Let me first start off by saying that I’m a HUGE fan of M. Night Shyamalan and I would follow him anywhere. His style and craft are amazing; the way he molds his films is intriguing; his imagination is anything but limited.
That said… I feel like The Happening could have used a little fine tuning. GREAT concept-what happens to mankind if nature turns against us? But it was lacking something and I can’t really put my finger on it. Those of you who have been following M. Night from the beginning may pick up on it. It was disturbing, don’t get me wrong. FAR greater than anything else he’s done.
**POTENTIAL SPOILER HERE** but I won’t give it ALL away. The premise is that this force of nature causes people to loose their ability to communicate, then freeze in their footsteps, and are driven to commit suicide. So all throughout the film, we’re constantly seeing people kill themselves; a bit disturbing. It isn’t until the end that we’re FINALLY given those moments of on-the-edge-of-your-seat, Hitchcockian suspense that M. Night does so well. I guess he opted more for the shock value of seeing people shoot themselves then creating, building and controlling suspense. There’s also just enough gore to drive home the point that people are killing themselves. Aaaaaand the music was a bit distracting. I felt there could have been SO much more done with less “disaster themed” music.
The acting is nothing to write about…hence the reason I haven’t done so. The girl, Zooey Daschanel, was a bit too goofy to be taken seriously, and Mark Walberg never went any deeper than surface level. A bit…bland?
There were parts that reminded me a LOT of Signs: Pennsylvania fields, the farmhouse, being trapped inside said farmhouse and not knowing what’s outside…that sort of thing.
All in all it’s a good film and I’ll buy the DVD, but I felt it was missing just enough to make it a little less than what I expected.
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I love summer. The heat, the humidity (believe it or not), but most of all the refreshing cocktails!
The Mojito (moe-HEE-toe) has long been a summertime staple. It’s fresh, crisp, and citrusy. The basic mojito consists of muddled lime, fresh mint and light rum. Well, I was in the kitchen today experimenting with said basic mojito and created an AMAZING new drink. I call it, The Mojito Sunshine and I’m going to tell you how to make it!
What you’ll need:
1/2 lime sliced
1/4 orange sliced
1 tsp sugar
a few sprigs fresh mint
Ice
2 oz Orange Flavored Rum (I used Cruzan Orange Rum)
Cranberry Juice
Soda water to add fizz (optional)
What you do:
In a mixing glass muddle the lime, orange and sugar. (Muddle just means to mash. You can use a muddler OR a spoon–or any blunt object) You want to muddle until it’s nice and juicy and the sugar is somewhat dissolved.
Add the mint and muddle a few more times to break the mint and release the flavor.
Add the ice and rum.
Shake vigorously until well mixed and chilled.
Pour directly into a rocks glass (or a tall “highball” glass)
Add a splash of cranberry juice and the soda water on top. Do not stir*. Serve with a sprig of mint and a straw.
ENJOY!
*because this is a “build on ice” drink, the separate colors are part of the presentation. Your guest will naturally stir it all together once they have it.
Wow, it’s been WAY too long since my last post. February 16th I think it was.
So much has happened since last we met that I don’t even know where to begin. Suffice it to say that I’ll fill you in as we go along and continue to write this next chapter together.
Here are the basics: I’m working for myself again doing freelance visual design (www.tobysturgill.com–be sure to check out the portfolio and vids), I’ll be bartending part time at the new Boscos in Coolsprings starting next week (they’re STILL not open–inspection delays, ugh) and I’ve decided to stay here (Nashville/Spring Hill) for a while. Yay!
So…I can’t promise posts everyday, but I AM back and will be around the blogosphere.
You have probably seen Pen Spinning in one form or another. Perhaps it was a classmate who was spinning her pen effortlessly around her thumb, or a colleague hand twirling his pen in a meeting. Pen spinning is a form of contact juggling that uses a small writing tool, like a pen or a pencil, to perform different tricks that not only sharpen your skills, but also amaze people.
The Pen Spinning Association Japan was established last year and plans to gather pen spinners from around the country for a national competition this year. Hmmm.
Check out Pentrix.com for more info and/or watch this video to see what it’s all about.
A lifestyle trend that first started back in 1960s Denmark, co-housingmay be making a comeback among progressive Gen Xers and Ys. Similar to communes but with more personal space, co-housing communities are intentional communities—usually consisting of between 20 and 40 households—created with the aim of having close interaction with neighbors, sharing resources and living sustainably. While each family lives in a private home, all residents take an active role in planning, designing and managing the community and share common facilities such as a large kitchen and dining room for group meals, laundry facilities, childcare, and tool sheds. Homes are usually placed in close proximity to not only facilitate socializing, but to also conserve the utmost green space which is used for gardening, exercise and playgrounds. There are currently over 150 co-housing communities in the United States in urban, suburban and rural settings.
While co-housing used to be a fringe movement, it is now resonating with Xers and Ys who are starting families, searching for community and looking to pool resources. NY residents interested in becoming a part of such a community can join the recently formed Brooklyn Cohousing Groupwhich is hoping to create a housing complex in the kid-friendly Park Slope area. Unlike other planned communities, co-housing residents do not share a common economy, belief or religion, but are devoted to building a community support system. Turnover in co-housing communities is low and there are often waiting lists for new residents. As people become more strapped for both money and time, this will become a trend we’ll be hearing more about.
Most people would question the purpose of such a website and wonder what made this award-worthy. Well, just click the “next” button and be mesmerized as the patterns build on each other.
Experience the safety features of Mercedes-Benz on this site that embraces visual effects. This is a perfect example of how the web is changing and merging by using the skills of Hollywood-style special effects and 3D artists. The site plays out as a moving video but also has interactive hot spots so you can get more detail if you wish.
These men are installing and setting solid steel pillars in concrete to stop vehicles from parking on the pavement outside a sports bar in downtown Norman OK. They are cleaning up at the end of the day.
How long do you think it will be before they realize where their vehicle is parked?
And better than ever!
