Three sentence movie reviews: The Runaways


Gripping drama about rock-n-roll and being perhaps a little too young for things that come your way. Both Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart are so good you forget that they are Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart. Great costumes too.

Bechdel score: Has two women? Yes. Who talk to each other? Yes. About something besides a man? Yes!

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2010/runaways_xlg.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Raw Faith


A small amount of bias goes into this review, because the subject of this documentary is our former Senior Minister*. Still, I was surprised at how touching this movie was, and very funny in places. This is a good documentary for people in transition.

*you can see me for about three seconds in one scene, standing in the balcony in church. My goal during filming was to NOT be on camera and I almost succeeded. However, if you ask Matt, he will tell you he’s dating a movie star.

poster from: http://www.rawfaith.com/press

A strange coming together of topics

From Powell’s “funny books” display:
At first I thought it was tax tips for chefs or restaurant owners and that made sense to me. But then I read on and found that either the Tax Department has a division of Retarded and Developmentally Disabled workers who created this guide, OR the Tax Department’s Employees (not retarded) made this guide for the Retarded and Developmentally Disabled. But then I’m not sure where the culinary part comes in. Maybe the RDD people work in kitchens? Maybe the Tax Department’s employees are spicing up the title with a fun word like culinary? Like many, many things in life, I will never know the answer.

I can’t tell if they are joking or not.

I made a vat of hummus for our Spindrift trip. The hummus also came with celery and carrots for dipping and, of course, pita bread. After we got home, I happened to look at the label and laughed long and hard when I read the diagrams for the suggested ways to cut the pita bread.

There’s something familiar about the hot dog slice and the diagonal taco cut. I feel like I’ve seen it before somewhere…
Oh yes! Those two cuts are THE EXACT SAME CUT AS the sandwich cut. They are just rotated.

Hmmm, I really want to make the “cold cuts” cut, because I’ve got this delicious roast beef. But what should I do if I’m making tiny roast beef sandwiches for snacks? Which cut should I use?

Oh wait! It turns out that the Hors d’oeuvres/Snack Cut and the Cold Cuts cuts are THE EXACT SAME CUT!

I’m really hoping the graphic designer who created this packaging realizes this and is just having a laugh.

Three sentence movie reviews: Iron Man 2


Continuing the tradition of seeing a superhero movie in celebration of our anniversary, we caught up with Tony Stark. I found this movie to be great fun, especially with the always excellent Don Cheadle replacing the mediocre Terrance Howard. Also, I finally find a movie when I can stand to watch Mickey Rourke and, (plus!) Sam Rockwell was awesome, as usual.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2010/iron_man_two.html

Edwin Markham

There was a feature in the Oregonian today about Oregon’s Poet Laureates. Edwin Markham was one from 1923-1940. He was born in Oregon, but lived in California after age five. I was delighted to reacquaint myself with his poem “Outwitted” which I’m sure was in some textbook I read in junior high or high school.

Outwitted
He drew a circle that shut me out–
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!

You can read a bit more about him in the Oregonian’s article “Oregon’s Poet Laureates: A sample of their work, a bit about their lives.” published May 10, 2010 and (for right now) available here.