Issue 17 // April 2009 // Warez-bb.org
Three Bands That It s Not Too Late To Start Listening To Watchmen Review Resident Evil 5 Review ConďŹ dence Interview with glenny for theSCENE Postponed A World of Words Version 2 Beware of Laughter Version 2 And much much more!!!
The Scene
CONTENTS ISSUE 17 | APRIL 2009
Tech
3. Mac Essentials
Music & Movies
7. Mank’s Music Reviews 10. Three Bands That It’s Not Too Late To Start Listening To 13. Watchmen Review
Games
16. Resident Evil 5 Review 18. Resistance Retribution Review
General
21. Confidence 24. Interview with glenny for theSCENE 26. Postponed 27. A World of Words Part 2 29. Beware of Laughter Part 2 31. Revolution 32. Personality Development
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The Scene
EDITORIAL ISSUE 17 | APRIL 2009
Editor ENIGMA Co-Editor .:Nvidia:. Writers Team Leader Waltereegho Artists Team Leader Chicodelperreo Proofreaders Team Leader Daniel.Blaze Writers Team Assistant Shifty Dramamine Artists Team Assistant Labonova Proofreaders Team Assistant Yawn. Magazine Team Compiler Labonova Writers UltraVibrant Dark Elite Kartnite LinuxTrance Turtledude23 Fartermissile Sp33|)|)3v!lX feenz_b mank tmj Artists Oddbrawl Leroy44 Herinjo Quality Assurance Team Clarinda .Hancock Snow.Flake Twist MX1CAN Garf Ramrap Megatop Cover Design Labonova 2 EDITORIAL
Hello everybody, Welcome to theSCENE 17. I’m delighted to announce that theSCENE has a new forum at Warez-BB and a new website will soon be online at magazine.warez-bb.org. The SCENE forum at Warez-BB will be used to announce all major additions to the Press Team and will enable every member to quickly seek answers to their queries from one of our press support staff. The press team members will also seek the help of forum members in their projects. Members are also encouraged to start projects of their own to contribute to the magazine. There are more than one million members on Warez-BB and every member should be able to find somebody who shares their goals. Whilst forum access is available only to warez-BB members, the website aims to involve all motivated individuals in theSCENE. The website has a fully-fledged feedback system and an interface to communicate with the members who are part of theSCENE. You can do almost everything on our site without registration. There’s an optional link to subscribe on our website to receive email updates. I encourage all readers to visit the site and spread the word. If you would like to help us, please don’t hesitate to send me a message. Regards, ENIGMA
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c a M Essentials Adium
Don’t like ‘Microsoft Messenger for Mac’? Me neither! The reason why I do not like ‘Microsoft Messenger for Mac’ is that I frequently found when originally using the application that I would get inconsistent ‘Application is not responding’ error messages which caused the application to fail and quit. I experienced this on multiple install scenarios on OS X and also experienced ‘Microsoft Messenger for Mac’ to be slow and quite unresponsive. ‘Adium’ is a third party application which allows you to connect to pretty much all of the common messaging accounts, and I have found it to be a lot more efficient and stable compared to ‘Microsoft Messenger for Mac’. A great feature which I really like about ‘Adium’ is that you can be connected to multiple accounts at the same time. So for example you can be signed into ‘MSN’, ‘Facebook’ chat, ‘Yahoo!’ and ‘AOL’ all at the same time. No need for multiple clients or signing in and out of accounts!
AppFresh
‘AppFresh’ allows you to keep all widgets, applications, plug-ins and preference panes up-to-date on your Mac. Unlike the Apple update utility, ‘AppFresh’ checks for all software updates available for all of the above mentioned installs on your Mac, and not just Apple updates. ‘AppFresh’ also checks for Microsoft auto-updates, so if you are running any Microsoft products they can also be kept up-to-date.
AppZapper
‘AppZapper’ is a great application for removing installed applications by simply either using the drag and drop feature, or by selecting the .app file. ‘AppZapper’ will then automatically collate any related files that need to be removed and once you’re ready to remove the application, click ‘Zap’. The great benefit of using ‘AppZapper’ as opposed to just removing the application in OS X, is that ‘AppZapper’ removes the application, plus all of the additional files which can be installed on the Mac such as support files, caches and any preferences which were determined within the installed application. When using the standard removal process in OS X this is not done.
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Disk Inventory X
Wondering where all of your free disk space has gone? ‘Disk Inventory X’ is a simple application which produces a graphical and table format display to show what types of file formats are taking up space on your hard disk and in what amount, so that you can easily identify whether it’s applications, music, or movies, etc that are taking up hard disk space.
Firefox
The majority of people use Firefox anyway, but I thought I would list it as I feel it is an essential to any OS X install, just as much as the other applications I have listed. The key reasons I prefer to use ‘Firefox’ in comparison to Apple’s official web browser ‘Safari’, is because I find add-ons more available for ‘Firefox’ than ‘Safari’ and also general usability is better in ‘Firefox’. The two add-ons I personally recommend are ‘Adblock Plus’ and ‘Greasemonkey’.
Xslimmer
Put your OS X install on an instant diet with ‘Xslimmer’. ‘Xslimmer’ allows you to remove unnecessary code from the OS X binary by selecting code which is not relevant to the architecture of the machine you are running, allowing you to delete code that is never executed, which frees hard disk space and can improve system performance. ‘Xslimmer’ will not only remove irrelevant code, it is also capable of deleting unwanted languages, so you only have the languages you need your applications to run in!
VLC media player
Wondering why that recent movie you downloaded just won’t play? Well here is your solution – VLC media player! ‘VLC media player’ is a multimedia player which supports numerous video and audio formats. ‘VLC media player’ will support over fifteen video formats and over twenty audio formats, which means you most likely won’t ever need to install additional codec’s to play your favorite multimedia. ‘VLC media player’ can also be used server end and as a client facing streaming solution to provide real time streaming when required.
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Little Snitch
‘Little Snitch’ protects your privacy by limiting access for applications to connect out to the Internet and when required, prevents applications passing information to external sources. ‘Little Snitch’ allows you to easily manage outgoing Internet connections that applications attempt to make, so you can choose which applications connect to the Internet, and where they connect to. Nearly all applications connect to external sources, whether this is to check for updates or to pass information, which can sometimes be personal information that you might not want to have broadcasted over the Internet. ‘Little Snitch’ allows you to configure certain permissions for each application so you can specify whether you only want an application to connect to a specific address, a specific port or completely prevent outgoing connections. This can be done by setting up rules, or can be done when an application attempts to make its first initial connection, at which point ‘Little Snitch’ will start a prompt to notify you and provide options on what step you would like to take.An additional feature that ‘Little Snitch’ provides, is a facility to monitor network traffic which is inbound and outbound from your computer. This is done via an icon at the top right of the screen which states which application is active and where it is connecting to. It also shows whether this is inbound or outbound (green indicates outbound and red indicates inbound).
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iDefrag
All Mac users will know that OS X is renowned for being a stable and efficient operating system, although all users will also be aware that over a period of time any operating system can become tired, and users will start to notice slower start up times and general operating performance can deteriorate. Reasons for this include software releases becoming more demanding and users wanting to do more with their operating system. The main culprit for this performance reduction is the technology and the process in which data is written to and read from the hard disk. Data is written and read by a magnetic process and whilst this is being done, data is consistently being added, removed and modified. This can cause sections of a hard disk to have different parts of data located in different locations on the hard disk, which results on the hard disk’s head (the part which reads and writes to the platters on the hard disk) having to move more frequently to locate the data on the hard disk. This can cause the computer to slow down and also result in the hard disk having to work harder to perform to the same standard. ‘iDefrag’ is an application which can optimize the OS X file system to solve fragmentation problems and prevent the issues which I mentioned earlier. There are some really great features which ‘iDefrag’ supports. The most beneficial features I have detailed below: Hot Zone support – OS X understands files which are frequently used and moves them to a designated area of the disk, known as the Hot Zone, which is used to improve access times. ‘iDefrag’ understands the Hot Zone and knows which files should be located there. Real-time defragment – ‘iDefrag’ can defrag the hard disk in question whilst the disk is being used, which I personally find really beneficial, as this means that at times when you are doing minimal system usage tasks such as reading emails, listening to music etc, ‘iDefrag’ can be running in the background defragmenting the hard disk. Thermal Monitoring – ‘iDefrag’ can monitor the temperature of the hard disk (as long as the hard disk supports this feature) and can pause the defragmentation process at any time when the hard disk reaches a temperature at which ‘iDefrag’ feels it’s time for the drive to cool down. I have from personal experience noticed that ‘iDefrag’ will pause when the hard disk gets to around the region of 56 degrees, and will wait for the hard disk to cool down before it resumes the process.
Roxio Toast 10 Titanium Want to watch, listen, copy, burn and convert? Then ‘Roxio Toast 10 Titanium’ is for you!
I use ‘Roxio Toast 10 Titanium’ as it’s one application which can do everything I need it to do as far as disk burning applications go! ‘Roxio Toast 10 Titanium’ does everything that your standard disk burning application does, with a few extra benefits over the close competitors. One of the most recent up-and-coming features that ‘Roxio Toast 10 Titanium’ supports is Bluray, which some of the competitors currently do not support. ‘Roxio Toast 10 Titanium’ also supports bi-directional synchronization between multiple sources so you will always have the latest, most recent data to hand. Here is a list of the popular benefits of using ‘Roxio Toast 10 Titanium’: One click disc copy Recover files from damaged discs Preview video quality before finalizing Drag, drop and burn support Easy menu creation Search and fast retrieval
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Speed Download
‘Speed Download’ is an application which is referred to as a download manager, which I find great for downloading and uploading data. The application also has many great features and has support for multiple protocols – I will not detail all features, but I will describe the most common and beneficial ones. ‘Speed Download’ supports all download protocols and even supports downloads which require authentication, such as username and passwords – great for Rapidshare users! The benefit of this feature means that you can save your authentication details into the application, and then any files you download from the set domain will automatically download without prompting you to enter your authentication details. ‘Speed Download’ has a side bar to the left of the application which has many sections, referred to as ‘Library’. The most commonly used one is ‘My Downloads’ which lists all recent downloads. This is great for instances where you instantly want to access recently downloaded files. ‘Speed Download’ also has a scheduling feature to allow the user to schedule downloads for specific days, dates and times which can also in turn instruct ‘Speed Download’ to do further actions, such as quit the application, shut down the computer, disconnect the modem, put the computer to sleep to conserve power or just log out of the computer when all downloads are complete. As mentioned earlier, ‘Speed Download’ is great for uploading data as well. ‘Speed Download’ supports FTP and this feature does the same as the majority of other FTP clients available, just using ‘Speed Download’ means you only need one application instead of using one application for downloading via HTTP and another application for uploading via FTP (‘Speed Download’ can upload using SFTP when required as well). ‘Speed Download’ also supports ‘iDisk’, ‘.Mac’ and ‘WebDAV’ connectivity as well as direct ‘Speed Download’ to ‘Speed Download’ (peer-to-peer) connections between two clients, which when done, is fully encrypted for better security precautions. ‘My Servers’ is a section in ‘Speed Download’ where you can bookmark all favorite connections so you can easily access them when required. ‘My Servers’ can store bookmarks for FTP, ‘Speed Download’ to ‘Speed Download’, iDisk etc.
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Stuffit Deluxe
‘Stuffit Deluxe’ is an application that easily allows you to compress and decompress files, with over 20 supported compression formats. ‘Stuffit Deluxe’ comes with a mass of features which admittedly are also included with the majority of the compression/decompression applications available, but I have found from experience ‘Stuffit Deluxe’ to be the most efficient and stable out of all of the applications available for OS X. I have listed below some of the most beneficial and recently new features which come included in ‘Stuffit Deluxe’. 512-bit and 256-bit encryption, patented 24-bit image compression, browse archives without expanding, built in FTP transfer, built in MobileMe file transfer, backup directly to FTP, backup directly to MobileMe, Automator workflow, command line access via Terminal and more….
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M usic R eviews By mank
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heSCENE is proud to present an all new section for its magazine! This is the first time I have published my writing to the general public; it is an honor for me to be in this position and I am very thankful to be given this opportunity. I’ve been actively following new music for so many years that I will hopefully be able to help readers like you to step outside of your normal genre of music and experience a more blended playlist. Please keep in mind that these reviews are based solely on my opinion and I do not plagiarize music reviews from other sources. Pop: Select Start – Heart (EP) – 2009 Store Date – January 6, 2009 Currently unsigned, Select Start is a five member band from Florida compromising Joe (vocals & guitar), Matt (sequencing, synth, & vocals), Patrick (drums), Jason (guitar), and Adam (bass). Select Start’s new EP can be purchased from their website at www.superduffparty.com. Select Start can be considered to be Pop, Pop Rock, Pop Punk, or even Emo. I consider them Pop for numerous reasons. Pop/Punk has a little screaming mixed in, this has none. To position this band as Rock, would mean they’d match up to Story of the Year, 30 Seconds To Mars …the list goes on. When comparing musical style, they would never measure up to these bands. On the flipside, this band can be compared to bands like Anberlin, Armor For Sleep, and Asteria. Starting off their grand EP, Select Start throws you right into their vision of music excellence with “Kiss Your Genre Goodbye.” Lead singer Joe rocks his heart out with the track “Dress Impressive”, which reminds me of the lyric styles of old Simple Plan. The EP features five amazing tracks that will most likely remain on your iPod until they release their full album.
Today’s music has really moved towards broken hearted mentalities. This band, like most other new bands in today’s industry, sing about troubles with their lives, loved ones, and their gloomy days. Luckily, Select Start rocks your ears, without crying in your face. I highly recommend checking Select Start out at www.myspace.com/ selectstart and www.purevolume.com/selectstart. This is a must listen to for any Pop Punk fan!
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Indie: Franz Ferdinand – Tonight Franz Ferdinand – (2009) Store Date – January 26, 2009 A popular indie band? Franz Ferdinands’ Alex, Bob, Nick, and Paul create a musical experience that every indie fan lives for. Their third studio album offers twelve tracks including their hit single “Ulysses,” which we all listened to over and over again on the radio and on our iPods. The album also features three bonus tracks only available through iTunes, “Lucid Dreams (Pre-Album Version),” “Ulysses (The Disco Bloodbath Effect),” and “Feeling Kind of Anxious.” The tracks “What She Came For” and “Lucid Dreams” are top favorites of mine for this release. Franz Ferdinand will be touring Europe all spring with the majority of concerts during March. Unfortunately they aren’t touring any parts of the US during the spring; however spring break in Europe, to see them live would be the trip of a lifetime. Exact tour dates and locations are listed on their MySpace page: http://www. myspace.com/franzferdinand.
Hardcore: In Fear And Faith – Your World On Fire – (2009) Store Date – Jan 6, 2009 In Fear And Faith is one of those Californian bands that somehow made a name for themselves with shattering screaming that rocks any hardcore music fans’ ears. This incredible band consists of six members; Scott (singer), Cody (screamer), Ramin (guitarist), Noah (guitarist), Tyler (bassist), and Mehdi (drummer). In 2007, the band launched their first EP “Voyage”, later having Rise Records pick them up and aid in the masterpiece “Your World On Fire.” The lead singer Scott Barnes replaced Tyler Smith, featured on the “Voyage” EP. The new album “Your World On Fire,” includes ten tracks (nine tracks without including the intro). Two of these tracks include lead singers from two other well-known bands, Chiodos and A Day To Remember. The lead singer Craig Owens (Chiodos), is featured in the track “The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions,” as well as lead singer Jeremy McKinnon (A Day To Remember) in the track “Strength In Numbers.”
When listening to this for the first time, I didn’t consider this band to be that great. It wasn’t until the second or third time before I started to hear the flawless timings of the singing, screaming, drumming, and the melodic guitar in the background all syncing together to form a one-of-a-kind sound that I’ve never heard before. I’d put this band up with Story Of The Year, Senses Fail, and Escape The Fate. Starting off the epic album with a short one minute intro, listeners are slammed into head banging screaming that gives out all one’s rage. The tracks on this album are unmatchable in quality of hardcore rhythm. If you haven’t picked up this album at your local record store, treat yourself and start living hardcore!
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Rock: Red – Innocence & Instinct Store Date – Feb 2, 2009 Red, a hard rock band from Nashville, pumps out an all new album, “Innocence & Instinct.” The talent behind Red is the four musicians: Michael (singer), Anthony (guitarist & singer), Jasen (guitarist), and Randy (bassist, pianist, & singer). In 2006, Red released “End of Silence” including the single “Breathe Into Me,” which became extremely popular on rock radio stations across the US. On a newer note, “Innocence & Instinct” includes the three previously released singles “Fight Inside,” “Never Be The Same,” and “Death of Me.” The album features ten tracks, with a Duran Duran cover of “Ordinary World.” Red also features a deluxe edition version of the album, which includes an intro track and three additional songs, “Overtake You,” “Forever,” and “Nothing And Everything.” A DVD is included with the deluxe edition which shows a ‘making of’ documentary, along with a photo gallery and a music video for “Death of Me.” The sounds being pumped out of ex-drummer Hayden’s drums mix perfectly with the vocals at precisely the same level of volume. Time and time again I hear new bands and either the singer is too loud or too soft. This isn’t the case with Red. The audio tracks are equally leveled giving a rich dynamic sound from each instrument. It is a rare occasion that a band of this style releases a new album. “Innocence & Instinct” took two years to develop and morph into a masterpiece, and it truly is.
Trance: Armin Van Buuren – A State Of The Year Trance (2008) Store Date – Dec 12, 2008 “When one beat seizes, somewhere else in the world it continues, ever drivin’, infinite, in its only path. Imagine a world without rhythm. Unbalanced, torn apart by chaos. The Journey continues. This was your year, 2008!” - Armin Van Buuren In “A State Of The Year Trance”, Armin Van Buuren selects his top picks from his “A State of Trance” sessions that, since their beginning, have launched a new era of trance. It includes his new mix “In And Out Of Love (The Blizzard Remix)” featuring Sharon Den Adel. The track with Sharon Den Adel was released in November as a CD Multi with three remixed versions of the song. This song surprised me during my first run through, since I had just heard “In And Out Of Love” only a few weeks prior to this release. The mix features numerous amounts of DJs, including the famous Paul Van Dyke, Markus Schulz, Ferry Corsten, and many others. I highly recommend checking this out if you haven’t already.
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Three Bands That It’s Not Too Late To Start Listening To For any avid music listener, a question you can be found ask to you three bands ing yourself every da that it’s not too late y is ‘W hat have I be to check out and ge sub-genre, that all ha en missing out on?’ t hooked on. I did ve an upcoming rel I am reporting my best to pick three ease and have been article, but rather a ‘sh rock bands, each fro ma kin g music for a decade owcase’ of bands tha m a different or more. Keep in mi t have made their ma passionately for mu nd that this is not a rk on rock in the past sic. Enjoy. review ten years, created so mething out of nothi ng and live
Recommended To Fans of: Green Day, Bad Religi on, Blink 182, Goldfinger, The Get Up Kids Upcoming Release: Not Without A Fight, March 10th, 2009 In Their Own Words: “Take back the time, time that we’ve lost” ~”Coming Home”
nd New Fou I listen to all ld u at o th sh ‘W hy around s floating g yourself d op n p in a r’ b sk e a k th n ly u pop p those ‘o probab e se e k o ’r li u th n o f u y o t t w u ’s No and ye be oint, b ke 100 nsistency Found n’t there li ppose you have a p Is co w e ? p e N ten ry e k s, lo d G I su aged to ning over unk ban the same?’ und Glory has man gh their career span started in for pop p y d e ll but n a u av e in h so m g o ri ay llming H c throu New Fo otten. O e you m o fu si rg u s, ic e C v d d fo m d fi n ju n t e a n a b u b re w o p o k n st pun ataly their to put five origiot soo ay any writing all me with C s also had the same s managed that will n Notha y a Putting aw , c d b h m n d e a u ry n iv b u lb lo at a a so G cre G) is music then nd ha ound t studio harder Glory (NF Springs, FL, New F ct. The ba the love of NFG’s firs d was named after r ta A slightly fo s. in . l it m rs il a u st in e lb y l st a are ju n er ora h two cov ber 1999 a punk roots . If that’s not a band 1997 in C ptember their pop s along wit light of day in Octo later in Se 97 m 9 r u a 1 e lb y a ce it a n th si st g “H e o ers len alm w th s like nal memb lbum and an Stay, sa asn’t until taining hit th studio a re what is. s. The ing Gold C ert Frost poem. It w lf-titled release con x su si th t n ’s o o n ry ase. m lo m r I’ ob eir se aves fo ound G -titled rele a famous R big with th at clogged radio w ny band’s e of New F who loved their self a it tl y To ti it b n e h h te th G ic is h F is N ight ose ld) w gle “L Kill” th 2000 that ited for th ithout A F eir first sin 0 copies so su W 0 ressed To th t st ,0 o h e 0 “D b it N 0 d 5 ’s w ( n it a gold G. arch 10th claiming Or Miss” ung as NF e certified the band is expected in stores M nt on to b r one as yo fo s e d n aves. n e is lo ri a ir album we F t m a le g the w les “My The albu is amazing lready fillin h a pular sing ic o h s” p d w standards n f h e o it ri w oth Your F June 2002 ay 2004, b followed in n” and Catalyst in M der their belt, NFG s e n to S d n io u Sticks An On Collis ld albums o years. In and “Head old. With three go for over tw last three , e m o g Over You” H d g eir be certifie m, Comin . Unlike th t received went on to eir fifth studio albu y released ll bu a n n fi io s at a th c w n Home old certifi g g worked o e in v m ie o h C ac n to r 2006 id not go o Septembe g Home d in . m e o at C d s, album ritics to ws from c ie v re st e b the
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Recommended To Fans Of: The Used, Thurs day, My Chemical Romance, Finch, Brand New Upcoming Release: New Again, Spring 2009 In Their Own Words: “A thousand clever lines unread on clever napkins” ~“Cute Without The “E” (Cut From The Team)”
Moving from the soft and upbeat pop punk styling’s of New Found Glory, it’s time to open your eyes and ears for a slightly harder sou nd from the guys of Taking Back Sunday (TBS). Rather than sporting a sys tem of ‘poppy ’ lyrics and sounds, TBS approache s rock with an alternative and melodic hardcore feel that can be heard in gro ups like The Used, My Ch emical Romance and Thursday. The band started their career in 1999 in Am ityville, Long Island, New York. While recording their first EP, their bassist, Jesse Lacy, and drummer, Steven DeJoseph, left the band but were quickly replaced. Their first album, Tell All Your Friends, was finally released in March 2002 but not before lead vocalist Antonio Lon go left the band and was rep laced by their then bassist, Adam Lazzara, with Sha un Cooper joining the ban d as full-time bassist. If you were following the total count of former memb ers up until this point, it’s three, with only two of the original members, Joh n Nolan and Eddie Reyes left. Tell All Your Friends went on to be certified gol d with the help of their extremely successful single , “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cu t From The Team)”. In 2003 tragedy hit again wh en guitarist, John Nolan, and bassist, Shaun Cooper, quit to form Strayligh t Run. Again, if you’re kee ping count there is only one original member of Tak ing Back Sunday left. Bro ken down and unstable the band went on to release Where You Want To Be in July 2004 after Fred Mascherino joined as gui tarist and Matt Rubano as bassist. The album became an instant success, sell ing over 160,000 copies in its first week and being certified gold a few month s after. Taking Back Sunday gained massive mainstream success when they were featured on three diff erent soundtracks. “This
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Photograph Is Proof (I Kn ow You Know)” was featur ed on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack, “Error: Opera tor” on the Fantastic 4 sou ndtrack and “Your Own Disaster” on the Elektra sou ndtrack. With two solid releases und er their belt, Taking Back Sunday left their small hardcore and punk label, Victor y Records, for Warne r Bros. Records. Louder Now was released in Ap ril 2006 and was the ban d’s first major label debut. Critically, Louder No w was received better tha n their previous albums and went on to sell 900,00 0 copies almost reaching platinum certification (1,000,000 copies sold). Singles “MakeDamnSure” and “W hat’s It Feel Like to Be a Ghost?” helped kee p an already growing fan bas e to grow faster than the band could ever have ima gined. After a long list of member splits Taking Back Sunday can only be labeled as “the band that keeps on goi ng.” In October 2007 guitari st Fred Mascherino left the band and was soo n replaced by Matt Fazzi. For a band that has gone through six members and only has one original memb er left, it’s amazing that any success was gained, let alone three gold albums. Taking Back Sunday ’s upc oming fourth album, New Again, is expected to hit stores in spring 2009. The album is said to be the ban ds most creative yet and the first single, “Carpathia”, is available on youtube now . If you’re looking for a band that has taken some hits in the past but didn’t let it slow them down, look no further than Taking Bac k Sunday.
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Recommende d To Fans Of: Disturbed, Th Staind, Linkin ree Days Grace Park, Korn , Upcoming Rel ease: Metamor ph osis, March 24 In Their Own th, 2009 Words: “We’re going to infest your head” ~”In , we’re getting fest” in
Raising the heaviness once again, the third band that it’s not too late to start listening to is Papa Roach. Based out of California, the original lineup was Jacoby Shaddix (aka Coby Dick) on vocals, Dave Duckner on drums, Will James on bass and Ben Luther on trombone. After losing a high school talent show, the band began to practice diligently and replaced Ben Luther with guitarist Jerry Horton. After they had been together for one short year, they released their first EP, Potatoes For Christmas, in 1994. As Papa Roach were continuing to try and make a name for themselves, drummer David Buckner left temporarily to study art but returned a year later. Bassist Will James also became heavily involved in a summer camp and could not be present during the bands summer touring, and was replaced permanently with one of their roadies, Tobin Esperance. After three years of touring, practicing and promoting, Papa Roach finally released their first full album in 1997 titled Old Friends From Young Years. At the time Papa Roach was in ‘full throttle tour mode’ and helped support other struggling bands like Incubus, Powerman 5000 and Static-X, all of which have gone on to gain mainstream success. In 1998 two EPs, 5 Tracks Deep and Let Em Know, were released, and the band caught the eye (and ear) of Warner Music Group. After the label helped pay for production of a 5-track demo, they decided to ultimately not sign them. Shortly after, DreamWorks Records approached the band with a contract and helped them release their first studio album, Infest, in April 2000. Many of the tracks featured on Infest were nothing more than older songs they had previously released independently. Within a year Infest exploded on the hard rock scene, with songs like “Last Resort” and “Broken Home” and went triple platinum (3,000,000 copies sold). Papa Roach was now performing main stage for shows like Vans Warped Tour and Ozzfest in 2000. After touring in the US, UK and Japan came to an end, the band jumped right back in the studio. The final product was Lovehate12 AND MOVIES 3 \MUSIC theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
tragedy which was released in June 2002. The album went on to sell 700,000 copies in the US and was certified gold in the US, UK and Canada. The sound offered in Lovehatetragedy was different than Papa Roach’s previous album, with almost none of Jacoby’s signature rapping vocals. Instead these were replaced by more generic hard rock ones. Singles “Time And Time Again” and “She Loves Me Not” were heard around the world for months regardless. In August 2004 they released their third studio album Getting Away With Murder and it was certified platinum in the US with over 1 million copies sold and certified gold in Canada (50,000 copies sold). The single “Scars” was largely responsible for the album’s success but the song was also harshly criticized by some fans since the band had ‘gone soft’. In September 2006 Paramour Sessions was released, but it did not reach gold certification like their previous efforts mainly due to the softer alternative rock sound the album contained. Metamorphosis is the title of Papa Roach’s fifth studio album and is due out March 24th, 2009. Two singles have already been released and it’s obvious that the band has returned to their roots on this one and are bringing back some of the sound from Infest. Papa Roach is a safe bet for anyone looking for a hard rock sound, a band that lives for touring and a group with all its original members since their first studio album. - tmj Sources: 1) http://www.last.fm (for band photos) 2) http://www.riaa.com (for album certifications) 3) http://www.amazon.com (for original album release dates and band formations)
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onova
by spiderman120988 layout: leroy44
ho watches the Watchmen? That is the question that has been on everyone’s heads since the teaser trailer accompanied “The Dark Knight” last year, sending anticipation of Zack Snyder’s much anticipated adaptation of one of the greatest works of comic books and literature to a fevered pitch. For those of you who’ve read the graphic novel, “Watchmen” needs no explanation, but I found many were at a loss of what the film was about and simply dismissed it as ‘another dumb comic book movie.’ To those who still think that, I hope to prove you wrong. Published in 1986-1987 and written by Alan Moore with illustration provided by Dave Gibbons, “Watchmen” takes place in an alternate United States in 1985, where heroes live among us and the Doomsday Clock sits five minutes to midnight as nuclear war threatens to tear the world apart. The film sticks closely to the plot of the source material, and does a good job of compressing a 436 page novel into a 3 hour film. “Watchmen” the film is every bit as complex, dealing with the consequences of having ‘real’ heroes living amongst our society and asking important questions that deal with morality and human nature. It is a deconstruction of the superhero concept that offers contradictory definitions of the meaning of superheroes. If you’re looking for a mere action film, you’ve come to the wrong place, as “Watchmen” will leave your head reeling, making you think about what you’ve just seen, making this precisely the point why everyone should experience this film. Don’t get me wrong, it has a few problems and it’s not a masterpiece like “The Dark Knight”, but it is the first comic book film to come ever so close. It all begins with the violent death of Edward Blake, the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Outlawed vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) investigates and discovers a deep conspiracy to kill and discredit all costumed heroes, both past and present. Rorschach reconnects with his old compatriots Nite-Owl II (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) and Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) in an effort to prevent a cataclysmic event from taking
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place that will have far-reaching consequences into the future. I will stop here, as I do not want to reveal too much of the plot. You’ll just have to see the film to find out what happens. Like I said, the plot is 90% taken from the graphic novel with some scenes and dialogue switched/truncated to save time. The most significant change is the ending but I will discuss that later. Since it is so faithful to the source, the plot ends up a winner thanks to its complex narrative that may turn some people off who are just itching for the next action scene. Like the graphic novel, “Watchmen” the film is a different sort of comic book adaptation that doesn’t use the standard aspects of what we’ve come to expect with these types of movies. There is no criminal mastermind or super villain, not in the traditional sense, and most of the fight scenes are few and far between. No, “Watchmen,” like “The Dark Knight” is much more cerebral in nature. Let’s talk about the characters, each of whom fits into a standard superhero archetype, and like the novel, the film questions the validity of what they’re doing, their motivation and often times, how ridiculous they look in their costumes. The most memorable and best performance comes from Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs/Rorschach. There is no other actor who could’ve portrayed him better and I applaud Snyder using relatively unknown actors/actresses as to not detract from the experience of the film. Rorschach, like his mask, sees the world in simple terms, black-and-white; there is no in between, ‘no compromise, not even in the face of Armageddon’. He’s the type of hero that punishes evil, no matter how large or insignificant their transgression is, as he believes criminals deserve no mercy, no fair trial; they must be dealt with swiftly and without hesitation. There is one scene where Kovacs recounts how he used to be ‘soft’ early in his career and while on a case investigating the disappearance of a little girl, he discovered that the killer had burned her alive and fed her remains to his dogs. This event seemingly opens his eyes to the violent and savagery of human nature and when he does capture the killer,
Rorschach is filled with so much rage that he takes a large machete and repeatedly drives it into the killer’s head. Ultimately, it is his inability to accept compromise that causes his downfall. Haley does an excellent job of conveying what is essentially a sociopath, and the deep, growling voice that he does makes Christian Bale’s Batman sound like a flowery princess by comparison! =P The final scene where he says one more body won’t make a difference and begs Dr. Manhattan to kill him is one of the strongest scenes in the film. What is the ultimate sacrifice any hero can give? Only their lives. If nothing else, audiences will remember Rorschach as he leaves a lasting impression. The second strongest performance would be Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake/The Comedian. His death is what drives the plot. Despite his relatively low screentime, Blake manages to capture the Comedian’s ruthless, violent nature and possible insanity. His character destroys our pre-conceived notions of how a hero should act as he has no qualms about rape (brutally!) and shooting a defenseless pregnant woman in cold blood. You may think how such a horrible man could be even considered as a ‘hero’, but as the film progresses you’ll learn that he’s the only sane one as he sees Humanity for what it is and to deal with it, he embodies the savage side of human nature. Upon learning of something even more terrible, Blake breaks down emotionally and he denies it all as ‘nothing but a joke’. Blake points out the ridiculousness of being a costumed crime-fighter during a flashback scene when Ozymandias
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Rated R (Strong Graphic Violence, Sexuality, Nudity and Language) Run Time - 2 Hours and 43 Minutes suggests banding together to ‘save this world.’ A lofty ambition, but Blake laughs at such a childish notion, remarking that’s all Ozymandias can come up with, despite being the smartest man alive. Despite what he has done, you don’t really grow to hate him; you pity him and Morgan does a great job of showing Blake’s psychotic mindset. Billy Crudup as Jon Osterman/ Dr. Manhattan is a tricky one to judge as he talks in a monotone voice throughout the film. He’ll probably be remembered more for his nakedness than anything else. Yes, you see his... endowment...a lot, but come on, if you can’t deal with it, then this movie isn’t for you. Dr. Manhattan is the only person that CAN be called a superhero because he’s the only one that has powers. He fits the Superman archetype as he wields godlike power. As the film progresses, Manhattan begins to see Humanity the way the Comedian saw, nothing but a race of savage beings who squabble over the most petty of manners and this further and further alienates him from his own Humanity. This is evidenced by the fact that he no longer wears any clothes. Eventually he imposes a self exile from Earth, remarking that ‘life is a highly overrated phenomenon’ , leaving the human race to destroy themselves. It is only until his lover, Laurie Juspeczyk/ Silk Spectre II, comes to terms with her family history that reignites his interest in Humanity and he speaks of human coupling producing so many ‘miracles ‘ (children) that they become ‘commonplace and we forget.’ This means that the relative sameness of our world makes it dull, but when seen from a different perspective, ‘it may still take the breath away.’ Ultimately, Dr. Manhattan deals with the consequence of an ordinary man who suddenly finds himself with absolute power and that despite his efforts to distance himself from Humanity, he proves to be the most human of all. Crudup does a good monotone voice, and while not as compelling as Haley or Morgan, his presence demands your full attention, thanks to the amazing effects in bringing him to life. Next are Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreiberg/Nite Owl II
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and Malin Akerman as Laurie Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre II. Wilson nails his Cast: character perfectly, right down to his slightly overweight appearance, but Jackie Earle Haley-Walter Kovacs/Rorschach Akerman doesn’t fare as well, coming Patrick Wilson-Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl II off whiny at times and not the strong, Malin Akerman-Laurie Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre II yet emotionally vulnerable character Billy Crudup-Jon Osterman/Dr. Manhattan from the novel. Dreiberg and JuspecMatthew Goode-Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias zyk are the male and female EveryJeffrey Dean Morgan-Edward Blake/The Comdian man of the story; the common Joe Carla Gugino-Sally Juspeczyk/Silk Spectre Schmoe that feels small and insignifiMatt Frewer-Edgar Jacobi/Moloch the Mystic cant when faced with people like Dr. Stephen McHattie-Hollis Mason/Nite Owl Manhattan. Nite-Owl fits the Batman Robert Wisden-President Richard Nixon archetype where he creates all sorts Danny Woodburn-Big Figure of gadgets such as an Owl-shaped ship which he nicknames ‘Archie’. He Directed by Zack Snyder serves to emphasize the wish fulfillment that we are all guilty of at some point: to be loved and accepted as a hero. Unfortunately, Dreiberg is filled with loneliness and self-doubt, thanks to Wilson’s meek and nerdy portrayal. He sees himself as ‘inhibited’ and ‘impotent’, longing for companionship. He becomes Nite-Owl because it gives him a sense of purpose, but while Nite-Owl is decisive, assertive, and most importantly, happy, Dreiberg is the complete opposite and he is unable to reconcile these two identities. Likewise, Juspeczyk also doubts herself, because she feels that all she’s done is please her mother, the original Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino), but has accomplished nothing that she can call her own. When she and Dreiberg don their costumes once again, she feels a renewed sense of purpose, not because she is once again following her mother’s footsteps, but this time, returning to crime-fighting by her own choice. Unfortunately, Akerman’s performance isn’t as compelling as the others and when she pleads with Dr. Manhattan, she seems naggy rather than emotional. Her costume references the common female superhero that dresses in as little clothing as possible, and often provocatively. Like the novel, the film pokes fun at this. Nonetheless, she has a hot body! =P Lastly, we have Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias and this is where we hit spoiler territory. I’ll try not to reveal too much and the best advice I can give is that you skip this part of the review altogether. Goode gives the worst performance out of the entire ensemble cast as he mostly looks bored and doesn’t quite capture the haughty nature of Ozymandias and
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his hubris. The character itself is interesting, because while Ozymandias’ intentions are well-meaning, he displays a trait that causes him to become the ‘villain’ of the story, and I use that term loosely. In his effort to save Humanity, he begins to look down upon them and unlike the strict morality that Rorschach stands by, Ozymandias believes in compromise: that if millions die for the sake of peace, then so be it because keeping the peace is much more important than the deaths of a handful of people. Though shocking, what he does actually makes sense, because if he hadn’t done what he set out to do, the United States and USSR would be flinging nuclear warheads at each other. Isn’t that what heroes do, keep the peace? But is the price too high to pay in achieving that peace? Ozymandias doesn’t think so, and during the final minutes of the film, he argues with Nite-Owl and Rorschach about the way he has united the world and that despite the deaths of millions, he has created ‘peace, nonetheless’. Like I mentioned before, the ending is altered from the novel and I understand why Snyder did this, as using the original ending would’ve looked silly in a contemporary film. The same result is achieved, so most fans shouldn’t take issue with it. With so many compelling characters that offer contradictory meanings of the word ‘hero,’ Snyder manages to perfectly capture the spirit and the themes of “Watchmen.” The special effects are astonishing, given that it was only filmed for a mere $120 million. The skin tone of Dr. Manhattan looks realistic, and while it is an ‘epic’ comic book adaptation, effects are used sparingly and most of them relate to Manhattan’s powers and his self-imposed exile from Earth to Mars. Perhaps the most impressive effect is when Manhattan creates a crystalline structure on Mars, emphasizing his godlike nature. Cinematography is excellent, creating a dark and dreary New York, filled with hookers, murderers and other violent individuals. The city seems to reflect the unstable nature of
Rorschach. The costumes are all accurately realized on-screen, with Rorschach’s being the most faithful. Nite-Owl’s and Silk Spectre’s costumes are given a modern update as the 1986 spandex would not have worked on-screen. Ozymandia’s costume, with its molded muscles, reflects the perfection he himself believes to be, and is also a parody of the costumes from Joel Schumacher’s Batman films. The film heavily utilizes music from the 1960’s and 70’s, such as Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’ “, which are used during the film’s excellent opening credits. Many of the cuts to the film are related to the secondary characters, and you’ll notice that mentions of Tales of the Black Freighter and the death of Hollis Mason, the original Nite-Owl are omitted. None of this hurt the film and leaving it in would’ve made the plot too complex for general audiences to keep track of. Snyder has promised that if the film does well, he will release a 3 hour and 11 minute director’s cut in July. The current version runs at an already butt numbing 2 hours and 43 minutes. Rated R, the film is incredibly brutal and violent, and I highly recommend you leave your kids at home. Characters get their heads chopped, limbs sawed off and a woman’s head is repeatedly bashed against a table as she is about to be raped. Though seeing how many 7-year-olds were at “Friday the 13th”, I know there will be some parents who couldn’t care less. Hey, they’re your kids so you’re the ones who mess ‘em up. I watched the film (alone!) in IMAX and it was a full house; people kept running around trying to get seats and if you’re serious about experiencing “Watchmen”, I highly recommend IMAX. It’s also better to watch it as a group so after you can analyze and dissect every scene. I did not have the luxury of this as the people I invited ended up going shopping. Not a surprise since they didn’t know what “Watchmen” was and didn’t care, so hopefully this review will change their minds. Upon release, the film received a mixed, though positive reception, with a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. Common complaints was the film followed the novel too closely and while I would agree with this if it was any other film, i.e. “Twilight”, “Watchmen” is a different entity altogether, as anything that doesn’t respect and follow the source material would be doing it a disservice, losing all the themes that made the novel unique in the first place. The film will no doubt polarize critics and fans while topping the box office this weekend, and while “Watchmen” the film doesn’t offer as deep as an analysis of the hero as “Watchmen” the novel, it is certainly a well-put together film that successfully encompasses all the important points and yet falls a little short of a masterpiece. Nonetheless, “Watchmen” demands the audience’s attention and is a major push at getting people to take comic book movies more seriously. Don’t mistake as an action-packed film; it is a character study of what would happen if heroes did exist and asks whether their existence makes the world a better place. A must-see film and I will most definitely experience it again.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5 “Rorschach’s Journal: November 12th 1985. Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout ‘Save us!’ And I’ll whisper ‘no’.”
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Resident Evil 5 PLATFORMS
PS3 | XBOX 360 | PC BY SHIFTY
For thirteen years the Resident Evil series has been a front runner in the action adventure scene. Not only is it the biggest zombie series out there, but it’s one of the biggest and most notorious survival games of its generation. The game created its own new genre, entitled “survival horror” and each new edition evolved as time went by. With the release of Resident Evil 4 in 2005, the game had taken a new approach and had become more of an action shooter, a change well needed and well delivered. Resident Evil 5, the latest installment, once again reinvents itself. The first ‘next-gen’ Resident Evil gained a lot of pre-release criticism due to the supposed racist portrayals of the African zombies. But we won’t go into that in this review. The game takes place in a fictional African town called Kijuju. You are the thick necked Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance trooper (fancy, eh?) Chris Redfield who co-starred in the original Resident Evil game. Along with your partner in crime, newcomer Sheva Alomar - an African national and bio-weapons expert - your aim is to take control of the bio-terror threat that is sweeping through this once civilized town. Sheva is part of a new co-op feature which is best used with a human partner. You can play throughout the game with her assistance, and while it would be much more of a breeze to have another Redfield by your side, Sheva can certainly stick up for herself, having saved my behind on numerous occasions. The Las Plagas virus - the same one from Resident Evil 4 - is the reason Redfield’s African vacation has become quite the nightmare. The infected villagers have turned into horrendously mutated zombies and are relentless from the word go. You’ll find yourself fighting with wave after wave of our zombie friends, and you’ll soon realize that survival-horror is a thing of the past. Resident Evil 5 is a hands down intense action shooter. Equipped with the latest in military weaponry you’ll find yourself blasting at something most of the time. Whether it’s a traditional biologically disfig16 GAMES
ured drone or a big dude with a huge axe, there’s always something to aim at - which brings me to combat mechanics. The core elements from Resident Evil 4 still lay the main foundations for the game, although there has been some tweaking and polishing to deliver a commendable system in this reviewer’s opinion. The over-the-shoulder perspective is still present, and moving while aiming is still unnecessarily troublesome - which sparked a bit of rage during the pre-release - but with time and effort this can be overcome. The slow moving action also raises tension for those certain sticky moments. A Gears of War style cover system also comes into play; however this is limited to specific areas of the game, unlike in Gears of War where you can take cover anywhere. The inventory system has had an unnecessary overhaul. You can no longer pause during battle to change weapons and/or heal yourself. The D-pad is introduced and offers a very straightforward system when choosing a THESCENE / WAREZ-BB.ORG
weapon. Simply assign a weapon to each direction button and press it to switch. Simple and effective! Sadly the Merchant from Resident Evil 4 is no longer with us. Upgrading, buying and selling are now accessed between missions from the inventory screen. All of your weapons are upgradable, including sniper rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers etc. One downfall of this new inventory system is the fact that you can only have nine slots for items while you’re playing, which can really incense you as ammo can often run low. If you do run out of ammo, and you haven’t equipped more because of the nine slots you have, then you’re basically dead meat as ammo isn’t easily acquired. As a result of this, you’ll find yourself sorting out your equipment more than ever. Deciding what to take with you during missions and making sure everything is organized can take its toll, especially for me as I’m extremely impatient. However this nag, I’m pleased to tell you, is easy to get used to and organizing your equipment will soon become second nature. Another thing I’m pleased to tell you is something I was most relieved about. As Capcom has taken Resident Evil 5 into the all out action genre, puzzle solving has been abolished. Gone are the long hard puzzles of Resident Evil 4 that had us ripping our hair out! There are still certain little challenges you have to do in order to open passageways and such, but they are not hard and often have you searching for objects just a meter away from you. The new installment supports both split screen co-op and online co-op. Co-op is highly recommended for Resident Evil 5 because not only is the new feature very well put together but it’s ‘uber’ fun. There’s nothing better than shooting up hordes of zombies with a friend, especially when you’re in such an outstanding place like Kijuju. Yes, the graphics are second to none. Never have we seen a Resident Evil game in current-gen form, and what a superior job Capcom did. Kijuju is such a beautifully crafted town. From the temple ruins, to the eerie swamps, this town creates the perfect feeling for an edgy, horror thriller like Resident Evil. This is the most realistic looking Resident Evil game ever, and has unquestionably set the standard for any action game released in the future. The cut scenes are visually stunning. The character animation is paramount, especially Chris and Shevas faces. The facial expressions deliver a heavy sense of realism to the game and combined with the stunning soundtrack that matches any style of play you encounter, it makes the game that much more fantastic than it already is. The online co-op however can be rather annoying at times. Players who join your game can’t get involved in the bustle until you reload your last checkpoint, or until you complete the next one which can be infuriating for both players. You can trade ammuTHESCENE / WAREZ-BB.ORG
nition and medical items in co-op, although weapon trading isn’t allowed and will sometimes leave you handicapped as your partner could be less equipped than yourself. Completed the game? Now switch to Veteran mode and you’ll realize the full extent of the word unbearable. Forget Sheva, she’ll find it hard to cope with the simplest of battles from the get go. Helping her out of the continuous sticky situations she gets into is usually a repetitive annoyance, because you’re trying to fend for yourself at the same time. Normal mode may as well be called Novice mode, for obvious reasons. It is incredibly easy. You’ll get through the game faster than you got through Resident Evil 4. As for the bosses, well, it won’t take too much to slay them. First or second attempt kills are usually the case with these guys. If you want to tackle Veteran mode then make sure you have your Infinite Ammo Rifle that you got for completing the game. Yes, I said Infinite Ammo Rifle. If you want any sort of shot at completing Veteran then this unlockable is essential. Enemies are relentless at this level and you’ll need to really think about how you’re going to get through each checkpoint. Working as a team is very important; if one of you wants to play Rambo, then you will most certainly fail. Success at this level is highly satisfying, and will leave you wanting more. Although Capcom cut out a lot of the original features from the previous Resident Evils’, the new installment really delivers in its new, full-on action genre. Resident Evil 5 is a next-gen version of Resident Evil 4, whilst being completely different. The game has been taken in a completely different direction but still boasts the core mechanics of its predecessor. Co-op mode brings a completely different element to the game and delivers it incredibly. So if you want to experience an intense action thriller that is as visually stunning as any game out there, then Resident Evil 5 is the game for you. 17 GAMES
Review by .:Nvidia:.
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fter invading the Playstation 3 market with high sales, the resistance franchise is ready to take on the PSP with Resistance Retribution! The game is one of the most anticipated titles of the year, along with other announced games (Motorstorm, Assassin’s Creed…). Let’s see what Retribution has in store for us.
The game was developed by the Sony Bend studio, the same guys who brought us the amazing Syphon Filter series for the PSP. 18 GAMES
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Story:
Resistance Retribution tells the story of James Grayson, a British soldier fighting against the Chimera invasion. The game starts in a difficult situation when Grayson is forced to kill his own brother due to his infection with the Chimera virus. His death has deeply affected Grayson who is later arrested for desertion and sentenced to death, but soon after his trial Grayson accepts to join the Maquis upon their request for his help to deliver a serum that would terminate the Chimera once and for all.
Graphics:
Resistance Retribution is a good looking game compared to other PSP games out there; the developers successfully maxed out the PSP hardware. The game also features high quality cut-scenes (I enjoyed all of them), as well as in-game cut-scenes. However, some games tend to look better than Retribution, such as GoW: Chains of Olympus. It’s simply not the best looking PSP game.
Gameplay:
The guys over at Sony Bend studio moved the game from a FPS, like on the PS3, to a third person shooter. I personally agree with this move, as FPS games are just not suitable for the PSP due to the lack of a second analog stick. So just like in Syphon Filter, you use the PSP face buttons to control the camera. However, there is no need to worry about the aiming, as the developers added an aim assist mode that works quite well. Another great asset to the gameplay is the famous cover system, which helps the player to avoid enemy fire. You will also encounter different types of enemies through the game, along with a wide range of weapons and underwater gun fights, huge monsters and some tough bosses. The best feature yet is the PSP-PS3 connectivity, although note that this will require a copy of Resistance 2 for the PS3. Once connected to each other you will have more game options available. The first is called ‘Infected Mode’ where James Grayson will become infected with the Chimera virus just like his counterpart in Resistance 2 - granting him special powers such as the ability to breathe underwater and health regeneration. You will also get a new weapon, the popular magnum gun! The second mode is called Resistance Retribution Plus. While it doesn’t add much to the actual gameplay, it makes the game playable via the PS3 controller which is fantastic in my opinion. The developers have also removed the auto aiming system when using this mode as you now have full control over James with the second analog stick. THESCENE / WAREZ-BB.ORG
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Multiplayer:
Resistance Retribution comes with a solid multiplayer (both ad-hoc and Infrastructure) never before seen in a PSP game. It features 5 modes such as death match, capture the flag, free for all… The game supports up to 8 players online. There’s also voice chat, 12 ranks and about 20 medals to unlock. Overall, the game offers a very pleasant experience online as you make your way through the ranks unlocking new things.
Music:
There isn’t much to say about the game sounds; the dialog is perfectly written and some characters have a strong British accent which adds value to their personality and role in the game. The background music is carefully done too. Overall you won’t be disappointed in terms of SFX/Music.
Verdict:
Resistance: Retribution is the first game in the series to hit the PSP! Sony Bend studio did a very good job: a story that will evolve as you play through the game, a solid campaign and a robust multiplayer mode never seen before. A lot of content is offered from weapons to various medals. There’s so much that makes you want to play the game again and again. Whilst the game has its drawbacks, this shouldn’t keep you from playing this amazing title. To be honest, I personally haven’t used my PSP as a gaming machine after I completed GoW, but Resistance Retribution made me use it again. This just shows us that the Sony handheld is not dead yet and neither is its ability to deliver quality games! Resistance: Retribution is highly recommended for every PSP owner out there. I give it 8.5 out of 10!
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8.5
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Confidence They say that when you meet someone of the opposite sex for the first time, it takes a maximum of 3 seconds for them to make a decision about whether they are going to keep talking to you for the rest of the night, or make an excuse and disappear so that you never see them again. It is thought that when you attend an interview for a job you desperately want, the interviewer has already decided within the first 15 seconds of meeting you whether he is going to hire you or not. All of this is based on first impressions; the image you portray of yourself, how you speak and how you act. How people respond to all of this is based on the psychology of the brain. The people you talk to everyday are subconsciously putting you into categories based on your body language: Are you a leader or a follower? A family man or a player? Are you someone who is trustworthy or constantly telling lies? All of these traits can easily be determined if you know how - and most importantly where to look. Just 10% of what people learn about you comes from what you tell them. The other 90% is on display for everyone to see, it is just that not everyone knows how to read it. It is another language. Enter me, your typical average Joe. Up until about 3 years ago, I was completely oblivious
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to anything to do with body language. I was a nice guy but kind of quiet and always in the background. One day, my cousin came to me with a new project he was working on, and wanted my help with it. Being the nice guy that I am, I humbly accepted the project without really taking note on what it was about. It turned out that it was about confidence and body language, more specifically the impressions that you make on people you meet for the first time. I started reading up about it, and quickly realized that everything was about confidence; all the little things that people were suggesting you do were to try to increase your confidence when around others. I decided that maybe I should try putting some of it into action, as I could only benefit from trying. The first thing I learnt about was simple: Maintain a positive attitude. How you feel or act reflects hugely on the people around you, and not many people realize this as it is a subconscious action. I will give you a quick example: Have you ever been in a situation where you keep saying to yourself, “Don’t drop this, don’t drop this,” yet it inevitably happens? That is your subconscious mind working. If instead you are positive about the situation, then only positive things can happen, as your subconscious will be thinking positively as well. It is called “The Law of Attraction.” If you think and act in a positive
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way, then that is all you will get in return. Don’t believe me? Someone has actually written a whole book about this which is called, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. I highly recommend you read it. http://www.warez-bb.org/viewtopic.php?t=1690860 Thanks Linux|Trance! The second thing I learnt about was body posture. By simply straightening your back whilst you walk down the street, or sit on a chair, you look so much stronger. A big smile will always make you look more welcoming, and always looking at the person you are talking to will show them that you are interested in what they have to say. All of these things give the impression that you are more confident than you actually are and unfortunately in this world, it is first impressions which can really make a big difference.
is going to be the first person. You will go up to that first person and start to get to know them. Take a note though; it was looks that initially attracted you to them. Most people incorrectly identify good looks or being good at sports as something which will attract the opposite sex. This is untrue – in high school, these are the things which give people confidence, and that is what attracts guys to girls and vice versa. Trouble makers are usually the type of men which women seem attracted to. Again this is untrue – it is the confidence to break the rules which the girls find attractive.
When I mentioned this to one of my friends, she told me that she does not just go for the best looking guy in the room, or the guy that looks the most confident; she balances looks and personality to find the best guy for herself. I am sure many people of both sexes would say the same thing as well. However, think about this: When you first enter a room, who is it that catches your eye first? The person who is standing up straight in the middle of the room, who looks at you and gives you a smile, or the person sitting at the back of the room, slumping in their chair and seems to not be paying attention to anything or anyone? 99% of the time, it
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The people who get hired for the job they want are the people who are best presented; they dress well, they maintain their appearance (especially their hair), they go into the interview standing tall and they greet their interviewer with a big smile and a handshake. It shows not only that they are confident, but they are also taking the interview seriously.
more confidence just from trying these three simple points. We have started singing (dreadfully!) in our flat with five other friends around. I most certainly would not have been doing this three years ago.
The third thing I learnt about was being “yourself.” When people say “just be yourself,” many people do not have a clue what that really means. To me, it really means, “Show what makes you unique.” Of course, at the time I had nothing which made me unique, so I decided to pick up a few skills. I did not learn the conventional skills such as sports (that came later), but instead decided to learn magic tricks and juggling amongst a few other things. Why those, you ask? Not many people can do them, hence they are great ice breakers, and you can turn them into mini performances – again with the confidence!
They might sound like very simple and trivial points, but sometimes the simplest options are the best ones.
I recently had the chance to start over as my university life commenced. I went in with a positive attitude, standing tall with a smile on my face and after a few days, I was with a group of people that I loved being with. Any awkward silences? Talents were a great way to break those – unique talents. It meant I was memorable and it showed confidence. By accomplishing these three simple things, I have made a huge difference to my life. Having a positive attitude, always looking and acting my best, and “being myself” has given me so much confidence, and I recommend you try some of it yourself. I have lost none of my original traits of being the nice guy – I have only gained more.
One last word of advice; confidence and arrogance are two completely separate characteristics, and finding the balance between the two is very important. It is the difference between being confident and not showing off all of the time and being confident because you are compensating for a lack of something else. Check out this site for more info on that: http://www. communicationconfidence.com/ confidence-vs-arrogance.html Dan.Blaze
If you get one tiny bit of confidence, it will only expand from there. Recently, both my girlfriend and I have gained much
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23 GENERAL
Interview with glenny.
[by waltereegho]
Hello there glenny, how are you today? I have a test at uni tomorrow, so I’m nervous ;’( Can you introduce yourself a little to our readers please? I’m a Warez-BB Super Moderator. I’m from the Serb Republic, I study English language and literature, majoring in business English. So what did you have for breakfast today? French toast, and a huge, delicious glass of milk. <3 milk. Alright, let’s get on with the real questions. First and foremost: how the heck did you end up on a warez board? Did you have prior experience with any of the aspects that are part of warezbb? 24 GENERAL
I had literally NO experience whatsoever. I didn’t even know what the word ‘warez’ meant. I ended up on WBB following a link that a friend gave me over msn. I was searching for some albums, and he told me I could find them there. At first I had no interest in getting involved in the community at all, but then my love for English language prevailed. I wanted to communicate with people in English, so bit by bit, I started posting. Then I discovered RC4, started chatting, got to know some people better... The rest is history ;p You joined warez-bb in November 2007, became Reporter of the Month in March 2008 and were invited to join the Staff one month later. What impact did these evolutions have on you? Well, when I first joined, I was intimidated by the huge amount of members. I had never been on such a big board before. I was 100% convinced that I couldn’t find my place here. So, when I became ROTM, it took me quite a while to grasp on the fact that I had become known to people, and you know, I thought that was it, VIP was going to be my last stop. I’ve been known for being a pessimist by choice. When you expect the worst, disappointments are lesser, and good things come as a pleasant surprise. Sometimes I still find myself not believing I’ve come this far. It does feel nice. Especially since I’ve come to really care about the board, and it feels good to be able to work on its constant improvement. You’ve been a Super Moderator for quite some time now. Do you believe that this function has valuable experiences to offer, and that this know-how might be useful in real life as well? It can certainly help you on various different levels. I can’t speak for others, but I know how being in the staff benefits for me. As a staff member, you come into contact with so many people, so many different personalities. One of your responsibilities is to cater to members’ needs. You may be in a bad mood, you may be sick, you may have 1000 problems on top of your head, but when you’re online, you need to leave all that behind. It’s like being a clerk in a bank, your clients don’t care about your problems, they have their own. You need to attend to members’ issues, and by doing so every day, you learn to become more patient. At least I have. I used to be quite impatient with everything and it affected my life so many times. A lot of people in real life have told me I’ve changed for the better in that department, and I believe working on WBB has had a significant influence.
What do you like the most about being a staff member? I like taking care of reports the most. In November 2008, you quit the team for two month. A burn-out, a busy life or just a break from the reports? I’m at my last year of uni. My education was put on hold for a year and a half due to some personal issues. I managed to resolve everything in November, and picked up where I had left. In order to manage it all properly, I had to focus all my attention at my studies, so I left. I still have a lot to do, but it’s much more bearable now. Did you return as a changed woman, so to speak? Or, on the contrary, were there a lot of changes in the staff? What was your general experience when coming back to the team? I guess upon returning, it took me a while to adjust to the new environment created by the arrival of new moderators and, in spite of the fact that I had been there before, I still felt a bit new all over again, and, believe it or not, it took me some 4-5 days to realize that I was home, sort of to speak, and to stop feeling like a rookie. Weird, I know ;p Apart from that, everything is more or less the same. Except I don’t have as much time for the board as I used to, I have a lot more responsibilities IRL now. Ok, time for some completely different questions. First of all: your gender. Being a female in such an overwhelmingly large male presence, what can you tell us about that? It’s completely irrelevant in everything I do. It doesn’t intimidate me at the slightest, nor am I even aware of that fact in my daily interactions on board. I never had the I’m-agirl-treat-me-like-a-flower approach. I made my stand on the board clear at the very start: treat me according to my actions, not my gender; and it’s worked out great so far. Had any difficult encounters with the other side so far? The Internet is generally a place where manners tend to get forgotten about, can you share any personal experiences about that? I really can’t say that I’ve had any difficult encounters. The closest I’ve gotten to it, in general, have been occasional arguments over my moderating decisions, which is something that happens to all of us, and it’s not gender-related. What are, in your opinion, the best/worst sides of being a female on the Internet? THESCENE / WAREZ-BB.ORG
I don’t think there are any. I believe in equality, and I think that your experiences only depend on how you present yourself to other people, and what kind of vibrations you send. Do you think that people treat you differently because of your gender, and if so, can you name some examples? Very few people do and those are the people that don’t know me well. Those who do know me also know that I dislike special treatment. Especially flattering. If there’s anything I hate, it’s flattering. So, please, do not flatter me, I HATE IT. Ok, let’s drop this subject and change to some more general aspects. What is the latest movie or show you’ve watched, and does this title represent your general taste in audiovisuals? The latest movie I’ve watched would be Seven Pounds. I don’t have any special genre preferences, except that I hate romance movies. Anything else is a possibility, though I like science fiction the most. I also like conspiracy theories-themed movies and I love CSI Las Vegas (: Besides modding, one of your greatest digital passions is undoubtedly Photoshopping. I still remember your first signature, it was… well… quite awful. When I look at your work now, I can’t help being impressed. What can you tell us about your artistic endeavors? I’m not even sure how that began. I knew nothing about PS, and one day I just decided I would try and learn, God knows why. I got Zenova on msn, and he walked me through my first piece of art (if you can call it that xD) step by step. I didn’t even know how to open a new file, nothing. Then I spent about a month constantly bothering Zen, Paige, and Yoghy with all kinds of questions, I would see some effect on someone’s signature, and I would rush to ask, ‘how did they do this?’ I must have been a menace. ;p Over time, I got to know more and more, I read tutorials and learned things, and later, when I got familiar with PS enough, I experimented on my own and discovered new techniques. I’m still in the learning process; there are a lot of things I don’t know yet.
have to pick favorites, it would be Tool and Static X.
What is your taste in music? Any artists you go wild about? I’ve been through many phases, all of which left something behind, so I couldn’t say I’m stuck with any specific genre. There are a lot of artists I like very much, but if I’d
To conclude with: what are your plans for the future? I’m not planning anything too far ahead. My main plan for now is to finish my education and find a decent job. Then I’ll think of the rest. One step at a time.
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As far as the board goes, I have no specific plans. I will be here for as long as my time allows, doing what I always do, keeping the board clean. (: Thank you very much glenny.
25 GENERAL
Post p o n e d By waltereegho Layout by Herinjo
Johnny was a survivor.
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ome people are survivors, some are not. Johnny, subject of this little tale, belonged to the first aforementioned group; Johnny was a survivor. He had made that pretty clear, right from the start; both his twin brother and his mother died during labor, but not Johnny. His little lungs claimed the right to live with a scream so loud that his father, the respected John McKenzie, committed suicide with a broken heart shortly after. Johnny (for he was a baby and could not understand what was going on) was not impressed by the misfortunes that accompanied his birth. He cried, ate, pooped and then cried more, carefully observed by his Aunt Sally, and as carefully ignored by his Uncle Herbert. Sally and her husband had always wanted a child (it was Sally who publicly represented the common wishes of the couple) and little Johnny was a blessing they welcomed with open arms. Johnny, as mentioned before, was a survivor. He outlived poor Jessy, the neighbor’s kid, and 35 other babies whose lives ended shortly after a distracted worker caused an intoxication of the town’s water supply. He survived two dog attacks, three car accidents (after the third, Aunt Sally had her driver’s license revoked), a really bad fall from the nut tree in the backyard and finally the earthquake that buried Uncle Herbert under two floors and a roof (and, indirectly, under a tombstone). Johnny wasn’t made of steel; he just didn’t die for some unknown reasons, that’s all. Truth be told, he was a pretty normal kid. He went to school, then high school, then to Vietnam. Uncle Sam was in need of his surviving capabilities.
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Johnny didn’t die from shrapnel, or mosquitoes, or an OD. They sent him to the front, then back to the supply lines, after that to some airport to load napalm, and then back to the front again. Johnny survived it all, even the bus crash on his way home after the war. Heck, they could’ve sent him swimming across the Pacific and he would’ve somehow managed not to die. Back home (the town had grown so big, alike the people living in it), he started a small business. Selling used tires, that was his specialty. One could’ve reasoned that selling tires is not a very demanding job for someone with Johnny’s capabilities, but looks can be deceiving. Johnny was robbed thrice in his first two years, faced a fire in his depot, nearly got hit by a chunk of ice falling down from an airplane (I kid you not), ended up in hospital after a pub fight where he met his future wife. Happy times pass by fast, so in order to summarize; wife, kids, school, expanding business, hurricane disaster, kids’ graduation, retiring, becoming a grandfather, plane crash, weeding the garden, heart attack, grandson’s graduation. It was no surprise that Johnny, now “granpa John”, outlived his beloved wife. What is surprising though is that he also outlived 2 of his children (well, by that time they already called him “great-granpa John”), as well as Melinda, the family’s gray parrot. He reached the blessed age of 107 years. Johnny was a survivor.
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A World of Words Part 2 By Kartz
Layout by Herinjo
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ast time around folks, we got to learn how different words took form. As I have said, the flexibility of the English language makes it a lot different from the other languages in the world. Now, without further ado, let us take another nose dive into history. Etymological Tour – Round 2. Geronimo! Well well well... How about the word “Geronimo” itself! Here is what IncaBlue of WikiAnswers has to say - The 501st Parachute Infantry’s motto and slogan was named after Geronimo. In 1940 the night before their first mass jump, U.S. paratroopers at Fort Benning watched the film ‘Geronimo’ and a Private Aubrey Eberhardt announced he would shout the name when he jumped to prove he was not scared. The trend has since caught on elsewhere. After an in-depth research, here is what I gathered - an entry from the Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, Second Edition by William and Mary Morris: From the earliest wars in recorded history, men have plunged into battle shouting battle cries. Indeed, our common word ‘slogan’ was originally the Gaelic slugghghairm, meaning the call to battle used by Scottish Highlanders and Irish clans. One of the most interesting of these cries is that one used by the U.S. airborne paratroopers: “Geronimo!” When we speculated in print on why our soldiers use the name of a dead Apache chieftain for their slogan, several alumni of airborne regiments reported stories of its origin. A plausible one came from Arthur A. Manion. “At Fort Sill, Oklahoma,” he wrote, “a series of rather steep hills, called, I believe, Medicine Bluffs, was pointed out to all new arrivals. It was said that one day Geronimo, with the army in hot pursuit, made a leap on horseback down an almost vertical
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cliff‚ a feat that the posse could not duplicate. The legend continues that in the midst of this jump to freedom he gave out the bloodcurdling cry of “Geronimo-o-o!” Hence the practice adopted by our paratroopers. I hope this helps. It’s at least colorful, if not authentic.” Another correspondent, who once lived at Fort Sill, added the information that the bluff from which Geronimo made his daring leap “is a cliff overlooking a small river.” So we know that Geronimo and his steed had water, rather than desert floor, to break their fall. Now, this is indeed an interesting tale and one that may very well be the real inspiration for the paratroopers who were trained at Forts Bragg and Campbell. Why then, did they reach to Fort Sill for inspiration for their battle cry? R. Collier of Milwaukee offered a less glamorous but probably more accurate account of the origin of the call. “In the early days of the 82nd Airborne,” he wrote, “the men used to go to the nearby movie in Lafayetteville. During the week scheduled for the division’s initial jumps, they saw a movie named Geronimo. (If that wasn’t the title, at least the Indian chief played a leading part.) Anyway, one guy hollered the name and one of those things no one can explain happened. The whole division took it up and from them it spread to the lateractivated airborne forces.” For more food for thought go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Geronimo
From Indian-Americans, to India the nation. As is known, India has a Persian influence too. Which is how we have the word purdah. Literally, it refers to the veil. Yes, the veil which is normally worn by Muslim women... Figuratively speaking though, it is applied to the retirement of women from public life and may mean a cloistered existence for women. Baksheesh is another word Indians use, especially during the festival season. Yes, this word also owes its roots to Persia. It means gratuity; money given as a bribe for a favor. It is interesting to note that the word is related to the Greek root phag, eat, as in phagocyte. From India we travel to Arabia and Armenia where we come across sabra. It refers to a cactus growing in Israel that is hard and tough on the outside but soft and sweet inside; typically an affectionate, descriptive name applied to native-born Israelis. Hazard evolved from the Arabic al zahr, which means the dice. In Western Europe the term came to be associated with a number of games using dice, which were learned during the Crusades whilst in the Holy Land. The term eventually took on the connotation of danger because, from very early on, games using dice were associated with the risky business of gambling and con artists using corrupted dice. Now, who would have thought of something like that?
During the time of the Crusades the members of a certain secret Muslim sect engaged people to terrorize their Christian enemies by performing murders as a religious duty. These acts were carried out under the influence of hashish (a drug), and so the killers became known as hashshashin, meaning eaters or smokers of hashish. Hashshashin evolved into the word, you guessed it, assassin. Portugal, is where we head to next... Words of common usage include albino, marmalade and molasses. However we stop here to acquaint ourselves with two others of greater vocabulary interest. Fetish, which comes from the Latin word facticius (from which we get factitious), literally refers to something made-up. Actually, it refers to an object or idol (Remember - “Tintin and the Broken Ear”?). Today though, it has come to mean something for which a person has a blind, unreasoning affection. Auto-da-fé is a term out of history. Auto comes from Latin actum, act (or deed). The term refers to the ceremony accompanying the pronouncement of judgment by the Inquisition, which was followed by the execution of the condemned by the secular authorities. Literally speaking, it means act of faith. France is next on our tour... and the French have contributed a lot to our very English language!
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lot to our very English language! Remember the examples mentioned in the previous issue? Pedigree is another word that dates back to France. Believed to be derived from the French ped de gru, which meant crane’s foot (the modern French equivalent is pied de la grue). It has also been suggested that it comes from par degrés, the French for by degrees. A pedigree chart records the relationship of families by degrees.
was fawney, which referred to a gilt ring. They would sell these, saying that they were made of real gold. But the rings were not genuine gold, and the word phony – from fawney – came to be used for anything that is fake or not genuine. That concludes our “tour” for this edition of the magazine. Feedback is always welcome. Have fun!
Finally, we head straight to our very own England! Having seen how other languages have influenced English, let us see a classic example of how the British themselves added flavor to the language. The word under consideration here is Phony (or Phoney). British thieves and swindlers of old used many secret codeword’s. One such word
28 GENERAL
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Beware of To The Rescue
Kids Are Quick TEACHER: Emma, go to the map and find North America. EMMA: Here it is. TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America? CLASS: Emma. -----TEACHER: Joe, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor? JOE: You told me to do it without using tables. -----TEACHER: Margie, how do you spell ‘crocodile?’ MARGIE: ‘K-R-O-K-O-D- I-A-L’. TEACHER: No, that’s wrong. MARGIE: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it. ----TEACHER: McCoy, what is the chemical formula for water? McCoy: H I J K L M N O. TEACHER: What are you talking about? McCoy: Yesterday you said it’s H to O. ----TEACHER: Maggie, name one important thing we have today that we didn’t have ten years ago. MAGGIE: Me!
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----TEACHER: Roger, give me a sentence starting with ‘I.’ ROGER: I is... TEACHER: No, Roger.... Always say, ‘I am.’ ROGER: All right... ‘I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.’ ----TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father’s cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Tio, do you know why his father didn’t punish him? TIO: Because lil George still had the axe in his hand. ----TEACHER: Now George, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating? GEORGE: No sir, I don’t have to, my Mom is a good cook. ----TEACHER: Teofilo, your composition on ‘My Dog’ is exactly the same as your brother’s. Did you copy his? TEOFILO: No, sir. It’s the same dog. ----TEACHER: Charlotte, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested? Layout @ Labonova CHARLOTTE: A teacher 29 GENERAL
Laughter Triplets
A woman, pregnant with triplets is walking down the street when a masked robber runs out of the bank and shoots her three times in the stomach. Luckily the babies are okay. The surgeon decides to leave the bullets in because it’s too risky to operate. All is fine for 16 years, and then one daughter walks into the room in tears. “What’s wrong?” asks the mother. “I was taking a pee and this bullet came out” replies the daughter. The mother tells her it’s okay and explains what happened 16 years ago. About a week later the second daughter walks into the room in tears. “Mom, I was taking a pee and this bullet came out”. Again the mother tells her not to worry and explains what happened 16 years ago. A week later the boy walks into the room in tears. “It’s okay” says the mom, “I know what happened, you were taking a pee and a bullet came out.” “No,” says the boy, “I was jerking off and I shot the dog.”
A man suddenly has a heart attack on the street near a woman. The woman, shocked, hurried to the man. However, just as she was about to do something, another woman appeared, “Lady, I am a nurse. I have been trained to perform CPR. Please step back.” The woman stood back as the nurse tried to perform CPR on the man. Some pumps, still apparently dead. Some more pumps, still apparently dead. On the third time, the woman patted the nurse on the shoulder and said, “If you need a doctor, don’t worry. I’m here.”
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Revolution
Text and layout by waltereegho
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ook at you. Just take a look at yourself. Do you honestly think that you are free? That you can do what you want? That you live your life according to specific rules because you WANT it?
Define freedom. Is it just a word, created by those who set the rules? An ideal, the ultimate goal of those who live without it? Is freedom the sound of a spoon in a cup of tea on a quiet afternoon, or the smell of blood and tear gas after a riot? Can you taste freedom, can you touch it, feel it, wear it like a warm jacket on a cold winter night? Ultimate freedom is an illusion, and it will always be an illusion. Freedom, in its purest form, is the most egoistical state of mind a person can reach. If you are free, if you can do whatever you want, WHATEVER YOU WANT, it means that there will always be someone whose freedom you will override. By executing freedom, you destroy it. Freedom is an absolute: it is or it isn’t, and any partial form is nothing but a lie. There are nearly seven billion people in this world, and none of them is free. Why? Well, because there are nearly seven billion people in this world. Cause and effect are part of a vicious circle, in fact, they are one.
You are not free. If you still think you are, try it out: rob a bank when you feel like it, ignore the speed limit because you want it, slap a random guy in the face because you felt the sudden urge to do so. Policeman, judge and lawyer will make it clear to you: there are rules which are to be obeyed.
Define rules. Can you touch them, smell them, hit your knuckles against them until you bleed? Sometimes, you can. The fence that separates your garden from the neighbour’s is a rule. The telephone number you have to dial to ring up your friend is a rule. The bullet inside the gun of the masked guy that demands your wallet is a rule. These are THESCENE / WAREZ-BB.ORG
the rules you have to obey because you are a human of flesh and blood. Your body, the fence, the phone and the bullet are all part of the same dimension that we call reality, and you cannot escape the basic principles that form this world. Now what about the other rules, the invisible, insensible ones? One and one makes two, soup is eaten with a spoon, green is green and red is red, and don’t ever divide by zero. Can you touch these? Do they make your knuckles bleed, and can you even hit them?
You can’t. You can’t because these rules are part of another dimension: they are inside your head. Ultimately, the rules are yourself. Without you, they would not exist, and the non-existing you would not have to live by them. No, this time there are no seven billion other humans that restrain you, the boundary is inside your very own stubborn pigheaded… head. When no one’s looking, why do you still obey them? Why don’t you hug that street lantern, kneel down to have a closer look at an interesting looking piece of garbage and cross the street by turning five somersaults? Why? You are not free. You cannot escape from the rules that arise from the presence of nearly seven billion other human beings. But you can get rid of those in your head. One plus one makes three, a circle has corners, and if you want to divide by zero, there is no one who can stop you. To the barricades, the revolution has already begun!
Free your mind, divide by zero
31 GENERAL
Personality Development Manners by Feenz Personality is the individual’s totality of characteristics like intelligence, looks or character. These are things that make a difference among people. Simply going to school might not automatically develop a student’s personality. We say that we go to school to acquire education. The true meaning of education is not only acquiring knowledge, but also moral values. Nowadays, it may not be an exaggeration if one says that schools do not give proper education. Schools lay most emphasis on academic education, known as ‘instructions’. It is crystal clear that nowadays we cannot expect schools to equip youngsters fully to meet life’s challenges. Therefore, each individual must achieve things by self-effort. Let’s start by manners. As we all know manners make a Man. His behavior makes a favorable impression on others. Courtesy and good manners are the least expensive investment one can make in life. The simple practice of wishing someone a ‘Good day’ is greatly appreciated. It should definitely not be: ‘I’m the elder, let the younger wish me firstly’. A greater personality is developed by wishing someone a ‘Good day’, regardless of their age, status, gender, or class. Do try to greet someone in the first place, even a kid. This experience might not be pleasing at the beginning. However, you will be amazed to see the response that you will have. There will be a time when you will have the warmest smile and greetings by people around you on early mornings. This heartening experience will surely make your day!
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Thank you for reading theSCENE issue 17