Movie Review - Super 8

My son and I went to see Super 8 on Friday night.

We both loved it.

Here is what he thought.....

I thought it was awesome. The train crash was my favorite part. I thought the kids were funny. I want to see it again.

Here is what I thought......

Great story. The kids were very funny and did not over-act which kids sometimes do. The alien was pretty awesome. Kyle Chandler is HOT! I loved the fact that I really didn't know too much from the trailer. I hate when I see a movie and it feels like I am watching it for the second time because the trailer gave so much away. You don't see the alien right away which again I love. The buildup of seeing it is way more exciting then just shoving it in your face the first five seconds of the movie. I don't want to give to much away because it is definitely worth your time and money to go and see it. I really enjoyed that this movie takes place in 1979. The group of friends remind me of movies like Stand By Me, ET and Now and Then. Which is great because I love those movies. I spent part of the film just watching the expressions on my sons face.....yes I am one of those creepy Moms...Sorry. He had the biggest grin on his face when the kids were doing things like swearing (hell, shit damn nothing too risque), lighting firecrackers and sneaking out. There is one scene where an adult says the F-word (which I can't condemn them for because I have been known to say it myself a time or two) he darted a quick glance in my direction when it happened.....I think he was waiting to see if I would want him to cover his ears but I pretended it never happened and so he went back to grinning.

I HIGHLY recommend this film. It has everything. Action, Adventure, Humor, Love, Mystery and a bit of Nostalgia.

Oh and it was also the first time I saw the Harry Potter trailer on the big screen and I cried.....don't judge me!

Have a Magical Monday!

Twilight Talk with Jennifer and Stacey

Thank you for joining us for another joint post with my BBF Stacey  today we are going to talk about the Twilight book series and the movies.

Here is what I think......
I like the books......I don't like the movies.
Even though I go to see them as soon as they come out but its more for the fun of watching the little girls squeal every time Edward is on camera.


When I read the first book I remember telling my daughter that it was a rip off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I know its nothing like Buffy...well except for the brooding hot vampire. I did however fall into the deep obsession everyone else did and read through each one with the intensity of an addict getting her fix. When the final book was released I took my daughter and her friend to Barnes and Noble for the midnight release party. We had a lot of fun and it was very exciting to be around people who were equally obsessed. I might add that there were many women my age or older there without the excuse of being with their child and they were having themselves a grand old time.

Although I am team Edward in the respect that I always thought Bella should be with Edward. I love Jakob more and I think he is way hotter then Edward and I don't mean that in the Edward is a vampire therefore his skin is ice cold so Jakob is hotter I mean you know Hotter! It's creepy saying that about a kid younger then my own child but........I have no real response for that.

I have done my post on Vampires and how I feel they should follow the general Vampire rules...drink blood, no sun, sleep during the day. I did not like that the vampires in this book sparkled it was goofy and kind of a lame reason for why they couldn't be in the sun. Although it did elicit some pretty funny penis jokes on Facebook.....which I won't share....cause it would be inappropriate.

I have a lot of respect for Stephanie Meyer. She took an idea and went with it. She wrote whenever she found a spare minute. I have seen interviews with her and they really made me like her. I felt happy for her success.

Alice is my favorite character. I think she was well developed and I enjoyed her quirky behavior and how she was petite and deadly. Jane was my favorite of the "bad guys" she was incredibly evil and her power was awesome.

I have often wondered if this series would have been better as an adult series with lots of hot sex. Of course you would loose some of the best parts from the first book when Bella and Edward are interacting in science class.

I disliked very much the whole Bella gets pregnant thing. I remember saying to my daughter that I wasn't going to read anymore of the book because I found it ridiculous. But I did...... because I was addicted.

Now I know Stacey has a different opinion so lets see what she thinks!

Stacey says:


So, people have mixed emotions about Twilight. I have friends who call it obsessive to the point of creepy, a total turn off, an unhealthy example of relationships, etc. etc. etc.
Respectfully, I do not agree. I LOVE this series!!!!

I read the whole series in a matter of days (summer break+children with parents=sheer unadulterated reading time for me. It is the closest to Heaven on earth I can get.). I LOVE vampires!  As a little side note, I love in this series how they sparkle when in the sun.

I remember seeing Stephanie Meyer on Oprah talking about writing it. I loved listening to her describe her writing process with young kids around. I loved hearing how this all started with a dream about young love. I love love!

I am, was, and always will be Team Edward! My Oldest Daughter, however, is Team Jacob. She's 12 and very strong willed. The debate is intense in our house, both of us completely unwavering (though I will say, from the movies, that I think Jacob is hotter, it's just the True Love thing that gets me every time).
I loved each and every book, one and three are my favorites. Of the movies, definitely the first. The second was just so sad. I think the fourth is my least favorite. What I think really bothers me about this book in particular is the whole baby thing, the way that Bella was carrying it though it was killing her and horribly painful. I've never birthed a baby, maybe that's why, so I can't speak from experience, but it was kinda TMI for me. And for that maybe a little beyond the taste of most YA readers? I don't know.
Still loved the book. I don't know how else it could've ended, with Bella needing to become a vampire, yet not everyone in agreement on turning her. And it gave us Rosalie's story, which made me really love and respect her as a character. And the loyal friendship that she and Bella developed was just beautiful.
My favorite friend character is Alice. I love the way that she can see the future, and yet that the future was not fixed, that actions could cause changes, and also that the full scope of what she saw wasn't always clearly able to be interpreted, like when Bella went cliff diving with. Plus, I love her cute, fun sense of style!
That said, I grew to love Rose and her fierce protective friendship by book 4. Since then, she's on the all time faves list for me. Her story explains her jealousy and general bitchiness at first to Bella. The way she so fiercely protected Bella and Renesme was just lovely. Friends like that are wonderful.

The Volturi scare me. I love how ruthless they are. And I love how the Cullens took them on. For me to find a book or series great (or movie), it absolutely has to have great bad guys and the Volturi surely are. I still shudder when I think about all the 'tourists' heading in to be slaughtered. Eeeewwwww! Victoria was a really good ass-kicking villainous chick.

For a YA series, I thought the whole relationship thing was handled well, though I'll say as an adult I really was wanting Edward and Bella to just seal the deal already for quite awhile. (I'm all about the sexy.) So, I found myself constantly texting my friends who'd already read the series and begging to know if they ever would and this led to my bestie leaking the fact that they were going to make a baby. Well, this sucked! Because I know how babies are made! hahaha... anyway... that surprise came out mid book 3 and I was so bummed I knew about that because it was a BIG IMPORTANT THING I wanted to find out for myself. (It's ok, I still love my bestie and no harm came to her for that.)

I almost always love books better than movies, but in this case I feel like the movies followed the books closely enough and I loved them, too. Although,by the third, I actually fell asleep in the movie. :-0 But I remember the book so well I felt like I didn't need to rewatch it. In the first movie, I love how dark it was with the occasional splash of color, I loved watching the baseball scene, I'm not sure why, but that is one of my favorites. The first movie really I think is my favorite. On the movies, though, my question is... I can't really see the fourth as a good movie, can you?

I am with you Stacey I don't think the fourth is going to be very good....but I will be in the theater when it comes out anyway.

How about you blog friends what are your thoughts on Twilight? Have anything to add?

I love Jake Ryan

Today I would like to dedicate my post to the unbelievably hot guys of  my youth.

I spent the better part of my teen years being hopelessly in love with Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles.

Every boy in high school was was judged against his hotness. I know this isn't fair but that's what you do when your a teenager with unrealistic hopes and dreams and the most uncontrollable imagination.

If I am being honest which I sometimes like to do....I still fantasize about Jake Ryan. Whenever I imagine a new male character he always somehow ends up...in my mind....looking like Jake Ryan.

Jake Ryan isn't his actual name...in case you didn't know his real name is Michael Schoeffling.

He has not been in a movie since 1991. I loved him in all of his movies but the Jake Ryan character is by far my favorite. So after doing a little stalking it appears that Michael Schoeffling now is a furniture maker living somewhere in Pennsylvania....and no just because I know this now and because I too live in Pennsylvania I am not going search every phone book to located his furniture store....geez....plus I don't think he has a store you have to special order the furniture...and no I am not going to special order a piece of furniture....but how cool would it be to say "Oh this table well Jake Ryan made it especially for me"...Well now I know what I want for my birthday.

And I want this shirt

Okay so on to some of the others....

.but I want to make sure you understand that although the rest are pretty hot

Jake Ryan is king!

Rob Lowe - The Outsiders

Although Rob Lowe is pretty enough to be a girl he was really hot in this movie because he was supposed to be tough.

Partick Swayze

Patrick is hot in just about every movie he was in but I love him the most in Dirty Dancing and Ghost!

Josh Brolin - The Goonies

One of my all time favorite movies and Josh was just so hot in his little workout clothes and headband.

Kevin Bacon - Footloose

Honestly I don't think Kevin Bacon is all that hot. I think I am more attracted to him because his last name is bacon and I LOVE Bacon! But he was kind of hot in this movie.

John Laughlin however was in my opinion the hottest guy in the movie Footloose!

John Cusak
Although not the hottest guy his sweet characters set my little teenage heart a flutter. John continues to be one of my favorite actors. He is one of those actors whose films I will put my hard earned money out to see no matter what. Additionally he was in another of my all time favorite movies Better off Dead. It is so funny!

So there you have it ladies and gentleman. Tomorrow Stacey and I will be talking about Twilight...and I know he is cute and all by Robert Pattinson is no Jake Ryan....just saying.

How about you blogger buddies any teen loves you would like to share?

Collections

My name is Jennifer and I am a collector.

To you...and me.... this is not a bad thing.

To some people it is.

I collect antiques, angels, books, and about a half dozen other things. No I am not a hoarder.

I have shared my book collection with all of you and today I thought I would share another of my obsessions....I mean collections.

The American Flag.

It started with this flag which I bought from an antique store. It was tattered and sad. My original thought was that I would buy it and then give it to the Veteran's Association so it could be properly destroyed.

You see there are protocol's to follow when it comes to our flag.

According to the United States Code,Title 4 Chapter 1, Section 8, "The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

But I couldn't part with it. It's respectfully displayed in the Mom Cave.

There are flags everywhere at my house.

Outside and inside

I have always had a love of the American Flag.

I got it from my Dad. When I was young he taught me how to fold a flag, how not to let it touch the ground and why, the proper way to display a flag and the proper way to dispose of one.

He was a proud man who served in the army in his youth.

Even though he spent only a sort time serving his country he continued to behave in a manner of pride of service and he demanded that his children respect and be grateful to those who have fought for our freedom

When he died of a massive heart attck at the young age of 62 in January of 1997

they laid this flag upon his coffin.

The local veterans association attended his service where they  folded his flag in the traditional manner and presented it to my Mother.

 Each fold has a meaning.

The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.

The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.

The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of his or her life for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.

The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace, as well as in times of war, for His divine guidance.

The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The seventh fold is a tribute to our armed forces, for it is through the armed forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.

The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.

The 10th fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born.

The 11th fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.

When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

I am proud to be his daughter for many reasons but his love of country and his pride are some of the lessons I cherish the most. I guess that is truely why I collect flags. Their meaning to me is more than just a symbol of our country but it is also a link to my Beloved Father.

So I ask dear blogger friends do you have a collection? Does it have a deeper meaning?

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

People are Mean

So it seems that yesterday everyone was posting about people being mean or putting negative energy out into the air or cyberspace.

In typical Jennifer fashion I am a day late to the party.

Last week I posted my Pet Peeves and I included mean people. I really don’t understand what a person gets out of being mean. I’m not talking about disagreeing. I’m talking about just nastiness. Hateful words said by hateful people.

My BBF Stacey has a great post today about people posting comments as anonymous…apparently like me she is also late to the party. I am surprised that someone would be so negative considering her blog is very upbeat fun and funny.

Jealous maybe?

Here is what I think if you have enough…dare I say balls? To post a mean comment then at least post it as you. Maybe then your opinions would have some merit, but hiding behind the anonymous just makes your comment even more ridiculous.

My blog friend Muriel received a somewhat scathing comment on her post about women putting makeup on while riding the train or tube….sorry if I botched that I am not familiar with the British lingo. Anyway the anonymous commenter took Muriel’s words so literally and was just nasty about it.

I think the saddest thing is that most of these anonymous people are women and it brings forth the question….Why are we so mean to each other? It’s just so stereotypical and embarrassing the way we try to break each other down.

 Is it not better to use our awesome female power for good?

I have never received a negative comment but back when I started my blog I joined the Book Blogs group. And one bright sunny day as I swelled with the awesomeness of my blog I received an email from someone, also a book blog member, who told me I was misrepresenting myself as a book blog because I didn’t talk enough about books. I am sad to say that it shook my confidence a little bit. I have never been one to care too much about what people think as long as I know I am not being hurtful in any way, but this woman just crushed me. I started second guessing myself. In the end I realized that it did not matter what this person thought I could be myself because after all this is MY blog. She did send me another email disguised as someone else but I know it was her she just wanted to appear to have a friend who shared her thoughts on me not being a book blog.

Weirdo

So I say to you lets rise against these mean anonymous commenters  and let them know that in the words of Maximus from Gladiator

“What we do in life echoes in eternity”

So be nice today…it feels good!

Writing Workshop

I have been working on the same WIP for awhile now. I am so completely stuck I am not sure where to go from here. It’s not that I don’t know the plot or the characters who how I want it to end. It’s that I am not sure how to structure it. I don’t know about you but my story ideas come out like…..forgive me….vomit. I start to hear a whisper of a story or a character’s name and then it all goes flying out at me. The problem is trying to catch it all before it floats out into the ether.

In the real world I am a Technology Manager. A computer geek. These skills I have always came easy to me. I have taken classes and learned on the job and I am very confident in my ability.

But with my writing….

I have never taken a writing class. I don’t know if it is necessary but sometimes I wonder if I am doing myself a disservice by not taking some form of class or workshop. Which brings me to my question.

Should I?

Is there a benefit to a writing workshop and if so what is it?

Is it better to take a creative writing course at a college? Or is that a waste of time and money?

There are many purported writing classes and workshops online but which ones are legit?

It’s all very confusing.

Or maybe I am just psyching myself out?  Maybe what I have been doing all along is the correct way and I am just too scared to realize it.

Wow I am pretty deep today….I should wear my glasses and quote Nietzsche  all day.

Anyway what do you think blog friends? Is there a workshop that helped you? Or do you think they are a waste of time and money?

Have a Magical Monday!

Pet Peeves

I have done my book pet peeves so today I thought I would just talk about some general pet peeves.
The definition of pet peeve is :  is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to him or her, to a greater degree than others may find it.
Below is a list of a few of mine....I hope I don't come off too mean if I do I am sorry in advance.

Fake People - I abhor fake people. Nothing annoys me more then someone who pretends to be something they are not. This also includes people who feign niceness or pretend to like you. I don't care if you don't like me okay...I really don't. I am not for everyone. Sometimes I don't even like myself. So you don't have to pretend. Its ok. I will survive.

Women who use girly voices when men are around - Uggghhhh I want to scream! I work with someone who does this and I just want to shake her and make her watch Iron Jawed Angels...great movie about women's right to vote. Its like do you really think talking like a little girl is sexy? That is so gross! Please stop! Also added to this is women who act stupid in front of men...which this same woman does.

People who drive below the speed limit - I don't need for you to speed, although 5 miles an hour is universally acceptable, I do need you to at least drive the speed limit.

People who say "you know what I am saying" - Yes I do in fact know what you are saying as you just stood here for five minutes telling me and we both speak the same language so your question of "you know what I am saying?" Is ridiculous and annoying...Know what I'm saying?

Mean People - Look I get it you are having a bad day but is it really necessary to take it out on every person you happen to meet? Trust me I can be mean but I generally like to focus my meanness on the person who caused my bad mood or someone performing one of my pet peeves.

People who make weird mouth noises randomly - you know those people who just randomly start making popping noises or making that like cat noise not meow the one where you kind of suck on your lower lip and then move your upper lip in and out. Please stop. You are annoying everyone.

People who mumble and then get mad when you say What? I think that is pretty self explanatory. But its annoying when you get annoyed that I can't understand your marble mouth mumbles. I especially love when they say Forget It clear as day and flap their hand at you...really? why didn't you just say what you were saying that clearly and then we wouldn't be in this predicament.

Smokers who flick their cigarettes out of their car window - The world is NOT your ashtray jackass.

Captain Obvious - That person who insists on stating the obvious...its insulting.  Sometimes its funny. Cause you get to say stuff like "Thank You Captain Obvious" or my favorite "No shit Sherlock whens your next case".

People who say "you did" when I said I did something - For instance: Me "Last night I went to the mall" Idiot: "You did?" No I just like saying random things about my nightly adventures....idiot.

Well I feel better! How about you got any pet peeves you would like to share?