How did we go from this:
To this…
Winter is definitely here! Even if it isn’t officially. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving yesterday! 🙂
The Hunger Games, Mockingjay Part 1 Review: Jennifer Lawrence IS the Mockingjay
If you haven’t read the books, or haven’t seen the latest Hunger Games movie, Mockingjay Part 1, beware there are spoilers ahead.
The last time we saw Katniss Everdeen, was in Catching Fire after she had destroyed the arena and was picked up by the rebellion. In Mockingjay Part one, Katniss is left to pick up the broken pieces of her sanity, and to come to terms with the things she didn’t know existed before: namely, the rebellion and district 13.
In the excitement to remove her from the crumbling wreckage of the quarter quell, Peeta was captured by the capitol. District 12 was destroyed, and the remaining survivors find sanctuary in District 13. Although destroyed on the surface many years ago, district 13 managed to survive underground with the leadership of President Coin, who runs their district with strict military precision.
This is something that’s difficult for Katniss, because she is sick of being told what to do, and where to go, especially when all she wants to do is escape the pain of the people she has lost. She agrees to be the Mockingjay, a symbol of the rebellion, only if Peeta and the other victors that were captured are rescued from the Capitol. The Mockingjay will be promoted in a series of promos to help encourage the districts to join the cause and fight against the Capitol.
What is most noticeable about this movie: the intensity. Everything has been brought up about ten notches. The first two films are mostly told from Katniss’ perspective, which is true to the novel, but for the fist time, we get a more elaborate view of the events that are happening outside of Katniss’ point of view. We see exchanges between President Coin, (Julianne Moore) and game maker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymore Hoffman), and also scenes between Plutarch and Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks). There are also, numerous shots of the rebellion that happen in the other districts as well.
Emotions are high; fear, and anger and heartache simmer just below the surface and it’s not difficult to catch the emotion behind the revolution, the need to fight for the right to live. This change in perspective makes sense, as Katniss’ state of mind is not always completely together, and it is clear that there is something larger at stake here.
Katniss is often joined by her old friend Gale, (Liam Hemsworth) and new friend Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), but she obtains new friends in her entourage; the most surprising (and bad-ass looking) is one member of her camera crew, Cressida (Natalie Dormer) who some might know as Margaery, on Game of Thrones.
If the great cast might not draw you in, how about the soundtrack? Lorde recorded four songs for the film and even Jennifer Lawrence has her own track. Although she claims she is a terrible singer, the song she sings in the film, “The Hanging Tree,” is hauntingly beautiful and almost eerie in the way it lingers in your mind afterwards. There is no other actor alive (I believe) that would be able to play the role of Katniss so well.
“Fire IS catching.”
Here’s a look at J-Law’s awesome singing:
Masterchef Junior Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: Cupcakes, Ramsay’s Mum, and Shepard’s Pie
Tuesday’s episode starts out with a team challenge; the top ten are presented with cupcakes and while they are devouring their delicious treats, they get the bad news: whoever has the same cupcake as them will be their partner in the next round. The task: to make a dozen high quality cupcakes, but they won’t be just standing side by side, it’s a three-legged race!
Source: Fox. Contestant Adaiah, who’s been shaping up to be a top contender.
The teams are: Abby and Mitchell, Sam and Adaiah, Levi and Samuel, Sean and Logan, Oona and Josh.
The idea is to work together on a dozen cupcakes, yet everyone seems to be doing two different flavors. For some of the kids, being tied together is more awkward than others. Joe teases Oona about being tethered to Josh after the challenge is done, to which she amusingly protests with a loud “No!” Ah, well, at ages nine and ten, I still thought boys had cooties too.
In a bit of fun, the judges are tied together as they inspect everyone’s cupcakes. I love how they don’t seem to be taking themselves as seriously this season. They are essentially the teachers, yes, but why not have a little fun, too? And a key part of the entertainment is lightening the mood in moments of stress. I think they’ve got it
down in a nutshell. When asked if being tied together was difficult, Gordon’s like, “Now you know what its like when you are married.” Har. Har.
The top three groups had the best cupcakes: Sam and Adaiah, Abby and Mitchell and Sean and Logan.
Sam and Adaiah’s cupcakes are chosen first. They made an orange honey bosom cupcake, and a vanilla cupcake with raspberry. Abbey and Mitchell also impress with their cupcakes. They made a Mexican hot chocolate cupcake and a peanut butter cup cupcake.
And also in the top three again: Sean and Logan, who impressed the judges with their culinary skills. They made lemon basil cupcakes and a chocolate raspberry cupcake with a creative candied sugar on top. The cupcakes are gorgeous; they really do look like a work of art. Logan says that, “Sean really brought it with the presentation, and he
brought it with the flavor.” They also are the only ones that had a cupcake with a filling in it.
Source: Fox
Naturally, Sean and Logan win the mystery box challenge and gain an advantage in the next round. Their cupcakes really were quite stunning.
Gordan Ramsay’s mum stops by for a visit. When asked about her son’s success, she chalks it up to trial and error. I love it! For the next challenge, Sean and Logan get to choose from Gordan’s three favorite dishes that his mom used to make for him: fish sandwich, chicken curry, and Shepard’s pie. And Ramsay’s mum will stay as a guest judge.
I personally don’t think this is completely fair, as Gordan grew up in the UK, and the stuff that he was eating as a kid isn’t necessarily what kids in America would eat on a regular basis, but then again, these kids are adventurous little cooks and aren’t intimidated by a little bit of curry.
Sean and Logan choose Shepard’s pie for the next challenge.
Surprisingly, Oona struggles for the first time. Most of the kids, it seems, have never made or tasted Shepard’s pie before. It is heartbreaking especially to watch Oona, who is nine years old going on thirty, and claims that she has never done so badly before.
Levi, Abby, and Samuel come out strong, although, Samuel seems to stretch the limit a bit by deconstructing the Shepard’s pie, when they clearly said to elevate it, not take it apart. Mitchell also struggles which is tough to see, because we know that he is a top contender. Sam also breaks down when he accidentally makes his potatoes too runny. Graham is quickly there to offer encouragement, but he doesn’t seem to bounce back.
Adaiah and Levi have the strongest dishes again, while Mitchel and Sam get sent home. It’s getting more and more difficult to watch the kids get sent home, especially when we are just getting to see their personalities. And the worse part: watching them cry, because I hate to see them cry.
You can tell it’s also hard for the judges, too, but they also encourage, and their words of advice are uplifting for the heartbroken kids. And yes, they should be proud to be in the top ten best junior cooks in America.
Next episode the top eight make fried eggs and it looks like we are getting into the best and brightest. Not surprising that some of the oldest kids on the show are some of the last in the competition. They seem to have the advantage of consistency so far.
Here’s a peek at next week’s episode:
Interstellar Review: A Movie that Thrills with Theoretical Science
My boyfriend asked me why I haven’t written up a review of Interstellar yet (which we saw in I-Max a few weekends ago) and to be honest, I didn’t know where to begin. There are a few things I am sure of, however, and that is one, Interstellar has imprinted itself forever in my memory, and two, nearly three-hours of I-Max will make you sick.
Yet despite the motion sickness, Interstellar is a movie that just begs to be talked about. There are a lot of themes and topics to digest: mortality, life and death, cowardice, good vs bad, theoretical science, time, love and fifth dimensions. And that doesn’t even include the incredible worlds you will see.
****Mild spoiler’s ahead. I discuss a summary of the plot, and highlights. No major plot points spoiled.
Source: Paramount
But first, a brief summary:
Interstellar is about Cooper, (Matthew McConaughey) a retired pilot and engineer, and his family, who are farmers, or trying to be. Their world is dying, old ways are written out of history; the world needs food, not scientists. And while the farmers are planting and trying to grow food, blight and drought are killing the crops, and the dust storms that arise are killing the people.
Prompted by a mysterious message, (which turn out to be coordinates,) Cooper and his daughter, Murphy’s Law, or “Murph,” (Mackenzie Foy,) stumble upon the secret remnants of NASA.
NASA’s plan to save the people on earth is to look for other worlds to live on and Cooper is just the pilot they need. Cooper finds himself traveling across Interstellar space with Dr. Brand, (Anne Hathaway) to see if the scientists that traveled on before them have found livable worlds.
It’s been more than a week since I’ve seen the movie, yet the visuals and certain scenes are etched forever in my mind. They encounter a black hole, a smoldering glorious bit of CGI that could be a character by itself; frozen landscapes and on one world: waves as tall as mountains.
While the scientists face many obstacles in their near-impossible task to find a sustainable world, their real enemy is time: Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. They maintain their ‘present time,’ but meanwhile, their loved ones on earth are growing older, having babies, getting married. It makes sense: it takes time to get places because they are so far away, and while they maintain their present age, their loved one’s lives pass on without them.
Source: Paramount: Cooper and his daughter, Murph, look to the sky as they stand in front of their farmhouse.
I did find a dummy version of Einstein’s theory of relativity here, and even then it is several pages long. Much of the science in Interstellar is based on scientific theory.
Take the black hole that Cooper and Dr. Brand encounter, for example: it’s the projection of a formula developed by Kip Thorne, an astrophysicist, whose math was used to create what is conceived to be the most accurate simulation of a black hole. More details on his involvement in the movie and the science behind Interstellar can be found here, at wired.com. He even has a book on the matter appropriately titled, The Science of Interstellar.
Einstein explained it best this way: “The more massive something is, the more gravity it produces. Objects like stars and black holes do this so powerfully that they actually bend light and pull space and time with it.” (wired.com)
The giant black hole they encounter is called Gargantua and certainly lives up to its name. Without this incorporation of theoretical science, the movie would not exist, as time and gravity is so important to the overall story line. With this in mind, Gargantua could be a character in the movie, and because of the incredible graphics, it certainly gives you the impression that it is alive in some way.
Source: Paramount: The black hole, “Gargantua.”
Like Inception, there is so much to digest in this movie. All the mind-bending twists and turns, the confusion of time; its only major flaw is its length, (it is nearly three hours long,) and the pounding score when scenes get intense.
The length of the movie did not bother me; I love a movie that makes you think, but there were some moments where the score in the film was too loud, especially near the end. It was not necessary (I thought) to express the urgency in the film with loud, pounding music, you could already feel that through the character’s emotions, the quick cuts to each scene and the dialogue. But I imagine this will be something that will get cleared up before it comes out on DVD. Inception’s score was much the same way.
Despite that, however, there isn’t a movie out there right now that is in any way like it. You can definitely see the complexity and the richness of many years of scientific research played out on the screen. And the emotion behind every action, every character’s choice is heartfelt and true. This is one of Christopher Nolan’s best.
And once you see Gargantua on the big screen, you’ll know exactly why.
What did you you guys think of Interstellar? Are there certain scenes that stick out more than others?
**Note, I didn’t want too many spoilers in the review in case someone were to stumble on this without seeing the movie. At any rate, if there’s something you want to talk about, leave a comment below!
Short Story Page Update: “Endtown”
Today is a lazy day. I meant to run errands, but it’s dismally cold out there, and there is hot coco in the cabinet and cold pizza in a fridge, and what with that waiting for me, what more can a girl want? 😉
How about some writing and a short story update? I have added my story “Endtown” to my short story’s page, which you can view up there ^ at the top of this website or here.
The short story focuses on Genevieve, a teenager who died way too early. Both her and the friends she makes there are in Limbo, or “the in-between,” in neither Heaven or Hell. They are the Watchers; the eyes that no one sees on earth, silently helping the Angels fight a war between the demons.
The thing they never tell you when you are saying your goodbyes: how quiet death is. For a long time she felt like she existed, except there are no formal introductions to the places you wake up in. In Sunday school she learned it this way: You go to Heaven if you are good; Hell is for the sinners and the unclean. But what she didn’t know, was that there were places that existed for the In-Between. Limbo wasn’t just for those who slept and never woke up.
It was the story I did as a continuation story on here. I was very proud with the characters and story that came out of it. I can certainly see the potential for more stories to come from this. 🙂
Happy Writing!
Oh, and for those doing NaNoWriMo, are you doing so much better than me? Is someone actually getting some writing done? (siigh). Best of luck to us all!
MasterChef Junior Season 2 Episode 2 Recap: Citrus Pies, oh my!
Why do we love Masterchef junior?
I think there is a key phrase in this week’s episode, and that has to be: “Gordon Ramsay doused in syrup.”
MASTERCHEF: Contestant Oona in the all-new “Junior Edition: Flip It!” episode of MASTERCHEF airing Tuesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Greg Gayne / FOX. © 2014 FOX Broadcasting Co.
The judges kicked off this week’s second episode in good fun – the three that had the best dishes in last week’s episode, (Sean, Oona and Samuel), had a challenge to see how many pancakes they could cook and stack in five minutes. Each kid is competing for one of the judges and whoever wins, gets to ‘save’ their judge from getting doused in syrup.
Although Sean wins the challenge, all judges end up covered in sticky goodness and pieces of pancake get tossed at Gordon Ramsay and get stacked on top of Joe’s bald head. Pancakes do seem to make a good hat, by the way.
Anyway, as winner of the challenge Sean gets to pick what the other kids will be making: Citrus pies. AND he gets to pick another competitor to sit out of the challenge with him. He picks Mitchell because he knows that Mitchell is good at citrus pies and would have made it to the next round anyway.
I think its adorable that these kids at such tender ages are so confident at making certain things. And the creativeness is high: key lime pie, raspberry lime, grapefruit, blood orange; but like any competition, I get nervous just watching these kids work.
Will they get their pies done in time? What if it turns out wrong? And the terrible thought: What if they go home after this challenge?
I hate to see them cry.
Samuel over-complicates with his multiple flavors, Adaiah wows with her blood orange pie, and Oona once again impresses the judges with her consistency. It’s a shame because the kids that don’t get a lot of face time are either in the bottom four or are just average and skating by. While last episode I was uncertain about these new batch of kids, their personalities are definitely starting to shine, and who doesn’t love Oona, right? And Logan, with his Dad who’s a politician, and that goofy grin and bow tie.
Levi shows his brilliant baking skills with his key lime pie, and Abbey who is the youngest in the competition, makes a phenomenal blood orange pie, which she creatively tops with jelly beans. I thought it was a daring move, but Gordon seemed to like it.
And while we were just beginning to see their personalities, Natalie and Jessica were sent home. And just last episode, Natalie was a top contender. I’ve seen other competitors go home because of baking challenges, and I guess this is no different. Not every great cook is a great baker, too.
I didn’t agree with the judge’s decisions – I thought Josh’s pie was worse than Jessica’s,
but I guess they thought pecans didn’t really belong on a cream pie. Poor girl.
Next week, it looks like a three-legged race, and another chance for the top ten to prove what they can do. While the pancake challenge was fun, and the three-legged race in next week’s episode looks equally enjoyable, I think it is time to remind the producers that these kids are cooking on an ADULT level, so how about a few more adult challenges, eh?
It’s amazing to see what these kids can do when faced with the ability to let their imaginations run wild. Ah, well, there’s still several more episodes to go! Who would have thought: a raspberry lime pie? Sounds fabulous!
I’ll be tuning in next week for more delicious confections, that’s for sure!
Here’s a peak at the new season:
Why MasterChef Jr. Is the Best Cooking Show on TV
I was going to write up my own review, but this one is about what I was going to say, anyway! And better said, too! I want to add though, that I thought last season felt more staged. It was definitely more dramatized – whether or not on purpose, I don’t really want to think about that too much, but at any rate, I was very happy to see “Big Al” return and offer his advice to this new season’s batch of kids!
The Faces that We Wear
It’s easy to seem like an angel on social media – especially when all that you post is positive things: your boyfriend giving you flowers, going out to dinner, making food, shout-outs to friends you haven’t seen in a while.
Me at Clear water beach, Fl. (I love these sunshiny pictures of myself).
What is important is the face that you wear when no one else is around. And for me that includes: Sunday morning hair all lop-sided to one side, standing in front of the refrigerator in a nightie, gnawing on cold chicken wings and pizza.
(Oh, and I forgot to add the little happy dance I do when I eat something that is yummy.)
The point? We all present ourselves in a different way depending on where we are…and if you are the rare individual who is able to treat everyone with the same type of sauce, then good for you. You are rare and few in between.
Most of us don’t have that luxury. We wear our professional faces to work, our worried ones find comfort from Mom, the harassed need-a-glass-of-wine look we share with our girlfriends (or maybe that’s just me), and our significant others see everything in between, bare skin and all.
And maybe that’s the point I’m trying to make. We may wear different faces to different people but its the face that you wear when you are around your significant other and yourself that is the most important of all.
He or she is the one who should know your faults, should know what makes you cry, should know that you’re not always an angel, despite how hard you try to be. 😉
Its our faults that make us who we are. I know I’m not perfect. I’m stubborn. I’m whiny. I suck at housework. I’m grumpy in the early morning, I take three-hour naps and I’ll eat food until it makes me sick; drink wine on a week night.
Yet, despite my flaws, I have managed to find someone who loves me in spite of all those things. (And I didn’t even mentioned the winter blues that I get.) He puts up with me and I with him, and isn’t that true definition of belonging?
To love someone’s insides and outsides, despite the many different faces that we wear. Love is a many splendid thing. And sure, love is blind.
But maybe that’s the point: No one is perfect. And we should never pretend to be.
Pancake Saturday!
I think I have a secret desire in life to make every pancake known to man…case in point: today’s breakfast!
Chocolate chip and apple pancakes. (I was going to make orange pancakes, but I didn’t have any orange juice. They sound fantastic though!)
I like making them small…they look so cute on the plate.
And they are wonderful when paired with any side…Like breakfast sausage, of course.
Today is a lazy Saturday, and I thought I’d take a moment and enjoy it. I don’t get them very often, but when I do, they are glorious. 🙂
I like the sleepy feel of a Saturday morning, when you can shut off your alarm and sleep in. When the sunshine creeps its way into the window, promising freedom…either relaxation in the unexpected warmth, or adventures in the bright sunshine, in the air and the blue sky, of a moment where you can look up and bask in the empty spaces.
A lot happens on a Saturday, or not at all. It’s your choice to do what you will. Maybe shopping, maybe baking…maybe a day trip to the mountains or ocean (if there is one close by). Maybe its the day where you buy antiques…you are forever looking for that pepper shaker that matches the salt shaker that your grandma has.
Maybe its the only day you get to spend time with your kids; so you take them to the park, buy them fast food and send them back to Mom with stinky stains on their shirts and smiles on their faces.
Maybe its a project day: time to get that painting done on the house that you haven’t had time for. Change the oil in your car.
If you are an artist, maybe its the day you paint, or a writer: the day you work on crafting that story that needs a lot of work. Maybe you write a letter to a friend you haven’t seen in a while.
Or maybe, you have to work. And another day is your “Saturday.”
But whatever the case, Saturday is like a gift…something that brings us joy the moment the day unwraps it for us.
I like to spend mine with good food, company and my projects. I have some laundry to get done, to finish painting some picture frames and a story that needs a plot. Today is already a busy day, and I don’t intend to waste it.
How do you like to spend your Saturday, or days off? 🙂
What’s For Dinner Tonight: Beer bread, and Cheddar Corn Chowder!
Someone mentioned to me on here that he likes a good food post now and then, and since I’m a foodie myself, I say: Bring it on!
What’s for dinner tonight?
That’s bacon for a garnish on top! YUM!
Only beer bread with a fantastic Cheddar corn chowder, which is chocked full of potatoes, corn, ham and bacon. You make this fantastic cheese sauce for it and it all comes together in this wonderful melody of stick-to-your-ribs goodness. Found the recipe, here.
I was also surprised with how easy the beer bread came together, too. Just flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and beer. Pour butter over the top and viola! Buttery crusty goodness. Like everything, I googled this recipe, and you can find it at food.com, here.
Doesn’t it just look fantastic? And why haven’t I made this stuff before??
Beer bread: a sweet, hearty bread that is buttery, with a crunchy crust that is fantastic for dipping into soups. I’m making this one again!
I’m discovering lately that I’m starting to love baking more and more. Call it old age, science or just the fact that its relaxing to mix ingredients and see it develop into a sweet and glorious concoction – I can see how people bake when they are stressed or upset about something. It is definitely a comfort after a long and stressful day.
It was our first time making corn chowder and beer bread and we were so proud with how it turned out! What do you guys like to make?
Got any comfort foods that you want to share? This corn chowder girl is all ears…get it? Get it? 😉
What a nice way to spend this fall rainy night!
Happy Writing (and eating) everyone!
A. J. Morse 