Bad me, I put my reading list on the back burner for a while. I got caught up in work and catching up with my movie list, but I am happy to say that I have finally finished my sixth book! I really enjoyed Starship Troopers, so I decided on another one of Heinlein's works: Have Spacesuit - Will Travel. Technically it's a young adult and a sci-fi novel and it definitely had a lot more action than Starship Troopers, but the novel was still well-developed and thought-provoking. The two main characters are Kip, an 18-year old who won a genuine spacesuit and Peewee, a spirited 12-year old who was kidnapped by an alien race termed the "Wormfaces." Having such young heroes definitely adds appeal to a younger demographic, but readers of all ages can appreciate these two terrific characters. Throughout the entire novel Heinlein provides moments that show that, although the novel's heroes, Kip and Peewee are more than one-dimensional stock characters, such as when Kip catches a typically positive Peewee crying into her doll, Madam Pompadour. Similarly, there's a point in the novel in which Kip is stuck in a cell with two human traitors, "Fats" (aka "Jock") and "Skinny" (aka Timothy). Although the two are generally foul characters, Kip's hatred for Fats wanes a bit as they start talking with one another. Near the end of their time together, Kip began to see a shred of humanity in Fats, even if the rest of him was deplorable. Of course, we cannot forget the Mother Thing, whose mysterious identity is revealed piece-by-piece. It's funny to think of her as a type of intergalactic juvenile officer, but that was one of the many unexpected twists in the novel. I appreciate that Heinlein was capable of making such easily likable characters so complex as well.
Additionally, the philosophical themes presented in Have Spacesuit - Will Travel aren't just randomly thrown into different scenes throughout the novel, but are best seen in the words and actions of Kip and Peewee. From the very beginning, Kip was an embodiment of personal growth, self-assertiveness, and self-responsibility. I admired his devotion to repairing Oscar, especially since it took his entire summer to do so. He and Peewee were incredibly resourceful and always thinking of ways to get their freedom back, all the while never forgetting to watch out for each other and the Mother Thing. Of course, Heinlein's ideas most obviously appeared during the trial of humanity, but even that was done well. Kip didn't attempt to make gigantic speeches or sugarcoat the truth about humanity. Mankind was exposed in all of its forms: violent, self-serving, and cruel, but also smart, young, and with the possibility of change. Most importantly, this novel highlights the hope we all have that one day humanity will have evolved past our worst attributes, and this is best shown in the positive qualities of Kip and Peewee. Anybody else who reads this novel would definitely agree that there should be more Kips and Peewees in the real world!
Rating for Have Spacesuit - Will Travel: 8/10
Books Read: 6/75
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
"You can't touch me, Sheriff. I brought my attack dog with a built-in force field!" "Well, I brought my dinosaur who eats force field dogs!"
Wow, it's been a while since I've updated! I wanted to update last week but I caught this nasty cold and basically just slept when I wasn't at work. The good news is that I am fully recovered now and ready to continue forward!
I've been working out for a few weeks now and it's been going pretty well. Our friend, Jordan, was nice enough to give us his elliptical and so I've been using that every other day. I started using it for 25 minutes each time and am slowly increasing that amount. I've also been adding sit-ups to my routine after I'm done using the elliptical. It's perfect because I can slip my feet right underneath our gigantic couch and it keeps me from shifting around at all. I'm thinking of starting to walk/run on the days when I don't use the elliptical so that I'll be working out every day.
For my lists, the only thing I've added to is the movie list (it's still pretty easy to watch movies when you're sick). I have three films to review! The first one is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), directed by David Fincher and written by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord with F. Scott Fitzgerald as the writer of the original short story. This was a phenomenal movie, largely thanks to the terrific acting by Brad Pitt. He did an exceptional job at playing a man who physically ages backwards and he's growing up. Every stage of his life was fascinating - whether he was a lovable old man with the spirit of a child or a man in his 40s terrified about the potential consequences of being a father. I also must give credit to his makeup artists; they made all of his years look so real. This film's supporting actors cannot be forgotten either. Matthew was the one who realized that Captain Mike was played by Jared Harris, who is also David Robert Jones in Fringe. His character's crass and humorous demeanor was a welcome presence in such a dark and serious environment as the war-filled Atlantic. Tilda Swinton played a mysterious and interesting love interest for Benjamin Button. Their affair kept me on my toes as to whether or not her husband would ever find out. Her final appearance in the movie was surprising but very cute. Although long, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a great movie and it's worth watching every second of this film!
Rating: 4/5
Next up is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), directed by Edgar Wright and written by Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright with Bryan Lee O'Malley as the original writer of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel. I originally decided not to watch this movie because the previews looked dumb to me, but I was so very, very wrong. This was an insanely creative, funny, and flashy explosion of a movie, and I loved it! Every single scene has a new strange or hilarious situation, and the sheer outrageousness of the entire film makes it a blast to watch! This is a film that actually uses CGI correctly; most films throw in way too much CGI for its own good (ie, the newest Star Wars films), especially when the movie still attempts to convince the audience that everything in the film is real to the characters. But this movie has none of that - this movie knows that there's no way to make a plot about seven evil exes seem realistic, so we get hilarious video-game and pop culture interjections. I was in stitches when they were mocking Seinfeld and loved how Scott shared not just an apartment, but a bed with his gay roommate Wallace (played by Kieran Culkin). Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera, starts off as a rather unlikable unemployed loser but during the film he gains a handful of positive attributes and eventually becomes as lovable as the other characters. Everyone did a great job with their characters; they were all quirky and unique without taking away from the flow of the film. This has been the most pleasantly surprising film I've seen in a long time and I have half a mind to go out and buy it in the near future. You all should!
Rating: 4/5
Finally there is Toy Story 3 (2010), directed by Lee Unkrich and written by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, and Michael Ardnt. Now I realize that I might give this movie a higher rating and more praise than others, but I don't care. I am part of the generation that grew up with the Toy Story movies; the first came out when I was eight and the second when I was twelve, so I have been a fan of this series for quite some time. Toy Story 3 was everything I had hoped it would be and more. All of the characters held true to the same personalities that they had in the first two films, and Woody's devotion to Andy was so completely heartwarming. They were a little bit repetitive with their main villain. Just like with Toy Story 2 he was a seemingly wise, helpful old toy who tried to make the gang feel welcome at first. However, I never trusted him for a second! The scenes with Buzz in demo mode were too funny, as was the scene with the toddlers in the caterpillar room. I must admit that I was actually on the edge of my seat when the toys were in the dump, but an adorably hilarious moment came to the rescue! I didn't know how the movie was going to end, and I was surprised with what Andy decided to do. It does fit with the whole theme of growing up and moving on, but that still doesn't mean it didn't make me sad. Toy Story 3 was an amazing conclusion to such an endearing series, and I think it's a great tribute to all those toys that helped shape our childhoods.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 22/100 viewed
I've been working out for a few weeks now and it's been going pretty well. Our friend, Jordan, was nice enough to give us his elliptical and so I've been using that every other day. I started using it for 25 minutes each time and am slowly increasing that amount. I've also been adding sit-ups to my routine after I'm done using the elliptical. It's perfect because I can slip my feet right underneath our gigantic couch and it keeps me from shifting around at all. I'm thinking of starting to walk/run on the days when I don't use the elliptical so that I'll be working out every day.
For my lists, the only thing I've added to is the movie list (it's still pretty easy to watch movies when you're sick). I have three films to review! The first one is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), directed by David Fincher and written by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord with F. Scott Fitzgerald as the writer of the original short story. This was a phenomenal movie, largely thanks to the terrific acting by Brad Pitt. He did an exceptional job at playing a man who physically ages backwards and he's growing up. Every stage of his life was fascinating - whether he was a lovable old man with the spirit of a child or a man in his 40s terrified about the potential consequences of being a father. I also must give credit to his makeup artists; they made all of his years look so real. This film's supporting actors cannot be forgotten either. Matthew was the one who realized that Captain Mike was played by Jared Harris, who is also David Robert Jones in Fringe. His character's crass and humorous demeanor was a welcome presence in such a dark and serious environment as the war-filled Atlantic. Tilda Swinton played a mysterious and interesting love interest for Benjamin Button. Their affair kept me on my toes as to whether or not her husband would ever find out. Her final appearance in the movie was surprising but very cute. Although long, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a great movie and it's worth watching every second of this film!
Rating: 4/5
Next up is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), directed by Edgar Wright and written by Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright with Bryan Lee O'Malley as the original writer of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel. I originally decided not to watch this movie because the previews looked dumb to me, but I was so very, very wrong. This was an insanely creative, funny, and flashy explosion of a movie, and I loved it! Every single scene has a new strange or hilarious situation, and the sheer outrageousness of the entire film makes it a blast to watch! This is a film that actually uses CGI correctly; most films throw in way too much CGI for its own good (ie, the newest Star Wars films), especially when the movie still attempts to convince the audience that everything in the film is real to the characters. But this movie has none of that - this movie knows that there's no way to make a plot about seven evil exes seem realistic, so we get hilarious video-game and pop culture interjections. I was in stitches when they were mocking Seinfeld and loved how Scott shared not just an apartment, but a bed with his gay roommate Wallace (played by Kieran Culkin). Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera, starts off as a rather unlikable unemployed loser but during the film he gains a handful of positive attributes and eventually becomes as lovable as the other characters. Everyone did a great job with their characters; they were all quirky and unique without taking away from the flow of the film. This has been the most pleasantly surprising film I've seen in a long time and I have half a mind to go out and buy it in the near future. You all should!
Rating: 4/5
Finally there is Toy Story 3 (2010), directed by Lee Unkrich and written by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, and Michael Ardnt. Now I realize that I might give this movie a higher rating and more praise than others, but I don't care. I am part of the generation that grew up with the Toy Story movies; the first came out when I was eight and the second when I was twelve, so I have been a fan of this series for quite some time. Toy Story 3 was everything I had hoped it would be and more. All of the characters held true to the same personalities that they had in the first two films, and Woody's devotion to Andy was so completely heartwarming. They were a little bit repetitive with their main villain. Just like with Toy Story 2 he was a seemingly wise, helpful old toy who tried to make the gang feel welcome at first. However, I never trusted him for a second! The scenes with Buzz in demo mode were too funny, as was the scene with the toddlers in the caterpillar room. I must admit that I was actually on the edge of my seat when the toys were in the dump, but an adorably hilarious moment came to the rescue! I didn't know how the movie was going to end, and I was surprised with what Andy decided to do. It does fit with the whole theme of growing up and moving on, but that still doesn't mean it didn't make me sad. Toy Story 3 was an amazing conclusion to such an endearing series, and I think it's a great tribute to all those toys that helped shape our childhoods.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 22/100 viewed
Friday, April 8, 2011
"Are you anti-Catholic, Mr. Langdon?" "No. I'm anti-vandalism."
Sunday was a big cooking day! My friend, Brian, came over before his big trip to Paris next month and the three of us cooked dinner together and watched a movie. I made deviled eggs as an appetizer and was surprised to learn that neither Matthew or Brian had tried them before, but they both ended up liking them! Deviled eggs are insanely easy to make, too; I have no idea why people don't make them for every holiday or get-together. All it takes are some hard-boiled eggs, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, and paprika. Couldn't ask for a simpler recipe. My only issue is with peeling the shells off the eggs and scooping the yolks out without tearing the whites. I guess that perfect presentation requires a little bit of practice. I also baked a ton of these chocolate revel bars, which are comprised of a layer of oat-filled cookie, then a layer of melted chocolate and pecans followed by a thinner layer of the same oat cookie mixture. The recipe made a ton of the bars, and they're really thick! I set aside a huge portion of it to give to another friend for her birthday, and so far everyone has said that they liked them! Normally, baked goods don't last long in mine and Matthew's apartment, but the bars so thick and rich that the leftovers stuck around for a couple days.
Of course, we cannot forget about the actual dinner, which was spinach manicotti. This was an excellent meal! It used three different kinds of cheese - ricotta, swiss, and parmesan, and the spinach-cheese mixture was nearly bursting out of the manicotti shells by the time it was done baking! The recipe also called for this thick and flavorful white sauce that we poured over the noodles before baking, and with the melted swiss cheese, garlic powder and green onions I couldn't have imagined a better sauce for the noodles. For a meatless pasta, it was incredibly filling for just two noodles with the sauce, but I'll definitely be making more of this in the future! We didn't have any leftovers and it was a ton of fun working together to finish making the meal.
Cooking: 25/75 completed
For our dinner entertainment we picked out Angels and Demons (2009), directed by Ron Howard and written by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman. I've already seen The DaVinci Code, and when comparing the two I realized that I liked the conspiracy story from DaVinci Code more than the one in Angels and Demons, but as a movie Angels and Demons was far superior. This "sequel" (though its book was written before The DaVinci Code) has a lot more action, a stronger plot, and more intriguing characters. I started to have my suspicions about how the plot was going to progress, and was right about the intentions of the assassin, but it took me a little while to realize how the film was going to end. Even so, I was a bit saddened by the ending due to my fondness of Ewan McGregor (who doesn't love him after watching Moulin Rouge?). It was nice seeing him in a darker role, though, so I give him props for that. I also enjoyed Tom Hanks' performance. His hair still looked ridiculous, but I doubt that he had much of a say in his costume and makeup. The last thing I want to mention is that the film does a good job at being neutral concerning the science vs religion theme. The film provides positives and negatives to fully embracing either side and if anything, I think that it advocates trying to find a way of weaving them together.
Rating: 3.5/5
Movies: 19/100 viewed
Of course, we cannot forget about the actual dinner, which was spinach manicotti. This was an excellent meal! It used three different kinds of cheese - ricotta, swiss, and parmesan, and the spinach-cheese mixture was nearly bursting out of the manicotti shells by the time it was done baking! The recipe also called for this thick and flavorful white sauce that we poured over the noodles before baking, and with the melted swiss cheese, garlic powder and green onions I couldn't have imagined a better sauce for the noodles. For a meatless pasta, it was incredibly filling for just two noodles with the sauce, but I'll definitely be making more of this in the future! We didn't have any leftovers and it was a ton of fun working together to finish making the meal.
Cooking: 25/75 completed
For our dinner entertainment we picked out Angels and Demons (2009), directed by Ron Howard and written by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman. I've already seen The DaVinci Code, and when comparing the two I realized that I liked the conspiracy story from DaVinci Code more than the one in Angels and Demons, but as a movie Angels and Demons was far superior. This "sequel" (though its book was written before The DaVinci Code) has a lot more action, a stronger plot, and more intriguing characters. I started to have my suspicions about how the plot was going to progress, and was right about the intentions of the assassin, but it took me a little while to realize how the film was going to end. Even so, I was a bit saddened by the ending due to my fondness of Ewan McGregor (who doesn't love him after watching Moulin Rouge?). It was nice seeing him in a darker role, though, so I give him props for that. I also enjoyed Tom Hanks' performance. His hair still looked ridiculous, but I doubt that he had much of a say in his costume and makeup. The last thing I want to mention is that the film does a good job at being neutral concerning the science vs religion theme. The film provides positives and negatives to fully embracing either side and if anything, I think that it advocates trying to find a way of weaving them together.
Rating: 3.5/5
Movies: 19/100 viewed
Thursday, March 31, 2011
"Is there anyone here who speaks English? Or maybe even ancient Greek?"
These last two days have been movie days! On Wednesday, Matthew and I watched From Hell (2001) and on Thursday evening we saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). It's nice having movie nights with Matthew where we just grab some food and relax together. Yay for being married! Anyway, here are my reviews for the movies:
From Hell was a good mystery movie. Sometimes I feel like mystery movies are a bit predictable or have cheesy endings, but I was somewhat surprised by the ending of the film. The explanation has its cheesy elements, though; I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories so I found it a little bit ridiculous. I read that this film is based off of a graphic novel, so I don't know how much freedom the director and writer were allotted in terms of the plot. Either way, I still appreciate the perspective of the film in spite of its flaws. Heather Graham was surprisingly impressive with her role as Mary Kelly, especially since I'm not a huge fan of her typical movies (though I loved her as Molly in Scrubs). The other great acting job was from Ian Holme, who played Sir William Gull. He was really creepy at the end, but in a good way. For the most part the movie was entertaining, just not great.
Rating: 3.5/5
"A perfect movie classic" is a great way to describe Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Everything about the movie was incredible - from the flawless John Williams music to the wonderful acting by the cast, I do not have one critique of this film. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery had a hilarious and dynamic father-son relationship, and I loved watching Jones Senior get under the skin of "Junior." The other actors did a great job as well; Denholm Elliott, who played Marcus Brody, and John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah, had incredibly funny one-liners and slapstick moments. The action scenes were classic with guns going off, near-death moments, and misplaced explosions that are so ridiculous you can't help but love them. I can't believe how many things blew up in that movie, but I still enjoyed watching them. Nazis were aplenty, and who doesn't love watching a hero fight and evade Nazis? I also have a new scene that has joined my list of best movie scenes: the moment when Indiana was pushed through the crowd in front of Hitler and all Hitler did was sign the diary! Man, that is such a great scene. And let's not forget the great ending with the insanely creepy bad guy death (great special effects, again!). This was just a great movie, and I'm very glad to have finally watched it.
Rating: 5/5
Movies: 18/100 viewed
Can't wait to watch the other Indiana Jones movies!
From Hell was a good mystery movie. Sometimes I feel like mystery movies are a bit predictable or have cheesy endings, but I was somewhat surprised by the ending of the film. The explanation has its cheesy elements, though; I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories so I found it a little bit ridiculous. I read that this film is based off of a graphic novel, so I don't know how much freedom the director and writer were allotted in terms of the plot. Either way, I still appreciate the perspective of the film in spite of its flaws. Heather Graham was surprisingly impressive with her role as Mary Kelly, especially since I'm not a huge fan of her typical movies (though I loved her as Molly in Scrubs). The other great acting job was from Ian Holme, who played Sir William Gull. He was really creepy at the end, but in a good way. For the most part the movie was entertaining, just not great.
Rating: 3.5/5
"A perfect movie classic" is a great way to describe Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Everything about the movie was incredible - from the flawless John Williams music to the wonderful acting by the cast, I do not have one critique of this film. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery had a hilarious and dynamic father-son relationship, and I loved watching Jones Senior get under the skin of "Junior." The other actors did a great job as well; Denholm Elliott, who played Marcus Brody, and John Rhys-Davies, who played Sallah, had incredibly funny one-liners and slapstick moments. The action scenes were classic with guns going off, near-death moments, and misplaced explosions that are so ridiculous you can't help but love them. I can't believe how many things blew up in that movie, but I still enjoyed watching them. Nazis were aplenty, and who doesn't love watching a hero fight and evade Nazis? I also have a new scene that has joined my list of best movie scenes: the moment when Indiana was pushed through the crowd in front of Hitler and all Hitler did was sign the diary! Man, that is such a great scene. And let's not forget the great ending with the insanely creepy bad guy death (great special effects, again!). This was just a great movie, and I'm very glad to have finally watched it.
Rating: 5/5
Movies: 18/100 viewed
Can't wait to watch the other Indiana Jones movies!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
"Son, any statement that begins with 'I really ought to -' is suspect. It means you haven't analyzed your motives."
Yay for burn-free cooking! This week's cooking was much simpler, yet still tasty! Thursday night I made banana-berry smoothies, and man were they good! The recipe called for bananas, yogurt, and strawberries, and then my pick of blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Since blackberries were the cheapest of the three berries, I went with those, and I wasn't disappointed! I hadn't made smoothies yet with this blender I received last year, and it was a little tricky getting everything blended, probably because there was so much fruit and yogurt that it nearly filled the blender to the brim. But once everything was mixed, Matthew and I each had a giant glass of delicious smoothie. It took a while to finish drinking because it was so thick! I had forgotten how much I love berries, and I am making a mental note to buy a lot more berries once I have more money.
Matthew and I both had work from about 4:15 to 10:30, so I made the new dish as a late lunch. I decided on this peas and mushrooms dish because I already had the frozen peas, half an onion, and all the spices. The only thing I had to buy were the mushrooms, which is good considering how much I had to spend on the berries! The lunch was pretty good; it's mostly meant to be used as a side dish instead of the whole meal, so it wasn't incredibly flavorful. The recipe called for just salt and pepper, but I looked up different herbs in my cookbook to find one that would be compatible with the recipe and chose marjoram. I love using my rotating spice rack, which Matthew's mom was nice enough to buy me as a shower gift! It has all these dried herbs, seeds, and spices, and I'm trying to use them more often in my cooking. I'm not too familiar with marjoram, but it worked well in this peas and mushrooms dish!
Cooking: 22/75 completed
There's not much more to say. I'm in the middle of Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. It seems like it could fall into the category of young adult and sci-fi, but I'm going to stick with it because it's still a good book. The beginning was entertaining, especially Kip's father. His character is amusing, witty, and intelligent. I loved how he dumbfounded the tax collectors by proving that he can use cash to pay for everything, including his taxes. I should be done with that in a few days, so there will be a full review soon!
Matthew and I both had work from about 4:15 to 10:30, so I made the new dish as a late lunch. I decided on this peas and mushrooms dish because I already had the frozen peas, half an onion, and all the spices. The only thing I had to buy were the mushrooms, which is good considering how much I had to spend on the berries! The lunch was pretty good; it's mostly meant to be used as a side dish instead of the whole meal, so it wasn't incredibly flavorful. The recipe called for just salt and pepper, but I looked up different herbs in my cookbook to find one that would be compatible with the recipe and chose marjoram. I love using my rotating spice rack, which Matthew's mom was nice enough to buy me as a shower gift! It has all these dried herbs, seeds, and spices, and I'm trying to use them more often in my cooking. I'm not too familiar with marjoram, but it worked well in this peas and mushrooms dish!
Cooking: 22/75 completed
There's not much more to say. I'm in the middle of Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. It seems like it could fall into the category of young adult and sci-fi, but I'm going to stick with it because it's still a good book. The beginning was entertaining, especially Kip's father. His character is amusing, witty, and intelligent. I loved how he dumbfounded the tax collectors by proving that he can use cash to pay for everything, including his taxes. I should be done with that in a few days, so there will be a full review soon!
Monday, March 21, 2011
"I have to return some video tapes."
It's been a while since I've updated, I know, but at least I've checked something off for each list! I'll start with the cooking because I actually have three new recipes completed! Last week I made honey-glazed chicken stir-fry, which Matthew and I enjoyed very much. Upon reflection, I've become quite a fan of stir-fry meals - they're quick and easy to make, they can be just as good with or without meat, they have lots of vegetables, and the wide variety of flavoring agents that can be used in stir-fry meals allows for a wide range of flavors. For this dinner, I loved how the orange juice and honey provided a tart, sweet taste, and then how the soy sauce made a nice contrasting salty flavor. The one mess-up I had was with the rice; the recipe called for two cups of hot cooked rice, so I took two cups of my raw brown rice and cooked it in the designated saucepan. I was quite surprised when I opened the lid after it was done cooking and saw that the entire pan had filled with rice! Luckily, Matthew and I love rice, so we just piled it onto our plates and enjoyed our dinner =]
This week's dinner was beef enchiladas! This was my first recipe that called for beef, and I ended up choosing the all-natural ground beef from Meijers, which actually turned out quite well. I'm not entirely unfamiliar with choosing beef cuts as I've accompanied my dad on shopping trips many times in the past, so I know better than to get the cheapest ground beef that's largely comprised of fat. My opinion is that if you want to make a meat dish, spring for at least a mid-level quality of meat, otherwise what's the point? Anyway, the meal was great! Strangely enough, it called for cottage cheese to be mixed with the beef. I have no idea what the cottage cheese did, but since the flavor was good I'm not complaining! Sadly, Matthew got burned while he was taking the baking pan out of the oven =[ He has a dark scab on his arm now where it hit the side of the oven, and before that it was blistering, but at least it's healing well. Injury aside, the enchiladas were a great lunch before work and also made for tasty leftovers.
I decided to make deluxe chocolate marshmallow bars from the Taste of Home's Holiday Get-Together's cookbook. Oh my gosh, this is a fantastic dessert! It's a blend of every great baking flavor: the bottom layer was like a very soft and fluffy chocolate cake (this was the layer that baked in the oven for a while), the second layer was entirely comprised of mini-marshmallows that were only in the oven for a few minutes so that they would melt and spread evenly, and the third layer was a blend of melted butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter that was mixed with a rice krispies cereal just before pouring it over the marshmallows. After a few hours of chilling, the bars were ready to be cut up and eaten! Funny enough, I ended burning my arm on the side of the oven while getting this pan out! I must have moved my arm away faster than Matthew though because my burn only turned red without blistering or scabbing. This must have been a cursed week for baking or something. Burnt arm aside, the dessert was a big hit for Matthew and his parents, so I'm happy with the outcome!
Cooking: 20/75 completed
The night that Matthew and I ate the stir-fry was also the night that we watched American Psycho. This is a movie that I've seen once before, but that was five years ago, so I didn't remember very many details at all. I did remember that near the beginning there's a very unfortunate scene in which he kills a dog, so I covered my eyes and hummed to myself until Matthew told me that the scene was over. I remember liking the movie, but I had forgotten how many times this movie made me laugh! Christian Bale played the part of sociopathic serial killer Patrick Bateman perfectly! Everything from his great one-liners ("Would you like to hear today's specials?" "Not if you want to keep your spleen.") to his music-oriented monologues that he says shortly before killing someone had me laughing at the utter insanity of the situation. I really can't see how someone would dislike a movie in which an ATM asks the main actor to feed it a stray cat. Hilarity aside, I also appreciate the social critique that is spread throughout the film. Starting with the first scene in which all these clone-looking men fail to correctly identify their co-workers, the film points out how humanity has largely been stripped from the corporate sector. In this movie, the only thing that anybody cares about is money and their reputation. The fact that everyone is sleeping around with each other's significant others shows how relationships are only used for status symbol. What I really like is the somewhat uncertain ending: did Bateman imagine everything or were his killing sprees real? There's quite a bit of evidence that suggests that Bateman did actually kill all those people, and funny enough, if it all was real, then it proves that others are just as evil and emotionless as Bateman. The only thing that really threw me off were the sex scenes. I understand why they're there, it's just too disturbing at times for my taste. This movie is not exactly one that I would want to watch frequently, but it's still a fantastic movie for those who can handle it!
Rating: 4/5
Movies: 16/100 viewed
Lastly, I finished another novel! This one was Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I'm actually surprised that I liked a war novel as much as I did, but it's a pleasant surprise. Following Juan "Johnnie" Rico through his training in the mobile infantry was exciting, interesting, and actually quite thought-provoking. The novel's political system threw me back for a while, but upon reflection it actually makes quite a bit of sense. In Starship Troopers, there are civilians, who are normal people who have never served in the military but are still protected under all laws, and then there are citizens, who are those that are retired from military service and the only ones allowed to vote. The reasoning for this system is that those who have served voluntarily in the military have proven that they value the survival of the group/country over their own survival; as such, only those people have the authority to make political decisions that will affect everybody. To be honest, I wouldn't be opposed to something like that happening in America. Too many people are greedy and selfish and have a one-track mind when it comes to voting: "me, me, me." Those people would never be able to harm others with their reckless voting anymore because those are the kinds of people who wouldn't risk their lives for complete strangers. If that's how America was, I definitely would have signed up at 18. Politics aside, I enjoyed watching Johnnie grow as a person. He starts off as a confused 18-year old whose only reason for enlisting is so that he doesn't turn out to be a carbon copy of his father, but the military forces him to grow up. Though we don't get much insight into any of the other characters and at times all the listings of the military personnel were confusing, overall this book is a good war novel and a good sci-fi novel.
Rating: 8.3/10
Books read: 5/75
This week's dinner was beef enchiladas! This was my first recipe that called for beef, and I ended up choosing the all-natural ground beef from Meijers, which actually turned out quite well. I'm not entirely unfamiliar with choosing beef cuts as I've accompanied my dad on shopping trips many times in the past, so I know better than to get the cheapest ground beef that's largely comprised of fat. My opinion is that if you want to make a meat dish, spring for at least a mid-level quality of meat, otherwise what's the point? Anyway, the meal was great! Strangely enough, it called for cottage cheese to be mixed with the beef. I have no idea what the cottage cheese did, but since the flavor was good I'm not complaining! Sadly, Matthew got burned while he was taking the baking pan out of the oven =[ He has a dark scab on his arm now where it hit the side of the oven, and before that it was blistering, but at least it's healing well. Injury aside, the enchiladas were a great lunch before work and also made for tasty leftovers.
I decided to make deluxe chocolate marshmallow bars from the Taste of Home's Holiday Get-Together's cookbook. Oh my gosh, this is a fantastic dessert! It's a blend of every great baking flavor: the bottom layer was like a very soft and fluffy chocolate cake (this was the layer that baked in the oven for a while), the second layer was entirely comprised of mini-marshmallows that were only in the oven for a few minutes so that they would melt and spread evenly, and the third layer was a blend of melted butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter that was mixed with a rice krispies cereal just before pouring it over the marshmallows. After a few hours of chilling, the bars were ready to be cut up and eaten! Funny enough, I ended burning my arm on the side of the oven while getting this pan out! I must have moved my arm away faster than Matthew though because my burn only turned red without blistering or scabbing. This must have been a cursed week for baking or something. Burnt arm aside, the dessert was a big hit for Matthew and his parents, so I'm happy with the outcome!
Cooking: 20/75 completed
The night that Matthew and I ate the stir-fry was also the night that we watched American Psycho. This is a movie that I've seen once before, but that was five years ago, so I didn't remember very many details at all. I did remember that near the beginning there's a very unfortunate scene in which he kills a dog, so I covered my eyes and hummed to myself until Matthew told me that the scene was over. I remember liking the movie, but I had forgotten how many times this movie made me laugh! Christian Bale played the part of sociopathic serial killer Patrick Bateman perfectly! Everything from his great one-liners ("Would you like to hear today's specials?" "Not if you want to keep your spleen.") to his music-oriented monologues that he says shortly before killing someone had me laughing at the utter insanity of the situation. I really can't see how someone would dislike a movie in which an ATM asks the main actor to feed it a stray cat. Hilarity aside, I also appreciate the social critique that is spread throughout the film. Starting with the first scene in which all these clone-looking men fail to correctly identify their co-workers, the film points out how humanity has largely been stripped from the corporate sector. In this movie, the only thing that anybody cares about is money and their reputation. The fact that everyone is sleeping around with each other's significant others shows how relationships are only used for status symbol. What I really like is the somewhat uncertain ending: did Bateman imagine everything or were his killing sprees real? There's quite a bit of evidence that suggests that Bateman did actually kill all those people, and funny enough, if it all was real, then it proves that others are just as evil and emotionless as Bateman. The only thing that really threw me off were the sex scenes. I understand why they're there, it's just too disturbing at times for my taste. This movie is not exactly one that I would want to watch frequently, but it's still a fantastic movie for those who can handle it!
Rating: 4/5
Movies: 16/100 viewed
Lastly, I finished another novel! This one was Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I'm actually surprised that I liked a war novel as much as I did, but it's a pleasant surprise. Following Juan "Johnnie" Rico through his training in the mobile infantry was exciting, interesting, and actually quite thought-provoking. The novel's political system threw me back for a while, but upon reflection it actually makes quite a bit of sense. In Starship Troopers, there are civilians, who are normal people who have never served in the military but are still protected under all laws, and then there are citizens, who are those that are retired from military service and the only ones allowed to vote. The reasoning for this system is that those who have served voluntarily in the military have proven that they value the survival of the group/country over their own survival; as such, only those people have the authority to make political decisions that will affect everybody. To be honest, I wouldn't be opposed to something like that happening in America. Too many people are greedy and selfish and have a one-track mind when it comes to voting: "me, me, me." Those people would never be able to harm others with their reckless voting anymore because those are the kinds of people who wouldn't risk their lives for complete strangers. If that's how America was, I definitely would have signed up at 18. Politics aside, I enjoyed watching Johnnie grow as a person. He starts off as a confused 18-year old whose only reason for enlisting is so that he doesn't turn out to be a carbon copy of his father, but the military forces him to grow up. Though we don't get much insight into any of the other characters and at times all the listings of the military personnel were confusing, overall this book is a good war novel and a good sci-fi novel.
Rating: 8.3/10
Books read: 5/75
Thursday, March 10, 2011
"I am a leaf on the wind; watch how I soar."
Sadly, I am done with the Firefly series. I have watched the movie now, and while it was an incredible movie, I still feel rather unsatisfied. However, I think that is a feeling experienced by everyone who's seen Firefly and its accompanying movie, Serenity. I wish there was a way for someone to pick up where the movie left off and continue the series, but it seems unlikely, especially since so much time has passed since the first season. Alas, all of us Browncoats will be frustrated for quite some time. At least I can watch the series and movie any time I please!
15. Serenity - I'm impressed with how the film can stand alone as its own production for those who haven't seen the series, yet it also was a wonderful complement to the show. I'm thankful that the movie provides some character history, particularly Simon's and River's, and that they explain why the Alliance is so hell-bent on finding River. However, there were some character inconsistencies. For instance, Mal was a lot more aggressive than he normally was in the series, and I was a bit surprised to see him and Simon fighting so often and intensely. Still, the characters did a good job at maintaining their personalities from the show, especially Wash and Jayne. The action scenes were impressive and exciting, and I loved watching River go "Kill Bill" in her two fight scenes. I was definitely taken aback with some of the more tragic scenes; one in particular seemed to come from nowhere. Assuming that this film is the final installment of the Firefly series, Serenity was a superb finale to an incredible story.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 15/100 viewed
Lists aside, the Wisconsin unions were put to death yesterday. It's a sad time for the middle class in America. I'm just waiting to see how long it takes before the middle class is completely gone. They're already starting to do the same in Michigan : http://michiganmessenger.com/47158/emergency-financial-manager-bill-on-the-verge-of-passage. The last thing I'm going to say about the whole situation is that people need to prepare themselves for much harder times.
15. Serenity - I'm impressed with how the film can stand alone as its own production for those who haven't seen the series, yet it also was a wonderful complement to the show. I'm thankful that the movie provides some character history, particularly Simon's and River's, and that they explain why the Alliance is so hell-bent on finding River. However, there were some character inconsistencies. For instance, Mal was a lot more aggressive than he normally was in the series, and I was a bit surprised to see him and Simon fighting so often and intensely. Still, the characters did a good job at maintaining their personalities from the show, especially Wash and Jayne. The action scenes were impressive and exciting, and I loved watching River go "Kill Bill" in her two fight scenes. I was definitely taken aback with some of the more tragic scenes; one in particular seemed to come from nowhere. Assuming that this film is the final installment of the Firefly series, Serenity was a superb finale to an incredible story.
Rating: 4.5/5
Movies: 15/100 viewed
Lists aside, the Wisconsin unions were put to death yesterday. It's a sad time for the middle class in America. I'm just waiting to see how long it takes before the middle class is completely gone. They're already starting to do the same in Michigan : http://michiganmessenger.com/47158/emergency-financial-manager-bill-on-the-verge-of-passage. The last thing I'm going to say about the whole situation is that people need to prepare themselves for much harder times.
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