I've watched this clip almost every day since seeing it originally on Nov. 4 at 10:58 pm. I think it is my favorite election coverage clip.
Enjoy!
This John Stewart clip picks up right where the above clip ends.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I Made a Funny
Here is a link to the lolcats picture I made. I didn't create an account so I don't think this will appear on the I Can Haz Cheezburger blog, but I just thought I'd share this picture.
http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=2161805
Enjoy!
http://mine.
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
For the Raimi
Raimi,
Here is a better non-partisan site for information about voting. I know you already registered... but this site has information about all the candidates running for prez - even the third party ones. It is run by the Counting Crows - you know, the band.
For all you other peeps out there, you can register here to vote if you live in a state where the registration deadline hasn't gotten here, yet.
Here is a better non-partisan site for information about voting. I know you already registered... but this site has information about all the candidates running for prez - even the third party ones. It is run by the Counting Crows - you know, the band.
For all you other peeps out there, you can register here to vote if you live in a state where the registration deadline hasn't gotten here, yet.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Register to Vote!
This post on the StuckeySpalt blog prompted me to put up these links:
Register to vote:
- if you're an Oregonian. (Last day to register to vote for the next Prez & Veep is: October 14, 2008.)
- in any state at Rock the Vote.
So, go forth and register!
Love,
akemi
Register to vote:
- if you're an Oregonian. (Last day to register to vote for the next Prez & Veep is: October 14, 2008.)
- in any state at Rock the Vote.
So, go forth and register!
Love,
akemi
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Update
Sorry! I should have updated sooner.
Seems like Hannah Upp is found. I can't find any real up-to-date information. Last I heard, she was spotted on Sept. 9 at an Apple store. The facebook page is no longer open to the public and all news coverage seems to have ended last week. I think the theory is that she just ran away.
Anyway, I hope she is okay and that her family and friends are okay, too. Sorry I don't have more info.
Thanks!
Seems like Hannah Upp is found. I can't find any real up-to-date information. Last I heard, she was spotted on Sept. 9 at an Apple store. The facebook page is no longer open to the public and all news coverage seems to have ended last week. I think the theory is that she just ran away.
Anyway, I hope she is okay and that her family and friends are okay, too. Sorry I don't have more info.
Thanks!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Have You Seen Her?
Hannah Emily Upp, 23, has been missing since Friday, August 29, from her residence in the vicinity of Hamilton Terrace, Harlem.
Hannah is a New York City Public School teacher; she teaches middle school Spanish at Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, at W. 135th and 7th Ave. A recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Class of 2007, majoring in Spanish and Comparative Literature, she is a New York City Teaching Fellow, working on her Master's degree at Pace University and teaching full time. She completed her first year of teaching 2007-08, and was about to start her second year of teaching when she went missing
Here is a link to the facebook page about the disappearance/investigation. It has contact info and more background info. Here's the entire link if you want to copy it: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=86887660472
Thursday, September 4, 2008
My New Hero!
Gloria Steinem is my new hero.
In this op-ed piece, Palin: wrong woman, wrong message, she articulates why Sarah Palin is wrong for the White House. I am so impressed by her even-tempered, well-thought-out article. Where I would have resorted to sarcasm and frustrated screaming, she gives well-reasoned arguments. She is awesome.
Now, excuse me, I have to go read more of her writing. (I'm pretty embarrased not to have read her in the past.)
In this op-ed piece, Palin: wrong woman, wrong message, she articulates why Sarah Palin is wrong for the White House. I am so impressed by her even-tempered, well-thought-out article. Where I would have resorted to sarcasm and frustrated screaming, she gives well-reasoned arguments. She is awesome.
Now, excuse me, I have to go read more of her writing. (I'm pretty embarrased not to have read her in the past.)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Watching More TV
Tonight's line up: the U.S. Open - Venus vs. Serena and Nadal vs. Fish; and the GOP Convention - Sarah Palin's speech.
So, I forced Sam to watch Palin's speech. There was much less substance than I expected. Sam says it is par for the course for Republicans. I really don't get them. She said she was going to talk about what a mayor of a small town/governor of Alaska does... but then she made some snide comments about it being like a community organizer except with real responsibilities. What does that mean? I think she is very rude. I didn't know what a community organizer was until I started reading Obama's first book. I definitely have an appreciation for the service he was trying to do and the leadership it took to help people in disadvantaged neighborhoods get services and representation that they deserved. I feel like Palin was belittling and out of line. She also said that "our opponents" look down on her... I think the press has portrayed that emotion, but not anyone from the Democratic Party and certainly not anyone from the Obama-Biden campaign.
I could keep going, but I don't think the speech needs a rebuttal point by point... plus it is giving me a headache. One thing that I did want to say is that I felt like Palin (and Guiliani, whose speech we saw a little bit of) were so selfish in their tone and presentation. She seems to come from a place of "me" and "my," like it is for the glory of her and McCain, and maybe the party, but not from a place of wanting to actually better our country. It is ironic that their slogan is "Country First" because they talk about so many external things like Iraq, Iran and wars abroad, but not about practical solutions or plans for the U.S.A.... well, they do want to destroy our environment by drilling on the North Slope - because "we got plenty" of oil and natural gas.
I just don't see how people can keep supporting McCain. His party seems to be all about double-talk and distracting people from the real issues by waving the machismo of "patriotism" around. It is weird. They keep saying he's the maverick we need in the White House, but to me that translates as "loose cannon." It is pretty scary.
In non-scary news there is the U.S. Open. The match between Venus and Serena was kind of a drag because of the commentators. They made the whole thing seem boring. Like, "la-la-la, great serve - blah, blah, blah powerful hit - yeah, yeah, great ball placement." The two of them are amazing players with such different physiques and different styles of play, but they don't say anything about that. There was no comparison of their games or litany of their wins and losses this year like they talk about with other players. What's up with that? Is it really boring to see two great women play each other? I didn't think so. Venus's serve is so fast! And she switches up her first serve - sometimes right up the middle and flat and sometimes wide. She and Serena both have a great down-the-line shot that I love. They both use such great ball placement that you don't always see. Serena is so strong! I was comparing her to a horse when Sam and I were talking - her muscles are so sleek and lean. I think Venus is more like a gazelle - much more slender... but she is super strong, too. I think either of them could take on a guy and win!
Well, now Nadal and Fish are playing. We got to see Fish beat James Blake. That was sure a sad match. Blake just seemed really out of it. I know that they are friends, but they both seemed kind of reluctant to celebrate good points. They also seemed almost sorry when they hit winners. I think Fish even challenged a call that was in his favor and Blake got that point. It was a weird match. But that could also be because of how the commentators were talking about it. I do think that Nadal looks better in the Nike shirt than Blake... weird that they both wear the same shirt at the same tournament. But, that's neither here nor there...
Can't believe that Fish is actually up a break and a serve! Wow. I guess he is having a really good tournament. We didn't see him play Monfils. Sam thinks that Blake let Fish win as a wedding present. Yeah, the commentators kept talking about how Blake is going to be a groomsman at Fish's wedding next month.
Anyway, time to actually watch the match instead of mouthing off here... hope my train of thought flows okay. Usually I have Sam proof my posts and I re-read them, but we have to watch Nadal.
TTFN.
So, I forced Sam to watch Palin's speech. There was much less substance than I expected. Sam says it is par for the course for Republicans. I really don't get them. She said she was going to talk about what a mayor of a small town/governor of Alaska does... but then she made some snide comments about it being like a community organizer except with real responsibilities. What does that mean? I think she is very rude. I didn't know what a community organizer was until I started reading Obama's first book. I definitely have an appreciation for the service he was trying to do and the leadership it took to help people in disadvantaged neighborhoods get services and representation that they deserved. I feel like Palin was belittling and out of line. She also said that "our opponents" look down on her... I think the press has portrayed that emotion, but not anyone from the Democratic Party and certainly not anyone from the Obama-Biden campaign.
I could keep going, but I don't think the speech needs a rebuttal point by point... plus it is giving me a headache. One thing that I did want to say is that I felt like Palin (and Guiliani, whose speech we saw a little bit of) were so selfish in their tone and presentation. She seems to come from a place of "me" and "my," like it is for the glory of her and McCain, and maybe the party, but not from a place of wanting to actually better our country. It is ironic that their slogan is "Country First" because they talk about so many external things like Iraq, Iran and wars abroad, but not about practical solutions or plans for the U.S.A.... well, they do want to destroy our environment by drilling on the North Slope - because "we got plenty" of oil and natural gas.
I just don't see how people can keep supporting McCain. His party seems to be all about double-talk and distracting people from the real issues by waving the machismo of "patriotism" around. It is weird. They keep saying he's the maverick we need in the White House, but to me that translates as "loose cannon." It is pretty scary.
In non-scary news there is the U.S. Open. The match between Venus and Serena was kind of a drag because of the commentators. They made the whole thing seem boring. Like, "la-la-la, great serve - blah, blah, blah powerful hit - yeah, yeah, great ball placement." The two of them are amazing players with such different physiques and different styles of play, but they don't say anything about that. There was no comparison of their games or litany of their wins and losses this year like they talk about with other players. What's up with that? Is it really boring to see two great women play each other? I didn't think so. Venus's serve is so fast! And she switches up her first serve - sometimes right up the middle and flat and sometimes wide. She and Serena both have a great down-the-line shot that I love. They both use such great ball placement that you don't always see. Serena is so strong! I was comparing her to a horse when Sam and I were talking - her muscles are so sleek and lean. I think Venus is more like a gazelle - much more slender... but she is super strong, too. I think either of them could take on a guy and win!
Well, now Nadal and Fish are playing. We got to see Fish beat James Blake. That was sure a sad match. Blake just seemed really out of it. I know that they are friends, but they both seemed kind of reluctant to celebrate good points. They also seemed almost sorry when they hit winners. I think Fish even challenged a call that was in his favor and Blake got that point. It was a weird match. But that could also be because of how the commentators were talking about it. I do think that Nadal looks better in the Nike shirt than Blake... weird that they both wear the same shirt at the same tournament. But, that's neither here nor there...
Can't believe that Fish is actually up a break and a serve! Wow. I guess he is having a really good tournament. We didn't see him play Monfils. Sam thinks that Blake let Fish win as a wedding present. Yeah, the commentators kept talking about how Blake is going to be a groomsman at Fish's wedding next month.
Anyway, time to actually watch the match instead of mouthing off here... hope my train of thought flows okay. Usually I have Sam proof my posts and I re-read them, but we have to watch Nadal.
TTFN.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thoughts on the DNC
So, I really liked Gov. Deval Patrick's speech. I think it had a tone of hope and optimism. It called for hard work and determination to get Obama elected. I think it was very much a "we can do it" message. I just liked him.
In contrast, I felt like Hillary's speech was more aggressive. I think this speech highlighted her strengths. It's too bad that toward the end of her campaign she didn't sound more like this. She was focused on a message of what she sees as the goals of a Democratic presidency. Also, with the girl power video they had for her introduction, it seemed too bad that she couldn't have been part of the 2008 Democratic ticket. Watching that video (narrated by Chelsea) I wished that she was Obama's VP. I wish they could have merged their campaigns before the Clinton camp began to look dishevled and desperate. And I wished that Bill Clinton was in her campaign much less. Throughout her speech I thought he looked kind of smug (although that could be my preconceived attitude toward him coming out). He just irritates me.
That's all for now. I'm looking forward to Thursday. Maybe I can convince Sam to go with me to the Oregon Bus Project event at Roots Brewing. They'll be having a Brewhaha to watch Barack's speech. Supposedly there will be bingo, too. We'll see... while it would be fun to watch it with like-minded individuals in a bar, there's something to be said for watching political events at home where I can yell at the TV as much as I want.
In contrast, I felt like Hillary's speech was more aggressive. I think this speech highlighted her strengths. It's too bad that toward the end of her campaign she didn't sound more like this. She was focused on a message of what she sees as the goals of a Democratic presidency. Also, with the girl power video they had for her introduction, it seemed too bad that she couldn't have been part of the 2008 Democratic ticket. Watching that video (narrated by Chelsea) I wished that she was Obama's VP. I wish they could have merged their campaigns before the Clinton camp began to look dishevled and desperate. And I wished that Bill Clinton was in her campaign much less. Throughout her speech I thought he looked kind of smug (although that could be my preconceived attitude toward him coming out). He just irritates me.
That's all for now. I'm looking forward to Thursday. Maybe I can convince Sam to go with me to the Oregon Bus Project event at Roots Brewing. They'll be having a Brewhaha to watch Barack's speech. Supposedly there will be bingo, too. We'll see... while it would be fun to watch it with like-minded individuals in a bar, there's something to be said for watching political events at home where I can yell at the TV as much as I want.
Watching the DNC
We are watching the convention. I was very impressed with Gov. Deval Patrick from Massachusetts.
Hillary is slated to speak any moment now. That should be interesting. I'll let you know my thoughts later...
Okay, back to watching the convention.
Hillary is slated to speak any moment now. That should be interesting. I'll let you know my thoughts later...
Okay, back to watching the convention.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
More House Bunny!
Yay! We just got back from seeing "The House Bunny!"
So fun! Yes, it was cheesy... no, there were no earth-shattering twists or turns...
I think you should see it. Yes, you should. And not just because the girls next door are in it. And not just because Hef is surrounded by Haggen-Daas pints in an absurd product-placement scene. It is funny and you'll have a good time. There aren't a lot of potty jokes (good) and it is just so nice (as in not mean). No, it's not as good as "Legally Blonde" or "Clueless," but it is a nice bit of fluff just the same. I laughed and I didn't cry. (Well, I did tear up a little, but I cry at everything, so it doesn't really count.)
Anyway, I think you should see it... just as a fling... not for any serious content.
Now, excuse me while I go buy the soundtrack. "Where my Zetas at?"
Update: Sad. There is no soundtrack available to buy... boo.
So fun! Yes, it was cheesy... no, there were no earth-shattering twists or turns...
I think you should see it. Yes, you should. And not just because the girls next door are in it. And not just because Hef is surrounded by Haggen-Daas pints in an absurd product-placement scene. It is funny and you'll have a good time. There aren't a lot of potty jokes (good) and it is just so nice (as in not mean). No, it's not as good as "Legally Blonde" or "Clueless," but it is a nice bit of fluff just the same. I laughed and I didn't cry. (Well, I did tear up a little, but I cry at everything, so it doesn't really count.)
Anyway, I think you should see it... just as a fling... not for any serious content.
Now, excuse me while I go buy the soundtrack. "Where my Zetas at?"
Update: Sad. There is no soundtrack available to buy... boo.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
House Bunny
"The House Bunny" is opening in half an hour!
I'm so excited to see it! Unfortunately, even though Sam offered to take me to the 12:01AM showing when he emailed me in the morning, he decided he was too tired once he picked me up from work in the afternoon. boo.
So, we will see it this weekend.
Good night.
I'm so excited to see it! Unfortunately, even though Sam offered to take me to the 12:01AM showing when he emailed me in the morning, he decided he was too tired once he picked me up from work in the afternoon. boo.
So, we will see it this weekend.
Good night.
An extrordinary salon experience
So, Sam and I went to get our haircut last week Thursday at our regular place on Burnside. The haircuts went well, but while Sam was getting his haircut, the "most Burnside-y thing that ever happened at the salon" (according to our stylist) happened...
A guy walked in and asked to use the phone to call 9-1-1. He seemed out of breath and weird and was holding his possessions in a kitchen trash bag. After trying (and failing) to dial 9-1-1 a couple of times, our stylist got him connected. So, the story he tells the 9-1-1 operator is that his friend is passed out in a car outside along Burnside. Why, you ask? No, it's not heatstroke (it was already 100 degrees outside) as all of us in the salon would have expected.
So, what could it be? The guy on the phone says that he thinks it's an overdose! Why, you ask? Guy on the phone says, "there's paraphenaillia in the car." Oooh-kaaay! After saying, "uh-huh," and, "yes ma'am," a bunch of times, he gets off the phone and runs out to check on his friend. Craziness!
Kudos to the ambulance, two police cars and fire truck that showed up moments later.
One of the other clients at the salon went to the window and gave us all a play-by-play. The guy passed out in the car was not doing so well. She said he was moving, but that it looked like his head was just lolling to one side, not like he was conciously moving it. Then the paramedics got the gurney out of the back of the ambulance and loaded the guy onto it and back into the ambulance. (Remember it was 100 degrees outside.) I was sitting with a view right out the window where the ambulance was parked. The guy was really not doing well. Both his arms were hanging off the edges of the gurney.
I (and everyone else in the salon) was surprised that the ambulance didn't pull away right away with lights and sirens going. Instead, the paramedics got into the ambulance and two firefighters were hanging out behind it looking into the back door. The two police officers were talking with the guy who called 9-1-1. Oh, and one of the police cruisers was double-parked alongside our car at the curb outside the salon. Fun... or not.
The firetruck left after a little while more. Sam's haircut finished up and we checked out. But the ambulance and police were still there. We had to tell the guy policeman that he was blocking us in. He was getting ready to take off so we only had to wait a little while to leave. But the ambulance was still there. It was so weird and freaky.
I also felt pretty bad that I didn't feel comfortable offering help to the guys. (The "friend" was no where around when we left, by the way.) But I feel like if it was a mother with an overheated baby, or someone who didn't look so "sketchy," I wouldn't have hesitated. I felt bad that I felt too scared to get involved. I guess I'm more judgmental than I like to think that I am. That was pretty eye-opening. I do hope that everything worked out with those two guys, though.
A guy walked in and asked to use the phone to call 9-1-1. He seemed out of breath and weird and was holding his possessions in a kitchen trash bag. After trying (and failing) to dial 9-1-1 a couple of times, our stylist got him connected. So, the story he tells the 9-1-1 operator is that his friend is passed out in a car outside along Burnside. Why, you ask? No, it's not heatstroke (it was already 100 degrees outside) as all of us in the salon would have expected.
So, what could it be? The guy on the phone says that he thinks it's an overdose! Why, you ask? Guy on the phone says, "there's paraphenaillia in the car." Oooh-kaaay! After saying, "uh-huh," and, "yes ma'am," a bunch of times, he gets off the phone and runs out to check on his friend. Craziness!
Kudos to the ambulance, two police cars and fire truck that showed up moments later.
One of the other clients at the salon went to the window and gave us all a play-by-play. The guy passed out in the car was not doing so well. She said he was moving, but that it looked like his head was just lolling to one side, not like he was conciously moving it. Then the paramedics got the gurney out of the back of the ambulance and loaded the guy onto it and back into the ambulance. (Remember it was 100 degrees outside.) I was sitting with a view right out the window where the ambulance was parked. The guy was really not doing well. Both his arms were hanging off the edges of the gurney.
I (and everyone else in the salon) was surprised that the ambulance didn't pull away right away with lights and sirens going. Instead, the paramedics got into the ambulance and two firefighters were hanging out behind it looking into the back door. The two police officers were talking with the guy who called 9-1-1. Oh, and one of the police cruisers was double-parked alongside our car at the curb outside the salon. Fun... or not.
The firetruck left after a little while more. Sam's haircut finished up and we checked out. But the ambulance and police were still there. We had to tell the guy policeman that he was blocking us in. He was getting ready to take off so we only had to wait a little while to leave. But the ambulance was still there. It was so weird and freaky.
I also felt pretty bad that I didn't feel comfortable offering help to the guys. (The "friend" was no where around when we left, by the way.) But I feel like if it was a mother with an overheated baby, or someone who didn't look so "sketchy," I wouldn't have hesitated. I felt bad that I felt too scared to get involved. I guess I'm more judgmental than I like to think that I am. That was pretty eye-opening. I do hope that everything worked out with those two guys, though.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Escapism
So, I've been escaping to the internets because the project I'm working on at work is so crappy. I hate when I have to gather and edit clips of tragic events. The worst ones are random tragedies, but also bad are police shootings. Not fun.
I'm not sure that I should say what I'm working on... not that there's any confidentiality or anything, but you know, this is the interweb... I guess I just feel I shouldn't blab too much.
Another fun escape has been "The Girls Next Door." It is my new favorite show! (Cable is evil.) They are hilarious!! I tried watching the Olympics, but Bob Costas is irritating and there is just way too much beach volleyball coverage! I hate beach volleyball... and Bob Costas. Also, there is not enough of the synchronized sports on the TV. I really enjoyed the synchronized diving!! Also, my usual favorite shows - the Law & Order family of shows - have not been the real escape from the news that I need right now... that "ripped-from-the-headlines" stuff is serious.
Okay, back to watching the show!! Kelly Slater's coming to teach the girls to surf and Hef is cackling at Holly's swimming leson... oh, the excitement!
I'm not sure that I should say what I'm working on... not that there's any confidentiality or anything, but you know, this is the interweb... I guess I just feel I shouldn't blab too much.
Another fun escape has been "The Girls Next Door." It is my new favorite show! (Cable is evil.) They are hilarious!! I tried watching the Olympics, but Bob Costas is irritating and there is just way too much beach volleyball coverage! I hate beach volleyball... and Bob Costas. Also, there is not enough of the synchronized sports on the TV. I really enjoyed the synchronized diving!! Also, my usual favorite shows - the Law & Order family of shows - have not been the real escape from the news that I need right now... that "ripped-from-the-headlines" stuff is serious.
Okay, back to watching the show!! Kelly Slater's coming to teach the girls to surf and Hef is cackling at Holly's swimming leson... oh, the excitement!
Friday, August 15, 2008
On the Yelp train
So, I've added the Yelp badge to my page. Maybe you noticed it; it's that big orange thing there on the right.
Sam got me into it and I enjoy surfing their site. I do intend to catch up on writing more reviews and adding pictures of my food. (Sam gets a little impatient when I'm taking pictures and he's trying to eat or leave.) I love that our camera (thanks, Carley!) has a food setting!!
Sam got me into it and I enjoy surfing their site. I do intend to catch up on writing more reviews and adding pictures of my food. (Sam gets a little impatient when I'm taking pictures and he's trying to eat or leave.) I love that our camera (thanks, Carley!) has a food setting!!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Manish candles
So, there was buzz this week in business and watercooler news for man candles.
Here are some links for your enjoyment.
1. Watch commercial for fake product, view fake labels for man-friendly scented candles here.
Here are some links for your enjoyment.
1. Watch commercial for fake product, view fake labels for man-friendly scented candles here.
2. See site for REAL candles made for men, by men (and their family), here. They are called Manly Man Candles. They just released some new scents. They say they are working on bacon and beer scents (they claim to have only achieved stale beer so far). His blog is hilarious!! The buzz that I saw was about the Manly Man Candles - saw a story on the local news here while I was working. Seems like after a slight delay, the buzz started in Montana, where Manly Man Candles is based, and then made its way to CNN and then on to Fox Business News and local news around the country. Fun! (Hope you like the links to his blog.)
That's all for now, but more posts coming soon...
That's all for now, but more posts coming soon...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Do you has it?
Do you has 1930s marital skillz?
Apparently, I do not.
I think it would also be fun to have your wife/husband rate your performance as some of the traits are probably best rated by someone else instead of yourself.
Found this quiz while I was trolling blogs for knitting information. Hope you enjoy! Post your score in the comments section if you'd like to share! :)
Apparently, I do not.
 | 15 As a 1930s wife, I am |
I think it would also be fun to have your wife/husband rate your performance as some of the traits are probably best rated by someone else instead of yourself.
Found this quiz while I was trolling blogs for knitting information. Hope you enjoy! Post your score in the comments section if you'd like to share! :)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Long time coming....
So, I originally started this post on Saturday, July 19, at about 5:55am. Just didn't have a chance to finish the last review. Here it is, all edited and complete:
Title: Too excited to sleep!!
We're going to see The Dark Knight at 9am today!! I got up at 5:10, tossed and turned for 20 minutes, took a shower and checked some email... now it's time for some blogging. Can't believe Sam is still sleeping!!
Soooo... what to talk about? Maybe some other movies we've seen since getting back from P.E.I. (more on that trip later... maybe... I make no guarantees).
This summer has been pretty good for us movie-wise. I feel like I'm starting in the middle - these are all July movies - but that's okay. If you want more in depth (read: better) reviews from semi-professionals see the ones by Ryan and Andy for Wall-E, Hancock and Hellboy II, respectively. Side note: I haven't read these particular reviews, but Sam has talked to me about the guys' overall feelings about these movies.
I'll try not to spoil things, but I make no guarantees; read at your own risk.
Wall-E - Technically we saw this movie ON our trip, not after, but I'm including it anyway. My sister and brother-in-law took us to a very cool theater for dinner and the movie - at the same time! Fun. They had Lincoln Towncar (?) leather chairs for the seats - reclining was fun - and diner/drive-in style food for the eating. I pretty much pigged out on hot wings and fries. On to the movie...
This movie was so cute! It was more thought out and had a deeper message than I expected. It was kind of a kinder, gentler, more subtle Inconvenient Truth with a touch of Short Circuit - if Short Circuit was a romance. My sister like the existential aspect of it.
There's more I'd like to say, but I promised I'd try not to give too much away; I really liked seeing this movie without knowing the overarching plot.
Not my favorite Disney or Pixar movie, but I highly recommend it to adults and children alike. (A-)
Hancock - My opinon of this movie has been on a rollercoaster ride ever since we saw the first preview: wanted to see it, didn't want to see it, thought it looked lame, thought it looked cool, went to see it, loved it while watching the beginning, was impressed with the originality, loved the characters, thought it was becoming predictable, liked the ending, didn't love the overall movie as much as I thought I would when it started, keep changing my mind whenever I talk about the movie to someone. Whew! Thanks for reminiscing about that ride with me. (I know, I know, I forced you into it... whatever.)
So, how do I feel about it now, just over a week later after seeing Hellboy II and Mama Mia!? I still really like it. Can't say I'll rush out and buy the DVD the day it comes out, but it will probably make its way into our collection at some point. (B)
Hellboy II - We saw this movie the day after seeing Hancock. A review I read before seeing the movie called it "Red's Labyrinth."
I was very excited to see this movie and I wasn't disappointed at all. I liked it much better than the first movie, which I only saw on DVD recently.
I agree with the seemingly prevailing view that this movie had an abundance of "creatures." However, I don't think it was a bad thing. I thought they were great enhancements to a growing mythology that we're learning about a world that includes Hellboy, a "demon" raised by a human to protect humanity from other demons, and his friends: Abe, a fish-guy, and Liz, a human torch. I thought Guillermo del Toro's menagerie had a fantastic mythical quality reminiscent of Tolkien. Each creature seemed to have a rich back story (like the characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy or even in the Harry Potter series do) that made them make sense (whether we learned the back story or not) and that added to the movie as a whole. The creatures didn't seem arbitrary like some of the characters in the Star Wars series.
What I really missed was more depth from the main characters. Maybe because it was a sequel, the makers didn't feel the need to develop personalities and relationships that transcended the visual spectacle of the movie. I thought the main actors had much better characters to play the first time around. In this movie they seemed quite shallow and flat.
Overall, I do recommend the movie. It was an entertaining summer blockbuster-type movie. I think it melded the comic book genre and the fantasy genre in a pleasing way for a fan of both (me). However, I'm not a fanatic about either, so I may be off-base if someone is a die-hard fan of either. (B+)
Mamma Mia! - We got to see a pre-screening of this movie on Tuesday, for free! Gotta love a free movie!
So, we saw this movie with my cousin who is an ABBA fan. I enjoy their music, but I think she knew quite a few more of the songs than I do. Also, none of us has seen the stage musical.
It was very fun to see this movie in a full theater. I assumed most people were fans and didn't feel the need to squelch my desire to laugh-out-loud, clap, cheer and sing along. The story was interesting and well-paced.
As for the actors/singers, some were great, others not so (at least to me). I think there was some overacting, as there tends to be in musicals. Meryl Streep started out seeming manic and insincere, but got better over the course of the movie -- or I just got used to her character. I really liked her last solo. I thought Colin Firth would have been a better choice to play Pierce Brosnan's character, but he (Firth) probably enjoyed his role much more. Firth was wonderful, as always (I might be a little biased). Brosnan is not a singer, btw. The lead girl was much better than I expected. Her friends were cute and funny - would have liked to see them more. Streep's friends were definitely a hit! They were very funny and sang their songs well.
I really enjoy musicals and I like the story of this one, the execution wasn't up to the standards of musicals I love, though. Overall, it was a bit of summertime fun. As Sam said to me as we were leaving the theater, "how can anyone _not_ like this movie?" (B+)
** end of intended original post **
So, I guess I've really enjoyed the movies I've seen so far this summer. I also really enjoyed The Dark Knight. I think that one was the best of the summer. I cried a lot and it has stayed with me over the past week - I think about it off and on. Maybe we will see it again. The IMAX theater we saw it in wasn't the best, but we got good seats. I didn't really notice the jumps from the parts shot in IMAX and the parts shot in regular film - only conciously noticed one time for each frame size (the opening = IMAX, looked down over people's heads, and then at some point when people were talking I noticed that the movie didn't go down that far).
Well, I guess I've rambled on long enough... But I figure it's okay since I haven't posted in months...
see ya!
Title: Too excited to sleep!!
We're going to see The Dark Knight at 9am today!! I got up at 5:10, tossed and turned for 20 minutes, took a shower and checked some email... now it's time for some blogging. Can't believe Sam is still sleeping!!
Soooo... what to talk about? Maybe some other movies we've seen since getting back from P.E.I. (more on that trip later... maybe... I make no guarantees).
This summer has been pretty good for us movie-wise. I feel like I'm starting in the middle - these are all July movies - but that's okay. If you want more in depth (read: better) reviews from semi-professionals see the ones by Ryan and Andy for Wall-E, Hancock and Hellboy II, respectively. Side note: I haven't read these particular reviews, but Sam has talked to me about the guys' overall feelings about these movies.
I'll try not to spoil things, but I make no guarantees; read at your own risk.
Wall-E - Technically we saw this movie ON our trip, not after, but I'm including it anyway. My sister and brother-in-law took us to a very cool theater for dinner and the movie - at the same time! Fun. They had Lincoln Towncar (?) leather chairs for the seats - reclining was fun - and diner/drive-in style food for the eating. I pretty much pigged out on hot wings and fries. On to the movie...
This movie was so cute! It was more thought out and had a deeper message than I expected. It was kind of a kinder, gentler, more subtle Inconvenient Truth with a touch of Short Circuit - if Short Circuit was a romance. My sister like the existential aspect of it.
There's more I'd like to say, but I promised I'd try not to give too much away; I really liked seeing this movie without knowing the overarching plot.
Not my favorite Disney or Pixar movie, but I highly recommend it to adults and children alike. (A-)
Hancock - My opinon of this movie has been on a rollercoaster ride ever since we saw the first preview: wanted to see it, didn't want to see it, thought it looked lame, thought it looked cool, went to see it, loved it while watching the beginning, was impressed with the originality, loved the characters, thought it was becoming predictable, liked the ending, didn't love the overall movie as much as I thought I would when it started, keep changing my mind whenever I talk about the movie to someone. Whew! Thanks for reminiscing about that ride with me. (I know, I know, I forced you into it... whatever.)
So, how do I feel about it now, just over a week later after seeing Hellboy II and Mama Mia!? I still really like it. Can't say I'll rush out and buy the DVD the day it comes out, but it will probably make its way into our collection at some point. (B)
Hellboy II - We saw this movie the day after seeing Hancock. A review I read before seeing the movie called it "Red's Labyrinth."
I was very excited to see this movie and I wasn't disappointed at all. I liked it much better than the first movie, which I only saw on DVD recently.
I agree with the seemingly prevailing view that this movie had an abundance of "creatures." However, I don't think it was a bad thing. I thought they were great enhancements to a growing mythology that we're learning about a world that includes Hellboy, a "demon" raised by a human to protect humanity from other demons, and his friends: Abe, a fish-guy, and Liz, a human torch. I thought Guillermo del Toro's menagerie had a fantastic mythical quality reminiscent of Tolkien. Each creature seemed to have a rich back story (like the characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy or even in the Harry Potter series do) that made them make sense (whether we learned the back story or not) and that added to the movie as a whole. The creatures didn't seem arbitrary like some of the characters in the Star Wars series.
What I really missed was more depth from the main characters. Maybe because it was a sequel, the makers didn't feel the need to develop personalities and relationships that transcended the visual spectacle of the movie. I thought the main actors had much better characters to play the first time around. In this movie they seemed quite shallow and flat.
Overall, I do recommend the movie. It was an entertaining summer blockbuster-type movie. I think it melded the comic book genre and the fantasy genre in a pleasing way for a fan of both (me). However, I'm not a fanatic about either, so I may be off-base if someone is a die-hard fan of either. (B+)
Mamma Mia! - We got to see a pre-screening of this movie on Tuesday, for free! Gotta love a free movie!
So, we saw this movie with my cousin who is an ABBA fan. I enjoy their music, but I think she knew quite a few more of the songs than I do. Also, none of us has seen the stage musical.
It was very fun to see this movie in a full theater. I assumed most people were fans and didn't feel the need to squelch my desire to laugh-out-loud, clap, cheer and sing along. The story was interesting and well-paced.
As for the actors/singers, some were great, others not so (at least to me). I think there was some overacting, as there tends to be in musicals. Meryl Streep started out seeming manic and insincere, but got better over the course of the movie -- or I just got used to her character. I really liked her last solo. I thought Colin Firth would have been a better choice to play Pierce Brosnan's character, but he (Firth) probably enjoyed his role much more. Firth was wonderful, as always (I might be a little biased). Brosnan is not a singer, btw. The lead girl was much better than I expected. Her friends were cute and funny - would have liked to see them more. Streep's friends were definitely a hit! They were very funny and sang their songs well.
I really enjoy musicals and I like the story of this one, the execution wasn't up to the standards of musicals I love, though. Overall, it was a bit of summertime fun. As Sam said to me as we were leaving the theater, "how can anyone _not_ like this movie?" (B+)
** end of intended original post **
So, I guess I've really enjoyed the movies I've seen so far this summer. I also really enjoyed The Dark Knight. I think that one was the best of the summer. I cried a lot and it has stayed with me over the past week - I think about it off and on. Maybe we will see it again. The IMAX theater we saw it in wasn't the best, but we got good seats. I didn't really notice the jumps from the parts shot in IMAX and the parts shot in regular film - only conciously noticed one time for each frame size (the opening = IMAX, looked down over people's heads, and then at some point when people were talking I noticed that the movie didn't go down that far).
Well, I guess I've rambled on long enough... But I figure it's okay since I haven't posted in months...
see ya!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
New favorite
This is my new favorite artist, Marie Digby. (That's Ma-ri-e, the Japanese way, where you pronounce the "e" as a separate syllable - short e.) She is half Japanese, half Irish. Her first album drops (hahaha, I'm so hip.) on April 8. You can preorder it here.
Here she is doing a cover of Rhianna's Umbrella:
Here she is doing a cover of Rhianna's Umbrella:
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Arrived!
Guess what? Our Super Smash Bros. Brawl arrived from Circuit City in the mail just after we got home from buying it!! hahaha. We checked the mail before we left and it hadn't gotten here yet, but Sam decided we had better buy it in case it sold out. As it happened, they had to go into the back room to get a copy for us to buy at the Korean man's store.
We've played a good 2 hours worth of 4-player brawls. Sam, me and two "puny" computer players. [Thought we should start out with easy foes.] I think I hear Sam in the other room playing some more. I guess we haven't really battled for the whole time. Sam tried to take a snapshot of my character, Pit, beating up his character, Link. We played the coin game to get more trophies and stickers. Then we browsed the said collections. Fun!
We also received our 2nd Netflix movie - "The Game Plan." Yay for the Rock!
Here are our Netflix pictures. [Yes, we are enormous dorks. Well, I made Sam pose with me, so maybe I'm just the dork.]
We've played a good 2 hours worth of 4-player brawls. Sam, me and two "puny" computer players. [Thought we should start out with easy foes.] I think I hear Sam in the other room playing some more. I guess we haven't really battled for the whole time. Sam tried to take a snapshot of my character, Pit, beating up his character, Link. We played the coin game to get more trophies and stickers. Then we browsed the said collections. Fun!
We also received our 2nd Netflix movie - "The Game Plan." Yay for the Rock!
Here are our Netflix pictures. [Yes, we are enormous dorks. Well, I made Sam pose with me, so maybe I'm just the dork.]
"The Break-Up" follow up
So, Sam said I needed an image, so here it is! [Thanks, Sam.]
I am not sure if there is a difference between the "his side" and "her side" areas of the DVD. Unfortunately, I was sick of Mr. Vaughn and forgot to go back and check after we watched the movie and the previously mentioned special features. Sam theorizes that it is just the menu pictures that are different. Ours all had pictures and scenes of Jennifer Aniston on the menu. We also watched the "her side." Does anyone out there know if there is a difference? Inquiring minds want to know.
Well, I'm getting hungry and am thinking about grabbing Sam and heading out to forage for food. Also, maybe there will be shopping!! We'll let you know.... or not.
Still waiting...
Well, we did receive and watch "The Break-Up." I have decided that I am not a Vince Vaughn fan. I enjoyed the movie itself well enough. The ending was pretty ambiguous, but definitely better than the alternate ending -- except for the "Rainbow Connection" performance by the Tone Rangers (not the real Tone Rangers, the movie Tone Rangers). I think there should have been more a cappella moments. The special features were disappointing. The outtakes were surprisingly boring. We also didn't make it through all the takes of Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau "improvising;" it was also boring. I am glad we finally got a chance to watch it, but I probably won't be watching it again.
We are still waiting for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If it doesn't come soon, we may just have to go out and buy it at the game store. We often go to a place that has new and used games and is owned by a nice Korean guy. Maybe we will look for some used games while we are there. [Not today, Sam, NOW!]
Well, that's the update for now. Ciao!
We are still waiting for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If it doesn't come soon, we may just have to go out and buy it at the game store. We often go to a place that has new and used games and is owned by a nice Korean guy. Maybe we will look for some used games while we are there. [Not today, Sam, NOW!]
Well, that's the update for now. Ciao!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Waiting...
So, I am anxiously awaiting two things:
1. Our first DVD from Netflix. Sam and I got a subscription to Netflix for X-mas and finally got our acts together to set up an account and queue up some movies this weekend. I can see that it is another way to waste time and strain my eyes! Fun!! We kept getting swept up in adding stuff to our queue and rating movies. It's fun to see what you guys are also watching and rating... feels a little voyeuristic, though.
First movie: The Break-Up. Why, you ask? Because the Multnomah County library doesn't have it and we haven't been willing to spend money to see it... but I really want to see it!
2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl! We ordered our copy this weekend. Yay, free shipping from Circuit City! We have been excited for this game since before we decided to buy the Wii! Yes, we are nerdy enough to have been reading the SSBB blog, though not quite so nerdy as to be reading it daily or pre-ordering the game months ago.
Here is my favorite post from the SSBB blog. (^_^) It's about Stafy; he's my fave. Here he is:
1. Our first DVD from Netflix. Sam and I got a subscription to Netflix for X-mas and finally got our acts together to set up an account and queue up some movies this weekend. I can see that it is another way to waste time and strain my eyes! Fun!! We kept getting swept up in adding stuff to our queue and rating movies. It's fun to see what you guys are also watching and rating... feels a little voyeuristic, though.
First movie: The Break-Up. Why, you ask? Because the Multnomah County library doesn't have it and we haven't been willing to spend money to see it... but I really want to see it!
2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl! We ordered our copy this weekend. Yay, free shipping from Circuit City! We have been excited for this game since before we decided to buy the Wii! Yes, we are nerdy enough to have been reading the SSBB blog, though not quite so nerdy as to be reading it daily or pre-ordering the game months ago.
Here is my favorite post from the SSBB blog. (^_^) It's about Stafy; he's my fave. Here he is:
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Update for Raiz
Hollah! Raiz, sorry for not updating sooner. Thanks for goading me into it.
So, I know my poll was a long time ago, but I've finally taken your advice and changed my blog colors. It was very, very pink. I am testing out these shades of blue and hope they work better for the blog. Let me know what you think!
Happy spring forward day!
So, I know my poll was a long time ago, but I've finally taken your advice and changed my blog colors. It was very, very pink. I am testing out these shades of blue and hope they work better for the blog. Let me know what you think!
Happy spring forward day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
