Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 85
May 6, 2013
MInd Sieve 5/6/13
Another week and more fun to unveil! Yeah!
(Kind of mental, but cute!) - Game of Thrones to the Friends theme (Possible Spoilers)
Star Trek Into Darkness clip - "I Allow It" Oh Cumberbatch is going to be so good in this. YES!
What if Pixar made a Star Trek Movie? Cool posters ala Pixar on a cool "What If?"
Pacific Rim Trailer 2 - Booyah!
Violet & Daisy Trailer 1 - it was too weird not to share. :P
Walking With Dinosaurs 3D Trailer 1 - ooo! This could be awesome visually!
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Trailer #2 - couldn't remember if I shared this one or not. Cool to watch!
26 Mobile Apps to Improve Your Business and Networking by Debbie Hemley from Social Media Examiner. (So many apps, so little time!) :P
Why I Love Negative Reviews And How To Help Your Fellow Authors When They Get One by Melinda B Piece at the Writer's Fun Zone.
Handy Charts Reveal Why You've Never Heard of Most SF Female Authors by Annalee Newits from IO9.com (Waaaahhhhh!)
3 Tips For Better Story Telling from Jami Gold.
Didn't get enough? Check out Gene Lempp's Writing Resources list for 4/27/13. Eek!
Have a great day!
(Kind of mental, but cute!) - Game of Thrones to the Friends theme (Possible Spoilers)
Star Trek Into Darkness clip - "I Allow It" Oh Cumberbatch is going to be so good in this. YES!
What if Pixar made a Star Trek Movie? Cool posters ala Pixar on a cool "What If?"
Pacific Rim Trailer 2 - Booyah!
Violet & Daisy Trailer 1 - it was too weird not to share. :P
Walking With Dinosaurs 3D Trailer 1 - ooo! This could be awesome visually!
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Trailer #2 - couldn't remember if I shared this one or not. Cool to watch!
26 Mobile Apps to Improve Your Business and Networking by Debbie Hemley from Social Media Examiner. (So many apps, so little time!) :P
Why I Love Negative Reviews And How To Help Your Fellow Authors When They Get One by Melinda B Piece at the Writer's Fun Zone.
Handy Charts Reveal Why You've Never Heard of Most SF Female Authors by Annalee Newits from IO9.com (Waaaahhhhh!)
3 Tips For Better Story Telling from Jami Gold.
Didn't get enough? Check out Gene Lempp's Writing Resources list for 4/27/13. Eek!
Have a great day!
May 5, 2013
Virtual Tourist - Neverwinter 5/5/13
Happy Cinco de Mayo! (And I just realized I totally missed May the 4th Be With You. Nooooo!)
Played a new game with hubby this weekend. He'd gotten his invite for an open beta of Neverwinter. It's a D&D Free to Play MMO
Here's some pics! (Haven't figured out how to remove the GUI yet, so apologies. Also hard to take pics when hubby wants to GO GO GO! Not that that stops me. Heh heh heh)
This is me. I ended up going for a half demon/half human (Tiefling) after I'd told him there was no way I would as everyone would probably be doing it. I am so weak. And she's so purty! :)
After a giant battle, you're found washed up on shore. I've lived through this scenario a lot of times over the years. Very popular. Lol.
They have some quick cinematic scenes here and there. Gives it some pep.
1st site after leaving newbie island.
Major town, so we lagged a little but not bad. (My pics, as usual, did not upload in order. Oi!)
Following our magic light trail to get to a quest.
Quest givers talk, so you can read or listen. Definitely more involving than just text.
Character screen
Tombs beneath the city.
Huge rooms and we've yet to make it to the actual tombs. Someone wanted to go out in style.
Must get a lot of visitors, despite the undead guardians. All lit up. :P
Nice graphics. Though the status always have funky hand gestures. This one has some attitude. Heh
Newbie island and the ship you wrecked on.
Cool angel statues in the tombs.
Main throne room area in the city. (Where we excited from the tombs)
Local tavern.
That's hubbin's character behind me.
Campfires like this one help characters heal.
More pics of quest givers.
Dwarven quest giver.
Dracolinch currently not going anywhere. Wizard is trying to keep its essence from escaping so it can't grabbed another dragon body. Interesting conversation.
Big battle in the newbie zone. You can see the magical trail for quests moving off on the bridge.
Great moon and castle shot.
Campsite on newbie island.
Art is nice ad so far the game's not bad. Takes a little getting used to to hit ALT to get to the communications interface. Very keyboard driven as well.
Played a new game with hubby this weekend. He'd gotten his invite for an open beta of Neverwinter. It's a D&D Free to Play MMO
Here's some pics! (Haven't figured out how to remove the GUI yet, so apologies. Also hard to take pics when hubby wants to GO GO GO! Not that that stops me. Heh heh heh)
This is me. I ended up going for a half demon/half human (Tiefling) after I'd told him there was no way I would as everyone would probably be doing it. I am so weak. And she's so purty! :)
After a giant battle, you're found washed up on shore. I've lived through this scenario a lot of times over the years. Very popular. Lol.
They have some quick cinematic scenes here and there. Gives it some pep.
1st site after leaving newbie island.
Major town, so we lagged a little but not bad. (My pics, as usual, did not upload in order. Oi!)
Following our magic light trail to get to a quest.
Quest givers talk, so you can read or listen. Definitely more involving than just text.
Character screen
Tombs beneath the city.
Huge rooms and we've yet to make it to the actual tombs. Someone wanted to go out in style.
Must get a lot of visitors, despite the undead guardians. All lit up. :P
Nice graphics. Though the status always have funky hand gestures. This one has some attitude. Heh
Newbie island and the ship you wrecked on.
Cool angel statues in the tombs.
Main throne room area in the city. (Where we excited from the tombs)
Local tavern.
That's hubbin's character behind me.
Campfires like this one help characters heal.
More pics of quest givers.
Dwarven quest giver.
Dracolinch currently not going anywhere. Wizard is trying to keep its essence from escaping so it can't grabbed another dragon body. Interesting conversation.
Big battle in the newbie zone. You can see the magical trail for quests moving off on the bridge.
Great moon and castle shot.
Campsite on newbie island.
Art is nice ad so far the game's not bad. Takes a little getting used to to hit ALT to get to the communications interface. Very keyboard driven as well.
May 3, 2013
Movie Review - Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Ty Simpkins, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Dale Dickey, Miguel Ferrer, and more.
Directed by: Shane Black Screenplay by: Drew Pearce and Shane Black Based on the Comic by: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: John Toll Original Music by: Brian Tyler
Premise: As a new terrorist makes his tread felt over the world, Tony is dealing with anxiety attacks which have plagued him ever since he went into the wormhole in "The Avengers." A female conquest from his past, and some decision he made in 1999 also come back to haunt him. If he's not careful, he might lose the thing he cherishes the most - Pepper Potts. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Robert Downey Jr is always such fun as Tony Stark. His 'snark' and one liners dot the entire film. Gwyneth Paltrow once more didn't get given much to do through most of the film, but she shines in all of it. Don Cheadle looked great during several scenes and even gave Tony some snark back. Guy Pearce was very smooth as Aldrich Killian. The hints of slight madness here and there were very nice. Ben Kingsley will surprise everyone, and he was quite funny as well. Ty Simpkins and Robert Downey Jr together were adorable and hilarious.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Great job on the special effects! The armor pieces must have driven the department insane, but looked so very awesome. The whole scene where Tony's house is destroyed was fabulous. And the work they did on the Mandarin's people gave me chills. You could almost see their humanity escaping their grasp.
The 3D brain live feed took my breath away. Definitely recommend seeing the film in the IMAX 3D.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: For the most part that is. Fans of the Iron Man comics will get a shock and it will dilute the pleasure they derive from the film. Though the commercials mentioned the Mandarin, and we saw him with the rings - it's false advertizing. This Mandarin is not the alien tech/magical ring wearing megalomanic the comic book fans will be expecting. Sadly, there is little to nothing with this Mandarin that matches Iron Man's comic book arch-nemesis. However, most of the viewing public won't realize this, and for them it won't be a detriment.
The powers of those who've been injected (can't say too much or I'll give things away) did not appear to be consistent. Yet no real explanation was made as to why. The bad guy ends up showing powers beyond all his compatriots, to the point he seems almost god like, but the information we've been supplied with does not substantiate the end product.
Lots of little twists, many of them quite delicious. Others will be seen coming from miles away. They tried to bring back some of the feel of the first film, and this worked pretty well. The scenes Tony spends with the little boy while in hiding were priceless. Some of the best bits of the film come from those two interacting.
Make sure to STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS! One of the best bits in the entire film awaits you there.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Amazing CGI assisted stunts abound through the entire film. The whole Miami sequence was great!
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Got some wonderful overhead shots of Tony's house, letting us appreciate the place one last time before we see it totally destroyed and from many different angles. The Miami location was fabulous. And the set up for the final battle zone made combat into a three dimensional affair and this worked to great effect.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Pepper in the white power suit looked fabulous! Also Tony's shirt in the beginning section. Costuming and makeup also made the Killian transformation from when we first see him in 1999 and then in the present a startling contrast. Tony's wounds all looked very real, and very painful.
Conclusion: "Iron Man 3" is a fun action packed film and well worth watching. Unless you're a fan of the comics, then you might feel a bit robbed with what they did (or mostly didn't do) with the Mandarin. Great one liners abound. Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D. The soundtrack rocked!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price To See Again!)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Ty Simpkins, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Dale Dickey, Miguel Ferrer, and more.
Directed by: Shane Black Screenplay by: Drew Pearce and Shane Black Based on the Comic by: Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby Cinematography by: John Toll Original Music by: Brian Tyler
Premise: As a new terrorist makes his tread felt over the world, Tony is dealing with anxiety attacks which have plagued him ever since he went into the wormhole in "The Avengers." A female conquest from his past, and some decision he made in 1999 also come back to haunt him. If he's not careful, he might lose the thing he cherishes the most - Pepper Potts. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Robert Downey Jr is always such fun as Tony Stark. His 'snark' and one liners dot the entire film. Gwyneth Paltrow once more didn't get given much to do through most of the film, but she shines in all of it. Don Cheadle looked great during several scenes and even gave Tony some snark back. Guy Pearce was very smooth as Aldrich Killian. The hints of slight madness here and there were very nice. Ben Kingsley will surprise everyone, and he was quite funny as well. Ty Simpkins and Robert Downey Jr together were adorable and hilarious.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Great job on the special effects! The armor pieces must have driven the department insane, but looked so very awesome. The whole scene where Tony's house is destroyed was fabulous. And the work they did on the Mandarin's people gave me chills. You could almost see their humanity escaping their grasp.
The 3D brain live feed took my breath away. Definitely recommend seeing the film in the IMAX 3D.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: For the most part that is. Fans of the Iron Man comics will get a shock and it will dilute the pleasure they derive from the film. Though the commercials mentioned the Mandarin, and we saw him with the rings - it's false advertizing. This Mandarin is not the alien tech/magical ring wearing megalomanic the comic book fans will be expecting. Sadly, there is little to nothing with this Mandarin that matches Iron Man's comic book arch-nemesis. However, most of the viewing public won't realize this, and for them it won't be a detriment.
The powers of those who've been injected (can't say too much or I'll give things away) did not appear to be consistent. Yet no real explanation was made as to why. The bad guy ends up showing powers beyond all his compatriots, to the point he seems almost god like, but the information we've been supplied with does not substantiate the end product.
Lots of little twists, many of them quite delicious. Others will be seen coming from miles away. They tried to bring back some of the feel of the first film, and this worked pretty well. The scenes Tony spends with the little boy while in hiding were priceless. Some of the best bits of the film come from those two interacting.
Make sure to STAY THROUGH THE CREDITS! One of the best bits in the entire film awaits you there.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Amazing CGI assisted stunts abound through the entire film. The whole Miami sequence was great!
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Got some wonderful overhead shots of Tony's house, letting us appreciate the place one last time before we see it totally destroyed and from many different angles. The Miami location was fabulous. And the set up for the final battle zone made combat into a three dimensional affair and this worked to great effect.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Pepper in the white power suit looked fabulous! Also Tony's shirt in the beginning section. Costuming and makeup also made the Killian transformation from when we first see him in 1999 and then in the present a startling contrast. Tony's wounds all looked very real, and very painful.
Conclusion: "Iron Man 3" is a fun action packed film and well worth watching. Unless you're a fan of the comics, then you might feel a bit robbed with what they did (or mostly didn't do) with the Mandarin. Great one liners abound. Definitely worth seeing in IMAX 3D. The soundtrack rocked!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price To See Again!)
May 1, 2013
Picture Kaleidoscope 5/1/13
May Day! Mayday! May Day! :P
Azul by Alex Noriega from Earthshots.org. I love those blues and purples! More pretties at his site.
Cascade Falls by Drew Hopper over at Earthshots.org. He's got some cool underwater ones at his site too!
This Woman is a Composite Portrait of 57 Girlfriends Seen on Sienfeld at Peta Pixel. Photography by Richard Prince.
From PetaPixel - Creative 365 Project Captures the Same Lighthouse in 365 Ways. Full project can be seen here. Photography by Tunisio Alves Fiho. He paints, sketches, and does photography! Dang!
The 365 should keep you busy for a bit. heh heh. So I will escape now. :)
Azul by Alex Noriega from Earthshots.org. I love those blues and purples! More pretties at his site.
Cascade Falls by Drew Hopper over at Earthshots.org. He's got some cool underwater ones at his site too!
This Woman is a Composite Portrait of 57 Girlfriends Seen on Sienfeld at Peta Pixel. Photography by Richard Prince.
From PetaPixel - Creative 365 Project Captures the Same Lighthouse in 365 Ways. Full project can be seen here. Photography by Tunisio Alves Fiho. He paints, sketches, and does photography! Dang!
The 365 should keep you busy for a bit. heh heh. So I will escape now. :)
April 29, 2013
Mind Sieve 4/29/13
Howdy!
Time for some fun~!
Squee! Another Studio Ghibli film has made it over here! Just stumbled over it. Playing currently in several US cities! From Up On Poppy Hill. Squee!
Io9.com has a short article on this Live Action short film from Studio Ghibli. Oh my goodness! All the awesome miniature knowhow of the Godzilla films, with cool CGI, and more. It's in Japanese, so skip to about 2:30 into it and prepare to be freaked. :P Giant God Warrior Appears In Tokyo. (May have been pulled from Youtube.) :(
THOR: The Dark World Trailer 1 - Oooo!
Kick-Ass 2 - You won't recognize Jim Carrey! NFSW. Not for younger viewers. Have never seen a RED preview before. Huh.
Dead Man's Burden Trailer.
From the History Blog - Hear My Voice. Alexander Graham Bell. Would be fun to see what he'd think of sound recording technology now. :)
Thallium - The Poisoner's Poison from James J Murray. Cool info! Err for writers...
Did Facebook Change Something? 5 Tips For Page Owners To "It's All Good" guest post by Lisa Hall-Wilson at Gene Lempp's blog.
Blog Tours: Waste of Time or Valuable Sales Tool? from The Writer's Guide to E-Publishing - post by Talli Rolland.
The Reasons Behind The Writing - Why Do You Do It? from August Wainwright.
5 Tips For Finding A Competent And Compatible Critique Partner by Jody Hedlund.
See ya Wednesday!
Time for some fun~!
Squee! Another Studio Ghibli film has made it over here! Just stumbled over it. Playing currently in several US cities! From Up On Poppy Hill. Squee!
Io9.com has a short article on this Live Action short film from Studio Ghibli. Oh my goodness! All the awesome miniature knowhow of the Godzilla films, with cool CGI, and more. It's in Japanese, so skip to about 2:30 into it and prepare to be freaked. :P Giant God Warrior Appears In Tokyo. (May have been pulled from Youtube.) :(
THOR: The Dark World Trailer 1 - Oooo!
Kick-Ass 2 - You won't recognize Jim Carrey! NFSW. Not for younger viewers. Have never seen a RED preview before. Huh.
Dead Man's Burden Trailer.
From the History Blog - Hear My Voice. Alexander Graham Bell. Would be fun to see what he'd think of sound recording technology now. :)
Thallium - The Poisoner's Poison from James J Murray. Cool info! Err for writers...
Did Facebook Change Something? 5 Tips For Page Owners To "It's All Good" guest post by Lisa Hall-Wilson at Gene Lempp's blog.
Blog Tours: Waste of Time or Valuable Sales Tool? from The Writer's Guide to E-Publishing - post by Talli Rolland.
The Reasons Behind The Writing - Why Do You Do It? from August Wainwright.
5 Tips For Finding A Competent And Compatible Critique Partner by Jody Hedlund.
See ya Wednesday!
April 28, 2013
Virtual Tourist - Dishonored 4/28/13
Morning, all!
Don't have a lot for you this week... Been crazy lately.
Dishonored
Lady Boyle's Costume Party
Bedroom of one of the three Lady Boyles. Two of the three bedrooms were easy (there's an attic connection). But the third room is past a hallway with four guards. Didn't risk it.
View of the city from the balcony at Lady Boyle's. I really do thing the hot air decorations are so cool.
One of the three Lady Boyles. There's also a black and a white Lady Boyle. They have the best costumes, which is sad. Ugliest costume party EVER! lol. Don't believe me? Look at the next pic. :P
Ugliest costumes EVER! A fly head and a (I think) sperm whale? Ewwww. His personality matched his mask though. Heh heh..
Hope your Sunday is awesome!
Don't have a lot for you this week... Been crazy lately.
Dishonored
Lady Boyle's Costume Party
Bedroom of one of the three Lady Boyles. Two of the three bedrooms were easy (there's an attic connection). But the third room is past a hallway with four guards. Didn't risk it.
View of the city from the balcony at Lady Boyle's. I really do thing the hot air decorations are so cool.
One of the three Lady Boyles. There's also a black and a white Lady Boyle. They have the best costumes, which is sad. Ugliest costume party EVER! lol. Don't believe me? Look at the next pic. :P
Ugliest costumes EVER! A fly head and a (I think) sperm whale? Ewwww. His personality matched his mask though. Heh heh..
Hope your Sunday is awesome!
April 26, 2013
Movie Review - From Up On Poppy Hill
From Up On Poppy Hill
Starring: Sarah Bolger, Anton Yelchin, Gillian Anderson, Christina Hendricks, Aubrey Plaza, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Dem, Charlie Saxton, Chris Noth, Beau Bridges, and more.
Directed by: Goro Miyazaki Screenplay by: Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa Original Story by: Tetsurō Sayama Based on the Comics by: Tetsurō Sayama and Chizuru Takahashi Cinematography by: Atsushi Okui Original Music by: Satoshi Takebe
Premise: Yokohama 1963 - The 1964 Tokyo Olympics looms in the horizon and Japan is in a mood for change. But to Umi Matsuzaki, change is the last thing she wants. And to her surprise, she finds out she's not the only one who feels this way. The boys using the Latin Quarters as a clubhouse want to save the structure from the wrecking ball and progress. Yet all their efforts seem in vain, until Umi gets dragged into the issue despite herself and gives Shun Kazama an idea that might just work to save it. (Rated PG)
Review:
1) Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Sarah Bolger and Anton Yelchin are utterly adorable as the voices for the very private Umi and Shun. Everyone else added great dimensions to the wide variety of characters in the film. Nicely done!
2) Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: Ghibli Studios never disappoints. Their unique style and gorgeous painted backdrops are always a delight to look upon. Their attention to detail is incredible. The audience will feel transported back in time to Japan during 1963.
There were a couple of hiccups that surprised me - less variation in the faces, and definitely in the hairstyles - so much so I got confused as to who was who a few times. There was also a scene where four sailors were waving at the kids, and the smaller version of the two sets of men, was an exact copy of the larger group and the arms moved in sync. Hopefully that's just an accident and not a sign of things to come.
On the other hand, the gorgeous waves, the sky shots, the city/street views, and the amazing sequence when they relayed the ship explosion late in the film, easily overshadowed these rare flaws.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Though animated, this story is not for young kids. It's a coming of age adult tale about the twists and turns in the lives of Umi and Shun as well as their classmates. Unlike a lot of the other Studio Ghibli films, there isn't any magic or cute creatures to appeal to the younger kids. Fifteen year olds and higher will understand more of what's going on and be interested in where the plot and budding romance is going, but much younger than that and they probably won't enjoy it.
Several themes run through the film - the past and why it should be respected, the fact change is inevitable but that it doesn't always make it right, sometimes it's good to look toward the future, and how a small idea can create a giant spark in others.
One of my husband's favorite parts of the film (to my amazement, he enjoyed the movie even more than I did) was how a certain situation actually allowed the characters to speak of things they would have fought a lot longer before revealing them to one another. Funny how things work sometimes.
Conclusion: Another fun film from Studio Ghibli, but one that won't be appreciated by the younger kids. A great look at Japan in the 60's and what those with a will can accomplish.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See It Again. He really, really liked it!)
Starring: Sarah Bolger, Anton Yelchin, Gillian Anderson, Christina Hendricks, Aubrey Plaza, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Dem, Charlie Saxton, Chris Noth, Beau Bridges, and more.
Directed by: Goro Miyazaki Screenplay by: Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa Original Story by: Tetsurō Sayama Based on the Comics by: Tetsurō Sayama and Chizuru Takahashi Cinematography by: Atsushi Okui Original Music by: Satoshi Takebe
Premise: Yokohama 1963 - The 1964 Tokyo Olympics looms in the horizon and Japan is in a mood for change. But to Umi Matsuzaki, change is the last thing she wants. And to her surprise, she finds out she's not the only one who feels this way. The boys using the Latin Quarters as a clubhouse want to save the structure from the wrecking ball and progress. Yet all their efforts seem in vain, until Umi gets dragged into the issue despite herself and gives Shun Kazama an idea that might just work to save it. (Rated PG)
Review:
1) Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Sarah Bolger and Anton Yelchin are utterly adorable as the voices for the very private Umi and Shun. Everyone else added great dimensions to the wide variety of characters in the film. Nicely done!
2) Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: Ghibli Studios never disappoints. Their unique style and gorgeous painted backdrops are always a delight to look upon. Their attention to detail is incredible. The audience will feel transported back in time to Japan during 1963.
There were a couple of hiccups that surprised me - less variation in the faces, and definitely in the hairstyles - so much so I got confused as to who was who a few times. There was also a scene where four sailors were waving at the kids, and the smaller version of the two sets of men, was an exact copy of the larger group and the arms moved in sync. Hopefully that's just an accident and not a sign of things to come.
On the other hand, the gorgeous waves, the sky shots, the city/street views, and the amazing sequence when they relayed the ship explosion late in the film, easily overshadowed these rare flaws.
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Though animated, this story is not for young kids. It's a coming of age adult tale about the twists and turns in the lives of Umi and Shun as well as their classmates. Unlike a lot of the other Studio Ghibli films, there isn't any magic or cute creatures to appeal to the younger kids. Fifteen year olds and higher will understand more of what's going on and be interested in where the plot and budding romance is going, but much younger than that and they probably won't enjoy it.
Several themes run through the film - the past and why it should be respected, the fact change is inevitable but that it doesn't always make it right, sometimes it's good to look toward the future, and how a small idea can create a giant spark in others.
One of my husband's favorite parts of the film (to my amazement, he enjoyed the movie even more than I did) was how a certain situation actually allowed the characters to speak of things they would have fought a lot longer before revealing them to one another. Funny how things work sometimes.
Conclusion: Another fun film from Studio Ghibli, but one that won't be appreciated by the younger kids. A great look at Japan in the 60's and what those with a will can accomplish.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See It Again. He really, really liked it!)
April 24, 2013
Picture Kaleidoscope 4/24/13
Show me the pretty!
Discovered a way too cool board at Pinterest being compiled by Naomi Mendez. It was almost too much awesome! Here are a few of the choices there.
Kluane National Park - photo by Remi Boucher. He's for lots of other awesome stuff at his site!
Photos from Acadia National Park
Came originally from 500px - but could not find the exact pic to find the photographer. :(
Love the look - almost like it's textured art. Photo is by Micche.
That made me drift to Koji Ikuta's boards!
More awesome looking texture - except this one is a fungus. Eek! Photo by Warren Krupsaw.
[image error]
Photo by Alex Mustard. Unknown species of water want?
Ack, gotta go! Have an awesome Wednesday!
Discovered a way too cool board at Pinterest being compiled by Naomi Mendez. It was almost too much awesome! Here are a few of the choices there.
Kluane National Park - photo by Remi Boucher. He's for lots of other awesome stuff at his site!
Photos from Acadia National Park
Came originally from 500px - but could not find the exact pic to find the photographer. :(
Love the look - almost like it's textured art. Photo is by Micche.
That made me drift to Koji Ikuta's boards!
More awesome looking texture - except this one is a fungus. Eek! Photo by Warren Krupsaw.
[image error]
Photo by Alex Mustard. Unknown species of water want?
Ack, gotta go! Have an awesome Wednesday!
April 22, 2013
MInd Sieve 4/22/13
Good morning!
R.I.P.D. Trailer - this looks like it will be a ton of fun! Hee hee!
Man of Steel Official Trailer 3 - oh yeah!
Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer 3 - starts out like some of the other trailers but it's new! Wait till you see the BIG SHIP! Holly molly!
Black Sails - a pirate show! Ooooo!
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Trailer. Looks promising!
The Tell-Tale Heart Official Trailer 1 - looks funky!
Screen Grab a New Simon's Cat! Woot!
Berlin - 12 Cellos and a Foot Drum from the Piano Guys. Love their work!
Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Are The Best Drugs! from James J Murray. No more guilt! :P
Ask Jami: WordPress Questions and Answer post by Jami Gold. She has classes too!
Facebook Adds Feelings and Actions: This Week in Social Media from Social Media Examiner.
Readers Owe Writers Approximately Zip Nada Zero from Chuck (NSFW) Wendig. He's totally right. I figure anyone who takes the plunge and takes the time to read one of my books or stories has already done a lot! Going any further is the reader being super awesome, but not in any way expected. :)
Humor is Everywhere - The Art of Being Funny - guest post by Leanne Shirtliffe at Kristen Lamb's Blog.
A bunch more entries to other blog posts can be found at Writing Resources 20 April 2013 at Gene Lempp's blog. (I've no idea how he finds the time! Eek!)
Have an awesome week!
R.I.P.D. Trailer - this looks like it will be a ton of fun! Hee hee!
Man of Steel Official Trailer 3 - oh yeah!
Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer 3 - starts out like some of the other trailers but it's new! Wait till you see the BIG SHIP! Holly molly!
Black Sails - a pirate show! Ooooo!
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Trailer. Looks promising!
The Tell-Tale Heart Official Trailer 1 - looks funky!
Screen Grab a New Simon's Cat! Woot!
Berlin - 12 Cellos and a Foot Drum from the Piano Guys. Love their work!
Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Are The Best Drugs! from James J Murray. No more guilt! :P
Ask Jami: WordPress Questions and Answer post by Jami Gold. She has classes too!
Facebook Adds Feelings and Actions: This Week in Social Media from Social Media Examiner.
Readers Owe Writers Approximately Zip Nada Zero from Chuck (NSFW) Wendig. He's totally right. I figure anyone who takes the plunge and takes the time to read one of my books or stories has already done a lot! Going any further is the reader being super awesome, but not in any way expected. :)
Humor is Everywhere - The Art of Being Funny - guest post by Leanne Shirtliffe at Kristen Lamb's Blog.
A bunch more entries to other blog posts can be found at Writing Resources 20 April 2013 at Gene Lempp's blog. (I've no idea how he finds the time! Eek!)
Have an awesome week!
April 21, 2013
Virtual Tourist - Angry Birds Star Wars and Star Wars The Old Republic 4/21/13
Morning!
Angry Birds Star Wars
Asteroid Field
On this screen you can make the stalactites fall! Hee hee.
Snort!
Dagobah
Ah yes, Dagobah...!
The piggies all look like wrapped mummies. Heh heh.
Yoda always hides somewhere on the pic.
You have to get rid of fake Vader to make the things he's holding up fall.
This one was truly evil, ingenious, and awesome! Took me a few minutes to realize what to do. Luke has to fly in time to reach the laser bolts then use his lightsaber to reflect them up at the pigs. Loved it!
New Bonus screen!
More weird gravity calisthenics. Hee!
Added a couple more characters to the sheet! Woot!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Republic
Jedi Consular
Picked up something nifty! Holographic instructors. Will prove useful as it's not always easy to find a teacher for new skills!
New pets! Far as I can tell, this little bugger has no real head or eyes.
Hubby got another pet in a pack he brought with our included Cartel money.
One of the loose animals from the Corellian Zoo.
The Corellian Republic Museum currently occupied by the Empire.
The museum has not fared well.
One of the few things intact there.
Made me think of the Twin Towers.
Off to a new section of the world. Whee!
May your Sunday be full of awesome discoveries!
Angry Birds Star Wars
Asteroid Field
On this screen you can make the stalactites fall! Hee hee.
Snort!
Dagobah
Ah yes, Dagobah...!
The piggies all look like wrapped mummies. Heh heh.
Yoda always hides somewhere on the pic.
You have to get rid of fake Vader to make the things he's holding up fall.
This one was truly evil, ingenious, and awesome! Took me a few minutes to realize what to do. Luke has to fly in time to reach the laser bolts then use his lightsaber to reflect them up at the pigs. Loved it!
New Bonus screen!
More weird gravity calisthenics. Hee!
Added a couple more characters to the sheet! Woot!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Republic
Jedi Consular
Picked up something nifty! Holographic instructors. Will prove useful as it's not always easy to find a teacher for new skills!
New pets! Far as I can tell, this little bugger has no real head or eyes.
Hubby got another pet in a pack he brought with our included Cartel money.
One of the loose animals from the Corellian Zoo.
The Corellian Republic Museum currently occupied by the Empire.
The museum has not fared well.
One of the few things intact there.
Made me think of the Twin Towers.
Off to a new section of the world. Whee!
May your Sunday be full of awesome discoveries!
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