Well, let’s hope the ‘only” part isn’t true for most of you…
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Best of 2012…sex toys,sex blogs, erotica
Tag Archives: reviews
[currently] dinosaurs,ninjas and boo-hoo birds
Some of the books we’ve been reading at bedtime recently…..
The ninth book in the Baby Mouse series, coincidentally a Halloween themed one. Pookie loves Baby Mouse. I have to admit, she;s pretty adorable but she reminds me a lot of Lilly . She’s imaginative, funny and spunky. And she even has a best friend named Wilson. Still enjoyable & fun to read. I like the character because she’s not into the girly scene & tries hard to be her own person but sometimes she still caves to the peer pressure put upon her by The Popular Crowd,which sometimes happens , even to the best of independent mice-girls.
Dear Tyrannosaurus Rex by Lisa Mc Clatchy
Erin is turning 6 and what she wants most for her birthday is a T-Rex to attend her birthday party. The book is her invitation to a dinosaur with great illustrations depicting what such an event might look like. The thing that stood out the most about this book to both myself & my kiddo is that the dino-obsessed child is a GIRL! Awesomesauce! We thought of all the dinosaur books we’ve read (it’s been a lot) and we couldn’t think of a single one other than this one that featured a little girl as the dinosaur-lover. Yet we know for a fact that girls do indeed love dinos. Huh.
The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear
This is definitely one of our new favorites. Ninja ,Cowboy & Bear are bestest friends who do everything together. As sometimes happens with friends, a quarrel helps them to recognize each ones special strengths & differences and how important they are to each other. I can totally see these characters having their own TV show. I’d watch it. At the end of the book, there is illustrated instructions on how to play Ninja Cowboy Bear. Think Rock Paper Scissors but more fun
One of the reviews on Amazon suggests that if you’re unfamiliar with Bird, to first read the predecessor to this book, Grumpy Bird. Apparently I will find Bird much more endearing if I start there. I’ll have to test this theory. I do love the wonderful illustrations but was rather annoyed with Bird. Even the 5 year old said during the 12th reading, “Oh my god, just get over it!” . My thoughts exactly! Bird is playing ball with all his animal friends and gets bonked on the head. Bird is inconsolable and his friends bed over backwards to find a way to make him feel better. Now, on one hand, I do appreciate the sentiment of friends standing by a friend in need and being there,yadayada. Mostly though, I’m just a bitchy Mom who tells her own kids to pick themselves up, dust themselves off when dealt a blow (after a big hug & kiss), so I had no patience for Boo-Hoo Bird’s need for coddling.
See? Bitchy Mom.
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood , Renata Liwska
There are many kinds of quiet:
Quiet can be delicate.
Quiet can be thundering!
Quiet can be sweet, and cozy, and can most definitely help you fall asleep.
This book I loved. “There are many kinds of quiet” is the basis of the book, and Underwood did a wonderful job conveying each kind. Simple,beautiful and just plain precious. The illustrations are adorable and heartwarming.
My 2 Cents For Free: The Garden
In the aftermath of The La Riots , the city of Los Angeles gave the citizens of South Central LA a piece of property as a healing gesture. The land was to be used for a community garden, in the heart of the inner city. For 12 years, about 350 families farmed the 14 acres of land, making it a jewel in urban America – the largest urban garden anywhere in the US.Then quite suddenly, The Garden residents were ordered to vacate the property. The original owner, through what can only be describes as suspicious political dealings, had bought the land back and wanted the farmers ..and the farm…off the land. He intended to use the land “as it was intended” – to develop the property & build warehouses.
The Garden documents the community’s struggle to keep the land that they had devoted so much time & energy into for 12 years. The land fed their families, taught their children the value of community ,nature & self-sufficiency. In a community of all low income families, primarily Latino, the garden is what kept them from slipping farther into poverty, maintaining themselves on food they proudly grew themselves. Not only it is a struggle for the land, it’s a struggle against greed,racism, dishonest politics & classism. The citizens also must deal with conflicts among themselves, as they try to sort out the anger that’s bound to result from one man & a city telling them that a piece of property is worth more than they are.
Intensely emotional to watch (or maybe only if your a rabid dirt-loving, real- food loving hormonal pregnant woman), The Garden is inspiring & infuriating all at once. The cause of The Garden was supported by some celebrity faces, who appear briefly in the film – most notably to me (since he’s one of my many Pretend Boyfriends) - Zach de la Rocha ,at a benefit concert organized to raise funds for the farmers to buy the land outright themselves.
A must-watch film for anyone concerned with sustainable food supply & urban farming, especially for low income families .
[My 2 Cents for Free] Cancer Vixen
[Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto]
This is a book that ended up on my “To Read List” after seeing it on someone’s “Best Graphic Novels of 2009″ list. I just so happened to pick it up in the midst of that ridiculous meme thingy on Facebook – you know, “Tell us what color your bra is”, which was supposedly “in support of breast cancer survivors” but most people didn’t actually know that’s why they were doing it (awareness fail ) and as some breast cancer survivors pointed out, it didn’t really do anything to promote breast cancer awareness and um, hellllooo….some breast cancer survivors don’t even have boobs to put in a bra anymore! (ouch)
Cancer Vixen is a memoir in comic form ,written by Marisa Acocella Marchetto about her experience with breast cancer. Not far into the book, I began to have this feeling that I was going to end up annoyed more than anything. (Ok, fair warning: I plan on being honest about my thoughts and I will undoubtedly sound like a bitch at points). As one review said of Cancer Vixen, it reads as if one of the Sex in the City girls got breast cancer & wrote a graphic novel about it….and I am not into that whole Sex in the City thing. Sex in the Cemetery,sure. Not so much for Sex in the City.
Part of my own personal issue while reading was failing to connect or be interested in The Cancer Vixen herself. Marisa describes herself as shoe-crazy,lipstick obsessed,fashion-fanatic…..yadadayada.Her cartoons are published in The New Yorker & Glamour mag. Her fiance owns the very popular Da Silvano restaurant in NYC (he is Silvano) and drives a Maserati. Me? I own 3 pairs of shoes - a pair of plaid Chuck Taylors, black slip ons and a winter boots picked up second-hand (kids’ size 4, previously owned by “Troy”, as indicated in permanent market labeled on the heels by Troy’s parental unit). I like peppermint lip balm & buy my clothes at yard sales. I get to stay home and be artsy in my pajamas on a daily basis but I don’t get paid for it (or anything else for that matter, even though one would think one should get paid just for being fabulous!). The man I happily live in sin with works in a grocery store and rides the bus. All of which I am perfectly contented with & would be miserable if I switched places with the flip-side.
I was also thinking,”Ok, it’s terrible for anyone to get breast cancer and I’m sorry about the speedbump that life has thrown this chick but what about women like ME? Uninsured, low-income women… with children they could leave motherless!” Because listen,people…if I were to be diagnosed with breast cancer (or any other cancer), I’d be totally fucked and NOT in a way I usually enjoy. The bad way.
FORTUNATELY, Marisa does mention this concern at some point in the story and on her website, there is a page devoted to The Cancer Vixen Fund, a fund dedicated to providing screening for women who could not afford to have otherwise ,since early detection is the key to higher survival rates. As stated on the page, “49% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer and don’t have insurance have a greater risk of dying from the disease.I also added up the cost of treatment I would have paid out of pocket. The total? $192,702.04. Who the heck has $192,702.04?” . Indeed. Not I.
Cancer Vixen has it’s funny moments, as one might expect since the author is a cartoonist. I appreciated the honesty with which she tells and illustrates her story but I still felt like there was something missing – like a depth of emotion.Even in scenes depicting being in the middle of NYC on 9-11, I didn’t feel the tragedy of that day . In all dealings with anything cancer related, I obviously felt sympathy (albeit detached) but I didn’t get the impression that this was a woman grasping the fragility of her own mortality – that this was a mere inconvenience that halted and threw glittery & sparkly plans askew. I can’t believe that the authoress did not wrestle with really deep fears during this time in her life and I would have loved to get a glimpse at that. Those who aren’t familiar with a lot of graphic novels may say,”Hey, it’s a COMIC.It’s not supposed to be deep!”, but on the contrary, “comics” can (and often are) be VERY deep and delve into matters beyond the superficial.What I’m saying is, I appreciate dealing w/ a serious subject by using humor. After all, humor is an amazing survival technique when dealing with harsh reality but it felt too “fluffy” and not emotional enough. To me. Others might appreciate a very light take on a breast cancer survivor when so many memoirs dealing with the topic are obviously dark,sad & emotional. Hormonal & Pregnant Me only cried ONCE during the whole book – and I cry about EVERYTHING these days.
The saving grace of the book is the activist aspect. Like I said before, Marchetto has started a Cancer Vixen Fund and is outspoken on manners relating to breast cancer awareness. She is in a great and powerful position to give a voice to breast cancer awareness and it’s always awesome to be the person who can stand up for the cause and help prevent women from being cancer’s bitch.
Etsy/Artfire Find: geek details
I love my new keychain from geek details :
There are several meanings to this button I have found.
To a South Park fan, it’s just another episode.
To a WoW Geek (aka World of Warcraft player/virtual warrior ) , it’s a…hmmm…..I don’t know what it is. A quest or an achievement or something. Something the game tells you you have to do to get whatever it is you need. Levels or honor or whatethehellever. I’m told you have to hug a dead enemy. Sounds fun.
To the WoW Widow like myself, it’s a anti-warcraft protest statement, much like a modern day techy version of Lysistrata. Put down your weapons or you’re not getting any lovin’!, the Greecian women proclaimed. In my house it sounds more like, “I’m going to bed right now. If you want to get laid, you’ll get your ass off the computer and follow me, NOW.And no…I’m not role-playing or dressing up like some slutty Night Elf tonight.”
My library gives you a mini-version of your library card to put on your keychain,like a keycard. I am still trying to find a concise explanation of what “Make Love Not Warcraft” means to these mostly elderly, bookish women. I suspect that no matter how I describe it,I will still end up with that blank-Temperance-Brennan look, followed by “I have no idea what you’re saying”.
Enough about my new keychain,though, even though it is fabulous (well-constructed, nice quality, unique – all the awesomeness you look for in handmade items). geek details has a nice array of goods to express your inner geek. My WoW Widower spotted this “For the Horde” serving platter and I could see that he was thinking of smashing my Grandma’s china into a zillion pieces to use for mosaic tesserae so he could have an excuse to replace them with an entire set of these babies. (he scoffs at 14″ plates being called platters. That’s dinner plate size to him. What is it with this big burly Tauren men and their eating?)
Beyond World of Warcraft expressions, there are plenty of other geeky sentiments in the form of art prints,cards,drinking glasses,buttons,keychains and more. Sentiments close to my heart ,like “River Tam could kill Chuck Norris with her brain” (because that is so totally true) and “You’re a great friend…but if the zombies chase us, I’m tripping you” (is it wrong that I’ve actually said this to my kids before? I’m kidding,you know. I might trip the neighbor’s kid but not my own) .
And my current-events favorite:
I think this a button we can all get behind right now, unless of course you’re one of the Big Guys who are lobbying FOR CPSIA regs.
You can check out geek details on both Etsy (there is more inventory to chose from there…including geeky Valentines I love) & Artfire, as well as seeing what else is going on at the blog.
Jupiter Reviews: 4 Months,3 weeks,2 days
Review Disclaimer: Simply put, I tend to suck at reviews. Maybe some day, I’ll die and be reincarnated as a writer for Rolling Stone & have that certain eloquence needed for writing a stellar review.Right now,in this life, I struggle beyond “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it”.Also, expect spoilers.
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Set in Communist Romania in the 1980′s during the Ceauşescu era , 4 Luni, 3 Saptamâni Si 2 Zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days) takes place during the course of one day in the life of two female students who are friends and dormmates, Otilia and Gabita.
Brief Romanian history facts not really told in the movie: Ceauşescu wanted to increase the population of Romania and banned all contraception and abortion, with some exceptions. Women who were over a certain age and had already had at least 4 children were allowed contraception & abortion but otherwise ,it was illegal. Childless couples were penalized for failing to conceive. If a woman was caught using contraception or obtaining an illegal abortion, she faced life imprisonment, as did anyone found aiding her.
Gabita is pregnant and with the help of Otilia, has arranged to have an illegal abortion. On the morning of the big day, Gabita sits and waits in her room while Otilia rushes around bartering,trading and borrowing money and finalizing details. Gabita was to arrange for a room in a particular hotel specified by the abortionist, Domnu’ Bebe. Otilia arrives at the hotel to find that there is no reservation made, leaving her to find a different hotel, leaving her short of money for the abortionist.
Gabita’s involvement in her own abortion is shockingly passive. Some may see this as a poor frightened young woman paralyzed with fear. I ,on the other hand, was extremely irritated with the character, finding myself at points in the film, wanting to slap her silly . Her friend works her ass off to raise the funds, make necessary arrangements and risks being arrested with harsh imprisonment, while she has little involvement in the process. While Otilia is clearly stressed at the burdens she has undertaken, Gabita’s demeanor is casual worry as she allows Otilia to be responsible for the whole mess.
The few things Gabita was to handle on her own, she dropped the ball on, causing the situation to be further complicated and dangerous for both women.Afraid the abortionist would not go through with the procedure, she lies to him,telling him she is in her first trimester of pregnancy. In fact, she is more than 4 (nearly 5) months pregnant. This point alone infuriated myself – and illustrated even further her lack of responsibilty in the situation. In countries where abortion is legal, 4 months does not fall into the legal parameters, for obvious reasons. The abortionist demands more money or comparable “payment” from both Otilia & Gabita , making the scenario even more dirty and degrading that it was before and furthering Gabita’s debt to Otilia’s burdens.
The abortionist presents himself as the good guy, who is her only option out of the mess she’s gotten herself into,but of course, he’s far from the good guy. There is no other choice but to comply to his demands. He’s providing a service she needs and there isn’t anywhere else she can go.
The story is based on a true one that was told to writer and director Cristian Mungiu, that had a deep impression on him. There is of course speculation as to what Mungiu is trying to say with his film. Is this a pro-choice or anti-choice film? My feeling is that it is solidly neither and both at the same time. It’s an “It is what it is” film, showing the true scenario of illegal abortion.
There’s a “graphic” scene that shows the aborted fetus, passed by Gabita on the bathroom floor. Unlike a horror movie that might just show you a mere seconds of some gross and horrific horror, the camera stays on the aborted fetus for an impossibly long time and as shocking as it may feel to some viewers, it was the point. This movie IS about an abortion and the aborted fetus proves that point.
In case you’re wondering, this is what a fetus looks like at approximately 4 months,3 weeks and 2 days.
It may seem like this would help to drill the pro-life (anti-choice) point deeper, but that isn’t necessarily the case . The film shows what happens in a country where contraception and abortion are made illegal and reproductive rights are revoked. Seen through the eyes of someone (like myself) who is unshakably pro-choice and has had her own abortion, it’s an example of why it is we should always have the legal choice available.
Others may interpret it to suit their own position and that’s perfectly fine. The film is a cinematic achievement, regardless of what point it proves and to who.
Jupiter doesn't have cable or satellite….
….but she has a library card and a Netflix account.
Netflix
Kid 1:Mom,I forbid you to watch this movie.It is way too weird.
Me:What’s wrong with it? Why is it weird?
Kid 1: It’s just…weird. It’s really….weird. It has all this weird stuff in it and weird things. It’s weird.
(Maybe this isn’t a good time to mention this but Kid #1 is an English major in college.)
He really should have known that once I’m “forbidden” to do something,than I MUST do it. That’s how I roll.
After watching it, I can honestly say, he was right…it is weird. For me to say something is weird, that’s saying something.Margot (Nicole Kidman) is visiting her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) ,who is marrying Jack Black. The acting was wonderful, with Nicole Kidman doing wonderfully as the kind of meddlesome know-it-all bitch we all know in real life and can’t stand. The movie is riddled with tons of sexual tension in places it doesn’t seem to belong and there’s awkward unexplained events that aren’t funny,just weird. Margot and her sister are chatting about a non-present sister “Becky” and say “Poor Becky..she had it the worst. of it…and then raped by the horse trainer!” Then Margot and Pauline both laugh hysterically,like it’s the funniest thing ever. I expected that the reason this is funny to be explained to some degree at some point in the movie and it never was. I still can’t figure out why that was so funny.
Also during this chat, Pauline tells Margot’s son Claude that Margot was so cool n college and used to send her cool music,.like X.Sorry,but there is no way Margot was ever into listening to X.
And what is with Margot’skid’s random statement to her in the middle of a parking lot,”I masturbated last night.” Okie dokie then.
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Charlie Bartlett – If I were to make this movie,i’d take away the shine and polish and give it a “Pump Up The Volume” edge (which i thinks it was kind of trying to be) and maybe throw in some “Heathers” flair.
“Holy crap…THAT’S Tyler Hilton? He’s hot.” -Me
Sometimes it takes a fauxhawk and some leather to help see hotness factor.
“THAT girl….that’s who should be playing Bella! Not the other girl! I should do casting” -Kid#3
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Heavy Metal in Baghdad – Those kids down the street who play mediocre music need to watch this. They don’t know how good they got it, practicing in a heated carriage house in back of the guitar player’s rich daddy doctor’s house. No worries about rockets coming through the side and flattening your practice space (or them) or bombs falling on one of your shows or a slew of other things they completely take for granted when they cover Metallica.
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Shark Week! Season 1! Disc ! – with follow up trip to Wegmans to see a real Mako shark!
“What is this? This is boring.I don’t want to hear about some shipwreck.I want to see sharks!Eating people.”-Kid 1
Narrator: The Phillipine Sea is home to some of the world’s most dangerous sharks
Kid #3: Dang.I was thinking of going on vacation there.
Library Card
The pilot episode is included and starts out the disc. In color and no Yvonne DeCarlo, the original treatment lacked a lot .Favorite Episode: Rock-a-bye Munster ,where Lily custom orders the hearse-dragster combo that becomes The Munster Coach and eavesdrops on Lily and Marilyn and misunderstands the snipets heard and thinks there’s a new baby arriving,not a car. Herman’s reaction to what he think is his new son – hysterical.
“Hey,the little boy Elmer was played by Peter Robbins,who also was the voice of Charlie Brown. ” – Me, asserting my title as Queen of Useless Trivia.The children were unimpressed
“Mom,it isn’t THAT funny” – Kid #2
(It was. What does she know. She thinks Pete Wentz is like,the best bass player ever.)
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True-ish enough story about kids at MIT who go to Vegas to count cards and take home lots of money. Like Rainman ,but with Kevin Spacey masterminding instead of Tom Cruise and non-autistic kids who were smart enough to get into MIT. I am easily annoyed by over-voiced narration that sounds like it was written by a scripwriter who also writes college commencement speeches “It was the time of our lives…blah blah blah”
Kate Bosworth is so damn cute. It’s really ridiculous. Enough with that already.
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Finding Nemo- The littlest one had never seen it.That had to be remedied.
Kid:#2″Mom,why does Dorrie remind me of you.”
Me:”Um. Who are you again?”
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Eddie Izzard: Definite Article- Eddie Izzard is the cure for menstrual cramps and general malaise.
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The most exciting moment of this movie is when it opens. David Drayton is an artist who paints movie posters for studios. On his easel is a work in progress…a movie poster for The Dark Tower. The idea of even the slightest possibility of a Dark Tower movie makes me squee with delight.
I fell alseep before the end and missed the religious nutcase getting killed. A damn shame.
