Life is for Blogging

Cost Plus World Market Gourmet Chocolate Bars

2009-10-29T14:07:00.000-06:00

Cost Plus World Market offers a wide variety of exotic products from all over the world. They also have product lines of their own, one of which is a marvelous selection of gourmet chocolates.

With pomegranate, chipotle chilis, sea salt, and several different grades of dark chocolate as well as a milk chocolate bar, Cost Plus has put together a package sure to please any chocolate lover.

The dark chocolate bar with sea salt is one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in a while (after Mo's Bacon Bar from Vosges). Rich, dark chocolate studded with bits of sea salt, it's the perfect bar for that particular salt-and-sweet craving. Best of all, it's considerably less expensive than comparable gourmet chocolate bars. These bars are only available at World Market stores, and cannot be ordered through their website. Highly recommended.

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy

2009-10-15T13:31:00.000-06:00

The Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy line is a great collection of herb-infused products from shampoos to body wash and even candles and the B&BW Wallflowers.

Without the perfumey, artificial-smelling overkill of many of the "regular" body products, the Aromatherapy line offers light, natural scents that can help invigorate, relax, or focus the mind. Some of the scents include Eucalyptus Spearmint, Lemon Cardamon, Orange Ginger and Warm Milk and Honey.

My personal favorite so far is the Orange Ginger, but I haven't tried all of them yet, and many other varieties look tempting. They come in gift sets, too, which would make great Christmas presents.

Metro Mint Mint Water

2009-10-02T09:09:00.001-06:00

Metro Mint Mint Water is seriously the best flavored water I've ever had. With just enough mint to invigorate but not overwhelm, MetroMint is a great afternoon pick-me-up or morning palate cleanser.

MetroMint comes in spearmint and peppermint flavors. I prefer the spearmint, because I've always preferred spearmint to peppermint. It has no calories, no carbs, and no sugar--just water with a fresh, clean, mint taste. Its only drawback is that it's not a great choice to drink with meals, but the unique, refreshing flavor more than makes up for that.

Look for MetroMint in healthfood stores or in your grocery's natural food aisles.

Hot Chili and Chocolate from Vosges

2009-09-29T15:02:00.000-06:00

In addition to their phenomenal bacon bar, Vosges also makes the Red Fire Exotic Candy Bar. This bar offers a combination of dark chocolate, Ceylon cinnamon, and Mexican ancho and chipotle chilis. Sweet at first bite, then fiery, it's a perfectly balanced combination of flavors.

Vosges also makes an Aztec cocoa with combined cocoa, cinnamon, peppers and vanilla bean.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

2009-09-20T10:34:00.000-06:00

The Pumpkin Spice Latte has returned to Starbucks. The seasonal drink only appears during the fall, and apparently there are people who wait on tenterhooks for it to arrive. Some of these people are celebrities who hang out on Twitter, and who tweet frantically back and forth to each other about whether the PSL has arrived, and if not, when will it, and why can't they get it early since they're all famous and everything? (This would be Mikey Way and Pete Wentz, if anyone cares.)

Unfortunately, I don't really get the Pumpkin Spice Latte Love. It's not a bad drink, with a nice balance of nutmeg and ginger, but it doesn't do much for me. It's too sweet, for starters, and for enders, it's too expensive, especially with the recent price hikes at Starbucks. If I'm going to toss out over four dollars for a Venti, I'll stick with my Venti Caramel Macchiato.

Bacon Chocolate Bars from Vosges

2009-09-10T15:57:00.000-06:00

Vosges Haute Chocolate makes some of the most intriguing chocolate combinations out there. But one of the most intriguing is Mo's Bacon Bar. Sweet, applewood bacon, sea salt, and deep milk chocolate all combined in a single bar. (The bar also comes in dark chocolate.)

I was skeptical that bacon in a chocolate bar would be anything but, well, weird. Maybe even kind of gross. But one bite of this bar changed my mind. It's the perfect balance of salt and sweet, and the bacon and chocolate flavors are perfectly balanced. Vosges is a great place to go to try something aside from regular, humdrum chocolate, and Mo's Bacon Bar is a great place to start on your new chocolate adventure.

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap

2009-09-04T14:19:00.000-06:00

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap is all natural, olive-oil based soap infused with natural oils. It's invigorating, a joy to use, and is safe for even sensitive skin. Dr. Bronner's also makes bar soaps and a variety of other skin care products as well as the liquid soaps

I've never tried anything other than the peppermint liquid soap, but this soap is a great way to wake up in the morning. It clears out the bleariness and can even help clear the sinuses if you tend to wake up a little congested. Unlike artificially scented bath gels and body washes, Dr. Bronner's provides a natural scent that won't disturb your allergies, and that will get you started off on the right foot every morning.

Neutrogena Wave

2009-07-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

A new form of product in skin care, the Neutrogena Wave leaves your face feeling bright and clean and even a little tingly.

The Wave is a small, hand-held device that uses a disposable pad infused with a cleansing solution. When the pad is moistened, it builds up a slight foam. The vibration of the Wave then helps exfoliate and deep-cleanse your skin. It's easy to use in the shower, and you can actually see the results in the dead skin and oils left behind on the pad.

Better yet, the Wave is a reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Movie--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-07-10T08:45:00.003-06:00

I think I committed a fatal error in reading the original F. Scott Fitzgerald short story before I watched this movie. The movie, while sweeping and beautifully filmed and filled with excellent performances, bears almost no resemblance to the story, which caused me to make faces at it through most of the two-and-a-half hours of its running time.

In fact, the only element remaining of the original story is Benjamin Button's reverse aging. And even that conceit is modified. In the story, Benjamin acts like an old man when he appears to be an old man, and acts like a child when he appears to be a child. In the movie, he behaves more like a child during his older years, and like an old man suffering from dementia when he looks like a young child. More importantly, the reverse aging adds little to the story other than a gimmick and the chance for the movie makers to spend a great deal of money on make-up effects (and win Oscars for them, but that's another issue).

Overall, while I could see the movie had its merits, my enjoyment was greatly diminished by the complete departure from the source.

Haagen-Dazs Green Tea Ice Cream

2009-07-03T15:11:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm on a bit of an ice cream kick, but I saw a couple of new ice cream flavors in the store the other day, so I grabbed them. One of them was Haagen-Dazs' new green tea ice cream.

The only place I've ever had green tea ice cream before was at my favorite sushi joint. This ice cream is actually a little better, I think. It's creamy and rich, with a strong green tea flavor. The green tea flavor comes from matcha green tea, which has a stronger flavor than most green tea, but also carries stronger antioxidant properties. How well those work when it's blended with cream and sugar to make this decadent ice cream is anybody's guess, but it's definitely tasty.

Single Serving Ice Cream

2009-06-25T16:00:00.000-06:00

Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, and a couple other premium brands, including premium store brands, have jumped onto the bandwagon of single serving premium ice cream. In a tiny little carton with its own attached spoon, this ice cream is just as high calorie and bad for you as the large-sized versions, but without the added risk of polishing off an entire pint at one sitting.

Only a few flavors are available in this packaging right now, and the tiny spoon, while cute, is largely useless. Those are really my only complaints. While this isn't exactly a dieting option, it's an aid to portion control on those days when you really need a nice dose of high-quality ice cream.

The Dark Tower: Treachery

2009-06-22T13:34:00.002-06:00

This comic series is a spin-off of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, featuring characters from the books during a time period not covered by the epic novel sequence. The story fills in gaps in the life of Roland Deschain, bringing readers more of his backstory and history.

Treachery follows The Long Road Home, which spun out from Gunslinger Born. Gunslinger Born was basically a retelling of pieces of the novel Wizard and Glass, and so brought no new material to the Dark Tower world. The following sequences, though, carry that story forward into new territory.

The end of Treachery does cover pieces of Roland's story from the books, but also adds to the narrative. Although readers of the Dark Tower books will know how the ending plays out, there's enough original material here to provide a good addition to the books.

A must-have for devoted Stephen King fans.

Gold's Gym Cardio Workout

2009-06-21T13:23:00.000-06:00

Gold's Gym Cardio Workout for the Wii is a reasonably good workout game, but has several drawbacks. Intended to interface with the Wii Balance Board, Gold's Gym offers exercises for the balance board, but they don't work well and end up being more frustrating than useful.

The most entertaining and usable features of Gold's Gym are, unsurprisingly, the cardio boxing sections. With premade or customized workouts, you can produce a satisfying workout that fits your schedule, giving you a quick aerobic interval before work or whenever you have fifteen or twenty minutes to exercise.

The game takes a while longer to unlock than I'd prefer--I had to spend a few days going through the tutorials before I could actually get a good workout--but once this hurdle has been passed, the workouts proceed at a nice pace.

Recommended for increasing aerobic and cardio activity, but avoid the balance board options.

Life After People

2009-06-20T16:26:00.004-06:00

My daughter introduced me to this show today--she's on summer vacation and spending a lot of time watching the History Channel and Animal Planet. Hey, at least it's educational.

Anyway, we saved a couple of episodes on the DVR and took a look together. While an interesting show in its way, it also doesn't make a great deal of sense. The show focuses not on how people were eliminated, but on what supposedly would happen to the planet after we're all gone. This premise seems flawed to me, because the fate of everything else on the planet is going to be dependent on how the people get wiped out. For example, if there's a nuclear holocaust, the aftermath will be distinctly different than if, for example, a meteor smacks into the planet.

Perhaps I'm missing the point of the show, though. Maybe it's really just about how much we've affected our planet, for bad and for worse. In many ways, the projected results make you think that maybe Earth would be better off without us.

100-Calorie Packets

2009-06-20T15:48:00.000-06:00

You can find just about any kind of snack food in 100-calorie single-serving packets these days. This packaging is very handy for those of us trying to control and/or reduce our daily calorie intake.

Some of my favorite entries in the 100-calorie package wars:

Pringles
Milano cookies
Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies
Chocolate covered pretzels
Cheez-It Snack Mix

Yes, there's a lot of chocolate on that list. Want to make something of it?

EA Sports Active Personal Trainer

2009-06-19T16:40:00.002-06:00

After getting the Wii Fit for Christmas, it took me about three months to unlock everything in the game and get to a point where it wasn't offering me an intense enough workout. The arrival of the EA Sports Active offers new alternatives.

EA Sports Active integrates with the Wii Fit Balance Board, but also uses the nunchuck controller and a leg strap to track movement, as well as an elastic resistance band to provide surprisingly intense strength training. You can use pre-made workouts, including a 30-day challenge sequence, or make your own workout sequences. With workouts lasting from 20 minutes to as long as an hour, at three different intensity levels, EA Sports Active provides a variety of workouts that you can easily fit into even a busy day.

With its wider range of exercises and more intense workouts, EA Sports Active offers a great next step after your needs surpass the exercise provided by the Wii Fit.

G1 Apps: Hangman

2009-06-18T14:28:00.002-06:00

After having great luck finding a good Tic Tac Toe game, I was hoping to have equal success finding a Hangman app. No such luck. I tried two different apps and wasn't particularly pleased with either.

Hangman from Vavni is a remarkably pretty application, but it's difficult to use. The touch keyboard on the screen has letters that are so small it's practically impossible to press only one letter at a time. The game also works with the keyboard, but this takes something away from the enjoyment.

HangDroid's touch screen alphabet works slightly better, but is still difficult. The graphics aren't as pretty as Vavni's entry, and the Android figure who gets "hanged" doesn't seem to have enough body parts for an enjoyable game.

I continue my quest for the ultimate Hangman app.

Movie Review--Up

2009-06-08T15:28:00.003-06:00

A much deeper and more mature movie than it appears from the previews, Up, Pixar's latest release, transcends the conception of "family movie." Much like Wall-E before, it, Up tackles complex and intense adult issues, packaging them in an emotionally authentic story that will have most viewers going for the tissues in the first ten minutes.

The movie has plenty of laughs, as well--enough to send you looking for the tissues for an entirely different reason. There's also adventure, and some scary sequences, so be sure to take the PG rating into consideration.

The 3D presentation adds much to this movie, but subtly. Overall, even though the visual presentation is immaculate, it's driven by a story that's more touching and genuine than any number of supposedly serious, "adult" films.

Terminator Salvation

2009-05-24T18:35:00.003-06:00

Apparently, in the future, the robots are taking over. And whether it ends up being the Cylons or Skynet, humans are pretty much screwed.

The culprit in the Terminator series is, of course, Skynet. According to the Terminator timeline, we have until 2016 before the robots become sentient and start blowing us up and enslaving us. The one hope for humanity is John Connor, who organizes the resistance against the machines and saves the human race.

In the original Terminator, the machines sent back the original Terminator robot to destroy John’s mother, Sarah Connor, before he was born. In this, the fourth installment of the movie series, John Connor (Christian Bale) must prevent the death of Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), now a young adult, who is destined to father him when he’s sent back to the past to protect Sarah. Confused yet?

It’s not really that confusing in the movie. The backstory is spelled out well enough to keep from losing a casual fan of the series, and probably enough to orient someone who hasn’t seen any of the other movies. There are several nods to the original movie, including stills of the original Sarah Connor, Linda Hamilton, and an appearance I wasn’t expecting at all.

The plot itself is fairly simple, woven around plenty of action, explosions, and loving shots of John Connor being thoughtful, angsty and/or heroic, as well as dirty, sweaty, and banged up. The entire movie has a burned-out, apocalyptic feel—appropriately enough—with a partially desaturated color palette and barren, desert landscapes. The performances are reasonably good, most notably Sam Worthington’s turn as Marcus Wright, the cyborg who thinks he’s still human (although Worthington, an Australian, suffers a bit of accent slippage here and there). Bale is as pretty as ever, though he has a disconcerting tendency to slide into his Batman voice, which is a little over the top even for Batman.

Speaking of Batman, Salvation marks Bale’s entry into a second major franchise. It also offers the same opportunity to Yelchin, who plays not only Kyle Reese in this film, but can also be seen as Pavel Chekov in the new Star Trek.

Overall, Salvation is one of the better installments in the Terminator series, though I’m still partial to the recently and unfortunately canceled Sarah Connor Chronicles. Salvation is intended to be the first in a new trilogy, and offers a promising start if this plan plays out.

X-Files--The Comics

2009-05-18T07:35:00.002-06:00

The X-Files has been absent from TV screens since 2002, but with the arrival of The X-Files, I Want to Believe in movie theaters last year, the series has been revived in comic book form.

The X-Files comic books are published by Wildstorm Comics, with the first issue having arrived in January of this year. So far, the series consists of stand-alone stories of two issues each, echoing the formula of the earlier days of the TV series. The artwork is quite good, offering familiar faces to fans. The stories aren’t bad, but could be better. The two-issue per story format limits the strength of the individual narratives, so the plots are weaker than they could be if given a 4- or 5-issue arc.

One confusing element to the comics is that they’re dated 2009 in the slug lines, and Mulder and Scully make use of modern technology that never appeared in the original series (flash drives, for example), and the Lone Gunmen make appearances in spite of their canonical deaths in Season Nine. One has to conclude that the timeline exists independently of both the series and the recent movie, as many important events from both are ignored.

While these comics could be stronger if given longer arcs, they’re still an entertaining return to the world of The X-Files.

New Starbucks Cups

2009-05-12T10:47:00.000-06:00

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a Starbucks fan. Recently, they've come out with two new reusable cups that I really like. (Yes, I'm that pathetic. I'm writing about the CUPS.)

The first is a reusable hot beverage cup. It's easy to use, with a twist-top instead of the flip-tops that are so hard to keep clean. It's also the first reusable cup that they've made in a Venti (as far as I know, anyway, and the barrista at my local Starbucks backed this up). I love my twice-weekly Starbucks fix, but I always feel a little guilty at the waste of the reusable cups. But I also wanted my Venti, and the cups only went to a Grande size. So this was an exciting find. Which should tell you something about the relative level of excitement in my life as a whole.

The other new cup is a reusable cup for cold beverages. With a two-layer, insulated design, this cup looks exactly like the disposable cold beverage cups. The straw is made so it won't fall out of the top of the cup, and it, too, comes in Tall, Grande and Venti sizes.

Movie Review--Star Trek

2009-05-11T10:07:00.004-06:00

Wow. That's all I really have to say. But for the sake of actually writing, you know, a review, I'll say a little more.

I'm a Star Trek fan from way back. If I say how far back it'll totally date me, but let's just say my memories go all the way back to original series. I was excited about the first movie, even more excited when Wrath of Khan came out, followed Next Generation religiously for several years, loved Deep Space Nine, and then lost interest in Voyager. I wanted Enterprise to re-spark my interest in this long-time fannish love, but it failed in spite of the presence of Scott Bakula. When I stopped paying enough attention to even notice when Captain Archer had his shirt off, I knew it was time to let it go.

And then came this weekend's reboot.

Having gotten mired in the increasingly convoluted world of Lost, I had understandable trepidations when JJ Abrams stepped up to take over the Star Trek franchise. When the previews starting coming out, I started nourishing a cautious optimism.

My optimism was rewarded when I saw the movie this weekend.

This re-visioning of Star Trek balances respect for the original series and its characters with a need to move forward into a tone that fits better with today's cinematic expectations. The movie tears along at a crisp clip, introducing characters in such a way that an old-time Trekker like me is quickly snared by nostalgia, while those new to the series, like my son, aren't lost. The characterizations of the original crew are just new enough to work in the new milieux, and just enough like their previous incarnations that you recognize them as soon as they arrive on-screen. The plot is a bit convoluted and would probably collapse under close scrutiny, but the combination of time travel and alien involvement is classic Trek (actually, more accurately, it's classic Next Generation). One sequence struck me as a bit over the top, falling a bit too far into slapstick, but overall this was a fine, fine ride. So fine, in fact, I'll probably be going to see it again.

Starbucks Via

2009-05-08T14:40:00.002-06:00

A few months ago, Starbucks ventured into the world of instant coffee. This would seem to fly in the face of everything Starbucks stands for. After all, the quintessential coffeehouse experience involves slow, loving coffee production, ensuring just the right amount of foam on your latte, and a relaxed drinking experience. Instant coffee? That's for people who don't really appreciate the complexity of the coffee experience.

At least it might seem that way for those of us for whom instant coffee means Sanka or Nescafe. Let's face it--that stuff really isn't worth of the name "coffee."

Starbucks Via totally is.

Via is packaged in single-serving portions, 12 to a box. For $9.95 a box, this might seem steep, but that's less than a dollar per cup for coffee that's frankly pretty damn good. The coffee inside isn't the weird, styrofoam-like pellets of many instant coffees, but is "soluble, microground" coffee. It looks like actual coffee grounds, but much finer even than espresso. It dissolves easily in hot water, not leaving lumps like flavored instant coffees (think General Foods International Coffees). Just heat up your water, pour in your coffee and stir, and you've got a cup of java just about as good as the regular drip at Starbucks.

Best G1 Android Phone Games (So Far)

2009-04-30T13:50:00.000-06:00

As with many of the new smart phones, several game apps are available for the Google G-1. Some of my favorites so far:

WordPops: Make words as letters "fall" up from the bottom of the screen. A cross between Tetris and Boggle. Comes in a free version (WordPops Lite), but worth the $.99 purchase price for the wider array of usable letters.

Tic Tac Toe: Some of the Tic Tac Toe versions were ponderous and difficult to use, but the free app I found on a quick search of the Android store is fun and fast-moving. It's a great game to play with the kids at restaurants when you're waiting for your food and you've run out of Tic Tac Toe grids on the kids' menu.

AlphaMixr: Also available in a free version, but again worth the $.99 purchase price. Form as many words as you can out of a set of supplied letters while racing the clock.

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers

2009-04-20T14:00:00.000-06:00

I saw these on sale when I was out shopping for some easy lunches and dinners and decided to give a couple a try. Cafe Steamers are packaged in a special steamer basket configuration, so you can have a dinner with veggies crisper than the usual frozen dinner fare, and cooked in a healthier way than some other dinners.

I tried the Sweet Sesame Chicken and the Five-Spice Beef & Vegetables and found both quite tasty and easy to prepare. My biggest beef (no pun intended) is the amount of packaging. Yes, frozen dinners aren't environmentally friendly at the best of times, but Cafe Steamers feature two separate plastic containers, one of which doesn't have a recycling symbol on it that I could find. This seems like a waste, especially when "green" packaging options are so prevalent these days.

G1 Apps--Calorie Counter

2009-04-14T11:50:00.001-06:00

The free Calorie Counter app is a useful tool for anyone wanting to keep track of their calorie consumption. With lists of major items from fast food chains, as well as a barcode scanner, it supplies enough data to get most people through a typical day. You can also save favorites that you eat often, and at the end of the day it gives you a grand total of your calorie consumption.

The barcode scanner is a bit tricky to use, but once you get the hang of it, it gives you a full nutritional profile for the item in question that you can then plug right into your day's menu. Whether you're watching your weight or just trying to eat healthier, the Calorie Counter can be a big help.

G1 Apps--aBook Reader

2009-04-11T12:01:00.000-06:00

The aBook reader for the Android phone provides a surprisingly easy-to-read format for reading. In spite of the small screen, the books are quite legible. Page-turning is accomplished with a simple finger-swipe (or thumb-swipe), accompanied by page-turney noises if you so desire (the sounds can be turned off if you want your reading experience to be quieter or sneakier).

The layout is pretty, too, with a parchment-like background for the text. The only real complaint about this reader is that there aren't many books available that I was able to find.

Read: Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Short Stories of Edgar Allen Poe

Not Just a Coffee Grinder

2009-04-08T15:45:00.001-06:00

Coffee grinders are great to have around if you're a coffee lover, but what if you upgrade to a coffee maker that grinds the beans for you? Is there any point keeping the old grinder?

Actually, there is. There are several useful things you can do with a coffee grinder that have nothing to do with coffee. Many people use them to grind spices, like whole nutmeg or allspice.

They're also great to spin up some finely ground bread crumbs. Keep your leftover bread (we use the ends of the loaves since nobody wants to eat them), tear the pieces into chunks and store them in the freezer. When you need bread crumbs, bring out the coffee grinder, toss in some frozen bread chunks and buzz away. Add Italian seasoning or Parmesan cheese or any other spice that will complement your recipe. Pre-ground and pre-seasoned bread crumbs can be pricey, so this is also a great way to save money.

Crystal Light On the Go

2009-03-20T13:16:00.000-06:00

If you have to drink a large quantity of water during the day, or are just trying to up your hydration, the taste of plain water can get pretty old pretty fast. For those times when you just can't stand another swig, Crystal Light On the Go flavor packets can help you get through your required daily allotment of water.

These single-serving packets come in a variety of flavors, from iced tea to fruit mixes. However, be sure to look for the additives. Following the trend of adding various vitamin supplements to everything, several varieties have additions for immunity, energy, and other goals. The energy drinks, though, are caffeinated, so if you have a sensitivity to caffeine, this won't be a good choice. They also contain aspartame, so be aware of that, as well.

G1 Apps--Tag To Do

2009-03-12T11:40:00.000-06:00

When consolidating your electronic devices onto your phone, a To Do list is essential. The Android Marketplace offers several, of which Tag To Do has become my list-maker of choice.

Tag To Do allows you to make multiple to do lists based on varying categories--work, home, grocery list, etc. Within each individual list, you can assign priorities and/or due dates. When an item reaches its due date, the application sends a message that appears in the notification area of the phone to let you know the date has arrived and you haven't checked off the item as done.

This combination of flexibility and notification makes Tag To Do a useful tool for anyone trying to keep themselves organized. Best of all, it's free.

Watchmen--The Movie

2009-03-08T10:41:00.001-06:00

After a great deal of hype and a legal battle that threatened to derail it entirely, the movie adaptation of Alan Moore's Watchmen finally hit theaters this weekend. Although if you weren't aware of the original comic, you wouldn't know it was Alan Moore's Watchmen, because Moore refused to take any money for the adaptation, nor did he allow his name to be attached to the film.

Considering the quality of the movie, it seems a bit odd that Moore would distance himself so intently from it, but I suppose that's his prerogative. The script proves very faithful--sometimes even too faithful--to the original material, even including frame-by-frame reproductions of parts of the comic.

The weaknesses regarding the story's women are still there, though the ending, which came off as a bit ridiculous in the graphic novel, has been tweaked to fit much more smoothly into the feel of the rest of the story.

The weakest part of the movie is, conversely, the strongest part of the comic. While Dr. Manhattan's ruminations on his "all times are the same" mental processes in the comic are masterfully rendered, in the movie they're somewhat confusing and slow down an otherwise fast-paced film.

Performance-wise, Watchmen is a bit weak. The strongest showing comes from Jeffrey Dean Morgan, as the amoral Comedian, who carries those parts of the film in which he appears. A close second is Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan.

T-Mobile's G-1 Google Phone

2009-03-04T07:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, technically it's an Android phone, with obligatory cute little green android dude for a mascot. But regardless of what you call it, once I caved in and bought one, it was love at first text message.

Having test-driven an iPhone a few months ago, I was quite consumed with lust for one of those. However, acquiring an iPhone meant I'd have to change my provider, and I wasn't sure I wanted to do that. AT&T does have slightly better coverage in my area, but when I visited the T-Mobile store, they gave me a pretty good deal to renew my nearly-expired contract, so I decided to stick with them.

In retrospect, I'm glad I did. I actually like the G1 better than the iPhone. The snap-out keyboard is much easier for me to use than the touchpad on the iPhone, or the G1 touchpad, for that matter. The volume on the phone is excellent--better than the Nokia flip-phone I upgraded from--and the selection of apps is quite good.

Overall, I'm very happy with the G1, and you will pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Watchmen--Graphic Novel

2009-03-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

The Watchmen graphic novel is largely known as a watershed moment in the development of comics. Reading it twenty years later, this impact is largely lost, since nearly every major comic on the shelves today has been influenced by the gritty, dark, amoral qualities Alan Moore brought to his complex, alternate reality world.

The strength of the storytelling, though, does hold up. And Moore's problematic treatment of women is probably emphasized by the intervening twenty years, during which time more and more folks of the female persuasion have become involved in the comics world, both as readers and creators.

Perhaps most impressive is Moore's handling of the alternating flashback storyline, and the strongest section, narratively speaking, is Dr. Manhattan's reflections while on Mars. The structure of the story wanders, going from whodunit to a much more complex approach that in the end almost ignores the idea of the murder mystery.

The most problematic part of the book, though, is the female characters. Sally Jupiter's supposed "romance" with the Comedian is offensive to many, stemming as it does from an attempted rape. And Silk Spectre has little personality, her character largely defined by her relationships with Dr. Manhattan and Nite Owl. Visually, the ending is a bit jarring, and doesn't quite mesh with the "feel" of the rest of the book.

In spite of its flaws, though, Watchmen remains deserving of its status as a classic.

Mini Review--Coraline

2009-02-17T12:46:00.003-07:00

I'm often leery of movies based on books, especially books I like. But when it comes down to it, if it has Neil Gaiman's name on it, I'm there.

When Coraline got underway, I realized I didn't remember the book that well, so I just went along for the ride. From what I could remember, though, the basic plot honors the original pretty well. The tone of the movie definitely dovetails nicely with that of the book. Though rated PG, Coraline's a bit intense for the younger crowd, although probably not much more so than classic Disney "kiddie" flicks like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. For the most part, Coraline is more creepy than scary, though the last act does add a scare factor.

The 3-D technology used for Coraline is impressive. There's not much of things jumping out at the audience, as in My Bloody Valentine, which in my opinion was a more appropriate approach for a younger audience. The 3-D really brings you into the story, most notably in the tunnel transition between Coraline's real world and the Other world.

Overall, I found Coraline immensely entertaining and wonderfully produced. My kids enjoyed it, as well, though at 11 and 15 they're a bit older than the target audience.

Wanna Buy a Hoodie?

2009-02-09T20:12:00.003-07:00

I'm ridiculous. And I'm aware of this. So when Clandestine Industries announced their relaunch this week, I ran right over there and spent some money. (The pictured hoodie is not, by the way, the one I bought.)

I like hoodies. And I like Pete Wentz, so I send him my money for hoodies. And these hoodies are comfortable and warm and darn it, I just like them.

So next time you're at a Fall Out Boy concert, look for the old lady in the Batheart hoodie. It just might be me....

Mini Review--My Bloody Valentine 3-D

2009-01-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

I don't normally venture out of the house for horror movies, much less 3-D horror movies, but the lure of seeing Jensen Ackles on the big screen proved too much for me in this case.

My Bloody Valentine turned out not to be a great movie, but it wasn't bad, either. The 3-D wasn't as gimmicky as it often is, and also proved surprisingly realistic. (Also, much to my happy surprise, it didn't give me a migraine like the last 3-D movie I went to.)

While gory and definitely not for the squeamish, My Bloody Valentine features a solid performance from Jensen Ackles and a plot that, unlike many horror movies, actually makes some sense. Surprisingly, though, the only really sympathetic character in the film is the killer.

Another Quickie Review--The Incredible Hulk

2009-01-15T20:20:00.003-07:00

I haven't watched the Ang Lee Incredible Hulk, so I can't say how the more recent version compares, but I can say that I enjoyed it quite a bit. The plot was pretty straightforward comic book movie, and therefore predictable. But what really made the movie for me was the shoutouts to the TV series. I used to be completely addicted to The Incredible Hulk, and seeing the nod to Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno in a small part, and even a snippet of the TV theme song in the soundtrack made me smile.

Quickie Movie Reviews

2009-01-01T18:45:00.002-07:00

I've spent the holiday break catching up on some movies, and plan to watch several more before I have to get back to the day job on Monday. A couple I particularly enjoyed so far were:

Hancock. My daughter is a big Will Smith fan, and this movie is fast-paced, funny, and an enjoyable twist on the usual superhero film. I wasn't quite on board with the last third, but overall it's a fun ride.

Quantum of Solace. I very much enjoyed Daniel Craig's first foray as James Bond, and while this wasn't quite as strong a movie as Casino Royale, it was still an entertaining afternoon in the theater. Daniel Craig continues to play Bond with cool, rugged sexiness, and in Quantum, recovering from the events of Casino, Bond is even more square-jawed and taciturn. And very, very easy on the eyes.

Top Five TV Shows of 2008

2008-12-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

To round off the top fives for now, here are my picks for top five TV shows. These aren't necessarily new shows, but they're shows I've particularly enjoyed this year.

1. Supernatural. This remains my favorite show on TV, and this year it's better than ever. Dean's time in hell, as well as the introduction of angels to the show's mythology, have added layers that work better than I ever thought they would.

2. Bones. After a major misstep at the end of last season and a really horrific return at the beginning of this one, I was afraid I was going to have to take this former favorite off my must-watch list. But the show has recovered nicely, and while I still hold a grudge, it's returned to its eminently watchable self.

3. Leverage. This show just started a couple of weeks ago, but it's rapidly becoming a favorite. Familiar faces Christian Kane (Angel) and Aldis Hodge (Supernatural, Friday Night Lights), make it that much more entertaining.

4. Burn Notice. The presence of Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless make this already fun show even more awesome.

5. House. Last season was questionable. The season before that? A bit annoying. This season seems to be back on course.

Top Five Movies of 2008

2008-12-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

My movie viewing this year was largely comprised of sequels and nostalgia. My top five movies of the year (counting only movies I managed to catch in the theater):

1. Wall-E. One of the most impressively produced, written, directed, you-name-it movies I’ve ever seen.

2. The Dark Knight. A fantastic movie, fantastic sequel, and a mind-bogglingly good performance from Heath Ledger. He will be missed.

3. Iron Man. One of the best non-Batman superhero movies ever.

4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Honestly? Not that great a movie in a lot of ways. But I loved it. I’m a huge Indiana Jones fan, and while I had issues with some portions of the story, I loved the way they wrapped up Indy and Marian’s storylines.

5. The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Again, not the best movie in a lot of ways, but boy, have I missed Mulder and Scully. And the Mulder-and-Scullyness of this movie gave me a warm fuzzy.

Five Favorite CDs of 2008

2008-12-18T17:36:00.003-07:00

Peer pressure compels me to make a list of favorite things from the rapidly closing year. I'm not going to do a top ten, though--that's too much work. Instead I'll just do a few top fives.

So without further ado--my favorite CDs of 2008.

1. Pretty. Odd.--Panic at the Disco. Joy in a jewel case, this is the perfect disc to slide into the player when you're in a bad mood. You'll be feeling better before it hits the third track. Favorite tracks: Northern Downpour, Behind the Sea.

2. The Black Parade--My Chemical Romance. Okay, not technically a 2008 disc, but I discovered it this year. With its over-the-top, theatrical anthems to death, dying, bad relationships, and other items of Deep Despair, it still makes me happy. Go figure. Favorite tracks: Welcome to the Black Parade, I Don't Love You, Cancer.

3. Folie a Deux--Fall Out Boy. Barely a 2008 CD, since it just came out this week, but it still counts. Helped along with guest spots by Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry, Brendon Urie and others, Pete Wentz and crew have never sounded better than they do here, happily skewering the pop culture of which they're such an integral part. Favorite tracks: What a Catch, Donnie, I Don't Care, (Coffee's for Closers).

4. Fast Times at Barrington High--The Academy Is... This should be the breakout album for this band, and it just might be, having been listed in the top 50 albums of the year by Rolling Stone. A breezy tribute to high school, Fast Times should have been a summer album but wasn't quite, so give it a listen and let it warm up your winter. Favorite tracks: About a Girl, After the Last Midtown Show.

5. Howl--Empires. A superb album from a label-less group, available for free download at weareempires.com. What are you waiting for? Go get it! Favorite tracks: Believe, I Want Blood.

Thoughts on Christmas Eve Dinner

2008-12-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

Are you in need of some fresh, new ideas for your Christmas Eve dinner table? Maybe the traditional dinner you've served for years is starting to feel boring or old, or maybe you don't have a real tradition in place at all. Either way, you want something new. But where to start?

One place to look for ideas for Christmas Eve dinner is into the past. Maybe your parents or grandparents had a particular tradition that you'd like to resurrect with your own family. Or maybe you'd like to go even farther back and try some traditions popular with your ancestors.

Many cultures have traditional Christmas Eve fare that you could prepare as a reminder of your origins. Take a look around for traditional cookbooks or websites with traditional recipes to come up with a dinner that reflects the culture of a few generations back. It's a way to explore your own background, and could be an educational experience for both you and your children.

In Ireland, Christmas Eve is considered a fast day, so the dinner choice of the day is fish. A typical evening meal would consist of creamed fish and creamed potatoes. Creamed haddock or salmon in a cream sauce are popular choices. With the fasting over by midnight, you can top off your meal with rum punch and plum cake.

The German Christmas Eve meal is also simple, often consisting of vegetable or pea soup. Presents are traditionally opened on Christmas Eve, and a much larger meal of sausages, game, potatoes, and sometimes roast goose is featured on Christmas Day. Some folks prefer the larger meal on Christmas Eve, so take your pick!

In Southern Italy, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a meal consisting of seven courses of fish. No one is quite sure what the seven fish stand for, but it's definitely a significant number for the holiday. Guesses include the seven sins, the seven sacraments, or the seven days it took Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem. Dishes can include calamari, shrimp, whitefish, tuna fish, and even lobster. Accompanies by antipasto and a variety of pasta dishes, as well as sumptuous desserts, the Italian Christmas Eve feast might leave you full until New Year's.

If none of your ancestral traditions appeals, you could always fall back on the traditional American meal of turkey or ham with all the trimmings. A roast goose might add some British flair, or you could always skip the dinner altogether and go straight to the French custom of thirteen desserts. Whatever you decide makes the ideal Christmas Eve meal, enjoy it with your family, and include a generous helping of the holiday spirit.

Holidays Leaving You Sleep-Deprived?

2008-12-09T12:31:00.001-07:00

The holidays can be a tremendously hectic time, with family get-togethers, parties, and of course holiday shopping taking even more time out of our increasingly busy schedules. This atmosphere can contribute to stress for many of us, and stress can lead to difficulty sleeping.

It's a testament to how many people have sleeping issues that there are literally hundreds of sleep aids on the market today. But these medications can have adverse side effects, including an unpleasant "hung over" feeling the next morning that makes it hard to feel awake and alert when you need to be.

Where else can you turn when sleep proves elusive? Here are a few suggestions that might help you find your way to a peaceful night's sleep, as well as a less stressful holiday season.

1. Homeopathic remedies. Unlike traditional over the counter medications, homeopathic sleep aids are gentle and have no side effects. Many mainstream grocery stores now carry single and combination homeopathic remedies that can be used to treat both stress and insomnia.

2. Herbal remedies. The old stand-by chamomile tea is a stand-by for a reason--it works. Chamomile is available in just about any grocery store, alone or in combination with other herbs to add interest and flavor. If you're allergic to any member of the daisy family, though, you might be allergic to chamomile, so use with caution.

3. Meditation and breathing techniques. If you've ever taken yoga classes or investigated any form of meditation, the breathing techniques used to introduce basic meditation can be useful in falling asleep. Sometimes, even when you can't fall completely asleep, entering a light meditation state can leave you feeling nearly as rested as you would if you had taken a nap. Just try counting your breaths, one to ten, then starting over at one again. It's a simple but powerful way to quiet a stressed mind.

4. Music. Music has always been a good way to help children sleep, and it works for grownups, too. Try some mellow music that you particularly like, or look for music specifically composed to help de-stress your system or to help you sleep. Music composed for meditation is a good choice, as is ambient music intended as background for massage therapists or Reiki practitioners. Some experimentation might be in order, but if you find just that right combination of music to help you sleep, it's worth the time invested.

Hopefully one or more of these ideas will help you get that rest you need to help you enjoy the holiday season without added stress and fatigue. Enjoy the holidays, and sleep well!

Steve Carlson--Stripped Down

2008-04-29T07:58:00.004-06:00

Steve Carlson's new album, Stripped Down, is still listed as "Coming Soon," but you can now listen to the full album in streaming audio at his website. It features old and new songs in, well, stripped down acoustic versions, including two new songs, "Where my River Flows," and "Love you or Leave You," co-written with none other than Jensen Ackles. Check it out at his website. It'll be available at CD Baby and iTunes when it's officially released. Can't seem to find a date though, but I'll post an update when I see one. This one is going to be well worth the money.

UPDATE: Looks like the official release date is May 6th. \o/

My Boys are Back!!

2008-04-26T07:46:00.003-06:00

Thursday night marked the return of Supernatural, after a loooong and painful hiatus. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, "Ghostfacers." Though there's been some complaint that, with Dean's contract coming due and much angst to be had, a comic episode was not a good launch back into the series, I thought it made a great palate cleanser from the hiatus. If they'd showed some angst and then the comedy ep, it would have detracted from the main arc, so showing this one first was a fun way to get back in stride with the show.

Next week--yeah, baby, bring on that angst!!

Knitting Tiny Peoples

2008-04-23T07:02:00.003-06:00

I've recently become obsessed with this pattern, which meandered its way across one of my knitting groups a couple of weeks ago. It's a pattern for itty bitty people, about 3-4 inches high or so. I modified it a bit when I used it--changed the arms and legs to icords because juggling four needles on something that small was making me insane--but it's an adorable little pattern and a great way to get rid of bits and pieces of yarn you have lying about the house. I've been making tiny celebrities. They don't take very long to knit up, and with an imaginative application of accessories, clothes and colors, you can make them look like just about anybody you want. Want to carry Sam and Dean around in your pocket? Well, now you can!

I'll share some pictures when I have a few more done.

Bones: Player Under Pressure

2008-04-21T20:32:00.003-06:00

While I enjoyed Bones tonight, it was a bit odd seeing an episode I knew was from last year. They didn't make very many concessions to canon changes, either--Angela's relationship with Hodgins got bumped back to, well, the status it had when this episode was originally scheduled to air. I hope they include the deleted proposal scene on the DVD set when it comes out.

But all that aside, I did enjoy it. Poor Cam and her blender, though. And wow, they just keep coming up with new and different ways to gross us all out with the dead bodies, don't they? Cause Squashed-in-Bleachers-Guy? Eww.

Make a Difference While You Search

2008-04-17T12:25:00.002-06:00

This has been all over the Internet, but I wanted to mention it here because I think it's a great idea. Ethicle offers a search engine (powered by Google) with a nice twist. With every search you make, a penny is donated to a charity of your choice. There are several available to choose from, including Amnesty International, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Federation. If you do as many searches as I do on a daily basis, it won't take long to rack up a couple of bucks' worth of donations for your charity of choice. The site offers easy ways to add the search site to your toolbars, so there's no effort involved at all to help Save the World. Check it out!

Bones--The Man in the Mud--Short Comments

2008-04-16T08:06:00.003-06:00

Monday night's Bones was a blast. I'd almost forgotten how much I missed that show. I was going to complain about Sweets, especially the fact that he's in the beginning credits now, but the interaction with him, Booth and Brennan was the highlight of the show for me. I like him when he's doing his psychiatrist thing--not so much when they involve him in the actual cases. Plus? I have theories about him... We'll see if they pan out.

Bones is Back!!

2008-04-14T16:41:00.002-06:00

I'm very excited! Bones comes back tonight for a six-episode run. \o/ It seems like ages since David Boreanaz and his Incredibly Wide Shoulders adorned my screen--it has been ages!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the return of one of my favorite shows, and I'll try to squeeze in some commentary.

Neat Firefox Add-On

2008-04-11T07:27:00.002-06:00

For those who use Firefox (and if you're not, then how come?), here's a neat add-on. Retail-Me-Not is a site that collects coupons to use for online purchases, and the Firefox addon will pop up a toolbar to let you know if there are coupons available for a specific site when you navigate to it. I've saved some money using this, with coupons to sites you wouldn't even think to use coupons for, plus more obvious ones like amazon.com and others. The selection of coupons is pretty wide, and you get a chance to rate the coupons when you use them. Check it out!

The New Comic Books Are Here!

2008-04-06T19:09:00.003-06:00

In addition to new music at the beginning of the month, I get my new comic book shipment. I get my stuff from mailordercomics.com, which has really good prices--the only disadvantage is that if you opt for once a month shipping, you're always a month behind everybody else, so there's risk of spoilers. I've run into issues with this on many ocasions, especially this month with the big plot twist from Buffy number 12. Which kind of annoyed me, but what can you do.

Anyway, I'm following quite a few comics right now. I started with just the media tie-in books, but I've branched out. So this month I got:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8. I've been following this since issue one, and I've been enjoying it quite a lot. Joss' first arc was great, but I think the Faith ark from Brian K. Vaughan was just as good if not better, and Drew Goddard's new sequence is definitely living up to the high standards set so far by this comic. (Dark Horse)

Angel: After the Fall. I was an even bigger fan of Angel than I was of Buffy, so I was excited when I heard Angel's story would also continue in comic book form. Something about this comic really bugs me, though, and I can't even peg down waht it is. It just seems...dour, I guess. I suppose I'd hoped for a happier scenario for Angel and the gang. I should have known better, given how Joss left the TV series hanging. There's been interesting twists, though, and I remain intrigued and wondering where things are going to go. (IDW)

Serenity: Better Days. To round out the Joss Whedon trifecta. This series has just gotten underway, and I'm enjoying the ride so far. I'll probably have more to say about it later. (Dark Horse)

Doctor Who. These are the Ten/Martha comics, on issue two. These are also fun. The first issue seemed a bit shallow, but it was a standalone. Issue two is leading into a longer story, which I hope will have more depth. Oddly, this book has considerably more typos in it than any of the others. Weird. (IDW)

The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home. Another tie-in. I'm liking this much more than Gunslinger Born, which I ended up not really reading when I discovered it was just a rewrite of a chunk of Wizard and Glass. This comic is telling a new story, though, that's not in the books, and so I'm considerably more interested. (Marvel)

Rogue Angel: Teller of Tales. I'm not familiar with the background of this book--apparently it's a comic version of a novel? Something like that. Anyway, I wasn't familiar with the story, but I saw an ad in the previews catalog and decided to give it a shot. I very much enjoyed the first issue--the premise hooked me--but the second issue left me a little flat. I think I'm just really prejudiced against flashbacks, and issue two was all flashback. (IDW)

Echo. Another one that looked interesting in the Preview catalog, mostly because of the stunning cover art from Terry Moore, also the author. Another intriguing premise with a female lead, much like Rogue Angel, but a very different kind of story. If this one continues in the vein of issue one, I'll be there. (Abstract Studio)

Knowledge is Power. This one just finished up the first story arc, and I think I might have actually gotten that issue last month, but only got around to reading it this month. I wouldn't swear to that, though. Anyway, this one's about vampires and ancient apocalyptic literature, so I'm totally there. Unfortunately, the first issue didn't hook me as strongly as the others, so now I'm not sure if I'm subscribed for issues beyond number four. Since I'm pretty into the story now after four issues, I'll have to look into that. (803 Studios)

Afterburn. Again, picked out of the Previews catalog because it looked interesting. In this story, the Eastern Hemisphere has been destroyed by a solar flare, so there are many post-apocalyptic goings-on. This one's entertaining me but not as much as some of the others. I'm hanging in there, though, and will give it at least one full arc before I decide if I want to continue. (Red 5 Comics)

Music!

2008-04-04T20:49:00.003-06:00

It's the beginning of the month, so that means new music for me! I belong to eMusic, so at the beggining of the month I get my new monthly downloads with my membership. This month I got Dashboard Confessional, Dusk and Summer, Whiskey on a Sunday by Flogging Molly, Two EPs from TV on the Radio called New Health Rock and Young Liars, and two singles--"Strangers in the Night" from Cake, and "Black Star" from Gillian Welch. So far I've listened to Dashboard Confessional, Flogging Molly and the Cake single, and have very much enjoyed both. eMusic is a great value for the money, by the way--30 downloads a month for $9.99, all DRM-free MP3's. I highly recommend it.

Starbuck Hat

2008-03-31T16:44:00.001-06:00

Here's a nifty knitting pattern, for those who are into Battlestar Galactica. It's not my favorite show at all, but I'm still tempted to knit this for the hell of it. Cause it's pretty. And I do like Starbuck...

Jericho--Why I Haven't Watched the Finale

2008-03-29T08:00:00.004-06:00

I have some things on my DVR I need to watch, most notably the season (series--*sniff*) finale of Jericho. I almost don't want to watch it, because I know it's the last episode, unless another network picks it up, which is probably a longshot. And part of me just doesn't want to see how it ends.

I think this truncated, hold-n0-punches season has been solidly written, but it some ways I haven't enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed some of the tighter episodes of Season One. My complaints about S1 centered around too much soap opera-like content, not enough apocalyptic aftermath--my complaints about S2 center around too much political intrigue, not enough apocalyptic aftermath. Although I have to say the political intrigue is much more interesting than the soap opera stuff. I do like that so far they've given a good background for the cause of the bomb blasts. I'm a bit disappointed it seems to track back to a single crazy person instead of a full-fledged government conspiracy. I'm all for those full-fledged government conspiracies...

So I'm guessing the finale will be action-packed and have some good plot and probably a bit of an open-ended finish, but I'm still hesitant to watch. And I think a lot of this is that I'm afraid they'll kill off more characters. And they already almost lost me with...

WARNING BIG FAT SPOILER

...the death of Bonnie.

It wasn't just that they killed Bonnie. It was that they killed a woman on the verge of finding herself, of moving out into independence after spending her whole life largely dependent on a man. Maybe I'm overreacting to that, but death or maiming or Horrible Torture of some sort seems to be the fate of an independent woman far too often in literature of all stamps, from that stuff by dead white guys they make you read in college to prime time network TV.

Plus, I liked her.

So there you go. At some point, I'll get up the nerve to watch the episode--probably today, in fact, and then I'll probably comment on it. In the meantime, I'm finding myself a wee bit bitter.

It's Pretty Odd. No, Seriously...

2008-03-25T18:37:00.003-06:00

I'm lounging here tonight listening to Pretty. Odd., the new album from punctuation innovators Panic at the Disco (sans exclamation point). And I have to say I'm impressed. Their last effort spawned a couple of catchy tunes, my favorite being "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," but failed to keep my attention. This one is an entirely different story. Lots of textures, catchy tunes that don't all sound the same (my biggest complaint about A Fever You Can't Sweat Out), and the Beatlesque comparisons are not undeserved. I knew it was going to be different when I first heard "Nine in the Afternoon," and the rest of the CD does not disappoint. Keep it up, kids--if you're this good now imagine what you'll be able to do when you're all grown up! *pets tiny baby rock stars*

Video for "She's a Handsome Woman."

Okay, so it's muppets. Sue me. It's still fabulous.

Here's a REAL video for "Nine in the Afternoon." Also fabulous.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T17:20:00.002-06:00

To all those who celebrate, I hope you had a good day. We had a bit of snow here, but nothing serious.

I did some knitting for Easter this year--stuffed Easter eggs and adorable little stuffed bluebirds for my kids.

Here are links to the patterns:

Stuffed Easter Eggs. The patterns they give here are really nice, but I didn't want to spend the time to do the colorwork, so I knitted them up in variegated baby yarn. It striped up nicely, and they turned out really cute.

Bluebird. I used some leftover yarn out of my stash to make these. Again, very cute, and easy to make. Each egg and each bluebird only took me a couple of hours to knit up.

Welcome Back!

2008-03-21T07:27:00.001-06:00

After letting this blog lay fallow for a while, I've decided to revive it with a bit of a new slant. I'll be talking about a little bit of everything--TV, movies, knitting, cooking--you name it. I hope you'll join me.

Casino Royale

2007-03-17T08:58:00.000-06:00

When it was first announced that Daniel Craig was taking over the role of James Bond, I was among the many who weren't thrilled. He didn't "look" the part, I thought. He just didn't seem like a Bond actor.

But looks can be deceiving, so I went to see Casino Royale with what I hoped was an open mind. And was pleasantly surprised, if not shocked, at how good this movie was. Craig proved to be a strong, charismatic actor, portraying Bond with a mix of suave arrogance and vulnerability that in many ways transcended the usual treatment of the character.

I've heard it said Craig's Casino Royale was the best Bond movie ever. I can't say that, as I haven't seen all the entries in the Bond franchise, but it was certainly the best Bond movie I've ever seen.

Casino Royale was released on DVD this past Tuesday. Looks like it has quite a few extras--enough to justify a second disc. I haven't watched them yet, but I'm glad they put out a two-disc edition that was the same price as the usual single disc of other movies.

Knitting Pattern—Open Stitch Scarf

2007-03-11T21:29:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick and easy scarf pattern I tossed together one afternoon when I was in desperate need of a new scarf that didn't clash with my new coat. It knits up nicely on large (8+) needles, with a worsted weight yarn.

Knit 4 rows.
On the next row, wrap each stitch 2-4 times around the needle, then knit.
Knit the wrapped stitches.
Repeat until the scarf is the desired length.

This scarf has a lacey feel, but is surprisingly warm.

Movies—Flushed Away

2007-03-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

I took my kids to see this when it came out in the theaters and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it didn't do well up against such competition as Santa Clause 3, and the critics panned it as a painful mismatch between DreamWorks's CGI-based approach and Aardman's trademark claymation. It also proved to be the movie that broke up the pairing between these two studios.

While I could see the point, to some extent, of critics who felt the movie was too American for Aardman and too English for DreamWorks, and never the twain should meet, I found the fusion of off-kilter British humor with frenetic American action to be quite entertaining. I laughed out loud more than once in the theater, and my kids enjoyed it as much as I did. It's rare these days to find a movie the whole family can enjoy without the parents being occasionally uncomfortable with off-color humor aimed more at adults. Flushed Away was definitely a family movie, and we all liked it, critics be damned. And the singing slugs? Hysterical.

Music—Shearwater

2007-03-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Shearwater is a small-label band with a neat sound. I'm not really sure how to describe it--they use banjos but it's not country music, and they have a good solid driving beat but it's not mainstream rock, either. Whatever you want to call it, it's good music. Check them out at Misra Records.

Cheeses

2007-03-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

I try to make a point of buying one kind of new cheese every time I go to the grocery store (although right now I'm suffering from Cheese Buildup, so I might should skip a couple weeks...).

The last two samples have been Morbier, a French cheese, and the infamous King of Cheeses, Stilton. Both of these can safely fall into the Stinky Cheese category. The Morbier smells just horrific. I mean nasty. But once you get it cut and stuck on a piece of bread, the flavor is creamy, a bit tart but sweet at the same time, and really quite nice. The Stilton, on the other hand, doesn't have quite as strong a smell, but the flavor is stronger than the Morbier, and I don't like it quite as much, King of Cheese or no. It's a bit like Bleu Cheese, including the threads of blue penicillin for color (I wonder if I'd catch less colds if I ate a lot of this...but I guess that's a virus, not a bacterium), but a bit more bitter. On the other hand, according to the Wikipedia article linked above, as well as an article from Scotsman.com, eating Stilton a half hour before bed can cause odd dreams. I'm really tempted to try that out.

Quotes

2007-03-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

My Starbucks cups are trying to tell me something. Twice in a row I've gotten the following quote on my Venti nonfat half-caf caramel macchiato:

Remember your dreams and fight for them. You must know what you want from life. There is just one thing that makes your dream become impossible: the fear of failure. Never forget your Personal Legend. Never forget your dreams. Your silent heart will guide you. Be silent now. It is the possibility of a dream that makes life interesting.

You can choose between being a victim of destiny or an adventurer who is fighting for something important.—Paulo Coelho

CD Reviews

2007-02-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

I joined BMG Music Service recently, and just received my CDs today. I've belonged to BMG before, and generally came away with a lot of music for a reasonable price, so I decided to try it again.

The initial order was for 6 CDs. Here's what I've listened to so far:

Kate Bush: The Whole Story. A "greatest hits" compilation from 1986, featuring her best-known songs, including "Running Up That Hill," "Wuthering Heights," and "Babooshka." I have a long-standing gooey love for Kate Bush, so this was a treat. I have the video compilation from this CD somewhere on VHS, but I'd never managed to buy the actual CD.

Mary Chapin Carpenter: time*sex*love. I'm about halfway through this one--I'm listening right now. This is a beautiful CD. Chapin Carpenter is a wonderful, emotional songwriter, with a voice like velvet.

Patty Griffin: Living With Ghosts. I accidentally bought this one twice--once from BMG and once from yourmusic.com (which looks like it might be affiliated with BMG, but that's another story). Anyway, this isn't my favorite of Patty Griffin's albums, but it's still very good. An entirely acoustic CD with powerful songs, it's very much worth the money. Patty Griffin is also a great songwriter. While she's not received the attention she's deserved, some of her songs have. The Dixie Chicks had a big hit with Patty's song "Top of the World," on their album "Home."

Three more to go after these...

Caramel is King

2007-02-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today I had lunch with the kids at Macaroni Grill. They have a new (or new since last I was there, which wasn't that long ago) drink. A caramel macchiato martini. The caramel macchiato is my drink of choice at Starbucks, so this sounded fantastic. Unfortunately I'm a lightweight when it comes to liquor, so I didn't get to try it today. Maybe another day.

My Favorite New Gadgets

2007-02-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I feel the need to buy a new, cool gadget. Here's some info about a couple I've purchased recently and have really enjoyed. I got them both at Target.

iHome. This nifty little iPod dock turns your iPod into an alarm clock. You can also use it to set music to play for a certain amount of time while you drift off to sleep. With a little manipulation of my playlists, I can drift off to Iron and Wine and wake up to Cake.

RCA DVD Recorder. This is a gadget I've been waiting for half my life and only just now managed to acquire. Record from TV directly to DVD, or convert old VHS tapes to DVD format. It's easy, the quality is equal to whatever quality you put in (recordings from the DVR look great), and DVDs use up a lot less storage space than those old videotapes. There are lots of different brands available--shop around and see which one fits your needs the best.

Recipe—Black Bean Soup

2007-02-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe up the other day when I wanted some soup and didn't have a lot of time or energy to come up with something.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 package taco seasoning
chopped chicken, turkey or ground beef, about 1/4-1/2 pound or whatever looks appropriate. I used some leftover chicken, maybe half a chicken breast.

Put all ingredients in a pot and stir. Cook until warm. This makes a surprisingly nice soup with very little effort.

The Coming Weekend

2007-02-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

It looks like we're about to get a well-earned respite from the yucky weather. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and predictions are for a bright, partially warm weekend. I'm looking forward to it--I have some family coming in from out of town, and we'll just kick back and relax for a few days.

Valentine's Day—Continued

2007-02-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

While the rest of you were out getting wined and dined, I sat at home nursing a chest cold and watching the snow fall. At least I had a friend available to send me links to good fanfic to read.

People tend to refer to Valentine's Day as a Hallmark Holiday. This bugs me because it's not entirely accurate. It's been around a heck of a lot longer than Hallmark.

Here's a nice article from history.com with some details.

Valentine's Day

2007-02-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

I keep trying to just put it out of my head that tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I don't have anybody to celebrate with, after all.

Oh, well. Maybe I should just have fun, buy myself some flowers, celebrate a bit with my kids. We'll just have to see what the day brings.

Too Many Potatoes

2007-02-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

I get a sort of co-op box of food every month, and their produce box always includes lots of potatoes. I'm not a big potato eater, so I've had trouble working out what to do with the darn things. Last month I gave half a bag to my ex-husband, I was so desperate to have them get used and not thrown out. This month I ended up tossing half a bag, so I decided to get creative and figure out how to use them.

So tonight I took a potato, scrubbed it up, and made French fries out of it. It was incredibly easy and really tasty. Also low-fat.

Here's the "recipe."

Slice the potato into matchstick portions (I left the skin on)
Place in a cookie sheet
spray with non-stick cooking spray
sprinkle with salt
Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Tell Her to Make Me a Cambric Shirt

2007-02-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Somebody emailed me last night asking me what a cambric shirt was. Of course, I knew right away that the person in question was listening to Scarborough Fair, and I wondered why I'd never bothered to look that up, even though that song was a lullaby staple at my house for years.

According to dictionary.com, cambric is "a thin, plain cotton or linen fabric of fine close weave, usually white." And here's an interesting article at Wikipedia about the origins of the song.

First Post

2007-02-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Life is for blogging. So I'm here to blog about life. Books I've read, music I've enjoyed, movies I've seen, interesting things I've found on the Internet. Anything goes. I hope you'll join me.