Watch E.T. Again!

Yesterday was movie night with my girls and we borrowed E.T. from the library. I haven't watched the movie since its release back in the 1980's. And I didn't jump on the bandwagon when it was re-released, because I didn't remember loving the movie when I was little. Then again I think I was only like 3 or 4 years old. Well, after watching the movie again I really enjoyed it and it might actually be close to being one of my favorites. It reminded me of the movies back in the 1980's, ya know those feel-good family movies. I feel like family movies nowadays aren't like they used to be. Moviemakers try to draw in adults to watch kid movies with high-tech graphics and inappropriate jokes that kids don't get. In my opinion, E.T. is pretty sophisticated, at least tech-wise, for an old movie. But it doesn't feel like an old movie. That's why it can stand the test of time. You all know what E.T. is about, but if you haven't watched it for the last two decades, I recommend watching it again. I barely remembered what happened in the movie, so it almost felt like a new movie to me.

Wristcutters: A Love Story

In this film, the main characters are played by Patrick Fugit and Shannyn Sossamon (one of Tara's favorites). The movie takes place in a land where all suicides go after they die. It's a little like purgatory, in that it's completely like earth only with less people, and it's not terrible but not great. However, there is one punishing fact about this place. No one is able to smile.

Other than the setting, there is no other crazy, fantastical aspects of the film. It's actually very normal, everything else. The goal of the main character is to find his ex-girlfriend, which leads to a very long road trip where they meet Mikal (Sossamon). I thought the movie was very cute and quirky. It's a funny mix of comedy, romance, drama, and fantasy all rolled in one. Although I was able to somewhat predict the ending, I still thought the movie was good. It did get a little slow in the middle there, but it picked up after a while.I left the movie thinking that suicide wasn't as big a deal as I came into it thinking. Haha, I know how morbid that sounds.

So go watch the movie! I give it a solid 4 stars!

Rihanna and Chris Brown

This just in. Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together. This doesn't surprise me in the least. I predicted this would happen when the news first broke about the domestic violence case. It doesn't mean I agree with it. There's no excuse for what Chris Brown did to Rihanna, and he definitely doesn't deserve her forgiveness. But I also think that Rihanna is human. Women have gone back to their men after similar incidents. Except the difference is that Rihanna has the whole world watching. Not only are her family and friends probably questioning her decision, so is the rest of the world. With scrutiny like that, should she be considered strong for it or just weak?

See http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20262240,00.html.

Online Shopping

Online shoppers shouldn't have to pay full price for their purchases. There are always coupons somewhere out there. Before you buy anything, you have to look up coupon codes. The most popular site is probably retailmenot.com. I only discovered this a couple months ago. It's a gold mine. I've saved 20-25% off my entire purchase before. It's great. It is yet another reason to avoid people and to stay inside.

15 Second Rule For Handwashing

I noticed for the past two months that people were taking turns getting sick at work. Germs were being passed around, and I didn't want any part of it. The number one way to prevent getting sick is washing your hands a lot. Germs are everywhere from door knobs to light switches. But you have to wash your hands right. To effectively wash all bacteria and germs from your hands, you have to wash your hands for at least 15 seconds. I wasn't sure if everyone knew this rule. Anything under 15 seconds is not enough. So you people who do the quick rinse with soap, you better count to 15 before you finish.

The Lizard-Spock Expansion

I was watching Big Bang Theory last night, and it was a rerun of The Lizard-Spock Expansion episode. I am not going to talk about the episode although it was very funny. Actually, I want to discuss what BBT called the lizard-spock expansion. Sheldon and Koothrappali both wanted to eat the last dumpling, so Koothrappali suggested they play rock-paper-scissors for it. But Sheldon said that the game would not be outcome determinative because people who were familiar with each other would tie 80% of the time. So Sheldon suggest they play rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock. Haha! Try saying that five times. Lizard is displayed as you would a sockpuppet, and Spock is denoted by the Vulcan hand sign. This variation is so darn cute and funny to watch people play. And every time they would play the game on BTT, everyone always chooses Spock. Sheldon suggested they play rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock to determine who must choose something else besides Spock. You know how that turned out.

Here are the rules: Scissors cuts Paper covers Rock crushes Lizard poisons Spock smashes Scissors decapitates Lizard eats Paper disproves Spock vaporizes Rock crushes Scissors. My favorite part is "Paper disproves Spock." Haha! Anyway, this got me thinking of other TV shows I've watched where other variations of rock-paper-scissors were used. In That 70s Show, Hyde and Fes were playing a nuclear war version, Foot-Cockroach-Nuclear Bomb. Hyde described the rules as "Foot squashes cockroach, nuclear bomb blows up foot, and cockroach survives nuclear bomb!" I remember an episode of Friends where Ross, Rachel, Joey and Pheobe were playing rock-paper-scissors except Joey used fire and said fire beats everything. Then Phoebe whipped out the water balloon and put out the fire. Very cute.

As for the lizard-spock expansion, I found out that it was made up by some guy named Sam Kass a few years back. He and his wife made it up while they were dating and are confessed geeks. And guess what else! He went to my alma mater. That explains a lot. Isn't it weird how you find some connection with a total stranger?

Anyway, go forth and play rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock.

The Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

The last good book trilogy I read was The Dark Materials. You'll probably recognize the title of the first book, The Golden Compass. The Golden Compass was a really good book, better than the movie. The premise of the book just was so original and nothing like anything I've read. I was surprised to find out that this book was written only recently (like only a little over a decade ago), because it seemed like a classic. The books have parallel universes, daemons, witches, talking bears, and even a love story. The second book, The Subtle Knife, seems completely different from the first book when you first read it, because you're expecting it to be the same "world." But eventually you'll appreciate how everything is connected and you'll fall in love with the characters. In The Subtle Knife, you'll meet the next big character, Will, who's from a world much like our own. He becomes the bearer of the subtle knife, a special knife that can cut portals into other worlds. Eventually he'll meet Lyra (from the first book) and their worlds will collide. By the third book, The Amber Spyglass, you'll be completely invested and ready to find out what it all means. Like what the heck IS Dust?!? The only person I got to read the books was Tara so now I'm spreading the love through blogging. Happy Reading! Shout out to Tara, thanks for the Blog topic. =p

Pushing Daisies Season 1

Oh, why, oh, why do I make myself watch canceled shows and then fall madly in love with them? Canceled shows won't come back to you. I knew it was over before it began. It was never meant to be, yet I set myself up for heartbreak time and time again. I did that when I started watching Pushing Daisies. It was on sale at Target, and I thought why not? Oh, how I never expected such an on-a-whim decision to affect me so...or at least the next week of my life.

Pushing Daisies is my kind of show. It is fantastical, colorful and cute as a button. The show is visually stunning. It is like the Wizard of Oz, Lemony Snicket's and Dr. Seuss all rolled into one little show. The story is told by a narrator, which just adds another awesome level to the show. Pushing Daisies is about a man named Ned with the extraordinary power of bringing the dead back to life with one touch. But a second touch makes them dead forever. If you didn't know, "pushing daisies" or "pushing up the daisies" means dead. Like fertilizer for the plants. Get it? I just figured that out! Haha! Funny. Anyway, Ned is a piemaker, a profession he fell into as a result of his mommy issues. But he also has a side job where he works with a P.I. to solve murders. He uses his powers for good! Basically, he wakes the victims up from the dead and asks them who killed them. However, it's not always as simple as that. Matter of fact, it is never as simple as that. In the very first episode, he had to the solve the murder of his childhood sweetheart. He brings her back to life but just can't bare to touch her the second time. So in her place, someone else falls to his death so that the universe is balanced once more. Ned can only bring a person back to life for a minute; otherwise, someone else must die. It's all very spooky in a lovely sort of way. Ned and his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (short for Charlotte), are so cute together. But the sad thing is they can never touch or she'll be dead...again.

The cast is awesome in this show! Kristin Chenoweth plays Olive who is also in love with Ned. At first, I didn't think much of her, but she totally grew on me. Oh, and do you recognize the name? She played Glinda in Wicked, the best broadway musical around. She sings on the Wicked soundtrack and is great. You can't help but fall in love with her in Pushing Daisies...well, unless you're Ned and already in love with Chuck. Even though I know the show is canceled, I don't care. I plan to watch the second season and suffer through the heartache. Cry!!!

Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles

I tried a new recipe this weekend, cold sesame peanut noodles. My dad used to make this for us when we were little. He didn't have a lot of recipes in his repertoire. But I remember this being one of them. It is so peanut buttery and rich and really yummy. It is a great summer treat especially because it is cold. I know, I made it in the winter. I wasn't really thinking, but it was still really good, fresh or as leftovers. Below is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 cup brewed black tea or water (I don't think I really tasted the black tea)
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 pounds cooked egg noodles
1 or 2 peeled, seeded, and julienned cucumber
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Shredded cooked chicken, if desired

Directions:
1. Stir together peanut butter, peanut oil, tea, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil in a large mixing bowl until incorporated. To add a kick, mixed in 1/2 minced jalapeno pepper or 2 teaspoons of hot chili sauce.
2. Place the egg noodles in a large bowl. Add the cucumber and cilantro and mix together with your hands.
3. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles. Mix with your hands until evenly coated.

Conceptual Art Project

Conceptual Art is very artsy fartsy, with its meaning-filled pieces and really deep thoughts on the concept of art and all that mumbo jumbo. Well, I got a project where I had to take something I liked and think of what that thing meant to me. Then, using that object, I had to create a self-portrait. So I took markers (because chocolate was cliche!) and decided that I thought of them as toys. So in layman's terms, I used markers and made an awesome toy!It took 4 packs of markers (about $15), some muscle to bend those bars (which I did with a big clamp and my bare hands!), yarn I stole from my friend, and lots and lots of hot glue to make!

Barney Stinson: The Awesomest Character on TV

You remember Doogie Howser, M.D. I used to love that show. I never thought I'd see the kid star again. But now Neil Patrick Harris stars in How I Met Your Mother and plays the awesomest character on TV, Barney Stinson.

Barney Stinson is a womanizer who never leaves home without a suit and always tries to get his friends to "suit up!" He loves to play lazer tag. He does awesome magic tricks, especially to impress girls. He works for a big corporation and makes tons of money, but no one knows exactly what he does for a living. He has rules of life by which he lives, like the platinum rule, the chain of screaming, the bro code, and the hot/crazy scale. He also has a blog, so he must be cool. ;) He is the definition of awesomeness.

He has the best catch phrases too. Here are some good ones.

- "Suit up!" There are other variations like "Birthday Suit Up!" "Ladies, slut up!" "Penguin suit up!" "Space suit up!" "Snowsuit up!" "Flight suit up!"

- "It's going to be legendary!"

- "What uuuupppp!"

- "Haaaaaaave you met Ted?"

Below are some funny quotes. Love it!

- "Hey, Loser, how's not playing laser tag? Because playing laser tag is awesome!"

- "Phone-five! . . . You didn't phone-five, did you? I know when you don't phone-five, Ted!"

- "When I get sad, I stop being sad, and be AWESOME instead. True story."

- "Wow. Ted, you're gonna have to find a new gender for yourself, because I'm revoking your dude membership."

- "It's quid pro bro."

- "You are forcing me to be the voice of reason. And that’s not a good look for me!"

- "For the first time...EVER...the three of us are single at the same time. I've dreamed about this day, boys, and it is going to be LE-GEN-DARY. Together we will own this city. Any time a girl wants to get back at her ex-boyfriend, we'll be there. Any time a girl wants to...solve her father issues through promiscuity and binge drinking WE WILL BE there. Any time a bachelorette party drives through the city in a limo, sticking their heads out the sunroof, shouting "WHAT'S UP NEW YORK!!," we will be what is 'up' New York!"

- "Look at you, ya beautiful bastard! You suited up! This is totally going in my blog!"

I Think I've Just Been Trolled

I was on failblog.org last night (you should check it out), and I came across this one particular fail called Google Fail. Apparently when you type "I am extremely . . ." One of the suggestions given by Google is "I am extremely terrified of chinese people." This gave me pause of course, and the curious person in me made me investigate further. When I did the search on Google, I got a bunch of results talking about this phenomenon on Google. Then I came across a blog by a person who did exactly what I did. He found that the Google results refer to an article called "I am extremely terrified of Chinese people. But I'm not racist."

So I read the article, and I had a couple reactions. First, I thought the author is completely insane. And second, I thought it was funny because of how ridiculous and ignorant it was. The article basically states how China wants to take over the world and eat you and your babies. Yeah, crazy, right? So I started reading people's comments, and most expressed their outrage. People cursed a lot and said some really mean things about the author. I will refrain from opining on whether they were warranted although I was mentally agreeing with them. ;)

Then I came across several comments that said "Trolled" or "You've been trolled" or "I smell a troll." At first, I ignored them because I didn't know what the heck it meant. But finally after seeing the word "troll" ten times, I figured it was a slang for something. So I decided to look up "trolled" on urbandictionary.com. I found that "trolled" means "anyone who fails to recognize a troll and responds to it with anger or annoyance is said to have been 'trolled.'" Huh?!? So I looked up troll. What I found out hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized I've just been trolled!! Troll means "one who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument." Haha! That's hilarious! So you see, I was doubly trolled because I went through all that trouble to find that stupid troll! Well, I think it's funny. =p And I learned something new! My lil sis would be so proud of me. She taught me what "fail" meant although I refuse to use the word because it's just not proper English. Those who know the meaning of troll must think I'm an idiot. I am not hip, okay? I admit it.

What Is a Bromance?

Bromance--it's such a peculiar concept, one that I may never fully understanding, being a woman and all. Only recently has the word bromance become part of the urban vernacular--it's such a funny word, isn't it? A bromance describes the love between two straight men. However, the idea of a romance between two bros is not new at all. I mean how many grown men do you know have BFFs? Those who don't have a bromance wish they had. Come on. You shouldn't be ashamed of your bromance. You should shout it from the rooftops like Seth and Evan in Superbad. They loved each other and wanted the whole world to know. That scene was hilarious in an uncomfortable sort of way.

When I think of bromances, I think of J.D. and Turk from Scrubs. They are the definition of bromance. They are even more connected to each other than to their significant others. They have cute nicknames for each other like Brown Bear and Vanilla Bear. They have a million inside jokes. They miss each other after long periods of separation. Like when Turk and Carla came back from their honeymoon, J.D. and Turk were practically giddy with joy at their reunion. I know my husband secretly wishes he has what J.D. and Turk have. There, there, hubby.

Another level to a bromance is that the bros live by the Bro Code. It's from How I Met Your Mother, if you didn't know. Barney Stinson, the awesomest TV character of all time, came up with it. Here are some good ones, quoted directly from the show:
Article 1. Bros before hoes.
Article 29. A Bro will in a timely manner alert his Bro to the existence of a girl fight.
Article 59. One Bro makes a solo attack. A second Bro provides a crutch. A third Bro rounds out the pack. But a fourth Bro is one too much.
Article 62. In the event that two Bros acquire the same target, the Bro with the longer dry spell has dibs. Should the dry spells be of equal length, a game of discreet roshambo (that just means rock-paper-scissors) shall determine the outcome.
Article 66. If a Bro suffers pain due to the permanent dissolution of a relationship with a lady friend, a Bro shall offer nothing more than a "that sucks, man" and copious quantities of beer. A Bro will also refrain from pejorative commentary - deserved or not - regarding said lady friend for a period of three months, when the requisite backslide window has closed.
Article 67. Should a Bro pick up a guitar at a party and commence playing, another Bro shall point out that he is a tool.

The Little Match Girl: Not Suitable for Little Children

I read The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen to my niece not too long ago, and it is the saddest Christmas story ever. It is about a little girl who is sent out into the cold by her abusive father to sell matches. He beats her if she doesn't sell enough, so she is too afraid to go home one night having made no sales. She is left out in the freezing cold with just her matches. She lights them to warm up. Each time she lights a match, a vision appears like a Christmas tree or a Christmas feast--wonderful things that are out of her grasp. Each vision dies with the match. Then finally she lights her last match, and her dead grandmother appears before her to take her away. In the morning, she is found frozen to death in an alley. What the heck kind of children's story is that?

When I was reading this book to my niece, I tried to cover up the abusive father part. But she still questioned me about it--why can't she go home? Then when I got to the part where her dead grandmother comes to take her away, I had to make up an entirely different ending. My niece is very particular and would force you to finish books whether you want to or not. So in order to not traumatize her, I ad-libbed my own ending. Basically, it goes like this: Her grandmother finds her and takes her home out of the cold. And she lives happily ever after, warm in her house. The End. The stupid book forced me to lie to my niece!

Who in their right mind would read this to their child? Can't a person live blissfully unaware of the cruelty of the world for just a little while?

What Is Wrong with Kids These Days?

I came across an article that just disturbed me. A 13-year-old boy who looked more like 9 just had a baby with his 15-year-old girlfriend. He had sex when he was 12. That is just plain disgusting! I can't find words to describe how I feel about this subject. Kids are having kids now! They can't even take care of themselves, let alone another human being.

When asked what he would do to support the child financially, Alfie asks in a small, high-pitched voice, "What's financially?"

This just makes me really really sad.

Update 5/19/09: Today, a court found that the 13-year-old is not the father! It's actually another kid who is 15 years old. See article. That is still gross, of course.

Photoshop Project in the Works

Hahaha. This is a photoshop picture I've been working on in my Digital Imaging class. I just wanted to share it while I could because it's stuck in the computer lab, so I took the chance while I'm in class. Gotta go!

Is Will Smith a Scientologist?!

I was shocked to first hear that Will Smith had made a very large donation to the Scientology movement. Baffled, I went online and searched for more information on the matter, and I was surprised by what I found.

First, Will Smith spent $900,000 to open a private school for his two children, Jaden and Willow, and about 40 other students. The school is called New Village Academy and is located outside Malibu. The teachings are full of Scientology jargon. They say they are using new study technology developed by L.R. Hubbard, the creator of Scientology, and the textbooks are all based off writings of this man. Some teachers in New Village Academy are Scientologists themselves; however, the principle announced that they are a secular school and staff do not promote their own religion. Although Will and Jada say they are not Scientologists, evidence makes this debatable.
Click to see a video of Will Smith on the Tavis Smiley Show talking about what he generally believes in. He does not mention Scientology, but his beliefs are very Scientology-like.

Another tidbit I picked up was a little disturbing. Big movie stars tend to give the whole crew a "wrap-gift" at a wrap-party when shooting for a film is complete. For example, one time Keanu Reeves gave all his production people motorcycles. That was a very lavish gift, but guess what Will gave the staff of a recent movie! He gave them free personality tests that they could redeem at their local Scientology Center. The personality tests are given without charge at the center anyway, so they weren't really gifts in the first place. Weird!

Will Smith supports Tom Cruise and his beliefs. He often defends Cruise and calls the public ignorant for bashing Cruise when they don't know anything about Scientology. So I did some research on it and, now knowing more, I am more appalled. According to Smith, since I know more and I'm not being ignorant, I can say freely that I still disapprove of Scientology.

There have been numerous accounts from Hubbard's fellow science-fiction authors and researchers, notably Harlan Ellison, Neison Himmel, Sam Merwin, Sam Moskowitz, Theodore Sturgeon, Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, and Lyle Stuart, of Hubbard stating on several occasions that the way to get rich was to start a religion. This is referenced, among other places, in a May 1980 Reader's Digest article, which quotes Hubbard, "If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion." I have read numerous personal accounts of witnesses who heard Hubbard say this to them before creating Scientology.

The Church of Scientology and its many related organizations have amassed considerable real estate holdings worldwide, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Scientology encourages existing members to "sell" Scientology to others by paying a commission to those who recruit new members. Scientology franchises, or missions, must pay the Church of Scientology roughly 10% of their gross income. On that basis, it is likened to a pyramid selling scheme. While introductory courses do not cost much, courses at the higher levels may cost several thousand dollars each.

Before Hubbard became a religious guru, he was a science fiction writer. And isn't it fishy that the story behind Scientology is so Sci-Fi-like, like perhaps it was created in Hubbard's sadistic, greedy mind?

I don't know how anyone can defend Scientology when there is substantial evidence that Scientology does not approve of homosexuals and is racist against African Americans. These are only but a few facts about Scientology. If you would like to know more, I would advise you to read up on it and create your own opinion, whether it be different than mine or not.

What Pisses Me Off About Heroes Season 3

Don't get me wrong. I love Heroes. What is not to love? Superheroes and supervillains with awesome powers! A fight between good and evil. It's every geek's fantasy. But the writers really effed up this season!

[Spoiler Alert]
They started off the season with a big concept--the reversal of good and evil. It was pretty ambitious, and things started to get screwy really fast. Characters became annoying and useless, e.g., Mohinder, Claire, Peter without powers and Hiro. The time traveling thing was just confusing. Then finally the creator admitted that they've gotten sidetracked this season and wants to get back to where the show was in the beginning, which means they want to take it all back! Literally. It's like the beginning of the season didn't happen at all. But they didn't do a good job of covering it up. It is just plain obvious.

Examples:
- The big reveal of the season was that Sylar was actually Nathan and Peter's brother! Wow! Peter learned this when he went into the future and met Sylar or actually Gabriel. Gabriel was a family man and was cooking at home with his son, and he called Peter "brother." Now the writers want to take it all back. But how? It turned out that Mrs. Petrelli lied to Sylar. The kicker is that Mr. Petrelli lied to him too. That doesn't make any sense because Mr. and Mrs. Petrelli were not in cahoots. Neither one knew the other lied. This is what pisses me off the most. This big "lie" also disregards the whole alternate future seen by Peter. Ugh!

- They brought Mr. Petrelli back from the dead, only to kill him off immediately. What was the point? He was just too powerful and couldn't live anymore. He takes people's powers away by touching them. So basically any hero is useless against him. Mr. Petrelli was alive long enough to take Peter and Hiro's powers away and did nothing else that is relevant now.

- They made Sylar a good guy and then suddenly back to being evil. He had this quick love affair with Elle. He even learned how to take people's powers without killing them. He obtained Elle's powers that way, and she even taught him how to use it. But suddenly he was back to being evil again and killed Elle for no reason! He did the head cutting thing to her. But why would he do that if he already has her powers? The writers just wanted him to be evil again while killing off Elle.

- Hiro has no powers now! What? His ability to time travel was screwing everything up in the beginning. So how do they fix it? He can't time travel anymore. But being Hiro, he still believes that it is his destiny to save the world. Huh? How, buddy, how? I love Hiro...but he is getting annoying.

- HRG is in line with Nathan Petrelli. Why? Because he is doing everything to protect Claire. That same old story again! BORRRRINNNG.

- Peter got his powers back, but they've changed. He can only hold one person's power at a time. And he can only get it by touching them. Before he would just have to be close to them. He was just as powerful as Sylar. Now the show wants the good guys to be fugitives. They can't be fugitives if they are too powerful. So they either killed them off or took away their powers.

There are more but just too many things to list! As you can see, they didn't make a smooth transition at all. Everything that happened in the first half of the season is completely irrelevant.

Joaquin Phoenix Has Gone Completely Nuts

You may have heard that Joaquin Phoenix is quitting show biz to become…drum roll please…a rapper! He says it is his passion now and is basically getting bored with doing movies. People think he's playing a joke on America, and I completely understand why. Let's state the obvious. He's white. And he's an actor. How can he be taken seriously? Remember K-Fed? (Btw, I hate that name).

His first performance occurred a few weeks ago at a Las Vegas club where he jumped up and down, yelled into the microphone and fell off the stage. I am guessing from the lack of headlines regarding his extraordinary hip-hop talent that it didn't go so well. And that falling off the stage wasn't part of the act. Maybe he'll come back to Hollywood one day. But until then the world has yet another actor turned singer…you know how those turn out. Eg. Lindsay Lohan, Russell Crowe, Robert Downey, Jr., Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eddie Murphy.** The list goes on. But at least they didn't try to become a rapper.

**I would have included Paris Hilton because her one song that made it on air was TERRIBLE but I wouldn't consider her an actor. I am mainly pointing this out because her song was terrible! Did I mention that already?

Bolt

I just finished watching Bolt! It is now one of my favorite Disney Pixar movies of all time. Monsters Inc. is still #1 but Bolt is second!

So Bolt is about a dog who is on a hit TV series where he has super powers and fights crime. The only problem is that he doesn't know that it's a show. He thinks it's all real. The movie is absolutely hilarious. It's a fun movie for everyone to watch. I loved it from beginning to end!

John Travolta is the voice of Bolt, the dog. I didn't know that until I IMDBed it. The voice of Penny, Bolt's owner, is done by Miley Cyrus. I could tell it was her as I was watching it. (You can recognize that annoying, raspy voice anywhere.) Wow, other than that there's no particularly interesting trivia facts. Sorry! I checked!

Just go watch the movie! It was awesomeeee.
(Warning to Tina: Once your daughter sees this she will beg for a puppy even harder! Watch out!)

Demetri Martin's New Comedy Show

I don't know much about comedians. But ever since I saw Demetri Martin on a Comedy Central special several years ago, I have always remembered him and wondered if I'd ever see him again. I kept hearing that he would get a show on Comedy Central. And it finally happened. His new show is called Important Things with Demetri Martin and premiered tonight at 10:30pm. I would have posted something earlier but just remembered today.

He has a dry sense of humor and is known for witty one-liners. He is really random...switching from one subject to the next. His new show is definitely like that too. He often uses music and art in his act. He always has a sketch pad on stage. If you've never seen him before, then it may sound kinda kooky. But he is pretty freakin' funny. Here are some of his old material:

"I got some new pajamas with pockets in them, which is great because I used to have to hold stuff when I slept."

"If I ever see an amputee getting hanged, I'll just yell out letters. R...E...S...T"

"I like digital cameras. Because they enable you to reminscence immediately."

Tonight's show wasn't a bad start. I will definitely keep watching. The premise of the show is that each episode is about a particular thing. Tonight's theme was timing. Here are some funny jokes:

"I was in a building. And I saw a door that said 'Keep closed at all times.' You're thinking of a wall, dude. That's a waste of a door."

"I wonder if there were any Goths in Gothic times. Be like, 'You look completely appropriate. You don't look stupid or lonely at all.'"

La Orphanage

Okay, I know what you're thinking. When I saw the trailer I was like "This movie looks pretty bad." I'm a cynic about horror movies too, unlike my friends. So when they forced me to rent it one night at one of my sleepovers, I was preparing myself to waste another good 2 hours of my life because of them.

Oh yeah! Before I go on, I have to announce that the trailer is tricky. Actually the movie is in Spanish... Yep, it's a foreign film. I didn't just title this post in Spanish for fun. We didn't realize it until we saw the beginning sequence credits. Yeah, they were all in Spanish with Spanish names...

So as the movie progressed, I was thinking, "Eh. This isn't as torturous as I thought it would be. It's okay." Then the ending came and I was like, "Whoa. I think... I think I actually kinda... liked that movie!" (Yes, I actually did say it like that and yes, I remembered it word for word. Wanna fight about it?) So I guess I recommend this movie to anyone who likes scary movies. I'm just a little nervous that you won't like it, because you'll expect too much. Maybe I liked it, because I thought it was bad.. Who knows.

Haha. I'm sorry for the really unclear recommendation. Just go watch it, and if you didn't like it, I will allow you to comment unpleasant things under this post.

Dollhouse Campaign

You (yes, I am talking to you there) must watch Joss Whedon's new show, Dollhouse. We can't let another one of his creations die in the wind, people. It premieres this Friday, February 13, at 9pm on Fox. Eliza Dushku (Faith from Buffy) plays Echo who is a member called an "Active" or a "Doll" of an illegal facility called "The Dollhouse." Duh. Anyway, the Actives are a group of individuals who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. They are hired by the wealthy, powerful and connected to become whomever the client wants or needs them to be -- a lover, an assassin, a corporate negotiator or a best friend. Actives, however, don't just perform their assigned roles, they wholly become them. Actives have no memory of their past and know no other life than their current assignment. Or so they thought. Echo's memory begins to return, and her mysterious past is slowly revealed. She seeks her true identity and faces dangers in and outside of the Dollhouse along the way.

Doesn't it sound so awesome? It is totally different from Joss Whedon's other shows. So please watch! The cards are stacked against Dollhouse, so the show is doomed without our support. First, it is on Fox, the same network that cancelled Firefly. Fox is notorious for cancelling shows after only a few episodes if the ratings are low. Second, Dollhouse is scheduled on Friday nights—the timeslot of death. Sadly, even Joss Whedon himself justified the timeslot, saying that "If I were an executive, I would have put it on Friday too, honestly, and not as a dig. The people who want this will find it, and hopefully more will as well." He has too much confidence in people. I admit I was a big dummy, watching Firefly when it was too late. I am not making that mistake again.

Btw, doesn't Eliza Dushku look hot? Yowza!

Chicken N' Dumplings

I tried a new recipe this weekend--chicken n' dumplings. I've been meaning to try out some new crockpot recipes because I haven't made one that I am in love with yet. But oh, how I wish I would because using a crockpot is so simple and easy. You just throw in a bunch of stuff in the morning, and something hopefully will come out delicious for dinner.

This time, it wasn't bad. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 onion, finely diced
2 cans mixed vegetables
1 can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt & pepper
2 (10 oz.) packages of refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions:
1. Place everything except the biscuit dough in the crockpot. May need to add extra water to cover.
2. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Then place the torn biscuit dough in the crockpot. Cook for about an hour until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

So does the picture of my chicken n' dumpling look any good? It looks kinda like curry tofu...yum...

I am always trying out new recipes. Check back for more.

Stephenie Meyer's Biggest Fan v. Stephen King

Alright, I got my brass knuckles on now. I'm about ready to throw a beat down on that old man! Stephenie Meyer is a great writer! She may not be an Award winning novelist, but she writes perfectly well for my taste! Have you read J.K. Rowling's early stuff? They're crap! And yes, I'm talking about Harry Potter I and II! I was about thirteen when I read the first book and I remember thinking, "Holy crap! I can write better than this sh%#!" Yeah, yeah, I know the story was good, but the writing was so incredibly bad that I thought I could write better when I was just a tween! I respect Stephen King a lot for his writing, of course. He's written some great books, but that man better shut his mouth before.. before.. something bad'll happen to him! That was Stephenie's very first book, man! Cut her some slack! She wrote great dialogue and there was really good character development. (Tara of all people should agree with that! She's on Team Jacob. ) I do agree that her writing improved as she wrote more. The 'Fire and Ice' chapter in Eclipse is amazing. All-in-all I think Stephenie will be respected and appreciated or else.

Stephen King Says "Stephenie Meyer Can't Write Worth a Darn."

That's a fight in my neighborhood. No, seriously, that would be a literal fight. Laura would be scratching his eyes out while I try to hold her back. Down, girl, down…especially after what I am about to say. Sorry, but I kinda agree with his statement. But don't get me wrong, I love the Twilight Series. I've read them all twice save the last one. However, the second time around, I paid more attention to the writing. I already knew what was going to happen, so I was not completely and utterly engrossed in the story like I was the first time. Sometimes, I had to reread certain parts to really understand what she was trying to say. The writing was confusing at times. She expressed Bella's love for Edward by literally stating it, instead of making us feel it through subtle writing. She would repeat that all Bella can think about is Edward, Bella needs to be near him at all times, it causes her physical pain when he is not around, she has to spend every waking minute with him. I mean I guess that's what teenage love is about…but do you have to say it a million times? That being said, I think she is definitely improving as a writer. Breaking Dawn and The Host have some pretty good writing in them.

King made other statements about Twilight that I don't agree with. Click here for the article. He said that Meyer is "opening up kind of a safe joining of love and sex in those books." That is just weird, dude.

Laura will hopefully give you her take on Twilight because she is a total twi-hard. Yeah, I am down with the lingo.

Serenity: Best TV Show Turned Movie

Here I go again, talking about Joss Whedon. But he really is a TV genius. I recently watched the entire series of Firefly, which consist of only one season cut short by cancellation. I admit when I first started watching it, I wasn't completely hooked. I mean come on, the show is about outer space and cowboys--not two things I am usually interested in. But then the show got to me, and I came to love the characters especially Mal, the Captain. Also, in the future, everyone speaks Chinese! I actually was able to understand some of it, but most of the time it sounded like gibberish.

Here is the best part. Because I was so late in the game, I didn't have to wait for the movie. Right after I finished watching Firefly, I rented Serenity. I laugh at those who had to suffer for two years hoping and waiting for a Firefly movie. I didn't have to wait long at all.

Serenity was beyond fantastic. It is the best adaptation of a TV show because Serenity had the same cast, same writer, and same director. Perfect! Serenity basically continues where the show left off. It addresses several of the questions left unanswered like why is River so special, what are the reavers, and does Simon and Kaylee finally hook up? Although we don't know what happens between Mal and Inara. The storyline was great and didn't feel rushed or forced. I think most of the elements were actually supposed to be in the show if it had lasted longer. Oh, and the gag reel on the DVD is so funny. Nathan Fillion is pretty gosh darn cute.

Birthday Parties: Love 'em or Hate 'em?

I went to my niece's birthday party this weekend and it was great. My sister-in-law went all out and I know my daughters had a great time. Honestly, once you have kids I think there is no escape from hosting birthday parties and I mean the ones that are themed with games and favors and the whole nine yards. I know Tara really, really doesn't want to have huge parties for when she finally has kids, and it's one of her many pet peeves. (She hates themed parties.) First of all if you love your kids, you're gonna want to throw parties for them. She might be able to hold off for a few years, but eventually it's gonna catch up to her. Her kids will whine and ask, "Why does Susie get to have a Princess party and I don't?" And she will give in, oh yes, she will give in. Fortunately the time will come when her kids will be too old for themed parties, but then at that age birthday parties will be the least of your problems. =)

Developing Allergies as an Adult

It really sucks. That about sums up what I feel that this topic. Last year, out of nowhere, I developed allergies to my mother-in-law's cat. I remember the exact day it happened. I was lying in bed in my husband's old room where the cat apparently likes to take naps. I started having trouble breathing and then noticed that I had a rash all over my face. Now, the allergies have gotten to a point where I get every symptom imaginable--wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes. I can't stay in my mother-in-law's house for more than a few hours. If she has the heat or air condition turned on, I can't bear it for more than 15 minutes. I know what you are thinking--I am just trying to find an excuse to not visit my in-laws. Yuck it up. But it really is the worse feeling ever.

Now I've learned that I am officially allergic to soy milk. I feel really nauseous after drinking even a little. I've always loved soy milk. Now I can't have any. All I can think about is what else am I going to develop allergies to. I read that allergies are usually inherited. My dad was allergic to dogs and cats, and my brother is allergic to soy. That explains it. Well, good-bye, cats (never really liked them anyway). So long, wonderfully delicious soy milk.

Here is some information about allergies:
- Allergies can develop at any age.
- Genetics play a role. If one of your parents has allergies, then you have a one in three chance of developing allergies too.
- Age is also a factor in developing allergies. People may develop allergies over time after repeated exposure to certain allergens.

The Dark Knight Has a Potty Mouth

Turns out Christian Bale can be one mean SOB. A tape turned up today with Bale cursing out a cinematographer during the filming of his new movie, Terminator Salvation, with Bryce Dallas Howard. Supposedly during a scene, the cinematographer walked onto the set behind Howard in Bale's line-of-sight, which is a big no-no. Bale totally went off on him. Click here for some of the dialogue on the tape.

I am one of those people who become disenchanted with celebrities when I hear stuff like this. Am I being too harsh? Don't all people have bad days? Isn't everyone entitled to a pass? Maybe it's that these stories completely validate the stereotypes we have about stars--big-egos and self-important. I guess I'll forget about it soon because really...who cares?

Little tidbit about Bale: He is NOT English! Did anyone know that? He is just proficient at accents and keeps an accent all through filming and even during promotions for the movie. So tricky...

Hunger Games

I recently read this young adult novel, because my all-time favorite author, Stephenie Meyer, had recommended it. And yes, I listen to her every word. Why? Well, because I worship her, that's why! Simple as that!

Anyway, back to the subject. I read this novel, and I really liked it. It can be best described as a futuristic distopia. It's not exactly a sci-fi per say, but it has elements of one. I thought it was really entertaining. It never got boring, there was always some type of action. The story was really different from anything I have ever read. Although in the beginning, I thought some sentences were written a little awkward, the writing really improved as the story went on. (FYI, I'm a real critic about construction.)

My only warning is that it's a trilogy. I did not know that going in, so at the end I was extremely disappointed, because they definitely leave you wanting more. I think people down the hall of my dorm heard me when I shouted, "Noooooo". But it's definitely still worth the read!

The sequel, Catching Fire, comes out in September, so be prepared to wait a while to read more.

United States of Tara

I've been watching United States of Tara since it premiered three weeks ago. It has my name in the title, so I had to check it out. It's on Showtime at 10pm on Sundays. The show is about a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)--formerly named Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). What is also interesting is that Tara has a family--a husband and two teenage kids. It's fascinating watching how her family deals with her alters--what they call the other personalities. It's normal everyday life for them when one of Tara's alters shows up. Her husband is played by John Corbett who is absolutely great in it. You really believe that he loves Tara despite her disorder and the hardships that come with it.

I really wanted to give this show a chance because the concept is so different. But I find that I don't really like Tara when she is Tara. She is more interesting and fun when she becomes one of her three alters--1) T - a teenager, 2) Alice - old-fashioned house wife, and 3) Buck - a very masculine man. When Tara is herself, she looks terrible, washed out and tired. She looks depressed and hardly has any meaningful contact with her family. I don't get the love her family has for her and her love for them. The only interactions she has with her family cause her stress and end with her switching to one of her alters. I hope this show gets better because the cast and concept are great.

After watching United States of Tara, I looked up DID. Here is some things I learned:
- Someone with DID can have up to 100 alters.
- The alters can be different ages, gender, or race. Each has his or her own personality, including postures, gestures, and distinct way of talking.
- Sometimes the alters are aware of each other. But one is always in control.
- A primary symptom of DID is memory loss beyond the normal forgetfulness.

Mucinex Warning

I've had this horrible disgusting phlegmy cough for three weeks. I got it from my husband who recovered in a couple days, and when it got to me, it turned into some sort of superbug. So I was finally fed up and bought mucinex. If my mucus could walk and talk, I guess it'll look a little like the guy pictured on the right--yucky and slimey. So I was ready to get him out.

When I bought Mucinex DM at CVS, I got a warning with my receipt--"Must be 18 or older to purchase. Teens abuse drugs with dextromethorphan." or something to that affect. I took it the next day and swore that I felt a little light headed and cloudy for several hours. How I described it all day was "woozy and fuzzy"--like I said, I was a little loopy that day. Before that the only symptom I had was the cough, and my cough did not get any better with the medicine.

So the question is whether it was all in my head. My husband thinks it was all psychological. Or it could be worse--I am the only sad person on earth who is affected by a little cough medicine. One thing is for sure I am not taking Mucinex again.