Now, I had heard a little bit about the book (and the movie) and not all of it was good. I had heard that the book was a mediocre knock-off of Star Wars. With somewhat low expectations I borrowed the book and began to read it.

In the beginning I noticed many similarities between the two stories. Brom played the part of Obi Wan while Eragon was the moisture farmer from a backwoods area of the Empire. Agents of the rebellion sent a very important item into Eragon's possession and soon after Eragon's uncle was killed by members of the Empire who went searching for it.

Though Brom never mentioned fighting alongside Eragon's father in the Clone Dragon Wars he did provide Eragon with a light saber magical sword that could cut through anything. Even though there were many other parallels to Star Wars I found that the book soon found its own path and began to get better. In fact once you get about half way through the book you can clearly see that the author has matured somewhat in his writing. In fact the second two books almost feel as if they were written by a different author due to the vast improvement in writing skill.

I ended up finishing Eragon in about three days and went out and purchased Eldest in hard cover. If I had known it was out in softcover I would have purchased that version but such is life.

I completed reading Eldest in about four days. I considered myself lucky because the third book in the trilogy had just been published. Nothing annoys me more than getting into a good book and having to wait years for the next installment (I'm talking to you J.K. Rawlings!) You can imagine my surprise after reaching the end of Brisingr.

What was published as a trilogy has now become a cycle. That's right, I now have to wait (who knows how many) years before the story will (hopefully) draw to its conclusion in the fourth book of the trilogy.

I did not complain when the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy grew beyond a trilogy but that was different situation. In the case of Hitchhiker's the story had already come to a satisfying conclusion and Douglas Adams added some desert. Such is not the case with the Inheritance trilogy cycle.

I began reading the Inheritance trilogy safe in the knowledge that, if I liked it, I would be able to read all three books and not have to wait for years for the story to conclude. Instead I must now wait an unspecified amount of time for this story to conclude.

As much as I have enjoyed reading the last two books in the series (you have no idea how happy I was to see the writing improve) I would have preferred if the series was never referred to as a trilogy. All stories need a clear beginning, middle and end as well as an outline. As a writer of middling skill myself I understand that sometimes the story can get away from the author as characters begin to take on a life of their own. Carefully laid out plots can quickly go awry when the author realizes that characters have acquired more dimensions. I have found very little real fluff in the series that should be cut in the interests of making the story fit into three books.

I just had to vent. I was hoping to reach a satisfying conclusion when I finished reading the third book today. When I opened Brisingr I did not jump to the back of the book to see how it ends so I was very much surprised to reach the end only to be told that the story would conclude in the fourth book. I can't say I was completely waylaid by the author because as I reached the halfway point of the story and certain plot elements had not been addressed I acquired a sinking feeling that either the ending would leave me empty or there would be another book.

I also have to place a little bit of blame on the young woman at the bookstore. I asked her if she had read it and she told me that she had. I asked her if everything was wrapped up and if the story had left room for a fourth book. She was rather coy in her answer but she never mentioned that there would definitely be a fourth book.

There. That is all I have to say.

PS: I don't know if you meant it as an homage but I kept pronouncing Eragon as "Aragorn". Visions of Lord of the Rings often went through my head while reading the story.

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Hi Folks,

At long last, the good people at GameRanger have answered the cries of millions and have made it so Mac gamers and PC gamers can finally play games together over the internet. Of course, since Apple’s Bootcamp was launched not too long ago, Intel Mac users have been able to do this more or less, but GameRanger closes the gap for all Mac users.

GameRanger is a free download which allows players the ability to play 500 games and demos with anyone in the world. It has some useful and fun features, like profiles, online chats, in game voice chats, and gaming ranks.

I am very much looking forward to fragging some PC users who play some of the Star Wars games. How about you?

To see a list of cross-platform games or to download the program, please goto www.GameRanger.com.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

The Force Drainer

Paul Starybrat

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My foray into the world of Animal Crossing began with Wide World on the DS. I later picked up a copy of the GameCube version of the game but it never caught on with me. When I heard a new version of the game would be coming out on Wii I was excited to say the least. Would this new game follow in the tradition of the DS version or would it go if in some new direction?

I'm happy to say that Animal Crossing City Folk is more of the same. Nothing groundbreaking has been added and none of what made the game great has been removed. Some people might consider that to be a bad thing but I see it as a positive.

The city area is a nice bonus and a few of the characters you used to have wait on now have their own shops right from the beginning of the game. Not all characters have the same job they once did (poor Lyle, the insurance business has not been kind to him) and some of the characters that only appeared once in a while now have permanent shops in the city. There is also a kindly old man who will give you free stuff when you visit the city.

Where the GameCube had a train and the DS had a taxi the Wii gets a bus. You will find a familiar face driving the bus as well as a passenger that you will remember from your earlier experiences with the title.

Before getting off the bus in your new town you have a few options. For one thing you have the ability to bring your character over from your DS or make yourself an entirely new character. When bringing a character over from the DS no items or Bells make the journey but your catalog from Tom Nook's store does. This allows you to quickly purchase some of the items you used to own. If you choose to make a new character you are asked a series of questions before getting off the bus.

Once off the bus you are free to walk around town and explore. Unlike in the DS there are four houses for you to choose from in your new town. While the GameCube also had four houses the houses in the Wii version are spread all over the town. After exploring a house you will find Tom Nook outside wanting to know if you want to buy the house. After working out the details he will give you a part-time job at his store.

Long-time Animal Crossing fans may find this bit boring as the jobs are exactly the same as they were in the earlier games. It may just be that these few jobs are the best way to learn about the game and that is why they have re-used them yet again. After you do the jobs for Tom Nook you will be able to begin paying off your mortgage and buying and selling items in Tom Nook's store.

Most of your time will be spent walking around town. Depending on the month of the year different bugs and fish will be available for catching as well as a few seasonal holidays. For example, during the month of November the forest will be full of little mushrooms. Some of these 'shrooms can be sold for big bells to Tom Nook while others are part of the special mushroom furniture set.

Fishing works the same as in previous versions of the game but now there is also a silver fishing rod that you can get. In fact each of the special items now has a silver version. Most of these silver items can be purchased from Tom Nooks after his store has been upgraded. The gold versions are acquired in the same manner as before.

As in previous games you can donate fossils, bugs, paintings and fish to Blathers in the museum.

Connectivity

Animal Crossing just would not be the same if you couldn't have your friend visit your town. City Folk has taken the co-op fun of Wide World and made it better. With the Wii-Speak mic plugged in (or any USB microphone) you can now talk to your friends while you cruise around town together. As before you have to give your friends a special code so that they can come to your city but otherwise it works much the same as on the DS (except for speech). There is also a suitcase option where you can store your character on a DS Wide world cartridge and visit a friend's town that way.

You also have the option to open up your game to WiiConnect24 which will allow things to enter your game from people outside of your own approved friends.

Controls

I am happy to say that the controls for this game are awesome! City Folk uses the nunchuk for movement and the two buttons on it can be used to perform most actions. In fact you can do almost everything in game just using the nunchuk. You do still need the Wiimote when working with your inventory.

The developers also made one great improvement in that you can push the control pad down to store your currently active item (shovel, net, etc.) and you can press right and left to cycle through those items. Smacking rocks for bugs is now super easy!

Thoughts

If you like Animal Crossing you will like this. There is nothing majorly new in the game but what is there has been polished and made better.

The Wii game can also be linked to the new DS game Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia to unlock bonus content in both games.

The game supports two-player matches over Nintendo WFC as well as the GameCube controller option. Fans of Smash Bros. know how important it is to be able to drop the waggle-system in favor of an old faithful GC controller.

If you look at the widget I posted at the top of the article you can see screenshots and videos from both games. I expect a review copy to arrive shortly and after I play it for a while I will share my complete thoughts on the game with all of you.

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Hi Folks,

Are you looking for great Italian food, New York style pizza, or the best sandwich in CT...for free? Okay, it's not free, but you can win a gift certificate...keep reading.

Mona Lisa...This small, but inviting establishment, gives the diner a truly great experience, no matter what you order. The atmosphere is cozy, warm, and friendly. Erin, one of the waitstaff, will take care of you like no other; she makes you feel as if you are the only person in the restaurant, paying attention to your every need. This is rare in this day and age, when most restaurants try to push the diner out the door as soon as their meal has been consumed.

I have been visiting Chef Abbas at Mona Lisa for about three years and this writer can say, that without a doubt, he is one of the best Italian chefs in Connecticut. Using only the freshest ingredients, he takes special care as he prepares each delectable dish, paying attention to nuance, presentation, and flavor. He boldly creates dishes that you simply cannot find anywhere else, while also creating standard Italian entrees.

Listed here are some of my favorite entrees:

Greek Salad- Everything you’d expect in a great greek salad, but with a bolder than average taste.

Classic Mediterranean Shrimp- Lightly sauteed shrimp in a luscious lemon/butter sauce, tossed over pasta.

Pasta Alfredo- You would swear that Chef Abbas WAS Alfredo. It should be called “Pasta Abbas”. It’s outrageous!

The Mona Lisa Grinder- This is, without a doubt, the BEST sandwich in CT. Words cannot describe it’s flavor, texture, and finish. It’s hard to believe that this is a grinder.

Calzones- You HAVE to try the “meat lovers with mushroom” variety. It’s both completely satisfying and filling.

Pizza- All of them are great, but the ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘pesto’ are to die for. Also, ask for “sausage & mushroom”; their sausage is amazing...never dry or overly greasy and chunky.

CONTEST TIME:

Would you like to win a $25 gift certificate to Mona Lisa Ristorante? Simply goto ROCKWARS and email me, stating your name, email address, and mailing address in the email. The winner will be notified by email. You will not be added to a listserv. Employees of Mona Lisa are not eligible for this contest. This contest is available only through ROCKWARS.

For more information on Mona Lisa, please visit www.monalisaristorante.net.

Cheers,

The Force Drainer - Paul Starybrat