Mommy Brain

Another busy day, another very late link post. We’re getting into our school routine, which is nice. I’m reading a fantastic book aloud to the kids called The Penderwicks - I highly recommend it. We’re almost done, and I think we’ll start The Mysterious Benedict Society next.

We don’t have plans for the weekend. Some cleaning up tomorrow, maybe a trip to the pool. Church on Sunday, and then the Seahawks play their first official game of the season, so you’ll find me planted firmly in front of the television. Go, ‘Hawks!

~ You may not recognize Don LaFontaine by name, but I’m sure you would recognize his voice. If you’ve ever seen a movie trailer in which the voice over announcer says, “In a world….” - chances are that was Don LaFontaine. He passed away this week at age 68. Movie trailers just won’t be the same.

~ Remember the video I posted last week about the cell phones popping popcorn - the one that turned out to be a hoax? Here’s how - and why - they did it.

~ Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite reads from this year - and now you can read it for free!

~ Who caught the Bones premiere this week? We had to record it and watch it a day late, since the kids have to be picked up from Awana at 8 on Wednesdays. And, I loved it! Agent Booth and Great Britain - two of my favorite things - in one episode! So good. Spoiler alert - scroll down a couple lines if you don’t want it spoiled for you! Except for the Angela/Hodgins break-up. Why did they have to go and do that? Anyway, if you enjoy David Boreanaz, EW has him answering 17 pop culture questions.

~ Still bummed about the postponement of the film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Here’s a video of Daniel Radcliffe appearing on Conan O’Brien to help tide you over.

~ My Friend Amy is hosting Book Blogger Appreciation Week - and that means some awards given out for favorite book blogs. Head over to this post and vote for your favorites. Get details on how to register for all the fun here.

~ The Dharma Initiative is looking for new recruits - click over to take their screening test.

~ Speaking of hit television shows (Yes, we were, honest. If you’re a little lost, let me know in the comments. ), Anthony Edwards is due to reprise his role as Dr. Mark Greene on ER in an episode this November - in flashbacks, of course.

Thank you so much for all your insightful comments on my previous post about the presidential election. I am at least convinced that I will definitely be voting in November. That said, I’m still not sure who I’ll be voting for! I’ll continue my research and reading and thinking and discussing and praying and make a decision before I mark my ballot. Along those lines, I’ll be including links every Friday that I have read and that are helping me make my decision.

~ FactCheck.org is a great place to check the facts on speeches, interviews, and campaign ads. You can subscribe to their RSS feed and get updates sent to your Bloglines, Google Reader, or other RSS reader account. Thanks to Sarah at The Mommylogues for pointing it out to me.

~ Speaking of facts, check this list of talking points in the Republican Convention speeches that misrepresented or stretched the truth. And, here’s the fact check list for the Democratic Convention. It’s kind of disheartening to see how much both sides of the political fence exaggerate or dissemble in order to gain poll points.

~ At VoteSmart.org, you can check each candidate’s voting record while they served in Congress. Here’s Barack Obama’s voting record. Here’s John McCain’s voting record.

~ Crunchy Con tells why one soldier, currently serving in Iraq, won’t be voting for John McCain.

~ According to the Presurfer, it’s not McCain/Palin, it’s Tigh/Roslin. (This is not a site I normally read, so please don’t hold me accountable for anything else you might find there.)

~ If you’re reading this before midnight PST on Friday, September 5th, there’s still time to enter to win a copy of Guernica by Dave Boling.

Have a great weekend!

(Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of review.)

It’s the ultimate race to the finish line as the Tortoise and the Hare face off once again in this entertaining tale from the storied Jim Henson Company. Once upon a time, “sure and steady” Mr. Tortoise won the race…and speedy Mr. Hare is determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the rematch of the century. Join Danny Glover, Jay Leno, Vivca A. Fox, Drake Bell, and Keke Palmer as they lend their voice talent to this animated hit that runs circles around the classic tale!

Tortoise vs. Hare is the second Unstable Fable we’ve reviewed at our house. Three Pigs and a Baby was our first exposure to the series, and the kids absolutely loved it. Tortoise vs. Hare lived up to its predecessor. It has a new witty take on the old tortoise and hare fable, and includes some good life lessons along with the humor. The voices are great, and the sports announcers following the race are hilarious. The boys have watched it three times since it arrived earlier this week.

Noah’s review: It was very, very funny. It shows that you shouldn’t be so competitive against anyone, just have a good race. If you’ve seen Three Pigs and a Baby, you might see some of the same characters. 5 stars.

Josiah’s review: Butch’s dad is very funny. His name is Mr. Hare. I like when they roll up in the giant snowball. 5 stars.

Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare will be available on DVD on September 9th. The DVD special features include “How to Draw a Character” with director Howard E. Baker, the making of Tortoise vs. Hare, and a sneak peek at the next unstable fable.

I think I’m recovered from our day-long Silverwood extravaganza. Did I mention that we left at 8:30 am and didn’t return until 10 pm? I’m looking forward to Tuesday, which - in spite of being our fifth day of school - will feel like our first day of school and life will begin to return to normal. Whatever that is.

Lots of exciting things happening in the news lately. Obama gives a darn good speech; McCain announces a surprise VP pick. And me? I’m still ambivalent about the whole thing. I’m musing over a post - that will probably be very long - about the whole presidential thing. Probably sometime this week, if I find the time to get the thoughts out of my head and into some kind of organized format.

But, for now, I promised you links - and do I have a bunch!

~ Entertainment Weekly counts down their top 25 Sci-Fi movies and TV series since 1982.

~ Speaking of sci-fi, Battlestar Galactica may be ending, but there are two projects in the planning stages that will continue the franchise.

~ Don’t Try This At Home has posted another hilarious video for her Sunday YouTube, called “Things You Don’t Say to Your Wife.”

~ Regardless of how you feel about either presidential candidate, I think this ad that McCain ran on the night Obama received the nomination was pretty classy.

~ For all of you fellow homeschooling moms who are beginning another year, I give you I Will Survive.

~ Any fans of Nathan Fillion from Firefly? He’s set to appear in a midseason series on ABC.

~ Update: Angie Hunt just commented to let me know that this video is a hoax. Sure looked real! I’m not a big fan of cell phones. Yes, I have one, and I use it very rarely - maybe twice a week. It’s simply a tool for emergencies or cases when I must reach someone and I’m not near a phone. I prepay for my minutes, so I don’t chat away on it. I don’t even know how to send a text message. I think a lot of people are very rude in how they use their cell phones - an opinion that was reinforced at a recent playdate at the park when one of the other moms proceeded to text message her teenage daughter and her mother for the entire hour she was there. She then stood up and informed the rest of us that she had lots to do and had to be going. Sigh. Anyway, this video reinforces my reasoning for not using my cell phone very often - and for not buying one for my tween daughter. It’s frankly a little scary. Hat tip: Angela Hunt.

~ Time has an amazing photo gallery from the Olympics. Some of the pictures are truly stunning.

~ Note to self: If ever in Japan, avoid the trains. Shudder.

At Books and Movies this week:

~ Review of Half-*ssed: A Weight-Loss Memoir

~ Review of The Devil’s Arithmetic

~ Reading Questionnaire

~ Teaser Tuesday

~ The Sunday Salon

~ Review of The Cross-Time Engineer

~ And, there is still time to enter to win Guernica

(The Blue Elephant was provided to me by Special Ops Media for the purpose of review.)

Follow The Blue Elephant on a breathtaking journey, complete with endearing characters, belly laughs, and an uplifting message about the power of courage. Khan is a little elephant with big dreams of becoming a hero. When he gets separated from his herd, he’ll need the help of his new friends and a whole lot of bravery to find his family and fulfill his royal destiny. Join Miranda Cosgrove, Martin Short, and Carl Reiner, as they lend their voices to this fun family adventure!

It’s always fun to find a new animated film to enjoy with the kids. This is a cute story that has a great message, and lots of humor for the little ones. And with Martin Short and Carl Reiner, of course the voice talent is brilliant.

Noah’s review: I like the colors. I like the characters, and the history in the story. 5 stars.

Jonathan’s review: It’s a really good movie and there’s a battle, but not too violent. It’s a really good movie, and there’s nothing bad in it. 5 stars.

Josiah’s review: I can’t believe how Kahn grew up to be a big elephant. When he was at the training place, I can’t believe he broke through that wood. 5 stars.

The Blue Elephant will be available on DVD on September 2nd.

(The Little Mermaid - Ariel’s Beginning was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

See how it all started for one of Disney’s most beloved characters in the all-new movie, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning.

Imagine a time long before Ariel met Prince Eric and walked on land - a time when music was banned from the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. Torn between family duty and her love of music, Ariel must make the most difficult choice of her life. With the help of her friends, Sebastian and Flounder, and her six amusing sisters, will the young mermaid be able to restore music, friendship and love to the kingdom?

An all-star cast returns, including Jodi Benson (Ariel) and Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian) - plus meet the deliciously wicked villain Marina Del Rey, voiced by Sally Field - in a marvelous musical adventure teeming with surprises, breathtaking animation and all-new songs.

The Little Mermaid is one of my all-time favorite Disney movies, and I love that they brought back the original voices for this prequel. The music is fun, the story is a little like Footloose - a little predictable, but still an enjoyable tale.

Natalie’s review: When Ariel was a little girl her mother loved music. She sang and sang and Ariel’s big family was happy. But when Ariel’s mother died everything changed. Music was banned from Atlantica. Ariel wants to know why it has to be banned from this place, why her father thinks music is bad when she thinks it is beautiful. Then as Ariel explores her home she finds a secret club of music. I like this movie very much. 5 stars.

The Little Mermaid - Ariel’s Beginning will be available on DVD on August 26th. The DVD Special Features include deleted scenes, a sing-along feature, and the Mermaid Discovery Vanity Game - discover secrets about King Triton’s daughters by clicking on their personal scrapbooks, or find out which sister you are most like with the Personality Profile Game.

(The Nightmare Before Christmas: Two-Disc Collector’s Edition was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

Experience Tim Burton’s hauntingly fabulous classic film you’ve always loved, like never before! Now digitally restored and remastered with state-of-the-art technology, The Nightmare Before Christmas is deeper, darker and more brilliant than ever - just as Tim Burton originally envisioned it.

Can Christmas be saved? Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere!

I was in college when The Nightmare Before Christmas came out in theaters - it was before I was a mom, before I was even a nanny, so I had no reason to see it. And, frankly, I thought it looked a little weird. But the kids and I sat down and watched it over the weekend, and we actually really liked it. I still think it’s a little weird, though.

I appreciated the stop-motion animation by director Henry Selick, who is directing the upcoming film version of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. We are anxiously anticipating the February release after loving the book so much.

Noah’s review: It was very, very funny and it’s very interesting and it tells a very good story about how the seasons came. And, on the second disc there is Frankenweenie and Vincent, which were little shorts that were also good. 5 stars.

Jonathan’s review: I think it’s pretty fascinating. It’s pretty funny when it showed this bubble-headed freaky guy. 5 stars.

Josiah’s review: 5 stars. (He’s a man of few words. )

The Nightmare Before Christmas: 2-Disc Collector’s Edition will be available on August 26th. The 2-disc special collector’s edition has a ton of bonus features: What’s This? Jack’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour; Frankenweenie (Uncut Version) with new introduction by Tim Burton; Vincent - short film; Tim Burton’s original poem narrated by Christopher Lee; all-new audio commentary by Tim Burton, director Henry Selick and music designer Danny Elfman; Behind-the-Scenes Making Of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas;” The worlds of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” - Halloween Town, Christmas Town, The Real World; deleted scenes; storyboard-to-film comparison; and original theatrical trailers and posters.

We just got back from the fair and I’m pooped. I’ve been entertained out this summer, I think. Vacation was wonderful - so fun - but I have no desire to do anything else. I want to start school and have normal life back! But, that won’t happen until after Tuesday, because on Tuesday, I’m taking the kids here. I don’t want to. at. all. But, the kids read their 10 hours each (over and above normal school reading time) to earn their free tickets, so I kinda half to, or I’d be a really mean mommy. Sigh.

I am really looking forward to tomorrow night. All three boys are going for a sleepover at Michelle’s house in honor of her Jacob’s birthday, and Natalie is heading south to Grandma and Papa’s for the night. So Kevin and I are going to go out to dinner and have an evening all to ourselves. Then Saturday afternoon, he’s taking Josiah on an overnight camping trip, just the two of them. It’s Josiah’s turn for time with Daddy.

It’s been a great week, book-wise. I received a review copy of…

The Grift by Debra Ginsberg

…and an ARC of…

The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway.

I also ordered the first four books in the History Lives series, which are books for young readers that tell the history of the church from St. Paul through John Wesley. (Book 5 continues the story from there, and is due out later this year.) Westminster Books has the first four books for only $25.17 - 30% off! The series is written by Brandon and Mindy Withrow, whose blog I’ve enjoyed for a couple of years now. Anyway, I’m going to read these aloud to the kids for part of our Bible studies.

Well, Kevin’s come upstairs and wants to watch a DVD, so I better get to the links.

~ Angela Hunt posted this Urban Legend Amalgam. If you’ve ever received a forwarded e-mail, you gotta click over.

~ Confused baby sea turtles - I would have loved to be there for this!

~ If you’ve read or heard anything about the “revival” going on in Lakeland, Florida, this is a must-read.

On April 3, 2008 Canadian evangelist Todd Bentley was invited to speak to the Ignited Church of Lakeland, FL. Though he was only scheduled to be there for 5 days, he remained for 3 months during what he considered to be the biggest pentecostal revival since the Azusa Street revival. To put it mildly, the “Lakeland revival” has been controversial. Claims of people being raised from the dead? Violent healing? Now it appears Bentley is stepping down after filing for separation from his wife and admitting to an inappropriate relationship with another woman…

(snip)

Yet, when I see things like this, it is just hard not to ask: does anyone still have a Bible and some common sense?

Let me add: I do not think this is a Pentecostal issue. That is why the title is, “Evangelical Gullibility.”

In other words, all kinds of Christians are forwarding emails about the FCC’s phony plan to ban religious braoadcasting, signing up to have emails sent to the loved ones after the rapture, and watching Christian television for its theological depth. For that matter, I have just as many odd people come up to me with “something they discovered in the Bible that no one has ever noticed” after I speak at a Baptist, Wesleyan, of non-denominational meeting as I do when I speak at a Pentecostal one. Furthermore, many Pentecostals and Charismatics HAVE expressed concern about this movement– including some when I visit the Assemblies of God office a couple of weeks ago.

I just have to wonder with Grady if Christians really are just gullible.

~ If you need some Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince buzz to tide you over until the movie’s (new) release date of July 17th, EW has an article with some scoop about the film.

~ Why is it that Dan Brown could publish The Da Vinci Code, a fictional novel which offended many Christians by stating that Jesus was married and had kids, but Harper Collins won’t publish a fictional novel about one of Mohammed’s wives?

“Random House made the decision to cancel its US publication of the novel ‘The Jewel of Medina’ after much deliberation and with great reluctance,” a statement from the publisher sent to AFP said.

“The decision was based on advice from scholars of Islam, among several creditable sources, that publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community and could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment.”

~ If you want to watch a slideshow and some video clips of our vacation, head over to Kevin’s site.

~ Hey - it turns out I’m raising three future surgeons.

~ This video of the a cappella group Naturally 7 is pretty awesome.

~ It’s time to sign up for this year’s Pizza Hut Book-It Program.

~ Homeschool stereotypes vs. public school realities - a must-read at Principled Discovery.

At Books and Movies this week:

~ The Sunday Salon

~ Musing Mondays

~ Teaser Tuesdays

~ Review of The Great Debaters

~ Booking Through Thursday

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’s release date has been changed - to July 17th! Bummer.

Thank you so much to those of you who were praying for my brother-in-law. Derek is doing much better; he’ll go home from the hospital tomorrow. They’re basically just keeping him tonight to make sure his fever doesn’t come back - all of his blood tests are coming back good. Debra will leave to go visit Andrea in the morning, and Derek’s mom will help out with Derek and the kids this weekend. All is well. God is good.

I finally quit procrastinating and dove into the school cupboard today. All of last year’s work is ready to go into storage, new books are in place, and I just need to pick up a couple of supplies to fill in some gaps. We’ll be starting Monday, the 25th. If you’re interested in what we did last year, and what we’ll be doing this upcoming year, this post will fill in all the details.

We have a busy, busy weekend ahead of us. Play date and ortho appointment tomorrow day, a BBQ at a friend’s house tomorrow evening - friends from our former church that we haven’t seen in a long time. Then a wedding Saturday evening, and celebrating Mom’s birthday Sunday afternoon. Oh, and it’s hot here. 100 degrees today. Blech.

~ Some readers who didn’t like Breaking Dawn are trying to organize a mass protest, in which readers return their books. Am I the only one who finds this ridiculous? I think it’s unethical to return a book you’ve already read. When ever you buy a book, you take a chance - it doesn’t come with a guarantee that you’ll love it. If I returned every book that I had purchased, and then didn’t like, I’d only keep 1/2 or so of the books I buy.

~ Rotten Tomatoes has a featurette about the upcoming film version of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline.

~ This guy is talented in a very unusual way. Hat tip to my mom, who e-mailed me that one.

At Books and Movies this week:

~ Review of My Husband’s Sweethearts by Bridget Asher.

~ A reading personality quiz.

~ Review of August Rush.

~ Review of The Dark Knight. And just in case you don’t click over to read it, I’ll leave you with this:

(Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3D Concert Movie was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

The sold-out concert event that rocked the nation is bursting onto Disney DVD for a limited time only in a two-disc extended edition with a 3-D concert experience so real it’s like having a backstage pass! “Make Some Noise” and get ready for the year’s most eye-popping, dance-in-your-seat music experience with Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Movie!

For the first time ever, Miley performs as both herself and Hannah in the same epic show! With a special appearance by the Jonas Brothers and exclusive bonus features, including a sing-along mode, additional songs and a rare, inside look into the rock star lives of Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, this movie sensation is “as close as you’ll come to achieving the best of both worlds.” (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News)

Here’s Natalie’s review:

My friend, Catie, took me to this movie and then my mom got it to review. This video has 16 songs - 2 of them sung by the Jonas Brothers. Miley is a very talented singer. This DVD shows how they made the concert and like the back-up singers and the dancers and just Miley goofing around.

The songs on this DVD are:

1. Rock Star
2.Life’s What You Make It
3. Just Like You
4. Nobody’s Perfect
5. Pumpin up the Party
6. I Got Nerve
7. We Got the Party (With Jonas Brothers)
8. Jonas Brothers, When You Look Me In The Eye
9. Jonas Brothers, Year 3000
10. Start All Over
11. See You Again
12. Let’s Dance
13. Right Here
14. I Miss You
15. G.N.O. (Girls Night Out)
16. Best of Both Worlds

If you like Disney Channel and great singers, this girl is for you! I really liked it!

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3D Concert Movie will be available on DVD on August 19th. The DVD bonus features include: “The Ultimate Personal Tour: Spend a Day with Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers,” additional songs, and a sing-along with the movie feature.

(Camp Rock was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

This summer is gonna Rock! Get ready to sing and dance like never before with the electrifying Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock! Disney’s exclusive DVD explodes with “Too Cool” bonus features, including an exclusive extended ending and “How To Be A Rock Star,” a sensational series full of tips and secrets from the Camp Rock cast to help make your real-life rock star dream come true!

When Mitchie gets a chance to attend Camp Rock, her life takes an unpredictable twist, and she learns how important it is to be true to yourself. Join the platinum-selling Jonas Brothers and the hottest cast of performers at the coolest summer camp anywhere! Experience Camp Rock in a whole new way in this Extended Rock Star Edition DVD, packed with hit music, hip dance moves, and bonus features that will have you singing, dancing and rocking over and over again.

(Were there enough exclamation points in the above description for you? )

If you have a tween or teen in your home, chances are you know who the Jonas Brothers are. Natalie is a huge fan, and was very excited to have the chance to review Camp Rock, especially since I forgot to set the VCR to record it when it was on TV. Oops.

Here’s what Natalie thought:

This movie is like a dance and sing movie. I like those kinds of movies especially if there are really good singers in the movie. I really like the Jonas Brothers and the main girl, Demi Lovato, is a great singer also.

Mitchie gets to go to Camp Rock where all the people that want to be like, famous, go there. Well, when she goes there, she is living a lie. Trying to be popular. But when the lie comes unfolded she sees how she can just be herself here.

I really liked this movie and I advise you to watch it!

Camp Rock will be available on DVD on August 19th. The DVD Bonus Features include: “How to Be a Rock Star,” “Jonas Brothers: Real-Life Rock Stars,” “Introducing Demi Lovato,” “Camp Memories,” “Hasta La Vista - from Rehearsal to Final Jam” and “Too Cool: Setting the Scene” - as well as music videos and a sing-along with the movie option.

(Smart People was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

From the producer of Sideways - get to know a lovable yet dysfunctional family everyone can relate to in this lighthearted comedy People calls “smart and enjoyable.” When Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) - a widowed and self-absorbed professor - falls for his attractive former student (Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker), his all-too-predictable life suddenly turns sunny-side up. That is, until his freeloading brother (Thomas Haden Church) and his sharp-tongued overachieving daughter (Juno’s Ellen Page) speak up, making “chaos” the word of the day. Now on DVD, Smart People is even funnier with never-before-seen interviews, deleted scenes and hilarious outtakes.

I watched Smart People on a mom’s movie night with Michelle last week. It’s a good thing, too, cause I don’t think Kevin would have liked it much - not enough explosions.

Professor Wetherhold’s life is turned upside-down when he falls from a fence while trying to sneak his briefcase out of the university impound lot, where his car has been towed. His bump on the noggin induces a seizure, which means no driving for six months. His daughter, played by the ever-wonderful Ellen Page, isn’t too happy to have this inconvenience thrust on her right before she takes the SAT.

Enter Wetherhold’s adopted brother (the “adopted” fact is repeatedly emphasized by Wetherhold), played by Thomas Haden Church. He’s an unambitious teenager in a man’s body, and he agrees to drive his brother in exchange for a place to stay for a while. Church’s character tries to help Wetherhold’s daughter lighten up and act more like a real teenager, but that effort goes drastically wrong.

Wetherhold is trying to date his doctor and former student, but he’s out of practice and doesn’t know how to relate to anyone except from his academic pomposity, which doesn’t go over well on a date. Their relationship takes some odd turns, and Wetherhold finds his life irrevocably changed.

Dennis Quaid is very good as Professor Wetherhold - I was impressed with how he physically embodied the character. His walk changed, his manner of speaking changed - he was very different than in any other role I’ve seen him in. In fact, all of the acting was very good, but I can’t say I loved the movie. It had a few laugh-out-loud moments, but most of it was just okay.

Smart People is available on DVD on August 10th. The DVD special features include deleted scenes, interviews with the filmmakers and cast, a blooper real, and commentary by the filmmaker and writer.

Yes, I know it’s Saturday. Yesterday was busy with housework, visiting with friends, watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony, and reading Breaking Dawn. Today is busy with nothing. Actually, I am planning to do some school planning, rearranging, etc. - but we’ll see. I had to finish Breaking Dawn first - which leads me to my first link:

~ EW has a 10-part video interview with Stephenie Meyer about Breaking Dawn. Don’t watch it unless you’ve already read the book - lots of spoilers. She addresses the controversy. Oh, the horror!

~ My review of Breaking Dawn.

~ My review of Inglorious by Joanna Kavenna.

~ My review of Wall-E.

~ Thanks to Chris at Book-a-Rama, I stuck with this until the very end. Be stronger than I am. Walk away.

~ Kris at Paradise Found pointed out this site: The Periodic Table of Videos. Cool stuff, which we will be using a lot this year during our chemistry studies.

~ Pixar’s next flick: Up.

~ Ever tried to explain Twitter? This video explains it well. If you decide to tweet, be sure and let me know.

~ Thanks to Andrea, I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at awful cakes.

Hope you’re enjoying a wonderful weekend.

Just popping in on the hotel’s wireless connection to tell you that Nan and I went to see Mamma Mia last night, and I posted a review at Books and Movies.

(College Road Trip was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review.)

Get ready for a wildly hilarious ride with Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone in Disney’s chaotic comedy College Road Trip. Ambitious and confident Melanie Porter (Raven-Symone) is eagerly looking forward to her first big step toward independence - a girls-only road trip to check out colleges. But this rite of passage takes a wrong turn when her overprotective father (Martin Lawrence) insists on escorting her instead - and Melanie’s dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare of wild and wacky curves. So fasten your seat belts for a nonstop, laugh-out-loud, madcap adventure that’ll drive your silly.

I’m not a big fan of Raven-Symone, so I only agreed to review this one if Natalie writes the review. Here are her thoughts:

“From way at the beginning when Melanie was born, her dad started to plan out where she would go to college. Her dad is the kind of dad who is really attached to his daughter and then his daughter is not very happy, that sort of thing.

Well, Melanie’s dad wants her to go to a college that is only about 20 minutes away. Well, Melanie has other plans, she get accepted into Georgetown in D.C. She then plans to go with her friends to D.C. but her dad doesn’t want her to.

So they, well, Melanie’s dad, plans out a road trip father-daughter thing. So Melanie goes along but doesn’t like it at all! Her dad needs to realize that she isn’t a little girl anymore and that her dad needs to trust her.

This movie has a good moral and a very happy ending! I encourage you all to watch this Disney Channel Movie!

Natalie”