-

-

There is one secret the universe does not know about.  But to find out what that is, you have to ride a somewhat uneven MIB3 all the way to the end.  At times MIB3 is funny and exciting, at times it is boring, and at times it is poignant.

An escaped prisoner travels back in time to kill Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones).  Agent J (Will Smith) then has to travel back to 1969 to stop this from happening and, thus, save the world.  Hmmm, that is pretty much the plot.

Lots of fun dialogue and action in the first 45 minutes or hour.  The story drags in the middle, then picks up at the end when the final battle takes place at Cape Canaveral.  I was hoping for better, but, maybe I had my hopes too high.

OK for the kids but the violence may be too intense for the little ones.  No f-w0rds that I recall.

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched MIB3 at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is still up!  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

It occurred to me that Carol, Kristen, Carol’s Mom (Chau Hong), Lori, and I  all like(d) to go to the movies or watch them on VUDU , Netflix, Blu-Ray, or regular DVD.  Why not do movie reviews?  The movie reviews will come from either of us, some of us, or all of us.

We will include a trailer for each (if available).  Comments welcome, and guest movie reviews are welcome!

2012 Movie Reviews (latest review on top)

“Men in Black 3” Movie Review

“Dark Shadows” Movie Review

“The Avengers” Movie Review

“The Five-Year Engagement” Movie Review

“The Three Stooges” Movie Review

“The Hunger Games” Movie Review

“Journey 2 The Mysterious Island” Movie Review

“The Descendants” Movie Review

“21 Jump Street” Movie Review

“A Thousand Words” Movie Review

“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” Movie Review

“Gone” Movie Review

“Ides of March” Movie Review

“The Vow” Movie Review

“Safe House” Movie Review

“The Grey” Movie Review

“What’s Your Number?” Movie Review

“One for the Money” Movie Review

“Midnight in Paris” Movie Review

“Haywire” Movie Review

“Contraband” Movie Review

“War Horse” Movie Review

“The Help” Movie Review

“We Bought a Zoo” Movie Review

2011 Movie Reviews (latest review on top)

“Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol” Movie Review

“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” Movie Review

“Elf” Movie Review (Christmas)

“Jack and Jill” Movie Review

“Tower Heist” Movie Review

“Puss in Boots” Movie Review

“The Rum Diary” Movie Review

“Johnny English Reborn” Movie Review

“Dolphin Tale” Movie Review

“Bridesmaids” Movie Review

“50/50″ Movie Review

“Abduction” Movie Review

“Contagion” Movie Review

“The Lake House” Movie Review

“The Debt” Movie Review

“Our Idiot Brother” Movie Review

“Paul” Movie Review

“One Day” Movie Review

“Zoolander” Movie Review

“He’s just not that into you” Movie Review

“Cowboys & Aliens” Movie Review

“Take Me Home Tonight” Movie Review

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Movie Review

“Crazy Stupid Love” Movie Review

“Captain America” Movie Review

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″ Movie Review

“Zookeeper” Movie Review

“Hitch” Movie Review

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Movie Review

“X-Men Originals: Wolverine” Movie Review

“Bad Teacher” Movie Review

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” Movie Review

“Super 8″ Movie Review

“The Tourist” Movie Review

“X-Men: First Class” Movie Review

“X-Men: The Last Stand” Movie Review

“Fool’s Gold” Movie Review

“X2″ Movie Review

“Kung Fu Panda 2″ Movie Review

“From Prada to Nada” Movie Review

“Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides” Movie Review

“X-Men” Movie Review

“Thor” Movie Review

“Smart People” Movie Review

“Fast Five” Movie Review

“Flash of Genius” Movie Review

“Taken” Movie Review

“Water For Elephants” Movie Review

“There’s Something About Mary” Movie Review

“Tron” Movie Review

“Away We Go” Movie Review

“Insidious” Movie Review

“Your Highness” Movie Review

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” Movie Review

“Source Code” Movie Review

“The Shawshank Redemption” Movie Review

“Sucker Punch” Movie Review

“Limitless” Movie Review

“The Lincoln Lawyer” Movie Review

“Morning Glory” Movie Review

“Red Riding Hood” Movie Review

“Rango” Movie Review

“Salt” Movie Review

“Drive Angry” Movie Review

“The Lookout” Movie Review

“Unknown” Movie Review

“Just Go With It” Movie Review

“Tangled” Movie Review

“Scoop” Movie Review (from 2006)

“The Kids Are All Right” Movie Review

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1″ Movie Review

“My Girlfriends Boyfriend” Movie Review

“True Grit” Movie Review

Movies to be Reviewed

“Avatar” Movie Review

“The Illusionist” Movie Review

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

A quick note from Caitlin Dong, our first Carol Phan College Scholarship recipient!

-

D-O-N-E. I’m donedonedone. My freshman year of college is over and it definitely feels
surreal. I remember thinking at the beginning of the school year that time could not pass by any slower. In retrospect, the year seemed to fly by. However, I don’t think I could be more ready for summer. Now it’s time to find a job and help fund some of my college expenses!

High school graduations are quickly approaching and I’m sure that all of the seniors are ready to finish off their high school careers. I remember how excited I was to graduate, enjoy the summer of freedom, and start college. Don’t forget to enjoy yourselves, freshman year will pass you by faster than you realize.

Thank you again to Mike Pihlman & all of his efforts and dedication toward the Carol Phan College Scholarship program, as well everyone else who help make it happen – the scholarship money undoubtedly helped out this past school year. Congratulations and best of luck to the new scholarship recipients.

-

Link to all of the ForCarol.com Scholarship Recipients.

-

Thank you Caitlin….you ROCK!   )))

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

For more about Amy and the other scholarship winners..click here.

Here is the picture Amy submitted for the scholarship:

Amy’s $1,000 scholarship was sponsored by Action Jumpers.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

For more about Seokho and the other scholarship winners…click here.

-

-

Seokho Hong, Tracy High, 2012 Carol Phan College Scholarship Essay

My passion in life is computer programming. It’s not simply what I want to do for a living in my future; it’s something I’ve done for many years. I have worked on dozens of major projects not to mention countless smaller ones. I’m quite proud of my programs, some of which I have spent hundreds of hours on. I made a video to showcase a few of the more recent ones (see above).

My first inspiration to program was in fourth grade. I was playing a video game on a Nintendo 64 when it first occurred to me that someone had to make these games. I wanted to try. Unfortunately, fourth graders barely have the ability to program, let alone code entire games. I was mostly reduced to poking at programs, unable to do much until sixth grade. During middle school I wrote in the DarkBasic language, which was simplified to the point where I could create reasonably sophisticated games. I started with 2-D games which included simple puzzle or arcade style games, then expanded later into 3-D ones including a Real-Time Strategy and a First Person Shooter. Of course, the graphics weren’t stellar, but it was good for the work of a lone middle school student. I would perhaps have included pictures here, but the programs were wiped with the loss of the computer holding them. At least I learned to keep copies of them.

By high school, I felt that programming was something I’d continue in the future. I switched to the Java programming language, a professional language that is considered mainstream. I continued to write games, but while coding a strategy game, I was particularly interested in making an intelligent opponent. I found it fun to try to make the computer intelligent enough to defeat me consistently. I didn’t succeed, but I was inspired to switch paths from writing games to creating artificial intelligence, or AI.

Since sophomore year, I have created different sorts of intelligent programs. Games have always been a good arena for intelligence, and a few of my programs are written to play them strategically. I also have worked in the area of computer vision, or teaching a computer to see and identify objects in a picture or a video feed. In particular, I am interested in machine learning, which is essentially writing programs designed to improve and teach themselves.

The programs I have written are obviously not going to change the world. To many people, my programs are perhaps “cool”, but that’s about it to them. In the back of their heads, there’s always the question of: “so what?”. But they are perhaps valuing a program based on what it can accomplish, a standard not always applicable to AIs. At their cores, my AIs perform the same function as any other intelligence, not simply artificial intelligences: to make sense of data. Whether the input is a few numbers, a picture, or a vast database, the task of the AI is the same. The program exists to interpret the information. So I evaluate the success of a program not based on how useful it is, or how complicated the task is, but how well it does its task, how much sense it makes of its data, even if its task is very simple. I’m still in the stages of infancy in terms of creating intelligence, so I’m focusing on creating intelligence, rather than applying them. My hope in the future is to improve my ways of teaching programs, and then put these AI’s to work solving problems in our society.

Artificial intelligence has captivated me from the moment I started working on AI programs. It was one thing to learn, educate, and become intelligent myself, but a whole new challenge to pass this invaluable ability to a computer. As the programmer, I was the teacher of a cold, hard, unthinking machine, to learn to think and make decisions. And while my programs are far from being anything human, there are times when my AIs surprise me, thinking in ways that even I, as its creator, never expected. These moments are the joys of programming intelligence, the moments I live for.

-Seokho Hong

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Filed under: College Scholarships, Drive Safe!, Seokho Hong Tagged: Carol Phan College Scholarship, college scholarships, drive safe, Tracy CA, Tracy High ]]> http://forcarol.com/2012/05/16/seokho-hong-tracy-high/feed/ 0 TelBitConsulting Seokho Hong, Tracy High, 2012 Carol Phan College Scholarship winner ForCarol.com college scholarships Tracy, CA http://forcarol.com/2012/05/12/dark-shadows-movie-review/ http://forcarol.com/2012/05/12/dark-shadows-movie-review/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 16:23:01 +0000 Mike Pihlman http://forcarol.com/?p=3755 ]]> (Campy fun, vintage Tim Burton ending)

-

-

Lori watched the original TV show religiously, I watched it occasionally. Going to the movies to see “Dark Shadows” was a no brainer for us.

Johnny Depp (as vampire Barnabas Collins) teams up with Tim Burton once again….and what you expect, is what you get:  A somewhat restrained Tim Burton for most of the movie, then vintage, weird, scary, Tim Burton for the last 20 minutes (or so).

Wow!

Jilted lover, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), works for the Collins family, and practices dark magic.  She is a witch.  When she gets mad at someone, they die…or worse.  Her anger towards Barnabas Collins for not loving her ends up with him turned into a vampire and placed in a coffin for 200 years, until a construction crew unearths the coffin.

The mistake the construction crew made was opening the casket.  They all died as a very thirsty Collins quenched his thirst with their blood.

A blood drenched Baranbas rejoins the nearly broke Collins family at Collinwood and vows to return them to the wealth they once enjoyed.

“Dark Shadows” is not for kids.  Very disturbing scenes of vampire violence, fighting, and wild sex (that looks like fighting) are comic book  fine for teens, but, could give the little ones nightmares.  There are no f-words, but, there are two s-words.

If you like Tim Burton you will like Dark Shadows.

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched it at the Tracy, CA CineMark theater where our poster is STILL UP!  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Tapping an unlimited power source being investigated by scientists at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) evil ambitious brother, Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) joins forces with a powerful alien world to attack Earth via an access portal.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) gathers various super heroes to fight Loki and his evil army, but, not before Loki forces Hawkeye (local Modesto native, Jeremy Renner) to join his side.

The remaining super heroes form a loose, sometimes contentious, team that is not really effective….and are getting their asses kicked.

A cry worthy event happens (yes…I cried) which finally forces the super heroes to put aside their egos and work together under the command of Captain America (Chris Evans).

Robert Downey as Tony Stark / Ironman is terrific.  His one liners are very funny and the whole theater laughed several times during the movie.  Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk is great, as is my favorite actress *sigh*, Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow. Clark Gregg returns with his terrifically understated performance as Agent Phil Coulson.

OK for kids, no f-words, in fact, no cursing at all.  The action, after a slow start, comes fast and furious, but, is of the comic book variety ok for the whole family.  Very funny one liners caused the whole audience to laugh out loud several times….very cool.

Stay all the way through the credits.  You will LOVE the very end.

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched “The Avengers” at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL UP (look UP when you leave!).  :-)

Did I mention that Scarlett Johansson is in this movie, yup, Scarlett Johansson.  :-)

-

Drive Safe! Never Forget.

Sure hope Derek does not mind me reposting it here for all our readers.  :-)

VERY COOL, VERY CREATIVE.  Here is the web site for U.C. Berkeley.

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Gotta say this movie was much better than I thought it was going to be.  The audience in the theater was small but vocal (turns out our friend Melanie and her friend were cheering, laughing, and interacting as much as we were…how funny).

Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) and Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt) are engaged to be married.  Problem is:  Life gets in the way…..multiple times.

First, Emily’s sister gets knocked up and another wedding has to take place.  Then Emily is accepted to a post-doc opportunity at the University of Michigan and she and Tom decided to hold off the wedding for two years.

Emily does well at Michigan and now the wedding is put off for three more years! Tom, in the meantime, is floundering in Michigan.

They finally decide to just get married and not wait any longer.  Geezzz, that took a long time!  BUT….Emily’s drunk boss decides to kiss Emily deeply (tongue and all) on the lips and Tom could not handle this. He then does the nasty with a coworker from the Deli.  Whooops.  Break up time.

BUT….do they get back together?  You will have to watch the movie to find out.

“The Five-Year Engagement” is not for kids.  F-words and sexual situations abound (for example, Tom is “raw” thanks to his new 23 year old girlfriend, hmmmm, lucky guy).  This is a surprisingly good movie. It is a very funny, low key, the writing is terrific, and the acting equally as good.  Jason Segel is a real talent (having also written and produced this movie…I think), and Emily Blunt is…well….WOW!

Go see it!  I doubt it will win the box office, but, it is really fun.

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this movie (with 8 or nine other people, including Melanie and her friend)) at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL UP!  :-))))

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

The most useful, and useless, college majors.

These are either from Newsweek, or Science Mag, or, The Daily Beast, or whatever…when it comes from Tumblr….the source is confusing.  :-)

-

The 13 Most Useful* College Majors (As Determined By Science)

 USEFUL:

1. Nursing

2. Mechanical Engineering

3. Electrical Engineering

4. Civil Engineering

5. Computer Science

6. Finance

7. Marketing and Marketing Research

8. Mathematics

9. Accounting

10. French, German, Latin, and other Common Foreign Languages

11. General Business

12. Elementary Education

13. Economics

*Useful, for our purposes, is defined by majors most likely to lead to less unemployment and higher earnings, and which are in industries projected to grow in the next decade according to research from Georgetown University and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

USELESS:

The 13 Most Useless College Majors (As Determined By Science)

1. Fine Arts

2. Drama and Theatre Arts

3. Film, Video, and Photographic Arts

4. Commercial Art and Graphic Design

5. Architecture

6. Philosophy and Religious Studies

7. English Literature and Language

8. Journalism

9. Anthropology and Archeology

10. Hospitality Management

11. Music

12. History

13. Political Science and Government

(Ed: Your primary tumblrs majored in two of these and now work in the field of a third.)

Update! Our arts critic has some words of encouragement for you.

Update 2! Here are the most USEFUL college majors.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Moe, Larry, and Curly (Curley?).  How I was looking forward to this movie, and guess what, yuk, yuk….it was GREAT!

Dropped off at an orphanage when they were babies, Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), Larry (Sean Hayes), and Curly (the perfect Curly, Will Sasso) grow to be real pains in the asses to the sisters at the orphanage.  So much so, that their insurance is cancelled and the orphanage must close unless $800,000 or so is raised to pay the bills.

25 years (and much hilarity) after they arrived (where no one ages except them…) Moe, Larry, and Curly set out to make the $800,000 to save the orphanage.

Out in the real world for the first time Moe, Larry, and Curly hook up with our favorite Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara (playing Lydia) who wants her husband killed.  She will pay the Stooges $800,000 to do it. They reluctantly agree.

If you loved the original Three Stooges, you will love this movie.  If you don’t like pure, stupid, in your face, slapstick comedy…you might not like it.  I loved it, Lori did not (her loss!).  Yuk, yuk…..

OK for kids of all ages….no f-words, no cussing.  Lots of funny moments, and a plot.  An excellent movie for lovers of good old fashioned slapstick comedy.

Go see it!

For those who have never seen the great ones in action:

-

-

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL UP!  :-)

Illusionist Criss Angel flies between buildings with no apparent support.

Can it be?  Very cool…..

-

-

Drive Safe! Never Forget.

Rant:  For some reason, the Youtube video’s that are normally allowed to be “embedded” were not allowed for “The Hunger Games”.  I suspect popularity had something to do with this….For the record: I think all movies should be open for embedding. Go to Youtube to see this….

-

-

Note:  I copied this from my Book Review since the movie follows the book fairly closely.

In what was once North America, the people of the Capitol of Panem, rule the 12 Districts of Panem (#13 was completely destroyed in a rebel uprising many years ago) with an iron fist.

Starvation and fear are the norm.

As a constant reminder of the control the Capital has over the people of Panem, once a year they hold “The Hunger Games” where a boy and a girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, from each District get the honor of fighting each other to the death.

The last standing tribute wins.

“The Hunger Games” are televised to all of Panem and the Gamemakers make sure the killings continue at a regular pace and are interesting for all to see.

The 74th Hunger Games is the focus of this movie.  District 12 is a poor coal producing area located in what was once Appalachia.  Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) lives there with her mother and younger sister, Prim (Willow Shields).  She hunts (with a bow and arrows) for food, illegally, with her friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth) to help keep her family fed….and alive.

On selection day for the Hunger Games, Prim’s name is called, but, Katniss volunteers to go in her place. The District’s baker’s boy, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) is chosen to go with her.

The remainder of the movie builds on the characters, the love that Peeta has had for Katniss since they were children, and what happens as the tributes prepare for, then enter, the fray in the arena.

Death follows, sometimes gruesome.

Woody Harrelson is superb as Haymitch.  When he is on screen the movie crackles. Jennifer Lawrence rocks.

This movie is not for little kids, no f-words, but, includes very disturbing visuals of kids killing kids.  Sometimes the movie surpasses the book in impact.  For example, when Rue (Amandla Stenberg) was killed in the book, I read right through it, in the movie…I cried.

I decided to read “The Hunger Games” based solely on the fact that the movie was coming out in March 2012.  It is a good book, not on par with “Pendragon” or “Harry Potter”, but, an interesting, fast read, filled with brutal action, alliances, and love.  I will definitely read the next two books in this series.

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched “The Hunger Games” at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is still up!

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Reblogged from TracyReaderDad Thrillers & Mysteries:

• 
• 
• 

Genre: YA Fantasy

(kids killing kids)

In what was once North America, the people of the Capitol of Panem, rule the 12 Districts of Panem (#13 was completely destroyed in a rebel uprising many years ago) with an iron fist.

Starvation and fear are the norm.

As a constant reminder of the control the Capital has over the people of Panem, once a year they hold “The Hunger Games” where a boy and a girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, from each District get the honor of fighting each other to the death.

Read more… 237 more words

I finished the book...next week the movie! Enjoy. :-)

-

-

The special effects in this movie are awesome.  I do not care for 3D in the movies (not as good as Disneyland, and too pricey), but, I am disappointed that I did not see “Journey 2 The Mysterious Island” in 3D.  My guess is that it would be very very cool.  Darn.

Slightly troubled teen, Josh Hutcherson as Sean, receives an encoded message from his explorer Grandfather (Michael Caine).  Problem is, he does not know how to decode it.  Luckily, step-dad, Hank (Dwayne Johnson) spent time in the Navy as a specialist in decoding secret messages.

Together, the two figure out the message and using three classic novels, piece together a 140 year old secret of the location of “The Mysterious Island” by Jules Verne.

Travelling to the South Pacific, Hank and Sean hook up with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful daughter (Vanessa Hudgens) to travel to the coordinates sent to them by Grandpa.

They get there (a rough ride) and spend the next few days searching for a safe way to get off the island since it is sinking.  ”The Mysterious Island” is filled with fantastic situations and upside-down animals where elephants are the size of a small dog, and ants the size of horses.  They ride on the backs of bees ala “Avatar”.

Getting from one side of the island to the other (where the Nautilus is hidden) is a challenge and entertaining, very colorful (stunning special effects…did I say that already?) with lots of 3D effects that I will never see…..darn!  :-(

Great for kids.  No f-words, no cussing at all.  Watch out for some VERY corny dialogue….awwwwww, and some awful acting, but, overall the movie is entertaining, colorful, interesting, exciting, and cool.

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this at the Tracy, CA CineMark theater (while everyone else was watching “The Hunger Games”…we are going next week….) where our poster is STILL UP.  Look UP when you leave! )

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Scary thing is….I am about the same age as the old dude!  ENJOY!

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Elizabeth King (Patricia Hastie) is involved in a boating accident and is in a coma.  Her husband, Matt (George Clooney), watches over her and decides he will be a better husband when she gets better.

She never does.

Matt is now the primary care-giver for his youngest daughter (a task he is not familiar with) and pulls his oldest daughter out of a private school to help.

Oldest daughter, Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), informs the clueless Clooney that his beloved dying wife was cheating on him.  Ooops.

Clooney sets out to find the guy…

In addition to the tragic family drama, the long time Hawaiian King family is on the cusp of a decision to sell the last of the remaining family owned property on Kauai.  Clooney is the executor and final decision maker, but, he wants to abide by the majority family decision.

Plot lines converge on the beautiful paradise island of Kauai (where in real life, we have spent many, many wonderful days).

“The Descendents” is not really for kids. The story is slow moving, kind of depressing, and adult oriented. There are a few f-words and gestures.  The scenery is awesome.  George Clooney was up for Best Actor and I can see why…he is stupendous, but, the rest of the cast is awesome as well.  And Judy Greer shows up *sigh*.  :-))

A must see….

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this on VUDU.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

In high school, cool, physically gifted (but dumb), Jenko (Channing Tatum) harassed nerdly, physically weak, Schmidt (Jonah Hill).

Fast forward 7 years, and both are in the same Police Academy class where they form a team to help each other get through.  Schmidt tutors Jenko, and Jenko helps Schmidt get through the physical aspects.

A perfect team.  Well….not really.

After blowing their first potential bust (“You have the right to be an attorney…”), the two still youngish looking cops are sent to a special law enforcement unit at “21 Jump Street” to help bust a drug ring in a local high school.

At the high school, the roles are reversed from 7 years ago.  Schmidt is now the cool one, and Jenko hangs out with the nerds.  My how times have changed!  :-)

The two are still somewhat incompetent cops, and the movie deals with the trials and tribulations (and stupidity) of them trying to find the source of the drugs.

“21 Jump Street” starts out interesting and funny, but, when the high school hi-jinks start, the movie becomes confusing and cluttered.  Some very funny moments, some very shocking moments, but, overall…..average.

Not for kids!  True to it’s R rating, the f-words fly, the raunchy activity flows, and the gore, at the end, is yucky (yeah…a technical term ).

You will love a cameo by a huge star!

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL UP!  Look UP as you exit!  :-))))

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Very appropriate lesson to learn….

–

–

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

I did not have high expectations for “A Thousand Words”.  I expected to have fun, but, was not expecting three different movies (and one outstanding performance) all rolled into one.

Eddie Murphy (a personal favorite) is outstanding as fast taker, over slick, book agent (who by the way does NOT read the books), Jack McCall.  Jack is married, with a young child, and his mother is in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer disease (she thinks Jack is her late husband, Raymond who left the family before he passed away).

Jack is angry….he would do anything to sell a book….and, although he loves his family…he does not show it (he talks a great game…but his true feelings never emerge).

Jack wants to sign up mega-popular, meditation guru, Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis) who he has learned has written a book. Visiting Dr. Sinja, Jack does what Jack does best….he talks his way into the book deal.  Talk, talk, talk.  Slick, slick, slick.  In Dr. Sinja’s back yard, Jack leans against a tree and is pricked, drawing blood.  From that moment on, Jack and the tree (which then grows in Jack’s backyard) are one.  For every word Jack utters, the tree loses a leaf.  If the tree is watered, Jack gets wet.  When Jack tries to chop down the tree….he gets hurt.

Problem is…when all the leaves on the tree are gone…Jack dies.

To see what happens you will have to go see “A Thousand Words”.

Eddie Murphy is TERRIFIC as the three Jacks: The fast talking Jack, the Jack who tries not to talk, and the Jack who finally finds his true self.

Wow!

“A Thousand Words” is a surprisingly fantastic movie, with a fantastic message.  No f-words, but, he does flash the bird and the tree loses two leaves…very funny.  Ok for kids, I suppose, but the movie does get dark so beware that it changes from a comedy to a drama to a tearjerker very quickly.

Go to IMDb for more information.   We watched this at Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL UP!  Look up as you leave the theater!  :-))))

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Here is a BRAND NEW blog entry from Caitlin Dong, ForCarol.com’s 2011 College Scholarship  winner.

Caitlin is now attending U.C. Berkeley (….Berzerkeley….I just had to do it!).  :-)

Enjoy!

–

College life is undoubtedly different from high school/home life in many ways. While college life and living on your own is exciting and fun, nothing really beats going home for a few days. Here is a list of various areas in which living at home and living in the dorms differ – they are randomly listed, depending on when I randomly thought of each one 

I’m sure there are many more I’m forgetting, but hopefully you got a few smiles out of these ones. Everyone is bound to have different experiences, but I would suppose that some of these college adventures are or will turn out to be somewhat similar 

-

-

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”  Dr. Seuss

Under the deeper meanings of corporate greed, love, caring, and the message that one person can make a difference, “Dr. Suess’ The Lorax” is a beautiful visual movie that both entertains and educates.

In a world where trees have been eliminated and someone makes billions of dollars selling air Zac Efron (as Ted) falls in love with his neighbor, Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift).

Audrey dreams of seeing a real tree, and Ted decides to find one.

Grammy Norma (Betty White) remembers trees and tells Ted he needs to leave town (not an easy task) to ask the Once-ler (Ed Helms) where he might find one.

At the Once-ler’s house, Ted learns the story of how trees disappeared: A deeply disturbing commentary of many of the worlds ills, but, made for kids to enjoy and, hopefully, learn.

“Dr. Suess’ The Lorax” is a stunningly beautiful movie.  The graphics are astounding and the story is simultaneously colorful & bleak and joyful & depressing.  Ok for kids (in fact most of the audience were knee high) and ok for adults and teens (as long as you learn the lesson being taught!).  No f-words, no cursing at all.

Oh…Danny DeVito is wonderful as The Lorax.   I wonder if Taylor Swift will now write a song about Ted?  :-)

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this movie at the Tracy, CA  CineMark where our poster is STILL UP (look up as you leave!).

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Filed under: Drive Safe!, Fun Tagged: cinemark, college scholarships, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, drive safe, movie review, Tracy CA ]]> http://forcarol.com/2012/03/04/dr-seuss-the-lorax-movie-review/feed/ 3 TelBitConsulting 3.5-Watertowers ForCarol.com Movie Reviews the lorax ForCarol.com Drive Safe College Scholarships Tracy, CA http://forcarol.com/2012/02/27/corporate-logo-hidden-secrets/ http://forcarol.com/2012/02/27/corporate-logo-hidden-secrets/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:26:34 +0000 Mike Pihlman http://forcarol.com/?p=3539 ]]> Chau sent these to me this morning.  VERY COOL!  If you think designing a corporate logo is easy, or done quickly…just look at the thought put into these.  Amazing!

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

“Foreboding: Fearful apprehension; a feeling that something bad will happen”

From the first seconds, “Gone” (thanks to the soundtrack, setting, acting, and cinematography) instilled an overwhelming sense of foreboding.  Very cool…..errrr, very scary.

Amanda Seyfried (as Jill) claims she was kidnapped last year and escaped.  The local (Portland, OR) police investigated, found nothing, and finally declared Jill to be crazy.

Jill’s sister (Emily Wickersham, as Molly) goes missing, and Jill freaks out.  Jill knows the same kidnapper who failed to kill her has returned.  Turning to the police, she finds out that they ignore her because of her supposed mental illness.

Fearing her sister will be killed she takes it upon herself to find Molly.

“Gone” follows Seyfried as she follows the leads to find her sister and the kidnapper.  But is she crazy??  Is everything she fears in her mind??

There is one f-word and lots of tension.  Not for small kids as they will not care and will probably get restless.  Most of the audience were older teens, one of whom shouted out at the end “That was stupid”.  I don’t agree…it was scary, tense, and Amanda Seyfriend was excellent (and those wonderful eyes…wow).

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL up!  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Filed under: Drive Safe!, Fun, Movies Tagged: amanda seyfried, cinemark, college scholarships, drive safe, Gone, movie review, Tracy CA ]]> http://forcarol.com/2012/02/25/gone-movie-review/feed/ 1 TelBitConsulting 4-Watertowers ForCarol.com Movie Review Gone ForCarol.com Drive Safe College Scholarships Tracy, CA http://forcarol.com/2012/02/20/ides-of-march-movie-review/ http://forcarol.com/2012/02/20/ides-of-march-movie-review/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:10:12 +0000 Mike Pihlman http://forcarol.com/?p=3514 ]]> (Dirty Politics…is there any other kind?)

-

-

Man crush, Ryan Gosling (as Stephen Meyers), is extremely intelligent, hardworking, and devoted to George Clooney (as Gov. Mike Morris).

As Clooney’s run for President picks up steam, Gosling hooks up with super sexy intern Evan Rachel Wood (as Molly Stearns).  During this affair, he finds out startling information about Wood and Clooney.

The fantastic, Paul Giamatti (as Tom Duffy), tried to lure Gosling away from Clooney, but is rebuffed.  That is….until the startling news, when Gosling decides to defect to the Giamatti camp.  Not so easy.  Turns out….he has been f**ked over by Duffy.  Dirty politics.  Yikes!

The movie was kinda boring in the beginning. but as the plot lines developed…..WOW! Not for kids, f-words fly appropriately, and the plot is for adults.  Not sure if teens would like it…I mean Clooney, Hoffman,……oh yeah…..Gosling he could do it.

Oh….Marisa Tomei (as Reporter, Ida Horowicz) is *OMG* super sexy and absolutely terrific.  If anyone out there knows her…..an introduction would be welcome!  :-)

If you do not know where the term “ides of march” comes from….go here (it has something to do with Caesar).

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this on VUDU.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Married couple Rachel McAdams (as Paige) and Channing Tatum (as Leo) leave a party on a snowy night.  McAdams gets horny at a stop sign and takes off her seat belt to have sex with Tatum.  Unfortunately, a truck runs into them and Paige suffers major brain damage as she flies through the windsheild.

When Paige awakes, she does not remember recent events (within the last 5 years) which means she does not recognize her husband or friends.

“The Vow” is all about Tatum trying to win McAdams love back as she thinks she is still in love with an old flame.  Paige’s family are real dicks and do not help at all.

Channing Tatum does awkward, lost, and lonely brilliantly.  McAdams, as always, is terrific.  There are no f-words, but, the story line is not for kids.  99% of the audience were teen girls 40 to 45 years younger than me.  They were rewarded with one extended naked butt shot of Tatum (McAdams got the frontal view, which she seemed to enjoy) and the girls squealed appropriately.  Movies are always more fun with a teen audience….:-)

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched this movie at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL UP!  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Chau is going to see “Safe House” soon, I will update her rating here…

Ryan Reynolds (as Matt Weston) is a newbie CIA agent in charge of a safe house in Capetown, South Africa.  A very boring job.

Denzel Washington (as CIA legend, and traitor, Tobin Frost) has just picked up information that could bring down the leaders of many intelligence agencies around the world.

Problem is:  There is a mole in the CIA who controls a very nasty group of special operatives.  This mole wants to get that information and will kill anyone to achieve that goal.

Escaping the first attempts, Frost, walks into the U.S. Embassy where he is “protected” (even though he is a traitor).  The CIA moves him to Weston’s safe house and start interrogating him (using waterboarding) to learn what he knows about the information.  Before he yields, the safe house is attacked killing almost everyone.  Luckily,  Reynolds escapes with Washington with everyone searching for them.

“Safe House” is rated R and, truthfully, the action was so intense, I do not recall an f-words (I am sure there were some).  Bloody, but not gory.  Not for kids.  I actually guessed the mole very early on…..Harry, Hermione, and Ron would be disappointed.

Denzel Washington has hit another home run.  He is TERRIFIC, as is Ryan Reynolds.

This a a great “escape from reality movie” worth seeing in the theaters.

Go to IMDb for more information.  We watched the movie at the Tracy, CA CineMark where our poster is STILL UP!  :-))))

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Enjoy!

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Liam Neeson (as Ottway) is one of my favorite actors.

In “The Grey” he is one of the people in charge of killing the wolves before they eat the oil pipeline workers.  As such, he gets to know a little bit about grey wolves, which as it turns out, comes in very handy in this movie.

The plot is linear and easy to follow:  A plane carrying the oil workers crashes, 7 survive only to find themselves in mortal danger from man-eating (or at least man-killing) grey wolves.

Survival is paramount and Neeson takes charge.  He is the “alpha male” of the human pack.

Graphic depictions of humans during and after wolf mauling, very touching, and graphic, images and dialogue with people dying.  OK….this is one f-ing brutal film.  I guarantee I will not watch it again…too dang brutal to go through that again.  F-words, graphic violence, extremely surprising events that make you JUMP out out of your seat,  make this an older teen or adult movie.  Leave the kids home!

Oh…the ending is NOT the ending.  Stay until the VERY END to see the real ending….it is good to sit and catch your breath anyway….

Go to IMDb for more info.  We watched “The Grey” at the Tracy, CA CineMark where your poster is STILL up!  :-)))

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Gotta tell ya….Tracy, CA is a hot bed for singing talent.

Megan Slankard, Tara Tinsley, some guy named MC Hammer, and now E.J.

Watch out world…here comes Tracy, CA !!!  :-)

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

VERY FUNNY!

-

Drive Safe! Never Forget.

-

-

Ana Faris (as Ally Darling) wakes up with a new guy next to her in bed.  They get up, she goes to work, and is promptly laid off.  Arrrghhh…

Riding home she reads an article telling her that the average number of lovers for women, before they find “the one”, is about 10, and that if they reach 20, the chances of getting married is forever diminished.

Ally decides to do a count of her lovers, and comes up with 19 !!  Yikes.  She is one away from a life of single-dom (at least according to the article).

That night, at the bar with her girlfriends she gets plastered and meets her ex-boss (who had laid her off earlier in the day).  Yup…she sleeps with him making him #20.  You could say he got to lay her off in the morning and lay her at night.  Sweeet.

Now at the limit of sexual partners, Ally decides to recycle through all her ex-lovers (so she does not go over 20) in the hopes she can find one she has already done the deed with to marry.  To help her find these guys she enlists her (very) handsome neighbor, Colin Shea (played by Captain America, Chris Evans).

You can pretty much guess what happens, but, along the way Faris and Evans have a chemistry that is very believable (with legs like Faris, I can see why) and the sexy fun moves along in a very enjoyable movie.

Lots of f-words, Faris and Evans both get naked a few times (but, not totally visible)…. pleasing both sexes.  :-)  Not for kids.

For more information go to IMDb.  We watched this on VUDU.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

I pretty much know why this is getting kinda bad reviews.  It is ALMOST EXACTLY like the book.  In a book, the beginning is slow as you get to know the characters, then the speed picks up a little toward the middle, and finally it hits warp speed until it ends with you breathless and spent at the climax (sorta like….oh, well you know

“One for the Money” follows the book, with only a few minor deviations.  The first 30 minutes….ZZZZzzzzzz…as the audience was getting to know the characters, and I was bored since I already knew them.  It got better in the middle, Katherine Heigl (as Stephanie Plum) has an extraordinary body helping keep the guys attention before the action starts in earnest, then the long-ish climax with cars blowing up, people dying, shootings, kidnappings, fights, a little bit of sex, and a neat final battle that all help bring the movie up a WaterTower at the end.

Plum is a laid off lingerie salesperson.  Her cousin, Vinnie, is kind of a scum bag, but, he hires her as a bounty hunter and hands her a few cases.  One case involves an ex-lover, and cop, Joe Morelli (played by Jason O’Mara) who she is eagerly ready to put behind bars (for a $50,000 finders fee).  Unfortunately, she knows nothing about bounty hunting, guns, self-defense, etc.  This puts her at a distinct disadvantage (especially since Morelli is a cop with all these skills).

Some cussing, but, I don’t recall any f-words.  Not for kids, and truthfully, I might wait to watch it on DVD.  It might be better to read the book first because the book is funny, fast, and exciting.

For more information go to IMDb.  We watched this at CineMark  Tracy, CA where the ForCarol.com poster is still up!!!!  :-)

PS:  Longtime favorite, Fisher Stevens, makes a terrific but very short appearance, and Debbie Reynolds sucked (didn’t she win an Oscar at one time?).

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

My prrreeessscciiousssssss…

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Owen Wilson (as Gil) is a wannabe novelist making a great living as a “hack” Hollywood script writer.  He and his fiancee, Rachel McAdams as Inez, are visiting Paris with her parents.

Gil wants to live in Paris when they get married, Inez wants to move to Malibu. Gil loves Paris when it rains, Inez hates the rain.  Gil wants to walk, Inez hails a taxi.  Gil wants to be alone and enjoy each other, Inez has the hots for a snooty know-it-all ex-boyfriend.  Gil thinks the 1920′s in Paris is the time he should have lived in…the romantic past filled with greatness that the present just cannot offer.  Inez thinks he is stupid.

A marriage made in heaven.

One night, Inez insists on going dancing and partying with her ex and Gil begs out preferring to walk back to the hotel.  He gets lost and sits on a stoop just enjoying the peace and quite….and Paris.  At midnight a bell rings and an old 1920′s vintage taxi rolls up.  The people inside invite Gil to join them for fun, drinking, and a chance to meet new people.  Gil joins them and meets, much to his surprise, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald, and best of all, Ernest Hemingway.

Is this a dream?  Does Gil find true love?  Does he finish his novel? Well you will have to rent “Midnight in Paris” to find out.

“Midnight in Paris” is a terrific movie fine for the whole family. No f-words or cursing, but, I do not think the kids would enjoy it as there is no action and the story is adult oriented (love, marriage, is love really love?, the meaning of life, our fear of death, and how the past always seems more appealing than the present).

Owen Wilson is superb, as are Rachel McAdams and the *spectacular* Marion Cotillard as Adrianna (Pablo Picasso’s current lover).

Go to IMDb for more info.  We watched this on VUDU.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Gina Carano (as Mallory) is a private contractor special agent.  She goes where ever there is a need for someone with her special skills.

A journalist is being held hostage in Barcelona, Spain.  Mallory and team (including Channing Tatum, as Aaron) rescue the journalist and turn him over to those who wanted him freed.  Job well done.

Sometime later, Mallory is requested for a quick job in Dublin, Ireland.  She is working with Michael Fassbender (as Paul) to do something or other (yes, the movie was a bit confusing).  While there, the ever suspicious Mallory tracks Paul’s movements and finds he is acting somewhat suspicious.  Later that night, Paul attacks Mallory….big mistake.

Mallory is marked for elimination by the people who hired her, but, we do not know who.  It could be Ewan McGregor (as Kenneth) or maybe Michael Douglas (as Coblenz) or Antonio Banderas (as Rodrigo)…or….

The last word in the movie is “shit” (very cool ending!).  There is one f-word (maybe two).  Not for kids, but, is an enjoyable 2 hours for older teens and adults.

“Haywire” is uniquely different.  The fight scenes are terrific.  Unless the audio system in the theater was bad, the soundtrack was muted.  This actually added a very unique dread to the action.  I liked it.  But, again, it might have been accidental.

Gina Caranoi is very sexy with AWESOME legs (and body).  OMG.   Since she is a fighter (mixed martial arts, see this Wikipedia article), you really do not want to pick a fight with her.  She will most probably kick your butt, like she does in “Haywire”.

For more information go to IMDb.  We watched this move at CineMark in Tracy, CA where our ForCarol.com poster is STILL up!  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Chau sent me these very FUNNY, sometimes RAUNCHY, jokes a few days ago.

BEWARE:  Do not read these jokes if you are easily offended.

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Drive Safe! ForCarol.com

-

We love you Carol

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Former smuggler Chris Farraday (played by Mark Wahlberg) is forced back into action because of the stupidity of his brother-in-law Andy (played by Caleb Landry Jones).

Farraday’s wife, Kate (played by a blonde Kate Beckinsale, I did not recognize her) and kids are threatened by small time hoodlum Tim Briggs (played by the terrific Giovanni Ribisi).  Briggs wants his money (that dumb ass Andy lost), and will kill if he does not get it.

Wahlberg puts together a team that travels to Panama to get counterfeit money for Briggs.  While there, Andy screws up once again and everyone is placed in mortal danger.

“Contraband” is an extremely tense movie.  Danger follows Wahlberg and family at every turn, and all hell breaks loose in Panama and at home.  I left the theater feeling as though I had run 10 miles….tired, sweaty, worn out.

Wow!

“Contraband” is rated R for a reason.  The f-words fly from the beginning and  death and destruction follow (but not graphic).  Not for kids, but, older teens should love it.  The last 15 minutes are off the charts terrific!

Go here for more info from IMDb.  We went to the Tracy, CA CineMark to watch this movie and see our poster which is still up!  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Despite what you see in the trailer and the title, “War Horse” this is not really a “war” movie.  Although World War I plays a large part, this is really a story of a horse, a boy, and the love they have for each other.

Jeremy Irvine (as Albert Narracott) tries to get a young horse to like him by offering him an apple.  The horse’s mom decides that that is not safe…. and the two horses flee.

One day, Jeremy’s dad comes home with the young thoroughbred horse (when he really should have come home with a work horse) after spending all his money in an auction.

Tough times follow and Jeremy trains Joey (the horse) to pull a plow.

The two spend every breathing moment together until dad sells Joey to the Army after WWI starts.

“War Horse” then follows Joey as he goes from owner to owner during the war (luckily almost all of them turn out to be very nice, caring, people) and as he manages to survive in the most terrible of times. One really GREAT part is when enemies unite to save Joey….watch for that intense, but, touching, scene.

“War Horse” is an interesting movie.  Lori and Chau both liked it better than I did (maybe that says something…).  I thought it was predictable, a bit boring in the beginning, and intentionally made so you would cry (yeah…I did, so bring some tissue).  It has an epic big old-fashioned movie feel much like “Gone with the Wind” including red sky silhouettes for some unknown emotional reason or another….

Not for young kids.  The war scenes are VERY intense, so leave the little ones home.  No f-words or any kind of cussing.  The horse is beautiful…

For more information go to IMDb.  We went to see this movie at CineMark Tracy, CA.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Tracy, CA UFO Landing Site Road (taken by Glenn Moore, Tracy Press)

See Glenn’s Blog for the whole story on UFO’s in Tracy, CA.

(We all know where this is!)

(We all know where this is too!)

(this looks like the roads in KS where I started running)

Drive Safe!  Never Forget (Carol, Chris, Kassy, and Bobby)

(We gave it 4.5)

-

-

Emma Stone (as Skeeter Phelan) just graduated from college and landed her first writing job.  She had a very nice rejection letter from Harper Row that helped her get this job stating that when she gains more experience, to apply again.

Skeeter was raised in a wealthy family by Cicely Tyson (as Constantine Jefferson).  They loved each other deeply, and Skeeter respected Constantine as an equal.

But…..Skeeter is a woman ahead of her time in the deep south.

Equality for all is not something that was practiced back in those days (NOTE: I remember it well), and Skeeter had an idea for a story.  To tell the world what it is like to be the help, from the help’s perspective.

She proposed this idea to Harper Row, and they agreed it would be interesting especially with the civil rights movement gaining momentum.  The only problem is she needed to interview someone who was not afraid to speak the truth.

Viola Davis (as Aibileen Clark) was just that perfect person.

Later, Octavia Spencer (as the bold and independent Minnie Jackson) joined in, and “The Help” book was under way.

“The Help” is an excellent, engrossing, movie with a superb cast.  Much has been said about Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer when it comes to Oscar time.  They were outstanding, but, in my opinion, everyone is overlooking Emma Stone who was terrific in this movie, as were Bryce Dallas Howard (yes, Ron Howard’s daughter) as the despicable Hilly Holbrook, and Jessica Chastain as the other woman before her time, Celia Foote.

OK for kids, but, I think the pacing will be boring for them (no action, lots of dialogue).  I don’t recall any f-words, but, I may have missed it.

Go to IMDB here for more information.   We watched this movie on VUDU.

The book.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Matt Damon (as Benjamin Mee) has lost his wife and is seeking a better life for his two kids and himself.  After his son is expelled from school, Damon finally gets serious and looks to relocate.

What he finds is an unusual situation.

An old house, with lots of property, 9 miles from the nearest Target.  The only catch:  It is a Zoo.   Not just a backyard Zoo either, a fully functioning  Zoo with employees, exotic animals, and all the headaches, and financial problems, that come with it.

So with his brother’s rule of 20 seconds of insanity…he buys the house and the Zoo…employees and all.   Their first task is to get the Zoo ready for an inspection so they can open by the summer.

The most beautiful woman in the world, Scarlett Johansson, is the zookeeper.  She works constantly and has zero social life.  You kinda know what happens….

The supporting cast of Thomas Haden Church (as Duncan Mee), Colin Ford (as Dylan Mee), the expressive Maggi Elizabeth Jones (as Rosie Mee), the best actress in the Fanning family, Elle Fanning (as Lily Miska) are all wonderful.

“We Bought a Zoo” is a fun family movie that is great for kids.  Dylan gets mad at Dad and utters  (SHOUTS) the only curse word.  No f-words.  Did I mention that Scarlett Johansson is in this movie?  Yup, Scarlett Johansson.

Go here for more information from IMDB.  We went to CineMark in Tracy, CA to watch this movie.

Chau (Carol’s mom) liked “Warhorse” better.  We will go see that this weekend.  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

A new Mission Impossible team sets out to save the world.

Unfortunately, they are on the U.S. Government’s shit list after being set-up for a bombing at the Kremlin and have been disavowed.

Tom Cruise (as Ethan Hunt) takes control in the effort to find and stop a mad Russian from starting nuclear war in “retaliation” for the bombing.  Local, Modesto native, Jeremy Renner (as Brandt), Simon Pegg (as Benji), and Paula Patton (as Jane) are all terrific as the MI-4 team.

From Budapest, to Moscow, to Dubai (where some of the most harrowing stunts I have ever seen take place in the tallest building in the world), to Mumbai…the scenery is spectacular, the story line is flawless, and there is never a dull moment.  Over two hours long, it felt like ten minutes.

“Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol” is SPECTACULAR.

OK for kids since the violence is not all that bad.  I don’t recall any f-words, but, there is not a whole lot of dialogue with all the action.   Action truly speaks louder than words.  Scary stunt scenes that will make your heart pound and your hands sweat.  Unbelievable.

Go to IMDB  for more information.  We went to CineMark Tracy, CA where the ForCarol.com poster is still hanging above the Exit doors.  :-)

Your mission should you choose to accept it…. is to go see this movie!

PS: Tom Cruise, at almost 50, still does his own stunts…he is crazy!

-

Drive Safe! Never Forget.

Just wanted to give a HUGE thank you to Cami Brumburgh of NNIS Computer Repair for her amazing donation of TONS of classroom supplies for local Tracy, CA teachers.

I have them out (95 W. 11th Street, Suite 203)  for our “Adopted” teachers to come and grab what they need on a first come first serve basis!

More Tracy, CA businesses wanting to do this would be GREAT!  (I’m not greedy….).

LOTS of supplies!!!!

I set up a FREE classroom supply shelf near the door so teachers can show their badge and grab some stuff!  :-)

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget (Carol, Chris, Kassy, and Bobby)

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

Robert Downey Jr. (as Sherlock Holmes) and Jude Law (as Dr. John Watson) are TERRIFIC together.  The chemistry and energy of these two actors together is really amazing to watch.

In “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” be sure to be prepared to pay attention and to come with your thinking cap on.  Also….watch for clues as the movie progresses.  This movie requires you to fill in the blanks, and as such it can be confusing as you try to figure out what is going on.

Jared Harris (as Professor James Moriarity) is planning to start a World War and become the arms merchant of choice when this war starts.  At least that is what I think the plot is…but I will definitely need to see it again to be sure.  Anyway….bombs attributed to “anarchists” are killing people, but, Sherlock finds that they are just covering up assasinations meant to de-stabilize the worlds governments (I think).  Moriarity is really smart, and he and Holmes go brain-to-brain during the movie, at the end we find out who is smarter….hint: Oxygen.

There are several technical movie making techniques that are outstandingly well done.  These are:  When Holmes plans what he is going to do in a fight (much the same as in the first movie), when he “sees” everything (his curse), and finally, the unbelievably excellent slow motion scene as they escape Moriarity’s bad guys thru the woods.  The cinematography during this scene (and the special effects) are the best I have ever seen…..chilling, frightening, tense….all in slow (or stop) motion.  The shattering wood of the trees…the fear in peoples faces….the bullets…wow!

Oh yeah…get your love on for Rachel McAdams done quickly….Noomi Rapace (see the picture above) is excellent.

The movie is sort of ok for kids (the violence may be a bit rough for them, but, mostly I don’t think they will understand it….heck, I don’t), no f-words (in fact, no cursing at all).  It has laugh out loud funny parts, and several “ah-ha” moments as you figure things out (or think you figure things out).  The audience was very interactive with the movie…

Super movie.  Go see it…

Look for the ForCarol.com poster at CineMark Tracy.

Go here for more info on this movie.

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

-

-

It’s Christmas!  And I have been watching some Christmas related movies the past couple of weeks…lots of fun.

Will Ferrell (as Buddy) as a baby (human) slipped unseen  into Santa’s toy bag one Christmas Eve.  Back in the North Pole, Santa (Ed Asner) discovers “Buddy” and gives him to Bob Newhart (as Papa Elf) to raise.

Buddy grows quickly and one day Papa Elf shows him a picture of his father and mother.  Buddy travels to New York City to find his father (his mother died) and that is where the hilarity begins.

Zooey Deschanel (as Jovie) becomes a love interest.  I have said this before…. Zooey Deschanel has the second most beautiful eyes in the universe!

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Interestingly, last night at Barnes & Noble I overheard a person (I know this person) giving advice to a Tracy High student.  In that advice, the person told the student not to listen to her teacher (who I happen to know) for the reason that the student will make much more money than the teacher in her first year of working.  Hmmmm, this advice giver clearly tied a person’s worth in life to their salary.  Wrong!  Wrong!  Wrong!

These slides might wake that person up.

-

-

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Chau sent me these last night via email….very funny but not politically correct (hmmmm, that is what makes them so funny!)  Just like Congress!  :-))))

Enjoy!

–

I asked my new girlfriend what sort of books she’s interested in, she said:

Check Books

–

Q: What is the difference between men and pigs?

A: Pigs don’t turn into men when they drink.

–

Definition of a Nurse:

A beautiful woman who holds your hand for one full minute and then expects your pulse to be normal.

–

Q: Why dogs don’t marry?

A: Because they are already leading a dog’s life!

–

Q: What’s the difference between mother & wife?

A: One woman brings you into the world crying & the other ensures you continue to do so.

–

Q: A blonde enters kitchen, opens sugar container, looks inside and closes it.  She does this again and again. Why?

A: Because her Doctor told her to check her sugar levels regularly.

–

Q: What’s the difference between a good secretary and a personal secretary?

One says “Good morning, boss”.  The other says “It’s morning, boss.”

–

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.