E-Readers: Ruining the Reading Experience

Everyone enjoys a good book. The turning of the pages, the new book smell, the printed ink; all componets of a good read. But it seems now, with the technology of the Kindle, the Nook, and other E-Readers like it now threaten the traditional reading experience. They make even reading go digital. Though going digital maybe cheaper, and the new trened now, I believe that reading should be kept to the pages of a book, and not the digital pages of a Kindle.
For me personally, I feel like I cannot connect with the digital pages of a Kindle. They seem so cold, uninviting, and heartless, while the pages of a real book are warm, tender, and caring. Reading on a Kindle makes me no be able to connect with the book, no matter how good the book may be. The turning of the page keeps me on edge, like what will happen next, while clicking the heartless buttons on a Kindle.

I'll be the first to admit, the technology of the Kindle is pretty awesome. Some models show each page in a non harsh way that is easy on your eyes, due to no back lights, or the thing that makes screens glow. The glow of a computer screen makes it hard for me to read manga online for hours at at a time, though the Kindle screen is easy for my eyes. Although no backlighting is great, I am sometimes left in the dark about what I'm supposed to use at night in order to read the Kindle. For a book, the answer is simple, just use a flash light, or a screen with back lighting, or in extreme cases, candle light. But for a Kindle, the question arises: Can I use a flashlight to read it, or will it act weird, like using a flashlight to see on an LCD screen?

Along with the fact of I cannot connect with the book, I like the feeling of being able to mark my place in a book by dog earing the pages. Even though it's a great debate among readers whether you should dog ear or not, I believe in it. However, with a Kindle, you have to rely on the fact that it will keep your place for you, and that someone will not mess up your spot. True, people can do that with real books, but you can always tell the last place it was marked because of the way the page was bent. With digital marking, there is no way to trace the last page you were on.

One of the reasons I am encouraged to get a Kindle (Which I won't) is due to the fact books take up space. Let's face it: People who love to read usually have book cases filled with books. (In my case manga) I like the feeling of having those books over run my house because I know I can lend them out to people, and usually get them back in prime condition. With a Kindle, you can't lend those books out without lending out the whole system, and if you do that, you're out of books to read. Although there is a chance someone would steal your books, I believe the chance with a Kindle is higher because it is a more expensive, newer piece of technology, and electronic.

Also, my biggest complaint about the Kindle (unless they have upgrades this with newer models) is that it can't   read manga, or Japanese comic books. As an otaku, I'll admit to the fact I have more manga books than real books on my book case, they over run my house, and I read them constantly. With the original Kindle, you can't load manga to it, and I think that it would be slightly awkward to read it. Would you press the buttons to the right to go "forward" in the book, or to the left to keep with traditional page turning? Also, since the Kindle does not display color, the color pages which I love so dearly would probably not be able to be shown.

Albeit all my complaints about the Kindle, and E-Readers, I will give them one positive thing: They make books affordable because you don't have to pay for the ink, the paper, the publisher, and other stuff required in making the book. The digitalization of the book makes it cheaper, and usually a book will cost about three or four dollars, a good idea for any of us going through hard economic times, which it feels like all of us are.

The Kindle is a revolutionary idea of taking books, and making them digital, but in that movement, i feel like some of the meaning behind reading is lost. You can read how ever you want though, whether is be a book or a Kindle, as long as you read, then you are just making your self better, though I prefer books.

Tower Heist

In recent times, it seems that money scams are more and more common. They're juicy, press filled, and have to deal with the financial woes of those that they hurt, much like today's world. Along with scams, are people wanting to get even with those scammers, even if it isn't exactly legal. Tower Heist is a movie about a rich person profiting by scamming his "servants" and profiting from it, and the "servants" wanting to get even.

The movie starts off with Arthur Shaw, a wealthy business man,playing against one of his hotel staff, Josh Kovacs, in a game of online chess. As Kovacs arrives at work, he meets up with Shaw, who then tells him check mate, referring to the game.When Kovacs enters the hotel, you meet the other members of the cast, such as Lester, the doorman, Odessa, the maid from Jamaica, Enrique, the new guy at the hotel, Mr. Fitzhugh, the resident evictee, and Charlie, the guy that doesn't know anything about the people he serves. The job of Kovacs and the staff is to make sure the residents are happy, by complimenting them, bring them food, and cleaning their rooms and such.
Along the line, the FBI comes in and bust Shaw for stealing money, and for investment scams. Lester, along with many of the other employees, had invested all of their money with Shaw, with the promise of tripling their funds, has just lost everything. Lester actually tried to commit suicide, which prompted Kovacs to do something about the lost money. He then goes up into Shaw's apartment and proceeds to beat the crap out of the car, before getting him let go from the staff.
Kovacs thhen gathers a gang of people to break into Shaws penthouse apartment, which at this point in the movie, Shaw has returned to under house arrest. Along with Shaw being in the apartment, it is now guarded by two FBI agents, and video cameras. Kovacs enlists the help of Fitzhugh, the evictee and also a genius mathematician, Enrique, the new hired person,Charlie, the guy along for the ride, and Slide, the crook from the same neighborhood as Kovacs. They first start off by showing Slide that they can steal, so Slide challenges them to steal $50 worth of stuff from the mall.
Along the way, Kovacs meets up with the FBI agent in charge of the case, Agent Denham. She provides Kovacs with footage of him beating the car that was in Shaw's living room, but before that they go out and get some drinks. She tells him that the court date for Shaw had been changed to the same day as the Macy's Parade.
Before breaking into the pent house, they recruited Odessa, who can break into just about any safe, which they suspect there being a safe in the pent house with the money in it. They go in the hotel during the parade, while the whole staff is admiring the Snoopy Float, because they're infatuated with the beloved Peanuts character.
After they break into the Penthouse, the rest is for you to watch, because I will not spoil a majority of the good part of the movie.
All in all, it was a good movie, though I will admit that there were a few too many sex jokes. Also, since Eddie Murphy is in it,I guess I expected something funnier, but it was funny non the less. Also, the ending made me derp a bit, just because its like, wait, what? In the movie, some of the stuff that was pulled off was probably improbable, but I guess since this is Hollywood, physics, timing, planning and those things don't have to make since, as long as it sells. But, I will give you a hint, the ending is happy.

Usagi Drop-A Heartwarming Tale

Rarely in anime, do we ever get a heart warming tale that is slice of life combined with some comedy. Now a days, anime is concentrated on boobs, harem, or moe. Usagi Drop, however, concentrates on what it really means to be family, and how a tragedy can bring families together, and all the hard ships parents have to go through with  kids, even if the kids aren't their own.

Usagi Drop was aired this past summer, animated by Production I.G. and Fuji TV, and the original novel was written by Unita Yumi. The anime follows Daikichi, an average man, focused on his job, but all of a sudden his grandpa dies. Right after the death, it is revealed that his grandpa had an illegitimate child with one of his maids! Rin, the child is stuck in a limbo and no one wants to take care of her, until Daikichi takes her under his care. At first, he doesnt know exactly how to handle Rin, but over time, their bond develops, and he realizes what it truly means to be a parent.
The story was very simple slice of life, but it was not two people falling in love, but more the bond between an adult and a child. You are not actually able to hear what Rin thinks, but you are more or less following Daikichi and his part of the bond. You see all the sacrifices that he makes in order to do the best for Rin, even if it means he will loose pay at his company so he can be home earlier to take care of her.
I highly recommend Usagi Drop if you're looking for a slice of life with no ecchi, no lolicon, and just a pure story. Often times, this anime will make you smile in a way that can only be described as heartwarming. It will bring pureness into your life, and make you wonder what would you give up for the sake of a child.


Mata ne Chii~