tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24724688120013431572024-02-07T16:03:47.113-08:00My Little ObsessionsThings I like to write about when I take a break from writing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-50115020862586522842014-06-02T10:14:00.000-07:002014-06-02T10:14:52.287-07:00Goodbye... for now.Although I regret announcing that I will be taking a hiatus from this blog, I carry more regret having ignored it for so long. My obsession to continue writing about, and sharing, things I love is still within me; however, writing on my dark fiction, working publicity on film junkets, and everything else life as tossed my way to juggle as made My Little Obsessions a lower priority. Admittedly, I never achieved a slew of followers, but to those dedicated few - and those who happen upon this blog and wish for more - I apologize and hope you will continue to enjoy past posts and keep an eye open for future ones. I have every intention of returning sometime in the near future and I will leave this blog up as proof.<br />
<br />
Now go obsess about something... just don't act crazy. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-12956931099298604102014-01-14T09:09:00.000-08:002014-01-14T09:09:22.076-08:00Star Wars News Update 7.3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwm6KmTkYeBjEQtyxREw7C7LSTb9nTdqPqq56NVUQQBHQJqDgA1xggprSU-Q3VhGq0iCEzeW61J61Q3TjI_Dd1dvCd1jhtL9UrA5gd_3gnsVx7NZbOTwnVmlKlqs5nzARJyH9hfX9HxAN/s1600/EPVII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwm6KmTkYeBjEQtyxREw7C7LSTb9nTdqPqq56NVUQQBHQJqDgA1xggprSU-Q3VhGq0iCEzeW61J61Q3TjI_Dd1dvCd1jhtL9UrA5gd_3gnsVx7NZbOTwnVmlKlqs5nzARJyH9hfX9HxAN/s320/EPVII.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(fan art)</i></div>
<br />
<div class="caption">
Well, it's been two months since my last Star Wars update (and any post for that matter). The holidays hit and they hit hard like a Northeastern. But now that reminiscences have melted away, it looks like the Mouseketeers have a teeny-weeny update for us regarding new names of auditioners like Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Chiwetel Ejiofor (all from '12 Years A Slave').</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_874">
Also, "Breaking Bad" and "Friday Night Lights" star Jesse Plemons is in talks for the new Star Wars film. </div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_874">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1311">
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a large amount of actors have tried out for the film <span style="color: black;">and have met with director J.J. Abrams. But that's </span>not much of a surprise.</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1311">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1314">
Back in October, "Lovely Bones" actress Saorise Ronan admitted "everyone" has been auditioning for a part in the sequel<span style="color: black;"><a data-rapid_p="11" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/star-wars-episode-7-auditions-2013-10" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1299" target="_blank"></a> while trying out for the film herself. </span>She wouldn't name names, but thanks to THR we now know some of the actors.</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1314">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1318">
Here are some of the A-Listers who have been meeting up with J.J. Abrams. It's a very wide range of talent:</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1318">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1320">
<span style="color: black;">Adam Driver</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1320">
<span style="color: black;">Hugo Weaving</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1236">
Michael B. Jordan</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1236">
Jack O'Connell</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1236">
Alex Pettyfer</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1236">
Sullivan Stapleton</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1236">
<br /><span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1322">
The change in ages regarding the auditioners could be a reflection of the major change that took place behind the scenes. In the fall, Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3," "Little Miss Sunshine") left as screenwriter on the project<span style="color: black;"><a data-rapid_p="21" href="http://www.slashfilm.com/michael-arndt-off-star-wars-episode-vii-j-j-abrams-and-lawrence-kasdan-writing/" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1281" target="_blank"></a> after a reported difference in opinion on where the story should go. </span>According to THR, Arndt wanted
the story to follow Luke Skywalker, Leia and Han Solo's children while
J.J. Abrams wants the focus to still be on the original trio before
handing off future films to their kids.</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1322">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1389717990418_1265">
Word is that Abrams is now looking for more older shoes to fill cast as opposed to a necessarily younger crop that was recorded earlier.<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-5195891068081102022013-11-07T11:27:00.000-08:002013-11-07T11:27:45.145-08:00Star Wars News Update 7.2<div id="yui-tmp-10">
Get ready for two brand new <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1383769858103_4">characters</span> in that galaxy far, far away.</div>
<div id="yui-tmp-10">
<br /></div>
A Disney casting call
has "Star Wars" watchers abuzz after all but revealing two lead
characters in the upcoming, hugely anticipated follow-up to 1983's
"Return of the Jedi." So, who are these new "Star Wars" players, you
ask? They're young, in their late teens, and they've both endured
childhood parental absence.<br />
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1383851993656_1285" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_363">
While
the Disney casting notice doesn't name the film's title outright, Yahoo
Movies and other outlets have connected the dots, and they form a big
arrow pointing to J.J. Abrams's "Star Wars: Episode VII," set to open in
2015. (You see, these castings are being conducted around England —
where "Episode VII" is the only <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1383769858103_19">Disney film</span> in pre-production.)</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_363">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_368">
"<span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1383769858103_26">Rachel</span>,"
a probable pseudonym, is the young woman's role. Her requirements
include beauty, intelligence, athleticism, and she must be over 16 years
old. And if you think she could be the daughter of one of the "Return
of the Jedi" leading characters — like Han Solo, <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1383769858103_2">Luke Skywalker</span>,
or Princess Leia — think again. Disney is open to "all ethnicities
(including bi- and multi-racial)," indicating this may not be the
daughter of the aforementioned Caucasian characters.</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1383851993656_1364" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
But then again, you never know. Are we going to discover that one of the three aforementioned "Star Wars" characters has died?<br />
<br />
"Rachel
was quite young when she lost her parents," according to the casting
sheet. "With no other family, she was forced to make her way in a tough,
dangerous town. Now 17 she has become street smart and strong."<br />
<br />
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_371">
Well,
this is getting interesting. Now we know we won't be watching a
Leia-like damsel in distress. This girl can protect herself! (Sounds
like a perfect fit for <span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1383769858103_25">Saoirse Ronan</span>, who has been rumored to be auditioning for "Star Wars" and who played a genius assassin in "Hanna.")</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_371">
<br /></div>
Actors
vying for the male role of "Thomas" (also a likely pseudonym) must be
over 18, handsome, smart, and athletic. Similar to Rachel, he grew up
"without his father's influence." (Notice how the casting description
doesn't say his father is dead. Hmm.) Unlike Rachel, Thomas's role isn't
explicitly open to "all ethnicities." Could he be the son of Skywalker,
Leia, and/or Solo?<br />
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_405">
See the casting sheet and speculate for yourself:</div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_405">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F-gLrvMOlPBRPwJiNwXTgyqO7WTo576aMnXhKPQnEjtXq1HsY-c3LjBy96iZAsYArtgNMiVdFJtic3NPLnJaySDQ1iOc8Kstjf-2Q7jkv2q0W5sYZmYSoIvEBgIlAZddn3kM1LjTWlK8/s1600/swep7+casting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F-gLrvMOlPBRPwJiNwXTgyqO7WTo576aMnXhKPQnEjtXq1HsY-c3LjBy96iZAsYArtgNMiVdFJtic3NPLnJaySDQ1iOc8Kstjf-2Q7jkv2q0W5sYZmYSoIvEBgIlAZddn3kM1LjTWlK8/s320/swep7+casting.png" width="201" /></a></div>
<div id="yui_3_9_1_7_1383851993656_405">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-4068871904440420822013-10-26T11:53:00.002-07:002013-10-26T11:53:23.261-07:00Star Wars News Update 7.1<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWolmdM49IEqWkytxnFi4ZREDVvu1RiID6UZSM4nNTgD4bvPKMbbYFVBELiIgXjvYaMKHTxXMZMy-5UAsPdBa83HkkxLqAK8q0xXrICCY9loPyKsRM1ZBXiQgYOU8JwMaQr61V31wHKH6m/s1600/SWeVII+fan+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWolmdM49IEqWkytxnFi4ZREDVvu1RiID6UZSM4nNTgD4bvPKMbbYFVBELiIgXjvYaMKHTxXMZMy-5UAsPdBa83HkkxLqAK8q0xXrICCY9loPyKsRM1ZBXiQgYOU8JwMaQr61V31wHKH6m/s320/SWeVII+fan+art.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_1267907304"></span><span id="goog_1267907305"></span><span id="goog_612661621"></span><span id="goog_612661622"></span><span id="goog_703701345"></span><span id="goog_703701346"></span>(fan art)</div>
<br />
<b>Episode VII Movie News Summary</b><br />
<br />
Okay, apologies all around if anybody was expecting me to live up to my word about sharing Episode VII news. Between writing, audiobooks, junkets, and weddings... I've been a tad busy. I'm not going to promise anything, but I will try to keep an update once a week from here on out. <br />
<br />
So, the big news of the week came yesterday (Thursday, October 24, 2013) when Lucasfilm announced that
Michael Arndt was out as writer of "Episode VII" and J.J. Abrams and
Lawrence Kasdan were in. Also buried in the press release was the fact
that Ben Burtt is returning. Here's the press release:<br />
<br />
<b><i>As "Episode VII" continues pre-production, Lawrence Kasdan and
director J.J. Abrams have assumed screenwriting duties for the film.
Kasdan, who has been serving as a consultant on the film, is a veteran
of several classic Lucasfilm productions, writing the screenplay for
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" and serving as co-screenwriter for "The Empire
Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." Acclaimed director and
screenwriter Abrams' credits include "Super 8," "Mission: Impossible
III," "Fringe," and "Lost."<br />
<br />
"I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have
Larry and J.J. working on the script," states Lucasfilm President
Kathleen Kennedy. "There are very few people who fundamentally
understand the way a "Star Wars" story works like Larry, and it is
nothing short of incredible to have him even more deeply involved in its
return to the big screen. J.J. of course is an incredible storyteller
in his own right. Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to
this point and we have an amazing filmmaking and design team in place
already prepping for production."<br />
<br />
Location scouting, production design, casting, and costume design are
already underway on "Episode VII." A team of gifted artists are working
to bring the latest installment of the "Star Wars" saga, including
director of photography Dan Mindel ("Mission: Impossible III," "Star
Trek"), production designers Rick Carter ("Lincoln," "Avatar") and
Darren Gilford ("Oblivion," "TRON: Legacy"), costume designer Michael
Kaplan ("Star Trek Into Darkness," "Mission: Impossible - Ghost
Protocol"), special effects supervisor Chris Corbould ("Skyfall," "The
Dark Knight Rises"), sound designer Ben Burtt ("Lincoln," "Star Wars:
Episodes I-VI"), re-recording mixer Gary Rydstrom ("Jurassic Park,"
"Saving Private Ryan"), supervising sound editor Matthew Wood ("Star
Trek Into Darkness," "The Master") of Skywalker Sound, and visual
effects supervisor Roger Guyett ("Star Trek Into Darkness," "Pirates of
the Caribbean: At World's End") of Industrial Light & Magic.
Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, with Tommy
Harper ("Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," "Star Trek Into
Darkness") and Jason McGatlin ("Tintin," "War of the Worlds") serving as
executive producers. <br />
<br />
John Williams is returning to score Star Wars: Episode VII.<br />
<br />
Shooting is scheduled to begin Spring 2014 at Pinewood Studios for an expected 2015 release.</i></b><br />
<br />
Special thanks to comingsoon.net for compiled information.<b><i> </i></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-45337887793137519892013-09-29T10:51:00.000-07:002013-10-26T12:10:28.850-07:00Pie Is More Than A Good Dessert, It's A Good Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrDlqSjicyzyh-NqWzd75uGLSwXGU17fpp9kfBddgkYpMlWk5DhwSt-rAAP0EsodeqHJyiaIzeC0R2fkQ_781nsukq5vzKPdDHmwDUEODZa7Z1gp-wxw1iYDsvSmSB-Ydfeyz7DKe1zzx/s1600/Pie+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrDlqSjicyzyh-NqWzd75uGLSwXGU17fpp9kfBddgkYpMlWk5DhwSt-rAAP0EsodeqHJyiaIzeC0R2fkQ_781nsukq5vzKPdDHmwDUEODZa7Z1gp-wxw1iYDsvSmSB-Ydfeyz7DKe1zzx/s320/Pie+.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(5 STARS) <span id="freeTextreview665405437">Pie, a ranch horse, suffers
from an external mid-life crisis where he is injured after a brief
encounter with a rowdy bull. Too damaged to continue his work, he is
“put out to pasture” where the second phase of his life begins, which is
surprisingly better than his first.<br /><br />Pie is a multi-layered
memoir about second changes, perseverance, and the power of bonding.
Author Scaramuzzo has craftily managed to write an effective, feel-good
book despite highlighted tragedy throughout. Told entirely through the
point of view of Pie, this ordinary old brown horse shares his
optimistic outlooks, fears, and subtle humor, as though the reader had
stumbled upon his personal diary that he kept hidden at the back of his
stable. Along the way, he meets a cast of characters, both human and
animal, where they inspire and enlighten each other’s worlds.<br /><br />This
is not only a remarkable story on its own, but any lover of animals who
understands the personal connection that is shared between pet and
owner will have a heightened appreciation as Scaramuzzo expertly focuses
on the importance of connections and interactions that both animal and
human inherently give to one another. Pie is a regenerative tale for
all ages.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-40797591146293782812013-09-11T17:11:00.002-07:002013-09-11T17:13:58.480-07:00Red Lobster's Cheese BiscuitsI don't like about 99% of seafood. I just don't like it... BLAH! However, if I'm ever in company with a group of people who suggest to go to Red Lobster, I don't protest, and here's why...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy3vriipyoxnNV3tbodS1KphDODFucRW2kBUSIPsJsy_3riKIhTlTKsz521_Fdbzr9vHpCprQ5pJSqpH52GbEWlGajyYM5gs9VIuZsqq7sCsdzWPYjR0jvSLGrywl06aRpqjXeR4-Qnes/s1600/red-lobster-cheddar-cheese-biscuits-recipe1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy3vriipyoxnNV3tbodS1KphDODFucRW2kBUSIPsJsy_3riKIhTlTKsz521_Fdbzr9vHpCprQ5pJSqpH52GbEWlGajyYM5gs9VIuZsqq7sCsdzWPYjR0jvSLGrywl06aRpqjXeR4-Qnes/s320/red-lobster-cheddar-cheese-biscuits-recipe1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I love Red Lobster's Cheesy Biscuits. Do you hear me? I L-O-V-E them!!! The hint of garlic, the cheese, and biscuits--which are just about the best damn food ever created anyway. Well, today I found this post on how to make your own cheesy biscuit loaf. Now, I haven't tried it yet because (as per my previous post <a href="http://www.michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/2013/08/one-minute-desserts-for-dieters.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> about desserts) I'm on a diet. But if there is anyone who is as obsessed over these little fluffs of miracle as I am, I share with you...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcKmx_GvV4Md_4_FdevxKVgW5sTjck4v24tdRx_Q3hUt2oN04p1xeLanZvV3LJLrkqNFWqcpZaU5FqCzES37gUl8AiUnwiUWOYRgemDHKZk9crvxTdXrRIPgXjqlv3EXKL_dfXAdeKAyw/s1600/71981_10151498410067410_657703372_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcKmx_GvV4Md_4_FdevxKVgW5sTjck4v24tdRx_Q3hUt2oN04p1xeLanZvV3LJLrkqNFWqcpZaU5FqCzES37gUl8AiUnwiUWOYRgemDHKZk9crvxTdXrRIPgXjqlv3EXKL_dfXAdeKAyw/s320/71981_10151498410067410_657703372_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
3 cups flour<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 1 Tablespoon baking powder<br /> 1 teaspoon salt<br /> 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper<br /> 1/8 teaspoon black pepper<br /> 4 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes<br /> 1 1/4 cups milk<br /> 3/4 cup sour cream<br /> 3 Tablespoons of butter, melted<br /> 1 egg, lightly beaten<br /> <br />
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with oil. In a bowl,
whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Carefully stir in cheese cubes
until covered in flour mixture, this will help prevent your cheese
sinking to the bottom of your loaf of bread.<br /> <br /> In a different
bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Fold the wet mixture
into the flour and cheese mixture, stir until just combined, do not over
stir. Spread the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let
cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Allow to cool for one hour
before slicing and serving.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
If you try this recipe, please post below how it turned out. I'm dying to know!<br />
<br />
Bon appetite!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-57077433894404699712013-08-19T11:00:00.002-07:002013-08-19T11:29:37.908-07:00One-Minute Desserts (for Dieters too!)It is no secret that I have struggled with weight fluctuation for most of my life, and I will probably continue until I breathe my last breath. In the adult ages of my life, my weight has flexed from 170 lbs. to 275 lbs., during which I found moderate amounts of success in fad diets and exercising. There were even a few months in 2011 when I was running 4-miles every other day, an achievement that my high school self would have never believed if my future self went back in time to try to foretell. Unfortunately, the damage to my knees had already been done and I had to give up running.<br />
<br />
Now, just one of the reasons why my weight has flip and flopped like a short stack (yummm.... pancakes) is because I have a relentless sweet tooth (of the few food posts I've posted, over half are sweets). I am always looking for the perfect cakes, pastries, cookies, candy, etc. that I can get away with eating with minimal guilt, and recently, I have come across these two little gems that I wanted to share:<br />
<br />
<u><b>The 3-2-1 CAKE</b></u><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgDNgYVwVuIRgdUi9zEK-zyu0liSb2whsifh6wFk6ScSped2bZjGXF6ZyPCTlMxFKga3wFzXWEpbKkqbdKm4OgHVd9k6AENKZWvE_xtUpZEDBa84nJNYyjpmSfc2iMju3BVS_D7xYf6S2/s1600/3-2-1-Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKgDNgYVwVuIRgdUi9zEK-zyu0liSb2whsifh6wFk6ScSped2bZjGXF6ZyPCTlMxFKga3wFzXWEpbKkqbdKm4OgHVd9k6AENKZWvE_xtUpZEDBa84nJNYyjpmSfc2iMju3BVS_D7xYf6S2/s320/3-2-1-Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
What you'll need:<br />
<br />
1 box Angel Food cake mix<br />
1 box any flavor cake mix<br />
2 Tbl. water<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
Using a large bowl with a tightly fitting lid or a large zip
lock bag, combine the two boxes of cake mix stirring or shaking well.<br />
<br />
For each individual serving, take out 3 Tbl. of the cake mixture and mix
it with 2 Tbl. of water in a
small coffee mug. Microwave on high for 1 minute. You now have your
own instant individual cake and it is warm and inviting. You can top
with a dollop of fruit or whipped topping if you like. (even frosting)<br />
<br />
Try various flavors of cake mix but it must always be combined with an Angel Food mix.<br />
<br />
Keep the mix tightly sealed in an airtight container or Ziplock bag until used.<br />
<br />
In addition to being fast, cheap, and easy, this is also perfect for dieters because it creates the perfect portion size (as long as you don't make another, or a double-layer cake... or triple)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>THE ONE-MINUTE COOKIE</u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifZ5lnE0FkHaXQna8v_4b2sWsi7cOOUv_mlIH662QCRfgjS443kyVEJ8yhVNd65XO4dHIrDnCRXATGlwlnOy7KRDkgP677kmjqh6s5_svavdHGn5JSE3NCxZXw211Pk1GknQJf1KdPqBm/s1600/3-2-1-Cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifZ5lnE0FkHaXQna8v_4b2sWsi7cOOUv_mlIH662QCRfgjS443kyVEJ8yhVNd65XO4dHIrDnCRXATGlwlnOy7KRDkgP677kmjqh6s5_svavdHGn5JSE3NCxZXw211Pk1GknQJf1KdPqBm/s320/3-2-1-Cookie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
What you'll need:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Butter- 1 Tbl.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Granulated white sugar- 1 Tbl.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dark brown sugar- 1 Tbl., firmly packed</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Vanilla extract- 3 drops </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Salt- a pinch</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Egg yolk- 1</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Plain flour- 3 Tbl.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Chocolate chips- 2 Tbl. (dieters should use dark choc. chips)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Directions:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Melt butter in the microwave, preferably in the same cup you are
planning to make the cookie in (to make it mess free and simpler). The
butter should not boil, it should be just melted.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Add the white and brown sugars, vanilla and salt and mix well to combine, using a spoon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In goes the egg yolk. Mix it in properly till no traces of the yolk is seen.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mix in the flour properly and then fold the chocolate chips.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cook on high in the microwave for 40 seconds, or a maximum of 50 seconds.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Serve warm (maybe even with a dollop of ice cream, low-fat, of course).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, I know what you're saying: "Butter? Sugar? Chocolate Chips?" - I know! I know! But again, it's all about controlling your portions and satisfying your cravings so you don't overindulge. And is probably the best diet advice you'll ever receive. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now go and enjoy! I do. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-85818186309589399712013-08-13T09:35:00.000-07:002013-08-13T09:35:24.592-07:00Book Review: My Grandfather's War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wHjdNIib-pjU1Pd0W1ijjvnJ_srU3KeKYBPKmwJR1tRs7lGbcn7P0S5iZ8ASTqIasOzKM68zhRXRKmCI7KWwtA4D3qXSY0FHOxZo88I2FXIEBiZL2XVHL80mYhDotiaoGAv7lG6NHsvi/s1600/My_grandfathers_war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wHjdNIib-pjU1Pd0W1ijjvnJ_srU3KeKYBPKmwJR1tRs7lGbcn7P0S5iZ8ASTqIasOzKM68zhRXRKmCI7KWwtA4D3qXSY0FHOxZo88I2FXIEBiZL2XVHL80mYhDotiaoGAv7lG6NHsvi/s320/My_grandfathers_war.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
(5 STARS) Before I begin singing praises for My Grandfather's War, I must come
clean on two facts: a) being an author as well, it had been my
intention to write a very, very similar book years ago about my
grandfather's time in World War II as the bottom turret operator of a
B-17 Fortress during the Pacific side of the war; and b) (and this is
probably something more people can relate to) what it's like to be a
caregiver for an ailing family member - the responsibility, the
pressure, the fatigue, the time away from work, friends, and the simple
pleasures in life we tend to take for granted (something vaguely
comparable to being a prisoner of war).<br /><br />Author Cozean hits the
nail on the head with every word, right down to the brief moments of
honest, yet silent, thoughts he allows himself to have before trudging
on as a caregiver, heroically. I believe My Grandfather's War is a
better book than anything I planned on writing if given the chance
before my grandfather unexpectedly passed, because where I already had a
solid and open relationship with my grandpa, Cozean not only takes a
self-discovering journey in this memoir of the immense responsibility
bestowed onto him during his "Papa's" recovery but builds a deeper and
loving relationship with him that is just as intriguing as the stories
of his grandfather's time being the Nazi's POW.<br /><br />Filled with
moments of grief, empathy, and humor, there is a little bit of
everything in My Grandfather's War. Each transition
moved seamlessly from one moment to the next, but what I especially
liked most was the interludes into our nation's history and the
retelling of America's involvement in World War II - brief, yet very
important information in understanding the background and reasoning
behind the motivation, influence, and abuse by all sides. In all
honesty, I think I may have learned more about this devastating war in
these 200 pages than I had during my 11th grade World History class -
and then some - which was more enjoyable this time around because Cozean
made sure the information was an exciting and intriguing read.<br /><br />Finally,
I could not agree more with the subtitle, which reads: "A Young Man's
Lessons from the Greatest Generation". Even before reading My
Grandfather's War, it had amazed me what my grandparent's generation
accomplished and endured at their young age, and I wonder if our current
generation would be capable of the same if put in the same war… a
question similarly posed to Jesse by his Papa, and I believe answered
honestly.<br /><br />I look forward to more by this author in the future.
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-52930547683375305412013-08-10T23:16:00.001-07:002013-08-13T09:21:15.098-07:00The D23 Live Action Report<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowMarkup/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6WqxooNwRnzfIP-x5cudCFwe4hvSsnLkGVMvf7n1Zu8n4ZDXC_tH_aE9Nk5ytitdKsm8B2Y9fnm1aOrJ4RydGznit4cH_ri4q1HxYdt4H5JiuPvezVbt7GJrBZM1wtaAMvMCA3iFj-Xl/s1600/D23-Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6WqxooNwRnzfIP-x5cudCFwe4hvSsnLkGVMvf7n1Zu8n4ZDXC_tH_aE9Nk5ytitdKsm8B2Y9fnm1aOrJ4RydGznit4cH_ri4q1HxYdt4H5JiuPvezVbt7GJrBZM1wtaAMvMCA3iFj-Xl/s320/D23-Logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today was a cluster of many obsessions combined into one
day: my love of Disney (having never lived more than 20 miles away from the
great and powerful Mouse House), my love of movies, and more specifically, my
love of Star Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, while
my attendance of the “Let the Adventures Begin: Live Action at The Walt Disney
Studios” at D23 seriously lacked the excitement of receiving news-worthy Star
Wars tidbits, it truly was an adventure that begs to be shared with those who
were not present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But before I begin,
let me just add that Disney does know how to put on a show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been to many panels at Comic-Con,
Wonder-Con, E3, etc., but none have compared to the showmanship, density of
entertainment, and mounting surprises to appease even the most demanding fan
(again, excluding Star Wars).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 10:30am presentation began with a “sizzle reel” of film
clips that were on the slate for the next 2-hours, including some quick clips
of what would not be included (ie. Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur and Frozen).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Animation projects assigned, if one were
paying close attention, one would begin to become extremely excited, as did
I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Walt Disney Studios Chairman, Alan
Horn, came on stage and moderated the rest of the event—who was surprisingly
very funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spoke a little about the
influence “Bambi” had when he proposed to his wife, and then about Disney
acquiring the company’s Pixar in 2006, Marvel in 2009, and Lucasfilm in 2012
(now owning half the world).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, Alan
dropped the one and only bombshell of the panel by teasing about Star Wars then
stating that there would be no information about the upcoming “Star Wars” films
and subsequent “Star Wars” projects, further stating “dark forces are watching”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was, of course, met with boo’s and
jeers, but the audience soon forgot about their discontent once he introduced
Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios President and Producer, who introduced “phase 2” of
Marvel’s slate:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WDn3O-hTL3HijNNXqPi0TzO7P1LVpqGitvY1A0HSTKFp0n05s1O8kljv5zK0Pz-utQCz_houKhmF1dpG0IfMG7ZhFhdnX-mENsQnfAlLJLWNVNFCKNWl0-AK7eb8lYw9YozxTaUVHZQw/s1600/the-avengers-age-of-ultron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm11yyzWBrj9jxtkWv-1VPOHBjUE1705heNIQjvJR0RmvKfikH-5S9Hkh13tYDs9unVFtU67sminLERFIePOumBklcS-aqXt7AVIaWyrN8CT4wY2ipxvsK48rSWMKoXhdx5m6ZJ8hDt39/s1600/thor-dark-world-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm11yyzWBrj9jxtkWv-1VPOHBjUE1705heNIQjvJR0RmvKfikH-5S9Hkh13tYDs9unVFtU67sminLERFIePOumBklcS-aqXt7AVIaWyrN8CT4wY2ipxvsK48rSWMKoXhdx5m6ZJ8hDt39/s320/thor-dark-world-poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Thor: The Dark World (November 8, 2013)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Extended look which began with a battle sequence
in the forest when a beam of light suddenly strikes the ground followed by Thor’s
hammer flying out and doing damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
hammer flies back into the light and is captured by Thor. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Then they show a different cut of the theatrical
trailer which shows Loki getting the better of Thor at the end (I won’t reveal what
he does because it’s a spoiler)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Then a second extended look at Jane Foster’s
(Natalie Portman) first day in Asgard (Thor’s world) as she’s being medically
examined.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Kevin introduced Tom Hiddleston, Natalie
Portman, and Anthony Hopkins to the stage for a quick interview.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Personally, I was not a fan of the first Thor movie, and
while I believe people who did like the first will love what’s in store, I
remain skeptical.<br />
<br />
Then came:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03I0jAfVAu8iL218hiSJVh31bKgYq-1W1DRNKMQymgMbrA4toUx-Vn2YmbeV8dCZN8zqavM83saNn0h4Xca8hakDG-1WrOlPKoou-rxXCDJVcuwfD1lVO7fGcH8BLT3JCvhAPt-tRjXPV/s1600/captain_america_winter_soldier_by_alvincapalad-d5dpp0p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03I0jAfVAu8iL218hiSJVh31bKgYq-1W1DRNKMQymgMbrA4toUx-Vn2YmbeV8dCZN8zqavM83saNn0h4Xca8hakDG-1WrOlPKoou-rxXCDJVcuwfD1lVO7fGcH8BLT3JCvhAPt-tRjXPV/s320/captain_america_winter_soldier_by_alvincapalad-d5dpp0p.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 4, 2014)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Extended first look with Captain America
fighting about 15 military men in an enclosed elevator.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Followed by what will most likely be the official
trailer once released</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Then Kevin introduced Sebastian Stan (Winter
Soldier), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), and Chris Evans (Captain America)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Then a second (very rough) extended clip where
Captain America skulks around a cargo ship.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, the first Captain America movie I did really like (see
my post <a href="http://www.michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/07/finally-superhero-i-can-get-little.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and I am extremely excited for the next installment, which by the
way, has a completely different feel than the first since they have moved out
of the 1940’s and to modern day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCQvl7duEWAseWEUDWxLGByAvQmdMrjpmjFExYVfghdRw1CFIPpiJ0VkfvtMuWaAHoPR0CkjbgzFe_09XlzhkbDiyX6rW7v0xqKCB7UpJY1ircHhKqbgE0O5wUTThGWCh3c5Rk0ARvLtw/s1600/Guardians+of+the+galaxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCQvl7duEWAseWEUDWxLGByAvQmdMrjpmjFExYVfghdRw1CFIPpiJ0VkfvtMuWaAHoPR0CkjbgzFe_09XlzhkbDiyX6rW7v0xqKCB7UpJY1ircHhKqbgE0O5wUTThGWCh3c5Rk0ARvLtw/s320/Guardians+of+the+galaxy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1, 2014)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- First look 2 minute trailer</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being that they are only 4-weeks into principal photography,
there was not much to show, but for what they did present to the audience, you
could tell the special effects department worked HARD to impress, and their
hard work paid off. We are introduced to all five Guardians - a pathetic bunch</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHpktTtvq-j2tYCviCM_CiZwB2aJv8udUUfRk57Blf7afFGYAYZy9CwmdhtSI4N-yxbJvX-SdHzs6haxiNKoCoptyX8xwUL3zaflcFF_wNfT8-7F93YQvWhNMU1lc-t_iSJQPWEkRrctW/s1600/the-avengers-age-of-ultron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHpktTtvq-j2tYCviCM_CiZwB2aJv8udUUfRk57Blf7afFGYAYZy9CwmdhtSI4N-yxbJvX-SdHzs6haxiNKoCoptyX8xwUL3zaflcFF_wNfT8-7F93YQvWhNMU1lc-t_iSJQPWEkRrctW/s320/the-avengers-age-of-ultron.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>The Avengers: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Age
of Ultron (May 1, 2015)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Teaser trailer</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And it teased perfectly; showing nothing from the film (I don’t
think they’ve started filming yet), just an extremely close-up of Iron Man’s
helmet while you hear each of the Avengers speak a line.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, Alan Horn came back to the stage to introduce:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMU0BGfehRrmGLpcAnkVtm6jZ0rPM-rJ3GLNgK5jHUKGKaiPGiXfU_YqTjuHGwhrmFDhBxYbG4Ep4gYnSHb5pfloEXe4dGMO-SnUILnMhXTlw1tE_O8vyE6OiQoREENBKAyxxgSdXbMmn/s1600/disneynature-bears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMU0BGfehRrmGLpcAnkVtm6jZ0rPM-rJ3GLNgK5jHUKGKaiPGiXfU_YqTjuHGwhrmFDhBxYbG4Ep4gYnSHb5pfloEXe4dGMO-SnUILnMhXTlw1tE_O8vyE6OiQoREENBKAyxxgSdXbMmn/s320/disneynature-bears.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Disneynature’s Bears (Earth Day 2014)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>- First look trailer</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being a huge lover of animal’s, I thought the trailer looked
incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alan also announced that
Disney has partnered with the National Park Foundation to give a percentage of proceeds
from the first week of ticket sales to the NPF.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alan then introduced Sean Bailey, Disney Live Action
Production President who, in turn, introduced one of the biggest shocks of the
event from:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNn-VpoIzYcdEKUG6bJNwu6gGnL_I5EvAo_Z_5gFWwSpjI5evGH2kL6aGELPnqhB31_fJK8LiATOWGbOJdCTNY3oWq557l4XHoZ1DRNVwtIBiB-bOroQFKbYDtiVEmUtDvJpSODAUXJ72/s1600/muppets-most-wanted-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNn-VpoIzYcdEKUG6bJNwu6gGnL_I5EvAo_Z_5gFWwSpjI5evGH2kL6aGELPnqhB31_fJK8LiATOWGbOJdCTNY3oWq557l4XHoZ1DRNVwtIBiB-bOroQFKbYDtiVEmUtDvJpSODAUXJ72/s320/muppets-most-wanted-poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Muppets Most Wanted (March 21, 2014)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reason I say “biggest shocks” is because they showed an
entire musical number, and then also:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
- Full trailer</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Ty Burrell driving out in his Interpol car for a
quick interview then driving off stage in the pea-sized electric auto
(hysterical!)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Miss Piggy video promoting “P23” with Kermit and
Tina Fey</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- The aforementioned musical number sung by evil
Kermit look-alike and Ricky Gervais (yes, he can sing!) that would probably be
called either “Number 1, Number 2” or “Dance, Monkey, Dance”) – this was even
more hysterical!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was truly a highlight for me and reminded of “The Great
Muppet Caper” which, at least for now, is my all-time favorite Muppet
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I love the Muppets as you can
be reminded <a href="http://www.michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-cant-get-forget-you-muppet-version.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3qlZNyPODglkv3W-K7F_KqSAwNOtgEH5AONUcg2wEDISsnGyaEMSg_4EI1RZAgHGEN3CJXBkLEdfSQ7QxrHG6k6TJfI9f-wUEzVPwxwj0dLC0Vw5R5ZD8XeOSxMcZQjoUcQDX6uoAJlI/s1600/intoTheWoodsTitle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3qlZNyPODglkv3W-K7F_KqSAwNOtgEH5AONUcg2wEDISsnGyaEMSg_4EI1RZAgHGEN3CJXBkLEdfSQ7QxrHG6k6TJfI9f-wUEzVPwxwj0dLC0Vw5R5ZD8XeOSxMcZQjoUcQDX6uoAJlI/s320/intoTheWoodsTitle.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Into the Woods (Christmas Day 2014)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They only presented the logo which, as you can tell, looks fairly similar to the
design used for Broadway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only other thing they did was name
the cast who were already previously announced (ie Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp,
etc.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was kind of disappointed they
didn’t show more as “Into the Woods” is in my top 3 favorite musicals of
all-time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C’est la vie!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjzxAOCMIeUnFhfvAaHP2PmUCnCI3DupI5oRqXN-6GgY2SIrD6CNDV8khmeZDSgDfXZs8WJYuZV9Bi1r3XZV_-elkZeQ97mQrCLd4ndJ9UyslzKzovbvtxV3t9oOqd37DBKsmJ9sWx-i_/s1600/cinderella-live-action-news1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjzxAOCMIeUnFhfvAaHP2PmUCnCI3DupI5oRqXN-6GgY2SIrD6CNDV8khmeZDSgDfXZs8WJYuZV9Bi1r3XZV_-elkZeQ97mQrCLd4ndJ9UyslzKzovbvtxV3t9oOqd37DBKsmJ9sWx-i_/s320/cinderella-live-action-news1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Cinderella (March 13, 2015)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Introduction by director Kenneth Branaugh who
narrated concept art and cast members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clips also included a portion of Lily James’ screen test and the
announcement of Cate Blanchett portraying the Stepmother and Helena Bohnam
Carter playing The Fairy Godmother</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was very smart, and though I would have seen the more
regardless, now I am exceptionally excited to see this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept art was amazing, and well, I’m a
sucker for Cate Blanchett.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next was what I had hoped for most (well, except for Star
Wars – Yes! I’m still beating that dead horse)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OoxQoyMmRCwK_7FXhGAiRj4RsAgQ1ivUvuolu_-mp_KmVGOXkfktiHL-KY83LSdKfALv9VlYMXWBUB18wK7mEfA-uUfrSC8pQmvfpk5P9oYm4JumNDjPqsCfcYCTyu2vDXe8YkXka28h/s1600/Maleficent_Jolie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OoxQoyMmRCwK_7FXhGAiRj4RsAgQ1ivUvuolu_-mp_KmVGOXkfktiHL-KY83LSdKfALv9VlYMXWBUB18wK7mEfA-uUfrSC8pQmvfpk5P9oYm4JumNDjPqsCfcYCTyu2vDXe8YkXka28h/s320/Maleficent_Jolie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Maleficent (July 2, 2014)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Sean introduced Angelina Jolie to the stage who
spoke about Maleficent being one of her favorite characters since childhood,
how her brother heard about the project and urged her to put her name in for
it, then how Disney contacted her before she could contact them.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>- A full clip from the film – Maleficent casting the
spell on infant Aurora</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Then what looked to be the official first
trailer once released</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All I can say is… I have a new obsession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angelina Jolie was flawless—beyond exceptional
in the clip they showed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was uncanny
in both mannerisms and voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot
boast enough about this film. WOW!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sean did describe that this film will be about how Maleficent came to be
and how she had been deceived.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor42EBim8MKDzf8dU6WIKbAAOetLsVyDFSzfVFO73saysrvS8bbWvUyxeqMrmTIaWf-wZRi_E30hYmTwYMAu_LvHeXwz8-pq7E8yfN-qoLNOoudkx0SZ60ipRAAzEHC_Q7fPP068-OEm6/s1600/tomorrowland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor42EBim8MKDzf8dU6WIKbAAOetLsVyDFSzfVFO73saysrvS8bbWvUyxeqMrmTIaWf-wZRi_E30hYmTwYMAu_LvHeXwz8-pq7E8yfN-qoLNOoudkx0SZ60ipRAAzEHC_Q7fPP068-OEm6/s320/tomorrowland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Tomorrowland (December 12, 2014)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Director Brad Bird and Producer Damon Lindleoff
were introduced by Sean</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- They showed a brief documentary about the
archives at Walt Disney Studios (nicknamed the “morgue”) where they discovered
a box labeled “1952”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brad and Damon
brought the box with them on stage and explained what they found</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The main item they presented was a large disc (like a vinyl
record or laserdisc) that was wildly scratched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brad and Damon stated that they were able to recover some of what was on
the disc, which was a short animated film approved by Walt Disney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They showed the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was especially grim for Disney, showing
progression which led to the atomic bomb dropping and a mushroom cloud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also didn’t help that the narrator sounded
like Vincent Price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, what the
film was leading to was world after the dropping of the bomb… and the “tomorrowland”
that would come after.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the
inspiration behind the creation of the film that will be released next
December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both men further explained
that the film would be a mystery/adventure.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And lastly:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyNgU_XUHZO1gO8mBb72mC9fQwGAv7nFqAUF_9-q20jyNIMUu_9gNhmq00rdji9AfIesj1zIMCP6QeX5qKlrcvg0x8BA91zHk-NpgbFntOFH_mYzgs5zZdS235Cmht0SttPsRrBIyD_Cx/s1600/saving-mr-banks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyNgU_XUHZO1gO8mBb72mC9fQwGAv7nFqAUF_9-q20jyNIMUu_9gNhmq00rdji9AfIesj1zIMCP6QeX5qKlrcvg0x8BA91zHk-NpgbFntOFH_mYzgs5zZdS235Cmht0SttPsRrBIyD_Cx/s320/saving-mr-banks.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u>Saving Mr. Banks (December 20, 2013)</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- First Extended clip of P.L. Travers (Emma
Thompson), writer of Mary Poppins, first meeting with Walt Disney</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Second Extended clip of P.L. Travers being escorted
by Disney (Tom Hanks) through Disneyland</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Then Jason Schwartzman and BJ Novak were
introduced to the stage (portraying the Sherman brothers)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>- Third Extended clip of P.L. Travers at the
writing table with the rest of the creative staff as they conduct a reading of
the script and hear a song</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, in true Disney fashion, Jason and BJ leave then roll
out with a piano and begin singing “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” WITH RICHARD
SHERMAN!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Unfortunately, the only living
Sherman brother).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were accompanied
by Disney dancers with prop kites, as well as kites flying high in the
arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And once the song ended, confetti
cannons blasted their shreds of paper into the air.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The whole of my day at D23 was magical, but the highlight
was definitely the first event of the day for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, I’m bitterly disappointed about not
receiving new news about “Star Wars Episode VII”, but how can one stay
disappointed after the Muppet clip, Maleficent overload, and live musical number
from one of the legends of music that is a part of one’s childhood?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>D23 did have its problems, but ultimately, I
have never walked out of a convention panel feeling so fulfilled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t wait until the next D23 in 2015!<br />
<br />
8/13/13 UPDATE!!! - You can follow this link to additional details about the event, as well as pictures - <a href="http://thedisneyblog.com/2013/08/11/d23-expo-live-action-movies-from-marvel-and-disney/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheDisneyBlog+%28The+Disney+Blog%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail" target="_blank">http://thedisneyblog.com/2013/08/11/d23-expo-live-action-movies-from-marvel-and-disney/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheDisneyBlog+%28The+Disney+Blog%29&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail </a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-83129468065501468872013-07-15T19:37:00.001-07:002013-07-15T19:45:08.928-07:00Book Review: Odd Thomas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz63W5C56bikK232rjLbID6o9U4V6BxvjLI-X04_4_RqCYZL4j-JiUOoK2JX-QndHOGwBdOVt_Tt97bGUL6qsukFHr8axhXfhTMTi6qpwrLquC2uDRidpiDAJTIGWp8ArkG9U2H-8Njzx/s1600/Odd+Thomas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz63W5C56bikK232rjLbID6o9U4V6BxvjLI-X04_4_RqCYZL4j-JiUOoK2JX-QndHOGwBdOVt_Tt97bGUL6qsukFHr8axhXfhTMTi6qpwrLquC2uDRidpiDAJTIGWp8ArkG9U2H-8Njzx/s320/Odd+Thomas.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<span id="freeTextreview592976557"><b>(3 of 5 Stars)</b> As suggested in the title to
meet "Odd Thomas", the primary focus of this book is on the lead
character, Odd, and everything he has in his life: his friends, his
family, Pico Mundo, and an unique gift, which happens to reveal the
looming horror of an upcoming event of tragic proportions. </span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextreview592976557">Focusing so
intently on the day in the life of Odd and journeying with him as he
visits friend then family then friend while slowly attempting to
solve a potentially apocalyptic mystery (at least for the town of Pico
Mundo) made it difficult for me to get involved with this story. Although the
ending was satisfactory, this book moved too slow paced for my liking,
and unfortunately, did not quite pique my interest to move on with this
series, which I was really looking forward to spending a lot of my time
on.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeTextreview592976557">Having said that, I am a fan of Dean Koontz and of the handful of books of his I have read, I would highly suggest, <b><i>Lightning</i></b>. I was obsessed with this book back in the late 1980's--the first and last time I read the novel. I do not remember enough about the book to write a review, but I do remember my overall feeling of never being able to put the book down and wishing it had been as lengthy as <b><i>War and Peace</i></b>.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-49066567000366950212013-06-10T17:06:00.000-07:002013-06-11T10:09:09.274-07:00Book Review: Catching Fire & Mockingjay<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowMarkup/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve always felt that I have been a better writer than reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will proudly admit that I read at a snail’s
pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not exactly sure why that is,
but whether I’m fully into a story or struggling just to get through it, my
speed does not fluctuate by much.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reading also tends to put me to sleep if I’m not completely
enthralled, which is why I’m extremely fussy about the books I read, which is
also why my bookshelf is pathetically scarce of titles when compared to other authors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I’ll read anything as long as I am extremely
interested, no matter the genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
being said… I do still read whenever I can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has more to do than just loving a good book; it’s loving a good story
with dynamic characters, engaging plots, and thrilling conflict, be it in the
form of the written word, film, theatre, or video games (don’t laugh, some of
the best stories have come from gaming.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, getting to the point of this—because I do have one—I’ve
decided to put my two obsessions for reading and writing to proper use and publish
the occasional review on books I’ve read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Realistically, I’ve already started, having been registered with
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4795301.Michael_Hebler" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> for a while now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first
few reviews, I’ll post my more recent comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I will not be going back to
review books read more than a year ago, which I never wrote a review for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not believe that would be acceptable
since the details would not be fresh, no matter how much I loved or hated the
book (unless I reread it, of course).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
by the way, FYI, I am a hard-ass… I just can’t help it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To start, I’d actually like to begin with a double review
since the freshest review was on “Mockingjay” – the third book in “The Hunger
Games” trilogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only makes sense to
post my review of “Catching Fire” – the second book – along with it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTyH65o8-fPMyUlMAHCLzCoQs6keNloBu9TfWmu-8a8dQCc4CO0uMbDOmqlvGogtrPk5GMPja2rJqfS1v3snZLsc0RO8PwU30SMgcZqu4rJMCtfTCsU1RAoiEM9koCEQVPs6rxKFpGXc4/s1600/catching-fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTyH65o8-fPMyUlMAHCLzCoQs6keNloBu9TfWmu-8a8dQCc4CO0uMbDOmqlvGogtrPk5GMPja2rJqfS1v3snZLsc0RO8PwU30SMgcZqu4rJMCtfTCsU1RAoiEM9koCEQVPs6rxKFpGXc4/s320/catching-fire.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>(4 of 5 Stars)</b> After toying with the idea of reading this book for nearly a
year, I finally decided to crack the spine once I discovered that the story
dealt more with the restricting utopia of Panem and their reaction to being
outsmarted by a teenage girl, and having a little less to do with the actual
Hunger Games. I'm not saying that I think Book One (The Hunger Games) is a bad
story (Note: as of this review, I have only watched the movie and not read the
book), but I personally have trouble swallowing the concept of children killing
children.<br />
<br />
Catching Fire spreads its wings beyond the annual Hunger Games and encompasses
the suppressive world and their districts lead by a Nazi-like ruler, President
Snow. I found this to be a more appealing story. The Hunger Games are still
prominent, but this time, they are told in a way that doesn't have me question
my own morals about being entertained by youth violence. But that is not to say
the Games are without another - different - moral compass that brought its own
special brand of tension. The somber romance of the original story returns on a
slightly grander scale, as well as a cast of interesting new characters. Some
of my favorites: Johanna, Finnick, and Wiress.<br />
<br />
Overall, a very good story that gives a clearer understanding of the world they
have to survive in whether it is inside or outside of the arena. I did come
across a few minor plot holes or "far reaches" that momentarily
knocked me out of the story, but none were major and I found it easy to get
back into Collins' dystopia. I am looking forward to reading Mockingjay (Book
3) and will not be waiting a year to do so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaMJbjmHteUB9Z81bbhTQkHqccrFrD_pBdJ-xxTsSE0csuur4ZQRe7wLnkW6MNBKVdnc5UdEl3I1V1430Hovjdb2spzuhSiuFnD_XSYsVZBCt0YJ8jjaqZNlUa3rkCzYaV_A_CQHFgvt6/s1600/Mockingjay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaMJbjmHteUB9Z81bbhTQkHqccrFrD_pBdJ-xxTsSE0csuur4ZQRe7wLnkW6MNBKVdnc5UdEl3I1V1430Hovjdb2spzuhSiuFnD_XSYsVZBCt0YJ8jjaqZNlUa3rkCzYaV_A_CQHFgvt6/s320/Mockingjay.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>(3 of 5 Stars)</b> So, coming off reading The Hunger Games #2 (Catching Fire),
I decided to jump into #3 after not being able to get past the first 40 pages
of another book (which shall remain nameless). I was very excited to begin
"Mockingjay," and although The Hunger Games series did not end as I
had hoped, I was not thoroughly disappointed.<br />
<br />
To begin with the negatives, the story did not evolve with the same excitement
that only this dystopia could create. This may be partly because the writing
was not as precise as its predecessor, but that point is completely subjective
to the reader. Normally, the third act of a trilogy that is centered on
violence and oppression is filled with more tension, better excitement, and
parallels of the inciting moment of the first book. Though there were
reminiscences of Suzanne Collins attempting to achieve those occasions, they
were not present. There were moments when I struggled to keep my eyes open
while reading.<br />
<br />
But as for "Mockingjay"s positive points, the relationships between
Katniss, Peeta, and Gale were worthy of a final installment, and the torment of
what Peeta goes through after the end of Book #2 was imaginative and
unpredictable; a story highlight. Additionally, there did not appear to be any
unanswered questions or gaping holes in the plot once the last page was turned.
The series ended wrapped up in a tight package, I just thought it could have
used different wrapping paper.<br />
<br />
Overall, there was much more to be expected from a series that has been so
widely received. Although I would recommend this read, I would do so with a
cautionary suggestion for the reader to ignore all the hype and add some
leniency to their expectations. Perhaps the movie will be more entertaining.</div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0545586178&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0439023513&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-63005546992462038432013-06-09T14:42:00.001-07:002013-06-09T14:42:22.337-07:00And So It BeginsContinuing my obsession with "most" things Star Wars, new space franchise devourer J.J. Abrams has just <a href="http://www.webpronews.com/star-wars-episode-vii-to-begin-filming-in-january-2013-06" target="_blank">ANNOUNCED</a> a few details about the upcoming filming of Episode VII and other shooting details. No Spoilers!!!<br />
<br />
There is also some great video footage of Harrison Ford's recent Kimmel appearance and some pretty incredible fan-made posters. Enjoy fellow geeks!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-65237115667691341732013-05-04T10:04:00.000-07:002013-06-11T10:14:56.252-07:00May the Fourth Be With You<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowMarkup/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg769LJyT_NrurhNtMtCMhyphenhyphencmDccbvidKwqe-D5iV9W71B-AREYXvexVELvfsw2tIlLNaQrbr-Hh00_BgH0Ivd4WMIiQp9hjWROgf5N5vt8R3tJiDr3Ds1zxvJDh8JdmQMEQLIGdA68K7Bl/s1600/May+the+4th+be+with+you.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg769LJyT_NrurhNtMtCMhyphenhyphencmDccbvidKwqe-D5iV9W71B-AREYXvexVELvfsw2tIlLNaQrbr-Hh00_BgH0Ivd4WMIiQp9hjWROgf5N5vt8R3tJiDr3Ds1zxvJDh8JdmQMEQLIGdA68K7Bl/s320/May+the+4th+be+with+you.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, I’ve taken a horrendous break from this blog to focus
my time and attention on continuing my chupacabra books series and – yes, I’ll
admit it here and now – another obsession that I’m still too obsessed over to
take the time away from it to write about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, I am breaking my hiatus to talk about one obsession that I have
purposely saved for just this day… Star Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If asked what my longest and dearest obsession is, it would be my love for
this space saga.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Briefly turning the clock back in order to provide some
perspective, I saw the original Star Wars on opening weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad took me as an early gift for my
seventh birthday; however, I specifically remember not carrying a lick about
Star Wars (I think I actually wanted to see some Disney movie instead; ironic
now, I know), and I think my dad wanted to see the movie badly enough not <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to care what I wanted for my birthday – and am
I ever glad he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is one of my
earliest and favorite memories, watching the opening scene with C-3P0 and R2-D2
under attack by Darth Vader and his storm troopers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hooked, smitten, captivated, and
flabbergasted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never felt such instant
passion about anything life had to offer until that moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this day, I feel like watching Star Wars
defined the person I eventually would become.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I’m sure anyone with an IQ higher than 25 knows, Star
Wars is not just a movie, but an empire (pun intended).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are all six movies, the books, the
soundtracks, the board games, the video games, the collections, the toys, the
TV series, the expanded universe, etc, and I have a distinct passion for each
of them; so this in no means the end of including Star Wars in my obsession
blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This submission is meant only to
be an introduction for what will eventually come and to say, “May the Force Be
With You.”</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-35276754483871726792012-11-20T13:53:00.002-08:002012-11-20T13:53:19.626-08:00An Unlikely Obsession: Cranberry Sauce<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAI5EPWA0v8mXl992BYPAprUQIf6QHZSEVNe09jjKkVrSGFkWkbRMDK4LCAT_Mu8ewLXLRAXpv-qp-CWlU8bTF0HSJkRYg4R0XkSdPMbP1UDSdFc-J5f3MjCzuqH0VbvzI62gWW8gRL87/s1600/cranberry+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAI5EPWA0v8mXl992BYPAprUQIf6QHZSEVNe09jjKkVrSGFkWkbRMDK4LCAT_Mu8ewLXLRAXpv-qp-CWlU8bTF0HSJkRYg4R0XkSdPMbP1UDSdFc-J5f3MjCzuqH0VbvzI62gWW8gRL87/s1600/cranberry+sauce.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year and has been
for more than a month as we are in the middle of three of my favorite holidays,
lined up, back-to-back-to-back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, I
posted ramblings on <a href="http://michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/10/welcome-to-my-virtual-halloween.html" target="_blank">Halloween</a> and <a href="http://michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/12/fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.html" target="_blank">Christmas</a>, bypassing a holiday that is just
equally as great:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you not love a day dedicated to
food?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some of us even take it a
step further by stuffing (pun intended) ourselves miserably where all we want
to do is fall asleep in front of the television, waking up when the pies and
cakes are brought to the table, and then proceed to gorge ourselves to a point
where we'll regret it the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
LOVE Thanksgiving!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there is one
draw back… cranberry sauce.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can't say I'm a fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Granted, while growing up, the only kind was ever served was that blood-colored gelatinous goop from the can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It took some time, but</span> I was eventually able to imagine that
it was not part of the feast but a holiday decoration - like a centerpiece (however I did
make an exception the next day when using it as spread on my leftover sandwiches
but that's not the point.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once my
childhood Thanksgiving traditions shifted to another side of the family in
adulthood, it was only then that I was introduced to cranberry sauce not made
by Oceanspray, which is what I want to share by taking something I like least
about a great holiday and turning it on its ear.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cranberry sauce I had been introduced to (and admittedly
did not try the first few adult Thanksgivings) was completely homemade and now
one of the highlights of my holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
if you're like me and can't stand that jell-o sauce still able to hold the
shape of the can after its been on a plate for hours, or even if you are a fan of that crap
but are open to trying something new and fresh, or if anyone is just in need of
a good cranberry sauce recipe, I would like to share the yummiest one I know;
and when better to share a recipe than on a foodie holiday?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Make according to package directions (usually 12 oz.
berries, 1. c. water, 1 c. sugar) - When cooled a bit, add:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 c. chopped walnut pieces</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 grated lemon rind</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 grated orange rind</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1-2 small cans mandarin oranges without juice</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8 ½ oz. CRUSHED pineapple with juice</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few squeezes lemon juice (until not cloyingly sweet)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let it sit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can double or triple the recipe, if needed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Bon appétit, and Happy Thanksgiving everyone! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-1543828760846838402012-10-27T17:17:00.001-07:002012-10-28T00:44:02.817-07:00Did Not Expect-It Ralph<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ivEjXXR8LRKEflQ9h75Cg55ew5G6K3Ga_tvPT4TWlkq2qI29bwehC2V99eYN9ZDjTa9cNE_3CbD2D-CwRM86ZAfWOEs5kaXCVw5ofhAaFqoNhlUrTmimutUTmyCQJJZmelvnmOhFNj7l/s1600/wreck-it+ralph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ivEjXXR8LRKEflQ9h75Cg55ew5G6K3Ga_tvPT4TWlkq2qI29bwehC2V99eYN9ZDjTa9cNE_3CbD2D-CwRM86ZAfWOEs5kaXCVw5ofhAaFqoNhlUrTmimutUTmyCQJJZmelvnmOhFNj7l/s1600/wreck-it+ralph.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<i>From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes 'Wreck-It Ralph', a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure. For decades, Ralph has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr., the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.</i><br />
<br />
As I wait (rather impatiently) for Les Miserables to hit theatres on Christmas Day, I'm glad I've had all my 'Night of the Chupacabra' book promotion to keep me busy - never expecting that another film would come along before Les Mis to distract me from the musical powerhouse coming not-soon-enough to a theatre near me. Today I attended a media screening of 'Wreck-It Ralph', which I never thought would be about an hour and 45 minutes of pure genius. Really... WOW! I mean, I expected to like this movie, but I did not expect to love it! Yes, I am an obsessed fan.<br />
<br />
'Wreck-It Ralph' has to be one of the funniest animated films I have seen in a long time - granted, if you're not a child from the 1970's and 1980's, some of the jokes may leap and bound over your head like a Mario brother. But alas, there is still plenty for every generation to laugh out loud about as the writers and producers did a fine job of making sure their target audience was not simply children and their parents but teenagers and the over 50 crowd as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is if you know who Q-bert is then this movie, filled with innuendos and cliches and fads across multiple decades (and you would need to view this film 10 times to catch every one) is a little extra special.<br />
<br />
But it's not all Pac-Man and Oreo jokes, the producers made the best move from the start by casting - what I believe to be - the best voice cast for this film. Very smart. As much as I knew how much I would worship Jane Lynch's (<i>Glee, Best in Show</i>) voice for Sergeant Calhoun, she did not stand too tall next to everyone else. I don't think any other actor could have voiced Wreck-It Ralph better than John C. Reilly (<i>Stepbrothers, Walk Hard</i>), the big lug with a bad temper who has a heart of gold, nor Sarah Silverman (<i>Sarah Silverman Program</i>) as the feisty spit-fire-wire Vanellope on Schweetz (aka Glitch) or Jack McBrayer (<i>30 Rock</i>) as Fix-It Felix, Jr. who would have been the star if this film would it have been about the good guy. But I think the actor who shocked me the most was Alan Tudyk (<i>Suburgatory, Firefly</i>) who played King Candy and characterized his voice to sound amazingly similar to the Disney-staple character voice actor, Ed Wynn, who voiced the the Mad Hatter in "<i>Alice in Wonderland</i>", the Toymaker in "<i>Babes in Toyland</i>", and Uncle Albert in "<i>Mary Poppins</i>". (I know you can hear his voice in your head.) Plus I have to not only give huge kudos to the director, Rich Moore (<i>The Simpsons, Futurama</i>) but to the writers as well (Phil Johnsont & Jennifer Lee) for finding a big twist to this storyline and being able to recollect so many nuances from our past; however, I'm sure the cast helped some in their improvs - you know I'm looking at you Jane Lynch.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the film is precluded by a black and white short, "Paperman", which I thought was cute but at one point crossed a line between a story that started as realistic and believable to fantasy. Still, it was fun but not even remotely as fun as Wreck-It Ralph. Five Stars! Highly Recommended! Must See! 'Nough Said!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-2217875562855080082012-10-15T11:04:00.002-07:002012-10-15T11:04:57.796-07:00The Night: An Obsessed Author's Memoir<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
With only two days left until the release of my first novel, "Night of the Chupacabra", I thought I would give a timeline to the project and how it came to be the 300-page book it is today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some may find it interesting, while others who always secretly dreamed of putting your own story to paper - or Kindle screen - find it motivating, and then some of you (family and friends) may not have realized your influences, so this is kind of a "thank you" to you as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This next part may not be the best sales pitch for my novel) but know that I did not take any special classes in English or Journalism outside of the required college courses; I just had an ambition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that being said, the more you know about the rules of English literature, the easier the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This journey has led me down a long, long road, and after 20 years, it has definitely been one of my strongest obsessions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It really began while attending an original one-act play festival at my two-year community college, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Orange</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Coast</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">College</st1:placetype></st1:place>, where I spent six years as a student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If memory serves, this was around 1992/1993.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A friend, <a href="https://twitter.com/ScoreBoredom" target="_blank">Eric Person</a>, had written and directed a play that focused on a group of victims being trapped inside a saloon, while some sort of creature (werewolves, I think) where trying to claw their way inside (sorry Eric if I'm totally off, but this is how I remember it).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the first time I saw the cross genre of western and horror, and I was immediately obsessed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had always been a fan of horror, but more importantly at this time, Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" had won Best Picture, a movie I love and got me excited about westerns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to write my own horror/western.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
My idea first started as a serial killer in the Old West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't remember how or why, but the villain suddenly changed into a creature, and although I was excited to write my story, I was still heavily involved in theatre, relationships, work, and just being 20-something movie fanatic geek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, it took me four years to jot down enough notes to compose my story, which was a screenplay at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome, 1996.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I wrote my screenplay, then called "Dark Sunrise", creating a creature that I birthed on my own with a simple background, until a roommate of mine had posted an article on our refrigerator from the Orange County Register about a man in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Santa Ana</st1:place></st1:city> accusing the death of his infant on a "chupacabra".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That article hung on the fridge for over a year because this roommate thought it was hysterical (the kind of sick individual she is and the only person who will remain nameless).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the first I heard of this creature but thought nothing else of it until I watched an X-Files episode… you all know the one I'm talking about… about a chupacabra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was suddenly intrigued, and because the creature I created for my story was nearly identical, I changed it to the crypto "chupacabra".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Good friends and soon-to-be colleagues, Gia Quinlan and Bryan Prince, liked the finish screenplay, so much so that we formed an independent production company and named it after my script, "Dark Sunrise Productions, Inc." but after three years went by and two small projects did not get the company off the ground, the company silently disbanded, and that failure was very difficult for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began second guessing my writing abilities even when I had the inspiring words of my former college professor, Alex Golson, "You know, you're a better writer than you are an actor."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time, it was a big "Ouch!" but I eventually came to appreciate his comment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I wanted to be an actor, but I suppose Alex saw I had more passion about writing, and it was a few years after he made that comment, did I realize it myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, original college plays aside, everything I had written had failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real world was much tougher without the support group of family and friends, and "Dark Sunrise" (the screenplay) was put on the shelf.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
…until 2003!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can never keep a writer down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time, I had a steady relationship, life was good again, but I was bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had missed writing, so dusted off "Dark Sunrise", gave it a new name, "el Chupacabra", and took a year to rewrite about 50% of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, then, started submitting it to screenplay competitions, where it placed: Finalist at "<a href="http://www.moviebytes.com/contestdetail.cfm?tab=tab3&ContestNumber=689&StoryID=2450" target="_blank">Writer's Place</a>", Semi-Finalist at "<a href="http://screenplayfestival.com/?p=110" target="_blank">Screenplay Festival</a>", Semi-Finalist at "<a href="http://pageawards.com/past-winners/winners04/2004-semi-finalists/" target="_blank">PAGE International Screenwriting Awards</a>", and Finalist at "<a href="http://shriekfest.com/home/testimonials.php" target="_blank">Shriekfest Film Festival</a>", but it never WON. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I did more rewrites, and then submitted my script to a professional script analyst recommended by the Screenwriter's Association, Sarah Chen, who came back with some fantastic notes, but more importantly, inspiring comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ready to win a competition, but life happened yet again… it needed another reboot; although this time, I was not deterred from writing - it was just life being life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
From 2006 to 2010, I tweaked and twisted sections of "el Chupacabra" (but by this time, I had removed the "el"), I wrote a sequel script called "Curse of the Chupacabra", and I was just biding time - letting the "Chupacabra" script breathe new life before sending it back out in the competition circuit again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while I waited, I wrote and published a children's picture book, "The Night After Christmas" and it dawned on me that perhaps "Chupacabra" would do better as a novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I started writing the adaptation with the condition that if I struggled, then it wasn't meant to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The words poured out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the background and small side-stories I always kept locked up inside my head but were left out of the screenplay (because they would never work in that format) were finally free - like being paroled and released after 18 years of imprisonment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with a screenplay to use as a comprehensive outline, I was able to finish the first draft of the novel adaptation in a month and a half.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Since April of 2011, "Night of the Chupacabra" has undergone edit after edit and now, here it is October 15, 2012, two days before the novel's release date, with yet another title change (because it seemed more fitting for a novel and paralleled with titles of all future Chupacabra Series books, "Curse of the Chupacabra", "Legend of the Chupacabra", "Dawn of the Chupacabra", and "Return of the Chupacabra"). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process has been long but extremely rewarding, and if I had it do all over again, I would in half a heartbeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's a dream, a checkmark off the Bucket List, a personal goal, and a chance to entertain as many people who are willing to pick up a copy and read 68,000 words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is not an obsession, I don't know what is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
By the way, only 36 hours left to pre-order as of this post (hint, hint).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Long live the Goat-Sucker!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWp9YoxGzv-9QGPTcjTtSZS_8jg8eG4X8Naw-D1OXMzn3ZzqCy4JvRjMW6AxYqGD4lUNNJK0WmX_HtRmVf89LTLTAbcuCdMVzqXJgdR8ssKsMp8Opk4CCDlWON1INOENIZSYelFFpMHJ2/s1600/Night+of+the+Chupacabra+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWp9YoxGzv-9QGPTcjTtSZS_8jg8eG4X8Naw-D1OXMzn3ZzqCy4JvRjMW6AxYqGD4lUNNJK0WmX_HtRmVf89LTLTAbcuCdMVzqXJgdR8ssKsMp8Opk4CCDlWON1INOENIZSYelFFpMHJ2/s320/Night+of+the+Chupacabra+cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-45924692264901877312012-10-02T08:56:00.001-07:002012-10-02T08:56:12.311-07:00The REAL Honey Nut Cheerios<div style="text-align: left;">
I have always been a fan of Honey Nut Cheerios and never just plain old, boring, bland, tasteless cheerios. Well, looking in my cupboard this morning, deciding what to have for breakfast (the most important meal of the day people!) I see the same two single serving yellow boxes staring at me that have been there for the last three months, and I thought to myself, "I wish they were orange boxes." BUT THEN, I look directly at the shelf below and see a bag of walnuts from Costco sitting there, and on the shelf above the cheerios is a jar of honey... hmmmmmm. See where I'm going with this? </div>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
I emptied the two yellow boxes (because they're small) into a bowl, crushed up a half cup of walnuts, and then drizzled about two tablespoons of honey on top of that. Mixed it all up, poured in my milk, and then my first bite of <strong><u>awesomeness</u></strong>! </div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
I am instantly obsessed! Why I did not think of this very simple (and obvious) recipe before, will haunt me for the rest of my life. Sure, it's a little more work then just pouring it straight out of the box, but you will reap the rewards with a little extra effort. Never shall an orange box enter this house again! Only yellow are welcome now (but must bring its two friends).</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nyluoLZo8M7TzqITDLW9cjQtqDwJ68RpQQKjClNJvfRaQfFX12bdYmfU2_QdCGHeJr5vXJcLO_iWH2T2OEk8buvBuRfssqYZxuOtB6M5VALIbXI9RUMEG7nO0a8YCsbvXjry8uGp-c4Z/s1600/cheerios+honey+bee+target.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nyluoLZo8M7TzqITDLW9cjQtqDwJ68RpQQKjClNJvfRaQfFX12bdYmfU2_QdCGHeJr5vXJcLO_iWH2T2OEk8buvBuRfssqYZxuOtB6M5VALIbXI9RUMEG7nO0a8YCsbvXjry8uGp-c4Z/s320/cheerios+honey+bee+target.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-54431903407568358502012-09-20T10:22:00.000-07:002012-09-20T10:22:59.590-07:00My Obsession with Les Miz, Part IIUniversal Pictures has released an extended first look segment about the making of the new Les Miserables movie, which has only deepend my obsession to see this movie even more. Every year I'm excited for Christmas... this year, I have even more reason to be.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wwgQjfg0hZw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-4079455532407347812012-09-19T14:23:00.001-07:002012-09-19T14:23:32.914-07:00I Can't Get "Under Pressure" Out Of My Head!I've been busy lately - getting ready for the upcoming release of my first novel, "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Night-of-the-Chupacabra/189413924437649" target="_blank">Night of the Chupacabra</a>", and for the last two weeks I've been meaning to write a post at how "I Can't Get 'We Are the Champions' Out Of My Head!" No joke, the song has been stuck in my head that long! Then today, the day I decide to procrastinate from my novel's marketing and set aside an extra 30 minutes to write my post about the Queen song... it's gone... no more... and I don't dare relisten to it or attempt to hum a few bars to get it stuck back inside my head. As much as I love the song and the group who performs it, the silence in my head is a welcome relief; however, short lived. I don't know how, but I got a new song trapped inside the Queen concert inside my skull, only this time, there's a guest performer and his name is David Bowie. <br />
<br />
I knew it would only be a matter of time. "Under Pressure" is one of the those songs I hear repeated over and over on 93.1 Jack FM here in Los Angeles and its surrounding counties (whose motto is, "Playing What We Want"). And most of the time, I love what they play, which is why it's currently my favorite radio station - broadcasting rock music from the 1970's thru 1990's mostly. I have been a fan of "Under Pressure" since as far back as I can remember hearing the song for the first time, which could very well have been in 1981 when the single was recorded for Queen's 10th studio album, 'Hot Space' released in 1982.<br />
<br />
So, the original music video does not feature either Queen or Mr. Bowie because neither were available to film because of touring commitments, so I opted to post a video from a concert that features them both because there's just no denying the entertainment power of both of them, especially together:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/CnTFNsmToHg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005K4I0OO&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0040JCSXY&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-62780414409288792282012-09-01T13:43:00.001-07:002012-09-01T18:54:42.116-07:00ROLLERCOASTER!!!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Just the other day, I was browsing around Yahoo and out of the corner of my eye caught a news headline that read, "Dad Makes Backyard Rollercoaster". A surge of excitement rushed through me and I immediately clicked on the link as if this were my dad building my biggest childhood dream in my own backyard. I am not a thrill-seeker by any means but I have always LOVED roller coasters. They are probably one of my earliest and longest obsessions. So after clicking the link, this is what I saw:</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EBWloE7EKzQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Now even more intrigued, I wondered if this was the first person who had the gumption to create their own backyard rollercoaster. Seeing as I had this same childhood dream, which dates back to the '70's, I figured I was probably not the only one, so I went to YouTube and this is what I found…</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/k3kBkyf4Pzs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
WOW!!! I'm beginning to see the signs of a crazy craze here, and I emphasize "crazy" because there is not only a lot of math and science that goes into building rollercoasters but construction safety and knowhow, as well. Unfortunately, there are bound to be some accidents, but in the meantime, I think rollercoaster enthusiasts will continue trying to create their own.<br />
<br />
As for myself, I'll let the professionals whip me around and turn me upside-down, and go to either Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, or Six Flag's Magic Mountain; however, after having an unnerving experience with a seatbelt incident on Batman: The Ride at Magic Mountain a couple years back, I have become a little more cautious. Alas, even that terrifying two and a half minutes did not deter my love for roller coasters; however, I have noticed that ever since then, I have become prone to motion sickness. Ah well, that's what drugs are for.<br />
<br />
And if I ever need a rollercoaster fix, I can always return to playing RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 from Frontier and Atari. I have to say, hands down, one of the best games I ever obsessed over. And not just me, there was a whole community that dedicated their lives to this game. You would not believe what people were capable of creating without seeing it for yourself, and this was way back in 2005. There are a ton of RCT3 videos but here are two of my favorites:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/tXqqZ_sgQQw/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tXqqZ_sgQQw&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tXqqZ_sgQQw&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCqavd9UZoM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
I did pretty well creating a few theme parks of my own, though I never recorded any of them. And now, I'm waiting for RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 to come out... some day... sigh.... and if that day ever does comes, you can bet it will consume my life for at least a good year.<br />
<br />
I could continue talking about rollercoasters all day, everything from my favorite coaster, which is the now defunct Déjà Vu from Six Flags Magic Mountain to "Rollercoaster!" the movie. But if you're a rollercoaster enthusiast too, and don't already know about the website called the Roller Coaster Database, you should check it out: www.rcdb.com <br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004APAEL6&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0048XAVC2&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-6770477057832803192012-07-30T11:06:00.000-07:002012-07-30T11:06:13.063-07:00I Can't Get 'A Time For Us' Out Of My Head!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I was doing my volunteer work for Garden
Grove's Meals on Wheels program and upon walking into the Senior Center
to drop off my empty cooler, I was surprised to hear music I had not heard in
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every Monday a pianist comes to play
a wide variety of slow, atmospheric tunes - like something you'd hear in the
background at Nieman Marcus - but never in the three years I've been delivering
meals on Monday's have I heard the pianist play 'A Time For Us'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I just stopped walking and stood to wait
for him to finish as if I had just happened into a concert at the Hollywood
Bowl.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before this morning, I cannot remember the last time I heard
Nino Rota's romantically devastating theme for the 1968 film version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet</i>, a brilliant film that
I've seen many times; the first being in my 7th grade English class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best days at school were always the days
we watched movies in class but when the movies were actually enjoyable, it was the
cherry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember being just as
enthralled with the score as I was with the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I had become so obsessed in my
search for this piece of music, it took me weeks to eventually find it on a 1968
Billboard compilation CD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(You have to
think back before the internet, if you're old enough, to a time when it took
more effort than just flipping open your laptop or pushing the Safari App
button on your iPad to find information).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, it would have helped if I knew what the title of the score
was called or who the composer was rather than just approaching music store
employees with Bauhaus t-shirts, saying, "You know, that theme from Romeo
and Juliet".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, here it is with some clips from the 1968 film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romeo and Juliet</i> (in my opinion, the
best film version):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/M5u5zXVmoHM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, I must also give a little background about the Milan-born
Italian composer Nino Rota, who I believe was the catalyst to my obsession for
film scores beyond John Williams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nino
was also notable for the films scores of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Fellini" title="Federico Fellini"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Federico
Fellini</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luchino_Visconti" title="Luchino Visconti"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Luchino Visconti</span></a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also composed the music for the first two
films of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Ford_Coppola" title="Francis Ford Coppola"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Francis Ford Coppola</span></a>'s <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather" title="The Godfather"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Godfather</span></a></i>
trilogy, receiving the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award" title="Academy Award"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Academy Award</span></a> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Score" title="Academy Award for Best Original Score"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Best Original Score</span></a> for <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II" title="The Godfather Part II"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Godfather Part II</span></a></i> (1974).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Grazie mille, signor Rota.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B006CIEVDQ&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0792165055&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0000AGWLP&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-18777455229930059742012-06-30T14:50:00.002-07:002012-07-01T16:34:58.295-07:00"AMAZING" Spider-man???<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmgWfWfqot3l5vsO7EJKJ79EYWXcIL_SKwgdhR4Px2oo72W4vH2HlRr0KwOTxj-iG3TseBESzBX29-dQKfNXkf476sEIUvc3v7icJblnv9_QIglsWOtC_sdfLu3rnyq4-lnMiZRe3YVQR/s1600/amazing+spiderman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmgWfWfqot3l5vsO7EJKJ79EYWXcIL_SKwgdhR4Px2oo72W4vH2HlRr0KwOTxj-iG3TseBESzBX29-dQKfNXkf476sEIUvc3v7icJblnv9_QIglsWOtC_sdfLu3rnyq4-lnMiZRe3YVQR/s1600/amazing+spiderman.jpg" vca="true" /></a></div>
<br />
When I first heard Sony Pictures was rebooting the Spider-man franchise, I was a little skeptical. Not just because Hollywood has been "reboot" crazy for a while now (ie Batman, Superman, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween and even another Sony Picture title due later this year, Total Recall), but unlike the others, the original Spider-man franchise ended less than a decade ago! I thought it was a bit too soon for a reboot; however, after enjoying 'The Amazing Spider-Man' today, directed by Marc Webb (tee-hee) in glorious <u>true</u> IMAX 3-D (not L-IMAX), I can now add 'The Amazing Spider-Man' to my list of successful reboots, right next to 'Batman Begins'. <br />
<br />
So yes, I would say 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is pretty amazing and what this film has that the others did not are better relationships, a better sense of mystery, and better character arcs. Forget what the previous films told you, 'The Amazing Spider-Man' goes back (and I mean WAY back) to Peter Parker before being bit by the genetically enhanced spider; still in high school and still suffering with puppy love. There is a new Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field) and even Peter's parents are introduced in this film. There is also a new villain, Dr. Curtis Connors/The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), but don't go into the theatre expecting a ton of The Lizard; though prominent, this is an origins movie which takes primary focus, but I reiterate that the improved plot did not slow the film. Still, it's not all gooey relationship stuff, the fighting is grittier, more creative, and quite honestly, made me a little restless when my own fear of heights kicked in, which I did not feel watching the other films. There are also better special effects and a few POV shots of what it would look like being inside the spidey suit, which was nice. But since this is the summer of action/superhero films, I do have to compare the action sequences to, let's say... The Avengers, which are not quite as thrilling, but still very entertaining.<br />
<br />
However, I've saved the best for last, and what I think makes this film superior to the others is Andrew Garfield. Tobey Maguire is a fine actor, but I think Garfield gives Peter Parker another layer that was missing in the previous portrayal. No, I did not forget about Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey, who was good though her part was probably the least demanding, but that is not a dig at the screenwriters who did the very impressive job of giving everybody a significant part to play that is intricate to the story - right down to a very grateful father.<br />
<br />
So, no offense to the original "classics" but 'The Amazing Spider-Man' is a needed reboot that leaves a couple of unanswered questions for a sequel. Also, as is with most superhero movies these days, there is an end credit ending, which occurred right after the main casts' names were scrolled. If anyone can explain it to me though, please do as I feel that only readers of the comic books would understand it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-18823261337433355912012-06-28T15:43:00.000-07:002012-06-29T12:56:42.121-07:00Obsessor's Creed: A GameI am a casual gamer, but as much as I obsess over some games, I'm surprised this is only my second gaming post since this blog's inception, and although I've only played one version from the Assassin's Creed series of five games, I know I will enjoy the other's when I get around to them. <br />
<br />
My infatuation began over two years ago when I attended E3. Ubisoft was promoting the third installment for a future release date of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. The big push was that you were able to compete against other players who were also AI assassins. <br />
<br />
The basic premise: Be an assassin, plan your attacks, strike without mercy, then either blend in to make your getaway or fight to escape. And depending on which game you're playing, you are an assassin in either: Jerusalem, 1191AD (The Third Crusade), Italy, 1490AD (The Italian Renaissance) or the upcoming The American Colonies, 1775AD (The American Revolution). <br />
<br />
It was the fact that you got to play an assassin from the past - with limiting weapons and defined skills - that initially intrigued me about this series. As the assassin, you are sent on vengeful missions across town, traveling over rooftops and climbing structures, or on ground, blending in with the locals or hiring thieves and courtesans to distract guards to reach your target. It is the perfect blend of action pack excitement, puzzle solving, and stealth techniques, which are not usually combined so well in other games. Not to mention that the maps and graphics are just freaking gorgeous. I have only played Assassin's Creed II, which takes place in 1490AD Italy. All the cities you visit (including Florence and Venice) are historically mapped and recreated. Not to mention that many of your targets were actual people during that time period and you can learn about their real life exploits in the game, if you so choose (fun for history buffs). In fact, the final "boss" is the currently popular Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, because of the Showtime TV Series, The Borgias. Although not an obsession, I do enjoy the series (Season 2 being 10x better than Season 1), and apparently the next title in the Assassin's Creed series: Brotherhood, picks up right where Part II left off and introduces Lucrezia Borgia and her brother, Cesare, whom were suspected of having an incestuous relationship. Here's a review of Assassin's Creed II, which goes into far, far more detail: <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AhPR0lLqiCg" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Every title thus far, with the exception of Assassin's Creed III (because it will not be released until October 2012) has received excellent reviews by both critics and gamers. I'm not recommending plopping down $500 for a gaming system to play these games; however, if you do own a systme that supports this series, I highly recommend doing what I did and test if you like Assassin's Creed by starting with Part II (maybe even Part I). Being a couple of years old now, they're bargain-bin cheap. I hope this series continues on for a while, maybe even going into the future, as long as Ubisoft continues to produce the series without rushing. At one new title a year, I can see them getting sloppy. By the way, if I had any voice about where they should go next, it would be America, 1870 (The Old West). <br />
<br />
For anyone who's interested, here's the demo of Assassin's Creed III, the American Revolution years, I waited over an hour in line to see at E3 this year, now available immediately on YouTube <sigh>. Although it looks good, minus the senseless killing of a deer which bothers me, I think I will probably like Italy better: <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gZrklEy9ohQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0050SXFKE&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0079NGSIY&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00269DXCK&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003L8DXOI&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-41825262725457276832012-06-07T15:59:00.001-07:002012-06-07T16:16:54.972-07:00I Can't Get "Bad Things" Out Of My Head!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6r1Og9BDwh3UEgpwHBRsaL9oGWUwCDwnJ-blw5v-KdRJwqQKuBGZYW3wPp9uwrzOAmeao-g9vLKf9IZDfZR_iqm9VnzTOxCIop1iJ9YBA0hjPsEMGVSfZq1xyoUkfI2JMTRWdSa3dsZn/s1600/bad+things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6r1Og9BDwh3UEgpwHBRsaL9oGWUwCDwnJ-blw5v-KdRJwqQKuBGZYW3wPp9uwrzOAmeao-g9vLKf9IZDfZR_iqm9VnzTOxCIop1iJ9YBA0hjPsEMGVSfZq1xyoUkfI2JMTRWdSa3dsZn/s1600/bad+things.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
I am not a country music fan... not-at-all. However, once in a blue moon, a country song will somehow find its way to my eardrums, and whether there is something about the song that somehow speaks volumes to me or I have listened to it so repetitively that I've grown to like it, I do have a couple that I am partial to; one of those being Jace Everett's "Bad Things", the official theme song to TV show obsession, "<a href="http://michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/09/say-its-not-true-blood.html" target="_blank">True Blood</a>".<br />
<br />
Yes, this is one of the few shows where I don't fast-forward through the beginning credits because I love the grittiness and roughness of this song. Now, because "True Blood" is returning this Sunday, June 10th (starred and circled on the calendar) for its fifth season on HBO, I got the song somehow stuck in my head without even having listened to it since the season four finale. But I'm really not that surprised as it is a catchy little tune, and not hard to forget. Here it is in "True Blood"s creepy, inbredy, hilly-billy opening credit:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/vxINMuOgAu8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
As the story goes, Alan Ball, creator of the "True Blood" series based off the Sookie Stackhouse series written by Charlaine Harris, downloaded "Bad Things" off of iTunes as a filler opening credit song until they found one better. Well, they never found anything that the executives and creators at HBO liked better. "Bad Things" seemed to fit perfectly as the "True Blood" theme song (I agree), thus launching the career of Jace Everett who I believe was only a struggling artist at the time. Moral of the story? - Whether you're an artist of any kind: writer, musician, illustrator... the web is a wonderful place to showcase your work and you never know when an Alan Ball will discover you as long as you have strived for perfection and put forth your best effort.<br />
<br />
Now, what happens to all previously recorded songs picked up for TV shows, they must be edited down to fit the show's opening credit format. Although "Bad Things" really isn't chopped up too badly, here is a link to the full version:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=mylittobse-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004LG86HI&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Only 3 days left until Season 5!!! Yee-haw!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472468812001343157.post-10649716941554904072012-06-03T22:15:00.001-07:002012-06-04T09:31:19.062-07:00Madagascar 3: Paramount's Most Funny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUM5yLJyabyAocEZMDMxA2i-K3yeur9E9Fk7Q3XyAgJ0WHxrH8nahj926HNmjS24AnySfFcsJBNwF8PiaaA1BgwmZq369YoBPx3hgrvOa2DkmpiXVpPNYmcNJYQjGnzTKQ8Qm28NjSOQ0/s1600/Madagascar3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUM5yLJyabyAocEZMDMxA2i-K3yeur9E9Fk7Q3XyAgJ0WHxrH8nahj926HNmjS24AnySfFcsJBNwF8PiaaA1BgwmZq369YoBPx3hgrvOa2DkmpiXVpPNYmcNJYQjGnzTKQ8Qm28NjSOQ0/s320/Madagascar3.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
Okay, I'm sort of cheating on my own rules here as I just attended the media screening for Madagascar 3 today, and although I think it's the best of the series, it's still no Disney/Pixar film and I'm not obsessed with it. However, this is the second time I've seen the movie (having participated in an audience reaction screening back in January 2012) so with the exception of a few frames of film that were not completed, I knew what I was in for and I still attended the media screening. That has to account for something, right?<br />
<br />
And since some of you readers have appreciated my thoughts on films I've viewed in advance, I thought I'd give my two cents before you decide to spend (or blow - depending how you like the movie) your hard earned money. And because I'm obsessed with my readers, I can write this post because I'm thinking of your well-being. There! That's my angle.<br />
<br />
First, the blah-blah-blah: Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted: Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and Melman (David Schwimmer) are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style.<br />
<br />
Yes, all the originals are back plus a few new characters from the aforementioned traveling circus, including Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle, Breaking Bad) as the Italian seal Vitaly and Jessica Chastain (The Help, The Tree of Life) as the cougar (maybe cheetah) Gia. But my favorite newcomer and the character that steels the show for me is the villainess Captain Chantel DuBois, voiced by the fantastic Frances McDormand, who will stop at nothing - and I mean NOTHING - to claim her prize.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not a big fan of the Madagascar franchise at all. In fact, I only saw the first two once because I did not think they were worth watching a second time, however not only do I find this to be the most entertaining in the trilogy, but the funniest as well. Sure, it gets slow in the middle (sometimes painfully so) but overall it is a good time that should be enjoyable to both kids and their parents. <br />
<br />
But be warned... the songs in this film are highly contagious. Don't be surprised if my next, "I Can't Get XYZ Out Of My Head!" is a song from this film. Yikes!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06115098535463118239noreply@blogger.com1