Movie Review: Neil Gaiman’s StarDust

Being a huge fan of Neil Gaiman’s work, it would be safe to assume that I leapt at the very first chance I had to see his latest movie, Stardust, based on his ’98 book by the same name.  Stardust opened last weekend, the 10th – coincidentally in time for the Peresid Meteor shower (great stroke of luck or an absolutely genius marketing plan).  Those aren’t the only stars to be seen, Stardust has big Hollywood names as Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

 

Stardust, like many fairy tales, has action, humor, witchcraft, drama, suspense, and of course… romance.  That’s pretty much where the similarities end with generic fairy tales – unless you’re watching Princess Bride… but even that’s not generic.  Fans of Princess Bride should throughly enjoy this movie.

 

Synopsis

This tale is set in the English country-side village of Wall that has the magical realm of Stormhold next to it.  These two countries are separated by a wall and the only way in or out of Stormhold is through a Gap in the Wall - sounds generic, I know, but it’s not.  The story begins with a young man going to the Stormhold-side marketplace and falling in love.  The little tryst ends up with him becoming a father. 

 

One evening many years later, the son Tristan, attempts to woo his love, Victoria.  During the course of the evening they both see a falling star.  She, toying with him and not really returning his affection, sends him on what she thinks is an impossible task in order for him to prove his love: to find and bring back the falling star.  However, they are not the only two people who saw the star, nor is he the only one who seeks it.  Along with Tristan, there are evil witches and a gaggle of brothers all seeking the star for various reasons.  As with most fairy tales, the person who leaves home is not the same when they return.  That is wonderfully shown in Tristan as his leaves a love-struck and starry-eyed boy and returns a dashing and confidant man. 

 

Stardust is not your average fairy tale, since Mr. Gaiman is not your average writer.  His unique outlook on life, which usually features dark and witty humor, is always enjoyable.  This twisted humor is shown in the seven brothers – most of whom have died at the hands of the others since all are vying for the sole position of the King of Stormhold.  ‘There can be only One’… er… sorry, wrong movie ^_^. But you get the picture.  Of the brothers that are living, they are told by their dying father to find the star, whist trying to kill each other, all in order to claim the throne.  The other brothers appear as ghosts on the sidelines in the same scenes as the living brothers.  As various characters are picked off, they applaud and/or grimace appropriately – they should get scorecards… ^_^!  If you can’t keep the brothers names straight – watch their clothes.  Most easily spotted, Septimus has buttons with 7s and roman numbers VII worked into his vest. 

 

Overall

The special effect and attention to detail are superb and make for a great movie.  The humor, notably Mr. De Niro’s, is never heavy-handed nor corny - but ”just right”.  Great acting overall and the few parts cut from the book verison do not hamper the story.  The movie verison is a great tale that still stay true to it’s story.  

 

Future Reading

If you are interested in other Gaiman’s work and have not read any, please note that his other things are not always this… tame.  I’d suggest that you read the list below in order. It is organized not by my favorite rankings, but by how dark, weird, and/or generally freaky they are (so it starts you off gradually).

• Stardust – it’s good to always compare the movie & book versions

• Good Omens/Bad Omens – awesome book; very witty and absolutely hilarious. A must-read for any budding Gaiman fan.

• Wolves in the Walls – great kids book; personally, I’m not a huge fan of David McKean’s art in comic format.

• Neverwhere – great book, but I haven’t seen the BBC movie yet

• Mirrormask – great movie even for kids, reminiscent of the 80’s classic Labyrinth or The Neverending Story.  Very heavy on David McKean’s art.

• Coraline – it’s for kids similar to how the Brothers Grim stories are… pretty freaky stuff

• American Gods – great book that delves into mythology/religion

• Sandman (comic series) – awesome series. Dream and Death are uber-cool and the artistry is great

• Fragile Things – set of short stories

• Smoke and Mirrors – an eariler set of short stories

Book Review: The Complete Cheapskate

Most of you, dear readers, are in debt (of the unsecured kind). Some, not so much. Others (like me) are treading water. Still others are drowning in the sea of abundant credit – and debt; probably as an attempt to “keep up with the Joneses”. Well, I hate to break it to you – the Joneses are BROKE!! And now you are too, congrads! Debt acquistion is easy… debt repayment is a long and slow process.

Cheapskate. The name conjurs images of people living cheaply … or so frugally that it does not make common sense. If you associate that image with the name Cheapskate, then take it and chuck it out the nearest window. In “The Complete Cheapskate”, you don’t learn how to split toilet tissue to get the “most” out of them – that’s impractially and down-right silly. You DO learn how to: quickly (or as quickly as possible) repay your current debts, stop incurring new debts, and set aside money as to not rely on credit cards for those “little emergencies”.

The Basics:

Regardless of your debt circumstances you CAN get out of debt and Ms. Hunt can show you how with easy- to-understand plans and real-life examples. Her book is a no nonsense approach to debt repayment that leads you through the Valley of Debt Shadows and into the Light of Debt Free living. Her own stories and letters from people she has helped and offer the real life insights of how hard debt is and the stark reality of face the “White Elephant” in the room that is debt. Her plans and example calculations (using the “Example” Family ^_^) are well written and of sound advice. Although the plans are eay to understand and comprehend, the book underlines it will not be as-easy to follow-through with it, since debt reduction is slow and sometimes hard; but it will be well worth it once you’re out of debt. These plans include:

• Figuring out *exactly* how much in debt you are, and to whom you owe that money.
• What current steps you can take to stop incurring debt and stretch the money you have.
• Plan for Debt Reduction – the systematic way to elimate debt in a quick manner.
• Set aside money for irregular expenses (e.g. auto maintenance).
• How to communication and/or negotigate with your ceditors.
• And much, much more!!

My Take on it:

So if you insist on incurring debt up to your eyeballs, read no further. However, if you are *committed* to the repayment of the debts you owe and freeing yourself from the creditor/borrower (the Master/Slave) relationship, then please pick up her book and/or subscribe to her website: here .

Personally, I’m following her Debt Reduction Plan in which you pay off the smallest loans first and then take the “freed” amounts and put that towards your second largest loans and so forth. There are two main schools of thought on Debt Reduction: one is hers (breifly outlined above), which offers quick repayment and a sense of accomplishment; the other says you pay of the loan with the largest INTEREST rate first, which provides for a large savings in interest monies – even though it’ll take quite a while for the “warm and fuzzy” feeling of accomplishment.

Overall, it’s a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone in debt – whether it’s a $10,000 college loan or a $100,000 credit card debt.

Book Review: You: On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management

The “YOU” books (‘YOU: The Owners Manual: An Insider’s Guide’ and ‘You: On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management’) were developed by two doctors with only one goal in mind: the long-term health of their patients. Therefore, the information contained is not only beneficial, but based on sound-medical information and advice.  So they’re not out to “make a buck” or perpetuate the latest “diet fad”.

The Basics:
The YOU on a diet book covers the following Topics:
* How you body works with diets
* The food you eat
* Exercise (or lack thereof)
* Recipies and eating plans

The book goes through the basics of how your body processes food and why, if you eat the wrong things or too much, you get fat and flabby as well as what all that extra-ness does to your body. The term these Drs use to determine health is “Real Age”. Please note that your “Real Age” IS NOT your Birth Age (as based on your birth day), but it may be equal to, lower than your Birth Age (meaning you will typically live longer) or higher than your Birth Age (meaning you are more at risk for diseases and other things that may cause you to live less longer).

My Take on it:
I think that this “diet” is very similar to others in that it (like the others) is centered around eating whole grains and loads of veggies/fruits. Similar diets to this include:
* LA Weight Loss
* South Beach
* Zone
* The Maker’s Diet

This diet/eating plan doesn’t really say anything new as far as WHAT to eat and that everyone needs exercise. What it does explain is WHY (with sound medical information) so many eating plans, and the Federal Gov’t, stress eating these types foods and exercising every day.

It pretty much boils down to what everyone already knows, but few actually follow:

Calories Eaten – Calories Burned = Weight Loss/Gained

Brief review of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child books

Since I’m reading “Dance of Death” which is book 5 out of an Pendergast series that is currently up to 7, I thought it best to clear the confusion about the Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child books. Specifically, which are “part” of this series and which are not. The following books, by one or both of the authors, are not tied to any series (that I have seen):

• Mount Dragon
• Riptide
• Thunderhead
• Utopia
• Ice Limit
• Deep Storm

The  ‘Pendergast Series’ is a series in which the main character Special Agent Pengergast is pivotal in the solving of various horrific, and interesting, crimes. The books are as follows and they are in order starting from the earliest (which was made into a movie by Paramount) to the brand spanking newest:

• Reliquary (Relic) – Book 1
• Cabinet of Curiosities – Book 2
• Still Life with Crows – Book 3
• Brimstone – Book 4
• Dance of Death – Book 5
• Book of the Dead – Book 6
• Wheel of Darkness – Book 7

If you’ve never read these books (or anything by these authors) I strongly recommend them as they are absorbing, well written, well laid-out books that give you tidbits of random information (mainly anthropological), but VERY interesting none-the-less. Please read the serial books IN ORDER as they mention the past books (and the other non-series books) frequently. Genius marketing plan if I may be so bold… ^_^ Reviews of these to come….

More information, from the author’s website, can be found: here.

Change is in the wind…

Just a quick post…

As most changes go.. this isn’t too terribly Earth-shattering considering all I’m changing is the CONTENT of this blog a wee bit. Instead of mind-less, self-serving (dribble) of rants; it’s going to be . . . (drum roll) . . . book reviews! (ta da!) ^_^.

Being quite knowledgable, and well-read on the subject of Self Help (a layman’s “expert”), I will start posting Book Reviews of various self-help related books, with links to my new Squidoo Lens of the same topic, as well as other books I’m reading at the time. A typical reading list for any given time ranges from sci-fi/fantasy to debt reduction.

My current reading list contains the following:

• Foundation – Issac Asimov
• Empire of Debt – William Bonner and Addison Wiggin
• Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
• Go: Put your strengths to work – Marcus Buckingham
• EarthLogic (Book 2 of the Elemential Logic series) – Laurie J. Marks
• Dance of Death (Book 2) – Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
• Deep Storm – Lincoln Child
• and many others I currently can’t remember. . . .

Frugal Shopping – Home Accessories & Furnishings

Part 2 of the Frugal Shopping series. Home furnishings; perhaps one of the BIGGEST expenses in starting and maintaining a home. Home furnishings can easily total thousands of dollars, but never fear! I’m here to help minimize those costs. Note: The lists below are organized from dirt-cheap (top) to not-so-cheap (bottom).

Places I suggest to shop for home furnishings are listed below by catagory:

Furniture

• Goodwill/Salvation Army/Garage sales

Since you never know what you can find there, it can sometimes be a hit or miss deal. As always, look over everything VERY carefully for dents, scratches, etc. Sofas can always be slip-covered.

• Walmart/Target

For so-so quality, but definate cheapness…

• Ikea

Ikea must be the BEST place for inexpensive, versital, and durable furniture. Find them locally or shop online: here.

• Pottery Barn/Crate & Barrel

You can get *some* deals from these guys, but I’d shop during the sales.

• Estate Sales/Auctions

You can always get high-end quality at a percentage of the costs. Be prepared to spend several hundred dollars… but the retail price is MUCH more.
Home Accessories

• Garage Sales

You never know *what* you’ll find here… some good deals, some not-so-good. I’d find the garage sales in the more ritzy neighborhood for the best deals…

• Tuesday Morning

Easily the BEST place to shop for costly accessories like artwork, rugs, kitchen applicances, etc. Find them locally here.

• Ikea

Loads of inexpensive prints, mirrors, lighting, kitchen applicances, etc. A good kids selection of fun and funky styles, too! Find them locally or shop online: here.

• Estate Sales/Auctions

You can always get high-end quality at a percentage of the costs. Be prepared to spend several hundred dollars… but the retail price is MUCH more.
Happy baragin hunting!

-S

Noni Juice – healthy or harmful??

Noni (Morinda citrifolia), is also known as Tahitian Noni and comes from the South Pacific/Polynesia region of world. The fruit of the Noni tree resembles a cross between a warty avocado and a pitted mango. The juice is bitter-tasting and you can typically find in mixes with other juices (blueberry, etc) to sweeten the taste for consumption.If you are interested in this “miracle” juice (since the makers claim various health benefits), I’d suggest you become an INFORMED consumer from INDEPENDANT sources (ie: those not making any $$ from you consuming or not consuming the product). Basically, I’ve included some independant information below and I’ll let the good people of the public come to whatever conclusions you wish…

Supplement Watch:

A nice site that gives you the basic ‘low-down’ on all various supplements that can (and sometimes) are consumed in the name of good health. To view information on Noni on Supplement Watch, click here. To go to Supplement Watch’s home page, click here.

World Wide Warning

Its always interesting to see “behind” the hype and get “real” news that matters about the major companies that provide our food, water, and other neccessities in life… To view information on Noni on World Wide Warning, click here. To go to World Wide Warning’s home page, click here.

FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration)

Can’t get more ‘offical’ than the gov’t. . .

1. Cyber Warning Letter to Hawaiian Island Noni
2. Cyber Warning Letter to 4-nonijuice.com
3. Offical Docket from FDA vs Newbury Noni
4. Letter to the Home Shopping Network

A primer for those new to craigslist.com

Evidently, I’ve been living under a rock… I’ve *heard* of craigslist, but I have never visited it until today. The “One Red Paper Clip” story where a guy traded a friggin paper clip for a HOUSE (story found here) is what craigslist.com is most reknown for…

Also, so I’ve heard, craigslist is bigger than Myspace.com & eBay COMBINED… (although I somewhat doubt the vaidlity that opinon that was recently given to me)

On craigslist, you can:

1. Find a new job/part time job/band gig/etc.
2. Find a new drinking/movie/sporting buddy.
3. Find a new home for that questionable _____ collecting dust in the corner of your house/garage/attic/backyard.
4. Find new places to hang out in the local area.
5. Find places to hang out in a place you’re about to visit.
6. Find a pet sitter, ride to the airport, and house sitter on in 30 miinutes or less.
7. Trade/Barter/Swap anything from houses to old PC video games.
8. Browse the forums to learn the local opinons and your own.

As for me, I like craigslist.com and the local opportunities it presents. For instance, I have been meaning to get my hair just signed up to have a Costemology student cut my hair. For a few hours of my time I get a hair cut and a student gets the learning experience.

Happy hunting!! ^_^
-S

Frugal Shopping – Clothes

I don’t know about the public enmass, but I SICK and TIRED of paying Retail for such items like: clothes, haircuts, jewelry, shoes, furniture, kitchen items, household decorations, etc. So the blog below will tell you *my* college-time-honed tips and tricks to stretch that personal shopping budget to the MAX! More blogs will be posted for other items…

Part 1 – Clothes Shopping

Perhaps it is one of the BIGGEST areas for people to spend their disposal (and not-so-disposal) income. But WHY do people insist on paying FULL PRICE for similar items when they can be bought for much less? If you know the labels, cut, and quality to look for you can shop anywhere and get GREAT baragins!!

Label Suggestions:

1. Levi’s

Yves Saint Lawrence

2. The Limited
3. Jones Ney York
4. Liz Calibourne
5. etc.

If you notice, labels such an Juicy and other “fad” labels are not listed above. Not to disrespect them, but high-fashion items/labels should be bought SPARINGLY!! Remember, you’re trying to stretch your budget, not throw money away.

Quality:

The quality of an item reflects how well it well take the wear and tear of everyday living. Quality can include the type of material (wool, durable demin, silk, etc), the type of seams, the general condition of the garment, etc.

Recommended Places to Shop:

Below is a guideline for places to shop. Although each city/area is different, I hope you have some of the places mentioned below…

1. Outlet Malls – be careful as some prices may not be a baragin
2. Marshall’s/Ross/Stein Mart/T.J.Max – good places for new clothes, suits, & accessories for discounted prices.
3. Big Lots! – A decent place to a find a not-so-deep discount.
4. Goodwill/Salvation Army

Overall hints and tips:

1. The BEST Goodwill or Salvation army places are the ones near fairly high-end neighborhoods. So if you see ladies in Lexus or Benz drop off clothes – THAT’s where to shop.
2. Be sure to inspect the items very careful for wear/tear as most places do not have a return policy.
3. Try on EVERYTHING you are considering buying

I hope you’ve found this to be helpful. Happy baragin shopping!!

A warning about Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) and RAW foods!!

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a heart condition where a valve in the heart (the Mitral valve), laspes back onto itself after each heart beat sometimes allowing a small amount of blood ‘backwards’.

Why is this important to me? you ask.

MVP is the most common cardiac problem and may affect five to twenty percent of the population. MVP may present itself in the following manners:

1. A small ‘clicking’ sound, extra heart beat, or heart murmer
2. Chest pain
3. Fatigue
4. Lightheadedness, dizziness

If you have MVP stay away from RAW foods!!!

Raw foods that have the potential to carry Salmonella such as eggs, sushi, cake batter, cookie dough, etc. pose a HUGE threat. Even if the traces of Salmonella are not enough to may you sick, they could be enough to lodge in the Mitral valve and cause heart problems such as valve replace or in extreme cases serious illness or infections.

The reason I’m writing is to educate the population about MVP, since some people may not be aware they have it. I know someone who went through a heart valve replacement: she had ate a small amount of cake batter (unaware that she has MVP) a tiny amount of Salmonella was in the batter and lodged in her heart valve. The valve had to be replaced.

Although I am not a doctor, the caution above about not eating raw (Salmonella-potential) foods was confirmed by one of the top cardiologist in Texas.

More information about MVP can be found here:
http://www.nursing.wright.edu/practice/mvp/default.htm
http://www.mvprolapse.com/mvp.html

More information on Salmonella can be found here:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm