. If you are looking for a light read on astronomy this is not the book for you. This book was meant to inform not to entertain even though it is full of information it is written in a way that you will enjoy the reading if you enjoy science and space exploration. This book is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to expand their there knowledge of the exploration to space and where we are going to be exploring next with the space program. I would recommend this book for all ages and it would be an informative reference for all ages whether you are homeschooling, college age or adults in the field or just a child wanting to know more about space exploration. Mr. Pyle goes beyond the norm in this book and covers more than just NASA and US Space program he gives us an overcast of all the programs out there now and in the past.
Rod Pyle takes us on a journey to space in his new book Space 2.0. Mr. Pyle does not only look at where we have been on our journey to space but also to where we are going as both governmental and independent agency look to the sky for the future and protection of planet earth. The photographs and digital graphs are a bonus sharing with us visual examples of today and yesterday in the space program and allow us visual interpretations of what he is sharing. If you are looking for a light read on astronomy this is not the book for you. This book was meant to inform not to entertain even though it is full of information it is written in a way that you will enjoy the reading if you enjoy science and space exploration. This book is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to expand their there knowledge of the exploration to space and where we are going to be exploring next with the space program. I would recommend this book for all ages and it would be an informative reference for all ages whether you are homeschooling, college age or adults in the field or just a child wanting to know more about space exploration. Mr. Pyle goes beyond the norm in this book and covers more than just NASA and US Space program he gives us an overcast of all the programs out there now and in the past.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Killer Ratings in TV
Jun 8, 2019
I watched this series in entirety last Monday, as I was intrigued by the synopsis. A TV presenter/representative encouraging violence to up his ratings? It was beyond intriguing. Though, at the end of the series, I wasn't really sure who was telling the truth, and who wasn't. Everyone seemed corrupted. I was also shocked at all of the blood and death that they showed on the television program.
This documentary is completely in Portuguese, so if reading subtitles isn't something you like to do, this wouldn't be for you. Personally, I watch everything with subtitles, so it didn't bother me at all.
This documentary is completely in Portuguese, so if reading subtitles isn't something you like to do, this wouldn't be for you. Personally, I watch everything with subtitles, so it didn't bother me at all.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Tiny Epic Mechs in Tabletop Games
Jun 30, 2021
I am someone who loves strategy. It is fun for me to create elaborate plans and see them through to either success or failure. Ok, it’s fun to see them succeed, not so much fail. BUT either way – I like to have a plan. So when Tiny Epic Mechs launched on Kickstarter, I was a little wary. Action programming? Can’t that effectively negate any strategy you have set up? I was on the fence. But I backed it anyway. So was my investment a good one, or did my programmed action of picking up this game backfire and leave me KO’d?
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but give a general overview of turns and gameplay. For a more in-depth look at the rules, pick up a copy of the game from the publisher or your FLGS! -L
Tiny Epic Mechs is a game of action programming in which players take on the roles of Mech pilots competing in an arena-style battle royale event. Through the purchase of new weapons, powering up into Mech suits, combat with opponents (either face-to-face, or through the deployment of mines and turrets), and controlling different zones of the arena, players are trying to earn the most Victory Points by the end of 6 rounds of play. To begin, follow the setup instructions for the arena, based on the player count. Each player receives a player card (to track resources, and also acts as a reference card), a Pilot card, components in their chosen player color, and 1 Basic Weapon card to equip on their Pilot. Set the Round Tracker to round 1, create a market row of Advanced Weapons, place the Mighty Mech suit on it’s corresponding zone card, and the game is ready to begin!
Each round consists of 3 phases: Program, Execution, and Scoring. During the Program phase, players will secretly choose 4 Program Cards from their hand to represent their 4 moves/actions for this round. The chosen Program Cards will be laid out in order above the player card, and will immediately be covered by a face-down unused Program Card. (There are 8 Program Cards total, only 4 of which are used each round). It is important to note that the orientation of the Program Cards matters – Program Cards must be played parallel to the zone cards of the arena. Since they dictate the directions in which you move, you must place them exactly as you want to move. During the second phase, Execution, players will take turns revealing their Program Cards, one at a time and in order, and resolving the actions. To Execute a Program Card, you will first move your Pilot in the direction of the card’s arrow, and then resolve the action listed on the card. Movement is a must and cannot be skipped.
After Movement, you may perform the action on your card – Collect Resources, Purchase a Weapon, Deploy a Mine or a Turret, or Power Up. The first three of these are pretty self-explanatory. The Power Up action allows your Pilot to either heal themselves or upgrade into a Mech suit. Now to discuss crux of the game – combat. During the Execution phase, if you enter into the same zone as another player, you must immediately begin Combat. You will use your equipped weapons to battle your opponent, in hopes of knocking them out or forcing them to retreat. Weapons will deal base damage, or Power Attack damage, based on the circumstances of the combat. To attack with a weapon, you will deal the base damage immediately to your opponent. After your attack, the weapon you used is Exhausted and cannot be used again this combat. Your opponent then has the chance to attack back – either regularly or via Power Attack (I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own). Combat continues, alternating between players, until either a player is KO’d, or is forced to retreat because all of their weapons have been Exhausted. Initiating combat, dealing damage, and defeating your opponent all earn you VP, so combat is a vital part of the game!
After all players have revealed and performed their final Program Card, the round ends. At the end of the 2nd, 4th, and 6th round, players will perform a Scoring phase, earning points for any zones occupied by their own mines, turrets, or Pilot. At the end of the 6th and final round, scoring takes place as stated above, but players will also earn VP for all weapons they have purchased throughout the game. The player with the highest VP is the winner!
I have to admit that I am not a person who generally enjoys the mechanic of action programming. I like to really think through my strategy, and execute it exactly as I want. Action programming makes strategizing more difficult because your success or failure depends on the actions selected in advance by your opponents. You can’t really adapt mid-round, you kind of just have to deal with what’s happening. That being said, Tiny Epic Mechs, in my opinion, has a good balance of combat and actions/resource management. Your entire strategy can’t be based on combat – you need to upgrade weapons, climb into your Mech suit, etc. – and the ability to vary combat with individual upgrades makes the gameplay feel more strategic. Yes, your opponents might still mess up some of your best-laid plans, but you have to be prepared for any situation.
The overall gameplay can feel calculated or chaotic simply based on the player count. In a 2-player game, obviously there are only 2 people, and you have more opportunities to really focus on your individual Pilot before necessarily traipsing into combat. In a game with 3 or 4 players, interactions between players are inevitable and can really make the action programming mechanic stand out/feel more random/etc. Especially with a small play arena, Pilots will be crossing paths at probably every turn, and you may be forced into more combats that you anticipated. With only 2 players, there are interactions between players, but it feels a little more calm overall, and you can really work with a strategy instead of having to adapt to sudden changes in the arena.
Let’s touch on components for a minute. As always, this Tiny Epic delivers on quality components. The cards are colorful and sturdy, the text easy to read. The wooden components for tracking health/resources are good, but maybe just a little too small, even for my regularly-sized hands. The ITEMeeples, Mech suits, and weapons are always fun to play with, and sturdy enough to hold up to lots of plays. All in all, great work from Gamelyn Games once again.
For being a game of action programming, I have to admit that I enjoyed Tiny Epic Mechs more than I thought I would. At least at a 2-player count. Anything more feels too chaotic and random to me. The elements of programming and combat are engaging and elevate the gameplay, but it’s just not my favorite mechanic. Will I keep this game? Definitely. For what it is, I think it does a good job. Will I get more action programming games in the future? Probably not. I’d say Tiny Epic Mechs fills that spot for me, and that is all good in my book. Check this one out if you’re looking for something fun and relatively simple that utilizes this mechanic. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a mechanical 7 / 12.
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but give a general overview of turns and gameplay. For a more in-depth look at the rules, pick up a copy of the game from the publisher or your FLGS! -L
Tiny Epic Mechs is a game of action programming in which players take on the roles of Mech pilots competing in an arena-style battle royale event. Through the purchase of new weapons, powering up into Mech suits, combat with opponents (either face-to-face, or through the deployment of mines and turrets), and controlling different zones of the arena, players are trying to earn the most Victory Points by the end of 6 rounds of play. To begin, follow the setup instructions for the arena, based on the player count. Each player receives a player card (to track resources, and also acts as a reference card), a Pilot card, components in their chosen player color, and 1 Basic Weapon card to equip on their Pilot. Set the Round Tracker to round 1, create a market row of Advanced Weapons, place the Mighty Mech suit on it’s corresponding zone card, and the game is ready to begin!
Each round consists of 3 phases: Program, Execution, and Scoring. During the Program phase, players will secretly choose 4 Program Cards from their hand to represent their 4 moves/actions for this round. The chosen Program Cards will be laid out in order above the player card, and will immediately be covered by a face-down unused Program Card. (There are 8 Program Cards total, only 4 of which are used each round). It is important to note that the orientation of the Program Cards matters – Program Cards must be played parallel to the zone cards of the arena. Since they dictate the directions in which you move, you must place them exactly as you want to move. During the second phase, Execution, players will take turns revealing their Program Cards, one at a time and in order, and resolving the actions. To Execute a Program Card, you will first move your Pilot in the direction of the card’s arrow, and then resolve the action listed on the card. Movement is a must and cannot be skipped.
After Movement, you may perform the action on your card – Collect Resources, Purchase a Weapon, Deploy a Mine or a Turret, or Power Up. The first three of these are pretty self-explanatory. The Power Up action allows your Pilot to either heal themselves or upgrade into a Mech suit. Now to discuss crux of the game – combat. During the Execution phase, if you enter into the same zone as another player, you must immediately begin Combat. You will use your equipped weapons to battle your opponent, in hopes of knocking them out or forcing them to retreat. Weapons will deal base damage, or Power Attack damage, based on the circumstances of the combat. To attack with a weapon, you will deal the base damage immediately to your opponent. After your attack, the weapon you used is Exhausted and cannot be used again this combat. Your opponent then has the chance to attack back – either regularly or via Power Attack (I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own). Combat continues, alternating between players, until either a player is KO’d, or is forced to retreat because all of their weapons have been Exhausted. Initiating combat, dealing damage, and defeating your opponent all earn you VP, so combat is a vital part of the game!
After all players have revealed and performed their final Program Card, the round ends. At the end of the 2nd, 4th, and 6th round, players will perform a Scoring phase, earning points for any zones occupied by their own mines, turrets, or Pilot. At the end of the 6th and final round, scoring takes place as stated above, but players will also earn VP for all weapons they have purchased throughout the game. The player with the highest VP is the winner!
I have to admit that I am not a person who generally enjoys the mechanic of action programming. I like to really think through my strategy, and execute it exactly as I want. Action programming makes strategizing more difficult because your success or failure depends on the actions selected in advance by your opponents. You can’t really adapt mid-round, you kind of just have to deal with what’s happening. That being said, Tiny Epic Mechs, in my opinion, has a good balance of combat and actions/resource management. Your entire strategy can’t be based on combat – you need to upgrade weapons, climb into your Mech suit, etc. – and the ability to vary combat with individual upgrades makes the gameplay feel more strategic. Yes, your opponents might still mess up some of your best-laid plans, but you have to be prepared for any situation.
The overall gameplay can feel calculated or chaotic simply based on the player count. In a 2-player game, obviously there are only 2 people, and you have more opportunities to really focus on your individual Pilot before necessarily traipsing into combat. In a game with 3 or 4 players, interactions between players are inevitable and can really make the action programming mechanic stand out/feel more random/etc. Especially with a small play arena, Pilots will be crossing paths at probably every turn, and you may be forced into more combats that you anticipated. With only 2 players, there are interactions between players, but it feels a little more calm overall, and you can really work with a strategy instead of having to adapt to sudden changes in the arena.
Let’s touch on components for a minute. As always, this Tiny Epic delivers on quality components. The cards are colorful and sturdy, the text easy to read. The wooden components for tracking health/resources are good, but maybe just a little too small, even for my regularly-sized hands. The ITEMeeples, Mech suits, and weapons are always fun to play with, and sturdy enough to hold up to lots of plays. All in all, great work from Gamelyn Games once again.
For being a game of action programming, I have to admit that I enjoyed Tiny Epic Mechs more than I thought I would. At least at a 2-player count. Anything more feels too chaotic and random to me. The elements of programming and combat are engaging and elevate the gameplay, but it’s just not my favorite mechanic. Will I keep this game? Definitely. For what it is, I think it does a good job. Will I get more action programming games in the future? Probably not. I’d say Tiny Epic Mechs fills that spot for me, and that is all good in my book. Check this one out if you’re looking for something fun and relatively simple that utilizes this mechanic. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a mechanical 7 / 12.
When their friend's father is robbed of a rare comic book, Nick and Tesla use their new self-built robots to try to find the thief.
Kids will enjoy this one. The characters are better than the first and in keeping with a middle grade novel. The plot is strong and actually threw a twist in there that surprised me.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Amazon's Vine Program.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/11/book-review-nick-and-teslas-robot-army.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kids will enjoy this one. The characters are better than the first and in keeping with a middle grade novel. The plot is strong and actually threw a twist in there that surprised me.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Amazon's Vine Program.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/11/book-review-nick-and-teslas-robot-army.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This was a very informative and detailed read. Before Hidden Figures the movie came out, I didn't know this was a book and more importantly, I didn't know about these women and their contributions to NASA and the space program. It's truly amazing what they were able to figure out with their minds. This is a book that everyone should read so they can see the ways in which African-Americans contribute to something as important as getting a man in space and then safely back home.