80’s Music Wednesday
Icehouse is probably known better for the track, Electric Blue. It is a fantastic one, but I love this track, Great Southern Land, better. If you are a massive movie buff you may recognize this song from the movie Young Einstein, which was a staple in my house growing up. Not to mention the times my high school physics teacher would play this movie before breaks. It is stupid, but a good time none the less. Enjoy Great Southern Land by Icehouse.
The Las Vegas Transition
Las Vegas Sign
I moved to Las Vegas about four years ago. Being a Midwestern girl, the City of Sin would probably seem pretty intimidating. While I wouldn’t consider myself a hardened and true resident of Nevada, I have definitely learned and adjusted to things out here. The biggest adjustment being that there is truly life outside of the Strip, a whole city as a matter of fact. Being a newbie in this big city, here a few things that I have learned.
Living in Las Vegas Does Not Mean Living on the Strip
This has happened several times when talking to friends and they find out I now live in Las Vegas. The statement, “You must go to the Strip all of the time,” comes out in some variation from every single one of them. The truth is, as a local, we don’t. Firstly, the Strip is expensive. It would be like asking someone who lived in Orlando, if they went to Disney World all of the time. You can go freely to the Strip, but you pay for. McDonald’s even charges an arm and a leg for a coke. Money may play a big part in keeping locals away, but the biggest reason is driving the Strip. I once spent forty-five minutes in a left turn lane trying to get to an Evil Dead musical. Yes, they make those. Needless to say, I have yet to see that show. Locals really only go down to the Strip when family and friends are visiting town, to see a show, or to check out a restaurant. Driving to get through the traffic and pedestrians is extremely stressful. It is much easier to stay and walk on the Strip.
Tips When On the Strip
Now we may not always go down to the Strip, but there are some things my friends should be aware of when visiting the Strip.
In the last few years a law was changed that no longer requires a permit to perform on the Strip. Since then, the Strip and Fremont Street for that matter have been flooded with “street performers.” I quoted that because there really isn’t a better term. I am not talking about the talented street performers who are truly trying to share their passion and talents with everyone else and maybe gets tips doing what they love. I am talking about the costumed, dressed up performers. These are the ones that look a little sketchy in their clearly dirty Elmo outfit. These people could be fantastic people, but they can also be bad people. My warning is to be careful. You can take pictures with them if you want, but you are not required to give them money. You are allowed to tip them, if you want to. They can be extremely pushing about taking a picture with you and asking for money. They are also very pushy with your children if they are dressed as a cartoon character. This is exactly what is going on in Times Square and at the Chinese Theater. You just have to be careful.
There are also people selling bottles of water. They actually can’t sell you water without a permit which is why you will see “Donate $2” or something of that variation. Most will get very upset if you do not donate, but you are not required to. Again while a good portion could be legit, there have been cases where some of these people have just filled up bottles from a tap and are handing them out. It is your choice to do as you please, but I would check the seals before you venture. It is always that 10% that are trying to take advantage that ruin it for the other people.
DO NOT JAY WALK!!! Whether you are sober or drunk, do not do this. They have reality shows filled with people that were arrested for Jay Walking on the Strip and sent to jail. You will be taken to jail! Las Vegas Blvd is way too congested for you to do this, and it is for your safety to use the appropriate crosswalks. There are even bridges at various points for you to use, so that you don’t have to wait on the crosswalks on the street. Ultimately, drivers in Las Vegas are shit, and it is not worth your life.
If you need a taxi on the Strip, you cannot hail for one on the street. Cab drivers will get cited for stopping on the street to pick you up, which will ultimately affect their job. Again this is due to the congestion of drivers and pedestrians. If you need a taxi, you have to go to the casino entrances to find one. You will have no problem finding them there. They will be clustered together waiting on someone to take them.
If you are brave and decide to drive the Strip, the major Strip casinos have free valet parking. The valets will expect tips, and honestly it is still cheaper to tip than to pay the valet at some of the casinos. In relation to that, parking is also free in the casino parking garages on the Strip. This is pretty much universal at all casinos in Las Vegas, except Fremont Street. Free parking on Fremont is hard to come by and fought over, Thunder Dome style. Just be prepared to hand over some cash.
Food is Fantastic
Being from small town, the height of exotic was driving to the closest larger town to eat at the Olive Garden. While Vegas has its own share of Olive Gardens, it caters to much more varieties of taste. Any kind of food, you can find it here. Hell if you want to cook it, we have and international grocery store. That was an interesting place. I took my parents there when they were visiting once so that my mum could raid the Swedish foods. I love all of the variety and mom and pop places here. There is this little Chicago hot dog place near my job that not only makes the best hot dogs, but seriously one of the best damn burgers I have ever had in my life. For what you pay, you get an amazing amount. Plus the family that owns it is from Chicago, so you get some of that Midwestern hospitality and customer service that the rest of the city horribly lacks. We even have a gourmet doughnut shop that will bring tears to my eyes. I love the food here. We also have crazy ass buffets, which is awesome when you want to try something new and worldly. They recently opened a buffet at Caesar’s Palace called the Bachanal. I will be honest, it is expensive. It can ranges anywhere between $30 to $60 per person depending on the day and time you go. It is soooooooooooo worth it.
Driving in Las Vegas Period
This has been the hardest transition for me, because people cannot drive worth shit out here. There was a joke on a list I read where someone said that driving in Las Vegas was like playing Mario Kart. She is absolutely right. I have never had to defensively drive so much in my whole life. People have said that driving in Los Angeles is crazy, but everyone drives the same. The same can be said about Chicago. That is not the case in Las Vegas, which is what makes it hard to predict A driver kills a pedestrian at least once a week. That is not an exaggeration. We have a big campaign about how to drive more safely going on in the city right now to stop the fatalities. Unfortunately, the locals also walk like they drive, which makes the probability of a fatality higher. I would hope as a pedestrian knowing the fatality rate, one would be more cautious when walking, because it is you vs. car. Nope. I have seen people drag their children across six lanes and a medium, because they didn’t want to walk the fifteen feet to the next crosswalk. It baffles the hell out of me.
80’s Music Wednesday
I am a huge Cars fan, so much so that I lied to my nephew when they came on my iPod and told him that it was Lightening McQueen singing, so he would listen to it also. I am a bad Auntie. Ric Ocasek's solo career just blended along with that love. This was one of his greatest hits, Emotion In Motion. Enjoy, my friends!
80’s Music Wednesday
So hands down, my favorite 80's song is Only You by Yazoo. The song you may recognize, but the band name may be a bit off. Random 80's trivia that will not effect your life in any manner time? GOOOO! The English group Yazoo is actually known as Yaz in the States for legal reasons because another US band held the name. I admit the video is odd and adds to my ever growing issues with dolls and inanimate objects that resemble people and could possible kill you in the night because suddenly they can walk. My English degree finds that last sentence appalling, but it is an accurate display of my neurosis where that matter is concerned. Now back to the song. Take away all of the creepy mannequins and you are left with only a voice and synthesizer creating one of the most romantically simple songs of the decade. I am a woman that likes simple declarations of love. It makes me a bit of a hopeless romantic.
80’s Music Wednesday
After going to see Guardians of the Galaxy for the second time, I felt it appropriate to utilize this favorite 80's track. As Bonnie Tyler was Holding Out For a Hero, so was everyone getting behind Peter Quill. It is with great pleasure that I present Footloose by Kenny Loggins.
80’s Music Wednesday
Okay, so it really came out in 1990, but since my SiriusXM deems it perfectly acceptable to play very early 90's songs on the 80's on 8 channel, then so can I. On this very special edition of 80's......ish Music Wednesday, we honor the one that came before. Turtles in a half shelf are taking over the big screen again this weekend, so grab a slice and remember what Ninja Turtle movies meant to our generation! I present Partners In Kryme's T-U-R-T-L-E Power. Feel free to sing along, because, come on, you know the words.
Guardians of the Galaxy
I hope that everyone has been able to make it out to the movies this weekend to see Guardians of the Galaxy. If not, definitely make the trip. The non-comic book fan may have never heard of this motley crew of space explorers, but never fear, you won’t forget them after this movie. Honestly would you forget a giant walking and talking tree let alone a raccoon that can do the same? Just don’t call Rocket a raccoon to his face.
First off how will this movie fit in with the rest of the universe that Marvel Studios is creating? This movie will add more to the Thanos storyline. For those who do not remember, that was the giant purple guy during the Avengers ending credits. I am not going to reveal too much to the non-comic fans, but this guy is a big player when it comes to the final frontier in the Marvel world. Whenever he does make an appearance in the comics, it usually takes a mass majority of superheroes to team up and handle him. They bring in all the big guns. Guardians of the Galaxy just adds another page to the story. Thanos, himself, does appear in the movie, played by Josh Brolin. I wouldn’t call it brief, but it isn’t a massive part of the film.
Thanos is just there to pursue another infinity stone, the object that most of this movie focuses on. Film goers should recognize this term from the ending credits scene of Thor: The Dark World. In that scene it was revealed that the tesseract and the aether were indeed infinity stones. In the first Thor movie, it is believed that the Infinity Gauntlet is actually in Odin’s vault, and can be seen in the brief scene involving the frost giants breaking into it. The Infinity Gauntlet is supposed to hold all of the stones and become one the most powerful weapons known to the galaxy. If Marvel even decides to use the gauntlet story, this is where all the infinity stones will tie in. Marvel may even decide to utilize the stones in another manner.
Yes the focus of this film is keeping an infinity stone out of the wrong hands. It brings together a group of prisoners who decide to choose the needs of the whole planet above their own. Although for some, it did take a lot of convincing. What looks to be the most unlikely group of people to ever work together, turns out to be the family that the other was looking for.
The movie is hysterical, probably the funniest damn Marvel movie I have seen yet. Can I talk about Peter Quill a bit? I totally get why he does well with the ladies. He is smooth, a smartass, and is lost in the 80’s. That is a man I can get behind. I have always been entertained by him in the comics, and his charms, while adorable, don’t get too far with my girl, Carol. Captain Marvel happens to be helping out the Guardians at the moment in the comic version, and it has been fantastic. Between deflecting proposals from Peter Quill and trying to stop Rocket from killing her cat. She’s got a lot on her hands, but Peter never stops entertaining. His movie version doesn’t disappoint when compared to that.
Gamora, Rocket, Groot, and Drax make up the rest of the Guardians. Gamora’s character furthers the connection with the rest of the Marvel Studio movies. She is actually the daughter of Thanos, well kind of but you’ll have to watch the movie for rest of that. Rocket supplies the tech side of the group, while Drax, though his reasons are heartbreaking, joins and becomes the muscle. Groot the giant plant, tree, whatever, alien acts as the heart. Don’t mistake his kindness for weakness. That tree can’t beat some ass.
With a kick ass soundtrack that doesn’t seem like it should work, this film is a breath of fresh air. It is the perfect way to end the summer. I am just disappointed that I have to practically wait an entire year for a new Marvel movie. Couldn’t they have balanced out another movie for phase two? A little Doctor Strange? Dare I say Captain Marvel? And no, not the Rock movie. DC has a Captain Marvel as well, and by the time they decided to revive the character in the seventies, Marvel already had a character trademarked with the name. Shazam is what he is commonly known as today. When I say Captain Marvel, I mean Carol Danvers. Even if they choose to do Ms. Marvel instead, I personally think her rebranding and new incarnation is way more badass.
The Day of the Whovians
This past Monday I had the pleasure of enjoying The Day of the Doctor amongst fellow fans on the big screen. The 50th anniversary special, which had been previously aired on television the weekend before to those with the ability to watch it, was presented to fans in 3D for a one night showing through Fathom Events. The special not only gave fans another run with the 11th Doctor played by Matt Smith, but fan favorite, David Tennant, returned to reprise his role as the 10th Doctor. The great John Hurt also joined the cast for the special to play a version of the Doctor that has never been shown before, but talked of greatly. It is this version of the Doctor that collides the worlds of the 10th and the 11th incarnations.
I do not wish to reveal the story of this special to the fans that have yet to see it, but to those fans, get ready to have one of the most talked about and changing moments of the Doctor’s life finally told in full detail. I am personally not as familiar with the original series as I am with the current one, but in consideration of the new series, this is the full story of a personal conflict in the Doctor’s life that has continued to dictate his choices in the most current of episodes.
What would make watching the fantastic special better? Watching it with fellow fans in a large room does not hurt at all. There were plenty of people sporting various Doctor Who shirts, which I have to admit I am pretty sad I do not as of yet own one. More serious fans came dressed as their favorite incarnation of the doctor, which ranged back to the Tom Baker era and some even sported the iconic fez in honor of the 11th Doctor. My personal favorite was the fans that brought along their sonic screwdrivers. They were kind enough to lend their aid by pointing them at the screen in order to help out the early technically difficulties the theater was experiencing at beginning of the screening. Whether they truly helped or not, the thought was what mattered.
When the go time happened, we were treated with a specialized service announcement about proper behavior in a theater taught to us by one of the fans favorite aliens, Commander Strax. We were shown how easy it was for he and his clones to follow the simple rules of approved theater etiquette, and what tortures would await us if we did not. After this we were greeted by the current 11th Doctor welcoming us to the anniversary special and slightly confusing the exact anniversary, but he wouldn’t be the Doctor if he did not. We were then asked to put on our 3D glasses and believed the show was about to start when we received an early greeting by the 10th Doctor. As much as I have warmed up to and enjoy Matt Smith’s Doctor, Mr. Tennant will always be mine. His appearance was greeted by cheers by those fans particularly partial to number 10. I will admit to cheering as well. It was a sad day when Tennant left the show, and to see him back in that striped suit practically unchanged was fantastic. After the show, fans got a special treat of the behind the scenes featurette of the making of the special.
There was clearly a focus on the newer series and the events since its comeback in 2005, but the older series was not forgotten. As much as I would have enjoyed watching this special from the comfort of my couch, the scenes in which all 50 years of Doctors were highlight held a stronger presence on the big screen. My very personal favorite scene was at the end where this point is not only focused upon but very clearly made.
I am glad to have had the opportunity to share the theater with fellow fans making this one of the best Doctor Who experiences I will ever have. Since I have tried not to spoiler any of special for you, I am not left with much else to say about it. If you are truly a Whovian or just someone that enjoys the show, please check it out when you get the chance. It is worth it.
Last Vegas
After losing a friend, Billy has made the decision to enjoy the life he has and marry his girlfriend. No event would be complete without his three best friends. Getting the gang back together for the Vegas wedding proved some challenges, but the men are determined to live it up and give Billy the time of his life.
This film brings together the old and young for a delightful ride that all ages can enjoy. The chemistry between the leads, Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Klein, shine through, portraying a friendship that most wish to have in their lifetime. This friendship is the heart and soul of the film.
It shows the strength one can find when those most trusted are around for help and support. Even the pain and heartache of a betrayal by a friend is shown. Paddy and Billy were not on good terms in the beginning of the film, but because of this strong and long lasting friendship, Paddy was able to finally embrace his friend. It shows that true friendship has challenges, but these trials only strengthen the relationship in the end. It happens to all close friendships. How we deal with these obstacles makes us stronger. Paddy may have been very angry and hurt because Billy let him down at one of the most important moments of his life, but he had yet to understand just how much the same moment hurt Billy.
This friendship elevates into family. It is the same type of friendship that I have with my closest friends. We currently live far apart from one another, but as soon as we talk on phone or see each other it seems like we were never apart. We all can get upset at one another then shake it off just as easily. That’s family. I can only hope that we can still be as close as these men when we get to their age.
This is a short review, but I don’t want to spoil anything for those who intend to see it. It is a simple and very fun movie made to entertain and amuse. If you’re looking for something fun then check this one out. This film shows us that you are never too old to have fun, and not to allow anyone limit you because your age.
Thorsday, When I Lay My Hammer Down.
Last week I got to go see my favorite Norse God on the big screen. It is the story of my people. No not really. My Swedish mother just shakes her head at me and lets me know that I'm crazy. Aliens, Gods, it’s all the same. If you haven’t had a chance to see this next installment in the story of this thunder God, check out my review from Our Knight Life and head to the nearest theater.
Our favorite hammer wielding superhero is back. Marvel Studios phase two may have rolled out with Iron Man 3 first, but Thor certainly doesn’t plan on being satisfied with second place. He seems to prefer to stand by his mechanical suited friend rather than behind him. One thing is for sure, a lot has happened since Thor first appeared on the big screen back in 2011.
We last saw Thor fighting alongside the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk, being brought back to Midgard to stop his brother, Loki, from destroying the realm he has grown to love. Luck was on the gathered Avengers’ side, and they prevailed over the alien attack to save New York and the rest of Midgard. Unfortunately, Thor’s last trip to our realm kept him quite busy and with no time to visit old friends, namely Jane Foster.
Jane has continued to drive her research towards finding the god she gave her heart to, which has now brought her to London. Stuck in-between finally facing the reality that Thor will never return or keep grasping at the fleeting hope that the next spike in her readings will give her that which she so desperately seeks, she takes a final reluctant chance to search out a scientific anomaly. A chance that will lead her right back to one she sought out for so long, but will the price be worth it?
Thor has been striving to bring balance back to the nine realms after rebuilding the Bifrost Bridge and ending the chaos that Loki caused with its destruction. The task has led to many battles and time that continues to add up, keeping him from where his heart truly belongs. Shaping into a king that Asgard truly deserves, Thor is finding it hard to choose between his people and his heart. Now an ancient darkness long thought dead has resurfaced, threatening Asgard and maybe even Jane, forcing Thor to make a choice, a hard one at that.
Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Tom Hiddleston return in the second installment of Thor’s story, Thor: The Dark World. This film is a perfect balance of action, drama, romance, and comedy, ensuring it will be a favorite of the Marvel movies. This time around we get to spend a little more time in Asgard, seeing the world that Thor and Loki know best. The beauty and art that delighted fans from the first film is extended in an awe aspiring visage that further embellishes and defines the exquisiteness of all that Asgard offers.
The movie takes place after The Avengers in the Marvel Studios timeline. While it touches on some of the situations left after that film, such as what is to be done with Loki now that he has been taken prisoner or the general wellbeing of Dr. Erik Selvig, the main focus is a continuation of what the first Thor movie left at its end. The Bifrost Bridge needs to be dealt with, along with Thor’s relationship with both his Asgard home and his Midgard heart. Favorite characters beyond Thor, Jane, and Loki return in this film. The Warriors Three and SIf continue to aid their royal friend in helping maintain balance. Dr. Erik Selvig has served a hard transition from his possession in The Avengers, and our favorite intern, Darcy, has returned to offer comic relief once again.
While the movie may not be appropriate for the youngest of audiences, anyone older than thirteen should be fine with seeing this film. Anyone younger is up to parental discretion. There is enough violent situations for this concern, but much like the first film, the violence is limited in comparison to the other Marvel movies.
This is a must see for all superhero and Marvel fans alike. Prepare to be entertained, because this Norse God will bring the thunder to keep you in your seat.
Espionage Cosmetics
