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Hey, all, we've got two good reviews from our friends Michael and Stable Granny. First in line is Michael with a write-up about an Artemis Fowl graphic novel:

Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel Series, book 1
Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer and Amdrew Donkin
Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old boy with an IQ higher than Mozart's. When he sets out to prove that fairies and leprechauns really exist, a bizzare and mysterious chain of events is put into motion as Artemis captures a fairy named Captain Holly Short. The other fairies are desperate, so they create a time-stop around the Fowl residence, which means that because time is stopped outside the Fowl's propertity, Artemis will not be able to escape without freezing in time himself. When Holly's boss, Commander Root, goes in to talk with Artemis about Holly's release, Artemis declares that he knows how to escape the time-field. It's impossible, never been done. But Artemis hasn't been wrong yet. Artemis says he'll release Holly for one ton of the fairies' most precious item: fairy gold. Then Artemis finds out that the fairies will comply only to kill him and everyone else in the Fowl manor with bio-bombs. With time closing in, it's a race to the finish as Artemis must hope that his theory on how to escape the time-field pulls through. If not, then Artemis won't be around to see it's failure. Also available is the Artemis Fowl novel series. The graphic novel series is great for people who are interested in this book but don't want to read the 300+ page novel. This book contains humor, adventure, and a little bit of time travel. Fans of Jimmy Neutron will like Artemis' ultimate wisdom, while fans of Tinkerbell or similar movies or TV shows will enjoy the fairy content. This book has a little something for everyone! Also available in the graphic novel series: book 2, The Arctic Incident. So check it out!

Thanks, Michael! Darth Bill reviewed both ArtemisFowl graphic novels and liked them. He's our graphic novel meister and if he likes them, they've got to be good.

Next we have Stable Granny, a writer and horse lover, telling us her thoughts about The Lightning Thief movie:

I went to see The Lightning Thief last night and movie was very good.. interesting, had great characters, it kept the story moving forward. I really think the critics have been unfair in their reviews. Now did it follow the book, of course not. The book is much better. The only thing in the movie that bothered me a little was the love interest between Percy and Annabeth. Why question is why... friendship is so much stronger than goo-goo eyes and flirting.

Thanks to you too, Stable Granny! We all saw it and liked it and like you, could have done without the "goo-goo eyes and flirting." We are 100% MANLY MEN here and want movies with sword fights and monsters and explosions--which The Lightning Thief move had plenty of!

Carl

Hello all in "The Land of Blog," tis I, Capt'n Blackheart Bill. It is time again to talk about some some good reads. But first something completely different:







Mrs. Yingling had this to say about our recent review of "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins (to see the review click Here): "It was with great reluctance that I turned over Catching Fire to one of my students before I read it. Maybe he'll turn it in late on Friday afternoon and I can take it home for the weekend..." Well, Mrs. Yingling, I hope you get hold of it soon because dare I say, I do, I do, it may be even better than the first book!!!!!!!


G-Man: Learning to Fly by Chris Giarruss - They're superhero friends (all kids also) such as Billy Demon, Tan Man, Sparky among many others. Also in this Graphic Novel are special appearances by "The Mighty Skullboy Army," Santa Claus, a Psychotic Christmas Tree, "The Savage Dragon" and more. Enjoy such epic storylines as the Origin Stories of G-Man and Great Man and The Crisis of Multiple Dimensions. This is definitely one of the most fun Graphic Novels dealing with Superheroes I have read in a long time. The artwork is too cool and the stories are hilarious so you really need to check this book out (literally)!!!! As a side not I met Mr. Giarruss at Heroes Con this summer and he drew me this great picture of Spider-Boy (from Mini Marvels) who both fights crime and delivers papers and you would be surprised at the challenges posed by both occupations. Great stuff from a great guy!!!!!!





Amulet (Book 2): The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi - This is the second book in the Amulet Graphic Novel Series (The first: Amulet: Book One, The Stonekeeper I reviewed on this blogs 3/27/2008 posting - Click Here to see that review. This Graphic Novel has brother and sister Navin and Emily continuing on their quest to save their sick mother. At the start of this book the elves are in hot pursuit of the new Stonekeeper (Emily), who must travel via walking house to the city of Kanalis (where people are cursed to slowly turn into animals but they do retain their intelligence and ability to speak). In this city they pickup an ally in the swashbuckling fox Leon Redbeard. When they find a doctor in the city, he tells them that the only way their poisoned mother can be saved is through the fruit of the Gadoba Tree which grows at the peak of Damon's Mountain. The only problem with this is that anyone who has taken this journey has never returned from it. Also Emily finds the Magical Stone that grants her magical abilities trying very hard to take control of her. Leon Redbeard offers to train her how to use the Magic Stone, but can she trust this mysterious mercenary? The artwork and story in this Graphic Novel are breathtaking. You really should tag along in this great quest full of action, strange machines, stranger creatures and all manner of good and evil characters. Highly Recommended!!!!!!!


Artemis Fowl, The Graphic Novel: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano - In three simple words: Artemis Fowl Rules!!!!!!!!!! This is the second Graphic Novel adaption of the second book (duh....am I stating the obvious????) "The Arctic Incident." The highest praise I can give to this Graphic Novel is that it is just as good as the book (which is excellent)!!!! The story starts with Artemis discovering that his father who he thought was dead showing up alive, but there is one small catch. He is being held hostage by the Russian Mafia. While this is happening underground where the creatures of fairy live an uprising is taking place in the form of a goblin revolution. Through a misunderstanding Artemis (a teenage criminal genius) and his bodyguard Butler are arrested by Captain Holly Short (an elf) of the LEPrecon fairy police. After the misunderstanding is cleared up Commander Root (a cigar smoking, short tempered elf), head of the LEPrecon fairy police, and Holly agree to help Artemis and Butler rescue his father. Things quickly go from bad to worse for Artemis and company, as soon as the reach Russia, Commander Root is betrayed by a disgraced former associate and ally Cudgeon (an elf) and the brilliant, but not very stable scientist Opal Koboi (a Pixie). Let's just say things really just go to heck from there. This Graphic Novel is a great read so what are you waiting for???? Read it already!!!!!! Oh I just remembered that although I did not review it, I also read the first Artemis Fowl Graphic Novel that deals with his first encounter with the fairy folk that you should definitely cheek out also. Artemis Fowl Rules!!!!!!

Well that's all for now yea scallywags!!!!

Until next time this is Blackheart Bill saying,

Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) by Eoin Colfer, Listening Library, 2006

Seriously, I could listen to Nathaniel Parker read stock reports, the city directory or the "terms of use" boilerplate that accompanies software installation packages.

He is wonderful.

Parker also reads the Young James Bond series which are so vivid in my mind now, I may never read the Higson books. I prefer to listen to them.

I'd never listened to an Artemis Fowl book before, and I did not even notice the name of the narrator. When I heard Parker's dulcet tones begin the book, I did a little happy dance around the house.

Artemis is on a mission to save the fairy world. The stoic Butler is still at his side. Artemis is feeling the effects of puberty which, hilariously, foil his concentration on occasion. While hunting demons, he encounters a new rival, the lovely Minerva Paradizo (oh, how I love Colfer's characters' names) who is the same age as Artemis and just as brilliant. She hopes to trap a fairy and impress the Nobel prize committee with her discoveries.

Holly Short has quit LEPRecon following the death of her old boss, Julius Root and now earns her living with Mulch Diggums, as a Lower Elements bounty hunter. She re-teams with Artemis and Foaly in order to save their world from an unstable time tunnel.

Colfer's books are action thrillers full of explosions, car chases and techno gadgetry. They are also packed with stacks of humor, witty dialog and topical references that keep them fresh. What keeps me coming back though, are the underlying ethical and moral issues that are at the core of the tales. The fun of the Artemis stories is how he remains a fast-thinking, law-bending, conniver with a conscience and a heart.

Donald (sorry for earlier mistake) Cohen hints at it in his letter today. Anthony Pellegrino included it in the assumptions made in his column earlier this week. We hear it all of the time--islanders, that is, the Chamorros and Carolinians of the NMI, don't want to do the work that has been handled by the foreign workers, because they're lazy!

I beg to differ.

This is a stereotype like the "shiftless Negro" of last century, or the siesta-taking Mexican--both prominently featured at times in America. It's a false icon that has worked its way into the dialogue and needs to be challenged.

I've been here 23 years. I know people in most segments of the community. I work with Chamorros and Carolinians in my office on a daily basis. They're not the exception. They represent the excellent quality of workers that exist in the local community. And although I work in an office, it's not all paper work. There are times when we all pitch in to haul water, clean the office, repair our dilapidated surroundings. In the past we've moved locations. And everyone, especially our local staff, has worked hard at these jobs, too.

We've all seen islanders sweat and endure hours and hours of hard work on their local farms, or preparing for fiestas and other events. This is real work. We know Chamorros and Carolinians who have moved in droves to the mainland U.S.A. for better jobs.

There is no lazy gene in the local talent pool. When the motivations are there, islanders work as hard as anyone else.

The problem is the issue of motivation. What U.S. citizen wants to work for a mere $3.55 / hour? (And that represents a raise from the $3.05 that prevailed as minimum wage until July 2007!) If islanders value their work at a higher rate than $3.55 / hour it doesn't make them lazy; it just means that they are fortunately not as desperate as the impoverished foreign contract workers who will accept any low pay. If the local islanders are moving to the mainland for jobs (which they are), they're not expecting to laze about. They're working hard, but getting higher pay that their work deserves.

I've heard complaints from Saipan employers about their local staff taking off for funerals and family needs. I've known locals who gave up their jobs for these types of reasons. All to whom I've spoken at these times seem ignorant about the federal law, the Family Leave Act. We could do with some better education on this law and the protections it affords. We could use a local law that extends this act to all employers, including the small ones. Then there would be fewer problems with these personal issues.

Just because foreign workers have fewer rights, less status and are more vulnerable, they complain less. That doesn't mean the local worker is a bad employee.

Of course there are some who will not work no matter how high the pay or good the opportunities. These people exist in all cultures. But they are a small minority.

So let's stop assuming that Chamorro and Carolinians do not want to do the hard work, the construction jobs, the farm work, the cleaning and service jobs. And let's stop pretending that it's all about "training." There is some training needed, especially for construction, but that can be met with voc-ed classes and on-the-job training the same as in the mainland.

We don't need special rules to get locals into the workforce. We don't need special opportunities and more expensive "training."

What is lacking is "motivation." And motivation could be instantly supplied with a higher minimum wage, one comparable to that in the mainland U.S.A., exactly what has lured hundreds and possibly thousands of locals to the mainland in the past few years.

What we have instead of sufficient motivation is this foolish, slow adjustment of minimum wage that is designed for failure. It's designed to cost employers just enough to cause problems and not provide enough boost to workers to make a difference--so that it can be shut down and stopped, and the further increases can be scuttled. And it is designed so that suppressed wages at the horribly low amounts can be continued.

With higher wages in the private sector, the local population will step up and WORK! Employers will be less tempted by cheap foreign labor, which won't be as cheap any more. Those foreign workers who remain in the CNMI will be treated better, too, at least economically, with higher wages. And everybody will win. Those earnings, in whole or in part, can be spent here, or saved here, and help restore our economy.

So please, everyone--including our elected leaders here, and our community and federal leaders-- stop assuming that locals do not want to work in real jobs. Stop assuming we need labor laws that grant special privileges to our local population. Our elected leaders especially need to stop pushing for desk jobs and management positions for locals. Let's honor all work--not just with "labor day" and recognition that the leader of our Christian community was himself a carpenter. Let's honor it with a living wage and the courage to treat people who have blue collar jobs as important, contributing members of our community.

We have a diverse community, and a range of talents, skills and interests even among our local populations. Let's embrace this diversity. Let's provide the motivation for work by everyone, in whatever jobs are needed to be done. That motivation would be higher wages, decent wages, a "living wage."

And then let's see who is "lazy."