Month: July 2015

Hunger Games Sweater completed. Again.

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When I finished my Hunger Games Sweater, (Properly known as the District 12 Cowl)I took it to school to show my colleague, who had been receiving updates throughout the knitting process.  She loved it and expressed sentiments that she wished her mother would knit her one instead of something for the baby. (She’s due very soon.)  Being the kind of girl who completely understands those sentiments, I opted to make her something, instead of something for the baby.  Another colleauge funded the yarn purchase and I provided the knitting.  And I hope she enjoys her new sweater.  (I also hope it fits.)

Media consumed during the creation of this project:
Sherlock Season 2
A Place in the Sun
Now You See Me
Elysium
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
The Sessions
Edward Scissorhands
PAE’s Macbeth
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Beverly Hills Cop
Walking and Talking
Tonight You’re Mine
Magic Mike
Celeste & Jessie Forever
Greenberg
Only Lovers Left Alive.

Three sentence movie reviews: Greenberg

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Apparently Noah Baumbach wanted to make a novelistic movie, to which I would say that if this movie was a novel, I would have wandered away in the first fifty pages.  The acting is good, but there was nothing about Roger Greenberg that made me root for him.*  Greta Gerwig was fine though I’m beginning to wonder if I only loved her as Frances Ha, because she hasn’t rocked my boat in anything else.**

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*In contrast to Oscar Isaac’s Llewyn Davis, who I didn’t like but rooted for the entire time.
**What I’ve seen: Frances Ha, Lola Verses, Damsels in Distress.

http://www.impawards.com/2010/greenberg.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Celeste and Jesse Forever

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I like Rashida Jones, and Andy Samberg* was fine too, but I think this movie suffered from a lack of caring about either Celeste or Jessie. It was kind of slow going, this movie.  I did like that it examined love people have for each other, even after the end of marriage.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*True story:  When I see Jesse Eisenberg, I think to myself, “Hey, that’s Jesse Eisenberg.”  When I see Andy Samberg, I think to myself, “Is that Jesse Eisenberg?”  Apparently, Andy Samberg doesn’t really exist in my world.

http://www.impawards.com/2012/celeste_and_jesse_forever.html

Hello to Canon Powershot SX710 HS

IMG_4402That’s me, taking a picture with my new camera remotely by using my phone.  I can then upload any photos on my camera to my phone, (or computer or other device) wirelessly.  It’s pretty awesome.  Especially because it will eliminate the need to take a photo with my camera and then take another photo with my phone to post to social media. This normally isn’t an issue, but I did it more than I would like on my vacation and it was annoying.  I could just switch over to using my phone on my camera, but I don’t like it as much as actually using a camera.

Other features I’m excited about? It has a mode where I can hold down the shutter and it will capture multiple images, which is useful for Matt’s sporting events.  There’s a mode where I can take one photo and it can format it five different ways.  It has a zoom function that will stay focused on your zoomed subject, even if the subject moves.  And it continues the tradition of great zoom.  Also, it has a slimmer profile than my previous PowerShot.

I would have examples of all these things, but in getting to know the camera, I accidentally deleted all my example photos.  I’ve got it down now,though.  No need to worry.

Also, for the first time in my life, I bought an extended warrenty.  If I drop this one, I want to be able to get it repaired.

Three sentence movie reviews: Inside Llewyn Davis

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Boy howdy did I love this movie, as I knew I would from the first preview.  I think the movie’s strength lies in Oscar Isaac’s performance* which makes me care about a guy whose jerky choices make him perhaps not the best person to care about.  And if you have any small like of good harmonies and folk music, you should watch this movie just for the soundtrack alone.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.

*I have loved him in everything I’ve ever seen him in. (10 Years, Drive, Ex Machinina)

http://www.impawards.com/2013/inside_llewyn_davis.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Damsels in Distress

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The preview promised a movie full of quirky characters, plus Greta Gerwig and that big-eyed Analeigh Tipton* and it delivered on all counts.  But I think the problem was that the quirky was turned up entirely too high and Greta Gerwig’s character was so buttoned down that even when things fell apart she didn’t have very far to go.  Overall, I found it to be tedious and disappointing.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*who I loved in Crazy, Stupid, Love and Warm Bodies

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2012/damsels_in_distress.html

Goodbye to Canon Powershot SX170 IS

IMG_4369Well, thanks to the blog and the search function, I can tell you that I welcomed this camera into my life on October 10, 2013.  It replaced my PowerShot Digital Elph, which I had for six years.  Unfortunately for this dude, I dropped it within the first two months of owning it and it’s never quite been the same since.  It was too expensive to repair it, so I made do. If you look at the recent vacation photos, a lot of the corners are shaded black because I was constantly having to put the lens back together.

We had an okay time together, this camera and I, but it was a little bit bigger than I liked and I missed the slim profile of the Elph.  It still works (-ish), and has the same battery as my new camera, so I’ve tucked it away in a drawer just in case it needs to be pulled back into service. (Which is why this is not a requiem post.)  And I walked by the place where I lost the two lens pieces, and recovered them (it was after hours, so I didn’t feel so self conscious about fishing around under the fence).

Thank you for your service PowerShot SX170 IS. You had a good zoom and we took some good pictures together.

 

City of Roses inching closer to completion

The sidewalk area has been shaped for the pouring of a new sidewalk.IMG_4319

Temporary doors have been installed where eventually permanent ones will go.

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And, in other news, this picture marks the demise of my camera.  Two parts fell off behind the fence and out of reach. I decided it was time to buy a new camera, instead of continually nursing this one along.

 

Three sentence movie reviews: Ant-Man

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This movie may be the tipping point were I transform from a comic book movie fan to someone who has grown tired of the genre.  However, that is not to say this is a bad movie and I loved how funny it was, as well as the gossip scenes and the fight scenes taking place on miniature sets.  Paul Rudd is his usual charming self* and though I had some plot quibbles, this was a pretty solid film.

Cost: Free due to coupon.
Where watched: Regal Vancouver City Center 12

*As discussed before, he imprinted on me when I watched Clueless and he can do no wrong.

poster from:
http://www.impawards.com/2015/ant_man.html
http://www.impawards.com/2015/ant_man_ver15.html
(My favorite guy)

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Three sentence movie reviews: Tonight You’re Mine (a.k.a You Instead)

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Oh my gosh, I watched the preview for this movie a year or so ago, was very intrigued and promptly forgot the title, but was lucky enough to come across it at the library.  I’ve not been to a massive music festival, but I would guess this is quite a good representation.  This is worth watching because they filmed the entire movie over five days (five days!) at the 2010 T in the Park Festival in Kinross, Scotland and it’s sweet, full of fun, (plus Tonks*) and the music is great.

*Natalia Tena mentioned in her interviews that filming this movie was more like live theater than movies because she’s been in films where she has to stand around for hours in one scene and I found myself wondering what sorts of movies she’s been in as she is gorgeous, but not conventional movie star attractive. And IMDB told me I was looking at Tonks, from Harry Potter.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/intl/uk/2011/you_instead_ver2.html
It appears that Tonight Your Mine is the alternate US title.