Music Monday -- "Landslide"

Another cover themed edition of Music Monday.  I have a little place in my heart for Fleetwood Mac.  I think it has to do with hearing them as a child.  Their songs are instantly recognizable to me.  I hear them and can't help but sing along.  And Stevie Nicks' voice is just too amazing.  While going through our iTunes account in prep for my 101 Fave Songs posts, I found multiple covers this song.  So here we go...

Fleetwood Mac: The Original (live version from 2006)

Tori Amos: How beautiful is her voice?

Smashing Pumpkins: A man singing, interesting swap.

Dixie Chicks: I think this country version is the closest to the original.

Glee: I do love me some Glee.  Not always the best covers, but always different.

Bush: Just found this one on YouTube. I had to add it.

NMF #10: Urbanized

Title: Urbanized

Year Released/Rating: 2011

Directed By: Gary Hustwit

Genre: Documentary

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: On the server

Summary: A documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world's foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.

Review: 

The third of Gary Hustwit's documentaries (Helvetica, Objectified), we really seem to be loving documentaries lately. This one did not disappoint.  I've always found urban planner fascinating.  It's one of my varied interest areas.  I've not studied much, but it has intersected my study of history and sociology.  This documentary focused on cities around the world and the challenges they face.  We see how cities change and grow.  We learn about some of the new movements in urbanization We see some small local projects that are changing cities.  I especially loved the section on Detroit.  Here is an opportunity to radically make over an are of the country focusing on smart urbanization.  I really hope something is down about the city.  The bus system in Bogota is fascinating; an above ground subway.  I love the bicycle culture of Copenhagen.  Overall, I found this a fascinating look at cities.  And full disclosure, I would rather live in the heart of the city than anywhere else.

Sunday Sunset #5

Listening To: Spotify and 8tracks.  My mom sent me a link to an 8track playlist of Doctor Who music.  Love it!  It's been on repeat all week.

Book finished: Chicks Dig TIme Lords, Fables Vol 17 Inherit the Wind, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Gone Girl, Cowboys and Aliens

Reading: Windfall by Rachel Caine

On the Nightstand: The Forgotten Garden, Garden Spells, 300, Velveteen

From the kitchen: Nothing exciting this week, but I do have plans for the next couple of weeks.  To make meal planning easier, I am going with a two week rotation of types of food.  For example, every other Monday is breakfast for dinner and every Sunday is slow cooker for dinner.  I am not a fan of cooking, but this just might lessen the difficulty.  We'll see...

Crafting: Somehow I only made one card this week.  Just one!  But I did use some of my new products. I love my new butterfly stamps and punch.  This is the small one, I have yet to play with the larger butterfly stamps.  And I got to use my new Sale-a-Bration stamps ("Oh happy day" and flowers)  I love the simplicity of this card.  I even like the pastels (not usually a fan).  Hopefully next week, I will be more inspired for crafting.

Watching: As for television, we've been watching S1 and S2 of Raising Hope, S1 of Star Trek: TOS, S1 and S2 of Star Trek: TNG, and catching up with some of currently airing shows (Castle, Modern Family, Parks and Rec, Portlandia, The Guild).

Movies watched for New Movie February

• Transformers Dark of the Moon (NMF #3)
• Objectified (NMF #4)
• Moonrise Kingdom (NMF #5)
• Wizards (NMF #6)
• Pizza My Heart (NMF #7)
• Helvetica (NMF #8)
• Moon (NMF #9)

Project: Summer plans.  I grabbed a few California travel books to list some great summer activities.  I want to explore more of our area.  I started an Evernote notebook with some ideas.  Love it!

NMF #9: Moon

Title: Moon

Year Released/Rating: 2009 R

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott

Written By: Duncan Jones, Nathan Parker

Directed By: Duncan Jones

Genre: Drama, Scifi

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: On the server

Trivia:

• Shot in 33 days for $5 million dollars.
• The name of the Lunar station, and written on one of the mineral tubes that Sam unloads from the mining machine has the word Sarang written in English and Korean. Sarang is Korean for "love". Sarang also means peacock in Sanskrit language, and means nest in the Malay language as well.
• Duncan Jones directorial debut. Before making this film, Duncan Jones was more famous for being the son of David Bowie. Indeed, one of the producers, Trudie Styler is married to another rock singer,Sting.
• Kevin Spacey read the script and agreed to voice Gerty but when the film was finished and only if he liked it. Having loved it, he recorded his lines in half a day.

Summary: Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.

Review: 

One of those movies that's been on my list since it came ut, but we just never got around to watching it.  I'm so glad we did.  This was amazing.  Right from the start, it reminded me of 2001.  It has that same lonely, but sinister, feel to it.  I won't give away the twists and turns, but I must say that they are expertly executed.  The characters are beautifully constructed.  I love Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell.  He played the progression wonderfully.  And then it have Kevin Spacey voice GERTY was genius.  He has that slightly creepy, robotic voice.  I loved it!  This is a definite must see and Duncan Jones is one director to watch.

Best Bits: 

• GERTY: I hope life on Earth is everything you remember it to be.
• Sam Bell: Listen, why don't you relax. Why don't you take a pill, bake a cake, go read the encyclopedia.
• Sam Bell: Gerty, is there someone else in the room?

Wicked Valentine's Readathon #2

Pages read today: 393 (Gone Girl) + 112 (Cowboys vs. Aliens)

Pages read total: 823

Time read today: 4 hours 10 minutes + 32 minutes

Time read total: 8 hours 37 minutes

Comments: Finished a nail biter and an underwhelming graphic novel.  Yet, I am excited about my progress so far.  Looking forward to more great reading.

Cowboys and Aliens by Fred Van Lente

Title: Cowboys and Aliens

Author: Van Lente, Foley, Callero, Lima, Rosenberg

Publisher: It Books 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 112

Rating: 3/5 stars     Movie  4/5

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novels; TBR Pile; Book to Movie; Bingo -- 4 from TBR

How I Got It: I own it

Arizona. 1873. The ultimate showdown between cowboys and Indians is interrupted… by an alien invasion.Every conqueror believes himself moved by a higher power, his destructive actions justified by necessity, compassion, or divine providence. In the greatest and most deadly expansion the world has seen, European settlers pushed west, decimating the native population without a second thought. But when aliens invade, they give the cowboys the fight of their lives, forcing them to pair with the Indians in a battle for control of the planet.The Old West will never be the same…

So, I'm a bit underwhelmed with this one.  I like the idea: cowboys and natives versus aliens.   This sounds like a great story.  Unfortunately, the story seems very short and undeveloped.  We don't spend any real time with the characters before the aliens land.  The action is choppy and not very exciting.  The ending does have a great cliffhanger, but something comes of it.

Movie

The movie is very different from the book.  We get a story of cowboys versus aliens, but that's really where the similarities stop.  I enjoyed the movie if nothing more than a fun action movie. Daniel Craig is the convincing stoic cowboy with a shady past.  Harrison Ford is great as the craggy grumpy old man.  The action sequences are fun and full of fun special effects.  This is anything ground-breaking, but I did enjoy the movie.  My only issue is Olivia Wilde's character.  I could have done without her...

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Title: Gone Girl

Author: Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Crown Publishers 2012

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 419

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC - F Author; Sub-genre - Horror, Psychological; Women Authors; TBR Pile; Blogger Recommendation

How I Got It: Borrowed from a friend (for informal book club selection)

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

There are no supernatural elements to this story, but I feel like it should be reclassified as a horror.  There is something truly wrong with the characters inhabiting the book.  But I must admit that it made for an engaging read.  I love how the reader gets one story for the first half of the book and then everything gets turned upside down for the second half.  It kept me guessing as to the outcome.  The characters are engaging and likable (at least for awhile).  They seem real, until they aren't.  Flynn's style is flawless.  The contrasting chapters from Nick and from Amy each have their own voice.  It really feels as if those two characters are sharing their story with us.  I loved the seamless transitions.  The other book club members have read this and really want to discuss it, but I hadn't read it yet.  So this is our informal book club selection for February.  I can't wait to see what they each thought of it. Great read!

Awesome playlist from Book Riot!

NMF #8: Helvetica

Title: Helvetica

Year Released/Rating: 2007

Directed By: Gary Hustwit

Genre: Documentary

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Summary: A documentary about typography, graphic design, and global visual culture.

Review: 

J owned this documentary even before we started dating, and I just never watched it until now.  It's something I would like: a specific documentary.  A documentary about something I find interesting.  And now living with J (who's a designer), I find myself discussing design on a regular basis.  I finally got around to watching this one following our earlier viewing of

Objectified

.  This is a very layered documentary.  We see all sides to the issue of the "universal typeface" of Helvetica.  Personally, I really like the typeface, but part of that may be because I had to see Times New Roman throughout all of school and hated it.  Helvetica gave me a new experience, despite seeing it everywhere in public.  Overall, I learned a lot about typeface and design.  And most importantly, I understand J just a little bit more.

Best Bits: 

• Rick Poynor: Type is saying things to us all the time. Typefaces express a mood, an atmosphere. They give words a certain coloring.
• Massimo Vignelli: You can say, "I love you," in Helvetica. And you can say it with Helvetica Extra Light if you want to be really fancy. Or you can say it with the Extra Bold if it's really intensive and passionate, you know, and it might work.
• Lars Müller: And I think I'm right calling Helvetica the perfume of the city. It is just something we don't notice usually but we would miss very much if it wouldn't be there.

Wicked Valentine's Readathon #1

Instead of updating everyday, I'm going to update once every couple of days or so.

Pages read today: 292 (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) + 26 (Gone Girl)

Pages read total: 318

Time read today: 3 hours 35 minutes + 20 minutes

Time read total: 3 hours 55 minutes

Comments: A good start to the readathon.  I finished J's favorite book and started (albeit just barely) the book club's informal selection.  I hope to get most of Gone Girl read tomorrow, but have to walk to the library (returns) and do some cleaning.

NMF #7: Pizza My Heart

Title: Pizza My Heart

Year Released/Rating: 2005 TV

Starring: Shiri Appleby, Eyal Podell, Dan Hedaya

Written By: Juliet Giglio, Keith Giglio

Directed By: Andy Wolk

Genre: Romance

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia: The Pizza War scene was filmed in weather of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, although it was supposed to be in the summer; the extras and cast were freezing during the filming.

Summary: Another modern spin-off of Romeo & Juliet, this time about two families who each run rivaling pizza restaurants in New Jersey.

Review: 

Another ABC Family romantic comedy.  I have a thing for these cheesy movies. The Romeo and Juliet play is a bit overdone, but most of the actors make it fun.

Best Bits: 

• Jean Paul Veber: [trying to tell the families that he can only pick one to go into business with] I can only go to bed with one of you.
• Joe Montebello: Ma told me to spice up my life.  Gloria Montebello: Not with arsenic. Joe Montebello: Arsenic is not a spice.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein

Title: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Author: Robert Heinlein

Publisher: 1966

Genre: Scifi

Pages: 518 (ebook version)

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Genre - Scifi; Monthly Key Word - February; Ebook; Bingo -- 4 from TBR

How I Got It: We own it

It is a tale of revolution, of the rebellion of the former Lunar penal colony against the Lunar Authority that controls it from Earth. It is the tale of the disparate people--a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic--who become the rebel movement's leaders. And it is the story of Mike, the supercomputer whose sentience is known only to this inner circle, and who for reasons of his own is committed to the revolution's ultimate success.

My third Heinlein book and I dare say the easiest book, at least on the surface.  We have a story of revolution on the moon.  Easy right?  Sure, the first part is easy.  But then we get into more discussions of politics and governmental theory.  What constitutes a good government?  How should we rule?  From there things go from bad to worse.  Revolution is hard, ruling is even harder.  I liked the political discussions above all else.  The storyline and characters are good, but Heinlein excels when characters discuss political philosophy.  Those conversations are what kept me engaged in the book.

As to the style, it took me awhile to get used to the gramatical structure.  There is a mix of English and Russian and an omission of "the" throughout most of the book.  This points to an evolution of language on Luna separate from Terra.  I like the style, but sometimes found myself wanting to "correct" the language.

Just remember: TANSTAAFL!

Thanks Abound

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my first Thankful Thursday.

1) Peet's Coffe and Tea at Boudin SF -- A friend and I stopped here for lunch and I got so excited that they serve Peet's.  I love Peet's.  Just wish the closest branch was closer.  A mile is a bit far to walk to get coffee, especially when it's really hot.

2) My friend for inviting me to see a local author speak at the library -- I've been wanting to go to more bookish events, but feel weird going alone.  So excited that I could go with someone.  And the author, Laurie King, was amazing.  Now I need to read all her books.

3) Great books -- They have the ability to pull me out of a depressive cycle.  Thank you authors for writing great books!

4) Amazon -- Found our book club book for a decent price.  I'm on a book buying ban and don't really want to spend much money on these.  Thank you random third party store for selling through Amazon.

5) The Internet -- For being able settle disagreements...

NMF #6: Wizards

Title: Wizards

Year Released/Rating: 1977 PG

Starring: Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, Bob Holt

Written By: Ralph Bakshi

Directed By: Ralph Bakshi

Genre: Animation, Fantasy

Star Rating: 3/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it (it's really J's)

Trivia: 

• No pencil tests were done on the film because of its low budget. The drawings went straight to the final product.
• The "religious" articles in the temple include pinball machines, a Pepsi-Cola sign, a catcher's mitt, an Oscar statuette, a jukebox, and a gold front grill from a Rolls Royce.
• Due to the dark imagery from the shadow-animation, this movie is a favorite for Midnight Movie shows around the world, whose primary market are teenagers.
• Avatar's mount is wearing socks, although he himself remains barefoot throughout the entire movie.

Summary: On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who's using technology in his bid for conquest.

Review: 

This is one of those creepy movies J liked as a child.  He had to introduce me to it tonight.  Wow!  All I can say is wow!  This was just weird.  A pseudo retelling of WWII, I was just stunned throughout the movie.  Overall, I am just so lost with this movie. It's weird.  At times it seems to be anti-religion.  And then we get the Hitler piece.  But then there's a fight between technology and religion.  I feel like I need to take some drugs before watching this movie, and I still don't know if it would make sense.  Definitely a strange pick.

Quote Wednesday - Rooney

If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it. -- Andy Rooney

Somedays I just smile.  Other days it is a bit of a struggle...

Wicked Valentine's Readathon -- Starting Line

From My Shelf Confessions:

The Wicked Valentine’s Read-A-Thon is a time when we all get together to dedicate the days of February 7-14 to as much reading as possible. You read as much as you can in order to get yourself a little further through that huge to-read pile! We know real life gets in the way and even if you can’t participate more than one day, you’re welcome to join in on the fun!

Fun Fun!  I've never joined this readathon before, but February seems like the perfect month.  I've always gotten into a reading slump in February and I'm hoping this helps me stay out of one.  Since I've already committed to Fantasy February, my books for this readathon will be fantasy related.

Goals:

• Read 5 books
• Review all books read
• Read an average of 2 hours a day
• Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

My TBR Pile:

• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
• 300 by Frank Miler
• Stories of Hans Christian Anderson
• Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce

NMF #5: Moonrise Kingdom

Title: Moonrise Kingdom

Year Released/Rating: 2012 PG-13

Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward

Written By: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

Directed By: Wes Anderson

Genre: Action, Drama

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: On the server

Trivia:

• Though it was filmed in part on Prudence Island, Rhode Island, the map of the island of New Penzance is based on Fisher's Island, New York.
• In the film, Laura Bishop shouts at various family members through a bullhorn. The idea came from co-writer Roman Coppola's childhood, as his mother Eleanor Coppola used a bullhorn in a similar fashion.
• During filming, Wes Anderson rented an old mansion in Newport, Rhode Island for himself, editor Andrew Weisblum, and director of cinematography Robert D. Yeoman, in which they had a room set up for editing the film. It had been arranged for the cast to stay in a nearby hotel, but eventually some of the actors also decided to stay at the mansion, including Edward Norton, Bill Murray, and Jason Schwartzman. Murray later joked that the theory was to have everyone close by so that they could all work "ungodly art-movie hours."
• Most of Wes Anderson's classmates who were Scouts were in Troop 55.
• This is the first Wes Anderson film without any involvement of Owen Wilson.

Summary: A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.

Review: 

I love Wes Anderson movies...  they are just the ticket for a humorous and quirky look at people.  My favorite is The Royal Tenenbaums, but this one was really good.  I loved all the child actors.  They had the right amount of quirk and precociousness.  I wouldn't want to meet them in the woods alone at night, but they are entertaining.  And we get Bill Murray being his usual awesome self.  I especially loved Tilda Swinton's social worker.  She is crazy and prim and by-the-book, so not like the rest of the characters.  And hello Jason Schwartzman!  I love him way too much.  This has definitely moved up in my ranking list of Wes Anderson movies.

Best Bits: 

• Laura Bishop: Walt, where the hell are you? Walt Bishop: Right here. Why are you cursing at me? Laura Bishop: Does it concern you that your daughter's just run away from home? Walt Bishop: That's a loaded question. Laura Bishop: Come down and read this!
• Walt Bishop: Be advised, the two of you will never see each other again. Those were your last words. Do you understand?  Suzy: I'd be careful if I were you. One of these days, somebody's gonna get pushed too far. And who knows what they're capable of?  Walt Bishop: Is that a threat?  Suzy: It's a warning.  Lionel: You're a traitor to our family.  Suzy: Good! I want to be.
• Scout Master Ward: Jiminy cricket, he flew the coop!
• Walt Bishop: Holy Christ, what am I looking at here?  Laura Bishop: He does watercolors. Mostly landscapes but a few nudes.  Walt Bishop: Did she sit for this?
• Walt Bishop: Our daughter's been abducted by one of these beige lunatics!

NMF #4: Objectified

Title: Objectified

Year Released/Rating: 2009

Directed By: Gary Hustwit

Genre: Documentary

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Server

Summary: A feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

Review: 

This is one of those documentaries that J has insisted we watch.  And I'm glad.  Living with a designer, I have slowly started to see elements of design, especially of the bad variety.  The documentary lays out many philosophies of design and how they impact our daily lives.  Very interesting.  I love the idea that design evokes emotion and becomes a part of your family.  Great way to explain it.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Title: Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen

Pages: 410

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC -- Reread; Jane Austen; Ebook; Book to Movie; Book Bingo -- 3 rereads

How I Got It: Own It!

Most definitely least favorite of the Austen novels.  Fanny is too meek and naive to love to the fullest.  Edmund is a bit of a limp noodle when it comes to the opinions and character.  I do revel in the villainy of Mary and Henry Crawford.  They are the lowest form of villans in the Austen novels.  They start as interesting and likable, and only later do we see their treachery.  The entire section dealing with the play drags a bit.  I kept wanting to skip ahead, but I didn't.  I knew the book would get better.

Movie: 

This is a very losse adaptation of the novel.  In that, the director took liberties with the character of Fanny Price.  Here she is much too bold and confidentwilling to speak up.  She is a much weaker creature in the novel.  The side characters are a lot of fun, I especially love Hugh Bonneville as Mr. Rushworth.  And I forgot that James Purefoy played Tom.  I love him!  Henry is a bit too handsome, but Mary is spot on.  And I do love the romance between Edmund and Fanny.  As to the story, the heavy slavery references get to be a bit much.  It's mentioned in the book, but the movie dwells on it.  I like the movie, but can't compare it too closely to the novel.

Random trivia: Jonny Lee Miller (Edmund) and Justine Waddell (Julia) were in this movie and Dracula 2000 together.  Weird connection.

Movie:

I like this version so much better.  The storyline and characters are much more in line with the book.  The Crawfords are still devious.  Edmund is still the rock.  Yet, this Fanny is much more docile and meek.  I believe her consistency much better.  And we don't have the reliance on slavery to make any social point.  The costumes are amazing, just right for the time period, not showy or too modern.  I love this version of Mansfield, even if the book is my least favorite Austen...

Book of Lists: Perfect Day

I ran across this idea on At Random, I followed her links to Kapachino's original post.  This month's topic is "perfect day."  I decided to write up an ideal itinerary...

• Sleep in, breakfast in bed
• Morning spent lounging at the beach (no swimming, the Pacific is too cold)
• Lunch at a cafe
• Afternoon at a museum
• Swim in the pool
• Dinner with wine at a good restaurant (perhaps The Fish Market)
• Movie at the theater
• Dessert, something chocolate
• Sex (just being honest)
• Curling up in bed with a good book

An entire day spent with J with no technology or chores.

Next month:We’ll be posting on March 4 and the topic is “I’m good at.” We can all stand to have a little more self-confidence, I think, so let’s talk about it.

Fables: Inherit the Wind

Title: Fables Vol 17: Inherit the Wind

Author: Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 144

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; TBR Pile; Book Bingo -- 1 from series

The tights and capes have been stored away forever, but it remains to be seen if Haven and its refugee inhabitants have survived the onslaught of. Where do the Fables go from here? Bigby and Snow White's cubs try to move forward after learning a hard lesson about life and death. And the loveable, fan-favorite hero Bufkin the Flying Monkey gets into more trouble when he finally reaches his homeland of Oz.

This Fables volume includes issues 108-113 of the original series.

I do so love the Fables series.  Somehow I completely forgot to pick up this volume when it was released last year.  Thankfully I rectified that mistake.  The best part of this volume was the storyline concerning the cubs and the choosing of the new North Wind.  I love the idea of one of the cubs becoming a new god.  The story focusing on Buffkin was interesting, but didn't captivate me.  I did love the implications in the Christmas story towards the end.  The overall story progresses well, but ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.  We are left with some major unanswered questions.  I hope they are resolved in the next volume.  I must put it on my library list for later this year.