Sunday, December 20, 2015

What's on Screen? Winter's Tale

I know everyone else is watching Star Wars, but there's other movies that are available to watch. I'm not ready to see the new movie yet, even though it sounds like it's good. So how about something lighter, yet still imaginative?



Winter's Tale
2014/color/118 minutes
Fantasy

A fantasy film with a basic plot of good versus evil. It starts off in early industrial America, and we see people fall in love, as well as go through tragedy. At first to be honest I thought it was going to be a movie about fairies, or fairy type creatures. But I was surprised to have this thought dashed seeing a familiar face (Will Smith I think) playing the part of Lucifer.

There's a surprising twist as the movie gets closer to it's end. And I'm trying not to give away anything that would be a spoiler because this really was a great movie to watch. Though, I may recommend watching it in Summer because it has a very cold feel to it.

This is a family friendly film, though it may not hold the attention of younger children. It's very mellow though, and I would recommend it as one to curl up with someone on the couch to watch. It's nice to watch something that isn't gory or terrifying for a change.

Monday, August 31, 2015

School is starting soon!

So it's time to look at a topic that is a bit uncomfortable for some people. But it's been brought up and rehashed a lot in the media, as well in schools. Today we're going to look at bullying. I know that many of you aren't worried about it. But here's the thing. Being aware of how something works and havig the knowledge of how to react to a situation is very important.

To start we should look at what the basic definition of the problem is. By knowing how something is defined we become more aware and our ability to identify it in action improves. Bullying is defined by StopBullying.gov as follows.
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.

Which isn't necessarily clear about what can be percieved as bullying by various individuals. This isn't necessarily science, as each of us are unique individuals and have our own quirks. But the site also gives a clear break down of 3 specific types of bullies that people may have the bad luck to encounter. Verbal, social, and physical bullying are the three kinds that they give rather extensive elaborations on.

What they don't look at though, which has become a real problem since so many kids are spending so much time attached to technology, is cyber bullying. Of course you can argue that cyber bullying is a combination of two out of the three offered types. Verbal and social. This is something to think about when you're posting on facebook or other social media.

So really when you go to interact online you should think about what you're writing or making available indefinetly. Things that go out into the digital world are never completely gone. So be aware that something you may say off handedly, without thinking about it, could come back to have negative repercussions. Yes you have the freedom of speech, but what you say and do should not be done with the intention of hurting someone.

Poster a resource from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
Now I know that most of you aren't going to find this interesting or useful. But in truth there's specific people that this is intended for. I'm really hoping that they find the time to read and look this over. But for those of you that might be interested in looking further into the topic, or have a strong opinion on the matter I'd like you to think about the following.

HeyUgly.org looks at various ways to prevent bullying, as well as looks at the topic of suicide prevention. They offer a variety of perspectives and resources for both students and adults for raising awareness as well as how to campaining against both societal problems.

HeyUgly.org also runs various contests that can help youth to think about the topics. By participating, it helps to make them think deeply about the ideas, as well offers them the opportunity to win a prize. Currently they have contests running for the following: acronym, essay, photo, poetry, songwriting, and video. If you want more information go to their site. It's the thirteenth year that they're running the contests. So if you're between the ages of 7-17, you may want to look into them.

If you have another resource that you use or find interesting, please feel free to share it with us in the comment section below. I'm always interested in learning about new programs. Being informed, after all, is half the battle.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Music Monday

Today is a monday! Which means that we may as well have some music to get us through the week. I know that it's been a while, but it's about time that we go ahead and hearf some things new, maybe some things old. We're definetly leaning into the steampunk spectrum today too.

Anyway I hope you have an amazing week and that you're doing well. We missed you!

The Ford Theatre Reunion - Famous Monsters
 
 
 
Steam Powered Giraffe - Scary World
 
 
Digital Daggers - Fear The Fever
 
Veronique Chevelair - Vampire Surprise
 
The Scarring Party - No More Room


Sunday, August 9, 2015

Not Lost...

But not yet found.

It's been a long while now since I've sat down and managed to attempt any updates here. To be a little honest, there's really been very little to say. My life isn't very exciting and it's been turning into a rather mundane and boring thing. Yet, it's unfair not to let you in on the story. Just because I don't find it particularly interesting currently, doesn't mean that some of you won't enjoy bits and pieces here and there.

Since March things have been a little busy as far as what I've been doing out in the world. I suppose maybe I should give a month by month synopsis of what's been going on. But it's not always as simple as just saying Hey! look! listen!

Before I get to far into things. Yes I'm still subbing at the school. (for now at least, am lucky thay're still letting me). Every other weekend (unless something comes up that I have to do) I get to spend with my good friend Emma, and sometimes we're lucky and get to see Amy too. And yes I do have a significant other still.

MARCH
We (meaning the whole family)participated in the Old First Ward Saint Patrick's Day Parade.

APRIL
April saw a lot of Easter time activities.

MAY
May was a little wonky weather wise.

JUNE
In June things were a bit quiet on the event front. But I did get to attend and interesting training event.

JULY
We helped decorate the float for the fourth of July in Orchard Park. The church float took second place. While it's nothing more than a plaquard, it was still nice for them to be recognized. It's a lot of hard work to put together a float, and it isn't easy to play music live on a moving float either.                     

 
And now it's August. This month is going to be rather busy in itself. Not that it's a bad thing. But at least this way I've checked in and anyone that was curious about whaqt I've been up to won't feel so out of the loop. Not that I really think anyone has been concerned about what I've been up to.
 
On the plus side, If I can get things figured out I may be able to set up a regular schedule sometime in the near future. But for now This is just a checking in post.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Looking Irish?

Yes we all know that with March upon us there's that very green holiday coming up quick. So just for giggles, I thought I'd share some fun things to add a little fun to your Saint Patrick's Day celebration. Now don't ask me what I'll be doing. I know that we'll be participating in the parade in the city. I don't know the date yet, But I'll be sure to let you know when I find out.






So we all know one of the stereotypical things that happen on Saint Patrick's Day is drinking. Is this because of tradition? Or stereotypes? I'm not really going to say one way or another.

This fun sweatshirt from DentzDenim on etsy is sure to make you the talk of the party. It has a large shamrock and ribbon that declares "Irish Today, Hungover Tomorrow". A great sentiment many folks seem to share on the holiday.

available here on Etsy







That not quite your style? Maybe you're having a party and would like to add a flicker of fun to the decor. How about some beer bottle candles?

These soy candles from LiquorWicks are sure to provide that bit of flare. Plus you can select the scent you prefer! These candles are available in: Macintosh Apple, Cinnamon Sticks, Mango Papaya, and Cucumber Melon.

Available here on Etsy



Maybe you happen to be a household with a number of children. How about some arts and craft ideas to try and keep them busy, as well as give your home a celebratory feel?

Second Chance To Dream has a great list of 15 different kids crafts that you can try out. They cover a great variety from rainbows to leprechauns.

Check it out in their blog post here.




Movies for different holidays are a dime a dozen. I know it's a bit harder to find something for Saint Paddys, after all the movie a number of my family members have made into a modern tradition for it is the Boondock Saints. But I would like to recommend something a bit different.

The Secret of Kells is full of gorgeous artwork based on old knot works and illuminations. It's a fantastic story about an old Irish religious treasure.

Read more about the film here on Wikipedia.



Well that's all I have for you today, sorry it's a short bit of selection. But we can't all make lists a million miles long. Besides, who would read it if I did?

Thursday, February 26, 2015

MADNESS COMES IN PAIRS


Character interpretation is something that is done in the entertainment business frequently. It's done to offer varied perspective, as well as alternate possibilities. We all know that there is more than one side to a story. So it was fun to see a look at what someone else thinks could have been a possibility for one of my favorite characters, Harley Quinn.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

What's on the Screen? Pom Poko

Movies are something that a lot of us take for granted. But I've had the pleasure to watch a variety of different films of late, and I'm going to share my thoughts about a few of them with you over time. Today I want to tell you about a film we watched called Pom Poko. Now I know not everyone has heard of it, and I'm sure some people consider it to be a classic. But I've only seen it for the first time recently.



This movie was absolutely adorable. It centers around a group of racoons and their homes. It also gives racoons the ability to transform. Throughout the movie this leads to some adorable images. It also helps them as they try to solve their problems.

The movie (spoilers here) focuses on the idea of urban sprawl and the problems it causes to nature. Human buildings invading the countryside reduce the space for animals to have their own habitats and homes. This is a fact that most people can understand, but to see it displayed and presented the way it is in the film leads to a number of questions.

But the biggest one is what can people do about it? While we cannot expect other folk to do the same things that we do, we should remember that our own choices change the things around us whether we can see these changes or not.

I do recommend this as a film to share with the family. While smaller children may not understand what the film is really saying, they will find humor in some of the situations. As with most Ghibli films the artwork is beautiful and the landscapes are as beautiful as paintings, so the film has points for everyone to enjoy.

^_~

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Be My Valentine?


Yeah, that's what I thought.

But "WHO" really needs a Valentine anyway?


Thursday, February 5, 2015

Emma


I like this video because of the colors in the video. I'm not entirely sure what type of video it is. But it's interesting. It has a horror like aesthetic, and it has a sad story.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Fifty Shades of Grey (MUSIC) & Personal Update

Yeah, I know that I haven't been posting regularly for a while. But by now I'm sure that some of you that are regulars know what the reasons really is. Anyways, some of what I'm posting today is cut over from a different blog. But don't worry, I totally have permission to do it. (After all, I wrote it ^_~)

You know, I'm sure the few of you that remember a write up I did about the book 50 Shades of Grey(if you missed it, that's fine it was at another location and I'd prefer not to have it here), know how I feel about the idea of a movie. I'm far from, excited about it. But I was intrigued when I logged into my email at the library and Projekt Records had sent me an email about an album. Not a formal one, sort of a what if we did it type deal.

So I thought about it for a second and realized that some of you might enjoy a chance at experiencing the album too. After all, we all like new music.

Check it out at the Projekt Records Web site.

(No this is not spam, it's more of a rush rush rush I wanna post something so you all know that I haven't forgotten you more than anything else.)

As far as the MOVIE is concerned, I have mixed feelings really. I assume that they will have sanitized it to some degree in order to be able to show it in movie theaters and not be classified as pornography. So we shall see what happens when it does finally release.

We already know it will get a great turnout initially due to the books popularity. But that doesn't mean that the movie is good. It just means that there are a lot of people that are interested in seeing the imaginary brought to play visually.

^_~ Anyway check out the album and we'll see you soon, I hope ~_~

Miss you all tons
_______________________________________________

It's been a long while since I've posted anything. I do apologize for that. I'm sorry that I've been offline. But you already know that there's not much that I can do about it. Yet that's besides the point. I'm sure if you're still reading the blog, you're more interested in what I've been up to.

The past few months have been a rather strange adventure.

In December I had the pleasure of experiancing my first Christmas themed haunted houses. Now you might think that it sounds strange, but it was a fun thing. I went to them with my good friends. So a small group, but far better than going alone.

New years eve, I went to Niagara Falls with my brothers and their significant others. Why? I'm sure many of you know how cold it is all over the north east parts of north america. So the idea of being out in the cold at night seems to be a bit stupid. Yeah, it was a bit of an odd idea with it being so cold.

But there was a concert at the Hard Rock Cafe, free to anyone who wanted to come to the guitar drop. It was great. We missed the first of the three bands. But we got to see Dirty Smile, and Theory of a Deadman. It was a lot of fun and the bands handled the cold well. The crowd was a bit smaller than they were probably expecting. But you can be sure that the people that were there enjoyed it.

                                                             Dirty Smile : Siren

January, was been a month full of cold days. It was rather bitter. Beyond that there's not a lot to complain about. But even so there isn't really a lot to be declaring fantastic either. But I guess this is enough of an update for now.

For those with more curiosity, that may know me better, there's more. You always know that there's more. But right now, y'all don't really need to hear about problems. As February rolls in, let's just hope that things start to improve. that's all we can ask for