Link is here: DailyLit
This website is very interesting and will email you a section each day or however you specify until the book is finished. They've got those books that are now "classics" meaning that the copyright has long gone, but there's plenty I've always wanted to read and thought were too long. I suppose in a year I could finish a long one, and I've started just today. Just thought I'd share the site with you...
A really wonderful museum with a fabulous collection. Turns out they're doing construction and closed a tiny bit of the museum, and are currently rotating some of my favorite art into storage (figures). She said to come back in 2009 when the new part opens and they'll have more room for art from what the museum already owns, which is probably currently in the basement somewhere gathering dust...
Either way, this picture by Sarah Hobbs was too cool for words. Click it to see it as big as I could find the file online.
This movie is a real keeper -- or see-it type movie. Apparently they're real musicians in life and have an album out besides the soundtrack for this movie. His voice reminds me of Damien Rice, but I'm sure some music-phile could say better who he (and she actually) remind you of. Either way, they meet in the street as he's a street musician and become fast friends. I'll leave the rest for you to find out about, but the movie is absolutely fabulous as is the soundtrack and their songs. A+. See it now in your nearest independent movie theater or wait for it to be out on DVD.
A navy movie this time, with James Franco. No one thinks he'll make it, but of course he does. Hope I didn't spoil it for you... but not really worth your time or mine either. Just an update.
What lovely rain my city has. I woke up from my nap to hear the sound of the rain, real rain pouring down complete with thunder. I felt some drops outside earlier and it was cold rain, pure pleasure for the summer. Guess I can't go out now and take pictures of Lincoln Ave. covered with motorcycles from the Mods vs. Rockers thing; I suppose they'd all go for cover.
Another Harrison Ford movie, although I do have to say he's aging well.
The gist: He works for this bank, and a few men want some money (typical) so they take hostage of his family. Not too thrilling I must say, and halfway through I was sure the movie was over, but no.
Honestly, don't bother.
This 1988 film featuring a ton of famous people (Christopher Lloyd, and so on) was acted out and then the cartoons were drawn in. Essentially the question was about who framed him for the murder of Mr. ACME. Plenty of drawn in characters you'll recognize, and I finally understand that stuffed animal I had years ago. You pulled the string and he spoke, just like Roger Rabbit in the film. This was a good one. Funny and classic to boot. Many of the themes are pretty adult and this is definitely not a film for the kiddies. Enjoy.
Don't know why I waste my time really, but some days you just need a good laugh. RV is with Robin Williams, as he takes his family on an RV vacation. Personally, I always thought an RV would be great... could drive anywhere and really sleep and cook inside. It's like a home on wheels. Anyway. Fun with Dick and Jane is about Jim Carey, being his usual face-making self, who loses his job after the company goes down and who resorts to stealing with his wife. Watch neither.
Don't know why I even bothered. The fighting, not too superb. The love story? Not too thrilling. It's about a blacksmith who finds out his father is a knight and a lord, and later fights to defend Jerusalem. One of the longest movies I've watched where I kept thinking I should turn it off.
Why you should watch it? Just don't.
The short of it? A sports movie featuring Mark Wahlberg. It's a biographical movie based on Vince Papale who became a star player on the Philly Eagles in the 1970s. Drafted from the general public, he rose to become a great football player.
Why you should see it? Only if you're a sport movie lover.
If you can't recognize this poster, you're missing out. It's been hanging on my wall for ages :D. Either way, decided to rewatch the movie today, and I got my Dad watching and singing along with me. Oh, what a British day. It's so much more enjoyable this time around, perhaps since I can finally understand them clearly. Turning on the closed captioning helps out too. The Beatles are a crazy lot, jumping all about, taking baths with submarines, singing with mysteriously appearing instruments, and that dirty little old man. Watch it for yourself, it's one of those classic experiences you need to have. Enjoy it all you can.
A superior movie, that was all fun. This movie actually made me laugh out loud, something that hasn't happened in a movie theatre for a long time. And it happened more than once. OK, a bit gruesome, and bloody, but it was all in good fun. It was a British day all around. (See the next post), and I enjoyed every second of it, and all the slang too. The movie was about a cop sent from London to the countryside since he was too good. Haha. Turns out the "perfect" village wasn't so perfect, and instead mostly criminals. Definitely recommended. I'm glad I only paid $3 for it, but it's probably out in a file or on a disc somewhere.
Another one of those teach dance to public school students. This was done up with Antonio Banderas and was more of a reenactment in comparison with a movie like Mad Hot Ballroom. The students turned out to be really good at dancing, and as it said at the end, it eventually lead to a larger program in NYC, perhaps fueling the other movie I mentioned. It was cute, and well done, and I do love these dancing movies. Not particularly recommended, unless you too have a soft spot for dancing.
An interesting movie. Haven't seen either Sandra Bullock or Keanu Reeves for a very long time in any picture. Don't know if I like these love stories across the boundaries of time type, but I feel like I've watched something comparable before. Either way, it was a nice relaxing film to watch filmed in a suburb of Chicago, since it's all around Chicago, and the house itself was pretty neat, at least I thought so. The film wasn't fabulously beautiful, heart-wrenching, or all that fascinating, so I'm not suggesting it, just telling what I saw.
This is a wonderful documentary that everyone should go and watch this instant. It's not about our environment, but rather why we can't even change our cars to use electricity rather than oil. Absolutely enlightening. It brings to mind the idea about how much these documentaries influence us -- think about that one about McDonalds, remember that? Did you eat at McDonalds after watching the movie? I probably have. It just goes to show, that we watch, we learn, but do we really follow? Either way, it was a great movie and exposed a lot about General Motors and what they did to squash the electric car. Then what the car companies did to squash all electric cars and lead us to Hydrogen Fuel Cells, which the movie implies is not going to work out in the short term future, and will be even more costly. Definitely go watch this film, and enjoy it for what it tells you. It's frightening that such things can occur, with conspiracy theories leading the way about who is at fault. And in addition to those companies and perhaps the California board, the consumers too are at fault. Why do we need four seats and a huge trunk? Why do we need a car to go 300 miles in a day? How far should work and school, etc., be?
Oh my! If the book wasn't messed up, the movie certainly was. Instead of imagining his drugged up mother, we got to see her firsthand. A lot of the book was left out, thank goodness, and there was a lot of expression showed on faces where they did not show the actual horrific items mentioned. Not to spoil it or anything, but I think they ended differently as well, I'm not certain though, since my recollection is limited to some specific things. I'm not sure if it was touching actually, but it was definitely interesting, and I don't think I recommend it to just anyone, so ask if you're curious.
This may very well have been the best movie I've seen in months. Very well done and it was very on the spot. I mean, it is a movie about Nicholas Cage as an arms dealer, but it's much more than that. Well filmed, a good narrative and voice over, and a plot that was just grabbing considering much of the same was being done over and over. There was a love element, a family element, and a small bit of chase element, and I personally wonder how much is real. Historical events were referenced, but I suppose we'll never see the real thing about arms dealers. IMDB references that one of the piles of weapons or trucks or whatever was one borrowed from a real arms dealer since props would have been more expensive, but either way, that was a whole lot of weapons. Definitely recommended.
Well, I suppose my own thoughts are my own. Even if she was glorified and humanized (thanks to Martin for bringing this all up) I thought the movie was a bit touching. In case you don't know, she was once the Queen of France and apparently loved sweets and purchasing things. Either way, it was sweet, or at least I thought so, and the cinematography was excellent - and the music and visualness of it all made it fun to watch.
Admittedly, I was shocked at the end. I remembered they'd escaped, at least from history, but that's not how I remember/imagine it all went down, but instead they made it out to be quite dramatic. Recommended.
Oh boy. The absolutely cheesiest, sappiest, stupid movie I've ever seen. With a bunch of famous people (including Angelina Jolie real young) it's about two rivalry families and their respective son and daughter reliving Romeo and Juliet. After they play in it together. But it's hilarious, really, and I wanted to turn it off the whole time but couldn't stop myself. My suggestion... turn the channel as soon as you can.
So, another night, yet another movie. At this rate, I'll either finish all the movies on my hard drive, or stop watching cause I'll get to the depressing ones... either way, this one was not depressing, but rather one of the sport type movies I'm so fond of. The main guy is a sports lover, and becomes a picker for some kind of 900 number system, but he picks and sells. So, he's got this nice upward winning streak, but then he loses it. I'll let you watch the movie to find out what happens, but I will say it is predictable, and only watch if you like this kind of thing.
Wowsa. I think this type of movie is my favorite, where it is absolutely completely unpredictable. Ok, so he kept saying he'd walk right out the front door, but still. It had a wonderful ending, and when I say that I don't necessarily mean a happy one, but just one written and acted out well enough that satisfies the movie in itself. Definitely watch it or put it on your list to watch, and I'll go on and watch some more in the meantime.
The movie? The cutest thing I've ever seen, and sweet as all else. Watched late at night, as usual, but it was worth all the extra time and the sleeping in the next morning. About a boy and girl aged 11, who fall in love, or at least the boy who does. They are fantastic in this movie and it seems so real. About the true first love where boys and girls aren't seperated any longer. Watch it. :D
So, I watched this movie after falling asleep watching it on an airplane before. My grandfather has poor vision, so any movie with a light colored background makes the cut, and he admitted that it was the first movie that he actually saw for a long time. He didn't hear a word they said, but that's besides the point. I never thought I'd actually watch it, much less enjoy it, but it was cute enough to watch just the one time. Never again, admittedly, but the specials were good, with the choreographer doing a bit of dancing, and some extra cartoon. Do I recommend it? er... perhaps if you like the cartoon/animated genre.
Wow. I've been slacking on my blog in the year 2007, but that stops now. My media update has been finished and that's what was really holding me back in a sense. It's summer and I'm waiting to hear from a job or two, and then I'll leave Ft Lauderdale and move on to some other place. It's warm here, and sunny, which is a nice change from California (but only in one sense or two) and my grandparents are the same as usual.
Shrek 3: Not worth your money. Typical sequel to the first two, with less laughter than it should have had.
Spiderman 3: Go see only only if you LOVED the first two, otherwise, skip this one too.
Pirates 3: Oh so long, I fell asleep. I know, I do that a lot, but never in the movies! It dragged on, the fighting especially and there were some loose ends that were not very clear.
Lucky You: Classic romance story with poker as the headlining feature. Seeing as how I do understand all the poker, it was just cute enough. The previews before this movie made me cry, so obviously there are more important movies I'm waiting for.
Away From Her: Absolutely fabulous even though I only saw half. Why? The power went out in Santa Monica halfway through the movie and didn't come back on so we decided to leave. Perhaps this summer I'll just spend all my money watching independent films, since I do love them so.
Dreamgirls: Tia told me she fell asleep, but Jinsun told me to watch it. My grandmother actually owns it, so she and I watched it together, and when I say that, I mean I watched it and she napped. Well... the singing was fantastic and the costumes and set was beautiful. She and I went over all the parallels to real life after the movie.
Blue Shoes and Happiness (a No. 1 Ladies... book): I do love these. I'd suggest to you to pick up the very first one, and then read on from there. She solves mysteries -- but not in the Agatha Christie kind of way, but a lovely one nonetheless.
Future Housewives of America: A story about the wives of Air Force personnel and their "everlasting" friendship. Very well written I'll say, but a heartbreaker and full of sadness and depression for all the characters.
From Healthbolt:
1. Embrace the number one truth about stress: Only you create it. Stress isn’t defined as a large workload, a difficult child, or a rise in terrorism. Stress is your physical and mental reaction to these external stimuli. Remember the truism about alcoholism? The one that says admitting you are an alcoholic is more than 50 percent of the cure? The same is true for stress: Embracing the fact that stress is your reaction to external stimuli — and not the stimuli themselves — is half the battle toward managing it. You can’t change a crazy world. But you can learn to handle it with humor, humility, and hope. Not coincidentally, virtually every stress-relief method that follows is about how to improve your reaction to external factors…
The link provides a link to more. But I think I've finally gotten the idea once my life begins its downward spiral.
A fantastic movie, really well done, portraying a side of the English Queen (Elizabeth II) that I'd never known before, especially with regards to the Princess Diana issue, but maybe only since I was young when it all occured. The movie ended with the end of the Diana issue (or really the beginning part of the issue) and didn't deal with later contraversies with Blair and the Queen.
*And here I hear the work contraversy in my head as an English person would say it...
But either way, it's quite a movie, and moving in it's own way. Helen Mirren is absolutely wonderful, and although the actor for Blair doesn't really remind me of the way Tony Blair actually looks, they did a wonderful job. Highly recommended by me.
So Margie has been ranting and raving about these Honest Tea drinks she ended up buying at Jay's Place, and finally I gave in and tried them. Not so bad, and quite healthy. I didn't see it on the last one I drank, but on the inside label of this one was a good quote...
"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there." -Josh Billings
http://healthbolt.net/2007/02/19/easy-health-tip-36-take-off-your-shoes/
It’s something that a lot of families think is a good idea, but I always figured it had to do with keeping the house clean. But it’s not something I’ve ever taken upon myself to do at school. Perhaps this medical reason is a good one. Plus, it’s easier to sit cross-legged in my chair without shoes (which I like). :D.
Link here
Oh, it has great great lines that people have overheard and typed up to share... here's some:
Four-year-old girl: Mommy, is this avant-garde?
Mom: Yes.
Four-year-old girl: Mommy, I like avant-garde.
--MoMA
Frat boyfriend: Wait, 525,600 what? What was that about?
Girlfriend: Minutes, baby. It's, like, how many minutes we have in our lives.
Frat boyfriend: Oh. [Two blocks later] Wait, 525,600 what? Minutes?
Girlfriend: Yes. Minutes.
--Nederlander Theatre, 41st & 7th
Three books. The first was a compilation with heavy themes in terms of content and writing style, filled with true stories collected which were almost all fabulous. A good read (but I bet any year will do you good). The second book, a fictional piece from the 50s that takes place in Brooklyn of course, and was a touching story of a girl growing up and the hardships. The last was a quick read, a mystery by a ex-lord (from the UK) who spent time in prison, about the murders surrounding famous art pieces that a collector wishes to keep.
All good books. I'd most recommend the second as it was fabulous. The first was just an interesting read; and the last was a quick piece (not super high quality writing but a somewhat enthralling story).
The Illusionist was a fabulous movie with Edward Norton, one of my favourites. About a man who seems to have supernatural powers and does magic, and eventually tracks down his long lost love.
The Last Kiss was a movie with Zach Braff about a man who eventually decides not to leave his pregnant girlfriend for a younger girl. An alright movie with a fab soundtrack. Which I'll get soon enough.
Magnificent!
Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh)
Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)
France (Paris)
Traveling was a great experience, and I'd love to go back everywhere and do everything and see everything again. As they say... 'leave things for later' which was done, but more so because we ran out of time. Ask if you want to know more.
