Office Living : Media Mix

Media Mix

tinadh — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:16:00 GMT

I'll admit it, I'm one of the many adult women who have casually wandered into the young adult section, picked up the next book in the Twilight saga, ready with an alibi, "It's a gift!" before quickly leaving the bookstore to read the first chapter in my car. I may be a little embarrassed about having read (and thoroughly enjoyed) reading this saga, but with the millions of books that have been sold it's impossible to deny that there's something great about this series.

In addition to the incredible accomplishment of encouraging more tweens and adults to read, the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer has become a pop-culture phenomenon. With each book in the saga, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn on bestseller lists, two very popular movies out and two more on the way it's hard to go anywhere without seeing or hearing about Edward, Bella and Jacob or their actor counterparts Robert, Kristin and Taylor.

The saga begins with Bella Swan, an average teenage girl who moves from her home in Arizona with her mother and stepfather to live in the small town of Forks, Washington with her father. Life transitions from average to exciting when Bella falls for the tall, pale and handsome Edward Cullen whose family happens to be a coven of "vegetarian" vampires just trying to blend in. Even though humans are off the menu for the Cullen family, dating a human brings about serious risks which could kill them both! Then of course there's Jacob Black, Bella's best friend who in addition to completing an already complicated love triangle has a secret of his own.

Vampire enthusiasts won't be disappointed to find that these vampires still drink blood, are pale, immortal and can't go into the sunlight. They will notice however that these vampires don't follow the traditional model we've come to expect from Bram Stoker or Anne Rice. Instead Meyer has created her own type of vampire. While the differences can be distracting (they sparkle!? really?!) she does deserve credit for trying to be original when remakes are the order of the day.

To me it's no surprise that this saga has become so successful and addictive. In addition to incredible supernatural characters, suspense and forbidden romance Meyer has also woven into her books everyday situations readers can relate to or remember from their own high school experiences.

As much as I have enjoyed these books, the Twilight saga will never be considered great literature compared to classics like Wuthering Heights or Romeo and Juliet. Anyone reading this saga with those expectations will be disappointed. But the series is easy to read and has all of the elements of a story that keeps people hooked until the very end.

Already read the Twilight saga? What did you think?

Media Mix

tinadh — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:06:00 GMT

The Twitter craze
It’s fun, but is it useful?

Twitter, the online social networking site that has exploded in popularity in recent years, has sparked debate on the usefulness of the site as well as raised questions about what and how we communicate.

In regard to how we communicate, Twitter actually has a built-in answer: succinctly. “Tweets” are limited to 140 characters, forcing users to convey their thoughts in bite-sized correspondence.

The “what” question is a little trickier.

Communication is not difficult. It’s simply conveying a thought, want or desire to another. If your friend is standing next to an apple, and you would like that apple, you don’t need to say “My friend, would you be so kind as to reach next to you, pick up that apple and walk it over to me so I may eat it.”

You could simply grunt to get his or her attention, point at the apple then point at yourself to get the same point across.

And even though Twitter allows users to convey a thought instantly to hundreds, even thousands of people across the globe, you’re probably not going to use it to ask your friend for that apple.

Much like the telephone, the importance of the invention is not found in its mundane use, but in the impact of more extreme cases. A phone conversation between friends as they watch the latest episode of Oprah, the world could probably do with out. But the thousands of 911 calls received a day are a different story.

No, nobody needs to know that the childhood friend they haven’t seen in 20 years is having meatloaf for dinner, but as the recent protests in Iran following the nation’s presidential election have show, Twitter does have an important function: conveying information instantly to hundreds or thousands of people.

Whether it is Iranian protesters tweeting on abuses that the tightly-controlled media may not have reported on, or more mundane tasks like tweeting your new phone number to friends and family, Twitter – as well as other online networking sites like Facebook – has a function and is changing the way in which we communicate.

Do you “tweet”? What are some of the useful or not-so-useful way to use the site?

Media Mix

tinadh — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:16:00 GMT

Nordie’s at Noon: the personal stories of 4 women “too young” for breast cancer
By Patti Balwanz, Kim Carlos, Jennifer Johnson, Jana Peters

Nordie’s at Noon is a collection of stories from four women who share not only friendship, but a common diagnosis of breast cancer. The group started with two friends, Patti and Jana, who met during their visits to the same oncologist for chemotherapy treatment. Jana’s friend Jennifer is the third to join the group. The foursome is completed with the addition of Kim – Patti’s college friend. The group meets monthly at Nordstrom’s café to share their stories.

What may come as a surprise to some readers is the young age of each of these women at the time of their diagnoses. Patti, Jennifer and Jana were diagnosed with breast cancer in their twenties, and Kim was only 30 years old. All four women found a lump in their breast during routine self exams; Jennifer was pregnant when she made the discovery.

Patti, Jana, Jennifer and Kim share their personal experiences; They discuss everything from the discovery and treatment of their cancer as well as other milestones in life such as marriage and children. When Jana began chemotherapy, she calculated that she would be married just one month after her final treatment. Jennifer’s son was born just following her last chemotherapy session. She remembers losing all of her hair during her treatment, but her son arrives with a full head of hair – a welcome sign that he had not been affected by the medication.

Nordie’s at Noon is a heartwarming collection of personal stories from four women. Their accounts celebrate life but also educate readers on the importance of breast self exams. The book also contains a glossary and list of breast cancer resources as a guide to learn more. Part of the proceeds from the sale of each book goes to various non-profit breast cancer organizations. For more information, visit http://www.nordiesatnoon.com/.

Media Mix

tinadh — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:10:00 GMT

These days, it seems like there is always a 3D movie option at your theater. While it might seem like a recent technological advancement, 3D movies have been around since the early twentieth century! The earliest 3D film shown to a paying audience was 1922’s The Power of Love. Other classics starred major actors such as John Wayne in Hondo and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in Money from Home. As the trend grew, Casper the Friendly Ghost and Popeye the Sailor were re-formatted in 3D for children’s enjoyment as well.

3D involves filming 2 images simultaneously with 2 cameras positioned side by side, facing each other and filming at a 90° angle via mirrors. Human eyes interpret the pair of images as a single 3-dimensional image. Today’s computer technology reproduces pseudo-3D films using CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) and without the need for dual cameras.

The flux and popularity of CGI movies has made 3D films even more popular – and lucrative. Current 3D films offer dynamic productions and generate large box-office revenues.

2003’s Spy Kids 3D: Game Over brought 3D movies back and cash registers continued to ring with 2004’s Polar Express – IMAX’s first full-length, animated 3D feature.

Miley Cyrus even joined in the fun. Her 2008 Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert video, presented in Disney Digital 3D, has grossed more than $65 million so far. Also, the band U2 produced U23D, the first live-action movie to be totally shot in digital 3D.

Look out for more 3D films in the future – they’re sure to land in your local theaters soon.

Media Mix

tinadh — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:15:00 GMT

American Idol

Yes, I watch American Idol. I tend not to advertise that in mixed company, but I don't care anymore! I love that show and I will hold it in no longer!

I recently made a friend of mine watch American Idol against her will, and during one of the more embarrassing performances she asked me, "Why do you watch this show?" I turned to her and said, "I do NOT have to explain myself to you!"

But then I started thinking about it... Why DO I like Idol so much? It's not like I have ever listened to or purchased an idol winner’s album. So, it’s more than watching to hear talented singer’s perform and see who wins. It's these four things that make me tune into Idol each week:

The judges

They're an eclectic group and sometimes more entertaining than the contestants themselves. I love when Paula and Simon tell each other to be quiet, or Randy name drops about working with Whitney Houston or talks about being in Journey. The new judge, Kara DioGuardi, is holding her own at the table, but she hasn't been on long enough to reveal any quirks.

The interesting contestants

I was disappointed when the comedian in the sweatband and shiny shirt wasn't voted into the top twelve this season. Okay, maybe he wasn't the best singer, and maybe, during his two-minute performances, he momentarily turned the show into a joke. But at least he was fun to watch.

Guest singers

It's always interesting to see which guests they pull in during the later part of the season and how well the contestants sing the guests’ songs. For example, 17-year olds singing Manilow? Now that's good TV.

Random celebrities in the audience

Remember two years ago during the finale when the camera cut to David Hasselhoff in the audience? And he was crying? Idol is full of golden audience moments like that. So far this season we've seen Neil Patrick Harris and Ted Dansen sitting together – random! It's fun to see who else will show up for a split second.

Media Mix

tinadh — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:17:00 GMT

Luba Mason
Krazy Love
Sunnyside Records

On her new CD Krazy Love, vocalist Luba Mason premieres eight original songs that explore many kinds of love, from childhood memories of her parents’ home in “This House” to betrayal in both “From Me To You” and “A Summer Night.” Behind her masterful singing, acoustic instruments create an intimate atmosphere, playing soulful Brazilian and jazz rhythms mixed with the raw emotion of folk and pop. Through her interpretations, the songs come alive as personal and heartfelt expressions of real human experience.

The emotional depth of her singing comes in part from her extensive performing experience. She danced and sang in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of “The Will Roger’s Follies.” In the celebrated revival of “How To Succeed In Business…” she shared the stage with Matthew Broderick as the sexy Hedy LaRue. She played Velma Kelly opposite Brooke Shields’ Roxy Hart in the smash musical, “Chicago,” and she starred in the Broadway production of “Jekyll & Hyde.” Her television credits include guest appearances on “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue,” “New York Undercover,” and most recently opposite Jeff Goldblum in the psychic detective series, “Raines.” While performing Paul Simon’s “The Capeman,” her husband Latin superstar Ruben Blades – then just her castmate – asked her to sing on his CD Mundo, which won a Grammy Award in 2003.

Krazy Love features guest appearances by Blades and also by world-renowned flutist Hubert Laws. Additionally, Luba’s top-notch band features pianist Renato Neto (Prince’s pianist), bassist Jimmy Haslip (from the Yellowjackets), percussionist Cassio Duarte, Sandro Albert on guitar and Marco Costa on drums. Luba Mason will be featured at this year’s Panama Jazz Festival. Visit www.lubamason.com for more information.

Media Mix

tinadh — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:16:00 GMT

The Daily Coyote:
A story of love, survival, and trust in the wilds of Wyoming
by Shreve Stockton

Shreve Stockton was moving across the country in 2005 from San Francisco back to her love, New York City, on her Vespa, alone, when she rode into Wyoming and immediately fell in love. She was, as she writes, "magnetized to the land." The overwhelming beauty of the mountains and vastness caused a feeling so strong she felt she couldn't bear to leave.

But Shreve continued on with her trip and, once back in New York City, knew she had to return to Wyoming—to the place where she had spent one day. Banking only on her innate love of the land, and on her life-long desire for freedom and to explore and to see, Shreve left the city life she had known and loved, and moved to a tiny, unfamiliar town in Wyoming.

This drastic change alone makes for a fascinating story, but it is only the beginning of the book, and of Shreve's account of her new life in the country. Not long after Shreve befriends a cowboy—whose job is to kill predatory coyotes, a common pastime and necessity in ranch country—one coyote pup is spared by the cowboy and is give to her as a gift. It's a compulsion he can't explain, and Shreve must decide what to do with it. She decides to keep it.

The Daily Coyote chronicles Shreve's first year with Charlie the coyote, and is illustrated with her own beautiful, daily photographs (which first started primarily as a photo blog at DailyCoyote.net and still continues on a several-month delay). It's about co-existence—an intriguing experiment in lovingly and consciously raising a wild animal among humans, plus Shreve's tough-guy tomcat Eli (the two of which—cat and coyote—form a loveable, brotherly relationship). It is life in the wild, with the wild, and a constant test of both Shreve's and Charlie's freedom, trust, loyalty and love.

Media Mix

tinadh — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:16:00 GMT

Bolt –
Disney’s latest animated feature

With almost as much action as The Incredibles, Bolt delivers lots of laughs with striking artwork. The scenery is so realistic that it often looks like photography until a Pixar-esque character seamlessly comes into view.

Bolt (with the voice of John Travolta) is a small white German Shepherd who has lived all his life in Hollywood as the star of a popular TV show, portraying a superhero dog. At the end of each episode, Bolt saves his owner Penny (played by Miley Cyrus) from certain peril. The clips of Bolt’s show will keep you on the edge of your seat! At the end of each work day, Bolt sleeps in the on-set trailer, believing he has saved the day once again.

However, when the ratings start to fall, the show’s creators decide to have a cliff-hanger episode and leave Bolt alone in his trailer believing that Penny is still in danger. He escapes to go save her and is accidentally shipped to New York City where he meets a world-weary alley cat named Mittens (with the voice of Susie Essman). They embark on a wild cross-country journey to save Penny. Along the way they pick up a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino who is an extreme Bolt fan. Rhino’s over-the-top enthusiasm for helping his hero provides some of the funniest moments in the movie. There are also lots of laughs as Bolt continues to believe that he has superpowers.

The plot is a little predictable and doesn’t have the social commentary of Wall E. Still, it’s action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes poignant. It’s definitely worth seeing.

Have you seen Bolt? Tell us what you thought!

Media Mix

tinadh — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:16:00 GMT

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The best narratives are often the simplest. And while The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski contains soothsayers, suspected murderers, deadly fires and tornados over Lake Superior, it can be described most succinctly as a story of a boy and his dog.

Born without the power of speech in the mid-20^th Century, Edgar Sawtelle’s earliest and dearest companion is Almondine, one of the dogs bred and trained on his family’s Wisconsin farm. But the Sawtelles are no ordinary dog breeders, employing controversial methods (in the dog-training world at least) to raise super-intelligent canines. Thus Alamondine is able to become a sort of “hearing-ear” dog for Edgar, forming a bond that acts as the central thread through a dense narrative.

Much like the Sawtelle dogs and farm, the story evolves slowly as first-time author David Wroblewski takes his time to establish the world that Edgar, his parents, his prodigal uncle and the dogs inhabit. We learn about the man who first built the farm, about Edgar’s grandfather and the impetus for establishing the dog-training enterprise, and about the origin of the story’s tragic, Shakespearean events.

The past is ever-present in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Whether it’s the extensive records kept on every Sawtelle dog, Edgar’s early obsession with the man who built his home or the simmering feud between Edgar’s father and uncle, preceding events often have as much impact – if not more – on the present than current ones.

It’s no surprise to find that Wroblewski grew up on a Wisconsin farm, which his mother used to breed dogs. And while the tragic events that make up the thrust of the narrative most likely did not happen on the Wroblewski farm, the details and familiarity of the time and setting help create a world in which readers can become lost.

And while the narrative can at times seem to dote too much on those details, it's a testament to Wroblewski that his 562-page debut novel tells a compelling story with enough pizzazz to move the reader through its long page count, while keeping at its core a relationship that any present or previous pet owner can relate to.

Media Mix

tinadh — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:14:00 GMT

The Office is back

This year I'm welcoming fall with open arms. Not only because of the beautiful colors, but also because of the drastic improvement in TV. I don't know what you were watching this summer, but if you're like me you cried when the Olympics were over because you had to go back to watching America's Got Talent for what seemed like every night of the week. (I actually never watched more than five seconds each time, but it felt like an hour.)

I'm excited for the new season of The Office. The first episode aired on September 25, and I already have several predictions for the season. You can follow along and see if I'm right.

Prediction 1: Pam and Jim will grow rocky.

Yes, they're finally engaged, but Pam is a college student now and has some wild college days ahead of her. Already in the first episode Pam hangs up on Jim because she's busy making friends. That's a sign of things to come—things like frat parties (do they have those at art school?) and stealing from the cafeteria. While I don't want to see them become the new Ross and Rachel (they're not together, they're together, they're on a break, I can't keep up), I think it might be inevitable.

Prediction 2: Michael and Holly will awkwardly date.

As Jim said, Michael's charm works on Holly because Holly is a huge dork. I like Holly, but I don't think Michael and Holly would make a funny pair – not as funny as Michael and Jan (which works because Jan is overbearing and nuts). However, I do think Michael and Holly will attempt to date, and it might be painful to watch.

Prediction 3: Creed will do something crazy.

While I like the subtleness of Creed, I wish they would use him more. His crazy has been quietly building and building, and now I'd like to see the writers spend some time on a Creed storyline—something to do with one of his crackpot business ideas? Maybe he thinks he's created the perfect economic bail-out plan, or invented the next YouTube. Whatever it is, it's bound to fail, but I bet Michael will get on board.

What are your predictions for this season of The Office?

Media Mix

tinadh — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:06:00 GMT

A Child’s Christmas

A Child’s Christmas - Holiday Songs & Carols is the latest release by singer/recording artist Susie Tallman and her label Rock Me Baby Records. The 74-minute CD includes a wide variety of holiday songs and carols, from “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch” to “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Silent Night.” Tallman’s sweet mezzo-soprano voice combined with first-rate arrangements using light-rock and folk instrumentation create cheerful music that will especially appeal to children. In addition to songs, there are several spoken-word tracks, including how to say “Merry Christmas” in several languages, a few Christmas jokes and two stories – the story Willy the Wombat seems to highlight the fact that the CD was recorded in Australia.

An iParenting Award winner, A Child’s Christmas is Tallman’s seventh in a series of award-winning CDs for children. Primarily known for recording children’s music, Tallman has also sung backup for Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, Cheap Trick and others. She has sung at Carnegie Hall and The Los Angeles Forum as well as for national commercials. In addition to Tallman, A Child’s Christmas features keyboardist Mark O’Connor, drummer Peter “Maz” Maslen and actor/director Hal Simons, among others. Irene Hardwicke Olivieri provided the CD’s evocative artwork.

A Child’s Christmas comes in a booklet made of recycled cardboard; gift wrapping is available with bright red tulle netting, and a finger puppet is attached. The CD is available in boutiques and online. For more information, visit: www.rockmebabyrecords.com

Do you have a favorite children’s music CD that you would like to share? We’d love to hear from you!

Media Mix

Katie — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Operation Homecoming
Edited by Andrew Carroll

In 2003, The National Endowment of the Arts – with extensive cooperation with the U.S. Armed Forces – established Operation Homecoming, an initiative based on the question “what would happen if the nation fostered a conversation between its writers and its troops?”

More than 6,000 troops attended writing seminars taught by American authors such as Tom Clancy, Tobias Wolff and Judith Ortiz Cofer, then put fingers to keyboard to write about their wartime experiences. The result was Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families, a collection of narratives, first-hand accounts, letters, e-mails and poems written by U.S. troops and their family members about the experience of war.

Whether it’s the pilot taking off and landing under hostile fire, the infantryman passing the time by watching Jeeps crash into stealth potholes or the Marine tasked to move a live IED into his truck only to be told to return it a moment later, readers are exposed to the reality of war in frank and sometimes amusing prose.

The heart of the book – and the toughest to get through – is the Worlds Apart section. Dedicated mainly to letters and journals of the families left behind in the states, these entries get to the real cost of war and show in detail the hardship, loneliness and heartbreak family members endure while their loved ones are on deployment. After reading a mother’s account of the weeks following the death of her son in Iraq, it’s hard to not pause a little longer after hearing about the latest war casualties on the nightly news.

Despite widely disparate views on the current wars taking place overseas, Americans have uniformly come together to support the troops serving on those missions. Operation Homecoming provides us with a small but profound glimpse at the sacrifice those men and women make on behalf of all Americans.

Have you read Operation Homecoming, or do you have a story of your own to share? Tell us more.

Media Mix

Katie — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:01:00 GMT

Get Smart – Another failed TV remake?

After the movie Bewitched bombed a few years ago, and Car 54, Where Are You? made maybe one person laugh a few years before that (I actually don't know – I haven't see either of them), I wasn't sure what to expect from Get Smart. Turning beloved TV shows into movies is risky…But thanks to the cast – namely Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, and Alan Arkin – Get Smart works.

Carell plays Maxwell Smart, a clumsy-yet-earnest analyst for secret agency CONTROL. After CONTROL headquarters is taken out by its Russian nemesis, KAOS, the cool-talkin' Chief (Arkin) promotes Maxwell to a field agent – Agent 86. He's paired with beautiful and capable Agent 99 (Hathaway) and the two take off for Russia to spy on KAOS agents and (attempt to) stop their anti-American terrorist activities. (The movie doesn't get too heavy into anti-Americanism, but KAOS is planning an attack on the President at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A.)

Of course Carell delivers some good punch lines, but Hathaway holds her own. The two have a real chemistry and play off each other well. But, not all the jokes connect (I cringed when someone corrected the President with, "It's nuclear"), and some plot elements didn't make sense. Agent 99's plastic surgery back-story and failed romance with Agent 23 (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), for example, felt unnecessary.

Besides the expected comedy (and an unexpected cameo from a comedic veteran), there were also some surprisingly well done and fun action scenes. The gadgets are fun, too, and we can't wait to see how Max will misuse his newest contraptions next – and how Agent 99 will get them out of this one. In the end it's Max's human compassion that saves them both.

Steve Carell plays the Clueless Try-hard well (also as Michael Scott in The Office). He's sort of an idiot, but a funny, likeable idiot, and so we want to see him succeed. And he does.

Have you seen Get Smart? Tell us if you agree with this review.