Easy to read, this book has already gotten me onto the treadmill (I’ll go outdoors once I’m a bit more confident a runner). I’m trust the 13-week program, since so many others have tried it and had it work, and the information is provided in a very simple format. Highly recommend it for anyone who’s serious about trying to get out there…perhaps I’ll feel differently after the 13 weeks are up…

Full of hope (without being sappy), believably futuristic, and, like life, surprisingly funny.

The direction and photography never get in the way, but it is possible to see how each contributed to the overall wonderfulness. This is the first movie that made me want to sit in the theater again to watch for how it was done.

There were only two problems with this movie: 1) Julianne Moore is not good enough to act beside Clive Owen and Claire-Hope Ashitey, there is one scene in particular where she single-handedly took me out of the film and made me realize I was watching a movie; 2) the audience started laughing at the end, one woman remarking, “what did he run out of things to talk about.” This, of course, is not the movies fault, but I think that seeing this film after the acclaim it received means that you’ll be in the theater with people expecting something else. It’s just a little frustrating, as the ending is extremely powerful.

With hot bear-on-bear action, hallucinogenic ‘shrooms, violent caribou murders, and crazy puppet dream sequences, this isn’t an average kids’ nature movie.

But, I think that if you’re willing to watch it with your kids and have the conversations that are sure to come (the mother bear dies within the first 10 minutes or so), it is a great film. The acting style and writing is much more 80s than now, but once you reacquaint yourself with this, it’s rather smooth. There’s also little dialogue, allowing you to bask in the beautiful natural backdrop.

I enjoyed this movie, though there are a couple of points that bug me. One, the kiss shouldn’t have been discussed by Kate and her boyfriend until after it had happened in Alex’s time. Two, there was NO ATTIC when you looked at the lake house. Seriously, no attic.

Otherwise it was rather cute and entertaining.

“Oh Sweet Sweetness.”

I have never laughed so hard over a death only to cry my eyes out over an eye test.

This movie was amazing. The story is a bit of a stretch, and it’s difficult to believe the family would have lasted this long already. But each character on his own is believable and interesting.

I love the statement the movie makes about these competitions, and how completely innocent the parents seem to be about what they entail.

Oof.

I’ve been hearing since this movie came out that no one agrees with the ending, but I think this was the most honest movie I’ve ever seen. No, not everyone would take this path, I don’t think I would have, but there are certainly people who would.

“A winner is willing to do what a loser can not.”

The fight scenes are gorgeous, the characters have amazing chemistry. Eastwood is able to do what so few are able, which is make realistic characters we can relate to, while they go through experiences we’d never encounter.

That said, this movie is painful. Not as painful as Dancer in the Dark, but close.

I LOVE the Mountain Goats, and I am so excited that there is now an album I can share with others. I made the mistake of sharing an earlier album and people just didn’t get it. It hurt, since they mean so much to me. This album is more mainstream without being pop-y or losing the beautiful writing which have made up all of the other Mountain Goats’ albums.

Also, the music video for Woke Up New still makes me cry, even after viewing it numerous times.

No one can make pain beautiful quite like the Mountain Goats.

...Provided it’s made correctly, New England Chowda’ is the greatest thing on earth. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to find good Chowda’ outside of New England, though I’ll admit that New Orleans style is very tasty chowder.

At Fannueil Hall, in Boston, you can get a great (or could in 1996) chowda in a sourdough bowl. Perfect.

Bad chowda, however, is pure hell. It should be creamy, not liquid, and should NEVER have corn. (Seriously, there is a time, a place, and a chowder for corn, and it is not with clams.)

I once wrote an essay about how my relationship with my mother can be summed up by our sharing of black olives. We both want them, but she always lets me have the last one. It was hoaky. But the black olives are still delicious and silky and good.

Okay, they’re gross. They’re supposed to be gross.

They are NOT worth consuming…

But they are TOTALLY worth sticking in with the regular jellybeans and watching your friends eat them!