Two Poem Comparison

This is a comparison I did on the poems "Fireworks" by Amy Lowell and "It's Raining Love" by Richard Brautigan.

"Fireworks" by Amy Lowell and "It's Raining in Love" by Richard Brautigan are very similar in many ways. For example, they are both about love. Both speakers are unsure of love and afraid to admit their feelings. The speaker of "It's Raining Love" gets so unsure and confused about his feelings, he starts to distrust himself. In "Fireworks" the speaker covers her true feelings by stating she hates her lover. "Such fireworks as we make, we two! Because you hate me and I hate you" (Lowell 21-22). A common theme between the two is that love is not easy. "It makes me nervous" (Brautigan 5). "But whenever I see you I burst apart" (Lowell 3). As with any two items, anyone can find similarities. "Fireworks" and "It's Raining Love" happen to be very similar.
But, along with similarities comes differences. These two poems definitely have a few, too. "It's Raining Love" is more literal and the only use of figurative language in the whole poem is "it's raining somewhere, programming flowers and keeping snails happy" (Brautigan 22-23), while "Fireworks" is one big extended metaphor an has a completely figurative meaning. Her heard does not litterally scatter the sky and she does not actually burst apart; nor does she form shapes and colors in the sky. All that is figurative for her feelings toward her man. The literal meaning of "It's Raining in Love" and the figurative meaning of "Fireworks" add up to get the general tone of the story. Tone is another difference between the two. "Fireworks" has a passionate tone; however, the tone of "It's Raining in Love" is more melancholy. Both poems do contain a shift, though the shifts are of very different feelings. "But whenever I see you, I burst apart" (Lowell 3) switches the tone from hate to love, and later back to hate with "Because you hate me and I hate you" (Lowell 22). The speaker in "It's Raining in Love" goes from being nervous to relieved when he starts by saying "But if a girl likes me a lot" (Brautigan 25-26). Two poems, such as "It's Raining Men" and "Fireworks", even when the subjects are the same, can still contain many differences.

Just Dance 3 for Wii Review

"Santa" brought this for the family this past Christmas. We played it all Christmas day: from 9am until right before dinner at 6pm and then after. We love it!

I had seen a commercial for Just Dance with Dora the Explorer. I was thinking that this would be great for my daughter because (1) she loves to dance, (2) exercise, and (3) this was something active we could do when it is cold or raining out. I read the reviews for the Nickelodeon version and a lot of reviewers did not like the game because the real artists were not singing and the kids dancing on the game were kind of "creepy." Many recommended just getting the regular Just Dance.

"Santa" got ours from Target and the guy behind the counter recommended getting the latest version which was Just Dance 3. Although it did not have my daughter's favorite song on it, she has found many others that she likes including Laura Bell Bundy – "Giddy On Up (Giddy On Out), and Kiss - "I Was Made For Lovin' You." My favorite dance is the Mash Up for Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado featuring Timberland. That may have something to do with the 70s guy who dances on the chorus. He so cool.

Anyway, the game is divided between playing songs and a sweat session where you can use it as an exercise regiment. There are also games where you have to freeze or shake the Wii remote in the middle of a song or risk losing points. You can earn points to unlock "gifts" and earn medals. "Gifts" include Mash Ups which blend together several different dancers from other songs into one particular song.

Value: It was on sale at Target for $35 before Christmas. I thought it was reasonable for 40 songs. Although this is my first experience with this type of game, I thought it was well put together. Some of the 40 songs are weird and we only have done them once, but the majority are good. Great dancers (from a non-dancer opinion). Three or so of the dances are awful and boring. But that's pretty good out of 40.

Fun Level: High. It doesn't feel like exercising until you're sore the next morning. It has single dancers, duets and group dances from 4 to 8 players. For the 4+ players, additional players have to hold the controller with another player. But I don't recommend you play the game every day. Just like anything else, it can get boring. But then you'll miss dancing when you hear the song on the radio and start doing the moves in the car. :-)

Difficulty: Easy to play and navigate (my 6-year-old does it). Not so easy to earn points as you need coordination to follow the dancers as if they are your mirror image. But just move the remote and sometimes you'll get points.

Features: You earn "Good" and "Perfect" by how well you follow. It gives you feedback throughout the dance. It also lists the words to the song and diagrams of the upcoming moves, all of which you can turn on and off whenever you like.

ESRB Rating: E 10+ There are some songs and dances that my 6-year-old daughter does NOT play because of dance moves. Period. But the curses are removed from the songs.

Highly recommend: I give it 4 out of 5 only because I wanted a greater variety of "add-on" songs from the Wii store. However, I like it and even convinced 2 of my sisters to buy it.

Yuki Japanese Restaurant Review

I went with my sisters for a Girls' Night Out to Yuki Japanese Restaurant. This was my first experience with the grill where the chef prepares the food right in front of you. I did not know what to order so I went with one of my sisters' recommendation and ordered Chicken and Shrimp Hibachi. I also shared an appetizer of sushi-like rolls but they had cooked salmon and chicken. I also had a virgin strawberry daiquiri. Delicious.

The server took our drink and food orders and then we were served in courses: drinks, appetizer, soup, salad, rice, meat. Everything was tasty and we did not have to wait long.

The chef went by the name of Rambo and he cracked jokes and made us ooh and ahh by starting small fires on the grill. But they were pretty fires. He kept us entertained and although he made the fires shoot straight up, I retained what was left of my eyebrows. A bit of advice: Don't get your brows arched while holding a kid on your lap.

But back to the meal. I was practically full by the time my chicken and shrimp were finished cooking. My overall experience was great.

Location: Right off the highway on I-75 Exit 221.

Atmosphere: Family oriented. We heard at least three "Happy Birthday" renditions that included tambourines and clapping and stomping. Casual attire or dressy if you're feeling it.

Service: Polite. We were seated immediately.

Price: Special occasion price, but not expensive. For me it would be a once in a while dinner out.

I'd go there again.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Yuki Japanese Restaurant

35 Mill Road

McDonough, GA

770-898-9854

www.welcometoyuki.com

Vote for Books - *NOT A REVIEW*

Hello! A great sponsor of PrincessReviews, Astraea Press, has two books in a Public Voting Contest! They are clean, Young Adult, fiction books.
You certainly don't have to, but it would help them if you did vote for their books! They are a great sponsor of PrincessReviews and would greatly appreciate any help we can give them with their books!
Thank you!

The Last Great Wizard of Yden http://www.ibookbuzz.com/Vote-for-Next-Book.html Contest ends 3-14

My Dad's A Paranormal Investigator http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net/?zx=28ef820516bf00ea Contest ends 3-2

Just so you know...

I'm mega sorry for not posting anything in such a long time!!!
I've been extremely busy with cheerleading, school, and extracurricular activities!  I'm sorry!
But cheerleading is over now, so I'll have a lot more free time to get back to reading books, interviewing people, and reviewing tons of things!
So look forward to tons of new posts in the future!
Thanks so much for your understanding.
Tasha Nicole

Capital Punishment

The oldest form of punishment is the death penalty. Sometimes, it is completely necessary for people to die because of their actions. In the United States of America, the death penalty had been used since colonial times. Forms of carrying out the death penalty in the USA are lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, hanging, and firing squad. Lethal injection and the electric chair are the most common. Since 1976 over 900 executions have been applied in the United States. Capital punishment has been proven to deter crime. Because of this, it should be applied and supported.
Capital punishment should be supported for many reasons. One reason is the Capital Punishment prevents murderers from killing more innocent people. Of released murderers in Oregon, five percent killed more people within five years of being released (Carmical). Each time a murderer is put to death, 3-18 victims lives are spared (Muhlhausen). something that saves lives should be supported. Another reason people should be for Capital Punishment is that we, the taxpayers, pay to keep prisoners alive when the receive the life sentence instead of the death penalty. We pay for their cable, food, schooling, physical activity, and any other extracurricular activities they choose to make use of while they are in jail (Carmical). Tax dollars pay for those expensive, yet free to the prisoners, activities the jails provide, and that is not right. How would you feel if your loved on was murdered and you had to pay all your money keeping the killer alive?
Some people would certainly try to say that Capital Punishment is wrong, but they can easily be disproved. Some might try to say that the state doesn't have the right to kill someone. "The death penalty is the premeditated and cold blooded killing by the state" (Amnesty International). Before the death penalty is even thought about, the criminal is given a fair trial and a jury of 12 individual people must decide beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. Besides, the death penalty was supported by the framers of the constitution, and is allowed to be imposed in the Fifth Amendment (Carmical). Others might argue that the death penalty is not applied fairly. Poor people and African Americans are believed to receive this penalty more than the rich and white people (Carmical). This is not a strong argument against the death penalty, but more so against the justice system and how it is applied. Another wrong-being of this statement is that if it were to be applied fairly, it would be okay to do and use. Even opposers to Capital Punishment  can be supportive of it.
I feel that we should all support and/or encourage the death penalty, since it is proven to deter murder. I also strongly recommend that states who have banned Capital Punishment reconsider their decision and lift the ban. People should be for the death penalty because it saves lives. since it saves lives, why not support it?

Sparkle's Song

Title:
Sparkle's Song

Author:
Samantha Hale

Illustrations:
Mariana Ruiz Johnson

Hbk & PbK
26x26.5

Pages:
32

Publication Date:
Feb 2012

RRP:
£11.99

About the Author: (Press Release Packet)

American author, Samantha Hale, is
a film maker, who directed ‘Map
the Music’ about the power music
has in everyday life.

Summary: (Press Release Packet)

Sparkle’s life feels empty without music, so
when she hears music coming from the
forest she cannot help but follow it.

Sparkle is sent to live with her Aunt Mildred in the middle
of nowhere. Sparkle’s radio is banned from the house.
One day whilst playing outside Sparkle hears beautiful
music coming from the forest. She goes in search of it but
soon finds herself lost amongst the trees.
She meets a songbird and a group of talking instruments,
where she learns why her aunt has banned music.
She returns home and persuades her Aunt to play the
piano with her.

I'd Recommend to...
Parents to read as a bedtime story

My Rating:
4/5

My Thoughts:
Sparkle is sent to live with her Aunt when her parents die. Her aunt doesn't want to hear any music because it reminds her of Sparkle's mother. Instruments in the woods start to play music. Sparkle hears and follows them. They play together and become friends. Sparkle tells her Aunt about them and they go to play together.
This is a cute children's book that could quickly become a famous nighttime story book. It's a cute story and I love how much Sparkle loves music and how the trees are dancing.