Movie Reviews

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The movie is a remake of the classic1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise. This time directed by Scott Derrickson, Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly are the main casts of the story. It started with the abduction of Keanu by the Aliens, who later return to Earth as a messenger. The Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens.

With Keanu etched in our minds as “the One” from the Matrix, it’d be indifferent if you adored his mysterious silent character type. This time around, he yet again saves the real world, or to be specific, prolongs the health of the citizens of Earth from the Aliens, who were prepared to destroy the Earth and give it a new start.

Jennifer Connelly, playing a character that took an interest in Keanu, played a key role in convincing him that he didn’t need to press the “start destroying” button, and asked him to give the dwellers of Earth a second too many chance to fix themselves.

One fact remains, this movie can strengthen the message that the world is dying because we’re not taking care of our environment, so thumbs up for the attempt to reinforce awareness of our greenery.

If you’re a sci-fi fan and into computer graphics, the technicalities could be nice to see, but if you value a more exciting plot, then you know there are other movies existent and ready to fulfill your entertainment needs.

Bedtime Stories

Bedtime Stories is one of those movies you should take your younger siblings to watch. It has the colour, the imagination and the sweetness. With a cast of the hilarious Adam Sandler, Keri Russell and Courtney Cox, the story revolves around Adam Sandler who grew in a hotel that his father, after financial failure, sold to another owner.

Working under someone who took over his home, as a handyman of the hotel got him more than just stares of loath. He received so-called support from his sarcastic waiter friend (Russell Brand) and received competition from those who thought he was climbing up the ladder of achievements.

He had to take care of his sister’s (Courtney Cox) children and somehow, someway, the lavish bedtime stories that a hotel handyman (Sandler) tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.

He found a way to make sense of the stories and tried to use it at his advantage but never quite got how it worked. Whether the stories came true positively or negatively depended on the way it was told and he tried to figure out what factor determined the stories be translated into reality.

It was directed by Adam Shankman.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was born under unusual circumstances. As everyone around him grew older, he aged backwards, making the challenges of life such as creating friendships, finding a job and falling in love all the more difficult and heartbreaking.

He was born on the day after WW1 ended and was thrown to live in the old folk’s home. He eventually grew old at first, slowly growing young and discovered the feelings and experiences he would hurtfully endure as he saw friends dying of old age, seeing lovers age and the kinds of roller coasters life brings.

Daisy (Cate Blanchett) was his life’s love and played an upsetting role of a woman who had to let him go just after receiving a child with him. They later meet, with Benjamin being in his teens, and her in her 50s and that was the last time they saw whilst Benjamin could remember her. He later died a baby, whom after taken cared of by Daisy, at where he started (the old folk’s home).

The story gives off a feeling that no matter what, in life, everyone gets one chance to do what you want. If you look for aesthetic values in your motion pictures, this is the movie I’d recommend. If I could rate it, I’d give it a four and a half stars. Kudos to the director, David Fincher.

Fruits for life

1. Some Fruits are Great Sources of Antioxidants

Antioxidants help you stay young by combating free radicals in your body, which are believed to be the causes to cancer and diseases associated with aging. Many fresh, ripe fruits are excellent sources of these important antioxidants. Some of the best choices include blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, plums, raspberries and oranges. Apples and pomegranates are two more excellent choices. Look for local fruit picked ripe for optimum benefits.

2. Fruits Provide Vitamins

Fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C (kiwi, oranges), vitamin A (especially apricots), B6 (avocado), and even a little protein (dates). Fruit also contains fiber and trace minerals.

3. Eating Fruit Can Aid Weight Loss

Healthy weight loss and eating fruit go hand-in-hand. Cut back on bad calories, such as snack foods, candy, sugar and white carbohydrates, and replace these snacks with a serving of delicious ripe fruit. To make fruit more satisfying and delicious if you're having trouble switching, add a little real whipped cream to strawberries, peanut butter to apple slices or add blueberries to your cold cereal. A little bit of good fat with your fruit will satisfy your cravings and help keep you from splurging on too much sugar.

4. Fruit Helps With Detoxification

Eating fruit can help your body detoxify by working to rid the body of toxins and stimulants (tobacco, alcohol, caffeine). For several days, try eating only fruit in the morning until lunch, starting with home-juiced citrus. Eat a pear or banana as a snack, or a fresh fruit salad. Eat fresh fruit, and frozen if necessary, but avoid canned fruit as it won't have the same positive effects as fresh. Tip: Avoid citrus if you suffer from arthritis. Fruits also provide dietary fiber, helping you lose weight and stay trim.

5. Fruits: 5-a-Day for Your Health

Make it a habit to eat five servings of fresh fruits and veggies each day. Homemade, fresh squeezed juice is better than bottled, but whole fruit is still an even better option. Get a variety of fruits into your diets, and try to vary the color; some orange, red, blue or yellow, each day for optimal nutrition. Don't forget that tomatoes are a fruit, and an excellent one at that. Prepare fruit and veggies you enjoy and you'll find it easy to get five servings a day

source: www.livestrong.com, www.flickr.com

Best Cars for Teens and Graduates

Ask any teenager what they want for a car and their answers would be totally or if not, different than their parents’.

Some of the most asked questions for first-time-buyers would be the car’s reliability, fuel-efficiency and other useful stats of the car.

Generally, teens and graduates would probably be more concerned with the looks and design of the car, its size (preferably small and easy on fuel), room for friends (no two-seaters), performance (its speed), accessorizability (add-ons to look cooler and go faster) and lastly its cost. To be fair, as a graduate myself, I’d probably consider these factors too before buying a car.

What parents want is more towards the steadfastness of their child or children’s automotive welfare. They place importance in safety, economy, reliability, sensibility and lastly, insurance cost.

So with both parties’ wants taken into account, we can summarize the best cars for teens and graduates.


Most Popular of All

The Honda Civic is the favorite car for both teenagers and parents. The Civic is small but easily holds four people; economical to buy; and operate extremely reliable; has nice styling and performance; and ranks very high on safety ratings. For those who want to customize its looks or performance, there are hundreds of companies who offer products and parts for the Civic. Insurance costs are relatively low for the Civic, even for teenage drivers. Basing its price in dollars, it’d be rather expensive for us but considering its prestige and credibility, it only comes in at $ 14,500.


The Rest

The Toyota Scion is full of standard features, and optional features, that appeal to teens, is relatively inexpensive, and has a good-performing and fuel-efficient engine. It also has some great safety options such as side air bags. Although not outstanding performers, and ride comfort is lacking, these are typical Toyota high-quality vehicles at base prices that start at about $12,500.

Honda Fit: This small 4-door hatchback is a winning combination of Honda’s reliability, comfort, interior space, features, and safety equipment — and a whopping 34 miles per gallon of fuel on the highway. It's a fun car that will also haul a teenager's stuff — and lots of it. It is also relatively cheap to insure and maintain.

Toyota Corolla: This Toyota vehicle shares many of the characteristics of the Honda Civic and is a favorite among teenagers as both a new and used vehicle. It's reliable, with good performance, has plenty of room inside, and there are many options from after-market companies for styling and performance improvements. Buyers of this vehicle should consider getting the stability control option when available. It's one of the most effective safety features being offered on cars today. The Corolla is priced at about $13,700 for base models. If the Corolla is not quite large enough, look at the Toyota Camry, the best-selling car in America for the last few years.

Nissan Sentra: This is a sensible car for teens, having many of the attributes of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, only a little less style. It's comfortable, but with a harsh ride and little room in the rear seat. However, it gets good fuel mileage, is reliable, enjoys relatively low insurance rates, and is priced at about $12,700. Used models can be found at good prices.

Mitsubishi Lancer: This is a very popular vehicle with teens, especially the turbo-charged Evolution, although it might not be the first choice of parents. It's stylish and looks cool, besides being a super performer. There are lots of add-ons and custom equipment for this vehicle. It even has its own magazine aimed at young drivers of this vehicle. Watch out for reliability problems and higher insurance costs. The Lancer starts at about $14,300 for the basic model.

Ford Focus: This is a fun and sporty car that teenagers like. It has a firm but comfortable ride and a number of engine options. Interior material quality appears cheap but functional. There are no less than 12 different variations of this model that should allow almost any teen to be satisfied. Prices start at about $13,300 for base models. It may not be as reliable as a comparably priced Honda or Toyota.

Mazda 3: This vehicle is an excellent small car with good interior space, good performance, and good quality. It comes in both a hatchback and sedan and starts at about $13,700. New models are very stylish and youth-oriented. Prices for used Mazdas are very reasonable.


When Cost is not a Big Factor

BMW 3-Series: This is one of the most popular of all sporty luxury cars, for a good reason. It is fun to drive, is a great performer, and fuel economy is good — and it looks good, like any other BMWs. It's available as a coupe, sedan, or a convertible. Used models are available for good prices.

Mercedes C-Class: This is a popular small sports sedan with young people who like a car that's fun to drive and gives an aura of luxury and class. It's comfortable, roomy, and handles well on the street, or highway. It also enjoys a good safety rating and is relatively economical to own.
Acura TL: This car is consistently rated very high as having the best blend of all characteristics that one would want in a car. It mixes luxury features with comfort, performance, handling, and sportiness. It's one of the most reliable models on the road.

Audi A4: This vehicle is available as a sedan and convertible. It is luxurious and stylish with excellent driving characteristics. A wide range of features, options, and transmission choices are available. Crash-test results are impressive. Reliability is average.

Lexus IS: It's a Lexus with all the quality and luxury that Lexus offers, but it's not the Lexus that grandfather drives. It is a small safe sports sedan that has the performance, looks, and comfort that young people enjoy.


Where to Find Good Used Cars, Cheap

Teens often can only afford inexpensive ("cheap") cars due to limited funds. An excellent source of used cars online is UsedCars.com a well-respected used car buying service website. You can search their listings by price and area code, as well as make, model, mileage, and other criteria. Prices are already discounted but you can probably do better with a little bargaining. ; )

Album Review

Viva La Vida definitely makes some departures from the Cold Play usual formula, which happens to be one of the most commercially successful rock-pop blueprints of recent years. With its soul-searching sentiments and sizzling melody, chugging lead single "Viva La Vida" is the only track that oozes mainstream appeal with its sweeping, gorgeously evocative melody that has landed it at #1 on the Billboard pop charts. Singer Chris Martin, however, has never sounded more confident in his delivery, and the band's playing skills have never been demonstrated so impressively in-studio. These four guys sound truly in-sync, and rather than burying their sound Eno smartly accentuates it, bringing out the essence of the songs.

Beyonce has amazing talent, and an amazing vocal range. One of 2008's most hotly anticipated album releases, I Am..Sasha Fierce marks the artist's first new studio collection since the Grammy-winning multi-platinum-selling B'Day debuted at #1 on charts around the world shortly after its international release on September 4, 2006. With all songs co-written and co-produced by Beyonce, the artist's third studio album is her most personal, reflective and revelatory collection to-date. 11 tracks. It is intended give a glimpse beneath the surface of her usual R&B-pop persona. Featuring recent single “If I Were a Boy", the soaring “Halo", and ballads like “Disappear", and “Ave Maria", it seems her “real" self is way more saccharine than the lady that brought us sassy pop moments like “Crazy in Love" and “Baby Boy". That side of her personality comes rushing back out on Sasha Fierce, a more rousing collection that kicks off with the infectious handclaps of “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", ventures into Euro-dance territory with “Radio", and gets surprisingly risque with the voyeuristic “Video Phone". Which part of the album you enjoy most will depend on your musical proclivities, but the new, bifurcated Beyoncé ensures there's enough diversity to satisfy the most demanding pop aficionado.

Vintage love

What I love about vintage is the fact that it doesn't get old no matter how it has aged. I found a great vintage art while I was browsing through some blogs. Anne Taitor spices up her vintage work with hilarious quotes on mostly what women may be thinking. Her collections include magnets, notepads, stickers, compacts, purses and even cosmetic bags. If you're a vintage art fan, this one is worth to watch.

Biography on Anne Taintor:
Anne graduated from Harvard in 1977 with a degree in Visual and Environmental Studies. After college, she focused on collage, and her work always incorporated a subtle humor and playfulness. For years, Anne's art was more of a sideline than a full-time occupation. But in the late 1980s, she was a single mother searching for a way to spend more time at home with her daughter than her job in cartography permitted, and she began to concentrate on a new line of designs. The new collages combined vintage images with Anne's own interpretation of what these men and women might really be thinking. They were instantly a hit with Anne's customers, though it took a little longer for her to be brave enough to "quit her day job". (source: www.annetaintor.com)

Source: www.annetaintor.com

When nature calls

Photography is an art as a form of communication. We can express ourselves and keep it as a memory for instant in time. Photography has important aspects, such as the moment, history, memory etc. It gives the reality of the images.

Nature photography is a great part of photography. Through the nature photography we can realize the beauty of God's creation. Other than that, we can see the scope of geologic time and the incomprehensible vastness of the universe and the bounty of life it may contain. The main objectives of the nature photography is to photograph the natural settings and documenting nature's graphic in its truest sense.

source of pictures: www.flickr.com

Tips for a beautiful and healthy you..

eauty1) Hydrate yourself!

Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. The body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. The study provides some support for the general recommendation to drink eight glasses of water a day while dieting. For most people that would add a liter or two to their regular water intake. However, it may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, traveling, or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. There are some brands of flavored water available, but watch for extra calories.


2) Colgate for pimples?

Colgate doesn't just remove unwanted residue on your teeth, it can also be used to reduce pimples.Yes yes.. Well I can't possibly say that it can clear off pimples or acne on your face but it works to remove the pimples bit by bit. Just dab a small amount on your pimple or acne and wait until it dries up (Basically it's like a mask for pimples).



3) Yogurt for yummier hair

Yogurt is not only the creamy base of your conditioner, but is a gentle cleanser. It works to clear the pores of your scalp and promotes hair growth. Yogurt is also naturally high in lactic acid, an element that will help to shine and smooth tangled hair, making it easier to comb, leaving your hair soft and beautiful.




4) An apple a day keeps the (skin)doctors away?

The Apple is widely recognized for its nutritional benefits. Less well-known is that apples also provide amazing skin benefits. Apples have been used for centuries for their skin-healing powers and are a great natural beauty tool. Apple juice is rich is vitamin B and makes an excellent remedy for fine wrinkles, cracked skin, itching and inflammation. Apple juice can be used as an astringent, for cleansing, to help tighten pores, and to protect skin from free-radicals. Green apple helps eliminate sun or age spots (hyper-pigmentation). Malic acid that contained in green apple also has been proven to help stimulate and speed skin cell renewal. Eating apples is actually a beauty aid itself because apples nourish the skin from within, providing natural nutrients that help nourish, moisten, soften and renew skin.

5) Got milk?

Milk is a key ingredient in a healthy diet, but it also helps create beautiful skin. This is due to the vitamins A and D and proteins, which are present in milk. There are also beauty products containing milk that, when applied topically,provide another way to use milk to improve your complexion. For smoother skin, bathe in a tub of warm water mixed with milk. While bathing, use a washcloth or loofah to slough off dead or rough skin. Although applying milk to your skin is sure to create a softer surface, ingesting milk is another great way to get the vitamins you need for a healthy glow. Aim for two to three glasses of fat-free or low-fat milk daily. An added bonus is that drinking milk has been shown to help control weight.