When the Cheshire emerges...

Taken from the great MamaMia blog - it was the best photo!

Everything we fight only weakens us and hinders our ability to see the opportunity in the obstacle.

Human beings who do damage or inflict pain on anybody else are far greater victims than those they victimize, and must answer to a law of the universe for all those things.

Guilt takes place in the present moment, as does everything. It's a way of using up the present moment to be consumed wiht something that has already happened, over which you have no control.

Realised that I left for my New Zealand trip a year ago today. Oh how time flies. And not much changes. Again I'm on the road, having driven to Newcastle Airport for a Brisbane getaway. Excitement!

Anyway, your reviews for the week. Enjoy :)

SUPERNATURAL romance appears to be far from gone in cinema, and as much as some may fight it new takers for the next blockbuster fantasy franchise are knocking at the door. It’s now not something even the best of Hollywood actors are taking lightly.

Richard LaGravenese directed his adapted screenplay of the base novel and takes care not to over-exaggerate fantastical scenes. The strong Southern accents from his cast manage that on their own but allow an appreciation for something from the average fare, as well as a cast of characters that aren’t all just beautiful faces.

Rating: 3/5

*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) on Wednesday 20/2/2013.

MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Safe Haven.

Only 25 minutes to choose clothes and accessories for five days' holiday. That's got to be a personal best.

And it was all done with the finesse of an 80s powerdresser after I came home (early) from a trivia night:

How I would have power dressed 30 years ago. All in the name of charity and some good trivia... #dubbo twitter.com/Katiinkaa/stat…
— Katina V (@Katiinkaa) February 22, 2013

Anyway, it's been a crazy few days where I didn't get around to the vacuuming or cleaning the toilet, having to watch The Deer Hunter in two slots (man that film is LONG - but good) and trying to get ready for my mini-break.

I'm finally off to Brisbane on my Jetstar $1 flights, how exciting! I'll also have a morning in Port Stephens, dolphin capital of Australia, and time sussing out the Hunter Valley Gardens. I'll attempt to have details on this and my trip to Parkes and The Dish from last weekend up on my return.

***
Take the time to observe animals. What you learn will enrich your life.

There's no lack of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There's only a lack of resolve to make it happen.

Be consistent aware of the need to serve God and to serve others in any and all of your actions. That is the way of the miracle worker.

A story about a TV dilemma where I feel a bit harsh.

I had taped some episodes of the huge documentary series The Story of Film: An Odyssey. It looked awesome, each episode going through a decade or so and presenting different themes and pioneers of cinema.

Put on the first episode.

Within five minutes, I was scrambling to find out who on Earth the narrator was. Turns out he was the creator/director of the show, a Northern Irish film critic.

Mark Cousins

I didn't really know anything about him, but that all sounded great... unfortunately though, HE didn't.

I've never been more irritated by narration in my life.

I got a funny reply after venting on Twitter: he sounded like he was trapped in a suitcase. Fair call - I love a good Irish accent, but unfortunately his didn't work, it was too gentle and he needed to work on his tone.

I'd have to say it was a poor judgement on his part - yes, it's his story, but I couldn't pay attention. It was actually that bad I had to switch off and then ended up deleting what I'd taped.

You can still have creative control and hire a good narrator. Surely the budget wasn't that tight. Such a shame.

***
Being against anything weakens you, while being for something empowers you.

I started my own reading crusade last year after deciding it was time to really get back into it, particularly when the Winter Reading Program at Dubbo's library came up.

I ended up reading a total of five (and a half) books over 2012 that didn't include my magazines or the newspapers every day.

They were:

Ned & Katina by Patricia Grace, seen here at Rotorua Museum

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Night by Elie Wiesel

The half comes from a book I read across December and January:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

So far for 2013 I'm reading Anna Karenina and another book I started months ago, got on a roll with and then I stopped for other things. Should get back to it.

***
People who have behaved toward you in any way that you find disagreeable truly don't know what they've done to you because they're living out of their separateness.
Why?

Almost forgot to put this up! No classic review tonight, but I just want to say... I'm watching the last few minutes of The Lion King and it's boss.

The Dish was also a good movie, watched it last night before visiting the site outside Parkes today.

Safe Haven (M)

ANOTHER year, another Nicholas Sparks adaptation. So goes a viable affirmation; the latest story to present itself in cinemas is his eighth. Sparks has a good ratio - about one film to every two books, so he's not complaining. But those who are looking for romantic fare with a bit of difference might be.

Sparks' stories predominantly revolve around a fundamental of the romance genre; a central female character with a past (or present) she wants to keep to herself. She can't get close to a male though, because heaven forbid, she might fall deeply in love with them. Sleepy towns have that effect on these girls because there's not all that much else to do. Yes, it's romantic, often for its idyllic scenery (as seen here), but there's romance to be found in big cities just as well. The world we live in holds all different kinds of paradise.

For this story, the former comes to be the preference for Katie (Julianne Hough), on the run from Boston police and finding herself in Southport, North Carolina. On her decision to stay and start with a clean slate, she meets Alex (Josh Duhamel), that male she's not meant to get close to.

As we know, life happens. He's got kids Lexie (Mimi Kirkland) and Josh (Noah Lomax) but finds a spark (no pun intended) with Katie, the first since his wife died from cancer. There's some flirtatious banter here and there, and it takes a while, but they get there.

It's amazing what a small town can do for a person's complexion. Even the children are extremely tanned in this look at a potentially perfect romance. But even that can't stop the bad guy from his efforts to find her, officer Tierney (Aussie David Lyons) exhaustive in his efforts to find Katie.

Swede Lasse Hallstrom is not a stranger to romance, and particularly Nicholas Sparks. This is his second turn at adapting the authors' work after 2010's Dear John, and he continues the melodramatic trend that embodies this growing group of films. Sparks himself would have a bit to say on that, having started Nicholas Sparks Productions and finally taken one of the many producers' chairs.

For fans of this film group, it should serve as well as any other. But the film is fraught with similarities that show more of a desire to play it safe than a confidence in making something unique.
Perhaps that's the nature of these films, but recycled ideas don't stay fresh.

Hough tones it down after performance-heavy turns in Rock of Ages and the Footloose remake, but can't completely shake off the cutesy-pie American honey act. That describes the character of Katie though, a girl whose head is strong but still very fragile from her past.

For Leslie Bohem and Dana Stevens, a typical Sparks-friendly script is not inspired material.
Ultimately there's one twist too many as a poor effort tries to evoke emotion but instead produces quite the anti-climactic finale - something fast becoming a motif of the Sparks adaptations.

Rating: 2.5/5

*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 16/2/2013

MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS? See what I thought of Lincoln and Network.

At least some things never change.

(Then affirms for the day: Your own expectations are the key to the whole business of mental health. If you expect to be happy, healthy, and fulfilled in life, then that's where you'll place your attention and that's what you will manifest.)

Moving on. Yes, happy Valentine's Day. Last year I had a bit of a rant about public library services in regional areas after rediscovering a love for reading. I did continue that love by the way, the books I read in 2012 to soon be detailed (still getting through a backlog of ideas halted by the no photos episode).

This year I'm upset in a different way.

Yesterday at work I see today's page 3 getting proofed. Off-track, I first laughed at Dubbo's displeasure of SA finally reaching into the Aldi market (Dubbo still doesn't have one and it infuriates people).

Then I noticed the ad for the film. It's a national ad, so they just whack it in every paper, but seeing that still threw me off. No doubt the cinema today would have received a heap of phone calls - it's definitely not on.

I ring just to make sure there wasn't an error on the cinema's website. Then I'm told we're not only missing out on it for a week or two - we're not getting it at all. AT ALL.

Fail.

So my night's being spent eating pancakes or crepes (haven't decided at the time of writing this) and then having to see Safe Haven. The food is a good thing, I'll be at dinner with some of the work crew. But instead of a sweeping period epic my movie for the week has to be the latest freaking Nicholas Sparks adaptation. I'm going to be surrounded by cheesy couples watching a cheesy movie. I should bring my own cheese (and crackers, mmm) so I don't stick out like a sore thumb. Ugh.

***
Throughout life, the two most futile emotions are guilt for what has been done and worry about what might be done.

Failure is an editorial judgement imposed by others.

Everything your form needs to house this soul that you are wears out and changes and dies, but the divine, formless you never dies.

Tonight's blog comes courtesy of The Associated Press. I love Twitter.



That's all. Downton Abbey's on now, the dilemma of having to watch Elementary later. OK, that's just a first world problem...

***
"It's the space between the bars that holds the tiger," as they say in Zen, and it's the silence between the notes that makes the music.

Lincoln (M)

Twelve years of research into the days preluding the United States vote to abolish slavery would feel well worth it to Steven Spielberg. His love of history is shown on film in the most extravagant of ways, often leaving nothing behind. While criticism comes form those pointing out minor historical inaccuracies, many were altered in the name of artistic licence.

Abraham Lincoln himself is most comforting. The 16^th President of the United States (Daniel Day-Lewis) has been voted in to his second term as leader during a Civil War four years in. The sentiment is that the battle is nearing its end, and his cabinet plead for peace negotiations, particularly Secretary of State William H Seward (David Strathairn).



For many, this will be seen as a film of historical importance. For those who don’t know Lincoln’s influence on the United States, this is the sort of film that will inspire you to find out more. Spielberg usually has that effect on people with his work.

 Doping in Australian sport. Matchfixing too. The blackest day in Australian sport.

Haven't we seen this photo EVERYWHERE today?

Who would've thought it was this widespread? You read about scandals elsewhere... the Lance Armstrong case, the Europol investigation into soccer match fixing. But Essendon players being injected by some suss guy with unknown stuff? Deplorable. And what if Jobe Watson were to get stripped of his Brownlow Medal if the substances test positive? My goodness. What a sad day it would be.

This disappoints me as much as anyone else. I hate to see anyone disgraced by this conduct but if they're guilty they bring it upon themselves. And it's not just the AFL being looked into. Not surprised the NRL's not saying much on matchfixing from what I've previously read... but good on the Australian Crime Commission for doing the report. This needs to be stamped out - how any sport is still credible I'm starting to wonder...


I also wanted to mention the Jeremy Fernandez situation.

Isn't it disgusting? If this is true then our country's in a sorry state. The guy is as professional as any other, and I love watching him on the ABC because he's good at what he does. What a shame this is. Did the world not learn from Rosa Parks as this man did?

***
There is no way to enlightenment. Enlightenment is the way. It's a principle of living rather than seeking.

Every moment that you spend upset, in despair, in anguish, angry, or hurt because of the behaviour of anybody else is a moment in which you've give up control of your life.

A long time coming, although to say anyone was hanging out for this could be a stretch.

My final shoes of the week for 2012:

The black pump was alright although it had purple diamantes on it. Then there's a mother-daughter combo, a Christmas boot (there were three of them to choose from if you can believe), another fluffy heel (there was one earlier) anad points. Always lots of points.

Shoe of the month for November: the black pump above. With shoes representing San Fransisco and a cow, that wasn't too difficult.
Shoe of the month for December: I don't particularly like any of these (I know that was the point of this whole exercise, but still)... I'll pick the Christmas boot for the festive spirit.

Shoe of the year.

Well, we're at that point. There's been everything from satanic footwear to that of the formal kind. There were summer wedges and a few days' homage to The Wizard of Oz. But my favourite?

I actually found it hard to pick just one in the end... but I did.

Second runner-up:


First runner-up:


And the winner:


Do you agree? Tell me what you think!

***
- Once you become detached from things, they don't own you any longer.
- Re-examine the sentence: "Just do your best.". I would substitute it with, "Just do.".
Why?

This is NOT a trick of the light. From the knee upwards: chocolate, strawberry, vanilla.

What does one do with a TRIPLE TAN?!

***
As long as you stay where you are and tell yourself you have to do it because you've always done it, the only payoff you get is to defend your misery.

Every year when the Superbowl's on it's a reminder that any effort I've ever made into getting to know gridiron never gets very far.

I still like to watch for the spectacle if not for understanding the sport on, and we had it going today at work so I was trying to sneak a few seconds here and there in between trying to work.

I'd forgotten that today was Superbowl day until after I'd been at work for a bit, and had totally not realised the correlation between that and what I chose to wear today. Completely by chance. U-S-A, U-S-A.

Oh my goodness, how HOT were Destiny's Child? I thought the rumours were just that, everyone was shooting it down, but I saw them appear. And we had the volume up as a few males in the newsroom were interested...

WOW. Their outfits are absolutely amazing (love that it's a relative unknown designer) - and they're all in top shape. Not to mention that from what I could hear they sounded alright too. But if they DO record new material, it's GOT to stay away from soppy ballads. We have to be ready for their jelly.

As for the game itself, I didn't exactly have a preference. But I admired the comeback from the 49ers, I was hoping for a last-gasp win. I swear though, the last two minutes of that game seemed the longest in sport ever. It's incredible how long they can draw that time out! I'd been out of the newsroom for a bit and was surprised to find it was even still going. Then I found out there'd been a massive blackout. So they can't really draw that much time out haha.

***
Death is merely a form of transformation. Imagine what our planet would be like without it. It's like taking off a worn-out garment.

I did a story on Dubbo's new nightclub ahead of its opening two weeks ago, and finally got there last week when Australian hip hop group Justice Crew were in town.

Had a great time - they weren't on for long but it was a bit of fun and they were entertaining. The DJ afterwards was also pretty good, a diverse mix of rnb and dance - he even got The Prodigy in there so I was pretty happy with that. The club is pretty spacious and even has a quirky snack van in the smoking area. And it was busy too, which was good to see.

A slight #firstworldproblem with the night though was to do with the crowd on the dancefloor. It looked like a lot of these people had never been to either a club or a gig, let along a gig in a club. There were drinks going everywhere and moshing in a space that only had maybe up to two hundred people. Ridiculous. And really, this was for Justice Crew.

Courtesy Amaroo Hotel (I think)

Worst thing about this was that even the outer parts of the dancefloor were horribly wet and slippery. The glassies weren't cleaning it (if HQ can manage, they could here) and in heels I felt like I was extremely close to a stack that would've left me unconscious...

CASE STUDY: I watched a guy who was having fun and a bit of a crazy drunk dance, right? OK, that's fine. He had a whole cup of beer in one hand... then half a cup... then about a quarter of a cup... he looks at it, gestures to say, "Hey, where'd my beer go?", and then next I look and the cup's gone. He may have taken one sip.

I hate to say this, but I'll put it out there as I see it. It felt like it was a case of country people not knowing how to club. Guess it's just the different crowd... but control your drinks people, it's not that hard! It's not like you don't get drunk people sloshing drinks anywhere else, because you do, but this was pretty excessive for a smaller crowd.

For all of that, it won't deter me from going again should I get the chance. Just hope that it won't be as intense. I want to be able to wear high shoes!

***
A non-doer is very often a critic - that is, someone who sits back watching doers, and then waxes philosophically about how the doers are doing. It's easy to be a critic, but being a doer requires effort, risk and change.

Well by trying this out I was definitely a doer...

MENTAL illness in film is usually of the serious kind; characters without a grip on their complete sense of self are ones that need help and find it hard to come by as they face day-to-day life. It’s a common part of life that has at least an indirect effect on most people, but to put it with comedy is rare. No doubt the likeability of difference against other films on the subject is something the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters have taken note of.

Pat meets one of those by chance. Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) is a mess, retreating to defensive conversation and other antisocial behaviour in the time following her husband’s death. But a mutual attraction from the two sparks an unlikely friendship centred on looking out for their own wellbeing.

It’s the opposite to most boy-girl stories in that sense, rejecting the notion of devoting yourself to someone else. There is no love lost between Pat and Tiffany as they try to find their silver lining through a warped understanding of each other and the neighbourhood they find themselves in.


The people Pat and Tiffany are surrounded by add to the story. Pat Sr is a bookmaker convinced his son’s return home has sparked a Philadelphia Eagles winning streak in the NFL; his friend Randy (Paul Herman) the dodgy friend always looking for the better bet. Then there’s Danny (Chris Tucker), Pat’s friend from the institution with his misguided positivity.

It’s a man’s world, spearheaded by the inclusion of a NFL rivalry sub-plot. The film feels very North American as a result, their pride for gridiron unlike those from any other sport’s fans, but Tiffany taps into that zone and bring it to its knees in a pivotal moment.

The screenplay displays the shouting ability of most of the cast as much of the story centres around arguments. Pat, Tiffany and those around them are fraught with confusion as they are all forced to consider what defines importance and happiness. Russell’s cast is excellent, Jennifer Lawrence mesmerising as a very troubled young lady.

Russell, an executive producer on Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, injects potentially flirtatious moments with deadpan sarcasm. It’s less risky than what it should seem, and the effect is paramount as laughs that should feel awkward don’t. This latest award season favourite mixes the young and old in presenting some of the best performers Hollywood has to offer.


*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) on Wednesday 30/1/2013.

MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS? See what I thought of Django Unchained and Good Morning, Vietnam.

The highest form of ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about.

Too right. Life's all about learning, so know your stuff and then make a judgement if you must.

I want to touch on something from this afternoon where I feel I can now make said judgement... ladies, do you ever feel victimised as soon as you walk into a certain store? Be it for how you look or appear to those in the shop or just the vibe of the place itself? I get that at Dubbo's best boutique.

Mary and Me is a bit of both. The women, young and old, are terrible with their customer service and don't look like they ever care about the fact that someone's walked in. OK, so today they took my clothes to the change room, but that's the least I'm worried about. I want to know that I've at least been acknowledged.

I've realised I haven't written about them on here before now, but I can make this judgement. It happens every time I visit. Maybe it's because none of them have any personality, I don't know. Although I worked for a retail company whose deal with customer service was, and probably still IS the worst ever, I at least say hello to someone. Common courtesy.

I tried on a heap of dresses including this awesome thing above from Talulah. A couple I was keen on, but undecided as going in there was on a whim and my tendency to impulse buy is on the increase. So I asked to put them on hold until tomorrow.

I've realised I'll never be asked how I'm going in the changerooms even if I'm the only person in the store so that's fine, but when I was told I couldn't because my chosen items were sale items I got annoyed. Normally if that rule applies, that's fine. The problem here is that everything was marked down because they were having a storewide sale. And on top of that I swear I heard another woman ask about coming in tomorrow as well for something that was being kept for her. Pfft. I just left.

Talk about double standards. They don't even specifically mark faulty items and just chuck them in with the rest of the sale stuff. And they do know about the defects - I was told by the manager once the price of something was so low because it was faulty. I realised there was a slight fault in the first thing I bought from there after getting home, but I didn't end up taking it back only because I liked it that much and wanted to spare myself a potential argument.

What I'm getting from this series of events is that I shouldn't bother spending my money in there again unless it's for a nice present for someone. As good as the stock is, it's not worth it. And it's a sign I need to stop buying stuff and save.


Two points on winning now:

1: I'VE GOT PHOTO STORAGE BACK

Can you BELIEVE IT? OK , so of course this doesn't really faze any of you too much - but I was randomly checking to see if I had storage room for just one photo left - AND IT WORKED.

And then I tried a few more. And they worked too. Went to check my storage on Picasa (which is what Blogger uses) - and read the following:

You are currently using 1032 MB (20.17%) of your 5120 MB.

Perhaps my download of Google Drive DID work after all. Note to self: am not going to go as overboard with photos so as not to use the rest up! Anyway, I can finally bring you the rest of what I had planned from my big road trip and the bigger things since. Stay tuned for some kick-arse stories.

2: SATURDAY'S AFFIRMATION

I think my affirmation for tomorrow is particularly interesting. Though I might just affirm the first sentence:

You were a winner from the moment you were born. There were several hundred billion sperm in one glob chasing this one egg. They were all in a race. The prize was this egg, and they were all swimming as fast as they could. There were billions of them, and you won. You won the first race you were ever in.

Now isn't THAT an interesting bedtime story?