Merry Christmas 2009!

The Christmas season...is a joyous time. It's when the family gets together and decorates a tree, gathers near a fire to roast chestnuts, and simply enjoy each other's company. But most importantly, it's a time to give to one another and to honor God's Son.

We want to wish you a very merry Christmas here at Zoodle, and also remind everyone to keep Christ in Christmas. Maybe we should even remind everyone to keep Christmas in Christmas. All this Happy Holidays stuff is really driving me nuts; remember that Jesus was born, and we celebrate His birthday tomorrow!

Unfortunately, this year hasn't brought us too much snow in Tacoma. Oh well. That's not going to stop the spirit of the season!

Zoodle's 1 year Anniversary

Has it been one year already? Well, considering exactly 365 days have passed since the blog's debut post, I guess that would make today its first year anniversary. I think now would be a good time to reflect on Zoodle's progress thus far...

1. We've managed to keep writing faithfully and not abandoning Zoodle altogether in the first place. It's an all-too-common tragedy that many-a-blog faces wherein an author becomes either too busy or lazy to write (or in this case, "zoodle"): we've managed to stay out of this rut! Let's hope it stays that way.

2. We've found our blog's color and themes that work and have stuck with them. Experimenting is always a good idea, but the switch from rainbow-colored letters in our logo to straight orange was definitely an improvement! Also the light green, orange and blue colors do well to give Zoodle its authentic edge.

3. We've added additional authors to write posts. Having five authors has made Zoodle all the more interesting and unique. I believe it's probably the most significant step this blog has taken to date. What's better than a person pursuing something thoughtfully? Several persons pursuing something thoughtfully!

4. The zoodle characters (creatures?) have given our blog a personality. Not only have they inspired the Resighk Man and The Incredible KayNein stories, but the zoodles have served as a vehicle for some of our posts of satire, and our innovation proclamation. How do you think Zoodle Inc. got started, anyway?

5. Zoodle has been read by a vast variety of audiences, from the indicative inquisitive individual, to the searching sheet-music specimen. An article from this blog has even been read aloud in a high school classroom. Many of these recipients have even contacted us!

Hmm. So it seems this humble blog-the project that started a year ago-has turned out to be adequately decent. Of course it has many more roads to travel before it becomes amazing, but as long as we stay true to the generic theme of Zoodle, and follow the points of the innovation proclamation, perhaps one day this blog will be extraordinary!!

I guess you could say this is the first post of Zoodle's second generation. Wouldn't it be cool if I linked an annual post once every year to the year prior? Well, I guess we'll see what happens next year. For now, we wish you an upcoming Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

What defines a "Good Band?"

Now, I'm going to start this by stating that I understand Music is a very frequented topic on Zoodle. In fact, it's probably one of the most consistent themes used on this blog! But that's not a bad thing in the least, since music is a heavily inspiring element. Depending on the song, music helps inspire one to Zoodle! In fact, just now I'm listening to a great classic by Dream Theater...

I felt moved to write on this subject just now because earlier I was having an online conversation with a friend about a particular band (Which will not be named) that I don't particularly like, but has a large fan base. I remarked that I found it weird they could be so popular, because in my opinion, they weren't anything special! Just a bland type of band...and I thought to myself, "What does it take to be a good band?" In the conversation, I listed a few qualities that I didn't think the band had, and my friend said they didn't need that to be a good bad.

When I hadn't thought deeply about it, I sort of assumed the qualities for being a "good" band, were to be Beautiful, have Appealing Sound, Exciting, Poetic, Unique, and/or overall talent. Some of those are a given, (Have appealing sound, talent) but not everyone cares for Exciting, or Poetic. So it comes down to pure opinion at this point, but can anything truly be judged from pure opinion?

I don't really have a solid conclusion for this one, I'm hoping some people can help me out! Post your ideas below!

Merry Christmas!

Hot Chocolate!

What is better than a big, steaming mug of hot chocolate on a frigidly cold day? Um, not much. Today I was sitting in the big blue recliner chair in my living room, curled up with a blanket--and holding my hot chocolate. Outside the wind was biting, the trees were bare of all leaves, and it was so cold it can't even snow. Yeah, it's cold out there! But there I sat, all warmed up, observing the arctic world outside, and it was glorious.

Hot chocolate is perfect for warming up--both your insides and your hands, and it is so easy to prepare: "just add water!" So, right now as you are reading this, if you are cold, go fix yourself a cup of cocoa. It'll help, I promise!

The Decline of Music

What has happened to music? Back in Jane Austin’s day, all accomplished young ladies were required to know how to play at least the piano, and play well too. And even through half of the 20th century, high schoolers would often gather together around a piano, singing songs that were familiar to all of them. Making music was an enjoyable part of their lives, and they weren’t ashamed to sing out loud. Nowadays, do you ever see that?

No, now people think you’re horribly deprived if you don’t have an iPod, or don't know all the popular songs on the radio. And singing accompanied only by a piano? Ouch, maybe more of us should take voice lessons.

I think it would be so cool to be able to enjoy music the way our grandparents and great-grandparents did, but in our technology-dependant world, it’s looking pretty impossible. Now the times have changed, and the only way your average Joe is going to sing is with the radio blasting loud enough to drown out his own voice.

Hey, look at this awesome app I found on iTunes! Everybody should get this! Then no one would have the awful inconvenience of owning a piano!

Quick Musings on Happiness in general

Sorry about the long period gap between posts, we at Zoodle have been very busy with all our other important meetings, and work related issues...*cough cough* but anyhow, I thought I'd write a small post on being happy.

When we are happy, most of the time, there has been a specific cause for us to have this renewed burst of joy. Maybe you just had a great time with your friends, found out you were going to get a puppy, or maybe even you are going out to ice cream with your family, but nevertheless, it brings you temporary happiness.

You can't really describe happiness...it's just feeling great. I mean, when you feel great, you are happy, and most of the time when you are happy, you feel great. They go hand in hand with each other, but you can't really describe the taste, or sensation of it.

Now that I've just given you a bunch of thoughts that you have probably already determined for yourself, time for my opinion of it all. Some of you may scoff, but I think that the default should be happiness. With all that is out there, and the purpose in our life, why shouldn't we be happy? Even when situations are in the dumps, we always know that we will never have any challenge too difficult for us to face. But as the fallen human race we are, we tend to forget this, and disparage about minor things, that seem big at the time, but turn out to be tiny in the whole grand scheme of things.

When you take a step back, and look at this in perspective, it kind of makes you laugh at yourself. When something "Makes you happy," all it's really doing is simply reminding you that life really is good, and that we have a purpose. I'm not saying that it's wrong to get super excited or happy for something in particular, in fact, I think it's great! But we need to keep that attitude always, maintaining a cheerful attitude even in the worst.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend, and grasp the joy and thanks you will share tomorrow and keep it for the rest of the years to come. Cheers!

(P.S. It's Post 64, which is my favorite number!! Awesome! Now I'm happy! ;D)

Sickness = Zoodless

As we can see from the picture up above, being sick is no fun. But is that all sickness does to you? Deprive you of fun? Nope. Sickness is actually one of a Zoodler's worst enemies, along with dull thoughts, unimaginative brains, and more. The reason sickness falls under this category, is that sickness can turn even the most creative chap into a Dunder-Headed person.



As you can see in the figure above, sickness (Represented by the Green) blocks all creative ports in your brain from connecting and forming an idea. On the left, you see the Healthy person, whose Knowledge Port, (Red) Experience Port, (Brown) Fun Port (Dark Blue) and Imagination Port (Purple) are all flowing their respective juices into the Idea Port (Light Blue) to make all sorts of wonderful Ideas, Zoodles, and other thoughtful pursuits. Now the unhealthy brain to the right, on the other hand, isn't getting any ideas, because the sickness is blocking off each port and coating the Idea port with extra sickness. This is how Sickness blocks off creative ideas.

So now you know about the dangers of sickness, wash your hands before you eat, stay away from peeling paint, and wipe your shoes at the door! Hmm? What's that? Oh am I sick? Yes, as a matter of fact I am. So...?

Hello World!

Greetings, everyone out there. Queso here. I am highly honored to be the newest addition to Zoodle, and will endeavor to post regularly (although most likely posts will be far and few between =}). Currently, I am feeling low on creative juices, so this post is going to be, well, boring. Thanks for inviting me on board!

In Defense of Nightwish...

Oh, the love! Oh, the hate! Oh, the confusion surrounding the symphonic power metal band, Nightwish! Due to the many arising controversies concerning this band, I have decided, in defense of Nightwish, to unearth the many qualities this group possesses in the following statements.

To this day, Nightwish remains my all-time favorite band. First and foremost, I believe Nightwish is immersed in numerous nuances of sound and lyric. Secondly, they are unmistakably unique and authentic, and definitely not dull or boring. Thirdly, their songs are written and composed by a brilliant keyboardist and poet, Tuomas Holopainen. Lastly, I will convey my feelings towards each of the female vocalists, both Tarja Turunen and Anette Olzon.

Some of you might be wondering; what is Nightwish? Nightwish is a female-fronted orchestral-rock band from Finland. They started in 1997 and are currently working on an album-in-progress. Since 1997, they have released 9 albums and numerous singles. From 1997-2005, Tarja Turunen was their lead vocalist. With an operatic style, she defined the essence of the band. In 2005 and the years afterward, Anette Olzon took over the role of lead vocalist. She had a different style, being influenced from Simone Simons from Epica and Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation. The band continues to create award-winning music and shaping the symphonic power metal genre.

One of the defining features of Nightwish are the orchestral accompaniments to metal. A symphony put to metal is one of the coolest ideas ever thought of in music! Syncing electric guitars, vocals and violins (most evident in songs such as Bless the Child) sounds rich and authentic. Some may argue that metal detracts from the orchestra or visa-versa, however I plead quite the opposite. The composer, Tuomas Holopainen can manipulate the metal to enhance the symphonic properties of the music. The dramatic, beautiful symphony can be aided by the course, backbone of metal. With the assistance of female vocals, Holopainen is able to create an extremely epic-like air to the music he creates.

Influenced by extremely gifted composers such as Hans Zimmer, poets such as Walt Whitman, and authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Holopainen embeds many metaphors and allegories in his songs. While most of his early Nightwish song lyrics consisted of mythological and fantasy elements, such as metaphysics and nature, but eventually he shifted to a more personal style. Tarja Turunen is quoted as saying (during their 2002 album, Century Child) that the lyrics no longer deal, "with the dreamland we were used to, but with the brutal reality of life."

Whether the transition from female singers Tarja Turunen to Anette Olzon was good or bad move on Nightwish's part, is constantly debated over. Some adored Nightwish for their front-singer and were extremely disappointed when she was fired (the result of a disision by Holopainen enlightened in an open letter he sent to her). Others say they prefer Olzon and that they are glad the lead singer changed. Personally, I prefer the original singer, Turunen, but openly embrace the style of the new singer, Olzon, as well. The most important part is, the Nightwish songs with Turunen continue to live on to be enjoyed...

All-in-all, Nightwish is a fantastic band that creates authentic, thrilling, and unique sound unparalleled by many others.

Weird is the new cool

Is it just me, or do you find it really, odd, annoying, trying, or all of the above when people say, "Green is the new Black" or, "Stupid is the new cool" or something to that effect? It really bothers me. Because what they are trying to do, is either, change the meaning of a word, thus altering the "Hip" language and creating possibilities for kids to say things they don't mean anymore, or they make certain actions ok. It falls under the same line as using words for uses that make no sense! Try 40 or so years ago when they'd say, "That's solid man!" Solid? What's the point of that?

And this is the king of all kings. Now in Merriam Webster's Dictionary, the definition of "Literally" is

1 : in a literal sense or manner : actually literally> literally insane>
2 : in effect : virtually literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins>

usage Since some people take sense 2 to be the opposite of sense 1, it has been frequently criticized as a misuse. Instead, the use is pure hyperbole intended to gain emphasis, but it often appears in contexts where no additional emphasis is necessary.

We have twisted the meaning of Literally so badly, that now it can mean its exact opposite! Is that disturbing or what?

Anyway, continue with your lives, and just remember, "If at first you don't fricassee, fry fry a hen."

The whole and perfectness of eggs

Is it just me, or is there something satisfying in holding an egg? You would be in the Kitchen, and your mom might be making cake mix, or brownies, and so she gets out the eggs. You become giddy, as your mom lets you crack an egg into the mix. But even before the cracking, when you are holding the egg in your palm, there's a feeling of perfectness. Just the perfect white, round, cold and slightly rough texture of the egg that makes it very awesome to hold. I would always hold it with my hand cupped around it for the most amazing experience possible. And then there is the moment of truth: Cracking the egg to the bowl. Well, it's time to say bye to your friend, the perfect egg, and you crack the egg on the bowl with a satisfying smack, and you pour out it's contents, and look on it all, with a bit of pride, knowing that you did a job well done. You appreciated the egg's roundness, appreciated it's texture when smacking it, and soon, you'll enjoy it's flavor. Overall, a joyous experience...

An Epic epic: Beowulf

Beowulf is an epic written in the earthy times, sometime between the 8th and 11th century. It's one of the finest and most precious pieces of Poetry in Old English, and I, will be studying it sometime later this year in my studies.

And as a side note: I have heard the Movie Beowulf completely twists the story around, so I would not recommend it.

The poem is about the Geaton King Hygelac's Nephew, Beowulf, and how he and 14 companions sail to aid the Danish King Hrothgar. The Danish King's Hall, Heorot, has been ravaged by a savage beast called Grendel for 12 years. Grendel, the monster in human form, has been rendering the Hall uninhabitable, and so this is Beowulf's quest: To rid the Hall of the beast. When Beowulf and his men have arrived, they eat and drink in the hall with the Danes, until the night comes when all but Beowulf and his fellows withdraw from the hall. Slowly, as the night wore on, all of Beowulf's men fell asleep, and when they had, Grendel came and struck out at them all. In the surprise, one of Beowulf's dear friends was killed to his distraught. Beowulf was the only one awake, and though unarmed, managed to wrestle the beast, and with his might strength, mortally wound the beast and have it flee. They then followed the trail of blood to find Grendel.

The Danes now had nothing to fear, and so they all resided in the Hall that night. Safe as they thought they were, the hall was raided by Grendel's mother (She must have been a tough cookie!) and she took one of the Danish Nobles and ran away. But the fearless Beowulf boldly raced after her under the waves into a secret vault. They fought there, and Beowulf bravely defeated Grendels mother. It was there that the body of Grendel lay, and so, when Beowulf emerged from the waves, it was with the severed head of Grendel that he cheered the victory won!

After being richly rewarded by Hrothgar, Beowulf returned to his native land. Hygelac heard his story and showered him with land and money. During the reign of Hygelac and Hygelac's son, Heardred, he was the most well off man in the kingdom. And when Heardred was killed, in a battle with the Sweedes, Beowulf becomes the King of all Gotland.

Beowulf reigned for 50 years in unending prosperity, until a merciless Dragon comes to the land and starts causing destruction. The Dragon residing in a Burial mound, full of treasure, burned even the royal hall to the ground. The Aged King Beowulf resolves to fight this Dragon unaided but for 12 of his warriors. They travel to the mound, and when they reach the entrance, Beowulf places himself by the opening, and shouts a cry of defiance to the Dragon. The Dragon hearing this, rushes with fire gushing out of his jaws, to Beowulf and overpowers him. The sight is such a horrid, awful and pitiable sight, all of the warriors but one run away in fear. The one remaining, Wiglaf, though yet untried in battle, did not run, nor did he flee when even Beowulf told him too, attacked, and helped overturn the tide of battle, and together they did slay the beast, though not without a mortal blow to Beowulf. In Beowulf's last moments alive, Wiglaf shows him the treasures in the cave they have found. Beowulf names Wiglaf successor to the thrown, and then lays his head down...one...last...time....

When Wiglaf and the others return to Gotland to project the news, the people mourn for the loss of their hero, their King Beowulf, and they have a cremation for the king, in which his body is consumed along with the treasure that was found. Wiglaf becomes King, and honors Beowulf, by having 12 Warriors parade around his ashes.

That is the touching, memorable, and wonderfully poetically structured Epic that I will be studying. And though it be 3182 lines, let this keep you not from reading it. And now live the rest of your life, and hopefully, somewhere in your heart, you will have a new respect, for the Heroic, the Brave, the King Beowulf.

A Tribute to a Tribute

Today is the 200th year anniversary of the birth of Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr; a brilliant poet, author, physician, professor, and lecturer from America.

As a Harvard graduate, he pursued law briefly before settling into a medical profession. He engaged in writing at an early age, and had many of his works published to the The Atlantic Monthly (a magazine named by Oliver himself). Additionally, he won numerous honorary degrees from many universities, comparing him to many of the other Boston's literary elites such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and James Russell Lowell of whom he knew personally.

A work of his, "Old Ironsides", is a poem he wrote on September 16, 1830 as a tribute to the 18th century frigate, the USS Constitution.

Old Ironsides by Oliver Holmes

Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon’s roar; —
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.

Her deck, once red with heroes’ blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o’er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor’s tread,
Or know the conquered knee; —
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!

Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!

The ZoodleMobile!

Yes folks, it's arrived! Rolled right out of the Zoodle Factory! The ZoodleMobile! It's the Zoodles pride and joy, and they are so happy about it! It was made all by the Zoodles, with a little bit of help from Spore Vehicle Editor, and it's flowing with imagination. It runs on Creative juices, so no need to worry about gas.

Note the Pencil on the top, along with the light bulb. The propeller was made in hopes that it would fly, but alas, it could not lift the car, so it's more of a sign of the Zoodles idea. Who knows? Maybe someday there will be a Zoodle Plane? Or a Zoodle Boat? Could one day, there possible be a...Zoodle Space Ship? Who knows what the Zoodle Factory will build next? As long as Creativity, Imagination, and Motivation remain, they can build anything!

Microsoft's Zune HD will release September 15

Incredible...the incredible Zune MP3 player made by Microsoft is coming with a touch version: Zune HD. This innovative device will feature HD radio, multi-touch, pristine accelerometer (better than even the iTouch or iPhone), a 3.3-inch touch-screen OLED display, high-definition video output, internet browser, potential apps store, "mixi view" showing related artists, HD video streaming with Xbox 360 and a lot more. Some other innovative features like radio song tagging and downloading make this device a standout, not to mention it is one of the first released devices to release radio HD.

Music has never been this interactive. With a downloaded album, you will recieve an artist bio and artist-relevant infromation during play (which is an optional feature).

If you want to see a hands-on video of the Zune HD, you can see it here.

16 and 32 GB models will be available at $220 and $290 respectively. To be compared with the iTouch's prices...the 16 and 32 GB models for those Apple devices are $299 and $399 respectively.

Looks like Zune is once again trumping the iPods previous models. All of the zoodles at the Zoodle Factory are ready to sell their iTouches and get their new Zune HDs.

We're all pumped for this brand-new device!

Edit: Click here for a 360 view of this glossy new device!

Google's new operating system...well we've got Twurl.

Well, it's sure seems like it's a far ways away from now, but as you can see here Google has spilled some screenshots of their new operating system. Pretty intense. From our previous post concerning this topic, you can see (as portrayed by a cartoonist) that Google is wanting a change from Windows.

It's not Windows, Mac, Linux, nor Google Chrome OS, it's Twurl. Unfortunately, It appears as if Twurl will never be available to the public. We'll have more on this later, including sceenshots...it's fun to be part of the operating system-releasing gang. =)

Ztech is up 'n running

As the browser comparison, good upcoming alternative to Windows, and Zoodlebar posts pointed out, here at Zoodle we also like reviewing, hinting and tipping about software. That's what Ztech is all about. We'll be seeing more from this soon...please bear with us as we are working our hardest to bring you some cool new stuff...

♫ Featured Song: The Mariner's Revenge Song ♫

This is one of my favorite songs, from one of my favorite artists. If, you didn't guess, it's The Mariner's Revenge Song, by the Decemberists, on the album Picaresque. It's a gripping tale of a young boy, and how this man came to his widowed mother, and then later left them with all his gambling debts, which drove the mother mad, eventually, killing her. This is his epic story of how he seeks revenge against this man.

The writing from this band astounds me, I hope someday to use language so poetic as that, as freely as they do. They seem to know how to word things so perfectly, yet understandably. His singing style is different, and takes some getting used to, but I really have learned to enjoy it much. I hope you all feel the same way about this song as I do, it's well worth listening to all 8:48 minutes and seconds of it.

New Zoodle Press Conference: COMING SOON

Things sure are brewing here at Zoodle Inc. in Seattle, Washington. We are proud to announce that a brand-new Innovation Proclamation will be presented soon. We hope to give you the top reasons for this blog's success, adding to our previous presentation.

Of course, who knows when we will release it. "Soon", as the title states will have to suffice for now.

Zoodle 2.0 is Here #50

Expect some revolutionary turns for this blog in this update.

With more writers than ever before, more minds collaborating than ever could be imagined, and ideas expressed in so many new ways...

We proudly introduce Zoodle 2.0.

As the first installment of this update, we will be disconintuing the blog post-numbering system. Now that we're on our 50th post, we deemed it only appropriate. We believe that, with the title of 2.0, this blog is truly out of it's adolescence and ready to move on to greater things.

We are now the official blog of Project Orange and have signed a contact that will be released to the public soon.

Also, a new Innovation Proclamation will once again highlight this blog's content in a informative light: this time with it's new features.

There are these and much more you can expect in the future, and we are working hard to ensure these all arrive at completion.

Thank you,

David

Will you rate Zoodle? (hmm...how about WHAT will you rate Zoodle?) #49

When you browse through the pages of Zoodle, what number sticks in your mind (and no, I'm not referring to our special number nine)? In this confusing world of opinions, we wouldn't want to sway your vote by any means, so we'll not bother to mention our awesome Blogged.com score of 8.0. But of course, who knows? Maybe it was out of 50. Maybe even 100! Ooohh...let's hope not.

In any case, we encourage you to rate Zoodle for yourself. That would just be Hunky-dory. And no, the zoodles don't get to vote. Sorry guys, but wouldn't that be just a little biased? And I don't mean to be mean, but could they even pass as registered voters in the first place...?

Recently we presented our blog to BlogRaters.com. They're a group of blog raters (as the name states) who critque various blogs sent in by email. Once they are reviewed, they post the review on their site.

They have all of their rated blogs organized by category, so if you're trying to find that informative Peronsonal Finance blog to help resolve your financial needs, you've got a one-way trip to their front door with Blog Raters.

Pretty sweet deal.

So again (in case your forgot) feel free to rate Zoodle!

Browser Comparison #48

The official browser comparison is released! Please view it on Project Orange.
Note: each browser is critiqued solely by me and my experience: I installed each and every one of these browsers and tried them out, exploring the various features each one had to offer.

Please see the comparison here.

The results may surprise you...Feel free to comment on this afterward. I'd be interested to see what you think!

♫ Featured Song: Stargazers ♫ #47

Today's featured song is Stargazers by Nightwish. An energetic, melodic lead to their Oceanborn (1998) album. This awesome song combines exuberant violins, super-fast drumming (you gotta love that double-pedal), and exotic-sounding, freestyle electric guitar. Additionally, vocal-violin synchronization, soft flute playing and the ever-famous violin-guitar synchronization create an intensely satisfying sound.

I believe this song to be one of their best; it has drastic variation in areas and a high-velocity beat. You can play it by click the play button above, or click here.

By now you might have noticed numerous references to Nightwish, so now is just about a good time as any to introduce you to a fantastic Nightwish FanForum: Nighquest.

Ever wanted to delve into Nightwish conspiracy? Discuss and debate with other Nightwish fans and view other exciting topics!

Yes yes, I strongly encourage to check it out if you have any interest in this band!

How much wood woud a woodchuck chuck? #46

Well, as I woke up this morning, the old tongue twister "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" came to mind, and I laughed as I recalled the verse I add to prolong the fray "A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood." But, all of a sudden, it dawned on me...how do I, Donald, know that to be the truth? What gives me the divine power of deciding how hard a woodchuck would work? What was I thinking?

But questions led to questions, and finally, I asked myself, whoever wrote that song, must have assumed a woodchuck couldn't chuck wood. Who knows? Maybe they can, we've just never seen it! Why are they undermining the power of a woodchuck? What gives them the right to decide what a woodchuck can or can not do? I was twirling around in all that perplexity when I saw the light. It doesn't matter. Who cares if a woodchuck can chuck wood or if it can't? I don't care if I lie about a woodchuck! The woodchuck doesn't care! For crying out loud he can't even speak to me, let alone comprehend the full force of these questions!

Thank you for listening to my theory, and all of those in the back row can wake up now!

Zoodle 2.0 Coming Soon #45

You can expect many interesting additions arriving to the upgraded Zoodle 2.0 very soon. We will be improving the interface, build on our Zoodle-esque atmosphere, and will very soon be directly affiliated with Project Orange (although currently we state we are "the official blog of Project Orange", it isn't quite official yet).

Please see the zoodles working here. Seems like the Zoodle Factory is putting a work crew together.

Yes, I see a new Innovation Proclamation coming up sometime...a web browser comparison/review...and many exciting stories coming up in our future. With multiple authors, who knows where this blog will go.

Ahhh...the sweet taste of Nectar. Or do you prefer the sweet taste of Artifiicial Flavoring? #44

Have you ever tasted anything as sweet, or as fruity as Kerns Nectar? They are so delicious! Made with real fruit juice. They definitely live up to their slogan, "Every sip is like a bite of fresh fruit." In my experience, as you drink it you can almost feel a connection with nature.

Ah yes...bring in the high fructose corn syrup and the citric acid with this carbonated drink. So sweet and so resfreshing! The name Fanta orinates from the German word "fantasie" which means imagination or fantasty. Defintely an accurate portrayal of this FANTAstic soda!

So the battle's on. Who will you vote for?

Let the creative juices flow! #43

Yes, those are Zoodles. And to top it off, they are 3D Zoodles! I created them myself using the Spore Creature Creator Trial. The game spore looks incredible, and for those who don't know what it is, check it out here. I'm planning to buy the full game soon, and then I'll have a whole mass of strange and wacky creatures.

Isn't it amazing though? That two incredibly creative sources, those being Zoodles and Spore, can mix together and create a masterpiece? You can download the trial here to make your own amazing creations. And yes, they have the trial for Windows AND Mac.

Yet another new Zoodler! #42

~Knute here, the newest Zoodler! I'm very excited to be a part of this up and coming blog, and I hope that I won't be too lazy about posting.

The Triumphs and Perils of The Incredible KayNein #41

The Triumphs and Perils of The Incredible KayNein! Having read the introduction to our new Hero, I'm sure you're excited to read his first Triumph (or will it be a peril?)...


"Yap Yap Yap Yap!" Yapped Yo-Yo, the Yorkie.

The Incredible KayNein sprang to his feet! It was time for his daily walk! He had Yo-Yo trained to bark at exactly 3:00 p.m. everyday.

"Good boy Yo-Yo! Here's a treat for the King of Canines, the Prince of Pups, my little E-dog-uel..." praised KayNein while giving him one slab of Bacon and one link of Sausage.

KayNein believed that Dogs should only receive the best. After fastening on Yo-Yo's Diamond studded Collar (which KayNein hated putting on him, he hates taking away Dogs' freedom) and clipping on his Gold threaded silk leash, he headed outside into the driveway of his house. It was a beautiful Sunny Day that anybody taking a walk would have appreciated, but not KayNein. He was much too worried about the sun rays drying out Yo-Yo's skin, for he calculated it might cause his skin to be 5% less hydrated that day! KayNein pooped out a Parasol, and held it over his much beloved friend as they walked around the town.

They were approaching there favorite picnicking spot, when all of a sudden, KayNein heard a cry from the distance, as well as a Bark! He (along with Yo-Yo) were off in an instant, to find out what was amiss! What they came up to, was none other than a boy and his Dog, stopped from going into a field by none other than an evil NO DOGS ALOUD sign!

The Boy cried "No! They can't do this to me and Brussey! We've been going to this park ever since I was 6! And today's my sixth birthday too! Waaaaaah!"

"You're right! The Local Property owners have no right to restrict you from taking your dog onto this beautiful field in front of the Financial Business Center! That's some of the greenest grass around! It should be illegal for anyone to take there dog on grass that's any less green than this! Don't worry son, I'll take care of this!" cried KayNein, infuriated at the owners of the property.

And with that, he broke the sign in two, and the he broke it in four, and then he broke it into eight, then he broke it into 16! The Boy stared and KayNein in wonder, and then broke into a mighty cheer as he ran with his dog Brussey into the green grass next to the parking lot. KayNein sighed with happiness, as he saw the boy running around, imitating none other than himself.

"Come on, Yo-Yo, lets go home. Another Triumph for the Incredible KayNein!" said KayNein with a proud glow on his face.

That little boy got home and told his parents the whole story, and they were so happy, they bought him his own super hero suit, hoping that there child would treat dogs, like KayNein does everyday.

The moral of the story, is Dogs deserve better than an afterthought, they deserve to be treated like we would treat the President of the United States, or Confucius, or even Harry Potter!

The adventure, will continue...

The little boy from the story made a video for us all to enjoy, here it is!

Need a good alternative to Windows? #40

So you don't like Windows huh? Is it predjudice? Dislike for Bill Gates? Or maybe you just would like a change. Well, you could try a Mac OS, but why spend a whole lot of money for a different operating system? Well fear not readers! In late 2010, everybody's favorite Google will be releasing a Google Operating System! It's said that it will be a lighter operating system, targetting the Netbook products. Wow, I can't wait to see what it's like...can you?

Another new Zoodler!!!!! #39

yes it is me the newest zoodler and the zoodle's (only) foreign correspondent!!! more zoodles to follow I'm sure

A new Hero emerges from the depths...#38

What's this? A new hero to join Resighk Man? Why...is that a dog that emblazons our good guy #2's chest?

Yes it is! And his name is The Incredible KayNein! He's out to spread the word of animal-loving, wildlife saving, and pet liberating! Who knows what fiendish fiends he will encounter...or what animal abusers he will demolish...but whatever the animal-preservative task, The Incredible KayNein is up for it!

Now...I believe a new Zoodler has been added to this blog...so maybe most of the stories of KayNein will be written by Donald? Yeah, sure! I mean, who created AND had the idea KayNein anyway...?

A new Zoodler has arrived! #37

Hello, this is Donald, just letting you all know that a new Zoodler has come, with more to follow. Just try not to laugh at my posts too badly? Ok?

Want to play Perfect Dark on your computer? #36

Want to play Perfect Dark on your computer? Too bad. Bahahaha just kidding, just thought I'd psych you out there for a bit.

Alright...we all enjoy our classic Nintendo 64 first person shooters, so what if you could download them and play them on your computer? Well you can. (DUN DUN DUN!!!) That's right, you can play as Joanna Dark on your own computer with an Emulator (the "console" or reader) and a ROM (the "game" itself).

Want to know how? It's easy, just go here:

Joanna Dark: Special Agent - Get the Game

Learn how to play it with your Xbox 360 controller as well...

Want more Nintendo 64 ROMs? Go here:

Emulator64

Is anyone detecting any consistencies? Advertising Project Orange sites, do you ask? Well, technically no because you aren't supposed to know about Project Orange yet, so you can't accuse me of advertising. ♫Ha-ha!♫

"Project Orange"? #35

What is Project Orange? That's what all the zoodleswant to know.

Recently, here at Proj--err, I mean Zoodle we have been working hard to create a new program that will unite websites and enhance the internet one site at a time. We're not allowed to tell you what it's called yet.

For those of you who worry, you should finish worrying now. First off, 99% of the things you worry about don't happen (according to some study) and secondly because I foresee the name of this blog not changing, not to mention the themes, writers, and ideas will remain the same. But an anonymous team of Zoodlers will soon be revealed...and there will be some slight change to the this blog. Err, on second thought, forget the "slight" part.

Anyway, as you wait (anxiously, I'm sure) for this secret to be revealed, we invite you to take a peek at this...page of no significance.

The Project Orange Program

(don't get your hopes up. As informative as the above link looks, at least as of now it won't tell you much more then what I have told you already)

♫ Featured Song: Love Story Meets Viva La Vida♫ #34

A song composed by Jon Schmidt. Truly beautiful to say the least. It "combines" Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" into one epic classical piece.

Soon the MP3 will be available for download at Jon Schmidt's site. Check it out!

PS. Arg. The YouTube video's width extends beyond it's parameters. >=( --Oh well, it's definitely worth it!

The ADVENTURES of Resighk Man! #33

Having read Resighk Man's proposal to make the world a greener place, I'm sure you'll all excited to read his first big adventure.

There was a lazy rustling in the wind in the sleepy town of Bloomsbury, Massachusetts one boring summer afternoon. As Lazy Billy rose from his comfy couch, he heard his stomach growling. Standing up, he slouched his way across his trash-ridden living room floor. There were piles of old pizza boxes, torn plastic bags and used aerosol cans. Upon opening his refrigerator (and hearing the corroded fridge door hinges groan) and reaching in past the ice cream, soda and firecrackers, and retrieved the coveted cream puffs.

Taking a handful from the family-size bag, he stuffed cream puffs into his mouth, letting some of the cream fly out at intermittent moments when he opened his mouth to yawn. Grabbing a nearby remote control and a random bag consisting of half of last night's popcorn, he turned on each of his TVs and flipped to his favorite shows: Happy Days, Leave it to Beaver, and Lazy Town.

All of a sudden he heard a loud crashing sound from outside. He rushed to the door (if you can call flopping rushing) and to his chagrin saw Fit Freddy on the pavement with a skinned knee beside a bowling ball with bits of asphalt stuck on it. Upon seeing the large dent in the side of his house, Lazy Billy screamed:
"What did you do?!"

"I'm sorry," replied Fit Freddy, "but it seems I have projected a bowling ball in the general direction of your house."

"And how did you come about doing so?" inquired Billy, with a sneer on his lip (and some cream).

"Well I was just planting some chrysanthemums in your garden when..."

"You were doing what?? Planting chrystalanthemums?"

"Chrysanthemums."

"Whatever! You know what I think about having a bit o' green in my garden!"

"I know...but your place seems so...environmentally unconscious."

"Well you might take a hint from the way I think about the environment!"

"Oh...I am not aware of this. What is your view of going green?"

"I think going green is just about as important as juggling a bowl of dog snot!" Billy bellowed. Poor Freddy was shocked as Billy continued, "And not only that, but as I see it, it's just as much of a time-waster as taking off each bristle on a toothbrush, dipping it in bleach, and replacing it! If the world was drowning in chicken noodle soup and green goers made a boat, I would sink! If a psychedelic folk song played "The root forms of Portuguese irregular verbs" and a book with that title was written by a pin-cushion manufacturer whose chairman had a dog who was featured in a "Go Green Daily" program, I would delete it off my iTunes!"

Freddy looked bewildered. "...I lost you at the noodle soup."

"Well whatever! You get the point. Now get off my property or I'll call the cops!"

"OK...fine," the Fit man consented. "Just understand that I'm going to do everything in my power to integrate green in your LIFE!" After subtly dropping another seed in Billy's garden, he was off in a jiffy.

"Heh. That'll teach him. But I'm still wondering how he got that skinned knee..." Lazy Billy snorted. But little did he know, Fit Freddy was truly intending to keep his word. Other than being the host of a show called "The Lazy E" (a show that tests the best green solutions - products and services - in real world situations.), he concealed a secret identity. After running in the street like Forest Gump, he stripped his coat and took to the sky. Fit Freddy is none other than green-going Resighk Man!!

TO BE CONTINUED...

For all of you interested in Fit Freddy's show "The Lazy E", here is quick excerpt of what's to come:

YouTube Scoope: Nunchuck Skillz #32

Check out this cool video my friend Tomás discovered. I'm pretty sure Napoleon Dynamite would have to drop his jaw off the floor, seeings as these guys really have those nunchuck skills.

And to make it better, it's playing Nightwish in the background! What a stellar combination...

Å det Fatherland! #31

Utrolig utrolige! Our good friends, the Norskis took a trip to their Fatherland; Norway! They stayed with their uncle and he was able to take them to several major cities there. Please read their blog for more information. We hope to hear tales of their adventures soon, so stay posted!

http://norskifyorski.blogspot.com/

Glorious Revolution #30

Finals are over! Summer is here! Now it is time to see Zoodle sparkle again, basking in it's former light of constant-updating. We hope to present you with more Zoodle posts during this summer break...

I named this post the Glorious Revolution, because it is the awing return of Zoodle. However, I retrieved the name from the Revolution of 1688, which consisted of the overthrow of King James II of England by Parliament and the rise of William of Orange. As you may have noticed, this particular time in history has no similarity to the situation of Zoodle, but I figured it would be an appropriate title anyhow.

In the picture here we have William III (William of Orange) on his gallant steed in his landing of Brixham, Torbay. Doesn't it look glorious?

With that snippet of English history, Zoodle shall once again continue it's endeavor of news, thoughtful pursuits and the like. Stay tuned!