Doing Something

(Picture taken last Spring)

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable,
but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."

~ George Bernard Shaw

An Easy Way to Measure Running Distance

Earlier this year, back when I was training for a 5k, I would run laps to help me prepare.  Since then I've found that I don't much care for running (bad knees), but I did "run" into a problem when I was training.  Keeping track of the laps.  Listening to music to help me stay focused, I would count the laps in my head, or on my fingers, only to lose track and question my distance.  I thought it would be cool if I could find some device with a clicker to do the thinking for me, but thought I wouldn't be able to find something like that.

Then one day at the craft store I was wondering the yarn section when I stumbled across an interesting device.  A knitting counter!  There's a few models, but I choose a model from Clover.  You can wear it as a pendant, which is nifty since you don't have to hold it, and mindlessly click it at the beginning of each lap.  Unfortuanly it doesn't come with a cord, but I was able to use a chain from a necklace I don't use.

Since buying it I've used the counter to measure the 4 mile distance I'm determined to walk, and it's wonderful.

Sarah       

Sparkle, Movie Review

"Was my life not enough of a cautionary tale for you?"

Spoken by Whitney Houston's character  

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

I went into this film excited to see Whitney Houston's final performance in Sparkle.  She inspired me as a kid with her powerful singing.  This movie, though there were some good moments, left a bad taste in my mouth.

Whitney plays the mother of three talented, ambitious girls, though they are ambitious for different reasons.  The eldest daughter Sister, played by Carmen Ejogo, is nearing 30 and is desperate for attention and love.  The middle girl Delores, played by Tika Sumpter, has her sights set on medical school.  And the youngest daughter Sparkle, played by American Idol alumni Jordin Sparks, is an inspiring singer-songwriter, writing songs in secret, if only she can work up the courage to perform solo.  It's Sparkle's dream that brings the sisters together, when she begs her older Sister to sing one of her songs at a club, and leads their lives on a roller-coaster path.  

The movie is formulaic and full of cliches, but I expected that, and it's hard not to compare this 1976 remake to the 2006 Dream Girls film, that being based on the 1981 Supreme's inspired musical.  Comparing the two movies, Dream Girls is clearly the stronger, more polished film.  That doesn't help Sparkle "sparkle."  And it doesn't help that in Dream Girls another American Idol alumni, Jennifer Hudson, stole the show and walked away with an Oscar.  Her performance is unforgettable.

Carmen Ejogo, of all the actors, had the strongest performance in Sparkle, bringing a bigger then life presence.  I do wish to add that I've always enjoyed Jordin Sparks voice, and she played the sweet, innocent sister well.

The songs were strong as well in the fun motown style.  The songs "Hooked on Your Love," "Running," and a few other are playlist repeat worthy.  

Whitney's character and performance is a little chilling, and that's what left me feeling a little uncomfortable, because art was imitating life in a way.  There is a scene where the oldest daughter relates the story of finding her mother, Whitney, passed out in a puddle of vomit.  Throughout the movie Whitney looks tired and worn out with life, which is appropriate for her character, but as she relates to her daughters the realities and horrors of show business, it's hard not to wonder if those scenes are slightly autobiographical.  The ending may be happy, but there is that sad undertone laced through the film. 

       

MPAA rating: PG-13 for mature thematic content involving domestic abuse and drug material, and for some violence, language and smoking. 

Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed, Movie Review

Rating:  2 Stars out of 5

What's tragic is that everything the first movie got right, Saints and Soldiers, the second movie got wrong.

The first movie, which came out in 2003, was miraculously filmed entirely in Utah and under a million dollars (yet it looks like a major motion picture.)  From beginning to end the WWII epic has non-stop action and heartfelt moments.  The characters are strong and the story is focused.  Definitely a must see with a strong 4.5 out of 5 star rating.     

The followup movie, Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed, is overwhelmingly confused.

The exposition fell flat, and there was no real setup for how our cast of characters end up in enemy territory.  Yes, there is an opening scene involving the Germans, but it only connects when you listen intently to a small bit of dialogue somewhere in the middle of the movie.  (Since they choose to begin the movie this way, the main character should have been either the central German character, don't know his name, or the French resistant girl, Emilie.)   Then we are suddenly shown a bunch of people jumping out of airplanes.  If you go to the films website you learn this is the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team.  They volunteered to land in enemy territory, with a chance of no backup, to help the French Allied forces.  But there was no setup to this.  You get the gist gradually as the film progresses.  If I would have known the risk of their mission at the start, and the purpose of what they were doing, I would have been far more engaged in the plot then I was.   

Another major fault of the film is a lack of a main character.  Since this is a Saints and Soldiers film, it's safe to assume Jones, played by David Nibley, a man strong in the Catholic faith, is the central character.  He gets a lot of flashback time after all, only problem is a couple other characters received a lot of flashback time as well.  Instead of a main character with the support of a strong cast, we get a bunch of characters vying for our attention.  The result?  A huge mess with the lack of a focused story.      

As much as I enjoyed Corbin Allred as 'Deacon' in the first movie, it was a mistake to bring him back and have him portray an entirely new character.  Watching the trailer as many times as I did, I assumed Corbin was reprising his character.  Airborne Creed is a prequel to Saints and Soldiers, not a sequel, and Deacon could have been brought back.  Instead of taking advantage of a great opportunity, the writers choose instead to leave me questioning who Corbin's new character is, and that caused some distraction.   

One of the brilliant aspects of the first movie is the ambiguity of the Main character, Deacon's, religion.  You assume he's LDS, with a fair amount of clues leading to the fact, but this is only confirmed in the DVD commentary track.  The first movie tackled brilliantly the psychological hardships of war, questioning morality and what truly makes someone an enemy.  This new film tried to do the same, but did not succeed.

What's truly sad is that a lot of these problems could have been fixed in the script writing phase of pre-production.  This could have been a great film.

Sarah        

Happy Birthday President Monson!

 (Holding the precious tickets in my hands.)

Last Friday was President Monson's Birthday Bash!  Okay, it wasn't like that, but when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (or as we like to call in Utah "the Mo-Tab") is involved, it's pretty darn close! 

 (Everyone heading to the Conference Center wearing their Sunday best.)

There was a grand performance at the LDS Conference Center in SLC in President Thomas S. Monson's honor called "Golden Days: A Celebration of Life."  The choir sang Broadway musical hits, because, if you've listened to any of Brother Monson's talks, you'll quickly learn how much he loves show tunes and going to plays.  Apparently he's seen Annie in at least 11 different languages!  

Rebecca Luker, Stanford Olsen, and Dallyn Vail Bayles all sang, and Steve Young with Jane Clayson Johnson hosted.      

When Dallyn sang "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables, we all gave him a standing ovation (the first of many).  It was the most beautiful rendition of the song I have ever heard. 

(Waiting for the show to start.)

I've been to a few performences at the Conference Center, and this, hands down, is my favorite of them all.

In the middle of the show they suddenly brought up the house lights and had everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to President Monson.  We were all so shocked!  But it was amazing.  He's 85 years young.

Happy Birthday President Monson!  May you have many more!

If you haven't seen the celebration, and would like to, the full performance is available to stream on the Mormon Tabernable Choir's website and at LDS.org.

Sarah    

The Vogue Tome

(A phone book sitting next to the September issue of Vogue)

Today I was surprised to find the latest issue of Vogue in the mail, which is one of the many magazines I subscribe to.  What is even more amazing was how thick it is!  It's the 120 year anniversary for the magazine plus the Fall Fashion preview in one.  I put our local phone book right next to this months Vogue to prove how big it is!        

Why is it so thick?  Ads.  You don't even get to the table of contents until page 76.  But I'm strange, I actually like looking at the ads.  Now, if you don't like ads, you'll probably get very annoyed, quick.  Fashion spreads are hidden amongst the advertisements, and sense ads don't have page numbers, it's hard finding the few articles that exist, as they get lost in this tome.   

It was fun seeing some vintage photos, I just wish there were more images to look at.  With the thickness of the magazine I was expecting a little more on the 120 year subject.

I haven't read any of it yet, just thumbed through.  The magazine's got some weight.

Below is the September Vogue issue sitting right next to the August issue.

Sarah

The Odd Life of Timothy Green Movie Review

Rating:  2.5 Stars out of 5

The Odd Life of Timothy Green starts out in the picturesque town of Stanleyville, home of the #2 pencil and a quiet set of folks.   Cindy and Jim Green, who desperately want a child of their own, has just been informed that that will never be possible.  Now the two wishful parents must go about their lives, she working in the pencil museum, and he working at a failing pencil factory, dealing with a broken heart.

That night, in a fit of despair, the two decide to create a list of everything they would love in a child, and imagine living out each moment while they jot the concepts on pieces of paper, placing them in a box.  They bury the box in Cindy's garden,determined to put it behind them.  That night, in the midst of drought (and the first of many magical moments), there is a freak rain storm over, and only over, their home, and Timothy grows out of the garden to enter everyone's lives.

Some of the characters are delightful.  CJ Adams, who plays Timothy, is a sweet young actor.  Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton as his parents have nice chemistry, and I love how they play off the impracticability of their situation.  I also like Odeya Rush who plays Joni, Timothy's friend, though nothing is explained in regards to her characters: no parents or history, running around as a free spirit. She's just as mysterious as he is. Other characters, such as Jim and Cindy's bosses, quickly fall into stereotypes, and poor stereotypes at that, creating a cast that comes across two-denominational.  

The plot is also predictable and contrived.  There are sweet moments, but instead of being surprised by various plot points, I instead found myself watching the characters to see how they would react.  The climax of the film was anti-climatic.

What the film does have going for it is the beautiful cinematography and heart.  Nature and light is captured in a wonderful way, and I found myself wishing I lived in a place so innocent and safe with the ability to escape to the forest with no fear of harm.  And there are some really touching moments. 

The movie does celebrate family, and the need for family, and that's a very positive message.

Overall I'm glad I saw The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and many families will like the charm, but its a movie I'm happily content to see once.  It is a great movie to take the kids to see as they may learn a thing or two.  There's no such thing as the perfect child, but every child is important and special.

Sarah      

Dreams

(On the way home from California last Spring)

“All our dreams can come true,
if we have the courage to pursue them.”
~Walt Disney

My Favorite London 2012 Olympic Moments

The funny thing about my family is that we're not super sporty people; it's probably because we're geeks who spend most of our time with the arts and sciences.  But when the Olympics are on, the TV is on, and we get excited over everything.

I think apart of it is because the Olympics isn't your typical sporty fair.  There is something for everyone: from soccer to basketball, table tennis to gymnastics, track and field to trampolining, etc.  And the team you are cheering for is your home country, so there's good ol' fashion national pride.

Favorite Scandal Moment

After the Men's team final, the British erupted in a loud applause when the scores went up and their home team got Silver.  Prince William and Harry were in the audience sharing in the excitement.  China got Gold, Britain Silver, and Ukraine Bronze.  Then someone from Japan's team went to the judges to file a complaint.  Kohei Uchimura wasn't given credit for his handstand dismount off the pommel horse, which lowered the score.  As part of regulations, they had to offer money, a few Benjamin Franklins, and their plea was heard.  The score was changed.  China Gold, Japan Silver, and Britain Bronze.  That one change, about .7 points increase, bumped Japan to Silver and tossed Ukraine off the podium. The home team had to go from an elated second to third.    

Favorite USA Victory

The U.S. girls team winning the Team Gold.  I remember watching the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta on TV.  That for me was the Summer between Middle School and High School, and I'll never forget watching Kerri Strug needing to land a second vault, standing, on a hurt foot to grantee the team a Gold.  Since then we haven't had a girls team strong enough to bring home the team gold, until now.  These girls were amazing. Mackayla's vault was perfect and deserved a perfect score.  Overall Amazing.     

Favorite Sport

Rhythmic Gymnastics.  My previous post was all about Synchronize Swimming, which is amazing, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Rhythmic Gymnastics team compition.  What these girls can do is really astounding.  

Favorite Royal Moment

    

During the Cross Country Equestrian course competition, all the royals were there enjoying family time.  There was a point where Kate was talking to Will, pointing to the camera.  He looked at the camera and waved, and Kate started giggling.  It was cute.

Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter, won a Silver medal with her Equestrian team. 

Favorite New Sport

Mountain Bike: Women's Cross Country.  I had no idea Mountain Biking was in the Olympics!  I stumbled upon it by accident, but it was really fun to watch. 

United States Women Ruled!

The U.S. finished off the medal count in first place with 104 medals: 46 Gold, 29 Silver, and 29 Bronze.  For the first time there were more U.S. women in the Olympics then men, and the ladies brought home more medals then the men.  Also, for the first time there was a women competing from every country in the London games.  Amazing. 

Another amazing feat is that 38 World Records were broken at the London Olympics.

It's been fun,
Sarah

The Awesomeness that is Synchronized Swimming

I honestly think it's sad that Synchronized Swimming gets the bad rap that it does.  Even in the middle of the 2012 Summer London Olympics I made this sport a joke on my Facebook wall: "You know you're a geek when you yell at the screen during an Olympic Archery event . . . I guess I would be more of a geek if I did that during Synchronized Swimming."  Joking aside, I think this is such a fantastic sport with an unbelievable amount of difficulty.

Back when my family was in California we had a pool, and I used to try some of the synchronized swimming moves to no avail.  It's amazing how they can swim upside down with their legs out of the water.  No matter how hard I tried I could never come close.

During the London 2012 Olympics Russia took gold, China Silver, and Spain bronze, though Spain was my favorite.

Okay, those pics look odd, but they were actually some of my favorite moments from their routine.  Below is a video of their qualifying for the Olympics.  The costumes are different, and there are some slight differences in the choreography.  

Some of my favorite shots were the duel cam, which showed what was happening in and out of the water.  I wish it was possible to watch all the routines like this.

My Dad noticed something interesting about the Japanese pose before they started.  He asked Steven what kanji (Japanese written character) they were representing, and Steven believes it was Kokoro, Heart.

Happy end of Summer swimming!
Sarah