The James Logan Courier

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)

Three titles on, it's easy to take the "Professor Layton" games for granted, and it's temptingly easy to just recommend them out of hand to anyone who played and enjoyed the first two. If that's you, here's your "Professor Layton and the Unwound Future" review: Get it. It's mostly more of the same — and that's probably all you need to hear.

For the uninitiated, the "Layton" games are collections of genuinely clever riddles — picture rainy day brainteasers more than matching blocks and the usual stuff one associates with puzzle games — packaged inside a charming storyline starring the mystery-solving titular professor and his trusty apprentice Luke. By Nintendo DS standards, the storytelling is surprisingly polished, with hand-drawn animated cutscenes, generous amounts of voice acting and a narrative that ties into the puzzles startlingly well considering how many of them there are (165 and counting in this case) and how unique and meticulously crafted most of them are.

By Ben Fritz
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

LOS ANGELES - Movie theaters will be stuffed with four new releases for Thanksgiving, but the producers of last weekend's No. 1 film will have the most to be grateful for by Sunday.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1," which collected $125 million on its opening weekend and an additional $8.8 million on Monday, is certain to top the box-office charts again, people who closely follow ticket sales say. It should rake in $80 million to $90 million from Wednesday through Sunday as it continues to perform similarly to "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which opened on the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2005.
Meanwhile, three new pictures - the 3-D animated fairy tale "Tangled," musical "Burlesque" and romantic drama "Love & Other Drugs" - will compete for a primarily female audience, while action film "Faster" is the only one pursuing men.

Still, there's one demographic that will make up the bulk of ticket sales over the holiday weekend.

By Kevin C. Johnson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MCT)

ST. LOUIS _ Nelly reigns atop Billboard's pop songs chart for the fifth time with his new song, "Just a Dream." The melodic single follows previous chart-toppers "Over and Over," "Hot in Herre," "Dilemma" and "Shake Ya Tailfeather."
But Nelly's perch doesn't bring him peace.

More than a decade into his career as an unlikely hip-hop phenomenon, Nelly still feels that he has to prove himself.

By Robin Abcarian
Los Angeles Times (MCT)

LOS ANGELES — As Sarah Palin begins a book tour Tuesday in Phoenix that will take her to the early presidential voting states of Iowa and South Carolina, the former Alaska governor seems to have set her sights set on something grander than mere wealth and fame.
After all, in two short years, she has become a political star, a publishing star and now a television star. So what's left to conquer?
Well, maybe the White House.

In a rare newspaper interview, Palin confirmed to The New York Times Magazine that she is discussing with her family whether she should run for president. During a segment on the special "Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People," scheduled to air Dec. 9, she told Walters she believes she can beat President Barack Obama.

Which leaves the political world engaged in one of its favorite sports: Guessing what Sarah Palin will do next.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)


One player's idea of innovation is another player's obnoxious gimmicky solution to a problem that never existed, and a few screenshots from the seemingly innocuous "Galactic Taz Ball" may as well accompany the Wikipedia entry that details this debate.

"Ball's" storyline is easy enough to explain — Marvin the Martian and his fleet have invaded Earth, and Taz the Tasmanian Devil takes it into his own paws to stop him — and if the game had come out 10 years ago, the gameplay probably wouldn't need any kind of explanation at all. Players control Taz in a game that's 80 percent overhead platformer and 20 percent sidescrolling platformer, and each of the game's 25 levels and accompanying boss fights incorporate both perspectives intermittently.

By Justyna Torres, Courier Staff Writer

A major trend taking over the fashion scene this fall is vintage apparel. One way to channel this look is by wearing lace. The history of lace dates back to the Victorian era (1837 – 1901) of England. Royals and the upper class society saw lace as a luxury textile. This trend had a rebirth in the 1980’s thanks to Madonna, and once again the ever popular trend is back.

By Roger Moore
The Orlando Sentinel (MCT)

Rapunzel, the girl locked in a tower with only her long, golden locks for company, gets a sassy, spirited screen treatment from Disney with "Tangled," an animated fairytale musical from the Not Pixar corner of the company.

Disney has turned her into a missing princess — naturally — and it's not a prince who waits below and calls out "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." Her hair has magical powers of healing in this version, but only if she doesn't cut it. Otherwise, they play the story pretty much straight out of the Brothers Grimm.

Soldiers pull up a magical flower to help an ailing queen through a difficult childbirth. But the witch who needs the plant to stay young steals the royal infant in revenge and raises the child as her own, never letting Rapunzel leave her high tower in the middle of the forest.

By Andrea Higares, Courier Film Editor

With a twist of country and pop, Sugarland has stolen the hearts of many--but not all.

Critics don't really consider their music as country. Their new album, The Incredible Machine is a new mix of unique sounds. Some songs are upbeat, but other songs can put the listener to sleep. The lyrics are playful but also moving and powerful.

Sugarland as a group is also able to write about almost anything, but their lyrics about love touch a lot of people. Still, it sounds as if they are trying to do more pop than country.

By Linh-Chi Nguyen, Courier Music Editor


Upon entering the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, the vibe wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Above are beautiful chandeliers, while across the stage are glaring beams of light that are almost blinding against the dark ambiance of the venue. Behind the lights was the Fearless Friends Tour poster, a definite attention grabber with its bright colors. On the floor was a majority of female adolescents along with the occasional males, which is expected at a show comprised of mainly pop-punk music groups. The Fearless Friends Tour consists of headliner Mayday Parade, co-headliner Breathe Carolina and supporting acts Every Avenue, Artist Vs. Poet, Go Radio and The American Secrets.

By Jazzmine Bates, Courier Staff Writer


Ever heard of Mindless Behavior? Given the music industry powerhouses behind them, the name probably will be on the tip of many tongues soon.

They are a R&B dance, singing, and rapping group which got its start in 2008.

Produced by one of the best, Walter Millsap, who produced tracks by Beyonce, Timbaland, Alicia Keys, and J. Lo, and partnered up with hitmaker Keisha Gamble, these four boys got into show business at a young age, making it big in the Famous lifestyle.

By Diaa Bekheet, VOA News

Former U.S. President George W. Bush says Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak informed the U.S. that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He also spoke of other people who had influence on his decision to invade Iraq.

The revelation comes in Bush's memoirs, Decision Points, in which he highlighted mistakes made during the Iraq war campaign, and the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in the country.

"President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt had told [general] Tommy Franks that Iraq had biological weapons and was certain to use them on our troops," Bush revealed in his newly-released book.

The former president said Mubarak "refused to make the allegation in public for fear of inciting the Arab street."

So far, the Egyptian government has issued no reaction to Bush's claim.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)

Because "Grand Theft Auto" popularized it and because most other games have simply fallen in line, conventional wisdom suggests that any game with an open world must fill that world with umpteen pointless activities to justify its worth.

"Mafia II" doesn't do this. Empire Bay, the fictionalized but very recognizable riff on 1940s New York City, is wide open for discovery, and players can steal cars and visit shops between missions until their thumbs are sore. But outside of some collectibles and a small smattering of elective activities, there really isn't much of anything for players to accomplish off the storyline's main roads.

But is that really a terrible thing when those main roads include a storyline that spans 12-15 hours and takes players from World War II, through prison and up the ladders of multiple families? "Mafia II" prioritizes its characters and the finer details of their world over obligatory busywork, and the choice pays off at little expense to the game's value.

By Abeera Sohail, Courier Staff Writer

If you're looking for a quick yet delicious lunch, Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Fremont is the place to go.

Prices are within budget and affordable. The grilled cheese sandwich is fantastic: it's only $2.99 and you can add anything you want in it without any additional costs.

The employees are friendly and treat people with the utmost respect. The sitting area is very modern and clean.

By Julia Ortiz, Courier Staff Writer

Set in the roaring 1920’s, Bianca is a young woman with her whole life set before her. She has suitors waiting on her, an Italian mob boss as a father, and talents to please everyone, however, she will remain alone unless her older sister Katherine gets married. This sets a wheel in motion to set Kate up with a man just as fiery and opinionated as she is.

Hilarious scenes between two of the leads Kate and Petrucio, played by Jaiden Caballero and Jake McKee, filled the theater with laughter. Even old man Gremio, portrayed by Tom Hu, got into the action.

By Ajay Bains,Courier Staff Writer

This latest installment of the Star Wars video game saga gives you full control of your Jedi character, Starkiller.

Stars Wars: The Force Unleashed II starts off with Darth Vader trying to kill a clone of Starkiller, Vader's secret apprentice who died at the end of the first game who you, the player, control. After conducting some tests on Starkiller's clone, Vader claims that your character is another failure and tries to kill him. A vision comes to Starkiller and he defends himself and attempts to break out. After escaping, Starkiller sets out to find Juno Eclipse, your lost love interest and ship's pilot from the first Force Unleashed.

That’s where the player takes over and the controls are picked up along the way.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)

It's almost reflex to criticize the storyline portion of "Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days" for being too short at around four hours long. But given how dishearteningly the story's backward steps outnumber its forward steps, four hours might be plenty — especially if you find the more inspired multiplayer offerings more to your liking anyway.

On the positive front, "Days" is a more polished third-person shooter than its 2007 predecessor. Finding cover actually generally works this time, and while the automatic weapons remain frustratingly inaccurate, the pistols and absurdly powerful shotguns are sufficiently precise. In addition to smoothing out the framerate, a clever new visual style presents the action as though it's being filmed on a handicam — video grain, compression artifacts, color separation, light streaking — and it effectively enhances the ugliness of the game's violence. (The nauseating shaky cam effect can, mercifully, be disabled.)

By Linh-Chi Nguyen, Courier Music Editor

Any band that attempts to maintain their sound while trying not to create repetitiously insipid ballads has usually found it difficult to keep this right balance in mind. This is indeed a remarkable standpoint of the band Anberlin; they present Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place with tremendous decency and progression.

If there is one thing lacking from this album, it would have to be its lyrics. Ever since the beginning of their awaited successful career, they have written substantial lyrics that never lack depth and meaning. As the band progresses through each and every album they have put forth, it seems they have lost their lyrical touch. In Dark Is the Way, Light is a Place, the lyrics are basically repetitive lines that start to serve as an annoyance rather than a playful effect. This deficiency in the meaning of their lyrics is found throughout most of the album.

By Farah Ali, Courier Staff Writer

Fashion, love, friends and alcohol. For three English women, life becomes simple once every month when they meet up at one of London’s sassiest bars for drinks to let loose and have a great time. Working at a famous fashion magazine seems like a dream, but soon that sweet dream turns into a nightmare. There’s something that each of these women are hiding from each other—a deep, dark secret that they have decided to keep to themselves. But all turns for the worst when these secrets reveal themselves, and their jobs and friendships are at stake.

Maggie Drakeford is a hard-working girl. She never gives up, always does her best and puts her heart into everything she does. But life becomes quite difficult for Maggie. She’s pregnant, and there’s one thing that she can’t seem to cope with—motherhood. She feels inferior to other pregnant mothers, her husband doesn’t understand how she’s feeling and her mother-in-law always makes her feel like she doesn’t know how to take care of a baby. Maggie keeps these feelings to herself and doesn’t tell Candice or Roxanne, instead learning to deal with these issues herself.

By Nataniel Lazaga, Courier Staff Writer

"Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2" was released for PlayStation 3 on October 29. Based on the popular anime Naruto, the game starts at the beginning of the shippuden series when Naruto finishes his training with his master Jiraiya; the game ends when he battles his enemy Pain. The story mode has many boss battles, collect/mini games, a storyline similar to that of the anime and the insane cut scenes.

The game has 41 playable characters, including a surprise character from Tekken 6. Some are automatically available, but most of them are unlocked by playing the story mode and earning a specific amount of points. Each character has their own powerful moves as seen in the show.

By Billy O'Keefe
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)

The Vegas strip in "Fallout: New Vegas" is minuscule compared to the vast Nevada wasteland that surrounds it, but because it's the only place in the whole region that sparkles like nuclear war never happened, it beams in the horizon for miles from any direction.

When you spot it for the first time in your travels, "Vegas" doesn't break from the action with a cutscene or make any fuss whatsoever. Like everything else in a "Fallout" game, it's just there, and players will spot it in ways and under circumstances that are organic and unique to the story they've spun for themselves up to then.

Such staggering freedom is what made the highly imperfect "Fallout 3" a cherished game in 2008, and while "Vegas" rarely improves on those imperfect things, its reverence for discovery — and the terrific stories it tells to complement that reverence — make it a must-play for "Fallout" fans.