Movie Reviews: Playing for Keeps

      I recently went to the theater to see Playing for Keeps and I was completely disappointed. When I went in, I was expecting a really good romantic family film. The story had promise in the teasers but after watching the film I think the teaser was the best thing about the movie. If you watch the teaser you will know what's going to happen in the movie. The whole 2 hour movie was far too long and could've been told in less than an hour. It was completely drawn out and predictable. I thought with all of the big name stars in the movie it would be really good but it left me wondering why so many stars lowered themselves for such a terrible movie. My advice, wait to watch it until it is in the $5 bin at Walmart and don't worry because it won't be long until it's there.
      In other movie news, the Hobbit came out at midnight. So far I've heard it's good so I might go watch it tonight. Also, Les Miserables comes out on Christmas and no other movie has had me so excited (since The Avengers). I loved the book in high school and I actually have the Liam Neeson version of it so I am really excited about watching a version where they were filming live action singing.
      The final movie I am excited about (for now at least) is Promised Land. I worked security for the hydrolic fracking gas companies. I know a little about the process and from working with the companies I realized that I actually know more than the general public knows about the process. I worked for Shell and I know that they are one of the better companies who use a plethora of safety precautions to make sure safety is the number one priority. That being said, I think there are a lot of other companies who are only out for the money which is why spills and contaminations happen. If I were a landowner, I highly recommend doing research on the company wanting to lease the land; some are good but others are really bad.

Movie of the Day: The Santa Clause

Song of the Day: Thinking 'Bout Something by Hanson

 

At A Loss

      I am currently still homeless. I've been staying with my brother but he has no Internet. I've fully come to appreciate public libraries. I have to travel 30 miles but I can get free Internet from 10am to 9pm. The only hitch there is paying for parking but I will survive.
      I have been looking up apartments online in the Wilmington area and have found one in my price range. The only hitch here is that it is a shared unit which means it has a separate bedroom and bathroom but the tiny kitchen and living area is shared with a roommate. For the price I am considering giving in but I want to wait until after the first of the year because getting a job in another state now will completely mess up my taxes for the year. Well, that and I have a bus ticket to go to New York City for New Year's Eve. If all else fails, my parents are looking at buying a house in the area so I would be able to stay with them (although I cringe at the thought).
      They are still looking at houses on the outskirts of town while I would prefer to be right in the city. I grew up in the country and I hated every second of it. There is absolutely nothing to do for nightlife (or even day life for that matter). Not to mention the smell of hay and freshly cut grass irritates the heck out of my allergies.
      I will miss the winters when I move. The first snowfall was amazing this year and I went to the Christmas street festival this year in Corning, NY known as Sparkle. They close down Market Street and have vendors line both sides of the street for a little over a mile. The place is always packed whether it is freezing cold or snowing or in the 50s, people always show up in the masses. I will have a video up on YouTube showing a small quick tour of the festival. I also have a couple pictures of it:

      I was relieved when I finally finished my Christmas shopping last week. I ended up getting everyone a bunch of smaller presents instead of one large present like I did last year. They made it easy for me because they pretty much told me what they wanted so I was able to pick and choose. This way they should be happy with their presents for this year. I know I will be because my mom bought be the Halo 4 Xbox 360 console so I will finally be let in on the fandom that is Halo. I went a little crazy on black Friday and ended spending a little over $200 on DVDs and video games since I knew I was getting an Xbox 360. Once I get the Internet again (or make another trip to the library) I will have a short review of each game so you don't waste your money if it isn't worth it.
      I watched Breaking Dawn Part 2 in theaters and if you ignore Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's acting, the movie was very good. I really liked the battle scene because it was different from the book and the audience was able to see what could have happened if the author actually killed off characters, (i.e. if Stephanie Meyer had been more like J.K. Rowling).
      Between watching Billy Burke in Breaking Dawn Pt.2 and getting certified to work security in North Carolina, I started getting caught up on Revolution before the fall finale. North Carolina is where it is filmed if you didn't know. I'm really enthralled by the show now. I watched the pilot but I didn't really get into it because it is on the same time as Castle but now I am fully engulfed in the series. This makes me want to move to Wilmington even more because the security company I am thinking about working for does the security for the studio that produces Revolution. When I was taking the security guard certification class, a worker for the security firm mentioned that he was security for one of the Revolution sets for a while.
      One of the things I like about Revolution is that it makes you think about what life would be like in a post-apocalyptic world. I know there is a show on Discovery ( I think) that is called Doomsday Preppers that shows people who really prepare for that kind of thing but it really makes you stop and think, "this could really happen." More so than a zombie apocalypse. An economic collapse, a bioterroristic attack, a viral outbreak, and so much more could really happen and the odds are much better than a zombie apocalypse occurring. Just something to think about tonight while you watch the news and try to fall asleep.

Movie of the Day: Breaking Dawn Part 2

Song of the Day: Where Do I Even Start by Morgan Taylor Reid

 

Three Days of Freedom

      Well I made it back to New York alright. I only spent three days in North Carolina but it was a nice breath of fresh relaxing air. I had to be back for Thanksgiving but I wasn't ready to come back. I delayed as much as possible by stopping at a Target in Virginia and doing a little shopping. Thankfully they had a pre-black-friday sale on dvds so I ended up with season  5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of One Tree Hill for $10 each which seems like a lot when added together but it is really cheap compared to paying $20-$30 each.
      When I got back to the hotel room, no one else was there so it was nice and quiet but as soon as my parents came back, my father immediately irritated me. He kept pacing like he was anxious and then he would hover over my mom to see what she was doing. He started going through all the bags I left out and searched the fridge for food. I was glad that I had been smart enough to leave all the Christmas presents in the trunk of my car because his nosy behind would've found them and asked what they were.
      A couple of the movies I got had the ultraviolet digital copy with them so I was finally able to use my flixster account for something productive. I was surprised to figure out that you can download a copy as well as stream it from the internet. This seems like a "well duh" moment but when I first set up my flixster account, all I could do was stream. I couldn't get anything to download.

      Since Christmas is upon us (it's after Thanksgiving in case you didn't know) the movie choice for today is one that came out in 2001 on ABC Family. It is called Three Days and is amazing. A man's wife is killed three days before Christmas so an angel gives him a chance to live the last three days over with his wife but he can't change her fate. I'm pretty sure you can watch the whole thing on Youtube but if you can't, it does play once a year on ABC Family before Christmas.

Movie of the day: Three Days

Song of the day: Now Comes The Night by Rob Thomas

 

Housefire, Moving, and Movies

      This year has been rough so I am glad it is nearing the end. My dog Charlie died in January, my grandmother (my last remaining grandparent) died in August, my mom's dog Angel ( I called her sissy and Meme) died in October, and two days after Angel died our house burnt down. My New Year's resolution is to move away, far far away. I am currently in North Carolina because I took a class to get a North Carolina security guard license. I was debating between Wilmington, North Carolina and Seattle, Washington. In North Carolina I have two places to stay but the jobs in Seattle pay more than the jobs in North Carolina. I really like Seattle because the pay is better and I really like the landscape. The only problem is the distance. It would take me at least two days and over $300 just to get out there. I like North Carolina because it is a warmer climate, has beautiful beaches, and has a growing film industry in Wilmington but the state is so conservative and christian it drives me insane. There is a church on almost every block and the preaching is insufferable. They also have a mentality in the south that is very laid back. They really aren't worried about being late or getting things done on a deadline. If I move south, that will be a huge adjustment for me (especially since I'm a New Yorker or Yankee as they say).
      I've been watching some short films on youtube and found one I really liked. The acting, writing, and production was all really well done. Here is the video:

     
      Disney bought LucasFilms in case you didn't know so there will be 3 more movies. Let's hope for Nathan Fillion to play Han Solo or a Captain Reynolds cameo in the films. As far as movies go, I watched Taken 2 in theaters. I really liked the action and determination of the father to protect his family. Breaking Dawn 2 came out and I am still debating over whether or not I should watch it because I have watched the others but I don't think the movies did the books justice.

Movie of the Day: Taken 2

Song of the Day: Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Micaelson

      Since I am staying with friends down here, I will assist them with their message. My one friend has had an ongoing issue with a company not paying her a paycheck. I am fowarding this message for people who are considering working with this company:

Money Network Card holder services is the worst company in the world. I never used my card on line at all and my account was hacked through there system. I have been fighting with them since July 2012 to get my money back and I have not seen a dime of it yet. I have attached some of the emails that have been between Mr. Denny who is supposed to be the leader of money network and myself yet this problem still goes on. I am advising anyone that has a Money Network card to find other ways of receiving your pay check. They are the worst company in the world to deal with. PLEASE Help me stop this from happening to someone else.
money network (all) 

From: Denny, Douglas M (Doug.Denny@firstdata.com) 
To: bwqzv-3196620650@pers.craigslist.org; 
Date: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 2:09 PM 
** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Hello, I saw this post on Money Network and would like to help. Is this still an open issue?
http://elmira.craigslist.org/rnr/3196620650.html
The information in this message may be proprietary and/or confidential, and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify First Data immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.


RE: money network (all) 
From: Denny, Douglas M (Doug.Denny@firstdata.com) 
To: *******@yahoo.com; 
Date: Saturday, September 1, 2012 10:28 AM 
Thank Jen, I am going to help to get this resolved. I have sent this to the hard of our customer service group. Can you please provide me with some additional details? What happened, when and also provide your phone number so you can be contacted. I dont like to see when people have issues and cannot get them resolved. We will take care of this.

Douglas Denny
Leader, Money Network
407.620.2573
Doug.Denny@FirstData.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Jen W.
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 10:08 AM Eastern Standard Time
To: Denny, Douglas M
Subject: Re: money network (all)
Yes this is still an issue. I have still not been able to resolve this issue at all.


Subject: RE: RE: money network (all) 
From: Denny, Douglas M (Doug.Denny@firstdata.com) 
To: ******@yahoo.com; 

Date: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 3:05 PM 
Someone is contacting you from our clients services. Be on the lookout.
Douglas Denny
First Data, Leader Product Specialists
407-620-2573
Doug.Denny@FirstData.com

Sent with Good (www.good.com)


-----Original Message-----
From: Jen W.
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 03:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
To: Denny, Douglas M
Subject: Re: RE: money network (all)
Mr.Denny thank you for letting me tell you what happened. I don't have a computer right now. I lost that and all of the paper work that I faxed out to money network in a house fire. So I am not.positive on the dates but my account got hacked and.I still don't have the money that was owed to me after faxing the paperwork to.your company. You can contact me at 607-329-8320 I would like to have my money back that was taken from me. Thank you for your time.
Jenna W.

Baby Balooza

      My brother and his girlfriend finally had their baby. Contractions started Sunday and Aurora Paige was finally born Thursday afternoon. At the hospital, they had almost their entire extended family there. When the baby was being born, my brother's girlfriend's mother insisted on being in the delivery room and outside of the room, my mom, a great aunt, a sister-in-law, and a friend all had their ears pressed to the door to hear the baby's first cries.

The baby weighed 5 lbs 11 ounces and was 48 inches long.

      I worked 12 hours Wednesday night and when I got home at 6 Thursday morning, I got the call that they were heading to the hospital. I went directly to the hospital and ended up having to take a nap in the waiting room around noon because the baby still hadn't been born yet. She was born just before 6pm so when I hit the bed at 10, I immediately fell asleep. I have never been so tired in my life so I admire Aurora's parents who didn't sleep well the night before.
      Halloween is fast approaching and Friday I am going shopping for my decorations. I plan on going crazy at the Halloween store because anything I buy I can use for props in any movies I want to make later on. I've already made two bottles of fake blood. I had to make two because the first ended up a purple color so I figured for human blood I probably needed more of a red color. At least now I have some alien blood.
      I wrote my first script the other day at work. I have a couple filmmaking books that I bought when I first got my camcorder and I started reading that at work too. I'm hoping to be able to make a short film after New Years. I want to get a few more lights and I'm hoping to get a better camera before then. I have all of the equipment to build a light stand and I'd really like to build a dolly before I start filming a lot. I like my job because I have a surplus of time to think up ideas and write scripts.

Movie of the Day: What to Expect When Your Expecting

Song of the Day: The Song That Never Ends from the Lamb Chop tv show

 

And so the battle begins...

      I posted my short story titled Countdown today under the Written Works page. I encourage you all to check it out and let me know what you think. I've decided before I start such a daunting task as writing a novel, I really need to practice my skills more. Hence the short story. Most of the story is vague but it is for a reason, really. I am considering turning it into a longer story later and I wanted to save a lot of the details for later. The story is about a man rushing through New York City on New Year's Eve to stop an immediate threat. Without going into details, I think this would make a very interesting story to expand upon so I've posted it here to see what others think (and to see if my writing style is any good).
      Today I have to drive 60 miles to a site to work security at a site. Usually I would not complain because I love to drive but I don't get paid for the mileage, gas, or time it takes me to get out there. I think it would even be better I worked the day shift because I wouldn't be as tired coming home in the morning. The good thing is that I have tomorrow off so if I need to pull over and sleep on the way home, I won't have to rush back to go to work again.
      I went out to dinner with my parents, my brother, and my brother's pregnant girlfriend last night. We went to Crackle Barrel which was the first time I had ever been there. I thought it was really nice. I had lemon peppered rainbow trout and it was delicious. It came with three sides and a biscuit all for under $10. I was amazed at how much food you got with so little a price - you can't get that at a fast food place. Overall I had fun and I recommend the restaurant to everyone.
      While I waited for my parents to get to the restaurant, I went over to the shop next door, Jo Ann Fabrics. I found this cool flannel with skaters and peace signs on it. It was on sale for $2.99 a yard down from $6.99 so I got two separate one yard sections. I've been thinking of making pillows out of it but the last time I made a pillow was nine or ten years ago when I was a freshman in high school. Probably Friday I will go back and get a cheap sewing machine and some scrap clothes to practice on before I get too carried away. My crafty ambitions always come up short though. I first wanted to learn how to knit so I did and I made an odd shaped baby blanket for my brother's baby. I started to make a hat and I've already gotten board with it. I'm hoping that the plethora of stuff you can learn to sew will be enough to keep my short attention span focused.
   
Movie of the day: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Song of the day: Rain by Creed

A Monkey Throws Poop and So Do You

     Summer is nearly at an end. I can tell because it is freaking cold outside right now. I can literally see my breath and I need a sweatshirt to stay warm. This is in stark contrast to the other day when I was outside moving my grandmother's stuff in 86 degrees. I ended that day with a headache, a sunburn, and a puking tantrum from the heat. I personally love the fall. Reason number one is OB-viously (Harry Potter reference) because HALLOWEEN is in the fall. As most of you know, this is my favorite holiday of the year. You don't have to put up with your family, you get to dress up, you get free candy, and you can go to haunted houses. There is nothing better. I am holding off on decorating for it so soon - I think I can make it to the first of October before I start decorating. I am also uncertain of my costume this year. Last year I was a zombie and I really enjoyed the fake blood so I will look around at the costume shops when they open but I may stick to my zombie outfit.
      In other news, my grandmother died last week (which was why we were moving her stuff). Now I officially have no grandparents left. She had dementia and she was in a nursing home for the past five years. I hadn't seen her in two years because the last time I visited, she didn't know who I was and I took it hard. When she died, I think I was better prepared because I had so long where the grandmother who knew me was already gone. At the funeral, I found out that I work with my mom's uncle and cousin. I've actually relieved the cousin on a site during shift change. My mom asked me to make a video for the funeral of all the pictures we had of my grandmother. Going through the pictures was nice to see my grandmother young - before I was born, but it was also a little awkward because she lived with the father of her child and his wife. Describing the family tree on my mom's side is so confusing I needed twenty years to understand it.
      My brother and his girlfriend are in the final stretch. They had the baby shower in August and they are now all prepared for the baby to be born. It is suppose to be a girl and they've decided to name her Aurora Paige. It took me a little while to warm up to the name Aurora but I like it now. I would still prefer Paige to Aurora but it's not my kid.
      I moved out of the apartment with my brother so that his girlfriend could move in and give my room to the baby. I am now back at my parent's house and they are driving me insane. They fight constantly which is usual (they did it my whole childhood). It also makes it harder because I work nights I have to sleep during the day. My dad complains that I'm lazy because I sleep all day. I usually try to ignore everything he says but when I've worked 12 hours overnight and sleep 6 hours only to wake up to his mouth yelling about something or other, I am not in the mood to fight with him. I want to move out but I barely make enough money to pay the minimum payment on my student loans let alone fork out an extra 500 for rent. To make matters worse, my job is up in the air because fracking in Pennsylvania has slowed down. I'm lucky if I can get three days in at work. This means a smaller paycheck and less money to be saved for moving.
     

      Now that I've gone through my trials and tribulations of the past couple of weeks, I had today off and took my truck out on the back roads. I ended up getting stuck in the mud because the truck bottomed out on some ruts that I thought were shallower than what they really were. This is what it looked like when I had my brother come pull me out.

      This is the same truck that needs a new clutch and transmission but I was bored and wanted to do something today. In this town, there really isn't that much else to do.

      In my complete geekout over finding the show Firefly and falling in love with it, I started searching other projects that the actor Nathan Fillion has acted in. This search led me to Castle. I love the idea of a mystery writer following a NYPD detective around and the fact that Nathan plays Castle is just the cream cheese icing on the red velvet cake. The show is hilarious and I've watched all four seasons now. I've even bought the Niki Heat books that are written by "Richard Castle". I also watched White Noise 2 which Nathan starred in. I thought it was a good movie and it even had me jumping and saying an expletive word when a ghost pops out at Nathan's character in his living room. 

      All of the Comic-cons are gearing up right now and in the desolate area where I live, the closest one is in NYC (where I wouldn't drive for the life of me) or Ohio. This time of year always makes me wish I lived in California or Georgia but my goal for next year is to go to dragoncon in Atlanta so I will keep my fingers tied and my bank account supplied.

Movie of the Day: The Dark Knight Rises

Song of the Day: Back Down by Game Rebellion feat. J. Period