Review: Cars 2

Overall, it was a great movie. When compared to the standard Pixar sets, it was awful. But, it was fun when compared to this summer's offering of lackluster entertainment. 3 out of 5 stars.

Review: X-Men First Class

I wanted to like this movie. I really did. In preparation for it I watched all 3 of the previous films (excluding the Wolverine Movie), which was probably a mistake. There was such a lack of realism in First Class that the first two (X-Men and X2) had in rich abundance. Also, I found Magneto's 'out-of-nowhere' change of heart at the end to be completely unbelievable and disingenuous. So, I give it a 2.5/5 stars. It could have been great, but it just didn't deliver.

Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

Best movie of the year so far! Much darker than the first, but twice as heartfelt and funny. In a ridiculously mediocre summer of movies, this one stands out as a diamond in the rough. 5/5 stars. Highly recommended.

Review: Green Lantern

So, it's pretty well known that I am a Green Lantern fanatic. So, combine that with some early footage and you get some pretty high expectations. It didn't deliver with those high expectations, but it was a fun movie. The acting was great and the special effects were fantastic. I loved the overall theme of the movie: Overcoming Great Fear. There was some awful writing, and the pacing was just disdainful.

Overall, I enjoyed it to the tune of 4/5. But if you look at the overall cinematic quality, it probably deserves about a 2.5 or 3.

Movie of the Week...Changeling

True Story + period piece + Clint Eastwood = what's not to love. Well, the moral content of this film is very disturbing. It's about the Wineville chicken coup murders back in 1928-29, and supposedly J. Michael Strazinski (the screenwriter) can provide citations for 95% of the script. It's beautifully shot, amazingly acted, and one of the more disturbing films I've ever seen. There is a scene where you see a silhouette of a man brutally murdering a child; this was too much for me probably because I'm a parent and have grown extremely sensitive. Overall 4/5 stars.

NPR Bias...

NPR has been all over the news the last few weeks. This is mostly because of the current House of Representatives are suggesting that we defund NPR altogether. Sure, they get less than 3% of their money from the federal government, but the principle is that we as taxpayers shouldn't be forced to support a news station that doesn't represent all viewpoints. In voicing my support for this defunding, I was asked by a dear friend to provide proof that they provide an unbalanced view. So, here we go.
Most don't know this, but I spent the first year and a half of my married life as a data entry specialist. This means that I spent my entire work day doing nothing but mindless typing, which allowed me to listen to anything I wanted. And what did I listen to? Mostly NPR. I was not in a position in the building that I couldn't get AM stations, and I despised the radio stations in Tucson. So, I listened to NPR the majority of the time at work.
I can safely say that Morning Edition and All Things Considered are pretty standard news broadcasts. But, in between are almost all editorial shows. And they aren't balanced editorial shows either. Talk of the Nation (now called the politically correct term 'Talk of the World') is hosted by a blatantly liberal host. He never gave Bush a fair shake, always stating his opinion as fact. Then there is Fresh Air. The host had many anti-religion and even anti-Mormon guests on, without ever ONCE having an apologist to Mormonism on. I can give specific examples and dates if the reader would like them.
So, It's not that I mind that people have opinions. In fact, I love good debate! But, that's not what NPR represents. During the 2008 primary season they had ONE Republican candidate on, whereas they had almost all of the Democratic candidates. You call that balanced? No! It's editorialized journalism. They don't deserve a penny of MY money. If they would even try to be balanced, I would be a little more sympathetic.

Subway versus Jimmy John's...Fight!

I have purchased food from both places within the last week and I will tell you my experience with both.

Service: They are almost always kinder at Jimmy John's. And the funny thing is that most of the employees seem to be enjoying themselves, which makes a person ordering food happier as well.

Speed of food deliverance: I'm talking about how quick from ordering your food to when you get it. Subway really should high some efficiency consultants. It is awful there! There were only two people in front of me, and it still took almost ten minutes from when I walked in to when I got my food. Contrast with Jimmy's: I walked in, put in my order, sat down to write a text, and then my food was ready! Not to mention how quick Jimmy John's is at to-your-door delivery, which is something that subway will never do.

Quality of food: no comparison. Jimmy John's wins out every time! It just tastes and feels more fresh.

Price: The price is a little better at Subway, but not by much.

Overall: No comparison. I would MUCH rather spend an extra dollar for a better sandwich, better service, and faster service.