FEBRUARY 24, 2014

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VOLUME V, ISSUE IV

CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2014

FEEL LIKE WASTING MONEY ON GAMES?

By Kaylin Lopez

Do you have money just laying around just using up space in your wallet? Well, how about buying a suit of samurai for the “Sims Free Play” game for $15? How about $100 for a sports car in “Real Rac-ing 3”? Or even more money -- a $600 bear gun in “Gun Bros.”? Many people, especially kids, have cell phones and play their favorite games on them. With more people playing games, more things are being bought and more money is being wasted. One of the easiest ways to waste money is spending it on in-app purchases like that $600 bear gun.

The dark side of the in-app purchases is that kids are sometimes able to spend as much money as they want.

The Los Angeles Times reported that a girl “spent $2,600 playing the ‘Tap Pet Hotel’ app.” The parent of this girl was part of a group of parents who com-plained about purchases being made without their permission. Because of these parents, Apple will refund $32.5 million.

One thing that Apple needs to tell parents about is the 15-minute window after the password is typed in. The 15-minute window allows kids 15 minutes to buy other things before the password expires.

Alexis McDowel, the public relations director of EA Mobile, which makes “Real Racing 3,” commented on people who would actually buy the $100 car in the game. She said that it is not necessary to use actual money. In the game, people can earn fake money and then buy the car with that. McDowel did not respond to further questions about the game.

“Feel Like Wasting Money” continued on page 2...

GOODTIMES

MR. PEABODY & SHERMANBy Natalie Sanchez

As a kid, you go to school, you finish homework, you go outside and play… and you watch TV! That’s the life of a kid. The life of an adult is different. But when someone asks you what you watched when you were little, one of the top five responses would be “Mr. Peabody & Sherman.”

On March 7, 2014, the modern “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is coming to the big screen.

“The filmmakers have kept some of the same characteristic traits from the original,” said Kyle Goins, a central production assistant on the movie.

“It is a great movie about a father-son relationship, and it can teach kids about history,” added Elyse Meier, an animation production assistant on the movie.

The movie stars Ty Burrell as Mr. Peabody, Max Charles as Sherman, and Ariel Winter as Penny Peterson. Mr. Peabody is an extraordinary dog who adopts a human boy named Sherman. Mr. Peabody

has the hardest job in the world: being a dad. Sherman goes to school and doesn’t like a girl named Penny. Penny also doesn’t like the company of Sherman. So Mr. Peabody invites Penny’s family for dinner. As Sherman and Penny try to get along, he shows her Mr. Peabody’s time machine, the WABAC. Sherman and Penny accidentally go back in time and make a hole in history. Now it’s up to them to save the universe!

“This movie at its core is a father and son story. I think any parent can relate to the fact that no matter what their child does, they will love them unconditionally. Although no one can relate to the fact that Sherman has a dog for a father, I think everyone relates to wanting acceptance and having a parent who loves and supports them,” said Kyle. “I think everyone should see this movie, its beautiful animation, its loony secondary characters, and its huge heart.”

“It’s good, wholesome entertainment with lovable characters, especially Sherman,” said Elyse.

THE MAGIC OF SUPER-BOWL COMMERCIALS

By Andres Mah-Candelaria

Most people think the Super Bowl is all about the action on the field, but others think it is about the commercials on television. The commercials can be funny, crazy, dramatic, adorable, and stupid. Companies want to advertise com-mercials during the Super Bowl because so many people like to watch the football championship; there were 110 million viewers this year.

Most Super Bowl commercials try to sell snacks, beverages, and cars. Some examples are Bud Light beer, Carmax, and Apple computers. Companies pay a lot of money to be on air during the Super Bowl. They pay 4 million dollars for a 30 second commercial. Last year, NBC generated 75 million dol-lars from the commercials.

Many people think the best Super Bowl commercial ever was introducing the Mac computer in 1984. It showed a dictator that controlled people and someone who revolted by throwing a hammer at the dictator’s face on a screen.

This year the Super Bowl had a good year for commer-cials even if the game itself was sad for Bronco fans. I think the companies made funny commercials so the people would buy their products. Funny things make people feel good about their product.

My favorite commercials were:

1.The Audi Doberhuahua commercial which showed a chihuahua combined with a doberman that terror-ized the world. The dog’s looks made me laugh like a monkey.

2. The Chobani yogurt commercial was about a bear trying to grab a cup of yogurt, wrecking the whole store and scaring people. I liked it because the bear was real and it specifically took the honey yogurt.

3. In the M&M candy commercial, the yellow M&M

was kidnapped by a mafia king and put in the trunk of a car. The mafia king said they were going to chop him up and put him in ice cream. The M&M said, “sounds like fun to me.” The M&M was so stupid that he didn’t know what they would do to him.

4. A Doritos ad had a kid who made a fake time machine out of cardboard. He tricked his neighbor, telling him that he would travel into the future if he put the Doritos bag through a slot. At the end, the man steps out to find a senior citizen and thinks it is the boy in the future. This commercial was funny be-cause the kid was able to get the Doritos bag without stealing it.

Some companies released teaser versions of commer-cials ahead of the game. For example, Carmax made a commercial about a man who bought a car. When he drove through his neighborhood, people and even a bear were clapping and staring at him. In another version, the driver was a dog and the whole city was filled with dogs barking. The commercial for Toyota Highlander will have Kermit the Frog and the Mup-pets doing crazy driving.

Maybe next year there will be better commercials and maybe the Broncos will win.

Andres Mah-Candelaria likes to write because writ-ing will help with his grammar. He goes to Eagle Rock Elementary and is 9 years old. He hates the Broncos.

“Mr. Peabody & Sherman” was written by Craig Wright, directed by Rob Minkoff, produced by DreamWorks Animation, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. This is a movie you do not want to miss! If you want to laugh, come see Mr.Peabody, Sherman, and Penny on the adventure of a lifetime.  

Natalie Sanchez is in the 6th grade. She goes to Clifford Street School. She is super funny, cool, and AWESOME!!!!!!!

A Bear Clawing for Yogurt During a Chobani SuperBowl Commercial

A Scene From Mr. Peadbody & Sherman, 2014 DreamWorks Animation

VOLUME V, ISSUE IVGOODTIMES

TOP TEN VIDEO GAMES IN 2014

By Eddie Song

A lot of new games are coming out soon! I have re-viewed many games and here are my choices for the Top Ten Video Games for 2014. Many are action-based and have great storylines. Here are the Top Ten:

DestinyRelease date: September 9, 2014Systems: PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One“Destiny,” a first-person shooter, is humanity’s quest to take back what was theirs from the aliens. It is their “destiny.”

Super Smash Bros.Release date: some time in 2014Systems: 3DS, Wii UIn “Super Smash Bros.” players battle to the death. You can choose from characters such as Kirby, Megaman (available for the first time), Pikachu, and etc. Many new characters were added, including the Wii Fit Trainer and the Villager from Animal Crossing.

Mario Kart 8Release date: May 2014Systems: Wii UMario Kart 8 is a racing game for fans of Mario. This new Nintendo game features anti-gravity so that play-ers can drive on walls and ceilings. You also can finally switch cars during the race!

TitanfallRelease date: March 11, 2014Systems: Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox OneIn “Titanfall,” a man’s friend dies due to the mech-style robots, aka ugly Titans. The man wants to avenge his friends and destroy all of the Titans.

Watch DogsRelease date: Spring 2014Systems: Windows, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii UWatch Dogs is about a man who shut off the whole electricity system of the Northeast. This game involves hacking, parkour, and inappropriate content. It is not recommended for kids younger than 18.

MinecraftRelease date: some time in 2014Systems: PS4, Xbox One“Minecraft” is an indie sandbox game where the player, Steve, can do whatever he wants (except admire circles because there are no circles in “Minecraft”). This new version allows you to play on the new consoles, Xbox One and PS4.

Metal Gear Solid VRelease date: March 20, 2014Systems: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One“Metal Gear Solid V” includes two games, “Ground Ze-roes” and “Phantom Pain.” This game is about a guy who is working to protect his troop. The first “Metal Gear Solid” game was released in 1987 and was very popular.

The Sims 4Release date: Fall 2014Systems: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS XIn “The Sims 4,” people interact with makeshift humans. You can make houses, go to school, walk on fire, have weird babies that look and act like aliens, and more.

Hyrule Warriors (Zelda)Release date: Somewhere in 2014Systems: Wii UOver the years, the Zelda games have gotten too scary and gory - I am a kid. In the past two Zelda games, the story was about death.

World of Warcraft: Warlords of DraenorRelease date: unknownSystems: Windows, Mac OS XThis game is about a war over power between different worlds. It is also about building your kingdom/world.

Eddie Song is an 11-year-old boy who likes to write and loves playing video games, (especially Minecraft PC). He goes to Walter Reed Junior High.dad, and dog Charlie. She likes to write to learn new interesting facts improve her

THE LEGO MOVIE

By Ivan Paz

“The Lego Movie” is CGI but made to look like stop-motion animation. It’s the first full-length movie using Legos.

The movie is about a Lego person named Emmet, who through an ancient prophecy learns that one day he will save his world from Lord Business, who wants to get rid of every Lego and replace them with robots that do his bidding. Now Emmet must save his world before it’s too late. With the help of iconic Legos, Emmet must defeat Lord Business.

The movie will be screening Feb. 7, 2014 in all types of theaters.

According to The New York Times, “The Lego Movie” was a successful mov-ie in the box office on opening weekend, like the movie “Cars” in 2006.

The main characters are Emmet (played by Chris Pratt), Wildstyle (played by Elizabeth Banks), the Wizard (played by Morgan Freeman), and Space Guy (played by Charlie Day).

Ivan Paz is a 9-year-old student at GCS. He likes jour-nalism because he can write about topics that he’s comfort-able with.

“FEEL LIKE WASTING MONEY”CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

According to a survey taken at 826LA, two out of 15 kids and tutors have made an in-app purchase in one of their favorite games. None of them got in trouble for buying things without their parents’ permission. Some kids are addicted to a game, but their parents don’t give them money. Ivan Paz, a journalism student, came up with a good solution. Instead of wasting his parents’ money, Ivan raises and saves his own money to buy things he wants.

Ingrid Simone of the Huffington Post wrote four tips for parents to stop kids from making in-app purchases. The first way is to simply turn off the ability to make in-app purchases. Second is to require a pass-

word immediately or turn off the 15-second window. Third, just keep the password a secret. This way kids will have to let their parent know they want to purchase something. The last tip is giving the child a gift card for in-app purchases with a certain amount of money so that they will have a limitation on how many things they can buy.

Glu, creators of “Gun Bros.,” did not answer e-mails about their game’s in-app purchases.

The Koenigsegg in “Real Racing 3” costs $100 if you don’t earn money in the game.

Kaylin Lopez is a 13-year-old seventh-grader at Bancroft Junior High School. Her favorite subject in school is math-ematics. She enjoys journalism because she can get better at writing while working with really great tutors.

A Still From Nintendo’s Mario Kart 4, expected to release in May 2014

VOLUME V, ISSUE IVGOODTIMES

THE GUIDE TO MINION MAYHEM!!!

By Joon Kim

Universal Studios will be putting up a new ride to keep fans amused and happy. Because of the huge success of “Despicable Me,” they decided to make it into a ride! That’s right, they even have a name for this ride: it’s called Minion Mayhem! It’s coming out on April 10, 2014, so get that marker and circle it in your calen-dar right now! (Warning! Spoil-ers for this ride!)

So you’re probably thinking, what kind of ride is Min-ion Mayhem? It is a simulator ride. Just in case some people don’t know what that is, a simulator ride is basically an indoor ride that has a screen in front of riders while the seat moves around and the mini movie plays. But to ride, riders need to be 40 inches or 102 centimeters tall.

Now let’s see what happens in this attraction. Gru, his three daughters, and the comedic minions are the main characters, just like in the movie. They even have pre-shows. They also give out 3D glasses which are called “Minion Goggles.” The main plot is that Gru is using his latest gadget, the minion weapon, which turns hu-mans into minions, and trains them to become a true minion. The ride takes place in the minion training room. The guests are training to become true minions while Agnes, the youngest of the three girls, keeps asking Gru about opening a present for him. Guests also have to save the gift from getting crushed by machines. At the end, Gru yells out “happy anniversary!” and celebrates the three girls’ adoption until the weapon gets destroyed, causing Gru to feel disappointed and order people to call in the next troop.

“We expect the ‘Despicable Me’ ride to be a popular, family-friendly attraction for Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride, modeled after the one at our sister park at Universal Orlando Resort, will continue the storyline of the main characters from the endearing blockbuster film through all-new 3D Ultra-HD animation, together with an interactive ride vehicle system,”

said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood, in the press release.

There are more amusements while guests are waiting.Guests can watch the preshow and see some familiar gadgets from the movie such as the shrink ray. But there’s more than just the ride, there is also a kids play zone called “Super Silly Fun Land,” the name of the amusement park from the very first movie. It

is designed for kids of all ages with fountains, water play areas, and splash pools. Visitor can also climb, crawl, jump, and slide in themed rides.

So this is the end of the guide for Minion Mayhem. Now everyone who reads this article knows all about the ride. During the survey at 826LA, seven kids and three adults said that they were excited

about the ride, and no one said ‘no’ or ‘not sure.’

The Angels will need their star players Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton, and newly acquired David Freese to maintain their health. The Dodgers need Matt Kemp to maintain his health and their lineup will be one of the best; with power after power hitters the Dodgers will have no problem with offense. The Dodgers have power and momentum. They have chem-istry in and outside of the ballpark. Hanley Ramirez and Clayton Kershaw are two captains that can lead the team to another playoff run.

Joon Kim is 10 years old. He goes to Third Street School and likes to read. What he likes about journalism is making a comic.

TWO GIRLS IN FROZEN

By Rachael Kim

“Frozen” is based on “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen, but “Frozen” is by Jennifer Lee. It’s about two sisters named Elsa and Anna. The prob-lem is that Elsa has a magical ice power and strikes her power at Anna by accident. Elsa locks herself in her room because she wants to keep Anna safe. Anna doesn’t know what is happening, so she thinks that Elsa doesn’t like her. Elsa gets mad at Anna because Anna tries to marry a guy she just met named Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Elsa disagrees and Anna asks why Elsa disagrees with everything. Elsa tries to keep her secret, but she gets so mad she runs away to the top of the North Mountain, where she makes an ice kingdom.

Anna goes to look for Elsa because she wants the answers to why she got locked out by Elsa and how to thaw their old kingdom. When Anna is traveling to the North Mountain, her trusty horse runs away. When Anna overhears a guy named Kristoff talk about going to the North Mountain, she asks him to take her. Kristoff goes to Elsa’s ice kingdom while riding on a reindeer named Sven, and on the way he finds a happy snowman named Olaf. When they finally reach Elsa’s castle, Anna goes into the ice castle and adores it for a while until Elsa comes out. She reacts like she had never seen Anna before. Anna sings a song with Elsa to come back home, but Elsa sings about how she is alone and free. Now you have to figure out the ending.

The story of two female characters who are related is different from other Disney stories because other sto-ries star two female characters who are enemies, such as Ariel and Ursula. Also, it is different because Anna does not marry someone she just met. Anna does not marry anyone at the end, whereas usually in a Disney movie a princess marries the man she just met. Prince Hans of the Southern Isles also changes the tradition. Instead of being the hero, he is the villain, or in Anna’s word, ‘the stinker.’

Elsa is based on the Snow Queen and Kai mixed together, but Elsa is a nice person. Anna is based on Gerda, who is a kind neighbor to Kai, except Anna is Elsa’s sister. In the original “Frozen,” Elsa was the vil-lain, but the song “Let It Go” helped Elsa to become a good character. The creators of “Frozen” had to squirm their way to make the best movie of 2013!

Rachael Kim is eight-years-old and goes to Third Street School. She likes journalism because she wants to become famous, and she likes writing and “Frozen” so much.

826LA GoodTimes presents

ASK A KID!

Despicable Me’s Midnight Mayhem Ride in Orlando, Florida

Minion Mayhem Comic Illustrated by Joon Kim

By Kaylin Lopez

Q. My friend is mad at me. How should I apologize?A. First you need to ask your friend why he/she is mad at you and then try to make your friend forget they’re mad at you. If that does not work, try asking someone else for advice.

Q. I turn into a werewolf at night and I just got in-vited to a sleepover! Should I go?A. Tell everyone to wear a costume, then wait until midnight to go to the sleepover and people will think you are wearing a costume.

Q.  I can’t dance but I am going to a dance party! What should I do?

A. Depending on when the dance is, get a friend to teach you, or just try your best. If you make a fool out of yourself at the party, don’t let people make fun of you.

Q. Where should I go on vacation?A. You should go to San Fransisco or to Hawaii (when it gets warmer).

If you have a burning question that can only be answered by a kid, stop by the Echo Park Time Travel Mart and leave it in our Ask A Kid dropbox, or ask via the internet on our twitter - @826LA or our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/826la. If you choose to ask electronically, make sure to title your post with “Ask a Kid.”

VOLUME V, ISSUE IIIGOODTIMES

SINGER CARLA MORRISON’S THOUGHTS ON ROLE MODELS

By Ana Martinez

When you think of a pop singer these days, you likely think of Miley Cyrus. However, she does not represent the average pop singer. Carla Morrison writes equally catchy songs, but gives appropriate performances. My interview with Carla revealed an artist inspired by positivity and faith in God.

GT: How did you get inspired to get your tattoos?

CM: I got inspired because I always wanted one and three years ago I was going through a hard time, and I felt like I wanted to thank God for every good and

models? What about Miley Cyrus?

CM: I think that public figures do get that role model thing kind of put on their shoulders, because everyone can see what they do with their life decisions, but it’s not really that, you know? Us singers, we sing to love and to live, stuff that inspires us. Nobody knows if we are going to be famous, but then some become famous and then do the Miley Cyrus thing and go kinda crazy. So since it’s so public, little girls look up to her and think that’s okay because we live in a free country to express ourselves and no one can say a thing against it. But then little girls think that because nobody stops them, it’s okay. To be honest with you, it’s really okay for people to do things and express themselves, but when little girls get to see it every day, it can be dif-ficult and misleading, so it’s kinda complicated.

GT: Why do you think it’s important for famous people to be role models?

CM: I don’t think it’s important. Artists are just people like you and me and they do art. Art is to be criticized and seen by people, but when little girls see it, it gets complicated like I said. I think what parents should do is just watch what their kids are seeing and explain to them why it is good or bad for their values, and just explain themselves so little girls can understand better and know how to distinguish.

GT: What was your first song called and was it appro-priate (for all ages)?

CM: My first song was called “Que bonito,” and it’s a love song to a boy I used to like, so yes, it is appropri-ate. It just talks about my daydream of thinking about him, hehehe.

Ana is 10 years old and goes to Clifford Elementary. She likes to play soccer and she’s very smart. Ana likes jour-nalism because it allows her to focus on one topic, express herself, and compare pop culture figures.

The Good Times is written by the students of the 826LA in Echo Park

Journalism workshop.

1714 W. Sunset Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90026

bad experience so I would never forget that all of those things only make me stronger! And then I got addicted because they are such a part of my personality!

GT: How did you become a singer and how did you get inspired to write positive songs?

CM: It was just a dream and I really, really wanted it, so I worked hard for it and tried everything I could to make it possible. More than anything, I wanted to make a living out of my dream and passion, something that makes me really happy, so I stayed close to God, worked hard, and stayed positive, because I like it when songs make you feel a lot of faith and know that at the end of the day everything is going to be okay!

GT: Do you think a lot of popular singers are role

VOLUNTEER AT 826LA!826LA, a non-profit tutoring center for students and budding literary enthusiasts ages 6–18, is looking for

adult volunteers in every shape, form and skilled capacity, and for all hours and days of the week.

Write to us at: iwanttohelp@826la.org

Check out our website at: www.826la.org

X-BOX ONE VS. PS4 FIGHT!!!!!By Gem Galicinao

The one and only question you gamers need an answer to is the following: which console is better, Microsoft’s Xbox One or Sony’s PS4? Well, that question is about to be answered. The answer is simple. Based on the numbers, it is the PS4 by far. It sold about 3.6 million consoles while Xbox One has only sold about 3 million consoles in the gaming world. Also, PS4 was released about a week earlier than the Xbox One.

Additionally, the PS4 has more exclusive games which are only available for the PS4. Although, Xbox One comes with the fast Forza Motorsport 5 and Deadrising 3, the PS4 has the infamous “inFAMOUS: Second Son” and killer “Killzone Shadow Fall.” Also, the price of the PS4 is a tad bit less than the Xbox One. The current prices on Amazon are $425 for the

Fun fact: before Sony owned Playstation, Nintendo thought of the idea of Playstation.

Gem goes to Bancroft Middle School, the home of the Cougars. He likes journalism because unlike school, he can make his own articles.

Xbox One and $399 for the PS4.

Based on another set of numbers from the staff of 826LA The Good Times, it’s clear that people like the PS4 better than the Xbox One. We surveyed people of The Good Times, and five out of ten people liked the PS4, 3 out of 10 went for no side, and finally, 2 out of 10 went for the Xbox One.

Finally, another factor to consider is how long each console has been around. The Xbox console has been around since 2001, only 13 years, and the PS4 has been around since 1994, for 20 years, which makes it 7 years older than the Xbox. Looks like Playstation had lots of time to achieve perfection.