Rerun Article: The Miraculous Spiral Staircase of Loretta Chapel

Finally, I have some cool stuff to share this week! More news on "Jurassic World 2" and The Good Dinosaur, plus an article from a while back. What a great way to open up the Fall season

Days Till

It is:17 days till Columbus Day
It is: 6 days till Vegetarian Day
It is: 36 days till Harvest Day
It is: 61 days till The Good Dinosaur's release

In the Spotlight

OK, so we know that Jurassic World's sequel will be out on June 22, 2018. Even with the long wait ahead, we already know a couple things about the film. For example, it has been confirmed that Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) will be returning (more romance, perhaps?). We also know that the next film will not take place on one of the previous islands from the movie (Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna), and will also not involve a theme park. Colin Trevorrow is quoted for saying:

"[It will not be] just a bunch of dinosaurs chasing people on an island. That’ll get old real fast...I feel like the idea that this isn’t always going to be limited to theme parks, and there are applications for this science that reach far beyond entertainment. And when you look back at nuclear power and how that started, the first instinct was to weaponise it and later on we found it could be used for energy...And this isn’t something necessarily that was in the book but is a seed that I wanted to plant in this movie, is that might be able to grow in more of these movies if they decide to make more of them, is: What if this went open source? It's almost like InGen is Mac, but what if PC gets their hands on it? What if there are 15 different entities around the world who can make a dinosaur?...And Dr Wu says in the film, when he's warning Dr Mesrani [actually "Mr. Masrani"], 'we’re not always going to be the only ones who can make a dinosaur'. I think that’s an interesting idea that even if we don’t explore fully in this film, there is room for this universe to expand. I shouldn’t use the word universe, because people will think we’re making a Jurassic World universe -- we’re not. (Italicizing is my own doing)." -- Colin Trevorrow

What might happen in this film? Trevorrow's not telling all the secrets, but he did reveal something about Owen Grady and Claire Dearing:

"We know Owen is going to be in it and Claire will be in it and neither are going to be in the same place that we left them in this movie. Even though Claire is the one who evolves the most over the trilogy, it’s her story that mirrors this changing world, Owen has **** to deal with. The two of them opened Pandora’s Box in ‘Jurassic World,’ and each of them are responsible for different elements of it in different ways." -- Colin Trevorrow

In addition to this exciting news, another trailer has been released for a dinosaur movie that will be released much sooner than Jurassic World: The Good Dinosaur. In it, we finally here some of the characters talking. Check it out below:

I gotta say, I'm loving the look of the father T. rex character. I especially like the bite marks on his face; after all, we have evidence that real Tyrannosaurus weren't always playing nice!

Topic of the Week by Joy Hammond, as told to by Lizzy the Lizard

Who constructed these beautiful staircases in the Loretta Chapel in 1872? We don't know, but read more about them in the article below.

A mystery that has plagued people for decades has intrigued me to go with and take a look myself. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Lizzy the Lizard and I've asked Daniel P. Smiwthwater, my boss's photographer to come with me on interesting journey to the Loretta Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Rumor has it that a staircase was built there and that it's maker's identity lays unknown. I've decided to go check out this sight. I asked for a private tour with Nathaniel and asked some questions to our tour guide Bill.

“What makes this staircase famous other than the mysterious identity of it's maker?”

“Well in order to explain that I'd have to take you back to 1872.” Bill exclaimed, “Jean-Baptiste Lamy ordered for a convent to be built for the Loretta sisters.”

“How does that explain anything?” i interrupted,as Nathaniel took some pictures.

“Where's the support beams and all?” Nathaniel muttered.

“Hold a second, listen” Bill stated, “They hired a french architect named Antoine Mouly to build this convent. However he died suddenly and later on after much of the building was complete did the builders realized that a staircase was needed to reach the choir loft. They were in a huge predicament since the the staircases then where too big. One day a carpenter came by and asked if he could build a staircase for them.”

“Saint Joseph!” I interrupted.

“Actually no one know his name,” Bill insisted. “So it is said, the carpenter asked for complete privacy and locked himself up in the chapel for three months. When it was finished, he vanished without a trace. He made a spiral staircase, with no supports beams or anything. He just used his primitive tools and his own two hands. The wood that he used was like nothing seen in New Mexico. No one knows who he is, how he built the staircase, or where he got his wood from.”

“Why did they name him Joseph, if they didn't know who he was?” I asked.

“Good question” Bill said, rubbing his chin. “The sisters of Loretta offered a reward for the identity of the carpenter but no one came. Eventually they believed that it was the St. Joseph that built the impossible staircase.”

“Wow that is an amazing story!” I exclaimed, “boy I wish I could go back in time and found out what happened to him.”

“Don't we all” he chuckled, as I looked at the staircase.

So as we packed up our bags and headed back to New York, I thought about the carpenter and his good dead. How he didn't accept the praise. People like that are rare to find but when they come to your door, you are very blessed. Doing something to help others and not accepting any praise or reward is one of the amazing ways people reveal who they truly are. So the next time you notice a problem that you can fix such as helping someone out. Do a secret good deed and don't let them know. You'll realize you feel good inside and so will the person you helped.

The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Disclaimer: Some (or all) of the photographs above are not my own; if you own them and would like them taken off this blog, politely make the request and it will be done.

Rerun Article: The Sound of Nature

Hi guys and girls! Today, I've got an article that I published over a year ago. Without further ado, let's get started!


Days till:
It is: 3 days till Labor Day
It is: 19 days till Fall
It is: 82 days till the theatrical release of The Good Dinosaur

In the Spotlight:
Once again, I have nothing noteworthy to share this week.

Topic of the Week by Joy Hammond
The Sound of Music . . . and I'm not talking about the movie! There is so much of this world that has been discovered from the tiniest particles to the tallest mountains. Name three or four things that are invisible but you that their there through your other senses. I bet you wouldn't have named this: infrasound. Now your probably wondering what in the world is infrasound. Well, infrasound is a sound frequency below 20 hertz. Which means it's a sound that can be seen and is barely heard with the human ear. However, your body can feel it and may react to it, such as getting dizzy, nausea, or have headaches. Do you want a type of example of an infrasound?

This is an infrasound recording.

Believe it or not, nature really does have a song of its own, you just can't hear it . . . unless you have some type of high-tech machine. Sound is powerful just like it's told in class, let your voice be heard. Tiger and lion roars have been known to temporally stun their prey. Scientists can predict tornadoes several minutes before it touches down because of its infrasound. Sometimes you have this feeling of a sense of dread before a thunderstorm occurs or and avelanche. With this knowledge, people maybe able to save lives in the future by detecting infrasound waves of occurring disasters.

We all know that the mighty roar of a tiger means it's time to start running the opposite direction!

Humpback whales can call each other from 100 miles away; talk about international cellphone coverage! The Sumatran rhinoceros carry on a constant infrasonic “song” when they were originally thought to be quiet and solitary. Unfortunately, these sounds rarely be heard with the human ear. It just shows that nature really does have a song of its own. Did you know that on February 15, 2013, the Chelyabinsk meteor exploded over southern Russia and that its sound waves circled around the world several times and lasted more than a day! It was the loudest sound ever recorded, unfortunately it was an infrasound so we couldn't hear it, but maybe we had some type of response to it? Although we can't hear it, our mind can sense it. This goes to show that sound is everywhere, perhaps if you stop and listen, you may be able to hear the sounds of nature and its song.

Disclaimer: Many (or in some cases all) of the photographs and images above are not mine. If you own one or more of them and would like them to be removed, politely let me know via my email address.

Rerun Article: Lighting Up Fireflies

Well, I just went to go see Jurassic Worldlast night (some areas it came out on the 11th, while others it is being released today). Eight years of my life I've been patiently waiting for this film, and I was finally in the theater watching it! The movie was awesome! Expect a fuller three-part overview starting next week that's similar to my overview of the Primeval series I do on occasion. For now,

Days till:
It is: The Park Was Opened Yesterday!
It is: 7 days till Inside Out's theatrical release
It is: 16 days till Father's Day

Topic of the Week by Joy Hammond
I love it when I'm outside at night and the fireflies start coming out. I always try to catch a few of them and then watched as they flew away, off my hand. Fireflies are so much fun and just beautiful in the dark. They light up the night and are enjoyed by pretty much everyone.

This is a Japanese Firefly showing off its glowing tail.

Fireflies also known as lightening bugs light up because of a chemical reaction called bioluminescence. As a larvae however, the light is used to mostly warn enemies. Some people believe that the light is also used during mating season. Female fireflies tend to use the light for attracting males. However there are some fireflies that don't glow. Those lightening bugs have large antennas and small eyes.

The top photo was taken with the flash on, and the bottom picture was taken with it off to show the firefly's glow.

Night time is full of life but either we're too busy or already asleep to see it happen. There is practically a whole new world outside when the sun goes down and the moon and stars come up. You will see raccoons and owls, fireflies and Mosquitos, but most importantly, you will always see light at night and in the daytime. How much have you taken light and electricity for granted?

This is a beautiful picture of fireflies shining away in a pine forest.

Disclaimer: Many (or in some cases all) of the photographs and images above are not mine. If you own one or more of them and would like them to be removed, politely let me know via my email address.

Lizzy's Mason Jar Raspberry Cheesecake

Welcome back everyone! I don't have much news to share today, but I do have a great recipe from my friend Joy Hammond and Lizzy the Lizard...and Lizzy's sister, Lily. Let's get started!

Days till:

It is: 18 days till St. Patrick's Day
It is: 33 days till April Fool's Day
It is: 52 days till Patriot's Day

In the Spotlight:

Several new images from Jurassic World were released in the latest issue of Entertainment Magazine. Also in this issue are exciting set visitations they conducted last year when they were at the set of Jurassic World. The Control Room was one of the sets they visited. Based on the description, it was much like the one of the original Jurassic Park film, but much more high-tech.

A screenshot from the film featuring Owen Grady in the Control Room.

Entertainment Magazine features director Colin Trevorrow's description of the room:

"It's the most absolute high-tech room we could possibly imagine," says Trevorrow, casting a proud eye over the spared-no-expense, not-yet-filmed-on set. He waves us over to a fully functioning console, encouraging us to paw at it: "Do you want to see what it's like to control Jurassic World? Have a go." Then he spots some cookie crumbs scattered across the workstation, presumably left by one of the set builders. And proving beyond any doubt his Jurassic Park fanboy credentials, he immediately narrows his eyes and exclaims, "Nedry!"

It's nice to see Masrani Global Corporation really spared no expense in the Control Room. Colin Trevorrow was able to give another quote that really sums up the movie well:

"The movie is romantic and funny and scary and suspenseful, most of the time you only have to be one of those things, but we have to be eight things, because Jurassic Park doesn't have a genre. I guess you could say it's a sci-fi terror adventure."

Colin Trevorrow (right) coaching Owen Grady (Chris Pratt, on left) about the scene they're about to shoot.

A behind-the-scenes look at a helicopter...spared no expense!

Source: Jurassicworld.org

Topic of the Week by Lizzy the Lizard from Smiley's News, as told to Joy Hammond

One of the many ways one can make a raspberry cheesecake!

“Hey guys, Lizzy here, and I've got a dessert dish for you guys to try!” Lizzy exclaims.

“Ehem...you're forgetting someone,” Lily complains. “I'm Lizzy's sister, Lily and I'm the one who's baking the dish.”

“We'll be making Mason Jar Raspberry Cheesecake,” Lizzy continues, “so you'll need:

1. 1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries
2. 3/4 cup sugar
3. Divided 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
4. 1/3 cup water
5. 10 Oreo cookies, without the filling, or 20 chocolate wafer cookies
6. 2 Tbsp melted butter
7. 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8. A pinch salt
9. 1 egg
10. 1/3 cup sour cream
11. Whipped cream for topping
12. Fresh raspberries for garnish
13. And 4 Wide-mouthed 8-ounce mason jars.”

Lily and Lizzy gather up the ingredients and put them on the counter.

“I can't wait to get started,” Lizzy say hungrily.

“Whoa! Hold on Lizzy, this isn't to be eaten just yet,” Lily adds, “it's for the party at the office in Animal Adventures Inc.”

“Oh,” Lizzy mumbles disappointed.

“Okay first step: leave ½ cup of frozen raspberries aside and dump the rest into medium saucepan,” Lily reads from the recipe book.

“Which measuring cup do I use?” Lizzy asks.

Lily looks at her sister in disbelief.

“It's the one that has the ½ sign on the handle.”

“Found it!” Lizzy yells.

After the Raspberries were put into the sauce pan and Lily turns the stove on.

“It needs to be heated to maintain a simmer.”

“Simmer? What's that?” Lizzy asks.

“'Simmer' is when you keep the food that's being cooked in liquid form and not to a boil,” Lily tries to explain.

“Oh...still don't exactly get it but all right,” Lizzy states. “Okay next thing, gently cook the raspberries and whisk them frequently until they are broken down. Then it's optional to put the sauce in a strainer to take out the seeds. Then we need to return it to the pan and let it simmer again until it gets a syrupy texture and then we let it cool.”

Lily takes out the whisk and starts to gently stir the raspberries. After about ten minutes, the raspberries were all soupy.

“Now we set that aside and move onto the something else,” Lily confirms, bringing out the chocolate wafers. “Now we need to crush these until smooth. We could use a food processor, a rolling pin, or the 'beat-it-to-death-with-a spoon-while-in-a-bag' method. What do you think, Lizzy?”

“Hm...I like the 'beat-it-to-death-with-a spoon-while-in-a-bag' method!” Lizzy smiles.

“Okay, food processor it is,” Lily states.

“What?!?”

Lily uses the processor to crumble up the wafers into it was finally ground.

“Next we put the wafers in a medium bowl and mix the butter with it,” Lily declares next. “Now we pack the mixture onto the bottom of mason jars evenly, about ¼ to 1/3 inches thick.”

Lizzy set about packing in the mixture when she accidentally breaks one of the jars.

“Geez, Lizzy!” Lily shouts. “You didn't need to be so hard on the jar.”

“Sorry,” Lizzy replies sheepishly.

“Next put the jars in the oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes so the mixture can harden a little as crust.” Lily nods. “While that's going, let's work on the cheesecake part. Beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium for about four minutes until it's smooth. Then add the ¼ cup of sugar in and beat another four minutes. Then add a pinch of salt and the egg into the mixture and beat once again.”

BEEP!

“The jars are done!” Lizzy yells, running to get the oven mitts.

“I know, I heard it!” Lily answers. “Just take them up and be careful not to drop one.”

“Haha like I'd...Ooh!” Lizzy exclaims, as one jar just barely met it's demise until it was caught. “Yeah all right.”

Lily shakes her head in disbelief.

“Okay next, add the sour cream into the batch and beat again. Then add the ¼ the cooled Raspberry sauce we made a a few minutes ago. Beat it up until it's all smooth.”

“Boy there's a lot of steps for this dessert, it better be worth it,” Lizzy remarks.

“Oh it will be. Trust me,” Lily smiles. “Now we place the the reserved raspberries on top of the crust (the chocolate wafer crumbs) that are in the mason jar, just a small layer. Then we pour the raspberry cheesecake filling into the jar next.”

Lily starts to pour the cheesecake filling in, being careful to distribute it evenly. Then she gets out a roasting pan.

“What are we doing now?” Lizzy asks.

“We put the jars on the pan and add a one inch layer of water into the pan, not in the jars. This helps the cheesecake bake evenly.” Lily explains. “Then we bake this for about 40 minutes at 325 degrees in the oven. After the time is up, we turn off the heat but we leave the pan in there for another 30 minutes to keep it cooking sort of.”

“That's a long time to wait,” Lizzy complains. “I think I'll go dive into some interesting stories to write about.”

*About an hour and ten minutes later *

Lizzy returns back to the kitchen as Lily takes out the pan.

“Yay, let's eat!” Lizzy yells, grabbing a fork.

“Whoa! Hold on a sec!” Lily exclaims, “We've got to let the cheesecake cool for another half an hour or so until it's room temperature.”

“Aw man...”

*About a half an hour later *

“So...is the top of the cheesecake supposed to be cracked on the top like that?” Lizzy asks, curiously.

“It's alright if it does that...now for the toppings,” Lily grins, bringing out fresh raspberries, whipped cream, and some left over raspberry sauce.

Lizzy watched, mouth watering, as Lily puts the topping on two of the cheesecakes then gets out the spoons. She gives one two Lizzy.

“Bon appetite!” she announces.

Lizzy dives her spoon into the jar and takes out a large spoonful of cheesecake. Taking a huge bite, she smiles and then continues.

“This is....so amazing!” She yells to no one in particular. “This is Lizzy...”

“...And Lily!”

“Signing off!”

Disclaimer: Many (or in some cases all) of the photographs and images above are not mine. If you own one or more of them and would like them to be removed, politely let me know via one or both of the email addresses above.

Re-run Article: Rabbits and Crabs and Dragons...OH MY!

Again, I had a very uneventful week. Yawn. But on the bright side, I have some awesome news to share about, you guessed it, Jurassic World!

Days till:

It is: 3 days till Groundhog's Day
It is: 15 days till St. Valentine's Day
It is: 17 days till President's Day
It is: 46 days till St. Patrick's Day

In the Spotlight:

As promised, I have a lot to report on concerning the upcoming third sequel to Jurassic Park: Jurassic World! How exciting! First, off Lego is producing a JP game based on not only Jurassic World, but the other three movies as well. Here is their official description:

"Following the epic storylines of Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III, as well as the highly anticipated Jurassic World, LEGO Jurassic World is the first videogame where players will be able to relive and experience all four Jurassic films. The game will be available in June for the Xbox One, all-in-one games and entertainment system, the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, the Wii U™ system from Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system, and Windows PC."- Business Wire

You might recall that last week, I wrote an article about hybrids. Well, wouldn't you know it, we finally have some (officially revealed, this time) information on the terrifying Indominus rex hybrid from the upcoming movie! The Masrani Global Corporation website breaks the news this way:

"Today at Masrani, we have a fantastic announcement to make. Over the last three years, the brilliant minds at InGen, lead by the great visionary Dr. Henry Wu, have brought us a new attraction for Jurassic World – the likes of which have never been seen before. While I cannot reveal any important information behind its creation at this time, I can reveal the title of our finest endeavor: the Indominus Rex." - Simon Masrani

The Jurassic World viral site has even more information about this beast on its bio page. It states that currently, Indominus rex is a 40-foot, hyper-carnivore that can run up to 30 mph...in her enclosure!

As had been rumored, she is indeed a hybrid, but, get this, she isn't a hybrid between a cuttlefish, a snake, a T. rex and a Velociraptor as Joblo had led us to believe. It is actually a hybrid between four different species of theropod dinosaurs: Giganotosaurus, Carnotaurus, Majungasaurus, and Rugops, the latter three are members of the abelisauridae family. Though Indominus rex may look a little like a T. rex to some at first glance, the arms of this creature are longer, she has spines extending down her arms and neck and she bears a pair of horns on her head. Her aggression level is very high.

Behold, the long-awaited for: Indominus rex!

What the creature looks like, other than what we gathered from that leaked bunch of photos I refuse to show, is unknown. But we will be seeing more of her this summer. And don't worry, I am sure Indominus rex will be kept safely in her confinement throughout the entire movie and won't be chasing and eating people. After all, Jurassic World is 100% safe!...right?

Indominus rex, coming this summer to Jurassic World!

Topic of the Week by Joy Hammond 
I went out and searched for interesting animals on the internet, when I came across a fun and furry critter. It’s called the Angora rabbit.  They are the oldest domestic animals that came from Turkey. They were considered royal pets in France. They eat a lot of hay and their personalities are very energetic. Their playful and enjoy other rabbits. They like toys such as pinecones, stuffed socks, and rubber balls.

The French Angora is the more bunny-like of the Angora rabbits.

 There are five different types of Angora rabbits: American, French, German, giant, and satin. American Angora Rabbit is like a stuffed animal. It is gentle but needs grooming at least twice a week. French Angora rabbits look like a sheep in a way. Its fur is used for sweaters, baby clothes, and millinery. This rabbit can’t shed its fur like the rest so it has to be sheered. Giant Angora rabbits are extremely fluffy; they need to be sheered at least every 180 days to prevent hair clots that would end up causing death if not treated. A satin angora is almost like a normal rabbit, only a bit furrier.

The French Angora rabbit is definitely woolly!

Another interesting animal is a Kiwa hirsuta or the yeti crab. The crab is found in the Pacific Ocean. The yeti crab was discovered in March 2006. It is seems to be blind and a carnivore, although it eats bacteria. Its furry claws are one of the best qualities about the yeti crab. The claws detoxify poisonous minerals in the sea, where it lives. The crab was discovered by Robert Vrijenhoek and his group in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Monterey, California.

The Yeti crab wasn't discovered until recently because it makes its home in the depths of the ocean near volcanic vents.

One last animal is the Leafy sea dragon. It is mostly found in the coasts of Australia, one of my favorite countries/continents that I’d like to visit. The sea dragon’s skin camouflages and makes it appear like seaweed. It eats amphipods and mysid shrimp, plankton, and larval fish. Leafy sea dragons have a major threat when their first born. They are slow swimmers and sea dragons are also used in alternative medicine. Dive into the ocean this summer and see the world beneath the surface.

The leafy sea dragon uses its leaf-like fins for camouflage.

Thanks for reading today's article. Please be sure to stop by next Thursday for some more exciting information about nature and about upcoming movies! Good bye!

Disclaimer: Many (or in some cases all) of the photographs and images above are not mine. If you own one or more of them and would like them to be removed, politely let me know via one or both of the email addresses above.

Inside Scoop Into the World I'm Apart pt. 3

Nothing too eventful happened over this past week. So there's not a whole lot to talk about in my introduction. So without further ado, let's move to our "Days till" section:

Days till:

It is: 3 days till Martin Luther King Jr. Day

It is: 17 days till Groundhog's Day
It is: 29 days till St. Valentine's Day

In the Spotlight:

Ok, technically, there is some major Jurassic World news for this week, but I am not going to show or support it on my blog. You see, the news is the leakage of our first image of Indominus rex that occurred yesterday. I am a little disappointed that it leaked, because I wanted to see it for the first time in the movie theater and because director Colin Trevorrow worked so hard to keep its appearance a secret. Now the secret is out because some inconsiderate blockhead decided "Hey, I'm going to leak this and ruin the hopes and dreams of people everywhere until the movie comes out in theaters!" (I'm sure he didn't say that exactly, but my point still remains). While I have promoted relatively minor leaks on this blog in the past, the leakage of Indominus rex is a major leak. The leaks I promoted were things we would have learned when the trailers for the film come out. Indominus rex's full body was likely to never appear in a trailer until after the film premiered, as Trevorrow wanted. Therefore, I encourage others to join us Jurassic Park fans who want to refuse to promote this leakage.

Many fans might feel that the movie will have no surprises now that Indominus rex has been leaked. This is not the case. To date, only pictures have been leaked; we still have so much to learn from Indominus rex and the other dinosaurs we'll see in the movie like how they walk, eat (people), run and roar. I am only getting more and more excited about the release of Jurassic World in 145 days on June 12th!

Topic of the Week by Joy Hammond

This and all the images involving Club Penguin are NOT my own!

Hey guys, it's time to learn some secrets around Club Penguin. Here are the four last places I will talk about. There's actually a few more but, well, I don't want to take all the surprise away from the island. You're just going to have to find out yourself. First off, the Iceberg! The Iceberg is where you can go into the Aqua Grabber (like a submarine) and go on deep sea adventures (above). Rumor has it that if try to drill the Iceberg, it might just tip. Many penguins have tried and given up, but perhaps they're just missing someone like you. 

Second place is the, well it's not really a sewer, it's just the Underground Tunnels. This is where you can ride mine carts, go on puffle rescues, search for gold, go on a quest for the golden puffle, discover the hidden lagoon with a mysterious underwater door, enjoy the pool, or even the boiler room. All these tunnels are connected to the Plaza, the Town, The Mine, and the Forest.

The Underground Tunnels is where you can ride mine carts, go on puffle rescues, search for gold, go on a quest for the golden puffle, discover the hidden lagoon with a mysterious underwater door, enjoy the pool, or even the boiler room.

The Third place is the Dojo. Yes, you hear me right. The Dojo. Here is where you earn you're belts and learn your elements. Learn the ancient moves of Card-jitsu. Card-jitsu is where you match your smarts against another players with types of power cards. The training varies in difficulty levels and the game is like rock-paper-scissors just better. After you've earned your black belt, you should go on to further your study as a ninja. You can study all of the three elements available: fire, snow, and water. Once you've collected the stone pendant than you will be a ninja master. Master Sensei is the one responsible for the Dojo and it's mysterious secrets. He is willing to teach anyone with the motivation to try. The best part would be, challenging Sensei. This is the final test to earning your huge honor or reward.

The Dojo is where you earn you're belts and learn your elements.

The last place has a secret that even I shouldn't tell you. I can't help but spoil somethings. There is a building called the Everyday Phone Facility. Curiously enough, no one on Club Penguin really owns a telephone. The Facility was created after the previous shop, the Sports shop, was apparently destroyed by popcorn - a popcorn bomb. Not every penguin notices what goes on behind the scenes in this mysterious building. It looks ordinary enough but there might be something more going on. Well I'm leaving you suspense. I won't say a single word more. You'll have to find out yourself. Until then Waddle On.
 

The Everyday Phone Facility was created after the previous shop, the Sports shop, was apparently destroyed by popcorn - a popcorn bomb.

Disclaimer: Many (or in some cases all) of the photographs and images above are not mine. If you own one or more of them and would like them to be removed, politely let me know via one or both of the email addresses above.

Inside Scoop Into the World I'm Apart pt. 2

Merry Christmas everyone! This is my last blog post before Christmas, so let's make this post extra special! I hope everyone has been enjoying this Christmas season. I know I have, even though I've yet to set up my Christmas ladder (I do that instead of a Christmas tree because it's less messy), but I hope to do so really soon.


Days till:

It is: 6 days till Christmas

It is: 13 days till New Years Day

In the Spotlight:

For the longest time, one of the dinosaurs I've wanted to see most from Jurassic World is the Velociraptor, my favorite dinosaur of all time. We've really only gotten glimpses of most of the movie's dinosaurs, until a couple of weeks ago when several dinosaurs (T. rex, Apatosaurus and Triceratops) were revealed on the Jurassic World website. Yesterday, we've gotten our first official picture of a Velociraptor with Owen! Check it out:

"Happy holidays from the editing room, don't try this at home" - Colin Trevorrow

This image is from Trevorrow's twitter page. I personally love that raptor! The "clever girl" looks like she's ready to anything. As we already know, in the film, Owen will be doing behavioral studies on raptors. He has a very convoluted relationship with the raptors; they aren't friends, as if you make the wrong move, they'll rip you to shreds (as the director put it). This relationship reminds me of the one that took place between Chito and Pocho the American crocodile (who died in 2011). Pocho was adopted by Chito when he was just a hatchling, and ever since the two became friends. I mean seriously, take a look at the photos below:

While most American crocodiles are voracious carnivores, Pocho was best friends with Chito, a human being.

Now is that amazing or what? For those who think a relationship between man and a dangerous predator is unrealistic for Jurassic World, remember Chito and Pocho!

I regress. Jurassic World comes out on June 12, 2015. That's only 176 days before we get to see more of Owen and his raptors!

Topic of the Week by Joy Hammond

Disclaimer: I do not own this image! Needless to say, all the images regarding Club Penguin are from Club Penguin.

Hey guys, here's the inside scoop into the small island known as Club Penguin. Last time I went over some general information, such as how to register and what things you might expect to find there. Now I'll discuss some of the places you can explore within the island. Where to start? That's a good question. I think I'll start with the Town. The Town is where you have access to three different buildings; the coffee shop, the dance club, and the clothes store. The coffee shop is were penguins just chill out and have a drink of coffee. There are two mini games you can play there as well; Bean Counters and Smoothie Smash. Bean Counters is a game where you are moving bags of beans from a truck to the store, avoiding the anvils and the heavy fish. In Smoothie Smash, you fill smoothing orders for costumers, some important costumers would be: Aunt Arctic, and Herbert. Before I even introduce you to Club Penguin characters, I'm going to tell you more of Club penguin. In the coffee shop, there's a newspaper office upstairs, called Club Penguin Times. The paper is run by Aunt Arctic.

The Town is where you have access to three different buildings; the coffee shop, the dance club, and the clothes store.

Next stop is the Dance Club, this is where you can jam to some tunes or even make music yourself like a DJ. Some mini games (including a small arcade upstairs) include; dance contests, Bits and Bolts, Hit the Target, Thin Ice, and Astro-Barrier. Dance Contests are when you prove your moves and follow the arrows (kind of like Guitar Hero, if you get what I mean). Plus if you are really good, there's a secret hard level by clicking on DJ Cadence, the penguin who gets you started with the contest. Bits and Bolts is a fun mini game where you have to build bots by adding up gears. In Hit the Target, you can verse against fellow players and try to hit as many targets as you can with a snowball. Thin Ice is another game where you try to get the puffle across to the finish through a maze of ice that melts after every step you make.

The Dance Club is where you can jam to some tunes or even make music yourself like a DJ.

The Clothes shop is where you can buy neat clothes and cool accessories, but mostly you have to be a member. Which way should I go next? Up, Down? Left, Right? I think I'll just skip over to the Plaza, which consists of four buildings: The Pet Shop; the Puffle Hotel, the theater, and the Pizza Parlor. In the Puffle shop, this is where you can adopt a puffle of your choice. Later when your a member, you can go in search for the legendary golden puffle. There are also two mini-games in the shop; Puffle Escape and Puffle Launch. Puffle Launch is where you can shoot your puffle out of a cannon and collect o-berries while looking out for evil crabs; yes the crabs are definitely evil. In Puffle Escape, your puffle is stuck in a (hamster ball-like) plastic ball and then has to go through different levels to unlock the door that will eventually make it's escape. At the Puffle Hotel, there are daily activities you can do with your puffles such as exercise, groom, and in general pamper your puffle. If you complete certain activities it may will eventually unlock the cannon at the top of the hotel. From the cannon, you'll be launched into the clouds where the Rainbow puffles live and you can adopt them (members only unfortunately).

The Puffle Shop is where you can adopt a puffle of your choice.

At the theater, you and your fellow penguins can act out an actual play with scripts, a set, and even props, such as costumes. Then at the Pizza Parlor, many penguins hang out and enjoy a little Karaoke or even some pizza making. Some other fun attractions around club penguin are the new skate board rink, the snow forts for snowball fights, the stadium for a little soccer, or maybe you'd rather just enjoy a nice walk in the park. There's a dock, this is where you can go play Hydro Hopper which is basically you hanging onto a life preserver for dear life while you're being pulled by a boat and you have to dodge or steer clear of all the things in your way in the ocean. There's also the lighthouse where you can go and play a musical instrument, look out into a telescope, or play a little Jet Pack adventure. Well Next time, I'll dive into a few more fascinating places you can go to. Some of those places contains, mysteries, secrets, and even more fun. Stay tuned and Waddle On!

At the Pizza Parlor, many penguins hang out and enjoy a little Karaoke or even some pizza making.

Well, like I said before, this is my last blog post till Christmas itself. So how about we go through the last couple of dino-Christmas carols I have prepared:

Deck the Halls with Stegosaurus (sung to the tune of "Deck the Halls")

Deck the Halls with Stegosaurus,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Jolly dinos never bore us,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Go put on your tux or ball gown,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Dance with Steg and rock
the hall down!
Fa la la la la la la la la!

Merry Raptors join the party,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Appetites are big and hearty,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Games must end in time for dinner,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Or the T. Rex will eat the winner!
Fa la la la la la la la la!

Where's desert? The guest are
waiting!
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Eggnog is refrigerating,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Oh, too bad, the Gobisaurus,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
At the cake - there's no more for us!
Fa la la la la la la la la!

Gather round the Songlingornis,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Strike a merry dino chorus,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Sing ye loudly, wake the neighbors!
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Calm them down with party favors,
Fa la la la la la la la la.

Stop the music! Stop the jumping!
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Stop the dino-tails-a-thumping!
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Party's over, dawn is breaking
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Just in time, our heads are aching!
Fa la la la la la la la la!

Lyrics by Anne Muecke

This next song is one that I wrote. I changed it a little from the previous version I wrote a couple of years before. Please enjoy!

Theropods ‘round the Christmas Tree (sung to Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree)

Chorus:

Ther’pods gather ‘round, the Christmas tree

At the Christmas party buffet.

Dinner bells rung everywhere you see

Every raptor tries to stop.

Ther’pods gather ‘round, the Christmas tree

Come hungry this holiday.

Later we’ll have some Tri-cera-tops pie and we’ll do tap some tail-thumping tunes!

Tyrannosaurus will get a hungry, hungry feeling when he hears,

Voices roaring bring out dinner quick,

Before T. rex eats the other party guests!

Ther’pods gather ‘round, the Christmas tree

Come hungry this holiday.

The Oviraptors are dancing merrily

In that old, old, fashioned way!

Tyrannosaurus will get a hungry, hungry feeling when he hears,

Voices roaring bring out dinner quick,

Before T. rex eats the other party guests!

 

Ther’pods gather ‘round, the Christmas tree

Come hungry this holiday.

The Oviraptors are dancing merrily

In that old, old, fashioned way!

 
Lyrics by Christian Ryan

We Wish You A Dino Holiday (sung to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas")

We Wish You A Dino Holiday;
We Wish You A Dino Holiday;
We Wish You A Dino Holiday;
And a Happy New Year!

Our stockings are hug, our hearts
filled with glee;
We've wrapped up a Raptor for
under the tree.

We Wish You A Dino Christmas;
We Wish You A Dino Christmas;
We Wish You A Dino Christmas;
And a Happy New Year!

Eight candles we'll light this
Hanukkah night,
Dinosaur-a-Menorah will shine
clear and bright!

We Wish You A Dino Hanukkah;
We Wish You A Dino Hanukkah;
We Wish You A Dino Hanukkah;
And a Happy New Year!

Our kinara is lit, our Kuumba's increased;
We're letting the dinosaurs join
in the feast!

We Wish You A Dino Kwanzaa;
We Wish You A Dino Kwanzaa;
We Wish You A Dino Kwanzaa;
And a Happy New Year!

We Wish You A Dino Holiday;
We Wish You A Dino Holiday;
We Wish You A Dino Holiday;
And a Happy New Year!

Lyrics by Anne Muecke

To all people in every nation and town all over the world: MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Disclaimer: Many (or in some cases all) of the photographs and images above are not mine. If you own one or more of them and would like them to be removed, politely let me know via one or both of the email addresses above.