5 comments about Buying and Selling the Souls of Our Children.

1. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have given it a star at all. Where is there evil in Pokemon? Can someone tell me?

   Each episode of the television show has a message, Ash has a dream to strive to be the best in what he loves to do. That's a positive message if I've ever heard one.

   Take for instance, this one episode which showed that everybody in the "pokemon" universe were being watched by the three legendary Pokemon for when humans and Pokemon. Humans and Animals, work and co-exist as one, if that isn't a good thing or a positive message, then I don't know what is.

   You tell us to open our eyes ... well open yours.

   ( Little edit: LILO AND STITCH?! ... Geez. You people. Attack something that deserves it. )




2. Pokemon is not bad I'm telling you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! People
   say this book is good. I don't think so.........................
   If I could choose I would give 0 and I mean 0 stars... Do not by this book. Pokemon are never bad and going to live.



3. Sort of sad when an author is nonsensically threatened by a succesful toy franchise, don't you think?

   Anything popular with children seems to be automatically labled as 'evil' nowadays by these types.

   Ignore this book completey, not worth your or anybody's time.




4. Hello, I'm a 12-year-old who has been a fan of Pokémon since I was in kindergarten (That would be 1999, I believe). And, trust me, I don't think I'm getting guided 'down the wrong path'. I think I would know if I was doing anything that would guide me to the devil, or whatever.
   
   Let me tell the world one thing. I do not care if people hate Pokémon. Pokémon haters are okay with me; I'm mature enough to realize that not everyone likes the same things I do. What I do care about is when people blindly make misconceptions about the subject matter of their concerns. This is a case of the latter.
   
   I am not obviously going to buy the book to read every single thing that it discusses, but I will try to string together some sense of the matter from all the information I know, as well as online newspaper articles from other concerned adults.
   
   First of all, the Excerpt from the Look Inside This Book. The title of the chapter is 'The War Over Souls'. And, nothing in the excerpt mentions Pokemon. They could be talking about Magic: The Gathering in the introduction (which I don't play or even know that much about, by the way), but it all sounds very fishy.
   
   The way it's described attempts to hook its readers in and change their opinions using the propaganda technique (I learned about that recently, and I was indeed paying attention, which is pretty surprising for a Pokemon player, huuuh?). The words are ever so slightly tuned negatively. 'Battling for control' implies warmongers like Genghis Khan and 'channeling white spirits' invokes images of evil witches. But nobody is fooling me. (I'm not talking about Pokemon, by the way. Even if I was a Magic the Gathering player, I would still not be fooled, for all I know it's not as seductive as made out to be.)
   
   Now let's look at some key phrases.
   
   using psychic powers, various psychic powers, selling the souls, using rage, using electric shock, using poison, penetrating stare, body slams
   
   So, obviously, at one point in this book, it discusses the 'elements' of Pokemon. Psychic powers, first of all. I went on to one of my favorite unofficial Pokemon websites, where the creator of the website faces a similar challenge of tackling the adversary's claims. First of all, 'psychic powers'. The general claim is that one character, Kadabra, has a pentagram on his head, a spoon (mimicking a Jewish man named Uri Geller) and his stomach looks like a Nazi symbol. But, all three of those claims are not true. Most art of Kadabra is small, so it's hard to tell which direction the star on Kadabra's head is facing, but an episode featuring it recently aired and I can verify it's a star. The spoon was an unintentional coincidence and signifies Kadabra's intelligence, and the stomach has one too many lines to look like the Nazi symbol, so that's also a false claim. Kadabra is simply an intelligent Pokemon which uses psychic power (which, according to a quick search on Wikipedia, has nothing to do with speaking with the devil, or any such claims - psychic power, according to the Wikipedia article on Psychic, simply means using the power of mind over matter to a point where it transcends the confines of your brain and causes ESP) to conquer difficult problems; that's all there is to it.
   
   Using rage - this is simply a matter of wildlife - in my opinion Rage does not specifically refer to the strong emotion in humans, but a more animal-level, primal thing, like how a rhinoceros feels it must mark its territory and thus it is prompted to attack. Electric shocks, well, I don't see any kids running around with stun guns yet. Surely it must control some primal, spiritual element - but really, I just rubbed my hair against the back of my chair and created static electricity. Does that make me evil?
   
   Poison, penetrating stares, and body slams are all things that animals do, and more often than not, they do it to protect themselves. I won't use the example of a snake for poison since snakes are often associated with the devil, and I won't even use a spider for bonus points. Instead I'll use the bombardier beetle. It can spray acid from its abdomen to defend itself. And it's practically the lowest life form you can get. I doubt it has any connection with anything shady. Many animals use penetrating stares or other self-defensive maneuvers in order to ward an opponent off of its territory. Take the frill-necked lizard. Yes, I know this one is somehow more 'evil' due to its reptilian nature, but the frill-necked lizard simply opens its frill when it's scared, and makes it look bigger so a predator can't come any closer. And a body slam is something I'd do in a pillow fight.
   
   Now, I know that these things (especially poisoning and using weapons, which I will discuss now) could still possibly influence children. But here's a little wake-up call to people who still think the fictional characters are controlling kid's minds.
   
   Yes, I have heard that there have been kids who have fought and seriously injured other children to gain posession of Pokemon cards. But, as far as I know, these kids have also had prior problems, usually getting abused by their parents or socially inept due to the things around them. That said, they have suffered psychological abuse and want to feel more respected. They found a medium in Pokemon cards. But, Pokemon cards are not the seductionists (if that's even a word; I am unsure of the word for 'one who seduces'). Even the already popular kids, ones who are happy with their lives and already feel good, collect Pokemon cards, so Pokemon cards can't really be devices to draw lonely kids in. It's a kid-side problem; the poor kids saw all the other ones playing Pokemon and wanted to join in to to feel better. But, due to previously said psychological trauma, they took out their frustration on the other kids to get what they wanted.
   
   And, plus, I know some people who have blamed Pokemon on the Columbine incident. That is a total lie. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (I'm sure that's what their names were) faced severe psychological trauma and had trouble fitting in; nobody has ever proved that they played the (as far as I'm concerned) innocent cards.
   
   More and more controversies surround Pokemon. There was a woman who believed that a Pokemon named Jynx was a black stereotype, when really it was based off of a viking, and the 'black skin' is really purple (It used to be a very dark purple, almost black, but was lightened to prevent more controversy).
   
   People even say that the Pokerap says "I love Satan" when played backwards. With my parent's permission, I recorded my voice singing along to the Pokerap as a test, and backwards, it sounded like "I Mash The Kay Reck". It's really bologna.
   
   People have said Pokemon like Murkrow and Houndoom are evil, but really, I've never seen kids going around chanting "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble".
   
   Many people say EVOLUTION is bad, because either a) it's Darwin's evolution or b) it loses its personality and gets a different psyche. Pokemon evolution is... get this... GROWING UP. Seriously. An evolved Pokemon is just a little bigger, older and stronger than the form before. Some evolution is more drastic, like Wurmple into Silcoon/Cascoon and then Beautifly/Dustox, but that mimics the life cycle of the butterfly. There is no natural selection or 'changing spirits' or whatever involved.
   
   And many things in Pokemon teach positive values. I know many people who have called Pokemon cockfighting before, or animal cruelty, but did you know that Pokemon can actually refuse to fight if they wish? Ash's Charizard refused to fight for a large amount of the series. If the trainer (which is normally just an unarmed ten year old kid) really had total domination over their 'slave', wouldn't their Pokemon (which can be very powerful) usually refuse to fight?
   
   Some people have even resorted to saying that the Pokeball is a mind control device, and only really strong-willed ones like Charizard can escape the mind control. But Charizard doesn't try to get away from Ash. He merely falls asleep, which means he can't be bothered to battle. All Pokemon have their own free will.
   
   And Pokemon are respected; they are buried in decorative graves when they die; which signifies that their trainer really cares about them.
   
   But wait, why do they even die in the first place? Shouldn't trainers know when to call off the battle?
   
   Simple, they stop it. Trainers can recall their Pokemon if they're getting hurt, and sometimes, Pokemon can be knocked out. But the trainers run immediately to the Pokemon Center (which is like a Pokemon hospital) if it gets to that. They really do care about the wellbeing of their Pokemon, even though they do battle. And really, the Pokemon don't seem to mind that much. They have their own free wills, and usually don't care about battling, so the Pokemon think it's okay.
   
   I'm one of the biggest Pokemon fans you'll ever see; I know every creature. But I wouldn't harm a fly, I am not affected negatively by these wonderful creatures which I love so much. In fact, my life has been enriched by these characters, and through Pokemon I have gained many friends, none of which have any bad intentions either. I am walking proof of Pokemon's true effect on children.
   
   So, I do not harbor any evil spirits that have drawn me in to take control. I am not being turned evil; I think I would know if I was killing people with poison, or laughing cruelly as Ash's Pikachu falls in the show. But I'm not.
   
   However, I do want to try and spread the word about the unfortunate misconceptions that surround the Pokemon franchise. That is my crusade.
   
   And I hope I have fulfilled a purpose in explaining this today.
   
   For more information on the virtues, rather than vices, in Pokemon's games, cards, show and more, search the web for "We All Live in A Pokemon World", in quotes. You may find a very informative website. Read every last bit, and after the read, I hope you will feel enlightened...
   
   This is 'Officer' Jordan, signing out. (Yes, I'm really 12.)



5. Let's get one think straight this product deserves no stars. This was a pathetic attempt to make money. How desperate do people get?? I'm a very strong Christian but even I see this junk is nonsense. (By the way I'm 21.)
   Pokemon evil? I think I almost died laughing. I mean the show teaches morals for repeat sakes! Lil pikachu is evil? As for thunder shock.....so what?? who cares if a mouse can generate electricity! How does that make it evil? Body slam? Rage? Penetrating stare?? These are just abilities people!
   
   Most pokemon represent actual animals in real life. Caterpie=catapillar, Tauros=bull, so on, so forth. What happens when a bull sees red? It gets angry with oh I don't know....rage? Rage is just a fancy word for I'm really mad and now I'm gonna getcha. Gee that sounds evil. Body Slam? Oh boy where have I seen this? Sumo wrestling? Oh right that must be evil too. Now the most stupid claim....penetrating stare?????? How stupid can one person be? Wild animals do this all the time. They protect their territory and is basically a non verbal or in this case non growl version of back off or else. Basically its us telling someone trying to hurt us.....I don't want to hurt you so just back off.
   
   Com'on people, you're smarter than this. You need to stop listening to these fools making junk up and decide for yourself. Watch an episode or two yourself. Try the game. You'll find no reason for worry. When I was a kid my mom watched everything I did. She was involved in my life. I loved Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, so forth, so on. She let me know when something was wrong. She heard rumors about nintendo being devil worshippers or pokemon being an occult, yes it worried her but she checked it out herself and saw no problems. Don't be stupid, think for yourself.

No comments about Yu-Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament (Prima Official Game Guide).

3 comments about Tricks of the Mac Game Programming Gurus.

1. This book gives many insights into practical programming for the Macintosh. Game programmers typically have unique obstacles to overcome. This book describes many programming techniques not described in other books on Macintosh programming.

   One of its strengths is that it's written by experts in their field. The chapter on porting games from other platforms, for example, was written by people who have ported many popular games to the Macintosh platform. Thirteen authors are listed in the book, each covering topics they know well.

   Modern topics, such as QuickDraw 3D and optimizing code for PowerPC are covered. Enjoyable reading and an excellent reference. CD-ROM included.




2. This book is by far the best book I've ever read on Macintosh programming. You should have knowledge of basic C programming on the Mac (buy Dave Mark's Learn C on the Macintosh) and then you can just jump right in.

   I have taken two classes on C++ programming (for UNIX) and I had virtually no experience programming for the Mac. This book covers absolutely anything you want to know about making games; from an excellent chapter on networking (written by Stuart Chesire, creator of Bolo) to an even more impressive chapter on PowerPC optimization. It covers basic sprite animation, advanced sprite animation, and it also has a great chapter on audio... this is the MUST GET Mac game programming book.

   Above all this, it is an absolute joy to read. It contains interviews with other big names in the mac industry - for instance, Jason Jones of Bungie - and gets their tips and tricks for making killer games.

   This is one of those books that you will consult every day in the development of a mac game.




3. This is an essential guide to the tricks and finer points of Macintosh game programming. This book has the best examples I've seen in any programming reference. The concepts and programming tips are taught in a manner that help you go beyond what the book contains and develop your own methods as well.

   The writing is excellent (you can read this book like a novel, rather than just use it as a reference), and the topics covered are just what a beginning or slightly seasoned programmer are looking for - from sprite blitting routines that blow away what the toolbox has to offer, to multi-channel audio tips, to networking and AI development, and a great chapter on porting from Windows.

   I cannot stress highly enough how much help this book is to a MacOS game programmer.

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No comments about Bridge Baron Companion - How to Get the Most Out of Your Computer Bridge Game.

1 comments about StarFox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. This Strategy Guide is a very good thing to have! When I got this it helped me through all the things I had no idea how to get to, like Darkice Mines, I had no idea how to get up to that vortex but now I do haa! anyways anyone who has this game get this guide its very good and well written! The game isawesome too so ppl who don't have it get it holla!!!!!!!!!!!!

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1 comments about Duke Nukem Total Meltdown; Exclusive Strategy Guide.

1. I got this game when it first came out, and I did not know what to do in the later levels. I borrowed this guide from a friend, which later I purchased. It was extremely useful in providing tips and hints for levels. This is a must have for the special levels which are only in Total Meltdown. There are some cool artworks, overall a decent strategy guide.