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Monthly archives for May, 2007

New Flooring

May25
2007 Written by Editor

Even though my home is only six years old, it looks and feels like we’ve been living here at least twice as long as that. We’ve experienced more wear-and-tear than usual — primarily because we have a very active toddler and two boisterous dogs in the house with us. Between my son zooming around on his push cars and my dogs chasing their toys all over the place, our hardwood flooring has taken a beating. Since my husband and I are committed to making home improvements this year, getting new flooring is near the top of our list.

Towards that end, I’ve been checking out flooring off and on over the past couple of months, and have been bookmarking websites that carry products I like. For example, I just found the DiscountFlooring.com site today, and was impressed by the sheer quantity of flooring options available for purchase. They offer hardwood, laminate, cork, bamboo, ceramic, stone, vinyl, rubber, glass, and even steel flooring. I’ve never seen that many choices on a single site!

In addition, the DiscountFlooring.com contains many informative articles about different flooring types. These articles cover everything from installation to maintenance and repairs, and provided a great deal of insight that will help me make a final choice.

Right now, I think laminate flooring would be our best bet. Some of the styles look really good, and the low prices are pretty attractive as well. Hopefully this type of flooring will be able to stand up to my son and my dogs. We’ll have to wait and see!

Posted in Products

My Life Without Me (2003)

May24
2007 Written by Editor

My Life Without Me Sarah Polley Mark Ruffalo Amanda Plummer Scott Speedman At the risk of sounding morbid, I actually like watching movies that feature death as a major theme. I’m not talking about slasher flicks or anything like that; I mean movies where the main character or characters know they’re going to die. It’s just interesting to see how different people react to impending death in different ways. So when I heard the premise of the 2003 Isabel Coixet film My Life Without Me, I knew I had to watch it.

Plot Summary (with possible spoilers): Sarah Polley stars as Ann, a 23-year-old who has a life more befitting someone 10 years her senior. She’s been married since she was 17, and already has two children. Ann also finds out that she has ovarian cancer that has already metastasized and is spreading throughout her body. Her doctor tells her she only has a few months to live.

Given that information, Ann reacts with more calm and resignation than I’ve ever seen. Instead of going through the classic stages of grief, beginning with denial and anger, Ann simply accepts what she’s told and goes about creating a list of 10 things to do before she dies.

She then spends the rest of her days trying to accomplish the various tasks on her list, which includes such things as finding a new wife for Don (her husband, played by Scott Speedman), making love to someone else (that would be Lee, played by Mark Ruffalo), making someone fall in love with her (Lee again), and making tapes for her girls to listen to on each birthday until they turn 18.

At no point does Ann tell anyone else that she’s dying. She just quietly goes about her life as usual and, although her death takes place offscreen, viewers are left to assume that she dies just as quietly.

My Reaction: I have to say that I did NOT like this movie at all, mostly because it just didn’t seem realistic on ANY level. Why would Ann not want to tell anyone that she was dying? The rationalization the character gives in the film is that she didn’t want her to spend her last few months in the hospital and didn’t want her girls to have those kinds of memories of her.

But I don’t buy it. Why would anyone want to deprive their loved ones of the chance to say goodbye? I know if I were dying, I’d want to spend every minute possible with my husband and son. Ann, however, thought it was a good idea to leave her kids with a babysitter so she could go screw around with some random stranger she picked up at a laundromat. WTH was that all about? And did Don really deserve to be treated that way? He seemed like a totally nice guy who loved Ann and their kids. Way to repay that kindness by wanting to sleep around, Ann!

And I just hated the fact that a potential new wife candidate — also named Ann — just happened to move next door before main Ann died. Well that was pretty damn convenient, wasn’t it? Plus, new Ann hit it off with Don and loved the girls, too…. uh huh.

I guess it’s possible that someone out there would react to impending death the same way Ann did, but I don’t think this particular approach worked in My Life Without Me. The whole thing felt incredibly false and contrived. As a result, I’m giving the movie 2 stars out of 5 and advise you to just skip it.

Posted in 2-Star Movies, Drama

Lost Season Finale

May24
2007 Written by Editor

Lost Logo I haven’t been watching Lost this year, so I have no idea what’s going on with the Castaways and the Others on the island. However, many people have been buzzing about the season finale already, with some people calling it the best episode in the last two years and others calling it utter crap.

I did NOT see it, but I do have some spoilers here. Don’t read any further if you don’t want to know!

Apparently, there’s a huge showdown between the Castaways and the Others, with Jack finally beating the hell out of Ben. Also, Charlie dies, although I don’t know if that was as a direct result of the fracas or not.

At any rate, the biggest topic of discussion was the segment that looked like an ordinary flashback showing Jack as an alcoholic and drug addict. But then he meets up with Kate and tells her that they were never meant to leave the island and have to go back — meaning that this was actually a flashforward!!

I barely understood the freakin’ plot when I watched the show every single week. There’s no way I can make sense of this stuff now!

If you want to read a good discussion thread, check out the Lost forums on TWOP.

Posted in TV Shows

Thanks to my sponsors!

May23
2007 Written by Editor

I just wanted to make a quick post here to thank the sponsors that have purchased advertising space here at Reviews and More. Your support helps keep this website going, so I really do appreciate your business!

To my readers: please consider clicking the links over at the top of the right-hand sidebar if you’re interested in any of the following products or services:

Posted in Announcements

Rugged Carhartt Clothing

May23
2007 Written by Editor

My husband is one of those guys who buys assembles his wardrobe based on durability and functionality over everything else. He is always on the go, always tinkering with something out in the yard or the garage, so he prefers to wear rugged work clothes even on the weekends. In fact, his closet is filled with Dickies and Carhartt clothing because those are two brands with longstanding reputations as the most durable threads around.

The best thing about Carhartt is that they offer a full line of clothing that is suitable for practically any occasion. For example, they have coveralls, bibs, and dungarees that are perfect for anyone that works in a rough-and-tumble environment. Plus, Carhartt also features a wide selection of casual clothes like collared shirts, t-shirts, jeans, shorts, and sweatshirts that are great for everyday use.

I’m glad my husband has found a couple of clothing brands that fit well, look good, and last a long time because it makes shopping for him a breeze. And thank goodness for online stores like SuperCasuals.com. They sell Dickies, Carhartt, and a bunch of other name brands for much less than bricks and mortar stores, so we’re going to have to start making our purchases there from now on!

Posted in Products

Spy Kids (2001)

May23
2007 Written by Editor

Spy Kids Antonio Banderas Carla Gugino My son has been sick the last couple days, so he’s been staying home from school. In order to keep him somewhat entertained, I allowed him to choose a movie for us to watch together. He selected Spy Kids, the 2001 Robert Rodriguez film starring Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino. Here’s what I thought of the movie (from an adult’s perspective).

Plot Summary: Banderas and Gugino play Georgio and Ingrid Cortez, a couple of former spies who decided to give up their lives of intrigue when they got married so they could settle down and have children. They end up being typical suburban parents (at least on the surface) who drive minivans, send their kids Carmen (played by Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) private school, and worry about common day-to-day issues.

Of course, they’re really still “consultants” for their former espionage organization — but that simply isn’t thrilling enough for them. They want to get back and see some real action for a change. Georgio and Ingrid get their chance when they are informed that several of their fellow agents have been reported missing. The agents are believed to have been kidnapped by Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), the host of a children’s television show. Floop, along with his minion Minion (Tony Shalhoub) isn’t as innocent as he looks: he’s actually involved in a plot to send an army of robotic child clones out to take over the world.

This is enough of a hook to pull Georgio and Ingrid back into action. They call in Uncle Felix (Cheech Marin) to babysit for a while, and then they set off on their adventure. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for them to get caught by Floop and his men.

Simultaneously, Floop’s Thumb-Thumbs attack the Cortez residence. Uncle Felix has time to send the kids off to the safe house while he stays behind to try to fend off the intruders. Once in the safe house, Carmen and Juni start to piece together their parents’ history. They figure out the whole spy thing and realize that it’s up to them to rescue Mom and Dad. They readily assume the role of spies themselves and set off to fight Floop and save the world.

My Reaction: I was pleasantly surprised by Spy Kids. I know director Robert Rodriguez has quite a resumé of great films, but I didn’t think he could pull off a kids movie — and make it pretty enjoyable for adults as well. I liked the fact that the filmmakers chose to make the whole thing wild and creative. I don’t think Spy Kids would have been half as good if they had taken themselves too seriously.

The plot was too complex for my 4-year-old to follow, and he wasn’t very interested in the visual effects, so he didn’t like this movie at all. Of course, it wasn’t intended for kids this young, so I’m not factoring this into my final score; I just wanted to include the info here for parents to take into consideration. At least it was only 80 minutes long, so your kids won’t have to sit through a marathon.

Overall, I give Spy Kids 4 stars out of 5. It’s a film that older children and adults can enjoy together, so check it out for your next family movie night!

Posted in 4-Star Movies, Children/Family

Find European Hotels at Eurobookings.com

May22
2007 Written by Editor

I’ve been to Europe three different times. While I enjoyed the sightseeing I was able to do on each of those trips, my overall experiences were marred because of the hotels I stayed at. The hotel in Paris was far too expensive for my budget, which meant I had to cut back in other areas (such as dining and shopping). The hotel in London was so far away from all the tourist attractions that I couldn’t use it as a central base. And the hotel in Rome was just… dingy.

Well, the next time I go to Europe (I know there will be a next time), I’m going to use Eurobookings.com to find my accommodations. At Eurobookings.com, travelers can sort through potential hotels based on a number of different criteria, such as proximity to landmarks or airports, price, popularity, and user reviews. In addition, when you use Eurobookings.com, you don’t actually have to pay for your rooms up front like you do at other travel sites. Instead, you just pay when you check out.

The Eurobookings.com site has lots of other information that travelers would be interested in, including a section on top hotel tips and a very detailed hotel guide.

That’s definitely a lot more useful info than I’ve gotten from other travel sites, so you better believe I’ll be using Eurobookings.com in the future!

Posted in Websites

“Pirates 3″ Trailer

May22
2007 Written by Editor

Pirates of the Caribbean 3 “At World’s End” begins this Friday, May 25th and I already have my ticket! I really like this whole franchise and can’t wait to see the latest installment. I’ve got the trailer right here in case you’ve somehow missed other promos for this film.

It looks like Keira Knightley’s character will have a much larger role in part 3 than she did in part 2. That’s a good thing, as she’s one of my favorite actresses. Too bad the whole romance with Will Turner angle is still in there. She has far more chemistry with Captain Jack, IMO!

Anyway, I hope this movie is just as good as the previous two. I’m so excited about Friday morning!! (Yes, I’m going to a morning show with one of my girlfriends while our kids our in school.)

Posted in Entertainment News, Movies

Touring Africa

May22
2007 Written by Editor

I love to travel, and one of my dream destinations has always been Africa. I think it would be simply amazing to go on a safari and see all those exotic animals up close. I also think that a Kilimanjaro climb would be the adventure of a lifetime, one of those experiences that has a profound and lasting effect on your core being.

Of course, the key to any successful African journey is to go with the right guide, which is why I’m already doing research into this area even though my dream vacation is still years away. I’ve recently been hearing some great things about Tusker Trails, so I decided to check out their website at Tusker.com.

The premier guide at Tusker Trails is a man named Eddie Frank. He was born and raised in Africa, and has been leading successful Kilimanjaro climbs for 30 years now. There are also a number of other seasoned guides working for Tusker, and they all put safety first. That’s exactly what I’m looking for in a tour guide operator, so Tusker sounds like a good bet.

I know I’ll make it to Africa someday. I just wish it could be sooner rather than later!

Posted in Services

24 6X23 and 6×24

May22
2007 Written by Editor

24 Logo Small Kiefer Sutherland Mary Lynn Rajskub James Morrison The final two episodes of 24‘s sixth season aired last night, bringing the latest terrorist threat to a close. The action took place between 4:00am and 6:00am, and just served to tie up loose ends. I have to admit that I was hoping for more of a setup for Season 7, but that didn’t happen. Instead, we get a somewhat happy ending by 24 standards — for everyone except Jack, that is. Here’s a (combined) recap of what happened in episodes 6×23 and 6×24.

Jack/Bill/Doyle/Josh: The episode opens with Doyle and Josh flying to their rendezvous point with Phillip Bauer. Doyle has his orders from the White House: he’s to exchange Josh for the Russian circuit board with no questions asked. Jack doesn’t like this, but has no choice except to go along with it because, well, he wasn’t invited to the party.

Doyle sees a couple of men arriving on shore via a small watercraft, so he proceeds with the hostage exchange. When he goes to test the circuit board, it explodes in his face (it had been rigged by Phillip), which allows the men to escape with Josh.

We then cut to Bill’s house, where the FBI are going through his things. Bill gets a call from Karen, and she asks for his help in extracting Josh. To be honest, I kind of missed the part that revealed Karen’s motivations here. I’m not sure why she was so interested in getting Bill back in the game instead of letting VP Daniels take care of things.

Anyway, Karen gets Nadia to give her the info regarding Jack’s location and she sends Bill to intercept Jack’s transport car. Bill springs Jack from CTU custody, and they head back to the rendezvous point. They find Doyle there and call for backup, then try to find out where Phillip might be taking Josh. Jack figures out that it’s probably an oil platform, and CTU confirms this info for him. Then, for the second year in a row, Jack commandeers a helicopter in the season finale in order to take care of business. Actually, Bill pilots the thing, but still….

They fly off to the platform for the final showdown with Cheng and Phillip. The shootout was pretty anticlimactic, what with Jack hitting everything in sight and not really being in any danger himself. He captures Cheng, finds Josh (who had shot Phillip), and then leaves his father there to die.

Instead of going back to CTU with Bill, Cheng, and Josh, Jack decides to drop into the ocean so he can go find Audrey. He forces his way into Casa Heller, demands to speak with Audrey, and ends up saying goodbye to her — while she’s sleeping and totally unresponsive!!

Then he walks off through the backyard and stares at the sunrise while we get the silent countdown clock.

CTU: Chloe faints towards the end of episode 6×23. In case you couldn’t guess the reason, it turns out that she’s pregnant.

Milo’s brother comes by to clean out Milo’s locker and sign a release for the body. Nadia tells him that Milo was incredibly brave for saving her life. Stewart says Milo wasn’t brave, he was just completely in love with Nadia.

The White House: Daniels orders an air strike to completely obliterate the oil platform despite the fact that there’s an innocent 16-year-old kid in the way. This move satisfies Russian President Subarov, who then orders his troops away from the U.S. military base they had been threatening.

Daniels and Tom Lennox make peace, and then Daniels grants pardons to Bill and Karen so that they can “live out their lives without fear of prosecution.”

My Reaction: That was a rather lackluster conclusion to an already boring season. I mean, there wasn’t any tension in either of the episodes and it looked like the actors were just going through the motions. I can’t remember the last time 24 writers played everything so straight. There were no twists, no turns, no surprises here at all. I kept expecting Audrey to do something crazy just because I knew time was running out on the season and nothing had happened yet. But no — she didn’t even wake up.

Come on now, does Chloe really need to be pregnant? Does this mean we have to suffer through another season of Chloe/Morris bickering? Are Bill and Karen really gone from CTU for good? AND WHAT ABOUT PRESIDENT LOGAN??? Are we ever going to find out what happened to him???

Looking back: what was the friggin’ point of the whole Walid storyline? Nothing came of it at all. Was that just to give us a bit of background info on Wayne’s sister? Probably, since there was ZERO mention of her in the previous five seasons. What a waste of time that was!

I will probably tune in for the start of Season 7 come January, but I’m now giving 24 a very short leash. This show has started to go downhill, so if the producers don’t make good on their promise to bring things back to the way they once were (i.e. lots of action), I’m done.

Posted in TV Shows
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