Movie: None

Had no time

Movie: History of the World Part 1

So by the name of this movie, I immediately thought it may have some application in my classroom. Then, in the first scene when the hunter gatherers are jacking themselves off, I realized I would not be getting any cirriculum support!

It wasn't super fascinating, but it was rather commical. Not exactly my sense of humor, but I appreciated knowing most of the Jewish/Historical references.

Oh and now I've seen a Mel Brooks movie!

Movie: Lawrence of Arabia

One of my new goals is to watch old movies. Another goal of mine is to understand each lyric in Billy Joel's we didn't start the fire. Score! Two birds with one stone.

That unfortunately is the only "score" in this story. Lawrence of Arabia is a 3 1/2 hour long movie that focuses on his military service in SouthWest Asia during World War one. The character of Lawrence has a prophetic personality, everything he says has such certainty. He is an outcast of the British military, and jumps at the chance to work with the Beduin's on the Arabian peninsula. From then on, he "becomes native", until he sees the casualties and brutality of war, especially with the Beduin's and is conflicted and confused about his loyalties to himself, his country and his new friends.

I lost interest pretty early on, and spent most of the movie grading. I couldn't even watch it all in one sitting. It did start to get interesting towards the latter half, but I think I had missed so many nuances by half paying attention that I did not get the whole thing. I'm not really sure I got the whole point.

I do feel however, that I got the idea of war, and conflicting cultures and how they all work together. There was also a big about race, in which Lawrence feels he can't continue to be successful because of being White in an Arab world. It really did a good job of displaying different political structures and their struggle to work together successfully. As a history teacher I think I gleaned all that I could from it.

Movie: Ratatouille

I have to say, out of all the movies I have seen this year this is by far the least interesting.

My drive to watch it, was a field trip we took the kids on today to the Pixar exhibit at the Oakland Museum. With the exception of two exhibits, it to was less then thrilling.

Over the break I watched nearly half a dozen movies, classics or current blockbusters and have not been let down once.

This one however, found me constantly checking my email and facebook as I watched. Surprising as it may be.

It was a cute movie I guess, but could have been told in a lot less time. Overall not super impressed. However, in the spirit of it, perhaps I'll try to make it for my cooking this week!!

Movie: Inception

Took me a long enough, eh?

Finally saw inception, which was as good as everyone said. I bet it would have been nice to watch it on the big screen, but I think I had a good seat watching it on a big screen cuddled on a bed. So maybe that was the best way to watch it!

Overall the movie was very interesting. They did a really good job, creating a whole world of the future. They did have a couple holes, but in all honesty, if I watched it again, they would probably be answered.

Movie: Pi

I tried to watch Pulp Fiction, but there was a problem with the file, so I saw Pi sitting in the folder and thought I'd try it out. Knowing nothing about it, I clicked play. I was knitting while watching and wasn't super focused, it seemed pretty interesting. The premise is that numbers and patterns are found in everything, yet the more one focuses on figuring them out, the less human it seems, they become. I'm glad I saw it as it seems to be part of the popular fabric of our times. I really should try to see Pulp Fiction though!

Movie: Swingers

"You are so fucking money."

This movie was very eye opening. I am obviously the Mike character, but a girl. It was interesting to see how destructive he was. Berger(never caught his name in the movie, but from sex and the city) said that the difference between Mike and other guys, is that Mike focused on what he didn't have instead of what he did. I know I can fall apart, when I think I should be getting something(a guy, an honor, high averages, etc) and I don't. I think the whole world is judging me, as I am judging me. Yet, its not true! Was a good one to see!

Movie: The Graduate

"Well here's to you Mrs. Robinson...."

I have to say other then understanding such a pop culture idea, I really did not enjoy this movie that much.

So Ben, is seduced by Mrs. Robinson, and in the middle of the affair, he meets and is taken by her daughter. Yet, when she finds out about her mother, she splits, leaving him to chase after her for the rest of the movie.

Overall, its unbelievable. An older woman would not just throw herself at someone like that. Also, the daughter would not be that taken by him, nor should he be that taken of her in such a short period of time. The characters aren't developed, or even remotely likable, except for the daughter. However, her likability goes down, when you factor in how rash she is.

The only cool part is when he goes to stalk her in Berkeley, he sits across from a book store that is like 3 blocks from my house. Otherwise this is the worse movie I've watched so far. I guess I'm glad to have seen it, to get the true history behind the song and cougar idea, but I have no need to ever watch it again.

Movie: Up in the Air

Following my vow to myself to not watch chick flicks, I opted for the opposite. I went for a movie that I thought would end exactly where it started, and I wasn't let down.

This movie's plot is about a man, who has evolved past the need for sedentary life, and instead lives for business trips, which he does the majority of the year. He meets a woman who leads a similar lifestyle, seemingly meeting several over the years. However, his life changes quite a bit when a fresh from ivy leager tries to ground him in Omaha, because of her genius cost saving ideas. TO train her she joins him on his trips and he finds himself constantly justifying and explaining his lifestyle to her. She starts to seep in and he starts to make something work with the woman, only to find out that she has a family at home. He heads back to the skies, confirming his prethought beliefs.

This is the first time in a long time I've watched a movie like this and not been saddened by it. It could be that I'm already in a funk lately, that nothing could really make me sadder, but I really needed to see how guys felt and thought. Not that I am necessarily having guy problems or anything, but I often forget how guys and girls seem to have very different opinions about settling down. I also felt much sympathy for the ivy leager and actually regretted similar things that I did when I first began my teaching career.

Movie: Thank you for smoking

This movie follows the spokesman for big tobacco's research agency. He spins the truth, but is also trying to show his son what is right and wrong.

It was interesting how quickly, as I was watching, I found myself believing what he was saying, even though I knew he was full of shit. I do not like how easily persuaded I am by prose.

Movie: Fight Club

I dont know how it took me this long to see this movie. But I guess most of these movies I should have seen that I haven't!

So this movie follows an everyman through his white collar existence. He hates his life, but doesn't feel like he has any control, so he creates an imaginary friend/another self and creates an army of people who oppose the burgeoning corporate America.

It definitely had many interesting societal critiques. The first, and most prevalent, was peoples tacit agreement to keep the establishment, and corporations in power by working and respecting them. There was also the idea that men are designed to be aggressive, and protective of others, and corporate America takes all that away, leaving many men feeling lonely and useless. A comment they made, which I appreciated, was that people in power need the proletariat, for lack of a better term, and that in reality, there is a mutual agreement in place between the people in power and the proletariat, in order for the world to function as is. I think I am not explaining it right exactly, but I see quite a few social critques. I can't handle watching the movie again anytime soon, but if I see it again, I will try to pay more careful attention to it.

I am still a little confused how the girl fit in, or if she was simply a sub plot so some girls might be interested in the movie?

I did catch on to the personal struggle, and felt akin to it! I know sometimes we can feel that others can do it better then ourselves, or that we need permission to do things that we want to do. Brad Pitt kept talking about being free, and what he meant was free from societal pressure! He meant that society functions in large part to keep everyone in their place. I personally think that society does function for good, as it creates a moral and ethical code for people to live by, but alot of times it is way to cloistering, and keeps us from doing things we want, simply because we are afraid of what others think.

My thoughts are so not well developed at all, but it was definitely an interesting, thought provoking movie.

Final note-I started watching Leap Year at the beginning of the week, and decided to scrap it. I need to stop watching movies like that, that create unrealistic expectations for relationships! Instead I'll watch a movie where guys beat each other up for fun! That's super more realistic!

Movie: Clash of the Titans

If this man wasn't enough of a reason to watch this movie I don't know what is. This movie told the story of Perseus, half god-half man. It's an action movie in which he is fated to save the city of Argos against Hades. Overall, I liked it. The graphics were fun, and during the fighting scenes I finished up grades(comment codes). It frustrated me a little, that all the other major characters in the movie fought and died for the cause, while Perseus was really the only 3 dimensional character. It seemed like the point of the movie was for him to realize his destiny. Yet, in denying his destiny for most of the movie, many people had to die. It creates a very selfish character, and for those who watch a movie like this at a young age, will think that other people are not as important as the changes going on within yourself. I don't know if I am explaining this right, but it seems to insinuate that its ok if all these people died, as long as you changed and grew?

Anyways, the guy was cute, and it filled in another myth, so I can better teach the Greece unit at the end of the year!!

Movie: The Terminator

So lately I have been sticking to 80s movies. All I can say is, I cannot believe that man is now our governor. I know I'm behind the times a bit, but I finally get the ridiculousness of it all!!

The movie had an interesting story, a dystopia created by going back in time and creating it. Very interesting. I am curious to see #2, as supposidly the governator is a good guy? I can't believe it!

I am actually glad that it wound up becoming quite unbelievable by the end, as not to get nightmares! I tend to scare easily!

I also am super sad that the line "come with me if you want to live" was super not dramatic whatsoever. That's like a classic line said in the most un passionate way.

Movie: Neverending Story

Not even bothering with a picture for this movie. I'm sure that it would have been good if I watched it as a 10 year old boy. However, I watched it as a 27 year old girl. The original message of the movie, that the kid should not have his head completely in the clouds was very justified. Running around thinking his imagination is going to save him from bullies cannot really help him in the real world.

Movie: Labyrinth

Um, ohmygosh, how have I NEVER seen this movie? This movie was made with me in mind. It was!! It's a story about a girl who's miserable about her upper middle class existence, adolescence and a blended family. She is supposed to watch her little brother and asks the "Goblin King" to take her brother away. She unfortunately was not careful what she wished for, and it comes true, sending her into the labyrinth, so she can eventually beat the Goblin King and get her brother back!

First of all, there is glitter everywhere, how can I not love that? Second, there are non scary monsters in it, my favorite kind! Third, the girl is headstrong, just like me. I can go on and on. Perhaps next week I'll watch the Goonies as I feel that it is the male version of this movie and I don't know how I have never seen that movie either?

There were some great morals in this tale, such as be careful what you wish for, the need for imagination, and don't be a brat! While obviously this was not an amazing movie for who I am at this moment, it was an awesome movie that I am miserable that I never watched as a child!!

Movie: Where the Buffalo Roam

So one reason I am super excited to be living with boys is that they have vastly different interests then me. They tend to watch, listen and read things that I would never even think of doing. So today, knowing I had my movie to watch, I asked Drew what he would suggest. He suggested Where the Buffalo Roam, which is a tale of Hunter S. Thompson. My limited understanding of Hunter S. Thompson comes from several guys I've dated over the past few years who was intrigued by the idea of this man.

Before I go into my critique, I have to say that I did grade quizzes during the entire movie, so I may have missed a thing or two. However, I am not even remotely intrigued. The only thing I like about him, is that he bucked the rules/system and was still successful, you have to admire that! But, I am not a huge fan of his drinking/drugs/girls. I am also still very confused about his relationship with his lawyer. Perhaps I'll do a little more research on this man.

Movie: 500 Days of Summer

So I know I am super behind the times(this is why movie is one of my categories), but I hadn't seen 500 days of Summer yet. So now, I have. If you haven't seen it yet, do not continue reading, as I will be talking about it, in its entirety.

So I'm not sure if there is a point. The movie started off with Summer saying she didn't believe in fate, and then suddenly she does? It also started off with Summer as the just out of reach girl, yet in the last scene she is in, I literally didn't recognize her. But why? Why did she go through this transformation and why did it happen so quickly? It was over 300 days with her and Tom, and less then 200 for her to have met a new guy, dated him and gotten married? Why? I don't understand at all? If she was so trepadacious, why did she jump into it?

Otherwise I thought the movie was cute. I like that he didn't wind up with her at the end, it would have been too easy! However, I think both of the women in the movie seem a little out of his league. I also really liked that Summer and Tom did fun things together, like play around at IKEA and play the Penis game. I really appreciated that she could be fun without being loud or without others. I thought she was a fun, but not super believable.

Movie: Hot Tub Time Machine

Hot Tub Time Machine:

This movie was about as exciting as most people would have expected. It's kinda like Hangover, without any cute guys to watch. While I adore John Cusack, I do not watch his movies because he is a babe. I watch them because he is seemingly a good actor. This movie made me question that a bit.

The movie is about three guys and a random unexplained nephew of one of the guys. They used to be friends and still pretend to be, but in actuality they do not hang out like they did as kids. One of them tries to commit suicide, so to make him feel better, they decide to go back to their old haunt, a ski lodge. When they get there it is decrepit and outdated, not the party it was 25 years ago. After hours of non action in the room, they discover the hot tub and decide to drink inside. Something malfunctions in the hot tub, and they go from 2010 to 1986. Throughout the movie, even though we are looking at them as men, we are to believe(and are shown through mirrors) that the other characters see them as kids.

By the end it justifies some of what it set out to do, but mostly was just an excuse to make a guy movie. My favorite character, and the part that made the movie not seem completely ridiulous was the character of April, played by Lizzy Caplan(who was on Related, and Janis in Mean Girls). I enjoyed her because she was a free spirit, and was an archetype of someone I'd like to look up to.

Since the intent of this is to ensure that I am trying to balance and be reflective, I find I did glean some from the movie.

• You can always change your mind
• Nothing is predestined
• It's up to you to prevent forest fires

So maybe the last one came from a commercial and not this movie, but the moral was a nice wrap up and gave me an excape for a few hours!

Work hard, Play hard.

I started off the summer pretty rough. I heard some upsetting news, and I went through a lot of change, which is something I suck at.

Yet, I overcame, and for over a month I had an absolutely excellent summer. For the first time in my life I completely enjoyed free time.

But the school year is starting again, and I tend to get super wrapped up in it and super emotional so I am trying to give myself an outlet, actually 8 outlets.

I have created a chart for myself, and this blog to keep myself accountable. Each week, in addition to all the things I need to do in order to keep myself alive(laundry, sleep etc), and the money flowing(work), I am committing myself to complete activities in eight categories.

Drum roll please....

Dress up-I tend to ignore my body and my looks. An entire day can go by where I don't look in a mirror. While I am not intending to be superficial, I would like to spend at least one day each week getting ready and taking care of myself. It could be for work, for a date, or for an evening out on the town.

Reading-This one is pretty obvious, but I am actually an avid reader, who can sometimes go for weeks without reading, since I ignore my need to learn.

Nature-Being outside, and breathing in the air, centers me and calms me in a way that little else can. I am committing to do this at LEAST once a week. It can be as little as sitting in my backyard for an hour or more, or as much as, hiking, paddle boating etc.

Physical-Except for getting physical. I mean Elle said it perfectly when she said "Exersize produces endorphins, endorphins make you happy and happy people just don't shoot their husbands." I mean I need to protect my fictitious husband right?

Cooking-While I am not an awful cook, I tend to stay towards the stuff that I know how to cook, which sucks really, because I have all these great cookbooks, so I need to cook at least one new meal a week!

Movie-So my house, the apartment I live in, is HOOKED up! They have, or can have nearly every movie I could ever want just by a click of a mouse!! Since I tend to stick to VERY girly movies, I intend to watch one new movie each week. This does not necessarily mean a brand new movie, it just means a new movie to me, one that I have not seen. This can be anything from the Godfather, to Inception. Please suggest movies that you think I should see!!

Cultural-This one is a late arrival, and might be a little difficult to always complete, yet I want to do something each week that is touristy in some way. This can be going to a new restaurant, heading to a museum, or hitting up an outdoor market! Since I do intend to go away, I will also count sleeping at a house not at my own(but not like just crashing somewhere else), to give myself a little wiggle room here. This category was initially going to be social, but since I do that pretty naturally, I wanted to expand it a bit. It should include others!

Creative-It is this category however, that I want to bolster the most. It is also the one I am most worried about succeeding at. I am by nature a very crafty person and even have an artistic bone or two in my body. Yet, I have gotten so lazy, or forgetful of my talents, that I had to buy a book entitled "Get a Hobby", just to remind myself of my own interests. I have rested on my interests being education and travel for so long, that I feel as though I am one dimensional. I am depending on this category to add some more dimensions, and passions to myself!

So tune in every few days, as I reflect on the different categories. I am publishing this, so I keep myself honest, but the benefit to you is you could learn about a new book, a new/old movie, a new hiking spot, something cultural in the area, a new recipe, a new outdoor spot etc. So please hold me to this!

I need to be a well rounded individual, and not a traveling, teaching robot!