Wii Sports--Golf

It seems today that all the video games are made for high-def, next-gen gamers, and even though those games and game-systems are fun, they just aren't as special as the Nentendo Wii. It brings friends and family together, and it's fun altogether.

However, of the Wii games, nothing is more fun than the game Wii Sports. It has the fun of a regular video game, but not the down feeling of losing. It creates fun competition where everyone can get a laugh.

I always have a competition with a friend of mine in Wii golf. He has played golf (in real life) before, and I never have even held a golf club. But, we play every time he comes, and I always WIN!. HAHA!

I'm "pro" according to the game, and my friend is getting there. I have only lost one game to him, but he is catching up. In a recent game, I won on the last hole. It was crazy. Even though I lost once and almost lost once, I still have fun. Also, the friend of mine, always thinks it fun, even though he can't seem to beat me.

I love this game and can't wait to play it again. Sorry, Mike for winning all the time, but your time will come.

Michael James

PhotoshopUser TV

Just like a teacher needs his/her whiteboard, a photographer needs a photo editing software, like Photoshop. This is essential especially for digital photography, where you can get creative, even after the picture. As an amateur photographer, I use Adobe Photoshop, and I love it.

I am always looking for new things to do to my photos, or sometimes looking for help. When searching on the web, I found a website called photoshopusertv.com. It has a video podcast called PhotoshopUser TV.

It is hosted by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals' (NAPP) "Photoshop Guys", Scott Kelby, Matt Klaskowski, and Dave Cross. On the show, you'll see new tutorials on Photoshop, news in the world of art and photography, interviews with artists and photographers, and great contests. The Photoshop Guys know what they're doing, and have a sense of humor that make the show interesting.

Located also on Fox Buisness News at 1:30 AM on Wednesdays, PhotoshopUser TV makes Photoshop fun, so you don't feel like you're doing work. And, if you like Photoshop that much, you could sign up to be a NAPP member at their website. So, watch it, and maybe you could win a prize.

Michael James

New York and D.C. Pics

See post below:

New York and D.C.

All pictures copyrighted:

© 2006 Michael Munger, all rights reserved.

New York and D.C.

In the 7th grade, I had the opportunity to go to New York City and Washington, D.C. with my classmates. It was very fun. I was able to experience a lot. We went to the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero of the World Trade Center, Wall Street, and Times Square in New York.

We spent three days there and had the best time ever. (Our hotel was in New Jersey, but it was still close to the city.) On our first day, we went to the Empire State Building. It was very fun; we got to go to the top where you look out. I forgot to bring my camera to it so I missed multiple photo opportunities.

On the second day, we went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. That was fun also. We took a big tour of Ellis Island, then took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We went on the inside and had fun there, but when we went to go to the higher levels, we couldn't because there was a long line and not much time. (The head wasn't open because of 9/11.)

We then took a ferry to Manhattan and walked to Liberty and Trinity, where the southern WTC tower used to be by. We ate at a deli across the street from the construction that was going on, then we were givin a tour of the area. It included the church seen in National Treasure and Wall St. It was very emotional but also educational.

On the third day, we went to Times Square to go shopping and look around, and we also went to China Town. I bought a bunch of stuff there, and also had fun being with my friends.

The next day, we took a bus to go to Philadelphia. We stayed there for half a day, but we did get to go see the liberty bell. That's about it.

After that, we headed back for the road and went to Washington, D.C. and stayed there for three days. We did the usual stuff like go to the Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. We got to see the outside of the whitehouse and the Capitol, but it was still good. We went to the different museums and also went shopping, but it wasn't as good as New York.

All in all, it was a very good trip. We got on a plane and after five hours of flying home to Cali, we landed. It was good to be home.

Michael James

How I broke my friends camera

I am a person who likes 'behind the lens' stuff. I love photography and cinematography, and love to get my hands on a camera.

One day, I was making a short movie as the remake for I am Legend. So my friend and I were shooting the Fred scene, and I was Robert Neville. Because there was only two of us, I had to put the camera on the door.

After getting the shot, I went to open the car door with the camera still on it. CRUNCH. It hit the ground because it wasn't tied down. The funny thing is that the camera was still recording. (see video below)

I had to pay my friend 140 bucks! Oh well. I just laugh at it now.

Michael James

http://youtube.com/watch?v=t4DNVxaHS8A

Sky High -- Hurt Ankle

On Saturday, April 5, at nine o’ clock I went to Sky High with my friends Eddie and Nathan. Sky High is a place in Rancho Cordova (in the Sacramento area) where there is just a big room with a bunch of trampolines.

There are ones on the ’walls’ which you can bounce on. There are yellow pads blocking the springs on the rims. Put those both together and add me, and you get a hurt ankle.

We were taking turns bouncing off the walls [no pun intended] and it was my turn. I bounced off the trampoline adjacent to the wall, but didn’t go towards the wall like I was supposed to. Instead, I flew straight up [about 4 1/2 feet high] and landed on my ankle which happened to make contact with the yellow pads.

The worst part was having my friends try to get me off the place. Everytime someone bounced, it would hurt.

It could be worse though. So thanks Nathan and Eddie. It’s a good thing I signed that liability waiver.

Michael James

From Halo to Call of Duty 4

There’s nothing better than sitting down on a friday night and staying up until 4 AM playing the new ’next-gen’ video game. Am I right gamers?

The newest video game I have is Halo 3. With forge, matchmaking, custom games, and campaign, it is the best-for me-for late nights. Or at least it seems.

Almost all my friends own Call of Duty 4. They all play in their games, watching how they get "pwned" by the kill cam. They shoot through the walls at their opponent. They call in air strikes and helicopters.

Well, you know what? I think Halo 3 is better. How can you just forget about forging maps and playing stupid infection games? That’s what its all about. Can you spend three hours playing one level on campaign, and have fun doing it? Didn’t think so. You gotta love that last level where you just DRIVE.

However.....COD 4 does have some amazing graphics especially on the campaign. It does have many different weapons, with long names I might add. The kill cam does make you laugh when you see how stupid you were walking out in the open.

I know I’ll get it sometime in future. Its not first on my list, but it is on there. So, y365, Slayer93630, SilverKahunas, TinKahunas, SteelKahunas, ZincKahunas, and Garrett212, I’ll see you there...sometime.

Michael James a.k.a. CopperKahunas

I AM LEGEND

WARNING SPOILER BELOW!!!!!!!!

Yes, I know it's kind of late for that, but I copied and pasted from my Myspace blog.

I recently got I am Legend on DVD. It had the new version with the new ending, so I watched it.
In the new version, it also includes different camera angles in some scenes. For example, in the scene where Neville is scouting and he comes into the house where he finds spam, they chose a shot which emphasized the article about infected dogs. I don’t like this however. In the scene where Neville comes across a hive of dark seekers and gets chased out of a window, they use a shot which is more smooth. It doesn’t convey his emotions and fear like the theatrical version.
But now to the ending. Things get different when Anna asks what happened to his leg. He shows her and Ethan how he got caught in a trap that wasn’t his. One thing I wanted to see in this was a scene where they are walking through the city. It would have made it seem more realistic, like they were looking at what has happened. Then there is a scene in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it goes back to theatrical where Anna sees the female dark seeker in the lab.
It gets extremely different Neville, Anna, and Ethan are behind the plexiglass wall in the lab. The leader of the dark seekers is smashing into the wall like before, but he stops when he sees the female. He makes a butterfly on the glass with is hands for refrence to the tatoo of a butterfly on the subject’s arm. Neville realizes he should have just listened gave them back their ’friend’. He goes out into the lab, and and after a lot of hissing, he gives the leader the female dark seeker. They leave and Neville lives while Anna and Ethan watch behind the glass.
It had very good special effects for the dark seekers, but they relied on it a little too much. All they could do was hiss, scream, and walk. It also had some weird cuts. In one, Anna is opening the sliding glass door for Neville to go into the lab, and she waves for Ethan to come to her. But in the next shot he is already in her arms...It was a very ’Hollywood’ ending, where everyone lives happily ever after.

After seeing the new ending, I would say that the one where he dies is better.

Thanks for reading,
Michael James