Ask Me How I Got This Smile on My Face
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: The Dark Knight
Topic: Movie Review

The Dark Knight was a brilliant movie despite being about 15-minutes too long. (I’m not going to complain about the length, because all movies are at least 15-minutes too long nowadays and to complain about it would be a redundant criticism.) The movie was dark, philosophical, fast paced and action packed. Some critics will state that The Dark Knight was too dark or too philosophical for a “funny book” movie. People who say that are not too familiar with the world of comic books, and the alternate realities in which superheroes live. Never confuse a comic book with the bright bang-pow, drink-your-milk and say-your-prayers type of heroes in the Sunday papers’ comic strips. Comic book heroes (and villains) who are brought to life on the big screen come with much depth and baggage that is ripe for exploring.

 

The Dark Knight explores the yin and yang relationship of the Batman and the Joker. Good versus Evil. Order versus Anarchy. Without the existence (even the theoretical existence) of one, the other cannot exist. The Joker, with his scarred mouth and whacked-out make-up, points this out with glee to Batman. Batman as the vigilante hero has created a villain who elicits as much fear as Batman does hope. The Joker, with his guns and bombs, has thrown the Gotham City in a tailspin. The police, the mobsters, and the everyday folks don’t know how to catch or capture him. Batman and District Attorney Harvey Dent (a scene-stealing Aaron Eckhart) fight to control the chaos through the rules and laws they’ve privately and publicly promised to uphold.

 

To say anymore would give away too many of the surprising and excellent plot twists. As Heath Ledger’s more-than-excellent Joker keeps pushing the envelope of evil deeds, the audience stays riveted to their chairs and their eyes to the screen. Each time the Joker appears, the audience whoops in disbelief at his mayhem. Oh, shit! Did the Joker just do that?  The audience struggles with Christian Bale’s Batman and Harvey Dent’s dilemma of stepping outside the boundaries of their laws to bring down the Joker. (Dent nearly shoots one of the Joker’s goons to get his whereabouts, and the Batman has to restrain himself from killing the Joker with his bare hands.)

 

The actors all do a very fine job in their roles. Bale is an excellent Bruce Wayne, hamming it up as the millionaire playboy in order to keep is true identity a secret. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a sexy and fiery A.D.A and love interest of both Dent and Wayne. Aaron Eckhart, with his strong jaw and a cartoon superhero’s chin, brings depth to his character’s arc. And of course, there is the late Heath Ledger who is unrecognizable as he is so steeped in his character. He fully embodies the insanity of the Joker making him scarier than Jack Nicholson’s over-the-top cartoonish performance from nearly 20-years-ago. You never look at this Joker and say “Heath does a good Joker.”

 

Christopher Nolan has made some very fine character movies, Memento and The Prestige, and his does great with the characters in this new Batman franchise. Unfortunately, it is hard to follow the action sequences. You get the idea in theory of what is happening, but you don’t understand what you’re seeing. That is the main flaw of The Dark Knight. Well, that, and the fact that you won’t see anymore face-offs between the Joker and the Batman that is hinted at near the climax of the movie.

 

See this movie. I wouldn't bring any child younger than 10 to this movie.

  

Reading is Fundamental, You Suckas
Mood:  not sure
Now Playing: Tyrell by Coe Booth
Topic: Book Reviews
Tyrell by Coe Booth

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
As a Young Adult librarian, I inwardly (barely) frown upon any teenager's craving for the so-called street/hip-hop/urban fiction that has become a force to be reckoned with in the literary world. These books glorify an opportunisitic, materialistic, sexist, violent, and sometimes criminal world that teens live or wish to live. Lest you think me some suburb-rised cultural elitest, let me set you straight. I'm straight up 'hood born and 'hood raised. I've seen some of these stories close up in real life and there's nothing good about them, so I'm baffled by the embrace of them.

Tyrell, Coe Booth's debut novel, is urban/street/ghetto fiction taken to a higher level. It exposes the ugly side of project-life, hustling, and using sex as a tool. The protagonist, 15-year-old Tyrell, is trying to keep his family and life together as he is trying to escape homelessness. But he is constantly angered and frustrated by a trifling mom, an incarcerated dad, a mistrustful girlfriend, and a needy female pal. Yet, by the end of the story, Tyrell finds light at the end of the tunnel.

The ending doesn't pretend that the rest of Tyrell's life (or his little brother's, mother's, father's or friends') won't be a hard struggle, but it does give hope that Tyrell won't succumb to the vices (emotional and physical) that traps everyone around him. Tyrell is both sad and uplifting without being preachy. It is the perfect realistic fiction for today's teens.

View all my reviews.

My President Gives Dap
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Go Obama
Topic: Politics

Two Words: CRUSH McCAIN!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGBikSDv4nM  

 

The Joy of Summer Reading
Mood:  sharp
Now Playing: The Wallflower
Topic: Book Reviews
The Wallflower 1: Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge by Tomoko Hayakawa

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Blood. Ghosts. Creatures of light! No, this isn’t a vampire-horror graphic novel. This is a wacky story about 4 hot guys with a mission to turn their landlady’s homely neice into a stunner, so they can get free rent. But when the poor thing looks like the girl from the movie The Ring, do the boys even have a chance? You’ll have to read the rest to find out. You’ll be laughing and cheering through out the whole series. 

Naptime Is the New Happy Hour: And Other Ways Toddlers Turn Your Life Upside Down by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This laugh outloud book on how to survive toddlerhood needs to be read by every parent. The advice and anecdotes in this book will have you shelving your mommy-guilt, and feeling good about your parenting skills. It is a quick read, and you can start at any chapter. Warning there is a lot of cursing, but I don't mind it because my cursing quotient has gone up now that I have two little ones.

View all my reviews.

On Second Thought
Mood:  surprised
Now Playing: Payless Shoes
Topic: Fashion/Beauty Thoughts

Lately, yours truly had been ragging on Payless Shoe Source quite a bit because they've been featuring so many "upscale"  and "specialty" designers that I was unable to find any of my fav traditional Payless designs to fit my feet. I apologize Payless. You still have my heart. With thoughts of economic stimulus and Mother's Day gifts dancing in my head, I spent a full hour trying on sandals and pumps at my local Payless last Wednesday. As cute and as fashion forward as the Abaete, Lela Rose, and  Alice + Olivia designed shoes were, I didn't gravitate toward them. I don't know, I'm just not a fan of slippery-soled flats or or patent leather stripper wedges. I was looking for classic, comfy, and cute.

The first pair of shoes that caught my attention was a pair of peep-toe, B&W spectator pumps with a curved and slightly-conical heel that was very reminiscent of what a 40s Hollywood vixen would wear. If I had the opportunity to wear pumps, I would have definitely bought these stunners. (They're on sale at $13! I should have just bought them to wear around the house. Who knows, I still might.)

 

 

The second pair of shoes that I found myself bouncing around the store in wear a pair of strappy, wedge black sandals that would carry me through the entire summer. It also came in the less-severe color of navy. I found the navy to be more summery, but I'll probably buy the black because I'm a New York City girl who can never have too many shoes/boots/sandals in the color black. (I know, I know! Black sandals weigh down wispy summer outfits)

(To the left are the sandals in navy.)

 

The final pair of Payless shoes that I fell in love with was a pair of canvas, sling-back, red wedges with white polka dots. They were very comfortable and I imagined that I could wear them both to work and on the weekends without hurting my feet. The only downside is that I think these American Eagle shoes might be a bit too young for my 35-years. What do you think?

 

Btw, wasn't Patricia Field supposed to be coming out with a line of shoes with Payless? What happened with that?

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Ed Note: Apparently it came and went without me knowing during the Holiday season. http://www.payless.com/PatriciaField/

It Can't Hurt Us Any Further, Can It?
Mood:  surprised
Topic: Politics

I never thought much about recessions, depressions or economic slow downs until I became a working mother, and it became more important to save and keep a full pantry. Within the last six months, the staples on my grocery list have gone up dramatically in price--Milk, bread, frozen vegetables and pasta. Luckily, our semi-vegetarian diet has kept us from being too hurt by the cost of meat. The cost of mass transit has gone up in New York City. The cost of electricity and water has also gone up, which has reflected in my rising rent. Everythiing is on the rise except my paycheck. *sigh* Can we get a new president and stimulate the economy right now, please?

 

The following was e-mailed to me.

 

Leave the Girls Alone
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: Miley Cyrus demi-scandal
Topic: Celebrity Thoughts

The problem with making world-wide super celebrities out of children is that there never is any room for them to make mistakes, and their parental guidance doesn’t come from a place of love place but from a place promoting the brand. It is the companies’, like Disney, fault when child-teen celebrities fall from grace in the eyes of their fans, because they were acting out like all children & teens who transitioning into adulthood do.

If media giants weren’t so busy trying to capture the dollar of every living being within their grasp, there wouldn’t be a market of children and tweens to cater to. There wouldn’t be an audience or consumer-market group to have their innocence or naiveté torn from them when their larger-than-life and age-equivalent hero/heroine makes a huge and public blunder. I’m thinking specifically of High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens’ nude photos; Jamie Lynn Spears pregnancy; and most recently Miley Cyrus’ racy photos in Vanity Fair (shame on Vanity Fair for even proposing what-could-be-perceived as nude photos of a minor) and on her Myspace page.

 

 

I think back to some of my own high school follies and cringe. Imagine what it would be like if I were teen celebrity and it was revealed that I once drank beer at 8 a.m. or made out with my best friend’s boyfriend or that once I let my boyfriend fondle my breasts while another guy watched? I would be mortified and probably on my way to the unemployment line or surreptitiously freed from my multi-million contract. I’m embarrassed to reveal these things now and I’m 20-years removed from them. Just imagine how these teen stars must feel when everything they’ve been working hard for is put in jeopardy, because their youthful fallible deeds. I say leave these girls (and it’s always mostly celebrity teen girls who are publicly ridiculed, isn’t it?) alone, and stop forcing them to issue public apologies at every turn for making the irresponsible decisions that only teenagers can make. 

 

In Bite Size Bits
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Random Fashion Thoughs
Topic: Fashion/Beauty Thoughts

These 3-inch, lightweight platform shoes are called Dr Scholls Orig. Women's Harmony. All of the women who reviewed it at Famous Footwear site gave these shoes rave reviews for being fashionable and very comfortable. As I look at them, the first words that come into my mind are Crocs for Strippers. Yet, I find them oddly compelling and sexy. Is there actually something comfortable, sexy and slightly slutty that I could wear to work? Maybe I should pony up the $40 to find out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These shoes were on sale at my local Aerosoles store for the wonderful price of $30. I tried on and fell in love with the blue patent leather pair. These 2"-heel dreams are called Kitty Kap. If it weren't for the fact that I'm on my feet so much during the day, I would definitely buy these. Maybe I should just get a pair to look at and wear around the house while I wash dishes. Unlike all my other experiences with Aerosole, these were stylish and comfortable with arch support.

 

 

My final rave of the day is a website I stumbled upon called Splendora. This is my favorite fashion, beauty, and celebrity gossip site that I've come along in awhile. It is up to date and has very kewl slide shows. It is a bitch to sign up to even though it is free. Give it a look, though.

Rainbow Bright Lite
Mood:  flirty
Now Playing: Spring 2008 Trend Reviews
Topic: Fashion/Beauty Thoughts
According to all of the April and May fashion magazines I subscribe to, beauty and fashion trends are all about bright, pop art colors. I, for one, am all for wearing bright and/or striking colors on my eyes, nails or body. I’ve already come across some treasures. Some are already in my possession, but some I’m seriously coveting. Here are my top 5 bright color picks:

1. Sally Hansen Quick Color Nail Pen in Orange. It looks dark in the package but comes out a beautifully bright coral orange. Great for pedicures! I decided to splurge and try the nail polish pen. It costs about $8. I was able to do one hand very quickly at my desk at work. (Shhh! Don’t tell anyone.) My nail color runner-up is Sinful Colors nail enamel in Show Me the Way (833) which is a wonderful mid-green color with a warm undertone. It is dark in the bottle by quite bright on the nails.

2. The brightest lipstick in my spring collection is the pigment rich Black Radiance Perfect Tone lip color in Purple Passion (5004). It is more of a bright, iridescent fuchsia than purple. It is not a color to be worn by the faint of heart. (Black Radiance, Milani, Black Opal and Tropez are low cost beauty products geared towards Black, Latin, and Asian women of color, and are available at nearly every drugstore. If you want high intensity color without paying L’Oreal High Intensity Pigment prices, grab a nail polish, lip gloss, or lipstick from one of these brands.)

3. Now, I haven’t splurged on a pair of new summer shoes yet but I will be visiting Payless soon. (Since they’ve dramatically changed their sizing and I fall in between a size 7 and 7.5, I’ve been hard pressed to buy shoes from Payless recently.) On my wish list is a pair of peep toe, patent leather, yellow mini-wedge shoes as well as a pair of a metallic silver peep toe sling back on 1” cork wedge. How cool does that sound? (Ed. Note: Upon further research, those shoes only come in children’s sizes. How embarrassing! Also, how too grown for a little girl?)

3a. Although I love the color yellow and think it would work with my skin tone, I’ve never been brave enough to buy anything in that color. that I might be willing to carry if the bright canary color doesn’t frighten me. (The same goes for the Isaac Mizrahi patent yellow gladiator sandals. Well, I’m more inclined to go with the sandals. I don’t mind bringing attention to my toes.)

4. While reading the British publication, Eve, I came across a wonderfully bright eye shadow brand called Barry M. Barry M carries an array of the most brightly candy-colored cosmetics I have ever seen--Everything from liquid eyeliner to soft eye pencils to the wonderful eye shadow known as Dazzle Dust. I’m personally longing for the Dazzle Dust in Mint Green, Saphire (sic), Purple, and Bright Blue. (At the risk at looking like I’m trying to be 20 years my junior, I wouldn’t mind trying the nail colors in Neon Pink, Bright Red, Electric Blue Glitter, Coral and Cobalt Blue.) You can purchase products from the website, but it will probably cost you an arm and leg in shipping to the United States. Not to mention, the American dollar is incredibly weak. $1 US = .50 Great Britain Pound (GBP).

5. Finally, I’d like to grab a few pairs of bright tights to pair with a navy or black shift dress from the Avenue or Jessica London. I think this trend could work in the spring before we all go hose-less and again in the fall before we go to a monochromatic gray color palette.

If The Bra Fits, Wear It Out the Store
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: Town Shop
Topic: Fashion/Beauty Thoughts
Every now and then, yours truly, working mom moi, gets sprung from her daily life to go shopping in Manhattan. Just two short weeks ago, moi stimulated the economy of New York City but dropping a Benjamin for two brand new bras. The best thing about getting the new bras was that I finally had a professional bra fitting. Over the last two years, my body has gone through a lot of changes. I dropped thirty-five pounds, got pregnant, gave birth, and regained twenty-five of my lost pounds. Needless to say that yours truly's breasts have been up and down more than Britney Spears' moods. So, after spending the last year cramming and squeezing into ill fitting bras and trying to measure myself to no avail, I decided to splurge on a professional bra fitting. 

You can get bra fittings at Victoria's Secret, JC Penney, Macy's or any department store, but the results are iffy. Taking a cue from TLC's What Not to Wear and Bravo's Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, I took a trip to the world famous Town Shop on the Upper West Side. The bra and shaper boutique was no bigger than my apartment, but was much more stylish and better organized. After standing in the middle of the floor like a deer caught in the headlights, a young fitter came up to me and offered assistance. She led me to a fitting room, told me to take off my top, and asked me what type of bra I wanted. "Under wire and nude," I replied. (A sister needs lift!) She took a peek at the tag of the bra I was wearing, tugged a little on the straps and band, and left.  

I was left in the fitting room staring at a floor to ceiling mirror under gentle fluorescent lights. Under those conditions, staring at your body seems like a lifetime rather than five minutes. I cringed then poked, sucked in, and pinched my torso in every possible contortion to appear thinner under the lights. Finally, I sighed, exhaled, and said "This is my body now, and I need to accept it." It helped that I had a nice fitting pair of dark indigo jeans from Target.

 

 The fitter came in with a handful of bras, helped me into most of them, and showed me how to adjust them. She pointed out that I was indeed wearing the wrong size by 2 full band sizes and 1 cup size. She showed me where the under wire should fit me underneath my breast and arm pit. She also advised me not that the adjusters on the strap of the bra should never be higher than my shoulder blades. (If it is up near the curves of my shoulders, it's too high.) After nearly 40 minutes of asking questions and trying on bras, the fitter told me that I fell in between two sizes. Depending on the manufacturer, I'm a 38D/38DD or a 40D. Wow! I have porn star breasts. Who knew?  

I purchased two black lace numbers by Grenier bras (so much for the plain nude ones I originally requested). I wore one out feeling both physically and mentally uplifted since I no longer had the uni-tummy-boob. My annual gift to myself for every year I get a tax refund will be to go to Town Shop, get a bra fitting, and buy 2 new pretty well-fitting bras.

 

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During my day out, I also stumbled onto some other great places on Broadway bewteen W. 82nd and W. 86th Street. I am a sucker for costume jewelry, and I found another one of those awesome costume jewelry stores that seem to be popping up all over Manhattan. Temptation (2285 Broadway @ 82nd Street; 212-579-4887) featured great plastic, wood, and metal fashion earrings and spring scarves. I was tempted to pull out the plastic and purchase away, but I resisted. However, the next time I walk into one of these stores I'm just going to say "f**k it." The choices are overwhelming and I can't stay in there long enough to make up my mind and stay within my budget.

 (On similar note, try an accessory store called Brookwood inside the subway station at W. 42nd Street/Port Authority. It is selling the most beautiful, awesome, and unique ethnic inspired jewelry and scarves. Nearly everything in the store is $5-$10. My favorite items were the oversized colored-lucite bracelets and the cooper-colored metal bracelets. There were some very pretty over-size gemstone rings that would be perfect worn on the thumb, pinky or fore finger--my new favorite places to sport rings.)

For reasonably price desserts and teas, try Edgar's Cafe at 255 W. 84th Street  between Broadway and W. End Avenue. All the desserts were delectable and under $7! The service was a little slow, but the edibles all but made up for it. It is in the first floor of a building where author Edgar Allen Poe used to live. When you sit down to it, there's a huge oil painting of Edgar staring out at you while you sip your coffee. Is that a heart I hear pounding in the floor?

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 Next time, my pictures of New York City's biggest geekfest--NY's Comic Con! I loved it and was in my element.