Whoa Mango-Chan

Well I haven't been to this site in eons but then something strange happened. It says my blog was updated on Saturday. Weird. Anyway, here is something interesting The Harriet Miers Blog. Possibly a hoax I guess. That's what it looks like to me. What do you guys say? Would a supreme court nominee be that silly?

InTelevision: Eye of the Badger

Wouldn't it be funny if the song was really called "Eye of the Badger"? Badgers are actually pretty ferocious.

Soundtrack : Rocky III (1982)
Risin' up, back on the street
Took my time, took my chances
Went the distance
Now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happened too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

* It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge
Of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And his fortune must always be
Eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds
Still we take to the street
Fot the kill with the skill to survive
(Repeat *)

Risin' up straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance
Now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive
(Repeat *)

The eye of the tiger
(4 times till fade)


The Rocky movies are something else. I mean, as far as a story goes, these have the ultimate storylines: Hero struggling to make it against the odds, meets near death opposition, becomes victorious.

The AMC channel has been playing the Rocky movies for the past month and these movies are great. I totally took these movies for granted in the 80's (not that I was aware of myself during most of the 80's). I mean 80's movies have everything. They are usually great quirky fun or like Rocky, Indiana Jones, and Rambo, a torment that we just love. These are great movies about men that have some quirks we find interesting but there is this great underlying struggle.

I love the lyrics to "Eye of the Tiger". That song fits any struggle. I am going to make it my motto for my writing career. Fight for something. . .never give up! I noticed that the different movies seem to have different lyrics etc. Perhaps I am wrong. I am going off of the movies but I did no real research.

So Mango-Chan readers, what's your favorite Rocky movie?

Is it Rocky, where the underdog slugger, Italian Stallion, is up against a fast moving Ali style Apollo Creed? Here he meets the lovely ADRIAN!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it Rocky II, where the Italian Stallion, having become victorious over Apollo, goes after a re-match? Don't forget his marital struggles at the time.

Is it Rocky III, where Apollo teaches the Italian Slugger how to really box 'black' style LOL?

Is it Rocky IV, where, in a bout for revenge on his new buddy Apollo's killer, Rocky fights a Russian powerhouse that is sure to destroy him? (You know it appeared that the Russian fighter was taking steroids but that never actually came out in the story, except when hitting Rocky's face. . . can anyone say plot holes?)

Or is it Rocky V, in which the Itallian Stallion goes up against a street fighter, even though Rocky is after his prime?

I must say I always loved Rocky IV. I was devestated when Apollo died, just as Rocky was. This is a great piece of screenwriting! Great story. Through all 5 Rocky's we are with Rocky. He is in all of this struggle and we are tormented and loving every bit of it. I also love Rocky III. I almost like that one better because I love the brotherhood Apollo and Rocky form in an effort to help him beat the very angry Mr. T.

What's your favorite?

(Sorry guys for the literary take on things. I have been knee deep in a great book by James Scott Bell called "Plot and Structure." If you want to write a novel, try it. It's amusing and very practical)

Urusai!! Mango-Chan!!

Whatever: Two Things

First off I want to revamp the offer of guest posting for the Sims 2 and or Sim University. I would actually like to do two different segments. As a bonus I would like to do a day in the life of a Sim walk through with pictures if possible. The day in a life would be to show much of the functionality of the game. If anyone is interested email Mango-Chan!

The Sims 2:
Any new functionality that is a step up from the Sims 1

The Sims 2 university:
All the benifits of going to college
Wants, Fears
Careers
Moving into college, Graduating etc

Those are a few points I think would be good to cover, but I am sure that there are mountains more!

I'll do this guest post thing more often if people are interested!

The second thing is for the EA people out there! They should enclude some sort of expansion like 'making magic' that adds magic majors or something like that. Or each new expansion should add majors too. That would really be awesome. I wonder, does anyone know if there are any other EPs in the works?

Technophile: The Sims

EA appear to be the game innovators with their original Sims and now the Sims 2. I have one complaint. Why is there already a Sims 2 expansion pack for Windows but not a Sims 2 for Mac?? This is killing me. As badly as I want to play the Sims 2 and Sim University, I cannot afford a PC and we might have to wait until May just for the Sims 2. I should just get a friggin' PC. I am going to have to buy more RAM for my iBook if it will play on it at all (I seriously hope so). I need another 512 chip, bigger would be better though.

Today I am going to be ranting about The Sims. EA, Aspyr, and Maxis have put out several different versions of this awesome game. You could spend a fortune on their games alone! They have games out for PC and console as well as an online community. With the Original Sims you can get a job, go out on a date, start a farm, breed pets, become a star, conjure up some magic, just to name a few things. The original game was emense. You can create Sims that look like you! You can design your living room and put it right in the game. I think the thing we love about the Sims so much is that it's fully customizable. I've downloaded a mountain of add-ons. I'll include some links below for those of you dinosaurs that are still on the Sims 1 like myself in a new post. I have a skinny dipping diving board! I have shop owners that make out with each other! I have doors that keep your pets indoors! The Sims is great. I haven't really come across another game as expandable as it is. Correct me if I'm wrong.

With the Sims 2, now your Sims can grow up from a baby to a toddler and eventually get to a stage where they die. That to me is the greatest piece of this game. It's totally 3d with beatiful landscape objects and house building tools. The Sims 2 is definitely one for the history books. Now they have come out with an expansion pack for it! I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

So the Sims 2: Sim University, let's take a look at this new awesome looking game!

Pic 2

Here are a few features that EA has put out on their website:

New Young Adult Age Group:
All-new university age Sims leave home and take over campus. Now they can relish their new-found freedom by setting a new life goal.

Become the Big Sim on Campus:
Your Sims have all-new wants and fears tied to their social and academic life. Develop their ability to influence friends, classmates, and faculty.

Earn Degrees to Open Up New Careers:
Choose from 11 majors for your Sims and keep their grades on track. Secure the final degree and open up four new career paths.

New "College Town":
Now your Sims can live the ultimate college fantasy whether it's living in dorms, rushing a fraternity, or shacking up with friends in their very own pad.

College Lifestyle:
Join a band, crash parties, find a part-time job, or get initiated into a secret society, print money, and cheat on your studies. How will your Sims enjoy their college years?

Over 100 New Objects and Décor Items:
Take a fun study break with the Arcade Game or polish your skills on the Drum Kit. Hustle your pals on the Pool Table, milk the cow plant and extend your Sims life span, or take a photo with the new Camera and use it as wall-hanging.

Check out the Sims 2: University here

The Sims 2 has also brought a new feature. In addition to your family photo album you can capture movies. Some people are doing wonders with this feature:

Here are some videos about college

If there are any Sims 2 / Sim University people out there who are interested in a guest post about one of these games, please let me know. I would love to hear something on Sim University about the Majors etc. Email Mango-Chan

Links:
the Sims 2: University
Sim University Videos

Urusaii! Mango-Chan

Technophile: Apple

Oh it's so good to be wanted. My old job wants me back. I definitely want to go back. Hopefully they will want me in a few months when I am able to come back!

InTelevision: Reality Shows

Reality Shows have come out in full swing. I am going to talk about some interesting ones I've discovered and a few that I really love!

It seems they have a reality show for everything. Apparently the budget for these things tends to be smaller than doing something fictional. I suppose it's because you don't have to pay the actors bookoos of money. But I think that this whole thing is getting out of hand really. There are some good ones out there but producers seem to be pulling ideas out of their asses.

Last night while flipping the channel I stumbled upon "PowerGirls." It's a show about these women who are in Public Relations. It's a cool concept I suppose, for those of us who have that star struck mentality (I'm one of them), but how interesting of a subject is that? We'll see. Things seem to be going well for the show. I imagine men will watch any show that has cat fights.

I also came across AMC Project. Perhaps I didn't get the name right. Last night or in the wee hours of the morning anyway, Kung Fu black belts came from all over Hong Kong to audition for movie roles. None of them got the parts sadly, mostly based on the fact that they weren't actors as well. One 15 year old from a small village had a dream of meeting and acting with Jackie Chan and they arranged for him to meet him. He didn't get the part but he went back to his village a hero, the boy that met Jackie Chan! I thought it was an interesting show but it was really disappointing that none of them got picked for the movie. One of the women who auditioned was amazing and so graceful it was beautiful. She ended up moving to Hollywood to discover her fame.

There was even a Country Music Star show. This was scary. I couldn't imagine that this show's competition would be difficult. I should audition. Making the Band 3 got off to a horrible start as P. Diddy (he stole his name from me!) didn't like a single one of the girls that auditioned. They hinted to the fact that they would probably all be kicked off the show on the next episode so I am planning to tune in. Who knows though. It might be a scare tactic. The one girl that really could sing didn't get selected because she caught laryngitis and couldn't sing well that day. P. Diddy seemed like he wanted to just cancel the show all together.

I almost forgot! They have a funeral home reality show! This is the most insane thing I have ever heard of. That is even worse than the country music star competition. Come on!

My favorite show as always for the past 3 seasons has been "America's Next Top Model." I love it. It encourages me to be glam. Still need some help in that department anyway. But reality shows have something very interesting about them. We all want to see real people either make it or fail. We want to root for someone like Shandi from season 2 of Top Model or see someone get booted like all the people on The Apprentice!

Whatever: Dream Jobs

I was sitting here working on my children's book manuscript (who would buy a book from a person with a potty mouth like me) and thinking about jobs I would love to have. I put my application in at Walmart because it's a growing company and I hope to rise far there (HA!). Anyway, if that was my dream job I'd have to shoot myself. I think the best job would be to have a job in the movies. Now, don't think I mean a screen writer or a director, no, I mean a job actually as the characters in movies. Not actors either. Just to have the kind of life a Meg Ryan in you've got mail has. She owns a bookstore that is about to close yet she has the most beautiful flat on the NYC's upper west side. That is a dream job. Then, even after her store closes, she gets a book deal. For how many people does life happen like that? It's always, I'm unemployed and if I don't find a job soon I will also be homeless. But no, for Meg Ryan, life couldn't be better.

In the real world, some great jobs are quality assurance for video game companies, who wouldn't love to sit around playing games all day? I know more goes into it than that but you can't tell me it's not fun! Video game reviewers, all of those types of jobs are great.

Another great job is trophy wife! Too bad I don't have the figure. I would love to be a trophy wife. Of course I'd have to marry for money instead of love but that wouldn't be anything a healthy affair with the sexy brazilian gardener couldn't solve. Right after the wedding I'd get my tubes tied so there wouldn't be any children complicating the whole thing. I'd go to salons every week, get massages everyday, hire great chefs to take care of the cooking, hire maids to take care of the cleaning, and by the end of the day I'd be exausted but it would be a rich fullfilling life, the key word being rich.

I can't think of many other suitable jobs for me but that's because I don't have a whole lot of ambition except when it comes to being rich without having worked for it!

Politics-Smolitics: Okay Arnold, Stop Lying To Yourself

Well our favorite govenor and Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger has let his adoring public know that he does not have presidental dreams. This is a lie. I can say that with confidence. He would love to be the most powerful man in the country. Look at the roles he plays. He is the Terminator and he is not obsolete. He has married into one of the political powerhouse families. He became governor of California which Ronald Regan showed us is almost a sure ticket to office. He managed to get elected by a primarily democratic state. I think he could become president. I think people would elect him just to see what he would do. I would. I know that is stupid. We could always get rid of him if he messed up too bad. The CIA would kill him or something like that. The only thing is, I think no matter what, the American people, after the Bush administration would be too afraid of some type of Sadam Hussein trying to take over our country and turn it into a dictatorship to elect an immigrant into office. BUT! Then again that is funny considering our country's humble beginings of immgrants and theft (from the natives that is).

WildStyle: Come On! Give Those Poor Celebrities a Break

The Oscars, always a great event to find out exactly what movie was the best of the year. Unfortunately I believe this to be based on less of a great performance many times to who is all the buzz about. But the real interest at the Oscars is what people are wearing. While all those fancy dresses are great, I actually prefer what people call the 'Worst Dressed' category. I love to see what celeb is willing to go out there and be different. A lot of what people call mistakes sometimes are purposeful I think, like that flashback from the 70's tux Johnny Depp was wearing. I think that was great. Robin Williams came out looking like Bono meets Patch Adams. But that's okay. I think once you're a household name, you have the right to wear whatever the hell you want to. I think it's better to shoot for the worst dressed category than the best dressed. I mean at least in the worst dressed people don't take you so seriously. Poor Meg Ryan, they had the nerve to make fun of her. I LOVE HER! She's so cute and refreshing. Every time I see "You've Got Mail" I WISH I was like that. Of course that is just a character but I love those expressions :) She seems like she'd be nice in real life whereas, I am not nice in real live!

I've never been around the Oscar crowd but I've been around the Emmy crowd and it's totally cool. I was a star struck young adult then so please excuse me. Plus, when one first moves to California and finds that it's perfectly normal to meet Sting in a coffee shop (that was my best buddy Sergio), it is something of an awesome experience. I never met Tom Hanks who I am still waiting to get divorced because I AM his true love, but that is a 10-year love story that is still waiting on a romantic comedy ending. I have met so many famous people since I've been to California. Most of them in one sitting! I was sitting next to a rap star and talking to him for most of a basketball game and I didn't even know who he was. My cousin and I got to meet all sorts of people like Duane Martin, Cedric the Entertainer, Dr. Dre, and many more people. But oh right, the Emmys. I was over with the crowd and Donald Faison (Clueless, NBC's Scrubs) ran over and gave all of us a hug. It's cool to get caught up in that stuff sometimes but in my older age (26 - 16 days until the ripe old age of 27) I only enjoy it in passing. Though my preoccupation with Sara Jessica Parker's fashion sense and television lifestyle will always be my idea of Heaven on Earth.

Oh, and congrats on Jamie Foxx's Oscar! He deserved that one! I saw Ray and I absolutely loved it. But that's the way it goes. If you want to win an Oscar, star in a movie that is about a famous person who struggled with sex and drugs and learns a great lesson at the end. If you want to win Best supporting actress/actor, star in a film that is just one devastation after another! Unfortunately it doesn't make you a star when you struggle with drugs and sex in the world I live in!

Links:
2005 Superficial Oscar Coverage by People Magazine*

*Geez, someone tell People magazine that these aren't real people LOL!

Politics-Smolitics: Travel Advisories

Now this is very interesting. Quite a while ago I came across the site that has travel warnings for various countries that are considered a threat. Now the site I found before I, wasn't able to again. It had many different countries and very interesting advisories. Things like you may be mugged or something to that affect, but then of course I was just curious about what they had to say about Iraq. The information is not surprising given the headlines we see every week, but the interesting thing is, people are actually traveling to this place! Now of course, there are people working there and hey, I gotta tell you, the money is good. I wonder why! I even applied for a job with Parson over there. Didn't get it. I guess my destiny wasn't to be captured and decapitated before my 27th birthday, oh, but there's still time. All jokes aside, I think the kind of civilians that actually go over there are the same people that get admitted to the hospital to treat broken necks and fractured skulls because of falling off a mountain or losing a game of chicken. They may be idiots but they are rich idiots (and if they are not rich, what the heck are they doing over there). This is all coming from someone with a high sense of self-preservation though so it is a bit jaded. Perhaps there is a religious cause or something like that. I think those sorts of thing, however, are like biking up a vertical cliff. You may actually get some where with harnesses and such but what good did it do really? For my purposes, I am glad Parson's did not even call me for an interview.

By the way, here is the travel advisory for Iraq: (My question is, was this place always that bad? I mean even in Biblical times people were always fighting and stealing wives)


This Travel Warning updates information on the use of civilian aircraft to arrive in or depart from Iraq, security conditions and to reiterate the dangers of road travel within Iraq. This supersedes the Travel Warning of September 17, 2004.

The Department of State continues to strongly warn U.S. citizens against travel to Iraq, which remains very dangerous. Remnants of the former Baath regime, transnational terrorists, and criminal elements remain active. Attacks against military and civilian targets throughout Iraq continue. Targets include hotels, restaurants, police stations, checkpoints, foreign diplomatic missions, and international organizations and other locations with expatriate personnel. These attacks have resulted in deaths and injuries of American citizens, including those doing humanitarian work. In addition, there have been planned and random killings, as well as extortions and kidnappings. U.S. citizens have been kidnapped and several were subsequently murdered by terrorists in Iraq. U.S. citizens and other foreigners continue to be targeted by insurgent groups for kidnapping and murder. Military operations continue. There are daily attacks against Multinational Forces - Iraq (MNF-I) throughout the country.

There is credible information that terrorists are targeting civil aviation. Civilian and military aircraft arriving in and departing from Baghdad International Airport have been subjected to small arms and missiles. Civilian aircraft do not generally possess systems, such as those found on military aircraft, capable of defeating man-portable, surface-to-air missiles (MANPADS). Anyone choosing to utilize civilian aircraft to enter or depart Iraq should be aware of this potential threat, as well as the extremely high risk to road transportation described below. Official U.S. Government (USG) personnel are strongly encouraged to use U.S. military or other USG aircraft when entering and departing Iraq due to concerns about security of civilian aircraft servicing Iraq. Currently, USG personnel are only authorized to travel commercially on Royal Jordanian Airlines.

All vehicular travel in Iraq is extremely dangerous. There have been numerous attacks on civilian vehicles, as well as military convoys. Attacks occur throughout the day, but travel at night is exceptionally dangerous. Travel in or through Ramadi and Fallujah, travel between al-Hillah and Baghdad, and travel between the International Zone and Baghdad International Airport is particularly dangerous. Occasionally, U.S. Government personnel are prohibited from traveling to select areas depending on prevailing security conditions. There continues to be heavy use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and/or mines on roads, particularly in plastic bags, soda cans, and dead animals. Grenades and explosives have been thrown into vehicles from overpasses, particularly in crowded areas. Travel should be undertaken only when absolutely necessary and with the appropriate security.

The U.S. Embassy is located in the International Zone. The Embassy can provide only limited emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq. At present travel to and from the International Zone is extremely limited. The U.S. Embassy does not provide visa services to the general public. American citizens who choose to visit or reside in Iraq despite this Travel Warning are urged to pay close attention to their personal security, avoid crowds, especially rallies or demonstrations and to inform the U.S. Embassy of their presence in Iraq. All Americans in Baghdad are strongly encouraged to register with the Embassy at the following website : https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/home.asp.


Don't plan your holidays in Fallujah. But incase you thought going to an exotic location like Kenya would only have hazards like Rhino blugeoning and Lion mauling, think again, apparently terrorists who hate Americans (and our allies) are springing up all over the globe making the most desirable travel destination third world countries like Hawaii (Just kidding, that's an inside joke for my twin sister Adrienne!).

Here is the Travel advisory site so that you don't go straying into dangerous territory on the count of ignorance: Save Yourselves!

Just a thought, it seems like many of our enemies come from Muslim countries. Maybe it's just my imagination. Just don't go trustin' them Canadians either!

Links:
El Travel Departmento

Urusaii! Mango-Chan!!

Happy Traveling!