Things That Make Me Smile

Here are a few things that made me smile today:

1. Neil Gaiman (i.e. one of my most favorite authors) is the "Honorary Chair" of National Library Week. National Library Week helps to celebrate libraries - which as a lover of books and all things free, I am totally on board for. If you want to learn more about this event you can check out the American Library Association webpage at: http://www.ala.org/



2. Up - I just received my latest Netflix DVD, Disney's Up which I am extremely eager to watch. My last two movies (500 Days of Summer and The Hangover) have been fantastic, but I'm in need of a feel good kids movie right about now.



3. Lastly I have recently begun watching The Big Bang Theory on CBS and caught an episode where one of the main characters incorporates psychological theory (behaviorism) into teaching another character correct behavior. Needless to say the psychology geek inside of me smiled...

Synergy's Organic & Raw

In keeping with my New Year's Resolution of trying something new more often I decided to try Kombucha:

According to Drugs.com (http://www.drugs.com/):

"Kombucha is not a fungus or a mushroom, but rather a gray, pancake-shaped patty that may grow up to 0.15 m in diameter. The patty is placed in a mixture of black tea and sugar to ferment. Technically, the fermentation becomes a mixture of yeast and bacteria (ie, Bacterium xylinum, Bacterium gluconicum, Acetobacter ketogenum and Pichia fermentans)"

Doesn't that sound lovely? Well Kombucha has apparently been creating some sort of craze as the next big health drink. Combing reviews I have found there is quite a large fan base for this drink that boost such claims as helping cure anything from Cancer to Acne.

Curiosity got the best of me and I decided to try Synergy's Organic & Raw- GT's Kombucha. I chose Divine Grape as I figured "I like grapes." I decided to try it tonight. Pulling a newbie mistake I shook the bottle in an attempt to mix the drink more (there are cultures floating around in the drink and needless to say I was a little weirded out at first), completely forgetting the whole fermentation process...within seconds of opening the bottle promptly fizzed up. You would think that would be what I was focusing on - nope, what I was focusing on was the smell...Vinegar! Instantly I decided drinking from the bottle would be a bad idea and poured half in a cup. I can't exactly describe the taste but it is definitely growing on me. While I doubt I will be miraculously cured of any ailments I may be suffering from with just one try, I will admit a slight boost in energy or a buzz if you will.

Verdict: Not bad, I may buy it again but I don't think I'm quite a convert. The taste and smell is a little off putting at first - be warned this will not be like drinking fruit juice - that being said it has definitely grown on me. I am still a little weary about anything claiming to cure all these illnesses, and a little weirded about by the floating cultures - but find that the buzz is a nice alternative to either coffee or energy drinks.

Check it out at: www.synergydrinks.com for information about Synergy's drinks, where to purchase these drinks, and Kombucha.

"Success is falling nine times and getting up ten" - Jon Bon Jovi

So the great start to 2010 has been a bit side tracked by a recent visit to my local ER. While I admit going to a Chicago ER is something that I hadn't done prior to living here, it wasn't a goal I was aiming to complete. Needless to say I am somewhat bed (or at least apartment) bound for the next few days after taking quite a spill on a patch of ice. This leaves me with the perfect amount of time to catch up on movies and mind numbing Internet surfing, as the medication leaves little in the way of allowing me to actually concentrate. Here are a few things that made me quite happy in the last few days...

1. Bradley Cooper - yes I finally got around to watching The Hangover and I'll admit...I loved it! I found it hilarious and in the process grew to develop a wonderful celeb crush on Cooper, whose recent ads for the A-Team movie have featured him and his prominent abs wonderfully. Check out Coopers abs and the rest of the team in the A-Team movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjTP9VR1DfQ
2. Brunette and Pink - I love reading blogs, and this is one of my new favorites to read. Beauty and fashion dominate here, and everything is easily accessible for those of us (like me) who love to look fashionable but don't necessary have the gene (or the wallet) for looking like Angelina on a daily basis. Check out the blog at: http://brunetteandpink.blogspot.com
3. Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows by Urban Decay - with Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland helping to build the hype up for all things Alice, Urban Decay also pays homage with their newest collection. I saw a picture of the set and fell in love. Not only is there a great set of eye shadows, but the box also features a pop-up-scene of Alice. Its a limited release so I am hoping I can snag one before they are all gone. Check it out at www.urbandecay.com
4. Steampunk - while searching through websites for ideas in which to decorate my apartment I came across the concept of Steampunk and absolutely fell in love. Steampunk decor is a combination of vintage/Victorian and metal (gears, clock parts, etc.). Etsy (www.etsy.com) has a ton of steampunk inspired artists and a great website to check out is The Steampunk Home (http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com) for some great ideas.

The Magicians

I admit I picked up Lev Grossman's "The Magicians" mainly because I had heard it being called the "Harry Potter for adults." In the novel Grossman tells the tale of Quentin, a college hopeful. Disenchanted with the real world he longs for Fillory, the magical world told about in his favorite childhood story series. Extremely smart (by conventional non-magical standards), Quentin is accepted into a magical college, where he quickly learns that magic does not solve all one's problems, and sometimes creates many others.

I had had my eye on this book for quite sometime, and after much deliberation over the hardcover book price, decided it would be a end of the semester indulgence. Let me start by saying this book is not Harry Potter. There is sex, drinking, swearing, and real adult problems. Needless to say that does not mean that Grossman does not interweave some elements often in the form of humorous jabs at the famous boy-wizard. One of the reasons I loved this book was that there was the element of reality - magic does not solve all problems, nor does it ensure one is happy.

In keeping with interweaving fantasy and reality, Grossman does a fantastic job of creating the characters of the book. None are too archetypal and each has his or her own flaws. As a lover of fantasy I found myself drawn to Quentin - whose idolization of the magical is soon staunched by the sharp pangs of reality that so often entrap us as adults (yes at the age of 24 I am using that particular word).

Overall I really enjoyed this book. While I found the dialogue at times to be somewhat stunted, the book generally had a nice flow to it, and I often found myself disappointed at having to put it down. Despite its comparison to another famous magical book series I feel that it can (and perhaps should) be read and appreciated separately. The reality and fantasy mix was refreshing and something I wish could be incorporated in more novels. I recommend picking up this book (or borrowing it from your local library).

(picture from Lev Grossman's website: www.levgrossman.com)

Avatar

I managed to catch Avatar right before I left for the holiday break. Slightly hesitant at the hype surrounding James Cameron's triumphant return to the big screen, I admittedly braced myself to be disappointed...I wasn't.

By now most people have either seen the film or read summaries about it so I will spare another account of the film and simply jump right into my take:

I felt overall the movie was extremely well made. Plot-wise I was impressed. The characters were well developed, and nothing felt too forced. The political message, while there, was nothing that felt too imposed upon the viewer (though I have read some reviews that disagree). Often there was this tug to side with our heroic troops in the movie, while recognizing that in this particular film they are not the heroes. I particularly enjoyed the development of the Na'vi, the native inhabitants of Pandora. The language, rituals, and the sense of community of the Na'vi being a stark contrast to the militaristic and economic environment of the humans. While I found at times the plot seemed to drag, overall I found myself engaged in the struggle that was showcased on the screen. (side note: while I recognize that the 2+ hour long movie felt long I also recognize that for a film of this size a film shorter in length may not have done it justice)

Visually the movie was astounding and deserves all the praises heaped upon it. I was initially skeptical in learning the movie was in 3-D as my previous experience with 3-D movies have not been the best (i.e. nausea, jumpiness, etc.). I was pleasantly surprised to find that rather than applying the typical "images jutting out of the screen" technique used in many 3-D films Cameron instead chose to use the 3-D viewing as it was intended...to enhance the movie. My favorite part of the movie by far were the luminescent landscapes of Pandora, which was absolutely beautiful.

Overall, I highly recommend seeing this film in theatres, as the stunning visuals will just not be the same on the small screen.

Happy New Year!!

Its 2010, which means its time for resolutions!! While I have notoriously not been a fan of the often broken New Year Resolutions I feel like I can confidently list several I at least will attempt to work at this year:

1. Procrastinate less


2. Be healthier (i.e. exercise more, eat healthier, floss more, etc.)


3. Learn how to cook (specifically how to flip a pancake)


4. Explore Chicago


5. Wear more clothes that aren't black


6. Spend less


7. Be a better friend


8. Try more new things


9. Organize/clean more


10. Laugh more

I am full of hopeful promise for this new year and am wishing everyone nothing but the best for 2010!