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STAR RATING:
When I was a young lass of 11, Star Wars was released to the world. Those of you who know me and have read my reviews probably are figuring that I am a sci-fi geek-ette anyway so of course I headed out to see it.
You are wrong.
For months my parents bribed, begged, cajoled and practically stood on their heads to get me to see this movie. I wouldn't budge. You see, a friend at school had told me it was a scary movie and I refused to see it. At 11 I already believed my friends more than my parents.
Finally round about the end of August it ended up at the $1.50 movie theater about a mile from my home. A friend and I finally walked down to see it.
And I went back the next six nights.
The Star Wars: Special Edition was released to theaters several years ago. George Lucas took the opportunity of the movie's 20th anniversary of release to jazz it up a bit.
On VHS, the movie includes a documentary of Lucas talking about the original film versus this version. It is interesting to hear him talk about all that he wanted to do back then, but was impossible from a technical aspect. The crew was already inventing technology to do things in this movie that had never been done before.
One part of the documentary showed how Lucas and crew created the scenes of the X-Wing and TIE Fighter battle around the Death Star. Using various pieces from the model kits of the time, Lucas created a huge set-up in a parking lot. He then put the camera on the back of a pick-up truck and drove by it to capture the illusion of space flight.
The documentary also includes interviews with other members of the crew, as well as Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.
The movie itself in the Special Edition form has been tweaked as well as having scenes added to it. Lucas cleaned up the original print of the film which had deteriorated very badly at the point they went back to look at it. The scene as Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi look over Mos Eisley Spaceport has been jazzed up - ads well as their entrance into Mos Eisley. What looked like a hole-in-the-wall in the original film now looks like a fairly bustling place.
Lucas mentions his affinity for "whimsy" in the documentary, and I believe this is largely his motivation in the additions. There are more scenes that bring a smile or smirk to the face as we watch computer-generated creatures carry on in the background. This is why this movie is ripe for watching several times; there is always some nuance that you didn't catch the first time that will give you a chuckle.
Another scene that was greatly improved was the scene of the X-Wing fighters going into battle. We can now actually see the heads of the pilots in the cockpits as they make their way to attack the Death Star.
A scene of Han Solo with Jabba the Hut was filmed back in the seventies, but was deleted from the movie since Lucas couldn't figure out how to do what he wanted with the character of Jabba. It has now been added in, and gives some support to Jabba's relentless pursuit of Han Solo. It is also funny to watch Han walk around Jabba and step on his tail.
One scene that was revamped that I don't think needed it was the scene of Han Solo with Greedo in the Cantina. The point is made in the new film that Greedo shoots at Han first and misses, while in the original Han takes him out before he has a chance to get off a shot. Supposedly people objected to this, but I think the scene speaks to Han's instincts as a smuggler and as a not-so-nice guy at this point. He is a character we are supposed to see transform between the first film and the third film. The scene as it is in the Special Edition really weakens the character for me.
But Star Wars was, is, and always will be one of the greatest film I ever had the privilege to see. It is a classic story of good versus evil; of people rising up against an oppressive government; of how a farm boy on a desert planet can save the universe. The story is wonderfully simple and makes it easy for children of just about any age to comprehend.
This is one reason why this movie is one the whole family can enjoy. Because it is set in space with battles that are more fantasy than any reality we will know for many lifetimes, it is not a violent movie the way Die Hard or Terminator is. It is pure fantasy, and at the end of this one, the good guys win.
The Special Edition comes in widescreen format - and that's how I like my movies. I know Lucas is reluctant to release these three original movies on DVD, and I think it is because the DVD format is a much less forgiving one. The technology used to create the original movie was not computer generated imaging, but mostly models and bluescreen. This means in any scene not set in space, you will see a black outline around the ships. I have noticed this on quite a few of the DVDs of movies made before the age of CGI.
What Lucas has managed to clean up with the special edition probably isn't to his satisfaction to release the movies on DVD, but I hope one day he will. The music and THX sound from this deserves to be heard in theater-like quality. I would hope that people can understand just how ground-breaking this movie was, and look at it with a less critical eye and a more appreciative one.
Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
I decided to try something different after having the leakage problems with the Gerber manual breast pump. The design on the Evenflo model was so totally different, I figured I wouldn't have a problem with leakage.
I was right.
But the Evenflo comes with a whole host of other problems.
The design is such that you push and pull the pump handle to create the suction. This action means you have to use two hands - one to hold the pump in place and the other to work it. There are also more parts involved which means putting it together is more complicated, and there is also more parts to lose, potentially. Cleaning also is more complicated due to the different parts.
It also does not work well. I was never able to get more than one ounce out of each breast at a pumping, no matter how long I kept at it. It would take less time to feed the baby then to pump out a few ounces.
One of the things I was looking for was convenience to pump while I was away from the baby. This was so hard to use, it actually made it less convenient to pump while away from my baby, leaving me engorged.
On the plus side, the horn swivels completely, making changing hands easy enough. It also comes with a nipple adapter for women who don't quite "fit" (since all of us are shaped a bit different) and a carrying case.
At only $15.99, I thought it was a bargain, but I only used it once and since breastpumps aren't returnable, I threw it away. Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
I used our trip to Disney World this past February as an opportunity to scope out strollers for our baby due in June. I was looking for something that would last at least four years. We decimated two strollers with each of our two kids; they were not even in good enough condition to give away.
One night while waiting for the ferry from the Magic Kingdom, I saw a woman pushing this stroller. The wheels appeared to be sturdy (we broke the wheels off on one of our strollers), there was a large basket underneath for carrying objects, the handle could be pushed with one hand if necessary, and there was plenty of storage space for a drink, keys, a pacifier, etc. up on the handle. I struck up a conversation and she really recommended it to us. I was surprised to hear that there also was an infant seat with this stroller.
I had looked at stroller/infant carrier combos when my last child was born in 1995. At that time, the models available seemed very flimsy to me, so I was skeptical of this stroller combo.
I made a trip to K-Mart when they were having a sale on all Evenflo strollers. I was delightfully surprised when I got a chance to look at the floor model. The way the infant carrier latches onto the stroller is very sturdy. We bought it at the sale price of $139.
I've been using it for two months and this is by far the best of all the strollers I've had. The carrier goes from stroller to the base (which is left in the car) easily. There is only one place to unlatch it. The covers on the stroller and the carrier meet when the carrier is on the stroller, keeping baby completely shaded. The wheels are big and easily go over bumps and up curbs. It maneuvers and turns easily.
The only drawbacks are the handle of the carrier can be difficult to adjust. You have to press in on buttons on either side of the carrier, so you need both hands to do this. Collapsing the stroller can be difficult as well. While I can do the "push up and then push in" motion easy, my mother has tried numerous times with no success. Also, if you're carrying a soda or cup of water, watch out for bumps!
Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
I've been a member of Mypoints for a very long time now. It was actually BonusMail and MyPoints when I first signed up, then the two sites merged to form what is today MyPoints. If you don't set your sights too high, it's an easy way to earn a few things for free.
It is simple, you sign-up and they send you emails. Near the bottom of each email is a link that you can click on to visit the website advertised in the email. Usually you get 10 points for visiting the website. Quite often if you register at the website, or purchase something from the website, you can earn more points. The websites aren't garbage either, some of them I have signed up for I have actually found to be quite interesting and informative, such as Motley Fool.
When you visit the Mypoints website, there are other opportunities to earn points, such as buy purchasing from specified merchants, filling out surveys, or referring friends to Mypoints. Last year I had to buy something from a drugstore, and lo and behold, CVS Online was listed in the MyPoints directory. I earned 2 points per dollar spent there - over 300 points for that one purchase! Not bad considering it was something I had to buy and the CVS Online site was cheaper than my local drugstores.
If you're not expecting to earn huge prizes, you won't be disappointed here. In the more than 2 years I've participated, I've earned more than $200 in Target gift certificates (my favorite "reward") and I just received a $25 gift certificate for the Rainforest Cafe. I like that just fine! The certificates come very quickly in the mail - no long waits!
Unlike other programs such as this that I've visited, the "rewards" can be seen no matter how many points you have. This is good for making the decision whether to cash-out or not.
Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
My family has been going up to New Hampshire in the summer for close to 50 years. A don't miss for us is the Kancamagus Highway. This road travels over mountains through the White Mountain National Forest. There are quite a few scenic overlooks and places to park along the way. If you are a camper, there are also campgrounds here, though I hear that space is difficult to get.
Early in the day we pack a picnic lunch and drive up to Conway. Just before you arrive in town is the turn-off to Route 112 - the Kancamagus Highway. Our first stop is at a very busy parking area known as The Lower Falls. Through the trees it doesn't look like much, but this is a great area for swimming (even if the water is positively freezing). There is a deep pool with very little current at the base of the falls. At the top of the falls is an area where you can sit down and slide in the water on the wet rocks, then get out as the water becomes shallow before the falls.
Note: I do not recommend allowing children to play by themselves here, no matter how safe it seems. Conditions due vary due to conditions such as current rainfall and snowfall the previous winter. I have been there when it was closed off and no swimming was allowed!!
This area attracts quite a few visitors, so if you want to stop and swim, you need to get here early!
Back on the highway, you travel higher and higher into the mountains. There are short hiking trails & scenic overlooks along your way. We've stopped at all of them at one time or another. They make a great spot to picnic or just spend some time enjoying the beauty around you. For the serious hikers, there are an abundance of great hiking trails through the mountains.
Just as you hit the middle part of your journey between Conway and Lincoln (the town on the western side of the Highway), there is the most beautiful view of the mountains. I have always wanted to see this spot in the fall. It is so beautiful in the summer that I can just imagine its beauty in the fall with all of the colors around you.
At the western end of the highway just before you enter Lincoln is Loon Mountain. This is the one part of your day that can end up costing money, so if you're not inclined, don't stop here! There is a tramway that goes up the mountain and caves you can wander in and around at the top. There is also horseback riding, a train ride, mountain biking (rentals & tours are available), and a skate park for those into in-line skating. During the winter, this is a major ski area.
Keep in mind that the only way back to Conway is back the way you came, so if you are staying there, you'll have to drive back. The road is very dark at night and wildlife abounds.
You can pick up a free guide map/brochure in just about any tourist attraction in the area, or you can order a complete tourist guide to New Hampshire by visiting the website: http://www.visitnh.gov/
Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
I confess, I'm a General Hospital junkie. What does that have to do with this? It's what led me to purchase a Snappy.
In my egroups, a few of the other listers have these little devices that they use primarily to create pictures or screen caps from the television. The quality of the pictures looked good from what I'd seen, and I figured I could use it off of my video camera and get decent pictures as well as .avi files.
I went to outpost.com - it's my usual site for ordering various computer products. There were two versions: one with the regular software for $129.95 and one with Adobe Photodeluxe for $149.95. I had been thinking about ordering Adobe anyway, so I opted for the more expensive version.
When it arrived at the house, on the outside of the box it said it contained Adobe Photodeluxe 4.0. Great! I unpacked the unit and began to read the installation instructions.
That's when the problems began.
The Snappy works off of a dedicated parallel port, which means you have 4 options of how to configure your system:
1) You'll need to have any printers and/or scanners on your system connected through a serial port
2) You'll need to disconnect the printer and/or scanner every time you want to use the Snappy.
3) You'll need to purchase a "switch box", although a lot of laser printers don't like this and if you have the printer and scanner connected in tandem, they might not work off of a switch box.
4) You'll have to purchase and install another parallel port for the computer.
Just to get started, I disconnected the printer, but I intended to go with option #4.
While I found the instructions for plugging in the hardware to be more entertaining than your average hardware installation guide, it didn't really explain how to install it. A novice would not be helped at all by these instructions. It tells you to connect the Snappy to the parallel port, but there are two video connections on the side, one called Video In and the other Video thru. No explanation is given for the difference between these outlets. There are also no instructions for where to plug it in on your devices. I knew enough to put it in the Video Out jack on the back of my Cable Box, VCR or DVD Player.
The wire they give you to connect between the video source and the Snappy isn't that long, so I had to make a trip to Radio Shack before I used it to get a longer video cable to hook up to my TV & VCR. If I want to get a sound connection as well, you again have to hook up cables and the ones they include aren't that long.
The Snappy software installed easy and works easy. There is a preview pane where you can view exactly what is being displayed on your source. I clicked Snap and took my first picture.
There is a place to change the resolution, but on my trial run I left it on the default setting. I was impressed. From a video source, the picture was not at all muddy or had any lines through it. I was impressed. I tried it a few more times, always with a great result. The program loads easily and is easy to operate with a basic menu that allows you to create & edit movies, slide shows & pictures.
So now I wanted to have fun with Adobe Photodeluxe. The CD's are in a folded case. The outside of the case says: Adobe Photodeluxe 4.0 I pull out the disc - Adobe Photodeluxe 3.0! What's this? I flip through all of the literature that was included and I found a coupon for a free upgrade to 4.0, but it expired in June 2000. On the box it says that it includes version 4.0 and the CD indicates it should be version 4.0, but that's not what they send you.
I tried to reach customer service, but their phone only rings and rings. I have emailed them, but have so far received no response. Outpost.com's answer was to send it back for a refund, but that's not what I wanted. I wanted the 4.0 software.
So while I am happy with the pictures and the quality, I am not happy about getting a misrepresented product.
Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
I worked for nine years in air freight at Kennedy Airport. During that time, I heard a lot of stories about a lot of things. Which is why, when I picked up the latest Kiefer Sutherland flick when it was at Blockbuster, I felt completely unnerved.
Ground Control is the story of Air Traffic Controller Jack Harris (Sutherland). During a dark and stormy night, a plane he is trying to route into the airport crashes. Overwhelmed with guilt over the 174 deaths, he quits his job and moves to Phoenix where he drinks a lot and designs software. Did I mention his wife and kid left him too?
So if this sounds like a cliche so far, it could be. What bolsters this movie is everything that happens from this point on. Robert Sean Leonard is masterful as Cruise, the cheif controller at the Phoenix airport. He is trying again and again to get Jack out of the funk he is in and urges him time and again to come and help out. Jack resists all along until New Year's Eve comes around and Cruise finds himself working with a minimal crew and a storm is brewing.
There is a great supporting cast of controllers at the airport, and a great many familiar faces including Kelly McGillis, Margaret Cho, Michael Gross, Charles Fleischer, Farrah Forke, and Michael Gross. However, Henry Winkler manages to steal every scene he is in and it's a shame they didn't use him more.
Winkler portrays John Quinn who is trying to keep the computers and radar in the control tower operating even though they are antiques. Getting parts is nearly impossible. Anyone who hasn't worked in the industry probably doesn't realize just how close to the truth this is. I know when I was still working at the airport (a bit more than 5 years ago) they had an air traffic control system that was over thirty years old then. There was always talk of upgrading and changing, but there were logistical problems with getting one system online and taking down another. Whether that situation was ever resolved, I don't know, but this was not isolated to just one airport.
Knowing this, I would say that Robert Moreland and Talaat Captan, the writers, probably knew someone in the industry, because it is way to close to how the situation was in the early to mid nineties.
That said, the movie did not make good use of the supporting cast. The picture runs about 90 minutes, and I have to wonder if a lot was cut from it that would've bolstered this in the needed places.
Though it's rated PG-13, the only real problem would be that your kids could come away with a fear of flying. There is great suspense as to whether or not Jack will be able to hold it together throughout the night, as well as if he will come through when he is needed most.
Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
After having watched the movie by the same name, I was prompted to pick up this classic and actually read it. I also hunted around a bit for the background on the novel.
Dumas was known more during his time for writing plays than novels. The Three Musketeers was originally published in newspapers as a serial and considered "trashy" during its time. The fact that Dumas was such a prolific writer of swashbuckling adventures probably led to this opinion of him, much the same way people feel about authors such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz now (S.K. I definitely feel will be regarded as a classic writer some day.)
I never had the opportunity to read it in a classroom setting. That is both good and bad. Good in that I didn't approach this novel with the avarice I occasionally had for a novel I was forced to read. Bad because I am sure there are hundred of little nuances in the story that I would've benefitted from having them pointed out to me.
Knowing, however, that this was originally a serial explains a lot of the novel. At times it seems to repeat itself, while at others it seems to become an entirely different story.
The story takes place in the early 1600's in France during the reign of King Louis XIII. D'Artagnan and his quest to be a Musketeer are the main point of the novel. The Musketeers are the highly-regarded defenders of the King and Queen. Much of this story centers around the Musketeers defending the Queen from the evil Cardinal Richelieu. Along the way there are a wide variety of side-stories and adventures that take place.
Athos, Aramis, and Porthos are The Three Musketeers. They are each such distinctly different characters who have but the single bond of being Musketeers and loyal to the nobility that hold them together. They answer only to the King himself, as well as the Captain of the Musketeers, Mr. Treville.
During the course of the novel, the Musketeers encounter love, intrigue, betrayal, and murder. The purely evil and mysterious character of Milady is another foe they must face. Her treachery to King, country and her fellow man will undoubtedly bring her down eventually, but how much damage will she do along the way?
The novel is an excellent introduction to classic literature for anyone due to the adventure and intrigue. Anyone age twelve and over should be capable of reading it. However, I think to have a deeper appreciation of the novel someone would have to be a bit older. Reading it in a classroom setting if you can avoid the feeling of being forced to read it would probably be great, and I would like to read it again as part of a study program.
The Three Musketeers is available for free on the web since it is public domain. However, at more than 600 pages in the paperback version I bought, you'd probably end up going through a good bit of toner should you want to print it out. It is also available in ebook form. Be sure to read the unabridged version should you decide to check out this exciting novel. The abridged versions of this book (or just about any book, for that matter) tend to leave out little facts that build up certain characters
Originally posted at Epinions.com
STAR RATING:
I can remember growing up making home-made ice cream. Rock salt, crushed ice... you get the picture. It was not an easy thing to do. The ice cream was delicious, but it was a lot of work.
When I first heard about ice cream makers that didn't use salt or ice, I was a skeptic. They couldn't possibly work, and if they did, not nearly as well as the old-fashioned way. To make real home-made ice cream required work... pain... suffering...
One day I was at Target armed with a $50 certificate I'd gotten from Mypoints. I came across the Deni Scoop Factory ice cream maker and was tempted. I figured what the heck. If it didn't work I hadn't paid for it really anyway.
There are only four parts to this ice cream maker: the motorized base, the stir paddle, a lid, and the canister. The canister needs to be placed in the freezer for a minimum of 24 hours before using. Armed with the recipe for vanilla ice cream which came in the directions, I went at it.
First mistake. I tried putting the ice cream mixture in the canister before turning the unit on. When frozen and just out of the freezer, the canister is cold enough that the mix began freezing right away and the paddle couldn't turn. The mixture had frozen to the sides.
Okay, I cleaned everything up, scooped out the remaining mixture which hadn't frozen and put that in the refrigerator, cleaned everything up, and re-froze the canister.
When I tried it again, I made sure to assemble the Deni Scoop Factory and turn it on. I then added the ice cream mixture through the hole in the lid.
For my first try, the ice cream did not turn out bad at all. It only took about a half hour, and the ice cream was done. I had screwed up a bit, but the ice cream was smooth, not the least bit grainy, and delicious.
The second time I tried it, the mixture ended up coming out a bit soupy. The difference was that after my disastrous first attempt, I had placed the ice cream mix in the refrigerator. This time I'd just mixed it and added it. The ice cream comes out much better if the mixture is refrigerated for an hour or two before you actually use the Deni Scoop Factory.
Any extras added to the ice cream can be added just before the ice cream is done. The hole in the top of the lid makes this easy. The main drawback is that the Deni Scoop Factory will only make about a quart of ice cream, which for some reason tends to disappear very quickly ;-) You may have to adjust other recipes you have to fit this machine.
Clean up is relatively simple compared to the old way of making ice cream. The lid and stir paddle can both go in the dishwasher. The base can be wiped off with a damp cloth. The hardest part of cleaning up is the canister. Even after being out for a half-hour to make the ice cream, the canister was still cold enough that even when I rinsed it with hot water, the water began freezing to the sides. I tried using a towel, sponge or paper towels, and they all began to freeze to the sides as well. I finally ended up leaving it out for a few hours to defrost enough that I could clean it without everything freezing to it.
A big bonus for us is the ability to use this unit to make frozen drinks. We've used it for margaritas and TGI Friday's Mudslides. The Mudslides come out as good as the ones from the restaurants.
My favorite recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup whipping or heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt the unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water. Gradually whisk in the cocoa and heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. (The chocolate may seize or clump together. Don't worry, the milk will dissolve it.) Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended. Remove from heat and let cool.
Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and vanilla and whisk to blend.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours until cold.
Pour the mixture into the Deni Scoop Factory and freeze for 1/2 hour.
Just before the ice cream is done, you can add chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, bananas, nuts, or crushed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. To make chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, before pouring the mixture into the Deni Scoop Factory take 1 cup of the chocolate mixture and mix with 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter. Add this just before ice cream is done so the peanut butter mixture gets swirled through but not completely blended. Originally posted at Epinions.com
